Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Eman Abusidu
-
Gaza is being left to tackle the pandemic on its own
Since Covid-19 first appeared, the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have tackled the pandemic with typical determination. Without delay, they implemented a strict quarantine regime with mandatory 21-day isolation in government-run facilities adjacent to the border posts. This seems to have worked well until last week’s announcement of confirmed cases…
-
Israel’s deals to ‘transfer’ Palestinians are simply thinly-disguised ethnic cleansing
It seems that Israel is not satisfied with driving 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and land in 1948, and another 400,000 in 1967; nor with its many massacres of Palestinian civilians. It is, in fact, working to expel even more Palestinians with a view to emptying the land of its…
-
After Beirut’s blast Brazil hints at withdrawing its peacekeeping mission from Lebanon
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was created by the Security Council in March 1978 to confirm Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and restore international peace and security. Since 2006, UNIFIL has been operating in southern Lebanon by supporting land and maritime Lebanese forces in improving their capabilities and…
-
Gaza’s solidarity with Lebanon is being expressed in blood
I know about pain, and I know when other people are in pain. I have seen it, felt it and lived it many times. Ever since I was born, the Gaza Strip has witnessed Israeli military offensives and incursions. Scenes of death and destruction are the backdrop to my life.…
-
In Gaza where I was born and studied, success is not optional, it’s essential
Palestinian businessman Talal Abu Ghazaleh once said, “I was forced to succeed, I had no other choice.” When I heard this on a TV programme I stopped in my tracks. His words summarise the distinct approach of the Palestinian people, among the most educated identifiable group of people in the…
-
Brazil’s armed forces should reduce their dependence on Israel, says ex-minister
To read the first part of this interview please click here. With the rise of the extreme right-wing under Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro, former ambassador and minister Celso Amorim is speaking out about Brazilian-Israeli relations in light of the current developments in his country’s foreign policy. Amorim was a permanent representative…
-
Brazilian–Palestinian relations: The turning point
To read the second part of this interview please click here. With the rise of the extreme right-wing under current President Jair Bolsonaro, former Brazilian Minister of Foreign Relations Celso Amorim is speaking out about Brazilian-Arab relations in light of current developments in Brazilian foreign policy. Amorim was a permanent…
-
Will Arab countries support the transfer of the Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem?
Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro didn’t wait long to tweet, four days after winning the presidential election, of his intentions to move the Brazilian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Following in the footsteps of US President Donald Trump, Brazil will become the second-largest country after the US to…
-
Bolsonaro has turned Brazil into Israel’s new best friend
It seems that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was right when he said in December 2018 that the government of Jair Bolsonaro will bring “a new era” in relations between Israel and “the major power” Brazil. The extreme right-wing Bolsonaro has turned Brazil into Israel’s new best friend. It is…
-
We will never give up our birthright, insist Palestinian refugees
As a boy, Mahmoud Hussein fled from his homeland of Palestine as a direct result of the Six-Day War in June 1967. He eventually sought refuge in Brazil. He was 13 years old at the time. Hailing from the village of Yalu, which was occupied by Israel during the war,…
-
Refugee granddaughters keep the memory of their grandparents’ Nakba alive
Seventy-two years ago, the lives of nearly 750,000 Palestinians were changed forever when they were expelled from their homes and land at gunpoint. Transformed into refugees in exile overnight, they have been prevented from returning ever since. The ethnic cleansing which took place in 1948 is referred to by Palestinians…
-
The Missing Motherhood in Gaza
While families around the world have celebrated Mother’s Day, Palestinian mothers in the Gaza strip continue to remember their missing motherhood, which is all too often cut short by Israel’s military occupation. Mother’s Day itself is no different to any other under occupation and siege: more shortages due to the…
-
Marriage in the age of the coronavirus: The world is now living the Gaza experience
Love is that natural feeling that sweeps through the hearts of every human being. This is normal human nature all around the globe. But will love and marriage be something that may be difficult or, possibly even impossible to achieve? The coronavirus has changed how we work, study and communicate…
-
Will your religion intercede for you in the presence of the coronavirus?
When life closes its doors in front of us, many find ourselves with no solution except to go to our mosques, churches or temples to seek refuge with God. Religion is a fundamental source of spiritual healing and hope; a remedy against despair, providing psychological and emotional support that is…
-
Despite the Israeli blockade, Gaza is tackling Covid-19 with typical determination
While the developed world has advanced technology to tackle the coronavirus Covid-19, the Gaza Strip stands alone using simple and primitive methods, having been devastated by an Israeli-led blockade since 2007. It is one of the most densely-populated places in the world, and one of the poorest; hundreds of thousands…
-
Social media is the bridge to the world for Palestinian youth
Social media plays a vital role in transforming people’s lives. Being on social networks and blogs allows everyone to connect with others easily. This is especially so for the people of occupied Palestine, particularly those in the Gaza Strip. For Palestinians, social media is a bridge to the outside world,…