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Home >> Middle East Israel AP Explains to you Why Israel Shouldn't Exist
Prof. Barry Rubin - 5/4/2008
If I would choose one article in the Western media that I have read over many decades as the worst piece of anti-Israel propaganda of all, it might well be Karin Laub’s April 26, 2008 piece, “Palestinian plight is flip side of Israel's independence joy.” Why? Because many articles have slandered Israel on various points or told falsehoods ranging from the disgusting to the humorous or been based on assumptions that were at odds with the truth. But in this case, the article encapsulates the way in which much of the world has turned from admiration to loathing of Israel , and the way in which Israel ’s destruction—which in other contexts would be seen as genocidal—has been justified. Israeli State Radio Outs the Academic Fifth Column
Steven Plaut - 5/3/2008
Until now, Israel’s state-owned media have generally never done any investigative reporting on Israel’s Far left and Academic Fifth Column. The TV and radio stations are owned by the Israel Broadcasting Authority, and the IBA has always been a poorly-disguised bastion of the Left. Its heads have never hidden the fact that think their mission in life is to advance the Left’s agenda. Israel is hanging tough
Ted Belman - 5/3/2008
First we hear that Abbas was angry with what he was told and wasn’t told when he recently visited the Whitehouse. He didn’t get the kind of support he wanted. Barak is standing firm, so far, in rejecting a stupid hudna. Israel is Safe and Strong. Really.
Prof. Barry Rubin - 4/30/2008
Let’s face it, after almost 2000 years in exile and only 60 years of Israel as a sovereign nation, it still feels funny for Jews, especially those outside Israel, to have a state. Can Israel withstand US pressure?
Ted Belman - 4/30/2008
Recently we hear that Olmert offered to cede the Golan to Syria and I commented The Golan is safe for now. For now, because ultimately the US will be pressuring Israel to do the deal. Mercaz Harav and the G-Word
Richard Landes - 4/25/2008
Just after the murderous attack on the Seminary students in Jerusalem, SPME issued a statement to which it attached the names of the board members. The key passage runs as follows: There Is No Demographic Bomb For Israel
Ted Belman - 4/25/2008
Jews in Israel and the Diaspora follow the peace process closely and a majority of them favour the two-state solution. As Yoram Ettinger explains below, this is due in part to their fear of the alleged Demographic Time Bomb. Is Criticism of Israel Courageous?
Ami Isseroff - 4/22/2008
There is an old joke about the Englishman who explains that their way of answering the telephone is much better: "We say 'Are you there?' If you're not, there's no sense in continuing the conversation, is there?" The same logic underlies a popular refrain that seems to accompany every recent Israel-bashing publicity gig. No matter that it is prima facie illogical, it is now a permanent repetitive feature of every article, book and interview relating to anyone who wants to criticize Israel. You can read it in the morning paper, you can hear it on the radio, and you can see it on television. Jimmy Carter does it. Professors Walt and Mearsheimer do it. Everyone's doing it. Close Encounters of the Suicidal Kind: Crimes Against Jewish Humanity
Boris Celser - 4/20/2008
Israel is a confused nation, because its society is not given a chance to live a normal life, not only because of a hostile world, but also because of the ruling elite. In no other country would a perennial loser like Shimon Peres be allowed to manipulate the system for his own gain for so long and to implement his megalomaniac ideas at the expense of the lives of so many. He continues to do so almost unimpeded. Israel is in serious difficulties and, under the false pretence of being a true democracy, it is likely to never convene a real commission of truth to expose the crimes and punish the ... Michael Ignatieff in the lion’s den
Ted Belman - 4/16/2008
In the last couple of months, Barack Obama has gone before the American public to explain himself or perhaps to apologize for remarks made. He wasn’t terribly successful. Similarly, Michael Ignatieff, Member of Parliament for Etobicoke Lakeshore, Deputy Leader Liberal Party of Canada, delivered an address at Holy Blossom Synagogue, Toronto last night with the intention of doing likewise. He also wasn’t successful. The USA, Israel's Friendly Bully
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 4/16/2008
It is common knowledge that, in international affairs, emotions defer to self-interest. As George Orwell noted in his masterpiece, "1984", the flux of circumstance may render yesterday's foe tomorrow's friend. What could be more democratic than a referendum?
