Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Ramona Wadi
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Revisiting the Balfour Declaration
The 96th anniversary of the Balfour declaration prompted diverging comments from Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian Authority, shedding light upon the perspectives regarding Palestinian right to self-determination. The absolute denial uttered by Netanyahu, through his renewed calls for Palestinians to recognise the Jewish state, were countered by a declaration...
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US compensation for acquiescence
Discourse eliciting allegedly equal comparisons has continued to echo in mainstream media, with John Kerry reportedly asserting his optimism about ‘two proud people’, in reference to Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas endeavouring to reach a consensus through the farcical negotiations. Following the initial glorification of the talks and participants,...
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Netanyahu attempts to defend Zionist illusions
Faced with criticism over plans for settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sought to deflect international criticism by accusing governments of aligning themselves with Palestinian interests. “It cannot be that the Palestinians are pampered forever by the international community.” Once again...
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Resistance against international complicity
The commemoration of Israel’s massacre on Gaza under the euphemism Operation Pillar of Defence was held in Gaza, with Hamas calling for Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel to resist the colonialist power. The massacre, unleashed in the aftermath of an Israeli targeted assassination which killed the...
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Justifying hypothetical intervention as a 'defined obligation'
Following Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent allegations that “the Iranians already have five bombs’ worth of low-enriched uranium”, General Martin Dempsey, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff defined US support for a possible Israeli attack on Iran as a ‘defined obligation’. Diplomatic efforts regarding a possible halt to Iran’s...
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Justifying hypothetical intervention as a 'defined obligation'
Following Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent allegations that “the Iranians already have five bombs’ worth of low-enriched uranium”, General Martin Dempsey, US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff defined US support for a possible Israeli attack on Iran as a ‘defined obligation’. Diplomatic efforts regarding a possible halt to Iran’s...
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Western allies seek permanent inclusion of Israel in the Western European and Others Group (WEOG)
Following Israel’s resumption of ties with the United Nations Human Rights Council, six Western countries; the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Canada and the United States are pressuring the United Nations to allow Israel to permanently join the Western European and Others Group (WEOG). The text of the letter,...
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The invalidation of Palestinian narrative in UN resolutions
As Israel’s colonisation process continues to advance, diminishing prospects for viable Palestinian land reclamation due to the intricacies which have confined the indigenous population to slivers of territory; it is clear that the alleged protection emanating from the history of United Nations resolutions has veered towards establishing a superior...
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Similarities between Palestine and Latin America invoked in Bolivian message of solidarity
On November 15 2013 Palestine and Bolivia formally declared the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations during a United Nations session. The Bolivian permanent representative to the United Nations, Sacha Llorenti, declared, “We support the Palestinian cause. Bolivia is a firm believer in the two-State solution, which includes an independent...
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UN acknowledges and normalises of settler colonialism in Hebron
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published a fact sheet detailing the ramifications of settler-colonialism in Hebron. ‘The Humanitarian Impact of Israeli Settlements in Hebron City’ report summarises the restrictions and challenges faced by Palestinians, including the absence of law enforcement against settler violence. While...
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Reaffirming historical ties between Israel and Guatemala
Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina has travelled to Israel on an official visit, during which “issues related to bilateral cooperation and the situation in the Middle East” are to be discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A spokesman for the Guatemalan president confirmed that an official invitation to...
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Identifying human rights violations while maintaining Israel's settler-colonial project
A published United Nations press release incorporated another bout of concern following Israel’s destruction of 30 dwellings in the Jordan Valley which displaced 41 Palestinian civilians, including 24 children. Despite a reminder regarding the continuity of forced displacement since the beginning of this year, responsibility and accountability remain a...
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EU Council report fails to address Israel's colonial ideology
A brief report titled ‘Council conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process’ published yesterday by the Council of the European Union reaffirmed the ongoing trend of normalising Israel’s colonisation of Palestine, seeking to portray an equal conflict in order to justify the European Union’s allegedly impartial support for Israel...
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Criticism of Falk's comments about Israeli atrocities exposes imperialist agenda
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk has once again elicited criticism over his claim that Israel is harbouring “genocidal” intent. During an interview broadcast on Russia Today, Falk asserted: “When you target a group, an ethnic group, and inflict this kind of punishment upon them, you are in effect nurturing...
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Dayan's attempt to justify settlement expansion delegitimise the Zionist state
A recent blog in the Times of Israel by Dani Dayan, Chief Foreign Envoy of the YESHA council of Jewish Communities in Judea and Samaria (known to the rest of the world as the occupied West Bank) epitomised the extent of Zionist fraudulence. Arguing the necessity and legality of...
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Displacing decades of colonial incitement
Eliminating chronology and context from the recent Palestinian resistance against Israel’s state terror, its ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, urged UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to condemn alleged Palestinian incitement against Israel. Conjuring the usual depiction of helpless citizens living in constant terror, Prosor stated: “I urge...
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Diplomacy takes precedence over violations of international law
A recent report in the Times of Israel illustrates the emphasis which Israeli officials place upon diplomatic rhetoric, instead of expounding upon the prevailing expansionism associated with the Zionist settler-colonial state. The regular approval of further settlement construction in retaliation for the release of Palestinian political prisoners has portrayed...
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Maintaining illusions of equality during negotiations
Echoing previous statements regarding Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to recognise the Palestinian right of return, Israeli government officials have declared their refusal of “a symbolic acceptance of the so-called right of return”. A report by the Chinese news agency Xinhua states that US Secretary of State John Kerry had proposed...
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Deconstructing resistance into a 'hobby'
“Children have hobbies, and my hobby is throwing stones.” The simplistic, out of context comment, uttered by a Palestinian teenager interviewed for a recently published New York Times report, sets the scene for the deconstruction of Palestinian resistance against the Israeli occupation. There is no further elaboration about the alleged...
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Israelis 'concerned’ about Palestinian livelihood
While Israel continues to defy international law by further settlement approval and a lack of cooperation with the European Union about the recently publish guidelines restricting projects in areas beyond the Green Line, the occupying power is now allegedly expressing ‘concern’ about the livelihood of Palestinians whose quality of...
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Israeli violence and Palestinian memory
Breaching Israeli military orders has become the norm, despite IDF claims that it endeavours to minimise physical harm to Palestinians. A report by Defence for Children international – Palestine Section outlines the violence inflicted upon Palestinian civilians, stating that at least 24 children have been injured by crowd control...
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Venezuela implements Chavez's legacy – Palestine to benefit from oil deal
Former Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez’s internationalist example and legacy is being concretely implemented. On August 24, Mexico’s ‘El Economista’, as well as Iran’s Press TV, reported that Venezuela and Palestine have signed agreements under which oil will be sold ‘at a fair price’ to Palestinians. The five year deal...
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'Disappearing Palestine' maps deemed a violation of free speech
Advertising on Canadian TransLink buses and on a wall mural in Vancouver’s City Centre depicting Israel’s expansionist agenda has been deemed a security threat by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (Pacific Region) and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. The advertising titled ‘Disappearing Palestine’ features the...
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Displacing Palestinian memory in schools
According to Dr Saeb Erekat, Israel is seeking to further the displacement of Palestinian memory by forcing Palestinian schools in East Jerusalem to alter the curriculum in a manner consistent with Israel’s hegemonic narrative. While the majority of schools have demonstrated resistance against the tactic, five Palestinian schools Sur...