Hillary the Hawk
Despite Hillary Clinton’s reputation as a liberal, the record suggests her presidency would push America toward a more militaristic approach to the region.
Category: Middle East
Middle East Overview
On Hillary Clinton, Sexism, and U.S. Foreign Policy
Feminists who oppose Hillary Clinton’s imperialism can’t just challenge her foreign policy. We have to challenge the sexist attacks against her, too.
The Five Lamest Excuses for Hillary Clinton’s Vote to Invade Iraq
Clinton supporters want Democratic voters to forgive their candidate’s support for the most disastrous foreign policy decision in decades. They shouldn’t.
The U.S. and the Rise of ISIS
The rise of ISIS (also known as Daesh, ISIL, or the “Islamic State”) is a direct consequence of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. While there are a number of other contributing factors as well, that fateful decision is paramount….
What We Can Expect From Hillary Clinton on Israel/Palestine
Supporters of the international legal framework – which has, with mixed success, governed international affairs since the end of World War II – have long expressed concerns over the prospect of former senator and secretary of state Hillary Clinton becoming president. Her support for the US invasion of Iraq (a flagrant violation of the UN Charter), as well as her hostility toward the International Criminal Court, her support for international recognition of Morocco’s illegal annexation of occupied Western Sahara, and her attacks against the United Nations and a number of its key agencies raise concerns that her election would bring a return to the Bush administration’s neoconservative rejection of longstanding international legal principles.
Chancellor’s opposition to student resolution problematic
UC Santa Cruz Chancellor George Blumenthal, in an all-campus mailing sent out Nov. 19, expressed his opposition to a recently passed resolution by the Student Union Assembly in a manner which has raised serious concerns among supporters of corporate responsibility and academic freedom. It is virtually unprecedented for a chancellor or other high-level administration to criticize student representatives for participating in a democratic process of debate and decision making, even on contentious issues…
Nobel Peace Prize spotlights National Dialogue Quartet
Bloody civil wars, the rise of the so-called “Islamic State,” the continued rule by absolute monarchs and other despots, and the ongoing Israeli and Moroccan occupations have left many skeptical of the prospects of peace, democracy and stability in the Arab world….
Obama’s Escalation in Syria
President Obama’s announcement that he would send up to 50 U.S. Special Forces to “train, advise and assist” armed militia fighting forces of the so-called “Islamic State” in Syria marks an escalation in U.S. military involvement in that country.
Why Netanyahu Needs Holocaust Revisionism and Israeli-Palestinian Violence
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s October 20 speech claiming that Hitler had not planned to exterminate Jews until a prominent Palestinian cleric pressured him to do so, while outrageous, is consistent with the longstanding narrative of the right-wing government and its U.S. supporters.
Bipartisan Attacks Against Anti-occupation Divestment Campaigns
In April, the student senate at Earlham College, a Quaker liberal arts institution in Indiana, approved a resolution by consensus recommending the college endowment divest from three U.S. companies (Motorola, Hewlett Packard and Caterpillar) which are directly supporting the Israeli occupation in violation of international law. The resolution (thus far ignored by the college’s board of trustees) follows decisions by a number of Quaker-affiliated organizations — as well as the Presbyterian Church USA, the United Church of Christ, and other nonprofit groups — to divest from these companies…
The Troubling Implications of Hillary’s Anti-BDS Letter
Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton’s position on the Israeli occupation of the West Bank does not bode well for her future foreign policy.
How U.S. Contributed to Yemen Crisis
Washington’s support for Yemen’s former dictatorship — and of Saudi efforts to sideline the country’s nonviolent pro-democracy movement — helped create the current crisis.
Powerful nonviolent resistance to armed conflict in Yemen
While media coverage of the tragic situation unfolding in Yemen in recent months has focused on armed clashes and other violence, there has also been widespread and ongoing nonviolent civil resistance employed by a number of different actors.
Hardliners on All Sides Undermining Iran’s Nuclear Talks
Reaching an interim nuclear deal with Iran would have been difficult enough even without hardliners in both Iran and the United States seeking to undermine them.
Interview: KPFA’s “Up Front” on Netanyahu’s speech before Congress and U.S.-Israeli relations (Audio)
On KPFA radio network program “Up Front,” about Netanyahu’s speech before Congress and U.S.-Israeli relations. In a segment which begins at the 36-minute mark, Professor Zunes discusses the influence by AIPAC and the so-called “Israel Lobby,” which I argue is often exaggerated.
Netanyahu Still Swaying U.S. Congress
The Progressive, March 4, 2015: Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu’s speech before a joint session of Congress on March 3 was rare and unprecedented in many ways. • It constituted a major breach of protocol • It took place just…
China Radio International – Iran Nuclear Negotiations Resume (Audio)
On KPFA radio network program “Up Front,” about Netanyahu’s speech before Congress and U.S.-Israeli relations. In a segment which begins at the 36-minute mark, Professor Zunes discusses the influence by AIPAC and the so-called “Israel Lobby,” which I argue is often exaggerated.
US support for Saudis belies claims of supporting democracy
Santa Cruz Sentinel February 20, 2015 One of the greatest myths is that the U.S. government supports democracy. In reality, under both Republican and Democratic administrations, the U.S. remains the world’s No. 1 military, financial, and diplomatic supporter of authoritarian…
Opposition to Israeli occupation consistent with other human rights struggles
Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 6, 2015 In my late teens, I was active in the movement opposing South Africa’s illegal occupation of Namibia, calling for boycotts and divestment of companies supporting the occupation and sanctions against the occupying power. I…
The Latest Blow to Israeli-Palestinian Peace
The United States blocked the latest UN resolution to achieve peace between Israel and Palestine for the most disingenuous of reasons.