Israel’s air strike on northern Syria should be understood in the context of events unfolding since its assault last summer on Lebanon. Although little more than rumors have been offered about what took place, one strategic forecasting group, Stratfor, still concluded: “Something important happened.” From the leaks so far, it seems that more than half a dozen Israeli warplanes violated Syrian airspace to drop munitions on a site close to the border with Turkey. We also know from the US media that the “something” occurred in close coordination with the White House. But, EI contributor Jonathan Cook asks, what was the purpose and significance of the attack? Read more about Why did Israel attack Syria? 

For the sake of both Israel and the Palestinians, we must save Israel from itself. Living in South Africa under apartheid, I saw boycott efforts encourage public awareness, apply pressure and state disapproval for the government’s racist policies. Israeli historian Ilan Pappe has said boycotts “will not change positions in a day, but they will send a clear message to the Israeli public that these positions are racist and unacceptable … They would have to choose.” Angela Goldfrey-Goldstein comments. Read more about The tide is turning 

While largely unnoticed in American discourse on the topic, much has been said and written to debunk the sanctions regime imposed on Hamas government administrations since its resounding victory in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections of January 2006. These calls and reports show that the sanctions regime is wrong and misguided and that it is a reaction to the excessively intense pressure that the US administration has exercised over other nations. Political advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, Dr. Ahmed Yousef comments. Read more about Lift the siege on Hamas 

The Israeli cabinet has voted to declare the occupied Gaza Strip a “hostile entity,” thus in its own eyes permitting itself to cut off the already meagre supplies of food, water, electricity and fuel that it allows the Strip’s inmates to receive. The decision was quickly given backing by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Israel is the occupying power in the Gaza Strip, despite having removed its settlers in 2005 and transforming the area, home to 1.5 million mostly refugee Palestinians, into the world’s largest open-air prison which it besieges and fires into from the perimeter. Ali Abunimah comments. Read more about Dehumanizing the Palestinians 

In a 7 September speech delivered to Israelis who participated in the demonstration in the village of Bil’in after the decision by the Israeli High Court to alter the route of the wall in the village, representative of the Popular Committee of Bil’in, Basel Mansour stated: “Lovers of peace, friends of freedom and justice … our partners in the struggle and in the creation of this partial victory — I bless you in the name of our Palestinian people, in the name of the residents of Bil’in, who you came to know, and who came to know you, and whose sides you stood by ever since they began their opposition to the fence and the settlement that squats on a large part of their land.” Read more about A victory for the joint, popular struggle 

Two hundred thousand Palestinian children began school in the Gaza Strip this month without a full complement of textbooks. Why? Because Israel, which maintains a stranglehold over this small strip of land along the Mediterranean even after withdrawing its settlers from there in 2005, considers paper, ink and binding materials not to be “fundamental humanitarian needs.” George Bisharat comments. Read more about A double standard on academic freedom 

On a pleasant Sunday afternoon in July 2000, members and pastors belonging to local Palestinian Evangelical congregations from the Palestinian territories gathered at the Bethlehem Hotel to celebrate the formation of their council. An American woman who was present at the meeting approached one of the pastors and asked him if she could say a few words to the assembly … When the lady took the microphone, I couldn’t believe the words that came out of her mouth. Timothy Seidel comments from Bethlehem. Read more about The forgotten faithful 

In the past few months, Palestinians in the Diaspora have watched with horror the latest developments in their homeland. There has been a flurry of articles about what to do, but overall there is a feeling that they are helpless to affect the situation on the ground. What has been missing is an understanding that Palestinians in the Diaspora must undertake a clear assessment of their own situation if they are to have any impact at all. Laith Marouf comments for EI. Read more about Palestinian Diaspora: With or against collaboration?