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Articles by Brant Rosen
This Passover, We Must Reckon With Israel’s Massacre of Children in Gaza
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation Content Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of violence to children. As the Jewish community prepares to observe Passover this year, I’m thinking a great deal about the centrality of children to the Exodus story we tell around the seder table. In particular, I’m struck that this narrative from the Torah begins with a terrifying description of atrocities committed against children.
Peter Beinart’s ‘Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza’ Expertly Dismantles Pro-Israel Propaganda - But Does it Adequately Reckon with the Genocide? | Religion Dispatches
The ambitious intentions of Peter Beinart’s new book are evident from the title: Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza: A Reckoning. Responding to the current moment, Beinart has written nothing short of a spiritual manifesto for the future of Judaism. It’s a tall-order for such a slim volume, but it’s one that Beinart is uniquely positioned to take on.
We Charge Genocide: The Shofar Calls Us to Account on Rosh Hashanah
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation Every year at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, synagogues across the world sound the shofar, a ram’s horn that represents the signature moment of the holiday. Over the centuries, Jewish commentators have offered a variety of explanations for this ritual. Moses Maimonides famously called it a wake-up call to personal atonement; others view it as a call to action or a tribute to God’s power.
Delta Airlines Forces Passenger to Remove T-Shirt in Anti-Palestine Move
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation Since the onset of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza in October 2023, there has been a dramatic rise in harassment, policing and discrimination against Palestinians and allies who publicly speak out in favor of a ceasefire.
We Tried to Bring Food into Gaza-but Israel Blocked and Arrested Us
Brant Rosen | The Nation - TRANSCEND Media Service As Israel continues to starve the people of Gaza, a delegation of rabbis marched toward the Erez Crossing during Passover carrying sacks of flour and demanding a cease-fire. 6 May 2024 – In 2017, I spent several days in Gaza as a staff person for the American Friends Service Committee.
Hamas Accepting Ceasefire Proposal Creates a Major Dilemma For Israel
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We Tried to Bring Food Into Gaza-But Israel Blocked and Arrested Us
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Passage of the cease-fire resolution was a proud moment for Chicago
Following weeks of delays and emotional debate, the Chicago City Council finally passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza last Wednesday, becoming the largest American city to take such a stand. Even as the final vote passed with the narrowest of margins - 24-23, with Mayor Brandon Johnson casting the tiebreaking vote - it is impossible to underestimate the importance of such a statement. Cease-fire resolutions such as this are far more than symbolic, "feel-good" exercises.
Commentary: Passage of the cease-fire resolution was a proud moment for Chicago
Following weeks of delays and emotional debate, the Chicago City Council finally passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza last Wednesday, becoming the largest American city to take such a stand. Even as the final vote passed with the narrowest of margins - 24-23, with Mayor Brandon Johnson casting the tiebreaking vote - it is impossible to underestimate the importance of such a statement. Cease-fire resolutions such as this are far more than symbolic, "feel-good" exercises.
Commentary: Passage Of The Cease-fire Resolution Was A Proud Moment For Chicago - Chicago Tribune
Following weeks of delays and emotional debate, the Chicago City Council finally passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza last Wednesday, becoming the largest American city to take such a stand. Even as the final vote passed with the narrowest of margins — 24-23, with Mayor Brandon Johnson casting the tiebreaking vote — it is impossible to underestimate the importance of such a statement. Cease-fire resolutions such as this are far more than symbolic, “feel-good” exercises.
“In Gaza, Israel is Revealing the True Face of Zionism” — Tzedek Chicago
The unspeakable violence currently unfolding in Gaza is confronting the Jewish community with the most critical moral challenge of our lifetime. As of this writing, over 21,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military, of them children. According to the UN, nearly two million people have been internally displaced, confining them to less than one-third of the Gaza Strip's territory.
Guest essay: Evanston must join the call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza Original
By Brant Rosen It is not an overstatement to assert that the ongoing, unspeakable violence that is currently unfolding in Israel-Palestine is confronting us all with the most critical moral challenge of our lifetimes. As of this writing, reports indicate Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, of them children. Over a million Gazans have been displaced and forced into a corner of this tiny strip of land.
Amid Israel’s Brutality in Gaza, It’s Time to Commit to Anti-Zionism
Amid Israel’s Brutality in Gaza, It’s Time to Commit to Anti-Zionism As Israel devastates Gaza, Jewish anti-Zionists are resisting and insisting that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. By Brant Rosen , Truthout Published December 5, 2023 Activists from the group Jewish Voice for Peace stage a sit-in blockade of the Manhattan Bridge on November 26, 2023, in New York City.
