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Hurricane Gaza

Yacov Ben Efrat 9 October 2005


As a unilateral act, Israel’s disengagement from the Gaza Strip raises basic questions for both sides in the conflict. For Israel, there is the question of how to define its deed: “Should we declare that the occupation of Gaza is over?” No less important are the questions Palestinians are asking: “Is this a victory? If so, who should get credit?” When Sharon prefers to speak of an end to Israeli “responsibility” rather than “occupation”, he means, above all, economic responsibility. He will discover, however, that Gaza, for its part, cannot disengage. Gazans cannot survive without access to jobs and export markets in Israel. 

UN Special Representative on human rights defenders to visit Israel and OPT

4 October 2005


The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani, will undertake a fact-finding mission to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory from 5 to 12 October 2005 at the invitation of the Government of Israel. The Special Representative will assess the situation of human rights defenders, and examine in particular both the legal framework as well as any possible limitations on the right to defend human rights in the country. During the visit, she will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and individuals engaged in human rights work in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as United Nations officials. 

EU to double aid to Palestinian Authority

6 October 2005


The European Commission has adopted a Communication to the Council and the European Parliament “EU-Palestinian cooperation beyond disengagement - towards a two-state solution”. The aim is to put in place a comprehensive, medium-term strategy for the EU’s support to the Palestinians. The strategy focuses on the actions required to create a Palestinian state viable both politically and economically. This is a reponse following Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, and to the needs assessment currently being carried out by the Quartet Special Envoy, James Wolfensohn. 

"Palestinian armed groups must stop endangering civilians"

4 October 2005


Factional fighting by Palestinian armed groups has reached an unprecedented level and is recklessly endangering the lives of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. In recent days, shoot outs between armed groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Authority security forces have resulted in civilian bystanders being killed and injured due to high-powered weapons being used in densely populated civilian areas. On Sunday 2 October two Palestinian bystanders were killed and several were injured as a result of armed clashes between Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and members and supporters of the Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza City and in an attack by another armed group reportedly calling itself the “Popular Army” in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. 

Rap group DAM to hold first US show October 5!

3 October 2005


On 5 October 2005, history will be made when ‘48 Palestine rap group DAM (Da Arabic MC’s) perform their first concert in the U.S. Celebrate the Palestinian hip hop movement with DAM, with additional performances by Chosan, Invincible, Akil Dasan, La Bruja, Anthony Morales and special guests. The trailer for the new film Slingshot Hip Hop: The Palestinian Lyrical Front by Jackie Salloum will be screened as well. The concert will be held at Climax, 14 Avenue B (between 1st and 2nd) at 9:30, and is presented by: World Up, Nomadic Wax, The Hip Hop Association, and the International Hip Hop Exchange 

EI co-founder responds to defamation by CMU Hillel head

Ali Abunimah 9 February 2005


EI co-founder Ali Abunimah responds to defamatory charges made in The Pitt News that he had advocated the “use of terrorism,” when he spoke at Carnegie Mellon University in February 2005. Abunimah writes, “I am happy to repeat here, as I have many times both in print, on our Web site and in speeches, that I am unequivocally opposed to all violence targeting civilians, regardless of the motive or the identity of the perpetrator or victim.” 

EI co-founder responds to censorship campaign at Carnegie Mellon

Ali Abunimah 3 October 2005


Ever since EI Co-founder Ali Abunimah and DePaul University professor Norman Finkelstein lectured separately at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University in the Spring of 2005, pro-Israel groups, who had attempted to block the appearances, have been conducting a campaign to silence free discussion of the Palestine-Israel conflict on campus. Abunimah responds to the latest salvos in the campaign, detailing some of the pro-Israel activist’s disruptive and defamatory tactics, and offering to appear before a university committee to answer any alleged concerns about the views he expressed in his lecture. 

Violent Clashes in Gaza

3 October 2005


In the bloodiest internal clashes since the Israeli redeployment in the Gaza Strip last month, 3 Palestinians, including a police officer, were killed and 43 others, mostly children, were injured when armed members of Hamas exchanged fire with the Palestinian police in Gaza City on Sunday, 2 October 2005. Five of the injured are in a serious condition. Earlier, a taxi driver was killed and another one was injured in Khan Yunis, and an armed group broke into Jabalya police station and opened fire. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights expresses grave concern regarding the series of incidents that took place in Khan Yunis, Jabalya and Gaza City, which left four Palestinians dead and injured dozens of others. 

Five years of child rights abuses in Palestine

29 September 2005


Five years ago today, massive protests against the ongoing Israeli occupation erupted throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). Since that day in September 2000, the systematic and daily violations of the rights of Palestinians in general and of Palestinian children in particular, have intensified profoundly. Children too young to walk or speak have been shot dead, thousands have been injured, still more have looked on horrified as friends and family members have been killed, maimed, arrested, humiliated. Schools and homes have been demolished, hospitals destroyed. A vast array of discriminatory and illegal movement restrictions including closures, curfews, checkpoints and roadblocks have been imposed on the Palestinian residents of the OPT, plunging the Palestinian economy further and further into crisis. 

Israel's 'Sound' Terrorism

Yasser Abu Moailek 2 October 2005


It all started with an explosion on September 23, at a military rally for the militant Palestinian movement Hamas - its last before declaring an end to all weapon displays in the streets of Gaza. Hamas leaders blamed Israel for the explosion, arguing that it was a bombing by unmanned spy drones targeting leaders in the movement. However, PA officials said that the explosion had actually resulted from a malfunctioning makeshift ‘Qassam’ rocket. On the same night, HAMAS sent 30 rockets into the Israeli town of Sderot. Five Israelis were reported injured in the heaviest rocket attack in more than six months. The Israeli response was fierce.