Obama In Japan

By Israel Shamir

I came to Japan for the preview of Obama's visit, when the G7 foreign ministers assembled at Hiroshima, led by the US State Secretary John Kerry. He should apologise, people said. You do not think Kerry apologised for nuking the city, did you? Neither did Obama. The Americans never apologise, banish the thought. Love means never having to say you're sorry, and they are in love with the rest of the world. Otherwise, why would they screw it so violently and wish to possess so intensely?

Read in French: Obama Au Japon Clinton's Gender Wars

By Israel Shamir

Will the men voting for Mrs Clinton end up in Hell? I am not sure. We know that women who vote for a male candidate have a special place in hell, as the old Jewish feminist lady divined, and she should know. It is not only Madeleine Albright looks like a creature from hell, she also belongs there, for her justification of murder of half a million Iraqi children, among other deeds. But what about men who cross the gender divide? I would not condemn them. Such a condemnation would rather undermine and harm Messrs Trump and Sanders, for men have no gender voting pattern. Men vote for the cause they prefer, and they strongly dislike a suggestion that their vote has been determined by what they are , instead of what they think.

Read in French: Les guerres de genre de H. Clinton North Korea: Love Thy Leader

By Israel Shamir

A colossal mass demonstration, well choreographed to the level of ballet but with tens of thousands of participants in the centre of Pyongyang completed and sealed an important and unusual political event in this remote and isolated land of North Korea – the Party Congress. The demo has been followed by a show, so big that it could not be staged anywhere else. Magnificient fireworks, twenty thousand men and women dancing with torches in the darkness of Pyongyang night – this show I'll remember forever. For the Koreans it was not a show, but a declaration of their loyalty to the state and the leader – or, perhaps, even for them it was just a night dance. Who knows?

Read in French: En Coree du Nord, "tu aimeras ton chef" Three Churches Summit

By Israel Shamir

As the Russian Easter approaches – it will symbolically coincide this year with May Day – it is the right time to speak of a very important recent spiritual event that received too little publicity in the West, but it kept Russia all agog. This was not an Oscar nomination, after all. Two old men, heads of two great churches had met on the territory of the third church. These were Kyril and Francis, the bishops of Moscow and Rome on the last vestige of the communist territory, in Cuba. They represented two ancient and venerable churches: the Roman Catholic and the Russian Orthodox, separated by a millennium-old schism, and as the ghost, the Communist church was present at this summit.

Read in French: Le sommet des trois églises Sanders Changes the Rules

By Israel Shamir

You have to pay obeisance to Israel if you want to become the US President. You have to swear your full compliance with Israel's demands. You have to run to AIPAC and declare your eternal love of the Jewish state. This is a truism, like “Monsieur de la Palisse was alive fifteen minutes before his death”. Or so it was until Bernie Sanders turned the tables and changed the rules. We do not know yet whether his game will succeed and he will be anointed the next President. We do not know even whether he will snatch the Democrats' nomination from the teeth of Mme Clinton. But he already achieved a great victory and toppled the mainstay pillar of the regime.

Read in French: Bernie Sanders brise la règle du jeu Russia Bids Farewell

By Israel Shamir

The massive terrorist attack in Brussels came as a Not So Fast answer to Vladimir Putin's Mission Accomplished . It appears the world needs more of Russian intervention in the Middle East if the black killers from the desert are to be stopped. Luckily, Russia is not in a rush to leave completely. From what I hear in Syria, the promised withdrawal is rather a figure of speech. Some Russians are leaving, others are staying. Yes, I am aware that many of our colleagues, gentlemen of the free press, already explained and justified Putin's sudden declaration. They wrote that Putin had said in September the campaign would last till spring, so being a man of his word he had to live up to his promise. They wrote the Russians had done as much as they could or should, that their mission is indeed accomplished. (This is odd, for the dreadful Daesh and his awful sister al Nusra are alive and kicking). Others said the Russians are clever to go while going is good, that is before the looming joint Turkish and Saudi invasion of Syria.

Read in French: Quand la Russie prend congé The Blessed Bigotry of Mr. Trump

By Israel Shamir

Only a dumb fish would complain if a man were to say: “I never eat fish, and I do not intend to eat fish”. Only the dumbest fish would condemn the man as a bigot: “What! He does not like us!” And yet, our Muslim American friends apparently emulate the stupid fish when speaking of Donald Trump. I spoke well of Trump. My Radical Muslim American friend screamed on a list serve: “And what about his racist remarks about Muslims that are akin to those made about Jews not all that long ago? Shall we accept him on that basis as well as his sick stand on overweight women? Do we overlook all that???????????????????!!!!!”

Read in French: Bénis soient Trump et son fanatisme Russians Ride Fast

By Israel Shamir

The area around the Central Moscow tube stations looks like Aleppo after an air raid. Ruins, destroyed buildings, bulldozers gathering the shambles. No, Moscow was not hit by terrorists: this is a planned demolition of hundreds of small and not-too-small shacks erected (in defiance of planning law) in the vicinity of tube stations in the notorious Nineties, when the Law was vague and easily bought for ready money. The biggest of them, the Pyramid on top of Pushkinskaya Station, went down this week. The municipal workers promptly removed the vestiges of the collapsed constructions, while the erstwhile owners stared in disbelief.

