Victoria Brittain, The Guardian, Wednesday September 26, 2007
Militant and popular leader respected by rival Palestine factions.
Dr Haider Abdel-Shafi, who has died at the age of 88, was a towering figure of the Palestinian national movement for more than half a century - not only one of the fiercest critics of Israel, but also often of the Palestinian leadership. He had a commanding presence, equally at home in an Oxford college as on the crowded streets of Gaza, and his integrity shone out in any company.
Abdel-Shafi became a world figure when he led the Palestinian delegation to the 1991 Madrid peace conference, where his moving and eloquent speech set a tone that no other Palestinian leader has ever risen to. For the next 22 months, he headed the very difficult negotiations with the Israelis in Washington. He left the delegation once over the issue of settlements, and even after he was persuaded to return, urged the Palestinians to withdraw from a process he believed was doomed by bad faith on this issue. Like the writer Edward Said, he forecast the failure of the Oslo peace process long before it became obvious.
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Haydar 'abd al-Shafi: RIP
Laila El-Haddad, Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The sad news from Gaza this morning was the passing of the great Haydar 'abd al-Shafi after a two-year battle with stomach cancer.
If you have a moment, it may be worth glancing at Dr. 'Abd al-Shafi's famous speech from the Madrid talks. It may serve as a reminder of more hopeful times.
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As'ad AbuKhalil - Wednesday, September 26, 2007
You have to read the sinister obituary of Hadyar `Abdul-Shafi in the New York Times. They used his death only to bash the Arab position against the partition of Palestine. It made it sound like `Abdul-Shafi spent all his life resisting the "non-compromising" Arab position. First, nobody knew who he was when he ostensibly opposed the partition plan, and the man--no matter what you say about him--devoted his life to supporting secular (and leftist) resistance to Zionism. After Oslo, `Abdul-Shafi also stood against the agreements, and he was vocal against the corrupt PA of Arafat-Dahlan-Abu Mazen (and the other thuggish leaders of Oslo).
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History proved Arafat critic right
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz, Sunday, 30 September 2007
A year ago, Dr. Haidar Abdel Shafi was diagnosed with a malignant growth in his stomach. Born in 1919, Abdel Shafi had been one of the founders of the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1964, the head of the Palestinian-Jordanian delegation to the Madrid Conference in 1991 and one of Yasser Arafat's harshest critics. He was advised to seek medical treatment abroad or in Israel - his name gained him an exit visa without delay. Abdel Shafi, the surgeon who had studied medicine in Beirut and worked as a physician in Jaffa until 1948, rejected the suggestions and said he trusted the doctors in Gaza.
A year ago Abdel Shafi was already too weak to engage in political activity. His short-term memory sometimes betrayed him. But he gave the Gaza doctors a vote of confidence and underwent surgery in the city of his birth, unlike other Palestinian VIPs who go abroad when they need medical treatment. It wasn't his intention, but people interpreted his choice as another example of the principled, critical and dissident opinions that characterized his long political career.
Showing posts with label amira hass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label amira hass. Show all posts
Monday, 1 October 2007
Bil'in celebrates Israeli High Court decision
Disrupting the separation policy
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz, Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A woman chatting idly in Ramallah on Sunday said dismissively: "The High Court of Justice's decision to move the separation fence in Bil'in proves nothing about the effectiveness of the popular Palestinian-Israeli struggle. Israel needs it to portray itself as a democracy."
Her frustration is understandable. The lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians are disrupted by a fence whose route elsewhere is no less "disproportionate" than it was in Bil'in. After two and a half years of weekly demonstrations by Palestinians, left-wing Israelis and foreign activists - demonstrations that were brutally dispersed, with numerous protesters being injured or arrested - the fence was moved a mere 1.7 kilometers. And the same High Court that moved the fence also legitimized the Jewish neighborhood that had already been built on Bil'in's private land.
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The spontaneous celebration following the supreme court verdict to move away the fence and bring back the villagers 100 hectare of their land.
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz, Tuesday, September 25, 2007
A woman chatting idly in Ramallah on Sunday said dismissively: "The High Court of Justice's decision to move the separation fence in Bil'in proves nothing about the effectiveness of the popular Palestinian-Israeli struggle. Israel needs it to portray itself as a democracy."
Her frustration is understandable. The lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians are disrupted by a fence whose route elsewhere is no less "disproportionate" than it was in Bil'in. After two and a half years of weekly demonstrations by Palestinians, left-wing Israelis and foreign activists - demonstrations that were brutally dispersed, with numerous protesters being injured or arrested - the fence was moved a mere 1.7 kilometers. And the same High Court that moved the fence also legitimized the Jewish neighborhood that had already been built on Bil'in's private land.
...................................
The spontaneous celebration following the supreme court verdict to move away the fence and bring back the villagers 100 hectare of their land.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
The Hebron tactic
Amira Hass - Ha'aretz - 8th August 2007
For about 25 minutes, they behaved liked lords of the land: One man, followed later by a young guy, descended from Mitzpeh Yair, one of the unauthorized outposts in the southern Mt. Hebron area, and prevented a United Nations jeep from traveling. UN directives prohibit leaving the vehicle in such cases, in order to avoid an escalation of friction. And so we, three Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) staffers and two Haaretz journalists, were forced to watch them demonstrate their lordliness from inside the car: The older one blocked the vehicle, in the middle of the unpaved road, with his body. Using hand movements, he ordered the engine shut down. When that didn’t happen, he jumped on the hood and then on the roof and back on the hood, and finally lay back on the windshield and played with the wipers, taking them apart. The driver progressed slowly down the track, and the man leaned back on the windshield with force, until it broke and shards went into the driver’s eyes.
In the meantime, the younger guy appeared. He tried opening the doors of the jeep, screaming, “show me your identity cards” and placing big rocks in front of the wheels. By the time the army and police drove up, the older man yelled at Haaretz photographer Alex Levac: “Go back to where you came from.” When he realized that Levac was a Jew and born in this country, he shouted: “Traitor, going with the UN.” Both the older man and younger guy living at the outpost were born abroad. The younger man, a British citizen, has not yet been given new-immigrant status.
But what does that matter? It also didn’t matter that the soldier described them as “problematic” and that the police are familiar with the older man from previous incidents of harassment. Nor did it matter that the police officers did not believe their absurd story that we had been in their olive grove and that we had tried to run the older man over. The tactic is one that is well-known from Hebron, the same tactic that helped to cleanse the Old City of most of its Palestinian residents: Jews harass and bully and then threaten to lodge complaints against their victims with the Israeli police.
Harassment and sabotage of a much more serious nature than what we experienced has become routine for the Palestinian shepherds and farmers in the area. As a result, about 850 of the 3,500 or so inhabitants of the area known as Masafer Yatta (Yatta’s periphery) have left their habitations, in caves and tent encampments. Sometimes it is their access to water sources that is damaged, sometimes their herds, other times themselves. They have piles of papers attesting to the police complaints they have submitted. Until they stopped filing complaints.
It is easy to blame the two men, or those like them. But they practice terrorizing Palestinians because Israeli authorities let them do so.
In their own way, they do the same thing the “legitimate” occupation authorities do: They drive the Palestinians off their land to make room for Jews. In other words, they are following orders.
About 10 days ago, a Civil Administration inspector impounded a tractor and water tanker belonging to the Hadidyah, a community of farmers and herders in the northern Jordan Valley, as a pressure tactic aimed at getting them to leave their tent encampment on the grounds that it is located in a closed military area. They are one of dozens of communities that have been living in the valley for many decades. Since 1967 the Hadidyah have been displaced four times. Using all sorts of inventive tactics, the occupation authorities have turned these communities into unauthorized residents on their own land.
The springs and wells they used were turned over to the Mekorot Water Company: The water from the national company’s drilling nearby is used by the “legitimate” settlers and its use by the Hadidyah is prohibited. As a result, they have to truck in water from a distant spring. The army has declared large areas of the valley firing zones. They end at the boundaries of the settlements.
The Israeli authorities have refused to rezone land to enable the community to live in the place the elders remember as their childhood home. But the adjacent land has been rezoned for the residence of Jews, Israeli citizens. Now the Civil Administration is hoping that thirst will drive them out of the piece of land allotted to them, which no longer has any land suitable for agriculture or grazing. That is Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians in a nutshell, and talk of peace has not stopped it. The residents of the unauthorized outposts are merely imitating it and receiving both inspiration and protection from it.
For about 25 minutes, they behaved liked lords of the land: One man, followed later by a young guy, descended from Mitzpeh Yair, one of the unauthorized outposts in the southern Mt. Hebron area, and prevented a United Nations jeep from traveling. UN directives prohibit leaving the vehicle in such cases, in order to avoid an escalation of friction. And so we, three Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) staffers and two Haaretz journalists, were forced to watch them demonstrate their lordliness from inside the car: The older one blocked the vehicle, in the middle of the unpaved road, with his body. Using hand movements, he ordered the engine shut down. When that didn’t happen, he jumped on the hood and then on the roof and back on the hood, and finally lay back on the windshield and played with the wipers, taking them apart. The driver progressed slowly down the track, and the man leaned back on the windshield with force, until it broke and shards went into the driver’s eyes.
In the meantime, the younger guy appeared. He tried opening the doors of the jeep, screaming, “show me your identity cards” and placing big rocks in front of the wheels. By the time the army and police drove up, the older man yelled at Haaretz photographer Alex Levac: “Go back to where you came from.” When he realized that Levac was a Jew and born in this country, he shouted: “Traitor, going with the UN.” Both the older man and younger guy living at the outpost were born abroad. The younger man, a British citizen, has not yet been given new-immigrant status.
But what does that matter? It also didn’t matter that the soldier described them as “problematic” and that the police are familiar with the older man from previous incidents of harassment. Nor did it matter that the police officers did not believe their absurd story that we had been in their olive grove and that we had tried to run the older man over. The tactic is one that is well-known from Hebron, the same tactic that helped to cleanse the Old City of most of its Palestinian residents: Jews harass and bully and then threaten to lodge complaints against their victims with the Israeli police.
Harassment and sabotage of a much more serious nature than what we experienced has become routine for the Palestinian shepherds and farmers in the area. As a result, about 850 of the 3,500 or so inhabitants of the area known as Masafer Yatta (Yatta’s periphery) have left their habitations, in caves and tent encampments. Sometimes it is their access to water sources that is damaged, sometimes their herds, other times themselves. They have piles of papers attesting to the police complaints they have submitted. Until they stopped filing complaints.
It is easy to blame the two men, or those like them. But they practice terrorizing Palestinians because Israeli authorities let them do so.
In their own way, they do the same thing the “legitimate” occupation authorities do: They drive the Palestinians off their land to make room for Jews. In other words, they are following orders.
About 10 days ago, a Civil Administration inspector impounded a tractor and water tanker belonging to the Hadidyah, a community of farmers and herders in the northern Jordan Valley, as a pressure tactic aimed at getting them to leave their tent encampment on the grounds that it is located in a closed military area. They are one of dozens of communities that have been living in the valley for many decades. Since 1967 the Hadidyah have been displaced four times. Using all sorts of inventive tactics, the occupation authorities have turned these communities into unauthorized residents on their own land.
