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"

Whose Holocaust?

For much of Europe, today is the UN-designated International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has dedicated his address this year to children murdered by the Nazis, with the message that "the best tribute to the memory of these children is an ongoing effort to teach the universal lessons of the Holocaust, so that no such horror is visited upon future generations."

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Listening to Saddam

In the debate over Iran's nuclear intentions, the question of rationality looms menacingly. How do Iran's rulers perceive cause and effect, calculate costs and benefits, and make policy decisions in order to maximize the well-being of their state and citizens? How do they understand the outside world?

Why Did Saddam Want the Bomb?  Hal Brands, David Palkki,  Foreign Policy Research Institute..  Saddam was driven by prestige, security—and the desire to "liberate lost Arab territories."  SAVE

The Saddam Hussein Collection  Institute for National Strategic Studies.  It's all here—audio recordings of high-level meetings, speeches by Saddam, photographs . . .  SAVE

Secrets of a Dictator  Spy Museum.  The editors of The Saddam Tapes discuss the task of culling Saddam's massive archives. (Audio)  SAVE

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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"