Israel

Abbas sees no hope for talks, firm on UN path

DOHA (Reuters) – The Palestinian leader said on Saturday there were “no shared foundations” for peace talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and seeking UN recognition of Palestinian statehood was his only option. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, addressing an Arab League meeting in Doha, expressed concern that taking the […]

New gateway for Gaza

Gil Yaron, Special to The Star JERUSALEM—It’s been a while since a jubilant mood reigned in the streets of Gaza, but on Friday, many people were almost euphoric. “Everyone is happy — this is the dawn of a new era,” Muhammad Dawwas, a journalist from Gaza City, said in an […]

Kindly remain seated

Not much in Netanyahu’s speech to Congress came as a surprise, but many were shocked by the thunderous applause. Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu must have felt more at home speaking to the US Congress than when he addressed the Israeli parliament: Had he made the same speech at the […]

IDF appoints its first female major general

Orna Barbivay will become the Israel Defense Forces’ first female major general, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz decided yesterday. She will head the General Staff’s Personnel Directorate. Barak and Gantz also announced two other new appointments yesterday, as part of the first round of […]

Battle over civics ends in ouster of two critics

Prof. Yedidia Stern says real reason she was relieved of her role as the Education Ministry’s chairman of its professional advisory committee on civics, is that she opposes changes being pushed by the ministry’s pedagogical secretariat….Zameret wanted “about half the study time” to be devoted to Israeli and Zionist history […]

Russia ready to recognize Palestine: Lavrov

Tehran Times Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has vowed to throw his weight behind recognition of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. “Every nation needs unity, or the more so the Palestinian people… (who are) striving to create a Palestinian state in accordance with UN resolutions, the […]

Where life is extraordinarily good

Oren David was appointed non-resident Israeli Ambassador to Malta in February. He tells Kurt Sansone relations between the two countries have never been so good. “Western democracies should have affinity and show solidarity with Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East,” he says. It is a frustration that is […]

No even-handedness toward Israel and Palestinians

Day after U.S. president clarifies vision of Palestinian state within 1967 borders, director of pro-Israel lobby urges Jerusalem and Washington to avoid any public display of diplomatic crisis, as it would likely be exploited by Israel’s enemies. AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr said Monday that U.S. President Barack Obama should […]

Cult of death

The memory of the dead must not be turned into a defining element of national identity. Haaretz Editorial A new Education Ministry program – details of which are reported by Or Kashti in today’s Haaretz English edition – that would have Israeli junior high and high school students adopt memorial […]

President Obama explains borders stance

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Sunday, President Obama sought to further explain the US position, saying ‘new demographic realities’ would also be considered. At an annual gathering of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee on Sunday, Israel’s staunchest American supporters were paid […]