The media is in the simplification business. We try to simplify reality. In a world that is complex and cruel and fast-moving, our preferred question often is: “Why did it happen?” Assigning motive following newsworthy events - terrible, horrific events - is what we usually focus on first. A madman gets in his pickup, armed with a gun, with about $2,000 worth of explosives loaded in the back. And then he drives through the doors of Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield,

For Israel, arguably the most consequential foreign policy achievement happened on October 25, 2009. At a wedding. On that date, Jared Kushner married Ivanka Trump, who had earlier that year converted to Judaism. Of their union, the President of the United States would later tell Israel’s Knesset: “[Jared] truly loves Israel…In fact, he loves it so much that my daughter converted…I didn’t know this was going to happen.” “At least, I think they’re happy. If they’re not, we hav

Surveying the headlines, if you feel there is what looks like a coordinated campaign underway to demonize and terrorize Jews - and others - you are right: there is . I document it all in my book The Hidden Hand , out now in eBook form, and out in hardcover next month You can get it up here .

Leon Panetta, the revered former U.S. Secretary of Defence, is speaking about war. “Leaders have to understand,” Panetta says in an interview. “That when you send people into war, you better damn well have a very clear mission for what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.” He pauses. “And, if you constantly change that mission…that really begins to screw up what soldiers are thinking. The reason they’re out there, putting their lives on the line. It begins to hurt your own

Adrienne Batra, Brian Lilley and me on Mark Carney's ever-changing position on the Iran war. For it? Sort-of against it? Ready to send troops? What? Check it out.

John Tory - who I helped get elected, twice - is out. He made the right decision: as the Toronto Integrity Commissioner ruled, Tory broke the law, twice . He had to go. As you all know, I months ago indicated I'd be supporting my friend and Beaches councillor Brad Bradford for the job. He represents positive change. And, according to Abacus' David Coletto this morning, Toronto agrees. Check out these numbers and David's analysis: "For the better part of a year, Toronto polit

The decision was absolutely, unreservedly the right one. Israel and America’s decision to move against the Iranian regime, that is. For decades, Iran’s Islamist leaders have murdered and brutalized their own people - and exported terror all around the globe . So the decision to take action was the right one, and it was overdue. But make no mistake: the Israel-America-Iran conflict is likely to become very unpopular, very soon. Ten reasons. 1. Leadership. Donald Trump is the