Israel’s Violence Will Never Bring “Safety” to Anyone, Including Jews
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation The horror and heartbreak in Gaza reaches new proportions each minute: Israel’s siege has killed at least 3,000 people and injured 12,500 in the past week and a half, and a possible ground invasion threatens unspeakable levels of new violence. The Israeli forces and settlers have also killed 61 and injured 1,250 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Media’s Selective Moral Outrage Manufactures Consent for Palestinian Genocide
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation In a viral post on X, former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis ignited an intense debate about selective condemnation and moral outrage surrounding Israel’s massive bombardment of Gaza, which the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations described as “nothing less than genocidal.” Varoufakis stated: I condemn every killing with equal passion.
Donald Trump and Stephen Miller Exploit Gaza Crisis to Push Muslim Travel Ban
Immigrant rights groups say Trump’s escalating rhetoric is increasing the risk of white nationalist violence.
Israel Orders Mass Evacuation of Over 1 Million Palestinians in Northern Gaza
The order comes as many fear that a ground invasion of Gaza by Israeli forces is imminent. By Chris Walker , Truthout Published October 13, 2023 People carry their belongings around destroyed buildings and debris at the Al-Karama neighborhood after an Israeli airstrike that has been going on for five days in Gaza City on October 11, 2023.
On Yom Kippur, Solidarity With Palestinians Is a Sacred Act
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation Today, as Jewish communities across the world gather together for Yom Kippur’s collective rituals of atonement, I am thinking about how, in Jewish tradition, words are said to have a sacred power. In the first chapter of the Torah, God creates the world itself through the power of speech. In the book of Exodus, the Israelites speak as one people at Sinai, thereby entering into a covenant with God.
The White House’s Strategic Plan on Antisemitism Is Fatally Flawed
Skip to content Skip to footer Those concerned with antisemitism must understand what it truly means to challenge it as part of movements for justice. A recently released White House strategic plan on combatting antisemitism, while including numerous mentions of “cross community solidarity” and the importance of combatting all forms of hate, fails to promote a framework that makes that kind of solidarity possible.
1 Year Ago Israel Killed Shireen Abu Akleh. We Won’t Forget Her, or the Nakba.
Part of the Series Struggle and Solidarity: Writing Toward Palestinian Liberation Two weeks before an Israeli sniper killed Shireen Abu Akleh, Reporters Without Borders marked the fourth anniversary of the killing of Palestinian journalists Ahmed Abu Hussein and Yasser Murtaja by Israeli forces. The organization also reported that from March 30, 2018, to April 25, 2022, “at least 144 Palestinian journalists [had] been at the receiving end” of Israeli military or police violence.
Israeli Forces Condemned for Brutal Raid of Al-Aqsa Mosque
Skip to content Skip to footer Israeli police stormed the site using stun grenades and tear gas against worshippers gathered for Ramadan prayers. Israeli police brutally attacked Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Tuesday night, injuring at least a dozen peaceful worshipers and arresting more than 400 during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Our Vision of Liberation This Passover Must Include Palestinians
On Passover, when we gather at the seder table to tell the story of the Exodus, we are reminded by the haggadah (the seder text) that merely telling the story is not enough. We are asked to not only relate but to interrogate this sacred narrative, to contemplate its meaning and to discuss the questions it raises for us.
Palestinian Journalism Faces Ruthless Censorship in Israel and US
While Palestinian journalists are killed or jailed by Israel, criticism of Israel is voluntarily blocked by U.S. media. Journalists covering Palestine experienced an extremely difficult and horrific terrain in 2022. It was a year filled with human rights violations, censorship, detentions and outright killing.
Jewish Groups Say GOP, Not Ilhan Omar, Is Pushing Antisemitism
In his quest for the House speaker’s gavel, Republican leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy has pledged to remove Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee for allegedly making antisemitic comments. Jewish American groups came to Omar’s defense this week, dismissing the accusations against her and pointing out antisemitism in the GOP’s own ranks. Meanwhile, McCarthy is apparently holding weekly strategy meetings that include Rep.
GOP-Run Account Deletes Tweet Praising Kanye West After Rapper’s Latest Antisemitic Diatribe
A Twitter account managed by Republican lawmakers who are part of the House Judiciary Committee deleted a tweet praising Kanye West after the rapper praised Adolf Hitler and denied the existence of the Jewish Holocaust during World War II during an interview on Thursday.
ADL CEO Misrepresents Report on Antisemitism to Attack Palestinian Groups
Keen observers have long noted that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is essentially a xenophobic Israel-advocacy organization masquerading as a Jewish civil rights organization. If there was ever any doubt, this became abundantly clear at the ADL’s National Leadership Summit on May 1, when CEO Jonathan Greenblatt delivered a prerecorded speech, ostensibly to discuss the mission of the organization in light of its just-released 2021 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents.
