The world of politics: It would be wrong to say that there is never clarity of purpose inspired by high ideals. But it is rare. Much of the time there are shifting scenarios, and complex, conflicting motivating factors at play. Rivalries, certainly. We find pretence (allegedly, for good reason). And …

It was Vice President Mike Pence, a speaker today at the Fifth World Holocaust Forum gathering – “Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism” at Yad Vashem – who brought tears to my eyes. “The world can only marvel at the faith and resilience of the Jewish People,” he said: “Three years …

As the rain is pouring down while I sit at my computer, I begin with this. Year after year Israel suffers drought. Last year was a good year, and this year, with torrential rains, is turning out to be even better: We have broken a 50 year record and there …

Time to touch base on Israel’s political situation. I have studiously avoided writing about it for many weeks because the situation has been so in flux that whatever I wrote would probably have changed by the time most of my readers read my posting. More to the point, perhaps, I …

  After completion of the reading of each of the five books of the Torah in synagogue, the congregation calls out, “Chazak, Chazak, V’nitchazek!”  It might be translated: Be strong!  Be strong!  And let us be strengthened! I thought this a good way to begin. In my last posting I …

  How heartening to see a leader make a bold decision that improves the state of the world! My friends, I spent hours on Wednesday attempting to find the most effective words to convey my thoughts on President Trump’s decision to take out Soleimani. There are, I wanted to say, …

  The Talmud (Sanhedrin 72:1) tells us, “If someone comes to kill you, rise up early in the morning and kill him first.” I seriously doubt that President Donald Trump considered this source when giving the order last Friday morning to kill Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, head of the IRGC …

It is 18 years since my aliyah.  Had someone told me back then that in less than 20 years there would be a plague of antisemitism in the US, I would have responded: “In America?  No way!  Impossible!” But I would have been wrong. Jew hatred is the oldest persistent …

I begin with a report on the Likud primary that took place last Thursday: As expected, Binyamin Netanyahu defeated his challenger Gideon Sa’ar.  And he did so in a landslide, with 72.5% of the vote. Out of 106 Likud polling stations across the country, Netanyahu won 99 and Sa’ar seven. …

What I am eager to offer here is a different perspective on some of the matters confronting us. It is not my intention to suggest that all is well.  We know it is not, not even remotely. Yet information that provides hope of better times going forward is out there. …

The eight-day festival of Chanukah began on Sunday night. And its message seems especially important – especially relevant – this year. We know about the miracle of the oil: When the Jews achieved victory over their Greek oppressors, in the second century BCE, they went to rededicate the Temple, which …

A powerful symbol: the reaching up of hands. It means so many things. I reflect on this, as I begin a new posting: I see the negative – resignation, and the positive – celebration. I touch on both here. ~~~~~~~~~~ Before writing about anything else, I share a link to …

The time for politically correct obfuscation is past.  There is no room for pretending we don’t see: The issues are simply too important for it to be any other way. I turn back here to the attack last week at the kosher market in Jersey City, which is now being …

It did not have to be this way, but it is.  Israel is headed to the third election in less than a year. I point a finger of accusation, first, at Avigdor Lieberman, head of Yisrael Beitenu. He fomented the electoral instability and took some perverse satisfaction in refusing to …

On Friday, the US House of Representatives passed a non-binding resolution supporting the “two state solution.” https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/US-House-approves-resolution-supporting-two-state-solution-610125 This caused considerable consternation among supporters of Israel. But, in fact, it is not terribly surprising: The House is controlled by the Democrats. And they are responding to the very appropriate and long-overdue …

It’s natural for us to want to close our eyes to much that is going on the world today. Yet I would suggest that we do not have that luxury. It is our business, our obligation, to know what is happening. What is more, if our eyes our closed, we …

It has been maddening – nothing less. There has been no solid ground in the political sphere. And so I begin today with a piece by astute commentator Daniel Greenfield, writing as Sultan Knish (emphasis added): “’It is important for me to emphasize that the only ones who determine who …

It is terribly sad. And more still, infuriating. How did we get to this place? Last Thursday, November 21, Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit announced that he had made the decision to indict Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for bribery, fraud and breach of trust with regard to Cases 1000, 2000, and …

Benny Gantz, failing to put together a governing coalition, returned the mandate to the president, this evening, Wednesday. The next step is a period of three weeks during which any member of the Knesset who can garner the support of 61 MKs will be given two weeks to put together …

Benny Gantz has only until Wednesday until he must form a government or return the mandate. It’s anyone’s guess what is going to happen. And here I was, just days ago, thinking that maybe it would go well and we would have a unity government in very short order.  But …