Ted Belman - 4/7/2008
Finally Bibi took a stand “I will not allow for the division of Jerusalem”. Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot wrote: "Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) met with Condoleezza Rice Sunday, and stated that he informed the visiting US secretary of state that he would not endorse a declaration of principles calling for a return to 1967 borders and the division of Jerusalem." This is a Cultural/Religious War
Ted Belman - 4/1/2008
Moshe Feiglin was in New York on 9/11. Two weeks later he wrote this profound article, Why America Has Already Lost the War. For him it was a cultural/religious war. The same war that Israel had been fighting for a century and losing. Islam destroyed the greatest symbol of the West, he wrote, namely the Twin Towers and nothing less would do but to destroy Mecca, Medina and al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. The Legal Status of East Jerusalem Under International Law
David Storobin, Esq. - 4/1/2008
Despite the common misconception, God did not create Heaven and Earth during the 6 days of the 1967 war, and starting that late in history distorts one’s understanding of the Middle East conflict. Thus, let’s start from the beginning. Stand with Israel against Durban II
Ted Belman - 3/24/2008
A couple of weeks ago, I attended an event hosted by the Conservative Party in Canada to report on its efforts to combat antisemitism. Canada as you know was quick to condemn and pull out of Durban II. Israel followed suit. Requisites for a Real Friend of Israel
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 3/13/2008
The 2008 Presidential campaign has brought forth statements from all the major candidates, both Democrat and Republican, of the depth of their support for the State of Israel, and their commitment to maintaining the close relationship that exists between the United States and the only real democracy in that area of the world. On the face of it, there would appear to be very little difference between the Democrats and the Republicans regarding support for Israel. The politically naive would be able to look at all the candidates and seeing their near equal “support” for Israel, come to the concl... If Someone Comes to Kill You, Rise Up and Kill Him First
Ted Belman - 3/5/2008
Israel is free to employ ALL munitions, tactics, equipment and personnel in her arsenal to defend herself against the outlaw Hamas terrorist organization. Short of the intentional targeting and murder of truly uninvolved and innocent civilians, Israel can (and should) operate as freely as she desires to protect her territorial sovereignty and the lives of her citizens. What happened to “innocent until proven guilty”?
Ted Belman - 2/20/2008
I have been looking for details as to the “siege” Israel has applied to Gaza. I read a lot of invective toward Israel such as this odious article in the International Herald Tribune, but little detail. Israel is always “guilty” regardless of whether she has committed a crime. It is always assumed that the law proscribes such conduct and that Israel has violated it. In most cases the “law” is misapplied. Whatever happened to “innocent until proven guilty”. In the case of the “siege” she is “guilty” of “collective punishment” according to the Human Rights activists. Musharraf and Barak- Why did they meet?
Iqbal Latif - 2/7/2008
Politics is the name of the art of survival. In today’s world, geo-strategic realities demand that countries should work closely to reduce the threat from the unseen. When the very survival of a nation is at stake, efforts should be made to reduce tensions and harvest confidence building measures. Pakistan and Israel have solid rationale to promote the intensity of their communication. Last week, I highlighted that Lieberman's recent itinerary in Islamabad included two unusual appointments. Senator Lieberman had long meetings with Pakistani army chief, General Parvez Kiani, and the director ge... Terror Victims Remembrance Campaign 2008 - Israel 's 60th Birthday
Ted Belman - 1/21/2008
This year, on Wednesday May 7th, Israel 's memorial day, we will remember the Israelis fallen in the long battle for the existence of the state and for our right to a normal, sane and peaceful life in this small piece of land we call home. Jerusalem belongs to the Jews by history, religion and law
Ted Belman - 1/7/2008
Jews all over the world are preparing to rally to save Jerusalem as the united and undivided capital of Israel. Their efforts will reach an apex during the visit by Bush next week. But the fight for Jerusalem is ongoing as a result of the Annapolis Conference at which discussion were held about the division of Jerusalem . The fight to save Jerusalem will continue after Bush leaves. There Is No Right Of Return
Ted Belman - 1/4/2008
The LA Times continues with its pro-Palestinian advocacy and it misinformation. It recently published Will peace cost me my home? by Ghada Ageel who is a self professed “third-generation Palestinian refugee”. There are tens of millions of third generation refugees all over the world who neither claim a right of return nor would they ever claim to describe themselves that way. They and their parents have gotten on with their lives. The War on Zionism
Ted Belman - 12/19/2007
Post Annapolis, the Palestinian Authority made it crystal clear that it will never recognize Israel as a "Jewish state". Furthermore, it made it crystal clear that it will not compromise on Jerusalem making it a capital offense to do so. Yet negotiations continue. Either Olmert doesn't believe the PA or what is more likely, he will still cut a deal where Israel is denied that recognition and will divide Jerusalem according to Arab demands. There is no duty to accept peace on Arab terms
Ted Belman - 12/18/2007
Salon recently published a review by Gregory Levey, of the efforts of the Coordinating Council on Jerusalem under the title, The right wing’s Jerusalem gambit and sub-titled, Terrorism Can Only Be Controlled By Occupation
