Recently, we have been witnessing a raging debate about the separation wall which Israel has been building around itself, to prevent further Palestinian “suicide attacks.” But the wall will also include the settlements and the bypass roads built during the interim period under the Oslo accords, to link them with Israel (the interim period which was ostensibly intended to build confidence, not additional annexation facts on the ground), and the land which Israel claims is necessary for security, therefore slicing huge chunks of Arab Palestinian lands to add to Israel as a purely illegal unilateral measure. Hasan Abu-Nimah comments. Read more about Back to barbed wire and separation walls mentality
As Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organisations have recorded serious abuses over the past several weeks, evidence of European arms, such as modified British Centurion tanks, being used by the Israeli armed forces highlights the need to make the fledgling EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports effective. Read more about Enough reason to impose a European arms embargo on Israel
With media coverage so tightly focused on the diplomatic maneuvering surrounding President Bush’s Road Map peace initiative, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that Israel continues to implement a devastating set of policies that are endangering the social and national existence of the Palestinian people. In fact, Israel’s grudging participation in the Road Map process is little more than an effort to buy time for these policies to achieve this outcome. Professor Steve Niva reports after returning from Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of a trip organized by Faculty for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. Read more about Road Map diplomacy conceals 'politicide' of the Palestinian people
US President George W. Bush’s administration is considering economic measures to prevent Israel from building its separation wall in the occupied West Bank. The proposed punishment is to subtract from US loan guarantees for Israel $1 for every dollar Israel spends on building the barrier inside the West Bank. However, the administration appears to be split. Israel, meanwhile has announced plans for major new settlements in the occupied territories. EI’s Ali Abunimah examines the pre-election political scene in Washington, and assesses the chances of real US pressure on Israel to move forward on the road map. Read more about Washington is being toothless on Israel
“Here is a disturbing ordeal that has not yet been mentioned in any mainstream US papers or media. It exposes some shocking aspects of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian political prisoners, including the use of a gas that impacts the nervous and respiratory systems. It should be noted that Israel has denied using nerve gas against Palestinians, even though one account of its use has already been documented in James Longley’s searing film, ‘Gaza Strip’.” Jennifer Loewenstein and Angela Gaff report from London. Read more about What gas is Israel using?
“I’m an Israeli at heart,” U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay told the Israeli Knesset in a recent address. DeLay made his trip just as the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers were in Washington to meet with President Bush. DeLay took with him a message of total opposition to Bush’s road map and to a two-state solution. Calling on Israel to ignore the ceasefire that has brought calm to Israel’s streets for the first time in years, DeLay urged Israel to continue killing Palestinians. EI’s Ali Abunimah takes a look at DeLay’s visit, the Christian Zionist movement he represents, and how they work against peace for Israelis and Palestinians. Read more about A call to violence
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas came to his White House meeting with President George W. Bush carrying several messages, the most important being that the Palestinians have fulfilled the vast majority of their phase one road map obligation and that Israel was blocking further progress. Speaking at a 31 July 2003 Palestine Center briefing, Diana Buttu, a legal advisor to the Palestine Liberation Organization’s (PLO) Negotiations Affairs Department, said Abbas emphasized to Bush three issues that were impeding progress on the road map: Israel’s construction of an apartheid wall, Israel’s continued settlement expansion, and the incarceration of several thousand Palestinian political prisoners. Read more about Abbas to Bush: "Israel is Blocking the Implementation of Road Map"
When a playwright tackles the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, sexual identity issues, class issues, Arab-American community issues, and Jewish-American community issues (among others), in a 90-minute play, not much room is left for anything else — like character development and breathing room. And that’s the main trouble with Jamil Khoury’s Precious Stones. Maureen Clare Murphy reviews the play for EI. Read more about Theater Review: Jamil Khoury's "Precious Stones"
Over 4,000 Palestinian political prisoners have just begun a hunger strike in Israeli jails including Shutah, Askalan, Majido, Ofer, and Nefah. A man being held without charge called yesterday from Nefah saying, “The Israeli Administration is treating us very badly.” He details human rights abuses, and adds quietly, “And sometimes they aren’t letting us go to the bathroom.” Kristen Ess and Nada Khair report from the West Bank and Gaza. Read more about 4,200 Palestinians on Hunger Strike
Israel’s Separation Barrier, dubbed the “Apartheid Wall” or “Berlin Wall” by Palestinians, has increasingly attracted international media attention, largely due to the hard-to-ignore scale of the project. The most obvious historical parallel to the barrier is the Berlin Wall. Israel’s barrier, still under construction, is expected to reach at least 403 miles in length.Yet discussion of the structure and route have proved problematic for both diplomats and the media. EI’s Nigel Parry reports. Ali Abunimah, Michael Brown, and Arjan El Fassed also contributed to this report. Read more about Is it a Fence? Is it a Wall? No, it's a Separation Barrier