The springs and wells they used were turned over to the Mekorot Water Company: The water from the national company’s drilling nearby is used by the “legitimate” settlers and its use by the Hadidyah is prohibited. As a result, they have to truck in water from a distant spring. The army has declared large areas of the valley firing zones. They end at the boundaries of the settlements.
The Israeli authorities have refused to rezone land to enable the community to live in the place the elders remember as their childhood home. But the adjacent land has been rezoned for the residence of Jews, Israeli citizens. Now the Civil Administration is hoping that thirst will drive them out of the piece of land allotted to them, which no longer has any land suitable for agriculture or grazing. That is Israel’s policy toward the Palestinians in a nutshell, and talk of peace has not stopped it. The residents of the unauthorized outposts are merely imitating it and receiving both inspiration and protection from it.
Sunday, 29 April 2007
What Cease-Fire?
What Cease-Fire?
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz, 26 April 2007
On the Saturday and Sunday before the Palestinians "broke the cease-fire," Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed nine Palestinians. Among them was a 17-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy and a policeman who was on the roof of his house and was not involved in any "battle."
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz, 26 April 2007
On the Saturday and Sunday before the Palestinians "broke the cease-fire," Israel Defense Forces soldiers killed nine Palestinians. Among them was a 17-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy and a policeman who was on the roof of his house and was not involved in any "battle."
Wednesday, 24 January 2007
IDF source admits 44 barriers allegedly removed did not exist
IDF source admits 44 barriers allegedly removed did not exist
Last update - 04:59 22/01/2007 Haaretz
Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
The Israel Defense Forces admitted on Sunday that the 44 dirt obstacles it said had been removed from around West Bank villages did not actually exist.
Last Tuesday, the IDF announced that it had removed 44 dirt obstacles that blocked access roads to West Bank villages, to fulfill promises made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting a month ago. Olmert had pledged measures to ease the lives of Palestinian civilians.
However, a military source admitted on Sunday that these obstacles"had either been removed before the political level decided on the alleviations or had been bypassed by Palestinians earlier, and a decision had been made not to rebuild them."
This statement confirms a claim made recently by United Nationsorganizations operating in the territories: that most of these barriers were not removed, because they had not existed for months.
In response, the IDF Spokesman's Office said: "The IDF recentlyremoved 44 barriers in an effort to ease the movement of the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria. These actions are being carried out in line with assessments of the situation."
The IDF has erected close to 400 such dirt obstacles in recent years.
The Temples of the Occupation
Meron Benvenisti, Ha'aretz, 01.01.2007
So far, of the dozens of checkpoints promised to be removed from the West Bank in a "gesture" to Mahmoud Abbas, not a single checkpoint has been dismantled.
Impossible travel
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz,Saturday, 20 January 2007
All the promises to relax restrictions in the West Bank have obscured the true picture.
Last update - 04:59 22/01/2007 Haaretz
Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent
The Israel Defense Forces admitted on Sunday that the 44 dirt obstacles it said had been removed from around West Bank villages did not actually exist.
Last Tuesday, the IDF announced that it had removed 44 dirt obstacles that blocked access roads to West Bank villages, to fulfill promises made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas during their meeting a month ago. Olmert had pledged measures to ease the lives of Palestinian civilians.
However, a military source admitted on Sunday that these obstacles"had either been removed before the political level decided on the alleviations or had been bypassed by Palestinians earlier, and a decision had been made not to rebuild them."
This statement confirms a claim made recently by United Nationsorganizations operating in the territories: that most of these barriers were not removed, because they had not existed for months.
In response, the IDF Spokesman's Office said: "The IDF recentlyremoved 44 barriers in an effort to ease the movement of the Palestinian population in Judea and Samaria. These actions are being carried out in line with assessments of the situation."
The IDF has erected close to 400 such dirt obstacles in recent years.
The Temples of the Occupation
Meron Benvenisti, Ha'aretz, 01.01.2007
So far, of the dozens of checkpoints promised to be removed from the West Bank in a "gesture" to Mahmoud Abbas, not a single checkpoint has been dismantled.
Impossible travel
Amira Hass, Ha'aretz,Saturday, 20 January 2007
All the promises to relax restrictions in the West Bank have obscured the true picture.
Friday, 29 December 2006
12.12.06
Who Makes the Middle East?
Ran HaCohen, 29 November, 2006
A revealing book I have recently read about the present Middle East is Joris Luyendijk's Almost Human. Luyendijk was a Dutch journalist who spent several years (1998-2003) in Arab countries as well as in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, working for two Dutch quality newspapers and for the television. His background as a social science student, his command of Arabic and his academic research in Egypt, as well as the fact that he deserted the journalistic profession, all give him a unique critical perspective on the "Middle East," both as an actual reality and as a permanent media item. In fact, the gap between these two – between the Mideast's reality and its Western image – is the true subject of the book.
The book is currently available in Dutch only; I hope some English-language publisher will pick up the glove and translate it.
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Elbow to Elbow, Like Cattle - The Cruel Line into Gaza
Gideon Levy, December 11, 2006
Without anyone paying attention, the Gaza Strip has become the most closed-off strip of land in the world--after North Korea. But while North Korea is globally known to be a closed and isolated country, how many people know that the same description applies to a place just an hour away from hedonist Tel Aviv?
When You Annoy a Soldier ...The Checkpoint Generation
Amira Hass, December 2 / 3, 2006
For nearly a month now, a young Palestinian has been hospitalized at Beilinson Hospital; soldiers shot him at a checkpoint in northern Nablus on Saturday, November 4. Haitem Yassin, 25, is conscious now,but he is still hooked up to a respirator. In recent days, he has been suffering from a high fever, apparently caused by an infection in his abdomen, which was wounded in the shooting. His family is still waiting for a report from the hospital about the number or type of bullets that caused the serious injury.
Cancer didn't kill my mother, the occupation did
Raed M. Sharif writing from Syracuse, U.S., Live from Palestine, 11 December 2006
Allegra Pacheco on the Israeli Policy of Closure
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A shocking statement: HRW condemns Palestinians' use of nonviolence to protect homes from destruction (Human Rights Watch: "OPT: Civilians Must Not Be Used to Shield Homes Against Military Attacks"; The Associated Press : "American nun, priest join Gaza standoff") 11.23.2006
Palestinians Are Being Denied the Right of Non-Violent Resistance?
Would HRW Have Attacked Martin Luther King, Too?
Jonathan Cook, November 30, 2006
UN EXPERT URGES ISRAEL TO STOP DESTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND INFRASTRUCTURES IN GAZA, CALLS FOR MILITARY SANCTIONS
10 November 2006
The following statement was issued today by the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, Miloon Kothari:
"As Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, I condemn in the strongest possible terms the artillery shelling of Palestinian homes by the Israeli defence force in Beit Hanoun that killed 19 innocent civilians and injured 60, including women and children. The explanation by Israeli authorities that this wantonly criminal act was a mistake is unacceptable. The shelling and subsequent killing of civilians indicates a premeditated military tactic constituting a form of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
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Ran HaCohen, 29 November, 2006
A revealing book I have recently read about the present Middle East is Joris Luyendijk's Almost Human. Luyendijk was a Dutch journalist who spent several years (1998-2003) in Arab countries as well as in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, working for two Dutch quality newspapers and for the television. His background as a social science student, his command of Arabic and his academic research in Egypt, as well as the fact that he deserted the journalistic profession, all give him a unique critical perspective on the "Middle East," both as an actual reality and as a permanent media item. In fact, the gap between these two – between the Mideast's reality and its Western image – is the true subject of the book.
The book is currently available in Dutch only; I hope some English-language publisher will pick up the glove and translate it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Elbow to Elbow, Like Cattle - The Cruel Line into Gaza
Gideon Levy, December 11, 2006
Without anyone paying attention, the Gaza Strip has become the most closed-off strip of land in the world--after North Korea. But while North Korea is globally known to be a closed and isolated country, how many people know that the same description applies to a place just an hour away from hedonist Tel Aviv?
When You Annoy a Soldier ...The Checkpoint Generation
Amira Hass, December 2 / 3, 2006
For nearly a month now, a young Palestinian has been hospitalized at Beilinson Hospital; soldiers shot him at a checkpoint in northern Nablus on Saturday, November 4. Haitem Yassin, 25, is conscious now,but he is still hooked up to a respirator. In recent days, he has been suffering from a high fever, apparently caused by an infection in his abdomen, which was wounded in the shooting. His family is still waiting for a report from the hospital about the number or type of bullets that caused the serious injury.
Cancer didn't kill my mother, the occupation did
Raed M. Sharif writing from Syracuse, U.S., Live from Palestine, 11 December 2006
Allegra Pacheco on the Israeli Policy of Closure
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A shocking statement: HRW condemns Palestinians' use of nonviolence to protect homes from destruction (Human Rights Watch: "OPT: Civilians Must Not Be Used to Shield Homes Against Military Attacks"; The Associated Press : "American nun, priest join Gaza standoff") 11.23.2006
Palestinians Are Being Denied the Right of Non-Violent Resistance?
Would HRW Have Attacked Martin Luther King, Too?
Jonathan Cook, November 30, 2006
UN EXPERT URGES ISRAEL TO STOP DESTRUCTION OF HOUSES AND INFRASTRUCTURES IN GAZA, CALLS FOR MILITARY SANCTIONS
10 November 2006
The following statement was issued today by the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living, Miloon Kothari:
"As Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, I condemn in the strongest possible terms the artillery shelling of Palestinian homes by the Israeli defence force in Beit Hanoun that killed 19 innocent civilians and injured 60, including women and children. The explanation by Israeli authorities that this wantonly criminal act was a mistake is unacceptable. The shelling and subsequent killing of civilians indicates a premeditated military tactic constituting a form of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
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The End of Academic Freedom and the Israel Lobby
Juan Cole, November 28, 2006
The general tone of the participants' comments suggested that academic blogging has severe drawbacks and, with regard to Middle East bloggers, has not produced a 'second generation' after the crop of 2002. One reason in my view is that academics who blog on the Middle East are relentlessly harassed and cyberstalked by Likudnik crazies and other sorts of wingnut. You have to have very thick skin and, I think, you have to just not care about the career ladder or social climbing of other sorts to risk it. In my case, I think it helped to have been an army brat. You're always being transferred to another base and you can't count on friendships lasting very long, so you just become self-reliant. And, of course, the ethos of the army encourages you to stand up to bullies. But I take Mark Lynch's point that it isn't everyone's cup of tea.
There is something wrong with our society if simply sharing one's expertise for free is actually punished. We should do something about that.
Mideast studies accused
Rebecca Weisser, November 22, 2006
Allegations of bias in Australian universities were made in federal parliament in August when Labor MP Michael Danby singled out Andrew Vincent from Macquarie University's Centre for Middle Eastern and North African Studies and Amin Saikal of the Australian National University's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies.
