political writings
Palestine
Norman Finkelstein interview from "Defamation" by Yoav Shamir
18 January 2014 | Filmmaker Yoav Shamir states that as an Israeli he has never experienced antisemitism himself and wants to learn more about it since references to antisemitism in countries all over the world are common in the Israeli media.
18 January 2014 | Filmmaker Yoav Shamir states that as an Israeli he has never experienced antisemitism himself and wants to learn more about it since references to antisemitism in countries all over the world are common in the Israeli media.
By Mairead Corrigan Maguire
Nelson Mandela and Mordechaï Vanunu – men of courage
1 January 2014 | This week the World’s political leaders stood united in admiration at the Memorial service in South Africa to honour the memory of Nelson Mandela, Leader of his country, and a man of courage who gave inspiration to many people around the world.
Nelson Mandela and Mordechaï Vanunu – men of courage
1 January 2014 | This week the World’s political leaders stood united in admiration at the Memorial service in South Africa to honour the memory of Nelson Mandela, Leader of his country, and a man of courage who gave inspiration to many people around the world.
By Frank Barat
Exclusive Interview with Roger Waters
11 December 2013 | Rock legend Roger Waters speaks to us about music, the role of artists in today’s society and his activism for justice around the world, including in Palestine.
Exclusive Interview with Roger Waters
11 December 2013 | Rock legend Roger Waters speaks to us about music, the role of artists in today’s society and his activism for justice around the world, including in Palestine.
By Ramzy Baroud
The Plot Thickens: Gaza is Flooded with Sewage and Conspiracies
29 November 2013 | The latest punishment of Gaza may seem like another familiar plot to humiliate the strip to the satisfaction of Israel, Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, and the military-controlled Egyptian government. But something far more sinister is brewing. This time, the collective punishment of Gaza arrives in the form of raw sewage that is flooding many neighborhoods across the impoverished and energy-chocked region of 360 km2 (139 sq mi) and 1.8 million inhabitants.
The Plot Thickens: Gaza is Flooded with Sewage and Conspiracies
29 November 2013 | The latest punishment of Gaza may seem like another familiar plot to humiliate the strip to the satisfaction of Israel, Mahmoud Abbas’s Palestinian Authority, and the military-controlled Egyptian government. But something far more sinister is brewing. This time, the collective punishment of Gaza arrives in the form of raw sewage that is flooding many neighborhoods across the impoverished and energy-chocked region of 360 km2 (139 sq mi) and 1.8 million inhabitants.
UN official: Gaza is quickly becoming uninhabitable
29 November 2013 | The Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Filippo Grandi, has warned that "the plight of Palestinians and Palestinian refugees under Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to worsen."
29 November 2013 | The Commissioner General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Filippo Grandi, has warned that "the plight of Palestinians and Palestinian refugees under Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continues to worsen."
By Sarah Salibi
Turn the Gaza Lights On
21 November 2013 | Imagine that you have to spend your night in utter darkness, to arrange your plan for each day according to a power-cut plan, or to force yourself into bed as there is nothing you can do other than to sit in the dark. Picture yourself studying for your exams using a candle, or spending all day long waiting for the electricity to come back, or walking in streets at night that are only lit by cars’ headlights. If you find it hard to imagine all of these things combined, just seek the help of a Palestinian from Gaza. No one could explain it better.
Turn the Gaza Lights On
21 November 2013 | Imagine that you have to spend your night in utter darkness, to arrange your plan for each day according to a power-cut plan, or to force yourself into bed as there is nothing you can do other than to sit in the dark. Picture yourself studying for your exams using a candle, or spending all day long waiting for the electricity to come back, or walking in streets at night that are only lit by cars’ headlights. If you find it hard to imagine all of these things combined, just seek the help of a Palestinian from Gaza. No one could explain it better.
