A concert memorial celebrating the life and work of Edward Said, performed by Daniel Barenboim and other musicians involved with their West-Eastern Divan workshop, which gathers outstanding young musicians from Israel and Arab countries, and puts them together into one orchestra, demonstrated that music offers a space for fundamental human connection. Baremboim also emphasized to the audience that they must carry on Said’s fight for social justice in Palestine and elsewhere. Maureen Clare Murphy reports. Read more about Said's work towards artistic cooperation celebrated in music performance memorial
Peace in Palestine through territorial partition is a doomed fantasy and the time has come to discard it, writes EI co-founder Ali Abunimah. It is the moment, therefore, for us to declare the era of partition over and commit to a moral, just and realisable vision in which Israelis and Palestinians build a future as partners in a single state which guarantees freedom, equality and cultural self-determination to all its citizens. Read more about Palestine/Israel: One state for all its citizens
Israel’s flagrant violations of international law, and the United States’ use of its veto to block any action to restrain Israel and resolve its conflicts with its neighbors, is leading to the wholesale destruction of the UN system and a return of the law of the jungle, writes regular EI contributor Hasan Abu Nimah. Read more about US, Israel destroying the UN system
“Despite being the architect of the horrible tragedies at Qibya as well as Sabra and Shatila, Ariel Sharon is, for the most part, strangely immune from criticism for these incidents. A man with Mr. Sharon’s bloody record should not enjoy impunity. After he leaves office, Ariel Sharon should finally be held accountable for his sordid past. Justice 50 years late is better than no justice at all.” Eric Ridenour revisits a war crime committed half a century ago. Read more about Qibya: 50 years of injustice and impunity
EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited Rafah, which is located on the southern border of the Gaza Strip. Repeatedly, Israeli occupying forces have demolished hundreds of homes in this area. This has been the scene of killings, large destruction and razing of lands and the place where Israeli forces killed American peace activist Rachel Corrie and journalist James Miller. Read more about Rafah demolished
Responding to a column written by Thomas Friedman as a mock memo in the name of George Bush to Yasser Arafat, EI’s Arjan El Fassed, in the ‘mock memo’ style that Friedman himself likes to use, imagines what Nelson Mandela would have responded. Read more about Mandela's First Memo to Thomas Friedman
“ ‘Joseph, are you still sleeping, it’s 8am already?’ These are the first words I would hear upon picking up the phone three, four times a week,” writes Joseph Massad. The powerful teasing voice on the other side was that of Edward Said. Massad remembers his dear friend and teacher, and contemplates how the legacy of this exemplary scholar and public intellectual can teach us how to continue our journey. Read more about Edward Said's journey to Ithaka
In Mind, Body and Soul of Palestine: A Photo Journal Exhibit, time, imagery, and stereotype are challenged and contradicted. Indeed, some of the imagery in the photographs contradict each other, causing the viewer to reconsider what they know about this country called Palestine that is constantly being reported but seldom understood. The show is presented by al-PHAN (which stands for Palestinian Humanities and Arts Now), a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization, and will be traveling around the U.S through next spring. Read more about Art review: Mind, Body and Soul of Palestine - A Photo Journal Exhibit
To its standard list of revenge measures following the Haifa suicide attack, Israel added the novel step of bombing Syria. Regular EI contributor Hasan Abu Nimah, and EI co-founder Ali Abunimah write that this escalation by Israel will not save it from an existential crisis that is hurtling towards it like a runaway train. Read more about Israel's date with a runaway freight train
Thousands of protesters demanding an end to the occupation of Iraq and Palestine took to the streets Saturday in London, Athens, Paris and other cities around the world, chanting slogans against the United States and Britain. The following photo reportage of the protest in London was made by Azem Bishara. Read more about Photostory: London protests against occupation of Iraq and Palestine
