The following is an excerpt from a letter by Palestinian political prisoner and civil society leader Ameer Makhoul, written in response to a postcard featuring an image of a lighthouse sent by The Electronic Intifada contributor Adri Nieuwhof: “The lighthouse, al-fanar in Arabic, is an inspiration. I have built a lighthouse here in jail. It has been built in my mind because I am not allowed to use the space, but my mind is totally mine.” Read more about Letter from prison: I have a lot of energy to struggle
Scottish artist Jane Frere’s exhibition In the Shadow of the Wall reminds us that the plight of the Palestinian people is not just confined to periods of overt conflict, but is an ongoing, everyday experience. Stephen Fiddes reviews for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Review: paintings scream to break walls of silence
An Israeli military judge extended the jail term for Abdallah Abu Rahme, a well-known Palestinian activist who was due to be released on 18 November. Meanwhile, in New York City, students created a mock Israeli checkpoint in the middle of Columbia University and in Scotland Edinburgh-based activists worked with one of the country’s top law firms to advise the city council not to contract with Veolia. Read more about Activism roundup: Abu Rahme sentence extended, students stage mock checkpoint
The holiday of Eid al-Ahda — the Feast of the Sacrifice — is celebrated by Muslims across the world to commemorate the prophet Abraham’s sacrifice of a sheep in the place of his son Ishmael. Palestine is no different than most countries where the holiday is observed, but with one notable exception: the Israeli occupation. Photographer Sanne Winderickx documents the Eid al-Adha holiday under occupation in the West Bank. Read more about Photostory: somber holiday under occupation
To accuse Hamas of marketing fundamentalism and extremism in the Gaza Strip is false and inaccurate. There is no “Talibanization” of Gaza. Such a claim is based on Israeli propaganda and the deliberately distorted accounts of those in Gaza who are politically and ideologically opposed to the government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Ahmed Yousef, Deputy of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, comments for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about There is no "Talibanization" of Gaza
Any major film addressing the Israel-Palestine conflict can expect to court a measure of controversy, but American artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel’s intervention is unlikely to cause much consternation among a mainstream cinema audience. Omar El-Khairy reviews Schnabel’s film Miral for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Film review: Palestine as Hollywood fantasy in "Miral"
BEIRUT, Lebanon (IPS) - Abu Yussif doesn’t want to talk about his work anymore. “It’s not going to help and nothing will change anyway,” he says. The tall, white-haired Palestinian has just returned from work and relaxes in his little garden in the Burj al-Shamali refugee camp near the southern Lebanese city of Tyre. Read more about Despite law "reform," Palestinians out of work in Lebanon
Filmmaker Dahna Abourahme’s latest film focuses on the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein al-Hilwe in south Lebanon, and on the women in particular as they reminisce about their roles during the Israeli attack on the camp in 1982-1984. Amany Al-Sayyed interviews for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Everyday heroes: filmmaker Dahna Abourahme interviewed
An elections process in Iraq cleverly diverts all attention from the colossal incompetency of the government, and spins the tall tale of a young, fledgling born-again country instead. The reality is that democracy in Iraq does not exist beyond the show business of sham elections. Ahmed Habeeb comments for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about The deadly lie of democracy in Iraq
