AFTER MONTHS of a tough and bitter race, a merciless struggle, Barack Obama has defeated his formidable opponent, Hillary Clinton. He has wrought a miracle: for the first time in history a black person has become a credible candidate for the presidency of the most powerful country in the world. And what was the first … Read more
.I CANNOT say that I ever liked Ehud Olmert. But now I almost feel sorry for him. It is not pleasant to see how they pounce on him, like jackals and hyenas fighting over a carcass. And that also raises some questions. WAS OLMERT the only fallible human being in this paradise? Not at all. … Read more
THE GERMANS call it “die Flucht nach vorne” – escaping forwards. When the situation is desperate, attack! Instead of retreating, advance!When there is no way out, storm ahead! This method was successful in 1948. At the end of May, the Egyptian army was advancing on Tel Aviv. We – a very, very thin line … Read more
LATELY WE are flooded with friends. The Great of the Earth, past and present, come here to flatter us, to fawn on us, to grovel at our feet. “God, save me from my friends, my enemies I can deal with myself!” says an old prayer. They disgust me. LET’S TAKE for example the German Chancellor, … Read more
ONE DAY, I hope, a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission”, on the South African model, will be set up here. It should be composed of Israeli, Palestinian and international historians, whose job will be to establish what really happened in this country in 1948. In the 60 years that have passed since then, the events of … Read more
EVERY TIME I hear the voice of David Ben-Gurion uttering the words “Therefore we are gathered here…” I think of Issar Barsky, a charming youngster, the little brother of a girl-friend of mine. The last time we met was in front of the dining hall of Kibbutz Hulda, on Friday, May 14, 1948. In the … Read more
WAR WITH Syria? Peace with Syria?A big military operation against Hamas in the Gaza strip? A cease-fire with Hamas? Our media discuss these questions dispassionately, as if they were equivalent options. Like a person in a showroom making a choice between two cars. This one is good, and so is the other one. So which … Read more
TONIGHT THE JEWS all over the world will celebrate the Seder, the unique ceremony that unites Jews everywhere in the defining Jewish myth: the Exodus from Egypt. Every year I marvel again at the genius of this ceremony. It unites the whole family, and everyone – from the venerable grandfather to the smallest child – … Read more
NEXT MONTH, Israel will celebrate its 60th anniversary. The government is working feverishly to make this day into an occasion of joy and jubilation. While serious problems are crying out for funds, some 40 million dollars have been allocated to this aim. But the nation is in no mood for celebrations. It is gloomy. From … Read more
“Hey! Take your hands off me! Not you! You!!!” – the voice of a young woman in the darkened cinema, an old joke. “Hey! Take your hands off Tibet!” the international chorus is crying out, “But not from Chechnya! Not from the Basque homeland! And certainly not from Palestine!” And that is not a joke. … Read more