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Remember Durban

Arjan El Fassed 22 September 2003

Two years ago EI’s Arjan El Fassed attended the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR). At that time he was part of the Palestinian delegation at the NGO Forum. Two years after the conference, Israel’s apartheid policies have only deepened and become systematic and widespread. 

Adalah demands investigation of Israeli Border Police shooting of a Palestinian in Kufr Qassem

20 September 2003

On 17 September 2003, Adalah sent a letter to the director of the Ministry of Justice Police Investigation Unit (“Mahash”), Attorney Herzel Shviro, demanding that Mahash conduct an investigation and recommend that the Border Police officer responsible for shooting a Palestinian citizen of Israel in Kufr Qassem be criminally indicted. 

Adalah inquires into Mahash investigations following Or Commission

16 September 2003

On 14 September 2003, Adalah sent a letter to the Director of the Ministry of Justice Police Investigation Unit (“Mahash”), Attorney Herzel Shviro, inquiring as to whether Mahash intends to investigate the police regarding the killings and injuries of Palestinian citizens of Israel during the October 2000 protest demonstrations. 

IMF audit reveals Arafat diverted $900 million to account under his personal control

20 September 2003


An audit of the Palestinian Authority revealed that President Yasser Arafat diverted $900 million in public funds to a special bank account he controlled, an International Monetary Fund official said Saturday. The study covers the last three years of economic developments in the West Bank and Gaza. It covers the impact of the conflict on the economy and the banking sector, and it also covers all the fiscal and budgetary developments during a time of crisis. The other kind of main coverage of this study is the whole reform process. 

Digging in the sand

Balata refugee camp 19 September 2003

Digging in the sand, late Wednesday night, outside Balata Camp. Four of us, crouched down near the mosque, next to the taxi rank. But there are no taxis - the streets are empty and silent. Everybody is inside, with the door locked - more soldiers are expected tonight. Two small piles of light brown sand lie at the entrance to the camp. We kneel around one of them, as Mustapha slowly sifts through the sand, turning over clumps and examining the underside of stones. ‘Move the light here. Now here. What’s this?’ asks Mustapha. 

Palestinian journalist argues for one state

Bree Bang-Jensen 18 September 2003


Students packed the Scheuer room on Monday to hear Palestinian journalist Ali Abunimah argue for a one-state solution to the beleaguered Middle East peace process. Abunimah said he regretted the current media focus on whether killing Arafat was legitimate rather than how to handle the “separation wall” proposed by many Israelis. He supplemented his presentation with slides from his Web site, The Electronic Intifada. He supplemented his presentation with slides from his Web site, The Electronic Intifada. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

18 September 2003

This week Israeli forces killed 5 Palestinians, including a child and an old man. One of the victims was killed in an extra-judicial execution in Hebron. Three of the victims, including a child, were killed in three cases of apparent wilful killing. Israeli forces invaded a number of Palestinian towns and villages. Israeli forces demolished 40 homes in Rafah leaving dozens of families homeless. Israeli forces raided a number of homes, arbitrarily detaining a number of Palestinian civilians. In Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis, Israeli forces uprooted dozens of trees and Israeli forces demolished seven homes in acts of collective punishment. Israel continued the construction of the separation wall in the West Bank. Israeli forces have imposed a comprehensive closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 

Building the Beit Arabia peace center

Kathleen Christison and Bill Christison West Bank 18 September 2003


We spent three weeks in Jerusalem and the West Bank in August, working on a project to rebuild a Palestinian house demolished by Israeli bulldozers. What we were actually building — under the sponsorship of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) led by Jeff Halper — was a memorial and museum dedicated to the entire house-demolition/house-rebuilding phenomenon in Palestine-Israel. Although this building was not intended as a family home, it was constructed on the site of a home that the Israelis have demolished four times in the last five years, most recently in April 2003. Kathy and Bill Christison report from the occupied West Bank.