Monthly Archives: June 2007

Another Shabbat in Sderot: A Personal Note

This past Friday night, I went to pray at the 'Ohel Yitchak' Synagogue, in Sderot. A kassam rocket struck a direct hit on Ohel Yitchak exactly one month ago on May 17th. The attack -...

The Risks to Regional Security from International Forces in Gaza

Jerusalem Issue Brief Institute for Contemporary Affairs founded jointly at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs with the Wechsler Family Foundation Vol. 7, No. 5 24 June 2007 * With the total collapse of Fatah in...

Sderot Tenses for the Next Round

An Israeli TV crew joined us on our trip to Sderot the other day. They are in the process of shooting a short documentary on Gush Katif refugees in which we appear. "The bombing of Sderot...

Olmert To Meet With Arab Leaders

A four-way summit meeting among Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah of Jordan and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is being planned for early next week in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The Hamas Takeover’s Affect On Israel’s Relations With Egypt And Saudi Arabia

Hamas leaders have found a new haven in Cairo, and have been welcome guests in the highest level of the Egyptian government over the past few months.By this past Friday, Hamas gained control of the entire Gaza Strip, including the borders with Egypt and Israel.

Will Bush Fund ‘Education For War’ Curriculum?

The question remains, however, whether the U.S. government should consider schools of the Palestinian Authority as one of those "moderate" elements that should once again be funded by the U.S. government.

U.S. Supplies More Weapons To Abbas

Yesterday, U.S. Secretary of State Condolzeeza Rice announced that the US would now provide more arms and ammunition for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Yet Rice gave no indication as to how she would assure that supplies headed towards Abbas, AKA Abu Mazen, would remain in Abbas' hands.

“Our ‘Friend’ Fatah”

During World War One, Germany concluded that its chief ally, Austria-Hungary, was more of a burden than an asset. As one German official put it, that alliance was like being "shackled to a corpse." And...

Rights Group: Armed Palestinians Groups Commit Grave Crimes

Human Rights Watch has accused Palestinian groups of committing "serious violations of international humanitarian law, in some cases amounting to war crimes."

Hamas Takes Over Gaza

Hamas forces continued to consolidate their hold on the Gaza Strip on Thursday, seizing increasing numbers of positions that formerly were manned by Palestinian security services loyal to Fatah, chaired by Mahmoud Abbas, also know as Abu Mazen.