BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer Arab Americans have been mentioned more during this election cycle than any other in the past. This is largely due to the inflammatory rhetoric Donald Trump, and other presidential candidates, have said about Arab Americans, Muslims, and Syrian refugees. During his campaign, Trump has referred to Syrian refugees as a “Trojan horse” for … Continued
Jess Denham The Independent Radiohead’s sinister, Wicker Man-esque video for new song “Burn the Witch” is a comment on the refugee crisis in Europe, its stop-motion animator has revealed. Virpi Kettu, who worked on the project alongside director Chris Hopewell, has confirmed that the band wanted to use their much-hyped release to draw attention to … Continued
UNHCR UNHCR is deeply shocked and dismayed at reports yesterday that many people were killed and scores more injured in air strikes on settlements where displaced had sought safety in Idleb governorate, northern Syria. Early reports show children were among the casualties. The attacks are a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and … Continued
Nick Hawatmeh from Warren, Michigan was one of the youngest Arab Americans to be involved in politics. Since high school, Hawatmeh has been involved in local and national politics, commenting on current events, approaching legislators, and advocating for those in need of help. Like many Arab Americans, Hawatmeh was not afraid to be vocal about the … Continued
By Patrick G. Eddington CATO Institute Can the FBI recruit your child’s college sport shooting coach to be on the look out for vague signs that your teenage son—an avid shooter, a great coder, and not a fan of certain federal government policies—is becoming a “violent extremist”? Apparently, yes.’ The program is called “Shared Responsibility … Continued
By George S. Hishmeh, Special to Gulf News
Published: May 5, 2016
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US President Barack Obama is reportedly frustrated that the American public does not see his achievements the way he does, as he is looking forward to a positive legacy after spending more than seven years in the White House. And, of course, the international public is undoubtedly reacting very similarly despite some of his triumphs at home and abroad.
For example, The New York Times underlined his view that “his bailouts of the [US] economy and auto industry… prevented the Great Recession from haemorrhaging into a Great Depression,” and the paper added, “historians agree”. He also pointed out that he has “avoided the military misadventures of his predecessor, George W. Bush” who sent American troops to Iraq on a very unsuccessful mission.
But obviously he overlooks his major failures after his first visit to Cairo, and later Jerusalem, that raised hope in the Middle East and elsewhere that these gestures would usher an Arab-Israeli peace settlement and transform the entire region. His reluctance to press forward in reconciling the Israelis and Palestinians remains a baffling turnabout.
If there is anything that should motivate him nowadays in proceeding once again onwards are the sordid current reports concerning Palestinian youngsters, boys and girls, in resisting Israeli aggression and yearning for justice in the Holy Land.
A recent front-page news story in The New York Times, authored by Diaa Hadid from the Israeli-occupied West Bank, revealed that the number of Palestinian prisoners under 18 more than doubled to 430 from 170 before the stabbings and shooting and vehicular attacks began on October 1. “Of them, 103 were 16 or younger, up from 32.
She wrote: “The increase reflects the Israeli crackdown on Palestinians who throw stones or otherwise confront soldiers and civilians among an outbreak of attacks in which nearly half of the suspects are teenagers. It has renewed a debate over how Israel’s military justice system, which prosecutes Palestinians from the West Bank, differs from the courts that cover Israeli citizens and Palestinian resident of [occupied] Jerusalem, and especially how it handles very young offenders.
“Nobody doubts what she did,” Sarit Michaeli of the Israeli human rights group, B’tselem said of Dima [a 12-year-old girl], but if she was an Israeli child, it would be impossible under Israeli law to sentence a child this young for an actual jail term.” (Dima was sentenced to four-and-a-half-month term but served half the time).
Most West Bank suspects are interrogated alone and reportedly had faced some form of physical abuse and were not informed of their rights.
Last Thursday, another shameless act by Israeli forces was committed when they killed two Palestinian siblings — a young pregnant woman and her 16-year-old brother — at an Israeli military checkpoint in Ramallah where the Palestinian National Authority maintains its headquarters.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas denounced the silence of the international community after Israel shot the couple, following alleging that she threw a knife at an Israeli officer who was just 20 metres away. The recent violence has left more than 200 Palestinians dead.
More abuse of the Palestinian people in the occupied West Bank was revealed last week with claims of a four-fold increase from last year in the rate of Israeli demolitions of Palestinian homes and structures, which reportedly left a record-high 808 Palestinians displaced since the start of the year. According to UN documentation, the Israeli occupation authorities have destroyed some 585 Palestinian structures across the Occupied Palestinian Territories since January.
All eyes, meanwhile, are focused on the upcoming French sponsored international conference on a two-state solution process, which is set to start on May 30. This will be the first concrete step to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process since the failed shuttle diplomacy launched by US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013.
Interestingly, neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis are invited to the meeting, for fear that the Israelis will boycott the event. In fact they announced their boycott of the session, a development that they hope will backfire on whatever the event will propose. In most views, Israel is not seen as a serious negotiator since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shunned any face-to-face meeting with the Palestinian leadership. The participants include the so-called Middle East Quartet — the US, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations — and the 22-member Arab League. But, if successful, an international peace conference will be launched later this summer.
But the focus of this international meeting is likely to be on Obama, who may still be hesitant to make any serious move because of the upcoming US election.
Source: gulfnews.com
Andoula Agency
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday unveiled a statue of South African anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
The unveiling ceremony was attended by Palestinian government ministers, diplomats, the leaders of various Palestinian factions and hundreds of Palestinian citizens.
The six-meter bronze statue of Mandela arrived from Johannesburg to Ramallah on Thursday.
The statue, which was made with the consent of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and funded by the municipality of Johannesburg, was given as a gift from South Africa to the people of Palestine.
Ramallah Mayor Musa Hadeed told Anadolu Agency that the statue was “a message of freedom and equality to the entire world”.
“Nelson Mandela is seen as a universal symbol of peace who still inspires people across the globe,” he said.
“This statue holds special importance for the Palestinian people who have continued Mandela’s struggle against racism,” he added.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney talks to BBC News about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. In her interview, she discusses his disparaging comments toward Muslims and women. Clooney talks about how Trump demonizes all Muslims and portrays them as people who hate the American way of life, despite many Muslims living comfortably in U.S. society. … Continued
BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer It was announced on Monday by President Obama that 250 U.S. Special Forces would be deployed to Syria to help fight the Islamic State, or Daesh. President Obama made the announcement during a speech he gave in Hanover, Germany, and urged European and NATO allies to do the same. The deployment … Continued
BY: Nisreen Eadeh/Staff Writer In a letter sent last week to Secretary of State John Kerry, 28 U.S. Senators expressed their concern about Palestinain membership in the United Nations Framework convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Senators claimed that since Palestine is not a state, it should not be allowed to act like one as … Continued
President Barack Obama traveled to Saudi Arabia yesterday for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit. There, he spoke about American diplomacy with the Gulf countries and answered questions about Yemen, Libya, ISIL, and the future of Gulf-U.S. relations. The full transcripts can be read below. President Obama’s most pressing statements are bolded. Statements KING SALMAN: … Continued
On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at the J Street Gala to honor the recipients of the Justice and Peace Award. In his speech, he reinforced U.S. policy toward the Israel-Palestine peace process. For many, the prospect of a two-state solution loses legitimacy every time Israel builds new settlements or grabs land, causing some to believe … Continued
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