First published by the Arab Weekly on15/6/2019 Despite their apparent weakness, the Palestinians hold the trump card, that of their needed signature to any deal, economic or political. Heavy bias. A 2018 file picture shows White House senior adviser Jared Kushner (R) speaking with US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman upon Kushner’s arrival at the …
Continue reading US peace deal’s outcome foreshadowed by talk of West Bank annexation
First published by the Arab Weekly on 2/6/2019 While the American pair’s purpose of the visits to Jordan and Morocco was to drum up support for the Manama workshop, it appears this failed. Consensus issue. Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R) greets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during the Arab League Summit in Mecca, …
Continue reading Trump’s ‘Deal of the Century’ staggers after Mecca summits
First published by the Arab Weekly on 31/3/2019 Palestinians know Arab citizens support them but they will want Arab leaders to be equally supportive through the delivery of strong positions in Tunis. Daily struggle. An Israeli soldier stands guard as Palestinians watch Jewish settlers (unseen) touring the Palestinian side of the old city market in …
Continue reading What Palestinians want from the Arab League summit
First published by the Arab Weekly on 16/12/2018 It is clear that Israel is unwilling to meet the legitimate demands of the Palestinians for peace or those of the wider Arab world. Louder than words. Israeli police scuffle with activists in the West Bank Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar which is slated for demolition, October …
Continue reading Israel’s actions speak louder than its talk of regional peace
First published by the Arab Weekly on 18/11/2018 The Palestinian group behind that attack scored a public relations victory because it refrained from firing until Israeli soldiers left the bus. War advocacy. Israeli residents from the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon demonstrate against the Gaza ceasefire, on November 14. (AFP) A botched Israeli operation 3km …
Continue reading Israel’s botched operation in Gaza comes with consequences
First published by the Arab Weekly on 22/7/2018 Israel meets even peaceful Palestinian resistance with brutal force. Resilient despite pressures. Demonstrators try to prevent an Isreali tractor from passing through the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank, on July 4. (AFP) International law states that a people under occupation are …
Continue reading Peaceful resistance is the Palestinian answer to Trump’s ‘deal of the century’
First published by the Arab Weekly on Sunday 10/6/2018 Britain appears to be developing closer relations with Israel on many fronts. Breaking with the norm? Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (L) and Prince William arrive as she hosts a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace in London, on May 31. (AP) Prince William’s visit to Israel this …
Continue reading Britain must not reward Israel for its abuse of Palestinians
First published by the Arab Weekly on 15/4/2018 Whatever the real motives, the outcome would be an entrenchment of Israel’s presence in the West Bank. Another brick in the wall. A 2016 file picture shows Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara during an inauguration ceremony of Hahemek rail line. (AP) Early in …
Continue reading Palestine- Israel two-state solution is off the rails
First published by the Arab Weekly on 1/4/2018 The takeaway message on reconciliation is that it has been kicked into the long grass. At an impasse. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (C) attends a meeting with the Revolutionary Council of the ruling Fatah party in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on March 1. (AFP) The …
Continue reading Reconciliation or permanent division for Palestinians?
First published by the Arab Weekly on 1/4/2018 Banna performed her music in a youthful, magical manner, which reached deep into the hearts of her audiences. Prolific legacy. A 2009 file picture shows Palestinian singer Rim Banna performing during a concert in Damascus. (AFP) I never had the honour of meeting Rim Banna or hearing …
Continue reading Obituary: Farewell to Rim Banna, Palestinian cultural icon
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