Routine and empty condemnations of violence serve a moral purpose, but do nothing to end the carnage of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives. In this contribution to EI, Hasan Abu Nimah argues that such condemnations are the politically easy alternative to recognizing the roots causes of the violence and taking the action necessary to end it. Read more about Empty statements won't stop the violence 

Following the January 5 suicide attacks, which killed over twenty people in Tel Aviv, Ariel Sharon’s spokesman, Raanan Gissin announced that Israel would shut down three Palestinian universities. Meanwhile, a mere statement by the administrative council of the prestigious University of Paris-VI has caused an uproar in Europe over alleged “boycotts” of Israeli academics. EI’s Ali Abunimah examines the controversy. Read more about Israel's academic freedom defended, while Palestine's is destroyed 

Canadian activist Jaggi Singh traveled to Palestine on December 14th to write about the realities of the Israeli occupation and participate in the activities of the International Solidarity Movement. On his arrival he was banned by an Israeli court from entering the occupied territories, an edict he defied on the grounds that it “normalized Israel’s occupation” of these lands. On January 8th, while arriving for a pre-arranged meeting with a friend in West Jerusalem, Singh was bundled into a car by three Israelis in plain clothes. Nigel Parry reports. Read more about Israeli security forces kidnap Jaggi Singh 

The double suicide bombing at the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv yesterday evening is dominating headlines internationally. The attack resulted in at least 23 deaths, and over 100 injured, many very seriously. Israel’s predictable response is to tighten the military occupation over Palestinians. Jaggi Singh reports. Read more about The Tel Aviv suicide bombing and illegal foreign workers 

“Make January 17th a day to express solidarity with the women of Iraq, Palestine/Israel, Colombia, and other war-torn areas of the world, and call for a shift of national priorities away from war and militarism and toward a national agenda that affirms life. ” A new initiative is announced by members of the International Solidarity Movement. Read more about Women Rising for Peace and Justice announce campaign and activities 

“It is amazing that the U.S. invests effort and political capital in establishing an objective — an end to the occupation so that two states, Israel and Palestine, can live side by side — and then invests extra efforts into diluting, undermining and avoiding anything that could bring this closer.” Occasional EI commentator Hasan Abu Nimah writes about the diplomacy of buying time. Read more about The futile diplomacy of buying time 

“In 1982, lacking e-mail, a cell phone, activist list serves, or websites, the best outlet for my horror, sorrow and anger at the Sabra and Shatila massacres was to crank up The Clash’s music to full volume as I cleaned the house in fury. ” The EI’s Laurie King-Irani pays homage to the late Joe Strummer of “The Clash.” Read more about It's up to us not to heed the call-up 

Why do false assertions about the circumstances of Israel’s November killing of UN official Iain Hook in Jenin continue to make it into NPR news bulletins even after they have been fully exposed? Hugh Sansom, an avid NPR listener, shared this letter with EI. Read more about NPR continues to misreport Israel's killing of UN official Iain Hook 

“Technically, I’ve disobeyed an Israeli high court ruling that allowed me to stay in Israel for seven days on the very specific condition that I not visit the Palestinian territories. To obey the ruling on not traveling to Palestine is to be complicit in the process of normalizing Israel’s occupation. It allows the occupying power to continue to dictate its rule over the occupied.” Jaggi Singh writes from Beit Sahour. Read more about Entering Palestine: Defying the Israeli courts