Israeli security forces in Hebron have allegedly forced Palestinians to submit to a macabre “lottery”, in which the victim had to choose their own “punishment” by picking a slip of paper out of a pile. On the pieces of paper were written various acts of violence, including having a hand or leg broken, and, Palestinians say, being beaten to death. The Independent’s Justin Huggler reports. Read more about Palestinians subject to Israeli 'torture lottery' 

“When people ask me if the film is about the occupation of the Palestinian people, I say right away that this isn’t a film about anything. If it has to be reduced to one subject, I say it’s a film about occupation in the world as a whole — it focuses on Israel only because Israel serves as a kind of microcosm.” Elia Suleiman, director of the award-winning film “Divine Intervention,” which has just opened in Israel, talks to Goel Pinto of Ha’aretz about the ideas behind the film. Read more about Ninja in Nazareth 

Survivors of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre won’t be able to testify against Israeli Prime Minister Sharon at the Belgium Supreme Court on Wednesday, as the Belgian Embassy didn’t grant them “emergency” visas. The embassy told the victims’ lawyer, Chibli Mallat, that there “wasn’t enough time” to get the visas ready before their date of departure. The Beirut Daily Star’s Hala Kilani reports on the good news and the bad news about the case against Sharon and others in Belgium. Read more about Visa delay will prevent massacre survivors from testifying before Belgian court 

An Arab initiative to show solidarity with Jewish suffering in the Holocaust, aimed at promoting reconciliation, is attracting broad interest - and not a little controversy. Aviv Lavie reports in Ha’aretz’s Friday Magazine. Read more about Partners in pain: Israeli Palestinians, Jews discuss Holocaust 

How can Palestinians resist the brutality of the Israeli military government. How can they survive it? One Palestinian journalist, a friend for the past year told me, “We chose non-violence and they occupied our kitchens.” Since Sharon was re-elected Israeli soldiers have killed 28 Palestinians. This is just in the past eight days. Kristen Ess wrotes from Bethlehem. Read more about The Israeli military kills four Palestinians a day 

“The Bush administration has been seeking Israel’s counsel on creating a legal justification for the assassination of terrorism suspects, the Forward has learned. Legal experts from the United States and Israel have met in recent months to discuss the issue, and are considering widening the consultation circle to include representatives of America’s closest allies in the war against terrorism.” Ori Nir reports on some chilling examples of US-Israel bi-lateral cooperation in the pages of New York’s The Forward. Read more about Bush seeks Israeli advice on "targeted killings" 

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. Read more about Academic boycott: In support of Paris VI 

“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. Read more about Lawyer for massacre victims calls for implementing justice throughout Middle East 

“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. Read more about "Transfer" is nothing more than ethnic cleansing 

Last week, I went to visit a girlfriend who studies at Birzeit University. I reached there by taking a shared cab sneaking on settler roads, which put the fear of God into me. Ramallah was closed, so I couldn’t take the usual route to Birzeit. Diaa Haddad writes from the village. Read more about Birzeit Blues