Alan Elsner

Apply for a Blog

Apr 3, 2019, 11:03 PM

In Israel debate, don’t let extremes drown out moderate center

In recent years, it has become almost impossible to have a calm, rational conversation about Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Partly this is because the subject has always been freighted with strong emotions for all sides. Making it worse,...

Dec 5, 2018, 10:19 PM

Israel’s Drive to Redefine Anti-Semitism is Dangerous

In responding last week to the online hospitality company AirBnB’s decision to delist about 200 rental properties located, Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan called the move not merely regrettable or mistaken but ‘the modern form of anti-Semitic...

Aug 15, 2018, 4:31 PM

Who will be stopped at border next? Will it be me?

The first time Israeli border security officers, stopped a pro-peace activist trying to enter Israel for questioning about their political views, it might have been excused as a lapse of judgment by a low-ranking official. But then came the second,...

Jul 9, 2018, 7:34 PM

The false logic of slashing funds for Palestinians

Palestinian refugee children seen inside their family's house in an impoverished area in Gaza City on January 17, 2018. (Flash90/Wissam Nassar)

The cuts will mainly affect the innocent and peaceful, while money to so-called 'martyrs' will keep flowing

Jun 7, 2018, 8:14 PM

Why is Israel Hugging Hungarian Strongman Viktor Orban?

In recent months, we have witnessed a strange and disturbing phenomenon: Israel’s top officials, from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu down, going out of their way to embrace Hungary’s authoritarian strongman, Viktor Orban, a man whose party has used clear...

Apr 25, 2018, 4:50 PM

Israeli Response to Natalie Portman Reveals Disturbing Truths

The semi-hysterical response by some Israeli officials to Natalie Portman’s decision not to travel to Israel to accept a prize has revealed the widening gap between the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and a substantial portion of the American-Jewish community. Infrastructure...

Feb 9, 2018, 1:30 AM

Trump should listen to urgent Gaza warning

Illustrative: A Palestinian stands outside the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 16, 2015. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

The dire humanitarian crisis in the Strip poses a severe security risk to Israel

Nov 28, 2017, 7:06 PM

Fixing Israel’s Relationship with American Jews

Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin had some interesting and important observations to make recently on the need to reset the relationship between his country and the American Jewish community. As reported by Times of Israel, Rivlin spoke "against the backdrop of an ongoing...

Apr 15, 2016, 7:07 PM

Time to Put an End to Our Culture of Victimhood

An interesting thing happened the other day when Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders vastly overstated the number of Palestinian fatalities in the 2014 mini-war between Israel and Hamas. Though Sanders quickly corrected himself, this did not stop former Israeli ambassador...

Mar 17, 2016, 7:43 PM

US Jews Should Reject Trump’s Candidacy

The growing possibility that Donald Trump will be the Republican presidential nominee is stirring a debate within the American Jewish community about how to view his candidacy, particularly in the light of his upcoming address to the AIPAC policy...

Load more

About Me

Alan Elsner, a former Reuters journalist and author, is Vice President for Communications at J Street, a pro-Israel, pro-peace advocacy group. He is the author of four books including two novels. Elsner is a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen who lives in Rockville Maryland. His posts at Reuters included Jerusalem correspondent, Chief Nordic Correspondent, State Dept. correspondent, chief U.S. political correspondent and U.S. national correspondent.