Ted Belman - 12/14/2007
Hamas continues to fire rockets at Sderot. The situation is intolerable. Chief of Staff Lt. -Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi had a brain wave. He recently said, Israel Will Annex Judea And Samaria and Remain Jewish
Ted Belman - 12/3/2007
After the Annapolis fiasco, Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, “If the day comes when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights [assuming that the Palestinians in the territories will petition peacefully to be citizens of Israel, taking on the obligations of Israeli citizenship], then, as soon as that happens, the State of Israel is finished." Jerusalem Is a Jewish issue
Ted Belman - 12/1/2007
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Monday categorically rejected assertions by American Jewish leaders that Jerusalem is not an Israeli issue but “a Jewish one.” Speaking at a news briefing Monday, Olmert said that the Jerusalem issue had “been determined long ago” and that “the government of Israel has a sovereign right to negotiate anything on behalf of Israel.” He said that at this stage, the matter was a theoretical rather than practical one, as the subject of Jerusalem was not yet on the negotiating table. Don’t you believe it. Exclusive Interview: Danny Dayan, Yesha Council Chairman
Anthony Stroe - 11/27/2007
The Yesha Council is an umbrella group that governs Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria (West Bank). Yesha is the Hebrew acronym Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The Yesha Council was formed in the 1970's as a successor to Gush Emunim, an organization formed to oversee the return to Jews to their Biblical homeland. The council consists of 25 elected mayors and 10 community leaders. Its mandate is to provide security for its residents such as to arrange the acquisition of bullet proof ambulances and buses; to oversee the improvements of infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water supplies a... Interview With Settler Leader of Homesh First
Anthony Stroe - 11/18/2007
Homesh became one of the places from which Jews were expelled by the Israeli Government two years ago during the disengagement. Anthony Stroe interviewed Boaz Haetni, one of the leaders of Homesh First, a movement to re-populate the abandoned settlement. Israel Should Say To US, 'Bring It On!'
Ted Belman - 11/17/2007
It is obvious that the Arabs by refusing to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in addition to everything else they are refusing, dont want peace, but surrender. The US for its part has removed the gloves and are down to bare knuckles or should I say brass knuckles, at least when it comes to Israel. Rice has made it clear that Israel must march to the US drummer or else. She is now demanding that that Israel make it clear that it will be withdrawing from Judea and Samaria by enforcing the settlement freeze and dismantling the "illegal" utposts built since 2001. To Save Jerusalem, We Must Kill The Peace Process
Ted Belman - 11/13/2007
The Coordinating Council on Jerusalem, created on October 24, 2007, is off to a good start. The organizations joining, and there are many, have accepted the principle that defending Jerusalem from division is more important than unquestioned support of decisions made by the Government of Israel. Annapolis Conference: 13 Questions For The Israeli Government
Ted Belman - 11/10/2007
On the eve of the Annapolis conference, we would like to ask a few questions of the Government of Israel: The Attempt to Kill Olmert
Prof. Barry Rubin - 11/6/2007
Several Fatah security force officers assigned to protect Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as he went to meet with Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas, it has just been revealed, planned to assassinate him instead. This event should be amazing enough to get people to rethink their premises. After all, it is late 2007, with a supposedly moderate leadership running the PA and Fatah, and this kind of thing is still happening. Leftist – Islamist Alliance Aligns Against Jerusalem
David J. Jonsson - 10/16/2007
The West has a worldview based on the analysis and actions influenced by looking through the lenses of politics and economics, whereas the Islamists looks at the world through the lens of ideology. It is time for the West to place importance on looking at events happening around the world through the lens of ideologies. In the case of the Muslims, their worldview and subsequent actions are shaped by their vision for world domination, the establishment of Islamic kingdom of God on Earth – the creation of worldwide Caliphate and the End Times. Military Coup - A Gift For Israel's 60th Birthday
David Singer - 9/27/2007
Israel's enemies have become emboldened into believing that the moment is fast approaching when they can once again try to achieve their long held aim to eradicate Israel. They have taken this view following Israel's unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 and what they perceive to be a victory over Israel in the 2006 Lebanon War. Iran - Hezbollah's puppet master and chief arms supplier - has openly threatened to unleash its nuclear weapons on Israel's 7 million citizens - 20% of whom are Arabs. Israel Is Not the Cause of All the World's Problems
Prof. Barry Rubin - 9/26/2007
Note: The following article was published as a response to an editorial in The Diplomat, a top Canadian international affairs magazine, which explicitly claimed that the Arab-Israeli conflict--and specifically Israel's "occupation" policy--was at the root of all the problems in the Middle East, between the Middle East and the West, and between Islam and the West. This notion continues to be expressed (perhaps increasingly so) despite the fact that there is so much evidence to the contrary and that (though many in the West seem to have failed to nice this little detail) Israel has withdrawn fro... Why Did Israel Air Force Enter Syria And Why Is The World Quiet?