Video - 11.11.2006
One viewer's impression of the Norman Finkelstein - Alan Dershowitz debate.
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BIRZEIT STUDENTS AND LECTURERS CALL FOR ACADEMIC BOYCOTT
Right to Education Student Committee, Birzeit University, 28 November 2006
Juan Cole, November 28, 2006
The general tone of the participants' comments suggested that academic blogging has severe drawbacks and, with regard to Middle East bloggers, has not produced a 'second generation' after the crop of 2002. One reason in my view is that academics who blog on the Middle East are relentlessly harassed and cyberstalked by Likudnik crazies and other sorts of wingnut. You have to have very thick skin and, I think, you have to just not care about the career ladder or social climbing of other sorts to risk it. In my case, I think it helped to have been an army brat. You're always being transferred to another base and you can't count on friendships lasting very long, so you just become self-reliant. And, of course, the ethos of the army encourages you to stand up to bullies. But I take Mark Lynch's point that it isn't everyone's cup of tea.
There is something wrong with our society if simply sharing one's expertise for free is actually punished. We should do something about that.
Mideast studies accused
Rebecca Weisser, November 22, 2006
Allegations of bias in Australian universities were made in federal parliament in August when Labor MP Michael Danby singled out Andrew Vincent from Macquarie University's Centre for Middle Eastern and North African Studies and Amin Saikal of the Australian National University's Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies.
Video - 11.11.2006
One viewer's impression of the Norman Finkelstein - Alan Dershowitz debate.
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BIRZEIT STUDENTS AND LECTURERS CALL FOR ACADEMIC BOYCOTT
Right to Education Student Committee, Birzeit University, 28 November 2006
Open letter in support of Irish academics,
We, the undersigned, members of the Birzeit University' community ofstudents, teachers, faculty staff and employees, congratulate and thank the group of Irish academics who called for a moratorium on theEuropean Union's financing of Israeli academic institutions until Israel withdraws from the occupied Palestinian territories and abides by international humanitarian and human rights laws, including theright of return.
The recent attacks and re-invasion of Gaza and Lebanon expose the contempt with which Israel treats the UN, its resolution and its own bilateral agreements. We strongly condemn the death, chaos and destruction inflicted upon Gazans and Lebanese, and call upon the students, academics and staff of universities worldwide to collectively condemn these acts and take action to support us in our struggle to end Israeli military aggression and occupation.
Academic Boycott: "We do not want to continue business as usual"
Birgit Althaler, The Electronic Intifada, 8 November 2006
Jonathan Rosenhead (67) has been a member of the British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) for the past two years. He has been a member of staff at the London School of Economics since 1967 and Professor of Operational Research from 1987.
Sue Blackwell, a lecturer at Birmingham University is interviewed about the Academic Boycott on Radio BBAD.
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Principled Dutch ASN Bank ends relations with Veolia
Adri Nieuwhof, November 26, 2006
This week, ASN Bank, a Dutch bank based in The Hague,1 announced that it would end its relationship with Veolia Transport, and all companies that benefit from Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory. Since it first announced its intentions to become involved in an Israeli project to build a light rail / tramline system, to be constructed in occupied East Jerusalem, Veolia Transport, a French multi-national corporation, faced a lot of criticism from all over the world. The tramline aims to connect the illegally-constructed settlements in East Jerusalem with towns and cities in Israel.
Labour Youth calls for Israel Boycott to mark UN Day of Solidarity with Palestine
Labour Youth (Ireland) November 28, 2006
Labour Youth will mark November 29th, the United Nations day of solidarity with Palestine by calling for a boycott of all Israeli goods and services as well as support for the educational and cultural boycott of Israel. Speaking ahead of the UN day of solidarity, Labour Youth National Chairperson Patrick Nulty said "As an organisation, Labour Youth has a proud tradition of solidarity actions with the Palestinian people and wishes to mark this year's international day of solidarity by reiterating its call for a boycott of all Israeli goods until such time as they respect international law and norms for human rights."
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A rare voice: An interview with author Ilan Pappe
Christopher Brown, 11 December 2006
I think the problem with Avigdor Lieberman is not his own views but the fact that he reflects what most Israeli Jews think, and definitely what most of his colleagues in the Olmert government think but don't dare to say, or don't think is desirable to say for tactical reasons. But I do think that we should be worried about Lieberman, not as an extreme fascist but rather as a person who represents the mood of Israel in 2006.
Peace through equality for all
Bernard Sabella, IMEU, Nov 16, 2006
In the land where Jesus once walked, Palestinian Christians face extinction. With nearly 500,000 Palestinian Christians worldwide, only 170,000 remain in the Holy Land. They belong to 15 different Churches,some still using Aramaic, the language Christ spoke. But the traditions of service and continuity of Christian communities in the very birthplace of Christianity may soon disappear.
Refugees Are The Key
Sam Bahour, The Electronic Intifada, 11 December 2006
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As'ad Abukhalil - Thursday, November 03, 2005
Yes. Jimmy Carter has a new book out.
As'ad Abukhalil - Monday, December 11, 2006
Jimmy Carter who has just--just now--discovered the power of the pro-Israel lobby defines the state of Israel as a place "where democracy prevails and citizens live together and are legally guaranteed equal status."
Norman G Finkelstein: Jimmy cracks fibs, and I do care
12.01.2006
See 01 min 17 sec into the video: Jimmy Carter: "Inside Israel... Arabs and Jews both have the same priveleges. There's no allegation of any kind of discrimination."(Anderson Cooper 360, 11.30.2006)
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APARTHEID - Israelis adopt what South Africa dropped
John Dugard The Atlanta Journal-Constitution November 29, 2006
Former President Jimmy Carter's new book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," is igniting controversy for its allegation that Israel practices a form of apartheid. As a South African and former anti-apartheid advocate who visits the Palestinian territories regularly to assess the human rights situation for the U.N. Human Rights Council, the comparison to South African apartheid is of special interest to me.
Two laws, one trap for family unification
Shahar Ilan, Ha'aretz, November 30, 2006
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Disregard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
AL-HAQ PRESS RELEASE FOR RELEASE ON 10 DECEMBER 2006REF.: 38.2006E
9 December 2006
Today the United Nations (UN) observes the 58th International HumanRights Day, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the UN General Assembly, on 10 December 1948. On this occasion, Al-Haq is compelled to note the stark contrast between the fundamental standards enshrined in the UDHR, and the situation of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
U.N. group: Israel laid mines in Lebanon
Zeina Karam, Associated Press, Sat, Nov. 25, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon - A U.N. agency said Saturday that Israel laid mines in Lebanon during this summer's war between the Jewish state and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group - the first time Israel has been accused of planting mines during the latest fighting.
Prime suspects
Jonathan Cook, November 24, 2006
While many seem to have made up their minds that Pierre Gemayel's murder was down to Syria, the blame could still lie elsewhere.
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72-year-old left-wing activist decries repeated 'harassment' by B-G security
Rebecca Anna Stoil, November 21, 2006
Ingrid Steinitz, a 72-year-old Danish Jew, has alleged she was strip-searched and harassed by Ben-Gurion Airport security for hours and on a second occasion told to spread her legs and place her hands against a wall. But Ben-Gurion security officials said Monday that everything was done according to procedures, and that the treatment the grandmother and left-wing activist had received was entirely justified.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As'ad Abukhalil - Friday, December 08, 2006
I am not in the habit of defending Jimmy Carter. Never. But for Dennis Ross to make a claim of plagiarism over this? Give me a break. What? Ross invents maps of lands that do not exist except in worlds that he alone can see and in planets that he inhabits by himself? What is next? Dennis Ross claims exclusive ownership over the word "potato."? And since when Dennis Ross "makes" maps? I mean, I know that he makes great contributions to the absence of peace in the Middle East, but I never knew that he has other skills besides not knowing much about the Middle East, and merely advancing the cause of Zionist militancy.
We, the undersigned, members of the Birzeit University' community ofstudents, teachers, faculty staff and employees, congratulate and thank the group of Irish academics who called for a moratorium on theEuropean Union's financing of Israeli academic institutions until Israel withdraws from the occupied Palestinian territories and abides by international humanitarian and human rights laws, including theright of return.
The recent attacks and re-invasion of Gaza and Lebanon expose the contempt with which Israel treats the UN, its resolution and its own bilateral agreements. We strongly condemn the death, chaos and destruction inflicted upon Gazans and Lebanese, and call upon the students, academics and staff of universities worldwide to collectively condemn these acts and take action to support us in our struggle to end Israeli military aggression and occupation.
Academic Boycott: "We do not want to continue business as usual"
Birgit Althaler, The Electronic Intifada, 8 November 2006
Jonathan Rosenhead (67) has been a member of the British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP) for the past two years. He has been a member of staff at the London School of Economics since 1967 and Professor of Operational Research from 1987.
Sue Blackwell, a lecturer at Birmingham University is interviewed about the Academic Boycott on Radio BBAD.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Principled Dutch ASN Bank ends relations with Veolia
Adri Nieuwhof, November 26, 2006
This week, ASN Bank, a Dutch bank based in The Hague,1 announced that it would end its relationship with Veolia Transport, and all companies that benefit from Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory. Since it first announced its intentions to become involved in an Israeli project to build a light rail / tramline system, to be constructed in occupied East Jerusalem, Veolia Transport, a French multi-national corporation, faced a lot of criticism from all over the world. The tramline aims to connect the illegally-constructed settlements in East Jerusalem with towns and cities in Israel.
Labour Youth calls for Israel Boycott to mark UN Day of Solidarity with Palestine
Labour Youth (Ireland) November 28, 2006
Labour Youth will mark November 29th, the United Nations day of solidarity with Palestine by calling for a boycott of all Israeli goods and services as well as support for the educational and cultural boycott of Israel. Speaking ahead of the UN day of solidarity, Labour Youth National Chairperson Patrick Nulty said "As an organisation, Labour Youth has a proud tradition of solidarity actions with the Palestinian people and wishes to mark this year's international day of solidarity by reiterating its call for a boycott of all Israeli goods until such time as they respect international law and norms for human rights."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A rare voice: An interview with author Ilan Pappe
Christopher Brown, 11 December 2006
I think the problem with Avigdor Lieberman is not his own views but the fact that he reflects what most Israeli Jews think, and definitely what most of his colleagues in the Olmert government think but don't dare to say, or don't think is desirable to say for tactical reasons. But I do think that we should be worried about Lieberman, not as an extreme fascist but rather as a person who represents the mood of Israel in 2006.
Peace through equality for all
Bernard Sabella, IMEU, Nov 16, 2006
In the land where Jesus once walked, Palestinian Christians face extinction. With nearly 500,000 Palestinian Christians worldwide, only 170,000 remain in the Holy Land. They belong to 15 different Churches,some still using Aramaic, the language Christ spoke. But the traditions of service and continuity of Christian communities in the very birthplace of Christianity may soon disappear.
