Briefing Papers

Havana Syndrome or Washington Syndrome?

Middle East Monitor — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 10:15:37 +0000

Cover -Havana Syndrome or Washington Syndrome? [MEMO Publishers]

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On 17 February, 2017, the then-US chargé d'affaires in Havana sent a complaint to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX) about alleged "attacks" against his staff, which had theoretically occurred since November of the previous year. There was no talk at that time of diseases or symptoms. Immediately, Cuban experts began to investigate, without ever questioning why the information was not shared with them from day one. When the press reports of that time are reviewed, it can be seen that the information about the alleged attacks was disseminated to the American public through specific journalists and media outlets; the rest only echoed without asking uncomfortable questions or questioning the official story. Cuban officials located and spoke with the directors […]

Iran and its trade ties with the African continent

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 03:41:33 +0000

Iran has sought to diversify its economy by materialising links with other regions capable of contributing to its development. Although sanctions have been imposed on Iran since 1979 due to its anti-imperialist position, it was not until the governments of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the start of the nuclear conflict that the situation worsened. As a result, the search for new markets was encouraged. Ties with Sub-Saharan Africa have generated mutual strengthening in various sectors such as energy, agriculture, medical, nanosciences, defence, education and even religious. Although non-essential links, they have acted as alternatives to harsh commercial and political pressures, allowing the promotion of South-South cooperation. Download our full briefing here.

The Republic of India: Ties with the Middle East and North Africa

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 15:31:31 +0000

Report cover photo [Middle East Monitor / MEMO Publishers]

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The Republic of India, with its emerging economy, has considerably increased its economic ties with the countries of the Middle East. Indian foreign policy has been marked by a high degree of pragmatism and clarity, owing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Following his adoption of the post of prime minister in 2014, Modi has designed and realised a broad programme of modernisation of the nation's economic structure with the objective of achieving a position in the world of commercial exchanges, technological development and, ultimately, in international geopolitics. India is rising within this arena as a major emerging actor, conveying strength and great promise for years to come. The links made with the countries of the Middle East and North Africa […]

Turkey's Policy on Sub-Saharan Africa

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 11:36:15 +0000

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Turkey on 6 March 2021 [Mustafa Kamacı/Anadolu Agency]

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Turkey and the African continent share cultural and historical ties dating back to the ninth and tenth centuries. However, during the last decade, bilateral and multilateral relations between them have intensified. In 2008, the African Union (AU) declared Turkey a strategic partner and the first Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit was held. This mechanism aimed to promote political and economic relations between both parties. Since then, Turkey has carried out a political-diplomatic offensive on Africa, and economic and cultural ties have significantly increased. Lastly, and with equal importance, Turkey has also tried to insert itself into security concerns on the continent, seeking to consolidate its space in a region that attracts the attention of many powers due to its constant economic and […]

Are Palestinian elections going to be held?

Tue, 24 Dec 2019 18:03:34 +0000

Are Palestinian elections going to be held?

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This is not the first time that President Mahmoud Abbas has called for elections, whether for the Palestinian National Council, the Palestinian Legislative Council or the presidency. On every occasion, his political opponents in Hamas have responded positively to the call, but the election process never goes ahead, for all sorts of reasons. On 26 September, President Abbas announced before the UN General Assembly that he will call for general elections in the West Bank (including Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip. This was a few days after the proposal of the Palestinian eight-faction initiative (including factions in the Palestine Liberation Organisation) to end the political division, which Hamas agreed to. Abbas's Fatah viewed it as a waste of time. We […]

Trump's 'Deal of the Century' and the Latin American response

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 12:49:20 +0000

The current conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Iraq, as well as tensions with Iran and the internal crisis in Lebanon, have favoured Israel's position in the Middle East. The Arab consensus against imperialist countries, namely the United States (US) and its European allies, has been weakened. In the wake of the so-called Arab Spring of 2011, the war in Syria – which aimed to overthrow President Bashar Al-Assad in order to boost the US agenda for a new Middle East – has failed overwhelmingly. In this context the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has taken a back seat, demonstrating that resolving the conflict is not yet a priority. Any peace negotiations have been pushed to the verge of disappearance, suggesting a solution will […]

