Archive for October, 2011

Meet The Settlers: The Cost to Israel of the Radical Right’s “Price Tag” Policy

by Editors on October 28, 2011 in The Territories with Comments Off

Susiya settler outpost #2

Nachshon Rothstein, Aslan Media - Amid the myriad impediments to peace between Israel and the Palestinian people, what has most caught the public’s eye is the recent “price tag” acts of violence and vandalism committed by West Bank settlers. The aggression recently reached a terrible climax when a settler set fire to a mosque in Yasuf. Benjamin Netanyahu, Shimon Peres and other top Israeli politicians and communal leaders unequivocally and strongly denounced the attack as contrary to Jewish and Israeli values. Still, given the history of the settlers, such shock seems disingenuous.

In the 1920s, Jews settled land in former Judea and Samaria, purchasing it from Arabs. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, many of these towns were abandoned when their inhabitants fled the bloodshed. After the war, Jordan occupied the region that became known as the West Bank, until the 1967 Arab-Israeli War placed it under direct Israeli military control.

Intending to transform the West Bank into a buffer zone, Israel began allowing Israeli settlers to rebuild and repopulate villages such as Gush Etzion and Hebron. But it was not until after the 1973 Yom Kippur War that the Israeli government instituted a policy of strategic settlement over the West Bank.

Continue reading “Meet The Settlers: The Cost to Israel of the Radical Right’s “Price Tag” Policy” »

Occupy Wall Street Takes On Palestine And (More) Controversy

by Editors on October 26, 2011 in Politics with Comments Off

day 289/365

Ben Lorber - As pro-Palestinian discourse begins to make its voice heard in the worldwide Occupy Wall Street movement, right-wing organizations and individuals in the United States, including the Republican National Committee and the Emergency Committee for Israel, have denounced the protests as anti-Semitic and anti-Israel.

The people-powered movement for social justice and democratic equality, which began in New York City in September, has now spread to more than 900 cities in 82 countries worldwide, it has generated a global discourse critical of the economic and political powers and privileges of the world’s richest 1%, and has opened a space for the 99% of humanity to come together in solidarity, united by a common struggle for freedom. It continues to gain momentum, broadening its message of protest to target injustices committed not merely on Wall Street but all over the world, including the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Continue reading “Occupy Wall Street Takes On Palestine And (More) Controversy” »

Shalit deal presents Israel with opportunity in Gaza

by Editors on October 25, 2011 in Israel, The Territories with Comments Off

After Over Five Years: Gilad Shalit Reunites With His Father

Sari Bashi, Foreign Policy - On the morning of June 25, 2006, I called an Israeli television reporter to suggest a story about students from Gaza enrolled in an occupational therapy degree program but unable to access their studies, due to an Israeli-imposed ban on travel from Gaza to the West Bank.  Something was going on in Gaza — excited radio announcers reported, every 15 minutes, “exchanges of fire” — but the military censor had not yet allowed details to be released.

“I empathize with your students, but it will be a long time before anyone will be open to hearing about them,” said the reporter. It was, of course, the morning that the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured by Palestinian militants from Gaza, and for the past five years, his captivity has overwhelmed discussion of Israel’s policy toward Gaza, especially its restrictions on movement of goods and people.

With last week’s release of Shalit, together with more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, the residents of Israel and Gaza have an opportunity for liberation, too — from a policy of closure that has stifled normal life in Gaza and isolated Israel, leaving it vulnerable at a critical time of regional volatility.

Continue reading “Shalit deal presents Israel with opportunity in Gaza” »

Including Children with Disabilities in Palestine

by Tomorrows Youth on October 24, 2011 in Society & Culture, The Territories with Comments Off

Ali’s ear-to-ear grin illuminates the room he’s in and energizes everyone that it lands on.  He is not aggressive, plays well with his peers, waits for attention, and brings joy to his classroom.  He responds to his name, can identify his bus, and never wanders off.  But before he enrolled in the Core Program this past summer, this five-year-old could not speak.

As one of the first children in the Core Program with severe developmental disabilities, Ali presented needs beyond the usual scope of TYO’s work.  He needed screening, medical reports, and a targeted intervention plan to help him reach his potential.  Despite the challenges of properly attending to Ali’s needs, TYO’s staff agreed with his mother that he deserved a loving, nurturing, and structured environment in which to grow and learn.

Continue reading “Including Children with Disabilities in Palestine” »

U.S. Looks Increasingly Irrelevant as Mideast Peace Broker

by Jonathan Guyer on October 24, 2011 in Politics with Comments Off

Secretary Clinton With Palestinian Authority President

While a growing number of influential voices here and in the region insist that the nearly 20-year, U.S.-sponsored “peace process” has reached its terminal phase, the administration of President Barack Obama remains committed to reviving direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO).

“…[M]oving forward, we want to see progress on the peace talks,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner has emphasised repeatedly over the last two weeks, which have seen Washington’s special envoy David Hale shuttling between Jerusalem and Ramallah.

“We want to see the two parties, the Palestinians and the Israelis, get back into direct negotiations. And that’s where are our focus remains,” he said.

But there is little reason at this point to believe that Washington’s efforts will bear fruit.

Continue reading “U.S. Looks Increasingly Irrelevant as Mideast Peace Broker” »

← Older Entries