Israel

The decision by the Hezbollah bloc in the Lebanese parliament to depart the coalition could spell either disaster or serendipity for Israel, as fears of a 2011 war that could devastate Tel Aviv are at the forefront of security fears. An upcoming Hariri government-backed tribunal is expected to indict top Hezbollah members in the death of former […]

The Israeli mentality of aggressive, yet sweet, is most certianly refined. Israeli humor, on the other hand, needs a lot of work. The Israeli version of Saturday Night Live, called Eretz Nehederet (Wonderful Country), recently released a clip that is actually humorous and fully encapsulates the Israeli mentality of having no peace partner, the declining […]

There is really only one fitting word to describe Israel in 2010 – “stam.” When Israelis have buyer’s remorse and know they shouldn’t have invested in that useless gadget, they say “stam.” When Israelis see a soccer player kick the ball out of bounds instead of toward the net, they say “stam.” When Israelis see […]

They say that anywhere you dig in Israel, you find history. It appears that rings true once more. A crumbling sea-side cliff outside the city of Ashkelon revealed an ancient Roman statute. The land area known today as Israel has  been home to some of the world’s greatest civilizations, including the ancient Jews, the Romans, […]

Travelers to our nation’s capital from Israel might feel a little more at home in the coming days, as Metro (the subway system) administrators are preparing to implement a new program that includes random bag checks when passengers enter a station. In Israel, security guards outside malls, office buildings, stores and restaurants search bags of […]

The U.S. Department of State regularly updates its country notes and send out the changes via email. Those country notes are worth perusing, as they provide a quick snapshot into countries’ cultures, economies, and political systems. The State Department just updated their Israel notes and they can be found here. The bulk of the notes […]

The Israeli clandestine service, the Mossad, has been criticized of late for some perceived setbacks. For example, the hit on a Hamas-affiliated terrorist in the Gulf was widely attributed to Israel because some of the assassins were videotaped and their passports were identified. In the Mossad’s past strikes, the clandestine agency left no traces, therefore […]

Both the Israelis and the Palestinians have an oft-evolving view of democracy and how their societies will, if at all, embody values that promote open discourse and equal rights. Israel is often characterized as the Middle East’sd only democracy, a title it rightfully claims because, for the most part, non-Jewish Israeli citizens enjoy equal rights. […]

President Barack Obama issued a presidential determination today to suspend a 1995 law that requires the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In a letter from Obama to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Obama says the 6 month extended suspension of the law “is necessary, in order to protect the national […]

Israel was just struck by one of the largest disasters in the country’s short history — a fire is sweeping through northern Israel and has already killed dozens. Out of this tragedy, several high points, low points and questions have emerged. The good: Israel’s neighbors  are here to help, even the ones that have issued […]

When former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon created the Kadima party, he sought to form a middle ground between the left-leaning Labor movement and the right wing Likud of which he had previously been a part. Sharon — who has been described as a murderer due to his role commanding Israeli troops during the early 1980s […]

The incessant mantra in the Middle East is often that Israel (often called the “Zionist entity” or an “apartheid state”) is an unwelcome gnat hovering around Arab states’ peaceful picnic. In a defiant move, Egypt singed a peace accord with Israel, which was followed approximately a decade and a half later by Jordan. Israel remains, though, unacknowledged and […]