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 […]
Thirteen years after 15 Arab terrorists linked to Al Qaeda attacked the United States, Canada is facing the wrath of Islamic radicalism. In the past few days, two Canadian soldiers — Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo — have been murdered by Canadian acolytes of Islamic State, the jihadist organization that has conquered […]
On a sunny autumn day in the Negev desert 20 years ago this month, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan. Coming 15 years after Israel’s peace treaty with Egypt, the first of its kind in the Middle East, it was seen as step forward in Israel’s quest for recognition and acceptance in the Arab […]
Israel has mounted a campaign to squelch a diplomatic drive by major European countries to recognize a future Palestinian state. By doing so, Israel is fighting a losing battle, and is on the wrong side of history. In recent weeks, the new Swedish prime minister, Stefan Lofven, has expressed support for Palestinian statehood, which is […]
John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of state, has been harshly and unfairly criticized by two right-wing Israeli cabinet ministers for having stated an obvious and compelling truth. Their tendentious comments reflect badly on their understanding of fundamental realities in the Middle East. Speaking at the State Department the other day, Kerry called for a […]
The international donors conference held in Cairo on Oct. 12 sent out an unmistakable message: Rebuilding the Gaza Strip after last summer’s 50-day war between Israel and radical Palestinian factions is a necessity, but the Aug. 26 ceasefire that ended the fighting may not endure unless Israel and the Palestinians reach a broader political agreement to […]
Canada is now officially at war with Islamic State, the Sunni jihadist organization that has left a bloody trail of death and destruction in Syria and Iraq. By a margin of 157-134, the Canadian parliament on Oct. 7 passed a motion authorizing air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq for a period of up to […]