'There is no Palestine' - Israeli incitement, rejectionism & anti-Palestinian racism

Wed, 11 Oct 2017 14:41:15 +0000

‘There is no Palestine’ Israeli incitement, rejectionism & anti-Palestinian racism – Ben White

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Anti-Palestinian incitement and racism can be found throughout Israeli society, from football matches and op-ed pages, to universities and the highest levels of elected office. The dehumanisation of Palestinians and rejection of their basic rights flows from, and has provided justification for, decades of settler-colonialism and occupation. Palestinians are portrayed routinely by Israeli politicians, academics and religious leaders as barbaric, a "demographic threat" and a "problem" to bemanaged. This affects public attitudes; according to one study, 60,000 active Israeli social media users posted at least one racist item against Arabs in 2016, at a rate of one post every 46 seconds. This factsheet is just the tip of the iceberg, with a focus on the rhetoric of government ministers and officials – […]

The illusive peace: the legacy of Oslo 20 years on

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:55:25 +0000

In 1993, the Oslo accords launched a transitional process that was supposed to end in May 1999 with a Palestinian state in all of the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Twenty years on, this transitional period has become a permanent fixture on Palestine's political landscape. All that remains for the proposed Palestinian state is 42 per cent of the West Bank, and even that is fast diminishing due to Israeli settlement expansion. Over the past two decades, Palestinians have sat around the 'negotiating table' on countless occasions with successive Israeli governments for the stated purpose of resolving the conflict. They claim that the persistent failure of the Peace Process was the result of Palestinian intransigence and that […]

Oslo's Roots: Kissinger, the PLO, and the Peace Process

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:51:50 +0000

Al-shabaka policy brief Overview U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's highly publicized efforts to foster negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Oslo Accords. The conventional wisdom is that the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) — weakened and on the verge of bankruptcy after the end of the Cold War and the first Gulf War — signed the Oslo Accords to stave off the emergence of an alternate leadership from the occupied Palestinian Territories and irrelevancy. However, Al-Shabaka Policy Advisor Osamah Khalil draws on declassified U.S. diplomatic documents to argue that the roots of Oslo can be traced to the aftermath of the 1973 October War. He demonstrates that the PLO's willingness to make considerable […]

Israel's arrest campaign against Palestinian parliamentarians

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:40:51 +0000

Introduction According to international law and even the Israeli legal system, no one should be detained for their political beliefs. However, this is not the reality in the occupied Palestinian territories. Elected Palestinian political leaders are arrested and detained regularly as part of Israel's effort to hinder Palestinian political processes, leading to the stifling of Palestine's political sovereignty and independence. Such arrests have recently been focused on parliamentarians who are linked in some way to Hamas. There are currently about 4,500 Palestinians detained in Israeli prisons; 178 are held without charges and 15 are Hamas members of the Palestinian equivalent of a parliament, the Legislative Council. In recent weeks, Hamas sympathisers have been the target of an arrest campaign […]

Weighing up the Jordanian-Palestinian Confederation

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:39:27 +0000

Introduction The idea of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation, which first emerged four decades ago, has resurfaced in recent months and is creating something of a controversy. The origins of the concept go back to 1972 when King Hussein of Jordan offered a plan to establish a federal united Arab kingdom to include Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank. The fundamental aim of this federation was to assert Arab sovereignty over all three territories. In 1985, an agreement to seek Palestinian self-determination within such an alliance was reached between the two parties. However, during the first Intifada [Palestinian uprising] in 1988, King Hussein unexpectedly withdrew his plan and severed ties with the Palestinian territories. He asserted that it was time for Palestine […]

The Coalition between Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's Likud Party and Avigdor Lieberman's Ultranationalist Yisrael Beitnu party

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:38:04 +0000

,p>Prior to Operation Pillar of Defence, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party Likud had been declining in popularity. Netanyahu was also threatened by an opposition alliance of the former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, former foreign minister Shaul Mofaz, leader of Kadima Shaul Mofaz and Yair Labed. In light of these developments, in order to secure his re-election, Netanyahu will therefore become the biggest bloc in the Knesset by forming an alliance with rightwing foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman and his ultranationalist Yisrael Beitnu party. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced an electoral pact with Lieberman in October 2012, in preparation for the January 22 2013 Israeli election. Currently, Likud holds 27 of the 120 seats in the Knesset […]

EU-Israel Association Agreement upgraded?

