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Both Sides Now: Palestinians And Israelis Unite Against NPR

Jeffrey A. Dvorkin 10 January 2005


Although it has been relatively quiet of late, NPR’s reporting from the Middle East often results in protests from one side or the other — or from both at the same time. The accusation is always the same: that NPR’s journalistic processes are deficient at best and biased at worst. That use of the phrase in an introduction read by NPR’s Steve Inskeep on Morning Edition on Jan. 4 moved Ali Abunimah, a long-standing critic of NPR, to complain: “This intro highlighted the phrase “Zionist enemy,” and suggested that it was a deliberate appeal to Palestinian extremism. What Abbas actually said, at a campaign appearance was, ‘We came to you today, while we are praying for the souls of the martyrs who were killed today by the shells of the Zionist enemy in Beit Lahiya.’” 

Departing head of UN refugee agency decries conditions in Gaza as horrendous

Genevieve Cora Fraser 18 January 2005


Peter Hansen, the departing Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNWRA), spoke out about the conditions in Gaza at a recent conference sponsored by the Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace held in East Jerusalem. According to Hansen, the situation in Gaza is so horrendous that without the help of bulldozers you couldn’t get through the debris and sand barriers thrown up to block traffic. “If you wanted to go into Gaza today you wouldn’t be able to because there are tanks along all along the main road to Gaza. All along the road you will see houses that have been bulldozed. As you move down through Gaza the situation gets even worse,” Hansen stated. 

Mass hypnosis in the Middle East

Hasan Abu Nimah and Ali Abunimah 19 January 2005



What explains the widespread readiness of various groups to lapse into hypnosis and euphoria about a non-existent “window of opportunity” for peace, ask EI co-founder Ali Abunimah and regular contributor Hasan Abu Nimah? They examine the motives of various constituencies that have welcomed the charade of the Mahmoud Abbas election from an endless stream of EU envoys to the US government, and suggest that the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority may have more in common in their approach to the peace process than initially meets the eye. 

Palestinian Authority election excludes most Palestinians

Ali Abunimah 9 January 2005


EI’s Ali Abunimah responds to an editorial in Ha’aretz, and points out that the majority of Palestinians, those living in exile, were not permitted to participate in the Palestinian Authority election, and that “a Palestinian Authority leader preselected by the international community on the basis of his willingness to surrender to Israel’s insatiable demands, and not elected by the vast majority of Palestinians, has absolutely no mandate to negotiate away our rights and will never be able to do so.” 

Rafah crossing closure takes tragic toll

Laila El-Haddad and Khalid Amayreh 18 January 2005


At least seven Palestinian refugees stranded at the Egypt-Rafah border crossing closed by Israel for the past six weeks have succumbed to various illnesses. The dead men were part of 7000 people stranded somewhere between Cairo and the Rafah border crossing - the only crossing they can use to travel in and out of Gaza - since an explosion in a tunnel beneath the border killed six Israeli occupation soldiers on 12 December. Medical sources in Gaza and security sources in Egypt have spoken of families waiting to bury their dead in their hometown of Gaza, but forced to resort to the Egyptian border town of al-Arish after being turned back at the crossing. 

Back to 'normal' in Balata

Ray Smith Balata refugee camp, Nablus 17 January 2005


Nablus, 15 January 2005 — Lately the Israeli army has been showing up regularly at night, but after some quiet days following the elections, military activity is becoming “normal” again. This morning two jeeps destroyed a few market stands at the main entrance of Balata camp and provoked the kids in the street, who responded with stones. The jeeps kept driving into the camp for about two hours, but they finally left after the bigger jeep’s front window was hit by white and blue paint, leaving the driver unable to see anything through it. 

State Prosecutor Indicts Border Police Officer who Shot Palestinian in Kufr Qassem

14 January 2005


The Israeli State Prosecutor has filed an indictment to the Tel Aviv district court against a Border Police officer who shot Salah Amer, a Palestinian citizen of Israel from Kufr Qassem on September 11, 2003. The indictment followed a detailed letter of complaint sent by Adalah soon after the shooting to the director of Mahash, demanding that Mahash immediately open an investigation, and recommend the criminal prosecution of any officer found responsible. The indictment charged the Border Police officer with causing grievous harm. A sentence of up to seven years’ imprisonment can be imposed for this criminal offense. 

East Jerusalem's Chehade Brothers Nominated for Music Award

Amal Awad 18 January 2005


Among this year’s nominees for a BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music is Palestinian group the Chehade Brothers. Rami and Farid Chehade, in their 20s, are originally from East Jerusalem. They have recently enjoyed success with their improvised approach to tarab (a musical style fusing various cultural elements), which they term “light popular tarab”. The result is a modern, smooth and gentle approach to a popular style of music. The Chehade Brothers have been nominated in for the Award for World Music in the “Middle East & North Africa” category. The other nominees in this category are Khaled from Algeria, Mercan Dede from Turkey and Souad Massi from Algeria. 

Growing concerns about humanitarian consequences of Israeli closure of Gaza Strip

15 January 2005


The Palestinian Center for Human Rights is gravely concerned at the Israeli closure of al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, east of Gaza City, under which the flow of goods, medicines and other supplies out and into the Gaza Strip is totally prohibited. The crossing is the only commercial outlet for the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, Israel and the outside world. With this closure, Israel has completed the cycle of economic and social stranglehold of the Gaza Strip, as all border crossings, in particular, the Rafah and Erez crossing, have been closed for a long time, contrary to Israeli claims that these crossings were closed following an armed attack earlier this week. 

Security Council hears briefing on Middle East, congratulates Palestinians with recent elections

13 January 2005


The United Nations Security Council today welcomed the recent Palestinian Presidential election, and congratulated the Palestinian people “who demonstrated their commitment to democracy by participating in the election under challenging conditions”. Reading out a consensus statement following a briefing on the situation in the Middle East and the question of Palestine, Argentine Foreign Minister Rafael Antonio Biélsa, whose country holds the Council’s presidency for the month, said members of the 15-nation body commended the credible and fair character of the 9 January vote, and paid tribute the Central Elections Commission, which had played a key role in ensuring the successful conclusion of the ballot.