Read in French: Les Russes sont rapides A Syrian Breakthrough

By Israel Shamir

The Russians and their Syrian allies have cut the main supply line of the rebels to the north of Aleppo, the Azaz corridor. In our last report , we wrote about the Azaz corridor, “a narrow strip of land connecting Turkey to the rebel forces in Aleppo. Though it has been narrowed down to four miles in some places, the Syrian [government] Army can't take it, despite the Russian aerial support. For the success of the whole operation, it is paramount to seize the corridor and cut the supply lines, but there is a heavy political flak and military difficulties. At the last Lavrov-Kerry meeting, the American State Secretary six times implored his Russian counterpart to keep hands off the Azaz corridor. The Americans do not want to see Russian victory; besides, the Turks threaten to invade Syria if the corridor is blocked.”

Read in French: La percée syrienne

God Bless You, America!

By Israel Shamir

New Hampshire is wonderful news. After many years of frustration, we see the America we would want to bless: an America that rejects the money-making machine of Wall Street and the death-churning machine of Pentagon. Both leaders of the Presidential race are good—Sanders for the Left and Trump for the Right are great, exactly what is needed, and now let the best man win, for foreigners either of them will do fine. Both are non-interventionists, both want to fix America rather than interfere overseas. People rejected the war-mongering candidates of the establishment, and that is what matters.

Read in French: Dieu te bénisse, Amérique

Moscow Snowbound, Litvinenko Poisoned, and the Syrian War

By Israel Shamir

TOP NEWS: Feeling Pinch of Oil Collapse, Some Russians Take to Streets , reported The New York Times . Indeed, at that time thousands of Russians were queuing in Central Moscow. The enormous line snaked around in the park, despite frost and snow. People stood three and four hours, braving winter weather: old ladies in furs and gentlemen in greatcoats, young people in anoraks, all sort of Russians from Moscow and from provinces. Do you think they were queueing for a fire sale to buy discount products or to change their depreciating roubles for dollars or whatever these desperate people were supposed to desire? Nope. This was the queue for the...

Read in French: Moscou sous la neige, Litvinenko empoisonne, et la guerre en Syrie

Greedy Eyes of Saudi Sheikhs

By Israel Shamir

Once in a blue moon, this writer's view coincides with that of the New York Times leader . It has happened now. The Saudi predilection for gore is not easy to stomach. The House of al Saud chose to celebrate the New Year, Christmas and Nativity of the Prophet Muhammad by shooting (or chopping heads, or whatever is their wont now) some forty-seven persons, conveniently...

Read in French: L'hybris des cheikhs saoudiens

Putin Blues

By Israel Shamir

Heavy darkness befalls the North; the sun rarely emerges from between the clouds. This year, Russia has noticeably less street illumination, and the spirits are anything but festive. Only the whiteness of the snow and Christmas trees break the gloom and remind us of the forthcoming low point of...

Read in French: Le blues de Poutine

From the Airliner to the Bomber

By Israel Shamir

Three important events influenced the course of the Syrian war in the course of last month: the Metrojet flight 9268 crash in Sinai October 31, the Paris attacks on Friday November 13 and the downing of a Sukhoi 24 on November 24, 2015...

Read in French: De l'avion de ligne au chasseur bombardier

Autumn in Palestine

By Israel Shamir

Autumn is beautiful in Palestine: overripe blue-green figs, unpicked pomegranates pecked by birds, heavy grapes turn red. Now is the olive harvest time, and the burghers of Bethlehem and its twin city Beth Jala (everyone owns a plot with olive trees) bring heavy sacks full of green and black olives to the local oil press equipped by the latest Italian machinery. They watch like eagles ...

Read in French: Automne en Palestine

Secrets of the Syrian War

By Israel Shamir

The greatest secrets: the West has no people on the ground in Syria to take over the liberated territories; the Russians still seek partnership, Erdogan has bitten more than he can chew, and ISIS is a phantom, after all...

Read in French: Les secrets de la guerre en Syrie

If They Are Bombed - They Are Daesh

By Israel Shamir

President Putin is a pirate, no less. In his declaration at the UN, he stole President Bush Jr’s copyrighted 2001 call to fight Terror. That’s why the Americans were taken aback: the Russian President played back at them the best tropes of their own presidents. This was a clever subterfuge: instead of pointing out the...

Read in French: C'est Daech, s'ils se font bombarder

Russia Returns to the Middle East

By Israel Shamir

These autumn days are the most important in the Middle East calendar. The Muslims celebrate Eid al Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice; the Jews fast at Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement; and the Eastern Orthodox Christians rejoice at Nativity of Our Lady Mary. It appears, surprisingly, the best place to be at this...

