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.

It’s Not Too Late for Two States in Palestine

During World War II, when German bombers terrorized Britain, a small group of gallant airmen faced them every day. Their life expectancy was numbered in days. Once, a genius at the propaganda ministry devised a poster: "Who is afraid of the German Luftwaffe?" When it was posted at one of the Royal Air Force bases, … Continue reading “It’s Not Too Late for Two States in Palestine”

The Call of the Mu’ezzin

The first mu`ezzin stood on the roof of the prophet Muhammad’s home in Medina, during his exile from Mecca, and called the believers to prayer. He also walked along the streets, doing the same. When Islam became the established religion, minarets were built. Their original purpose was to ventilate the mosque, letting the hot air … Continue reading “The Call of the Mu’ezzin”

How Kissinger Won the Middle East for America

I am writing this (may God forgive me) on Yom Kippur. Exactly 43 years ago, at this exact moment, the sirens sounded. We were sitting in the living room, looking out on one of Tel Aviv’s main streets. The city was completely silent. No cars. No traffic of any kind. A few children were riding … Continue reading “How Kissinger Won the Middle East for America”

Abu-Mazen’s Balance Sheet

Mahmoud Abbas was not present at my first meeting with Yasser Arafat during the siege of Beirut in the First Lebanon War. That was, it may be remembered, the first meeting ever between Arafat and an Israeli. Some months later, in January 1983, a meeting was set up between Arafat and the delegation of the … Continue reading “Abu-Mazen’s Balance Sheet”

It Can Happen Here

Zionism was a revolutionary idea. It proposed that the "Jewish people" should create a new Jewish entity in the land of Palestine. The Zionist project was very successful indeed. By 1948 the embryo nation was strong enough to create a state. Israel was born. When one builds a house, one needs scaffolding. When the building … Continue reading “It Can Happen Here”

Israeli Civil War Approaching?

Something strange happens to retired chiefs of the Israeli internal Security Service, Shin Bet. The service is by definition a central pillar of the Israeli occupation. It is admired by (Jewish) Israelis, feared by Palestinians, respected by security professionals everywhere. The occupation could not exist without it. And here is the paradox: once the chiefs … Continue reading “Israeli Civil War Approaching?”

The Shot Heard All Over the Country

On June 28, 1914, the Austrian heir to the throne, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, visited Sarajevo, the main town of Bosnia, then an Austrian province. Three young Serbian inhabitants of Bosnia had decided to assassinate him, in order to achieve the attachment of Bosnia to Serbia. They threw bombs at the car of the archduke. All … Continue reading “The Shot Heard All Over the Country”