Gaza home demolitions spark anger, highlight housing crisis27 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rOn 16 May, bulldozers demolished 20 houses in the al-Barahma neighborhood west of Rafah in the southern occupied Gaza Strip. This tragic scene has been repeated all too many times in Palestine’s history, but what made this different, and a subject of great controversy and outcry, is that it was carried out by the Palestinian Land Authority (PLA), backed by police from the Hamas government. Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Rights group condemns attacks on Gaza civil society27 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIn a joint press conference held with the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization Network (PNGO) on 24 May 2010, Al-Haq’s director, Shawan Jabarin condemned two recent attacks on civil society organizations in Gaza.
Pressure mounts on nuclear Israel26 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIsrael faces unprecedented pressure to abandon its official policy of “ambiguity” on its possession of nuclear weapons as the international community meets at the United Nations in New York this week to consider banning such arsenals from the Middle East. Jonathan Cook analyzes.
Ameer Makhoul’s arrest is an assault on all Palestinians in Israel26 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rToday is the 21st day since the arrest of Ameer Makhoul at his home in Haifa, Israel, under the cover of darkness, by officers of the International Crimes Investigation Unit and General Security Service (GSS or Shabak). On this day we, Ameer’s family, announce that we are extremely worried about what is happening to him and the conditions of his detention. Janan Abdu and Issam Makhoul comment.
NATO’s other member state26 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rWill recent revelations that Israel not only possesses nuclear weapons, but actually considered selling them to apartheid South Africa, cause Europe and America to rethink their relationship with Israel? The truth is that Israel already enjoys such a privileged level of access to their key institutions that any rethink is improbable—at least in the short-term. One of the most important aspects of this relationship relates to how Israel interacts with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). David Cronin analyzes for The Electronic Intifada.
Italian supermarkets suspend sales of Israeli settlement products26 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rFollowing lobbying efforts by the Italian Coalition Against Carmel-Agrexco, two major Italian supermarket chains, COOP and Nordiconad, announced the suspension of sales of products from Agrexco, the principal exporter of produce from Israel and the illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Interview: ethnic cleansing inside the green line25 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rRawia Abu Rabia, a social activist and human rights lawyer with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, represents her community and advocates for their human and civil rights as the state continues to discriminate and uproot citizens across the country. Nora Barrows-Friedman interviewed Abu Rabia on the ongoing displacement of Palestinians inside Israel.
The PA’s disingenuous boycott campaign25 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rThe Palestinian Authority (PA) has lately made a show of calling on Palestinians to boycott goods manufactured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Despite the rhetoric of defiance, the effort actually appears designed to undermine and abort the broader Palestinian and global civil society campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions, and to reassure Israel of the PA’s ongoing collaboration. Ali Abunimah comments.
Long-separated family reunites in Gaza through tunnel25 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rNaima Akkawi, a 40-year-old Moroccan native, is finally back home in Gaza with her husband Mahmoud Jouda and her two young children, Riwan (5) and Rimas (3) after an enforced absence of 10 years. During that long and agonizing separation, Mahmoud and Naima did all they could to get back together through official channels but it was all to no avail. Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Art, theory and action: Udi Aloni interviewed24 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rOn 10 May, Udi Aloni spoke at a public debate on the Palestinians and Israel in Bern, Switzerland about his support for the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). The Electronic Intifada contributor Adri Nieuwhof spoke with Aloni about his work and views.
Protest the extended detention of rights defender Ameer Makhoul24 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIn a hearing at Petach Tikva Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 20 May 2010, a judge extended Ameer Makhoul’s detention for a third time until Tuesday, 25 May 2010. Mr. Makhoul, a human rights defender and the director of Arab nongovernmental organization network Ittijah, has been in Israeli detention since he was arrested from his family home in Haifa in the early morning hours of 6 May.
Living the Nakba in Gaza24 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rGAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – This is the month for Palestinians to remember their Nakba, or “catastrophe,” in which more than 700,000 women, men and children were pushed off their land and rendered homeless refugees by the Zionist attacks before, during and after the founding of Israel in 1948.
PACBI: UNICEF should quit Jerusalem conference21 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rThe Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) is shocked and greatly concerned that UNICEF as well as one Palestinian and several international academics intend to participate in a conference organized by the Minerva Centre for Human Rights at the Hebrew University, jointly with the Van Leer Institute.
