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EI on BBC World Service "The World Today"

26 March 2004


On 25 March 2004, EI’s Ali Abunimah was a guest on the BBC World Service’s The World Today programme, commenting on the aftermath of Israel’s assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and the US veto against the UN resolution condemning the assassination. “The United States has made it clear for many years now that it’s not interested in letting the UN have any role in resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict and it wants that conflict to be resolved or not resolved on its and Israel’s terms.” Listen to the interview in MP3 or 3GP formats (Quicktime Player or Real Player). 

New York City Police Have A 'Big Mac Attack' As Florida U.S. Senate Candidate Andy Martin Launches Worldwide McDonald's Boycott

26 March 2004


New York City Police were called by McDonald’s Corporation Tuesday, as Florida U.S. Senate candidate Andy Martin launched a worldwide boycott to show solidarity with Palestinians who are being discriminated against by McDonald’s in Israel. Martin held a news conference to ask diners to avoid eating at McDonald’s restaurant to “help fight racism in Israel.” “We heard sirens in the distance, and suddenly two police cars filled with officers showed up and parked in the middle of the street,” said Martin.” People who knew nothing about the boycott suddenly wondered what was going on. Fox 5 New York, as well as a photographer for the Chicago Tribune, captured the event. 

New documentary takes Israeli-Palestinian conflict coverage to task

Maureen Clare Murphy 26 March 2004


I’m sure newspaper editors everywhere fantasize the day when they don’t receive a single letter charging their publication with “bias.” This notion of bias is quite vague — it can mean that a publication presents a story as too sympathetic with one side of an issue (be it abortion, affirmative action, or the Israeli-Palestinian conflict) or that a news source doesn’t present one side of the story at all. And because the word bias is thrown around so often, like the word “terrorism,” the meaning of the term has been pretty much diluted due to over/misuse. Peace, Propaganda, and the Promised Land, a new documentary from the Media Education Foundation, goes beyond charging the media with bias, and takes a close look at how news coverage is shaped. 

EU won't recognize any change to pre-1967 borders

European Union 26 March 2004


The European Union warned Israel today they will not recognize any change in the pre-1967 borders made unilaterally or resulting from the construction of the Separation Barrier. Leaders of the European Union met in Brussels on 25 and 26 March. The Council expressed its deep concern at the situation in the Middle East and the deepening of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, following in particular the extra-judicial killing of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. The Council stated: “The European Union will not recognise any change to the pre-1967 borders other than those arrived at by agreement between the parties.” 

Security Council fails to adopt resolution condemning assassination of Yassin

United Nations News Service 26 March 2004


The UN Security Council today failed to adopt a resolution that would have condemned the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, with the United States vetoing what it called a one-sided text. The resolution garnered 11 tallies in favour, with the United States casting the sole vote against it. Germany, Romania and the United Kingdom abstained. Speaking before the vote, the US representative explained that his country opposed the resolution because it was “silent about the terrorist atrocities committed by Hamas,” did not reflect the realities of the conflict in the Middle East and “because it will not further the goals of peace and security in the region.” 

Human Rights Commission concludes debate on Palestine

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 25 March 2004


This afternoon the UN Human Rights Commission concluded its consideration of the human rights situation in the occupied territories, hearing a series of national representatives call upon Israel to cease human rights violations in occupied Palestine and to dismantle a security barrier built on Palestinian land. Islamic countries, including Malaysia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Morocco, Algeria, and Jordan, said the wall was intended to intensify the difficulties of daily life in the occupied regions and would severely limit Palestinians’ freedom of movement, access to work and health care, and agricultural activities. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

Palestinian Center for Human Rights 25 March 2004


This week Israeli forces killed 24 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 3 children. Israeli forces assasinated Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and seven other civilians with him. Israeli forces invaded a number of areas and killed 5 Palestinians in Abasan, east of Khan Yunis, destroyed 14 homes and razed 70 donums of land and confiscated 8.000 donums for settlement expansion. Israeli forces raided a number of homes and arbitrarily detained a number of Palestinians. Israel continues indiscriminate shelling of Palestinian residential areas, killing seven Palestinian civilians and wounding others. The siege continues. 

Commission starts general debate on violation of human rights in the occupied territories

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 23 March 2004


The Commission on Human Rights today started its general debate on the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine, after it concluded its discussion on the right to development. Many speakers denounced Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territory, in particular the construction of a separation Wall. Delegates said the international community had to ensure that Israel implemented United Nations resolutions which called on it to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories. John Dugard, the Special Rapporteur, presented his report to the Commission on 19 March. 

Commission on Human Rights condemns assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) 24 March 2004


The Commission on Human Rights this morning strongly condemned the continuing grave violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, in particular the tragic assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin on 22 March 2004. In a resolution adopted following an urgent special sitting on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory resulting from the assassination, the Commission noted with grave concern the implications of such targeted assassinations, liquidation and murder of political leadership by the Israeli occupation forces on the overall situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. 

Security Council meets on killing of Hamas leader Yassin

United Nations News Service 23 March 2004


Amid rising tensions in the Middle East following Monday’s assassination of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin in Gaza, the Security Council held an open meeting today with nearly 40 speakers scheduled to take part in the debate. Palestinian delegate Nasser al-Kidwa, described the killing of Sheikh Yassin as a “war crime,” and held the occupying power and the Israeli leadership legally and politically responsible for committing that crime, as well as for the consequences that it entailed. The UN Security Council did not issue a statement on the killing. According to the Council’s President due to lack of “consensus”.