The myth of Israel's illegal settlements

David M. Phillips, a professor at Northeastern University School of Law reviews the legal status of Israel's settlements in the West Bank and comes to the conclusion that widely-held opinions that they are illegal are incorrect.

Not ready to be friends

It is assumed that the Palestian Authority would be in favour of grassroots efforts to create connections between Jews and Palestinians because, unlike Hamas, the PA participates in the peace process. But according to journalist Khaled Abu Toameh, the "moderate" and pro-peace PA in fact blocks attempts to normalize relations between Jews and Palestinian Arabs.

Legal settlement

One can argue that Israel's establishing towns in the disputed territories after 1967 obstructs diplomacy, but one cannot accurately declare the settlements illegal. Eric Rozenman reviews their international legal status.

West Bank settlements and international law

The conviction that Jewish settlements in the West Bank are illegal is now so commonly accepted, it hardly seems as though the matter is even open for discussion. Still, professor of law David M. Phillips asks "On what points of law does the case against Israel stand?"

West Bank boom

Shops and restaurants in Hebron are full and villas comparable in size to those on the Cote d'Azur have sprung up on the hills around the city. In Ramallah luxury car dealerships and health clubs are to be seen. Tom Gross, for the Wall Street Journal, filed this report on the Palestinian economy.

Is "anti-Israel" the same as "pro-Palestinian"?

Journalist Khaled Abu Toameh argues that there are many ways to help Palestinians, but attending "Israel Apartheid Week" isn't one of them.

Deceptive quiet

U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 called for the disbanding and disarming of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. That's not happening. Hezbollah, Israel says, has more than restored its arsenal to the levels of before the war in 2006.

Welcome to Canada

A Saudi Arabian-born Syrian citizen who is qualified as a flight instructor was stopped at the Canadian border. In his possession: $880,000 in gold coins and cash (which he failed to declare), a Hezbollah ring, a Palestinian scarf and DVDs related to the 9/11 tragedy.  (Update: The original article from the National Post concerning this is no longer on line.  A link to a later article from the Globe and Mail is here.)

Muslims fighting for Israel

Maher is Muslim and he was a soldier with the Israeli army for three years. Rachid Sekkai from the BBC's Arabic Service talks to Muslims serving in the Israel Defense Forces and hears about the conflicts they face, at home and on duty, and the pride that military service sometimes brings them. (Podcast)

Grover in the Holy Land

A ‘Sesame Street’ character is attempting to get preschoolers in Israel hooked on the message of Israeli-Arab coexistence.

Hebron, then and now

Hebron Jews are relentlessly vilified as fanatics who illegally occupy someone else's land. Until 1929, Jews had lived in Hebron for three millennia. Jerold S. Auerbach relates this modern story of Jewish exile and return.

A responsible bystander

As part of his world tour Leonard Cohen wanted to perform for both Jews and Palestinians.

Persistent error

After seven years, an oft-repeated damaging misquote has been corrected.

East Jerusalem debate

Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem are incompatible with peace, writes Mousa Qous. Concession on Jerusalem or parts of the city constitutes surrender to a baseless demand, writes Mordechai Kedar.

The case for contacts

No matter how vehemently the Gulf states deny it, it is an "open secret" that all six Gulf states maintain contacts with Israel. Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi explains.

Unsettled

Two towns, Modiin Illit and Beitar Illit, account for half of all settler growth in the West Bank and offer surprising potential for compromise.

Good fences ...

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay contends that the security barrier Israel is constructing is illegal and contravenes the rights of Palestinians. Why, asks Canadian poet and essayist David Soloway, is there no acknowledgment that the barrier serves a purpose.

(Un)divided city

Jews have always lived in eastern Jerusalem - it is the location of the Old City, its famous Jewish Quarter and the Hebrew University, which was founded in 1918. Should an Israeli apartment development there be stopped?

How to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace

The President of Egypt has stated his position in this article published in the Wall Street Journal.

Jews in Syria

Most Jewish Syrians left in waves after the creation of Israel in 1948 and the enactment of harsh Syrian laws barring them from owning property, withdrawing funds from bank accounts and traveling. Today, a reporter must solicit permission from both the ministry of information and Syrian intelligence service to visit the lone functioning synagogue in the old Jewish Quarter in Damascus.

