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19 votes
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Benjamin Netanyahu tells US he opposes creation of Palestinian state after Gaza war
19 votes -
Citing safety, dozens of Jewish families are leaving Oakland public schools
37 votes -
The price of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ambition – the Prime Minister seems unable to distinguish between his own interests and his country’s
21 votes -
Coverage of Gaza War in the New York Times and other major newspapers heavily favored Israel, analysis shows
35 votes -
More than 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals have signed a petition urging a ban on Israel from Eurovision over alleged "war crimes" in Gaza
23 votes -
Israel is murdering Palestinian journalists in Gaza – The pattern of killing cannot be denied. Is there a lack of sympathy because the victims aren’t American or European?
35 votes -
Some German Jews say their country goes too far defending Israel – and they find themselves attacked for antisemitism
46 votes -
Israel’s Supreme Court overturns a key component of Benjamin Netanyahu’s polarizing judicial overhaul
22 votes -
Sudanese war continues as the world ignores it in favor of wars in Ukraine and Gaza
30 votes -
Hannah Arendt would not qualify for the Hannah Arendt prize in Germany today
27 votes -
Book recommendation request: An introduction to the Israeli-Arab conflict for non-academics
Hello, If this topic came up and such a recommendation has been made, please just point me to that post. I would like to read an introduction to the Israeli-Arab conflict. I would like the book:...
Hello,
If this topic came up and such a recommendation has been made, please just point me to that post.
I would like to read an introduction to the Israeli-Arab conflict.
I would like the book:
- to be written by an author with relevant credentials
- to not be written for academics
- to not be written by an Arab, Israeli, or European author
- something that was published before the October 7th invasion of Israel
Thanks much
15 votes -
Al Jazeera journalist Samer Abudaqa killed in Israeli attack in Gaza
32 votes -
Thoughts on anti-Zionism?
I have been pretty consistently pro-Palestine and critical of injustices perpetrated by Israel, but the anti-Zionist stance has always seemed to me to be counterproductive. On the issue of just...
I have been pretty consistently pro-Palestine and critical of injustices perpetrated by Israel, but the anti-Zionist stance has always seemed to me to be counterproductive.
On the issue of just the legitimacy of the state of Israel, here's my basic stance: All land controlled by all governments was taken at some point through conquest (this is not a whataboutist stance, it's a tautology), but in the post-colonial era we all decided that might isn't right and that a mixture of international law, norms, and democratic principles should dictate the legitimacy of territorial claims. So, the Ottoman empire fell. The British seized control of the land of Palestine and retained a moderately weak mandate over the land (moderately weak in the sense that they were the essentially undisputed administrators of the land and had a military presence, but the territory would likely try to break away if the British tried to exercise significant control over it). With this moderately weak mandate, they pushed for the creation of the state of Israel that, by extension, I would consider a moderately-weakly legitimate state under the pre-WWII paradigm. Israel fights a defensive war against the Arab states and succeeds, converting the state of Israel as defined by the original 1948 partition plan from a weakly legitimate state into a properly legitimate state. At this point, the post-WWII frameworks kick in, and all the developments in the conflict past this point should be a function of that lens (ie. Palestine wrongfully denied sovereignty, illegality of settlements, etc.).
Zionism, in the most basic sense, is the belief in the creation of a Jewish state of Israel. There are more extreme and moderate versions of it, but that's all that it is at its core. Anti-Zionism is opposition to the creation of a Jewish state of Israel (I would not consider opposition to settlements or, strictly speaking, even to the accession of new territory into Israel proper past the 1948 borders after the two wars to be anti-Zionist itself). The anti-Zionist stance before the establishment of Israel was reasonable, but past that point is primarily a claim of one nation over the land of another nation. It's perfectly understandable at the end of the day for the Arabs and, particularly the Palestinians, to be upset about the whole situation and even to feel that a great injustice was done unto them. But that should all be relegated to the world of international affairs between established states. Ultimately, in my eyes anti-Zionism is not anti-semitic, but it's definitely anti-peace.
36 votes -
Masha Gessen’s Hannah Arendt Prize has been canceled because of their essay on Gaza
22 votes -
Iran has accused Swedish EU employee Johan Floderus of spying for Israel and "corruption on earth", a crime that carries the death penalty under Tehran's Islamic laws
9 votes -
Civilians make up 61% of Gaza deaths from airstrikes, Israeli study finds
47 votes -
Gaza and the future of information warfare
7 votes -
Israel-Hamas War Megathread, November 27 to December 7
It seemed about time to roll it over. Here's the previous topic.
23 votes -
Israel knew Hamas’s attack plan more than a year ago
38 votes -
Israeli spyware firm NSO demands “urgent” meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken amid Gaza war lobbying effort
22 votes -
A bitter season in the West Bank - the Gaza war offers West Bank illegal settlers opportunity and impunity
8 votes -
Gaza civilians, under Israeli barrage, are being killed at historic pace
33 votes -
Israel-Hamas War Megathread, November 16 to November 26
I was going to post these every week but I forgot, so let's just say they're occasional. Here is the previous topic.
37 votes -
The games industry must not stay silent on Palestine
16 votes -
From a scholar of genocide: Both Israel and Palestinian supporters accuse the other side of genocide – here’s what the term actually means
12 votes -
The extreme ambitions of West Bank settlers
44 votes -
Outrage grows after ‘chilling call for genocide’ by Florida Republican
30 votes -
From the river to the sea: The story behind Palestine's fight for freedom
11 votes -
Israel-Hamas War Megathread, November 6 to November 15
Thought I’d start a new topic since it’s been a while and there’s more to discuss. Here is the previous topic.
20 votes -
US diplomats privately criticize US public policy stance towards Israel in leaked memo
26 votes -
Hamas using Gaza hospitals as military positions, Israel claims as it presents new evidence
29 votes -
Israel-Hamas War Megathread, October 27 to November 5
This is a place to post links to news and analysis of the conflict when you’d prefer not to post them top-level.
51 votes -
Jewish and Palestinian and other Muslim students at US universities prepare to file lawsuits against their schools
13 votes -
Israel-Hamas war becomes flashpoint on US college campuses
32 votes -
Israel's PM Benjamin Netanyahu appoints new head of subcommittee related to the West Bank - from the Religious Zionist Party
15 votes -
Benjamin Netanyahu lobbied EU to pressure Egypt into accepting Gaza refugees
15 votes -
"Did the entire media industry misquote a Hamas spokesperson?" (searching for sources of the initial hospital bombing claims)
31 votes -
US asks Qatar to ‘turn down the volume’ of Al Jazeera news coverage
34 votes -
IDF shares proof of Hamas terror base built under main Gaza hospital
21 votes -
Israel agrees to US request to delay Gaza invasion
18 votes -
Peace, a forgotten word, renews its claim in the Holy Land
6 votes -
What Israel should do now: Israel’s current approach is clearly wrong. Here’s a better way to fight Hamas — and win.
26 votes -
What we know about the explosion at the hospital in Gaza
24 votes -
Gaza neonatal unit warns babies at risk 'within minutes' if power fails
15 votes -
Mitch McConnell backs US President Joe Biden’s $106bn aid request for Israel and Ukraine
34 votes -
We must not kill Gazan children to try to protect Israel’s children
24 votes -
Egypt-Gaza border crossing opens, letting desperately needed aid flow to Palestinians
21 votes -
Thirsty families in Gaza eke out trickle of water
20 votes -
Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza
46 votes