What’s next for Stanley Fischer, who is stepping down as governor of the Bank of Israel? Washington officials are already talking about tapping Fischer for Federal Reserve Chairman. The Washington Post explains in-depth why that scenario’s not so far-fetched. In this post-crisis era, the job of a central banker requires someone who is simultaneously a […]
February 13, 2013 14:19 by Simon Plosker It’s not surprising that the story of “Prisoner X” has captured the attention of the world’s media. Here are a couple of thoughts on what we’ve seen so far. 1. You can’t put a lid on it: One thing is crystal clear, however. The Israeli government’s attempts to […]
What to make of Iran’s nuclear shopping spree, described by the Washington Post? Purchase orders obtained by nuclear researchers show an attempt by Iranian agents to buy 100,000 of the ring-shaped magnets — which are banned from export to Iran under U.N. resolutions — from China about a year ago, those familiar with the effort […]
Was Iran involved in the North Korean nuclear test? Analysts told the Jerusalem Post it’s a good bet: “The most disturbing question is whether the Iranians are using North Korea as a backdoor plan for their own nuclear program. The Iranians didn’t carry out a nuclear test in Iran, but they may have done so […]
Iran and Hezbollah are building militias “to preserve and protect their interests” for the inevitable day after Assad is toppled. Not something Israel will like next door. The Washington Post got the scoop: The militias are fighting alongside Syrian government forces to keep Assad in power. But officials think Iran’s long-term goal is to have […]
February 6, 2013 12:39 by Simon Plosker Conspiracy theories involving Israel are the usual fare of anti-Semitic Arab media or neo-Nazi websites. Iranian claims that Israel itself was responsible for the deaths of five Israelis in a bus bombing last summer at Bulgaria’s Burgas airport are unsurprising. What is shocking, however, is the following tweet from […]
Today’s Top Stories 1. Big Media discovers Yair Lapid, but do press reports unreasonably raise expectations of peace? Mark Heller (NY Times) explains that voters are preoccupied with economic and social issues — so don’t expect aggressive Israeli peace making and other foreign initiatives: The reason is not that Israelis are opposed to the conventional […]
Today’s Top Stories 1. A UN lawyer is investigating fatal drone strikes by Israel, the US, and Britain. Bottom line, it’s a UN probe that Israel won’t cooperate with, and that the US will block. More at the Times of Israel: The main focus of the investigation will be 25 reported drone strikes in Afghanistan, […]
January 27, 2013 15:26 by Simon Plosker This cartoon published in The Sunday Times (subscription-only) would be offensive at the best of times. That it has appeared on Holocaust Memorial Day is doubly so. Penned by Gerald Scarfe (the cartoonist behind Pink Floyd’s The Wall), the caption reads: “Israeli Elections… Will Cementing Peace Continue?” A hideous looking […]
The Media, Not Israeli Voters, Take the Hardline January 23, 2013 15:55 by Simon Plosker For several weeks we have been bombarded with international coverage of the Israeli election campaign. A common thread emerged: a surge to the right accompanied by the death of the peace process and even Israeli democracy itself. The media simply […]
