Taking Trump seriously, but not literally, in the Middle East

In a seminal piece for The Atlantic last September, journalist Salena Zito explained a simple truth that most people hadn’t grasped about the man who was about to be elected the 45th president of the United States…writing Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS.org Read more

Can Trump’s outside-in formula work? …asks Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS.org

Much of the attention being given to President Donald Trump’s visit to the Middle East has focused on whether his first foreign trip will provide much of a distraction from his growing domestic troubles. But the real substance centres on his plan to solve a problem that has eluded all of his predecessors: the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Read more

The foolish embassy expectations game

When President Donald Trump heads to the Middle East later this month, the world will be primarily watching closely to see if he makes any of his trademark gaffes that set off a cultural land mine in Saudi Arabia or Israel. But the more important question is whether he will use the trip to actually make policy…writes Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS.org Read more

Hubris and the ‘new’ Hamas…writes Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS.org

President Donald Trump’s optimism about Middle East peace might be justified. Perhaps Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas’s pledge that he will be a “true partner” to Trump in the search for a solution to the conflict with Israel is genuine. Maybe the president’s negotiating skills, and his lack of interest in the details or loyalty to formulas like the two-state solution, will provide what is needed to achieve progress.  Read more

Why the debate about Iran isn’t over…writes Jonathan S. Tobin

When the Obama administration managed to avoid a congressional vote on its nuclear deal with Iran in the fall of 2015 courtesy of a Democratic Senate filibuster, the argument surrounding the controversial agreement seemed to be over. Read more

The Palestinians don’t want Mandela

Palestinian internal politics and liberal hostility to Israel came together at The New York Times this month…writes Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS.org. Read more

Sean Spicer and the ‘anyone I don’t like is Hitler’ rule

The biggest Jewish news story during Passover this year was the latest example of a rule of political argument: he who mentions Hitler first always loses…writes Jonathan S. Tobin. Read more

Does a terrorist fit in a big Jewish tent?

What’s the one value that the Jewish community should care most about?…asks Jonathan Tobin/JNS.org. Read more

Stop denying the Israeli consensus on the Palestinians

Yair Lapid is the current favorite to become prime minister the next time the Israeli people go to the polls to elect a new Knesset, at some point in the not-too-distant future…writes Jonathan S. Tobin/JNS.org. Read more

« Previous Page