Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Al Jazeera reports that Qatar successfully brokered the exchange of 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas for 150 Palestinians held in Israeli jails (who are also hostages, as I will explain). The deal, which was approved by Israel’s national unity cabinet on Tuesday evening, also provides for a four-day humanitarian […]
Having Vanquished Gaza’s Hospitals, Israel Turns to bombing Schools, Killing Dozens
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Gaza Ministry of Health announced Sunday that on the previous day at least 80 people were killed by the Israeli bombardment of the Palestinians, with 32 of them being from one extended family, according to Al-Arabiya. The deaths occurred because of two distinct Israeli airstrikes on the Jabaliya refugee […]
Is Israel deliberately Starving the Palestinians of Gaza? WFP Warns of Immediate Possibility of Man-made Famine
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Thursday, the World Food Program of the United Nations urgently announced that Gaza faces widespread food shortages. Abeer Etefa, World Food Programme (WFP) Senior Spokeswoman for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said at a press conference, “We are already beginning to see cases of dehydration and […]
Axis War Crimes against Hospitals in the 1930s and 1940s led to our Int’l Humanitarian Law, which Israel Ignores
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Rome Statute underpinning the International Criminal Court, which went into effect in 2002, lists among “War Crimes” “ix) Intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not military […]
Shocking Restrictions on Israeli Immigration to West should be Lifted, Since 1/3 wish to Emigrate
Satire Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Two Israeli lawmakers made a modest proposal in an op ed in the Wall Street Journal, according to The Times of Israel for the countries of the world to each take 10,000 or so Palestinian refugees from Gaza, if those refugees wish to emigrate. Far right extremist Bezalel Smotrich, […]
Nakba 2.0: Israeli Gov’t Minister Describes War on Gaza as another Catastrophic Ethnic Cleansing
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – As Maya Angelou wisely advised, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Members of the Israeli government have been quite candid about their plans for the civilian population of the Gaza Strip, so candid that one has to wonder whether the current campaign is actually […]
A Tale of Two Sets of Dead Babies: The Preemies of Gaza and Imaginary Beheadings
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Israel’s repeated shelling in the vicinity of hospitals and clinics in Gaza has led 20 of 38 hospitals to close their doors to patients, since they lacked the electricity, medicine and functioning equipment they needed to treat patients. The Israeli government’s cut-off of electricity has killed premature babies in incubators, […]
Israel’s War on Gaza’s Hospitals and Patients: al-Shifa Bombed again, as 20 of 36 Hospitals Go Dark
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Update: Reuters reports that Al-Shifa hospital complex has been forced to cease operations after its final remaining generator was hit in a bombardment. As I write, dozens of premature babies in incubators are in danger, and two have reportedly died. The Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that Friday saw an […]
Statement of Juan Cole, Director of the program in Arab and Muslim American Studies in the American Culture Department at the University of Michigan
I write in awareness that the ongoing, painful events in the Middle East are putting an enormous emotional burden on the faculty, staff and students of our program. I want them to know that AMAS is here for them as a supporter and that we are available to offer counsel in this difficult moment. Concrete […]
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