Haithem El-Zabri

Presidential elections in occupied Palestine are just 4 days away, and the two leading contenders � Mahmoud Abbas and Mustafa Barghouthi � are worlds apart in what they bring to the Palestinian cause.� Haithem El-Zabri offers a comparative overview of their backgrounds and positions on the issues, and how the international community is responding.�

Activists from several peace and justice groups gathered infront of the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles yesterday to protest against the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The protests were prompted by the four-week siege and attacks on the town of Nablus. During this time, at least 18 Palestinians had been killed and over 250 injured. The town had been under 24-hour curfew much of the time, and homes have been demolished in the Balata refugee camp, Beit Foreek, and the historic center of the city. The rally in LA was a signal of solidarity with the people of Nablus and other areas that are continuously under attack.

Seattle’s Palestinian community, together with Arab and American supporters of the Palestinian cause, have expressed clear opposition to the Nusseibeh-Ayalon “peace proposal” which dismisses the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. Sari Nusseibeh and Ami Ayalon came to the University of Washington - Seattle on October 23rd, 2003, to present their plan, and were met with visible opposition from local community groups. Haithem El-Zabri reports for EI.

The Palestinian Authority has given its blessing to a “symbolic peace treaty” reached in Switzerland between mid-level Palestinian officials and Israeli opposition leaders. In the so-called “Geneva Accord,” the negotiators outline what they see as the necessary compromises for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.