A series of posters have been popping up around Ramallah, stronghold of the Palestinian Authority, apparently saying that the two state solution is impossible and One State is inevitable. Images of them have been (more…)
In the UK it has taken 38 years for the truth to be proved about the shooting by British soldiers of 13 demonstrators in Derry City, Northern Ireland, in 1972. Finally after a 10-year long (more…)
Elvis Costello cancelled his Israel bookings as “a matter of instinct and conscience”: “There are occasions” he said “when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may (more…)
Henning Mankell (writer of the famous Wallander books) lost all his possessions during his detention in Israel. “They took my wallet with my money and credit cards, my mobile phone and my iPod. They even took my socks. Those Israeli soldiers are thieves.”
It’s no coincidence that Israel’s exclusion of Gazan fishing boats from their own waters began shortly after the discovery by the BG (British Gas) Group of what appear to be quite sizeable natural gas fields (more…)
Al-Shabaka is the Palestinian Policy Network, and has produced a series of clear, thoughtful and informative policy papers. Among them:
“BDS: A global movement for Freedom and Justice” by Omar Barghouti: “Al-Shabaka policy advisor Omar Barghouti examines the formation and evolution of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. Barghouti argues that BDS’s growing success is due to its rights-based approach, collective leadership, call to Israelis of conscience, and promotion of context-specific strategies.”
In “Reclaiming Self-Determination”, Ali Abunimah demonstrates the difference between Sovereignty, which refers to rights and qualities of a territorial state which define its standing and degree of self-control and independence, and Self-Determination, which is “exercised by a people legitimately inhabiting a given territory”, who might decide on various degrees of sovereignty (e.g. in relation to alliances such as the EC) that are acceptable.
In “How Sovereign a State?” Camille Mansour reveals how unlikely it is that a truly sovereign Palestinian state can come about as a result of negotiations in the present circumstances.
… it is possible, especially during this period when Jews are still the majority in power in Israel, to begin to envision the type of guarantees (more…)
The Mavi Marmara events have eclipsed, for now, the so-called Peace Process, the West Bank, the Wall and the Settlers. The Process has survived 20 years of wars, invasions, sieges, assassinations etc so (more…)
