One thing was slightly frustrating about J Street's second conference this past weekend. At times, participants seemed to be discussing the same old problems, wondering why the same old solutions haven't worked, while talking about them in the same old terms.

Meanwhile, the Middle East is undergoing enormous...

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is already super-saturated with religion. If only the land was a little less holy, many feel, perhaps the conflict wouldn't be so intractable. So it might seem strange to argue that the direct peace talks need to marry religious sensibilities with political realities, rather than divorce them....

Certain perspectives on the flotilla, Gaza and Israel have taken on mythological proportions but have little logical force, and they are an obstacle to moving forward. Here are some myths, dismantled.

1. "There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza #1" (as a reason why the blockade is not so bad)...

Israel's 62nd birthday passed recently. As a kid, 62 seemed pretty old. But my 97 year-old grandmother seems very young to me (and to anyone who knows her). So what is Israel at 62 -- young or old?

Reading the morning paper tells everything that is old about Israel....

The frenzied attempt by Israeli authorities to silence all local reporting about the journalist Anat Kamm, who is under house arrest, is an outrage. But it might also be an opportunity to expose some false objects of worship in Israeli society for what they are.

In university, I had...

Here is a little known fact about Israel: the country is mad about Leonard Cohen. One sweaty summer night, 47,000 tickets sold out in two days. The online ticket site crashed. And most importantly, I didn't get a ticket.

Now, the concert is 24 hours away. Lost in frustration in...