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Communist Party of Israel supports actors boycott 8/31/2010 - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Hundreds gathered Monday at the Habima National Theater in Tel Aviv to demonstrate support for its actors who are boycotting performances in the occupied West Bank settlement of Ariel. A Communist Party of Israel member, Knesset member Dov Henin, said at the rally that "the Israeli theater is not and will.... B’Tselem invites theatre heads to field visit to view harm caused by Ariel settlement to Palestinian human rights Uruknet August 30, 2010 - B’Tselem wrote today to the managers of Israel’s theatres, calling them to visit the Northern West Bank and see for themselves the heavy damage to human rights inflicted by the continued existence of the Ariel settlement. B’Tselem’s letter followed the managers’ decision to perform plays for the first time in the West Bank, in the... Additional Israeli Artists Refuse to Perform in New Settlement Cultural Center Alternative Information Center - 60 of Israel’s most prominent actors, writers, and directors, from the country’s five leading theatres, have signed a petition saying they will not perform at the new cultural center of the West Bank settlement Ariel . Fatah Welcomes Israeli Artists' Decision To Boycott Settlement Theater PNN - Ramallah– PNN - The Fatah movement welcomed on Tuesday a group of Israeli artists’ decision to boycott a theater in the Settlement of Aril in northern West Bank. Around 60 Israeli theater... MK Oron: Artists have a right not to perform in West Bank settlements Ha'aretz - 300 demonstrators gathered outside Habima Theater in Tel Aviv to protest the theater's decision to stage performances in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. Israeli Lecturers Back Theater Boycott WAFA - TEL AVIV, August 31, 2010 (WAFA)- Academicians join actors and authors, call for moratorium on cultural performances in West Bank settlements; 'Israel's conduct in [occupied territories] constitutes 53 Israeli Artists boycott new Cultural Center in Ariel settlement IMEMC - 31 Aug 2010 - Monday August 30, 2010 - 14:18, Dozens of prominent artists in the Israeli theatre community – including actors, playwrights and directors -- have signed a pledge that they will not perform in a newly-constructed cultural center in the Israeli settlement of Ariel. The pledge could cause the artists to be booted from the government-funded guild for theatre professionals, but they argue that this act of conscience is more important than their salaries. Israeli actors to boycott new West Bank theatre 8/30/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - 29 August 2010, The Guardian - 60 actors, writers and directors argue that performing in occupied territories would legitimize illegal settlements - Dozens of Israeli actors, playwrights and directors have signed a letter refusing to take part in productions by leading theatre companies at a new cultural centre in a West Bank settlement, prompting renewed debate over.... Related: Source: The Guardian 4 actors reverse pledge to boycott performances in settlement Ha'aretz - Nearly 60 theater personnel signed a petition on Saturday vowing not to participate in performances staged at new cultural center in Ariel. B'Tselem invites theatre heads to field visit to view harm caused by Ariel B'tselem 29 Aug 2010 - B'Tselem wrote today to the managers of Israel's theatres, calling them to visit the Northern West Bank and see for themselves the heavy damage to human rights inflicted by the continued existence of the Ariel settlement. Netanyahu: Israel Won't Fund Boycott Efforts from Within WAFA - TEL AVIV, August 29, 2010 (WAFA)- IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu On Sunday criticized a recent declaration by a list of prominent Israeli actors and playwrights that they would not Writers Oz, Yehoshua, Grossman back artists’ boycott of Ariel settlement Mondoweiss - Where are the liberal American Zionists on this one? What will J Street do? Important news : Ynet learned on Monday that prominent Israeli authors A. B. Yehoshua, Amos Oz, David Grossman and Sami Michael are supporting a long line of actors, playwrights and artists who announced... Netanyahu: Israel won't fund boycott efforts from within Ha'aretz - Prime Minister slams boycott staged by theater personnel, who refuse to take part in performances in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. Prime Minister criticizes theater figures' West Bank boycott Ha'aretz - Fifty-three Israeli theater professionals, including performers, playwrights and directors, signed petition stating they would not appear in performances in Ariel. Netanyahu: Israel Won't Fund Boycott Efforts from Within WAFA - TEL AVIV, August 29, 2010 (WAFA)- IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu On Sunday criticized a recent declaration by a list of prominent Israeli actors and playwrights that they would not Haaretz: 53 Theater Figures Vow Not to Perform in Settlements WAFA - TEL AVIV, August 29, 2010 (WAFA)- Fifty-three Israeli theater professionals, including performers, playwrights and directors, have signed a petition stating they would not appear in the West Bank Puppet theater Gideon Levy, Haaretz, Israeli Occupation Archive 8/29/2010 The decision by our theater establishment to stage dramas in the new culture auditorium in the settlement of Ariel presents the performing public with a real test, the likes of which it has probably never seen. We will know the answer in the coming weeks: Is there genuine theater in Israel, or is it just puppet theater? Are our theater artists really actors, playwrights and directors, or are they marionettes? Israeli theater presents Moral Blindness a play with infinite acts. The decision by our theater establishment to stage dramas in the new culture auditorium in the settlement of Ariel presents the performing public with a real test, the likes of which it has probably never seen. The challenge now facing our theater world has huge importance. The decision of the weeks ahead will refashion all our theater professionals. After years of theater that staged prudent commercial dramas alongside quite a few courageous political plays confronting deep moral questions, our actors now face the drama of their lives. Actually, what is at stake is not a play, but rather life itself. Should they stage their productions at the Ariel facility, we will know that the actors standing there are mere recitation automatons, and their entire theatrical enterprise will be a living prison. Should Israels actors, directors and playwrights decide to take part in the most appalling drama of all, they will deserve at the end of their productions jeers of derision, the likes of which they have never heard. The drama at Ariel will be the worst theatrical show ever performed here; nobody will need the verdict of theater critics to draw this conclusion. Seeing that a Cameri production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle may be staged as one of the premier plays at Ariels hall of shame, Bertolt Brecht, no doubt, will be rolling in his grave. -- See also: Source: Ha'aretz more.. e-mail Cultural Centre Opens in Settlement, Israeli Theaters to Perform Alternative Information Center - Israel's leading theater companies have agreed to perform in the new cultural center in the West Bank settlement of Ariel, according to an article in Israeli news daily Haaretz , but two actors from Habima, the national... Israeli theater actors refuse to perform at new West Bank cultural center Ha'aretz - Leading settler responds to refusal by Yousef Sweid and Rami Heuberger by saying that 'Israel is much stronger than such boycotts.' The Power of Storytelling Wajahat Ali, CounterPunch 8/20/2010 Creating a New Future for American Muslims In 7th-century Arabia, the storyteller was valued more than the swordsman. The audience sat on the floor surrounding the gifted orator as he captivated the eager listeners with beautiful poetry narrating their history. In the 21st century, the art form may have evolved to include motion pictures, TV shows, theater productions, novels, and standup comedy, but they all serve the same function: storytelling. Ideas and principles are most effectively communicated and transmitted when they are couched in a narrative. Stories, whether they concern the etiquette and biography of prophets or the trials and tribulations of Americas founding fathers, inform and influence a cultural citizenry of its values and identity. Stories of the Prophet Muhammad most effectively communicate the Qurans eloquent exhortation to tolerate and embrace diversity: O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise [each other]) (49:13). The Prophets cordial diplomacy and communication with the Christian, Abyssinian King yielded one of the first alliances of the young Muslim community. Furthermore, the Prophet displayed unconditional love for his diverse companions, who comprised the gamut of Arab society including former slaves, orphans, widows, wealthy dignitaries, and non-Arabs. Similarly, the story of a biracial man with an Arabic name and a Kenyan father elected to the highest office in the land reminds the world that indeed America can live up to its cherished principles of freedom and racial equality, and her citizens are capable of reflecting a magnanimous and egalitarian spirit bereft of prejudice. more.. e-mail Israeli theater actors refuse to perform at new cultural center in West Bank settlement Mondoweiss - And other news from Today in Palestine: Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing Palestinians: Freeze must include East Jerusalem, Akiva Eldar The Palestinian Authority has told the U.S. administration that an Israeli commitment to continuing the freeze on settlement construction must include East Jerusalem. During... UK, Irish artists saluted for principled boycott stance Electronic Intifada: 18 Aug 2010 - The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) salutes the British dance group Faithless for declining to play in Israel this summer. The cancellation of the group's Israeli gig is the latest in a string of cancellations of performances in Israel by artists and musicians of conscience.more Irish artists announce cultural boycott of Israel 8/14/2010 - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Over 150 Irish artists, musicians and playwrights announced a cultural boycott of Israel on Thursday until "Israel complies with international law."The campaign was launched by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and signatory artists saying "we pledge not to avail of any invitation to perform or exhibit in Israel, nor to.... An Open Letter To Chick Corea: Dont Turn Your Back On Gaza Palestinian Students Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel, Desert Peace 8/10/2010 Mr. Corea, we call upon your free soul that has been adding magnificent art for decades into this disenchanted world of ours, to join those courageous people of conscience like Elvis Costello, Gil Scott-Heron, the Pixies, Carlos Santana and Devendra Banhart in boycotting Israel until it complies with international law, and until justice and accountability are reached just as the global BDS movement made way for the collapse of apartheid in South Africa. Dear Mr. Corea, We are a group of students from Gaza, and our only fault is being Palestinians. For that, Mr. Corea, we are imprisoned with our families and loved ones in what major Human Rights Organizations call the largest open air prison in modern history. The state you are planning to entertain, committed a process of ethnic cleansing against the indigenous people in 1948. And now it is engaged in, what the Israeli academic Ilan Pappe calls, slow motion genocide against the 1.5 million population of Gaza. We are writing to you from under the hermetic siege imposed on us. We are punished just because we belong to this land and hold its identity. Israel committed, what Prof. Richard Goldstone called war crimes and crimes against humanity, knowing very well that it would be immune from accountability. You must be aware that all aspects of our life are affected by the siege, which in itself is a gross violation of international humanitarian law. We love music. But, we are deprived from it. The sound of Israeli-US made F16s, F15s, F35s, Surveillance planes, White Phosphorous bombs, naval gunboats and Merkava tanks do not allow us to listen to music any more. In Gaza, we are forbidden from experiencing the meaning of humanity, from being in love and expressing it in art, dance, music, and all its magnificent other forms that we long to live and experience. more.. e-mail Music: Arabian Night: Distant Heat Music Show in Jordan New York Times 7 Aug 2010 - The Distant Heat show, an overnight rave by the Red Sea in Jordan, plays the dance music while playing down cultural