Electronic Intifada : Letters to EI

Don't conflate liberalism with leftism

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:06:18 PST

I felt the need to point out a rather significant confusion of terms to be found in Joseph Shahadi's review of Steven Salaita's The Uncultured Wars: Arabs, Muslims and the Poverty of Liberal Thought, published by The Electronic Intifada on 15 October: that of conflating liberalism with leftism.

US Campaign's longstanding endorsement of the boycott call

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 11:45:02 PST

Thanks to Nada Elia for her article "A Turning Point in the US Solidarity Movement" (16 September 2009) and for her important role in cogently laying out the rationale for engaging in cultural and academic boycotts of Israeli institutions during the 8th Annual National Organizers' Conference of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. We broke new ground at this conference by voting to expand the scope of our boycott, divestment and sanctions work to encompass both cultural and academic boycotts of Israeli institutions and campaigns against Israeli corporations profiting from occupation and apartheid.

Hampshire officials: investment decision didn't single out Israel

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:40:56 PST

The following statement was sent to The Electronic Intifada in response to the 12 February 2009 press release issued by Students for Justice in Palestine at Hampshire College that claimed Hampshire College divested from companies on the grounds of their involvement in the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Why an absolute boycott?

Tue, 20 May 2008 03:40:46 PST

As regular readers and supporters of The Electronic Intifada and in concert with much of the positions articulated by writers and contributers to EI, we have a question related to the 1 May Adalah-NY press release "Dubai begins to comply with calls to boycott settlement financier," published in EI's Activism news section and which seems to call for an absolute boycott of Israelis in Dubai.

Palestine and the Kosovo analogy

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:56:58 PST

Dear Ali Abunimah: I have long been and continue to be an ardent admirer of your work, particularly your forceful, unflinching regard for truth and justice, no matter who agrees or disagrees. Based on that virtue of yours, I trust you will take my concern over your characterization of the Serbia/Kosovo question with proportionate seriousness. You respond to the Haaretz columns about whether Kosovo is Palestine or Israel by engaging in their debate which is, literally, nonsense. That is, Kosovo is Kosovo and Serbia is Serbia.

On Veolia, Bernard Kouchner and humanitarian action

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:39:20 PST

I am writing in response to Adri Nieuwhof's various articles on Veolia Transport, and in particular her article on Institut Veolia Environment of 8 December 2006, in which she urges all international experts collaborating with the Institut to end their relationship with it. In the article, Nieuwhof comments: "It is likely that the international experts are not aware of Veolia's involvement in the illegal tramline project in East Jerusalem. A number of them have a track record of respect for international law and human rights, for instance ... Bernard Kouchner ... founder of Medecins Sans Frontieres."

Working towards a Palestinian national voice

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:16:21 PST

Many members of the Palestinian Canadian community have been working hard to establish a truly representative Palestinian National Voice (PNV) organization for our community. Laith Marouf, identifying himself as the chapter coordinator for the student group Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR), on 14 September 2007 published an article attacking this effort (see Palestinian Diaspora: With or against collaboration?). James Kafieh responds.

Differing perceptions of Hezbollah

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 10:05:00 PST

Leila Buck's first article on Electronic Intifada was subtitled "I have so many things to say and share I don't know where to start." I feel the same way. Leila feels helpless facing US/Israeli propaganda about brutal war crimes against Arabs. I feel the same way. In her good anger she goes to an extreme to support her argument. One cannot say 90 percent of Lebanese do not support Hezbollah. That is wrong. The rich, much of the middle class indeed do not support Hezbollah. They are not even a majority.

Khalil Shikaki defends his refugee poll

Tue, 29 Jul 2003 11:56:00 PST

"The views expressed below by Ali Abunimah ("Who said Palestinians gave up the right of return?", 23 July 2003) reflect the concerns and fears of many Palestinians in the absence of a serious engagement by Palestinian leaders who refuse to be open and frank with their public." Khalil Shikaki, director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) responds to a recent EI article that criticised a recent poll by the center.