Ira Chernus is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He makes a case for the importance of non-violent protest and the effectiveness of the ISM. Why does the Israeli army fear ISM?

All of this is embarrassing for the Israelis. They would not risk the repercussions unless they saw the ISM as a serious threat. Why a threat? ISM members never act violently against the Israeli military. They never aid Palestinians in acting violently against the Israelis. They do use direct nonviolent action. They serve as human shields. They intervene to mediate when the Israelis are threatening innocent Palestinians. Mostly, though, they just see what is happening and tell the world. That, more than anything else, may be what the Israelis fear. More ...

Occupation and the Law

In preparing for a speech on International Law and the Israel/Palestine Conflict, I came across this 1968 article by a French scholar. What goes around comes around.

It seems urgent for us to remind world opinion of the necessity for opening negotiations immediately, and that a powerful current should be started that would gather enough momentum to put an end to a situation which ultimately would mean the end of Israel. For the longer the methods of occupation now practised by the Israelis last, the more resistance there will be against the occupying power and the more the latter will tend to commit excesses which will in turn increase the hatred of those under occupation. More ...

U.S. State Dept. 1968

IT REMAINS the U.S. position that the part of Jerusalem which came under the control of Israel in the June War, like other areas occupied by Israel, is occupied territory and therefore subject to the provisions of international law governing the rights and obligations of an occupying power. More ...