Kehlani releases pro-Palestine song ‘Next 2 U’, highlighting role of artists during revolutions

The artist repurposed a love song from their upcoming album for the cause.

DAWN
Images Staff
01 Jun, 2024

In a bold and much-needed move, R&B artist Kehlani Ashley Parrish, known mononymously as Kehlani, has released a pro-Palestine song titled ‘Next 2 U,’ making a powerful statement as many musicians choose to remain silent amid Israel’s assault on Gaza.

The music video features Kehlani and a group of dancers donning keffiyehs and dancing in front of Palestinian flags — a show of solidarity for the Palestinian cause. The song’s lyrics, originally about a lover, have been repurposed into a declaration of defence.

Announcing the song’s release on Instagram, Kehlani wrote, “‘The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible’ –– Toni Cade Bambara. As an artist, I was nervous, terrified and worried after losing so much of what I’d valued for an album I worked incredibly hard on to my humanity, paired with the crippling wonder of what music is appropriate to drop during the most historical tragedies of our generation.”

Kehlani recalled their favourite revolutionary poets, singers, and filmmakers. She remembered how much impact artists have. “I thought about my favourite James Baldwin quotes about the role of an artist in society. I listened to this song enough to recognise a love song IS a protector’s song. [It] IS the revolution.”

‘Next 2 U’s’ music video opens with the popular anti-war quote from Palestinian poet Hala Alyan: “Keep your moon / We have our own / Keep your army / We have our name / Keep your flag / We have fruits and in / All the right colours.” The excerpt sets the tone for the rest of the music video.

“They gon’ have to come get me / They gon’ have to see about me / to get next to you,” Kehlani sings in the track. ‘Next 2 U’ is a lead single from their upcoming, yet-to-be-announced album. “I don’t care what they offer, I’m protecting you,” she repeats.






The song’s trap beat, coupled with Kehlani’s delivery makes for a heartfelt yet stern declaration. The choir thing in the intro is pretty interesting before the song quickly breaks into a vague chant that doesn’t say much about the cause. Thankfully, the strong imagery makes up for the songwriting that at times, leaves much to be desired — even for a love song.

A closing message reads, “We tried to make a scroll honouring the names of thousands of deceased children. The list was so long that our fastest scroll at three minutes was illegible.”

Instead of displaying the names within the video, Kehlani encourages viewers to read the extensive list “at your own pace,” urging them to acknowledge the human cost of the conflict.

Kehlani’s ‘Next 2 U’ isn’t just a statement, it’s also a call for awareness, amplifying the voices of those affected by Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza. The artist’s courageous song, much like Macklemore’s ‘Hind’s Hall’, should remind the world of the power of music to influence and inspire change.

Racist, neo-Nazi narratives not an obstacle for far right AfD as it advances in Germany’s east

Roland Schliewe of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) said demanding jobs could not be given to North Africans because they had a low IQ.

EAST GERMANY WAS STALINIST

STALINISM IS FASCISM

Saturday 01/06/2024

A demonstrator holds up a placard reading “Never again – no stage for AfD” during a protest against the electoral campaign meeting of the far-right AfD party ahead of the European Parliament election in Marl, western Germany. AFP

SONNEBERG, Germany

In a recent discussion by the east German district council of Sonneberg about getting refugees into work, Roland Schliewe of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) said demanding jobs could not be given to North Africans because they had a low IQ.

Despite the remarks, recorded in a transcript obtained by Reuters, Schliewe was re-elected to Sonneberg’s council on Sunday. The AfD won 26 percent of the vote across the state of Thuringia, up eight points from 2019.

In neighbouring Hildburghausen, a man who sells merchandise featuring Nazi and Ku Klux Klan motifs won 25 percent and is now in a run-off to become district administrator.

Such events were for decades unthinkable in a Germany so traumatised by the Nazi era that it installed checks and balances to prevent right-wing extremists ever taking power again. But with a national election next year, and the AfD polling second at around 16 percent, it must face the fact that right-wing extremism is now widely accepted in the poorer eastern regions such as Thuringia and changing the shape of politics in west Germany too.

Interviews with a dozen local politicians as well as political analysts and a top intelligence official show how the discourse of extremism in Thuringia is being normalised and fomenting anger towards certain groups of society like refugees and climate activists.

The AfD portrays itself as the target of a complacent, self-serving establishment that it stands ready to sweep away.

In its heartland, formerly communist eastern Germany, incomes are lower, mainstream parties are less rooted, and democracy is only three decades old. The party is suspected of “extremism” by the BfV domestic intelligence agency at national level and certified as such in Thuringia. Its national surge over the past year, helped by a cost-of-living crisis, has been dented only slightly by a string of scandals.

It made gains on Sunday in district and city councils in Thuringia and reached June 9 run-offs for governing posts in nine districts.

“They are incrementally conquering the lower levels, conquering spaces,” said political scientist Oliver Lembcke at the University of Bochum. “And this is possible because in some regions now, people feel freer to support the AfD openly.”

As well as rejecting immigration, the AfD is an aggressive opponent of “green” measures to cut fossil fuel emissions, an issue that has spurred farmer protests across Germany and Europe.

Stephan Kramer, head of Thuringia’s domestic intelligence agency, said it was normalising the discourse of extremism, defined as attacking the democratic basis of Germany’s constitution.

“This leads to further disinhibition and radicalisation in parts of the population,” he told Reuters. “Everyday interactions are becoming increasingly aggressive.”

