The Kairos document reminds Jews, Muslims and Christians alike that Jerusalem should be the place where God reconciles with his people and where the creatures of God reconcile with each other. And it affirms the equal importance of Jerusalem for the Palestinian people, whether Christian or Muslim. This affirmation, this unity of vision — not in the sense that everyone must share the same beliefs, but in the sense that the freedom to believe must always be shared — is the document’s greatest strength. Rifat Odeh Kassis comments for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Jerusalem: heart of conflict, beginning of reconciliation 

More than 100 individuals were arrested at or after solidarity demonstrations during Israel’s attack on Gaza during winter 2008-09. Almost all of the demonstrators charged with violent disorder were Muslim, despite the mixed nature of the protests, which were supported by majority-white organizations like the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament as well as by Islamic groups. Sarah Irving reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about UK's discriminatory criminalization of dissent 

It is indeed possible for all of us to “squeeze out of reality some of its potentialities,” the reality that University of Melbourne Professor Ghassan Hage has said is found in those utopic moments that come from challenging our own thoughts, fears and biases. In that space lies the untapped power we seek, to speak the truth without fear or favor. Sonja Karkar comments. Read more about Talking Palestine to power 

It takes an Arab to live in the midst of political divisions, years of siege and occupation, and still say, “everything is fine.” Specifically, it must be an Arab man. Ask any woman in Gaza and she will tell you the opposite. That is, at least, the main message that comes across so clearly in the latest play staged in the Gaza Strip bearing the name “Kull Shi Tamaam” (Everything is Fine), written by local playwright Atef Abu Seif — a prolific author from Jabalia refugee camp. Sami Abu Salem reports from the occupied Gaza Strip. Read more about Play shows that for Gaza women, everything is not fine 

What is misleadingly being called in Israel the “Anat Kamm espionage affair” is quickly revealing the dark underbelly of a nation that has worshipped for decades at the altar of a security state. Next week 23-year-old Kamm is due to stand trial for her life — or rather the state’s demand that she serve a life sentence for passing secret documents to an Israeli reporter, Uri Blau, of the liberal Haaretz daily. She is charged with spying. Jonathan Cook analyzes. Read more about Journalist whistleblower faces life imprisonment, or worse 

There is a nonviolent political option out of the current “peace process” impasse. A new political strategy would involve recognizing this basic shortcoming and demand a return to legality, in effect a return to the days before the 1991 Madrid Conference which launched the past two decades of futile “negotiations” and accelerated Israeli colonization. Hasan Abu Nimah comments. Read more about A new political option for confronting Israel 

It was Sabreena da Witch’s first time performing tracks from her self-produced album A Woman Under the Influence. When her performance had concluded, the Palestinian hip hop artist, also referred to as the “First lady of Palestinian R&B,” left the Toronto crowd wanting much, much more. Tania Tabar writes for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Sabreena da Witch: the first lady of Palestinian R&B 

After decades of military rule over Palestinians and theft of our land, Israeli leaders are increasingly seeing the writing on the wall. They are at least acknowledging reality, if not yet grappling with the consequences. Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi comments. Read more about Israel knows apartheid has no future