A Palestinian man sits on the rubble of a destroyed house in the Gaza Strip after 11 days of violence in May. (Photo: Mahmoud Issa/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
We Do Exist: Why the Palestinian Voice Should Take Centre Stage
For Palestine to be free, for the Palestinian people to achieve their full rights and for the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees to be honored, the story of Palestine has to be told by the Palestinians themselves.
By RAMZY BAROUD, Opinion, Common Dreams, 25 November 2021
At a recent New York event, the President of the Foreign Press Association Ian Williams declared, before an approving audience, that it is time “to reclaim the narrative on Palestine”.
This phrase—’reclaiming the narrative’—is relatively new to the Palestinian discourse. Years ago, the concept, let alone its implementation, were quite alien: the pro-Israel crowd refused, and still refuses, to acknowledge that Palestinians, their history and political discourse matter; some in the pro-Palestinian movement relegated Palestinian voices as if they were simply incapable of articulating a coherent narrative.
On 21 October, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz announced the issuance of a military order designating six prominent Palestinian human rights groups as ‘terrorist organizations’. Gantz claimed that they are secretly linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a socialist political group that Israel considers, along with most Palestinian political parties, ‘a terrorist organization.’
10 damaged hospitals; 23 damaged or destroyed medical clinics
14 hours of electricity a day
This week we are taking you to Gaza where we will focus our attention on the confluence of an economy in “free fall,” damage to infrastructure from successive hostilities [from] Israel, and massive layouts during the pandemic. This has wrought new depths of economic devastation, but a report out this week from Al Mezan, a Gaza-based human rights group, has turned our attention to how all of this impacts children. We learned that these stressors are leaving children unable to focus at school and they are increasingly dropping out.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that olive trees are like children to Palestinians
A view from an olive grove during olive harvesting by Palestinian farmers in Nablus, Erst Bank on October 13, 2021. While Palestinian farmers living in the West Bank welcome the olive harvest season with joy, in some areas the joy gives way to anxiety due to the threat of attack by Jewish settlers. [Photo by Issam Rimawi. Anadolu Agency]
Olive trees and harvests have an exceptionally important place in Palestinian culture, especially in villages where farming is the main source of income for Palestinian families. Palestinians and especially farmers have always looked at olive trees as a national symbol that should be kept and protected as it speaks of the thousands of years of their history in Palestine. This special importance has been expressed in the Palestinian culture, through oral history, songs, and poetry.
The author, Abla Mohammad Taher Dajani Daoudi as a teenager in front of her family home in Baq’a, Jerusalem.
The author revisited her old home in her wheelchair recently.
Abla Mohammad Taher Dajani Daoudi, shares her family’s Nakba story of forced eviction. Translated from Arabic by Mary Shehadeh Khoury, This Week In Palestine, August 2021
‘Falling Leaves Turn Back to Their Roots’
Today, I visited our stolen house in the southern Baq’a area, in the western part of Jerusalem, the former Dajani neighborhood. A lifetime of beautiful memories hit me with a force that took my breath away. Standing on the doorstep of the home that witnessed my birth in 1930, I ran my fingers along its iron gate in an attempt to unlock it, when suddenly I realized that I was not allowed to enter. Those who occupied Palestinian houses cannot bear to see the original owners.
Gaza is still suffering “from a particularly difficult economic situation with very high unemployment and deteriorating social conditions”, the World Bank warned in a report this week.
Canadian boat Tahrir under attack by Israeli navy in international waters, November 2011
By Andrew Mitrovika, AlJazeera, 16 November 2021
It is a rare thing that Israel is forced to admit that it has broken the law and has to pay for it.
We and, of course, the Palestinians well know that the so-called “international community” has, since Israel’s engineered inception, allowed it to act with outrageous impunity – despite its long and incriminating record.
So, when the news arrived last week that a dogged bunch of Canadians won a belated, but oh so satisfying, victory against an arrogant government that threatened them, kidnapped them and stole a boat – brimming with medicine and solidarity – destined for occupied Gaza, it was a happy day indeed.
VIDEO: unique footage of the historic entry of the Miles of Smiles international convoy of 27 fully-equipment, new ambulances from Egypt into the besieged Gaza Strip this week.
