Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Eman Abusidu
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A victory for Lula in Brazil, is a victory for Palestine
After a surprisingly tight result, Brazil’s election is going into a second round in which far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro will face left-winger Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva after the latter received 48.4 per cent of the votes cast, and the incumbent obtained 43.23 per cent. Twenty-years on from his first…
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Brazilian deputy asks Palestinian community to vote for Lula
A deputy from the Workers’ Party in Brazil’s Congress, Paulo Pimenta, has called on the Palestinian community in the country to support former president Lula da Silva in the run-off vote of the presidential election on 30 October. Pimenta pointed out that Lula has done a lot for the community…
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What does Bolsonaro’s loss mean to Israel?
In 2019, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro landed at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport reciting the Hebrew phrase “Ani ohev et Israel”— “I love Israel”. During his four years in office, Bolsonaro was able to express his love for Israel in many ways. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was right when…
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Brazil: Palestine favourite Lula and friend of Israel Bolsonaro head for presidential runoff
All eyes were on Brazil yesterday as the people went to the polls to elect a president at one of the most pivotal moments in the country’s history. For months, pollsters and analysts have been saying that the leftist Lula da Silva (known universally simply as Lula) will be the…
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Brazil’s ‘Arab Latinos’ project seeks to strengthen Arab-Latin America ties
The acceptance of difference and respect for all, regardless of race or creed, are fundamental Brazilian values which have enabled immigrants to enter Brazil and blend into society with relative ease. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Arab migrants came mainly from the Levant: Lebanon, Palestine and Syria. According to…
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Latin America´s Presidents speak loudly for Palestinian rights at the United Nations
From 20 – 26 September, the United Nations General Assembly holds the 77th Session, where heads of State and Government come together at the UN Headquarters and discuss world issues. The majority of countries´ presidents talked about their country’s political, social and economic affairs. On the other hand, some Latin…
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Chile’s Palestinians praise Boric’s cancellation of Israeli ambassador’s credential ceremony, and look forward to more
Thirty-six-year-old Gabriel Boric, the youngest Chilean president ever to have been elected, refused Thursday morning to receive Israel’s new ambassador to Chile, Gil Artzyeli, who was summoned to the Chilean Presidential Palace to present his credential papers. The news was reported by Chilean newspaper Ex-Ante, however, the Chilean government denied…
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Palestinians showcase their land in Argentina’s Festival of Immigrants
With Israeli attacks ongoing in their homeland, the Palestinians living in Argentina know that they have a duty to preserve and share their culture and identity. The Festival of Immigrants and similar initiatives in Argentina allow them to do just that, and they had a presence there for the first…
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How does Arab normalisation with Israel affect the Palestinians of Latin America?
After decades of seeing Israel as an enemy state and refusing to establish diplomatic, economic or other ties with it, Arab countries are now signing peace deals with the occupation state. In 2020 four countries agreed to normalise relations with Israel, and many more are said to have softened their…
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Brazilian hands preserve Palestinian literature
Reading can take you into different worlds, and the adventures they contain can take on another dimension when books are read in different languages. New experiences beckon when reading something in a language very different to the original. This is what Brazilian Publishing House Tabla aims to provide. It focuses…
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How did Latin America react to Israel’s latest onslaught on Gaza?
A spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell justified the latest Israeli onslaught on Gaza by claiming, “While Israel has the right to protect its civilian population, everything must be done to prevent a broader conflict.” The reality is that, as an occupying power, Israel has no right to…
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The 1990s Argentina bombings have come back to haunt Arab and Muslim communities
The bombings which targeted Argentina’s Jewish community in the 1990s have returned to haunt Arab and Muslim communities in the South American country following a new investigation by the Israeli Mossad spy agency in which Hezbollah is accused of being responsible. The report rejects suspicions that Argentinians were complicit or…
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The Palestinians of Brazil are a relatively undiscovered treasure
There are some 70,000 Palestinian refugees living in 26 states in Brazil. They have a significant presence in southern Brazilian states such as Rio Grande de Sol, Foz do Iguaçu and Santa Caterina. Many members of the Palestinian communities there belong to the professional classes, and they play a prominent…
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What after NASA’s revealing of first Images of the unseen universe?
