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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Apart from prolonging Benjamin Netanyahu’s reign as Israel’s prime minister, the April 9 election reconfirmed the perception that the Israeli left has been marginalized in Israeli politics. On Election Day, the majority of Israelis voted for right-wing and centrist parties, leaving left-of-center and leftist parties in the dust with little more than electoral crumbs. As […]
Israeli voters have spoken loudly and clearly and essentially have opted for the status quo — more of the same from their longtime prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party, which has been in power for the past decade, won 35 Knesset seats in the April 9 general election, as many as Benny Gantz’s […]
Self- preservation defines Benjamin Netanyahu’s narrow approach to politics. It is what makes him tick as a politician. It is his end game. Four years ago, fearing he might lose the general election, Netanyahu issued a last-minute warning to wavering right-wing voters that “droves” of Israeli Arabs were being bused to polling stations by leftist […]