differences. IDF dance-off: Nahal retains title Jeruslalem Post 5 Aug 2010 - Jordan border reservists challenge "Tik Tok" with "Waka Waka" dance. IDF reservists show they, too, can dance YNet News - Israeli soldiers on Jordanian border film their dance moves in guard tower, post.... Cinema returns to Jenin for first time since 1987 Intifada Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington – After a 23-year hiatus, Jenin’s largest movie theatre is reopening with a grand Hollywood-style ceremony and three-day film festival, Haaretz reported Wednesday. Cinema Jenin last heard the buzz of film projectors in 1987, when... Culture: A Palestinian Strength to Be Built Upon Nader Atta, This Week in Palestine 8/2/2010 During the spring of 2010, the Ramallah Cultural Palace was the venue for the graduation ceremony of over 220 children and youth who were trained by the Popular Arts Center on various forms of traditional Palestinian folklore dance, the dabkeh. With an overflow audience of over 900 persons in attendance, the dancers stomped and shook the building with their powerful energy and enthusiasm to the applause of their family and friends, thus making a statement that the continued transfer of this form of Palestinian culture from generation to generation is alive and well. Culture is a very important means by which Palestinians have held on to their identity, values, norms, and traditions, not only in Occupied Palestinian territory but also in the diaspora. It is a glue that maintains the link between the Palestinian people, no matter where they reside, and their ancestral home. Thus, for the Palestinian people, protecting their culture and ensuring its continuity is as important as their struggle for independence. Palestinian culture has been a symbol as well as a source of strength and pride during the Palestinian struggle against Israeli occupation. Over the past decade, it has become evident that Palestinians are no longer only battling for the land that they have tilled for centuries, they are also battling a campaign of cultural pillaging. From the dabkeh to the Palestinian thob (traditional embroidered womans dress) to the kaffiyeh (Palestinian headscarf) and even to such foods as falafel and hummus, a campaign is being waged to market these items as part of Israeli culture. Moreover, unlike their parents and grandparents, todays families are having a more difficult time in raising their children during this age of the Internet and satellite television. With access to information readily available as never before in this mostly conservative society, youth are testing the limits of values that are counter to Palestinian customs. The question becomes: How can outside customs be introduced without debilitating Palestinian cultural practices? more.. e-mail Israelis and Palestinians unite for peace - and theatre | Combatants for Peace The Guardian 31 Jul 2010 - Theatre troupe Combatants for Peace use their participatory theatre approach to find out what UK audiences would do in their shoes Nour Shehadah and Chen Alon are both shaven-headed fathers in their forties. Shehadah is Palestinian... Cultural reawakening aims to rebrand Jenin Jeruslalem Post 31 Jul 2010 - The West Bank city is remembered for some of the Second Intifada’s worst violence. Fahkri Hamid, the manager of Cinema Jenin, hopes to change its image through theater. Where the hell is Matt? He’s in the Gaza Strip. 7/26/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Matt Harding, famous for his trademark dance with locals at landmarks around the world in two "Where the Hell is Matt? " films, has turned up in the Gaza Strip. The UN agency for Palestine refugees revealed "Where the Hell is Matt? Matt is in Gaza with UNRWA" on its YouTube page Sunday. Harding's.... 1 injured, 2 detained at Al-Ma’sara anti-wall rally 7/23/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - "European Solidarity" was the theme of Friday's anti-wall protest in Al-Ma'sara village south of Bethlehem, which saw one person injured and two detained. The popular committee against the wall reported more than 100 demonstrators, including a six piece drumming band, and a strong French contingent at the weekly rally. Protesters sang and danced.... Fighters turn to theatre to advocate Middle East peace | Phoebe Greenwood The Guardian 22 Jul 2010 - Combatants for Peace, a group drawn from Israel and Palestine's forces, are transforming their own experiences into drama. But will this help find a resolution to political conflict? In a list of unlikely places to look... Ex-soldiers fight for peace on the stage Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington – Ex-military from both Israeli and Palestinian forces are bringing their fight to a new theatre, the kind with a spotlight and stage, The Guardian reported Thursday. The Combatants for Peace , formed in 2005, is... PA police host summer camp in Qalqiliya 7/21/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - EU police instructors participated in the closing ceremony of the first police summer camp in the northern West Bank district of Qalqiliya on Wednesday. Sixty-seven children participated in the camp, which included 10 days of theater, music, sports and painting, the EU's EUPOL COPPS program announced in a statement Wednesday. The summer camp.... Mr. Blair: At-Tuwani Awaits Your Response Palestine Chronicle: 16 Jul 2010 - By Ron Taylor Dear Tony Blair, I think even you would admit your appointment, in 2007, as Special Envoy to the Middle East Quartet was not met with unfettered joy in occupied Palestine. In fact, to be quite honest, the announcement was greeted with a mixture of dismay, derision and not a little anger. It’s not too difficult to imagine the reasons. After all, you had been Prime Minister of a country which is seen as a right-or-wrong supporter of Israel. You are an avowed ‘Friend of Israel’. And, the party you once led receives large donations from well-known Zionists. Probably even more damning though is that you danced to George W Bush’s tune and enlisted your country in the disastrous invasion of Iraq - widely seen by many in the Middle East as an Israeli war waged by the West. Yet another reminder to Palestinians, if one were needed,...more Israeli activists ‘bring the blindfolded’ to the Jerusalem Film Fest Mondoweiss - Street theater at the Jerusalem Film Festival (Photo: Sim Sim ) Activists from Just Jerusalem (the main Israeli organization working on the Sheikh Jarrah protests) greeted moviegoers attending the opening of the Jerusalem Film Festival with a scene they'll not soon forget. Members of the group acted... Hebrew press sees thaw in Syria-Israel relations 7/14/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - For the first time since Israel occupied and annexed the Golan Heights, a group of Dabka performers from the area's five Druze villages will be permitted to travel to Aleppo to compete, Israel's Hebrew-language daily newspaper Ma'ariv reported. Viewing the traditional Levantine dance troupe as an example of a thaw in relations between.... Arte Film Week In Ramallah PNN - Ramallah – PNN – Yesterday the Arte film week started with the screening of „Mascarades“ by Algerian director Lyès Salem in Ramallah’s Al-Kasaba movie theater. From the 13th till the 27th of... Palestinians dance to Lady Gaga in Hebron, to counter video made by IDF troops Ha'aretz - Video created in response to clip posted on YouTube last week by soldiers who performed routine to Kesha's hit Tik Tok. Hebron Requests Israel Dance Force to Perform PNN - Hebron – PNN – On Saturday July 10, the Palestinian weekly protesters in Hebron showed their most creative side. Before the blocked entrance at Shuhada street, they requested the IDF to perform... Palestinians dance to Lady Gaga in Hebron, to counter video made by IDF troops Ha'aretz 12 Jul 2010 - Video created in response to clip posted on YouTube last week by soldiers who performed routine to Kesha's hit Tik Tok. Hebron ’dance protest’ in response to Israeli soldier video 7/11/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - International Solidarity Movement activists and Palestinians staged a "dance protest" in Hebron in response to a video released showing Israeli soldiers dancing on duty, organizers said Sunday. Palestinians together with activists from Britain, Italy, Sweden and Denmark performed to Lady Gaga’s Poker Face in the Old City of Hebron in front of Israeli soldiers.... Related: Hebron "dance protest' against Israeli soldiers and settlers Obama and Netanyahu Plan Conflict, not Resolution Uruknet July 10, 2010 - On July 6, Bibi and Obama met privately for 79 minutes, Atlanta Journal Constitution writer Jay Bookman calling it "empty theatre, actors going through the motions of pretending to pretend, (when, in fact, there's) no willingness or political ability within Israel to withdraw from settlements (or) create a viable Palestinian state, (nor is there) stomach... WATCH: Stewart undoes mainstream Islamophobia Palestine Note 11 Jul 2010 - Washington - Jon Stewart took on thinly-veiled Islamophobia in mainstream news on his July 7 show, smartly uncovering Islam-is-unAmerican sentiment in the media. Comedy Central veteran news satirist Jon Stewart [Danagraves - Flickr] In the segment,... ISM: 'Go dance on your own streets' Palestine Note 11 Jul 2010 - Washington - Palestinians and the International Solidarity Movement bite back after Israeli soldiers put out a dance video to Ke$sha's "Tik Tok" while on patrol in the West Bank. One ISM volunteer tells soldiers to go... Hebron 'dance protest’ against Israeli soldiers and settlers 7/11/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - 10 July 2010 - Over 100 Palestinians together with international solidarity activists gathered in Hebron this Saturday to protest against the closure of Shuhada street. As a response to the infamous Youtube video of soldiers dancing near the illegal settlement of Tel-Rumeida, some protesters staged a dance protest: three dancers took the role of soldiers and searched and "arrested" three Palestinians.... Related: Hebron 'dance protest' in response to Israeli soldier video Hebron Palestinians: Go dance on your own streets YNet News - Leftists, Palestinians protest against IDF soldiers' mock dance during patrol in.... MIDEAST: Out of Step With the Peace Beat IPS What led the Middle East hit parade this week was less the chords struck harmoniously at the White House Tuesday by two deft diplomatic dancers than the slick dance routine performed by a squad of Israeli soldiers patrolling the streets of the occupied Palestinian city of Hebron. The play’s the thing for Bibi and Obama Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - DC theater at its best. That's what we had today as the much-anticipated photo-op meeting between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took place. Both parties got what they wanted. Obama had... Israeli soldiers face punishment for dancing while on Hebron patrol The Guardian 6 Jul 2010 - Defence force condemns troops' breakout into Macarena caper which went viral on YouTube Six Israeli soldiers face possible disciplinary action after being filmed performing a dance routine while patrolling the Palestinian city of Hebron. The video... Hebron Soldiers Dance In Street PNN - Hebron - PNN - A video surfaced on YouTube this week of six Israeli soldiers dancing in the streets in Hebron. The video begins with the soldiers walking down the street looking... Soldiers' dance in Hebron may mean trouble YNet News - (Video) Controversial dance routine performed by soldiers on duty in Hebron.... Israeli Soldiers Face Penalty after Uploading Hebron Dance Video to Youtube WAFA - TEL AVIV, July 6, 2010 (WAFA) -A number of Israel soldiers could face disciplinary action after they uploaded to YouTube a video of themselves stopping a patrol in the West Bank to dance to American Israel army says investigating dancing soldiers 7/6/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinians in Hebron who complain that the Israeli soldiers patrolling the southern West Bank city rarely intervene to stop settler violence may now know why. Israel's army says it is investigating the source of a video showing soldiers breaking into choreographed dance on a road in Hebron. The video, which appeared online over.... WATCH: Israel investigating dancing soldiers Palestine Note 5 Jul 2010 - New York - The Israeli military says it is investigating the source of a YouTube video of Israeli soldiers in performing a choreographed dance while on patrol the West Bank city of Hebron . The clip begins... IDF soldiers face penalty after uploading Hebron dance video to YouTube Ha'aretz - WATCH: Video of soldiers, armed and wearing bulletproof vests, patrolling as a Muslim call to prayer is heard. Then the music changes and they break into a Macarena-like dance. Franco-Arab film fest brings Jerusalem to the cinema 7/3/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - "Jerusalem, for the last 23 years, we have not had cinemas," General Manager of the city's Palestinian National Theater Jamal Ghoseh explained ahead of the launch of the first - Franco-Arab Film Festival - Following in the footsteps of its wildly successful sister festival in Amman, Palestine's started off slow with organizers from the French.... Jewish group protests ‘Brand Israel’ in North Carolina Mondoweiss - From the video description: Jews for a Just Peace-NC set up a "Palestinian house demolition" tableau in front of the Durham Performing Arts Center to protest an American Dance Festival performance by the Israel-based Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak Dance Company on June 17, 2010. The... The ‘Associated Press’ really ought to say Rachel Corrie’s name, it’s on boats and books and movies Mondoweiss - Pretty good piece on Israel's isolation by Aron Heller of AP , includes a lot about boycott, but includes this: A small French cinema chain postponed a showing of an Israeli comedy and replaced it with a documentary about an American student crushed to death by an... Israeli settlers break into Joseph's tomb in Nablus 14 Jun 2010 - Nablus, June 14, (Pal Telegraph) Hundreds of Israeli settlers Broke into Joseph's Tomb, east of Nablus, on Sunday and performed religious rituals until dawn today to protect the Israeli occupation army. Witnesses said that hundreds of Israeli settlers have performed rituals and dances in the religious grave of Joseph, in “Balata” camp east of Nablus. Drama in Damascus over populist satire The National 14 Jun 2010 - An outspoken play lampooning the corruption endemic in Syria is packing out theatres. 