GAZACITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IRIN) - Some 1,200 students at al-Karmel High School for boys in Gaza City returned to class on 25 August without history and English textbooks, or notebooks and pens — all unavailable on the local market. Severe damage to the school, caused during the 23-day Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip which ended on 18 January, has yet to be repaired. Al-Karmel’s principal, Majed Yasin, has had to cover scores of broken windows with plastic sheeting. Read more about No windows, pens in Gaza's classrooms
Gabriel Ash, Mich Levy and Sara Kershnar9 September 2009
A call to organize a large march to break the siege of Gaza immediately captured the imagination of many organizers. However, after the initial call, the framework of the march was challenged by highly-respected Palestinian activists. Their criticism, expressed with the utmost respect for the courage and good will of the organizers, challenged the organizers’ decision to delay engaging in a wide conversation with Palestinian civil society and activists until after the call was made and the framework formulated. Gabriel Ash, Mich Levy and Sara Kershnar comment for The Electronic Intifada. Read more about Compromising for Gaza without compromising Palestine
The increasingly harsh political climate in Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government has prompted the leadership of the country’s 1.3 million Arab citizens to call for the first general strike in several years. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about Racist measures against Palestinians in Israel lead to strike call
Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler8 September 2009
OCCUPIEDEASTJERUSALEM (IPS) - In the early morning sunlight, the smoky window of the plush new apartment reflects back a golden tinge from the Dome of the Rock that stands at the heart of Islam’s third holiest shrine. Down across the valley from the walled Old City, families have already started moving into some of the 91 apartments in this new 240-family compound of Jewish settlers. Read more about Palestinians in limbo in occupied East Jerusalem
The Israeli government has launched a television and Internet advertising campaign urging Israelis to inform on Jewish friends and relatives abroad who may be in danger of marrying non-Jews. The advertisements, employing what the Israeli media described as “scare tactics,” are designed to stop assimilation through intermarriage among young Diaspora Jews by encouraging their move to Israel. Jonathan Cook reports. Read more about "Scare tactic" campaign aims to bring US Jews to Israel
GAZACITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - Until last Monday, Omar and Khaled al-Habil were the owners of a 20 meter fishing trawler staffed by five or six fishermen at a time, but employing around 18 in cycles. But that morning the vessel came under heavy Israeli navy machine-gun fire, and then shelling. The trawler caught fire. “It’s destroyed, completely destroyed,” says al-Habil. Read more about Israel destroys Gaza boats and lives
Ken Loach, Rebecca O'Brien and Paul Laverty7 September 2009
When we decided to pull our film Looking for Eric from the Melbourne International Film festival following our discovery that the festival was part-sponsored by the Israeli state, we wrote to the director, Richard Moore, detailing our reasons. Unfortunately he has misrepresented our position and did so again last week on the Guardian’s Comment is free by stating that “to allow the personal politics of one filmmaker to proscribe a festival position … goes against the grain of what festivals stand for,” and claiming that “Loach’s demands were beyond the pale.” Filmmakers Ken Loach, Rebecca O’Brien and Paul Laverty comment. Read more about Why we back the boycott call
JALAZONE, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Fourteen-year-old Muhammad Nayif’s mother broke down as she spoke to IPS. Nayif died after being shot three times in the chest by Israeli soldiers Monday night. Palestinian medical personnel who tried to reach the critically injured boy near the Jalazone refugee camp north of Ramallah were threatened at gunpoint by Israeli soldiers and shot at. Read more about Israel targets medical teams
Haitham al-Katib is a journalist living in the occupied West Bank village of Bilin. During the last few months, village residents have been the victims of constant night invasions by the Israeli military. Al-Katib films the night raids, as well as the weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the wall, and has become a well-known figure for his brave attempts to document the struggle. The Electronic Intifada contributor Jody McIntyre, currently based in Bilin, interviewed him about his work. Read more about "Sense of duty": interview with Bilin journalist
The hyperventilating by Israel’s leaders over a story published in a Swedish newspaper last month suggesting that the Israeli army assisted in organ theft from Palestinians has distracted attention from the disturbing allegations made by Palestinian families that were the basis of the article’s central claim. Jonathan Cook comments. Read more about Accountability and the organ theft controversy
