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Connexions, an information
clearinghouse founded to promote justice, democracy, and social and
environmental alternatives, has compiled this Web gateway to selected
resources on Israel/Palestine. These resources were selected to help
those who believe that a solution to the conflict is possible only
on the basis of justice, equality, mutual recognition and an end to Israel’s
occupation of the Palestinian territories. A more extensive selection of books, documentaries, videos, documents and articles is on the Further Resources page, and other organizations may be found in the
Connexions Directory, especially under
Israel and
Palestine in the Subject Index.
The Connexions Web site
— www.connexions.org
— also features a library of articles and links concerned with
alternatives and social justice issues generally. A printable PDF
of the organizations, Web sites, and news sources featured on this
page is available here.
Recent articles
See below for more articles.
Jewish Canadians Concerned About Suppression of Criticism of Israel
March 10, 2009. We are appalled by recent attempts of prominent Jewish organizations and leading Canadian politicians to silence protest against the State of Israel.
”Exterminate all the Brutes”: Gaza 2009
Noam Chomsky. January 20, 2009. Israel has a straightforward means to defend itself: put an end to its criminal actions in occupied territories, and accept the long-standing international consensus on a two-state settlement that has been blocked by the US and Israel for over 30 years, since the US first vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for a political settlement in these terms in 1976. The Arab League has gone even beyond the consensus, calling for full normalization of relations with Israel. Hamas has repeatedly called for a two-state settlement in terms of the international consensus. Iran and Hezbollah have made it clear that they will abide by any agreement that Palestinians accept.
Why Israel Won't Survive
Ali Abunimah. January 20, 2009. If there was ever a moment when the peoples of the region would accept Israel as a Zionist state in their midst, that has passed forever. Israel's "military deterrent" has now been repeatedly discredited as a means to force Palestinians and other Arabs to accept Zionist supremacy as inevitable and permanent. Now, the other pillar of Israeli power – Western support and complicity – is starting to crack. We must do all we can to push it over.
How Many Divisions?
Uri Avnery. January 11, 2009. In this war, as in any modern war, propaganda plays a major role. The disparity between the forces, between the Israeli army – with its airplanes, gunships, drones, warships, artillery and tanks – and the few thousand lightly armed Hamas fighters, is one to a thousand, perhaps one to a million. In the political arena the gap between them is even wider. But in the propaganda war, the gap is almost infinite.
Israel’s Colonial War against the Gaza Strip.
Issam Aburaiya. January 11, 2009. Israel is becoming a war machine, terrifying yet lacking in all moral grounding
Israel in Gaza: A Critical Reframing.
Jeff Halper. January 10, 2009. The critical reframing we offer, that of Israelis committed to human rights, international law and a just peace as the only way out of this interminable and bloody conflict, argues that security cannot be achieved unilaterally while one side oppresses the other and that Israel’s attack on Gaza is merely another attempt to render its Occupation permanent by destroying any source of effective resistance.
Abettors of war crimes will be held accountable.
Adri Nieuwhof and Daniel Machover. January 10, 2009. Israel’s military offensive in Gaza is being perpetrated with enormous disregard for civilian life in violation of fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.
Turn off the Canadian Media, Please
Justin Podur. January 9, 2009. If you want to have the first idea about what is happening in Israel/Palestine (or most of the rest of the world), the best thing to do is to turn them off the mainstream Canadian media.
The War Isn’t Over, But Israel Has Lost.
Tony Karon. January 9, 2009. If the madness is to be stopped, Israel and the Palestinians will have to be told where their borders are, as part of an internationally enforced, fair settlement that gives the parties no choice.
Olive oil, opposition and Gaza.
Rick Salutin. January 9, 2009. Jewish dissent is now widespread. It’s no longer just individuals.
Jewish Women Occupy Israeli Consulate in Toronto
January 7, 2009. A group of eight Jewish-Canadian women occupied the Israeli Consulate in Toronto in protest against the on-going Israeli assault on the people of Gaza. See also Jewish Women Occupy and video on YouTube
Israel: Boycott, Divest, Sanction.
