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The
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Boycott
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Together
Israelis
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Children
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Art
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Music
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VTJP
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Related Sites..
A-infos
A multi-lingual news service by, for, and about anarchists, regularly posts reports by Israeli anarchists working in solidarity with the non-violent Palestinian resistance.
Alternative Information Center
The AIC is a Palestinian-Israeli organization which disseminates information, research and political analysis on Palestinian and Israeli societies as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while promoting cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis based on the values of social justice, solidarity and community involvement.
Ariga
Articles and extensive links to Israeli and Palestinian Human Rights & Peace groups
Bat Shalom
Israeli & Palestinian Women’s Peace Group - Bat Shalom is an Israeli national feminist grassroots organization of Jewish and Palestinian Israeli women working together for a genuine peace grounded in a just resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict, respect for human rights, and an equal voice for Jewish and Arab women within Israeli society.
Breaking The Silence
Breaking the Silence is an organization of veteran Israeli soldiers that collects testimonies of soldiers who served in the Occupied Territories during the Second Intifadah.
Bridges: Israeli-Palestinian Public Health Magazine
bridges, the Israeli-Palestinian Public Health Magazine, is a unique publication conceived, written, edited, produced and managed jointly by Palestinian and Israeli academics and health professionals under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). The magazine embodies the WHO paradigm of “Health as a Bridge for Peace”: the integration of peace-building concerns, strategies and practices with health care.
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Buddhist Peace Fellowship’s open-hearted engagement with the world is expressed through expanding programs in the United States and Asia. Through BPF, Buddhists of many different traditions are developing individual and group responses to socially conditioned suffering.
Campaign for Secure Dwellings
A network of congregations in North America working to end the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Christian Peacemaker Teams, Campaign for Secure Dwellings, Palestinian Land Defense Committee, Rabbis for Human Rights, Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions.
Christian Peacemaker Teams - Palestine Projects
Since 1995 the CPT has maintained a continuing presence in the Hebron District (occupied West Bank). Team members stand with Palestinians and Israeli peace groups engaged in nonviolent opposition to Israeli military occupation, collective punishment, settler harassment, home demolitions and land confiscation.
Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR)
Interfaith Peace Builders - Delegations to Palestine FOR’s interfaith Middle East program sends regular delegations to Israel/Palestine where participants live in Palestinian and Israeli homes, learn from peace activists on both sides of the conflict and experience the situation of Palestinians living under military occupation.
HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual
An Israeli human rights organization whose main objective is to assist Palestinians of the Occupied Territories whose rights are violated due to Israel’s policies. This site contains information relating to these human rights violations.
Intercultural Encounter - International Centre of Bethlehem
At the very heart of our mission is a commitment to promote cultural exchange between Palestine and the rest of the world, providing people from different cultures, contexts and backgrounds a forum to meet. Whether as volunteers-in-mission, youth exchanges, educational workshops, theological conferences, academic consultations or grass-roots encounters, these programs help build bridges of understanding and create communities of fellowship between peoples globally.
International Solidarity Movement
The International Solidarity Movement is a Palestinian-led movement of Palestinian and International activists working to raise awareness of the struggle for Palestinian freedom and an end to Israeli occupation. We utilize nonviolent, direct-action methods of resistance to confront and challenge illegal Israeli occupation forces and policies.
Israel Imperial News
A magazine edited by Israeli dissidents. Against the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land by Jewish settlers. Against Israel’s cruel treatment of the Palestinians. And against Israel’s policy of ethnic cleansing.
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information - IPCRI
IPCRI, founded in Jerusalem in 1988, is the only joint Palestinian-Israeli public policy think-tank in the world. It is devoted to developing practical solutions for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. IPCRI deals with the cardinal issues in the Israeli-Arab conflict - issues where the two sides find themselves at loggerheads, and where cooperation is necessary.
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
Israeli Committee Against Home Demolitions (ICAHD) is a non-violent, direct-action group originally established to oppose and resist Israeli demolition of Palestinian houses in the Occupied Territories.
Machsom Watch
Machsom Watch was founded in January 2001 in response to repeated reports in the press about human rights abuses of Palestinians crossing army and border police checkpoints. It is a group of Israeli women conducting daily observations at military checkpoints to monitor human rights abuses.
Occupation Magazine
The aim of this Israeli website is to provide information and alternative commentary on the ongoing developments in the Occupied Territories - the West Bank and the Gaza Strip - in Hebrew, English and Russian.
Right to a Home and a Homeland Global Campaign
The Right to a Home and a Homeland Global Campaign is a coordinated, international movement to rebuild Palestinian homes and Middle East peace through strategic Palestinian and Israeli cooperation.
Stop US Military Aid to Israel
This website is a cooperative effort between Sami Abuhamdeh (US citizen of Palestinian descent) and Benjamin Balak (Israeli citizen and professor of economics in the US).
The Other Israel
The Other Israel, published bimonthly, aims to provide extensive coverage of the diverse struggles waged by the Israeli peace movement at large. Includes reports on undereported activities and commentaries on events in Israel and the Middle East from a perspective in which the interests of Israelis and Palestinians are ultimately reconcilable. http://members. tripod. com/~other_Israel
Visions of Peace with Justice in Israel/Palestine
Visions of Peace with Justice in Israel/Palestine (VOPJ) is an association of Jews in Greater Boston working to promote a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians based on mutual respect, justice, and equality.
Yesh Din
Israeli volunteers for human rights who have come together to take concrete action against the constant human rights abuses inflicted on the Palestinian population in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Zochrot
The activities of Zochrot include: organizing tours to villages destroyed by Israeli forces in the Nakba and in 1967, led by Palestinian refugees, posting signs at the remains of the destroyed villages, teaching the history and geography of the Nakba and translating these materials into Hebrew, maintaining a Hebrew-language database of maps and other information about the Nakba, developing educational materials, organizing demonstrations, and participating in the activities of refugees organizations.
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| Israelis
and Palestinians Working Together for Peace |
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from brochure of Zochrot, an Israeli group that organizes tours to villages destroyed
by Israeli forces in the Nakba and in 1967, teaches the history and geography
of the Nakba, and translating these materials into Hebrew, (Zochrot) |
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Family
of boy killed by IDF donates his organs for peace
By Amos Harel and Arnon Regular, Ha'aretz, November 6, 2005
The family of Ahmed al-Khatib, a 12 year old fatally shot last
week by Israeli troops who mistook his toy gun for a real rifle, have donated
his organs at a Haifa hospital "for the sake of peace between peoples."
