You would think it was the very least Hamas could do: provide a list of living hostages who might be freed in any deal with Israel. But apparently even that is too much, according to Hamas: On Wednesday, Israeli officials … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a slightly edited version of a previous post.] This is the second night of Chanukah, and I wish everyone a happy one. Chanukah is about a successful revolt and a miracle of light: The miracle of the … Continue reading →
It’s been about fourteen and a half months since the Israeli hostages were taken to Gaza. It has been a nightmare for their families and friends, and although there is probably some comfort in the fact that the war has … Continue reading →
Israel may be getting a big Chanukah present – and more than eight of them. There’s room for very cautious optimism: “We are the closest to a hostage deal since the last one,” Defense Minister Israel Katz told the Knesset … Continue reading →
We certainly don’t know who the ultimate winner in Syria will be. But I think we can safely say a couple of things. The first is that the situation is fraught with peril. The second is that Iran looks like … Continue reading →
No one really knows what will happen now in Syria. The Assad family has been in charge for over a half century, and now they’re gone. Some of the forces – maybe all of the forces? – vying for post-Assad … Continue reading →
There are no good guys among the factions vying for power in Syria. Here’s the situation at present, as best we can tell: Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad is nowhere to be found in Damascus, according to a source, but Syria’s … Continue reading →
[NOTE: This is a revised and expanded edition of a post first published in 2006.] Eighty-three years ago today Pearl Harbor was attacked. That’s long enough ago that only a vanishing few remember the day and its aftermath with any … Continue reading →
The body of hostage Ivay Svirsky has been found by the IDF. Svirsky was abducted alive on Oct 7, 2023, but was killed about four months later and it has been known for quite some time that he was dead: … Continue reading →
This is news: On Saturday, the sick group released a proof-of-life video of American hostage Idan Alexander, who they’ve held in captivity for over 400 days after they captured him during the massacre of Oct. 7, 2023. Alexander pushed for … Continue reading →
As usual, Glick is quite informative here:
Continue reading →I think that this might be an accurate summary: There is no question that this is a better deal and that Israel has better leverage than in 2006; there is also no question that the formula for the next war … Continue reading →