Marcel Rocho, 44, owner of a bar in the town of Sonneberg, said an AfD city councillor had once toasted a friend with the Nazi greeting “Sieg Heil!” (“Hail Victory!”). The councillor, who was also re-elected on Sunday, denies the allegations.

“Ten years ago, you might have heard these kinds of greetings in someone’s garage, but not in public, like now.”

The AfD has not made it into state or federal government as other parties refuse to form a coalition with it.

But it leads surveys ahead of three eastern regional assembly elections in September, including Thuringia. It may not be able to govern afterwards, but already in Thuringia, opposition parties have passed laws with AfD support. Nationwide, the AfD also has little chance of attaining power next year. But its role in eroding the vote of traditional parties is set to promote more strained and ultimately unpopular alliances of unlikely bedfellows, such as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s current Social Democrat-Liberal-Green coalition, just as, in Kramer’s words, “hatred and agitation dominate the political climate of discussion”.

“The enemies of democracy are using their democratic rights in the parliaments to delegitimise and destabilise the state by deliberately destroying trust in democracy and its institutions,” he said.

Germans often nervously evoke the rise of the Nazis in the weak inter-war Weimar Republic, after the humiliating defeat of the German Reich in World War One and the Great Depression.

Kramer said today’s Germany had a much more robust democratic tradition, but there were parallels in the current discontent and erosion of faith in democracy.

German authorities are supposed to vet candidates for extremism. Yet critics say they are failing, perhaps because they are complacent, lack resources, fear retaliation or, more worryingly, because they are themselves increasingly right-wing.

Robert Sesselmann passed his “democracy check” last year after being elected district administrator in Sonneberg with 53 percent, even though Thuringia’s BfV delivered a ten-page dossier on him. It was the first time the AfD had won a governing post.

Once in office, he tried to cut funds for civic education projects including trips for teenagers to the Nazi concentration camp at Buchenwald, four councillors told Reuters. Sesselmann said the district’s optional services in particular are being scrutinised due to budget consolidation.

In a speech at an AfD event last October, recorded and posted on Facebook, he said refugees habitually turned to drug dealing or other illegal business when given cash, and so should only get material support instead.

He said it hurt him to spend funds on health because it was not going to “our people” but to refugees who had no health insurance.


Co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party Alice Weidel waves on stage during the electoral campaign meeting of the far-right Alternative fof Germany AfD ahead of the European Parliament election in Marl, western Germany. AFP

Attacks on refugees

Such rhetoric has made life hard for Sonneberg’s refugees.

Ukrainian refugee Iryna Holovko, 39, said her daughter had been bullied at school, and added: “I was walking down the street when someone just stuck their middle finger up at me and told me to go back to my country … Then, when I was at the hospital, people were asking why Ukrainians were always sick and needing treatment.”

Last year, Sonneberg recorded 20 incidents of right-wing violence, including on refugee shelters, against four in 2022, according to the rights group Ezra.

And Heidi Buettner, former councillor for the Greens in Sonneberg, said a note was pushed through her letterbox calling her a “Dirty Green swine”.

Many people are being put off political activity, Thuringia Greens chief Max Reschke said.

Mainstream parties are struggling to engage younger people, and fielded fewer candidates in Thuringia’s local elections this year than in 2019.

Meanwhile the AfD, only 11 years old, has been expanding, and fielded 44 percent more candidates.

“We are seeing a clearing-out of established political culture,” said political scientist Lembcke. “Meanwhile, the AfD doesn’t face as much stigma any more and is filling the void.”


Written BySarah Marsh, Andreas Rinke

The quagmire of historical responsibility

Germany's misguided fight against anti-Semitism

"Aggressive rhetoric is not helpful when it comes to protecting Germany's Jewish minority from anti-Semitic aggression," writes Dembowski. "We need diligent and discerning analysis"

 (image: REUTERS/Annegret Hilse)

Assessing Israel more critically than other nations is considered anti-Semitic. Yet treating Israel more favourably is problematic too. Philo-Semitism – the unquestioning endorsement of anything Jewish – does not help in the fight against anti-Semitic prejudice

Commentary by Hans Dembowski

·01.06.2024

We generally expect Muslims to disown extremism and make a commitment to Israel's right to exist. Otherwise, they will not be listened to.

That is not how we treat Israelis. Zionist extremists who build settlements in the West Bank are considered a fringe community that deserves so little attention that we do not expect anyone to disown them. We tend to ignore that these extremists are present in Israel's cabinet. Just like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself, they reject the right of any Palestinian state to exist. The settlements, by the way, are protected by Israel's official security forces and enjoy government subsidies.

Not only Palestinian terrorism has been obstructing peace for decades; Israeli extremists bear responsibility too. Let's not forget that Yitzhak Rabin, the peace-oriented prime minister, was murdered by a right-wing Israeli hardliner. German media, moreover, often mistakenly call radical Zionists "orthodox". That shows how little many Germans know about Judaism. Some strains of orthodox Judaism not only reject military service, but indeed Zionism itself.

Are we serious about equality, human rights and the rule of law?

The settler movement started decades ago and has recently been gaining momentum. Some 500,000 Israelis currently live in the West Bank. They rely on strong infrastructure, which includes highways that they alone may use. Their security walls require additional space in the densely populated occupied territory. They also severely restrict the mobility of 3 million Palestinians. Netanyahu makes no secret of wanting to annex land where, according to the Oslo agreements, a Palestinian state is supposed to be established. At a conference earlier this year, some members of his cabinet even discussed setting up new settlements in Gaza after the war.