His organs helped save the lives of six patients. His heart
was given to a 12-year-old girl; his liver was divided in two and given to two
patients, a six-month old baby and a 56-year-old woman; his kidneys were given
to a 5-year-old boy and his lungs were given to a 5-year-old boy and a 4-year-old
girl, Israel Radio reported.
The boy died of his wounds on Saturday.
Dr. Tzvi Ben-Yishai, a spokesman for Rambam Medical Center in
Haifa, where Khatib had been treated, said that the boy's parents decided to donate
his organs "to bring hearts closer and bring peace closer."
The boy's uncle, Jamal Khatib, confirmed that the family had
donated the organs.
"This is not a political issue, but a personal one,"
the boy's father told Channel Two news. "I had an older brother who suffered
from kidney failure and there were no transplants available. When the doctor told
me that my boy was clinically dead, I remembered my brother and thought of ways
to help." more..
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Drumming
Circle, Jahalin Beduin Children near Ma'ale Adumim. The Israeli Committee Against
House Demolitions (ICAHD), in coordination with Bustan li Shalom and Rabbis for
Human Rights, sponsored cultural events to raise awareness and funds for the Jahalin
Beduin, who were were expelled from their traditional lands by Israel. (ICAHD) |
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Palestinians,
Israelis join together in Battle of Bilin
By Mark MacKinnon, International Solidarity Movement/Globe and Mail, January 7,
2006
BILIN, WEST BANK — Nimrod Eshel is shouting
out his disgust at the barrier his country is building through the West Bank when
the tear gas starts to fly.
The 24-year-old student from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem
pants mildly as he dashes through an olive grove to find a safer vantage point.
The peaceful protest of a few minutes before is beginning to disintegrate; Palestinian
youths, their faces covered with bandanas to protect them from the effects of
the gas, hurl stones back at the helmeted Israeli troops, who respond with rubber
bullets and more tear gas.
“I think it’s really important for Israelis to see
this. It’s really sad what’s going on,” Mr. Eshel said, waving
his hand in an arc that included both the ongoing barrier construction and the
Israeli dispersal of the protest.
The Battle of Bilin, as the weekly anti-wall protest here
in this tiny West Bank community is known, begins every Friday after midday prayers.
Several dozen unarmed residents of the town, supplemented by foreign and Israeli
peace activists, meet each week outside the local mosque and march together toward
the bulldozers and front-end loaders that are preparing the ground for the next
growth spurt in the 685-kilometre-long separation barrier.
more..
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More
about Israelis and Palestinians Working Together from our Archives.. |
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Sixty years of Naqba, 60 years of nothing
Bradley Burston, Ha’aretz 5/7/2008
more.. e-mail
Middle East negotiations must be backed up with ’real change on the ground’, says Secretary-General to London meeting
United Nations Secretary-General, ReliefWeb 5/5/2008
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s opening remarks to the meeting of the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee in London, 2 May:
Let me thank you, Mr. Chairman and Mr. Foreign Secretary, for bringing us together at such a crucial time. Prime Minister Fayyad and Foreign Minister Livni, I am delighted that you were able to attend.
We meet at a vital juncture, just as the Quartet has issued a statement applauding the parties for their continued commitment to serious political negotiations. Now we must back up these negotiations with real change on the ground -- change that allows Palestinians and Israelis to believe in a positive future. Only in this way can we lend substance to the process, and send a clear message to people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel that it is meaningful and beneficial to each side. more.. e-mail
Obama’s pastor: Israel has right to exist
Yitzhak Benhorin, YNetNews 4/29/2008
Reverend Jeremiah Wright says Israelis, Palestinians need to talk to each other - WASHINGTON- Controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright, who has been making headlines due to his ties with presidential candidate Barack Obama, spoke out on Monday as part of an attempt to clear his name, following the criticism roused by some of his statements. During his talk, Wright denied comparing Israel’s policies to apartheid, saying that former US President Jimmy Carter had made the connection, not him"My position on Israel is that Israel has a right to exist; that Israelis have a right to exist, as I said, reconciled one to another," he said during his address. "Palestinians and Israelis need to sit down and talk to each other and work out a solution where their children can grow in a world together and not be talking about killing each other; that is not God’s will," he said. more.. e-mail
How Palestinian children really learn
Carol Scheller, Electronic Intifada 4/15/2008
more.. e-mail
Israel puts freedom of expression under ‘house arrest’
Amy Teibel - JERUSALEM, Middle East Online 4/10/2008
more.. e-mail
Police close English radio aimed at Israeli-Palestinian coexistence
Haaretz Service and News Agencies, Ha’aretz 4/8/2008
Police on Monday closed the Jerusalem studio of Ram FM, an English-language West Bank radio station that plays Western music in a stated mission to bring Israelis and Palestinians together. "We instructed the police to close the station in Jerusalem because they were broadcasting without a permit," said a Communications Ministry official. "They interfere with airwaves and endanger airport signals," he added. The station replied in a statement that it had not broken the law. Police shut down the transmitter and closed the studio, taking staff for questioning and hauling away equipment in Monday’s raid, but the station remained on the air via its West Bank frequency 93. 6. Owned by a South African Jewish businessman, it is modeled after a South African station that provided a venue for reconciliation after apartheid. more.. e-mail
Israel detains ’peace radio’ staff over license
News agencies, YNetNews 4/7/2008
RAM-FM Station broadcasts in English in favor of peace between Israelis, Palestinians. Station to continue broadcasting from headquarters in Ramallah - RAM-FM, an English-language radio station broadcasting from a Jerusalem studio, was shut down by police on Monday for transmitting without a proper permit. The West Bank station broadcasts Western music in an attempt to bring Israelis and Palestinians closer together. The station’s headquarters are located in the West Bank city of Ramallah, where it broadcasts on 93. 6 FM. It set up an office in Jerusalem and a local transmitter on another frequency to overcome airwave interference in the city. Police shut down the transmitter and closed the studio, taking away staff for questioning and hauling away equipment. " We instructed the police to close the station in Jerusalem because they were broadcasting. . . " more.. e-mail
Nothing to laugh at here
Sousan Hammad, Electronic Intifada 4/4/2008
more.. e-mail
Middle East: Appeal No. MAA81001 Final Report 2006 - 2007
International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies, ReliefWeb 4/3/2008
This report covers the period of 01/01/06 to 31/12/07 of a two-year planning and appeal process.
