Tag: Israel

Three Martini Lunch

Forest Fire Facts, Middle East Momentum, Public Backs Barrett

2 COMMENTS
Hosted by Greg Corombos, Jim Geraghty

Join Jim and Greg for three good martinis! First, they credit NBC for actually reporting that a big reason for huge forest fires is poor government management and a refusal to diligently thin out forests to contain future fires. They’re also thrilled to see polling showing 80 percent of Saudis expecting normalization of relations with Israel and 71 percent expecting it whether the Palestinians pursue a peace deal or not. And they’re glad to see a majority of Americans approving the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett and a huge majority opposing court packing.

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Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Trump’s Disruptive Foreign Policy

Jailer
By Jailer
Jailer Member
Believer, American, Husband, Father, Airman, Blogger … Blessed!
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38 COMMENTS
 

The following began its brief life as a comment on another recent post, but after reflection I thought maybe it was cogent enough to stand on its own. On the foreign policy front, I suspect I may be the only one here who has served in Embassies, including during the Trump era. This is what I will say about that.

  1. I’m sure I won’t break any news when I say that most of the foreign policy establishment leans left and is distressed when any Republican is elected but was especially so in 2016. This is not only true of our dear State Department friends but across the entire transnational community of foreign policy elites.
  2. Continuing as Captain Obvious, DJT is a norm-breaker, and the foreign policy community seriously loves it some norms–and resents when they are broken.
  3. Of course, some norms badly needed to be broken. In particular, the national and international foreign policy consensus on China urgently needed to move, and this administration succeeded in catalyzing that movement. The 2017 National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy were masterfully done. They met a critical need to generate a global awakening about the failure of the previous consensus on Beijing, probably best summarized by Robert Zoellick’s 2005 “Responsible Stakeholder” speech. Someone had to end the charade, and it’s worth wondering whether a more conventional administration of either party could have overcome the entrenched consensus to have boldly introduced major-power competition as the new normal–so successfully that even the professionals now agree that we can’t go back to the status quo ante on China.
  4. Israel and the Middle East is the other major area where the foreign policy consensus simply had to be sidelined. I recently spoke to a State Department official who–in the context of a discussion about normalization with the UAE and Bahrain–seethed angrily about how this Administration had trashed 70 years of foreign policy consensus on Palestine. Without irony. Sometimes the conventional wisdom must be firmly rejected.
  5. Getting our allies to finally invest in their own defense is also a plus.
  6. Having said that, we are paying a price for appearing capricious and unnecessarily dismissive of our allies. Sure, they can be difficult, but they remain our allies and we do need to keep them on our side. Those same national security documents make it clear that major-power competition is a team sport, and we have to bring the team along if we’re going to win. And we must win.
  7. Also, the incessantly revolving door of senior officials (especially SecDefs and National Security Advisors) has been extremely disruptive to getting important work done in the international space.
  8. Finally, there’s been a dearth of consistently strong and vocal leadership on our American principles (democracy, rule of law, human rights, etc.), particularly since Nikki Haley stepped down as U.N. Ambassador. Foreign policy requires salesmanship, and ours would benefit from some strength, steadiness, and consistency on these themes.

Bottom line, this administration has served as a corrective to some badly flawed policy. Disruption was absolutely necessary, but at some point should start to give way to stability and focused team-building.

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Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. A Biden Presidency and Possible Foreign Policy Threats

Brian WattJoined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member
By Brian Watt
Brian Watt Member
Brian Watt is a humorist, writer, designer, and marketing professional.
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19 COMMENTS
 

I’m going to pose several questions. I don’t have definitive answers to these questions. If Joe Biden is elected President of the United States we may not know if what I am about to describe will play out or not. But I think it’s important to ask the questions.

