#endtheoccupation

Palestinian American teenager to remain in Israeli jail despite growing pressure in Congress for his release

Jerusalem — 

An American teenager held in an Israeli prison without trial for more than eight months will remain in detention for at least another week and a half, despite growing pressure from US lawmakers for his release

see more... ⬇️⬇️

US Veto Crushes Gaza Hopes—But the Fight Burns Brighter

In a move that's lit a firestorm of global backlash, the US has vetoed a UN resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As bombs continue to fall and lives hang by threads, this decision isn't just policy—it's a gut punch to the world watching in horror. Palestinian voices rise louder, their resilience a beacon amid the rubble, demanding not just survival but justice.

The outrage is palpable: protests in cities from London to Beirut, hashtags exploding online, and a chorus of leaders calling out the hypocrisy. Where's the aid? Where's the humanity? The UN chamber echoed with empty promises today, but out there, in the streets and on screens, the call for solidarity grows deafening.

These lads have been consistently supporting Palestinian liberation long before they had any spotlight.

Even before their international recognition, they were connected to Palestine: supporting a volunteer gym in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, amplifying its fundraising efforts, and signing on to the Irish artists’ boycott of Israel in 2021 — alongside over 1,000 others, well before Kneecap became a household name. This isn’t opportunism; it’s continuity (Wikipedia).

What’s key to understand is that they speak from an Irish perspective—shaped by a history of colonialism, resistance, and being branded “terrorists” by the British state for daring to fight back (X). Mo Chara said in an interview with Jeremy Corbyn: “Occupation is occupation, wherever it is in the worlds

Kneecap isn’t cashing in. Their stance has cost them gigs, visas, and subjected them to smear campaigns. They have to cancel their US dates. They’ve said themselves that if they lose money or opportunities over this, they don’t care, because standing on the right side of history matters more (The Guardian, Business Insider).

I think sometimes people forget how much it costs artists to speak up. It’s easy to accuse someone of “profiting off Palestine,” but in Kneecap’s case, that doesn’t hold any weight. If anything, they’ve risked far more than they’ve gained.

These are three young artists who could have chosen the safe route—stayed quiet, played their sets, climbed the charts, and enjoyed their success. Instead, they chose to use their stage to say the words so many are afraid to say: Free Palestine.

And what moves me most is that this isn’t new for them. Long before international recognition, they were showing solidarity—supporting a refugee camp gym in Bethlehem, signing the 2021 artist boycott of Israel, putting their money, time, and names on the line. They didn’t wait until it was fashionable or safe.

Now, as their platform grows, they’re holding onto those same principles. Even knowing it could cost them visas, shows, or mainstream approval, they’re not backing down. To me, that says everything.

I’m proud to see young artists who’ve broken into global stages refusing to let go of their convictions. They don’t gain from this—they stand to lose. And still, they’ve said themselves: if it costs them money or opportunities, so be it. Because justice matters more.

But I also want to say this: even if Kneecap didn’t support Palestine, it wouldn’t change the fact that history itself has shifted. For the past two years, the world has started to see Palestine not as an issue on the margins, but as a nation with the same dignity and rights as any other. That change didn’t come from musicians or celebrities alone—it came from people, everywhere, refusing to look away.

It is not the responsibility of artists alone to hold that line. It is all of us—as human beings—to protect one another from oppression. Palestine will be free.

I don’t idolize anyone. And I don't blindly support artists. The moment I see a red flag, I’ll step away. But right now? I see courage. I see solidarity. And I see artists using their voices for something that matters beyond themselves. That’s something worth honoring.

Sources / Further Reading

Kneecap’s support for a volunteer gym at Aida Refugee Camp, Bethlehem, long before their breakthrough (Wikipedia)

Signed the 2021 Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign boycott with 1,000+ artists (Wikipedia)

Móglaí Bap’s 10km runs on tour in 2024 to fund Gaza food parcels (Reddit)

Gig for Gaza charity concert alongside Paul Weller & Primal Scream (NME)

A rough idea I’ve been working on to help imagine a peaceful solution. It’s not set in stone — feedback is appreciated.

