In what can be described as an Israeli take on Canada’s “reasonable accommodation” debate, Israel’s military finds itself torn between two apparently irreconcilable processes: equality of opportunity for female soldiers, and religious accommodation of Orthodox male soldiers.
Continue Reading January 6th, 2012
An ill wind is blowing through Israel’s Knesset. If passed, a spate of bills sponsored by the governing coalition will have a chilling effect on freedom of speech and compromise the judiciary’s independence.
Continue Reading December 9th, 2011
Last Tuesday’s prisoner exchange is a game changer for both Israelis and Palestinians. Already, this much is clear:
First, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s popularity is soaring. Despite the controversial price for Gilad Shalit’s release, more than 75 per cent of Israelis support the deal. Even skeptics offer praise, describing this as a defining moment for Mr. Netanyahu’s “new narrative” as a strong leader. Given his outspoken opposition to earlier prisoner exchanges, which he described as “shameful capitulation,” his insistence on a starring role in the reception ceremonies is all the more ironic.
Continue Reading October 22nd, 2011
Supported by the United States, Israel has always feared “internationalization” of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over direct negotiations and rightly sees the majority of United Nations members as biased against it. Palestinians recognize their relative advantage in international forums but, until now, have been content with the familiar ritual of General Assembly resolutions critical of Israel. Now that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas has upped the ante and applied for admission through the Security Council, no one really knows what happens next. But it’s safe to say that chances of successful negotiations have been set back.
Continue Reading September 30th, 2011
Tel Aviv’s upscale Rothschild Boulevard isn’t Tahrir Square, and the tens of thousands of protesters demanding affordable housing aren’t risking their lives. But the spontaneous outburst of citizen action that crosses ideological and sectoral lines is making Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sweat: He didn’t create the problem, but he has to solve it.
Continue Reading August 1st, 2011
It’s been a packed week with more to come for those who watch the Middle East: U.S. envoy George Mitchell resigned; anti-Israel demonstrations by Palestinians in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza turned deadly; Jordan’s King Abdullah was at the White House; U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the Middle East on Thursday and meets Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday. Next week, both leaders address the public policy conference of AIPAC, the American Jewish lobby for Israel, and Mr. Netanyahu addresses Congress.
Continue Reading May 19th, 2011
Israel is right to be warily observing regional developments. It’s accustomed to dealing with autocratic Arab regimes, and it can’t foretell the outcome of popular unrest sweeping its neighbours. In response, Israeli leaders naturally want to bolster their country’s defence capabilities. But that’s not enough. When Defence Minister Ehud Barak warns of a political tsunami approaching Israel, he’s calling for action on the Palestinian issue precisely because of the new situation.
Continue Reading March 23rd, 2011
The masks are off: Ehud Barak’s defection from Israel’s Labour Party this week, and his new four-member faction’s agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was a cynical act of mutual self-interest for both men. Mr. Barak, who as party chairman had faced open rebellion in Labour, gets to remain defence minister. Mr. Netanyahu loses the support of eight Labour members, but hangs on to a stable majority. Domestically, the recent drama creates short-term uncertainty for Israel’s opposition parties, yet it also provides clarity and opportunity. On defence and security, it leaves open questions.
Mr. Netanyahu’s term ends in 2013, but given that only two of Israel’s governments have ever survived to the end of their full terms, the clock is already ticking. Admittedly, absent Labour’s ballast, Mr. Netanyahu’s two large coalition partners gain strength and influence. First is the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, whose leader, Eli Yishai, has alienated Israelis with xenophobic policies against foreign workers and non-Jewish citizens and by fighting for increased state subsidies for ultra-orthodox families. Second is the Yisrael Beiteinu party, whose controversial leader, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, has described Arab citizens and human-rights organizations as dangerous to the state.
Still, although Mr. Yishai and Mr. Lieberman share nationalistic rhetoric, they have vastly disparate roots and constituencies that may not survive the government’s term. Moreover, next month, the state prosecutor will decide whether to indict Mr. Lieberman on charges of financial wrongdoing. If this happens, it will spark a political crisis. Besides, the public isn’t enamoured with Mr. Netanyahu, whose approval rating is below 50 per cent.
Continue Reading January 22nd, 2011
It’s just as well that the ill-conceived American demand for a freeze of Israeli West Bank settlement construction is off the table. The idea was right on merit, but, in today’s Israeli-Palestinian environment, distracted attention from substance and enabled both sides to argue over process. As a result, direct Israeli-Palestinian talks are dead and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced a reprise of U.S.-mediated indirect talks as an alternative.
Continue Reading December 16th, 2010
Given their past and present, Israelis and Jews understandably feel vulnerable (reports of terrorist plots against Chicago synagogues fuel the instinct to close ranks). That’s one reason why Israel continuously seeks validation as the Jewish homeland. But two recent efforts to do so are ill-conceived.
Continue Reading November 2nd, 2010
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