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If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution. who spoke at a Jewish Voice for Peace conference in Baltimore on Thursday “We find ourselves in a very difficult moment a moment of witnessing the apartheid and the genocide unfolding in a way that we had never imagined before we recognize that Palestine has never given up She also addresses the need for resistance against the Trump administration “Those of us who are standing for justice and for freedom … it’s essential to recognize that we are actually in the majority that we should follow the example of the Palestinian people and not give up not succumb to the assumption that this person was elected and therefore he and his people get to dictate the direction of history,” says Davis NERMEEN SHAIKH: Jewish Voice for Peace is holding a major conference in Baltimore this weekend author and scholar Angela Davis spoke on Thursday night and joins us now in Baltimore including Freedom Is a Constant Struggle: Ferguson Professor Angela Davis is a distinguished professor emerita at the University of California Thousands of members of Jewish Voice for Peace have gathered for a weekend of workshops and plenary sessions if you could start off by talking about the history of Black-Jewish-Palestinian solidarity and why you felt it was important to address JVP I don’t know what we would do without Democracy Now Jewish Voice for Peace has been a powerful force but especially in this period when we’re trying to figure out how we negotiate ourselves through this horrendous combination of genocide in Gaza and on the Palestinian people more broadly and a McCarthyist-type repression that is unfolding here in the United States especially on the university and college campuses around the country I think it’s very important for people to recognize that as Israel represents itself as the purveyor of genocide and the forces of unfreedom it is important to have a powerful force of progressive and radical Jewish people who are working in the tradition of Jewish activists who stand up not only or not primarily for their own people but who have taught us about international solidarity and what it means to engage in struggles for freedom all over the world nor the state of Israel wants to see him join hands with those of us here who are fighting for an end to the genocide you’ve said that “Palestine is a moral litmus test for the world,” quoting NERMEEN SHAIKH: If you could explain why you see it as a litmus test and whether what’s happened in the last year and a half demonstrates that Thank you so much for bringing up the statement that June Jordan made about the moral litmus test that is Palestine June Jordan is someone who fought for Palestinian solidarity at a time when the majority of people weren’t listening to her and I find myself always wishing that she could witness the surge in support of Palestine all over the country but in trade unions and in progressive movements everywhere which we should all be doing during this period Palestine is really the center of the world And as someone who’s been active in the Palestine solidarity struggle for the vast majority of my life I can say that even as we experience the unimaginable grief of witnessing an ongoing genocide a genocide that is available in terms of being able to witness the consequences all over the world I want to say that this is the movement we’ve been struggling for for decades and decades Rashid Khalidi has this amazing book entitled The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine government and its position as the leading capitalist nation-state in the world that many of us have been disappointed repeatedly How is it that people who stood up for South Africa cannot recognize that the same kind of apartheid is at work in the occupation we’ve seen students all over the country — as a matter of fact and there are — I think on virtually every campus in the world there are movements to expand solidarity with Palestine So we find ourselves in a very difficult moment even in the worst possible material predicament with the Israeli bombs having destroyed virtually the entirety of Gaza we see the Palestinian people who are refusing to give up and who will not give up on their ability to express solidarity with other people who are struggling all over the world it’s a moment that is a bit difficult to digest even as we express solidarity amidst the suffering we should recognize that this is a moment we’ve been waiting for where people all over the world are recognizing Palestine as a litmus test and are recognizing that the people in the Sudan will — in Sudan will not be successful if they do not follow the leadership of the Palestinian people who absolutely refuse to capitulate and genuflect to Zionism and to global capitalism and to racism I’m wondering: Are you seeing a sea change at this point? The cratering of the economy, the contracting of the economy, the cratering of the polls, judge after judge ruling against Trump, and hundreds of thousands of people in the streets — what does this say to you, as you’ve been such a longtime activist, where we all stand now? NERMEEN SHAIKH: Thank you so much, Dr. Angela Davis. ANGELA DAVIS: And you were talking about — you were asking me to — NERMEEN SHAIKH: We’re going to have to leave it there. Thank you so much, Professor Davis, for joining us — And while he has secured the releases of hostages has been one of more conflict and suffering And it raises the obvious question of whether pro-Palestine voters and groups who called for opposing or abstained from supporting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris over their handling of the war feel even a tinge of regret “It was worth it because we got to continue centering what was happening in Gaza,” said Layla Elabed which declined to endorse Harris and encouraged people to vote their conscience Asked if she feels any guilt about Trump’s win Elabed said that what frustrates her is that their months of activism ultimately “wasn’t enough to save lives.” “We spent a year as Democrats warning [the party] that our communities like Dearborn were grieving and attending funeral after funeral,” Elabed continued “Our party leaders offered spin instead of change.” Share As Democrats across the spectrum diagnose what went wrong in 2024 the pro-Palestine activists that had traditionally resided within the party’s ideological ranks don’t seem particularly interested in reassessing the choices they made Activists like Elabed argue that it’s easier for the party to point fingers than to deal with the thornier questions of U.S But the activists note that it wasn’t just Dearborn and other Muslim-American enclaves that moved toward Republicans in 2024—nearly every district in the country moved to the right as well “We have zero regrets about everything we did throughout 2024 as clear as possible,” said Hudhayfah Ahmad a spokesperson for the Abandon Harris movement Not everyone has been won over by this worldview frustration has been on a slow simmer over the absence of contrition or introspection from the pro-Palestinian groups the idea that those activists could look at the current situation in Gaza and feel vindicated about their election-season decisions doesn’t just defy logic—it lacks morality “People are just trying to justify their bad choices I don’t think it’s a defensible position to say that there’s no difference It’s absurd to think that Harris would not be approaching this issue differently than Trump It’s just not a credible position to say there’s no difference,” said Adam Jentleson “Activists need to think harder about what outcome they’re trying to produce.” THAT THE FISSURE over the Israel-Hamas war has not been resolved 100-plus days into Trump’s presidency should not come as a surprise It may be the most fraught geopolitical issue of our time—and we’re talking about a faction of people (Democrats) preternaturally prone to emotional disagreements Ahead of the election for chair of the Democratic National Committee earlier this year pro-Palestinian adovacy groups met with candidates to encourage them to rethink how the party approaches the Israel-Hamas conflict They presented the then-candidates with polling that showed Democratic and independent voters in swing states would have been more likely to support Harris if she broke from Biden’s steadfast support for Israel A spokesperson from the Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding Policy Project a pro-Palestine advocacy group that does not endorse candidates in elections said that the Harris campaign largely ignored the polling data when their organization approached them about it in the weeks before the election In March, IMEU Policy Project, jointly with three other progressive advocacy groups, sent a letter to the DNC asking it to analyze the Harris campaign’s actions on the Israel-Gaza issue as part of their post-election analysis DNC chair Ken Martin has said he will release an analysis publicly though it is unclear if it will address Israel-Gaza policy and livestreams—and pick which ones reach your inbox: No demands are being made for him to call for a ceasefire No threats are being made to ensure that the Arab and Muslim voters who supported his campaign stay home or switch back in 2028 “Biden-Harris set the stage for this in terms of Gaza,” said Amed Khan a Democratic donor who quit the Biden Victory Fund national finance committee over Biden’s handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas Khan told The Bulwark he didn’t have any reservations about speaking out against the Democratic ticket in 2024 “They made it okay that you can blow up an apartment building The Israelis are just continuing what they did under Biden Leave a comment — Jonathan Cohn, our resident Michigan expert at The Bulwark, has covered Gretchen Whitmer and Elissa Slotkin for years and writes about how the two leaders are taking different approaches to Trump Cohn writes that Whitmer has been in the national spotlight in recent days for her friendlier approach to Trump—raising questions about “what you think an elected official should do when the well-being of their constituents is at the mercy of an ill-informed Slotkin has been traveling the state advocating for a more aggressive approach to Trump “The level of uncertainty for our small business owners for anyone who works in manufacturing and anyone who works [in] farming it’s the same level of uncertainty we had in COVID—except this time It’s created by Trump,” Slotkin told Jonathan — Adam Jentleson, the former staffer for Sen. John Fetterman whom I quoted above, was in the news last week because of his role in this New York magazine piece about the Pennsylvania senator If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet It’s a difficult (but perhaps necessary) read — An Anthony Weiner comeback story? — How little old Vanderbilt is starting to thrive in the big, bad SEC. Share The Bulwark ReplyShare13 replies559 more comments...TopLatestDiscussionsNo posts \u201CIt was worth it because we got to continue centering what was happening in Gaza,\u201D said Layla Elabed Asked if she feels any guilt about Trump\u2019s win Elabed said that what frustrates her is that their months of activism ultimately \u201Cwasn\u2019t enough to save lives.\u201D \u201CWe spent a year as Democrats warning [the party] that our communities like Dearborn were grieving and attending funeral after funeral,\u201D Elabed continued \u201COur party leaders offered spin instead of change.\u201D Share the pro-Palestine activists that had traditionally resided within the party\u2019s ideological ranks don\u2019t seem particularly interested in reassessing the choices they made Activists like Elabed argue that it\u2019s easier for the party to point fingers than to deal with the thornier questions of U.S But the activists note that it wasn\u2019t just Dearborn and other Muslim-American enclaves that moved toward Republicans in 2024\u2014nearly every district in the country moved to the right as well Join now \u201CWe have zero regrets about everything we did throughout 2024 as clear as possible,\u201D said Hudhayfah Ahmad the idea that those activists could look at the current situation in Gaza and feel vindicated about their election-season decisions doesn\u2019t just defy logic\u2014it lacks morality \u201CPeople are just trying to justify their bad choices I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a defensible position to say that there\u2019s no difference It\u2019s absurd to think that Harris would not be approaching this issue differently than Trump It\u2019s just not a credible position to say there\u2019s no difference,\u201D said Adam Jentleson \u201CActivists need to think harder about what outcome they\u2019re trying to produce.\u201D THAT THE FISSURE over the Israel-Hamas war has not been resolved 100-plus days into Trump\u2019s presidency should not come as a surprise It may be the most fraught geopolitical issue of our time\u2014and we\u2019re talking about a faction of people (Democrats) preternaturally prone to emotional disagreements They presented the then-candidates with polling that showed Democratic and independent voters in swing states would have been more likely to support Harris if she broke from Biden\u2019s steadfast support for Israel In March, IMEU Policy Project, jointly with three other progressive advocacy groups, sent a letter to the DNC asking it to analyze the Harris campaign\u2019s actions on the Israel-Gaza issue as part of their post-election analysis and livestreams\u2014and pick which ones reach your inbox: \u201CBiden-Harris set the stage for this in terms of Gaza,\u201D said Amed Khan a Democratic donor who quit the Biden Victory Fund national finance committee over Biden\u2019s handling of the conflict between Israel and Hamas Khan told The Bulwark he didn\u2019t have any reservations about speaking out against the Democratic ticket in 2024 \u201CThey made it okay that you can blow up an apartment building Leave a comment \u2014 Jonathan Cohn, our resident Michigan expert at The Bulwark, has covered Gretchen Whitmer and Elissa Slotkin for years and writes about how the two leaders are taking different approaches to Trump Cohn writes that Whitmer has been in the national spotlight in recent days for her friendlier approach to Trump\u2014raising questions about \u201Cwhat you think an elected official should do when the well-being of their constituents is at the mercy of an ill-informed and unpredictable president.