After many months of planning, preparation, negotiations and tireless effort, the convoy navigated the hazardous journey across the Sinai desert from Alexandria for several days to finally cross the Rafah border crossing to a jubilant reception.
The convoy was preceded a few months earlier, by a fleet of trucks that delivered a huge supply of urgently needed medical aid.
Following Israel’s brutal eleven-day bombardment of Gaza in May, humanitarian organisations around to globe heeded the call from Miles of Smiles to support this mission to help resurrect Gaza’s seriously devastated and depleted health services.
Kia Ora Gaza raised $35,000 to combine with other Freedom Flotilla campaigns from Canada, Norway, USA and South Africa, to sponsor one of the convoy vehicles, which will serve disabled Palestinian patients in the Gaza Strip.
A second group of another ten ambulances is due to arrive from Jordan this week to complete this mission – the 39th solidarity convoy to Gaza (& the largest in many years) organised by Miles of Smiles, who pledge to continue supporting the Palestinian struggle to end Israel’s occupation and crippling siege of Gaza.
John Minto will link the historic struggle against South African Apartheid in 1981 to the struggle against Israeli apartheid in 2021, with contributions from others.
Video compilation: Yusuf/Cat Stevens – ‘Peace Train’ and the ‘Miles of Smiles’ solidarity convoy of 27 new, fully-equipped ambulances heading for Gaza.
Soon after the ‘Peace Train’ solidarity convoy of 27 ambulances broke through the siege and rolled in to Gaza yesterday, convoy representative Abdullah Al-Hajjar from ‘Miles of Smiles’ partner, Medics Worldwide, addressed the welcoming ceremony:
Abdullah Al-Hajjar addresses the welcoming ceremony for the convoy in Gaza yesterday.
Last May, over the course of eleven days, the Israeli occupation launched an unjust aggression on the Gaza Strip, where civilians were directly targeted. The aggression has led to more martyrs, including children, women and people with special needs, as well as thousands of injured people, in addition to material damage to facilities and infrastructure.
In light of a stifling crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, and in the conditions of a suffocating siege that the Gaza Strip has been going through for 15 years, which has prevented the entry of new ambulances that can cope with the great health care needs, the recent Israeli attacks came to further complicate the matter.
The high number of civilian casualties and the great destruction caused by the bombing, as well as targeting facilities, health care experts, emergency crews and their cars, in violation of international and humanitarian laws, the need for ambulances to transport more wounded and injured also increased.
Since the first moment of the aggression against the Palestinian people, MedicsWorldwide (MEDICS) have been working on the ground with an intervention plan that targets the immediate and most urgent needs as well as the continuing and long-term needs, by providing urgent support and assistance to the affected people of all categories, whether they are wounded or displaced whose homes have been destroyed.
We also supported the efforts of the civil defense teams in the work of removing the rubble and rescuing the victims who were under the rubble of the destroyed houses. In addition to urgent relief, we have also worked on more sustainable solutions aimed at developing infrastructure and rebuilding the destroyed health institutions.
At MEDICS we believe in the importance of joint action and the necessity of coordination between humanitarian workers, especially in light of wars and disasters. This project is the culmination of great efforts made to unify work and maximize the benefit by providing (37) ambulances equipped with full technical equipment, supported by humanitarian institutions in various countries of the world.
Here we must thank our partners from Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Algeria, Jordan, South Africa, Britain, New Zealand [Kia Ora Gaza], Norway and Canada [Freedom Flotilla Coalition campaigns] for their generous support to ensure the success of this project. We also thank our partners in the Miles of Smiles convoys for their continuous effort to complete the required preparation [of the vehicles] and high coordination with the relevant authorities in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the Arab Republic of Egypt with the aim of breaking the siege and allowing [the ambulance convoy] to enter the Gaza Strip.
We stress here the need to continue the gift of the free world to confront this fierce and unprecedented attack, which indicates the solidarity of the global human conscience in the face of the injustice inflicted on the besieged people of the Gaza Strip. Thank you to all the institutions that support and fund this modest effort, and the peoples of the free world for their constant support for the Palestinian people in all circumstances.
We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for their permanent support for the Palestinian people and for facilitating the entry [of the convoy ambulances] into the Gaza Strip.