'Beyond The Sun' Film Premiere – First Production Of 'Turning Point' Project PNN - Ramallah - PNN – The Palestinian film 'Beyond the Sun' – the first film production of the 'Turning Point' project was screened for the first time to the public, in al-Kasaba theater... ’Beyond the Sun’ premiers in Ramallah 6/11/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian film 'Beyond the Sun' - the first film production of the 'Turning Point' project is screened for the first time to the public, in Al-Kasaba theater in Ramallah on Thursday. Sami Mitwasi stars as the narrator and main character Osamain "Beyond the Sun," an independent, 100% Palestinian movie from second-time film director.... WATCH: Stephen Colbert takes on Israeli ambassador Palestine Note 10 Jun 2010 - Washington - Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren appeared on Comedy Central's the Colbert Report Wednesday June 9. Stephen Colbert (above) plays a comical neo-conservative on the Colbert Report. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons] The segment poked fun at the... Obama reiterates, "status quo is unsustainable" Palestine Note 4 Jun 2010 - Washington - In an appearance on Larry King Live Thursday, US President Barack Obama continued to dance around the issue of condemning Israel for the attack, but he reiterated his feeling that the "status quo" in... Funny guys, serious cause Jeruslalem Post 3 Jun 2010 - Four American comedians are here to support the Koby Mandell Foundation and victims of terror. 23-year-old Israeli backpacker killed in Bolivia Ha'aretz - Ido Farran dies after falling off an all terrain vehicle during a trek with friends., Activists reject offer by father of captured IDF soldier to mediate with government if they agreed to carry parcel and letter., At OECD conference in Paris, prime minister reiterates idea he first presented before his election., In indictment against Ameer Makhoul, state prosecutors claim prominent political campaigner was recruited by Lebanese militants in Denmark., While authorities actively prepare for future threats, the Israeli public appears unfazed., Move could indicate Obama administration's intent to lessen its involvement in peace process; Palestinians pressure U.S.: Discuss Israeli withdrawals, not gestures., Mine is, after all, the generation that gave Israel the settlements., Saying Israel is progressive and creative doesn't work when its politicians focus on victimhood and aggression., IDF to erect investigation committee over allegations that military tank sparked the fire as its metal wheels moved over rocks., Hearing on Wednesday was to deal only with accusations in Rishon Tours case., Shoteh Hovel struck in face and body by assailant dressed as police officer, just two weeks after his car was targeted by explosives., Netanyahu says financial reform to limit private sector centralization to be implemented this year., If you've purchased a health insurance plan that was approved by the insurance commissioner, can you be sure a professional has made sure the coverage is reasonable and logical? Apparently not., Price of PM's upcoming trip has risen by NIS 1.2 million due to special requests, including the installation of a double bed on the plane., Former troops leave English ports for emotional ceremony in France to mark historic WWII rescue., Moscow: We note with regret that our questions to the Polish and U.S. sides over this issue have remained unanswered., Iran President urges U.S. to accept nuclear swap deal, warns that if Obama reaches point of no return, his 'path to friendship with Iran will be blocked forever.', 18-day event includes theater, opera, circus, jazz and more; discounts available for certain performances., Skaat, 28, will represent Israel on Thursday night in the semifinal of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest in Oslo., A list of some of the most highly reputed champagne bottles in the world raises the standard, and the price, of pleasure., Israel's next war is just a matter of time, Israel has learned nothing from the separation fence, If Israel is democratic, why not elect an Arab PM? Israeli soldiers fire at ambulance evacuating injured demonstrator Uruknet May 22, 2010 - The West Bank village of An Nabi Saleh held their weekly demonstration on Friday, attempting to reach the village land that has been annexed by the illegal settlement of Halamish. Demonstrators marched down from the village mosque till they were blocked by a line of Israeli soldiers and jeeps. Participants chanted, danced and sang for... Soldiers fire at ambulance evacuating injured demonstrator 5/22/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - The West Bank village of An Nabi Saleh held their weekly demonstration on Friday, attempting to reach the village land that has been annexed by the illegal settlement of Halamish. Demonstrators marched down from the village mosque till they were blocked by a line of Israeli soldiers and jeeps. Participants chanted, danced and sang for.... Mamilla Cemetery What to do with the graves? Nir Hasson, Haaertz, Israeli Occupation Archive 5/20/2010 Skeletons should not be sanctified but replacing Muslim graves with an ostentatious building dedicated to tolerance will only serve as a provocation Haaretzs investigative reporting on the eve of Shavuot about the removal of skeletons from the Mamilla Muslim cemetery so the Museum of Tolerance can be built there rightly prompted questions from the people at the Simon Wiesenthal Center, which had initiated the museum project. The questions went something like this: So what now? Lets assume we drop the project. Will we reestablish the cemetery on a site that served as a parking lot for 40 years? After all, if we start putting back cemeteries that have disappeared, the country will quickly fill up with gravestones and there will be no space for the living. So its patently absurd. Its no small wonder, however, that a similar case exists not far from Mamilla. Just as the large, important, ancient Muslim cemetery in Mamilla is in the heart of Jewish-Israeli Jerusalem, the large, important, ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives is in the heart of the Muslim-Palestinian city. The two cemeteries can be seen as mirror images of each other. Each of them passed into the hands of opposing sides during the War of Independence. In the 1960s, Israel destroyed part of the Mamilla cemetery and built a parking lot on it. During those same years, the Jordanians destroyed part of the Jewish cemetery to build a gas station. Over the past decade, workmen have returned to both sites. On the Mount of Olives, a major project is underway to restore the part of the cemetery that was destroyed. At Mamilla, excavations have been undertaken to remove skeletons to make room for the Museum of Tolerance. Both moves are a mistake. The gravestones on the Mount of Olives are a fiction. They are actually a theater set of a cemetery because no one really knows where the people are buried; fragments of their headstones lay in piles left by the Jordanian bulldozers..... -- See also: Source more.. e-mail Playwright was willing to change Wiesel’s name; but show will go on in New York Mondoweiss - Wow what a black eye for the Jewish tradition of free speech. (And more evidence for my view that the American Jewish revolution has given way to Establishment Jewish entitlement.) Below is a note said to be by Morgan Jenness, a dramaturg and agent for Deb... The Wiesel industry Mondoweiss - Today's Washington Post reports that a Jewish theater company in Washington allowed Elie Wiesel to put the kibosh on a play that treated his role in the Bernie Madoff scandal. Norman Finkelstein responds: What the Washington Post left out: Wiesel was reportedly miffed because the play... MIDEAST: Dreaming With Their Feet IPS GAZA CITY, May 18 (IPS) - Ahmed Ismail, 23, is leading a dance out of troubled times in Gaza. Breakdancing is his way to help the youth of Gaza begin dreaming and having fun again. Nakba Day observations span West Bank 5/16/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - The village of Al Ma'asara, near Bethlehem, held a Palestinian cultural festival on Friday to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Nakba. Palestinian music, dance and poetry were all on display, offering a timely reminder of Palestine's ancient history and vibrant culture. Above all, the event was an assertion of Palestinian identity, and of the.... My Jerusalem: Personal tales of capital YNet News - Former Knesset speaker isn't homesick, playwright longs for past, former.... From Shas to Hamas Maidhc O'Cathail, Antiwar.com 5/11/2010 A closer look at the group behind the South Park controversy Muslims just cant seem to take a joke. Or at least thats what some would have you believe. Like the contrived Danish cartoon controversy, the much-hyped Times Square car bomb incident provided an ideal opportunity for those who seek to make Islam look bad in the eyes of the world. Before the arrest of Faisal The Fizzler Shahzad tied this latest botched terror plot to the Pakistani Taliban, some initial news reports suggested that it might have been the work of an Islamist group with a poor sense of humor and an even poorer sense of direction. The fact that the fertilizer-laden SUV was parked about one block from Viacom headquarters led the Washington Posts pro-Israel staff writers Jerry Markon and Anne Kornblut to speculate that it may have been retribution for a satire on the Prophet Mohammed shown on one of Viacoms TV networks. After Comedy Central aired an episode of the satirical cartoon South Park in April that depicted the prophet in a bear costume, its creators received veiled death threats from a New York-based group called Revolution Muslim. The threats were issued on the groups Web site by Zachary Adam Chesser, who now goes by the name Abu Talhah al-Amrikee. Within days of the posting on the obscure Web site, Joshua Rhett Miller of FoxNews.com did a story on it, in which he interviewed Chesser. Theyre going to be basically on a list in the back of the minds of a large number of Muslims, the recent convert told Fox. Its just the reality. A few days later, Miller did a profile of Chesser, in which he described the 20-year-old as the boy next door with a dark side. Quoting an anonymous high school classmate, Miller informed Fox readers that Chesser prior to his career as a humorless fundamentalist Muslim was a loner who frequently drew pictures of Satanic figures in his notebooks. more.. e-mail From the West Bank | Theatre review The Guardian 10 May 2010 - Tron, Glasgow After blanket coverage of the intricacies of the British political system, how refreshing to be reminded of the wider world. And how invigorating, in this opening salvo of Mayfesto, a two-week programme of politically... Police cannot ensure security for J'lem Day celebrators YNet News - Police commissioner says Lion's Gate, Herod's Gate dropped from Flag Dance.... DC celebrates Youm al-Ard with song and dance Palestine Note 6 May 2010 - By Sarah Harlan Washington - DC-area Palestinians and Arab culture enthusiasts gathered at a middle school outside Washington to celebrate Land Day