“Today, we present humanity with a groundbreaking new view of the cosmos from the James Webb Space Telescope – a view the world has never seen before,” said NASA Administrator, Bill Nelson. With these words, NASA has announced a new achievment to the world. After decades of waiting, the world…
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Brazilian Congress holds a special session for Palestine
Yesterday, the Brazilian Parliament Congress held a special session for Palestine to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people against the continuous aggression of the Israeli occupation. The session came following an invitation by a number of deputies who support the Palestinian cause, such as Camilo Capiberibe, Alexandre Padilha and…
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A Palestinian woman from Gaza is now a mayor in Sweden
If nothing else, hardship in the Gaza Strip teaches the Palestinians creativity and resilience, skills and characteristics that are demonstrated in the besieged territory and, given half a chance, exported around the world. Palestinians in the diaspora have taken their place alongside some of the world’s greats. With millions of…
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‘In every word I speak and everything I do, I’m thinking of Palestine,’ singer tells Brazil
With the occupation of their homeland an ongoing reality, the Palestinians in Brazil know that they have a duty to preserve and share their culture. And whether protesting against oppression, criticising the occupation government or resisting the occupation, music has unique potential for the Palestinian struggle. As such, singing is…
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Colombia elects 1st leftist president in its history: A great supporter of Palestine
In Colombia, where some 13,000 Palestinians reside, the leftist candidate Gustavo Petro has won the presidential election after he defeated his far-right rival Rodolfo Hernandez. The 62-year-old’s victory represents a major revival for Colombia’s progressive left in Latin America as it joined left-wing parties in Chile, Peru, Mexico and Argentina…
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The Baladi Foundation: Helping Arab and Palestinian refugees integrate into Chile
Historically, Chile has always been a destination for global migration, currently hosting around one million Arab refugees, many of whom cannot return to their countries of origin. Refugees often wait months, or even years, before receiving language training and other forms of integration support. It is not only the government…
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Ex-Brazil president meets Palestinian community wearing a keffiyeh
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with members of the Palestinian community in Brazil at Plaza Sao Rafael hotel in Porto Alegre state. A delegation from the Palestinian Arab Federation of Brazil (FEPAL) and others from the Palestinian community in Brazil were attendance and delivered a letter…
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Argentina national football team cancels match with Israel
In the face of intensive local and international pressure, the Argentine national football team has cancelled its match against Israel scheduled for 6 June at the Sami Ofer Stadium in Haifa. The decision has been taken despite lengthy preparations in Buenos Aires and the raising of $2.5 million to fund…
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Brazilians celebrate as city of Recife unveils ‘Palestine Square’
Dozens of people waving Palestinian flags gathered in the city of Recife, in Pernambuco State in Brazil on Saturday to celebrate the naming and unveiling of “Palestine Square”. The celebrations included Dabke dance performances, live singers and people wearing traditional Palestinian clothes. Among a number of speeches in support of…
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This Palestinian refugee witnessed the Nakba, and would go home tomorrow if he could
Seventy-four years since the Palestinian Nakba, Abder Raouf Misleh still clings to the hope that he will return to the village from where he was displaced in 1948. His memory is fresh about the details of the ethnic cleansing and what the nascent Israeli occupation forces did to his village…
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Latin America condemns assassination of Shireen Abu Akleh
Once again, the world woke yesterday to the news that Israel had targeted a journalist, this time killing Palestinian American Shireen Abu Akleh. The 51-year-old died after a sniper bullet struck her just between the areas covered by her helmet and her ‘Press’ flak jacket. An icon of Palestinian media,…