Israel Aiming Punitive Measures at Soft Targets

RAMALLAH – As the international community becomes increasingly critical of Israel’s discriminatory treatment of Israeli-Arabs and the brutal occupation in the Palestinian West Bank, the Israeli authorities are venting their anger against soft targets such as Arab-Israeli parliamentarians and Palestinian and Israeli nonviolent peace activists. The majority of Knesset members recently voted in favor of … Continue reading “Israel Aiming Punitive Measures at Soft Targets”

Who Is Annexing Whom?

In a rare late-night session, the Knesset has finally adopted two obnoxious, racist laws. Both are clearly directed against Israel’s Arab citizens, a fifth of the population. The first makes it possible to annul the citizenship of persons found guilty of offenses against the security of the state. Israel prides itself on having a great … Continue reading “Who Is Annexing Whom?”

From Jerusalem to Washington, Myth Disguised as News

After members of Congress and their staffs peruse the newspapers from their home states or districts, they’re likely to take a quick look at the one daily newspaper they all read: the Washington Post. The WaPo shows up on most desks in the executive branch too, from the West Wing on down. But these are … Continue reading “From Jerusalem to Washington, Myth Disguised as News”

West Bank Neighbors: Chronicles of Death

March 11, 2011 On Friday night, two men—presumably Palestinians—entered the West Bank Jewish settlement of Itamar. The settlement of 1,000 was established in 1984, deep in occupied land (28 km from the Green Line). It is named after the son of the biblical Aharon, Itamar, whose grave—according to a 13th-century legend—is located in the adjacent … Continue reading “West Bank Neighbors: Chronicles of Death”

Palestinian Village Under Siege Following Settler Killings

AWARTA, West Bank – Food supplies are running low, ambulances have been detained for hours at checkpoints, and hundreds of young men have been held, interrogated, and beaten up, some requiring hospitalization, in the Palestinian village of Awarta in the northern West Bank. The village has been under continuous curfew for four days. “Please, please … Continue reading “Palestinian Village Under Siege Following Settler Killings”

A Crazy Prophet

“Why don’t the masses stream to the square here, too, and throw Bibi out?” my taxi driver exclaimed when we were passing Rabin Square. The wide expanse was almost empty, with only a few mothers and their children enjoying the mild winter sun. The masses will not stream to the square, and Benjamin Netanyahu can … Continue reading “A Crazy Prophet”

Jimmy Carter’s Gift of ‘Apartheid’

Eclipsed by the events in Egypt, news from its little neighbor has not gleaned much notice save for media angst that Egyptian democracy might not be as genial as was the Mubarak dictatorship to the relentless, long-term ethnic cleansing of an indigenous people, the Palestinians. But news there was as Israeli “human rights” lawyers went … Continue reading “Jimmy Carter’s Gift of ‘Apartheid’”

The Freedom Reading List

With Hosni Mubarak gone, let’s do a little Egyptian math on the Mubarak years. According to experts, the fortune amassed by Egypt’s former president and his two sons (both billionaires) could reach $70 billion. That includes funds in secret offshore bank accounts and investments in residences and real-estate properties reaching from Rodeo Drive in Beverley … Continue reading “The Freedom Reading List”

I Will Not Dignify This Witch Hunt

I have been summoned to appear before a federal grand jury in Chicago on Jan. 25. But I will not testify, even at the risk of being put in jail for contempt of court, because I believe that our most fundamental rights as citizens are at stake. I am one of 23 antiwar, labor, and … Continue reading “I Will Not Dignify This Witch Hunt”

Latin America Deepens Israel Isolation

JERUSALEM – Guyana became Thursday the seventh Latin American state to recognize an independent Palestinian state. Although the official recognitions are largely nominal, they have irked the state of Israel as they expose its growing diplomatic isolation in the face of the current peace deadlock. It was the announcement in support of Palestinian statehood by … Continue reading “Latin America Deepens Israel Isolation”