Juan Cole

Ann Arbor

History Prof, U Michigan: Global affairs, Environment, Progressivism, Spirituality; autoforwards only here; find me @jricole.bsky.social

Articles

Russia in Iran: The Times and Life of Diplomat Jakolevich Korrostovetz

3 days ago | juancole.com | Fariba Amini |Juan Cole

“Russia’s role in Iranian history since the nineteenth century is well known, to be sure.
A two-state solution is gaining momentum again for Israel and the Palestinians. Does it have a chance of success?

3 days ago | juancole.com | Juan Cole

By Andrew Thomas, Deakin University(The Conversation) – As Israel’s devastating war in Gaza has ground on, the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was thought to be “dead”. Now, it is showing signs of life again. French President Emmanuel Macron is reportedly pressing other European nations to jointly recognise a Palestinian state at a UN conference in mid-June, focused on achieving a two-state solution. Macron called such recognition a “political necessity”.
The Freedom Flotilla: Bravely Breaking the Siege Against Gaza

3 days ago | juancole.com | Juan Cole

Margaret Knapke ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) – Many people, armed only with moral and political convictions, would be too intimidated to confront an army or navy directly. But not all. Twelve nonviolent human-rights activists with the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) are currently sailing a small boat, the Madleen, to Gaza. They hope to create a humanitarian sea corridor through Israel’s illegal blockade.
The War on Trans People: White Christian Nationalism in the Age of Trump

4 days ago | juancole.com | Juan Cole

( Tomdispatch.com ) – This year, Pride Month arrives at an especially dire moment for the LGBTQ+ community. Under the second Trump administration, homophobic vitriol and violence are on the rise. On Elon Musk’s X platform, a “deepfake” video of Donald Trump canceling Pride Month has gone viral. And even as Pride celebrations continue as planned (in many places without as many corporate contributions), the attacks against LGBTQ+ people, especially transgender people, seem to be on steroids.
Lethal "Humanitarianism:" why Violence at Gaza aid Centers should not come as a Surprise

4 days ago | juancole.com | Juan Cole

By Irit Katz, University of Cambridge(The Conversation) – At least 27 Palestinians were reported to have been killed on the morning of June 3 amid chaotic scenes at an aid distribution centre in the southern Gaza Strip. This follows a similar incident on June 1 when around 30 civilians were reportedly killed as people scrambled to get food supplies at an aid centre near Rafah in southern Gaza.
Elon Musk's Reign of Terror isn't Over

4 days ago | juancole.com | Dan Dinello |Juan Cole

Chicago (Special to Informed Comment) – Serving as gangster President Trump’s hatchet man, Musk promised a lean efficient government but gave us chainsaw-massacre firings that devastated government functionality. While gloating about solving the fabricated grift and criminality of US foreign aid, Musk terminated life-saving medications for dying babies and ended food supplies for starving children.
Spain Convenes International Conference To Call For Arms Embargo On Israel

4 days ago | progressivehub.net | Juan Cole |Ryan Black

Madrid’s foreign minister said, “The sole interest that all of us gathered here today have is to stop this unjust, cruel, and inhumane Israeli war in Gaza, break the blockade of humanitarian aid, and move definitively toward a two-state solution.”By Juan Cole, Informed CommentThe Spanish wire service EFE reports that delegations from 20 countries met Sunday in Madrid in a push to pressure Israel to halt its total war on Gaza and to establish a Palestinian state.
Greta Thunberg and 11 other volunteers set out on mercy mission to Gaza

4 days ago | nationofchange.org | Juan Cole |Juan Cole

The Anadolu Agency reports that the humanitarian aid ship, the “Madeleine,” set out for Gaza on Sunday from Catania in Sicily, in a bid to break the food and aid blockade imposed on the Strip by Israel. A crowd of supporters gathered at the port with Palestinian flags to encourage the 12-person crew. The mission is sponsored by the Freedom Flotilla organization.
Two Visions Collide on Ocean Use: Nationalist Raptors and Multilateral Environmentalists

5 days ago | juancole.com | Juan Cole

The ocean holds the answer. ( Foreign Policy in Focus) – The rise of nationalist leaders epitomized by Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, cuts to UN climate funding, and dismissal of multilateralism as “globalist” interference has sparked a pivotal question: Can international cooperation survive in an era of “sovereignty-first” politics? The stakes could not be higher.
Will Israelis Repent for Gaza Genocide? Re-Humanization Takes Courage

5 days ago | juancole.com | Yakov M. Rabkin |Juan Cole

Montréal.(Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – The genocide in Gaza continues unabated as I write these lines. Belatedly, a few Israelis have begun decrying the starvation and mass murder that their army—a people’s army—has perpetrated since October 2023. These acts, supported by the majority of the country’s Jews, exceed in cruelty and brutality the violence that the IDF routinely used against Palestinians since before the unilateral declaration of independence in 1948.