Jim Rissman

In the "Rejectionism and Accommodation" chapter of Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel & The Palestinians, Noam Chomsky recounts how Egyptian President Anwar Sadat’s 1971 peace initiative has been effaced from history. Sadat’s offer of "a full peace treaty on the pre-June 1967 borders, with security guarantees, recognized borders and so on" was rejected by … Continue reading “The Rewriting, Un-rewriting and Re-rewriting of History”

While the 9/11 Commission disbanded after the release of its report on July 22, ten former commissioners have announced the creation of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project (PDP). Over the next year, the PDP plans to “reach out . . . to communities around the country, encouraging a national conversation” on “how the lessons learned … Continue reading “Terrorism, Justice and You”

Mid-December saw a flurry of articles about how U.S. tactics in Iraq were beginning to resemble those of Israel in the occupied territories. Then, on December 22, the resemblance became downright eerie. On that day, Voice of Palestine radio reported that the Israeli army had raided various towns, imposing curfews and destroying houses. In Balata … Continue reading “Violence Begets Violence, Beers Begets Tutwiler”

In the run up to the national antiwar mobilizations of February 15-16, Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun, a liberal Jewish magazine, complained that at previous major rallies speakers had subjected the crowd to "a barrage of Israel bashing," "the emotional climate at these demonstrations has been one that most Jews I have encountered find … Continue reading “The Maverick Feingold and the Dissenting Feingold”

This is a letter in response to an opinion piece in the Capital Times. Thanks for providing the fresh voice of Israeli consulate spokesman Josh Weinberg. If anything, Josh’s testament to Israel’s strong moral fiber and desperate yearning for peace is understated. Israel realizes there is always room for improvement. For example, whereas in the … Continue reading “Occupation: Always Room for Improvement”

Shortly after Sept. 11, the war against al-Qaeda morphed into the war against the Taliban regime. As the US bombed Afghanistan, it enlisted the Northern Alliance (NA), led by the notoriously unsavory warlord Rashid Dostum, to do the dirty work on the ground. In "a US-orchestrated military operation" (6), the NA captured the Taliban stronghold … Continue reading “Slow Death on the Jail Convoys of Misery”