Ramzy Baroud

Language is politics and politics is power. This is why the misuse of language is particularly disturbing, especially when the innocent and vulnerable pay the price. The wars in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern, Asian and African countries in recent years have resulted in one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes, arguably unseen since … Continue reading “Heroes or Parasites: Europe’s Self-Serving Politics on Refugees”

There is an unmistakable shift in American politics regarding Palestine and Israel, a change that is inspired by the way in which many Americans, especially the youth, view the Palestinian struggle and the Israeli occupation. While this shift is yet to translate into tangibly diminishing Israel’s stronghold over the US Congress, it promises to be … Continue reading “Racial Justice vs. The Israel Lobby: When Being Pro-Palestine Becomes the New Normal”

The political division in Palestinian society is deep-rooted, and must not be reduced to convenient claims about the "Hamas-Fatah split", elections, the Oslo accords and subsequent disagreements. The division is linked to events that preceded all of these, and not even the death or incapacitation of the octogenarian, Mahmoud Abbas, will advance Palestinian unity by … Continue reading “The Untold Story of Why Palestinians Are Divided”

Scenes of thousands of Afghans flooding the Kabul International Airport to flee the country as Taliban fighters were quickly consolidating their control over the capital, raised many questions, leading amongst them: who are these people and why are they running away? In the US and other Western media, answers were readily available: they were mostly … Continue reading “Who Represents Afghanistan: Genuine Activists vs. ‘Native Informants’”

25 years before Israel was established on the ruins of historic Palestine, a Russian Jewish Zionist leader, Ze’ev Jabotinsky, argued that a Jewish state in Palestine could only survive if it exists "behind an iron wall" of defense. Jabotinsky was speaking figuratively. However, future Zionist leaders, who embraced Jabotinsky’s teachings, eventually turned the principle of … Continue reading “From the ‘Iron Wall’ to the ‘Villa in the Jungle’: Palestinians Demolish Israel’s Security Myths”

A large Israeli army campaign is taking social media by storm. The installed aim of what is known as the "#Untie_Our_Hands" initiative is the desire to kill, with no accountability, more Palestinian protesters at the Gaza fence. The campaign was motivated by the killing of an Israeli sniper, Babel Hadaria Shmueli, who was reportedly shot … Continue reading “Hashtag #Untie_Our_Hands: How Many More Palestinians Must Die for Israel’s ‘Security’?”

For twenty years, two dominant narratives have shaped our view of the illegal US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, and neither one of these narratives would readily accept the use of such terms as "illegal," "invasion" and "occupation." The framing of the US "military intervention" in Afghanistan, starting on October 7, 2001, as the official … Continue reading “On Propaganda and Failed Narratives: New Understanding of Afghanistan Is a Must”

The killing of four young Palestinians by Israeli occupation soldiers in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, on August 16, is a consequential event, the repercussions of which are sure to be felt in the coming weeks and months. The four Palestinians – Saleh Mohammed Ammar, 19, Raed Ziad Abu Seif, 21, … Continue reading “‘Blood for Blood’: On Jenin and Israel’s Fear of an Armed Palestinian Rebellion”

There is an ongoing, but hidden, Israeli war on the Palestinians which is rarely highlighted or even known. It is a water war, which has been in the making for decades. On July 26 and 27, two separate but intrinsically linked events took place in the Ein al-Hilweh area in the occupied Jordan Valley, and … Continue reading “The Murder of the ‘Menacing’ Water Technician: On the Shadow Wars in the West Bank”

Jonah Goldberg and Michael Ledeen have much in common. They are both writers and also cheerleaders for military interventions and, often, for frivolous wars. Writing in the conservative rag, The National Review, months before the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, Goldberg paraphrased a statement which he attributed to Ledeen with reference to the interventionist … Continue reading “US Foreign Policy Adrift: Why Washington No Longer Calls the Shots”