The social and political significance of the ongoing Arab revolutions are powerful. Last Friday I spoke in Sydney alongside insightful American reporter Matthew Cassel – who recently was on the front line of the Egyptian revolution and is soon to work for Al-Jazeera English – and Australian journalist Kate Ausburn. It was a fascinating night…
Showing all posts tagged Palestine
Palestine isn’t suddenly independent because France may say so in UN
A leading Palestinian voice in Gaza is Haider Eid. I met him in the Strip in 2009. He is well known for piercing supposedly accepted truths about the conflict. His latest article does not disappoint, puncturing those who are celebrating the possibility of a September UN vote to endorse Palestine: The induced euphoria that characterizes…
Ehud Barak; BDS is coming…but we’ll still occupy Palestinians
Very interesting new comments: “…Barak believes that a UN declaration of Palestinian statehood without a prior Israeli political initiative will paint Israel into a corner previously occupied by South Africa during the apartheid era. His admonition is pungent and scathing: ‘There are elements in the world, quite powerful, in various countries, including friendly ones, in…
BDS vital because alerts world to Zionist occupation politics
Here’s how a major American Jewish publication, Forward, discusses the Middle East, by looking into the real effects on US campuses of BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions). The result? Not many tangible successes but something else has clearly been created; raising the rights of Palestinians under Zionist occupation. And that’s priceless: An Israeli diplomat issued…
Solidarity with Palestine from those in South Africa who know
Right on: COSATU, South Africa`s largest trade union confederation, wishes to send solidarity and fraternal greetings to our Palestinian comrades in struggle as they meet for the important trade union conference that will include the establishment of the Palestinian Coalition of Trade Unions for BDS. Those of us that have had the chance to visit…
Of course America killed Bin Laden in Israeli-style thuggery
Robert Fisk is right: Bin Laden got his just deserts – those who live by the sword tend to die by the sword – but did he get the “justice” that President Obama talked about? Many Arabs – and this theme was taken up by the Arab press, which spoke of his “execution” – thought…
The West has much to learn post Bin Laden death
My following article appears in today’s ABC’s The Drum: The triumphalism after the American targeted assassination of Osama bin Laden is a sure sign that the US is incapable of understanding the significance of the painful years since September 11. We suffered and now you must, too. “I’ve never been so excited to see the…