End of the Middle East two-state solution? · 18.12.2020
Israeli highways – a fast track to West Bank annexation
This summer it was reported that Israel had abandoned its plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Now, however, Israel is driving forward its settlement programme in the territory with a master plan for road construction. Inge Gunther in Jerusalem has the details


Almost six decades of occupation and expanding settlements do not conform with human rights or international law. Defenceless people are being expropriated and even killed. Human rights organisations report that Israelis normally enjoy impunity even after the perpetration of deadly violence. By contrast, military courts send Palestinian teenagers to prison for throwing stones during protests even when no one gets hurt. If we are serious about equality, rule of law and human rights, none of this is acceptable.

Controversial language

Whether one should accuse Israel of genocide or apartheid is a matter for serious debate. Some express outrage at the mere use of the terms, but that does very little in terms of fighting anti-Semitism, while it does end discussions. We must take into account that – unlike Germany's federal government – the International Court of Justice (ICJ) did not consider South Africa's genocide case against Israel to be meritless in January. Even its Israeli judge endorsed two of the preliminary obligations the ICJ imposed on Israel. He too wanted Israel to prohibit genocidal language and increase humanitarian aid to Gaza substantially.


Middle East conflict and the Gaza war · 11.12.2023

"Wake up to the reality of what is happening"
The Hamas terrorism of 7 October was particularly cruel and atrocious. The perpetrators committed terrible crimes. Many Israelis, however, think their own government bears responsibility for the bloodshed that occurred on its watch. Susan Neiman, a Jewish philosopher, shares her views

Nonetheless, the humanitarian disaster in Gaza is now escalating into a famine. Civil society organisations have been warning since January that this was about to happen. Germans would not have found excuses for such a scenario had it occurred during the Iraq war – and especially not, if a high-ranking U.S. official had earlier announced that "human animals” would be cut off from food. Yoav Gallant, Israel's defence minister, made such a statement however. There is precious little doubt that war crimes are occurring in Gaza.

We must similarly take seriously that B'tselem, an Israeli human rights organisation, has been speaking of apartheid for years. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International later followed suit. We normally appreciate their diligent legal analysis. In Germany, their reports on Israel and Palestine have nonetheless been neglected after being accused of anti-Semitism.

It is often reiterated that one is permitted to criticise Israel, and that only anti-Semitic rhetoric is unacceptable. Those who express grievances in diplomatic terms, however, generally remain unheard, while anyone who uses stronger language tends to be silenced with anti-Semitism accusations. This approach resembles Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing populism. He will justify anything with security needs in view of rampant anti-Semitism around the world – as though his aggressive policies didn't contribute to tensions and resentment.

If we want to reach the populous Muslim youth in Germany, we need a different approach. They are fully aware of Germany accepting action by the Jewish state that our government would vehemently oppose if done by any Islamic republic. They also know we normally reject defining a nation in narrow religious or ethnic terms. Accordingly, we think India must not become a Hindu state, and we find appalling the white Christian nationalists who support Donald Trump in the USA. Israel, however, clearly prioritises Jews. A controversial legal reform of 2018 declared the right to exercise national self-determination in the state of Israel to be unique to the Jewish people.

Jewish or democratic state?

An important ongoing debate is about whether Israel will be a Jewish or a democratic state in the long run. The problem is that Israel cannot be both without a separate Palestinian state because the size of the Palestinian population between the Mediterranean and the Jordan river roughly equals the Jewish one. Netanyahu, nonetheless, claims military dominance over the entire area. His so far unsuccessful attempts to strip Israel's supreme court of important powers, moreover, indicate what his choice between "Jewish and democratic” is. The judges have ruled in favour of minority rights several times.

“From the river to the sea” · 30.04.2024
How to interpret a slogan
The notion that the slogan is sweepingly anti-Semitic falls short of the mark. But extremist interpretations need to be condemned – on both the Israeli and the Palestinian side

There are serious proposals to drop the two-state concept in favour of a single, secular state for all faith communities in Israel/Palestine. Implementation would not be easy, of course. Those who make such proposals, however, are clearly trying to pave a road to peace. Nonetheless, any backing off from the existence of a Jewish state is deemed to be unacceptably anti-Semitic in Germany, where the debate on "Jewish or democratic" is not getting much attention.

For decades, German leaders have been telling Arab counterparts that they need democracy and human rights. Arabs are fully aware, however, of Germany not putting effective pressure on Israel regarding these matters in the occupied territories. Lip service the two-state solution does not protect our credibility, as long as it does not take into account the obvious truth that Israel's government has been doing what it can to prevent such a solution for many years.

German demands that Israel do more to protect Palestinians from settler violence remain similarly unconvincing, given that the entire settlement programme must stop, and Palestinians deserve full human rights (including, of course, property rights). And does it matter at all that the Netanyahu government is obviously ready to risk the escalation of the Gaza war into a regional conflagration? Our federal government does not want that to happen.

Not only Muslim Germans notice the double standards which are increasingly evident, for example, when Israel's "right to self-defence" is invoked to justify what looks more and more like a revenge campaign. More than 36,000 Gazans have died in recent months, and the majority were women and children.

Philo-Semitism is often marked by Islamophobia

Unlawful Israeli action obviously does not justify horrific Hamas terrorism. Islamist atrocities, however, do not make the grizzly current Gaza scenario acceptable either. We must take seriously suffering on both sides but avoid weighing one side's brutality against the other's. Every innocent victim counts. Anyone who is serious about a rules-based world order, should insist on the International Criminal Court trying perpetrators on both sides.

It is true that criticism of Israel often has anti-Semitic undertones, but it is equally true, that philo-Semitism is often marked by Islamophobia. Neither phenomenon makes legitimate grievances invalid.

By the way, the current polarisation, according to which everyone is either pro- or anti-Israel, serves both sides in the Gaza war. Both always cast themselves as victims. This kind of identity politics also helps Hamas to pretend it is the only force still opposing Israeli violence. The more we discount unlawful Israeli state action, the more Hamas rhetoric resonates around the world. Too many disregard that this criminal outfit does not deserve to be called a liberation movement. After all, freedom fighters do not intentionally kickstart a war that is likely to kill tens of thousands of their own people in the course of only a few months.

In Germany, charges of anti-Semitism currently even serve to silence Jewish intellectuals who disagree with Israel's government. Recent action by the mayor of Berlin and the president of Cologne University were extremely awkward. The former told an Israeli film director what kind of statement he may not make in Germany because we find it unacceptably anti-Semitic. The latter cancelled the guest professorship of a Jewish scholar from the USA because she signed an open letter calling for boycotting Israel in support of Palestinians.

Duty among friends

"Criticising Israel is a duty among friends," former German President Johannes Rau used to say, as one of his former staff members has told me. Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul and Joschka Fischer took a similar approach. She served as minister for economic cooperation and development in the coalition government of Social Democrats and Greens around the turn of the millennium, and he was the foreign minister. Things were easier then because the Oslo agreements seemed to usher in a better two state future.

Philo-Semitism, however, is still not an antidote to anti-Semitism. Indeed, scholars from the Center for Research on Anti-Semitism at Technische Universität Berlin include the former in their long list of varieties of anti-Semitism (Ullrich et al. 2024). They also warn against politicising such a multilayered academic term. For intellectual purposes, undiscerning philo-Semitism is nothing more than the flipside of prejudiced anti-Semitism. Used in political sloganeering, the term "anti-Semitism" polarises, thus entrenching both anti-Jewish and pro-Jewish attitudes more deeply. When philo-Semitism morphs into unconditional support of Israel, things become particularly dangerous. The point is that it fuels anger and resentment when people disregard legitimate criticism of Israel as mere symptoms of anti-Semitism.

Germany certainly bears responsibility for Israel's security after the Nazi genocide. Since the Jewish state, however, was not established on empty land, Germany has a responsibility for Palestinians' security too. We can neither ignore the rights of displaced persons and their descendants nor those of long-established local communities in the occupied territories. We must also avoid any kind of identity politics that pits Jews against Muslims. Just as it is unacceptable to hold every individual Jew accountable for Israeli state action, we cannot blame Hamas terrorism on each and every Palestinian.

Aggressive rhetoric is not helpful when it comes to protecting Germany's Jewish minority from anti-Semitic aggression. It does not enhance Israel's security either. We need diligent and discerning analysis. Our country intends to promote peace, democracy and human rights internationally. Making exceptions for Israel undermines our credibility. Our diplomats become less convincing – not only in predominantly Muslim partner countries.

Hans Dembowski

© D+C | Development & Cooperation 2024

Palestinians in Gaza experience death and despair

Israel steps up retaliatory strikes on Gaza: Israel has intensified its aerial raids on the Gaza Strip three days after Hamas launched its terrorist attacks. Hamas, which controls Gaza, is classified as a terrorist organisation by the EU, the U.S. and other nations. On Monday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "what we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations"

Large-scale destruction: around 800 buildings have been fully destroyed and 5,000 heavily damaged by Israeli attacks, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Some 400,000 people are reportedly without access to water

Searching for survivors: rescue workers search for survivors after Israeli airstrikes hit Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. So far, a total of 830 people have been killed and more than 4,200 injured after airstrikes on the Hamas-controlled territory, according to local authorities. Hamas' Saturday attack on Israel left over 900 people dead and more than 2,600 injured

Mourning the dead: a woman wails as dead bodies are loaded onto a truck after an Israeli airstrike. According to the Gaza Health Authority, more than 140 children and over 100 women have been killed in Gaza

Gaza is sealed off: Palestinians flee Israeli retaliatory air strikes in an old minibus. According to the UN, more than 187,000 people in Gaza have been displaced, 137,000 people have taken shelter in UN schools and 40,000 in private homes. Leaving the Gaza Strip itself is impossible as Israel has sealed off the territory and the Egyptian crossing is closed

Israeli army controls Gaza border: Israeli troops are seen patrolling the Israel-Gaza border. Hamas fighters breached border fortifications in a number of locations during the night of October 7 before committing acts of terror on Israeli territory. Israel built the Gaza border fence in 1994. Gaza’s border with Egypt is also sealed off by a long fence

Israeli forces mass on Gaza border: after Israel mobilised some 300,000 reservists, many Gaza residents fear an Israeli ground offensive may be looming. Military vehicles and equipment have been massed along the Gaza border. Israeli towns bordering Gaza have been almost completely evacuated

