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.

Israel’s White Bird

Tzipi Livni, as her name indicates, is the white bird of Israeli politics (Tzipi is short for Tzipora, "bird," and Livni comes from Lavan, "white"). As against the hawk Binyamin Netanyahu, the vulture Ehud Barak, and the raven Ehud Olmert, she was seen as the immaculate feathered friend. In public opinion polls, she has enjoyed … Continue reading “Israel’s White Bird”

Paving the Road to Hell

Mephisto, the demon who bought the soul of Faust in Goethe’s monumental drama, describes himself as "a part of that force which always wants the bad and always creates the good." Yossi Beilin, who resigned this week as chairman of the Meretz Party, is Mephisto’s opposite: he always wants the good and all too often … Continue reading “Paving the Road to Hell”

Help! A Cease-Fire!

Forget the Qassams. Forget the mortar shells. They are nothing compared with what Hamas launched at us this week. The chief of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, has approached an Israeli newspaper and proposed a cease-fire. No more Qassams, no more mortars, no suicide bombings, no Israeli military incursions into the … Continue reading “Help! A Cease-Fire!”

To Die With the Philistines

The most famous words ever spoken in Gaza were the last words of Samson (Judges 16:30): "Let me die with the Philistines!" According to the Biblical story, Samson took hold of the central pillars of the Philistine temple and brought down the whole building upon the lords of the Philistines, the people of Gaza, and … Continue reading “To Die With the Philistines”

The Tumult and the Shouting Dies…

“The tumult and the shouting dies / The captains and the kings depart…” Rudyard Kipling wrote in his unforgettable “Recessional." King George departed even before the tumult had died. His helicopter carried him away over the horizon, just as his trusty steed carries the cowboy into the sunset at the end of the movie. At … Continue reading “The Tumult and the Shouting Dies…”

The Joke in Annapolis: How to Get Out?

The Annapolis conference is a joke. Though not in the least funny. Like quite a lot of political initiatives, this one too, according to all the indications, started more or less by accident. George Bush was due to make a speech. He was looking for a theme that would give it some substance. Something that … Continue reading “The Joke in Annapolis: How to Get Out?”

The Mother of All Pretexts

When I hear mention of the "Clash of Civilizations," I don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. To laugh, because it is such a silly notion. To cry, because it is liable to cause untold disasters. To cry even more, because our leaders are exploiting this slogan as a pretext for sabotaging any possibility … Continue reading “The Mother of All Pretexts”

Two Knights and a Dragon

There are books that change people’s consciousness and change history. Some tell a story, like Harriet Beech Stowe’s 1851 Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which gave a huge impetus to the campaign for the abolition of slavery. Others take the form of a political treatise, like Theodor Herzl’s Der Judenstaat, which gave birth to the Zionist movement. … Continue reading “Two Knights and a Dragon”

US, Israel Poised to Repeat Saddam’s Error

A respected American paper posted a scoop this week: Vice President Dick Cheney, the King of Hawks, has thought up a Machiavellian scheme for an attack on Iran. Its main point: Israel will start by bombing an Iranian nuclear installation, Iran will respond by launching missiles at Israel, and this will serve as a pretext … Continue reading “US, Israel Poised to Repeat Saddam’s Error”