THE international community must immediately increase its pressure on the US, Europe and Israel to help liberate Palestine, said Palestinian Ambassador Ahmad Ramadan yesterday. The ambassador, who was speaking following the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Palestine nakba (catastrophe) on May 15, said that a solution to his country's crisis and the suffering of its people was largely depen
The Palestine Festival of Literature will kick off from 7-11th May, 2008 with readings and performances held in Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem, said Eleanor O'Keeffe, a member of the organizing committee.High-profile writers will be attending, including William Dalrymple, Ahdaf Soueif, David Hare, Roddy Doyle, Hanan al- Shaykh, Esther Freud, Pankaj Mishra, Suheir Hammad, Jamal Mahjoub, Andrew O'Hagan, Victoria Brittain, Brigid Keenan, Nathalie Handal, Ian Jack amongst others. The up-and-coming British actor Khalid Abdullah (The Kite Runner, United 93) will also be accompanying the group as well as rising star writer Daniel Alarcon.The event is supported by the British Council, the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture, the A.M. Qattan Foundation, Ford Foundation and local partners include Yabo
By Dr. Mustafa BarghouthiFriday, 04.25.2008 Sixty years after the Naqba, the catastrophe, Palestinians are still without a state. They are living under occupation, many are in refugee camps, others are scattered around the world, and a part of the Palestinian people are no more than second class citizens in Israel itself. The Palestinian struggle to achieve freedom and independence is therefore firstly a struggle to exist as a people. In this endeavour, resistance is essential. Resistance through memory, resistance through unwavering demands for their rights, resistance against open or covert attempts to displace them and take their land from them. But what sort of resistance? Armed resistance to occupation is legitimate and legal under internati
The situation in Gaza gets worse with each passing days and now Hamas is initiating suicide attacks that will only exacerbate problems. The European Union urged Turkish leaders to assume leadership in bringing together warring factions in the Israel-Palestine conflict. State Minister Kurgad Tuzmen said he was approached by an EU envoy and asked [...]
'Alwan called on the Arab world to acknowledge the Jews' right to Palestine, because justice demanded it and also because doing so would end the violence and the killing of Arabs, as well as intra-Arab strife. He added that such a move would also open up new avenues for the Arab world that would be more consistent with the values and needs of modern society.'Alwan writes that the Arab League is to blame for the refusal to recognize the 1947 U.N. partition plan, for starting a war to prevent its implementation, and for the results of that war, which the Arabs call the Nakba (disaster). He points an accusing finger at the Arab regimes, the Arab League, and the educated circles in the Arab world, saying that they had all used the term "nakba" to direct popular consciousness toward a cultural
Agriculture is a fundamental pillar of the weak Palestinian economy. Despite the enormous imports, the sector is partly self-sufficient and even outstanding in some areas of production, such as olive oil and flowers. Most of the production outputs are sold in Europe, in the Gulf's Arabic countries and in neighbouring Israel, where restrictions in some cases have seriously damaged the Palestinian agriculture by preventing it from becoming internationally competitive.Due to the considerable amount of land fit for cultivation in this fragmented and rather narrow territory (the entire West Bank area is around 5,800 square kilometers, with a 65 km maximum width and 130 km length), agriculture in Palestine has become one of the main pillars of the local economy. The key role played by these sect
Allies of Palestinians see a friend in ObamaCHICAGO -- It was a celebration of Palestinian culture -- a night of music, dancing and a dash of politics. Local Arab Americans were bidding farewell to Rashid Khalidi, an internationally known scholar, critic of Israel and advocate for Palestinian rights, who was leaving town for a job in New York.A special tribute came from Khalidi's friend and frequent dinner companion, the young state Sen. Barack Obama. Speaking to the crowd, Obama reminisced about meals prepared by Khalidi's wife, Mona, and conversations that had challenged his thinking.His many talks with the Khalidis, Obama said, had been "consistent reminders to me of my own blind spots and my own biases. . . . It's for that reason that I'm hoping that, for many years to come, we continu
We Maldivians as Muslims have a deep relationship of brotherhood with all the Muslims around the world. Our hearts should feel the pains and suferings of fellow Muslims from any where around the Globe.
