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Awaking to a different Gaza

Philip Rizk Gaza City, Palestine 15 June 2007


In Gaza people awake today to a new reality. Last night, my host Isa told me military coups were the sort of thing he heard and read about, he never thought he would experience one. Yesterday Gazans did. Although the final Fatah stronghold was still standing by the evening Hamas fighters were already making the rounds in the streets, three and four jeeps at a time, loaded with armed men wearing all black, their faces covered with masks, holding their guns in the air, a few, rather uncomfortably, waving to the people. Philip Rizk writes from Gaza City. 

The case for Norman Finkelstein

Matthew Abraham 15 June 2007


On Friday, 8 June, DePaul University President Dennis Holtschneider announced that he had decided to uphold the university’s tenure and promotion board’s ruling denying outspoken political science professor Norman Finkelstein tenure. In a press release, the president is quoted as saying that academic freedom “is alive and well at DePaul University.” Not surprisingly, the announcement of Finkelstein’s tenure denial has spawned a national discussion. DePaul University Assistant Professor Matthew Abraham comments. 

'EU Placing Palestinians in Debt'

David Cronin 14 June 2007


BRUSSELS, Jun 13 (IPS) - The European Union’s freeze on direct aid to the Palestinian Authority has led to sharp increases in debts owed by families in the West Bank and Gaza, the relief agency Oxfam has alleged. Next week (Jun 18), the EU’s foreign ministers are to discuss the security situation in the Middle East, with particular focus on the recent clashes between the rival Palestinian organisations Fatah and Hamas. Oxfam is calling on the Union’s 27 governments to use the occasion to reverse their 2006 decision to suspend direct aid to the Palestinian Authority after Hamas swept to victory in parliamentary elections. 

36 killed, 250 wounded in 24 hours of Gaza fighting

14 June 2007


Tuesday, 12 June 2007, witnessed the fiercest and bloodiest clashes since the beginning of this latest wave of fighting nearly one week ago. In the past 24 hours, 36 Palestinians have been killed and 250 others have been wounded. The victims include some civilians. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of this latest wave of fighting have increased to 60, and the number of the wounded have mounted to at least 400. These figures include some civilians, including women and children. 

Rights group: End abuse of Palestinians fleeing refugee camp

13 June 2007


The Lebanese army and internal security forces have arbitrarily detained and physically abused some Palestinian men fleeing the fighting in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, Human Rights Watch said today. Since Sunday, more than 340 civilians have fled the camp in northern Lebanon, where fighting between the Lebanese army and the armed group Fatah al-Islam has entered its fourth week. The Lebanese army is interrogating many of the men as they leave the camp, and detaining those suspected of supporting or having information about Fatah al-Islam. 

One-state solution "gaining ground" UN envoy admits

Ali Abunimah 13 June 2007


The one-state solution for Palestine-Israel is “gaining ground,” a senior UN diplomat has admitted in a leaked confidential report. Recently retired UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto wrote “that the combination of [Palestinian Authority] institutional decline and Israeli settlement expansion is creating a growing conviction among Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, as well as some Jews on the far left in Israel that the two State solutiuon’s best days are behind it.” EI cofounder Ali Abunimah analyzes an unreported aspect of De Soto’s leaked end of mission report. 

Students sit-in to demand tenure for Palestine supporting professors

Matt Muchowski 13 June 2007


This morning, DePaul University students in Chicago began the third day of their sit-in at DePaul President Fr. Holtschneider’s office. The students have spent two nights sleeping in the office, a rally is to be held today in solidarity with them and it is possible that the DePaul University Faculty Council will pass a vote of no confidence in the president of the school. The students are protesting the denial of tenure to two professors who are critical of the Israeli occupation as their university becomes a battleground for academic freedom. Matt Muchowski writes for EI. 

UN agency scales back operations in Gaza after two workers killed

13 June 2007


JERUSALEM, 13 June 2007 (IRIN) - The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has suspended much of its aid operation in the Gaza Strip after two of its workers were killed during gun battles between Palestinian armed factions. Emergency food distribution to 850,000 refugees and medical services will continue, but schooling and waste collection are among the services to be cut after the deaths. “In view of the increased threats to our staff, UNRWA has no choice but to scale back its operations in Gaza,” John Ging, UNRWA’s director in Gaza, said in a statement on 13 June. 

Audio: Crossing the Line interviews Palestinians displaced during 1967 war

13 June 2007


This week on Crossing The Line: June 8th marks 40 years of Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Host Chris Brown speaks with two women; Samira Khoury whose family was displaced on this day in the West Bank and Nadia Hijab a senior fellow at the Institute for Palestine Studies. Brown also speaks with noted author and activist Phyllis Bennis about the continuing human rights violations of the Israeli occupation army onto Palestinian land.