Good riddance to two New York Times employees. But hold your applause. Why? See here.
Category Archives: Israel
Yalla, Yahya!
You’re forgiven for not knowing that, in addition to my Agudah work and writing for various publications, I also work as a secret undercover agent for an unnamed country. After all, it’s a secret.
Until now, that is. To read about a recent escapade of mine and what it yielded, please click here.
Mr. Guterres’ Failure to Fill the Vacuum
The United Nations wasn’t birthed until June, 1945. But a “what if” scenario has been bouncing around in my head, about an imaginary U.N. in 1939.
To read about my fantasy, and more, click here.
Hopeless In Gaza
“Of course, the average Gazan doesn’t endorse Hamas…” is a well-worrn media trope. And it has long stirred a question in my mind. To read what it was, and what its answer is, see here.
President Biden Echoes the Haggadah
Something in particular struck me about President Biden’s October 10 speech about Israel.
To read what it was, click here.
It’s up to Jews from all camps to self-reflect
A piece I wrote about introspection in the wake of the recent Hamas atrocity was published at Forward, and can be read here.
Letter published in the NYT today (10/10/23)
To the Editor:
Re “Israel and Hamas Battle in Gaza as Netanyahu Warns of a Long War” (news article, Oct. 9):
Hundreds of Israelis — men, women, children, infants and the elderly — were dragged from their homes by Hamas operatives, and Israeli citizens were murdered in cold blood. Entire families were taken hostage.
Palestinians in Gaza gathered to celebrate the attacks. In the West Bank, residents danced and sang in the streets. In Beirut, children handed out candy to passing motorists and residents set off fireworks.
Whatever one’s opinion about Israel’s policies, those facts and what they say about the country’s enemies should be greatly enlightening.
(Rabbi) Avi Shafran
New York
The writer is the director of public affairs at Agudath Israel of America.
Distaste Isn’t License to Slander
I’m no fan of Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. But he doesn’t deserve to be accused of saying something he didn’t say.
As I point out here.
Surprise! Another Side to the Story
It’s always irksome when news media report one side of a story without making the effort to see if there may be (as there always is) another side. This tends to happen quite often when the story is about religious Jews.
To read about a recent such example of journalistic malpractice (and an older one), click here.
12 Angry Men (and Women)
Twelve Congressional Representatives introduced a formal resolution taking a side in the ongoing and robust debate in Israel over judicial reform.
Didn’t their mothers ever tell them not to meddle in the affairs of others?
To read why their resolution is objectionable, click here.