Jonathan Cook

Jonathan Cook is a writer and journalist based in Nazareth, Israel. His latest books are Israel and the Clash of Civilizations: Iraq, Iran, and the Plan to Remake the Middle East (Pluto Press) and Disappearing Palestine: Israel's Experiments in Human Despair (Zed Books). Visit his Web site.

Assange Wins. The Cost: The Crushing of Press Freedom, and the Labeling of Dissent as Mental Illness

The unexpected decision by Judge Vanessa Baraitser to deny a US demand to extradite Julian Assange, foiling efforts to send him to a US super-max jail for the rest of his life, is a welcome legal victory, but one swamped by larger lessons that should disturb us deeply. Those who campaigned so vigorously to keep … Continue reading “Assange Wins. The Cost: The Crushing of Press Freedom, and the Labeling of Dissent as Mental Illness”

Antisemitism Claims Mask a Reign of Political and Cultural Terror Across Europe

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz has run a fascinating long report this week offering a disturbing snapshot of the political climate rapidly emerging across Europe on the issue of antisemitism. The article documents a kind of cultural, political and intellectual reign of terror in Germany since the parliament passed a resolution last year equating support for … Continue reading “Antisemitism Claims Mask a Reign of Political and Cultural Terror Across Europe”

The Guardian‘s Deceit-Riddled New Statement Betrays Both Julian Assange and Journalism

In my recent post on the current hearings at the Old Bailey over Julian Assange’s extradition to the United States, where he would almost certainly be locked away for the rest of his life for the crime of doing journalism, I made two main criticisms of the Guardian. A decade ago, remember, the newspaper worked … Continue reading “The Guardian‘s Deceit-Riddled New Statement Betrays Both Julian Assange and Journalism”

The Guardian Is Silent About the US Using the Paper To Jail Assange

Julian Assange is not on trial simply for his liberty and his life. He is fighting for the right of every journalist to do hard-hitting investigative journalism without fear of arrest and extradition to the United States. Assange faces 175 years in a US super-max prison on the basis of claims by Donald Trump’s administration … Continue reading “The Guardian Is Silent About the US Using the Paper To Jail Assange”

For Years, Journalists Cheered Assange’s Abuse. Now They’ve Paved His Path to a US Gulag

Court hearings in Britain over the US administration’s extradition case against Julian Assange begin in earnest next week. The decade-long saga that brought us to this point should appall anyone who cares about our increasingly fragile freedoms. A journalist and publisher has been deprived of his liberty for 10 years. According to UN experts, he … Continue reading “For Years, Journalists Cheered Assange’s Abuse. Now They’ve Paved His Path to a US Gulag”

How Israel Wages War on Palestinian History

When the Palestinian actor Mohammed Bakri made a documentary about Jenin in 2002 – filming immediately after the Israeli army had completed rampaging through the West Bank city, leaving death and destruction in its wake – he chose an unusual narrator for the opening scene: a mute Palestinian youth. Jenin had been sealed off from … Continue reading “How Israel Wages War on Palestinian History”

How the Israel-UAE Deal Puts the Bogus Peace Industry Back in Business

If there is one conclusion to draw from the agreement this week between Israel and the United Arab Emirates – with Israel temporarily “suspending” its threat to illegally annex parts of the West Bank in return for “full normalization” with the Gulf state – it is this: the peace industry is back in business. But … Continue reading “How the Israel-UAE Deal Puts the Bogus Peace Industry Back in Business”

Can Israelis Broaden Their Protests Beyond Netanyahu?

Israel is roiling with angry street protests that local observers have warned could erupt into open civil strife – a development Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to be encouraging. For weeks, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have been the scene of large, noisy demonstrations outside the official residences of Mr. Netanyahu and his public security minister, … Continue reading “Can Israelis Broaden Their Protests Beyond Netanyahu?”

Israel’s Jewish National Fund Is Uprooting Palestinians – Not Planting Trees

The Jewish National Fund, established more than 100 years ago, is perhaps the most venerable of the international Zionist organizations. Its recent honorary patrons have included prime ministers, and it advises UN forums on forestry and conservation issues. It is also recognized as a charity in dozens of western states. Generations of Jewish families, and … Continue reading “Israel’s Jewish National Fund Is Uprooting Palestinians – Not Planting Trees”

Chokehold on Diplomat Exposes Israel’s Special Type of Apartheid

An Israeli diplomat filed a complaint last week with police after he was pulled to the ground in Jerusalem by four security guards, who knelt on his neck for five minutes as he cried out: “I can’t breathe.” There are obvious echoes of the treatment of George Floyd, an African-American killed by police in Minneapolis … Continue reading “Chokehold on Diplomat Exposes Israel’s Special Type of Apartheid”