Ramzy Baroud

Based on interviews with Palestinian refugees from Syria. The refugee camp of Yarmouk was ever present in his being, pulling him in and out of an abyss of persistent fears that urged him to never return. But what was this refugee without Yarmouk, his first haven, his last earth? How could any other spot in … Continue reading “Farewell to Yarmouk: A Palestinian Refugee’s Journey from Izmir to Greece”

I visited Iraq in 1999. At the time, there were no so-called “jihadis” espousing the principles of “jihadism”, whatever the interpretation may be. On the outskirts of Baghdad was a military training camp, not for “al-Qaeda”, but for “Mojahedin-e-Khalq”, an Iranian militant exile group that worked, with foreign funding and arms, to overthrow the Iranian … Continue reading “From Nice to the Middle East: The Only Way To Challenge ISIS”

Last year, I wrote an article that made many readers unhappy. As soon as it was published, I began receiving messages of abuse and angry, threatening calls. I hesitated about reporting the threats to the local police in Washington State and, in the end, I resolved to file the unpleasant experience under a burgeoning folder … Continue reading “Being Black Palestinian: Solidarity as a Welcome Pathology”

Hyped emotions, and political opportunism aside, the Israel-Turkey normalization deal, signed on June 27 is unfavorable for Palestinians – and for Gazans, in particular. There is much that is being said to blame Turkey or placate the damage of seeing Turkey – which has for years been one of the most visible backers of Palestinian … Continue reading “People Above Politics: Political Deal Will Not Hamper the Turkish-Palestinian Bond”

After months of anticipation, the United Kingdom has decided to leave the European Union (EU). Although, the results were fairly close – 51.9% voted to “Leave” vs. 48.1% elected to “Remain” – the consequences of the decision will be far-reaching. Not only will the Brits negotiate their exit from the EU (thus, the term “Brexit”) … Continue reading “Searching for a ‘Responsible Adult’: Is Brexit Good for Israel?”

Entire communities in the West Bank either have no access to water or have had their water supply reduced almost by half. This alarming development has been taking place for weeks, since Israel’s national water company, “Mekorot”, decided to cut off – or significantly reduce – its water supply to Jenin, Salfit, and many villages … Continue reading “Palestine’s ‘Prayer for Rain’: How Israel Uses Water as a Weapon of War”

Matthew Duss is right. The Paris Peace Conference is different, and the fact that the United States’ stronghold of supposedly trying to resolve conflicts in the Middle East is being challenged, is a point worth noting. Yet, this is hardly important. “The multilateral nature of the conference is a Palestinian strategic victory, marking another step … Continue reading “Paris Conference a Tired and Clichéd Failure”

In their defense, the Israelis seem to have figured out the whole thing and opted out. But the hapless Palestinian leadership, along with their Arab League partners, joined by the French, EU and UN representatives, and even US Secretary of State, John Kerry, decided to play along. However, the French peace initiative-turned-conference in Paris on … Continue reading “The Paris Peace Gambit: Everyone Gains Except the Palestinians”

Israeli society is constantly swerving to the Right and, by doing so, the country’s entire political paradigm is redefined regularly. Israel is now "ruled by the most extreme rightwing government in its history" has grown from being an informed assessment to a dull cliché over the course of only a few years. In fact, that … Continue reading “Israel’s Future is Terrifying: Moshe Ya’alon and Israel’s Disconcerting ‘Morality’”

Merely being in the company of hundreds of Palestinian journalists and other media professionals from all over the world has been an uplifting experience. For many years, Palestinian media has been on the defensive, unable to articulate a coherent message, torn between factions and desperately trying to fend off the Israeli media campaign, along with … Continue reading “Time to End the ‘Hasbara’: Palestinian Media and the Search for a Common Story”