Painter John Keane, who was has travelled to the occupied Palestinian territories, juxtaposes historical and current concerns through traditional and contemporary techniques in his work. Deeply impacted by what he saw, Keane’s paintings in his current exhibition The Inconvenience of History - Paintings from the West Bank and Palestine reflect the despair, humiliation, and the brutality Palestinians suffer under Israeli military occupation. His exhibition has been met with controversy, but will still travel Belfast and Ramallah after concluding in London. Nina Malmsten reports for EI. Read more about Artist John Keane revisits Palestine’s obliterated past and present
In a presentation on the Jewish Agency for Israel’s website, entitled “The Security Fence - Hopes and Fears: A Drama in Six Episodes”, the report’s author, Steven Klein, conducted a Google survey into the frequency of terminology used to describe Israel’s Wall, typing in different terms and logging the number of Google hits returned for each. Klein’s stated methodology for discovering “the most deserving term” for Israel’s Wall is which term “enjoys the most common use” as evidenced by Google. EI’s Nigel Parry explores Wall semantics on the Internet. Read more about Israel's West Bank Barrier: Semantics on the Internet
Much of the rising anti-Semitism in Europe today is undeniably fuelled by conflicts in the Middle East. However, continued insistence on the part of the Israeli government and its supporters that critics of its policies are “anti-Semitic” is a dangerous and damaging position to hold. Human rights advocates Jeff Handmaker and Adri Nieuwhof argue that continued insistence on this equation of anti-Israeli government sentiments and anti-Semitism creates a hostile atmosphere and prevents a critical dialogue on Middle East issues from a human rights perspective. Read more about Israel’s cry of anti-Semitism blocks a critical dialogue
Israeli forces killed two Palestinians and wounded dozens in the village of Biddu, near Jerusalem, during a protest against Israel’s Apartheid Wall. Mohammad Sabel Rayan (30), a father of two from Beit Duqqu and Zakariya Eyad, a father of three from Beit Iksa were shot today during a demonstration. Rayan was hit by a bullet in his spine and Eyad was hit in his chest. Palestinians, internationals and Israeli activists were protesting. They are afraid that the Israeli army will cause more casualties. Since yesterday, thousands of protesters have been protesting and confronting Israeli bulldozers working on Israel’s Apartheid Wall. Read more about Israeli forces kill two Palestinians protesting Israel's Apartheid Wall
“ICJ: Justice or Politics” was a statement displayed on a banner at a pro-Israel demonstration in The Hague on Monday. In the last three days I have been covering the oral proceedings taking place before the international court of justice and the demonstrations here in The Hague for the British-based organization Arab Media Watch. Whilst the pleadings proceeded smoothly it has been interesting to note how few countries have come out in support of the Palestinians. Victor Kattan reports from the Hague. Read more about ICJ: Justice or Politics?
Today, the Mayor of The Hague, Wim Deetman, issued a press statement this morning. Deetman was “unpleasantly surprised” by the intention of the Dutch Zionist organization “Christenen voor Israel” to carry photographs which, whether rightly or wrongly were capable of “engendering emotions of a provocative nature,” during a demonstration march. In doing so, Deetman added only the factual, undisputed information that he had been informed by “Christenen voor Israel”, amongst others, that the Israeli Embassy in The Hague had “inspired” them to carry those photographs. Read more about Deetman responds to Israeli anger over protests in The Hague
On the last day of the hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, presiding Judge Shi Jiuyong, declaring a close to the oral hearings said “a date and time for the court to announce its rulings” would be set later. The final session was opened by Sudan, followed by the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The statements elaborated on jurisdiction and whether the Court is competent in addition to substance such as international humanitarian law, human rights law and other legal consequences of the wall. Read more about ICJ wraps up hearings on legal consequences of the wall
On the second day of the oral hearings in the case for an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the wall, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, presided by President Shi, heard statements from Belize, a tiny nation in Central America, Cuba, Indonesia, Jordan, Madagascar, Malaysia and Senegal. Wednesay morning, the final day of the oral hearings, the Court is scheduled to hear from Sudan, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. Read more about Court concludes second day of hearings on Israel's Apartheid Wall
The Apartheid Wall, which began being built in the Occupied West Bank in June 2002, is nearly one third complete. It snakes its way deep inside the West Bank, devouring fertile land into de facto Israeli controlled areas, encircling residential areas, ghettoizing and imprisoning the Palestinian population. The 90,000 people that are already directly affected by the Wall’s 140 km “first phase” are well aware that their entire lives have been shattered, that their incomes, dignity, children’s future, and heritage were uprooted in a matter of weeks or months as bulldozers leveled their lands in order to confiscate and isolate them. Jamal Juma’ comments. Read more about The Wall Is illegal, now we must stop it
Palestinian UN envoy, Nasser Al-Kidwa, told the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that he hopes a ruling that Israel’s separation barrier in the West Bank would lead to the same kind of international sanctions that followed after the Court’s 1971 ruling against South Africa’s occupation of Namibia. But if this hope is what Palestinian Authority (PA) strategy is built on, then we are in trouble. EI’s Ali Abunimah says that the Palestinians are not wanting for international legal decisions supporting their rights. What they badly lack is a political strategy to convert these rulings into reality. Read more about Even if Palestine wins at The Hague...
