Category: Uncategorized
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Palestine a Miami of the East
On the shores of Jaffa, where fishing boats once set out each dawn, the new plans were drawn. Architects from Tel Aviv unrolled maps across polished tables, their pens sketching palm-lined boulevards, marinas for yachts, towers of glass and steel that would catch the Mediterranean sun. A Miami of the East, they said. Hotels where…
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From Dream to Monster: The Arc of Israel’s Story
Prologue: A Vision in Exile For nearly two thousand years, the Jewish people carried within them a dream. Scattered across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, they whispered to their children of a land once theirs — a land promised, lost, and longed for. Every festival ended with the same refrain: “Next year in…
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Israel and the Politics of Imagination: From Balfour to the Present: Introduction
Nations are built as much on imagination as on material foundations. Borders, governments, and economies matter, but what sustains a people is the shared belief that their nation ought to exist. Few modern states demonstrate this more vividly than Israel. From the biblical promise of a land flowing with milk and honey to the Zionist…
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The Spiritual Framing of the Israel Question: Promise or Peril?
Introduction Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has frequently described the challenges facing Israel not as primarily political or territorial but as fundamentally spiritual. In his view, hostility toward Israel cannot be explained by historical grievances or policy disputes alone; it reflects a deeper conflict between biblical destiny and spiritual opposition. This framing resonates with many…
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Beyond the Balfour Amendment
Introduction The Balfour Declaration of 1917 has long been regarded as a pivotal turning point in the history of the modern Middle East. Issued as a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild, it expressed support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people,” while stipulating…
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Reconsidering the Balfour Declaration
Introduction The Balfour Declaration of 1917 occupies a singular position in the history of the modern Middle East. Issued as a letter from British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour to Lord Rothschild, the declaration expressed support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.” At first glance, it appears to…
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Archaeology, History, and Claims to the Land in Israel-Palestine
Introduction The question of who rightfully belongs to the land of Israel-Palestine has been a source of historical, religious, and political debate for centuries. Central to this debate are claims rooted in both biblical narratives and archaeological evidence, as well as the lived continuity of local populations. Modern Israel emphasizes ancient Israelite presence and covenantal…
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Grayhawk
Journeys of Grayhawk follows an Oneida principal who moves his family from their reservation to New York City after being offered a prestigious post at Midtown High. The family faces culture shock, legal constraints, and deep internal rifts: Jay rebels and longs to return home, Lila awakens to adolescence, Mara and Grayhawk’s marriage strains under…
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