יום שני, י״א אלול תשפ״וMonday, August 24, 2026
Follow Us
Saudi Arabia is, to use a term the royals would, “greatly displeased” with the United States. Displeased with U.S. foreign policy regarding Iran and equally displeased with the decisions the White House is making about Syria.
By dvora
The U.S. Supreme Court returned to the lower courts the issue of whether Americans born in Jerusalem may list “Israel” on their passports – a ruling that drew praise from Jewish groups. The decision delivered Monday was a success for the family of Jerusalem-born boy Menachem Zivotofsky. His family for years has sought to force the State Department to agree to state on his passport that he was born in Israel, citing a law passed by Congress in 2002.
Much of the Israeli Left – including cultural and political leaders, journalists and academics – has in recent months engaged in hyperbolic, defamatory claims that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to destroy Israel’s democracy through proposed legislation such as that aimed at modifying how Israeli Supreme Court justices are selected.
By dvora
JERUSALEM – If pro-Palestinian calls for a so-called Global March to Jerusalem are heeded, thousands of Arabs from the West Bank, Gaza, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria could converge on Israel’s borders.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, George Galloway,Sheikh Raed Salah, and former 'spiritual advisor' to President Obama Reverend Jeremiah Wright, have all volunteered their moral (and no doubt other forms) of support to ensure the success of the 'march', which is set for March 30th.
The question today is not whether Abbas is a peace partner or not. Rather, what Olmert needs to ask is whether the Abbas can deliver or not. The answer is very simple and clear: even if Abbas wanted to deliver a peace deal, he cannot. His term in office expired in January 2009, but he remained at the behest of the Obama administration. The result is that he is seen by many Palestinians as an illegitimate leader.
As one that has trained and followed rabbis throughout their careers, I can generally say that rabbis gain detractors not so much because of their sermons, vision, lectures or the like, but rather when they fail to return phone calls, when they avoid bikur cholim, and when they fail to respond to emails. One can deal with refusal, disagreements, debates and the answer 'no', but how should one deal with being totally and utterly ignored?!
It is a familiar pattern. Whenever a terrorist commits an atrocity, his apologists start blaming society or, even worse, the victims. Hence, it was not surprising that after Mohamed Merah, a French jihadist of Algerian descent, killed a rabbi and three Jewish children in Toulouse last week, some immediately blamed the Jews.
By Soeren Kern
In country after European country, the post-modern charade of the bliss of multiculturalism -- the idea that all cultures can coexist peacefully side-by-side in any given country -- is unravelling.
Ahmed Qurei and those who are working to promote the "one-state solution" ignore the facts on the ground: that the Palestinians already have two separate "states" next to Israel - one in the West Bank and the other in Gaza. They also ignore the reality that the two Palestinian entities have been at war with each other since 2007.
The actual question has almost nothing to do with the Palestinian Arabs and whether they have a state. It has to do with whether the Jews can continue to have one. There is a huge amount of human energy and financial resources that are being wasted in support of the Palestinians. It wouldn’t be necessary if the world could simply get used to the idea of a Jewish state.
Recently, the court refused to accept the deal and annulled the Benny Begin agreement. In my opinion, this is a blessing that will lead to a better outcome for this community and for the future of other such communities in Judea and Samaria. Historically, the settlement movement in Judea and Samaria has always come out stronger when obstacles are put in its way.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday on the case of Zivotofsky v. Clinton, a suit in which Naomi and Ari Zivotofsky are challenging the way the State Department may list the birthplace of their son, nine-year-old Menachem. The State Department decided that little Menachem's US passport should show Jerusalem as his birth place, without an accompanying country.
The Iron Dome Support Act (IDSA) authorizes and encourages President Obama to provide funds for the "procurement, maintenance and sustainment" of more of the anti-missile defense systems, should the Israeli government request it. The legislation was actually inspired by an op-ed by Israeli Ambassador to the US, Michael Oren, in which he wrote that "at least ten Iron Dome systems will be necessary in order to defend the whole country."
According to a Shin Bet investigation, Mohammed Merah entered Israel via the Allenby Bridge from Jordan in September 2010, before traveling on to Afghanistan,where he attended an al-Qaeda training camp. The investigation also revealed that the Shin Bet questioned Merah at the time, but having found nothing to arouse suspicion, permitted him to enter Israel.
