Tag: palestinians

The Betrayal of Gilad Shalit

  Saturday was the 1,196th day in captivity for the soldier Gilad Shalit. A prisoner of war must not be left in captivity. A wounded soldier must not be left in the field. The state signs an unwritten contract with every person who joins the army, and most definitely with everyone who serves in a … Continue reading “The Betrayal of Gilad Shalit”

Call for Universal National Service Raises Uncomfortable Questions in Israel

Demands from Israel’s chief commander this month that all Israeli citizens should be required to perform national service has turned the spotlight on a rarely discussed group of soldiers: members of Israel’s Palestinian minority. Though no official statistics are available, an estimated 3,000 of Israel’s 1.3 million Palestinian citizens have broken one of their society’s … Continue reading “Call for Universal National Service Raises Uncomfortable Questions in Israel”

Palestinians and Israelis Follow Thoreau, but Is Anyone Watching?

Sometime in 1846, Henry David Thoreau spent a night in jail because he refused to pay his taxes. This was his way of opposing the Mexican-American War as well as the institution of slavery. A few years later he published the essay "Civil Disobedience," which has since been read by millions of people, including many … Continue reading “Palestinians and Israelis Follow Thoreau, but Is Anyone Watching?”

Israeli Peace Group Targets Settlements’ Charitable Status in US

Israeli peace activists are planning to ratchet up their campaign against groups in the United States that raise money for settlers by highlighting how tax exemptions are helping to fund the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Gush Shalom, a small peace group that advocates Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories, is preparing … Continue reading “Israeli Peace Group Targets Settlements’ Charitable Status in US”

Unrest Brewing Beneath Gaza Calm

GAZA CITY – The mile-long stretch that divides Israel’s Erez border crossing into northern Gaza from the Hamas police border post is eerily quiet. But the mountains of rubble, twisted metal, and craters which remain following Israel’s intensive bombing campaign in January serve as a stark reminder that war between the two bitter enemies is … Continue reading “Unrest Brewing Beneath Gaza Calm”

Business Seeks Ways Past Israeli-Palestinian Political Impasse

RAMALLAH – Business between the Palestinian Authority and Israel is growing despite the political impasse over Israel’s refusal to cease illegal settlement-building in East Jerusalem and the Palestinian West Bank. Trade between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) rose 17 percent to $3.9 billion in 2008, according to the Israeli Tax Authority (ITA). In 2007 … Continue reading “Business Seeks Ways Past Israeli-Palestinian Political Impasse”

Split ‘View of Zion’ in East Jerusalem

OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM – In the early morning sunlight, the smoky window of the plush new apartment reflects back a golden tinge from the Dome of the Rock that stands at the heart of Islam’s third holiest shrine. Down across the valley from the walled Old City, families have already started moving into some of … Continue reading “Split ‘View of Zion’ in East Jerusalem”

The Boycott Revisited

The people of Sodom, the Bible tells us, were very wicked indeed. They had a nasty habit of putting every passing stranger into one particular bed. If the stranger was too tall, his legs were shortened. If he was too short, his body was stretched to the required length. In a way, each of us … Continue reading “The Boycott Revisited”

Against the Israel Boycott

How much did the boycott of South Africa actually contribute to the fall of the racist regime? This week I talked with Desmond Tutu about this question, which has been on my mind for a long time. No one is better qualified to answer this question than he. Tutu, the South African Anglican archbishop and … Continue reading “Against the Israel Boycott”

Israeli-Swedish Row Heats Up

JERUSALEM – It’s not so much the proverbial making a mountain out of a molehill, but Israel finds itself climbing out of a stinky dung heap and onto a slippery diplomatic minefield. The new story began with a story – by all accounts a false, libelous, and unsubstantiated news report emanating from the occupied Palestinian … Continue reading “Israeli-Swedish Row Heats Up”