When it comes to Gaza, an approach
centered on isolation and deterrence has not led to a real stability, resulting
in repeated rounds of violent confrontation between the two parties
Israel's recent 'update' on military investigations into civilian deaths in Gaza last November is an affirmation of its deficient institutional and legal practice,
with the result of continued impunity for its military and political officials.
The United States, Israel and
other military powers continue to seek the perfect weapon - from "unmanned aerial vehicles" to "directed energy". They forget how the story ends.
It's being painted in small, nervous brushstrokes now, but if the 3,000 or so people in attendance at the Combatants for Peace Memorial Day ceremony are any indication, it seems there is a new complicated narrative being written.
Whether or not the Women of the Wall will actually face arrest or detention on April 10 remains to be seen; that they have faced this in the past only to return in greater numbers is a testament to the righteous chutzpah necessary to transform the gendered discrimination at Judaism's holiest site.
The author in his latest book, Dangerous Liaisons:
The Clash between Islamism and Zionism (2013), contends that the antagonism between
Islamism and Zionism in the west is a significant threat to integration and
social cohesion. More attention should be paid to this ethno-religious
political clash that has already seen its first proxy war
The US President insists that he has come to listen. And in choosing to get around by helicopter and not on the roads, it seems he intended to avert his gaze. But the weather can be unexpected.
Criticising Israeli foreign policy does not constitute anti-semitism. As simple as this statement appears, its reiteration becomes an urgent necessity when faced with renewed debates on anti-Semitism in Europe.
Today, walking down Shuhada Street, what was once Hebron's main market appears as nonviolent resistance against the street's new role as a space of separation.
Articles exploring the themes of the fourth international Nobel Women's Initiative conference May 28-31. Jennifer Allsopp and Heather McRobie will be reporting for 5050