Children Navigate Sewage in the Streets of Al Sabra, Eastern Gaza City
16 November 2013 | Children navigate sewage in the streets of Al Sabra, a neighborhood in Eastern Gaza City on Thursday, November 14, a day after a nearby waste water treatment plant ran out of fuel.
16 November 2013 | Children navigate sewage in the streets of Al Sabra, a neighborhood in Eastern Gaza City on Thursday, November 14, a day after a nearby waste water treatment plant ran out of fuel.
By Yara Karmalawy
Palestinian-American student denied entry to Israel after being told, ‘there is no such thing as Palestine’
10 November 2013 | I’ve spent my entire life hearing stories about Jerusalem and the beauty of my homeland from my mother and grandparents. I had always dreamed of one day being able to visit, and in the summer of 2012 it seemed that I would finally have that opportunity. In September of that year I started my travels with 30 peers on a student diplomatic trip through the Middle East. I knew that I would likely face some trouble at the Israeli borders due to my Palestinian background, however what I experienced turned out to be far more than just a little “trouble”.
Palestinian-American student denied entry to Israel after being told, ‘there is no such thing as Palestine’
10 November 2013 | I’ve spent my entire life hearing stories about Jerusalem and the beauty of my homeland from my mother and grandparents. I had always dreamed of one day being able to visit, and in the summer of 2012 it seemed that I would finally have that opportunity. In September of that year I started my travels with 30 peers on a student diplomatic trip through the Middle East. I knew that I would likely face some trouble at the Israeli borders due to my Palestinian background, however what I experienced turned out to be far more than just a little “trouble”.
Edward Said - The Last Interview
3 November 2013 | A truly superb interview with Edward Said who died in late September 2003.
3 November 2013 | A truly superb interview with Edward Said who died in late September 2003.
Brothers in arms? Hamas-Hizbullah reconciliation
28 October 2013 | Hamas’s decision to sever relations with the Asad-led Syrian regime has had negative impacts on the Hamas-Hizbullah dynamic. This has seen a shift in allegiance of Hamas from the Iranian-Hizbullah axis to the Turkey-Egypt-Qatar axis. However, talks between Hamas and Hizbullah have sought to establish reconciliation between the two parties.
28 October 2013 | Hamas’s decision to sever relations with the Asad-led Syrian regime has had negative impacts on the Hamas-Hizbullah dynamic. This has seen a shift in allegiance of Hamas from the Iranian-Hizbullah axis to the Turkey-Egypt-Qatar axis. However, talks between Hamas and Hizbullah have sought to establish reconciliation between the two parties.
By Mazin Qumsiyeh
Palestinians do have options for change and resistance
7 October 2013 | On November 28, 1947, the CIA predicted accurately the meaning of Truman’s push to partition Palestine: "Armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the UN General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine ... the resulting conflict will seriously disturb the social, economic, and political stability of the Arab world, and US commercial and strategic interests will be dangerously jeopardized ... The poverty, unrest, and hopelessness upon which Communist propaganda thrives will increase throughout the Arab world."
Palestinians do have options for change and resistance
7 October 2013 | On November 28, 1947, the CIA predicted accurately the meaning of Truman’s push to partition Palestine: "Armed hostilities between Jews and Arabs will break out if the UN General Assembly accepts the plan to partition Palestine ... the resulting conflict will seriously disturb the social, economic, and political stability of the Arab world, and US commercial and strategic interests will be dangerously jeopardized ... The poverty, unrest, and hopelessness upon which Communist propaganda thrives will increase throughout the Arab world."
Interview with Canadian author and journalist Greg Felton, by Kourosh Ziabari
Middle East Peace Talks Are Doomed to Failure
16 August 2013 | Canadian columnist and political author Greg Felton believes that the new round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will ultimately fail and lead to nowhere as the Israeli regime is continuing to insist on its illegitimate demands and also is not ready to engage in talks on equal footing.