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:36:42 +0000

The EU-Israel Association Agreement is the legal framework upon which relations between Israel and the European Union are based. It was signed in 1995 and came into effect in 2000, allowing Israel preferential access to EU markets. Today, the EU remains Israel's largest trading partner. The Agreement was due to be upgraded but was put on hold after Israel's 2008-09 attack on the Gaza Strip during which 1,400 Palestinians were killed, one-third of them children. Since 2009, there have been numerous calls for the Agreement to be completely abrogated, or at the very least downgraded. However, following a meeting of the Association Council on 24th July, the EU confirmed that it has moved to upgrade relations with the State of […]

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails: Their legal status and their rights

Wed, 14 May 2014 11:30:35 +0000

Introduction The status of prisoners of war is a very complicated issue in international humanitarian law. Many people think – wrongly – that all of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are to be considered as prisoners of war. International humanitarian law, in particular the Third Geneva Convention of 1949 and its protocols, gives a very precise definition of "prisoner of war" which is not applicable to the majority of the Palestinians detained by the occupying power, Israel. To understand this issue; we can divide the subject into two parts: Reference to prison names and locations and the number of prisoners – male, female and children should be mentioned. We can refer here to Israel's violation of article […]

The Land Exchange Project

Tue, 13 May 2014 16:05:44 +0000

Zionist political thought continues to propose projects based on the eradication of the Palestinians as a people or, at the very least, their marginalisation inside the state of Israel. So-called 'population transfer' is a fundamental and unequivocally non-negotiable principle of political Zionism. It has been used to devastating effect for more than sixty years to carry out what historians have called the 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians from their land. With increasing discussion about 'final status' issues such as Israel-Palestine borders; Palestinian refugees; the city of Jerusalem; and Israeli settlements, the Zionists establishment has now added a new dimension to its concept of 'transfer'. This has come to be known as 'geographical transfer' and is intended to destroy Palestine as a […]

An investigation into the transformation of Jerusalem after 1967

Tue, 13 May 2014 16:03:00 +0000

Israel's occupation of Jerusalem has for all intents and purposes strangled its Arab population. The restrictive policies enforced in; construction, planning, land appropriation, investment in infrastructure and services are all geared to force the flight of Palestinians and realize the Judaisation of the city. Consequently, every aspect of Palestinian life has been blighted by neglect, discrimination and deprivation. With the construction of the Apartheid Wall, and its isolation of Jerusalem from the West Bank, the local economy has virtually collapsed. Encouraged by the silence of its Arab neighbours and complicity of its European backers, Israel has in recent years intensified its efforts to divest Jerusalem of its Islamic character. It has pursued a deliberate, well organized and systematic campaign to […]

Shin Bet - An ingrained culture of torture and deceit

Tue, 13 May 2014 15:58:51 +0000

Introduction – Who, or what, is Shin Bet? Known at different times by various names (the General Security Service [GSS], the Israeli Security Agency [ISA], Shabak], Shin Bet is Israel's internal security and counter-intelligence service. Its role includes the interrogation of "suspects"; exposing "terrorist" rings; counter-espionage; the protection of the state president and so on. It is one of three branches of the Israeli intelligence community. 1- Shin Bet: Primarily internal security 2- Mossad: Primarily external security, overseas intelligence 3- Aman: Military intelligence With its motto "the defender that shall not be seen" or "the unseen shield", Shin Bet has remained a relatively clandestine organisation operating for the most part in obscurity. It has only really come to the public's attention when […]

Why the British Government should recognise the independent State of Palestine and its Territorial Integrity

Tue, 13 May 2014 15:54:08 +0000

A Caabu Briefing Paper 1. Introduction 1.1 The Oslo Accords which were intended to lead to peace between Israelis and Palestinians were signed as long ago as 1993. Yet today what is still called the "peace process" is leading nowhere. Over the years Palestinian negotiators have offered many concessions, but were only asked to make more. The fundamental problem is that Israel, by far the stronger party, has always insisted that the Palestinians recognise its rights while refusing to concede the rights of the Palestinians themselves. How could negotiations ever succeed in such circumstances, when one party will not acknowledge the other's lawful entitlements? 1.2 President Abbas has therefore embarked on a new initiative. He has called on the […]

