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Review: 'Palestine' By Joe Sacco

Charles Shaar Murray 4 February 2003


Buy Sacco’s Palestine from Amazon.com “In 1991-2, Sacco, having “heard nothing but the Israeli side”, toured the occupied territories, seeking to immerse himself in Palestinian existence. The fruit of his labours emerged as a mini-series of nine comics, now a single set with an introduction by one of Sacco’s primary influences, Edward Said. Sacco is formidably talented. A meticulous reporter, he scrupulously interprets the testimonies of dozens of victims of the Israeli regime into cartoon form. He is also a gifted artist whose richly nuanced drawings tread a delicate path between cartoonishness and naturalism. His layouts shift in style to match the material: stories told to him emerge in symmetrical panel grids, while incidents in which he is involved, or engage his emotions, are rendered in a far looser style, in which images and captions slide across the page. ” Charles Shaar Murray reviews Palestine in the Independent. 

Academic boycott: In support of Paris VI

Tanya Reinhart 4 February 2003

In April 2002, following the Israel’s “operation” in Jenin, first calls for institutional academic boycott of Israeli universities appeared in England and in France. The British petition called to freeze European Union contracts with Israeli university as long as Israel continues its present policy. What started as the individual voice of concerned academics, has become lately a formal resolution of a French university. Israeli academic Tanya Reinhart comments. 

Lawyer for massacre victims calls for implementing justice throughout Middle East

Maha Al-Azar 3 February 2003

“Without justice there will be no peace in the region, and as long as people like Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Iraqi President Saddam Hussein — both believed to be responsible for crimes against humanity — remain in power, the region’s problems will not be solved.” These are arguments put forth by leading international legal expert Chibli Mallat, who is also behind two initiatives aimed at bringing justice to the region. Maha Al-Azar reports in Beirut’s Daily Star. 

"Transfer" is nothing more than ethnic cleansing

Jews Against the Occupation 1 February 2003

“As a group that has faced ethnic cleansing in the recent past, we, as Jews and as members of Jews Against the Occupation, feel the need to speak out in order to prevent similar inhumane acts from being perpetrated on another people in our name.” An important statement from Jews against the Occupation suggests actions to prevent the transfer of Palestinians under cover of a war in Iraq. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

Palestinian Center for Human Rights 30 January 2003

This week, Israeli forces killed 25 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 3 children and a woman. Thirteen were killed during an Israeli incursion into al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza. This week, Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas, accompanied by indiscriminate shelling. Large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the Gaza Strip were razed. The strict siege has continued and hundreds of Palestinian pilgrims were prevented from traveling to Saudi Arabia. 

The Palestinian Dialogue in Cairo

Hasan Abu Nimah 29 January 2003

Twelve Palestinian factions, including the Palestinian Authority, Fatah, Islamic Jihad and Hamas are meeting in Cairo. Egypt wants the talks to produce a unilateral Palestinian ceasefire in the conflict with Israel. Regular EI contributor Hasan Abu Nimah assesses what, if anything, these talks may produce. 

UN Report on Iraq: a call to war or a door to peace?

Hasan Abu Nimah and Ali Abunimah 27 January 2003

UN chief weapons inspectors for Iraq gave a much anticipated report to the UN Security Council on 27 January. Did the statements by Hans Blix and Muhammad ElBaradei move the Middle East closer or further from war? EI regular contributer Hasan Abu Nimah and EI founder Ali Abunimah analyze the statements, point out inconsistencies, and explain where things stand.