Israel is a flourishing democracy, a nation usually governed by the rule of law. I add the caveat “usually” because perfection is not a quality that can be ascribed to any country, including Israel, in this very imperfect world. Case in point: Sixty eight years ago, as the first Arab-Israeli war raged, the Palestinian residents […]
I was disappointed, though not really surprised, by the news that the 19th century villa of Yechezkel Sasson, in central Baghdad, was recently demolished. Sasson, who was usually known as Sir Sassoon Eskell, was the scion of a distinguished Iraqi Jewish family and one of the founders of modern Iraq. Along with T.E. Lawrence, Gertrude […]
Allegations by Israel that the manager of a Christian aid organization in the Gaza Strip funnelled millions of dollars to the military wing of Hamas are extremely serious. This flagrant misuse of charitable funds raises hard and uncomfortable questions whether World Vision — an international Christian aid group with headquarters in the United States and […]
The Green Party of Canada set a disturbing precedent at its biennial convention in Ottawa on August 7 when it voted to adopt the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) platform. Seven months after the Canadian parliament strongly condemned the BDS movement, the Greens became the first political party in Canada to embrace it. It’s a somber […]
Scores of civilians in Turkey have been killed in attacks attributed to Islamic State in the past year. The worst of them were perpetrated by suicide bombers in the city of Suruc in July 2015, in Ankara last October, and in Istanbul airport almost two months ago. Due in large part to these and other […]
It has been a bad month for Germany. A very bad month. Since July 18, Muslim terrorists of Afghan, Iranian and Syrian descent have carried out attacks in four German cities — Wuerzburg, Munich, Ansbach and Reutlingen — and killed 10 people and injured nearly two dozen. Two of the attackers were Syrians who had […]
What will it take to jolt Israel into the realization that peace with the Arab world cannot be achieved unless the gnawing Palestinian problem is satisfactorily resolved? This important point was underscored by Anwar Eshki, an emissary from Saudi Arabia who visited Jerusalem last week. A retired general and advisor to the Saudi government, he […]
Nir Barkat, the mayor of Jerusalem, should hang his head in shame. Caving in to pressure from the city’s ultra-Orthodox and national religious camp, he announced he would not attend today’s gay pride parade. “It is their right to march,” he said of the people to plan to participate in the annual event. “The city […]
Sizing up the Iran nuclear agreement on its first anniversary on July 14, U.S. President Barack Obama said it had “succeeded in rolling back Iran’s nuclear program (and) avoiding further conflict.” Sticking to the same theme, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the landmark accord, signed by Iran and six major powers in Vienna, has […]
Judging by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry’s surprise visit to Israel a few days ago, Egypt has begun playing a more active diplomatic role in the virtually impossible quest to settle Israel’s perennial conflict with the Palestinians. Shoukry, the first Egyptian foreign minister to set foot on Israeli soil in nine years, held intensive talks […]