10 January 2003
Routine and empty condemnations of violence serve a moral purpose, but do nothing to end the carnage of innocent Israeli and Palestinian lives. In this contribution to EI, Hasan Abu Nimah argues that such condemnations are the politically easy alternative to recognizing the roots causes of the violence and taking the action necessary to end it. Read more about Empty statements won't stop the violence
10 January 2003
Following the January 5 suicide attacks, which killed over twenty people in Tel Aviv, Ariel Sharon’s spokesman, Raanan Gissin announced that Israel would shut down three Palestinian universities. Meanwhile, a mere statement by the administrative council of the prestigious University of Paris-VI has caused an uproar in Europe over alleged “boycotts” of Israeli academics. EI’s Ali Abunimah examines the controversy. Read more about Israel's academic freedom defended, while Palestine's is destroyed
9 January 2003
This week, Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, demolished dozens of Palestinian homes and shelled residential areas. Consequently, more than 300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have become homeless. Israeli forces maintained the total siege on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, separated areas, imposed round the clock curfews and prevented all Palestinians between the ages 16 and 35 from traveling abroad. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
2 January 2003
CARE International today released a 67-page report with findings of a Nutritional Assessment carried out in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The survey indicates that Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) for children aged 6-59 months stands at 13.3% in the Gaza Strip and 4.3% in the West Bank. In a normally nourished population, the figure would be 2.3%. Global Chronic Malnutrition (GCM) for the same age group is 17.5% in the Gaza Strip and 7.9% in the West Bank. Read more about Gaza Strip faces a distinct humanitarian emergency
8 January 2003
This morning, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled to reject three disqualification decisions issued by the Central Elections Committee (CEC). The Court approved the participation of the National Democratic Assembly (NDA), and reinstated the candidacies of MKs Azmi Bishara and Ahmad Tibi, for the upcoming Israeli elections. Read more about Supreme Court of Israel ruled to reject ban on Palestinian political parties
8 January 2003
Canadian activist Jaggi Singh traveled to Palestine on December 14th to write about the realities of the Israeli occupation and participate in the activities of the International Solidarity Movement. On his arrival he was banned by an Israeli court from entering the occupied territories, an edict he defied on the grounds that it “normalized Israel’s occupation” of these lands. On January 8th, while arriving for a pre-arranged meeting with a friend in West Jerusalem, Singh was bundled into a car by three Israelis in plain clothes. Nigel Parry reports. Read more about Israeli security forces kidnap Jaggi Singh
8 January 2003
Gretta Duisenberg, wife of the President of the European Central Bank, undertakes a week-long trip to the West Bank and Gaza Strip as chairwoman of “Stop the Occupation”. In May last year, the ECB chief’s wife excited controversy when she hung a Palestinian flag from the balcony of their Amsterdam home. Radio Netherlands reports. Read more about Gretta Duisenberg: Ramallah lunch
East Jerusalem 7 January 2003
The double suicide bombing at the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv yesterday evening is dominating headlines internationally. The attack resulted in at least 23 deaths, and over 100 injured, many very seriously. Israel’s predictable response is to tighten the military occupation over Palestinians. Jaggi Singh reports. Read more about The Tel Aviv suicide bombing and illegal foreign workers
Nablus, Palestine 7 January 2003
Nablus is a city under siege. The West Bank’s largest town is the primary target for the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) increased campaign against so-called militants and terrorists. It’s a campaign that, in effect, collectively punishes all Palestinians for being Palestinian. Jaggi Singh reports. Read more about In the home of Mohammed Ramadan
Montreal, Canada 7 January 2003
Above: Cover of The New Intifada. Buy this book on Amazon.com
Since returning from my November 2002 trip to Palestine, I’ve been reading an illuminating new book on the Israel/Palestine conflict: The New Intifada: Resisting Israel’s Apartheid. Its essays reveal just how seriously the mainstream media has misrepresented the conflict. I recall that in 2000 we heard how former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was the Palestinians’ best chance for peace and how Arafat ruined it all by turning down Israel’s magnanimous concessions at Camp David. Quite a different story arises in Sara Roy’s essay. Darren Ell writes from Montreal, Canada. Read more about We Are Here; They Are There