An ill-fated light railway under construction in Jerusalem was originally heralded by Israeli officials as a way to cement the city’s “unification” four decades after the city’s Palestinian half was illegally annexed to Israel. But the only unity generated among Jewish and Palestinian residents after four years of disruptions to the city’s traffic and businesses is general agreement that the project is rapidly becoming a white elephant. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Boycott movement derails Jerusalem's transit system
RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that Gaza’s access to safe supply of drinking water could cease at any time. The World Health Organization (WHO) says outbreaks of disease could be triggered as a consequence. Read more about Gaza's water supply near collapse
UNITEDNATIONS (IPS) - A four-member United Nations fact-finding mission, which has just concluded an investigation into last year’s brutal conflict in Gaza, makes a strong case for war crimes charges against Israel for its unrelenting 22-day military attacks on Palestinians, largely civilians, including women and children. The charges stem mostly from serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Read more about UN investigators make strong case for Gaza war crimes
This weekend at the eighth annual US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation national organizers’ conference held in Chicago, delegates from the approximately 300 member groups that make up the US Campaign voted in favor of an academic and cultural boycott of Israel. The vote, and the deep collective breath of relief that followed, will go down in history as the moment US-based Palestine solidarity activists overcame tactical differences that had long hindered us, to finally come together to confront Israeli apartheid. Nada Elia comments for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about A turning point for the US solidarity movement
After years of campaigning by Palestine solidarity activists to end the French transportation giant Veolia’s complicity with Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, it was reported in early June that the company planned to end its involvement in an Israeli light rail project being built on occupied Palestinian land. However, contrary to Veolia’s reported intention to abandon the light rail project, the company seems to be conducting business as usual with Israel. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Veolia still intertwined with Israel's occupation
Israeli peace activists are planning to ratchet up their campaign against groups in the United States that raise money for settlers by highlighting how tax exemptions are helping to fund the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank. Gush Shalom, a small peace group that advocates Israel’s withdrawal from the occupied territories, is preparing to send details to the US tax authorities questioning the charitable status of several organizations. Read more about Settlements benefitting from US tax exempt fundraising
GAZACITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - In a backstreet open-air cafe in Gaza late at night, Khaled Harara from the Black Unit Band starts to talk about rap. A phone call interrupts him. “Oh my god, it’s my dad, he will kill me because I’m not home yet.” Not quite the tough image one conjures of rappers. After assuring his father he’s giving an interview, he’s ok to stay. Read more about "Rapping is our way of resisting"
“Warfighters around the world rely on Brimar products every day,” a small company from Manchester in northwest England boasts on its publicity material. Brimar makes screens and viewfinders which allow helicopter pilots and tank gunners to carry out their bloody jobs in Gaza, Iraq and Afghanistan. But a new local campaign is looking to turn Brimar’s boast on its head, and it’s just one of a number of British campaigns confronting the companies which arm the Israeli military. Sarah Irving reports for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Targeting Britain's war industry
WASHINGTON (IPS) - This week, two respected human rights organizations — one Palestinian, one Israeli — each came out with very full reports into the extent of the damage caused by the assault Israel waged against Gaza last winter. According to PCHR 1,419 Palestinians were killed during the fighting, of whom 252 were combatants and the rest noncombatants. Three hundred and eighteen of those killed were, it said, children. Read more about Gaza's conflicting casualty counts
Yunis al-Masri was severely injured in a car wreck as he and his brothers traveled to work in Israel 24 years ago. He is entitled to a monthly allowance of $800 from Israel’s National Insurance Institute, out of which he has supported his wife and 10 children in their home in Gaza. In early January, however, the transfers of disability benefits stopped arriving in his bank account in Gaza. About 700 other injured workers are in the same situation. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Gaza's disabled cut off from payments
