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Amnesty International: Ahmad Qatamesh a prisoner of conscience

Maureen Clare Murphy 8 May 2011

Amnesty International released an urgent action alert on Friday following Israel’s imposition on an administrative detention order on Palestinian writer and activist Ahmad Qatamesh. Amnesty writes: Palestinian academic and writer Ahmad Qatamesh is being held as an administrative detainee, which allows the Israeli authorities to detain him indefinitely without charge and denies him any real opportunity to challenge the detention order. 

Palestinian civil society leader Ameer Makhoul arrested one year ago today

Maureen Clare Murphy 6 May 2011

A year ago today, Palestinian civil society leader Ameer Makhoul, an Israeli citizen, was arrested from his Haifa home after it was raided by Israeli forces. Makhoul, the coordinator of Ittijah, the Union of Arab Community Associations and an advocate of boycott, divestment and sanctions, warned The Electronic Intifada in January of 2010 that Israel was increasingly persecuting the Palestinian community in Israel, attempting to cut the community off from the rest of the Palestinian national movement. “Israel uses its legal system and its laws on citizenship and loyalty to the Jewish state to achieve this,” Makhoul said. 

EI's Ali Abunimah on Arab uprisings at Al-Awda convention

Maureen Clare Murphy 5 May 2011

The Electronic Intifada co-founder Ali Abunimah participated in last week’s Annual International Al-Awda Convention in Anneheim, California. Anayat Durrani reports for the Egyptian publication Al-Ahram Weekly, “A major focus of the convention was the Arab people’s mass uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa and their relevance to the Palestinian struggle.” Ali Abunimah told the conference: 

Palestinian trade union movement forms historic BDS coalition

Maureen Clare Murphy 5 May 2011

The first ever Palestinian trade union conference for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel was held in Ramallah last week on 30 April. A historic formation was made at the conference with the establishment of the Palestinian Trade Union Coalition for BDS (PTUC-BDS) — the largest coalition of the Palestinian trade union movement.