Our featured speaker today is Gazan independent journalist Mohammed Omer. He spoke at the Middle East Forum at the Center for Middle East Studies at Harvard University. On this occasion, he is introduced by Harvard Professor Sara Roy. Omer paints a stunning portrait of the reality of Gaza in this presentation (including power point illustrations our listeners won't see), but was really driven by his compelling narrative.
But first, some commentary on Trump and the vaunted two-state solution/illusion:
"Donald Trump has the capacity to mete out a mercy killing to all the empty formulas, to let the air out of the âpeace processâ balloon and to finally kill off the walking dead known as the two-state solution."
So writes journalist Gideon Levy, columnist for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.
He continues: "If only the president-elect of the United States will keep his word. We must now pray for the health and well being of Donald Trump, and hope he does not go back on his big promises to Israel. After he moves the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, preferably to the eastern part of the unified capital, we must hope that his election will also bring about a change in U.S. policy toward the settlement enterprise.
"I write these words without a trace of irony. If Trump gathers up the courage to make such a change, then he will contribute more than any of his predecessors, more enlightened than he, to reaching an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. ..."
This Week In Palestine (a weekly part of Truth and Justice Radio) is an award-winning three-quarter-hour segment of news from Palestine and discussion of issues relevant to the Palestinians' struggle for freedom from Israel's brutal military occupation and colonization of their homeland. It speaks from the point of view of Palestinians and those who care about them. It's a regular part of Truth and Justice Radio, aired Sundays 6-10am ET on WZBC 90.3FM, Newton, MA, streaming live and archived for two weeks at wzbc.org; TJR's website, truthandjusticeradio.org, has a link to This Week In Palestine archives back thru 1-6-2008; editions are also accessible at radio4all.net or by navigating through our playlists. (At this important time, TJR has been airing Palestine coverage IN ADDITION to that provided by This Week In Palestine.) We hope you'll write to us at tjradio@fastmail.com if you rebroadcast our work, or have questions or comments.
This Week In Palestine 12-18-2016
Journalist Mohammed Omer on Gaza; two-state illusion finally buried (by Trump!)