All Content

How to Live with Hunger

Ran HaCohen 27 February 2007


When I was a child, a popular argument in favor of the Israeli “liberation,” i.e., occupation, of the Palestinian territories was its being a blessing for the Palestinians themselves. “When we took it over,” I was told at school, “there were just a couple of cars in the entire West Bank. And look how many they have now!” Indeed, in the first decades of the Israeli occupation, the Palestinian standard of living was on the rise — not because of Israeli investments (Israel never invested a cent in Palestinian welfare or infrastructure), but mainly because Israel exploited the Palestinians as a cheap labor force, and even a cheap labor force gets paid. 

Three women killed in separate Gaza City crimes

27 February 2007


PCHR strongly condemns the killing of three women from Gaza City during the past 24 hours, in three separate crimes that took place under similar circumstances. The Centre calls upon the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), represented by the Attorney General, to seriously investigate these crimes, and bring the perpetrators to justice. PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 22:15 on Monday, 26 February 2007, people found the body of a female in the Salatin area, west of Beit Lahia. 

Gaza: Non-Entity

Philip Rizk Gaza Strip, Palestine 26 February 2007


Leaving Gaza requires one to walk through a long tunnel made up of turnstiles, X-ray machines, gates, cages and passport controls. This past Wednesday I found the tunnel ending abruptly ahead of me, a crudely fashioned wall barred me from the usual way of entry — instead, an opening to the right lead to an unknown place. I turned the corner and found myself in an Orwellian passage leading to a huge building with four automatic doors that were shut tight. Along this fenced-in passageway runs an anachronistic, medieval ditch, beyond it a mound made of rubble and dirt of the once magnificently fruitful region of Beit Hanoun. 

Honk for Suzi's Freedom: Palestinian family still detained at Haskell Prison

Greg Moses 26 February 2007


For many miles of his protest walks, whether against border walls or children’s prisons, Jay Johnson-Castro has walked alone. His four-day walk from Abilene to Haskell, Texas this week may be no different, as he protests the cruel and unusual treatment of the Hazahza family and immigrant prisoners like them. But there are two things to remember about Jay’s walk this week. The first thing is how many people will be honking. “There are literally thousands of people every day who honk, wave, and take photographs as they drive by,” Jay explains over the telephone from his home in Del Rio. 

Second day of "Operation Hot Winter" in Nablus

26 February 2007


For the second executive day, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have continued their wide-scale military operation inside Nablus. No casualties among the Palestinian civilian population have been reported, but the IOF military operation has paralyzed all aspects of daily life in the city, which has been placed under a curfew. PCHR strongly condemns this latest operation, and remains concerned over its outcome, especially as IOF declared that their Operation “Hot Winter” in Nablus could continue for several days. 

Israeli forces invade and impose curfew on Nablus

25 February 2007


Nablus - Ma’an - Israeli occupation forces initiated a huge operation in Nablus, in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, considered to be the biggest operation there in two years. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that more than 60 Israeli military vehicles and several bulldozers entered the city and imposed curfew. Palestinian security sources told Ma’an that a large force participated in the incursion, focused on the old city, particularly Al Yasameen neighborhood, where dozens of Israeli soldiers were deployed in the streets. 

Ali Abunimah discusses current developments on CounterSpin

24 February 2007


“[The Mecca Agreement] is not an obstacle to peace — what it is is an obstacle to US and Israelis’ railroading of the Palestinians into an unjust, untenable and unsustainable deal. The Israelis and the Americans want the Palestinians basically to capitulate, to give up on what Palestinians see as their most fundamental rights.” Ali discusses Condoleezza Rice’s latest trip to the Middle East in an interview on CounterSpin. 

Israeli army prohibits fishing off Gaza coast and abuse fishermen

24 February 2007


B’Tselem’s research indicates that, since the abduction of Cpl. Gilad Shalit, on 25 June 2006, Israel has forbidden boats, including fishing boats, to sail off the Gaza coast. The prohibition has struck a severe blow to the fishing sector, which provides a livelihood for tens of thousands of residents of the Gaza Strip. Lacking other means of employment, and despite the Israeli navy’s patrol of the coast and occasional shooting at Palestinian fishermen, some fishermen have risked their lives and violated the prohibition. 

Survey: 70 percent of Palestinians support one-state solution

24 February 2007


In the period 12-15 February, 2007, Near East Consulting (NEC) conducted a phone survey of over 1200 randomly selected Palestinians in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem of which 806 were successfully completed. It is worth noting that the margin of error is +/- 3.4% with a 95% confidence level. The main findings: 75% of Palestinians do not think that [in principle] Israel has the right to exist, 70% support One State. Furthermore, 51% of Palestinians feel less secure since the January 2006 elections, as compared to 48% last month, and 44% in December 2006. 

Apartheid looks like this

Jonathan Cook 23 February 2007


The scene: a military checkpoint deep in Palestinian territory in the West Bank. A tall, thin elderly man, walking stick in hand, makes a detour past the line of Palestinians, many of them young men, waiting obediently behind concrete barriers for permission from an Israeli soldier to leave one Palestinian area, the city of Nablus, to enter another Palestinian area, the neighbouring village of Huwara. The long queue is moving slowly, the soldier taking his time to check each person’s papers. The old man heads off purposefully down a parallel but empty lane reserved for vehicle inspections. A young soldier controlling the human traffic spots him and orders him back in line. The old man stops, fixes the soldier with a stare and refuses.