Iran has been working on its nuclear weapons program for years. The west has been trying to convince Iran to back off its nuclear intentions for years. Through diplomatic efforts and through increasingly severe sanctions, the west has been trying
For 4 decades America could count on Egypt as a reliable ally in managing Middle East affairs. For 4 decades American military aid guaranteed Egyptian government would stick by its western allies. Well that chapter in history is over and
2011 saw some world pillars toppling down. Dictators have fallen in the Arab world as people were hoping for a better future. Prime Ministers have fallen in Europe as its currency plunged into crisis. An earthquake and tsunami pummeled Japan,
Egypt is caught in yet another round of violence as protesters refuse to leave Tahrir Square. This time around, the revolution square is dominated by secular youth. Those same people that took to the streets in Egypt a year ago
Not since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War has the Middle East experienced such radical change. Dictators have fallen in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen; Syria is suffering civil war; and rebellion is cooking in
As Egypt approaches its first post revolution elections on November 28th, Tahrir Square is on fire again. Violent clashes erupted as protesters demand the Military Council step down and hand over authority to a civilian body. Feeling the revolution has
As NATO formally ended its military campaign in Libya, Al Qaeda flag was proudly flying on Libyan roof tops. It was not flying just on ordinary roof tops – it was seen flying on the roof of Benghazi’s courthouse, the
As the world is playing catchup with the events in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and other Arab Spring focal points, Iran is very busy. Trying to keep people oppressed in light of Arab Spring revolutions surely keeps the regime in
It’s been 8 months since Arab Spring revolution swept Egypt and led to the end of Mubarak’s regime. The uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February has hammered the economy and sparked a wave of sectarian and other violence that
Tunisia is where the Arab Spring revolt began. It is also the first country to go through elections post its Arab Spring revolution. And who is about to win a land slide victory in this election? The Islamist party of
This is a special day in Israel. 5 years ago Gilad Shalit was just a regular soldier doing his job in the IDF. In the last 5 years he spend in Hamas’ captivity, Gilad Shalit became an icon, he became
The last decade was dominated by the war against terror. Throughout the post 9/11 era, Al Qaeda and the threat of Islamic terrorism have played a central role in defining Washington’s diplomatic agenda. Terror has become a global concern and
8 months ago civilian struggle erupted in Syria and Libya. While so far, western countries were not able to pass any serious resolution about Syria’s civil oppression, Libya is a different story. Concern for Libya’s oil reserves led NATO to
Much has been said about the Arab Spring we’re witnessing in the Middle East and Northern Africa. The winds of change bring about promise of democracy and freedom for a region that has long been living under dictatorship regimes. But
September 20th has come and gone and the issue of a Palestinian state was one of the main issues of the UN’s General Assembly. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian leader Abbas have traveled far to address their local crowd. They
It’s summer time and it’s the high season in the beautiful resort town of Eilat. Sadly, the peace and quiet of the southern most city in Israel, was abruptly broken today as a chain of terror attacks claimed the lives
Osama Bin Laden was a wanted man well before the 9/11 attacks, before the attack on the USS Cole and before the US Embassy bombings in east Africa. Bin Laden was first named a wanted man in 1998 by no
2011 has been an eventful year – too eventful some would say. It seems the world is losing its balance – as dramatic events unfold one after another, we are unable to maintain focus and solve the issues at hand.
Unless there will be another delay, this week a group of boats carrying determined activists (and probably some terrorists as well), will try to break the siege on Gaza. From their talk you’d think Gaza is the center of injustice
As border demonstrations occurred for the 2nd time along the border of Syria and Israel it becomes clear that the Palestinians are pawns in the hand of Syria, Iran and Hezbollah. With internal protests refusing to dwindle down in Syria,
Through its 63 years of war and peace – Israel has shown once and again its willingness to go very far for peace. Israel is willing to give up significant land in exchange for true lasting peace. Over the last
The bloody events of the so called “Nakba Day” have been planned for a while. For months now the 3rd Palestinian Intifada movement has been promoting their anti Israel event on May 15th. At noon today after a 63 seconds
As the largest state sponsor of terror, no one expects Iran to applaud the killing of Bin Laden but as usual Iran supplies us with imaginative headlines. “Bin Laden died well before US’ raid” Iranian Intelligence Minister claimed. Countered terrorism
On the background of the reconciliation agreement with Fatah, Hamas showed the world its true colors once again. While the free world applauds the successful operation which finally put down the world’s number 1 terrorist, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh
As the Middle East changes on a daily basis it’s hard to observe how events are impacting surrounding countries. But it seems the events are boosting Iran both in terms of its regional impact as well as its race to
A few days ago I met Minister Benny Begin and interviewed him for Giyus.org. In light of the swift turn of events in the Middle East, Minister Begin was able to crystallize the main issues with cutting clarity. From the
For years those that support Israel have felt that the UN’s treatment of Israel is unjustified. Israeli leaders have complained again and again that the UN is biased against the Jewish state, that it judges almost every action of Israel
There are unwritten rules of engagement which create the fragile balance between Israel and Hamas. Over the last few weeks, Hamas has intentionally increased the flames. Little by little with longer range Grad rockets on Beer Sheva or Ashkelon, with
A recent survey showed 1/3 of Palestinians support the attack in Itamar in March, in which an Israeli family of five was murdered while sleeping. The fact that such hateful act is supported by 1/3 of the people is a
So much has happened in the Middle East over the last few months that it’s been hard to keep up. Freedom is addictive and the domino effect in the Middle East is strong. People have paid dearly for freedom and
It may be too little and too late but Judge Goldstone has cleared Israel and the IDF from the war crimes allegations as per the Goldstone report investigating operation Cast Lead in Gaza. In September 2009, the UN Fact-Finding Mission
Since this wave of revolutions began in the Middle East thousands of people have lost their lives in their fight for freedom. Leaders of countries like Egypt, Syria, Lybia and Iran have shown little mercy to their people’s right for
It seems that where ever you look in the Arab world you see a revolution these days. The Middle East is changing in front of our eyes. History is in the making. Often in times of change antisemitism raises its
As Gazans are trying to find the courage to stand up to Hamas and demand freedom and basic human rights Hamas is responding with more violence. On Saturday a gathering of students in Gaza held a protest calling for unity
March 15th in the open waters of the Mediterranean Sea – an innocent looking commercial ship flying a Liberian flag is stopped by the Israel navy. The operation was approved by PM Netanyahu taking into account confirmed reports that the
In his novel Anna Karenina acclaimed Russian writer Leo Tolstoy says “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” Well after a weekend of horrors there are many unhappy families on the planet today.
For all the noise the Boycott Disinvestment Sanctions (BDS) movement is making lately it seems they are (intentionally?) forgetting to mention a tiny fact – it is illegal for US firms to boycott Israel and you could face up to
Amnesty International, an organization lauded for promoting human rights worldwide, has a strong and consistent track record of calling for UN arms embargoes on governments that violate human rights abuse. As protector of human rights, Amnesty understand the merits of
Hamas has been quite busy lately. Last week, after 2 years of relative calm, a long range Grad rocket exploded in Beer Sheva. The rocket landed in a courtyard near a villa at about 8.45 p.m., causing extensive damage to
In the Middle East, the threat map is always changing. Giyus.org invited Dr. Efraim Sneh, former Deputy Defense Minister, to talk about the current threats Israel faces. We met Dr. Sneh a few days before the riots in Egypt erupted.