USA

Obama facing diplomatic reverses all over the world

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–The news was not good when Barack Obama opened his newspapers upon returning to work from his Easter holiday (assuming that the American president had a holiday, beyond a family photo-op at church). From Afghanistan: There are no good options on the horizon, many analysts say, for reining in Mr. Karzai or

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Retired U.S. flag officers speak up for Israel

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)–Editor’s Note:  When U.S.-Israel relations hit a rough patch, there are those who quickly blame Israel for America’s difficulties abroad. Israel has outrageously been blamed for endangering American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq, and erroneously been blamed for preventing the formation of an Arab coalition to work with the US to contain

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Middle East, USA

Obama watchers compare him to each of the four sons at a seder

By Rabbi Dow Marmur JERUSALEM– According to Israeli media commenting on the by now annual PR gimmick called The White House Seder, President Obama suffers from multiple personality disorder. He has been cast in the role of each of the four sons of the Hagadah. He’s wise. By putting pressure on Israel he’s winning the hearts

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Middle East, USA

Something of a holiday lull descends over Israel

By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–This is the season sacred to both Jews and Christians. Passover and Easter are arguably the formative events of both communities. To this skeptic, there is no chance that the Easter story of resurrection is historically accurate. There may have been some historical incidents behind the biblical story of the Exodus, but

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA

Stay awake for 'The Wake'

Heidi Schreck and Deirdre O'Connell (Craig Schwartz photo)

Heidi Schreck and Deirdre O’Connell (Craig Schwartz photo) By Cynthia Citron CULVER CITY, California – The Wake is a play with a lot of p’s in it:  politics, philosophy, polemics, passion, and pathos.  And enough plot for two plays.  In fact, “The Wake” is two plays.  One is the love story: boy loves girl, girl thinks she loves boy, girl loves girl, boy waits it out,

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Cynthia Citron, USA

U.S-Israel rift may cool over Passover holiday

JERUSALEM–It’s too early to panic, I hope. President Obama returned to his sweeping demand that Israel stop construction in post-1967 neighborhoods of Jerusalem, extend the construction freeze in settlements outside of Jerusalem beyond the ten months agreed, and take other steps to bring the Palestinians to negotiations. Comments at a high tone have come from

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Ira Sharkansky, Middle East, USA