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Foreigner

Amal Awad West Bank 4 November 2004


The thing that always surprises me about the West Bank is how it never seems to change significantly. Understandably, there is a lack of progress. But I still find it disheartening in a sense to return to my parents homeland and find that, besides a building or two or a new shop, everything is the same as it was four, eight, or even twelve years ago. My last trip to the West Bank was in 2000, just a week before the Intifada broke out. West Bank remains in essence as it was then, however, there are more road closures and greater difficulty entering. Even leaving is a daunting prospect considering the number of checkpoints (no less than five on the route I took to Allenby Bridge) and a 4.30am departure time. My experience in West Bank was extremely memorable, despite an appalling beginning. I spent one week in my father’s village of Arrabeh (about 12km from Jenin), and visited family in other nearby areas, including Jenin. 

ADC Panel Examines Perceptions of Palestine

Sara Powell 30 September 2004


Nigel Parry of the Electronic Intifada said it was encouraging to see young Palestinians like Dean Obeidallah, Maysoon Zayid, and Suheir Hammad, (p)reaching outside the choir through their art. Like Lechner, Parry related his story of “seeing the light.” He went to Palestine with no previous knowledge and wound up in a U.N. bus in a refugee camp, just in time to see a small child throw a rock—very ineffectually—at an Israeli soldier, who then knelt, cocked his gun, and aimed at the child. The soldier was about to kill the child, Parry said, when he spotted the U.N. bus, and guiltily stood up. “There is no context in the media,” Parry stated. That is why the Electronic Intifada and other information outlets are crucial, he said, because “information is what will end the conflict. If we could transport Americans to Rafah for five minutes, they would never support Israel.” 

Israel's Supreme Court: Israel should provide security for West Bank olive harvest

3 November 2004


In response to a petition submitted by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Rabbis for Human Rights. The state requested two weeks in which to prepare a response to the demand to allow Palestinian farmers free access to their land every day, and protection against attacks by settlers. During the hearing the petitioning organizations agreed to provide the IDF a list of all the Palestinian villages in need of security to harvest their olive crop, and the IDF officers stated their commitment to make the necessary arrangements to secure the harvest, while protecting Palestinian farmers from attacks by settlers in areas it is required. 

Joseph Massad responds to the intimidation of Columbia University

Joseph Massad 3 November 2004


The recent controversy elicited by the propaganda film “Columbia Unbecoming,” a film funded and produced by a Boston-based pro-Israel organization, is the latest salvo in a campaign of intimidation of Jewish and non-Jewish professors who criticize Israel. Professor Joseph Massad, who has been a central target of this campaign, responds, exposing its tactics and explaining that its aim is to stifle pluralism, academic freedom, and the freedom of expression on university campuses in order to ensure that only one opinion is permitted, that of uncritical support for the State of Israel. 

UN General Assembly expresses support for UNRWA's work, calls for adequate funding

2 November 2004


The Fourth committee met this afternoon to continue its consideration of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Speakers continued to express strong support for the humanitarian work of UNRWA and called for the alleviation of its budgetary problems. Many speakers also called on Israel to cease from measures which, they said, constricted the Agency’s ability to move staff and provide assistance. The representative of Bangladesh said that those measures resulted from a policy of collective punishment, including unprecedented destruction of homes and property, curfews, incursions, restrictions of movement and denial of humanitarian access. 

Israeli undercover unit assassinates three Palestinians in Nablus

1 November 2004


On Monday, 1 November 2004, Israeli committed an extra-judicial killing in Nablus, which left three members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades dead, and injured a fourth one. The killing was carried out by an Israeli undercover unit, whose members often disguise as Palestinian civilians.  This latest attacks came in the context of an official policy adopted by the Israeli political and military establishments.  An undercover unit of IOF, disguised in Palestinian civilian clothes moved into Nablus. They moved towards four Palestinians who were sitting in the old city and fired at them at very close range. 

Disturbed by deaths of Palestinian children, Annan stresses need to protect civilians

1 November 2004


Distressed by a series of children’s deaths during the ongoing Israeli operations in the occupied Palestinian territory, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the Government of Israel to take steps to avoid civilian casualties. A spokesman for Mr. Annan said the Secretary-General was disturbed to learn of the deaths of two Palestinian children that occurred over the last few days, particularly since they followed similar incidents earlier in October. 

UN agency for Palestinian refugees face major obstacles in maintaining services

1 November 2004


The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) faced enormous hurdles in the occupied Palestinian territory that had developed as a result of violence, curfews and closures, Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of his agency, told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) this afternoon. Introducing his report on the Agency’s activities during the period of July 2003 through 2004, he said the past year had unfortunately seen a dramatic increase in the scale of military operations in the Gaza Strip. 

Human rights experts urge stronger action by international community

28 October 2004


Top United Nations experts on human rights today urged stronger action by the international community to counter human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories, as the Third Committee continued its second day of dialogue with Special Rapporteurs and independent experts on human rights. Special Rapporteur John Dugard said Israel’s conduct in the occupied Palestinian territories posed the same kind of threat to the credibility of international human rights that apartheid in South Africa had posed in the 1970s and 1980s. 

The Economist Sheds Some Bad Habits

Zachary Wales 1 November 2004


The Economist has a way with cover art. In early 2001, the magazine lampooned George W. Bush’s first transatlantic trip with a cover photo of Neil Armstrong walking on the moon: “Bush goes to Europe,” the caption read. Intellectual, witty and harmless, it was the Monty-Python-meets-MI6 humor that characterizes a magazine that’s above the vainglory of bylines. Last week’s cover showing a photo of Ariel Sharon with an olive branch in his mouth—“Israel’s unlikely dove”—had a different resonance. What was mildly amusing for Economist readers was a cheap shot to Palestinians: Israel’s mass destruction of olive groves is a frustration tactic that Israel has used to displace Palestinians for the past 56 years.