fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Life in Gaza
By: The Palestine Project
Tags: War Crimes, Palestine, Military Occupation, Gaza

Life in Gaza

By Yara Younes

With a population of nearly 2 million including 1.17 million minors, 262,000 under the age of 5, 1.17 million living in poverty, and an unemployment rate of 62%, Gaza has one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world.

Palestinian boy In Gaza after an air strike by Israel [Khalil Hamra]

According to B’TSELEM an Israeli Information Center for Human Rights In The Occupied Territories, “ninety-seven percent of Gazans are connected to the public water-supply system,” which is undrinkable due to the 50–80 million liters of untreated sewage that is dumped in the sea each day.

Gaza also suffers shortages in electricity which is needed to pipe water through the system. People in Gaza require about 600 megawatts of electricity to receive power 24/7, yet they only receive 180 megawatts. Therefore residents only receive power for about 4–8 hours a day.

Palestinian boy in central Gaza [AFP]

In March 2018 during the Great March of Return protests, 215 Palestinians including 47 children were killed while posing no imminent threat to life.

October 30, 2019, the Israeli army sentenced an Israeli soldier who shot dead 15-year-old Palestinian Othman Halas during the Great March of Return protest in Gaza to community service.

The Great March of Return protests had psycho-social consequences, especially on those who sustained physical disabilities during the protests, those who were exposed to extreme violence, especially children, and those who lost family members. In 2020, an estimated number of 22,500 children will need psycho-social support.

Gazan girl mourning the loss of her brother [IMEMC]

Israel controls access to Gaza via air, land and sea, while the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, has been closed by the Egyptian government.

Both Israel and Egypt have largely cut off the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza while 54% of Gazans are food insecure and over 75% are dependent on aid.

Back in September 2020 two fishermen Mahmoud and Hassan al-Zaazo were killed by the Egyptian navy for allegedly crossing territorial waters, the two brothers were shot dead while fishing trying to provide for their families. According to OCHA, 35% of Gaza’s farmland and 85% of its fishing waters are totally or partially inaccessible due to Israeli military measures.
3 Funding Opportunities for Palestinian Entrepreneurs
Tags: Startup, Mena, Palestine, Entrepreneurship, Fundrasing

Ibtiktar, meaning innovation in Arabic, is a Palestinian-owned investment fund focused on helping disruptive Palestinian entrepreneurs carry out their vision. What’s special about Ibtikar is that it was build for Palestinians, by Palestinians. Hashim Shawa, the anchor investor in the Fund and chairman of the Bank of Palestine, says that “80 percent of the fund’s investors were Palestinian and either living in Palestine or abroad.”

Ibtikar invests in early stage start-ups but can also follow founders all the way to series A funding. Their portofolio (companies they’ve already invested in) includes top-notch Palestinian start-ups such as Gamiphy, Receet, and Tawazon.

Our goal is to maximize return for our investors by helping high-potential Palestinian companies answer regional and global needs. We do this through direct support from our management team and select group of advisors, and leverage the strong network of our investors and partners for the benefit of each of our portfolio companies. — Ibitkar Fund

If you’re interested in getting an investment from Ibtikar, make sure to read their investment guidelines here. From there, you can email them at info@ibtikarfund.com

Bonus: They also have a very useful document about how to incorporate a company in Palestine which you can access right here.
“Sie reißen es ab, aber wir werden es wieder aufbauen” — Donnerstag, 26.11.2020
By: Occupied News
Tags: Apartheid, War Crimes, Palestine, Palästina, Occupation

Settlement sprawl forces Hebron's Palestinian families to live in caves

HEBRON, West Bank - In the foothills of the rocky mountains of Hebron, Munther Abu Aram, 48, lives a primitive life…
The Win that is Beneficial for Abbas but not for Palestinians
By: Krish Mathew
Tags: Oppurtunity, Condition, Abba, Joe Biden, Palestine

The Win that is Beneficial for Abbas but not for Palestinians Krish Mathew ·Nov 25, 2020

Here’s something interesting about what I read today. It’s Abbas and his advisors have to learn to adjust to the current strategic conditions in the face of the new opportunities. Yes, Biden’s victory will restore some much needed equilibrium to the region’s US strategies, but the two-state option is unlikely to become a reality.

As I keep on digging about the situation, the slow Palestinian land consumption will continue for a while and the possibility of opposing US pressure could be overrated. Looking at it, true solidarity is an aim that remains elusive and the absence of which continues to ridicule their leaders, is what the Palestinians need.
Israel-Palestinian Conflict
By: Shubham Patil
Tags: Conflict, Israel Palestine Conflict, Politics, Palestine, Israel

Our story starts around 100 years back. Back then the current Israel and Palestine occupied area was religiously diverse containing mostly Muslims, Christians, and also some Jews. But in the early 20th century a lot of jews from Europe started migrating here in order to establish a Jewish state and to preserve their identity & history.

