July 2004

Adminstrative detention, risk of ill-treatment or torture

31 July 2004


The World Organization Against Torture has been informed by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel of the incommunicado detention and lengthy denial of access to legal counsel of Amad Sherif. He was arrested at his home on January 12, 2003 and brought to the Ofer detention camp. Soon after he was transferred to the Russian compound in Jerusalem and afterwards to the Kishon detention center. Later he was sent to Eshel prison. An order prohibiting meeting with counsel was imposed against Sherif following his arrest. His interrogaters beat him and forced him to sit with his back bent backwards. 

Ultra-right establish fake MachsomWatch website

Angela Godfrey-Goldstein 29 July 2004


A settler group, Women in Green, has taken to spying on MachsomWatch at checkpoints, taking cookies and Cokes to “our boys in green” or, in the Gaza settlements, doing the soldiers’ laundry. Meanwhile, on various occasions, settlers (including Daniela Weiss, lady mayor of Kedumim settlement near Nablus) have physically attacked MachsomWatch groups. Now, anonymous right-wingers have set up a tastelessly fake version of MachsomWatch’s website. The fake “dot com” site is used as a platform for ultra-right wing propaganda of a typically odious nature. Angela Godfrey-Goldstein reports. 

Interview: ISM's Radhika Sainath, editor of "Peace Under Fire"

Stefan Christoff 29 July 2004


“Peace Under Fire” is a recently published collection of written accounts, drawn from the web-logs and diaries of International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activists, news articles, press releases and reflections of ISM members engaged in confronting the Israeli occupation on the ground in Palestine. During the past 2 years ago the ISM has brought hundreds of international activists to work in the occupied territories in campaigns of non-violent direct action targeting the daily workings of the Israeli occupation. Listen to an interview with Radhika Sainath ISM organizer and an editor of the recently published book. 

Colin Powell And My Grandmother

Sam Bahour al-Bireh 29 July 2004


Where Israel is concerned, U.S. foreign policy never ceases to amaze. When Palestinian in-fighting took place in Gaza last week, Secretary of State Colin Powell had the following to say about the United States’ position: “Just have to watch it unfold.” If U.S. interests in the Middle East continue to be hijacked and jeopardized by a rapacious Israeli state, then maybe not only the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza are occupied territories. Maybe we need a peacekeeping force immediately sent to Capital Hill. In the meantime, Palestinians’ eyes will be fixed on Washington and we will “just have to watch it unfold.” Palestinian American businessman Sam Bahour comments from occupied Al-Bireh/Ramallah. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

29 July 2004


This week, Israeli forces killed 13 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including four children and one woman. Eight of the victims, including two children, were killed in two extra-judicial killings. Israel continues its assault on Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces demolished 14 homes. One house was destroyed in the context of retaliatory measures against families of Palestinian activists. Israeli warplanes destroyed a house and a workshop in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to impose a total siege on the occupied territories. 

EU development aid to Palestine

29 July 2004


This year, assistance to the Palestinians from the European Community Budget is set to amount to around €250 million. This includes a package for the West Bank and Gaza just approved by the European Commission for €124.25 million. Today’s announcement will be followed by the immediate release of a first contribution of €26m to the new Public Financial Management Reform Trust Fund established by the World Bank. The West Bank and Gaza Strip continue to suffer from a severe economic recession. Income levels have dropped severely and the level of suffering is unprecedented. 

"It's a small world after all"

Laurie King 29 July 2004


“Because it represents a failure to be just, fair, forward-looking and charitable, US treatment of the Palestinian people represents a failure to be American. Palestine is not a sideshow in the current frightening uproar of political events in the world. It is the main event for Americans and for America. Palestine can and should be the proving grounds for all the values and principles — freedom, dignity, prosperity, justice, and fairness — that set the United States apart from other countries for decades.” EI co-founder Laurie King-Irani ponders the connections between America and Palestine by remembering the summer of 1964. 

The Threat of Disengagement: Can Israel Separate from the Palestinians?

28 July 2004


What will happen if Israel carries out its plan to ‘disengage’ from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank? Will the disengagement plan advance a politically-negotiated solution to the conflict? Can Israel really separate from the Palestinians? These questions are posed in Al Majdal’s most recent editorial. While the Sharon government claims that Israel will no longer be responsible or be seen as occupying Gaza after disengagement, a review of the plan leads to the opposite conclusion. The occupation will continue. The prospect of a Palestinian state appears even more distant. 

First annual Ariel Sharon short story contest

27 July 2004


www.oznik.com is proud to announce the first ever (as far as we are aware) Ariel Sharon Short Story Contest, and to invite writers to contribute stories that focus on, are inspired by, or related to Ariel Sharon. All entries will be read, and the best will be published online on oznik.com (who knows, perhaps something in print will come out of this too…), with a copyright notice in the author’s name. The writer of the winning story will receive 50 Euros. Songs and song lyrics are also welcome. Downloads of the first entries are already accessible! 

Criticism from Jewish groups prompts ‘clarification’ of Presbyterian Church

Jerry L. Van Marter 23 July 2004


Responding to widespread public criticism from a number of Jewish groups, the Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick, stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), has issued a statement to “clarify the actions of (the recent 216th) General Assembly” on Israel and on the PC(USA)’s commitment to dialogue with people of other faiths. Most of the criticism has concerned the Assembly’s condemnation of the “security wall” being constructed between occupied Palestinian territoriesand Israel; its call for selective divestment of stock in companies doing military and security business with Israel; and its decision not to suspend funding of a controversial “Messianic” Jewish congregation in Philadelphia Presbytery. 

Tulkarem: Israeli forces kill 6 Palestinians in extra-judicial execution

26 July 2004


In violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, on Sunday evening, 25 July 2004, Israeli occupying forces committed another extra-judicial execution, which left 6 Palestinians dead.  This attack targeted two wanted Palestinians. The other four of the victims, including two children, were civilian bystanders.  Israeli occupying forces claimed that these Palestinians were killed when they exchanged fire with Israeli troops, which completely contradicts with statements by eyewitnesses.  This latest attack further proves Israel’s disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. 

Ha'aretz claims "Six Armed Palestinians Killed in Tulkarem"

International Solidarity Movement 26 July 2004


According to Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz website Sunday evening: “Six armed Palestinians were killed by Border Police undercover troops in the West Bank town of Tul Karm on Sunday.” This Ha’aretz description bears little resemblance to what happened on the ground. Six Palestinians were assassinated 100 meters from the ISM apartment where three ISM volunteers were staying at the time. Only two of the six Palestinians assassinated were members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. According to reliable sources in Tulkarem, the other four were simply bystanders. Members of ISM-Tulkarem correct the record. 

Palestine's people never say goodbye

Suheir Hammad East Jerusalem 26 July 2004


Maysoon notices an odd formation of soldiers. In a row. Guns drawn. Rafael is walking towards them. There are no street lights on. He thinks he’s walking towards an empty van. She pulls him closer to her, and shots are fired. Yes. The soldiers shot into the crowd. No warning fire. No megaphone. Live bullets into a crowd of hundreds. It is so dark, my friends see the sparks fly out of the guns. They keep walking, slowly. Surely. Maysoon figures they won’t shoot in the direction of other soldiers, and she is right. They breeze through the checkpoint. No questions asked by either side. Once through, an Israeli soldier asks her where she’s from, in English. “Can you believe he wanted to have a normal conversation with me?” 

The Story of the Seven Gates

Mona El-Farra Gaza, Palestine 26 July 2004


Returning home to Gaza, I had to fly first to Cairo, then cross the Sinai desert by coach to reach the Rafah border crossing — a journey that takes 6 hours at least, as Palestinians are not allowed to use Ben Gurion airport which is merely an hour’s drive from Gaza). The Gaza Strip is served by a modern international airport — built during the Oslo years — but this has remained closed since late 2000, and now sports a bulldozed runway, courtesy of the Israeli army. Dr. Mona El-Farra writes about her long journey from Cairo to Gaza. 