\u201D Meanwhile \u201CThe level of uncertainty for our small business owners it\u2019s the same level of uncertainty we had in COVID\u2014except this time It\u2019s created by Trump,\u201D Slotkin told Jonathan \u2014 Adam Jentleson, the former staffer for Sen. John Fetterman whom I quoted above, was in the news last week because of his role in this New York magazine piece about the Pennsylvania senator If you haven\u2019t had a chance to check it out yet It\u2019s a difficult (but perhaps necessary) read \u2014 An Anthony Weiner comeback story? \u2014 How little old Vanderbilt is starting to thrive in the big, bad SEC. Share The Bulwark Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is set to visit Lebanon on 19 May to announce the disarmament of Palestinian resistance factions Palestinian and Lebanese sources told MEE that Abbas will travel to Beirut on an official visit to meet the Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun and other top officials the Lebanese government and Abbas will announce the demilitarisation of the Lebanon branch of his own Fatah movement as well as other Palestinian factions based in refugee camps across the country Sources said Abbas has already agreed to a plan to remove Fatah’s weapons from the camps He will also explicitly call on other Palestinian factions fighting against Israel to disarm a military operation will target those who defy the Lebanese state’s disarmament orders Abbas is expected to provide political cover for such an operation under the banner of the Palestinian leadership A Palestinian source told MEE that Abbas intends to form a security committee tasked with overseeing the disarmament process and setting a clear timetable for the surrender of weapons Should the factions fail to comply with the Lebanese state’s directives and Abbas’ decision they will lose all organisational and political backing and will be vulnerable to forcible disarmament The sources also revealed that Abbas’ decision to disarm Fatah and other factions followed a Saudi request conveyed through the Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud Palestinian resistance groups remain active in Lebanon’s refugee camps due to historic displacement and ongoing political marginalisation Following the creation of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli wars around 750,000 of Palestinians were expelled from their homes and later Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) established a presence in the camps to continue their resistance against Israel 'Hamas and other factions will not be allowed to endanger national stability' - Lebanese Brigadier General Mohammed al-Mustafa Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are still denied basic civil rights including access to many professions and the right to own property Palestinians in Lebanon also carry the memory of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre when Israel-backed Christian Lebanese militiamen killed between 800 and 3,500 civilians The move to disarm the factions is seen as part of a broader effort to reshape Lebanon’s political landscape amid Hezbollah’s relative military decline following Israeli strikes that decapitated much of its leadership in 2024 Abbas’s visit comes shortly after Lebanon’s top security body issued a warning to Hamas on 2 May threatening it with “the harshest measures” if it launches attacks on Israel from Lebanese territory followed a spate of arrests of Lebanese and Palestinian suspects allegedly involved in cross-border rocket fire targeting northern Israel in recent weeks “Hamas and other factions will not be allowed to endanger national stability,” said Brigadier General Mohammed al-Mustafa “The safety of Lebanon’s territories is above all.” Calls for Palestinian disarmament in Lebanon are not new when the Lebanese parliament annulled the 1969 Cairo Agreement which had formalised the PLO military presence in the country Signed by Yasser Arafat and the Lebanese government under Egyptian mediation the agreement granted the PLO the right to resist Israeli occupation from Lebanese territory for nearly two decades Abbas has become increasingly vocal in his criticism of Palestinian resistance groups, even as Israel’s war on Gaza, described by Amnesty International as a “live-streamed genocide” accusing it of giving Israel a pretext to continue its onslaught on Gaza At least 52,535 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's war on Gaza since October 2023 according to the Palestinian health ministry Israeli strikes killed 40 people and wounded 125 bringing the total number of wounded to 118,491 Copyright © 2014 - 2025. Middle East Eye Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters Middle East Eye          ISSN 2634-2456                      (WXYZ) — Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped the charges against seven pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan the AG's office dismissed the charges stemming from the clearing of the encampment in May of 2024 Those seven people including 28-year-old Sammie Lewis and 29-year-old Michael Muller were charged with trespassing and resisting and obstructing a police officer Watch Faraz Javed's report in the video player below: "We should take this victory and hope that it gives us strength to continue," Muller said Watch our breaking news report when the charges were dropped "This is not just the victory for these students today this is the victory for everybody that believes in the right to free speech," said Amir Makled defense attorneys Makled and Jamil Khuja weren't surprised at the announcement as they've been pushing for Nessel's recusal people called for Nessel to recuse herself and she said in a statement that the case has become a "lightning rod of contention." "Why does the defense team think the AG was biased?" 7 News Detroit reporter Faraz Javed asked "Based on the public statement she has made regarding this issue For her to not only get this case but go out of the way to solicit this case when it normally would have gone to the Washtenaw County prosecutor shows the level of bias that is there," Khuja said she said she stands by her charging decisions and said she believes a jury would find the defendants guilty "These distractions and ongoing delays have created a circus-like atmosphere to these proceedings a reasonable jury would find the defendants guilty of the crimes alleged I no longer believe these cases to be a prudent use of my department’s resources I have decided to dismiss the cases," Nessel said in a statement Related video: University of Michigan students faculty rally against DEI rollbacks and vis revocation Javed was told a two-page letter from the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor landed at Judge Cedric Simpson's desk over the weekend The letter says Nessel doesn't hold any biases against Arabs and Muslims it claims that as the first Jewish Michigan Attorney General Nessel has hired more Muslim and Arab American staffers than any of her predecessors they say there is no reason to suggest that Nessel cannot prosecute the defendants fairly "The judge viewed it as an improper attempt to influence his decision," Khuja said Watch below: Police raid pro-Palestinian encampment at University of Michigan Diag "I had no idea that this letter was even a factor," said Eileen Freed CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor While Freed says the letter wasn't intended in any way to influence the Court she still believes more needs to be done to protect Jews on campus "There have been actual threats against our community and there continues to be vial harassment outside one of our synagogues on a weekly basis," Freed said "Do you think the letter backfired?" Javed asked The people can see who stands against justice," Muller said Muller shared why the movement is important to him "The narrative that the movement for Palestine is antisemitic is extremely harmful," Muller said I understand the history of colonization and how it has affected my people And that is deeply rooted and connected the struggle for Palestine," Lewis said Watch below: Dozens gather at Ann Arbor courthouse demand AG drop charges against pro-Palestine protestors people have called for the AG's office to drop the charges Khuja again says the case has been dismissed without prejudice but it is unlikely as the attorney general will face similar challenges Many people of conscience are looking for ways to support Palestinians in Gaza who are facing an extreme humanitarian crisis the Israeli military has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced more than 90% of the population Israel’s restrictions on aid to Gaza have also led to starvation and the spread of disease Gaza’s 2.3 million people have long faced suffocating conditions imposed by Israel and upheld by the international community Palestinians in Gaza have lived under Israel’s brutal blockade isolated from the rest of Palestine and the world more than 50% of Palestinians were unemployed and over 80% relied on humanitarian relief to survive providing food for about a third of the population 70% of these lands have been destroyed or damaged by the Israeli army.   we must renew and strengthen our efforts to change these realities Here are six ways you can support Palestinians in Gaza today Despite the massive loss of life and destruction in Gaza continues to send Israel weapons and offer political support Tell Congress to support an arms embargo and to end all military funding to Israel Urge them to insist on humanitarian access and adherence to human rights laws Our elected officials must keep hearing from us!   Take part in protests. Marches, rallies, and vigils are a powerful way to publicly demonstrate solidarity with Gaza. To make your message loud and clear, download and print our free posters for Palestine. You can also read AFSC’s resources on peaceful protesting Write a letter to the editor. This is an effective way to show support for Gaza, counter harmful media narratives about what's happening, and add context that news outlets often miss out on. Use these letter-writing tips Find more organizing resource guides online here and subscribe to the monthly newsletter produced by AFSC’s U.S Yousef Aljamal’s articles on Palestinian deep connection to the land in Gaza, on farmers and food sovereignty, and facing genocide while disabled in Gaza.   Article by Serena on how she is experiencing the genocide in Gaza.   Watch a documentary “Lifelines: Aid Workers in Gaza” that follows the work of our AFSC staff in Gaza in the fall of 2024.  Article by Zoe Jannuzi on creating community on AFSC’s weekly Action hours for Palestine.  as was the case with Israel’s previous attacks on Gaza corporations are involved in Israel’s apartheid regime and other routine human rights violations against Palestinians Ensure your money is not contributing to human rights violations—and call on these companies to end their complicity in apartheid and war crimes Visit AFSC’s site for divestment resources here including a list of companies for divestment and information on how to start a divestment campaign.   To scan a mutual fund or a list of holdings for their exposure to companies on the divestment list, use AFSC’s Investigate database and investment scanner.  Jennifer Bing has worked with AFSC since 1989 and acting to deport faculty and students—have been unprecedented What does the American public see as driving these actions by the Trump administration To find out, the University of Maryland’s Critical Issues Poll, which I direct, fielded some questions with SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The survey was conducted from April 3 to April 7 The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.7 percentage points at the 95% confidence level Here are some key findings and analysis that places them in a broader context: Americans see confronting Trump administration critics and critics of Israel as even stronger driving forces than confronting antisemitism we asked: “You may have heard of the Trump administration’s actions toward a number of American universities particularly regarding protests of the war in Gaza How would you evaluate the degree to which the following reasons were behind the administration’s actions?” We provided respondents with three basic choices: “confronting antisemitism,” “confronting critics of Israel,” and “confronting critics of the Trump administration.” Keep in mind that these possible responses are by no means comprehensive only common interpretations; the aim is to probe how much of a role respondents think each played said confronting critics of the Trump administration and confronting critics of Israel mattered “a lot” or “somewhat,” while 44% said the same about confronting antisemitism 32% said confronting antisemitism was “not much” of a factor or “not at all,” compared to 24% each who said the same about confronting administration critics and critics of Israel there were partisan differences with 60% of Republicans saying antisemitism is a factor in Trump’s actions toward universities But it is also notable that nearly the same percentage of Republicans saw confronting critics of Israel as a factor and 50% saw confronting critics of the Trump administration as a factor Although we have not asked specifically about universities in the past we have asked questions about labeling people antisemitic in the political discourse both before the Hamas October 2023 attack on Israel and after The results indicated that Americans view labeling people antisemitic as more often used to delegitimize political opponents and critics of Israel than to describe people who are genuinely antisemitic those who said the labeling was used to delegitimize critics of Israel went from 49% in 2023 (22% “frequently” and 27% “sometimes”) to 64% in 2024 (34% “frequently” and 30% “sometimes”) those who said the labeling described people who are genuinely antisemitic went from 48% in 2023 (19% “frequently” and 29% “sometimes”) to 61% in 2024 (25% “frequently” and 36% “sometimes”) One notable change is that the number