Analysis

'Futile Dialogue' : a Zionist strategy

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 07:07:28 +0100

By Tariq Shadid - The struggle for Palestinian rights has always been operating under tremendous pressure. The Zionist war machine has never ceased its expansionist drift ever since it forced its illegal roots into Palestinian soil in the beginning of the 20th century, and has never changed its modus operandi. It has always paired ruthless military aggression, ethnic cleansing and land theft with a narrative built on misleading euphemisms such as 'progress', 'civilization', 'democracy', 'security...

Tweeting for Khader: major kudos and a point of criticism

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:48:34 +0100

The past week has been an amazing week for Twitter activism for the Palestinian cause. In fact, the achievements could be described as historic. For 6 days in a row, hashtags related to Khader Adnan's hunger strike managed to make it to the world trending list 7 times in total. The success of these online demonstrations must be attributed mostly to those (mostly Palestinian) 'tweeps' who organized it, and secondly to those who responded to the calls in a stunning display of harmony and cooperatio...

My Palestinian Realization - by Adam Akkad

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 06:32:12 +0100

By Adam Akkad - The moment I stopped believing in the 2 state solution was the moment I realized that the path to freedom for Palestine travels through the Palestinian people. Many in the Palestinian community continue to have hope in negotiations and the so called ‘peace process’ due to a belief that only Israel can improve our condition. Our problems will never be solved by Israel; we must solve them on our own. One of the most fatal flaws we can make is to fall in the trap of definin...

La lucha de los palestinos es una lucha contra el sionismo

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:22:47 +0100

Tariq Shadid - Traducción para Rebelión de Loles Oliván - La esencia de la lucha palestina es la batalla contra el sionismo. Es una batalla contra su racismo, contra sus asesinos crímenes de guerra, contra su insaciable apetito territorial, contra de su desprecio por los derechos humanos no judíos, y contra su determinada pretensión de destruir la identidad nacional palestina. Según aumentan las voces a favor de la normalización y los medios de comunicación social se invaden de blo...

Palestinian Culture - by Abbas Hamideh

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:52:50 +0100

The Palestinian culture is part and parcel of the Arab and Islamic world. The Palestinians are deeply rooted in their rich culture and history which contains all 3 major religions of the Abrahamic faith with Islam being the dominant faith practiced by the majority of Palestinians. The Palestinian society and their Holy Land is also solidly connected with the oldest Christian community in the world where Issa (Jesus) was in fact born. Yes, like it or not, Jesus was Palestinian. The cul...

Anti-Zionism in the 21st Century: the struggle continues

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:36:30 +0100

The essence of the Palestinian struggle is the battle against Zionism. It is a battle against its racism, against its murderous war crimes, against its insatiable territorial hunger, against its disdain for non-Jewish human rights, and against its devoted attempts to destroy Palestinian national identity. As voices of normalization are on the rise, and social media is invaded by paid pro-Zionist bloggers, there is an increased need for anti-Zionists to draw attention to the crimes committed by 'I...

Omar Ghraieb from Gaza: we moved on

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 18:41:37 +0100

by Omar Ghraieb, Gaza, December 27 - Today we mark the 3rd anniversary of Israel’s vicious war on Gaza. Three years have passed. Wow. Three years ago today, at 12:30 pm, I was playing with my nephew in the living room when the whole ground shook. Israeli F16s, Apaches and drones suddenly filled the air and bombings were happening. We never guessed it was the start of a vicious war that will leave us with no water, electricity, food or movement for 24 days. I remember running to m...

Sailors jailed, Freedom Waves Flotilla sails on

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:29:37 +0100

by Tariq Shadid - The past years have seen a rise in non-violent activism against the Israeli occupation and against the blockade of Gaza. It is quite important to realize that the success or failure of these actions usually does not depend on the achievement of the direct physical aim of the protest, but much more on the indirect symbolical effects of it. Seen from this point of view, we can safely say that most of the protest activities of non-violent activism undertaken for the Palestin...

Anti-normalization: a necessary part of BDS-campaigning

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:19:08 +0100

by Doc Jazz - Some people have been wondering why the word 'normalization' is being used by pro-Palestine movements more and more frequently. Many seem to be puzzled by this word, not knowing exactly what is meant by it. What probably strikes them the most is that this expression, based on the word 'normal' which ordinarily has a positive connotation, is used in this context as something that is looked down upon or even despised. It therefore seems important to clarify what it means, why it is se...

Did words ever end an occupation? Still, Unity First

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 15:41:24 +0100

by Tariq Shadid - September 23, 2011 was a memorable day. On that day, we watched the President of the Palestinian Authority unleash a barrage of strong words against the Zionist colonialist state of Israel, using language and meanings that we had rarely heard him use before on the international diplomatic stage. He mentioned the Nakba, the ethnic cleansing, the racist annexation wall, Israeli state terrorism and settler terrorism. Interrupted by loud roars of applause from the audienc...

