Expert Analyst: International Politics, Middle East & Nonviolent Action
Zunes’s letter to the editor in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, Sept. 4, 2025 Hamas’ control of Gaza brought on by US policy Many thanks to Tim McGirk (Guest Commentary, Aug. 21) for his open letter to Rep. Jimmy Panetta, who…
First published in the Santa Cruz Sentinel July 11, 2025, by Stephen Zunes:“My guest editorial from the Santa Cruz Sentinel takes on Rep. Jimmy Panetta for his bill that would designate the government of Western Sahara as a Foreign Terrorist…
Santa Cruz Sentinel: Guest Commentary, January 2025: Addresses a bill to punish those associated with the International Criminal Court for investigating war criminals allied with the United States, for which all 205 Republicans and 42 Democrats voted in favor, including…
Santa Cruz Sentinel Letter to the Editor May 20, 2024: Once again, our Congressperson Jimmy Panetta is out of step with his constituents….
Santa Cruz Sentinel September 29, 2017 It seems that UC Santa Cruz now reserves the right to bring in ultra-conservative speakers as a condition of accepting in-kind donations from those with left-of-center views.
Monterrey Herald January 13, 2017
The California State Assembly is considering a bill entitled the “Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions of Recognized Sovereign Nations or Peoples Act” (AB 2844) that could lead to penalizing California businesses that boycott any country or any products from a particular country — even if the product is being made in a colony or occupied territory or if it is made under illegal, inhumane or environmentally deleterious conditions. It would also deny state or local government contracts to sole propietorships who participate in such boycotts.
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…
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…
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…
In preparing my syllabus for my introductory course on the Middle East this semester, it gives me pause that the California Assembly is still on record declaring that discussing certain well-documented historic incidents in modern Middle Eastern history should “not be tolerated in the classroom.” This unprecedented attack on academic freedom came in the form of a resolution (HR 35), co-sponsored by 66 of the 88 Assembly members, which passed by a voice vote in 2012.
It was the second week in January of 1991. I was in the sanctuary of a large Catholic Church in Baghdad. Every votive candle in the place was lit, no doubt in support of prayers for loved ones in anticipation of the massive U.S. bombing campaign, which was to be known as Operation Desert Storm, which was soon to commence.