Israel
Why is this Israeli drama such a hit with Palestinians? Because it tells the truth
‘The rule in our household is: if a TV series hasn’t got subtitles, it’s not worth watching,’ a friend told…
Why this deluded affection for the Palestinians?
The worst entry for this year’s Euro-vision song contest was that vast cater-wauling aboriginal. I can’t remember her name, only…
The Tories never condemn the naked racism of Benjamin Netanyahu. They should
What does friendship with Israel mean?
If Corbyn wins, emigrating to Israel is my clear escape route
I’m currently in Israel on a press trip organised by Bicom — the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre. Bicom…
Let’s find the most idiotic Brexit headlines
Gimson’s Prime Ministers, out this week, is a crisp and stylish account of every one of them. I happened to…
Saudi Arabia has united with Israel against Iran – and a desert storm is brewing
Saudi Arabia is gearing up for war with Iran
How Britain fell for Saudi Arabia’s reforming Crown Prince
How Britain fell for the Crown Prince
Dinner at the Centre of the Earth: a tragicomic Middle East spy romp
I first heard of this tragicomic spy romp around Israel and Palestine when Julian Barnes sang its praises in the…
Simon Schama’s latest history is a Technicolor blockbuster
Simon Schama’s great, boisterous history has the Technicolor drama – and crude simplicity – of a Hollywood blockbuster, says Bernard Wasserstein
The Israel-Palestine conflict as flat-share comedy: Oslo at the Lyttleton Theatre reviewed
Oslo opened in the spring of 2016 at a modest venue in New York. It moved to Broadway and this…
Forget our misguided friendship with Saudi Arabia: Iran is our natural ally
The West’s friendship with Saudi Arabia is misguided
Journeys to Israel and self-realisation: Forest Dark reviewed
‘I frankly hate Descartes,’ states a character in Nicole Krauss’s new novel, Forest Dark: ‘The more he talks about following…
A carefully sanitised account of Palestinian resistance: Taha at the Young Vic reviewed
Shubbak, meaning ‘window’ in Arabic, is a biennial festival taking place in various venues across London. The brochure reads like…
The mystical appeal of Judaism
This extraordinary book has two main characters: Gershom Scholem (1897–1982), an early Zionist and the founder of the modern study…
Unlikely allies: Israel and the Saudis
How Israel and the Saudis found themselves on the same side
‘The Western establishment is betraying its values’: Evgeny Kissin interview
The great, enigmatic pianist has always divided critics. He talks to Damian Thompson about his heretical opinions on Horowitz, Israel and Brexit
Israel is now the land of ‘Trumpportunity’
On the Israeli side of the Syrian border, near al-Quneitra, you can watch the war. From my vantage point on…
What makes a university a university?
What is a university? Sir: As a former Russell Group vice chancellor, I think that Toby Young’s appeal for more universities…
A Roman emperor’s inauguration to rival Donald Trump’s
Given that Donald Trump is not the most popular president the USA has ever seen, even among his own party,…
The hateful whispers that make me want to move from London to Tel Aviv
It’s time I left London’s anti-Semites behind
The great intellectual bromance of the last century — between Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky
Two brilliant psychologists in the 1970s changed our understanding about the way we think and the choices we make – with momentous consequences, says Steven Poole
Gallows humour is at its darkest in David Grossman’s latest novel
A horse walks into a bar.… David Grossman takes the opening line of an old joke for his title, which…
Here’s what happened when I was mistaken for Donald Trump
New York If only my wordsmith friend Jeremy Clarke had been with me. What fun he’d have had with…