by David Isaac, ShmuelKatz.com “The EU position on settlements is clear: They are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace. Recent settlement-related developments, including in east Jerusalem, contradict efforts by the international community for successful negotiations,” said Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, on Dec. 9, after Israel refused to halt building…
by David Isaac, www.shmuelkatz.com “Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.” — Genesis 25:34 One can’t help but think of the Biblical story of Esau and the way he cavalierly dispensed with his birthright after…
by David Isaac, Shmuel Katz Blog “here is good reason why the Israeli government should heed Defense Minister Barak’s advice and extend a settlement freeze. If nothing else, a freeze would prove that the obstacle to Middle East agreement isn’t the settlements … but the more basic refusal of the Palestinian leadership to accept the legitimacy…
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.…
by Shmuel Katz, shmuelkatz.com For some time, I have considered writing a biography of Ze’ev Jabotinsky. Immediate preoccupations have interposed delays; but I suspect I may also have shied away from the formidability of the task. This may be the reason why others, intrinsically perhaps more qualified than I, gazing at the picture of Jabotinsky…