Tzedek Chicago Adds Anti-Zionism to Our Core Values Statement — Tzedek Chicago
The Tzedek Chicago membership has voted to add anti-Zionism to the core values of our congregation. The Tzedek Chicago membership has voted to affirm a unanimous board decision to change “non-Zionism” to “anti-Zionism” in our core values statement. This vote followed on a months-long series of membership meetings and collective discernment - and the Tzedek leadership is immensely grateful to the many members who participated so actively and honestly in this process.
Yom Kippur Is About Rejecting the Status Quo -- and Vowing to Change It
This Yom Kippur, a sacred refrain is running back and forth through my head: Texas, what the hell? That’s right Texas, what the hell? In just one day, on September 1, the Texas state legislature all but banned abortions statewide, passed the most restrictive voting laws in the U.S., and allowed Texans to carry handguns openly without a license.
Thoughts on My Mother, Ruth Rosen
The sweetness people saw in Ruthie Rosen was very real. It was honest; it was genuine. My mother was truly young at heart; she had that beautiful smile and that ready laugh for her entire life. Ruthie was also, for lack of a better word, a pure artist. Ruth Rosen was born in 1933 in Los Angeles to Simon Israel and Gertrude Ellenberg. Mom was the youngest of three sisters, something of an unexpected surprise; she was born nine years after her next older sister, Francie.
On Passover, Israel and "Demographic Threats"
(Image: Jared Rodriguez / Truthout) Stories like this only get published because of reader support. Want to see more of them? Donate to Truthout today to ensure we have a future! The weeklong Jewish festival of Passover is coming to a close, but like many Jews around the world I’m still digesting the myriad questions, answers and discussions that ensued as we retold the biblical story of the Exodus at our seder.
Hanukkah Is About Resistance. Let’s Resist This COVID Spike Through Mutual Aid.
With Hanukkah now upon us, the internet is abuzz with articles offering guidance on how to celebrate the holiday in the age of COVID-19. While most of them focus on practical issues such as socially distanced Hanukkah parties and Zoom candle lightings, I’ve been thinking a great deal on what the story of Hanukkah might have to offer to all of us as we gear up for a winter like none we’ve ever experienced in our lifetimes.
On Hanukkah, Let's Rededicate Our Commitment to Environmental Justice
“And when the Maccabees overcame them and emerged victorious, they searched and found only one cruse of oil sufficient to light the menorah for only one day. But a miracle occurred and they lit the menorah from it for eight days.” –Talmud, Tractate Shabbat The central story commemorated on Hanukkah comes from books 1 and 2 Maccabees, which tells of a small group of Jews in the land of Israel that fought to liberate their community from the increasingly oppressive reign of the Seleucid empire.
Republicans Are Using Shameless Tactics to Split Democrats Over BDS
With the Senate’s imminent passage of the grandiosely titled Strengthening America’s Security in the Middle East Act of 2019, it’s now official: Israel/Palestine will be a major political wedge issue in the 116th Congress and the 2020 election season. And it’s not going to be pretty. This new Senate bill is essentially a package of previous bills that appears on the surface to be boilerplate Middle East legislation. But with the addition of a provision by Sen.
I Witnessed the Horror of Border Militarization, and Vow to Fight It
I’ve just returned from the San Diego-Tijuana border where I had the honor of participating in “Love Knows No Borders” — an interfaith action sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and co-sponsored by a myriad of faith organizations from across the country.
On Hanukkah, Let’s Challenge Militarized Security Responses to Anti-Semitism
Amid the swirl of responses to the deadly Pittsburgh synagogue shooting in October was the New York Post report of a Colorado gun shop owner named Mel “Dragonman,” who publicly offered free guns, ammo and firearms training to congregational rabbis.
After Pittsburgh, We Can No Longer Cry Wolf on “Campus Anti-Semitism”
The tragic killing of 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue last Saturday has created a painful reckoning over the resurgence of anti-Semitism in the US. If there was ever any question about the threat white nationalism poses to the Jewish community, there can be no doubt after this attack, which some are calling the deadliest act of anti-Semitism in American history.
Responding to Anti-Semitic Violence With Solidarity’s Sacred Power
Like so many, when I first heard the news of the horrific shooting in a Pittsburgh synagogue yesterday, I went immediately to the news and could not turn away. The initial reports were sketchy and inconclusive. Eventually it became clear that the outcome was as horrible as we could possibly have feared. As of this writing, 11 Shabbat worshippers at Tree of Life synagogue have been killed. Six people have been wounded.
