Israel

Tonight, with a one-minute siren, Yom Hazikaron, Israeli Memorial Day, will begin. This is a time during which we honor the memories of those who have died in defense of the Land of Israel since 1860—the year that the first Jewish settlers left the secure walls of Jerusalem to build …

This evening begins Israel’s Memorial Day-Yom HaZikaron for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel and Victims of Actions of Terrorism. Our nation is unique. Alongside the grieving for the fallen and the victims, we must bear in mind that the State of Israel and the people of Israel …

It has been my practice each year to share some of the painful stories of the Holocaust: It is forbidden to forget what happened, and I have sought to honor those who lived through the horror by recognizing them. ~~~ But this year is different.  I am so alarmed by …

Israel could face a situation, where along its lengthiest border, there would no longer be a conservative, pro-Western monarchy, but an extreme Muslim regime, with incandescent hostility towards the Jewish state There is nothing certain, but the uncertain. ~ Traditional Proverb. Incoming media reports from Jordan indicate that the clash …

There are not a whole lot of people within the Israeli political system that I’m pleased with at the moment – and that is a polite understatement of major proportions. What evolved yesterday was the final stage of a process of wheeling and dealing that has been destructive for the …

Madness aside for the moment, I begin on a high note, with a hope that all who celebrated Pesach found joy and meaning within the celebration, and a wish that my Christian friends now celebrating Easter are also uplifted. We need all of the uplift we can get!! ~~~ The …

Dispassionate analysis of the political deadlock in Israel will reveal that this state of suspended political animation is the result of nothing more than what the Jewish sages designated as “baseless hatred” among Jews. …take for example the vaccinations. Today he [Netanyahu] holds a press conference and declares there are …

One of the major attributes of the woke sensibilities is the one-size-fits-all moral view of things. Historically, borders have been a major facet of Israeli life. On the level of international law, borders, still indeterminate, are passionately debated. More practically, borders have been important in terms of the effort to …

Here we are, at the end of Pesach, with the final day coming on Shabbat here in Israel, and also on Sunday, outside. This is a time for learning the lessons of our people, for rejoicing in all that we have become since the Almighty brought us out of Egypt. …

Whilst this is being written before final election results are known there are a few things we can say. And before we come to that, for all of the justified frustration with the current election process in Israel, all forms of democracy have shortcomings. Netanyahu began his second term as …

“Chik-Chok” is a commonly used Hebrew slang expression that roughly means speedily – one, two, three quick.  One might say, no frills.  And that, my friends, is what this posting will be, because Pesach approaches and there is much to be done. But…we did have an election on Tuesday and …

The International Criminal Court (the ICC) reminds me of a movie monster that, despite being killed, simply won’t stay dead. After repeated efforts to investigate Israel’s purported “war crimes” and “human rights abuses”, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda declared that she will not be rushed into investigating Israel. Yet here we …

Before I return to the convoluted saga of the Gulf States and what may be coming down the road, a bit of good news that is part of the story of shifting dynamics: Last month, Israel and Kosovo formally established diplomatic relations via video conference. At that time; at that …

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 …

The International Criminal Court (ICC) wants to illegally extend its judicial gavel into areas beyond its jurisdiction and probe into Israeli actions in the disputed territories. Although the State of Israel is not a member of what has mutated into a politicized judicial club, the ICC is set to begin …

Predicting the end of Benjamin Netanyahu’s tenure as Prime Minister of Israel is like predicting the coming of rain during a drought. You know it has to come sometime, but the question is when? Never the less, it feels as if the rain is nearer now, but still maybe a …

Chairman of the board of Im Tirzu responds to concerns over the right-wing watchdog’s actions This newspaper, among several others, has recently reported that there has been a somewhat distraught, some would say hysterical, reaction to a civic initiative by Zionist watchdog organization Im Tirtzu to protect the integrity of …

FACT: The Palestinians have for years tried to convince the International Criminal Court (ICC) to charge Israeli soldiers and politicians with war crimes. The approach to the ICC is part of the desperate effort by Palestinians to find some international body that will force Israel to capitulate to their demands. …

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, …