Tag Archives: Israel

Some thoughts on the elections in Israel

Posted on January 23, 2013 by jonathanspyer

With the vote-counting nearly completed, it is already possible to draw a number of conclusions regarding the 2013 Knesset elections in Israel Firstly, the long-standing division of Israeli parties into ‘left’ and right’ wing blocs does not fully capture the … Continue reading →

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Hamas’s Mis-Calculation

Posted on November 18, 2012 by jonathanspyer

Weekly Standard Blog, 18/11. The crisis now under way in Gaza represents the moment in which the wave of Sunni Islamism that has been achieving triumph after triumph in the region since early 2011 finally crashes up against the Jewish … Continue reading →

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Storm clouds over the eastern Mediterranean

Posted on October 3, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Jerusalem Post 28/09/2011 Early this week, the US-based Noble Energy Company began exploratory drilling for offshore gas deposits off the coast of Cyprus. They did so with the agreement of the Nicosia authorities, in an area indisputably located within Cypriot … Continue reading →

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Smoke, Mirrors and Fire in Lebanon

Posted on March 9, 2011 by jonathanspyer

04/06/2009 This week, nine more Lebanese citizens were arraigned on charges of espionage and collaboration with Israel. This brings the total of people charged in connection with the alleged Israeli “spy ring” in Lebanon to 35. Around 100 people have … Continue reading →

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No Change

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

01/02/2008 The response of Israeli officials to the latest events in Gaza may in essence be divided into two halves. The initial response was one of frustration at Egyptian unwillingness to restore order on the international border. The subsequent sense … Continue reading →

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Day Jobs for Terrorists

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

05/12/2007 For Israelis the United Nations is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they are fully aware of the anti-Israel sentiment that the United Nations perpetuates, but on the other hand they want to be part of it and … Continue reading →

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Guns before Butter

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

The Guardian- 21/06/2006 In the last few days, the Quartet have finalized the details for the new emergency aid mechanism to the Palestinian territories. According to its remit, the mechanism is to provide “needs-based assistance directly to the Palestinian people, … Continue reading →

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Osirak Revisited

Posted on March 8, 2011 by jonathanspyer

11/11/2007 The possible emergence of a nuclear-armed, Islamist Iran committed to the destruction of the Jewish state is the key security issue currently occupying the attention of Israel’s political and security elite. It is one of the few issues upon … Continue reading →

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Re-engaging with Reality

Posted on March 7, 2011 by jonathanspyer

Haaretz-20/09/2005 Two key processes currently taking place in the Middle East Israel’s disengagement and the sharp scaling-down of Western hopes for a remade, democratic Iraq ­ reflect the durability of existing patterns of regional political behavior. Middle East politics remains … Continue reading →

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The Long War Strategy

Posted on March 7, 2011 by jonathanspyer

The Guardian-11/06/2007 The decision by the University and College Union (UCU) to consider a boycott of Israel is the latest manifestation of a broader process which has been steadily gathering speed in the last half-decade: the converging of opinion on … Continue reading →

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