USA

A vision in a California olive grove of Mideast peace

    By Donald H. Harrison   AGUANGA, California—The olive groves in this rural Riverside County community about 20 miles east of Temecula may become one of the growing grounds for Middle Eastern peace if Israeli, Palestinian and American visionaries are successful in promulgating the idea that entrepreneurship and business cooperation between the Middle Eastern neighbors […]

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Donald H. Harrison, Middle East, USA

White House aides win favor with visiting rabbis

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–It is worth reading this item from the Jerusalem Post. http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?ID=175654 Senior Jewish advisors of the President, meeting with a selected group of American rabbis, said that the White House erred in its messages about Israel. Not only do they reiterate American support for Israel in general terms, but they express reasoning

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Middle East, USA

Arming our future opponents for the next go-around

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C–Following the dismantling of Saddam’s army, the U.S.-led coalition began training and equipping a new army and police force while we began building a new government. Even under Saddam, Iraq was a fairly modern country with a mid-20th century infrastructure including a governmental infrastructure, a relatively educated population including women, and

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USA

Neither side seems ready for real compromise in proximity talks

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–We all know that the devil is in the details, and that the language of politics is hyperbole. Those two platitudes will come together in the “proximity talks” between Israel and Palestine that the Americans are reminding us that they worked so hard to create. They may well doom the talks, assuming

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Retired U.S. admirals and generals get upclose look at Israel's defense situation

 By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C.–The 2010 JINSA Flag & General Officers Trip to Israel took place during a period of political frustration between the United States and Israel on several fronts. The JINSA group, comprised of six recently retired American Admirals and Generals plus two JINSA officers and a staff professional, spent 10 days traveling

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Middle East, Shoshana Bryen, USA

University of Haifa to award honorary doctorate to Baha'i leader

HAIFA (Press Release)–The University of Haifa will award the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, honoris causa, to Dr. Albert Lincoln, Secretary-General of the Bahá’í International Community, during the University’s 38th Meeting of the Board of Governors, which will take place on June 1-3. The honorary doctorate will be conferred upon Dr. Lincoln in recognition of

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Middle East, USA

Jerusalem is a city of contrasts–especially in opinions

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM– This is a wonderful city for those who admire the past and live to celebrate it. Three thousand years supplies more than enough heroes to fill every square and street corner with memorial sites. Insofar as both Jewish and Muslim traditions condemn graven images, we are saved the grandiose statuary that marks

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Proximity talks and Rafi's new party are sources of intrigue in Israel

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The morning after the beginning of Israeli-Palestinian “proximity talks” found Israel’s media reporting accusations of deception, and denials, coming from important players in Israel, Palestine, and the United States. Did Prime Minister Netanyahu promise not to build in Ramat Shlomo for two years, as indicated by American and Palestinian sources, or did

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Like Iran, U.S. is arming Lebanon for war against Israel

By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The UNIFIL political officer, meeting with the JINSA Flag & General Officer delegation on the Israel-Lebanese border, mentioned a “donors’ conference” in Beirut dealing with the issue of providing arms, funding and training to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).  She mentioned anti-tank missiles.  When asked against whose tanks the

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Shoshana Bryen, USA