oh rafah. aching rafah. aching of refugees aching of tumbled houses bicycles severed from tank-warped tires and aching of bullet riddled homes all homes worm-eaten by bullets and then impregnated through bullet holes by birds.
Read the journal entry of peace activist Rachel Corrie, who was living in Rafah when she was crushed to death by an Israeli-operated bulldozer while defending one of the many homes that have been destroyed by the Israeli military in Rafah. Read more about "oh rafah, aching rafah" - A poem from the journal of Rachel Corrie
When I saw the images of Iraqi prisoners being humiliated by U.S. troops in Abu Ghraib, I felt as though I had already visually experienced it in the visceral work of American artist Leon Golub. Similar to what I sensed when first seeing the now infamous Abu Ghraib photographs, the even more recent images of house demolitions and death in Rafah incited an all too familiar feeling of dread — the feeling that we have seen this all before, and how horrible are we for letting it happen again. Read more about Pictures of war: Conflicts and dates may change, but the imagery and inhumanity stay the same
“I am asking today with deep sorrow: Can we, despite all our achievements, ignore the intolerable gap between what the Declaration of Independence promised and what was fulfilled, the gap between the idea and the realities of Israel? Does the condition of occupation and domination over another people fit the Declaration of Independence? Is there any sense in the independence of one at the expense of the fundamental rights of the other?” In this speech to the Knesset upon receiving the Wolf Prize delivered May 9, world-renowned musician and conductor of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Daniel Barenboim asked difficult, but necessary questions. Read more about Daniel Barenboim's statement at the Knesset upon receiving the Wolf Prize, May 9, 2004
On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property During Times of War and its Protocol, Al-Haq calls on the international community to uphold their obligations to ensure the protection of cultural heritage in the occupied Palestinian territories. The last two years have seen a grave escalation in damage to cultural heritage in the OPT and the scale of destruction has been unprecedented. During April 2002, Israeli occupying forces destroyed large sections of the historic Old City of Nablus as well as parts of Bethlehem and Hebron during “Operation Defensive Shield.” Read more about Al-Haq: World must stop destruction of cultural heritage in OPT
The third annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival begins Friday, June 4, at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The festival moves to the Southwest Youth Collaborative on June 18. The selections this year include 20 films by Palestinian, Israeli, American and European filmmakers. This powerful program of features, documentaries, and shorts will be shown in English or Arabic, Hebrew, German or French with English subtitles. The festival selections feature numerous North American premieres and one world premiere film. Read more about 3rd annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival, June 4-20
Throughout the month of May, the Electronic Intifada will be automatically entering the names of all readers who donate to our work in a sweepstakes to win “Return 2,” an original acrylic on paper artwork by Palestinian artist Zahi Khamis. Twenty runners-up will receive EI T-shirts. The sweepstakes period is from 1 May to 31 May, 2004. The sweepstakes is open to people who live in the United States and other countries. This sweepstakes offer is void where prohibited by law. Read more about Support EI during May 2004 and win great prizes!
Revd. Jeremy Frost, Precentor of Canterbury Cathedral, expresses through poetry his concerns regarding Bethlehem, a town steeped both in religious history and recent political violence. Frost has visited the Middle East on several occasions, and has researched the theological relationshp between Israel and the Church, countering Christian Zionism in the process. Read more about Poem: On the Ending of the Siege at the Basilica of the Nativity, Bethlehem (10th May 2002)
If the purpose of a pilgrimage is to reawaken or reaffirm one’s spirituality, James, the title character of the new Israeli film James’ Journey to Jerusalem, certainly does that. However, the idealistic young African’s journey is fraught with unexpected and difficult detours, putting his faith on trial as he becomes seduced by consumerism and power. And while the film is plagued with technical problems, its success lies in the complication of its characters and its universal allegorical message regarding consumerism, power, and religion. Read more about Film review: James' Journey to Jerusalem meets complex road blocks
In December 2003, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited Ruweished refugee camp in eastern Jordan. Jolie, who has been a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since August 2001 wrote a journal which has been released today by the UN refugee agency. During her one day visit to Ruweished refugee camp, where more than 800 refugees, mostly Palestinians, have settled after fleeing Iraq in April 2003. The actress, who starred in Gone In 60 Seconds and as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider visited the camp’s pre-school. The children at the school told her “their dream is to see their homeland.” Read more about Angelina Jolie gives voice to Palestinian refugees in Jordan
In an unprecedented move, the organisers of France’s largest documentary film festival, Le Festival du Cinéma du Réel (4 to 14 March 2004), held annually at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, have cancelled one of the screenings of the film Route 181 – Fragments of a Journey to Palestine-Israel, which is co-directed by the Palestinian Michel Khleifi and the Israeli Eyal Sivan. Khleifi, a Palestinian, and Sivan, a Jewish Israeli, are not the first filmmakers from the region who have found their work on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be met with censorship. Read more about Film Route 181 censored by French Culture Ministry
