what world do these people live in?

Shakira goes to Israel. There are F16s "don't lie" there and she wants to promote their usage well on Palestinian and Lebanese children.

siege and blockade of Gaza entering 5th year

"In the years he has been unable to work, Ramzi has noticed a big difference in his health. He says it used to keep him strong and happy because his job was physical. Now he doesn't get any activity. "If I went back to work now I know that I would feel younger again."

"a vehicle for freedom"

"Dozens of women have now got behind the wheel to drive forward reforms. Organisers claim inspiration from the uprisings across the region."

Zionist crimes against humanity, week of 16-22 June

Again, nowhere will you find these atrocities in newspapers near you

. A Palestinian was wounded and arrested by IOF in Qalqilya.
· Israeli warplanes bombarded a chicken farm in the central Gaza Strip, killing 3,500 chicks.
· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
- 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded.
- IOF arrested 6 international human rights defenders.
· Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.
- Two fishing boats were damaged.
· IOF conducted 38 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two limited ones into the Gaza Strip.
- IOF arrested 12 Palestinian civilians, including two children.
· Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- IOF arrested two Palestinian civilians, at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- IOF demolished 8 houses to the south of Hebron.
- At least 30 dunums of agricultural land planted with olives were burnt.
- Israeli settlers damaged two houses and a car in Kufor Hares village, north of Salfit.
- Israeli settlers violently beat a Palestinian civilian in Hebron

Source: PCHR, week of 16-22 June, 2011

neoliberal policies and farmers in Egypt

"before 1999, if landowners wanted to evict farmers from their land, they had to compensate the tenants with half the land's value. When Egyptian authorities implemented this new land law nearly one million farmers became landless and left their farming practices completely."

Signs

Signs

Many signs on the roads
Signs pointing to cities
Signs pointing to streets
Signs pointing to factories, institutions, shops, houses
Many signs full of names
He walks
Looking for a sign
That is empty

by Wadih Saadeh translated by Sinan Antoun

The (Death) Crossing (معبر الموت)

"يطلق أهل القطاع لقب (معبر الموت) على ممر رفح, و من المعروف أنه هذا اللقب لم يأت من فراغ أو مداعبة ثقيلة الظل, لا سمح الله, فاهل القطاع معروفون بخفة الظل المشهود لها بسبب اختلاطهم التاريخي مع أهل مصر الحبيبة. بل على العكس, فان السبب يكمن في تلك المعاملة التي خلقها النظام البائد على المعبرو التي يوجد اجماع لدى سكان غزة على أنها (فريدة) من نوعها! فهي مزيج من تعالي شوفيني مخلوط بحقد بيروقراطي لا يمكن الا أن يكون نتاج مؤسسة أمنية تلقت دروسا متقدمة في القمع و نزع انسانية (الأخر). و لكن هل الفلسطيني المضطهد من قبل الاحتلال الصهيوني, و الذي يعتبر رأس حربة النضال العربي في المنطقة, هو (الأخر) لرجل الأمن المصري؟ و هل نجح النظام السابق, و الذي قبله, في تحويل وعي رجل أمن الدولة و اقناعه بأن الفلسطيني هو (العدو؟) و الا فما هو تفسير الادعاء بأن الغزي يشكل خطرا على الأمن القومي المصري الذي صغر ليصبح متمترسا على حدود رفح؟ (لا شك أن جمال عبد الناصر كان يتقلب في قبره!) و ما الذي يبرر أساليب الذل و الهوان التي اتقنها النظام السابق حتى مع مؤيدي القضية الفلسطينية و الساعين لكسر الحصار الجائر؟ و هل قمع مسيرة غزة نحو الحرية و شريان الحياة يمكن تفسيره بشكل مختلف؟ و ان كان من الواجب في هذا السياق الاعتراف بأن بعض القوى الفلسطينية و بعض مؤسسات المجتمع المدني كان لها موقف (يتفهم) ما فعله النظام المصري من اغلاق للمعبر و انه يجب علينا الا (نحرف البوصلة) بالضغط على مصر لفتح المعبر! و كانت نفس هذه القوى و المؤسسات قد باركت اعادة العمل على المعبر ببيانات الشكر للموقف الجديد لحكومة الثورة! و علينا أن نفترض أنها (تتفهم) عدم العمل الان على المعبربطريقة منتظمة"
this is why it is an uprising, and not yet a revolution... a revoluton is an earthquake,or perhaps a volcanic change in social, economic and political structure and one that is defined first and foremost by a shift in consciousness

interview with friend and comrade Lubna Masarwa

Here is a link to the video.