Occupation and the Need for Resistance

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:14:26 +0100

by Tariq Shadid This article was originally published at the Palestine Chronicle (2002), and is also present in the 358-page book 'Understanding Palestine' that contains many essays by this writer. It is available through Amazon. Click on the image to view/purchase. Many admirable volunteers from countries all over the world have felt the urge to follow the voice of their internal instincts, revolting against injustice. Many of them have been putting their lives on the line at various f...

Boats, Boycotts and Backdoor Politics

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:28:44 +0100

By Tariq ShadidLike it or not, we are living in messy times, and the Middle East, bridge between three continents, is the region where many of the historical events of this troubled era are unfolding. The present chaotic situation also has a considerable impact upon the Palestinian struggle for liberation and independence, making it nearly impossible to view this issue as isolated from the rapidly evolving situation on a global level. In times like these, schisms between peoples and ideologies a...

Palestine is Full of Heroes

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:55:28 +0100

By Tariq Shadid This article was originally published at the Palestine Think Tank and the Palestine Chronicle. Republished here because basically, nothing has changed. Although people in our modern times have been educated to believe that having the 'right' ideas, methods or ideologies is what causes revolutions, history teaches us that drastic changes usually happen when the majority of the people rally behind a certain leader, more than behind an ideology. While Palestinian society cont...

Apartheid: some musicians oppose it, some condone it

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:20:02 +0100

As reported in earlier articles on this site, it seems like the world of modern music is becoming increasingly involved in the struggle against Israeli Apartheid. There are some artists who are taking courageous stands in challenging the musical establishment of the West, which is traditionally protective of the colonial Zionist project which calls itself the 'state of Israel'. However, other musicians are openly or quietly portraying themselves as being completely immune to calls from human ri...

Dave Randall, composer of 'Freedom for Palestine', about opposing Israeli Apartheid

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 10:22:22 +0100

Original link: The New Age (Although the Musical Intifada mainly presents original articles, it occasionally posts articles from other websites) --- On the band’s last tour to Israel, Faithless frontman Maxi Jazz and lead guitarist Dave Randall became acutely aware of the Israeli occupation and late last year – amid much public attention – Faithless cancelled its scheduled Israeli gig. Israel is the regional centre for all things cool, sexy and western – or so its government PR machin...

Programma van de Doc Jazz Lowlands Tour

Wed, 04 May 2011 15:02:04 +0100

Wat bedoeld was als een kort bezoekje aan Nederland - het land waar Palestijnse chirurg en muzikant Doc Jazz geboren en getogen is - is inmiddels uitgegroeid tot een druk programma met optredens, interviews en radio optredens! Hoe kon dit gebeuren? Tja het een leidde tot het ander ... zo gaat het leven soms toch? Daarom, ondanks dat het inmiddels vrij kort dag is: hier is dan het programma van de Doc Jazz Lowlands Tour! Hieronder volgt een lijst van optredens, inclusief datum, locatie en ...

Doc Jazz treedt op in Nederland: wees erbij!

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 07:07:31 +0100

Wie weet heb je al wat geruchten gehoord, maar nu is het inmiddels definitief: Doc Jazz (Tariq Shadid) komt inderdaad naar Nederland. De oorspronkelijke reden van zijn bezoek zijn twee chirurgische congressen, maar inmiddels is er aardig wat aan het programma toegevoegd, aangezien hij in zijn vrije tijd muzikant is die een groot aantal nummers over de Palestijnse kwestie heeft geschreven. Hij is chirurg van beroep, woont en werkt inmiddels in de Verenigde Arabische Emiraten, en bezoekt ...

Mona Eltahawy Speaks To J-Street, But Who Is She Speaking For?

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:12:03 +0100

Reproduced from Ikhras.com. Although the Musical Intifada mainly presents original articles, it occasionally posts articles from other websites. Mona Eltahawy who takes pride in being “the first Egyptian journalist to live and to work for a western news agency in Israel” was a big hit at this year’s J-Street gathering. This is a video of her opening remarks at the racist, Zionist group’s 2011 conference. Eltahawy, unlike Ray Hanania and James Zogby, two other Arab-Americans who e...

Macy Gray's Amazing Disgrace

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 11:43:43 +0100

Yes, this may indeed be a provocative and unfriendly title - but I personally think that she had that one coming. Macy Gray today sent the following message on her Twitter: "Dear Israel fans. Me and the band will be there in 20 days. Can't wait. See you then. Peace." How terribly disappointing.Only one day before, she had posed the following question to her fans on her Facebook page: "I'm booked for 2 shows in TelAviv. I'm getting alot of letters from activists urging/begging me to boycott by N...

On Improving Pro-Palestinian Activism

Fri, 24 Dec 2010 09:20:52 +0100

This article was written by Tariq Shadid (aka Doc Jazz) in 2002, during the time when he was a regular writer for the Palestine Chronicle. ZNet, the renowned progressive magazine, then republished it on their website. Although this short contemplative piece was written more than 8 years ago, much of it still rings true. There still is an urgent need for cooperation, and for the coordination of pro-Palestinian efforts. Very positive however, is that many of the people and web-projects mentioned in...

