I signed the following statement, alongside many inspiring Jews worldwide, because the Palestinian right of return and ongoing displacement of Palestinians is a key, unresolved issue in the Middle East. To learn more see this website: “For Palestinians, the right to return home and the right to live in dignity and equality in their own…
Showing all posts tagged Judaism
Compassion for Israelis in 2013?
Powerful piece by seminal Israeli historian Ilan Pappe in Electronic Intifada: I have just spent the last few days of 2012 in the city of… Haifa. Accidentally, I met a few of my acquaintances who in the past deemed me at best as deluded and at worst as a traitor. They seemed more embarrassed today —…
Can divesting in fossil fuel companies help the climate crisis?
The US campaign 350.org aims to lead a public movement against climate change by putting financial and painful pressure on fossil fuel companies that cause climate change. It’s an interesting idea, debated below on Democracy Now!, as similar tactics were used against apartheid South Africa and today’s apartheid Israel:
Michael Moore embraces stunning film about Palestinian resistance, 5 Broken Cameras
The film 5 Broken Cameras was one of 2012’s strongest, documenting the daily brutality of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. One of America’s most successful documentary film-makers, Michael Moore, is a big champion of the film. During a November screening in New York, Moore introduced the film with the following words: I was able to…
Israel sails blissfully towards self-made disaster so how many Jews want to jump off?
An article in Haaretz is titled, “Will 2013 be the Year American Jews Secede from Israel? The answer is surely no but there’s no doubt that a growing bulk of US Jews, especially young ones, ain’t too fond of the direction Israel is going, namely towards a proudly racist and fascist state. Here’s an extract…
Rise of Sunnis in the Middle East and the decline of Iran in 2013
Juan Cole offers some predictions: 2013 will see Iranian influence in the Middle East continue a decline that began with the Arab upheavals of 2011. Iran’s two major allies in the Arab world are Syria and Lebanon. In Lebanon, Iran arms the Shiite party-militia Hizbullah, and does so overland through Iraq and Syria. Since Israel…
How an Orthodox Israeli Jewish billionaire loves to exploit Africa
This is a remarkable story, sad, tragic and outrageous, and proves that money doesn’t bring morality (via Bloomberg): Dan Gertler’s bearded face lights up as he looks out the helicopter window. Below, an installation twice the size of Monaco rises from a clearing in the central African forest, where it transforms ore mined from the…
Just one more reason why academic BDS against Israeli universities vital
After the recent faux controversy in Australia over a principled academic refusing to assist an Israeli academic because his centre abided by BDS principles, this story (via Ben White in Electronic Intifada) shows how intimately linked are Israeli universities, the occupation and the settler establishment: Dozens of academics from Israel and abroad, worried about the…
South Africa pays compensation to apartheid victims
I hear these stories and hope that Israel will be forced to pay compensation to Palestinian victims of its racism in decades to come:
Thinking of occupied Bethlehem this Christmas
The reality of Palestinian life under Israeli occupation is often ignored in the West. This Christmas – I hope my readers have a safe and happy holiday season, wherever they may be – I’m once again publishing the regular missive from Brother Peter Bray, the Vice Chancellor of Bethlehem University (his past writings are here).…