West Bank and Gaza Arabs likely to march in numbers, too?

Amira Hass in Haaretz says it’s highly unlikely because Palestinians are exhausted and both live in police states. They wonder; what would it really gain? On Thursday, January 20, a group of young people wanted to demonstrate their support for the Tunisians. As is customary nowadays, they organized themselves using Facebook and e-mail. And in…

The real face of Hamas is appearing and it ain’t pretty

Amira Hass in Haaretz on the growing intolerance of dissent by Hamas in Gaza: Senior Hamas officials may watch their language when they talk with representatives of the depleted left, but the real attitude shines through in the conduct of younger activists and people lower in the hierarchy. They don’t stand so much on pretense…

West Bank and Gaza separated by more than space

While American neo-cons (many of them Jewish) continue to push for a military strike against Iran and Israeli “democracy” decreases by the day – witness the story of a key Jewish dissident, Yonatan Shapira, being interrogated by Israeli intelligence for daring to support BDS. Hilariously, he’s asked to feel sorry for soldiers maintaining the West…

Finding some way to maintain the illusion of moving towards Jewish democracy

While the EU continues to back Israeli policies – ignore the mild rebukes over Gaza, this is close to business as usual – the Israeli rich are thriving, certainly helped by the recent acceptance into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. What occupation? What growing intolerance of minorities? Liberal Zionists in Israel are still…

Torturing children, Israeli style

While some Israeli commentators argue against instituting a constitution– yes, people, Israel claims to be a modern democracy – the country’s soul is corrupted by a lack of care and brutal efficiency. Amira Hass in Haaretz: M., a Haaretz reader from Zichron Yaakov, was disturbed by reports about the manner in which Palestinian children are…

Splitting Palestine in two

As usual, Amira Hass in Haaretz hits the point in one swoop: The achievement of the failed flotilla to Gaza – mainly, it must be conceded, by its dead – is that the demand is being heard from everywhere that Israel halt its policy of siege. The government of Israel was not willing to listen…

Living in the West Bank is now (nearly) illegal

A travesty that will likely receive little outrage in the Western political elites: A new military order aimed at preventing infiltration will come into force this week, enabling the deportation of tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank, or their indictment on charges carrying prison terms of up to seven years. When the…

Oh to be arrogant and Israeli

Amira Hass in Haaretz: Satisfaction – that’s what Israeli faces radiate, at least as observed by people who just came out of Ramallah or Gaza and watch Jerusalem’s busy Ben-Yehuda Street, the Ramat Aviv Mall or Ben-Gurion International Airport. To the Israelis, nothing exists beyond the moment. It’s just like the smugness exhibited by Prime…

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