Why Arab Countries Are Reluctant About a PA State

By Yoram Ettinger, originally published in myesha.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel

Yoram Ettinger

While Western policy focuses on how a Palestinian state would function in the future, Arab countries grant critical importance to how the Palestinians have functioned in the past, as a sign of how they would operate in the future.

Concentrating on the future is subjective and a matter of conjecture, whereas past performance is objective and documented. Well-known psychologist Dr. Albert Ellis said it clearly: "The most effective forecast of the future is based on the behavior of the past." Western thinking gives great weight to Arab "talk" that embraces the Palestinians, but ignores past Arab actions that actually seek to keep the Palestinians at bay.

Interview: Chaim Silberstein: Bet El Resident, Father of Terror Victim

Chaim Silberstein tells of his journey to the Land of Israel, lessons learned outside the classroom, and motivations for living a full Jewish life. Silberstein's daughter, Shira Ish-Ran, was seriously injured in a terrorist attack about a year and a half ago. In this interview, he also updates readers on the court case against the terrorist and shares his thoughts about the experience.

Chaim Silberstein and his family

Fifty Ways to Leave America

by Hillel Fendel

(First in a series)

Aliyah

One fine day a few years ago, a friend of mine was walking down the street in Silver Spring, MD, when he happened to meet a former American who had moved to Israel some years earlier. They got to talking, and the latter said at one point, "It's such a beautiful day! Why do you seem down?"

"Well, the truth is," my friend said, "I'm turning 50 this week, and I got to thinking: Am I going in the right direction Jewishly? I think there must be something I could do to really upgrade my Judaism."

The other didn't blink: "How about making Aliyah?"