Israel/Palestine: A Threshold Crossed
Thirty years ago, the Oslo Accords between Israelis and Palestinians were signed. There was widespread fanfare and jubilation. There was Clinton standing between Rabin and Arafat bringing them together at the White House. It was a new dawn. Finally, peace in the Holy Land. The pundits and the pols told us it was a miracle. Where is that miracle today? The chance of a viable independent Palestinian state has become a pipe dream. Israeli oppression of Palestinians is not random but systemic. Land that was to be part of a Palestinian state has been seized for Israeli-only settlements. Washington enables Israeli policies. While there has been some shift in U.S. public opinion the ruling political class ignores the realities on the ground.
Speaker
Omar Shakir
Omar Shakir is the Israel-Palestine Director of Human Rights Watch. He is the author of that organization’s A Threshold Crossed report. Prior to working for Human Rights Watch, he was a Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Rights. He investigated human rights violations in Egypt, including the Rabaa massacre.
From a listener in IL –
Omar Shakir delivered an outstanding presentation at Denver. He is right, all should refer to the Israeli Zionist colonizer as an apartheid regime. Kudos to his work.
Jill Alger-James –
Excellent, information we never hear. Thank you.