By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It’s the essence of healthy politics. The status of balance derives from the ever presence of competition. There have always been individuals, groups, political parties, and governmental entities (nations, localities, governmental agencies) that want more at the expense of someone else. If it’s always been, it’s likely to always be. […]
Balancing games occur the world over Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Perhaps you think the war is over. Perhaps you think that if Iran becomes a “friend” of the United States and the possibility of an American-led war against the Islamic Republic recedes, the need for a militarily capable ally such as Israel also recedes. Maybe the U.S. doesn’t want to
Why U.S. cultivates Israel’s defense capacity Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USABurgas bombing victims, including 5 Israelis, remembered 3 years later (JNS.org) A memorial ceremony was held Monday at Burgas Airport in Bulgaria to mark the three-year anniversary of the terrorist bombing there, in which five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver were killed. A still-unidentified perpetrator set off a bomb on a bus parked
Jewish news briefs: July 21, 2015 Read More »
International, Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)– U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-California) announced a $5.2 million federal grant for the Sweetwater Authority to expand a desalination facility. The grant from the Department of the Interior will go toward increasing the desalination capabilities of the Richard A. Reynolds Desalination Facility from 3,600 acre-feet per year (AFY) of water to
Feds to help fund local water facility Read More »
San Diego County, USAHamas terror cell arrested over deadly Shvut Rachel shooting attack (JNS.org) Israel’s Shin Bet security agency revealed Sunday that its officers have uncovered a Hamas terror cell suspected of carrying out a drive-by shooting near the Judea and Samaria community of Shvut Rachel last month. Malachi Moshe Rosenfeld, 26, was critically injured in the shooting
Jewish news briefs: July 20, 2015 Read More »
Middle East, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson DOMEYROT, France — Taking a few weeks off from our usual routine and our home in Israel, ‘retiring from retirement,’ means changing the pace at which we live, shifting to a different location and moving to an area where tranquility prevails. It has by now become our custom to spend the summer months
Rural France: A vacation break from hectic Israel Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, International, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Village councils in the West Bank, and Sharon’s alliance with the Christians of Lebanon represented Israeli efforts to play in the politics of neighbors. One was a failure, and the other a disaster. Israel sought to create village councils in the West Bank during the 1970s and 1980s as its
Is ‘alliance’ brewing among Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East-Last in a four-part series- By Steve Kramer ALFE MENASHE, Israel — This is the third and last review of wannabes vying for the Republican nomination for president in 2016. There are so many declared candidates that both Fox and CNN will only allow ten to appear in their initial debates. The two presidential candidates
More GOP hopefuls’ opinions on Israel Read More »
Middle East, Steve Kramer, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — Professor Avi Shlaim of Oxford is often described as a “revisionist” historian of modern Israel, where he had lived and where he served in its armed forces. In his comprehensive and important book, The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World, he writes about the late Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin:
Where is Yitzhak Rabin’s political heir? Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin ENCINITAS, California — According to one published report, a potential New Hampshire primary voter has stated: “We need the truth. We don’t have to like the truth. But we need it.” Agreement on this comes from this spiritual corner. The truth is that Donald Trump has an endless supply of money
Trump, the rich, exploits the stupid Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It’s been a few days, and the dust hasn’t settled. Israeli shrill, in Hebrew and other languages, has been prominent in the media here and elsewhere, along with efforts at varying hues to calm our fears. Headlines in Israel Hayom about as expected An agreement to shame the world It doesn’t obligate
Weighing the reactions to the N- deal Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Gary Rotto SAN DIEGO — Since the murders at Emanuel AME church a few weeks ago, I’ve struggled looking for the right words to express my feelings on the so called “Southern Culture” as symbolized by the Confederate flag. It is amazing to me that we tolerate the rewriting of history as a way to
U.S. should take down all Confederate symbols Read More »
Jewish History, USABy Edwin Black WASHINGTON–When the last plaintive shofar blast echoed through the Washington D.C. Convention Center of the Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Policy Conference extravaganza of support for Israel, July 13–14, 2015, it was not the record attendance of 5,000 fired-up pro-Israel Christians that marked a turning point for the 10-year old group. Nor
CUFI plans all-out campaign against N- deal Read More »
Edwin Black, Middle East, USABy Stephen Bryen and Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The deal is done. Iran has sort-of promised it won’t build nuclear weapons, but even the promise has serious caveats: Iran can continue to build weapons platforms to deliver the non-existent weapons; it can cooperate with friendly countries to acquire enhancements to weapons delivery technology; and
Iran N- deal may force Israel to unveil its N- capacity Read More »
International, Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, Stephen D. Bryen, USA