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EI's Ali Abunimah speaks about the Israeli attacks on Lebanon

13 July 2006


On July 13th, Flashpoints Radio hosted Electronic Intifada cofounder, Ali Abunimah, for a discussion of the Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Today, Israeli fighter jets stuck deep inside Lebanon, killing over 50 including 15 children and a family of ten. “Israel is complaining now that its sovereign territory was violated by Hizballah… When did Israel ever respect the sovereign territory of any of its neighbors? Israel occupied Southwest Syria. There are 30,000 Israeli settlers cultivating wine and enjoying the Golan Heights and claiming God gave it to them.” Flashpoints News Radio broadcasts every weekday at 5:00PM Pacific Time on 94.1 FM, from Berkeley, California. Interviewer: Dennis Bernstein. 

Ladies and gentlemen, I did not want to burden you with the troubles of war but...

Zena El-Khalil Beirut 13 July 2006


For the last half hour or so, I have been watching the skyline outside my balcony. It is on fire. It’s 4:14am. At 3:28am this morning, I woke up to the sound of Israeli jets flying low over our skies in Beirut. I was just beginning to finally fall asleep, had racing thoughts in my mind all night, cramps in my stomach, fear… Just as I thought I was going to fall asleep, I heard the sound of jets, followed by one explosion after another. It has calmed down now. I hear morning prayers in the distance. 

Hundreds march in Dublin for Palestinian rights

David Landy 13 July 2006


Last Saturday in Dublin, despite the spitting and occasionally pouring rain, over 500 people marched to protest Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The rally was called by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity campaign, and was the culmination of a week of condemnation of Israeli actions. The march got a supportive reaction from passers-by, showing the popularity of the Palestinian cause among ordinary Irish people. Speakers included the Palestinian representative in Ireland, Hikmat Ajurri, as well as a representative from the Palestinian community, who thanked so many people for coming out and showing solidarity with the Palestinian people. 

Information brief: History of Israeli-Arab prisoner exchanges

Samar Assad 13 July 2006


Arrangements for prisoner exchanges between Arab governments and Israel date back to 1948. During the early 1980s, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel exchanged prisoners, the most famous of which is known as the “Jibril Deal” in May 1985. Through third-party negotiations, Israel and Hizballah carried out three prisoner exchanges starting in 1996. Attempts to secure the release of Palestinian political prisoners through negotiations often failed because Israel regularly suspended talks over prisoners or renegotiated established criteria for their release. 

Israeli war planes are bombing Beirut

Sawsan Kalache and Stefan Christoff Beirut 13 July 2006


Israeli war planes are bombing Beirut. Over 50 Lebanese civilians have died since the Israeli military launched a major military offensive against Lebanon on Wednesday, July 12th. Bombs targeted civilian infrastructure throughout the country, including the key highways and bridges across southern Lebanon effectively halting all cross-country transportation. Israeli has imposed a full out air, sea and land blockade on the entire country, bombing Beirut�s international airport and deploying war ships to patrol Lebanon�s waters. 

Aggression under false pretenses

Ismail Haniyeh 12 July 2006


As Americans commemorated their annual celebration of independence from colonial occupation, rejoicing in their democratic institutions, we Palestinians were yet again besieged by our occupiers, who destroy our roads and buildings, our power stations and water plants, and who attack our very means of civil administration. As I inspect the ruins of our infrastructure — the largess of donor nations and international efforts all turned to rubble once more by F-16s and American-made missiles — my thoughts again turn to the minds of Americans. What do they think of this? 

US vetoes Security Council resolution on violence in Gaza

13 July 2006


The United Nations Security Council failed today to adopt a draft resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the Israeli soldier abducted by Palestinian armed groups from Gaza and for a halt to what it called a “disproportionate” military reaction by Israel, due to a veto by the United States, which called the text unbalanced and outdated. Denmark, Peru, Slovakia and United Kingdom abstained from voting on the draft, which also called for the release of all Palestinian officials detained by Israel and called on the Palestinian Authority to take “immediate and sustained” action to bring and end the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel. 

Just Returned from Lebanon: TARFU

Clayton Swisher Washington, DC 13 July 2006


12 July 2006 — Even before the Lebanese-based Hezbollah took two Israeli prisoners of war today, I ended my trip to Beirut last week with the feeling that, beneath the beautiful, vibrant country there remained serious political tectonic plates waiting for any excuse to slip. I had conversations and visits over a two week period with Lebanese people of all stripes — from the pro-democracy/anti-Syrian political elite to Hamas to the downtrodden Palestinian refugees to the average Mohammad — and I left with the unmistakable impression that American interests are screwed. 

Gaza Strip Situation Report No. 6

12 July 2006


The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate in the Gaza Strip due to shortages of electricity and water, caused by the 28 June bombing by the Israel Air Force (IAF) of the Gazan power plant, and the continued sporadic opening of only some of Gaza’s crossing points. Electricity supply to households and institutions remains severely depleted. Gazans are receiving on average 6 - 8 hours of electricity per day and for most families living in urban areas 2 - 3 hours of water per day. Almost half the population in the Gaza Strip are children, who are living in an environment of violence, fear and insecurity. 

Gaza, repeated, ad infinitum

Nora Barrows-Friedman Dheisheh refugee camp, Palestine 13 July 2006


We woke up this morning to the footage. No less than six hours after we watched, live, the Israeli bombing of a Gaza building last night, the same rogue military turned its jets north to Lebanon to inflict the same. Forty-seven people — yes, 47 — have been killed in Lebanon already as i write this. No doubt this is just the beginning. The footage: a man, covered in chalky soot from the Israeli leveling of a home, carried in his arms the limp body of a toddler. Her arms dangling heavy in his arms, her mop of hair covering her face.