Jerusalem Post - Columnists

Ending the Chief Rabbinate electoral machinations

By ISI LEIBLER06/18/2013 23:25

Candidly Speaking: It is highly overdue for the state to intervene and ensure that anti-Zionist rabbis are no longer sponsored by the state.

In my own write: Joking aside

By JUDY MONTAGU06/18/2013 23:08

Shai Piron's outbreak of uncontrollable laughter during midnight speech in plenum showed a very human, identifiable side of a public figure.

Today’s ‘Altneuland’: Jerusalem’s ‘beauty and wisdom’ season

By GIL TROY06/18/2013 22:43

Center Field: According to Herzl’s utopian novel, "we are duty-bound to increase beauty and wisdom upon the earth until our last breath.”

Terra Incongnita: Rewarding IDF service is not discrimination

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN06/18/2013 22:34

The only discrimination of a bill allowing for preferential treatment for army, national service results between Jews who don’t serve, those who do.

National service for all

By DAVID NEWMAN06/17/2013 22:23

The "army of the people" has long since ceased to exist, with little over 60% of the eligible population undertaking national service.

Iran's new fanatic-in-chief

By MICHAEL FREUND06/17/2013 22:13

The assertion that Rohani is a moderate is absolute hogwash, marinated in self-delusion and garnished with sheer ignorance.

No Holds Barred: Peter Beinart’s attack on myself and Cory Booker

By SHMULEY BOTEACH06/17/2013 15:29

The solution for the conflict is for my Palestinian brothers, who currently live in Gaza under the tyranny of Hamas to enjoy a benevolent, democratic government like the 1.5 million Arab citizens of Israel.

Think About It: Foreign Ministry blues

By SUSAN HATTIS ROLEF06/16/2013 21:36

Over three months ago the employees of the Foreign Ministry declared a labor dispute.

The Region: Islamism: Back to the sources

By BARRY RUBIN06/16/2013 21:32

It’s easy to see why Qaradawi is the leading Sunni Islamist thinker in the world today.

Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief-to-be Steve Linde

Editor's Notes: Message from Memphis

By STEVE LINDE06/13/2013 21:29

Israel Festival in Tennessee attracts 13,000 people – and widespread support for the Jewish state.

Column One: Oil brings us to a better place

By CAROLINE B. GLICK06/13/2013 21:22

Unlike the situation with Better Place, economic laws of supply and demand work in favor of Israel’s energy solution.

Understanding politics in Israel: The limousine theory

By MARTIN SHERMAN06/13/2013 21:15

Into the Fray: How is it that, time after time, the electorate ends up with a gov't adopting precisely the policy it urged voters to reject?

My Word: Seeing is not believing

By LIAT COLLINS06/13/2013 21:07

Israel Museum exhibition, ArTricks is more bemusing than amusing; journalists, and their children, enjoyed mirror images.

iENGAGE: The sacred cow of religious Zionism

By DONNIEL HARTMAN06/13/2013 20:27

The future of religious Zionism, Israeli society will be shaped by whether the Red Heifer is viewed as a Sacred Cow or an exception.

Unlikely hero Levi Eshkol at his desk in proper daytime attire.

Another Tack: Plucky in pajamas

By SARAH HONIG06/13/2013 20:08

In his humble night clothes Eshkol evinced more audacity than most of the wishy-washy variety that followed him in office.

Savir's Corner: Peres’s tomorrow

By URI SAVIR06/13/2013 19:58

Peres is ageless; that goes not just for him, but also for his view of what young people can achieve.

Parshat Hukat: Hitting and speaking

By SHMUEL RABINOWITZ06/13/2013 19:52

Proverbs 22:6: "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Israel inspired: Our next national mission

By JEREMY GIMPEL06/13/2013 14:36

It’s time to look beyond our borders and take upon ourselves a new global responsibility.

Think Again: Mistakes foretold – sadly

By JONATHAN ROSENBLUM06/13/2013 14:30

Over the past decade, there have been dramatic changes in Israeli haredi society.

In Plain Language: The Long and Winding Road

By STEWART WEISS06/13/2013 14:14

The consensus in the Talmud is that one who lives to be less than 60 is considered to have been taken before his time.

A UN soldier from Austria carries his belongings across the Quneitra border

And guard thyselves

By ISRAEL KASNETT06/13/2013 12:13

The Jewish state must never place its security in the hands of others

Perspectives: DSM-5 and fallacy of biblical analogy

By BENJAMIN W. CORN06/12/2013 22:33

No matter what we choose as our bible, our “clinical canon” – including DSM-5 and CSM-7 – will never match that divine text for us.

