http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/home CHALLENGE is a leftist magazine focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within a global context. Published in Tel Aviv, it features political analysis, investigative reporting, interviews, eye-witness reports, gender studies, arts, and more. Its editorial staff includes Jews and Arabs. en Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0300 Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0300 s.CMS http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/challenge.rss contact@challenge-mag.com 2012 CHALLENGE, Tel Aviv Since the hot summer of protests in Israel everyone here has been talking about the Welfare State, Scandinavian style. [i]The Rise and Fall of the Welfare State[/i], by the Norwegian socialist Asbjorn Wahl, presents us with an opportunity to look closely at this concept. Wahl refutes the illusion according to which there is such a thing as a welfare state model that can act as a bridge between Capitalism and Socialism. The rise of unrestrained capitalism in the last three decades has brought about the destruction of social services and the end of Solidarity. At the same time, Wahl doesn’t look back with nostalgia. Rather, he produces an unsentimental critique, and a direct appeal to social groups and trade unions to come up with an alternative, political and social, to get the Left out of its present state of impotence. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__330/you_want_a_welfare_state?_its_not_about_nostalgia_its_about_class_struggle Assaf Adiv http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__330/you_want_a_welfare_state?_its_not_about_nostalgia_its_about_class_struggle Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 +0300 On the night of May 7, Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz joined Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to obviate the need for early elections and rescue Israel from the mess it has gotten itself into. In the international sphere, two fateful and insoluble problems dog the government: the Iranian nuclear project and the Palestinian question. Moreover, the two issues are linked: Israel’s quarrel with the US over the settlements in the occupied territories makes it hard to get US backing for its policy towards Iran. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__329/the_unholy_trinity_barak_bibi_mofaz Yacov Ben Efrat http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__329/the_unholy_trinity_barak_bibi_mofaz Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 +0300 The fear in which our children live is not fear of the monster under the bed. It is fear fostered by adults. Ruth Lavie on Holocaust Day and Memorial Day. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__328/educating_for_fear Ruth Lavie http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__328/educating_for_fear Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 +0300 Another round of violence between Israel and Gaza is coming to a close. Gazans count 25 dead so far, while Israel counts the number of rockets that the Iron Dome missile defense system shot down successfully. Both sides, Israel and the Islamic Jihad, have reached the conclusion that they’ve had all they can get out of this round, and they’re asking the experienced Egyptian referee to pull them out of the hole they dug for themselves. Both sides are satisfied. The Islamic Jihad is organizing a victory march in the streets of Gaza, while its leaders in Damascus appear on giant screens promising to respond to all Israeli aggression. Indeed, the Islamic Jihad has shown the Iranians that their money was invested wisely, that their rockets are not rusting underground but finding their way to the target. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__327/another_round_in_gaza Yacov Ben Efrat http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__327/another_round_in_gaza Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 Um al-Fahm’s residents live in fear. Every day sees another violent brawl. Just ten days ago, a 16-year-old was stabbed to death. Last October, a father and his two sons were shot, and they were not even involved in the criminal underworld. In February, MK Ahmad Tibi initiated a Knesset debate on violence in the Arab sector. Data presented during the debate were deeply worrying. Some 67% of murders, 70% of murder attempts, and 38% of serious assaults are carried out by Arabs, who make up just 20% of the population. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__326/the_crisis_of_violence_in_the_arab_street Assaf Adiv http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__326/the_crisis_of_violence_in_the_arab_street Tue, 6 Mar 2012 00:00:00 +0200 On February 24, Tunisia hosted the “Friends of Syria” conference, in the presence of foreign ministers of western powers including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Though officially Russia has been invited, it has firmly declined, claiming it was not informed who would attend or what the agenda would be. Russia doubts the aims of the conference, suspecting that the main objective is to set up a coalition to support one side of the internal conflict, as happened with Libya. Thus Russia has adopted the Syrian regime’s position, even though the US has declared it has no intention to intervene militarily. The US warns that elements connected with Al-Qaeda may infiltrate into the rebels’ ranks, and refuses to arm the Free Syrian Army saying that the identity of the rebels cannot be ascertained. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__325/the_syrian_nation_is_a_victim_of_the_cold_war Yacov Ben Efrat http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__325/the_syrian_nation_is_a_victim_of_the_cold_war Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0200 In trying to explain the significance of the agreement reached at Doha between Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Meshal, many Palestinians are a little perplexed. Is this a genuine agreement that can be implemented? Or is it merely a publicity stunt meant to glorify Qatari ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who mediated between them? Those whose memory is a little longer than the average will note that just a year ago, in January 2011, Al-Jazeera began an aggressive media campaign during which it exposed documents proving – it claimed – that Mahmoud Abbas had sold Palestine and Jerusalem to Israel and betrayed the Palestinian claim. Abbas boycotted the news network in response. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__324/the_doha_declaration_has_no_future Yacov Ben Efrat http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__324/the_doha_declaration_has_no_future Sat, 18 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The year 2012 is upon us, and we see a wave of historic developments in the Middle East and around the world. In October 2011, Europe suffered an economic crisis which brought far-reaching political changes in Greece, Italy and Spain. The effort to escape bankruptcy brought down the governments in all three states. Meanwhile in Tunisia and Egypt democratic elections took place which led to a sweeping victory for the Muslim Brotherhood. Influenced by the Arab uprisings, the Syrian people continue their intifada for freedom, paying a heavy price in blood. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__323/urgent_to_build_a_jewish-arab_leftwing_alternative! Yacov Ben Efrat http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__323/urgent_to_build_a_jewish-arab_leftwing_alternative! Sat, 4 Feb 2012 00:00:00 +0200 On Saturday, December 17th 2011, the provincial town of Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia marked one year since the death of Mohamed Bouazizi, the hero of the Arab revolution. The Tunisian television network Al-Wataniya broadcast the ceremony live. Crowds armed with neither flags nor signs gathered in the main square of Sidi Bouzid. It was clear that they were there out of solidarity, not because someone forced them to march to the square on their day off. Women and men who were interviewed for the broadcast spoke in simple terms about their expectations from the elected government and from the revolution in which they took part. An especially touching interview was given by the sister of Mohamed Bouaziz, who expressed absolute sympathy with the goals of the revolution. The speakers who went up on the improvised stage all emphasized the demands that lay at the heart of the Jasmine Revolution – democracy and social justice. The Islamic movement Al-Nahda, which had recently won the election, sent one representative to the event, who received the microphone after local youths and representatives of secular movements finished speaking, and the speech he gave did not differ in content or spirit from those preceding it. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__322/the_arab_spring_is_alive_and_well_and_living_in_egypt Assaf Adiv http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__322/the_arab_spring_is_alive_and_well_and_living_in_egypt Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200 The title of this lecture suggests a contradiction. The Muslim movements are religious, basing themselves on Sharia law, and oppose democracy. Their source of authority is the Koran, while the source of democracy’s authority is human reason, individual and collective will – the people. Nonetheless, this month we celebrate one year since the Arab Spring began, and in amazement we follow the revolutions sparked by the Arab youth. These youth demanded regime-change for justice and freedom, but when change is translated into the ballot, the Muslim factions come out strong. http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__320/the_muslim_brotherhood_and_democracy Yacov Ben Efrat http://www.challenge-mag.com/en/article__320/the_muslim_brotherhood_and_democracy Sun, 15 Jan 2012 00:00:00 +0200