Refugees Are The Key
Sam Bahour, The Electronic Intifada, 11 December 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As'ad Abukhalil - Thursday, November 03, 2005
Yes. Jimmy Carter has a new book out.
As'ad Abukhalil - Monday, December 11, 2006
Jimmy Carter who has just--just now--discovered the power of the pro-Israel lobby defines the state of Israel as a place "where democracy prevails and citizens live together and are legally guaranteed equal status."
Norman G Finkelstein: Jimmy cracks fibs, and I do care
12.01.2006
See 01 min 17 sec into the video: Jimmy Carter: "Inside Israel... Arabs and Jews both have the same priveleges. There's no allegation of any kind of discrimination."(Anderson Cooper 360, 11.30.2006)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APARTHEID - Israelis adopt what South Africa dropped
John Dugard The Atlanta Journal-Constitution November 29, 2006
Former President Jimmy Carter's new book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," is igniting controversy for its allegation that Israel practices a form of apartheid. As a South African and former anti-apartheid advocate who visits the Palestinian territories regularly to assess the human rights situation for the U.N. Human Rights Council, the comparison to South African apartheid is of special interest to me.
Two laws, one trap for family unification
Shahar Ilan, Ha'aretz, November 30, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Disregard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
AL-HAQ PRESS RELEASE FOR RELEASE ON 10 DECEMBER 2006REF.: 38.2006E
9 December 2006
Today the United Nations (UN) observes the 58th International HumanRights Day, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the UN General Assembly, on 10 December 1948. On this occasion, Al-Haq is compelled to note the stark contrast between the fundamental standards enshrined in the UDHR, and the situation of Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
U.N. group: Israel laid mines in Lebanon
Zeina Karam, Associated Press, Sat, Nov. 25, 2006
BEIRUT, Lebanon - A U.N. agency said Saturday that Israel laid mines in Lebanon during this summer's war between the Jewish state and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah group - the first time Israel has been accused of planting mines during the latest fighting.
Prime suspects
Jonathan Cook, November 24, 2006
While many seem to have made up their minds that Pierre Gemayel's murder was down to Syria, the blame could still lie elsewhere.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
72-year-old left-wing activist decries repeated 'harassment' by B-G security
Rebecca Anna Stoil, November 21, 2006
Ingrid Steinitz, a 72-year-old Danish Jew, has alleged she was strip-searched and harassed by Ben-Gurion Airport security for hours and on a second occasion told to spread her legs and place her hands against a wall. But Ben-Gurion security officials said Monday that everything was done according to procedures, and that the treatment the grandmother and left-wing activist had received was entirely justified.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As'ad Abukhalil - Friday, December 08, 2006
I am not in the habit of defending Jimmy Carter. Never. But for Dennis Ross to make a claim of plagiarism over this? Give me a break. What? Ross invents maps of lands that do not exist except in worlds that he alone can see and in planets that he inhabits by himself? What is next? Dennis Ross claims exclusive ownership over the word "potato."? And since when Dennis Ross "makes" maps? I mean, I know that he makes great contributions to the absence of peace in the Middle East, but I never knew that he has other skills besides not knowing much about the Middle East, and merely advancing the cause of Zionist militancy.
Friday, 22 December 2006
Witnessing an Undercover Operation in Ramallah
A Tale of Two Sisters: Witnessing an Undercover Israeli Operation in Ramallah
Annemarie Jacir, occupied Palestine, 15 November 2006
Emily Jacir's blog from Ramallah
Today is November 15th. Today is our supposed "Independence Day". A joke. Was almost killed today. This will be brief and inarticulate. I am still in shock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Review: The Second Palestinian Intifada by Ramzy Baroud
Fred Wilcox, 7 November 2006
Palestinians who resist the occupation suffer terrible consequences, but they are not alone. An Israeli sniper in the Jenin refugee wounded Ian Hook, a United Nations coordinator. Mr. Hook bled to death when the IDF refused to permit an ambulance to take him to a hospital. On the same day Hook was murdered, Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a twenty-three year-old Irish activist, Caoimhe Butterly, who was standing in the line of fire between the IDF and Palestinian children.
Treacherous Road to Oslo Begins Here
Ramzy Baroud, November 13, 2006
Pinochet in Palestine
Joseph Massad, 9 - 15 November 2006
Academic set for Palestinian 'unity' leadership
Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem, 14 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gaza: While the world looked elsewhere, another week of death and misery
Donald Macintyre In Beit Hanoun, 11 November 2006
How a Beit Hanun Family was Destroyed
Amira Hass, November 13, 2006
Not Without my Daughter
Gideon Levy, November 13, 2006
Above all, this is the story of a little girl whose life was ruined during the festive first trip in the family car that her father had bought, when it was hit by an air force missile. Perhaps it was supposed to kill a wanted man, but instead it hit the new car and wiped out an innocent family. But no less than that, this is also the story of her father, Hamdi Aman, a young man of 28 who lost his small son, his wife, his mother and his uncle during the cursed family outing, and whose life's work is now his disabled daughter's rehabilitation.
Preparing for the next invasion
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 15 November 2006
The management of the Beit Hanun hospital decided to dig a well in the hospital's yard. By Saturday, laborers and bulldozers were already on the job. That is how the hospital is readying itself for the next invasion by the Israeli army.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
US vetoes Security Council draft resolution on Israeli operations in Gaza
Report, UN News, 11 November 2006
Exercising its veto in the Security Council today, the United States blocked a draft resolution that won the endorsement of 10 other members and would have called for a United Nations fact-finding mission in response to a recent Israeli operation in Gaza resulting in at least 18 civilian deaths.
UN expert urges Israel to stop destruction in Gaza, calls for military sanctions
Report, UN News, 13 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Dissenting Note on the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917
On the Anti-Semitism of the Present Government
By Lord Montague
South Africa seen as model for Palestine
Ali Abunimah, The Chicago Tribune, 13 November 2006
Lieberman And Israeli Apartheid
Saree Makdisi, 15 November, 2006
The only thing that distinguishes Avigdor Lieberman from run of the mill politics in Israel is that he is willing to take Israel's vision of itself to its logical conclusion. Rather than tolerating non-Jews as second or third class citizens, he wants them out altogether. The issue, then, is not that Lieberman is more racist than other Israeli politicians. It is, rather, that he shamelessly utters what most of his peers dare not say aloud.
The Anatomy of a Beautiful Soul
Raymond Deane, The Electronic Intifada, 9 November 2006
Of Israeli literature's "three wise men", Grossman is the one who universally gleans most respect. When the "three wise men" came out against the recent Lebanon war two weeks after it had started, this was widely reported and totted up to their credit. The fact that they had initially backed it enthusiastically wasn't reported at all.
Poetic license
Meron Benvenisti, Ha'aretz, 16 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
French troops 'came close to shooting down Israeli jets'
Angela Charlton in Paris, 10 November 2006
The French government has demanded that Israel stop mock raids over Lebanon after French peacekeepers came within seconds of shooting down Israeli warplanes.
Military sales to Israel challenged
Richard Norton-Taylor, Wednesday November 15, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Contract of the Distilled Egotism
Benny Ziffer (Tziffer), Zalman Amit (translator)
Ha'aretz, November 8, 2006
We already have experience with one thousand and one cases where Palestinians were killed by mistake.
No one is guilty in Israel
Gideon Levy, November 14, 2006
A few hours after the disaster, while the Gaza Strip was still enveloped in sorrow and deep in shock, the air force was already hastening to carry out another targeted killing, an arrogant demonstration of just how much this disaster does not concern us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Gaza Offends Us All
Jennifer Loewenstein, Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford University's Refugee Studies Centre, 11.09.2006
What a terrible shame it is that Gazans have not yet attained the status of Human in the eyes of the Western powers, for the resistance there will continue to be an enigma until this changes. For now, however, the slaughter will continue unabated.
Cultural diplomacy
Jessica Robertson Wright, The Jerusalem Fund, 13 November 2006
With reactions ranging from bugged-out eyes to shocked silence, I have started tempering my response to the job question by mumbling that I work for a Middle Eastern nonprofit. However, my husband, who loves to rile people up and dismisses my soft-pedaling, usually leans over when he hears me and chimes in with a hearty "It's a Palestinian organization." And there the conversation dies.
The Democrats Don't Care
Kathleen and Bill Christison, 13 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photostory: The Old City of Nablus
November 14th, 2006 Posted in Journals, Nablus Region,
Photos by Bill Dienst MD, November 13th
Nablus, population 113 thousand, is the West Bank's second largest city: second only to East Jerusalem. Founded during the time of the Romans, it is over 2000 years old.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear student, what does Dad think of the army?
Meron Rapoport, Ha'aretz, 15 November 2006
The homeroom teacher did not tell the students the truth, and maybe she didn't know it herself. Those questionnaires were not meant "to remain with the youth counselors." They were meant to reach the Education Corps and to help it find "problematic clients," the young people who are not happy about army induction and to give them personal attention. The IDF uses the direct-mailing method. The product it is marketing with this method is the military draft.
Israel opted for cheaper, unsafe cluster bombs in Lebanon war
Meron Rapoport, Haaretz, 14 November 2006
The main reason for the use of the U.S.-made weapons: Israel uses military aid funds to purchase cluster bombs from the U.S., and in order to buy IMI-made bombs, the Israel Defense Forces would have to dip into its own budget.
How Israel put Gaza civilians in firing line
Peter Beaumont, foreign affairs editor, Sunday November 12, 2006
The IDF has claimed a fault in the artillery radar system's co-ordinates for the missiles changed the margin of error from 25 to 200m, but that still does not explain why it waited until the following day to return fire to a general area - a policy that the Israeli peace group B'Tselem describes as a 'war crime'.
Grave suspicion of extrajudicial execution of two wounded Palestinians
B'Tselem - 8 November 2006
B'Tselem's investigation indicates that Salim Abu al-Heijah and Mahmoud Abu Hassan were executed by soldiers while they lay wounded, unarmed and posed no risk to the soldiers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Evangelicals, Supporting Israel Is 'God's Foreign Policy'
David D. Kirkpatrick, The New York Times,14 November 2006
Christian Zionism: An Egregious Threat to Middle East Understanding
Report, Council for the National Interest, 26 October 2006
Save a Jew, Save Yourself!
10.25.2004
Mark Ames reviews The American Prophecies by Michael D. Evans
http://www.christianzionism.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As'ad AbuKhalil reviews Time Magazine's
The Middle East: The History,the Conflict, the Culture, the Faiths
12 November 2006
Norman Finkelstein on Jimmy Carter's Peace Not Apartheid (New York: 2006)
10 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photostory: How to Harvest Olives In Palestine
Omar, with photos, editing, and English translation by Dr. Bill
Dienst writing from Qraawa-Beny-Zed, occupied Palestine, 13 November 2006
Annemarie Jacir, occupied Palestine, 15 November 2006
Emily Jacir's blog from Ramallah
Today is November 15th. Today is our supposed "Independence Day". A joke. Was almost killed today. This will be brief and inarticulate. I am still in shock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Review: The Second Palestinian Intifada by Ramzy Baroud
Fred Wilcox, 7 November 2006
Palestinians who resist the occupation suffer terrible consequences, but they are not alone. An Israeli sniper in the Jenin refugee wounded Ian Hook, a United Nations coordinator. Mr. Hook bled to death when the IDF refused to permit an ambulance to take him to a hospital. On the same day Hook was murdered, Israeli soldiers shot and wounded a twenty-three year-old Irish activist, Caoimhe Butterly, who was standing in the line of fire between the IDF and Palestinian children.