In brief Programme summary:Throughout 2006-2007, the geopolitical environment in Middle East region continued to be complex and unstable, due to the protracted conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the Lebanon crisis, and the Iraq crisis; all which deteriorated the humanitarian conditions and increased vulnerability. Under such an environment, the International Federation’s Middle East regional programmes continued focusing on strengthening the capacities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through activating and using the regional thematic networks in order to promote knowledge sharing, coordination and cooperation among the National Societies in the three sub regions - Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf. more.. e-mail
Barenboim to lead concert for peace in Jerusalem
Donald Macintyre, The Independent 3/28/2008
Daniel Barenboim, the Israeli conductor and, since January this year, honorary Palestinian citizen, will lead 33 young Israeli and Palestinian musicians in a special "concert for two peoples" in Jerusalem today. Barenboim said the musicians, some of whom have not played together in public before, will take part in two performances of what he called a concert "against ignorance and lack of curiosity" among the peoples on both sides of the conflict. The Argentinia-born maestro, champion of Palestinian rights and friend of the late Palestinian intellectual Edward Said, said he would not be taking part in celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Israel’s foundation as a state. He said of the anniversary, which to Palestinians is that of the nakba, when hundreds of thousands of refugees fled or were driven from their homes: "It is 60 years of Israel’s independence, which also means that it is 60 years of suffering of the people who were here. " more.. e-mail
Daniel Barenboim shuns Israel’s 60th anniversary
Associated Press, YNetNews 3/27/2008
Controversial conductor to lead orchestra of Israeli, Palestinian youths in concert ’against ignorance’ in Jerusalem, says he will not partake in upcoming festivities marking Israel’s independence out of respect for Palestinian suffering - Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim will lead an orchestra of 33 young Israeli and Palestinians in Jerusalem Friday in what he called a concert ’’against ignorance and lack of curiosity’’ on both sides of the conflict. At a news conference Thursday in the concert hall of the YMCA on the Jewish side of the city, Barenboim said Friday’s two performances, entitled ’’A concert for two peoples,’’ will be the first time the young musicians have played together in public. Barenboim, who was born in Buenos Aires and grew up in Israel, has drawn much criticism for his views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and his decision to perform the works of Hitler’s favorite composer, Wagner. more.. e-mail
’Painful Concessions’ Needed, Says Cheney
Mohammed Mar’i, MIFTAH 3/25/2008
US Vice President Dick Cheney said yesterday that a Mideast peace agreement will require “painful concessions” by Israelis and Palestinians who must work together to defeat those “committed to violence. ”After meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Cheney stressed the US commitment to the creation of an independent Palestinian state, saying it was “long overdue. ”While emphasizing that “painful concessions” were needed from all sides, Cheney added: “It also will require a determination to beat those who are committed to violence and who refuse to accept the basic right of the other side to exist. ”“Terror and violence do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people,” Cheney said. In their meeting, Abbas asked Cheney to help stop Israeli settlement expansion and military operations targeting militants, said Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide. more.. e-mail
Israeli, Arab musicians to play Wagner in Berlin fundraiser for Ramallah
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 3/14/2008
The orchestra is scheduled to perform Wagner’s "Die Walkuere" on August 23 at Berlin’s Waldbuehne - an arena built as part of the complex for the 1936 Olympics by the Nazis. Barenboim said that "Hitler and Wagner would be turning in their graves" if they found out about the concert. He denied, however, that his group had grand political ambitions. "The only thing we say is that we do not believe there is a military solution to the conflict in Palestine," he said. "People need to learn how to live with each other and listen to each other. That’s what we do as musicians every day." He said a concert hall in Ramallah would go far in improving the daily lives of Palestinians. "Political negotiations are important, but everyday life is even more important," he said. more..
Down by the riverside, in Tul Karm and Emek Hefer
Zafrir Rinat, Ha’aretz 2/25/2008
Israelis and Palestinians are working to build a Peace Park that would improve the environmenton both sides of the Green Line.
Many cities throughout the world, including in Israel, have recently declared their commitment to preserve the environment, and some have started projects aimed at saving energy and establishing ecological neighborhoods. It is relatively easy for a prosperous city in western Europe or a flourishing town in Israel such as Kfar Sava to devote more attention to environmental awareness. But what about cities that are struggling, isolated and closed off, such as the Palestinian town of Tul Karm, located less than half an hour’s drive from Kfar Sava? It turns out that even there, Israelis and Palestinians have been working together to improve the environmental situation. Recently, they have been trying to advance a project to set up the Alexander-Zemer Peace Park. more..
Demonstration in Azzoun against the planned destruction of a children’s park
International Solidarity Movement 2/22/2008
Qalqilya Region At 10am, February 21st, a demonstration took place at the children"™s park of Azzoun. Approximately 50 children came together with their teachers, other Palestinians, internationals and Israelis to play and have fun together in what is now left of the park. About three weeks from now, on March 15th, the park is due to be demolished. What was a day full of playing in the sun for the children from the kindergartens of Azzoun, was also a protest against the upcoming demolition. Local leaders, Israelis and international activists gave speeches as a mass of demonstrators waved flags and held up signs protesting the demolition order. After the demonstration the gathered people marched together down to what used to be the main gate of the village, but for two weeks now has been closed by the army. There the peaceful and non-violent demonstration continued at the top of... more..
Increase in Palestinian population living under occupation
Middle East Online 2/10/2008
RAMALLAH, West Bank - The Palestinian population in the West Bank, Gaza and Arab east Jerusalem has risen to 3,761,646, according to the preliminary results of a Palestinian Authority census published on Saturday. Most Palestinians, 2,345,107, live in the West Bank, an increase of 30 percent in 10 years. In the Gaza Strip, the census put the population at 1,416,539, a 39-percent increase, with east Jerusalem at 362,502, a 10-percent rise, Loai Shabana, director of the Palestinian central statistic bureau, told reporters. Final results of the census, carried out every 10 years, would be made public in the coming weeks, the director said. He also condemned the refusal of Israeli authorities to cooperate in the census in Arab east Jerusalem, which was occupied by the Israelis in 1967 and illegally annexed later. more..
Timeline: Palestine since 1915
Al Jazeera 2/5/2008
No country in the Arab World conjures up as much anger and passion in the Arab psyche than Palestine. Palestinians say it is nation of cultures and religions bound together by history and inalienable rights. Israelis say Palestine is a part of land that has been inherently bequeathed to them by God. Religion and culture have often intermixed with colonial influence and the Cold War with deadly effect. Since 1948, and again in 1967, millions of Palestinians have been driven from their homes and live in squalor in refugee camps which festoon the Arab World. In Palestine and Israel violence continues to drown any hopes of a negotiable peace deal to bring stability, security and a just peace to the region. more..