of those who said they didn’t know declined from 35% or more in 2023 to 23% or less in 2024 as public attention was more focused on these issues after October 7 the changes in the responses were somewhat proportional to each other suggesting robustness months before the October 7 The largest increases from 2023 to 2024 among those answering “frequently” came from describing de-legitimation of political opponents (13 points) followed by de-legitimation of critics of Israel (12 points) and genuine antisemitism (6 points) Keep in mind that attitudes may have also shifted since last summer on this issue and our poll will be further probing possible change later this spring while 37% of Americans say they don’t know when asked to describe the Trump administration policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian issue 30%—including about half of Democrats (48%) and a plurality of independents (38%)—say Trump’s policy “leans toward Israel more than I do,” compared to 5% who say it leans toward the Palestinians more than they do 28%—including a majority of Republicans (55%)—say the policy coincides with their position It is notable that the latest Pew poll on this issue included a question very similar to the one we fielded “Do you think Donald Trump is…” with the response options: “Favoring the Israelis too much,” “Favoring the Palestinians too much,” “Striking about the right balance,” or “Not sure.” The poll found that 31% said Trump is favoring the Israelis too much 3% said he is favoring the Palestinians too much The poll also found that 36% of Jewish Americans said that Trump was favoring Israelis too much compared to only 2% who said he was favoring the Palestinians too much while 43% said he was striking the right balance and much of our public discourse have highlighted the issue of antisemitism as a driving force Public opinion polls show that the public sees antisemitism as one of the driving issues for Trump campus policies and as a factor in labeling people antisemitic But the public sees targeting political opponents and critics of Israel as even greater factors in driving policies toward universities and the labeling of people as antisemitic—even more so after the October 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza with many seeing them as acts of genocide or “akin to genocide.” These findings are supported by new major polling from Pew and Gallup The Pew poll found that a majority of respondents—53%—have an unfavorable view of Israel an increase of 11 percentage points from 42% in 2022 adults who voice very unfavorable views of Israel has roughly doubled over this period.” Notably all segments of the public examined have shown increasingly unfavorable views of Israel—including Democrats who rose from 53% unfavorable in 2022 to 69% in 2025; Republicans who rose from 27% to 37%; and Democrats age 50 and older whose unfavorable views increased the most increasingly aligning with younger Democrats The trend among Democrats was also reflected in the latest Gallup poll which found that attitudes have shifted nearly 180 degrees since 2001 Democratic sympathy for the Palestinians has risen from 16% in 2001 to 59% in 2025 while sympathy for the Israelis has dropped from 51% to 21% over the same period less than half of all Americans are now sympathetic toward Israel One is hard-pressed to find these pervasive American public attitudes proportionately reflected in the statements of American elected officials have taken root despite differing official and media discourse — Charges relating to protests at the University of Michigan have been dropped delays and other "distractions" a "circus-like atmosphere" and though she stands by her charging decisions a "reasonable jury would find the defendants guilty of the crimes alleged," she said she no longer believes these cases are a good use of resources “Despite months and months of court hearings the Court has yet to make a determination on whether probable cause was demonstrated that the defendants committed these crimes to bind the case over to circuit court for trial which is the primary obligation of the district court for any felony offense," Nessel said the case has become a lightning rod of contention Baseless and absurd allegations of bias have only furthered this divide The motion for recusal has been a diversionary tactic which has only served to further delay the proceedings we have learned that a public statement in support of my office from a local non-profit has been directly communicated to the Court The impropriety of this action has led us to the difficult decision to drop these charges." Charges were related to demonstrations that took place on the Diag consisting of "tents and perimeter fencing" that eventually amassed 60 tents on site over a month during which time university officials met with student liaisons to discuss taking down the camp commanding all on the Diag to leave within ten minutes They began moving through the camp in a wall formation when the ten minutes was up with their batons "to force out the inhabitants." The officers’ path was repeatedly blocked by demonstrators placing and throwing chairs and other items within the encampment into the path of the police Pan-African Forum for the Culture of Peace Public access to information is a key component of UNESCO's commitment to transparency and its accountability. Based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, the 2005 Convention ultimately provides a new framework for informed, transparent and UNESCO’s e-Platform on intercultural dialogue is designed for organizations and individuals to learn from shared knowledge or experiences from infl Established in 2002, the GEM Report is an editorially independent report, hosted and published by UNESCO. To recovery and beyond: The report takes stock of the global progress on the adoption and implementation of legal guarantees on Access to Info Addressing culture as a global public good For almost 75 years, the UNESCO Courier has served as a platform for international debates on issues that concern the entire pla Lifelong learning is key to overcoming global challenges and to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. UNESCO observatory of killed journalistsUNESCO5 May 2025I condemn the killing of Fatima Hassona and call for a thorough and transparent investigation. I reiterate my call to respect UN Security Council Resolution 2222 unanimously adopted in 2015 on the protection of journalists media professionals and associated personnel as civilians in situations of conflict a status recently reaffirmed in the UN Pact for the Future Fatima Hassona was a 25-year-old freelance photojournalist working in Gaza She was reportedly killed in her home by an airstrike UNESCO has reported the deaths of at least 47 journalists and media workers in the line of work in Palestine since October 2023 which does not include deaths in circumstances unrelated to their profession The 2024 UNESCO/Guillermo World Press Freedom Prize was awarded in May 2024 to Palestinian journalists covering Gaza Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation on education UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs over 2300 people UNESCO oversees more than 2000 World Heritage sites Biosphere Reserves and Global Geoparks; networks of Creative Inclusive and Sustainable Cities; and over 13 000 associated schools it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed” – UNESCO Constitution (WPBN/WGTU) -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has dropped charges against seven people charged in connection with pro-Palestine protests at the University of Michigan back in May 2024 Those seven were initially charged with trespassing and resisting and/or obstructing a police officer for their conduct during the clearing of an encampment at the university ANN ARBOR, Mich. (FOX 2) - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel dropped charges against seven people charged in connection with pro-Palestine protests at the University of Michigan last year. The seven people were charged with trespassing and resisting or obstruction of police stemming from an encampment that was set up on the Diag of the Ann Arbor college in May 2024.  Despite dropping the charges, Nessel said in a statement that her office stands by the decision to issue charges in the first place, based on facts presented to her. article University of Michigan protesters pepper sprayed as police break up pro-Palestine encampment A month after pro-Palestine activists set up an encampment at the University of Michigan Diag "When my office made the decision to issue charges of Trespassing and Resisting and Obstructing a Police Officer in this matter we did so based on the evidence and facts of the case I stand by those charges and that determination "Despite months and months of court hearings which is the primary obligation of the district court for any felony offense "Baseless and absurd allegations of bias have only furthered this divide The impropriety of this action has led us to the difficult decision to drop these charges "These distractions and ongoing delays have created a circus-like atmosphere to these proceedings I no longer believe these cases to be a prudent use of my department’s resources I have decided to dismiss the cases."  Pro-Palestine activists set up an encampment at U of M's Diag These demonstrators were calling on the school to divest from Israel amid ongoing violence in Gaza The activists remained camped out there for about a month in the spring of 2024 before police broke up the demonstration They were asked to leave voluntarily before police began removing them according to the University of Michigan Department of Public Safety Police and protesters clashed as the encampment was broken up The Source: A press release from Attorney General Dana Nessel and previous FOX 2 reporting was used to write this story By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel's office moved to dismiss felony charges against seven pro-Palestinian protesters at the University of Michigan Monday They were arrested nearly a year ago following a police raid on a tent encampment at U of M and charged with resisting arrest Instead of making a decision on the recusal motion Ann Arbor District Court Judge Cedric Simpson accepted the prosecutor’s motion to dismiss all charges Defense attorneys sought to have the Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recused from the case arguing that she had became too personally connected to the case when she decried a common — though controversial — Pro-Palestinian slogan as antisemitic They also pointed to her mention of the protesters' case in a request for a recusal in a different case that these prosecutions were brought due to bias against Muslims and/or people of Arab descent." Defense attorneys said that perception of bias meant she could not be a neutral arbiter of the law Attorney General Nessel called those allegations “baseless and absurd” and said that the motion for a recusal has been “a diversionary tactic which has only served to further delay the proceedings.” a reasonable jury would find the defendants guilty of the crimes alleged,” she said “I no longer believe these cases to be a prudent use of my department’s resources She also pointed to a public statement “from a local non-profit” that was “directly communicated to the Court” as a major factor in her decision to stop prosecuting the cases The statement was from the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor arguing in favor of Nessel's prosecution of the cases and against the recusal effort Judge Simpson’s clerk told defense attorneys about the statement over the weekend “The impropriety of this action,” Nessel said “has led us to the difficult decision to drop these charges.” Responding to the statement from the attorney general’s office the Federation said the statement had been posted on its website and also sent to “a court administrator to make appropriate court personnel aware of it It was not intended in any way as a communication to the judge nor to influence the court.” Observers erupted into cheers when Judge Simpson granted the attorney general’s motion to dismiss the cases The dozens who filled the observation area of the courtroom burst into applause “This case was not about trespassing,” Amir Makled This was about the criminalization of free speech the state of Michigan agrees that you still have the right to speak up.” made a similar remark to supporters outside of the courthouse but the entire movement for Palestine.” She said the case had “changed a lot of our relationships And I think I can speak for all of us when I say we're really happy to get back to what we had and happy to continue the fight.” Lewis and another protester face additional charges of trespassing and resisting arrest in a case related to their alleged actions at “Festifall,” an event for incoming freshmen at the U of M A hearing in that case is scheduled for next month The attorney general is still involved in cases against two additional people charged only with trespassing during the police action to clear the encampment Nessel is also charging two others who were counterprotesting the encampment One faces charges of disturbing the peace and attempted ethnic intimidation while another is charged with two counts of malicious destruction of personal property for allegedly taking multiple flags from protesters at the pro-Palestine encampment and destroying them Lindsey Smith contributed to this story Some students were also temporarily suspended as other colleges respond with disciplinary action to protests On the morning of 3 May, the Swarthmore borough police department disbanded a four-day pro-Palestinian encampment on Swarthmore College’s campus and arrested nine activists “With rising concerns about safety and security on campus, a continued and growing presence of individuals unaffiliated with the college, warnings from outside law enforcement agencies and no signs that protestors were willing to engage in conversation that would bring the encampment to an end,” Smith said, “I felt we had no choice but to seek outside assistance from local law enforcement.” Read moreAround 7.30am on 3 May, Q, a Temple University student who is using a pseudonym out of fear of legal repercussions, was