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To Exist Is to Resist
In my mind I’ve freed Palestine Envisioned a dream That just needs to be seen Olive trees and fields of figs Orange groves That lead to our roads No blocks filled with cops No ten-year-olds shot Freedom Is what I got I understand my grandmother’s plan To live on her bought and paid-for land And […]
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A Poem for Gaza
“Our community is expanding: MRZine viewers have increased in number, as have the readers of our editions published outside the United States and in languages other than English. We sense a sharp increase in interest in our perspective and its history. Many in our community have made use of the MR archive we put […]
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Can I Have My Change Back? Arab-Americans and Obama’s False Hope
At what point does an individual stop supporting the lesser of two evils? The question became particularly important this primary race, as one man ascended to political stardom ostensibly breaking free from the evils of mainstream politics and creating a platform based on hope and change. This transcendent figure is presidential hopeful Barack Obama. Searching […]
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All Roads Lead to Checkpoints
All roads may have once led to Rome, but, for the Palestinian people, all roads lead to checkpoints. The latest checkpoint to block the Palestinians is not manned by Israel but the ostensible mediator of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the Quartet (which is composed of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United […]
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Three Arab Painters in New York
The emergence of Arab art in New York City has surprised many. Most importantly, the Made in Palestine exhibit, which opened at the Bridge Gallery in March of 2006, drew large crowds. The battle of bringing the show to New York, however, was no surprise. Fearing a strong backlash from the pro-Israel community, galleries and […]
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Weighing the Options: The Next Path for Israel/Palestine
Given the recent political death of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, many in Israel and the Occupied Territories are wondering who will take the former premier’s spot. Likewise, Palestinians and Israelis are closely watching who will govern Palestinian society. The Palestinians engage in the political process first — with parliamentary elections on January 25. How […]
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Ibdaa: Dancing the Spirit of Palestine
[Lisa N. contributed all photographs below that illustrate Remi Kanazi’s essay. Lisa came back to the United States from her nine-month sojourn in Palestine two months ago. Over the last several years, she spent twenty-seven months in Palestine, working with Palestinians and Israelis struggling to end the Israeli occupation. She took some of the photographs […]
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A Soldier in Doubt
Remi Kanazi performs his poem “A Soldier in Doubt” (MP3). Remi Kanazi is the founder and primary writer for the political website Poetic Injustice. In recent weeks, his articles have been featured on CounterPunch, Middle East Online, Palestine Chronicle, Worldpress.org, and the Tehran Times. His work can also be seen at MIFTAH.org, the website of […]
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“Peace” in Palestine
The Western version of “peace” is overrated. The West would have us believe that Israel made the ultimate sacrifice by “disengaging” from the Gaza Strip, putting “the ball in the Palestinian court.” But let’s look at the facts. Yes, Israel removed 8,500 settlers and is dismantling their military posts in Gaza. Israel, however, still controls […]
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Heartbreak Hotel
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, a military man turned “peacenik,” is unilaterally “disengaging” from the Gaza Strip. It’s all over television, play by play — the hardship Israel is enduring. Scenes of Israeli soldiers emotionally and physically struggling to remove the 8,500 settlers from the Gaza Strip are displayed while CNN anchors utter soft words in […]
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Tipping Friedman
New York Times Op-Ed columnist Thomas Friedman is lucky I don’t have his phone number. If I did, I would call and tell him that the “tipping points” in the Middle East never tipped. The Bush administration presented a well-scripted farce to its consummate lapdogs in the media; and Friedman, along with his more conservative […]