WANTEDFORWARCRIMES
The decision of the Belgian Supreme Court that Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon can stand trial under that country’s “universal jurisdiction” law for war crimes, once he is no longer in office, has caused a storm of outrage in Israel. The case was brought by survivors of the 1982 massacre of thousands of unarmed Palestinian refugees in Israeli-occupied Beirut, carried out by Israeli-armed and trained gangs, under Israeli army protection, and in which Sharon is deeply and personally implicated. EI’s Ali Abunimah responds to the arguments of those who say Belgium has no right to do this, and who seek continued impunity for war criminals. Read more about Putting Sharon on Trial: Why Belgium is doing the right thing
World-renowned American stand-up comedian Jackie Mason has published an astonishing demand that Israel threaten the Palestinian people with genocide. Mason and co-author Raoul Felder wrote: “We have paralyzed ourselves by our sickening fear of World Opinion, which is why we find it impossible to face one simple fact: We will never win this war unless we immediately threaten to drive every Arab out of Israel if the killing doesn’t stop”. EI calls on activists to respond. Read more about Famous comedian Jackie Mason incites genocide of Palestinians
EI’s Ali Abunimah provides a detailed analysis of Colin Powell’s speech to the United Nations Security Council, and the holes in the American case for an attack on Iraq, that “you could sail a U.S. Navy battlegroup through.” Read more about Focus on Iraq: Powell's UN speech dissected
Surely the most remarkable thing about last week’s election in Israel was the fact that, even as Israeli citizens were enjoying their right to vote, their army was enforcing a lockdown that kept over 3 million Palestinians confined to their homes for three days, writes Saree Makdisi for EI. Read more about While Israel Voted...
In April 2002, following the Israel’s “operation” in Jenin, first calls for institutional academic boycott of Israeli universities appeared in England and in France. The British petition called to freeze European Union contracts with Israeli university as long as Israel continues its present policy. What started as the individual voice of concerned academics, has become lately a formal resolution of a French university. Israeli academic Tanya Reinhart comments. Read more about Academic boycott: In support of Paris VI
Until European intellectuals take on board the racist basis of the Jewish State, their support for the struggle of the Palestinians will always ring hollow, writes Joseph Massad in this contribution to EI. Read more about Sartre, European intellectuals and Zionism
Twelve Palestinian factions, including the Palestinian Authority, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas are meeting in Cairo. Egypt wants the talks to produce a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire in the conflict with Israel. Regular EI contributor Hasan Abu Nimah assesses what, if anything, these talks may produce. Read more about The Palestinian Dialogue in Cairo
UN chief weapons inspectors for Iraq gave a much anticipated report to the UN Security Council on 27 January. Did the statements by Hans Blix and Muhammad ElBaradei move the Middle East closer or further from war? EI regular contributer Hasan Abu Nimah and EI founder Ali Abunimah analyze the statements, point out inconsistencies, and explain where things stand. Read more about UN Report on Iraq: a call to war or a door to peace?
Above:Real DJs do Real Things cover.
Although over 20 years old, hip-hop culture does not seem to have fulfilled the potential it once showed to become a serious political force in the U.S. Is there any hope for rappers to speak up and have their voices heard in a political climate much in need of constructive and intelligent dissent, debate and resistance? Ismail Khalidi reviews DJ K-Salaam’s album, Real DJs do Real Things and discovers that DJ tackles the taboo of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — largely untouched in the music industry as well as in showbiz in general. Much like the inventive, hard-hitting beats and musical collages on his album, Salaam is similarly courageous in his liner notes as he makes a plea for justice for the Palestinian people. Read more about Review: "Real DJs do Real Things" by DJ K-Salaam
By the way the media portrayed it, you would have thought that Illinois Gov. George Ryan walked into their living rooms wearing a belt full of dynamite when he pardoned four convicted murderers and commuted all sentences on Illinois’ death row to life imprisonment. Charity Crouse writes about disturbing parallels with the Israeli judicial system. Read more about No one wins the blame the victim game
