By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–The Ivory Coast is said currently to have two presidents and be in chaos. Israel has two, or perhaps even three, prime ministers and it’s in anything but chaos. If you don’t probe too deeply, things seem to be going rather well here, especially economically. The official prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, […]
Which politician really speaks for Israel? Read More »
Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –Some of my readers are always bothered when I say that mistakes in Western Middle East policy are caused by stupidity and ignorance—abetted by ideology—and want to argue that the shortcomings are due to deliberate sabotage or evil intentions (often against Israel). I can certainly understand why people think such
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Mahmoud Abbas has marked the Christmas season by proclaiming once again that he will permit no Israelis in his State of Palestine. In an earlier version he said that he would permit no Jews, but handlers had him revise his comments in a direction thought to be politically correct. The recognition
Abbas: Israelis won’t be welcome in Palestine state Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastNEW YORK (Press Release)–The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is calling on United Nations member states to declare that they will not participate in the so-called “Durban III” conference, set to be held in New York in September 2011, calling the proceedings “a conference that will undermine rather than advance the fight against discrimination.” The U.N. General
ADL urges nations to boycott U.N.’s ‘Durban III’ Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel– If I had to pick one sentence to show what’s profoundly wrong with Middle East coverage in the Western mass media, this is the one I’d choose. It’s in a New York Times article entitled, “Israel: Tensions Rise Along Gaza Border” by Isabel Kershner. I’ll put the sentence in
How Hamas dupes western governments and reporters Read More »
Middle East, USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — What is the highest priority for Iranian foreign policy–I mean the official and public foreign policy, not spreading revolution and terrorism–today? According to the new foreign minister it’s developing strong relations with Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Ali Akbar Salehi, who by the way holds a degree from the Massachusetts
Commentary: Why Arabs may be drawn into Iran’s orbit Read More »
Middle EastTEL AVIV (Press Release)― This year, Christians living in Haifa are having trouble finding a real Christmas tree ― earlier in 2010 a devastating forest fire that killed 43 people also wiped out more than 5 million trees in the nearby Carmel Mountain range, making it harder for them to justify using “real” trees to
Haifa’s Christians have Christmas tree made from recycled water bottles Read More »
Middle EastBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There has been some unpleasantness close to the border with Gaza. Rocket and mortar attacks have increased, as have Israeli retaliations. Or maybe Israeli retaliations have brought an increase in rocket and mortar attacks. Israeli officials claim the former; Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza claim the latter, perhaps in an
Rocket attack near kindergarten increases pressure for retalliation Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — The U.S. weakness in countering Iran and other radical forces in the Middle East is beginning to bear poisoned fruits. Jordan is already moving toward getting on Iran’s good side; Lebanon has been captured by the Iran-Syria camp; Turkey has moved into its orbit, becoming an ally of Iran
U.S. influence on the wane throughout Middle East Read More »
Middle East, USANEW YORK (Press Release) — No matter which government is in power, or whether it is a time of relative quiet or conflict, newspapers across the Arab and Muslim world consistently portray Israel’s prime ministers with outrageous, hateful, and at times anti-Semitic caricatures. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) documents this decade-long assault by political cartoonists against
ADL: Arab media makes practice of demonizing Israeli prime ministers Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Athens and Jerusalem are the two code words that describe the poles of Western civilization, viewed by some as being in perennial conflict, by others seen in fruitful dialogue. The Jewish version of the ongoing struggle between Hellenism and Hebraism in whatever guise, under whatever name and in whatever time period
As Israel’s relations with Turkey freeze, those with Greece warm Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — There’s a lot of interesting material in the Pew Foundation’s latest poll of the Middle East, a survey that focuses on attitudes toward Islamism and revolutionary Islamist groups. The analysis that accompanies the poll, however, is not very good, so here is mine. For example, in evaluating attitudes toward
What Pew Poll shows about Middle Eastern support for terrorist groups Read More »
Middle EastBy Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–Fifty years ago Adolf Eichmann was on trial in Jerusalem. The proceedings took place in a building which today is the Gerard Behar Center.Monday night several hundred mostly young Israelis came together in the same place, not to commemorate the trial but, as one of the speakers put it dramatically, to
Rally in Jerusalem protests racism in Israel Read More »
Middle EastJERUSALEM – The Faculty of Law at the Hebrew University will inaugurate the Aharon Barak Center for Interdisciplinary Legal Research this week on December 22. The event will be attended by the former President of the Supreme Court, Prof. Aharon Barak, President of the Supreme Court, Justice Dorit Beinisch and Dean of the Faculty of Law
Hebrew University to inaugurate legal center named for Aharon Barak Read More »
Middle East