Tag Archives: Trump

“But why does he have to make provocations with these declarations of his?!” I was shocked to hear this sentence come out of the mouths of my Jewish American relatives. Yes, they were referring to Trump (who they hate) and to the Jerusalem Declaration. I love my relatives but they …

Trump is the creation of Obama. The divisions in American society he is accused of exacerbating are ones largely precipitated by his predecessor’s policies and prejudices.  Why does it seem to a growing number of people that an [Obama] administration professing…to understand Jewish anxieties about the consequences of antisemitism in the Middle …

It is Hol Hamoed Sukkot – the intermediate days of the week-long holiday. The skies are blue here in Israel, and inside the sukkah there is an extraordinary sense of peace. How lovely it would be to shut out the world during this time, but, almost inevitably, the world impinges …

President Trump has created a veritable diplomatic tsunami affecting the political fortunes of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Hamas and Jordan – with his decision to cease all future donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) – currently US$360million per annum and comprising about 30 percent of …

Two major developments this past week could see a large part of Judaea and Samaria (West Bank) being reunified with Jordan – as existed between 1950 and 1967 – or becoming a Jordanian enclave – under President Trumps’ yet-to-be- announced “ultimate deal” intended to resolve the100 years-old Arab-Jewish conflict. Those developments …

Yes, my friends, I am here. Working hard on another writing project, and laboring mightily to make sense of the news. Did you ever stand on the side of a highway, with the cars whizzing past? Hard to not feel a bit dazed. In recent days, I have been watching …

The conversation has changed. Almost counter-intuitively, barring an actual indictment or some unexpected event, Prime Minister Netanyahu is so dominant in terms of personality and policy that no other Israeli leader or politician is all that relevant on almost any matter. In some ways Netanyahu has never been stronger and …

It has been two weeks since I’ve posted – an inordinate amount of time for me. But I have been hard at work on my new, upgraded website, which I hope to unveil within days. Today is November 29, kaf tet b’november – an auspicious time to pick up on …

Trump: Giving Peace ‘A Shot’ The President of the United States could have worded his failure only just a little worse. He could have ‘taken a stab’ at peace negotiations before not moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her …

Notwithstanding the constant polarisation that especially his domestic words and deeds seem to generate, on some foreign policy matters President Trump seems to have very wide American support. A case in point is his recently announced Afghanistan policy. Candidate Trump campaigned against increasing America’s military role there and was very …

I was planning to focus on a matter of concessions our government is apparently planning to make. But that has been relegated now to a position below. For a terror attack that takes Jewish life must be the first focus of attention. On Friday, there was a multi-prong terrorist attack …

This week we will be celebrating the 69th anniversary of the re-establishment of the Jewish State – Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut – preceded by Yom Hazikaron where we remember those who fell in the defence of the State of Israel. This comes on the back of efforts formalised 120 years …

When I was a kid (a million years ago), I loved to ride the waves.  I would move out to meet an incoming wave and coast up on its front surface to its foaming crest, an exhilarating experience.  I would then drop down its back surface as the wave broke …

I wrote yesterday about the marvelous statement made by MK Ohana. I knew there was a stand-alone video of his statement but didn’t locate it until after I had posted. It is powerful, and makes important points. And so I want to share it here with readers: Please, note the …

That was pretty fast.  I indicated in my last posting of just a day ago that I likely would not post again before Pesach.  And yet here I am. But when I see the need to clarify something I had written, I like to take the opportunity to do so: …

Before I begin my news, I would like to make a request of my readers: The Legal Grounds Campaign, which I co-chair with Jeff Daube, is seeking to increase its membership. Numbers are very important in demonstrating the strength of our campaign.  This is especially so with regard to the …

It is difficult to know what is more disturbing-whether some ministers actually believe in the policy proposals they promote – or whether they don’t—but promote them anyway  What I see clearly…is incredible negligence and lack of systematic, long-term planning effort on behalf of Israel’s top political brass…we are facing a …

There is a fair measure of dark news that must be shared. But the flip side in many instances is bright: for I see growing strength in the responses to what is ugly and threatening. We must be grateful for this and do all we can to encourage yet more …

Purim is upon us – it will be celebrated after Shabbat, except for Jerusalem, a walled city, which celebrates Shushan Purim a day later. I do not expect to write again until some time after Shushan Purim. And so I want to now wish everyone a Purim Sameach! With a …

Two days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and American President Donald Trump met in Washington for the first time since the latter was inaugurated. The greeting was done in a far warmer manner than similar meeting between Netanyahu and Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama. The two discussed a number of …