Ramzy Baroud

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”

Ben & Jerry’s decision to suspend its operations in the occupied Palestinian West Bank is an event that is proving critical to Palestinian efforts, which ultimately aim at holding Israel accountable for its military occupation, apartheid and war crimes. By responding to the Palestinian call for boycotting apartheid Israel, the ice cream giant has delivered … Continue reading “‘New Form’ of Ice Cream ‘Terrorism’: How Ben & Jerry’s Has Exposed Israel’s Anti-BDS Strategy”

When the Israeli Knesset (parliament) failed to renew what is commonly referred to as the Family Reunification Law, news reports and analyses misrepresented the story altogether. The even split of 59 MKs voting in favor of the law and 59 against it gave the erroneous impression that Israeli lawmakers are equally divided over the right … Continue reading “Family Separation Law: Israel’s Demographic War on Palestine Intensifies”

"The Palestinian Authority’s days are numbered." This assertion has been oft repeated recently, especially after the torture to death on June 24 of a popular Palestinian activist, Nizar Banat, 42, at the hands of PA security goons in Hebron (Al-Khalil). The killing – or "assassination" as some Palestinian rights groups describe it – of Banat, … Continue reading “The People vs. Mahmoud Abbas: Are the Palestinian Authority’s Days Numbered?”

Many Palestinians believe that the May 10-21 military confrontation between Israel and the Gaza Resistance, along with the simultaneous popular revolt across Palestine, was a game-changer. Israel is doing everything in its power to prove them wrong. Palestinians are justified to hold this viewpoint; after all, their minuscule military capabilities in a besieged and impoverished … Continue reading “Bennett’s Political Theater: The Decisive Israeli-Palestinian Fight Ahead”

When former US President Barack Obama used an old cliché to denigrate his political opponent, the late US Senator, John McCain, he triggered a political controversy lasting several days. "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig," Obama said at a campaign event in 2008. The maxim indicates that superficial changes … Continue reading “‘Putting Lipstick on a Pig’: Why Washington Is Fawning Over Israel’s New Government”

On May 25, famous American actor, Mark Ruffalo, tweeted an apology for suggesting that Israel is committing "genocide" in Gaza. "I have reflected and wanted to apologize for posts during the recent Israel/Hamas fighting that suggested Israel is committing ‘genocide’," Ruffalo wrote, adding, "It’s not accurate, it’s inflammatory, disrespectful and is being used to justify … Continue reading “On ‘Conflict,’ ‘Peace, and Genocide”: Time for New Language on Palestine and Israel”

We are led to believe that history is being made in Israel, following the formation of an ideologically diverse government coalition, which for the first time includes an Arab party, Ra’am, or the United Arab List. If we are to accept this logic, the leader of Ra’am, Mansour Abbas, is a mover and shaker of … Continue reading “Power at Any Cost: How Opportunistic Mansour Abbas Joined Hands with Avowed ‘Arab Killers’”

The political discourse of Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, is similar to that of an ineffectual king who has been isolated in his palace for far too long. The king speaks of prosperity and peace, and tirelessly counts his innumerable achievements, while his people are dying of starvation … Continue reading “The Fumbling King of Palestine: Palestinians are Defeating the Oslo Culture”

The ceasefire on May 21 has, for now, brought the Israeli war on Gaza to an end. However, this ceasefire is not permanent and constant Israeli provocations anywhere in Palestine could reignite the bloody cycle all over again. Moreover, the Israeli siege on Gaza remains in place, as well as the Israeli military occupation and … Continue reading “‘Mowing the Grass’ No More: How Palestinian Resistance Altered the Equation”