The pillars of Israeli education

Tue, 13 May 2014 12:38:53 +0000

There has been much talk over the past ten years about the "new Middle East" which America has called for. This US project is based around four main areas: The reformation of the political structure and governance in Arab countries. Making fundamental economic changes. Changing cultural values through the influence of the media. Changing the educational curriculum. The latter is the most serious of the four and the US administration has prepared a special report in this respect: "Washington's plan to change the curricula in Egypt and the Arab world". This is at the core of the Greater Middle East Project. While America focuses on the curricula in use in Arab states, which are generally designed according to US-Israeli interests, […]

The impoverishment of Palestinian Arabs in Israel

Tue, 13 May 2014 12:32:08 +0000

The Israeli government sets a state budget which is allocated to all sectors of society. Claims of economic discrimination are rife given the disparity in living conditions between Palestinian Israelis and Jewish Israelis. 61.3 per cent of Palestinian families live below the poverty line compared to 29 per cent of Jewish families. Of the Israeli Civil Service employees, just 5% are Palestinian Israelis. The Israeli government spends $1,100 per year on each Jewish Israeli student and $192 per year on each Palestinian Israeli student. In the 2008 – 09 budget the Israeli government apportioned just $11 million out of $188 million to the Palestinian infrastructure within Israel. The Palestinian population living within Israel is estimated to be 1.5 million […]

The Palestine Papers - a matter of public interest

Tue, 13 May 2014 12:26:17 +0000

Following the leak of some 1600 documents a selection known as the Palestine Papers were released by Al Jazeera and the Guardian newspaper; they highlight previously unknown details relating to the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine. The documents record hundreds of meetings between Palestinian, Israeli and US officials, leaders and politicians. They include a large number of emails and "secret proposals" relating to final status negotiations. The earliest document dates from 1999 and the most recent is a September 2010 memo. Most, however, focus on the Annapolis conference in 2007. They are records which have come mainly from the Palestinian Negotiation Support Unit (NSU), which is funded heavily by the British Government. Some other documents have come from the […]

Hebron: the endangered city

Sun, 11 May 2014 16:51:23 +0000

Briefing Paper – October 2010By Sawsan Ramahi Hebron is one of the oldest cities in Palestine, perhaps one of the oldest in the world, and is located in the south-central area of Palestine. Archaeological remains suggest that people were living on the site more than 6000 years ago; it was ruled by the Canaanites between 4000-1200 BCE. Hebron stands about 1,027 metres above sea level, 36 kilometres south of Jerusalem. Its mountainous location overlooks the Jordan valley and the Dead Sea to the east, and the coastal plain of Palestine up to the Mediterranean to the west. The large number of springs in the foothills and valleys around Hebron provide it with regular fresh water; when viewed, you see a […]

Israeli-Palestinian negotiations

Sun, 11 May 2014 16:43:28 +0000

Briefing Paper – September 2010 A step towards another historic handshake, perhaps, but not necessarily a solution. Preamble The latest round of Middle East "peace talks" is under way. The resumption of direct talks has had a mixed reception. Some commentators have dismissed them out of hand as nothing more than a PR stunt doomed to failure, while others, such as British Foreign Secretary William Hague, have hailed them as being of "historic importance". But how realistic is it to expect them to yield any tangible progress towards peace? The negotiations may very well result in pen being put to paper and some sort of agreement being signed (if only to save face for its American co-ordinators) but signing an […]

Israel's discrimination against its Arab citizens

Sun, 11 May 2014 16:04:28 +0000

Briefing Paper – June 2010By Sawsan Ramahi Racism was, and still is, an inherent feature of Zionism and the state established on its back, Israel. From its declaration of independence up to this day, the 20% of Israel's citizens who are Arabs have suffered from the state's racist policies and have been subjected to a fierce campaign of repression. Through racist laws and the demolition of their homes, the confiscation of their land and looting, the Arabs of Israel have seen their overwhelming majority ownership of the land pre-1948 reduced to just 2.5%, even though they make up more than 20% of Israel's population. This is not an accident, but a planned programme by successive Israeli governments, with several goals: […]