Treacherous Road to Oslo Begins Here
Ramzy Baroud, November 13, 2006
Pinochet in Palestine
Joseph Massad, 9 - 15 November 2006
Academic set for Palestinian 'unity' leadership
Donald Macintyre in Jerusalem, 14 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gaza: While the world looked elsewhere, another week of death and misery
Donald Macintyre In Beit Hanoun, 11 November 2006
How a Beit Hanun Family was Destroyed
Amira Hass, November 13, 2006
Not Without my Daughter
Gideon Levy, November 13, 2006
Above all, this is the story of a little girl whose life was ruined during the festive first trip in the family car that her father had bought, when it was hit by an air force missile. Perhaps it was supposed to kill a wanted man, but instead it hit the new car and wiped out an innocent family. But no less than that, this is also the story of her father, Hamdi Aman, a young man of 28 who lost his small son, his wife, his mother and his uncle during the cursed family outing, and whose life's work is now his disabled daughter's rehabilitation.
Preparing for the next invasion
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 15 November 2006
The management of the Beit Hanun hospital decided to dig a well in the hospital's yard. By Saturday, laborers and bulldozers were already on the job. That is how the hospital is readying itself for the next invasion by the Israeli army.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
US vetoes Security Council draft resolution on Israeli operations in Gaza
Report, UN News, 11 November 2006
Exercising its veto in the Security Council today, the United States blocked a draft resolution that won the endorsement of 10 other members and would have called for a United Nations fact-finding mission in response to a recent Israeli operation in Gaza resulting in at least 18 civilian deaths.
UN expert urges Israel to stop destruction in Gaza, calls for military sanctions
Report, UN News, 13 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Dissenting Note on the Balfour Declaration of November 2, 1917
On the Anti-Semitism of the Present Government
By Lord Montague
South Africa seen as model for Palestine
Ali Abunimah, The Chicago Tribune, 13 November 2006
Lieberman And Israeli Apartheid
Saree Makdisi, 15 November, 2006
The only thing that distinguishes Avigdor Lieberman from run of the mill politics in Israel is that he is willing to take Israel's vision of itself to its logical conclusion. Rather than tolerating non-Jews as second or third class citizens, he wants them out altogether. The issue, then, is not that Lieberman is more racist than other Israeli politicians. It is, rather, that he shamelessly utters what most of his peers dare not say aloud.
The Anatomy of a Beautiful Soul
Raymond Deane, The Electronic Intifada, 9 November 2006
Of Israeli literature's "three wise men", Grossman is the one who universally gleans most respect. When the "three wise men" came out against the recent Lebanon war two weeks after it had started, this was widely reported and totted up to their credit. The fact that they had initially backed it enthusiastically wasn't reported at all.
Poetic license
Meron Benvenisti, Ha'aretz, 16 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
French troops 'came close to shooting down Israeli jets'
Angela Charlton in Paris, 10 November 2006
The French government has demanded that Israel stop mock raids over Lebanon after French peacekeepers came within seconds of shooting down Israeli warplanes.
Military sales to Israel challenged
Richard Norton-Taylor, Wednesday November 15, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Contract of the Distilled Egotism
Benny Ziffer (Tziffer), Zalman Amit (translator)
Ha'aretz, November 8, 2006
We already have experience with one thousand and one cases where Palestinians were killed by mistake.
No one is guilty in Israel
Gideon Levy, November 14, 2006
A few hours after the disaster, while the Gaza Strip was still enveloped in sorrow and deep in shock, the air force was already hastening to carry out another targeted killing, an arrogant demonstration of just how much this disaster does not concern us.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Gaza Offends Us All
Jennifer Loewenstein, Visiting Research Fellow at Oxford University's Refugee Studies Centre, 11.09.2006
What a terrible shame it is that Gazans have not yet attained the status of Human in the eyes of the Western powers, for the resistance there will continue to be an enigma until this changes. For now, however, the slaughter will continue unabated.
Cultural diplomacy
Jessica Robertson Wright, The Jerusalem Fund, 13 November 2006
With reactions ranging from bugged-out eyes to shocked silence, I have started tempering my response to the job question by mumbling that I work for a Middle Eastern nonprofit. However, my husband, who loves to rile people up and dismisses my soft-pedaling, usually leans over when he hears me and chimes in with a hearty "It's a Palestinian organization." And there the conversation dies.
The Democrats Don't Care
Kathleen and Bill Christison, 13 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photostory: The Old City of Nablus
November 14th, 2006 Posted in Journals, Nablus Region,
Photos by Bill Dienst MD, November 13th
Nablus, population 113 thousand, is the West Bank's second largest city: second only to East Jerusalem. Founded during the time of the Romans, it is over 2000 years old.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dear student, what does Dad think of the army?
Meron Rapoport, Ha'aretz, 15 November 2006
The homeroom teacher did not tell the students the truth, and maybe she didn't know it herself. Those questionnaires were not meant "to remain with the youth counselors." They were meant to reach the Education Corps and to help it find "problematic clients," the young people who are not happy about army induction and to give them personal attention. The IDF uses the direct-mailing method. The product it is marketing with this method is the military draft.
Israel opted for cheaper, unsafe cluster bombs in Lebanon war
Meron Rapoport, Haaretz, 14 November 2006
The main reason for the use of the U.S.-made weapons: Israel uses military aid funds to purchase cluster bombs from the U.S., and in order to buy IMI-made bombs, the Israel Defense Forces would have to dip into its own budget.
How Israel put Gaza civilians in firing line
Peter Beaumont, foreign affairs editor, Sunday November 12, 2006
The IDF has claimed a fault in the artillery radar system's co-ordinates for the missiles changed the margin of error from 25 to 200m, but that still does not explain why it waited until the following day to return fire to a general area - a policy that the Israeli peace group B'Tselem describes as a 'war crime'.
Grave suspicion of extrajudicial execution of two wounded Palestinians
B'Tselem - 8 November 2006
B'Tselem's investigation indicates that Salim Abu al-Heijah and Mahmoud Abu Hassan were executed by soldiers while they lay wounded, unarmed and posed no risk to the soldiers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For Evangelicals, Supporting Israel Is 'God's Foreign Policy'
David D. Kirkpatrick, The New York Times,14 November 2006
Christian Zionism: An Egregious Threat to Middle East Understanding
Report, Council for the National Interest, 26 October 2006
Save a Jew, Save Yourself!
10.25.2004
Mark Ames reviews The American Prophecies by Michael D. Evans
http://www.christianzionism.org/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As'ad AbuKhalil reviews Time Magazine's
The Middle East: The History,the Conflict, the Culture, the Faiths
12 November 2006
Norman Finkelstein on Jimmy Carter's Peace Not Apartheid (New York: 2006)
10 November 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photostory: How to Harvest Olives In Palestine
Omar, with photos, editing, and English translation by Dr. Bill
Dienst writing from Qraawa-Beny-Zed, occupied Palestine, 13 November 2006
Memorial on the 50th Anniversary of the Kafr Qasem Massacre
First it was the ABC, now senator has new target
Jason Koutsoukis, October 22, 2006
KEY Howard loyalists are set to launch a scathing attack on multicultural broadcaster SBS and force it to answer accusations of blatant left-wing bias.
Influential Victorian Liberal Senator Michael Ronaldson will lead the assault on SBS and its executives at a special Senate estimates hearing next week.
He singled out SBS's coverage of the recent Hezbollah-Israel conflict as one of the most appalling examples of biased reporting he had ever seen. "Their commentary on international events, particularly the conflict between Lebanon and Israel, just displayed a clear lack of impartiality and completely lacked any balance whatsoever," Senator Ronaldson said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israel's scandalous siege of Gaza
Patrick Seale, October 27, 2006
The situation is all the more urgent because, according to reports from Israel, something bigger and still more lethal is in prospect. Fresh from the indiscriminate slaughter they unleashed on Lebanon this summer - and no doubt eager to efface the memory of that fiasco - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and the chief of staff, General Dan Halutz, are said to be about to mount a military offensive against Gaza, on a far larger scale than the bombardments and armored incursions of recent months.
"What We Did Was Insane and Monstrous"
Israel's Cluster Bomb War
Saree Makdisi, October 23, 2006
When the count of unexploded cluster bomblets passed 100,000, the United Nation's undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Jan Egeland, expressed his disbelief at the scale of the problem. "What's shocking and, I would say to me, completely immoral," he said, "is that 90% of the cluster-bomb strikes occurred in the last 72 hours of the conflict, when we knew there would be a resolution, when we really knew there would be an end of this."
Mystery Of Israel's Secret Uranium Bomb
Robert Fisk, 28 October 2006
Did Israel use a secret new uranium-based weapon in southern Lebanon this summer in the 34-day assault that cost more than 1,300 Lebanese lives, most of them civilians?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israel's Minister of Strategic Threats
Jonathan Cook, October 25, 2006
The furore that briefly flared this week at the decision of Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to invite Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party into the government coalition is revealing, but not in quite the way many observers assume.
Lieberman to power
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, 16 October 2006
Peace-seekers should support the move to bring Avigdor Lieberman into the government. It is impossible to understand the opposition of several Labor party ministers to having Yisrael Beitenu join the government after all, just what precisely are they afraid will happen? That Israel will embark on an unnecessary war? That the settlement enterprise will be reinforced? That the government will reject Syria's peace proposal? That racism toward Arab citizens of Israel will increase, or that the occupation army will be cruel to the Palestinians?
An empty car
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, 22.10.06
Labor accepts inclusion of ultra-nationalist in Israeli government
Hamas touts 10-year ceasefire to break deadlock over Israel
Ewen MacAskill and Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian, November 1, 2006
Hamas is urging Britain to back its proposal for a ceasefire of up to 10 years as a way of breaking the impasse over its refusal to recognise the state of Israel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ramallah Friends School Hit by Denial of Entry Policy
Paul D. Pierce, Quaker International Affairs Representative - Jerusalem
October 2006
When Renee Bowyer left Ramallah for Jordan at the beginning of October, she thought she would spend a couple of days in Amman, Jordan and return to teaching English at The Friends School in Ramallah the following week. Unfortunately, when she tried to re-enter Israel and renew her three-month visa at the Allenby Bridge in the middle of October, she was denied entry. Her 7th grade students at the Friends School would have to do without their teacher as a result. Bowyer, who holds an Australian passport, joins hundreds and perhaps thousands of foreign passport holders who have been denied entry as a result of a new Israeli policy.
