Patrick O. Strickland

Patrick O. Strickland is the Jerusalem correspondent for MintPress News and reports on Israel and the Palestinian territories. Strickland has been reporting from the Middle East since July 2011, and his articles have appeared in Al Jazeera English, AlterNet, TruthOut, Huffington Post, In These Times and others. He has also written essays in theoretical journals, such as International Socialist Review and New Politics. Follow him on Twitter: @P_Strickland_

A Grim Future For Released Palestinian Prisoners

The 26 freed men represent the first of four phases that will total 104 high-level “security” prisoners.

Patrick O. Strickland
By Patrick O. Strickland
Released Palestinian prisoner Hosni Sawalha is hugged upon his arrival to his family house in Azmout village near Nablus in the West Bank, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2013. Israel agreed to release 26 Palestinian prisoners, most of them held for deadly attacks and most have already served around 20 years, as a part of a U.S.-brokered deal that led to a resumption of Mideast negotiations. (AP Photo / Nasser Ishtayeh)

JENIN—“You can’t imagine what it feels like to know you’re leaving prison to live with your family again,” says Sabih Abed Hammed Borhan, who was released last week along with 25 other Palestinian prisoners. The 26 freed men represent the first of four phases that will total 104 high-level “security” prisoners Israel claims to be releasing as a

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Is Israel Negotiating With Palestine In Good Faith?

Israel’s approval of new settlements have many questioning the so-called “peace process.”

Patrick O. Strickland
By Patrick O. Strickland

As Palestinian and Israeli representatives assembled in Jerusalem for a second round of talks Wednesday, negotiations are overshadowed by settlement expansion and the conditions of release for 26 Palestinian prisoners. Celebrations brought out thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as buses transferred the prisoners back to

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Israeli Plan To Evict Bedouins Casts Doubt On Renewed Peace Talks

Israel’s Knesset is pushing to pass legislation that would forcibly relocate tens of thousands of Bedouin citizens.

Patrick O. Strickland
By Patrick O. Strickland

As Palestinian and Israeli leaders assemble in Washington for their first direct talks in three years, the Israeli Knesset is pushing to pass legislation that will displace tens of thousands of Bedouin citizens in the Negev region of southern Israel. In late July, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said negotiations are currently intended to span

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Facing Threats And Abuse, Hunger Strikers Held In Israel Remain Defiant

Twelve Palestinian and Jordanian detainees are continuing a long-running hunger strike in Israeli prisons.

Patrick O. Strickland
By Patrick O. Strickland

Twelve Palestinian and Jordanian detainees are staging a hunger strike in Israeli prisons. The strikers are all that remains of a larger group that included at least 23 prisoners in early July. Administrative detainee Ayman Hamdan, who has gone the longest without food, has refused food for over three months in protest of his detention without

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Don’t Expect The Situation In Egypt To Cool Down Anytime Soon

Under Morsi or the military, calm seems unlikely as long as the conditions for unrest are not remedied.

Patrick O. Strickland
By Patrick O. Strickland

The outbreak of the June 30 uprising in Egypt saw the military intervene and ouster President Mohammed Morsi. Following the longtime Muslim Brotherhood member’s removal, voices across the spectrum have tried either to justify the “ongoing revolution” or denounce the “coup.” Morsi, not shy about his desire to vastly expand his power, had issued a

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Protesters Flood Texas Capitol Over Controversial Anti-Abortion Bill

Reproductive rights advocates flooded the Capitol building to protest new legislation designed to restrict access to female reproductive services.

Patrick O. Strickland
By Patrick O. Strickland

AUSTIN — For the fifth consecutive week, thousands of reproductive rights advocates from across Texas flooded the Capitol building over the weekend to protest a wave of new legislation designed to severely restrict access to female reproductive services. SB 1 and HB 2, recent anti-abortion laws that have sparked statewide popular protests, will

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