If you want to know what I think of the contemporary Middle East, please watch: http://hosting.epresence.tv/MUNK/1/watch/161.aspx The title they gave it is somewhat misleading as I am trying to explain the region as a whole. Hope you enjoy.

http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2010/03/criminal-naivete-1936-article-shows.html Things haven't changed. But are they worse?

The AP has the most fascinating pro-Palestinian spin. The PA cancelled an anniversary ceremony that was supposed to honor a terrorist who helped her people murder 35 Israelis who were traveling on a coastal highway. Here’s the AP spin: The Palestinian Authority has called off…

It is better to empower the people to be more charitable by letting them keep their money in order to give it than to get the government in the health care business.  It is both cheaper and more moral.  Will people fall through the cracks…

The Lede blog of the New York Times writes in a post, “Palestinians against terror,” that plans to honor terrorist Dalal Mugrabi in Ramallah have been met with opposition from Palestinians who favor the living alongside Israel in peace. Plans to build a square in…

http://rubinreports.blogspot.com/2010/03/announcing-construction-of-east.html

Last week Daled Amos wondered: It will be interesting to see just what kind of tone Biden takes with Israel this time–and whether Netanyahu is up to dealing with Biden from strength the way Begin did–or like Olmert. Now we don’t need to wonder anymore.…

Nancy Pelosi: You’ve heard about the controversies within the bill, the process about the bill, one or the other.  But I don’t know if you have heard that it is legislation for the future, not just about health care for America, but about a healthier…

I wrote last Friday about "3rd rails" in American politics; programs like Social Security and Medicare that, no matter how wasteful, politicians can’t substantially deal with.  The reason is that the government has made promises, people have reordered their lives around those promises, and thus…

Update: You can read what the real journalists wrote all over the place. My observations. It’s a big scary machine. Parked next to an F15, the Heron UAV has a bigger wingspan and is longer. It’s a big piece of kit. This is not a…

I found myself attending a funeral today. One of my friends here in Israel was closely related to a famous personality from the world of basketball. Unfortunately my friend’s relative was found dead in his apartment on Monday morning and suicide is the most likely…

A few years ago, actually 10 or more now I come to count, I was involved in another business in Israel. It was all a bit high-tec, venture capitalist, and rather speculative. At the time, however, it felt like the next sure hit and we’d…