THE NEW YORK TIMES: Experts say the law was written in such a way as to ensure that it was unlikely to ever apply to Jewish extremists who commit similar crimes.
Israel’s Parliament passed a law on Monday that would allow the hanging of Palestinians convicted of deadly militant attacks, but critics say it will almost certainly not be applied to Jewish extremists convicted of similar crimes.
The law is a victory for Israel’s far right and reflects the country’s shift to a harder line against Palestinians in the wake of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the Gaza war that followed. The death penalty has long been legal in Israel, but only two people have been executed in the country’s 78-year history.
The Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, passed the law after hours of debate on Monday night over the objections of Israeli justice officials, liberal rights groups and major European allies like Britain and Germany.
It makes death by hanging the default sentence in Israeli military courts for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. Israeli citizens — both Jewish and Palestinian Arab — could also face the death penalty for killings intended to “negate the existence of the State of Israel.” Experts say, however, the chances it would be applied to Jewish Israelis for attacks against Palestinians are minimal. » | Aaron Boxerman and Johnatan Reiss | Monday, March 30, 2026
LIRE AUSSI :
Israël : le Parlement adopte une loi controversée instaurant la «peine de mort pour les terroristes» : Cette proposition de loi introduite par l’extrême droite a été adoptée en troisième lecture par 62 voix contre 48. »
Showing posts with label Palestinians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palestinians. Show all posts
Monday, March 30, 2026
Friday, March 27, 2026
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Palestinian Man Recounts Brutal Sexual Assault by Israeli Settlers
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The man said his attackers stripped him naked, beat him and zip-tied his genitalia, an account corroborated by family members and a rights activist who were also beaten.
Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Suhaib Abualkebash, with a bruised eye, in Khirbet Humsa, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He said he had been assaulted by Israeli settlers. | Credit...Afif Amireh for The New York Times
Israeli settlers beat a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank, stripped him naked, tied his arms and legs and then zip-tied his penis, he, his family members and another witness said on Wednesday.
“I thought I was going to die,” the man, Suhaib Abualkebash, a 29-year-old shepherd, told The New York Times. “I thought this was the end.”
Several family members and an American woman corroborated details of Mr. Abualkebash’s account, saying they witnessed the sexual assault on Friday by several men among a group of more than 20 settlers who marauded though a Bedouin encampment. The relatives and the American said they had been beaten, too, adding that the assailants had kicked and slapped children during the attack. Family members also shared copies of reports they had filed to the Israeli police.
Israeli settlers have been waging an escalating campaign of violence and land theft against Palestinians across much of the West Bank. It has intensified as Israeli attitudes toward Palestinians have hardened since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the war that ensued. The attacks have increased while international attention has been focused on the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Settlers have killed seven West Bank Palestinians so far this year, six of them since the war began on Feb. 28. » | David M. Halbfinger and Fatima AbdulKarim | Reporting from Khirbet Humsa in the West Bank | Wednesday, March 18, 2026
This is truly a heart-rending story. Is there no limit or end to the cruelty in this world? Are people now totally bereft of compassion and feeling for others?
Many years ago, when I worked in the Middle East, I had many Palestinian colleagues. I have very fond memories of them, too. In work, I spent a lot of time with them. They were gentle and kind colleagues, always willing to help when help was needed. Even on weekends if, for example, I needed help moving house. And they would never take money for the assistance they gave me; in fact, they couldn’t do enough for you. I shall never forget their kindness toward me. So, when I read of Palestinians suffering like this, it touches and moves me greatly. — © Mark Alexander
Israeli settlers beat a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank, stripped him naked, tied his arms and legs and then zip-tied his penis, he, his family members and another witness said on Wednesday.
“I thought I was going to die,” the man, Suhaib Abualkebash, a 29-year-old shepherd, told The New York Times. “I thought this was the end.”
Several family members and an American woman corroborated details of Mr. Abualkebash’s account, saying they witnessed the sexual assault on Friday by several men among a group of more than 20 settlers who marauded though a Bedouin encampment. The relatives and the American said they had been beaten, too, adding that the assailants had kicked and slapped children during the attack. Family members also shared copies of reports they had filed to the Israeli police.
Israeli settlers have been waging an escalating campaign of violence and land theft against Palestinians across much of the West Bank. It has intensified as Israeli attitudes toward Palestinians have hardened since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and the war that ensued. The attacks have increased while international attention has been focused on the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Settlers have killed seven West Bank Palestinians so far this year, six of them since the war began on Feb. 28. » | David M. Halbfinger and Fatima AbdulKarim | Reporting from Khirbet Humsa in the West Bank | Wednesday, March 18, 2026
This is truly a heart-rending story. Is there no limit or end to the cruelty in this world? Are people now totally bereft of compassion and feeling for others?
Many years ago, when I worked in the Middle East, I had many Palestinian colleagues. I have very fond memories of them, too. In work, I spent a lot of time with them. They were gentle and kind colleagues, always willing to help when help was needed. Even on weekends if, for example, I needed help moving house. And they would never take money for the assistance they gave me; in fact, they couldn’t do enough for you. I shall never forget their kindness toward me. So, when I read of Palestinians suffering like this, it touches and moves me greatly. — © Mark Alexander
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Thursday, November 06, 2025
"Fire in Every Direction": Palestinian Author Tareq Baconi on Gaza, Zionism & Embracing Queerness
Nov 6, 2025 | Palestinian writer Tareq Baconi joins us to discuss his new memoir, Fire in Every Direction, a chronicle of his political and queer coming of age growing up between Amman and Beirut as the grandson of refugees from Jerusalem and Haifa. While "LGBTQ+ labels have also been used by the West as part of empire," with colonial projects seeking to portray Native populations as backward and in need of saving, "there's a beautiful effort and movement among queer communities in the region to reclaim that language," says Baconi. "I identify as a queer man today as part of a political project. It's not just a sexual identity. It expands beyond that and rejects Zionism and rejects authoritarianism, and that's part of my queerness."
Baconi also comments on the so-called ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City. "Palestinians are the ones that have to govern Palestinian territory, not this international force that comes in that takes any kind of sovereignty or agency away from the Palestinians," he says.
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Baconi also comments on the so-called ceasefire agreement in Gaza and the election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City. "Palestinians are the ones that have to govern Palestinian territory, not this international force that comes in that takes any kind of sovereignty or agency away from the Palestinians," he says.
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Al-Nakba: The Palestinian Catastrophe - Episode 1 | Featured Documentary
May 8, 2013 | Al-Nakba: The Palestinian catastrophe "The Nakba did not begin in 1948. Its origins lie over two centuries ago…."
So begins this four-part series on the 'nakba', meaning the 'catastrophe', about the history of the Palestinian exodus that led to the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948, and the establishment of the state of Israel.
This sweeping history starts back in 1799 with Napoleon's attempted advance into Palestine to check British expansion and his appeal to the Jews of the world to reclaim their land in league with France.
The narrative moves through the 19th century and into the 20th century with the British Mandate in Palestine and comes right up to date in the 21st century and the ongoing 'nakba' on the ground.
Arab, Israeli and Western intellectuals, historians and eye-witnesses provide the central narrative which is accompanied by archive material and documents, many only recently released for the first time.
For Palestinians, 1948 marks the 'nakba' or the 'catastrophe', when hundreds of thousands were forced out of their homes.
But for Israelis, the same year marks the creation of their own state.
This series attempts to present an understanding of the events of the past that are still shaping the present.
This story starts in 1799, outside the walls of Acre in Ottoman-controlled Palestine, when an army under Napoleon Bonaparte besieged the city. It was all part of a campaign to defeat the Ottomans and establish a French presence in the region.
In search of allies, Napoleon issued a letter offering Palestine as a homeland to the Jews under French protection. He called on the Jews to ‘rise up’ against what he called their oppressors.
Napoleon’s appeal was widely publicised. But he was ultimately defeated. In Acre today, the only memory of him is a statue atop a hill overlooking the city.
Yet Napoleon's project for a Jewish homeland in the region under a colonial protectorate did not die, 40 years later, the plan was revived but by the British.
Episode 2 here.
Episode 3 here.
Episode 4 here.
So begins this four-part series on the 'nakba', meaning the 'catastrophe', about the history of the Palestinian exodus that led to the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948, and the establishment of the state of Israel.
This sweeping history starts back in 1799 with Napoleon's attempted advance into Palestine to check British expansion and his appeal to the Jews of the world to reclaim their land in league with France.
The narrative moves through the 19th century and into the 20th century with the British Mandate in Palestine and comes right up to date in the 21st century and the ongoing 'nakba' on the ground.
