At War Within and Without
Newsweek US|August 18 - 25, 2023 (Double Issue)
Facing both Hamas attacks and its own bitter political divisions, Israel is at a moment of crisis. A first-time visitor, however, sees some signs of hope
PAUL RHODES
At War Within and Without

DAVID BEN-GURION, ISRAEL'S FIRST PRIME MINISTER, ONCE SAID: "IN ORDER to be a realist, you must believe in miracles." I didn't see any miracles during a five-day visit to the country, my first, early in July, but Israel did look like it could use some.

The country I got a glimpse of was under intense pressure. The day after I arrived, Israel Defense Forces raided a Palestinian refugee camp in Jenin in the West Bank, a move that put the country on edge and triggered Hamas reprisal attacks. Meanwhile tension was building over the proposed overhaul of the country's judiciary by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Despite large, angry protests, part of the overhaul aimed at limiting the power of the Israeli Supreme Court passed the Knesset on July 24.

I'm a London-based journalist and went to Israel as part of a group organized by ELNET, the European Leadership Network, a pro-Israel nongovernmental organization, founded 15 years ago, in the words of its website, to strengthen relations between Europe and Israel "based on shared democratic values and strategic interests." They promised me a warts-and-all trip to different parts of the country and the chance to meet a wide range of people, including politicians, soldiers, academics, policy experts and local journalists. Newsweek paid my expenses. The following are some snapshots from my visit.

'A Tough Neighborhood'

This story is from the August 18 - 25, 2023 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the August 18 - 25, 2023 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEK USView All
Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?
Newsweek US

Can Alternative Therapies Treat Cancer?

Doctor and breast cancer survivor Liz O'Riordan addresses misinformation around managing the disease

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Falling for Romance
Newsweek US

Falling for Romance

A new book, Nora Ephron at the Movies, celebrates the writer/director best known for her iconic rom-coms and strong female characters

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Cracking the Norse Code
Newsweek US

Cracking the Norse Code

Walrus DNA has shown that Vikings were likely the first to have encountered Indigenous North Americans

time-read
4 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Monumental Shift
Newsweek US

Monumental Shift

The discovery of 165-million-year-old crystals Easter Island has upended the longheld notion of how the Earth's \"conveyor belt\" moves

time-read
6 mins  |
November 15, 2024
'OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC REFORMS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN'
Newsweek US

'OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND DOMESTIC REFORMS ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN'

It is a well-known fact across the globe that the North Korean regime is irrational and unpredictable, but we have been consistent in strengthening our defense posture against the threat from North Korea since the Korean War, and I believe that their conventional capability is much inferior to that of the Korean military.

time-read
10 mins  |
November 15, 2024
'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'
Newsweek US

'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'

Like Paris Hilton, Natasia Pelowski claims she was subjected to abuse at a teenage therapy program

time-read
3 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Russian Economy Faces 'Burnout
Newsweek US

Russian Economy Faces 'Burnout

Vladimir Putin admits difficulties” as the country’s key interest rate reaches a historic high

time-read
3 mins  |
November 15, 2024
China's 'Silent Chemical War'
Newsweek US

China's 'Silent Chemical War'

The U.S. must investigate Beijing's role in the manufacturing of fentanyl that is killing Americans, says one mom whose daughter died after accidentally taking the illicit substance

time-read
5 mins  |
November 15, 2024
HARSH HEADWINDS
Newsweek US

HARSH HEADWINDS

President Yoon Suk Yeol's BATTLE to reform a South Korea beset with structural problems under the specter of an increasingly aggressive neighbor to THE NORTH

time-read
7 mins  |
November 15, 2024
Bridget Everett
Newsweek US

Bridget Everett

BRIDGET EVERETT NEVER THOUGHT SHE'D BE THE LEAD OF A TV SHOW. \"I come from the downtown world in New York, a cabaret singer, and these things just don't happen, you don't find yourself with three seasons of HBO.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 08, 2024