Looming humanitarian disaster: speaking to CNN, Jan Egeland, the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warned of a looming humanitarian disaster in Gaza. "It's going to amount to war crimes if children are going to starve and die in hospitals because of lack of electricity, for example," he said

Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar: Yahya Sinwar has been the leader of the terrorist group Hamas in Gaza since 2017. He is considered one of the plotters of the October 7 terror attacks on Israel. Sinwar, who grew up in a Gaza refugee camp, is quoted as having said, "we would rather die as martyrs than die out of oppression and humiliation"
Escalating violence: a Hamas spokesman told news agencies that every time Israel bombs Gaza civilians without prior warning, an Israeli hostage will be killed. Israel's Foreign Minister Eli Cohen warned that such acts will not be forgiven

Israel steps up retaliatory strikes on Gaza: Israel has intensified its aerial raids on the Gaza Strip three days after Hamas launched its terrorist attacks. Hamas, which controls Gaza, is classified as a terrorist organisation by the EU, the U.S. and other nations. On Monday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "what we will do to our enemies in the coming days will reverberate with them for generations"

The Middle East 'peace process': A slogan to mask the marking of time

UN Security Council Resolution 242, 1967: United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, passed on 22 November 1967, called for the exchange of land for peace. Since then, many of the attempts to establish peace in the region have referred to 242. The resolution was written in accordance with Chapter VI of the UN Charter, under which resolutions are recommendations, not orders

Camp David Accords, 1978: this picture, taken on 26 March 1979, shows Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, his U.S. counterpart Jimmy Carter and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin after signing the peace treaty in Washington. A coalition of Arab states, led by Egypt and Syria, fought in the Yom Kippur or October War in October 1973. This war eventually led to the peace talks which lasted 12 days and resulted in two agreements

The Madrid Conference in 1991: the U.S. and the former Soviet Union came together to organise a conference in the Spanish capital city of Madrid. The discussions, which involved Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians, who met with Israeli negotiators for the first time, achieved little, although it did create the framework for later talks

Oslo Agreement, 1993: negotiations, which took place in Norway, between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) resulted in the first deal between the two sides, the Oslo Accord. The agreement was signed in the U.S. in September 1993. It demanded that Israeli troops withdraw from West Bank and Gaza and a self-governing, interim Palestinian authority be set up for a five-year transitional period

Camp David 2000: U.S. President, Bill Clinton, invited Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak and PLO Chairman, Yasser Arafat, to discuss borders, security, settlements, refugees and Jerusalem. Despite more detailed negotiations than ever before, no agreement was reached. The failure to reach a consensus at Camp David was followed by renewed Palestinian uprising

The Arab Peace Initiative 2002: the Camp David negotiations were followed by meetings in Washington, then in Cairo and Taba, Egypt. They too were without results. Later, the Arab Peace Initiative was proposed in Beirut in March 2002. The plan called on Israel to withdraw to the lines of June 1967, so that a Palestinian state could be set up in the West Bank and Gaza. In return, Arab countries agreed to recognise Israel

The Roadmap, 2003: the U.S., EU, Russia and the UN worked together as the Middle East Quartet to develop a road map to peace. In June 2003, Prime Minister Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas, accepted the road map, with the Security Council also approving it in November. The timetable called for the final agreement to be reached in 2005. Unfortunately, it was never implemented

Annapolis, 2007: in 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush hosted a conference in Annapolis, Maryland, to re-launch the peace process. Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority’s President, Mahmoud Abbas, took part in talks with officials from the Quartet and over a dozen Arab states. It was agreed that further negotiations would be held with the goal of reaching a peace deal by the end of 2008

Washington 2010: in 2010, special U.S. Envoy George Mitchell’s efforts led to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreeing to and implementing a ten-month moratorium on settlements in disputed territories. Later, Netanyahu and Abbas agreed to re-launch direct negotiations to resolve all issues. Negotiations began in Washington in September 2010, but within weeks there was a deadlock

Cycle of escalation and ceasefire continues: a new round of violence broke out in and around Gaza late 2012. A ceasefire was reached between Israel and those in power in the Gaza Strip, which held until June 2014. The kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers in June 2014 resulted in renewed violence and eventually led to the launch of the Israeli military operation, Protective Edge, which ended with a ceasefire on 26 August 2014

Paris summit, 2017: envoys from over 70 countries gathered in Paris, France, to discuss the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians. Netanyahu slammed the discussions as "rigged" against his country. Neither Israeli nor Palestinian representatives attended the summit. "A two-state solution is the only possible one," French Foreign Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, said at the opening of the event. By Aasim Saleem

Half of Jewish Israelis back occupying Gaza after war: poll

THEY WANT THE BEACH FRONT REAL ESTATE

The poll showed most Palestinian citizens of Israeli say Gaza should have self governance, while 50 percent of Jewish Israelis say Israel should govern.

The New Arab Staff
01 June, 2024

[Getty]

A new poll from the Pew Research Centre reveals wide discrepancies within the Israeli public over various aspects of Israel's war on Gaza, including views of the war, the US role in the conflict, and what a post-war Gaza should look like.

Most stark is the divergence in opinion between Jewish Israelis and Palestinian citizens of Israel on how Israel's war cabinet should govern Gaza. Polling also shows a divergence between left-wing and right-wing views on aspects of Israel's war on Gaza.

The poll revealed that 50 percent of Jewish Israelis believe that Israel should govern Gaza, while 75 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel believe Gaza should be under self-governance, with the results being divided between Hamas (nine percent), Gazans deciding for themselves (37 percent), Palestinian Authority governance with Mahmoud Abbas (11 percent) and without Abbas (18 percent).

