Category Archives: Israeli Society

Mrs. Keret’s delusion

Posted on August 28, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

Like most popular Israeli authors, Etgar Keret leans left. There are lots of reasons for this, which include the fact that the literary establishment here doesn’t exactly welcome writers that don’t fit politically. But in any event, I find him … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Politics, Israeli Society | 1 Comment

What’s the problem with Reform Judaism?

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

Today I came across an article by Rabbi Baruch Efrati in which he opposes cooperation between Israelis and the Reform Movement. So what, you say. Another Orthodox attack on the heretical reformim. Perhaps so, but here is what caught my … Continue reading →

Posted in American Jews, Israeli Society | 2 Comments

Etgar Keret’s missing piece

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

Israeli writer Etgar Keret recently received an award for “work conveying Jewish values across cultures and imparting a humanitarian vision throughout the world.” The word ‘humanitarian’ is a tipoff that the award is given to someone who espouses a left-wing, … Continue reading →

Posted in Information war, Israeli Society | 2 Comments

Ten propositions

Posted on June 19, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

I am a nationalist, Zionist, tribalist and hawk. Here are ten things I believe: ‘Israel is the Jewish state’ has a concrete meaning: the owners of the land of Israel are the Jewish people, not all its citizens. Arabs who … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Politics, Israeli Society | 3 Comments

How Israel is finally becoming a true democracy

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

Aluf Benn, the editor of the Israeli Left’s flagship publication Ha’aretz, has done a wonderful job of explaining to the rest of us the frustration and fury of those who used to run the country and don’t anymore. Here’s his … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Politics, Israeli Society, Zionism | 4 Comments

Adjusting the Moral Compass, Part II

Posted on May 24, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

…European universalist ethics no longer promotes the survival of cultures that espouse it in the environment that is present-day Europe. We certainly see in present-day Europe all of the above responses to this pressure: adaptation, migration and cultural failure. – … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Society, Terrorism, War | 2 Comments

Adjusting the Moral Compass, Part I

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

News item: [Ya’alon] said Thursday that he has been “surprised” of late at a “loss of moral compass on basic questions” in Israeli society. “We need to steer the country in accordance with one’s conscience and not whichever way the … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Politics, Israeli Society, Zionism | 1 Comment

To thine own people be true, Israel

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Victor Rosenthal

I read in today’s [Wednesday] newspaper that Israel will be building a sophisticated barrier along the border with Gaza. Sensors, underground walls and who knows what secret systems to detect tunneling and infiltration. The cost is estimated in billions of … Continue reading →

Posted in Israeli Society, War | 2 Comments