Not Only the Right to Worship is Sacred
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 25 October 2006
During the past two weeks, there has been fresh proof of the importance of collective struggle: The U.S. State Department has complained about the ethnic discrimination Israel practices at border crossings when it restricts the entry of American citizens of Palestinian and Arab origin into the occupied territories. An American complaint like this - though only against one of the aspects of the policy of oppressing Palestinian freedom of movement - is a rare thing.
Even Palestinian-Americans are being turned back at the border
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 18.10.06
Keepers of the Peace
Rima Merriman, 24 October 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Art of resistance
October 21 2006, The Guardian
Ahdaf Soueif on how Palestinians are reaching out across the globe creatively
Book Review: The Persistence of the Palestinian Question
Sally Bland, 26 October 2006
Taking stock over a decade later, it is obvious that the pragmatic approach was not at all pragmatic, for it failed miserably. Far from ushering in peace, the Oslo accords paved the way for Israel to grab more land and tighten its control over Palestinian lives. Massad doesn't waste time bemoaning this outcome, but rather seeks the roots of the problem, delving into awkward corners that most prefer to ignore.
Dems Repudiate Carter Book
"Top Democrats are rushing to repudiate former President Carter's controversial new book on the Middle East, in which he accuses the Israeli government of maintaining an apartheid system. Two key party leaders - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, party chairman, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi - and several congressmen issued statements Monday saying that the book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," does not represent their views on the Jewish state."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Settlements grow on Arab land, despite vow to U.S.
Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
A secret, two year investigation by the defense establishment shows that there has been rampant illegal construction in dozens of settlements and in many cases involving privately owned Palestinian properties.
The information in the study was presented to two defense ministers, Amir Peretz and his predecessor Shaul Mofaz, but was not released in public and a number of people participating in the investigations were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.
According to security sources familiar with the study, the material is "political and diplomatic dynamite." In conversations with Haaretz, the sources maintained that the report is not being made public in order to avoid a crisis with the U.S. government.
..........
Tel Rumeida Diary: The Israeli Idea of "Quiet"
Mary, October 14th, 2006
This is the "quiet" of the Israeli army. The settlers, no matter how badly they behave or how unreasonable their demands, are always put first. The Palestinians, no matter how conciliatory they are, always come last.
Olive Harvest in Tel Rumeida under Threat from Settlers
H has experienced continual harassment from the settlers who want to force him out and occupy his house and land. They have put razor wire across a path so that he cannot access a safer way to his home and have built their own steps down onto this land so that they can work it themselves. One of the main people responsible for this is a woman who recently moved to the Tel Rumeida settlement after having been evicted from the settlements in Gaza.
Israeli barrier and settlement to leave West Bank village with nowhere to go
Rory McCarthy in Wadi Fukin
Monday October 30, 2006
Land confiscation and pollution threaten future of ancient farming community
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight Zone / Loss upon loss
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, 20.10.06
Mohammed was 53 years old; Ismail was 27 and Hanan was 15. Their only crime, according to the evidence, was that they emerged from their house in the middle of the night, frightened by the thunder of the shell or missile that landed on their house. And then the soldiers standing in the street fired at them, killing them one after the other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEMORIAL on the 50th Anniversary of the Kafr Qasem Massacre
Fifty years ago, on October 29, 1956, 49 Palestinian residents of Kafr Qasem were murdered by Israeli border police who at that time were officially attached to the military. Countless more were wounded and left bleeding and unattended. Their families were unable to offer aid because of a 24 hour curfew lasting for some two days and three nights. Violation of the curfew was punishable by death.
For Arabs Only: Israeli Law and Order
Jonathan Cook, June 14, 2006
Arab citizens have not forgotten the massacre of 49 men, women and children by a unit of soldiers who enforced a last-minute curfew on the Israeli village of Kfar Qassem in 1956, executing the villagers -- Arabs, of course -- at the checkpoint one by one as they innocently returned home from a day's work in the fields. During their trial, the Haaretz newspaper reported that the soldiers received a 50 per cent pay increase and that it was obvious the men were "not treated as criminals but as heroes". Found guilty of an "administrative error", the commander was given a one penny fine.
Jason Koutsoukis, October 22, 2006
KEY Howard loyalists are set to launch a scathing attack on multicultural broadcaster SBS and force it to answer accusations of blatant left-wing bias.
Influential Victorian Liberal Senator Michael Ronaldson will lead the assault on SBS and its executives at a special Senate estimates hearing next week.
He singled out SBS's coverage of the recent Hezbollah-Israel conflict as one of the most appalling examples of biased reporting he had ever seen. "Their commentary on international events, particularly the conflict between Lebanon and Israel, just displayed a clear lack of impartiality and completely lacked any balance whatsoever," Senator Ronaldson said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israel's scandalous siege of Gaza
Patrick Seale, October 27, 2006
The situation is all the more urgent because, according to reports from Israel, something bigger and still more lethal is in prospect. Fresh from the indiscriminate slaughter they unleashed on Lebanon this summer - and no doubt eager to efface the memory of that fiasco - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, and the chief of staff, General Dan Halutz, are said to be about to mount a military offensive against Gaza, on a far larger scale than the bombardments and armored incursions of recent months.
"What We Did Was Insane and Monstrous"
Israel's Cluster Bomb War
Saree Makdisi, October 23, 2006
When the count of unexploded cluster bomblets passed 100,000, the United Nation's undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs, Jan Egeland, expressed his disbelief at the scale of the problem. "What's shocking and, I would say to me, completely immoral," he said, "is that 90% of the cluster-bomb strikes occurred in the last 72 hours of the conflict, when we knew there would be a resolution, when we really knew there would be an end of this."
Mystery Of Israel's Secret Uranium Bomb
Robert Fisk, 28 October 2006
Did Israel use a secret new uranium-based weapon in southern Lebanon this summer in the 34-day assault that cost more than 1,300 Lebanese lives, most of them civilians?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israel's Minister of Strategic Threats
Jonathan Cook, October 25, 2006
The furore that briefly flared this week at the decision of Israel's Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, to invite Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beiteinu party into the government coalition is revealing, but not in quite the way many observers assume.
Lieberman to power
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, 16 October 2006
Peace-seekers should support the move to bring Avigdor Lieberman into the government. It is impossible to understand the opposition of several Labor party ministers to having Yisrael Beitenu join the government after all, just what precisely are they afraid will happen? That Israel will embark on an unnecessary war? That the settlement enterprise will be reinforced? That the government will reject Syria's peace proposal? That racism toward Arab citizens of Israel will increase, or that the occupation army will be cruel to the Palestinians?
An empty car
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, 22.10.06
Labor accepts inclusion of ultra-nationalist in Israeli government
Hamas touts 10-year ceasefire to break deadlock over Israel
Ewen MacAskill and Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian, November 1, 2006
Hamas is urging Britain to back its proposal for a ceasefire of up to 10 years as a way of breaking the impasse over its refusal to recognise the state of Israel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ramallah Friends School Hit by Denial of Entry Policy
Paul D. Pierce, Quaker International Affairs Representative - Jerusalem
October 2006
When Renee Bowyer left Ramallah for Jordan at the beginning of October, she thought she would spend a couple of days in Amman, Jordan and return to teaching English at The Friends School in Ramallah the following week. Unfortunately, when she tried to re-enter Israel and renew her three-month visa at the Allenby Bridge in the middle of October, she was denied entry. Her 7th grade students at the Friends School would have to do without their teacher as a result. Bowyer, who holds an Australian passport, joins hundreds and perhaps thousands of foreign passport holders who have been denied entry as a result of a new Israeli policy.
Not Only the Right to Worship is Sacred
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 25 October 2006
During the past two weeks, there has been fresh proof of the importance of collective struggle: The U.S. State Department has complained about the ethnic discrimination Israel practices at border crossings when it restricts the entry of American citizens of Palestinian and Arab origin into the occupied territories. An American complaint like this - though only against one of the aspects of the policy of oppressing Palestinian freedom of movement - is a rare thing.
Even Palestinian-Americans are being turned back at the border
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 18.10.06
Keepers of the Peace
Rima Merriman, 24 October 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Art of resistance
October 21 2006, The Guardian
Ahdaf Soueif on how Palestinians are reaching out across the globe creatively
Book Review: The Persistence of the Palestinian Question
Sally Bland, 26 October 2006
Taking stock over a decade later, it is obvious that the pragmatic approach was not at all pragmatic, for it failed miserably. Far from ushering in peace, the Oslo accords paved the way for Israel to grab more land and tighten its control over Palestinian lives. Massad doesn't waste time bemoaning this outcome, but rather seeks the roots of the problem, delving into awkward corners that most prefer to ignore.
Dems Repudiate Carter Book
"Top Democrats are rushing to repudiate former President Carter's controversial new book on the Middle East, in which he accuses the Israeli government of maintaining an apartheid system. Two key party leaders - Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, party chairman, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi - and several congressmen issued statements Monday saying that the book, "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid," does not represent their views on the Jewish state."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Settlements grow on Arab land, despite vow to U.S.
Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent
A secret, two year investigation by the defense establishment shows that there has been rampant illegal construction in dozens of settlements and in many cases involving privately owned Palestinian properties.
The information in the study was presented to two defense ministers, Amir Peretz and his predecessor Shaul Mofaz, but was not released in public and a number of people participating in the investigations were asked to sign non-disclosure agreements.
According to security sources familiar with the study, the material is "political and diplomatic dynamite." In conversations with Haaretz, the sources maintained that the report is not being made public in order to avoid a crisis with the U.S. government.
..........
Tel Rumeida Diary: The Israeli Idea of "Quiet"
Mary, October 14th, 2006
This is the "quiet" of the Israeli army. The settlers, no matter how badly they behave or how unreasonable their demands, are always put first. The Palestinians, no matter how conciliatory they are, always come last.
Olive Harvest in Tel Rumeida under Threat from Settlers
H has experienced continual harassment from the settlers who want to force him out and occupy his house and land. They have put razor wire across a path so that he cannot access a safer way to his home and have built their own steps down onto this land so that they can work it themselves. One of the main people responsible for this is a woman who recently moved to the Tel Rumeida settlement after having been evicted from the settlements in Gaza.
Israeli barrier and settlement to leave West Bank village with nowhere to go
Rory McCarthy in Wadi Fukin
Monday October 30, 2006
Land confiscation and pollution threaten future of ancient farming community
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Twilight Zone / Loss upon loss
Gideon Levy, Haaretz, 20.10.06
Mohammed was 53 years old; Ismail was 27 and Hanan was 15. Their only crime, according to the evidence, was that they emerged from their house in the middle of the night, frightened by the thunder of the shell or missile that landed on their house. And then the soldiers standing in the street fired at them, killing them one after the other.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MEMORIAL on the 50th Anniversary of the Kafr Qasem Massacre
Fifty years ago, on October 29, 1956, 49 Palestinian residents of Kafr Qasem were murdered by Israeli border police who at that time were officially attached to the military. Countless more were wounded and left bleeding and unattended. Their families were unable to offer aid because of a 24 hour curfew lasting for some two days and three nights. Violation of the curfew was punishable by death.
