Tag: Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Gaza Ceasefire: Israel Emerges Stronger; War Not Over

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After 15 months of a genocidal war Israel launched on Palestinians in response to the grotesque October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, the first phase of a ceasefire went into effect in Gaza on January 19. It is now clear that Israel has made strategic gains, emerging from this war in a stronger position than when it began. It has substantially weakened its main adversaries in the region, including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the regime in Iran. With ceasefires in place in both Lebanon and Gaza, Israel is now refocusing its military might in dealing new blows to Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian people, meanwhile, face the bleakest prospects in decades in their quest for national self-determination.

Frantz Fanon and the Paradox of Anticolonial Violence (II)

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The March/April issue of Against the Current features the essay by Alan Wald “Frantz Fanon and the Paradox of Anticolonial Violence.” World-Outlook is reposting Wald’s essay with the author’s permission. Our views are not identical to all of those expressed in it. But we believe the main issues Wald raises deserve further discussion in light of the gruesome October 7 attack led by Hamas that targeted civilians in Israel and the genocidal war Israel unleashed in retaliation on the entire population of Gaza. This is the second of two parts.

Frantz Fanon and the Paradox of Anticolonial Violence (I)

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The March/April issue of Against the Current features the essay by Alan Wald “Frantz Fanon and the Paradox of Anticolonial Violence.” World-Outlook is reposting Wald’s essay with the author’s permission. Our views are not identical to all of those expressed in it. But we believe the main issues Wald raises deserve further discussion in light of the gruesome October 7 attack led by Hamas that targeted civilians in Israel and the genocidal war Israel unleashed in retaliation on the entire population of Gaza. This is the first of two parts.

Palestinian-Jewish Convoy Carries Food, and Hope, to Gaza

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his article appeared in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz. It reports on an antiwar action organized by the group “Standing Together.” Made up of Palestinians, Jews, and others, this organization is among the most prominent in Israel campaigning to end the war on Gaza and calling for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories. Amidst Israel’s genocidal war and catastrophic conditions of famine spreading in Gaza, this action is an important example of solidarity with the victims of the assault.

Rape as a War Crime and the Need for Accurate Reporting

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On February 28, The Intercept published the article we are sharing in this post, “‘Between the Hammer and the Anvil’ – The Story Behind the New York Times October 7 Exposé.” In detailed reporting, The Intercept revealed that the December 28, 2023, Times story,  “‘Screams Without Words’: How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct. 7,” was based on faulty reporting and intended to support the political viewpoint of the Times’ editors.

Gaza: In Face of Famine, a New Massacre

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In the face of ever-growing world condemnation of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, a new massacre unfolded February 29, resulting in the deaths of 104 Palestinians and injuries to more than 700 others. Each day the humanitarian crisis created by Israel’s relentless assault grows more dire. This was captured in a February 29 New York Times essay, excerpts of which are included in this post. The article also includes a Jewish Currents report featuring interviews with three displaced Palestinians in Rafah who “describe unlivable conditions in a city bracing for imminent Israeli invasion.”

Open Letter to Israeli & U.S. Governments on Issue of Rape

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This open letter was initiated by U.S.-based anti-Zionist Jewish feminists. It has since gained support across the United States and internationally. As its preamble notes, the signatories “believe we have a particular responsibility to speak out in support of Palestinian rights and against the current genocide.”It also states clearly, “We support the investigation initiated by the highly-qualified members of the U.N. Commission of Inquiry into the entire range of war crimes committed during both the October 7 Hamas attack and the Israeli state’s subsequent assault on Gaza.” The letter is a response to efforts to discredit supporters of women’s rights who speak out against rape but also oppose Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza.

In Defense of Free Speech

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In the wake of the October 7 Hamas-led attack and Israel’s brutal retaliatory invasion of Gaza, new challenges have been raised to the right to free speech. Across the United States, restrictions on the democratic right to express one’s views on the conflict in the Middle East center today on college campuses. But precedents set there will be extended, with dangerous consequences for free speech, if they are not answered and opposed.

