Trump’s Gaza Plan: Change of Narrative
Washington’s Middle East experts were gathered for dinner in the ballroom of the Ritz Carlton Georgetown, hosted by a prominent think tank. It was May 19, 2019, and they had come to hear Jared Kushner talk about the forthcoming Trump peace plan. Mr. Kushner described both an economic vision for the Middle East and a […]
Where are America and Israel Going in Syria?
The United States and Israel face fateful decisions on Syria. Israel appears to be moving towards some level of confrontation with the Damascus regime, which is seen as allied with Erdoğan’s Turkey and identified increasingly in Israel as a threat. The US position remains unclear. But if history is any guide (and the unfortunate analogy […]
President Trump Faces Two Major Issues in the Middle East <br><i>The future of Gaza is not one of them</i>
President Donald Trump has enhanced his reputation for unpredictability in foreign policy with his novel suggestion, at a joint press conference with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that the people currently living in the Gaza Strip be evacuated and that the United States assume control of that territory and rebuild it. The president is surely […]
Avigdor Lieberman: Vindication of the Outsider
One afternoon this winter, at a cafe in central Tel Aviv, I happened to overhear a discussion of politics at a nearby table of older men, convened in their own “parliament.” After cursing both the government’s politicians and the inept opposition, several spoke in praise of Avigdor Lieberman, the former political outsider who speaks Hebrew […]
Anti-Zionist Jews and the World to Come
Jews have co-existed, cooperated, competed and sometimes fought with other peoples and religions over thousands of years. The phenomenon of Jewish traitors, one result of these interactions, is well studied in Jewish tradition from antiquity to the present day. Some may find the phenomenon perplexing. For instance President Trump, during the recent presidential campaign, commented […]
Beware Trump’s Wrath Over a Failed Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza
This week’s release of three Israeli female hostages and 900 Palestinian prisoners and detainees, primarily women and children, is the first step in what is expected to be a long process of bringing home Israel’s hostages and ending the war with Hamas. The agreement provides for three phases, the first two of which involve more […]
After the Gaza Ceasefire, Watch the West Bank
Hamas has plans for the West Bank. Now that there is a ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas wants to use the war it launched against Israel to bring itself more power and influence in the West Bank. It seeks to gain popularity through the prisoner releases secured in exchange for Israeli hostages – between thirty and fifty Palestinian […]
Returning Home
“Restrain your voice from weeping,Your eyes from shedding tears;For there is a reward for your labor—declares GOD:They shall return from the enemy’s land. And there is hope for your future—declares GOD:Your children shall return to their borders.” Jeremiah 31:16-17 These verses came to mind for many Israelis and their friends around the world watching the release […]
Israel’s Dilemma in Lebanon
The 60-day ceasefire in Lebanon will end on January 26, six days after President Trump takes office. While Hizbullah suffered heavy losses during the two months of fighting from late September to late November, it has been slowly, stealthily rebuilding in the Shi’ite villages of southern Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanon’s government has new leadership with friends in […]
Update on the War in Gaza – <br>Israel Re-engages Northern Gaza After Eight–Month Absence
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF), after 15 months of war in Gaza, are fighting in areas of northern Gaza that didn’t see IDF soldiers for eight months, between March – October 2024. The November 27 ceasefire in Lebanon, if it continues to hold, will free up further forces to re-engage in Gaza. But Hamas also […]
