US
Frederic C. Hof thinks Obama and Kerry suffer from too much wishful thinking on Syria:
No doubt Syrians, Russians and Iranians would be much better off, and the world a safer place, if the president’s “truths” were taken to heart by their political leaders. Alas, these truths are not regarded by his adversaries — and, yes, they are his adversaries — as true. And even if they are objectively true, they are not self-actualizing. Yet this administration sometimes sees the alpha and omega of foreign policy as delivering the lecture and hoping the students get it. The approach is not new. Nearly 80 years ago some Western leaders were beginning action-free sentences with the words “Surely Herr Hitler realizes . . .”
Ross Douthat discusses the dilemma many Americans face when it comes to Islam:
In this landscape of options, the clearest model for Islam’s transition to modernity might lie in American evangelicalism — like Islam a missionary faith, like Islam decentralized and intensely scripture-oriented, and like Islam a tradition that often assumes an organic link between the theological and political.
Israel
David Horvitz is impressed by President Rivlin’s warmth and genuineness:
You’ve got to love that after the cerebral, grave, ostensibly visionary presidency of Shimon Peres, we now have a backslapping, hevre-man president — a president who, at Wednesday’s candle-lighting Hanukkah ceremony at the White House, veritably smashed his hand from on high into President Obama’s (as can be seen in the clip below) — no cool, polite, perfunctory grip, this — and doubtless would have bear-hugged the leader of the free world if the opportunity had presented itself. (I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that the broadly smiling Obama enjoyed his time with Rivlin just a tad more than his meetings with our prime minister.)
Adnan Abu Amer discusses the possible collapse of the Palestinian Authority:
It may be true that the PA neither fully supports nor stands against the uprising. Yet this hesitation does not seem to be enough for Israeli decision-makers, and it may prompt them to adopt a gradual policy toward brinkmanship, to put pressure on the PA and make it feel that it is doomed to collapse if it does not oppose the uprising. The PA does not seem likely to announce a stance anytime soon.
Middle East
David Andrew Weinberg believes the West should demand more from Saudi Arabia when it comes to Salafism and religious violence:
It would be unrealistic, let alone unfair, to urge Saudi Arabia to abandon its most basic religious beliefs. However, there should be no justification — under any religious tradition — for words of religious incitement that dehumanize the other and erode the dividing line between religious piety and acts of violence.
Lt. Col John Barnett points out that Russia’s involvement in Syria comes at a high price:
While appearing strong militarily has proven to be an effective strategy for Vladimir Putin in the short term, it comes at a price tag higher than many observers realize. Russia is well aware that extending the operation will incur greater costs. And the logistical requirements for an expeditionary force may compel Moscow to increase its footprint in Syria, which could raise the risk of Russian casualties. Such burdens may provide leverage as Washington and other parties push Putin to cooperate more with the U.S.-led coalition in Syria.
Jewish World
Josh Nathan-Kazis writes about the corporate-style bonuses that are now becoming a part of Jewish organizations:
Those larger bonuses are part of a trend, driven by donors, board members and foundations, that’s making Jewish charities look a bit more like businesses. Never mind that charities are spending tax-exempt donations and government dollars, while corporations spend revenues; in terms of the tools for-profit and not-for-profit entities use to reward their top executives, the space between the spheres is shrinking.
Historian Jonathan Adelman discusses the role of Russia in the creation of the Jewish state:
The fact that the creation of Israel owed a lot to that well-known anti-Semite, Joseph Stalin, is truly ironic. For Stalin launched the black years of Soviet Jewry (1948-1953) in which thousands of Jews were assailed as “rootless cosmopolitans” and lost their jobs. In 1952 he promoted the vicious anti-Semitic “Doctors' Plot.” Many feel that he may have planned before his death in 1953 to deport the Jews of Leningrad and Moscow to camps in the east.
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