Article by comrade Vik

Resistance : The First and only Fisherwoman of Gaza by Vittorio Arrigoni.

the clashes in Tripoli, Lebanon today

I was watching the coverage of the clashes today in Tripoli (Lebanon) and I came upon the LBC (Lebanese based, Saudi funded and Samir Gaa'gaa' oriented satelite TV with broadcasters like Dolly Ghanem whose facial expressions emanate with racism) and one of the reporters asking Mikati the lousy, newly appointed prime minister, if the clashes that wounded as many as 20 civilians and killed 3 one of whom is a soldier in the Lebanonese tabbouli army, were meant to be a consipiracy against the army. Then I switched onto real life village politics, and I heard liberal Lebanonese feudal warlords-supporters blame Syria and criminal Bashshar Assad.
Looking beyond these pathetic and ignorant analyses, the clashes have a history, one that is embedded in the Salafite Harriri supported militias in Tripoli, in the Jabal Mohsen area. It is actually a street that seperates the armed groups and it is always the Salafis that begin these aggressions and it is always civilians who are caught amidst this sectarian, politically fueled clashes.

Zionist crimes against humanity week of 9-15 June

You will NOT read these in newspapers near you:

A Palestinian died of wounds he had sustained during the wide scale Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.
- A Palestinian civilian was wounded by IOF in Salfit.
- An old Palestinian man was wounded by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
- Two Palestinian civilians were wounded.
- IOF arrested 4 Israeli human rights defenders and two Palestinian civilians.
· IOF conducted 50 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the Gaza Strip.
- IOF arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.
- The detainees include former Palestinian Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Wasfi Qabaha.
· IOF fired at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.
· Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- IOF arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a woman, at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
- IOF violently beat a Palestinian civilian at a military checkpoint near Hebron.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- IOF ordered the demolition of a school and two barracks in Salfit.
- IOF ordered stopping the construction of a mosque in Salfit and demolishing another one in Bethlehem.
- IOF destroyed two wells and ordered the demolition of another 3 ones.
- IOF demolished 3 tents and 10 barnyards in Jericho.
- Israeli settlers attacked 5 houses in Hebron.
- Israeli settlers leveled areas of land they had already seized near Hebron.

Source: PCHR week of 9-15 June, 2011

Mufti of ignorance, sectarianism and racism

the Mufti of garbage in Lebanon

“You are trash. You [Palestinians] will never be victorious. Nor will your cause. I’m no longer afraid of your weapons.” This is the language of racist Lebanonese.

Turkey and the US

"استخدمت واشنطن وأنقرة سياسة الانخراط والحوار مع نظام الأسد في محاولة منهما لتغيير سياسته الإقليمية. وبكلام أدق، حاولت العاصمتان أن تقنعا سوريا بالانفصال عن إيران ووقف دعمها لحزب الله.
كذلك سعت الولايات المتحدة وتركيا إلى إعادة الحياة إلى مفاوضات السلام المتوقفة بين إسرائيل وسوريا، التي عقدت آخر مرة تحت رعاية تركية في 2008"

Washington and Ankara have involved themselved in a policy of dialogue with the Assad regime and that was for the purposes of trying to change his regional politics. More specifically, the two capitals have tried to convince Syria of severing ties with Iran and quelling its support of Hezbollah. Also, the US and Turkey have sought to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, the last of which was sponsored by Turkey in 2008.

the Israeli circle of friends

"Clashes began after security officers shoved a pregnant street vendor on Friday of last week in the manufacturing city of Xintang in Guangdong province."

a good account of what happened in Jisr el-Shughour

"It seems that, after being told that they were being sent to fight “terrorists”, the soldiers found themselves facing unarmed demonstrators. Some refused orders to fire on unarmed people, and so their commanders ordered them shot."

the Ba'ath

"Historically the Ba’athists were middle class intellectuals, professionals, students, traders and businessmen who hated what imperialism had done to the region.
But once they came to power, the interests of the ruling class dominated.
Modern Syrian history has seen continuing clashes with Israel—it has been a thorn in the side of Western powers. But for all the talk of solidarity with the Palestinians, it is a history of betrayal."

forced to sign a plegde of dishonour

"Bahraini students studying at British universities have been forced to sign a pledge of allegiance to the King of Bahrain, and promise that they will not take part in any protests against the regime.It follows months of harassment of the students. Some have had their funding withdrawn after attending pro-democracy protests in Britain."