  1. Is it more likely, given Hunter Biden’s salacious history, that rather than Donald Trump, certain Russians associated with Vladimir Putin or Russian-sympathetic Ukrainians have compromising information on Joe Biden’s son that they may be poised to release or use as leverage to influence a Biden administration?
  2. Is it possible that Joe Biden’s Secretary of State may make overtures to the Iranian regime to restore relations even to the point of reauthorizing the JCPOA, so Iran can continue to develop and produce fissionable material in an unrestrained manner in an effort to make nuclear warheads for an arsenal of ICBMs?
  3. Is it possible or probable that Iran will test Joe Biden’s resolve and act provocatively by aiding in attacks on Israel through proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas or other bad actors?
  4. Is it possible that China will test a new Biden administration by moving against Taiwan, perhaps through financial sanctions or seizing Taiwan assets in mainland China, or a more adventurous military move on the island, like a naval blockade or a first strike on Taiwan air bases?
  5. If Russia advances troops across their border into Ukraine as they did in annexing Crimea during Obama’s presidency; or launches provocative actions in Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, or in the Balkans – how do you think a Biden administration will respond?
  6. What do you think the response would be from a Biden administration or National Security team if these nations – Russia, China, Iran – coordinated their actions to occur at the same time or in very rapid succession of one another, even working with other smaller countries with a history of antagonism to the US and its allies (Venezuela, North Korea, Syria) to present a fast-moving, compounding multi-theater challenge?
  7. The election in America is less than a month away. Do you know who Joe Biden’s foreign policy, national security, and military advisors are apart from Secretary-of-State-for-Life John Kerry (Lt. Col. Vindman, Fiona Hill, James Mattis?) and whether or not anyone in the defense and intelligence community has had an opportunity to brief Biden on potential threats and possible scenarios? Is Biden reading any foreign intelligence or threat assessments during his <cough> grueling campaign schedule or before he settles down for his frequent naps at his home?
  8. Finally, if any of this is likely to occur, do you think that Joe Biden has the mental acuity to process what is happening, cogently listen to and sort out the best strategic and tactical advice from both those in DoD and State, and act coherently and unequivocally to push back against these nations? Or would he make concessions or appease any of these nations and let then pursue their escapades? Does Joe Biden’s understanding or his misreading of foreign policy over the years give you confidence that he is up to the task? Has he demonstrated a profound understanding of foreign policy threats and opportunities throughout his political career or even in the last six months?

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MagMen

Trump’s foreign policy win and the vaccine wars

1 COMMENTS
Hosted by J. Grant Addison, Jay Caruso, Park MacDougald, Seth Mandel

Donald Trump, whether people want to admit it or not, scored a pretty big foreign policy win as Israel normalized relations with UAE and Bahrain. Seth, Park, Jay, and Grant discuss the political implications for Trump and why people are so afraid (on either side) to credit anyone, not in their party for policy success.

Also, the guys discuss the coronavirus vaccine and the effects of both Trump over-promising and some Democrats flirting with anti-vax rhetoric because they don’t like Trump and argue the wrong point (that it won’t be ready by election day instead of assuming it will and saying they don’t trust the president).

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Three Martini Lunch

More Middle East Stability? China’s COVID Whistleblower? Bungled Michigan Ballots

7 COMMENTS
Hosted by Greg Corombos, Jim Geraghty

Join Jim and Greg as they cheer the Abraham Accords and hope President Trump is right that several other Arab nations may soon normalize relations with Israel as well. They also discuss the claims of a possible Chinese whistleblower who claims she has evidence that COVID-19 came from a lab rather than a wet market and the Chinese Communist Party has been covering its tracks ever since. Jim explains why she ought to release whatever she has as soon as possible. And as the “experts” keep insisting states are totally prepared for massive mail-in voting, they groan as Michigan can’t even get the names in the presidential race right on the ballot.

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Three Martini Lunch

Major Middle East Progress, What Biden Won’t Say, Libs & Wildfires

3 COMMENTS
Hosted by Greg Corombos, Jim Geraghty

Join Jim and Greg as they applaud the normalization of relations between Israel and Bahrain and indications that Saudi Arabia may soon follow suit. They also discuss the premeditated shootings of two Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on Saturday and why Joe Biden condemns the shooting but not the people blocking the ambulances from reaching the hospitals and chanting that they hoped the deputies died. And Jim explains why the wildfires in the western U.S. are exposing the extreme policies of some Democrats and environmental activists.

