Ramzy Baroud

The Fatah movement is involved in a massive tug-of-war that will ultimately define its future. Though the conflict is between current Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and once Gaza strongman Mohammed Dahlan is in no way motivated by ending the Israeli occupation, their war will likely determine the future political landscape of Palestine. The issue … Continue reading “The Infamy of the Palestinian Elites: An Imminent Split Within Fatah?”

Last July, the Palestinian Authority took the unexpected, although belated step of seeking Arab backing in suing Britain over the Balfour Declaration. That "declaration" was the first ever explicit commitment made by Britain, and the West in general, to establish a Jewish homeland atop an existing Palestinian homeland. It is too early to tell whether … Continue reading “Why Palestinians Want To Sue Britain: 99 Years Since the Balfour Declaration”

“The United States has the power to decree the death of nations,” wrote Stephen Kinzer in the Boston Globe. Kinzer’s article was entitled: “The media are misleading the public on Syria.” In his piece, the scholar at a Brown University Institute contested that his country’s media misinformation on Syria is leading to the kind of … Continue reading “Why Is the Truth on Syria Difficult To Decipher?”

The Israeli official narrative regarding its conflict with the Palestinians is deliberately confounded because a muddled up discourse is a convenient one. It allows the narrator to pick and choose half-truths at will, in order to create a falsified version of reality. For instance, this is part of what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said … Continue reading “The Convoluted Discourse: Was the Women’s Boat to Gaza an Existential Threat?”

Former Israeli Prime Minister and President, Shimon Peres, was a very successful brand. He was presented to the world as stately, wise, a relentless advocate of peace, and a sane voice amidst a conflict deemed senseless and unending. Now that he is dead at 93, international media are rife with touching tributes and heartwarming eulogies … Continue reading “Shimon Peres, An Israeli Brand Without Substance”

Ban Ki-Moon’s second term as the Secretary General of the United Nations is ending this December. He was the most ideal man for the job as far as the United States and its allies are concerned. Of course, there will always be other Ban Ki-Moons. In fact, the man himself was a modified version of … Continue reading “Ban Ki-Moon’s Legacy in Palestine: Failure in Words and Deeds”

“A photograph, no matter how emotionally wrenching, can only do so much,” wrote Paul Slovic and Nicole Smith Dahmen in QZ.com. The photograph referenced in their comment was that of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, whose body was washed ashore on some Turkish beach in September 2015. It has been over a year since that tragic photograph … Continue reading “Honoring Aylan Kurdi by Ending the War in Syria”

Division within Palestinian society has reached unprecedented levels, becoming a major hurdle on the path of any unified strategy to end Israel’s violent occupation or to rally Palestinians behind a single objective. Newly-appointed Israeli ultra-nationalist Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman understands this too well. His tactic since his ascension to office last May is centered on … Continue reading “Is Israel Pushing for a Palestinian Civil War?”

The Italian “activist” was keen on that photo, as if her social media activism career was dependent on it. As if the misery of the poor Syrian child was not palpable enough in his dejected face and his rash-infested skin, she wanted to define a point of absolute misery for a perfect Instagram photo. So … Continue reading “Activism’ and Its Consequences: Syrian Refugees Are Not Subjects for a Social Media Gallery”

“You deserve to see your loved ones suffer and die. But, maybe, you would be hurt before them,” was part of a threatening message received by a staff member at “Al-Mezan”, a Gaza-based human rights group. The photo attached to the email was of the exterior of the activist’s home. The gist of the message: … Continue reading “Punishing the Messenger: Israel’s War on NGOs Takes a Worrying Turn”