Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – In an interview on Israeli Channel 14, the Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “The heavy duty phase in the war is about to end with the end of the operation in Rafah. Therefore, the forces will be moved to the north.” By “north” he meant […]
Archives for June 2024
The Delusion of Advanced Plastic Recycling
By Lisa Song, Illustrations by Max Guther, special to ProPublica ( ProPublica ) – Last year, I became obsessed with a plastic cup. It was a small container that held diced fruit, the type thrown into lunch boxes. And it was the first product I’d seen born of what’s being touted as a cure for […]
What would War between Israel and Hezbollah mean for the Middle East?
By Simon Mabon, Lancaster University | – (The Conversation) – The Israeli military is reported to have signed off on a major offensive against Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based militia, prompting fears that the situation could spiral into a full-blown war. The two sides have been exchanging fire since the conflict in Gaza began with the Hamas […]
Hostage Families demand Deal, Netanyahu Resignation, in Largest Demonstrations since Oct. 7
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Saturday evening witnessed the biggest Israeli demonstrations against the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since the outbreak of war on October 7, 2023, according to the Israeli press as summarized by Al Jazeera. Some 150,000 are said to have rallied in Tel Aviv alone. They demanded that the […]
Why Iran’s Upcoming Presidential Elections Matter
By Abolghasem Bayyenat | – ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – Iran is set to hold extraordinary presidential elections in about two weeks following the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in northwestern Iran last month. Out of a list of 80 presidential nominees, the Council of Guardians, which is in […]
Does Israel really want to Open a Two-Front War by attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon?
By Ian Parmeter, Australian National University | – (The Conversation) – Among the many sayings attributed to Winston Churchill is, “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” This sentiment seems appropriate as Israel potentially appears ready to embark on a war against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. […]
UN: Israel Flattened Civilian Housing Complexes with 2000-lb. Bombs in absence of Specific Military Target
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report this week on “Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks during the conflict in Gaza” during the first three months of the Israeli campaign against Gaza. The UN is painfully polite, so you may not be able to tell that the […]
Jewish critics of Zionism have Clashed with American Jewish Leaders for Decades
By Marjorie N. Feld, Babson College | – Since October 2023, American Jews have been engaged in an intense, fractious debate over Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip. Media reports say that American Jews are experiencing “the great rupture,” widening “rifts,” and stand at a “moral, political crossroads.” While most American Jews remain broadly supportive […]
Rupture and Repair: A report by the Stanford Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian Communities Committee
May 2024 Rupture and Repair is published in pdf format here. Below I excerpt a couple of pages in html with the permission of the authors. This report details a substantial rupture of trust between students, staff, and faculty in the Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian (MAP) communities and Stanford in academic year 2023-24. These communities […]