US President Joe Biden’s First Visit to the Middle East: Palestinian Reactions Article Biden reiterated he is still in favor of a two-state solution, even if it would not become reality in the near future. He neither made political commitments, nor apparently brought up new concrete visions how to mediate the conflict. Instead, he promised additional financial support to the Palestinians. After Biden's visit, the Palestinians once again have the impression that the US has written them off.
The Institute of Palestine Studies Releases Four Issues of Jerusalem Quarterly in 2021 In partnership with hbs, the Institute for Palestine Studies published four issues of the Jerusalem Quarterly (JQ 85 – JQ 88) in 2021 covering a wide range of topics, from Jerusalem-related biographies and examining historical narrative on the city, to addressing new Israeli policies in Jerusalem that impact the lives of Palestinians.
Humanitarian and Development Agencies Call Upon Third States to Take Effective Action to Stop the Annexation of Territory in the West Bank 8 international humanitarian and development agencies operating in the OPT have issued a joint statement calling upon third states to take action to stop the annexation of territory.
European Parliamentarians Write Letter Against Israeli Annexation of West Bank More than 1,000 European Parliamentarians have voiced their concern over a possible Israeli annexation of occupied Palestinian land. Among them were also prominent members of the Green party in Germany, Green members of the Bundestag and the European parliament.
New report by NGOs working in Palestine details economic + humanitarian impacts of 50 years of Israeli occupation New report by NGOs working in the oPt details economic + humanitarian impacts of 50 years of Israeli occupation; urges the international community to press for its end. #50yearsisenough #endtheoccupation
ICAN's mission: Achieving a prohibition on nuclear weapons Background ICAN, the partner organization of the Heinrich Böll Foundation which won the Nobel Peace Prize 2017, was initiated in Melbourne and launched internationally in Vienna in April 2007. Since ICAN’s founding, it has worked to build a powerful global groundswell of public support for the abolition of nuclear weapons.
Lively discussion on “Digital Occupation” On 24th of May hbs Palestine and Jordan, the Palestinian Policy Network Al Shabaka and 7amleh, the Arab Center for Social Media Advancement held a Boell debate on Israel’s “digital occupation” policies. Three media and policy experts presented results of their research and experience on Israel’s control on social media in Palestine.
Threats and Opportunities - The Trump Administration and Palestine The new American president Donald Trump has moved into the White House and immediately started implementing his program. For the Middle East his first announcements and acts don’t spell hope. Palestinians fear that the new administration will side with the Israeli extreme right and that they will be further marginalized. We have asked the prominent Palestinian writer Nour Odeh to give us her view on the new president and what it means for Palestine.
With Scepticism and Hope – Palestinian expectations from the Paris Conference 70 high ranking participants have attended the opening of the Paris Conference on Peace in the Middle East, initiated by French president Francois Hollande. It aims to restart the peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians based on the two-state solution. Israel has declined to participate in the meeting. The Palestinians, who were expected to be present, have postponed their participation to a later stage. What are the Palestinian expectations from the conference in Paris? Sami Abdel-Shafi, who writes from the besieged and marginalized Gaza strip, gives his opinion. By Sami Abdel Shafi
AIDA: #OpenGaza Two years after the last devastating war on Gaza, the situation in the impoverished strip remains grim and hopeless. Gaza’s population of almost 2 million predominantly young people is still suffering the ramifications of this war. Moreover ten years of blockade have left them in destitution. Lack of clean drinking water, recurring and daily electricity cuts, delays in reconstruction and a decade-long isolation from the world has brought the population to the brink of despair. The Association of International Development Agencies in Jerusalem is therefore calling on world leaders to press for an immediate lifting of the blockade of the Gaza Strip. Hbs Palestine and Jordan is part of the AIDA network. Please find below a short video on the plight of Gazans, the AIDA press release and the link to a petition, calling for the end of the siege on Gaza.