Uri Avnery

Uri Avnery is a longtime Israeli peace activist. Since 1948 he has advocated the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. In 1974, Uri Avnery was the first Israeli to establish contact with the PLO leadership. In 1982 he was the first Israeli ever to meet Yasser Arafat, after crossing the lines in besieged Beirut. He served three terms in the Israeli Knesset and is the founder of Gush Shalom (Peace Bloc). Visit his Web site.

Resolving the Right of Return

The closer Mahmoud Abbas gets to the end of his reign, the more extreme his language becomes. Recently he spoke about Donald Trump and uttered the words "May your house be destroyed". In Arabic this is a common curse, and sounds less extreme than in English. But even in Arabic this is not a usual … Continue reading “Resolving the Right of Return”

Netanyahu Is No Statesman

The flood of corruption affairs that is now engulfing the Netanyahu family and its assistants and servitors does not seem to diminish his popularity among those who call themselves "the People". On the contrary, according to the opinion polls, the voters of the other nationalist parties are rushing to the rescue of "Bibi". They believe … Continue reading “Netanyahu Is No Statesman”

Who Will Be Israel’s Next Prime Minister?

I have a confession to make: I don’t hate Binyamin Netanyahu. I don’t hate Sara’le either. I generally don’t hate people. With the sole exception of people who have betrayed the trust I put in them and tried to stick a knife in my back. Not more than three or four in all my life. … Continue reading “Who Will Be Israel’s Next Prime Minister?”

Will Netanyahu Be Indicted?

Pity the almond tree, especially when it is in full bloom. The bloom of the almond is, in German, Mandelblüt. That is also the name of Israel’s chief legal official, called "the Legal Advisor of the Government". The Legal Advisor is appointed by the government, but is supposed to be completely independent. He is in … Continue reading “Will Netanyahu Be Indicted?”

Mahmoud Abbas’s Strategy of Patience

When I first met Yasser Arafat in besieged Beirut, in the summer of 1982, Abu Mazen was not present. But when I met him again in Tunis, a few months later, he asked me to meet Abu Mazen, too. Abu Mazen, it transpired, was the Fatah leader in charge of Israeli matters. My first impression … Continue reading “Mahmoud Abbas’s Strategy of Patience”

The Corruption of Benjamin Netanyahu

No, I don’t want to write about the affair of Ya’ir Netanyahu. I refuse adamantly. No force in the world will compel me to do so. Yet here I am, writing about Ya’ir, damn it. Can’t resist. And perhaps it is really more than a matter of gossip. Perhaps it is something that we cannot … Continue reading “The Corruption of Benjamin Netanyahu”

The Right Will Destroy Israel

Nobody described the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict better than the historian Isaac Deutscher. A man lives in a house that catches fire. To save his life, he jumps out of the window. He lands on a passer-by in the street below and injures him grievously. Between the two a bitter enmity arises. Who is … Continue reading “The Right Will Destroy Israel”

Israel the Bully

Anyone proposing the death penalty is either a complete fool, an incorrigible cynic or mentally disturbed – or all of these. There is no effective therapy for any of these defects. I wouldn’t even try. A fool would not understand the overwhelming evidence for the conclusion. For a cynic, advocacy of the death penalty is … Continue reading “Israel the Bully”

Two States Is the Only Solution

For God’s sake, are they crazy? They congregate in the marketplace, boys of 15, 16 years, take stones and throw them at our soldiers, who are armed to the teeth. The soldiers shoot, sometimes over their heads, sometimes straight at them. Every day there are wounded, every few days there are dead. What for? They … Continue reading “Two States Is the Only Solution”