Free Republic

Through all the haggling and hair-pulling in the past months over more austerity, fewer creditors getting their money, and a dreaded “Grexit”—a scenario in which Greece would leave Europe’s currency union—at least four prominent economists in three major American publications have casually and quietly suggested there may be a third way: A German exit. That is, Germany should exit the euro, and clear the way for countries in the south of Europe—notably, Greece, Italy, Spain, and probably Portugal—to reconcile their debt with a greatly depreciated currency and maybe finally get a handle on their economies. The latest thinker to suggest...

“(The EU) is part of the cornerstone of institutions built after World War Two that has made the world safer and more prosperous. “We want to make sure that the United Kingdom continues to have that influence,” Mr Obama told the BBC, reinforcing the importance Washington places on the UK remaining in the EU. He has previously acknowledged the need to try and “fix what is broken” with the EU before breaking the relationship. Mr Obama said David Cameron was an outstanding partner and praised the Government for committing earlier this month to Nato's defence spending pledge of two per...

For 2,000 years, following the annihilation of Jerusalem by the Romans, the Jewish people lived in exile from its holy places, while keeping its religion, language, and customs alive in an unparalleled act of collective memory. No other people in history has experienced so much suffering, or devoted so much energy to remembering. And when, in the XX century, the greatest of all disasters wiped out the Jews of Europe, the world seemed to undergo a brief fit of remorse. The United Nations voted overwhelmingly to recognize the State of Israel as a homeland in which the Jews could at...

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the Knesset Wednesday in honor of visiting Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, and said that Israel is being accused by the world despite having committed no crime. "We are not without mistakes, but when we are painted as the source of evil in the world, that is a blatant lie that conjures up clear memories from the past,” Netanyahu said. “The attitude of the new anti-Semites is a direct continuation of the blood libels and the anti-Semitism throughout the ages. Jews were always falsely tried, throughout history. The Jewish state is on trial in a...

The strong bias that many European media hold against Israel has been documented for decades by a great variety of analysts. One of the first to do so was The Jerusalem Post editor David Bar-Illan. He gave many examples of media prejudice in his book, Eye on the Media, published in 1983 and based on his columns in the daily. […] During an interview some ten years after the publication of his book, Bar-Illan told me that the BBC was “by far the worst offender when it comes to Israel.” He said that there were hundreds of examples of BBC...

A brazen campaign to erase an ancient Jewish village from the map is being led by European-funded NGOs, a report has revealed, once more casting a spotlight on the leading role played by European state funding in the anti-Israel movement. The illegal Arab settlement of Khirbet Susiya, located next to the Jewish town of Susya in Judea, is currently the target of a demolition order by Israeli authorities, having been illegally constructed on the ruins of an ancient, Talmudic-era Jewish village of the same name. […] Now, it has been revealed that the campaign is being led by European-funded Israeli...

The United Nations approved U.N. accreditation Monday for the London-based Palestinian Return Center in a defeat for Israel which claims the organization is affiliated with Hamas and “openly promotes terrorism.” The center, which describes itself as an independent consultancy dedicated to find a solution for the Palestinian refugees in accordance with international law, has denied the Israeli allegations. It announced last Friday that it was starting legal action against Israel’s U.N. Mission for alleged defamation. […] Israel’s Deputy U.N. Ambassador David Roet said before the vote that the center “is not what it claims to be.” Roet said world media...

The UN Security Council on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the Iran nuclear deal and paving the way to lifting longstanding sanctions on the Islamic Republic. The 15-0 approval of the Iran nuclear deal clears one of the largest hurdles for the landmark pact, which will now go before the US Congress where it may face an uphill battle for confirmation. The UN vote came shortly after the European Union approved the nuclear deal, okaying the pact between the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany and Iran that lifts punishing economic sanctions on Tehran in exchange...

Criticism of Germany’s role in the recent negotiations over Greece’s future has been fierce. Spiegel speaks with Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble about the government in Athens, his own feelings about a Grexit and his relationship with Chancellor Merkel. […] Spiegel: Germany took on a leadership role in the negotiations with Greece—and adopted a “very patronizing tone,” as European Parliament President Martin Schulz lamented. Does it worry you that people across Europe are talking about a “new German dominance?” Schäuble: There is no German dominance. Germany is in a good position economically, that is undeniable. But in contrast to France and...

Germany believes Iran should rethink its stance on Israel as last week’s nuclear deal means it must “bear new responsibilities, at home and abroad”, Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Monday during his visit to the Islamic republic. […] “With the nuclear agreement and the economic recovery that will surely come after it, Iran will also bear new responsibilities, at home and abroad,” he told delegates at a conference in the capital. “You must understand that for us Germans, the security of the state of Israel is also of great importance. I understand how difficult the debate is, and we...

