Courage and resistance at Aida refugee camp28 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rMy family and I spent the hot August day among energetic activists, welcoming families and curious children all more than willing to drop whatever they were doing to show us around the refugee camp they had all come to call home over the years. It’s at places like Aida where one’s life is put into perspective. At least, mine certainly was, starting with the first family we were fortunate enough to visit. Dina Elmuti writes from Aida refugee camp, occupied West Bank.
The risks of de-contextualizing Gaza war crimes26 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThe Goldstone investigation into alleged war crimes committed during last winter’s Gaza attacks singles out a particular set of facts, and a limited period of time as its primary locus. However, such a high-profile report, crafted specifically to address what is perceived to be an extreme or peculiar period of time in the lives of Palestinians under occupation, might have significant negative consequences. Goncalo de Almeida Ribeiro, Vishaal Kishore and Nimer Sultany comment for The Electronic Intifada.
Israeli forces arrest anti-wall organizer25 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rPalestinian human rights defender and activist Mohammad Othman was arrested by Israeli forces on 22 September 2009. It is believed that Mohammad’s arrest is related to his human rights activism. In the last few years, Mohammad has been extremely active in his advocacy efforts by briefing activists and officials, locally and internationally, on Israel’s illegal construction of the wall, informing the media on daily developments and monitoring human rights violations.
In Israel, intermarriage viewed as treason25 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rA local authority in Israel has announced that it is establishing a special team of youth counsellors and psychologists whose job it will be to identify young Jewish women who are dating Arab men and “rescue” them. The move by the municipality of Petah Tikva, a city close to Tel Aviv, is the latest in a series of separate—and little discussed—initiatives from official bodies, rabbis, private organizations and groups of Israeli residents to try to prevent interracial dating and marriage. Jonathan Cook reports.
Cape Town to host Palestinian Struggle and Human Spirit Film Festival25 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rChannel 4 Network SA, a Cape Town-based international news network and syndication company, will be hosting a Palestinian film festival from 2-4 October 2009 in Cape Town, South Africa. The objectives of the festival are to educate the public and create a general awareness around the situation in Palestine to foster a culture of human rights, respect for human dignity and justice for all.
Arrest of Palestinian children on the rise25 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rBILIN, occupied West Bank (IPS) – Eight children between the ages of 10 and 17 were arrested and detained by Israeli soldiers during military raids Monday night and Tuesday morning in the northern West Bank cities Nablus and Qalqiliya. Defence for Children International (DCI) Palestine has released a statement that the number of children detained in Israeli jails and temporary Israeli army detention centers this year has risen by 17.5 percent compared with 2008.
Obama’s peace effort has failed but our struggle continues24 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThe summit between US President Barack Obama with and Palestinian and Israeli leaders in New York signaled the complete and terminal failure of Obama’s much vaunted push to bring about a two-state solution. Although the “peace process” will continue to go through sterile motions, the future of Palestine/Israel is actually being decided elsewhere. Ali Abunimah comments for The Electronic Intifada.
Israel tightens the noose on advocacy organizations23 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rMutasem Billah Abu-Mastfa was born in Gaza. Though he is just nine months old, his parents are already trying to get him out of the Strip. Abu-Mastfa was born with severe congenital heart defects—his heart, riddled with holes, is on the right side of his chest. Due to the ongoing Israeli blockade the medical system in Gaza—short on supplies, its staff unable to leave the Strip to obtain further training—the hospital caring for Abu-Mustafa is unable to cope with such a complicated case. Mya Guarnieri reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Settlement university dropped from prestigious architecture competition22 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rThe University Center of Ariel in Samaria (AUCS) has been excluded from the Solar Decathlon, an international university competition promoting sustainable architecture. The self-styled AUCS, claiming to represent Israel, though situated in the illegal settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank, was one out of 20 architecture teams short-listed from university entries last April to compete for the Solar Decathlon-Europe 2010. The Spanish Government together with the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid organizes this most prestigious competition for sustainable architecture in the world.
The Goldstone report and the battle for legitimacy22 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThe recent report by a United Nations fact-finding team investigating allegations of war crimes committed during the attack on Gaza last winter is an historic contribution to the Palestinian struggle for justice, an impeccable documentation of a crucial chapter in their victimization under occupation. Its impact will be felt most impressively on the growing civil society movement throughout the world to impose cultural, sporting and academic boycotts, as well as to discourage investment, trade and tourism with Israel. Richard Falk comments.
De-developing Palestine, one “visit permit” at a time22 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rI am an American citizen of Palestinian descent and have been employed by the Arab American University-Jenin (AAUJ) in the occupied West Bank as an assistant professor of American literature for the past two and a half years. This month, while attempting to re-enter the West Bank through the land border with Jordan to start the academic year, I was denied re-entry by the Israeli authorities and questioned at length about my Palestinian heritage. The stated reason for the denial was that I had broken the law.
Few work opportunities under siege in Gaza22 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rGAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – In the Rimal shopping area of Gaza City, a growing number of Palestinians have resorted to begging. Among them are widows trying to provide for their children, and children themselves begging to contribute to family income. An increasing presence of children selling one-shekel items dominates most Gaza City streets. The children, as young as seven or eight years old, spend their days enticing pedestrians or drivers at stoplights to buy their trinkets.