Assembly Presbyterian Church endorses Israel divestment

Alexa Smith 2 July 2004


The 216th General Assembly approved several measures opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestine Friday, including a call for the corporate witness office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to begin gathering data to support a selective divestment of holdings in multinational corporations doing business in Israel/Palestine. Divestment is one of the strategies that U.S. churches used in the 1970s and ’80s in a successful campaign to end apartheid in South Africa. The vote was 431 to 62 to have the church’s Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI) study the matter and make recommendations to the General Assembly Council. 

Rebuilding the house of Musa Kabu'ah

26 July 2004


From August 8 to August 22, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions together with Israeli, Palestinian and international volunteers will rebuild the home of Musa Kabu’ah and his family in Anata. Artists will renovate and paint a kindergarten in the town. The Kabu’ah family was given notice of the demolition order on May 2, 2004. The house was destroyed on June 2, when Israeli soldiers and four bulldozers arrived at the site. The family now lives apart from eachother in makeshift homes. These living conditions, coupled with the events of the demolition, have left the entire family in a desperate state. 

The Olga Appeal: Israeli scholars and activists recognize the right of return

26 July 2004


A few weeks ago, Israeli scholars and activists appealed to Jewish-Israeli public opinion through a compelling document. Entitled “For Truth and Reconciliation, For Equality and Partnership” the appeal aimed at changing the political discourse in Israel, particularly “the historical dimension of the conflict and noting the structural political, ideological and cultural changes required to reach, in the future, a true reconciliation.” The Olga document is the result of a series of discussions between Israeli scholars and activists in Givat Olga, one of the largest neighborhoods in Hadera overlooking the Mediterranean coastline. 

A Stranger in My Own Land: An excursion to Tel Aviv (6 of 6)

Saber Zaitoun Ramallah, Palestine 24 July 2004


During the last week of our stay, we decided to visit Tel Aviv. It was Easter Monday, and many Christians from all over Palestine were gathering to celebrate that holiday in the Arab city of Yafa, now mostly depopulated and surrounded by Tel Aviv. We decided to go with a group of our friends from Ramallah, all of whom, being Christian, were able to obtain the special Easter permits to travel to Israel. This week, EI publishes daily installments of a six-part diary from March/April 2004, by Dr. Saber Zaitoun, the pseudonym of a Palestinian-American in his thirties. Dr. Zaitoun grew up under Israeli occupation and first came to the USA during the first Intifada to finish his education. He is married, and currently teaches at a University on the East Coast. 

Journalists threatened over coverage of political infighting

23 July 2004


The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by new threats against Palestinian journalists covering political unrest in the Gaza Strip, the most recent in a months-long series of actions by Palestinian militants and forces intended to stifle independent reporting there. Journalists working for Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiyya told CPJ they received telephone threats this week from men identifying themselves as PA security personnel or dissident members of President Yasser Arafat’s Fatah organization. The threats centered on the stations’ coverage of fighting in the Gaza Strip that followed Arafat’s July 17 appointment of his cousin, Musa Arafat, as head of security for the Palestinian territories. 

Remembering Michael Prior

Nigel Parry 23 July 2004


Father Michael Prior worked tirelessly for over 20 years of his life to expose the racism, false favoritism, deception, and blatantly ‘unJesuslike’ core assumptions of the theology of Christian Zionism. As a Christian theologian and philosopher he felt responsible for confronting the contradictions of the philosophy by weaving tapestries of understanding from the more mainstream pages of the Bible that Christian Zionism had torn out and discarded. EI’s Nigel Parry, who worked with Michael Prior from 1993-1994, remembers his life and work. 

Demolitions in Ramadin village, Hebron

20 July 2004


Ramadin village is located at the southern tip of the West Bank very close to the Green Line. It is inhabited by 3,500 Bedouins, of whom 3,000 are registered refugees (330 families), mainly shepherds. UNRWA runs a school and a health clinic in the village; construction of a new UNRWA school is under way. According to official Israeli maps, after completion of the ‘Barrier’ this village will lie in the ‘seamzone’, between the Barrier and the Green Line. UNRWA reports on the West Bank barrier. 

Israeli soldiers obstruct humanitarian mission of PRCS medics

21 July 2004


The unnecessary delay of access by the Israeli soldiers for nearly an hour and prohibiting the PRCS medics from reaching the ambulance to continue the administration of emergency medical care to the critically ill patient contributed to the death of a 65 year-old male. A PRCS ambulance was stopped and delayed access for nearly an hour by the Israeli soldiers at Beit Furik checkpoint, while on route to transport a sick person in critical condition to a local hospital. 

Palestine Journalists Syndicate bans reports on PA crisis

22 July 2004


RSF has urged the Palestine Journalists Syndicate (PJS) to drop its ban on journalists reporting on disputes between Palestinians. On 20 July 2004, the union announced that journalists would face “penalties” if they “dealt with or carried statements or publications dealing with internal events and inclined to slander, libel or harm others.” Demonstrations and clashes have taken place in recent days following the 17 July appointment of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s cousin Musa Arafat as the Palestinian Authority’s top security chief. The appointment has since been revoked. 

Amnesty: Knesset's approval of discriminatory law unacceptable

22 July 2004


Amnesty International condemns the extension by the Israeli Knesset of a law (Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law) which denies thousands of Israeli Arab citizens the right to live as a family. “Israel invokes spurious ‘security’ justifications for a law which institutionalizes racial discrimination and violates international law,” said Amnesty International. The Knesset’s decision came despite calls by Amnesty International in a report published 13 July 2004 to repeal the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law on family unification. The law bars Israelis married to Palestinians from the Occupied Territories from living with their spouses in Israel, and forces families to either live apart or leave the country altogether. 

Mezan warns about serious consequences of the declaration of emergency

18 July 2004


The past two days witnessed more deterioration of the security situation in the Gaza Strip indicating a crisis within the Palestinian community. The crisis has come to the surface following several cases of kidnapping of Palestinian security commanders and international citizens by armed groups on Friday 16 July 2004 in different parts of the Gaza Strip. Despite President Arafat actions to unify the different Palestinian security apparatuses and proceed to changes in the security and police command, an eruption of the crisis is still imminent. Accordingly, the Palestinian National Security Council took the decision to impose a state of emergency in the Palestinian Territory. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

21 July 2004


This week Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, including three civilians, one of whom is a child. Israeli forces carried out an assassination attempt in Gaza City. Israeli forces continued its military actions in Beit Hanoun and invaded several areas in other parts of the occupied territories. In Rafah Israeli forces demolished 22 homes. Israeli forces continued to shell Palestinian residential areas and a number of Palestinians were injured. Despite international pressure, Israel continues the construction of its Annexation Wall in the West Bank. Israeli forces have continued to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. 

Palestinian Authority should tackle crisis through reform, Annan says

21 July 2004


The current turmoil in the Palestinian Authority should prompt reforms, United Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today, spelling out measures that could serve to foster progress. “I really hope that as difficult and as complicated as the crisis is in Palestine that they will exploit this crisis positively and move ahead and really come out with some of the reform structures which are required, particularly in the security area,” he told reporters at a news conference in New York. Specifically, Mr. Annan called for consolidating the security structures, empowering the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior to “really take charge” and undertaking other reforms related to the Cabinet. 

A Stranger in My Own Land: Changing the Map (5 of 6)

Saber Zaitoun Ramallah, Palestine 23 July 2004


Having seen the latest developments first-hand on this trip, it dawned on me that what’s going on over there is a full-blown genocide. A genocide in slow motion, perhaps, but a genocide nevertheless. This week, EI publishes daily installments of a six-part diary from March/April 2004, by Dr. Saber Zaitoun, the pseudonym of a Palestinian-American in his thirties. Dr. Zaitoun grew up under Israeli occupation and first came to the USA during the first Intifada to finish his education. He is married, and currently teaches at a University on the East Coast. 