Media Comment: The self-perception of ‘Haaretz’

By YISRAEL MEDAD AND ELI POLLAK06/12/2013 22:06

Its professional shortcomings, such as its publisher’s narrow focus and the clique-like character of the editorial staff, have turned Haaretz into an organ injurious to free, open and pluralistic thinking.

Washington Watch: What does aid to Egypt get us?

By DOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD06/12/2013 21:59

Peace with Israel is the locomotive that pulls aid to Egypt through the Congress, but there are other cars on the train.

Encountering Peace: Moving from despair to hope

By GERSHON BASKIN06/12/2013 21:49

On the battlefield for peace those on the front line confront a combined force made up of cynicism, hate, fear, anger, and a lot of despair.

Center Field: Samantha Power’s ‘tough love’

By GIL TROY06/11/2013 23:14

John Kerry's address to AJC shows Obama's transition from failed, first-term “Get Tough” on Israel campaign to new “Tough Love” approach.

Candidly Speaking: Israel and America’s global retreat

By ISI LEIBLER06/11/2013 23:05

The US global decline is deeply disconcerting for Israel; It is paralleled by the increasing power of China.

View from the Hills: The dancing queen of Judea

By JOSH HASTEN06/11/2013 22:43

Elazar resident, Yehudit Hirsch reaches out through dance to girls from a variety of backgrounds that might have been denied opportunities.

For Zion's Sake: The secretary’s new clothes

By DANIEL TAUBER06/11/2013 22:23

Kerry should concentrate his energy, US attention where they might do some good instead of compounding peace efforts with another US failure.

On my mind: Fortifying Greece’s democracy

By KENNETH BANDLER06/10/2013 22:50

A new law that penalizes anti-Semitism and racism, and Holocaust denial, would be a huge boost for Greece’s Jewish community of 5,000, down from 80,000 before the Nazi extermination.

Terra Incognita: Why Hezbollah gets away with it

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN06/10/2013 22:00

Hezbollah inspires terror among not only among the Lebanese who live next to its “state within a state,” but also among the Israelis and Syrians who are victims of its pan-Shia ambitions.

Original Thinking: Good Hezbollah, bad Hezbollah

By BARRY SHAW06/10/2013 21:42

The West has to wake up and smell the Middle Eastern coffee. Not the mild, fruity taste of a Starbucks mix. It has a far more pungent aroma.

Shame on Germany for boycotting Jews

By MICHAEL FREUND06/10/2013 21:36

Fundamentally Freund: Germany decided to back an initiative which singles out Jewish-owned businesses and targets them for detrimental treatment.

The Region: Kerry’s embarrassing ‘peace process’ obsession

By BARRY RUBIN06/09/2013 21:28

US Secretary of State John Kerry seems to have a bit of a problem in this regard.

Think About It: The Six Day War – 46 years later

By SUSAN HATTIS ROLEF06/09/2013 21:24

For those of us who were adults during the Six Day War it comes as somewhat of a shock to realize that around 75 percent of the current population of Israel was not yet born when it took place.

My prediction: Please help prove it wrong

By MARTIN SHERMAN06/06/2013 22:19

Into the Fray: A determined domestic thrust is under way to compress Israel back into its precarious pre-1967 frontiers, imperiling the viability of Jewish sovereignty.

My Word: Facebooking the revolution

By LIAT COLLINS06/06/2013 22:07

In the current technological era the world has a tendency to "share" problems via the social media rather than solve them.

Price tag attack on the Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem, May 31, 2013.

iEngage: The ‘price’ we pay for ignorance

By MARCIE LENK06/06/2013 21:36

The complacency of Israeli Jews to "price-tag" attacks on churches, mosques may derive from appalling lack of education about other religions.

Column One: Wounded...and dangerous

By CAROLINE B. GLICK06/06/2013 21:30

"Israel cannot be lured into complacency by Kerry’s buffoonery or Obama’s apparent political weakness."

Another Tack: A very Israeli story

By SARAH HONIG06/06/2013 21:21

The only antidote to the big lie is remembrance; each of us who remembers 1967 is a bridge today, just as Fania Bergstein was in her day.

Parshat Korach: Better not to get involved

By SHMUEL RABINOWITZ06/06/2013 20:51

This week, we read of an “escalation” in the complicated relationship between the nation and its leader, Moshe.

