Israel

The Israeli government is set to revise text books used in the bulk of state-run schools for being overly critical, sparking questions as to the freedom and broader role of public educational institutions. Governments have notoriously — whether in Israel, the Arab world, or the United States — shaped the historical narrative to their advantage. […]

Palestinian Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad’s infrastructure development took another step forward today in the Gaza Strip to increase supplies of diesel to territory. The Gaza Electricity Distribution Company transferred $2 million to a Ramallah power company, which pays for 320,000 liters of diesel per day for the Strip. The fuel will help support Gaza’s electricity plant, which shut […]

President Barack Obama’s approval ratings continue to plummet and speculation swirls as to whether the 2012 GOP candidate has a near guaranteed ascent to the Oval Office. The economy is unlikely to substantially improve, the Democrats are expected to lose substantial seats in the upcoming congressional races and Obama may not be able convince voters to stick […]

Politicians generally like to hear themselves talks — and Israeli politicians are generally no different. Instead of cutting to the point (even the “Straight Talk Express” came in through a heavy fog), politicians often cloud what they mean with metaphors, references to local business leaders, allusions to past heroes and other tactics meant to beat […]

In an op-ed published this weekend in the New York Times, Middle East scholar Ephraim Karsh touts a recent poll that found that 71 percent of Arabs are disinterested in the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Karsh makes a great point– apathy towards the Palestinians has existed for decades and is only used by Arab leaders to strengthen […]

Israel is fighting wars on many fronts, waging diplomatic and political battles with its friends and enemies alike. This weekend, a series of Iran-made rockets landed in Israel’s foremost resort town, the Red Sea and the nearby Jordanian city of Aqaba. While no Israelis were injured, a Jordanian taxi driver was killed and several others […]

Middle East leaders held two meetings this week that exemplify recent foreign policy crises and personality clashes between Israel and its allies, along with internal disputes. Israel has been embroiled in, what is turning into, a years-long dispute with Turkey. Since the ascension of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the […]

Israel is a highly democratic country, where the minority non-Jewish population has significant rights and representation in the Knesset. But, the precise role and responsibility of these non-Jewish Arab members of the Knesset is hotly contested, with the issue taking center stage today. MK Hanin Zoabi was largely unheard of in the rest of the […]

Officers of the Israeli military, security agencies and clandestine infrastructure were known throughout the world as the most feared, smart and savvy agents the world has ever known. But recent incidents have severely called that perception into question. Most recently, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s security attache on his visit to Washington this week misplaced a […]

I’m all for protests and differences of opinion — but there’s a time and a place for everything. Within the last week, a group of Israeli and Palestinian left wing activists sprayed graffiti on the remnants of the Warsaw ghetto, calling for liberation of the Gaza Strip. This incident is disturbing for several reasons, and […]

The relationship between U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has been strained, at best. Reports highlight how Netanyahu has been snubbed by the White House and was left festering with advisers before holding a second round of talks with Obama. Even though the two statesmen get a long, we’ll have to […]

A clandestine meeting between top Israeli and Turkish officials highlights a major obstacle in Israel’s foreign policy — namely, the irrelevance of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Following reported pressure from U.S. President Barack Obama, Israeli Industry, Trade, and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer (a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu) met Turkish Foreign Minister […]