Arab, Israeli and Western intellectuals, historians and eye-witnesses provide the central narrative which is accompanied by archive material and documents, many only recently released for the first time.
For Palestinians, 1948 marks the 'nakba' or the 'catastrophe', when hundreds of thousands were forced out of their homes.
But for Israelis, the same year marks the creation of their own state.
This series attempts to present an understanding of the events of the past that are still shaping the present.
This story starts in 1799, outside the walls of Acre in Ottoman-controlled Palestine, when an army under Napoleon Bonaparte besieged the city. It was all part of a campaign to defeat the Ottomans and establish a French presence in the region.
In search of allies, Napoleon issued a letter offering Palestine as a homeland to the Jews under French protection. He called on the Jews to ‘rise up’ against what he called their oppressors.
Napoleon’s appeal was widely publicised. But he was ultimately defeated. In Acre today, the only memory of him is a statue atop a hill overlooking the city.
Yet Napoleon's project for a Jewish homeland in the region under a colonial protectorate did not die, 40 years later, the plan was revived but by the British.
Episode 2 here.
Episode 3 here.
Episode 4 here.
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
What Fallout Does Jordan Face from Trump’s Gaza Plan? | The Take
Feb 12, 2025 | King Abdullah II of Jordan met United States President Donald Trump at a critical moment. With Jordan hosting more than two million Palestinian refugees, Trump’s plan to “own” Gaza and relocate its population puts the kingdom in a tough spot. Abdullah calls displacement a red line – but how much can he push back? In this episode:
• Nour Odeh, Senior Correspondent
WIKIPEDIA: Nakba »
• Nour Odeh, Senior Correspondent
WIKIPEDIA: Nakba »
"Trump Does Not See Palestinians as Human Beings": Plan for US to "Take Over" Gaza Faces Outcry
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Gaza Update: How Do Gaza's Arab neighbors React to US President Trump's Proposals? | DW News
Trump is such a brazen character. – © Mark Alexander
Jordanian King Rebuffs Trump Proposal to Displace Palestinians in Gaza
THE NEW YORK TIMES: His pushback came after President Trump insisted Tuesday that the United States has the authority to “take” Gaza.
A screenshot taken from this article in today’s New York Times. | King Abdullah II of Jordan and President Trump meeting at the White House on Tuesday. | Eric Lee/The New York Times
King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday rebuffed President Trump’s proposal for his country to absorb Palestinians living in Gaza, saying that he remained opposed to a plan Mr. Trump has laid out to clear the territory so the United States can seize control of it.
During a “constructive” meeting with the U.S. president at the White House, King Abdullah said, he “reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“This is the unified Arab position,” he stated in a post on social media after the meeting. “Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all.”
His statement came hours after Mr. Trump insisted the United States had the authority to “take” Gaza, part of an effort to pressure the leader of Jordan and other Arab nations to embrace a forced removal, which has drawn widespread condemnation. » | Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Maggie Haberman | Reporting from Washington | Tuesday, February 11, 2025
King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday rebuffed President Trump’s proposal for his country to absorb Palestinians living in Gaza, saying that he remained opposed to a plan Mr. Trump has laid out to clear the territory so the United States can seize control of it.
During a “constructive” meeting with the U.S. president at the White House, King Abdullah said, he “reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.”
“This is the unified Arab position,” he stated in a post on social media after the meeting. “Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all.”
His statement came hours after Mr. Trump insisted the United States had the authority to “take” Gaza, part of an effort to pressure the leader of Jordan and other Arab nations to embrace a forced removal, which has drawn widespread condemnation. » | Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Maggie Haberman | Reporting from Washington | Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Trump Hosts Jordan’s King as Palestinians Reject Forced Displacement
Feb 11, 2025 | President Trump meets Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House as he escalates pressure on the key US ally to take ethnically cleansed Palestinians from Gaza. Trump reiterated his plan to take over the strip.
King Abdullah said Arab nations will come to the US in response to Trump’s Gaza plan.
King Abdullah said Arab nations will come to the US in response to Trump’s Gaza plan.