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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Trump Negotiates Historic Israel-UAE Peace Deal

Jon Gabriel, Ed.
By Jon Gabriel, Ed.
Jon Gabriel, Ed. King
Jon Gabriel (a.k.a., @ExJon on Twitter) is the Editor-in-Chief of Ricochet. He is a political writer and marketing consultant, contributing articles to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, and USA Today among others. Until 2012, he served as Director of Marketing for the free-market Goldwater Institute, where he converted policy initiatives into compelling stories. In the private sector, Jon led marketing efforts for Cold Stone Creamery, Honeywell, and several technology companies. In his… [more]
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47 COMMENTS
 

President Trump achieved a diplomatic milestone Thursday, leading the United Arab Emirates and Israel to establish a full normalization of relations. This is more bad news for the Iranian regime as well as the dead-end supporters of Obama’s nuclear deal.

“The historic diplomatic breakthrough will advance peace in the Middle East region,” according to a joint statement, “and is a testament to the bold diplomacy and vision of the three leaders and the courage of the United Arab Emirates and Israel to chart a new path that will unlock the great potential in the region.”

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Three Martini Lunch

Israel-UAE Peace, Dems’ Maine Problem, Jobless Numbers Drop Again

2 COMMENTS
Hosted by Greg Corombos, Jim Geraghty

Join Jim and Greg as they sip three good martinis today. First, they’re thrilled to hear that Israel and the United Arab Emirates are normalizing relations. They also shudder to learn the Maine Democratic Senate hopeful Sara Gideon repeatedly blocked legislation to ban female genital mutilation, but are thankful the story is coming to light for voters to consider. And they cheer weekly first-time jobless claims dropping below one million for the first time since the pandemic began.

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Member Post

Corinne Parenti
By Corinne Parenti
Corinne Parenti Coolidge
I am a libertarian living in Israel. I co-founded and still manage the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS), the only libertarian think-tank in Israel. I write regularly for JIMS Blog in English. I was born in France in an Italian family, lived in New York in the late '80s to mid-'90s and moved to Israel in 1995. I am privileged to have five beautiful adult daughters and one granddaughter, all living in Israel.  I was born to be a libertarian, my Italian family who had escaped fascism … [more]
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4 COMMENTS
 

As Israel is at risk of entering a second wave, it is time to think about a sustainable long term plan that can protect the population at high risk, without destroying further our very fragile economy nor canceling our civil liberties. The government needs to clarify its tools, goals, and the sustainability of its policies […]

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Member Post

Corinne Parenti
By Corinne Parenti
Corinne Parenti Coolidge
I am a libertarian living in Israel. I co-founded and still manage the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS), the only libertarian think-tank in Israel. I write regularly for JIMS Blog in English. I was born in France in an Italian family, lived in New York in the late '80s to mid-'90s and moved to Israel in 1995. I am privileged to have five beautiful adult daughters and one granddaughter, all living in Israel.  I was born to be a libertarian, my Italian family who had escaped fascism … [more]
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2 COMMENTS
 

As a direct consequence of the lockdowns, more than a million Israelis have lost their jobs, and the country faces a 25% unemployment rate. Getting those individuals back at work is a national priority, failing to do so will not only destroy the lives of many families but also bring social unrest. Unfortunately, the government […]

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Member Post

Corinne Parenti
By Corinne Parenti
Corinne Parenti Coolidge
I am a libertarian living in Israel. I co-founded and still manage the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS), the only libertarian think-tank in Israel. I write regularly for JIMS Blog in English. I was born in France in an Italian family, lived in New York in the late '80s to mid-'90s and moved to Israel in 1995. I am privileged to have five beautiful adult daughters and one granddaughter, all living in Israel.  I was born to be a libertarian, my Italian family who had escaped fascism … [more]
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7 COMMENTS
 

