An open letter signed by over 20 prominent British Palestinians, including academics, journalists, businessmen, philanthropists, musicians and lawyers, expressing concern over the shrinking space in the Labour Party to discuss the Palestinian struggle. They voiced concern over the Labour leadership’s decision to adopt the controversial IHRA definition of anti-Semitism without reference to the concerns regarding the threat it poses to the right of Palestinians and of party members to advocate for justice for the Palestinian people. Kenneth Stern, one of the drafters of the definition, has warned of the dangers of weaponising the IHRA code which conflates anti-Semitism with criticism of Israel … Continue reading Labour is suppressing Palestinian voices and free speech on Israel, warns open letter

Serbia will not move its embassy to Jerusalem if Israel recognises Kosovo as an independent state, the Times of Israel reported yesterday. According to the Israeli newspaper, a source close to the government in Belgrade warned that formal Israeli recognition of Pristina’s independence would “destroy” Israel’s relationship with Serbia. “This could end up being a real mess, unless there is a compromise on what sort of relationship Israel will end up having with Kosovo,” the source told the Times of Israel. “Diplomatic relations with Kosovo are one thing, recognition as an independent country is another thing entirely. This would destroy the Israel-Serbia relationship,” … Continue reading Serbia will not move embassy to Jerusalem if Israel recognises Kosovo’s independence

Armed Israeli police entered Ofer Prison on 21 January, 2019 Some 219 Palestinian prisoners have died in Israeli detention since 1967, rights groups have said, noting that 60 died due to improper healthcare, 78 were intentionally murdered, 74 tortured to death and seven were shot to death, Safa news agency reported yesterday. Based on interviews with directors of several rights groups fighting for the rights of Palestinian and Arab prisoners, Safa said that there are 750 male and female Palestinian prisoners who are in need to medical care currently being held in Israeli jails. It said that the Palestinian prisoners … Continue reading Report: 60 Palestinian prisoners died due to improper healthcare in Israel prisons

Saleh al-Arouri (L2), deputy leader of Hamas and Ahmad Bahar (C), deputy head of the Palestinian Legislative Council take part in the 19th Friday of Palestine’s “Great Return March,” on Gaza-Israeli border in Shuja’iyya neighborhood in Gaza City, Gaza on 3 August, 2018 Hamas Parliamentarian Bloc yesterday held a meeting for its MPs in the parliament headquarters in the Gaza Strip in defiance of the decision of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to dissolve parliament, a statement said. Ahmad Bahar, the first deputy speaker, stressed during the meeting that Abbas’ decision to dissolve parliament “is illegal” and reiterated that … Continue reading Defying Constitutional Court, Hamas MPs hold meeting in Gaza

Egyptian judge Mohammed Shirin Fahmi (background) listens to the testimony of former president Hosni Mubarak (front), who was ousted following a popular uprisal in 2011, during a session in the retrial of members of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood over charges of plotting jailbreaks and attacks on police during the 2011 uprising, at a make-shift courthouse in southern Cairo on December 26, 2018 Ousted Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday claimed that 800 members of Hamas broke into Egyptian prisons during the January 25 Revolution, Al-Watan Voice reported. He claimed that they infiltrated the Egyptian border from the Gaza Strip in order … Continue reading Mubarak: Hamas members from Gaza broke into Egypt prisons

Palestinian Authority Security forces raid a Palestinian home in the occupied West Bank [file photo] Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces yesterday detained Palestinian Parliament Speaker Aziz Dwaik and a number of MPs to prevent them from reaching their office. In a recorded statement sent to MEMO, Aziz Dwaik said: “We had a press conference to comment on the [decision of the Constitutional Court] to dissolve parliament. We were surprised with this detention.” He added: “While we were at the checkpoint, we received a phone call from the intelligence agency which told us to bring two photographs and go to their … Continue reading PA security forces detain Palestinian parliament speaker