Hear, O Friends of Israel

In 1987, exactly a quarter-century ago, the appearance of a work of Jewish history caused a stir. For one thing, the author was not Jewish; for another, the book was unashamedly supportive of the State of Israel, which even then was enough to provoke hostility, especially on the Left.

The Miracle  Paul Johnson,  Jewish Ideas Daily.  The creation of Israel was the quintessential event of the last century, and the only one that can fairly be called a miracle.  SAVE

SAVE "Hear, O Friends of Israel"

Whither the Alawites

Time does not appear to be on the side of Syria's minority Alawite-led regime. President Bashar Assad has reportedly been offered asylum in Moscow, which wants an orderly transition that will preserve Russian strategic interests. Other stories have Assad and his loyalists preparing mountain strongholds for a last-ditch stand.

Arab Majorities, Arab Minorities  Zvi Mazel,  Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.  The well-being of minorities and group reconciliation are not high on the agenda anywhere in the Arab world.  SAVE

Just a Matter of Time  Amos Harel,  Haaretz.  Israeli experts give the Syrian regime a slim-to-none chance of survival.  SAVE

The Alawites and Israel  John Myhill,  BESA Center.  If Israel thinks the Assads are warlike, just wait until it sees their successors.  SAVE

A Tale of Two Villages  Nir Rosen,  Al Jazeera.  "There is no village here," says an Alawite general, "that doesn't have a martyr or two" to the Muslims.  SAVE

SAVE "Whither the Alawites"

Jerusalem's Ego and Id

Biography is not the same as history. Biography charts the outer and inner life of a person—character, spirit, morality, emotion, perhaps even soul. History, by contrast, incorporates different narratives and pieces of evidence, seeks out new data, then rises above all the fragments with a synthesis.

Montefiore on Montefiore  Todd Leopold,  CNN.  There have been many reactions to Jerusalem: the Biography. Here, the author responds to the challenge put to him and delivers his own verdict on the book.  SAVE

Melisende’s Psalter  British Library.  Like her ancient predecessor, King David, Queen Melisende commissioned artwork for the Book of Psalms. Now preserved at the British Library, it can be seen online.  SAVE

Lord Shaftesbury: God’s Reformer  Marena Fisher,  Yale Standard.  Lord Shaftesbury, the paradigmatic Victorian reformer, dedicated his life to improving the condition of the poor, rehabilitating felons—and restoring the Jews to their homeland.  SAVE

SAVE "Jerusalem's Ego and Id"

Our Defenders at the CIA

News flash: Top-secret intelligence memos written during the last years of the Bush administration describe covert activities—in intelligence parlance, a "false flag" operation—by Israeli Mossad officers, posing as American CIA agents.

Did Israel Run a False Flag Operation?  Michael Rubin,  Contentions.  Rather than allow the intelligence community to sway policy with innuendo, Petraeus should either back the accusation or declare it baseless.  SAVE

The Mossad  Elliot Jager,  Jewish Ideas Daily.  Historically, Israel's Secret Intelligence Service has been a lightning rod for international condemnation.  SAVE

SAVE "Our Defenders at the CIA"