Peter Hirschberg

JERUSALEM – With the eruption of fighting between Russia and Georgia, Israel has found itself in an awkward position as a result of its arms sales to Georgia, caught between its friendly relations with Georgia and its fear that the continued sale of weaponry will spark Russian retribution in the form of increased arms sales … Continue reading “Israeli Arms Sales to Georgia
Raise New Concerns”

JERUSALEM – Shopping malls. Schools. Medical centers. Charities. Orphanages. Soup kitchens. These are the latest targets in the campaign the Israeli military is waging against Hamas in the West Bank. Israeli military officials have identified Hamas’ civilian infrastructure in the West Bank as a major source of the Islamic group’s popularity, and have begun raiding … Continue reading “Israel Targets Hamas Philanthropy”

JERUSALEM – The likelihood of a large-scale Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip has crept closer as more rockets continue to land in southern Israel and another Israeli was killed by a mortar shell, further hardening attitudes among senior ministers against a proposed truce with Hamas. Speaking to reporters aboard his plane as he … Continue reading “Attack on Gaza Looking More Likely”

JERUSALEM – "Spin" was the chorus that predictably emanated from Israel’s parliament when the office of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced last week that Israel and Syria had initiated talks ultimately aimed at reaching a peace agreement. But to reduce the renewal of peace talks between Jerusalem and Damascus, after an eight-year hiatus, to mere … Continue reading “Israel Targets Iran Through Syrian Friendship”

JERUSALEM – As Israel marks its 60th anniversary, Israelis are deeply pessimistic about the prospects of peace with their neighbors, with an overwhelming majority believing they will be at war again within the next five years. According to the April issue of Tel Aviv University’s monthly War and Peace Index [.pdf], 70 percent of the … Continue reading “Survey: Israelis Believe Another War Is Coming”

JERUSALEM – In the clearest indication yet that Israel now believes Iran’s nuclear aspirations will be curbed, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has said that efforts being undertaken by the international community will ensure that Tehran does not acquire nuclear capability. In a series of interviews on the eve of the Passover holiday, Olmert sounded the … Continue reading “Olmert: Iran Will Not Be Nuclear”

JERUSALEM – With negotiations on the Palestinian track limping along unproductively, Israeli leaders have again begun talking about renewing peace negotiations with Syria. But at the same time they are keeping a wary eye on new deployments by the Syrian military. "Israel is making every effort to get Syria back to the negotiating table," Israeli … Continue reading “Israel and Syria Flirt With Détente”

JERUSALEM – If Israeli leaders had hoped that their blockade of Gaza and the military’s early March incursion into the coastal strip might undermine support for the leadership of the Islamic Hamas movement in power there, then they will be disappointed with the findings of a recent opinion poll. The survey results will also bolster … Continue reading “Survey: Israel Strengthens Hamas Yet Again”

JERUSALEM – It was the achievement Hamas had been waiting for ever since it vanquished the Fatah movement in Gaza and seized control of the coastal strip last month. Now, the Islamic movement is hoping that the release Wednesday of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, held captive in Gaza for almost four months, will convince the … Continue reading “Hamas Hopes to Gain From Release of BBC Reporter”

JERUSALEM – Israeli commandos snatching Hezbollah operatives deep inside Lebanon. Israeli soldiers battling Hezbollah fighters in villages along the Lebanese-Israel border. Thousands of troops streaming into south Lebanon. Hezbollah rockets again raining down by the dozens on towns in northern Israel. Fighter planes renewing their bombardment of targets inside Lebanon. Just over two days ago, … Continue reading “Olmert’s War Easier to Start Than Stop”