Israel/ Palestine

Why won’t Western Politicians Condemn Israeli Crackdown on Palestinian Protesters, but do Complain about Ukraine?

(Via AFP) Hundreds demand reopening of key Hebron street (via AFP) Palestinians held a protest Friday in the West Bank city of Hebron to demand its main street be reopened, 20 years after the Israeli military closed it on security grounds. An AFP correspondent said about 1,000 Palestinians joined by Israeli and international… RT […]

Education

Is Israel imposing Sanctions on Palestinian Universities? Repeated Incursions at al-Quds U Raise Concerns at Brandeis, Bard

contributors

(By Matt Rocheleau) Clashes between Israeli forces, students at Palestinian university sparks concern at Brandeis (via boston.com) (Al-Quds Educational TV / YouTube) By Matt Rocheleau, Boston.com Staff An alleged clash between Israeli soldiers and students at a Palestinian university that involved tear gas bombs, injured students, and damaged buildings last month has prompted concern… […]

Human Rights

Israel to Implant 9-Storey Ultra-Orthodox Seminary in Palestinian East Jerusalem

Juan Cole

(Via AFP) Israel to build high rise in annexed E.Jerusalem area: NGO (via AFP) Jerusalem’s planning committee moved forwards on Wednesday with plans to build a nine-storey Jewish seminary in the heart of a densely-populated Palestinian neighbourhood near the Old City. Plans for the new tower block, to be built in the Sheikh Jarrah… […]

Barack Obama

Obama & Hollande stress Hope for Iran Breakthrough

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) In his news conference with French President Francois Hollande, President Obama outlined four areas of diplomatic progress. The first is foreign policy, including Iran, Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian struggle. Re: negotiations with Iran, Obama said, “Our unity with our P5-plus-1 partners, backed with strong sanctions, has succeeded in halting and rolling back […]

Economy

Brokers of Deceit: Massive US Aid to Israel has Enabled a Colonial Project

contributors

(By Chase Madar via Tomdispatch) We Americans have funny notions about foreign aid. Recent polls show that, on average, we believe 28% of the federal budget is eaten up by it, and that, in a time of austerity, this gigantic bite of the budget should be cut back to 10%. In actual fact, barely 1% […]

Human Rights

In midst of Alleged Peace Talks, Israel Announces Hundreds of new Squatter Homes in Palestinian East Jerusalem

Juan Cole

(via AFP) Israel approves 550 Jerusalem settler homes (via AFP) Israel expedited Wednesday plans for more than 550 new settler homes in east Jerusalem, in a move exacerbating tensions between Israel and the Palestinians as they hold US-backed peace talks. The city council said it had granted private contractors… —– Related video: Israel plans […]

Dissent

Boycott of Israeli Universities by American Studies Assn. being Tried in a Kangaroo Court

contributors

(By Alan M. Wald) In Memory of Edward Said (1935-2003) “You cannot continue to victimize someone else just because you yourself were a victim once—there has to be a limit.” –Edward W. Said, “The Myth of ‘The Clash of Civilizations,’” 1998 “A man once jumped from the top floor of a burning house in which […]

Human Rights

“In the Seam”: Israel Strangles Palestinian Town

Juan Cole

(By Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch) (Jerusalem) – The Israeli military is severely harming livelihoods in a Palestinian village in the West Bank that it plans to turn into an archaeological tourist site. The military should drop the project and lift excessive restrictions that keep residents from building or farming on their land and […]

Featured

Camel Bones and Jerusalem: Archeology Shows Bible written Late, Full of Errors

Juan Cole

(By Juan Cole) A new paper by Israeli archeologists Lidar Sapir-Hen and Erez Ben-Yosef, [pdf] posted at the University of Tel Aviv web site , is bad news for biblical literalists and far right wing Israeli nationalists who use the Bible for support. The Hebrew Bible’s oldest chapters– Genesis, Exodus, and even Judges purport to […]