Tag Archives: Palestine

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD     Here’s a blast from the past. I remember reading an annoying interview once by the director of Quantum of Solace (2008) where he explained his misplaced sense of realism in the movie, which pissed off a lot of fans, myself included. He said …

The U.S. ambassador to Israel did not rule out an Israeli move to annex parts of the occupied West Bank, land that the Palestinians seek for a state, in an interview with the New York Times published on Saturday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in the run-up to an …

By Graham E. Fuller  (grahamefuller.com) 6 June 2019 The “Deal of the Century”—Trump’s modestly named new proposal for peace  between Israel and the Palestinians—has long been said to be nearing completion. Ongoing turmoil in Israeli politics makes that presumed launch date  less certain. But whether or not Bibi Netanyahu will …

The 14th Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which started in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, earlier today underlined the importance of the Palestinian cause as the central issue of the Islamic nation. This came in the Makkah Al Mukarramah Declaration, issued by the leaders of the OIC Member States …

By Layla Azmi Goushey*   “Lambs of the Desert”, a short story by Dr. Emad El-Din Aysha is an intriguing blend of science fiction and resistance Literature.[1] Dr. Aysha, who is bilingual in English and Arabic, and whose birthplace is the United Kingdom, is currently a resident of Cairo, Egypt …

Tens of thousands of Iranians marking the annual “Quds (Jerusalem) Day” in the Islamic Republic on Friday condemned a planned Middle East peace plan touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as the “deal of the century.” State television said state-sponsored marches were being held in 950 communities across Iran and …

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD     It’s the Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, not exactly the best time of the year to exercise your synapses. Nonetheless, I found myself doing exactly that on Sunday 12 May 2019 when I attended a lecture organised by the American University in …

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD     Resistance literature, in the Arabic tradition, has been defined as: The literature of any group or people that are aware of their identity and fighting for their freedom against an aggressive other, and for their collective deliverance. The key words are freedom, collective …

Palestinian musicians are fast reaping dividends from their presence on Spotify, which launched its internet streaming service in the Middle East and North Africa last week. “The Arab hub provides a unique platform that brings the full spectrum of Arab culture and creativity, past and present,” said Suhel Nafar, a …

By: Ibrahim AL Alou*   The sisters of Noah, Lebanon. They witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations, stood against plagues and epidemics, greeted the sun rising and setting down over thousands of days, yet stood defiant in glory and glamour. These are the oldest olive trees alive bearing their soulful …

For all the hype, viewers of the election results could have gone to bed early because what happened pretty much followed predictions – the party out of power – in this case the Democrats – gained seats. In races over the last 100 years, the party out of power gains …

China has signed a free trade agreement memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Palestine, China’s commerce ministry said on Wednesday in a statement posted on its official website. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MofCom) said the MOU was signed by the country’s vice commerce minister Qian Keming and Palestinian Minister of the …

If the international community takes a common stance against Israel, it cannot continue blatant killings in Palestine, a Palestinian academic said on Saturday, Anadolu reports. Speaking at the “Palestine: Facing New Challenges, Preparing for Future” session on the second day of Muslim Future Thinkers Forum at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul, Sami …

The International Court of Justice on Friday said it has received a complaint from the “State of Palestine” against the United States, arguing that the U.S. government’s placement of its Israeli embassy in Jerusalem violates an international treaty and it should be removed. The ICJ, known as the World Court, …

A Labour government would recognise an independent state of Palestine “as soon as we take office”, Jeremy Corbyn has said. The opposition leader threw his support behind a two-state solution to Middle East peace, saying he wanted a “secure and viable” Palestine alongside Israel. Addressing the Labour Friends of Palestine conference …

The Palestinian authorities believe that a confederation with neighboring Jordan, proposed by US President Donald Trump as a solution for peace, would be meaningless before a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders and with eastern Jerusalem as its capital is established, the country’s ambassador to Russia, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, told …

International condemnation of the settlement activities in the occupied West including Jerusalem, as the Israeli Minister of Internal Security, Arad ratified the Israeli government’s reduction of the requirements for obtaining arm licenses, especially, settlers as well as allowing the young settlers belonging to terrorist hilltop and pay the price gangs …

By Mohamed Mohamed*   It is almost comical that recently, Israel finally decided to release more than 10 tons of mail that it has prevented from reaching Palestinians in the West Bank, much of which was sent eight years ago. Not eight weeks or months, but years. In the US, many people become …

Colombia has become the latest country to recognise the state of Palestine, the South American country’s foreign minister has said. Carlos Holmes said the outgoing president, Juan Manuel Santos, made the decision shortly before leaving office last week. The new president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, took office on Tuesday and …

Imagine the following: a toxic op-ed is published that defames your organisation. You contact the website on which it features and are invited to publish a rebuttal. The next day, you submit your article. As the editors are about to put it online, they are targeted by a sophisticated disinformation …

Rawan Suleiman, Palestine’s ambassador to the Netherlands and International Organizations in The Hague, presented on Monday in official ceremonies her credentials to the Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ahmet Üzumcu, as Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to this organization. Suleiman stressed …