The Shin Bet, Israel's domestic intelligence agency, has confirmed that Mohammed Merah, the man responsible for the murders of 7 people last week, visited Israel in 2010. According to a Shin Bet investigation, Merah entered Israel via the Allenby Bridge from Jordan, prior his travels to Afghanistan, in September 2010. The investigation also revealed that […]
By Barry Rubin
As the Turkish PM continues to undermine Turkish democracy, throw hundreds of moderates into jail, destroy the nation’s institutions, support Iran, throw hysterical tantrums about how much he hates Israel, promote Islamism in the region, and is fresh from yet another meeting with Hamas leaders, Obama continues to use Erdogan as his guru.
60% of Jewish Israelis also agreed with the statement that only military force could halt Iran's nuclear program, while 37% disagreed; and when asked if they believed that Israel's home front will suffer equally whether it is Israel that attacks Iran or the United States, 63% answered in the affirmative.
Israel has officially decided to end all contact and cooperation with the UN Human Rights Council and will not permit the entry of the Council's 'fact-finding' observers, after passage of a resolution calling for a probe of Israel's conduct in Judea and Samaria.
There are currently three operational and actively deployed batteries, which are meant for deployment in the south of Israel, while the fourth battery is expected to become fully operational next week, and is intended for the Tel Aviv area.
I am not particularly interested in writing another post excoriating the UNHRC or the UN itself, which is a vile institution, far less than worthless. Rather, I want to summarize some important issues about ‘West Bank settlements’ — that is, Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria — and why I support them.
The Palestinian news agency Ma'an reports that residents of the Gaza Strip mostly blame the Hamas government for their ongoing fuel crisis, according to a poll released on Saturday. According to a study conducted by the Arab World for Research & Development, 48 percent of Gazans hold Hamas responsible for the cutoff in fuel supplies […]
Israel has allowed a special transfer of fuel through the Kerem Shalom crossing, in order to accommodate the dire needs Palestinian civilians, according to the IDF Spokesperson's office. Altogether, 10 tankers will move 112,500 gallons of diesel and gasoline to a power plant in Gaza. The fuel transfer will be carried out as quickly as […]
By Rafi Harkham
Deputy FM Danny Ayalon said Israel would not be cooperating with the Council in the wake of its passage of a resolution ordering a 'fact-finding mission' into Israel's conduct in Judea and Samaria: "We have no reason to continue cooperating with a hypocritical organization which specializes in double-speak and has a mission to smear us."
By Barry Rubin
In the past, the mass media could be expected to present a debate on how to interpret this event but now all too often they give a monopoly to the whitewashers and the apologists.
Israel’s economic growth during the last five years (21%) is higher than all OECD countries, besides Turkey. Israel’s economy grew 270% over the last 20 years, while Israel’s population grew 145%. Israel’s unemployment is its lowest ever – 5.4%.
It has been widely reported that Merah, the young Islamist terrorist who killed three French soldiers two weeks ago, and four Jews at the Otzar HaTorah school in Toulouse, murdered Jews “to avenge the deaths of Palestinian children.” But NPR went one better, reporting — in the words of “All Things Considered” host Robert Siegel — that “the gunman told officials that he killed his victims in part to avenge slain Palestinian children.”
It is impossible to rely on defense alone, because Israel simply isn’t big enough to absorb the damage when the defensive systems are not 100% effective. More importantly, a strictly defensive posture has zero deterrent ability. Why not fire rockets at Israel if the worst that can happen is that they will get shot down?
By Moshe Herman
Yishai's shares his recent experiences on IDF reserve duty, the tragic murders in France and how we can fight evil. Malkah starts anticipating Pesach, Yehuda HaKohen delves into the history of Gaza. Yishai interviews ZOA Florida Director, Joe Sabag on recent legislative victories. Finally traditional Jewish values meet high tech to provide First Aid in under two minutes.
As the U.S. election season enters into high gear, an important Gallup poll released earlier this month offers Israel and its supporters much reason to cheer.
80% of all 2010 UN resolutions criticizing specific countries for human rights violations were directed at Israel. Only six other UN members faced human rights criticism at all, one of which was the United States. The HRC subjected the USA to harsh criticism – by Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Russia – for, supposed, human rights violations. The HRC criticized the elimination of Bin-Laden and Israel’s defense against PLO, Hamas and Hezbollah terrorists.
