Two of the most well-spoken public figures in Israel are MK Ahmad Tibi and former settler leader Dani Dayan. Dr. Tibi is known to lecture to the Knesset plenum in prose, and is considered one of the MKs with the best command of the Hebrew language. Dayan, on the other hand, has the uncanny ability to make even the most die-hard two-state advocate question their political belief system. But just because two people are elegant and gifted orators doesn't mean they can't get into an old fashion, tit-for-tat Twitter battle -- and that's exactly what happened today. I've translated the…

The lethal attack on an Egyptian military outpost, in an attempted incursion into Israel, is another reminder of the terrorist infrastructure in the Sinai Peninsula. This infrastructure was built in part on the basis of the Gaza-Egypt-Israel smuggling industry, which is fueled by the massive restrictions on movement and trade imposed on the Strip by Israel and Egypt. On Sunday evening, terrorists attacked an Egyptian military outpost in the Sinai Peninsula, near the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings, connecting Egypt with the Gaza Strip and Israel respectively. Fifteen Egyptian soldiers were killed in the attack, in which assailants seized…

Every terror attack brings back the horror of all the others that preceded it. The bomb that exploded a bus full of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last night is beyond horrific – it is a physical, emotional and psychological nightmare. For the Israeli and Bulgarian families of the dead, the nightmare will never end. The rest of us revert to the state of incomprehensible shock and sadness, as our minds play out the endless loop of scenarios in which it could have been us – the process that was the norm during previous waves of violence. Needless to say any attempt…

I went for a walk along the shore yesterday evening, just shy of a stunning sunset. Late-Friday afternoons are essential to understanding Israel, and Tel Aviv in particular; there is a shared serenity that lulls the residents. Everyone can share in the calm and natural beauty of the sea: it's free. ******* As I walked south towards Jaffa, a girl was handing out flyers. Something about her seemed a little apologetic, or perhaps almost hopeful. On impulse, I took the flyer and walked on, preparing to stuff it into my pocket after I had passed her. In those paces, I…

In characterizing all non-violent Palestinian measures as terrorism, Israel insults the memory of victims of real acts of terror. By Lara Friedman Yesterday was Yom Hazikaron, Israeli Remembrance Day. Every year on this day Israelis stop to remember their fellow citizens who have given their lives for the sake of Israel, whether in wars or at the hands of terrorists. On this day, Israelis think a lot about terrorism. Israelis have a uniquely personal and painful understanding of what the word means.  Exploding packages and buses leave an indelible mark on any person possessing the eyes to see, the ears…

The Knesset is outlawing Nazi references, but stupidity is still legal. [Likud MK] Danny Danon - דני דנון I held an emergency meeting in the Knesset on the Thailand travel warning for Israeli tourists. The Counter-Terrorism Bureau clarified that there are still high alerts. I decided to send a public letterthrough Chabad and other Israeli tourist connections, warning all Jews and Israelis traveling in Thailand. "Israeli hikers can help in identifing potential terrorists, and to asisst in this I distributed a sketch of the terrorist who is currently roaming freely in Thailand."  

Foreign Policy’s piece about Israel’s false flag activities reminds us that Israel has been supporting terrorists for a long, long time Mark Perry’s piece in Foreign Policy detailing how Mossad agents recruited terrorists in Pakistan – members of the Jundallah organization – to carry out attacks in Iran is getting plenty of attention. Of course, that’s not how the story is framed: Oriented to the American public, its focus is on the fact that Israeli agents did as best they could to frame the US in their acts. But if you have a broader outlook than that of the Beltway…

Are you an IDF soldier? Are you also right-wing? Would you like to sabotage IDF jeeps, communication systems and other gear to prevent the demolition of illegal outposts? Here's how! The right-wing news portal The Jewish Voice (tagline: News for Happy Jews") has published a pretty useful list of ideas for pro-settler soldiers to sabotage army gear, vehicles, communications and so on and so forth (see below), to upset the army's operations to evict illegal outposts in the West Bank. The fact they couldn't care less that the gear they're sabotaging is there, ostensibly, for their own protection, goes without…

When I speak in Europe or America, there is one question I always know is coming: Why don't Muslim religious leaders condemn violence? I try to explain that even though the western media doesn't report on them, they do exist. There are many Muslim leaders who speak regularly against violence and present Islam as a religion that supports peace and coexistence. Last week, I co-organized a weekend in Istanbul with 120 of these Muslim leaders, with a focus on the future of Afghanistan. They tackled hot issues like violence, peace, the misinterpretation of Islamic texts and the role of Muslim…

This picture was posted, along with several others, on the right-leaning citizen journalism site Rotter.net. It was taken at a memorial evening for Rabbi Meir Kahane, held openly in Jerusalem and attended by well over 1,000 people. The slogan on the back of the shirt reads "Price Tag." Below is the context of the pic: The military issue M-16 would most likely mean that the man in the picture is either a conscript or a reserves soldier. It's unclear if the man is an actual Price Tag member/activist or simply signals his support. But the picture still aptly illustrates that…

I'd really like to come up with a more charitable explanation for the following headline, but so far, no luck. Israel's leading news site, YNET, chooses to highlight the story of one of many prisoners getting an early release as part of the Schalit deal by stressing that the prisoner - a Palestinian - will get out before his accomplice, a Jew. The tone seems to imply that such a reversal of the accepted privilege hierarchy is inconceivable enough to be newsworthy: Translation: "The Arab Is Out, the Jew is in Jail. The terrorist who murdered Claude Knap will be…

Eight Israeli civilians and soldiers were killed on Thursday and several scores were injured in a series of incidents in the south of Israel, several Palestinians were killed from IDF bombing in the Gaza Strip. Seven of the attackers were also killed after firefights. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said attacks "originated" in Gaza via Sinai, and Israel will respond with full force. J14 weekend rallies cancelled, "silent march" to be held instead. The spate of attacks began at noon Israeli time, when a group of gunmen ambushed a public transport bus carrying passengers from Beer Sheva to the southern…