Middle Eastern nations are rapidly revolutionizing their fuel cycles to focus on nuclear power, according to a new INSS report. The author contends that countries in the region prefer to use nuclear facilities in order to curb their long-term domestic energy costs. By using nuclear power, these countries can export fossil fuels, a commodity whose […]
As the protests in Iran seem unlikely to fuel regime change, the prospects of the radical Shi’ite regime obtaining a nuclear weapon returns to the forefront of international debate. Notably, comments made yesterday by Vice President Joe Biden and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen signal the lack of an internal […]
Israel appears to have an unusual bedfellow- Saudi Arabia. The Saudi Arabian government agreed to permit the Israeli air-force to flyover the Islamic nation in order to attack Iran, according to reports. An official old the Sunday Times that if Israel quietly performed the operation, Saudi Arabia would not object to the flyover. Notably, former U.S. Ambassador to […]
Israel should attain full membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development by May 2010, according to reports following a meeting between Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz and OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. By the end of the year, Israel will undergo a series of hearings regarding economic development before OECD releases a report assessing […]
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolten intensified the call for an Israeli strike on Iran in an editorial today in the Washington Post. The post-election uprisings in Iran increased sentiment that regime change could result in a halt to the Iranian nuclear program. Bolten criticizes the new administration’s approach that would likely […]
As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, another Israeli citizen received notice from the IDF to report immediately to military service. This time, the citizen in question resides in the United States and is obtaining his medical degree at Colombia University. Even though the student request deferment of his military service and offered to serve in […]
Israel mandates 3 years military service for males (and 2 years for women) from all its citizens starting at the age of 18. After fulfilling their duty, citizens must spend approximately 1 month a year serving int he IDF reserves. However, many Israelis avoid military service through a variety of ways, most prominently by claiming […]
The Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip today, as the activists aboard the Gaza-bound boat accused the IDF of threatening to fire upon them. The small ferry boat left Cyprus declaring that its docking port as Egypt’s Port Said. The Israeli government denied claims that it threatened the boat, however […]
Support for the militant terror group Hamas dropped nearly 10-percent from last year, according to a new study conducted by the Jerusalem Media and Communications Centre. In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, approval of the group dropped from 27.7-percent to 18.8-percent. The organization explains the plummet in support for the group due to the […]
Even though U.S. policy unequivocally opposes all forms of settlement activity in the West Bank, Americans remain a staunch pillar of financial support for settlers, according to an op-ed in today’s Washington Post. The author cites multiple organizations in North America that function as non-profit organizations in support of settlements. Moreover, many Christian groups support […]
Put the kabobs, shishlik, shwarma, and gefilta fish down for at least one day a week. A new initiative is set to launch in Israel to encourage residents to dine vegetarian-freindly at least once a week. Because of the environmentally conscious attributes of vegetarianism, the new initiative urges restaurants to publish veggi-friendly specials on Mondays. Ilan Gur, […]
For three whole years, abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit remains in the hands of Hamas. Israelis have persistently protested outside the Prime Minister’s office to strive for Shalit’s release by exchanging hundreds of prisoners for the soldier. However, the government thus far has refused to release the prisoners, specifically those directly involved in terror attacks […]
The mass rallies and protests held by Iranians this week greatly affects the rest of the Middle East, in particular Israel and the Palestinians as they potentially prepare to resume peace negotiations. On a broad spectrum, the Iranian protests could inspire mass demonstrations across the Arab world, in particular within the Palestinian territories. The original […]
Israeli Minister of Finance Yuval Steinitz expects the Israeli economy to begin growing again by the end of 2010. He spoke following the signing of an agreement between the Finance Ministry, Treasury, and Histadrut. Notably, he said: “I cautiously estimate that we will reach an effective braking of the crisis toward the end of 2009, […]
An op-ed in today’s New York Times condemns Jewish settlements in the West Bank for comparing their existence to Kibbutzim, small socialist collectives in Israel founded to help settle the countryside. Many Kibbutzim obtained funding from the government and praise for helping to expand the Jewish presence in Israel, with an added emphasis on settling […]