Middle East

Middle East columnist ponders two ‘day after’ scenarios

  By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO—Middle East analyst, author and columnist Barry Rubin, a former U.S. Senate aide who founded an international affairs research institute in Herzliya, sometimes engages in “what happens the day after” speculation. What happens the day after Iran gets a nuclear bomb? he pondered during his visit to San Diego

Middle East columnist ponders two ‘day after’ scenarios Read More »

Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, San Diego County, USA

Commentary: Which Obama program is worse? Domestic health care or Middle East ‘peace’ policy?

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — ‘Anybody but Obama’ is a tempting, but risky thought as one approaches a decision about voting. My Israeli and American heads contribute to this column as some call for the upcoming U.S. Midterm elections to be a referendum on Barack Obama. At this point, some of my American friends will

Commentary: Which Obama program is worse? Domestic health care or Middle East ‘peace’ policy? Read More »

Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Commentary: Arabs hypocritical in saying Israel should not be a ‘Jewish state’

By Morton A. Klein and Dr. Daniel Mandel NEW YORK– Israel’s government recently approved an amendment to its citizenship law by which those seeking to become naturalized citizens will take an oath of allegiance to Israel “as a Jewish and democratic state.” Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas’ and Arab regimes profess to be outraged. Abbas

Commentary: Arabs hypocritical in saying Israel should not be a ‘Jewish state’ Read More »

Middle East

Commentary: Israel in a far stronger position than many believe

By Bruce Kesler LA JOLLA, California –Barry Rubin, director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center in Israel, told the San Diego Israel Coalition on Thursday, Oct. 14, that Israel is in its strongest position in decades. The SDIC, with about 600 Jewish and Christian members, near packed the large auditorium in La Jolla. Rubin’s

Commentary: Israel in a far stronger position than many believe Read More »

International, Middle East, USA

San Diego Jewish Book Fair: Mosab Hassan Yousef, ‘Son of Hamas,’ who speaks Nov. 3, made 180 degree turnaround

Son of Hamas, by Mosab Hasan Yousef with Ron Brackin, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.,  264 pages, 2010. By David Strom SAN DIEGO — Human beings are complicated and because of this, life is interesting. If you are raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, grow up in an Orthodox community, go to Orthodox religious schools, play

San Diego Jewish Book Fair: Mosab Hassan Yousef, ‘Son of Hamas,’ who speaks Nov. 3, made 180 degree turnaround Read More »

Middle East

U.S. agrees recognizing Jewish character of Israel a legitimate demand

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WJC) — the United States sees as legitimate Israel’s demand that Palestinians and other Arab states recognize Israel’s Jewish character, a State Department spokesman has said. P. J. Crowley was asked by reporters during a briefing about Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s offer to extend a partial settlement building freeze in exchange for the Palestinian leadership’s

U.S. agrees recognizing Jewish character of Israel a legitimate demand Read More »

Middle East

Turkey withdraws from OECD tourism conference in Jerusalem

ANKARA (WJC)–Turkey will not attend this year’s tourism conference of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which is to be held in Jerusalem later this month. Culture and Tourism Minister Ertuğrul Günay spoke to reporters on Tuesday and confirmed that Ankara would not be sending representatives to Israel for the conference despite prior

Turkey withdraws from OECD tourism conference in Jerusalem Read More »

Middle East

Ahmadinejad questions al Qaeda’s 9/11 link, urges expulsion of Zionists from ‘Palestine’

BEIRUT (WJC)–Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was scheduled to visit Hezbollah strongholds near the Lebanese border with Israel today (Oct. 14) after he was warmly received in Beirut on Wednesday. Ahmadinejad is on a state visit to Lebanon.  Speaking at a late night rally staged by Hezbollah in the capital, the Iranian leader again questioned that the 9/11

Ahmadinejad questions al Qaeda’s 9/11 link, urges expulsion of Zionists from ‘Palestine’ Read More »

Middle East

Obama bungling has pushed Mideast to brink of serious violence

By Ira Sharkansky Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Now that the Chilean miners are above ground, Israel’s media and those elsewhere will turn to other items. The drama recalls Josef Stalin’s line that one death is a tragedy, while a million are a statistic. It also makes me think about The Ballad of Ira Hays, one of my

Obama bungling has pushed Mideast to brink of serious violence Read More »

Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Analyzing the ‘Jewish state’ demands of Netanyahu and Knesset partners

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The issue of Israel as a Jewish state is currently at the top of the blah blah agenda, with two issues adding to the noise and creating some confusion. One is the proposal that passed the government (but is some distance from becoming law) requiring new non-Jewish citizens to swear allegiance to

Analyzing the ‘Jewish state’ demands of Netanyahu and Knesset partners Read More »

Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Netanyahu offers temporary settlement freeze for recognition of Israel as ‘Jewish’ state

JERUSLAEM (WJC)–Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has offered to extend a temporary construction freeze in West Bank settlements if the Palestinians recognize Israel as the Jewish state. President Mahmoud Abbas immediately rejected the offer. “If the Palestinian leadership will say unequivocally to its people that it recognizes Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people, I

Netanyahu offers temporary settlement freeze for recognition of Israel as ‘Jewish’ state Read More »

Middle East

MERIA editor Barry Rubin addresses Middle East peace process Oct. 14

LA JOLLA, California (Press Release) — A free lecture about “Israel’s Struggle for Peace and Legitimacy” will feature Middle East expert, Professor Barry Rubin on Thursday, October 14, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Sherwood Auditorium at the Museum of Contemporary Art at 700 Prospect St., La Jolla, CA 92037. The event is presented by

MERIA editor Barry Rubin addresses Middle East peace process Oct. 14 Read More »

Middle East

ADL says Israel’s proposed citizenship oath should apply to all immigrants

NEW YORK (Press Release) — The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Monday, Oct. 11, called on the government of Israel to extend a proposed amendment to the citizenship law to cover all immigrants seeking citizenship. Under the 1952 Citizenship Law, naturalized immigrants currently declare:  “… I will be a loyal national of the State of Israel.” 

ADL says Israel’s proposed citizenship oath should apply to all immigrants Read More »

Middle East