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Settlers destroy natural spring used by Palestinians for farming near Salfit 3/9/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - International Solidarity Movement, 8 March - A group of Israeli settlers today destroyed a spring by the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan in the Salfit district. The settlers poured sand and cement into the spring, guarded by five armed members of the Israeli military. Palestinians from the village were forced to watch helplessly as events unfolded, prevented by the soldiers from moving close to the spring or from filming what was happening. International Solidarity Movement volunteers were able to secretly film for a short time before the soldiers noticed, and made both Palestinians and Internationals leave, saying that the area was now designated as a Closed Military Zone. Last Friday, a large group of both Palestinians and internationals spent the day clearing the area around the spring to make it more accessible from the village. Iranian Filmmaker Speaks Out on Prisoners New York Times 9 Mar 2010 - Abbas Kiarostami, a celebrated Iranian filmmaker, published an open letter in a Tehran newspaper on Tuesday calling for the release two directors recently detained by the authorities. The filmmaker provided The Lede with an English translation of his letter. "Palestinian cinema is a cause": an interview with Hany Abu-Assad Electronic Intifada: 8 Mar 2010 - Nazareth-born filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad is best known internationally for his 2005 film Paradise Now about two young, attractive Palestinian men from Nablus in the occupied West Bank who are drawn into a suicide bombing mission in Tel Aviv. It was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The Electronic Intifada contributor Sabah Haider spoke with Hany Abu Assad about how his films are received, Palestinian cinema and the challenges of filmmaking. "Palestinian cinema is a cause": an interview with Hany Abu-Assad Electronic Intifada: 8 Mar 2010 - Nazareth-born filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad is best known internationally for his 2005 film Paradise Now about two young, attractive Palestinian men from Nablus in the occupied West Bank who are drawn into a suicide bombing mission in Tel Aviv. It was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Foreign Language Film category. The Electronic Intifada contributor Sabah Haider spoke with Hany Abu Assad about how his films are received, Palestinian cinema and the challenges of filmmaking. ’Ajami’ generates Palestinian discussion 3/7/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - As the Palestinian Israeli film Ajami competes for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Film category, its residents speak of their lives within the Palestinian neighborhood in Tel Aviv. During her weekly radio show Cup of Coffee on Voice of Israel, Palestinian journalist Iman Al-Qasim Suleiman, born in Jaffa, spoke of the area and its residents, where the film is based, and spoke with prominent members of the community. Suleimansaid Ajami shows the tragic life in Jaffa - a challenge for the decision makers and the officials in order to invest in area. Municipality official, Ahmad Mashharawi, spoke of the housing crisis in Jaffa, particularly home demolitions and are working to attract investors to begin housing construction. Gabi Abad, the president of Jaffa Arabs Affairs, said his association is national that sees unity as the best way to ensure Palestinians' civil rights. VIDEO - Finkelstein in Prague 3/7/2010 - P U L S E - Last week, Norman Finkelstein delivered a series of lectures in Prague as part of his European speaking tour. Finkelstein was initially invited to speak at the prestigious Czech Academy of Sciences but had his invitation revoked less than 24 hours prior to his scheduled talk, allegedly at the behest of the Prime Minister’s office. A similar fate befell Finkelstein’s appearance in Munich and Berlin, where the Heinrich Boll and Rosa Luxembourg Foundations cancelled the events, following “a concerted campaign by neoconservative and pro-Israeli pressure groups, such as Honestly Concerned and BAK Shalom, known for their unconditional support of Israeli policies and the defamation of critics as anti-Semites. ’Ajami’ director says he doesn’t represent Israel 3/7/2010 - Yahoo! News - JERUSALEM – The Israeli-Arab co-director of the Oscar-nominated film "Ajami" set off a last-minute uproar Sunday, saying he won't be representing Israel when he attends the Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood. "Ajami" depicts the brutal life of drugs, violence and poverty in a mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood in the Mediterranean city of Jaffa. It was nominated for best foreign-language film. Scandar Copti directed the film along with a Jewish-Israeli partner, Yaron Shani. Copti has been critical of Israel's policies toward its Arab minority, which makes up about one-fifth of Israel's population of 7 million citizens. Israel's Arabs, unlike Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, enjoy the benefits of Israeli citizenship. However, they frequently suffer discrimination in housing and job opportunities, and their communities often receive less in government funds than Jewish towns. Could ‘Ajami’ win best foreign film tonight? Palestine Note 7 Mar 2010 - A gritty multicultural crime drama, set in Ajami , a crumbling ancient Palestinian neighborhood of the ancient town of Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, is a leading Academy Awards contender in the Best Foreign Film category. Made... Ajami co-director ahead of the Oscars: I don't represent Israel Ha'aretz 7 Mar 2010 - Ajami co-director Scandar Copti on Sunday said that he does not represent Israel, hours before his film competes for the best foreign film Oscar at the Academy Awards, Army Radio reported. ... Interview: Hamas leader's son – Shin Bet agent YNet News 7 Mar 2010 - (Video) 'My father is paying the highest price, more than me, more than anyone else… but this is good for peace.' Double agent Masab Yousef talks to Yair Lapid in an exclusive interview with Channel 2 News from Within Videocast: The Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem Alternative Information Center - Friday, 05 March 2010, The US-based Center for Constitutional Rights is petitioning various United Nations offices, of Palestinian families whose ancestors are buried in the Mamila Cemetery. The cemetery better known as Mamilla, has been a... As Ajami competes for Oscar, Jaffa protest spotlights reality behind film Ha'aretz 6 Mar 2010 - A day before a film about crime and tension in Jaffa will compete for an Academy Award, protestors took to the streets to denounce what they see as increased police violence in Jaffa. ... News from Within Videocast: The Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem Alternative Information Center - 6 Mar 2010 - Friday, 05 March 2010, The US-based Center for Constitutional Rights is petitioning various United Nations offices, of Palestinian families whose ancestors are buried in the Mamila Cemetery. The cemetery better known as Mamilla, has been a Muslim burial ground since the 7th century, when companions of... Video - Israel: Mossad support 'soars' after murder Uruknet March 5, 2010 - "Don't mess with Mossad". T-shirts with hard-hitting messages relating to the Israeli spy agency have been selling like hot cakes throughout Israel. And the agency's official website has reported a "soaring" number of people applying to be agents. The drastic increase in popularity follows the murder of a Hamas leader in Dubai, in which Mossad has... 'Sleepless in Gaza... and Jerusalem' is a fresh take on Palestinian life Palestine Note 5 Mar 2010 - By Sarah Harlan - Palestine Note March 5, 2010 The premier episode of the 90-part series " Sleepless in Gaza... and Jerusalem " launched on YouTube Monday. "Sleepless" is a video diary following the lives of... Sheikh Jarrah Jews sing Purim praises of Baruch Goldstein Jeruslalem Post 5 Mar 2010 - Video surfaces on Internet features songs hailing Hebron massacre killer. Turkish filmmaker takes aim at U.S. and Israel Ha'aretz 5 Mar 2010 - Most expensive Turkish production set to tell story of Palestine, by man accused of anti-Semitism. Oscar hopes high as 'Ajami' crew heads for Hollywood Ha'aretz 4 Mar 2010 - The Israeli filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated picture "Ajami" arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday to attend this Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theater. ... Fundamentalist Settlers Praise Goldstein, Celebrate His Massacre IMEMC - Thursday March 04, 2010 - 13:15, Israeli Ynet News obtained a video showing fundamentalist Jewish settlers celebrating the memory of terrorist Dr. Baroch Goldstein, and praising his crime that targeted Muslim worshipers at the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron in February 25, 1994, killing 46 worshipers and wounding dozens. Fundamentalist Settlers Praise Goldstein, Celebrate His Massacre Uruknet March 4, 2010 - Israeli Ynet News obtained a video showing fundamentalist Jewish settlers celebrating the memory of terrorist Dr. Baroch Goldstein, and praising his crime that targeted Muslim worshipers at the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron in February 25, 1994, killing 46 worshipers and wounding dozens. The setters were dancing and singing a special song meant to praise Goldstein and... Hopes high for an Oscar as'Ajami' crew heads for Hollywood Ha'aretz 4 Mar 2010 - The Israeli filmmakers behind the Oscar-nominated picture "Ajami" arrived in Los Angeles yesterday to attend this Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony at the Kodak Theater. ... VIDEO - ‘Gaza is an open-air prison’ 3/2/2010 - P U L S E - John Holmes, the United Nation’s humanitarian chief, has revisited the Gaza Strip, a year after Israel’s assault on the territory ended. He told Al Jazeera that it was disappointing how little has changed since the war and that there has been no real possibility of reconstruction, mainly because of Israel’s siege of the Strip. He said the blockade resulted in misery for the Palestinians. “They’re living in a kind of open-air prison. They’re still suffering this kind of collective punishment they’ve been suffering for three years now. " " Palestinians suspect Israel's hand behind double scandal The National 3 Mar 2010 - Senior presidential aide shamed in video, then Hamas founder's son claims he was a Shin Bet spy. Germany urges UN: Vote against Iran for Human Rights seat Ha'aretz 3 Mar 2010 - German FM: Iran on council would be an affront to human rights; Scientists, filmmakers slam abuses. Murderer sues state to play Sony PlayStation behind bars Ha'aretz 3 Mar 2010 - The Israel Prison Service policy barring prisoners from having advanced models of Sony's PlayStation video game console has motivated a convicted murderer to file a court petition to reverse the decision. ... Iran Arrests Filmmaker Who Backed Opposition New York Times 3 Mar 2010 - Iranian authorities raided the home of Jaffar Panahi early Tuesday morning and arrested him, his wife and daughter, along with 15 guests, the opposition Web site Jaras reported. Video: UN envoy: Gaza an open-air prison Uruknet March 2, 2010 - John Holmes, the United Nation's humanitarian chief, has revisited the Gaza Strip, a year after Israel's assault on the territory ended. He told Al Jazeera that it was disappointing how little has changed since the war and that there has been no real possibility of reconstruction, mainly because of Israel's siege of the Strip. He said... Video: Palestinian Political Prisoners and Popular Resistance Uruknet March 2, 2010 -- The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) is planning to demolish tens of Palestinian homes in the Silwan neighborhood of occupied Jerusalem, south of the Aqsa Mosque, in order to build a public park. Sources in the IOA-controlled Jerusalem municipality said that the fanatic mayor of occupied Jerusalem Nir Barakat is expected to announce in a press conference... Hamas extends detention of British filmmaker 2 Mar 2010 - Gaza, March 2, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - A Hamas military court in Gaza decided Monday to extend the detention of a British journalist for another 15 days of interrogation on suspicion of unspecified security offenses. The journalist, Paul Martin, a freelance filmmaker, was arrested Feb. 14 at the trial of a Palestinian accused of collaborating with Israel. Martin planned to... IDF unveils recon system YNet News 2 Mar 2010 - (Video) Field Intelligence Corps release first-time footage of 'spot and strike' in action Soldiers prevent filming in West Bank B'tselem 27 Feb 2010 - Although the army states that filming in the Occupied Territories is permitted, B'Tselem's staff and volunteers have been harassed, and even assaulted, by soldiers and officers while filming in the West Bank. Repeated complaints to military officials have Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker arrested in late-night raid LA Times 3 Mar 2010 - Tehran's top prosecutor says the detention of award-winning director Jafar Panahi is unrelated to his reformist politics. Panahi's son said computers and other personal property were confiscated. One of Iran's most acclaimed film directors has been detained amid an ongoing government crackdown against the opposition, an official said Tuesday. Gaza military court extends detention of UK journalist 3/2/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - A Gaza government military court extended the detention of British journalist and filmmaker Paul Martin on Monday for an additional15 days as an investigation into alleged "security breaches" continues. Spokesman for the de facto government's Ministry of Interior Ihab Al-Ghussein said the military prosecutor agreed to extend Martin's detention pending further investigations. Al-Ghussein said the journalist is being treated in accordance with international law, adding that Martin had been put in touch with his wife. Martin was detained on 14 January a Gaza courtroom when he arrived to testify at the trial of a Palestinian who was accused of collaborating with Israel. Martin reportedly interviewed the accused man for a documentary. The journalist is the first foreign national to be arrested since Hamas took full control of the territory in 2007. Israeli soldiers disturb and assault B'Tselem’s video photographers in the West Bank despite army’s declaration that filming is permitted Uruknet February 28, 2010 - In early 2007, B'Tselem launched a camera distribution project in which it supplies video cameras to Palestinians living in areas in the Occupied Territories where confrontations commonly occur. The project’s objective is to aid Palestinians under occupation to bring the reality of their lives to the attention of the Israeli and international public, expose violation of... 'Target Jordan' says al-Qaeda agent AlJazeera 28 Feb 2010 - Posthumous video by suicide bomber details spy agency's collaboration with US. British journalist arrested in Gaza faces two more weeks in detention The Guardian 1 Mar 2010 - Film-maker Paul Martin is first foreign journalist to be arrested in Gaza since Hamas seized control A British journalist who has been held in Gaza for two weeks without charge faces a further fortnight in detention... Jordan denies any role in Mughniyeh killing Daily Star 1 Mar 2010 AMMAN: Jordan on Monday dismissed posthumous video claims by a double-agent who killed seven United States intelligence officers that Amman was involved in the assassination of two Hizbullah and Al-Qaeda commanders. Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, in a video made before his suicide attack, accused his home country of involvement Is Hamas accusing British journalist detained in Gaza of looking for captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit? Marian Houk, UN-Truth 2/15/2010 Freelance British Journalist Paul Martin — apparently a documentary filmmaker — was detained yesterday at a courthouse in Gaza City by Hamas authorities on “suspicion of breaking local/’Palestinian’ laws”, and Gaza’s Attorney General has now ordered him held for 15 days. Martin is reportedly now in Gaza City’s central prison. As the AP reports, this is “an unprecedented step against a foreign reporter since the Islamic militants seized control of Gaza in 2007?. The AP report noted that “Hamas has prided itself in ending the lawlessness of vigilante gunmen, and has largely stayed clear of foreign journalists since seizing the territory in 2007. It wasn’t immediately clear whether Mr. Martin’s arrest signaled a change in policy. The Interior Ministry statement said foreigners are welcome in Gaza, but that ‘anyone who tries to violate the security of Gaza will be held accountable’.” Ma’an News Agency reported this morning that the spokesman of what they editorially refer to as the “de facto Ministry of Interior” in Gaza, Ihab Al-Ghussein, “told Ma’an that an arrest warrant for Martin was issued following the confession of a defendant charged with collaborating with Israel. The defendant ‘has confessed against the British journalist and said he [Martin] violated Palestinian law and the security in Gaza’, Al-Ghussein said”. However, as Ma’an noted, Martin was detained as he arrived to testify at the trial of the man whose accusations were then used as the basis for Martin’s arrest. Ma’an described the man as “a Palestinian fighter accused of collaborating with Israel, a journalist present at the courthouse in Gaza City told Ma’an”. more.. e-mail Haniyeh thanks UAE for efforts on Al-Mabhouh slaying 2/27/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - De facto government Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh talked to President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa Ibn Zayid on Friday to thank him for the efforts of Dubai police in their investigation of Hamas man Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh last month. The suspicious circumstances around the death of Al-Mabhouh, who was originally announced to have died from cancer complications, were gradually uncovered by UAE authorities, and lead to allegations that the death was an organized Israeli Mossad hit on the Hamas leader. Dubai hotel and airport video cameras tracked the movements of the alleged assassins, and police made public the passport photos and assumed nationalities of the 11 and then 15 alleged killers. Officials in Britain, Ireland, Australia, France and Germany were angered that passports of nationals had been used in the plot. West Bank: Weekly Protest Video Round-Up Uruknet February 27, 2010 - ...Dozens of protesters suffered teargas inhalation in a demonstration against the Wall and settlements in Bil’in which was joined by Israeli and international activists. Despite the bad weather, protesters marched on the streets of the village chanting slogans and singing national songs. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and called for national unity against the Israeli occupation... Listen to the Heroes of Israel Uruknet February 27, 2010 - ...Whenever I am asked about heroes, I say Rami and his wife Nurit without hesitation. Soon after when we met, Rami gave me a home videotape that was difficult to watch. It shows his daughter Smadar, aged 14, throwing her head back, laughing and playing the piano... Rami was in his car when he turned on... Dispersing white phosphorous clouds over Gaza Gideon Levy, Haaretz, Israeli Occupation Archive 2/25/2010 If you have a moment or are bored or depressed, if you suspected there might be some truth in the criticism of Israel, or if you just feel like laughing out loud, just enter the Information and Diaspora Ministry’s Web site. There you’ll find an innovation of global proportions – propaganda intended to mislead propagandists and public relations to deceive PR experts, rather than the target audience. Nicolae Ceausescu couldn’t have phrased it better, and the Cairo radio station that broadcast threats in pidgin Hebrew before the Six-Day War never sounded as ludicrous. The Information Ministry presents: an insult to intelligence, contempt of reason – not only to the intelligence of “people overseas,” to whom this cheap propaganda is geared, but to us, self-declared Israeli “ambassadors.” If this is the official message from Israel then we’re really in trouble. If these are our arguments, then all our critics are right. Information and propaganda ministries exist, but in the third world. Welcome, Israel. Sex, lies and videotape? There’s not much sex on this site, but plenty of all the rest – mixed with trivia, tastelessness and embarrassing parochialism. How shall we begin our “information” quest? Perhaps with the list of achievements – 15 million bags of Bamba produced a month – 1,000 bags a minute of that peanut-butter-flavored children’s snack. We’re also a rising Krembo power – 50 million a season of that chocolate-coated marshmallow treat. The heart swells with pride. There’s nothing like it in the world. A land of milk, Krembo and Bamba. So why don’t you visit us for the Krembo? Maybe you’ll end up liking us for the Bamba. The actress Ayelet Zurer is doing well in Hollywood, and another Israeli is the world’s cotton-growing champion. And an epilator that “makes women happy all over the world” was invented in Israel. more.. e-mail Weekly Protest Video Round-Up Palestine Monitor: 27 Feb 2010 - Heavy rain prevented popular resistance marches scaling the peaks of Bi'lin last week, but up and down the country demonstrators made their feelings known. BILIN Dozens of protesters suffered teargas inhalation in a demonstration against the Wall and settlements in Bil'in which was joined by Israeli and international activists. Despite the bad weather, protesters marched on the streets of the village chanting slogans and singing national songs. The protesters carried Palestinian flags and called for national unity against the Israeli occupation and against the confiscation of the Bilal ben Rabah mosque in Bethlehem and the Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron . Protesters also called on Palestinians to resist the new Israeli policies in Hebron district. When protesters reached the wall, an Israeli army unit was situated behind a block of cement. The gate that leads to the confiscated land was already closed with barbed wire. The army immediately fired high-velocity tear gas... Harvard Fellow calls for genocidal measure to curb Palestinian births 2/26/2010 - Axis of Logic - this would "happen faster if the West stops providing pro-natal subsidies to Palestinians with refugee status. "- Electronic Intifada - A fellow at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Martin Kramer, has called for "the West" to take measures to curb the births of Palestinians, a proposal that appears to meet the international legal definition of a call for genocide. Kramer, who is also a fellow at the influential Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), made the call early this month in a speech at Israel's Herzliya conference, a video of which is posted on his blog ("Superfluous young men," 7 February 2010). In the speech Kramer rejected common views that Islamist "radicalization" is caused by US policies such as support for Israel, or propping up despotic dictatorships, and stated that it was inherent in the demography of Muslim societies such as Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip. Israel’s PR ministry takes swipe at foreign media 2/25/2010 - Yahoo! News - JERUSALEM (Reuters) – European correspondents reporting from Israel are depicted as stupid and condescending in video spoofs on a new government website created to help improve Israel's image abroad. The lampoon of foreign media suggests Israel is regularly displayed to gullible European audiences by ignorant journalists as a very backward country, marked only by a propensity for war. Israel is concerned that, after its offensive on the Gaza Strip last year, its image abroad is suffering. The main aim of the website is to offer tips to Israelis traveling abroad on how to correct common myths and misperceptions about their country. Some members of the sizable foreign press corp here see it as a heavy-handed swipe that could turn public opinion even more against foreign media, who are seen as biased against Israel. " We see this as a very worrisome development from the point of view of. . . . Video: tensions rise over holy sites Uruknet February 25, 2010 - The assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a Hamas official in Dubai, almost certainly by a death squad dispatched by Israel's Mossad, is by no means the first such aggression against the sovereignty of another state. While Israel has literally gotten away with murder thousands of times, was this one killing too far? Israel has a long, bloody... Israeli forces raid kindergarten, detain 5 in Beit Ummar 2/25/2010 - Hebron - Ma'an - Israeli troops detained five Beit Ummar residents from their homes north of Hebron Thursday morning, and handed papers to nine others demanding that they appear in front of Israeli intelligence officials. The Toyur Al-Janneh (Birds of Heaven) kindergarten building was also raided and ransacked, Palestinian Solidarity Project spokesman Muhammad Awad said. Awad identified those detained as: Ibrahim Awad, 18, Iyad Za'aqiq, 34, Nader Bahar, 37, Muhamad Alami, 17, and Hasan Alami, 22. He said they were all taken to an unknown location. [end]Related: VIDEO - Tuiur Al Jannah - Al Maa` News from Within Videocast: Bil'in Celebrates Five Years of Struggle Alternative Information Center - Tuesday, 23 February 2010, One week after work to reroute the path of the Wall in Bil'in had began, more than a thousand demonstrators celebrated five years of struggle by dismantling a section of the Wall... News from Within Videocast: Bil'in Celebrates Five Years of Struggle Alternative Information Center - 25 Feb 2010 - Tuesday, 23 February 2010, One week after work to reroute the path of the Wall in Bil'in had began, more than a thousand demonstrators celebrated five years of struggle by dismantling a section of the Wall and taking over a military post. Among the demonstrators were... Mossad’s Murderous Reach: The Larger Political Issues James Petras, Dissident Voice 2/22/2010 On January 19 Israel’s international secret police, the Mossad, sent an eighteen member death squad to Dubai using European passports, supposedly ‘stolen’ from Israeli dual citizens and altered with fake photos and signatures, in order to assassinate the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud al Mabhouh. The evidence is overwhelming: The Dubai police presentation of detailed security videos of the assassins was corroborated by the testimony of Israeli security experts and applauded by Israel’s leading newspapers and columnists. The Mossad openly stated that Mabhouh was a high priority target who had survived three previous assassination attempts. Israel did not even bother to deny the murder. Furthermore, the sophisticated communication system used by the killers, the logistics and planning surrounding their entry and exit from Dubai and the scope and scale of the operation have all the characteristics of a high-level state operation. Furthermore, only Mossad would have access to the European passports of its dual citizens! Only Mossad would have the capacity, motivation, stated intent and willingness to provoke a diplomatic row with its European allies, knowing full well that Western European governments’ anger would blow over because of their deep links to Israel. After meticulous investigation and the interrogation of 2 captured Palestinian Mossad collaborators, the Dubai police chief has stated he is sure the Mossad was behind the killing. The Larger Political Issues Israel’s policy of overseas assassination raises profound issues that threaten the basis of the modern state: sovereignty, rule of law and national and personal security. Israel has a publicly-stated policy of violating the sovereignty of any and all countries in order to kill or abduct its opponents. In both proclamation and actual practice, Israeli law, decrees and actions abroad supersede the laws and law enforcement agencies of any other nation. If Israel’s policy becomes the common practice world-wide, we would enter a savage Hobbesian jungle.... more.. e-mail Shabanah vows to expose more PA corruption 2/23/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Fahmi Shabanah, a former Palestinian Authority intelligence officer, threatened during a news conference on Monday to expose more evidence of corruption among high-ranking government officials within days. President Mahmoud Abbas' unrepentant advisors are "solely responsible for the repercussions of the [upcoming news] conference," he said. Shabanah said he was moving forward on his prior pledge after he was accused of treason for handing documents over to an Israeli television network, which aired video showing former PA chief of staff Rafiq Husseini allegedly seeking sex for political favors. During Monday's remarks, Shabaneh also criticized a Ma'an editorial that, in addition to calling on Husseini to resign, questioned Shabanah's decision to leak the classified documents to an Israeli news channel rather than a Palestinian broadcaster. VIDEO - The Single BDS Ladies 2/22/2010 - Adalah-NY - Single Lev’ies (to the tune of Single Ladies by Beyonce) -- All the customers! (repeat 7x) / Now put your hands up! / Up at the store, we all showed up / doing our own pro-test. / You used to shop, now we want you to stop / cuz settlements are a crime. / We’ve got the facts, its apartheid, / so don’t pay for Lev’s dia-monds! / He steals the land and builds on it / so you really should boycott him! / [Chorus] Its apartheid so you shouldn’t put a ring on it / Its apartheid so you shouldn’t put a ring on it / Occupation is a crime so put an end to it! / Its apartheid so you shouldn’t put a ring on it. . . . Related: Also on YouTube VIDEO - Interview with Grant F. Smith, Author of Spy Trade 2/20/2010 - Dissident Voice - Press TV - Iranian satellite television channel Press TV broadcast of a 25 minute interview with Institute for Research Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) director Grant F. Smith about the Israel lobby’s history of challenges to rule of law and governance in the United States. [end] Canadian Jewish Tourism Ad Uses Oral Sex to Promote Israeli Tourism 2/22/2010 - Tikun Olam - SIZE DOESN’T MATTER – BIG PARADISE from Size Doesnt Matter - Dimi Reider has discovered one of the stranger of Israel’s tourism promotions. This one is sponsored by the Canadian Council for Israel and Jewish Advocacy (CIJA) undoubtedly in close collaboration with the foreign ministry. The video is in indescribably bad taste, portraying an attractive couple in bed with the woman telling the man she can’t possibly “do it” because it’s “too small. ” The dialogue is so lame that it simply must be quoted to be believed: "Girl: Uhhh… Boy: What? G: Don’t be mad…It’s just that it’s small… B: Small? ! G: I don’t know if I can go there. B: I consider this a spot of worship. It may be small, but it’s brought the driest places to life. Baby, this is paradise. [camera pans to show map of Israel and tourist guidebooks covering boy's crotch]. G: OK, but if I go down there for you, you have to promise you’ll down south for me next winter. . . . "Related: Ad Campaign Video Harvard Fellow calls for genocidal measure to curb Palestinian births Electronic Intifada: 22 Feb 2010 - A fellow at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Martin Kramer, has called for "the West" to take measures to curb the births of Palestinians, a proposal that appears to meet the international legal definition of a call for genocide. Kramer, who is also a fellow at the influential Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), made the call early this month in a speech at Israel's Herzliya conference, a video of which is posted on his blog. Canadian Hasbara outfit is scraping the bucket Mondoweiss - 22 Feb 2010 - As mentioned earlier, Zionist hasbara efforts in Canada now boast a new initiative called ‘Size Doesn’t Matter’. The campaign has got most publicity so far on account of a video that combines sexual crudity with the erasure of Palestine from the map. This propaganda drive, sponsored... No Tutu Is Big Enough To Cover Israel's War Crimes Palestine Monitor: 22 Feb 2010 - Last week, American and Israeli human rights activists interrupted a performance by the Israel Ballet at the Flynn Theater in Burlington, Vermont, holding banners which read "Sponsored by Apartheid Israel" and "No tutu is big enough to cover War Crimes". The Israel Ballet is currently touring the U.S. as part of "Brand Israel", a campaign launched in August 2009 by Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs as attempt to give the controversial state a new international image, in the wake of unanimous condemnation from the major human rights organizations and, most recently, the U.N. "Goldstone Report. Video of the action is currently being censored by Youtube who claim it violates a “terms of use” policy, however the video can be viewed at the following links: Israel ballet interrupted in Burlington, Vt. - No tutu is big enough to cover Israel's War Crimes from samayfield on Vimeo . The activists, who had purchased... Hoenlein: campus climate is ‘deteriorating’ Mondoweiss - 22 Feb 2010 - Here’s a new video called "Crossing the line, the new intifada comes to campus" that equates the campus movement of criticizing Israeli behavior with anti-Semitism. It was sent out by the Forward today, as an advertisement. Zionists in the bunker; Hannah Schwarzschild writes, "They clearly think... Mossad's Murderous Reach: The Larger Political Issues Palestine Chronicle: 22 Feb 2010 - By James Petras On January 19 Israel's international secret police, the Mossad, sent an eighteen member death squad to Dubai using European passports, supposedly ‘stolen’ from Israeli dual citizens and altered with fake photos and signatures, in order to assassinate the Palestinian leader, Mahmoud al Mabhouh. The evidence is overwhelming: The Dubai police presentation of detailed security videos of the assassins was corroborated by the testimony of Israeli security experts and applauded by Israel’s leading newspapers and columnists. The Mossad openly stated that Mabhouh was a high priority target who had survived three previous assassination attempts. Israel did not even bother to deny the murder. Furthermore, the sophisticated communication system used by the killers, the logistics and planning surrounding their entry and exit from Dubai and the scope and scale of the operation have all the characteristics of a high-level state operation. Furthermore, only Mossad would have access to the European passports of its dual citizens! Only Mossad would have the capacity, motivation, stated intent and willingness to provoke a diplomatic row with its European allies, knowing full well that Western European governments’ anger would blow over because of their deep links to Israel. After meticulous investigation and the interrogation of 2 captured Palestinian Mossad collaborators, the Dubai police chief has stated he is sure the Mossad was behind the killing. The Larger Political Issues Israel’s policy of overseas assassination raises profound issues that threaten the basis of the modern state: sovereignty, rule of law and national and personal security.... VIDEO - Palestinian village isolated from West Bank 2/21/2010 - Palestine Note - Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh reports. Israel's separation wall has generated anger and protest all over the Palestinian territories. For one small village on the ouskirts of Bethlehem, the wall has effectively created a prison for its. . . Israel's separation wall has generated anger and protest all over the Palestinian territories. For one small village on the ouskirts of Bethlehem, the wall has effectively created a prison for its Palestinian residents. Al-Nu'man village was cut off from Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank in 2003 and it is walled in on three sides by the wall, which was illegally constructed beyond the Green Line of armistice drawn after the 1949 Arab-Israeli war. A permanent checkpoint is now the only entrance to and exit from the village. Video: Israel accused of 'tax theft' Uruknet February 21, 2010 - Israel is being accused of effectively stealing more than $2.5bn in taxes from Palestinian workers. A recent report by an Israeli NGO says money was deducted from the salaries of Palestinians who were working in Israel. The tax funds were transferred to the government to provide social services and benefits to the Israeli people. But many... Video: Palestinian village isolated from West Bank Uruknet February 20, 2010 - Israel's separation wall has generated anger and protest all over the Palestinian territories. For one small village on the ouskirts of Bethlehem, the wall has effectively created a prison for its Palestinian residents. Al-Nu'man village was cut off from Jerusalem and the rest of the West Bank in 2003 and it is walled in on three... Weekly Protest Video Round-Up: Bil'in Special Palestine Monitor: 20 Feb 2010 - Yesterday's demonstrations were dominated by the fifth anniversary of the popular struggle in Bil'in. The occasion was marked in spectacular fashion and Israeli security once again displayed the brutality which makes these protests so necessary. Here's what happened in the main locations. “ Bil'in Habibti!” 