By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israel has learned from more than 60 years in a difficult neighborhood not to solve problems. In case you are wondering, that is a compliment. It is a sign of political maturity. The most important lesson came in the Lebanon war that begin in 1982 and lasted until the troop […]
Coping is Israel’s great political skill Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Photos and story Sandy Golden SAN DIEGO — Israeli Scouts from San Diego’s Carmel Valley, miniature plants of sunflower seeds from Israel, a San Diego middle-school student writing names in Hebrew for passers-by, the results of a Dream House Competition begun on “Yom Ha’atzma’ut”, a strolling, Yiddishe minstrel/ accordionist, young children and adults from local
Enthusiastic HOI lawn program spreads good will Read More »
Middle East, San Diego County
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) has offered an amendment to the FY 2013 funding bill for the State Department that would require the Department to provide two numbers to Congress: 1) the number of Palestinians physically displaced from their homes in what became Israel in 1948, and 2) the
Sen. Kirk seeks true census of Palestinian refugees Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana Bryen
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — According to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the almost complete vote counting for president looks like this: Mohamed Mursi (Brotherhood) 28.4% Ahmed Shafiq (Mubarak era general) 24.6% Abdul Moeim Abul Fotouh (so-called “moderate Islamist” but supported by radical Islamist Salafists) 18.1% Hamdeen Sabahi (radical anti-American “left” Nasserist) 17.1%
Muslim Brotherhood claims victory in Egypt voting Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — An uptick in loud concern about illegal immigration is currently riling Israeli media and politics. By “loud concern” I mean shouting on a prime time discussion program set off when moderators do not accept as appropriate the answers to questions they have asked, against the background of anti-immigrant riots in
Israelis’ rhetoric about illegal immigration sounds like Americans’ Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
Story and photos by Ilene Lerner SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — My Costa Rican friend and colleague, Rebecca Gueverra, and I went to visit the Jewish Museum here. I knew from research on the Internet, that there was a small Jewish community here of about 3,000 and wanted to connect with it. I had asked some
Museum explores 3 waves of Jewish immigration to Costa Rica Read More »
International
By David Amos SAN DIEGO–Two weeks ago I shared with you a few interesting experiences we encountered in our trip of a month ago. We were two couples, finding places that all tourists either know or wish to visit, and other locations with possible twists and surprises. In my first article, I covered visits with
Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania fun to tour Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — In the great mystery of What will Israel do? there is another item that may help to resolve the problem. Ha’aretz is the paper of Israel’s intellectual establishment. And befitting that status, it is left of center, and generally critical of government policy. The posture of its editors affects their
Ha’aretz ridicules Obama’s do-nothing approach on Iran Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Morton A. Klein and Daniel Mandel NEW YORK — Since the toppling of the Hosni Mubarak regime last year, matters in Egypt – and thus in the Egyptian/Israeli relationship and in the surrounding Middle East – have steadily gone from bad to worse. Strangely, few are taking notice. The Obama Administration actively encouraged the
Egyptian candidates seek end to peace with Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Two committees are competing for Israel’s media space. Both are dealing with items that have been near the top of the agenda for some time. And consistent with their long play without solution, the clear tendency of commentary about both is pessimistic. One is dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. Without trying to
Israeli committees studying Iran and universal military service Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) – Congressman Brad Sherman (Democrat, California), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced the Visa Waiver for Israel Act, a bill allowing Israel’s entrance into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. Congressman Ted Poe (Republican-Texas) and the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (Republican-Florida), joined with
Bill introduced to allow Israelis to visit U.S. without a visa Read More »
USABy Evelyn Gordon WASHINGTON, D.C. — To grasp how badly the security situation in Sinai has deteriorated, one fact suffices: Israel now receives as many intelligence warnings about Sinai-based terror plots as it does about terror from Gaza. This, obviously, is of great concern to Israel. But it should also concern the international
Egypt’s presidential candidates may want war with Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Not all immigrants to Israel receive a warm welcome. The prominent exceptions to the smiles and good wishes concern Africans who pay Bedouin to smuggle them from Egypt through the Sinai. Americans know the problem with Mexican and other illegal entrants from Central America. Europeans can think about North
In land of immigrants, not all are welcome Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Among the comments heard in connection with the imploding of the Greek economy and politics is the prospect that emigration will increase. With unemployment estimated at above 50 percent among young Greeks, and a long history of exporting surplus population, the outflow appears to be a natural response to economic
Worldwide migrations correlate with economic opportunity Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky