One Brutal Regime in Libya Down, Another One Rises

I just did a quick search of the major US mainstream media websites and as of yet, there is no coverage of this. But luckily our friends across the pond in Britain are on top of it: Thousands of people, including women and children, are being illegally detained by rebel militias in Libya, according to […]

White House/State Dept. Continue to Refuse to Condemn Egyptian Military

The violence is escalating in Tahrir Square with the military and security forces cracking down on protesters, with upwards of 35 killed. As usual when dealing with an intransigent, human rights-abusing ally, the administration has just called for “restraint on all sides” which is code for “we don’t want to denounce the disproportionate force used […]

US-Supported Egyptian Military Dictatorship Imprisons Egyptian Bloggers and Activists

Clearly, the US has decided that stability is more important than democracy and human rights in Egypt. For decades we’ve been very close with the corrupt, elite Egyptian defense forces all the while turning our backs while they entrenched themselves in every aspect of civil and economic society. That they detained, tortured and killed anyone […]

Are We Witnessing the Beginning of a Change in Discourse on Israel-Palestine?

It goes without saying that for the past 30 or so years in the U.S., real debate about our policy on Israel and Palestine is almost non-existent in any real sense of the word. The media, politicians, commentators etc. stick to one theme- unwavering, blind, unquestioning support for Israel no matter what, even if it […]

Israel LOVES Obama’s Speech at the United Nations

And well they should. After all, the ultimate goal of perpetual occupation, circular negotiations, continued settlement expansion and American protectionism has been achieved. To hear President Obama speak about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one could be forgiven for thinking that Obama has adopted the philosophy of right-wing Likud. Israel’s far, far, far-right racist Foreign Minister, Avigdor […]

The Price of Israel

There is a good article over at Foreign Policy about how most countries, including our European allies, are pretty much fed up with the United States’ constant pandering to even the most damaging, de-stabilizing Israeli dictates. The irony of course is that in doing Bibi’s bidding, the Obama administration is, in essence, validating right-wing Likud […]

The Washington Post Continues to Carry Bibi Netanyahu’s Water

Richard Cohen is a hack, but given his lofty perch over at the WaPo, it’s important to call him out on his shameless need to put the interests of a foreign country over the interests of the United States: Israel’s dilemma is that the Middle East, for all the talk of revolution, is slipping backward. […]

Libyan Rebels Take Tripoli

Hopefully this signals an end to the hostilities. At this time it appears no one knows where Gaddafi is: Euphoric Libyan rebels took control of most of Tripoli in a lightning advance Sunday, celebrating the victory in Green Square, the symbolic heart of Moammar Gadhafi’s regime. Gadhafi’s defenders quickly melted away as his 42-year rule […]

Egyptian #FlagMan Climbs Up Israeli Embassy and Removes Israeli Flag

Egyptians are pissed. After the IDF crossed the Egyptian border killing several Egyptian security forces the other day, Egyptians are demanding justice. They congregated outside the Israeli embassy by the thousands- something that would have been unheard of under Mubarak- and demanded that the Israeli Ambassador leave (he did). An Egyptian man, now being referred […]

A Nice Double Standard: How Israel Responds to Nonviolent Protest

Hundreds of thousands of Jewish Israelis have taken to the streets in recent weeks, demanding economic justice. It’s a truly inspiring scene in Tel Aviv and elsewhere. In response, the police have acted with restraint, even in a few instances where things got a little out of hand. What will happen if the Palestinians peacefully […]

The Arab Spring Comes to Israel…

And Bibi Netanyahu is terrified because it’s not Arabs taking to the streets, but the Israeli middle class. Here’s a nice big shout out to the folks in Israel who have managed to get their leaders re-focused on a domestic agenda that revolves around middle class priorities. Good for them. In case you weren’t aware, […]

Will There Ever Be An End to Military Dictatorship in Egypt?

This could put the U.S. in a prickly situation given the Egyptian people don’t trust us due to our strong support of the Egyptian military. While the Egyptian military did exercise significant restraint during the uprising, the U.S. turned a blind eye to the ongoing detention and torture of activists and dissidents by the military, […]

Just What We Need: Another Analysis of Egypt From Israel’s Perspective

The great thing about this Newsweek article is that it is unapologetic in letting us know that all that really matters with the Arab Spring is Israel. Whenever you hear the Israel Lobby and all their media watch groups (like CAMERA) complain about the anti-Israel press, just keep in mind that they know damn well […]

A Great Example of How the NYT Shapes the Debate About Israel

Someone just passed on this link on Twitter and although it’s a few days old, it’s really a perfect example of how the NYT’ Jerusalem bureau tilts it’s coverage towards Israel, even if only in very subtle ways. This is important because most people have only the most basic knowledge of the conflict. I’m not […]

Barack Obama’s Approval Rating in Arab World Now Lower Than That of George W. Bush *updated*

That’s quite an accomplishment considering President G.W. Bush and Dick Cheney launched two wars in the region and totally neglected the Mideast peace process (the Roadmap notwithstanding). Obama had high approval ratings after his much-lauded Cairo speech but it has been all downhill from there. Of course, it doesn’t help that despite his progressive campaign […]

News Round-Up

On this day in history, July 10, 1509, theologian John Calvin, a key figure of the Protestant Reformation, was born France. Some news bits: ~Elizabeth Warren for Senate? ~The GOP has predictably rebuffed the President’s so-called Grand Bargain, which is really a Grand Capitulation to corporate interests on the backs of the middle class, so […]

Israel’s Tilt Towards Fascism

Check out the independent Israeli media blog +972 for coverage of the Israeli governments’ repression of free speech and thuggish tactics with respect to the activists flying in to Ben Gurion airport to enter the West Bank. The type of rationales for keeping out anyone with whom the right-wing Israeli government (and increasingly, the right […]

U.S. Militarism and Women’s Rights

This is a subject that I’ve been interested in for a long time. I’ve always had a hard time rationalizing certain feminist principles with the United States’ hawkish foreign policy. How can we as a country proclaim our unyielding support for women around the world while at the same time advocating military solutions to almost […]

Secretary Clinton Announced Willingness for Dialogue w/ Muslim Brotherhood and Neocons Heads Explode

Part of the neocon book of hypocritical non-diplomacy is a policy of never talking with people with whom you disagree, except when you do talk to them. Then, when other people do the exact same thing, you denounce them as cheese-eating surrender monkeys. Secretary Clinton on Friday announced the obvious- that the U.S. would be […]

Rape as a Weapon of War in Libya

I wasn’t able to embed this video for some reason, but Al Jazeera has good coverage of this issue, here (you can watch the video on their site)