Read in French: La Russie est de retour au Proche Orient

Russia and Syria: The Die Is Cast

By Israel Shamir

Despite doubts and denials, Russia is about to embark on an ambitious expansion of its Syrian presence, likely to change the game in the war-torn country. Russia’s small and dated naval repair facility in Tartous will be enlarged, while Jableh near Latakia (Laodicea of old) will become the Russian Air Force base and a full-blown...

Read in French: Syrie : les dés sont jetés

Slavery and Cannibalism in Our Modern World

By Israel Shamir

I had planned to write on the struggle in the US congress in which the Israel Lobby seeks to override the president’s veto. This is likely to cause a new war in the Middle East, send out a new wave of refugees, and destroy the cradle of our faith and civilization. However, the most dangerous...

Read in French: Esclavage et cannibalisme dans le monde moderne

A Cold Summer for Europe

By Israel Shamir

Summer reigns all over Europe, from Greece to Sweden. Vacations have emptied the offices, and filled the beaches. Flowers bloom all over, and their fragrance flows like a river. Endless festivals, performances and art compositions embellish the quaint old cities. But things are not as ever before. The old continent is sick. Living is easy, but not for you. Fish are jumping, and unemployment is high.

Read in French: En Europe, c'est l'été

International Courts and the Mystery of the Malaysian Airliner

By Israel Shamir

People are not equal in death, either. Some deaths are more newsworthy than others. The media and politicians love spectacular acts of terror, fires, disaster, the death of the wealthy and privileged, a death conducive to a cause. Such is the death of 300 passengers and crew of the Malaysian airliner flight 17 in the crash in Donbass, near Russian-Ukrainian border.

Read in French: Malysian Vol 17: mystère et misère de la justice

The Hunt for Red October

By Israel Shamir

These days, Sweden is all agog. In the midst of the coldest summer in living history that deprived the Swedes of their normal sun-accumulating July routine, the country plunged into an exciting search for a Russian submarine in the Stockholm archipelago, and (as opposed to the previous rounds of this venerable Swedish maritime saga) this time they actually found the beast.

Russia Vetoes Genocide

By Israel Shamir

I love Russia’s vetoes. Sparse, strong, hard hits, they mark the limits of the Empire’s power. They said “No”, and Zimbabwe remained at peace, its old maverick Robert Mugabe still alive and kicking and proposing Obama his hand in marriage.

Read in French: Le veto russe sur Srebrenica

Greece: The Pearl Cast Before Swine

By Israel Shamir

Greece is the pearl of Mediterranean, the place generations of foreigners from Lord Byron to Graves to Fowles have fallen in love with. From philosophy to feta, from history to yoghurt, from poetry to honey they provided the example to follow.

Read in French: La Grèce, une perle lancée aux cochons

Kiev: Chestnuts Blossom Again

By Israel Shamir

I had to whip up my courage to go to the Ukraine. There was a recent spate of political killings in the unhappy and lovely land, and the perpetrators never apprehended; among those killed was Oles Buzina, a renowned writer and a dear friend.

Read in French: A Kiev, les marronniers sont à nouveau en fleur

Read in Russian: Украина: Дубль Два

Russia: Tit for Tat

By Israel Shamir

Summing it up, President Putin speaks softly. If he carries a big stick, he does not flash it around.

Read in French: Un prêté pour un rendu

Read in Albanian: Shteti Rus Kundërpërgjigjet me të Njëjtën Monedhë

Who Killed Nemtsov

By Israel Shamir

The alleged killers of Boris Nemtsov are apprehended, and they are (a dramatic pause) some Muslims from Chechnya who allegedly desired to punish the politician for his Je suis Charlie position. There is no official report available yet, but this implausible version is being promoted in Moscow.

Read in French: Qui a tué Nemtsov

Read in Russian: Не могу не позавидовать покойному

Putin prefers a bad peace

By Israel Shamir

In February, it is a long way to the spring, lamented Joseph Brodsky, the poet. Indeed, snow still falls heavily in Moscow and Kiev as well as in the rolling steppes that form Russian-Ukrainian borderlands, but there it is tinted with red. Soldiers are loth to fight in the winter, when life is difficult anyway in these latitudes, but fighting already flared up in war-torn Donbass, and the US prepares to escalate by supplying sophisticated weapons to Kiev.

Read in French: Poutine préfère une mauvaise paix

Read in Czech: Mýty a realita Putinova scénáře

Read in Norwegian: Putin ønskjer ein dårleg fredsavtale

Trolling Russia

By Israel Shamir

The edifice of world post-1991 order is collapsing right now before our eyes. President Putin’s decision to give a miss to the Auschwitz pilgrimage, right after his absence in Paris at the Charlie festival, gave it the last shove. It was good clean fun to troll Russia, as long as it stayed the course. Not anymore. Russia broke the rules.