Religious tolerance and mutual respect

By ISI LEIBLER06/05/2013 22:38

Candidly Speaking: The pivotal breakthrough which now seems likely to oblige haredim to share the burden in terms of conscription.

The real IRS scandal, and a way to fix it

By DOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD06/05/2013 22:21

Washington Watch: There is much more at stake than the vetting of applications for special treatment as “social welfare organizations.”

Encountering Peace: Our window of opportunity

By GERSHON BASKIN06/05/2013 22:15

There is a short window of opportunity to make peace with the Palestinians and most of the Arab world.

Terra Incognita: The refugee run-around

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN06/05/2013 22:12

The Israeli government announced it had found a third country that was willing to take in some of the Eritrean migrants that are currently living in Israel in legal limbo.

Media Comment: ‘Educating’ the public

By YISRAEL MEDAD AND ELI POLLAK06/05/2013 21:31

If there is any justification for the existence of a public broadcaster, it is the need to provide the public with high-quality information, culture and entertainment.

In My Own Write: Family matters

By JUDY MONTAGU06/04/2013 21:38

Family closeness is a decision and an investment of time and effort.

Our Syrian menu: Bad, worse, worst

By MICHAEL WIDLANSKI06/03/2013 22:45

"Picking sides in Syria’s civil war is a bit like choosing between Hitler and Stalin."

Int'l terrorists must be prosecuted, not placated

By IRWIN COTLER06/03/2013 22:40

Argentina should demand that the Iranian gov't extradite suspects who have been formally charged in Argentina.

Borderline Views: Int'l football comes to Israel

By DAVID NEWMAN06/03/2013 22:17

In two days the UEFA Under 21 championship - the first major international soccer competition to take place in Israel - will commence.

No Hold Barred: The sinful marriage

By SHMULEY BOTEACH06/03/2013 22:08

Applying the Torah’s laws of lust to one’s marriage and intimate life leads to a relationship suffused with passion and excitement.

The Region: Passivity in the face of Islamism

By BARRY RUBIN06/03/2013 22:01

While anger and despair are going to rise in Egypt these factors are not in themselves enough to bring down a regime.

Think about it: The affordable housing problem

By SUSAN HATTIS ROLEF06/02/2013 21:53

After the housing market adjusts to the idea of wide-scale construction for rental, the private sector can be increased.

Discrimination and everyday life in Israel

By JEFF BARAK06/02/2013 21:43

Reality Check: There are many Israelis, on both the Left and the Right today, who believe that chance for a peaceful agreement establishing an independent Palestine has already gone due to the existence of 340,000 settlers living on the West Bank.

Taking the lead in Syria

By ALON BEN-MEIR06/02/2013 16:47

Arming the rebels might be the lesser of all evils in Syria, but the US and its Western allies must be careful about who gets what.

Claims Conference gets deeper in the mire

By ISI LEIBLER06/02/2013 11:56

Candidly Speaking: Rather than facing the issues, Claims Conference Chair Julius Berman is simply lashing out at his critics.

Out There: Car memories

By HERB KEINON06/01/2013 23:36

My parents didn’t buy Fords, because Henry Ford was an anti-Semite; didn’t buy German cars, because of the Holocaust; didn’t buy Japanese cars, because they wanted to buy American; and didn’t buy Buicks, because they were too expensive. So it was Chevy, they always bought Chevy. Good old American Chevrolet.

Peacemaking or perfidy? An open letter to Peres

By MARTIN SHERMAN05/30/2013 22:36

Into the Fray: President's embrace of "Arab Peace Initiative" at WEF speech disconcerting.

Crew Resource Management

By REUVEN BEN-SHALOM05/30/2013 22:18

Mankind has made remarkable achievements: We build and operate marvelous machines and organizations: But we also have the unbelievable capacity to screw up, big time.

Peres, Abbas, and Kerry: Fantasies and realities

By ISI LEIBLER05/30/2013 22:05

Candidly Speaking: We must continue awaiting the era when new Palestinian leaders will emerge, willing to respect our security concerns.

John Kerry and Binyamin Netanyahu meeting in Jerusalem, May 23, 2013.

The return of unilateralism?

By DAVID M. WEINBERG05/30/2013 21:52

Netanyahu should make it clear that Israel is not headed toward another imprudent ‘disengagement’ from the territories.

Savir's Corner: An Israeli in Paris and Rome

By URI SAVIR05/30/2013 21:45

We can learn from the Romans and the Parisians, who have been warriors and have learned to celebrate life and the future.

