The estimable Lara Friedman of Americans for Peace Now has provided ten reasons for Israel to reassess its blockade of the Gaza Strip. One rationale for the blockade is Israel’s desire to weaken and undermine Hamas. The opposite has occurred, according to Friedman. Oops. This is a classic, tragic example of the law of unintended […]
Gaza Strip
Dialogue on the Gaza Flotilla
“I appreciate your call. My staff was going to get in touch with you. The task force is meeting tomorrow at 8:30. Can you make it?†“I’m afraid the Consulate will need to get someone else. I’m calling to tell you I can’t help anymore. I’m too upset…†“But the facts are on our side. […]
In Israel, a nation brainwashes itself on the Gaza flotilla
Writing about the Israeli reaction to the attack on the Gaza flotilla, Larry Derfner, a columnist for the Jerusalem Post, sent the following note to a small group yesterday. He was kind enough to let me quote it in full: For those of you in the U.S., you’re missing out on the experience of a […]
Dialogue on the Berkeley divestment resolution
Dan Fleshler #1: Are you crazy? Why say anything positive about the Berkeley Student Senate divestment resolution? It’ll do you more harm than good. Dan Fleshler #2: Sometimes one has to stand on one’s principles. Dan #1: What difference would it make? Nobody reads your blog anymore. Dan #2: There’s still a tiny following. Some […]
Groups tell Obama: “Persuade” Israel to lift the Gaza closure
Americans for Peace Now and J Street joined five other groups in a letter that urges Obama to “use America’s unique relationship with Israel to persuade it to lift the closure of its border crossing with Gaza now.” Bravo, folks! Excerpts: Israel’s closure policies, rather than weakening Hamas as Israel had hoped, have helped Hamas […]
Michael Oren hurts Israel by snubbing J Street
Michael Oren, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S, is the Jewish state’s highest ranking envoy to the American government and, by extension, to the American people. One of his principal responsibilities is to ensure that, when push comes to shove, Americans –including American Jews– will support U.S. efforts to protect Israel’s core security interests. That is […]
The myth that “Israel has no partner” for peace
The claim that “Israel has no partner for peace” is often trotted out by Israeli and American Jews. Sometimes it is backed up by the argument that the Palestinians are in political disarray, and that relatively moderate Palestinians don’t have the power to stop violent extremists from wrecking any agreement. That argument deserves to be […]
Is a breakthrough feasible? Alon Ben-Meir says yes
NYU Professor Alon Ben-Meir sees reasons for hope. It seems to me that ALL of the scenarios he envisions would need to occur in order for a breakthrough to occur. That is unlikely. But stranger, more unlikely things have occured on this planet, including the birth and development of a Jewish state. As I noted […]
Sabra, Shatilla and Gaza: A tale of two wars
On Sept 25th, 1982, at a Peace Now rally in Tel Aviv, more than 400,000 Israelis rose up and demanded an investigation of Israel’s responsibility for the Sabra and Shatilla massacres in Lebanon. Israeli troops had been responsible for guarding those two Palestinian refugee camps. But on Sept. 15th, they had allowed Christian Phalangists to […]
The Goldstone report and why I am a self-hating Jew
I am a self-hating Jew. Sometimes, that is. Sometimes I hate myself after losing my temper at my daughter or wife, or envying a friend’s success, or not comforting someone who needed comforting. Sometimes I hate myself for being too hard on myself. Today, I am a self-hating Jew because I realize I’ve never taken […]