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review of Doomed to Failure?: The Politics and Intelligence of the Oslo Peace Process

December 31, 2009  •  The Jerusalem Post

In her latest book, Doomed to Failure?: the Politics and Intelligence of the Oslo Peace Process, Ofira Seliktar dissects the 1993 Oslo Accords, showing how they were doomed to failure from their inception.

Seliktar, an Israeli-born former professor of political science at Temple University, is no stranger to controversy. Among her recent books are a study of American Jewish attitudes toward the Arab-Israeli peace process and others detailing American intelligence failures regarding the Soviet Union and Iran. Neither of these preached the conventional wisdom; rather they were organized around the central theme of what might be called willful blindness.

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Israel's Qualitative Military Edge

Winter 2009  •  inFocus

When the modern State of Israel was founded 61 years ago, David Ben Gurion, its first prime minister, correctly noted that the country could not afford to lose a single war. Consequently, Israel has worked to maintain a high level of military deterrence against the many Arab countries and Islamist groups that seek its destruction.

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The Mideast Quagmire

November 24, 2009  •  Philadelphia Daily News

After President Obama's June 4 Cairo speech on U.S.-Muslim concerns, including the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his own speech at Bar Ilan University stipulating that Palestinians must recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

He said a "basic condition for the termination of the conflict is honest and public recognition by the Palestinians of Israel as the Jewish people's nation . . . we need the Palestinian leadership to get up and say, 'We've had enough of this conflict.' "

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review of A Safe Haven: Harry S. Truman and the Founding of Israel

November 5, 2009  •  The Jerusalem Post

From the campaign trail to the White House there has been much talk about Barack Obama's polices toward Israel, specifically their nature and significance. Historically speaking, every president since Harry Truman has been "pro-Israel," but there have been many differences with regard to the amount of pressure exerted on Israeli governments.

Moreover, the type of Jews with which a president surrounds himself is a significant factor when examining the prism through which he views American-Israeli ties.

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UNRWA Accountability Bill

October 15, 2009  •  Hudson New York

Since Hamas's complete takeover of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Palestinians in the new 'Islamic State of Gaza' have been crying out for more aid and are turning to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). Their reliance upon UNRWA comes as no surprise. The organization has been providing food, medicine, and social services to the Palestinian people for more than 60 years. Unfortunately, UNRWA has never taken steps to withhold its assistance to Islamist groups. Today, UNRWA provides direct financial and material support to Hamas.

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