Posted in Alan Dowty, Diplomacy, Iran, Israel, Palestinians on May 20th, 2009 Comments Off on Barack and Bibi: starting the clock
From Alan Dowty The meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu has triggered a stampede of soothsayers. Every aspect of their encounter is scrutinized for clues to their personal chemistry and, by extension, the future course of U.S.-Israeli relations. But these relations are rooted in forces more fundamental than personalities, intriguing as these two […]
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Posted in Israel, Maps on May 19th, 2009 Comments Off on On every fridge in Israel
From MESH Admin From May 31 to June 4, Israel will conduct its largest country-wide civil defense drill ever, code-named “Turning Point 3.” At its height, on June 2, a siren will sound, and all Israelis will be expected to enter protected rooms and shelters for a few minutes. In advance of the drill, Israel’s […]
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Posted in Diplomacy, Israel, Robert O. Freedman on May 15th, 2009 Comments Off on Obama and Netanyahu: the agenda
From Robert O. Freedman As Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu prepares to meet U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday, there are a number of issues on the table for discussion, including questions about Netanyahu’s willingness to accept a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Israel’s building of settlements and settlement outposts on the West […]
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From Stephen Peter Rosen The prospect of being hanged, we are told, wonderfully concentrates the mind, but on what? The prospect of an Iranian nuclear weapon now concentrates our attention on the possibility of Israeli preventive military action or on American sanctions, both of which might prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. These are important […]
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From Alan Dowty Israeli public discourse over Iran’s nuclear weapons program is dominated by two analogies: the Holocaust and the 1981 Israeli attack on the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq. The prominence of the Holocaust—the most horrific genocide in human history—should be no surprise. Jewish history seen through the Zionist lens is a chronicle of […]
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Posted in Iran, Israel, Nuclear, Robert O. Freedman, Sanctions on Apr 21st, 2009 Comments Off on ‘Decision Time for Israel on Iran?’
From MESH Admin The latest contribution to Middle East Papers is by Robert O. Freedman, who blogs about Israeli affairs at MESH. As Iran’s nuclear drive continues unimpeded, and the Obama administration pursues a policy of “engagement,” Israel approaches a moment of decision. Freedman explains why diplomacy and sanctions are unlikely to succeed, and considers […]
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Posted in Israel, Robert O. Freedman on Mar 31st, 2009 Comments Off on The Lieberman factor
From Robert O. Freedman As Binyamin Netanyahu takes over as Israel’s new prime minister, the key to the future of his government may well be Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the predominantly Russian-immigrant-based Yisrael Beiteinu Party, who was selected by Netanyahu as his foreign minister.
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