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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
