I‘ve read The New York Times for many years now and consider it a great newspaper. Daniel Schwartz, the author of End Times? Crises and Turmoil at The New York Times (State University of New York Press), concurs. “I believe the Times is still the best and most influential newspaper in the world,” he writes […]
It’s a mall with a difference. The Manufactura Center, a sprawling complex of bright red brick buildings in the heart of the Polish city of Lodz, looks a lot like any sleek shopping mall in North America or Europe. Set on 27 hectares at the corner of Zachodnia and Ogrodowa streets, this modern mall has […]
On July 18, two days before the deadline for reaching a permanent agreement on the future of Iran’s controversial nuclear program was due to expire, six major powers and Iran agreed to extend the talks by four months to Nov. 24, matching the day an interim accord was signed in Geneva in 2013. In commenting […]
The classic road picture features two guys who travel to an exotic destination and indulge themselves to the fullest. This is what basically happens in Land Ho!, which unfolds against the backdrop of Iceland’s stark volcanic landscape. The protagonists, Mitch (Early Lynn Nelson) and Colin (Paul Eenhoorn), are brothers-in-law who drifted apart after their respective […]
Alan Furst’s novel, Midnight in Europe (Random House), is the first I’ve read by this author, and I’m quite impressed. Furst, an American, writes spy novels set in Europe on the eve of World War II. Previous works have included The Spies of Warsaw and The Foreign Correspondent. Judging by his latest offering, one can appreciate […]
Israel’s strained relationship with Turkey has grown considerably colder since Israel and Hamas went to war 11 days ago. After the Israeli armed forces launched Operation Protective Edge, Turkey urged Israel to immediately halt its offensive, warning it would jeopardize ongoing efforts to normalize bilateral ties. With Turkey’s plea having fallen on deaf ears, Turkish Prime […]
A few days ago, a diplomat said, “The missiles that are now being launched against Israel, each and every missile, constitute a crime against humanity, whether (they) hit or miss, because (they) are directed against civilian targets.” He added that Israel issues a warning to Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip before a particular site […]
On July 11, during the opening phase of Operation Protective Edge, Israel’s current cross-border war with Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally came clean. He cited the war as a prime example of why he will neither make significant territorial concessions in the West Bank nor allow the Palestinians to exercise full sovereignty within […]
Did you know that the great Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman was the founder of a world-class Israeli orchestra? Huberman (1882-1947) was the prime mover behind the formation of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra, which in 1948 changed its name to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Josh Aronson’s documentary, Orchestra of Exiles, explores Huberman’s career and his lasting […]
Israel’s just military response to Hamas aggression has not found favor in South Africa’s ruling circles. The deputy secretary-general of the African National Congress, Jessie Duarte, issued a blatantly one-sided statement a few days in which she compared Israel’s response to Nazi atrocities. As she put it, “The African National Congress condemns in the strongest […]