“Private Jessica Lynch went to Iraq as a soldier loyal to her government. Ms. Corrie went to Gaza to oppose the actions of her government. As a U.S. citizen, she believed she had a special responsibility to defend Palestinians against U.S.-built weapons, purchased with U.S. aid to Israel. In letters home, she described how fresh water was being diverted from Gaza to Israeli settlements, and how death was more normal than life.” Naomi Klein examines the different fates of two young American women who went to war zones in the Middle East, and wonders what it says about the US that one is viewed as a hero while the other is not. Read more about Why two women went to war: Private Lynch and Rachel Corrie
ISM activist Tom Hurndall who was critically shot in the Gaza Strip by an Israeli sniper on 11 April 2003. The following speech was made by Sophie Hurndall, Tom’s sister at a Palestine Rally in Trafalgar Square, London, on 17th May 2003. Read more about Trafalgar Square speech by Tom Hurndall's sister Sophie
Wars sometimes offer an opportunity for change, but often do so at the expense of the weak. This banal truth holds for Israeli-Palestinian affairs no less than for anything else. In the aftermath of the Iraq war, and faced with new and staggering forms of Israeli violence towards Palestinians in the occupied territories, we call on academics worldwide to join in an effort to make a difference. A number of times after WWII, campuses have been pivotal in campaigning against violence, oppression and ethnic injustice. Can this be taken up again regarding Palestinians and Israelis? This conference will explore these questions. Read more about Conference: Academia and a just peace in Israel-Palestine
“On May 9, 2003, at approximately 12:40 pm, the Israeli military entered the media office of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Beit Sahour, Palestine. Present were myself — Kristin Razowsky (“Flo”) — an international from Austrailia who is working with Human Rights Watch, and a local Palestinian woman from Beit Sahour.” Kristin Razowsky reports on her arrest and deportation. Read more about ISM: Report of the Beit Sahour IDF raid from Kristin Razowsky
The Palestinian people have a genuine chance to achieve their national goals, in spite of the enormous gap between them and their foes, if they pursue a conscious, organized strategy of nonviolent resistance to the occupation on a massive scale. Such a strategy would provide a role for the entire Palestinian people, both inside and outside of Palestine, and would include the Arab world, the international community, and even genuinely peaceloving Israelis. It would focus the energies of the entire nation and move the struggle into an arena that maximizes our natural advantages and neutralizes much of the power of our opponents. Read more about Nonviolent Resistance in Palestine: Pursuing Alternative Strategies
“Rachel Corrie was my cousin.” With those words, Elizabeth Corrie, an administrator and teacher at the Lovett School in Atlanta, thrust herself into one of the world’s most volatile situations — the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Sheila M. Poole writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.Read more about Activist's Death in Gaza Moved Atlanta Cousin to Push Palestinian Rights
A dozen heavily armed and entirely male army force surrounded us, grabbing for our cameras and violently pushing us to the ground. Several soldiers grabbed Charlotte and I—causing bruises on our arms and legs—and forced on a jeep to the Tulkaram DCO and military base. Read more about Tulkarem: Israeli forces snatch, beat and arrest ISM volunteers
“The contribution of the ISM to advancing the cause of peace in the Middle East, to defending human rights, and to upholding international law is without parallel. This organization’s selfless efforts to promote peace and protect the lives of innocent civilians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict clearly merit international recognition.” Canadian MP Svend J. Robinson nominates ISM for the Nobel Peace Prize. Read more about Canadian MP nominates ISM for Nobel Prize
“The International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct action methods and principles. Recently, ISM has been the focus of a lot of attention and misinformation; attention that we’ve been trying to get for a long time engaging in Palestinian nonviolent resistance. However, usually what we hear from journalists is ‘call us if there is blood.’” The following text is from a 5 May 2003 ISM press conference in Jerusalem. Read more about ISM: Report from May 5th Press Conference in Jerusalem