As such, the Muslim brothers and sisters of Palestine, specially in Gaza are currently undergoing their worst nightmares. Those reporters and humanitarian aid workers who have been there and are
On 29 February 1976, the Israeli government announced that it planned to confiscate 21,000 dunum (5,500 acres) of Arab-owned land in order to create eight Jewish industrial centers. It was another attempt by Israel to geographically marginalize the state’s Arab community and strip it of its agricultural livelihood. This was made clear by the Israeli government itself when Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture declared the plan’s primary purpose was the creation of a Jewish majority in the Arab Galilee.Having experienced institutionalized discrimination since the Jewish state’s inception, the Palestinians in Israel decided to challenge the confiscations. Community organizers met and decided to organize a general strike. In response, Israeli authorities announced a curfew on the evening o
The NEFA Foundation has obtained and translated a copy of the latest audio recording from Al-Qaida leader Usama Bin Laden, titled, "The Way for the Salvation of Palestine." During his speech, Bin Laden insisted that control of Palestine shall only be reclaimed "with iron and fire" and admonished Muslims that "the nearest field of jihad today to support our people in Palestine is the Iraqi field, so it is necessary to be concerned with it, focus on it, and support it." Appealing specifically to Al-Qaida...(read more)
In this article in the Economist, the Hamas member Mahmoud Zahhar admits more or less that the whole notion of there ever having been an Islamic country called "palestine" is phony:
Nonetheless, Hamas might accept a two-state offer if most Palestinians agreed. But it was entirely “fantastical”. He certainly would not now “accept the reality” of Israel, as some of his senior colleagues have hinted
The thinking was: You get a deal and all falls into place. But, Blair notes, no deal was ever cut. Unlike the Good Friday Agreement over Northern Ireland, the only agreement has been to agree to reach an agreement.So the former British prime minister is seeking to replay the original music. The way forward, he argues, is not to try to cut a deal on an agreement first: "For the Palestinian state to succeed, you need to start getting the reality of that state on the ground before political negotiations can be meaningful. The state is not about an agreement, but about Palestinian capabilities in handling security and their economy."Every Palestinian-Israeli peace effort has been killed off by the sound of war. It's been as if violence is irremediably built in to peace-making. Instead of the e
Planned Israeli settlements are derailing the peace process and invalidating Annapolis.
And don't think the US isn't concerned. After all, we've gone so far as to call the settlement plans "not helpful."
For every step forward, like Israel's recent drawdown of its military operations in Gaza and hints of a coming cease-fire, there's a step back. What's craziest is the justification given for settlement expansions (which the BBC notes are illegal under international law):
Regev, the Israeli spokesman, said Givat Zeev, a settlement near Jerusalem, is in the settlement "blocs" that Israel intends to keep, but also said Olmert couldn't have halted the construction even if he wanted to since the project was first approved in 1999.
"We would have faced serious legal problems from the developers"
Jamaat-e-Islami Amir, Qazi Hussain Ahmad has said that accepting the Israeli occupation on Palestine was a cruel apathy of the Muslim rulers. Addressing a protest demonstration outside the Faisal Mosque here, he strongly condemned the publication of sacrilege caricatures. Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that the Palestinian lives have been made miserable by unleashing horrendous oppressions on them—innocent children were being massacred. He said that one-fourth of the world constitutes of the Muslims rich in natural resources, but could not do anything. He said that the Muslims were not even conscious of the oppressions perpetrated in Palestine and Gaza. Slogans against Demark and demand for breaking diplomatic relations kept ranting the atmosphere on this occasion.
