Ramzy Baroud

Targeting a school during a war could be justified as, or at least argued, to have been a mistake. But striking over 120 schools, and killing and wounding thousands of civilians sheltering inside, can only be intentional, with each attack a horrific war crime in its own right. Between 7 October last year and 18 … Continue reading “What’s Behind Israel’s War Against UNRWA?”

Much has been written about the political earthquakes in Britain and France, the first resulting in the crushing defeat of the Conservative Party and the latter in the overpowering of the far right, by a largely leftist coalition. But these were not the only important outcomes of the July 4 and July 7 general elections … Continue reading “When Supporting Israel Is a Liability: Is Gaza Changing the West?”

Israel never learns from its mistakes. What Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is trying to implement in Gaza is but a poor copy of previous strategies that were used in the past by other Israeli leaders. If these strategies had succeeded, Israel would not be in this position in the first place. The main reason … Continue reading “Sharon Revisited: Netanyahu’s Ultimate Aim in Gaza and Why It Will Fail”

I clearly remember my first day at an UNRWA school in a refugee camp in Gaza. I was five years of age. It felt like my life was over. The distance from Block 5 of the Nuseirat Refugee Camp to the New Camp – located within the municipal boundaries of Nuseirat – was long, exhausting … Continue reading “Growing Up in Nuseirat –– Where Massacres Become Routine”

Humanitarian aid should never be politicized though, quite often, the very survival of nations is used as political bargaining chips. Sadly, Gaza remains a prime example. Even before the current war, the Gaza Strip suffered under a 17-year hermetic blockade, which has rendered the impoverished area virtually ‘unlivable’. That very term, ‘unlivable’ was used by … Continue reading “On Aid and War – How Israel Has Used Starvation To Subdue the Palestinians”

“There will be no civil war” in Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on June 18. But he might be wrong. Netanyahu’s statement was made in the context of the growing popular protests in Israel, especially following the long-anticipated resignations of several Israeli War Cabinet Ministers, including Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot – both … Continue reading “The Altalena Affair: Is Israel Heading Towards a Civil War?”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is often criticized for failing to produce a vision for the ‘next day’, meaning the day following the end of the Gaza war. Some of these criticisms emanate from Israel’s traditional western allies, who are wary of Netanyahu’s personal and political agendas, which are fixated on delaying his corruption trials … Continue reading “‘Wishful Thinking’ – Does Israel Have All the Cards in Gaza?”

On June 6, Spain joined South Africa’s case at the United Nations top Court, accusing Israel of genocide. This move followed a decision by Madrid and two other western European capitals – Dublin and Oslo – to recognize the state of Palestine, thus breaking ranks with a long-established US-led western policy. As per American thinking, … Continue reading “America Isolated: Why Some Western Capitals Are Shifting Positions on Gaza”

In politics, context is crucial. To truly appreciate the recent decision by Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognize the state of Palestine, the subject has to be placed in proper context. On November 15, 1988, Yasser Arafat, then Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization, declared Palestine as an independent state. The proclamation took place within … Continue reading “Beyond Two State Solution – Why Recognizing State of Palestine Is Important”

If one were to argue that a top Spanish government official would someday declare that “from the river to the sea, Palestine would be free”, the suggestion itself would have seemed ludicrous. But this is precisely how Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister, concluded a statement on May 23, a few days before Spain officially … Continue reading “End of an Era: Pro-Palestine Language Exposes Israel, Zionism”