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This Happened

This Happened — May 5: Death Of An Irish Martyr

Bobby Sands died on this day in 1981, after 66 days on a hunger strike. He had refused food in protest of the British government's refusal to grant him and other IRA prisoners political prisoner status.

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Who was Bobby Sands?

Bobby Sands was an Irish nationalist and member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA). He was born in 1954 in Northern Ireland and became active in the Irish republican movement in the 1970s. His death from the hunger strike, protesting the British government's refusal to grant him and others political prisoner status, made him a martyr for the Northern Irish national cause.

What was the impact of Bobby Sands' hunger strike?

Bobby Sands' hunger strike and subsequent death had a significant impact on the Irish nationalist movement, as well as on the wider international community. It brought attention to the issue of Irish political prisoners and helped to galvanize support for the republican cause.

What was the reaction to Bobby Sands' death?

Bobby Sands' death sparked widespread protests and violence in Northern Ireland and beyond. Supporters of the Irish nationalist cause saw his death as a tragedy and a symbol of the struggle for Irish independence. The British government expressed regret over Bobby Sands' death but maintained its stance on political prisoner status. Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister at the time, was widely criticized for her handling of the situation.

How is Bobby Sands remembered today?

Bobby Sands is remembered in various ways, including through murals and street art in Northern Ireland, as well as through films, books, and music. His image and legacy continue to inspire those who support the cause of Irish nationalism and independence.

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FOCUS: Israel-Palestine War

After Abbas: Here Are The Three Frontrunners To Be The Next Palestinian Leader

Israel and the West have often asked: Where is the Palestinian Mandela? The divided regimes between Gaza and the West Bank continues to make it difficult to imagine the future Palestinian leader. Still, these three names are worth considering.

Photo of Mahmoud Abbas speaking into microphone

Abbas is 88, and has been the leading Palestinian political figure since 2005

Thaer Ganaim/APA Images via ZUMA
Elias Kassem

Updated Dec. 5, 2023 at 12:05 a.m.

Israel has set two goals for its Gaza war: destroying Hamas and releasing hostages.

But it has no answer to, nor is even asking the question: What comes next?

The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the return of the current Palestinian Authority to govern post-war Gaza. That stance seems opposed to the U.S. Administration’s call to revitalize the Palestinian Authority (PA) to assume power in the coastal enclave.

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But neither Israel nor the U.S. put a detailed plan for a governing body in post-war Gaza, let alone offering a vision for a bonafide Palestinian state that would also encompass the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers much of the occupied West Bank, was created in1994 as part of the Oslo Accords peace agreement. It’s now led by President Mahmoud Abbas, who succeeded Yasser Arafat in 2005. Over the past few years, the question of who would succeed Abbas, now 88 years old, has largely dominated internal Palestinian politics.

But that question has gained new urgency — and was fundamentally altered — with the war in Gaza.

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