The annual number of schoolchildren visiting Israel's capital from 200,000 to 500,000 under Minister Gideon Sa'ar's leadership.
The one-state solution that the extreme left and extreme right seek is completely different: the left wants yet another Arab state in place of Israel; the right wants a Jewish state that encompasses what is now the West Bank, in place of any Palestinian state. Both are prescriptions for undemocratic disasters and for the ultimate delegitimation of Israel as the democratic nation-state of the Jewish people.
By Barry Rubin
The street thugs, fanatics, and mentally-twisted may be pulling the trigger, but the distinguished, the powerful, and the honored are providing the ammunition.
By Hillel Fendel and Chaim Silberstein / KeepJerusalem.org
Rabbi Porat oncesaid that his proudest parliamentary achievement was having sponsored and ensured the passage of a law entitled “Do Not Stand by Your Neighbor’s Blood”—rendering it a legal duty to offer assistance to someone in mortal danger. Based on a verse in Vayikra, Rabbi Porat’s law ensures that sanctity of life is a national value not only in word, but in deed.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton phoned President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting of the international Quartet scheduled for next month. Clinton's call to Abbas was to follow up on discussions between Abbas and Obama a day earlier.
A major backlash against a UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) decision to permit groups encouraging Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel to march in the upcoming Celebrate Israel Parade in New York City has led to a campaign to oust the groups from the event. “A coalition of community Jewish organizations urgently […]
Klein was discussing the upcoming Global March to Jerusalem, which seeks to breach Israel's borders while "confirming that the policies and practices of the racist Zionist state of Israel against Jerusalem and its people are a crime not only against Palestinians but against all humanity.”
Defense systems are important, just as tank shields are vital. But that is true only when we are on the offensive and focused on victory. In defensive-defeatist mode, these systems draw the end near. They are like aspirin for cancer.
On his WABC Radio show, Aaron Klein offered $50,000 to an organizer of the upcoming Global March to Jerusalem if the activist could name one city in the Middle East outside of Israel that has more freedom than Jerusalem.
European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s condemnation of the murders in Toulouse, France, on Monday was symptomatic of the problem facing Israel in the international community.
A new book by foreign policy pundit Peter Beinart, The Crisis of Zionism, seems certain to reignite the debate over President Obama’s feelings toward Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But the focus will be a little different this time around. It will be not on his exposure to the likes of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, William Ayres or Rashid Khalidi but rather on the prominent members of the Chicago Jewish community who took him under their wing.
There is no one definition of the term “pro-Israel.” It does not require anyone to be a cheerleader for Netanyahu or any other Israeli leader or party. But there are some things one cannot do and still claim to be within the pro-Israel camp. One of them is to adopt rhetoric that apes the efforts of Israel-haters to delegitimize supporters of Israel and which adopts the classic themes of anti-Semitism.
From a raucous display of affection for the Israeli prime minister to an inspiring encounter with beleaguered Israeli citizens who live near the Gaza Strip, influential evangelical leaders visiting from the U.S. this week gave the people of Israel a much needed injection of moral support.
Israel and Germany signed a contract purchasing the Israeli Navy's sixth submarine Wednesday. It is an SSK Dolphin Class submarine. Last year the newspaper The Welt am Sonntag reported that German chancellor Angela Merkel conditioned the sale of the Dolphin on Israeli concessions to the Palestinians, which Netanyahu obliged.
By Barry Rubin
In 2012-2013, the vultures in the Middle East are coming home to roost. Of course, the main cause of developments in the region is the long, failed legacy of radical Arab nationalism which is now being replaced by what we’ll be calling in 20 or 30 years the long, failed legacy of revolutionary Islamism. But the secondary cause is the mistaken policy of President Barack Obama.
By Jewish Press Staff Reporter
The bodies of the four victims of Monday’s shooting attack at the Otzar Hatorah school in Toulouse arrived at Ben Gurion Airport accompanied by ZAKA volunteers. The bodies were flown out on the midnight El Al flight from Paris to Tel Aviv.