Read in French: La Russie ne se laisse plus faire

Read in Czech: Rusko už o to, aby je vzali do party, nestojí

Read in Russian: Путин не едет в Орду

Daniel Bruno Interviews Israel Shamir



My longish interview in English at Huffington Post about Ukraine.

Entretien avec Israël Shamir sur l’Ukraine, la Russie et Israël

By Israel Shamir

Pour ERTV, l’écrivain Israël Shamir revient sur la position israélienne dans la crise ukrainienne. Il évoque les relations entre Poutine et Israël, la « communauté » juive en Russie et l’avenir de l’Ukraine.

The Fateful Triangle: Russia, Ukraine and the Jews

By Israel Shamir

The erotic reliefs of Hindu temples with their gravity-defying and anatomy-challenging positions have found a new modern competitor in the Ukrainian crisis. Each party wants to get the Jews on their side, while claiming that the other side is anti-Jewish and a Jewish puppet at once. This impossible, Kama-Sutraesque position is the result of extremely confusing alliances: the Kiev regime lists devout Jews and fiery antisemites among its mainstays.

Read in French: Le triangle fatidique: la Russie, l'Ukraine et les juifs

The Ukraine in Turmoil

By Israel Shamir

It is not much fun to be in Kiev these days. The revolutionary excitement is over, and hopes for new faces, the end of corruption and economic improvement have withered. The Maidan street revolt and the subsequent coup just reshuffled the same marked deck of cards, forever rotating in power.

Read in Albanian: Kriza në Ukrainë. Lufta mund të nisë në çdo moment

Read in French: L’Ukraine en plein bouleversemen

Ukraine on the brink

By Israel Shamir

Half a year ago, in the very last day of May I came to an age-old tiny and tranquil Ukrainian town with its ancient church of Our Lady of Intercession looking onto a slow river from its high bank, and I was swept off my feet by a flash-flood of young maidens, fresh and sixteen, celebrating their high school graduation in a park under an open warm blue sky, wearing white bands and garlands of flowers in their golden hair, and white ceremonial aprons on top of dark and mercilessly short skirts leaving open their graceful knees above high white socks and dark sleeveless tops flashing tender arms and elbows, blue eyes a-gleaming in the shade of black poplars.

Read in French: L'Ukraine au bord du trou

Crimea: Putin’s Triumph

By Israel Shamir

Nobody expected events to move forward with such a breath-taking speed. The Russians took their time; they sat on the fence and watched while the Brown storm-troopers conquered Kiev, and they watched while Mrs Victoria Nuland of the State Department and her pal Yatsenyuk (“Yats”) slapped each other’s backs and congratulated themselves on their quick victory.

Read in French: Crimée: le triomphe de Poutine

The Ukrainian Pendulum

By Israel Shamir

The stakes are high in the Ukraine: after the coup, as Crimea and Donbas asserted their right to self determination, American and Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory, both under cover.

Read in French: Le Pendule ukrainien

Read in Albanian: Lavjerrësi i Ukrainës

The Brown Revolution of the Ukraine

By Israel Shamir

Read in German: DIE BRAUNE REVOLUTION DER UKRAINE

Read in Czech: Hnědá revoluce na Ukrajině

Read in Albanian: Revolucioni i Kaftë i Ukrainës

Read in French: La révolution brune

A Groom At The Feast

By Israel Shamir

Russian president Vladimir Putin behaves like a groom at his wedding feast in the midst of gang warfare: he tries to attend to his bride and disregard the gunshots, with less and less success

Read in French: Sotchi et Poutine à la noce, l'histoire secrète des Jeux Olympiques

2013

Putin scores a new victory in the Ukraine

By Israel Shamir

It is freezing cold in Kiev, legendary city of golden domes on the banks of Dnieper River – cradle of ancient Russian civilisation and the most charming of East European capitals. It is a comfortable and rather prosperous place, with hundreds of small and cosy restaurants, neat streets, sundry parks and that magnificent river

Read in French: Ce qui s'est vraiment passé en Ukraine

Read in Albanian: Çfarë ndodhi me të vërtetë në krizën e Ukrainës Putini me një fitore të re në Ukrainë

Read in Serbian: СКРИВЕНО ОД ОЧИЈУ ЈАВНОСТИ: Шта се заиста десило у Украјини

Wikileaks Rides East!

By Israel Shamir A diverse gang of five journalists in their early thirties ride a car through deserts and high mountains of Central Asia. Amidst breathtaking scenery, they cross impassable tunnels, negotiate steep curves and flocks of sheep on country roads, visit the capitals of new republics that came into being since the fall of the USSR, meet interesting people and discuss freedom of speech and its limits. A road movie par excellence, it’s Easy Rider by Wim Wenders, but in a better setting. Soon we learn that theirs is not a joyride. These young people had been sent on a quest to far-away lands by the maverick genius of Julian Assange, captive of Ellingham Hall in East Anglia

Read in French: Wikileaks trace sa route à l'Est

Read in Russian: В дебрях Медиастана

Read in Albanian: Wikileaks shtegton në Lindje!

