In an exclusive interview with the FPA Israel Blog last week, Colonel (Ret.) David Hacham – a top adviser on Palestinian and Arab affairs to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak – unequivocally stated that Israel’s next major military campaign in the Gaza Strip will result in a complete destruction of Hamas’ terror infrastructure and outlined […]
I’m not usually the biggest fan of NY Times Roger Cohen’s articles. It’s not that I question his intelligence or thoughtfulness. I just think that he rides his “hobby horse” of Israel’s intransigence a little too hard in light of its legitimate security challenges, and doesn’t seem to expend nearly the same energy taking the […]
In 2002, Saudi Arabia put forth its Arab Peace Initiative. The plan consisted of the following: Israel would withdraw to the Green Line and cede all lands conquered during the Six Day War in 1967. They would also allow any refugees displaced by the creation of the State to return should they so choose. In […]
Judge Richard Goldstone issued an unexpected apology, years after his biased and one-sided report indicted Israel for human rights violations after the attack on Gaza Strip two years ago. While expressing remorse for his condemnation of Israel after admittedly only knowing some of the facts, Goldstone’s apology is largely irrelevant, as the anti-Israel bias inherent […]
In the aftermath of the killing of five Israelis, including three children, in the West Bank settlement of Itamar, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered a tepid condemnation, saying: “…violence produces violence and what is needed is to speed up a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict.” Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu immediately criticized […]
The reinvigorated rocket strikes on Israel and the recent terror attack in Jerusalem should put the conflict in a fork in the road — either establishing a comprehensive peace settlement or a complete annihilation of terror-minded individuals. I have a hunch that the latter outcome will prevail, albeit in the most deadliest of fashions. The […]
Tel Aviv University, one of the strongest academic institutions in Israel, surpasses the top U.S. institutions in a key metric for universities — citations by other researchers. TAU Prof. Carlo Strenger writes in Haaretz: Tel Aviv University has been ranked number 11 worldwide in citations per faculty in 2010 – a truly staggering result. TAU […]
Former Israeli President Moshe Katsav, of Iranian descent, was convicted in December of rape and obstructing justice. He was sentenced today to seven years in jail. He has repeatedly denied any wrong doing, but was found guilty for rape, as well as molesting and sexually harassing several other women while serving as President. The Presidency […]
On Saturday, 50 rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip into Israel. This was the most concentrated attack from Gaza since the Israeli invasion in late 2008. What is more surprising than the attack is the fact that Hamas has taken credit. Hamas typically denies involvement, at least directly, into such acts. Credit was taken […]
This morning, Israel intercepted a ship, the “Victoria,” about 200 miles off of its Mediterranean coast. The ship was believed to have departed from Syria, to have stopped over in Turkey and to be headed to the Egyptian port city of Alexandria. The Victoria is German owned and operated by a French shipping company. The […]
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Israeli radio that the attack on Israeli settlers leaving five dead is “inhuman” and “immoral.” That condemnation is not nearly strong enough, as Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu criticized Abbas for not making his position clear. For example, Abbas could have spoken directly to the Palestinians through their media […]
Israel has viewed Turkey as an ally since before it declared statehood. Turkey, along with Ethiopia and Iran (the latter of course being a much different story) made up Ben-Gurion’s Periphery Doctrine. Recognizing that in the short-term, Israel would not be able to work with its Arab neighbors, he looked to reach out to Israel’s […]
The White House issued a stern call for the Palestinian Authority to condemn yesterday’s terrorist attack that left left five Israeli settlers dead, including two children and a baby. However, hours beforehand PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad expressed his outrage against the attack, although those words still leave a lot to be desired. The White […]
On Wednesday, at a memorial service for former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, current Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu decried the settlers “price tag” policy, a nebulous strategy which seeks to inflict violence and/or damage to neighboring Palestinians and their property. “I am certain Begin would have expressed grief and shock regarding this same small and […]
The United Nations accused Israel of kidnapping a Palestinian engineer while in Ukraine, with his wife contending that the abduction occurred to hinder work at an electrical plant in the Gaza Strip. According to Ynet: Abu Sisi’s Ukrainian wife, Veronika, 32, alleges the Israeli secret service Mossad carried out the abduction in order to sabotage […]