Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has got things backwards, much to Israel’s detriment. Lashing out at U.S. condemnation of Israeli plans to build more than 1,000 apartments in areas of eastern Jerusalem annexed by Israel after the 1967 Six Day War, Netanyahu declared, “I have heard a claim that our construction in Jewish neighborhoods in […]
Has there ever been a Toronto mayor in recent history like Rob Ford? I doubt it. Ford was a drunkard, a drug addict, a racist and an antisemite who besmirched and disgraced our fair cosmopolitan city. He was not even fit to be a dog catcher. After yesterday’s municipal election, during which Ford’s equally unpalatable […]
Since the fall of communism in Poland in 1989, Poles who had concealed their Jewish ancestry with a zealousness bordering on fear and/or self-hatred have come out of the closet in droves, proclaiming and embracing their Jewishness to various degrees. The “new” Jews, whatever their Jewish lineage may be, are Jews by choice, says Poland’s […]
I‘ll say it straight 0ut: I dread autumn. Not because it’s the worst season, but because it’s a harbinger of winter, which in these remorseful parts tend to be cold, dreary and far too long, unless you’re a skier, a skater or, let’s face it, a masochist. Autumn, however, has one redeeming feature that compensates […]
A visitor to India, population 1.1 billion, is immediately struck by its overflowing jumble of humanity. After a few days in its congested and polluted cities, you long for the solitude of its open, sparsely-populated spaces. There are a number of options to consider. You can raft down the rapids of the Ganges River. You […]
Thirteen years after 15 Arab terrorists linked to Al Qaeda attacked the United States, Canada is facing the wrath of Islamic radicalism. In the past few days, two Canadian soldiers — Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo — have been murdered by Canadian acolytes of Islamic State, the jihadist organization that has conquered […]
Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), the legendary Hollywood movie director, is the subject of a retrospective being presented by the Toronto International Film Festival starting this month. Stanley Kubrick: A Cinematic Odyssey will run from Oct. 31 to Jan. 25 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox (350 King Street West). It includes such classics as A Clockwork Orange, Dr. […]
On a sunny autumn day in the Negev desert 20 years ago this month, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan. Coming 15 years after Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt, the first of its kind in the Middle East, it was seen as step forward in Israel’s quest for recognition and acceptance in the Arab […]
Israel has mounted a campaign to squelch a diplomatic drive by major European countries to recognize a future Palestinian state. By doing so, Israel is fighting a losing battle, and is on the wrong side of history. In recent weeks, the new Swedish prime minister, Stefan Lofven, has expressed support for Palestinian statehood, which is […]
John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, has been harshly and unfairly criticized by two right-wing Israeli cabinet ministers for having stated an obvious and compelling truth. Their tendentious comments reflect badly on their understanding of fundamental realities in the Middle East. Speaking at the State Department the other day, Kerry called for a […]