Yoram Ettinger

Is Secretary Kerry Reinventing the Middle East?

Secretary of State John Kerry's November 24, 2015 visit to Jerusalem confirmed his determination to reinvent "the energetic, youthful and forward looking Middle East" in accordance with his own worldview, irrespective of Middle East reality. Kerry recycled well-intentioned, but failed, assessments and tactics, further eroding the US posture of deterrence and US power projection among pro-US Arab countries.

Palestinian terrorism: institutional or random?

In contrast to national liberation movements, Palestinian terrorism has targeted--deliberately, institutionally and systematically--Arab and Israeli non-combatants, sometimes hitting combatants.

Foreign investors demonstrate confidence in Israel

1. Moody’s investors service (Oct. 7, 2015): “Israel’s resilient growth model, effective governance and steadily improving debt metrics underpin its A1 government bond rating and stable outlook…. Israel’s economic growth has outpaced that of most advanced industrial economies over the past decade, supported by a competitive high-tech export sector, substantial spending on research and development and a well-educated labor force…. Israel is one of the few advanced countries that have a lower debt-to GDP ratio….” Bloomberg (Aug. 2): “Israel’s workforce participation rates have reached the targets set by the government for 2020…. In the age group 25-64, the labor force participation rate was 77.2% for the first half of 2015….“

Reality-based vs. Palestinian-based Demography

Israeli opposition leaders, Yitzhak Herzog, Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni recently echoed the erroneous assumption – shared by the White House and Department of State - that Arabs will, eventually, become a majority in the combined area of Judea, Samaria and pre-1967 Israel. Driven by demographic pessimism and fatalism – which has eroded Israel's negotiation posture - they urge a retreat from geography (the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria) in order to secure demography.

Yom Kippur Guide for the Perplexed, 2015

1. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is a major Jewish holiday of individual self-enhancement spiritually and perpetually, transforming acrimony and vindictiveness into forgiveness, peace of mind and peaceful coexistence between God and human beings, but especially between fellow human beings. While Yom Kippur prayers request forgiveness for sins committed against God, it is customary to dedicate Yom Kippur's eve to repentance for sins committed against fellow human beings.

Israel – a R&D and manufacturing powerhouse

While global economic slowdown and insecurity have reduced consumption, export and growth throughout the world:

Rosh Hashanah guide for the perplexed, 2015

1. Rosh Hashanah ("beginning of the year" in Hebrew) is a universal, stock-taking holiday of hope and renewal, celebrated on the 6th day of The Creation, when the first human being, Adam, was produced.

Oy Jerusalem

While the Jewish State benefits from the robust Jewish demographic tailwind of fertility and immigration, Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is burdened with a Jewish demographic headwind of emigration, which is eroding the current 66% Jewish majority.

The Ayatollahs consider the US their chief target

Enclosed you'll find my politically-incorrect columns on the most critical threat to US national security and economic interests: the nuclearized Ayatollahs. They conduct hate-America education system, bankroll global anti-US Islamic terrorism, terrorize all pro-US Arab regimes, co-develop nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities with anti-US North Korea, collaborate militarily with anti-US Venezuela, egregiously violate civil liberties and systematically abrogate agreements.

Iran: from "roll-back" to "roll-on"

MILITARY OR PEACEFUL NUCLEAR

1. "Why does Iran – which has the world's 4^th largest proven oil reserves and the world's 2nd largest proven natural gas reserves – need nuclear power for domestic energy?.... if Iran is to acquire a nuclear bomb, it will not have my name on it….

US voters shape the Iran debate in Congress

The position of US voters on the nuclear deal with the Ayatollahs – and therefore the position of Senators and House Representatives – is shaped by their worldview, in general, and US homeland and national security considerations, in particular.

Saudi Arabia VS President Obama and Secretary Kerry

Irrespective of Western attempts to portray Saudi Arabia, the Gulf States, Jordan and Egypt as supporters of the Iran nuclear deal, leaders of these countries, and especially the House of Saud, consider the accord a colossal, lethal threat, resulting from a reckless, short-sighted and self-destructive policy, which will initially plague the Arab World, and subsequently the Western World, including the USA, "the Great Satan" according to the Ayatollahs.

Jewish demographic tailwind; no Arab demographic time bomb

In 1898, the top Jewish demographer, Simon Dubnov, projected 0.5mn Jews in Israel in 2000. He was off by 5.5mn Jews. In 1944, the founder of Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, Prof. Roberto Bacchi, projected 2.3mn Jews in 2001, a 33% minority. He was wrong by 3.7mn Jews.

Israel's technology protects British troops in Afghanistan

1. "British Prime Minister David Cameron: 'Israel's technology is protecting British and NATO troops in Afghanistan….' UK-Israeli trade is at an all-time high, despite recent rumblings by the EU over the labelling of products from the West Bank and calls in some quarters for a boycott of Israeli goods….HSBC, Barclays, Rolls-Royce, GlaxoSmithKline and Unilever have a major presence in Israel. One out of every seven prescriptions filled by Britain's National Health Service is from an Israeli pharmaceutical firm….

Iran--there are reasonable alternatives

The worldview of President Jimmy Carter-- which was resoundingly rejected by President Clinton during the 1992 and 1996 presidential campaigns--has been resuscitated throughout the lengthy negotiations--and the July 2015 agreement - with Iran.

The US-Israel Strategic Partnership

In recent years, Israel has evolved from a supplicant--benefitting from US generosity--to a strategic partner, benefitting vital US national security interests. From a national security consumer, Israel has been transformed into a national security producer. In 2014, General Chuck Krulak, former Commandant of the US Marine Corps, remarked that "the formulation of US battle tactics is based on the Israeli book."

Beware of stage 1 thinking policy makers

National security and foreign policy makers should study a critical lesson of the medical profession: The failure to think beyond the stage 1 effect of painkillers may solve short-term problems, but will trigger long-term health risks: addiction, organ damage, nausea, headaches, dizziness, memory impairment and decreased cognitive performance.

Hi-tech giants and investors defy media's misrepresentation of Israel

1. "Israelis are more satisfied with their lives than the OECD average," according to the OECD's (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) annual "Better Life Index." Only Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland ranked ahead of 5th place Israel, among the 34 OECD members, as well as Brazil and Russia. The rating is based on 22 variables, such as education, health, life expectancy, average income, housing and general satisfaction. Israel's high ranking defies its geo-political neighborhood, but is a derivative of its inherent state of mind: optimism, patriotism, family and communal responsibility and attachment to roots (Israel 21^st Century, June 10, 2015).

The nature of the Mahmoud Abbas regime

Contrary to Western conventional wisdom, the nature of Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority--which is burdened by a mere 17% favorability in the US, compared with Israel's 70% - has turned most Palestinians against Mahmoud Abbas, has led most Jerusalem Arabs to prefer Israeli sovereignty, and catapulted Hamas to prominence on the Palestinian Street.

The Israel-Saudi labyrinth

The recent enhancement of strategic coordination between Israel andSaudi Arabia highlights Israel's role in bolstering the national security of the House of Saud. This coordination has become particularly critical, for Riyadh, due to the erosion of the US' posture of deterrence, while the clear and present lethal Iran-fueled threats to Saudi Arabia are dramatically exacerbated.