5 years later… Yesterday the entrance of the village was more like a carnival than a political protest. Over 2000 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists joined clowns, Ka/Ya-Samba percussionists, representatives of various Palestinian parties, the Palestinian Struggle Youth Union marching band and journalists from all over the world to mark 5 years of the popular struggle against the Apartheid Wall. Five years after the local committee began its activities, Bil'in has become a symbol of the Palestinian non-violent struggle against Israeli occupation, inspiring other villages to adopt its formula for peaceful resistance. Protesters marched to the Wall, chanting slogans and holding posters bearing the portrait... Weekly Protest Video Round-Up: Bil'in Special Palestine Monitor: 20 Feb 2010 - Yesterday's demonstrations were dominated by the fifth anniversary of the popular struggle in Bil'in. The occasion was marked in spectacular fashion and Israeli security once again displayed the brutality which makes these protests so necessary. Here's what happened in the main locations. “ Bil'in Habibti!” 5 years later… Yesterday the entrance of the village was more like a carnival than a political protest. Over 2000 Palestinian, Israeli and international activists joined clowns, Ka/Ya-Samba percussionists, representatives of various Palestinian parties, the Palestinian Struggle Youth Union marching band and journalists from all over the world to mark 5 years of the popular struggle against the Apartheid Wall. Five years after the local committee began its activities, Bil'in has become a symbol of the Palestinian non-violent struggle against Israeli occupation, inspiring other villages to adopt its formula for peaceful resistance. Protesters marched to the Wall, chanting slogans and holding posters bearing the portrait... 3,000 protesters mark Bil’in anniversary 2/20/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Organizers said at least 3,000 demonstrators marched the separation wall cutting off the village of Bil'in from its agricultural lands on Friday to mark the fifth year of anti-wall protest by residents. Protest organizers also said the weekly march "celebrated" the Israeli military's decision to implement a two-year-old court order to move the barrier back from center of the village. "The Israeli court had already ruled two years ago that the Wall here should be rerouted, but it is our struggle, not their court, that forces the Army to implement this decision now", said Mohammed Khatib, an organizer from the village, in a statement. "The International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled that the Wall should be dismantled in its entirety, and not just partially like the Israeli court had ordered," he added. Related: VIDEO - Over a Thousand Demonstrators Marked Five Years of Struggle in Bil'in by Dismantling the Wall Sex tape source cancels scheduled public appearance 2/19/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Former Palestinian Authority intelligence officer and source of February's sex scandal tapes Fahmi Shabanah canceled a scheduled public address, "in the high interests of Palestinian unity," he told reporters. Addressing a closed group of press members, Shabaneh said he would not go ahead with a public speech where he had promised to disclose the reasons behind his choice to hand over hundreds of documents and a video tape showing presidential aide Rafiq Husseini apparently exchanging sex for jobs in the government. "I am Fahmi Shabana At-Tamimi did what I have done out of my belief that it would help fight corruption in all its forms, colors and levels. . . . . I wanted to push the reform wagon onto the right track in order to achieve justice. "The release of the material two weeks ago prompted President Mahmoud Abbas to suspend Husseini and call an inquiry into the incident. VIDEO - Mass Demo Bil’in: Five Years of Resistance Commemorated 2/19/2010 - YouTube - Haith M Katib - Today Bil'in commemorated the fifth anniversary of popular demonstrations against the settlements and the Apartheid Wall. Israel's occupation has confiscated over 50% of Bil'in's land. Only last week the construction work to reroute the Wall began, nearly two and a half years after the High Court of Justice ordered the Wall to be moved. Approximately 30% of land will be returned to the village. This victory strengthens Bil'in's resistance and counterbalances the hardships the Israeli Occupation Army has inflicted upon the village. Throughout the past five years, Bil'in's non-violent demonstrations have met with severe army violence, injuring over 1,200 people and killing one person. Another 85 villagers have been arrested for organizing or merely taking part in the demonstrations. The Israeli Occupation Army terrorizes the entire village, entering Bil'in at night, often using sound bombs and tear gas. VIDEO - Finkelstein vs. Gissan 2/18/2010 - Information Clearing House/Russia Today - Norman Finkelstein: One Man's Struggle for Justice - By RT - On Peter Lavelle's CrossTalk, Israel critic Norman Finkelstein faces off against a formidable spokesperson of Israel's "soft power", Ronan Gissan. [end] VIDEO - Israel’s Mossad in spotlight after Hamas murder 2/18/2010 - YouTube - AFP - Interpol has issued arrest notices for 11 suspects in the killing of a top Hamas commander, Mahmud al-Mabhuh, last month. The apparent assassination, which took place in Dubai, has piled diplomatic. . . Interpol has issued arrest notices for 11 suspects in the killing of a top Hamas commander, Mahmud al-Mabhuh, last month. The apparent assassination, which took place in Dubai, has piled diplomatic pressure on Israel, since the suspects travelled on fake European passports. Some are blaming the murder on the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. Duration: 01:55 [end] Video: The murder of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh Uruknet February 18, 2010 - Dubai police has released video footage of the Jewish-Mossad gang responsible for killing top Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh on Tuesday 19 Jan 2010. Dubai police chief Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, has named and identified 11 suspects wanted in connection with murder of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, 49, in UAE. Tamim said: Leaders of certain countries... VIDEO - Over a Thousand Demonstrators Marked Five Years of Struggle in Bil’in by Dismantling the Wall 2/19/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Popular Struggle Coordination Committee - One week following the victory forcing Israel to begin rerouting the path of the Wall, and under the shadow of an unprecedented wave of repression against the popular struggle, over a thousand protesters took part in a demonstration at the west Bank village of Bil'in, marking five years of struggle there. At the height of the demonstration dozens of protesters stormed the Barrier, toppled some 40 meters of it and crossed to village's lands. Protesters also managed to take over a military post adjacent to the path of the Wall for a short time. In a show of support of the popular struggle and the village of Bil'in, hundreds from all across the West Bank joined the demonstration today, as well as many Israeli and international activists. Among the many supporters were also the mayor of Geneva, Nabil Sh'ath, Mustafa Barghouthi and Palestinian. . . . Bilin protestors dismantle part of fence YNet News 19 Feb 2010 - (Video) Some 1,200 demonstrators gather in village west of Ramallah to mark fifth anniversary of their protest activities. Some manage to damage parts of separation fence and hurl stones at security forces, who try to keep distance and avoid clashes Tamim: there is more evidence in the case of Mabhouh's assassination PIC 20 Feb 2010 - Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim said that there is more evidence held by Dubai police regarding the assassination of the Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in addition to the videos and photos published.. Review: 'Ajami' LA Times 19 Feb 2010 - The cultures that overlap in today's Israel are presented with gripping complexity in this Oscar-nominated film. The last thing you see in "Ajami" should be the first thing on your mind about this compelling new film from Israel. That would be the closing credits, written in both Hebrew and Arabic, separate but equal, side by side, mirroring the creative process behind this potent work and the story it has to tell. Son of Palestinian peace activist admits to attempted terror attack Ha'aretz 18 Feb 2010 - Mohanned Abu-Awwad says he was acting on behalf of Fatah, and the attack was filmed with a B'Tselem camera. Daily video news wrap Jeruslalem Post 18 Feb 2010 - Watch 4-minute wrap of today's events from Israel's Channel 2. Fatah official: No changes to inquiry team 2/17/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Despite reports to the contrary, President Mahmoud Abbas will not replace members of a commission of inquiry he established to examine corruption allegations, a senior Fatah official said on Wednesday. Fatah leader Rafiq An-Natshah told Ma'an Radio that "we have no information of changes to the existing commission of inquiry or a new one," denying reports that appeared Wednesday in the Israeli press. The Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Abbas was considering appointing a new commission to probe his former chief of staff, Rafiq Al-Husseini, who was caught on video allegedly soliciting sexual favors from a job applicant. "I know there is a commission headed by Mohammad Ghuneim, although there may be some new additions," An-Natshah added, contradicting Fatah officials quoted as saying Ghuneim had declined to serve. Video: Palestine | The Truth. Uruknet February 17, 2010 - Watch it, and find out the truth. Find out how since the idea of the State of Israel, Palestinians have suffered. Find out how Palestinians were, and are treated. Find out how Zionism is like Nazism for the Palestinians. FIND OUT NOW!... Video - The Silent War: Israel's Blockade of Gaza Uruknet February 16, 2010 - Israels blockade of Gaza has been in place for almost three years. Building on existing closures and restrictions, the blockade means the delay or denial of a broad range of items food, industrial, educational, medical deemed "non-essential" for a population largely unable to be self-sufficient at the end of decades of occupation. The blockade prevents access... 'Avatar' on the West Bank New York Times 16 Feb 2010 - Last week protesters in the West Bank painted themselves blue and wore loinclothes, pointy ears and tails to make themselves look like characters from the film "Avatar" for a demonstration against the security barrier Israel is building near the village of Bilin. Oslo made us strangers in our native land Mondoweiss - 17 Feb 2010 - The farcical downward slide continues. In hierarchical order: Mahmoud Abbas attempts to bury the Goldstone report on the Gaza massacre; Salam Fayyad speaks at the Herzliya Conference, truly earning Akiva Eldar’s munificent praise ; and a Fatah underling tries to make sleazy love in a sleazy video.... Video: Israeli settlement building continues Uruknet February 16, 2010 - Israel is continuing to build illegal settlements on Palestinian land, despite a 10-month suspension of new construction announced by the government. Peace Now, an Israeli non-governmental organisation, says work is taking place at more than 30 settlements in the occupied West Bank. Nour Odeh reports from Beit Sahour... MIDEAST: Telling Film Floats Between Art and the Actual IPS JERUSALEM, Feb 15 (IPS) - An Oscar nominee for best foreign-language film, Israel's 'Ajami', is a tragic, yet realistic, pointer to the multi-layered conflict of Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians. Video: Dubai hit-squad suspects caught on CCTV The Guardian 16 Feb 2010 - Police have shown footage of some of the 11 Europeans suspected of killing Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh British journalist detained in Gaza The Guardian 15 Feb 2010 - Documentary film-maker Paul Martin was due to testify on behalf of man accused of collaborating with Israel Hamas officials said today that they have detained a British freelance journalist. Documentary film-maker Paul Martin was detained yesterday... 'Avatar' on the West Bank New York Times 16 Feb 2010 - Last week protesters in the West Bank painted themselves blue and wore loinclothes, pointy ears and tails to make themselves look like characters from the film "Avatar" for a demonstration against the security barrier Israel is building near the village of Bilin. Assassins of Hamas Official Caught on Tape, Dubai Says New York Times 16 Feb 2010 - The Dubai police released video they say shows 11 members of an assassination team at work last month in the hours leading up to the killing of a Hamas official in a luxury hotel. Hollywood Lands In Jenin Palestine Monitor - 16 Feb 2010 - Jenin's grand old cinema has been shut down and neglected for more than twenty years, since the start of the first Intifada. This idea to renovate came from Marcus Vetter, the famous German film-maker, who was awarded the ‘Cinema for Peace' award last year for his... Hollywood Lands In Jenin Palestine Monitor: 16 Feb 2010 - Jenin's grand old cinema has been shut down and neglected for more than twenty years, since the start of the first Intifada. This idea to renovate came from Marcus Vetter, the famous German film-maker, who was awarded the ‘Cinema for Peace' award last year for his documentary "The heart of Jenin". One problem arose at the time: How would it be shown to the people of Jenin? The cinema, built in the 1060's by an Israeli architect and shut down in 1987, used to be the biggest in the West Bank Photo: Valentine Van Vyve Here we are, two years later. " The building will be finished in April. Then, we will have to install all the sound and image material and arrange the area outside. For August, everything should be ok", explained Johannes Hucke, the German architect. " We would like the project to live by itself within two years after... UK filmmaker accused of ’violating Gaza’s security’ 2/16/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The de facto Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed on Monday that the arrest of British filmmaker Paul Martin was based on suspicions of "violating the security of Gaza. " "Mr. Martin is alleged to have committed offences contrary to the law and harmful to the security of the country. . . The allegations made against Mr. Paul will be fully investigated in accordance with the law," read a statement issued by the ministry. Martin was granted access to a private lawyer and received a visit from a British official, the ministry added. "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to reassure all journalists working in the region that the Palestinian Government guarantees their freedom to work in the Gaza Strip without interference. Nonetheless, the government has a duty to investigate any individual who acts in manner that is likely to threaten the security of the Palestinian people," the statement said. Dubai: European team killed Hamas leader 2/16/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh was assassinated by a team of 11 mercenaries in his hotel room in Dubai last month, the emirate's police chief said Monday. "This is a highly sophisticated operation conducted by people who knew when Al-Mabhouh would arrive in the country," Lt. Gen. Dhahi Tamim told reporters in Dubai. "We have identified the suspects and will issue arrest warrants against them and will take legal action against anyone or any party which will prove to stand behind the murder," Tamim added, as police released photos and CCTV videos of the accused European nationals. Tamim said two suspects are Palestinians, both residents of the UAE. They have been detained on suspicion they provided logistical support to the operation, he said. According to the Dubai-based satellite network Al-Arabiya, the two were handed over by Jordan. PFLP slams ’insufficient’ commission of inquiry 2/15/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - A commission of inquiry set up to investigate corruption allegations raised by a former intelligence officer does not go far enough, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said on Monday. In a statement, the leftist faction said the commission, made up of three Fatah members, "does not meet the requirements to ensure professional and objective findings as it was formed of only one party. "The PFLP called on President Mahmoud Abbas and the PLO Executive Committee to expand its inquiry to include professionals and human rights organizations, on a national rather than factional basis, to more effectively respond to what the group termed Israeli targeting. Abbas dismissed his chief of staff, Rafiq Al-Husseini, on Sunday after Israel's Channel 10 broadcast a videotape that allegedly showed Al-Husseini propositioning an unidentified woman for sex in exchange for political favors. British journalist detained in Gaza The Guardian 15 Feb 2010 - Documentary film-maker Paul Martin was due to testify on behalf of man accused of collaborating with Israel Hamas officials said today that they have detained a British freelance journalist. Documentary film-maker Paul Martin was detained yesterday... UK journalist to be detained for ‘harming’ Gaza security: Hamas Daily Star 15 Feb 2010 GAZA City, Gaza Strip: Hamas officials said Monday that a British freelance journalist detained in Gaza will be held for 15 days, an unprecedented step against a foreigner since the Islamic militants seized Gaza in 2007. Documentary filmmaker Paul Martin was detained on Sunday at a Gaza military tribunal where he was to testify on behalf of a Gaza man accused of collaborating with Israel. Hagee’s Gifts to Pro-Settler Groups Tikun Olam: Make the World a Better Place 2/12/2010 Recently, Max Blumenthal uncovered that Elie Wiesel accepted a $500,000 gift from John Hagee, the anti-Semitic pro-settler televangelist. Wiesel appears to have resisted Hagee’s blandishments to come to San Antonio to speak to his congregation as he admits in a video available at the Hagee website. But once Hagee waved that $500,000 check in his face, and after Bernie Madoff had already cleaned him out, Wiesel saw the benefit of making common cause with the Christian Zionist zealot. Wiesel is also a useful tool for Hagee, as the former provides the latter that veneer of Jewish respectability he needs in the face of massive criticism of his motives and his record of strange statements about Jews and the Holocaust. Thanks to Didi Remez, I’ve been doing some digging among Hagee’s other gifts to Israeli organizations. In fairness, he does give gifts to hospitals and absorption centers, which are perfectly reasonable. But it is notable how much money and how extensively he gives to pro-settler and extreme rightist Israeli groups. Besides Im Tirtzu ($200,000 over two years), the radical right smearmeisters who put a horn on Naomi Chazan in a disgusting ad in the Jerusalem Post and Hebrew language press, there are these others (some of which are listed here on page 12): Gush Katif, $200,000 / Young Israel, $150,000 / Shurat Ha-Din, $100,000 / Nefesh B’Nefesh, $1,000,000 / Ariel (settlement), $500,000 / Gush Etzion, $150,000. Gush Katif funds support the settler malcontents who resisted the Gaza withdrawal. It offers them financial support to continue their resistance to territorial compromise and defiance of the directives of Israel’s democratically elected government. more.. e-mail British documentary filmmaker arrested in Gaza 2/14/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Security forces in the Gaza Strip arrested a British filmmaker on Sunday as he arrived to testify at the trial of a Palestinian fighter accused of collaborating with Israel. Documentary filmmaker Paul Martin was detained shortly after he arrived in the coastal enclave to speak on behalf of the unidentified defendant, a journalist who was present at the courthouse in Gaza City told Ma'an. "This person [the Palestinian] was accused by the government of being a collaborator with the Israeli side. Our colleague [Martin] came as a witness to testify in favor of this guy," the journalist said. Martin arrived in Gaza with evidence proving the accused man had fought against the Israeli military, the journalist added. "Suddenly, the court announced that the reporter said something that is against the law, and it jailed him for 15 days for investigation," according to the journalist, who said Martin had interviewed the accused man during Israel's assault on Gaza, which began in late December 2008. Abbas dimisses Rafiq Husseini, appoints investigation committee 2/15/2010 - Ma`an HQ in Bethlehem on 15 December 2009 [MaanImages/Luay Sababa]Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Rafiq Husseini, his chief of staff, on Sunday following the leak of a videotape that apparently shows Husseini propositioning a job applicant for sex in Ramallah. Abbas said he has formed an investigation committee headed by the Fatah Central Committee's secretary-general, Abu Maher Ghneim, and including committee member Azzam Al-Ahmad and the head of the Palestinian high court, Rafiq An-Natsheh. The committee will investigate allegations of corruption put forth in footage and documents provided to an Israeli news network by Fahmi Shabana, the former head of the PA's anti-corruption department. Shabana said he initiated the sting when the applicant informed PA intelligence of Husseini's alleged misuse of his seniority in the US-backed government. Ex-Abbas aide Husseini: I was framed 2/15/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Rafiq Al-Husseini, the former chief of staff to President Mahmoud Abbas, said Sunday he is innocent of allegations broadcast on Israeli TV days earlier. Flanked by relatives, Al-Husseini told reporters that a videotape apparently showing him propositioning a job applicant for sex was a fabrication. He refused to answer questions. In brief remarks, Al-Husseini read aloud a statement alleging that conspirators, who he did not name, dubbed his voice on the videotape for the purposes of blackmail, both political and financial. He described the videotape as manipulated, noted it was more than a year and a half old, and insisted he informed Abbas at the time. Nevertheless, Al-Husseini said he would cede power as instructed and cooperate with the PA's commission of inquiry, which will be headed by Fatah Central Committee secretary-general Abu Maher Ghneim. VIDEO - Palestinian Families Appeal to UN Over Israeli Construction of 'Museum of Tolerance' on Jerusalem’s Historic Mamilla Cemetery 2/10/2010 - Democracy Now! - Palestinian families have filed a petition with the United Nations over the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s plans to build a “Museum of Tolerance” over the historic Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem. Opponents of the project have long questioned how a monument to tolerance can be built on the remains of the graves of generations of Palestinian Muslims. We speak to Columbia University professor and author Rashid Khalidi, a petitioner whose ancestors were buried at the Mamilla Cemetery; and Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing the families in their petition. [includes rush transcript]. [end]Related: Mamilla Campaign Abbas moves to draw line under sex scandal 2/15/2010 - The Independent - Chief of staff suspended over video alleged to show encounter with job applicant - Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem - The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas has suspended his chief of staff over an alleged sex scandal that has further eroded his public standing. Three leading Abbas loyalists in Fatah have been appointed to a commission which will investigate the behaviour of the chief of staff, Rafiq al-Husseini. Given that past inquiries by the Palestinian Authority (PA) into corruption and political fiascos – including the loss of Gaza to Hamas in 2007 – have not led to dismissals, the step was seen as a way of addressing public anger over the scandal, while not yet firing Mr Husseini, a long-time Abbas associate. Israeli television's Channel Ten last week aired a video that showed Mr Husseini undressing and then lying in bed while calling out to a woman off-camera to join him. Palestinian protesters pose as Na'vi from 'Avatar' PNN 13 Feb 2010 - Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film Avatar. The demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin. The demonstrators compared their struggle with the Na'vi race portrayed in Avatar, who find themselves having... British journalist detained by Hamas in Gaza Ha'aretz 14 Feb 2010 - Freelance filmmaker Paul Martin taken into custody at trial of Palestinian militant charged with revealing secrets. Colin Firth to play Jewish underground leader in 'The Promised Land' Ha'aretz 14 Feb 2010 - Michael Winterbottom set to direct film depicting Jewish resistance during the British Mandate. Arab 'terrorism' vs Jewish Eternal 'victimization' Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD, Desert Peace 2/13/2010 We have been extremely busy here.The presence of soldiers in Beit Sahour gave us ample time to talk to them on Thursday and on Friday; we spent the morning planting trees in threatened private lands. We were proud of young and old, internationals and Palestinians, working together, some 150 people in all.Even a bus of elderly from the elderly home in Beit Sahour showed up to help.My 77 year old mother was among them.It was such a meaningful thing.The day before was meaningful in a different way.The hours we spent talking to soldiers on Thursday was important too we believe. Foot soldiers in an army of occupation know so little other than what their government tells them.They tell them lies about Arabs “terrorism”, Jewish eternal “victimization”,the need to be strong to “defend” a country created so that they could simply live alone away from the anti-Semites (who are essentially all the Christians and the Muslims).They tell them that it is an unexplainable phenomenon this hatred of the Jews and it has nothing to do with what Jews do or did. It is almost a genetic thing. A friend wrote to me that: ”My visit to Yad Vashem in 2006, during the war with Lebanon, was a painful lesson. The museum of the Shoah is being used to indoctrinate young Israelis, esp. the military, that the whole world is and always has been against the Jews, and that the only solution is for Israelis to be firm and resolute against the whole world, even if it means being inhuman to the Palestinians.The “righteous among the nations” are cited as flukes, as anomalies, with no explanations offered for their sacrifices because for the Israelis though these people did something good, their motivations MUST remain in the shadows (e.g. Christian faith; social justice; their own experiences of oppression, etc.) so that the survival of the State of Israel can remain the one and only center stage concern.... Related: Mamilla Campaign and VIDEO - Palestinian Families Appeal to UN Over Israeli Construction of “Museum of Tolerance” on Jerusalem’s Historic Mamilla Cemetery -- See also: Mamilla Campaign and VIDEO - Palestinian Families Appeal to UN Over Israeli Construction of “Museum of Tolerance” on Jerusalem’s Historic Mamilla Cemetery more.. e-mail Weekly Protest Video Round-Up Palestine Monitor: 13 Feb 2010 - Palestinian, Israeli and international activists joined demonstrations in villages up and down the West Bank yesterday. Creativity distinguished Bi'lin and Sheikh Jarrah protests, with activists playing blue creatures from James Cameron's last film, Avatar. Here's what happened. Photo by Brady Ng Bi'lin Activists in Bi'lin reenacted James Cameron's last film Avatar. Five Palestinian, Israeli and international activists were painted blue, with pointy ears and tails, resembling the Avatar characters. Like Palestinians, the Avatars fight imperialism, although the colonisers have different origins. Israeli army dispersed protesters with sound bombs and tear gas, resulting in injuries to four people. Many other activists suffered from tear gas inhalation. Dr Mustapha Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, condemned these tactics, stating; "attacks on demonstrators, will not discourage us from continuing the popular struggle against the apartheid system created and carried out by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory." Before coming to Bil'in,... Peace activists rally in Shiekh Jarrah 2/13/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Dozens of peace activists from around the world joined Palestinian residents in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah and rallied on Friday, denouncing the Israeli policy of confiscating Palestinian homes provided with a cover of the government. "Jerusalem will not be as easy for you as Hebron," and "No to settler terrorism in Sheikh Jarrah," the signs of protesters read, marched around in Arabic, English and Hebrew in the face of dozens of Israeli border guards. Circling the activists, Israeli border guards filmed the participants and prevented residents from accessing their homes on the Al-Ghawi family road, while blocking off the protest tent. Several of the demonstrators began a sit-in at the Hanun family home, taken over by a settler group last year. There were no reports of injuries or detentions, despite high tensions. Al-Aqsa TV yet to air PA sex scandal tape 2/13/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV has yet to air a videotape Israeli Channel 10 TV released Tuesday, which allegedly reveals Palestinian Authority corruption in a sex scandal tape. On Thursday, Fatah official in charge of Jerusalem affairs Hatim Abdul Qader was quoted praising de facto government Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh for his decision not to air the videotape, though it was not clear whether the decision to avoid airing the clip came directly from the Hamas leader. Israel News One said the alleged ban was a result of Hamas