By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–He ain’t stupid. Stubborn is not all that bad. Neither is pressure. The subject is Barack Obama. Signs are that he is backing off from saying that he expects early compliance with his demands on Israel and Palestine. “. . . even if we apply all our political capital to that issue, […]
Is Obama backing way from his Middle Eastern initiative? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The Holocaust leads all other tragedies in the extent of its commemoration. Numerous countries have an annual observance on January 27th, the anniversary of the day in 1945 when the Soviet Army liberated the largest Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz. Some of them also commemorate Israel’s observance in the Spring. It comes
A short overview of Holocaust commemorations Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA (Press Release)–American Jews were treated to two Biden-style “big deals” – one good for the Jews, one not so good. Most Jews probably cheered President Obama’s words when he signed the historic health-care bill into law: “The bill I’m signing will set in motion reforms that generations of Americans have
Two ‘big deals’ for U.S. Jews Read More »
Middle East, USA
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Janet Bartel, chief docent at San Diego Mission, treads as carefully as a performer on a tightrope when discussing the Kumeyaay Indian experience at Mission San Diego, There have been too many controversies not to. In September 1988, Pope John Paul II beatified Father Junipero Serra saying that
San Diego’s historic places: Mission San Diego tells circumspect tale of Kumeyaay life Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Israel returned from its Passover vacation, and unburdened itself of several files awaiting release from one official body or another. The scandal of the Holyland apartment development gained more weight with the detainment of another real estate mogul, said to have bribed local planning officials with respect to that project, and officials
Holyland scandal continues to dominate Israeli headlines Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Bruce Kesler ENCINITAS, California–“I’m tired of hearing about the Holocaust.” Be close enough to most people for them to be honest, even Jews, and you’ll often hear that said. What they most usually mean is they are tired of hearing hypocrisy. Sunday is Holocaust Day, Yom Ha-Shoah, Day of Remembering the Catastrophe, sadly commemorated
Why some are tired of hearing about the Holocaust Read More »
Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Avishai Margalit, arguably Israel’s most significant living philosopher, has recently published a book with the intriguing title, On Compromise and Rotten Compromises. As I haven’t read it, I’m not in a position to comment on it, but one quote as it appears in John Gray’s review in The New York Review of
Just a peace or a just peace? Read More »
Middle East, USABy Dorothea Shefer-Vanson MEVASSERET ZION, Israel–Been there, done that. Why was Israel not affected by the global economic crisis to the same extent as some other countries, specifically the US and the UK? It was probably due to a number of factors. In the 1980s, due to a combination of ideological rigidity and economic
How Israel avoided the global economic meltdown Read More »
Dorothea Shefer-Vanson, Middle East, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Arms control, a vestige of the Cold War, is back. Negotiations to determine the future size and shape of the American and Russian arsenals have been concluded and a new accord will be signed Thursday in Prague. How fitting to sign in the Czech Republic, stripped of a planned
Is U.S. rushing into bad deal with Russians Read More »
USABy Yvonne Greenberg and Paul Greenberg SAN DIEGO–The premise of the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s new play, Weekend With Picasso, is that Pablo Picasso must produce six paintings and three vases over the weekend at his villa in France for a wealthy American client. But what the play really attempts to do is give the audience
What led to the Rep's 'Weekend With Picasso'? Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The news was not good when Barack Obama opened his newspapers upon returning to work from his Easter holiday (assuming that the American president had a holiday, beyond a family photo-op at church). From Afghanistan: There are no good options on the horizon, many analysts say, for reining in Mr. Karzai or
Obama facing diplomatic reverses all over the world Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–Editor’s Note: When U.S.-Israel relations hit a rough patch, there are those who quickly blame Israel for America’s difficulties abroad. Israel has outrageously been blamed for endangering American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, and erroneously been blamed for preventing the formation of an Arab coalition to work with the US to contain
Retired U.S. flag officers speak up for Israel Read More »
Middle East, USABy Bruce S. Ticker PHILADELPHIA–Rachel Corrie took a stand for what she thought was a righteous cause. Maybe it was. If Corrie had a significant concern, her response was not only self-destructive but also ineffective, a danger to others, a disruption of military operations and utter disregard for the rules of her host country.
Revisiting the Rachel Corrie case Read More »
Middle East, USABy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM– According to Israeli media commenting on the by now annual PR gimmick called The White House Seder, President Obama suffers from multiple personality disorder. He has been cast in the role of each of the four sons of the Hagadah. He’s wise. By putting pressure on Israel he’s winning the hearts
Obama watchers compare him to each of the four sons at a seder Read More »
Middle East, USA