Is an Ahmadinejad victory good for Israel?

Is it better for the President of Iran to be an over-the-top religious fanatic and overt anti-Semite, than a "reformist" who is really an arch-conservative with a facade of moderation? It's tempting to say yes. But Jonathan Tobin responds that Ahmadinejad's antics have not been much of a liability to Iran, so the West is better to support division within Iran's upper ranks.

Is there a more open society than this?

In Israel an Arab radical gave a lecture at Haifa University condemning the existence of the state and encouraging a terrorist revolt - a lecture which Jewish students were not permitted to attend. Amazing.

Are Israelis avoiding the tough questions?

Many people take it as given that Israelis are ready to surrender the West Bank when the Arabs are ready to offer real peace. Daniel Gordis asks provocatively whether years of disappointment have hardened Israeli opinion on the acceptable terms of a peace agreement.

Modern exodus

800,000 or so Jews fled the Arab and Muslim world or were summarily expelled for being Jewish in the 20th century. André Aciman recalls the assets he still owns in Alexandria and will never recover. "My mother’s house, my father’s factory, our life in Egypt, our friends, our books, our cars, my bicycle."

To start at the beginning

The consistency of modern Jews in Israel and West Bank with their ancestors defines their indigenousness, writes Sally Zerker. Modern Jews live in a country with the same name as that which existed in 1312 BCE and speak the same language that was spoken by Jews in that land more than 3,000 years ago.

One State, Two States

Book Review: Benny Morris, a leading Israeli revisionist historian, studies the question of one or two states, and comes to the pessimistic conclusion that neither alternative is possible. Which raises the question: where does that leave us?

Building civil society

Khaled Abu Toameh has been a journalist for Israeli and PLO media. With the right leadership, he says, there is no reason that Palestinians could not have built themselves a new Hong Kong or Singapore. Were Western donor countries to insist upon those very elements in exchange for all their aid dollars, they could have helped make it so.

X-ray vision

Dr. Allan Fox, a neuro-radiologist from Canada, serves as a volunteer at a Haifa hospital, in a community that includes both Jewish and Arab Israelis. Montreal and Haifa, he says, have a lot in common, “two main peoples, a mountain, and a port, and different versions of the same history."

Talking coexistence

The Abraham Fund hopes to expand Arabic education in Israeli schools to 5th and 6th grade students. The program teaches young children Arab culture and language in an effort to tear down cultural walls.

U.S. General rates Palestinian soldiers

For more than three years, Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton has been leading U.S. efforts to transform Palestinian security forces into a trusted, respected, dependable, professional force. Recently he offered a rare public assessment of his work.

Wattan TV: the whole story

Popular and secular, this independent broadcaster offers extensive coverage of the West Bank.

Walking the Papal tightrope

The Pope may be able to go many places as a pilgrim and avoid politics, but he cannot do it in the West Bank, says Father Raymond J. De Souza.

Israel's Shimon Peres on Iran

Israeli President Shimon Peres spoke to CNN's Wolf Blitzer about Iran's nuclear program. Here is a transcript of his remarks.

Seven existential threats

The State of Israel copes not with one but with at least seven existential threats on a daily basis, extraordinary not only for their number but also for their diversity, Michael Oren writes.

Ambassador of music

At the Cairo Opera House, Israeli musician Daniel Barenboim received 'a rapturous reception'.

Kennedy visits the Middle East: 1948

In 1948 Robert F. Kennedy visited the Middle East and wrote these articles for The Boston Post: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Egypt: Iran's New Target

Tehran sees Egypt as rival.

61 years

Despite the threats and challenges to its existence, as Israel approaches its 61st birthday it has much to celebrate, writes columnist David Brumer.

Is Oslo dead?

Rabbi Donniel Hartman argues that Israel must not renounce the idea of two states for two peoples, even if its realization is not possible in the foreseeable future.

Statelessness has its rewards

Robert Kaplan asks: do Palestinians really want a state.

Mutual non-recognition

Peace impossible without Israeli/Palestinian mutual recognition.

Jews of Yemen

About 7,000 Jews live in Arab countries, down from more than 750,000 before Israel was created in 1948. Growing intimidation and violence are pushing the 300 Jews left in Yemen to flee.