The deterrent power of Israeli refuseniks: interview with Peretz Kidron

Ali Abunimah 23 July 2004


Peretz Kidron is an Israeli who has been fighting battles all his life, but many of them with the country he emigrated to as an idealistic young man in 1951. Now campaigning to spread the messages of Israeli military personnel who refuse to serve in the Occupied Territories, Kidron was one of the founders of Yesh Gvul (“There is a limit”), the movement of soldiers that sprang up in 1982 to oppose Israel’s invasion of Lebanon. EI’s Ali Abunimah recently spoke to him about the Refusenik movement, Israel’s internal politics and the prospects for peace. 

A Stranger in My Own Land: Life in the Ghetto (4 of 6)

Saber Zaitoun Ramallah, Palestine 22 July 2004


Around Ramallah, the Apartheid Wall is still in the form a snaking stretch of electrified barbed wires surrounded by military roads and minefields, rather than the familiar slabs of concrete seen in other cities. A 5-minute drive towards the nearby village of Rafat, situated between Ramallah and Jerusalem, brings one face-to-face with three layers of wall in plain sight. This week, EI publishes daily installments of a six-part diary from March/April 2004, by Dr. Saber Zaitoun, the pseudonym of a Palestinian-American in his thirties. Dr. Zaitoun grew up under Israeli occupation and first came to the USA during the first Intifada to finish his education. He is married, and currently teaches at a University on the East Coast. 

Israeli law splits Palestinian families apart

21 July 2004


Today, 21 July 2004, Adalah submitted a motion for injunction order to the Supreme Court requesting the temporary suspension of the Nationality and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) – 2003 (the law) pending final ruling in the August 2003 petition against the law. The Knesset today extended the law for six more months by a majority vote of 60 to 29. The law prohibits the granting of any residency or citizenship status to Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territories who are married to Israeli citizens, thereby banning family unification. 

Film review: "Aftershock" exposes IDF soldiers' psychology

Victor Kattan 23 July 2004


“Whilst I was there, I lost all my faith in the Israeli army. They put it right in your face: ‘Go be the oppressors for your people. Force yourselves upon them.’ They told us … ‘take these bats wrapped up in plastic and … calm things down’ … We had skulls on our helmets, dude. We walked around with machetés, all kinds of crazy stuff. Sheriff badges. We’d improvise some very unique solutions.” This is Ehud, speaking 12 years after having served in the occupied Palestinian territories. Like the thousands before him, he was a paratrooper in the Israeli army during the first Palestinian intifada (1987-1993). 

Hanging the bell on Israel's neck

Hasan Abu Nimah 21 July 2004


Israel never fails to surprise the world with its open contempt for international law and the norms of international relations. After rejecting the historic International Court of Justice verdict earlier this month, Israel is embroiled in a serious dispute with New Zealand, sparked by two Israeli agents’ attempt to obtain New Zealand passports through fraud and deception. EI contributor Hasan Abu Nimah explains why New Zealand has reacted with unprecedented vigour to Israel’s crimes and the disputes’s significance beyond the two countries. 

Inflation: Another Wall between Israel and the Occupied Territories

Shir Hever 21 July 2004


Inflation rates differ in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories, but they are both the direct result of Israeli policies. These policies are responsible for the deep recession of the Israeli economy, resulting in deflation, and for the harsh conditions of the economy in the occupied Palestinian territories, resulting in inflation. Besides property destruction and damages to infrastructure, the ability of local industry to import has been restricted even further, resulting in more pressure on the diminishing Palestinian industrial and agricultural sectors to meet the demands of the entire population. Shir Hever explains why Palestinian inflation is so high, tackles the causes of Israeli deflation and examines who benefit from this. 

UN Assembly votes overwhelmingly to demand Israel comply with ICJ ruling

20 July 2004


The United Nations General Assembly today voted overwhelmingly to demand that Israel comply with an advisory opinion issued earlier this month by the World Court, which declared the construction of a separation barrier in and around the West Bank to be illegal. In adopting a resolution by a vote of 150 to 6, with 10 abstentions, the Assembly also called on all UN Member States to comply with its obligations as contained in the finding by ICJ, which include a duty “not to recognize the illegal situation” and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by such construction. 

Israeli conscientious objectors receive reduced sentences

20 July 2004


FIDH and OMCT, welcome the decision by the Military Parole Committee on July 14, 2004 to reduce the sentences of Haggai Matar, Matan Kaminer, Shimri Zameret, Adam Naor and Noam Bahat, conscientious objectors to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. Initially scheduled to be released in January 2005, they will now be released September 15, 2004. On March 11, 2003 Ben Artzi was the first Israeli conscientious objector to be court martialled since the 1970�s. Matar, Kaminer, Zameret, Naor and Bahat were court martialled in April for refusing to enlist in the army due to their selective conscientious objection to the occupation of the Palestinian territories. 

General Assembly delays vote on Wall resolution

20 July 2004


The United Nations General Assembly today delayed until Tuesday a vote on a draft resolution introduced by Arab countries that seeks to end Israel’s construction of a separation barrier in and around the West Bank after the barrier was declared illegal by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The vote had been scheduled for today after Jordan introduced the draft text last Friday during a resumption of the Assembly’s tenth emergency special session on illegal Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territory. 

An alliance of failures in Israel

Ali Abunimah 20 July 2004


The positive spin on the negotiations to form a Likud-Labor-led coalition in Israel is that it will create a majority government capable of implementing a historic withdrawal of Israeli forces and settlers from the Gaza Strip, and that this will somehow “jump start” the peace process. But EI co-founder Ali Abunimah says that a coalition headed by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Labor leader Shimon Peres seems more a dying gasp for Israel’s existing political order which will not save Israel from its fundamental predicament. 

Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation

19 July 2004


The general segment of the substantive session of the Economic and Social Council continued today with consideration of the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, and the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan. The occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel continues to deepen the economic and social hardship for Palestinians. 

The World Is Knocking on Israel's Door

Sam Bahour al-Bireh 20 July 2004


When The Hague speaks, the world listens, especially when a threat to international peace is involved. At least this was the case until the International Court of Justice took aim at Israel. At issue was the Israeli government’s building of a separation wall on occupied Palestinian lands in the West Bank, which, in essence, has caged Palestinian communities into ghettos reminiscent of the Jewish ghettos in Europe during World War II. Palestinian-American businessman Sam Bahour writes from beseiged Al-Bireh. 

Naji al-Ali: The timeless conscience of Palestine

Arjan El Fassed 22 July 2004


On July 22 1987 at five in the afternoon, Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al-Ali parked his car in southwest London, and walked a few meters towards the offices of the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas where he worked. He was shot in the head by a gunman. After five weeks in a coma on a life support machine Naji al-Ali died on August 30, 1987 at the age of 49. Naji al-Ali is still the most popular artist in the Arab world, loved for his defense of the ordinary people, and for his criticism of repression and despotism. His unrelenting cartoons exposed the brutality of the Israeli army and the hypocrisy of the PLO, earning him many powerful enemies. 

Creating civic structures for Palestinian refugees in exile

18 July 2004


An EU-funded study at the University of Oxford will assess how Palestinian refugee communities living in exile in the Middle East, Europe, and further afield can build civic structures to enable better communication with their political leadership and national representatives. The project, entitled Civitas, will run over the next 18 months, and will establish the precise types of mechanisms needed by Palestinian refugees outside the West Bank and Gaza in order that they might participate effectively, and contribute democractically, to the shaping of their future. 

What's wrong with the PA?

