By David Brin ENCINITAS, California– Nearly two thirds (65 percent) of Americans think that President Obama would be a better leader than Mitt Romney if an alien invasion were to happen. Hm, well, yes… and? So? A survey for National Geographic finds extraterrestrial visits not that crazy an idea to most Americans. Thirty-six percent of […]
Politics offer fertile grounds for science fiction Read More »
USABy Samara Greenberg WASHINGTON, D.C. — On June 20, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal were scheduled to meet in Cairo to choose cabinet members for the Palestinian interim government that would oversee elections. That meeting never came to fruition, however, and senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan later said that
Gaza watch: Palestinian reconciliation on hold Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansksy JERUSALEM– Israelis are fortunate to have a large and active diaspora of Jews. Israelis are also unfortunate in having a large and active diaspora of Jews. The benefits are well known: a bit of money to top off the much larger sums that we provide for ourselves, political support where
Diaspora Jews are a blessing and a curse for Israelis Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Yasir Arafat is still dead. True, he was once alive. I sat across from him in his Gaza office, for example. And he even had a copy of my history of the PLO on his bookshelf so he must have been of sound mind at the time. It’s not
Arafat allegations one more attempt to dehumanize Israel Read More »
Middle East
By Isaac Yetiv , Ph. D. LA JOLLA, California — In June 2012 , the U.S. Supreme Court voted five to four to uphold the Obama Healthcare law , declaring it “constitutional.” It found that the “penalty” for not buying insurance ( which would have made the law “unconstitutional” ) is, in reality, a “tax” (which makes
Obama care decision hands Republicans major campaign issue Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Lots of politics, brought about by the high intensity squabbles over what to do about the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim), and to some extent the Arabs. Animosity toward the Haredim and a somewhat different concern about Arabs is always present, along with whatever else is happening. Feelings about the Haredim peaked some
Compulsory service for Arabs, haredi continues to simmer Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Zachary Fisher WASHINGTON, D.C. — According to a report released Wednesday by Human Rights Watch, Jordan recently turned away Syrians of Palestinian heritage seeking refuge in the Hashemite Kingdom, while threatening to deport Syrian Palestinians who arrived within the past year. Meanwhile, Jordan has laudably admitted 140,000 Syrian refugees into its country and given
Jordan bars Syrian refugees of Palestinian descent Read More »
Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — It was at dinner in the garden of a well-known analyst of Iran. He’d spent years writing prolifically and astutely about the regime, its progress on nuclear technology, dissidents, U.S. policy, Israeli policy, and the machinations of the P5+1. “What’s the latest on your blog?” we asked. “Italian food,” he replied. “There’s
A time to columnize, and a time to realize Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Living alongside Isaweea is an adventure that provides insights into larger issues about Israel and the Middle East. We’ve been here for 20 years, and have never visited the neighborhood 200 meters to the east. Arab friends have urged us to stay away, for our own good. Twice
Tensions between Jewish and Arab neighborhoods in Jerusalem Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Carol Davis LOS ANGELES—If there is one show you must see this year, make it War Horse, the 2011 Tony Award winner for Best Play and then some. It is now playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles on its national tour for a limited engagement through July 29th. Don’t see it because
Spellbinding ‘War Horse’ at Ahmanson Read More »
Carol Davis, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel CHULA VISTA, California — Since the end of the Second World War, Germany has come a long way in rehabilitating its past legacy of Nazism. Germany has proven itself as a good friend of Israel and the Jewish people. Germany has emerged as one of the most successful democratic countries
Germany’s circumcision decision smacks of Nazism Read More »
International, Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — I had occasion to host the just deceased-Yitzhak Shamir, the diminutive and fiery former prime minister of Israel, along with the foreign minister at the time, the late Abba Eban. It was 1983, Shamir was in office, and the two rivals were both featured speakers at the International
Yitzhak Shamir, z”l, took his politics personally Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There are some general lessons about politics in the current maneuverings of Israeli politicians around the issues of drafting ultra-Orthodox and Arabs. In Hebrew, the terms rhyme — חרדים וערבים– Haredim and Aravim. The issues differ more than they overlap. Lesson #1 is the distance between politics and policy, or between politics
Integrating ultra-Orthodox and Arabs into the Israeli mainstream Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By David Bedein JERUSALEM–Covering the 1988 elections on special contract for the New York Times,Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, all three bureau chiefs would ask at the end of each day for a report of what Shamir said each day on the campaign trail. There was never much to report, because Shamir’s messages were
Yitzhak Shamir, 96, was man of few words Read More »
Middle East