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD   There are many avenues you can pursue to make sense of the Israelis, it emerges, once you dabble in the second-hand book market here in Egypt. One way of getting to the bottom of them is to look at how they look at us, …

Before the bullet tore through his left leg, Hadad Gamry knew that he was venturing too close to the razor-wire fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. But the 20-year-old wanted the world to know how angry he was, so Gamry says he taunted the soldiers on the other side …

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Sunday arrived in Jeddah. He is heading a UAE delegation to the quartet meeting called for by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia, to discuss ways to support …

By: Wasan Abu-Baker* Dr. Rola Ghanem is a Palestinian contemporary novelist, from the city of Tulkarem. Her short story, Feelings Out of the Law, is a beautiful piece that creatively covers a significance topic within Palestinian society.  She is brave to bring to light social issues found in society which …

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reaffirmed his country’s pro-Palestine stance and rejected the controversial US embassy’s move from Tel Aviv to Occupied Jerusalem. In a press conference held following a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Maduro said “Sovereign and free Venezuela resolutely, firmly, and efficiently supports a free and independent …

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned that Palestine will soon take “serious and dangerous steps” against Israel and the United States. “We will soon take serious steps in relations with our neighbours and the United States. You will see them, these steps will be serious and dangerous,” Abbas said in a televised statement. …

The Grand Imam of Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Ekrima Said Sabri has commended Malaysia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Razak for its continuous efforts in assisting the Palestinian Muslims, especially in the liberation of the holy mosque. Sheikh Ekrima, who is also former Palestine mufti, said he also praised …

Mike Pompeo, the CIA director who was tapped by President Trump to lead the State Department, faces a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday. For the White House, it couldn’t come sooner. It’s not an ideal moment for the post of the United States’ top diplomat to …

As Gazans continue to participate in mass protests amid heightened frustrations at their dire humanitarian situation, Qatari aid and infrastructure projects in the besieged strip have been dying out following the blockade imposed on Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt since June 2017. An Israeli study by …

When a spate of terrorist attacks targeting Saudi Arabia in recent years began authorities turned their attention to the scourge of extremism that had been infiltrating society. While they focused on nabbing terrorists, no one thought to investigate women—the idea of a woman terrorist was nearly impossible to fathom. In …

US President Donald Trump has declined to give a timeline for releasing Washington’s plan for peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, saying that neither party was committed to the process. US President Donald Trump has declined to give a timeline for releasing Washington’s plan for peace between the Israelis …

Palestine will continue to seek a full membership in the United Nations despite the US veto which seems even more inevitable under the current administration, Nabil Shaath, the foreign affairs adviser of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told Sputnik. “I have just returned from Japan. Japan’s membership was vetoed five times by the …

Energy, trade and investment efforts will be high on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s agenda when he goes on a three-nation tour to West Asia and the Gulf starting on Saturday. When Modi reaches Ramallah from Jordan’s capital Amman, he will become the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Palestine. …

Arab states will soon embark on a diplomatic drive to persuade the United Nations to recognise a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital on territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said. Six Arab foreign ministers met in Amman on Saturday to …

US Vice-President Mike Pence’s trip to Israel has been postponed, amid Palestinian protests against the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. But why does the move remain popular with evangelical Christians in the US? The Reverend Johnnie Moore, a 34-year-old evangelical Christian, is closer than most to President …

Protests over the Iranian government’s handling of the economy spread to several cities on Friday, including Tehran, in what appeared to be a sign of unrest. President Hassan Rouhani began his second term in August after winning re-election on promises to revitalize an economy hurt by sanctions. Although foreign investment …

Pope Francis in Christmas Eve remarks Sunday likened the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem to the migrations of millions of people today who are forced to leave homelands for a better life, or just for survival, and he expressed hope that no one will feel “there is no …

More than 120 countries defied President Donald Trump on Thursday and voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for the United States to drop its recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor. …

Turkey’s president has warned it could sever ties with Israel if the US recognises Jerusalem as its capital. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said such a move would cross a “red line” for Muslims. A growing number of countries have urged Donald Trump not to make his anticipated announcement. Reports say the …

Some of President Trump’s senior national security aides convened at the White House on Monday for what was expected to be an uncomfortable but straightforward discussion. On the table was how the administration would handle an upcoming deadline to say whether it would again defer its promise to move the …

Secret British documents have revealed that deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had agreed to resettle Palestinians in Egypt over three decades ago. According to the documents, obtained exclusively by the BBC following a Freedom of Information Act disclosure request, Mubarak was responding to an American request when he made his offer. The …

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD   Used books are one of my favourite pastimes here in Egypt and one of the few things that keep you human in these compressed times and, as luck would have, I was drawn to the front cover of an oldish novel from the 1980s. …

By Mohamed Mohamed November 2, 1917 marks an infamous chapter of Palestinian history, when the United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued a statement declaring British support for a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Coming from the most powerful empire of the time, the Balfour Declaration provided a major endorsement and propaganda …