However, among Israeli Jews only 28 percent of Hiloni Jews believe Israel should govern the territory, whereas 77 percent of Haredi and Dati Jews believe Israel should govern. That divide is replicated in the left, centre and right divide.

According to the poll, 74 percent of Jewish Israelis have a favourable view of Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, 51 percent for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 56 percent for Benny Gantz.

The poll sharply contrasts with the views of Palestinian citizens of Israel's opinion, with only nine percent for Gallant, seven percent for Netanyahu and 30 percent for Gantz.

Gantz's party, National Unity, recently filed a motion in the Israeli Knesset to dissolve parliament and call for new elections.

Regarding confidence in Biden, 66 percent of Israeli Jews say they have confidence in Biden to do the right thing in world affairs, compared to 77 percent of Palestinian citizens of Israel who said they don't. However, that confidence has declined among both Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel since 2023.

However, the majority of Israelis, including Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel and those on the right, centre and left, disapprove of how Biden is handling the war.

The US has staunchly supported Israel's war, supplying arms, intelligence and voting down three UN ceasefire votes.

Israel's Pandora's box of violent extremism
In-depth
Philippe Pernot

Additionally, there is a decline in respondents who believe it is possible to live peacefully alongside an independent Palestinian State. Only 19 percent of Jewish believe such peaceful coexistence is possible, compared with 49 percent of Palestinian citizens.

That divide is also replicated on the political spectrum within Israel, with 60 percent believing in peaceful coexistence on the left, 33 percent in the centre, and 8 percent on the right.

Israel's war on Gaza, which has been ongoing since Hamas' 7 October attack on Israel that killed around 1,200 people and took 251 people captive, has killed 36,284 Palestinians with a further 82,057 injured.

US families of hostages in Gaza get update from White House on efforts to secure their release

This comes as the U.S. urges Hamas to accept a deal on the table for a hostage release and cease-fire.



By: Haley Bull
 Jun 05, 2024

Families of Americans held in Gaza met with White House officials for the ninth time Tuesday, as the U.S. urges Hamas to accept a deal on the table for a hostage release and cease-fire.

This comes as U.S. officials head back to the region to continue talks.

The administration was still waiting for a formal response from Hamas as of Tuesday evening. The proposal transmitted last week would allow for the release of women, elderly and wounded hostages, and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from populated centers in a first phase, and pave the way for a cessation of fighting in a second phase.


The families were updated on the status of the talks in the more than hourlong meeting with National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, according to a source familiar with the meeting. The families expressed that they “remain encouraged by the international community’s continued pressure to reach a deal that brings everyone home — both the living and the murdered,” according to a readout provided on behalf of the families.

“I think it's a fair deal. I think each side can claim that he achieved what he was looking for and that we need to look at this in a larger perspective and look at the future and look at the future of our children. Not just the children of Israel, but the children in Gaza and the West Bank and think we as leaders, the leaders of those communities, what do we do to get to a better future?” said father Ruby Chen.

Chen’s son Itay was thought to be among the living hostages taken by Hamas. It was later learned Itay was killed by Hamas on Oct. 7, with the group still holding his body.


Itay, a soldier with dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship, was serving on the border on Oct. 7. His family previously said the 19-year-old moved to Tel Aviv after school, working to protect agricultural villages. His family said they heard from him that the base was under attack, then lost contact, before being told days later he was abducted.

“He joined and is part of 45 U.S. citizens that were killed on Oct. 7, which is the largest terrorist attack on U.S. citizens since 9/11,” Chen said.

Chen said he and his family are stuck in limbo, unable to undergo the Jewish mourning period.

“We are kind of like stuck in limbo, where that evolution that helps us go through the process is much different. And when talking to the president of the United States, the vice president, the secretary of state, I asked them, 'Do you know what a Shiva is?' And all of them concurred. And I explained to them that we as a family are not able to go and have a mourning period because Itay is not back,” Chen said.

President Biden outlined the Israeli proposal in a rare move last week. He said he felt it was important to publicly detail it given how long hostages have been held, past rejections by Hamas, and to show the seriousness with which Israel has taken it, according to National Security communications adviser John Kirby.

In the days since the proposal was transmitted to Hamas through Qatar, there has been greater international pressure for Hamas to accept the deal, as the Biden administration has undertaken a significant diplomatic effort to push it.

US urges UN Security Council to support Biden's cease-fire plan in Gaza

Officials, including President Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Sullivan, have had a flurry of phone calls with leaders of Middle Eastern and Arab nations to underscore the proposal. Meanwhile, G7 nations issued a joint statement urging the deal's acceptance. Blinken met with the U.N. secretary general. And the U.S. is also urging U.N. support of the plan, circulating a draft resolution among the U.N. Security Council.

“In all of these conversations, he has continued to echo the broad international view that Hamas must accept this deal, that we must finalize this cease-fire agreement and begin to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people,” State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said of Blinken’s engagements.

However, Israel has maintained a focus on its war aims as it has faced international pressure for a cease-fire.

