Israel should consider changing its electoral system
Since 1948, Israel has had 32 governments. Only three have completed the full four-year term in office. With this in mind, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition of 61 Knesset members will most likely collapse sooner rather than later. Just months after a contentious campaign, new elections could very well be on the horizon.
Q&A Dennis Prager: the left’s moral compass is broken
Dennis Prager is an American syndicated radio talk host heard on 140 radio stations across the United States. His daily three-hour show can be heard in Canada on the Internet and via the “Dennis Prager” smartphone app. A New York Times bestselling author, he has written six books. His latest is The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code.
Israel’s Jewish and democratic ideals are in harmony
A new front in the relentless attacks on Israel is the attack on Israel’s democracy. The argument is perverse. Democracy remains MIA – missing in action – throughout the Arab world. Palestinians in Gaza suffer under a Hamas dictatorship. Palestinians in the West Bank endure an authoritarian regime with a president serving the 10th year of his four-year term.
Will Iran’s support for anti-Israel forces increase?
It never fails. No sooner did Israel announce in late April that it was sending a team of 260 rescue workers and medical staff to Nepal in response to that country’s catastrophic earthquake than the sniping began: how dare Israel divert attention from the terrible hardships of Gaza, where it has imposed a blockade since 2007?
“Easier to address a far-away humanitarian disaster than the nearby one of Israel’s making in Gaza,” tweeted Ken Roth, director of Human Rights Watch.
Yom Hazikaron: there will be no baptism
Yoram’s leg stuck out of the bunker – enough so that his commander barked at him to tuck it in. His instruction was a mild inconvenience but could save Yoram’s leg.
Yoram’s plugah (unit) had bunkered down in Khan Yunis preparing for a major Israel Defence Forces attack on a street known for hiding Hamas leadership.
Why Netanyahu won again
Although the polls and pundits predicted defeat and opponents were rejoicing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu emerged with a decisive victory in last month’s election. In a bitter and exhausting campaign, Netanyahu was confronted by hostile journalists, including accusations that he and his wife had mismanaged their official residence. In the middle, he went to Washington to challenge U.S. President Barack Obama’s policies on Iran, for which he was widely attacked, and returned to travel up and down Israel every day seeking support.
Q&A Ron Prosor: envoy walks UN halls ‘tall and proud’
Ron Prosor serves as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations. Before that, he was Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom. Earlier this month, he was in Toronto as a guest of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and UJA Federation of Greater Toronto to provide briefings to Jewish community leaders as well as members of the media. He sat down to talk to The CJN.
FEATURE: Has the BDS movement been effective?
On the face of it, both sides of the movement to boycott, sanction and divest from Israel have to admit the decade-old movement has chalked up few concrete wins in Canada.
On university campuses, where the BDS campaign, as it has come to be known, is most active, a number of university student groups have passed motions sanctioning Israel, which have been quickly dismissed as merely symbolic by university administrations.
Judge made assault seem like ‘bar fight,’ advocate says
The Calgary Jewish Federation is disappointed with the tone the court took at the sentencing of three pro-Palestinian protesters who pleaded guilty to assault after a Calgary demonstration turned violent last summer.
The statement of facts agreed on by both the Crown and prosecution seemed to treat the assault as a “bar fight,” said Jeffrey Smith, chairman of the community relations committee of the Calgary Jewish Federation.
Next Knesset will be sullied by two ignominious personalities
Here in Israel we are less than a week before another round of elections and if polls are right, there’s nothing much to look forward to. More of the same or even worse.
Seeing as the Babylonian Talmud teaches that “prophesy is given to fools,” I won’t give you my forecast of how bad things will really turn out.