12 February 2009
Whenever Israel has an election, pundits begin the usual refrain that hopes for peace depend on the “peace camp” — formerly represented by the Labor party, but now by Tzipi Livni’s Kadima — prevailing over the anti-peace right, led by the Likud. But whatever coalition emerges, it will maintain control with more violence and repression as Israel lurches into fascism. Ali Abunimah comments. Read more about Israel lurches into fascism
11 February 2009
The Toronto Palestine Film Festival is now accepting entries for the festival’s second year to be held in September-October 2009. The festival was conceived by Palestine House last year to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Nakba. This year’s festival will continue to present the extraordinary narrative of a dispossessed people living in exile or under Israeli occupation and will continue to introduce Canadian audiences to the rich variety of Palestinian cinema. Read more about Toronto Palestine Film Festival calls for submissions
11 February 2009
I read Jonathan Cook’s new book Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s experiments in human despair before Israel committed its most recent massacres in Gaza. Israel’s massive disregard for Palestinian life and the clearly deliberate destruction of life-sustaining infrastructure shocked many poorly informed observers, but few of those acquainted with the knowledge contained in this book would have been taken by surprise. Gabriel Ash reviews for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Book review: Un-erasing the erasure of Palestine
11 February 2009
On 2 February 2009, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported the findings of an “investigation” into an incident in which, that morning, “a Palestinian gunman opened fire at an [Israeli army] Patrol Force near the Community Yatir [sic], south of Hebron.” As a result of the investigation, the Israeli military Central Command “assumes” that the “terrorist,” who was shot dead by Israeli soldiers, “was intending to execute a terror attack against Israeli civilians.” Read more about Israeli "investigation" whitewashes West Bank execution
11 February 2009
The ongoing bloodletting in the Gaza Strip and the ability of the Palestinian people to creatively resist the might of the world’s fourth strongest army is being hotly debated by Palestinian political forces. The latest genocidal war which lasted 22 days, and in which apartheid Israel used F-16s, Apache helicopters, Merkava tanks and conventional and non-conventional weapons against the population, have raised many serious questions about the concept of resistance and whether the outcome of the war can, or cannot, be considered a victory for the Palestinian people. Dr. Haidar Eid comments for EI. Read more about Gaza 2009: Culture of resistance vs. defeat
10 February 2009
Amidst a wave of repression against protests in support of Palestine, Egyptian security agents on 6 February arrested journalist and filmmaker Philip Rizk. Rizk, an Egyptian and German national, was detained after a peaceful march in solidarity with the people under siege and attack in the Gaza Strip. Days later his location is still unknown. Per Bjorklund reports from Cairo. Read more about Egypt arrests pro-Palestine journalist
10 February 2009
WASHINGTON (IPS) - Despite a desperate need to rebuild the Gaza Strip, viewed by many as a key ingredient to reuniting the Palestinian territories and building a two-state peace deal with Israel, it appears that the United States and the international community are poised to continue old, politically-charged policies that will impede progress. Even before Israel’s three-week war on the Gaza Strip, some 80 percent of the besieged territory’s 1.5 million Palestinian residents reportedly depended on aid to meet their basic needs. Read more about Anti-Hamas policies stymie Gaza recovery
10 February 2009
The activities of French transportation giants Veolia and Alstom in building on occupied Palestinian land clearly constitute misconduct sufficiently grave to warrant the exclusion of all its divisions from public contracts in Europe. It is difficult to imagine what misconduct could be more grave than the aiding, abetting, facilitation or exacerbation of war crimes and human rights violations. Adri Nieuwhof and Daniel Machover comment for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Time to hold Veolia to account
Gaza Strip 10 February 2009
After 21 indescribable days, “the war was over,” or so they said. But it wasn’t for me; enormous destruction covered the beautiful face of Gaza that I knew. Thousands of houses and buildings were wiped off the earth. Three weeks were all that Israeli warplanes and tanks needed to smash so many living creatures in Gaza including babies — even unborn ones — women, children, men and the elderly. Eman Mohammed writes from the devastated Gaza Strip. Read more about The war where I was killed and Gaza survived
10 February 2009
Foreign correspondents and camera crews have now begun to leave Gaza, in search of the next headline grabbing location. But ongoing air strikes and violations of international law are a stark reminder that there is no real end to Israel’s offensive here. Since Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire on 18 January it has continued to launch strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip. Some families in the southern town of Rafah have been evacuated from their homes up to ten times in the last 15 days. Read more about After ceasefire, Gazans still don't feel safe