This week, our politicians formed Israel 35th government after 508 days and three rounds of elections. Israelis watched sadly the swearing-in of 34 ministers with fake titles and unknown functions and another 12 deputy ministers scratching for meaningless jobs. This government is nothing short of a gargantuan monster, bathing in a life of affluence, and […]

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Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Health, Privacy, and Shin Bet Surveillance

Corinne Parenti
By Corinne Parenti
Corinne Parenti Coolidge
I am a libertarian living in Israel. I co-founded and still manage the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS), the only libertarian think-tank in Israel. I write regularly for JIMS Blog in English. I was born in France in an Italian family, lived in New York in the late '80s to mid-'90s and moved to Israel in 1995. I am privileged to have five beautiful adult daughters and one granddaughter, all living in Israel.  I was born to be a libertarian, my Italian family who had escaped fascism … [more]
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28 COMMENTS
 

Israel is re-opening the economy, and the world is watching our success story against COVID-19. Many parameters probably played a role in reducing the health impact of the virus. Still, it seems that closing the borders early and the outstanding behavior of the population are the main factors. The overwhelming majority of Israelis agreed to make drastic changes to save lives. This behavior isn’t unusual, Israelis live permanently in a state of emergency, almost instinctively, we come together in solidarity and unity at times of danger. But, the citizens also dictated the end of the strict lockdowns when the economic and emotional cost became unbearable. As days passed, and the virus felt less devastating than previously thought citizens demanded an end of the restrictions, leaving no choice to our government than to relax the most coercive legislation.

However, there is a tool that our government used during this crisis: military-grade surveillance on private citizens, and even as we return to our “normal” life, this monitoring persists. The use of such surveillance was defended as a tool for saving lives through contact tracing of the infection. It turns out that this system, operated by the Shin Bet, only helped reveal a minuscule number of cases. Despite those poor results, we are still under full surveillance even after the containment of the virus and return to “normal” activities. Detailed information about every single aspect of our life is being watched and stored by government agencies. They know who we meet, how long we spend with our friends, where we shop, where we walk. They trace every action we take during the day. It’s often described as one of the most intrusive surveillance systems in the world and with the exception of China, no other countries have deployed such monitoring in their fight against COVID-19.

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Member Post

Corinne Parenti
By Corinne Parenti
Corinne Parenti Coolidge
I am a libertarian living in Israel. I co-founded and still manage the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS), the only libertarian think-tank in Israel. I write regularly for JIMS Blog in English. I was born in France in an Italian family, lived in New York in the late '80s to mid-'90s and moved to Israel in 1995. I am privileged to have five beautiful adult daughters and one granddaughter, all living in Israel.  I was born to be a libertarian, my Italian family who had escaped fascism … [more]
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5 COMMENTS
 

Let’s transfer back the responsibly to the people away from the bureaucrats Preview Open

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Member Post

Corinne Parenti
By Corinne Parenti
Corinne Parenti Coolidge
I am a libertarian living in Israel. I co-founded and still manage the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies (JIMS), the only libertarian think-tank in Israel. I write regularly for JIMS Blog in English. I was born in France in an Italian family, lived in New York in the late '80s to mid-'90s and moved to Israel in 1995. I am privileged to have five beautiful adult daughters and one granddaughter, all living in Israel.  I was born to be a libertarian, my Italian family who had escaped fascism … [more]
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2 COMMENTS
 

The survey was administered on April 1st, 2020, by Geocartography and sponsored by the Jerusalem Institute for Market Studies Preview Open

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Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. A Serendipitous Development for a Vaccine – From Israel

Brian WattJoined in the first year of Ricochet Ricochet Charter Member
By Brian Watt
Brian Watt Member
Brian Watt is a humorist, writer, designer, and marketing professional.
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20 COMMENTS
 

The Jerusalem Post is reporting that MIGAL [The Galilee Research Institute] is on the cusp of developing a coronavirus vaccine within a few weeks. The vaccine would still need to be tested and approved by various government agencies (the FDA here in the United States, for example) before it could be widely manufactured and disseminated.