David Storobin, Esq. - 9/14/2007
So why did the Israel Air Force (IAF) fly deep inside the Syrian territory? Some have suggested that it was done to gather intelligence, to attack terrorists and even to bomb the embryonic Syrian nuclear facilities. All of these may be true and I have no way to either confirm or deny these claims. But it is possible to gauge Jerusalem's desired long-term effects, and the reason why the world has remained silent. Israel, Palestine and Condoleezza - The Crowd Pleaser
David Singer - 8/6/2007
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is at it again talking up the prospects of ending the 140 years old Arab-Jewish conflict by the adoption of a two state solution involving the creation of an Arab state between Jordan and Israel - the 23 rd Arab State in the world should it ever eventuate. Israel's Illusion - Fatah Feted Is Hamas Hated
David Singer - 7/12/2007
Israel's unilateral decision to release 250 Fatah terrorists from Israeli jails continues the insane policy of appeasement adopted by successive Israeli Governments since the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993. UK Academics Boycott Whom?!
Richard L. Cravatts, Ph.D. - 7/4/2007
The British academics, doctors, and journalists who recently called for morally-imbecilic boycotts against Israel must have been disappointed with the recent events that wracked Gaza with internecine strife and plunged it into the grisly chaos that might have been one of Dante’s levels of hell. In their fervent obsession with what author Bat Ye'or has termed ‘Palestinianism,’ obsessive reverence for any struggle of the Palestinians and a total disregard for the self-affirmation, statehood, or security of Israel, the boycotters sought to single Israel out from all nations on the planet for its ... Syria and Iran are behind the firing of rockets on Israel
Elias Bejjani - 6/25/2007
All media reports circulated by news agencies on Sunday, June 18/07 covering the launching of Katyusha rockets from a Southern Lebanese-Israeli border village towards Israel's northern town of Kiryat Shemona, as well as releases and statements issued in this regard by the Lebanese Army Command, the UNIFIL forces, numerous Lebanese parties and politicians, all without exception stated that the identity of those militant elements who fired the rockets remained unknown. The Long War Strategy for Israel
Jonathan Spyer - 6/18/2007
The decision by the University and College Union (UCU) to consider a boycott of Israel is the latest manifestation of a broader process which has been steadily gathering speed in the last half-decade: the converging of opinion on the Middle East conflict among members of two camps, who might ordinarily be considered to have little in common. The two camps are the European radical left and supporters - both in Europe and here in the region, of Islamist states and organisations. The alliance is built around a joint commitment to Israel's disappearance from the map. Jewish Israel Is the Key To Its Survival
Ted Belman - 6/16/2007
Jerry Gordon writes Burg goes ballistic: paints Israel as ‘Zionist ghetto’ because he said “to define the State of Israel as a Jewish state is the key to its end”. Others say the opposite, namely, that being Jewish is the key to its survival. Will The Silent Majority of UK Academics Stand Up Against Israel Boycott?
