Larry Abramson

Women In Combat: Some Lessons From Israel's Military

Larry Abramson — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:51:00 +0000

As the U.S. moves to open up combat positions to women, it's catching up with other countries that have been doing it for years.

But the experience in these countries, including Israel, suggests that access to combat jobs doesn't lead directly to equal treatment within the ranks.

In Israel, most men and women perform compulsory military service.

Women In Combat: Obstacles Remain As Exclusion Policy Ends

Larry Abramson — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:31:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAy7eDS8JY0

Gender Neutral: Armed Forces Submit Plans To End 'Exclusion'

Larry Abramson — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:34:00 +0000

This week, all divisions of the U.S. armed forces are supposed to submit their plans for ending "combat exclusion," the rule that says women cannot serve in most combat positions. Host Rachel Martin speaks with NPR's Larry Abramson about the implications of the change.

Sequester Has Air Force Clipping Its Wings

Larry Abramson — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:29:00 +0000

The Pentagon says the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration could leave the U.S. with a military that is simply unprepared for the most challenging combat missions. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel told Congress in April that the military is eating its seed corn.

"The cuts will fall heavily on maintenance and training, which further erodes the readiness of the force and will be costly to regain in the future," he said.

Why Sustained Action Against Syria Is More Than Air Strikes

Larry Abramson — Tue, 07 May 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm David Greene.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Two years after the start of Syria's civil war, amid allegations of chemical weapons use and reports of an Israeli airstrike, the United States still faces the same question.

GREENE: That question is what, if anything, the U.S. should do. For now, President Obama is focusing on diplomacy.

Why Chemical Weapons Have Been A Red Line Since World War I

Larry Abramson — Wed, 01 May 2013 20:32:00 +0000

President Obama has said that the use of chemical weapons could change the U.S. response to the Syrian civil war.

U.S. Wants More Proof Syria Has Used Chemical Weapons

Larry Abramson — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:17:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

And I'm Steve Inskeep. Here's the problem faced by President Obama's administration: When the United States says it's going to do something, it will face pressure to actually do it.

MONTAGNE: President Obama warned Syria not to cross the red line of using chemical weapons. The language suggested some strong response would follow. And now even the U.S.

Obama Calls On Israeli Students To Push For Renewed Peace Talks With Palestinians

Larry Abramson — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 22:00:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

This is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Melissa Block.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

And I'm Robert Siegel. Today in Jerusalem, President Obama addressed an appreciative audience of Israeli college students. He told them that their generation has a chance to secure Israel's future by achieving peace with the Palestinians. He also urged them to push their politicians to take chances in the interests of peace. The president also met with Palestinians in the West Bank.

With Obama In Ramallah, Palestinians Take To The Streets

Larry Abramson — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:27:00 +0000

NPR's Larry Abramson is covering President Obama's visit to the Middle East. He sends this dispatch from the West Bank.

There were a lot of irritated Palestinians in the streets of Ramallah today. But it's hard to pinpoint the cause. Were they mad at President Obama, at Israel? Or were they angry at themselves?

All week long, different groups staged demonstrations against the Obama visit, here in Palestine's defacto capital city, and elsewhere, including Gaza. Mothers of those in Israeli jails demanded the release of their children.

Israelis, Palestinians Spar Over Controversial Settlement

Larry Abramson — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:53:00 +0000

In practical terms, a project known as E-1 would provide 3,000 or so new housing units for Israelis in an area between east Jerusalem — which the Palestinians hope will someday be their capital — and the large Israeli settlement of Maaleh Adumim.

But numbers can be deceiving: Palestinians are renewing their objections to the growing number of Israeli settlements, and many fear E-1 could tip the balance in a way that makes an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement impossible.

To understand why the Israeli government wants to build E-1, climb to the top of Mount Scopus.

Obama Trip Could Ignite Long-Stalled Peace Talks

Larry Abramson — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:43:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne.

President Obama lands in Israel tomorrow for his first visit to that key American ally as president. He'll also visit sites in the West Bank.

After Weeks Of Wrangling, An Israeli Government Takes Shape

Larry Abramson — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 19:21:00 +0000

Israel appears to have a new government, nearly two months after parliamentary elections.

Since the voting in January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle that just would not fit.

If he included traditional allies, such as the religious parties, he would close out a chance of forming a government with a popular political newcomer, Yair Lapid.

