Ali Abunimah’s blog

Did Obama's big speech offer any hope for Palestine?

President Barack Obama laid out in a little bit more detail a US “vision” of what “peace” would look like in his much anticipated speech on US policy in the Middle East and North Africa, there was precious little new. Moreover, the speech affirmed that the United States will not take any effective action to advance its vision of a two-state solution. 

Video: Crashing The JNF Fundraiser to "Plant a Tree for Palestine"

On Monday 16 May, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) held a fundraiser at the Lincoln Center in New York City featuring the Broadway play “Scottsboro Boys.” Since the JNF plant trees and forests over ethnically-cleansed Palestinian villages to try and erase traces of their existence we (Existence is Resistance, Artists Against Apartheid, StoptheJNF.org and Max Blumenthal among others) decided to bring trees to give away. Each sapling was labeled with the name of a village that was cleansed in Palestine along with the date (some of which were before 15 May 1948) to “Plant for Palestine.” 

Israel actions "surpass barbarism of apartheid South Africa," group says after Na'eem Jeenah deportation

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign of South Africa (PSC) has confirmed that prominent scholar Na’eem Jeenah is expected back in Johannesburg Thursday morning after he was detained by Israeli authorities, interrogated and held incommunicado on arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport on 17 May, before being deported to Istanbul without his passport or belongings. 

South Africa intervening to bring home Na'eem Jeenah after Israel deports him to Turkey without passport

The Electronic Intifada has received the following update sent by the wife of prominent South African scholar, activist and public intellectual Na’eem Jeenah, Director of the Afro Middle East Centre, who was arrested by Israeli authorities, interrogated and held incommunicado on arrival at Ben-Gurion Airport on 17 May, before being 

South African scholar Na'eem Jeenah trapped at Istanbul airport after Israeli interrogation, confiscation of passport

After being detained incommunicado on arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on May 17, Na’eem Jeenah, director of The Afro Middle East Centre (AMEC), has been deported. AMEC has just issued the following statement from Johannesburg: 

Prominent South African scholar detained incommunicado by Israel

A prominent South African scholar was detained today on arrival Ben-Gurion airport after flying into Israel, held incommunicado without access to South African diplomats and his whereabouts are currently unknown. A press release from the Afro-Middle East Center in Johannesburg, South Africa, of which Na’eem Jeenah is director states: 

Video: Interview with Hassan Hijazi who returned to Jaffa from Syria

This video clip on Youtube shows an interview on Israeli television with Hassan Hijazi, a resident of Syria who entered Israel through the occupied Golan Heights during the 15 May Nakba Day march. The interview is in Arabic with Hebrew subtitles and appears to have been edited by Israeli television. The translation here is by The Electronic Intifada. 

Palestinian Authority violently dispersed Nakba Day march in Hebron

As leaders of the Hamas and Fatah factions meet in Cairo to discuss a Palestinian Authority (PA) “national unity government,” the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, a leading independent organization, has condemned the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority headed by Mahmoud Abbas for violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-o