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AFP photographer shot in Jenin

Committee to Protect Journalists 8 March 2004


Media watchdog CPJ is concerned by today’s shooting by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of Palestinian photographer Saif Dahla in the West Bank city of Jenin. Two witnesses told CPJ that there were about half a dozen journalists standing together on the sidewalk of a residential neighborhood in Jenin, covering an Israeli incursion into the city in the early afternoon when the shooting occurred. Dahla was shot when a soldier in a tank about 20 meters away fired a few rounds from a machine gun. 

Refusniks appear at the European Parliament

Adam Keller 9 March 2004


For the first time, Israeli refuseniks who reject service in a army of occupation will today attend a hearing in the European Parliament at Strasbourg, France - as will the parents of imprisoned refuseniks. The hearing will take place in the European Parliament Building at Strasbourg. The delegation includes Daniel Tsal, Alma Itshaky, Miri Maor, the mother of Adam Maor, one of the five refuseniks court martialed, and Doron Matar, the father of Haggai, another of the court-martialed refuseniks. 

More than just stories: The portrayal of Palestinians in American children's literature

Elsa Marston 11 March 2004


Over the last fifteen years or so, multiculturalism in children’s literature has brought some much-needed attention to the Middle East. But what about the Palestinians — key players in the most controversial issue in the whole region? Do Palestinians benefit from the open-minded approach promoted by multiculturalism — the basic idea that all cultural, national, and ethnic groups are worthy of positive attention and deserving of respect? Elsa Marston reports for EI on the representation of Palestinians in children’s literature, which has a lasting impression on readers and shapes their future perceptions of the world and its peoples. 

Why seeking justice for the Palestinians is the Jewish cause

Shifra Eva Stern 10 March 2004


“My response to the query ‘Why don’t you stick to a ‘Jewish’ cause,’ is that seeking justice for the Palestinians is, in fact, the Jewish cause. When major crimes are being committed in my name, if I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror in the morning, I don’t want to see the reflection of a Jew who displays malignant indifference while Sharon uses methods of barbarism against the Palestinians. Rather, I want to see the reflection of an ordinary decent Jew who reacts to Israeli crimes by saying loudly and clearly, “Stop! You do not speak or act in my name.” Shifra Eva Stern, a researcher and writer, explains her commitment to justice for the Palestinian people. 

Assistance is not a long-term solution

François Bellon 31 January 2004


After long deliberations, the ICRC has taken the difficult decision to end two major relief aid programs in the West Bank. Indeed, the long-term solution is not to support the occupied population through emergency assistance but rather to ensure that its basic rights under International Humanitarian Law are respected. According to International Humanitarian Law, it is the clearly defined primary responsibility of the occupying power, in this case of the State of Israel, to take care of basic needs. 

Israeli army kills and wounds anti-Wall demonstrators

World Organisation Against Torture and Habitat International Coalition 8 March 2004


Habitat International Coalition and OMCT call for intervention in the killing of four persons who were protesting against the construction of the Separation Wall in Buddu. The organisations urge the authorities in Israel to desist from using excessive and lethal force against protestors or communities affected by the wall, to immediately investigate the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible and bring them before a competent and impartial civil tribunal. 

"Stolen Youth" launched in London

Defence for Children International-Palestine Section 11 March 2004


On 27 January 2004, over 200 people gathered at the Brunei Gallery on the University of London campus for the launch of “Stolen Youth: The Politics of Israel’s Detention of Palestinian Children,” written by Adam Hanieh, Adah Kay and Catherine Cook. “Stolen Youth” argues that prison in general and the targeting of Palestinian children in particular, are powerful weapons used by Israel in an occupation that is a multifaceted and evolving system of control affecting every single aspect of Palestinian life. 

Public Expressions about the Wall

Sonia Nettnin 4 March 2004


A controversial panel discussion and theater production against the construction of a security barrier along Israel and in the adjacent occupied territories resulted in heated debate over the delicate subject. The panel included Norman Finkelstein, Derek Jinks, Roxane Assaf, and EI’s Ali Abunimah. The build-up to the panel and theater events included intense criticism from pro-Israel student organizations. Students for Justice in Palestine organised street theater performances. 

Rights of Palestinian children "compromised"

Save the Children 8 March 2004


Ongoing violence and escalating poverty continue to have a detrimental affect on peoples’ lives and the lives of children in particular. Save the Children UK says that under current conditions the rights of children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including their rights to survival, protection and to development, are being compromised. Children and their families have been cut off from accessing basic services such as health care facilities and schools. 

Women's Day: UN agencies concerned with living conditions of Palestinian women

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 8 March 2004


The living conditions of Palestinian women - including their access to health, education, food and employment - have been deeply affected by movement restrictions, military incursions and house demolitions, particularly in Rafah, where almost 10,000 Palestinians including many women, have been made homeless. “Today, as women all over the world celebrate international women’s day, Palestinian women continue to endure such hardship that their basic humanitarian needs are no longer guaranteed and protected,” says David S. Bassiouni, Special Representative, UNICEF in the West Bank and Gaza.