A former TV newsman, Lapid is secular and centrist.

Can Kidney Transplants Help Relieve Gaza's Health System?

Larry Abramson — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:09:00 +0000

It's no picnic being a kidney patient even in the best conditions. But coming in for dialysis in a place like the Gaza Strip calls for a special kind of patience.

Years of war have placed a constant stress on the health system there. Thanks to a host of factors, Gaza's main hospital, Shifa Hospital, regularly faces supply shortages of medications that kidney patients need to manage nausea and other symptoms.

Dialysis machines are in constant use, and it's tough to get the parts needed to keep all of them working.

Palestinians Still Feel The Squeeze Of The Restictions On Gaza

Larry Abramson — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:27:00 +0000

The streets of Gaza are busy, but they are also crumbling.

Since Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, Israel has maintained tight limits on shipments of anything that could be used for military purposes. That includes basic building materials that could be used for bunkers and rocket launching sites.

Ask businessman Ali Abdel Aal what's the toughest thing for him to find, and he'll tell you "cement and gravel."

Abdel Aal runs a busy shop selling building supplies in Gaza City. He says tunnels from Egypt help get around the Israeli restrictions.

Demonstrators In West Bank Protest Imprisonment Of Palestinians

Larry Abramson — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:27:00 +0000

Transcript

AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

It was another day of protest in the West Bank. Palestinians are demanding the release of prisoners held in Israeli jails after one prisoner died on Saturday. NPR's Larry Abramson reports.

(SOUNDBITE OF YELLING)

LARRY ABRAMSON, BYLINE: Outside Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank, young men play cat and mouse with Israeli troops.

Israel Restores Wetlands; Birds Make It Their Winter Home

Larry Abramson — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 10:46:00 +0000

Like many countries, Israel tried to drain many of its swamplands, then realized it was destroying wildlife habitats. So the country reversed course, and has been restoring the wetlands of the Hula Valley in the north.

The effort has had a huge and rather noisy payoff. Unlike many birding sites, where the creatures take off when you approach them, you can practically touch the cranes that inhabit the Hula Valley.

The thousands upon thousands of the common cranes are about as tall as a toddler and have a 6-foot wingspan.

A West Bank Story, Told Through Palestinian Eyes

Larry Abramson — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 22:33:00 +0000

The Academy Award-nominated documentary 5 Broken Cameras tells the story of Bil'in, a modest Palestinian village perilously close to an Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

After the Israeli government began putting up its West Bank separation barrier, Bil'in resident Emad Burnat picked up a video camera, and in 2005 began a multiyear documentary project.

Israelis say the barrier has been successful in preventing Palestinian attacks, including suicide bombings.

'Prisoner X' Raises Questions About Israel's Secrecy

Larry Abramson — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 11:31:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

In Israel the case of Prisoner X is raising new questions about secrecy and censorship. A Mossad agent by the name of Ben Zygier faced secret charges three years ago, was jailed under a false name and committed suicide in prison. From Jerusalem, NPR's Larry Abramson has a story that until recently was kept secret by military censors.

LARRY ABRAMSON, BYLINE: Ben Zygier is not the first person held under a false name in Israel. There was Marcus Klingberg, a high-ranking scientist who was unmasked as a Soviet spy in 1983.

Palestinian Authority Faces Severe Financial Crisis

Larry Abramson — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:12:00 +0000

Transcript

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

The Palestinian Authority is facing a severe financial crisis. Israel has restricted payment of tax revenues to the Authority. That's in response to the Palestinians' successful bid for statehood status at the United Nations, something Israel strongly opposed. As NPR's Larry Abramson reports from Jerusalem, the money shortfall is hurting pocketbooks throughout the West Bank.

(SOUNDBITE OF CROWD CHATTER)

LARRY ABRAMSON, BYLINE: In a street outside government buildings in Ramallah, citizens of the West Bank gathered recently for a demonstration.

Women In Prayer Shawls Detained At Judaism's Holiest Site

Larry Abramson — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Police in Jerusalem on Monday detained 10 women for wearing the tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl traditionally worn by men, while praying at the Western Wall.

The Women of the Wall have been fighting for years for permission to worship in the manner that men do at the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism for prayer. The stone structure is part of the retaining wall that surrounded the Second Jewish Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in A.D.

How Do Israeli And Palestinian Textbooks Treat The Other Side?

