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.

Boycott Derails Jerusalem’s Transit System

An ill-fated light railway under construction in Jerusalem was originally heralded by Israeli officials as a way to cement the city’s “unification” four decades after the city’s Palestinian half was illegally annexed to Israel.  But the only unity generated among Jewish and Palestinian residents after four years of disruptions to the city’s traffic and businesses … Continue reading “Boycott Derails Jerusalem’s Transit System”

Israeli Peace Group Targets Settlements’ Charitable Status in US

Israeli peace activists are planning to ratchet up their campaign against groups in the United States that raise money for settlers by highlighting how tax exemptions are helping to fund the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Gush Shalom, a small peace group that advocates Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories, is preparing … Continue reading “Israeli Peace Group Targets Settlements’ Charitable Status in US”

The Missing Link in Palestinian Organ Theft

The hyperventilating by Israel’s leaders over a story published in a Swedish newspaper last month suggesting that the Israeli army assisted in organ theft from Palestinians has distracted attention from the disturbing allegations made by Palestinian families that were the basis of the article’s central claim.   The families’ fears that relatives, killed by the … Continue reading “The Missing Link in Palestinian Organ Theft”

US Turns Blind Eye to Israel’s New Separation Policy

In an echo of restrictions already firmly in place in Gaza, Israel has begun barring movement between Israel and the West Bank for those holding a foreign passport, including humanitarian aid workers and thousands of Palestinian residents. The new policy is designed to force foreign citizens, mainly from North America and Europe, to choose between … Continue reading “US Turns Blind Eye to Israel’s New Separation Policy”

Israel Begins Sell-Off of Refugees’ Land

TZIPORI, Israel — Amin Muhammad Ali, a 74-year-old refugee from a destroyed Palestinian village in northern Israel, says he only feels truly at peace when he stands among his ancestors’ graves.   The cemetery, surrounded on all sides by Jewish homes and farms, is a small time capsule, transporting Mr Muhammad Ali — known to … Continue reading “Israel Begins Sell-Off of Refugees’ Land”

The Reality of Israel’s ‘Open’ Jerusalem

No one would have been more surprised than Fawziya Khurd by the recent pronouncement of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, that Israel operates an "open city" policy in Jerusalem.  Mr Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem following the 1967 war — what he called the city’s "unification" — … Continue reading “The Reality of Israel’s ‘Open’ Jerusalem”

The Two-State Solution, Israeli-Style

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, has been much criticized in Israel, as well as abroad, for failing to present his own diplomatic initiative on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process to forestall US intervention. Mr Netanyahu may have huffed and puffed before giving voice to the phrase "two states for two peoples" at Sunday’s cabinet meeting, but … Continue reading “The Two-State Solution, Israeli-Style”

Israeli Army Beats and Tortures Children

The rights of Palestinian children are routinely violated by Israel’s security forces, according to a new report that says beatings and torture are common. In addition, hundreds of Palestinian minors are prosecuted by Israel each year without a proper trial and are denied family visits.   The findings by Defense for Children International (DCI) come … Continue reading “Israeli Army Beats and Tortures Children”