Update: It didn’t undermine them, it destroyed them. What shows more chutzpah- making the prime minister of an ally wait for an hour and a half for your arrival or insulting an ally’s vice president by announcing a new policy welcomed by that ally, before subsequently undermining it? Vice President Joe Biden is nearing completion […]
With the announcement that Israeli and Palestinian officials intend to resume peace talks, stakeholders and analysts are chiming in with their interpretation of events. Because the Palestinian Authority agreed to drop peace talk preconditions that would entail a complete settlement freeze, the two sides will resume postponed talks through a negotiator. The resumption of talks […]
Capping a long list of U.S. dignitaries travelling to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Vice President Joe Biden is currently en route to the region for meetings with various officials. Biden’s visit follows a trip made last year by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and repeated efforts by Special Envoy George Mitchell to get Israeli […]
The virtually nonexistent peace process has been stalled and opposed by domestic factions in both Israel and Palestinian society, creating a cycle of apathy that has not been broken for a long time. Both Israeli and Palestinians have blamed each other for the delay in resuming talks, both citing the other sides intransigence in rejecting […]
One of the big stories in the wake of the earthquake in Haiti was the inability for supplies to reach patients and field hospitals. However, while international forces experienced efficiency challenges, Israeli medical workers used the most up-to-date technologies and exhibited unmatched success in treating the injured. The head of Israeli response teams authored an […]
The Christmas terror attack in the United States raised questions on aviation security whether security programs in other countries, including Israel, could serve as a template for revamping anti-terror procedures. The Israeli government and the Department of Homeland Security are taking coordination to the next level, signing a memorandum of understanding to share information on […]
Fallout from the assassination of a high-ranking Hamas official continues with Israelis barred entry into Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. While Israel only has full diplomatic relations with Egypt and Jordan in the Middle East and the Jewish state remains at war with Syria and Lebanon, Israelis were permitted into Dubai and Qatar if […]
The stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process and U.S. position toward Israel has reportedly frustrated Special Envoy and Obama administration negotiator George Mitchell, leading him to offer his resignation, which was rejected in turn. Peace talks have gone nearly nowhere and Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials alike have scattered blame for the failure. Mitchell reportedly objected to […]
President Barack Obama intends to honor a slew of influential individuals in the humanities. Although two names stick out as having had a profound influence on Israel and the Jewish world. For starters, the President will honor author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who has penned a number of influential books on the subject and […]
The assassination of a top Hamas official sparked an international outcry accusing Israel of committing the daring paramilitary activity. While there is still no official confirmation or substantial evidence that the Mossad committed the act, most observers either blame Israel or think there is no doubt to suspect any other country (Hamas has enough enemies […]
Israel is still contemplating restarting peace negotiations with Syria. The Obama administration just reversed a Bush administration position and sent an ambassador to Damascus. Syria continues to fuel turmoil in Lebanon and function as an ally for Iran. Syria also continues to support terror and permit conventional weapons proliferation and attempted -unsuccessfully thanks to an Israeli […]
With world opinion generally critical of Israeli actions and the large majority of the Arab world opposed to the Jewish state, Israel takes the friends it can get. However, Israel is still involved in a tiff with the self-titled pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby J Street. Some Israeli officials, such as ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren, […]
It’s that time of year when our readers should be rooting on the Hoyas in the Big East. But, Georgetown may pick up a few more fans in the Middle East as the university considers opening a satellite teaching hospital in the Palestinian territories. Georgetown already operates a campus in Qatar and recently opened up […]
Sometimes I feel like I could run the show better at the Israeli Foreign Ministry than its current occupants. Last month, the Israeli government managed to apologize to Turkey after Turkish media depicted Israelis in an anti-Semitic context. Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon refused to shake the hand of a Turkish ambassador, leading Israeli officials […]
Vice President Joe Biden is on his way to the region, making stops for meetings with Israeli and the Palestinian Authority officials. The administration has focused on shuttle diplomacy to resume peace talks and pressure Israel to halt settlement activity. Special Envoy George Mitchell has been at the epicenter of this strategy, but Secretary of […]