Middle East

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — The French news agency AFP is reporting that France is giving the Lebanese army 100 anti-tank HOT missiles in February to be used by the military’s Gazelle helicopters. There are no conditions attached to their use. Israel is concerned about the deal. In November, the U.S. government lifted a

By Rabbi Dow Marmur  JERUSALEM–In the closing decades of the last century, the complaints I used to hear in Progressive/Reform/Liberal Judaism circles in Israel had to do with the dangers inherent in the secularization of the Jewish state. Religiously and politically liberal Jews were urged to articulate viable alternatives and create institutions to promote them.

By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Here’s a good report on Israel’s amazing intelligence activity along its northern border, with new types of information-gathering and targeting equipment concealed in rocks: And here’s a good report on the heating up of terrorism activity along Israel’s Gaza border: Note that something very important is happening here–unnoticed [surprise!]

HAIFA (Press Release)–Class 2010 of the Israel Prison Service’s commander’s course arrived at the University of Haifa, Monday (December 13), and took in an aerial view of the Carmel Park from its Eshkol Tower observatory, a week after the enormous fire on the Carmel caused the death of 37 of their friends on the bus

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM–It seems that expressions of commitment to a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians that politicians on both sides are currently mouthing in front of TV cameras are intended for foreign consumption; unlike some hopefuls abroad, locals aren’t fooled by them. Now when US envoy George Mitchell is again in

 By Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — Regardless of the eventual political outcome, and assuming that an Iranian nuclear missile doesn’t vaporize the Holy City and the millions of Jews, Muslims, and Christians who inhabit it and the greater biblical land—we Jews will mention the city several times in our weekly Sabbath prayers that begin