Kosovo-Serbia tension: History, latest flare-up and what’s next?

"Violent clashes between Kosovo’s police and NATO-led peacekeepers on one side and local Serbs on the other have left several people injured on both sides.

The situation has again fueled fears of a renewal of the 1998-99 conflict in Kosovo that claimed more than 10,000 lives and left more than one million homeless."

Why are Serbia and Kosovo at odds?

Kosovo is a mainly ethnic Albanian-populated (Majority Muslim ) territory that was formerly a province of Serbia ( Majority Christian) . It declared independence in 2008.

Serbia has refused to recognise Kosovo’s statehood and still considers it part of Serbia, even though it has no formal control there.

Kosovo’s independence has been recognised by about 100 countries, including the United States.

Russia, China and five European Union nations have sided with Serbia. The deadlock has kept tensions simmering and prevented full stabilisation of the Balkan region after the bloody wars in the 1990s."

SOURCE:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2023/5/29/kosovo-serbia-tension-history-latest-flare-up-and-whats-next

Comments

Rebranding Genocide: When Killing Learns New Words

There are moments in history when crimes do not end — they simply learn new language. Gaza is living inside such a moment. The bombs have not stopped falling. The children have not stopped dying. The displaced have not stopped freezing in tents pitched atop rubble that was once their homes. What has changed is the vocabulary . And in the modern age, vocabulary is power . If you can rename atrocity, you can anesthetize conscience. First, it was called self-defense — a phrase emptied of meaning by its repetition. Then it became a war , despite the grotesque imbalance: one side armed with one of the most advanced militaries on earth, backed by the world’s most powerful empire ; the other a besieged civilian population without an army, navy, air force, tanks, or safe shelter. Now it is branded a ceasefire — a word invoked not to stop violence, but to conceal it. This is not peace. It is genocide with a quieter soundtrack. The Illusion of Restraint A slowed rate of killing is not m...

The Berlin Wall of Silence: A Masterclass in "Protecting Democracy" by Choking It

Welcome to Germany, the land of poets, thinkers , and apparently, riot police who are absolutely terrified of Zoom calls. If you’ve been following the news—or trying to, assuming your localized algorithm hasn’t shadow-banned it—you might have noticed that the German state has been busy. Very busy. They are currently engaged in a heroic struggle to protect democracy from its greatest existential threat: people asking for a ceasefire. Here is a celebration of the German police’s most "valiant" efforts to keep the streets safe from the menace of human rights. 1. The "Dangerous" Conference Call In April 2024, Berlin’s finest pulled off the tactical raid of the century. Their target? The Palestine Congress , a gathering of international scholars and activists . The threat level was evidently " Avenger Level," because 900 police officers were deployed to protect the city from... speeches. In a move that screams " stable democracy ," pol...

The Politicization of Antisemitism: Randy Fine, AIPAC, and the Fight Over Anti-Israel Speech

Randy Fine. Brief introduction of Randy Fine. Randy Fine is a U.S. Representative-Elect for Florida's 6th Congressional District and a former Florida State Senator . Born on April 20, 1974, in Tucson , Arizona , Fine holds degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Business School . He began his political career in 2016 as a member of the Florida House of Representatives and later served in the Florida Senate. Fine is known for his strong pro-Israel stance, earning him the nickname " Hebrew Hammer, " and his socially conservative views . He has been involved in contentious legislation and has faced both support and criticism for his policies and rhetoric. Detailed overview of Randy Fine 's stance and legislative efforts related to criminalizing the distribution of anti-Israel flyers, along with broader context about his political agenda and controversies : --- 1. Randy Fine’s Legislative Efforts Against Anti-Israel Flyers - Florida’s Hate Crime Law (2023): ...

A Society Pulling Apart: Emigration, Fear, and the Fracturing of Israeli Jewish Resilience

One of the least discussed—and most dangerous—developments in Israel today is not unfolding on its borders, but within its society. The fissures that have opened inside Israeli Jewish society are widening by the day. What began years ago as ideological disagreement has hardened into social estrangement, demographic anxiety , and a growing willingness—especially among secular and liberal Israelis—to imagine a future outside the country. This is not conjecture. It is measurable . The Quiet Indicator of Insecurity: Who Is Thinking of Leaving According to repeated surveys by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) , roughly one-quarter of Israelis have seriously considered emigrating , with the numbers rising sharply among secular Jews , young professionals, academics, and high-skilled workers. Among secular Israelis, the share expressing willingness to leave has approached 40% in some surveys —a staggering figure for a country whose national ethos was built on ingathering, permanen...

The Audacity of Hope, The Silence of Horror: When "Toy" Met Gaza

Remember 2018? The world, for a brief, glorious moment, felt like it was finally, truly getting it. Netta Barzilai clucked and chirped her way to a Eurovision victory with "Toy," a vibrant, unapologetic anthem for female empowerment. "I'm not your toy, you stupid boy!" she declared, and we collectively cheered. It was the heady days of #MeToo's global surge, a time when women's voices were rising, demanding to be heard, demanding respect, demanding an end to being treated as objects. And then, a few short years later, the world scrolled on. We clapped, we shared, we celebrated Netta's "difference," her "acceptance." It was a beautiful, powerful spectacle. The impact, we told ourselves, would be immense. It would echo. It would change things. It was a digital witness to a shifting tide, a promise whispered across screens: no more. Except for the women in Gaza. For them, "no more" became "much, much worse....

Ainnbeen

Search This Blog