Solana, Blair to travel to Mideast next week
ASSOCIATED PRESS, Jerusalem Post 2/1/2008
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Middle East peace envoy Tony Blair will travel to the Middle East next week to help find a solution to the Gaza border crisis, a senior EU official said Thursday. "All of them will try to work together with all the parties- that is the Egyptians, that is the Israelis, and that is, of course, the Palestinian Authority - to find a solution to a better freedom of movement, of access, particularly on the Rafah crossing," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told reporters at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Speaking after a phone call with Mideast mediators known as the Quartet, Ferrero-Waldner also stressed it was important to ensure that Palestinians had access to basic supplies.
"I think it is highly important that the Palestinian population gets access to humanitarian aid, to basic needs - food, water - and of course fuel, which is so important. more..
The PeaceMaker
Jonathan Ben Efrat, Electronic Intifada 1/29/2008
more..
MIDEAST: Christian Zionists Feel "Betrayed" by Bush’s Road Map
Bill Berkowitz, Inter Press Service 1/22/2008
OAKLAND, California, Jan 22(IPS) - President George W. Bush returned home from his trip to the Middle East optimistic about the possibility of a peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians before he leaves office in January of next year. "In order for there to be lasting peace, [Palestinian] President [Mahmoud] Abbas and [Israeli] Prime Minister [Ehud] Olmert have to come together and make tough choices," Bush said at a joint press conference after meeting with Abbas. "And I’m convinced they will. And I believe it’s possible -- not only possible, I believe it’s going to happen, that there will be a signed peace treaty by the time I leave office. That’s what I believe."
Although Bush is upbeat, it has been business as usual in the Middle East. In recent days, Avegdor Lieberman, chairman of Yisrael Beitcinu, announced his party’s resignation from Israel’s coalition government,... more..
Palestinian Citizenship
Samia Khoury, MIFTAH 1/19/2008
more..
Barenboim becomes first to hold Israeli and Palestinian passports
Kate Connolly in Berlin, The Guardian 1/15/2008
The Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim has been granted Palestinian citizenship for his work in promoting cultural exchange between young people in Israel and the Arab world. The Argentine-born musician is believed to be the first person in the world to possess both Israeli and Palestinian passports after receiving his new documentation at the end of a piano recital in Ramallah in the West Bank at the weekend. "Under the most difficult circumstances he has shown solidarity with the Palestinian people," Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian MP and presidential candidate, said at the recital held to raise money for medical aid for children in the Gaza Strip. Barenboim, 65, who is musical director of the Staatsoper in Berlin and Milan’s La Scala opera house, established his West-Eastern Divan orchestra with the American-Palestinian intellectual Edward Said in 1999 following a workshop in Germany. more..
Israeli Pianist Daniel Barenboim Takes Palestinian Citizenship
Palestine Chronicle 1/15/2008
"It is a great honor to be offered a passport," he said late on Saturday after a Beethoven piano recital in Ramallah, the West Bank city where he has been active for some years in promoting contact between young Arab and Israeli musicians." I have also accepted it because I believe that the destinies of... the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are inextricably linked," Barenboim said. "We are blessed - or cursed - to live with each other. And I prefer the first." Advertisement "The fact that an Israeli citizen can be awarded a Palestinian passport, can be a sign that it is actually possible," he continued. Former Palestinian Information Minister Mustafa Barghouthi, who helped organize Saturday’s concert, said the passport had been approved by the previous government of which he was a member and which was replaced in June. The passport had actually been issued about six weeks ago, he added. more..
Israeli musician gets Palestinian passport
Kate Connolly in Berlin, The Guardian 1/14/2008
The Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim has been granted Palestinian citizenship in recognition of his work in promoting cultural exchange between young people in Israel and the Arab world. The Argentine-born musician is believed to be the first person in the world to possess both passports after receiving his new documentation at the end of a piano concert of Ludwig van Beethoven sonatas, which he performed in Ramallah in the West Bank at the weekend. "Under the most difficult circumstances he has shown solidarity with the Palestinian people," Mustafa Barghouti, the Palestinian MP and presidential candidate said at the charity concert to raise money for medical aid for children in the Gaza Strip. Barenboim, 65, who is musical director of the Staatsoper in Berlin and Milan’s La Scala opera house, established his West-Eastern Divan orchestra with the American-Palestinian intellectual Edward Said in 1999 following a workshop in Germany. more..
Israeli pianist Daniel Barenboim takes Palestinian citizenship
News Agencies, Ha’aretz 1/14/2008
Daniel Barenboim, the world renowned Israeli pianist and conductor, has taken Palestinian citizenship and said he believed his rare new status could serve a model for peace between the two peoples. "It is a great honor to be offered a passport," he said late on Saturday after a Beethoven piano recital in Ramallah, the West Bank city where he has been active for some years in promoting contact between young Arab and Israeli musicians. "I have also accepted it because I believe that the destinies of... the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are inextricably linked," Barenboim said. "We are blessed - or cursed - to live with each other. And I prefer the first." "The fact that an Israeli citizen can be awarded a Palestinian passport, can be a sign that it is actually possible," he continued. more..
Controversy, from Wagner to occupation
Noam Ben Ze''ev, Ha’aretz 1/14/2008
The encore for Daniel Barenboim’s 1998 recital at the Jerusalem Sherover Theater was dedicated to a Palestinian friend of his from Ramallah who attended the concert. Barenboim told the crowd that Tania Nassir, wife of the president of Bir Zeit University, had been barred from entering the city for many year by the Israeli authorities. That was the year that the world-famous pianist began forging friendships and work-related ties with Palestinian musicians and scholars - primarily with the late Palestinian-American intellectual Prof. Edward Said, from Columbia University. Said and Barenboim went on to coauthor "Parallels and Paradoxes" (Random House Books, 2004). Said also became Barenboim’s partner in the Diwan East-West Orchestra, which aimed to bring Palestinian and Jewish musicians together. Barenboim has since often performed in Ramallah, where he founded a music education network. more..
From now on, it’s Barenboim, the Israeli-Palestinian pianist
Reuters, Ha’aretz 1/14/2008
RAMALLAH - Daniel Barenboim, the world-renowned Israeli pianist and conductor, has taken Palestinian citizenship and said he believed his rare new status could serve a model for peace between the two peoples. "It is a great honor to be offered a passport," he said Saturday after a Beethoven piano recital in this West Bank city, where he has been active for years in promoting contact between young Arab and Israeli musicians. "I have also accepted it because I believe that the destinies of... the Israeli people and the Palestinian people are inextricably linked," Barenboim said. "We are blessed - or cursed - to live with each other. And I prefer the first. The fact that an Israeli citizen can be awarded a Palestinian passport, can be a sign that it is actually possible." Former Palestinian information minister Mustafa Barghouti, who helped organize Saturday’s concert, said... more..