Michelle Moshelian - 6/14/2007
It is often bemoaned that the silent majority of Muslims don’t speak out against the fanatical Islamists. Sadly, I now find myself bemoaning the silent majority of British academia who don’t speak out against the fanatical few amongst their midst. Their group has been hijacked by a minority and it is time to speak out. I wrote a letter to the editor of a British newspaper bemoaning the sheer hypocrisy of the latest British boycott of Israel. As a Brit living in Israel I am finding it increasingly embarrassing and hard to explain to Israelis why people in Britain are so hypocritical when it comes to Israel. Land For Peace Is A Failed Strategy for Israel
Ted Belman - 6/12/2007
Nothing should be taken for granted. Neither Resolution 242 nor the proposed "land for peace" trade off. On June 5th 1967, Israel, under great threat of an imminent attack, had no choice but to defend itself. And defend itself, it did. Six days later Israel found itself in possession of what was left of the British Mandate after Jordan was removed from it. Why Israel Is America's Vital Ally
Baron Bodissey - 5/26/2007
For the Jewish people, therefore, the history of the twentieth century may be summed up thus: If there had been a Jewish state in the first half of the century, there would have been no Holocaust. And if there had not been a Jewish state after the Holocaust, there would have been no Jewish future.
— from A Durable Peace, by Benjamin Netanyahu The mushroom cloud rising over Tel Aviv has to be the greatest dread of the Jewish State in the 21st century. For a half a century after the birth of Israel, the existence of a haven for Jews all over the world could be assured by the armed might of ... Israel and the Middle East IV: With Strength and Courage
Ami Isseroff - 4/6/2007
Suppose that 20 or 50 years hence there are 30 million Jews in the world, and 12 million Jews in Israel. Israel has a thriving economy and an integrated society of 15 million in total. Our education system is turning out engineers and scientists in quantity and our roaring economy finds jobs for them. An efficient transportation and communication system moves people, goods and information quickly. We are at peace with our neighbors and have forged strong alliances with world powers. Our universities produce philosophers and Nobel prize winners. Our parents are comfortable in their old age, our... Israel and the Middle East III: The Obsession
Ami Isseroff - 4/5/2007
Israelis Berl and Smadar are on an airplane that crashes in the Pacific ocean. They paddle their lifeboat to the usual island. There are many pressing problems of survival, as well as natural urges that suggest themselves in that situation. Israel and the Middle East II: Goals for Zionists and Israelis
Ami Isseroff - 4/4/2007
The first article in this series explained that there is no "salvation." There is no magic solution that will make all the problems of Israel, the Middle East and the world vanish forever. There is an ongoing reality. History is a process, and our actions on one day will have repercussions on the next day. We need to plan for those repercussions, as well as to deal with new challenges that are going to be thrown at us by history. History will also offer us opportunities that we can and must exploit. We can exploit those opportunities only if we have set down strong national foundations. Israel and the Middle East I: Looking for a policy instead of a solution
Ami Isseroff - 4/3/2007
Almost all foreign policy analysis is based on "problem solving." There is a "problem" posed and an attempt is made to offer a solution to this problem. Thus, there is an "Arab-Israeli" conflict problem, an Iran nuclear development problem, and an Iraq problem, and policies and attitudes are based on solutions to these problems. The Rewards of Peace with Israel
Charles Jalkh - 3/13/2007
In a press conference today with his visiting Belgian counterpart, Karel De Gucht, Syria's foreign minister Walid Moallem was asked about the possibility of stationing international troops on the Lebanese border with Syria. The Syrian foreign minister repeated a threat he made several months ago, in which he said "Syria would close its border with Lebanon" in such a case. "Why would you want to establish an international control on the border between Syria and Lebanon" he asked during the news conference. "That is a sign that the West wants a state of war between the two." The Mughrabi Bridge: Much Ado About Nothing!