After World War I, a lot of middle east portion was divided into British & French and the above-mentioned area getting into the hands of British called British Palestine. At first, the British allowed Jewish immigration. But as more and more jews started arriving the tension between the local Arabs and migrants grew giving rise to violence between the two. In the 1930s, in order to control the violence, the British started limiting the migrants.

But soon started World War II. With the holocaust and the tortures of Jews in Europe, a lot more than before started migrating. Now, even the British could not intervene as the rest of the world supported the idea of a separate Jews state. Now, in order to resolve the conflicts with Arabs, the British proposed to divide British Palestine into two separate territories — one for Jews, Israel & the other for Arabs, Palestine by giving the city of Jerusalem a special status which is a religious city for both Jews & Arabs.

Jews happily accepted this division but Arabs thoughts this is another trick by the British to capture their land for colonialism. And soon they declared war against Israel in order to gain control over the entire Israel and keeping original British Palestine, an Arab state. But this move backfired on them and they lost the war and also a huge portion of the territory assigned to them. Israel took control of the entire territory only leaving out Gaza and West Bank (as mentioned in the above map).

This conflict and migrations of the Arabs in new Israel went on for a long time until something else happened. In the 1960s, Israel fought a war with its neighboring Arab nations including Jordan and Egypt and winning the remaining territory and most importantly Jerusalem. Now Israel governed the Palestinians who they fought for such a long time. Over the next few decades, Israel made peace with the neighboring Arab nations. But they still controlled Gaza and West Bank. The Palestine terror groups fought with Israel for their state. Sometimes by the acts of terrorism.

The violence between these groups has continued over the years. Other countries like the US tried to make peace between the two but so far there is no success. Moreover, Israel built a wall in order to keep the Palestinians away from certain territories and stop the acts of violence. Recently, Israel left their control over Gaza which is now governed separately from West Bank but the conditions and economy are worse states than ever. The other group continues their act of terrorism and violence even today. A lot of people on both sides have died due to this conflict including many civilians. When this conflict will be resolved, nobody can tell.
Israel detains over 400 Palestinian children in 2020
By: The Palestine Project
Tags: Children Rights, Palestine, Military Occupation, Israel

Israel detains over 400 Palestinian children in 2020

By Yara Younes

As the world community marks International Children’s Day, Israeli authorities have arrested over 400 Palestinian children under 18 both boys and girls in the first 10 months of 2020.

In a statement released by The Palestinian Prison Society (PPS), a nongovernmental organization (NGO):

“The Israeli occupation authorities have arrested 400 Palestinian children under the age of 18 since the beginning of this year, most of them from East Jerusalem.” “Israel is committing various violations against Palestinian children during their detention, including preventing them from completing their studies, depriving some of them of family visits in prison, and isolating them in individual cells.”

Children are often arrested with no charge or trial, they are often not allowed an attorney or a parent present. The most common charge against Palestinian children is stone-throwing, for which they could spend up to 20 years in prison.

Since 2015, Israel has passed new laws that would legalize the issuance of higher prison sentences for children, in some cases up to life imprisonment.
EU cautions Israel against illicit settlements in Palestinian Residents
Tags: Europe, Eu, Us, Palestine, Israel

Monday, November 16, 2020. EU High Representative JosepBorrell cautioned that arranged lodging ventures by Isreal in the southern city of Jerusalem al-Quds could upset the future development of a Palestinian state. He portrayed the development in Jerusalem’s rural areas as ‘illicit’ and said he was ‘worried about’ Israeli intends to fabricate more homes in the region.

In numerous nations on the planet, particularly in Europe, contradict the savagery and unlawful settlement of Israel against the Palestinian public and their territory, and call for it to be halted and forestalled. The EU has consistently rehashed any help reestablishing a “significant cycle” towards settling the contest between the different sides.

Israel’s development venture in the Palestinian regions further sabotage seeks a two-state answer for the Israeli-Palestinian clash. The global network has attempted to bring the different sides nearer, yet Israel has been unlawfully involving the West Bank. Since Trump came to control in the United States, it has arisen that Israel is dismissing worldwide calls for unlawful lodging. In the long run, Trump set up his government office in Jerusalem, which heightened pressures on the two sides.

Borrell stated: “I am profoundly worried about the Israeli specialists’ choice to open an agreement for the development of a totally new settlement for GivatHamatos. This is a significant site among Jerusalem and the involved West Bank. Any settlement would genuinely harm the possibility of a suitable Palestinian state.”

The UN Security Council has denounced Israel’s settlement exercises in the involved regions of a few choices and cautioned Israel to subvert the arrangement to connect the different sides.

The Zionist framework is supposedly intending to manufacture an aggregate of 2,600 units of lodging for the primary period of the GivatHaMatos venture. This has caused worry among every Palestinian partner. Israel is fabricating new homes by annihilating the homes of youngsters and moms and this is against the global network’s ethics.
The One-State Condition
By: Kristin Snyder
Tags: Political Science, Palestine, Book Review, Conflict Resolution, Israel

This book is strong in that it helps to conceptualize the daily life of Israelis and Palestinians. I am not a scholar of this topic, but I can theorize and understand where the authors are coming from and how the webs of relationships and interactions are repeated. I can see this being helpful not only to those who are not experts in this field but also to the experts who are weighed down by political and legal jargon of the conflict in the present. Without breaking down the layers of the regime down to the everyday practices and habitus, we would never see the structures of withheld violence present in the everyday life of Israelis and Palestinians.

