These are the words of Rabbi Alissa Wise of Jewish Voice for Peace (lightly edited): Anti-Semitism is real – that’s not up for debate. Wherever anti-Semitism exists, we need to stamp it out. But criticizing Israel isn’t anti-Semitic. Nor is speaking out against the occupation of Palestine. Unfortunately, the State Department doesn’t see it that …
The British election may have been boring and the electorate unimpressed and unengaged, but at least it was short and was not overwhelmed by cash from dubious sources. Hillary Clinton’s base wants a Constitutional Amendment that defines a person as a human being, not a corporation or a faceless SuperPac. This is not going to …
By the end of the decade the US could have outstripped even Saudi Arabia and Russia in oil production. The development of new shale resources in North America and the opening up of the Alaska fields could see the country pumping 14.2m barrels per day (bpd) of oil and petroleum liquids by 2020, up from …
Continue reading ‘More on oil production in the United States – blessing or systemic threat?’ »
A blogger has been publicly flogged for encouraging free speech in Saudi Arabia. Raif Badawi, 30, who set up the Free Saudi Liberals website, was arrested in 2012, and charged with offences including insulting Islam. On his conviction last May, Badawi was fined 1m riyals (£175,000, $280,000) and sentenced to ten years in jail and …
Continue reading ‘Is the writing on the wall for the Saudis?’ »
There seems to be an idea gaining ground that racism and xenophobia have become a German nationwide problem, and that endless mistakes have been made by politicians dealing with social policy towards asylum seekers. This is nonsense. The problem isn’t Germany’s social policy, it’s right-wing extremists, who can’t be reasoned with because they’re not rational. …