Different Camps in Middle East

Egypt accuses Hizbullah of spying.

Insights on Gaza

This is a video of Michael Oren's talk on Gaza at Georgetown University. The full 90-minute talk is worthwhile, but if you don't have time, skip to the last half hour of questions, which cover the critical issues.

A loud and promised land

A traffic accident in Tel Aviv leads to this discerning commentary on Israeli character.

Last Jew in Afghanistan

Today there are more than 10,000 Afghan Jews in Israel. Zablon Simantov, a Jewish resident of Kabul, explains why he remains in Afghanistan despite his increasing solitude. Video.

High school, high-tech

Israel's high-tech industry is in a deep slump, but high school robotics is booming. Young Arab students, ultra-Orthodox Jews and Ethiopian Jewish refugees are building robots.

Give Bibi a chance

Skeptics are warning that Benjamin Netanyahu will isolate Israel internationally and refuse to engage in good-faith negotiations with the Palestinians and Israel's other neighbours. But a longtime supporter of the Israeli peace movement believes that the new Prime Minister will be a partner for peace and should be given the opportunity to prove himself.

Ethics debate

The Gaza war has widened the gap between Israel's self-image and how it is perceived abroad. There is a deepened sense in Israel that the state is being held to impossible standards. But the war has Israeli critics too.

Can poor countries be democratic?

Book review: Author Paul Collier argues that in countries lacking the rule of law and a functioning economy, elections don't bring democracy. Although War, Guns and Votes isn't specifically about the Middle East, the theory has implications for most Middle Eastern countries and, in particular, the Palestinian Authority.

Women in uniform

Women set to graduate from the Palestinian military academy.

Intolerance on campus

A Palestinian journalist has little appreciation for hardline "pro-Palestinian" activists: "If these folks really cared about the Palestinians, they would be campaigning for good government and for the promotion of values of democracy and freedom in the West Bank and Gaza Strip."

Israel disputes soldiers’ accounts of Gaza abuses

Israel is pushing back against accusations of civilian abuse in its Gaza war. Officers are stepping forward, some at the urging of the top command, others on their own, to dispute accusations.

Rights group not the enemy

The attempt to stifle an honest and coolheaded human rights debate in Israel expresses critics' lack of confidence in Israel's ability to rectify its mistakes. Groups monitoring human rights violations shouldn’t be viewed as ‘anti-Israel' says Elhanan Miller.

People, not politicians, make peace

Though the organizations that promote peace between Palestinians and Israelis aren't yet a decisive political force, the fact that they exist at all bodes well for the future. Sooner or later the elected representatives will have to respond.

Why would you live here?

Daniel Gordis has a wonderful ability to express in words what it is about living in Israel that makes life more meaningful and compelling. Here's a recent example.

The Gaza prison camp

A Muslim born in Egypt denounces the treatment of Palestinian refugees by Palestinian leaders and other Arab countries.

A religious war in Israel’s army

Allegations by Israeli soldiers of acute mistreatment of civilians in recent Gaza fighting expose a clash between secular liberals and religious nationalists for control over the army and society.

"Conflict management"

There has not been a peace process in Arab-Israeli affairs for many years. Now the term being used is "conflict management" and that is a lot more realistic. This article by Father Raymond J. de Souza shows how it holds promise.

The importance of rockets

An inside perspective on the ongoing situation of rockets landing here and there and USUALLY doing no harm ....

Visit to Cairo

On a visit to Cairo, American blogger Marlene Phillips found Egyptians very willing to discuss the situation in the Middle East. Their relationship with Israel was often the first topic raised.

Report from Gaza

Deeply disturbed by the reports of wanton slaughter and destruction during Operation Cast Lead, freelance writer Yvonne Green travelled to Gaza to see for herself. Here is her report.

A blur of slogans

Activists who organize 'Israel Apartheid Week' on university campuses are either ill intentioned or misinformed. So writes Ishmael Khaldi from his unique perspective as the vice consul for Israel in San Francisco, and as a Bedouin and the highest-ranking Muslim representing Israel in the United States.

Rock of ages

Netanyahu to look into Israel's expansion of West Bank quarries.

New Palestinian TV

Journalist Khaled Abu Toameh asks why taxpayers should be asked to support Palestinian media promoting hatred.

