Since the US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, US imperialism has driven nuclear proliferation worldwide. Current nuclear flashpoints, such as Iran, show how the US continues to use nuclear blackmail to reinforce its dominance.

Chinese foreign policy on Palestine has reflected the disjunction of two eras: revolutionary Maoist support for Palestinian liberation vs. the more recent “balanced approach” accommodating Israel. The Gaza genocide, however, could prompt a new path.

The new reconciliation deal between rival Palestinian factions could not come at a more critical time. As Palestinians face the Gaza genocide, the political survival of the Palestinian leadership might hinge on finally finding unity.

With the most important political shifts in 30 years taking place in Israel, the U.S., and China, perhaps 2023 will be remembered as the year tangible political momentum shifted for Palestine.

Mahmoud Abbas’s recent trip to China indicates the Palestinian Authority has finally acknowledged the U.S. will never deliver. But, his defense of Uyghur oppression to win the favor of the Chinese government may have cost Palestinians more than he realizes.

The Chinese-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore relations has the potential to shake up regional and global politics for the Palestinians’ benefit.

The U.N. must act to demand the end of the Gaza blockade and the collective punishment of 2 million, to insure the respect for holy sites in Jerusalem, and to push for a multilateral effort to grant equal rights to all members of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

Palestinian courage this spring has stunned people across the world. At home and abroad, the US and Israel can kill, and for the moment, this cannot be stopped. But they can also be made to lose the war of ideas that makes the killing sustainable. We have no right to ask that the Palestinians stand alone in this fight.

The recent China-Iran strategic cooperation agreement will unquestionably benefit the Iranian government’s desire for foreign investment, a market for oil, and pushback against diplomatic isolation. But it is less certain that it will help the Iranian people.

This weekend, Iran and China signed a 25-year cooperation agreement which will cover economic, political, and cultural relations. Juan Cole writes that China’s entry into Iran is the most consequential change in the geopolitics of the Middle East since the the collapse of the Soviet Union.