Another part I found to be exceptional was how the historical narrative was tied into the book. In my opinion, many books and scholarly works tie a historical narrative in, but they can’t connect and place their argument in the context. However, even before getting to the structural explanations of how the history of the Occupation Regime was created, I could already connect the dots. I am more inclined to structural arguments, and no one is ever perfect at creating a historical narrative, but Azoulay and Ophir really know how to create a convincing historical narrative. It was apparent throughout the book that they understood how history played into the creation of the Occupation regime, and what was happening every day because of it.
Traveling to Palestine in 2020
By: Yahya Ghanim
Tags: Traveling, Weather, Covid 19, Travel, Palestine

Dome of the rock- Jerusalem

Since March, Coronavirus has devastated the world. For weeks countries have locked down, permits had to be done to have entries for roads and jobs. Some jobs went online others like construction continued working but got hit badly. by the time things went loosen up, things are like 50% back to normal, most countries opened their boarders and started receiving travelers.

For Palestinians its different though, had to take a leave from my company to visit my family after spending 2 years away with a thought of not coming back.

Had to contact the embassy and submitted my papers with my reason of leaving to get an approval to travel home, Got my approval within 12 days and they told us to book a flight by a specific airline and specific timing, it was all a planned journey. First you reach Jordan, no prior PCR test was needed though which sounded weird, when we reached we reached at 12 Am Amman’s timings, waited the bus to come pick us all since no one is allowed to leave the airport, its only one way to the Palestinian boarders.

After reaching the Palestinian boarders the process was fast and easier than even before Covid days, yet it was long and exhausting, but we reached at least!!

Started my journey by visiting my relatives and eating REAL food, since i spent the past year on fast and junk food, barely cooked, and the most important part was the Nabulsi Kunafa from Abu Seer with that melting cheese and smooth toping.

ِAbu seer sweets

Had to get my license there, not easy but apparently they consider their driving performance is harder than Dubai’s.

It was my first time coming in olive season where everyone just gets busy in their lands to get the olive and take the oil out of it, so either they can sell it or use it.

It was also my second time experiencing the winter season in Palestine and it’s “pretty cold” literally. I lived my whole life in the UAE so you can tell the least temp i experienced was around 13, its under 11 here these days and still decreasing.

Went to the capital several times that i had to test their most famous ice cream “ Rukab ice cream” which is literally one of the best. Their burgers too!

I would say if you ever come here just come for the nature and food, Nature is mesmerizing and food is absolutely astonishing, hands down. Wish i can visit the rest of the cities inside, but it requires a permit and they stopped them all due to Covid.

I would love to stay here but not all wishes come true.
Does Joe Biden to change US policies towards the Palestinians and Israel?
By: Ajay Vaseegaran
Tags: USA, Joe Biden, Israel, Palestine

Does Joe Biden to change US policies towards the Palestinians and Israel? Ajay Vaseegaran ·Nov 16, 2020

Joe Biden’s election victory over Donald Trump was greeted with a sigh of relief in many parts of the world and is believed that it will refocus US policy towards the Middle East, while possibly reversing Trump’s damage done in the region.

During his term of office, President Trump deprived the Palestinian Authority (PA) of financial aid amounting to about half-a-billion USD annually, exercising pressure on it to accept his two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which gave only 70 per cent of the West Bank to a Palestinian entity and a negligible part on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Furthermore, he successfully isolated the Palestinians from some of their rich Arab allies, who in the past offered millions of dollars to the PA.

Currently, at a time of Covid-19 pandemic, the PA is in a desperate situation, facing a severe fiscal crisis, as it is deprived of US and Arab aid and at the same time stares at a sharp drop in tourist income. Furthermore, Trump had closed PLO’s Washington Office and the US Consulate General in East Jerusalem, while the PA cut security coordination with Israel. The PA sees the election of Joe Biden as a way out of the severe fiscal and political crisis and will curb the expansion of Jewish settlements on Palestinian lands.

US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has said that the Biden administration would “take immediate steps to restore economic and humanitarian assistance” to the Palestinians, in addition to reopening the US consulate in East Jerusalem and the Palestinian mission in Washington.
Unity is Strength — Recorded Events
By: Rebecca Sealfon
Tags: Palestine And Israel, Palestine, Peacebuilding, Peace, Israel

Photo by Anton Mislawsky on Unsplash

Unity is Strength is a Quora.com forum that started in 2019, focusing on areas where Palestinians and Israelis can work together in a grassroots fashion to support one another. Our goal is to identify specific action items and achieve them. We also hold and promote online events. Some of the events featuring our participants or promoted by our forum, with publicly available recordings, are listed here.

