The global assault on journalists is a deadly threat linked to authoritarian regimes, which commonly choke off free expression, and even some “democratic” governments that deliberately seek to hide their nefarious activities Being a journalist in many parts of the world has become far more than a challenging occupation—it has become a high-risk profession under…
The call by many heads of state to end human rights violations often rings hollow as the violators in so many countries continue to commit such crimes with impunity. When will the international community wake up to the scourge of human rights violations? Human rights violations are a global scourge that have engulfed scores of…
The Sudanese civil war is one of the greatest tragedies we are witnessing today. The international community is disgraceful for sitting on its hands, watching with indifference this ongoing humanitarian catastrophe Sudan’s civil war erupted in April 2023, and so far, several rounds of peace talks have been of no avail in bringing an end…
There is a growing consensus among many notable political scientists and historians that America is at a perilous crossroads; Trump has chosen the road that leads to disastrous authoritarianism. The question is what it would take to stop Trump from destroying our democracy and replacing it with a dictatorship For nearly 250 years, despite its…
Today’s podcast guest is Ziad AbuZayyad, co-founder and editor of Palestine-Israel Journal, a former Palestinian Authority minister, former Chair of Law and Constitution in the Palestinian Parliament, and a negotiator in the post-Oslo Accords Cairo negotiations which led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
In this episode, we discuss the war on Gaza and its devastating impacts, the current situation in the West Bank and the interconnectedness of the two scenarios in the West Bank and Gaza, and the various prospects of moving forward toward a solution that respects Palestinian and Israeli sovereignties, and how to address those challenges.
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Full Bio
ZIAD ABUZAYYAD is the Co-Founder and Editor of Palestine Israel Journal (www.pij.org). He is a former PA minister (1998 – 2002), former legislator and Chair of Law and Constitution in the Palestinian Parliament (1996 – 2006). AbuZayyad was the Head of the Palestinian Delegation to the multilateral talks on Arms Control and Regional Security (ACRS), and a negotiator in post Oslo Accords Cairo negotiations which led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority.
AbuZayyad was the first representative of the Palestinian Parliament to the Council of Europe, participated in numerous conferences on the Middle East, and is frequently interviewed by local and international media on the political situation. He is a weekly columnist of al-Quds Arabic Daily. He is a lawyer graduate of Damascus University, and Member of the Palestinian Bar Association.
In autocracies, independent media are often among the first institutions to collapse; in democracies, they are increasingly pressured by economic hardship, digital disinformation, and shrinking spaces for dissent. The consequences have a global chilling effect, where self-censorship and fear become the norm. The tools of repression by authoritarian governments are both blunt and subtle. RSF’s Press Freedom Predators 2025 list includes the following countries where journalists have been incarcerated, tortured, exiled, or killed.
Continue reading my latest article; link in bio.
#PressFreedom #FreeSpeech #Democracy #Autocracy #Censorship
The irony is that while Netanyahu spent decades trying to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, his devastating onslaught on the Palestinians has produced precisely the opposite. It has rallied the international community to support an independent Palestinian state like never before.
#IsraeliPalestinianConflict #IsraelHamasWar #Palestine #Israel #Gaza #WestBank
Several conditions must be met for the war to end. Sadly, there is no reason to believe that Trump will do anything to end the war. His complicity in the genocide in Gaza speaks volumes about his apathy and callousness. Thus, ending the war would require a nuanced international diplomatic push, especially from the UN and the EU.
Find out more in my latest article; link in bio.
#Sudan #SudanCivilWar #HumanRights #Diplomacy
When it comes to incarcerating, silencing, and intimidating journalists, the US is not exempt. In mid-October, Trump’s Department of Defense issued new rules stating that the Pentagon press corps risked losing access to the department if they published materials, even if the information wasn’t classified, that wasn’t directly approved by the department’s Secretary. They decried the position they were forced into—submit to censorship, or lose access that enabled them to report on the military’s actions. They should be applauded for almost unanimously choosing to turn in their press passes rather than agree to these authoritarian rules.
alonben-meir.com/writing/global-hunt-of-journalists-is-feeding-totalitarianism/
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Norway’s $2 trillion wealth fund, one of Microsoft’s biggest investors, is demanding more accountability from the tech giant. It wants Microsoft to explain the real-world risks of operating in countries where governments abuse human rights. This means things like censorship, surveillance, data misuse, or partnering with regimes that silence their citizens. The fund is also voting against CEO Satya Nadella having too much power by serving as both CEO and board chair, and against his large pay package. They argue no single leader should have that much control, and that U.S. executive pay has become excessive. This vote matters because it pressures Microsoft and other big tech companies to respect human rights, reduce harmful practices, and operate with greater transparency worldwide. #Microsoft
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The warning signs of authoritarianism are just as present in democratic societies. Indifference and apathy are often glorified, malevolence is disguised as policy, conformity is seen as patriotism, complex policies are reduced to slogans, and people become afraid to speak the truth, because in a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. Currently, the Republicans in the House and the Senate exemplify that to perfection. China’s Chairman Xi and Russia’s President Putin differ only in name and flags from the wannabe autocrats like Trump, but not in their disdain for the free mind and for the truth, which they fear the most.
Read more here 👇
alonben-meir.com/writing/trump-must-be-stopped-from-destroying-our-democracy/
#Trump #China #russia #PutinVladimir
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I’m also sharing it to We Are Mayday (The Handmaid's Tale & Our Current Political Reality)
This is spot on! Join the resistance at We Are Mayday (The Handmaid's Tale & Our Current Political Reality)
Give me a moment of your time so we can talk, brother. My children and I are in Gaza. Please don't hesitate to help us. We need you.
Did you have to tie your post about Trump to Russia and China? Can't you just take a real stand for Americans and keep that separate? Help us!
I find myself at a loss for words to describe the unfathomable atrocities that Israel has committed against the Palestinians in Gaza by the so-called “most moral military in the world,” a common refrain typical of the Netanyahu government’s hypocrisy and disdain for the truth. And yet, look at the never-ending death, destruction, and displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank perpetrated by Israeli settlers under the watchful eyes of the military and with the blessing of the fascist Ben Gvir, Israel's national security minister. He takes the greatest pleasure in seeing Palestinians tortured, assaulted, and raped in detention centers under his own supervision. If this is not the height of moral bankruptcy of an Israeli government, I don’t know what is.
#Gaza #Israel #Netanyahu #Palestinians
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I desperately need your help, please. 😞 I am a mother of three from Gaza. We are living in indescribable, catastrophic conditions, suffering every kind of misery. We lost everything after our home was destroyed and burned, and we miraculously escaped death when we thought we wouldn't survive. We live in fear, hunger, and death. We are living through the tragedy left by the war and struggling to survive. 😓 Please ease my suffering during these difficult times. The donation campaign link is pinned to my page. Please visit my page and contribute to supporting my children. ......
Stop trying to kill all the Jewish men stop trying to rape and torture all the Jewish women and children won't be a problem
A truly sick and evil race. Israel cannot be saved. It would be best for the world if Israel was nuked and any survivors sterilised.
