Rubio at Munich Security Conference: US wants Europe to be ‘strong’
NewsFeed US Secretary of State of Marco Rubio recalled the long-shared history between the US and Europe at this year’s Munich Security Conference, as he made it clear that Washington does not plan on abandoning the transatlantic alliance. Published On 14 Feb 202614 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Arundhati Roy ‘shocked’ by jury’s Gaza remarks, quits Berlin film festival
Jury chair Wim Wenders said filmmakers ‘have to stay out of politics’ when asked about German support for Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Indian author Arundhati Roy has announced that she is withdrawing from the Berlin International Film Festival after what she described as “unconscionable statements” by its jury members about Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. Writing in India’s The Wire newspaper, Roy said she found recent remarks from members of the Berlinale jury, including its chair, acclaimed director Wim Wenders, that “art should not be political” to be “jaw-dropping”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list “It is a way of shutting down a conversation about a crime against humanity even as it unfolds before us in real time,” wrote Roy, the author of novels and nonfiction, including The God of Small Things. “I am shocked and disgusted,” Roy wrote, adding that she believed “artists, writers and filmmakers should be doing everything in their power to stop” the war in Gaza. “Let me say this clearly: what has happened in Gaza, what continues to happen, is a genocide of the Palestinian people by the State of Israel,” she wrote. The war is “supported and funded by the governments of the United States and Germany, as well as several other countries in Europe, which makes them complicit in the crime,” she added. During a panel to launch the festival on Thursday, a journalist asked the jury members for their views on the German government’s “support of the genocide in Gaza” and the “selective treatment of human rights” issues. German filmmaker Wim Wenders, who is the chair of the festival’s seven-member jury, responded, saying that filmmakers “have to stay out of politics”. “If we made movies that are dedicatedly political, we enter the field of politics. But we are the counterweight to politics. We are the opposite of politics. We have to do the work of people and not the work of politicians,” Wenders said. Advertisement Polish film producer Ewa Puszczynska, another jury member, said she thought it was “a bit unfair” to pose this question, saying that filmmakers “cannot be responsible” for whether governments support Israel or Palestine. “There are many other wars where genocide is committed and we do not talk about that,” Puszczynska added. Roy had been due to participate in the festival, which runs from February 12 to 22, after her 1989 film, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, was selected to be screened in the Classics section. Germany, which is one of the biggest exporters of weapons to Israel, after the US, has introduced harsh measures to prevent people from speaking out in solidarity with Palestinians. In 2024, more than 500 international artists, filmmakers, writers and culture workers called on creatives to stop working with German-funded cultural institutions over what they described as “McCarthyist policies that suppress freedom of expression, specifically expressions of solidarity with Palestine”. “Cultural institutions are surveilling social media, petitions, open letters and public statements for expressions of solidarity with Palestine in order to weed out cultural workers who do not echo Germany’s unequivocal support of Israel,” organisers of the initiative said. Adblock test (Why?)
Trauma and defiance: Life and death of 17-year-old killed fighting Israel
Nablus, occupied West Bank – Before he was killed by an Israeli drone 18 months ago at the young age of 17, Wael Mesheh was an aspiring university student who was wanted to be a successful computer programmer. But having seen five of his relatives and friends cut down by Israeli forces during almost daily raids of his northern West Bank refugee camp of Balata, the Palestinian teenager came to believe that life and death were the same, engendering a desire to sacrifice himself for the cause of Palestinian freedom, and therefore turning himself – in his belief – into a “martyr”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “What our family was suffering planted this desire inside him: He always knew he wanted to fight and see his country without occupation,” Wael’s 47-year-old father, Belal, told Al Jazeera. “And it was not just Wael, but many of his generation in the camp.” Before he turned 17, Wael had been imprisoned for throwing stones at Israeli soldiers, assaulted in jail, and then freed in a prisoner exchange deal. He joined the Qassam Brigades – the armed wing of Hamas – once he got out of prison, and was eventually killed in August 2024 while fighting Israeli troops near his home in Balata, southeast of Nablus. Wael’s story is typical of many young Palestinians in the West Bank’s refugee camps. Children learn from an early age that trauma will define their lives in ways even other Palestinians are spared. Psychologists from the West Bank told Al Jazeera young people in the camps face “incessant traumatisation”, and most are deprived of “safety, places to play, opportunities, and