Category Archives: Middle East

Barack Obama is Not Anti-Israel

Posted on October 19, 2012 by

Written for the Emory Wheel: I hear the conversation everywhere. Well, I suppose it isn’t so much a conversation as it is a statement. My Jewish friends say it all the time: “I’m voting for Romney because Obama doesn’t support Israel.” … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Presidential Elections, Campaigns, International, Islam, Israel, Judaism, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

But There is No Peace – Why the Mideast “Peace Process” Needs to End

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

It was at my Uncle Mark’s fourth grade parent-teacher conference in 1970 that my Bubbe and Grandpa began to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mark had brought home his Chapter 2 math test, pressed with a ripe, shiny “78%.” There had … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Israel, Middle East, National Security | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

When Jews Criticize Israel – Why Cautious Rebuke is a Mechanism of Defense

Posted on February 29, 2012 by

Earlier this month, the Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles ran an article entitled “Wolpe vs. Beinart.” The piece was Rabbi David Wolpe’s passionate and compelling response to an email Peter Beinart recently sent to supporters of J-Street. Beinart’s e-mail … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel, Journalism and Media, Judaism, Middle East, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wet and Quickly Drying – An Explanation of the Year’s Changes, A Proposal for Next Steps

Posted on December 27, 2011 by

As featured on the Huffington Post: The life we know hasn’t changed much since December 27 of 2010. Murky smog still poisons the air I breathe in Los Angeles. A snapshot of the New York skyline taken today will match … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012 Presidential Elections, 2012 Presidential Primaries, Arab Spring, Budget and Economics, Eclectic Thoughts, Faith, International, Islam, Journalism and Media, Libya, Middle East, National Security, Patriotism, Political Goings-On, Theology, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

To Criticize, To Clarify – The Simultaneity of Hitchens’ Death and the War’s End

Posted on December 19, 2011 by

Last Thursday night, as I was studying at my desk for a few final midterms, my dad cracked open my bedroom door and told me to check the news: Christopher Hitchens had died. When I woke up on Sunday morning, … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Iraq, Journalism and Media, Middle East, National Security, Political Goings-On, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Fine Distinction – Obama’s Conversation With Sarkozy

Posted on November 8, 2011 by

Several newswires reported today that President Obama did not come to the defense of Israel’s head of state in a private conversation with French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy last Thursday. During a break between meetings at the G20 summit in … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Israel, Journalism and Media, Middle East, Political Goings-On | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Restraint – Gilad Shalit’s Return to Israel

Posted on October 16, 2011 by

As featured on the Huffington Post: After five years in the custody of his Hamas captors, it seems that Gilad Shalit’s painful and much publicized saga is finally winding down. The Israeli government has struck a deal with Hamas: Israel … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Islam, Israel, Judaism, Middle East, Political Goings-On, War, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Rickety House – Why a Science Museum in Oregon Matters in Tomorrow’s UN Vote

Posted on September 22, 2011 by

On the east bank of Portland, Oregon’s Willamette River sits an expansive complex of buildings. The mostly-brick complex, which welcomes about a million visitors each year, is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, or “OMSI.” As a child, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Arab Spring, International, Islam, Israel, Middle East, Political Goings-On, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Obama at AIPAC – The Speech that Worked (in Theory)

Posted on May 26, 2011 by

On Sunday morning, I arrived in Washington, DC with a medium-sized group of high school students for the annual AIPAC Policy Conference. AIPAC is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee – the United States’ pro-Israel lobby. My views don’t always … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Israel, Judaism, Middle East, National Security, Political Polarization, Unity, Youth | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Camaraderie Out of Extremity – Gratitude in the Wake of the bin Laden Assassination

Posted on May 2, 2011 by

Last night, I was flying with my family back from Portland to Los Angeles. As we strapped ourselves into our seats and powered down our cell phones, a muffled voice came over the plane’s speaker system. “This is your captain … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, Islam, Middle East, National Security, Patriotism, Political Polarization, Unity, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment