Middle East
Hamas’ Abysmal Record In Ruling Gaza
Hamas, the ruling authority in the Gaza Strip for more than a decade now, has shown its true face yet again. Responding to recent street demonstrations protesting the high cost of living, Hamas security forces used live fire to break up street protests. Journalists covering these events were beaten and arrested, as were human rights […]
Keep Shamima Begum Out Of Britain
British- born Islamic State acolyte Shamima Begum wants to go back home. Now 19, she left Britain in 2015, along with two similarly brainwashed friends, after having watched heroic videos about Islamic State online. Understandably enough, Britain’s Home Secretary Sajid Javid not only rejected her request to return to her home in the London suburb […]
Netanyahu Should Clarify His Position On Israeli Arabs
Does Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak in two contradictory voices about Israel’s Arab minority? Does he treat Israeli Arabs like a political football? It would appear so, judging by his comments and actions since 2015. On the one hand, Netanyahu has marginalized and demonized Israeli Arabs, who comprise almost a quarter of Israel’s population. On […]
A Simplistic UN Report
A commission of inquiry, formed by the United Nations Human Rights Council, released a report last week alleging that Israel may have committed crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip in the past year. It claims that Israeli troops killed or maimed unarmed Palestinian civilians “who did not pose an imminent threat of death or serious […]
Mandelblit’s Integrity
Israel’s attorney-general displayed courage and integrity in announcing his intention to indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of fraud, bribery and breach of trust. Avichai Mandelblit went ahead with his announcement on February 28 despite his personal connections with Netanyahu and Netanyahu’s pressure tactics. Before Netanyahu appointed Mandelblit to his current position, he was Netanyahu’s cabinet […]
The War of Attrition 50 Years On
The War of Attrition is virtually forgotten today, lost in the mists of time. Overshadowed by the 1967 Six Day War, Israel’s greatest military triumph, it erupted 50 years ago on March 8, 1969 and lasted 17 months, until a ceasefire hammered out by American diplomacy ended it on August 7, 1970. The War of […]
Russia’s Convoluted Policy In Syria
Syria’s preeminent ally, Russia, should clarify its policy in Syria with respect to Israel, Iran and Hezbollah. At present, it is convoluted, contradictory and, ultimately, muddled. The problem is devilishly complex. The Syrians, having enabled Iran’s military entrenchment in Syria, have become entangled in Israel’s resultant conflict with Iran. Russia, Syria’s arms provider and political […]
Donald Trump’s Premature Announcements
The erratic and bombastic Donald Trump pulls one surprise after another from his bag of tricks. In December, the U.S. president announced that the United States, having defeated the Islamic State organization, would unilaterally withdraw its contingent of 2,000 troops from Syria. Trump’s announcement surprised, among others, the head of the U.S. Central Command, General […]
Putting The Cart Before the Horse
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thinks Israel can normalize relations with the Arab world before the Palestinian problem is fully resolved. Animated by this belief, he and his cabinet ministers have reached out to Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East — and in Africa — in a bid to turn this concept into reality. Netanyahu’s facile […]
Newcomers In U.S. Congress Challenge Pro-Israel Policy
A new wave of Democrats swept into the U.S. Congress last month after mid-term elections in November, wresting control of the House of Representatives from the Republicans. Among the novices are the first two Muslim women ever to serve in Congress — Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who have been respectively assigned […]
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