International

U.S. using Palestine independence vote in U.N. to gain leverage on Israel

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C — It seems the countries of the United Nations have begun to have second thoughts about trying to “create” a Palestinian state through the General Assembly, or – since the Palestinians declared their state independent in 1998 – accepting “Palestine” as a member of the UN without the imprimatur of the […]

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Middle East

Congressman seeks to preempt municipal action on circumcision

By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Congressman Brad Sherman has announced from his Washington office that he has introduced legislation that would preclude San  Francisco and other municipalities from banning the practice of circumcision within their municipal boundaries. The Jewish Democrat, who represents a portion of Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley, said in a

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Donald H. Harrison, USA

Israeli ‘agent’ Grapel failed to grapple with Egyptian realities

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Last weekend the Egyptian government announced that it had arrested an agent of the Mossad who had been sent to Cairo to provoke demonstrations against the regime.   The culprit is Ilan Grapel, since featured in a number of media reports.   Descriptions by those who knew him are of an

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Palestinian vote could set precedent for secessionist movements throughout world

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — For more than 60 years, the United Nations has worked mightily to prevent the Arabs from paying the price of their rejection of the independence of Israel in 1948 and to stoke the fires of Palestinian irredentism: denying resettlement to Arabs who fled the Arab war against Israel; five

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Middle East, Shoshana Bryen

Is Palestinian reconciliation unraveling?

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The lead story in Monday’s Ha’aretz carries the headline, “U.S. pressuring Netanyahu to accept Obama’s peace plan; Israeli source says Americans frustrated with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for hampering U.S. efforts to stop Palestinians trying UN route to statehood in September”   It is not clear if this is coming

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Homeland Security Dept; Jewish organizations announce anti-terror partnership

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano on Friday met with Jewish community leaders from across the nation at the White House to underscore the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) commitment to partnering with faith-based communities to prevent, prepare for and respond to threats and announce the expansion of DHS’ “If You See Something, Say

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USA

Central European history not a template for Mideast

  By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C — In honor of Russia’s National Day on Sunday, Russia House took out a full-page ad in a Washington newspaper. The first text line reads, “Twenty years ago, Russia completed the process of liberating about two dozen nations, itself included, from communist rule.” Funny, the Poles, Czechs, Estonians and

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International, Shoshana Bryen

Wars, U.S. statements on Mideast, examples of not thinking matters through

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Go to war. Then think about it. It’s the story of Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Libya.  The New York Times reported: “As NATO airplanes and attack helicopters struck fresh targets in Tripoli and the oil port of Brega on Sunday, senior British and American officials said there was no

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

Syria demonstrates usefulness of world’s obsession with Palestine

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — When I lit up my computer on Monday morning, the lead story on the New York Times Internet site reported on Palestinian-Syrian efforts to send a mass of demonstrators toward the Israeli border on the Golan Heights. The article described the motives of the Syrian regime to distract attention from

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East