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ISM: Report of the Beit Sahour IDF raid from Kristin Razowsky

Kristin Razowsky 16 May 2003

“On May 9, 2003, at approximately 12:40 pm, the Israeli military entered the media office of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Beit Sahour, Palestine. Present were myself — Kristin Razowsky (“Flo”) — an international from Austrailia who is working with Human Rights Watch, and a local Palestinian woman from Beit Sahour.” Kristin Razowsky reports on her arrest and deportation. 

The edge of reason

Laurie King 15 May 2003


“All the pipes and drums of political rallies and remembrance day parades; all the ink of history books, policy papers, executive summaries, and polemical tracts; all the solemn newsbytes, sturm und drang and spin of media coverage are pointless here at the edge of Gaza. Talk or yell, scream or rationalize, pontificate or analyze all you want, but it all boil down to this: A husband, a wife, and their three small children clinging to the vain hope of home and normalcy in a shattered neighborhood of demolished houses.” EI’s Laurie King-Irani asks you to follow the Road Map all the way to Rafah and take a good, hard look around. 

Nonviolent Resistance in Palestine: Pursuing Alternative Strategies

Mubarak Awad and Jonathan Kuttab 29 March 2002

The Palestinian people have a genuine chance to achieve their national goals, in spite of the enormous gap between them and their foes, if they pursue a conscious, organized strategy of nonviolent resistance to the occupation on a massive scale. Such a strategy would provide a role for the entire Palestinian people, both inside and outside of Palestine, and would include the Arab world, the international community, and even genuinely peaceloving Israelis. It would focus the energies of the entire nation and move the struggle into an arena that maximizes our natural advantages and neutralizes much of the power of our opponents. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

Palestinian Center for Human Rights 15 May 2003

Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas, accompanied by indiscriminate shelling. Israeli forces raided Khan Yunis refugee camp, demolishing homes and wounding twenty Palestinian civilians. In Rafah and Deir al-Balah, Israeli forces demolished 18 homes. In Beit Hanoun and Khan Yunis large areas of Palestinian agricultural land were razed. Israeli forces continued to shell Palestinian residential areas indiscriminately. Israel continued its arbitrary arrest campaign. Three internationals were arrested at the ISM offices in Beit Sahour, including a researcher of Human Rights Watch. Israel continued its tight siege on Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps. 

The guaranteed failure of the Road Map

Tanya Reinhart 15 May 2003


“Every few months, a ‘peace plan’ is pulled out of the drawers of the White House and keeps the public discourse busy for a few weeks. Although this ritual has a fixed pattern and predetermined end, it is curious that many in Israel are still tempted to believe that this time it is different. The Road Map announces that this time “the destination is a final and comprehensive settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict by 2005”. To check if it offers anything concrete in this direction, it is necessary to first get clear regarding what the conflict is about.” Israeli academic Tanya Reinhart writes in Yediot Aharonot. 

Step Forward, Tony Blair

Ali Abunimah 14 May 2003


It took just a few hours for US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s mission to implement the road map to founder on the rocks of Israeli intransigence. Ariel Sharon’s “gestures” to humor his American guest lasted barely longer than the visit itself. EI’s Ali Abunimah argues that the Americans need an ally who is unconstrained by domestic political considerations when it comes to Palestine-Israel. The perfect candidate is Tony Blair, who claimed before the Iraq war that could lead, not just follow the United States. If so, Palestine is the perfect opportunity for him to do so and here is precisely what he should do.