Benny Ziffer

How does one distinguish between a genuine spy type and a plain ordinary schlemiel?

One doesn't need to be a weatherman to grasp that the idea of a summer vacation, framed around the European timetable, is ridiculous when it comes to warm-weather countries.

Some reflections on the influence Egyptian writers wield in a time of revolution.

In order for us to maintain the childish illusion that bad children always get their comeuppance , reports are often disseminated about 'bad children' who are punished.

The problem with habitual complainers is that their moans are just one long kvetch.

A recent stroll in the streets of Cairo yielded a treasure trove of literary gems.

For the new Independence Day to have as little as possible to do with the loathsome and established observances with which everyone has had it up to their heinies, first and foremost it is necessary to cancel the torch-lighting ceremony at Mount Herzl.

If you favor bin Laden as the winner, send us an SMS with the number 2 - for the Twin Towers.

Behind the smiling facades, Cairo's backyards are being canvassed assiduously, and the seed of the political toughness is being sown that - though I do hope I am wrong - will bring about the second, real revolution, and will wipe the smiles off many faces.

There is nothing that represents the true Israeli consciousness like the decision to totally exclude Mizrahim from appearing in the future on our currency.

If you ask me, dear J.L. Gordon, why a Tel Aviv woman is a shabby, Parisian femme fatale, I'll tell you: She's that way because she thinks that being sexy means loving sex and having sex, and thereby reveals her total ignorance in this sphere.

A state comptroller must acknowledge there is nothing the masses like more than the sanctimonious review of the elite's life of luxury, whether it be a political elite or any other elite.

How come there are so many wonderful artistic references to the leaders of Israel in the world, while here we don't really see what its all about?

Ostensibly, Angry Birds delivers a simple, moral message. The wicked are punished by the dispossessed. But there is another, implicit message that is not at all moral.

Seclusion was never a hallmark of the Jewish community in Turkey, as can be seen once again in a comprehensive new book by historian Yaron Ben-Naeh.

As is typical of swans, Uzi Arad - a professor and now former national security adviser to the prime minister - would periodically stick his neck into the cool water, before lifting it up and stretching it out.

Our glorious and exalted kingdom sanctifies sabra simplicity and, as we all know, deplores Polish politesse, hypocrisy and official ceremonies.

Shouldn't it be clear that the Histadrut and its head have taken a ride on this vague sense of deprivation to gain power by belligerently flexing muscles just for the heck of it?

The Egyptians are different. They're nice. They do what they're told. You tell them: Fools, stop being fools and be enlightened. Not a week passes and they're enlightened!

Veteran diplomat Jacob Rosen is one of the top 10 international collectors of works by and about the legendary British officer with the kaffiyeh, who left an indelible mark on the Arab world.

I’m convinced that any referendum conducted today will prove that the so-called crime families are seen by the public as being far less dangerous than the politicians.

Surprisingly, the source of inspiration for German Jewish writer Benjamin Stein's latest, intriguing work was A.B. Yehoshua's 'The Lover'.

The Labor Party will always need an adornment like Isaac Herzog - someone who represents the figure of the sincere counselor from the youth movement, someone with the image of being the nice-guy Israeli, who doesn't think too hard about anything in particular but does his job properly