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.

How Many Divisions?

Nearly 70 years ago, in the course of World War II, a heinous crime was committed in the city of Leningrad. For more than a thousand days, a gang of extremists called "the Red Army" held the millions of the town’s inhabitants hostage and provoked retaliation from the German Wehrmacht from inside the population centers. … Continue reading “How Many Divisions?”

Eyes Wide Shut

The day before yesterday, two documents appeared side by side in Ha’aretz: a giant advertisement from the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the results of a public opinion poll. The proximity was accidental, but to the point. The PLO ad sets out the details of the 2002 Saudi peace offer, decorated with the colorful flags … Continue reading “Eyes Wide Shut”

Turning the Page

In a world where a person like Barack Hussein Obama can appear from nowhere and advance within a few years to the highest levels of world politics, nothing is predictable, and therefore everything is possible. Today, it seems at the moment, the incredible will happen: the most important "white" country in the world will elect … Continue reading “Turning the Page”

Good Morning, Ehud!

In colloquial Israeli Hebrew, when someone discovers something that everybody else already knows, we say: "Good morning, Elijahu!" Why Elijahu? I don’t know. Now one could say: "Good morning, Ehud!" That’s what I said to myself when I read the sensational interview that Ehud Olmert gave this week, on the eve of the Jewish New … Continue reading “Good Morning, Ehud!”

It Can Happen Here!

The German name Sternhell means "bright as the stars." The name fits: the positions of Professor Ze’ev Sternhell indeed stand out sharply against the darkness of the sky. He warns against Israeli fascism. This week, Israeli fascists laid a pipe bomb at the entrance of his apartment, and he was lightly injured. The choice of … Continue reading “It Can Happen Here!”

Tzipi’s Choice

As an Israeli, I am ashamed. An incumbent prime minister has been compelled to resign because of personal corruption. How awful! As an Israeli, I am proud. An incumbent prime minister has been compelled to resign because of personal corruption. How wonderful! Compelled not by a revolution, not by a military coup, not by rioting … Continue reading “Tzipi’s Choice”

A Hollow Man for
a Hollow Time

Ehud Olmert’s resignation speech reached us on our way back from a demonstration. We were protesting the death of Ahmad Moussa, aged 10, who was murdered during a demonstration against the Separation Fence at Na’ilin village – the fence that robs the village of most of its land in order to give it to the … Continue reading “A Hollow Man for
a Hollow Time”

Mearsheimer and Walt in Israel

Contrary to some expectations, the visit of the two controversial American professors was a great success. John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, whose book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy has caused an uproar in the United States and was boycotted there by the Jewish establishment, were cordially received in Israel and aroused a lively … Continue reading “Mearsheimer and Walt in Israel”