Aryeh's Israel Outlook

[Published on Times of Israel  here  8 August '24] This Waiting Game Must End: Hit Iran at a Time of Our Choosing, on Our Terms The mood in Israel seems reminiscent of everything I’ve ever heard or read about May 1967.  (And not just in Israel but among Jews and other supporters of Israel around the globe.) We all know (hate that phrase but it fits here) that Israel’s 1967 opening military operation was and is the   paradigm of a legitimate pre-emptive defensive first strike   under the laws of war and the UN Charter, still taught in law schools (in the West, where it counts). Can anyone question that the same legitimacy applies now to a long-overdo attack on Iranian military installations, nuclear plants, and leadership – as ToI r eported  Israel is considering? Historical analogies only go so far, but… in this case there’s another element which is worth noting (which The Times of Israel leaves out in its article – David Horovitz take note?): Iran on April...

 [Published on Times of Israel here June 7 2024] Israel: Welcome (& celebrate!) the recognition of the “State of Palestine” The recent recognition of “Palestine” (without borders) by Ireland, Norway and Spain has engendered all sorts of criticism and scorn, not least by Israeli leaders, focused on how it seemingly rewards the Hamas massacre of October 7 th . There are two problems with that line of argument.  First, many counter: “Hamas doesn’t represent the Palestinians” (i.e. there are other leaders not tainted by the horrors of the Hamas attacks).  True or not – mostly not, as the PLO and Fatah, led by Mahmoud Abbas, are responsible for at least as many attacks, if not more, than Hamas – this counter-argument suggests that holding all Palestinians responsible for the Shabbat bloodbath of Oct. 7 th  is somehow an unfair form of collective punishment. Second, the reference to Oct. 7 th  doesn’t address the claims to independence of those Arabs who self-ide...

[Published on Times Of Israel  6 February '24] If the Biden administration needs to prove their pro-Palestinian bona fides, I can recommend 100 ways. Decrying a non-existent "increase in settler violence" and sanctioning individuals isn't one of them. Here's the scoop (wonder how much of this CNN , BBC , BBC World Service , Fox News , The New York Times etc. will cover?): 1. There was a 50% DECREASE in incidents of Jews "attacking" Arabs in Judea & Samaria (the "West Bank" of the Jordan River) in Q4 '23 over Q4 '22. At least get your FACTS right. 2. Many of even those "attacks" were Jews defending themselves or standing their ground, not actual "attacks". (It goes without saying, but I’ll say it here, that I & the vast, VAST MAJORITY of all Israelis condemn and oppose violence against innocent civilians whether Arab or Jewish.) 3. Israel has a police, security forces and justice system (including under the...