Political Insider

Monday, April 20th, 2009

What did Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s appearance at the opening of the Durban II conference on racism do to President Obama’s stated desire to look for new routes for dialog with Iran?

Here’s a clue: it probably didn’t help.

Monday, April 20th, 2009

The Durban Review conference is officially underway in Geneva, and, predictably, it started with a bang; the BBC is reporting that Western delegates walked out of a speech by Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attacking Israel as a “racist” state and criticizing its creation, and that the speech was briefly disrupted by demonstrators wearing clown costumes.

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

It looks like President Obama has, in one stroke, disappointed the international left and the Jewish right, both of which were expecting, hoping or both that he would change his mind and send a delegation to this week’s Durban II conference.  (Read the full State Department statement here)

Friday, April 17th, 2009

The cherry blossoms have come and gone, which means it must be spring meeting season for Jewish groups.

Next week it’s the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, which has a star-studded program for its annual “Consultation on Conscience.” As usual, the focus will be on domestic and social social justice issues, with a strong focus this year on the impact of the global economic downturn and its economic implications.

Friday, April 17th, 2009

Is the Barack Obama administration planning a serious push for an Israeli-Palestinian agreement that could produce some real pressure on Israel, not just the usual wrist-slapping on issues such as settlements?  And could that ignite genuine conflict with the new right-of-center government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
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Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

James Besser in Washington

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

James Besser in Washington

This has to be one of the most jarring headlines in recent memory.

“54% of public dissatisfied with new government,” the online version of Ha’aretz  blared in its Wednesday morning edition (read the story here).

Monday, March 30th, 2009

James Besser in Washington

What is about J Street, the pro-peace process lobby and political action committee, that has the leaders of major Jewish groups in such a snit?

I’ve had calls from three of them in the past two weeks, complaining about the new kid on the pro-Israel block; even some liberal Jewish leaders are joining the anti-J Street chorus.

Friday, March 27th, 2009

James Besser in Washington

Pro-Israel groups are in PR high gear, trying to spin the incoming Israel government as not a problem for a peace process -minded Obama administration.

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

James Besser in Washington

Reading Gary Rosenblatt’s interesting column about the film Waiting for Armageddon, I was struck by how much we don’t know about the beliefs and motives of the evangelical Christians who ardently support Israel.