You can smell the fear in this Haartez editorial. Israel is a democratic state that should be saved? Who thinks this? Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza? While the negotiations over the final-status arrangement between Israel and the Palestinians have fallen into lethargy, Israel’s international status is steadfastly sinking. The process…
Showing all posts tagged Palestine
Reporting the occupation; voices in Jaipur
Today I chaired a session here in Jaipur, India at the literature festival with three men who know something about war and conflict. Brit Rory Stewart, New Yorker’s Jon Lee Anderson and the Washington Post’s David Finkel. We faced a packed audience – hundreds in an outdoor tent with overflowing crowds hanging out as far…
What I discovered in Jaipur part 1 on insurgency
After the first day at the Jaipur Literature Festival here in India, one of the highlights for me was hearing New Yorker journalist John Lee Anderson talk about the politics of insurgency. Listening to Orhan Pamuk (Nobel Prize winner) and Jung Chang and Jon Halliday (author of the recent book on Mao) was fascinating but…
When racism isn’t seen as abnormal at all
The Middle East’s Glorious Only Democracy Inc: Three weeks after the publication of a petition calling on Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar to take action against racism spreading within schools and the general public, teachers told Ynet about the harsh reality they are forced to face daily. In one case, a 12th grade student of a…
Are we expecting Palestinians to thank us for building a dictatorship?
If any more evidence was required that Washington, no matter who runs the place, only acts towards Israel with uncritical affection, the Wikileaks cables confirm it: CounterPunch has accessed Wikileaks’ file of cables on Israel’s Gaza assault two years ago (Operation Cast Lead, December 27, 2008 through January 18, 2009). Though the cables often… simply…
Why Marrickville embracing BDS is proper and moral
A fine statement: Pip Hinman, the Socialist Alliance candidate for the NSW state electorate of Marrickville, has expressed strong support for Marrickville Council’s recent resolution to join the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israeli apartheid in Palestine. She disputed claims by the ALP candidate for Marrickville, Carmel Tebutt, and the local federal Labor…
Jaipur Literature Festival approaches
Sharing and hearing stories and experiences with a global audience is one of the most satisfying parts of my work. In that spirit, I’m honoured to be invited to the Jaipur Literature Festival in India that starts later this week. I’m a guest of the festival and will be involved in two major sessions: Reporting…
But, sputters Israel defender, we’re a lovely and free nation
How many Zionist lobbyists does it take to defend apartheid? Don’t answer that (hint: one). The ongoing saga of Sydney council Marrackville supporting BDS is slammed by defender of the occupation Anthony Orkin. What’s funny reading this delusion is how it could have been written decades ago. Occupation doesn’t exist. Israel’s growing descent into fascism…
Israeli Left has a beating heart, who knew?
In the face of government-sponsored fascism, Israel’s battered left raises its voice a little: More than 10,000 people marched this evening in protest of recent anti-democratic and racist initiatives by the Israeli government. The march, which started in front of the Likud HQ in King George Street and ended at the Tel Aviv Museum Square,…