Palestinian Athletes Told to Take 'Resistance' to the Olympicshttps://english.aawsat.com/features/5040222-palestinian-athletes-told-take-resistance-olympics
Palestinian Athletes Told to Take 'Resistance' to the Olympics
Valerie Tarazi will compete in the swimming for the Palestine delegation at the Paris Olympics - AFP
Eight Palestinian athletes taking part in the Paris Olympics will be symbols of "resistance" during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, a Palestinian minister said Sunday as the official delegation left the occupied West Bank.
This will be the eighth time Palestinian athletes have taken part in the Olympics since 1996, but Olympic committee head Jibril Rajoub said the athletes had never felt so much attention.
The athletes are preparing for the start of the Paris Games on July 26 in a "very dark moment in our history", said Palestinian authority minister of state for foreign affairs Varsen Aghabekian Shahin, AFP reported.
"You are not just athletes, you are also ... symbols of Palestinian resistance," Aghabekian added.
French organizers have stepped up security in Paris because of the conflict. But Rajoub said: "We want this participation to be a message from the Palestinians to the world that it is time for them to be free in their homeland."
"Through this participation, we want to present the suffering of the Palestinian people and the unprecedented killing taking place in Gaza," he added.
Rajoub said 400 athletes, coaches and sporting officials in Gaza have been killed or wounded since the start of the war on October 7.
Majed Abu Marahil, a long distance runner who was the first Palestinian to compete in an Olympics in Atlanta in 1996, died in June. According to officials, he suffered kidney failure and could not get treatment as Gaza's hospitals have been devastated by the conflict.
Rajoub said getting athletes to Paris "is already a victory".
The eight will compete in athletics, swimming, archery, taekwondo, judo and boxing. One secured a place through regular qualifying and seven were given special invitations.
Swimmer Valerie Tarazi, 24, has US and Palestinian nationality and won titles at the Arab Games last year in Algeria.
"My heart aches for them," she said of the Gaza people. Tarazi said she has relatives in Gaza and speaks with them nearly every day.
"Being in Paris on behalf of Palestine is a very important thing, and taking part in a global swimming competition at a time when there are no places to train is surreal," she said.
Numbers That Tell the Story of the Democrats’ Midterm Blowouthttps://english.aawsat.com/features/5337441-numbers-tell-story-democrats%E2%80%99-midterm-blowout
This aerial view shows Union Station illuminated with the colors of the US flag after the midterm elections in Kansas City, Missouri, in the early hours of November 4, 2026. (AFP)
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Numbers That Tell the Story of the Democrats’ Midterm Blowout
This aerial view shows Union Station illuminated with the colors of the US flag after the midterm elections in Kansas City, Missouri, in the early hours of November 4, 2026. (AFP)
Democrats stormed back to power in Congress and governors' mansions across America in Tuesday's midterm elections, a stunning repudiation of Donald Trump's political agenda.
These are the numbers that tell the tale of a historic night.
- Record turnout -
Total turnout numbers were not in yet, but Americans cast more than 61.7 million votes even before election day, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab.
That figure, a runaway record for early voting in US midterms, undoubtedly boosted Democrats, who traditionally cast their ballots early more often than Republican voters.
The numbers showed large turnout among African Americans, young people and other groups that typically support Democratic candidates, National Public Radio reported.
The surge contributed to a wave election, with Democrats running the table on key races and seizing control of both chambers of Congress.
- Record fundraising -
Total spending for the 2026 midterms soared to a record $11.9 billion, substantially higher than the $8.9 billion racked up in 2022, according to OpenSecrets, a non-partisan authority on spending in US politics.
Campaign fundraising and ad buys jumped in the 2026 races, driven by the outside spending of so-called political action committees.
Such outside spending, led by Trump's mega-billionaire ally Elon Musk, favored Republicans by some $360 million.
But Democratic candidates proved adept at raising their own funds.
House and Senate candidates spent an unprecedented $3.7 billion from their campaign warchests, with Democrats outspending Republicans by $800 million, according to OpenSecrets.
In Texas, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico broke records by bringing in a staggering $145 million, several times the $22 million raised by his Republican rival Ken Paxton who was forced to rely on outside groups to fund his campaign.
