Blog

Mithal al-Alusi, human rights leader and former Iraqi Parliamentarian, contacted me last weekend to convey his thoughts about the dire situation for proponents of human rights and liberal values in Iraq. He also urged President...

The world sparkles a bit less brightly this week with the passing of a true individual. Last Thursday August 4, Walter Monheit, bon vivant and man for all seasons, died. He was 85. Michael Musto of the Village Voice eulogized him this week...

I’m off to Israel for a week as part of  JNFuture’s first Jewish Leadership Institute mission. While I can’t wait to meet with members of the Knesset, enjoy the beach in Tel Aviv, and pray at the wall Friday night...

A couple thoughts on last week’s controversy in which Jon Stewart mocked Herman Cain, a black conservative candidate for the GOP nomination. The Los Angeles Times incorrectly claims in this blog post that Cain, in reaction to...

Presidential candidate Herman Cain this week responded to Jon Stewart’s allegedly racially-tinged mockery of him by noting, “I’ve been called every name in the book because I’m a conservative and because I’m...

This terrific editorial, which ran last week in The New York Times, should be required reading for anyone who thinks he or she can make peace in the mideast by putting the squeeze on Israel and/or employing high-level diplomacy. I would...

I saw a great exchange last week on FOX News’ “Hannity’s America ” between journalists Sean Hannity and Juan Williams. They were discussing the flap following President Obama’s remarks that as part of any...

Monday morning President Obama spoke at AIPAC. I attended and will blog a few points as well as share my impressions.

First: Obama received a standing ovation walking into the enormous hall at the Washington Convention Center, which was festooned...

On Thursday, President Obama spoke about his vision for the middle east. Friday, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu came to Washington and gave the President a dose of reality.

A few thoughts on these developments (I am on my way to the AIPAC...

Recently I interviewed a Syrian-American acquaintance, a restaurateur in his mid-thirties, Ahmad (name has been changed for security reasons) about what it was like to grow up in Syria (he immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult) under the...