Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Megan Giovannetti
-
Right-wing Israeli lawmakers attempt to remove Palestinians from Knesset
On 29 January, the Central Election Committee (CEC) within the Israeli Knesset moved to disqualify Palestinian member of the Knesset (MK), Heba Yazbak of the Balad party, from running in the upcoming March election. The motion will now be moved to the Supreme Court, who will convene on 5...
-
Global protests reassert opposition to the US presence in the Middle East
Last Saturday was a global day of protest against US aggression against Iran and America’s continued military presence in the Middle East. Thousands of people came out in 117 US cities and major cities across 19 countries in an act of solidary with the global anti-war movement. “The danger...
-
Young Palestinians: The PA stomps on any chance of political change
As Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to drag its feet toward elections, many young people in Palestine are becoming apprehensive with regard to their political system. “I don’t think the new generation cares about elections or the president at all,” 24-year-old Ashraf Hamayel from Amari refugee camp in...
-
Displacement of Negev Bedouin an ‘attack on dignity’
Israeli rights group Adalah, which seeks legal justice for Palestinian citizens of Israel, issued an in-depth report on 10 December breaking down the illegality of Israel’s recent advancement in the forceful removal of thousands of Bedouin in the Negev (referred to as ‘Naqab’ by Bedouin) desert. The report, issued...
-
7th annual Rise Up entrepreneurial summit showcases MENA startup market
The seventh annual Rise Up summit took place on 5-7 December at the American University in Cairo. The largest entrepreneurial gathering across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Rise Up is an opportunity for budding startups, venture capitalists and everyone in between, to meet in contribution to the...
-
Protesters challenge Mayor of Jerusalem over police violence in Palestinian district
Last Saturday night, nearly 200 Palestinian and Jewish-Israeli activists took part in a demonstration in front of Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon’s home in the upscale West Jerusalem neighbourhood of Rehavia. The protesters were demanding the mayor to take action in the face of ongoing police violence in the East...
-
Israel has cracked down on Palestinian education, criminalising hundreds of students
Khaleel Shaheen is a senior at Birzeit University in Ramallah. When he heard that four close friends and fellow students were arrested by the Israeli authorities, he didn’t go to the campus for five days. As a volunteer with Birzeit’s Right to Education Campaign — a student-led group which...
-
Wave of settler violence kicks off olive harvest in West Bank
This week, the West Bank witnessed a wave of settler attacks and agricultural terrorism as Palestinian farmers began the year’s olive harvest. Attacks were mainly in northern villages near Nablus and Salfit, governorates with the largest concentration of illegal Israeli settlements. Wafa news reported a settler attack on olive...
-
Winning director at Palestine Cinema Days restricted from ceremony by Israel
The theatre seats at the Ramallah Cultural Palace were packed once again yesterday evening as the 6th annual Palestine Cinema Days came to an end. The eight-day-long festival finished off with the award-winning film “Mafak” (Screwdriver) directed by Bassam Jarbawi, and the audience was writhing with anticipation to learn...
-
‘No Means No’: Palestine film festival calls out gender-based violence
The sixth annual Palestine Cinema Days festival is in full-swing. From 2-9 October across six cities in historic Palestine, 60 Palestinian and international films are being screened to thousands of audience members. The festival is a testament to FilmLab: Palestine’s goal of reviving the cinema culture in the country....
-
Permission to narrate: Palestinians tell their stories at the 6th annual Cinema Days film festival
The Ramallah cultural palace was humming with anticipation. Hundreds had gathered to watch the award-winning 2019 comedy It Must Be Heaven by Elia Suleiman. A Palestinian entry at the Cannes Film Festival, as it will be at the Oscars later in the year, Suleiman’s film duly kicked off the...
-
Preserving Palestine: A hidden gem in Jerusalem’s Old City
With sparks flying and safety glasses slipping down his nose, Rami Nablusi worked diligently. He is hand crafting a bold ring showcasing a bronze coin with the date 1943 and the word “Palestine” engraved on it. More than just a skilled jeweller, Rami Nablusi has dedicated his life to...
-
Out of options, young Palestinians work illegally in Israel
Hamoud* flips through photos of his first and only apartment in Tel Aviv, where he lived for two and a half years. Nine young men crammed together in a single room apartment with handmade bunk beds, a one-square-metre bathroom and kitchen, and nine bicycles stacked in the corner. “Away...
-
Israel elections: Jewish-Arab partnership needed for left-wing alternative
The Israeli national elections are set for Tuesday 17 September as a rerun of April’s polls which left Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyhu unable to form the 21st Knesset. Incumbent Netanyahu’s Likud party was up against retired Israeli Defense Force General Benny Gantz’s Blue and White alliance, tied with 35...
-
Palestinians demand legal protection after ‘honour’ killing of Israa Ghrayeb
“No to violence against women!” Palestinian women and men of all ages shouted, marching from Bethlehem’s manger square down to Beit Sahour. “From Beit Sahour to the government leaders, we need laws to protect women!” Saturday afternoon, 31 August, a group of almost 100 people gathered in the middle...