Author: Josef Olmert, Ph.D.

The ISRAEL-UA -US dramatic announcement was actually not a well-kept secret, as speculation swirled for a long while, that ”something” was cooking up. Frequent not-so-secret visits of Head of Mossad in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, flights of Emirates Airlines to Tel Aviv, Israeli sportspeople competing in the UAE with Hatikva played there, and the Israeli flag raised.

It is arguably the case that most people interested in the situation in the Middle East, including members of the media, the academic community, and those in the corridors of government, will hardly advise laypersons to view the current situation in Libya as anything like a useful guide to understanding the problems of the Middle East at large.

Benjamin Netanyahu is arguably Mr. Israel in the last eleven years, the longest-serving prime minister in the country’s history. Adore him or loathe him. Whatever has happened in the country in this long period is largely attributable to his achievements or failures, actions, or lack of them.

Israel went three times to general elections in a period of eleven months and may go shortly to another one-crazy? Maybe, but still, a situation that can be explained and hopefully also be resolved.

It is arguably the case that of all the great revolutions of the Twentieth Century, one was never given its due attention in the Western world, nor by intellectuals, neither by statesmen despite being of great significance.