Israel Matters!

Israeli Freshwater Fun

When asked to associate “water” with “Israel,” most people respond instantly with “the beach!” And indeed, there are beautiful beaches up and down the Mediterranean coast with prominent stops in Ashkelon, Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Netanya, Michmoret, Haifa, and Nahariya. Eilat on the Red Sea is another hot spot for beach lovers, while those in search of spa-style revitalization know that the best choice is not Med, not Red, but Dead as in the Dead Sea. Then there is Lake Kinneret, also known as the Sea of Galilee, from which the Jordan River flows south. (more…)

The 2021 Israeli Election: Too Much Democracy?

The 2021 Israeli Knesset (parliament) election took place on March 23, yet as of the date of this correspondence, we still do not know who won. Well, actually we do know how many candidates from each of the contesting parties were elected to the Knesset, but we do not know who the next Prime Minister will be, or even if a government can be formed at all. How can this be? To understand the current political stalemate in Israel first requires understanding how Israeli elections are conducted. As we will see, a fair argument could be made that in Israel, voting is too democratic! Alternatively, one could argue that the election results are just an accurate reflection of Israel’s divided society. (more…)

Editorial – Closing the door . . .

With this, the 150th edition of Israel Matters!, your editor has decided that now is the appropriate time to suspend publication. It has not been an easy decision to make. At an average of 11 issues per year (July/August is a single edition of the Bulletin), not including special and website only editions, simple arithmetic means I have been the primary editor of the publication for more than 13 years. To put that number into perspective, a child born when I started would likely be having her/his Bat/Bar Mitzvah this year. (more…)

Iran, Israel, and More: What to Watch in Joe Biden’s Presidency

Joe Biden has vowed to reverse policies put in place by President Donald Trump on his first day in office. But on many issues important to American Jews, change may come slower, or not at all. When it comes to where the U.S. Embassy in Israel is located, for example, Biden has indicated that he has no intention to turn back the clock. On other Israel issues, change is likely but exactly what a Biden administration will try to do is not yet clear. Here’s a look at what might happen after Biden becomes president on Jan. 20, 2021. (more…)

Israel Offers Medical Aid to Lebanon, Response is Silence

The heads of several Israeli hospitals have reached out to Lebanese officials and the United Nations offering medical support to the country’s wounded.
“It hurts to see the children – little children – crying and injured,” said Dr. Masad Barhoum, director-general of Galilee Medical Center in Nahariya, Israel. “People without children – their lives destroyed in an instance. They need medical and psychological help.”
Barhoum, a Christian Arab, speaks Arabic. On Wednesday, he took to social networks and the radio appealing directly in their language to the Lebanese president and prime minister, and even Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, to allow him to help. (more…)

White House Ceremony Celebrates New Era for Israel, UAE and Bahrain

Benjamin Netanyahu has complained for years about Arab leaders telling their people one thing in Arabic and diplomats saying another to Western audiences in English.

Not on this occasion. (more…)

Israel and United Arab Emirates Strike Major Diplomatic Agreement

Israel and the United Arab Emirates reached a landmark accord sealed by President Trump that could presage a broader realignment in the region as the two agreed to “full normalization of relations” in exchange for Israel suspending annexation of occupied West Bank territory. (more…)

Why History Still Matters: The 1967 Six Day War

By David Harris, CEO of the American Jewish Committee (AJC)

Mention history and it can trigger a roll of the eyes. Add the Middle East to the equation and folks might start running for the hills, unwilling to get caught up in the seemingly bottomless pit of details and disputes.

But without an understanding of what happened in the past, it’s impossible to grasp where we are today — and where we are has profound relevance for the region and the world. (more…)