Has Naftali Bennett Given up His Values for Corona’s Sake?

When I declare my hope that Naftali Bennett, leader of the Yamina Party, becomes the next prime minister of Israel, I face a lot of agreement, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, a lot of faces grimacing in scorn for the man. Criticisms include the idea that he has given up his […]

Carmiel: What has the Nation State Law to do with Taking Kids to School?

Sensationalizing an issue is something we expect of news sites and Times of Israel did not disappoint; however, we do not expect the courts to cause a sensation when the issue should be a simple one to adjudicate. The issue: Arab families living in Carmiel who want their children to study in an Arab school, […]

Mohammed Massad: The Incredible Journey from Terrorist to Peace Promoter

Arif Massad was proud of his son Mohammed  when he was a young terrorist, and he was proud of his son when he put down his gun and took up the mantle of nonviolence. Just how does one go from being a rock-throwing child and a Kalashnikov-toting adolescent to being a voice for peace and […]

Itamar Taxel: Combatting Accusations of Israeli Colonialism

It pays to be knowledgeable about the Arab Conquest of the Levant when engaging Jew-haters who call us colonialists. We can learn some interesting aspects of the impact of the Conquest on the contemporary population, even from an Israeli archaeologist who seems reluctant to acknowledge that Israel is the country he is working in. I […]

Legitimate Literary Criticism or Propaganda?

Creative writers’ writing is always autobiographic to some extent, sometimes more openly so. The three pieces reviewed in a recent academic article all describe the writers’ personal experiences of being detained at Ben Gurion Airport. I read the two stories; the third, a book, was unavailable to me. The literary analysis of them, certainly a […]

Michal Eshed Takes on Arab Lies about Indigeneity in Israel

Many accuse Israel of Judaizing place names in the modern State of Israel. In fact, if you search Google Scholar for academic papers using the search term “Judaization Project” you will get 136 items for 2020 alone (correct for 17 Nov). These accusations are part of a campaign to promote a supposed “historic Palestine” as […]

Historic Palestine: What you need to know!

I recently critiqued an article that used the term “historic Palestine” nine times in 21 pages without offering a definition even once. It is taken for granted that the reader would know what this term means. Not being a historian myself, I asked the historian Prof Amatzia Baram to explain it to me. He responded […]

Bibi-Biden / Bibi-Trump: Big Difference

I have heard Israelis express disappointment that Bibi did not wait for the official results before congratulating Biden on his win, thinking that the legal challenge to the results may reverse them and Trump ends up being sworn in for a second term. Ever the consummate politician, I have the feeling Bibi knows exactly what […]

Ibrahim Saïd: Getting it right when trying to wrong Israel

I find it amusing when an article, such as that by Ibrahim Saïd, sets out to bash Israel but then explains Israel quite well and shows that the author understands what we are really all about. And then he uses this as if it is a bad thing. * * * * * We should […]

France and its Indigenous Muslims

Let’s engage in a little thought experiment. France is going through hard times. As if fighting the Coronavirus is not enough, it has also had to deal with two terror attacks in two weeks (the beheading of a teacher in Paris and the stabbing murders of three Christians at a church in Nice). The news […]