Any number of political analysts have tried to write off the electoral gains by Islamist parties in Egypt, insisting that once in power, groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafist al-Nour Party will take a pragmatic approach to governing.

It is the same nonsense that was spouted as the Nazis rose to power in Germany, when the Ayatollah Khomeini made his triumphant return to Iran, when Yasser Arafat's PLO terrorist organization was elevated to the status of a national government, and when Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative election.

On December 17, an Egyptian mob - presumably of the type that has been voting for the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Nour - demonstrated that they have no intention of "modernizing" or adopting Western-style pragmatism when they torched the Institute of Egypt in Cairo.

Among the casualties of the Islamist assault were some 192,000 rare books and manuscripts....

Any number of political analysts have tried to write off the electoral gains by Islamist parties in Egypt, insisting that once in power, groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafist al-Nour Party will take a pragmatic approach to governing.

It is the same nonsense that was spouted as the Nazis rose to power in Germany, when the Ayatollah Khomeini made his triumphant return to Iran, when Yasser Arafat's PLO terrorist organization was elevated to the status of a national government, and when Hamas won the 2006 Palestinian legislative election.

On December 17, an Egyptian mob - presumably of the type that has been voting for the Muslim Brotherhood and al-Nour - demonstrated that they have no intention of "modernizing" or adopting Western-style pragmatism when they torched the Institute of Egypt in Cairo.

Among the casualties of the Islamist assault were some 192,000 rare books and manuscripts....

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has created a new military command – the Strategic Depth Command; this new command, and the new, commando-heavy, look of the IDF’s higher echelon, should tell us that Israel is preparing for a new type of war; adversaries of Israel who have been entertaining the thought that sheer distance from Israel would offer them some protection, may want to think again

At times it is not enough to read a given text — you have to read between the lines as well to get at the deeper meaning. This is the case with the news from Israel that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has created a new military command – the Strategic Depth Command.

During the past five years the United States, too, has created new military commands to meet new security challenges in new theaters or domains. Thus, the U.S. Cyber Command is now responsible for developing defensive cyber policies which will protect U.S. military and infrastructure assets against cyber attacks. The Cyber Command is also working on information warfare, that is, offensive cyber measures the United States may take to undermine the military and economy of an adversary during a conflict....

The Israel Defense Force (IDF) has created a new military command – the Strategic Depth Command; this new command, and the new, commando-heavy, look of the IDF’s higher echelon, should tell us that Israel is preparing for a new type of war; adversaries of Israel who have been entertaining the thought that sheer distance from Israel would offer them some protection, may want to think again

At times it is not enough to read a given text — you have to read between the lines as well to get at the deeper meaning. This is the case with the news from Israel that the Israel Defense Force (IDF) has created a new military command – the Strategic Depth Command.

During the past five years the United States, too, has created new military commands to meet new security challenges in new theaters or domains. Thus, the U.S. Cyber Command is now responsible for developing defensive cyber policies which will protect U.S. military and infrastructure assets against cyber attacks. The Cyber Command is also working on information warfare, that is, offensive cyber measures the United States may take to undermine the military and economy of an adversary during a conflict....

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Politician and a nephew of Egypt's former President Anvar Sadat said there is no peace agreement between Cairo and Tel Aviv, saying that Egypt's future government should not recognize the so-called Camp David Peace Accord as it is not in the interest of the Egyptian nation.

"There is no peace agreement between Egypt and Israel and in the future we will talk to any political entity in the world with the logic of right or the logic of force (if the other side does not accept the logic of right) in a way that our relations serve the interests of the Egyptian nation more than anything else, as we are not fearful of any country after the glorious revolution of Egypt," Mohammad Anvar Esmat Saddat told FNA on Wednesday.

"Yet, at present there is no room to talk about Israel, because this regime, along with the US, does not want Egypt to experience stability and security," he added....

TEHRAN (FNA)- A senior Politician and a nephew of Egypt's former President Anvar Sadat said there is no peace agreement between Cairo and Tel Aviv, saying that Egypt's future government should not recognize the so-called Camp David Peace Accord as it is not in the interest of the Egyptian nation.

"There is no peace agreement between Egypt and Israel and in the future we will talk to any political entity in the world with the logic of right or the logic of force (if the other side does not accept the logic of right) in a way that our relations serve the interests of the Egyptian nation more than anything else, as we are not fearful of any country after the glorious revolution of Egypt," Mohammad Anvar Esmat Saddat told FNA on Wednesday.

"Yet, at present there is no room to talk about Israel, because this regime, along with the US, does not want Egypt to experience stability and security," he added....

Yuval Steinitz is Israel's finance minister, recently attending the Delhi Economic Conclave organised by the ministry of finance and the CII. Speaking with Srijana Mitra Das, the philosopher-turned-politician discussed Israel's interest in India, ways to tackle economic crisis - and tense dynamics with Palestine:

Please tell us about your visit.

I'm here to promote economic relations between our democracies. Our relations with India may be second only to the very special relationship we have with the US. Israel feels a close tie with India. It's important to invest in a strategic and economic relationship. We have very advanced technology, we're ready to share this with India, not just export but produce it together...we've agreed on encouraging joint research and development... and I announced a scholarship for Indian students to do post-doctoral studies in Israel. Israel-India relations hold great potential.