officials trying to avoid the appearance of cooperating with Israeli media. The clip reportedly shows a PA sting operation where head of the president's office Rafik Al-Husseini propositions a job applicant for sex in a Ramallah hotel room. The footage was provided by Fahmi Shabana, the former head of the PA's anti-corruption department. VIDEO - 'Settlements' in Palestine and how they happen 2/9/2010 - Axis of Logic - Anne Baltzer - Apartheid – Israel Builds Racist Colonies On Stolen Palestinian Land & US Taxpayers Pay For It. "Apartheid – Israel Builds Racist Colonies On Stolen Palestinian Land & US Taxpayers Pay For It. [end]" Palestinian protesters pose as Na'vi from 'Avatar' PNN 13 Feb 2010 - Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film Avatar. The demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin. The demonstrators compared their struggle with the Na'vi race portrayed in Avatar, who find themselves having... VIDEO - Bil’in weekly demonstration reenacts the Avatar film 2/13/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Friends of Freedom and Justice, 12 February - The village of Bil'in reenacted James Cameron's new film Avatar during today's weekly demonstration. Five Palestinian, Israeli and international activists were painted blue, with pointy ears and tales, resembling the Avatar characters. Like Palestinians, the Avatars fight imperialism, although the colonizers have different origins. The Avatars' presence in Bil'in today symbolizes the united resistance to imperialism of all kinds. Today's non-violent demonstration was again met with excessive violence by the Israeli army. Sound bombs and tear gas were used, leaving four people directly injured by the canisters. The canisters were shot directly at the protesters, which is in violation with the IOF's firing regulations. Many other activists suffered from tear gas inhalation. Related: Palestinians dressed as the Na’vi from the film Avatar stage a protest against Israel’s separation barrier and YouTube: Bilin Reenacts Avatar Film Aide to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas embroiled in sex scandal The Guardian 12 Feb 2010 - Footage of naked Rafiq Husseini broadcast on Israeli TV Palestinian officials yesterday rallied around a top aide to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas amid other calls for him to step down after a video surfaced showing him... Chutzpah, thy Name is Zionism Palestine Chronicle: 13 Feb 2010 - By Maidhc Ó Cathail Chutzpah, a Yiddish word meaning 'shameless audacity,' has been famously defined as 'that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.' Considering Israel’s increasingly outrageous behaviour, perhaps it’s time for a new definition. The one that springs to mind is “that quality enshrined in a state, which having induced its ‘allies’ into a disastrous invasion of Iraq, then urges them to attack Iran.” At a recent dinner in honour of visiting Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took yet another rhetorical swipe at Tehran. “Humanity stands before one of its most difficult tests since World War II,” Netanyahu intoned. “The radical Islamic regime threats [sic] the well-being of the state of Israel, the region, and all of humanity.” Sounding more like an Israeli envoy than the head of a sovereign nation, Berlusconi responded, “My job is to make sure that world leaders do not commit the same error of the past, the error of indifference that brought about the greatest tragedy in history.” In Defamation, a highly revealing 2009 documentary on anti-Semitism by Israeli filmmaker Yoav Shamir, Professor Norman Finkelstein noted this strategy of invoking past Jewish suffering to justify future wars. “The irony is that the Nazi holocaust has now become the main ideological weapon for launching wars of aggression,” said Finkelstein, the author of The Holocaust Industry. “Every time you want to launch a... Dozens hurt by tear gas during West Bank protests 2/12/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Dozens choked on tear gas across the occupied West Bank on Friday, as weekly protests against Israel's separation barrier were carried out in a number of Ramallah-area villages and towns. In Bil'in, protesters dressed up as creatures in the animated American film Avatar, which chronicles the trials of a fictional indigenous population known as the Na'vi struggling against colonialism on another planet. Palestinian, Israeli and international activists were painted blue, with pointy ears and tales, resembling the Avatar characters. "Like Palestinians, the Avatars fight imperialism, although the colonizers have different origins," said a statement from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee. The Avatars' presence in Bil'in "symbolizes the united resistance to imperialism of all kinds. " Among the injured were Harun A'maieyarah, a correspondent for Palestine. . . Palestinians dressed as the Na’vi from the film Avatar stage a protest against Israel’s separation barrier 2/12/2010 - Telegraph - Photos - Protesters dressed as characters from the movie Avatar marchs in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah. REUTERS [end] VIDEO - Goldstone Facts - The Real Story Behind Israel’s Invasion of Gaza - Part 1 2/6/2010 - YouTube/GoldstoneFacts.org - Part 1 -- In this video, we distill out the findings of the Chapter 11("Deliberate Attacks against the Civilian Population") of the Goldstone Report to make it accessible to the lay public. The factual and legal findings are narrated by Noam Chomsky. The video also contains live testimonies of Khalid, Kawthar and Samar Abd Rabbo before the UN Fact Finding Mission headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. For more information on this video, please go to goldstonefacts. org. Related: GoldstoneFacts [end] VIDEO - Goldstone Facts - The Real Story Behind Israel’s Invasion of Gaza - Part 2 2/6/2010 - YouTube - Part 2 - In this video, we distill out the findings of the Chapter 11("Deliberate Attacks against the Civilian Population") of the Goldstone Report to make it accessible to the lay public. The factual and l. . . In this video, we distill out the findings of the Chapter 11("Deliberate Attacks against the Civilian Population") of the Goldstone Report to make it accessible to the lay public. The factual and legal findings are narrated by Noam Chomsky. The video also contains live testimonies of Khalid, Kawthar and Samar Abd Rabbo before the UN Fact Finding Mission headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. [end] Protesters dress as 'Avatar' characters 12 Feb 2010 - Jerusalem, February 13, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film "Avatar." he demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin. They equated their struggle to the intergalactic... Cut! Cameron blasts Israel boycotts Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - “To suppress a gathering of artists, from afar, through boycott or any other means of exerting pressure, is wrong,” Oscar winning filmmaker tells the 'Post'. Who would teargas ‘Avatar’? Mondoweiss - 12 Feb 2010 - Photo of Palestinians dressed up as Navi tribe from the film Avatar during weekly protest against the wall today, from unnamed photog for Reuters, at the Telegraph site. The video: Related posts: All you need to know about the history of Israel/Palestine In Indian culture, the... P.A Plans To Investigate Sex Tape Scandal IMEMC 11 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 02:37, Israeli Ynet news reported Thursday that Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, is planning to investigate a video tape showing the Palestinian Authority’s head of bureau trying to solicit sexual relations, the report includes corruption and financial scandals. Channel 10 invites Abbas to address corruption allegations 2/11/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas has a standing invitation to appear on Israel's Channel 10 to challenge allegations several of his senior aides have for years fleeced international aid to the Palestinian Authority, a top Israeli journalist said on Wednesday. "We have been trying to interview you onscreen, yet you refuse," said Zvi Yehezkeli, the head of Channel 10's Arabic desk. "You should have agreed, because Israeli audiences don't know who Abu Mazen is, whether he fights corruption or not. "Issuing his appeal via an interview with Ma'an, Yehezkeli said that "the Palestinian president should listen to the Israeli media and know what is being said about him and the PA. This is important for him and for us. " The news network, among Israel's largest, last week reported that it received approximately 400 documents and videotapes that purportedly reveal rampant corruption within the PA. VIDEO - Israel denies NGOs work permits 2/9/2010 - YouTube - The Israeli interior ministry has stopped issuing work permits to foreigners working for international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In the last few weeks, NGO staff have been given tourist visas instead, making it virtually impossible for them to carry out their work. The new Israeli policy affects 120 International NGOs, of which many which provide vital developmental and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Many NGO members have said that Israel's actions are illegal because the country is obligated under Geneva and humanitarian law to issue them visas and let them work freely there. Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros reports from Jerusalem. [end] Candid camera sex scandal shocks Palestinians 2/11/2010 - Israeli Occupation Archive - AFP, RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinians were shocked on Thursday after Israeli TV aired a graphic video showing a senior official caught on a hidden camera soliciting sex from a job applicant. The video, parts of which aired on Israel’s Channel 10 earlier this week, was shot by former Palestinian intelligence officer Fahmi Shabaneh, who has accused the Western-backed Palestinian Authority of widespread corruption. In the video, Rafiq al-Husseini, president Mahmud Abbas’s chief of staff, is shown flirting with a woman Shabaneh said was seeking a job in the Authority before entering a bedroom, taking off his clothes and crawling into bed. “How does this work? Should I turn off the lights or will you,” he chuckles from inside the room to someone off-screen in the video, now widely available on youtube. Moments later Shabaneh and several other security men walk into the room, surprising. . . . VIDEO - 11 arrested for disrupting Israeli ambassador 2/8/2010 - College Life - Eleven people were arrested Monday evening during a raucous lecture at UC Irvine where Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren came to talk about U. S. -Israel relations. (UCI earlier said that 12 were arrested. )Here are the identities of the 8 UCI students and 3 UC Riverside students who were arrested. Oren was interrupted 10 times Monday while trying to give his speech before 500 people at the UCI Student Center, where there was heavy security. Oren took a 20 minute break after the fourth protest, asked for hospitality and resumed his speech, only to be interrupted again by young men yelling at him every few minutes. Many members of the audience also applauded Oren. After the 10th interruption, several dozens students who opposed Oren’s talk got up and walked out and staged a protest outside. It is not clear whether they were members of the UCI Muslim Student Union, which issued an email earlier in the day condemning Oren’s appearance on campus. PA may form commission of inquiry into sex scandal video YNet News 11 Feb 2010 - Palestinian sources tell Ynet Abbas plans to investigate video in which PA's head of bureau tried to solicit sexual relations. Meanwhile, sources say they are still convinced whole incident is Israeli fabrication meant to pressure PA back into negotiations PA calls Israeli corruption story `smear campaign` against Abbas 2/10/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian Authority officials dismissed the intelligence officer behind allegedly leaked videotapes cataloguing government corruption more than two years ago, secretary-general of the Palestinian president's office At-Tayyib Abdul Rahim said Wednesday. The leaked reports were reported by Ma'an in August, and the story reappeared in the Israeli press this week, with Channel 10 reporting it had more than 400 documents supporting corruption claims. The story ran with the lead that the PA had refused to comment on the issue. Angered over what he called the persistent misleading reports over the matter, Abdul Rahim said Fahmi Shabana, a low-level officer who leaked the tapes was charged with collaboration and dismissed for the leak as well as "several other immoral and dishonest offences. " The PA official said the government was "not surprised by the frantic. . . " The Keyboard is Mightier than the Sword: Stop the Wall Offices Ransacked by Israeli Soldiers Alternative Information Center - 10 Feb 2010 - Tuesday, 09 February 2010, Sunday night, 7 February, Israeli soldiers stormed the offices of Stop the Wall in Ramallah. The soldiers wreaked havoc in the office, damaging it and its contents, but more importantly, they have confiscated materials from the office—video cameras, cassettes, laptops, hard-drives, CDs... Video: Israel denies NGOs work permits Uruknet February 9, 2010 - The Israeli interior ministry has stopped issuing work permits to foreigners working for international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In the last few weeks, NGO staff have been given tourist visas instead, making it virtually impossible for them to carry out their work. The new Israeli policy affects 120 International NGOs, of which many which provide vital developmental... "Art for the struggle": They Do Not Exist revisited PNN 9 Feb 2010 - They Do Not Exist (Laysa lahum wujud), Mustafa Abu Ali, 1974, 25 min Salvaged after the 1982 Lebanon War with Israel and only recently been made available, Mustafa Abu Ali's early film They Do Not Exist focuses on Lebanon's Palestinian refugees. Abu Ali worked with French New Wave-filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard on Ici et Ailleurs (Here and Elsewhere) and founded the PLO's film... 'Impose crippling sanctions on Iran now' Jeruslalem Post 9 Feb 2010 - Netanyahu tells EU envoys that words are not enough against Teheran. [video] Targeting Peace Activists: Stop The Wall Offices Raided Palestine Monitor: 9 Feb 2010 - Late Sunday night Israeli Army raided the Stop the Wall Campaign (a Palestinian grassroots coalition) offices in Ramallah, West Bank. Some 10 military jeeps, hummers and an armoured bus surrounded the building, where the offices are located. Photo: Stop The Wall Following a three-hour search, Israeli soldiers confiscated computer hard disks, laptops, and video cameras along with paper documents, CDs, and video cassettes. Photo: Stop The Wall During the press conference held on Monday at Wattan TV building, the Coordinator of the Stop the Wall Campaign commented: “ This is part of the continuous targeting of the popular grassroots movement and the struggle of the Palestinian human rights defenders to hold Israel accountable for human rights violations.” Palestinians will not be intimidated by this. The struggle against the Wall will only stop once the decision of the International Court of Justice, which calls for the Wall to be torn down,... Israel army raids offices of anti-wall group 2/9/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - The Israeli army raided the offices of the Stop the Wall organization in Ramallah early Monday morning. Ten military jeeps, hummers and an armoured bus belonging to the Israeli military and intelligence services entered Ramallah at 1am, the group said in a statement. Follwing a three-hour search, soldiers confiscated computer hard disks, laptops, and video cameras along with paper documents, CDs, and video cassettes, the organization said. "This is part of the continuous targeting of the popular grassroots movement and the struggle of the Palestinian human rights defenders for Israeli accountability," said Jamal Juma, coordinator of Stop the Wall. But the movement's supporters "will not be intimidated by this," Juma added, insisting that it would continue its efforts until a 2004 ruling by the International Criminal Court on the wall's illegality is enforced. VIDEO - Israel Threatening To Use Nuclear Weapons On Iran 2/7/2010 - YouTube/FoxNews - New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin confirms Israeli official threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons against Iran. [end] Video: Gazans recycle rubble to rebuild Uruknet February 8, 2010 - Palestinians have been forced to innovate ways to rebuild houses destroyed during last year’s war on Gaza. That is because an Israeli blockade is preventing construction materials from getting into the Gaza Strip. Many therefore are collecting rubble from destroyed homes, smuggling in cement from Egypt, and using the two to make concrete blocks. The quality... Stop the Wall offices hit in late night raid Uruknet February 8, 2010 - Late last night Occupation forces raided the Stop the Wall offices in Ramallah. Some 10 military jeeps, hummers and an armoured bus surrounded the building as soldiers searched rooms, turning the office upside down and confiscating computer hard disks, laptops, and video cameras along with paper documents, CDs, and video cassettes. Part of the mounting repression... Germany's only Jewish film festival in danger of closure Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Around 100 Jewish film festivals are held worldwide each year, most of them in the United States and Canada. VIDEO - Wadi Fuqeen Villagers Battle Israeli Wall 2/7/2010 - The Friends of Wadi Fuqeen - Al-Jazeera TV Video Report - Palestinians and Israeli dissenters are getting together to fight Israel's plan to build another section of the separation wall in the occupied West Bank. According to environmentalists, the wall will stop the flow of water to the natural springs and thus threatens to dry out much of the Palestinian land. They also see the wall - illegal under international law - as a part of long-term Israeli policy to grab more and more Palestinian land in the West Bank. But the Israeli government says the separation wall is for security reasons, in order to stop Palestinians carrying out attacks in Israel. [end] VIDEO - Gaza villages Wiped off the map 1/21/2009 - YouTube/Channel 4 - January 21, 2009 - YouTube/Channel 4 UL - Gilad Atzmon: 'Another excellent report by Jonathan Miller. Telling the story of destruction and killing in Gaza. ' [end] VIDEO - Anthony Lawson - More About Israeli Barbarism 2/7/2010 - Gilad Atzmon - Anthony Lawson did it again, a brilliant expose of Israeli brutality: the numbers, the intensity, the images and the carnage the Israel has left behind. [end] Video: Palestinians battle Israeli wall Uruknet February 7, 2010 - Palestinians and Israeli dissenters are getting together to fight Israel's plan to build another section of the separation wall in the occupied West Bank. According to environmentalists, the wall will stop the flow of water to the natural springs and thus threatens to dry out much of the Palestinian land. They also see the wall -... Video: Gaza in Plain Language Uruknet February 7, 2010 - The article "Gaza in Plain Language", by Joe Mowrey, first published by Dissident Voice, was brought to my attention by Robert H. Stiver, and I immediately agreed to do a video treatment of it. Joe and I shared the research effort, and we would like to thank all of those whose video and photographic work is... Mabhuh admits role in killing of Israeli soldiers Daily Star 7 Feb 2010 A slain militant of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas confessed to his involvement in the 1989 killings of two Israeli soldiers, in a video aired on Sunday more than two weeks after his death. Mahmoud al-Mabhuh, whose body was found in a luxury Dubai hotel room on January 20, said in the tape broadcast by Al-Jazeera television that he had been at the center of the killings of Ilan Saadon and Avi Sasportas Between the Wall and the Occupied Space: 'To Exist Is to Resist' William Parry, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs 2/6/2010 January-February A PLAQUE DEPICTING Jerusalem’s Dome of the Rock stands over the main entrance to Abdul Halim’s unfinished three- story home, asking Allah to bless the house. It is dated 1999. The Israeli army took over the building in January 2003 and, ever since, has been stationed on the rooftop, with the family unable to complete and live in the building. It’s what you might call a mixed blessing, for in June 2004, Abdul Halim received notice that the home had a demolition order placed on it because it straddled the route assigned to Israel’s illegal separation wall. But the home’s military occupiers intervened, asking the Civil Administration to freeze the demolition order given the rooftop’s strategic value. “I’m happy for the army to stay on the roof, as long as it means they won’t destroy my house,” Abdul Halim says with pitiful gratitude. The absurd reality that Abdul Halim and his family have had thrust upon them does not stop there, however. The concrete wall, about 15 feet high, slices its way through their property and, instead of detouring around the house, has been built right up to one side, so that the house actually becomes part of the separation wall before the latter continues in its brutal cement form. The handsome, sandstone colored building now stands out in the village of Nazlit Issa, which is situated close to the Green Line in the northern West Bank. That’s not because of the camouflage netting that covers Abdul Halim’s rooftop and spills over the edges, or the mounted video camera that monitors everything and everyone in sight. What sets it apart is its stasis—life, growth and development unnaturally put on hold in a landscape that has since been strangled...... more.. e-mail Actor in Oscar-nominated Israeli film Ajami arrested Ha'aretz 6 Feb 2010 - Tony Copti, a supporting actor in the Oscar-nominated Israeli film Ajami and brother of Ajami co-director Scandar Copti, was arrested Saturday evening along with another brother for allegedly assaulting police officers during a brawl in Jaffa, and released several hours later. ... Weekly Protest Video Round-Up Palestine Monitor - 6 Feb 2010 - Local and international activists braved foul weather conditions to demonstrate in villages up and down the West Bank yesterday. As further evidence of the popular struggle's growing power, each protest went ahead as planned. Here's a video round-up of what happened. Bilin Thierry Vallat led an... Weekly Protest Video Round-Up Palestine Monitor: 6 Feb 2010 - Local and international activists braved foul weather conditions to demonstrate in villages up and down the West Bank yesterday. As further evidence of the popular struggle's growing power, each protest went ahead as planned. Here's a video round-up of what happened. Bilin Thierry Vallat led an EU delegation joining the march of around a hundred people. Soldiers dispersed the protest with high velocity tear gas canisters, resulting in injuries to three men, two were named as Ashraf al-Khatib, and Hamde Abu Rahma, the other an unnamed European activist. Soldiers then stormed the village but failed in arrest attempts. As part of the army's zero tolerance policy toward protests, resident and activist Ibrahim Burnat, 27, became the 36th resident of Bilin to be arrested in the past seven months, in a night raid on Wednesday. Ni'lin A group of around 200 blocked the gate and raised the Palestinian flag on the... BU student recounts forced deportation to Carnegie Endowment in DC 2/5/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Bethlehem University student Berlanty Azzam, forcibly removed from the West Bank in October, was hosted via video-link in Washington on Wednesday by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she spoke about the right to education in Palestine. The event, titled "The Right of Palestinians to Study and Travel: A Discussion" had Berlanty recount her abrupt seizure, where she was blindfolded and handcuffed on the road from Ramallah to Bethlehem, held four hours then ejected into Gaza, where her family lives. Israeli military personnel said she was living illegally in the West Bank and 'deported' her to Gaza. Berlanty's story, as one of the narratives of dozens of BU students from Gaza, was put in context of the larger Israeli ban on Gaza residents seeking education at Palestinian universities in the West Bank by Vice President for Development at BU Brother Jack Curran. Video - MSF: Gaza, One Year On In Gaza, the effects of last years Operation Cast Lead is still being felt Uruknet February 5, 2010 - ...The health care system's ability to function properly has been weakened considerably. Most medical equipment is unreliable and the embargo makes it impossible to obtain certain spare parts. Similarly, medical units also face drug shortages. More than 5,000 people were wounded during the January war. Many are disabled and the only rehabilitation center in the Gaza... Video: Soldiers attack Palestinian Shepherds and Torture Musab Raba'i Uruknet February 5, 2010 - On the morning of Thursday 7 January 2010, Israeli soldiers attacked and injured Palestinian shepherds from the Musa Rabai family, as they grazed their sheep in Humra valley, near the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. Five members of the family were hospitalized. Before leaving the area, the soldiers arrested one of the shepherds,... Video: Theatre in the shadow of the Palestinian Nakba The Guardian 5 Feb 2010 - Playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi on how growing up in Galilee after the 1948 conflict inspired his latest theatre piece, I Am Yusuf and This Is My Brother Andrew Dickson Mustafa Khalili Laurence Topham Exploring Iran via its cinema LA Times 5 Feb 2010 - The UCLA Film & Television Archive's 20th annual celebration of the country's art-house offerings affords what is for many a rare glimpse inside the country's psyche as well as its borders. For the past two decades, the UCLA Film & Television Archive has been presenting the preeminent in Iranian art-house cinema -- highly personal, moving, contentious and even controversial films dealing with day-to-day life, social mores, religion and war. Video: Adjusting to life one year after Israel's war on Gaza Uruknet Ajami One Conflict, Many Views, No Actors PNN 4 Feb 2010 - THE Israeli movie industry, once a sorry mix of ethnic melodrama and soldier slapstick, has come distinctly into its own in the past decade with a crop of admired writers, directors and actors. For two years now an Israeli film of subtlety and power has made the Oscars’ final five for best foreign picture: “Beaufort” (http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/350383/Beaufort/overview) in 2008 and “Waltz With Bashir”... Watch: American detained for `interfering` with military 2/3/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - A 27-year-old American woman was detained along with two Palestinians by Israeli forces during a night raid in the village of Bil'in on Wednesday. All three were taken to the border police station, an organizer said. An Israeli military spokesman confirmed the detentions. Forces broke into the home of Abed Al-Fattah Burnat, 27, then surrounded the home of Ashraf Abu Rahma. International and Palestinian activists were alerted of the raid and went to the location to film the event. Witnesses said the home was declared a closed military zone by army officials, who demanded reporters and activists stay 50 meters away from the door. Organizers said the group moved 50 meters back, but soldiers continued to harass photojournalist and B'Tselem volunteer Hamdi Abu Rahameh, 22. The Israeli military said Rahameh is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and said he was. . . Settlers Vandalism in Bethlehem (Video) Uruknet February 3, 2010 - Monday started with the news that the Israeli military has decided to reoccupy part of Ush Al-Ghrab in Beit Sahour after having left it in 2006 and Tuesday saw the army begin clearing land of Ush Ghrab. Ush Ghrab is part public (Palestinian) land but a major part of it is private lands that was put... Video: Blood Lust: Israelis back new strike on Gaza amid calls to prosecute 'war criminals' Uruknet February 3, 2010 - A recent poll has revealed more than half of Israelis approve of another attack on Gaza. That's despite widespread international condemnation of last year's offensive which killed more than 1300 Palestinians. It comes as recent Goldstone Gaza report said Israel committed war crimes, and there've been many claims of the use of banned weapons... VIDEO - 'To shoot an elephant' 2/2/2010 - ToShootAnElephant.com - A documentary by Alberto Arce and Mohammad Rujailah, "To shoot an elephant" is an eye witness account from The Gaza Strip. December 27th, 2008, Operation Cast Lead. 21 days shooting elephants. Urgent, insomniac, dirty, shuddering images from the only foreigners who decided and managed to stay embedded inside Gaza strip ambulances, with Palestinian civilians. Sinopsis [sic] ". . . afterwards, of course, there were endless discussions about the shooting of the elephant. The owner was furious, but he was only an Indian and could do nothing. Besides, legally I had done the right thing, for a mad elephant has to be killed, like a mad dog, if it's owner fails to control it". George Orwell defined a way of witnessing Asia that still remains valid. "To shoot an elephant" is an eye witness account from The Gaza Strip. December 27th, 2008, Operation Cast Lead. 21 days shooting elephants. . . . Download the film and share it VIDEO - Dr. Norman Finkelstein at the University of Waterloo 2/2/2010 - YouTube - January 20, 2010 - Clip is from American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein. Copyright Baraka Productions / Typecast Releasing. [end] Video: East Jerusalem residents languish beyond the wall Uruknet February 2, 2010 - More than 50,000 Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem live beyond the separation barrier -- areas which are officially part of the city but cut off from its daily life. AFPTV visited the isolated suburb of Kfar Aqeb, where Palestinians are deprived of most municipal services.... Israel's 'Ajami' nominated for best foreign film Oscar Ha'aretz 2 Feb 2010 - The Israeli film "Ajami" was named Tuesday as one of the five films in the running for the foreign language Oscars at the upcoming Academy Awards, making it the third consecutive year in which an Israeli film has been nominated for this prestigious award. ... 