L'acide toxique de Wikileaks fuit dans toutes les directions, sauf vers Israël

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 12:58:22 +0100

Tariq Shadid - Réfléchissons un instant au sens de "fuir". Quand quelque chose fuit, on comprend habituellement qu'une substance fluide supposée couler dans une certaine direction s'échappe de sa trajectoire prévue à cause d'un défaut de la structure construite pour la guider. Habituellement, si un tuyau fuit dans votre circuit d'eau, votre problème principal est que vous ne parvenez pas à contrôler son débit, et l'eau va dans des directions où vous ne voulez pas qu'elle aille. ...

L’acido tossico delle fughe di Wikileaks va in tutte le direzioni tranne che su Israele

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 12:53:47 +0100

Tariq Shadid - Consideriamo per un momento il senso delle “fughe“. Quando si perde qualcosa, di solito comprende una sostanza fluida che si suppone fluisca in una direzione che sfugge dalla sua traiettoria pianificata, a causa di un difetto della struttura costruita per convogliarla. Di solito, se un tubo perde acqua nel vostro sistema, il problema principale è che non si può controllare il flusso e l’acqua va in direzioni che non volete che prenda. Tuttavia, la definizione di “...

El Ácido tóxico de Wikileaks se desparramó en todas las direcciones, excepto hacia Israel

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 12:47:30 +0100

Tariq Shadid - traduccion: Kora Zon // Pensar en un momento en el significado de "escape". Cuando algo "escapa", normalmente implica que una sustancia escapa de su trayectoria establecida debido a una estructura defectuosa construida para guiarla en una dirección. Por lo general, si un tubo tiene fugas en el circuito de agua, su principal problema es que no puede controlar su flujo, y el agua fluye en direcciones que no se espera que aparezca. Sin embargo, la definición de "Wikileaki...

'Peace of the Slave': a dead end street on a journey to independence

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 11:52:41 +0100

Palestine Think Tank - by Tariq Shadid - Albert Einstein, a man recognized as one of the greatest geniuses in the history of mankind, once said: "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." It seems blatantly clear that those who are in power in the Palestinian 'National' Authority have either never read this wisdom, or are stubbornly refusing to understand its meaning, let alone put it into practice. The Americans have announced in the clearest of wo...

WikiLeaks ‘struck a deal with Israel’ over diplomatic cables leaks - Indymedia

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:04:29 +0100

From Indymedia -“Assange met with Israeli officials in Geneva earlier this year and struck the secret deal. The Israel government, it seems, had somehow found out or expected that the documents to be leaked contained a large number of documents about the Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza in 2006 and 2008-9 respectively. These documents, which are said to have originated mainly from the American* embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut, where removed and possibly destroyed by Assange, who is t...

Julian Assange praises Netanyahu - for praising Wikileaks

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 10:19:04 +0100

On December 2, 2010, Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz published an article quoting Wikileaks founder Julian Assange in full praise of Benjamin Netanyahu, "as an example of a world leader who believes the publications will aid global diplomacy."The statements made by Julian Assange corroborate earlier suspicions that drew attention to the peculiar position of Israel in the storm of events following the latest Wikileaks publications, emerging practically as the only country that was mentioned in the leak...

Wikileaks leaks toxic acid in every direction, except to Israel - Tariq Shadid

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:19:02 +0100

(Published also on Palestine Think Tank) Let us ponder for a second about the meaning of 'leaking'. When something is leaking, it is usually understood that some fluid substance that is supposed to be flowing in a certain direction, is escaping from its designed route because of a defect in the structure that was built to guide it. Usually, if you have a leaking pipe in your water system, your main problem is that you are unable to control the flow of it, and water goes into directions whe...

Don't Wait, Declare the State - Tariq Shadid

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:13:26 +0100

Mahmoud Abbas is left with only one opportunity to change the course of a failed diplomatic strategy: he should repair the ties with Hamas immediately, and subsequently declare an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital in the West Bank and Gaza, based on the borders of June 4, 1967. He should stop addressing the Israelis, but instead call upon the international community to recognize the Palestinian state that all the nations of the world have been waiting...

Police state in-the-making - Samah Jabr

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:57:08 +0100

Although United States-sponsored security coordination with the Palestinian Authority started in the nineties, the scale and nature of US intervention in Palestinian affairs intensified through the program headed by Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton that was launched by the Bush administration in 2005. When Hamas ousted Fateh from the Gaza Strip in June 2007, the atmosphere then became ripe to escalate the growth of this political mutation that transformed former "national heroes" into "terrorists". W...

By Means of Deception

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 11:30:46 +0100

"By means of deception, thou shalt wage war". This motto of one of the most notorious secret services in the history of mankind, the Israeli Mossad, in fact forms the essence of the strategy of the entire zionist entity, ever since its inception in 1948. The principle described above is more sacred to the strategists of zionism than even the public secret of the huge Israeli arsenal of nuclear weapons, more than its Merkava tanks, more than its American Apache helicopters, and even more ...