Free Republic

A Jewish man was stranded on a desert island for ten years. Then one day, quite accidentally a boat appeared out of nowhere to rescue the man. The man tells his rescuer, before he leaves the island that was his home for a decade, he wants to give his rescue a tour of the island to show him all the fine work he has done over the years. They two walk around the island and get to an opening with three wood buildings. The rescuer asks, "what are those?" The island Jew said, “well this is my home and that...

Iran is closely watching the unfolding crisis between Israel and the United States over Israeli settlements – and Jerusalem clashes with Palestinians that injured more than 100 today – for ways to rejuvenate its diminished influence in the Middle East. Iran has seen its reputation tarnished across much of the Middle East by weeks of violent street clashes after the June 2009 presidential election, which many Iranians believe was rigged. “The Iranians are going to see an opportunity to improve their position in the region, to capitalize on Israel’s reduced standing vis-à-vis the US, to reduce the chances of an...

What dismays me most about Barack Obama's Middle East initiative is that the only country in the area he seems to be pressing is Israel. He is not pressing Egypt and perhaps that's because there is nothing that Cairo can give. Maybe I'll be surprised by the presidential visit to Riyadh, but he is, thus far, also not pressing Saudi Arabia and its king to whom he offered at the G-20 meeting rather curious and extravagant homage. If you read A Safe Haven by Allis and Ronald Radosh (reviewed by me in the Wall Street Journal) you'll see how King...

Good morning to the Israeli left By Gideon Levy Good morning to the Israeli left. After an eternally long hibernation, we are starting to hear the sounds of its awakening. Only when the wind is once again blowing in its direction - and not because of anything it did - does the extra-parliamentary left dare to come out of the closet where it locked itself up more than four years ago. Perhaps one should welcome these signs of awakening, but it is impossible not to hold it accountable for its lengthy, disgraceful and cowardly silence that abandoned the street to...

To: President Bush Dear President Bush, We, the citizens of the United States of America, demand that the US Government fully recognize the legality of the Israeli communities situated in the West Bank and Gaza. The following declarations in support of the Jewish communities situated in the West Bank and must be made prior to the upcoming November elections. Settlements are Not Illegal! 1. The settlements are not located in "occupied territory." The last binding international legal instrument which divided the territory in the region of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza was the League of Nations Mandate, which explicitly...

Shell Hits Netzarim Homes, No Injuries An Arab-fired mortar shell hit the central Gaza community of Netzarim last night, resulting in damage to several homes but no injuries. One of the homes belongs to a nephew of Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal, whose city has been targeted in several PA rocket attacks over the past week. Gush Katif spokesman Eran Sternberg decried the lack of an IDF response to the attack, saying, "Prime Minister Sharon's deafening silence about the attack in Netzarim contradicts the laws of nature regarding the color of members of the same family." Yesha Council head Bentzy Lieberman...

U.S. will focus on settlements after war, Wolfowitz says By Aluf Benn In his first public comments regarding U.S. policy in the Middle East on the "day after" the anticipated war in Iraq, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said the administration will intensify its focus on the establishment of a Palestinian state. In an interview in the Washington Post on Friday, Wolfowitz said, "Our stake in pushing for a Palestinian state will grow" after the war, and he noted that he preferred "concrete steps, like dealing with the settlements" over the advancing of diplomatic issues as part of a...