Middle East
An Important Summit In Jerusalem
In an unprecedented tripartite summit, the national security advisors of Israel, the United States and Russia — Meir Ben-Shabbat, John Bolton and Nikolai Patrushev — conferred in Jerusalem on June 25 to discuss some of the key problems that afflict the Middle East today and roil their respective bilateral relations. Topping the agenda were a […]
Racism In Afula
What if a landlord in Toronto, New York City or Paris refused to rent or sell a condo to a Jewish person? Pundits and bloggers would vent their indignation. Politicians would denounce the racism. In short, the outrage would be heard around the globe, especially from Jews and their supporters. Several days ago, the mayor […]
A Master Of Partisan Rhetoric
During his confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate two and a half years ago, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the post of ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, vowed to refrain from making partisan comments while on duty. “Partisan rhetoric is rarely, if ever, appropriate for achieving diplomatic progress, especially in a sensitive and strife-torn region […]
Israel’s Supreme Court Must Be Independent
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is speaking from both sides of his mouth. A few days ago, after newly-appointed Justice Minister Amir Ohana claimed the government is not necessarily obliged to respect Supreme Court verdicts, Netanyahu slapped him down. On his Twitter account, he wrote, “Court decisions are binding on everyone.” But since the inconclusive […]
U.S. Bill Enhances Mideast Peace Prospects
At a time when an Israeli rapprochement with the Palestinians has never been dimmer, the Trump administration would do well to declare its unreserved support for a bipartisan congressional bill that would enhance the prospects for peace. The bill would restore funding for Jewish and Arab coexistence and dialogue groups, endorse a two-state solution, and encourage […]
Peace Now Director Urges Israel To Change Course
The executive director of Peace Now, Shaqued Morag, was in Toronto recently as the guest of Canadian Friends of Peace Now to discuss the prospects of a peaceful resolution of Israel’s long-running conflict with the Palestinians. I asked her several questions about the current situation, and here is a record of our exchange. 1. What […]
Trump Versus Khamenei
Is a new war brewing in the Middle East? Judging by the events of the past two weeks, the United States and Iran could be on a military collision course sooner or later if cooler heads on both sides do not prevail. Yesterday, however, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Acting Defence Secretary Patrick […]
Gaza Postmortem
A ceasefire has ended yet another round of intense fighting between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip. The truce, brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations on May 6, has taken hold, but it could easily unravel and plunge the region into chaos again. The latest bout of cross-border warfare lasted […]
Islamic State Is Back With A Vengeance
Pounded relentlessly by a dizzying array of adversaries in the past few years, Islamic State is nonetheless back with a vengeance. The Easter Sunday suicide attacks in Sri Lanka, which claimed the lives of about 250 locals and foreigners, was the work of a local cell that had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. They were […]
Iran’s Strike Force Is Indeed A Terrorist Organization
The Trump administration’s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a foreign terrorist organization is correct and justifiable. U.S. President Donald Trump announced this policy on April 8 and his order took effect on April 15. From this point forward, wide-ranging economic sanctions will be imposed on the IRGC and companies, organizations and […]
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