University’s Act to Silence Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators
In the 1960s, social critic Paul Goodman offered a parable to describe what had gone wrong with American higher education.
Harris Can Contribute to Israeli-Palestinian Peace and Grow Her Lead
If Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee for US president, were to take a decisive stance demanding that Israel agree to an immediate ceasefire and unimpeded aid to Palestinians, she would expand her vote lead over her Republican opponent, Donald Trump.
A Way Forward Out of the Mess We’re In
The headlines emanating from Palestine-Israel, though ominous, should have been expected. The problem, of course, is that the Israeli government appears intent on making a desperately bad situation worse, and the administration of US President Joe Biden is acting as if doing what it’s been doing for the past three-and-a-half years is something other than pouring petrol on a raging fire.
Palestine Won at the Democratic Convention
The 2024 Democratic National Convention was an exhausting roller coaster ride for Arab Americans and supporters of Palestinian rights. It was a messy affair, with highs and lows, some small victories and some setbacks. But on balance, the naysayers are wrong, because Palestine and supporters of Palestinian rights were big winners during the four days in Chicago.
Because Democrats Won’t Discuss Palestinian Rights in Chicago, We Will.
Democrats are approaching their 2024 convention aware of the many critical issues at stake in this election. There is deep concern with what a second Trump administration would mean for women’s rights, civil rights, environmental protections, immigration policy, civil discourse, and the very foundation of our democratic order. All of these issues and more are discussed at length in the 2024 Democratic Party Platform and will be addressed by an assortment of speakers at the convention.
Questions That Must Be Asked
Why—in the midst of critical negotiations to implement President Biden’s plan to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza, release Israelis held captive by Hamas and a significant number of Palestinians held by Israel, and move toward a negotiated permanent end to the conflict—would Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu decide to assassinate the chief Hamas negotiator while he was visiting Iran? And why—while the US says it was working to deescalate tensions with Lebanon’s Hezbollah—would Israel choose to up the ante by assassinating Hezbollah’s number two?
Observations on the Netanyahu Visit
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US to address a joint session of Congress provided us with a lot to digest. It was his fourth such invitation—more than any other world leader in history (surpassing the UK’s Winston Churchill who made the trans-Atlantic trek to address Congress on three occasions).
A Deep Dive into the Bowman Loss
Last week, New York Democratic Representative Jamaal Bowman was defeated in his bid for a third term in Congress. In describing the outcome, newspaper headlines and media analysts only scratched the surface of why and how this happened and the consequences this contest would have on future elections.
The Peace Plan: Confusion or Deception?
After eight months of the Biden administration’s frustrating moves toward Israel’s war on Gaza, in recent weeks they unveiled the most confounding move of all.
Israel’s Backhanded “Apology” for the Rafah Bombing
On Monday, May 27, Israel appeared to “apologize” for the deaths of 45 Palestinians resulting from its bombing raid on a “humanitarian zone” in Rafah. By any measure, it was a backhanded apology that conveyed more insult than atonement.
The Impact of the Student Protests on Biden’s Re-elect
University student protests against US support for Israel’s war in Gaza have spread like wildfire. At last count, there have been sustained demonstrations on over 200 campuses. More recently, students have taken to establishing protest encampments in the center of some campuses. This began last week at Columbia University in New York. Ten days later there were encampments at almost four dozen universities.
The Importance of Land Day to Palestinians
Land has always been central to the Palestinian national identity. I learned this lesson in 1971 when I spent time in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan collecting people’s stories of the Nakbah.
First Recognize Palestinian Humanity
Guys in white shirts and ties in Washington and their counterparts in Israel are sitting around tables making plans for what they want to see after Israel ends its genocidal assault on Gaza (if they ever end it).
Ukraine and Gaza Threaten US Leadership and Politics
This era’s wars in Ukraine and Gaza are having a more dramatic impact both on global alignments and US politics than the wars in Vietnam and Iraq had in their respective eras. And this is happening without any American troops directly engaged in either conflict.
Why Did Biden Open the SOTU With Ukraine & Close With Gaza?
President Joseph Biden faced heady tasks as he delivered this year’s State of the Union address to Congress.
Things That Should But Can’t Be Said
Four months into Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, one might have thought that American policymakers and commentators would have learned some lessons. Instead, their discussions about the conflict appear to remain trapped in the same tiresome and, at times, delusional framing that existed before the current fighting began.
Working for a Ceasefire, From the Bottom Up
Despite the Biden administration’s refusal to back a ceasefire that would help end Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, momentum is growing across the US calling on the administration to reverse course.
Biden Should Heed Democratic Voters on Gaza
2024 may be the first election in which the issues involving Palestinian rights may impact the outcome. Over the past several decades, elections have been fought over a range of domestic and foreign policy concerns - from civil rights and abortion to the wars in Vietnam and Iraq.
The US and Israel Failed Peace Thirty Years Ago
Last week, the New York Times carried a lengthy Tom Friedman article, “What Is Happening to Our World.” In it, Friedman makes the claim that Hamas could have turned Gaza into Dubai if only they had made the right choices in 2005. I hold no brief for Hamas.
Three Months Later: Still No Lessons Learned
One day last week, the New York Times printed two separate articles describing Israeli and Palestinian reactions to the ongoing war that, together, paint a disturbing portrait of where we are three months after October 7th.