By Jonathan Spyer

Since the agreement on the tahadiyeh (lull) was reached between Hamas and Israel on June 19, the border crossings between Israel and Gaza have already been closed six times in response to Palestinian rocket fire. Israeli officials acknowledge that none of these attacks was carried out by Hamas. Hamas, nevertheless, is keeping itself busy.

The organization’s military wing is putting in place preparations based on a comprehensive strategy for facing an expected eventual large IDF operation into Gaza. Hamas gunmen are training extensively to play their allotted roles within this strategy.

(more…)

By Barry Rubin

Each day we’re told that radical Islamists, terrorists, and assorted extremists are going to moderate, so why not negotiate with them, appease them, defuse their grievances, have dialog, and then everything will be okay.

But, those who are doubtful, argue, shouldn’t we have learned from history that militant ideologies are not prone to compromise and ruthless dictators don’t change their stripes. You cannot appease them, they don’t go away; displays of weakness make them more aggressive.

(more…)

By Andrew L. Jaffee

An Israeli Jew (Defense Minister Ehud Barak) shakes hands with a Shiite Arab (Iraqi President Jalal Talabani)… While I can understand why something like this is considered a “historic” moment, it is at the same time pathetic that it is considered a “historic” moment.

It is historic because an Arab/Muslim leader overcame years of convention and prejudice against Israel, and actually, formally recognized an Israeli leader. Perhaps the Coalition forces and contractors in Iraq have rubbed off on Talabani. Perhaps Talabani is starting to understand the democratic system he is operating in.

On the other hand, this moment is anti-climactic — two humans shaking hands. Israelis are almost always eager to be accepted on the international stage. Yet Arab leaders have treated Israelis as if they were dirty; as if when shaking hands, something Jewy would be left on Arab hands; as if there were no such thing as politeness or decorum.

(more…)

By Barry Rubin

Hamas celebrated its first anniversary of power in the Gaza Strip amidst massive misinterpretations regarding the situation there.

Ironically, Hamas’s victory and survival has less to do with Israel than the rotten strategy of Yasir Arafat. He ruled the Palestinian movement for 35 years by establishing a weak, anarchic, corrupt, and factionalized structure which he played like a violin. After Arafat’s death, Fatah paid the price by collapsing in the Gaza Strip, first electorally then militarily. Having proved a failure in government, Fatah then showed itself a failure as an opposition.

(more…)

By Andrew L. Jaffee

What else would one expect from Hamas, whose charter states that the, “… final goal of Hamas is that the flag of Allah will fly over every inch of Palestine,” and “There is no other solution to the Palestinian problem than Jihad (Holy war)…”? From today’s BBC:

Israel has declared that a rocket attack by Palestinian militants on the southern town of Sderot was a “grave violation” of a six-day-old truce. …

(more…)

By Jonathan Spyer

Israel’s announcement of a willingness for peace talks with Lebanon is one of the early fruits of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s recent visit to the region and her unexpected visit to Lebanon. French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s recent visit to Lebanon and upcoming visit to Israel is also crucial here.

In the wake of the recent Doha agreement, the US is keen to bolster the position of Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and the March 14 movement of which he is a part.

(more…)

By Phyllis Chesler

I am getting to dread the weekends because then I have even less of an excuse not to read all the newspapers. And that means I have to read the New York Islamic Times. Well, I don’t have to but in order to keep my–and your–disgust fresh this is what I must do.

(more…)

By Andrew L. Jaffee

A headline today from Ha’aretz would surprise a lot of people. It reads, “Poll: 77% of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country in the world.” Perhaps even more important, the poll found that Israeli Arabs and Jews want to make, “concerted efforts to coexist peacefully.” Here are some snippets:

A recent opinion poll conducted by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government found that 77 percent of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country in the world.

The survey of 1,721 Israelis, both Arab and Jewish, also showed that 73 percent of the Jews and 94 percent of the Arabs want Israel to “be a society in which Arab and Jewish citizens have mutual respect and equal opportunities.”