PHOTO GALLERY OF THE SOLIDARITY ‘PEACE TRAIN’ ENTERING GAZA:
Unloading the 27 ambulances from the fleet of vehicle haulage trucks at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing. Another 10 ambulances are due to arrive soon from Jordan.The convoy ambulances enter GazaThe first ambulance passes through the Gaza border control.The ‘Peace Train’ of ambulances heads off to their allotted health care providers to serve the pressing needs of the people in the Gaza Strip.
One of the first ambulances to pass through the gates with lights flashing and sirens sounding.
There were jubilant scenes at the border gate as the first batch of the ‘Miles of Smiles’ international convoy of new, fully equipped ambulances has finally arrived in Gaza from Egypt today.
Sponsored by civil society organisations from dozens of countries around the world, this is undoubtedly the one of the largest humanitarian convoys of new ambulances to break through the harsh 14 year siege of Gaza.
Convoy organisers confirmed that “Today, 18 ambulances successfully passed the Rafah Crossing Point. The remaining nine ambulances are still awaiting approval at the crossing point. We’d like to thank everyone who helped bring joy and happiness to the people of Gaza.”
Miles of Smiles coordinator Dr Essam Yousef added: In my name and my colleagues at Miles of Smiles convoys I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for the solidarity you have given to our people of Palestine 🇵🇸 بأسمي و أسم جميع زملائي في أميال من الأبتسامات أتقدم للجميع بجميل الشكر والتقدير والاحترام لكم جميعا على مناصرتكم لشعبنا الفلسطيني د عصام يوسف
The first batch of ambulances assembled in a Gaza compound today. (Photos: Medics Worldwide)
This coming Sunday 14th November at 4pm – we are live on zoom to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1981 Springbok tour and to step up the fight against Israeli apartheid in 2021. Be there!
The fleet of vehicle haulage trucks depart the compound in Egypt on their way to besieged Gaza with an international solidarity convoy of 27 new, fully equipped ambulances.
MEDIA STATEMENT FROM ‘MILES OF SMILES’ 6 November 2021:
A fleet of “Miles of Smiles” ambulances is due to arrive in Gaza on Sunday 7 November.
The largest shipment of ambulances from the Miles of Smiles convoy is scheduled to arrive in the Gaza Strip, tomorrow, Sunday, (local time) through the Rafah land crossing with Egypt.
The general coordinator of the convoy, Dr. Issam Youssef, said in a press statement issued today, Saturday 6/11/2021, that the Miles convoy, in cooperation with its partners from several humanitarian institutions around the world, has sent a fleet of fully equipped ambulances to Gaza.
Yousef pledged to continue the efforts of “Miles of Smiles” in support of Gaza, and to continue its attempts to conduct convoys and delegations to support the Palestinian people.
Last July, Miles of Smiles sent humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which included quantities of medicines, medical equipment, and assistive devices for people with special needs, in addition to relief aid for poor families. [End]
Kia Ora Gaza combined with other Freedom Flotilla campaigns to sponsor one of the convoy ambulances as part of a large international mission organised by Miles of Smiles.
A 13-year-old Palestinian child, Mohammed Da’das, was shot dead by Israeli occupation soldiers on Friday in the village of Deir al-Hatab, near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The onus is not on colonial powers to behave themselves, but on the rest of the world to hold them to account.
Ramzy Baroud
The international uproar in response to Israel’s approval of a massive expansion of its illegal settlement enterprise in the occupied West Bank may give the impression that such a reaction could, in theory, force it to abandon its plans. Alas, it will not, because the statements of concern, regret, disappointment and even outright condemnation are rarely followed up with meaningful action.
A convoy of 27 new, fully-equipped ambulances is on its way to bomb-ravaged Gaza from Egypt as part of a huge international solidarity mission to help resurrect the besieged enclave’s health services devastated by Israel’s siege and recurring brutal bombardments.
Kia Ora Gaza and Freedom Flotilla Coalition campaigns are among the dozens of humanitarian organisations around the world which have supported this mission, headed by Miles of Smiles, by sponsoring the ambulances.
Follow this website for further updates.
A fleet of giant vehicle haulage trucks are loaded and now on the hazardous road through the Sinai desert to Gaza.