Speaking of potential, Israel began 2009 with a negative GDP growth rate, ending at 4.1% - how was this accomplished?

It was a serious situation. We decided not to throw too much government money into dramatic, anti-cyclical Keynesian policies. That would be like sacrificing the future to save the present - but killing both. Many western countries do this but we avoided it. Instead, we adopted special measures. I shifted the country to a biannual budget, one created every 24 months, done the first time in the world.

The business sector got the message - look, the government is not in panic. We're secure enough to plan for two years in advance, not one. We're not struggling quarter-to-quarter...a two-year budget is the right thing to do. It's totally unreasonable to run a country on an annual budget because it takes six months to prepare a budget.

You're then left with just six months for implementation...it's a logical necessity having six months to discuss a budget, debate in Parliament, present ideas in public, then have 18 months for implementation. The IMF said moving to a biannual budget helped Israel handle the crisis. In my understanding, sooner or later, most countries will shift to biannual budgets....

Yuval Steinitz is Israel's finance minister, recently attending the Delhi Economic Conclave organised by the ministry of finance and the CII. Speaking with Srijana Mitra Das, the philosopher-turned-politician discussed Israel's interest in India, ways to tackle economic crisis - and tense dynamics with Palestine:

Please tell us about your visit.

I'm here to promote economic relations between our democracies. Our relations with India may be second only to the very special relationship we have with the US. Israel feels a close tie with India. It's important to invest in a strategic and economic relationship. We have very advanced technology, we're ready to share this with India, not just export but produce it together...we've agreed on encouraging joint research and development... and I announced a scholarship for Indian students to do post-doctoral studies in Israel. Israel-India relations hold great potential.

Speaking of potential, Israel began 2009 with a negative GDP growth rate, ending at 4.1% - how was this accomplished?

It was a serious situation. We decided not to throw too much government money into dramatic, anti-cyclical Keynesian policies. That would be like sacrificing the future to save the present - but killing both. Many western countries do this but we avoided it. Instead, we adopted special measures. I shifted the country to a biannual budget, one created every 24 months, done the first time in the world.

The business sector got the message - look, the government is not in panic. We're secure enough to plan for two years in advance, not one. We're not struggling quarter-to-quarter...a two-year budget is the right thing to do. It's totally unreasonable to run a country on an annual budget because it takes six months to prepare a budget.

You're then left with just six months for implementation...it's a logical necessity having six months to discuss a budget, debate in Parliament, present ideas in public, then have 18 months for implementation. The IMF said moving to a biannual budget helped Israel handle the crisis. In my understanding, sooner or later, most countries will shift to biannual budgets....

Consideration should be given even to the heroic remedy of transfer of populations... the hardship of moving is great, but it is less than the constant suffering of minorities and the constant recurrence of war.
– Former US president Herbert Hoover, five-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee

With all the money that has been invested in the problem of Palestinians, it would have been possible long ago to resettle them and provide them with good lives in Arab countries.
– Andrei Sakharov, 1975 Nobel Peace laureate

The collapse of the Oslo process demonstrate[s] that certain long-held “truths” about the conflict need to be turned on their head.... The US should launch an international initiative that would provide economic support for refugees in neighboring states... [and] incentive packages for patriation to non-neighboring states, including in the West.
– Scott Lasensky, 1999, recipient of the Yitzhak Rabin-Shimon Peres Peace Award, Tel Aviv University

As expected, US presidential candidate Newt Gingrich’s characterization of Palestinians as an “invented people” unleashed a maelstrom of responses – some commending his daring, others condemning his temerity to challenge the precepts of conventional wisdom.

However, if this pronouncement is not to remain just another headline-grabbing campaign slogan – with a commensurately short “shelf-life” – it must be accompanied by an actionable policy proposal that reflects its political content. After all, what is the point in identifying the Palestinians as a bogus national entity and then adopting a policy that relates to them as a genuine one?...

Consideration should be given even to the heroic remedy of transfer of populations... the hardship of moving is great, but it is less than the constant suffering of minorities and the constant recurrence of war.
– Former US president Herbert Hoover, five-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee

With all the money that has been invested in the problem of Palestinians, it would have been possible long ago to resettle them and provide them with good lives in Arab countries.
– Andrei Sakharov, 1975 Nobel Peace laureate

The collapse of the Oslo process demonstrate[s] that certain long-held “truths” about the conflict need to be turned on their head.... The US should launch an international initiative that would provide economic support for refugees in neighboring states... [and] incentive packages for patriation to non-neighboring states, including in the West.
– Scott Lasensky, 1999, recipient of the Yitzhak Rabin-Shimon Peres Peace Award, Tel Aviv University

As expected, US presidential candidate Newt Gingrich’s characterization of Palestinians as an “invented people” unleashed a maelstrom of responses – some commending his daring, others condemning his temerity to challenge the precepts of conventional wisdom.

However, if this pronouncement is not to remain just another headline-grabbing campaign slogan – with a commensurately short “shelf-life” – it must be accompanied by an actionable policy proposal that reflects its political content. After all, what is the point in identifying the Palestinians as a bogus national entity and then adopting a policy that relates to them as a genuine one?...