Alexander Yakobson
Opinion Security Checks in Israel Are a Jungle in Which Human Dignity Means Nothing
An Israeli Bedouin arrived at the memorial ceremony for Amos Oz in Tel Aviv and stood in line to view his coffin. Then he underwent a security check that was appalling and unacceptable
Opinion Israeli Arabs Are More Israeli Than People Think
Most want to live under Israeli rule without giving up the Palestinian narrative, and are persevering in this despite all the obstacles
Opinion If Zionism Were Colonial It Would Have Ended Long Ago
The Palestinians’ refusal to accept that they are confronting a rival national movement has been disastrous for them
Opinion It’s OK to Say You Want to Live in a Jewish State
The goal must be to cultivate a ‘broad’ Israeli identity in Arab citizens, based on the state being their home and their country, in addition to its being the national home of the Jewish people
Opinion A Good Word for Israel's Radical Left
If a Jew threatens the integrity of an Israeli cop’s skull, one may assume he’s no anarchist but rather a great patriot, Amona-style
Opinion What Happened to My pro-Israel Friends Proves There's Something Rotten in Israeli Airport Security
What sort of sensitivity can be expected in conducting a physical search of Arab tourists when there are displays of such insensitivity while questioning Jewish tourists from England?
Israelis and Palestinians Are Prepared to Recognize Each Other
It is clear that the Jewish state is in a stable situation, and the idea of waging the struggle for quality and integration of the Arab minority under the banner of the abolition of the Jewish state is baseless.
Sure, Oppose Murder, but What About the Atmosphere That Leads to Murder?
A fellow Haaretz opinion writer chastises rabbis for not warning about the ticking bomb that led to the Duma murders. But that’s not enough.
Try West Bank Settlers in Israeli Military Court - Just Like Palestinians
Nowhere in the Israeli security legislation for the territories is it stated that the laws apply only to Arab residents of the territories, and not to Jews or to Israeli citizens.
Hamas, Gaza, and the Terrorist’s Code of Ethics
Yes, it’s hard to keep military targets away from the civilian population in a densely populated strip of land like Gaza. But any fair discussion of Israel’s combat methods must also take into account Hamas’ contempt for human life.
Who Speaks for the Israeli Left?
To Israelis, 'leftist’ is associated with views like the Palestinians’ ostensible right of return and a one-state solution. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
If Israeli Jews Were the Conquered Ones...
There would be no occupation, because there would no longer be two peoples in this land.
Israel Can Be Both Jewish and Democratic. Here's How
Denmark, Greece, Croatia and others have embraced a national religion or majority peoplehood - but they have also guaranteed civic equality to all.
Israeli Arabs Are Both Palestinian and Israeli Patriots - It’s Complicated
One has the right to say: 'I am a Palestinian whose Israeli ID card was forced on him, and I prefer to be subject to an apartheid regime than to live under Palestinian rule.’
Look the Truth in the Eyes
In discussing the Palestinian demand for the 'right of return' to Israel, we must face a complicated reality.
The Two Elephants in the Negotiating Room
The Palestinian leadership often repeats that the right of return for Palestinian refugees is sacred, so why does everyone ignore this major challenge to the peace process?
Two Peoples and the Jungle
Whoever believes in equality between people and nations, and does not believe in the law of the jungle, must support the idea of two independent peoples.
Bashful Fascism
It's possible the future will prove that Israeli fascism, which has been at the gate for decades, will finally overcome its strange bashfulness and enter the living room. But it's also possible that those who predict that fascism is just around the corner simply don't understand Israeli society very well.
You Call This Centrist?
It is true that in Israel the terms left, center and right are defined mainly by the attitude toward the Israeli-Arab conflict, but if Labor is centrist in this respect then what does centrism mean.
A Pertinent Priest
No society is responsible for the acts of an extremist and violent minority, but it is certainly responsible for the silence of its leaders in the face of such acts.
The Revolution and the Ostrich
This movement can't be turned into a political party, or a camp with a clear-cut political and ideological character, without losing most of its participants and all of its public influence.
A Jewish, Judiac and Judaistic State
As long as the term "Jewish state" seeks to express the right of the Jewish people to a state, its supporters are on solid ground.
Jewish Solidarity Makes Israeli Democracy Stronger
The secret to the strength of Israeli democracy may lie in another feature of this society that is not easily reconciled with a well-run democracy: the quasi-tribal sense of Jewish solidarity, the general sense that we are a kind of extended family.
Israeli Democracy Weighed Down by Soviet Traditions
Russian-speakers have made a positive contribution to Israeli society in many areas. But when it comes to attitudes toward freedom of expression, the majority of this group's elected representatives are making a negative contribution.
A Zionist Despite Himself
It is not incidental that many members of the left so often quote Zionist leaders - who, even before the establishment of the state, called for a compromise with the other side.
De-discrimination Allowance
Everything the state wants to give those who serve, it can do generously by increasing the demobilization grant. There would be no discrimination of any kind between those who served and those who did not.
Who's Afraid of Equality?
The discourse of the Arab leadership - not necessarily of the Arab public - is trampling on equality in the guise of defending it.
Is the State of Israel Becoming an Anachronism?
The new law banning discrimination when deciding on new members of a community makes it essential to now set clear limits to the quasi-official status of Zionist institutions.
Government Must Act Against 'Price Tag' Phenomenon
The 'price tag' people are knowingly playing with matches next to a barrel of explosives in order to threaten the government. They are not only criminals - they are a threat to Israel's security and must be treated as such.