Comment is Free today published my piece on Chas. Freeman’s withdrawal.  I wanted to expand on a few points in it.  The NY Times characterizes Aipac’s Josh Block as saying the following about the group’s involvement in the anti-Freeman campaign: Joshua Block, a spokesman for the ...

The Israel lobby and Republican neocons have scored their first triumph of the Obama administration by derailing the appointment of Chas. Freeman as director of the National Intelligence Council. The next time anyone qvells about how moderate a Republican Olympia Snowe is just remember that it was p...

That title is strange enough, but even stranger is that Michael Totten (I enjoy calling him “Larry of Arabia”) who hosted the conference at which Abu Toameh made these remarks, took them down from his site at the Jerusalem Post reporter’s request. This, of course, piqued my interes...

It appears that many of us have had quite a bit of a weekend these past days. Sitting here in Barcelona’s airport I can look back at some very nice dinners and conversations in the company of friends and colleagues as well as the odd stroll down La Rambla. I can also look back at some nice cul...

The unthinkable happens rather frequently in Israeli politics.  Ariel Sharon weathered banishment from politics to return as prime minister.  Many Israelis thought it wouldn’t be possible considering the humiliation of Sharon’s fall from power after Sabra and Chatilla.  But he managed...

Avigdor Lieberman isn’t like you or me. Most of us go about our lives trying to follow the rules and when we break them by say, speeding or jaywalking we take our punishment and accept it. Perhaps reluctantly, but we accept it. Not so Lieberman. The laws don’t apply to him. And when he i...

Disraeli once said memorably: “there are lies, damn lies and statistics.”  But he didn’t know Avigdor Lieberman.  If so, he might’ve substituted the latter’s name for “statistics.” Avigdor Lieberman’s op-ed in Jewish Week is a tissue of lies.  There...

JTA has launched the first salvo in the Jewish war against proposed Obama intelligence appointee, Chas. Freeman.  Freeman is a friend of Obama intelligence chief, Adm. Dennis Blair, who asked the former to chair the National Intelligence Council.  Freeman’s background as former U.S. ambassad...

Jewcy is a Jewish internet portal featuring original writing about the arts, culture and politics.  When I first encountered the site I was quite excited because when it comes to Jewish media, there is very little that is hip, unconventional or provocative.  Jewcy appeared to fit that mold with bo...

Jim Kunstler writes: Dear Mr. President, you are presiding over an epochal contraction, not a pause in the growth epic. Your assignment is to manage that contraction in a way that does not lead to world war, civil disorder or both. Among other things, contraction means that all the activities of eve...