Ira Sharkansky

By Ira Sharkansky   JERUSALEM — Where’s the Israeli government? What happened? Was it more or less inevitable? It began with a government composed of eight parties: Yesh Atid (There is a Future), Blue and White, Israel Our Home, New Hope, Yamina (Right), Labor, Meretz, and Joint List (Arab). Except for Labor, Meretz, and the […]

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Israel’s relations with the Palestinians are truly messy. But they may last. How long? Who knows? Except with Gaza, there are no firm borders. Israel’s settlements, much beyond east Jerusalem, spread into the West Bank. Israel also enters the Palestinian areas in order to deal with individuals who threaten

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D   JERUSALEM — An Arab woman, a member of Meretz, announced her resignation from the government. Her situation is complex. She’s not likely to be attracted to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and she’s not committing herself to vote to disband the government. She indicates that the government hasn’t done enough

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D   JERUSALEM — Shireen Abu Akleh was a journalist associated with Al Jazeera, who was shot to death during a confrontation between Palestinian and Israeli forces near Jenin last week. She then became the centerpiece of a media and political obsession involving both communities. Who shot her? And was her death

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Israel’s passions come to the fore during the 48 hours of Memorial Day and then Independence Day. Sadness, sacrifice, and joy. Along with considerable dispute as to how the sentiments should be marked. Memorial Day, last Wednesday, commemorated  24,068 persons who lost their lives while in the military and

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D   JERUSALEM — The big news of last week concerned the Strauss Chocolate Company, and the discovery of salmonella in some of its products. We’ve gone forward and backward on this for several days, with a giant company having to accept a major recall, and then the closing of its production

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Israel is currently in the midst of a mess. But, like others that Israelis have experienced, it is likely to be temporary. The context is made up of several major holidays, the month of Ramadan, plus Pesach, and several holidays around Easter. Those manage to heighten feelings that we

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — The Temple Mount is an area a bit less than 40 acres and seen as holy by Muslims, Jews, and Christians. With the confluence this year of Ramadan, Passover, and Easter, it’s the focus of active conflict, especially between extremist Muslims and Jews. Recently there has been conflict, with

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — A week ago, the whip of the Israeli coalition indicated her resignation. Involved were the efforts of the government to allow hospital visitors to bring non-kosher food with them during Passover. The woman who resigned was a member of Naftalt Bennett’s political party, a rightist group in the confused

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D JERUSALEM — Last week four Israelis were stabbed to death in Beer Sheva; two Border Police officers were shot to death in Hadera; five Israelis, including one Christian Arab police officer, were shot to death in the Haredi city of Bnei Brak; another Israeli was stabbed and seriously injured while riding