Phyllis Bennis

Originally published in Institute for Policy Studies. Twenty years ago – on February 15, 2003 – the world said no to war. People rose up in almost 800 cities around the world in an unprecedented movement for peace. The world stood on the precipice of war. U.S. and U.K. warplanes and warships – filled with … Continue reading “20 Years Ago, the World Said No to War”

The new Israeli government takes office already largely paralyzed. With eight diverse parties, they agree only on two things. One, they want to get rid of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Check – that’s done. Two, given the unlikeliness of reaching agreement on any major policy changes, they all agree that the current situation of occupation … Continue reading “The Real Danger of Israel’s New Government”

In Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, a broad but shaky new “change coalition” claims it’s ready to finally oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – the right-wing Likud leader who’s held the office for the last 12 years. If approved, the new coalition would anoint as prime minister Naftali Bennett, a former Netanyahu ally who supports settlement … Continue reading “Four Things To Know About Israel’s New ‘Change Coalition’”

“Both sides need to de-escalate.” “No one benefits from this. ” You’ll hear a lot of statements like that from pundits, elected officials, government spokespeople, and mainstream media anytime there’s violence in Israel-Palestine. In the last few days, Israeli war planes, armed drones, and artillery mounted on tanks have killed more than 119 Palestinians in … Continue reading “Understanding Israel’s Latest Attack on Gaza – and Who Benefits”

As the pandemic continues to claim lives across the country, new information keeps coming out about how the Trump administration has made it harder for Americans to protect themselves. We now know, for example, that early in the pandemic the U.S. Postal Service had planned to deliver five face masks to every US household. It … Continue reading “The Pentagon Took Money for Covid-19 Relief and Bought… More Weapons”

In some ways, the U.S.-brokered plan for mutual recognition between Israel and the United Arab Emirates is big news. For more than a quarter of a century, only two Middle Eastern countries – Egypt and Jordan – had officially recognized Israel. None of the Gulf monarchies did. So, it was a pretty big deal when … Continue reading “The Israel-UAE Deal Isn’t About Peace at All”

Uniformed U.S. soldiers occupied the center of the city, where an armored personnel carrier was stationed at a major intersection. Was it Kabul or Atlanta? A US military helicopter hovered over crowds of unarmed civilians, its down-drafts whipping debris and broken glass into their faces. Was it Mogadishu or Washington, D.C.? Armed, uniformed men surrounded … Continue reading “The Police and the Pentagon Are Bringing Our Wars Home”

Back in 2009, I was in Strasbourg for a “No to NATO” protest. Running from tear gas and being escorted out of a French military base by German soldiers, I spent some time with Malalai Joya – then the youngest member, and one of the few women, in the Afghan parliament. It was eight years … Continue reading “The US-Taliban Deal Won’t Bring Real Peace, But It Could Reduce the Bloodshed”

Some things are still unclear about Trump’s recent decision to bomb Iran – and his rapid-fire follow-up decision not to. We still don’t know what he or his bomb-Iran cheerleaders – National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo – thought the bombing would actually accomplish. We also don’t know why Trump … Continue reading “If War Breaks Out With Iran, It Won’t Be an Accident”

My friend Andrew Rubin is an amputee. He’s lost his right hand, lower arm, right foot, and lower leg. He used to be an avid runner and cyclist. He can’t do much of that anymore, although his walking is getting much better. Soon he might be able to run with his artificial leg. Andrew is … Continue reading “Foreign Aid That Costs an Arm and a Leg – Literally”