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The mayor of Qalqilya explains the impact of Israel's apartheid wall

10 July 2003


On July 10, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited Israel’s apartheid wall built on confiscated Palestinian land in Qalqilya. The mayor of Qalqilya, Marouf Zahran explains the impact of Israel’s apartheid on his town. The wall surrounds the town almost completely. The 8 meter high wall will be surrounded first by a trench of four meters wide and two meters deep, barbed wire and a military zone patrolled by Israeli occupying forces. Palestinian property within 35 meters of the wall has been or will be destroyed by the Israeli army. [3.45 mins, Quicktime file, 6.9MB] 

Lawyers representing Sabra and Shatila suvivors decry Belgium's proposal to scrap Universal Jurisdiction law

Luc Walleyn, Michael Verhaeghe and Chibli Mallat 18 July 2003

“The Belgian government’s proposal to greatly limit the law is also a blow for all the victims and survivors of the 1982 massacre at Sabra and Shatila. After having been welcomed by the Belgian state to file for an investigation that seemed impossible for years, that same state now turns its back on them and their overdue search for justice, for fear of economic sanctions. After having been invited to re-live the dramatic events of the massacre, the proposal about to be passed by Belgium’s parliament irresponsibly and cruelly crushes their hope of finally overcoming two decades of emotional stress and difficulties.” The lawyers for the survivors of the Sabra and Shatila massacre respond to the miscarriage of justice in Brussels. 

Writings on the walls in Gaza

10 July 2003


Driving through Gaza, any visitor observes the enormous amount of shi’arat (lit. “signs, slogans, watchwords”) or graffiti. Messages cover almost every conceivable surface. Walls, telephone poles, monuments, and stones are fair canvases. On July 10, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited Gaza and filmed the writings on the walls of Gaza. [1.04 mins, Quicktime file, 3.6MB] 

European Commission takes action with EUR 100 million to improve conditions and accelerate relaunch of the Palestinian economy

17 July 2003


Following the recent positive developments in the Palestinian Territories and the withdrawal of IDF forces from parts of the Gaza Strip and Bethlehem, the European Commission is urgently delivering a €100 million package of financial assistance to support the implementation of the Road Map for Peace. 

UNHCR uses high tech gear to register Palestinians in Iraq

17 July 2003

Many of the Palestinians living in the dusty tented camp in Baghdad put on their best clothes before having their identity photo taken at UNHCR’s registration point. Children, especially boys, are fascinated by the high–tech computers and digital cameras. They are mesmerised as colour pictures of their parents instantly appear on laptop screens. 

UN seminar on Palestinians ends with call for urgent international aid

17 July 2003

A two-day United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People has concluded its work with an urgent call for international aid to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territory resulting from three years of violence and destruction that has caused record unemployment, poverty and malnutrition. 

Checkpoints on the Road Map

Brooke Atherton West Bank 17 July 2003


At Beit Farik, 25 men stood waiting in the sun to return to their villages from Nablus for over 5 hours. The line grew from 25 to 50 men, but the soldiers ignored them, only allowing one or two men to pass every twenty minutes until late in the day. Eight of the men were singled out. Their IDs were taken from them and they were detained at the checkpoint for hours until the soldiers decided to return their IDs and let them leave. Brooke Hatherton writes from the northern part of the West Bank. 

Going nowhere: the real Road Map for Palestinians

Daniel Jacob Quinn West Bank 17 July 2003


Then we hit the next checkpoint. Israeli soldiers with armored jeeps blocked the road and were forcing all vehicles to stop. We were 5th in line. All of the vehicles in front of us — one medical supply van, a truck filled with bales of hay, a passenger car, and another service taxi — were forced to turn back. When the soldiers motioned us forward, he peered into the car, saw 7 men and 1 woman and told everyone to get out. He took our passports and the other guys’ ID’s - color coded, orange or green. This helps the soldiers decide who to single out for the most humiliating treatment.��