On Sunday, July 19, 2020, our Moderator (now Administrator) Emanuel Shahaf spoke for an organization we’ve previously raised money for, Friends of Roots.

On Thursday, November 12, 2020, our Administrator Rebecca Sealfon was a participant in a roundtable for The Great Debate.

On Wednesday, December 16, 2020, Emanuel spoke with Rafi Gassel on The Great Debate, each person promoting their own federation solution to Israel-Palestine. A federation is a consortium of regional governments under a central government.
Lebanon Sets Date for Launch of a National Digital Currency
Tags: Lebanon, Palestine, Lebanese

Lebanon recently announced that it would launch a national digital currency in 2021. The country has been working on the potential launch of a CBDC for a while now. Plans for the launch were first revealed by the nation’s National News Agency, which was quoted by Bloomberg. With the digital currency, Lebanon is hoping to promote confidence in its banking system.

Plans for Launch of a Digital Currency

It is not the first that news details on a national digital currency are being revealed. In April 2020, the governor of Lebanon’s central bank, Riad Salameh, said that the nation planned to launch a CBDC to lower the cost of transactions for citizens. However, that has now changed from lowering costs to rebuilding confidence in the nation’s banking system.

Before that, reports had emerged of a Virtual Lebanese pound, which would be used locally. At the time, the reason given for the launch of a national digital currency was preventing money laundering. At the time, the central bank governor said that crypto was often used to launder money more than finance terror. He noted that in war zones there lacked the infrastructure needed to facilitate digital currency transactions.

Lebanon’s Troubled Banking System

Lebanon’s banking system has been facing near-collapse in recent months. One of the measures placed in place is restrictions on how much savers can withdraw from their accounts. Besides that, the nation’s national currency has lost a lot of its value in recent months. Consequently, not only can savers not access their funds, but whatever they have is also worth significantly less. It has led to a loss of trust in the nation’s banking system. Many people have been trying to circumvent the restrictions by using crypto deposits.

The Implications of the Launch

If Lebanon were to launch a CBDC, it would join a list of nations that have launched or plan to launch a national digital currency. One of the largest economies that are considering launching a national digital currency is China. The nation already has citywide trials, and they could launch the digital currency during the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Palestinian Leader Dies in Israeli Hospital Due to Covid-19
By: American Experience
Tags: Conservatives, Fatah, Palestine And Israel, Palestine, Israel

Palestinian Leader Dies in Israeli Hospital Due to Covid-19

Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian leader, and decades long peace-negotiator with Israel died from complications of Covid-19 at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.

Erekat passed away Tuesday after he was admitted in critical condition three weeks ago. He received intensive treatments that included a heart-lung machine and drug treatments. He died due to multiple organ failure.

Erekat, seemed to be a powerful negotiator for his people and had respect from both sides.

What stuck out, however, was Erekat, a member of the Fatah Party, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was in fact, apparently admitted into Israeli controlled territory to seek treatment at a Jewish run hospital.

According to Jewish Virtual Library, Fatah, in itself means “conquest by means of Jihad.” The Fatah flag features a grenade with crossed rifles superimposed on the map of Israel. The Fatah Party is diametrically opposed to the existence of Israel.

Erekat was also Secretary General of the PLO,an organization formed for the liberation of Palestine through armed struggle while seeking to destroy the existence of Zionism in the Middle East.

The platform of these organizations for which Erekat belonged is by no means breaking news. What is interesting, is despite these facts, this man was still admitted into Israel for treatment.

Israel, a nation under constant threat, admits a senior member of two organizations that seek to do it harm. Would the PLO or the Fatah Party do the same for ANY Israeli?
Harris/Biden doesn’t spell justice for Middle East, regardless of ‘peace’
By: Bruno Cooke
Tags: United States, Kamala Harris, Palestine, Military, Israel

Harris/Biden doesn’t spell justice for Middle East, regardless of ‘peace’

So runs Harris’s address to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobby group with over 100,000 members and a “vast pool of donors” (link below).

Described by American political scholars John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt as having a “stranglehold on Congress”, AIPAC wields great power over Capitol Hill — often called on “to draft speeches, work on legislation, advise on tactics, perform research, collect co-sponsors and marshal votes” (quoting Douglas Bloomfield, former AIPAC staff member).

Harris repeated the refrain several times: “We must stand with Israel”. “As Hamas […] fires rockets across Israel’s southern border, we must stand with Israel.” Speaking loftily of “shared security interests”, the United States “must support all those affected by ongoing violence and terror (and we must stand with Israel)” — the latter, just in case we had forgotten.

The omission, when speaking of shared security interests, of Palestine’s security interests, should come as no surprise. “Her support for Israel is central to who she is,” Harris’ campaign communications director, Lily Adams, told McClatchy in April 2019.

In 2016, Harris described Israel’s Supreme Court as a “beautiful monument to a government founded on the highest of human ideals”, and Israel as a “beautiful home to democracy and justice in a region where radicalism and authoritarianism all too often shape government”.

