Gaza
The New Rosh HashanahWednesday, April 17, 2013 by Elli Fischer | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The Jewish New Year is characterized by an uneasy combination of stock-taking and solemn celebration. Yom Ha’atzma’ut, as the birthday of the Jewish state, is beginning to acquire a similar character.
Israel’s GatekeepersThursday, April 11, 2013 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The Gatekeepers is not a history of Israel's security service, its operations and directors, but a political plea for the evacuation of the West Bank, the creation of a Palestinian state, and the suppression of Israeli’s religious settler movement.
Signs of the TimesThursday, February 7, 2013 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
A new report by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America is the latest in a long line to allege anti-Israel bias at the New York Times. But the newspaper isn't about to change.
Why Israel’s Gaze Has Turned InwardThursday, January 31, 2013 by Yiftach Ofek | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
“It takes two to tango,” goes the oft-quoted idiom. Without a reliable Palestinian partner, the Israeli public seems to have chosen to dance with itself.
Justice in a Gray WorldMonday, December 31, 2012 by Robert Nicholson | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The Law In These Parts, a new documentary that places the blame for Palestinian woes on Israel's military lawyers, exhibits scant awareness of history—and limited knowledge of law.
America and the Muslim Brotherhood: A RomanceThursday, December 20, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
One of the most consistent and depressing aspects of U.S.-Middle Eastern relations is the determination of our intellectuals and officials to defend Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood.
Chemical Warfare in the Middle East: A Brief HistoryThursday, December 13, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
At this time of Hanukkah’s memories of Syrian tyrants past, the Syrian tyrant present, Bashar al-Assad, has reportedly assembled chemical weapons for use against the rebellion.
A World Without EnemiesMonday, December 3, 2012 by Aryeh Tepper | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
In Isaac Babel’s 1931 short story "Argamak," a Jewish intellectual "thirsting for peace and happiness" joins a Red cavalry division made up of Jew-hating Cossacks. The division commander understands the Jew’s strange choice—and has contempt for it.
Israel’s Friends in GazaThursday, November 29, 2012 by Alex Joffe | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Hamas was quick to declare victory in the latest conflict with Israel. A closer look at the price it paid in terms of personnel and equipment shows that its bravado was false.
Crisis in the CurriculumMonday, October 22, 2012 by Yoel Finkelman | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
In 1953, in a bold move, Israel passed a State Education Law. Before then, Israeli education was run by political movements and parties which used their schools not just to teach the three R's but to indoctrinate as many unsuspecting youngsters as possible.
Editors' Picks
Hamas Rampant Costanza Spocci, Eleanora Vio, Atlantic. A new law forbidding coed schools marks the latest victory in the terrorist organization’s campaign to impose its writ on all of Gaza’s institutions.
Gaza's Modesty Police Phoebe Greenwood, Telegraph. "They beat me for at least five minutes. I was crying and screaming with agony. I found out from neighbors when I got home that it was because of my hair."
Reassessing Iron Dome Avi Kober, Begin-Sadat Center. Iron Dome has been praised for its role in protecting civilians during the recent war in Gaza, but it cannot shield those closest to the border—and it has proven ineffective as a deterrent.
Morsi: Hamas' Best Friend? Benedetta Berti, Fathom. Mohamed Morsi is more hostile to Israel, and closer to Hamas, than Mubarak. Still, the relationship between Egypt and Gaza is more complex than it seems.
All Quiet on the Gaza Front? Armin Rosen, Atlantic. Since Operation Pillar of Defense, Sderot has been free of rocket fire from Gaza for the first time since 2004. But it will take more than that for the town to return to normal.
When the Gatekeepers Won’t Shut Up Rick Richman, New York Sun. The Oscar-nominated Gatekeepers interviews all the living heads of Israeli intelligence. The last time that happened, the result was the Israeli pullout that left Gaza to Hamas.
License to Drill Frank Jacobs, Foreign Policy. This is one Hanukkah when Israel doesn't have to worry about running out of oil. But there are diplomatic minefields to cross before it can exploit its offshore reserves.
Building Bridges to Beijing David Horowitz, Times of Israel. China's sympathies seem to lie with the Iranians and Palestinians, but its economic and military ties with Israel are growing apace. Can Israel win China's heart?
What Crisis of Zionism? J. J. Goldberg, Forward. For American Jews under 35, the decline in attachment to Israel seems to be reversing itself—but not the decline in trust toward Israel’s government.
Not So Fast Alan Baker, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. Now that the dust has cleared after the Palestinians’ recent UN status upgrade, it is clear that they remain in no position, politically or morally, to declare statehood.