Photostory: Struggling to worship in Jerusalem21 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rEach year during the month of Ramadan, thousands of Palestinian Muslim worshipers struggle to reach Jerusalem on Fridays to pray at the Haram al-Sharif, home of the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site in Islam. The Israeli army imposes additional barriers with concrete slabs at both the Qalandiya and Bethlehem checkpoints. Photographer Anne Paq documents the struggle that Palestinians face when trying to reach Jerusalem during Ramadan.
Video: Israel/America: A rambling poem21 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThe following video features a poem by Remi Kanazi, entitled “Israel/America: A rambling poem,” that he performed on GRITtv with Laura Flanders after a segment on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israeli repression of Palestinian rights.
US Campaign’s longstanding endorsement of the boycott call21 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rThanks to Nada Elia for her article “A Turning Point in the US Solidarity Movement” (16 September 2009) and for her important role in cogently laying out the rationale for engaging in cultural and academic boycotts of Israeli institutions during the 8th Annual National Organizers’ Conference of the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation. We broke new ground at this conference by voting to expand the scope of our boycott, divestment and sanctions work to encompass both cultural and academic boycotts of Israeli institutions and campaigns against Israeli corporations profiting from occupation and apartheid.
Abu Wael’s farm18 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIn Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza Strip, farmers sow the seeds of wholesome provision, for themselves and their families and their people, and the Israeli forces destroy it. So the farmers come back to plant. And the tanks and bulldozers come back to destroy it again. And the farmers come back to plant. Marryam Haleem writes for Live from Palestine.
Boycott movement derails Jerusalem’s transit system18 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rAn ill-fated light railway under construction in Jerusalem was originally heralded by Israeli officials as a way to cement the city’s “unification” four decades after the city’s Palestinian half was illegally annexed to Israel. But the only unity generated among Jewish and Palestinian residents after four years of disruptions to the city’s traffic and businesses is general agreement that the project is rapidly becoming a white elephant. Jonathan Cook reports.
UK trade unions overwhelmingly pass boycott vote17 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIn a landmark decision, Britain’s trade unions have voted overwhelmingly to commit to build a mass boycott movement, disinvestment and sanctions on Israel for a negotiated settlement based on justice for Palestinians. The motion was passed at the 2009 TUC Annual Congress in Liverpool today (17 September), by unions representing 6.5 million workers across the UK.
Gaza’s water supply near collapse17 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rRAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) – The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that Gaza’s access to safe supply of drinking water could cease at any time. The World Health Organization (WHO) says outbreaks of disease could be triggered as a consequence.
UN investigators make strong case for Gaza war crimes16 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rUNITED NATIONS (IPS) – A four-member United Nations fact-finding mission, which has just concluded an investigation into last year’s brutal conflict in Gaza, makes a strong case for war crimes charges against Israel for its unrelenting 22-day military attacks on Palestinians, largely civilians, including women and children. The charges stem mostly from serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
A turning point for the US solidarity movement16 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rThis weekend at the eighth annual US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation national organizers’ conference held in Chicago, delegates from the approximately 300 member groups that make up the US Campaign voted in favor of an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. The vote, and the deep collective breath of relief that followed, will go down in history as the moment US-based Palestine solidarity activists overcame tactical differences that had long hindered us, to finally come together to confront Israeli apartheid. Nada Elia comments for The Electronic Intifada.
Veolia still intertwined with Israel’s occupation16 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rAfter years of campaigning by Palestine solidarity activists to end the French transportation giant Veolia’s complicity with Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, it was reported in early June that the company planned to end its involvement in an Israeli light rail project being built on occupied Palestinian land. However, contrary to Veolia’s reported intention to abandon the light rail project, the company seems to be conducting business as usual with Israel. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Settlements benefitting from US tax exempt fundraising15 Sep 2009rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIsraeli peace activists are planning to ratchet up their campaign against groups in the United States that raise money for settlers by highlighting how tax exemptions are helping to fund the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Gush Shalom, a small peace group that advocates Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories, is preparing to send details to the US tax authorities questioning the charitable status of several organizations.
“Rapping is our way of resisting”15 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rGAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – In a backstreet open-air cafe in Gaza late at night, Khaled Harara from the Black Unit Band starts to talk about rap. A phone call interrupts him. “Oh my god, it’s my dad, he will kill me because I’m not home yet.” Not quite the tough image one conjures of rappers. After assuring his father he’s giving an interview, he’s ok to stay.
The volatile Hebron colonization project15 Sep 2009rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rAccording to the Abrahamic religions, that is to say Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Hebron is where human civilization started. It now appears to me to be where it is tearing itself apart. The ideological and actual struggle between the Palestinian population and the Jewish Israeli settlers is fraught with hatred and violence and while walking through the now dilapidated markets of the Old City or the deserted streets of the Israeli settlement, a sense of intransient destruction pervades. Zak Brophy writes from Hebron, occupied West Bank.
Electronic Intifada