Israel

It is imperative to restore the judiciary to its duly assigned place in a properly functioning democracy—to that of adjudicating, not legislating A recent Wall Street Journal opinion piece by Kimberley-Strassel was depressingly reminiscent of events currently taking place in Israel—at least in principle if not in detail.  The overall …

Anyone who reads my material regularly knows that I see God’s hand in the inception of the modern State of Israel and in her astounding development. It defies rational explanation. I mention this now because ‒ in spite of all our manifold blessings, and fantastic achievements, and the possibility of …

The response to this post has been far more immediate than usual ~ something I am profoundly grateful for. So what do they say? Hat tips to: Avi Eshel who wrote: They signed but did not ratify. They can lodge without being a state party under Art 12(3). Article 12 …

We stand just weeks after celebrating that the Balfour Declaration of 1917 moved from a statement of British intent, to the legal process of affirmation of the Jewish Homeland at the San Remo Conference in April 1920 – and its then formal ratification by the League of Nations. This is …

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. It seems very likely that the International Criminal Court (ICC) will decide to try Israel for alleged war crimes. They have already recognised the ‘State’ of Palestine, a victory for Palestinian weaponising of the ICC, even if the case never goes to trial. Although I appreciate the reasons …

With all of the political angst and tension that we are struggling with these days, it’s easy to lose track of what is not only good but very special. Friday is Yom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Day).  Coronavirus restrictions, although greatly modified now, are still in effect with respect to crowds. And …

Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem Day, the anniversary of Israel’s miraculous victory over combined Arab forces in 1967, began last night (Thursday). Usually the chag is marked with festive prayer services in synagogues around the country. This year, because of the restrictions of the coronavirus, the festivities have either been online or …

Preamble: The somewhat misleading headline This week (May 17-23) provided a particularly rich array of fresh newsworthy topics on which to focus: The opening of PM Netanyahu’s unashamedly choreographed  trial, the disruptive cyber-attack on the southern Iranian port, Shahid Rajaee, widely attributed to Israel; the formation of the outsized and …

It’s official. Israel’s 35th government was sworn in on Sunday after a full 500 days of angst that included three elections and the problems of an interim government. The Knesset approved the new government by a vote of 73 to 46. People are celebrating the fact that a fourth election …

In the past, Daniel Pipes has been scrupulously strict in being “policy agnostic”, avoiding any action-oriented prescriptions to achieve his prescribed “Israeli Victory”; yet in his NYT piece, he robustly negates specific measures—such as annexation—to achieve precisely that goal. ———- A week ago, as per the Cabinet’s proposal, the Knesset …

In the pre-dawn hours on Tuesday, a unit from the elite Golani Brigade had gone into the village of Ya’abad in the northwestern Shomron, to secure the arrest of members of a terror cell. The mission had been accomplished and the unit was preparing to leave. Staff Sergeant Amit Ben …

The ‘crop commandos.’ many of them just out of the IDF, are working to help farmers get the harvest in, and are beginning to love it. Working the Land. It was the animating ethos that shaped Zionism. It was the romantic vision that entranced and attracted generations of urban and …

It appears that we are a “go” for the unity government.  For now: I have yet to speak with anyone who believes that the new government will last anything near its full term. —– Last Thursday, the High Court – in a unanimous vote by the expanded panel of 11 …

Well, if nothing changes between now and Wednesday, we will finally see an actual Israeli government being sworn in. The main potential crinkle it would appear, is an internal Likud bun fight over the reduced number of cabinet portfolios left to divide, after the achievements of Benny Gantz. Gantz took …

There is a growing sense that the aura of infallibility accorded the Supreme Court, that forms the basis of its almost limitless power, so assiduously (some might say insidiously) cultivated by Chief Justice Aharon Barak, is beginning to dim.  In Israel, the negative impact of the judicialization of politics on …

The “mess” I am referring to is the electoral situation, and, quite frankly, I do not see the possibility of unscrambling it and making reasonable sense of the situation. This comes as an interim report, setting out the relevant parameters; final resolution is expected by the end of this week. …

Left wing organizations have long viewed judicial activism as their best antidote to electoral failure, but that is about to change. It seems like an axiom of political quantum mechanics that the Left is extremely well financially endowed, while the Right operates on air. Armed with financing from European governments …

The recent diatribe by Haaretz’s Rogel Alpher against Israel Prize laureate, Miriam Peretz, must have crippling commercial repercussion; not only cancellation of reader subscriptions but dramatic reduction in advertisers/advertising revenues   For Miriam Peretz, there is one goal in life: Sanctification of death—Rogel Alpher, Haaretz, April 28, 2020, (from the Hebrew). …

How strange this time is for us here in Israel. Along with a good deal of the world, we’ve coped with the restrictions required because of coronavirus: the social distancing and isolation, the avoidance of public gatherings. And we have coped quite well. Ah, but now it is quite a …

Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers and victims of terror, began last night at sundown with the sound of the siren, as Israel commemorated its fallen with a one minute siren at 8 pm and a surreal ceremony at the Kotel, where – due to the constraints of …