Palestinians have observed the blackest day in their history with warnings that there will be no Middle East peace until they get independence and the plight of their refugees is solved. Millions of Palestinians at home and in the diaspora on Sunday commemorated the 57th anniversary of the Nakba (catastrophe). The term denotes the loss of Palestine to Zionism, the creation of Israel and the expulsion of most of the Palestinian people from their historical homeland. Sirens were sounded throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Palestinians were asked to stand silent for a minute in memory of the anniversary. Marches and rallies were organised throughout the occupied Palestinian territories, with speakers reasserting commitment to the right of return. Read more about Palestinians mark day of catastrophe
Palestinian Return Centre, London, the Palestinian Association in Austria and the Expatriate Society in Austria organized a well attended conference of Palestinian communities in Europe under the title ‘‘Palestine: Land and People - an integral and indivisible unit. No to the racist wall in Palestine’. Representatives and delegations of Palestinian communities from 21 European countries participated in the conference. Several members of the Arab diplomatic corps in Austria, officials from the Austrian government, as well as prominent members of Arab and Muslim communities participated. Read more about Palestinian community in Europe adopts Vienna Declaration
A vote by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to support a Gay Pride celebration in Jerusalem, Israel, has sparked criticism from gay groups that oppose Israel’s policies in the Palestinian territories. They have announced a boycott of the celebration, slated to take place in the contested city of Jerusalem on August 18-20, saying Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians make a mockery of the theme of the event, “love without borders?”. “No city in the world could have more borders than Jerusalem,” said Kate Raphael-Bender of San Francisco-based QUIT. She said that those borders are constantly encroaching further and further into Palestinian territory, and are enforced by military checkpoints and cement walls. Read more about US Gays Launch Boycott of Jerusalem Gay Pride
Since 1981, Birzeit University has organized this two-week camp which gives
international students and others an opportunity to work side by side with
Palestinian students on community-oriented volunteer projects in schools,
municipalities, civil society organizations and more. Participants are also
given an opportunity to visit areas in the West Bank. The camp from 28th July - 7th August 2005 will include voluntary work, visits to Palestinian villages, cities, and refugee camps, opportunities to meet with Palestinian families, political and community leaders, and academics as well as exchange experiences with Palestinian university students. Read more about Birzeit University International Work camp: Volunteer in Palestine this summer
On 15 May, Palestinians commemorate their forced displacement and dispossession resulting from the establishment of the state of Israel. Commemorations of this year’s 57th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) aim to draw attention to the need to halt Israel’s ongoing expropriation of Palestinian land and the necessity to recognize and implement Palestinian refugees’ right to return to their homes and properties in accordance with international law and UN General Assembly Resolution 194. Until mid-May, numerous events will be organized by local organizations in West Bank and Gaza Strip to be followed by a national memorial ceremony in Ramallah on 15 May. Read more about 57th Anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba
Ramallah, 1 May 2005 — 12-year old Ahmed has a metal fragment lodged in his skull. A Norwegian protester who was standing next to Ahmed was also hit by a ricocheting fragment of what he says were live rounds fired in their direction by Israeli soldiers two hundred meters away. 23-year old Hamze is suffering from an injury to the back of his head from a gas canister that was shot at him directly from short range. Read more about Protesters hospitalized after anti-Wall demo in Bil'in
It’s been a long time coming but two weeks ago several ads created by Imagine Life began airing in Boston. Many Boston area groups coordinated raising the money and arranging the airing. As in other markets — 80 cities around the country — it was very exciting to see honest portrayals on American television of the grotesque and oppressive circumstances under which Palestinian people live. These ads ran on CNN and MSNBC. Bostonians were jubilant. There was hope. Read more about Success for Imagine Life ads in Boston
The Association of University of Wisconsin Professionals (TAUWP) has adopted a resolution that calls on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents to divest from companies that provide the Israeli Army with weapons, equipment, and supporting systems. TAUWP is a statewide local of the American Federation of Teachers-Wisconsin representing faculty and academic staff from 25 University of Wisconsin campuses. The resolution was passed at the TAUWP delegate assembly on April 23rd by a vote of 24 to 2, with four abstentions. Read more about Statewide Academic Union Calls for University of Wisconsin Israel Divestment
Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel22 April 2005
The Association of University Teachers (AUT) in the UK voted in its Council meeting today to boycott Haifa and Bar-Ilan Universities[1] and to disseminate to all its chapters our Call for Boycott of Israeli academic institutions. This historic decision, which sets a landmark precedent, stands as a major achievement in the struggle to attain a just peace in our region. Finally, boycotting Israeli institutions, as a morally and politically sound response to Israel�s crimes, is on the mainstream agenda in the west; and no one can ignore it now. Read more about Association of University Teachers to boycott Israeli institutions
In April 2005, almost 15 years since German reunification and some 60 years after the Second World War, 21 young journalists of German, Israeli and Palestinian origin, including myself, were invited to take part in a trialogue organised by the German Federal Government, the Goethe Institut and the Herbert-Quandt-Stiftung Foundation (the charitable arm of BMW). The purpose of the trip was to bring aspiring journalists together to produce a newspaper called “The Bridge”, to visit cultural institutions and to meet with government officials. Read more about Bridging Differences: The German-Israeli-Palestinian Trialogue "Youth for Understanding" 2005
