Jonathan Cook

Jonathan Cook is a writer and journalist based in Nazareth, Israel. His latest books are Israel and the Clash of Civilizations: Iraq, Iran, and the Plan to Remake the Middle East (Pluto Press) and Disappearing Palestine: Israel's Experiments in Human Despair (Zed Books). Visit his Web site.

With Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Israel Finds Another Natural Partner on the Far-Right

The victory of Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil’s presidential election last week has won Israel a passionate new friend on the international stage. The world’s fifth-most populous nation will now be “colored in blue and white”, an Israeli official said, referring to the colors of Israel’s flag. The Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately called to … Continue reading “With Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Israel Finds Another Natural Partner on the Far-Right”

Everyone Washes Their Hands as Gaza’s Economy Goes Into Freefall

The moment long feared is fast approaching in Gaza, according to a new report by the World Bank. After a decade-long Israeli blockade and a series of large-scale military assaults, the economy of the tiny coastal enclave is in “freefall”. At a meeting of international donors in New York on Thursday, coinciding with the annual … Continue reading “Everyone Washes Their Hands as Gaza’s Economy Goes Into Freefall”

US Cuts to UNRWA Point to the Dark Future Being Readied for the Palestinians

The Trump administration’s decision to scrap all future aid payments to the main agency helping Palestinian refugees marks a new – and most likely disastrous – chapter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The US State Department said on Friday it would no longer continue its $360 million annual contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works … Continue reading “US Cuts to UNRWA Point to the Dark Future Being Readied for the Palestinians”

Corbyn Smeared as Anti-Semite, For a Reason

The Labour party, relentlessly battered by an organized campaign of smears of its leader, Jeremy Corbyn – first for being anti-Semitic, and now for honoring Palestinian terrorists – is reportedly about to adopt the four additional working “examples” of anti-Semitism drafted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). Labour initially rejected these examples – stoking … Continue reading “Corbyn Smeared as Anti-Semite, For a Reason”

Israel Bulldozes Khan Al Ahmar and Buries the Two-State Solution

Israel finally built an access road to the West Bank village of Khan Al Ahmar last week, after half a century of delays. But Israel only allows vehicles like the bulldozers scheduled to sweep away its 200 inhabitants’ homes. If one community has come to symbolize the demise of the two-state solution, it is Khan … Continue reading “Israel Bulldozes Khan Al Ahmar and Buries the Two-State Solution”

How the Corporate Media Enslave Us to a World of Illusions

For several years now, I have been writing regular posts on my blog with one end in mind: to help open a door for readers and encourage them to step through. I select issues, usually those that dominate western media coverage and represent a consensus that we might term the Great Western Narrative, and try to show … Continue reading “How the Corporate Media Enslave Us to a World of Illusions”

West’s Failure to Act Will Be Cause of the Next Gaza Massacre

The contrasting images coming out of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories on Monday could not have been starker – or more disturbing. Faced with protests at the perimeter fence in Gaza, Israeli snipers killed dozens of unarmed Palestinians and wounded more than 2,000 others, including children, women, journalists and paramedics, in a hail of … Continue reading “West’s Failure to Act Will Be Cause of the Next Gaza Massacre”

Israel Repurposes Nakba Myths To Justify Monday’s Massacre in Gaza

On Monday and Tuesday, Palestinians commemorate the anniversary of the Nakba, or catastrophe, their mass expulsion and dispossession 70 years ago as the new state of Israel was built on the ruins of their homeland. As a result, most Palestinians were turned into refugees, denied by Israel the right to return to their homes. Tens … Continue reading “Israel Repurposes Nakba Myths To Justify Monday’s Massacre in Gaza”

Robert Fisk’s Douma Report Rips Away Excuses for Air Strike on Syria

It seems that many who supported the weekend’s air strikes on Syria are overlooking the significance of Robert Fisk’s report today from Douma, the site of a supposed chemical weapons attack last week. Fisk is the first western journalist to reach the area and speak to people there. One is a senior doctor at the … Continue reading “Robert Fisk’s Douma Report Rips Away Excuses for Air Strike on Syria”

The UK’s Hidden Role in Assange’s Detention

It now emerges that the last four years of Julian Assange’s effective imprisonment in the Ecuadorean embassy in London have been entirely unnecessary. In fact, they depended on a legal charade. Behind the scenes, Sweden wanted to drop the extradition case against Assange back in 2013. Why was this not made public? Because Britain persuaded … Continue reading “The UK’s Hidden Role in Assange’s Detention”