"support means control"

"The cynicism and hypocrisy of Western leaders claiming affinity with Arab demonstrators beggars belief. They conveniently forget that the reason for this late flowering of Arab democracy results directly from Western domination and humiliation of the Arab world throughout the last century."

the new Erdogan government

"The new government will not have a sufficient majority to bring in a new constitution, unless it is supported by the Kurdish MPs. It will have to sit and negotiate with them, and meet many of their demands. The alternative is war, and everyone knows this.
A conservative government will try to slow democratisation down and get away with giving the Kurds as little as possible."

zionist crimes against humanity this week

A Palestinian civilian was wounded in the Gaza Strip

· A Palestinian child was wounded in an attack launched jointly by IOF and Israeli settlers.

· IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations commemorating the Palestinian Naksa.

- Twenty six demonstrators, including 11 children and a woman, were wounded near Qalandya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.

· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

- Two Palestinians, including a journalist, were wounded

· IOF conducted 38 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

- IOF arrested 14 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children.

- The arrested Palestinians include two PLC members.

· IOF continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers continued their attacks in the West Bank.

- Israeli settlers set fire to wheat farms in Qalqilya.

- Israeli settlers damaged 20 grape trees and set fire to a wheat farm in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.

Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the Gaza Strip and tightened the siege on the West Bank.

- IOF held a PCHR fieldworker for several hours in the north of Hebron.

- IOF held a PCHR fieldworker at a military checkpoint in the north of the West Bank and questioned him about PCHR’s annual report.

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (02 – 08 June 2011):

Week of June 2-8, Source: PCHR

'The Ghetto of Death'

If this regime of children killers supports the resistance in Lebanon, then to hell with it and its support: "To crack down on a revolt that was gaining ground, Bashar Al-Assad's regime wanted to show the country what would happen to those who would resist him. As a result, Al-Balad is suffering under a merciless siege. Electricity, water and phone lines have been cut. Without access to supplies, milk and essential foods have run out. The 15,000 residents under lockdown are facing famine. Everyday, during the evening prayer, thousands of voices rise above the neighborhood for the rest of the city to hear: "Milk! Water!" they scream, their voices barely muted by bursts of gunfire."

Wahabiyyah; the ally of Western missionaries of human rights

"Q: In most Muslim countries, even monarchies like Morocco, women have more social freedom and legal rights than in Saudi Arabia. Why is Saudi Arabia so committed to repressing women?
A: Actually they are committed to repressing everybody—men, women, Saudis, non-Saudis. That’s why religious police are on the streets harassing and arresting people. Young men are beaten just for having long hair. But the police are more brutal with women, because women are half the society, and they raise the other half. So repressing and instilling fear in women is the most effective way to control the whole society.Here is progress, Saudi-style: the Shura has just recommended that women be allowed to vote but not run in local elections, and the king decreed that women and only women can sell women’s lingerie."

Only zionists honour zionists

My former university, American (Zionist) University of Beirut is honouring a Zionist. And why does al'akhbar have a shocked (?!) response to this?!

Newsflash: Chinese weapons of mass destruction against Chinese people and Palestinians too

This is not new. China and Israel cooperating in their defence (against Palestinian children). "There will be a very serious discussion over Chinese weapons over the Middle East."

the crocodile tears of Mona e-Shathely

A video of Mona e-Shathely of 'al 'aashira masaa'an' (the ten o'clock show on Dream, an Egyptian satellite channel) as she cries for Mubarak. She says this is a historical moment of tear drifting for Mubarak, then she pours fountains of thanks for his stepping down.

