Roi Ben-Yehuda's Page

In Haaretz, my fruitful exchange/debate with Palestinian writer Aziz Abu Sarah on whether the Palestinians should accept Israel as a Jewish state. Paradoxically this is one of my most conservative (I side with Netanyahu) and radical (see conclusion) articles ever. I also believe that this exchange is one of the most original and creative surrounding this topic. I urge you to pass this to friends, repost on your blogs… Continue

My latest from Haaretz.

A couple of weeks ago, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced his intention to pass a bill that would ban alcohol from kiosks and gas stations as well as limit its sales and advertisement. The purpose of the bill is to reduce the seemingly rising level of violence and road accidents inside Israel.

The subject of violence and alcohol has been recently seared into the consciousness of Israelis when a g… Continue

My latest in Haaretz. The article is a futuristic speech by a futuristic Palestinian leader. And no, I am not advocating a one-state solution (not yet). The piece is simply a creative effort to remind people that the window of opportunity for the two-state solution is rapidly closing. If you like what you read please spread it around.

In my latest article for CGNews’ special series on the impact of fear on Arab Israeli conflict, I explore the emotion of what I call “fear of the friend.” Less well known than fear of the enemy, fear of the friend can be equally problematic and harmful to peacemaking. I try to explain why this is so and what are the ways in which we can respond to and mitigate this fear. H… Continue

My latest from Al Jazeera.

Last March, my older brother and I traveled to the West Bank. At some point we entered the settlement of Ariel. Overwhelmed by its size and maze-like streets, we managed to get lost in what can only be described as a little city. As we tried to leave, we found ourselves going in circles. In a moment of slight frustration, my brother, who was driving, turned to me and said, “I think… Continue