- First wins in decades -
Ninety-four years ago was the last time Kansas sent a Democrat to the US Senate. But on Tuesday night, Adam Hamilton unseated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall.
Hamilton, the pastor of a Methodist megachurch who was registered as a Republican until recently, became the first Democrat to win a Senate race in the largely rural, conservative state since 1932.
Texas also went blue for the first time in decades, with Talarico scoring a massive upset to flip a Senate seat in the Lone Star State for the first since 1988 -- the year before Talarico was born.
South Carolina also defied history, ousting Senator Darline Graham -- who had been appointed earlier this year to fill the seat of her late brother Lindsey Graham -- in favor of Democrat Annie Andrews. No South Carolina Democrat had been elected to the Senate since 1998.
- Young voters, Latinos turn away -
Young men and Latino voters -- two segments of the American electorate crucial to Trump -- turned sharply away from the president and his Republican Party, exit polls showed.
Hispanic voters had helped bring Trump to power in 2016, and were instrumental in his victory in 2024, when they only narrowly went to Democrat Kamala Harris in the presidential election, 51 percent to 48 percent, according to Pew Research.
But in recent weeks, several Latino voters have expressed anger at Trump, saying they felt betrayed.
It showed in NBC News exit polls on Tuesday, when Latino voters backed Democratic candidates by 62 percent to 35 percent over Republicans.
Young voters also soured on Trump. NBC News reported that its exit polls showed 18-29-year olds, men and women, voted for Democrats by a 72 percent to 25 percent margin. That is a sharp shift from 2024 when young voters were split between Trump and Harris.
Historic Leadership Firsts for Minorities Across US in Midterm Votehttps://english.aawsat.com/features/5337390-historic-leadership-firsts-minorities-across-us-midterm-vote
Democratic Senate candidate Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, speaks at an election night event, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP)
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Historic Leadership Firsts for Minorities Across US in Midterm Vote
Democratic Senate candidate Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, speaks at an election night event, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP)
The US midterm vote ushered in a wave of historic leadership firsts across the country on Tuesday, electoral milestones on a night that saw voters issue a sharp rejection of President Donald Trump's second term.
The first Black female governor, the first openly gay male senator, the first Muslim senator and the first female Native American governor all won groundbreaking elections in the vote that racked up resounding gains for Democrats.
Bill Shiebler -- chief strategy officer at the non-profit State Voices, a network of advocates for civic engagement and equity -- told AFP the night was "a huge rebuke against hate and division."
"We're witnessing an electorate that increasingly sees itself in its leaders, and the leaders who come out of communities they now represent," Shiebler said.
In Michigan, leftist Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.
The former medical administrator drew huge campaign crowds but faced a surge of anti-Muslim rhetoric from his detractors in the bruising race.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations advocacy group praised El-Sayed for persevering despite "endless Islamophobic attacks."
"Our communities worked hard to make sure our voices were heard and that we are properly represented in the Senate," the organization said.
"This is what is possible when we show up and vote together."
- 'Historic election' -
In the southern state of Georgia, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the race for governor, making her the first Black woman elected to the top office in any US state.
A former Atlanta mayor, Bottoms defeated billionaire health care executive Rick Jackson, a win that returns the governor's office to Democrats after more than two decades of Republican control.
In New Mexico, Democrat Deb Haaland became the first Native American woman elected governor, beating Republican Gregg Hull.
A member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, she had served as the secretary of the interior under former president Joe Biden, the first Native American to serve as a US cabinet secretary.
Democrat Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota was elected as the first female Native American senator.
The sweeping midterm rebuke of Trump also saw a number of state-level electoral firsts, including the first Latina governor in Texas with Gina Hinojosa's victory.
Looking ahead, if the current House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wins the speakership as expected in the new Congress, he would become the first Black speaker of the House in US history.
"This was a historic election where people decided to believe in themselves and really lean into the hope about the promise of this country, rebuking an effort to snuff out people's voices," Shiebler said.