50 years after North Carolina lunchcounter sit-in, Times calls West Bank protests ‘theatrical… spectacle’ Mondoweiss - 2 Feb 2010 - Here’s the video accompanying Isabel Kershner’s piece on the West Bank protests last week in the Times. It’s billed: "The Spectacle of West Bank Protests… With a stalled peace process, Israeli soldiers and Palestinian protesters [no mention of Israelis and internationals] clash violently each Friday. The... VIDEO: Israel's immigration police cracks down on pro-Palestinian foreigners Ha'aretz 1 Feb 2010 - Newly formed Oz Unit has joined the IDF in at least three arrest raids on foreign activists in recent weeks. "A different kind of occupation": an interview with Elia Suleiman Uruknet February 1, 2010 - Nazareth-born filmmaker Elia Suleiman is one of the darlings of Cannes and stands out from the pack of contemporary Palestinian filmmakers for his unique style of filmmaking based on sewing together a series vignettes, silence -- an emphasis on visual storytelling versus dialogue, and deadpan comedy found in often grim humor in the lives of everyday... Video: Israel reprimands top army officers over Gaza war The Guardian 1 Feb 2010 - Disciplinary action taken over UN compound attack in populated area of Gaza City last year Israeli police detain settler, seize weapon in Sheikh Jarrah 1/31/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israeli police detained an Israeli settler and confiscated his weapon after he attacked a member of the Al-Ghawi family in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem on Sunday evening. Maysoon Al-Ghawi told Ma'an: "Children were playing in the area when a settler came, showed off his weapon, and tried to shoot people who intervene - including police. He was detained and police confiscated his weapon. "The incident came two days after hundreds of Israelis protested in Sheikh Jarrah against what they have termed settler attempts to ethnically cleanse the neighborhood of its Palestinian inhabitants. Related: VIDEO - Settler Attack in Sheikh Jarrah with M-16 VIDEO - Settler Attack in Sheikh Jarrah with M-16 1/31/2010 - YouTubeISM Palestine - After verbal taunting, a settler in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah left the Gawi house which he and other settlers have occupied since August 2009. He descended the stairs with an M-16 and pushed a teenage boy. When neighborhood adults stepped in to protect the teenager, he pushed Nasser Gawi and then punched him. Seconds later the settler cocked his M-16 and pointed it wildly at the crowd that had gathered. In this video you can clearly see the first punch thrown by the settler and clearly hear the cock of his gun. Related: Nasser Gawi expelled from Sheikh Jarrah – settler detained, weapon siezed and Israeli police detain settler, seize weapon in Sheikh Jarrah VIDEO - My Heart Broke When My Mum And Dad Died In Front Of Me 1/17/2010 - YouTube - Children in Gaza talk about watching their parents die from Israeli violence. [end] Video: Gaza residents denied eye treatment Uruknet January 31, 2010 - Aid agencies have warned that Israel's blockade of Gaza is putting the health of many Palestinians at risk. Last week, Israeli authorities have prevented 19 patients from crossing over to Ramallah in the West Bank, which is Palestinian territory, for cornea implants that could save their sight. Ayman Mohyeldin reports from Gaza on the harmful effects... Nasser Gawi expelled from Sheikh Jarrah – settler detained, weapon siezed 2/1/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Settler attacks young boy in Sheikh Jarrah. - Nasser Gawi and one settler have been expelled from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah for 15 days after the settler attacked local residents and threatened them with an M-16. At 7PM on Sunday night a settler occupying the Palestinian Gawi family house in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah fought neighborhood residents and threatened them with an M-16 automatic rifle. The settler first threw rocks at the tent the Gawi family has stayed in since being evicted, provoking angry shouts from the family. When the settler descended to the street, he physically attached a neighborhood boy, shaking and pushing him. Other adults stepped in and the settler began pushing and eventually punched Nasser Gawi. Numerous blows were exchanged before the settler began wildly waving his M-16 rifle, he then cocked the gun. . . . Related: VIDEO - Settler Attack in Sheikh Jarrah with M-16 and Israeli police detain settler, seize weapon in Sheikh Jarrah VIDEO - Obama Asked Why US Doesn’t Condemn Israeli Human Rights Abuses 1/28/2010 - Huffington Post - During President Obama's town hall this afternoon in Tampa, Florida, a young woman asked a pointed question about Israel and human rights that stirred up the crowd and prompted a long answer from Obama. She asked the president: Last night in your State of the Union address, you spoke of America's support for human rights. Then, why have we not condemned Israel and Egypt's human rights violations against the occupied Palestinian people and yet we continue to support financially with billions of dollars coming from our tax dollars? Obama carefully avoided directly addressing any questions of human rights abuses by Israel or Egypt, instead choosing to frame his answer in the broader context of the troubled region. He was quick to state that he "makes no apologies" for strongly defending Israel while also asserting that the Palestinians have rights as well: "Israel is one of our strongest allies. It is a vibrant democracy. . . . " VIDEO - Child’s eye: ’My brothers think about weapons, not toys’ 1/29/2010 - The Guardian - Two young Palestinian girls - 15-year-old Reem and 10-year-old Ameera – describe their ongoing fears in the aftermath of last year's bombing of Gaza by Israel. [end] VIDEO - ’Defamation’ 1/28/2010 - Information Clearing House - Hashmatsa' ('Defamation') by Israeli director Yoav Shamir dares to attack one of the sacred cows of Israel and of the Jewish people thinking - how it reacts to antisemitism around the world, how it looks at the evil of the Holocaust, and how young generations are being educated in Israel with respect to these painful and fundamental issues. Quest to answer the question, What is anti-Semitism today? Does it remain a dangerous and immediate threat? Or is it a scare tactic used by right-wing Zionists to discredit their critics? Speaking with an array of people from across the political spectrum (including the head of the Anti-Defamation League and its fiercest critic, author Norman Finkelstein) and traveling to places like Auschwitz (alongside Israeli school kids) and Brooklyn (to explore reports of violence), Shamir discovers the realities of anti-Semitism today. His findings are shocking, enlightening and surprisingly often wryly funny. 'Hamas filmed assassinated leader before his death' YNet News 30 Jan 2010 - 'Close friend' of Al-Mabhouh: Organization urged him to relate his part in IDF soldier kidnap on film. He protested it would compromise his security, angry his face was seen in footage Fatah leaders among dozens gassed in Bil’in 1/29/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Dozen of demonstrators suffered tear-gas inhalation after Israeli forces fired canisters at them during a weekly demonstration in the West Bank village Bil'in on Friday afternoon. Sultan Abu Al-Einen, member of the Fatah central committee, and Ahmad Assaf, Fatah spokesman, participated alongside the village's residents. Israeli peace activists and internationals protested in solidarity. Video footage of last week's violence in Bil'in Abu Al-Einen congratulated the residents of Bil'in for their "steadfastness in confronting the settlements and the wall. "He affirmed the support of the presidency, the central committee and Fatah's revolutionary council for resisting the wall and settlements. Demonstrators headed toward the wall, where there was an Israeli force waiting for them. The forces fired stun grenades, tear-gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets. . . Israel signals tougher line on West Bank protests 1/29/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Isabel Kershner, The New York Times, 28 January - Apparently concerned that the protests could spread, the Israeli Army and security forces have recently begun clamping down, arresting scores of local organizers and activists here and conducting nighttime raids on the homes of others. Muhammad Amira, a schoolteacher and a member of Nilin's popular committee, the group that organizes the protests, said his home was raided by the army in the early hours of Jan. 10. The soldiers checked his identity papers, poked around the house and looked in on his sleeping children, Mr. Amira said. He added, "They came to say, "We know who you are. ' " Each Friday for the last five years, Palestinians have demonstrated against the barrier, bolstered by Israeli sympathizers and foreign volunteers who document the ensuing clashes with video cameras, often posting the most dramatic footage on YouTube. " VIDEO : Humanitarianism: Prolonging the Palestinian Political Plight? Uruknet January 28, 2010 - Does humanitarianism delay a political solution to the question of Palestine? With the siege on Gaza and the occupation effecting the population in dramatic fashion and eliminating basic human needs for millions, there is a noticeable shift in the discourse on Palestine; that is a shift away from the struggle for freedom and toward a struggle... Video: Child's eye: 'When it comes to toys, all my brothers think about is weapons' The Guardian 28 Jan 2010 - Two young Palestinian girls - 15-year-old Reem and 10-year-old Ameera – describe their ongoing fears in the aftermath of last year's bombing of Gaza by Israel The first Palestinian on the moon PNN 27 Jan 2010 - Larissa Sansour is currently exhibiting in group show in Bahrain and has her first solo show in New York. Born in Jerusalem in 1973 to a Russian mother and a Palestinian father, educated in New York and London and living in Copenhagen, Sansour has exhibited internationally. Visitors to her shows in New York and Bahrain will encounter her video A Space Exodus .... Israeli director: My film doesn't compare occupation to Holocaust Ha'aretz 27 Jan 2010 - "There are people here who feel they are carrying national pride and the memory of the Holocaust on their backs," director and screenwriter Jonathan Segal told Haaretz Tuesday, in his first reaction to recent articles charging that his movie "Odem" compares the Israeli occupation to the Holocaust. ... Soldiers' duty to protect Palestinians must be made clear B'tselem 26 Jan 2010 - B'Tselem filmed an army officer denying his duty to protect Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, and calling Israelis operating in solidarity with them traitors. B'Tselem wrote to the JAG demanding that measures be taken against him, and that soldier Dozens of settlers riot, one is prosecuted B'tselem 26 Jan 2010 - One year after dozens of settlers rioted in the village of 'Asira al-Qibliya, an indictment was filed against only one settler, although some of the events were filmed and a large contingent of soldiers was at the scene. Canadian students launch campaign to divest from the occupation Mondoweiss - 27 Jan 2010 - Students at Carleton University in Ottawa have launched a campaign asking the university to divest from five corporations benefiting from the Israeli occupation, and to establish a socially responsible investment policy. Above is a powerful video they produced to promote the campaign, and here is a... Fatima: A Palestinian animation film PNN 25 Jan 2010 - Fatenah is a 27-year-old young woman who lives in the Gaza Strip. Her life was like that of many other women in Gaza, until she became ill. This short, 27-minute animation - the first Palestinian-produced animation - reproduces with incredible accuracy the scenarios of Gaza City. The story, untold till now, is a breathtaking adventure that takes the viewer on a journey... Funds scrapped for pro-Palestinian film Jeruslalem Post 26 Jan 2010 - IFF chooses to freeze support for film after revised script compares W. Bank occupation to Holocaust. Israeli director denies his film compares occupation to Holocaust Ha'aretz 26 Jan 2010 - "There are people here who feel they are carrying national pride and the memory of the Holocaust on their backs," director and screenwriter Jonathan Segal told Haaretz Tuesday, in his first reaction to recent articles charging that his movie "Odem" compares the Israeli occupation to the Holocaust. ... B’Tselem Releases Short Animated Video On Gaza Siege IMEMC 25 Jan 2010 - Tuesday January 26, 2010 - 00:59, As part of a campaign by the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem), the group launched a short animated clip challenging the effectives of this siege especially since Israel believes that ongoing blockade would bring Hamas on its knees. VIDEO - B’Tselem film challenges wisdom of Gaza blockade 1/25/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - One year after Israel's assault on the coastal enclave, the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem launched a public campaign demanding that Israel lift its siege on the Gaza Strip. On Monday, B'Tselem released a short film, by Alon Simone, challenging conventual wisdom in Israel that the country's ongoing military blockade of Gaza has brought Hamas to its knees. "A siege doesn't collapse governments," the animated film concludes. "A siege just makes people miserable. " Releasing such films and other material to counter perceptions of what is happening "is necessary in order to rehabilitate the Gaza Strip from the destruction wrought by the hostilities," B'Tselem said. On Sunday, Gaza's electricity generators were turned off as a result of insufficient quantities of fuel being transferred into the coastal enclave. Related: B'tselem Animation: Lift siege on Gaza, December 2009 and Gaza: An Inside Look - Young Gazans' videos UNRWA launches new Hebrew website 1/26/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) on Monday announced the launch of a Hebrew-language website. The new website marks a watershed for the agency, which is seeking to extend its outreach and advocacy efforts to Israeli audiences. The site, made possible through funding from the Dutch government, contains a wide range of resources designed to inform the Hebrew-speaking public about the reality of life for Palestine refugees. Visitors to the Hebrew site will find a wealth of information on the agency and its history, from exclusive archive and recent photographs, to videoclips, personal stories, and details of conditions in UNRWA camps. Related: UNRWA's new Hebrew site Israeli Apartheid Week 2010 to open in Toronto 1/25/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The 6th annual Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) will take place in Toronto from 1 March to 7 March 2010, organizers announced on Monday. IAW will feature lectures, film screenings, cultural activities, and demonstrations aimed at "raising awareness about Israel's apartheid policies toward Palestinians," a statement said. Organizers hope to gather support for the international boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaign. Speakers will be joining Apartheid Week from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives, including Palestinian academic and journalist Rabab Abdulhadi, South African writer and community leader Na'eem Jeenah and representatives from aboriginal communities in Canada and the United States. Concurrent events will be held in dozens of cities throughout Canada and internationally, including United States, United Kingdom, South Africa and Palestine. Related: The Sixth Annual Israeli Apartheid Week 2010 ‘This is our village!’ – a report from Nabi Saleh Uruknet January 25, 2010 - The following is a shocking video from Nabi Saleh, a Palestinian village of 500 residents located north of Ramallah. The village has been engaged in growing demonstrations during the past few weeks to protest the illegal seizure of valuable agricultural land by the Hallamish (Neve Tzuf) settlement. Settlers have also recently uprooted of hundreds of the... Fatima: A Palestinian animation film PNN 25 Jan 2010 - Fatenah is a 27-year-old young woman who lives in the Gaza Strip. Her life was like that of many other women in Gaza, until she became ill. This short, 27-minute animation - the first Palestinian-produced animation - reproduces with incredible accuracy the scenarios of Gaza City. The story, untold till now, is a breathtaking adventure that takes the viewer on a journey... Defamation defamed | Yoav Shamir The Guardian 25 Jan 2010 - I dispute David Hirsh's criticism of my film about antisemitism. Far from 'easy targets', it is a difficult debate Israel must have In David Hirsh's critique of my film Defamation , he accused me of finding "easy... Israeli film comparing Holocaust to occupation loses state funds Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - The Israel Film Fund has ended its financial support for director Yonatan Segal's new piece Odem, after learning that it compares Israel's occupation of the West Bank to the Holocaust. ... Sheikh Jarrah: Settlers throw urine bottles, activists arrested 1/24/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Thursday, January 22nd, settlers occupying the Gawi and Al-Kurd family's homes were reported to be harassing and attempting to provoke the evicted Palestinians and solidarity activists to a violent response. Other settlers stood by with film equipment, ready to record any response to their provocation. The evening's heckling resulted in the arrest of Marwan Abu al Saber. Al Saber was released later that night. Settler harassment of neighborhood residents continued and during the night four chairs were stolen by settlers from the Al-Kurd tent. In the last two weeks they have also stolen an ISM"ers shoes and a shelf from the tent. Thursday night'stheft was reported to the police but no action was taken. Friday morning a young settler boy in the Al-Kurd home threw bottles from the home towards the Al-Kurd tent. One bottle, directed at a solidarity activist who was filming nearby, contained urine. " Sheikh Jarrah: Settlers throw urin bottles, activists arrested Uruknet January 24, 2010 - Thursday, January 22nd, settlers occupying the Gawi and Al-Kurd family’s homes were reported to be harassing and attempting to provoke the evicted Palestinians and solidarity activists to a violent response. Other settlers stood by with film equipment, ready to record any response to their provocation. The evening’s heckling resulted in the arrest of Marwan Abu al... Israeli government supports continued prosecution of filmmaker Mohammed Bakri Uruknet January 23, 2010 - Israeli Attorney General Menahem Mazuz has announced that the government will support the efforts of five reservist soldiers to appeal the decision of a lower court that rejected their claim for libel against Mohammed Bakri for his film Jenin, Jenin, released in 2002. If successful, Bakri, a widely acclaimed Arab Israeli filmmaker and actor, will face... ‘This is our village!’ – a report from Nabi Saleh Mondoweiss - 23 Jan 2010 - The following is a shocking video from Nabi Saleh, a Palestinian village of 500 residents located north of Ramallah. The village has been engaged in growing demonstrations during the past few weeks to protest the illegal seizure of valuable agricultural land by the Hallamish (Neve Tzuf)... Bradford Palestine Solidarity Group hosts Palestine Awareness Week 1/21/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Bradford Palestine Solidarity Group - As Palestinians continue to suffer in occupied Palestine, actions and events are being held in the UK and Europe. The University of Bradford Union (UBU), Palestine Return Centre and Let Palestinians Study are organizing Palestine Awareness Week (PAW) and remembrance in Bradford city. The week of actions coincides with the 1st Anniversary of Gaza War which has been commemorated worldwide. Events will run from 1st February to 5th February. Palestine Awareness Week starts Monday 1st February with a live graffiti about Palestine. At 5pm there will be a film screening of Occupation 101 open to students and members of public. The second day will be a day of cultural festivities where Palestinian food, traditional items, and free literature will be provided for people to take away. There will also be presentations of Palestinian cultural history and if possible a performance during lunch. Israeli film 'Ajami' named Oscar Foreign Film finalist Ha'aretz 21 Jan 2010 - The Israeli film "Ajami" has one more hurdle to clear before a nomination for one of the top five foreign language films to be announced in the upcoming Academy Awards. ... Video: Israel's assassination policy TRNN interviews relatives of recently assassinated men in Nablus, Occupied Palestinian Territories Uruknet January 20, 2010 - In recent weeks Israel has escalated its practice of assassinations in the West Bank and Gaza. At the end of December, Israeli special forces broke into the Nablus homes of Anan Subih, Raed Surkaji, and Ghassan Abu Sharekh and killed them. Official Israeli sources linked the three to the killing of Israeli settler Meir Avshalom Hai... New videotape on Israeli soldiers torturing and stealing human organs disclosed Uruknet January 19, 2010 -- The popular movement for the support of prisoners and Palestinian rights unveiled a videotape explaining how Israeli soldiers in 1988 tortured and killed a Palestinian Christian young man called Khader Tarzi before harvesting his body parts. The pictures in the videotape illustrate in detail how the young man was hunted, beaten and tied to the front... Rights Movement: “Israel Harvested Organs From Palestinian Christian In 1988” Uruknet January 19, 2010 - The Popular Movement for the Support of Prisoners and Palestinian Rights showed a video in Gaza City on Monday showing Israeli soldiers executing a Christian Palestinian from Gaza city after kidnapping him in 1988. The video also provides certain details regarding illegal harvesting of the organs of the slain youth. The Palestinian youth, Fadi Tarazi, is... 'Israelis stealing organs in Haiti' YNet News 19 Jan 2010 - Even as IDF travels across world to extend hand to country in need, there are those who take opportunity to spread slander, blood libel against Jewish state. Seattle resident, who presents himself as black activist, explains incendiary video he uploaded to YouTube New videotape on Israeli soldiers torturing and stealing human organs disclosed PIC 19 Jan 2010 - The popular movement for the support of prisoners unveiled a videotape explaining how Israeli soldiers in 1988 tortured a Palestinian Christian young man before harvesting his body parts. Palestinian NGO Network calls for national unity 1/18/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Seventy Palestinian NGOs and human rights organizations have called on Hamas and Fatah to respond to Egyptian efforts to end internal Palestinian division on Monday and to work towards national unity. The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization Network (PNGO) has made the call to guarantee Palestinian rights and freedoms, achieved through strengthening national unity, representatives said. On 14 September 2009 PNGO launched a conference for the national Campaign to Defend Public Freedoms and Human rights and to Promote the Restoration of National Unity in Palestine - a national meeting via video-conference between the Gaza Strip and West Bank. In October the Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights (affiliated with PNGO) called on Palestinian political parties to restore national unity without further delay in a statement issued on the PNGO Portal. Don’t be Complicit in Israel’s Apartheid: Boycott the 2010 Tel Aviv International Student Film Festival 1/18/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - A Joint Statement by PACBI and PSCABI - The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) and the Palestinian Students" Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel (PSCABI) call on students, lecturers and film-makers to boycott the 13th International Student Film Festival, scheduled for June 2010 in the city of Tel Aviv. PACBI and PSCABI believe that this festival, as with similar cultural initiatives supported by the Israeli government, is openly designed to whitewash the crimes of Israeli apartheid. Festival organizers have highlighted the aim of the festival, noting that it is "a unique cultural and social means to presenting a different Israel to the world, [an] Israel which supports and invests in pluralism, culture and equal opportunity. "This language reveals - as did similar endeavors by the South African Apartheid regime - a cynical and systematic attempt at manipulating world opinion. " ISRAELI OCCUPATION ON FILM….. JANUARY 2010 ….. WHAT THE ZIONISTS DON’T WANT YOU TO SEE Uruknet Palestinian film forum breaking the cultural siege on Gaza 1/17/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Bianca Zammit & Rada Daniell, ISM Gaza - The Palestinian Film Forum (the Forum) was established in 2004 as a branch of the Pal estinian Artists Union covering both Gaza and the West Bank. In the last couple of months it has intensified its activities aiming to achieve an ambitious list of tasks and ensure development of Palestinian cinematography and its networking with the other world cinematographies. The Forum recently organised the first film festival in Gaza in many years. The International Al Quds Film Festival took place between 21 and 23 December ‘09 and film makers from 11 Arab countries showed 52 documentary and feature films, two of which were made in cooperation with Spanish and Dutch filming associations. All films focused on Al Quds or Palestine and explored issues of life under siege and occupation and five of them were awarded Gold Olive prices. Resident files complaint against PA security forces 1/16/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Abbas, 20, from Dheisheh Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, filed a complaint with police concerning his treatment at the hands of Palestinian Authority security forces during a nonviolent demonstration in the camp on Wednesday. Abbas said he suffered blows and bruising as he tried to film a sit-in at the refugee camp, and was forcibly removed from the rally by PA security forces. He called on President Mahmoud Abbas, the Mayor of Bethlehem, and human rights organizations to investigate his case and take action against the security forces responsible. [end] Enas Muthaffar: Simply put, I’m a filmmaker 1/16/2010 - In the first of a series dedicated to Palestinian film, Ma'an interviews Palestinian filmmaker Enas Muthaffar, who, in addition to making several short films and documentaries, has worked as assistant director on several Palestinian films, including Paradise Now and Salt of this Sea. Jerusalem - Ma'an - First and foremost, Muthaffar explains of the difficulties faced by Palestinian filmmakers in the occupied Palestinian territories, given the lack of Palestinian funding. "Palestinian directors have to be their own producers. "Her work is edgy and "lately, I tend to be sarcastic about the whole situation," she says. Much of her work is screened internationally and in the occupied Palestinian territories, mostly in refugee camps across the West Bank. "Because of everything, it's hard to get Palestinians to view films. I am lucky, I have freedom of movement. I can be there, and it's important. . . " Video: I am the Resistance Uruknet Janaury 16, 2010 - Whenever there is injustice, there are people fighting it with every possible means. We have seen it so many times before: the oppressed rise up, the oppressor dehumanizes them calling them such names as "terrorists", "saboteurs", "death loving" extremists... It is only normal that the oppressor will always lie to justify his actions and its crimes...... Building a different Middle East 1/16/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Joel Beinin, The Nation, 15 January - Like every other woman in her village Umm Hasan wears a headscarf. Her husband and other male relatives are not on the scene. But this is not an obstacle to her animated interactions with the sixteen Israelis and foreigners she has never previously met but welcomes into her home. Among the visitors are a German and a Serb who are making a film about Palestinian hip-hop. Everyone has come to participate in the weekly demonstration against the separation barrier organized by the local Popular Committee. While the Israelis make preparations for the demonstration, Umm Hasan tells the filmmakers about the current situation in the village. Neria, a young Israeli woman who attended a bilingual primary school, makes a poster in Arabic and Hebrew, "so the [Israeli] soldiers will know what it means" with the slogan: "They destroyed the wall in Berlin; tomorrow we'll destroy it in Palestine. . . " CPT: Hebron Incidents, December 17-31, 2009 1/16/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - The Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron released this incident report for the period between December 17 and December 31, 2009. - December 17 - Shortly after morning worship, the team's neighbor told them that soldiers were on the roof of the apartment building. When Herbert, Schroeder, and Shiffer filmed them and asked why they kept coming up to the roof, they did not respond. Kern brought up tea and cookies, but none of the soldiers accepted this hospitality. The team decided next time the soldiers came up to the roof again, they would videotape themselves singing "Joy to the World" there for a digital Christmas greeting. When soldiers did not subsequently appear, the team decided to record a digital greeting anyway. December 18 - After consulting with their neighbor, team members decided to keep the stairwell door locked through the morning in case the soldiers arrived again. Video: Child's eye: One year on with the children of Gaza The Guardian 15 Jan 2010 - A year ago today, Save the Children met a Palestinian boy named Mohammed. He was living in a shelter school after his house was damaged by the Israeli shelling of Gaza. A year later he describes... I'm no hero for defending Palestinians | David Hirsh The Guardian 15 Jan 2010 - Yes, I stood up against abusing the rights of Palestinians, but so do many Israelis – a fact that Yoav Shamir's film ignores The Bolsheviks used to aim to hit an enemy hard at its strongest... Time to pass on the baton to a younger leadership, says Wallerstein, as he takes leave of Yesha Council Jeruslalem Post 14 Jan 2010 - Palestinian statehood must be prevented, but not through violence against the IDF or innocent Palestinians, says settler leader. [video inside!] Spielberg to film rebuilding of World Trade Center in New York Ha'aretz 14 Jan 2010 - Six-part documentary series named 'Rebuilding Ground Zero' to air on The Science Channel in 2011., Documentary highlights Palestinian press violations 1/12/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Center for Development & Media Freedoms (MADA), a Ramallah-based NGO that monitors press freedom in the occupied territories, released its first film on Monday. "Freedoms Invasion" takes a look back at 2009 detailing violations against journalists on the part of forces allied with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, Gaza's de facto government, and the Israeli military. MADA produced the documentary to demonstrate that "Palestinian journalists and media are under constant attacks and pressure, and to show the situation of media freedoms in the occupied Palestinian territories, which witnessed a serious deterioration in the last three years," director Mousa Rimawi told Ma'an. MADA monitored 257 violations during 2008, and more than 150 violations during 2009, committed by Israeli forces and settlers, in addition to Palestinian security services, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Mousa said. Video: Riz Khan - GAZAS OPEN WOUNDS Uruknet January 12, 2010 - A year has gone by since Israel launched a crushing military offensive against the 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. For 22 days in December 2008 and January 2009, Israel bombed the territory from the air, land and sea, killing 1,400 Palestinians. Thirteen Israelis were killed during the war. Israeli officials gave many reasons for... Turkish producers call Israel 'war criminal' YNet News 12 Jan 2010 - (Video) Company which produced anti-Israeli shows says UN agrees with its presentation of Israel A war of values Mondoweiss - 11 Jan 2010 - The video above was shot by Max Blumenthal a year ago today. I wonder if any of the people in it have changed their views? I’ve finally gotten around to reading the Goldstone Report . It’s an amazing document. In addition to the legal analysis and incredible... YNET reports George Mitchell is threatening Israel with sanctions. Unfortunately, the record looks different. 