IPS Fellow Phyllis Bennis directs the New Internationalism Project at IPS, focusing on the Middle East, U.S. militarism, and UN issues. She is also a fellow of the Transnational Institute in Amsterdam.

In 2001 she helped found the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights and more recently spent six years on the board of Jewish Voice for Peace, where she now serves as its International Adviser. She works with many anti-war and Palestinian rights organizations, writing and speaking widely across the U.S. and around the world. She has served as an informal adviser to several top UN officials on Middle East issues and was twice short-listed to become the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Phyllis has written and edited 11 books. Among her latest is the 7th updated edition of her popular Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, published in 2018. She is also the author of Before & After: U.S. Foreign Policy and the War on Terror and Challenging Empire.

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Latest

If War Breaks Out with Iran, It Won’t Be an Accident

A range of U.S. policies have been deliberately designed to provoke an Iranian response.

Foreign Aid That Costs an Arm and a Leg — Literally

The U.S.-funded Israeli military is shooting so many unarmed Palestinians that the UN is warning of an amputation crisis in Gaza.

The Alarming Rise of Civilian Deaths in the War On Terror

New reports show an escalation in civilian casualties from U.S. operations in Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia — and a pattern of U.S. denial about the scale of the problem.

Escalating Tensions in Gaza and Kushner’s Supposed “Deal of the Century”

Phyllis Bennis discusses the recent Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip and the real nature of Kushner’s supposed “Deal of the Century.”

A Green New Deal Needs to Fight US Militarism

We can’t heal the climate if our war machine keeps raining destruction, absorbing resources, and gobbling up fossil fuels all around the world. Here’s how to stop it.

Unpacking Netanyahu’s Reelection: Future Implications

U.S. policy and what’s next with the U.S.-Israel relations

Progressive Leaders Unite to Denounce Trump’s Attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar

We—the undersigned—stand in solidarity with Representative Ilhan Omar and firmly against the rise of Islamophobic attacks and attempts to divide us as a people.

Trump’s Embrace of Netanyahu Will Haunt the Middle East for Years

The flurry of favors the president did for Bibi could constrain U.S. policy — and hurt people in the region — for years to come.

What Benjamin Netanyahu’s Successful Re-Election Means for Palestinians

There’s growing concern over what Netanyahu’s victory means for the possibility of a two-state solution as a resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Examining NATO’s Legacy After 70 Years

Tensions between the U.S. and their NATO allies were on full display last week, leading to questions about the strength of the alliance.

A Dangerous Precedent: US Recognition of Israel’s Annexation of the Syrian Golan

Trump’s decision to recognize Israeli control over the Golan Heights has caused waves in the international community.

Phyllis Bennis On AIPAC, Golan Heights and Israel

Netanyahu is up for re-election, and Donald Trump gave him a boost earlier this month when he announced that the United States will recognize the Golan Heights as Israeli territory, a move that is illegal according to international law.

Debate over Ilhan Omar Highlights New Willingness in U.S. to Question Power of Pro-Israeli Lobby

Phyllis Bennis joins Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! to discuss the recent media firestorm involving Rep. Ilhan Omar, as well as questions about anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

If America can find $716bn for the military, it can fund the Green New Deal

If we redirected the trillions spent on fruitless wars, funding Medicare for All and a Green New Deal is perfectly realistic

Ilhan Omar’s Denunciation of Israel Lobby is Not Anti-Semitism

Democrats to vote on anti-semitism resolution in response to false accusation against Ilhan Omar.

The Democratic Party Attacks on Ilhan Omar Are a Travesty

I’m Jewish and have worked against anti-Semitism for decades. I was sitting a few feet from Omar at Busboys & Poets and I heard nothing—nothing—that smacked of anti-Semitism, overt or coded or otherwise.

Why False Accusations of Anti-Semitism Against Ilhan Omar Are So Harmful

Bad-faith smears of Omar and many others are being used to crush Palestinian rights, undermine social movements and divert attention from real anti-Semitism.

Is the Longest US War Finally Ending?

Rumors swirl of a ceasefire in Afghanistan, but key sectors of Afghan society are excluded from the talks.

We Welcome Asylum Seekers and Defend Their Rights

An open letter from over one hundred artists, activists, scholars, and writers

United Nations Inaction and the Gaza Crisis: Ten Years ago and Today

The UN must stand with the people around the world who are calling, and acting, to bring an end to this death and destruction.

Program Director

New Internationalism

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anti-war movements, International Law, Iran, Iraq, ISIS, Israel-Palestine, Middle East, military budget, Refugees, sanctuary movement, Saudi Arabia, Syria, terrorism, Torture, U.S. foreign policy, U.S. wars, United Nations, War on Terror, Yemen

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