April 18. The Palestinian flag whipping in the breeze [Photo: Perealbiac - Flickr] The... American dance ensemble performs in Bethlehem 5/6/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Aspiring dancers in the occupied West Bank took advantage of a unique opportunity over the weekend, when US officials brought a New York-based dance ensemble into Bethlehem for a workshop and performance. On tour in the region and participating in the ongoing Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival Related: TWIP: Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival and Yaa Samar! Dance Theatre Yaa Samar! Dance Theater Brings American Modern Dance to Bethlehem WAFA - BETHLEHEM, May 3, 2010 (WAFA)- The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem hosted Yaa Samar! Dance Theater, an American modern dance ensemble, for a one-day engagement at the Bethlehem Peace Center on U.K. comedian slams BBC over apology for anti-Israel skit Ha'aretz 1 May 2010 - In 2008 Frankie Boyle had said that the Mideast was a cake being punched to pieces by a very angry Jew. Frankie Boyle criticises 'cowardly' BBC for Israel joke apology The Guardian 30 Apr 2010 - BBC apologised for joke in which comedian compared Palestine to a cake being 'punched to pieces by a very angry Jew' Frankie Boyle has accused the BBC Trust of cowardly behaviour after it apologised for a... From hairy Jewish bedwetter to raunchy Jewish comedian, Sarah Silverman tells all (or most) Ha'aretz 29 Apr 2010 - Comedian Chelsea Handler has written three memoirs. Kathy Griffin wrote one, too. And now comes 'The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee' by the most subversive of stand-up comics, Sarah Silverman. Sri Lankan dancers perform in Ramallah 4/28/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Sri Lankan dancers thrilled Palestinians when they performed at the Grand Park Hotel in Ramallah last week, joining a Sri Lanka tourism road show organized by the country's diplomatic representative office in Palestine. A large number of travel agents from all parts of Palestine, hotel owners, media, and special guests were present, the Asian Tribune reported, including the Palestinian Authority's minister of tourism as well as its minister of culture and arts. [end] In photos: Palestinian Dabka competition 4/26/2010 - Young Palestinians perform the traditional Palestinian folk dance, Dabka, during a competition for students organized by the Injaz Palestine Foundation at the Cultural Palace in the West Bank city of Ramallah on 22 April 2010. MaanImages / Rami Swidan. [end] Ma'an photos: Dabke competition Palestine Note 26 Apr 2010 - Ma'an News Agency 's Rami Swidan captures dancers in a student competition organized by the the Injaz Palestine Foundation at the Ramallah Cultural Palace on April 22. Informal dabke Dabke is a traditional Palestinian folk dance... In ‘Greenberg,’ it’s the dick who plants trees in Israel Mondoweiss - Last night my father and I went out to a small theater in the Philadelphia suburbs to see Greenberg, the new film by Noah Baumbach. Because of the title and the lead actor, Ben Stiller, I was afraid that the film would be Jew-centric. I don’t... EU, Ma’an showcase Jerusalem theater 4/17/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The E'shtar Theater in Jerusalem has been at the center of a Palestinian cultural revival over the past year, producing plays on a variety of social and political issues affecting Jerusalemites. Touching on themes such as oppression, issues faced by Palestinians living in Jerusalem, the proliferation of drugs use among young men and many others, the E'shtar Theater aims at giving current events in the occupied Palestinian territories a voice on stage. Founded in 1991, the theater group has sought to portray the hardships endured by Palestinians living under occupation and has been funded and supported by the EU. The company has toured many West Bank cities with its latest production, a play by Sa'eed Al-Mas'ud on the dangers of drug addiction affecting Palestinian men, and has hosted delegations of artists and actors from more than five countries who gathered to learn of E'shtar's "theater of the oppressed. US Consul brings modern dance troupe from Washington 4/14/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - CityDance Ensemble, an American modern dance troupe from Washington, DC, performed for hundreds of school children and families in Jerusalem and Jericho as a part of a two-day cultural exchange program this week sponsored by the US Consulate General in Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Jericho Municipality and the American Corner in Jericho. The nine-person company is visiting the region for the second consecutive year. They utilize high energy, innovative modern dance techniques, original music and storytelling to highlight issues they care about -- including climate change and international engagement. The consulate invited CityDance to perform as a part of its month-long environmental awareness program, which includes cultural and educational events throughout April that bring Americans and Palestinians together to address our shared concerns about the environment. U.S. Consulate General Hosts American Dance Troupe CityDance Ensemble WAFA 14 Apr 2010 - JERUSALEM, April 14, 2010 (WAFA)- CityDance Ensemble, an American modern dance troupe from Washington, D.C., performed for hundreds of schoolchildren and families in Jerusalem and Jericho as a part An hilarious movie about hilarious Saudis (and other Arabs) Palestine Note 9 Apr 2010 - It is rare that anything related to the Middle East makes me laugh at loud. But the new film, Just Like Us, starring and directed by the Egyptian-American comedian and actor Ahmed Ahmed, had me laughing... Play shows that for Gaza women, everything is not fine Electronic Intifada: 9 Apr 2010 - It takes an Arab to live in the midst of political divisions, years of siege and occupation, and still say, "everything is fine." Specifically, it must be an Arab man. Ask any woman in Gaza and she will tell you the opposite. That is, at least, the main message that comes across so clearly in the latest play staged in the Gaza Strip bearing the name " Kull Shi Tamaam " (Everything is Fine), written by local playwright Atef Abu Seif -- a prolific author from Jabalia refugee camp. Sami Abu Salem reports from the occupied Gaza Strip. US dances around stance on democracy in Egypt The National 8 Apr 2010 - Mohammed ElBaradei, the former head of the IAEA and a possible presidential contender, is moved away from US envoy to Cairo during mass. Under national theater, Tel Aviv opens massive new bomb shelter Ha'aretz 7 Apr 2010 - Tel Aviv opens massive new bomb shelter ... Kusturica to set new film in Israel and West Bank Ha'aretz 1 Apr 2010 - Director's new film is a comedy about two Palestinian brothers trying to smuggle their father's body from Jerusalem to Ramallah. The Middle East Goes to Hollywood Palestine Chronicle: 1 Apr 2010 - By James Gundun - Washington D.C. From the beginning the White House's announcement of 'indirect talks' between Israel and the Palestinians felt like entering a theater rather than sitting down to a real negotiating table. The gap in perceptions was immediately noticeable. US and Israeli officials spoke of a breakthrough and returning to direct negotiations as quick as possible, political speak for continued disagreement on settlements and Jerusalem, among other issues. Meanwhile Palestinian and Arab League officials warned, whether they meant it or not, that this was America’s last chance to adopt an equal position to the conflict. But everyone shared a commonality - desperation - that drove them to act. As March transpired it became evident that people around the world had walked into a multiplex, not a singular theater. We aren’t watching one show, but a handful running simultaneously. One version plays the US-Israeli “crisis,” another the “fake...more US college debuts course on Palestinian culture 3/29/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - An American college in Chicopee, Mass. will soon kick off a spring-summer series for adults this April with a non-credit course on Palestinian culture, news reports said. The Springfield, Mass. -based publication The Republican reported Saturday that a course offered by the Elms College will be presented by visiting scholar Ghada Issa, a Fulbright scholar teaching two semesters. "I will act as an ambassador of my country," Issa told the newspaper. "I will give an introduction [to Palestinian culture] from my point of view as a Palestinian, and let others know about my culture and my people. " According to the report, the five-week course will cover social life, religion, language, music and traditional Palestinian embroidery. Issa said she will also teach students some basic moves to traditional Palestinian dance. Related: Elms College Ivor Dembina | Comedy review The Guardian 25 Mar 2010 - House of Commons, London Heckles are one thing, division bells quite another. Veteran standup Ivor Dembina has spent 20 years handling the former, but that's no preparation for when his show is interrupted by a ringing... Jerusalem cinema to remain closed on Shabbat YNet News 25 Mar 2010 - Secular councilors furious with Mayor Barkat after approval of weekday-only movie theater complex Palestinian organizer tortured in Israeli jail 3/23/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Popular Struggle Coordination Committee - Omar Alaaeddin from the village of alMa'asara was nabbed from the Container Checkpoint on Sunday the 14th. He was released yesterday with no charges pressed against him. Alaaeddin reports having been tortured in the Israeli Russian Compound Jail in Jerusalem. Omar Alaaeddin, who is involved in organizing demonstrations in the village of alMa'asra south of Bethlehem, was arrested a week ago on Sunday at the Container Checkpoint, as he was making his way back home from Ramallah, with a group of students and university professors. The groups was in Ramallah to see a theater play. Alaaeddin was beaten repeatedly, both by the soldiers who detained him, and later, in the Israeli Russian Compound jail in Jerusalem. He reports to have been kicked, punched and even electroshocked with a taser by the soldiers and his jailers. Related: Popular committee says organizer tortured art for art’s sake In Gaza: 20 Mar 2010 - “Mirror” –Salem Awad “The colors of sunset are wonderful but the sun is the most wonderful. When the black clouds with their golden warm colors play on the sound of a bird that dialogues with the leaves of trees that were eaten by the wind and dance with a beautiful golden dress coloured by the sunset appearing in the far horizon behind the clouds I try to touch the sun before it closes its eyes to mix my brush with its colour and my white painting is the mirror.” ‘Random’ is a word a friend uses to describe Gaza. For all the truths we know and see in Gaza, after years of full-closure siege, after the 23 day Israeli massacre of Gaza and the Israeli invasions and military aggressions before and after the massacre…there are certain norms one expects to see, and does: destroyed homes, businesses, factories, cars; devastated families... THE GAZA MUSIC SCHOOL Uruknet March 20, 2010 - On Tuesday 23 December 2008, in the theater of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Tal El-Hawa, in Gaza City, was given a concert to mark the first three months of teaching at the Gaza Music School. We listened to an orchestra, solo performances of mature musicians, as well as little girls and boys who tried... art for art’s sake In Gaza: 20 Mar 2010 - “Mirror” –Salem Awad “The colors of sunset are wonderful but the sun is the most wonderful. When the black clouds with their golden warm colors play on the sound of a bird that dialogues with the leaves of trees that were eaten by the wind and dance with a beautiful golden dress coloured by the sunset appearing in the far horizon behind the clouds I try to touch the sun before it closes its eyes to mix my brush with its colour and my white painting is the mirror.” ‘Random’ is a word a friend uses to describe Gaza. For all the truths we know and see in Gaza, after years of full-closure siege, after the 23 day Israeli massacre of Gaza and the Israeli invasions and military aggressions before and after the massacre…there are certain norms one expects to see, and does: destroyed homes, businesses, factories, cars; devastated families... Oslo Jewish community leader slams Israel 3/14/2010 - YNetNews - Jews in Norwegian capital shocked by Anne Sander's remark that Israelis benefit from settlements like Palestinians benefit from suicide bombings, her criticism against Chabad and Foreign Minister Lieberman - Many Jews in Oslo were shocked over the weekend by remarks made by the leader of the local Jewish community, who criticized haredi Judaism, the Chabad movement, the settlements and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Anne Sander made the remarks in an interview to the Dagbladet newspaper, on the backdrop of the complicated situation between Jews and Muslims in Norway. Only 1,100 Jews live in Norway today, most of them in Oslo, alongside more than 70,000 Muslims. Local Jews were surprised to read Sander's remarks, as the Scandinavian country is no stranger to anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitic incidents from the past few years include harsh statements made by Norwegian comedian Otto Jespersen,. . . . Gaza: 1,000 candles mark 1,000 days of siege 3/13/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Hundreds gathered in Gaza City on Thursday night to mark the 1,000th day of siege on the coastal enclave, lighting candles representing the thousands dead since the Israeli-led blockade began in 2007. The Popular Committee Against the Siege organized the vigil, encouraging those who lost loved ones to carry their photos in the streets as the rally took place in the Square of the Unknown Fighter. Others carried candles and banners calling for an end to the siege and a return to a life of dignity. Children from the Baladna Cultural Theater presented performed skits illustrating the damage done to kids and families during the siege, demanding protection from injustice and violence. Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee, addressed those gathered. "We will never surrender," he said, stressing the strength of the people in the face of rights violations. VIDEO - Najla Said reads from her play of her teenage visit to Gaza 3/12/2010 - P U L S E - Najla Said, daughter of the late great Edward said, is not known for her fathers analytical acumen. She is all American sensibility and speech, and not as politically inclined as some of the rest of her family. But as an actress and playwright she gives a very human and compelling portrait of being an Arab-American, and specifically a Palestinian-American visiting Gaza as a teenager in this excerpt from her play. It was a trip that changed her, and coincided with highly personal events such as her father learning he had leukemia and her anorexia. And in this human portrait, Najla may well reach an audience which the best political analysis will miss. [end] From Jerusalem With Love… Naji WAFA 12 Mar 2010 - JERUSALEM, March 12, 2010 (WAFA)- The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Palestinian National Theater “Al Hakawati” have joined forces on an innovative cultural exchange program that brings Second annual Ann Arbor Palestine film fest opens with "Pomegranates and Myrrh" Electronic Intifada: 11 Mar 2010 - The second annual Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival opened on 10 March 2010 at the Michigan Theater with hundreds of attendees for Najwa Najjar's Pomegranates and Myrrh . The film festival showcases films about Palestine and by Palestinian directors. Educating through the screen arts, the film festival amplifies the voice of the Palestinian people as a nation and diaspora by bringing films to the fore that would not otherwise be seen. Weekly Protest Video Round-Up Palestine Monitor: 6 Mar 2010 - Palestinian, Israeli and international activists joined demonstrations in villages up and down the West Bank yesterday, marking the Global Week Against racism. A Palestinian boy was seriously wounded during An Nebi Saleh protest. Here is what happened. Bi'lin Once again, creativity distinguished Bi'lin protest. Activists dressed as figures representing Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Nelson Mandela joined anti-Wall protesters in Bil'in, marching to commemorate their nonviolent struggle against occupation, oppression and colonialism. “ The struggles of Gandhi against oppression and occupation in India , Martin Luther King, Jr. against racism in the USA and Mandela against the apartheid in South Africa are all similar to Bili'n's ongoing struggle against occupation here” , a statement from the Popular Committee said. International and Israeli activists, delegations from the Freedom Theater in Jenin and the Palestinian People's Struggle Front also joined the rally. Protesters marched towards the separation barrier, chanting slogans and singing... Weekly Protest in Bi'lin Marks International Week Against Racism IMEMC - Friday March 05, 2010 - 16:13, This week’s protest in Bi’lin was joined by international and Israeli peace activists, and groups representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine political party and the Freedom Theatre in Jenin. Protests: Troops fire tear gas at journalists, ’Ghandi’ 3/5/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Delegations from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Freedom Theater in Jenin joined over 100 anti-wall ralliers in Bil'in on Friday, to mark Global Week Against racism. As the group finished Friday prayers and marched toward the site of the separation barrier, which cuts villagers off from their agricultural and village lands, the group was met with tear-gas canisters, organizers said. "The occupation forces fired tear gas towards the citizens of Bil'in, foreign peace activists and peace-loving Israelis," a statement from the popular committee said. First to be hit with the tear gas, organizers noted, were actors from the Jenin Theatre group dressed as figures from the anti-facism struggle around the world, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, jr. The statement alleged that Israeli troops "deliberately fired tear gas towards. . . " 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. ... 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. ... Gaza: A Dark Comedy Curtis Doebbler, Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2010 When Israel attacked Gaza just over a year ago, the Israeli government undoubtedly believed it could get away with murder with little damage to its reputation. The way that this would happen, however, was probably not envisioned. Neither the Israeli generals who ordered the attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure and whatever else was in sight, nor their most unyielding defenders could have foreseen the dark comedy into which they had stepped. While they might have assumed they could act with immunity, they probably did not expect that this immunity would come as much from Palestinian actions as their own. The one-year history of how the tragedy in Gaza has been handled at the UN today seems to have devolved to a dark comedy. The Israeli government, their supporters, much of the wider international community, and even the Palestinian authorities themselves have all contributed to the surreal compliance with which the ongoing, man-made disaster in Gaza has been handled. The most recent leading actor in this dark comedy is the UN secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, who responded to a demand by the UN General Assembly that he report on progress being made to investigate the war crimes in Gaza by providing a one-and-a-half-page note essentially saying he wasnt sure that any progress was being made. He cited the commitments of the single state involved, as well as those of actors the UN does not yet recognize as states, as indicating that they would undertake proper investigations of the allegations made in the Goldstone report. more.. e-mail Israeli forces commemorate Goldstein Massacre with tear gas and sound bombs 2/26/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - 25 February 2010 - On 25 February 2010 eight ISM volunteers gathered at the Hebron Municipality building alongside Hebron residents, Israeli activists and other international volunteer groups. Television crews were already interviewing local organizers and political leaders; Israeli activists scrambled to finish the last of their demonstration placards with phrases in Hebrew saying "Open Shuhada Street," "There is No Holiness in an Occupied City," and "Ibrahim's Mosque is a Bi-national holy Site;" Shebab (young Palestinian boys) danced a few steps of dabke, a traditional Palestinian dance, to a popular Arabic song playing from a cell phone projected through a megaphone. At 2pm, multiple buses appeared in the parking lot below the municipality and both international and Israeli activists were instructed towards a small white bus at the far end. Listen to the Heroes of Israel John Pilger, Antiwar.com 2/25/2010 "Our children," said Nurit at a rally last December to mark the anniversary of the Israeli assault on Gaza, "have learned this year that all the disgusting qualities which anti-Semites attribute to Jews are actually manifested among our leaders: deceit, greed, and the murder of children " I phoned Rami Elhanan the other day. We had not spoken for six years and much has happened in Israel and Palestine. Rami is an Israeli graphic designer who lives with his family in Jerusalem. His father survived Auschwitz. His grandparents and six aunts and uncles perished in the Holocaust. 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. "She loved to dance," he said. On the afternoon of 4 September, 1997, Smadar and her best friend, Sivane, had auditions for admission to a dance school. She had argued that morning with her mother, who was anxious about her going to the centre of Jerusalem. "I didnt want to row," said Nurit, "so I let her go." Rami was in his car when he turned on the radio to catch the three oclock news. There had been a suicide bombing in Ben Yehuda shopping precinct. More than 200 hundred people were injured and several were dead. Within minutes, his mobile phone rang. It was Nurit, crying. They searched the hospitals in vain, then the morgue; and so began, as Rami describes it, their "descent into darkness." Rami and Nurit are two of the founders of the Parents Circle, or Bereaved Families Forum, which brings together Israelis and Palestinians who have lost loved ones. "Its painful to acknowledge," he said. "but there is no basic moral difference between the [Israeli] soldier at the checkpoint who prevents a woman who is having a baby from going through, causing her to lose the baby, and the man who killed my daughter. And just as my daughter was a victim [of the occupation], so was he.".... more.. e-mail "The ground is shifting": An interview with comedian Ivor Dembina Electronic Intifada: 26 Feb 2010 - Ivor Dembina's one-man show This is Not a Subject for Comedy has been running, growing and developing for more than five year, dealing with Dembina's upbringing in a 1960s "mainstream Jewish household" broadly supporting the Zionist cause. Set to perform before the British House of Commons, Dembina was recently interviewed by The Electronic Intifada contributor Sarah Irving. 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... Friday Night Lights: American and Israeli human rights activists disrupt ballet performance in Vermont 2/20/2010 - P U L S E - BURLINGTON, VT- Greetings from the Green Mountain State! I want to give a shout out to those who participated in a successful night of activism. Several activists leafleted 249 people attending last nights Israeli Ballet performance at the Flynn Theater. The leaflet asked Would you like some information about Don Quixote and the Israel Ballet? which was an accurate presentation of last nights performance. Israels Golden Helmet of Mambrino which makes one invisible, thus capable of all actions is slowly turning into Don Quixotes version of it a upside-down shaving bowl plopped on the head incapable of nothing but making its wearer more obvious and actionable to the world. Brand Israel will continue to call forth increasing protests as audiences realize they are being used, said author and activist Marc Estrin. In photos: US hip hop group HaviKoro perform in Nablus 2/19/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The US Consulate in Jerusalem sponsored local performances by The HaviKoro Crew, a hip hop group based in Houston, Texas, playing to capacity crowds in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, organizers said. The crew, whose next stop is Jordan, are part of an ongoing initiative by the US representatives officeto promote "mutual understanding and stronger ties between Palestinians and Americans," a statement said. The initiative has seen Jazz, rap and Swing groups perform across Palestine in recent years, in what was described as an effort to expose Palestinians to music and culture that is uniquely American, with a global influence. HaviKoro, like the bands that came before them, performed for audiences and conducted workshops across Palestine. Students in Ramallah, Nablus and East Jerusalem were treated to day-long dance classes as the crew shared their moves with eager children and young adults. Sunday 'Resisdance' Protest to Tell Israel Ballet It cant Tip-Toe Around Apartheid 2/19/2010 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - BROOKLYN, NY, February 