PETAH TIKVA, Israel (AP)_Dan Duquette, the former general manager of the Boston Red Sox, took one look at me, nodded, and with a somewhat puzzled look said: “Try not to hurt yourself out there, OK?” Talk about a reality check. Who was I kidding? I’m 30 years old, mildly out of shape, asthmatic, and I’m trying to become a professional … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) _ When I arrived in Israel one year ago, Ariel Sharon was the prime minister, Hamas was a radical Palestinian opposition group, and Israeli troops were just leaving Gaza — and long gone from Lebanon. Its become a cliché to say there is never a dull moment in the Middle East. Even so, it’s hard to recall a … Read More
Tuesday, Aug. 15, 7 p.m. local METULLA, Israel – The route from Kiryat Shemona to Metulla is a 5-mile stretch of winding, uphill road. I’ve driven it dozens of times in the past three weeks. Today, for the first time, I drove it without fear. This war ended just as suddenly as it began, and at no place is the … Read More
RAMAT GAN, Israel (AP) _ Some 20,000 frenzied fans sang along with Sting as he yelped out the familiar lyrics to one of his most famous songs. “Whoa, I’m an alien; I’m a legal alien,” reverberated throughout Israel’s largest stadium, in this suburb of Tel Aviv. Sting, of course, was referring to being an “Englishman in New York.” But he … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) _ Like most of its modern, conservation-friendly counterparts, Jerusalem’s Biblical Zoo is trying to save animals from extinction and reintroduce them into the wild. But that philosophy, referred to in zoological circles as the “Noah’s Ark paradigm,” takes on a special meaning here. Most of the Biblical Zoo’s inhabitants trace their lineage to the great beasts who were … Read More
JERUSALEM (AP) _ It’s nearly midnight and Shimon Peres, clad in a fashionable black leather jacket, casually strolls down a sidewalk in downtown Jerusalem, the heart of the city’s nightlife. Like a rock star with groupies, he is followed by dozens of journalists and aides as he meets and greets the young partiers of the city. This is grass-roots politics … Read More
THURSDAY, Jan. 19, 6 p.m. local TEL AVIV, Israel, The Old Bus Station Israel’s first suicide bombing of 2006 was also its first in five years without Ariel Sharon at the helm. A strange reminder of Sharon’s absence came in the form of the owner of the shwarma stand targeted. His name? Aryeh Sharon. Otherwise, the scenes from “The Mayor’s … Read More
KISSUFIM CROSSING, Gaza Strip (AP) _ The sun poked out from beyond the horizon, and Lt. Col. Tzvika Tzoran ordered his driver: “OK. Let’s move.” The jeep roared to life and led the last convoy of Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers out of Gaza. Within moments, it was done: Thirty-eight years of Israeli rule in the Gaza Strip came … Read More