Christian-Muslim relations in Palestine

Sun, 11 May 2014 16:01:23 +0000

Briefing Paper – June 2010 An overview of the Christian presence in Palestine The estimated number of Palestinian Christians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem is 51,710, making the percentage of the Palestinian Christians in the Occupied Territories two percent of the Palestinian population.i There is, in contrast, a higher percentage of Christians in Israel. The percentage of the Arab Christians in Israel – including Israeli Occupied Jerusalem – is 1.66, according to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. Bethlehem, which traces its roots to the very origin of the Christian faith, is the home to the highest percentage of Christians in Palestine (43.4%), followed by Ramallah (24.7%), then Jerusalem (17.9%). Christianity has a long standing history […]

Europe's role in strengthening and protecting Universal Justice

Sun, 11 May 2014 15:56:34 +0000

The International Criminal Court (ICC) The last decade has seen some major welcome developments by the international community to promote universal justice and human rights. This is manifest, for instance, in the establishment of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague following the 1998 Rome Statute. The ICC was set up in an effort to end the impunity of offenders who commit the most serious crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The urgent need for the establishment of such an independent body, to ensure that no individual would be beyond impunity, was cemented by the horrors unfolding in the Balkans in the 1990's as well as the Rwandan genocide in 1994. However, while efforts were made […]

Israel's Domestic Ticking Time Bomb

Sun, 11 May 2014 15:54:13 +0000

Briefing Paper – June 2010 "Israel has enjoyed strong economic growth over the last decade, but the benefits of this are being distributed unevenly. Poverty rates are higher than in any OECD country, which reflects the deep social and economic divides in Israeli society."1According to most reports, Israel's economy has managed to withstand the global economic down turn quite admirably. Often described as an advanced, industrialised and technologically sophisticated country, it has one of the world's highest GDP per capita incomes. Indeed, last month Israel gained accession to the OECD, membership to which confers an upgrade in economic status from that of an emerging economy, to that of a developed one. However, its accession to the OECD was controversial, not least […]

An analysis of the Tory foreign policy framework toward the Middle East

Sun, 11 May 2014 15:41:48 +0000

Briefing Paper – April 2010 Last month, Shadow Foreign Secretary, William Hague, outlined a new foreign policy framework for a future Conservative government to an audience at RUSI – the Royal United Services Institute. Its fundamental premise was the need to preserve Britain's role as a major player on the world stage despite a receding economy and a rejection of recommendations for strategic shrinkage. One of its key proposals was a requirement to leverage UK assets and in particular, to empower the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In addition, Hague reiterated a commitment to the basic principles that underscore current Conservative policy, including a pledge to learn from past mistakes; remain devoted to the Trans-Atlantic Alliance; reverse the neglect of other traditional […]

Land Day: its origins and significance

Sun, 11 May 2014 15:38:29 +0000

Briefing Paper – Mar 2010 By Sawsan Ramahi Background Land Day is considered to be a milestone in the history of the Palestinian struggle. It is the day when the Palestinian people declared their commitment to defending the land of their forefathers, and maintain their identity and national rights, despite the ongoing Israeli massacres, terrorism and abuse. It is the day when the Palestinian people stood up to Israeli efforts to seize and Judaize Palestinian land and eliminate its Arab citizens by repressive, brutal and immoral means. Land Day is a day of national uprising that started on the 30th of March 1976 in the form of a general strike and mass demonstrations in all Palestinian towns and villages occupied […]

Palestinians in Israel's 'democracy': The Judaization of the Galilee

Sun, 11 May 2014 15:12:19 +0000

Palestinians in Israel's 'democracy': The Judaization of the Galilee Briefing Paper – Mar 2010 By Ben White Summary Points The 'Judaization of the Galilee' refers to Israeli state and regional policies aimed at increasing the proportion of Jewish residents in relation to Palestinians in the Galilee, an area in the north of the country which retained a sizeable Palestinian population after 1948. Judaizing the Galilee is just one element of Israel's regime of control over its Palestinian citizens, who face systematic discrimination. Palestinian citizens are routinely described as constituting a 'demographic threat'. Land expropriation and the establishment of Jewish communities have been the two main methods used for this Judaization process. Issues facing Palestinian citizens of Israel are […]

