JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — March 25, 2021 — With most of the votes counted and no decisive outcome as far as who the next Prime Minister will be, or if Israel will be headed to an unprecedented fifth national election in less than three years, one thing is clear, the big winners in Israel’s national election this week were Israeli Arabs. …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
It’s the Coalition, Stupid
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — February 5, 2021 — Among the well-known themes in modern US Presidential campaigns, many remember a guiding principle and mantra of Bill Clinton’s 1992 successful campaign defeating then incumbent President George Bush Sr., “It’s the economy, stupid.” The message was clear, that the economy was a pillar of the campaign and not to get distracted by tangential …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
The Faces of Forgiveness In the Wake of Terror
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — December 16, 2020 — Ten years ago, two Palestinian Arabs lay in prey on a pristine hiking trail in the slopes of the Judean mountains outside Jerusalem. Unlike terrorists who blow up buses, cafes, or attack civilians on the street, these men waited for their victims to come to them, knowing that on the beautiful sunny Shabbat …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Global Prayer’s for Israel Lift Up and Bless Israel During Sukkot Festival
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
“Miraculous.” “Amazing.” “Divinely inspired.” “The second most significant milestone in our lifetime.” These are just some of the words used by Jewish leaders describing how they felt by the incredible phenomena of Christians from around the world praying for Israel as part of the Genesis 123 Foundation’s Global Prayer for Israel and Virtual Pilgrimage. This historic event was the first …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Inspiration in Olympic Sized Hurdles for Israeli Athletes
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — September 23, 2020 — At the end of a recent webinar “Israel’s Olympic Heroes; Past, Present and Future,” Israeli Olympic marathon runner Beatie Deutsch shared a beautiful and inspiring thought relevant to running, the Olympics, and the holiday season of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. “Running is the greatest metaphor for life. Wining a marathon is not …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Arab Enabling Prevents Peace
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — September 17, 2020 — Like most Israelis, I was glued to the TV listening to the speeches and watching the ceremony of the signing of declarations of peace between Israel and both the UAE and Bahrain. Historic is an understatement. It brought me back to the day in March 1979 when Israel signed the Camp David Accords …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Munich On My Mind
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — SEPTEMBER 2, 2020 — A few years ago, I traveled from Israel to the US with a layover in Munich. I had never been to Germany. Germany, and its history vis-a-vis Jews, is not only not of interest, but the idea of being there made me uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the best itinerary was through Munich. I rationalized that I …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Getting Back Up When We Don’t Fall Well
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 28, 2020 — Perhaps it’s inappropriate for an Orthodox Jew to write about issues related to, and a consequence of, Jerry Falwell Jr.’s recent inappropriate social media post that suggested other inappropriate behaviors, and his taking a leave of absence as President of Liberty University. Perhaps, you wonder, why would an Orthodox Jew even care. For someone …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Shakedown From the Gaza Strip
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 27, 2020 — This week, under cover of darkness, a man arrived in a remote location carrying $30 million cash as a payoff that went largely unnoticed. Was it bribery, extortion, or just someone making a cash investment? If you weren’t paying attention, you might think this was a scene from Godfather IV. Except the accents were …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
Flying High Over Peace Between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — AUGUST 16, 2020 — The truth is, I saw something coming this week, but not this. I never expected that “it” would be peace with another Arab country. “It” was the subject of speculation on a webinar I hosted this week about what was going on. But I thought “it” was something military, that would involve Israeli F35s …
By JONATHAN FELDSTEIN