a chance to escape”. Advertisement Instead, as the offspring of refugees denied the right to return to their homeland, they face a life surrounded by poverty, death, and Israeli military violence. They are part of Palestinian society, yet remain marginalised within it – without the sense of belonging others take for granted. The conditions endured by those in the camps make them a breeding ground for armed resistance to Israel. Belal says that it was Wael’s time in prison that eventually pushed him to fight. He says that Wael was tortured by guards for being defiant, and was kept in solitary confinement. He was eventually released as part of the November 2023 prisoner exchange deal, at the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank has been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces [Al Jazeera] Defenders of the camps The West Bank’s 19 refugee camps, once makeshift tented communities when they were established in 1948 after Israel’s founding and intended to be temporary, are now densely populated built-up areas housing the descendants of hundreds of thousands of refugees. The older generations remember being forcibly expelled from their homes in historical Palestine by Zionist militias in the 1948 Nakba to pave the way for the creation of an Israeli state. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) describes the camps as dominated by poverty, severe overcrowding, and joblessness. The camps are also the primary targets of Israeli military operations in the West Bank. Without the prospect of a normal childhood for their occupants, the lure of fighting Israel can often prove irresistible. Nablus-based psychologist, Nisreen Bsharat, said “martyrdom”, particularly for those in the camps, is viewed as the ultimate demonstration of faith and resilience. Bsharat, who works with young people and grieving mothers from Balata, said martyrdom is seen as a “’heroic’ contribution to Palestine”, and that martyrs and their families are celebrated as such. Those who fight against Israel are seen as “role models” when so few opportunities exist in refugee camps, Bsharat added. “Historically, martyrdom is tied to our national identity,” she said. “It’s seen as the least we can offer our homeland, and part of our duty.” Though far from an exclusively Islamic concept, Palestinians often refer to those who are killed by Israeli forces as martyrs, believing they sacrifice their lives fighting for their nation, Islam, and the Holy Land – and believe that God promises them their place in paradise. Advertisement Bethlehem-based clinical psychologist and academic, Amanda Manasra, who was born in Aida refugee camp, and focuses on trauma in Palestine, told Al Jazeera the vast majority of camp residents live with untreated complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which is significantly more difficult to cure. The harsh environment of the camps creates a revolutionary fervour that is far less common in wealthier areas, Manasra added. “The idea of martyrdom is related to how Palestinians find meaning to deal with hardship, individually and collectively,” she said. “Many of my cases are adolescent men from the camps – many former prisoners – who have lost so many friends and family members. “Joining the resistance is about taking control – it can feel like a reward for experiencing hardship, and can satisfy feelings of retribution. “The fighters feel they have survived, persisted, and beaten the occupation war machine.” Camps in the northern West Bank came under even more relentless attack since Israel launched “Operation Iron Wall” in January 2025, which has displaced tens of thousands of refugees in nearby Jenin and Tulkarem, and killed hundreds. Tributes to Palestinians killed fighting Israel are visible across Balata [Al Jazeera] Psychological toll Belal, who spent eight years in Palestinian Authority (PA) prison during Wael’s childhood, feels the pain of his son’s loss deeply. They both had only ever known the narrow, labyrinthine streets and decrepit buildings of Balata, the most populous refugee camp in the West Bank. But Belal feels that he wasn’t able to be there to guide Wael through them. “I didn’t get the chance to see Wael growing up, or spend time with him as all other fathers do,” he said, unable to fight back his tears. “I envy his mother and brother because at least they lived with him. They have beautiful and plentiful memories with him, shared moments. “Do you know what it feels like to
Danish PM says more Greenland talks due after meeting US’s Marco Rubio
New opinion poll finds seven in 10 US adults disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of Greenland issue. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 4 mins info Denmark’s prime minister and Greenland’s premier met with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio and agreed that talks would be pursued on the running of Greenland, the semi-autonomous Danish territory that President Donald Trump has threatened to take over. Rubio held a 15-minute meeting with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Premier Jens-Frederik Nielsen on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Greenland’s leader Nielsen said in a post on social media that during the meeting with Rubio, “it was emphasised that the conversations being made are the right way forward and the interests of Greenland were once again clearly highlighted”. Prime Minister Frederiksen said on X after the meeting: “Constructive talk with Secretary of State Marco Rubio together with Jens-Frederik Nielsen, Chairman of Naalakkersuisut, at the Munich Security Conference.” “Work will continue as agreed in the high-level working group,” she said. The meeting between the Danish and Greenlandic leaders and the US state secretary comes amid severely strained ties between Europe and Washington, and NATO allies, amid President Trump’s repeated threats to take over Greenland and criticism of European nations as “decaying” and “weak”. