By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — As a confirmed incrementalist, I’m not a great fan of the conventional occasions for summing up, asking where we are, and where we are going. As an Israeli plugged in to international networks, the obvious times for such stuff come as we approach January 1, or א’ בתשרי , i.e., […]
2012 was a year of incremental change Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastReport: Israel monitoring Iran from Eritrea (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) Israel is operating an intelligence gathering base in the East African nation of Eritrea to monitor Iran’s activities in the Red Sea, the Stratfor Global Intelligence company revealed Tuesday. The company says it uses a unique, intelligence-based approach to gathering information via open-source monitoring and
JNS news briefs: December 12, 2012 Read More »
InternationalFatah-Hamas collaboration on the rise after Abbas authorizes celebration (JNS.org) Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is allowing Hamas to hold a festival in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, showing a clearer willingness by Fatah to collaborate with Hamas, Israel National News reported, citing the Bethlehem-based Ma’an news agency. The festival will take place in the city of
JNS news briefs: December 10, 2012 Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Choosing among 34 political parties is much simpler than it may first appear. The first step is deciding who you are, and what is important to you. The second step is to avoid wasting time thinking about 20 or so parties beyond the edge of reality. It is easiest for the
Deciding how to vote in a multi-party election Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Politics is serious business. It is how societies move from disputes about issues large and small to the selection of their leaders, choices between public policy alternatives, and the actual implementation of what government does. Politics is also theater. It provides the platforms for the best and most bizarre actors
Politics replacing Habima as Israel’s national ‘theatre’ Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Eylon Shamir LA JOLLA, California — As an Israeli who has resided in the United States for the last 18 years, I have been frustrated by the language dominating U.S. electoral politics. Predominant are the hawkish voices that avoid any criticism of the Israeli government policy and purport to represent my country’s interests while
J Street successes will yield less hawkishness on Israel Read More »
USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Before Israel sat in the UN dock facing Mahmoud Abbas, a man who denied the Holocaust in his doctoral dissertation and denies the link between Jews, the land of Israel, and Jerusalem, the Israeli government said the Palestinian statehood gambit would not be cost free. The UN pronounced itself open
U.N.’s 1975 disgrace repeats itself Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenIDF soldiers attacked by Palestinians in Hebron (Israel Hayom/Exclusive to JNS.org) A routine Israel Defense Forces patrol in Hebron turned violent on Thursday when a six-man IDF unit found itself surrounded, cornered, and threatened in Hebron’s market area. According to various reports of the incident, Palestinian Authority policemen confronted troops from the Nahal
JNS news briefs: December 7, 2012 Read More »
InternationalHamas to create Palestinian ‘Defense Ministry’ JNS.org (JNS.org) At a ceremony honoring Hamas terrorists, Interior Minister Fathi Hammad, who oversees Hamas’s police apparatus, announced plans to establish the first-ever Palestinian “Defense Ministry,” the Jerusalem Post reported. Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, U.S., Canada and European Union, also operates as a
JNS news briefs: December 6, 2012 Read More »
InternationalBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Should Israelis worry about a lack of public support? For some time now we have not been popular with the crowds of Western Europe. Overall sentiment in the United States remains favorable, but not in the liberal wing of the Democratic party. Thomas Friedman writes about the contrast between Israeli
‘Pushy’ Israelis, assimilated U.S. Jews, and a goat in the tent Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C–Iran has made common cause with similarly nasty countries around the world to promote an anti-American, anti-Israel and anti-Western agenda. This includes the transfer of weapons as well as the training of terrorists who return to their places of origin ready and able to blow themselves up. While the U.S. focuses
Those good friends in Sudan of the anti-Israel crowd Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A considerable portion of the world is being nasty to Israel. The list of governments inviting the Israeli ambassador in their capital city to the halls of their foreign ministry for a drubbing includes virtually all of the European worthies, along with Australia and Brazil. The list may be
Will Obama take political revenge on Netanyahu? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastPA, writing to UN, calls Israeli construction plans ‘war crimes’ (JNS.org) Palestinian leaders delivered a harsh complaint to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday in light of Israel’s recent decision to move ahead with plans to build an additional 3,000 housing units in area E1 between Jerusalem and Maaleh Adumim, Israel Hayom reported. A letter
JNS news briefs: December 5, 2012 Read More »
International
By J. Zel Lurie DEL RAY BEACH, Florida — The most important fact about the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is that it was announced in Cairo by an American and an Egyptian, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. The Israeli and Hamas representatives were nowhere in sight. Here is
A short history of the recent Gaza conflict Read More »
Jewish History, Middle East