Arjan El Fassed 18 July 2004


Widespread protests have accompanied Yasser Arafat’s appointment of his nephew Musa Arafat as the new head of the Palestinian General Security Service. Thousands of people demonstrated in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night against the appointment while the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, the armed wing of al-Fateh, described Musa Arafat as a “symbol” of the PA’s corruption. The appointment deepened the rift between Arafat’s generation, which led the Palestinian struggle from exile for decades, and young Palestinians who struggled against the Israeli occupation and who accuse the old guard of corruption and monopolizing power. 

Olive Trees "Keep the Hope Alive"

18 July 2004


The East Jerusalem YMCA and the YWCA of Palestine have initiated a campaign to replant olive trees in areas where they have been uprooted and destroyed, or in areas where the fields are threatened by land confiscation by the Israeli occupation army or settlers. The campaign goal is to replant 50,000 olive trees in the Palestinian Territories with the sponsorship of YMCAs and YWCAs, as well as churches and other groups and individuals around the world. Through replanting olive trees, Palestinians will be encouraged to keep hope alive and to reaffirm their commitment to work constructively toward peace-building. 

General Assembly debates measures after ICJ's ruling on the wall

17 July 2004


The United Nations General Assembly today discussed measures to end Israel’s construction of a separation barrier in and around the West Bank after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared it to be illegal. The Assembly met in a resumption of its tenth emergency special session on illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territory following a request of the Arab Group. Last week the ICJ issued an advisory opinion saying the separation barrier was illegal and that construction must stop immediately. The Court also said Israel should make reparations for any damage caused, and that the Assembly and the Security Council should consider what steps to take “to bring to an end the illegal situation” created by the situation. 

Peacefully Confronting the Wall in Budrus

Iltezam Morrar 16 July 2004


The Wall will affect my family as it affects many Palestinians. I live in Budrus, a village of 1,200 people, west of Ramallah. The Wall will completely surround Budrus and eight other villages, separating us from the rest of the West Bank, with just one gate connecting us to Ramallah. On Nov 23rd, 2003, Wall construction started in Budrus, and we immediately began holding peaceful demonstrations opposing it. Though our demonstrations were peaceful, the Israeli soldiers wounded 102 persons. They used sound bombs, teargas, and rubber-coated steel bullets, and beat men and women with clubs. In Biddu and Beitunia, villages near Jerusalem, Israeli soldiers killed six people during protests against the Wall. 15-year-old Iltezam Morrar reports for EI. 

Women Against the Wall

Fatima Khaldi 16 July 2004


Last Friday, as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s wall through the West Bank is a violation of international law, I stood with other Palestinian women in the olive groves of the village of Az Zawiya, protesting the destruction of our land. Throughout the West Bank, thousands of Palestinian women are peacefully protesting against the wall that the Israeli government claims aims to protect its citizens against terrorism. Palestinian women are deeply rooted in their land, and work hard to support our families. Women suffer greatly when families lose their land, often the primary source of income. We raise olive trees as if they are our children. When we lose them, we grieve deeply. Fatima Khaldi writes from Az Zawiya in the Salfit region. 

Before and After the Wall in Jayyous

Sharif Omar Jayyous, Palestine 15 July 2004


I am a farmer in Jayyous, a small village near the Palestinian city of Qalqilya and three miles from the 1967 border with Israel. For generations, Jayyous farmers have worked our fields on the outskirts of town each day, and returned to our homes each night. Before the Wall, we could pay Palestinian workers to help work our land. Now non-land owners cannot pass through the gate, so we cannot get the help we need and many farm workers have lost their jobs. A lot of good land is now left uncultivated and many farmers have had to abandon their land altogether. 

The Peaceful Fall of Israel's Wall

Ayed Morrar 15 July 2004


In Budrus, our strategies in our struggle against the Apartheid Wall are peaceful. We only confront the bulldozers that are uprooting the trees planted by our ancestors - trees that help us to feed our children. Although olive trees won’t make us rich, we won’t go hungry as long as we have them. The Palestinian people have tried large-scale peaceful civil resistance against the Israeli occupation at various times since 1967. Each time, non-violence was crushed by Israeli government-sponsored violence. When non-violence failed to bring freedom and independence, some people turned to violent struggle. Budrus resident Ayed Morrar explains where it’s all at. 

A Stranger in My Own Land: Checkpoints and Walls (3 of 6)

Saber Zaitoun Ramallah, Palestine 21 July 2004


When I first came to the USA for college, you would not believe my shock upon making my first Spring Break drive to Florida, some 24 hours, and realizing no one stopped us to ask for ID or inquire where we’re going. In the West Bank, during the 10-mile drive from Ramallah to Jerusalem, travelers today get stopped twice at Israeli checkpoints… This week, EI publishes daily installments of a six-part diary from March/April 2004, by Dr. Saber Zaitoun, the pseudonym of a Palestinian-American in his thirties. Dr. Zaitoun grew up under Israeli occupation and first came to the USA during the first Intifada to finish his education. He is married, and currently teaches at a University on the East Coast. 

A Stranger in My Own Land: An Invisible Occupation (2 of 6)

Saber Zaitoun Ramallah, Palestine 20 July 2004


After those long 24 continuous hours of travel and lack of sleep, our first night back home was very depressing. The first thing that greeted us walking into my parents’ house was a large bullet-hole in the door, left as a souvenir by Israeli soldiers who were searching houses during the incursion of April 2002. This week, EI publishes daily installments of a six-part diary from March/April 2004, by Dr. Saber Zaitoun, the pseudonym of a Palestinian-American in his thirties. Dr. Zaitoun grew up under Israeli occupation and first came to the USA during the first Intifada to finish his education. He is married, and currently teaches at a University on the East Coast. 

A Stranger in My Own Land: Into the Dark of Night (1 of 6)

Saber Zaitoun Ramallah, Palestine 19 July 2004


It was a very long plane ride. Seven hours from USA to Frankfurt, spending a few hours at the airport, then changing to another plane bound for Tel Aviv. Though Palestine is my homeland, I haven’t been back for five years. This time I didn’t really know what to expect… This week, EI publishes daily installments of a six-part diary from March/April 2004, by Dr. Saber Zaitoun, the pseudonym of a Palestinian-American in his thirties. Dr. Zaitoun grew up under Israeli occupation and first came to the USA during the first Intifada to finish his education. He is married, and currently teaches at a University on the East Coast. 

Fighting Israel's Wall

Ann Petter 15 July 2004


The International Court of Justice has ruled Israel’s “Separation Wall” illegal and has called on Israel to dismantle the wall. Nineteen days ago I came to Israel to protest that wall and to bear witness to its devastating effects on the Palestinian population. Instead I was detained by Israel police upon arrival at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport and have since been held in immigration detention awaiting deportation. I have been labeled a threat to “security,” and the judge has called my camera a weapon. It seems to me the only threat I pose to Israel is a public relations one. 

The Israeli High Court of Justice and the Apartheid Wall

John Sigler 15 July 2004


With the recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion regarding the consequences of the Apartheid Wall, the legality of this enterprise has been much discussed in almost all circles related to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. On the Zionist side, aside from the usual canard about the “anti-Semitism” of the United Nations and the like, many commentaries have pointed to the recent Israeli High Court of Justice (HCJ) ruling about the wall and declared, in so many words, that this is the only legal ruling that matters. John Sigler notes that if one actually reads the HCJ decision, it in fact makes a very strong case against the Wall in general though its ruling only regarded only one small 40 km stretch of the Wall. 

