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Israel's family unification gesture not a change in policy

14 August 2008


Since October 2007, Israel has approved 31,830 requests for family unification in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This is the first exception in Israeli policy on this issue since September 2000, when Israel froze family unification procedures and the granting of visitor’s permits. The approvals, which were given in the framework of Israeli-Palestinian political negotiations, were described as a gesture, and not a change in policy. 

Slingshot Hip Hop comes to Lebanon

Jackson Allers 14 August 2008


“The moment I stepped into the camps here in Lebanon, I thought I was in Palestine,” Arab-American filmmaker Jackie Salloum said after a 6 August nighttime screening in the Shatila refugee camp of her documentary, Slingshot Hip Hop. “I hope people living in Beirut come to see the film,” Salloum said anxiously before a previous screening on 5 August in the Burj al-Barajne refugee camp. 

Israel claims troops acted properly in killing of Gaza journalist

14 August 2008


The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns the official response of the Israeli military Advocate-General to the death of a Reuters cameraman and three other civilians in the central Gaza Strip in April. The cameraman, Fadel Shana’a, and the other civilians were killed by an Israeli tank crew, who, according to the Israeli military advocate-general, acted properly and will not face any legal action. 

Challenging the siege from Rafah to Cyprus

Rami Almeghari Gaza Strip 14 August 2008


On Sunday, hundreds of Hamas supporters, many stranded Gaza patients, students and travelers, took part in a rally at the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing terminal in southern Gaza, against the continued closure of the terminal for the past 14 months and calling on Egypt to reopen it. The attendees blamed the Egyptian leadership for the terminal closure, saying that this crossing, Gaza’s sole outlet to the outside world, should be opened under joint Palestinian-Egyptian control. Rami Almeghari reports from Gaza. 

A guest of eternity: Mahmoud Darwish in memoriam

Raymond Deane 13 August 2008


At a time when many feel that the Palestinian cause is dying, the death of the poet Mahmoud Darwish following open-heart surgery acquires added poignancy. Variously described as “the Palestinian national poet” or “the Arab poet laureate, Darwish was 67, exactly the same age as his friend Edward Said when he died five years ago. Both men were seen as embodying the aspirations of their people, both served on the Palestinian National Council, and both resigned in protest against the Oslo Accords which, as they rightly anticipated, sold out Palestinian rights for no tangible result. Raymond Deane comments. 

Unity has ensured low HIV and AIDS infection rates

Mel Frykberg 12 August 2008


EAST JERUSALEM, West Bank (IPS) - Palestinians from all ranks of society have pulled together to tackle the issue of AIDS, despite the increasing factional violence and chaos in the Palestinian territories. Hamas, which has authority in Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority in charge of the West Bank, and Christian and Muslim leaders, in conjunction with various UN organizations and non-governmental organizations, have worked together to ensure that the Palestinian territories retain a very low rate of HIV and AIDS infection. 

Mahmoud Darwish: Palestine's prophet of humanism

Saifedean Ammous 12 August 2008


If ever anyone in history deserved the title of a Poet Laureate, it was indeed Mahmoud Darwish, who spoke the mind of his people in a way I doubt anyone has ever been able to do for any other people. Today, I wake up missing my voice. The real travesty of Darwish’s death is that it revealed to me that he is no longer there to eloquently express to me how I feel about such travesties. Saifedean Ammous comments. 

Strawberry and cut flower farmers suffer under siege

12 August 2008


Strawberry and cut flower farming are two of the most important productive agricultural sectors in the Gaza Strip. They contribute approximately US $25 million to the gross national product. In addition, both sectors employ thousands of farmers in direct and indirect employment. The export season for strawberries lasts from 20 November until 15 January and the export season for cut flowers is from 15 November until 25 April.