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 2/12/2007
The recent spate of articles condemning Israel for the construction of a new covered bridge to the Haram es-Sharif’s Mughrabi (Western) Gate is truly a case of much ado about nothing! From the tone of the various condemnations of Israel, be it The Jerusalem Post’s Palestinian commentator Daoud Kuttab, director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University in Ramallah, to King Abdullah of Jordan or Imran Khan of Pakistan, the naïve would think that Israel had engaged in a major plot to change the political geography of Jerusalem, and—God forbid—to undermine the structure of the Haram es-Sharif and al-Aqsa Mosque. Al-Aqsa and the Temple Mount: Building a Deadly Bridge
Imran Khan - 2/11/2007
Bearing in mind the bitter impact of Ariel Sharon's (ex-Prime Minister of Israel) visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound on 28th September 2000 , one would think that Israel could learn and prevent any actions in-that-area which could bring more violence in the region. His visit was condemned by the Palestinians as a provocation and an incursion. In fact, the visit by Sharon (then opposition leader) started a new wave of violence between Palestinians and Israelis known as second Intifada (uprising) or Al-Aqsa Intifada. The day after the Sharon's visit riots broke out in the West Bank and soon sp... The Secret History of Neturei Karta
Mordechai Levy - 1/2/2007
Recently a major scandal broke over a group of religious-looking Jews belonging to the Neturei Karta sect speaking at a "Holocaust is a Hoax" conference sponsored by the anti-Semitic President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmedinejad. After it came out that top neo- Nazi leaders and the former KKK leader David Duke would be in attendance, many Jews, especially in the Orthodox community, were truly angered at Jewish attendees. Many Chassidic groups blasted the Neturei Karta in public. The Holocaust and the Embezzlement of Memory
Franklyne Ogbunwezeh - 12/18/2006
President Almedinajad of Iran recently stood up and tore the decency of political diplomacy to shreds. Acting like a mad cow in a china shop, he has been calling for the erasure of another sovereign country, with all the bigotry at his command. The world is not hoodwinked. This man is the mad face of a carefully cultivated hatred of Israel nursed by many Arabs. I have never seen a leader make such a fool of himself in a political strategizing gone awry from the start. This man has the megalomanic dreams of ancient Persian Supremacy. And to achieve this, he is ready to ride religious fanaticism and xenophobic anti-Semitism roughshod to his crooked dreams Not Merely A Slip By Olmert
Imran Khan - 12/16/2006
On Monday the 11th December, 2006 in an interview on Germen Television, the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert apparently listed his country among the world's nuclear powers. In a reply to a question about Iran, He said "Iran openly, explicitly and publicly threatens to wipe Israel out of the map," and "can you say that this is the same level, when you are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel, Russia?" The Bible, Archaeology, and the Origins of Israel
Prof. Daniel M. Zucker - 10/24/2006
David Storobin's essay on the origins of the Jewish People ("The Origin of the Jewish People and the Land of Canaan", Global Politician, May 10, 2006) while presenting a very different view of Jewish origins than that of the traditional Biblical text, actually comes close to the current theories afloat in the world of archaeology and critical biblical studies. There are however some important details in the presentation of his theory that are in need of clarification and/or correction; this essay seeks to do just that. Justice For Israel
Imran Khan - 10/23/2006
Mr. Moshe Katsav is the president of Israel since 2000 for a seven-year term when he surprisingly defeated Mr. Shimon Peres (ex-Prime Minister of Israel). The president of Israel posses no executive powers and is largely involved in ceremonial activities. Is Israel's Military Might a Myth?
Bhuwan Thapaliya - 8/30/2006
Are the dark clouds of bloody conflict that were gathered over Lebanon really parting? It may seem an unduly bleak question. Weeks after the U.N.-brokered ceasefire took effect, normality has returned to the country more rapidly than anyone expected. Lebanon's long war is finally over. Probably. But peace in Lebanon is not yet permanent. Agreement about how to reach a consensus could be months, if not years, away. Russia's Israeli Oil Bond
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/14/2006
In October 2002, Russia and Israel - erstwhile bitter Cold War enemies - have agreed to make use of Israel's neglected oil pipeline, known as the Tipline. The conduit, an Iranian-Israeli joint venture completed in 1968 is designed to carry close to a million barrels per day, circumventing the Suez canal. Time For Israel To Abandon US-style Warfare In Lebanon
Jan Lamprecht - 7/29/2006
For Israel, the war in Lebanon is not going as well as previous wars. There are several possible reasons for this: Why Restrain Israel? Their Victory is America's and Lebanon's
Nicholas M. Guariglia - 7/19/2006
One of the most unusual aspects of the last four years has been how Hezbollah camps in Lebanon have remain undestroyed. You would think any serious effort to democratize Lebanon, or to eradicate terrorism, or to discredit undemocratic Islamist dogma would incorporate some semblance of an attempt to disarm, disband, or dissolve the Iranian-backed jihadist organization. And yet both the supposed confrontational governments in Washington and Tel Aviv have, for far too long, played dove to Hezbollah’s hawk, holding a different standard to t he Shi’ite theocrats than we do with the Wahhabis of al Qaida. Lebanese People in Israel: Does Anyone Care?
Elias Bejjani - 5/29/2006
May is the month of roses, but for us it is the month of thorns because on the 22nd of it in 2000, Israel withdrew its army from south Lebanon in application of UN resolutions 425 and 426, a full 22 years after the two resolutions were adopted by the Security Council (in 1978). At the time, the Lebanese government was derelict in its national and humanitarian responsibilities because of its absolute servitude to the dictates of the Syrian occupier, and failed to fill the security gap and extend its authority, embodied in its own army and security forces, over the territory of the south. Basica... The Israel Lobby: How Powerful is it Really?
