My Israel Question

Leading a forensic discussion of the Israeli?Palestinian conflict, this survey examines the prospects of the Middle East peace process amidst the new geo-political context. Acknowledging how the election of Barack Obama brought hope to millions around the world and generated renewed diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, this reference also highlights how the Israel?Palestine conflict remains mired in brutality and occupation. Taking into account the election of a far-right Israeli government, the indiscriminate war on Gaza, and the illegal expansion of West Bank colonies, this examination depicts how this combination suggests a bleak future for both Israelis and Palestinians while demonstrating how the public debate about the issue in the U.S., United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia is suggesting alternative ways of tackling the crisis. Mapping the ways in which this conflict is ferociously discussed, this investigation also outlines where the hope lies for resolution to the brutal impasse.

Antony Loewenstein is a board member of Macquarie University’s Center for Middle East and North African Studies and cofounder of Independent Australian Jewish Voices. He has written for the Age, the Australian, Crikey, the Guardian, Haaretz, the Nation, New Matilda, the Sydney Morning Herald, and the Washington Post. He is the author of The Blogging Revolution.