“IF ARAFAT were alive…” one hears this phrase increasingly often in conversations with Palestinians, and also with Israelis and foreigners.”If Arafat were alive, what’s happening now in Gaza wouldn’t be happening…” – “If Arafat were alive, we would have somebody to talk with…” – “If Arafat were alive, Islamic fundamentalism would not have won among … Read more
Mahatma Gandhi would have loved it. Nelson Mandela would have saluted. Martin Luther King would have been the most excited – it would have reminded him of the old days. Yesterday, a decree of the Officer Commanding the Central Sector, General Yair Naveh, was about to come into force. It forbade Israeli drivers from giving … Read more
Since Judas Iscariot embraced Jesus, Jerusalem has not seen such a kiss.After being boycotted by Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert for years, Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) was invited to the official residence of the Prime Minister of Israel two weeks ago. There, in front of the cameras, Olmert embraced him and kissed him warmly on … Read more
“I DON’T care about the principles! All that I want is that my wife can live with me and that we can raise a family!” cried out the engaging young man on the TV talk show. Sammy is an Arab citizen from Acre, studying for a doctor’s degree at Haifa University. Something terrible happened to … Read more
A FEW weeks ago, the 15th Asian games, the “Asiad”, was held in Qatar.The Israeli media treated the event with a mixture of derision and pity. Some kind of picturesque Asian circus. Our television showed an exotic horseman with a keffiyeh at the opening ceremony, riding his noble Arab steed up a steep staircase to … Read more
WHEN THE Israeli government decided, in the space of a few hours, to start the Second Lebanon War, it did not have any plan.When the Chief-of-Staff urged the cabinet to start the war, he did not submit any plan. This was disclosed this week by a military investigation committee. That is shocking. A plan is … Read more
NO ONE likes to admit a mistake. Me neither. But honesty leaves me no choice.A few days after the collapse of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001, I happened to go on a lecture tour in the US. My message was optimistic. I expected some good to come out of the tragedy. I reasoned … Read more
A FRIEND of mine, who was brought up in Egypt, took part in the interrogation of Egyptian officers captured in the 1956 Sinai war. An Egyptian lieutenant-colonel told him: “Every time David Ben-Gurion gave a speech declaring that he was holding out his hand for peace, we put our forces on alert.” And, indeed, it … Read more
DURING THE first Lebanon war, I visited Jounieh, a town some 20 km north of Beirut. At the time, it served as a port for the Christian forces. It was an exciting evening. In spite of the war raging in nearby Beirut, Jounieh was full of life. The Christian elite spent the day in the … Read more
“THANK GOD for the American elections,” our ministers and generals sighed with relief.They were not rejoicing at the kick that the American people delivered to George W. Bush’s ass this week. They love Bush, after all.But more important than the humbling of Bush is the fact that the news from America pushed aside the terrible … Read more