“Major distortions on basic issues” Academic report slams “invasive” rewrite of school textbooks after campaign by pro-Israeli groups

By Miriam Scharf Under pressure from pro-Israeli organisations, a major educational publisher carried out an extensive revision of two GCSE History textbooks which inserted “major distortions” on questions such as the illegality of settlements under international law, according to a leading academic. Professor John Chalcraft co-authored a detailed report comparing the content of the two…

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Egypt / Manufacturing

“We will not leave it to the thieves!” Egyptian steel workers battle for justice after plant slated for closure

Francesco De Lellis, Gianni Del Panta, and Mattia Giampaolo report on the battle by workers in Egypt to save the Helwan Iron and Steel Company from liquidation Workers at the Iron and Steel Company of Helwan, on the southern fringes of Greater Cairo, spent the tenth anniversary of Egypt’s January 25 Revolution staging a massive…

Sudan

Sudan and the asylum system: ‘We must reject this divide-and-conquer rhetoric’

Sudanese police forced a sit-in by refugees outside UN buildings in Khartoum to disperse on 15 December. Activists from Sudan Labour Bulletin explain why solidarity with refugees is a crucial task for Sudanese revolutionaries. Late on 15 December, a two-month long sit-in by refugees in front of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner…

Bahrain

Bahrain: ‘Who ate the power of the poor? The Prime Minister’

Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the Prime Minister of Bahrain, died on 11 November after half a century in power. He took office one year before Bahrain gained independence from the British, in 1971, and was one of the longest serving Prime Ministers in the world. Uncle of the current King, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, he…

Algeria

Clampdown on dissent in Algeria continues

by Shelagh Smith During 2020 and the start of the coronavirus pandemic, repression of Hirak activists, human rights activists and especially journalists has increased. Over 90 people are currently in prison in Algeria for acts related to the Hirak. On 15 September an appeal court in Algiers sentenced journalist Khaled Drareni to a two-year prison…

Resistance is still fertile in the ‘New Algeria’

The Algerian regime hoped that a referendum on constitutional changes would draw a line under two years of mass mobilisations from below, writes Shelagh Smith, but the low turnout and continuing strikes tells a different story. November 1 is the celebration of the start of the Algerian war for independence from the French in 1954.…

Sudan’s workers on the march for their rights

The revolution in Sudan got rid of dictator Omar El Bashir, but workers are still fighting for basic rights to organise. Activists from Sudan Labour Bulletin are on the frontline of mobilising solidarity with their struggles for dignity. How did the labour movement in Sudan begin? The workers’ movement came into existence in Sudan as…

How far will normalisation with Israel go?

by Ameen Nemr Morocco’s recognition of Israel is the latest in a flurry of deals ending the diplomatic boycott of Israel by Arab states. This trend has deep roots, argues Ameen Nemr despite its recent promotion by Trump and Netanyahu. The announcement on 11 December that Morocco will open diplomatic relations with Israel brings the…

Sudan’s workers on the march for their rights

The revolution in Sudan got rid of dictator Omar El Bashir, but workers are still fighting for basic rights to organise. Activists from Sudan Labour Bulletin are on the frontline of mobilising solidarity with their struggles for dignity. They spoke to Anne Alexander for this interview. This article is from the new issue of Middle…

A year after Lebanon’s uprising: ‘There is power in our collective organisation’

In October 2019, a massive popular uprising shook Lebanon, triggered by rage at the corrupt elite’s attempts to make ordinary people pay for the economic crisis. We asked university lecturer and trade union organiser Rima Majed what are the prospects for collective resistance, a year after the people shook the neoliberal sectarian regime. This article…

Refugee sit-in in Sudan dispersed, activists appeal for solidarity

Sudanese police forced a sit-in by refugees in Khartoum to disperse on 15 December. Activists from Sudan Labour Bulletin explain why solidarity with refugees is a crucial task for Sudanese revolutionaries. Late on 15 December, a two-month long sit-in by refugees in front of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)…

Algeria: Numilog logistics workers’ unionisation battle sparks solidarity campaign

By Shelagh Smith The strike of the workers of Numilog in Bejaia, Kabylia, is playing an important role in building confidence and solidarity in the Algerian workers movement. Their conflict with the transport and logistics firm, part of the huge Cevital group, began in July when three workers were sacked for setting up a trade…

Egyptian human rights activists face spurious “terrorism” charges in latest crackdown

Well-known human rights NGO, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) is facing a coordinated assault by the authorities following the arrest and detention of key members of staff last week. Two of those arrested Karim Ennarah, head of EIPR’s Criminal Justice Unit, and administrative director Mohamed Bashir, have been added to a case opened…

Stand with Fadila: solidarity is not a crime

Moroccan youth and feminist activists are appealing for international solidarity with Fadila al-Makhloufi, a member of Al-Mussawah (Equality) feminist group and the Youth Challenge Movement after her arrest and detention on 22 October. Fadila was interrogated by the Royal Gendarmerie and investigated by the General Prosecutor in Tinghir, in the south east of Morocco in…

Kenana strike ends after workers win some concessions

Workers at Kenana Sugar Company have returned to work after more than a month on strike in what has become the longest-running walkout in Sudanese history. An agreement signed off by company representatives, local and national government officials, a senior politician in the Forces of Freedom and Change and two members of the Initiative for…

MENA Solidarity Network

Solidarity with Workers in the Middle East

“Major distortions on basic issues” Academic report slams “invasive” rewrite of school textbooks after campaign by pro-Israeli groups

“We will not leave it to the thieves!” Egyptian steel workers battle for justice after plant slated for closure

Sudan and the asylum system: ‘We must reject this divide-and-conquer rhetoric’

Bahrain: ‘Who ate the power of the poor? The Prime Minister’

Clampdown on dissent in Algeria continues

Resistance is still fertile in the ‘New Algeria’

Sudan’s workers on the march for their rights

How far will normalisation with Israel go?

Sudan’s workers on the march for their rights

A year after Lebanon’s uprising: ‘There is power in our collective organisation’

Refugee sit-in in Sudan dispersed, activists appeal for solidarity

Algeria: Numilog logistics workers’ unionisation battle sparks solidarity campaign

Egyptian human rights activists face spurious “terrorism” charges in latest crackdown

Stand with Fadila: solidarity is not a crime

Kenana strike ends after workers win some concessions