“Our defence relationship is critical to both nations,” Harris continues, in her address. By “both nations”, Harris means the United States and Israel.

Harris articulated her support for the provision of Israel with “$38 billion dollars in military assistance over the next decade”, including full funding for the Arrow (one of the most advanced missile defence programs in existence), David Sling (the name of which is may be seen as ironic, given the disproportionate might of Israel’s arsenal when compared to, say, Palestine’s) and the Iron Dome missile defence system.

In case the difference between an m and a b (as in, million vs billion) makes it difficult to see that in real terms, someone has done the maths:

She concludes by “fully committing to maintaining Israel’s qualitative military edge”, again, without specifying (because she doesn’t need to) over whom.

According to an email interview with the Jerusalem Post, Harris “oppose[s] annexation and settlement expansion”, and believes “in the worth and value of every Palestinian and every Israeli, and we will work to ensure that Palestinians and Israelis enjoy equal measures of freedom, security, prosperity and democracy” (my emphases). It is this kind of doublethink that is required of a successful politician.
Assassination attempt on Bolivia’s President-elect and Israel bulldozes civilian village as Americans argue over two old racists
By: David Kain
Tags: United States, Bolivia, Palestine, General, Election 2020

While US voters and onlookers trolled each other on Facebook and drank beer on their couches, Bolivia’s President-elect, Luis Arce, faced an assassination attempt from opposition forces on Thursday. On Tuesday night, Israeli bulldozers flattened the homes of Palestinians in the Jordan Valley — “leaving around 80 people homeless”.

This news may come as a shock given that mainstream media has provided little to no coverage of both stories.

On Tuesday, Israeli wrecking crews laid waste to the Bedouin village of Homsa al-Baqia. COGAT, the sect of Israel’s military responsible for the destruction, defended its decision to raze the area. The Israeli military explained that the land is military training grounds.

Israeli rule restricts Palestinian construction and development without a permit.

Among the 74 left homeless (41 being children), Abdelghani Awada explained the Israelis who arrived in vehicles and with bulldozers gave people “10 minutes to evacuate our homes”.
Yitzhak Rabin: un magnicidio que sigue doliendo
By: Yossi Khebzou
Tags: Palestina, Middle East, Paz, Palestine, Israel

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The Inference of USA Ordinance over Jersualem Enchanting
By: Krish Mathew
Tags: USA, Israel, Palestine, Jerusalem

Here’s my stand over the current issue of US and Israel. The Palestinians want peace and recognize that the only way to achieve this aim is to create a Palestinian state in the areas occupied by Israel in 1967, including East Jerusalem. This would provide Israel with the stability and protection needed by its citizens and ensure that Palestinians, who have lived through decades of colonization and colonial rule, would be free in their own sovereign and democratic state.

For this reason, If the US is unable to meet these requirements for peace, it can at least stop encouraging American citizens to be discriminated against.
Van der Zyl condemned for double standards
By: Angus Schofield
Tags: Marie Van Der Zyl, Palestine, Board Of Deputies, Israel, Donald Trump

President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews (BoD), Marie van der Zyl, claimed Donald Trump had orchestrated normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbours, despite that Israel has not been at war with them, and without any comment on the non-participation of the Palestinians, most of which remain stateless, often in territory illegally occupied by Israel.

Van der Zyl applied selective reasoning to Trump’s domestic and foreign policies

The President of the BoD, Marie van der Zyl, came in for sharp criticism from playwright, Bonnie Greer, during a recent appearance on BBC’s Question Time.

Van der Zyl was asked about her preference between Donald Trump and Joe Biden as next US President. Initially Van der Zyl appeared to try to stay neutral. However, she soon began to speak of Trump foreign policy in glowing terms. She incorrectly claimed Trump had normalized between Israel and Dubai. This was corrected by presenter Fiona Bruce, who noted that Van der Zyl was probably talking about Israel and the UAE and Israel and Bahrain.

Van der Zyl continued, claiming it could be a concern for Britain if there is a Biden presidency due to Brexit. Pressed on whether she was in favour of Trump, she replied that “values” are her main concern, and that she is not a US citizen.

Fellow panelist, Bonnie Greer, challenged Van der Zyl, and noted that Trump’s peace plan did not include the Palestinians, who were not included in talks, suggesting it makes the plan nothing more than a con. Furthermore, she explained that after Trump was elected, during a racist pro-Trump rally in Charlottesville, a Jewish girl was killed, and racists were walking down the street, in scenes reminiscent of the Nuremburg rally, shouting “Jews will not replace us”.

Greer finished by asking Van der Zyl to explain her selective reasoning

Marie van der Zyl argued Trump foreign policy between Israel and the UAE and Israel Bahrain was advantageous, yet she failed to mention Palestine in her analysis

Clearly rattled, Van der Zyl responded that the BoD is also critical of Trump, having previously opposed his Muslim travel ban. Probably sensing that Van der Zyl was stuck for an answer, Fiona Bruce quickly moved the discussion on.