mindless violence continues. skewed media report continues. endless killing of civilians continue. the victims at the Seminary was aged 15 to 26. all people of conscience condemns such act of violence.1.Ibrahim Abdil-Mu’id Ramey, Muslim American Society (MAS) Freedom Civil and Human Rights Director writes: On March 6, 2008, the world received news of yet another tragedy in the ongoing conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis. In an apparent act of revenge, armed Palestinians infiltrated a Rabbinical school in Jerusalem and attacked a group of teenage Jewish students, leaving eight of them dead. They were not combatants, and the act did not take place in self-defense or in the heat of combat.Most of the world, especially in Israel, was stunned and horrified by the killings. But in G
The Israeli press is abuzz with reactions to statements by Yasser Abed Rabbo, a key Palestinian peace negotiator, who called for a unilateral declaration of independence if reconciliation with Israel stumbles. Almost all of the reactions were judgmental and non-sympathetic. Few were even cynical. None saw a valid comparison with the Kosovo case. If Abed Rabbo's proposal was meant to shake the Israelis in any way, it had clearly failed to do so. The US immediately rejected the comparison with Kosovo. There were few encouraging voices from the Arab world as well, and in some cases the call drew unexpected flak. After all this was not the first time the Palestinians had made such a caveat.
Also in the West Bank, Israeli troops kidnapped four Palestinians including a female during invasions on Monday. Local sources reported that Tasbeeh al-Khayaat, 22 a student of engineering at an- Najah University in Nablus was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers and was moved to an unknown destination.Nafha society, an organization defending Human and Prisoner Rights, said in addition to Khayaat, there have been six females kidnapped in 2008. The organization called upon the international community, especially those active in women rights, to take action to save the lives of at least 110 female prisoners in the Israeli jails.
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Territories Sheikh Mohammad Hussein renewed on Sunday his warnings against the plots of the Israeli occupation authorities in the Holy City. "The Israeli occupation authorities conduct suspicious acts targeting the Palestinian holy places under ungrounded pretexts," Sheikh Hussein said in a press release.
Yesterday's Spin The Globe ping-ponged between Israel and Palestine in the first hour, and in the second hour swung wildly around the planet, culminating in a tribute to the late Garifuna musician Andy Palacio. (And if you listened, you might have won tickets for concerts by Simon Shaheen or Omar Torrez, both of whom play in Seattle tonight.)Spin The Globe playlist for 25 January 2008artist - song - albumhour 1 Rim Banna - Masha’al - The Mirrors of My Soul Makondo - The Baker - Makondo DAM - Meen Ir-Hebi? (Who’s the Terrorist?) - Single Channe Nussbaum & Spielniks - Nudnik - Jidishe Mame Simon Shaheen & Qantara - Blue Flame - Blue Flame Yuval Ron Ensemble - D’ror Y
A round of discouraging reports from Israel casts doubt on the viability of recent peace talks.
The second set of talks since Annapolis, held today, broke down over disagreements about the planned wave of Israeli settlements soon to be built in East Jerusalem.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki said Monday there would be no progress in the recently revived peace talks with Israel until Jerusalem halts all settlement activity.
“There will be one item on the agenda - demanding from Israel to cease settlement [expansion],” said al-Malki.
“We won’t proceed a single step during negotiations with Israel without reaching an agreement on complete and comprehensive cessation for settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories,” al-Malki said.
Both Secretary Rice and the Mubarak government in Egypt have criticized the plan for more settlements, citing the move as a threat to the peace process.
Annapolis in part aimed to revive the Road Map, whic
Israel moves to build more settlements in East Jerusalem, threatening to destabilize the situation further, to say nothing of the “peace process” initiated by Annapolis. Even the US is criticizing them:
“This doesn’t help build confidence,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after meeting Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni in Brussels.
Meanwhile, Hamas burns drugs in Gaza.
