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.

Israeli Couple Forbidden From Renting to Bedouin Friends

The Zakai and Tarabin families should be a picture of happy coexistence across the ethnic divide, a model for others to emulate in Israel. But Natalie and Weisman Zakai say the last three years – since the Jewish couple offered to rent their home to Bedouin friends, Ahmed and Khalas Tarabin – have been a … Continue reading “Israeli Couple Forbidden From Renting to Bedouin Friends”

Rachel Corrie Family Finally Puts Israel in Dock 

Seven years after Rachel Corrie, a US peace activist, was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, her family was to put the Israeli government in the dock today.  A judge in the northern Israeli city of Haifa was due to be presented with evidence that 23-year-old Corrie was killed unlawfully as she stood … Continue reading “Rachel Corrie Family Finally Puts Israel in Dock “

Israel’s OECD Bid Poses Problems for Members

An exclusive club of the world’s most developed countries is poised to admit Israel as a member even though, a confidential internal document indicates, doing so will amount to endorsing Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories. Israel has been told that its accession to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is … Continue reading “Israel’s OECD Bid Poses Problems for Members”

Do You Have to Be Jewish to Report on Israel for NYT?

A recent assignment of mine covering Israel’s presumed links to the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh provoked some more thoughts about the New York Times reporter Ethan Bronner. He is the Jerusalem bureau chief who has been at the center of a controversy since it was revealed last month that his son is serving … Continue reading “Do You Have to Be Jewish to Report on Israel for NYT?”

Jews-Only Homes for Ajami

Over the past few days, graffiti scrawled on walls around the mixed Jewish and Arab town of Jaffa in central Israel exclaims, "Settlers, keep out" and "Jaffa is not Hebron." Although Jaffa is only a stone’s throw from the bustling coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv, Arab residents say their neighborhood has become the unlikely battleground … Continue reading “Jews-Only Homes for Ajami”

Israel’s War on Protest

The Israeli courts ordered the release this week of two foreign women arrested by the army in the West Bank in what human-rights lawyers warn has become a wide-ranging clampdown by Israel on non-violent protest from international, Israeli and Palestinian activists.  The arrest of the two women during a nighttime raid on the Palestinian city … Continue reading “Israel’s War on Protest”

High Price Tag for Settlers’ Eviction

Jerusalem’s mayor threatened last week to demolish 200 homes in Palestinian neighborhoods of the city in an act even he conceded would probably bring long-simmering tensions over housing in East Jerusalem to a boil. His uncompromising stance is the latest stage in a protracted legal battle over a single building towering above the jumble of … Continue reading “High Price Tag for Settlers’ Eviction”

Report: Israel Stole $2B from Palestinian Workers

Over the past four decades Israel has defrauded Palestinians working inside Israel of more than $2 billion by deducting from their salaries contributions for welfare benefits to which they were never entitled, Israeli economists have revealed.  A new report, “State Robbery”, to be published later this month, says the “theft” continued even after the Palestinian … Continue reading “Report: Israel Stole $2B from Palestinian Workers”

Arab Politicians Face Tide of ‘Persecution’ in Israel

Leaders of the Arab minority in Israel warned this week that they were facing an unprecedented campaign of persecution, backed by the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, designed to stop their political activities. The warning came after Said Nafaa, a Druze member of the Israeli parliament, was stripped of his immunity last week, clearing the … Continue reading “Arab Politicians Face Tide of ‘Persecution’ in Israel”

‘Lost Tribe’ on Fast Track to Israel

The Israeli government is reported to have quietly approved the fast-track immigration of 7,000 members of a supposedly “lost Jewish” tribe, known as the Bnei Menashe, currently living in a remote area of India.  Under the plan, the “lost Jews” would be brought to Israel over the next two years by right-wing and religious organizations … Continue reading “‘Lost Tribe’ on Fast Track to Israel”