Peace Farce in Spain
Agustin Velloso, Palestine Chronicle 12/25/2007
more..
Initial Post-Annapolis Talk
Terry Walz, Palestine Chronicle 12/14/2007
more..
Exclusive interview: Tony Blair
Al Jazeera 12/14/2007
In an exclusive interview, Tony Blair, the special envoy to the Middle East for the Quartet of the UN, US, EU and Russia tells Al Jazeera that in order to bring peace to the region more help is needed to get the Palestinians in a position where they can build the institutions of their own state. He also argues that the difference between Annapolis and previous peace conferences is that the entire international community, including Israel, now see a two-state solution as a priority. Al Jazeera: Can you please put us in the picture of your tour in the region - what are you planning to do after Annapolis and before Paris? Tony Blair : Essentially, the Annapolis conference announced that the Palestinians and Israelis were going to negotiations to resolve the final status issues, in other words to put the peace deal together. more..
German supplies the PA with logistic support
Rami Almeghari, International Middle East Media Center 12/12/2007
German has supplied the Palestinian Authority (PA) with wireless telecommunication devices, worthy of $87. 000, a gesture of support to underway peace-making efforts between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Schteinmaaeir added, "the Palestinian Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, has undertaken security responsibility for the town and we would like to assist him as much as we can".
Such a German assistance to the Palestinian government is a part of continued European Union’s backing to security reforms in the Palestinian territories, particularily the EU’s police mission cooperation with the Palestinian police forces.
Palestinians and Israelis agreed few weeks ago to begin implementation of U. S-backed security arrangements across the West Bank, starting with Nablus city. Such arrangements do not include the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. more..
War of words over an oil named Peace
The Guardian 10/11/2007
Peace Oil, an olive oil made in Israel by Jews and Arabs, would seem an ideal Christmas gift for those wishing to take a stand against consumerism. The oil is one of the products promoted in the Good Gifts catalogue, run by the Charities Advisory Trust (Cat), an organisation founded by Hilary Blume and widely respected for advising charities on ethical ways of generating funds. The blurb on the Peace Oil website claims the product encourages cooperation between communities. By helping to market the olive oil, Cat hopes to bring economic prosperity to such enterprises, thereby encouraging others. Despite its laudable intentions, however, Cat has come under fire from those who claim it is undermining products made by Palestinians and brought into Britain by cooperatives such as Zaytoun. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Jews for Justice for Palestinians, the UK branch... more..
Pray for Success, Because Israel Will Pay the Price of Annapolis Failure
Gershon Baskin, MIFTAH 12/5/2007
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The Middle East’s Middle Ground
The Christian Science Monitor - Editorial, MIFTAH 11/27/2007
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Bridging the Arab-Israeli divide through music
Film tells story of West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by Edward, Daily Star 11/8/2007
Special to The Daily Star Thursday, November 08, 2007 REVIEW BEIRUT: Is it possible to dissolve political conflict within the crucible of cultural exchange? The question has considerable currency these days. It also has a success story of sorts in the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded by the late literary and cultural critic Edward Said and piano virtuoso and symphony conductor Daniel Barenboim. The two men met in the early 1990s and, at first glance, the Palestinian-American critic of Israeli policy and the Israeli Jew seemed unlikely friends. They formed a warm relationship, though, based on their mutual love of music and shared vision of a peaceful Middle East. The story of the Arab-Israeli musical ensemble born out of Said and Barenboim’s friendship is the subject of "Knowledge is the Beginning: the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra," an award-winning documentary by Paul Smaczny. more..
Aid programs show U.S. commitment to Palestinians
United States Department of State, ReliefWeb 10/31/2007
Assistance tied to peace process, two-state solution By David I. McKeeby
USINFO Staff Writer
Washington -- When more than 700,000 Palestinians were displaced following the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli War, the United States was among the first countries to help feed and shelter them, beginning a journey together over the past half-century culminating in the road map for Middle East peace.
Today, “the United States continues to work closely with the Israelis and Palestinians to realize President Bush’s vision of two states living side by side in peace and security,” Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem, told USINFO.
Despite historical U.S. differences with the Palestinian Liberation Organization and current U.S. concerns with Hamas, the United States has been the single largest aid contributor to the 4. more..
Rice is changing the recipe for peace as she goes
David Ignatius Daily Star staff, Daily Star 11/3/2007
It’s an unlikely recipe for peace: Take one unpopular Israeli prime minister still suffering from setbacks in Lebanon; add one politically weak Palestinian president who has lost control of part of his territory; fold in lukewarm support from Arab states. Now, beat the mixture with an energetic secretary of state and cook over high heat. The diplomat in the chef’s hat, Condoleezza Rice, hopes to produce something palatable in time for a big peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in late November or the first half of December. The conference will bring together Israelis and Palestinians, along with a coterie of Arab and international officials. The goal is a document that will commit everyone to creation of a Palestinian state and recognition of the state of Israel. Will it work? The answer will become clear during the next several weeks as Rice pushes both sides to draft the document that will open the conference. more..
Eight-time world surfing champion in Israel to promote peace
Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/19/2007
Israel’s shores may not have the same size waves to offer as Australia but eight-time surfing champion Kelly Slater tested the Mediterranean waters Friday in a visit to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace. Slater, an American of Syrian descent, was visiting Israel for three days to join activities of the groups Surfing for Peace and One Voice. An 86-year-old Jewish member of Surfing for Peace, Dorian Paskowitz, asked Slater to come to Israel to promote the group’s efforts to bring Israelis and Palestinians together through the sport, said his son, David. Advertisement
"My father asked him if he was ready to be not only great surfer but a great man as well," David Paskowitz said. Paskowitz, a retired doctor who has been surfing for 75 years, donated 12 surfboards to Gaza’s small surfing community during his visit in August. more..
Barenboim: New Wagner staging would make Hitler ’turn in grave’
The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 10/17/2007
An opera by Richard Wagner - whose music and anti-Semitic writings influenced Adolf Hitler - will be performed at an open-air theater built under the Nazi regime by an orchestra made up of Israeli and Arab musicians and conducted by a Jew. Star conductor Daniel Barenboim told Germany’s Die Zeit newspaper that the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, which he co-founded, plans next year to perform the first act of Wagner’s Die Walkuere at Berlin’s Waldbuehne - an arena built as part of the complex for the 1936 Olympics by the Nazis. "Can you imagine that? " Barenboim was quoted as saying in the interview, released Wednesday. "The Waldbuehne was built by Hitler. The music is Wagner. Played by us! Hitler and Wagner would turn in their graves." Barenboim said the Divan Orchestra, made up of young musicians from Israel, the Palestinian territories and neighboring Arab countries, is clearly the most important musical project of his life. more..