outside his tent at a Swarthmore College pro-Palestinian encampment in Pennsylvania when he said that he received a call from Swarthmore College students They told him that they had seen dozens of police cars approaching the campus entrance in the distance and that a sweep of the encampment was imminent Q started filming the sweep on his phone as about 40 officers swarmed the campus As nine students stood with their arms linked together he watched law enforcement grab the activists and pin them to the ground A member of the Philadelphia Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Q said that he had been informed of the encampment through the chapter’s network and helped organize the protest. During the few days the encampment existed, Q said that activists hosted reading circles and taught each other political education: “It was crazy to see how admin was responding by threatening repeatedly.” Read moreIn a 1 May statement to the campus community Smith said that the protesters had vandalized campus property “Should they continue to fail to disperse and violate the college’s policies and the law,” Smith said “we will have no choice but to escalate our response as we consider all actions to bring the encampment to an end.” The interim suspension bans students from campus and they must complete a student-conduct process before being allowed to return or access the school’s resources and services It is up to the discretion of a student’s faculty members whether they can continue their work remotely “Due process exists in legal proceedings,” Giardinelli said a Swarthmore College student who is using a pseudonym out of fear of retaliation said that he took a break from the demonstration to shower in his dorm room when he received an email from the college’s dean of student conduct The email stated that he was now on interim suspension meaning that he was ineligible from taking classes and being involved in college social activities or sports He had three hours to pack up his belongings and vacate the campus moving into a friend’s apartment in Philadelphia kind of shocked and then quite angry,” Spade said “because the school was suspending students for protesting.” SJP had used social media to encourage activists outside of the college to join the encampment and they ignored repeated requests to vacate Trotter Lawn that they were violating several policies in the student code of conduct Students were instructed to disband the encampment and leave Trotter Lawn and repeatedly warned that failure to do so would lead to interim suspensions.” Swarthmore College is one of 60 schools under investigation for what the Trump administration considers antisemitic harassment on campus his future at Swarthmore College remains in limbo as he awaits the results of an investigation He’s concerned that the disciplinary action could jeopardize funding for research projects that he’s working on at the school the ability for him to study abroad in the future or even him being allowed to return to the campus in the fall Spade said that reflecting on the destroyed higher-education institutions in Palestine helps put his interim suspension into perspective “Any repression we face here is completely minuscule compared to what we’re actually fighting for,” Spade said This article was amended on 3 May 2025 to correct an inaccurately referenced 2024 Yale encampment TEHRAN – Iran’s Foreign Ministry has firmly rejected allegations that it is behind the recent actions by Yemen’s Resistance movement Ansarullah calling the claims “baseless” and “an insult” to the Yemeni people the ministry condemned the United States for attributing Yemeni operations in support of Palestine to the Islamic Republic arguing that such accusations are an attempt to deflect attention from what it called the “genocide” being carried out by Israel in Gaza “These are independent decisions made by a proud and resilient people in solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters,” the ministry said emphasizing that linking them to Iran is “a misleading narrative aimed at covering up the failures and crimes of the Zionist regime.” accusing Washington of violating international law by launching attacks on civilian infrastructure under the pretext of defending Israel Iran reiterated its long-standing position on respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations and warned that continued U.S aggression in Yemen and support for Israel’s actions in Gaza threaten the stability of the wider West Asia region and the Red Sea The ministry also warned against recent threats made by U.S stating that the Islamic Republic will not hesitate to defend its national interests and security Tehran said it holds both Washington and Tel Aviv fully responsible for any consequences arising from their actions the administration of US President Donald Trump has launched daily airstrikes on Yemen and claims to have struck more than 1,000 targets in the Arab country The campaign aims to halt the Yemeni military’s strikes on Israeli and Israeli-linked vessels in Red Sea shipping lanes as well as their operations that have been hitting targets deep within the occupied Palestinian territories British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the UK government is involved in discussions with France and Saudi Arabia about recognising a Palestinian state ahead of a key United Nations conference on the issue in June Speaking to the House of Lords’ international relations and defence committee on Wednesday Lammy said it was “unacceptable” that the Palestinian people remained stateless and said a two-state solution remained the only option He acknowledged for the first time that the UK was working with France and Saudi Arabia in the run-up to the UN conference in New York to “to ensure we keep two states alive” French President Emmanuel Macron recently said that France a permanent member of the UN Security Council could recognise Palestine at the conference Asked when the UK government was likely to follow the 148 UN member states who have already recognised Palestine Lammy said no one had a veto over when that happened “We have always said recognition is not the end in itself We would prefer recognition as part of that process towards two states so we will continue to talk to partners about that,” he said “President Macron has had a lot to say about that recently and of course we are in discussion with them at this time.” which is also a permanent member of the UN Security Council wanted its recognition of Palestine to “contribute to progress on the ground” rather than being a symbolic act Lammy’s comments came after Hamish Falconer on Tuesday maintained that the UK’s position on recognising Palestinian statehood had not changed the chair of the foreign affairs select committee whether he agreed that an appropriate time to recognise Palestine might be alongside France at the conference in June Falconer said that “practical measures” were still needed before such a state would be possible “We do wish to recognise a Palestinian state and we wish to do so as a contribution to a two-state solution,” said Falconer “We will make the judgment about when the best moment is to try to make the fullest possible contribution.” He suggested until questions about security and governance which he described as “final-status determinations” “While we are committed to the inalienable right of the Palestinians to a state as part of a two-state solution let us not pretend that there are not vexed issues at the centre of what a Palestinian state would look like,” he said A number of European nations including Ireland The UN General Assembly in December passed a resolution reiterating support for a two-state solution and establishing the framework for the conference on Palestine set to take place in New York from 2 to 4 June Earlier this week, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the prospect of a two-state solution was almost beyond the point of no return, as Israel continues to increase settlement expansion in the West Bank and wage war and impose a humanitarian blockade on Gaza where more than 52,000 Palestinians have already been killed “I urge member states to go beyond declarations and consider concrete steps to save the two-state solution – before it disappears altogether,” Guterres said The conflict between Israel and Palestinians — and other groups in the Middle East — goes back decades These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them Netherlands — The United States told the International Court of Justice Wednesday that Israel must provide aid to Gaza but the country does not have to work with the U.N The top court of the United Nations is holding a week of hearings on what Israel must do to provide desperately needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank following a request for an advisory opinion from the U.N said Israel had legitimate concerns about the U.N the largest provider of aid in the beleaguered Gaza Strip there is no legal requirement that an occupying power permit a specific third state or international organization to conduct activity in occupied territory that would compromise its security interests," Josh Simmons Simmons suggested other organizations could fulfill UNRWA's mission Israel banned the agency from operating on its territory Israel alleges that 19 out of UNRWA's approximately 13,000 staff in Gaza took part in Hamas' attack in southern Israel which killed about 1,200 people and set off the war in Gaza UNRWA said it fired nine staffers after an internal U.N investigation concluded that they could have been involved although the evidence was not authenticated or corroborated Israel later alleged that about 100 other Palestinians in Gaza were Hamas members but never provided any evidence to the United Nations Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar hit back at the case I accuse the secretary-general and I accuse all those that weaponized international law and its institutions in order to deprive the most attacked country in the world of its most basic right to defend itself," he told a news conference in Jerusalem Israel is not participating in the hearings which spoke directly after the United States said that UNRWA's work was crucial for the Palestinian people and the agency was supported by the majority of the international community "The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated Millions of Palestinians in the (Gaza) strip as well as in the West Bank and East Jerusalem face existential despair," Maksim Musikhin Musikhin then suggested UNRWA deserved a Nobel Peace Prize for its work The hearings are underway as the humanitarian aid system in Gaza is nearing collapse and ceasefire efforts remain deadlocked medicine and other humanitarian supplies since March 2 saying it aims to push Hamas to release more hostages The World Food Program said last week its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians Many families are struggling to feed their children the Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands accused Israel of breaching international law in the occupied territories killing and displacing Palestinians while also targeting and blocking humanitarian organizations trying to save their lives," he told the court Become an NPR sponsor Eight former University of Michigan employees are suing the university's board of regents alleging they were fired and banned from working at the institution because they vocally supported Palestinians' human rights and called on UM to divest from Israel allege the UM Regents violated their constitutional right to free speech and wrongfully concluded that they had violated UM's Violence in the University Community Policy "putting an indelible stain on their employment record." The regents also dismissed the employees without proper notice or an opportunity to be heard Three of the plaintiffs said they were fired following a Nov 2023 sit-in inside the public lobby of the president's office and other public areas of the Ruthven Building Along with the regents and President Santa Ono the lawsuit also names Executive Vice President Geoffrey Chatas Associate Vice President of Human Resources Richard S and Associate Director of Human Resources Amy Grier as defendants citing the university's policy on pending litigation The complaint alleges that sit-ins at the president's office have long been a "common recognized and acceptable form of protest" at UM and that until recently have not resulted in the administration closing the building locking the doors or calling multiple police agencies to remove students from the premises "In an unprecedented break from its previous policies and practices University administrators called in police from over ten different law enforcement departments to close the building and remove the students," the suit states It also claims that 42 students were arrested and several were injured by "overly aggressive police tactics," including one plaintiff who was allegedly grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground by a UM police officer with her hijab being ripped off in the process administrators allegedly violated university policies by hiring outside consultants to bring a complaint against the students and rejecting findings by both the student hearing panel and appeals board that determined the students had not violated the UM Statement of Student Rights and Responsibility policy The other five plaintiffs were allegedly fired after attending a May 3 protest outside the University of Michigan Museum of Art linked arms and chanted while several UM regents were inside the building for a private event UM police were called and set up a barricade around the entrance The plaintiffs complied with police orders and stood on a public sidewalk behind the barricade each of the five plaintiffs involved in the museum protest were placed on paid suspension then terminated from their respective positions Students who participated in past demonstrations haven't been fired or barred from future work at the institution The campus climate has shifted dramatically since the Oct 2023 Hamas attack and subsequent escalation of the Israel-Gaza war both in support and opposition to Israel's actions yet university officials have "targeted students" and are seeking to "make examples of them