By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — In all the excitement over the Wikileaks story, I want to remind people that there’s another big story being ignored. You will be reading about it in the mass media in two or three months. The Obama Administration has messed up its attempts to get Israel-Palestinian negotiations going. The […]
Obama administration has bungled in Middle East for two years now Read More »
Middle East, USARAMALLAH (WJC)–The Palestinian Authority (PA) has removed a controversial report claiming that the Western Wall in Jerusalem is not holy to Jews from its official website. The paper by a senior PA official had sparked world-wide criticism and was condemned as incorrect and provocative, including by the US government. The five-page ‘study’ was authored by
Palestinians withdraw report contending Kotel not Jewish Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM (WJC)–Tamir Pardo, a former deputy director of Israel’s foreign intelligence agency Mossad, has been tapped by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as successor to current Mossad Director Meir Dagan. Pardo has worked in the organization for much of his career. In a statement Netanyahu praised the new director’s “decades-worth of rich experience in the Mossad”.
Tamir Pardo new Mossad chief Read More »
Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) — Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Tuesday, Nov. 30, welcomed the strong condemnation by the Obama Administration of a report issued by a senior Palestinian official claiming that the Western Wall is an Islamic Waqf and refuting Jewish claims to the Western Wall. The
Obama administration denounces Palestinian claims of no Jewish connection to Kotel Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –The latest session of my seminar on public policy was devoted to “Israel in Comparative Perspective.” After noting that Israel is the lone country with a majority of Jews and the western democracy with outlays on security more than twice those (as a proportion of national resources) of the next most
BDS, though annoying, an improvement over Palestinian violence Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
TEL AVIV (Press Release)–Over 150 Olim, including over 20 Lone Soldiers, came together to celebrate Thanksgiving at the annual Nefesh B’Nefesh Thanksgiving dinner in Tel Aviv this past Thursday night. During the dinner, participants enjoyed a short trivia game and music, while dining on turkey and stuffing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and other traditional Thanksgiving
American immigrants to Israel celebrate Thanksgiving Read More »
Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) — J Street President Jeremy Ben-Ami released the following statement in response to an online paper by a Palestinian Authority official that denies any Jewish connection to the Western Wall: J Street condemns this week’s denial by an official of the Palestinian Authority of any Jewish connection to the Western Wall. This
J Street condemns Palestinian efforts to deny Jewish connection to the Kotel Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — What is the United States and the world going to do about an act of aggression by North Korea on South Korea, the deliberate unprovoked firing of mortars at civilians? And what are the lessons of this situation for other world problems? First, nobody is going to do anything
Korean crisis illustrates why bullying works in international politics Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –It should be getting pretty hard even for Western leaders to ignore the Turkish regime’s growing alliance with their enemies. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Lebanon included a very dangerous statement that must not go unnoticed. Lebanon, of course, is now a virtual satellite of Iran, another strategic factor
West should—but doesn’t—react to Erdogan’s provocations Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There is a lesson for the Middle East in the latest incident on the Korean peninsula. The lesson is indirect, and deals more with general principles than the details of what seems to have happened. I begin with the admission that I am a confused outsider on Korean issues. So–with respect to
Outsiders who don’t understand Korea should be similarly modest about Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, ISRAEL — Security checks at American airports have become the most controversial topic in the United States. This debate is so full of mistaken assumptions and misleading ideas that it is hard to know where to start in analyzing it. Let’s consider the terrorist threat within the United States. The opening
Why American airport security is really so horrendous Read More »
International, Middle East, USAJERUSALEM (WJC) — Israel has called on the Palestinian leadership to publicly disassociate itself from a “scientific study” by a Palestinian Authority official which denies Jewish claims to the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site. PM Netanyahu’’s spokesman Mark Regev said: “This is not the sort of statement to be expected from a partner in peace.” He
Latest in delegitimization campaign: Palestinians say Kotel not Jewish Read More »
Middle East
HAIFA (Press Release) — Secretary-General of the OECD Angel Gurrίa received the University of Haifa’s highest accolade, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, at a gala event at the University on Nov. 22. Gurrίa received the tribute in recognition of his efforts in promoting economic cooperation and for his friendship and longstanding support
Haifa University confers honorary doctorate on OECD secretary general Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Sometimes you have to wait until high-ranking officials leave office to find out how truly clueless they are. Such is the case with former National Security Advisor James Jones. Israel-Palestinian peace is easy to obtain, he explained in a lecture. Why? Because the Palestinians are willing to accept Israel