ISRAEL-OPT: "Joyous occasion" as Palestinian villages connect to electricity grid
Shabtai Gold/IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 10/18/2007
KHIRBET JABARA, 17 October 2007 (IRIN) - Renewed cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank allowed for what both sides described as a "joyous occasion", when this small town of about 300 Palestinian residents was connected on 16 October to the main power grid. "This is going to make life here much better," said Farouq Awad, a member of the local council. "I hope we can now have an industrial zone, open factories and create more jobs." Given the declining Palestinian economy, long-term job creation is desperately needed, Israelis and Palestinians agree. Khirbet Jabara is located between Israel’s barrier and the pre-1967 border known as the Green Line in the Tulkarem District. Palestinians say this severely curtails their freedom of movement, but Israel says it grants permits and allows the residents to travel as they need. more..
Rice wins Egyptian support for peace conference
Associated Press, YNetNews 10/16/2007
US secretary of state meets Egyptian foreign minister in Cairo to discuss preparations for Annapolis peace conference. Aboul Gheit promises Egyptian backing for the summit - - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday won tempered Egyptian support in her quest to nudge Israelis and Palestinians closer together ahead of a Mideast peace conference to be held in November or December. Egypt, a key mediator between the Arabs and Israel, has expressed deep skepticism over the conference in past weeks. A day earlier, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit spoke of postponing it for fear it would fail to bring a real breakthrough in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. But after talks Tuesday with Rice in Cairo, Aboul Gheit promised Egypt’s backing for the gathering. Rice "has helped us to understand the American objective. more..
Palestinian Census First In Decade
Dalia Nammari, MIFTAH 10/16/2007
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Peace Day – Powerful stories
Ron Taylor, International Middle East Media Center 9/25/2007
September 21st is International Peace Day and events to mark the day take place all over the world. The Middle East, where news of peace talks on the Israel - Palestine conflict is in the air, was no exception and last Thursday evening more than 100 people, Israelis and Palestinians plus a sprinkling of internationals, attended the ’Middle East International Day of Peace’.
The theme of the evening was not just the need for peace in the region, but how it can be achieved through dialogue and co-operation across the Israeli - Palestinian divide.
After the preliminaries, which included a minute’s silence, workshops on non-violence, and food prepared by Chefs for Peace, came the main event of the evening, ’Personal Stories’.
The first story was that of Boaz Kitain of The Parents Circle. more..
Renewed commitment to the Palestinian Authority in New York
Government of Norway, ReliefWeb 9/24/2007
The Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) chaired by Norway met at UN Headquarters today.
- I am pleased that the meeting confirmed commitment by the international community to supporting the Palestinian Authority to build strong and viable institutions and to encourage intensified cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis, says Jonas Gahr Støre, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway.
- Efforts to strengthen the Palestinian economy are vital for the ongoing political process between Israel and the Palestinians, says the Foreign Minister.
- I welcome the Quartet’s statement of 23 September which urges all countries to provide immediate financial support to the Palestinian Authority. Preparations for a pledging conference in December need to begin as soon as possible, Mr Støre said. more..
Israel Minister’s Plan to ’Divide Jerusalem’ Sparks Outrage
Agence France Presse, MIFTAH 9/21/2007
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Haim Ramon sparked uproar across the political spectrum on Wednesday with a proposal to divide Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians as part of a peace deal. Ramon, a close ally of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, had written to a member of the Jerusalem city council proposing that Israel cede control over the occupied and annexed eastern sector to the Palestinians. But his comments triggered outrage even among members of Olmert’s governing coalition. "Jerusalem is a city that has been bringing together the Jewish people for thousands of years, and is not a bargaining chip or piece of real estate," said Eli Yishai, trade and industry minister of the ultra-Orthodox Shas party. "Jerusalem is the Jewish people’s right of existence and there is no one who is able to... more..
Architects protest Brown’s JNF patronship
Susannah Tarbush, Electronic Intifada 9/10/2007
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The Next Intifada
Miko Peled, Palestine Chronicle 8/25/2007
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René van der Linden invites President of the Palestinian Authority to address PACE
Council of Europe - COE, ReliefWeb 8/24/2007
Strasbourg, 24. 08. 2007 - The President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), René van der Linden concluded his official visit to the Middle East (18-24 August) by inviting President Mahmoud Abbas to address the Assembly.
In his talks with René van der Linden, President Abbas stressed that security problems in the Palestinian Territories could only be overcome through cooperation between the Israelis and the Palestinians. He fully supported the role of religious leaders and of inter-religious dialogue as a complement to the political process. He added that he was ready to work, alongside Israel, with the Council of Europe to eradicate incitement to hatred from school books and the media.
With the Minister for Prisoners and Ex-prisoners Ashraf Al-Ajramy, René van der Linden raised. more..
In pictures: Surfing for peace
BBC Online 8/21/2007
A Palestinian porter pushes surfboards past the security gates of the Erez Crossing, in the Gaza Strip. The boards have been donated to Palestinian youths by an elderly American surfer. Several Israeli companies and donors also contributed to the donation of 12 surfboards. The gesture is part of the wider "Surfing for Peace" movement. Doran Paskowitz, 86, from Hawaii, handed over some of the surfboards himself. The retired Jewish doctor hopes a love of surfing will help bring Israelis and Palestinians together. Gaza’s surfing community is small. Dr Paskowitz said he was spurred into action after reading about two surfers in Gaza who only had one board to share between them. The beach is one of the few places Gazans can feel free. However, it is closely monitored by the Israeli military which controls the sea off Gaza’s coast and the airspace above. more..
The environment, at a crossroads
Michael J. Caduto, Ha’aretz 8/2/2007
News from the Middle East usually describes conflicts and their root causes in politics, religious fundamentalism and the struggle between Israelis and Palestinians for a homeland. Threats to peace and security are indeed a backdrop for daily existence, but that is only part of the story. In April the Israel Nature and National Parks Protection Authority (INNPPA) invited me to experience the area’s environmental problems - the first step of a collaboration coordinated by the Quebec-Labrador Foundation, an NGO based in Ipswich, Mass. The program brings together conservationists from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, who will use traditional folk stories to teach about the environment. After I met with the Palestine Wildlife Society in the West Bank, INNPPA staff led a tour of Israeli sites that embody key environmental issues. more..
US to broker Middle East peace summit
Ewen MacAskill in Washington and Patrick Wintour, The Guardian 7/16/2007
President George Bush today announced a US-led international conference which would take place before the end of the year to resolve what he said were all the outstanding issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ambitious conference would bring together Israelis, Palestinians and Arab governments in an as yet unannounced location. Playing a central role would be the Middle East group to which Tony Blair has been made special envoy - the Quartet, which is made up of the US, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union.
