Middle East and North Africa
Palestine
Welcome to our section on Palestine. Here we delve into one of the world’s longest running military occupations and look at the Palestinian peoples’ unwavering struggle for self-determination.
Our coverage exposes the harsh reality of Israeli apartheid and occupation, exploring the brutal impact of settlement expansion, house demolitions, and the apartheid wall on Palestinian communities. We uncover stories highlighting how communities are fighting back through art, culture and civil disobedience, and the role of international solidarity in the Palestinian struggle. Find a selection of articles from the magazine on Palestine below.
In Gaza, ‘Survival is the only objective’
Palestinian journalist Jamileh Tawfiq speaks to Hamza Ali Shah about working under Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
‘How could the occupier have the right to self-defence?’
Conrad Landin speaks to Saga and Ahmed, two young Palestinians who have recently settled in Scotland.
Settlers displace West Bank Bedouins amid Israel’s Gaza attack
Under the cover of Israel’s attack on Gaza, armed settlers and soldiers are erasing entire Bedouin villages in the West Bank. Tom Anderson reports.
‘This is the second Nakba. The time to act is now’
Sending a message from inside Gaza, Palestinian journalist and activist Ahmed Abu Artema calls for global protests to prevent a repeat of history.
Palestine: From accord to Apartheid
In the lead story from our May-June 2023 issue, Zoe Holman looks at how the so-called ‘peace process’ has allowed Israel to deepen its colonial project over Palestinian lives.
The Interview: Leila Khaled
Marta Vidal speaks with the Palestinian militant about the role of violence in the struggle for a better world.
Sanctions Mark II
Andrew Feinstein argues that the strategy that helped end South Africa’s apartheid must also be mobilized against Israel.
Western folly and the continuous Nakba
Toufic Haddad argues that the West’s blinkered support for Israel can only escalate disaster.
The interview: Muhanned Qafesha
Human rights activist Muhanned Qafesha talks about the life-and-death battle to defend Palestine from illegal demolitions and settlements.
Prisoners of occupation
Palestinians continue to be brutalized in Israeli jails, despite international criticism. Kasturi Chakraborty speaks to prisoners’ families about their struggles.
‘This factory was killing our brothers and sisters in Palestine, we had to do something’
Bethany Rielly speaks to the campaigners who risked jail time to drive weapons manufacturer, Elbit Systems, out of their town.
Is my daughter’s pro-Palestine activism turning antisemitic?
Ethical and political dilemmas abound these days. Seems like we’re all in need of a New Internationalist perspective. Enter stage: Agony Uncle
Alternative combat
Louisa Waugh speaks to activists in Israel and Palestine working together in the name of peace.
‘My best jokes come from moments that have angered me’
US-Palestinian comedian Maysoon Zayid talks to Subi Shah about acting, politics, race and breaking out as a disabled performer.
Country profile: Palestine
Curfews, routine raids and land-grabs. Zoe Holman on what has become of the fragmented Occupied Palestinian Territories’ struggle for statehood since the 1993 Oslo agreement.
It’s time for sanctions
Israel can’t be allowed to continue its colonization of Palestinian lands, writes Ben Jamal of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
For a different hebron
In Palestine, Futura D’Aprile meets the peaceful change-makers who want to create hope for their divided city’s future.
‘If they suppress BDS, no other movement is safe’
As alarming, anti-democratic measures are aimed at Palestine solidarity activists in the UK and beyond, New Internationalist speaks to Omar Barghouti, co-founder of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement.
Raja Shehadeh on Israel's memory and the Nakba
Peter Whittaker speaks to writer, lawyer and human rights activist Raja Shehadeh about the politics of memory in Palestine and Israel.
Ramallah as it is, and as it was
In his new book, Going Home, Palestinian writer Raja Shehadeh laments a breakdown of solidarity. But, writes Kieron Monks, there are glimmers of hope.
Israel’s ejection of international observers leaves Palestinians defenceless
Barnaby Papadopulos speaks to Hebron’s Palestinian’s about the expulsion of international observers.
UN divests from Israeli settlements
Our investigation last November renewed calls for the UN to place better due diligence on its investments. Jack Davies reports.
An insider’s view: ‘Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are a waste of time’
A former advisor to the Palestinian Authority negotiations team speaks to New Internationalist about why Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions are now the only way ahead.
How the UN turned a profit from Israeli settlements
In an investigation for New Internationalist, Jack Davies reveals that UN pension funds are unwittingly reaping returns in violation of international law.
Freezing arms sales to Israel is just a first step
Meaningful solutions to Palestine require taking on the arms trade, New Internationalist reports.
The checkpoint: a photo essay
Anne Paq photographs scenes from the checkpoints some 70,000 Palestinians cross every day.
Paying for your own eviction
The Sumarins face removal from their own home in East Jerusalem. Amy Hall reports.
New US embassy in Jerusalem provokes Nakba tensions
‘They are choosing this time to remind Palestinians that we control you,’ a Palestinian tells Katie McQue.
Using comedy to break down stereotypes
Nick Dowson reports on Mark Thomas’s attempt to train a comedy troupe in the West Bank.
Palestine, 100 years after Balfour
Paul Kelemen and Dick Pitt look at the British government’s role in Israel’s formation.
Darkness in Gaza
Respite for Gazans could not come too soon. Noreen Sadik reports on the ongoing power crisis.
Israel: Calls to stop demolitions intensify after teacher's death
Is Benjamin Netanyahu using the destruction of Arab homes and villages as a distraction from corruption claims? Noreen Sadik reports.
Under darkness, Gazans mark a new year
Lydia Noon speaks to residents suffering Israel’s decade-long blockade.
Run, Palestine, run
A record number of participants claimed their right to freedom of movement at this year’s marathon. Giedre Steikunaite reports.
Caught in the act: Israeli soldier filmed killing Palestinian
Noreen Sadik reports on the aftermath of a very public shooting in the divided city of al-Khalil.
In the cruellest way, Israeli settlements affect all Palestinians
The occupation system made the Dawabshe family victims, writes Noreen Sadik.