Dissent

AJ+ | – “Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he came to Congress to share his fears about Iran on behalf of all Jewish people. But these protesters and artists say “Bibi doesn’t speak for me,” and have instead written their own speeches about what they think he should say.” AJ+: “Netanyahu Doesn’t Speak For […]

Culture

Snowden Reacts as Documentary about his Leaks wins Oscar

contributors

By Rainey Reitman | (EFF) – CITIZENFOUR, Laura Poitras’ riveting documentary about Edward Snowden’s efforts to shed light on gross surveillance abuses by the United States government and its partners, just won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Tonight’s Oscar win recognizes not only the incredible cinematography of Poitras, but also her daring […]

censorship

Israel Top Court denies justice to Family of Slain Activist Rachel Corrie

contributors

By Sarah Lazare | (Commondreams.org) The family of Rachel Corrie—the 23-year-old U.S. activist crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer while nonviolently protesting a home demolition in Palestine 12 years ago—was denied justice by Israel’s top court on Thursday. The rejection is the latest stage in the family’s decade-long legal battle to hold Israel […]

Dissent

Israel bans Palestinian-Israeli Legislator Hanin Zoabi From Elections

contributors

By IMEMC News & Agencies | – The Israeli central election committee, on Thursday, passed a vote to exclude Palestinian MK Hanin Zoabi from the Arab list of candidates running for Knesset elections, next March. PNN reports that the petition was submitted by Avigdor Liberman, head of Yisrael Beytenu party, and Otzma Yehudit/Yachad, Ha’am Itanu […]

censorship

“Drastic Decline” Seen in World Press Freedom

contributors

By Leila Lemghalef UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – A leading advocacy group warns of a “worldwide deterioration in freedom of information” last year. Out of the 180 countries being surveyed, two-thirds have slipped in standards compared to last year, according to the Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index 2015. Source: Reporters Without Borders The best […]

censorship

Journalist Greste Freed by Egyptian Junta, but Press Freedom still Hostage

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – Peter Greste, an Australian journalist working for Aljazeera English, has been released from an Egyptian prison after a 400-day ordeal in which he was jailed merely for reporting the news. Greste was preemptively released by a presidential pardon from Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, the military dictator. Nothing is more […]

Dissent

Being An Antiwar Activist In Israel Is Dangerous

contributors

AJ+ | – “Being an antiwar activist in Israel is dangerous. Israelis who protested against the 2014 Gaza offensive were threatened, harassed and attacked. Some even lost their jobs. Yoav Eliassi, also known as “The Shadow,” is a right-wing rapper and driving force behind a movement to stamp out dissent in Israeli society.” AJ+ “Being […]

censorship

As Americans are shot At: Saudi Death Sentence on Shiite Cleric inflames Sectarian Tensions

contributors

By Giorgio Cafiero | (Foreign Policy in Focus) – The fate of one Shi’ite cleric hangs over the Gulf like a sword of Damocles. [Updated: Two Americans were fired on in the Shiite Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia on Friday, and one injured; this incident is likely related to the radicalization of Shiites via oppressive […]