From the Hague to Mas'ha

Tanya Reinhart 15 July 2004


The International Court of Justice has determined that the present route of Israel’s West Bank Barrier is a serious and egregious violation of international law. In an interview given last weekend, Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe (Bogie) Ya’alon contested the applicability of international law. Such a system was appropriate for the conditions of World War II, he declared, but not for the present war on terror. Apparently, as Ya’alon envisions it, in this war the armed forces are bound only by their own law. Indeed, a battle is being waged in the world today over the status of international law. Tanya Reinhart comments. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

15 July 2004


This week Israeli forces killed 13 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including a child and a woman. One of the victims was killed in an extra-judicial execution. Israel continued its assault on Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces invaded a number of areas and demolished 75 homes and razed agricultural lands. As a collective punishment against families of Palestinian fighters, Israeli forces demolished six homes. Despite the ruling of the International Court of Justice, Israel continued construction on its annexation wall. Israel also continues to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. 

Israeli High Court rejects appeal against land theft

13 July 2004


In a session held on 13 July 2004, the Israeli High Court rejected an appeal submitted by PCHR on behalf of a number of Palestinian civilians to stop the seizure of their agricultural land in al-Qarar village, northeast of Khan Yunis, near the “Kissufim” settler road. PCHR had submitted an appeal to the Israeli High Court on 28 June 2004, after a number of Palestinian civilians received military orders on 16 and 17 June 2004, ordering the seizure of their land near the aforementioned road. The area of the affected land is estimated at hundreds of donums, which belong to several families, including al-Sumairi, Abu Haddaf, Abu Hajjaj, Abu ‘Aamer and others. 

Humanitarian Implications of Latest Wall Projections

8 July 2004


On 30 June 2004, the Government of Israel revised the route of the West Bank Barrier and published a map on its seam zone website. The previous map was released on 23 October 2003. In June 2002, the Government of Israel began construction of the Barrier following several suicide bombings and attacks by Palestinian militants on Israeli citizens. It maintains that the Barrier is a temporary structure to physically separate the West Bank from Israel to prevent such attacks on Israeli citizens. Once completed, the Barrier will be 622 km long. Approximately 185 km of the Barrier has already been constructed. This section consists of a combination of ditches, trenches, roads, razor wire, electronic fences and concrete walls. 

PALTEL's 7th General Assembly Approves Distribution of 12% of Profits to Shareholders

9 May 2004


In its seventh annual meeting, PALTEL’s General Assembly discussed on Sunday (09.05.2004), in Ramallah and Gaza, administrative reports and financial statements for the year ending 31.12.2003. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Abdel Malek Jaber, vice-chairman of the board. It was also attended by the board members, senior management, company controller, financial auditors, a number of shareholders and interested individuals. The meeting was held via video conferencing connecting Ramallah and Gaza. 

Bureau of Palestinian Rights Committee welcomes advisory opinion by International Court of Justice

13 July 2004


The Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People welcomes the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 9 July 2004 which states that the construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and its associated regime are contrary to international law. It found that the construction of the wall severely impeded the exercise by the Palestinian people of its right to self-determination. 

Israeli forces open fire on UN Convoy

14 July 2004


After visiting UNRWA food distribution in Beit Hanoun, Peter Hansen, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, and UNRWA’s operations personnel visited some of the demolished areas on the outskirts of the town in a five-vehicle convoy clearly marked with UN flags and symbols. Shortly after passing an Israeli armoured personnel carrier, the convoy stopped, 500m from the APC, to survey a citrus orchard that had been bulldozed by the Israeli military. At that point rapid firing appreared to come from the APC in the direction of the convoy. Hansen and the UNRWA personnel were forced to take cover in a nearby family home. 

Israeli journalist Amira Hass receives Anna Lindh Award

30 June 2004


“Journalism’s main task is to monitor power, to locate domination and to follow its characteristics and effects on the people, to observe the relations developing between power and the subjugated. Monitoring Power is a voluntarily-adopted mission of journalism, I believe, in a centuries-old development of the media and its social contract with the society in which journalists operate.” Israeli journalist Amira Hass, author of Drinking the Sea at Gaza, has reported regularly from Gaza and Ramallah, where she lived among local people. Amira has recieved the fist Anna Lind Award, in honour of the murdered Swedish foreign minister. 

UN Assembly to meet Friday in emergency session on Israeli wall ruling

13 July 2004


The UN General Assembly will reconvene on Friday its long-running emergency special session on the question of Palestine to examine the advisory opinion issued last week by the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of Israel’s construction of a separation barrier. The resumption of the tenth emergency special session comes at the request of the a majority of UN Member States, the Arab Group and the Non-Aligned Movement, according to Michele Montas, spokesperson for the Assembly’s President. The emergency special session dates back to 1997 when Israel began construction of a new settlement and after the Security Council met twice on that issue but failed to adopt resolutions. 

UN Envoy: Palestinian Authority's paralysis has become abundantly clear

13 July 2004


If the proposed Israeli withdrawal from Gaza were implemented in the right way, it would open up an unprecedented opportunity for progress towards peace, Terje Roed-Larsen, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General, told the Security Council this morning. There had been no tangible progress related to the parties’ implementation of their commitments under the Road Map, he stated. There were only two options: “Either we act, all the time, patiently and tirelessly, trying to find a way out of this conflict. Or we sit and watch as more people bleed. The choice is for each of us to make.” 

Families torn apart by discriminatory policies

13 July 2004


Thousands of Palestinians are being denied their fundamental right to live as a family by an Israeli law that is due for review at the end of this month. The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law bars Israelis who are married to Palestinians from the Occupied Territories from living with their spouses in Israel. In a report published today, Torn Apart: Families split by discriminatory policies, Amnesty International calls on Israel to repeal the law on family unification, which discriminates against Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza and against the Palestinian citizens of Israel and residents of Jerusalem who marry them. 

Imperial Misconceptions

Roni Ben Efrat 13 July 2004


On June 10, 2004, Amos Malka, head of Military Intelligence (MI) from 1998 until 2001, was interviewed in Ha’aretz. He castigated the reigning Israeli conception with regard to the Palestinian leadership. The conception is: The Oslo process was nothing more than a Trojan horse designed by Yasser Arafat to destroy the State of Israel. After four years of public silence, Malka states that his assessment, all along, has been completely different: At Oslo, the strategic goal of Arafat and the PLO was a viable Palestinian state beside Israel. Arafat wanted all along to reach a political solution, but his flexibility was limited by Palestinian public opinion. 

"Mr. Sharon, tear down this wall!"

Ian Williams 13 July 2004


“Just because the International Court of Justice ruled against Israel and, by extension, its US protector, on every point, does not invalidate the reasoning for the rest of the world. Rather, it is a wake-up call to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his supporters in the United States to reconsider their stands and return from orbit. You cannot cherry-pick international law, enforcing the parts you like on others and denying those that impinge on your interests.” Veteran UN analyst Ian Williams assesses the 9 July World Court advisory opinion on the illegality of Israel’s Apartheid Wall. 

Breaking the Silence: Occupation soldiers give visual and written accounts of their experience in Hebron

15 July 2004


Closing a school, abusing civilians at a check point, following orders, staying in a family’s comandeered home, posing for trophy photos with enemy bodies, being the law, enjoying power, feeling ashamed, getting addicted to controlling people, dispersing a funeral, wanting to forget, not caring, the ease in which you actually do whatever you want to do unsupervised, the unbearable lightness of these things that happen. 12,643 words of testimonies. What follows is a compilation of written and photographic testimonies by IDF soldiers who served until recently, or are still actively serving, in the West Bank city of Hebron. 

Dispersing Demonstrations--Or Chemical Warfare?

James Brooks 12 July 2004


“On June 10th, 2004, the two clinics in Al-Zawiya treated 130 patients for gas inhalation. The patients were children, women, old people and young men. Dr. Abu Madi related that there was a high number of cases of [tetany], spasm in legs and hands, connected to the nervous system. Pupils were dilated… Other symptoms included shock, semi-consciousness, hyperventilation, irritation and sweating.” Thus reads a report by medical units serving the West Bank village of Al-Zawiya, where nonviolent resistance to Israel’s impending wall has been extraordinarily resolute. According to the medical report (procured by the International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC), “the gas used against the protestors is not tear gas but possibly a nerve gas.” James Brooks reports. 

