A Palestinian love story26 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rA few months ago, a European professional in Ramallah threw a farewell party after completing part of the project for which he was recruited. The European himself, a Belgian, spent many years previously in the Palestinian territories and was very well liked locally, not least because he married a Palestinian woman, but that’s another story. A friend and old colleague of mine came up to me at the party and asked me discretely about A., a good-looking and outgoing woman who works with us.
Egypt aid conditioned on enforcing Gaza siege26 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rCAIRO, December 27 (IPS) – Last week, both houses of US Congress agreed to withhold 100 million dollars in financial assistance to Egypt following Israeli claims that Egyptian authorities were failing to prevent weapons smuggling to the Gaza Strip. Cairo, for its part, denounced the decision, while local political analysts saw the move as a heavy-handed pressure tactic on the part of Washington’s pro-Israel lobby.
Blair’s misguided economic optimism26 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rThe Quartet’s Middle East envoy, Tony Blair, wanted to raise $5.6 billion US at the donor conference in Paris in December 2007. Since 1999 the per capita gross domestic product in occupied Palestine has declined by 40 percent. As a result Palestinians are getting poorer and 65 percent live below the poverty line. To give the hard hit economy a boost, Blair came up with a cure of ten “quick impact projects.” The World Bank has another opinion: pouring money into the occupied Palestinian territory will do little to revive the economy unless the occupation is ended. Instead, some of Blair’s proposed projects are firmly rooted in the structure of the occupation.
In Gaza, Santa is insolvent24 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rGAZA CITY, December 24 (IPS) – “Santa Claus is empty handed this year … insolvent,” says Father Manuel Musallam, head of the Holy Family School in Gaza City. “All forms of celebration are absent,” he says, raising his empty palms skywards. “We Christians and Muslims all live in fear and instability. The Israeli tanks, bulldozers and warplanes have laid siege on us all.” His school, which has both Muslim and Christian students, likes to celebrate including all; this year few celebrations were planned, for fewer children.
Israel denies entry to Christian clergy24 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIsraeli authorities are arbitrarily denying entry to clergy and volunteers belonging to or working for Christian institutions and service providers. The clergy being harassed and denied entry to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory join tens of thousands of ordinary foreign passport holders of Palestinian and non-Palestinian origin who wish to be with their families, work or study, as well as tourists and pilgrims. This is especially sad at a time of spiritual reflection and reunion of families, friends and communities when major celebrations of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities coincide over the same period.
In the same prison together23 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThe tranquil Christmas nativity scene so familiar to us is not at all evident in Bethlehem today. Bethlehem does not lie still, and peace on earth and goodwill towards all is as elusive as ever. The tyranny of Israel’s occupation and its colonial expansionism is crippling the lives of both Palestinian Christians and Muslims alike. Yet, many Christians will again ignore the misery suffered by the Palestinians in the Holy Land and will celebrate Christmas without remembering that it was amongst this people and in their land that Jesus was born. Sonja Karkar comments for EI.
Israeli forces kill 20 in Gaza during Eid attacks22 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIsraeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have escalated their aggression on the Gaza Strip since the Eid al-Adha eve, killing twenty Palestinians and injuring 27 others, including four critically. The casualties resulted from acts of assassination and bombardment, and an incursion in central Gaza during which eight were killed on 20 December 2007. IOF also leveled sixty dunums (one dunam equals 1,000 square meters) of agricultural land and partially destroyed twelve homes in the area.
Refusing to accept apartheid in Beit Jala21 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rLast night the rains finally arrived in Beit Jala, a small town in the West Bank, one kilometer west of Bethlehem and about eight kilometers south of Jerusalem. Its alluring hills are covered with olive trees, vineyards and apricots. In 1967 Israel confiscated 22 percent of Beit Jala’s land. Now, the construction of Israel’s separation wall is in full swing and will cut off another 45 per cent of Beit Jala’s land. We went to visit the area to feel the impact of the wall and listen to the stories of the farmers who didn’t sell their land and choose to resist the its confiscation. Adri Nieuwhof and Amer Madi report from Beit Jala.
