Blogs

Friday, June 5th, 2009

It may seem churlish, in the wake of President Obama’s lofty speech to the Muslim world yesterday, to note that despite his references to “Palestine,” there is no such entity.

There is the Palestinian Authority, of course, whose president is Mahmoud Abbas, and there is the belief, shared by many, that its goal is the creation of a Palestinian state, though its actions in recent years indicate otherwise.

Friday, June 5th, 2009

As summer arrives, young people dream of adventure, thoughts of cruises and road trips and theme parks dancing in their heads.

For all too many these days, dreaming and thoughts are all they’re going to get.

Among the fondest memories of my childhood are driving down the East Coast to Florida in my father’s big Chevy Impala (the minivan of its time), stopping at almost every point of interest in between; driving up north to Toronto and Montreal, several trips to Israel and one out west to California, Arizona and Nevada.

Anyone who keeps a semblance of kosher knows that the tuna — be it as a tuna fish sandwich or sushi — is the most important Jewish fish of all. (Whitefish and Pike place and show). The tuna is to the luncheonette what the chicken is to the Shabbos table, no other wildlife have sacrificed more for the Jewish people. If God created the Leviathan fish for the Great Feast when the Messiah comes, He created the tuna for these days while he tarries. That’s why this article in The Wall Street Journal has me so concerned.

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

There will be plenty of commentaries about President Obama’s speech to the Islamic world in Cairo today, and Jewish groups were weighing in even before he finished speaking.  There was lots of meat to chew on, and the Jewish world is going to sate its appetite on the stuff for a long time.

Despite Obama’s strong and unequivocal statement against settlements, it was the first time an Arab and Muslim audience heard a strongly pro-Israel speech from a major leader.

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Will President Barack Obama face big trouble in Congress if he continues putting the squeeze on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the issue of Jewish settlements – and if Bibi continues to resist?

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

The political insider is back from vacation, but even the shores of Tuscany weren’t far enough away to block out a faint buzz about President Barack Obama’s upcoming speech to the Muslim world, scheduled for next Thursday in Cairo.

Thursday, May 29th, 2008

dickter-a-blog-tag.jpg

Curtis Sliwa isn’t Jewish. But you’d be hard pressed to find a more passionate defender of Israel and just about any other Jewish cause. And he’s probably been the guest of honor at more Jewish institution dinners than many a Jewish politician.

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

Surprising few, Rep. Anthony Weiner today ended speculation that he may enter the New York mayoral race, declaring in a New York Times Op-Ed that he is focused on making a difference in Washington, while likening a campaign against billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg to facing off a football team of 110 players with only ten teammates at his side.

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

There’d better not be any hot political news until June 1, because the Political Insider is taking a break. See you on the other side!

Thursday, May 21st, 2009