The Cape of Good Hope

By Israel Shamir First, the good news. American hegemony is over. The bully has been subdued. We cleared the Cape of Good Hope, symbolically speaking, in September 2013. With the Syrian crisis, the world has passed a key forking of modern history. It was touch and go, just as risky as the Cuban missile crisis of 1962. The chances for total war were high, as the steely wills of America and Eurasia had crossed in the Eastern Mediterranean. It will take some time until the realisation of what we’ve gone through seeps in: it is normal for events of such magnitude. The turmoil in the US, from the mad car chase in the DC to the shutdown of federal government and possible debt default, are the direct consequences of this event

Read in French: Notre Cap de Bonne Espérance

Read in Russian: Америке кирдык?

Read in Albanian: Kepi i Shpresës së Mirë

Read in Italian: RUSSIA, SIRIA E IL DECLINO DELL'EGEMONIA AMERICANA

Read in Serbian: Русија, Сирија и крај америчке хегемоније

Snowden in Moscow

By Israel Shamir Tn the midst of its short summer, Moscow is balmy and relaxed. Sidewalks brim with tables and merry customers, even traffic jams are less severe due to holiday season. The only danger for men is the girls’ dresses, they are precariously short.

Read in French: Snowden à Moscou

Read in Spanish: Snowden en Moscú

Read in Russian: Сноуден в Москве

V-day in Moscow

By Israel Shamir The earth shook as the mighty salvo signalled the start. Gracefully, heavy armour proceeded along Red Square, passing by the stepped pyramid of Lenin’s Tomb, by the multi-coloured domes of St Basil, and descending to the embankment of the Moscow River; huge green trucks pulled the most obvious phallic symbols of all -- the intercontinental missiles Topol-M or SS-27, heirs to the fearsome Satan SS-18.

The French Spring

By Israel Shamir This year, spring in France is unusually cold and rainy, following on the heels of a frosty and long winter. Only the last Sunday was different: the sun pushed the clouds away for the first time in months, and immediately the lucid Parisian air warmed up and trees broke out in full bloom. The French were cheered up after the long, hibernal gloom and went out to the streets to protest – ostensibly, against the new gay marriage and adoption bill that the government is trying to push through Parliament despite popular rejection, but verily against the neoliberal policies of their new government.

Read in French: Le printemps français

Read in Russian: Французская весна

Reckless Apartheid Fighter

By Israel Shamir Andre did the impossible. He crossed the biggest chasm there is. Imagine a white boy from Philly, picking cotton and living with blacks in a cabin on a Mississippi plantation in the days of Jim Crow. No Freedom Rider went that far. He broke an important taboo: so many Israelis are convinced that the Palestinians would kill them on sight, at first occasion. By his example he refuted this fantasy. He renounced apartheid personally by living with Palestinians.

Read in French: André Pshenichnikov, téméraire combattant contre l'apartheid israélien

Read in Russian: Шальной русский мальчишка



Oligarch Fight LIVE!

By Israel Shamir Who said the filthy rich are good for nothing? Their antics are very entertaining! The Nouveau Riche have always been notorious headline-providers, and the newest crop of Russian oligarchs make the robber barons of previous generations look timid and colorless Polonsky’s in jail

By Israel Shamir The protagonist of this story, a prominent Russian developer and billionaire, “a Russian Donald Trump”, Sergey Polonsky, is now in a Cambodian jail, in the small seaside resort of Sihanoukville, where I visited him. On December 30, 2012, just before the New Year celebrations, his speedboat was detained after hot pursuit and a few warning machine-gun salvos by the Cambodian Royal Navy, and towed to a naval base. Polonsky was arrested and taken into police custody. Read in French: Des oligarques se castagnent en direct!

Putin against Babies

By Israel Shamir To the many crimes of President Vladimir Putin, a new one was added last month: kicking babies, sweet, innocent, plump babies -- out of sheer wickedness. This crime was discussed ad nauseam, until it became a meme which was summed up by the NY Times’ own Thomas Friedman: “When recently confronted with his regime’s bad behavior, [Putin’s] first instinct was to block American parents from adopting Russian orphans, even though so many of them badly need homes.” Surprisingly, in Russia the voices against the new ban are even more shrill. At recent press conference, no less than eight different Russian journalists badgered President Putin on this one topic, each offering little more than loaded insinuations disguised as questions. The “White” opposition marched in force against the “Scoundrels” (as they describe the supporters of the ban) and compared Putin to King Herod.

Read in French: Poutine contre les bébés

Read in Polish: “Zbrodnia” Putina na dzieciach

Autumn in Crimea

By Israel Shamir This is a story of Crimean Tatars comeback to their country after long exile, a story that reminds that of Palestinian refugees - but has a happy end. Return is possible, and it is not even painful. Crimea gives hope to Palestine, writes Israel Shamir =

Read in French: Un automne en Crimée

A View from Livadia Palace

By Israel Shamir I drove up to white and sumptuous Livadia Palace with some difficulty. The palace, once a royal summer residence built and frequented by the last Russian Tsar, stands on a rather steep slope amidst a spacious park that descends to the Black Sea far below, and the road is scary.

