war

Woman near shattered window caused by a Hamas rocket on July 15, 2014 in the town of Sderot, Israel. (Photo by Activestills.org)

Gaza is here — and it’s not going anywhere

After 17 years of war, Israel’s leaders still fail to understand that no amount of military force will make Gaza disappear. By Avi Dabush I was born and raised in Ashkelon; now I live near Sderot. I still remember Gaza, just an arm’s length away. No matter how much military force Israel uses, Gaza is not…

By +972 Magazine May 30, 2018

An IDF Memorial Day service (Wikicommons)

Deconstructing Israel’s culture of bereavement

Protesting against the appropriation of their sons’ death by the state, a group of bereaved families sets out to redefine their relationship with their fallen relatives, independently of nationalism.

By Social TV May 6, 2015

Palestinians from Shejaiya area flee their homes and look for shelter in Gaza city following a large-scale Israeli attack on their neighborhood, Gaza City, July 20, 2014. Spokesman of the Palestinian ministry of health Ashraf al-Qidra said rescue teams evacuated more than 80 dead bodies from destroyed houses in Shejaiya including 17 children, 14 women and 4 elderly people. More than 200 injured people were taken to al-Shifa Hospital. Death toll in the Gaza Strip accedes 392 with over 2650 wounded since the beginning of the Israeli offensive. (photo: Anne Paq / activestills)

When will we get it? Palestinians are fighting for their freedom

We consider ourselves a nation that just wants to live in peace, but it’s about time we realize that for Palestinians the siege and the occupation are a constant state of war. This article is a translation from Hebrew of my Time Out Tel Aviv column from July 31. Not one of our wars was one of our…

By Noam Sheizaf August 1, 2014

Latest

WATCH: Israelis from Sderot play Palestinians under the occupation

There has been a lot of nationalism, warmongering and even racism in the Israeli media this past week, and inflammatory militaristic statements are still heard everywhere. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to post this video by filmmaker Itamar Rose. Several months ago, Rose traveled with a Palestinian friend to Sderot, which has…

By Noam Sheizaf November 23, 2012

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing the cease fire between Israel and Hamas (photo: Koby Gidon/ Government Press Office)

Netanyahu answers Facebook comments criticizing ceasefire with Hamas

Prime Minister’s Netanyahu’s announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which was also posted on his official Facebook page, received this evening an uncharacteristic number of angry comments by citizens demanding the government continue the assault on Gaza, among them: “Puppet for the U.S.”; “You have surrendered to terrorism, shame!”; and so on. The…

By Noam Sheizaf November 21, 2012

Palestinians in Gaza celebrate the ceasefire reached between Hamas and Israel. November 21, 2012 (Photo: Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

Ceasefire declared, but conditions that led to escalation remain

As attacks from both sides come to a halt, Hamas claims victory while Prime Minister Netanyahu faces criticism at home. The Palestinian Authority seems more irrelevant than at any other point since the Oslo Accords. An agreement over a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect at around 9:00 p.m. local time today (Wednesday).…

By Noam Sheizaf November 21, 2012

A girl holds a candle next to a photo of 3-year-old Ranan Yousef Arafat, who was killed by Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, as Palestinians gathered in Bethlehem's Manger Square to mourn the victims of Israeli military strikes and to call for an end to the escalation of violence, November 17, 2012 (photo: Ryan Rodrick Beiler/Activestills.org)

PHOTO ESSAY: Death, fear and protest as attacks on Gaza, Israel intensify

By +972 and Activestills At least 23 people, among them 14 women and children, were killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza on Sunday, November 18th, bringing the total number of Palestinian casualties since the assassination of Ahmad Jabari to 69. Three Israelis were killed last week when a rocket hit a house in the southern town of…

By +972 Magazine November 18, 2012

Palestinian women mourning the death of Mahmoud Raed Saddllah, a 4-year-old child, killed in an explosion in Jabaliya, Gaza strip, November 16, 2012. (photo: Anne Paq/Activestills.org)

Teaching the Palestinians a lesson

The Israeli government’s insistence on maintaining the political and diplomatic status quo in Gaza and the West Bank guarantees many more years of violence and suffering – especially for the Palestinians. Three days into the Israeli attack on Gaza, it seems that a political window for a ceasefire could have emerged. Israeli casualties are still limited, and unlike in…

By Noam Sheizaf November 17, 2012

IDF, Hamas exchange Twitter threats

A window into the childish, murderous thinking on the leaderships of both sides. Via Alex Yudelson. Related: Israeli politicians line up behind assault on Gaza Strip Gaza operation will be declared a success, until the next war

By Noam Sheizaf November 14, 2012

‘In a war, they do not distribute bread and halvah’

Some interesting quotes via the Iranian media roundup at Tehran Bureau (my emphasis). In his sermon for the Eid al-Fitr prayer in Qom, Grand Ayatollah Yousef Sanei, known as a supporter of the Green Movement, addressed the recent reports that Israel may be preparing to attack Iran. “I did not intend to discuss this issue,”…

By Noam Sheizaf August 21, 2012

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Barak (IDF Spokesperson)

Netanyahu’s empty gun: War with Iran less and less likely

The rhetoric of Israel’s prime minister and defense minister stands at odds with what seems like a growing recognition that Israel will not attack the Iranian nuclear facilities on its own. There is an absolute consensus in the Israeli security establishment that striking the Iranian nuclear facilities now, without the support or the approval of…

By Noam Sheizaf August 17, 2012

Protest against Israeli strike on Iran (Activestills)

Poll: Israeli Jews oppose a unilateral strike on Iran

Most Israelis do not back the Prime Minister and Defense Minister’s call for a pre-emptive strike on Iran, but most won’t do much to oppose it either. Here are some numbers and thoughts on why. Just one-quarter of the Jewish public (27 percent) in Israel supports a unilateral Israeli strike on Iran, according to a…

By Dahlia Scheindlin August 16, 2012

‘Anonymous decision maker’ advocating war with Iran is Ehud Barak

The top stories in all Israeli dailies this weekend discuss a coming strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Thirty-seven percent of Israelis think President Obama would stop Iran from developing a bomb, while only 29 percent doubt it. The front page headlines in all major daily papers in Israel deal with the increased likelihood of a…

By Noam Sheizaf August 10, 2012