Israel is on the brink of striking a deal with Hamas. After more than a year of on-and-off negotiations, hours ago came the news that Hamas’s military leader, Mohammed Sinwar, had approved the agreement. The deal is complicated and is structured in three phases over a 42-day period. In the first phase, which can begin…
Among many other time-tested attributes, the Jewish people have a long memory. Aid us in the manner of the ancient Persian King Cyrus, and we will remember you forever fondly. Cross us as Seleucid King Antiochus IV did, and we will curse you every Hanukkah. Our talent for remembering is particularly salient today after the…
Though many of the most famous Christmas songs—”White Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” to name just a few—were written by Jews, Yuletide was never a very bright time for Jews. In contrast to my college roommate who decorated his Christmas trees with dreidels, the vast majority of Jews regard December 25 with…
Sixty-two years ago, cinemas were filled with audiences watching the epic film Lawrence of Arabia. Although today’s audiences would undoubtedly find the film, saturated with Middle Eastern stereotypes, politically incorrect, Lawrence can help us understand the incredibly complex situation in Syria today. Released forty-six years after the events it depicts, Lawrence of Arabia gives us a clear picture…
Last month, as Syrian rebels advanced on Damascus, the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France jointly called for an end to the fighting. “We urge de-escalation by all parties and the protection of civilians and infrastructure to prevent further displacement and disruption of humanitarian access,” they declared. “The current escalation only underscores the urgent need for…
Twice a week, Dr. Michael Oren and I get together to record a new podcast episode of Boundless Insights that aims to make sense of the headlines affecting Israel and the American Jewish communities. Recently, we addressed the question, “Is Israel winning the war(s)?” The answer to that question, as Michael put it, “is dependent on how…
The IDF has acted swiftly and effectively in responding to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. It has bombed Assad’s chemical arsenal, destroyed his armored and missile forces, and sunk his navy. Israeli troops have reoccupied the buffer zone around Quneitra and retaken the Syrian Hebron. These measures greatly reduce the risk of…
While Iran battles Israel directly or through its proxies, another, more discreet but no less fateful war is raging throughout the region. It is a war with deep historical resonances, a war so potentially destabilizing that even the most dispassionate observers hesitate to revive its name. Read More
Dear Clarity reader, A little more than a year and 81 articles ago I opened Clarity. With your support, we quickly became one of the largest Substacks in Israel. Clarity is where I share my honest – and sometimes controversial – perspectives, free from censorship or special considerations. Here on Clarity, I have a community of readers who value my most sincere,…
President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration this January will signal a tectonic shift in American foreign policy unmatched by any since Ronald Reagan’s swearing in 43 years before. With his understanding that diplomacy, to be effective, must be backed by power, Reagan succeeded Jimmy Carter who acted as if words alone could prevent the overthrow of the Shah of Iran…