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Trump said, “We’re negotiating right now for Greenland.” “I think Greenland’s going to want us, but we get along very well with Europe. We’ll see how it all works out,” he said. After months of bellicose language regarding the US’s necessity to acquire Greenland, Trump abruptly stepped back from his threats last month, saying that he had reached an understanding with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that would give the US greater influence in the mineral-rich Arctic territory. Advertisement Late last month, the US, Denmark and Greenland also launched talks to find a diplomatic path out of the crisis. Poll finds most US adults disapprove of Trump’s Greenland plan The US administration has cited key national security concerns related to Russia and China to justify its demand to take control over Greenland and has accused Denmark, and Europe more broadly, of being unable to defend the strategic territory. But, according to a new opinion poll conducted by The Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Trump’s push to seize control of Greenland has gone down badly with the US public and members of his own party. The survey, conducted between February 5-8, found that about seven in 10 US adults disapprove of how Trump is handling the Greenland issue – a higher disapproval rating than the share of those who dislike how he is handling foreign policy generally. Even among Republican supporters, about half disapprove of his attempt to turn Greenland into US territory, according to the poll. Sweden said on Thursday that it would send fighter jets to patrol Greenland as part of a newly launched NATO mission in the Arctic aimed at placating Trump’s concerns over the threats posed by Moscow and Beijing. The government said in a statement that Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets would patrol Greenland as part of the newly-launched NATO mission, Arctic Sentry. “As a NATO ally, Sweden has a responsibility to contribute to the security of the entire territory of the Alliance. The Arctic region is becoming increasingly important from a strategic perspective,” Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said. In a separate statement, the Swedish Armed Forces said the fighter jets would be based out of Iceland, where six aircraft have been stationed since early February as part of the rotating incident response force, NATO Air Policing. Swedish special forces would also be sent to Greenland to take part in training exercises for a couple of weeks, the military said. Adblock test (Why?)
Manchester United fans condemn co-owner’s immigration comments
NewsFeed Manchester United supporter groups and ordinary fans have spoken out against comments by the club’s co-owner, billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, who said the UK has been ‘colonised’ by immigrants. Ratcliffe himself is an immigrant to Monaco, where he lives for tax reasons. Published On 13 Feb 202613 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: Explosions in Gaza, 54 wounded in West Bank settler attacks
blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, Explosions are reported in eastern Gaza City, while at least 54 Palestinians are wounded in attacks by Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank today. Published On 13 Feb 202613 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Merz, Macron to address Munich Security Conference amid disputes with US
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also address the conference. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron will deliver addresses on the first day of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), with Russia’s four-year war in Ukraine high on the agenda and amid strained ties between the United States and Europe. Merz will open the conference at 1:45pm local time (12:45 GMT), while his French counterpart will close Friday’s official programme with a speech at 7pm (18:00 GMT), according to the MSC agenda. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will also address the conference over the course of the day. They are among more than 60 heads of state and government and about 100 foreign and defence ministers who have descended on the Bavarian southern German city amid high security, with about 5,000 police deployed for the event. This year’s conference comes as relations between Europe and the US, their traditional allies and guarantors of the continent’s security for decades, are under immense pressure. Since returning to the White House last year, US President Donald Trump has frequently criticised European countries for not sharing enough of the burden on common defence. Ties plunged further last month when Trump stepped up threats to annex the Arctic island Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, forcing European nations to stand firm in protest, pushing back in a rare and concerted public rebuke of Washington. Top of the agenda are issues on which the US has been leading diplomatic efforts: not only Russia’s war in Ukraine but also Iran’s nuclear programme and Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, said Al Jazeera’s James Bays, reporting from Munich. Advertisement The mood ahead of this conference is “very different from years in the past,” said Bays. “Diplomats I’ve spoken to since I was in Munich a year ago talk about the Munich moment, when US Vice President JD Vance” used the occasion to criticise European policies on immigration and free speech, said Bays, adding: his behaviour was “such a contrast with the past, when this was quite a cosy gathering, celebrating the transatlantic alliance.” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “arguably a slightly more diplomatic figure” than Vance, arrived in Munich on Friday and will address the conference on Saturday, said Bays. Before departing for Germany, Rubio said that transatlantic ties faced a “defining moment” in a rapidly changing world. “The Old World is gone, frankly, the world I grew up in, and we live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be,” he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also arrived on Friday and will speak at the annual gathering on Saturday, organisers said. Zelenskyy is expected to discuss security with a string of European allies, including Rubio and Merz, ahead of the next round of US-brokered talks with Russia, which the Kremlin said would resume next week. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Like Eid’: Bangladeshis hail landmark election, many vote after 17 years
Dhaka, Bangladesh – Standing in a long queue at a government school in the capital Dhaka, Hasan Hoque, a former teacher, laughs and chats with a group of men who just arrived to cast their ballots. “It’s been a while standing in this line, but nothing matches the feeling of casting my own vote. It feels like a festival,” Hoque told Al Jazeera, smiling. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The last time he voted was in 2008 – the year former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina returned to power and allegedly rigged subsequent elections until her autocratic 15-year regime was challenged by a student-led uprising in 2024, toppling her government and forcing her into exile in India. “The elections we had after 2008 were farcical and one-sided under Awami League,” Hoque said, referring to Hasina’s political party, which was barred from elections after the uprising. “They would cast our votes themselves, so we were not even needed at the polling centres in those years.” That changed on Thursday as Bangladesh held its first parliamentary election since the 2024 uprising, with the country of 173 million people seeking a return to democracy after years of turmoil. Alongside choosing a new parliament, people also voted in a referendum to endorse the so-called “July Charter”, a document born out of the 2024 uprising that proposes sweeping constitutional reforms in order to save the country from future authoritarian rule. ‘Eid-like atmosphere’ Like Hoque, Jainab Lutfun Naher had also returned to the polling booth after 17 years. Advertisement “I was pregnant with my daughter in 2008. Today I voted again, and my daughter is now 17,” the voter from Dhaka’s Gulshan area told Al Jazeera. “It feels absolutely great to vote.” Naher said the day felt emotional and empowering – and allowed her hope. “I want this country to prosper,” she said. “I want it to be democratic, where everyone has rights and freedoms.” The people’s hopes are pinned on two alliances that were in the fray in Thursday’s vote – the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, and the Jamaat-e-Islami-led coalition of 11 parties, which includes the National Citizen Party (NCP), founded by the youth activists who ousted Hasina. Voting took place in 299 of 300 constituencies, with polling in one seat cancelled following the death of a candidate. The Election Commission declared a turnout of around 48 percent up until 2pm local time (08:00 GMT). A finally tally of the turnout is awaited. Polls closed at 4.30pm (10:30 GMT) on Thursday and official results are expected early Friday morning. Across polling stations in Dhaka, home to 20 parliamentary constituencies, a similar picture emerged: long queues snaking outside school gates and community centres that were turned into polling centres. At one such school, first-time voter Nazmun Nahar said she “was so excited I could hardly sleep last night”. “It felt like Eid,” she told Al Jazeera, referring to the Muslim religious festival and expressing a sentiment also shared by Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin, who told reporters that people were voting in an exuberant “Eid-like atmosphere”. Reports from elsewhere in the country suggested a similarly festive mood, as the government declared a three-day holiday for the election and millions of voters travelled to their hometowns – many on train rooftops – to cast their vote. Abdur Rahman, a voter in northern Bangladesh who travelled on one such crowded train, said almost everyone he knew — from neighbours to extended family — had returned home to cast their ballots. “We were robbed of the joy of voting for so long,” Rahman said. “None of us wanted to miss this opportunity.” ‘Birthday of a new Bangladesh’ After