The increasingly vocal liberal Zionist Peter Beinart on the fear, loathing and anticipation gripping the Israeli government and its American backers: Netanyahu’s response to the Gaza blockade crisis shows just how out of touch he is with America. Peter Beinart on why Israeli leaders—and their U.S. defenders—need to join the age of Obama. This week,…
Showing all posts tagged Gaza
No, anti-Semitism isn’t (mostly) behind the current campaign
Radio Farda is the Iranian branch of Radio Free Europe and receives millions of hits monthly by discussing issues the Islamic Republic would rather keep hidden. I was interviewed last week about the Gaza flotilla (though I should note, for the record, that I think real anti-Semitism is a tiny reason behind the current campaign…
Give us something to love, please, pleads Zionists
One of the undoubted successes of the Gaza flotilla has been highlighting the humanitarian crisis inside the Strip. It’s real; I saw it with my own eyes last year. With news that Iran may escort further aid ships to Gaza – let’s not even think about how Tel Aviv would deal with that – it’s…
The Wall has been updated to the 21st century
Roger Waters, of Pink Floyd Fame, records “We Shall Overcome” in dedication to the people of Palestine and those of us on the Gaza Freedom March:
Former US Israeli ambassador pleads: Tel Aviv needs to find a better PR agent
Here’s the new narrative. A right-wing Israeli website produces a video mocking the aid workers killed last week near Gaza, damns the Gazans themselves and uses racism to make its oh-so-subtle point; we Israelis have nothing to apologise for, so bugger off. The Israeli government initially promotes the video globally – spokespeople find it “funny”…
Bring on the Tea Party in the Jewish state
There is no real opposition party in Israel. The nation is increasingly mirroring the Tea Party movement in the US – see here for a thorough explanation about how Israel believes it can simply ignore global opinion, a nice little delusion that won’t last when BDS starts to hit more – and sees blind defence…
It’s like Israel wants to be loathed internationally
Yesterday’s editorial in Haaretz: The intelligence failure and faulty planning in last week’s operation to board the Mavi Marmara led to a crisis in Israel’s foreign relations in the blink of an eye and a low in its standing in world public opinion. The international community is demanding an investigation into the incident and is…
Cultural boycott gathers steam
Another day, another brave move to isolate Israel in the only language it understands: Author Iain Banks called for a cultural and educational boycott on Israel Thursday following its deadly raid on a flotilla of ships carrying aid to the blockaded Gaza Strip. The author, well known for his science fiction novels and other works,…
” Everyone thinks the same thing”
How many Israeli “leftists” and usually apathetic Israelis joined patriotic fervour over the last week to defend their country and praise the actions of the IDF: “I’m not anti-Palestinian,” said Chen Ben Dori. “I want peace. I want a country for the Palestinians. I know the blockade is the last resort and not the best…
The desperate need to recognise failure in the Middle East
The following letters appear in today’s Sydney Morning Herald: Peter Wertheim (Letters, June 4) is right to say the Geneva Conventions are ”an expression of customary international law and are universally applicable”. The whole civilised world agrees, except the Israeli Supreme Court, which said they did not apply to the occupied Palestinians because without a…