ISRAEL
TWO WRONGS DON’T MAKE A RIGHT
A column by Nicholas Kristof in Monday’s New York Times hit me where it hurts. Kristof reported that “in wrenching interviews, Palestinians have recounted to me a pattern of widespread Israeli sexual violence against men, women and even children — by soldiers, settlers, interrogators in the Shin Bet internal security agency and, above all, prison guards.” Could…
Read MoreHATE WORDS MATTER
A few days ago, a swastika was sprayed on the Rego Park Jewish Center, my childhood synagogue in Queens. Some people accept the old saw that “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words (or images) can never harm me.” Jews cannot. A university professor in Europe emailed about my post, “Artemis II and…
Read MoreTAKING AN AXE TO JEWISH VALUES
If we Jews are “the chosen people,” I doubt it was God’s purpose that an Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon smash a statue of Jesus with an axe. That horrific act happened in the beginning of the week. A “stunned and saddened” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately stated that action would be taken. A day…
Read MoreARTEMIS II AND IRAN
A cartoon in last Friday’s San Francisco Chronicle says much about the war on Iran. Wiley Miller’s “Non Sequitur” appeared two days after Artemis II lifted off to circle the moon. Two astronauts ride in a moon buggy. One holds a rifle. A gun rack holds three more. The dialog balloon: “Let’s call it quits,…
Read MoreBASEBALL, PASSOVER, AND IRAN
Baseball, Passover and the war with Iran have a connection. The national pastime represents an ordered world. Games end in a recognized win or loss. The standings clearly position each team. Simple. Passover: not so simple. God freed the Israelites from Egypt. But the waters—during and after Pharaoh drowned in the Sea of Reeds—muddied quickly.…
Read MoreHUGE-BOAR AND THE NARROWS—A FABLE
Once upon a time, HUGE-BOAR, the brawniest beast in the forest, called out a very aggressive, if less powerful, rival. “Idiot-Ram is a danger to the whole forest!!!” Without telling anyone, HUGE-BOAR—known for his huge hump, the hugest—crossed the forest. With a deer friend, Big Buck, he attacked I-Ram’s territory. HUGE-BOAR deployed his enormous tusks…
Read MoreBOOTS ON THE GROUND IN AMERICA?
I started this post about the Iran war on Wednesday. Yesterday, a comment by Donald Trump confirmed my worst fears about imperiled American democracy. As to the war, I’m not disturbed by the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and other top officials. They can rot in Hell. Since 1979, the Iranian theocracy has…
Read MoreHAPPY CHANUKAH? DAMN RIGHT!
After last Sunday’s ISIS-inspired shootings at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, two non-Jewish friends asked if it was okay to wish me “Happy Chanukah.” The title of this post gives you my answer. When the Jewish world lost fifteen souls with dozens more wounded, I was shocked but not surprised. Why? Jews around the world…
Read MoreMY CHANUKAH WISH LIST
Don’t think me greedy, but I have a long wish list for Chanukah presents, and I want everything. Chanukah is the Jewish “Festival of Lights.” The eight-night (and day) holiday begins on the 25th of the month of Kislev which, in the lunar-solar calendar, falls anywhere between late November and the end of December. Chanukah…
Read MoreBIAS VS. BALANCE IN MIDDLE-EAST REPORTING
Just as the Israel-Hamas/Hezbollah/Iran conflict seems perpetually muddled despite ceasefires, so does reporting on the region. Does mainstream journalism adhere to the objectivity it holds dear? On last Saturday’s PBS Weekend News, Leila Molana-Allen presented a televised report from Lebanon on Israeli air strikes in Beirut and its southern suburbs. This, despite Israel reaching a…
Read MoreWHEN ISRAEL SHAMES ME
It pains me to write that an avowed Zionist and practicing Jew can be shamed by a nation he loves. October 7, 2023 focused much of the world’s attention on Hamas’ horrific attack on Israel. The brutality of that day, which claimed 1,200 lives, had nothing to do with finding a political settlement establishing two…
Read MoreTHE NEXT GAZA CONUNDRUM
Last Monday at Israel’s Knesset (parliament) in Jerusalem, President Trump hailed “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.” From his lips to God’s ears. The return of the last 20 living hostages from Hamas captivity offered a joyous moment. The ceasefire is more than welcome. Actual peace? A conundrum. Trump’s 20-point plan offers a…
Read MoreBUNKER BUSTING QUESTIONS
Right after Air Force B-2s dropped “bunker busters” on Fordo and Natanz last Saturday, President Trump announced that those facilities had been “obliterated.” Did he jump the gun? A preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report—I emphasize “preliminary”— stated that Iran’s nuclear program had been set back by only two to three months. In a few days, more optimistic…
Read MoreAMERICA AND IRAN PLAY CHICKEN
When making decisions, government leaders must evaluate their nation’s pain threshold and their own political risks. Cue Donald Trump and Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Trump gave Khamenei 60 days to agree to processing uranium only for civilian use—and outside Iran. Khamenei refused. The deadline passed. Given the stalemate and American inaction, Israeli prime minister Benjamin…
Read MoreANTISEMITES “PROTECTING” JEWS
The Trump administration boasts about protecting American Jews from antisemitism and anti-Israel attacks. The truth is just the opposite. Jews have been called “the canary in the coal mine.” Attacks on Jews warn that a society is giving way to ethnic autocracy. Other minorities soon will be assaulted. This canary smells the scent emanating from…
Read More