Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Hana Hussain
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In bombing Idlib, the US is trying to pull together its Syria policy
August was yet another bloody month for Syrians in the opposition-controlled province of Idlib, with some 200 people estimated to have been killed in heavy bombardments by the Syrian regime and its Russian allies. Yet, on 31 August, news broke that a further 40 Syrian anti-government fighters had been killed…
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Jaffa activist: A Jewish and democratic state is an oxymoron
Palestinian citizens of Israel – who were displaced in the Nakba of 1948 but were incorporated into the nascent Jewish state – are often written out of the region’s seven-decade long conflict. Yet for Sami Abu Shehadeh, the CEO of the Yaffa (Jaffa) Youth Movement, the struggles faced by Palestinian…
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Netanyahu’s son mocked after claiming Palestine never existed
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son Yair has been criticised after publishing several tweets denying the existence of Palestine because there is no “P” in the Arabic language. Yair, who is known to be active on Twitter, initiated the discussion after sharing pictures from a Palestinian village that was ethnically…
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After Bouteflika, Algeria’s economy needs revival
Protests that gripped Algeria for nearly two months finally came to fruition this month, after long-ruling, ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that he would be stepping down. His resignation was hailed as the end of an era in a country where 70 per cent of people have known no other…
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Syria’s challenges in the post-Daesh era
After four and a half years, the physical existence of the so-called Islamic State, also known by its Arabic acronym of Daesh, came to an end last month. The US-led international coalition claimed victory after a six month campaign on the last Daesh stronghold east of the Euphrates, ending in…
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Remembering the Egypt-Israel peace treaty
In the aftermath of the Camp David accords in 1979, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty on the White House lawn, marking an end to decades of hostility between the two neighbours since Israel’s establishment in 1948. Forty years later, the treaty is still considered integral to Israel’s security,…
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Jewish MK: Israel’s left has failed to provide an alternative on the Palestinian conflict
Israeli Knesset Member (MK) Dov Khenin boasts a long record of public service; he has been active in Israeli politics for some 29 years and served four Knesset terms. But perhaps most notably, he is the only Jewish member of the Arab-Israeli party Hadash (Al-Jabha), and so his decision not…
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Remembering the start of the Syrian Revolution
In March 2011, as anti-government protests swept the Middle East, Syrians called peacefully for political change after decades of autocratic rule. Initially, the demonstrations in Syria were modest, but after 15 boys were kidnapped and tortured by security forces in Daraa for writing graffiti on some walls, they swelled, spreading…
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‘I don’t care about your ID’: US student assaulted by Israel soldiers at Al-Aqsa
Three American women were violently assaulted by Israeli occupation forces as they attempted to help a disabled woman at Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday, despite showing soldiers their passports. Virginia nursing student Nour Hawash, who is in Jerusalem on vacation, was taking photos with her mother and sister after midday prayers…
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Jabareen: Arab representation in Israel politics is crucial for the Palestinian struggle
On the final day for Israeli political parties to list their electoral slate, Arab parties, still reeling from the decision of Arab Movement for Renewal (Ta’al) head Ahmad Tibi to split from the Joint List, announced another surprise move. Ta’al had now joined Ayman Odeh’s party Al-Jabha (Hadash), with the…
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Algeria protesters share hope and humour on Twitter
Tens of thousands of Algerians have taken to the streets over the past week, protesting Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s plan to extend his 20-year rule by seeking a fifth term. As well as the rallies held across the country, Algerians have also taken to social media to amass support against…
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The effects of Syria’s war on health could last for generations
As the Syrian war approaches its eighth anniversary next month, the reality of the nation’s revolution-gone-wrong could not be starker. Millions have been displaced inside and outside the country, and upwards of 560,000 have been killed. With President Bashar Al-Assad increasingly seen as the victor of the war, the focus…
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UK band boycotts Eurovision to be held in Israel
An upcoming British band has refused to enter the Eurovision Song Contest due to it being hosted in Israel this year. Confirming their decision on Twitter, the three-girl band The Tuts, prompted a backlash from supporters of Israel. So, we got asked to enter EUROVISION 2019 to represent the UK…
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Will the US actually withdraw from Syria?
President Donald Trump added another entry to his record of surprise foreign policy moves last month when he announced that the US would be withdrawing its forces from Syria. Claiming that Daesh had been defeated, the proposed exit sent shockwaves among fellow members of the international coalition and stunned US…
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Remembering Mohamed Bouazizi and the start of the Arab Spring
On 17 December 2010, Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire outside the governor’s office, despondent at being unable to earn money and provide for his family. His cries echoed around the Arab world, sparking protests against poor economic management and political autocracy. In Tunisia, popular demonstrations led…
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‘Untold stories’: London gallery showcases contemporary Syria art
Nestled among the boutiques and cafes of London’s Mayfair, the newly launched Stories Art Gallery offers art lovers, old and new, the opportunity to explore the work of contemporary Syrian artists. As Syria’s civil war drags on towards its eighth year, curator Manas Ghanem decided to present a different side…
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Remembering Algeria’s Black October
On this day in 1988, young people in the Algerian capital of Algiers took to the streets to protest high unemployment, rising prices and political autocracy. In the days that followed, the protests spread to several cities across the country and within the week some 500 people had been killed…
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Remembering the signing of the Oslo Accords
On this day in 1993, Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, shook hands after signing the Oslo peace accords, in what would become an iconic moment in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet 25 years later, the promise of peace…
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Remembering the 2014 Israeli offensive against Gaza
On this day in 2014, Israel launched one of its deadliest military offensives against the Gaza Strip in recent history. The conflict left 2,251 people dead, with more than 11,000 wounded, according to Palestinian and UN sources. Four years on, Gaza is still subject to intense attacks by Israel as…
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Remembering the massacre at Deir Yassin
On this day 70 years ago, some 120 members of underground Jewish militia groups invaded the Palestinian Arab village of Deir Yassin, killing between 100 and 250 people including men, women, children and the elderly. With reports of mutilations, rapes and survivors being paraded through Jewish neighbourhoods before being summarily…
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Remembering Israel’s ‘Operation Pillar of Defence’
On 14 November 2012, Israel launched “Operation Pillar of Defence” against the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. Over the following eight days, almost 175 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,000 were injured. Five years later, Gaza is still subject to Israeli aggression, in violation of the terms of…
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MEMO hosts ‘Palestine, Britain and the Balfour Declaration 100 years on’
The grey weather did not deter the hundreds of attendees who arrived early on Saturday morning at the British Library in London to attend MEMO’s conference to commemorate 100 years since the Balfour Declaration. A heavily subscribed event, the conference took a detailed look at Britain’s role in the creation…
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Remembering the Second Intifada
On 28 September 2000 then Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque with heavily armed Israeli policemen and soldiers provoking a Palestinian uprising that lasted five years and left over 3,000 Palestinians and 1,000 Israelis dead. Some 17 years later the occupation continues, the Palestinian people remain vulnerable, and…
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Remembering the arson attack on Al-Aqsa Mosque
On 21 August, 1969, an extremist Australian Christian, Dennis Michael Rohan, attempted to set fire to Al-Aqsa Mosque; his action had the apparent blessing of the Israeli occupation forces. Some 48 years later, the Noble Sanctuary of Al-Aqsa remains under as great a threat as ever. What: Arson attack Where:…