Blog

My running commentary on events: local, national, and international. Areas of special interest include Israel, Iraq, and dissidents in the Muslim world.

Christians Unite for Israel

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Four thousand delegates from across the country have just wrapped up the annual Christians United for Israel (CUFI) conference in Washington D.C.

No doubt some Jewish-Americans and others who generally support Israel would not gravitate towards a conference of Evangelical Christians. Valid concerns about separation of church and state and …

Time for Germany to Show its New Character

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Interesting piece in this week’s Los Angeles Times about Germany’s trade relationship with Iran.

According to this article, Germany’s industrialists and politicians “regularly advocate business with the Islamic Republic. Germany sold $4.5 billion worth of goods to Iran last year.”

Following World War II, the allies allowed many German businesses, including …

U.A.E. Sides With U.S. in Enforcing Iran Sanctions

Looks like the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally in Gulf War I and in Operation Iraqi Freedom, is joining the U.S. and allies in imposing sanctions on Iran. Apparently the small Gulf nation’s ruler, Khalifa Zayed Al Nahyan, is promising to shut down businesses in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that are funneling money …

America and Israel Must Stand Strong - American Christians, Thanks for Having Our Back

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Just spoke with a Christian friend from Florida. While discussing current news, the conversation turned to Israel, and my friend said something to the effect that, “If the U.S. turns its back on Israel, this country’s best days are behind it.”

He espoused a perspective I’ve heard numerous times from believing Christian Americans, …

Saudi Air Space to be Cleared for Israeli Preemptive Strike?

Over the weekend the Times of London reported that unnamed Saudi government officials have indicated Saudi Arabia has taken measures to enable Israel to use Saudi airspace for a preemptive strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Read about it here.

Ha’aretz reported that these claims were not accurate, however.

During a recent trip to Israel, I …

Update: Sarah Palin Gets it on Helen Thomas’s Ignorance

Thank you, Sarah Palin, for your common sense response to the ignorant, bigoted rantings of “elite” veteran journalist Helen Thomas.

If Thomas’s “perspective” is that of the intelligentsia, I’ll take Sarah’s common sense point of view, thanks.

A couple more thoughts: perhaps what is most distressing here is not that an ignorant woman spewed hatred, but …

Helen Thomas, Veteran White House Correspondent, the Face of the new Anti-Semitism

Years ago, my friend Louis Marano, himself a veteran UPI editor and reporter, explained to me that anti-Zionism is the new anti-Semitism. (The very epitome of a stand-up guy, Lou is a Christian who has a background in Jewish history and, perhaps in part because of his knowledge and also his character, has great understanding …

Update on the Flotilla Circus, it Seems Some Were al Qaeda

Surprise surprise, now that Israel has screened the supplies the flotilla people were supposedly trying to bring into Gaza, Hamas won’t let them in with the supplies. Touching, isn’t it, these Palestinian “leaders’” concern for their people? As the American Spectator’s Philip Klein notes, this is more evidence (as if any were needed) that …

War and “Peace” — Gaza Style

My latest piece, in today’s Washington Examiner, unpacks the Gaza flotilla incident. In it, I quote Ephraim Sneh, Israel’s former deputy defense minister, who when I interviewed him last week in Herzliya told me, “In the Diaspora, Jews asked for permission. We did not build a state to ask for permission [to defend ourselves].”

Hindsight …

Independent Journalist, Under Attack, Gets Mixed Signals from the U.S.

Since 2003, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, a pioneering Bangladeshi journalist who has exposed the rise of radical Islam in his country and promoted good relations between Bangladesh and Israel, has been harassed by his own government.

In the years since then, the United States government, led by Congressman Mirk Kirk (R-Ill) succeeded in pressing the government …