Tag Archives: Israel

A Film That Appears To Be Worth Seeing

This looks good and has gotten a lot of recent attention and critical acclaim. It has also generated controversy. It opens in New York and Los Angeles May 24, 2013. Directed by Rasha Burshtein, an Orthodox Jewish woman who lives … Continue reading

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Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi Joins Prayer for Destruction of Jews and Their Allies

Um, those allies would include those of us in the United States. __________ And we give them money. (Or, more accurately, we borrow money from the Chinese and then pass it on to the Egyptians.) Especially galling is when the cleric … Continue reading

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Benjamin Netanyahu Wants to Bomb Iran

And President Obama clearly wants no part of it. This was at Time magazine last month: Inside Israel, reports persist that prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense chief Ehud Barak are determined to launch a strike, and American officials continue to … Continue reading

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Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

In light of the war that appears to be coming between Iran and Israel, this is an interesting–and urgent–subject for debate. Can Israel reasonably risk a nuclear Iran? Should it? And is there any way that Israeli and Iranian leaders … Continue reading

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A Kinder, Gentler Iran?

Nope. This is at the Iranian news agency website this morning (the FARS News Agency online): Addressing a defense gathering here in Tehran on Sunday, General Firouzabadi said that nations should realize the threats and dangers posed by the Zionist regime … Continue reading

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A Bit of Advice on Translation from Leon Wieseltier

Leon Wieseltier, annoyed by what he regards as a dreadful translation of the Haggadah, offers an important distinction for would-be translators to consider: All translation is interpretation, since it is a choice among meanings; but translation is not the same … Continue reading

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Biblical Archaeology: Believe the Biblical Writer or the Physical Evidence?

If, in a biblical story, the biblical writer appears to contradict the physical evidence as revealed by archaeology, then, in my humble opinion, one should tend to believe the physical evidence—the discoveries of the archaeologists—not the biblical writer. Why? Because physical … Continue reading

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Benjamin Netanyahu and the Politics of Bombing Iran

Andrew Sullivan explains: Netanyahu desperately needs US cover for an attack; and is furious he cannot simply push them around as he was once wont to do. Nonetheless, he has a united Republican front in Romney, Santorum and Gingrich, funded … Continue reading

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War in 2012: My (Pessimistic) Take on the Israeli-Iranian Standoff

An option for dealing with Iran—the one President Obama would certainly prefer if Israel was led by a liberal politician and the Republicans were not so bat-shit crazy—is containment: let the Iranians develop their nuclear bomb(s) and live, as best … Continue reading

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The Coming War with Iran: Will American Billionaire Sheldon Adelson Be to Blame?

It certainly appears that Sheldon Adelson would have more than a little bit of responsibility for America’s war with Iran, should it occur. Here’s an alarming bit of background on Sheldon Adelson in the Financial Times on Sunday: Then there is Sheldon Adelson, … Continue reading

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Khamenei Strategist Alireza Forghani: “In the name of Allah, Iran must attack Israel by 2014”

You can’t say we weren’t warned. This was in the Jerusalem Post yesterday: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s strategist provided the legal and religious justification for the annihilation of Israel and the Jewish people, in a document published on conservative Farsi website Alef. Reports … Continue reading

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Nuclear Religious War Watch: An Israel-Iran “Short War”?

Short war scenarios tend to be delusional, but Benjamin Netanyahu appears to think that he can initiate one against Iran. Seriously. The following was reported in the Washington Post yesterday: A “short-war” scenario assumes five days or so of limited Israeli … Continue reading

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Could Rick Santorum Really Win the Republican Nomination for President?

William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, and a contributing editor to the New Republic, thinks so: [A] group of movement conservatives has called an emergency meeting for next weekend in an attempt to find a “consensus” candidate. … Continue reading

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WWJFKD: What Would John F. Kennedy Do (About Iran)?

An Egyptian elementary school teacher and Islamic Brotherhood supporter, Ala al-Din, leaving Friday prayers in Cairo last week, told a reporter for Ynet, Eldad Beck, something I regard as quite chilling: [A]ll Egyptian Muslims are willing to embark on Jihad … Continue reading

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Arnaud De Borchgrave on a (Forthcoming) Nuclear Iran and Israel’s (Unpleasant) Options

Arnaud De Borchgrave is a realpolitik conservative who’s 85 years-old, but he’s still in the game. Of Iran he recently wrote the following for the Washington Times: What former CENTCOM commanders and Israeli intelligence chiefs have in common is intimate knowledge of Iran’s formidable … Continue reading

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The War on Christmas Comes to Israel?

This curious ad comes from the Israeli government. Its purpose is to discourage Israelis from marrying American Jews or moving to America (as either of these might lead to such horrors as Christmas-celebrating grandchildren). Andrew Sullivan sees the ad as … Continue reading

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Cassandra 2012

___ I’m feeling increasingly bleak about the human future going into 2012. I say this without the least pleasure because I have two small children (one is five, the other is eight). I don’t want anything I point to here … Continue reading

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Let Freedom Sing: Feminism Under Fire in Israel

The intellectual and cultural rot of religious fundamentalism continues its 21st century spread. This is in Haaretz today: Secular and religious cabinet members engaged in a heated discussion over the issue of women’s rights in Israel on Sunday, forcing Prime … Continue reading

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Iran vs. Israel in 2012: Cuban Missile Crisis 2.0?

The Jerusalem Post today quotes Wim Kortenoeven expressing concern over Israel’s ongoing existence should Iran acquire nuclear weapons. Kortenoeven, described by the Post as “a leading expert on the Middle East” and an official of Holland’s Party of Freedom, is … Continue reading

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On Iran Nukes, Bibi Netanyahu Will Decide the Fate of the 21st Century

Not knowing they were in the presence of live mikes, Haaretz reports that French President Sarkozy and US President Obama were recently recorded trash-talking Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu: Sarkzozy reportedly told Obama he belived Netanyahu to be a “liar” … Continue reading

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