Although it has been relatively quiet of late, NPR’s reporting from the Middle East often results in protests from one side or the other — or from both at the same time. The accusation is always the same: that NPR’s journalistic processes are deficient at best and biased at worst. That use of the phrase in an introduction read by NPR’s Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition on Jan. 4 moved Ali Abunimah, a long-standing critic of NPR, to complain: “This intro highlighted the phrase “Zionist enemy,” and suggested that it was a deliberate appeal to Palestinian extremism. What Abbas actually said, at a campaign appearance was, ‘We came to you today, while we are praying for the souls of the martyrs who were killed today by the shells of the Zionist enemy in Beit Lahiya.’” Read more about Both Sides Now: Palestinians And Israelis Unite Against NPR 

The ascension of Mahmoud Abbas puts Israel on the spot, says a University of Mary Washington professor who was an international observer to the Palestinian Authority presidential election. UMW’s Singh said Palestinians were generally “very enthusiastic about this election. They see this as an important step.” According to Electronic Intifada, a Palestinian activist Web site, the actual turnout was 46.7 percent when all eligible voters are factored into the equation. “This is far from the great success that the media and the international peace process industry have trumpeted,” Electronic Intifada said. Read more about Election observer says ball's in Israel's court 

Listen to an interview with EI cofounder Ali Abunimah on Flashpoints, 94.1FM, Berkeley, California. Senior producer Nora Barrows-Friedman interviewed Mohammed Omar in Rafah about Israel’s killing of seven Palestinian children in Gaza, and Dennis Bernstein interviewed EI’s Ali Abunimah about National Public Radio’s lack of reportage of the incident. The show was originally broadcast on Flashpoints on 4 January 2005. Read more about Flashpoints.net: Israel's killing of 7 children in Gaza and NPR's coverage 

The death of Yaser Arafat was seen by many in the media as a new opportunity for peace in the Middle East. But many outlets took the news as a chance to recycle some very old and discredited charges. What else was notable about the coverage of Arafat’s death? CounterSpin spoke to Ali Abunimah of the website Electronic Intifada. CounterSpin is FAIR’s weekly radio show, hosted by Janine Jackson, Steve Rendall and Peter Hart. It’s heard on more than 125 noncommercial stations across the United States and Canada. MP3 format. Read more about EI speaks about Arafat on CounterSpin 

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died overnight in a Paris military hospital ending his 40-year struggle for statehood for the Palestinian people. Arafat was one of the most recognizable figures on the world stage; a man who rose from a guerilla icon to a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Arafat named no successor and his death brings with it what many observers believe will be a fierce fight over who will take charge of the struggle Arafat led for 4 decades. When word of Arafat’s death was announced shortly after 4:30 am, thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza and other cities to mourn. Read more about EI discusses Arafat on Democracy Now! 

EI’s Ali Abunimah and former US Middle East envoy Dennis Ross appeared on CBC Radio’s As It Happens program to discuss Arafat’s legacy and what may come next. Abunimah said that Yasir Arafat is the “undisputed symbol” of the Palestinian nation and added, “We have to stop using the real shortcomings of Arafat and the Palestinian Authority as an excuse not to confront the reality that what fuels the conflict is Israeli military occupation. So the day after Arafat leaves the scene the test of our seriousness about making peace is whether we want to focus on those realities or keep talking about personalities.” Read more about EI discusses Palestine after Arafat on CBC Radio's "As It Happens" 

Nigel Parry of the Electronic Intifada said it was encouraging to see young Palestinians like Dean Obeidallah, Maysoon Zayid, and Suheir Hammad, (p)reaching outside the choir through their art. Like Lechner, Parry related his story of “seeing the light.” He went to Palestine with no previous knowledge and wound up in a U.N. bus in a refugee camp, just in time to see a small child throw a rock—very ineffectually—at an Israeli soldier, who then knelt, cocked his gun, and aimed at the child. The soldier was about to kill the child, Parry said, when he spotted the U.N. bus, and guiltily stood up. “There is no context in the media,” Parry stated. That is why the Electronic Intifada and other information outlets are crucial, he said, because “information is what will end the conflict. If we could transport Americans to Rafah for five minutes, they would never support Israel.” Read more about ADC Panel Examines Perceptions of Palestine