North Star of Truth: Celebrating Amy Goodman’s 30 Years of Peace Journalism - 4.9.2026

Kudos to Amy Goodman, a fierce Jewish voice, on the 30th anniversary of Democracy Now!

For 30 years, Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, has practiced journalism in its purest form: fearless, principled, and grounded in human rights. Her Right Livelihood Award marks a milestone, but it also highlights a deeper truth — she richly deserves global recognition at the highest level.

I first followed her reporting during the Indonesian massacre in East Timor, when few in the Western media dared to expose the suffering of people under a regime backed by powerful allies. That courage never faded. For three decades, she has consistently challenged power, exposed injustice, and given voice to those silenced by war, occupation, and oppression.

Amy Goodman has been a North Star for many of us who believe journalism must serve humanity, not governments. Her clarity, integrity, and moral courage set a standard rare in any profession. She shows that truth-telling is an act of peace.

She is a credit to the human race and a model of what ethical journalism looks like in our time. She richly deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

Stop Arming Israel: A Policy That Has Shamed America Since 1948 - 4.9.2026

This conflict is no longer about defense or stability. It has drawn the United States into a devastating war through relentless pressure from Prime Minister Netanyahu and his proxies. Netanyahu is a convicted war criminal by the International Court and is increasingly influencing our foreign policy to the detriment of the American people.

Continuing to send weapons into Israel, already consumed by destruction, does not protect peace—it deepens suffering and entangles our nation in actions that many around the world view as violations of international law.

For decades, unconditional U.S. military and economic support has coincided with immense hardship for Palestinian civilians, including mass displacement, hunger, and relentless bombardment in Gaza, alongside ongoing violence in the West Bank. Supplying more arms amid such devastation makes us complicit rather than constructive partners for peace.

Americans have both the right and the responsibility to question whether their tax dollars should fund policies that undermine our moral standing and divert critical resources away from urgent needs at home. Calls for diplomacy and even temporary ceasefires show that alternatives to violence exist, yet they are too often overshadowed by continued military action.

History also reminds us that foreign interventions—such as the 1953 coup in Iran involving British and U.S. intelligence—have had long-lasting consequences that still shape instability today. Acknowledging this past is essential if we are to avoid repeating cycles of U.S.-generated conflict.

The path forward is not more bombs to Israel, but sustained pressure for a genuine ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a political solution that safeguards the rights and security of all civilians. Continued escalation by leaders in Washington and Tel Aviv threatens regional stability and global peace. It is time for a change of course before more lives are lost and our nation’s conscience is fu Finally, the United States and Israel owe massive reparations for the suffering and displacement of Palestinians that have occurred since 1946, along with a clear path to statehood in Gaza and the West Bank. This must include opening borders to allow the flow of large-scale humanitarian aid, as well as acknowledging responsibility through meaningful restitution. It should also include substantial reparations to Iran for the crimes committed since the 1953 coup, whose consequences continue to reverberate across the region today. 

 

Civilian Targets Are Not “Fair Game”: Why Threatening Iran’s Infrastructure Breaks the Laws of War - 4.8.2026

President Trump’s recent statements — shrugging off global concerns about war crimes and doubling down on threats to destroy Iran’s power plants, bridges, and other civilian infrastructure — mark a disturbing departure from fundamental international humanitarian law. 

International norms, including the Geneva Conventions, are explicit: indiscriminate attacks on civilian infrastructure with foreseeable civilian harm are prohibited. Experts warn that such threats could amount to war crimes, yet the administration has dismissed these legal and moral constraints. 

This isn’t merely rhetoric — it is a perilous escalation that risks massive civilian suffering and undermines the legal framework that governs armed conflict. As citizens and as a nation, we must demand accountability, de-escalation, and adherence to the rule of law before it’s too late.

$1.5 TRILLION FOR WAR, PENNIES FOR PEOPLE: A BUDGET THAT BETRAYS AMERICA - 4.7.2026

The White House proposal to raise the Pentagon budget to an unprecedented $1.5 trillion is not fiscal policy. It is a moral failure.

The United States already spends more on its military than the next nine countries combined. Yet this proposal demands the largest year-over-year increase since World War II—while slashing investments in healthcare, education, housing, science, and support for the most vulnerable.

As Robert Weissman of Public Citizen rightly called it, this budget is “a moral obscenity.” It reflects a government prepared to mortgage its children’s future to finance endless war.

Former State Department official Josh Paul, who resigned over U.S. arms transfers during Israel’s assault on Gaza, warns that this staggering figure doesn’t even include the costs of the expanding Iran war. Much of this spending will replenish U.S. weapons stockpiles after transferring tens of thousands of bombs abroad—meaning Americans will pay twice: once in arms, and again in debt.