Israeli Envoy to the United Nations (UN) Gilad Erdan on Friday tore to pieces the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)’s annual report while on the podium of the UN General Assembly, claiming it was biassed against Israel, news agencies reported.
Palestinian protesters are attacked by Israeli forces as they demonstrate against the bulldozing of a cemetery in Jerusalem. (Photo: ActiveStills.org)
Palestine Chronicle, 28 October 2021
Israeli forces attacked protesters who gathered and held prayers at the Islamic cemetery of Al-Yusufiyah, where graves have been dug up and the site desecrated, The New Arab reported, adding that one of the protesters was detained by Israeli police.
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein, said the planned theme park is an assault on the dead.
“The graves of human beings cannot be violated no matter the gender, nationality or religion,” he said.
Israeli authorities have claimed that authorized burials at the cemetery will be untouched but video footage has shown a Palestinian woman being dragged away as she clung onto one of the graves which reportedly belonged to her deceased son.
Kia Ora Gaza is a New Zealand network dedicated to support international efforts to break the inhumane and illegal Israeli siege and naval blockade of Gaza by delivering humanitarian aid, fostering fraternal relations, enhancing understanding of Palestine and the Middle East, and cooperating with others who have similar aims.
Kia Ora Gaza promotes human rights, and solidarity for the people of Palestine and their struggle for justice, peace and freedom.
Our website and facebook pages underscore and promote these goals, however posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Kia Ora Gaza or our partners.
All forms of racism and discrimination are the antithesis of justice, peace and freedom. Kia Ora Gaza social media will not tolerate any act or discourse which adopts or promotes, among others: racism, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, sexism, xenophobia, or homophobia.
Kia Ora Gaza is a member of the international Freedom Flotilla Coalition - website: freedomflotilla.org and part of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa. Website: www.PSNA.nz
Postal address: Kia Ora Gaza, PO Box 86022, Mangere East, Auckland, New Zealand 2158.
KIA ORA GAZA PROJECTS
Kia Ora Gaza was established from a series of public meetings to organise Kiwi participation in international efforts to end the siege of Gaza & promote practical solidarity for Palestine. This followed the Israeli commando raid on the Mavi Mamara-led peace flotilla in international waters in 2010 which resulted in the deaths of 10 civilian peace activists. Since then Kia Ora Gaza has organised or supported the following projects: 1. Sent a team of 6 Kiwis on the 140-vehicle Viva Palestina international land convoy in 2010, driving and donating 3 ambulances to Gaza – part of the $7million medical aid delivered.
2. Supported Kiwi participant Harmeet Sooden to join the Canadian boat, Tahrir on Freedom Flotilla 2 to Gaza in 2011. 3. Sent a team of 4 Kiwis on the “Miles of Smiles” land convoy to Gaza with 10 tonnes of medical aid, 20124. Sent a fact-finding mission for www.kiaoragaza.net to Gaza Nov, 2012 5. Sent donations for food relief following the 2014 floods in Gaza 6. Co-organised nation-wide protests each weekend during Israel’s 50-day bombardment of Gaza in 2014 7. Transferred $25,000 to Gaza for urgent medical aid via Palestinian International Medical Aid in July 2014. 8. Sponsored an education project training young Palestinian journalists in Gaza 2015 9. Facilitated “NZ-Gaza twinning agreements” with a sports club and community centre in Nuseirat refugee camp, Gaza. 10. Co-sponsored 2 ambulances for Doctors Worldwide rehabilitation centre in Khan Younis (Israeli bombing in 2014 destroyed 26 ambulances in Gaza) 11. Maintains website: kiaoragaza.net and facebook pages. 12. Co-hosted the NZ Conference on Palestine, 2013 and 2016 13. Facilitated 2 Maori TV journalists on board the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza in 2015 14. Co-hosted NZ speaking tours including: – Harry Fear (UK doco-maker) & Roger Fowler (Kia Ora Gaza) in 2013
– Jeff Halper (Director, Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions) 2013
