Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr Mohammad Makram Balawi
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On both anti-Semitism and peace, Israel speaks with a forked tongue
The President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is on a four-day visit to Israel, the first such trip by any Filipino leader. Even though he declared during the 2016 election that he would be “happy to slaughter drug addicts on the scale of the Nazi leader’s Jewish genocide,” that...
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One land, two laws: Welcome to the ‘Jewish state’ of Israel
Few people in the Arab World and Palestine had heard of Darin Al-Tatur before last Tuesday. This Palestinian poet has rarely caught the attention of critics, or literary magazines, till an Israeli court in Nazareth decided to sentence her to five months in prison. Her house in the Upper...
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Israel kills witnesses to its crimes, and doesn’t want us to know
Does one crime justify another? Israeli officials seem to think so. Whenever they are criticised for committing crimes against humanity by wiping Palestinian neighbourhoods off the map; bombing hospitals, schools and places of worship; and targeting ambulances, TV stations, power and water plants, roads and bridges, Israelis simply say,...
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‘Deal of the century’ or flop of the century? Trump’s Middle East policy
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the expulsion of the Palestinians from their homeland — the Nakba — by the Zionist Movement, which established the state of Israel on the land of our forefathers. Since then, Palestinians have not only suffered displacement but also continuous aggression and oppression...
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Malaysia’s unwavering support for Palestine
Two incidents represent turning points in Malaysian support for Palestine: the Mavi Marmara “Freedom Flotilla” incident, and the visit of Prime Minister Najib Razak to the Gaza Strip. The first took place in 2010 and boosted public support in Malaysia in an unprecedented way. Malaysian activists were on board...
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Palestine and Islamic influence on resistance: a response to Mehdi Hasan
Suspense created by the uncovering of hidden secrets attracts people, especially when it comes to established facts. Hence, Mehdi Hasan is keen on showing his audience the hidden side of the picture, or confirming that it doesn’t exist if that is the case. In his Intercept programme, “Blowback”, Hasan...