Ramona Wadi ( Middle East Monitor ) – US President Joe Biden placed much emphasis on rhetorically opposing Israel’s settlement expansion. Hence the reaction from Washington over the Israeli Knesset passing the second and third readings of the Disengagement Law that would allow resettlement of Jewish Israelis in four previously vacated illegal settlement areas in the occupied West Bank. Israel’s Ambassador to the US […]
When Governments Speak of a Non-Existent ‘Two-State Solution,’ it is to Avoid Acknowledging Israeli Apartheid
( Middle East Monitor) – In January 2021, the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem declared that Israel imposes apartheid on the people of occupied Palestine, prompting other organisations to be more vocal about the colonial violence experienced by the Palestinians. Politically, the apartheid designation is failing to gain ground, as evidenced by the EU’s recent […]
Israeli Calls for Palestinian Hamlet Khan Al-Ahmar’s Demolition speak of Colonial Violence and Privilege
( Middle East Monitor ) – The former Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, has told a Likud faction meeting that “illegal Palestinian construction” in the occupied West Bank is “rampant”. He wasn’t being honest. “Last Friday we made it clear that supporting settlements does not contradict upholding the law,” he claimed. “The defence […]
Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir’s Efforts in the Erasure of Palestinian Identity
( Middle East Monitor ) – Tying in to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that “the Jewish people have an exclusive and unquestionable right to all areas of the land of Israel” is the recent order by Israel’s Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to remove Palestinian flags that are publicly displayed. At face value, […]
Washington cares about Israel killing Palestinian-American Journalist Abu Akleh, but Not about dead unhyphenated Palestinians
( Middle East Monitor) – Israel is once again, albeit temporarily, under the spotlight for the targeted killing in May of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. This follows the revelation that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is conducting an investigation into the crime. In September, after many denials, Israel conceded there was […]
With Israeli Expulsionists in Power, US SecState Blinken can’t Assuage Palestinian Fears With talk of defunct “Two-State Solution”
( Middle East Monitor) – With Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu set to return as Israeli prime minister, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, spouting yet another round of futile rhetoric about improving the quality of life for Palestinians and, of course, reaffirming Washington’s adherence to the — surely defunct […]
Should Palestine be accepted as a Member State at the UN? Conundrums of the 2-State Compromise
( Middle East Monitor ) – The Palestinian Authority is once again seeking full membership of the UN, and the US has already expressed its opposition. The two-state compromise continues to form the premise for the arguments both for and against UN membership, as presented by the PA and the US respectively. However, the PA’s […]
Israeli Leaders Gantz and Lapid May differ on Meeting Abbas, but They agree on the Fate of the Palestinians
( Middle East Monitor ) – For Israeli officials who disagree with the meetings between Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, the latter’s remarks during a press conference in Germany provided an opportunity to showcase their opposition. Abbas later retracted his statement about Israel committing 50 holocausts against the Palestinians […]
Faced with Killing of American Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, US Priority has been to Preserve Israel’s Impunity
( Middle East Monitor) – The developments in the “investigation” into the targeted killing of Palestinian-American Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh point rather too obviously to the preservation of Israel’s ability to act with impunity. Matters went downhill in the aftermath of Abu Akleh’s killing when Israeli military spokesman Ran Kochav put forward an […]