The rhetorical flourishes flew thick and fast during U.S. President Donald Trump’s 28-hour whirlwind visit to Israel. Describing his trip as “unforgettable,” Trump, in sonorous language, hit the right notes. He spoke of the profound attachment of the Jewish people to the land of Israel. He reaffirmed the United States’ close bond with Israel. He […]
I rarely agree with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose brand of right-wing politics and opportunistic regard for political self-preservation alienate me profoundly. But I found myself in agreement with him the other day when he lambasted a decision by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem not to play the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah, at a […]
Nearly eleven years after the eruption of the Second Lebanon War, tensions are rising yet again between two old bitter enemies, Israel and Hezbollah. In the past few months, as Israel has fortified its border with Lebanon in preparation for a possible fresh round of fighting and bombed weapons convoys destined for Hezbollah warehouses, both […]
Neither Israel nor the Palestinians are ready to engage in full-fledged peace talks, but in the meantime, the Israeli government should implement a series of unilateral interim measures to preserve the option of a two-state solution, Michael Koplow, the policy director of the U.S.-based Israel Policy Forum, told a luncheon in Toronto on May 17 hosted […]
Donald Trump and Recep Tayyip Erdogan conferred at the White House on May 16 to discuss what is surely the most contentious irritant in the prickly U.S.-Turkish bilateral relationship — the arming of Syrian Kurdish rebels by the United States. Turkey, a key U.S. ally and a member of NATO that shares a volatile border […]
Islamic State, the jihadist organization whose fighters are under currently siege in the Iraqi and Syrian cities of Mosul and Raqqa, has repeatedly broken international norms and conventions since it established a caliphate in 2014. IS has imposed a reign of terror on captive populations, harassed and persecuted Christian and Yazidi minorities and plundered priceless […]
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to the White House on May 3 to discuss the prospects of settling the intractable Arab-Israeli conflict, but their talks were little more than a photo op. Abbas arrived in the United States two and a half months after Trump conferred with Israeli Prime Minister […]
On May 1, Hamas — the Palestinian Islamic fundamentalist group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007 — released a new document of principles aimed at softening its extremist image and presenting itself as a pragmatic organization grounded in realism. It was a step in the right direction, but it was only a baby […]
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 […]