…Let My Right Hand Wither

By bspagat December 23, 2010

Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel’s 180 programs.

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If I Forget Thee, O Jerusalem…

By bspagat December 23, 2010

Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel’s 180 programs.

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Rolling Waves

By bspagat December 6, 2010

Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel’s 180 programs.

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Strong in Sderot

By bspagat November 15, 2010

Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel’s 180 programs.

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Friend, You Are Missing

By bspagat November 2, 2010

חבר אתה חסר Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel’s 180 programs.

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Hatikvah

By bspagat October 26, 2010

Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel’s 180 programs.

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With all my heart

By bspagat October 18, 2010

Bailey Spagat is participating in Career Israel, one of Masa Israel‘s 180 programs.

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On the World Cup

By smelamed June 15, 2010

This week, the 2010 World Cup kicked off in South Africa. The biggest sporting event in the world, the monthlong slate of games is being hailed as the greatest thing to hit Johannesburg since democracy. Organizers have promised boosts in jobs and tourism, and promoters are convinced that this event will raise the profile and…

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The Punishment of Gazans Must End

By smelamed June 8, 2010

I know we’ve all heard enough about a certain clash on a certain boat in the waters off a certain strip.  So forgive me for once again using this space to talk about the Mavi Marmara melee.  If it’s any consolation, the bulk of this post won’t focus on the early morning events of last…

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Idiocy at Sea: The Bigger Picture

By smelamed May 31, 2010

I spent my entire day huddled over my computer, constantly refreshing Ha’aretz and JPost, periodically checking the Gaza flotilla trending topic on Twitter, and generally just trying to make sense of last night’s flotilla fiasco.  And twelve hours into it, I’m still at a loss. Thus far, here’s what we know: early Monday morning, 130…

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Israel Offered Nuclear Arms To Apartheid South Africa

By smelamed May 25, 2010

Didn’t see this one coming. Though it was never in any real doubt, we now have official evidence that Israel at one point possessed nuclear weapons, thanks to researcher and author Sasha Polakow-Suransky.  And given the country’s continued ambiguity regarding its nuclear arsenal, its refusal to enter into the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, its hawkish leadership,…

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The Cab Ride Through Hell

By smelamed May 17, 2010

Drawing swastikas. Committing arson. Rioting en masse. Just another day in the Palestinian Territories, na’chon? Sadly, no.  In fact, we can’t blame these latest developments on terrorists, at least not in the traditional Arab sense of the word.  Nor can we pinpoint these heinous acts to Gaza or the West Bank or even East Jerusalem….

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THE WAIT IS OVER…

By smelamed May 10, 2010

And we’re off!  The proximity talks have officially begun. That’s right: the discussions-before-the-discussions are underway.  The Palestinian Authority, after receiving assurances from the U.S. and Israel, has finally agreed to sit down to the American-brokered indirect negotiations.  Special envoy George Mitchell’s shuttling back and forth between the two parties now, and all onlookers agree that….ummm……errrrr……..well,…

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The Road To Apartheid Is Paved With…License Plates?

By smelamed May 3, 2010

Growing up, my family used to take a lot of road trips.  During these journeys through America, my siblings and I would whittle away the hours by cataloging the various license plates we encountered along the highways and biways of our nation. There was a points system that I won’t get into here, but suffice…

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2020 Vision for Jerusalem?

By smelamed April 26, 2010

Last week, Udi Sommer wrote an op-ed for the Christian Science Monitor (normally one of my favorite news sites) with a somewhat radical proposal.  In his piece, he suggested that the International Olympic Committee award Jerusalem the 2020 Summer Olympics, albeit with one very important stipulation. Sommer argues that this privilege – if one dare call…

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