What should Hillary do?

Israelis want peace and voted for realism and security.

A solar dream

New age Israeli socialists plan vast solar power plant in the southern desert.

The art of Bruno Schulz

His work and story inspired Israeli writer David Grossman to write about the Holocaust.

UNRWA aid questionned

Does the U.N. Relief and Works Agency provide essential aid to Palestinian civilians or does it prolong the refugee problem and shelter terrorists? Several U.S. Congressmen say it's time for a detailed investigation.

Bonding at the ballot box

Participating in the Israeli election was an exhilarating, enlightening and mind-altering experience Dov Moshe Lipman writes in The Jerusalem Post.

Obama's special envoy

The international community is trying to nurse Gaza back to health but can't pressure Hamas to stop the terrorist activity. This is the situation that greets U.S. envoy George Mitchell, writes Israeli editor Amnon Lord ... Mitchell, who was familiar with the situation during his last mission in 2001, faces radical changes reports Ghassan Khatib from Birzeit University.

Faster checkout

Trust Israel to come up with an answer to a security issue without making the traveller feel even more inconvenienced. Can't wait for more airports to install this Magshoe device. Video.

Deep thoughts

Israel needs input from varied sectors of society for informed decision-making and better researched policies. Think tanks would help.

Normalization of evil

What enables Hamas to become tolerated in public discourse? Judea Pearl says we should look at how our universities are being manipulated by terrorist sympathizers.

The other Iran

The Iranian revolution has recharged its batteries. Is it time to end the three-decade impasse in U.S.-Iranian ties?

Dear citizen of Gaza ...

A letter from an Israeli soldier (reservist) to a citizen of Gaza.

Shallow thinking

When looking at events in Israel, we tend to focus on clearly visible phenomena without delving deeper. Immediate events are the result of historical processes. "Thinking-in-history" is required says Yehezkel Dror.

Lingering misconceptions

The incident for which Israel was most heavily attacked during the Gaza war never happened. The UN school was never bombed and no one inside was killed. What's more, the UNRWA operations director in Gaza now denies that the UN ever reported being hit ... more ... more.

Worrisome strategy

"We have had our fill of restraint," says Israel Harel. If the Israeli Defense Force does not protect Israeli civilians, it has given up its main ethos.

'Who has won here?'

In the Gaza Strip people are returning home -- or to the rubble that was once their home. Many are blaming Hamas for the destruction because the militants hid among civilians and attracted Israeli fire. Yet no one dares to speak out openly.

Beyond the fog of war

Asking yourself these 13 questions about the Israel-Hamas conflict might actually help you understand it, Irwin Cotler writes.

Reaching out

The Israeli Holocaust Museum has launched an exhibition on Albanian Muslims who sheltered Jews during World War II. It opened in a Jewish-Arab town on Tuesday to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Repairing a child's heart

A 6-year-old Palestinian boy whose powerful relative was assassinated by Israel during its recently ended offensive in the Gaza Strip has checked into an Israeli hospital for life-saving heart surgery. (PDF)

Religious exchange

In Drancy, France, Hassen Chalghoumi tells Muslims, Christians and Jews that they aren't trapped in narrow cultural identities. He is the first imam to commemorate the Holocaust, to light candles at Hanukkah, and to bring Jewish leaders for Eid celebrations ... but the Gaza war has damaged his efforts at religious exchange.

Conflicting narratives

Ethan Bronner explains why it is difficult to narrate the Gaza war in a neutral fashion and has this advice for President Obama's special envoy to the Middle East.

Bitter rivals

Hamas is accused of wounding, torturing and murdering Fatah supporters: The San Francisco Chronicle ... The Independent (UK) … PressTV (Iran) … Reuters.

Debate renewed

Was the Israeli response to Hamas excessive? Craig Offman reviews the debate over “proportional response.” Robert Fulford recalls the same debate from 2002.

Shared dread

More grave than Gaza is the threat of a nuclear Iran, warns Yossi Klein Halevi
.

Traps and trickery

New tactics are being used by Hamas and Israel in Gaza. The New York Times has this report.

The moral battleground

During the Gaza conflict, Melanie Phillips had this response to anti-Israel demonstrators in British and other western cities.