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.

Netanyahu Risks Triggering an Unwinnable War To Avoid Losing Election

Every Israeli prime minister – not least Benjamin Netanyahu – understands that a military entanglement with Hezbollah, Lebanon’s armed Shia movement on Israel’s northern border, is a dangerous wager, especially during an election campaign. It was Shimon Peres who lost to Netanyahu in 1996, weeks after the former prime minister had incensed Israel’s Palestinian minority … Continue reading “Netanyahu Risks Triggering an Unwinnable War To Avoid Losing Election”

With Criticism Crushed in the West, Israel Can Enjoy Its Impunity

Recent events have shone a spotlight not only on how Israel is intensifying its abuse of Palestinians under its rule, but the utterly depraved complicity of western governments in its actions. The arrival of Donald Trump in the White House two-and-a-half years ago has emboldened Israel as never before, leaving it free to unleash new … Continue reading “With Criticism Crushed in the West, Israel Can Enjoy Its Impunity”

Theft of Silwan Highlights the Injustice of the Israeli Occupation

Israeli police forced out the Siyam family from their home in the heart of occupied East Jerusalem last week, the final chapter in their 25-year legal battle against a powerful settler organization. The family’s defeat represented much more than just another eviction. It was intended to land a crushing blow against the hopes of some … Continue reading “Theft of Silwan Highlights the Injustice of the Israeli Occupation”

Exactly Like Its Predecessors, Trump’s Peace Plan Has Been Designed To Fail

Donald Trump’s supposed “deal of the century,” offering the Palestinians economic bribes in return for political submission, is the endgame of western peacemaking, the real goal of which has been failure, not success. For decades, peace plans have made impossible demands of the Palestinians, forcing them to reject the terms on offer and thereby create … Continue reading “Exactly Like Its Predecessors, Trump’s Peace Plan Has Been Designed To Fail”

Annexation: How Israel Already Controls More Than Half of the West Bank

A state of de facto annexation already exists on the ground in most of the occupied West Bank. Almost two-thirds of the Palestinian territory, including most of its most fertile and resource-rich land, is under full Israeli control. About 400,000 Jewish settlers living there enjoy the full rights and privileges of Israeli citizens. At least … Continue reading “Annexation: How Israel Already Controls More Than Half of the West Bank”

Trump Enjoys Bipartisan Support for His Plan To Eradicate the Palestinian Cause

The White House’s prolonged financial bullying of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the Palestinians’ government-in-waiting, has reached the point where there are now credible warnings that it is close to collapse. The crisis has offered critics further proof of the administration’s seemingly chaotic, often self-sabotaging approach to foreign policy matters. Meanwhile, US officials charged with resolving … Continue reading “Trump Enjoys Bipartisan Support for His Plan To Eradicate the Palestinian Cause”

For Israel, Annexation of the West Bank Is a Long-Established Goal

When Israeli prime ministers are in trouble, facing difficult elections or a corruption scandal, the temptation has typically been for them to unleash a military operation to bolster their standing. In recent years, Gaza has served as a favorite punching bag. Benjamin Netanyahu is confronting both difficulties at once: a second round of elections in … Continue reading “For Israel, Annexation of the West Bank Is a Long-Established Goal”

Don’t Be Fooled: Media Still Selling Out Assange

A few corporate media publications have finally come out in very halfhearted support of Julian Assange – after years of stabbing him in the back at every opportunity. These outlets, including the Guardian, The Washington Post and The New York Times, have found their voice very belatedly, only after the Trump administration revealed last week … Continue reading “Don’t Be Fooled: Media Still Selling Out Assange”

Endless Procedural Abuses Show Julian Assange Case Was Never About Law

It is astonishing how often one still hears well-informed, otherwise reasonable people say about Julian Assange: “But he ran away from Swedish rape charges by hiding in Ecuador’s embassy in London.” That short sentence includes at least three factual errors. In fact, to repeat it, as so many people do, you would need to have … Continue reading “Endless Procedural Abuses Show Julian Assange Case Was Never About Law”

The Western Media Is Key to Syria Deceptions

By any reckoning, the claim made this week by al-Qaeda-linked fighters that they were targeted with chemical weapons by the Syrian government in Idlib province – their final holdout in Syria – should have been treated by the western media with a high degree of skepticism. That the US and other western governments enthusiastically picked … Continue reading “The Western Media Is Key to Syria Deceptions”