For Arabs Only: Israeli Law and Order
Jonathan Cook, June 14, 2006
Arab citizens have not forgotten the massacre of 49 men, women and children by a unit of soldiers who enforced a last-minute curfew on the Israeli village of Kfar Qassem in 1956, executing the villagers -- Arabs, of course -- at the checkpoint one by one as they innocently returned home from a day's work in the fields. During their trial, the Haaretz newspaper reported that the soldiers received a 50 per cent pay increase and that it was obvious the men were "not treated as criminals but as heroes". Found guilty of an "administrative error", the commander was given a one penny fine.
Monday, 18 December 2006
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine: Ilan Pappe, Oct 2006
Troops invade Balata refugee camp in Nablus
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies - Friday, 06 October 2006
On Friday at dawn Israeli soldiers invaded Balata refugee camp in Nablus city, north of the West Bank, and bulldozed one of the main streets of the camp causing extensive damage to the street as well as damaging doors and walls of shops there.
Israeli settlers take over Hebron mosque under armed protection of Israeli soldiers
Sa'ed Al Shouhki, Palestine News Network (PNN) - Friday, 06 October 2006
Today in the southern West Bank's Hebron District a heavily armed group of Israeli settlers broke into the Halhoul Village Mosque and began performing Jewish religious services. Official Palestinian sources in the town told PNN on Thursday that the Israeli settlers carried machine guns and other weapons while overtaking the mosque for a half hour of Jewish prayer. Israeli soldiers occupying the area guarded the northern Hebron's mosque on behalf of the settlers.
Nigel Parry's Hebron Diary, 1995 onwards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not an internal Palestinian matter
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 04/10/2006
The experiment was a success: The Palestinians are killing each other. They are behaving as expected at the end of the extended experiment called "what happens when you imprison 1.3 million human beings in an enclosed space like battery hens."
Brinkmanship Tactics or Coup D'Etat?
Nicola Nasser, October 5, 2006
Squaring the circle
Al-Ahram, October 2006
Helmi Moussa traces the fault lines that threaten to tear Palestinian society apart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Information Brief: The Gaza Economy
Sara Roy, Palestine Center, 2 October 2006
Freshwater shortage leads to health problems in Gaza Strip
Report, IRIN, 2 October 2006
The International Community Must End the Collective Punishment of the Palestinian People
Press Release, Various, 3 October 2006
It must be recognised that the current crisis stems from the almost 40-year-long Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, and the fact that both and the international community have repeatedly failed to meet their obligations under international law with regard to the OPT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine
Ilan Pappe, October 03, 2006
The book tries to show that in 1948, the Zionist movement waged a war against the Palestinain people in order to implement its long term plans of ethnic cleansing (whereas Israeli historians, including 'new historians', claimed that the war was waged by the Arab world against the state of Israel in order to eliminate it and it resulted in expulsions of Palestinians). The Arab world tried to prevent this cleansing, but was too fragmented, self-centered and ineffective to stop the uprooting of half of Palestine's native population, the destruction of half of its villages and towns and the killing of thousands of its people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TUC passes Palestine resolution
The Trades Union Congress has just passed a wide-ranging motion on Palestine, calling for the right of refugees to return, the ending of the occupation and the removal of the apartheid wall.
This is a significant step forward in British trade union policy on Palestine.
The full text is here:
(Scroll down to C16, Palestine at the bottom of the page).
Goldsmiths UCU deals double blow to Engage
Mark Elf - Thursday, October 05, 2006
The zionist movement's academic wing suffered a double blow yesterday when a motion proposed by Dr David Hirsh and a Josh Cohen, seeking to keep a boycott of off the union agenda in perpetuity, was defeated by 25 votes to 8 with 2 or 3 abstentions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marwahin, 15 July 2006: The anatomy of a massacre
A special report
Robert Fisk, 30 September 2006
Israel responded to an unprovoked attack by Hizbullah, right? Wrong
George Monbiot, The Guardian, Tuesday August 8, 2006
An Encounter with a Fighter
Assaf Kfoury, October 2, 2006
Encounter with a fighter
Eqbal Ahmad, August 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Birthright Unplugged news!
Hannah Mermelstein, September 29, 2006
We've recently finished another successful season of Unplugged and Re-Plugged trips, with record numbers and more variety of participant than ever before. At the same time, the context for our work – the situation in Palestine – gets progressively worse, and this summer was particularly difficult for everyone in the region.
Not Everyone Gets a Birthright
Ma'ariv, June 6th, 2006
A young American woman was denied enrty in the Zionist Birthright-Israel project, after she requested a tour of refugee camps and villages in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israeli academic speaks out about Palestinian conflict
PM - Friday, 6 October , 2006
Phillip Adams interviews Tanya Reinhart
5 October 2006
Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies - Friday, 06 October 2006
On Friday at dawn Israeli soldiers invaded Balata refugee camp in Nablus city, north of the West Bank, and bulldozed one of the main streets of the camp causing extensive damage to the street as well as damaging doors and walls of shops there.
Israeli settlers take over Hebron mosque under armed protection of Israeli soldiers
Sa'ed Al Shouhki, Palestine News Network (PNN) - Friday, 06 October 2006
Today in the southern West Bank's Hebron District a heavily armed group of Israeli settlers broke into the Halhoul Village Mosque and began performing Jewish religious services. Official Palestinian sources in the town told PNN on Thursday that the Israeli settlers carried machine guns and other weapons while overtaking the mosque for a half hour of Jewish prayer. Israeli soldiers occupying the area guarded the northern Hebron's mosque on behalf of the settlers.
Nigel Parry's Hebron Diary, 1995 onwards
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Not an internal Palestinian matter
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 04/10/2006
The experiment was a success: The Palestinians are killing each other. They are behaving as expected at the end of the extended experiment called "what happens when you imprison 1.3 million human beings in an enclosed space like battery hens."
Brinkmanship Tactics or Coup D'Etat?
Nicola Nasser, October 5, 2006
Squaring the circle
Al-Ahram, October 2006
Helmi Moussa traces the fault lines that threaten to tear Palestinian society apart.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Information Brief: The Gaza Economy
Sara Roy, Palestine Center, 2 October 2006
Freshwater shortage leads to health problems in Gaza Strip
Report, IRIN, 2 October 2006
The International Community Must End the Collective Punishment of the Palestinian People
Press Release, Various, 3 October 2006
It must be recognised that the current crisis stems from the almost 40-year-long Israeli occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, and the fact that both and the international community have repeatedly failed to meet their obligations under international law with regard to the OPT.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine
Ilan Pappe, October 03, 2006
The book tries to show that in 1948, the Zionist movement waged a war against the Palestinain people in order to implement its long term plans of ethnic cleansing (whereas Israeli historians, including 'new historians', claimed that the war was waged by the Arab world against the state of Israel in order to eliminate it and it resulted in expulsions of Palestinians). The Arab world tried to prevent this cleansing, but was too fragmented, self-centered and ineffective to stop the uprooting of half of Palestine's native population, the destruction of half of its villages and towns and the killing of thousands of its people.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TUC passes Palestine resolution
The Trades Union Congress has just passed a wide-ranging motion on Palestine, calling for the right of refugees to return, the ending of the occupation and the removal of the apartheid wall.
This is a significant step forward in British trade union policy on Palestine.
The full text is here:
(Scroll down to C16, Palestine at the bottom of the page).
Goldsmiths UCU deals double blow to Engage
Mark Elf - Thursday, October 05, 2006
The zionist movement's academic wing suffered a double blow yesterday when a motion proposed by Dr David Hirsh and a Josh Cohen, seeking to keep a boycott of off the union agenda in perpetuity, was defeated by 25 votes to 8 with 2 or 3 abstentions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marwahin, 15 July 2006: The anatomy of a massacre
A special report
Robert Fisk, 30 September 2006
Israel responded to an unprovoked attack by Hizbullah, right? Wrong
George Monbiot, The Guardian, Tuesday August 8, 2006
An Encounter with a Fighter
Assaf Kfoury, October 2, 2006
Encounter with a fighter
Eqbal Ahmad, August 1998
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Birthright Unplugged news!
Hannah Mermelstein, September 29, 2006
We've recently finished another successful season of Unplugged and Re-Plugged trips, with record numbers and more variety of participant than ever before. At the same time, the context for our work – the situation in Palestine – gets progressively worse, and this summer was particularly difficult for everyone in the region.
Not Everyone Gets a Birthright
Ma'ariv, June 6th, 2006
A young American woman was denied enrty in the Zionist Birthright-Israel project, after she requested a tour of refugee camps and villages in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israeli academic speaks out about Palestinian conflict
PM - Friday, 6 October , 2006
Phillip Adams interviews Tanya Reinhart
5 October 2006
Sunday, 17 December 2006
Israeli academia deserves to be boycotted: Ilan Pappe, Oct 2006
Israeli forces kill four, including two boys riding bicycles, in Gaza
Report, PCHR, October 1, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paralysis of the Palestinian 'Authority': What's to be done?
Rima Merriman, The Electronic Intifada, October 2, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missing the government of thieves
Amira Hass, Haaretz, September 28, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israel's visa changes force people out of West Bank and Gaza
Thursday, 28 September, 2006
2 faces of Israel on the Jewish New Year
Sam Bahour, Sunday, September 24, 2006
The first by Shulamit Aloni shows signs of an Israeli awakening to reality.
The second, deserves a place in the Racism Hall of Shame.Report, PCHR, October 1, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Paralysis of the Palestinian 'Authority': What's to be done?
Rima Merriman, The Electronic Intifada, October 2, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Missing the government of thieves
Amira Hass, Haaretz, September 28, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israel's visa changes force people out of West Bank and Gaza
Thursday, 28 September, 2006
2 faces of Israel on the Jewish New Year
Sam Bahour, Sunday, September 24, 2006
The first by Shulamit Aloni shows signs of an Israeli awakening to reality.
Waiting to return to where "the air is different"
Mayssoun Sukarieh writing from Amman, Jordan, September 30, 2006
The situation of Laura and Ibrahim Ganim is just one of many created by the latest Israeli policy to cleanse Palestine of Palestinians. As their lawyers told them,"The Israeli government wants the least number of Palestinians in the Palestinian territories."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PSC, BIG Call for Day of Action to Boycott Israel
London, September 29, 2006
Israeli academia deserves to be boycotted
Ilan Pappe, The Irish Times, October 3, 2006
I am a regular visitor to the sites where on a daily basis the Israeli security apparatus abuses and tortures thousands of Palestinians. I can count on one hand the number of Israeli academics I have met in these locations.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tulkarem Refugees Call for Israel Boycott in Trade Fair
September 24, 2006
The Small Battles
Daniela, Ramallah, Tuesday, 26 September 2006
This weekend I attended a small rally in Tulkarem, where Palestinian NGOs were calling for a boycott of Israeli goods. Although the group was small, they were organized and seemed intent to follow through with this goal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Education or mind infection?