For decades, peace in the Middle East has felt out of reach. But what if the answer lies in a bold new vision?

The Two-State Solution has stalled for decades. Illegal settlements continue to grow. Access, sovereignty, and justice remain unresolved.

In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine—without the consent of the Palestinian people who made up the vast majority of the population. To make way for the new Jewish state, over 700,000 Palestinians were forced from their homes—many at gunpoint. The plan granted 56% of the land to the Jewish minority, much of it already inhabited by Palestinians. Entire villages were destroyed. Families were driven into exile. This is known as the Nakba, or ‘catastrophe.’

Over 400 Palestinian villages were depopulated or destroyed. 700,000+ people became stateless refugees in 1948. The UN made the call. The people living there were never given a vote.

The 1948 Arab-Israeli war changed everything. Israel expanded its borders to 77% of the land, displacing over 700,000 Palestinians. Palestinians were left with the West Bank and Gaza—disconnected and vulnerable.

Palestinian land has been disappearing for over 75 years. More settlements. More walls. Less freedom. Less land.

Today, the West Bank is broken into dozens of fragments—surrounded by Israeli military zones, highways, and illegal settlements. Gaza is blockaded. The West Bank is walled in. There is no real ‘state.’

The Two-State Solution was never built to last. The borders don’t make sense. The geography isn’t viable. The power is unequal. It’s not peace. It’s apartheid.

We’ve tried this map for 75+ years. It’s time to draw a new one.

A new approach: A Three-State Solution.

Palestine in the north.

Israel in the south.

And Jerusalem—shared by all.

At the heart of the land, Jerusalem becomes more than a city—it becomes a buffer zone. A neutral space that separates Israel and Palestine, while connecting them through shared faith and history. Governed by an interfaith council, protected by peacekeepers, and open to all.

An international peacekeeping force—potentially led by the United Nations, the Arab League, or a coalition of neutral countries—would safeguard Jerusalem’s neutral status.

Illegal settlements are dismantled. Land is returned to rightful Palestinian owners. Reconciliation begins with restoration.

Jerusalem is no longer divided, no longer claimed by one side. It is a city of shared faith, protected neutrality, and cooperative leadership. Governed by an interfaith council and safeguarded by peacekeepers, Jerusalem thrives as a city where families from all sides live, learn, and worship together. It is not a battleground. It is a bridge.

Residents of the New Jerusalem Corridor will hold dual citizenship. They’ll retain citizenship with either the State of Palestine or the State of Israel—while also holding official residency in the neutral city of Jerusalem. This guarantees freedom of movement, legal protections, and full civil rights—no matter their faith or nationality. Whether born in East Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, or Gaza—families will be able to live, work, and worship in the sacred corridor without fear or division.

This shared model prevents the city from being claimed by one side—and instead makes it a home for all.

Under the new Three-State Plan, all land north of the Jerusalem corridor becomes part of the future State of Palestine, and all land south of it, including Gaza, becomes part of Israel. To ensure a just and peaceful transition, no one will be forcibly removed. Instead, those currently living on the ‘other side’ will have options:

1. Choice of Citizenship

Israeli citizens living in the north may choose to relocate to Israel’s southern territory—or apply to become permanent residents of Palestine. Palestinians in Gaza may move to the new Palestinian territory in the north—or apply for residency in Israel if they choose to remain.

2. Compensation & Support

Relocating families will receive compensation, housing assistance, and full transitional support, provided by international agencies and both governments.

3. International Monitoring

The process will be overseen by UN observers and humanitarian organizations, ensuring dignity, consent, and fairness—with no repeat of 1948.

This time, no one loses their home overnight. This time, the path to peace is paved with justice.

Borders alone don’t build peace. Healing begins with truth.

In order for this to work, Palestine must be recognized as a fully sovereign state and full member of the United Nations — with internationally agreed-upon borders and protection under international law. This would give Palestinians true autonomy, global legitimacy, and access to international courts and aid without being dependent on Israel.

