IMEU Institute for Middle East Understanding
Israel is a powerful nation with the most advanced and capable military in the Middle East. It is the single greatest beneficiary of American military assistance, receiving $3.8 billion, some 25 percent of its defense budget, from American taxpayers each year. The security of Israel is obviously important to the United States, with missile defense programs like Iron Dome and David’s Sling as success stories.
on December 11, 2017
Fact Sheets
The immediate cause of the current crisis in Gaza is the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority’s efforts to pressure its rival Hamas and to curry favor with the Trump administration. However, the appalling conditions that the nearly 2 million Palestinians in Gaza are forced to endure are ultimately the result of 50 years of Israeli military rule over the tiny coastal enclave and a cruel and illegal siege and naval blockade.
on June 19, 2017
Hiba Anis Mustafa Shurafa guides students in her Gaza classroom, instructing them on the art of how to hold a pen and keep a steady hand when writing out letters. She understands the task is challenging because, like her students, Shurafa has Down syndrome.
on November 30, 2016
Photo Essays
One year ago, my mother came to my house for a visit. She was late. We sat together on a mattress. She opened her cigarette pack, took out two cigarettes, and we smoked together. It was hot that day. She told me that she just returned from the doctor.
on November 29, 2016
Videos
70% of Palestinians living in Gaza are refugees due to Israeli policies of mass expulsion. As they face debilitating conditions under Israeli occupation and siege, Israel denies them their internationally recognized right to return to their homes and land.
on November 4, 2016
Photo Essays
Shuhada kindergarten may be one of the most vulnerable schools in Hebron. The school sits halfway to the crest of Tel Rumeda, the oldest site in Hebron, Palestine, where pottery shards dating to 3,500 BC have been found. Just fifty meters behind the school lies a community of Israeli settlers who employ harassment and violence to pry from the hands of Palestinian owners as many homes...
on July 11, 2016
Videos
“The life of a Palestinian child is nothing but fear, humiliation, and rage. Everything is a burden.” - Mohammad, 16 The Israeli military detains around #700ChildPrisoners each year. This video is part of the Israeli Military Detention: No Way to Treat a Child.
on June 22, 2016
Videos
“They were beating me until all I felt was pain.” 3 out of 4 Palestinian children endure physical violence after their arrest by Israeli forces. The Israeli military detains around #700ChildPrisoners each year. This video is part of the Israeli Military Detention: No Way to Treat a Child campaign.
on June 20, 2016
alestinians were baffled when Tanya Habjouqa first explained her photographic project to them. “They felt a political obligation to talk about their suffering,” she says. “They were startled when I asked about pleasure. They would slowly ask, ‘Pleasure? We don’t usually discuss pleasure.’
on May 22, 2016