Talking to Hamas is the only way

If true, very good news indeed. A Middle East policy that deals with reality, not Zionist wishing thinking: High-ranking officials from European countries hold talks with Hamas on a weekly basis despite an EU ban on diplomatic contact, a spokesman for the group has told EUobserver. “We meet a lot of them from France, from…

A politician’s desire to shut down Israel debate

The Australian newspaper ran an extract of Michael Danby MP’s attack on Independent Australian Jewish Voices blogger Michael Brull and yours truly on the weekend (more about the news here). Below is our unpublished response: MP Michael Danby’s outrageous attack on us (Cut and Paste,12/9) is motivated by one wish: to prevent anyone from challenging…

How much of an internal threat are Israel’s home-grown enemies?

The New York Times investigates the Jewish settler movement and argues that removing them from illegal colonies will be less of a problem than is generally assumed: Of the hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, those who live in unauthorized hilltop outposts like this one, a hardscrabble unpaved collection of 20…

When Zionists start feeling the argument is lost

Following Michael Danby MP’s outburst in parliament last week – against those evil types who dare criticise Israel – Middle East Reality Check unearths a gem from the man’s past (1977, to be precise): Michael Danby, a student at Melbourne University, is a leader of the Zionist movement there. He regularly writes a column in…

How the Elders captured a glimpse of Israeli apartheid

Following the recent visit to Israel/Palestine by The Elders, an Israeli lawyer, Emily, Schaefer, wrote this detailed report on her experiences with the group to a select list…  (but she has given permission for publication). She helped organise The Elders visit to a Palestinian village: Dear friends, family and comrades, Yesterday might just have been…

Just one more way that the Gaza war is ruining lives

Middle East correspondent Jonathan Cook continues his ongoing series about life for Palestinians under occupation: Yunis al Masri was luckier than his two brothers in Gaza. Although the truck that ploughed into their car as they travelled to work in Israel 24 years ago killed Jaber and Kamal instantly, Mr al Masri survived with shattered…

What the Muslim world needs from Israel

Saudi Arabia, despotic and a US ally, is a key player in the Middle East, mainly due to its oil reserves. In the New York Times, Prince Turki al-Faisal, former director of Saudi Arabia’s intelligence services and ambassador to the United States, writes that until Israel gives up its colonial addiction to land, the Arab…

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