Ops & Blogs | The Times of Israel » Emanuel Shahaf

The end of the Iranian military option

Emanuel Shahaf — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:31:08 +0000

Now it’s official – the attempt to force Iran to give up on its nuclear program has fizzled. Peacefully, silently, democratically. After making it easy for us and letting us deal for eight years with a dream of an enemy, a nasty, provocative, ghastly looking, antisemitic, homophobic holocaust denying President Ahmedinajad, the Iranian people appear [...]

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The Arab Peace Initiative – the only game in town

Emanuel Shahaf — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 11:16:38 +0000

A few days ago at a seminar conducted by the Daniel S. Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue at Netanya Academic College, the Israel Peace Initiative (IPI) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, an attentive audience (but an uninterested Israeli public) was confronted with the sad truth: There is a full fledged peace initiative supported by the [...]

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The Israel-Asia Summit 2013 – a milestone for Israel

Emanuel Shahaf — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:25:26 +0000

May 22nd marked a milestone event in Israel’s relations with Asia: The first Israel-Asia Summit, an initiative of the Israel-Asia Center which conducted its proceedings for three days, closed after a full day of discussions and networking on the background of a gorgeous sunset on the beach of Jaffa, in the Peres Center. The conference [...]

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Muhammad al-Durrah – obsession and stupidity

Emanuel Shahaf — Tue, 21 May 2013 06:17:53 +0000

A lot of people are asking themselves if this is for real – an event that happened 13 years ago and dragged Israel’s name deep into the dirt is now being brought up again by Israel’s ever vigilant government chasing lying anti semites wherever they raise their ugly heads. What is the purpose of this [...]

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Nothing but a revolution

Emanuel Shahaf — Sat, 18 May 2013 15:19:00 +0000

It’s pretty much evident now that the path the present government of Israel is taking is not leading us to better pastures, neither in the economic and social realm nor in the diplomatic and security realm. Total cognitive stagnation is the trademark of this government’s approach to problem solving. The previous government increased the budget [...]

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The Government of Israel: Terminally muddling through

Emanuel Shahaf — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:06:02 +0000

The recent public discourse about the state budget has once again highlighted the low quality of our political leadership which is more concerned about its image than about the real implications of its policy decisions. Without a clear ideological view of his own, Finance Minister Lapid has followed the path of so many politicians before [...]

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It’s time to march on Jerusalem

Emanuel Shahaf — Wed, 01 May 2013 10:27:07 +0000

Other than a few oddballs who, every once in a while when there is a special occasion, like a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry or a noteworthy statement by this or that Arab statesman commenting about the need for a political solution of the conflict with the Palestinians, the Israel political scene [...]

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Israel at 65, land without borders

Emanuel Shahaf — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:56:55 +0000

It is widely accepted that Israel is an exceptional country but there is one thing about it which is absolutely unique: It is the only country in the world without recognized borders. Sure enough, there are countries that have border disputes with their neighbors but these disputes are over borders already recognized by the international [...]

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Obamacare for Israel

Emanuel Shahaf — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 22:58:32 +0000

More than any other thing Obama did on this visit was show us how much he cares for Israel. Anybody with eyes and an open heart will have perceived the love, empathy and concern the US President has for the State of Israel and its people. He showed these feelings in a very calm and [...]

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Arab citizens of Israel, unite!

Emanuel Shahaf — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:44:11 +0000

OK, I am being provocative here but if I was an Arab citizen of the State of Israel, that’s what I would call for now. Why is that? I don’t know if anybody really noticed, but Israel is in the process of becoming more Jewish (and less Israeli) by the day. No, I am not [...]

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Twilight’s last gleaming

Emanuel Shahaf — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:12:49 +0000

Judging by the elections results which were decidedly equivocal, Israel remains in deep denial regarding the real challenges at hand. It is amazing how the world at large with almost no exception is quite certain that peace in the Middle East remains a major issue to be dealt with, while none of the Israel’s big [...]

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Snow missiles and other grave threats

Emanuel Shahaf — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:28:28 +0000

The ToI, always quick to report news before they melt, just published an article about a M57 like, Iranian inspired snow-missile, installed on a flat camouflaged launching platform, undoubtedly as a threat right smack on top of the holiest of holies, our very own Temple Mount. How did they get it there ? The gall. [...]

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The end of peace ?

Emanuel Shahaf — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:12:00 +0000

Two, three years ago, pundits were certain that the ideology of the left, even though not yet implemented, had carried the day with regard to the political resolution of Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians. Even Benjamin Netanyahu, the main standard bearer for Israel’s right wing for many years had apparently given in and in his [...]

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Netanyahu – the beginning of the end?

Emanuel Shahaf — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 06:18:27 +0000

It might be a tad early for this column but then again, I may be right on the button. What seems to be happening is that Likud-Beytenu is steadily losing ground, at this time mainly to Bennett’s Jewish Home party. The bleeding won’t stop there. Netanyahu has clearly overplayed his cards and hubris has led [...]

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Bennett and company, an inconvenient truth

Emanuel Shahaf — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 12:21:14 +0000

The meteoric rise of the “Habeit Hayehudi” party in the polls has filled the hearts of quite a few people with hope that we are somehow witnessing a rebirth of the National Religious Party, a moderate religious party that participated in many of Israel’s governments including those formed by the Labor party in its heydays [...]

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