Catherine Ashton was castigated for her remarks by officials from across Israel's political spectrum. PM Binyamin Netanyahu lambasted her, saying that it was absurd to compare the "intentional massacre of children and an execution-style killing of an 8-year-old with the IDF's defensive and surgical actions meant to harm terrorists who use children as human shields."
By Barry Rubin
True, sanctions are hurting Iran but this regime is hardly delicate and gives every appearance of using negotiations only as a stalling tactic. Anybody who thinks the Iranian regime will crack under sanctions is living in wishful-thinking world. No matter how many chances Obama gives Iran, it’s still going to go full-speed ahead toward obtaining nuclear weapons and matching them up to long-range missiles.
The Dutch government is on a collision course with the EU over Israel, and some critics warn that the position of the Dutch will isolate their country in Europe. It is, however, also possible that the Dutch are pioneers, whose example will soon be followed by others.
This is not the first time Arabs have been engaged in the destruction of archaeological artifacts in Hebron. But recent acts of vandalism have been more methodical, leading to suspicion that they are purposeful and orchestrated by an entity bent on the erasure of archaeological artifacts that testify to the ancient Jewish roots in Hebron.
From time immemorial, security fences have been built around the world - often in disputed territories to disrupt terrorists, drug smugglers, and illegal immigrants from entering. No doubt, these fences often cause difficulties for native populations in the vicinities they are built. Yet it is only Israel's barrier that arouses the conscience of sanctimonious hypocrites around the world.
Pia Levine, victim of last year's suicide bombing at Jerusalem’s International Convention Center (Binyanei Ha’uma), has rebounded from the horror with classy style. Less than two days after the 2011 attempt to end her life, she completed the Jerusalem Marathon in 2 hours and 10 minutes. She returned for this year's Jerusalem Marathon.
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued the following press release: After the appalling murders in Toulouse, the Israeli Embassy in Paris, as well as the Israeli Consulate in Marseille, have contacted the bereaved families and learned of their desire to bring their loved ones to Israel for burial. The government of Israel has therefore decided […]
By Tibbi Singer
Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who is currently on a state visit in China, attacked the controversial remarks made by EU Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton, who equated Monday's brutal murder in Toulouse with, presumably, the killings in Syria and Israeli preventive attacks on rocket launchers in Gaza.
In an interview in Ankara, Turkey, published by the Anatolia news agency on Monday, Political Bureau Chairman of Hamas Khaled Mishaal accused Israel of using the Gaza Strip as a "guinea pig" for testing its military capabilities before attacking Iran.
By Tibbi Singer
Shortly after returning from France, MK Rabbi Israel Eichler (United Torah Judaism) said anxiety surrounds the French Jewish community: "There is a constant tension, the Jewish community is living in a prison-like situation." Eichler said France poses "a great danger to Jews."
In January The Marker reported that Elbit Systems Ltd., an Israel-based international defense electronics company had won a contract worth $50 million to supply the unmanned drone Hermes 900 to an unknown state on the American continent. Now Aviation Weekly reveals it must be the Mexican government.
Ackerman was most recently involved in the successful efforts to free Israeli-American citizen Ilan Grapel from prison in Egypt on spy charges. Grapel is a constituent of Ackerman's.
Turning Jordan into Palestine would mean the loss of a moderate and rational Arab leader at a time when Islamists are rising to power in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco and Libya.
Following The Legal Forum for the Land of Israel's complaint, the Knesset's Ethics Committee rebuked MK Ahmed Tibi for praising "Shahidim" (martyrs) in one of his addresses.
Shalit announced that he would talk with them if they agreed to it, and he would even shake the hands of Gilad's kidnappers, also saying he would kidnap Israeli soldiers if he was a Palestinian. He insisted that PM Binyamin Netanyahu was not solely responsible for the release of Gilad, and charged that the PM only released his son because the polls showed that 70-80% of the public supported the deal.
By Rafi Harkham
Noted Israeli author and Israel Prize Laureate A.B. Yehoshua said that living outside Israel "is a very deep failure of the Jewish people," and lamented that immigration numbers from the United States are "minimal" and "embarrassing." He was equally acerbic regarding the large Israeli ex-patriot community.