PORTRAIT of John Bagot Glubb (Glubb Pasha) in Arab Legion uniform.

Another Tack: The light from London

By SARAH HONIG05/30/2013 21:39

Presumably, before we started annoying virtuous nations with Jewish construction beyond the 1949 armistice lines, we were loved to bits by the Brits.

Parshat Shelach: We are not grasshoppers!

By SHMUEL RABINOWITZ05/30/2013 21:28

When facing hardships: One approach is to act as small, weak grasshoppers, the other is to rise above fears and reach goals.

To be healthy, all you have to do is be happy

iEngage: How to be an optimist in the Middle East

By TAL BECKER05/30/2013 21:11

Israeli Jews stay positive not because the present story of Israel is overflowing with good news, but because the story is not complete.

My Word: Sounding out the summer

By LIAT COLLINS05/30/2013 20:51

Amid summer vacation planning, Home Front warfare drills stand as reminder of ever-present threat of impending possible attacks.

Rousseau, melody, and mode

By BEN ELTON05/29/2013 22:34

Rousseau stands refuted by artistic expression from both before and after his time. Had there only been Jews in Geneva during his lifetime, he might have avoided his modernist misconception.

Washington Watch: Dole to GOP: Get some new ideas

By DOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD05/29/2013 22:10

Bob Dole, the former presidential and vice presidential nominee for the Republican party, no longer feels at home in his old party.

Encountering Peace: Kerry can succeed

By GERSHON BASKIN05/29/2013 21:57

Kerry’s shuttling back and forth between the parties, carrying the sides’ positions on the issues in fact enables the mediator to do just that – mediate and propose bridging solutions to close the gaps.

Hamas policemen at a Hamas security forces graduation ceremony.

Media Comment: Do peace and freedom interest the media?

By YISRAEL MEDAD AND ELI POLLAK05/29/2013 21:48

Reporters without Borders included Hamas and the PA security forces in a list of "predators of freedom of information" who "censor, imprison, kidnap, torture and kill journalists and other news providers.

For Zion's Sake: The 3 myths about the 2-state 'solution'

By DANIEL TAUBER05/28/2013 23:10

Obama states: Peace - Palestinian statehood "is necessary", "peace is just", "peace is possible".

Fighting anti-Semitism with subtlety - and vision

By GIL TROY05/28/2013 22:14

Center Field: "As we unite in outrage, we should remember that sometimes, the subtle scalpel is preferable to the bomb."

Call it what you want, the terror must stop

By JOSH HASTEN05/28/2013 22:04

View from the Hills: Leaders must prioritize dealing with upswing in violent attacks targeting Israeli civilians, soldier.

Kurdish nationalists rally north of Baghdad, Iraq

The World from Here: Kurds, Jews and a new Mideast

By DAN DIKER AND HAROLD RHODE05/28/2013 21:41

Kurdish suffering under Arab, Turkish and Iranian rule infuses them with a natural affinity for Jews and Israel.

Candidly Speaking: Tsunami of anti-Semitism

By ISI LEIBLER05/27/2013 23:25

In the post-Holocaust era, many had predicted, mistakenly, that the world’s oldest hatred would recede, even anticipating that anti-Semites would soon become an extinct species.

PERES and Stef Wertheimer cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of the Nazareth Industrial Park

On my mind: Hi-tech Israeli Arabs

By KENNETH BANDLER05/27/2013 23:17

Arab youth in Israel are just as eager and talented as their Jewish counterparts to work in the increasingly connected world.

Terra Incognita: The dark side of the ‘start-up nation’

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN05/27/2013 22:44

Agassi capitalized on this sexy “clean energy high tech” sales tactic and was aided by Peres and books like The Start-Up Nation.

President Shimon Peres speaking at the World Economic Forum.

Fundamentally Freund: Shimon’s balderdash

By MICHAEL FREUND05/27/2013 22:33

Peres made a number of brash and blatantly political statements that could just as easily have been penned by a pro-Palestinian speechwriter.

No Holds Barred: The dangers of religious sexual repression

By SHMULEY BOTEACH05/27/2013 22:15

Once a woman is overexposed, men lose interest. The element of modesty in a relationship is crucial.

Think About It: The Jewish identity administration

By SUSAN HATTIS ROLEF05/26/2013 22:55

Many non-Orthodox secular and religious Jews protest establishment of the administration within framework of Ministry for Religious Services.

