Israel

  I do not doubt that many of you are wondering about the title of this posting, which may seem more than a bit enigmatic. Uti possidetis juris is a term that refers to a doctrine in customary international law.  And in a moment my reference to it will become …

Press Release New EU Project Invites Photographers to “Occupied Palestinian Territory” A new project by the European Union offers European photographers an all-expenses-paid trip to “occupied Palestinian territory” in order to “tour areas across the West Bank to capture different aspects of Palestinian life.” “Do you want to be part …

It is such an enormously tangled time. I want to begin by sharing something that is a source of enormous pride.  It bolsters us as we face that tangled state of affairs. Last week I wrote about a terror attack – the car ramming of IDF recruits not yet sworn …

Some observations: – There has been a consistent pattern to the “peace process” for 100 years from when the Palestine Arab Executive Committee met in 1921 and declared – “Either us or the Zionists.  There is no room for both” Some form of partition is proposed, the Jewish people go with …

The tenets of “defensive democracy” require Israel to act against those who would use its democracy to undermine the very foundations on which it is founded. Clause 7A of Basic Law: Knesset: 1. A candidates’ list shall not participate in elections to the Knesset, and a person shall not be …

It’s been a while since I’ve written one of my Good News Weekend posts, but I think it’s time to attempt a return to normal programming. My first item is about yet another treatment, if not actual cure, for Type 2 diabetes, that has been developed by an Israeli team: …

Please, be sure to read this to the end. I turn first today to President Trump’s State of the Union address, delivered on Tuesday night. I found it to be brilliantly executed. But what resonated most strongly for me were the values he espoused. I have been mourning big-time for …

Launching IED balloons on January 18, 2020 by the Sons of al-Zawari unit, in the eastern part of the  al-Maghazi refugee camp (central Gaza) Facebook page of Imad Ibn Palestine Janaury 18, 2018. Overview The launching of balloons is only one aspect of the pressure Hamas continues to exert on …

How quickly things can change. Last week, after President Trump unveiled his “Deal of the Century,” there was euphoria, both here in Israel and abroad, expressed by those committed to Israel’s legitimate rights to the Land. It was considered a “Wow!’ moment:  For the first time, an American president had …

As promised, this is my follow-up posting on the “Deal of the Century.” I think it likely that there will be a follow-up #2, at some point. The situation is highly complex and still in flux. In fact, the further the situation is exposed, the more complex it seems – …

I am a strong supporter of President Trump, as my readers know.  Starting with cancellation of the Iran agreement, he has taken bold and constructive stands on many issues. But the “Deal of the Century”—which he undoubtedly considers to be bold and constructive and which has major good points—also has …

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 …

Devastating drought and bush fires in Australia and extreme flooding in Israel. On the political level regarding satisfaction/action assessments by the electorate, much centres on image and perception. Just ask Prime Minister Scott Morrison for one. We are fast approaching the third act of the continuing Israeli election process in …

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 …

It’s cold outside. The rain beats on the windows and thunder rumbles in the distance. Night is approaching and the warm bed beckons with the promise of a cozy embrace. The closeness of comfort seems so utterly wrong, knowing that he is outside, alone, in the dark, setting off for …

Enno Raschke is a researcher and historian for Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Center in Jerusalem.  I am happy to say that we occasionally cross swords, but I respect the guy.  It is, after all, difficult for me not to respect a historian with Yad Vashem. On Facebook, I recently put …

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 …

Fact: Most Palestinians who adopt terror in the hope of either “ending the occupation” or destroying Israel do so because they freely choose murder over any other option.  Palestinian terrorists also use children, however, to do their dirty work. On March 15, 2004, Israeli security forces caught an eleven-year-old boy …

A very wet and cold week has passed by and has brought us huge amounts of rain.  So huge in fact that the Kinneret rose 23 cm in one day! When you consider the size of the lake the amount of water that has fallen is almost unbelievable. In the …