The two elections in Israel and Palestine this spring are meaningless because they only reinforce an unequal structure in which Jewish nationalists contend on one side, Israel, and dictate the terms of the election to the subject population in occupied Palestine. And that’s the news. There’s no news under the burning sun of the Apartheid state.
The book is an epic novel that follows Palestinian ex-pat Adam Dannoun and his brush with Blind Mahmoud that spurs an exploration of the past, and what happened to his hometown, the “ghetto” of Lydda in 1948.
Israeli Labor leader Merav Michaeli on the ICC move to investigate Israel for war crimes: “It is a very, very problematic decision. It does not promote peace in any way. It does not promote a solution for the two state solution. It escalates the conflict.” Though Michaeli says the two-state solution is “completely not on the agenda” for voters in the March 23 election.
Israeli security officials let out a sigh of relief when nuclear deal was signed in 2015, but Netanyahu uses Iran for political purposes. So says former deputy chief of staff Yair Golan in Washington Post. US media need to highlight this news.
Hamada Jaber writes that the Palestinian left needs to realize that the Hamas-Fatah rapprochement reflects a crisis and not the alleged unity needed to face Palestinians’ challenges. Given that, the upcoming legislative elections present an opportunity but the left needs to decide its goal — to become an effective force in the Palestinian political system, or merely to survive.
Cornel West says that donors and Jewish administrators dictate the rules on discussion of Palestine at Harvard and that’s why he’s not getting tenure. “That doesn’t mean that somehow– Every Jew doesn’t agree with them! You got a whole wave of Jewish comrades and Jewish brothers and sisters who are very critical of Israeli occupation, but not in high places! Not in high places.”
A new field report from Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq released this week details the numerous human rights violations that occurred throughout Palestine, particularly in the occupied West Bank, during 2020 — violations that the group said were exacerbated by, and spurred on, by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
J Street, Americans for Peace Now and New Israel Fund issue wishywashy statements on the ICC moving forward to investigate Israeli war crimes. It’s sad it’s come to this– “heartbreaking,” “sobering,” a “tragedy.” And J Street feels deep sympathy for Israeli families who fear for their children in the Israeli army. But while they say Israel must be held accountable, they can’t approve the ICC investigation.
Over the last week the West Bank continues to experience a “significant surge” in a third COVID-19 wave, according to the World Health Organization with some areas doubling the number of active cases in the last seven days.
Palestinian Christian organizations write a letter of support of South African Reverend Frank Chikane who has come under attack from Zionist organizations for his support of Palestinian human rights.