By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Dorit Rabinyan’s novel Borderlife treats a love affair in New York between an Israeli woman and a Palestinian man, which ends when they return to their respective homes. The novel began being assigned by those inveterate social radicals, the High School Teachers, in Israel. But then […]
Archives for January 2016
Burns, Or. Residents to Armed Bundy Men: ‘Leave! Now!’
AJ+ | (Video News Report) – – “The town of Burns, Oregon, has mixed messages for Ammon Bundy and his crew of armed occupiers at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Dena Takruri heard from both sides at last night’s community meeting. Shot by video journalist Jessica Sherry.” AJ+ “Oregon Standoff: Burns Gives Armed Occupiers An […]
In Cartoons: How Iranians, Saudis See Each Other
By Joanna Paraszczuk and Golnaz Esfandiari | ( RFE/RL ) | – – Cartoonists on each side of an Iranian-Saudi diplomatic dispute are highlighting what they perceive as the other's double standards. The confrontation over Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shi'ite cleric has sent tensions between the regional rivals soaring. Nimr al-Nimr's execution on terrorism […]
Turning to the Dark Side: US Candidates Compete to Promise the Most Torture and Slaughter
By Rebecca Gordon | ( Tomdispatch.com ) | – – They’re back! From the look of the presidential campaign, war crimes are back on the American agenda. We really shouldn’t be surprised, because American officials got away with it last time — and in the case of the drone wars continue to get away with […]
Airline apologizes for letting Racist Israelis force Palestinian-Israeli passengers off Plane
Ma’an News Agency | – – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Greek Aegean airlines on Wednesday apologized to PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat for the forced removal of two Palestinians from a flight. CEO of the Greek airline, Dimitris Gerogiannis, sent a letter to Erekat expressing the airline’s “greatest regret” after a group of Jewish Israelis reportedly pressured […]
Syrian Army lets food Aid into Starving Madaya
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – France24 Arabic reports that the Syrian government agreed Thursday to allow humanitarian aid into Madaya and two other besieged towns near the Lebanese border northwest of Damascus. The step was praised by the United Nations. The siege of Madaya, pop 40,000, has been going on for […]
In Irony, Trump Trolls Ted Cruz with Birtherism; WH Amused
Nancy Cordes | CBS Evening News | (Video News Report) | – – “Donald Trump is back in the “birther” game. The GOP presidential candidate is taking on Ted Cruz by questioning his citizenship, a tactic he previously used against President Obama. Nancy Cordes reports.” 1. CBS Evening News: “Trump goes after Cruz for Canadian […]
An Islamic Reformation? There have been Many
Sami Zubaida | ( Open Democracy) | – – We keep hearing calls for an ‘Islamic Reformation’, but the Protestant Reformation was not a liberal enterprise: it was the original ‘fundamentalism’, whence the label now applied to Islam. < Martin Luther’s Rycina Chrystusa i Antychrysta. Wikicommons .Some rights reserved. We keep hearing calls for an […]
Britain’s Debate over Banning Trump by the Numbers
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The British parliament will debate a motion to ban Donald Trump from the UK on January 18. Typically 100,000 signatures on a petition will provoke such a debate, but many more Britons asked for it than that. Trump would hardly be the first person banned there […]