1/8/2010 - Mondoweiss - YNET is reporting that the US is considering sanctions against Israel. This is based on an interview George Mitchell recently did with Charlie Rose. From the article "Mitchell: Mideast stagnation endangers US aid": "On the eve of his visit to the Middle East, US special envoy George Mitchell threatened that his country would freeze its aid to Israel if the Jewish state failed to advance peace talks with the Palestinians and a two-state solution. Mitchell clarified in an interview to the PBS network that the United States would use incentives or sanctions against both sides. According to American law, Mitchell said, the US can freeze its support for aid to Israel. He added that all options must remain open and that the sides must be convinced about what their important interests are. "-- Links: Video: Mitchell on Charlie Rose and Transcript: Mitchell on Charlie Rose The Gaza Freedom March, In Pictures 1/10/2010 - Political Theatrics - The following pictures are from fellow Gaza Freedom Marchers – I only had the ability to tape the events through my HD camera and until I am done converting all MP4 files into WMV(s) I will be releasing pictures and videos others have taken. The pictures are not my own but have been collected from Gaza Freedom Marchers who were present at all events in Cairo, Egypt along with me. [end] Video: IsraHell for you, Ethnic Cleansing Live Uruknet January 9, 2009 - Israeli TV, a glimpse into Jewish tolerance. Bare in mind that this is Israel National TV's 5 pm News. The elder Israeli presenter is Dan Margalit, a leading Israeli Journalist and a devoted servant of every Israeli government and War Criminal leaders in the last four decades (Rabin, Peres, Sharon, Netanyahu, Olmert, Livni and Barak).. Israeli Apartheid Video Contest 1/9/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Put your ideas and convictions on film! - itISapartheid. org, in partnership with Stop the Wall, announce the first international Israeli Apartheid Video Contest - As part of the colonial conflict in Palestine, Israel has instituted a policy of apartheid that separates Palestinians from Israelis and Palestinians from each other, creating an oppressive and racially discriminatory system. It denies basic Palestinian rights to land, education, movement, and housing while devastating the economy, trying to undermine civil society, and forcing continuous displacement upon the majority of Palestinians. You are invited to submit short [less than 5 minutes] videos on the theme of Israeli Apartheid. Videos should reflect the nature, realities, and/or consequences of the apartheid policy in Israel, in the occupied West Bank and Gaza and against Palestinian refugees in the diaspora. -- Link: Put your ideas and convictions on film! Israeli Soldiers Attack and Injure Palestinian Shepherds; Arrest Musab Raba'i Uruknet January 8, 2010- On the morning of Thursday 7 January, 2010, Israeli soldiers attacked and injured Palestinian shepherds from the Musa Raba'i family, as they grazed their sheep in Humra valley, near the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. The soldiers also attacked the internationals accompanying the shepherds and broke a video camera. Before leaving the area the... IAF strikes four targets in Gaza Strip Jeruslalem Post 8 Jan 2010 - Tunnels used to smuggle weapons, terrorists struck in response to Katyusha; 3 men reportedly killed. [video inside!] Iranian TV Sees Conspiracy in Neda Video New York Times 7 Jan 2010 - A new documentary made for Iranian television seeks to prove that the graphic, widely-seen amateur video of a female protester named Neda Agha-Soltan bleeding to death on a Tehran street last June was fake. Video: Palestinian children are stoned while walking to school Uruknet January 6, 2010 - At-Tuwani On Wednesday morning, 30 December 2009, an Israeli settler from the Israeli outpost of Havat Ma'on (Hill 833) chased and attacked Palestinian schoolchildren from the villages of Tuba and Maghayir Al-Abeed. The Israeli army exposed the children to this attack by arriving more than 90 minutes late to escort the schoolchildren to their school in... Video: Egyptian police clash with Gaza aid convoy The Guardian 6 Jan 2010 - Protests erupted after the Viva Palestina convoy led by George Galloway was held up near the Rafah border crossing into Gaza Look familiar? Mondoweiss - 6 Jan 2010 - This is a trailer for the film Have You Heard From Johannesburg? . I know the movement for equal rights and justice in Israel/Palestine doesn’t look like this quite yet, but maybe someday soon. If you’re in New York City, the film will be playing at the... Video: Gaza war: One year on, Palestinians struggle to rebuild life from the rubble The Guardian 4 Jan 2010 - Inigo Gilmore returns to Gaza to explore the fate of families who are trying to piece together their lives and want Israel to be prosecuted for war crimes Guy Grandjean Inigo Gilmore Mona Mahmood Iranian Filmmakers Keep Focus on the Turmoil New York Times 4 Jan 2010 - Directors have used their works and celebrity to draw attention to the protests that have roiled Iran since June. Sderot ‘peace march’ promotes war Mondoweiss - 4 Jan 2010 - We’ve been following the Gaza Freedom March and its aftermath here on the site, but there was another Gaza-related march held around the same time. Check out this video (after the ad) from the Jerusalem Post : The ending couldn’t have been better if it was made... Watch: Iran police shoot at protesters Jeruslalem Post 3 Jan 2010 - In this amateur video, a police officer opens fire on opposition activists during Muslim holiday Ashura. Hamas video: Settlers drink Palestinians' blood YNet News 3 Jan 2010 - (Video) Cartoon broadcast by Islamist organization's TV portrays Palestinian officer named Bahlul humiliated by IDF soldiers, shining their shoes, defending settlers and willing to arrest his own family members [uruknet.info] IRAN: Video shows gunman opening fire on demonstrators, who fight back Uruknet January 2, 2010 - Iranian police have stated strenuously that security forces weren't armed with guns during Dec. 27 clashes in Tehran between security forces and protesters. But newly discovered amateur video, apparently taken with a cellphone, tells a different story. In the video, a man can be seen and heard opening fire on a crowd of unarmed demonstrators as... [uruknet.info] The Occupation indicts the director of "Jenin, Jenin" film Uruknet January 2, 2010 - The Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz is expected to file charges against the director of the film "Jenin, Jenin", Mohammed Barki, for allegedly defaming Israeli soldiers. Mazuz met with State Prosecutor Moshe Lador and the chief of the Israel Defense Forces Armored Corps, Brigadier General Agai Yehezkel, as a representative of the soldiers who invaded the... Efrat rabbi retracts praise for 'Rabbi Jesus' over Orthodox ire Ha'aretz 1 Jan 2010 - Defending himself from scathing criticism for a video in which he refers to Jesus as "a model rabbi," a well-respected Anglo rabbi said this week that while his terminology was "inappropriate," the poorly edited video mauled his message. The current incident is the second time this year that Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, the New York-born Orthodox rabbi of Efrat, had to clarify a controversial statement regarding Jewish-Christian relations. ... VIDEO - Gaza Freedom March Protests Continue in Cairo, Organizers Say Egypt Offer to Allow 100 into Gaza Not Sufficient 12/30/2009 - Democracy Now! - Hundreds of activists with the Gaza Freedom March are staging continued demonstrations and sit-ins in Cairo to protest the Egyptian government’s refusal to allow them to cross the border into Gaza. Organizers say an offer by Egyptian authorities this morning to allow just 100 members of the group to go to Gaza was not sufficient. More than 1,300 people from over forty countries are in Cairo as part of the Gaza Freedom March. We go to Cairo to speak with Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada. AMY GOODMAN: Hundreds of activists with the Gaza Freedom March are staging continued demonstrations and sit-ins in Cairo to protest Egypt’s refusal to allow them to cross the border into Gaza. Organizers say an offer by Egyptian authorities this morning to allow just a hundred members of the group to go to Gaza was not sufficient. More than 1,300 people came from over forty countries. VIDEO - Gaza Freedom March Updates 12/30/2009 - P U L S E - Sam Husseini speaks to Paul Jay of the Real News from Cairo. He is also liveblogging here. Also check out Kirstie and Angus MacLean’s updates and the always excellent coverage by our good friends at Mondoweiss. Ali Abunimah is also liveblogging from Cairo. Stephen Walt has written about the absence of coverage in the US media (here and here). This is what presumably prompted the New York Times to give some coverage today (albeit on page A8). Democracy Now, as always, has the best coverage of all. [Includes links] [end] VIDEO - Rep. Brian Baird to call for cutting US aid to Israel unless the blockade on Gaza is lifted 12/30/2009 - Mondoweiss - See also: Congressman Baird Announces He Will Not Seek Reelection (9 December 2009) and Brian Baird: Israel and Gaza [end] [uruknet.info] Video: Gaza Freedom March Paul Jay talks to Sam Husseini in Cairo, Egypt Uruknet December 30, 2009 - ...This march, the Gaza Freedom March, it was largely composed of Americans, but, for example, over the last several days you've had the French, which are about 300, camped out in front of the French embassy, as well as people from Australia, from Turkey, from some 40 countries, including US writer Alice Walker, [inaudible] the anticorporate... Rebuild: Gaza's 1st GFX hip hop video clip by DARG TEAM PNN 30 Dec 2009 - On December 27th 2008, Israel started it's first strike on Gaza killing thousands of lives for 23 consecutive days. After the war, DARG TEAM - a Palestinian Rap band from Gaza - recorded and filmed it's first video clip '23 yoom (twenty three days).Today, one year after the war, DARG TEAM come up with a new song Rebuild , this time calling every... Mazuz's farewell decision: Will 'Jenin, Jenin' director be indicted? Ha'aretz 30 Dec 2009 - Before he steps down late next month, Attorney General Menachem Mazuz is expected to decide on a case likely to again provoke considerable debate on freedom of expression - whether actor and director Mohammed Bakri should be indicted for his controversial film "Jenin, Jenin." ... [uruknet.info] Video: Fears remain after Gaza war Uruknet December 28, 2009 - One year after the start of Israel's war on Gaza, Al Jazeera's Sherine Tadros revisits a family she met during the assault. Rima Abid, the mother, says that even though the bombings have stopped, reminders of the war are still present in the family's daily life. Her children are afraid to sleep alone, fearing there might... [uruknet.info] Video: A Day in the Life of a Palestinian Child in Gaza Uruknet December 28, 2009 - Imagine never knowing one day of peace in your life, nor ever having hope..or dreams for your future. Imagine being in a constant state of terror and hunger. Welcome to the Gaza of the 21st century! Most of us just want a dry roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and health and safety for... [uruknet.info] Video: Witness - Gaza Fixer 2 Uruknet December 28, 2009 - Raed Atharmneh has been the right-hand man for journalists covering Gaza for many years, providing essential knowledge, contacts and logistical backup for a number of reporters. In 2006 he became part of the news story himself, when 18 members of his family were killed by an Israeli bomb. In Gaza Fixer 2, filmmakers George Azar and... [uruknet.info] Video: Gaza Lives On Uruknet December 27, 2009 - One year later, it is very important to remember what happened in Gaza. But it is more important to realize the aspirations of the Palestinian people in Gaza. They deserve our solidarity, respect and reverence. They deserve justice. It is the duty of every person to contribute to break the unprecedented siege and bringing the criminals... [uruknet.info] Iran: The Civil Resistance Breaks Through the Censorship, Again Uruknet December 27, 2009 - While this CNN report - one that depends (again) on citizen journalist videos taken this weekend in Iran under a government-ordered ban on foreign and domestic media coverage of a resurgent opposition - largely succeeds at breaking the information blockade, I would quibble with correspondent Reza Sayah's characterization of the struggle as "a face-off between the... [uruknet.info] Video: The Children of Gaza share their experiences of "Cast Lead" Uruknet December 27, 2009 - The first Israeli airstrikes of "Operation Cast Lead" took the people of Gaza by surprise. School children were among those going about their ordinary lives on the day of the attack. Their world was flung quickly into chaos. Some of them told Al Jazeera their recollections of the horror... [uruknet.info] Video: Israeli policy leaves family stranded Uruknet December 25, 2009 - For seven years, Saeed Darwish of Bethlehem has had to apply for an Israeli permit to be able to live in his own home in a part of the city that Israel says is under its jurisdiction. But a month ago, Israeli authorities decided not to renew his permit, leaving the family's sole breadwinner stranded. Now,... Settlers attempt to destroy Christmas tree following Palestinian celebration in Sheikh Jarrah 12/24/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - 23 December - On Wednesday 23 December at 11. 30pm, as every other night, settlers began to circulate in the street between the occupied Gawi house and the half-occupied al-Kurd house in Sheikh Jarrah. After about an hour of general harassment of the Palestinian families living in the neighbourhood since 1956, the settlers increased their aggression and started throwing fruit at the people who sat in front of the Kurd family house to protect it from further invasions. Two settlers started making graffiti and sprayed over Palestinian flags painted on the wall of the al-Kurd backyard, while the rest pushed and cursed the Palestinians and internationals, who verbally tried to make them stop. A solidarity activist filming the episode was spray-painted in the face numerous times. Three border policemen stood next by and watched without interfering for the whole duration of the attack. Man killed in West Bank shooting YNet News 24 Dec 2009 - (Video) Meir Avshalom Hai, 45, murdered in shooting attack on West Bank road Thursday afternoon; Magen David Adom ambulance teams, security forces rush to scene, troops scour area for suspects Tehran protesters clash with Iranian security forces LA Times 25 Dec 2009 - Protesters honoring the late Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, Iran's leading dissident cleric, are met by police in riot gear. Several thousand protesters took to the streets of Tehran on Thursday and clashed with security forces in the latest round of unrest over Iran's disputed June presidential election, according to witnesses and amateur video posted on the Internet. 'Waltz with Bashir' makes top-100 list in three U.K. papers Ha'aretz 23 Dec 2009 - The Israeli film "Waltz with Bashir," the animated memoir of director Ari Folman's experiences during the first Lebanon War, has been listed by three prominent British newspapers as one of this decade's 100 best movies. ... Video: Middle East prisoner exchange could be derailed The Guardian 23 Dec 2009 - Israeli objections threaten to derail swap of Hamas prisoners for captive soldier Gilad Shalit Gazan rappers battle in rare competition 12/22/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Seven Palestinian rap groups battled for the top spot in a Norwegian-funded competition in Gaza City on Monday night. Screaming, fans crammed into a concert hall in the Red Crescent complex for the show, applauding each group on stage. The Norwegian sponsors joined via videoconference. The competition (titled Riasalatna - Our Message) was organized by young Gazan women as the end product of a number of workshops in Gaza and the Norwegian city of Tromso. The workshops were about how to execute a project supervised by Norwegian specialists. Norwegian judges were supposed to choose the winner of the rap contest on Monday, but the decision was delayed due to problems with the video link. Judges said they were thrilled to participate in the event, saying it was an expression of support for the Palestinian people. [uruknet.info] Video: Gaza and the World - So this is Christmas? Uruknet December 22, 2009 - Australians for Palestine and Women for Palestine offer a video that calls attention to the extreme humanitarian crisis in Gaza at a time when Christians are celebrating their most festive religious holiday - Christmas. Underlying the frivolity of Christmas shopping, eating and entertainment, is the destitution, misery and hopelessness that millions of Palestinians under occupation and... [uruknet.info] Video: Israeli repression wave targets activists Israel's recent wave of repression led to arrest of Jamal Juma', coordinator of Stop the Wall Campaign. Uruknet December 22, 2009 - In recent months, since the public push for The Goldstone Report, Israeli authorities have intensified their repression of activists on both sides of the segregation wall. Though Israel tries Palestinians and Israelis under separate legal systems, with the former being prosecuted in a military court and the later in domestic, civil courts, both have seen an... [uruknet.info] Video: Israel 'outsourcing' the occupation Uruknet December 22, 2009 - Concern is growing among Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as Israel steps up its use of private security contractors to patrol Palestinian territories. The private firms are being used to help patrol checkpoints and protect illegal settlements in what has become a multi-billion dollar business for Israeli security companies... [uruknet.info] Video: My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story Uruknet December 22, 2009 - Told from the perspectives of the refugees, My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza's Untold Story is a comprehensive chronicle of the tumultuous history and the struggles of the people of Gaza... Supreme court supports Arabic, but court museum shuns it Ha'aretz 22 Dec 2009 - The Court Heritage Museum in the Supreme Court Building has labels in Hebrew and English, but not in Arabic. There is also no Arabic version of a short film that is shown there. Arab sector educators say this harms students who come to visit the museum, and sends "a negative message of alienation." ... Likud MK: Israel is not ‘a Jewish and democratic state,’ but rather ‘a Jewish state with a democratic regime’ Mondoweiss - 22 Dec 2009 - The above video is part of the Knesset debate that Phil posted on earlier today . It begins with Palestinian MK Ahmed Tibi challenging two bills before the parliament. One pertains to a law that makes it impossible for non-Jewish Israeli citizens to extend their citizenship to... Meet another Israeli settler being supported by the IRS, for now Mondoweiss - 22 Dec 2009 - Thanks to the Palestine Note for posting the above video. It is an interview from Israeli television with Rabbi Dov Wolpe, the head of "The Task Force to Save the Nation and the Land" an organization which gives money to Israeli soldiers to refuse orders to... Arab filmmaker wins film award, Israel airline security nabs it PNN 19 Dec 2009 - Thirty-five days after returning from Barcelona on a Sun D'Or flight, items belonging to documentary film director Sahera Dirbas, which Israeli security people had removed from her luggage and sent separately, were returned to her. Among them was a bronze figurine she had won at the International Euro-Arab Amal Film Festival in Spain for best documentary - awarded for her film Stranger... Farsi phone service helps bind a community LA Times 20 Dec 2009 - Immigrants from Iran know where to call for information on navigating life in L.A. Looking for some kebab? Need a Farsi-speaking plumber? Can't find the showtimes for a new Iranian film release? 'Britain failed us on arrest warrant loophole' Jeruslalem Post 18 Dec 2009 - Officials say Israel did its part in case of slain filmmaker, but British gov't did not respond in kind. Arab filmmaker wins film award, Israel airline security nabs it Ha'aretz 18 Dec 2009 - Thirty-five days after returning from Barcelona on a Sun D'Or flight, items belonging to documentary film director Sahera Dirbas, which Israeli security people had removed from her luggage and sent separately, were returned to her. Among them was a bronze figurine she had won at the International Euro-Arab Amal Film Festival in Spain for best documentary - awarded for her film "Stranger in My Home." ... Family tells details of Israeli raid on Ni’lin 12/17/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Israeli troops entered the village of Ni'lin at 3am Wednesday morning, one of five villages that were raided overnight. They entered the home of the Kan'an family, beat their daughter and destroyed parts of the home. Last week there were 16 similar raids across the West Bank. Victims from the Ni'lin raid gave an account of what is now a regular experience. Jamal Kin'an Amira said he was startled by the sound of stones hitting the windows of his neighbors home shortly after hearing Israeli troops enter the village early Wednesday morning. Following the barrage, Amira said soldiers entered the, broke several pieces of furniture and screamed at people in the home next door. On the way out they damaged his car. The house next door is that of Dawlat Kan'an, father of the young girl who filmed Israeli soldiers shooting, at point blank range, a blindfolded and bound Palestinian youth. [uruknet.info] IDF raids Naalin photographer's home Uruknet December 16, 2009 - Family members of a girl who shot a video showing an Israel Defense Forces soldier firing a rubber bullet at a bound Palestinian in the West Bank village of Naalin last year say the army has been harassing them ever since. The relatives told Ynet that a massive IDF force raided their house on Wednesday night... POMEGRANATES AND MYRRH PNN 17 Dec 2009 - International Narrative Feature FilmsPalestinianTerritories, 2008, 95 mins., color Director(s):Najwa Najjar Screenwriter(s): Najwa Najjar Producer: Hani E. Cort Coproducers: Robin Gutch, Thierry Lenouvel, Kamel Kacimi and Daniel Gobner Cinematographer: Valentina Caniglia Commissioning Editor: Meinolf Zuhorst Editors: Bettina Bohler, Sotira Kyriacou Dancer Kamar’s joyful wedding to Zaid is followed almost immediately by Zaid’s imprisonment in an Israeli jail for refusing to give up his... 'UK failed us on arrest warrant issue' Jeruslalem Post 17 Dec 2009 - Officials say Israel did its part in case of slain filmmaker, but British gov't did not respond in kind. Arab filmmaker wins prize, Israel airline security nabs it Ha'aretz 17 Dec 2009 - Thirty-five days after returning from Barcelona on a Sun D'Or flight, items belonging to documentary film director Sahera Dirbas, which Israeli security people had removed from her luggage and sent separately, were returned to her. Among them was a bronze figurine she had won at the International Euro-Arab Amal Film Festival in Spain for best documentary - awarded for her film "Stranger in My Home." ... Kanaan: The IOF uses a carrot and stick approach to get my videotape PIC 17 Dec 2009 - Salam Kanaan said that the IOF blackmailed her through using the carrot and stick approach in order to get the original version of a videotape showing an Israeli soldier shooting a Palestinian youth. IDF raids Naalin photographer’s home 12/16/2009 - YNetNews - Canaan family members say harassed by army following incident in which soldier was documented shooting bound Palestinian during anti-fence rally. Military source: A special force arrived to arrest one of the family members suspected of rioting - Family members of a girl who shot a video showing an Israel Defense Forces soldier firing a rubber bullet at a bound Palestinian in the West Bank village of Naalin last year say the army has been harassing them ever since. The relatives told Ynet that a massive IDF force raided their house on Wednesday night and left behind a lot of damage. The girl's father and brother were then summoned for investigation. An IDF official claimed, however, that the soldiers arrived to arrest a man suspected of rioting and that the incident had nothing to do with the videotape. The girl's family members said that soldiers arrived at their house at around 3:30 am. [uruknet.info] Video: Christmas in the Holy Land - 2009 Uruknet December 16, 2009 - When celebrating Christmas, it would be a good idea to think about the birthplace of Jesus. What is like in the Holy Land under occupation, injustice and racism? How does Christmas feel when the Holy Land is under siege? Help bring joy to the Holy Land. Help break the siege. Support the Freedom March to Gaza,... [uruknet.info] Video: Home page Video Canali Cambia dimensioni player Guarda questo video in una nuova finestra Christmas in the Holy Land - 2009 Uruknet December 16, 2009 - When celebrating Christmas, it would be a good idea to think about the birthplace of Jesus. What is like in the Holy Land under occupation, injustice and racism? How does Christmas feel when the Holy Land is under siege? Help bring joy to the Holy Land. Help break the siege. Support the Freedom March to Gaza,... IDF raids Naalin photographer’s home 12/16/2009 - YNetNews - Canaan family members say harassed by army following incident in which soldier was documented shooting bound Palestinian during anti-fence rally. Military source: A special force arrived to arrest one of the family members suspected of rioting - Family members of a girl who shot a video showing an Israel Defense Forces soldier firing a rubber bullet at a bound Palestinian in the West Bank village of Naalin last year say the army has been harassing them ever since. The relatives told Ynet that a massive IDF force raided their house on Wednesday night and left behind a lot of damage. The girl's father and brother were then summoned for investigation. An IDF official claimed, however, that the soldiers arrived to arrest a man suspected of rioting and that the incident had nothing to do with the videotape. The girl's family members said that soldiers arrived at their house at around 3:30 am. VIDEO - Christmas in the Holy Land 12/16/2009 - Political Theatrics - When celebrating Christmas, it would be a good idea to think about the birthplace of Jesus. What is like in the Holy Land under occupation, injustice and racism? How does Christmas feel when the Holy Land is under siege? Help bring joy to the Holy Land. Help break the siege. Support the Freedom March to Gaza, Holy Land (Palestine). [end] Documentation of dramatic rescue at sea YNet News 13 Dec 2009 - (Video) IDF releases footage of crew members of freighter which sunk off Haifa coast being rescued by Air Force. Five sailors still missing Protests go on in Bilin despite arrest of media coordinator Mondoweiss - 12 Dec 2009 - Despite the middle-of-the-night arrest earlier this week of a leader of the Bilin protest movement, scores joined the protest yesterday at the separation wall amid a hail of teargas canisters. Friends of Freedom and Justice-Bilin has a video of the protest at that link, and reports:... Palestinian shopkeeper sues 'Bruno' Daily Star 11 Dec 2009 WASHINGTON: A Palestinian shopkeeper and father portrayed as a terrorist in the movie "Bruno" is suing film star Sacha Baron Cohen, David Letterman and others for libel and slander. The lawsuit filed last week by Ayman Abu Aita in District of Columbia federal court seeks $110 million in damages. In the movie, Baron Cohen plays a gay Austrian fashion journalist trying to make it big in the US., WASHINGTON: A Palestinian shopkeeper and father portrayed as a terrorist in the movie "Bruno" is suing film star Sacha Baron Cohen, David Letterman and others for libel and slander. The lawsuit filed last week by Ayman Abu Aita in District of Columbia federal court seeks $110 million in damages. In the movie, Baron Cohen plays a gay Austrian fashion journalist trying to make it big in the US. [uruknet.info] Video: Israelis protest settlement freeze Uruknet December 9, 2009 - As talks continue over the release of Galid Shalit, the Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas, Israeli settlers have been demanding access to land that does not legally belong to them. Many Israelis are angry at a proposed partial-freeze on building new settlements in some parts of the occuptied West Bank, prompting thousands of protesters to... Yasmine Elmasri PNN 8 Dec 2009 - Yasmine Al Massri is a Palastinian French actress, Video artist, and a dancer, born in Lebanon, who graduated and lived in Paris, got her Diplome Nationale Superieure, from l'Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris. She got her first acting chance with a Lebanese movie called Caramel with director Nadine Labaki, that got her the red carpet in Cannes Film Festival, and four... No glitz or glam at Gaza's first ever film festival PNN 7 Dec 2009 - The Gaza Strip launched its first ever film festival on Saturday and although it was a far cry from the usual glitz and glamour associated with film festivals, it offered something far more real and substantial – namely exposing Israeli crimes. With the participation of several countries from the Arab world and internationally the documentary film festival kicked off despite several hiccups,... VIDEO - Armageddon is coming to East Jerusalem 12/6/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Palestine Monitor, 5 December - This was the ominous warning issued yesterday by Rabbi Arik Asherman, director of Rabbis for Human Rights who believes that "if nothing changes, Jerusalem will burn. " ť His remarks come in response to a court decision on Monday permitting Israeli settlers to take possession of another Palestinian home in the East Jerusalem region of Sheikh Jarrah. This is the fifth family to be evicted in a neighbourhood where more and more Israeli flags are appearing atop of freshly occupied Palestinian homes. Yesterday Rabbis for Human Rights organized a demonstration in Jerusalem protesting the courts decision bringing together 150 Israeli and international activists from organizations such as ICHAD, EAPPI and Anarchists against the Wall. As they marched through the streets in West Jerusalem, they received a mixed reaction from passer bys. Some cheered them on whilst others shouted "traitor', spat at demonstrators and at one point a hose was turned on the crowd from behind the curtain of an upstairs apartment. Students, militia clash in 2nd day of Iran protest YNet News 8 Dec 2009 - (Video) More than 200 detained as anti-government rallies continue at universities throughout Islamic Republic. Top prosecutor says, 'So far, we have shown restraint. From today, no leniency will be applied.' Opposition leader Mousavi confronts harassing militiamen: 'Kill me!' VIDEO - One beaten and threatened with arrest; al-Ma’sara defies soldiers 12/5/2009 - Stop The Wall - Today, the weekly demonstration against the illegal Apartheid Wall and settlements in al-Ma’sara and the surrounding villages in the south of Bethlehem was met by an unusually high number of soldiers, who had arrived in a military bus and additional jeeps. Again, the intended march to the lands of the villages was cut off by a row of barbed wire; however, this week, the barrier had been moved further into the village and spread diagonally across the main street, allowing for more soldiers to line up behind it. The stepped up military presence clearly forbade military aggression. Nonetheless, the local protestors, who were again joined by international and Israeli activists, walked peacefully to the barrier and began to honor a Palestinian who was twice run over by a settler in Hebron last week after allegedly stabbing two settlers. Former Congressman Findley Speaks Out about Israeli Lobby 12/8/2009 - BrasscheckTV - If Americans knew, 2006 - The most propagandized country on earth, the US - Sixty years of massive, ongoing, coldly calculated human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. That's the legacy of the State of Israel. Americans pay the bills for this tyranny and our hopelessly corrupt news media and elected officials go along with it because it's politically expedient. Includes trailer and whole film. -- Links: Full video at Google Videos and Video at IfAmericansKnew. org [Uruknet 60829 07-dec-2009 14:43 ECT] A Day In Palestine Uruknet December 6, 2009 - December 3, 2009 passes, just another day among 365 days of the year. But no day here is boring. I videotape at length (mostly for another project) but put a tiny bit on youtube to give you a visual to accompany this description since I am still experimenting with video productions but hopefully will get better... No glitz or glam at Gaza's first ever film festival PNN 7 Dec 2009 - The Gaza Strip launched its first ever film festival on Saturday and although it was a far cry from the usual glitz and glamour associated with film festivals, it offered something far more real and substantial – namely exposing Israeli crimes. With the participation of several countries from the Arab world and internationally the documentary film festival kicked off despite several hiccups,... VIDEO - Armageddon is coming to East Jerusalem 12/6/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Palestine Monitor, 5 December - This was the ominous warning issued yesterday by Rabbi Arik Asherman, director of Rabbis for Human Rights who believes that "if nothing changes, Jerusalem will burn. " ť His remarks come in response to a court decision on Monday permitting Israeli settlers to take possession of another Palestinian home in the East Jerusalem region of Sheikh Jarrah. This is the fifth family to be evicted in a neighbourhood where more and more Israeli flags are appearing atop of freshly occupied Palestinian homes. Yesterday Rabbis for Human Rights organized a demonstration in Jerusalem protesting the courts decision bringing together 150 Israeli and international activists from organizations such as ICHAD, EAPPI and Anarchists against the Wall. As they marched through the streets in West Jerusalem, they received a mixed reaction from passer bys. Some cheered them on whilst others shouted "traitor', spat at demonstrators and at one point a hose was turned on the crowd from behind the curtain of an upstairs apartment. Palestinian 'terrorist' takes aim at Sasha Baron Cohen Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - A Palestinian grocer from Bethlehem filed suit against comedian Sasha Baron Cohen on Monday, for the sum total of $115 million in libel damages over his film Bruno , which is equal to half of the movie's gross box office earnings. ... [Uruknet 60790 05-dec-2009 22:53 ECT] Video: Gazans fleeced in investment scam Uruknet December 5, 2009 - "Underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip are the only way for millions of dollars worth of essential supplies to get past Israel's siege of the coastal territory. But it has now emerged that at least 40,000 Gazans have lost their life savings in scheme that promised up to 50 per cent profits in return for an... McDonald's blackmail plot foiled YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Baka al Garbia resident contacts fast food chain in Israel demanding millions of shekels over bogus film clip allegedly showing worms inside one of company's local branches Homemade video shows settler driving car back and forth over Palestinian assailant IMEMC 4 Dec 2009 - Friday December 04, 2009 - 09:51, When a Palestinian man from Hebron entered an Israeli settlement gas station with a knife, the Israeli settlers on the scene took things into their own hands. After beating the man and shooting him multiple times, one of the settlers drove over him several times with a car. Abunimah: There is a tremendous struggle to be waged, to force Israeli introspection, and change Mondoweiss - 4 Dec 2009 - Nearly two weeks ago we reported on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions conference at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, the highlight of which was a speech by Ali Abunimah. We posted video , and kept promising to get a transcript up. What follows is text of the body... VIDEO - UPDATE: Shock follows footage of settler running over Palestinian 12/3/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Ma'an News, 3 December 2009 - An amateur video shocked Palestinians on Tuesday, catching what appeared to be an Israeli settler repeatedly running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas station in Hebron last week. The Palestinian, an unidentified man shot several times following an alleged knife attack at the station, appeared to be staggering when a silver Mercedes ran him down, stopped, reversed, and ran him over again. The video was reportedly taken on Thursday, although at the time, Israeli representatives made no mention of the settler's alleged attack, telling reporters only that a Palestinian man had been shot after he stabbed and lightly injured two settlers. A military spokesman told Ma'an that after the two Israelis were hurt, a soldier shot and injured the Palestinian, who was taken to the Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem. Video: Amateur video shows man run over twice by angry Israeli The Guardian 2 Dec 2009 - Witnesses say Palestinian victim had earlier stabbed two Jewish settlers. All three were taken to to a Jerusalem hospital VIDEO - Shock follows footage of settler running over Palestinian 12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - An amateur video shocked Palestinians on Tuesday, catching what appeared to be an Israeli settler repeatedly running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas station in Hebron last week. The Palestinian, an unidentified man shot several times following an alleged knife attack at the station, appeared to be staggering when a silver Mercedes ran him down, stopped, reversed, and ran him over again. The video was reportedly taken on Thursday, although at the time, Israeli representatives made no mention of the settler's alleged attack, telling reporters only that a Palestinian man had been shot after he stabbed and lightly injured two settlers. A military spokesman told Ma'an that after the two Israelis were hurt, a soldier shot and injured the Palestinian, who was taken to the Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem. [uruknet.info] Shock follows footage of settler running over Palestinian, twice Uruknet December 2, 2009 - An amateur video shocked Palestinians on Tuesday, catching what appeared to be an Israeli settler running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas station in Hebron last week. The Palestinian, an unidentified man shot several times following an alleged knife attack at the station, appeared to be staggering when a silver Mercedes ran him down, stopped,... VIDEO - Israeli police demolish the only shelter of evicted Palestinian family for the fourth time 12/2/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - At approximately 9am this Wednesday, four police vehicles containing eight Jerusalem police and four border police armed with automatic weapons came to Sheikh Jarrah and demolished the Gawi tent for the fourth time. The demolition took place as there were several people sleeping in the tent. The police failed to alert those sleeping to their destructive actions. The Palestinian family's possessions were confiscated and removed in police pick-up trucks and golf carts. One hour later, a British national was arrested. The Gawi family has lived in the tent for four months now, since 2 August 2009 when they were forcefully evicted from their home, now occupied by settlers. This action comes in the wake of yesterday's settler invasion of the front section of the al-Kurd family home. As the settlers moved some of their possessions from the occupied Gawi home to the newly-confiscated al-Kurd home, the police were destroying and stealing the blankets, chairs, mattresses, lights and shelter from the evicted Gawi family. VIDEO - ‘Israel: A Rogue State’ segment on CNN 12/2/2009 - P U L S E - As mild as this CNN report is, would it have appeared on CNN in the US rather than its International Edition? CNN’s Paula Newton here in a segment with Israeli scholars Avi Schlaim and Shlomo Sand who rightly characterise Israel as a rogue state. Unfortunately the execrable Mark Regev appears in the second half, presumably for ‘balance’; nevertheless the fact that these two critical scholars appeared on network corporate news is a small signpost. (Some readers in the US have reported they can not watch the video via CNN’s Daily Motion channel from which the clip below is sourced. If so, you should be able to watch it from CNN’s site: Link follows. ) Meanwhile, another israeli of conscience, Shulamit Aloni, has also notably spoken out and called her fellow citizens a “nefarious people … What we are doing in the West Bank is worse than all the pogroms done to the Jews. "-- Links: Watch CNN Video and Avi Shlaim and Shlomo Sand in conversation with Jacqueline Rose VIDEO - Avi Shlaim and Shlomo Sand in conversation with Jacqueline Rose 11/17/2009 - P U L S E - Event description: Few modern conflicts are as attached to history as that of Israel and Palestine. Avi Shlaim, professor of international relations at Oxford will be in conversation with Shlomo Sand, professor of contemporary history at Tel Aviv University, at the Frontline Club for a seminal evening of discussion. Avi Shlaim’s new book, Israel and Palestine focuses on the causes and consequences of the Israeli-Palestine conflict, while Shlomo Sand’s international best-seller The Invention of the Jewish People unravels the mythologised history of the Jewish people to find that the Israelites were never exiled from the promised land, and therefore have no right to return. The book concludes that the present-day Palestinian Arabs are the true heirs of the biblical Jews. This is a once-only opportunity to hear these two eminent historians discussing their individual perspectives on. . . . Video shows Palestinian man hit in car attack 12/2/2009 - AlJazeeraEnglishYouTube - Violence erupted in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday when a Palestinian man entered a petrol station at the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba in the occupied West Bank and stabbed two settlers. But that was not the end of the story. According to the Israeli army, the Palestinian was then shot by a soldier, after which a car, apparently driven by a settler, ran over the wounded Palestinian, twice, with Israeli soldiers all around. [uruknet.info] Video - Freedom For Gaza: Why We're Marching Uruknet December 1, 2009 - Activists for peace and justice in the Middle East discuss the events that first inspired them to get involved with the Gaza Freedom March. Israeli courts give permission for settlers to move into Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah 12/1/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Israeli settlers take over Palestinian home, elderly resident suffers severe medical complications - On Tuesday morning at around 9. 30am, a group of settlers surrounded the al-Kurd family home in Sheikh Jarrah and took over a section of the house. Fifteen to twenty settlers, accompanied by private armed security and Israeli police forces, entered an extension of the Palestinian house, and started clearing it of the family's belongings. The family was not present in this section of the house in compliance with a previous court order, however local sources reported that the settlers also attempted, on several occasions, to gain entry to the inhabited part of the house. One Palestinian resident, Khamis al-Gawi, has been arrested shortly after the settlers arrived, and is still being held at a local police station. Two international activists, American and Swedish nationals, who were filming the settlers taking over the house were also arrested by the police and their video cameras confiscated. Settlers Take over Palestinian Home, Elderly Resident Suffers Severe Medical Complications 12/1/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - JERUSALEM, December 1,2009 (WAFA)- A group of Jewishi settlers surrounded the al-Kurd family home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood in Sheikh Jarrah and took over a section of the house. Fifteen to twenty settlers, accompanied by private armed security and Israeli police forces, entered an extension of the Palestinian house, and started clearing it of the family’s belongings. The family was not present in this section of the house in compliance with a previous court order, however local sources reported that the settlers also attempted, on several occasions, to gain entry to the inhabited part of the house. One Palestinian resident, Khamis al-Gawi, has been arrested shortly after the settlers arrived. Two international activists, American and Swedish nationals, who were filming the settlers taking over the house were also arrested by the police and their video cameras confiscated, International Solidarity Movement said in a press release. Prohibit Live Ammunition in Circumstances are not Life-Threatening in WB, B’Tselem 12/1/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - JERUSALEM, December 1, 2009 (WAFA)- Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territory, B'Tselem un justified the Israeli army use of lethal weapons in the Occupied Territory. Real-time observations by B'Tselem and video footage filmed at two demonstrations indicated “that the gunfire was completely contrary to army orders. There was no justification to use lethal weapons in these incidents. Persons from the village were indeed throwing stones at Israeli forces on the other side of the fence, but from a few dozen meters away. The Israeli forces found cover behind concrete blocks or inside shielded jeeps, so they were not in a life-threatening situation. ” It added “The security forces had other means, which cause much lesser harm, that they could easily have used to distance demonstrators from the fence, among them tear gas and an odorous liquid sprayed at demonstrators from a tanker. ” -- Links: B'tselem [uruknet.info] WE HAVE ONLY GOD Uruknet November 30, 2009 - In Gaza City I have seen 1948 in 2009. The same images: the images of the Nakba, the Palestinian catastrophe. But now they were moving. It was not a film. It was not theater. It was real. On Saturday 27 December 2008, at precisely 11:25, Israeli Occupation Forces launched a ferocious offensive against the Gaza Strip... [uruknet.info] Video: Palestine before 1948 Uruknet The video contains pictures of different Palestinian cities during the 1920's and 1930's, before the creation of the state of Israel by the Zionists in 1948... Hezbollah chief says US role is diminishing in the region 11/30/2009 - Earth Times - DPA - Beirut - Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that the role of the US in the region is diminishing and thus weakening the Jewish state. "We are amid historical transformations that signal the retreat of the US role and the demise of the Hebrew State," opposition leader Nasrallah told journalists via a video feed in Beirut's southern suburbs. "The most dangerous aspect of the US logic is that they think they own the world and are entitled to dominate it, based on superiority in several domains," the Hezbollah leader said. But Nasrallah said that his movement does not underestimate current challenges and threats or the severity of any possible confrontation with the US and Israel, historical foes of Hezbollah. Because of the Israeli threat perceived by Hezbollah, Nasrallah said Lebanon has no choice but to rely on his movement for its defence, in addition to the Lebanese army. VIDEO - 'The Erasure of Palestine' 11/25/2009 - Palestine Center - JFECD - 13 November 2009, The Palestine Center, Washington, D. C. - Welcome Remarks by Dr. Subhi Ali and Introduction and Rationale by Dr. Naseer Aruri. Panel I: Erasure Before and After 1967 with Ms. Nadia Hijab, Ms. Jennifer Lowenstein, Dr. Leila Farsakh and Ms. Phyllis Bennis - Panel II: Shrinking Space and Colonization with Dr. Eid Mustafa, Dr. Laurie King and Mr. Will Youmans - Panel III: National Fragmentation and Cohesion with Dr. Halim Barakat, Dr. Elliot Colla and Mr. Ali Abunimah - Final Remarks: The Role of the International Community in the Erasure with Ms. Zaha Hassan, Ms. Susan Akram and Dr. Naseer Aruri. [end] Israel denies entry to Americans attending Jericho prisoner conference 11/27/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli border guards denied Americans Dhoruba Bin Wahad andNaji Mujahid entry into Palestine on Monday as they attempted to travel to Jericho for a conference on Palestinian prisoners illegally incarcerated in Israeli jails. The men, a civil rights activist and a student, attempted to enter the West Bank via the Allenby Bridge from Jordan. "The Israelis did not deny us entry into Palestine for legitimate security reasons," Bin Wahad announced in a video statement following the denial. "Ultimately we barred because of what we think and not for any other reason. " Bin Wahad is a former political prisoner and leader of the Black Panther Party whose conviction was overturned after spending 19 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Naji Mujahid is a Washington, DC-based student and activist. Viral video puts modish Brits in Palestinians’ shoes Mondoweiss - 26 Nov 2009 - People keep sending me this British short about checkpoints and the Palestinian experience reimagined. When people keep sending you something, that means it’s important. Related posts: Brits have no trouble talking about elephant in the room As usual, ‘NYT’ puts Palestinians inside the parenthesis Obama’s Jewish... Hamas: Israel continues to manipulate swap talks 11/24/2009 - released in exchange for a video tape of Shalit[MaanImages] Bethlehem/Cairo - Ma'an - Israel has exaggerated the progress of recent prisoner swap talks and manipulated the hopes and expectations of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, Hamas leaders proclaimed late Tuesday. The proclamation followed days of reports from Palestinian and Israeli media heralding the immanent release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for an Israeli soldier captured in 2006. Talks have been proceeding with German mediation following the release of a video tape showing the Israeli soldier in good health. "If a deal is not struck in the next 48 hours," Hamas sources said, it will be proof of Israeli reticence over the terms of the swap deal, and a refusal to show seriousness in the talks. One leader called recent media coverage "propaganda only. [uruknet.info] Video: Tracing all That remains of the destroyed village of al-'Abbasiyya, Palestine Uruknet November 24, 2009 - al-'Abbasiyya is a destroyed Palestinian village located 5 km East of Jaffa, and during the 1948 war it was completely destroyed and ethnically cleansed by the Israeli troops... Ambulances Denied Access to Neighborhoods in E. Jerusalem without Police Escort 11/23/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - JERUSALEM, November 23, 2009 (WAFA)- Three Human rights organization sent an urgent letter to the Israeli Deputy Minister of Health and the Jerusalem Police Chief demanding the immediate cancellation of preventing ambulances from entering Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem without an Israeli police escort , saying this policy violates the residents' right to life and health. Adalah, Physicians for Human Rights – Israel and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights demanded the immediate cancellation of instructions preventing Magen David Adom (MDA) ambulances from entering the Palestinian neighborhoods in East Jerusalem without prior permission and police escort even in emergency cases. According to the instructions, the MDA ambulance must wait in a Jewish neighborhood adjacent to the Palestinian neighborhood and may not enter it to transfer the injured or the sick person to the hospital. . . . . -- Links: VIDEO - Ctrl Alt Shift Film Competition Winner No Way Through VIDEO - Israeli Soldiers Admit to War Crimes During Gaza War 11/23/2009 - Political Theatrics - July 15, 2009 - Soldiers who took part in Israel’s 2008 war on Gaza have spoken out on what they say really happened during the 22-day offensive. Israel has rejected charges that it could be guilty of war crimes. Now the activist group Breaking the Silence has published soldiers’ testimonies saying crimes were committed, and even encouraged. -- Links: Breaking The Silence and Watch on YouTube [end] VIDEO - Ctrl Alt Shift Film Competition Winner No Way Through 11/24/2009 - YouTube - Written and Directed by: Alexandra Monro + Sheila Menon, Mentor: Jim Threapleton, Music: The Thirst -- No Way Through highlights mobility restrictions imposed in the West Bank, that are limiting its habitants access to health care, thus violating a fundamental human right. Take Action to help people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories get justice. -- Links: Ambulances Denied Access to Neighborhoods in E. Jerusalem without Police Escort [end] Gazan farmers unable to work their land in ‘buffer zone’ 11/20/2009 - Oxfam - Gazans don’t want to rely on aid. They want to work on their land, reports Catherine Weibel. -- Driving along the buffer zone, a military no-go area that extends along the entire perimeter of Gaza and borders Israel, is an eerie experience. A long, horizontal brownish strip of earth runs along the Wall that separates the Gaza Strip from Israel. The desolate landscape is only dotted with the ruins of destroyed buildings, while a large, silver observation balloon, fully equipped with video cameras by the Israeli army, floats slowly by in the sky. What used to be a green, fertile area of rich farming and grazing land has turned into a deserted place where no one dares to go and cultivate. Gazan farmers are now forbidden to enter the zone by the Israeli army. According to reports, Israeli soldiers shoot towards farmers working on their lands along the buffer zone nearly every week. VIDEO - Film imagines army checkpoints in London 11/24/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A new short film transposes Israel's movement restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied territories to London. In No Way Through a man drives through London in a desperate attempt to reach a hospital, after an ambulance is blocked by soldiers from reaching the scene of an accident. The seven-minute clip is an apparent attempt to compel Western viewers to imagine themselves in the shoes of Palestinians. Although analogy is not exact - the soldiers "occupying"ť London are British and speak English, unlike Israeli forces in the West Bank who speak Hebrew instead of Arabic - the film captures something of the challenges Palestinians face inside their own territory. The film was co-directed by Alexandra Bouillon and Sheila Menon, released in May as a part of the British experimental art and activism initiative Ctrl. Haneyya meets Syrian artists, reiterates Keenness on national untiy PIC 23 Nov 2009 - Premier Ismail Haneyya stated during his meeting with Syrian actors and film directors that the inter-Palestinian division is exceptional and that his government is keen on ending it. Foundation commends Gaza journalists 11/21/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The third annual Martin Adler Prize was awarded to three freelance journalists in Gaza for their "significant role in getting news stories out of their country," a statement from the Rory Peck Trust announced Thursday. According to the foundation, the Adler award will "jointly honor Talal Abu Rahma, Ashraf Mashharawi and Raed Athamneh. . . in recognition of the enormous role they have played bringing stories out of Gaza, especially during last winter's Israel offensive when the international news media were denied entry into the country. "Abu Rahma, a freelance reporter, producer and cameraman,filmed death of Muhammad Ad-Durra, the 12-year-old Gazan boy killed by Israeli gunfire during clashes on 30 September 2000. The boy, hunched behind his father as the two took cover behind an oil drum, became a symbol of the Palestinian cause during and after the second Intifada. UNRWA schools launch digital yearbook for Palestinain refugees 11/21/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - UN schools in Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria launched a program Friday, linking Palestinian children in refugee camps across the region with the first digital yearbook project. Each student in the hundreds of schools will record a 30-second message. The words of the students "will form the basis of a living network for the future, to be added to each year,"ť a statement from the UN and UK NGO co-sponsor of the program Hoping Foundation said. The project was launched in the UNRWA schools on the 20th anniversary of the UN ratification of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. The messages from the students are meant to answer the question, "what are your hopes and dreams. " ť The first of the series filmed and uploaded to the online yearbook show Palestinians in their classrooms or libraries, sitting by the roadside, kicking a soccer ball, speaking about what they want for the future. Coming to Amreeka PNN 21 Nov 2009 - The filmmaker on her feel-good (sort of) movie, Palestinians in the Windy City, and how personal experiences can trump political arguments. During the first Gulf War, Palestinian-American filmmaker Cherien Dabis’s family, living in Ohio, received death threats; the Secret Service even came to her high school to investigate a rumor that her seventeen-year-old sister threatened to kill the President. When Dabis entered... Israeli forces shoot at Gaza bird-catchers, farmers 11/21/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Eva Bartlett, The Electronic Intifada, 20 November - On 15 November at 8:30am, a number of young men went as usual to the land near Gaza's northern border with Israel planning to catch birds. Amjad Hassanain, 27, was among the bird-catchers hunting near the border fence when Israeli soldiers began shooting. The shots which missed the other bird-catchers hit Hassanain, grazing his shoulder. Cameraman Abdul Rahman Hussain, filming in the vicinity, reports having seen the group of bird-catches head north. "We were near the former Israeli settlement of Doghit," said Hussain, referring to the area northwest of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip. 8220;I had gone to the border area to photograph a young bird-catcher. We were about 400 meters from the border fence, but when we heard the shooting, we moved back to around one kilometer. ”. Ma’an airs second episode of EU quiz show ’Stars’ 11/20/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an Network was scheduled to air the second episode of its popular quiz show "Stars" on Friday evening. The series, an EU-funded competition among Palestinian students, was to be joined by Birzeit University and Arab American University in Jenin. "Stars" begins at 7:50pm local time on Palestine satellite channel and Ma'an's partner networks:Al-Amal TV in Hebron, Bethlehem TV, Al-Quds TV in Ramallah, Amwaj in Ramallah, Watan in Ramallah, Nablus TV, Qalqilia TV, As-Salam TV in Tulkarem and Frah TV in Jenin. Nine Palestinian universities across the West Bank and Gaza Strip are competing to demonstrate which team has the greatest knowledge of the EU, with topics spanning culture, art, politics and economics. Presented by veteran television host Huda Kaddoumi, "Stars" is filmed in front of a live audience of the participants' peers, who also take part in the show. Palestinian children mark 20th year of UN rights treaty with video testimony Relief Web 20 Nov 2009 - Source: UN News Service VIDEO - The Israel Lobby 4/2/2007 - Tegenlicht/YouTube - An episode of the Dutch documentary program "Tegenlicht" about the Israel lobby in the USA. - For many years now the American foreign policy has been characterized by the strong tie between the United States and Israel. Does the United States in fact keep Israel on its feet? And how long will it continue to do so? Is one allowed to question that reality, or is the pro-Israel lobby so strong, financially and politically, that the relationship with Israel is taboo and therefore unmentionable? And what happens to those who dare expose the unmentionable? In March 2006 the American political scientists John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago) and Steve Walt (Harvard) published the controversial article 'The Israel Lobby and US foreign policy'. In it they state that it is not, or no longer, expedient for the US to support and protect present-day Israel. -- Links: Tegenlicht New documentary says Israel lobby is UK’s most powerful 11/18/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A new documentary on the UK's Channel 4 television looks into the reach and influence of what the filmmakers say is Britain's most powerful political interest: the Israel lobby. Documentarians Peter Osborne and James Jones uncovered obscure funding patterns of British members of parliament by members of pro-Israel groups and also revealed the pressure the lobby exerts on the media. The show first aired on Monday evening. In a pamphlet published on the website OpenDemocracy Osborne explained that the concept was born out of a marked silence in the British media when exploring the extent of Israel's influence on Westminster, noting that, oftentimes, those who broche the subject or criticize Israel are accused of anti-Semitism. "Whether as a result of these pressures or for some other reason, mainstream political publishing. . . " [uruknet.info] A Festival to Remember Uruknet November 17, 2009 - Campaigners kicked off a film festival on Tuesday, with a series of films that will charter the Palestinian experiences, at the month long event that will ultimately conclude in December. The Palestinian Film Festival, which is being organised by the Manchester Metropolitan University, is promising to highlight the plight of the Palestinian people, by showing a... [uruknet.info] Video - Dispatches: Inside Britain's Israel Lobby Uruknet November 17, 2009 - Dispatches investigates one of the most powerful and influential political lobbies in Britain, which is working in support of the interests of the State of Israel. Despite wielding great influence among the highest realms of British politics and media, little is known about the individuals and groups which collectively are known as the pro-Israel lobby. Political... [uruknet.info] Britain must de-Zionise Itself Immediately Uruknet November 17, 2009 - On Monday the British TV broadcaster, Channel 4 screened Inside Britain's Israel Lobby, a devastating expose of the Jewish lobby in the UK*. 'We couldn't find a conspiracy' affirmed Peter Oborne the Daily Mail's political commentator behind the film. He was right. After running the show for so many years, the Jewish lobby's purchasing of British... Israel Threatens to Annex More Palestinian Land Israel, November 17, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - Israel has threatened to annex more land in the occupied West Bank, should Palestinians declare statehood without concluding a peace agreement. Tunnel Trade wins Noor Award for best short doc! Gaza, November 16, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - We have just learned that Tunnel Trade, the film I co-directed with my friend and colleague Saeed Farouky of Tourist with a Typewriter Ltd, in 2007, has won a Noor Award for Outstanding Short Documentary... VIDEO - Living in fear of evictions 11/4/2009 - AlJazeera - The United Nations, the United States and the European Union have all called on Israel to stop the illegal eviction of Palestinians and the demolition of their homes. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, urged Israel to end its "provocative actions" in East Jerusalem, while calling for it to freeze all settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. Despite that, the sight of Palestinians in East Jerusalem being forced out of their homes has become an all too familiar scene. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from occupied East Jerusalem. Palestine Telegraph
VIDEO - Animator of award-winning Israeli movie tackles Gaza Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Guardian 3/5/2009 Short film aims to highlight effects of Israeli blockade on Palestinians -- One of the creators of the successful Israeli movie Waltz with Bashir has produced a new animated film to highlight the continued blockade of the Gaza Strip and its 1. 5 million Palestinian residents. Yoni Goodman, who was director of animation for the Golden Globe-winning movie, said he was motivated to take part in the project by the recent war in Gaza. His 90-second animation, Closed Zone, follows a young boy chasing a bird through the Gaza Strip who finds his way out blocked at every turn. " The issue was always important in my opinion, meaning the issue of the closure," said Goodman in a second video about the making of the Gaza animation. " The war made this project a mission for me. This character is this kid, he is kind of a kid and kind of an adult, a bit Arab and a bit Jewish, something that everyone -- See also: Closed Zone more.. e-mail
WATCH: Waltz with Bashir animator creates short-film on Gaza blockade Ha’aretz 3/4/2009 An animator of the celebrated Israeli war film "Waltz with Bashir" has illustrated a new film depicting the life of a fictional boy in the Gaza Strip during the Israeli blockade of the coastal territory. Yoni Goodman’s short film "Closed Zone" runs only a minute and a half and was created for the NGO Gisha, a group devoted to freedom of movement. A spokesman for Gisha said that "though the use of a single animated character, Goodman tries to cause the viewer to feel empathy for the people of Gaza and see them as they are - a million and a half people who only want to live out their ambitions and dreams, something they cannot do because of their ability to move freely. "Goodman said that when making the film, "it was very important for me to create a character that anyone can connect to. . . " more.. e-mail
Thieves try to steal ’Waltz with Bashir’ award Ha’aretz 2/28/2009 Thieves attempted to steal Ari Folman’s Cesar Awards statue on Friday night, just hours after the Israeli director won it when his animated documentary Waltz with Bashir was named best foreign film at the awards. Israel Radio reported Saturday that the attackers attempted to steal the statue at an awards after-party being held at a Paris nightclub. Folman managed to maintain hold of the prized statue and left the club with it safely in his possession. "Waltz With Bashir", an animated documentary on the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon war, was named best foreign film at the French awards night Friday, adding to its Golden Globe prize and an award from the Broadcast Film Critics Association earlier this year. Folman, who this week missed out on an Academy Award in the same category, becomes the first Israeli director to ever capture an award from the French academy of film. more.. e-mail
’Waltz with Bashir’ wins le Oscar Ha’aretz 3/1/2009 Days after missing out on the Oscar for best foreign film, Ari Folman’s animated documentary "Waltz with Bashir" on Friday won the French equivalent, the Cesar, in the same category. "The only message of the film is to be tolerant, to believe in the other, to believe in love and in peace," director Folman said in his acceptance speech. Since premiering at last year’s Cannes Film Festival, "Waltz" earned great critical and commercial success in France, with over 600,000 tickets sold. In Israel only about 220,000 people have seen the film at cinemas. Folman told Haaretz yesterday that reports of an attempt to steal the award statuette at a party after the ceremony were false. Israel Radio and various Internet sites reported yesterday that Folman fought off would-be robbers and fled a Paris nightclub with the statuette. more.. e-mail
Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival debuts early March Announcement, Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival, Electronic Intifada 2/26/2009 On 11 March 2009 at 8 pm, the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival will make its debut at the world-renowned Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As one of the few Palestine film festivals to take place in the Midwest of the United States, the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival will surely bring attention to the growing number of films made about and by Palestinians. The Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival brings you an array of comedy, drama, fiction, non-fiction, features, shorts, and experimental films, which all showcase the diversity and strength of Palestinian cinema. These films represent the true nature of Palestinians and the Palestinian narrative, in stark contrast to the bias and stereotypes that mainstream news and media present. The breadth of the stories and the emotions expressed in these films know no bounds. more.. e-mail
Yehuda Ne’eman, severe critic of the establishment, wins Israel Prize for film Nirit Anderman, Ha’aretz 2/25/2009 Prof. Yehuda "Judd" Ne’eman, a filmmaker aware of "all the horrible things Israel does," has won the 5769 Israel Prize for film, the Education Ministry announced yesterday. Ne’eman’s "academic writings are subversive and full of vision," the judges wrote. "As an artist, researcher, teacher and leader of artists, he has left his mark on crucial junctures in the history of Israeli film since the 1960s. "Two and a half years ago, at the Haifa Festival where he won an award for his contribution to Israeli film, Ne’eman noted his difficulty in accepting a prize from the establishment. " As a filmmaker, I never shook hands with the government. So upon receiving this prize as well, my hand is trembling slightly," he said. He added that his films are meant to open viewers’ eyes to Israel’s political reality, because the military here trains young men to abandon their bodies for the sake of the state. more.. e-mail
The First Waltz Nadia Hijab - WASHINGTON, Middle East Online 2/23/2009 Watching Ari Folman’s Waltz With Bashir inevitably reminded me of Eran Riklis’ Cup Final, also an Israeli film about its 1982 invasion of Lebanon. When Cup Final came out in 1992, it made me think that a common future for Israelis and Palestinians was possible. I had expected the same of Waltz. Both films deal with the story of young soldiers during Israel’s horror-filled 1982 war. Both won critical acclaim, though Cup Final won just one award compared to the 10 Waltz scooped up before it hit the Oscars (but lost, surprisingly, to another foreign film, Departures). But there the resemblance ends. By contrast to Waltz, Cup Final gives voice not just to Israeli soldiers but also to the Palestinian guerrillas then based in Southern Lebanon. It starts with an soldier bemoaning his fate: He has to fight instead of going to watch the World Cup matches in Spain for which he’s got tickets. more.. e-mail
