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–Two recent articles is the New York Times provide an accurate picture of our surroundings. A description of Gaza provides all we need to produce a mood of hopeless despair. There is plenty to eat, but no work, and no hope for the the growing population of young people who can neither […]
Peace may be at standstill but West Bank economy on the move Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–One of the attractions of living in Israel is the feeling of participation in the wider world of the Jewish people. It is also one of the problems. An American friend sent me the following, which came to him from a non-Orthodox rabbi: . . . send a message to BIBI telling
Israeli 'conversion' bill would not change status quo Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Israel is a normal country, but is strained to preserve that status against the rest of the world that is even less normal. That is not a sentence one would expect from a confirmed social scientist. It does not make sense according to the elemental rules of logic, but it does
Israel is not the only country with its pecularities Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–As expected, the White House meeting between President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu was an occasion for mutual admiration and pledges of cooperation. It was much different from the image conveyed by their previous meeting, when the White House had blasted the timing of an Israeli planning committee’s announcement about
Seemingly, little of substance in Obama-Netanyahu meeting Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Cities are places where people of different backgrounds and outlooks come together and make do with one another. Jerusalem is no different, but it is also different. Prominent groups in the population are Arabs, about 30 percent, and ultra-Orthodox Jews, about 30 percent of the Jewish population. For Jerusalemites who are neither
Two greatest disruptors of life in Jerusalam: Obama and Moskowitz Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There may be 20,000 persons marching along the roads from northern Israel toward Jerusalem, led by the family of Gilad Shalit. He is the soldier who was seized from the Israeli side of the Gaza border four years ago, and has since been the subject of on-again, off-again negotiations to
How far should Israel go to rescue Shalit, Pollard? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The dismissal of General Stanley McChrystal in Afghanistan is not as seismic as some are contending, but it is significant. The comparison with Truman and MacArthur is not appropriate. MacArthur acted against presidential policy, and helped create the military and political disaster of Chinese entry into the Korean War. McChrystal and his
McChrystal affair points up wisdom of punishing enemy but not occupying its territory Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–It is appropriate to ponder the significance of one hundred thousand ultra-Orthodox demanding independence from the Israeli judiciary. While the Sephardim suffer discrimination in the ultra-Orthodox communities, only a few of their leaders made that point. It was more common for prominent Sephardi rabbis and politicians to join hands with the Ashkenazim,
Can Haredim be governed by Israel's secular authorities? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The ultra-Orthodox (or Haredim=God fearing) promised the “Mother of all demonstrations.” This does not signal the spread of feminism. The expression may have come from Saddam Hussein’s proclamation of the “Mother of all Battles” when the United States invaded Iraq in 1991. The guess is problematic, insofar as the Haredim assert that
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –This city’s population is 764,000. Groups with high political salience are 269,000 Arabs (35 percent), and an estimated 155,000 ultra-Orthodox. The Arabs have great prominence among overseas watchers of Jerusalem, but opt out of local politics by boycotting municipal elections. Almost none of them accepted Israeli citizenship when it was offered
Arabs, Orthodox Jews and secular Jews often vie in Jerusalem Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Of Israel’s major newspapers, Ha’aretz is the least friendly to the present government. It is also the most likely to criticize the lack of empathy for Palestinian interests that it finds among officials and the population. The journalist who wrote a long article in the weekend edition could have been referring to colleagues when
Poll shows Israelis support Gaza blockade Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There is no knowledge without comparison. “Better” or “worse” are the keys to intelligence. The principle applies to how we judge our health, bank account, personal relationships, the actions of a politician or an entire country. We compare one event to another, or one time period to another. Is X more desirable than
On biblical prophecies and the Gaza flotilla Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The idea of being God’s Chosen People has been as much of a burden as a blessing. Thanks to the prominence of the Hebrew Bible, the doctrine has not been something for us to cherish quietly. It has fueled the animosity and ridicule of adversaries as well as inspiring those who would
Are Jews the 'chosen people'? Check the headlines Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Label me an ostrich with his head in the sand, or a blind ideologue if you will, but I think this is the time to call shame on the chorus of those who used the terms failure, massacre, or tragedy about Israel’s operation against the “Freedom Flotilla.” Videos showing the preparation for
Shame on those blaming Israel for the Gaza Flotilla violence Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East