Naomi Klein. January 7, 2009. The best strategy to end the increasingly bloody occupation is for Israel to become the target of the kind of global movement that put an end to apartheid in South Africa.
Of Sowing and Harvests.
Subcomandante Marcos. January 4, 2009. Perhaps our word can manage to join forces with others in Mexico and the world and perhaps first it's heard as a murmur, then out loud, and then a scream that they hear in Gaza. We don’t know about you, but we Zapatistas from the EZLN, we know how important it is, in the middle of destruction and death, to hear some words of encouragement.
See below for more articles.
Web Sites and Organizations
The Alternative Information
Center
A Palestinian-Israeli organization which disseminates
information, research and political analysis on Palestinian and
Israeli societies as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while
promoting cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis based on
the values of social justice, solidarity and community involvement.
Electronic Intifada
Palestinian portal for information about the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict and its depiction in the media. News, commentary, analysis,
and reference materials about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from
a Palestinian perspective.
Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East
Advocates for a just foreign policy regarding Middle-East issues; demands that the Canadian government uphold and enforce all UN resolutions and instruments of international law, both in word and in deed; challenges the media to present balanced and objective coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Gush Shalom
Gush Shalom (the name means “Peace Bloc”
in Hebrew) is an extra-parliamentary organization, independent of
any party or other political grouping, which has played an important
role in setting the moral and political agenda of the peace forces
in Israel, as well as in breaking the so-called “national consensus”
based on misinformation. The primary aim of Gush Shalom is to influence
Israeli public opinion and lead it towards peace and conciliation
with the Palestinian people.
Canada-Palestine Support Network
canpalnet gathers Canadians of all backgrounds who support the human, democratic, and national rights of the Palestinian people.
Jewish Voice for
Peace
A diverse and democratic community of activists inspired
by Jewish tradition to work together for peace, social justice,
and human rights. Supports the aspirations of Israelis and Palestinians
for security and self-determination.
Israeli Committee Against House
Demolitions
A non-violent, direct-action group originally established
to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses in
the Occupied Territories, now also engaged in resistance activities
in other areas - land expropriation, settlement expansion, by-pass
road construction, policies of “closure” and “separation,”
the wholesale uprooting of fruit and olive trees and more.
Ta’ayush
A grassroots movement of Arabs and Jews working to
break down the walls of racism and segregation by constructing a
true Arab-Jewish partnership.
B’Tselem
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in
the Occupied Territories.
Bat Shalom (Daughter of Peace)
Feminist peace organization working toward a just
peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours.
International Middle East Media
Center
Media center developed in collaboration between Palestinian
and International journalists to provide English language media
coverage of Israel-Palestine.
Not in My Name
A predominantly Jewish organization deeply committed
to a peaceful and just resolution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict,
a resolution that will provide safety, security and freedom for
Jews, Palestinians, and all others living in this region. We believe
that such a peace can only be achieved when Israel withdraws from
its settlements in the Palestinian territories and addresses the
legitimate national and human rights of the Palestinian people.
International Solidarity
Movement
Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the
Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action
methods and principles.
Refuser Solidarity
Network
Supports Israelis who refuse to serve in the Occupation.
Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid
Believes that Israel is an apartheid state that resembles
South African Apartheid and that justice will not be achieved without
equal rights for everyone in the region, regardless of religion,
ethnicity or nationality.
Stop the Wall
Site of the Grassroots Palestinian Anti-Apartheid
Wall Campaign.
Maps
Maps showing the extent of Israel’s land seizures.
Companies that profit from the Israeli occupation
From the Interfaith Peace Initiative. Makes the case for action against companies that profit from the Israeli occupation.
Bustan
Partnership of Jewish and Arab eco-builders, architects,
academics, and farmers promoting social and environmental justice
in Israel/Palestine. Cultivates sustainable models to effect change
by combining advocacy and in-depth political analysis with strategic
action and utilizes principles of permaculture and non-violent direct
action across ethnic divides.
