Capturing the scent of Palestinian life in a bottle

Qassem Abu Khalaf and his wife Malak Hijaz have a library of hundreds of ingredients

A young Palestinian couple in Jerusalem have produced a range of perfumes (Méjana Fragrances) to embody the heritage of their people. Despite the horror of the war in Gaza, they hope their scents can still summon memories of a better time, as Sebastian Usher reports from Jerusalem.

Qassem and Malak chose the name Méjana for their company name, as it’s a word that describes the old songs that Palestinians sing as they are working. “Mejana has a special rhythm when you sing it,” Malak says. “It means joy and happiness."

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This Is Absolute BullS**t

State: Israel not in violation of US law on humanitarian aid to Gaza

The State Department on Tuesday said that Israel is not in violation of U.S. law related to the delivery and access of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip, despite pushback from aid groups and the United Nations.....MORE

This is absolute bullshit. According to U.S. Code 2378–1 "No assistance shall be furnished under this chapter or the Arms Export Control Act [22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.] to any country when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance." The U.S. has alloted hundreds of millions of dollars for humanitian aid for Gaza.