Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Ray Hanania
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Israel’s Six Day War on the Internet
The fundamental failure of the Arab world to understand the significance of communications, public relations and now the internet has served to undermine Arab causes and allow their enemies to thrive. This failure is most obvious to Palestinians, who watch in amazement as Israel exploits every aspect of communications...
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There is no end to Israel’s lies to justify its atrocities
The government of Israel and its lobbyists around the world have mastered the infamous art of the “Big Lie”. Although they have claimed to be the victims of such tactics used by Nazi Germany before and during World War Two, pro-Israel activists — Jews and non-Jews alike — have...
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Arabs can confront Israel’s racist nature by going to the polls
One of the most difficult and dangerous jobs in Israel is to be a Palestinian Arab member of the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, and for good reason. Such MKs pose the greatest threat to the continuation of Israel’s racist and Apartheid policies and have the power to stop it....
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Palestine-Israel conflict threatens to derail global Women’s March
What do you get when you create a collaboration of activists who share a common cause against the abuse of women but who also come from varying backgrounds of social justice and civil rights activism, and then throw in the Israel-Palestine conflict for good measure? A full-blown war, that’s...
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Christian Arabs should be given a greater role in Palestinian advocacy
The Arab and Muslim worlds are not doing enough to include Christian Arabs in their activism. Too often, the latter —whose numbers have been dwindling rapidly in the Middle East — are marginalised, patronised or simply ignored. Although Christians are often invited to speak at major conferences organised to...
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If America’s ‘core values’ mean anything at all, then anti-BDS laws must be repealed
Last month, Airbnb, an American company that allows homeowners to list their properties for rental to visiting tourists, announced that it will prohibit listings of properties in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank. The company’s decision was morally and legally correct, not least because of the illegal...
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The weakness of international justice and the ICC
It is a proven fact that if you have good lawyers and clever publicists, you can pretty much avoid responsibility for any criminal action in today’s world. This isn’t a recent conclusion. We have seen evidence of this reality many times over the years. The law is manipulated often,...
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Two borders, two sets of refugees, two very different reactions
This week, two protests by refugees at international borders made major headlines in the news. One group was treated with overwhelming sympathy from politicians and the news media, while the other was brushed aside with widespread disdain. At the San Ysidro Land Port on the border between Mexico and...
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How Israel weaponises anti-Semitism to block Middle East peace
One of Israel’s most powerful weapons against the voices of Palestinian rights has been the exploitation of Jewish history — the Holocaust included — to justify its own atrocities against non-Jews. The Holocaust is undeniably one of the worst human tragedies in human history, an evil horror in which...
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Darkish November in Palestinian history
Every November, I sit down and contemplate the fate of Palestine. More than any other month, November has defined some of the most monumental events in the course of Palestine’s history. November begins for me with personal blessings and remembrances that quickly sink into a collection of perplexing tragedies...
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Fearmongering looks set to trump federal indictment in California congressional race
A fascinating political battle is playing out this week in California, pitting one candidate who has been indicted for misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign funds, against another whose grandfather was involved in the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre of Israeli athletes. Republican Congressman Duncan D Hunter is...
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Palestinians struggle under Arab world apathy
This week, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) voted to reverse its recognition of the State of Israel until Israel recognises the State of Palestine. Palestinian National Authority (PNA) President Mahmoud Abbas, who must approve the PLO decision, announced he would end security cooperation with Israel. Both are justified actions...
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Failure to answer Khashoggi killing concerns stymies drive for moderation
The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi was a savage and brutal crime that shocked the world. His murder had ramifications that were far more serious than anyone, including the killers, could have envisioned or imagined. What’s more, the bungling of the investigation into the killing has undermined all...
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US media exploits Khashoggi torture-killing for its own agenda
A recent story in the New York Times inadvertently raises issues about the hypocrisy of the mainstream news media in championing the details of the tragic torture and murder of Jamal Khashoggi. The story, published on Wednesday, was headlined “How one journalist’s death provoked a backlash that thousands dead...
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Understanding US politics and perception is key to Palestinian statehood
No one believes that there will be a seismic shift in how American politicians or the voting public views Palestine, Israel or the Arab world as a result of next month’s US elections. Arabs vote with their emotion, not their money or their reason. They expect Americans to do...