The Quiet American
THE QUIET AMERICAN was the hero of Graham Greene’s novel about the first Vietnam War, the one fought by the French. He was a young and naïve American, a professor’s son, who had enjoyed a good education at Harvard, an idealist with all the best intentions. When he was sent to Vietnam, he wanted to […]
The Iron Wall
SOMETHING ODD, almost bizarre, is going on in Egypt these days. About 1400 activists from all over the world gathered there on their way to the Gaza Strip. On the anniversary of the “Cast Lead” War, they intended to participate in a non-violent demonstration against the ongoing blockade, which makes the life of 1.5 million […]
Cast Lead 2
DID WE win? Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of the Gaza War, alias Operation Cast Lead, and this question fills the public space. Within the Israeli consensus, the answer has already been given: Certainly we won, the Qassams have stopped coming. A simple, not to say primitive, answer. But that is how it looks to […]
Oybama
THIS WEEK I enjoyed an hour of happiness.I was on my way home, after collecting William Polk’s new book about Iran. I admire the wisdom of this former State Department official. I was walking on the seaside promenade, when I was seized by a desire to go down to the seashore. I sat down on […]
Spot the Difference
A SHORT historical quiz: Which state:(1) Arose after a holocaust in which a third of its people were destroyed?(2) Drew from that holocaust the conclusion that only superior military forces could ensure its survival?(3) Accorded the army a central role in its life, making it “an army that had a state, rather than a state […]
The Height of Kitsch
IT WOULD have been the epitome of political kitsch. Binyamin Netanyahu and ten of his ministers were to hold a joint meeting with Angela Merkel and ten members of the German cabinet. What for? To demonstrate Germany’s love for Israel. At the last moment, Netanyahu announced that he was sick, and the meeting was canceled. […]
“…And A Little Child Shall Lead Them”
THOMAS FRIEDMAN, the New York Times columnist, has an idea. That happens to him quite often. One might almost say – too often. It goes like this: The US will turn its back on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The entire world will follow. Everybody is fed up with this conflict. Let the Israelis and the Palestinians […]
Federation? Why Not?
.THESE DAYS mark the 5th anniversary of the murder of Yasser Arafat, and bring back to me our last conversation in his Ramallah compound, a few weeks before his death. It was he who brought up the idea of a threefold federation – Israel, Palestine and Jordan. “And perhaps Lebanon, too. Why not?” – the […]
Scoundrel With Permission
WHEN THE TV news starts with a murder, people are relieved. This means that no war has broken out, no suicide bomb has exploded, no Qassam rocket has been launched at Sderot. Ahmadinejad has not test-fired a new missile that can reach Tel Aviv. Just another murder. Not that Israel is the world’s murder capital. […]
A Line in the Sand
MAHMOUD ABBAS is fed up. The day before yesterday he withdrew his candidacy for the coming presidential election in the Palestinian Authority. I understand him. He feels betrayed. And the traitor is Barack Obama. A YEAR ago, when Obama was elected, he aroused high hopes in the Muslim world, among the Palestinian people as well […]