Lee Smith is a senior editor at the Weekly Standard, a fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and the author of The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations.
The Hitler Test
The strongest evidence that the taboo against anti-Semitism is being eroded is the fact that obvious forms of verbal abuse are tolerated—even justified
Rationale
The question policy-makers should focus on isn’t whether Iran would use a nuclear weapon, but how a bomb would embolden an already reckless regime
Minority Interest
Lebanon’s Maronites, threatened by Sunni power, will be the bellwether of the Mideast’s Christians. Could they face the same fate as the region’s Jews?
Useful Fiction
Newt Gingrich says the Palestinians are an “invented people.” They are, like many others in the Middle East. It’s a useful myth the U.S. must support.
Lax Americana
The U.S. could stop Iran from going nuclear. But policy-makers won’t risk the repercussions of a devastating attack on the Islamic Republic.
Fallible
Infiltrated by up to a dozen CIA spies, Hezbollah, the official party of God, is taking hits to its prestige—and revealing its weakness
Split Ends
Rather than focusing on the goal of removing Bashar al-Assad from power in Syria, the White House is busy worrying about the fractured nature of the opposition
Grand Strategy
Contrary to Washington wisdom, Israel is a clear strategic asset to the United States, says a new study by a bipartisan pair of veteran diplomats
Eclipsed
U.S. policymakers fear a “Shia crescent,” a regional alliance led by Iran. A dawning “Muslim Brotherhood crescent” is far more threatening.
Mob Tactics
Egypt captured Israeli-American Ilan Grapel to generate popular support among the volatile anti-Western middle class at home
Ben-Gurion
The Eichmann Trial
Sacred Trash
The Tenth Man
The key to Christopher Hitchens wasn’t his iconoclasm; it was his desire for belonging—and the proof can be found in an unexpected place
Sounding Off
Note to some of my fellow progressives: If we can’t argue about Israel without using anti-Semitic tropes, then the debate is lost before it even begins
- RT @avimayer: Oh, this is too great. "Herewith, the 10 #Simpsons characters most loathed by #Tehran" - http://t.co/hP3CziNv via @marcatracy of @tabletmag
Twitter: tabletmag
Cheap Eats
An entrepreneur opened a Jewish-themed restaurant in Lviv, Ukraine. Chopped liver is on the menu, but not its price—diners get to haggle over it.
Grace Notes
Orthodox klezmer and bluegrass virtuoso Andy Statman and evangelical country star Ricky Skaggs cross genres and faiths to form a mighty duo
Goodbye to All That
For generations, the Jews of Caracas had idyllic weather, prosperity, and vibrant communal organizations. Things have changed under Hugo Chávez.
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Heroine Stupor
Wanted Women, a new joint biography of two Muslim women, refuses to distinguish between an al-Qaida terrorist and a feminist intellectualby Andrew RobertsSt. Leonard’s Passion
Leonard Cohen releases his 12th album, Old Ideas. The troubadour and poet hasn’t always been popular, but he is always profound.by Liel LeibovitzTimeless
Judaism rejects the notions of beauty that underscore Christian classical music, from Bach to Mozart—but the music still speaks to usby David P. GoldmanPregnant Pause
Pregnancies are fertile ground for superstition, especially for those who assume their traditions and lucky charms are based in Jewish lawby Allison HoffmanCheap Eats
An entrepreneur opened a Jewish-themed restaurant in Lviv, Ukraine. Chopped liver is on the menu, but not its price—diners get to haggle over it.by Vox Tablet




