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After Arafat: refracted reflections

Laurie King Victoria 15 November 2004


We piled into four shiny, new Mercedes, and headed into a foggy night in Tunisia, speeding up and down hills until we came to an office in a suburb. Armed young guards lounged at the front door. They were smiling broadly and looked like they wanted to high-five us rather than do any security checks. Our delegation filed into the main room. A burgundy sofa-set curved around half of the room, in the middle of which was an office chair on wheels. In it sat Yasser Arafat, devoid of his trademark kaffiyeh. He was in high spirits, despite the late hour, and welcomed those he’d met before with kisses and hugs, and then shook hands with the rest of us. He looked at me and asked, out of the blue: “Are you Irish?” EI co-founder Laurie King-Irani reflects on Arafat’s legacy and failings. 

Bush Folly, Campaign 2004 and the Middle East

Genevieve Cora Fraser 13 November 2004


The saddest thing about the American election of George Bush is that in the long run it will make the United States irrelevant in all matters save that we have the power to blow the world up, many times over, through our military might.  To elect a man who has brought a great nation from astonishing surpluses to the brink of fiscal and cultural bankruptcy, whose sense of moral superiority is elitist and obscene and who in the name of Christ, whose message was to love ones enemy, has declared war on an emotion - terror - and in the process killed over 100,000 people - boggles the mind.  And of course, there’s always Zionist Israel and its minions pushing and prodding and mega-manipulating the message. 

Ariel Sharon Short Story Contest: Announcing the Winner

14 November 2004


The first prize winner in the first annual Ariel Sharon Short Story contest is Katherine Ludwig. The story is based on what happened to Rachel Corrie, although the story does not require the reader to know this for it to “work.” The story moves at a clipped pace yet flows remarkably well, as it opens up space and time for a reader to reflect on “the event” at hand. Ms. Ludwig’s understanding of the consciousness of these characters is evident. She is aware of the woman’s (and the other protestors’) possible flaws (e.g., their privelege) as perceived by the driver (e.g.”the smoothness of their pampered skin”). 

Play It Again Bush And Blair

Sam Bahour and Michael Dahan 15 November 2004


Bush and Blair, seemingly jovial over Arafat’s passing, offered yet another non-starter for moving the region from its never-ending peace process to a “lasting peace.” It is said that one can fool some of the people, some of the time, but not all the people, all of the time. President Bush and Prime Minister Blair can’t possibly believe Palestinians will fall for the same tricks that have been thrown at them for years now. The substance of the most recent Bush-Blair statement on November 12 is nothing more that an unmasked and feeble attempt to fool all of the Palestinians, yet again. 

Palestinians reach out to their leader for a final embrace

Jonathan Cook 13 November 2004


With the whole of the West Bank locked down by the Israeli army on the day of Yasser Arafat’s burial, we made our way to Beitunia, the official crossing point into Ramallah from Israel. For Palestinians with Jerusalem IDs, Israel’s Palestinian citizens and foreigners it was the sole gateway to the Muqata’a compound, the place where “Abu Ammar”, the Palestinian president, was to be buried. Greeting us at a dusty car park before Beitunia checkpoint was a short khaki-clad soldier, armed with clipboard, called Tali - we knew that because she was wearing a name tag in three languages. She and the other soldiers had also been ordered to take off their helmets and berets and wear instead customer-friendly blue baseball caps bearing the initials MP (presumably short for Military Police). 

Video/Photostory: Arafat is laid to rest in Ramallah

Maureen Clare Murphy 12 November 2004


Palestine mourned today as President Yasser Arafat, who passed away on November 11 in France, was laid to rest in the Muqata’a compound in Ramallah. In emotional, often chaotic scenes, thousands of Palestinians came to pay their last respects to “Abu ‘Ammar”. The video, text and images in this article were produced by Maureen Clare Murphy, Arts, Music & Culture Editor of the Electronic Intifada, who is currently living and working in Ramallah. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

12 November 2004


This week Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinians, 6 of whom were civilians, including a child. Four of the victims were extra-judicially killed by Israeli troops in Jenin. Israeli troops conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces destroyed six homes and razed at least 50 donums of agricultural land in Rafah. At least 70 donums of agricultural land were razed in Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis. In the West Bank Israeli forces destroyed three homes. Israeli forces raided homes and arrested dozens of Palestinian civilians. Israeli troops have continued to impose a total siege on the territories. 

UN Committee for Palestinian rights deeply saddened by death of Arafat

11 November 2004


The Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People is deeply saddened by the death of Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and President of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian people have lost a leader who, for decades, has been a powerful symbol of national aspiration, unity, steadfastness and courage, and who devoted most of his life to the struggle against the occupation and for the realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people. In the last decade, President Arafat has embarked on a historic journey towards achieving what he often called the “peace of the brave” and realizing the goal of establishing the State of Palestine. 

EI discusses Arafat on Democracy Now!

11 November 2004


Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died overnight in a Paris military hospital ending his 40-year struggle for statehood for the Palestinian people. Arafat was one of the most recognizable figures on the world stage; a man who rose from a guerilla icon to a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Arafat named no successor and his death brings with it what many observers believe will be a fierce fight over who will take charge of the struggle Arafat led for 4 decades. When word of Arafat’s death was announced shortly after 4:30 am, thousands of Palestinians poured into the streets of Gaza and other cities to mourn. 

Canada calling: neutrality on Mideast favoured, polls find

Jeff Sallot 11 November 2004


“Only 11 per cent of Canadians polled said that the media is biased against Israel. More significantly, one-third of Canadians believe that the media is being unfair to the Palestinians,” says the summary prepared by GPC International, communications advisers for the committee. Shimon Fogel, the chief executive of the Canada-Israel Committee, said the poll results ‘are a reality check for my constituents’.” Jeff Sallot reports in the Toronto Globe and Mail on some interesting findings of a poll commissioned by leading Israeli lobbying groups in Canada.