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“I believe that any step could spark the beginning of a journey of scientific research, and from there begins a long road of effort. As for my dream: it’s to work with NASA and to see a Palestinian space station established,” begins Bayan Abusalameh. The young Palestinian engineer got online media platforms buzzing with excitement in October after her invention of a new model for miniature satellites, which she had laid out in her master’s thesis, submitted at London’s Queen Mary University. The 25-year-old graduate from the mechanical engineering college of Birzeit University in the West Bank… Continue reading “Bayan Abusalameh: Inventor of Palestine 1”

The Israeli army has killed at least 77 Palestinian children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2021, a non-government organisation reported on Sunday. In a press statement sent to The New Arab, Defense for Children International Palestine (DCI) said that 61 children were killed in the coastal enclave and 16 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. On the occasion ofInternational Children’s Day, the organisation said that “since 2000 until today, the Israeli forces have killed about 2,200 Palestinian children.” “The Israeli army resort to deliberate lethal force in the circumst… Continue reading “Israel killed 77 children in Gaza, West Bank in 2021: report”

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has responded to British Home Secretary Priti Patel’s plans to designate it as a “terrorist group”, saying that Britain was “supporting the aggressor at the expense of the victim”. The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the move. “Instead of apologising for and correcting its historic injustices against the Palestinian people, both in the disastrous Balfour Declaration and the Palestine Mandate… Britain is supporting the aggressor at the expense of the victim,” a statement from Hamas said. The 1917 Balfour Dec… Continue reading “Hamas blasts Britain’s plan to designate it a ‘terror’ group”

Palestinian Cinema is back in the UK capital. Here The New Arab picks five films you need to see. The London Palestine Film Festival kicks off this Friday 19 November with the UK premiere of Al-Garib (The Stranger) – Palestine’s nomination for the Academy Awards 2022 -at the Barbican. The festival – now in its 4 edition – will last two weeks (November 19 – December 3) and will feature dozens of feature films, documentaries, Q&As, and live events in venues across London. This year’s attendees include Cannes Critics’ Prize winner and Palestinian director Michel Khleifi, artist and filmmaker Lari… Continue reading “2021 London Palestine Film Festival: Five Films not to miss”

Pro-Palestine activists protested against the Melbourne Queer Film Festival’s (MQFF) decision on Friday to go ahead with the screening of the Israeli film ‘The Swimmer’, despite calls for its removal from the festival’s programme. Activists accused the film of “pinkwashing” Israel’s image by promoting the Jewish state as queer-friendly, while portraying Palestinians as “intolerant” to distract attention from Israel’s human rights record and its occupation of Palestinian land. MQFF, who queer BDS activists also say have not promoted “one film from the Arabic-speaking world”, said The Swimmer wo… Continue reading “Melbourne LGBTQ film fest accused of ‘pinkwashing’ Israel”

Labour Party leader Keir Starmer has been slammed for a speech at a Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) event on Tuesday where he condemned any boycott of Israel. Starmer took to the stage at an annual lunch organised by the lobby group, which supports strong bilateral relations between the UK and Israel, saying “anti-Zionist antisemitism” denies Jewish people “a right to self-determination”, according to LFI. The Labour leader said his party does not support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) – which “works to end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians” – despite a… Continue reading “Labour leader Keir Starmer slammed for speech against BDS”

The father of a Palestinian teenager killed by Israeli forces in Jerusalem has spoken out about the emotional state of his son in his final days, blaming Israel’s occupation and ruthless policy of home demolitions in the occupied territories for the events that led to his death. Omar Abu Assab, a 16-year-old school boy from the town of Issawiyah, just outside of Jerusalem, was killed by Israeli forces in Jerusalem’s Old City on Wednesday. Israel claims he attempted to stab two Israeli policemen. Palestinians in Jerusalem “can’t have any life because of the Israeli occupation”, said Ibrahim Abu… Continue reading “Palestinian teenager killed by Israeli police in Jerusalem”