Opinion/Editorial

Salvaging the Wreck

This is the Big Secret, which Osama Bin Laden, George Bush, Jr., and Ariel Sharon do not want you to know: There are no Jews, Muslims, Christians, Arabs, Israelis, or Americans in this world. There are only human beings. They cannot be boxed in, excluded out, extra-judicially killed, illegally imprisoned, economically disenfranchised, collectively deported, silently tortured, or buried in mass graves without risking a further descent into the wreck where all of us now live. 

The message of the mortars

Maintaining a website offering information about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a pro-Palestinian perspective, my e-mail in-box is regularly filled with ‘advice’ about how the Palestinians should manage their Intifada. Some recent messages have bemoaned the decision by Palestinian military groups to fire mortars at Israeli settlements. EI’s Nigel Parry comments. 

Death and Lies in Palestine

No matter what the case, whether it is a 53-year-old British UNRWA official, or an 8-year old-boy standing next to his house, the lie is always the same. The victim was a “terrorist” or appeared to be a “terrorist,” who with a cell phone, a rock, his bare hands, or even a pepsi bottle full of solvent, threatened the lives of heavily armed occupation troops riding around in 65-ton Merkava tanks in the middle of a refugee camp. EI’s Ali Abunimah writes about Israel’s killing of a senior UN official in Jenin and what it tells us about violence throughout the Occupied Territories. 

Combining Activism and Academia: A Moral Imperative

“It seems that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Zionism as a nationalist ideology, and US support for Israel are still topics that many scholars prefer to keep at arm’s length, and given what I learned from some younger colleagues attempting to teach college classes about the Middle East in respected US institutions of higher learning, it is no wonder. ” A report from the Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association by EI’s Laurie King-Irani. 

What is happening in Palestine?

Ambassador Hasan Abu-Nimah surveys the Palestinian-Israeli situation five months after President Bush’s famous “vision” was announced, and on the eve of another Israeli election. He writes, “It is astonishing that there are still many around who would warn against the grave risk of losing Sharon because the alternative could be Netanyahu, or would hope that a Labour victory would instantly remove the barricades from the way of a just, comprehensive and lasting peace; they had pinned their hopes on Barak before, but do not seem to have learned the lesson. How many more precious years do we need to spend switching from a seeming “dove” to a seeming “hawk” in a futile process of trial and error, while our people’s suffering continues, before we realise that until and unless we take the initiative ourselves, we will continue to long for the mirage and count disasters.” 

Two States or One?

EI’s Ali Abunimah writes that a two-state solution is still possible, but only if Israel stops undermining it and immediately seizes the far-reaching offers of the Palestinians and the Arab states. Sadly, though, the political field in Israel looks unlikely produce anyone who will seize this golden opportunity. Therefore, Israel will likely miss the boat on the two-state solution, and Palestinians and Israelis will have to think about what it will be like to live together in one state, and more importantly how to get there peacefully because no road map exists. 

The UN's Iraq Resolution: What does it mean?

A US war with Iraq may reshape the Middle East, and will certainly have an impact on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Hasan Abu Nimah, who frequently contributes to EI, turns his attention to Iraq and considers whether the new UN resolution brings war closer or pushes it away. What does this mean for the UN and how should Iraq and Arab states react to stave off the threat of a catastrophic conflict? 

Sharon's Appendix: The bankruptcy of Israel's "Peace Camp"



As Israel heads towards a new election, what prospect is there that Israel’s Labor party can offer a real alternative to Sharon? EI’s Ali Abunimah examines the positions of three leading lights of Israel’s “peace camp,” Shimon Peres, Yossi Beilin and Shlomo Ben Ami. Find out why he thinks they are calling for the resumption of a journey along a road that leads only to a dead end, with no new ideas and no incentives for Palestinians who want true reconciliation and coexistence to build a peace front with them. If this is the case, what possible solutions lie on the horizon? 

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