Meanwhile, programs that actually secure the nation—Medicaid, Medicare, childcare, environmental protection, scientific research, and affordable housing—face deep cuts. Even NASA’s science missions are on the chopping block, as space becomes increasingly privatized and militarized.

This is not about national defense. It is about feeding the military-industrial complex while starving the public good.

We are told there is no money for daycare, healthcare, or housing. Yet suddenly, there is limitless money for more jets, more missiles, more submarines, and more wars.

A nation’s budget is a moral document. This one tells us that bombs matter more than babies, weapons more than welfare, and war more than wellbeing.

Congress must reject this proposal—not simply as bad economics, but as a betrayal of American values.

Urgent Public Appeal to Newsrooms, Americans, and Allies - 4.7.2026

Reports and statements indicating that Donald Trump may be considering strikes on Iranian infrastructure have alarmed people around the world who fear rapid escalation, civilian harm, and a widening war.

At moments like this, the role of the press—and the voice of the public—are critical.

We urge news organizations everywhere to intensify scrutiny, demand clarity, and press for answers about the human, legal, and strategic consequences of any such action. Military decisions made in hours can shape suffering for generations.

We call on Americans and U.S. allies to raise their voices now for restraint, diplomacy, and accountability. War is not an abstraction. It brings civilian death, regional instability, economic shock, and lasting moral cost.

This is a moment to insist on transparency, lawful conduct, and de-escalation before irreversible steps are taken.

All of us, along with our allies, must break our silence and urge President Trump to reconsider any threat to strike Iran’s infrastructure. The U.S. military should be used only for the defense of the United States. With a military budget already near $1 trillion, many believe resources could be better directed toward supporting Americans at home rather than engaging in conflicts abroad.

The urgency is immediate. Contact members of Congress and the White House to express your views and call for restraint.

This is a moment to show that might does not make right.

Cycles of Violence and the Narrow Path to Accountability - 4.7.2026

The widening violence between Israel and Lebanon cannot be separated from the devastation in Gaza and the broader failure to enforce accountability for harm to civilians. When alleged violations of international humanitarian law go unanswered, conflicts expand and civilians pay the price.

Adopting a posture sometimes described as the “madman theory”—projecting unpredictability and overwhelming force—risks deepening fear, hatred, and long-term instability. History shows that strategies built on terror or collective punishment do not produce security; they leave generations of grievance in their wake. Hate begets hate. A durable peace requires policies grounded in protection of civilians, restraint, and diplomacy—an approach closer to “love begets love” than to escalation.

Western audiences should also remember how earlier interventions shaped today’s tensions. The 1953 coup in Iran, backed by the CIA and MI6, and the upheavals that followed, culminating in the 1979 revolution, illustrate how actions taken without regard for sovereignty and accountability can reverberate for decades.

Allegations about the use of indiscriminate or internationally restricted weapons, including white phosphorus in populated areas, underscore the urgency of independent investigations and adherence to the laws of war. These norms exist precisely to prevent conflicts from spiraling into ever more destructive cycles.

Citizens in the United States, the United Kingdom, and beyond can press their representatives to prioritize ceasefires, humanitarian access, and credible accountability mechanisms. Without accountability, violence spreads. With it, there remains a path—however narrow—toward de-escalation and peace.

Israel’s Forever Wars - 4.6.2026

Israeli peace activist recently described Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon as fronts in “one forever war.” That phrase captures a tragic truth many prefer not to confront: these conflicts are no longer isolated eruptions of violence but parts of a continuous, self-sustaining cycle driven by fear, retaliation, political survival, and hardened narratives on all sides.

Each round of fighting is justified as necessary, defensive, and unavoidable. Yet every strike plants the seeds of the next. Civilians pay the highest price while leaders speak in the language of security, deterrence, and survival. Over time, war becomes normalized. Emergency becomes routine. Grief becomes background noise.

What makes this “forever war” so dangerous is not only the destruction it causes, but the way it reshapes thinking. It convinces societies that peace is naïve, that empathy is weakness, and that perpetual conflict is the natural order. Generations grow up knowing nothing else.

The wars in Gaza, tensions with Iran, and clashes with Lebanon are treated as separate security files. In reality, they feed the same ecosystem of mistrust and militarization. Without a serious shift from managing conflict to resolving it, the region will remain trapped in an endless loop.

Voices calling for de-escalation, dialogue, and political courage are often dismissed as unrealistic. Yet history shows that “forever wars” end only when people dare to imagine an alternative and demand leaders pursue it.

The real question is not who is winning the latest battle, but who will be brave enough to end the war itself.