Boston Palestine Film Festival extends deadline for 2009 submissions Announcement, Boston Palestine Film Festival, Electronic Intifada 2/17/2009 The Boston Palestine Film Festival (BPFF) is now accepting entries for its third annual festival to be held in October of 2009. BPFF seeks to present the extraordinary narrative of a dispossessed people living in exile, under military occupation and siege, and within Israel. Palestinian cinema represents a powerful means of interpreting the collective identity, historic struggle and surreal challenges that Palestinians face. Eligibility BPFF will showcase the diverse and creative work of all filmmakers (any nationality) exploring both historic and contemporary themes related to Palestinian culture, experience, and narrative. The BPFF Selection Committee accepts films, videos and digital media in the following categories: feature films, documentaries, shorts (including animated or experimental works), youth work (created by filmmakers under the age of 18). more.. e-mail
Documentary 'A Journey of Dreams'ť follows the short trip of one group trying to reach Gaza PNN, Palestine News Network 2/16/2009 Ramallah - Director Hamza Said says his idea was to translate the dreams of Palestinian citizens onto the screen. If one wishes to enter a city under siege surrounded by military barriers, Nablus for example, it is difficult but it is possible. But to reach Gaza from the West Bank, that is impossible. "Our country becomes many countries that we dream to see," says the director. "A Journey of Dreams" is a short film, just 15 minutes, that began when a group of artists from the West Bank intended to visit the city of Gaza. The hope was that one could make this journey ignoring the military checkpoints and the complicated procedures that routinely result in a denial of passage. A group gathered in a bus in the central West Bank city of Ramallah and began to share with their seatmates their dreams of Gaza and their feelings for the place that is part of Palestine but entirely isolated. more.. e-mail
Against all odds, Palestinians still make films Simon Coss - RENNES, France, Middle East Online 2/12/2009 Formal funding is practically non-existent, film-making is difficult, and there’s only one decent cinema for almost four million people -- yet against all odds Palestinian filmmakers struggle on. "Our films say we are here and we exist. Israel was built on the phrase ’a land without people for a people without a land. ’ But there was and there is a people," said Nadine Naous, a Paris-based Palestinian director. Naous, a Lebanese national whose grandparents fled the 1948 war that followed the creation of the state of Israel, is typical of a new generation of Palestinian filmmakers. Visiting this western French city for a festival dedicated to films linked to the city of Jerusalem, her 2006 documentary "Everyone Has Their Own Palestine" was filmed in a refugee camp in Lebanon and looks at how young Palestinians feel about their future. more.. e-mail
Movies can’t change Middle East crisis Simon Coss - RENNES, France, Middle East Online 2/12/2009 Movies may be able to stimulate debate on the Middle East conflict but a lasting resolution can only be made in the real world, say leading Israeli and Palestinian film directors. Avi Mograbi, one of Israel’s most outspoken documentary makers and a harsh critic of his government’s military campaigns, said during a film festival in this western French city that he was well aware of the limits of his art. "I started making films thinking about changing the world. Now I am not so sure about that possibility," said the 53-year-old director. "Cinema can make a difference, but it’s an extremely minor difference. " Yet Mograbi’s latest documentary "Z32" is a hard-hitting work, the true story of a young Israeli soldier sent on a revenge mission that left two Palestinian police officers dead. Like much of his work, it highlights the brutality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. more.. e-mail
Al-Quds cultural events to be broadcast across Arab League states via satellite Ma’an News Agency 2/11/2009 Jerusalem – Ma’an – Events for the celebrations of “Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture,” (QCAC) will be broadcast live on Palestinian and Egyptian Satellite television so they can reach all state-members of the Arab League. The announcement was made Wednesday following a meeting of the administrative council for the Al-Quds celebrations. Broadcasting will commence at 1pm on 27 February, and cover an Open Day of events around Jerusalem and Palestinian areas as a primer for the events themselves, set to start mid-March. The television programming will include documentaries and short films on topics relating to the life of Palestinians and particularly Jerusalemites, with an eye to how the Israeli occupation challenges the realization of Arab culture. Also on the program will be a speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa. . . more.. e-mail
U.S. Writers Guild names Israeli war film ’Waltz with Bashir’ best documentary Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 2/8/2009 Israeli animated war film "Waltz with Bashir" was given the award for best documentary by the Writers Guild of America Saturday, to add to the collection of awards the critically-acclaimed film has received. "Waltz with Bashir" deals with filmmaker Ari Folman’s search to piece together his memories as a combat soldier during Israel’s invasion of Lebanon in 1982, and in particular, where he was during the massacre at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camp in Beirut. The film uses a striking combination of frame-by-frame and computer generated animation to create a powerful and at times surreal portrayal of war and the way memory plays tricks on the mind. It won best foreign film at the 66th Golden Globes ceremony in Hollywood in January and was named the best film of the year by the National Society of Film Critics. more.. e-mail
Book Review: Airport to nowhere Tom Engelhardt, Asia Times 2/7/2009 Waltz With Bashir: A Lebanon War Story, by Ari Folman and David Polonsky, Introduction by Tom Engelhardt - A pack of ravenous dogs, a nightmare, a visit from a war-haunted friend, this was how film director Ari Folman’s period as an Israeli "grunt" in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon first returned to him. As a 19-year-old Israeli soldier, Folman was on duty in Beirut during the notorious massacres in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila. But when he began to search for his own memories of that war, what he found instead was a puzzling, disturbing blank. Tentatively setting off in pursuit of those missing memories, horrors buried for almost a quarter of a century, he also launched himself on a path that would lead to his award-winning, Oscar-nominated animated film, Waltz with Bashir , and an accompanying graphic memoir of the same title, developed in tandem with it. more.. e-mail
An artistic upheaval Salonaz Sami, Al-Ahram Weekly 1/29/2009 Just a few days after the ceasefire which had brought the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip to an end, a group of artists of various nationalities decided to show their support for Gaza by getting together at an impromptu art festival dedicated to the cause. At the Townhouse Gallery in Downtown Cairo, top Egyptian underground bands such as West Al-Balad, Massar Egbari, Ressala, and Eskenderella took part in the three-day festival of harmony and solidarity. " Artists are surely an essential part of our society," said Salma Shukrallah, one of the organisers. "They wanted to show their solidarity and support in both word and action. "In that spirit, she added, 12 bands had graced the stage with their presence, each for a 30-minute set, and the entire proceeds had been donated to Gaza. The festival kicked off with a performance by Ressala, who got the crowds off their feet as they sang their famous hit track Abu Galabiya, which was featured in the 2008 film Ehna Etaabelna Abla Keda (Have we Met Before? ). more.. e-mail
VIDEO - Journey Home Al Jazeera 1/23/2009 The troubled past of Israel’s birth as a nation and the devastating consequences it has had in the region frequently make headlines around the world and fill our screens with images of political turmoil. But the reality of what six decades of displacement has meant for the day to day lives of those who have lived there rarely makes the news. Al Jazeera’s news editor, Awad Joumaa went on a journey spanning two continents and three countries to bring that reality to life. In his moving and deeply personal film Journey Home, Awad took his father from Denmark back to the place he was born, but has never known. [end]
’Waltz with Bashir’ nominated for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar Nirit Anderman, Ha’aretz 1/23/2009 "Waltz with Bashir" will be one of the five finalists competing for the Best Foreign Language Film award at the Oscars on February 22, the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced yesterday. That makes director Ari Folman’s animated film about his experiences during the first Lebanon war the eighth Israeli picture to be a finalist for this prize. Thus far, however, no Israeli film has won it. The film had also been nominated for the Best Animated Feature Film award, but did not make the finalists’ list in this category. Last week, however, "Waltz with Bashir" won the Golden Globe award for best foreign film. Folman and his colleagues, who were watching the Academy press conference via the Internet, opened a bottle of champagne upon hearing the announcement. more.. e-mail
Israeli Lebanon war film ’Waltz with Bashir’ shown in Beirut Nirit Anderman, Ha’aretz 1/21/2009 The Israeli movie Waltz with Bashir was shown in Lebanon on Saturday, although it is officially banned in this country. The documentary, which won the Golden Globe award for best foreign film last week and is nominated for an Oscar in the same category, was screened in Ramallah and may soon be shown in the Arab gulf states as well, director Ari Folman told Haaretz on Tuesday. It was shown at a private screening in a southern Beirut suburb, not far from Hezbollah headquarters, after a DVD copy was sent to the organizers. The screening, which was attended by some 90 people although only 40 were invited, was organized by UNAM, an organization documenting Lebanon’shistory and war memory with written and audiovisual materials, the weekly entertainment trade newspaper Variety reports. It was held in UNAM’s cultural center, Variety said. more.. e-mail
’Waltz with Bashir’ wins Golden Globe for best foreign film Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 1/12/2009 Ari Folman’s ’Waltz with Bashir’ won best foreign film at the 66th Golden Globes ceremony in Hollywood Sunday night, adding to the awards the animated film has picked up so far this year. Folman’s critically-acclaimed film traces the author’s journey to put together his memories from his time as an Israeli soldier during the invasion of Lebanon in 1982, and later the massacres at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Beirut. The film uses a striking combination of frame-by-frame and computer generated animation to create a powerful and at times surreal portrayal of war and the way memory plays tricks on the mind. The film’s narrative unravels as Folman travels to Europe and across Israel interviewing fellow soldiers who he fought with in Lebanon, all of whom play themselves and voice their own characters. more.. e-mail
The view from Ramallah / An Intifada in its infancy? Jesse Rosenfeld, Ha’aretz 1/6/2009 "There is a new Intifada coming and it will start in the West Bank" - The stores were all shuttered, the streets virtually empty and every corner was guarded by police officers and soldiers deployed by the colonial force, eying small groups of Arab youth while scratching at their batons, machine guns ready. A demonstration of schoolgirls surrounded by riot police decried the massacre and the closed tourist shops screamed loudly for resistance and non-cooperation. The air in East Jerusalem on Sunday, December 28 brought to mind the scene of the general strike called by North African Front Libération National (FLN) in the the 1966 French film, The Battle of Algiers. However, instead of French police and soldiers, the light blue police uniforms had Stars of David emblazoned on their chests and the pale green uniforms were those of the Israeli army. more.. e-mail
FILM: 1982 Massacre Rendered Through Dark, Distorted Lens Ali Gharib, Inter Press Service 1/6/2009 WASHINGTON, Jan 5(IPS) - Recently opened in wide release in the United States, Ari Folman’s new animated documentary detailing Israeli involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacre sheds new light on the Israeli side of that conflict, as well as the one unfolding today. "Waltz With Bashir", already an award-winning documentary and the official Israeli submission for best foreign language film to the U. S. Academy Awards, gives the perspective of Israeli Defence Force (IDF) soldiers and their involvement in the events in West Beirut in 1982. It’s a harrowing tale of post-traumatic stress disorder. And while the events of Sabra and Shatila are distinctly different than the current situation in Gaza, there are lessons to be learned from a quarter-century ago. The film opens with pack of 26 snarling dogs running down a street. more.. e-mail
IMEMC’s Saed Bannoura on Public Access TV - Portland Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center News 1/5/2009 Portland Oregon Public Access program featuring guests speaking to the recent Israeli massacres of Gaza civilians. Program also features video footage of Portland demonstrations urging peace in Gaza. Guests are Saed Bannoura, a Palestinian with International Middle East Media Center, (www. imemc. org) and William Seaman, with Portland Peaceful Response Coalition ( www. pprc-news. org ) and American Jews for a Just Peace (www. ajjp. org. ) The interview was conducted on January 2, 2008. [end]
VIDEOS - Palestine and Israel in perspective Al Jazeera 1/2/2009 As the war on Gaza enters its second week, we present here current and archived features to provide historical context and background information to the events unfolding in Palestine and Israel. Please see our schedule for airing times in your region (Please note: times are subject to change in the event of breaking news and special coverage). Witness - The Gaza Fixer - From our award-winning Witness strand, The Gaza Fixer is a powerful programme about a man in Gaza who, during the course of filming, has 18 members of his family killed by Israeli bombardment. To watch part two click here. God’s Chariot - As Israel has moved its tanks to the border with Gaza in preparation for a possible ground offensive, we re-broadcast God’s Chariot, a one-hour documentary exploring the myth of Israeli military invincibility by examining the history of the Merkava tank. more.. e-mail
One Shot Al Jazeera 12/31/2008 In Israel Through Its Own Eyes, Al Jazeera takes a frank look at Israel through the work of Israeli filmmakers who are able to offer us a glimpse into a world which would otherwise be unknown to those outside the country. One Shot by Nurit Kedar is a troubling look into the work and the minds of an elite team of Israeli army snipers who carry out assassinations. After five weeks of training an Israeli soldier can become a sniper if he chooses. The filmmaker spent a whole year getting all the necessary permits from the Israeli military authorities. This is the first time Israeli snipers were given permission to be interviewed for a film and Israeli military censors required the filmmaker to cover the faces of the soldiers who speak. One Shot airs on Wednesday, December 31 at 1230GMT more.. e-mail
Palestinian project wins 2008 Dubai Film Fest for best Arabic documentary Ma’an News Agency 12/20/2008 Bethlehem - Ma’an – A Palestinian documentary won first prize in the Arabic category in the third annual Dubai Film Festival on Friday. The film, Dhakirat As-Subbar “Cactus Memory,” was produced by the Human Rights organization Al-Haq and directed by Hana Musleh. The 42 minute documentary narrates the story of the expulsion of the residents of the Al-Latrun villages (including A’mwas, Yalu and Beit Nuba) west of Jerusalem. The villages were destroyed by the Israeli army during the 1967 war and replaced by an Israeli settlement, Canada Park, built with funds from the National Jewish Fund of Canada. Director Hana Musleh told a gulf newspaper that he expected to win the prize, since the scale of the project was large and it was made under very difficult circumstances. He said winning the competition affirmed for him that Palestine is in the heart of all Arabs. more.. e-mail
Poll: Most Jews feel connection to Hebron Ynet, YNetNews 12/13/2008 Almost three-quarters of Israeli Jews surveyed feel attachment to West Bank city, with almost half of these attributing this to ’certain Jewish feelings’ -A poll conducted on the heels of the recent eviction of the disputed house in Hebron has revealed that the majority of Israelis, including 61% of the secular population, have some emotional attachment to one of Judaism’s four holiest cities. The survey was conducted forand the Gesher Institute by the Panels Institute, and included 500 respondents that are a representative sample of the adult Jewish population in the country. The margin of error is 4. 5%. Hebron EvictionHebron evacuation completed within hour/ Efrat Weiss (Video) Security forces take settlers by surprise as they storm disputed Hebron house in broad daylight, remove activists barricaded inside. more.. e-mail
Israeli animated feature ’Waltz with Bashir’ nominated for Golden Globe award Nirit Anderman and Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 12/12/2008 The Israeli animated feature film "Waltz with Bashir" was nominated on Thursday for a Golden Globe Award for best foreign language film. The International Documentary Association named "Waltz with Bashir" best feature-length documentary of the year last Thursday. The animated film, which describes director Ari Folman’s efforts to fill in the gaps in his memories of his military service during the First Lebanon War, shared the prize with the British-American production "Man on Wire," directed by James Marsh. The latter tells the story of tightrope walker Philippe Petit, who captured world attention in 1974 when he walked a wire between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York. However, "Waltz with Bashir" suffered a disappointment two days later, when it competed in four categories of the European Film Academy’s annual awards. more.. e-mail
A travelogue through the Palestinian condition Daily Star 12/4/2008 Review - CAIRO: Rashid Masharawi has written an entertaining moment of crisis into his film "Laila’s Birthday," an emotional meltdown for Enlightenment stalwarts, for whom the last resort famously attributed to frustrated postal workers ("Buy a gun and kill ’em all") won’t do. Abu Laila (Mohamed Bakri), exhausted by the litany of insults and disasters that have kept him from his one self-appointed task of the day, pulls his taxi into a gas station. He surveys the chaos of incivility on the street before him. Unable to absorb any more, he strides over to a police 4-by-4 at the next pump, turns on its public-address system, and begins to hector Ramallah’s residents. "You two," he says to two chatting drivers whose cars are blocking traffic, "the street is a place to drive, not to make conversation. "He shouts at some boys to walk on the sidewalk, not the street. more.. e-mail
VIDEO - New film by ’Or’ director promises to make waves in Israel and abroad Haaret Sta, Ha’aretz 12/4/2008 Haaretz. com/Channel 10 daily feature for December 3, 2008. European film crews have recently taken over Givataim and Jaffa for the making of a new film that is seems destined to be a hot item in Israel and abroad. Ronit Elkabetz and Moni Mushonov star in a new Israeli-French production called Jaffa, directed by Keren Yedaya. Jaffa tracks the upheavals experienced by an Israeli couple whose lives are disrupted when their daughter, played by Dana Ivgy, falls in love with the Arab son of her father’s employee. [end]
VIDEO - Latuff on Hate Speech Carlos Latuff, Palestine Think Tank 11/26/2008 A short film by one of the best political cartoonists in circulation,. [end]
Palestinian filmmaker among laureates of Prince Claus Award Middle East Online 11/25/2008 AMSTERADAM – Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman was selected among the eleven laureates for the 2008 Prince Claus Award. The Prince Claus Foundation, created in 1996, each year awards a number of prizes to artists and cultural organisations in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development has announced its 2008 awards on the theme ‘Culture and Conflict’, where 10 laureates receive a prize of €25,000 each. The eleventh laureate, the winner of the Principal Prince Claus Award, is granted €100,000. The Awards honour artists and organisations that have worked to counteract the destructive power of conflict by opposing beauty to devastation, opening spaces and forms of dialogue, restoring respect for others and enhancing dignity and self-esteem. Suleiman is awarded for the creative structure, innovative vocabulary and superb. . . more.. e-mail
J’lem festival says no to ’women only’ screening for Orthodox film Matthew Wagner, Jerusalem Post 11/20/2008 The Jerusalem Jewish Film Festival has rejected a film created by Orthodox women after the film director demanded screening for female audiences only in accordance with Halacha. The film, "A Light For Greytowers," directed by Robin Garbose, was initially accepted by the festival on the basis of its artistic merits. The film was slated to be screened during the festival, which takes place between December 13 and 19 at the Jerusalem Cinematheque. However, the festival’s management refused to acquiesce to Garbose’s demand, made at the time the film was first presented for consideration, that screening would be billed as "by women, for women. " "We tried to explain that our festival doesn’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, nationality or gender," said Aryeh Barak, spokesman for the Jerusalem Cinematheque. more.. e-mail
Palestinan film wins silver at 14th Cairo Arab Media Festival Ma’an News Agency 11/17/2008 Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian film Kaffa! won silver this week at the Fourteenth annual Cairo Festival for Arab Media in the category of short film, in a pool of 33 films. Kaffa!, which means "enough" in Arabic, was produced by the Ma’an TV Network in 2008 and tells the story of internal political division through the lens of a Palestinian family whose sons are affiliated with different political factions. The tragic-comic film calls to action all sides and begs for an effort to heal the rift between brothers. Winning first place in the short film competition was the Syrian Al-Mahattah Al-Qadima (The Next Phase). Journalists, actors, directors and writers from 18 Arab countries were entered in the festival in dozens of categories relating to cultural and media-related fields. After winning the silver prize Kaffa! director Sa’d Al-Arouri said that while Ma’an faced. . . more.. e-mail
Out of the shadows Linda Grant, The Guardian 11/18/2008 Nearly a decade ago I sat in a half-empty screening room at the ICA in London, watching Israeli director Amos Gitai’s film Kippur. The audience talking in Hebrew before the lights went down indicated that I was in a minority of those requiring subtitles. The film’s subject was the disastrous first week of the northern campaign of the 1973 Yom Kippur war, the soldiers sliding in the mud, assailed from the skies by Syrian bombers. This was, Israeli friends assured me, almost certainly an allegory of the quagmire in Lebanon at the time, although Israeli cinema was almost unknown outside its own country. Israel on screen was an aspect of the news. It lacked a niche even in the art house. Until recently, Israeli film was insular, hemmed in by the restrictions of a tiny market for the Hebrew language, the Arab boycott in the. . . more.. e-mail
War, death and animation: Cartoon film stirs Israel’s conscience The Independent 11/17/2008 Until a matter of months ago, very few Israelis realised that their army fired flares to light up Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camps while Lebanese Christian militiamen committed the notorious massacre of Palestinian civilians there in 1982. But Ari Folman, who as a 19-year-old soldier fired some of the flares, makes their descent through the sky over Beirut’s beachfront one of the recurring images of Waltz With Bashir, his "animated documentary" that premiers in Britain this week. In Israel, the film has rekindled discussion about the divisive invasion of Lebanon that was initially billed by Ariel Sharon, who was defence minister at the time, as a limited push to halt PLO rocket attacks, and the extent of Israeli responsibility for the Sabra and Shatila massacre where the estimated number of victims ranged from 700 to more than 3,000. more.. e-mail
Palestinian rhythms of resistance Ahmed Habib in Toronto, Al Jazeera 11/7/2008 Jackie Reem Salloum, a film director and activist, has been one of the key players in the movement to increase global interest in Palestinian art. Born to Palestinian and Syrian parents in Dearborn, Michigan, her artwork was influenced by her experiences as a young woman in the Arab Diaspora. During her late teens, she studied at the renowned Steinhardt art school at New York University, where she learned to reinterpret traditional American cultural symbols like gum ball machines to include references to revolutionary figures like Musa Kazim Pasha al-Husseini, a mayor of Jerusalem who was ousted in the 1920s for his opposition to British pro-Jewish policies. In 2005, Salloum presented Planet of the Arabs, a nine-minute film about how Arabs are portrayed in the media, at the Sundance Film Festival. more.. e-mail
Welcome to AqsaTube: Hamas’ ’jihad audio-visual’ Web site DPA, Ha’aretz 10/16/2008 The Palestinian militant group Hamas has launched its own version of the popular YouTube video sharing Web site. The Hamas version, AqsaTube, features content ranging from relatively conservative Syrian social drama to videos glorifying Al-Qaida. The website describes itself as, "the first Palestinian website specializing in Islamic and jihad audio-visual productions. " "This site shows the latest Palestinian and Arab audios and videos about politics, sport, jihad and many things that it would take so long to list here," the site says. In addition, the site features the popular Syrian television drama, Bab al-Hara, or The Neighborhood Gate, relating to Al-Qaida and its leader Osama bin Laden, and videos of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, whose Fatah movement is locked in a bitter, and sometimes violent, struggle with Hamas. more.. e-mail
Achievements of Arab women directors highlighted at MEIFF Middle East Online 10/2/2008 ABU DHABI - The Middle East International Film Festival (MEIFF), organised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) is keeping up the momentum of its second edition with two of its most unique and important programmes: Arab Women Directorsand a Retrospective on Palestine. The Arab Women Directors programme is being held for its second year running. “The first edition of the programme was enthusiastically received by the audience and critics. We aim at attributing all Arab Women Directors, who have a special handle on the cinema scene across the region,” said Nashwa Al Ruwaini, Director of MEIFF. “We believe that we should be responsible for giving them the chance to showcase their splendid capabilities to the world; and we hope that this event will work as an ideal platform for all of them and help them reach out to the maximum audience possible. more.. e-mail
VIDEO / Israeli, Palestinian women come together to lose weight Karin Kloosterman, Israel 21c, Ha’aretz 10/2/2008 Starting after the Muslim Ramadan and the Jewish New Year, a group of Palestinian and Israeli women will be meeting face to face in Jerusalem. Not for political reasons, not to cast blame on who’s right or wrong in the Middle East conflict - these women will be focusing on their waistline, and sharing a simple and common desire to lose weight. "A Slim Peace" is a group founded in 2006 by Yael Luttwak, a 36-year-old American-Israeli filmmaker who grew up in Washington D. C. Struggling with her own weight issues in Israel, she rounded up a group of 14 Israeli and Palestinian women to document their shared experiences, as they met in Jerusalem over a six week period. While Weight Watchers in Israel was one of the first Weight Watchers branches to set up shop outside the U. more.. e-mail
Helen Mirren to play Mossad spy in Hollywood remake of Israeli film Nirit Anderman, Ha’aretz 9/28/2008 Oscar-winning British actress Helen Mirren has signed on to star as a former Mossad agent in a Hollywood remake of the Israeli film Ha-Hov (The Debt). In the original movie, directed by Assaf Bernstein based on a screenplay he co-wrote with Ido Rosenblum, the role was played by Israeli actress Gila Almagor. The Hollywood version will be directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love), who has said, "Helen Mirren is the perfect choice for the central role - a national celebrity and retired Mossad agent, a formidable and dignified woman grappling with years of emotional disappointment, suddenly confronted by a powerful and unexpected choice. "Miramax Films bought the rights to an English-language version a year and a half ago, and filming is expected to start next year in Israel, England and Germany. more.. e-mail
Ephemeral art takes root in the ruins above Beirut Daily Star 9/8/2008 ALEY: At the edge of the town of Aley, in the hills above Beirut, a cluster of stone houses of indeterminate age is scattered over two tracts of land. This was a battleground after Israel’s 1982 Lebanon invasion. Today, recent structures stand behind old ones, some tastefully renovated. Others are derelict, like skulls, decapitated, smashed open, burnt. The cluster of properties, centered on the family house of Lebanese artist Ghassan Maasri, is home to the Artists’ International Workshop: Aley, better known by its acronym, AIWA - as much an enthusiastic "Yes" in Arabic as it is a Japanese electronics manufacturer. Maasri coordinates this two-week residency program, now in its second year. AIWA invites artists working in a range of media - painting, sculpture, installation, video, performance and sound - to share ideas and work within a setting that, familiar or not, is laden with the ramifications of past destruction. more.. e-mail
Muslim filmmakers face challenges Middle East Online 9/6/2008 The "Union for Short Filmmakers of Muslim Countries" aims to overcome problems that moviemakers face and help them gain access to international film festivals. Martin Gerner talked to Maheen Zia, founding member of the union from Pakistan. Why was the union created and what have you achieved in the first year? Maheen Zia:In this first year we have been screening films from member countries at our respective festivals: Palestine, Lebanon and Syria have had programmes with films from our union. But it is a slow start. We still do not have an office – we are still working out of the office of the "Tehran International Short Film Festival". And there was supposed to be a programme at the Karachi festival as well but it did not happen because of the attack on Benazir Bhutto. We had to cancel the 2007 festival because it was a very uncertain time. more.. e-mail
Art vs disengagement David Stromberg, Jerusalem Post 9/6/2008 The recently opened Gush Katif Museum on Rehov Sha’arei Tzedek, between Jaffa Road and Rehov Agrippas, has a grassroots, underground feel, with graffiti scattered along its entryway. Nestled behind two apartment buildings, the six-room museum commemorates the 2005 disengagement from Gaza with historical background and documents, a small library, visual art, documentary photos and video, and a screening room. The design is humble but professional, with a limited space in which to present its take on a complicated and unresolved period in the history of Israel. "There’s a [conceptual] path that people pass through," says museum director Yankele Klein, a former supplements editor of the newspaper Makor Rishon with a background in film production. "I want people to have a strong reaction to disengagement, to feel what people there felt. " more.. e-mail
Peres: Woe to us had Nathan listened to consensus Ofra Edelman, Ha’aretz 8/31/2008 Hundreds of people paid their last respects to Abie Nathan Friday morning, at a funeral service held at Tel Aviv’s Tzavta Theater. A video projected on the stage backdrop showed photos of Nathan and news reports on his humanitarian and peace efforts. The soundtrack included songs such as "We Shall Overcome" and John Lennon’s "Imagine. "Among the friends, politicians and performing artists who came to say goodbye were MKs Haim Oron and Zahava Gal-On (Meretz), Dov Khenin (Hadash); Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and former mayor Shlomo Lahat; Yossi Sarid, Uri Avnery, Gila Almagor, Yaakov Agmon, Hanna Meron and David Broza. Henry Elkeslassy, a friend of Nathan’s and chairman of the Humanitarian Fund of the Kibbutz Movement, read from a book by President Shimon Peres (paraphrased here): "We are accustomed to think that history is made by armies and governments, but sometimes individuals. . . more.. e-mail
'Our Village, Our Recipe,' a culinary journey through Palestine, is the centerpiece of Ma’an TV’s Ramadan lineup Ma’an News Agency 8/19/2008 Qalqilia – Ma’an – Ma’an Network and Palestine TV will take viewers on a culinary journey through Palestine with a new series titled "Our Village, Our Recipe" which will be aired during the Islamic month of Ramadan, beginning on 1 September. Each episode of the show takes a look at the historical and cultural heritage of one Palestinian village. At the end of every edition, a resident of the village demonstrates how to cook a local specialty. Ma’an Network worked with its local partner stations across Palestine to film the series. Ma’an Network Director of TV programming Nahid Abu T’eimah said the show is one of sever that the network will produce in association with Palestine TV with the aim of transmitting Palestinian life and culture to the rest of the Arab world. Abu T’eimah referred to another show called "From the Heart of Our Capital" which is being shot in the alleyways of Jerusalem. more.. e-mail