The Republican Jewish Coalition: "Over the last dozen years of Gallup polling on this question, there has been a clear trend: Republican support for Israel has risen steadily, moving from 60% to a high of 85%, while Democrat support has been relatively flat, at around 50%."
By Tibbi Singer
the Canadian Supreme Court has accepted the appeal of Iman Musa and Majida Mugrabi, an Israeli Muslim lesbian couple who sought refugee status in Canada. The judge ordered further hearings on the request due to the possibility that they would be honor-murdered if deported to Israel
The IDF Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz concluded his official visit to Canada on Friday. Gantz was greeted by his Canadian counterpart, General Walt Natynczyk, who emphasized the importance he sees in strengthening security cooperation between the two countries. Since 2008 there has been an accelerated rapprochement between the Canadian and Israeli security establishments.
When this farce began, only a limited rural area near the Gaza Strip was being hit. Each time the range was extended there was talk that a red line had been crossed. But it is now clear that these lines in the sand had no meaning. Today over a million Israelis are in range of the weapons already launched from the Gaza Strip.
I love coffee, but I cannot drink it. This has been the case since my doctor issued the verdict last month - no coffee and no milk. I was quite disappointed to hear that as I love coffee, but I was determined to follow expert medical advice. That conviction, however, did not last more than one week into a new semester with a full course load.
The Gaza Strip is no different from the rest of the Arab world, so tribal culture is alive and kicking there. Ever since the Hamas movement took control of Gaza trip in 2007, it has transformed itself from a gang of jihadists into a ruling government, a standard Arab state. The minor movements - Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Resistance Committeess - function like tribes, challenging the authority of the state. Today, these groups are doing to Hamas what Hamas did to the PLO twenty years ago when it was in power.
A war between Israel and Iran is not something that may or may not occur in the future. It is in progress now.
By Barry Rubin
Reality: Those who are, or will soon be, governing Egypt view themselves as being at war with Israel for all practical purposes. It matters relatively little that there is still a peace treaty. In Cairo, there are no thoughts of peace.
Watch compilation of rocket attack filmed by civilians. The cease fire which was supposedly declared last Tuesday morning remains more wishful thinking than an actual cessation of violence. Or perhaps, as some experts have said, this is the Islamic Jihad's new style of hurting Israel, delivering the cuts of a thousand knives in groups of only three a day, to make any serious IDF reaction appear "disproportionate."
The IDF Spokesperson's Office reports that IDF soldiers patrolling along the Israel-Egypt border Thursday night identified a group of suspects who had infiltrated into Israel. The soldiers called on the suspects to stop, and when they failed to comply, the soldiers acted in accordance with the Army's rules of engagement. Simultaneously, shots were fired from […]
When people hear the term "lashon hara", they automatically associate it with gossip. Speaking about someone behind their back to others, usually in a manner that is denigrating and unflattering, often describing alleged activities or doings that put the subject of the discussion in a rather negative light. This is the ultimate interpretation of lashon hara.
The heading of this article is the title of Angelita Valdes’ biography written by her husband, Dr. Robert Dublin. Dr. Dublin was the physician who treated and nursed the young Filipina dancer and TV starlet back to life when she became ill with tuberculosis meningitis - a life threatening disease. Angelita Valdes’ biography is an astonishing story of an amazing woman’s life.
The threat and the ominous effects of an air attack against Iran is the pull and tug of sovereignty versus suzerainty. Is Israel an independent nation free of American influence? Does the president of the U.S. have a veto over Israeli military actions? Or is Israel free of outside influences, a state enjoined by what it believes to be its self interest?
By Moshe Herman
Before leaving for IDF reserve duty, Yishai put together a great show bringing two very special talks he gave in Canada to Jewish high school students and Canada Christian College.
A new Israeli invention is taking recycling to the extreme, turning bits found in sewage water into paper. In a report by Ynet News, Dr. Refael Aharon of Applied CleanTech explained that 10% of drainage coming out of homes through pipes is comprised of “solid substances” such as food leftovers, toilet paper, and fiber from […]
Israel’s scorching-hot desert will soon be home to massive solar energy farms, bringing Israel closer to its goal of reliance on renewable energy. The Public Utility Authority on Monday issued nine licenses to establish Israel’s first large-scale solar energy farms.