Hamas displayed tables full of marjiuana, hashish, cocaine and ecstasy at a news conference to show the results of its operations. [They] accused rivals Fatah of allowing a drug culture to flourish and collaborating with Israel to corrupt Gaza’s youth.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed hope that the Palestinian government under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas can take wise steps in dealing with its domestic problems so that all components of Palestine society can unite in striving to achieve independence. "Indonesia hopes he (President Mahmoud Abbas) can overcome Palestine`s internal problems so that all components in Palestine society can unite and enjoy stronger cohesion," President Yudhoyono said at a joint press conference after holding a bilateral meeting with Abbas at the Merdeka Palace here on Monday.Indonesia News Blog: http://indosnesos.blogspot.com
Starting tonight is the First Annual Boston Palestine Film Festival. From Saturday, 9/29 to Sunday 10/7 the film festival will be celebrating Palestinian Cinema at multiple venues: MFA, Coolidge Corner Theatre, Kendall Square Cinema, and Harvard University. The BPFF is the first major Boston film festival to bring an honest and independent view of Palestine - its culture, its diasporic society, and its political travails. The nine days of screenings will encompass over 40 films with many international filmmakers and actors present - and will feature the US premiere of acclaimed films Driving to ZigZigland and Hardball.The weeklong event starts tonight at at the MFA at 7:15pm with a screener of Hijacker by Lina Makboul followed by the Festival Opening Party at 8:30pm. Click (here) for the official website and details on the week's events.Know of Any Interesting Boston News or Events That You'd Like to Share?Email me at beantownblog@gmail.com
Sudan will accept Palestinian refugees from Iraq, the BBC reports:
The offer came after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir received a letter from the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas.
The UN refugee agency has expressed concern over the deteriorating conditions for the hundreds of Palestinians in camps on the borders. They have tried to leave Iraq, but have been refused entry by Jordan and Syria…The UNHCR estimates about 34,000 Palestinians currently live in Iraq. Between 200 and 300 have been killed since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Sudan’s actions are perhaps commendable on the surface. But in light of the refugee crises within Sudan involving actual Sudanese people, the government’s actions appear both strange and hypocritical. Is the Sudanese government only willing to help fellow Arabs? Are they attempting to curry favor in the Middle East? Whatever their motivation, it seems that even gestures such as these will do little to boost their image in the eyes of the
“All my bags are packed!” No! This is not a good beginning to tell you that I’m leaving Jordan. Actually, this is not the truth; I have no bags. All I’m taking with me to Palestine is a lot of books, a dozen of CD’s, my desktop PC, and a HAND BAG with my school [...]
The Right of Return.
What is this all about? What is the Israeli side? What is the Palestinian side? Where did the Palestinian refugee come from? What is UN Resolution 181?
This balanced, bite-sized article at AlterNet by Barry Lando entitled Israel’s Primal Myth: A Barrier to Peace deals with this linch-pin issue for without its resolution no peace can ever come between the Israeli and the Palestinians.
It’s a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about this issue.
What are we to make of the recent release of more than 250 Palestinian prisoners, some in jail for 18 years?
The move was designed by Israel/US to add credibility to the Abbas government immediately after Abbas did their bidding by dismissing his government, which included a duly elected Hamas component, and installing a new administration in the larger West Bank.
Recall, that after Hamas was popularly elected in January, Western countries cut off funding to the Abbas’ government and Israel deprived the government of the tax revenue it raised on Palestine’s behalf with a result that the democratically elected government was effectively throttled.
Recall also that as a result of Western meddling, ‘Palestine’ is now two states: the Fatah-led government of the West Bank and the Hamas-led ‘government’ of Gaza.
Now, in the waning years of a discredited Bush Administration we have a desperate putsch to force peace on a region through the direct repudiatio
Reports are coming in about a flaming car that has crashed into an airport terminal in Scotland. Using classic fear-mongering tactics, the mainstream press has been alleging that this incident and car bombs found in London yesterday (free registration required) are Islamic terrorist plots, ruling out the possibility that these actions could come from elsewhere in the world or spring from other ideologies. Don’t get suckered in. Listen to what actual officials are saying, not what the press is insinuating. If you read each article closely, you’ll notice that officials have yet to blame anyone for either of these plots, which is the right way to handle these issues, in my opinion. Wait until you have the facts, please.