Earlier on the show, panelists discussed Islamophobia in the Conservative party. This had followed a discussion of antisemitism in the Labour party. Van der Zyl, who had earlier spoken about alleged antisemitism in Labour, interrupted speakers, suggesting Islamophobia is not endemic in the Conservative party. She then claimed the current discussion should not be taking place, but instead the panel should speaking about antisemitism and Labour (again).
Linking Black Lives Matter to Israeli affairs is inaccurate and dishonest.
By: Camera On Campus
Tags: BlackLivesMatter, Ifnotnow, Palestine, Israel, International Law

By Zac Schildcrout, CAMERA on Campus Managing Editor

Photo: Alexander Clegg/Detroit Jewish News

On Oct. 8, the Jewish News online published an op-ed by IfNotNow Detroit activists Rebecca Driker-Ohren and Zak Witus titled “Palestinian Lives Matter.” Of course, Palestinian lives matter — that is not in dispute.

What one can dispute is Driker-Ohren and Witus’ conflation of one-sided denunciation of Israel with the movement for racial justice in the United States. Indeed, the authors seem to believe that the Metro Detroit Jewish community’s alleged reluctance to sufficiently admonish Israel renders its leaders nothing more than moral hypocrites.

As Driker-Ohren and Witus describe it, “We in the anti-occupation movement were left questioning whether this enthusiasm for [Black Lives Matter], with its attendant principles of universal equality and freedom, would extend to the arena of Israel/Palestine.”

To the authors, the fight for “universal equality and freedom” seems to necessitate myopic and context-free censure of Israel. Unfortunately, the piece employs myriad falsehoods to make its case.

Click here to read the rest on the CAMERA on Campus blog
An Experience of Love
By: Free The Mind
Tags: Palestine And Israel, Palestine, Love, Israel, Love Letters

I was born and raised in the United States of America. I’m a New Yorker by blood, language, and culture. This is my home, but it doesn’t always feel so welcoming. I’m a Jewish American, and many times throughout the past few years it has felt like so many in my country are against me. Maybe they don’t know me, but if they did they’d know that what they’ve heard about me isn’t true.

There are some who say that we have too much control, that we have too much power. If that’s the case then why is my voice not heard by them? If they could hear my voice they wouldn’t believe these things.

I’m so powerful that I’m not even heard. I’m so powerful that even the mayor of NYC blames people from my background for the spread of the pandemic.

I’m so powerful that US citizens call for a global intifada against people like me. If you don’t know what an intifada is, it’s an uprising against Israel. It’s clearly necessary to globalize this uprising right? 1000+ Israeli civilians have been killed in previous intifadas so I know what a call for “global intifada” means.

Even though there are many moments like this, there are also many moments of peace, love and understanding. In this article I wanted to focus on a specific gesture put out there by a Muslim Albanian American girl that is a friend of mine.

Before shabbast she posted on her Instagram story supporting Albanias’ decision to adopt the IHRA Definition of Anti-Semitism. It may not sound like a big deal but she was brave enough to share this post that had the Israeli flag next to the Albanian flag. She even commented “Shabbat Shalom ❤️”.

I mention the Israeli flag being included because it’s an acknowledgment of our existence and of our right to exist. In a world where our flag is seen being stepped on, burnt, and our right to exist is constantly questioned this means so much. It makes us feel so much less alone.

Thank you, you’ll never know how much this means to me.
I reject the way anti-semitism is defined now, as any criticism of some Jews or their actions.
By: Jjournalism Amanda
Tags: Jewish Power, Palestine, Israel, Anti Semitism

I reject the way anti-semitism is defined now, as any criticism of some Jews or their actions. Yes, mainstream Jews wield more power in the US than their numbers merit. Through their lobbying, they managed to give Israel $10.4 MILLION A DAY of our tax dollars when that money would be better spent on reducing poverty in the US than on buying weapons to kill Palestinians. Under Bush, Obama, and Trump, appointees to ambassadorships or negotiators with Palestinians have been Jewish (and all have been unfair to Palestinians). Ambassador David Friedman does not represent me but represents Israeli settlers. Yet some Jews are offended when those appointments are named as power. But the worst thing is that legislation has been introduced at the behest of Jewish organizations to censor the Palestinian narrative by labeling a wide array of criticism of American Jewish actions or Israeli actions as anti-Semitic. That charge has been used so recklessly that it is now the equivalent of crying wolf.

Luckily, there are many principled young Jews who reject the old generation’s paranoia. Organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace support ending the occupation of Palestinians, and reject the old formula of “Israel right or wrong.”
Australia cut humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees agency
By: The Palestine Project
Tags: Unrwa, Australia, Overseas Aid, Palestine, UN

Australia cut humanitarian aid to Palestinian refugees agency

The Australian Government’s recent decision to cut funding to UNRWA from $20 million in 2019–2020 to $10 million in 2020–2021 is regrettable and will have a considerable impact on both the livelihoods of Palestinian refugees and the stability of the Middle East region.

