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 the Triumph of the Messianic Israeli Far Right Destabilize the Country?
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The Israeli government voted this week to limit their Supreme Court’s ability to overturn unconstitutional laws after several months of debate. This elicited storm of global criticism, including from the American Jewish Committee (AJC), which said it is “gravely concerned” that this will further fracture Israel and American […]
DeSantis’ Florida as the Epicenter of the New Culture Wars: The Coming Battle for America’s Political Soul
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The concept of “woke” culture is an existential threat to Republican office holders and party officials. Led by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other Donald Trump wannabes, Republicans have embarked on a campaign to bury information, books and literature; illustrating their agenda to promote racism as acceptable, […]
Clarence Thomas is Corrupt to the Core, and We should have Listened to Anita Hill
Oakland, Ca. (Feature; Special to Informed Comment) – Clarence and Ginni Thomas have been the “King and Queen of Conflict of Interest” since his controversial confirmation. The extent and brazenness of Thomas’ public graft is astonishing. His long-time benefactor and “sponsor” Harlan Crow is no garden variety Republican donor or “kingmaker,” but a Nazi-loving, autocrat-worshipping, […]
Trumpism Triumphant: Tennessee GOP Expulsion of Black Reps. shows Rot of Racism
Oakland, Ca. (Feature; Special to Informed Comment) – The demonstration on the floor of the Tennessee Legislature on March 30 was not an insurrection, such as occurred on January 6. It was a passionate political protest, driven by raw emotions in the wake of another AR-15 massacre at a local school on March 27. The […]
Many Civil Wars: The Extremist Israeli Gov’t has Roiled Relations with Biden and US Jews and Highlighted the Occupation of Palestine
Oakland, Ca. (Feature: Special to Informed Comment) | – Some 450,000 Israeli protesters massed again this weekend against Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s efforts to disempower the Israeli judiciary, so he can pick the judges for his own corruption trials, declining to be mollified by his promises to find a compromise. Netanyahu’s attack on the […]
Jimmy Carter was Pilloried for Worrying about Israeli Apartheid, but he has Been Amply Vindicated by History
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – As President Jimmy Carter nears the end in hospice care, we are prompted to revisit his accomplishments and contributions. Carter’s prescient 2006 book Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid elicited a storm of criticism from many Jewish organizations and leaders. It prompted condemnation from the powerful lobby, the American Israel […]
Faustian Bargain: On pretext of Israel, Republicans oust Ilhan Omar from Committee to please White Nationalist Base
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – Congressional Republicans are more interested in grandstanding than governance, and political persecution rather than functional democracy. The banishment of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her assignment on the Foreign Affairs Committee by Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) illustrates how Republican candidates and office holders try to outdo each other with […]
Is Israel’s Netanyahu even worse than Trump?
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – The parallel trajectories of far-far right politicians accruing more power in the US and Israel is striking. Elements include similar motivations, policy actors, agenda and attempts to subvert democracy. But the dynamics differ with the roles of the two nations’ judicial systems. Far-far right wingers in Israel feel […]