Palestinian Leaders of ‘Standing Together’ Speak Out

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PPalestinian members of the national leadership of Standing Together released this statement on the social media platform X on January 30, 2024. Standing Together is one of the most prominent organizations in Israel — made up of Jews, Palestinians, and others — campaigning against Israel’s war on Gaza, calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The statement was issued in response to a January 25 statement by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a group affiliated with the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. PACBI accused Standing Together of “serving apartheid Israel’s propaganda.” The Palestinian leaders of Standing Together vigorously oppose PACBI’s charges.

Can Jews and Palestinians Stand Together in Opposing Israel’s War?

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This article, originally published in the Israeli daily Ha’aretz, reports on a debate among those who oppose the decades-long Zionist occupation of Palestinian territories and Israel’s current genocidal war on Gaza, launched in response to the gruesome October 7 attack led by Hamas. It refers to the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign against Israel. One of the organizations affiliated to this international effort, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), issued a statement on January 25, titled “Standing Together: Serving Apartheid Israel’s Propaganda.” The statement attacked Standing Together, the most prominent organization in Israel — made up of Jews, Palestinians, and others — that has been campaigning against Israel’s war on Gaza, and calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The Ha’aretz piece reports on Standing Together’s response.

Protesters March in Tel Aviv, Demand Ceasefire in Gaza

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This is an article originally published in the January 18, 2024, edition of the Israeli daily Ha’aretz. It reports on an important action that day in Israel’s capital, Tel Aviv, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The Israeli government launched its war on Gaza with substantial domestic popular support. The war is coupled with extreme Zionist rhetoric, police and mob attacks on many of those who dare to question any aspect of Tel Aviv’s conduct of the war, and a crackdown on the democratic rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel that includes arbitrary firings and indiscriminate arrests. Under these conditions, public protests involving Israeli Jews and Palestinians calling for a ceasefire, and an end to the war or Israel’s brutal military occupation of millions of Palestinians are rare. But they offer a much-needed glimpse of hope for the future.

‘Farha’: The Palestinian Story

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This is a review of “Farha,” a 2021 film written and directed by Darin J. Sallam, a Jordanian of Palestinian descent; 92 min., in Arabic & Hebrew with subtitles, available to stream on Netflix. “Everyone needs to see ‘Farha,’ because it is… my story, it is the Palestinian story,” Leila Giries told CNN. Giries is an 82-year-old Palestinian refugee who survived the 1947-48 Arab-Israeli war, which resulted in the creation of Israel as a colonial-settler state. “Farha” is based on actual events. It is inspired by the story of a young Palestinian girl and the violence she witnessed during the 1948 war, when about 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes by armed Zionist groups in what Palestinians have since called the Nakba or “catastrophe.” It is also a movie Israel tried unsuccessfully to censor.

‘The Jewish Tragedy Finds in Israel a Dismal Sequel’ (IV)

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In June 1967, following the “Six-Day War” with several Arab countries, Israel emerged victorious. It captured large areas, including Gaza, the West Bank, and two-thirds of the Golan Heights — territories it continues to occupy decades later. At the time, New Left Review — a political journal based in London — conducted an interview with Marxist scholar Isaac Deutscher. Originally titled “On the Israeli-Arab War,” the interview is being republished today by World Outlook. Even though the interview took place more than 50 years ago, many of Deutscher’s insights remain timely and of striking political value in light of the ongoing murderous Israeli assault on Gaza in response to the gruesome October 7 attack by Hamas. This is the last of four installments.

‘The Jewish Tragedy Finds in Israel a Dismal Sequel’ (III)

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In June 1967, following the “Six-Day War” with several Arab countries, Israel emerged victorious. It captured large areas, including Gaza, the West Bank, and two-thirds of the Golan Heights — territories it continues to occupy decades later. At the time, New Left Review — a political journal based in London — conducted an interview with Marxist scholar Isaac Deutscher. Originally titled “On the Israeli-Arab War,” the interview is being republished today by World Outlook. Even though the interview took place more than 50 years ago, many of Deutscher’s insights remain timely and of striking political value in light of the ongoing murderous Israeli assault on Gaza in response to the gruesome October 7 attack by Hamas. This is the third of four parts.