President Bush’s announcement comes only days before Mr Blair attends his first meeting of the Quartet. The former prime minister has been pushing Mr Bush for the past five years to take an active role in trying to end the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation. more..
The Palestine Follies
Jeffrey D. Sachs, MIFTAH 6/23/2007
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40 Years of Corruption, Racism, Prison, Hunger…
International Solidarity Movement 6/19/2007
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The creeping separation between Arab and Israeli media
Charmaine Seitz, Daily Star 6/18/2007
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40th Anniversary of the Six-Day War
George Bisharat, Palestine Chronicle 6/5/2007
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The perils of turning peace into an industry
Akram Baker, Daily Star 5/31/2007
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Nobel laureates gather in Petra
Middle East Online 5/15/2007
King Abdullah II urges laureates to help youth of Mideast make conflicts a chapter in history books. PETRA, Jordan - Jordan’s King Abdullah II opened a two-day conference of Nobel laureates on Tuesday, urging them to help the youth of the Middle East make conflicts "a chapter in history books". "Working together, a new generation in the Middle East can move into a future of hope. It is not a distant dream," King Abdullah said ahead of talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the stalled Middle East peace process. "Conflict can be a chapter in history books," said the king. "Palestinians, Israelis, Jordanians, and others can work together to end poverty, conserve resources, protect children. They can be models, in a new era, thus continuing our region’s heritage of co-existence and social responsibility. more..
Accepting the other in Palestine
Ziad Asali, Daily Star 5/1/2007
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A Time to Speak Out: Independent Jewish Voices
By Independent Jewish Voices, Electronic Intifada 2/9/2007
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Teach-in at Hebron checkpoint
International Solidarity Movement 1/30/2007
Thursday February 1st at 2:00pm, a teach-in will be held in front of the Tel Rumeida checkpoint in the city of Hebron. The theme of this week’s action is the non-violent resistance promoted by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was one of the pioneers of the civil rights movement in the United States in the early 60s and was the youngest person ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The children of Tel Rumeida will gather together for their weekly art lesson at the checkpoint where they will learn about the work of Dr. King and will create a T-shirt with Dr. King’s famous quote: “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” in Arabic, English and Hebrew. Palestinians, internationals and Israelis are invited to come to the teach-in. more..
At Davos, Palestinian and Israeli youths tell Abbas, Livni and Peres, ’Enough!’
Ma’an News Agency 1/26/2007
Ordinary young Palestinian and Israeli citizens were given an unprecedented opportunity on Thursday 25 January. At the World Economic Forum, held in the Swiss resort of Davos, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Vice Premier Shimon Peres and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni listened to video statements from youths in Ramallah, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. These youths, mobilized by the youth movement, OneVoice, had had "Enough!" They had one question for their leaders – and for everyone else attending the conference or watching live online – ’What Are You Willing to Do to End the Conflict? ’ On a large screen behind the podium, Nisreen Shaheen, the Executive Director of OneVoice Palestine, appeared to give a statement by video from Al Qasaba, the largest hall in the West Bank city of Ramallah. more..
Emma Thompson bids for Palestinian Rights
Electronic Intifada/Enough! 1/27/2007
Broadbased coalition in support of an end to Israeli occupation set for launch -- Record-breaking actor Emma Thompson revealed today why she is helping to make political history by supporting Britain’s first broad-based alliance for a just peace in the Middle East. Ms Thompson earned her Oscars for best actress in Howard’s End and for best-adapted screenplay for adapting Jane Austen’s novel Sense and Sensibility. The only person ever to have won film Oscars for acting and writing is backing a new historic drive for a just settlement between Israelis and Palestinians. The ENOUGH! coalition, representing over three million people in charities, trade unions, faith and campaign groups has come together to mark this year’s 40th anniversary of the Israeli military occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem. more..
Joint technology conference heralds Israeli-Palestinian business cooperation
Ma’an News Agency 1/18/2007
Ramallah – Several Palestinian companies will participate in a conference for information technology, to be held in Tel Aviv next Monday. The conference is being organised by the Palestinian centre for commerce, PalTrade, and Beta, the general union of information systems workers, in cooperation with the Peres Centre for Peace. Twenty five companies will participate, with a number of Israeli companies also specialising in technology and information systems. It is expected that a number of strategic alliances will be forged between the Palestinian companies and their Israeli counterparts. [end]
EU general: Fatah committed to ending cash smuggling
Jerusalem Post 12/21/2006
The economic noose around Hamas tightened a bit Thursday when the head of the European Union’s monitoring mission in Rafah, Gen. Pietro Pistolese, told reporters that the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah forces, which operate that border crossing, have committed themselves to resolving the problem of cash smuggling into Gaza. Pistolese said the EU knew of some $60 million in cash that had passed through the Rafah border crossing. While Pistolese spoke in strong language about the need to stop the flow of money, he said that what had been secured from the Palestinians was a commitment to finding a solution rather than an agreement to stop the smuggling all together." It’s not an agreement, it’s a commitment. This commitment was expressed yesterday morning at the committee of Palestinians, Israelis and EU officials..." more..
Twenty years later, still no charges in Alex Odeh assassination
By Erik Skindrud, Electronic Intifada 12/6/2006
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Israeli, Palestinian DJs plan joint performance in London
Ha’aretz 11/28/2006
Two disk jockeys, one Israeli and one Palestinian, are planning put on a joint performance in London on December 21. Israeli Srulik Einhorn and Palestinian Khalil Kamal have performed together in the past, along with Jordanian DJ Kalis, at the Ha’Oman 17 Club in Jerusalem, despite initial attempts by the Interior Ministry to block Kalis’s entry into Israel. The London party, titled "Bridge of Peace," is being organized by Einhorn along with the World Zionist Organization. Einhorn invited Kalis to perform at the London party as well, but Kalis refused, because it was being organized by the WZO." WZO officials approached us after they read about the Jerusalem party on the Internet and invited us to come and perform in a party that would show young Jews in London that cooperation between Jews and Arabs is possible," said Einhorn. more..
