When last I posted, I spoke about the murder by a Hamas terrorist of Aviv Levi, an IDF soldier who was at the Gaza fence when he was shot in the chest by a sniper. I said then that the weapon used was an Iranian copy of the metal-piercing Austrian …

Today is Tisha B’Av, the saddest day of the Jewish year. A day on which we mourn for the destruction of our Temples, and for the many calamities that have befallen us. One speaker I heard this morning spoke about the fact that this is not our history – it …

Two news items as I begin today’s discussion: 1) On Sunday, the Al-Nirab airbase, in northern Syria outside of Aleppo, was attacked. This is a base utilized by Iranians. Israel has not acknowledged responsibility for this attack but Israeli involvement is broadly acknowledged. Latest reports indicate that 22 people were …

It’s enough when our enemies are difficult to deal with. But deal with them we can, if we are resolute and clear-eyed. If we understand our rights and are not afraid to use our strength wisely. But when the above is not the case? Intolerable. ~~~~~~~~~~ It is difficult to …

There were multiple reports over the last couple of days regarding the direction of Trump’s “peace plan.” The first report I saw said (emphasis added): “The Trump administration is reportedly focusing on improving humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip, while putting its as-yet unveiled peace plan on a back burner …

Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, was in town this week for a conference on his Israel Victory program. I will simply say here that the idea is that Israel cannot achieve what is necessary with regard to real peace until the Palestinian Arabs – who do not …

There are shifts that seem to be taking place in the dynamics of the Mid-East. Is genuine change being forged? Or are we being fed words that will lead nowhere, as we slip back to previous holding patterns? ~~~~~~~~~~ The improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza will NOT reduce terrorism …

When I got up on Thursday morning, I thought it very likely there would be news of a war in Gaza.  But there was not. Nor is there today, as I write. ~~~~~~~~~~ The IDF has been shooting near those terrorists who launch incendiary devices as a “warning,” but is …

Yesterday I began my posting with a discussion of what the Trump “peace team” of Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt might be seeking during their scheduled visits to several Middle East countries this week. The focus, according to administration statements, was on seeking the optimal timing for releasing that “peace …

As my readers know, I have been pondering for weeks exactly what is going on with the Trump administration’s peace team, Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt. They have persisted in working on that “plan”: shaping it and refining it so that, we have been told, what is going to be …

It’s not your imagination, or mine: The world is shifting at a dizzying rate. We try to wrap our heads around it all. We try, but it sure isn’t easy. ~~~~~~~~~~ I want to start with the Trump-Kim Summit, which delighted me and many others, wrought with the potential for …

The situation at the Gaza fence does tend to make one feel weary, but in fact great vigilance is still needed. What is going on is not an existential threat for the nation. But this does not mean we should shrug our shoulders and treat it lightly. Regional Cooperation Minister …

Before I write about other matters, there are issues regarding what is happening in the south that I feel compelled to address. It’s on everyone’s mind: The question of the wisest way for us to handle the situation. Here I offer my own opinion, seriously considered: a perspective. ~~~~~~~~~~ We …

My last posting, written on May 30, was entitled “Reprieve?” After a 24 hour barrage of rockets and mortars that brought us to the brink of war, it had gotten quiet in the south. I didn’t delude myself that it would be quiet forever, but I assumed that the quiet …

So it certainly seems right now. It was not an exaggeration when I wrote, 24 hours ago, that we were on the cusp of war. The rockets were flying fast and furious, and the Israeli response was strong. This went on through much of the night, with starts and stops. …

A surfeit of news and information. But this must come first: On Thursday night, Ronen Lubarsky, a fighter in the IDF’s elite Duvdevan Unit, was involved in a routine military operation outside of Ramallah – arresting members of a terror cell that had carried out shooting attacks against civilians. The …

In recent weeks, Israel has been doing exceedingly well in many regards. In fact, taken cumulatively, our situation has been remarkable: We scored an incredible Intelligence coup with the lifting of an enormous cache of secret files on nuclear development from Iran, and then scored further with the subsequent exposure …

Figuratively, that is: with words. It is what everyone who cares about Israel must do now. For Israel is being attacked with words and visual images as a vicious adjunct to the physical violence at the Gaza fence. ~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline Glick, in her column last Friday, refers to the one …

Time for me to catch my breath. I have been posting at a furious pace because the world is frenzied. No sooner do I send out my material, then I find myself saying, Oh, I have to write again, about this. Or that. Or something else. I try. What is …

We are on a roll!  Today Guatemala officially opened its embassy in Jerusalem. Right after the dedication, the Knesset Christian Allies Caucus held an event in the Knesset celebrating the two embassies newly dedicated in Jerusalem. The Caucus – which has 19 members from diverse parties in the Knesset – seeks …