Despite the intense suffering of slavery in Egypt, it was there that Israel became a nation – not just in the spiritual sense, but in the physical sense: it was there that our numbers swelled. This is to the credit of the Jewish women, who despite their oppression at the hands of Egypt relentlessly encouraged the growth of Israel. This provides a glimpse of the greatness of the Jewish women of that generation. Likewise in our times, it is the Jewish woman’s selfless devotion to service of Hashem that builds and sustains Israel.
Netanyahu was speaking at a special Knesset session, called after 40 MKs signed a bill requiring the prime minister to give an accounting to the legislature.
This past summer, Israel made headlines for something other than the peace process or fighting terrorism when hundreds of thousands of its citizens took to the streets to protest social inequality and rising living costs.
By Jason Maoz
A little research – on the Internet or at a good public library – will yield a rich harvest of facts and quotes buttressing Israel’s case and highlighting Palestinian dishonesty and double talk.
By David Solway
In Genocidal Liberalism: The University’s Jihad Against Israel & Jews, published by the David Horowitz Freedom Center, Dr. Richard Cravatts pulls no punches, relentlessly anatomizing the pedagogic bias currently in place, which is neo-Marxist in its orientation and undeniably anti-Jewish in its expression.
In a world where nuclear weapons could soon be in the hands of a rogue nation like Iran, an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be fully justified.
JERUSALEM – Life in south-central Israel began returning to normal as the fragile cease-fire, brokered by the Egyptian military junta, appeared to take hold.
Azerbaijani National Security Ministry: "Twenty-two citizens of Azerbaijan were arrested by the National Security Ministry for cooperating with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards . . . Firearms, cartridges, explosives and espionage equipment were found during the arrest."
Israel's Army Radio cited a report in the Turkish daily newspaper Zaman as saying that Turkey has warned Iran against perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israelis or Jewish targets in Turkey. The report comes after Israel's counter-terrorism bureau on Tuesday issued a travel advisory to citizens against traveling to Turkey, due to an unspecified plan by "terror […]
By Barry Rubin
While war with Iran might eventually be inevitable and necessary, that’s not true at this moment - when Iran is far from being able to build nuclear weapons, much less deliver them on missiles. And such an operation does genuinely pose serious problems for Israel and also - even if it does not participate directly in any way - for the United States.
The United Methodist General Board of Pension and Health Benefits (GBPHB) voted unanimously againt divestment in three companies which do business in Judea, Samaria, and the Golan Heights, according to a report by the Israel Action Network, a project of the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
In response to the question of whether they would back US military action if it meant an increase in gasoline prices, a majority -53%- still expressed support for military action, while 42% said they would not.
Following reports of a ceasefire, communities in the South were hoping that life would go back to normal, but at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday a Grad rocket exploded in a parking lot in Netivot, causing damage to vehicles. One person was lightly wounded by shrapnel; 11 suffered from shock.
Terrorist injures himself trying to attack Israel. Israel treats him in hospital.
By Rafi Harkham
The resolution read, "Egypt after the revolution will never be a friend of the Zionist entity, the number one enemy of Egypt and the Arab nation." It also supported Palestinian resistance "in all its kinds and forms."
By dvora
JERUSALEM – Egypt announced that a cease-fire it brokered between terrorist groups in Egypt and Israel went into effect at 1 a.m. Tuesday, but several rockets and mortar shells fired from Gaza exploded in Israel after the announcement.
Numerous people sent me a blog post which has been reverberating around the internet -- its title translated into English; "One who believes isn't afraid" The article is about a trip to a wedding last night in Southern Israel, and how the wedding took place, under Gazan rocket fire. ....the scene was just as it […]
By Rafi Harkham and Ariel Harkham
The Iron Dome is another, hi-tech manifestation of the siege mentality that guides Israel's cultural and political narrative. From media to academia to politics, Israel’s celebration of this so-called “strategic” weapon system - that neither neutralizes its threats nor enhances Israel's geo-political position – is an indictment of the degree to which Israel has accepted this siege mentality, and of its resignation to a permanent defensive posture.
In the past, Hamas has proven that when it wants to, it can prevent attacks on Israel. It would be a mistake to allow these governments to have it both ways -- on one hand claiming they are legitimate and sovereign governments, while on the other hand avoiding responsibility for terror attacks.
August 21, 2026 