‘The Jewish Tragedy Finds in Israel a Dismal Sequel’ (II)

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In June 1967, following the “Six-Day War” with several Arab countries, Israel emerged victorious. It captured large areas, including Gaza, the West Bank, and two-thirds of the Golan Heights — territories it continues to occupy decades later. At the time, New Left Review — a political journal based in London — conducted an interview with Marxist scholar Isaac Deutscher. Originally titled “On the Israeli-Arab War,” the interview is being republished today by World Outlook. Even though the interview took place more than 50 years ago, many of Deutscher’s insights remain timely and of striking political value in light of the ongoing murderous Israeli assault on Gaza in response to the gruesome October 7 attack by Hamas. This is the second of four parts.

‘The Jewish Tragedy Finds in Israel a Dismal Sequel’ (I)

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In June 1967, following the “Six-Day War” with several Arab countries, Israel emerged victorious. It captured large areas, including Gaza, the West Bank, and two-thirds of the Golan Heights — territories it continues to occupy decades later. At the time, New Left Review — a political journal based in London — conducted an interview with Marxist scholar Isaac Deutscher. Originally titled “On the Israeli-Arab War,” the interview is being republished today by World Outlook. Even though the interview took place more than 50 years ago, many of Deutscher’s insights remain timely and of striking political value in light of the ongoing murderous Israeli assault on Gaza in response to the gruesome October 7 attack by Hamas. This is the first of four parts.

Marking Hanukkah with Call for a Gaza Ceasefire

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It was a sober marking of Hanukkah Thursday night, December 7, as close to 1,000 Jews and our allies stood in the dark and cold to demand a ceasefire in Gaza on the first night of the holiday. Filling Columbus Circle, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, participants held menorahs, candles and “Let Gaza Live” signs. We surrounded a giant menorah, 14 feet high, configured with the letters “CEASEFIRE” burning from the nine candles.

Israel’s West Bank Inferno & the Responsibility of Socialists (II)

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This is the second of a two-part essay that appears in the January/February 2024 edition of Against the Current. The author, Alan Wald, is an editor of that publication and a member of the Academic Advisory Council of Jewish Voice for Peace since 2016. Wald begins his essay as a review of the recently published book “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy” by Nathan Thrall. From that starting point, he addresses some of the most urgent political issues arising from Israel’s increasingly genocidal assault on Gaza in response to the gruesome October 7 attack led by Hamas. Wald’s article will be of interest to anyone opposed to the current horror unfolding each day in Gaza as well as those interested in learning more about the history of the issues posed today.

Israel’s West Bank Inferno & the Responsibility of Socialists (I)

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This is the first of a two-part essay that appears in the January/February 2024 edition of Against the Current. The author, Alan Wald, is an editor of that publication and a member of the Academic Advisory Council of Jewish Voice for Peace since 2016. Wald begins his essay as a review of the recently published book “A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy” by Nathan Thrall. From that starting point, he addresses some of the most urgent political issues arising from Israel’s increasingly genocidal assault on Gaza in response to the gruesome October 7 attack led by Hamas. Wald’s article will be of interest to anyone opposed to the current horror unfolding each day in Gaza as well as those interested in learning more about the history of the issues posed today.

Cuba and the Palestinian Liberation Struggle: An Exchange

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This is an exchange between Karen Lee Wald and Pete Seidman. Wald is a long-time Cuba solidarity activist in the United States; she publishes the “Cuba Inside Out” newsletter. Seidman is a member of the Miami Coalition to End the U.S. Blockade of Cuba. The discussion touches on important questions related to the Palestinian national liberation struggle. These issues are being debated by many today, as Israel is carrying out an increasingly genocidal war on Gaza in response to the October 7 atrocious attack by Hamas.

No to Israel’s new Nakba in Gaza (III)

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This is the last of a three-part series. The first detailed how Israel is carrying out a mass dispossession of Palestinians in Gaza — like the 1948 “Nakba,” or catastrophe, that led to Israel’s founding as a colonial settler state. The second documented how long-standing Israeli government policy made possible the the October 7 pogrom by Hamas. This concluding part focuses on what may be a way out of these dire conditions.

