Syrian government spokespersons have steadfastly denied deploying chemical weapons in the ongoing civil war, but these claims have always rung hollow. Last spring, as per usual, the Syrian regime shamelessly stuck to its script by denying responsibility for a chemical attack on Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel-held town in northern Syria. The strike killed 83 civilians […]
Shlomo Amar, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem and the former chief Sephardic rabbi of Israel, is unfit to hold his position. Last November, following a decision by the Israeli government to establish an egalitarian prayer space at the southern end of the Western Wall, Amar had the gall to brand the Reform branch of Judaism […]
The caliphate is crumbling. Islamic State’s much-vaunted state-building project in Iraq and Syria, which attracted regional and international support and tens of thousands of recruits from the far corners of the globe, is tottering and on the cusp of collapse. Since July, Islamic State has lost two more cities in Iraq, the loss of which […]
The manager of Germany’s national soccer team, Joachim Loew, deserves a pat on the back and a congratulatory handshake. Much to his credit, he lambasted German hooligans who shouted “Sieg heil” — a popular Nazi slogan — during a World Cup qualifying game in Prague on September 1, the 78th anniversary of Germany’s invasion of […]
It was “the most convoluted, lengthy and bizarre criminal case to arise from the Holocaust,” writes Lawrence Douglas, a professor of law at Amherst College in the United States, in The Right Wrong Man. Douglas is referring to the trials and tribulations of John Demjanuk, who was directly involved in one of the most high-profile […]
As expected, the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon was renewed on August 30 for another year. Renewals have not usually posed serious problems because the presence of peacekeepers in southern Lebanon is in everyone’s interest. That’s understood. This year, however, a potential problem arose. Israel, having complained about Hezbollah’s alarming arms buildup […]
On September 15, 1939, two weeks after Germany’s invasion of Poland, German troops occupied the small town of Kleczew, population 2,996, and proceeded to impose a reign of terror on its 746 Jewish inhabitants. Some two years later, they were systematically murdered in a nearby forest. The Jewish community of Kleczew, as well as Jewish communities in […]
Frederick Law Olmsted is surely one of the most illustrious landscape architects the world has ever known. His credits include Mount Royal Park in Montreal and Central Park in New York City, two of the finest municipal parks in North America. Olmsted’s genius also makes its presence felt in Bok Tower Gardens, one of the […]
U.S. representatives charged with restarting peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and achieving the “ultimate deal” struck a remarkably upbeat note following their trip to the Middle East last week. Why they were so optimistic is most puzzling. Israel and the PA broke off bilateral negotiations three and half years ago after nine […]
Much to my surprise, I’m still watching Surviving Escobar — Alias JJ, the 60-part Netflix series. In the past two weeks, I’ve watched 41 episodes. Yesterday, I binged on two. Tonight, I’ll watch two more. I never thought I’d make that kind of commitment to a television show, but it’s that addictive. I tuned in to […]