By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–On rare occasions it may be appropriate to assert that “everybody is crazy but us.” The risks are considerable. Asylums are crowded with individuals who say the same. Not everybody but us is crazy. We have friends who admit that they agree with us. And we suspect (or hope) that others who […]
How the New York Times and others get it all backwards Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, Middle East
By Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel–The New York Times–you know, it’s sort of like National Public Radio but with printed letters on murdered trees–keeps saying it can’t find any connections between IHH, the Turkish Islamist group that organized the Gaza flotilla, and terrorism. From time to time, I’ve published helpful hints to assist them in making these
Photos show links between Gaza flotilla ‘peace activists’ and IHH terrorists Read More »
International, Middle East, USA
By Donald H. Harrison LA JOLLA, California – Before a Friends of the Israel Defense Forces audience that included four members of the U.S. Congress, Israel’s former Mossad chief, retired Maj. Gen. Danny Yatom, renewed his call Saturday evening, October 30, for joint military action by the U.S., Israel
Retired Mossad chief Danny Yatom again calls for joint military action against Iran Read More »
Middle East
-second in a series– By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – – Even as a program is pending to complete massive immigration to Israel from Ethiopia, Natan Sharansky, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, is pondering how Israel will react if other communities around the world that were forced to convert from Judaism to
Sharansky: Final mass Ethiopian aliyah in the works; will Marranos be next? Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — A reader asks what I meant when I wrote: “Should I mention the total reversal of U.S. policy on Hamas from trying to undermine that radical Islamist group’s rule in the Gaza Strip to believing Hamas will fall if Gaza becomes prosperous?” Here’s my answer: From the time Hamas
How has U.S. policy toward Hamas and the Gaza Strip turned around 360 degrees? Read More »
Middle East, USAWASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–The Department of State issued the following announcement on Friday, Oct. 29: Assistant Secretary for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Jose Fernandez will travel to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem from October 31 to November 6, 2010. The Assistant Secretary will participate in the Plenary Meeting of the Kimberley Process (KP). The KP
U.S. to participate in conference on diamonds in Tel Aviv Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — An Egyptian Islamist cleric named Ibrahim al-Khouli is interviewed on television, with translation by MEMRI. What can we learn from his words? A lot. “What is the nature of our relations with [the West]? They are relations of Crusader aggression against the land of Islam–in Afghanistan, in Iraq, which
Muslim cleric’s interview tells of radical’s frustration with other Muslims Read More »
Middle EastBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel –If you’ve lost faith in the current administration’s ability and mass media’s ability to respond to Middle East developments, here’s more evidence. There’s a relatively new American idiomatic expression, “Ya [you] think?” Said sarcastically, it means: Wow, duh, the answer to that question is really obvious! So consider how hidden,
U.S. media’s Middle East reporting is naive. Ya think? Read More »
Middle East, USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — After fifteen years of following the Palestinian Authority (PA) media on a daily basis, I’ve never seen anything that sums up the problem of why there’s no peace better than this cartoon in al-Hayat al-Jadida, the official PA newspaper. If only the Western mass media ran this cartoon the situation
One Palestinian cartoon shows why there isn’t peace Read More »
Middle East, Science, Medicine, & EducationJERUSALEM (WJC)–The Jewish Agency for Israel has earmarked US$ 4.7 million to help bring the remaining 8,700 Ethiopians claiming Jewish ancestry and seeking to make aliyah to Israel. The vote at the organization’s Board of Governors meeting in Jerusalem was held in anticipation of a cabinet meeting set to take place early next week, in
Jewish Agency to aid 8,700 Ethiopians to make aliyah Read More »
Middle East
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — A few weeks ago, we noted the impending $60 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia, plus $35 billion to $40 billion in contracts signed by the UAE, Oman’s expected $12 billion purchase and $7 billion in planned purchases by Kuwait. We were amused by State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley’s
U.S. should allow timely deliveries of F-35s to Israel Read More »
Middle East, Shoshana BryenBy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel — What could be more routine than those little notes countries send other countries to say Happy Birthday? Yet even here there’s a sort of strangeness about the current U.S. government’s approach to the Middle East . On October 25, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sent national day greetings to
Lighter side: Austria, Cuba and other ‘Middle Eastern’ players Read More »
International, Middle East, USABy Barry Rubin HERZLIYA, Israel (Press Release)– There are days when you think: No, this nightmare can’t be real! Is the Obama Administration really so bad? Have the policymakers really taken leave of their senses? And then you see this: The U.S. Consulate-General in Saudi Arabia “hosted Dr. Trita Parsi, founder and President of the
U.S. sponsors speech by Iranian apologist in Saudi Arabia Read More »
Middle East, USAJERUSALEM (Press Release)– Providing teens and young adults from abroad with a continuum of experiences in Israel and creating social action opportunities in Israel for young Israelis and Jews from abroad will serve as the focus of the work of the Jewish Agency for Israel, its Board of Governors decided Monday, Oct. 25. These areas of
Jewish Agency refines its plans to introduce young Diaspora Jewry to Israel Read More »
Middle East