Whilst it is understood that COVID-19 has presented increased budgetary pressures, the Australian Government has not decided to reduce funding towards other United Nations departments or humanitarian agencies, yet funding to UNRWA has decreased by half. The impartial role UNRWA plays in providing humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees grants Australia with a unique opportunity in diplomatically contributing to the Middle East Peace Process and in turn, a two-state solution.

UNRWA provides life-saving services to over 5.6 million refugees, operating under an independent mandate to ensure these individuals receive access to emergency services, education and healthcare. This includes providing free education to over 530,000 children who would otherwise go without. This education is impartial and reflects the values and principles of the United Nations such as tolerance, neutrality, equality and non-discrimination. UNRWA also works to uphold Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender Equality and Women’s and Girls Empowerment. This is achieved through the provision of women’s health services such as family planning and career support through Women’s Training Centers. Essential funding from states such as Australia, ensures UNRWA can continue to guarantee vulnerable refugees receive access to their basic human rights.

Without UNRWA, the provision of these essential services becomes the responsibility of neighbouring states such as Jordan and Lebanon as well as Palestine. Considering the already fragile situation within these areas, UNRWA plays an essential role as a stabilising factor, ensuring the economic burden of these refugees is not felt by already struggling states. Indeed, it is the sole responsibility of UNRWA to provide services to the Palestinian refuges according to the UN resolution 302 (IV), until they will be able to return to their homeland.

In decreasing aid to UNRWA, Australia is heightening the risk of increased instability within the Middle East region, threatening the establishment of a two-state solution and potential peace processes.

The provision of Australian aid to UNRWA not only stands as essential in allowing Australia to contribute humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees, it acts in Australia’s national interests as an uncontroversial mechanism for maintaining peace.

The General Delegation of Palestine to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific calls for the Australian Government to reinstate their original funding amount of $20 million annually to UNRWA in ensuring humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees and preserving the possibility of a two-states solution.
Palestinians Right To Housing
By: The Palestine Project
Tags: War Crimes, Isarel, United Nations, Palestine, Military Occupation

Palestinians Right To Housing

By Yara Younes

Israel continues to violate International law and is still not held accountable for their actions as punitive demolitions constitute collective punishment and are prohibited under International Law.

In 2019 a total of 621 Palestinian living structures were demolished in the West Bank displacing 914 Palestinians; that is a 35 and 95 per cent increase, compared with 2018 according to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

From 2006 till August 2020, 1,602 Palestinian residential buildings have been demolished in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, making 6,970 people and 3,501 minors homeless according to B’Tselem an Israeli human rights NGO in the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) there are four categories of demolitions:
3 spannende Artikel über Frauen in politischer Haft sowie Schule & Protest unter Besatzung
By: Occupied News
Tags: Apartheid, War Crimes, Palestine, Palästina, Occupation

Strong, independent, and behind bars - Quds News Network

"A grey, scratchy surface looking down at you. That is the first thing you see when you open your eyes in the morning…
巴勒斯坦首席談判代表埃雷卡特新冠病情惡化
By: C Y S
Tags: Palestine

A columnist in political development in Greater China region, technology and gadgets, media industry, parenting and other interesting topics.
There Is No ‘Moral Equivalency’ Between Israeli Soldiers and Palestinian Terrorists
By: Camera On Campus
Tags: Palestine, Terrorism, Israel Defense Forces, Israel, Terror

By Yoni Michanie, former CAMERA Campus Advisor and Strategic Planner

Photo: The IDF Honors Its Reservists/Wikimedia Commons

During a seminar in my graduate program in Israel, a professor concluded a lecture on terrorism and political violence claiming: “The tears of a grieving Palestinian mother, whose son was responsible for carrying out a suicide attack are equal to the tears of an Israeli mother whose son fell in service to the country.”

It took me a while to understand that the statement itself was not really problematic. The issue was that there was no follow-up with what needed to be said: while the mothers may feel an equal amount of sorrow, the world must never draw a moral equivalence between the terrorist and the soldier. This rule must apply to the stakeholders of any armed conflicts and the reason is simple: The frequency and normalization of terrorism, as a legitimate tactic of resistance, will increase unless it is universally condemned and categorized as an unjustifiable evil.

Click here to read the rest on the CAMERA on Campus blog
Questions for Na’amod
By: Rabbi Dr Andrea Zanardo
Tags: Israel, Palestine, Anti Semitism

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: What is the Occupation? Question you don’t want to ask: How many Palestinians want to destroy the Jewish State with the so-called Right of Return?

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: What is the impact of the occupation on Palestinian and Israeli lives? Question you don’t want to ask: How many Jews have been killed in Hebron throughout history, and how ancient the Jewish community of Hebron is?

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: Why there are two sets of laws in the occupied territories, one for the Jewish Israelis and one for the Palestinians? Question you don’t want to answer: Is the spokesperson of any Jewish community beyond the Green Line allowed to address a Jewish audience? Will you object to this?

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: Why are Palestinians in East Jerusalem not Israeli citizens? Question you don’t want to ask: How many former synagogues and Jewish buildings can you locate in East Jerusalem? Why and when have then been destroyed?