Middle East Peace Talks Are Doomed to Failure
16 August 2013 | Canadian columnist and political author Greg Felton believes that the new round of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority will ultimately fail and lead to nowhere as the Israeli regime is continuing to insist on its illegitimate demands and also is not ready to engage in talks on equal footing.An article by Richard Falk
Reviving the Israel-Palestine Negotiations: The Indyk Appointment
4 August 2013 | .
Reviving the Israel-Palestine Negotiations: The Indyk Appointment
4 August 2013 | .
Palestine
Hamas rejects new talks with Israel announced by Kerry
23 July 2013 | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has no legitimate right to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Palestinian people, the Gaza-based Hamas leadership said Friday following US Secretary of State John Kerry’s announcement of an impending round of talks.
Hamas rejects new talks with Israel announced by Kerry
23 July 2013 | Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has no legitimate right to negotiate with Israel on behalf of the Palestinian people, the Gaza-based Hamas leadership said Friday following US Secretary of State John Kerry’s announcement of an impending round of talks.About the so-called "Peace process"
Netanyahu: "How I broke the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians"
21 July 2013 | "Mr. Abbas agreed to go back to public negotiations with a pathological liar (Netanyahu, see video below). Private negotiations have been ongoing behind the scenes."
Netanyahu: "How I broke the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians"
21 July 2013 | "Mr. Abbas agreed to go back to public negotiations with a pathological liar (Netanyahu, see video below). Private negotiations have been ongoing behind the scenes."
By Paul Larudee
The Palestine Liberation Movement is not about Anti-Semitism
24 May 2013 | I don’t disagree that the cowardly removal by Aljazeera of everything written by Joseph Massad is a travesty of justice and journalism and that their reinstatement is justified. But why was Massad trying to defend Palestinian rights based upon them being “the last of the Semites?”
The Palestine Liberation Movement is not about Anti-Semitism
24 May 2013 | I don’t disagree that the cowardly removal by Aljazeera of everything written by Joseph Massad is a travesty of justice and journalism and that their reinstatement is justified. But why was Massad trying to defend Palestinian rights based upon them being “the last of the Semites?”
University of Freiburg’s refusal to let lecture hall to “Cafe Palestine” found to be illegal
14 May 2013 | We are happy to announce that last Friday, Cafe Palestine Freiburg won a landmark victory in the Administrative Court when the refusal by the University of Freiburg to make available to “Cafe Palestine” a lecture hall for a presentation by Prof. Christophe Oberlin of Paris on the topic “Plastic Surgery in Gaza” was found to be illegal.
14 May 2013 | We are happy to announce that last Friday, Cafe Palestine Freiburg won a landmark victory in the Administrative Court when the refusal by the University of Freiburg to make available to “Cafe Palestine” a lecture hall for a presentation by Prof. Christophe Oberlin of Paris on the topic “Plastic Surgery in Gaza” was found to be illegal.
Gabi Weber: The Truth Will Set Us Free?
22 April 2013 | I was brought up in a country that believed itself to be open and tolerant. Indeed after the Second World War Germany undertook to transform guilt into responsibility.
22 April 2013 | I was brought up in a country that believed itself to be open and tolerant. Indeed after the Second World War Germany undertook to transform guilt into responsibility.
An article by Sameh Habeeb
BDS movement and the Palestinian Principles
11 April 2013 | The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people are the basic pillars for constructing a legitimate movement seeking justice, peace and reconciliation. Any departure from them or attempts to jettison any part of it is certainly a shameful u turn and an insult against the entire Palestinian people. It insults Palestinians who sacrificed their lives, the many hundreds of thousands that are imprisoned, the millions that live in squalor and degradation as refugees and indeed the entire Palestinian cause.
BDS movement and the Palestinian Principles
11 April 2013 | The inalienable rights of the Palestinian people are the basic pillars for constructing a legitimate movement seeking justice, peace and reconciliation. Any departure from them or attempts to jettison any part of it is certainly a shameful u turn and an insult against the entire Palestinian people. It insults Palestinians who sacrificed their lives, the many hundreds of thousands that are imprisoned, the millions that live in squalor and degradation as refugees and indeed the entire Palestinian cause.