Israel is stealing Palestinian and Arab water

Sun, 11 May 2014 15:01:24 +0000

Briefing Paper – Mar 2010By Sawsan Ramahi World Water Day is upon us. Initiated by the United Nations in 1992 during its Conference on Environment and Development, 22 March 1993 was chosen as the first international day for water aiming to draw attention to the importance of fresh water and its availability. The commemoration of the day has since focused every year on a different aspect of the difficulties faced by people in obtaining fresh water. There is no doubt that UN interest in this matter is of great importance, although the world body needs to do more than merely have an annual day on the issue. What is required is for the UN to put an end to the […]

Reckless Posturing Sparks Renewed Tensions Between Syria and Israel

Sun, 11 May 2014 14:58:56 +0000

Briefing Paper – Feb 2010 Key Points Israel's continued threats and belligerence toward its neighbouring states could plunge the region into all-out war. Given the current regional dynamics, it would be most prudent for Israel to come to a comprehensive peace agreement with the strategically placed Syria in order to avoid further escalation. Israel's political leadership and its defence establishment are deeply divided over the proposed methods of securing this peace with Syria. While senior members in the military believe it can be achieved through a deal to include the return of Syria's Golan Heights and thereby remove it from its current alliance with Iran and Hezbollah, others are of the opinion that force should be used to break the […]

Armistice Now - New Bottle, Old Wine

Sun, 11 May 2014 14:48:34 +0000

Briefing Paper – Mar 2010The March/April 2010 addition of Foreign Affairs1 features an article entitled 'Armistice Now' written by the Lafer International Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and Middle East Commentator for Channel 2 News in Israel, Ehud Yari. The article's central paradigm asserts that Israel needs to urgently reach a provisional agreement with the Palestinian Authority and establish a Palestinian state within temporary armistice boundaries if it is to salvage the prospect of an increasingly less viable two-state solution. It further argues that the best solution for both parties would be to put aside discussions of final-status or comprehensive peace deals and seek a less ambitious agreement rather than pursue the 'daring shortcuts' and 'giant steps' […]

Civil Society in the West Bank: between the rock of occupation and the stone of the Palestinian Authority

Sun, 11 May 2014 14:26:11 +0000

IntroductionPalestinian civil society in the Occupied West Bank today faces one of its most daunting challenges in decades. Saddled with a military occupation Palestinians must also contend with an authority that impoverishes them while enriching itself. Media reports abound of widespread financial corruption at the heart of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) while ordinary Palestinians are routinely denied of basic services and rights. Acting in the name of bringing order and security to the territory, the PA has closed scores of charities and dismissed thousands of public servants because of their real or perceived political affiliations. Although the unfortunate ordinary Palestinian people are the immediate victims, according to Professor Norman Finkelstein there is a much broader Western message behind these […]

The prisoners' exchange; what price?

Sun, 11 May 2014 14:21:02 +0000

Briefing Paper – Dec 2009 After last month's astonishing speculation about a breakthrough in the prisoner exchange negotiations between the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza and Israel, it is now clear that the swap deal brokered by Germany has run into a brick wall. This high stake diplomatic poker match was expected to result in the release of the French citizen and Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. Five obstacles appear to have brought the process to a grinding halt: (1) Israel's refusal to release all the prisoners demanded by Hamas in return for Shalit. (2) Its insistence that some of the main Palestinian figures should upon release be deported […]

GAZA: ANOTHER WINTER OF DEATHS

Sun, 11 May 2014 14:14:48 +0000

The people of Gaza have been suffering for more than two years now under an illegal siege put in place by Israel. This siege has been aided and abetted by the international community. Poverty, hunger, and disease have taken hold of the Gaza Strip and thousands of people are homeless as a result of the war. As winter approaches the situation will become worse. The people of Gaza – young people in particular – face a very bleak future. Over 5,000 students graduate from the Gaza Strip's universities every year. Very few are able to get jobs. Last June, UNRWA set up a programme to provide temporary unskilled employment, lasting only for the duration of the summer, to these graduates. […]