21, 2010 (WAFA)- Human rights activists will call upon New Yorkers to boycott the Israel Ballet at their Sunday afternoon performance at the Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College. The protest will include contemporary and folk dance, anti-apartheid ballet-themed chants, and more. Organizers of the protest affirmed the boycott call by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and stated that Israeli cultural and academic institutions that do not openly denounce Israeli crimes against Palestinians and dissociate themselves from Israeli policy should be subject to a popular boycott. Allison Brown of Adalah-NY comments, Rather than distancing itself from the Israeli states cynical use of the arts to whitewash its apartheid and colonial policies, the Israel Ballet, which receives around $1 million annually from the Israeli government, has proudly embraced its ties with the state. Climbdown: Britain knew Mossad used fake passports for Dubai assassination Mondoweiss - 19 Feb 2010 - That’s the news from Haaretz . It’s all kabuki theater in the name of diplomatic cover. The matter will disappear from the headlines within days. Related posts: Were those Mossad assassins wearing tennis outfits in Dubai? Ripped from the headlines Will Dubai get Gaza to the ICC?... Gaza: A dark comedyAt first the Goldstone Report seemed a breakthrough. Now most hopes for justice have been dissipated Uruknet February 18, 2010 - When Israel attacked Gaza just over a year ago, the Israeli government undoubtedly believed it could get away with murder with little damage to its reputation. The way that this would happen, however, was probably not envisioned. Neither the Israeli generals who ordered the attacks on civilians, civilian infrastructure, and whatever else was within sight, nor... Dont let the Israel Ballet tip-toe around Apartheid! Adalah-NY 2/5/2010 Adalah-NY, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, the US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, Boycott! Supporting the Palestinian BDS Call from Within, and American Jews for a Just Peace call for a boycott of and protests against the performances of the Israel Ballet during their February, 2010 US tour, due to the Israel Ballets complicity in whitewashing Israeli apartheid. The Israel Ballet will perform from February 8 27, 2010 in Panama City (FL), Ft. Myers (FL), Sarasota (FL), Bunnel (FL), West Palm Beach (FL), Gainesville (FL), Newport News (VA), Burlington (VT), Worcester (MA), Brooklyn (NY), Morgantown (WV), Buffalo (NY), Elmira (NY) and Rockville (MD). We call on individuals and groups to mobilize to boycott and protest against these performances. The Israel Ballet comes to the United States as part of the ongoing effort to re-brand Israels image in the West as an enlightened center of arts and technology, to conceal the facts about its occupation, racial discrimination and grave violations of international law and fundamental Palestinian rights. The Israeli government-sponsored campaign to promote cultural performances is a result of the steady decline of Israels standing in international public opinion. Consistent reports by the UN and leading human rights organizations have revealed the extent of Israels colonial oppression, gradual ethnic cleansing and even war crimes against the Palestinian people, as pointedly revealed in the UNs recently published Goldstone Report on Israels war of aggression on Gaza. The Israel Ballet, which receives around $1 million annually from the Israeli government, is being advertised as a cultural ambassador of the state by the Israeli Consulate in New York. The dance group also boasts holding special performances for Israeli soldiers. -- See also: Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel and US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel more.. e-mail Nuzha Nusseibeh named Knight of Jerusalem 2/14/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Nuzha Nusseibeh was named the Knight of Jerusalem during a ceremony celebrating her lifetime achievements in education, women and prisoners' rights, at the Dar At-Tifl school and orphanage in Jerusalem on Saturday evening, organized by the Jawwal Theatre Group. Nusseibeh was awarded the title for her pioneering role in establishing a number of Palestinian institutions dedicated to providing education to both young girls and orphans, most prominent of all being the Young Women's Islamic Association which hosts one of the most successful secondary schools for girls in Jerusalem. Under Nusseibeh's leadership, theYWIArecently opened a new school and community center on the Mount of Olives following a lengthy battle with the Israeli Jerusalem Municipality. Touring Israeli ballet company has no Palestinian dancers Mondoweiss - 7 Feb 2010 - Several BDS groups, including Adalah-NY here , have called for boycott of the Israel Ballet’s tour to Florida and the Northeast this month. The groups say that the ballet is part of the government’s rebranding campaign– The Israel Ballet, which receives around $1 million annually from the... Ban’s report pleases Israel 2/5/2010 - Jerusalem Post - But rights groups say UN chief failed to assess Israeli, Palestinian probes - Israel is satisfied that the secretary general of the United Nations accurately reflected the Israeli document submitted this week, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement published Friday afternoon. The ministry said Israels document fully expresses Israels obligation to hold independent and reliable investigations, which would measure up to the yardstick of international law. Despite the difficulties presented by the Gaza theater, Israel kept international norms and will continue to do so in the future, while primarily maintaining the security and well-being of its citizens, the statement continued. A senior Israeli official said Israel has been in constant contact with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and other UN officials. The United States has also been a key advocate, deploying senior officials to convey a strong message on the issue. 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 "A different kind of occupation": an interview with Elia Suleiman Electronic Intifada: 1 Feb 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 people living under the tyranny of what he calls a "pathetic occupation." Sabah Haider recently interviewed Suleiman for The Electronic Intifada. "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... "A different kind of occupation": an interview with Elia Suleiman Electronic Intifada: 1 Feb 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 people living under the tyranny of what he calls a "pathetic occupation." Sabah Haider recently interviewed Suleiman for The Electronic Intifada. I laughed and then it felt weird Mondoweiss - 27 Jan 2010 - Below is a skit from "A Wonderful Country," the Israeli TV comedy show that’s been applauded in the US , mocking Israel’s effort to resuscitate its image post-Gaza by helping Haiti. It’s funny and dark (and shows that our posts on this issue have been legit). The... Kendeda winner Tennis in Nablus' at the Alliance Theatre PNN 26 Jan 2010 - Theater preview “Tennis in Nablus” by Ishmail Khalidi Jan 29-Feb 21. $25-$30. Alliance Theatre’s Hertz Stage, 1280 Peachtree St. N.E., 404-733-5000, www.alliancetheatre.org (http://www.alliancetheatre.org/). By Pierre Ruhe Never mind attempts at witty conversation and flirting. Everyone knows there is just one measure of a successful first date: It leads to a second, and a third. So it is with the world premiere of... I Am Yusuf and This Is My Brother: PNN 14 Jan 2010 - Palestinian story about Palestinians.In the war of 1948, thousands of Palestinians were uprooted from their homes never to return, and playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi is determined to tell their stories. It was six decades ago, but the fallout from the war continues. A few months ago, one fast-rising, rightwing Israeli party tried to introduce a bill that would ban Palestinians from commemorating... Fayyad unveils sculpture series dedicated to Palestinian women 1/13/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Prime Minister Salam Fayyad unveiled a mural dedicated to Palestinian women on Tuesday in Ramallah, highlighting the role of women in Palestinian life, history and culture. The mural, funded by the European Union, was the outcome of the Celebration of Art and Culture of Palestinian Women project and was created by the Women's Affairs Association. The project was undertaken to highlight the role of Palestinian women in maintaining traditional Palestinian art. Part of the mural will be displayed at Al-Quds University in the Abu Diss campus and near the Ashtar Theatre in Ramallah. During his speech, Fayyad emphasized the value of the project, asserting not only that the mural reflected Palestinian women's work but their vigilance preserving Palestinian memory. The caretaker prime minister further underscored the need to encourage Palestinian women to participate. . . Making Contact Jeruslalem Post 12 Jan 2010 - Israel is the latest chapter in the travel log of dancer Sadira Smith. I Am Yusuf and This Is My Brother: A Palestinian story about Palestinians The Guardian 11 Jan 2010 - In the war of 1948, thousands of Palestinians were uprooted from their homes never to return, and playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi is determined to tell their stories It was six decades ago, but the fallout from... Accountability Now! A Symposium on Human Rights and International Justice Alternative Information Center 9 Jan 2010 - Al-Quds University Al-Quds Human Rights Clinic Cordially invite you to: Accountability Now! A Symposium on Human Rights and International Justice Tuesday, 12th January 2010 2-4pm, Main Theater, Abu Dis Campus, Al-Quds University On occasion of the... Accountability Now! A Symposium on Human Rights and International Justice Alternative Information Center - 9 Jan 2010 - Al-Quds University Al-Quds Human Rights Clinic Cordially invite you to: Accountability Now! A Symposium on Human Rights and International Justice Tuesday, 12th January 2010 2-4pm, Main Theater, Abu Dis Campus, Al-Quds University On occasion of the one year anniversary of Israel’s 22-day-long offensive on the Gaza... Record numbers crowd Bethlehem for New Year’s 1/2/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Bethlehem's halls and restaurants were filled New Year's Eve with an estimated 10,000 out of town visitors from all parts of the West Bank, and the city's Manger Square was full of celebrators though no official event had been arranged. Tickets for private parties in dozens of Bethlehem hotels were sold out, celebrations in Beit Sahour and Beit Jala were also full. Parties had guests from Hebron in the south, Ramallah in the center, Nablus, Qalqiliya, and Jenin in the north as well as Nazareth, Haifa and Jerusalem. For the first time, Bethlehem residents saw street parties, concentrated in Manger Square, where locals and international tourists and pilgrims celebrated and danced to music spontaneously pumped out of car speakers and phones. Police were caught off guard by the large numbers in the street, and huge ammounts of traffic turning Bethlehem streets into parking lots in the hours around midnight. ’Just the beginning of an all-out war’ 12/27/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - During the first four minutes of Israel's devastating winter assault on the Gaza Strip, launched 11:25am local time one year ago today, over 60 warplanes struck 50 targets, ultimately killing and injuring hundreds by midnight. At least 228 Palestinians lost their lives during the opening hours of the offensive, including 25 women and children, making 27 December 2008 the deadliest day for the local population in the occupied territories since Israel first invaded in 1967. Medical officials say some 700 Palestinians were injured by nightfall, 140 of them seriously. Hospitals turned away patients as doctors performed multiple surgeries in the same operating theaters, as well as in ordinary examination rooms. "The situation - actually there was chaos, total chaos," according to the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Strip, Mahmoud Daher, who. . . Confluence of holiday and protest set stage for high drama in Iran LA Times 26 Dec 2009 - Celebrations of Ashura, always a dramatic street ritual among Shiites, are expected to include an element of political theater this weekend, fueled by Iran's postelection unrest. The haze of burning esfand, a Persian weed, and the scents of thick-brewed tea and rose water fill the black funeral tents that have bloomed over Tehran. Sweeping black banners of mourning and small green lights hang outside mosques. Manger Square celebrations a party for all 12/25/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - After Latin Patriarch Fuad Twal lead dozens of scouts through Bethlehem's Star Street and into Manger Square, families milled around the Old City, enjoying carols, hot corn, roasted nuts and cotton candy. Kids of all ages and visitors from all corners of the West Bank joined pilgrims and dignitaries for the live music under the glow of thousands of Christmas lights. Palestinians of every faith shared in the sounds of artists from around the world, preferring dance rhythms to the mournful songs, many penned in the honor of peace for Palestine. Khalid, selling hot cardamon coffee to revelers in the square, rolled his eyes at one artist, telling his customers to "make peace happen. ""We forget about the occupation today, it's a party; we are here to have fun," he said. Dancers took the break as songs for peace in Spanish rippled across the open air venue,. . . 