Israeli forces kill elderly disabled Palestinian during demolition of 34 homes in Khan Yunis

12 July 2004


Israeli military bulldozers demolished a house while an elderly physically disabled Palestinian civilian was still inside. Despite attempts by his wife and daughter to draw attention to his presence the IOF continued with the demolition. The incident occurred during a wide scale Israeli military incursion into the camp, accompanied by intense shelling from tanks and helicopter gunships. This latest operation left 34 Palestinian houses demolished. In a similar Israeli military operation in the same camp on 8 July 2004, 40 Palestinian houses were demolished. 

War on Want launches "Writing's on the Wall" campaign

10 July 2004


The International Court Of Justice in the Hague has judged the wall, built by Israel and cutting through the occupied territories, to be illegal - on the same day War on Want launched its new Palestine campaign. Roger Waters, launching War on Want’s ‘The Writing’s on the Wall’ campaign said of the wall “The poverty inflicted by the wall has been devastating for Palestinians. It has kept children from their schools, the sick from proper medical care and continues to destroy the Palestinian economy.” 

Dismantle the wall, says International Court of Justice

9 July 2004


In the wake of the Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel must immediately halt construction of the fence/wall inside the occupied West Bank, dismantle the sections already built there, and make reparation for the damage caused. Amnesty International said. While welcoming Israel’s Supreme Court ruling, Amnesty International notes that the ruling concerns only a very small section - less than 40 km out of more than 600 km - of the total route of the wall. 

UNRWA, UNDP and the Palestinian Authority sign land agreement to rebuild homes in Rafah

11 July 2004


The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Palestinian Authority today signed a land agreement that will allow the United Nations agencies to build replacement homes in Rafah in the Gaza Strip.
The agreement will see the PA donate 430 dunums of land in Rafah to a project to rebuild homes for some of the more than 15,000 people whose homes in Rafah have been demolished by the Israeli military since the start of the current intifada. 

Aid agency welcomes ICJ ruling on Israel's separation barrier

9 July 2004


Oxfam International today welcomes the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling on Israel’s separation barrier as a key step towards improving the protection of civilians and enhancing prospects for peace. The ICJ ruling says that the separation barrier violates international humanitarian law. Oxfam recommends that the construction of the barrier should stop and that sections inside the West Bank be dismantled and removed. Oxfam director Jeremy Hobbs says: “Today’s ruling is a step in the right direction but the international community must take further action now. We are urgently calling for the protection of civilians. 

The Court has spoken: What's Next?

Azem Bishara 11 July 2004


After much speculations whether the International Court would exercise its advisory function in the legal consequences of the construction of the wall by Israel, the court finally issued a detailed opinion. Azem Bishara looks at the possible consequences of this advisory opinion and actions that might be taken as a result of this opinion. He reviews comments made by various states, and the legal consequences for Israel, as a result of its violations of international law. He also looks at the course to be taken within the United Nations system and how the international community can deal with a possible US veto in the Security Council. 

Israel�s Separation Barrier could displace tens of thousands of Palestinians

9 July 2004


As the International Court of Justice issued its ruling on Israel�s Separation Barrier, the Global IDP Project of the Norwegian Refugee Council warned in a report released today that the construction of the Barrier could lead to the additional displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians. �There are serious concerns that large numbers of Palestinians will be forced to leave their homes should the construction of the Barrier continue along the route originally envisaged by the Israeli government�, said Bjarte Vandvik, the acting Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council. 

Palestinian film-maker, novelist hope to make award winning book into a movie

Massoud A. Derhally 9 July 2004


Waleed Zuaiter, a professional actor in his early thirties now living in Brooklyn Heights, New York, never thought his life would change the way it has after reading a book. While taking part in the US West coast premier of Homebody/Kabul, a play by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning playwright Tony Kushner, Zuaiter’s wife Joana came across On the Hills of God, a novel by Ibrahim Fawal, a Palestinian writer and filmmaker now residing in Birmingham, Alabama. Although he was preoccupied with acting at night while living in Berkley, California, Zuaiter’s captivation with the 450-page book sparked him into action. 

International Court Rules Against Israel's Wall

8 July 2004


The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the United Nations, has today rendered its Advisory Opinion in the case concerning the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (request for advisory opinion). In its Opinion, the Court finds unanimously that it has jurisdiction to give the advisory opinion requested by the United Nations General Assembly and decides by fourteen votes to one to comply with that request. The Court rules that “the construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying Power, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated régime, are contrary to international law”. 

NYT: World Court Says Israeli Barrier Violates International Law

Christine Hauser 9 July 2004


The International Court of Justice ruled today that it is against international law for Israel to build its barrier in the West Bank and that it should be dismantled. The advisory ruling by the World Court, in the Hague, is nonbinding. But it contributes to the debate surrounding construction of the network of fencing and ditches on lands that have been the focus of Middle East peace efforts. Israel says it is building the barrier as self-defense against attackers, but Palestinians call it an attempt to grab land. A copy of the ruling, posted on the Web site www.electronicintifada.net before the court began its reading of the decision, said that the construction of the wall is “contrary to international law.” 

AFP: ICJ rules Israel's West Bank barrier illegal, calls for dismantling: leaks

Stephanie van den Berg 9 July 2004


The International Court of Justice was to rule on Friday that Israel’s controversial West Bank security barrier is illegal and should be dismantled, according to leaked copies of its judgement published on the Internet. According to a 59-page document published on a Palestinian website, www.electronicintifada.net on Friday, the court will rule by fifteen to one that “the construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying power, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated regime, are contrary to international law.” 

The Australian: West Bank barrier illegal: report

8 July 2004


A Palestinian website has posted what it said is the opinion of the International Court of Justice - due to be handed down later today - which states that Israel’s West Bank barrier is illegal. The world court will rule that “the construction of the wall being built by Israel, the occupying power, in the occupied Palestinian territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and its associated regime, are contrary to international law,” according to the document published on www.electronicintifada.net. Israel’s Haaretz newspaper also reported today that the ICJ would rule the barrier is illegal, based on documents obtained by the liberal daily. 

Exclusive: EI publishes leaked ICJ Advisory Ruling on Israel's West Bank Barrier

8 July 2004


US CST, 9PM, 8 JULY 2004 — On 8 December 2003, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a resolution (A/RES/ES-10/14) in which it requested the International Court of Justice to “urgently render an advisory opinion on the legal consequences arising from the construction of the wall being built by Israel, in the occupied Palestinian territories, including in and around East Jerusalem, considering the rules and principles of international law.” EI has today (8 July 2004) obtained a copy of the ruling of the International Court of Justice, the contents of which were to be officially released tomorrow. While the source of the document remains unconfirmed at this stage, the contents and format of the document appear to be genuine and the ruling is a shocking blow to Israel. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

8 July 2004


This week, Israeli forces killed 17 Palestinians, 14 of them are civilians, including 6 children and a man suffering from a cognitive disorder. One of the victims was killed in an extra-judicial assassination in Nablus. Three of the children were killed by Israeli indiscriminate shelling in the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops continued their offensive on Beit Hanoun, razing agricultural land and damaging civilian infrastructure. Israeli forces destroyed 16 homes in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, Israeli forces demolished two homes. Israel continues to build its Annexation Wall and continues the closures of towns and villages. 

