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Iran, Israel, the US, Russia, and China are interconnected by rumors of cyberattacks and sabotage By Mohammad Eslami and Ibrahim Marashi | – Braga, Portugal and San Marcos, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment, Feature) – As negotiations between Iran and the United States entered a critical third round, an unexpected disaster struck one of Iran’s […]

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My Palestine: An Impossible Exile

Marc Martorell Junyent

Review of Mohammad Tarbush, My Palestine: An Impossible Exile (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2024) Munich, Germany (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) –– –– It is probably impossible for a single autobiography to capture the lengths of modern Palestinian history. But if one book can get close to this, it is Mohammad Tarbush’s “My Palestine: […]

Conspiracy Theories

When Politics Leaves Reality Behind

Bahman Fozouni

Sacramento (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The traditional left–right political spectrum no longer captures the forces driving division in America today. That model works when we’re dealing with competing ideologies and when ideological disagreement is the primary driver of division in society. But today, we face something more destabilizing: a profound rupture in shared […]

Bill of Rights

Antisemitism Awareness Act – Protecting Jews from What?

H. Scott Prosterman

Last year, Congress proposed the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA) (S.558 and H.R. 1007) to combat anti-Semitism, but Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Sen. Tommy Tuberville and other Republican officials object to the bill because it infringes on the right of far-right Christians to express that Jews are to blame for the death of Jesus? Excuse me, […]

Authoritarianism

American Psycho: Trump’s Delusional Crusade Transforms America into a Pariah State

Dan Dinello

Chicago (Special to Informed Comment) – In Franz Kafka’s story “The Metamorphosis,” Gregor Samsa awakens to “find himself transformed into a monstrous vermin” — a terrifying metamorphosis that leaves him alienated and rejected by his family. Similarly, Trumpism rejects vast segments of the population as unworthy of belonging. Almost overnight, immigrants, government workers, scientists, lawyers, […]

Donald Trump

Trump halts Bombing of Yemen, Reportedly under Saudi Pressure, and to Dismay of Israel

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Middle East Eye reports that Saudi Arabia pressured the Trump administration to cease bombing Yemen in advance of his planned trip to the Kingdom next week because such raids would be an embarrassment for him and his host. Trump said Tuesday that he was convinced that the Houthis were sincere […]

Featured

Israel Announces New Campaign in Gaza aimed at Complete Occupation and Confining Palestinians to Southern Enclave

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Mahmoud Mujadala at the Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that the spokesman for the Israeli army, Effie Defrin, announced Monday night that the army is preparing to implement a new military operation in the Gaza Strip, called “Gideon’s Chariots.” It will, he said, inaugurate a broad attack and will displace […]

Featured

Are Houthi Attacks on Israel Driven by Yemeni Domestic Politics?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Ansar Allah (Helpers of God) government of North Yemen, led by Abdel Malik al-Houthi, declared an aerial blockade of Israel on Sunday, as they successfully fired a missile at Ben Gurion International Airport. The missile evaded Israeli air defenses and landed on the outskirts of the airport, causing panic […]

Children

As Israelis Blockade Food to Gaza, 9,000 Children have been Admitted for Acute Malnutrition

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said Friday that “malnutrition is … on the rise. More than 9,000 children have been admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition since the beginning of the year.” At least 10 NGO aid kitchens have closed in recent weeks for lack of food, and 25 UN […]