Since May 2013, there has been intense debate about US Secretary of State John Kerry’s economic plan for the occupied Palestinian territories. The plan – known as the Palestine Economic Initiative (PEI) – aims to develop the economy of the West Bank and Gaza over the next three years, as a prerequisite for a political […]
The New York Times Sunday Review this week reflects the growing consensus that the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement is the main game in town. Two columns on BDS are published: one by Omar Barghouti, a leading advocate for BDS, and the other by Hirsh Goodman, an Israeli-South African analyst who is also the […]
From Haaretz’s Chemi Shalev, who interviewed Malcolm Hoenlein, head of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations: When Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Zarif was his country’s envoy to the United Nations, he invited Malcolm Hoenlein to have dinner at his New York home. “I keep kosher, so I didn’t eat,” Hoenlein recalls, “but […]
Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing Israeli forces demolish entire village in Jordan Valley IMEMC Thursday evening 30 Jan by Chris Carlson — The Israeli army demolished, on Thursday, at least 50 structures, including residences, displacing 13 families in the northern Jordan Valley, as a result, according to a local official. According to […]
The good news is that the Scarlett Johansson Oxfam meltdown has educated Americans, somewhat, about Israel’s illegal settlement project. A few items… First, Keith Olbermann featured the story on ESPN II segment, “World’s Worst Persons in the sports world.” His focus was the contradiction between Johansson’s role as Oxfam’s global ambassador and her cluelessness re […]
Hundreds of Palestinians announced today the launching of “Melh Al-Ard” (Salt of the Earth) campaign by reviving the village of Ein Hijleh in the Jordan Valley on land belonging to the Orthodox Church and St. Gerassimos monastery. The campaign is launched in refusal of Israeli policies aimed at Judaizing and annexing the Jordan Valley. Campaign […]
The following press release was sent out this morning: CARTOONISTS TO DIRECTOR OF ANGOULEME FESTIVAL: DROP SODASTREAM Sacco, Siné, Katchor, Kerbaj, Coe, Drooker, Kuper, Madden, Tobocman, among dozens of others, protest sponsorship by Israeli settlement manufacturer FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 2014– Over forty cartoonists and illustrators from a dozen countries around the world released an open […]
Gazans fear another Israeli military offensive is imminent, as Israel flexes its military muscle and Egypt joins the band, beating the drums of war. In November 2013, the Israeli military simulated a ground incursion into Gaza. The move came weeks before Israel stepped up its threats against the Gaza Strip. I have received two inquiries from overseas […]
There was an amusing exchange today at the State Departments’ Daily Press Briefing the sums up the confused and contradictory U.S. policy towards Israeli settlements. State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki dodged questions about Israel’s settlements, the boycott of Israeli goods, and the ‘framework agreement’, claiming both Israeli settlements and the boycotting of good produced in settlements are […]
Last week, noted African asylum seeker organizer Mutasim Ali, 27, was given a summons to report to prison, which he promptly circulated on Facebook. Mutasim is a fixture of the refugee community. He is the interim CEO of the African Refugee Development Center and one of the coordinators of the three-day strike where over 20,000 […]
The Institute for Middle East Understanding sent out the following reactions to the news that Scarlett Johansson is leaving her role with Oxfam in order to maintain her sponsorship with SodaStream: OMAR BARGHOUTI, Independent Palestinian commentator and human rights activist, founding member of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and thePalestinian Civil […]
A network of Palestinians living near the SodaStream factory in the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim in Occupied Palestine, as well as Israeli and international grassroots activists who work with them, have issued a press release today calling on Scarlett Johansson to step down as SodaStream spokesperson. Press Release: Bab al Shams Village Council (in coalition with The Jahalin […]
This is part of Marc H. Ellis’s “Exile and the Prophetic” feature for Mondoweiss. To read the entire series visit the archive page. So Scarlett Johansson has stepped down as an Oxfam ambassador. She’s certainly global but it seems Palestine is a huge stumbling block when it comes to celebrity. Ambassadorships of all kinds are […]
GOP Rep. Michael Grimm, representing New York’s 11th congressional district (Staten Island/Brooklyn), keeps making the news, and not in ways that he wants. Grimm is a congressman who was brought into office in 2010 with support from the rightwing Israel lobby; he is being investigated by the FBI for circumventing campaign finance (he got half […]
Pete Seeger was my neighbor, and I interviewed him once in 2007. We were in the Beacon, N.Y., Sloop Club and he was getting the fire going in the woodstove, with a red knit stocking cap on his head and a red bandana in his pocket to grab the stove handle. Musicians were gathering, and […]
“On one hand you’re thinking, [the celebrity life] is so surreal, but it’s my work and helps me bring awareness to Oxfam.” —Scarlett Johansson, 2007 On the other hand… The Associated Press broke the story last night that Scarlett Johansson was quitting her role as an Oxfam global ambassador, ending a three-week battle that began […]
Ever the optimist, a week ago as I wondered what choice Scarlett would make, knowing “something’s gotta break” between now and the Superbowl. Somehow I held out hope it wouldn’t turn out this way. Scarlett made her choice. She’s throwing in the towel, ending her relationship with Oxfam and staking her career, reputation, and god knows […]
When Congress headed home for the holidays last year, activists celebrated because a bill that effectively gave American blessing to discrimination against travelers to Israel wasn’t voted on. A month later, the bill is back–though the version that passed a House committee does not include much criticized exemptions for Israel’s participation in the visa-waiver program. […]
‘An Israeli Sparta’: A pungent phrase, and a long tradition, from Finkelstein to Hecataeus The pungency of Norman Finkelstein’s phrase ‘an Israeli Sparta, beholden to American power’ has struck many readers and came powerfully back to me when I read a recent exchange on the subject of Sparta (on this site, between our colleagues Shmuel […]
The following letter was shared with Mondoweiss: An Open Letter to Mayor Bill de Blasio: We are Jewish residents of New York who read, in the leaked transcript of your private speech to a meeting of AIPAC leaders, the following: “City Hall will always be open to AIPAC. When you need me to stand by you […]
On Monday night I attended the NY book launch for Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA at Housing Works bookstore. CSPAN was there, and as you can see, the house was jammed. In this video, taken with my usual high standards, Debbie Smith, a contributor to the book, introduces her husband Michael Smith, lawyer and […]
A remarkably realist/detached Tom Friedman suggests that John Kerry’s mission is a “fantasy.” The Times columnist places chief responsibility for the likely failure on the more powerful party to the talks, Israel, saying that Netanyahu lacks the political ability to forge a new, centrist governing coalition to back up Kerry’s ideas, while the Palestinians lack […]
In a meeting at Oxfam America’s Boston headquarters Tuesday afternoon, local human rights advocates urged representatives of the international aid agency Oxfam to be true to the organization’s principles and cut ties with their Global Ambassador Scarlett Johansson if she remains the Global Brand Ambassador for SodaStream, a company that operates a factory in an […]
Land, property theft & destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Judaization / Apartheid Israel barrier threatens to split Bethlehem villages BATTIR (AFP) 28 Jan — Israel’s separation barrier could soon destroy the livelihoods and redraw the demographics of two Palestinian villages south of Jerusalem, locals say, should an imminent court ruling approve its planned route. The […]
Despite an explicit ban by the league on using the map of historic Palestine on their uniforms, the Club Deportivo Palestino soccer team defied the league ruling when they debuted their new uniform on Friday. The new jersey has a gold image of Palestine on the front and a much smaller map of Palestine […]