Court Diary from the February 2004 ICJ Hearings

Victor Kattan The Hague, the Netherlands 9 July 2004


Victor Kattan, a correspondent for Arab Media Watch and occasional contributor to EI, was at the International Court of Justice in the Hague during February 2004 to report on the hearings to determine the legality of Israel’s West Bank Barrier, dubbed the “Apartheid Wall” by Palestinians. On the day the ICJ gives its advisory opinion, 9 July 2004, EI reprints Victor Kattan’s Court Diary from the hearings that took place from Monday 23rd February to Wednesday 25th February 2004. 

Israeli forces kills seven Palestinians and destroys 40 homes in Gaza

8 July 2004


On Thursday morning, 8 July 2004, Israeli occupying forces, continuing a wide scale offensive on the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun which started on the 28 June 2004, killed 7 Palestinians, including a woman. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of this offensive has mounted to 13, including 3 children and one woman. In addition, dozens of Palestinians have been wounded and at least 1400 donums of agricultural land have been razed. Also this morning, Israeli troops totally destroyed 30 Palestinian houses and severely damaged 10 other ones in Khan Yunis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Four Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by the Israeli gunfire during this operation. 

Window into the Hunger Striker Tent Protesting Israel's Apartheid Wall

Toufic Haddad Ram, Palestine 7 July 2004


Seventeen individuals have joined in on the hunger strike protesting Israel’s Apartheid Wall. Toufic Haddad writes from day five of the solidarity tent in Ar Ram. Despite the heat wave (36 centigrade) there is a good atmosphere in the tent, and the hunger strikers - though visibly more weary n are in high spirits. Today there were questions regarding Dr. Azmi Bishara’s health. Bishara was the first to go on hunger strike, but he is also a kidney transplant receiver (via his brother). Since there haven’t been so many kidney transplant receivers who have gone on hunger strike, his doctors are especially worried. He is bravely pressing on. He never refuses interviews and is always active. 

One Morning in Palestine

Fadi Abu Sa'da Bethlehem 8 July 2004


It was 2am Thursday morning, when I went to sleep, After following the news as usual, I was having a very tough migraine. I have experienced these tough migraines for a while because of the stress I have working as a journalist. I keep the walky-talky next to my head when I go to sleep, so that I can hear anyone calling me with urgent news, even while I’m having this migraine and at this time in the morning. I fell asleep, before someone began shouting on the walky-talky at 6am, and I jumped from bed to answer. His voice was deeply sad, and he was hardly able to talk, and he said “Fadi… Fadi… Ten Palestinians were just killed in Beat Hanoun village”. 

Live Internet video coverage of the reading of the Court’s Advisory Opinion

8 July 2004


The reading of the Advisory Opinion to be rendered by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the United Nations, in the case concerning the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (request for advisory opinion), will be transmitted in full, live, on the Court’s website on Friday 9 July 2004, from 3 p.m. The general public, civil society organizations and the media worldwide, contributed to this decision. 

Nablus: When does it stop?

Arjan El Fassed Nablus, Palestine 9 July 2004


“Where is your howiya?” shouts an Israeli soldier at me. “I don’t have one,” I reply. Huwara checkpoint seems quiet. Israeli women from Makhsoom Watch try to speed up the process by watching at the scene. Palestinians are standing in line awaiting inspection. “It’s forbidden to enter Nablus for foreigners and Israeli citizens,” the soldier says. Since my father left Nablus in 1963 and since I was born in The Netherlands I don’t have an Israeli occupation identity card, also known as “howiya”. It takes some time to explain the immigrant soldier that I want to visit my family. 

Hunger strike against Israel's Apartheid Wall enters fourth day

6 July 2004


Azmi Bishara’s hunger strike against the construction of the Israeli Apartheid wall is now entering its fourth day. The hunger strike is a call to focus attention and rally support against the Apartheid Wall being built by Israel which will cantonize the West Bank and Jerusalem, severing Palestinians familial, social, cultural and economic ties and separating parents from children and brother from sister. The Hunger Strike and solidarity tent set up at the northern entrance of Jerusalem at the point where the wall is currently being built has seen a continuous stream of solidarity delegations from all over the country. 

Azmi Bishara on Hunger Strike Protesting the Construction of Israel's Separation Wall

4 July 2004


Member of Knesset Azmi Bishara of the National Democratic Assembly (NDA) has declared an open hunger strike protesting the Israeli government’s construction of the separation wall in the occupied West Bank and in the surrounding areas of Jerusalem. Upon declaring his hunger strike, Bishara was immediately joined by Palestinian national figures Ahmed Ghneim, Hatem Abdel Qader, Abdel Latif Gheith, As’ad Musilmani, Suheir Khader, Terry Bulata, Jamal Jum’a, Musa Abu Gharbiyeh and Judeh al Jamal. The hunger strikers will remain in a protest tent that has been pitched in the town of Ar-Ram, adjacent to one of the sites of on going Israeli wall construction. 

Israel as the powerful party should take the first clear step towards peace

Jeff Handmaker and Adri Nieuwhof 7 July 2004


One of the biggest challenges amongst activists concerned with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is a growing divide in the perspectives of peace advocates on one side and human rights advocates on the other. In attempting to explain or justify the use of violence, one can easily forget that that one party has a heavily fortified military with nuclear weapons capability; the other a population so oppressed and desperate, that some are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to claim casualties on the other side. Jeff Handmaker and Adri Nieuwhof critically examine whether these perspectives are reconcilable through promoting participation of Palestinian refugees. 

Speakers at Capetown meeting compare situation in Palestine with South African apartheid

1 July 2004


Representatives of civil society concerned with the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict met in Cape Town today to explore the role of civil society in supporting a peaceful solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. During the meeting, a number of speakers described the similarities and differences between the Palestinian and South African struggles and urged the conference to call for a boycott of products from Jewish settlements. International isolation, internal resistance, underground movement and armed resistance, pillars of the South African struggle, should be kept in mind when talking about a platform for a solution to the Palestinian question. 

U.S. Peace Activist Remains in Detention After Hearing

7 July 2004


American peace activist Ann Petter who has been detained for 14 days at Ben Gurion airport, appeared today before Judge Oded Mudrik at Tel Aviv District Court. Petter was charged with being a security threat to the State of Israel. Judge Mudrik postponed the decision on Petter’s case until Thursday, July 8, 2004 at 11:30 a.m. in Tel Aviv District Court. Petter is a 44-year old graphic designer from New York who planned to attend a nonviolent peace march organized by the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Judge Mudrik refused to release Petter from detention while the decision is pending. 

The State Cannot Legislate On Matters Of Love

Am Johal 7 July 2004


Recently Israeli President Moshe Katsav publicly stated that human rights are basic rights and cannot be based on obligations set by the state — in other words, these rights are inherent to being human and cannot be taken away or limited by the state. In Israel where the desire for the security of the state and its citizens is used as a pretext to limit the advancement of human and civil rights both in Israel and the Occupied Territories, this is enlightened thinking coming from the head of state. Am Johal reports. 

About A Wall

Glenn Bowman 9 July 2004


“Israel simultaneously extends its protective wall outwards so as to encompass and protect all the members of a globally distributed ethno-religious population that it views as its ‘concern.’ Like the United States, which, with the demise of the Soviet Union, is able to celebrate its power to defend its citizens and its interests everywhere, Israel has, with its victories over the antagonisms against which it established itself, become unrestrained in its will to sovereign power both within and beyond its borders.” Anthropologist Glenn Bowman of the University of Kent examines the socioeconomic contexts and the cultural underpinnings of Israel’s Apartheid Wall. 

Israel's poisonous aerial spraying of Negev crops illegal, endangers health of Bedouin villagers

6 July 2004


On seven occasions, over a period of two years, the Israeli government has sent planes to the Negev to spray the crops of Bedouin farmers with toxic chemicals. Some 7,500 acres of Bedouin fields have been destroyed since February 2002. The last such incident occurred as recently as March 2004, at Qtamat and Abeida villages, ruining some 750 acres of crops shortly before the harvest. Today, the Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA) publishes “By All Means Possible: Destruction by the State of Crops of Bedouin Citizens in the Naqab (Negev) by Aerial Spraying with Chemicals”, the first detailed report into the crop destruction, investigating both the legality of the government’s actions and the dangers posed to the local inhabitants’ health. 