Illegal Settlers Storm Al-Aqsa Sanctuary, Attacks Escalate
12 February 2013 | A group of illegal Israeli settlers trespassed into Al-Aqsa Sanctuary again on Sunday, flanked by Israeli soldiers. The extremist settlers stormed the sanctified area in small groups, some practicing Talmudic rituals in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Sanctuary.
12 February 2013 | A group of illegal Israeli settlers trespassed into Al-Aqsa Sanctuary again on Sunday, flanked by Israeli soldiers. The extremist settlers stormed the sanctified area in small groups, some practicing Talmudic rituals in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Sanctuary.Gilad Atzmon: This Is One Of My Most Interesting TV Interviews Ever
«30 years ago I crossed the Lebanese border along with an IDF...»
19 January 2013 | This is probably the clearest interview I have given about my thoughts, The Wandering Who, Israel. Judaism, Zionism, Jewishness, AZZ, Palestine and more. [Gilad Atzmon - January 17, 2013]
«30 years ago I crossed the Lebanese border along with an IDF...»
19 January 2013 | This is probably the clearest interview I have given about my thoughts, The Wandering Who, Israel. Judaism, Zionism, Jewishness, AZZ, Palestine and more. [Gilad Atzmon - January 17, 2013]
An article by Makram Khoury-Machool
Gaza - This is Not a Revolt, This is a War
18 December 2012 | December 2012 will mark the 25th anniversary of the first Palestinian Intifada. Dr Makram Khoury-Machool was the journalist to announce the outbreak of the Intifada in Haaretz’s supplement, back in December 1987. He was shot in the face and his report became a media event. This article was translated into English 25 years ago by the late Israel Shahak.
Gaza - This is Not a Revolt, This is a War
18 December 2012 | December 2012 will mark the 25th anniversary of the first Palestinian Intifada. Dr Makram Khoury-Machool was the journalist to announce the outbreak of the Intifada in Haaretz’s supplement, back in December 1987. He was shot in the face and his report became a media event. This article was translated into English 25 years ago by the late Israel Shahak.
An article by Ramzy Baroud
Understanding Hamas at 25: Beyond the Tired Language
13 December 2012 | “In a moment of high theatre he dropped to his knees, placed his lips on the ground and kissed the land he has commanded by proxy”. This is how Robert Tait of the British Telegraph worded the moment Khaled Meshaal arrived in Gaza on Dec 07. Tait’s report on what many in Gaza and elsewhere consider a watershed event in the history of the Islamic movement, was mostly consistent with mainstream reporting on any event concerning the impoverished and besieged Strip: often biased, selective and devoid of real understanding or empathy.
Understanding Hamas at 25: Beyond the Tired Language
13 December 2012 | “In a moment of high theatre he dropped to his knees, placed his lips on the ground and kissed the land he has commanded by proxy”. This is how Robert Tait of the British Telegraph worded the moment Khaled Meshaal arrived in Gaza on Dec 07. Tait’s report on what many in Gaza and elsewhere consider a watershed event in the history of the Islamic movement, was mostly consistent with mainstream reporting on any event concerning the impoverished and besieged Strip: often biased, selective and devoid of real understanding or empathy.An article by Ramzy Baroud
Palestine: Of ‘Symbolic’ Victories and Real Defeats
12 December 2012 | A small group of students affiliated mostly with leftist Palestinian factions meandered through the streets of the small town of Birzeit near Ramallah in the summer of 1993. It was an impromptu political rally. They denounced what they understood as the relinquishing of basic Palestinian rights in exchange for meagre returns: Self-autonomy governed by some Palestinian political body, future negotiations without any guarantees and a hollow Israeli recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
Palestine: Of ‘Symbolic’ Victories and Real Defeats
12 December 2012 | A small group of students affiliated mostly with leftist Palestinian factions meandered through the streets of the small town of Birzeit near Ramallah in the summer of 1993. It was an impromptu political rally. They denounced what they understood as the relinquishing of basic Palestinian rights in exchange for meagre returns: Self-autonomy governed by some Palestinian political body, future negotiations without any guarantees and a hollow Israeli recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).An article by Ramzy Baroud
Palestine faces another ’historic’ crossroads
5 December 2012 | Palestine became a "non-member state" at the United Nations as of November 29. The draft of the UN resolution passed with an overwhelming majority of General Assembly members: 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions.
