Roger Cohen’s latest op-ed in the New York Times condemns the Obama administration and Israel for failing to achieve progress in the peace process. Even though President Barack Obama has attempted to establish a new paradigm for working with Israel and its neighbors, the administration has stumbled into the same old habits, according to Cohen. […]
Sec. of State Hillary Clinton released a statement today on the Middle East peace process after meeting with Quartet Envoy Tony Blair. Clinton reiterates the long-held U.S. position and outlines Blair’s goals, which lack shock value. The statement reads: “I spoke today with Quartet Representative Blair to discuss developments in the Middle East. This Administration has, […]
At the beginning of the year, FPA blogs each announced a “Person of the Year,” with abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit obtaining the title from the Israel Blog. Ha’artez took it one step further and held a “Person of the Decade” contest. For that “honor,” the Israel blog selected former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for […]
The Iran issue is coming to a head. On the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, the Iranian Supreme Leader announced his country would deliver a “punch” to the world that would stun world powers. It is a matter of time before knowing what exactly he is referring to, and this message comes hours following an […]
Hamas is outraged that one of its top leaders was assassinated in the heart of the Gulf, with the terror group blaming the Israeli Mossad, warning other leaders of potential assassination attempts, and vowing revenge. The Israeli government has not commented, as to be expected, but all the signs point to Israeli intelligence as the […]
As readers know because I write about this on a far too regular basis, the Palestinians are embarking on a state building initiative that would erect institutions in the territories for a future state. This effort has been dubbed as unilateral actions and the Palestinians taking control of their destiny (cue music from Star Wars). […]
A war has been brewing in Israel and battles have been fought- in the food fight that is. Recently, Lebanese chefs have tried to reclaim hummus by breaking the world record for creating the largest vat of the chickpea-mush. Israeli chefs countered and used an unused satellite dish to claim the title as their own. […]
The Jewish and pro-Israel agendas do not always correlate, but the lobbying organizations often promote similar measures and advocate identical approaches from the U.S. government. JTA surveyed the major lobbying organizations on their agendas for 2010, with the major common theme being advocacy to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The U.S. is currently […]
Israeli films have garnered significant attention in the past, particularly with the internationally acclaimed Waltz with Bashir that depicted Israel’s role in the Beirut during the early 80’s. As a follow up that movie, the film Lebanon provided a glimpse into a tank and the claustrophobia of Israeli soldiers during war. Prior to release of […]
The Obama administration responded twice on the Middle East peace process, a day after the State of the Union that omitted any reference to Israel, the Palestinians or the peace negotiations, an issue the administration has spent considerable effort and time on over the last year. A state department spokesperson was asked about the omission […]
Human Rights Watch has long criticized Israel for violations, including actions related to Operation Cast Lead and the imprisonment of certain Palestinians. And this criticism has led some to criticized the group for one-sidedness. However, the group just refuted an assertion from Hamas that the terror organization’s rocket targeted soldiers only and inadvertently struck civilians. […]
What was missing in President Barack Obama’s first State of the Union address? Any mention of Israel, the Palestinians or the peace process. Even though the administration expended significant energy and political capital on Middle East peace, the administration and Special Envoy George Mitchell have had minimal success. Shocked about the omission? Not entirely. but […]
Perhaps there is no greater event in history that perpetuated -and some claim grant legitimacy to- the creation of the State of Israel than the Holocaust. While Jews began trickling back into the Holy Land a the end of the 19th century, the slaughter of Jews in Europe propelled thousands of more Jews into the […]
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Amb. George Mitchell recently completed his latest round of shuttle diplomacy. As of right now, the trips seem to have accomplished virtually nothing, with Israeli and Palestinian officials still not negotiating. However, a recent State Department statement emphasizes that Palestinian institution building is prioritized by the administration. This […]
If you’re in D.C. in the next few weeks, there are a couple of Israel-related events you could find interesting. On Feb. 1, the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is sponsoring a human rights film festival at the Georgetown University Law Center. Of note is: “Jerusalem: War in My Land” by Arturo Perez, Jr., winner […]