Read in French: Une perspective depuis le palais Livadia

Read in Russian: Сталин в Ливадии

Media took place of the Church in the godless society

Interview with Israeli-Russian author Israel Shamir Kourosh Ziabari – “Media took place of the Church in the godless society. If once, the Pope would send Crusaders upon a crusade, now it is done by Mr. Sulzberger of the New York Times,” Israel Shamir, a Swedish author and journalist says. Shamir made the remarks in a recent interview with the Tehran Times.

A View over Bosporus

By Israel Shamir The heavy loaded cargo boats, passenger liners, cruise ships and plentiful ferries packed with tourists steam by the Maiden Tower. The City, one of the greatest Capitals of Man of all time, has straddled Europe and Asia since the days of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who established this New Rome. It was the biggest city on earth a millennium ago, and it is still vast.

Read in French: Vue sur le Bosphore

Read in Turkish: Boğaziçi’ne bir bakış

Breaking News: Julian Assange Mossad Agent!

By Israel Shamir Iran is a great country for kebab; their pretty if well-covered girls are fine; but sense of humour is just not their forte. Their state media repeatedly broadcasted items lifted from the Onion, a satirical magazine taking them for literal truth. Now Press TV published an attack on Julian Assange with a bombastic claim: “Exclusive: Assange-Mossad ties unveiled”. Oy, it would be better to stick to the Onion.

Read in Czech: Julian Assange agent Mossadu!

Read in French: Scoop: Assange agent du Mossad! ou: Oignon cru en Iran

Turks, Cease Fire!

By Israel Shamir In the Middle Eastern corrida, the moment of truth is approaching fast. Assad’s Syria is running around the arena like a wounded bull, fraught and worn down by a year of cruel strife. Banderillas of mujaheeds stick out of his broken hide. The public, the Europeans, the Americans, the Gulf rulers call: Kill him! And the Turkish matador steps forward, pulling out his sword. His cannons rain death on Syrian slopes; fire and lead storm consumes the hills. Erdogan is preparing to deal last blow to his exhausted neighbour.

Read in Russian: Эрдоган, одумайся!

Read in French: Cessez le feu, les Turcs!

Read in Turkish: Türkler, Ateşkes!

Pussy Riot from London to Moscow

By Israel Shamir Shamir's essay briefly appeared on the Morning Star site, but the British Jewish ‘tribal or kosher’ Marxists were on the watch; they applied pressure to the Morning Star, and the British Communists surrendered immediately. If they can’t stand up to a few Jewish Marxists, how can they stand up to real big capitalist enemies?

Read in French: Les Pussies Riot contre Poutine: une action concertée de Londres jusqu'à Moscou

Pol Pot Revisited

By Israel Shamir Now, in the monsoon season, Cambodia is verdant, cool and relaxed. The rice paddies on the low hill slopes are flooded, forests that hide old temples are almost impassable, rough seas deter swimmers. It’s a pleasant time to re-visit this modest country: Cambodia is not crowded, and Cambodians are not greedy, but rather peaceful and relaxed.

Read in French: Pol Pot revu et corrigé

Read in Swedish: Åter till Pol Pot

Read in Russian: Пол Пот в народной памяти Камбоджи

Pussy Riot - Secret History

By Israel Shamir Universally admired, Pussy Riot (or PR for short) have been promoted as superstars. But what are they?

Read in Russian: Встать, суд идет

Read in French: Mégères non apprivoisées: les "Pussy Riots"

Read in Portuguese: A História Secreta de Pussy Riot

Read in Polish: Tajna historia Pussy Riot

Read in Bulgarian Да удариш джакпота: тайната история на Pussy Riot

Read in Spanish: Pussy Riot – La historia secreta

Our Man in Havana, Stratfor Style

By Israel Shamir

TSpies, Wikileaks reveals Stratfor's secrets. A mysterious woman in Moscow - is she an agent or a liar?

Secret Protocols of Putin’s Talks in Israel Israel's Plan for Syria: Somalisation

By Israel Shamir

The new and sensational information we received: Israelis prefer the Somalisation of Syria, its break-up and the elimination of its army, as this will allow them to tackle Iran unopposed. This is implied in a secret file recently leaked by a person(s) apparently close to the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Read in French: Le modèle somalien, le plan d'Israël pour la Syrie

Read in Russian: Цели Израиля в Сирии: Сомализация

The Left, the Right and Mammon

By Israel Shamir

The Left – including Communist Left – is manipulated by the super-rich in their own interests. These super-rich conspire to destroy tradition and create a collectivist world order of despotism under their own guidance, and the Left are “useful idiots” of these greedy for power and money people. This is main thesis of a new book by Kerry Bolton trying to prove that feminism, communism, orange revolutions, gay movement and sundry forms of dissent are all sponsored by the oligarchs, Soros or Rockefeller.

