Today, President Obama held a different kind of town hall meeting where people could send him questions through www.whitehouse.gov. The questions were then voted on and the President answered some of them during an online meeting. I noted yesterday the…
Last night President Obama admitted that it wasn’t going to be easy to work with the new Israeli government. Today they showed why. Ha’aretz is reporting the Benjamin Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman have cut a “secret deal” to build 3,000…
Stephen Collinson from Agence France-Presse identifies the Israeli government as the greatest obstacle to peace between Israel and the Palestinians and President Obama doesn’t really disagree. From last night’s press conference: PRESIDENT OBAMA: Okay. Stephen Collinson, AFP. QUESTION: Mr. President,…
It hasn’t taken long for the Lieberman ascendancy to pay dividends. Right-wing Jewish activists descended on Umm al-Fahm, the largest Palestinian city inside Israel, today in to carry out a provocative march to “demand loyalty” from the Palestinian citizens of…
The New York Times covers Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat’s US barnstorming tour today. During a description of the mass house demolitions taking place in Palestinian neighborhoods Ethan Bronner quotes Yakir Segev, the person Barkat has put in charge of East…
Following Phil’s report on Nadia Matar’s call to assassinate Mahmoud Abbas at Safra Synagogue in Manhattan, J Street has taken up the issue. Today they are reporting on their blog that Rabbi Elie Abadie of Safra Synagogue has renounced Matar’s…
Ha’aretz is continuing to divulge soldier testimonies from Gaza. You can find the fullest report yet here. The messianic fervor that fueled the Israeli policy of collective punishment is laid bare.I’m not going to comment on it yet, just go…
“Shoot and cry” used to just be an Israeli cliche about the guilt soldiers felt after committing unspeakable acts while serving the Israeli occupation. Now it appears to have become official military doctrine. The New York Times has picked up…
Three days after carrying Stanley Fish’s argument against the academic boycott of Israel, the Times may have unwittingly offered the best argument for the cultural boycott. Ethan Bronner’s front page article “After Gaza, Israel Grapples With Crisis of Isolation” outlines…