“We have gone a long way to return them while adhering to the objectives of the war — first and foremost, the elimination of Hamas. We are insistent that we will achieve both. This is part of the outline, not something that I have just added. It is not something that I have added because of coalition pressure. This is something that we agreed on in the war cabinet unanimously,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

While President Biden said in an interview with Time there was “every reason for people to draw that conclusion” when asked if Netanyahu was prolonging war for political self-preservation, President Biden later — when asked if Netanyahu was playing politics with war — told reporters “I don’t think so; he’s trying to work out a serious problem he has.”

Tuesday, a senior Hamas official claimed it wouldn’t accept a deal without a permanent cease-fire and complete withdrawal from Israel. However, the rhetoric was not unexpected by the Biden administration.


After the comments, the administration underscored it would consider a formal response as one transmitted through Qatar, according to Sullivan, who noted they are in at times hourly contact with the Qataris and have yet to receive that.

“The onus is on Hamas and will remain on Hamas until we get a formal response from them,” Sullivan said.

A spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry said they were “waiting for a clear Israeli position that represents the entire Israeli government” while the Biden administration maintained clarity of it.

White House coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk is heading back to the region for talks on hostages and Rafah, according to a source familiar with the plans.

Central Intelligence Agency director Bill Burns is expected to be consulting with Qatari leaders in Doha, who have had discussions with Hamas.

“Bill Burns will be quite interested in hearing firsthand in person what the nature of those discussions was and where they go from here,” Sullivan said.


Meanwhile, Chen said families will continue to advocate for a deal and support the U.S. and international pressure. That pressure is something the families of hostages initially called for and are encouraged by as they continue to meet with the administration and lawmakers.

“They also shared with us each time that you come, this gives us more energy. There's more things to do. There’s legislation that can happen around economic sanctions, for example, more pressure that can be put on Hamas to get to a deal and have the people of the world understand that terrorism is not a good business,” said Chen, who is also urging more focus on a U.N. Security Council resolution passed in 2019 that urges the return of the remains of those reported missing in conflict.

Chen notes the impact Itay continues to make. President Biden was among those who called after news of Itay’s death.

“Itay in his death has been able to make an impact on many, many people. And on the day that we received the notice from intelligence that actually he was killed on Oct. 7, the amount of people that called us and knew about Itay and were able to tell his story and see what type of impact he made, is something that we need to take as something that gives us some comfort,” Chen said.

US 'incredibly concerned' by potential Hezbollah-Israel escalation

ISRAEL IS THE AGGRESSOR

AGAINST SOVERIGN LEGANON

'We continue to pursue a diplomatic resolution because we don't want to see escalation of the conflict,' says State Department

Michael Hernandez |05.06.2024 

Residents and civil defense teams conduct search and rescue operations in the rubble of the destroyed building due to the Israeli airstrike in Baalbek, Lebanon on March 12, 2024- Photo: Suleiman Amhaz- Anadolu Agency


WASHINGTON

The Biden administration said Wednesday that it is "incredibly concerned" about the potential for escalation between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah as fears of a full-blown war continue to rise.

"It's something we've been concerned about since the immediate aftermath of October 7," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters. "We continue to pursue a diplomatic resolution because we don't want to see that escalation of the conflict, which would just lead to further loss of life from both Israelis and the Lebanese people, and would greatly harm Israel's overall security and stability in the region."

Miller said that the current situation in northern Israel, where tens of thousands of Israelis have fled under evacuation orders prompted by Hezbollah drone and rocket attacks, is "untenable." He maintained that Israeli officials have maintained privately and publicly "that their preferred solution to this conflict is a diplomatic one."

The comments come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier Wednesday issued a terse warning to Hezbollah, saying the Israeli military is prepared for "an extremely powerful action" against Lebanon.

Netanyahu made the statement during his visit to the northern settlement of Kiryat Shmona, near the Lebanese border, which has witnessed repeated attacks by Hezbollah in recent days.

Israeli Army Radio said the Israeli government approved a call-up of 50,000 more reservist soldiers in preparation for possible escalation on the Lebanon front.

The radio also said the government allowed an increase in the number of active reservist soldiers from 300,000 to 350,000 in preparation for possible fighting in the north.

Tension has flared along the border between Lebanon and Israel amid intermittent exchanges of weapons fire between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, in the deadliest clashes since the two sides fought a full-scale war in 2006.

The border tension comes amid an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 37,000 people, mostly women and children, since October. A Hamas-led attack that precipitated the current war killed about 1,200 people. ​​​​​​​

 

CPJ calls for investigation of attacks against journalists in Pakistan

Navya Singh | National Law U. Odisha, IN

JUNE 5, 2024 

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Tuesday urged Pakistani authorities to investigate a series of violent attacks on journalists that have escalated across the country.

Haider Mastoi, a reporter for Sindh News TV and Times News, was ambushed by unidentified gunmen on motorbikes in Rohri, Sukkur district on May 29. He was shot four times, while his cameraman was assaulted. Both men are now recovering in the hospital.

A day later, Chaudhary Ikhlaq, a correspondent for the Daily Express, was similarly targeted. Ikhlaq, who had received death threats over his critical reporting, was shot by assailants on a motorbike and is also recovering in the hospital.

These incidents are part of a pattern of violence against journalists in Pakistan. Earlier in May, four journalists were killed in separate attacks across Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Nasrullah Gadani, a reporter for Awami Awaz, was fatally shot in Sindh province on May 21. His bold investigations into local feudal lords and political figures may have made him a target. Journalist Kamran Dawar‘s killing prompted condemnations from UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. Kamran had received threats for his critical views against militancy. Journalists Ashfaq Ahmed Sial and Muhammad Siddique Mengal suffered the same fate. However, the reasons behind their murder are still unknown.

