The extent of Israel’s brutality against Palestinian civilians in its 22-day pounding of the Gaza Strip is gradually surfacing. Israeli soldiers are testifying to lax rules of engagement tantamount to a license to kill. One soldier commented: “That’s what is so nice, supposedly, about Gaza: You see a person on a road, walking along a path. He doesn’t have to be with a weapon, you don’t have to identify him with anything and you can just shoot him.” George Bisharat comments. Read more about Changing the rules of war 

At a time when Western governments refrain from using their power to stop Israel’s ongoing violations of international law, many civil society organizations silently watch the moral corrosion of their governments. At the “Israel Review Conference” in Geneva this month and the Russell Tribunal slated for early 2010, however, civil society will use its power and call Israel to account. Adri Nieuwhof comments for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Civil society shows its moral strength 

With the expanding agreement that the term “apartheid” is useful in describing the level and layout of Israel’s crimes, it is important that our understanding of the “apartheid label” be deepened, both as a means of informing activism in support of the Palestinian anti-colonial struggle, and in order to most effectively make use of comparisons with other struggles. Hazem Jamjoum comments for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Not an analogy: Israel and the crime of apartheid 

When schools under the United Nations flag are targeted, when children are targeted, when a whole population is systematically deprived of food and water, sanitation and electricity, the various UN agencies affected should not be content with protest alone — they should live up to their responsibility by taking action. Rahela Mizrani comments. Read more about UNESCO should join cultural boycott 

Ehud Olmert, who has handed over the Israeli premiership to Benjamin Netanyahu after three years heading the government, suffered a slow and public political demise. The eight lame-duck months since his resignation have been spent energetically refashioning his image as a successful leader — the “Olmert myth,” as one commentator recently called it. Jonathan Cook analyzes. Read more about Olmert will be remembered for little but scandal 

In a remarkably short period of time, activists in Belgium have built a strong basis for the campaign “Israel colonizes — Dexia funds,” asking the bank to divest from its subsidiary Dexia Israel because of its financing of the expansion of illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Belgian campaign targets bank financing Israeli settlements