On the Cyber Frontiers of the Anti-Israel Movement

by Theodore Samets The Internet has changed the world. Less than a decade ago, the late Israel critic Edward Said published an essay in the London Review of Books that asked “Is Israel more secure now?” Those who wanted to respond to Said’s piece had to wait and hope that the LRB would publish their letters to the editor in future issues or sound off in other publications. At the beginning of this month, Allison Benedikt penned her own anti-Israel essay, “Life After Zionist Summer Camp.” To say that Benedikt touched a nerve within the pro-Israel community doesn’t do her agitating essay justice. The Said essay serves as a reference point for two reasons: First, Benedikt’s ironic tone, which many have criticized, bears the markings of Said’s work here and elsewhere. Second, the change in reaction times has changed...

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Weekend roundup

By Sarah Breger What you missed this weekend while playing in the snow: Chelsea Clinton agreed to wed a Jew. We rejoiced. We investigated the mishpacha. We asked the all-important conversion question. Berated ourselves for doing so. And then analyzed our emotions. An alcohol company in Israel is creating a vodka-infused sufganiya for Hanukkah, which has the equivalent alcohol content of a bottle of beer. Still waiting for the Vodka Latke. There are still Jews in Montana? Apparently so, and with a growing Israeli canine population. The Secret Muslim Plot Against Charlie Brown

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What Hamas Believes

By Jeremy Gillick Bombing Gaza might not force Hamas--the Palestinian version of the Muslim Brotherhood that rules it--to moderate its hatred of Israel or its hostility towards Jews, but talking to it won't either. At least, that's the dismal picture painted by Jeffrey Goldberg--based on discussions he had with several former Hamas leaders--in his fascinating op-ed in yesterday's New York Times. "Hamas is not a monolith," he explains, "and opinions inside the group differ about many things, including engagement with the Shiites of Hezbollah and Iran." That said, Goldberg argues, there is a consensus within the group that it should aspire to the ideals and successes of its northern counterpart, Hezbollah. "For Hamas," Goldberg writes, "Hezbollah is not only a source of weapons and instruction, it is a mentor and role model." If Hamas is not as malleable...

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