Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The living space- sharing company Airbnb on Monday denied an allegation by the Israeli tourism minister that it had suspended its delisting of apartments in Israeli squatter settlements (which are Jewish-only) in the Palestinian West Bank. Airbnb has to boycott the Israeli squatter settlements because they are illegal. The European […]
Global Islam and Australia: Why Recognition of ‘West Jerusalem’ Capital is bad news for Israel
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The decision of the Australian government of PM Scott Morrison to recognize “West Jerusalem” as the capital of Israel but to hold off moving its embassy there until there is a peace settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might look on the face of it like a victory for Israel. It […]
Despite US, Russian & Saudi Opposition, Climate Summit Reaffirms Paris Goals
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Climate Summit at Kotwice, Poland, ended on a positive note, with the 195 countries present committing themselves to financing instruments in a quest to cut carbon dioxide emissions and keep global heating to 1.5 degrees C. (2.7 degrees F.). Given that so many countries are producing so much CO2, […]
California shows the Way with Solar Home Mandate, as Gov’ts at Climate Summit Falter
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – As the Climate Summit in Poland comes to a desultory end, there is nevertheless good news on the front of fighting the climate emergency and global heating. California has has mandated that starting a little over one year from now, in 2020, all newly built homes must have solar panels. […]
Senate Fingers Saudi Bin Salman as Murderer, Demands End of Yemen War
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Seven Republicans joined the Democrats in the Senate in voting for resolutions that 1) assigned the blame for the murder of the dissident Saudi journalist and Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi to Saudi crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman and 2) invoked the War Powers Act of 1973 in calling for […]
Annual Informed Comment Fundraiser: Support Independent Journalism
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – We need your help! Informed Comment is almost unique in systematically reporting on US foreign policy and Middle East affairs from a Left perspective. We hope readers have enjoyed and benefited from Informed Comment’s major redesign this past year. We also carried original reporting, and began […]
If Cohen and Pecker are Guilty of Campaign Finance Felonies, isn’t Trump?
Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The special counsel’s investigation into hush money Trump paid to a Playboy model and a porn star turns out so far to be much more significant than Robert Mueller’s investigation of Trump’s collusion with Russia in 2016. The law on campaign finance violations, while not air tight, is far clearer […]
Is Saudi Crown Prince using Kushner to Manipulate Trump?
Rising up with Sonali featured an interview with me on “Saudi Crown Prince Might Be Manipulating Trump Through Kushner” by Sonali Kolhatkar. Watch @jricole explain how “Saudi Crown Prince Might Be Manipulating Trump Through Kushner?” by @RUWithSonali on #Vimeo https://t.co/DgfKGfPJV1 — Rising Up W/ Sonali (@RUWithSonali) December 12, 2018
The Rightwing ‘American Spectator’ doesn’t Want you to read my ‘Muhammad: Prophet of Peace ‘
The good news is that The American Spectator reviewed my new book about the beginnings of Islam and the centrality to it of peace, Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires. The bad news is that Andrew Harrod, the reviewer, appears not actually to have read the book. He just attended a talk […]
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