Steve Sheffey, at The Blogs

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Apr 21, 2023, 7:58 PM

Book Review: Impossible Takes Longer

“The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer.” Daniel Gordis takes the title of his new book, “Impossible Takes Longer,” from a saying popularized in Israel by Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion (the saying predates...

Mar 27, 2023, 6:41 PM

Horizon of Hope

These are difficult times for Israel’s dreamers. It’s hard to believe in our dreams when the political situation in Israel is so dire. But despondent as we are, abandoning our dreams is not an option, so I sought advice from...

Feb 14, 2023, 12:06 AM

How Not to Define Antisemitism

Studies show that amateurs and professionals rate older, more expensive wines higher than lower-priced wines yet rate wines differently in blind taste tests. They are not lying when they rate higher-priced wines higher--knowing the price makes it genuinely taste...

Dec 16, 2021, 5:12 PM

Twelve tribes, two peoples, one land

You cannot begin to understand Israel and the Palestinians without understanding the diversity of Israeli and Palestinian society and the divisions within each society. A good place to start would be by reading Twelve Tribes, Promise and Peril in...

Oct 4, 2021, 9:04 PM

When Rabbis Bless Congress

The Constitution guarantees separation of religion and state, so what is God doing in Congress? Howard Mortman answers that question and more in his fascinating and entertaining compendium of Jewish prayers on Capitol Hill, When Rabbis Bless Congress. Congress opens...

Jun 24, 2021, 7:01 PM

Combating BDS? Not really.

The Combating BDS Act, recently reintroduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Joe Manchin (D-WV), is both inconsequential and dangerous: inconsequential because it is an unnecessary, toothless attempt to counter the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel,...

Feb 20, 2021, 12:17 AM

The conflict over the conflict

College students, parents, anyone concerned about the Israel/Palestine campus debate, and anyone wondering about the IHRA definition of antisemitism owe it to themselves to read The Conflict Over the Conflict, by Kenneth S. Stern (New Jewish Press, 2020). Stern is...

Dec 13, 2020, 5:44 PM

Rev. Raphael Warnock is pro-Israel

Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock is pro-Israel. If the test is whether a candidate criticizes certain Israeli government policies, then half of the Israeli electorate would fail. The test is what a candidate proposes to do about...

Nov 23, 2020, 6:45 AM

Warnock and Israel: Setting the Record Straight

Control of the Senate depends on two Georgia Senate races. If Democrats win both seats on January 5, the Senate will be tied 50-50, and Kamala Harris will have the deciding vote. This race is more important than the...

Oct 29, 2020, 2:05 AM

The GOP is Singing the Wrong Tune on Anti-Semitism

Since World War II, both political parties have avoided using anti-Semitism in their discourse. From time to time, certain isolated exceptions emerged, but those candidates did not reflect the mainstream views of their party. This remains true of the...

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About Me

Steve Sheffey is active in the national Jewish and pro-Israel political communities. His weekly Pro-Israel Political Update is read by thousands of subscribers across the country and around the world. The views he expresses on this blog are solely his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organizations he is or has been associated with.