Zatoun
Zatoun (the Arabic word for ‘olive’) is
a non-profit organization which sells Palestinian olive oil to benefit
Palestinian farmers and their children living in occupied Palestine,
and which works to create awareness for peace in Palestine.
Selected news and analysis sources
Aljazeera
English-language site of the Arabic news network.
Ha’aretz
Israeli daily newspaper.
The Guardian
British daily newspaper.
Guardian Weekly
British weekly newspaper.
Le Monde Diplomatique
Excellent French newspaper with in-depth analytical
articles. Also in English,
German,
and other
languages.
Deutsche Welle
Site of the German broadcasting service, available
in 30 languages.
BBC News
Web site of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
ZNet Israel-Palestine
Watch
Progressive Web site with extensive coverage of Israel-Palestine.
Counterpunch
An American newsletter featuring numerous articles
about the Middle East.
Palestine Chronicle
Independent online newspaper providing daily news,
commentary, features and book reviews on a variety of subjects,
largely focused on Palestine, the Arab-Israeli conflict and the
Middle East as a whole.
Redress Information
& Analysis
UK-based Web site “aspires to redress the balance
of world news and information by being a voice for the voiceless,
by focusing on injustice and by providing an alternative interpretation
of international and domestic issues”.
Kibush - Occupation Magazine
News, summaries, and commentary by people opposing
Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories. In Hebrew,
English and Russian.
Robert Fisk
Web site featuring articles by Robert Fisk, Middle
East correspondent for the Independent
newspaper.
Jonathan Cook
Web site featuring articles of Jonathan Cook, a British
journalist based in Nazareth.
Bitter Lemons
Presents Israeli and Palestinian viewpoints on prominent
issues of concern, focusing on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
and peace process. Produced, edited and partially written by Ghassan
Khatib, a Palestinian, and Yossi Alpher, an Israeli. Its goal is
to contribute to mutual understanding through the open exchange
of ideas.
A more extensive list of articles, books, and other resources is available on the Additional Resources page.
Free Speech and Acceptable Truths
April 1, 2008. A statement on responsible free speech and the debate about Israel Apartheid Week on university campuses.
Israeli minister threatens Palestinian holocaust as public demand ceasefire talks
February 29, 2008.
One day after Israeli occupation forces killed 31 Palestinians, nine of them children, one a six-month-old baby, in a series of air raids across the Gaza Strip, Israel's deputy defense minister threatened to unleash a holocaust on Gaza.
Criticism is not disloyal
February 15, 2008.
Support for Palestinian rights thus need not come at the expense of concern for Israelis - in fact, advocating changes to Israeli policies that perpetuate war, anger, and resistance is the truest promotion of Israelis’ well-being.
Why Israel?
August 19, 2007. Jason Kunin tackles the question of why Israel deserves sanctions when there are other countries also committing gross human rights violations.
Why Israeli Anti-Zionists do NOT "recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist as a Jewish state"
Henry Lowi says that states that define themselves with reference to the domination of one ethnic group cannot claim legitimacy. 2007.
Health
care and children in crisis in Gaza
March 26, 2007. These days one hears a lot about
Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan, adults who have been specifically
trained for warfare, who are nevertheless traumatized by the experience
of seeing comrades injured or killed, or suffering injuries or danger
themselves. The trauma goes on, long after the experience has ended
and they are back in a place of safety. How much worse then for
children in Gaza who witness and experience these events day after
day, week after week with no end and with no place of safety.
Israel
boycott may be the way to peace
December 15, 2006. The non-violent international
response to apartheid was a campaign of boycott, divestment and
UN-imposed sanctions which enabled the regime to change without
bloodshed. We should try to follow the same route to a just peace.
We must speak out - By John Berger. A world-wide appeal to teachers, intellectuals and artists to join the cultural boycott of the state of Israel.
Addressing the Violence: My Roadmap to Peace - By Eyad El Sarraj. 2006.
On
the US-Israeli Invasion of Lebanon
By Noam Chomsky. August 23, 2006. The supposed justifications
for the invasion are a cynical fraud.