Palestinian shepherds forced to move on21 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rIDHNA, SOUTHERN WEST BANK, 19 December 2007 (IRIN) – “The best thing about Khirbet Qassa was the grazing land. We had open spaces. Now we’ve become dependent on other people and their land,” said Abdel Halim Nattah, a shepherd in the southern West Bank. Several weeks earlier he and all his fellow villagers, 37 families numbering 272 people, were evacuated by the Israeli military from Qassa and told to find a new home somewhere else. The Israel Civil Administration said the land the Palestinians were living on was an archaeological site under state auspices, and the villagers had been given warnings about the impending evacuation.
Egyptian government, not people, recognize Israel20 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rCAIRO, 19 December (IPS) – Thirty years after late Egyptian president Anwar Sadat’s historic trip to Israel, Egyptian diplomatic relations with the Hebrew state remain cordial. On a popular level, however, the relationship—buttressed by the 1979 Camp David peace agreement—still represents a major source of contention. “The so-called peace between Egypt and Israel continues to lack popular approval,” Ahmed Thabet, professor of political science at Cairo University told IPS. “Meanwhile, Israel has exploited the situation to maintain racist, expansionist policies.”
Gazans say this Eid is the worst ever19 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rA 500-meter-long street in the heart of Gaza City is empty of cars and vehicles, but full of men, women and children. Omar al-Mokhtar Street is considered the largest commercial area in Gaza where people from all over the coastal region have always come to shop, especially during the holiday season. In recent days, Gaza, like other Islamic communities around the world, prepared to celebrate Eid al-Adha, a major holiday marking the end of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the Hajj. Normally a time of joy, this year’s Eid is different from past years because Gaza suffers from the tight Israeli closures on all travel and commercial crossings. EI correspondent Rami Almeghari reports from Gaza.
The end of Israel?18 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rI am feeling optimistic about Palestine. I know it sounds crazy. How can I use “optimistic” and “Palestine” in the same sentence when conditions on the ground only seem to get worse? Israeli settlements continue to expand on a daily basis, the checkpoints and segregated road system are becoming more and more institutionalized, more than 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners are being held in Israeli jails, Gaza is under heavy attack and the borders are entirely controlled by Israel. We can never forget these things and the daily suffering of the people, and yet I dare to say that I am optimistic. Hannah Mermelstein comments.
Palestinians brave a hazardous profession18 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rTYRE, Lebanon, 18 December (IPS) – Kamel Mohammed was pruning lemon trees last winter when his red electric saw detonated an unexploded cluster bomb, blasting shrapnel all over his body. After an operation to remove the metal shards from his chest, Mohammed, a 44-year-old father from the nearby Palestinian refugee camp of Rashidieh in south Lebanon, went straight back to work cultivating fields and chopping wood for coal. Not so lucky was his neighbor and fellow family man, Ahmad Huwaidi, 36, killed instantly when the remaining explosives in an old metal rocket he was cutting to sell ignited from the heat.
Palestine’s universities: partners or prisoners?18 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rAt a workshop conducted at Birzeit University (BZU) on December 13 by AMIDEAST (American-MidEast Educational and Training Services) for Palestinian universities through its Faculty Development Program, the talk turned from the announced topic of the workshop (Palestinian-American University Partnerships) to the question of Palestinian-Palestinian university partnerships or the lack thereof. The occasion had brought together important representatives (at the level of Deans and VPs) from every Palestinian West Bank University. Gaza was unrepresented, however. Rima Merriman reports.
EI Reader Appeal: You count on us, can we count on you?17 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rFor 365 days each year, the Electronic Intifada (EI) team works hard to tell the stories of the people of Palestine and to provide a forum for them to speak for themselves. We are determined to ensure that they are not silenced, nor are their lives and struggles forgotten. As the year draws to a close, we count on many of our readers to make a donation to allow us to continue our educational work for another year. Without that support EI simply could not exist. As the leading online publication in English on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, EI receives over sixty thousand visits each month from readers in virtually every country in the world.
Building hope from rubble17 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rIn the dirty streets of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, the sparse fruit stands carry only rotten fruit, because it is all the market’s vendors can afford to sell, and all the refugees can afford to buy. “It will still be gone in an hour,” says Dr. Mona El-Farra, “because they have to eat something.” Of Gaza’s 1.5 million residents more than 60 percent are under 18. The effects of malnutrition are seen not only in the kids’ hunger, but also in their brain function. They are unable to focus in school, and have become violent. Sarah Price reports from Gaza.
