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In 2007, then-editor of Israel's far-left Haaretz newspaper David Landau implored then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to "rape" Israel. Landau told Rice that Israel "wants to be raped by the United States" into making territorial concessions to the Palestinians. Landau's statement, which was widely reported at the time, was and remains shocking. But over the past quarter-century, it has become common practice for the Israeli Left to turn to foreign governments and other international actors for help subverting democratic processes in Israel. In 1977, Israel's Left lost its political majority forever when working-class Israelis abandoned it for the political Right. Over the past 46 years, the Left has held power for a total of just under 13 years. To compensate for its loss of political power, the Israeli Left expanded the power of Israel's already powerful bureaucracy, which its members controlled. Over the past 30 years, using its control over the Supreme Court and … [Read more...] about The Israeli Left Begs the World To Protect Its Power

There was a time the International Film Festival of India took place in Delhi’s Siri Fort, and I used to walk into the nearby Upahaar Theatre because a few movies from IFFI used to be screened there. When the cinema caught fire and 59 people — many children and young adults – died, I shuddered about what would have been my fate had I been in that burning inferno. In fact, a colleague of mine from The Hindu was at the 3 pm show of Border – it was the first day of a highly publicised film – but she was fortunate to have been escorted out by a member of the theatre staff. But the others were not as lucky; they were caught on the balcony, and could have easily escaped had the exit door been unlocked. A guard had allegedly locked the door and walked out without handing over the key to his reliever! One can imagine the final moments of those who were trapped and suffocated! It would have been a horrible end. The incident happened in the middle of 1997, and a Netflix series, Trial … [Read more...] about Trial by Fire: An Eminently Watchable Netflix Series on the Upahaar Cinema Tragedy

Israel’s government, the most right-wing in its history, is barely three weeks old and already leaving its mark, quickly pressing ahead with legislation that critics fear will erode Israeli democracy . Benjamin Netanyahu has returned as prime minister, this time leading a coalition of conservative, far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. I spoke with Isabel Kershner, a correspondent in The Times’s Jerusalem bureau, about the right’s push to transform Israel. Ian: What is the new government trying to accomplish? Isabel: The right-wing parties in the coalition are all extremely ideological, and Netanyahu has made a lot of concessions to them. The new minister of national security is an ultranationalist who has been convicted of inciting anti-Arab racism. He got more authority over the police. The new hard-right finance minister is claiming more authority over Jewish settlements and civilian affairs in the occupied West Bank. Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers want more autonomy and … [Read more...] about Israel Moves Right

JERUSALEM — The Israeli police recommended Tuesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu be charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust in two parallel graft cases. The attorney general must now decide whether to indict Mr. Netanyahu, a process that could take months. Here are highlights of the conclusions presented by police investigators. Case 1000: Illicit Gifts THE ALLEGATIONS Mr. Netanyahu accepted nearly $300,000 in gifts between 2007 and 2016 from two businessmen, the Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan and the Australian billionaire James Packer — gifts that grew in “scope and frequency” after Mr. Netanyahu became prime minister in 2009. ‘A RELATIONSHIP OF BRIBERY’ Mr. Netanyahu’s relationship with Mr. Milchan “was not an innocent relationship between friends.” Rather, Mr. Milchan gave him gifts “in return for his action” to help Mr. Milchan in concrete ways, including financially. A SHARED BURDEN Mr. Milchan’s gifts to Mr. Netanyahu, beginning in … [Read more...] about The Case Against Netanyahu: Highlights From the Police Investigation

Bret Stephens: Gail, remember the old Rolaids ad that asked, “ How do you spell ‘relief’ ?” I think the answer is “m-i-d-t-e-r-m-s.” Your thoughts about last week’s results? Gail Collins: Feeling pretty chipper, Bret. The House breakdown looks like nobody’s going to be able to get anything much done, but that’s definitely not the worst possibility. And the Democrats’ 50-vote Senate protection wall seems safe, now that Arizona and Nevada were called over the weekend. Which means, thank God, that Joe Biden will be able to get judicial and other important appointments confirmed. That’s even before we see what happens in Georgia next month. Bret: If Herschel Walker loses the runoff in Georgia, I’ll be ecstatic. Simply the fact that every election denier who ran to become the top election official in a battleground state lost is a cause to uncork the champagne. Gail: Wow, you’re certainly being fair-minded. For a conservative. Bret: Um, thanks, I guess. Gail: … [Read more...] about There Are Republicans Who Feel Low After Election Day. And Then There’s Ron DeSantis.

