The idea that the Western powers want freedom and democracy in the Middle East is a joke that’s not lost on the Arabs living there. Adam Shatz, writing in the London Review of Books, outlines brilliantly today’s messy region: One evening in January at a hotel bar in Manhattan, I tried to ingratiate myself with…
Showing all posts tagged Haaretz
Australian Jewish heads love Zionist colonies, conservatism and remain lost cause
Australia has a federal election on 7 September. We’re looking at a change of government to Liberal leader Tony Abbott; a period of neo-conservatism awaits us. I agree with Wikileaks head Julian Assange who argues that one of the key issues is liberating ourselves from genuflecting towards Washington on every issue. Israel/Palestine has barely featured…
Imagining a different Israel, one less abuse at a time
A stunning piece by Gideon Levy in Haaretz that imagines a Jewish state that completely challenges its history and institutional racism: In my dream I see Benjamin Netanyahu giving the speech of his life, which is the speech of our lives: thanking Secretary of State John Kerry for his efforts and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas…
Boycotting Israel strikes fear in heart of liberal Zionism
Today’s Haaretz editorial… displays the reality of Israel’s situation; an illusion of stability amidst growing international criticism of its apartheid against the Palestinians: Concern over a possible international economic boycott of Israel has been growing. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni is responsible for negotiations with the Palestinians. At the beginning of the month she warned that if…
Only a matter of time before Palestinians rise up
Gideon Levy in Haaretz in commanding style: One day the Palestinian people will rise up against their occupiers. I hope this day comes soon. It’s true that this scenario seems unrealistic right now. The Palestinians are still bleeding from the second intifada, which only brought disaster upon them (and the Israelis). They are divided and…
Haaretz calls proposed new Israeli law “apartheid”
Strong editorial that should resonate globally and open the eyes of anybody who seriously believes the Jewish state has any intention of giving Palestinians full rights: If anyone thought that the wave of anti-democratic legislation that had characterized the previous Knesset would stop with the end of its term, a decision by the Ministerial Committee…
What’s happening inside Australia’s Zionist establishment
It ain’t pretty. The last years have seen an increasingly radical and racist minority dictating that you’re either pro-settler or nothing. Nice try, old white men. As Israel officially proudly says that the occupation is permanent and Arabs can just suck it up, there’s been a recent debate in Australia that has been unwittingly led…
Echoes of German darkness in today’s Israel
Powerful Gideon Levy column in yesterday’s Haaretz: What do dogs remind you of? And what do German shepherds remind you of? And what about armed soldiers who sic German shepherds on people trying to sneak through a border in order to earn a living? These lines are being written in a hotel room in the…
Israel unleashes terror on Palestinians because it can
Beyond all the political posturing over Israel and Palestine, the reality of occupation grinds on. Gideon Levy writes in Haaretz of just one such event: The Israel Defense Forces’ Duvdevan unit is just about the very best, albeit with slightly less luster than the Shayetet, the Tayeset and “The Unit” − the IDF’s elite naval…
Palestinians using the black South African example to end apartheid
Gideon Levy, Haaretz: Not only Israelis but Palestinians, too, must learn the lessons of South Africa. The struggle of the black population focused on one issue: universal vote. Nelson Mandela’s demand for “one person, one vote” was more than a slogan, it was a strategic goal. It became reality on April 27th, 19 years ago,…