A unique interview highlighting women in the military.
Critics say the immigration bill before Congress failed for a second time because it attempted to do too much. Here are 11 different views on the state of immigration in our country (free registration requi
La crisi sulla striscia di Gaza ha di fatto formato due stati Palestinesi? Daniel Pipes, sempre molto attento a tutto quello che succede nel middle-east, ci racconta il suo punto di vista.
di Daniel Pipes
New York Sun
19 giugno 2007
pezzo originale For Israel, an Overt Vs. Half-Covert Foe
La vittoria riportata il 14 giugno a Gaza da Hamas su Fatah, riveste una grossa importanza per i
This is highly recommend to be read I love the fact about the past of the leaders and those who made the state of Israel like Ben Grunion Palestine The Facts On The Ground del.icio.us tags: Palestine, Politics, Israel, News, Fatah, Hamas, Middle East, Gaza, Ramallah Technorati tags: Palestine, Politics, Israel, News, Fatah, Hamas, Middle East, Gaza, Ramallah
Time for a new poll, this time about the events occurring in Palestine. But first, last week’s results:
Last week we asked if you had ever considered moving to Canada. Your answer, in a word, was, “Yes!” Over 70% of you said you’d thought about it, and over 50% of you thought about it seriously or already picked up and moved. Looks like we’re a bunch of Canucks over here…
This week, we want to know how you feel about Hamas overthrowing Fatah in Palestine and wheather this may open up new avenues for solving the biggest conflict in the Middle East. So, what do you think? Make your voice heard with your vote in the sidebar at right.
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I watched the circus that happened in Palestine sorry the Palestinian territories in Gaza as till now officially there is no Palestinian state recognized internationally or even nationally !! This is one hell of a show full of great surprises The biggest surprise of all wasn't the fall of the Fatah forces which are more than Hamas's in front of the Islamic militia , no I expected this and surely it wasn't the western and also Arabic rejection for Hamas taking over the rule in Gaza The biggest surprise of all for me is to find now today morning in the Dostor newspaper that Egypt was spending money on the Fatah forces,this is not America's money , no it is beside the American money , our own money was spent on Fatah's losers and they even couldn't stand in front of Hamas and escaped to the Egypt thanks to the Israeli Navy from Gaza !! Are we so damn rich to repeat the same old game of Gamal Abd El-Nasser to support losers here and there politically and militarily from own mon
YouTube and CNN are hosting a round of debates. Users will submit questions to candidates in the form of videos, which the candidates will then answer live during the debate. I’m not sure how this is really any different from normal debates, but at least both sides are reaching out to the younger Internet user, and that’s a good thing.
It’s going to be another hot summer. Are you going to be affected by drought? Do you still not believe in global warming?
Michael Nifong, the Durham County district attorney accused of mishandling the rape case at Duke University, resigned (free registration required) with these words: “It has become increasingly apparent, during the course of this week, in some ways that it might not have been before, that my presence as the district attorney in Durham is not furthering the cause of justice.” Why can’t Alberto Gonzales just say the same?
Stories We’ve Been Tracking
The White House is currently debating (free reg
Ehud Olmert and his fellow hawks eventually succeeded in putting the Gaza Ghetto in the hands of the most radical elements of Hamas. All they needed was to inflict years of humiliation, to illegally abduct key moderate leaders, and to carpet bomb any attempt of conciliation.Back in January 2006*, I envisioned a Pakistan - Bangladesh scenario for the Gaza Strip - West Bank couple, with radical islamists ruling over the former and unharmful people struggling to survive in the latter. Among the key differences : the Bengali suffer from abundance of water.The time has almost come. Israeli hardliners can measure the success of their strategy, and the crucial** help of a fellow fundamentalist named George W. Bush. They didn't need Dubya to get rid of Yitzhak Rabin, but they badly needed his support to crush the peace process initiated with Bill Clinton.As usual, Shimon Peres keeps the glam (Nobel Prize, presidence) and avoids direct combat in favor of peace. Ehud Barak joins the government
Shit gets even more hectic in Palestine. That plus further sectarian violence in Iraq makes for a pretty terrifying picture in the Middle East right now.
