It is disconcerting and surprising to hear so many thoughtful Palestinians express doubt and anger about the prospect, maybe, of finally having a state of their own. What do Palestinians want?
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians
It was the European Union — and not just Russia, as earlier reported — that blocked a U.S. move in the last Quartet meeting (a dinner in Washington on 11 July) to back, and impose on Palestinians, a statement that would have endorsed two of Israel’s main recent demands (Palestinian acknowledgement of Israel as a [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, European Union, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, Quartet, Russia, United Nations
The Israeli military checkpoint at Qalandia, between Jerusalem and Ramallah, in the heat of the day (early) – but why is it closed? No cars are moving in either direction. Was there a demonstration on the other side? It looks neat and clean and orderly, right? This is deceptive. This checkpoint processes many tens of [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians
An anticipated and closely-analyzed march in Jerusalem on 15 July called for (1) Palestinian independence, (2) for a Palestinian State (and, I think it can be said, at least by implication, for Palestinian plans to seek membership at the UN starting fethis autumn), and (3) an end to Palestinian territory occupied by Israeli in the [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians
The Civil Peace Service Gaza — an initiative of international volunteers in Gaza (established after the murder of Vittorio Arrigoni two months ago) to accompany Gaza fishermen who are often the targets of Israeli Navy attacks — has been reporting a surprising fact in its first press announcements this week: the Civil Peace Service Gaza [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians
This is the Palestinian town of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank. Israel built this Wall. It was a unilateral decision, and a unilateral implementation of this decision. A member of the Israeli military (IDF Col. Danny Tirza) chose the route of this Wall, almost all by himself… Photos taken by Xavier Abu Eid, and [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians
PLO official Sa’eb Erekat confirmed in Ramallah today that the Palestinians are going to go to the UN Security Council to seek UN membership — even if they fail, at first. Erekat was speaking just before leaving on a trip with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Qatar, for Arab League meetings later this week. The paperwork [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, UN General Assembly, UN Security Council
Dr. Hatem Kanaaneh, a retired doctor in the Galilee who blogs brilliantly here, covered this week the closing session in the year-long trial of the suit for wrongful death brought by the parents of Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death while trying to stop an Israeli military D-9 bulldozer from razing Palestinian houses in [...]
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Filed under: Gaza, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, USA
For the record, and for the archives, here is an extended excerpt from a totally-justified rant against the hell of Qalandia checkpoint between Jerusalem and Ramallah. Qalandia checkpoint is, indeed, a shame and a scourge, and can never be denounced enough: “I still remember the time when this checkpoint wasn’t in existence and our journeys [...]
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Filed under: Blogging, Boundaries & Borders, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians
Yes, there is one — just one — Picasso work on display now in the International Art Academy of Palestine (IAAP) in Ramallah. It is Picasso’s Buste de Femme (1943), which the IAAP says is one of Picasso’s “most iconic works”, on loan from the collection of the Van Abbe museum in Eindhoven (in the [...]
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Filed under: Israel, Palestine & Palestinians