Latest Article from Michael Freund

America's curiously selective moral calculus vis-à-vis Israel

July 22, 2014  •  The Jerusalem Post

With a predictability that is rapidly becoming mind-numbing monotony, various US officials from the president on down have been stressing the need for Israel to exercise restraint in its counter- terror operation in Gaza so as to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties.

In addition to President Barack Obama, this concern has been voiced in recent days in one form or another by none other than US Secretary of State John Kerry, US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, as well as the spokesmen for the State Department and the White House.

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Latest Article from Michael Rubin

Time for an Anwar Sadat Moment in the Middle East

July 19, 2014  •  The National Interest

As Israel launched a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip, diplomats across the globe redoubled efforts to restore calm. Jordan called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. Egypt and Qatar sought to broker a truce. On July 16, President Obama embraced "diplomatic efforts to restore the cease-fire", and the following day, Secretary of State John Kerry cancelled an appearance at a Washington synagogue in order to consult with his international counterparts about the growing crisis. With violence flaring and diplomats scrambling, it's déjà vu all over again in the Middle East. Operation Protective Edge has simply become the sequel to 2008-2009's Operation Cast Lead or, for that matter, the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war.

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Latest Article from Judith Miller

The risks of Israel's Gaza incursion

July 18, 2014  •  Fox News

While Israel has demonstrated enormous strategic patience with Hamas' over 1,500 rocket attacks which sent some two-thirds of Israelis into bomb shelters, the potential cost to Israel of even a limited ground incursion in northern Gaza -- the death of more Palestinian civilians, the loss or kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, and a further erosion of Israel's international standing -- could be high.

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Latest Article from Jeff Stier

Iowan's USDA appointment raises concern

July 18, 2014  •  The Des Moines Register

The appointment of Iowa's Angela Tagtow, a controversial "environmental nutritionist" and local food activist, to head the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion is causing more headaches for the agency, already facing criticism about politicization of federal nutrition advice and its consequences for public health.

By using the government's official dietary guidelines as a tool to advance her well-established environmentalist agenda, Tagtow would undermine the USDA's mandate — to provide families with science-based, impartial nutrition advice.

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Latest Article from Ilan Berman

Iran Won't Slow Down On Ballistic Missiles

July 18, 2014  •  USA Today

With time for nuclear diplomacy between Iran and the P5+1 nations (the U.S., UK, Russia, China, France and Germany) running out, and with the White House scrambling to cobble together some sort of deal with Tehran, it's perhaps not surprising that Pentagon's latest annual assessment of Iran's military capabilities has so far garnered little attention, either within the Washington Beltway or outside it.

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Latest Article from Asaf Romirowsky

Understanding UNRWA

July 17, 2014  •  The National Interest

The Palestinian refugee issue has been around since 1948. UNRWA, the United Nations institution dedicated to their preservation, has been in existence since 1950.

With the recent re-approval of UNRWA's mandate for more than three years, it is worth asking: how long have Western policy makers understood that UNRWA was a tool for Palestinians and Arab states to perpetuate the "refugee crisis" and that Palestinians would never accept anything except repatriation to Israel, an attitude that guarantees hostilities in perpetuity? The answer is, since the beginning. That is why after more than sixty years, British diplomatic documents on UNRWA and the Palestinians are still classified by the Foreign Office.

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Latest Article from Clifford May

Separating cause and effect in the Middle East

July 16, 2014  •  The Washington Times

JERUSALEM | "The Palestinian Rothschild" is just one of Munib al-Masri's colorful nicknames. A longtime adviser to Yasser Arafat, the now-deceased Palestinian leader, he is today an 80-year-old billionaire with interests in everything from telecommunications to construction to agriculture. The patriarch of a large and distinguished family, he lives in an elegant West Bank mansion inspired by Palladio's Rotonda in Vicenza, Italy.

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Latest Article from Soeren Kern

British Jihadists, Sharia Finance and "There is No Life Without Jihad"
One Month of Islam in Britain: June 2014

July 15, 2014  •  Gatestone Institute

Islam and Islam-related issues were omnipresent in Britain during the month of June 2014. They can be categorized into three broad themes: 1) The British government's growing concern over Islamic extremism and the domestic security implications of British jihadists in Syria; 2) The continuing spread of Islamic Sharia law in all aspects of British daily life; and 3) Ongoing questions of Muslim integration into British society.

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Latest Article from Jonathan Schanzer

Friendless in the Middle East

July 15, 2014  •  Politico

One week after the start of Israel's "Operation Protective Edge," also known as Hamas' "10th of Ramadan War," Washington is looking on helplessly. President Barack Obama offered to mediate a ceasefire last week, but the move fell on deaf ears—on both sides. Secretary of State John Kerry then made a surprise visit to Cairo on Monday in a bid for calm. Egypt soon announced a ceasefire, which was to have taken hold this morning at 9 a.m. The Israelis agreed to the terms, but Hamas balked, claiming it was never even consulted. Rockets continue to fly out of Gaza, and Israeli warships continue to pound targets in the Hamas-controlled enclave.

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