Prof. Stephen Zunes - 5/24/2006
Since its publication in the London Review of Books in March, John Mearsheimer and Steve Walt's article “The Israel Lobby” — and the longer version published as a working paper for Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government — has received widespread attention from across the political spectrum. These noted professors put forward two major arguments: the first is the very legitimate and widely acknowledged (outside of official Washington) concern that U.S. Middle East policy, particularly U.S. support for the more controversial policies of the Israeli government, is contrary to t... The Origin of the Jewish People and the Land of Canaan
David Storobin, Esq. - 5/10/2006
We've all heard the Biblical story about the origin of the Hebrew nation: Egyptian enslavement, God's punishment of the Pharaoh, 40 years in the desert, conquest of Jericho and other Canaanite lands by Joshua, etc. There is just a small problem with the story: there is no evidence of Jewish presence in Egypt or in the Sinai desert. One would think that after hundreds of years in Egypt and 40 years in Sinai, Hebrews would've left traces of their culture - but they did not. Furthermore, we now have evidence that by the time Joshua came to Jericho, its walls were already destroyed by an earthquak... The Jewish Divide Over Israel
Eugene Schulman - 5/6/2006
Franklin Roosevelt, in an address before the American Bookseller's Association in 1942, said that books are weapons. Adolf Hitler certainly believed they were. He so feared books that he found it necessary to burn them. Books can be used for many purposes: entertainment, learning, propaganda, or even as doorstops. But above all, they are weapons. Terrorists' Call To Suicide Bombers To Blow Up In Sharon's Hospital
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 1/24/2006
A horrifying e-mail calling for suicide bombers to blow themselves up at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital where Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has been in intensive care has been making the rounds of various Internet chat groups. Sharon, 77, suffered a massive stroke on Jan. 4, and has since undergone a number of surgical procedures. The latest was to change a respiratory pipe. An Uncertain Future For Israel
Manuela Paraipan - 1/11/2006
Israel has been left in turmoil after its Prime Minister Ariel Sharon was rushed into the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem for surgery having suffered a second stroke and extensive bleeding on the brain. The hospital director Shlomo Mor-Yosef said that the eight-hour surgery has left the Prime Minister in a stable, but critical state. While he declined to make any other comments, the outside medical experts said prospects for recovery were slim. The Uganda Scheme
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 9/26/2005
Theodore Herzl, the visionary who founded Zionism, was an assimilated Jew, who did not consider Palestine the optimal choice for a resurgent Jewish nationalism. Israel May Not Survive Demographic And Military Challenges
Sajjad Khan - 8/31/2005
It has often been said about the Palestinians since 1948 that they have never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity. This statement has merit especially when one evaluates the PLO’s lamentable strategy, its corrupt governance and the fact that currently Palestinians remain confined to humiliating servitude. It also remains conventional wisdom among political commentators that in any future settlement, it will be the Palestinians as the weaker negotiating partner who will have to make the necessary strategic concessions. However as a result of new political trends, counter-intuitively it is the Israeli state that is now having to look over the edge of a strategic precipice. Total Annihilation: The Fate of the State of Israel
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 8/28/2005
The Anti-Israeli: The State of Israel is likely to end as did the seven previous stabs at Jewish statehood - in total annihilation. And for the same reasons: conflicts between secular and religious Jews and a racist-colonialist pattern of deplorable behavior. The UN has noted this recidivist misconduct in numerous resolutions and when it justly compared Zionism to racism. The Jewish Response: Zionism is undoubtedly a typical 19th century national movement, promoting the interests of an ethnically-homogeneous nation. But it is not and never has been a racist movement. Zionists of all str... Interview with Israeli MK Benny Elon
Anthony Stroe - 8/17/2005
I am here with Knesset Member Benny Elon from the right of center National Union Party. He's a strong opponent of the Israeli government's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. The Israel-U.S. Bilateral Relationship Needs To Be Mended
Frederick Stakelbeck, Jr. - 7/7/2005
Israel is a strong U.S. ally in the war against terror; a long-time friend and a confidant on issues pertaining to Middle East peace and security. That unique relationship, however, has been challenged recently by the attempted sale by Israel of sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or Harpy Killer drones to China. This has led some analysts to speculate that the depth and strength of the Israel-U.S. bilateral relationship is now in question -- with a reformulation almost inevitable. Spanish PM to Israel: Ignore Europe - It Hates You; Appeases Arabs