Building
Blocks for Peace in the Middle East
By Johan Galtung. The minimal demands of both sides
are compatible and legitimate; the maximum demands lead to endless
war.
Hezbollah,
Hamas and Israel: Everything You Need To Know
By Alexander Cockburn. We are supposed to think that
the current crisis in the Middle East has no historical roots. Counterpunch,
July 21, 2006.
The
propaganda war
By Henry Lowi. Nothing will change until the people
of Palestine, Arabs and Jews, rise up to change the rules of the
game, and rebuild the country on a new basis that respects democracy
and human rights and good-neighbourly relations. July 18, 2006.
If
Israel Has the Right to Use Force in Self-Defense, So Do Its Neighbours
By Amad Samih Khalidi. There is no reason why Israel
should be able to enter Arab sovereign soil to occupy, destroy,
kidnap and eliminate its perceived foes — repeatedly, with
impunity and without restraint — while the Arab side cannot
do the same. July 18, 2006.
Palestinian
Civil Society Calls for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Against
Israel
A call for sanctions against Israel until it complies
with international law and universal principles of human rights.
July 9, 2006. See also: Boycott
Fact Sheet.
Starving
in the Dark: Israel's Appalling Bombing of Gaza
By Virginia Tilley. Destroying the only power source
for a trapped and defenseless civilian population is an unprecedented
step toward barbarity. It reeks, ironically, of the Warsaw Ghetto.
June 30, 2006.
With
a little help from outside
By Gideon Levy. The world sees a great and ongoing
injustice. They want a just Israel. They see an Israel that occupies
and is clearly unjust, and they believe they should do something.
We should thank them for this from the bottom of our hearts. June
12, 2006.
South
African trade union congress supports CUPE boycott of Israel
South African workers will never forget the support
given by the Israeli state to the apartheid South African regime.
In the same way we will never forget the thousands of acts of solidarity
of ordinary citizens around the world who sustained our struggle
through the boycott weapon. June 6, 2006.
A
reply to B’nai Brith’s “Manifesto Denouncing CUPE-Ontario's
Boycott of Israel”
By the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid. June
3, 2006.
A Threat
from Within: Jewish Opposition to Zionism
Michael Neumann reviews a book on Jewish Orthodox
opposition to Zionism. See also excerpt in “New
book describes a century of Jewish opposition to Zionism”.
January 2006.
Telling
it Like It Isn’t
By Robert Fisk. Let’s call a colony a colony,
let’s call occupation what it is, let’s call a wall a
wall. December 28, 2005.
Sanctions
Against the Israeli Occupation: It’s Time
A call from the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
(ICAHD) for sanctions as the next logical step in the global campaign
to end the Occupation. January 29, 2005.
The Olga Document
A document written in a series of meetings in Givat Olga, Israel, and titled after the location, The Olga Document. Advoctes coexistence of the peoples of this country, based on mutual recognition, equal partnership and implementation of historical justice. June 2004.
Words
Have Failed
By Amira Hass. The written word is a failure at making
tangible to Israeli readers the true horror of the Occupation. March
3, 2004.
Truth
Against Truth
By Uri Avnery, Gush
Shalom. Challenges the myths, conventional lies, and historical
falsehoods on which most of the arguments of both Israeli and Palestinian
propaganda rest. The truths of both sides are intertwined into one
historical narrative that does justice to both. Without this common
basis, peace is impossible. 2003.
America’s
Last Taboo
By Edward Said. The unspoken premise of the mainstream
press is that no Palestinian or Arab position on Israeli police
terror, settler-colonialism, or military occupation is worth hearing
from. November 2002.
Quest
for Justice
Judith Stone, an American Jew, argues that Jews of
conscience must support the right of return of the Palestinian people.
November 2002.
Do
I Divest?
By Archbishop Desmond Tutu. If apartheid ended, so
can this occupation, but the moral force and international pressure
will have to be just as determined. November 2002.
Israeli
violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in
the occupied Palestinian territories
Speech by Professor Jeff Halper, Coordinator Israeli
Committee Against House Demolitions. Halper focuses on the fact
that “virtually all of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian
lands violates human rights conventions and especially the Fourth
Geneva Convention that forbids an occupying power from making its
presence a permanent one.” June 20, 2002.
