Gaza’s withdrawal symptoms

Israel's unilateralism during the disengagement doomed the Strip

Abu Salach's little café barely qualified for the title. With a couple of plastic tables shaded from the fierce Gaza sun by a grapevine trellis, the only goods on sale were minibar-sized bottles of soda, lemonade, and plates of near-inedible hummus. But he had big plans. His neighbours in the nearby settlement of Shirat Hayam were being turfed out - hence the boost in custom from journalists and IDF spokesmen - and he was going to get back access to the stunning beach, just two minutes away.

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Sorry, they don’t all hate us

Are we becoming too sensitive about what we call ‘antisemitism'?

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Holocaust humour can be funny

Should we worry about a spate of Shoah jokes on television? Depends on their context

Humour and the Holocaust. That's a dissertation title right there. During the last couple of weeks, we have seen on our screens a few more examples of the merging of the two, a combination which many people would argue should not even exist. I'm not one of them but we'll get to that in a sec.

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Be aware: not all Israeli charities are equal

Why is one of our largest fundraisers giving money to a group that wants to erase Israel's Jewish character?

The New Israel Fund (NIF), one of the UK's largest Jewish charities, exists to promote the values of justice, democracy and equality in Israel. Unlike some civil society groups, this is not mere lip service and NIF can justly be proud of an impressive record of achievement. Their work to promote civil rights, women's rights and minority rights has secured their reputation as an anchor of Israel's voluntary sector.

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Why are we still fêting radicals?

Ministers were right to shun IslamExpo. But too many politicians still consort with extremists

There are, apparently, two ways to interpret the Hamas Covenant: "The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: ‘The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him...'"

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Be clear: dead soldiers don’t ‘come back home’

Israelis must stop pretending that bringing back soldiers' bodies is as important as freeing live captives

If words are indeed a window to the soul, then perhaps one can understand - but not justify - the murder of our language that took place last week.

"Udi and Eldad come home." This deliberate butchery of words and the cynical distortion of their meaning is an etymological-psychological symptom of the suicidal tendencies gnawing at Israel's soul, culminating in a swap of the living for the dead.

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Obama’s tarnished Israel tour

What makes Europeans love Obama is exactly what makes Israelis wary of him

Barack Obama swept into Israel this week to a fanfare of delight and a frenzy of excitement. He hugged Shimon Peres, embraced Tzipi Livni and joshed with Binyamin Netanyahu, bringing with him the sexy sparkle of a new era of American politics.

Except he didn't, quite.

Unlike the breathless welcome awaiting Obama on the European leg of his world tour, the excitement that greeted him in Israel was far more fuelled by anxiety.

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The blank cheque stops here

Rich foreign donors are going to be much more reluctant to bankroll Israel

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Corruption is undermining Israel’s democracy

My fellow citizens are losing faith in their politicians — and abandoning the ballot box

This week, we were constantly promised by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, his lawyers, PR people and spin doctors, would be the week when all the corruption accusations levelled against him would be torn to pieces. We are not talking here about Olmert allegedly trying to sell a bank to a friend, or buying a house in Jerusalem at a suspiciously low price from another friend, or getting kickbacks as Minister of Industry.

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No excuses: invest for your children

We must be prepared to fund the teaching of Jewish Studies in our schools

The increase in Jewish schooling is Anglo-Jewry’s greatest achievement in recent times, and the entire community has a stake in the system’s success. So as the Jewish Leadership Council’s Commission on Jewish Schools, which I chaired, reports this week, there will no doubt be much attention paid to the prospect of non-Jewish children entering our schools, the impact of the opening of JCoSS and the proposals for changes in Redbridge, which we highlight.

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