Obama: No 'Grand Peace Plan' For Mideast

Posted: Sat, 03/09/2013 - 19:15 | Political Insider

President Obama confirmed what I reported earlier in my Washington Watch column, namely that he has no plans to take a "grand peace plan" on his Middle East trip later this month. The prospects for peace are "bleak," he told leaders of several Jewish organizations at a White House meeting on Thursday.

Carl Levin Is Leaving The Senate

Posted: Thu, 03/07/2013 - 19:38 | Political Insider

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Michigan), the senior Jewish member of the U.S. Senate, announced Thursday he will not seek a seventh term next year.

As a longtime member and now chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee he has played a major role in shaping American national security policy for more than a third of a century. He also has been an important leader in building and strengthening close U.S.-Israeli security cooperation.

What A Bunch Of Wuses

Posted: Wed, 03/06/2013 - 21:50 | Political Insider

The annual Gaza Marathon organized by UNRWA, the UN agency that perpetuates refugee status for Palestinians, was cancelled after Hamas banned women from competing.

The reason given was respect for local Islamic customs, but can that the real motive? Women -- more modestly dressed than the men -- were allowed to compete in the two previous runnings of the event, and 266 of this year's 551 registered local runners were women.

Separate But Unequal

Posted: Mon, 03/04/2013 - 14:58 | Political Insider

In the same week that the President of the United States and Congressional leaders unveiled a statue of Rosa Parks in the U.S. Capitol honoring the woman who refused to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Alabama, Israel inaugurated its latest version of segregated busing.

Defenders called it a security measure, critics called it racism.

No Upset Seen for Osina in Queens Council Race

Posted: Thu, 02/28/2013 - 15:36 | Political Insider

Thoughts of an upset win by Pesach Osina in the special City Council election in southeastern Queens appear to have been dashed with the announcement by the Board of Elections that his opponent, Donovan Richards, has widened his lead from 26 to 80 votes.

AIPAC To Hill: Don't Touch Israel Aid

Posted: Wed, 02/27/2013 - 19:38 | Political Insider

At a time when sequestration is about to take a big bite out of the Pentagon budget, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) will be sending thousands of its citizen lobbyists to Capitol Hill next week to make sure Israel is exempted from any spending cuts.

This could prove a very risky strategy at a time when millions of Americans will be feeling the bite of the sequestration debacle, from the defense budget to the school lunch program.

But not aid to Israel, which will be untouched if AIPAC gets its way.