Friday, February 07, 2025
'It's Ethnic Cleansing': Trump Receiving Major Backlash for Gaza 'Take Over' Comments
Thursday, February 06, 2025
Wednesday, February 05, 2025
Trump Faces International Backlash Over Gaza Remarks | DW News
In my opinion, Donald Trump’s suggestion is nothing short of OUTRAGEOUS! – © Mark Alexander
Sunday, October 06, 2024
Netanyahu Hits Out at Macron over Call for Halt to Arms Exports to Israel
THE GUARDIAN: Israeli prime minister turns on French counterpart’s continuing efforts towards a ceasefire and end to violence in Lebanon
A call by Emmanuel Macron for a halt in arms supplies to Israel for use in Gaza has been met with an angry rebuttal from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The French president’s comments were directed mainly at the US and were part of continuing French efforts to revive its call for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
France provides few arms to Israel but is keen to strengthen its longstanding influence in Lebanon by showing it wants the US to put some genuine pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire. Washington appeared to mount little diplomatic resistance when Israel – after sending mixed signals – rejected a US-French plan for a 21 day ceasefire in Lebanon announced at the UN in New York nearly a fortnight ago.
In an interview recorded on Monday, but broadcast on Saturday, Macron told France Inter radio: “I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop supplying weapons to lead the fighting in Gaza.” » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Sunday, October 6, 2024
To my great surprise, Emmanuel Macron is on the wrong side of history on this! Macron is ignoring what Hamas did to Israel and Israelis on October 7th, 2023, and he is ignoring the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu with our help will be able to rid the world of the scourges of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hamas. The Palestinian question will never be solved with these two rogue powers undermining peace in the region. We all want the very best for Palestinians. These poor people have suffered enough. But we cannot help Palestinians attain peace and prosperity if Iran and Hamas are big players in the region. They will sour it all. And let us not forget the heinous crimes that Hamas committed against the Israelis in 2023. – © Mark Alexander
A call by Emmanuel Macron for a halt in arms supplies to Israel for use in Gaza has been met with an angry rebuttal from the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The French president’s comments were directed mainly at the US and were part of continuing French efforts to revive its call for a ceasefire in Lebanon.
France provides few arms to Israel but is keen to strengthen its longstanding influence in Lebanon by showing it wants the US to put some genuine pressure on Israel to accept a ceasefire. Washington appeared to mount little diplomatic resistance when Israel – after sending mixed signals – rejected a US-French plan for a 21 day ceasefire in Lebanon announced at the UN in New York nearly a fortnight ago.
In an interview recorded on Monday, but broadcast on Saturday, Macron told France Inter radio: “I think that today, the priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop supplying weapons to lead the fighting in Gaza.” » | Patrick Wintour, Diplomatic editor | Sunday, October 6, 2024
To my great surprise, Emmanuel Macron is on the wrong side of history on this! Macron is ignoring what Hamas did to Israel and Israelis on October 7th, 2023, and he is ignoring the fact that Benjamin Netanyahu with our help will be able to rid the world of the scourges of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hamas. The Palestinian question will never be solved with these two rogue powers undermining peace in the region. We all want the very best for Palestinians. These poor people have suffered enough. But we cannot help Palestinians attain peace and prosperity if Iran and Hamas are big players in the region. They will sour it all. And let us not forget the heinous crimes that Hamas committed against the Israelis in 2023. – © Mark Alexander
Sunday, November 26, 2023
Rudy Rochman: Healing Palestinian Hate (Coming from Jews)
Feb 7, 2023 | Moments before the first rockets hit Jerusalem in May initiating the summer conflict of 2021, The Home (HaBayit) activists were engaging with different voices on the streets of Jerusalem about the future of the Land and its inhabitants.
A passionate conversation was sparked with young Israeli teenagers as they were challenged on their perspective on the conflict and future. Unfortunately, both the Israeli & Palestinian youth have been brought into a world with an ongoing conflict forcing both peoples to often see the other side as the enemy. Xenophobia usually stems from misinformation, negative experiences, or even a lack of positive experiences with another group. This is why it is so important to begin humanizing both sides, engaging with each other, and learning the other narrative/identity/experience/aspirations in order to have a more inclusive vision of what the future must look like.
Israelis who hate Arabs/Palestinains are a minority, but they very much so do exist. It is the responsibility of both peoples to also look within and to heal the elements of rejection that prevent or delay the unification of the Land and its inhabitants. The conversations had with Israelis who reject Palestinians are usually internal, but in this moment we were able to capture the conversation and upload it for all to understand how deep the trauma runs, and how much we can grow out of this reality if we begin to invest our energies in healing and building, rather than rejecting and attacking.
