I was honoured to meet the Ninth President of Israel, Shimon Peres on September 13th, after volunteering at the Peres Center for Peace last summer. Hours later, I discovered that he had been taken to hospital after feeling unwell, and by the evening it was revealed that he had suffered a major stroke. The news … More Meeting the last of Israel’s founding fathers
On the 28th July 2016, Education Minister, Naftali Bennett made a long-awaited promise to a historically neglected and underrepresented section of Israeli society. “Until now, we saw only half a story,” he told an audience at Bar-Ilan University, “and now we have a full story.” Bennett promised that from now on, Israeli school children would … More Will the history of Mizrahi Jews be used as a bridge for peace?
Some have dubbed it the ‘summer of discontent‘. Hyperbole or not, the last few weeks in British politics have been turbulent to say the least. What with Brexit, the Prime Minister’s resignation, the opposition party in chaos, the official condemnation of an unnecessary war, and a rise in racial hate crimes – the divide and … More Silver linings in the summer of discontent and what’s next
“If somebody wants to understand what is going on in the Middle East they have to understand the Jewish refugees from Arab countries” – Vivienne Roumani-Den (Former Refugee from Libya) I’ve grown accustomed to the sheer surprise on people’s faces when I tell them that my parents are both Jewish and Iraqi. Yes, we exist. … More You will never understand Israel, if you don’t understand the Jewish refugees from Arab countries
In January, the sea of tributes that poured in for the passing of pop music’s most illustrious icon served to remind us just how unforgettable his legacy is. In the aftermath, both the Grammy and BRIT Award Ceremonies featured an inevitable but fitting David Bowie tribute. Both featured a montage of music performed by two … More Why the BRIT’s tribute to Bowie was so much better than the Grammy’s
The very idea of questioning Israel’s right to exist is often dismissed as anti-Semitic and consequently unacceptable. Indeed, there seems to be a double standard in questioning Israel’s legitimacy as a state, without applying the same questions to any other. For instance, why not question the legitimacy of other young states such as India or … More Questioning Israel’s right to exist
Accusations of news outlets exhibiting a bias is a commonplace criticism I’ve grown accustomed to, and frankly quite bored of. During the Gaza conflict of 2014, the BBC received over 900 complaints of showing a pro-Palestinian/anti-Israeli bias, closely followed by over 800 complaints for a pro-Israeli/anti-Palestinian bias. The most complaints received that month were about playing … More Confronting the inevitablity of bias
Earlier this year, in the lead up to the UK general election, health care was a hot topic. With an ageing population, increasing rates of obesity and the rising incidence of cancer, it was clear that money alone could not solve this problem. However, the only solutions discussed by politicians, the media and the people, … More The NHS doesn’t need a stronger economy, it needs a nation that cares about its health
Having spent several months in North America, I’ve now grown well accustomed to the tipping culture on this side of the pond. In Montréal, it’s the easiest – they’ll make sure you know when you need to tip and sometimes they’ll even be kind enough to let you know how much they were expecting from … More An Englishman’s thoughts on Tipping
Tonight’s vote regarding British military intervention in Syria, specifically air strikes aimed to weaken the extremist Jihadist militant group who I’m no longer sure what to call, is not a decision that will be taken lightly. As of yet I’ve given little thought as to what I should call the group, but for all intents … More Syria: Lessons we haven’t learnt
In Absence of Certainty 