By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — What is the United States and the world going to do about an act of aggression by North Korea on South Korea, the deliberate unprovoked firing of mortars at civilians? And what are the lessons of this situation for other world problems? First, nobody is going to do anything […]
Korean crisis illustrates why bullying works in international politics Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –It should be getting pretty hard even for Western leaders to ignore the Turkish regime’s growing alliance with their enemies. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to Lebanon included a very dangerous statement that must not go unnoticed. Lebanon, of course, is now a virtual satellite of Iran, another strategic factor
West should—but doesn’t—react to Erdogan’s provocations Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–There is a lesson for the Middle East in the latest incident on the Korean peninsula. The lesson is indirect, and deals more with general principles than the details of what seems to have happened. I begin with the admission that I am a confused outsider on Korean issues. So–with respect to
Outsiders who don’t understand Korea should be similarly modest about Israel Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, ISRAEL — Security checks at American airports have become the most controversial topic in the United States. This debate is so full of mistaken assumptions and misleading ideas that it is hard to know where to start in analyzing it. Let’s consider the terrorist threat within the United States. The opening
Why American airport security is really so horrendous Read More »
International, Middle East, USAJERUSALEM (WJC) — Israel has called on the Palestinian leadership to publicly disassociate itself from a “scientific study” by a Palestinian Authority official which denies Jewish claims to the Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest site. PM Netanyahu’’s spokesman Mark Regev said: “This is not the sort of statement to be expected from a partner in peace.” He
Latest in delegitimization campaign: Palestinians say Kotel not Jewish Read More »
Middle East
HAIFA (Press Release) — Secretary-General of the OECD Angel Gurrίa received the University of Haifa’s highest accolade, the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, at a gala event at the University on Nov. 22. Gurrίa received the tribute in recognition of his efforts in promoting economic cooperation and for his friendship and longstanding support
Haifa University confers honorary doctorate on OECD secretary general Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — Sometimes you have to wait until high-ranking officials leave office to find out how truly clueless they are. Such is the case with former National Security Advisor James Jones. Israel-Palestinian peace is easy to obtain, he explained in a lecture. Why? Because the Palestinians are willing to accept Israel
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–You want soap opera in real life? It is far from politically correct to be cynical in the presence of charges about sexual harassment and rape, but who wants politically correct in the presence of these stories? The initial inquiry into a leading candidate for the job of national police chief has
When soap-opera affairs are reminiscent of international relations Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–To address persistent stagnation in Israeli-Palestinians negotiations, J Street is putting forth a new policy proposal urging President Obama to adopt a bolder, more assertive strategy to resolve the conflict. The pro-Israel, pro-peace movement is asking the administration not to pin its strategy on obtaining a 90-day extension of the partial settlement
J Street urges President Obama to press for decision on Israel-Palestinian borders Read More »
Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –The United States is offering Israel a variety of gifts and promises in exchange for a 90-day building freeze that includes eastern Jerusalem (according to a U.S. official, as reported by Ha’aretz) to induce the Palestinians to negotiate with Israel for the Palestinian state to which President Obama appears committed.
Obama pushes on behalf of Palestinians, and still they won’t make peace Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — At a time when antisemitism is at the highest point in the West and the world generally since 1945, the battle against it faces a terrible obstacle. To a very large extent, the driving force of this hatred is revolutionary Islamism, whether it be in the form of attitudes
By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM –Among the platitudes being promoted here and elsewhere is that the Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party SHAS is one of the extremist elements keeping the Netanyahu government from acting with good sense. The conventional line is that Israel must leave the West Bank to Palestine, in compliance with the views expressed by right
SHAS is a more moderate party than Westerners perceive Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle EastBy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — During the Bush administration, an envoy was sent to ask what it would take for Israel to feel secure if a Palestinian state was established without a peace treaty with Israel. He had incentives in his pocket. The Israelis turned him down because without a treaty that addressed Israel’s
Obama pushing peace treaty, whatever the consequences to Israel Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Let’s start with the bad news. For the good news, you’ll have to look elsewhere. A week ago things were looking pretty good. The prime minister reported that the Americans were offering, as an inducement for a 90-day construction freeze in the West Bank, 20 F-35 advanced military planes, free of charge,
Is 90-day construction freeze agreement unraveling? Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East