CPJ reported that, “The killings represent the highest number of journalists killed in the South Asian country in any single month since CPJ began collecting data in 1992″. The attacks have drawn international condemnation and calls for immediate action. Despite multiple arrests by Sindh police in connection with some cases, the overall response from law enforcement has been criticized as inadequate.

CPJ stated that “Since 1992, 64 journalists have been killed in connection with their work in Pakistan”. Due to this, the country consistently ranks on CPJ’s Global Impunity Index. CPJ’s call to action emphasizes the urgent need for Pakistan’s government to protect jouralists and ensure that perpetrators of violence are brought to justice.

5 Surprising Takeaways From India’s Election Results

BY ASTHA RAJVANSHI
JUNE 5, 2024 

After six long weeks of voting in the grueling heat, India’s election delivered stunning results.

With all of the 640 million votes now counted, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to preside over a rare, third consecutive term in power—making him only the second Indian prime minister to do so after Congress leader Jawaharlal Nehru in 1962. With all its allies, Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also managed to secure a majority of 283 seats in the Lok Sabha, the 543-seat lower house of India’s Parliament. Under India’s electoral system, the party or alliance that wins more than 272 seats can form a government.

Yet, the results have shocked most pollsters and Modi supporters—and indeed, the country. That’s because the BJP won only 240 seats this election, effectively losing the single-party majority Modi has enjoyed since he was first elected in 2014.

“Modi will have to act in a more consultative, deliberative, and inclusive manner,” says Milan Vaishnav, director of the South Asia Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “This is anathema to the PM who, going back to his days as Gujarat chief minister, has never had to truly worry about coalition politics.”

As the election draws to a close, it has brought with it a series of waves that will reshape India’s political landscape for the next five years and beyond. But ask any Indian about the election outcome and they’ll tell you that the country’s democracy is so vibrant that it never fails to surprise. “Nobody knows anything about India. This is one thing one should know about India,” one observer even posted on X.

Here are some of the most surprising takeaways from India’s 2024 election.

Busting Modi’s “400 paar” promise

This election, Modi and the BJP ran on an ambitious slogan: "Ab ki baar, 400 paar.” That meant that the ruling party was aiming to win more than 400 seats with its NDA alliance—which ultimately backfired as the BJP did not even win a simple majority on its own, a stark departure from the BJP’s thumping victory in 2019 when it won an unprecedented 303 seats. The result also means an unprecedented electoral stall for Modi, who in his 23 years in politics as the chief minister of the state of Gujarat from 2002 and then as India’s prime minister from 2014, has fallen way short of a majority despite appearing as the central face of the BJP’s campaign. (In the BJP’s 48-page manifesto, Modi’s name is featured 67 times.)

BJP loses stronghold in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, holds significant sway in Indian elections with 80 parliamentary seats. In 2014 and 2019, the BJP won 71 and 62 seats respectively that helped fuel the party’s rise to power in Delhi. But 2024 looks very different. The BJP won just 33 seats, while its allies secured three seats. Most notably, it lost in the Faizabad constituency, where Modi inaugurated the Ram temple in Ayodhya earlier this year, seen as a centerpiece of the BJP’s campaign.

BJP wins a seat In Kerala for the first time

The southern state of Kerala has long been seen as a bastion of the left, but the BJP finally made inroads after Suresh Gopi won by a margin of 74,686 votes in the Thrissur constituency and became the BJP’s first Lok Sabha parliamentarian from Kerala. Experts say this might reflect Islamaphobic elements among the Christian communities in Kerala, where Hindus make up 55% of the state’s population, while Muslims and Christians make up 27% and 18% respectively.

Women voters prefer Modi

Indian women, who have become a formidable force in India’s voter turnout due to political knowledge, literacy, and media exposure. Traditionally, female voters were more inclined to vote for Congress, but in the last few elections, they have redirected their votes to the BJP. A pre-poll survey predicted that 46% of India's 472 million women voters would opt for the BJP-led alliance in the election. The reason: Modi’s welfare schemes, which have focused on women’s welfare—including cash handouts and domestic benefits like free cooking gas, piped water, and sanitation.

A Sikh separatist and Kashmir leader is elected from jail

Amritpal Singh, a 31-year-old Sikh separatist leader who was arrested last year after a month-long police manhunt in the state of Punjab, was elected a lawmaker after defeating 26 other candidates. Singh rose to prominence calling for a separate Sikh homeland known as Khalistan. Sheikh Abdul Rashid, another jailed leader from Indian-administered Kashmir in the disputed Himalayan region, won a seat by more than 200,000 votes. The former state legislator was arrested by the Modi government on charges of "terror funding" and money laundering in 2019.

 

Lithuanian Greens unveil landmark all-women list in EU election • FRANCE 24 English

 

In pioneering Lithuania, the first all-women list in the country’s political history has been unveiled. The Lithuanian Greens are hoping that this list will help more women get elected to the European parliament, where men still make up around 60 % of the institution. The candidates are also trying to draw attention to other gender issues, such as the pay gap.

#EuropeanElections #EuropeanUnion #EuropeanParliament

Crabs on cocaine: raw sewage threatens UK marine life | REUTERS

Cocaine and ecstasy are just some of the drugs and pharmaceuticals that have been found in marine species in coastal waters around Britain, according to scientists.