German private households collectively hold more wealth than ever before, according to a report released by the German Federal Bank on Monday. A strong labor market and comfortable incomes have helped German households’ financial assets to rise by €140 billion in the first quarter of the year, according to the report, climbing to €5.212 trillion—a record high. […] Germans still showed an “ongoing high level of risk aversion” and did not take advantage of low interest rates by taking out significant loans. […] But such wealth is not necessarily shared equally across the country. A study last year revealed that...

Business groups and the restaurants sector have strongly opposed any increase in the minimum wage of €8.65 ahead of reports that the Low Pay Commission is expected to recommend a rise of 50 cent per hour. The commission will present its report to Minister for Business and Employment Ged Nash over the next few days and is expected to recommend an increase of about 50 cent per hour. IBEC, which represents Irish businesses, said the proposal was “at odds with all the economic evidence” and would “heap pressure on companies still struggling to stay in business and erode crucial competitiveness...

Irish police arrested a man in Dublin earlier this week who they suspected of being an ISIS extremist and who had been under surveillance since he was deported from Turkey. Last Thursday the suspect attempted to fly from Dublin to Istanbul, but he was sent back to Ireland as authorities in the Turkish city felt that there were “irregularities” with the Eastern European passport he was using. On his return to Dublin, Irish police (Gardaí) made the decision not to arrest him but placed the man in his 30s under surveillance as he left Dublin airport. Earlier this week, however,...

Germany and Cuba have signed framework accords to formalize future ties. Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s visit to Havanna is the first by a German foreign minister since Germany’s reunification 25 years ago. Thursday’s signing by Steinmeier and his Cuban counterpart, Bruno Rodriguez, involved two documents intended to open regular consultations between their ministries and cultural exchanges. They also contained an acknowledgment of human rights, an issue raised by Amnesty International, which is critical of Cuban clamps of freedoms of expression. Steinmeier’s trip comes just days ahead of the intended reopening by Cuba and the US of their embassies. President Barack Obama announced...

A French anti-Semitism watchdog group reports that a Jewish family was attacked and robbed in their suburban home Wednesday. According to the National Bureau for Vigilance Against Anti-Semitism (BNVCA) report, three masked men, described as of African descent, broke into a home in Le Blanc-Mesnil, a few kilometers outside of Paris. They then held the parents and son captive while they searched the home. The criminals allegedly told the family that they chose to break into the apartment “because they are Jewish and Jews have money.” …

Awful. Let’s go to the videotape (starts around 1:50 mark): What an absolute slap in the face to the memories — and the families — of the four French Jews murdered in cold blood last month. Newsflash, Mr. President — these weren’t just “a bunch of folks” who were “randomly” shot “in a deli”; they were targeted by an Islamic extremist.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday criticized Israel’s opposition to the nuclear deal agreed upon by six world powers and Iran, Reuters reported. According to the report, Steinmeier said the agreement would help contribute to security in the Middle East. “This is a responsible deal and Israel should also take a closer look at it and not criticize the agreement in a very coarse way,” he was quoted as having told German broadcaster ARD. …

As numbers of refugees entering Germany reach record highs, police have warned that they are struggling to cope with the growing demands on their time and resources. Speaking in Berlin on Monday, Bundespolizei (federal police) chief Dieter Romann said officials have seized over 63,000 people who entered the country illegally so far this year—with around 3,000 cases recorded last weekend alone. The total for this year so far has already eclipsed last year’s sum of 57,000, which had previously been the highest level since German reunification in 1990. […] The most numerous are those from Syria, Eritrea and Afghanistan, although...

... Bokas also does installation and repair jobs — and half of those involve cash deals with no receipts for his labor. The result is that a job costing 250 euros ($275) goes for 125 euros because he doesn’t charge the client sales tax and Bokas doesn’t report the income for taxation. “I’ve got a receipt for everything I sell in my shop,” Bokas said. But tax officials “don’t know what my hands do.”

A new group has been established in Ireland to campaign on behalf of the undocumented Irish in America. The group, called The Families of the Undocumented Irish in America, will be chaired by Bundoran man Michael McMahon. Speaking after the launch, Mr. McMahon said: “For far too long, successive Irish governments have sat on their hands and failed to support their citizens living in America. The current American administration has exhausted all avenues to introduce comprehensive immigration reform at this stage, but I am hopeful that the issue will resurface during and after the coming Presidential election campaign. However, there...