No to Israel’s new Nakba in Gaza (II)

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This is the second of a three-part series. The first detailed how Israel is in the middle of carrying out a mass dispossession of Palestinians in Gaza — like the 1948 “Nakba,” or catastrophe, that led to Israel’s founding as a colonial settler state. This article documents how the October 7 Hamas pogrom was made possible by long-standing Israeli government policy.

‘End Oppression of One People by Another’ (II)

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This is the second of two parts of an interview with Palestinian American scholar Rashid Khalidi on the dynamics of the crisis unfolding in the Mideast. Khalidi lays bare Washington’s complicity and responsibility for the brutal war on Gaza, unleashed by Tel Aviv in response to the October 7 pogrom by Hamas. The war on Gaza, marked by increasingly genocidal death and destruction with no end in sight, has already claimed the lives of over 11,000 Palestinians, including more than 4,000 children.

‘End Oppression of One People by Another’ (I)

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This is the first of two parts of an interview with Palestinian American scholar Rashid Khalidi on the dynamics of the crisis unfolding in the Mideast. Khalidi lays bare Washington’s complicity and responsibility for the brutal war on Gaza, unleashed by Tel Aviv in response to the October 7 pogrom by Hamas. The war on Gaza, marked by increasingly genocidal death and destruction with no end in sight, has already claimed the lives of over 11,000 Palestinians, including more than 4,000 children.

Hundreds of Jews, Muslims in Israel Call for Ceasefire in Gaza

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This is an article on an October 30 meeting at a mosque in Haifa, Israel, where the 600 Jews, Muslims, and others present called for a ceasefire in Gaza. The significance of this rare but powerful event can only be understood by considering the atmosphere in which it occurred. Israel is at war, which a large majority of Israelis support. At the same time, the government of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has unleashed a widespread crackdown on anyone opposing the war or advocating peace.

How Can the Jews Survive? A Socialist Answer to Zionism

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One might reasonably ask, what is the value of reviewing a brief pamphlet, written over 50 years ago, that its publisher has now taken out of print? The answer is quite a lot — in light of the brutal October 7 Hamas attack that left over 1,000 Jews and others dead, and the murderous Israeli response that has targeted the entire Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip. Even the title may strike some as jarring today. The Israeli siege of Gaza, the cutoff of food, water, fuel and other necessities, accompanied by a brutal air war, with a ground invasion apparently imminent, pose the real danger of the survival of the 2+ million residents of Gaza as an immediate concern to humanity. Is the survival of the Jews also posed? This review of the pamphlet, “How Can the Jews Survive? A Socialist Answer to Zionism,” delves into these questions.

End Israeli Assault on Gaza! An Eyewitness Account

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This an essay by Fadi Abu Shammalah, the executive director of the General Union of Cultural Centers in the Gaza Strip, written from the the Khan Unis refugee camp in southern Gaza. We are publishing it because it graphically depicts the dire situation the population of the densely populated territory faces, which “threatens Palestinians there with death and destruction that can become genocidal,” as a World-Outlook editorial, titled “Oppose Israel’s War on Palestinians,” pointed out two days ago.

Oppose Israel’s War on Palestinians

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The Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip — cutting off water, food, and electricity to its inhabitants, accompanied by widespread bombings that set the stage for a ground invasion — threatens Palestinians there with death and destruction that can become genocidal.

Working people around the world should do everything in our power to stay the hand of the Israeli government as it mobilizes its military to inflict further devastation on the Palestinian people in response to the repugnant attacks by Hamas. The atrocities by Hamas must be unequivocally condemned.

‘So Long As There Is A Single Palestinian Alive, We Will Claim Our Right to Palestine’

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This interview with Hanan Ashrawi was given to Argiris Malapanis by telephone on April 9, 1991. Ashrawi was in Ramallah, West Bank, and Malapanis in East Jerusalem at the time.
While first published 30 years ago, many of the issues Ashrawi addresses in this interview remain central to the Palestinian struggle for national self-determination that has erupted now again. It is a timely reminder of the political context in which the most recent events have developed.