Geoffrey Paul's blog



Where were you when........?

By Geoffrey Paul, September 13, 2011

As almost a lifetime critic of Israel's lack of public relations skills, I have watched even more aghast than usual as Turkey's Erdogan has made the running against Israel with his portrayal of her attack on the Turkish “humanitarian relief flotilla” to Gaza as something not short of an international crime. I will concede absolutely that, confronted with opposition.

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Not in my lifetime

By Geoffrey Paul, September 8, 2011

I have always believed – sometimes, admittedly, in desperation – that what opponents, enemies even, address to each other in public does not truly reflect the life-and-death stuff of which they talk in private. Lives really depend upon this hidden intercourse.

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From Oxford to Ramallah

By Geoffrey Paul, September 3, 2011

An unexpected spanner has been thrown into the intention of Ramallah to seek recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN later this month.

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Fascinating Tosh

By Geoffrey Paul, August 31, 2011

I am ever fascinated by the world of the chassidim, especially when introduced to a dynasty of which I had no previous knowledge and which, in general, has managed to remain aloof from the outside world and struggles to keep it that way.

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An Israeli Autumn?

By Geoffrey Paul, July 25, 2011

A major dilemma is fast looming for that larger part of the diaspora which, if not subservient to the slogan 'Israel right or wrong', feels emotionally, ideologically, even, it might be said, tribally committed to total support of the Jewish State, certainly when face-to-face with a critical non-Jewish world.

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1967 and all that

By Geoffrey Paul, July 17, 2011

s'funny how everybody got uptight in May when President Obama spoke of an Israel-Palestine peace agreement based on the 1967 boundaries with land swaps (presumably to take account of some current realities). Not a few Israeli – and other - commentators saw this as some kind of sell-out of the special American-Israeli relationship.

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Steady as you go!

By Geoffrey Paul, June 14, 2011

It is depressing how all the evidence is building for a summer, autumn and winter of discontent and we, the everyday victims, have little choice but, Canute-like, to sit there at the edge of the threatening ocean of strikes and allow them to wash over us.

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Obama's major dilemma

By Geoffrey Paul, May 20, 2011

“The key problem is this: American support to the Peace Process requires American public support to Israel.  American public support to Israel infers defense commitments directed against Arab states (and Iran).  Defense commitments directed against Arab states inherently undermine the construction of a new relationship with the Arab world.”

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Dateline Washington

By Geoffrey Paul, May 3, 2011

Just as those who were around at the time recall where they were when Kennedy was assassinated, folks here in Washington DC are already exchanging details of where they were when they heard of the Osama bin Laden assassination.

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More than a few crumbs

By Geoffrey Paul, April 21, 2011

Having spent the first days of Passover in an American venue of kosher excess - 24-hour food of such variety, quality and abundance that it becomes almost impossible to accept a small portion, the wine bottles piled high with an invitation to help yourself - it came as a real shock to open the New York Times to a front page splash, based on a Census Bureau report, that the poorest village, town o

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The Fifth Question

By Geoffrey Paul, April 12, 2011

Is there no end to Jewish ingenuity (or the ability of some to see a way of making a dollar or two)?

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A view from the Grill

By Geoffrey Paul, April 1, 2011

Is it just me or is there something that smells particularly unpleasant tucked into the middle of Alistair Horne's review (published in this week's Spectator luxury supplement) of a meal in the new Savoy Grill?

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A view from the Grill

By Geoffrey Paul, April 1, 2011

Is it just me or is there something that smells particularly unpleasant tucked into the middle of Alistair Horne's review (published in this week's Spectator luxury supplement) of a meal in the new Savoy Grill?

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Only be well!

By Geoffrey Paul, February 2, 2011

Part of the post-operative recovery programme for patients in hospital has to be the care, attention and, by no means least, diet provided for their recuperation. Having been the unfortunate close-up viewer of the kosher diet provided in a leading London hospital, I can only say, if you can possibly help it, don’t opt for the meals provided by a well-known kosher caterer whose offerings, while well intended, are plainly not designed for the bed-bound patient.

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Revolution by Twitter

By Geoffrey Paul, January 26, 2011

Have we entered a new era of revolution by tweet?

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Mitigating shame

By Geoffrey Paul, January 20, 2011

Daniel Liebeskind has designed one of his most poignant memorials, a miniature in scale when compared with his Berlin Jewish Museum or his plans for the rehabilitation of the site of the World Trade Centre in New York. The “Wheel of `Conscience” as he calls it is reminiscent of a ship’s steering wheel. At its centre is a mesh of revolving gears as would be found in an engine room, individually bearing the words hatred, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism. On the reverse are the names of more than 900 German Jews who sought refuge from the Nazis in 1939 aboard the liner St Louis.

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Tunisian dominoes

By Geoffrey Paul, January 16, 2011

I have no doubt that Israeli military and political think tanks are hard at work trying to assess the outcome of events in Tunisia on such vulnerable neighbours as Jordan and Egypt and, within the same zone of influence, Libya and Algeria. There is no question at all that changes of regime in either Jordan or Egypt - unlikely immediately given the strength of their internal security forces - would have a major impact on Israel (and no less the Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza).

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No more than a nod

By Geoffrey Paul, January 5, 2011

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Isn't it quiet!

By Geoffrey Paul, December 29, 2010

There are few phone calls that matter. Almost no Spam e-mails. If you doin’t look out of the window, it’s great. There’s even time to read the stuff you would not bother with, like dear Julie Burchill in Prospect magazine. Having told the JC she has given up her column and announced that shul no longer has any appeal for her, she tells this improving journal that her New Year resolution is “Reach a reading age of 12 in Hebrew - so far, it’s five.” Why bother?

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Our man in the Lords

By Geoffrey Paul, December 17, 2010

Part of my argument for not appointing a new chief rabbi in 2013 (for which there was no room in the JC today) is that Lord Sacks’ retirement could open the way for an even larger communal role for him as Emeritus Chief Rabbi. Released from the shackles of the United Synagogue and the Beth Din and with a seat in the House of Lords, the way is open to him to become spokesman for the entire Anglo-Jewish community without regard to denomination.

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