Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem
Plan approved to encourage Academic Excellence for Israeli students of Ethiopian descent $40.4 Million (145 Million NIS) Allocated in Multiyear Budget The Council for Higher Education (CHE) recently approved a $40.4 million (145 million NIS) multiyear plan to encourage academic excellence and leadership among students of Ethiopian descent. The program sprang from Israel’s 2015 Government…
26 civilians, including 3 women and 2 children, injured in Houthi attack on Saudi airport Colonel Turki Almalki, the official spokesman of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, said that at (02:21 am) Wednesday morning a hostile projectile fired by Houthi militia hit the arrivals hall at Abha International Airport in Asir Province in…
New book: The Road to Nablus The Road to Nablus is the extraordinary fictionalized true story of the author’s father, Abed Hadi, and his escape from a Palestinian refugee camp in the 1940s, chronicling his remarkable journey to his eventual home in St. Louis, Missouri. As a young boy Abed Hadi survived a massacre, a death…
Syria Direct launches audio series highlighting Syrian women’s voices Syria Direct, a non-profit journalism organization dedicated to telling the stories of the Syrian conflict, has launched its first-ever audio journalism reporting series, Souriyeh / سوريّة. The 10-part series, featuring both Arabic and English-language reporting, takes its title from the feminine adjective of “Syrian.” The goal: to…
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Ashrawi: Palestinians will not surrender to permanent dispossession and subjugation Fifty-two years after Israel occupied the Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, the Palestinian people continue to resist this colonial occupation with dignity and inspiring steadfastness. The occupation that began in 1967 is part of a continuum of injustice, dispossession, and disenfranchisement that was penned in…
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Kushner and Greenblatt making same mistake Begin made in 1977 Analysis of the upcoming Economic Summit in Bahrain on June 25-26 to be led by President Trump’s Middle East “advisers” Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, two fanatic supporters of Israel’s rightwing government policies that have undermined peace. Kushner and Greenblatt are pursuing an extremist pro-Israel…
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UIC student goes to Morocco on State Department scholarship University of Illinois at Chicago sophomore Luana Davila of Joliet has been awarded a U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship to study Arabic in Morocco this summer. Davila, who is a classics major and Arabic minor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and…
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Who was better for Palestinians, Trump, Bush or Obama? Much is made of how President Obama was a “Muslim,” a myth perpetrated by his middle name being Hussein, and how he was a good president for Palestinians and peace. But when you look at the consequences of his term in office, you have to wonder…
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Anera launches partnership with RBK (ReBootKamp) to accelerate youth employment Anera and ReBootKamp (RBK) are partnering to provide high-demand tech and professional job skills training to Palestinian youth in Gaza, East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Jordan. 40% of youth in Jordan and Palestine are unemployed, three times the global average for young people. The…
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Syria Direct Co-founder John DeBlasio Visits Team in Jordan This month, John DeBlasio, Executive Director of the GPD Charitable Trust, co-founder and longtime supporter of Syria Direct visited Syria Direct’s office, headquartered in Amman, Jordan. There, DeBlasio met with the Syrian editorial team and heard firsthand about Syria Direct’s recent work and upcoming projects. DeBlasio…
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Israeli Supreme Court opens door to return of 65 Gaza fishing boats Israel to return 65 boats to Gaza fishermen following human rights NGOs’ petition to Israeli Supreme Court Israel says will return boats ‘subject to security and political considerations’; NGOs demand Israel return them immediately along with all on-board equipment, without further costs to…
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Palestinian American Congressman Amash becomes first Republican to call for Trump’s impeachment By Ray Hanania Palestinian American Congressman Justin Amash on Friday became the first Republican to publicly call for the impeachment of President Donald Trump. The conservative Michigan congressman said he carefully read the report submitted by Special Justice Department Counsel Robert Mueller on…
Iraqi American Woman Wins IndieFEST International Film Awards Iraqi born filmmaker Weam Namou wins a prestigious Award of Excellence from the IndieFEST Film Awards (women filmmaker category) for her latest production with and Eric Hoffer, the award-winning author of 13 books. The award will be given for Weam Namou’s exciting feature documentary, The Great American…
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Students accuse DePaul professor of racist criticism DePaul Professor Jason Hill calls activists who criticize Israel’s apartheid and racist practices against Christians and Muslims in Israel and in the occupied territories “anti-Semitic.” Hill’s comments attacking BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanction) have come under scrutiny from those who support peace and justice and have been denounced By…
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US administration petty and vindictive against Palestinian leadership Palestinian leader Dr. Hana Ashrawi says the administration of President Donald Trump is “petty and vindictive” to the Palestinians, exposing his failure to address the true needs of peace. A longtime Palestinian activist, non-violent advocate and grandmother, Ashrawi was denied access to enter the U.S. to address…
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Detroit civil rights group calls for probe into anti-Muslim hate flyers AHRC and AMLC request an investigation regarding anti-Muslim Flyer, call on Costco to review its Response to attempts to spread hate on its property: The American Human Rights Council (AHRC-USA) and the American Muslim Leadership Council (AMLC) are alarmed by the distribution of an…
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Book Review: A Darkly humorous saga set in Post 9/11 America and the Middle East When All Else Fails by author Rayyan Al-Shawaf begins on September 12th, 2001. It is the story of Hunayn, a luckless and lovelorn Iraqi college student living in Orlando, Florida, after having graduated from high school in Beirut. Hunayn’s life is…
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Man who threatened AAI President Zogby convicted of hate crimes Defendant Convicted for Targeting of AAI President James Zogby and AAI Staff in Federal Hate Crime Trial. William Patrick Syring was convicted following a Federal Trial on 14 counts including seven Federal Hate Crime charges From May 3 to May 7, 2019, current and former employees…
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