Latest news with #Palestinian-owned
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
'A heartfelt thank you': Organisers of Coffee for Palestine campaign thank customers for support
The people behind the Coffee for Palestine campaign have thanked all those who supported the initiative that aims to raise money for children and communities in Gaza. Participating businesses pledged the value of 10 coffees a day for seven days to the Coffee For Palestine campaign from June 23 to June 29. The campaign reached many counties across Ireland, with more than 270 cafés, 51 of which were Cork-based, as well as Monks Coffee Roasters in Amsterdam and Humble Coffee in South Africa, participating this year. But what made the campaign's impact even more special was a message received by participating café, the Palestinian-owned Izz Café, directly from Gaza. Izz Café shared photos of one of their friends in Gaza standing amidst the ruins of their home, holding up the Coffee for Palestine campaign poster. The team at Izz Café said the photos left them speechless and were brought to tears "because it showed that love and solidarity reached them'. Speaking to the Irish Examiner about the campaign, Clare Condon of Good Day Deli said: 'Coffee For Palestine all began in June 2024 when it got to the point where we were so appalled and distraught about what was happening in Gaza, that we felt we had to do something as opposed to watching it on our screens helplessly. 'It was pretty clear that a lot of people in our industry wanted to do something also, but there was a lot of uncertainty around how to help or which organisation to donate to. 'I approached Eman from Izz Café and Deirdre from Studio Boon with the idea to ask cafés to pledge 10 coffees per day for 7 days to our campaign. The idea was simple and had the potential to raise a lot of funds with a multiplier effect of others joining. Eman and Deirdre were immediately on board and we started planning our campaign for September. 'Eman guided us on the political and cultural sensitivities and chose the charities for the campaign, as she has the best knowledge on what is happening on the ground. Clare Condon of Good Day Deli and co-founder of the Coffee for Palestine campaign. 'Deirdre designed the logo and the visual identity of the campaign. The Coffee For Palestine logo utilises the tatreez coffee bean motif, known as 'Habbet Binn' ةبح نب. This symbol holds cultural significance in Palestinian embroidery, particularly in the Jaffa and Gaza regions. Serving as a delightful and intricate representation of a coffee bean, a fundamental element in Palestinian hospitality and social gatherings, this motif symbolizes warmth and welcome. The colour palette is inspired by the food and flora of Palestine.' Condon said a lot of thought, work, planning and strategy went into their first campaign, with an aim to keep the campaign as simple and as sharable as possible so that it was easy for others to get involved and raise as much funds as possible. More than 150 cafés and restaurants were involved in 2024 and more than €50,000 was raised for charities and communities on the ground in Gaza. Condon said that the goal for this year's campaign was to engage even more cafés and restaurants to raise more funds – a goal which was met, with more than 270 establishments taking part this year. 'We had a new volunteer Campaign Manager, Emer, and Creative Producer, Shahd this year who were instrumental in widening the reach across Ireland,' Condon said. She spoke of the importance of the campaign to show people in Gaza support and compassion by raising awareness and letting them know that we are thinking of them everyday and said 100% of proceeds from the campaign will go directly to five organisations providing urgent support on the ground in Gaza. Those organisations include: Gaza go Bragh, a grassroots Irish initiative fundraising directly for emergency aid, water and food in Gaza; Unicef Gaza Gaza Crisis Response, delivering life-saving supplies and protection for children in Gaza; Medicine Sans Frontiers, offering vital surgical care, medical aid, and mental health services in Gaza's overwhelmed hospitals; Palestinian Red Crescent Society, emergency medical responders, providing ambulances, trauma care, and humanitarian relief; and Communities on the Ground, a community-led giving initiative selected by Eman from Izz Café. 'It's also important to support the cafés and restaurants that have committed to donating to the campaign. Small independent cafés and restaurants are so important in our communities and often have social impact goals as well as running businesses,' Condon said. Speaking following this year's campaign, Eman Alkarajeh said: 'From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who shared a cup of coffee with us, you shared much more than a drink; you shared hope. 'A very special thank you to my dear friends Deirdre from Studio Boon and Clare from Good Day Deli, who stood beside me with their warm hearts and strong voices. This campaign would not have been the same without you. You made it feel like I wasn't alone, you made it feel like Palestine was right here with us. 'And to our talented friend who designed and printed our beautiful logo, thank you for giving our message a face. Your work brought light, even when the skies over Gaza were dark. From Gaza from under the rubble, from Cork with all our love, Thank you. We will never stop talking about Palestine.'
