Middle East

Rather than help Palestinians, some Western liberals derive pleasure from pitying them

By Rabbi Dow Marmur  JERUSALEM–The heading of a recent article by the British journalist Brendan O’Neill is significant: “Palestine an obsession of the radical West, not Arabs” (www.theaustralian.com.au). He draws our attention to the fact that during the demonstrations in Egypt and elsewhere there were very few pro-Palestinian slogans: “Instead, this revolt was about Egyptian […]

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Middle East

Israel relatively peaceful oasis in roiled Middle East

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Israel is never far from the world’s headlines, but it is enjoying something of a breather. Muslims from Mauritania and Morocco to Pakistan are dealing with issues more pressing than their conventional assertions about Palestine.  Palestinians have troubles that, arguably, are greater than Israel. Gazans have a regime that is serious about Islamic law,

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East

U.N. veto hailed and damned by Israelis who made up minds ahead of time

By Rabbi Dow Marmur  JERUSALEM–I’m on the mailing list of an American-born Jerusalemite whose blog seems to be dedicated to bashing US President Obama. I stopped reading it regularly a long time ago but I made an exception today in the hope that, after the United States veto of the proposed Palestinian anti-settlement resolution in

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Middle East

Susan Rice explains U.S. veto of resolution on settlements

NEW YORK (Press Release)– Susan Rice, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, explained her casting a veto in the Security Council on Friday on a resolution promoted by the Palestinian Authority to condemn Israel’s settlements in the territories.  She spoke with reporters via a conference telephone call. OPERATOR: Welcome, and thank you for standing by.

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Middle East

U.S. veto of U.N. resolution on settlements wins plaudits

NEW YORK (Press Release)– The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) on Friday expressed appreciation to the United States for vetoing the “fundamentally flawed” U.N. Security Council resolution on Israeli settlements and for making clear to the Palestinian Authority that the only route to peace is through direct negotiations with Israel. Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director, issued

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Middle East

Egyptians, Palestinians hated leaders, but loved their lies about Israel

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –On Thursday, we considered the difference between what Palestinian Authority leadership may have told American and Israeli “peace” negotiators and what they assuredly are telling their constituents. The disconnect means the Palestinian people are not being prepared for any sort of operative peace with a legitimate, sovereign state of Israel.

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Middle East

Pending Israel vote at U.N. prompts statements from members of Congress

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–As the drama intensified at the U.N. Security Council over whether enemies of Israel could persuade the United States to join in a resolution condemning settlements in Palestinian territories, members of Congress weighed in with press releases.  Among them: Eliot L. Elliot (D-New York)–“It is absolutely outrageous that the U.N. Security Council

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Middle East

Palestinians try to repair image in light of leaks, Egypt’s revolution

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–In the wake of the Egyptian revolution, pundit Tom Friedman fears Israel will not take this opportunity to strike a deal with the Palestinians. “If Israelis tell themselves that Egypt’s unrest proves why Israel cannot make peace with the Palestinian Authority, then they will be talking themselves into becoming

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Middle East

Likud–on matters of policy and propriety–seems to have advantage in Israeli politics

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — Benyamin Netanyahu has come in for some shrill criticism from locals and outsiders. Their most recent brief is to reiterate doubt about his sincerity with respect to the peace process with the Palestinians, and his reluctance to cheer what they see as the democratic tide of protest against Hosni Mubarak. Thursday’s

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Middle East

Israeli tension over intentions of Iranian warships

JERUSALEM (WJC)–Two Iranian warships bound for Syria have withdrawn a request to sail through the Egyptian-controlled Suez Canal.  Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman had announced on Wednesday night that the ships were en route to Syria via the canal, which connects the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. However, on Thursday the ships stopped in an

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Middle East

Jew-hatred soiling so-called marches to democracy in Middle East

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Recently, when I spoke on developments in Egypt, a serious and respected Middle East expert claimed that there was no sign of anti-American or anti-Israel slogans in Egypt or Tunisia during their revolutions. Really? This is simply not true. The fact that a Jewish prayer room was burned down in

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Middle East

NJDC denounces Ron Paul’s bid to end aid to Israel

WASHINGTON, DC — National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) President and CEO David A. Harris Tuesday issued the following statement condemning the amendment proposed by Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) that would cut American foreign aid to Israel: “The National Jewish Democratic Council condemns Representative Ron Paul’s (R-Texas) latest attempt to end foreign aid to Israel through

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Middle East