casting his vote at Gulshan Model High School and College in Dhaka, BNP chairman Tarique Rahman, who is a frontrunner for the post of prime minister, said that if he comes to power, he will “prioritise improving law and order in the country so that people feel secure”. “I am confident of winning the election,” Tarique Rahman told reporters. Advertisement Muhammad Yunus, the head of the interim government formed after the 2024 uprising, cast his ballot at the same centre. “Today is the birthday of a new Bangladesh,” he said. “Through today’s process, people have rejected the past. From today, at every step, we have gained the opportunity to build a new Bangladesh.” Shafiqur Rahman, leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, cast his vote at another polling centre in Dhaka. “Through this vote, we hope a government will be formed that does not belong to any individual, family or party, but to the [millions] of people of this country,” he told reporters, calling the election a “turning point” for Bangladesh. Analysts said that while there were scattered allegations of poll malpractices, the election process had largely been peaceful. Asif Mohammad Shahan, professor of development studies at Dhaka University, told Al Jazeera the election did not see “reports of major irregularities”. “Some isolated incidents have occurred, which are of course unwanted, but every election in Bangladesh has had some irregularities. Unless those are serious enough to change the overall result, they do not cross a critical threshold,” he said. Political analyst Dilara Choudhury said a relatively peaceful election is a first step in Bangladesh’s long transition towards democratic normalcy. “Minimal violence in the election is good,” she told Al Jazeera. “If both parties accept the results, it would be a first step for Bangladesh towards a new kind of politics or democratic transition,” she added. But Choudhury cautioned that an election “does not mean a full transition to democracy”, arguing that the next phases would depend on whether governing and opposition forces jointly pursue reforms outlined in the July Charter and institutionalise them – including commitments to accountability, rule of law, and good governance. Meanwhile, Mazeda Begum, a voter at Dhaka’s Civil Aviation School and College polling centre, said she hopes the new government — whoever forms it — will work for the country’s progress,
US border chief says Trump agrees to end deportation surge in Minnesota
US border chief announces the conclusion of a federal operation with 700 immigration agents set to leave Minnesota. Listen to this article Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 12 Feb 202612 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Tom Homan, the US border security chief, says that the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to mass detentions, protests and two deaths is coming to an end. “As a result of our efforts here, Minnesota is now less of a sanctuary state for criminals,” Homan said at a news conference on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list “I have proposed, and President [Donald] Trump has concurred, that this surge operation conclude.” US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota on December 1 as Trump frequently rebuked the state and its seizable Somali community. Homan said ICE operations would continue as they did before the operation began. “Through targeted enforcement operations based on reasonable suspicion, and prioritising safety and security, ICE will continue to identify, arrest, and remove illegal aliens who pose a risk to public safety, as we’ve done for years,” he said. Federal authorities say the sweeps focused on the Minneapolis-St Paul metro area have led to the arrest of more than 4,000 people. While the Trump administration has called those arrested “dangerous criminal illegal aliens”, many people with no criminal records, including children and US citizens, have also been detained. Minnesota Tim Walz said on Thursday he was “cautiously optimistic” after the Trump administration’s announcement of drawing down the immigration crackdown in his state. “They left us with deep damage, generational trauma,” Walz told reporters. “They left us with economic ruin in some cases.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey also welcomed the announcement, likening the immigration operation to military occupation. Advertisement “They thought they could break us, but a love for our neighbors and a resolve to endure can outlast an occupation,” Frey wrote on X “These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance — standing with our neighbors is deeply American.” Reporting from the White House House Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher said the operation of Minnesota proved to be a public relations “disaster” for Trump, citing opnion polls that showed public opposition to ICE’s tactics. “It was bad publicity for Donald Trump, and he was getting a great deal of criticism, not just from Democrats, not just from people in the state, but from Republicans around the country as well – that this was not the image that they wanted to portray,” Fisher said. Holman’s announcement came as US legislators were holding hearings questioning government officials over the immigration crackdown in Minnesota, which saw mass protests and the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents. Adblock test (Why?)