Sudan accepts the deployment of a “hybrid” AU-UN force in Darfur on the condition that the troops be predominately African.
Romney ahead in “bellweather states”?
International Herald Tribune: “As stocks soar in India, everyone wants in.”
Salon delivers a pessimistic - perhaps overly pessimistic, even - report on Bush’s recent visit to Europe and the attitudes and fears of European leaders concerning America. Meanwhile, Gore calls the G8 agreement on climate change a “disgrace.”
BLOGS: Digby on “male panic” and the feminization of Democrats. Conceptual Guerilla discusses “New Deal Revisionism.” Finally, the relative freedom of the internet does not mean that Americans should forget about other media that (some believe) people deserve more access to and contro
In a departure from EU and US policy toward the Hamas-led Palestinian administration, Norway has resumed direct aid to Palestine.
“We hope our contribution will help to alleviate the current social crisis in the Palestinian Territory, particularly for the many extended families with only one breadwinner,” said Norway’s Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere.
“The critical situation in Gaza has many causes, but it has been exacerbated by social destitution and despair. It is therefore particularly important that the Palestinian authorities receive financial support from the international community,” he said.
Poverty in Palestine is dire, and is getting worse.
Seven out of 10 households in the occupied Palestinian territories, or about 2.4 million Palestinians, are living in poverty.
Of course, Palestinian poverty is not only a humanitarian issue, but a political one. Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel’s right to exist is a major stumbling block in n
Recent headlines underscore the dire situation in Palestine, once again proving (as if there were any need of further proof) that the obstacles to be overcome in maintaining a secure, successful Palestinian state are as intricate as they are numerous. The region, for decades synonymous with violence and confrontation, has seen any progress voided by subsequent regression. The result has been, at best, a zero sum game, and not for lack of trying. Few are the nations who have not attempted to influence either one side or the other, with some of the brightest minds in various sectors working on the cause. Nevertheless, the problem persists, and proposed solutions usually revolve around the same sets of ideas. It’s therefore an encouraging thing when one hears a proposal which is not only fresh and exciting, but also viable.
Enter the RAND Corporation, specifically two components of the non-profit think tank; RAND Health, and the RAND Center for Middle Eastern Public Policy. In a re
When I first began working in the West Bank, I understood that communicating a Palestinian perspective to our Christian Peacemaker Team constituency was part of our job. I soon learned that the U.S. media ignored not only the Palestinian perspective; it ignored the perspective of the thousands of Israelis who for decades had worked sacrificially on behalf of peace and human rights. Most of these activists struggled with depression, and I thought CPT could be a ministry to them, encouraging them in their efforts.During the first months of the current Intifada, as visitors to Hebron tried to cheer up our depressed and sleep-deprived team by telling us what admirable work we were doing, I had a revelation. All the encouraging things I said to Israeli activists years ago must have been really annoying.They saw the big picture that I did not. They knew they were plugging only a few of the holes in a very leaky dike, that their dream of two states‹Israel and Palestine‹living side by
In response to the suggestion that "Israel and Palestine have a right to exist as separate states."
No, I don't believe they do. I don't think these, or any other, states have 'rights' of any sort. Furthermore, I think the problem in Israel/Palestine is greatly exacerbated by this kind of confusion. Only individuals have rights. And while it is common practice to speak of states as though they
War For Palestine*In A Prison Called Palestine Part I*In A Prison Called Palestine Part II*The battle over Palestine *Ripples Cross*Visit to Palestine 2004*An Interview with Riad Hamad*Legal Counsel to the Palestine Authority*Intrigue in the Middle East*Counting the Costs*They Smash Through Our Walls*Strangers In The House*Poetry for Palestine - Rhythms of Resistance*Rescuing Middle East Policy*Gaza Strip*The Palestine Refugees