Larry Abramson — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:31:00 +0000

There was some good news and bad news in a three-year study that tried to take an objective look at bias in Israeli and Palestinian textbooks directed against "the other."

The bad news isn't surprising: Each side depicts the other as "the enemy" and presents its own culture in positive terms. Both sides teach their children little about the other's religion, culture or economy.

SodaStream Criticized For West Bank Plant

Larry Abramson — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:38:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And let's think about the Super Bowl once again. Last night was big for the Ravens and for an Israeli company called SodaStream. It ran its first Super Bowl ad.

The original spot it hoped to air was rejected.

Israeli Election Rekindles Debate Over Military Service

Larry Abramson — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:41:00 +0000

The rise of a new Israeli political party after last week's elections has set the stage for renewed conflict over the country's military draft.

That new party, Yesh Atid, or "There is a Future," campaigned on a promise to draft thousands of ultra-Orthodox students who are currently exempt from military service.

And with the number of ultra-Orthodox students in Israel on the rise given the community's high birth rates, this longstanding debate has become a critical post-election issue.

Outside Israel, many people think all Israelis, men and women, serve in the military.

An Israeli Political Newcomer, Who May Soon Be An Insider

Larry Abramson — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:00 +0000

Israel's surprisingly close parliamentary elections Tuesday have brought political attention to a man accustomed to the bright lights of television: former journalist and media personality Yair Lapid.

His Yesh Atid — or There Is a Future — Party got 19 seats in parliament, making it the second-largest voting bloc behind Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, which won 31 seats.

Watching a video of Lapid talking to English-speaking voters in Tel Aviv last month, you can almost feel the audience fall under his spell.

Netanyahu Must Turn Fractured Results Into A Government

Larry Abramson — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 10:14:00 +0000

Transcript

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Steve Inskeep.

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And I'm Renee Montagne. In Israel last night a surprisingly close election. Voters appear to have reelected Prime Minister Netanyahu for another term. That was expected. But Netanyahu's right wing alliance suffered serious losses. Centrist and left wing parties defied opinion polls and won half the seats in parliament.

Exit Polls Project Netanyahu Will Lead Israel For Another Term

Larry Abramson — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:01:00 +0000

Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Today was election day in Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been re-elected to lead the Israeli parliament, but his right-wing alliance lost at least 10 seats in the 120-seat Knesset. The Likud-Beitenu bloc gave up ground both to the far right and to the center left. And that means Netanyahu could have a tough time building a stable coalition government.

Joining me now to talk about today's election results is NPR's Larry Abramson who is in Tel Aviv.

Israeli Political Ads Try To Weaken Netanyahu

Larry Abramson — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:46:00 +0000

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

In Israel this week, the election campaign for a new parliament kicks into high gear. Last night the first television ads aired. Networks are required to leave long stretches of space for the ads. With the vote just two weeks off, opposition parties are hoping their TV spots will at last weaken the frontrunner, the prime minister's Likud Party.

NPR's Larry Abramson reports from Jerusalem.

LARRY ABRAMSON, BYLINE: Bunching a series of political ads into concentrated blocks is a tradition in Israeli politics.

At $130 Million A Plane, Critics Question The Cost Of The F-35

Larry Abramson — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 20:34:00 +0000

Second of two parts

In a mile-long building on the edge of Fort Worth, Texas, an assembly line is taking shape to build the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed Martin, which got the contract to build the jet back in 2001, is slowly cranking up production.

How Good Is The World's Most Expensive Fighter Jet?

Larry Abramson — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:45:00 +0000

First of two parts

After years on the drawing boards and in testing labs, a new fighter plane is entering the U.S. arsenal. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is supposed to help the Air Force, the Navy and the Marines replace their fleet of aging aircraft.

But this plane has become the most expensive military procurement program in history. While critics continue to carp about the cost, the plane is now in the skies, and the military says it's the lynchpin for future defense strategies.

On a cold fall morning at Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, Fla., Air Force Lt. Col.

Vets Flock To Colleges ... But How Are They Doing?

Larry Abramson — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 07:33:00 +0000

Record numbers of veterans are returning home from war and heading to college. The biggest draw: the generous benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which in three short years has helped 860,000 vets go to school.

But there's still little known about how these students are doing.

For years, Sarah Yaw has been working with veterans at Cayuga Community College, a small school in rural, upstate New York. She took a leave in 2009, around the time the Post-9/11 GI Bill went into effect.