M. Reza Behnam

Revolutionaries in Iran in the 1970s referred to the United States as the “Great Satan” and to its ally, Israel, as the “little Satan.” The truth of their rallying cry resounds today as Israel executes, unimpeded, its scorched-earth policy in Gaza. The Israeli war on Gaza has been oiled by the military, financial and diplomatic … Continue reading “Business as Usual: The US and Israel in the Middle East”

Long before South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice on 29 December 2023 over its genocidal war on Gaza, its iconic anti-apartheid leader, Nelson Mandela, who came to embody the struggle for justice worldwide; stated, “Palestine was the greatest moral issue of our time.” Three decades have passed since … Continue reading “Palestine: The Greatest Moral Issue of Our Time”

Among the many memories I have of growing up in Tehran are of my elementary school days in Ms. Naji’s class.  On one occasion, she assigned a poem by the celebrated 13th century Iranian poet and mystic, Saadi Shirazi.  Our class was asked to write our reflections on Saadi’s poem from his book, the Gulistan … Continue reading “The Moral Bankruptcy of US Policy in Palestine”

In my public presentations on the subject of Palestine-Israel, I am frequently asked to identify the force most responsible for the catastrophe we are witnessing today in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem.  Audiences are surprised when I say that the source is easily identifiable – it is Zionism. Zionism is the political ideology that … Continue reading “The Catastrophic Roots of Zionism in Palestine”

Journalism has often been called the first rough draft of history. If at all true, then American press coverage of Iran, which began in earnest 70 years ago, has never gotten past the incomplete, uninformed and inaccurate first draft version. Both Iranians and Americans have been victims of a distorted draft; distortions that have basically … Continue reading “Iran Interrupted: Mossadegh, the Shah, Khomeini, and the US Press”

Most mornings as I prepare for my run, I tune in to BBC news. Of late, the newscaster has presented, in sober British-fashion, the number of Palestinians killed the night before by the Israeli army in its near-nightly raids on homes and refugee camps in the occupied Palestinian Territories. When I canvass American news sites … Continue reading “Deconstructing Israel’s Propaganda Machine”

Benjamin Netanyahu and his assortment of Jewish supremacists, homophobes, and far-right religious zealots were sworn in on December 29. His new government has exposed Israel for what it has always been – an undemocratic, illiberal, ethno-religious state constructed on stolen Palestinian land. The coalition of extremists that Prime Minister Netanyahu has assembled to solidify power … Continue reading “Israel Faces a Reckoning”

"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." ~ James Baldwin No system of power maintains itself forever and the fight for freedom knows no borders. Ideas such as these are uniting Black Americans and Palestinians. Admittedly, their experiences are distinct. Through the presentation of parallels, however, the … Continue reading “Race and Violence in America and Israel”

"And what sort of lives do these people, who pose as being moral, lead themselves? My dear fellow, you forget that we are in the native land of the hypocrite." ~ Oscar Wilde In a recent TV interview, President Joseph Biden was asked if he believed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a killer. In a display … Continue reading “The Native Land of the Hypocrite”

The assassination of Iranian nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was in the words of former CIA director, John Brennan, an "act of state-sponsored terrorism and a flagrant violation of international law." This is one of many such acts carried out by Mossad, Israel’s national intelligence agency. It is yet another example of Israel’s malign behavior in … Continue reading “Israel: Shopping for Friends in the Middle East”