to deter others from expressing viewpoints that Defendants view as pro-Palestinian and to deter others from engaging in similar speech and activities." The former employees say their pro-Palestine activities took place outside of their regular work hours and were unrelated to their work duties The lawsuit also says the plaintiffs' supervisors were not informed in advance of University Human Resources' actions against the employees and were "shocked and outraged" by the terminations Along with the University of Michigan Regents and Associate Director of Human Resources Amy Grier are named as defendants The complaint seeks an unspecified total in damages for the plaintiffs' out-of-pocket costs plus punitive damages against the defendants It also seeks an injunction prohibiting UM leadership from taking actions against employees for engaging in protected First Amendment activities The suit points out that UM students have a long history of speaking out about issues of public concern and educational events for many important social and political issues," the complaint says the University has encouraged students and employees to speak out on a variety of issues of public concern." The plaintiffs said that past student-led activist campaigns successfully led UM to divest from apartheid-era South Africa in the late 1970s and in more recent years from tobacco companies @max_detroitnews MADRID – Israel faces an ecological crisis as forest fires ravage the woods near occupied Al-Quds firefighting teams have struggled to control the flames which have forced the evacuation of thousands of people and the closure of major communication routes which has taken on an international dimension led Benjamin Netanyahu to declare a state of emergency and request international aid While images of firefighters battling the flames are striking this catastrophe serves as a wake-up call about the deeper layers of the landscape and history burning in those flames The fires are not merely a natural phenomenon but they shed light on a deeply colonial aspect of the territory focused on transforming the land with a political purpose beyond just agricultural or ecological goals The forests now ablaze are not the result of an indigenous nature but of foreign intervention: the Jewish National Fund (JNF) planted tree species such as pine and eucalyptus These trees were planted on the ruins of Palestinian villages destroyed during the Nakba of 1948 a symbolic act that hides the violence of Zionist colonization behind a veil of vegetation Afforestation in occupied Palestine was one of the pillars of the construction of the Israeli state driven not only by agricultural motives but as a tool for identity consolidation and territorial control in his inaugural speech to the Knesset in 1951 called on Zionists to "make the desert bloom." This phrase which has become one of the most iconic founding myths of Zionism not only appealed to the creation of a new entity but to the recreation of an "empty" land that had to be transformed by human hands specifically those of the Zionist settlers Ben Gurion aimed not only to create employment and strengthen immigrants’ emotional ties to the land but also to build a symbolic bond with the territory Afforestation was an act of appropriation of the land and of creating a new national narrative that erased the traces of displaced Palestinian peoples This process fits within one of the most persistent colonial ideologies: the myth of Terra Nullius a hostile desert that only gained value with the arrival of Zionist settlers still present in contemporary Israeli discourse is based on the idea that the Jewish people were the only ones capable of "redeeming" the land and making it thrive Palestinians were not only invisible but also considered incapable of cultivating their own land The myth of "making the desert bloom" is a clear example of how Zionist settlers used the rhetoric of civilization to legitimize the dispossession and destruction of Palestinian communities This narrative builds upon Orientalist stereotypes that describe West Asia as a backward it was a project that not only dispossessed Palestinians of their lands but also their history was not only materialized in the appropriation of territories but in the transformation of the landscape to erase any trace of Palestinian presence The Axis of Resistance and the Islamic Republic: Anti-colonial resistance rooted in an Islamic grammar the political presence of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Axis of Resistance emerges as an anti-colonial response to the Zionist colonization project the Islamic Republic has offered an alternative perspective to the hegemonic narrative that justifies Zionist colonialism under the umbrella of civilization and the "redemption" of the desert largely articulated through the figure of the Islamic Revolution and the subsequent consolidation of Hezbollah has been the main political force in the region that has openly challenged Israel's expansionist aspirations The anti-colonial discourse of the Axis of Resistance is based on an Islamic grammar that recognizes the struggle for Palestine’s liberation as part of a broader struggle against global colonial structures This approach opposes not only Zionist colonialism but also the neocolonial dynamics that have characterized foreign powers’ intervention in the region is an integral part of the resistance of peoples in West Asia and beyond have reconfigured borders and landscapes according to their own geopolitical interests Iran’s opposition to Zionist colonialism is closely linked to a vision of Islam that promotes the self-determination of oppressed peoples and denounces injustice has been fundamental in articulating a resistance that not only rejects the Zionist project but also opposes forms of oppression perpetuated by Western powers This resistance not only combats Israeli occupation but also challenges the narrative of Terra Nullius and the claim that Palestine was an empty land waiting to be civilized the members of the Axis of Resistance promote an anti-colonial vision that defends Palestinians' historical rights to self-determination and the recovery of their lands The struggle against Zionist colonialism has also led to a decolonization discourse that has extended beyond Palestine’s borders The Axis of Resistance has emphasized the importance of the struggle not only against Israeli occupation but also against the global power structures that have upheld foreign powers’ dominance over the Arab and Muslim world This vision becomes a kind of continuation of the anti-imperialist struggle that not only questions the occupation of Palestine but also the Western interventions in other geopolitical contexts of the Muslim world while the fire consumes the forests planted by Zionism a struggle that remains alive in Palestinian resistance and in the commitment of those who oppose Zionist colonialism Issa Amro shares videos of confrontations with balaclava-clad military who he claims ‘want revenge’ after the BBC film The Settlers A Palestinian activist who appeared in a Louis Theroux documentary about settlers in the West Bank has reportedly had his home raided by Israeli soldiers. Issa Amro, co-founder of the non-violent activist group Youth Against Settlements, shared videos on social media of confrontations with Israeli military at his home, and another of a group of Israeli settlers forcing entry to the property. Amro said: “The soldiers raided my house today they wanted revenge from me for participating in the BBC documentary ‘the settlers’ after the army left the settlers raided my house they injured one activist and cut the tree they stole tools and the garbage containers.” Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law The UN Security Council have said that the settlements have “no legal validity constituting a flagrant violation under international law.” Amro lives in Hebron, the capital of the West Bank’s largest governorate. In Louis Theroux’s documentary, The Settlers Amro shows Theroux around the Israeli-occupied area of the city home to about 35,000 Palestinians and 700 settlers protected by the Israeli military Palestinian activist Issa Amro Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum/The GuardianThe documentary shows Amro and Theroux being confronted by military as they walk around the area When the pair are sworn at by a passing driver Amro explains to Theroux: “You deserve a middle finger if you report about Palestinians.” the settlements are illegal,” Amro said in the documentary “They don’t see us as equal human beings who deserve the same rights they do.” Amro challenges a group of balaclava-covered soldiers at his house One soldier replies: “You know exactly why.” A Nobel peace prize nominee and one of the West Bank’s most prominent activists Amro is best known for his work for Youth Against Settlements which aims to end the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank said: “@Issaamro who featured in The Settlers has posted videos of his latest harassment by settlers and soldiers Our team has been in regular contact with him since the documentary and over the last 24 hours We are continuing to monitor the situation.” A spokesperson for the Israel Defence Forces accused Amro of spreading “false information,” adding: “As the videos clearly show the soldiers present on May 3 in the Hebron area were there to disperse the confrontation between Palestinian residents and Israeli civilians.” The UK Middle East minister, facing over a dozen calls from a cross-section of MPs for the UK to recognise a Palestinian state said that “practical measures” are still needed before such a state would be possible Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East Hamish Falconer made his comments in a debate on Tuesday following this week’s visit of the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa to London and the signing of a UK-Palestinian memorandum of understanding The memorandum affirms the UK’s belief in “the alienable right of the Palestinian people” to an independent state with a two-state solution as “the best way to achieve Palestinian statehood” It was also accompanied by £101m for humanitarian relief and strengthening Palestinian Authority governance and reform several MPs pushed the government to recognise a Palestinian state immediately French President Emmanual Macron has said that his country plans to recognise a Palestinian state soon at a UN conference on the two-state solution “Does my honourable friend agree that now is the time to take the next serious step which is to finally recognise the state of Palestine?” said Labour MP Emily Thornberry who chairs the parliamentary foreign affairs committee “The best time to do that might be alongside the French in New York in June.” while the question of recognition was raised repeatedly in parliament the government’s position remained the same and we wish to do so as a contribution to a two-state solution,” he said.  Scottish National Party MP Chris Law said he had recently represented the UK parliament at the Inter-Parliamentary Union where over 1,200 MPs from 188 countries passed a unanimous resolution supporting a two-state solution “There was plenty of notice of the UK not recognising a nation state,” Law said.  Law also said the Palestinian prime minister had told him that recognition of a Palestinian state would “be a paradigm change” and asked Falconer to explain what impediments stood in the way Falconer suggested that until questions about security and governance let us not pretend that there are not vexed issues at the centre of what a Palestinian state would look like,” he said.  At least two MPs questioned whether a Palestinian state would still be viable into the near future presumably considering both the war on Gaza and the expansion and consolidation of illegal settlements in the West Bank Conservative MP Desmond Swayne said: "For how long does the minister think he will be able to recognise a Palestinian state that retains sufficient economically viable land to actually be a goer?" A majority of UN member countries - 147 out of 193 - have recognised Palestinian statehood but other countries which do not recognise Palestine include Canada "Some 147 states have recognised a Palestinian state yet no Palestinian state is fully functioning," Falconer said "Many members have referred to some of the practical impediments whether it is the removal of Hamas from the Gaza strip or the economic challenges that face the Palestinian territories in both the West Bank and Gaza." He added: "The British Government are focused on changing the actual facts on the ground China is here to save humanity — at least Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of Palestinian organization and political party Fatah senior member of the Palestinian terror movement Hamas attend an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 23 who is also Fatah’s General Commissioner for Arab and China Relations: Posted text: “Fatah Central Committee member and [Fatah] General Commissioner for Arab and China Relations Abbas Zaki received His Honor Ambassador of China in the State of Palestine Zeng Jixin today is qualified to save humanity on this planet from a looming world war considering the ongoing aggression that is being waged by the Zionist-American alliance.” [emphasis added] [Fatah Central Committee member Abbas Zaki Meeting the Chinese Ambassador to the Palestinian Authority last year Zaki stressed that China’s position of “standing against injustice and tyranny” and “believing in justice” makes it an obvious candidate to help “Palestine” and the Arab world against “the Israeli war”: Posted text: “Fatah Central Committee member and [Fatah] General Commissioner for Arab and China Relations Abbas Zaki received Chinese Ambassador in the State of Palestine Zeng Jixin … Zaki said that the Middle East region is in real danger as a result of the expansion of the Israeli war against the region’s states which heralds a wide regional war that will lead to an expansion of the war in the world This requires intervention by states that believe in peace and mutual benefit between the peoples of the world the Chinese ambassador repeated the PA’s false narrative which bashes “the US and the Western colonialist forces” who support Israel while China is all about “peace … [for all] peoples on the face of the earth.”: Zeng Jixin [stated that] the US is pretending to stand alongside democracy and human rights while it and the Western colonialist forces are supporting the Israeli occupation with all types of weapons and are waging false propaganda campaigns against China He added that the Chinese culture and its values always call for peace and stability for the world’s states and their peoples on the face of the earth Former PA PM Muhammad Shtayyeh expressed a similar wish at the Chinese-Arab Forum for Young Politicians: Shtayyeh emphasized that China needs to continue to strengthen its strategic ties with the Arab states and move on to a stage in which it will take action to reshape the international system he repeated the message of China’s dominant role: China is making steady progress to take its role in the international arena through its initiatives especially those related to Palestine … [and] emphasized that China needs to continue to strengthen its strategic ties with the Arab states and move on to a stage in which it will take action to reshape the international system.” [emphasis added] Russia and China” in order to “realize justice.” PA leader Mahmoud Abbas’ advisor Mahmoud Al-Habbash has explicitly called on Russia and China to assist the Islamic and Arab world against the US’ “imperialist hegemony over the world”: Al-Habbash said … Russia is a world power and in order to maintain balance in the international arena the world must get rid of the unipolar system through the existence of a number of poles in the international system that will achieve balance between the world powers otherwise the world will turn into a prisoner of just one world power [America] The US is attempting to maintain this imperialist hegemony over the world by presenting itself as the world’s only pole but Russia can achieve this balance together with the Islamic and Arab world and also with China The author is the Founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.  Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" 2025 8:04 pm IDTAs news began to trickle of the Hamas-led massacres and destruction of Israel's south on October 7 Israelis began to organize at an unprecedented pace At the helm of the response was the nation's civil society ecosystem who pivoted from their usual duties to fill the yawning gaps in basic provisions shelter and income left by a lagging and wholly inadequate response by the Netanyahu government I served as a White House appointee to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom Annually we would review the practices of countries around the world as they impacted the ability of their citizens and residents to freely practice their faiths We would then issue reports that would identify countries (about two dozen) that violated religious freedom together with our recommendations for actions the US government could take to bring these countries into compliance.  Early on I could see that there was deep resistance to any examination of Israel by some commissioners I was dragged into a bizarre battle over a Christmas op-ed the Commission wanted to publish expressing concern that “in the land where Jesus was born Christians feared celebrating Christmas.” As examples the article cited a few Arab countries (weirdly including Lebanon and Syria) and added Pakistan and Nigeria for good measure the response was a near hysterical rejection—more like a “How dare you?” And when  the Commission received a visit from the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem seeking our support for a few rather small requests he had of Israeli authorities (e.g. visas for priests and unimpeded passage for Christians between Israel and the West Bank at Christmas and Easter) he was startled when two of my colleagues not only rejected his appeal but insisted that his priority ought to be demanding that Hamas disarm.  I wanted to make the best case possible before proposing that the Commission investigate Israel I asked a team of attorneys to prepare an extensive brief on Israel’s repressive actions that impacted Palestinian Christians and Muslims and Israeli non-Orthodox Jews The study was modeled on the Commission’s own treatment of other cases of hostile occupations—Turkey in Cyprus and Russia in Crimea—both of which had been criticized by the Commission in its annual reports.  together with another Democratic appointee (who was Jewish and was deeply concerned with the treatment of non-Orthodox Jews in Israel) Our report was not discussed (or even read) I was subjected to the charge of being antisemitic because two Commissioners charged that I was “singling Israel out for criticism.” This accusation is a hallmark of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism that equates criticism of Israel with antisemitism It is used to silence critics of the state.  My response to my colleagues on the Commission was to remind them that I had voted with them every year to criticize the practices of two dozen countries and therefore it wasn’t I who was singling Israel out for criticism It was they who were singling Israel out as the one country that could not be criticized.  This is the “Israel exception.” Israel can violate religious freedom US laws regarding the use of aid to violate human rights and the lives of civilians This insidious situation has allowed Israel to operate with impunity Its impact has not only taken a toll on the lives and fortunes of Palestinians and others—it is now being weaponized here in the US This acceptance of the IHRA definition has been with us since the first Trump administration’s Department of Education formally adopted it A dozen states have also legislated its use After several failed efforts to have it passed by Congress Most concerning has been the way the current Trump administration has weaponized the Department of Education’s use of the IHRA definition to threaten universities into taking measures that violate academic freedom and free speech on campuses and gutting of departments of Middle East Studies This same IHRA definition is also being used by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security to cancel visas and green cards resulting in deportations or cancelling of visas for hundreds of pro-Palestinian advocates and students being threatened with expulsion are denounced for their antisemitism that is creating a hostile environment for Jews on campuses their “crimes” are nothing more than being critical of Israel or supportive of Palestinians.  What has been disturbing is the silence of too many liberals in Congress and academia who They have permitted the “Israel exception” to morph into the “Palestine exception.” In this situation any state (even our own) can be criticized Victims of human rights violations (even genocide) must be supported Even US policies can be protested or condemned This implementation and expansion of the “Israel/Palestine exception” by the Trump administration and the enabling silence of too many liberals in Congress and civil society have left many in my community feeling vulnerable and powerless They are witnessing Israel acting with impunity as it devastates and imposes itself on Lebanon and Syria and accelerates its genocide in Gaza and new levels of repression and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.  Many are afraid to speak out or become engaged in political protest are concerned about travel not knowing how they will treated on reentry to the US and whether they’ll be allowed to return.  We have reached the point where the “Israel/Palestine exception” not only distorts our foreign policy and erodes our stated commitments to international law and covenants but also compromises our right to free speech and assembly and the right to petition our government it is threatening academic freedom and the very idea of the university in American life.  What is heartening is that the coalition that has come together to meet this challenge to our rights and our peoples is broad and diverse but also an array of civil and human rights organizations They are coming together to demand an end to the “Israel/Palestine exception.”  Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Arab American Institute The Arab American Institute is a non-profit nonpartisan national leadership organization that does not endorse candidates Note: To discuss this column with me, please register here or my next ‘Coffee And A Column’ event Wednesday via Zoom This column is exclusive for @TheNational and James Zogby It cannot be republished without permission About Us /Our Team /About Arab Americans / Arab American Heritage Month / Kahlil Gibran Spirit of Humanity Awards/Contact Us / Polling /Demographics /Census Information Center / Voting Rights /Data Equity and Decennial Census /Redistricting / Educational Opportunity and Free Speech /Discrimination and Bigotry /Hate Crime / Profiling, Surveillance and Privacy / Immigration / Palestine /Arab World / All Initiatives 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All rights reserved.Privacy Policy / Website by Cultivate Strategies SocietyCommentary Health CareNews PoliticsAnalysis  SecurityNews  InternationalNews  SocietyCommentary  EducationCommentary   SecurityAnalysis  EconomyCommentary  InternationalCommentary  PoliticsNews  LawNews  LawCommentary  International News International News International Commentary Education Analysis  SecurityAnalysis  PoliticsAnalysis  Economy Commentary InternationalNews Virginia Allen is a senior news producer for The Daily Signal and host of "The Daily Signal Podcast" and "Problematic Women." Send an email to Virginia JERUSALEM—For decades, many political leaders on the Left and Right alike have advocated for a two-state solution to solve the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians says Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Eugene Kontorovich “The best thing about the two-state solution is its name because it has the word ‘solution’ in it,” said Kontorovich, who lives in Israel and works in Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom He joined Heritage this year as the Washington-based think tank’s first international-based senior research fellow in Jerusalem in which Israel and Palestine would have their own state side by side is “a great branding move,” Kontorovich says It is an interim step to the destruction of Israel.”  “The minimum demands of the Palestinians are the ethnic cleansing of every single Jew in Judea and Samaria every single Jew in the Old City of Jerusalem,” according to Kontorovich “They want something no one has ever asked for before—they want an independent country The two-state solution has been discussed for years, and Palestine has been offered statehood in the past. In 2000, the Palestinians were offered a deal that would have given them full control of most of the land in the West Bank and all of the Gaza Strip Important religious sites would have operated under dived control and sovereignty but “the Palestinians let it slip away,” as David Brooks an opinion columnist for The New York Times Instead of agreeing to a diplomatic solution the Palestinians have chosen “war and jihad.”   Israel does not rule over the Palestinians nor do the Palestinians pay taxes to Israel The Palestinians’ lack of statehood prevents them from purchasing large weapons Possession of such weapons would pose a grave threat to Israel Pressed on the issue of giving the Palestinians statehood he said previous steps toward doing so have ultimately led to further conflict and the deaths of Jews and Palestinian civilians Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed a series of agreements known as the Oslo Accords in the 1990s but a series of terrorist attacks and violence led to the breakdown of the agreement Then, in 2005, Israel withdrew completely from Gaza. Hamas become the ruling authority over Gaza in 2007, and about 16 years later, Hamas led the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel that left 1,200 people in Israel dead and 251 others hostage “We tried” exploring the Palestinian state option “We can’t go double or nothing with our country,” he said of Israel Virginia Allen is a senior news producer for The Daily Signal and host of "The Daily Signal Podcast" and "Problematic Women." Send an email to Virginia particularly against students and academics This post is an updated version of our October 13, 2023 post. If you need legal support, please contact us through our webform Palestine Legal has received an unprecedented surge in requests for legal support over the past year and a half with an additional surge in requests since the start of this year Activists and community members have been doxxed and even assaulted simply because of their views while government officials appear to be mobilizing law enforcement resources against them for their speech activities While we work to respond to these requests here are resources to prepare for and resist backlash against your activism including contact information for other organizations responding to this unprecedented backlash Check out the National Lawyer’s Guild’s Know Your Rights for Campus Protests and this guide from NLG and PalLegal specifically for students mobilizing against the genocide in Gaza Protect yourself from on-campus surveillance with this guide from the National Lawyers Guild and the Electronic Frontier Foundation AFT, AAUP, ACLU and others have suggested protocols when encountering an immigration agent on or near college campuses and demands you can make of your administration to keep students safe It is impossible to eliminate all risk of online harassment but there are steps you can take to protect yourself and mitigate harms Here is some guidance for the present moment from National Students for Justice in Palestine: See more on instagram Guides on online privacy and digital hygiene to prevent doxxing: Equality Labs’ Anti-Doxing Guide for Activists Facing Attacks   Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Doxxing: Tips To Protect Yourself Online & How to Minimize Harm  Electronic Frontier Foundation's Surveillance Self-Defense If you have already been doxxed, check out Digital Defense Guide for the Doxxed for steps you can take to mitigate the harm Because of recent efforts to pressure employers to fire Palestinians