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: Why is the Israeli Government demolishing Beduin and Palestinian homes? Question you don’t want to ask: What are the standards of living (health care, literacy) of the Israeli Beduin community compared to those of the surrounding Arab States?

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: What happened to the Mughrabi neighbourhood in front of the Western Wall? Question you don’t want to ask: Where Jews free to practice their religion in Jerusalem prior to 1948? Where were the public toilets of the above mentioned Mughrabi neighbourhood located prior to 1967?

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: What is the Nation-State Bill? Question you don’t want to ask: How many Western democracies have a religious symbol in their flag?

Question to which you pretend to know the answer: Will I have the chance to meet with Palestinians? Question you don’t want to answer: Are you willing to meet with Mizrahi survivors of Arab led pogroms?

[July 2018]
Lebanon-Israel: a potential harmony
By: William Black
Tags: Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Peace

Recently the Emirates and Bahrain, today Lebanon, tomorrow the Palestinians. This is the motto of the individuals who uphold harmony in the Middle East with Israel. Indeed, eye to eye talks has been held lately among Beirut and Tel Aviv with the help of the United Nations and neighboring nations, to agree on oceanic fringes.

Lebanon and Israel appear to stop a ten-year argument about oceanic outskirts through political exchanges. That could be another bit of a more extensive type of local adjustment that additionally incorporates the Abrahamic Agreements, the restart of relations marked between Israel, the United Arab Emirates United, and Bahrain.

The structure doesn’t just concern the immediate concurrence with the Israelis, however an a lot more extensive as per the announcement by the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo. He said that the arrangement among Beirut and Tel Aviv speaks to another “memorable arrangement” that will offer the capability of greater steadiness, security, and thriving for the residents of the two countries. Washington is intervening between the Lebanese and the Israelis, obviously.

Nothing more fundamental for Lebanon, destroyed by the blast at the port that revealed the ills of the nation. A belittling political, financial and social framework and consistent obstruction from outside, all connected to the confession booth design of the state. Beirut is under a political stalemate bound to proceed for one more month. The chief assign, Mustafa Adib, disavowed the post for “a mission government” got half a month back, on the grounds that he didn’t discover in the Lebanese political class the will to defeat the divisions — and position rents connected to control — and structure the leader.

On the off chance that for Lebanon the concurrence with Israel — with which it was actually at battle from 1948–49 — speaks to another approach to substantiate itself dependable according to the global network, for Tel Aviv, the issue is associated with two strategic vital issues.The first concerns Hezbollah, with which the Israelis have a question opened since the 2006 clash, and which is the principle danger to public security.

Hezbollah is connected to the Pasdaran, who equipped it, misusing the disarray of the Syrian battle by requesting that those weapons be utilized against Tel Aviv sometime. Iran is rather the most vital issue for Israel behind the concurrence with Lebanon. An arrangement with Beirut could pass on the elements of the nation further away from Tehran.

Extending the image implies anticipating the Israeli-Lebanese oceanic concession to a reasonable dossier. That of the eastern Mediterranean, waters that wash the Levant, shore on which the Greek-Turkish tempest breaks. Israel has in that locale some significant gas stores that can’t be misused without the concurrence with Beirut. Disclosures that drove Tel Aviv to adjust itself to the Greek-Egyptian framework in open resistance to Turkey.
Top 3 Palestinian Incubators
Tags: Ramallah, Middle East, Entrepreneur, Palestine, Incubator

1) GAZA SKY GEEKS

Gaza, objectively speaking, is an open air prison with very little opportunities. The unemployment rate sits at 45%. The poverty rate surpasses 50%.

This is why Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG) is so important and so successful. In 2009, Mercy Corps (an NGO) flew out senior executives from Google to Gaza. It became clear to leaders in both organizations that consistent access to high-speed fiber Internet would allow Gaza’s disenfranchised (yet highly educated) youth to side-step and even take advantage of all the restrictions on the movement of people and goods that are so detrimental to Gaza’s economy.

It is out of these realizations that Gaza Sky Geeks was born: a startup accelerator for young Palestinian entrepreneurs in Gaza. GSG is not only restricted to incubating startups; The GSG SkyLancer Academy trains young freelancers and helps them maximize their skills in the freelance world, and the GSG Code Academy provides intensive tech-education training, professional skills and job-readiness support for those looking to become professional coders and developers.

Today, GSG supports startups, gig economy workers, aspiring software developers, and champions diversity and inclusion. Female participation in Gaza Sky Geeks programs is at 50%, which surpasses most incubators worldwide. The proportion of freelancers they train who get at least one gig online is at a staggering 99%. Since their launch, the cumulative earnings reported by coding & freelancing alumni 12 months post-graduation is around 5M dollars.

Gaza Sky Geeks is undoubtedly a success story. They are a beacon of hope in a place that is in dire need of it.

If you are a coder, a freelancer, an entrepreneur or a mentor looking to help out, apply on their site.