Palestinian Refugees, India’s Diamond City, West Bank Demolitions, and More
Palestinian Refugees, India’s Diamond City, West Bank Demolitions, and More
The latest at Inkstick Media.
Hello, everyone.
Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip, the fifth since 2008, has now lasted longer than a year. Meanwhile, the Israeli government has expanded its attacks in the occupied West Bank and Lebanon, often striking Palestinian refugee camps in the process. In a new long read, I wrote of Israel’s long history of targeting Palestinian refugee camps across the region, especially in Gaza.
Meanwhile, Russia’s war on Ukraine — and the sanctions on Russia — have led to tragedy in Surat, known as India’s diamond city. With Russian diamonds banned, Indian workers in the industry find themselves facing slashed wages and less work. As Hanan Zaffar and Danish Pandit report, the downturn has led to dozens of people dying by suicide.
That’s not all we’ve got at Inkstick. And if you’re not already, please follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
“Israel’s Forever War on Palestinian Refugees” by Patrick Strickland (Oct. 7)
On a hot July morning in 1971, Israel sent bulldozers into the Gaza Strip’s Jabalia refugee camp. Over the ensuing weeks, Israeli forces demolished several homes and displaced hundreds of Palestinian refugees. It marked but a moment in a long history of Israel targeting Palestinian refugees and the camps where they live.
“In India, the World’s Deadliest Industrial Disaster Has Outlived Itself” by Nuzhat Khan & Shaba Manzoor (Oct. 8)
On the outskirts of Bhopal, far removed from the Indian city’s expanding reach, stands the derelict Union Carbide India Limited factory. It’s the site of the world’s deadliest industrial disaster. Nearly four decades later, toxic waste continues to fester on the accident site.
“Amid Gaza War, Israel Ramps Up West Bank Home Demolitions” by Andrew Waller (Oct. 9)
On the morning of Sept. 9, two large demolition machines arrived unannounced at a Palestinian family’s home in the southern West Bank village of al-Khalidiya with demolition orders. It was part of a growing number of home demolitions Israeli authorities are carrying out across the territory.
“The Ukraine War is Driving a Wave of Suicides in India’s Surat” by Hanan Zaffar & Danish Pandit (Oct. 10)
As Western sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine war went into effect, the once-reliable diamond trade in India’s Surat began to crumble. Once dependent on imports from Russia, India's diamond city is now experiencing a surge in suicides.
“Deep Dive: A New Radical Jewish Diasporism?” by Emily Tamkin (Oct. 11)
In a new paper at Critical Research on Religion, Shaul Magid examines the new anti-Zionist Jewish left — and how it itself is an expression of the “Zionization” of Judaism. Magid asks how progressive Jewishness can move beyond anti-Zionism and “begin to construct a New Radical Jewish Diasporism that would include new forms of religious/spiritual expression not bound by fidelity to Israel.”
From the desk of Patrick Strickland, managing editor of Inkstick Media.