Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Rick Zand
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International law’s double standard: Why are Palestinian rights overlooked?
While international law is occasionally applied against alleged human rights violators, it never protects the rights of Palestinians. International law as it exists today draws from the wells of Western liberal democracies, particularly the US. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) stands as the cornerstone of international law as...
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Incursions into Nur Shams refugee camp signal that the West Bank is Israel’s next open-air prison
On 1 July, an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) vehicle exploded in Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank, killing one occupying soldier and seriously wounding a commander in the commando unit. The explosive detonated just after the vehicle turned down a narrow street. According to Israeli media, resistance forces...
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Netanyahu’s complaints have nothing to do with arms delays: Why Israel turned on Biden
It’s no secret that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants Donald Trump back in the White House. The once reliable base of Democratic Party support for Israel has withered, especially in the progressive wing, due to the devastating ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza that has claimed nearly 38,000 lives,...
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Why Israel’s violence in Gaza and the West Bank should be no surprise
The year 2024 marks a dramatic year of protests against Israel’s war in Gaza with charges of genocide, from college campuses to marches in London, Berlin, New York, Melbourne and cities worldwide to the Irish Parliament, where Ireland joined Spain and Norway in recognising Palestinian statehood. As it stands,...
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What investing in sports really means to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has led its sport spending spree into another year. After a robust 2022 with the launch of LIV Golf and the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo for Riyadh-based Al-Nassr Football Club, the Gulf giant is already said to be making moves to buy World...
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Is MBS quietly overcoming the stain of Khashoggi’s murder?
When Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (aka MBS), the de-facto ruler of the largest Gulf country, was accused of ordering the brutal 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, his ambitious plans to revolutionise his nation’s economy faced collapse. MBS had gained momentum the previous year by touring the US with his entourage, he booked the entire Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. He dined with...