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... 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... Olive harvest concludes with festival, new report 12/6/2009 - Stop The Wall - Several weeks ago, the olive harvest concluded with a festival in the Nablus area village of Burin. Under the banner our enemies are the settlements and our path is resistance, the festival celebrated the end of the harvest with traditional dance and music from local groups and a number of speakers. Both party representatives as well as grassroots activists attended the festival, where they praised farmers and their steadfastness (sumud) in the face of the ongoing assault by soldiers and settlers. The settlers near Burin are especially infamous, meaning the village is attacked frequently; last month 1,200 trees were burned or cut by settlers, and 3,000 faced the same fate the month before. Speakers then turned to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), demanding that it take up its responsibility to protect and support the farmers. -- Link: Download the Olive Harvest 2009 report (PDF) 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. ... Palestine theatre linked with Wales arts centre 12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Palestine's The Freedom Theatre and the Aberystwyth Arts Centre have established ties, the news agency Wales Online reported on Saturday. The exchange scheme was being established between the two organizations to help develop the skills of the young people working for the Freedom Theatre, according to the news agency. In early 2010, two trainee technicians from Jenin were expected to travel to Aberystwyth for a two-month work placement. [end] Gaza Freedom March less than one month away 12/5/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Electronic Intifada, 4 December - The Gaza Freedom March that will take place in Gaza on 31 December is an historic initiative to break the siege that has imprisoned the 1. 5 million people who live there. Conceived in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and nonviolent resistance to injustice worldwide, the march will gather people from all over the world to march - hand in hand - with the people of Gaza to demand that the Israelis open the borders. Marking the one-year anniversary of the December 2008 Israeli invasion that left more than 1,400 dead, this is a grassroots global response to the inaction on the part of world leaders and institutions. More than 1,000 international delegates from 42 countries have already signed up and more are signing on every day. Participants include Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, leading Syrian comedian Duraid Lahham, French Senator. . . . Haifa theater hit with lawsuit for allowing smoking on stage Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - In what is believed to be the first legal action of its kind in the world, a Haifa Theater may be hit with a class-action lawsuit for allowing an actress to smoke on stage as part of her role. ... [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... Standing up for Israel Jeruslalem Post 29 Nov 2009 - Butch Bradley isn't concerned about coming here on a comedy tour; NJ is 'more of a war zone,' he says. Syrian soap superstars tour Gaza 11/23/2009 - Syrian soap opera superstars were among a delegation of actors that entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday on a solidarity visit to the besieged enclave. The group of 12 included Wafa Mousselie and Salim Kallas, who play leading characters on the hugely popular soap opera Bab Al-Hara (Gate of the Neighborhood), which appears nightly during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Watched by tens of millions across the Arab world, Bab Al-Hara is popular among Palestinians, particularly for its depictions of Syrian resistance to French colonialism in the 1930s. The delegation included Duraid Lahham, a leading comedian and director, who was visiting Gaza for the second time this year. Jamal Suleiman of the show Ahla Raya was also on the delegation. Among the group were Assad Eid, Rafiq Sbeie, Assad Fadda, Susan Najem Ad-Din, Radwan Aqili, Talhat Hamdi, Hadi Baqdunes, Hesham Hasbani and TV cameraman Ayman Salameh. Palestinian schools mark Children’s Day; Israel boycotts 11/21/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Sports and music events hosted by UNIFEC and Right to Play will mark the 20th anniversary of Palestine's adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child on Friday, the UN International Children's Day. Hundreds of children in Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin and Nablus will mark the occasion with concerts, road races, theater performances, football matches and kids games. In Israel, however, a decision by the Ministry of Education not to hold any special activities this year to mark Universal Children's Day, was pushed through earlier in the week, a Wednesday report from Haaretz noted. The Convention entered into force in Israel in November 1991, but Israel denies its applicability Palestinian areas, as with most other international treaties, according to Defense for Children International. The Israeli argument is that ratification of the treaty was intended for. . . Real Estate Shopping Is Used as Political Theater on Jerusalem’s Contested Ground New York Times 19 Nov 2009 - The conundrum of Jerusalem was fully in evidence as a Brooklyn lawmaker talked of buying into a Jewish apartment complex in a Palestinian neighborhood. Burin celebrates successful olive harvest, despite numerous settler attacks 11/19/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - 18 November 2009 - On Wednesday 18 November, the village of Burin (south of Nablus) celebrated the successful conclusion of its olive harvest. More than 400 villagers came together to hear speeches by locals and nationally renowned politicians (including member of Knesset Mohammed Baraka, general secretary of Hadash), as well as to see the young men of the village dance the Dabke, the traditional dance of Palestine. A large stage with sound system had been set up outside the local boys' school and the festivities commenced at around 11am. Braving weather that seemed to change every 5 minutes from pleasantly warm to freezing cold, the villagers listened to speeches and music in clear view from the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, one that has caused its fair share of problems for the village during the harvest. Only 6 days before the event, settlers from Yitzhar attacked the fields of Burin, cutting down 97 trees. Real Estate Shopping Is Used as Political Theater on Jerusalems Contested Ground New York Times 19 Nov 2009 - The conundrum of Jerusalem was fully in evidence as a Brooklyn lawmaker talked of buying into a Jewish apartment complex in a Palestinian neighborhood. Real Estate Shopping Is Used as Political Theater on Jerusalems Contested Ground 11/18/2009 - New York Times - JERUSALEM Dov Hikind, a member of the New York State Assembly, was in this disputed city on Wednesday looking for property to buy. He said he was most excited about a new apartment complex overlooking the Old City called Nof Zion. At noon, Mr. Hikind led a group of about 50 American Jews in laying a cornerstone for the next phase of Nof Zion, with construction scheduled to start next spring. I want to buy here, Mr. Hikind said. I might make a deal while I am here this time. More than a real estate deal, though, it would be a statement: Nof Zion, a private Jewish project, is in Jebel Mukaber, a Palestinian Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem, in territory Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war. Israel claims sovereignty over all Jerusalem; the Palestinians demand the eastern part as the capital of a future state. London Christmas concert to highlight 'plight of the Holy Land' 11/17/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Voices of Bethlehem '09 Christmas concert in London will host a handful of literary celebrities in what hopes to be an event to raise awareness the "plight of the Holy Land," organizers said. The event, where a full choir and brass band, with members of the Adhoc Humanitarians Orchestra, will perform Christmas and seasonal works, as Samira Hassassian, former lecturer at Bethlehem University gives audience members background on the occupation on the Holy Land. Also addressing concert goers will be British author Deborah Moggach, who recently took part in the Palestine Literature Festival, whose debut readings in Jerusalem were shut down by armed Israeli soldiers. Moggach will be joined by British playwright Caryl Churchill, whose short play "Seven Jewish Children - A Play for Gaza," released during the last days of Israel's war on Gaza, was distributed. . .
Is Caryl Churchill’s play Seven Jewish Children antisemitic? Charlotte Higgins, The Guardian 2/18/2009 The fast-response, eight-minute play that Churchill has written for the Royal Court in London has provoked a furore - First of all I should say that I heartily recommend that you go and see Churchill’s Seven Jewish Children yourself, if you can get to the Royal Court theatre in London. It’s free to get in, it’s only eight minutes long, and it’s on until 21 January. The play did not strike me as antisemitic and I do not now believe it to be antisemitic. The work contains seven short scenes marking seven moments in Israeli history from the Holocaust via the first intifada to the present day. In those scenes Israeli adults discuss how they will explain those moments to an absent child. Here’s an example of a few lines from the last section of the play. " Tell her she can’t watch the news / Tell her she can watch cartoons / Tell her she can stay up late and watch Friends. / Tell her they’re attacking with rockets / Don’t frighten her / Tell her only a few of us have been killed. . . [etc]". . . more.. e-mail
Israeli comedy show satirises Gaza violence Ben Lynfield in Jerusalem, The Independent 1/10/2009 With nearly 800 Palestinians and 13 Israelis killed, four of the latter by so-called friendly fire, the Gaza war is no laughing matter, putting Israel’s most popular comedy show in a delicate position. Eretz Nehederet (Wonderful Country) -- the Israeli equivalent of the Daily Show -- has nonetheless been highlighting the lopsided fatality count of the war raging in the Gaza Strip. Last week’s episode featured a warmongering military correspondent, played by actor Tal Friedman, repeatedly breaking in to the newscasts with updates on the rising Palestinian death toll as if the war was a sports match. "It’s 500 for the visitors, four for the home team," the correpondent says. "The result is good but we can’t be complacent and we have to widen the lead. "A moment later he announces "a direct hit on a fashion studio, we are up to 501". more.. e-mail
News in Brief - 1000 march against Gaza offensive in Tel Aviv Ha’aretz 12/28/2008 Some 1,000 people marched in Tel Aviv last night to protest the military offensive in the Gaza Strip. The demonstrators, including leftist and human rights activists, walked from the Cinematheque theater on Carlebach Street to the Defense Ministry. Police on horseback accompanied the protesters, one of whom became caught between a horse’s legs. The demonstrators argued that the operation in Gaza does not advance Israeli citizens’ security. "No one can tell us that a massacre against the people of Gaza is intended to protect the citizens of Sderot and Ashkelon," said Matan Kaminer, a student who participated in the procession. (Ofri Ilani) Labor and the new Meretz alignment announced yesterday they would be temporarily stopping their election campaigning due to the operation in Gaza. Yesterday afternoon, several hours after the offensive began, Labor announced that its leader, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, would stop his campaign activities. more.. e-mail
