Jonathan Cook

Almost as soon as major NATO countries, led by the US, promised to supply Ukraine with battle tanks, the cry went up warning that tanks alone would be unlikely to turn the war’s tide against Russia.  The subtext – the one western leaders hope their publics will not notice – is that Ukraine is struggling … Continue reading “Russia-Ukraine War 2.0: First Tanks, Then F16s. Where Does This End?”

Hindsight is a particularly powerful tool for analyzing the Ukraine war, nearly a year after Russia’s invasion. Last February, it sounded at least superficially plausible to characterize Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to send troops and tanks into his neighbor as nothing less than an “unprovoked act of aggression.” Putin was either a madman or … Continue reading “How the US Paved the Way to Moscow’s Invasion of Ukraine”

Israel’s new national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, lost no time in demonstrating who is boss. On Tuesday, days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was sworn in, the ultra-nationalist politician marched straight in to the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in the occupied Old City of Jerusalem – probably the most incendiary site in the Middle East. … Continue reading “Is Ben-Gvir Preparing a Holy War Against the Palestinians?”

Faced with criticism on whether the United States should trumpet its “unbreakable bond” with an incoming Israeli government headed by fascist parties, lawbreakers and homophobes, the Biden administration has squirmed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken observed defensively this month that Washington would “gauge the government by the policies and procedures, rather than individual personalities”. … Continue reading “How Netanyahu Handed Ben-Gvir the Gun to Start an Annexation War”

There is a good reason why Gadi Eisenkot, a former head of the Israeli military, expressed alarm last week as Benjamin Netanyahu awarded unprecedented powers over the occupation to a far-right settler party in his new government. Eisenkot claimed that the army was in danger of “falling apart” if Netanyahu so openly politicized its role. … Continue reading “How Ben-Gvir Blows Apart the ‘Security’ Story of Israel’s Occupation”

The most disturbing outcome of Israel’s general election this week was not the fact that an openly fascist party won the third-biggest tally of seats, or that it is about to become the lynchpin of the next government. It is how little will change, in Israel or abroad, as a result. Having Religious Zionism at … Continue reading “Extreme Right in Netanyahu’s Government Won’t Dent Western Support”

No one took responsibility for the explosion over the weekend that ripped through a section of the Kerch Bridge that links Russia to Crimea and was built by Moscow after it annexed the peninsula back in 2014. But it was not just Kyiv’s gleeful celebrations that indicated the main suspect. Within hours, the Ukrainian authorities … Continue reading “Westerners Live in Denial, Convinced They’re the Good Guys”

Reprinted from Mint Press News with the author’s permission. The sabotage of the two Nord Stream pipelines leaves Europeans certain to be much poorer and colder this winter, and was an act of international vandalism on an almost unimaginable scale. The attacks severed Russian gas supplies to Europe and caused the release of enormous quantities … Continue reading “Can Europe Afford To Turn a Blind Eye to Evidence of a US Role in Pipeline Blasts?”

Outraged western leaders are threatening a price cap on imports of Russian natural gas after Moscow cut supplies to Europe this month, deepening an already dire energy and cost-of-living crisis. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Europe will “freeze” this winter unless there is a change of tack. In this back-and-forth, the … Continue reading “Europe, More Than Putin, Must Shoulder the Blame for the Energy Crisis”

Should a human rights organization apologize for publishing important evidence of war crimes and human rights abuses? If it does apologize, what does that suggest about its commitment to dispassionately uncovering the truth about the actions of both parties to war? And equally, what message does it send to those who claim to be “distressed” … Continue reading “Why Is Amnesty Apologizing for Telling the Truth About Ukrainian War Crimes?”