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Israel arrests Palestinian candidates

Khalid Amayreh 1 January 2005


In an apparent effort to forestall gains by Hamas in Palestinian elections, the Israeli army has arrested a large number of potential candidates in the southern part of the West Bank. The arrests began shortly after midnight on Saturday in the town of Dura, nearly 50km south of Jerusalem, where the Israeli occupation army arrested an undisclosed number of Islamist leaders. Local sources in the Hebron area said the detainees included Shaikh Nayif Rajub, imam of the town’s Grand Mosque, and Shaikh Fathi Amr, a high-ranking official in Hebron’s Islamic endowments department. Rajub’s twin brother, Yasir, was also arrested. 

Voters flock to polling stations for the first phase of Palestine's municipal elections

Atef Saad 30 December 2004


“These are the first local elections I have ever participated in,” said Abu Marwan, 72. “I missed the other election in 1976.” He and a friend, Asad Qassem, 74, were sitting outside a grocery store, near the centre of Beit Fourik, a town of some 11,000 inhabitants near Nablus. The two of them were dressed in traditional garb, a lot of it on this cloudy wintry day, and watched the comings and goings at the small but busy intersection. The first phase of the Palestinian municipal elections started this December 23 in 26 municipalities in the West Bank, and Beit Fourik’s townsfolk were out in force. 

Film review: "Edward Said: The Last Interview"

Jenny Gheith 30 December 2004


Filmed within three days in 2002, just one year before his death at the age of 67, Edward Said: The Last Interview is a compelling portrait of a man who was not only a strong advocate of the Palestinian cause, but an accomplished teacher, literary critic, writer and musician. After living for more than ten years with a fatal strain of leukemia, which he was diagnosed with in 1991, Said refused interviews. However, former student D.D. Guttenplan along with director Mike Dibb convinced him otherwise. Jenny Gheith reviews the film for EI. 

2004 Most Requested Pages on EI

30 December 2004


The following lists of 2004 most requested EI articles and BY TOPIC reference pages was compiled from electronicIntifada.net webserver statistics recording the period between 1 January and 30 December 2004. This list covers the full range of articles and pages published by EI since 2001, not just those published in 2004. Links open in new windows to allow readers to browse through the list. Compiled by EI’s Nigel Parry and Arjan El Fassed. 

HRA releases report on Israeli violations against Christian, Muslim holy places

30 December 2004


At the Declaration of Independence of the state of Israel in May 1948 the country’s founders made an unequivocal pledge: the Israeli state, they wrote, “will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, education and culture” and “will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions.” Israel’s actions in the intervening 56 years, as this report will show, are evidence that, not only has this promise been ignored, but that in practice the authorities have intentionally and actively encouraged or supported the destruction and abuse of holy places belonging to the Christian and Muslim faiths. 

Israel continues attacks on Khan Yunis, killing 5 Palestinians

30 December 2004


Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including a child and a disabled young man, and injured 11 others, including three children and a woman. Israeli forces demolished a number of Palestinian homes. Israel continues to attack Khan Yunis refugee camp and al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis. Palestinian rights group PCHR believes that the intensive presence of Israeli forces in these areas can cause more casualties among Palestinian civilians. This latest offensive has been the third of its kind against Khan Yunis in thirteen days, in which 19 Palestinians have been killed, dozens of others have been injured and at least 60 houses have been destroyed. 

PCHR publishes report on Palestinian voter registration

29 December 2004


On 28 December 2004, PCHR published a report evaluating the pre-election stage, including conclusions of the monitoring conducted by PCHR on the registration of voters in the last quarter of 2004. Among other findings, PCHR noted that, by the end of the extended voter registration period, the percentage of registered voters mounted to 71%, while it was 61.37% at the end of the original period of registration, 4 September to 13 October 2004, including occupied East Jerusalem. 

Release of children should be a priority

29 December 2004


Amid the fanfare surrounding Israel’s 27 December release of 159 Palestinian prisoners as a “goodwill gesture” to Egypt’s President Mubarak, the fate of Palestinian child detainees is all but forgotten. Some 350 Palestinian children currently remain in Israeli jails, detention centers, and interrogation centers. Under international law, their release should be a priority. As it is, not one child has released as part of this initiative. 

The Writing on the Wall: Hania Batar

Toine van Teeffelen Jerusalem, Palestine 29 December 2004


The Writing on the Wall is a series of interviews with Palestinians who live close to the Wall. Van Teeffelen asked three questions: How is your daily life influenced by the Wall and the checkpoints? What does freedom mean to you? What are your sources of energy? Toine van Teeffelen speaks with Hania Bitar is director-general of the Palestinian youth association Pyalara. “As an organization you always want to challenge tough challenges, to be stronger even than the Wall or the barriers. We really try to overcome whatever measures the Israelis take. We try to make the people connected despite the fact that they are disconnected. As Palestinians you feel that anybody living outside this Wall just doesn’t care.” 

A parade of charlatans

Hasan Abu Nimah and Ali Abunimah 29 December 2004


Supporters of Israel have often accused Arab states of cynically exploiting the Israeli problem and the suffering it has caused the Palestinians to distract their own populations from domestic troubles. But if this has occurred, others, far beyond the region have also found the conflict a useful tool for their own selfish purposes. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is the latest leader to brazenly exploit this tragedy, write EI contributor Hasan Abu Nimah and co-founder Ali Abunimah. Having caused massive harm to his country’s reputation and credibility by allying it with Bush’s illegal Iraq invasion, Blair has sought to mitigate the political cost by repeatedly playing the Palestinian card.