By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –There is a lesson in the reports of Barack Obama’s visit with the President of Afghanistan a year after bin Laden’s killing. As reported by the BBC: “US President Barack Obama has pledged to ‘finish the job’ and end the Afghan war, addressing the US public live from a military base […]
Under diplomatic cover, U.S. will abandon Afghanistan Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — At one time, a mantra of American politics was that politics stops at the water’s edge. Then there was Vietnam. Long before Vietnam there was considerable dispute about entering World War I. Irish immigrants were prominent among those not wanting to risk themselves for Great Britain. When the next
Neither for U.S., Israel does partisanship end at water’s edge Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM –What some seem to regard as bad news for Israel may, in fact, bode well for its future. I’m referring to the uproar in the country and abroad following the very public criticism by Yuval Diskin, the former head of internal security, when he spoke of the “messianic” scaremongering about
Three items of good news for Israel Read More »
Middle East
By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — It is no surprise that one reads in today’s international headlines: “Leading candidate in Egypt presidential race calls Israel peace accord ‘dead and buried.’” [The New York Times]. Amr Moussa, running ahead in the polls, spoke to a large rally in southern Egypt. He took the opportunity
British trade union council’s anti-Semitism ‘Cristal-clear’ Read More »
International
By Sandy Golden SAN DIEGO — Where else but in Israel can you find an entire wall made of Jerusalem stone, a replica of the Dead Sea Scrolls on permanent display, and information about Israel’s 2500-year history and also its modern rebirth and amazing achievements during the past 63 years? It’s hard to believe, but
Sequel to Israel festival planned at House of Israel Read More »
Middle East, San Diego CalendarBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 37th anniversary of the fall of Saigon today is a good time to review the utility of American security promises — including those purchased with American blood — to countries fighting ideologically based insurgencies. There were 540,000 Americans in Vietnam at the peak of the U.S. part of
Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan… is there a pattern here? Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USA
By Isaac Yetiv, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — In the last few weeks, two enormous scandals shook a usually nonchalant and numb populace and even the politicians Right and Left. We will call them “The GSA extravagance in Las Vegas” and “The Secret Service debauchery in Cartagena.” The GSA, whose very existence was hitherto known
Scandals demonstrate arrogance of power in federal government Read More »
USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — There’s talk of early elections in Israel. Though the government has still more than a year to go, it needs to replace the so-called Tal Law that de facto exempts the ultra-Orthodox (haredim) from military service and which some time ago the Supreme Court declared to be unconstitutional. This
Possibility of early elections in Israel prompts speculation Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The continued variety of comments about Iran from the governing summit of Israel says something about this country and its society. The problem: one cannot be sure what it says. Last month, the former chief of Mossad spoke publicly on Amrican media. Meir Dagan has been described as “hard-charging” and
By David Brin ENCINITAS, California — In a brief return to political matters… What won’t the candidates be discussing during this election season? Campaign finance, surveillance, patent reform…are among a few issues that candidates are sure to avoid. What else….? This mini-slide show shows just a few. In fact, the matters discussed at sciencedebate.org are
Health care debate toxic despite agreement Read More »
USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — The late Prime Minister Rabin is said to have been fond of a story about a Jew in some small East European town who was facing execution by the local squire. The Jew asked for a postponement for a year and promised that in that time he’d teach the
Inaction on Supreme Court ruling on settlements damages Israel Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO–I was born in a still-young Israel just a few years after its inception in 1948. My father and mother were there, however, as the British withdrew on May 14 of that year, lowering the Union Jack over the port of Haifa, and raising the stakes considerably for the 600,000
Thoughts of a Sabra on Israel’s Independence Day Read More »
Middle EastBy Daniel Halper WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Middle East has undergone systemic and radical change since the beginning of the so-called Arab Spring over a year ago. The leaders in Egypt and elsewhere are different-and in their place, well, there is not overwhelming evidence to suggest that the new guys are any friendlier to
America in search of a Middle Eastern policy Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Israel’s settlement policy has returned to the headlines with a ministerial decision to convert three West Bank outposts (Rehalim, Bruchin, and Sansana) into legal settlements, and to find a solution for a neighborhood of Beit El that the Supreme Court has ruled to be illegally located on Palestinian land. Also
Expansion of Israeli settlements a response to Palestinian rejectionism Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East