Palestinian Territories
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Joe Biden, Mahmoud Abbas – and the UN
The Palestinian ultimatum
By issuing an ultimatum before the UN General Assembly, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hoped to shake the U.S. from its complacency and force Israel to engage in real negotiations to end its occupation of Palestinian lands. With Palestinians losing patience, the alternative is an upsurge in violence, writes Daoud Kuttab
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Attack on West Bank village Mufkara
Militant settlers sow the seeds of violence
The Palestinian villages to the south of Hebron in the West Bank have often come under attack from militant settlers. But the raid last week on the village of Mufkara by eighty masked men left more than just windows broken. It also nearly cost a three-year-old child his life. Many Israelis were horrified. The foreign minister Yair Lapid spoke for the first time of "terror". By Inge Gunther
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Middle East conflict
"The Palestinians face repression on all sides"
Hamas in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and Israel: Palestinians have fewer and fewer rights, says Khaled Elgindy. The Middle East could escalate at any time. An interview by Andrea Backhaus
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Film review: "Gaza mon amour"
Palestinian world cinema by the Nasser brothers
With "Gaza mon amour", the Nasser brothers have made a film in a genre that doesn't actually exist: regular Palestinian arthouse cinema. By Bert Rebhandl
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US policy in the Middle East
The America that Israel and Palestine need
Joe Biden promised to make democracy and human rights central to US foreign policy. But that means not insisting on Israel's right to defend itself without mentioning its expansion of settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, its policy of discrimination, and its denial of the Palestinians' right to an independent state. By Mohamed ElBaradei
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Promoting human rights in the Middle East
The U.S. and Arab hearts and minds – an impossible task?
As the Biden administration attempts to promote democracy and human rights in the Middle East, it will confront the deep-seated belief among Arabs that U.S. policies are unfair to their central causes and biased in favour of the ruling elite of their countries. By Rafiah Al Talei
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Middle East conflict impacts soccer
Palestine's football dreams take a battering
When it comes to talent, Palestine may well be able to compete with other football teams in the region, but growth and development are hampered by the situation in the Palestinian territories. The explosion of violence between Israel and Hamas in May seriously disrupted preparations for the World Cup qualifiers. John Duerden reports
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Israeli-Palestinian dialogue
Israel, Palestine – and nuance as the moral imperative
As someone accustomed to presenting his country to interested outsiders, Israeli teacher and tour guide Noam Yatsiv makes the case for a more nuanced appreciation of the historical circumstances in Israel/Palestine, deeming it a "moral obligation" of European observers
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Germany and the Middle East conflict
A parallel universe between the Jordan and the Med
The Germans have a fragmented perception of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, and their discourse is dominated by certain catchphrases. All the while, there is a danger of losing sight of reality, writes Stefan Buchen in his essay
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Co-existence and the Middle East conflict
Jews and Muslims find common ground in small-town Germany
An unusual organisation brings Jews and Muslims together to fight hate and promote dialogue. In the small central German city of Marburg they have been jointly calling for an end to the violence in the Middle East. Oliver Pieper reports
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France24: Israel's ongoing parliamentary saga
Dreams of the father guide Yair Lapid, next Israeli PM?
Yair Lapid, like his late father, is a journalist-turned-politician renowned for his staunchly secular positions. But as the centrist politician edges towards the Israeli premiership post, he's stepped out of his father’s shadow.
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Middle East conflict
China fears instability in the Middle East
China has long portrayed itself as a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause. It has also claimed that in sharp contrast to the stance of the USA, its position is based on values. At the same time, it has been building closer political, economic and military links with Israel for years. Mu Cui examines how important the Middle East is to China