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Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

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A Letter to the Overseas Media: How to Interview PM Netanyahu

For someone who knows how to speak very well to citizenry and media alike, it is disconcerting that PM Netanyahu almost never conducts a press...

friday 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Are Judaism and Artificial Intelligence Compatible? Shavuot has the Answer

I’m willing to bet that the above title made you stop short: “what a strange question” you’re probably asking yourself – and an even weirder...

25.05.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

When It Comes to Protest: K.I.S.S.

With the anti-judicial reform protest demonstrations continuing well into its fourth month (except for last week’s Gaza campaign respite), more and...

19.05.2023 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Becoming Prime Minister: The Height of the Matter?

All the latest polls show that Israelis prefer Benjamin (“Benny”) Gantz to Binyamin (“Bibi”) Netanyahu as the next prime minister. Physically,...

12.05.2023 50

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Judaism & Democracy? The Bible Says ‘Yes’!

A seemingly ancillary issue raised by the Israeli government’s recent “Judicial Reform” program is the question of whether the state can really...

05.05.2023 50

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Who are the real second-class citizens in Israel?

Under attack for the radical “Judicial Reform” program, PM Netanyahu has once again resorted to what he knows best: throwing a derogatory nickname...

28.04.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Lessons from Wars of Independence

As Mark Twain supposedly said (no source was ever found): “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” Take Israel’s 1948 War of...

21.04.2023 40

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

AWOL in Israeli Society: The Good News

Israelis love to complain (a Jewish trait) – about what the country doesn’t have, or what it has “too much” of. But sometimes it pays to step...

14.04.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Israel: Split & United

It’s now “official”: Israelis will find an overall compromise to resolve their Judicial Reform brouhaha. Thanks to whom? Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran....

07.04.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

The Israeli Backlash against Orwell-Speak

The recent (temporary) victory of the protesters against the government’s Judicial Reform program was accompanied by another sort of success:...

31.03.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

The Judicial Reform’s Hidden A-Bomb

There’s a likely, future, revolutionary scenario that few are talking about. First, some background. If there is one element of the Israeli...

24.03.2023 80

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

What Protest Does (and Doesn’t) Accomplish

With Israel’s massive, protest demonstrations and other actions already in their third month of intense activity against the government’s...

17.03.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Democracy in Reserve(s)

Can a democracy facing serious, domestic, Constitutional pressure, survive? Surprisingly enough, in the 21st century it depends on where the military...

10.03.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

The folly of hubris: Bibi, Levin, Rotman – and Putin

As the title above could lead to misunderstanding, let me be clear up front: there is no (I repeat: no!) moral equivalence between the Israeli...

03.03.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

The Worst Speech Doing the Greatest Good

History has known exemplary orations that mark the beginning of a new era. Other “memorable” speeches signify the end of an era. Such was MK Dudi...

24.02.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Demos Kratos or Democracy?

Years ago, when I taught the course “Introduction to Political Philosophy” at Bar-Ilan University, my biggest challenge was to convince the...

17.02.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Israel’s Arab Sector: Best and Worst of Times

Here’s a head scratching, Israeli paradox. An increasing number of Israeli Arabs have entered the middle class in professions such as medicine...

10.02.2023 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

The Problem with Israel’s Present Binance Ministry

No, that’s not a typo in the headline. Israel’s Treasury (Finance) Ministry has become disastrously bifurcated. In fact, that’s the case from...

03.02.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Elections and judicial reform: Voting for a policy or the party?

Major political issues tend to raise profound questions of political philosophy. The current, ongoing controversy in Israel over “judicial reform”...

27.01.2023 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Authentic Jewish Statehood Based on Mt. Sinai? An Oxymoron!

An increasing number of voices in Israeli society, and even within the new government, are calling for transmuting the country into an “authentic”...

20.01.2023 40

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Pikuach Nefesh (Saving Life) – Long-Term Too

In Jewish law, saving a life (pikuach nefesh) is virtually the highest value. Indeed, for this purpose we can transgress almost every commandment...

13.01.2023 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Science, Halakha, and Homosexuality

Some of Israel’s leading ultra-Orthodox and Orthodox rabbis have lately attacked homosexuality in very aggressive terms. Indeed, with Israeli...

06.01.2023 40

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Deri, Santos, and Electing Liars

Is bald, significant lying about one’s past or future enough to disqualify an elected official? Quite coincidentally, this question has arisen the...

30.12.2022 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

‘Walking’ isn’t enough: The halakha has to start running

The word “halakha” (Jewish Law) stems from the root “to walk.” And indeed, for the past 2000 years since it began to expand (some would say...

23.12.2022 20

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

Good News Is No News?

Imagine opening your favorite newspaper (Times of Israel?) and catching this leading headline: “9.5 million Israelis yesterday enjoyed their...

16.12.2022 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

What Israel’s Left Gets Terribly Wrong – and How to ‘Right It’ (Part 2)

In my post last week, I argued that Israeli politics (similar to that of other countries) is driven first and foremost by “identity” and not...

08.12.2022 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

What Israel’s Left Gets Terribly Wrong – and What to Do About It (Part 1)

With Israel’s Left recently suffering an electoral debacle, the knives are out, and punditry is running riot. The problem with almost all the...

02.12.2022 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

1/8 of 1%

The title of this essay might be a bit strange, but it expresses an astounding fact. This month the entire world’s population just reached the 8...

25.11.2022 10

The Times of Israel (Blogs)

Sam Lehman-Wilzig

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