The Kennedy School said in a statement that the poll produced a number of results it termed surprising, pointing to a higher level of co-existence than might have been anticipated. …

(more…)

By Barry Rubin

Today, journalism students, in our course, "Absolutely Introductory Basic Rules of Journalism,” we will discuss the absolutely introductory basic rules of journalism.

I don’t think I’m an old fogey but in my hazy memories of the good old days I think there was a time when reporters were supposed to represent both sides of the story. I hear some gasps of amazement in the classroom. Yes, it is true. Nowadays we are more enlightened and the process goes something like this:

(more…)

A film directed by Laura Bialis

Review by: Fern Sidman

The film ‘Refusenik’ is a seminal retrospective documentary chronicling the thirty year history of the struggle to liberate Soviet Jews from the spiritual shackles of bondage that was endemic to their existence in the former USSR. Told through the eyes and brave voices of such celebrity dissidents as Anatoly (Natan) Scharansky, Vladimir Slepak, Yosef Begun, Yosef Mendelevitch, Ida Nudel, Sylva Zalmanson, Alexander Kholmiansky and Yuli Edelstein, director Laura Bialis takes us on a multi-faceted journey of the creation of a revolutionary global grass-roots movement for freedom from tyranny and oppression.

(more…)

By Andrew L. Jaffee

How long did we hear the “international community” and Palestinians piss and moan about Israel’s occupation of Gaza? Israel gave peace a chance in 2005 by pulling all its settlers and soldiers out of Gaza. What has the Jewish state gotten in return expect proof that the Palestinian leadership’s mantra is, “It’s never enough; we want ALL of Israel!” From the AP:

… Israel’s blockade was imposed in an effort to pressure Hamas to stop attacks from Iranian-backed militants, who have been bombarding southern Israel with rockets and mortars for seven years.

The rate of fire increased after Israel pulled its troops and settlers out of Gaza in 2005 and stepped up further last year after Hamas wrested power from forces loyal to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, whose government controls the West Bank. …

(more…)

By Andrew L. Jaffee

It is not news that the BBC is biased in its coverage of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. It is nonetheless instructive to analyze the subtle wording the Beeb uses in its editorializing — in news stories. Today, information about Palestinian casualties as a result of Israeli operations were reported as a self-evident fact, while attacks by Palestinians against Israeli civilians were specifically cited only as a claim made by the Jewish state’s army:

… Over the past seven days, more than 20 people have died in Gaza as a result of Israeli military action. In the same period, the Israeli army says that Palestinian militants have fired more than 90 rockets and mortars into Israel. …

Fair and balanced?

(more…)

By Barry Rubin

Golda Meir once said that a bad press was better than a good epitaph. In other words, pragmatic considerations must take precedence over public relations.

Sometimes it seems as if contemporary Israeli governments have forgotten that concept. Yet in general, especially where it counts, this principle continues to prevail in Israel.

(more…)

By Andrew L. Jaffee

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ popularity has increased over his rival Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. This is according to a poll “conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR),” and reported by the Jerusalem Post (see summary below). Is this good news? There is a popular misconception that Abbas (Fatah) is more “moderate” than Haniyeh (Hamas), and Abbas would be better for peace with Israel.

Abbas’ Ph.D. thesis and subsequent book was entitled, “The Other Side: the Secret Relationship Between Nazism and Zionism” (Holocaust denial). Abbas was one of the founding members of the PLO/Fatah, a group which terrorized Israelis for decades. He had great influence over the 1993 Oslo deal, which led to the “most sustained wave of Palestinian suicide bombings in Israeli history.” The Palestinian Authority never lived up to its Oslo commitments. Also note that:

(more…)

By Barry Rubin

Forget all the wimpy claptrap about Israel disappearing. Anyone who believes such nonsense has obviously never been to an Israeli soccer game.

One thing for sure: with Israelis so tough and determined over team loyalties, anyone who threatens our freedom and existence has pretty dim prospects.

(more…)