VIDEO - Thousands protest in favor of Falash Mura immigration Shlomit Sharvit, YNetNews 8/17/2008 (Video) Mass demonstration held in front of Prime Minister’s Office for 8,700 Falash Mura members who were promised aliyah in 2005, yet remain in Ethiopia; nine protestors arrested - VIDEO - Taish Tafaka, a 29-year-old mother of two, has been in Israel for four years. Her father, brother and sister are in Gondar, Ethiopia and are presently forbidden from immigrating to Israel. Jerusalem rally (Video: Infolive. tv) "Why are they separating us? " ť Tafaka asked on Sunday morning alongside 5,000 people in a protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, in which some people were arrested. [end]
Chronicling the story of Greater Palestine’s rappers Daily Star 8/15/2008 Interview - Beirut: [Yet another] blackout has descended upon Bourj al-Barajneh Palestinian refugee camp this night. It makes your efforts to find the Palestinian Arab Center that much more atmospheric and inspires vague hopes that perhaps you won’t miss the first minutes of Jackie Salloum’s "Slingshot Hip Hop" after all. You find the hall’s exterior bathed in generator-driven light. The interior is dim but for the concert footage projected on a screen and reflected back upon the white plastic chair-mounted eyeballs fixed before it. Salloum’s first feature-length film, "Slingshot" chronicles the rise of the Palestinian hip-hop scene - starting in ’48 Palestine (sometimes called "Israel") and the other occupied territories of the West Bank and Gaza. Salloum’s central protagonists are DAM - who had a region-wide hit with their tune "Mean Irhabi" ("Who’s a Terrorist") - especially the group’s Tamer Nafar, from Al-Lid near Tel Aviv. more.. e-mail
The challenges in making a film of return, and having it seen Daily Star 8/2/2008 BEIRUT: It’s often not easy doing something for the first time. Consider Annemarie Jacir’s latest film "Salt of the Sea," which has the distinction of being Palestine’s first feature by a female director. It had its world premier in May at the Cannes Film Festival, where it screened in the prestigious Un Certain Regard category. Having your first film selected for Cannes is an honor, but "Salt of the Sea" was meant to have its world premier in Palestine, not France, and specifically in Ramallah’s Al-Amari refugee camp, where much of it was shot. That screening didn’t happen because Jacir was herself ferrying her work back to Palestine, but Israeli authorities (who control access to Palestine) wouldn’t allow her to cross the border. A one-time resident of Ramallah, Jacir has been repeatedly denied access to Palestine because she is regarded as a security risk. more.. e-mail
Basement mixes a night of partying with social activism Special to The Daily Star, Daily Star 8/2/2008 BEIRUT: Only in Beirut does Friday night clubbing come packaged with social activism. The plight of children in war was the theme at Beirut’s famous nightspot the Basement on Friday night. "Kids Projecting War," an audio-visual performance by Elyse Tabet, a local graphic designer and, Monique Hourany, a Beirut-based DJ and filmmaker, sought to remind partygoers of the tenuousness of life in Lebanon and the destructiveness of war on the lives of children. "I just wanted to show through visuals how bipolar this place is," said Tabet. "I also wanted to show how kids grow up with the lingering ghosts of war even when they have not witnessed it themselves. " The performance consisted of Tabet’s own art work and submissions from other local artists projected on a large screen overlaid with the sounds of tin drums, ambient electro and punk mixed by Hourany. more.. e-mail
Adieu Chahine Hani Mustafa, Al-Ahram Weekly 7/31/2008 The Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, who died last Sunday at the age of 82, will be remembered both as one of Arab cinema’s great auteurs and as a brave man who always sided with the oppressed. No one person has influenced Arab cinema and the Arabs’ perception of cinema more than Youssef Chahine, who began making films in 1950 following his return from a three- year period of study in the United States. From the very beginning of his career, Chahine’s style of filmmaking presented a marked shift from what many people at the time assumed cinema to be. For Chahine, there was never any easy resolution of a film’s dramatic conflict, as he set himself the task of not only entertaining his audiences, though he did do that with consummate skill, but also of challenging audiences to think and to understand the intellectual content of his films, something which earned many of his films the reputation of being difficult fully to comprehend. -- See also: Youssef Chahine: A life in cinema and The French connection more.. e-mail
’Israeli Big Lebowski’ captures top student prize at Cannes Haaretz Service, Ha’aretz 5/23/2008 The Israeli film "Anthem" won the first place prize at the Cannes film festivals’ student competition on Friday. This marks the first time an Israeli short clinched this award at the fest. The 36-minute-long film, directed by Elad Keidan, deals with an eccentric man who goes to buy milk at a grocery store in Jerusalem’s Katamonim neighborhood and meets various people along the way. "It’s like an Israeli ’Big Lebowski,’" Keidan told Haaretz, "but an existential ’Big Lebowski. ’" According to the director, the film drew inspiration from Iranian cinema as well as from the work of legendary filmmaker David Perlov. Keidan directed the film last January as part of his final project for film class in which he enrolled at Sam Spiegel School of Film and Television. The film was later submitted for consideration at the festival. more.. e-mail
Make love not war: Israeli adult Web site promotes reconciliation in new way Jon Kalish, The Forward, Ha’aretz 5/20/2008 Parpar1. com shows amateur pornography only featuring Israeli Arabs and Jews. There is one place in the Middle East where Arabs and Jews seem to be getting along quite well. It’s the Israeli Web site Parpar1. com, where amateur pornography features Arabs and Jews at each other’s throats - but only for erotic purposes. Founded by two Tel Aviv computer professionals, the Web site has been serving up such X-rated fare as "Kosher Lesbians," "The Rabbi’s Daughter" and "Sex Party in Jerusalem" since 2001. Parpar1 has hundreds of hours of video porn featuring amateur performers. It is a pay service that can be accessed on the Web or via mobile phone. Co-owner Avi Levy said that in addition to Israel, cell phones can get the adult content in England, Spain and Italy. Romania will soon follow. more.. e-mail
Jerusalem, Petach Tikva ban ’Sex in the City’ film ads Adi Dovrat, Ha’aretz 5/20/2008 Outdoor advertising company Maximedia has notified the distributors of ’Sex in the City’ Forum Films and its publicist, Golan Advertising - that the movie based on the popular TV series of the same name will not be allowed to advertise in Jerusalem and Petach Tikva, because the word "sex" appears on the signs. "The news was a great shock," said a spokesman for Forum Films said. "We have not asked to advertise nudity, or messages that may be offensive to the general public and the ultra-Orthodox community in particular. Nevertheless, this is the name of the movie. We feel that it is ridiculous to prohibit us from advertising the brand without naming it," he added. The company added that it would consult with the movie’s production company about what to do about continued advertising in these cities. more.. e-mail
Shooting and crying, but differently Uri Klein, Ha’aretz 5/18/2008 CANNES - The debate surrounding "Waltz with Bashir," Ari Folman’s film, will surely become most vehement when the film, in a competition at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, comes to Israel. Here are some initial impressions following a screening for journalists that was held on Wednesday. On Thursday evening the film had its official premiere. Without doubt, "Waltz with Bashir" is a very interesting and even an impressive work. It is not free of problems, but these are interesting since they illuminate the twists and turns of the Israeli soul in trying to maintain fairness and integrity while speaking of the individual and the national history shaping the individual and the place in which he is trying to survive. Folman calls his film "an animated documentary. "This is a very daring definition, apparently combining two incompatible. . . more.. e-mail
Israeli film at Cannes explores 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre Reuters, Ha’aretz 5/16/2008 A daring new animated documentary follows Israeli director Ari Folman as he tries to piece together memories of the 1982 massacre of Palestinians in Beirut’s Sabra and Shatila camps. Folman was a soldier in the Israel Defense Forces when it invaded Lebanon earlier that year. It allowed Christian militiamen into the refugee camps and stood by as they went on a killing spree shortly after the assassination of their leader, Bashir Gemayel. In "Waltz With Bashir," in competition at the Cannes film festival this year and screening as Israel celebrates its 60th anniversary, a soldier among those surrounding the camps witnesses the execution of a family by militiamen. It also features a reporter describing a telephone conversation he had with then Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon about rumors he was hearing of the massacre. more.. e-mail
Waltz With Bashir’ bids for top Cannes prize Middle East Online 5/15/2008 Repressed memories, the horrors of war and Israel’s dubious role in a notorious Beirut refugee camp massacre are the themes of the Cannes film festival’s first ever fully-animated documentary. "Waltz With Bashir," said Screen magazine in one of the first reviews, "could easily turn out to be one of the most powerful statements of this Cannes and will leave its mark forever on the ethics of war films in general." Ari Folman’s anti-war movie, in the running for the Palme d’Or top prize, is premiered here as Israel celebrates its 60th year of existence and its neighbour Lebanon hits yet another political crisis pushing it to the brink of civil war. Opening with thumping rock music as snarling dogs hurtle through city streets, the highly personal tale recounts the director’s quest to fill the holes in his memory of his stint as a 19-year-old conscript in Israel’s army. more.. e-mail
Drawing on experience Nirit Anderman, Ha’aretz 5/15/2008 Can an animated film be a documentary? Can animation offer unique solutions for filmmakers seeking to describe events that took place in other times and places? Two films released last year in Europe and in the United States, and another production - which happens to be Israeli and debuted yesterday at the 2008 Cannes International Film Festival - are making these questions more relevant than ever. Exactly a year ago, at the 60th Cannes festival, one of the films featured in the official competition caused a media uproar. "Persepolis," an animated French film, aroused the anger of officials in Iran. In an outraged letter addressed to the French embassy in Tehran, they protested its screening at the festival and claimed that "it presents an unrealistic aspect of the achievements and the outcome of the magnificent Islamic Revolution. more.. e-mail
VIDEO - ’They say they have the right to shoot at us and kill us’ Clancy Chassay, The Guardian 5/15/2008 In the fourth of five films from Gaza, multimedia reporter Clancy Chassay meets Samir who lost his brother and two footballing friends during Israeli rocket and shell attacks on their playing fields. [end]
VIDEO - Meet the Bakrs ... a middle-class family from Gaza Clancy Chassay, The Guardian 5/13/2008 In the third of five films from Gaza, multimedia reporter Clancy Chassay talks to the Bakrs about life under the Israeli blockade, juggling jobs, school runs and clinical depression [end]
VIDEO - Actor Jon Voight: God gave this land to the Jewish people Haaretz Staff and Channel 10, Ha’aretz 5/14/2008 Haaretz. com/Channel 10 daily feature for May 13, 2008. Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight is currently in Israel to express his fervent support for the Jewish people and his opposition to exchanging land for peace with the Palestinians. On Tuesday, Voight visited Sderot, the western Negev town that suffers regular Qassam rockets strikes from the Gaza Strip. On Monday, he met with terror victims, and welcomed a group of children brought to Israel through Chabad’s Children of Chernobyl program. Voight is best known for his breakthrough role in Midnight Cowboy in 1969, and his parts in 1970s films including Deliverance and The Champ. These days however, he may be even better known for being the father of Angelina Jolie. more.. e-mail
Tom Cruise, Ben Stiller wish Israel happy anniversary Ariel Zilberm, Ha’aretz 5/14/2008 Tom Cruise, Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, and Kirk and Michael Douglas make up a list of some of the Hollywood glitterati that beginning Tuesday can be seen on giant screens in New York’s Times Square sending Independence Day greetings on the 60th anniversary of Israel’s establishment. The clip, which will run every hour on the hour on four large display panels, features each celebrity appearing on their own for a few seconds. "We’re aware of the influence that [the celebrities] filmed in the clip have on so many people around the world," said Asi Shariv, Israel’s Consul General in New York. "Their connection with Israel is an important part of our efforts to tell the Israeli story to a young, Western audience that does not take an interest in the [Mideast] conflict. more.. e-mail
Houston Palestine Film Festival opens 9 May Announcement, Houston Palestine Film Festival, Electronic Intifada 5/7/2008 We are pleased to present the second annual Houston Palestine Film Festival. This exciting festival, cosponsored by The Station Museum, Rice Cinema, Museum of Fine Arts - Houston, KPFT Houston and many others, will bring cutting edge new cinema from Palestine and about Palestine. The second annual Houston Palestine Film Festival brings an honest and independent view of Palestine, its diaspora, culture and political travails through the art of film. This group of groundbreaking cinematic texts rises above the degrading stereotypes or reductively politicized depictions that are so familiar to Houstonians. The festival aims to directly expose our local community to the perspective of artists as a first step toward circumventing the many government and media filters that pollute our understanding of Palestine and the wider region. more.. e-mail
VIDEO - Survivor: Arabs capable of perpetrating worse Holocaust YNetNews 4/30/2008 ynet video - Holocaust survivor recounts Jewish life in Greece under Nazi occupation and later in Auschwitz. ’If the Germans, who are supposedly cultured, did what they did to the Jews, then imagine what other nations are capable of doing,’ he says (04. 30. 08) Video: Infolive. tvAuthor: Infolive. tv [end]
Chicago Palestine Film Festival opens 25 April Announcement, Chicago Palestine Film Festival, Electronic Intifada 4/17/2008 The Chicago Palestine Film Festival committee is very excited to announce the selections and schedule for our seventh annual film festival. Our 14 selections this year come from Palestinian, American, European and other filmmakers. The festival will take place between 25 April and 8 May at the Siskel Film Center. Our opening night film is SlingShot Hip Hop, a documentary about Palestinian hip-hop and youth culture. Jackie Reem Salloum spotlights a vibrant hip-hop scene where artists discover the form and employ it to express themselves and their perspectives on occupation, dispossession and poverty. The film follows several different artists, including DAM, a group of Palestinian artists and activists from Israel who have seen commercial success in Europe, PR (Palestinian Rapperz), who have developed their hip-hop art forms in the Israeli-occupied Gaza Strip, and soloist Abeer and the more.. e-mail
London Palestine Film Festival opens 18 April Announcement, London Palestine Film Festival, Electronic Intifada 4/14/2008 The London Palestine Film Festival opens on 18 April and runs for two weeks at the Barbican Cinema (18-24 April) and SOAS, Russell Square (25 April 25th - 1 May), with another extraordinary selection of documentary, fiction, art, and experimental work by artists from around the world. Still the largest of its kind, this year the Festival program includes more than 50 works related to the question of Palestine by artists from across the globe working in every genre of film and video production. As the Festival falls on the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948, several special sessions have been programmed to address questions of oral history and memory in cinema, as well as of refugee rights and the ongoing struggles of Israel’s Palestinian population. These include the opening session, featuring a short (45 minute) screening of oral history documentation projects from Israel and Lebanon, followed by a panel discussion on methods, challenges, and goals of oral history video work on the Palestinian Nakba. more.. e-mail
Israel Through Its Own Eyes Al Jazeera 4/3/2008 In Israel Through Its Own Eyes Al Jazeera takes a frank look at Israel through the work of Israeli filmmakers who are able to offer us a glimpse into a world which would otherwise be unknown to those outside the country. The film One Shot by Nurit Kedar is a troubling look into the work and the minds of an elite team of Israeli army snipers who carry out assassinations. After five weeks of training an Israeli soldier can become a sniper if he chooses. The filmmaker spent a whole year getting all the necessary permits from the Israeli military authorities. This is the first time Israeli snipers were given permission to be interviewed for a film and Israeli military censors required the filmmaker to cover the faces of the soldiers who speak. By the director Lina Chaplin, Yoel, Israel and the Pashkavils takes us into the heart of a tiny self-made Jewish ghetto in Jerusalem. more.. e-mail
Ultra-Orthodox passengers riot aboard El Al plane over screening of film Zohar Blumenkrantz, Ha’aretz 4/7/2008 Ultra-Orthodox passengers on an El Al flight to Kiev caused a serious commotion Sunday morning after, according to their testimony, a movie was screened on board the plane. The Haredi men, en route to Uman, Ukraine to visit the gravesite of Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, said that the airline had promised not to show a film during the flight. When the screens began to unfold in preparation for the screening, the ultra-Orthodox men began going wild. "It was a pretty frightening sight," a passenger on the plane described the events. According to witnesses, the men began shouting and physically trying to prevent the movie screens from unfolding. This is not the first time that El Al is faced with problems with ultra-Orthodox people on board flights to religious sites. more.. e-mail
T.A. film festival tackles Israel’s hardest issues from war to polygamy Reuters, Ha’aretz 4/4/2008 From one soldier’s account of the Lebanon war to the tale of an Israeli African prince, a Tel Aviv film festival is looking beyond political conflict to examine broader issues of strife and identity in Israel. "People associate Israel with hardcore news, with fighting and conflict," said Ilana Tzur, the event’s director. "But it’s important to see there’s such a wide range of other facets to life. " The films at Tel Aviv’s 10th international documentary film festival, which opens on Thursday, tackle meaty political themes such as Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians and its 2006 war against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon. But they also examine private and cultural struggle in a young country, Israel turns 60 next month, where a Russian Holocaust survivor and an Ethiopian Jew, or an ultra-Orthodox family and a secular singleton might live as neighbors. more.. e-mail
Levy’s choice Meron Rapoport, Ha’aretz 4/3/2008 Two weeks after the start of the Second Lebanon War, Yariv Mozer, 30, owner of a production company in civilian life and a munitions officer in the reserves, received a telephone call from the commander of his artillery battalion. Mozer’s battalion was part of Central Command and so was not called up, but his commander had a request. The munitions officer in a reserve battalion in Northern Command had gone into shock after a barrage of Hezbollah rockets landed on his unit. Perhaps Mozer could come to replace him? Mozer agreed, without a call-up notice - basically, as a volunteer. He packed his things and headed north. At the last minute, he also took his video camera. And thus was born the film "My First War" ("Hamilhama Harishona Sheli" - produced and edited by Yael Perlov, with support from Noga Communications, the Rabinowitz Foundation and Arte/ZDF), which will be screened next week at the DocAviv Festival. more.. e-mail
Two Schools in Nablus Al Jazeera 4/1/2008 Filmmakers: Tom Evans and George Azar - Teachers working for months without pay, a chronic overcrowding in the classrooms, and students at risk each day from imprisonment and perhaps worse - welcome to the typical education experience in a Palestinian school. Witness presents a series of three films taking a close look at the extraordinary difficulties and challenges that two ordinary Palestinian schools face. While poverty is widespread throughout the West Bank and Gaza, Nablus is one of the worst-hit areas because of the decreasing range of employers and the limited number of opportunities. Hobbled by the Palestinians’ diminishing purchasing power and by Israeli security closures that have isolated Nablus and its merchants from the rest of the West Bank, hundreds of employees have been fired this year alone. more.. e-mail
Weighing their words with care Ruta Kupfer, Ha’aretz 3/27/2008 It’s not by chance that at the bilingual school in Jerusalem, where a conversation took place on Wednesday between film actress Debra Winger, who is on a visit to Israel, and writer and journalist Sayed Kashua, language is of central importance. The actress seems to be weighing her words, as if she’s hearing them for the first time, absorbing her own words as if she is her own listener. Every word, however routine, suddenly acquires symbolic import, every metaphor a literal quality. A case in point: She wonders, perfectly naturally, whether Kashua has continued on his path. She uses the term "soldiering on" but then, abruptly, is uncertain whether the martial term is appropriate. She then talks about her visit to the Jerusalem International Film Festival two years ago, where she first met and befriended Kashua - "and then the war broke out," she says, adding quickly, "if you can put it that way. " more.. e-mail
’My identity is the cinema’ Nirit Anderman, Ha’aretz 3/27/2008 Hiam Abbass wrecked Eran Riklis’ plans. One day during the shooting of his new film "Lemon Tree," the director related that after making "The Syrian Bride" four years ago, he intended to avoid politics and deal with a lighter subject. However, his desire to collaborate with Abbass again - in addition to his discovery of a story about a Palestinian woman who set out to defend her orchard - changed the course of events. In "Lemon Tree," which opened in theaters yesterday, Abbass plays a strong woman who rejects the conventions of the conservative society in which she lives. This was also the case in several other films, including "The Syrian Bride," in which she played Amal, the sister of the Druze bride who is not satisfied with her marriage, and dreams of higher education and independence, and in "Red Satin" (2002). more.. e-mail
Actor quits Natalie Portman film due to rabbis’ objections The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 3/15/2008 NEW YORK - An aspiring actor has quit a movie starring Natalie Portman because it outraged his ultra-Orthodox Jewish religious community, the actor said. "Rabbis didn’t like the idea of a Hasidic guy playing in Hollywood," said Abe Karpen, a Brooklyn cabinet salesman cast as Portman’s husband in the upcoming "New York I Love You. "The project, a collection of 12 short love stories, has been shooting in New York. Karpen, 25, told the Daily News a rabbi raised objections after he filmed a scene with Portman on Wednesday. "This is when I woke up and saw that I made a big mistake," said Karpen, a father of three. "My community, where I live, means everything to me. "Hasidism, a form of mystical ultra-Orthodox Judaism, traces its roots to 18th-century Eastern Europe. more..
N.Y. Plaza Hotel, co-owned by Israeli and Saudi groups, reopens doors Reuters, Ha’aretz 3/2/2008 Two years after shutting its gilded doors for a $400 million renovation, Manhattan’s famed Plaza Hotel on Saturday began welcoming back guests. "The Plaza is back," Shane Krige, the hotel’s general manager, said as he cut a giant red ribbon that spanned the entrance near the southeast corner of Central Park. "The legend is definitely going to continue." The hotel, co-owned by Israel’s Elad Group and the Saudi-based Kingdom Holding Co. and managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, will have a formal reopening on May 10. The hotel’s grandeur and attentive service inspired writers ranging from Kay Thompson, author of the "Eloise" stories, to Neil Simon, who wrote Broadway play and hit film "Plaza Suite." While hotel guests began checking into the 282 guest rooms, most of which were booked for opening night, much of the storied hotel has been converted to luxury condominiums. more..
A tour of dreams and reality Daphna Berman, Ha’aretz 2/28/2008 A new documentary film that follows American Jewish tourists in Israel and explores their complex and sometimes strained relationship with the Jewish State debuts tonight at the Jerusalem cinematheque." Eyes Wide Open," a 60-minute look at the story behind the tour buses that often clog the streets of the capital, interviews first-timers as well as more seasoned tourists. What emerges is a story about the inspiration, as well as some of the emotional challenges, that Israel poses to American Jewry.... The documentary followed the tourists - including birthright groups, synagogue missions, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi from Brooklyn, and a volunteer who spent his time here rebuilding Palestinian homes - between December 2005 and December 2006, a period that included the Second Lebanon War. more..
News in Brief:’Jenin, Jenin’screens in Tel Aviv Ha’aretz 2/26/2008 TA Cinematheque to screen ’Jenin, Jenin’ as gesture of support for director Bakri The Tel Aviv Cinematheque will screen Mohammed Bakri’s controversial film "Jenin, Jenin" tonight, on the eve of the director’s libel trial. Cinematheque director Alon Garbuz said the screening was "a show of support" for Bakri, who has been invited to attend the event. The film was banned by the Israeli Film Ratings Board in 2002, on the premise that it was libelous and might offend the public. This decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court, which nonetheless labeled it a "propagandistic lie." The film describes events in Jenin during the Israel Defense Forces Operation Defensive Shield. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Bakri and Israel’s cinematheques were sued in a civil law suit by five IDF reservists. The cinematheques reached a compromise with the plaintiffs, while Bakri is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow. more..
Toronto Palestine Film Festival seeking entries Announcement, Toronto Palestine Film Festival, Electronic Intifada 2/21/2008 The Toronto Palestine Film Festival (TPFF) is now accepting entries for the first annual festival to be held in October 2008. Conceived by Palestine House, the festival is an important component of the year-long activities commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Nakba. Cinema represents a powerful means for visually interpreting the collective identity and historic struggle of the Palestinian people. The festival will present in film the extraordinary narrative of a dispossessed people living in exile or under Israeli occupation and will introduce Canadian audiences to the rich variety of Palestinian cinema. While highlighting the work of Palestinian filmmakers the festival will showcase the diverse and creative work of all filmmakers (any nationality) exploring both historic and contemporary themes related to Palestinian culture, experience, and narrative. more..
Ma’an producing new docudrama Ma’an News Agency 2/13/2008 Bethlehem – Ma’an – Ma’an network has begun filming a new television docudrama entitled Kafa (Enough) which reflects on the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip in June 2007 and the negative repercussions of these events within Palestinian society, namely, in the West Bank. The screenplay was written by the Palestinian writer Saleem Dabour, and the film consists of 33 scenes about a Palestinian family living in one of the cities of the West Bank. The younger members of the family are, like many other Palestinian families, affiliated to different factions including Hamas and Fatah. The film attempts to show how the events in the Gaza Strip influenced the individual behavior of average Palestinians at home and in the streets. Creative production crew The film is directed by Yousif Ad-Deik who is aiming the production at a highly-educated audience. more..
Sound and effects courtesy of the IDF Nirit Anderman, Ha’aretz 2/13/2008 While in Israel people are waiting impatiently to see whether "Beaufort" will be the first Israeli film to win an Oscar, and after the local film industry experienced particularly impressive momentum at the important international festivals, there are signs of awakening among our neighbors to the east and the north. The film industries of Jordan and Lebanon have recently produced interesting films, and there is increasing curiosity worldwide about films originating in the Middle East. This year, 983 films were submitted to the Sundance Film Festival Independent Feature Film Competition, which took place last month in Utah. Sixteen of them ended up being chosen to participate in the competition, and of those, three came from the Middle East. The triple summit in Utah included the Jordanian film "Captain Abu Raed," directed by Amin Matalqa, the Israeli "Strangers" (Zarim), directed by... more..
New film ’Lemon Tree’ offers fresh look at Mideast conflict Reuters, Ha’aretz 2/9/2008 Boiling the complexities of the Middle East down into a 106-minute film about a Palestinian woman’s lemon trees and tensions arising when Israel’s defense minister moves next door risk over-simplifying the issues. But Israeli director Eran Riklis has delivered a stirring fictional story, "Lemon Tree," that is in many ways a microcosm of the struggles between Israelis and Palestinians - a dispute about land, security, fears and displacement. "It’s a film about people who are trapped in a political situation," said Riklis after the contemporary film, based loosely on true stories with a cast of Israeli and Palestinians, made its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival on Friday. "It’s a film for all audiences." A Palestinian woman has long been peacefully tending the lemon tree grove she inherited from her father on the Green Line that separates Israel and the occupied West Bank. more..
Reflections on the top of the bottom - and a city at the end of its rope Jim Quilty, Daily Star 2/5/2008 Interview ROTTERDAM: Mahmoud al-Massad doesn’t seem ecstatic. This might seem odd for a man whose film "Recycle" just took the prize for best cinematography in the World Cinema Documentary section at Sundance, America’s best-loved festival of independent cinema. The Palestinian-Jordanian filmmaker is now back home in Holland, where his film just screened for the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, Europe’s most prestigious festival of independent film. "I’m a little tired," Massad smiles over a cup of weak cappuccino. "First there was the premiere at Dubai [International Film Festival] in December, then Sundance and now Rotterdam. I need to work now, to earn some money. "When you finish a film, you think, ’Finally, I’m done. ’ Then you must promote it. You get invited to Sundance and think, ’I’m at the top..." more..
Entries sought for 2008 Boston Palestine Film Festival Announcement, Boston Palestine Film Festival, Electronic Intifada 1/10/2008 The Boston Palestine Film Festival (BPFF) is now accepting entries for its second annual festival to be held in October 2008. BPFF seeks to present the extraordinary narrative of a dispossessed people living in exile or under Israeli occupation. Palestinian cinema represents a powerful means for visually interpreting the collective identity, historic struggle and emotional expression of Palestinians today. The festival will showcase the diverse and creative work of all filmmakers (any nationality) exploring both historic and contemporary themes related to Palestinian culture, experience, and narrative. BPFF accepts films, videos and digital media in the following categories:Feature Films Documentaries Shorts (including animated or experimental works) Youth work (created by filmmakers under the age of 18) This year the festival particularly encourages submissions related to the Palestinian refugee issue and themes of exile, to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Nakba in 2008. more..
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