Stephen Zunes : Israel and Palestine
Trump’s actions on Jerusalem come with Democratic support
7 December 2017
President Trump’s announcement on Wednesday that the United States formally recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the U.S. embassy would be moved to that multiethnic and multifaith city once again places the United States at odds with the rest of the international community. No other government in the world formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s […]
Both Parties Pushed Trump Toward Reckless Action on Jerusalem
6 December 2017
President Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States will formally recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the U.S. embassy would be moved to that multi-ethnic and multi-faith city. No other government in the world formally recognizes Jerusalem as Israel’s capital or has its embassy there, instead basing their diplomatic offices in Tel Aviv.
Why Democrats Don’t Want to Talk about Flynn’s First Meeting with the Russians
5 December 2017
The guilty plea by former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn for lying to FBI investigators centers around two meetings with then-Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. One of those meetings—a December 29, 2016, gathering to discuss new sanctions by the Obama Administration over Russian interference in the presidential election—has received much attention.
Trump’s Dangerous Appointment to Key Civil Rights Position: Kenneth Marcus
3 November 2017
President Donald Trump’s recent nomination of Kenneth Marcus to the important post of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education constitutes a direct threat to academic freedom and freedom of association on college and university campuses.
Banning Palestinian Speaker at Friends Central School
1 November 2017
Sa’ed Atshan is generally considered one of the most highly-respected young Quaker scholars in the United States. A graduate of Ramallah Friends School and Swarthmore College with a doctoral degree from Harvard, he is currently an assistant professor in Swarthmore’s Peace and Conflict Studies program. A committed pacifist, he serves on the board of Pendle […]
Liberal UCSC alumni may pay price for donations
30 September 2017
Alumni of the UC Santa Cruz who have been active politically in support of liberal causes should be cautious about making in-kind donations to their alma mater. It seems that UCSC now reserves the right to bring in ultra-conservative speakers as a condition of accepting such gifts from those with left-of-center views.
Resistance Builds to Proposed Israeli Boycott Bill
1 August 2017
A disturbing number of Congressional Democrats have joined their Republican counterparts in co-sponsoring a bill (S. 720/H.R. 1697) effectively criminalizing support for boycotts against Israel or companies doing business in the country or its occupied territories.
The United States and Israel: An Alliance or a Protection Racket
1 April 2017
Given the centuries of persecution against the Jewish people, threats by Arab neighbors to Israel’s very survival in the early days of its independence, and decades of terrorist attacks by Palestinian extremists against Israeli civilians, it has been understandably difficult for many Israelis to recognize the willingness of the Palestine Authority (PA) to make peace.
The Bipartisan Effort against Campaigns for Corporate Responsibility
22 March 2017
The Trump Administration’s efforts to legitimize the Israeli occupation and illegal settlements in the Israeli-occupied territories has received surprising bipartisan support. A series of bills passed or under consideration in Washington and in state capitols seeks to punish companies, religious denominations, academic associations, and other entities which support the use of boycotts, divestment, and sanctions […]
Pro-Palestinian activism faces suppression on Catholic campuses
9 March 2017
At Marquette University last year, the Students for Justice chapter initially received administration approval to erect a large wooden barrier symbolizing Israel’s separation barrier in the West Bank. The barrier at Marquette included slogans and pictures from the actual wall illegally constructed in the occupied territory. The university quickly removed it, however, determining that the […]
