IMRA Middle East News Updates

Weekly Commentary: Leviticus 19:14 - Undermining Israeli Haredi Society

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:35:24 -0400

Weekly Commentary: Leviticus 19:14 - Undermining Israeli Haredi Society
Dr. Aaron Lerner, 5 June 2025

"Do not put a stumbling block before the blind."
Leviticus 19:14

Years from now, Haredim, surveying the condition of their society, will no
doubt speculate whether the secular Israeli leadership conspired to cause
their collapse via "stumbling blocks."

It is all there to be seen today.

Generous programs to encourage Haredi families to choose a life of
government-subsidized poverty.

Government policies resulting in Haredi men failing to acquire the skills to
make a decent living.

The "stumbling blocks" go far beyond this.

A consistent no-serious-financial-oversight policy toward Haredi
institutions receiving government funding may be the biggest "stumbling
block" of all.

I'm not even going to go into the question of army service, because if these
other "stumbling blocks" weren't out there, I suspect that, along with
learning skills and not choosing poverty, most young Haredi men would find
it only natural to join their brothers in serving the nation.

The Haredi politicians have a vested interest in these "stumbling blocks."

Politicians prefer to hand out fish rather than fishing rods.

And I'm not able to speculate what portion of Haredi society today wants the
"stumbling blocks," and how many qualify as a kind of tinok shenishba
(Shabbat 68a) - having grown up in a society that inculcates a rejection of
basic values.

I daresay that the next elections, whether this year or next, will provide
the Israeli electorate with the opportunity to facilitate the formation of a
coalition government that can, via a series of dramatic reforms which remove
the "stumbling blocks," free Haredi society.

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

President Trump: It's Not Rain From Moscow, Teheran, and Gaza On Your Head - It's Urine

Sat, 31 May 2025 15:34:49 -0400

President Trump: It's Not Rain From Moscow, Teheran, and Gaza On Your Head -
It's Urine
Dr. Aaron Lerner 31 May 2025

Today Iran warned America not to threaten it as the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched up
to 60% increased by almost 50% since February.

When Hamas today rejected US special envoy Steve Witkoff's proposal, Witkoff
declined to conclude that Hamas should face any consequences for what he
termed a response which was "totally unacceptable and only takes us
backward."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/us-envoy-witkoff-dismisses-tota
lly-unacceptable-hamas-response-to-hostage-deal-proposal/

In response to President Trump's grumbling about Russian attacks against
Ukraine, Russia today launched a significant aerial assault on Ukraine,
involving 109 drones and 5 missiles resulting in at least 10 fatalities and
33 injuries across the affected areas. In addition to the aerial assaults,
Russia claimed control over the Ukrainian villages of Novopil in Donetsk and
Vodolahy in Sumy. These developments prompted Ukrainian authorities to order
mandatory evacuations in 11 more settlements within the Sumy region,
bringing the total number of evacuated settlements to 213.

The "domino effect" of the crumbling of President Trump's credibility can be
clearly seen.

Only bold and decisive action can stop this.

And to be clear: that's not bold and decisive actions screwing allies!

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Weekly Commentary: Danger of Domino Effect From Trump Failures

Thu, 29 May 2025 03:40:29 -0400

Weekly Commentary: Danger of Domino Effect From Trump Failures
Dr. Aaron Lerner - 29 May 2025

The ruling yesterday by the U.S. Court of International Trade against
President Trump's bizarre import duties is only one "domino" in what
threatens to be a disastrous "domino effect" on the standing of the United
States on the international scene.

Talks with Iran: In the absence of a surprise decisive American move, it
appears that Iran is making President Trump a laughingstock as he continues
to speak optimistically about progress in negotiations, despite the fact
that Iran insists it will continue uranium enrichment.

Ukraine-Russia: President Trump's remark yesterday that he won't impose
sanctions on Russia during negotiations was "the blink seen around the
world."

Hamas deal: The Trump team's efforts to come up with a deal that leaves open
the possibility of Hamas remaining in Gaza are seen for the farce that they
are.

Houthi deal: No major steamship line has revised its routing on the basis of
the "deal," with vessels continuing to take the long route around the Cape
of Good Hope rather than through the Suez Canal.

Each of these failures alone might be offset by successes in other areas,
but when the President of the United States is seen as a farce on multiple
fronts, it undermines stability around the world.

It is not too late to stop this.

The United States has deployed the platforms needed to take out the Iranian
nuclear program in coordination with Israel.

The message to the world would be clear.

So much so that it would have an opposite "domino effect" - to the benefit
of Ukraine, Taiwan, and many others.