Photostory: The Wall in Bethlehem

Arjan El Fassed 6 July 2004


As the International Court of Justice will render its advisory opinion in the case concerning the legal consequences of the construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian territory on July 9, 2004, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited Bethlehem, Beit Jala and Beit Sahour where Israel continues the construction of the Wall. Ironically, the meaning of the Hebrew name of the settlement built on Jabel Abu Ghneim, separating the Bethlehem district from Jerusalem, “Har Homa” literally means “Mountain of the Wall”. Israel’s Apartheid Wall will completely separate Beit Sahour, Beit Jala and Bethlehem from the northern parts of the West Bank. 

Photostory: The Wall in ar-Ram

Arjan El Fassed 6 July 2004


As the International Court of Justice will render its advisory opinion in the case concerning the legal consequences of the construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian territory on July 9, 2004, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited ar-Ram where Israel continues the construction of the Wall. This week, Knesset member, Azmi Bishara, went on hunger strike in protest against the wall. Dozens of protesters joined the lawmaker in a tent at ar-Ram, which is located between Kalandia and Beit Hanina. Despite a ruling of the Israeli High Court, construction of the wall in ar-Ram continues. 

Photostory: The Wall in Abu Dis and 'Azariya

Arjan El Fassed 6 July 2004


As the International Court of Justice will render its advisory opinion in the case concerning the legal consequences of the construction of the Wall in the occupied Palestinian territory on July 9, 2004, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited various sites where Israel continues the construction of the Wall. On 8 December 2003, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution, in which, it requested the International Court of Justice to “urgently render an advisory opinion”. UN member states filed written statements and subsequently, public hearings were held from 23 to 25 February 2004. 

Nablus: Israeli forces kill university lecturer and his son

6 July 2004


This morning, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian university lecturer and his son in Nablus. Israeli forces killed another two Palestinians in the same city today. The lecturer and the son were killed by live bullets. The other two were killed by shrapnel from a missile launched by an Israeli attack helicopter. Israeli forces moved into Nablus near ‘Ein Beit al-Ma refugee camp. Khaled Salah Mousa Salah is the second university lecturer killed this year. On April 23, Israeli forces killed Yasser Abu Laimoun from Tallouza near Nablus. Israeli officials later admitted they made a mistake killing him. This past month, Israeli forces regularly enter various parts of Nablus, killing Palestinians. 

US policies in Iraq, Palestine, fuel Jordanians' discontent

Ali Abunimah 6 July 2004


“Every time I visit Amman,” writes EI co-founder Ali Abunimah, “the US embassy here seems to have around it more high walls, concrete barricades and armored cars with menacing machine guns mounted atop.” Abunimah says this symbolizes the growing gulf between ordinary Jordanians and the US, even as Jordan’s government is seen as increasingly “pro-American.” He examines the growing opposition among Jordanians to US policies in Palestine and Iraq and explains why US policies actually help stifle full democracy in Jordan, rather than encouraging it. 

Culture for All

Jaideep Mukerji 6 July 2004


Sitting perched on a hill in the suburb of Al-Masyoon, the Ramallah Cultural Palace has an almost conspicuous air of tranquillity to it. Just down the road lie the mangled remains of half a dozen cars destroyed by Israeli tanks as out in the distance one can see the first signs that the separation wall is finally beginning to encroach on the city. The gleaming new building, however, almost seems to rise above these troubling reminders of the enduring Israeli occupation, offering instead a sense of hope and renewal. The grand opening of the West Bank’s first and only Palestinian cultural centre of its kind is generating a great deal of buzz in the occupied territories. From Ramallah, Jaideep Mukerji looks at what the centre means for the Palestinians’ sense of identity. 

Kerry Campaign releases Middle East policy seemingly drafted in Tel Aviv

1 July 2004


The Forward, a Jewish weekly newspaper published in New York, reported on June 25th that: Kerry’s campaign is building national and state Jewish leadership teams “comprised of prominent national and local leaders in our communities,” Kerry’s senior adviser on Middle East and Jewish affairs, Jay Footlik, writes in a letter to supporters. The groups will act as surrogates for the campaign at local events and debates. Attached to Footlik’s letter is a document titled “John Kerry: Strengthening Israel’s Security and Bolstering the U.S.-Israel Special Relationship,” which Footlik asks recipients to e-mail “to friends and neighbors, to synagogues, federations, youth groups, sisterhood and brotherhood groups, study groups, to your personal and professional networks.” Read the text of the position paper here. 

81 British Members of Parliament Expresss Human Rights Concerns With Israel's Citizenship and Family Unification Law

1 July 2004


81 British Members of Parliament representing all the major parties have supported an Early Day Motion expressing grave human rights concerns with Israel’s possible decision to renew Israel’s Citizenship and Family Unification Law. The British MP’s wrote “That this House expresses grave concerns that the Israeli Government is due to renew the Citizenship and Family Unification Law in July; notes that the law clearly discriminates against Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin and their spouses by denying Israeli citizenship or residency status to spouses of Israeli citizens who are residents of the West Bank or Gaza”. 

Israeli soldiers shoot at Christian Aid observers

25 June 2004


A Christian Aid delegation has been fired upon by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip. The fact-finding team was visiting Rafah in the south to see the extent of the destruction from last month’s military incursions. The fact-finding team was visiting Rafah in the south to see the extent of the destruction from last month’s military incursions. Sarah Malian, communications officer for the Middle East, says she saw the impact of bullets three meters from where she was standing. ‘We were all very shaken,’ she said. ‘I can’t believe they fired at us. We were clearly civilians. We were surrounded by children at the time.’ 

Anatomy of a Home Demolition

Am Johal 1 July 2004


Arriving in al-Bea’neh the next day, I saw the old man whose home had been torn down beginning to replant new olive trees. Despite the beatings, there was this sense of optimism, regeneration and a sense of the community coming together to respond in a productive way. In the village council office, they discussed the brutal Israeli policy of home demolitions over Arabic coffee and Gauloise cigarettes before setting off on a 2,000 person demonstration with the residents. On the table were tear gas canisters used by the police the day before which were clearly marked that they had been manufactured in the United States. 

UN expert: Occupation, rights violations main source of violence against Palestinian women

24 June 2004


Yakin Ertuerk, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on violence against women has found: “While the persistent situation of conflict has an adverse impact on the daily lives of Palestinians and Israelis alike, the burden by far falls on the Palestinian people, who have been living under occupation for too long. This has generated an atmosphere of legitimized violence as a method of conflict resolution. As a consequence, an integrated system of violence which disproportionately singles out women in both the public and private spheres has emerged.” 

Vanessa Redgrave makes humanitarian appeal for Gaza and the West Bank

7 July 2004


The actress and human rights activist Vanessa Redgrave has made an appeal to the international community to increase its emergency humanitarian assistance to Palestinians suffering in the occupied Palestinian territory and to the Government of Israel to ease its movement restrictions on UN agencies. Ms Redgrave is making her first ever visit to Palestine, after nearly 30 years of campaigning for peace and justice in the Middle East, as a guest of UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and as a Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF, the UN’s children’s agency. 

CPJ concerned about Gaza missile attack

30 June 2004


The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is gravely concerned by the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF’s) missile attack in the Gaza Strip on a building that houses several media outlets. According to journalists in Gaza, an Israeli helicopter gunship fired three missiles at the Al-Shawwa Wil Hossary building on Al-Wihda Street just after midnight on June 29. The building contains the offices of several local and international media organizations, including those of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the Qatar-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera, and German television ARD.