The forgotten intifada

Maan News Agency, May 25, 2011 On May 17, two days after the Nakba day protests, the Economist ran an article titled, “Here comes your nonviolent resistance.” The writer pointed out that the demonstrations that took place on May 15 were in the spirit of the First Intifada which was, by and large, nonviolent. My …

Imagining Israel’s future

Souciant, May 18, 2011 In May of 2011, the Palestinians made a brave attempt to start the Third Intifada. On the northern borders, the grandsons and granddaughters of those who had been dispossessed during the nakba attempted to exercise their United Nations-acknowledged right of return. These were the grandsons of those who had been driven …

“Israel’s 9/11 coming in September”

Maan News Agency, May 15, 2011 As though Israeli leaders aren’t doing enough to scare their citizens about Palestinian reunification and statehood, another “warning” has recently popped up on the streets of Tel Aviv. The walls, rather. It’s right-wing graffiti — a blue Star of David with the date “9/0/11” below. The meaning is clear. …

Palestinian identity under attack in Israel

Maan News Agency, April 29, 2011 Earlier in April, the Israeli Ministry of Education decided to add a question about the Holocaust to the matriculation exam of Arab students. Because the state has banned any study of the Nakba– going so far as to strike the word from the textbooks– the move has drawn sharp …

Bin Laden’s death should not be celebrated

Mondoweiss, May 2, 2011 The Huffington Post, May 3, 2011 Osama Bin Laden is dead. And Americans are celebrating. Last night, the crowds cheered and sang before the White House and in Manhattan. And, today, the jingoistic, congratulatory op-eds hit the papers. It’s been particularly troubling to me, an American-Israeli, to watch these events unfold …