Israeli activists help Palestinians harvest olive crop
By Jennie Matthew, Ma’an News 10/27/2006
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Haredi settlement donates medical supplies to Palestinians
YNet News 10/26/2006
Residents of Modeiin Elite donate NIS 30,000 in medical equipment to neighboring Palestinian village. Residents of both celebrate in ceremony in Modeiin Elite -- Is there a chance for Israeli-Palestinian coexistence in the West Bank? Thursday, residents of the Modeiin Elite settlement donated NIS 30,000 worth of medical equipment to an ambulance from the neighboring Palestinian village of Naleen. The ambulance itself was purchased by village residents, but they didn’t have enough money for equipment inside the ambulance. Resident Husseini Nafar said that they originally appealed to Palestinian Authority sources, who told them to "find another donor". Their next appeal was made to head of Modeiin Elite’s security Shuky Guterman, who remains in constant contact with village residents. more..
Palestinians and Israelis unite against war in Lebanon and destruction of Gaza
Ma''an News 8/1/2006
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Let us talk fast: Stop the killings and start negotiating
Palestine News Network 8/2/2006
On Wednesday, August 2, 2006, at 2pm, Lebanese, Israeli and Palestinian citizens will hunger strike in relays at the U.S. State Department joined by many others around the world. The message, together with other Christians, Muslims, and Jews is:Stop the killing and start negotiations with all the fighting parties. Mubarak Awad, says “As Lebanese, Israelis, and Palestinians, now living in Washington D C, we call upon Americans of all faiths to show compassion for the victims and ethical concern for the current violence by fasting for peace and justice. The right to life is the most valuable of all. ”Edy Kaufman says “We call on the United States government and all the conflicting parties to talk officially or unofficially to each other instead of trying to kill and injure each other... " more..
VIDEO - Occupied Minds
LinkTV 7/26/2006
Broadcast Schedule - July 26, 8 PM -- Occupied Minds is the story of two journalists, Jamal Dajani, a Palestinian-American and David Michaelis, an Israeli citizen, who journey to Jerusalem, their mutual birthplace, to explore new solutions and offer unique insights into the divisive Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The film takes viewers on an emotional and intensely personal odyssey through the streets of one of the world’s most volatile regions. Dajani and Michaelis grew up in Jerusalem just a few miles apart from one another—but in reality, worlds apart. Both have extensive and complex ties to their homeland. Jamal traces his family history in Jerusalem back to the 7th century, while David was born in Jerusalem to parents who had immigrated from Germany in the 1920’s to escape growing anti-Semitism. -- Video: View a 9-minute trailer in streaming format more..
A Viable Palestinian State
New York Times Editorial, republished by Palestine Monitor 5/25/2006
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Palestinians, Israelis Decry Settlers'' Jungle Law
Palestine Chronicle 5/19/2006
Walking around downtown Hebron to see the homes where their descendants once lived in harmony with Palestinians, the nine Israelis were shocked to the bones. -- HEBRON, West Bank - The occupied West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil) was once an icon of peaceful co-existence between Palestinians and Jews, but for years the city has been plagued by fanatic Jewish settlers. "There is no justice. It''s a jungle law here," Palestinian coffee shop owner Hani Abu Haikal told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday, May 18. "Settlers can kill, shoot, attack, do anything," he added, flanked by a group of Israelis visiting the occupied city. Abu Haikal recalled last year''s assault by Jewish settlers on his hilltop villa while he was entertaining a group of his Israeli and Christian friends. The attack caused his elderly father to collapse in shock and later die. more..
One bowl serves many
By Rachel Shabi, AlJazeera 5/8/2006
Israeli and Palestinian artists have joined forces to send a message of reconciliation. Their exhibition, which opened on Saturday, drew more than 2,500 people to at the Museum of Israeli Art, Ramat Gan, in suburban Tel Aviv. Offering Reconciliation showcases the work of more than 130 Israeli and Palestinian artists, who took part in the project for the Bereaved Families Forum for Peace, Reconciliation and Tolerance. The group hopes to spread its message to a wider audience through art. "To reach a different people, you need different mediums," says Aziz Abu Sarah, one of the forum directors. "Even people who disagree with our message were able to come to the exhibition and see what we are doing. "The exhibition features artists such as Menashe Kadishman, Dani Karavan and Mohammad Said Kalash alongside emerging talents. One bowl: Each artist was given an identical ceramic bowl from which to create their work. "The bowl is connected with the basic gesture of feeding, or giving," says Dafna Zmora, one of the exhibition curators. "It is something that contains – a message or an idea. "Some artists smashed the bowl and presented a work from its pieces. Others built sculptures with the bowl as a base or used the bowl as a canvas for paintings. more..
A Joint March of Palestinians and Israelis:
International Solidarity Movement 5/11/2006
No to Walls and Checkpoints - Yes to Negotiation - No to Unilateral “Convergence” -- In contrast to the Israeli government’s assertion that “there is no partner”, and its program for unilateral annexation, the residents of A-Ram continue their joint activities with Israelis, against the occupation and for a peace that is just for both peoples. This march is the first in a series of actions by a coalition of Israelis and Palestinians together with the residents of A-Ram. The Wall, which bisects the main street of A-Ram, has critically damaged the life of the residents. It has divided families, stopped workers from reaching their workplace and cut off teachers and students from their schools; in fact, three schools have already been forced to close. The Wall has turned a thriving urban center into a jail. more..
Outside The Fence
By Asafa Peled, International Solidarity Movement/Yedioth Aharonot 4/14/2006
[Translation: Adam Keller] The Separation Fence is closing in upon more and more Palestinian villages. Their inhabitants are cut off from sources of livelihood. Some Israelis are not willing to remain silent. Matan Cohen lost an eye because of it. Shai Karmeli-Polak gave up for its sake a promising career. Leila Mosinzon is going to prison for its sake, next month. The Separation Fence has become their obsession. What is it about this wall, designed to separate Israelis from Palestinians, which is bringing young people to give up the well-fed bourgeois life and get tear gas blown in their face every Friday afternoon? The border inside. For a long time, dozens of villagers - children, youths and adults - waited at the entrance to the Beit Sira Municipal Council building. They were very excited, and it burst out when the car stopped nearby. A seventeen-year old boy came out, a bit clumsy and wearing glasses who looked like a a typical Tel-Aviv high school pupil. The crowd surrounded him with shining eyes, and stood in line to shake his hand. The boy, wearing stylish jeans and Adidas shoes, seemed rather embarrassed by this very warm reception. “You were willing to give your eye for our struggle” said one of the village leaders to Matan Cohen. “You risked your life to let our voice be heard. If it was possible, each one of us here would have exchanged his good eye for your damaged one”. This was Matan Cohen’s first visit to the village after being severely hurt in his eye by a rubber bullet shot by a Border Guard soldier a month and half ago during an anti-fence demonstration. Cohen had undergone two operations already and his sight is very limited. Only in some months will it be clear if he would be able to see with the damaged eye. Sunlight is difficult for him and he is blinking all the time. | | |
