"We may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the era of impunity," Nadia Hijab, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Institute for Palestine Studies, was quoted by IPS in response to the findings of a 574-page report by a four-member United Nations Fact finding mission.

Left out of the options under consideration in "Obama's war" is the only one with any chance of success. Despite assurances to the contrary in Washington and a major policy speech in London, one need not quibble with the obvious fact that the situation is deteriorating beyond repair in Afghanistan.

Nearly 1,400 Palestinians were killed during Israel's massive operation in the Gaza Strip eight months ago and over half of them were civilians, an Israeli human rights group revealed on Wednesday.

The goal of every activity in the struggle of our party outside the country is to have a bearing on the events inside Iran, and to secure more active participation in the process of political struggles of masses and labor movement in the country. Therefore, drawing up the movement (action) of the party simply reflects the content and intent of a party with close to 70 years history of very effective struggle in the destiny of our country.

Kite flying activities go well beyond the physical phenomenon of wind blown materials flying tethered to their earth bound launchers. It is an activity including local knowledge of winds and landscapes, knowledge of how to physically shape the kite in order to have it fly.

How much did the boycott of South Africa actually contribute to the fall of the racist regime? This week I talked with Desmond Tutu about this question, which has been on my mind for a long time.

Gaza’s troubles have somehow been relegated, if not completely dropped from the mainstream media’s radar, and subsequently the world’s conscience and consciousness. Weaning the public from the sadness there conveys the false impression that things are improving and that people are starting to move on and rebuild their lives.

The US initiated a sort of “shock and awe” operation in Afghanistan in late 2001, what appeared to many as a knee-jerk reaction to September 11th, in the midst of a half-heartedly supportive but largely bewildered American public.

THE ANCIENT port of Acre is now the object of a fierce battle. The Arab inhabitants of the town want the port to bear the name of an Arab hero, Issa al Awam, a general under Saladin, the Muslim leader who defeated the Crusaders. The municipality of Acre, which of course is dominated by the Jewish inhabitants, has decided to give the port the name of an Israeli functionary.

When seen from a distance, kites in Gaza may look quite ordinary. But while Gazan children, in many respects, are just children, their kites are hardly ordinary. Often adorned by the red, black, green and white of the Palestinian flag, Gazan children’s kites are expressions of defiance, hope and the longing for freedom.

The majority of our contemporaries are convinced that we are in a historic period of transition to a new system of world order. Its future shape, however, is rather unclear. Only one thing is emphasized time and again with striking certitude: An era of disorder, dissolution and chaos lies before us, and it is likewise unclear where it will end.

Israeli officials face a conundrum that may take more than military muscle-flexing to resolve: how to deal with Iran? The solution to this dilemma will require no less than sheer political genius.

In the first years after the Six-Day War, I was a frequent guest there. My work in the Knesset demanded that I stay in Jerusalem at least two nights every week, and after the war I switched from the hotels of West Jerusalem to those in the Eastern part of the city. My favorite was the Shepherd. I felt at home there.

Armored vehicles, armed escorts, blast-resistant walls and other security measures have made humanitarian work in Afghanistan more expensive and risky than ever before, say analysts. 


Israelis caught assisting "illegal" immigrants could soon receive the same punishment as the people they help. If a bill being discussed in the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) becomes law, it would be the only legislation in the world that mandates equal punishment for both parties.

The unexpected triumph for the pro-Western March 14 Alliance, led by Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri, the son of assassinated former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri, has provided much relief to many in the West, especially the United States, which lists Hezbollah as a terrorist group.

His room is ready; the walls have fresh paint and my kids prepared a basket of chocolates and other treats to place beside his bed. They hung a poster on his door that has been decorated with colored pens and glitter that says “Welcome Shobhi!”

While Obama proclaims the 21st century, the government of Israel is returning to the 19th. One man spoke to the world, and the world listened. He walked onto the stage in Cairo alone, without hosts and without aides, and delivered a sermon to an audience of billions.

Tel Aviv – Thousands of peace and communists activists marched Saturday, June 6, 2009 in Tel Aviv marking 42 years of Palestinian territories occupation.

The positive atmosphere surrounding last Thursday's meeting between President Barack Obama and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, confirms the new US administration has changed the approach to the Middle East.