Indonesia And Israel: A Relationship In Waiting
Indonesia has faced much the same obstructions in developing its nascent relationship with Israel as have all the other Muslim-majority nations of Asia. While not inherently antithetical to Israel, Indonesia clearly places a higher value on avoiding trouble with radical Islamist elements at home than it does on normalizing relations with far-away Israel.
Japanese-Israeli Relations, The United States, And Oil
The article surveys Japan’s attitude toward the Jews and Zionism beginning with the positive phase in the 1920s and 1930s. It describes the subsequent negative effect of the oil factor on Japanese-Israeli relations, and the improvement in these since the fall of the Soviet Union, the first Gulf War, and the Madrid Conference. The key change for Japan was the decision by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Gulf States to abolish their indirect boycott of Israel in September 1991. The fact is underlined
The Quest for Democratic Political Reforms in the Middle East and the Prevailing Arab Political Culture
President Bush’s perception of democracy as being at the forefront of American foreign policy is a change from the traditional U.S. policy in the Middle East of realpolitik – supporting the stability of friendly leaders no matter how autocratic they are. The fundamental political culture of Muslim Arab societies is based on the unquestionable sovereignty of God, and democracy and popular sovereignty, in its Western sense, appear to be contrary to this concept.
Joel Fishman on Europe’s Crumbling Myths: The Post-Holocaust Origins of Today’s Anti-Semitism
Europe’s Crumbling Myths: The Post-Holocaust Origins of Today’s Anti-Semitism by Manfred Gerstenfeld
Reviewed by Joel Fishman
The NGOs, Demolition of Illegal Building in Jerusalem, and International Law
Various nongovernmental organizations accuse Israel of abusing the Arab population of East Jerusalem by demolishing their illegally built (unlicensed) homes. These NGOs claim to be acting as the world’s conscience and proclaim the objectivity and accuracy of their reports. Using the idiom of international law, these NGOs have inflicted lasting damage on Israel’s reputation.
The Deep Roots of Anti-Semitism in European Society
The resurgence of European anti-Semitism after the Holocaust suggests that it has deep roots in society. It has been fostered in a great variety of ways by so many, for such a long time, in all European countries that one might consider this form of hate and discrimination as inherent to European culture and a part of European "values." New European anti-Semitism often originates from a young age, which indicates that it is an anti-Semitism of the future rather than of the past.
Manfred Gerstenfeld on Poison: Modern Manifestations of a Blood Libel
Poison: Modern Manifestations of a Blood Libel by Raphael Israeli
Reviewed by Manfred Gerstenfeld
Jews against Israel
Anti-Semitic attacks on Israel by Israelis and Jews are frequently indistinguishable from those by gentiles. Among the specific aspects in the anti-Israel writings of some Jews are the use of their family’s Holocaust experiences, their references to being Jewish or an association of some kind with Israel.
How Egypt Molded Modern Radical Islam
The basic ideology of political Islam – which was adopted later by all radical groups – finds its origin within Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. During the 1940s the Muslim Brotherhood turned into a powerful extra-political force, leading a campaign of violence and assassinations that eventually brought about the Free Officers revolution in 1952, thus ending the sole liberal experience in Egypt’s history.
Will Washington Support Democracy in Iran?
After a first term marked by schizophrenic Iran policy initiatives, the Bush White House will soon develop a coordinated policy to promote peaceful regime change in Iran. The Bush administration is heartened by the apparent success of the Iraqi election and believes that Iranians are ready to exert their democratic rights.
The Palestinian “Temporary Cease-Fire”: Israel’s Political Risks and Opportunities with the Sharm el-Sheikh Summit between Prime Minister Sharon and Chairman Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen)
The election of Mahmud Abbas (Abu Mazen), along with Israel’s political and military pressure, has brought about a change in the Palestinian Authority’s policy on continuing the "armed intifada." At the same time, the paramount interest of Hamas and Islamic Jihad is to reorganize and rebuild their capabilities after they were severely degraded by the Israel Defense Forces.
Evaluating Muslim-Jewish Relations in Britain
British Muslim organizations are becoming far more vocal on foreign policy matters. Two positions would appear to be axiomatic: opposition to the Iraq war and Britain’s continued involvement in Iraq, and a resolute anti-Zionism which both delegitimizes the State of Israel and scorns Jewish anxieties when it comes to anti-Semitism.
Anti-Zionism in Belgium – The Country’s Civil Religion that Reflects the New Anti-Semitism
Anti-Zionism has become a civil religion in Belgium. Its credo is that the Palestinians are always right and the Israelis are always wrong. Classic anti-Semitism in Belgium is manifest, but probably in decline. Yet an unprecedented outburst of anti-Semitic acts is taking place due to violence by youngsters mostly of North African origin.
After the Palestinian Elections
The new Palestinian leadership has decided implicitly to deny Arafat his wish to be recognized as a martyr, as someone who died in battle. This is probably the first step on the road to the de-Arafatization of the PLO and the PA. Abu Mazen wants to do a Sadat. Within six months of succeeding Nasser, Sadat changed the political lay of the land in Egypt, introducing new people and new policies in a dramatic manner.
The U.N. at Work
In 2003 and 2004, the Israel Defense Forces captured documentation showing how the U.N. Development Program was regularly funding two Hamas front organizations: the Tulkarm Charity Committee and the Jenin District Committee for Charitable Funds. The donations varied – sometimes $4,000 and sometimes $10,000. Receipts and even copies of thank-you notes to UNDP were discovered.
