On the trail of ‘Israel’s Petra’: Amram’s Pillars

Original Article

Lately, almost all of our tourists have been cutting their time in Israel short so that they have a day or two to visit Jordan’s Petra. But, as it happens, this country can boast majestic structures of its own. Amram’s Pillars, colossal columns that could have come straight out of a pagan temple, are a natural phenomenon located within the dazzling Eilat Mountains Nature Reserve. You don’t need to ride a donkey or straddle a camel for this trip (which you may have to do if you can’t handle the walk to Petra); in fact, Amram’s Pillars are astonishingly easy to reach. You will find them off the main desert highway (#90) eight kilometers north of Eilat. And winter is the perfect season for your visit. Continue reading

Decline of the West: Seven strategic ramifications of Crimea’s return to Russia

Original Article

Crimea’s March 16, 2014, referendum to join Russia — there were only two options: join now, or join later — marked a significant watershed in the post-post-Cold War restructuring of the global strategic architecture. Not because it was so geopolitically surprising, but because it was the culmination of the fact that the West, and particularly the U.S., sustained the Cold War against Russia as the successor state to the USSR. Continue reading