“Today on Morning Edition, Linda Gradstein gave an upbeat report about a mixed school for Palestinian citizens of Israel and Jews. She reported how successful the school is and how more and more parents are signing up. She stated that “normally” Arabs and Jews attend separate schools in Israel. But she left out one tiny little detail….” EI’s Ali Abunimah takes NPR to task for reporter Linda Gradstein’s latest distortions. Read more about NPR--Gradstein's report on "mixed" school
On Thursday 4 April, the Israeli forces bombarded the Al Khadra Mosque during the invasion of the West Bank town of Nablus. They were trying to enter the Old Town through the mosque and destroyed most of it. Al Khadra Mosque is one of the oldest building in Nablus, established in 1187 during the Mamluk era. Read more about Nablus: Ras al Ain
During its April invasion of Nablus between 3 April and 21 April 2002, Israeli forces shelled a bakery in the old city of Nablus. Nablus was especially hard hit, especially in its old city, which contained many buildings of cultural, religious and historic significance. Much of the destruction appears to have occurred in the fighting as a result of the use by Israeli tanks, helicopter gunships and bulldozers. Read more about Nablus bakery
In the early hours of 3 April 2002, Israeli forces invaded Jenin refugee camp. By the time the Israeli forces partly withdrew and the lifting of the curfew on 18 April, 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers were killed. More than 150 homes were destroyed and more rendered homeless. On April 25, 2002, Charity Crouse visited Jenin refugee camp and witnessed the destruction. Read more about Destruction of Jenin refugee camp
“It is true, and it must be recognised, that without immense US pressure, the Sharon government would not have endorsed the roadmap. But it is also true that by endorsing the dozen or more reservations that Israel conditioned its acceptance upon, Washington has rendered the Israeli acceptance of the roadmap meaningless. What followed from that point on has been totally futile, obstructive, even dangerously counterproductive.” Hasan Abu Nimah comments. Read more about The road to peace needs no map
A law forbidding Israeli citizenship for Palestinians from the Occupied Territories who marry Israelis passed its first reading in the Knesset on June 18. This is another milestone on Israel’s road to open, institutionalized apartheid, explains EI’s Ali Abunimah. Read more about Israel takes another leap towards institutionalized apartheid
“In an unprecedented act of interference in a sovereign state’s judicial and political processes, the US government yesterday forced the Belgian government to gut Belgium’s admirable and progressive universal jurisdiction legislation (anti- atrocity law), which had already undergone careful reconfiguration in Belgium’s parliament two months ago. The US feared that this law, which incorporates international law into Belgian national law, might lead to the prosecution of US military or governmental officials, or their possible arrest in Belgium. Numerous legal impediments to these possibilities exist. Belgium outlined all of them in an attempt to deflect US pressure, but to no avail in the face of US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s strong-arm techniques of persuasion.” Laurie King-Irani explains. Read more about On learning lessons: Belgium's universal jurisdiction law under threat
“Not only Palestinians are desperately trapped now in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but Jews are, too. Fear and anxiety are unshakeable daily companions. The outward manifestation of this mental landscape is the many infrastructural projects erupting everywhere along the seam between East and West Jerusalem. These public works projects are not about the ‘public’; they will not improve or enhance common spaces, but rather, will only further constrict shared spaces by diverting traffic, housing, commerce, and socializing according to racial distinctions. Walls and barricades are omnipresent, marring Jerusalem’s beauty and cutting into its soul, wounding all who see it, Palestinians and Israelis, Arabs and Jews, locals and foreigners.” EI co-founder Laurie King-Irani reports on a recent visit to Jerusalem. Read more about Escaping what entraps us: reflections from Jerusalem
On 6 September 2002, EI’s Arjan El Fassed drove with Dr. Dima Amin through the empty streets of Ramallah. Israeli occupying forces had imposed a curfew on the city and residents were forced to stay inside their homes. The only other moving vehicle was an ambulance. Graffity on the walls spell the words “apartheid” and “no peace, no justice”. Read more about Curfew in Ramallah
Since the outbreak of the second Intifada posters of Palestinian martyrs are common on the walls of Palestinian towns. In Nablus, there is one poster that people stop to stare at. On 6 May 2002, EI’s Arjan El Fassed visited Nablus and filmed the devastation left behind after Israeli forces ended their brutal invasion of April 2002. This particular footage includes the martyrs’ poster of the al-Shubi family. Read more about Nablus: Shubi family - demolished and killed
