“For the last few months Jerusalem has become the center of nationality struggles. Until then we were living peacefully. The Orientals were grateful to their European coreligionists for the help they brought to their moral and material misery. Zionism was created supposedly to bring about closer relations within Judaism; all it has succeeded in doing […]
Archives for October 2023
How Jewish Nonviolence can help guide the Path forward on Israel-Palestine
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb ( Waging Nonviolence ) – In an article entitled “What does Jewish law say about the war between Israel and Hamas,” Jay Michaelson explores biblical, talmudic and medieval sources to answer that question, noting the long arc of rabbinic tradition bends toward nonviolence. In Jewish life, the normative perception of Torah is […]
In the Israel-Hamas Conflict, Children are the Ultimate Pawns — and Ultimate Victims
By Omer Bartov, Brown University | – (The Conversation) – In 1903, a local mob killed 49 Jews, including several children, and raped and wounded 600 others, in the city of Kishinev, then part of the Russian Empire. These three days of violence later became known as the Kishinev pogrom. A few days later, the […]
Does Biden’s Hypocritical Middle East Policy now Threaten our Own Democratic Stability?
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The political fallout from Israel’s response to the invasion, murders and kidnappings of its innocent civilians is impacting the American electorate as never before. Indirectly, US foreign policy in Israel-Palestine has become a threat to our own democracy. Young people, especially of color are turning away from […]
Will Iran attack Israel over Gaza Bombardment?
By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Deakin University | – (The Conversation) – Iran has warned Israel of severe consequences from “multiple fronts” if it does not halt its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip. This warning is widely interpreted as a declaration of intent for Iran to enter the conflict via its allies and proxies. The Hezbollah […]
Please Don’t Kill the Children: The Dehumanization of War
By Kelly Denton-Borhaug ( Tomdispatch.com ) – When humans embrace the dehumanization of others, we release our ugliest, most destructive selves. Dehumanization is a perverse force that propagates violence and justifies the lust for war and its atrocities. On August 6, 1945, Sakue Shimohira was 10 years old when an atomic blast obliterated her home […]
Netanyahu declares a Holy War of Annihilation on Civilians of Gaza, Citing the Bible
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In his speech on Saturday, October 27, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu made reference to the Bible’s instructions about the Amalekites, a favorite trope of his when he has argued that Israel is under existential threat and must respond with lethal and devastating force. He has talked about Iran this way, […]
Don’t Silence Palestinian Voices: Their Absence from News Coverage is Unfair and Harmful
By Sarah Gertler | ( Otherwords.org ) – Like many of us, I’ve been glued to media coverage of the terrible violence in Gaza and Israel. I was deeply shaken by the brutal killings of over a thousand Israelis on October 7. The families of Israelis killed and taken hostage deserve justice for these crimes. […]
How Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian Racism are Manufactured through Disinformation
By Jasmin Zine, Wilfrid Laurier University | – (The Conversation) – In political communication, a big lie — what is known as the “illusory truth effect” — is when the constant repetition of misinformation makes people more likely to accept it as truth. Repetition is how lies gain traction. The more exposure to specific ideas […]