Israel’s left-wing Supreme Court, which is currently the subject of intense debate due to a government proposal to overhaul it, issued a bombshell ruling that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must fire a key ally and party leader from his ministerial position. Ten of 11 High Court judges found it “unreasonable to the extreme” that Aryeh Deri, the longtime Netnayahu coalition ally and head of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party, should serve as health and interior minister after he was convicted of tax offenses. Deri responded that he would not go quietly. “When they close the door on us, we’ll get in through the window. When they close the window, we’ll break through the ceiling,” he said. Fellow Shas Knesset members have warned that Deri’s forced removal could trigger a major coalition crisis and the possible collapse of the government again. Shas MK Yaakov Margi said: “If Aryeh Deri isn’t in the government, there isn’t a government.” Opposition leader Yair Lapid warned that if … [Read more...] about Israel’s Left-wing Supreme Court Orders Netanyahu to Fire Key Ally

Veteran Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh died after being shot in the head Wednesday morning during Israeli forces' raid of a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, according to her employer Al Jazeera . Al Jazeera, the Palestinian health ministry, and journalists who were at the scene said Abu Akleh, 51, was killed by a live round from Israeli forces. Israel said Palestinian gunmen were likely the perpetrators. Footage of a slain Abu Akleh showed she was wearing a vest marked: "Press." Eyewitnesses told news outlets Abu Akleh was also wearing a helmet indicating she was a journalist. Al Jazeera said its producer Ali Al-Samudi is being treated for gunshot wounds to the back sustained at the same event. "In a blatant murder, violating international laws and norms, the Israeli occupation forces assassinated in cold blood Al Jazeera's correspondent in Palestine, Shireen Abu Akleh, targeting her with live fire early this morning, Wednesday, May 11, 2022, … [Read more...] about Al Jazeera Reporter Shireen Abu Akleh Killed By Israeli Fire, Network Says

“There’s an unhappy paradox about literary biographies,” David Foster Wallace observed in The New York Times Book Review in 2004, in reference to “Borges: A Life.” Readers who pick up such books, drawn by their admiration for a writer’s work, are likely to find themselves distracted and disappointed by a welter of iffy theories and picayune data. In the case of Borges, Wallace argued, “the stories so completely transcend their motive cause that the biographical facts become, in the deepest and most literal way, irrelevant.” The same can be said of Wallace himself, and, for that matter, of just about any author worth reading. The work is everything; the life is trivia. And since I’m about to praise a movie about David Foster Wallace that claims fidelity to at least some of the facts of his life, I should perhaps identify myself as a devoted nonconsumer of literary biographies, an avowed biopic skeptic and, unless someone offers me a lot of money to write one, a habitual avoider of … [Read more...] about Review: ‘The End of the Tour’ Offers a Tale of Two Davids

Israel began accepting patients Tuesday at its humanitarian field hospital in western Ukraine, where it will treat people affected by the war raging in the country. Situated in the western Ukrainian city of Mostyska and called "Shining Star," the 66-bed hospital is set to be open 24/7 and staffed by more than 60 personnel. It will be able to service 150 patients at a time and includes a triage area, an ER ward, men's, women's and children's wards, labor and delivery facilities, imaging and telehealth technologies, mental health services, a lab, a pharmacy and an outpatient clinic. The hospital is being operated by Israel's Health Ministry, Sheba Medical Center, the Clalit HMO and medical teams from other hospitals. It will not be manned by the IDF's medical corps as in previous state missions to disaster areas. The hospital was launched with an inauguration ceremony that included remarks by the mayor of Mostyska, the district head, the leader of the delegation, the hospital … [Read more...] about Israel Opens Humanitarian Field Hospital in War-Torn Ukraine

The Kremlin denied Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remark that Adolf Hitler may have had "Jewish blood." A Kremlin statement issued Thursday detailing a phone conversation between Putin and Bennett did not mention any apology. Additionally, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the leaders' talks were "exactly as disclosed" in the statement, The Cradle reported. The denial could intensify already strained tensions between Russia and Israel that stemmed from Lavrov's controversial remarks. The conflict may cause Russia to lose a key Middle East ally in Israel, which has so far taken somewhat of a mediator role in the Russia-Ukraine war by expressing support for Ukraine while refraining from publicly criticizing Moscow. Lavrov made the comments during an interview with the Italian news channel Zona Bianca on Sunday. He compared Ukrainian President Volodymyr … [Read more...] about Russia Tensions With Israel May Intensify as Kremlin Denies Putin’s Apology