Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Ramona Wadi
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Netanyahu's politics of necessity
With elections looming in Israel, Benyamin Netanyahu finds himself cornered to defend Likud and its objectives, after Naftali Bennett’s Jewish Home party emerged as a potential threat pulling right-wing voters away from the incumbent prime minister. Bennett, a millionaire and former chief of staff under Netanyahu’s government until 2008,...
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Preliminary progress on reconciliation challenged by political strategy
Egypt’s attempt at brokering reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas has produced initial diplomatic progress. Yesterday’s talks in Cairo – organised by President Mohammed Morsi, were an initiative towards constructing Palestinian unity within factions embracing divergent strategic tactics. Unity, however, remains embroiled in a battle between different political organisations which...
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Western acceptance of discriminatory Israeli practices based on citizenship and nationality
Ben Gurion’s requirement of achieving Jewish supremacy in the ‘State of Israel’ has been a continuous and discriminative historical process. Demography has been consistently approached from an obsessive preservationist viewpoint to the detriment of Palestinians. Netanyahu’s re-election and the rise of the religious right in Israel will continue to...
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Israel's boycott of the UN human rights scrutiny session
In another attempt to degrade the universal definition of justice, Israel failed to attend the UN Human Rights Council meeting last Tuesday, boycotting the session and suspending its participation indefinitely. Expecting criticism on various aspects of its illegal occupation and ensuing violations against Palestinians, Israel feigned ‘concern’ of a...
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Settler terror in the West Bank escalates out of control
In adhering to a systematic oppression of violence against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, it would seem that Israel has allowed impunity to transcend any concept of international human rights law. Violence orchestrated by Jewish settlers, a common occurrence discussed in the PLO’s publication entitled ‘Settler Violence and...
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How Israeli soldiers are protected from criminal investigations
Human rights organisation Yesh Din’s request for law enforcement statistics regarding complaints about IDF soldiers paints a bleak picture for Palestinians under occupation. Supplied by the IDF spokesperson on January 23, 2013 and analysed by Yesh Din, the report discerns a trend of impunity which continues to fortify the...
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Perspectives on UN proposal for independent inquiry into Ahmed Jaradat's death
The UN’s Special Rapporteur for human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Richard Falk, has called for an inquiry into the death of Ahmed Jaradat while he was in Israeli custody. Jaradat was arrested for “throwing stones at Israeli cars” and interrogated by Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency....
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AIPAC and the alleged 'Iranian threat' to stability in the Middle East
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has renewed his commitment towards military aggression against Iran. In the light of recent talks about Iran’s uranium program, Netanyahu addressed the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) through video conference from Jerusalem, stressing the importance of not ruling out military aggression against Iran....
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Hugo Chavez and the Palestinian resistance
Well known for his anti-imperialist stance and support for oppressed people, Hugo Chavez’s death has provoked a worldwide lament. In Palestine, activists participating in demonstrations against Israeli administrative detention wore Che Guevara t-shirts and carried Venezuelan flags – emblems of a continuous struggle for freedom which has been transformed...
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Miliband endorses illegality to oppose legitimate resistance
Labour leader Ed Miliband has promised to protect Jewish traditions if he is elected Prime Minister. According to Britain’s Jewish Chronicle, Miliband has also declared himself to be a Zionist, a description which his office later declared was taken out of context. During his speech at a Jewish community...
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Netanyahu's settlement compromise leads to talks with illusory objective
As the peace talks continue, within improbable absolutes such as a nine month timeframe in which a “final status deal” is expected to be reached, Maariv newspaper reported Netanyahu’s compromise with the Jewish Home Party in order to preserve the coalition. In return for keeping the government’s legitimacy Netanyahu,...
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Argentina's president slams use of veto against Palestinians
As Argentina assumes the UN Security Council presidency this month, President Cristina Fernandez condemned the misuse of veto by the five permanent members and reserved harshest criticism for the US, whose use of veto has shielded Israel from accountability throughout the decades of its illegal occupation of Palestine. Veto,...
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UN Secretary General seeks to appease Israel
The latest meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on August 16 elicited very weak criticism of Israel’s continued occupation of Palestine. The Israeli Embassy of New Zealand has published the statements of both leaders, indicating a general consensus of allowing Israel...
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The illusion of peace negotiations
The continuation of peace talks between Israel and Palestine are being portrayed as a failure by both sides. Despite the apparently shared sentiment by Israeli and Palestinian alike, any assumption of equality within the shared viewpoint is erroneous and should be dispelled. We need to clarify attempts to justify...
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Supporting 'peace', legitimising Zionism
An interview with Angela Merkel in Jewish Voice From Germany serves as an illuminating albeit expected insight into diplomatic efforts to elevate Israel into further immunity. Through a discussion of Israeli security, Zionist legitimacy, peace through ‘a viable two-state solution’ and Jewish self-determination, Merkel effectively eliminated all traces of...
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Insights into imperialism: Obama's UNGA speech
Obama’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly was replete with imperialist references based upon the mainstream interpretation of history. Commencing with a glorification of the UN within a context which supports US foreign policy, Obama asserted that ‘as a result of this work and cooperation with allies and...
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Al Aqsa Intifada – pleas, remembrance and resistance
The Al Aqsa intifada was marked with escalating rhetoric of resistance by Hamas, overshadowing the attempt by Abbas to address violations embedded within the conflict since the Oslo agreements. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank commemorated the anniversary of the second intifada, triggered by Ariel Sharon’s visit in...
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Abbas simplifies the ramifications of Israel's occupation
In a meeting with Israeli Labour MKs held in Ramallah, Mahmoud Abbas simplified the ramifications of Israel’s illegal occupation in light of the peace negotiations, expressing optimism and stating that “The period of nine months is enough to reach an agreement. All the...
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Netanyahu and Peres prioritise security of the "Jewish state"
The Knesset’s opening session was characterised by a series of regurgitated arguments which portray Israel’s self-imposed superiority in the Middle East. Benjamin Netanyahu and Shimon Peres attempted to frame the usual recriminations within the recently changed scenario incorporating the peace negotiations and the new Iranian leadership. Invoking threats and...
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Netanyahu demands absolute acquiescence from Palestinians
“We want to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians … we will insist on the vital interests of the State of Israel, first of all security.” Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent comments provide more than an indication of how security concerns, provoked by Israel’s belligerent occupation, will continue to provide...
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Israel defines release of Palestinian prisoners as commitment to peace
At the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Israeli ambassador Eviatar Manor stated that the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails defines the Jewish state’s attitude towards peace. “Their release, I believe, illustrates Israel’s determination to reach an agreement with our Palestinian neighbours that will, once and for...
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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...