David Storobin, Esq. - 6/7/2005
Israel should not pay attention to Europe, which is using its Middle East policy to separate itself from the US and not to play a constructive role in the Middle East, declared former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar. Europeans are pro-Palestinian appeasers who cannot contribute to peace between Arab and Jew, according to the man who served as the head of Spanish government from 1996 to 2004 when he lost elections several days after March 11 terrorist bombings by al-Qaida meant to scare his country out of Iraq. Aznar said that European policy was "not favorable to Israel" not out of principle, but only because of EU's goal to be different from Washington. A Dialog About Anti-Semitism
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 5/23/2005
Rabid anti-Semitism, coupled with inane and outlandish conspiracy theories of world dominion, is easy to counter and dispel. It is the more "reasoned", subtle, and stealthy variety that it pernicious. "No smoke without fire," - say people - "there must be something to it!". In this dialog I try to deconstruct a "mild" anti-Semitic text. I myself wrote the text - not an easy task considering my ancestry (a Jew) and my citizenship (an Israeli). But to penetrate the pertinent layers - historical, psychological, semantic, and semiotic - I had to "enter the skin" of "rational", classic anti-Semites, to grasp what makes them click and tick, and to think and reason like them. Israel, Vladimir Putin and Middle East Peace
Frederick Stakelbeck, Jr. - 5/2/2005
Russian President Vladimir Putin's trip last week to Israel was the first ever by a Russian president. An elated Israel Vice Premier Shimon Peres described Putin's visit as "historic" stating, "This is a sign of the changes that have occurred in Russia itself, in Israel-Russia relations and in Russian policy in the Middle East." The Big Lie: Divest from Israel
I. J. Mansdorf, PhD - 5/2/2005
History has taught us that the "Big Lie" often works. As Adolph Hitler learned, repeat something enough times and with enough conviction and people will wind up believing you, even though what you are saying is patently false. Hitler's lessons are being put into practice today on campuses across the United States, where the issue of divestment from Israel has become not only a rallying point for much anti-Israel and anti-Jewish activity, but also a prime example of the "Big Lie" in action. Israel Termed A 'Nuclear Power' By US Officials
Angelique van Engelen - 4/11/2005
In the last two weeks, two non-senior US officials indirectly called on Israel to start planning on cancelling its nuclear weapons programs. Even though they said this is not intended for 'the foreseeable future', their publicly terming Israel a nuclear power on a par with India and Pakistan might be a sign that the US perceives of nuclear issues as too serious to condone the double standards it employs freely on other issues. Sanctioning Sharon
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/17/2005
In a bid to strengthen the hand of the newly elected Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, the Israelis have released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and pulled, in March 2005, from Jericho and Tulkarm. In a significant change of heart, Hamas, the militant Palestinian organization, vowed to compete in future parliamentary elections and, thus, potentially, to repeat its impressive showing on the municipal level. Israel - The Next Target
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/17/2005
Its leader seems more comfortable in battle fatigues than in civil suits. He has been long pursuing a policy of bloody oppression and annexation. The regime is often castigated due to rampant human rights violations. The country possesses weapons of mass destruction, though it repeatedly denies the allegations. It refuses to honor numerous Security Council resolutions. President Bush senior once subjected it to sanctions. The United States is already training its sights on this next target: Israel. Israel's Economic Intifada
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/17/2005
A Danish firm, SID, as it was canceling an order with an Israeli supplier, dispatched to it this unusually blunt message: "When the soldiers of the Israeli army brutalize the areas of the Palestinians ... we do not feel it is the time to do business with your country. We hope this ugly war will end soon." Consumer boycotts of Israeli products are being touted - often through the Internet - from Belgrade to Moscow and from Copenhagen to Brussels. Israel's Hi, Tech - Bye, Tech
Sam Vaknin, Ph.D. - 3/16/2005
During the 1990's, the number of Israeli firms on NASDAQ was the second or third largest (depending on the year) after American and Canadian ones. Israeli IPO's were hot. Israeli hi-tech was cool. The Internet was conquered by Israeli ingenuity and chutzpah. India and Israel Shape a New Strategic Relationship
Frederick Stakelbeck, Jr. - 2/15/2005
In the face of unrelenting international pressure and criticism, Israel is keenly aware that it must seek to develop strategic alliances wherever possible in order to help maintain its very survival. |
