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Agrexco Blockaders Acquitted in UK Trial

28 January 2006


In a remarkable judgement, Thursday 26th Jan 2006, after a half time application by the defence team in the Uxbridge 7 trial, a District judge ruled that seven anti-apartheid protesters who had blockaded the Israeli agricultural export company, Agrexco UK, had no case to answer and the case was dismissed. The charges of Aggravated Trespass and Failure to Leave Land were dismissed after District Judge Barnes sitting in Uxbridge Magistrates Court, found that the evidence against the defendants was too tenuous� to justify continuing with a trial. The trial had been listed for seven days but ended on the morning of the fourth day with the dramatic acquittals. 

Palestine’s New Paradigm

Sam Bahour 31 January 2006


Policies have repercussions, sometimes bitter ones. The historic election landslide victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, in Palestine on January 25 was merely a confirmation of this basic fact. Palestinians simply voted in a manner that reflects their reality. Secular Palestinians, such as myself, are not thrilled to see an Islamist movement come to the forefront of the historically secular Palestinian struggle to end the occupation and continue with the state-building process. However, those of us willing to look beyond the daily headlines, which emerge out of professionally spun mainstream media, are fully aware that Hamas’ victory does not emerge from a vacuum. 

Graphic of the Day: Variety Cover

Najeeb Al-Anbarri 28 January 2006


BNN offers a “Graphic of the Day” inspired by the short comedic piece, Browntown, written by Sam Younis. Graphic of the Day is a BNN feature which offers a graphic on a day, and calls it “Graphic of the Day”. It is very similar to our “Photo of the Day” feature. This is not to imply that this is a regular feature, nor that this graphic is truly the mother of all graphics for the day in question. Usual disclaimers apply. 

The Palestinian Call for Academic Boycott Revised: Adjusting the Parameters of the Debate

28 January 2006


The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) has decided to omit from its 2004 Call for Boycott (enclosed below) an exclusion clause which has been justifiably misunderstood by supporters and misrepresented by critics as inconsistent with the institutional boycott advocated by PACBI. With this revision, PACBI sincerely hopes that, rather than being sidetracked by discussions on a formal and unintentional discrepancy in the drafting of our Call, the debate will once again focus on the very real grounds for this boycott Call, namely Israel’s military occupation and colonization, its denial of refugee rights and its system of racial discrimination against its own Palestinian citizens. 

The Hamas Victory: Green Dawn, Red Dusk?

Toufic Haddad 31 January 2006


Less than 24 hours after the sweeping Hamas victory in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, it is clear that the consequences of this event are likely to be so profound that they are capable of bringing about a political tsunami once the wave finally reaches shore. Although the final implications of the elections are yet to be seen regarding how Hamas will form its governing coalition, what this means for the “peace process”, and how this will affect Palestinian-Israeli and Palestinian-World politics, certain things can already be deduced from the structure of prevailing power relations. 

Press Action Hero of the Week: Ali Abunimah

26 January 2006


If you ever need a dose of clarity on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, go to the Electronic Intifada website and read Ali Abunimah’s excellent analysis. In his latest article, Abunimah explains that Hamas’ success in this week’s Palestinian parliamentary elections is as much an expression of the determination of Palestinians to resist Israel’s efforts to force their surrender as it is a rejection of Fatah. “It reduces the conflict to its most fundamental elements: there is occupation, and there is resistance,” Abunimah writes. Abunimah, co-founder of Electronic Intifada, argues that it’s still entirely too early to speak of a Palestinian “government” being formed out of the election results. 

Hamas election victory: A call for good governance and respect of Palestinian rights

28 January 2006


Hamas is now challenged with finding ways to respond to the legacy and the multi-facetted public expectations of its victory and new leadership role. The Palestinian vote has correctly been described as a political earthquake or tusnami that poses deep challenges to the Palestinian body politique, including the secular forces of the Palestinian left. The ball, however, is in the court of the international community - diplomats, governments, and civil society - who will have to show whether they are able and willing to hear and engage based on the message of Palestinian voters in the occupied Palestinian Territory. The 25 January elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council were conducted democratically and peacefully with a voter turnout of almost 78%. 

The Hamas victory: democratization – but not what the US expected

Laurie King 28 January 2006


“A time of testing and challenge awaits Hamas. The West — especially the EU — ought to welcome and assist the democratically elected members of the new Palestinian legislative council for the sake of stability in an already volatile region. No matter how it is viewed, Hamas’ victory marks a crucial intersection of new opportunities and persistent dangers, not only for Palestinians or the Middle East as a whole, but also for the US, the EU, and the UN.” EI’s Laurie King-Irani assesses the political landscape in the wake of Hamas’ victory and Ariel Sharon’s demise. 

Herzliya Conference reveals Israeli plans after disengagement

Jonathan Cook 27 January 2006


Acres of analysis will be dedicated over the coming days to the significance of this week’s Palestinain general election and what it heralds for the Middle East conflict. But that spectacle and Hamas’ starring role in it have overshadowed a far more important drama playing out in the wings. Barely anyone has remarked on the unfolding events at the Herzliya Conference, Israel’s most important annual policy-making jamboree. This week Israeli elites converged in Herzliya, to share their thoughts on the country’s central concern. It will matter little whether Hamas or Fatah are heading the Palestinian Authority. Israel made up its mind long ago about how best to protect its interests. 

Preliminary offical results of the Palestinian parliamentary elections

26 January 2006


Dr. Hanna Nasser, chair of the Central Election Commission announced in a press conference in Ramallah the official, but not final results of the parliamentary elections held on January 25th. The results show that Hamas won 76 out of the 132 seats whereas Fatah won 43 and the leftist parties won 9 and 4 for independent candidates. According to Nasser, the results represent only 95 percent of the total votes. The Central Elections Commission indicated that the number of voters reached 1,011,992. The total number of registered voters reached 1,332,396. The voting percentage reached 74.64%. 414 candidates competed for the 16 electoral districts and there were 11 electoral lists with 314 candidates competing nationwide.