..THE ANNAPOLIS conference is a joke. Though not in the least funny. Like quite a lot of political initiatives, this one too, according to all the indications, started more or less by accident. George Bush was due to make a speech. He was looking for a theme that would give it some substance. Something that … Read more
.A week to Annapolis -And no sign ofThe solemn documentTo be presented there.What is missing?One simple sentence:”I. Ehud Olmert,Commit myself toEnding the occupation,In practice – and not in words,In all the territories – andNot in some of them,Now – and notWhen the Messiah comes.That’s the whole story in a nutshell. Ad in Haaretz, November 16, … Read more
ISRAEL IS an island in the global sea. We live in a bubble. This week I was sharply reminded of this. I was returning home from Germany. On the eve of the flight, all TV networks, from CNN and BBC to the German channels, were reporting on the events in Pakistan. In the airplane, … Read more
photo gallery The task was clear: to save the fruit before it is too late. The olive harvest season is nearing its end, but in several places the fruit is still on the trees. That is especially true in the “seam area” between the Green Line border and the “separation fence”: the owners of the … Read more
This week, Army Intelligence announced that the chances of the Annapolis Conference are “next to nil”.Such a statement is proper for a political party, not for a military body.For 40 years now, the Israeli army fulfils an eminently political function in the Palestinian territories.No wonder that it is now the strongest political force in Israel. … Read more
An amazing video + Don’t say you didn’t know + more links in the end “I am not going to that rally, not at any price. To be among Barak’s audience? Barak? Just this week, Shulamit Aloni said he should be tried for war crimes. And you call that a peace rally?” “But we … Read more
REJOICE, REJOICE: the Foreign Minister has decided to set up a special team for dealing with the “core issues” of peace with the Palestinians. Yes, indeed. In preparation for the Annapolis meeting, the Prime Minister has put the Foreign Minister in charge of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. You might well ask: Isn’t it … Read more
By forbidding the cutting off of electricity, Attorney General Mazuz prevented Israel from arousing the anger of the entire world. But the collective punishment he didn’t stop, the ever tightening siege of the Gaza Strip. The State of Israel prevents the entry of vital goods – from fuel to baby food and everything in … Read more
.More than anything, Rabin was the typical representative of my generation, the “generation of 1948” – and not by accident was this generation defined by a war. THE PRESIDENT of the Knesset invited me to take part in the special Knesset session to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin. I debated … Read more
– To show tolerance towards those who hated him?- To curse Yigal Amir by day and by night?- To continue on Rabin’s road: negotiate for peace with those whom the Palestinians have elected as their representatives? Find the right answer and you make a big contribution to the future of Israel. Ad published in Haaretz, … Read more