In Israel, American Jews can kiss their privilege goodbye
The recent harassment of left-wing American Jews by the Shin Bet is a sign that their privilege may no longer be enough to protect them. American Jews have good reason to be afraid. Recent interrogations, harassment, and deportation of left-wing Jewish American activists over their political beliefs and activities have ushered in a new political moment in the relationship between Israel and diaspora Jewish communities.
Boycotting these Israeli companies won’t get you on any blacklists
Israelis from across the political spectrum are calling to boycott of two major companies for discriminatory practices against women and Ethiopians. But what about that one boycott Israelis will simply not abide? Israelis, despite their vociferous claims to the contrary, do not fear the power of boycott. In fact, for many Israelis, boycotting companies that profit off discrimination and racism is an essential part of mobilizing against injustice and fighting for democracy.
Human Rights Watch sues Israel in first challenge to anti-boycott travel ban
This is the first application of the 2017 amendment to Israel’s entry law in which a foreign national already living and working in Israel has had their work permit revoked for alleged support for BDS. Human Rights Watch and its Israel and Palestine director, U.S. citizen Omar Shakir, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the Israeli government following the Interior Ministry’s decision to revoke Shakir’s work permit and expel him from the country for his alleged support for a boycott of Israel.
Israel denies entry to four American civil rights leaders
The delegation is in Israel and the West Bank to learn about the human rights situation on the ground. Three of the four deported already received their visas, but were taken back in. Four members of an American human rights delegation to Israel and the West Bank, were detained at Ben Gurion Airport, denied entry, and deported by Israeli authorities on Sunday. The rest of the delegation was allowed through.
Banning the Quakers won’t stop our struggle for justice in Israel-Palestine
The American Friends Service Committee once saved thousands of Jews from the Holocaust, now we are being banned from entering Israel due to our support for a nonviolent struggle for equality. Israel revealed this week a list of 2o groups from around the world it was banning from the country, due to their support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. For me, the list represented more than just another news item.
This Hanukkah, Light a Candle for Gaza
Palestinian children do their homework during a power cut in an impoverished area in Gaza City, on September 11, 2017. (Photo: Mahmud Hams / AFP / Getty Images) The festival of Hanukkah commemorates the victory of the Maccabees, a Jewish priestly family from the Hasmonean dynasty, over the Seleucid Empire in 2nd century BCE. According to the Talmud, when the Maccabees entered the desecrated Temple in Jerusalem and attempted to relight the menorah, there was only enough oil for one day.
On Rosh Hashanah: Recommitting to Solidarity in the Face of White Supremacy
Members of the Holy Blossom Temple form a ring of hope around the Imdadul Mosque in North York in a show of solidarity with Muslims on February 3, 2017, in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo: Bernard Weil / Toronto Star via Getty Images) When Temple Beth Israel -- a large Reform synagogue in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia -- opened for Shabbat morning services on August 12, 2017, its congregants had ample reason to be terrified.
The Real Wall Problem: When Will Diaspora Jews Fight For Palestinians?
The North American Jewish establishment is furious with Israel - and has just let loose an astonishing fusillade of collective protest.
YIMBYs: The Darlings of the Real Estate Industry
Briefly, we wanted to update you on where Truthout stands this month. To be brutally honest, Truthout is behind on our fundraising goals for the year. There are a lot of reasons why. We’re dealing with broad trends in our industry, trends that have led publications like Vice, BuzzFeed, and National Geographic to make painful cuts. Everyone is feeling the squeeze of inflation. And despite its lasting importance, news readership is declining.
All Pharaohs Must Fall: A Passover Reflection on Sean Spicer
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer during his daily briefing with reporters at the White House in Washington, DC, March 21, 2017.
Letter To The Editor: It’s Time For Synagogues To Get ‘Politicalized’
In a recent article published in the Forward, editor-in-chief Jane Eisner wrote about her unease at the prospect of synagogues getting involved in growing Sanctuary Movement. “Unease” doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt upon reading her editorial.
Hanukkah, Syria and the Perils of Empire
A front line in Aleppo, Syria, on December 12, 2012. (Photo: Tyler Hicks / The New York Times) It is a tragic irony that the festival of Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday that commemorates an ancient uprising against an oppressive Assyrian ruler, is being observed as we hear the unbearably tragic reports coming from an uprising in modern-day Syria.
On Passover, Israel and "Demographic Threats"
Stories like this only get published because of reader support. Want to see more of them? Donate to Truthout today to ensure we have a future! The weeklong Jewish festival of Passover is coming to a close, but like many Jews around the world I'm still digesting the myriad questions, answers and discussions that ensued as we retold the biblical story of the Exodus at our seder.
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