Palestinian refugees’ experience of protracted displacement is among the lengthiest in history. Based on extensive archival and ethnographic field research, Ilana Feldman’s new book provides a comprehensive account of the Palestinian refugee experience living with humanitarian assistance in many spaces and across multiple generations.
The United Nations human rights office said on Wednesday it has identified 206 companies doing business linked to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, where it said violations against Palestinians are “pervasive and devastating”. “Businesses play a central role in furthering the establishment, maintenance and expansion of Israeli settlements,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) report said.
Ambassador Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, delivers the Keynote Address of the Palestine Center Annual Conference. He discusses the work that lies ahead despite the outcome of the U.S. elections.
United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon made some illuminating remarks about Israel-Palestine last month. After a ritual condemnation of Palestinian violence, he added a comment that enraged Israel’s government and politicians. Such crude descent into causality was troubling for Israel. For the head of such an important institution to attribute blame to the country for the current wave of attacks can only be met with claims that the secretary general is a terrorist sympathizer.
By Zeina Azzam
For the West Bank city of Bethlehem, believed to be the birthplace of Jesus, the juxtaposition of hopes and fears is the stuff of everyday life. That Palestinians of all faiths in Bethlehem and throughout the West Bank, Jerusalem, Gaza, Israel, and the diaspora hold onto hope and have faith in a better future is a challenging feat indeed. Starting with the violent dislocation of three-quarters of a million Palestinians in 1948, Israel’s military occupation in 1967 of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, and a number of major wars, military assaults, and oppressive policies, Palestinians have endured lifetimes of injustice.
The Palestine Center’s 2015 conference examines multiple aspects of the current situation, focusing on the context and representation of Palestinians in the media, regional and international politics, and the United States. Internationally renowned scholars, activists, journalists, and practitioners analyze factors on the ground and larger policies in four panels.
In the report, the commission urges all actors to take immediate steps to ensure accountability, including by guaranteeing the rights of all victims to an effective remedy.
By Palestine Center Interns
In order to understand the legality of settlements, it is important first to appreciate the historical significance of the June War of 1967, also known as the Six Day War. After launching a military campaign against Egypt, Israel began its occupation over the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. Then, in response to a retaliation from Syrian and Jordanian forces, Israel conquered East Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Nablus and remaining lands in the West Bank and Golan Heights – land it still occupies today.
Nidal Sliman and Phyllis Bennis discuss the role of international organizations in Palestine in the past, as well as their future role, in light of recent Palestinian efforts to obtain membership and recognition (in particular from the UN and the ICC).
Through educational events, humanitarian support, and cultural preservation, the Jerusalem Fund is helping build the movement for Palestinian liberation.
Connect
The Jerusalem Fund
2425 Virginia Ave NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 338-1958