September 11, 2012

In-depth

Jews Question Their Future in Germany

The bitterness of the debate over circumcision and ongoing anti-Semitic attacks have made some in Germany's 100,000-strong Jewish community question their presence in the country, says Der Spiegel.   

The main synagogue of the Israelite Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, situated near the central Viktualienmarkt square in Munich, is perhaps the most powerful symbol of where Jewish life belongs in Germany: In the heart of the city. And yet the building resembles a fortress. Squad cars guard access to the synagogue around the clock. Security increases when children arrive and are picked up at the synagogue's Jewish school and kindergarten. Authorities believe there is a serious threat of attack — even on individual schoolchildren.

 

Next Steps in the Iran Crisis

Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic talks to Robert Satloff of the Washington Institute about the current state of the international crisis over Iran's nuclear program, and U.S. and Israeli policy.

Here, the basic point is that if the Khamenei-led regime were faced with the stark choice — desist from pursuit of nuclear weapons, with all that it entails, or risk the end of the regime — there is a much higher likelihood they would buckle and at least slow down their program or suspend parts of it, as they apparently did with weaponization in the wake of the US invasion of Iraq. It's not a 100 percent certainty, of course, but a much higher chance.

Daily Digest

• Times of Israel: US opposes renewed Palestinian UN bid
• Haaretz: Who is Israel's censor trying to protect?
• Jerusalem Post: Joe Lieberman: Obama should define how to stop Iran
• Ynet: US on Iran: There is still time for diplomacy
• New York Times: U.N. Official Warns Syrian Rebels About Atrocities
• Washington Post: The Deafness Before the Storm
• Wall Street Journal: Palestinian Protests Fan Fears of Revolt