Read in French: La gauche, la droite et Mammon

To disavow or debate Abunimah

By Israel Shamir

To disavow or debate Abunimah – this is the question. Indeed, an American citizen, born in Jordan, who never tread on the land of Palestine, decided to ostracize Gilad Atzmon, a native Palestinian, born and bred on its soil – a silly idea! Next step, he will forbid earthquakes and hurricanes to occur.

Read in French: Désavouer Abunimah ou accepter de débattre avec lui?

No Apocalypse Yet

By Israel Shamir

The anticipated apocalypse did not come to pass. The presidential election in Russia ran its course, Putin was duly elected, and to the great astonishment of the opposition, multimillion crowds demanding the blood of the tyrant did not materialize.

Read in French: Apocalypse reportée

Putin is Poised to Win

By Israel Shamir

Moscow is shining in the bright spring sun; the golden domes of its churches are a-glitter, surrounded by pure white snow; endless boutiques display the latest Paris fashions; restaurants are plentiful and expensive; numerous theaters are full, at a hundred dollars a seat for a Chekhov play. High oil prices have brought prosperity and crisis is forgotten. There’s a lot of budget money for all sorts of projects, from modern art to kindergartens to universities. Even those old sufferers, the armed forces, have got a big hike in pay.

What Really Happened in the “Yom Kippur” War?

By Israel Shamir

According to the Vinogradov secret memo Anwar al-Sadat, holder of the titles of President, Prime Minister, ASU Chairman, Chief Commander, Supreme Military Ruler, entered into conspiracy with the Israelis, betrayed his ally Syria, condemned the Syrian army to destruction and Damascus to bombardment, allowed General Sharon’s tanks to cross without hindrance to the western bank of the Suez Canal, and actually planned a defeat of the Egyptian troops in the October War.

Read in French: Que s'est-il réellement passé lors de la "Guerre de Kippour"?

Read in Russian: Сговор на Суэце

Краткая версия

Read in Polish: Spisek Sueski

The Heath and the Hill

By Israel Shamir

The Poklonnaya Hill won because this largest rally was not “for Putin”. It became a rally against neo-liberals, against pro-Western policies, a rally of Red-Brown (or “patriotic”) alliance of statist nationalist opposition of Russia-First. They out-Putined Putin in no time. This was a great surprise for the people of Moscow. Nobody predicted Putin will wake up the sleeping beast of popular feelings. There is a huge untapped potential of Russia-First feeling, connected with resentment against Western imperialist policies...

Read in French: Le Marais et la Montagne

After Russia's Winter Break

Liberals and Communists Regroup

By Israel Shamir

Many liberals and non-ethnic Russians are deeply suspicious of Navalny. But their presentation of Navalny as a "new Hitler" is far-fetched. Blue-eyed, good-looking, a dash of the racist, yes, but not an especially silver-tongued one. Navalny tried to talk to the demonstrators in December but was catcalled more than once. His manner was too rude, as if he were talking to a street gang. Even more odd, when asked for a model state Russia should follow, Navalny said, "Singapore." This is an odd choice for a person fighting Putin's strong-arm style, as Lee Kuan Yew was probably more authoritarian than Putin. As fond as I am of Singapore street cooking, I can't imagine a less suitable model for a vast multinational ex-empire than the tiny Chinese polis.

Wondering about the Wandering Who

Israel Shamir about the new book by Gilad Atzmon

Gilad Atzmon is larger than life; no delicate and sensitive artistic soul, he is rather a living volcano, a titan with a Rabelaisian sense of humor and enough energy to power a city. Nights, you will find him entertaining his fans in every corner of the globe with his masterful saxophone playing...

Read in French: Le Moi-Juif errant de Gilad Atzmon

A Poison Cake

[Review by Israel Shamir of Melanie Phillips’ The World Turned Upside Down]

British columnist Melanie Phillips has discovered Captain Hook’s recipe and used it to prepare her recent book: it is a tempting green, but it’s dangerous to eat. Many pages can be swallowed with no ill effect, but once the reader has succumbed to Phillips’ message of spiritual comfort, the sheer poison of her conclusions sets in.

Read in French: Le gâteau empoisonné de Melanie Phillips

The Snow Fronde

By Israel Shamir

After interminably long delay, the grey Moscow heavens were at long last generous with snow, dispensing heaps and heaps of the white stuff, turning cars into snow mountains and making sidewalks impassable.

Making sense of the Russian elections

By Israel Shamir

Moscow is unusually warm: the temperature refuses to dip below zero degrees Centigrade, the freezing point. Instead, it is wet and dark. The sun gets up late and goes to sleep early. To make matters worse, President Medvedev decided to keep Russia on daylight savings time throughout winter. To offset this stupid decision, Christmas illumination was turned on a month before the usual time, in order to cheer up the voters. Now it lights the way for the armoured vans of the riot police sent in to pacify the cheery electorate.

