War & Peace
Clothes Make the ManFriday, December 7, 2012 by Chaim Saiman | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The recent daf yomi Shabbat 63 appears to present just the technicalities of what can and cannot be transported on Shabbat. Yet it is simultaneously an exploration of war, peace, and the nature of manhood.
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.
Strategic Investment in Israel’s New WarWednesday, October 10, 2012 by Ronen Shoval | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Foreign governments, acting thoughtfully and strategically, fund dozens of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that form a flourishing anti-Israel movement within Israel itself.
Krav MagaThursday, October 4, 2012 by Joseph Isaac Lifshitz | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
The year was 1987 when the Intifada started. Just after few months after I had joined a Jerusalem judo club, our instructor told us he was going to make a change in our practice sessions: we would now divide our classes between judo and krav maga.
The Soul of the SabraThursday, September 6, 2012 by Allan Arkush | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
For those who have been taught—by Peter Beinart or some other recent chronicler of Israel’s history—that Zionism only began to go awry after 1967, Patrick Tyler’s new book might come as a shock. Israel’s aggressive territorial ambitions didn’t emerge after the Six-Day War, Tyler argues, but antedated that (to his mind) avoidable conflict by more than a decade.
How the Sinai Peacekeeping Force Staged a Military Coup in FijiMonday, August 27, 2012 by Diana Muir Appelbaum | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
It sounds like the plot of a Hollywood black comedy. A tiny, poor, but democratic country decides to help its young men get jobs by joining international peacekeeping forces in the Middle East.
The Muslim Brotherhood’s Patient JihadWednesday, July 25, 2012 by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Mohamed Morsi’s recent election as president of Egypt has proved a matter of concern. A candidate from the radical Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, many fear that Morsi’s victory will threaten Egyptian-Israeli peace.
The Cush ConnectionMonday, July 9, 2012 by Jonathan Neumann | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
One year ago today, South Sudan declared independence. An elated Israel officially recognized the new state the next day. In the year since, many optimistic hopes for the Middle East and North Africa have been dashed; but in the case of South Sudan, Israel’s optimism was justified.
War and Peace: the Jewish VersionMonday, July 2, 2012 by Michael Carasik | Jewish Ideas Daily » Daily Features
Imagine no religion—and, therefore, no war. It’s easy if you try, and a number of recent writers have done so: the "new atheists," who find religion irrational and believe that its skewed perspective permits, encourages, sometimes even demands war.
Editors' Picks
Historic Damascus Synagogue Looted and Destroyed Yoel Goldman, Times of Israel. It is an unsurprising tragedy: The Jobar Synagogue, 2,000 years old, has been burned to the ground. The rebels blame the government. The government blames rebels and Zionist agents.
Prisoners of War: a Rorschach Deborah Kamin, Foreign Policy. The TV show Homeland has captivated U.S. audiences with its cliffhangers about a returned POW as possible foreign agent. Its Israeli counterpart, Hatufim, has a very different appeal.
Iran the Peacemaker Mitch Ginsburg, Times of Israel. Netanyahu’s apology to the Turkish prime minister may have been a diplomatic coup by Barack Obama—or a sign of recognition by Israel and Turkey of their common interest against Iran.
Losing Washington's Attention George Friedman, Stratfor Global Intelligence. Focused on the domestic economy, the United States has lost interest in the Middle East. And, facing external threats beyond its control, Israel has followed suit.
Entebbe's Forgotten Dead Eetta Prince-Gibson, Tablet. Yoni Netanyahu is often thought to have been the only Israeli to die in the Entebbe raid. But three hostages were killed by stray Israeli fire—and Israel has refused to investigate their deaths.
Lessons From a Man of Peace Yossi Klein Halevi, Jerusalem Post. "Rav Menachem Froman taught me that, in order to make peace with the Muslim world, one needs not only to honor Islam but to love it."
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.
Masada’s Unscorched Earth Ehud Netzer, Biblical Archeology Review. Josephus records that Masada’s Jewish defenders set it ablaze before the Romans broke in. But the archeological evidence shows a more sophisticated, though futile, defense strategy.
Whatever Happened to the Hittites? Trevor Bryce, Archaeology Odyssey. The Hittite Empire once stretched from the Aegean in the west to the Euphrates in the east. But when invaders finally destroyed its capital, Hattusa, they found the city deserted.
A Piecemeal Peace Shlomo Avineri, Foreign Affairs. Post-election, an Israeli-Palestinian peace is no less remote. Perhaps we should look to places like Cyprus, Bosnia, and Kosovo for ideas that are less ambitious—and more feasible.