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Estee Slaughter Kicked Out of LGBT Festival


2500 lucky festival-goers at today’s Lesbian/Gay/Bi/Trans Freedom Day celebration received samples of a hot new product from Estee Slaughter Inc., a project of Queers Undermining Israeli Terror (QUIT!). In the first appearance by the San Francisco-based cosmetics shrimp at the LGBTFD celebration (aka San Francisco Pride), volunteers distributed thousands of the “Realityfold TM” sleep mask. The black masks were tastefully emblazoned in gold with the ES logo and “Make the Occupation Disappear.” 

PNGO Calls for International Investigation in Gaza Strip Killings and Condemns Israeli Atrocities against Palestinians


During the first two weeks of June 2006 alone, the Israeli Occupation Army killed 28 Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories. The Ghalia family lost seven members where the mother (Ra’eesa Ghaila, 35), the father (Ali Issa Ghalia, 49) and five of their children (Haitham, 5 months; Hanadi, 18 months; Sabreen, 4 years; Ilham, 15 years; and Alia, 17 years) were killed on June 9 when an Israeli gunboat stationed off the coast of Beit Lahia fired seven successive artillery shells at Palestinian families enjoying a summer day at the beach. 

We Don't Need no Occupation, We Don't Need no Racist Wall! Roger Waters challenges Israel to tear down its colonial Wall


Reaffirming his commitment to fighting injustice, the world renowned rock star Roger Waters explicitly challenged Israel to “tear down this wall” and end its occupation to achieve real peace. A day before his concert date, Waters paid a solidarity visit to the occupied Palestinian territory; he publicly endorsed the Palestinian and international demand for tearing down Israel’s Wall, declared illegal by the International Court of Justice in July 2004. 

Presbyterians Challenge Corporations That Support Israel's Occupation Of Palestine


Facing pressure from powerful Jewish lobbyists, the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s (PCUSA) 217 General Assembly adopted a resolution to replace the previous assembly’s language calling for “phased, selective divestment from corporations that profit from the illegal occupation of Palestine.” The new resolution does not rescind the 2004 resolution. This year’s resolution supports Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI)’s customary process of corporate engagement that holds divestment as a last option. 

US Corporate Media Misses Target in Israel’s Aerial Assault on Gaza


The Israeli military’s shelling of a Gaza beach on June 9 and killing of eight Palestinian civilians focused world attention on Israel’s intensive artillery campaign against Gaza. Since then, 14 more Palestinian civilians have been killed by Israeli missiles. The US corporate media has highlighted dubious Israeli denials of responsibility for the Gaza beach killings, while providing much less space to Palestinian and third party assertions of Israeli responsibility. 

A short trip to Gaza made them orphans


It is just an old house at the northern edge of Khan Younis, in the south Gaza Strip. Its asbestos ceiling, wrinkled walls, and old wooden doors ridden with holes reflect the cruel poverty of Abdelqader Ahmed, 57. His 80-year-old mother, Fadhiyya Ahmed, spent yesterday in one of her favorite pastimes - being with her family. Sons, daughters, grandsons, and sons-in-law gathered around her, celebrating the return of her son Zakariyya from Saudi Arabia. 

Closing session of the new Palestinian government and the human rights agenda


The second and final day of PCHR’s conference entitled “The New Palestinian Government and the Human Rights Agenda” ended on the afternoon of Thursday, 22 June 2006, in Gaza City. Former Health Minister, Dr. Riyad Zanoun, headed the second session of the day and the last session of the conference. The session discussed economic, social, and cultural rights, and included four presentations, as well as a closing session that stressed the importance of Palestinian national unity. 

How Israel is tearing families apart


There are many thousands of Palestinians, or their spouses and members of their families, who hold foreign passports. The Israeli authorities, of course, know their numbers exactly. Many were denied obtaining ‘Palestinian’ IDs which are actually issued by the Israeli Occupation authorities. These IDs control birth, death, marriage, visits, visas, permits and all personal and civil matters in the Occupied Territories, even in Gaza after the ‘disengagement.’ 

Weekly Report on Human Rights Violations


A weekly report of human rights violations in Occupied Palestine, compiled by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza. This report covers 15-21 June 2006, and addresses killings, violations of the right to movement, incursions, arrests, extrajudicial executions, illegal settler violence, the building of the Apartheid Wall, and other human rights violations against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. The report is issued on a weekly basis by PCHR to provide comprehensive information. 

UN rights expert paints dire picture of situation in Occupied Palestinian Territory


The situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) has substantially deteriorated since a cut-off of international funding after Hamas won elections earlier this year, unemployment and poverty are rising, critical health services are in jeopardy and some Israeli actions seem to be dictated by vindictiveness “to humiliate and harass,” according to the latest reports issued by United Nations human rights experts. “In effect the Palestinian people have been subjected to economic sanctions - the first time that an occupied people have been so treated,” the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the OPT, John Dugard said.