JERUSALEM, 27 July 2007 (IRIN) - “There is no doubt, Gaza is becoming aid-dependent,” said Liz Sime from CARE International, in light of the continued closure of all crossing points, except for basic food commodities and humanitarian aid. With the borders shut, raw materials cannot get in and finished goods cannot be exported. Factories in the Gaza Strip are folding like dominos and unemployment is soaring. “People hate having to ask for assistance. People want work,” said Sime. “They want aid in the form of job-creation programs.” Such programs may remain a pipe dream if the borders stay shut. Read more about Gaza "almost completely" aid-dependent
BRUSSELS, Jul 25 (IPS) - The European Union’s foreign policy supremo Javier Solana this week declared himself “fully behind” the call for an international conference on the Middle East made recently by US President George W. Bush. But is it time for the EU to cease being guided on the Israeli-Palestinian question by the United States, which as the main supplier of weapons to the Israeli military is partisan by definition? Nathalie Tocci from the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels contends that the EU is “working on the margins of US-dictated policies” in the Middle East and that this has proven counterproductive. Read more about Dubious EU support to US challenged
In the last few weeks, university presidents across the US and Canada have rushed to issue statements about the proposed boycott of Israeli academic institutions by the British University and College Union. They view this boycott as a serious violation of academic freedom. Yet, given the general failure of these leaders to comment on any number of infringements of academic freedom that have occurred in recent years, one might be excused for concluding that university presidents prefer to remain above the political fray and reserve their office for grave and important but non-controversial pronouncements on tsunamis. Read more about The ivory tower behind the Apartheid Wall
JERUSALEM, 20 July (IPS) - In all 255 shackled Palestinian security prisoners boarded buses with windows darkened at the Ketziot prison in southern Israel Friday morning and began their ride northward to the West Bank town of Ramallah — and to freedom. In Ramallah, at the headquarters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, thousands of chanting Palestinians lifted the freshly released prisoners on their shoulders, before moving to a large open-sided tent to perform noon prayers. Read more about Prisoners released -- to Abbas
Four hundred kilometers and counting — for Jewish Israel the West Bank barrier represents a longed-for separation from Palestinians, couched in the comfortable narrative of security. But as its varied malign effects on Palestinian society become clear, the barrier along its chosen route is becoming an icon of dispossession, opportunism and brutality, exposing Israel’s willingness for Palestinians to pay the price for its own security and prosperity as an ugly choice. Read more about Photostory: The Apartheid Wall
WASHINGTON, 16 July (IPS) - A major policy address Monday by US President George W. Bush promoting a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine has been greeted with considerable skepticism by Middle East specialists here. Most analysts said Bush’s speech — including his pledge to provide some 190 million dollars to support Palestine Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas and convene a regional conference to support renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks — was too little, too late and included too many conditions to rally strong Palestinian or Arab support. Read more about New Bush initiative met with skepticism
Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani16 July 2007
CAIRO, 14 July (IPS) - In the immediate wake of last month’s takeover of the Gaza Strip by Palestinian resistance faction Hamas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak condemned the action, describing it as “the overthrow of Palestinian legitimacy.” Since then, however, Cairo appears to have tempered its position, reiterating the need for peaceful dialogue between Hamas and its US-backed rival Fatah. Read more about Cairo changes tack on Gaza
The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre in London published on its website a link to my article Volvo: Symbol of safety or human rights abuses?,” and asked the company to respond. The article highlights the use of Volvo construction machinery by the Israeli military as a tool in the occupation, which is the reason behind recent calls for economic pressure on Volvo. Mr. M. Wikforss, Vice President of Media Relations & Corporate News of Volvo Group wrote a letter in response, which is also published on the Resource Centre’s website. In this article I react to Volvo’s arguments. Read more about Volvo: Evading corporate responsibility
JERUSALEM, 12 July 2007 (IRIN) - While humanitarian aid flows into the Gaza Strip are meeting most of the basic needs of the Palestinians, industries are unable to export their goods. This has lead to mass layoffs and unemployment in the already impoverished enclave. Businessmen in Gaza speak of over 30,000 layoffs as a result of the lockdown on the Gaza Strip initiated after fighting between the Islamist group Hamas and Fatah last month, which ended when the former seized control over the strip. Read more about Basic needs reaching Gaza but economy near collapse
