The question of Palestine took centre stage in late September as world leaders convened in New York for the UN General Assembly’s 80th session. With France and Saudi Arabia chairing a conference on the two-state solution on 22 September, nine new countries confirmed that they had formally recognised the State of Palestine. A tenth, Belgium, has pledged to put its recognition into effect once certain political conditions are met. The announcements mean that 156 of 193 UN member states have officially crossed the recognition threshold.
In this Q&A, Crisis Group Senior Analyst for Israel/Palestine Amjad Iraqi explains the pluses and minuses of this momentum and suggests how it might be channelled into more effective action.
Open letter from archaeologists, antiquities researchers, and museum curators against cultural destruction in Gaza and the West Bank
In recent days we have learnt of the total destruction of a building housing the archaeological store-rooms of the École Biblique in Gaza, an act that necessitated the urgent and apparently partial relocation of tens of thousands of items, causing damage whose extent is still unknown. This is a continuation of the policy of destruction and annihilation in the Gaza Strip that has also targeted heritage sites (according to the latest reports, about 110 historical buildings, archaeological sites, and other cultural properties have been severely damaged or completely destroyed), mostly with no known connection to military needs.
Such actions, which contravene the rules of warfare as set forth in international conventions, add to the ongoing Israeli violation of international law in the occupied territories (Judea and Samaria), and to the constraint on the activities of Palestinian archaeological authorities in areas under the Palestinian Authority’s control (Areas A and B). These circumstances have resulted in the neglect of many cultural properties, their appropriation by nationalist elements, and their partial or complete destruction.
In view of the imminent planned destruction of Gaza city and the damage to heritage sites of local and global significance throughout the Gaza Strip, which continues decades of destruction and neglect of Palestinian cultural heritage within the State of Israel and the West Bank, we, professionals in the fields of heritage, call upon the Government of Israel and the military to:
Immediately stop the demolition of the Gaza Strip, the destruction of its cultural treasures, and the attempt to cleanse it of any presence other than Jewish.
Resume adherence to international law, particularly those conventions that dictate the proper treatment of cultural heritage during armed conflicts and occupation —treaties that have been ratified by the State of Israel.
End the rule of settler gangs and the ongoing annexation of heritage sites in the West Bank and enable Palestinian archaeological enforcement in areas under the Palestinian Authority’s control.
The heritage of Palestine/the Land of Israel belongs to all the natives of the land, as well as to all who have made it their home and have a stake in its future. Muslims, Christians, and Jews have lived in this land and sustained it for centuries and millennia: It is our duty to maintain the heritage of the land in all its diversity, for the sake of our future and that of our descendants. Singed
Prof. Rafi Greenberg Dr Tawfiq Da’adli Dr Dotan Halevy Dr Chemi Shiff Alon Arad
From the Preface by the OECD In 2021, the OECD published its first report monitoring regional integration in the Euro-Mediterranean region. This second edition of Regional Integration in the Union for the Mediterranean assesses progress made since 2021 – a period marked by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, successive economic shocks, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and an increasingly complex geopolitical context.In this challenging environment, our report highlights the opportunities that economic integration offers for countries in the region to achieve stability, peace and prosperity
Doppelnummer der Zeitschrift KULTURAUSTAUSCH Magazin für internationale Perspektiven
Als das Assad-Regime im Dezember 2024 zusammenbrach, war die Hoffnung auf ein freies Syrien groß. Heute, weniger als ein Jahr später, ist die Zukunft des Landes völlig ungewiß. Die Gewalt gegen Minderheiten nimmt wieder zu. Ist die Lage hoffnungslos, wird Syrien abermals in einem Bürgerkrieg versinken, der das Land endgültig spaltet – oder gelingt ein Neuanfang nach Jahrzehnten der Diktatur?
Israel continues its assault on Gaza, bluntly ignoring Hamas’s agreement to reach a hostage deal.
Every day brings worsening devastation, hunger, and suffering. With Israel’s stated plans to occupy Gaza city, it appears determined to continue until the strip is fully annihilated.
We, Israelis living in Germany, call upon the German government to intensify pressure on the extremist Israeli government, which is committing genocide.
Halting arms deliveries is an important first step, but it is not enough – Germany must also impose immediate sanctions on Israel, including the suspension of the Israel-EU association agreement, and recognize a Palestinian State.
„Wer kommt bei der Nahost-Berichterstattung zu Wort? Eine exklusive Auswertung von 5.000 Schlagzeilen deutscher Leitmedien zeigt: Israels Militär und Regierung dominieren. Unabhängige Quellen werden kaum genutzt.“