– Miko Peled (author) 2013
– Yousef Aljamal (Palestinian commentator) 2013
– Amira Hass (Israeli Journalist, Haaretz) 2015
– Samah Sabawi (Palestinian Writer) 2015
– Emad Burnat (Palestinian Film-maker) 2016
– Ali Abunimah (founder Electronic Intifada) 2016
– Rafeef Ziadah (Palestinian poet) April 2017
– Gideon Levy (Israeli journalist) 2017
– Huwaida Arraf (Palestinian lawyer) and Justine Sachs. 2018
-Dr Ramzy Baroud (US/Palestinian author) 2018
– Dr Salman Abu-Sitta (Palestinian author) 2019
15. Aug 2016 co-hosted special Auckland screening of Emad Burnat’s documentary ‘5 Broken Cameras’
16. Sept 2016. Transferred $6000 raised in our appeal to Palestinian doco-maker Emad Burnat towards a new camera.
17. Sept 2016 facilitated Green MP Marama Davidson to join Women’s Boat to Gaza peace flotilla.
18. Feb 2017 co-hosted film screening event: “The Idol”
19. April 2017, co-hosted three-city NZ tour with Palestinian performance poet Rafeef Ziadah and musician Phil Monsour.
20. May 2017 ‘Salt Water Challenge’ solidarity actions with Palestinian hunger strikers.
21. May 2017 transferred $1000 donation to Al Ahli Sports club in Nuseirat Refugee Camp, Gaza for football equipment. 22. July 2017 transferred our EURO1000 share to the FFC Gaza fishers project via MyCare Humanitarian Care Malaysia. 23. July 2017 transferred $1000 donation to Al Ahli Sports Club, Nuseirat Refugee Camp, Gaza. 24. Sept 2017 the Freedom Flotilla Coalition delivered fishing equipment as solidarity aid to 400 Gazan fishers via MyCare, Malaysia. 25. Kia Ora Gaza co-hosted a public lecture in Auckland on 3 December 2017, by renowned Haaretz journalist and writer, Gideon Levy. 26. January 2018, Kia Ora Gaza organiser, Roger Fowler, attends the Freedom Flotilla Coalition conference in Sweden to plan the 2018 international flotilla to break the illegal blockade of Gaza. 27. Co-organised Nationwide ‘Day of Action’ for Free Palestine on Sat 3 February 2018 demanding the release of all children held in Israeli prisons. 28. Co-hosted a public meeting at Auckland Uni with US/Palestinian writer Huwaida Arraf and Justine Sachs from Dayenu: NZ Jews against Occupation, March 2018. 29. Co-organised Auckland rallies in support of Palestinian March of Return, from April 2018. 30. Co-organised a five-city speaking tour with acclaimed US/Palestinian author, Dr Ramzy Baroud. May 2018. 31. Facilitated NZ participation in the 2018 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza. Selected veteran human rights campaigner and union leader, Mike Treen to represent NZ. Co-organised NZ speaking tour with Mike Treen.
32. The 2021 Kia Ora Gaza appeal for the ‘Miles of Smiles’ solidarity convoy of 37 ambulances and medical aid for Gaza raised $NZ35,000 to sponsor one ambulance together with our Freedom Flotilla Coalition partners. FFC has postponed the next flotilla until after Covid travel restrictions are lifted.
CURRENT APPEALS
The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is organising another international peace flotilla to challenge Israel's illegal 13 year naval blockade of Gaza and for a just future for Palestine - after the Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions have been lifted.For updates visit the FFC facebook page and website: freedomflotilla.org You can support NZ participation in this project by checking the options in the 'How to donate to Kia Ora Gaza' segment below.Appeal target: $40,000 to cover costs of our share of the purchase and upgrade of the flotilla boats, airfares and accommodation for our NZ participant.
HOW TO DONATE TO KIA ORA GAZA
Make a direct payment to our bank account: Kia Ora Gaza Trust, 03-0211-0447718-000, Westpac Bank, Onehunga branch. Afterwards, email office@kiaoragaza.net with your deposit details so we can send you an e-receipt.
Kia Ora Gaza is a Charitable Trust incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957. Registration number 2540065 However we are not registered with IRD for tax deduction purposes, as Kia Ora Gaza is deemed to be mainly an advocacy group.
FREEDOM FLOTILLA TO GAZA: DOCUMENTARY
A MaoriTV media team of senior journalist Ruwani Perera and award-winning, free-lance camera operator Jacob Bryant, returned home from reporting on the 2015 Freedom Flotilla III attempt to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza.