How Israel used discriminatory laws to strip Palestinians of citizenship
Israel’s announcement to revoke the citizenship of two Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks has drawn condemnation from Palestinians, who said that the move “constitutes a grave and alarming precedent” that paves the way for targeting thousands of detainees and former prisoners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an order on Tuesday revoking the citizenship of two Palestinians, who will be deported from Israel. This is the first time that a 2023 discriminatory law is being used to physically deport Palestinians from Israel. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Why is Israel stripping Palestinians of their citizenship? Netanyahu wrote in an X post on Tuesday: “This morning I signed the revocation of citizenship and deportation of two Israeli terrorists who carried out stabbing and shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and were rewarded for their heinous acts by the Palestinian Authority.” Referring to Ofir Katz, a Knesset member from the Likud party, Netanyahu added: “I thank the Coalition Chairman @OfirKatzMK for leading the law that will deport them from the State of Israel, and many more like them on the way.” One of these men was released from prison for security-related offences in 2024 after serving 23 years, while the other is currently serving an 18-year sentence following a 2016 conviction, according to Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel. The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) released a joint statement on Wednesday saying that the decision is based on a discriminatory law, legislation passed by the Israeli parliament in February 2023. Advertisement The 2023 law made it easier for authorities to strip citizenship or residency from Palestinians jailed for what Israel defines as “acts of terror”. The law targets Palestinian citizens of Israel, and Palestinians in the occupied and illegally annexed East Jerusalem who hold Israeli residency. It states that the Palestinians can lose their citizenship or residency after being convicted or charged for an “act of terrorism” and receiving money from the Palestinian Authority, which governs the occupied West Bank. Hassan Jabareen, general director of Adalah, dubbed it “a very, very dangerous law”. “This will be a very hard precedent against Palestinian citizens. It will open the way to transfer them based on political reasons,” Jabareen told Al Jazeera. “This is the first law that we know in any Western democracy that allows the state to revoke the citizenship of their citizens only for political reasons. “As Netanyahu said, this is just the beginning. This means that they are going to revoke more and more citizenships. This is a way of transferring Palestinian citizens,” who make up about 20 percent of Israel’s overall population of about 10 million people. Jabareen added that the Israeli government has done this to stoke tension between Palestinian citizens and the state ahead of the October legislative elections. The Israeli “right wing” wants to be seen as attacking Palestinians for “populist reasons and for electoral reasons”, Jabareen said. Prior to the 2023 legislation, the Citizenship Law of 1952 already allowed for the revocation of citizenship or residency of Palestinians in Israel and Jerusalem on the grounds of “breach of loyalty to the State of Israel”. “Breach of loyalty” is defined to include carrying out an “act of terror,” aiding or soliciting such an act, or “taking an active part” in a “terrorist organisation,” among other activities. ‘Apartheid’: Which other Israeli laws discriminate against Palestinians? The 2023 citizen revocation law is aimed primarily at Palestinians and adds to a longstanding body of legislation that is applied differently to Palestinians in Israel than to Jewish Israelis. There are currently about 100 Israeli laws that discriminate against Palestinian citizens in Israel and Palestinian residents of the occupied Palestinian territory, according to Adalah. In 2018, Israel’s parliament adopted a controversial “Jewish nation-state” law defining the country as a Jewish homeland, further marginalising Palestinian citizens of Israel. The law stipulates that Jewish people have “an exclusive right to national self-determination”. Advertisement Last November, Israel passed a first draft of a death penalty bill, introducing capital punishment for those convicted of killing Israelis if they had “racist” motives or were doing it “with the aim of harming Israel”. The bill is under discussion in the Knesset. Legal experts say the law is discriminatory in how it defines “terrorism”. Palestinians’ attacks will most likely be dubbed “racist”, attracting the death penalty. In a statement on February 3, Amnesty International called on Israel to abandon the bill, warning that the measures would violate international law and “further entrench Israel’s apartheid system” against Palestinians. Amnesty’s statement said: “If adopted, these bills would distance Israel from the vast majority of states which have rejected the death penalty in law or in practice, while further entrenching its cruel system of apartheid against all Palestinians whose rights Israel controls.” Last week, the Israeli cabinet passed measures aimed at expanding its power across the occupied West Bank, making it easier to seize Palestinian land illegally. This has come despite the 2024 UN resolution calling for an end to the illegal Israeli occupation of the West Bank. How many Palestinians live in Israel? There are about 1.9 million Palestinians with Israeli citizenship as of 2019, according to Israel’s census. Most are descendants of Palestinians who remained inside Israel when it was founded in 1948. About 750,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled, and thousands more were killed by the Zionist militias, in the lead-up to Israel’s creation. Israel continues to block their right of return while granting Jews from across the world the right to immigrate to Israel, as well as to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. More than 750,000 Israelis live in illegal settlements built on Palestinian-owned land in the occupied West Bank. In very limited cases, Palestinians who hold residency in East Jerusalem can apply to obtain Israeli citizenship. They have to undergo a difficult naturalisation process, and a small number can apply via family links – but for most Palestinians in