The Ettinger Report

In the words of Admiral James Stavridis, former Supreme Commander of NATO: “Our best military partner in the region, by far, is Israel…. It truly is a case of two nations that are unarguably stronger together.”

Western democracies experience suspension of disbelief, overlooking the Palestinian walk. They embrace the “screen-saving,” misleading Palestinian talk, and delude themselves that financial benefits might divert the Palestinian leadership from its real goal--eradicating the Jewish State.

The Mayflower passengers were inspired by the Old Testament, referring to their departure from England as the “Modern Day Exodus;” the sailing across the Atlantic Ocean as the “Modern Day Parting of the Sea;” and the New World as the “Modern Day Promised Land” and the “New Israel.” They considered themselves the “Modern Day Chosen People.”

All prior US peace plans crashed against the rocks of the Middle East. Is the 'Deal of the Century' consistent with the ruthlessly uncontrollable and unpredictable Middle East?

These numbers don't lie

The past decade featured 587 exits, totaling $71BN. If follow-on deals are included, the total surges to $108BN.

Islamic terrorism has been a systematic feature of intra-Arab and intra-Muslim politics since the 7th century. Western democracies cannot expect it to be kinder to the infidel than it has been to believers.

Western democracies cannot expect Islamic terrorism to be kinder toward the “infidel” than it has been toward fellow “believers.”

Israel’s control of the Golan Heights, just like its control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria, has bolstered Israel’s posture of deterrence, extending the strategic hand of the US, with no need for additional US soldiers.

Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria highlights the synergy between the national security of the US and Israel

America’s annual investment in Israel yields American taxpayers an annual rate of return of a few hundred percent, as well as enhancing U.S. national security.

While the world has accepted the official Palestinian population data, without examination/auditing, the Palestinian Authority has consistently inflated the size of its population in the following manner...

Yom Kippur aims at coalescing the entire Jewish public – not just observant Jews - around critical values

Wishing you a year top heavy on health, modesty, challenge and reward.

The aim of a compelling US-Israel defense pact must never involve US troops on Israel’s borders, nor determination of Israel’s future borders, nor any reference to Israeli withdrawals from the strategic high-ground of the Judea and Samaria mountain ridges (the cradle of Jewish history). Such a retreat would downgrade Israel from a strategic asset to a strategic liability.

The name “Palestine” is not related to Arab/Muslim culture. Arabs have not been in the Land of Israel (Palestine) from time immemorial.

Western policy-makers tend to ignore a major prerequisite to a constructive peace process: the uprooting - and not merely trimming – of hate-education.

1. The sustained growth of Israel’s economy  for 15 consecutive years – 3.1% and 3.3% growth projected for 2019 and 2010 respectively – the...

The black hole of the Jewish year

The increasingly disparaging Saudi – and the overall Arab – attitude towards the Palestinian Authority and Hamas has been shaped by the following developments..

Israel realizes that tolerating criticism does not reflect vacillation, but open-mindedness and an opportunity to highlight critical data, as was the case in prior visits of US legislators known for their criticism of Israel.

Blue and White is in the black and the future is looking rosy

Israel is growing through brain-power.

The US mindset on Israel draws its strength from the religious, ethical, moral and cultural roots of the US society, which were planted in 1620

Recent events have demonstrated how Israel’s existence bolsters the security of U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf and throughout the Middle East, countering Iran and enhancing the war on Islamic terrorism.

Israel’s withdrawal from the mountain ridges would transform the Jewish State from a national security asset of the US to a national security liability/burden upon the US, depriving the US of a unique beachhead, which constitutes the largest US aircraft carrier with no US soldiers on board, and a most productive battle-tested laboratory,

The most critical feature/test of defensible borders in the Middle East is their capability to fend off realistic (worst-case) scenarios.

From strength to strength

The control of the Golan Heights enables Israel to play a key role in constraining Iran’s expansion into Syria and Lebanon, restraining the flow of lava emitted by the potential Syrian volcano, securing Jordan’s Hashemite regime and removing the anti-US machetes from the throats of every pro-US regime.

Middle East policy, in general, and peace initiatives, in particular, must adhere to Middle East reality, as violently unpredictable, complicated and frustrating as it is. They must overcome the well-intentioned temptation of oversimplification, wishful-thinking, misperceptions and short-term gratification, which doomed to failure all previous US, European and international peace initiatives.