Eater
09-06-2025
- Business
- Eater
A Beloved Cambridge Diner Is Expanding to Brookline
Brookline Lunch — the beloved, Palestinian-owned Cambridge diner known for its knafeh and baklava pancakes — is finally going to have an actual location in Brookline. The owners' son, Mushhoor Abu-Rubieh, will oversee the new restaurant, which has taken over the former home of the Busy Bee Diner at 1046 Beacon Street, according to Brookline News. (The Busy Bee shut down last fall after 56 years.) The new spot will feature much of the same menu that diners are familiar with in Cambridge, plus a few new items, Abu-Rubieh told the neighborhood publication. He aims to have the new restaurant up and running in three to four months. An exciting Portsmouth bakery is coming to Boston Elephantine Bakery, a fan-favorite Portsmouth cafe that sells breads, croissants, cakes, and other pastries, is expanding to Boston. Owners Sherif and Nadine Farag are opening a second Elephantine location at 332 Congress Street, in Fort Point, with a target opening in late summer this year. Keep an eye on Instagram for updates as construction gets underway. Lakon Paris takes home the top prize in local croissant competition Croissant-heads, take note: Lakon Paris Patisserie, home of the viral, over-the-top croissants bursting at the seams with fillings like pistachio mascarpone and Nutella hazelnut, nabbed top honors at the Le Grand Prix Elmendorf du Pain, an annual baking competition held in Cambridge on Sunday, June 8. Cambridge Day reports that Lakon's Jenny Kiangkaew won first place in the competition, while Flourhouse in Newton and Praliné French Patisserie in Belmont came in second and third, respectively. Sign up for our newsletter.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Israel announces major expansion of illegal West Bank settlements
The Israeli government says it will establish 22 illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, including the legalisation of some so-called 'outposts' already built without government authorisation, in a move decried by Palestinian officials and rights groups. Defence Minister Israel Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the decision on Thursday, with Katz saying that it 'strengthens our hold on Judea and Samaria,' using an Israeli term for the occupied West Bank. He added it was also 'a strategic move that prevents the establishment of a Palestinian state that would endanger Israel'. Smotrich, himself a settler on illegally occupied Palestinian-owned land and an advocate for Israeli annexation of the West Bank, hailed the 'historic decision'. In a statement, the Likud party of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the move as a 'once-in-a-generation decision', emphasising its strategic value in fortifying Israel's hold along the eastern border with Jordan. Israel has already built more than 100 illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank that are home to some 500,000 settlers. The settlements range from small outposts to larger communities with modern infrastructure. The West Bank is home to more than three million Palestinians, who live under Israeli military rule, with the Palestinian Authority governing in limited areas. The Palestinians see the territory as an integral part of a future state, along with occupied East Jerusalem and Gaza. Palestinian officials and rights groups slammed the Israeli government's decision, warning that the expansion of illegal settlements would further harm the prospects for a future Palestinian state. Palestinian presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh condemned the decision, calling it a 'dangerous escalation' and a 'challenge to international legitimacy'. He accused Israel of fuelling instability in the region and warned the move breaches international law. 'This decision violates all international resolutions, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2334,' he said, adding that all settlement activity remains illegal and illegitimate. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned called on the United States and the European Union to take action. 'The announcement of the building of 22 new settlements in the West Bank is part of the war led by Netanyahu against the Palestinian people,' Abu Zuhri told the news agency Reuters. The Israeli NGO Peace Now said the move 'will dramatically reshape the West Bank and further entrench the occupation'. 'The Israeli government no longer pretends otherwise: the annexation of the occupied territories and expansion of settlements is its central goal,' it said in a statement.'This is the largest batch of illegal Israeli settlements to be approved in one decision,' reported Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim from the occupied West Bank. 'Israeli settlements are strangling Palestinian communities inside the West Bank,' said Ibrahim. 'These new settlements fill the gaps, making a future Palestinian state almost impossible on the ground. Israel is using this moment – while global attention is fixed on Gaza – to cement its occupation.' The settlement announcement comes just weeks ahead of a high-level international conference, jointly led by France and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations, aiming to revive the long-dormant process to agree a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Saba Yemen
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Settlers burn land east of Ramallah
Ramallah - Saba: Today, Friday, Zionist settlers burned land between the villages of Al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah, east of Ramallah. Local sources told the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) that settlers burned an area exceeding 200 square meters in the plain of "Marj Sa'a," located between Al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah, under the protection of Zionist enemy forces. The sources noted that settlers repeatedly attempt, on a daily basis, to burn Palestinian-owned lands east of Ramallah. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Middle East Eye
16-05-2025
- Middle East Eye
Israeli settlers carry out attacks on Palestinians in occupied West Bank
Israeli settlers have carried out attacks on Palestinian-owned vehicles in several areas in the occupied West Bank. According to reports, the violence occurred in the towns of Bruqin, west of Salfit, and the Ramin Plain area, east of Tulkarm. The Quds News Network now reports that Israeli settler militias have attacked the Masoudiya water well, north west of Nablus, and burned the guard's vehicle.
