By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Should we focus on a president who is a convicted rapist, or the capacity of the judiciary to try him in isolation from a hyped media and produce what appears to be a thoroughly argued decision? It took more than an hour for the head judge to read it. The procedure has […]
By Dow Marmur JERUSALEM — I normally don’t watch television at 9 a.m. but I made an exception this Thursday morning, because all TV and radio stations in Israel had live broadcasts of the reading of the verdict in the case of Moshe Katzav, Israel’s immediate past president. The judge found him guilty on all
Shonda file: Ex-President Katzav convicted of rape Read More »
Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — The Egyptian government so arranged the parliamentary elections that the share of seats held by the opposition declined from 20 percent for Muslim Brotherhood supporters alone to only 3 percent for all of the half-dozen opposition parties put together. In other words, the regime didn’t just steal the election–which it
Can Egypt withstand growing extremism of Islamist movements? Read More »
Middle East
By Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel — I never know whether to laugh or cry when I read those perennial complaints that things are getting worse, the country (no matter which) is going to the dogs and ‘fings ain’t wot they used to be.’ The trouble is that change happens, it is inevitable, we are
Jewish critics of Israel need to accept the facts of life Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release) — The unauthorized publication of thousands of pages of classified U.S. diplomatic cables by the WikiLeaks organization has had a serious unintended consequence: the proliferation of anti-Israel conspiracy theories claiming that Israel and the “Israel lobby” played a secret role in the documents’ release. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) said the WikiLeaks
ADL says new ‘big lie’ is that Israel conspired with WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange Read More »
USANEW YORK (Press Release)–The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has renewed its call for President Barack Obama to release from captivity Jonathan Pollard, who, after 25 years behind bars, has more than served any reasonable term for violating U.S. law by passing classified material to an American ally. Last month, the ZOA worked with other
ZOA renews call for Pollard’s release Read More »
USANEW YORK (Press Releases)—Jewish groups have urged nations to boycott the special session of the United Nations general assembly that has become known as Durban III. Here are their statements: American Jewish Committee: AJC expressed profound regret that the UN General Assembly voted to convene a special meeting next year commemorating the tenth anniversary of
Jewish organizations call for boycott of U.N.’s ‘Durban III’ Read More »
USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The Ivory Coast is said currently to have two presidents and be in chaos. Israel has two, or perhaps even three, prime ministers and it’s in anything but chaos. If you don’t probe too deeply, things seem to be going rather well here, especially economically. The official prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu,
Which politician really speaks for Israel? Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –Some of my readers are always bothered when I say that mistakes in Western Middle East policy are caused by stupidity and ignorance—abetted by ideology—and want to argue that the shortcomings are due to deliberate sabotage or evil intentions (often against Israel). I can certainly understand why people think such
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Mahmoud Abbas has marked the Christmas season by proclaiming once again that he will permit no Israelis in his State of Palestine. In an earlier version he said that he would permit no Jews, but handlers had him revise his comments in a direction thought to be politically correct. The recognition
Abbas: Israelis won’t be welcome in Palestine state Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is calling on United Nations member states to declare that they will not participate in the so-called “Durban III” conference, set to be held in New York in September 2011, calling the proceedings “a conference that will undermine rather than advance the fight against discrimination.” The U.N. General
ADL urges nations to boycott U.N.’s ‘Durban III’ Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel– If I had to pick one sentence to show what’s profoundly wrong with Middle East coverage in the Western mass media, this is the one I’d choose. It’s in a New York Times article entitled, “Israel: Tensions Rise Along Gaza Border” by Isabel Kershner. I’ll put the sentence in
How Hamas dupes western governments and reporters Read More »
Middle East, USARICHMOND, Virginia (Press Release)– The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal has upheld a lower court’s dismissal of a suit contesting public financing of a Baptist housing project in Arlington County, Virginia, saying plaintiff Peter Glassman had not shown the housing project was for anything other than its stated purpose. Here is the court’s opinion.
SEATTLE, Washington (Press Release)–The anti-Israel “Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign” group’s bus billboard ad campaign on Seattle buses, that was supposed to begin next Monday, December 27, was rejected on Thursday, Dec. 23. Citing the potential for disruption to transit service, King County Executive Dow Constantine on Thursday approved an interim policy from Metro Transit that calls for
Seattle transit rejects anti-Israel billboard campaign Read More »
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