Likewise, New Jerusalem could operate similarly to the Vatican — not as a nation-state, but as a neutral, sacred zone with UN observer status. It would be governed by a rotating, multi-faith council — Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and others — to ensure no one group has control, and all faiths maintain access.

This structure would provide global recognition and protection for both Palestine and New Jerusalem, creating a more balanced and enforceable peace.

To move forward, we must first face the past.

Like South Africa after apartheid, this new chapter begins with a Truth & Reconciliation process—where both Israelis and Palestinians can speak, be heard, and be seen.

1. Storytelling Over Judgment

Victims of war, displacement, and oppression will have space to share their experiences—not for punishment, but for understanding and acknowledgment.

2. Accountability Without Revenge

Those involved in policies of violence or discrimination may come forward in exchange for amnesty, truth-telling, and commitment to peace.

3. Local-Led, Faith-Backed

These reconciliation councils will be guided by local leaders, survivors, educators, and representatives from all three faiths—grounded in the shared values of mercy, justice, and forgiveness.

The process will be supported by international peacebuilders and modeled after successful efforts in South Africa, Rwanda, and Northern Ireland.

We cannot undo the pain—but we can ensure it doesn’t continue. This is how former enemies become neighbors. This is how peace becomes possible.

With the transition complete, peacekeepers remain to ensure security—not to control, but to protect. Their presence creates space for rebuilding, education, and economic recovery. NGOs, global partners, and local leaders work side by side to turn hope into daily life.

This plan will not be easy for everyone.

For many Palestinians, it offers justice they’ve never seen—land returned, rights restored, homes rebuilt.

For many Israelis, it may feel like a loss—especially those who’ve made homes in places that, under international law, were never meant to be part of Israel in the first place.

But this is not about erasing your history. It’s about ending the violence that defines your future.

Judaism teaches tikkun olam—to repair the world.

You were once exiled. You were once hunted. You were once stateless.

Let us not become the very thing we escaped. Let us not justify injustice with survival.

There is a future in which Israelis and Palestinians live side by side, with dignity, security, and a shared sacred city between them.

It is not weakness to give back what was taken. It is strength to build something together.

Because real danger isn’t over there—it’s what we’ve already allowed to happen here.

The truth is, unimaginable damage has already been done.

Over 85,000 tonnes of explosives have fallen on Gaza—nearly six times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

This isn’t just a number. Its homes, families, hospitals, entire neighborhoods turned to ash.

We cannot turn away. But we can turn toward something better.

Borders are just lines. Peace is what we do with them.

We’ve redrawn the map. We’ve listened to the pain.

Now, we begin again—with justice, healing, and hope.

Share this vision.

Join the movement.

Help write a future worth remembering.

"Do you know Sde Teiman? Rape in the name of god, as they say."

This is how settler Shem Tov Lusky threatened Hamdan Ballal last August. The video was published by @btselem and went viral. Since then, Lusky has invaded Susya and attacked residents countless times, including multiple incursions into Hamdan’s yard and his assault.

Now, after Hamdan won an Oscar and Lusky attacked him once again, the media suddenly cares—so we feel compelled to reshare these explicit threats.

Lusky and his family live in the illegal outpost "Ancient Susya," built within the archaeological site declared on the land of the ancient village of Susya, a declaration which led to the expulsion of its Palestinian residents in the 1980s. Since then, they’ve lived on their adjacent agricultural land, facing ongoing attempts to displace them again.

Posted @withregram • @kivsa_shchora

"אתה מכיר את שדה תימן ? אונס לשם שמיים, כמו שאומרים".

כך איים המתנחל שם טוב לוסקי על חמדאן בלאל. בחודש אוגוסט האחרון, הסרטון פורסם על ידי בצלם ונהיה וויראלי. מאז, שם טוב לוסקי פלש לסוסיא ותקף את התושבים אינספור פעמים, כולל מספר פלישות לחצר של חמדאן ותקיפתו. כעת, לאחר שחמדאן זכה באוסקר, ושם טוב התקיף אותו שוב, פתאום התקשורת מתעניינת בנושא - ולכן אנחנו מרגישות צורך לשתף שוב את האיומים המפורשים האלה.