and others who speak out in solidarity with Palestine be especially mindful of sharing employer information on social media sites The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has launched a 24/7 legal hotline (844-ADC-9955 (844-232-9955)) which can be used by those seeking immigration legal support From the American Immigration Lawyers Association: Know Your Rights if ICE visits your home and know What to Do if You Are Questioned, Arrested or Detained by Immigration and Other Law Enforcement Another guide for ICE encounters from Muslims for Just Futures Defending Against ICE Raids and Community Arrests from the Immigrant Defense Project and the Center for Constitutional Rights Protesting as a Non-Citizen Be prepared; you can use this Preparedness Packet resource from United We Dream to be sure you have a plan in place there are special considerations right now for travel We have also heard from travelers who have be subjected to unnecessary and invasive questioning when entering the country after travel For anyone entering or re-entering the United States be sure that you understand how to protect your electronic devices what questions you do and do not have to answer and what you might expect if selected for secondary screening CUNY CLEAR’s Know Your Rights for Travel Wired’s guide for How to Enter the US With Your Digital Privacy Intact Activists across the country are reporting increased police presence at protests and on university campuses due to racist fearmongering by pro-Israel groups and government officials Aggressive attacks by Zionists against Palestine solidarity protestors have in several instances resulted in Palestinians or their allies being arrested or questioned by law enforcement We urge community members NOT to talk to law enforcement without a lawyer present Center for Constitutional Rights’ If an Agent Knocks National Lawyers Guild’s You Have the Right to Remain Silent: A Know Your Rights Guide for Law Enforcement Encounters  CUNY CLEAR’s What to Do in Interactions with Law Enforcement Asian Law Caucus has a guide so you can Know What to Do if a Federal Agent Targets You or a Loved One Our advisory from 2021 on law enforcement visits to Palestine activists  The Council on American-Islamic Relations has released guidance on employee rights in the workplace If you are working together with colleagues to change the way your employer addresses the issue of Palestine in the workplace, you may have additional protections under federal law Psst.org has information and resources for whistleblowers National Lawyers Guild’s Know Your Rights for Protestors Protest Planner, a resource for organizers from the Center for Constitutional Rights CUNY CLEAR’s guide to Knowing Your Rights when it comes to charitable giving In addition to requesting legal support from Palestine Legal Council on American-Islamic Relations to complain about civil rights violations CUNY’s CLEAR Clinic for support and representation responding to law enforcement visits MissionThe IssueCasesOur TeamOur ValuesJobs & InternshipsContact Us  Make a DonationMichael Ratner Legacy Fund Create Your Own Fundraiser GIFT ACCEPTANCE POLICY Palestine Legal is an independent organization dedicated to defending and advancing the civil rights and libertiesof people in the US who speak out for Palestinian freedom.Palestine Legal ©2016 Palestine Legal is a fiscally sponsored project of the Tides Center, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gift may be tax-deductible pursuant to §170(c) of the Internal Revenue Code. Please visit www.tides.org/state-nonprofit-disclosures for additional information 2025 6:51 pm IDTGet email notification for articles from Yaniv Kubovich FollowMay 5 2025 6:51 pm IDTA senior security official said on Monday that the planned expansion of Israel's offensive in Gaza President Donald Trump ends his mid-May visit to the Middle East The Israeli army demolished 152 Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem last month Palestinian figures showed on Monday.  The demolished buildings included 96 inhabited houses the official Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said in a report.  said Israeli authorities also issued 46 demolition orders to Palestinian structures as part of Israel's ongoing policy of cracking down against Palestinian presence in the occupied territory 📌 The Israeli army demolished 152 Palestinian structures in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in April➡️ The demolished buildings included 96 inhabited houses, 10 uninhabited houses, and 34 agricultural facilities https://t.co/lOKRpTOf1R pic.twitter.com/274XL1LaFJ He said Israeli authorities reviewed 27 plans for building inside Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem a move that would swallow 3,030 dunams (nearly 750 acres) of Palestinian lands.  The commission also reported 1,693 Israeli assaults in April including 341 carried out by illegal settlers against Palestinians.  Nearly 960 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023 the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page On May 1, 2024, 89 individuals at a pro-Palestinian protest were arrested on the Green which began as a ‘Labor for Liberation rally’ in support of Palestinian liberation including the student-run Palestine Solidarity Coalition.  The Dartmouth sat down with PSC member Paul Yang ’25 to discuss the Coalition his memories of May 1 and College President Sian Leah Beilock’s approach to free expression on campus Tell me about the period leading up to the May 1 protest and PSC’s approach to organizing I was one of the hunger strikers who were calling for divestment from Israeli apartheid We had our own trajectory of pressuring the school into achieving divestment but it was very stuck in a lot of bureaucratic processes Then there was a big wave of protests across the country and we thought that as a coalition we should participate The encampment happened and we did not expect the administration to call the cops so quickly There were riot cops and they showed up to the Green and said ‘everyone on the Green will be arrested for trespassing’ if they don’t leave They started arresting students one by one.  what was the feeling among protesters on the Green?  PY: The most dominant feeling was shock at how quickly the administration resorted to calling the police without any kind of communication or interaction with the students themselves They resorted to calling not only the police but state troops It felt really ridiculous being a student on this campus I’m a senior so I have been at this school for four years.  Just for expressing our political perspective She was not communicating at all with the students We were very angry and very shocked.  May 1 marks the one year since the protest and arrests how are students who protested feeling about this anniversary PY: Based on the people I have interacted with even though all of these things have happened the College did not take any tangible steps towards divestment There has been no progress surrounding that process and we have processed that by ourselves and we know what the administration is willing to do when there is political dissent but what really matters is what’s going on in Palestine and how the institution is complicit in that We need to just keep pushing for divestment and not get stuck with what happened a year ago.  How do you feel about how the Beilock administration has moved forward from May 1 PY: The Beilock administration has been really unresponsive Especially with the election of the new president there have been a lot of authentic concerns over student safety and student security relating to protests.  I spoke to her in person and asked ‘Are you willing to commit instead of just saying these vague words about protecting students Are you willing to commit to any kind of specific policy or statement or position in order to actually ensure student safety?’ She refused to commit to anything.  There is a lot of concern about student safety and freedom of expression One of the biggest concerns is that Beilock and the administration are completely avoiding taking responsibility or having some sort of definite position regarding students’ freedom of speech and protecting student rights The administration should commit to an actual tangible position on how they will stand up for student rights against Immigration Customs Enforcement raids I think that’s what a college should do and especially what a college president should do.  This interview has been edited for clarity and length pens blistering attack on Trump’s deportation policies Mohsen Mahdawi, the Palestinian green-card holder and Columbia University student freed on Wednesday after more than two weeks in immigration detention has issued a stark warning about the US’s descent into authoritarianism “Once the repression of dissent, in the name of security, becomes a key objective of a government, authoritarian rule and even martial law are not far off. When they look at my case, all Americans should ask themselves: what is left of our democracy, and who will be targeted next?” said Mahdawi in an op-ed for the New York Times Read moreHe is among a growing number of international students who have been ordered deported for their Palestinian rights advocacy by the Trump administration which is using an obscure law to accuse these individuals of posing a threat to US foreign policy interests Mahdawi avoided being sent to a Louisiana detention facility after the Ice agents narrowly missed the flight allowing his attorneys to challenge the deportation order in Vermont “Despite spending 16 nights in a jail cell I never lost hope in the inevitability of justice and the principles of democracy I wanted to become a citizen of this country because I believe in the principles that it enshrines,” writes Mahdawi “The American government accuses me of undermining US foreign policy, a patently absurd pretext for deportation for political speech that the Trump administration dislikes The government is scraping the bottom of the barrel in its attempts to smear me My only ‘crime’ is refusing to accept the slaughter of Palestinians I have simply insisted that international law must be respected I believe the way to a just and long-lasting peace for Palestinians and Israelis is through diplomacy and restorative justice.” Mahdawi was born and raised in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank where as a child he bore witness to the death of his brother after he was denied access to medical care and the detention and imprisonment of multiple close relatives including his grandfather and father by Israeli forces Moving to the US in 2014 was his first experience of freedom I sought American citizenship not only because I did not want to lose the freedom I enjoyed as a permanent resident but even more so because I believe in the principles and values of democracy which this country stipulates in its founding documents,” he wrote in the Times “These very freedoms are under attack today The Trump administration is hewing to Israel’s playbook: Under the thinly veiled guise of security rights are being denied and due process eliminated Free newsletterA deep dive into the policies controversies and oddities surrounding the Trump administration the Trump administration is sending a clear message: There is no room for dissent It seems willing to shield an extremist Israeli government from criticism at the expense of constitutional rights all while suppressing the possibility of a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis Israel’s war on Gaza since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack has killed at least 52,000 Palestinians according to Palestinian health authorities Thousands more people are missing and feared dead while tens of thousands have suffered injuries and preventable diseases including acute malnutrition In the ruling ordering Mahdawi’s release on bail on Wednesday Judge Geoffrey W Crawford wrote: “Legal residents not charged with crimes or misconduct are being arrested and threatened with deportation for stating their views on the political issues of the day.” He likened the Trump administration’s crackdown on students and free speech to the red scare and the McCarthy era Upon his release, Mahdawi told supporters and the media: “I am saying it clear and loud To President Trump and his cabinet: I am not afraid of you.” Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir ended his first official visit to the US on Tuesday amid chants of “Free Palestine” by pro-Palestinian demonstrators inside the Capitol building A video circulated on social media showed several supporters of Palestinians chanting "Free Palestine" directly at Ben-Gvir during his visit to the US Congress the extremist minister said he concluded his "diplomatic visit to the United States at the Capitol building holding important meetings with senior Congress members who expressed their full support for Israel." Ben-Gvir arrived in the US for his first visit since joining the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in late 2022 and since President Donald Trump took office in January Ben-Gvir faced pro-Palestinian chants at multiple locations as shown in videos circulating on social media platforms The Israeli minister also encountered criticism from supporters of Israeli hostages’ families upon arriving at a Florida airport according to widely-shared social media videos While Ben-Gvir mentioned meeting US Congress members in his posts didn't say that he met any official from the US administration He also claimed on Wednesday that US Republicans back his call for bombing food and aid stores in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip the US State Department dismissed Ben-Gvir's claim saying his remarks are a “complete contradiction” to US policy The former US administration of Joe Biden had boycotted Ben-Gvir over his anti-peace rhetoric incitement to violence against Palestinians and his support for settlement building in the occupied territories Hardline Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich had faced a similar boycott under Biden but he visited Washington in February under the Trump administration Ben-Gvir and Smotrich rank among the most extreme figures in Netanyahu’s government both notorious for their anti-Palestinian rhetoric and public calls to expel Palestinians from their land The two ministers have openly encouraged settler violence against Palestinians and their properties in the occupied West Bank where attacks have escalated dramatically since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023 More than 52,300 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023 The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave “Pope Francis shared in the sufferings of the Palestinian people and always supported their right to self-determination Pope Francis was a friend of the Palestinian people,” said  Mohammad Mustafa who visited Rome to attend the Pope’s funeral together with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs the politician and economist spoke to L’Osservatore Romano about the Pope’s legacy and tireless advocacy for peace a campaign for the recognition of the State of Palestine if today over 140 countries maintain diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine it is also thanks to the courageous decision of Pope Francis recognised the State of Palestine on behalf of the Holy See I would add that the relationship between Pope Francis and our President but truly one of friendship between two wise men of peace Pope Francis was not only a religious leader but a global spiritual leader—for everyone his daily concern for the Christian community in Gaza and all those suffering in the Strip The situation for Christians in the Holy Land is becoming increasingly difficult Just look at what happened in Jerusalem on Easter Day—the aggressive behaviour of the Israeli police toward Christian pilgrims at the Holy Sepulchre I truly cannot understand the actions of the Israeli government especially in terms of its relations with other religions This is a serious issue because religious sentiment is a fundamental human need must be respected based on humanitarian principles But the Israeli government does not seem to care nor do they heed the outraged reactions coming from around the world We want an Israel with which we can coexist in peace and mutual respect I hope this exclusionary attitude will soon come to an end.” and negotiations appear to be at a standstill It’s simply the realistic observation that there is no alternative to ending the war and resuming negotiations between Israel and us Is Israel stronger today than it was two years ago protests over ending the war and bringing the hostages home are increasing one of the world’s strongest armies has been fighting for 19 months against militias that clearly lack Israel’s weaponry our political stance in this phase echoes Pope Francis’ words: end the war peaceful coexistence between the two peoples through a process of reconciliation whose apparent goal is to kill as many Palestinians as possible and expand settlements on our occupied lands—even then we must maintain hope and work toward a future of reconciliation.” President Mahmoud Abbas launched an unusually harsh and unfiltered attack on Hamas and its leadership—something that had never happened before Could this be a sign that negotiations toward ending the war and establishing a new government in Gaza are progressing “This story goes back a long way—18 years ago which had a detrimental impact on the living conditions of Gazans and on our efforts to achieve the two-state solution The events of October 7 completely changed the scenario starting with identifying who is genuinely working for the freedom and well-being of the Palestinian people—in Gaza and in the West Bank Our political vision of reconciliation is gaining support among Arab League nations particularly Saudi Arabia and many countries at the United Nations There must be one government and one legal system in Gaza and the rest of Palestine Only then can we relieve the entire Palestinian people of their suffering We feel this responsibility on our shoulders with the support of the international community to move from ‘master plans’ to an actual reconstruction plan through an international conference.” But is it realistic to think that Hamas will disappear there are three different levels we must consider: governance and people’s ideologies or political views if Hamas chooses to operate as a political party and rejects the military option it would not be excluded from the Palestinian political arena If it also wished to participate in a unity government and thus join the PLO it would have to adopt our core principles namely the realisation of two states through a peaceful I want to clarify that the government I lead is a ‘technical’ government meant to guide our country through the current crisis nor does it belong to any specific faction it is clear that the only legitimate security forces in our territories will be those under the Ramallah-based government though we will work to foster a culture of reconciliation President Abbas expressed strong confidence in U.S President Donald Trump's mediation efforts Given the breakdown of the truce and recent developments “President Trump's position on the Middle East is clear and his influence on the international stage is strong he will be able to propose an agreement rooted in peace and justice Without a deal that first ends the war in Gaza It is urgent to end the war in the Strip—not just a truce Trump is very determined in this direction His ongoing communication with Saudi Arabia is also important Equally important will be the international peace conference scheduled for June 17 in New York and Trump’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia in mid-May Thank you for reading our article. You can keep up-to-date by subscribing to our daily newsletter. Just click here a plastic surgeon practicing on Long Island met Steve Sosobee while working in a hospital in Gaza last summer Sayeed had been working with a 3-year-old girl whose body — at least 20 to 30% of it — was covered in burns Her family was displaced due to a bomb strike and the state of health care in Gaza was bleak; the few hospitals still operating lacked adequate resources there simply wasn’t enough food to keep her healthy enough to recover “One of the doctors I met in Gaza was from the United States,” Sayeed said “He actually had a joint venture with HEAL Palestine to enter Gaza Sosobee co-founded HEAL Palestine — HEAL being an acronym for health The organization is a non-profit that provides aid to Palestinian refugees in the United States and in Gaza He started the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) 30 years ago as well but when the organization’s board no longer reflected his values “Using my own connections and some of Steve’s connections we were able to get the child accepted to Boston Shriners’ Hospital for burn care and they were able to get the child a passport from the West Bank,” Sayeed said “A few days before she was going to be transferred out I actually had to leave — I was pulled out because there was a plan for an attack on the Rafah border And then two days before she was going to leave and the possibility of her leaving was gone More cases than Sosobee can take on — but HEAL is taking things one step at a time These include deaths that occurred as a result of the bombings of Gazan hospitals deaths by starvation due to the Israeli blockade of aid and food into the region as well as people who are considered missing (as opposed to dead) and are buried under rubble.  The population of the Gaza Strip is nearly twice that of Nassau County.  primarily helping people who were suffering from burn injuries as a result of Israeli air strikes and then to Jordan to try to enter Gaza again Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) wouldn’t allow him in “They don’t really give reasons why they don’t allow people in,” Sayeed said. Foreign doctors of Palestinian descent are not allowed in This includes any person whose parents or grandparents were born in or lived in Palestine whether or not they had a Palestinian ID.   Sayeed said the IDF allowed him to bring medical supplies during his first trip to Gaza but nothing more than one bag for personal items and one bag for food on the second trip which is considered “de-conflicted.” He still woke up to the sounds of bombs nearby.  Sayeed recalled a moment in which he went up to the roof of the safe house In them were thousands of displaced Palestinian families seeking refuge they were left in complete darkness; Israel cut off electricity into Gaza soon after Oct a small light would peek through — usually a cell phone light or flashlight powered by a generator or a solar panel.  which was surrounded by makeshift shelters of sheets and strings People had set up stations outside: barber shops tailoring shops to sew up tattered clothes cell phone charging ports connected to car batteries.  “Everyone is trying to seek shelter, but also trying to live their life the best that they could in those circumstances,” Sayeed said. Minimal aid is flowing into Gaza, and when the Biden administration gave the Israeli government a deadline to begin sending more or risk losing their arms transfers in 2024 a ship carrying aid into Gaza was hit by drone strikes Activist groups accused Israel of the strikes but the Israeli government has not yet commented on the matter No consequences were issued after Israel missed the aid deadline and the country remains the largest recipient of American aid since World War II the deprivation was especially hard to work around Given the shortage of medical supplies faced by the doctors — both Gazan natives and foreigners there on aid missions — treating patients sometimes meant abandoning standard medical practice.  With displaced people living in the hallways of the hospital “You can just imagine thousands and thousands of people using these facilities on a regular basis… and in the operating room itself There are flies because sanitary conditions are poor Some of the patients would have maggots growing out of their wounds Most of the patients were women and children, Sayeed said. The United Nations’ Human Rights Office reported in November that nearly 70% of the fatalities of the war on Gaza were women and children.  Even for those who do receive adequate medical care recovering from their injuries is made harder by the lack of food in Gaza.  There’s no access to regular quality food and protein So they may be getting aid of rice and flour and these things but it’s not what the human body needs to heal these large wounds.”  which is why HEAL takes a qualitative approach over a quantitative one.  “I’m looking for qualitative work in which we can identify ways that we can save the lives of kids,” Sosobee said The process of getting a child out of Gaza and into the U.S so the in-depth focus on each case is necessary “You have to submit their names to an evacuation list the state department will then submit it to the Israelis on our behalf And that gets approved or not approved,” Sosobee explained “So first you have to obviously arrange the care for them then you submit their case for treatment abroad and hopefully we can get them out depending on the U.S.’ ability to push them Sosobee said they have dozens of children waiting to get approval to be sent to the U.S HEAL has already transformed and even saved lives but people from all backgrounds,” Sosobee said of HEAL’s donors Bseiso grew up in the neighborhood of Rimal in Gaza.  “My life before the war was normal… I lived in a cozy house with my family — four sisters and four brothers,” Bseiso said at “Voices from Gaza and the West Bank: Healthcare in Crisis,” an event held at Stony Brook University on Sept Bseiso lost two of her brothers to an air strike on her home: 15-year-old Ahmed She was severely burned on her face and body and remained in the bombed remnants of her home for 90 days without proper medical care Bseiso moved to an out-of-service hospital and then began her trek south until she reached the Rafah border and spent three months in the intensive care unit at Northwell Health.  “We arranged a medical evacuation flight for $180,000… we saved her life with the thanks to the doctors in the hospital all [of HEAL’s evacuees] deserve all the recognition and appreciation symbolizes the kind of organization I want to work on,” Sosobee said.  an English and Arabic translator for HEAL who requested she be referred to by her last name over privacy concerns said “[Sara’s] the first kid to be here — not kid She was only the first patient to the U.S.” who is from Gaza but currently resides in the U.S. said she feels connected to every patient she works with.  “Whenever we provide support and treatment for such kids it makes me feel that I’m giving back but I decided to put all my energy just to give back and to help my people and support them.” “I guess this makes my life easier these days,” she added.  HEAL brought a brother and a sister to Philadelphia for medical care and Ahmed followed up with every step of the case the doctors said they would have to amputate the brother’s leg “Whenever we have this success story for one of our kids or we have another solution that is less harmful for the family… it makes my heart feel so happy that they’re getting the right treatment in the right place,” Ahmed said.  Working on these cases can be emotionally draining but it brings her more peace than doing nothing would HEAL program manager Islam Hijazy was shot and killed teacher and journalist Omar Al Balawi was also fatally shot.  Sayeed said his time in Gaza was difficult — but more than anything he felt an urge to go back once he had left you develop these personal connections to the people that you meet there whether they’re healthcare providers or people in the communities that we cross paths with and made friends with and we still stay in touch with,” he said.  Sayeed stressed the collective responsibility of people to contribute to aid in Palestine.  put it in your words and in your action,” he said at the “Voices from Gaza” event.  “We have a moral responsibility to care for these children and to get them back on track for as much as they can have a normal life when they’ve lost limbs or been burned These are all factors that students in Stony Brook and everywhere around the country and around the world need to be aware and take action on that we can’t stay silent,” Sosobee said.  MEETINGS EVERY WEDNESDAY AT 1 AND 7 PM IN SAC 307K