We here in Israel knew we were doing very well with regard to corona, as compared with the rest of the world. And there were reports of Pfizer using Israel as a testing ground. Now it is all officially reported. “Albert Bourla, CEO of Pfizer revealed [Thursday night] why Israel …

If we let them.  And so the ultimate question is where Israel stands. When I speak of “them,” I am referring to national and institutional entities that are anti-Zionist. Unfortunately, there are many. ~~~ A major concern for Israel is the readiness of the European Union (EU) to support and …

In his book, “Blink,” pages 107 -108, Malcolm Gladwell discusses the modern approach to warfare. After Desert Storm [waged against Iraq in 1990], the Pentagon became convinced that conventional war would soon be an anachronism. “Conflict in the future would be diffuse. It would take place in cities as often …

This past Shabbat – the Shabbat before Purim – was Shabbat Zahor, during which we read from a Torah portion (for maftir) that commands the Children of Israel to remember what Amalek did: “how he confronted you along the way, and smote the hindmost among you, all that were enfeebled, …

That’s me, my friends. I am hard at work on a posting about enemies Israel faces: An important posting that will come out very shortly.  It is material I am eager to share. At the bottom of that posting I intended to provide a response to a handful of readers …

At last, within the American political scene, at least one reason for gladness: The Senate has acquitted President Trump of the charges of “incitement of insurrection” leveled in his second impeachment trial.  Not only has a patriotic American who was not remotely guilty of these ludicrous charges been absolved, further …

But it hardly does justice to the situation to say that what we are facing is not a pretty picture. What I want to touch upon today are some of the situations we are confronting that, if truth be told, tend to generate nightmares. ~~~ Let us begin with a …

I am ever mindful of the blessings that are ours, and would never, ever suggest that hope be abandoned. Jews survive on hope, on faith in a better tomorrow. And yet, it is exceedingly important not to be naïve, not to insist on a positive perspective – because that feels …

First order of concern: We must stay in touch with news of significance, even – or especially – if it is unsettling or worse. There is no way I will ignore the situation in the US; I will continue to deal with it going forward, as I see the need. …

The Jewish tradition warns strongly against baseless hatred (sinat chinam) and its dire consequences. Now we are watching it destroy a once great nation. This didn’t happen all at once, of course. When Donald Trump came into the White House there was determination from the get-go to take him down. …

It is almost upon us now: Joe Biden’s inauguration day. Whatever the grief, the incredible frustration, the conviction that this should not be happening, as far as I can tell, it will be happening. Which means the beginning of the “reset.” There is a great deal that terrifies. Biden will …

Perhaps I should title this “An UnAmerican Tragedy,” for this is what it really is. Had someone described to me, just months ago, what is going on now in the US, I would have scoffed and said it was unreal, impossible.  But it is possible: we are seeing it unfold …

It is no less than a tragedy: We are watching a once great nation unravel. ~~~ But this unraveling didn’t start last week or last month. And it would be altogether too facile to account for this it by focusing solely on what transpired last Wednesday, with the horrendous breaching …

If ever one of my postings needed to be shared very widely, this is it!  Please follow this to the end. Sometimes it is difficult to see the truth, especially when the situation is vastly complex – and even more so when, additionally, a bias, a fiction, has been engendered …

Yup, it can. This is the first posting of the year 2021, and it will focus on good news. There hasn’t been much of late.  But I rejoice that there actually seem to be a number of upbeat items worthy of attention.  Let’s set a positive tone while that is …

So we’re into election campaign mode. This does not, by any stretch of the imagination, mean that matters will now go smoothly: We’ve got a long and winding road ahead of us before election day. One factor seems reasonably certain: this election will play out for the most part on …

There is no room for niceties.  We must tell it as it is. It has been a while since I have had to write about a terrorist murder, but this fact makes it no easier. Esther Horgan, 52, was a mother of six and a grandmother; her youngest child had …

What causes us to grieve is the horrendous state of affairs in America. Should Biden end up becoming president (something that I absolutely do not consider a “done deal” at this point), there would be no reason to be reassured as to the direction he would take.  The more we …

Tonight we kindle the first light of Chanukah.  And it strikes me that this year the messages and themes of the holiday are especially important: It is hardly an easy time. Not here in Israel, and certainly not in the US.  We struggle with corona and the concommitant economic difficulties. …

The situation has been rather crazy here in Israel, with a government that doesn’t function like one. I need to look at this shortly.  However, when I consider what’s going on here, my response (which will not surprise regular readers) is that it is “small potatoes” compared to what’s happening …