This week on Crossing The Line: They claim to be the political arm of the pro-Israeli peace movement in the US by seeking a more just and equitable situation for both Israelis and Palestinians. But is the new Israeli lobby group, J Street, any different from AIPAC? Host Naji Ali speaks with Nadia Hijab about this new face on Capital Hill and the effect they are having on US policy towards the Middle East.

Next, Israel recently concluded its week-long celebrations marking 60 years of existence. Dignitaries from around the world, including US President George W. Bush, traveled to the region to take part in the festivities while offering words of encouragement for peace. Author and Jewish activist Alice Rothchild discusses how the peace process would be accelerated if Israelis would try to see things from the perspective of those they occupy.

And as always, Crossing the Line begins with “This week in Palestine,” a service provided by The International Middle East Media Center.

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Crossing the Line is a weekly podcast dedicated to giving voice to the voiceless in occupied Palestine. Through investigative news, arts, eyewitness accounts, and music, Crossing the Line does its best to present the lives of people on the ground.

Crossing the Line’s host, Naji Ali, is an independent journalist currently living in San Francisco. Ali’s South African roots and desire for social change are the reason for his strong solidarity with the Palestinian people. In 1990 Ali was arrested in South Africa where he was detained and tortured for nearly two years by the South African secret police. Ali also lived and worked in the Old City of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.