Facilitated by Kia Ora Gaza, the Native Affairs team joined other international journalists on the board the flotilla to observe and document the mission.
Thanks to all those who generously supported the Flotilla project.
Over 100,000 Palestinians were injured and over 2,100 killed during Israel’s 2014 genocidal onslaught. Their illegal siege on Gaza left the medical services without basic supplies.
Kia Ora Gaza Trust launched an urgent appeal for funds towards humanitarian relief in war-ravaged Gaza.
Kia Ora Gaza co-sponsored two ambulances for Gaza in 2015.
Kia Ora Gaza also donated three ambulances packed with medical aid during the 'Lifeline to Gaza' international convoy in 2010.
VIDEO: The manager of the Doctors World Wide Turkey services in Gaza, Mohammed Alkhatib, thanks Viva Palestina Malaysia (VPM) and Kia Ora Gaza donors for jointly sponsoring two new ambulances at their Khan Younis rehabilitation clinic. The video also shows the recently delivered ambulances in service. (Video by DWWT 21 October 2015.) CLICK HERE
Roger Fowler teaching Kiwi-English at Al Aqsa University, Gaza City.
COMING EVENTS
Kia Ora Gaza is planning future speaking tours & other events, in cooperation with Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa and PHRC. Watch this space.
Please note that the planned 2020 Freedom Flotilla to Gaza has been postponed until further notice due to the current Covid-19 global pandemic.
In June 2012, Kia Ora Gaza sent a four-person team to Gaza as part of an international aid convoy. Our Kiwi convoyers were (from left) Roger Fowler, Tali Williams, Gibran Janif and Hone Fowler. This land convoy, which left from Cairo, delivered ten tonnes of urgently needed medical supplies to health authorities in Gaza. In November 2012 Kia Ora Gaza sent Roger Fowler on a fact-finding mission to Gaza (see his reports posted Nov-Dec 2012 on this website). UK documentary-maker Harry Fear joined Roger on a speaking tour of NZ on his return.
In November 2010, six volunteers from Kia Ora Gaza joined an international land convoy which delivered NZ$7 million in medical aid to Gaza. The convoy, which left from London and was joined by other columns from North Africa and the Middle East, arrived at night in Gaza City to a rapturous welcome from Palestinian throngs.
Our fallen heros
We remember the ten humanitarians on board the Gaza aid vessel Mavi Marmara killed by Israeli commandos on 31 May 2010:
Ibrahim Bilgen
Ali Haydar Bengi
Cevdet Kiliçlar
Çetin Topçuoglu
Necdet Yildirim
Fahri Yaldiz
Cengiz Songür
Cengiz Akyüz
Furkan Dogan
Ugur Suleyman Soylemez
by Grant Morgan retiring chair of Kia Ora Gaza 18 February 2013 After two-and-a-half years as Kia Ora Gaza’s chair and website editor, I retired from those roles at our leadership forum last weekend. The reason? Over the past half-dozen years I have researched, written and spoken about how global capitalism is in overshoot […]
by Roger Fowler new chair of Kia Ora Gaza 18 February 2013 Last Saturday, at a leadership forum of Kia Ora Gaza, Grant Morgan stood down as chair of our solidarity network and editor of our website kiaoragaza.net. His departure had been well flagged over the past 12 months. Grant has been busy with […]
Al Jazeera, 29 November 2012. Nicole Johnston reports from Ramallah. Euro News, 29 November 2012. by Ewen MacAskill at the UN & Chris McGreal in Ramallah The Guardian 29 November 2012 The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to recognise Palestine as a state, in the face of opposition from Israel and the […]
by Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed Le Monde Diplomatique 28 November 2012 It is clear that without an overall military operation to uproot Hamas control of Gaza, no drilling work can take place without the consent of the radical Islamic movement. Moshe Ya’alon, Israeli deputy prime minister and minister of strategic affairs, 2007. Over the […]
![Benny Gantz, Israel's defense minister in Jerusalem, Israel, on Tuesday, October 12, 2021 [Kobi Wolf/Bloomberg via Getty Images]](https://i1.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/GettyImages-1235841307-scaled-e1637160418666.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Kia Ora Gaza 