Displaced Hebron Residents Return Home to Scenes of Destruction after Israeli Operationhttps://english.aawsat.com/features/5336963-displaced-hebron-residents-return-home-scenes-destruction-after-israeli-operation
People inspect the damage on the roof of a house that was blown up by Israeli forces in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
Displaced Hebron Residents Return Home to Scenes of Destruction after Israeli Operation
People inspect the damage on the roof of a house that was blown up by Israeli forces in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
Hijazi Shawer al-Tamimi, known as Abu al-Raed, had run out of the traditional sweets to hand out to his many grandchildren as they returned with their parents to the family’s large home in the Jalda area of Ain Deir Baha neighborhood in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.
The 70-year-old neighborhood community elder, was celebrating their return after 11 days of forced displacement by the Israeli army.
At least 3,000 people, including more than 200 infants and 32 people with disabilities, were forced from their homes during an Israeli military operation launched in response to an attack by two Palestinian gunmen from Ain Deir Baha.
The attack, carried out at a checkpoint near Hebron less than two weeks earlier, killed two Israeli soldiers.
“We are here, and we will not leave. Our roots are here, like the roots of fig trees in the earth,” Tamimi declared after returning home.
But the joy of returning was quickly overshadowed by scenes of destruction and vandalism. Families who had barely begun celebrating were shocked by the damage to their homes and belongings.
Tamimi, who had been hospitalized a week earlier after Israeli soldiers assaulted him while preventing him from reaching his home, expressed defiance as he returned.
Like other families in the neighborhood, he was finally able to reach his house on Monday after Israeli forces, which had forcibly evicted residents, withdrew.
A children's bedroom, ransacked by Israeli forces during an operation is seen in the Deir Baha area of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on November 2, 2026. (AFP)
Videos circulating on social media showed crowds celebrating, cars driving through the streets, young men handing out sweets, women weeping as they entered their homes and children playing in courtyards.
Yet, many residents were stunned by the extent of the damage.
Palestinians accused Israeli soldiers of vandalizing homes, shops and institutions, while others reported thefts. Accounts of looting circulated on social media.
Obaida Mujahid, who owns a photography studio, said his shop had been looted, with losses exceeding 100,000 shekels (about $32,000) after cameras and photographic equipment were stolen.
An unidentified woman accused soldiers of smashing and vandalizing her home. Another recounted how soldiers had destroyed all the items prepared for her daughter’s wedding.
Osama Shawer told the official Palestinian news agency that his sons returned to their apartments to find that Israeli forces had smashed most of their contents.
Children’s toys, perfumes, cash and the children’s savings banks had not been spared from damage and theft, he recounted. Doors had been broken and belongings scattered.
Muhannad al-Tamimi told AFP that his family returned to find their apartment wrecked, with furniture and clothes strewn across the floor, mattresses overturned and toys broken.
Many Palestinians posted images showing the damage and destruction left by soldiers inside their homes.
A Palestinian boy gestures from a car, with belongings on its roof, as people return to their homes after the Israeli military ended an operation, in Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, November 2,2026. (Reuters)
Israeli forces launched the operation in Hebron following a Palestinian attack on a checkpoint in the Farsh al-Hawa area on the city’s outskirts. The attack killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.
During the operation, Israeli troops took control of parts of Hebron, demolished 15 homes and occupied others after expelling their residents, particularly in the Jalda and Deir Baha areas, where the attackers hailed from. The troops withdrew early Monday.
Hebron Governor Khaled Dudin announced that Israeli forces had withdrawn from the entire city, confirming that Palestinian security services had regained full control of the area.
Residents began returning after specialized Palestinian security teams conducted rapid inspections to check for possible explosive remnants.
Despite the declared end of the operation, however, Israeli forces had not left the entire area.
Israeli military sources told the country’s public broadcaster that the withdrawal from Palestinian neighborhoods in Hebron had been postponed until at least after next Saturday.
The delay was attributed to expectations that around 20,000 people would arrive in the city for a Jewish religious event known as Shabbat Chayei Sarah.
The Israeli military issued no formal statement announcing the end of the operation, although a military official confirmed it to journalists.
The official explained that troops had vacated homes in certain areas and were preparing to provide security for the religious event.
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