The New York Times had an article on Sunday suggesting that time might be just about out on President Bush’s plans for an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal:

When Israeli and Palestinian leaders committed themselves to peace talks after meeting in Annapolis, Md., last November, Mr. Bush had hopes of ending his presidency on a foreign policy high note, with a deal for the contours of a Palestinian state. But with Mr. Bush headed to the region this week for the second time in five months, peace seems as elusive as ever — and some are looking to his successor.

But in a lengthy interview with the Washington Post and Newsweek, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert argues that the best time to make a Syrian deal is with Bush still in office:

My personal view is that no one can be of better help to this process than President Bush. Because any new president in America, if confronted with this issue, will have to wait two years at least until he learns enough and finds the appropriate time to devote to this, while Bush knows, Bush is familiar, and Bush understands. Therefore, if one is interested in a [Syrian-Israeli] process that ultimately leads to a public endorsement by the United States of America, then he has to hurry up.

I believe, for reasons that I don’t want to go into, that for Syria, the road to Washington must cross Jerusalem. I know what I’m talking about.

Click here for the full Q & A with Olmert.

Some highlights from Heeb’s Hollywood issue:

Remember all the hoopla about two Orthodox Jews being on the Apprentice a few years back? Well, recently, BBC reports, one team lost a competition in the British version of the show because it failed in its quest to buy a kosher chicken:

As insults were traded among contestants on the losing team in this week’s Apprentice, Sir Alan Sugar berated the contestants for not knowing what a kosher chicken was.

It had to rank as one of the most peculiar spectacles in the history of the BBC reality game show, The Apprentice - a full-blown barney about what is and isn’t kosher. Contestants in this week’s episode had been flown to Marrakech in Morocco and instructed to bargain for a number of items on a shopping list, including a kosher chicken.

The media has been hungry for details about Long Island businessman Morris Talansky, the man whose questioning by Israeli police this week may bring down the Israeli prime minister. In case you’ve missed anything, here’s some highlights:

When the PM met Talansky: Olmert aides referred to him as “Mr. T.”

New details emerge about Talansky: The N.Y. Times reports that Talansky was twice accused of resorting to force to collect debts. Caught unshaven on a Jerusalem street (religious Jews don’t shave in the weeks after Passover), he denied being involved in politics.

U.S. financier at centre of Olmert case: Talansky flashes the thumbs-up sign, saying “I don’t understand what’s the big deal.”

Man in the mirror: A registered Democrat, Talansky is twice married and the father of three. One of his sons lives in Jerusalem, in the same neighborhood as former Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.

In his Ehud Olmert analysis today, Ha’aretz writer Yossi Verter cites an Israeli government minister as saying the Israeli prime minister’s handwriting in recent days betrays that of a “battered, haunted man.”

But you don’t need to read the prime minister’s notes to see that Olmert appears weighed down by defeat. In video greetings to New York’s Israel 60 celebration Wednesday night at Radio City Music Hall, Olmert looked lost and confused, staring vapidly at the camera and muttering something about a Jewish state for the Jewish people. Looking gaunt and sitting somewhat slumped over, Olmert seemed to be speaking without notes — or deliberation — and the video editing made clear that the prime minister couldn’t even get it all in one take. It was painful to watch.

By contrast, in the video greeting President Bush sent to the Radio City event, he managed — despite a host of problems and historically low poll numbers — to look like he did a decade ago, albeit with more gray hair. He had an impish grin, spoke of the similarities between Israel and America and the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship, and concluded his little speech with a hearty “Mazal toff!” Audience members burst into applause several times during Bush’s recorded greeting.

Liberal Jewish groups have had a less full throated reaction to the hoopla surrounding Israel’s 60th, tempering their celebrations with reminders of the still unfulfilled promise of Israel’s creation. Rabbis For Human Rights-North America’s celebration, held Thursday at the southwest entrance to Central Park, billed itself as an “alternative” ceremony.

Debbie Friedman was there, guitar in hand, as were about 60 others. Two trees were planted for peace, echoing RHR’s work protecting Palestinian olive trees. And Rabbi Gordon Tucker taught from RHR’s new Talmudic-style commentary on Israel’s Declaration of Independence:

RHR, like its Israeli counterpart, has been criticized for seeming to be more concerned with Palestinian rights than Jewish ones. Thursday’s ceremony cleverly focused on Israel’s founding document, holding the country to the very standards it has established for itself. Though I wonder if I was the only one who felt the singing of Hatikva at the end was something of an afterthought.

Last night, JTA staffers Ben Harris and Uriel Heilman attended different events here in NYC, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Israel’s founding. Having had to turn down an opportunity to attend last night’s big concert at Radio City, I sat down with them both to find out what I missed.

To subscribe to JTA’s Behind the News podcast, click here.

A few weeks ago JTA’s Ben Harris filed a story about the uneasiness that some American Jews have with the standard text of the Prayer for the State of Israel, which triggered some back-and-forth in the blogosphere.

Now, Ynet’s Uri Orbach is offering up his own (somewhat amusing) version:

Our Father in Heaven, Rock and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel, the first manifestation of the approach of our redemption. Shield it from its own ministers, leaders, advisors, contractors, merchants, celebrities, beggars, journalists, and bureaucrats, and bestow Your light and truth upon its statesmen, rabbis, judges, and intellectuals, and grace them with Your good counsel.

Click here to read the whole thing.

Mark Twain (or whomever really deserves credit) was pretty much on the money when he quipped: “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it’s always twenty years behind the times.”

But there’s always an exception to the rule.

Today it would be a cool day to be in Cincinnati because the Jewish community there is right on time — and offering up an interesting multi-cultural take on celebrating Israel’s 60th birthday.

Here’s the full press release: Read the rest of this entry »

The cover of this month’s Atlantic Monthly asks, “Is Israel Finished?” But Jeffrey Goldberg, who wrote the magazine’s lead article, says he’s proud of the Jewish state and brings his kids there almost every year. Hear his full interview with JTA here.

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