A passionate conversation was sparked with young Israeli teenagers as they were challenged on their perspective on the conflict and future. Unfortunately, both the Israeli & Palestinian youth have been brought into a world with an ongoing conflict forcing both peoples to often see the other side as the enemy. Xenophobia usually stems from misinformation, negative experiences, or even a lack of positive experiences with another group. This is why it is so important to begin humanizing both sides, engaging with each other, and learning the other narrative/identity/experience/aspirations in order to have a more inclusive vision of what the future must look like.
Israelis who hate Arabs/Palestinains are a minority, but they very much so do exist. It is the responsibility of both peoples to also look within and to heal the elements of rejection that prevent or delay the unification of the Land and its inhabitants. The conversations had with Israelis who reject Palestinians are usually internal, but in this moment we were able to capture the conversation and upload it for all to understand how deep the trauma runs, and how much we can grow out of this reality if we begin to invest our energies in healing and building, rather than rejecting and attacking.
Thursday, November 23, 2023
Number of Palestinians Killed Is ‘Truly Unbearable’, Says Spanish PM
THE GUARDIAN: Pedro Sánchez says all civilians must be protected in Israel-Hamas war and reiterates call for two-state solution
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has urged Israel to rethink its offensive in Gaza, telling its president and prime minister the number of dead Palestinians is “truly unbearable”, and that the response to Hamas’s terrorist attacks last month cannot include “the deaths of innocent civilians, including thousands of children”.
Sánchez’s blunt pleas came during a visit to the Middle East with the Belgian prime minister, Alexander de Croo, during which he called for a peace conference and reiterated that the creation of a Palestinian state remained the best way to bring peace and security to the region.
Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 239 taken hostage when Hamas fighters crossed the border from Gaza on 7 October. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 14,100 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes. (With video) » | Sam Jones | Thursday, November 23, 2023
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has urged Israel to rethink its offensive in Gaza, telling its president and prime minister the number of dead Palestinians is “truly unbearable”, and that the response to Hamas’s terrorist attacks last month cannot include “the deaths of innocent civilians, including thousands of children”.
Sánchez’s blunt pleas came during a visit to the Middle East with the Belgian prime minister, Alexander de Croo, during which he called for a peace conference and reiterated that the creation of a Palestinian state remained the best way to bring peace and security to the region.
Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 239 taken hostage when Hamas fighters crossed the border from Gaza on 7 October. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 14,100 people have been killed in Israel’s retaliatory strikes. (With video) » | Sam Jones | Thursday, November 23, 2023
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Outrage Grows after ‘Chilling Call for Genocide’ by Florida Republican
THE GUARDIAN: Calls to censure Michelle Salzman, who said, ‘All of them’ when Democrat asked: ‘How many [dead Palestinians] will be enough?’
Michelle Salzman, a Florida state representative, in Tallahassee last year. Photograph: Phelan M Ebenhack/AP
Outrage continues to grow over a public comment made by a Florida state Republican lawmaker calling for all Palestinians to die.
The remarks came during a debate in the state legislature about calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has so far killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, many of whom are children. The assault came after Hamas fighters attacked Israel from Gaza, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostage.
In the speech in support of the ceasefire resolution, the Democratic Florida state representative Angie Nixon said: “We are at 10,000 dead Palestinians. How many will be enough?”
“All of them,” Michelle Salzman called in reply. » | Erum Salam | Friday, November 10, 2023
Outrage continues to grow over a public comment made by a Florida state Republican lawmaker calling for all Palestinians to die.
The remarks came during a debate in the state legislature about calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s invasion of Gaza, which has so far killed more than 10,000 Palestinians, many of whom are children. The assault came after Hamas fighters attacked Israel from Gaza, killing at least 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostage.
In the speech in support of the ceasefire resolution, the Democratic Florida state representative Angie Nixon said: “We are at 10,000 dead Palestinians. How many will be enough?”
“All of them,” Michelle Salzman called in reply. » | Erum Salam | Friday, November 10, 2023
Friday, November 10, 2023
The Great Reconciliation / Die große Versöhnung / La grande réconciliation / المصالحة الكبرى
Kiss between a Jew and a Palestinian by Italian photographer Matteo Menicocci. For a large image, click here.
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