[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on Occupation, Intervention and Law and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the O.I.L. Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each biweekly roundup to OIL@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every other week.]
Charlie Hebdo
Israel Moves Quickly to Exploit Paris Attacks, Ali Abunimah
Abunimah speculates about potential political motives behind Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu`s presence at a rally in Paris for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo attacks.
French Police Storm Hostage Sites, Killing Gunmen, Andrew Higgins, Dan Bilefsky
The New York Times covers the gun attack on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo as well as the French police search for and eventual killing of three men accused of spearheading the shooting in the Paris Headquarters of Charlie Hebdo.
The Paris Attackers Hijacked Islam but There is No War between Islam and the West, Tariq Ramadan
Ramadan critiques a number of responses to the Charlie Hebdo shooting that invoke the notion of a cultural war between the west and Islam.
FBI Working with French Law Enforcement to Investigate Paris Attack, Reuters
FBI Director James Comey has announced his agency with collaborate with French law enforcement in investigating the Charlie Hebdo shootings.
The Funnies, Shailja Patel
Writing in The New Inquiry, Patel explains why cartoons that are funny to some are not necessarily funny to others.
“Charlie Hebdo”, not racist? If you say so…, Olivier Cyran
Cyran, a former employee of the magazine, explains in a piece written more than a year before the Charlie Hebdo attacks, explains why the characterization of the magazine as racist and more is fully appropriate.
Palestine-Israel
Top Hezbollah Official Admits Spy Infiltrated Group, Adiv Sterman
Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem acknowledged recently that the group had been infiltrated by an Israeli spy.
Israel Witholds Funds, Weighs Lawsuits against Palestinians, Allyn Fisher-Ilan
Israel has retaliated to Palestine`s bid to join the International Criminal Court by withholding tax revenues transferred monthly to the Palestinian government and moving to prosecute Palestinian leaders for war crimes.
Palestinians Submit Application to Join ICC, Al Jazeera English
The Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations has formally submitted documents bidding for Palestinian membership of the International Criminal Court.
Abbas to Renew Bid for Palestinian Statehood, Al Jazeera English
In the wake of a failed UN resolution calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has announced plans to resubmit later in 2015.
"No Apologies," Bennett Declares--and Controversy Breaks over His Role in `96 Massacre, Philip Weiss
Weiss surveys the political rise of Israeli economy minister Naftalia Bennett, who has run on the campaign slogan of "No Apologies" while facing controversy over his role as an Israeli Defence Forces Officer in a 1996 attack on Lebanon killing 102 civilians.
Is Abbas` War Crimes Bid against Israel a Big Bluff?, Jonathan Cook
Cook, writing for Mondoweiss, speculates that recent Palestinian UN bids for statehood maybe motivated by political posturing on the part of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
How Salaita`s Critics Have Distorted the Salaita Report, Phan Nguyen
Nguyen notes for Mondoweiss that critics of Stephen Salaita have misread and misquoted the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure report accusing the UIUC administration of violating academic freedom in firing Salaita.
Organizing after the Odeh Verdict, Nadine Naber
Writing in Jacobin, Naber discusses the organizing history of Rasmea Odeh, Palestinian-American community organizer and victim of political repression by the US government.
Armed Conflict
Don Lemon to Muslim Human Rights Attorney: "Do You Support ISIS?" Jamilah King
ColorLines covers a CNN interview in which anchor Don Lemon asked human rights attorney Arsalan Iftikhar, who is Muslim, if he supports ISIS.
Iraq Recores Highest Civilian Casualty Count Since 2007, Swati Sharma
2014 witnessed more than 35,000 civilian deaths in the past year, the highest number of casualties since 2006-7, and the highest number of Iraqis uprooted from their homes due to violence since 2008.
Violence Grows in Yemen as Al Qaeda Tries to Fight Its Way Back, Kareem Fahim
The New York Times covers the Houthis, a Zaidi Shia insurgent group gaining political prominence in Yemen.
Law
Double Standards in the World Order, Vijay Prashad
Prashad responds to recently denied Palestinian bids to, respectively, join the International Criminal Court and pass a UN resolution that would effectively end Israeli occupation, writing such denials are endemic of a double standard in international law that favors powerful nations.
The Kindertransport and Syrian Resettlement: British Refugee Policy in 1938 and Today, Judith Vonberg
Vonberg traces the history of British immigration policy through contemporary debates over the status of Syrian refugees for New Left Project.
With Power of Social Media Growing, Police Now Monitoring and Criminalizing Online Speech, Glenn Greenwald
The Intercept covers the case of Azhar Ahmed, a British teenager arrested and charged for a social media post critical of UK soldiers killed in Afghanistan, and others similarly targeted by law enforcement for online political speech.
Lawmakers in Pakistan Approve Military Tribunals, Salman Masood, Saba Imtiaz
Pakistan has amended its constitution to allow for military courts to try suspected Islamist insurgents.
The Path to Closing Guantanamo, Cliff Sloan
Cliff Sloan, a departing State Department envoy for closing the detention facility at Guantanamo, outlines a roadmap for releasing current detainees.
Defense Department Subpoenas Reporter James Risen in CIA Leak Case, Associated Press
New York Times reporter James Risen has been subpoenaed to testify in the trial of Jeffrey Sterling, a CIA officer accused of leaking information about a classified operation in Iran to Risen.
Republicans Will Never Allow Guantanamo to be Closed, Kevin Drumm
Drumm discusses political responses to President Obama`s recent maneuvers to reduce the number of prisoners held at Guantanamo.