Photostory: The month in pictures, November 200716 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThis slideshow is a selection of images from the month of November 2007. The month in pictures is an ongoing feature of the Electronic Intifada. If you have images documenting Palestine, Palestinian life, politics and culture, or of solidarity with Palestine, please email images and captions to photos AT electronicintifada DOT net.
Nahr al-Bared treated outside of the law16 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rMany actors play a role in alleviating the plight of the Nahr al-Bared displaced Palestinian refugees. The most important actor has been the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. In spite of its slowness, as some interviewees complain, it has done a great job. Donors and international and local nongovernmental organizations have provided financial support and have assisted the population and ensured the basic needs of the displaced population and the returnees. In addition to these institutions, the Saudi Arabia paid seed money ($1200) to each family through the Lebanese government, and some Lebanese political parties, especially the Future Movement, provided food for the families. Sari Hanafi comments.
Prerequisites for peace16 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rAs one who for decades has supported a two-state solution and the nonviolent struggle for Palestinian rights, I view the recent conference in Annapolis with a great deal of skepticism—and a glimmer of hope. Seven years with no negotiations—and increasing numbers of Israeli settlers, an economic blockade in Gaza and an intricate network of roadblocks and checkpoints stifling movement in the West Bank—have led us to despair and distrust. Any commitment must be made not only to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008 but also to end Israel’s occupation. Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi comments.
Palestinian NGOs pull plug on Madrid forum14 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rA major meeting of non-governmental organizations and activists fell into disarray when the Palestinian delegation announced its withdrawal just days before the event. “The Palestinian civil society delegation to the forum for a Just Peace in the Middle East, planned for 14-16 December in Madrid, has decided not to participate in the forum due to serious last-minute violations,” a December 13 statement issued by the Palestinian NGO network (PNGO) read. According to the statement, an Israeli establishment delegation was imposed on the forum under pressure from the Spanish government bypassing the forum’s international organizing committee.
Concern rises regarding Gaza health care access13 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rJERUSALEM, 13 December (IRIN) – The isolation of the Gaza Strip is “intolerable” said a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official on 10 December, urging better access for Gazans to medical care outside the boxed-off enclave. Ambrogio Manenti, head of the WHO in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, urged medical professionals to take a stand against the current situation which, he said, was having a negative impact on the health of residents. Manenti was speaking at a WHO symposium with the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel organization and the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme.
Audio: Crossing the Line focuses on Annapolis12 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThis week on Crossing The Line: The cameras are gone and the dignitaries have gone back home, but what if anything did Annapolis really accomplish for either Palestinians or Israelis? Host Christopher Brown speaks with Bill and Kathleen Christison, both formerly of the CIA. Bill was a senior official of the CIA and served as a National Intelligence Officer and as Director of the CIA’s Office of Regional and Political Analysis. Kathleen is a former CIA political analyst and has worked on Middle East issues for thirty years. The couple joins Brown to sort out the summit and its chances—if any—of advancing a peaceful solution to the conflict.
US Jews tilt rightwards on Israel12 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rWASHINGTON, December 12 (IPS) – US Jews appear to have become more opposed both to Israel’s making key concessions in renewed peace talks with Palestinians and to the US carrying out a military attack against Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to the latest in an annual series of surveys of Jewish opinion released here this week by the American Jewish Committee (AJC). The poll, which was carried out during November before the formal resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Annapolis late last month, also found continued skepticism in the Jewish community over both the war in Iraq and the “war on terror” as conducted by the administration of President George W. Bush.
More than 600 Palestinians killed in extrajudicial killings since 200012 Dec 2007rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rBetween the eruption of the second Palestinian intifada on 28 September 2000 and June 2006, Israeli forces attempted 252 extrajudicial killing operations. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Israeli forces killed 603 Palestinians during these crimes. Statistically, the victims of this policy constitute 20 percent of the entire intifada’s Palestinian fatalities. Of these, 212 were bystanders killed during such operations.
Photostory: A pervasive occupation12 Dec 2007rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rOccupation has a way of making its presence experienced beyond its immediate manifestations—war machines and walls and checkpoints—and wounding everything it comes in contact with. The Israeli occupation has left scars on nearly all aspects of Palestinian society—both literal, physical tears in the earth and edifice. Where a million olive trees used to be rooted or tens of thousands of homes that used to be places to live and now are little more than a painful memory. However, in the midst of occupation is the energy to resist, a veiled hope for peace and justice, even at impossible odds. Photographer Adam Beach documented life in occupied Palestine.
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