Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to snub German Foreign Minister and Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel during his visit to Israel this week was impolitic. How wise was it to boycott an important dignitary from a country that has special and unique ties with Israel? Certainly, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin did not make the same mistake, choosing […]
Israeli Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz recently unveiled a Middle East peace plan predicated on two practical public works projects. He claims they can be “game changers” in terms of Israel’s future relationship with the Palestinians and neighbouring Arab countries. Katz’s proposal, while innovative, suffers from a fatal flaw. Katz wants to build a seaport on […]
Russia, Syria’s chief ally and protector, faced a moment of truth following last week’s military strike and counter-strike in the Middle East. On April 6, the United States fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles into a Syrian air force base in retaliation for a bombing raid launched by Syria on April 4 that killed 87 civilians in […]
The Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, keeps harping on its intention to end the Palestinians’ protracted dispute with Israel through a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 border and land swaps. Abbas’ assertions are a bold repudiation of the Israeli government’s flimsy claim that the PA is not a negotiating partner. This line […]
The burning question following the United States’ cruise missile strike against the Al Shayrat air force base in Syria on April 6 is whether the Trump administration has fundamentally changed its policy toward the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Less than a week before two U.S. destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean Sea fired 59 […]
One of the strengths of Israel’s special relationship with the United States is its bipartisan character. Democrats, Republicans and third party politicians regard Israel as a valued ally whose values and pro-Western foreign policy are completely in line with theirs, notwithstanding the disputes arising out of Israel’s extremely controversial settlement project in the West Bank. […]
It has been obvious, to some at least, that Israel’s protracted and bloody conflict with the Palestinians can best be resolved by means of a two-state solution. This would necessitate the creation of a Palestinian state in areas where Palestinians form a vast majority of the population, namely the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. […]
Tensions between two bitter old enemies, Israel and Syria, have flared up again. On March 17, Israeli F-16s struck a Syrian military site near the city of Palmyra, reportedly bombing a convoy of vehicles carrying Scud missiles to Hezbollah bases in Lebanon. Syria retaliated by firing several S-200 missiles at the Israeli jets flying back to […]
Women have always served in the Israeli armed forces and are an integral part of it, but in the past few years, they’ve played an increasingly important role in Israel’s defence. From training new recruits and flying aircraft to manning outposts and driving tanks, they form an indispensable component of Israel’s defence shield. “Since the […]
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman has issued a warning that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be wise to heed. In an appearance before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee a few days ago, Liberman warned that Israel’s annexation of the West Bank would spark a crisis with the United States, its chief benefactor and […]