We saw history in the making as the crowds in Juba celebrated the declaration of independence of the new Republic of South Sudan. This independent state the size of Texas creates a precedent for the continent of Africa to break the bondage of boundaries imposed by colonial empires. We in Israel and Palestine need to
To hear some tell it, the resumption of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians means the dawn of hope in the Middle East. Others, including much of the Israeli media, discount any chance of success. The truth appears to lie somewhere in the middle.Why the talks might fail: A peace accord will entail
We appear to be on the cusp of direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Years ago, a moment like this would have seemed pregnant with hope and excitement. Today, responses to the news coverage vary between gray and blasé. At this moment it may be worthwhile to recall something of the spirit of
In his biting poem “Pink Eyeglasses,” the great Hebrew poet Natan Alterman wrote of the power of illusion to distort even the most honest analysis: “The lens gives the color and the heart follows.” During the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, all of us—and especially our leaders—need to look through
JERUSALEM – New reports must be read with care, especially in our region. Often, events that did not even take place—such as the Jenin “Massacre” of April 2002, which even Fatah now concedes never happened—fire the imagination of the media.Sometimes the opposite is true: significant developments are barely reported. For those of us trying to
