Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Ramona Wadi
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Questioning Israeli and imperialist implementations of legitimacy
The question of legitimacy has recently been the subject of a report by Israel’s secret agency, Mossad, claiming that a peace agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was impossible to achieve because of his failure to establish a wide support base among Palestinians. The report, which was discussed recently by…
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Deconstructing the UN’s symbolic solidarity with Palestinians
After decades of United Nations complicity allowing Israel’s colonisation of Palestine, the yearly International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People has been upgraded symbolically to encompass a whole year. On November 26, the UN General Assembly voted to declare2014 as the International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People,…
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Foreign dictates support the colonisation of Palestine
Opposition to the Palestinian prisoners’ release reverberated during a meeting organised by Deputy Defence Minister Danny Danon. According to reports in Maariv, Danon called upon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “reconsider the release of terrorists given the recent terror attacks,” adding that the meeting was a commemoration of the…
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Transforming Palestinian solidarity into ‘themes’
Contradictions regarding human rights and the exploitation of oppression emanating from the United Nations have culminated in Ban Ki-moon’s statement regarding the death of Ariel Sharon. Mingling sadness and glorification, the UN Secretary-General stuck to the imperialist strategy of obliterating the effects of Sharon’s policies endured by Palestinians. Pain is…
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Visit of Arab foreign ministers shifts Palestinian discourse from isolation to unity
Operation Pillar of Cloud has shifted political rhetoric from concessions to resistance. After twenty years of negotiations which culminated in an Israeli policy of colonialism and apartheid, aided by an international community embracing the role of spectators, Gaza has catapulted to a prominence which contrasts sharply with the attention garnered…
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Israel failed in its duty to protect journalists in Gaza
The targeting of journalists reporting on the Gaza massacre in recent days appears to have been a deliberate attempt by Israel to distort media coverage. On November 18, two buildings housing Palestinian and international media outlets were targeted. Eight journalists were injured; cameraman Khader al Zahhar’s leg was blown off.…
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Mobilisation of worldwide solidarity with Palestinians
Yesterday marked the commencement of the World Social Forum for a Free Palestine, held in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The global mobilisation is aimed at strengthening solidarity with the Palestinian people through diverse activities which encourage debate and the formulating of effective proposals. Today is the 65th anniversary of the UN…
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In the name of security and profits: Israeli-EU arms dependence
Israel seems to have acquired a permanent battleground with its defiant occupation of Palestinian territory and savage assaults upon Gaza. In Israeli terminology, as well as that of its allies, the definition is “security”. As defined by the Homeland Security Conference just a few days prior to the Gaza massacre,…
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UN resolution puts pressure on Israel to allow nuclear inspection
Israel’s ambiguity with regard to nuclear weapons is well known, as is its refusal to sign-up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. This tactic has shifted attention away from Israel for decades, as government officials keep dictating the necessity of “security” for a state built upon ethnic cleansing and illegal occupation.…
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Palestinian delegation visits Venezuela
Following the UN vote which recognised Palestine as a non-member observer state last month, a delegation from Ramallah has visited Venezuela with the aim of consolidating existing agreements, as well as establishing new accords in other areas, such as health, education, sport, culture and tourism. The visit was confirmed by…
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Official discourse blanks out discussion of human rights violations in occupied West Bank
International rhetoric continues to focus on Israel’s new settlement construction in the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the UN vote granting Palestinians non-member observer status. European criticism has been constant, albeit far removed from any form of punitive measures. Nevertheless, Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman has deemed an invocation…
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The manipulation of justice in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
‘Eyes on Israel’s Military Court’ is Addamer’s latest report about the manipulation of justice in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The report contains recollections by volunteers who visited Israeli jails between 2009 and 2011 and portrays the vivid difference between Israel’s assumed stance as a state built upon the foundations of…
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The politics of resistance versus security coordination
In the aftermath of “Operation Pillar of Defence”, the Israelis have diverted their attention to the occupied West Bank. Mass arrests have been carried out by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) for alleged “recent violent and terrorist activity”. Palestinian detainees protesting against administrative detention have embarked upon a hunger strike,…
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Political discrimination in “democratic Israel”
Haneen Zoabi’s disqualification from standing as a candidate in Israel’s general election in January has failed to stir controversy within the Western world, keen as it is to ensure the portrayal of Israel as “the only democracy in the Middle East”. Yet the decision to disqualify the elected Knesset Member…
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Human rights report highlights Israel’s ongoing disregard for international law
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has issued its weekly report detailing Israel’s continuous efforts in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to undermine and disregard international law. The report details Israeli human rights violations committed from December 20 to December 26 and emphasises the apparent permanence of such…
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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, appeals…
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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 have…
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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 exploit…
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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 unified…
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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 Israeli…
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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 Israeli…
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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. Autopsy…
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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. “Sanctions…
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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 into…