Ira Sharkansky is professor emeritus of political science and public administration at Hebrew University.
His books, which are available on Amazon, include:
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Rethinking is integral to judgment. When we stop rethinking, it’s time to shut down our Internet connection and everything else. A reasonable assessment of Donald Trump has not gone from terrible to wonderful. Or even from bad to good. He remains a mystery, created by his own incapacity to speak […]
Time to reassess Trump? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — This is an interesting place. Often it’s exciting. Sometimes too exciting. Remember those medieval maps that showed Jerusalem at the center of the world? Now it’s more likely Washington, but Jerusalem can be close. That’s the case with the Trump-Netanyahu coalition with respect to Iran, or maybe it’s the Netanyahu-Trump
Old Israeli disputes simmer as new ones boil Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Little countries must look outward in order to prosper. That means being multi-lingual and multi-connected, and it may mean avoiding firm connections that get in the way of the flexibility that is essential. The need to import is obvious, insofar as a little country can’t produce everything it needs. The
Israel like and unlike other small countries Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Kever Shmuel and/or Nebi Samwil is one of the sites that includes within its stories the long and controversial history of this place, as well as ongoing disputes about who did what, and its justification or suitability for moral condemnation. The place is the highest point in the area of
The dispute over the Prophet Samuel’s Tomb Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Jewish Religion, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — A great presentation? Telling the world something it already knew? A Prime Minister firming up his support at home? Or Bibi making an ass of himself? All of the above? It depends on what you heard and what you read. It’s widely viewed as an intelligence achievement, but maybe more
Netanyahu speech on Iran leaves many questions Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — After several weekends of coping with massed Gazans on or over the edge of violence, the country has been obsessed with the deaths of teenagers, seemingly caused by the negligence of an upper status pre-army program. The disaster also reflected one of the country’s natural attractions: spectacular desert canyons (wadis)
National anguish following death of Israeli teens Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — “The Dangers of Failing Middle East States,” by Kobi Michael and Yoel Guzansky is an insightful item that describes the spread of failed states, especially among Muslim-majority countries, and applies the lesson to what much of the world aspires to create for Palestinians. You can read it here. A failed state
P.A., Hamas should blame themselves Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — This contentious little country could not get through its Memorial Day and its 70th Anniversary Independence Day without political squabbles that qualify for the label of noisome, i.e., stinky. The media of Memorial Day were marked, as is usual, by stories about young people cut down before they could demonstrate
Squabbles mark Israel’s 70th Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — On the country’s 70th anniversary (according to the Hebrew calendar), it’s appropriate to ask, once again, Why so much attention to this little place? And why so much emotion involved in wanting to change how it operates? It may be the spirituality associated with Israel, its prominence in everyone’s media,
Lessons and divisions of Israeli politics Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — For more than 26 years I’ve been thinking about what’s near and far while looking east from our balcony. At first, we could see a bit of the Dead Sea, but the builders of Isaweea have gone skyward and cut off our view. Isaweea is the congestion off to
An insider’s view from French Hill, Jerusalem Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, Travel and FoodBy Ira Sharkansky SAN DIEGO — Max Singer has a distinguished record as founder and participant in the work of the Hudson Foundation, and has commented wisely on a number of occasions since coming to Israel many years ago. At one time we had neighboring apartments, and shared discussions of what interested us both. I’ve
Debating Bibi’s continued suitability as P.M. Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The second Friday demonstration in the string of some half-dozen planned to peak on the Palestinian celebration of Nakba passed with only about 2/3 the number of demonstrators as last week, and half the deaths (9) said to be the result of IDF gunfire. The big prize for the Palestinians
Gazans continue to test Israeli resolve Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The latest political farce has deepened this country’s status as a cynic’s paradise. Prime Minister Netanyahu, together with Interior Minister Ariyeh Deri, surprised us Monday afternoon with a dramatic announcement that Israel had signed an agreement with the UN Commission on Refugees that a number of western countries would accept
Israel’s African refugee fiasco Read More »
International, Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — One of the uglier scenes in Israeli politics is a face-off, equivalent to anything done at the O.K. Corral, that has occurred in the run-up to what should be an iconic celebration of the country’s 70th birthday. It’s Yuli (Yoel) Edelstein against Bibi (Benjamin) Netanyahu. One is the Chair of the
Israeli politics: Edelstein vs. Netanyahu Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East