Bethan Staton

Bio

Bethan is a writer and editor currently based in Palestine and Israel. She's written for a range of publications in the US, UK and Middle East, was previously a staff writer for The Day, where she wrote analysis on everything from fiscal policy to Rihanna lyrics for an audience of 16-year-olds.
12 Brilliant Cartoons That Will Help You Understand the History of Israel and Palestine
By Bethan Staton
The world's eyes are on Israel and Palestine, as the current crisis in Gaza has now led to the deaths of more than 600 Palestinians and 30 Israelis. While the latest round of violence has made headlines, it is not an isolated incident. On the…
How Israel Helped Spawn Hamas
By Bethan Staton
Today, it seems hard to imagine that Israel would harbor any generosity towards Hamas. As its tanks, planes, and ships pound Gaza, and its governing powers respond with volleys of rockets, their enmity's tragic cost is rising by the hour.  Image…
Jon Stewart Rips Apart How the Media Covers the Violence in Gaza
By Bethan Staton
Leave it to the Daily Show's Jon Stewart to be the person to perfectly sum up the current situation in Gaza. On its first episode after a two-week break, Stewart picks apart the hot-button headlines that he missed while he was away — including…
The Problem With Media Coverage of the Gaza Crisis, Summed Up In One 3 Minute Video
By Bethan Staton
It's prime-time news on ABC, and Diane Sawyer is opening a report on a dramatic escalation in the Middle East. "We take you overseas, now, to the rockets raining down on Israel today," she says. The segment shifts to a photograph of two men near the…
9 Graphics to Help You Understand What Life Is Really Like in Gaza
By Bethan Staton
News of the latest crisis in Palestine and Israel is rolling into headlines this week, perhaps invoking a dull sense of déjà vu for observers in the United States. Once again, targets all over the Gaza Strip are being hammered by air strikes. Again,…
Horrifying Photos and Videos Capture the Crisis Currently Raging in Gaza
By Bethan Staton
It's a photo that shows the bleak future that is to come for Gaza: plumes of dark smoke greeted residents of Israel and Palestine as they woke up Tuesday morning, signaling the start of a dangerous new phase of the conflict.  On Monday night, Israel…
There's a Huge Crackdown Happening in the West Bank – and No One Is Talking About It
By Bethan Staton
It was Thursday night when Gilad Shaer, Naftali Frenkel and Eyal Ifrach disappeared. The three Israeli teenagers were hitchhiking home from their schools in the West Bank, and were last seen near Gush Etzion, a settlement bloc. They never made it…
To Understand What Life Is Really Like in Israel and Palestine, Follow This Chart
By Bethan Staton
Back in 2007, a short film called West Bank Story won an Academy Award. The musical parodies West Side Story — telling a Romeo and Juliet-style tale of a Palestinian girl who falls in love with an Israeli soldier. The girl, Fatima, works at a…
What Happened Last Night Between Israel and Gaza, Explained
By Bethan Staton
It's been a tense 24 hours in Israel and Palestine. Last night, residents of Israel fled to bomb shelters as the Islamic Jihad, a militant organisation in Gaza, launched rockets at the southern part of the country. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)…
Hostels Are Sprouting Up in the West Bank, Showing a Side of Palestine Few Americans See
By Bethan Staton
From the windows of Area D, on the top floor of a central Ramallah high-rise, the view is astonishing. Past the fruit market and emerald-studded minarets is hilly, urban sprawl; beyond that, West Jerusalem. Psagot, a settlement, is closer. It is…
9 Brands You Can Boycott to Hold Israel Accountable for Its Violation of International Law
By Bethan Staton
Boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) are big news in 2014. If Scarlett Johansson's Sodastream fiasco didn't grab your attention, perhaps the American Studies Association's boycott of Israeli universities did, or Netanyahu's increasing talk of…
Here's What Scarlett Johansson Doesn't Get About Israeli Settlements
By Bethan Staton
In her controversial Sodastream commercial, Scarlett Johansson is sparkling. In her fluffy white bathrobe and little black dress, she gasps over her healthy, home-carbonated drink. "My favourite thing about SodaStream," she sighs, "is that I don't…
Why Palestinians Will Never Forget Ariel Sharon's Brutal Legacy
By Bethan Staton
When news of Ariel Sharon's death at the age of 85 arrived on Saturday, the eulogies were ready. The eight years he had lain in a coma had given newspapers plenty of time to package the "trailblazing warrior-statesman," "father of Israel" and…
Why There's Suddenly a Wall Surrounding This Historic London Church
By Bethan Staton
St. James's Church, Piccadilly is over 300 years old. Designed in the 1600s by one of Britain's greatest architects, Sir Christopher Wren, it's a photogenic, peaceful pocket in one of London's busiest and most famous spots. William Blake was…
Femen's Protest in Bethlehem Shows Just How Clueless They Are
By Bethan Staton
It's Christmas Eve, and Bethlehem is getting ready for the biggest night of the year. A 50 foot tree stands sparkling over Manger Square, souvenir shops creak with religious trinkets, and pilgrims buzzed with sacred significance swarm about the…