A
truly fragile identity
By Edward Said. Israel has equated modern identity
not with actual live people, with rights and obligations, but with
a vast collectivity with no limits either in the past, the present,
or the future. March 2002.
When
journalists forget that murder is murder
By Robert Fisk. When Israelis are involved, our moral
compass, our ability to report the truth, dries up. August 2001.
Anti-racists
who question Zionism are not racists
By Stephen Gowans. Anyone who criticizes the actions
of the Israeli government runs the risk of being labelled anti-Semitic
by those who want to silence all criticism of Israel. July 2001.
Israel's
approved ethnic cleansing
By Edward Herman. Israel's treatment of the Palestinians
has always presented a moral problem to the West, as that treatment
has violated every law and moral standard on the books. June 2001.
Israeli
apartheid and terrorism
By Edward Herman. If Jews in France were required
to carry identification cards designating them Jews, could not acquire
land or buy or rent homes in most of the country, were not eligible
for service in the armed forces, and French law banned any political
party or legislation calling for equal rights for Jews, would France
be widely praised in the United States as a “symbol of human
decency” and paragon of democracy? May 1994.
Israel
will withdraw only under pressure.
By Israel Shahak. The overwhelming majority of the
Jewish public has been determined since 1967 not to relinquish any
territory except if forced to do so. 1991.
Anti-semitism and the Beirut Pogrom - By Fredy Perlman. The long exile is over; the persecuted refugee at long last returns to Zion, but so badly scarred he’s unrecognizable, he has completely lost his self; he returns as anti-Semite, as Pogromist, as mass murderer; the ages of exile and suffering are still included in his makeup, but only as self-justifications. 1983.
Reflections and Meditations Thirty Years After - Two pieces written by I. F. Stone 30 years after the publication of his 1946 book Underground to Palestine. Part I is called "Confessions of a Jewish Dissident", Part II is called "The Other Zionism". (1978).
Selected Quotes - Israel/Palestine
A selection of quotes about Palestine and Israel.
Other Resources on Palestine and Israel - Other International Links
Related topics from the Connexions Library Subject Index:
Aggression - Anti-Semitism - Apartheid - Arab Affairs/Politics - Arab/Israeli Issues - Boycotts - Canada-Israel Relations - Canadian Jews/Attitude to Israel - Censorship - Children/Violence - Crimes Against Humanity - Discrimination - Disinvestment - Double Standards - Foreign Policy - Gaza Strip - Hate - History/Arab - Holocaust - Human Rights Abuses - Human Rights Abuses/International - International Law - Israel - Israel/Doing Business in - Israel/Investing in - Israeli Apartheid - Israeli Settlements - Jewish History - Jews - Jews in Arab Lands - Jews in Canada - Labour Movement - Media Bias - Media Coverage/Middle East - Middle East - Middle East Conflict - Middle East Peace Process - Middle East Politics/History - Militarism - News Bias - News Coverage/International - Occupied Territories - Palestine - Palestine/Occupation - Palestinian Authority - Palestinian Refugees - Palestinians - Peace - Peacebuilding - Propaganda - Racism - Refugees - Rule of Law - Sanctions - Solidarity - South Africa - Torture - United Nations - War Crimes - Zionism
Keywords for finding groups in the Connexions Directory of Organizations:
Anti-Semitism - Apartheid - Arab Affairs/Politics - Arab/Israeli Issues - Boycotts - Censorship - Disinvestment - Foreign Policy - Gaza Strip - History/Arab - Human Rights Abuses - Human Rights Abuses/International - International Law - Israel - Israeli Apartheid - Media Bias - Media Coverage/Middle East - Middle East - Middle East Conflict - Middle East Politics/History - Militarism - News Bias - Occupied Territories - Palestine - Palestine/Occupation - Palestinian Refugees - Palestinians - Propaganda - Racism - Refugees - Solidarity - Torture - United Nations - War Crimes - Zionism
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