The Region: Iran’s election

By BARRY RUBIN05/26/2013 22:22

The next Iranian president will have to deal among other issues with - sanctions, regional policy and results from actions in Syria.

Into the Fray: Can the people trust the government?

By MARTIN SHERMAN05/23/2013 22:57

The people of Israel are confronting a crisis of credibility. Can they trust the people elected to lead them?

My Word: The signs and the songs

By LIAT COLLINS05/23/2013 22:35

The country’s growing financial problems also continue to make headlines. Here, the writing on the wall should read: Mind the growing gap.

Savir's Corner: Syrian reconstruction

By URI SAVIR05/23/2013 21:58

No Syrian regime can be worse than this one, with the biggest chemical and non-conventional arms arsenals in the Arab world.

Another Tack: Investigable and non-investigable

By SARAH HONIG05/23/2013 21:52

Why are lesser failings being so neurotically inflated and dissected, while colossal catastrophes are being studiously disregarded?

Parshat Beha’alotecha: Educational punishment

By SHMUEL RABINOWITZ05/23/2013 21:34

This lesson which we learn from the story of Miriam the Prophetess is a message which the Torah wants us to remember every day: Punishment should only be one which advances and educates the punished.

Column One: Thank you, Hafez Assad

By CAROLINE B. GLICK05/23/2013 21:28

In the face of American rank incompetence, Assad has already broken all the red lines he and his father followed for more than 40 years.

iENGAGE: A letter to President Abbas

By DONNIEL HARTMAN05/23/2013 21:21

Secretary John Kerry has opened up a small and short term window of opportunity. I expect that even if we had 30 years we still wouldn’t be able to change our past.

Ronald Lauder speaks at the World Jewish Congress conference in Budapest, May 5, 2013.

Claims Conference leaders must resign now

By ISI LEIBLER05/22/2013 23:25

Candidly Speaking: Scandals, failure at top level of leadership relay need for reform; Reuven Merhav hopeful to take over major role.

Media Comment: The IBA’s ‘reformation'

By YISRAEL MEDAD AND ELI POLLAK05/22/2013 22:38

MKs bashes blunders of Israel Broadcasting Authority during Knesset c'tee meeting discussing reforms of state-sponsored TV operations.

Washington Watch: Is Hillary inevitable?

By DOUGLAS BLOOMFIELD05/22/2013 22:28

Hillary Clinton has the popularity, organization, money and Bill supporting her likely nomination as Democratic candidate in 2016 elections.

Encountering Peace: Who is not a peace partner?

By GERSHON BASKIN05/22/2013 22:19

Israeli-Palestinian peace talks can't be conducted in public or by the public; Netanyahu holds responsibility to negotiate with Abbas.

In my own write: Right to die

By JUDY MONTAGU05/21/2013 21:48

Two British men are petitioning the Court of Appeal, seeking protection from prosecution for people who could help them “end it all.”

From the media’s ‘gotcha’ grip to Zionist fulfillment

By GIL TROY05/21/2013 21:37

Center Field: "In a world obsessed with trivial pursuits, few presidents and prime ministers can avoid all idiotic controversies."

Nigeria: Why Islamism succeeds, in miniature

By SETH J. FRANTZMAN05/21/2013 21:22

Terra Incognita: Nigeria launches offensive against Islamists, US voices support for security forces to protect civilians by all means.

An aliya reunion: 30 years and going strong

By DAVID NEWMAN05/20/2013 22:34

Borderline views: All of us would recommend, without any hesitation, to those acquaintances, friends and relatives in the UK to repeat our experience and to come live in Israel.

Storming the Bastille of Israel’s religious bureaucracy

By MICHAEL FREUND05/20/2013 22:25

Fundamentally Freund: One Israeli I know who defines himself as secular told me that he had to work long and hard to convince his fiancé to get married by a rabbi here in Israel.

No holds barred: Was the Holocaust punishment for sin?

By SHMULEY BOTEACH05/20/2013 22:19

Do those who argue that European Jewry were nearly wiped out by God as a consequence of sin really believe they are doing God a favor with this heresy?

Poverty in Israel – and the PM’s expenses

By SUSAN HATTIS ROLEF05/19/2013 21:22

Think About It: OECD figures published last week indicate that among the 34 members of the organization, the rate of poverty in Israel is the highest.

The Region: Where does Israel’s greatest threat lie?

By BARRY RUBIN05/19/2013 21:18

Iran is still the greatest strategic threat in the region.

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