Australian Palestinian farm in the occupied West Bank raided by Israeli settlers
Helen McCue

Australian Palestinian farm in the occupied West Bank raided by Israeli settlers

Australian citizen, Palestinian farmer and vigneron Sari Kassis, whose family company Domaine Kassis wines sells both locally and overseas, has reported that over the past two weeks there has been a rapid increase in destructive raids on his farm by the Israeli “Hilltop Youth”.

Of social cohesion, belonging and the Australian flag
Stella Yee

Of social cohesion, belonging and the Australian flag

Until recently, “social cohesion” was a term rarely uttered by Australian politicians. Then suddenly, it was everywhere – in press conferences, speeches and ministerial statements. But what does it actually mean?

'Forget subsidies': Solar-battery hybrids can deliver 'incredibly competitive' power for big industry
Sophie Vorrath

'Forget subsidies': Solar-battery hybrids can deliver 'incredibly competitive' power for big industry

The developer of what stands to be Australia’s biggest battery says the new breed of hybrid solar and storage projects, starting to dominate the national renewables pipeline, can power new and existing industrial energy needs at an “incredibly competitive” cost – and without government handouts.


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Pearls and Irritations is funded by our readers through flexible payment options. Choose to make a monthly or one off payment to support our informed commentary

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Understanding Australia-China research mobility
Elena Collinson,  James Laurenceson,  Wanning Sun,  Marina Zhang,  Xunpeng Shi

Understanding Australia-China research mobility

Australia’s research partnership with China is a significant component of its scientific output, particularly in engineering, technology and applied sciences.

Trump's IMO veto exposes Australia's maritime blind spot
Bruce Hardy

Trump's IMO veto exposes Australia's maritime blind spot

Protecting Australia’s sovereignty was a central justification for Anthony Albanese's critical minerals deal with Donald Trump.

Yes – he's a dictator
Noel Turnbull

Yes – he's a dictator

The latest polling from the Public Religion Research Institute provides a stunning reflection on how Americans now regard Trump.

The Australian moment is now
Su Dharmapala

The Australian moment is now

History, it could be convincingly argued, is a series of pivot points. It is rarely a progression of a sequence of events, but rather a series of critical moments where multiple pathways are made available and the eventual outcome is determined by the decisions that are made in that moment.

Protest wave challenges Indonesia’s authoritarian drift
Kahfi Hafiz

Protest wave challenges Indonesia’s authoritarian drift

In late August 2025, Indonesia was shaken by a wave of protests following the death of Affan Kurniawan, a motorcycle taxi (ojek) driver who was struck and killed by a police tactical vehicle during demonstrations. His death became the spark for mass mobilisations across several cities.

Only through concerted long-term action can Australia shift the dial on housing
Hal Pawson

Only through concerted long-term action can Australia shift the dial on housing

With a fresh pulse of property inflation already triggered by 2025 interest rate cuts, comes news of future price hike expectations at their most elevated level for years. For aspiring first-home buyers, any small affordability boost thanks to recently cheaper home loans looks likely to be quickly snuffed out.

A collective voice for peace with justice
Victor Zhang,  Sydney Peace Foundation

A collective voice for peace with justice

Earlier this year, the Sydney Peace Foundation separated from the University of Sydney after 27 years.

Gaza under siege: The continuation of Zionist demographic cleansing policies since the 19th century
Refaat Ibrahim

Gaza under siege: The continuation of Zionist demographic cleansing policies since the 19th century

Israeli propaganda tries to present the war on Gaza as a “defensive reaction.” Yet the historical record tells a very different story: systematic genocide, the destruction of civilian life and deliberate attempts to uproot entire populations. All of this is a direct continuation of Zionist colonial policies that began in the late 19th century.

Latest on Palestine and Israel

Australian Palestinian farm in the occupied West Bank raided by Israeli settlers
Helen McCue

Australian Palestinian farm in the occupied West Bank raided by Israeli settlers

Australian citizen, Palestinian farmer and vigneron Sari Kassis, whose family company Domaine Kassis wines sells both locally and overseas, has reported that over the past two weeks there has been a rapid increase in destructive raids on his farm by the Israeli “Hilltop Youth”.

Gaza under siege: The continuation of Zionist demographic cleansing policies since the 19th century
Refaat Ibrahim

Gaza under siege: The continuation of Zionist demographic cleansing policies since the 19th century

Israeli propaganda tries to present the war on Gaza as a “defensive reaction.” Yet the historical record tells a very different story: systematic genocide, the destruction of civilian life and deliberate attempts to uproot entire populations. All of this is a direct continuation of Zionist colonial policies that began in the late 19th century.

The leader most capable of governing a future Palestinian state is languishing in an Israeli jail
Amin Saikal

The leader most capable of governing a future Palestinian state is languishing in an Israeli jail

As the future of Gaza hangs in the balance, the Palestinian Authority needs renewal if it’s to eventually govern the Strip and play a key role in making the two-state solution a reality.

