Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman has not exactly forged a reputation as a pragmatist, yet he recently called for a “pragmatic approach” to deal with the simmering Palestinian problem. “I wish pragmatism dominated the political discourse in Israeli society,” he said the other day. “We are torn between … pragmatism and fanaticism.” Calling on Israel […]
A man riding a motorcycle recently attacked Israel’s embassy in Athens, spraying the building with more than 50 rounds of gunfire. Greek police believe the assailant probably belonged to a far-leftist group. Following the incident, Greek Public Order Minister Vassilis Kikilias said, “No one is going to affect the relations between Greece and Israel.” It […]
Whatever you may think of him, Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon tells the unvarnished truth, at least in private settings. Recently, in a closed-door session with students at a West Bank yeshiva, he made a telling admission. Speaking to an obviously sympathetic audience, he said that the Israeli government has every intention of expanding Jewish settlements […]
Russia has taken hypocrisy to new cynical heights by having lodged a letter of complaint with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon over Israel’s “aggressive actions” in Syria. On Dec. 7, Israeli aircraft reportedly struck Syrian military facilities near the international airport just outside Damascus and a site close to the Lebanese border. According to […]
There’s a strong possibility that Iran and the world’s major powers may fail to convert an interim accord, signed last November, into a permanent agreement on drastically curbing Iran’s covert, militarized nuclear program. On Nov. 24, the two sides acknowledged that they had failed to bridge the gaps in their respective positions and announced a […]
In accordance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent promise that security in Jerusalem will be restored, following an upsurge of violence in Israel’s capital in the past month or so, the Israeli government has resurrected its policy of demolishing the homes of terrorists. On Nov. 19, only a day after two Palestinian cousins from East […]
The Israeli government recently decided it would not cooperate with a United Nations commission charged with investigating allegations that war crimes were committed by Israel and Hamas during their 50-day war in the Gaza Strip last summer. This comes as no surprise. Last August, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, […]
A few years ago, while serving as defence minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak unburdened himself of a comment that spoke volumes. Barak, no dove, claimed that the current Israeli government was incapable of making peace with the Palestinians. Regrettably, Barak’s analysis remains as true today as back then. Netanyahu professes to […]
A recent comment about racism in Israel by Israel’s president, Reuven Rivlin, transported me back in time. It was 1971, I had just arrived in Israel for an extended visit, and my aunt in Haifa had invited me for dinner. As we feasted on Polish and Israeli delicacies, she gave me some unsolicited advice. More […]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has got things backwards, much to Israel’s detriment. Lashing out at U.S. condemnation of Israeli plans to build more than 1,000 apartments in areas of eastern Jerusalem annexed by Israel after the 1967 Six Day War, Netanyahu declared, “I have heard a claim that our construction in Jewish neighborhoods in […]