George Bisharat

George Bisharat (1954- ) is a prominent Palestinian-American professor of law and frequent commentator on current events in the Middle East, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in particular.

Life

Bisharat was born in 1954 in Topeka, Kansas to Palestinian parents from Jerusalem. He earned his B.A. in anthropology from UC-Berkeley in California and his M.A. in history from Georgetown University in Washington, DC, before going on to graduate cum laude from Harvard Law School. In 1987, he earned a Ph.D. in Anthropology and Middle East Studies from Harvard University.

Bisharat served as deputy Public Defender for the city of San Francisco from 1987 to 1991, and in 1989, he published the book "Palestinian Lawyers and Israeli Rule: Law and Disorder in the West Bank" (University of Texas Press). In 1991, Bisharat assumed the position of Professor of Law at the University of California's Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco, California, a position he continues to hold. He has also worked with the Palestinian Legislative Council on efforts to reform and develop the Palestinian judiciary system, and is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Palestine Studies.

Views

Bisharat has become a prominent commentator on the Middle East and the legal and human rights aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and his written commentaries have been widely published in the U.S. and international media in recent years. He was an outspoken critic of Israel's conduct during its 2007 war with Lebanon, and has been a frequent defender of the right of return of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled from their homes in 1948 during the creation of the State of Israel.

Bisharat has also become one of an increasing number of prominent analysts and academics who have voiced support for the possibility a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and is currently working on a book addressing the legal aspects of the one-state solution. He has also come out in support of a boycott of Israel, arguing in a 2007 editorial published by the San Francisco Chronicle that a boycott was "both necessary and justified" by Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian Territories.

References

* [http://imeu.net/news/article005757.shtml Profile of George Bisharat at the Institute for Middle East Understanding]
* [http://www.uchastings.edu/?pid=716 University of California Hastings College of the Law Faculty]
* [http://www.washington-report.org/archives/June_2004/0406056.html "Dr. George Bisharat discusses "The Power of Apology" at UCLA Palestine Week Event", "The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs", June 2004]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/15/EDASRIF3U.DTL&hw=george+bisharat&sn=005&sc=554 "Boycott movement targets Israel", George Bisharat, "The San Francisco Chronicle", 15 August 2007]
* [http://www.counterpunch.org/bisharat01312004.html "The Right of Return: Two-State Solution Sells Palestinians Short", George Bisharat, "Counterpunch", 31 January 2004]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/06/04/EDGGTP3DAN1.DTL&hw=george+bisharat&sn=007&sc=548 "40th Anniversary of the Six-Day War: Solution on which all agree impossible to achieve", George Bisharat, "The San Francisco Chronicle", 4 June 2007]

External links

* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/17/EDOQ11A1L3.DTL&hw=george+bisharat&sn=001&sc=1000 George Bisharat: "Obama's missteps", "The San Francisco Chronicle", (17 June 2008) at SFGate.com]
* [http://imeu.net/news/article009008.shtml George Bisharat: "Where's healthy debate on U.S. policy toward Israel?", "The Institute for Middle East Understanding", (13 June 2008) at imeu.net]
* [http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-bisharat9-2008jun09,0,6921620.story George Bisharat: "The fallacy of Islamic 'national suicide'", "The Los Angeles Times", (9 June 2008) at www.latimes.com]
* [http://imeu.net/news/article008796.shtml George Bisharat: "Where's healthy debate on U.S. policy toward Israel?", "The Institute for Middle East Understanding", (22 May 2008) at imeu.net]
* [http://imeu.net/news/article008737.shtml George Bisharat: "Possibility of a bright future", "The Institute for Middle East Understanding", (15 May 2008) at imeu.net]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/13/INGQDPOOUD1.DTL&hw=george+bisharat&sn=006&sc=554 George Bisharat: "For Palestinians, memory matters", "The San Francisco Chronicle", (13 May 2007) at SFGate.com]
* [http://www.countercurrents.org/bisharat310107.htm George Bisharat: "From personal experience", "The Houston Chronicle" (28 January 2007) at Countercurrents.org]
* [http://imeu.net/news/article004053.shtml George Bisharat: "Truth at last", "The Institute for Middle East Understanding", (2 January 2007) at imeu.net]
* [http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-01-beirut-beauty-edit_x.htm George Bisharat: "Did Israel really need to savage the beauty of Beirut?", "USA Today" (2 August 2006) at USA Today]
* [http://www.cjonline.com/stories/010706/opi_bisharat.shtml George Bisharat: "Aid to Israel is out of hand", "Topeka Capital-Journal" (9 January 2006) at Topeka Capital-Journal Online]
* [http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_436.shtml George Bisharat: "Who caused the Palestinian Diaspora?", "The Sacramento Bee" (10 November 2005) at Jewish Voice for Peace]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/05/18/IN206581.DTL George Bisharat: "Rite of return to a Palestinian home", "The San Francisco Chronicle" (10 November 2005) at SFGate.com]
* [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/04/26/ED242573.DTL&hw=george+bisharat&sn=014&sc=585 George Bisharat: "Settlements stand in the way of peace", "The San Francisco Chronicle" (26 April 2002) at SFGate.com]