The easy way or the hard way to the same result
Alison Broinowski

The easy way or the hard way to the same result

National leaders deceive most people most of the time. Israel’s long, atrocious, US-backed assault on the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon is the latest example, as are their joint attacks on Syria, Yemen, and Iran.

Why the annexation of the West Bank matters to all of us
Meg Schwarz

Why the annexation of the West Bank matters to all of us

Between 1 January and 30 September 2025, Israeli authorities carried out 1288 demolitions of Palestinian-owned structures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The unvanquished will: Gaza’s triumph of spirit against the architecture of genocide
Ramzy Baroud

The unvanquished will: Gaza’s triumph of spirit against the architecture of genocide

For the last two years, my social media algorithm has been relentlessly dominated by Gaza, particularly by the voices of ordinary Gazans, displaying a blend of emotions that centres on two core principles: grief and defiance.

From illusion to real peace: Trump’s test in Gaza and Ukraine
Jeffrey D. Sachs,  Sybil Fares

From illusion to real peace: Trump’s test in Gaza and Ukraine

Real peace demands Palestinian statehood, Ukrainian neutrality and the courage to defy the war lobby.

The three core myths driving Israel’s war on Palestine
Raghid Nahhas

The three core myths driving Israel’s war on Palestine

Israeli journalist Gideon Levy, one of the most outspoken moral critics within Israel itself, once summarised what he called the “three core values of Israeli society”: the belief that Jews are the chosen people; that they are the world’s ultimate victims; and that Palestinians are not equal human beings.


John Menadue's book on Israel's war against Gaza

Israel's war against Gaza

Media coverage of the war in Gaza since October 2023 has spread a series of lies propagated by Israel and the United States. This publication presents information, analysis, clarification, views and perspectives largely unavailable in mainstream media in Australia and elsewhere.

Download the PDF

Latest on China

Understanding Australia-China research mobility
Elena Collinson,  James Laurenceson,  Wanning Sun,  Marina Zhang,  Xunpeng Shi

Understanding Australia-China research mobility

Australia’s research partnership with China is a significant component of its scientific output, particularly in engineering, technology and applied sciences.

The ABC and News Corp finally agree on something: China panic
Fred Zhang

Anti-China Media Watch

The ABC and News Corp finally agree on something: China panic

Last week, a friend asked if I was worried about Chinese “nuclear threats.

Taiwan as an integral part of China: A historical, legal and geopolitical analysis
James Wood

Taiwan as an integral part of China: A historical, legal and geopolitical analysis

The status of Taiwan remains one of the most contested topics in modern geopolitics and one of the most misrepresented.


John Menadue

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Latest letters to the editor

In defence of David Marr

Barry Stevens — Tura Beach, NSW 2548

While I am an admirer of Chris Hedges and have read him at length, I have to disagree with Vivienne Porzsolt’s characterisation of his interview with David Marr (of whom I am also a fan). Marr seemed to me to bend over backwards to accommodate Hedges' viewpoint. Hedges, in my view, overstated his case and made it very difficult, frustrating I would say, for Marr , who acted very professionally at all times. To call the interview a “hatchet job”is simply wrong.
Marred interview

Geoff Bower — Gooseberry Hill, WA

I strongly support the review of David Marr's interview with Chris Hedges. It was a disgrace and I have cancelled my subscription to Late Night Live's podcasts. I do take issue with her apology for the pun she feels she has made by saying that the interview was marred by his tactics as an interviewer. I think we should embrace the word as an apt descriptor of the techniques used by an aggressive journalist who hectors his guest and seems incapable of any self-reflection when the guest defends himself against invalid criticisms. The LNL interview was Marred for...
A windfall for Vic Labor's developer's mates

Richard Barnes — Melbourne

Stewart Sweeney’s essay on the Australia-wide abandonment of public housing, by Labor Governments in particular, is timely. Here in Victoria, following through on Dan Andrews’ departing thought bubble, the demolition of 44 public housing towers has begun. Literally as I write, a small but staunch group of protesters is picketing a tower in Flemington, Melbourne, where Housing Victoria (a misnomer if ever there was one) is evicting the remaining residents and moving them far from their community to “temporary” accommodation. The demolitions, and the building of “social and affordable” housing in their place, have been assessed by a...
Once upon a time, Iraq looked like a good idea, too

Hal Duell — Alice Springs

Yes, this is gunboat diplomacy at its most visible, and the spectre of drugs is nothing more than a fig leaf to cover a blatant war of aggression. Plenty of drugs make it into the US from Central and South America, but to my knowledge Venezuela has never featured prominently in that supply chain. Ever since Trump started his second term, he has been spruiking his ability to mix it with the other major world leaders and bend them to his will. He has been roundly rebuffed by Putin in Ukraine, Xi over trade and Taiwan, Iran over its...



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