Israel

Israelis tend to love vacationing in Sinai, a small peninsula situated in Egypt that was once occupied by Israel before its return as part of a peace deal. Sinai is somewhat like the Israeli beach town of Eilat — they’re both on the Red Sea and boast some of the world’s best scuba diving. But, that’s about […]

As news headlines on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict center on civilian casualties and the Obama administration’s efforts to reboot negotiations, some tragic stories are lost in the shuffle, even though they highlight some interesting nuances on regional politics. Over the last two weeks, a saga has unfolded to save the lives of the first conjoined twins […]

The BBC is debating the merits of whether Israel is getting a free pass from the United States and the world regarding its nuclear program. You know my thoughts from yesterday’s post, but others seem to disagree. Read the discussion here and feel free to defend (or, if you must, refute) your Israel blogger’s position. […]

Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who is embroiled in a series of corruption scandals, could face arrest when he returns to Israel as authorities are cracking down on his associates and placing a gag order over domestic media to limit leaks about the investigation and pending arrests. At issue is a corruption and bribery investigation […]

As the United States and Russia sign a nuclear arms treaty and the world’s leaders are preparing to discuss nuclear weapons at length next week, Israel isn’t interested to chat about the sensitive subject of its nuclear arsenal. Complicating the issue reportedly are key Israel allies that could be attempting to gain legitimacy in the […]

Israel has a vibrant democracy, where political representation in the Knesset is directly proportional to the votes cast throughout the country. While there have been some criticisms of restrictions on who is permitted to vote (Palestinians are generally not), Israel still maintains stringent free speech guidelines. In fact, many criticisms of Israel stem from internal […]

The race for a Hillary Clinton’s old Senate seat is at the forefront of observations from the bulk of political observers. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand was appointed to the seat and faces a tough opponent from former Tennessee Rep. Harold Ford. Further, the winner of that battle then could face rough opposition from a Republican. But, virtual […]

Tensions between the United States and Israel have rapidly escalated lately, fueled in part by continued Israeli construction in controversial areas, including East Jerusalem. The Obama administration has repeatedly implored the Israeli government to expand a freeze on settlements to include Jerusalem, an issue at the forefront of meetings last week between Prime Minister Binyamin […]

There is only a handful of figures in the Israel-Palestinian conflict that have guided peace efforts and remain relevant today. Israeli President Shimon Peres helped shepherd in the Oslo accords, but remains on the outskirts of current policy efforts in his ceremonial role. The memory of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian Authority […]

The Obama-Netanyahu scuttle continues, but the White House issued a clear statement on Iran that falls in line with the top Israeli priority. At a press conference today President Barack Obama said he would like to see new, tough sanctions on Iran “this spring,” meaning the administration is on the verge of implementing new sanctions […]

Tonight marks the beginning of the Passover holiday, with Jews in Israel and around the world sitting around a table for the annual Seder when the story of Moses leading the Exodus from Egypt is all but reenacted. A central, and defining, element of the Passover Seder involves the youngest child asking four questions on […]

Passover, whether you’re in Israel or in the Diaspora, generally connects families around the Seder table. The little ones scurry into the far reaches of the house looking for that hidden clump of cracker known for eight days as matzah. Siblings, some of which may have not seen one another all year, come together and […]