The inspirational phrase “city on a hill” was coined by John Winthrop in 1630, borrowing from the Gospels, and outlining the glorious future of a new nation “ordained by God.” One year earlier his Massachusetts Bay Colony created its Great Seal. It depicted an Indian with a scroll coming out of his mouth. On that scroll are the words “Come …

Historical amnesia is a dangerous social phenomenon because it lays the groundwork for crimes that still lie ahead. indignation are understandable. The surprise, less so. For one thing, even without inquiry, it was reasonable to suppose that Guantanamo was a torture chamber. Why else send prisoners where they would be beyond the reach of the law — a place, incidentally, …

  In this undated handout photo released by the Sri Lanka army, Wednesday, May 20, 2009, confiscated weapons from Tamil Tiger rebels lay down on the ground in Mullattivu, Sri Lanka. Aid groups and the U.N. appealed to be allowed to survey the aftermath of the final battle of Sri Lanka’s civil war and pushed for unfettered access to some …

The Road to Jerusalem Does Not Lead Through Tehran Summary —  Israel is pushing the Obama administration to tackle Iran’s nuclear program before the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Washington shouldn’t listen. LEON HADAR is a Research Fellow in Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute. =============================================================== As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu comes to Washington for a meeting with President Barack Obama, …

Friends of Al-Aqsa, in conjunction with the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group, hosted an event at the House of Commons on Tuesday 19th May, considering the findings of a report titled: ‘Occupation, Colonialism, Apartheid? A re-assessment of Israel ’s practices in the occupied Palestinian territories under international law.’  This investigative Report was produced by a team of high-profile international lawyers …