Nurit Peled-Elhanan
Speech given at Connecticut College, New London, CT - 09/27/06
IDF to look at teens' motivation
Hanan Greenberg, 29/08/2006
Kid, why don't you want to perform combat service? A new comprehensive plan formulated by officials at the Education and Defense Ministries will see high school students fill out questionnaires in an effort to examine their motivation to serve in the army, Ynet has learned. The surveys, to be handed out to grade 10-12 students,will look into teenagers' views on military service and their preferences regarding the types of service. The plan's objective is to identify hesitant students in an effort to boost the motivation to serve among such teens.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bad faith and the destruction of Palestine
Jonathan Cook, September 29, 2006
A mistake too often made by those examining Israel's behaviour in the occupied territories - or when analysing its treatment of Arabs in general, or interpreting its view of Iran - is to assume that Israel is acting in good faith. Even its most trenchant critics can fall into this trap.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Six years of Israeli aggression and war crimes in the OPT
Report, PCHR, September 28, 2006
Intervention to Member States of the United Nations on the
Sixth Anniversary of the Second Intifada
Report, Al-Haq, September 29, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lie Less in Gaza
Arthur Neslen, October 2, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Echoes of Ireland in Palestine: a review of Ken Loach's new film
Ali Abunimah, September 29, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Interview with Tanya Reinhart
The Roadmap to Nowhere
Eric Hazan, October 2, 2006
Why Israel will never truly let go of Gaza: Tanya Reinhart, Sep 2006
Ramadan in Gaza: no celebrations due to lack of money for gifts and food
Maan News, September 23, 2006
The morning prayer in Gaza, and the first day of Ramadan fasting, were accompanied by flights of Israeli helicopters. It seems that the absence of salaries has deprived Gaza of the possibility of carrying out suitable preparations for this religious month.
In 9 hours in Gaza, IDF kills 5, including 3 children, and injures 7
Press Release, PCHR, September 21, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why Israel Will Never Truly Let Go of Gaza
Tanya Reinhart in The Independent Weekly, Adelaide
September 2006
Whatever the fate of the captive soldier Gilad Shalit, the Israeli army's war in Gaza is not about him. As senior security analyst Alex Fishman reported, the army was preparing for an attack months earlier and was constantly pushing for it, with the goal of destroying the Hamas infrastructure and its government. The army initiated an escalation on June 8 when it assassinated Abu Samhadana, a senior appointee of the Hamas Government, and intensified its shelling of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meron Benvenisti on the Lebanon War and the Palestinian Conflict
No war is compelled by circumstances. In this case, the response and its scale were not at all compulsory. But our response is always the same response, which we then make justify itself, calling it a war for existence. And someone like me, after seventy years of sitting in this country, is quite fed up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the name of security, but not for its sake
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 20/09/2006
"...the Israeli security services are careful to act within the framework of a clear political paradigm: maximum weakening, in every possible way, of the Palestinian national collective, so that it will not be able to realize its goal and establish a state worthy of the name, in accordance with international resolutions."
Detainee Paralyzed During Torture in Israeli Prison
Mustafa Sabri - PNN;
translated by Saed Bannoura, September 20, 2006
Every Palestinian detainee has his own story of the horrors of being held in Israeli detention facilities, but in the case of detainee Luay Al Ashqar, 28, from Saida village, near Tulkarem (in the northern part of the West Bank), the result and the outcome are clearly apparent on his body, which has been paralyzed due to Israeli torture.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COSATU Congress Adopts Middle East Resolution
September 22, 2006
The 1.8 million strong Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) ended its 9th Congress in Johannesburg yesterday (21st September). A resolution on the Middle East sponsored by the National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA), the Witwatersrand and Eastern Cape regions was unanimously adopted.
Student conference calls for Palestine actions
Simon Cunich, Sydney, GLW, 20/09/06
The September 15 Students for Peace and Justice conference, attended by 50 anti-war activists from universities across Sydney and from Wollongong University, called for a week of campus solidarity actions with the Palestinian people on October 9-13.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jewish writer's answer to Israel's question
My Israel Question by Antony Loewenstein
reviewed by Kim Bullimore, Melbourne Palestine Solidarity Network, GLW, 20/09/06.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Next Palestinian Struggle
Ramzy Baroud, September 22, 2006
If any peace settlement fails to adhere to the democratic concept, according to which Palestinians wish to govern themselves, then Palestinians should ready themselves for another Oslo-style agreement, imposed from the top and rubber stamped by the PLO's Executive Committee, long-devoid of its democratic principles and dominated by the elitist few.
Ramzy Baroud teaches mass communication at Curtin University of Technology.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I went to Nablus
Sonja Karkar writing from Nablus, September 20, 2006
I only found out many hours later when we had returned to Jerusalem that Nablus had been closed that night and no one could leave or enter. This was the beginning of some of the most invasive sieges by Israel's military to implement ethnic cleansing. I have since learned that public records have been totally destroyed, ground into the dust by bulldozers, leaving thousands of Palestinians without any evidence of births and deaths or the precious travel documents that allow them to go outside and study or visit relatives. Old records documenting the history of generations of Palestinians from Nablus are gone too. All this to make them non-people, sub-human - without a past or present and certainly no future. How much more must the Palestinians endure in their caged existence before the world says this is enough and tells Israel to stop their relentless torture of a whole people?
Sonja Karkar is an activist with Women for Palestine of Melbourne, Australia.
Maan News, September 23, 2006
The morning prayer in Gaza, and the first day of Ramadan fasting, were accompanied by flights of Israeli helicopters. It seems that the absence of salaries has deprived Gaza of the possibility of carrying out suitable preparations for this religious month.
In 9 hours in Gaza, IDF kills 5, including 3 children, and injures 7
Press Release, PCHR, September 21, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why Israel Will Never Truly Let Go of Gaza
Tanya Reinhart in The Independent Weekly, Adelaide
September 2006
Whatever the fate of the captive soldier Gilad Shalit, the Israeli army's war in Gaza is not about him. As senior security analyst Alex Fishman reported, the army was preparing for an attack months earlier and was constantly pushing for it, with the goal of destroying the Hamas infrastructure and its government. The army initiated an escalation on June 8 when it assassinated Abu Samhadana, a senior appointee of the Hamas Government, and intensified its shelling of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meron Benvenisti on the Lebanon War and the Palestinian Conflict
No war is compelled by circumstances. In this case, the response and its scale were not at all compulsory. But our response is always the same response, which we then make justify itself, calling it a war for existence. And someone like me, after seventy years of sitting in this country, is quite fed up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the name of security, but not for its sake
Amira Hass, Haaretz, 20/09/2006
"...the Israeli security services are careful to act within the framework of a clear political paradigm: maximum weakening, in every possible way, of the Palestinian national collective, so that it will not be able to realize its goal and establish a state worthy of the name, in accordance with international resolutions."
Detainee Paralyzed During Torture in Israeli Prison
Mustafa Sabri - PNN;
translated by Saed Bannoura, September 20, 2006
Every Palestinian detainee has his own story of the horrors of being held in Israeli detention facilities, but in the case of detainee Luay Al Ashqar, 28, from Saida village, near Tulkarem (in the northern part of the West Bank), the result and the outcome are clearly apparent on his body, which has been paralyzed due to Israeli torture.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COSATU Congress Adopts Middle East Resolution
September 22, 2006
The 1.8 million strong Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) ended its 9th Congress in Johannesburg yesterday (21st September). A resolution on the Middle East sponsored by the National Union of Metalworkers (NUMSA), the Witwatersrand and Eastern Cape regions was unanimously adopted.
Student conference calls for Palestine actions
Simon Cunich, Sydney, GLW, 20/09/06
The September 15 Students for Peace and Justice conference, attended by 50 anti-war activists from universities across Sydney and from Wollongong University, called for a week of campus solidarity actions with the Palestinian people on October 9-13.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jewish writer's answer to Israel's question
My Israel Question by Antony Loewenstein
reviewed by Kim Bullimore, Melbourne Palestine Solidarity Network, GLW, 20/09/06.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Next Palestinian Struggle
Ramzy Baroud, September 22, 2006
If any peace settlement fails to adhere to the democratic concept, according to which Palestinians wish to govern themselves, then Palestinians should ready themselves for another Oslo-style agreement, imposed from the top and rubber stamped by the PLO's Executive Committee, long-devoid of its democratic principles and dominated by the elitist few.
Ramzy Baroud teaches mass communication at Curtin University of Technology.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I went to Nablus
Sonja Karkar writing from Nablus, September 20, 2006
I only found out many hours later when we had returned to Jerusalem that Nablus had been closed that night and no one could leave or enter. This was the beginning of some of the most invasive sieges by Israel's military to implement ethnic cleansing. I have since learned that public records have been totally destroyed, ground into the dust by bulldozers, leaving thousands of Palestinians without any evidence of births and deaths or the precious travel documents that allow them to go outside and study or visit relatives. Old records documenting the history of generations of Palestinians from Nablus are gone too. All this to make them non-people, sub-human - without a past or present and certainly no future. How much more must the Palestinians endure in their caged existence before the world says this is enough and tells Israel to stop their relentless torture of a whole people?
Sonja Karkar is an activist with Women for Palestine of Melbourne, Australia.
Saturday, 16 December 2006
Filmmaker Ken Loach Joins the Cultural Boycott of Israel: August 24, 2006
Lessons for Palestinian School Children
Rima Merriman, August 25, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Filmmaker Ken Loach Joins the Cultural Boycott of Israel
Press Release, PACBI, August 24, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Israeli rocket hits Reuters car
BBC, Sunday, 27 August 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Accidental emigrant / A policy of no-return
Amira Hass, Ha’aretz, 28/08/2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Payback time
Jonathan Cook, Nazareth, August 17-23, 2006
After a month of military failure, dark clouds are gathering over Israel's political leaders.
Caught in a Net of Delusion
Jonathan Cook, August 21, 2006
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Settlers on Israel's eastern frontier
Gadi Algazi, August 2006
Offshoring to the West Bank
Gadi Algazi, August 2006
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Palestine Articles
John Pilger
Rima Merriman, August 25, 2006
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Filmmaker Ken Loach Joins the Cultural Boycott of Israel
Press Release, PACBI, August 24, 2006
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Israeli rocket hits Reuters car
BBC, Sunday, 27 August 2006
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Accidental emigrant / A policy of no-return
Amira Hass, Ha’aretz, 28/08/2006
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Payback time
Jonathan Cook, Nazareth, August 17-23, 2006
After a month of military failure, dark clouds are gathering over Israel's political leaders.
Caught in a Net of Delusion
Jonathan Cook, August 21, 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Settlers on Israel's eastern frontier
Gadi Algazi, August 2006
Offshoring to the West Bank
Gadi Algazi, August 2006
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Palestine Articles
John Pilger
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