Rampant employment discrimination against Palestinian workers in Israel21 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rUnemployed computer engineer Morad Lashin would like to work in Israel’s Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admits his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 percent of the company’s 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Palestinian Arab minority constituting nearly 20 percent of the population. Jonathan Cook reports.
PA to EI: No new roads being built with USAID funding20 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIn his article “USAID funding Israel’s apartheid road construction” (17 May 2010) Jonathan Cook levels a number of serious accusations against the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). While his disdain for Israel’s occupation is to be applauded, his criticisms of the PNA ignore some fundamental facts with regards to road construction in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Belgian-French bank cornered over Israeli settlement financing20 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rBRUSSELS (IPS) – New evidence has been uncovered to show that Dexia, a major Belgian-French bank, is still financing Israeli settlements in the OPT despite official assurances that such loans have ceased. Jean-Luc Dehaene, a former Belgian prime minister and now Dexia’s chairman, announced last year that the bank had not approved any new loans to authorities located in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank since June 2008.
Gaza’s virtual connection to the rest of the world20 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rGAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – “I’ve learned most of what I know about photo editing and graphic design via the Internet,” says Emad, 27-year-old filmmaker and editor. In Gaza, this sort of thing has become usual in a different way. “This program isn’t available here,” he says, smiling triumphantly as he finishes downloading the latest edition of an advanced video editing program.
International orgs call on Israel to immediately release rights defenders19 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rOn 6 May 2010, at 03:10am, 16 members of the Israeli General Security Services (GSS) and the Israeli police force raided the family home of Mr. Ameer Makhoul. After meeting him last night, Mr. Makhoul’s lawyers confirmed that he was suffering from exhaustion—as a result of sleep deprivation—and that he had been subjected to various forms of intensive interrogation, raising fears of possible torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The return of the colonial: Laor’s “The Myths of Liberal Zionism” reviewed19 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rIsraeli new mandarins have to try to sell settler-colonialism to Western states with populations that increasingly regard Zionism’s spiritual core and physical reality as somewhere on the spectrum between mildly embarrassing and overtly revolting. It is those mandarins that anti-Zionist Israeli poet Yitzhak Laor meticulously vivisects in The Myths of Liberal Zionism.
Gaza crisis “far beyond humanitarian”19 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rDUBAI (IRIN) – With a failing economy, rising unemployment and deteriorating power, sanitation and health facilities, the health of Gaza’s population continues to worsen, according to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report. In contrast, modest improvements have been made in the West Bank.
Chomsky denied entry as Goldstone remains under attack19 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rRAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) – When internationally renowned linguist, philosopher and political analyst Noam Chomsky was barred from entering the occupied West Bank, he joined a chorus of Jewish intellectuals savaged by the Israeli government for outspoken criticism.
Persecution of Palestinian citizens recalls S. Africa apartheid repression19 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rTwo weeks after Israel imposed a travel ban on him, Ameer Makhoul, a well-respected Palestinian leader holding Israeli citizenship, was kidnapped from his home on 6 May in the middle of the night. The persecution of Makhoul brings back memories of the South Africa apartheid regime; during the South Africa anti-apartheid movement, similar tactics were used against those advocating for freedom and equal rights, who were accused of terrorism and having links with the Soviet Union. Adri Nieuwhof and Bangani Ngeleza comment for The Electronic Intifada.
Elvis Costello’s Israel concert cancellation lauded18 May 2010rr r r r rr r rr r rr r rr rr rrr rThe Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) warmly welcomes Elvis Costello’s cancellation of his scheduled performances in Israel. Costello’s decision is a great victory for the ethical responsibilities of international cultural figures, a key factor in the cultural boycott of Israel.
Challenging Canada’s myths about its role in Palestine18 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rCanadian diplomat Robert Fowler’s recent comments that Canada’s policy towards the Middle East has been put in the service of domestic electoral concerns have been read as critical by the corporate media. However, Fowler is only one of many reproducing a fantasy of Canada having a reputation for being fair, just and objective as regards the Middle East. Sean F. McMahon comments for The Electronic Intifada.
USAID funding Israel’s apartheid road construction17 May 2010rr r r rr r rr r rr r rr r rr rrr rThe construction of sections of a controversial segregated road network in the West Bank planned by Israel for Palestinians—leaving the main roads for exclusive use by settlers—is being financed by a US government aid agency, a map prepared by Palestinian researchers has revealed. Jonathan Cook reports.
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