Read in Spanish: Lo que significan las elecciones rusas

Read in French: La leçon des élections russes

The Vengeance of History (Russian elections follow-up)

By Israel Shamir

Moscow saw its biggest demo in a decade last Saturday. It was a feel-good peaceful manifestation of youthful Facebook users, and it was already nicknamed the Likes Parade, as the prospective participants had clicked on “like” in response to the call to demonstrate. The predictions were dire: some expected clashes and bloody martyrdom, others hoped for a conquest of the Kremlin and revolution. However things went smoothly. It should serve as a wakeup call to the Putin administration: for too long a time, they banked on their hold on the mainstream media and on the passivity of the people.

Read in Russian: Месть истории

James Ball: a Portrait of the Petty Cheat as a Young Man

By Israel Shamir

Cheats and thieves have to prove their moral superiority over their victims in order to justify their crimes. This is the case with a petty cheat and thief called James Ball. This young man was a hired hand in the Wikileaks; he was offered a bribe of a job by the Guardian and he gratefully accepted it, betraying Julian Assange's trust and stealing all he could put his sweaty hands on. Since then, he is obsessed with demeaning and debunking Assange: only moral disgrace of the Australian will reduce the burden of the traitor's guilt.

Unmanning the Man

By Israel Shamir

The defeat of Julian Assange is a defeat for all the men, and a defeat for mankind, promising a bleak future – unless we shall do something about it. It is not only our freedom but our manhood is at stake.

Read in French: Emasculer l'humanité

Unmanning

By Steven Allen

this is probably the most heretical piece you have written...

Maria Poumier talks with Israel Adam Shamir

Interview d’Israel Shamir (11.08.2011) par Maria Poumier

Traduction et transcription: Marcel Charbonnier

Caribbean Sea Pirates in Crisis

By Israel Shamir (A lecture on Economics delivered at Rhodes Forum on October 9, 2011)

The crisis peaking in Britain is of a Caribbean-sea-pirate type: long time no trophies, while lifestyle has to be maintained. Neoliberal policies have undermined the toughest folk on earth, hard-working, prudent, obedient, stiff-upper-lipped red-faced Brits, the people who managed India, burned down the White House and withstood Hitler. Their backbone – Yorkshire miners and Sheffield steel workers – was broken by their Golders Green grocer-at-large, a.k.a. the Iron Lady. She folded down the industries, and turned the Isles into a Tortuga-like pirate paradise, a place for financiers to relax, unwind and plan their raids.

Read in Russian: Кризис Несуна

Read in French: C'est la crise pour les Pirates des Caraïbes

The Arab Autumn

By Israel Shamir

The independence of truncated Palestine is not the ideal. It will not solve the problems of refugees, of separation between the West Bank and Gaza, of discrimination within Israel proper. But don’t worry: Mahmud Abbas’ bid will not create an independent Palestine. It will get the Palestinian train out of impasse, it will wipe the snide smirk off Netanyahu’s and Lieberman’s faces; it will undermine the US hold on the region. More importantly, it will support a new dynamic, extremely negative for Israel, even if this straw does not break the proverbial camel’s back. Anyway, the Palestinians can’t solve this problem themselves: elimination of the apartheid regime in Israel/Palestine will be effected by the future Caliphate, which is sure to enhance its legitimacy and popularity.

Read in Russian: Палестина выходит из тупика

Read in French: L’AUTOMNE ARABE

Read in Spanish: El otoño árabe

Breivik's "2083" The Mass Murderer's Manifesto

By Israel Shamir

Israel Shamir’s analysis of Breivik’s ideas: The massacre was essentially a publicity stunt

Read in French: Le massacre du vendredi 22: un coup de pub

Le massacre du vendredi 22 Deuxième partie, Breivik l'anticommuniste

Read in Russian: Портрет убийцы

Read in Polish: PORTRET ZABÓJCY

Slavoj Zizek and Freedom Flotilla

By Israel Shamir

If a black from the Democratic Republic of Congo would sell his mother into slavery in a heartbeat for the chance to move to the West Bank, whom and in how many heartbeats would Slavoj Zizek sell into slavery for the chance to move into the intellectual establishment of the Right?

Read in French: Slavoj Zizek et la Flottille pour Gaza

Why Palestine is Important

By Israel Shamir

Palestine is important not because it is as beautiful as Tuscany, nor because the Palestinians are suffering, and not even because it is occupied by a Jewish state. The Jews have been handed Palestine not because they were so smart or so strong or so devoted, but by Imperial design.

Read in French: Pourquoi la Palestine est importante

Better than Salman Rushdie

Israel Shamir in Uppsala

I do not think Shamir is a Jewish equivalent of Rushdie. I think he is much better. He is a better thinker, and a bolder one - Mohamed Omar Here are two google-translated reports about an Israel Shamir's talk in Uppsala. The talk was based on Why Palestine is Important http://www.israelshamir.net/English/Why_Palestine.htm

Read in Swedish: Bättre än Salman Rushdie

Israel Shamir in the Russia's First Channel on future of Israel