Doctors worry about Gazans’ reliance on sedative painkiller The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 12/14/2008 The new drug overtaking the Gaza Strip doesn’t stimulate hallucinations or boost endurance at the dance club. It merely chills you out, which is exactly what many Gazans say they need. Ruled by Islamic hard-liners from Hamas and locked in by Israel and Egypt, Gazans can’t travel outside the strip, have few places to go for fun and are faced with a failing economy. Thus the boom in the popularity of tramadol, a painkiller known here by a common brand name, Tramal. Growing numbers of Gazans have begun using the drug over the past year and a half to take the edge off life in the impoverished seaside strip, pharmacists and residents say. This worries medical personnel, who say the drug can cause dependence. It is a prescription drug in many countries, and the Hamas-run Health Ministry has made efforts to control it, but without much success in a society where medicines available only by prescription elsewhere are often sold over the counter. more.. e-mail
Clowns bring comic relief to streets of Beirut Middle East Online 12/9/2008 BEIRUT - Clowns and street performers danced in the rainy streets of Lebanon’s capital on Tuesday bringing holiday cheers to the traffic-jammed Hamra shopping district. Thirty performers from Germany, Italy, Morocco and Lebanon donned rainbow-coloured wigs and red plastic noses to put on a show, as frustrated drivers blasted their horns. Some clowns walked on stilts as others danced, juggled, blew balloons and took pictures with the crowd that gathered to watch the show under pouring rain in west Beirut. Tuesday’s performance, which fell on the second day of the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha and in the runup to Christmas, was the culmination of a week-long workshop in Beirut on street performances. "It is meant to introduce street performances and comic relief as a way to deal with tense situations and conflict," said Tonnie Selwood Choeiri, one of the organisers. more.. e-mail
In Gaza coffee shops, men and women break strict taboos Amira Hass, Ha’aretz 11/21/2008 GAZA CITY - A womens association celebrating the end of a management course, combined with a party for the 20th anniversary of the Palestinian declaration of independence is no big deal in itself. In Gaza, however, the combination of these events last Saturday, at a beachfront event hall, was more than the sum of its parts. It was an overt display of mixing between men and women, both at the tables and on the dance floor. During the holy month of Ramadan, a number of parties with mixed participation and singing took place at this restaurant, spurning police pressure on the owners to put a stop to them. The womens association is headed by a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Many of the guests were members and supporters of the PFLP. The choice of this restaurant was a statement of their position, and a show of support for the owners. more.. e-mail
Tel Aviv residents fear ultra-Orthodox invasion Eli Senyor, YNetNews 10/15/2008 Residents of Ramat Aviv neighborhood urge Mayor Ron Huldai to act on growing haredi presence there. Chabad representative says in response, ’My suggestion to people who complain is to come talk to us’ - Is Ramat Aviv becoming ultra-Orthodox? It depends who you ask. The Tel Aviv neighborhood’s veteran inhabitants have recently taken notice of a few incidents causing them to fear for their secular lives. One of the local movie theaters turned into a "kollel" (an institute for advanced studies of Talmud and rabbinic literature for Jewish men), a Histardrut (labor federation) clubhouse on Reading Street turned into a haredi kindergarten, and previously, a Jewish Agency building was transformed into a mikveh (ritual bath). Moreover, the Ramat Aviv mall is closed on Shabbat. For all the abovementioned reasons, the suburb’s inhabitants turned to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai in a request to act on the subject. more.. e-mail
’Not a time for celebrations,’ says Acre mayor, as theater festival is cancelled Tzipi Shochat, Ha’aretz 10/12/2008 The city of Acre announced over the weekend its intention to cancel the Fringe Theater Festival that was scheduled to take place there over the Sukkot holiday. The decision came following unrest in the mixed Jewish-Arab city during the Yom Kippur holiday that saw 30 people arrested, and some 40 stores and 100 cars damaged. The riots erupted around midnight Wednesday, hours after the start of the holiday (when traffic comes to a standstill in Jewish areas) when an Arab resident drove his car through a predominantly Jewish neighborhood, allegedly playing loud music, in what Jewish residents called a deliberate provocation. "This is not a time for celebrations," Acre mayor Shimon Lankri said over the weekend. It remains unclear when the festival will be held, if at all. Playwrights and actors expressed their disappointment at the cancellation. more.. e-mail
Rap music evokes feeling of national unity in Jenin Ali Samoudi, Palestine News Network 7/23/2008 more.. e-mail
Maori tribes to reinforce Jewish people? Itamar Eichner, YNetNews 6/29/2008 Dozens of indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand discover Judaism, study Kabbalah; one even converts to Judaism - Is Israel about to welcome new immigrants belonging to New Zealand’s indigenous Polynesian people? Israel’s Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand Yuval Rotem paid an unusual visit this week to the Maori community, which has recently drawn closer to Judaism and Kabbalah. The ambassador and the embassy workers were welcomed by the community members in a Maori ceremony, which included dances, greetings in the local language, songs and the traditional "hongi" (greeting guests by pressing noses with them). The meeting was initiated by the deputy president of Auckland’s reform synagogue, a Maori man who converted to Judaism several years ago. His English name is Steve and his Hebrew name is Shimshon. more.. e-mail
Going local Nehad Selaiha, Al-Ahram Weekly 6/26/2008 This year, I did not catch as much of the annual Modern Dance Theatre Festival as I would have liked to do. Out of the 15 performances which made up the festival, I watched only 9, and of those 2 I had already seen earlier this year. What follows therefore is not a thorough coverage or evaluation of this year’s edition, but rather a few impressions I thought I’d share with you. I missed the opening, but, fortunately, the same programme was repeated the following night. It consisted of a short speech by Walid Aouni, the founder of the festival, in which he dedicated this year’s edition to the name of the world-famous choreographer and dancer, Maurice Bejart, who died on 22 November last year. Before he settled in Cairo in the early 1990s, founding the first Arab modern dance theatre troupe at the Cairo Opera House, Aouni had worked as scenographer, set and costume designer with Bejart. more.. e-mail
’Modesty police’ patrols bridge ceremony Neta Sela, YNetNews 6/26/2008 Dancers scheduled to appear in opening ceremony of new Chords Bridge in Jerusalem undergo emergency wardrobe change after ultra-Orthodox elements deem original outfits immodest, threaten mass protest - A cover-up:The dancers hired to perform at Wednesday inauguration ceremony of Jerusalem’s new Chords Bridge had to undergo a last-minute wardrobe change, after ultra-Orthodox elements deemed their costume "too revealing," and threatened to stage a mass protest at the ceremony. Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski was reportedly under significant pressure to cancel the performance altogether, but eventually, a compromised was reached: The dancers were dressed in long outfits - complete with headdress - which rendered their figures unrecognizable. The performance was also cut from three segments to one. David’s Harp? Jerusalem undecided - bridge a blessing. . . more.. e-mail
Palestinian Festival of Dance and Debate Joshua Mitnick, MIFTAH 5/6/2008 more.. e-mail
Is Art the Answer? Joharah Baker, MIFTAH 4/16/2008 more.. e-mail
Ramallah dance festival resists crushing of culture Palestine News Network 3/23/2008 Ramallah / PNN -- The Ramallah Dance Festival is preparing for its third year with 14 groups and 140 artists. "We are expressing what remains of the surge in our life-force, as survivors, at time that the occupation would have us crushed. "We are defending ourselves against the violence we endure that would take away our culture and our civilization," Director Khalid Alian said Monday. The Ramallah festival of contemporary dance will run from 17 April through 5 May with the participation of European dance troupes, in addition to the Palestinians. Featured will be traditional works through hip-hop. The festival comes during the memorial of 60 years of Al Nakba, the Catastrophe, that marks the founding of the state of Israel. "This commemorates the plight of Palestine and reaffirms the steadfastness of the people who have remained on their land. " more.. e-mail
Hundreds celebrate Purim at attacked J’lem yeshiva Ynet, YNetNews 3/21/2008 Religious Zionist members gather at Mercaz Harav rabbinical seminary to observe holiday mitzvahs ’despite the pain’ - Hundreds of members of the Religious Zionist Movement celebrated Purim under heavy security Saturday night at the Mercaz Harav rabbinical seminary in Jerusalem, which lost eight of its students in aterror attack carried out by a Palestinian resident of the capital two weeks ago. The celebrators, who arrived at the yeshiva in costume, danced in circles to hasidic renditions of traditional Purim songs. During the festivities a drunken student of the yeshiva turned to the officers on hand and asked that they "better protect the establishment in case of another terror attack". Another student said, "Despite the horrible attack and the ensuing pain, terrorists have not and will not prevent us from observing the holiday mitzvahs. more.. e-mail
VIDEO - Muslim American uses ethnic humor to turn biases into laughter Haaretz Staff and Channel 10, Ha’aretz 3/16/2008 Haaretz. com/Channel 10 news roundup for March 16, 2008. Azhar Usman is one of many Muslim Americans who sprung up after September 11 whouse comedy to cope with stereotypes against their community. Usman’s stand up routine, which he has taken to over a dozen countries, takes some of our ugliest biases and uses them to turn fear into laughter. Usman, who is of Indian origin, grew up in Skokie, Illinois, a Chicago suburb with a sizeable Jewish populationAmerica (and Jews specifically for that matter) has a rich tradition of ethnic humor, and Usman has succeeded in making a living out of it. He is the co-founder of "Allah Made Me Funny ? The Official Muslim Comedy Tour. " more.. e-mail this link
Straddling Cultures, Irreverently, in Life and Art Isabel Kershner, MIFTAH 1/8/2008 Being an Arab Israeli has always been a complex affair, at times almost a contradiction in terms. For Sayed Kashua, 32, an Israeli-born Arab journalist and author, it just got more complicated. His latest work, a prime-time situation comedy on Israels commercial Channel 2 television, deals with Israeli societys prejudices and peccadilloes through the eyes of a Muslim Arab family that bears an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Kashuas own. The series is popular with its mostly Jewish audience, which finds it irreverent and funny. But many among the 1. 4 million Palestinian citizens of Israel 20 percent of the population say it borders on insulting. The Arabic press reviews have been deadly the critics are attacking everything Ive done, Mr. Kashua said. They say that I work at a Zionist newspaper he writes a satirical weekly column in the liberal Hebrew daily Haaretz and that I supply stereotypes for the Jews. The lavish praise by the Hebrew-language critics has not helped. more..
For Dutch educators, Islamophobia can be a teaching aid for Holocaust studies Cnaan Liphshiz, Ha’aretz 1/2/2008 When teaching Holocaust studies to Dutch Muslim teenagers in Amsterdam, Mustafa Daher says he first has to defuse his pupils’ own hostility toward Jews and Israel. "If I don’t capture their interest, then I have done nothing. So I use the rising Islamophobia to help them connect to the persecution of the Jews," the seasoned educator says. "For example, I tell them that when the Nazis suspected someone was Jewish, they would pull down his pants to see if he was circumcised. Then I remind my Muslim students they are also ’snipped. ’ So they, too, would’ve ended up in a concentration camp," says Daher. Judith Whitlau, who teaches groups about the Holocaust at the Dutch Theater in Amsterdam, says she has to contend with another analogy. "Some point to media reports from the occupied territories, and they want to know what exactly Israel itself is doing to internalize the Holocaust’s lessons as it preaches others should do. more..
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