WHY DOES THE U.S. STILL CALL ISRAEL AN ALLY? - 3.13.2026

Israeli journalist Gideon Levy argues that Israel’s wars and occupation will not end unless the United States withdraws its unconditional support. That raises an even more troubling question: why does Washington continue to treat Israel as a close ally while accusations of grave war crimes mount?

Images of widespread destruction, civilian suffering, and allegations of starvation used as a weapon of war have shocked the world. International institutions, including the International Court of Justice, are examining claims related to possible violations of international law.

Allies should be held to the same moral and legal standards expected of any nation. When those standards appear to be ignored, credibility and the cause of human rights suffer.

If the United States truly stands for international law and human dignity, its policies must reflect those principles—without exceptions.

IRAN: A HISTORY OF STOLEN DEMOCRACY — AND A WORLD ON THE BRINK - 3.13.2026

Economist Jeffrey Sachs warns that a U.S.–Israeli “war of choice” risks violating the U.N. Charter and pushing the world toward World War III. History explains why this danger is so grave.

In 1953, Iran’s democracy was overthrown by a CIA–MI6 coup after its oil was nationalized. The Shah, widely seen as a Western-backed ruler, imposed decades of repression through his secret police, with torture and disappearances reported by many Iranians.

Public anger eventually exploded in the 1979 revolution, replacing monarchy with a theocratic system that also restricted freedoms, especially for women. Today, renewed military escalation threatens to deepen the suffering of ordinary Iranians and destabilize the world.

The lesson of 1953 remains clear: foreign intervention and power politics have repeatedly crushed Iranian self-determination. Another war risks repeating history — with consequences far beyond Iran.

The world must step back from confrontation and choose diplomacy before the unthinkable becomes reality.

SILENCING WOMEN WON’T SILENCE JUSTICE - 3.12.2026

The world has lost a fearless voice with the assassination of Yanar Mohammed, a lifelong defender of women facing violence, trafficking, and “honor” killings. Her murder in Baghdad is not only a crime against a person but an assault on the universal struggle for women’s freedom. Agnès Callamard rightly warns that gender justice is under growing global attack, from conflict zones to political repression.

Wars, authoritarianism, and extremism thrive when women’s voices are silenced. The response must be louder solidarity, stronger protection for human rights defenders, and unwavering global accountability.

Yanar Mohammed’s courage must not die with her. Justice demands that her killers be exposed—and that the struggle she led continues stronger than ever.

Iran: Missiles and the Making of Nationalism - 3.12.2026

The escalating U.S.–Israeli bombing campaign against Iran is increasingly being seen not as a war against a regime but as a war against a nation. Strikes have hit cities, infrastructure, and even areas near historic cultural sites, raising alarm among international observers and cultural organizations. 

History shows that external attacks rarely weaken national identity; they often strengthen it. Across Iran, anger, grief, and defiance are converging into a powerful surge of nationalism. When bombs fall, political divisions fade and people rally around their homeland.

Military force may destroy buildings and military targets, but it cannot extinguish a people’s sense of dignity, identity, or sovereignty. If anything, such assaults risk deepening resentment, prolonging conflict, and uniting the very society they were meant to fracture.

Peace cannot be built on missiles. Dialogue—not destruction—remains the only path to lasting stability.

Iran: Holy War, Human Cost - 3.12.2026

Calling the unprovoked strike on Iran a “holy war” cannot conceal the brutal reality of human suffering. Reports that U.S. and Israeli strikes have killed 1,348 civilians—including the shocking admission that a girls’ school in Iran was hit—demand immediate moral reckoning and accountability.

War rhetoric often disguises the human cost, but the slaughter of innocent civilians—especially children—cannot be justified by political narratives, strategic language, or claims of righteousness.

International law and the most basic standards of human decency require transparency, independent investigation, and responsibility whenever civilians are harmed. When the very rules meant to protect innocent lives are ignored, the credibility of those who claim to defend human rights collapses.

True security cannot be built on the graves of civilians. The global community must demand accountability, enforce international law, and insist—without compromise—that the protection of innocent lives comes before politics, power, or war.

DON’T REPEAT VIETNAM: WAR WITH IRAN WILL ONLY STRENGTHEN TYRANNY - 3.10.2026

Resistance is already building inside Iran. History teaches a clear lesson: external enemies strengthen, not weaken, authoritarian regimes. 

Have we so quickly forgotten Vietnam?

Military escalation by the United States and Israel risks uniting Iranians behind a government many already oppose. Even more alarming are reports of white phosphorus being used — a weapon infamous for causing agonizing burns and devastating injuries. Its extensive use during the Vietnam War remains a stain on history and a reminder of the human cost of war.

If we truly want change in Iran, repeating the mistakes of Vietnam will achieve the opposite. War will silence internal dissent and empower hardliners. The path forward must be diplomacy, restraint, and respect for international humanitarian law — not another catastrophic conflict.

ONE STANDARD FOR RESISTANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS - 3.10.2026

When Ukraine resists Russia, the U.S. and EU rightly call it courage and defend its right to self-defense. The same principle must apply elsewhere. If Western nations support Ukraine’s resistance, they must also recognize Palestinians’ right to resist Israeli oppression that many trace back to the 1948 Nakba, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced during the creation of Israel.

Decades of occupation, blockade, settlement expansion, and repeated wars have left Palestinians without basic security or sovereignty. A just and lasting peace requires equal standards for human rights and international law.

Western governments should vigorously support a viable Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank alongside Israel, and press all leaders—including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—to end policies that perpetuate violence and deny Palestinians self-determination.

Justice and peace demand consistency, not selective outrage.