There are times when information that reaches us is unsettling, disturbing. But then, there are other times when the information becomes so incredible, so ghastly wrong, that we find ourselves headed towards a state of apoplexy. That is where I am now, my friends: and for multiple reasons. It is …
Read More »Israel’s diplomatic & internal political challenges – Opinion piece: Nov. 2021
As we close out 2021 there are two key areas that continue to be at the centre of Israel’s diplomatic and internal political challenges, as well as a third emerging issue of quite a different colour. 1 – Iran There is no doubt that the vast majority of security and …
Read More »From Israel: Bitter Lessons and Difficult Choices!!
It had been my intention to begin this posting with a focus on Iran. And I will, indeed, get to it in short order. But another issue has made the press: It rankles, and it is elucidating. I want to deal with it first. ~~~ From different sources, we have …
Read More »From Israel: Pain and Fury – So Much That Should Not Be!!
It is with enormous sadness, but not surprise, that I share news of the death of Bar-el Shmueli, age 21, a Border Police officer who was shot in the head at point blank range, during the course of a riot at the Gaza border on Saturday night, August 21. Shmueli, who …
Read More »From Israel: “A VERY Bad Idea!!”
Prime Minister Bennett is leaving Israel for Washington DC tomorrow (Tuesday) for a snap 48 hour visit. He is scheduled to meet with Biden on Thursday. Credit: Mishpaha Magazine That meeting is the very bad idea that I am referring to here. (Not that there are not many others.) Rabbi …
Read More »From Israel: “As I Had Promised!!
I had written recently that no matter how much bad news there was to write about, I would make an effort to incorporate some good news: It does help to keep us sane. And with the state of the world being what it is, we can use all the help …
Read More »From Israel: “We Must Not, We Cannot Fail!!”
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 …
Read More »From Israel: “Definitely Not a Pretty Picture!!”
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 …
Read More »From Israel: “You Can Run, But You Can’t Hide!!“
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 …
Read More »From Israel: “How Do We Not Grieve??”
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 …
Read More »The Forgotten Jewish Refugees From Arab Lands.
Much has been written about the Palestinian refugees, but little attention has been paid to nearly one million Jewish refugees forced to flee their Arab homelands in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and beyond. Between 1948-1972, approximately 586,000 Jews from Arab countries were resettled in Israel, while 200,000 …
Read More »Israeli Navy Intercepts Hamas-bound Arms Shipment From Sinai.
Some individuals serve as terrorist entrepreneurs or enablers, working with multiple militant organizations of different backgrounds. Mohammed al-Zawari, an engineer who contributed to drone arsenals for both Hamas and Hizballah, was a notable example of a cross-group terrorist enabler until 2016, when Israel allegedly killed him in Tunisia. On Wednesday, …
Read More »Into the fray: The Iranian presence in Syria and the George Floyd factor.
Will a tragic incident on a Minneapolis curbside determine the fate of the political order in Tehran—and its military deployment across the ravaged realms of Syria? Recent media reports of a series of air attacks on Iranian-related targets in Syria—widely attributed to Israel—have once again raised the question of whether …
Read More »A civil uprising in Iran.
It looks like a civil revolution is taking place in Iran, where the people are rising up against the regime of the Mad Mullahs. The courage, the sheer bravery of the Iranian citizens is awe-inspiring. They face arrest, torture and death and yet are not giving up. It is clear …
Read More »From Israel: How Lovely It Is!!
How heartening to see a leader make a bold decision that improves the state of the world! My friends, I spent hours on Wednesday attempting to find the most effective words to convey my thoughts on President Trump’s decision to take out Soleimani. There are, I wanted to say, …
Read More »Good News Weekend-Israel
This week’s Good News Weekend post opens with the startling – and very good – news that the US killed the leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Group Corps – Al Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani last night. Make no mistake about it: Soleimani was an extremely bad, dangerous man. From the …
Read More »Into the fray: Iniquitous indictments for invented infractions.
Despite his remarkable success, Netanyahu has been ceaselessly assailed by his political adversaries. Indeed, it is perhaps his very success that has generated such raw rancor against him. I would have preferred to have devoted this week’s column to some other topic—such as the ascendance of blatant antisemitism around the …
Read More »From Israel: Standing Strong on the Tough Stuff!!
I begin with a report on the Likud primary that took place last Thursday: As expected, Binyamin Netanyahu defeated his challenger Gideon Sa’ar. And he did so in a landslide, with 72.5% of the vote. Out of 106 Likud polling stations across the country, Netanyahu won 99 and Sa’ar seven. …
Read More »Good News Weekend – Israel.
This post is not going to be a regular Good News post though it will contain what I consider several good news items. In any event the news keeps overtaking me before I can get around to writing a post. The one thing I am not going to write about …
Read More »“America First” and Israel – Opinion piece Oct ’19.
Just as it is wrong of those who criticise everything President Trump says and does just because it comes from him, likewise it is wrong for his supporters to blindly praise or try and explain away, a very poor decision and/or action. Trump made no secret of the fact from …
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