Why Hasbara matters

by David Isaac, Shmuelkatz.com In a recent article, Daniel Greenfield (his extraordinarily fine blog appears under the pseudonym “Sultan Knish”) criticizes “the great obsession” of the Israeli government and its defenders with “hasbara,” or PR. They’re caught up with the idea that Israel must do a better job explaining itself to the world, he says.…

Symbols and their meaning

by Michael Anbar Cultures are full of symbols. Flags, standards and banners are symbols. They are not just pieces of colored cloth, wood or metal; they symbolize armies, ideologies and nations. Idols are not deities but symbols of such entities.  The cross is a symbol, reminiscent of the crucifixion of Jesus, and so is the…

Iran’s Bushehr success

by Jerusalem Post    This Shabbat, Iran will start gearing up its first nuclear plant. Russian engineers will load nuclear fuel that has been enriched in Russia into the core of the Bushehr reactor, enabling the Islamic Republic to produce electricity within about two months. This will complete a 40-year endeavor to produce nuclear power,…

Bush's Gift to Obama

by Steven J. Rosen, ForeignPolicy.com The opening of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians, rumored for weeks, is likely to put the spotlight back on U.S. President Barack Obama’s Middle East policy. That isn’t necessarily a good thing. The Israeli public does not trust him and will be looking for signals of his intentions. If…