It's a win-win.

________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

When Israel Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit says that he will defend the independence of the Supreme Court it is necessary to understand that this "independence" is also from the laws of the State of Israel

Mon, 26 May 2025 06:03:24 -0400

When Israel Supreme Court President Yitzchak Amit says that he will defend
the independence of the Supreme Court it is necessary to understand that
this "independence" is also from the laws of the State of Israel.
Dr.. Aaron Lerner 26 May 2025

First consider the American standard:

"A judge is obligated to apply the law as it is and not as she wishes it
would be. She is obliged to follow the law even when her personal
preferences cut the other way, or when she will experience great public
criticism for doing so."
Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United
States, May 2019

When Justice Amit recently made a ruling which was completely at odds with
the law he wasn't setting a precedent, he was following a tradition.

In the Pinhasi case, Supreme Court Justice Barak chose to claim legal
precedent which didn't actually exist to support a ruling which was at odds
with the law.

"I believe it is fair to conclude that the 'lineage' of the rulings by
Justice Barak in the Pinhasi case and by Justice Mazza in the Deri case does
not withstand scrutiny. In the binding legal material available to us at the
time, these rulings have no foundation for the conclusions reached by the
justices. Even the secondary sources do not provide strong support for these
far-reaching conclusions."
Ruth Gavison, "The Attorney General: A Critical Look at New Trends," in
Plilim Vol. 6 (1996), p. 95

Justice Barak has even gone so far as to assert that he is not bound to rule
in a civil case in accordance with the text of a contract signed between two
parties:

"When interpreting a contract one should study what the true and joint
intention of the parties was without being limited to the expressions or
terms which they used. In the conflict between the wording of a contract and
the intention of its drafter the position of the latter take precedence."
Supreme Court Judge Aharon Barak - Apropim (Supreme Court Appeal 4628/93) 6
April 1995

So this is nothing new.

To be clear, I am not claiming that there is no place for judicial review.

Just that judicial review should be in accordance with the law.

Period.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Weekly Commentary: Tsunami-shmunami - Destroy Hamas!

Thu, 22 May 2025 15:47:19 -0400

Weekly Commentary: Tsunami-shmunami - Destroy Hamas!
Dr. Aaron Lerner - 22 May 2025

When I listen to the ex-senior Israeli officials on Israeli radio and
television calling for the Jewish State to surrender to Hamas in the face of
the oncoming diplomatic "tsunami," I can only conclude that it was a miracle
we survived when these people were setting policy.

Well, tsunami-shmunami.

Yes, some countries may take action to deter us from liberating Gaza from
Hamas.

But they will be short-lived actions.

After the mission is accomplished, the talk about death and food supply will
shift to arguments over the management and possible rebuilding of post-Hamas
Gaza.

Passions will be on a completely different level and things, for the most
part, will return to normal.

Someone recognize a Palestinian state?

Been there.

Done that.

Those actions were a farce, and they will remain a farce.

On the other hand, if we demonstrate to the world that we are as committed
to our future as we are to the here and now, we will ultimately find that
many of the same leaders who are now barking at us opt, instead, to talk
with us - in recognition that we are the ones holding the cards.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il

Weekly Commentary: We Can't Let Hostages Trump Victory

Fri, 16 May 2025 10:21:55 -0400

Weekly Commentary: We Can't Let Hostages Trump Victory
Dr. Aaron Lerner 16 May 2025

Only a few brave leaders have openly shared the painful truth: it is highly
likely that we cannot defeat Hamas if we continue to rule out military
operations which might possibly endanger hostages.

This is probably the first war in the history of the world in which a
country chose a long drawn-out conflict with huge losses both in casualties
and economic costs by severely restricting operations in order to avoid
endangering hostages.

To be clear: its only human for emotions to trump logic in the extended
family which is the very nature of our Jewish State.

That's why, over a decade ago, the Shamgar Commission on hostages
recommended that Israel's decision makers not meet with hostage families.

I desperately hope that In the coming days our leaders have the intestinal
fortitude to do the right thing for the country and move quickly to defeat
Hamas on the ground.

I'm going to share a brutal political assessment: If we quickly smash Hamas
- even at the cost of dead hostages - this issue it NOT going to determine
the outcome of the next elections.

If the next elections take place AFTER the war ends, the parties will battle
over the central question "who can guaranty our children's future?".

Those are questions relating to education, housing and the economy -
including the continuation of current policies which encourage able bodied
men to intentionally choose poverty for their families.
________________________________________
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis

Since 1992 providing news and analysis on the Middle East with a focus on
Arab-Israeli relations

Website: www.imra.org.il