Palestine faces another ’historic’ crossroads
5 December 2012 | Palestine became a "non-member state" at the United Nations as of November 29. The draft of the UN resolution passed with an overwhelming majority of General Assembly members: 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions.An article by James Petras
Israeli Terror: The “Final Solution” to the Palestine Question
29 November 2012 | For the past forty-five years the state of Israel has been dispossessing millions of Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, confiscating their lands, destroying homes, bulldozing orchards and setting-up ‘Jews-only’ colonial settlements serviced by highways, electrical systems and water works for the exclusive use of the settlers and occupying soldiers.
Israeli Terror: The “Final Solution” to the Palestine Question
29 November 2012 | For the past forty-five years the state of Israel has been dispossessing millions of Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories, confiscating their lands, destroying homes, bulldozing orchards and setting-up ‘Jews-only’ colonial settlements serviced by highways, electrical systems and water works for the exclusive use of the settlers and occupying soldiers.An article by Ramzy Baroud
Gaza: Same Time, Same Place
29 November 2012 | Many key phrases have been presented to explain Israel’s latest military onslaught against Gaza, which left scores dead and wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flexing his muscles in preparation for the Israeli general elections in January, suggested some. It is Israel’s way of testing the administration of Egyptian President Mahmoud Morsi, commented others. It was a stern message to Iran, instructed few. Or that Israel is simply assessing its ‘deterrence’ capabilities. And so on.
Gaza: Same Time, Same Place
29 November 2012 | Many key phrases have been presented to explain Israel’s latest military onslaught against Gaza, which left scores dead and wounded. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is flexing his muscles in preparation for the Israeli general elections in January, suggested some. It is Israel’s way of testing the administration of Egyptian President Mahmoud Morsi, commented others. It was a stern message to Iran, instructed few. Or that Israel is simply assessing its ‘deterrence’ capabilities. And so on.An interview by Kourosh Ziabari
Gregory Harms: The maximal Zionist project is to have a minimal Palestine
27 November 2012 | American journalist and scholar Gregory Harms believes that the recent 8-day Israeli war on the Gaza Strip might have been waged to distract public attention from the internal socioeconomic crises and problems the Israeli regime faces, especially ahead of the January 2013 legislative elections. He believes that launching airstrikes on Gaza may serve to give Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party a secure vote in the upcoming elections.
Gregory Harms: The maximal Zionist project is to have a minimal Palestine
27 November 2012 | American journalist and scholar Gregory Harms believes that the recent 8-day Israeli war on the Gaza Strip might have been waged to distract public attention from the internal socioeconomic crises and problems the Israeli regime faces, especially ahead of the January 2013 legislative elections. He believes that launching airstrikes on Gaza may serve to give Benjamin Netanyahu and the Likud party a secure vote in the upcoming elections.An article by Felicity Arbuthnot
Gaza: The “International Community” Also Lies Buried
27 November 2012 | “Light the fire so I can see my tears
On the night of the massacre …”
— Samih al-Qasim, 1939 – present
Gaza: The “International Community” Also Lies Buried
27 November 2012 | “Light the fire so I can see my tears
On the night of the massacre …”
— Samih al-Qasim, 1939 – present