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.

Hatred Just Grows and Grows

A Palestinian youngster breaks into a settlement, enters the nearest house, stabs a 13-year old girl in her sleep and is killed. Three Israeli men kidnap a 12-year old Palestinian boy at random, take him to an open field and burn him alive. Two Palestinians from a small town near Hebron enter Israel illegally, have … Continue reading “Hatred Just Grows and Grows”

The Second Coming of Ehud Barack

Suddenly, a familiar face, almost forgotten, appeared on the TV screen. Well, not entirely familiar, because it now sports a prominent black beard. (If I were he, I would quickly shave it off.) Yes, there he was. Former Chief of Staff, former Prime Minister, Ehud Barak. Barak in a new format. Aggressive. Outspoken. Damning Binyamin … Continue reading “The Second Coming of Ehud Barack”

Netanyahu’s Petty Corruption

Many years ago I received a phone call from the Prime Minister’s office. I was told that Yitzhak Rabin wanted to see me in private. Rabin opened the door himself. He was alone in the residence. He led me to a comfortable seat, poured two generous glasses of whisky for me and himself and started … Continue reading “Netanyahu’s Petty Corruption”

Israel’s Willingness to ‘Negotiate’ With Egypt

Once I heard the following story from the then Swedish ambassador in Paris: "In 1947, when the UN was discussing the plan to partition Palestine, I was a member of the subcommittee dealing with Jerusalem. One day, the Jews sent a new representative. His name was Abba Eban. He spoke beautiful English, much better than … Continue reading “Israel’s Willingness to ‘Negotiate’ With Egypt”

Netanyahu Consolidates Power Over Israeli Society

I recently mentioned the German word Gleichschaltung – one of the most typical words in the Nazi vocabulary. "Gleich" means "the same", and "Schaltung" means "wiring". The long German word means that everything in the state is wired up the same way – the Nazi way. This was an essential part of the Nazi transformation … Continue reading “Netanyahu Consolidates Power Over Israeli Society”

Parallels Between Israel and 1930s Germany

"Please don’t write about Ya’ir Golan!" a friend begged me, “Anything a leftist like you writes will only harm him!" So I abstained for some weeks. But I can’t keep quiet any longer. General Ya’ir Golan, the deputy Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, made a speech on Holocaust Memorial Day. Wearing his uniform, … Continue reading “Parallels Between Israel and 1930s Germany”

A Document With a Mission

When David Ben-Gurion read out Israel’s declaration of independence (officially: "Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel") on May 14, 1948, I was in Kibbutz Hulda. My company of the (still unnamed) Israeli army was ordered to make a night attack on the Arab village of al-Kubab, near the town of Ramleh. It … Continue reading “A Document With a Mission”

A Confederation of Israel and Palestine

I like the President of the State of Israel, Reuven ("Rubi") Rivlin. I like him very much. This may seem a bit strange, since he is a man of the Right. He is a member of the Likud party. He believes in what is called in Hebrew "the whole of the Land of Israel". However, … Continue reading “A Confederation of Israel and Palestine”

The Case of ‘Soldier A’

Editor’s Note: Reporting the identity of "Soldier A" is a violation of the Israeli military’s gag order and is a crime in Israel. The author would have faced prison for naming him. Most Western media outlets have complied with this gag order. However, a few outlets, including the Intercept (as well as some of the … Continue reading “The Case of ‘Soldier A’”