How is it possible that this firm is developing a potential vaccine candidate so quickly? Based on the processes the lab developed and wanted to test, they had their choice of virus candidates to validate their work and…

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Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. From a Messianic Jewish Friend in the IDF

Hartmann von Aue
By Hartmann von Aue
Hartmann von Aue Member
A former academic in the field of Dead Northwest European Languages and Medieval Literature, now entrepreneur running a translating agency in Central Texas, Hartmann von Aue is the sobriquet of Dr. John D. Martin
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13 COMMENTS
 

Here is a video a friend of mine from the IDF posted countering the anti-Israel slanders lamentably current in the US and European media:

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Walk-Ins Welcome w/ Bridget Phetasy #59

Bret Stephens On Why Disagreement is the Basis of Every Free Society Explicit

2 COMMENTS
Hosted by Bridget Phetasy

Bret Stephens, op-ed columnist for The New York Times, sits down with Bridget to discuss Trump’s effect on the Republican Party, feeling out of place in your own country, the dangers of a culture that’s so sure of its convictions, mob politics, and how Trump’s behavior is both a symptom and a cause of a form of cultural corrosion. Bret talks growing up in Mexico and the perspective it gave him on the US that most Americans don’t have, and why what we have in the US is relatively rare, difficult to achieve, and extraordinarily easy to lose. He and Bridget cover tolerating behavior you find morally offensive because you realize that the price of intolerance is worse than whatever offense is being perpetrated, the unforgiving nature of writing a weekly column, maintaining the understanding you don’t possess a lock on truth, how antisemitism is like a society’s immune system, the emerging attitude of a hatred of excellence, and his experience of being in Jerusalem on 9/11.

Full transcript available here: WiW59-BretStephens-Transcript

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Contributor Post Created with Sketch. Recommended by Ricochet Members Created with Sketch. Israel, Gaza, and Presidential Politics

Susan Quinn
By Susan Quinn
Susan Quinn Contributor
Retired consultant, avid biography reader and meditator
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20 COMMENTS
 

Here we go again: rockets fired into Israel from Gaza; Israel retaliates; and the story continues. But it is a different and more ominous story, and we should all be concerned.

At the moment, there is a ceasefire between Gaza and Israel, facilitated by Egypt. It is sure to be violated, and will probably collapse. In one sense, this story is an old one. But the aggressors have changed, and Israel will not sit back and be victimized by the new guns in town: Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).

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Member Post

Hartmann von Aue
By Hartmann von Aue
Hartmann von Aue Member
A former academic in the field of Dead Northwest European Languages and Medieval Literature, now entrepreneur running a translating agency in Central Texas, Hartmann von Aue is the sobriquet of Dr. John D. Martin
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2 COMMENTS
 

It’s election day in Israel, which matters quite a lot to us. So, Vrouwe and I spent about an hour looking for a good online source for live news from Israel in English and found nothing that was really live or available in Europe. We ended up listening to some chap live-blogging the elections on […]

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Three Martini Lunch

Devastating Debt, Trump’s Disloyalty’ Problem, Dr. Biden’s Blunder

16 COMMENTS
Hosted by Greg Corombos, Jim Geraghty

Jim Geraghty of National Review and Greg Corombos of Radio America have no good martinis today. They wince as the national deficit creeps closer to $1 trillion again and lament that neither party has any intention of seriously addressing the problem before disaster strikes next decade. They also cringe as President Trump rightly slams Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and other far left lawmakers for pushing the anti-Semitic BDS movement but then says says any Jews who vote for Democrats are being disloyal. And they get a kick out of Jill Biden telling Democrats that her husband might not be the best candidate but voters should get on board because he has the best chance to beat Trump.

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