By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 5 December 2023 (IDN) — The Barbarians were not at the gate, despite the massive rocket attack that provoked Israel to go to war with Hamas. There was no need for a rush to war in Gaza. The Americans did this after 9/11 and raced into Afghanistan with the […]
South African Scholar Pens Open Letter for Ceasefire in Gaza
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | CAPE TOWN | 20 November 2023 (IDN) — Thousands of scholars in South Africa’s higher education sector have taken a public stand for a ceasefire in Gaza, imploring other institutions in South Africa to do the same. An open letter on the subject which began circulating […]
Gaza, a Graveyard for Children, Says UN Chief
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 20 November 2023 (IDN) — UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has continued his relentless criticism of Israel, condemning the daily attacks on civilians in Gaza. “I am deeply shocked that two UNRWA schools were struck in less than 24 hours in Gaza. Dozens of people—many women and children—were killed and […]
Weakness of Europe’s Soft-power is Shameful — Denial of the Call for a Ceasefire
By P.I. Gomes* PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago | 19 November 2023 (IDN) — The Israeli brutal bombardment continues into a second month by an unprecedented violation of international humanitarian law. Some 12,000 persons have been killed, that include more than 4000 babies, infants and children. This slaughter of innocent women and children with […]
Exploring China’s Role in Facilitating Israel-Hamas Truce
By M. A. Hossain DHAKA | 18 November 2023 (IDN) — As the conflict between Israel and Hamas intensifies, the death toll of civilians in Gaza has risen to more than 10,000, including 3,700 children. China has stepped forward to mediate between the parties in this catastrophic context. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the […]
Gaza Genocide? UN Chief Says International Court Has to Decide
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 17 November 2023 (IDN) — Are the killings of thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza an act of genocide or “genocide in the making”? According to a legal definition, genocide includes violent attacks with the specific intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious […]
A Framework for Peace in Israel and Palestine
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was published in Common Dreams and OtherNews and is being republished with the author’s permission. NEW YORK | 17 November 2023 (IDN) — It is urgent to free the hostages in Gaza; stop the bloodshed in Israel and Palestine; establish lasting security for both the Israeli and Palestinian peoples; […]
Security Council Vote Fails to Call for a Cease-fire in Gaza
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 15 November 2023 (IDN) — The 15-member Security Council, described as the most powerful body in the United Nations, has remained paralyzed because of a new “cold war” between the five veto-wielding permanent members. The sharp political division—with China and Russia on one side and the US, UK and […]
A Middle East Nuclear Free Zone Remains Grounded
By Thalif Deen* UNITED NATIONS | 12 November 2023 (IDN) — A longstanding proposal for a nuclear-weapons-free zone (NWFZs) in the politically and militarily volatile Middle East has been kicked around the corridors and committee rooms of the United Nations since 1995. Over the last 28 years, the proposal has failed to get off the […]
Nuclear Tensions Loom Over War Zones
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 9 November 2023 (IDN) — The two ongoing military conflicts in Europe and the Middle East are pitting two nuclear powers—Russia and Israel—against a non-nuclear state (Ukraine) and a non-nuclear militant armed force (Hamas). The military might is overwhelmingly in favor of both Russia and Israel in the two […]