Gilad Schalit

Avraham 'Avera' Mengistu (Facebook)

Archaic gag order lifted: Two Israeli civilians being held in Gaza

This is the third time in five years — that we can discuss — in which Israeli authorities have tried to use comprehensive gag orders to stop the publication of stories of public interest. This also is the third time that the Internet has made a mockery of such efforts to control information. A 28-year-old…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man July 9, 2015

A Palestinian youth holds a mock rocket as thousands of Palestinians celebrate Hamas' 25th anniversary in the West Bank city of Hebron, December 14, 2012.
This is the first time since 2007 that the Palestinian Authority has allowed Hamas to celebrate its anniversary in the West Bank. (photo by: Oren Ziv/ Activestills.org)

Analysis: How Israel taught Hamas that violence is effective

The Islamic group has good reason to believe that violence will work for it, and maybe even set the stage for diplomatic engagement with Israel: it has in the past, both for itself and the PLO. It is ironic that Israel rushed to point to the kidnapping of three Israeli teens as the reason it…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man June 15, 2014

An Israeli prison guard escorts Samer Issawi, a Palestinian political prisoner, out of his court hearing in Jerusalem, January 16, 2013. Samer Issawi is on his 174th day of hunger strike, the court postponed the decision in his case to the 5th of February, 2013. (Photo by: Oren Ziv/Activestills.org)

Hunger-striker Samer Issawi is another statistic in an unjust legal system

Unlike Prisoner X, there is no public outrage in Israel over the way the legal system is preventing Samer Issawi from receiving a fair trial. But then again, Issawi is Palestinian. Samer Issawi, the Palestinian prisoner who has been on an intermittent hunger strike for over 200 days, had his day in court on Thursday.…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man February 21, 2013

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Ex-political prisoner shares journey though Israeli jails

There were 4,937 political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers in November 2011 according to Adameer, a Palestinian non-governmental organization. Yazan Abdulhadi was one of them before he was released on November 28, 2011, between the two swaps of the deal between Israel and Hamas to free Gilad Schalit (not as part of the…

By +972 Magazine February 17, 2012

Noam Schalit – instead of Knesset, go home

It’s not enough that for years, Israeli society dropped everything it was doing and ultimately risked people’s lives to bring Noam Schalit’s son home. Now he wants Israeli voters to send him to the Knesset. The whole Gilad Schalit saga was so weird, so unnatural, so out of proportion – why didn’t we all just commit mass suicide to show…

By Larry Derfner January 10, 2012

What do genocide, Schalit have to do with Palestinian prisoners?

The recent curtailment of the rights of Palestinian prisoners was presented by Israel as leverage designed to secure the release of Gilad Schalit. But Schalit has been released, while the sanctions remain. This past summer, somewhere around the fifth anniversary of Gilad Schalit’s capture, and several months before his release, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and…

By Haggai Matar November 25, 2011

WATCH: Livni explains why she opposed Schalit exchange deal

Livni speaks out on the prisoner swap, regional relations and the Arab Spring – but dodges a question on settlement policy During her visit to France this week, Kadima leader and head of the opposition Tzipi Livni sat for an interview with Annette Young of France 24‘s English-language service. Previously foreign minister in the Olmert…

By Lisa Goldman October 26, 2011

This government WANTS Hamas for its “partner”

Mahmoud Abbas’ popularity in the West is a headache for Benjamin Netanyahu. It’s no wonder he’d rather do business with Hamas If I were Bibi Netanyahu, that’s what I’d want. I’d say to myself: “Mahmoud Abbas is a pain in the neck, he’s popular with the West, he makes Israel look bad – he cooperates…

By Larry Derfner October 24, 2011

Rick’s Weekly Wrap: The boy is back in town

Welcome, one and all, to the Weekend Holyland Wrap. No, you cannot take your haz-mat suits off. There’s still Schalit Fever in the air. And smoke. And keep those helmets on. They’ll be needed too. This here is the extreme tour version. | Raging Rechavia “Rick” Berman gives you the week’s top stories as they…

By +972 Magazine October 23, 2011

AmiKaufman, Amik

WATCH: Schalit deal a tough dilemma for Herman Cain, too

During the Gilad Schalit swap, Wolf Blitzer asked Herman Cain if he could see himself authorizing something similar. And then came the Republican debate… [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RtISrjYPOk[/youtube]

By Ami Kaufman October 21, 2011

Neocon lobbyist marks Schalit release with calls for genocide?

Right? I mean, that’s the immediate impression when you read it (h/t Political Correction). Rachel Abrams, who blogs at Bad Rachel, sits on the board of the Emergency Committee for Israel, the very same group that tried accusing Occupy Wall Street of anti-Semitism. Take a deep breath: Yeah. Rwanda, make way, here comes Mrs. Abrams.…

By Dimi Reider October 19, 2011

AzizAbuSarah, AzizAS

WATCH: CNN interview on prisoner exchange

CNN interviewed me again, this time with Israeli Nir Weintraub, in order to hear our opinions on yesterday’s prisoner exchange. Watch the interview here: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvItBRdfn1Y[/youtube]

By Aziz Abu Sarah October 19, 2011

Michael Dukakis in tank (photo: youtube)

Hoping Bibi’s Schalit photo-op could be a Dukakis moment

As my colleague Dimi Reider posted yesterday, the social networks are swamped with pictures of PM Binyamin Netanyahu popping up in famous historical photos, after seeing him in almost every picture that the government released yesterday during the Schalit prisoner swap. The momentum seems to be in full swing, and anyone who opened up their…

By Ami Kaufman October 19, 2011