palestine

Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies and the Transnational Institute wants politicians, particularly President Obama, to know that criticizing Israel is no longer political suicide. Despite Republican fearmongering, 78% of Jewish voters supported Obama, and the rise of the new, pro-peace J Street lobby, which held its first convention this week, did not happen in a vacuum. The discourse, she notes, has changed and Americans no longer wholeheartedly support militaristic policies in Israel.

Sometimes revolution ignites when individuals ask themselves one simple question: "Why?" These two Israeli teens, Maya Wind and Netta Mishly, asked themselves "Why terrorism?" "Why hostility?" "Why crisis?". When they discovered the answers, they decided not to perform their mandatory military service. These adolescents are known as the Shministim and are currently on a U.S. tour with the group Jewish Voices for Peace and CodePink and sharing with us why they chose the bold path of defiance through nonviolent activism for justice and peace in Israel and Palestine.

Diana Buttu, Palestinian-Candian lawyer, gives us the lowdown on President Obama's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

International pressure is mounting on Israel to end the occupation. More than 1,000 filmmakers, actors, and writers recently called for a protest of the Toronto Film Festival?s spotlight on Tel-Aviv. Neve Gordon, in a recent editorial, explains why it is time to boycott Israel. He says that The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctionscampaign is the only way to save Israel from itself. To find out more about what you can do visit endtheoccupation.org.