The Mothers of Hamza

Hamza is the brave 13 year old from Daraa who was tortured and killed in the most brutal ways by the Syrian regime of children-killers. Below is a sentimental account from Khaled Saghiyyeh in Alakhbar, in Arabic.
"إنّه واحد من مظاهر الإصرار على الاعتراض في ظلّ تمادي القمع. فبعدما انتشرت قصّة الطفل حمزة الخطيب المرعبة، تداعى عدد من النساء السوريّات إلى إقامة اعتصامات نسائيّة منزليّة. ليست ادّعاءات نضاليّة، لكنّها تأكيد أنّه حتّى حين تبدأ الدبّابات بإطلاق النيران، ويصبح النزول إلى الشارع نوعاً من الانتحار، فإنّ التوق إلى الحريّة كفيل بابتكار آلاف الوسائل لإيصال الصوت.
أولئك النسوة وهبن أعزّ ما يملكنه: إحساسهنّ بالأمومة. بتن كلّهنّ أمّهات لحمزة الذي لم يمُت. وحمزة لم يعد طفلاً. لقد كبر فجأةً ألف عام ليجسّد كرامة سوريا التي رفضت عبر تاريخها الطويل أن تموت إلا واقفةً."

season of migration is near

"A Bar-Ilan University study published in the journal Eretz Acheret has found that roughly 100,000 Israelis already hold a German passport. Over the past decade, the trend has strengthened and some 7,000 more Israelis join them every year. To these should be added the thousands of Israelis who hold foreign passports, mostly European countries. The excuses are strange and diverse, but at the base of them all are unease and anxiety, both personal and national. The foreign passport has become an insurance policy against a rainy day. It turns out there are more and more Israelis who are thinking that day may eventually come."

about opening the Rafah Crossing

Opening the Rafah Crossing does NOT mean that the siege on Gaza has been broken. Opening the Rafah Crossing does NOT mean that Gaza is no longer occupied by Israel. Opening the Rafah Crossing does NOT mean that a 4 year old girl in Jabalya refugee camp can choose how her life will turn out to be without the US and Israel deciding it for her. Opening the Rafah Crossing does NOT mean that goods will be entering Gaza, the crossing only allows people through. Opening the Rafah Crossing does not mean cement and glass will be entering the strip soon. Opening the Rafah Crossing, despite it being the ONLY exit to the outside world, does not mean resistance stops. Opening the Rafah Crossing does NOT mean students in Gaza will have paper, books and stationary. Opening the Rafah Crossing will not prevent Israeli bombings of Gaza and naval gunboats to suddenly dissapear. Opening the Rafah Crossing does not mean that people in Gaza can visit their families and relatives in the West Bank or 1948 occupied lands. Opening the Rafah Crossing does NOT mean amnesty for the Egyptian NDP and intelligence apparatus that complicitly coordinated with Israel in killing and humiliating Palestinians in Gaza and those people of consciousness who support the universalistic slogans of this cause. It only speaks about a cautiously studied decision to calm the brave Egyptian anti-Zionist demonstrators and their persistent, non-negotiable demands.
This is a very well written account about the decision.

Zionist crimes against humanity week of 26 May- June1 2011

A Palestinian child was wounded in Iraq Bourin village, south of Nablus. IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank. A Palestinian demonstrator was wounded in Bil'ein, west of Ramallah. IOF arrested 15 demonstrators, including a child. The arrested persons include 7 Palestinians and 8 international human rights defenders. IOF conducted 47 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and one limited incursion into the central Gaza Strip. IOF arrested 29 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and 2 women. IOF launched a wide scale campaign against the Islamic Jihad in Jenin and closed 2 charitable associations.IOF continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers continued their attacks in the West Bank. IOF demolished 8 artisan wells in Jenin and bulldozed a shop of construction materials in Qalqilya. Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian shepherd in Madma village, south of Nablus. Israeli settlers set fire to 4 donums[1] planted with grains in Madma village, south of Nablus. Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the Gaza Strip and tightened the siege on the West Bank. IOF arrested at least 4 Palestinians at military checkpoints in the West Bank. IOF stopped and held Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and another 2 PLC members and arrested a third one.
Source: PCHR week of May 26- June 1, 2011

Zionist crimes against humanity week of 19-25 May

A Palestinian civilian was killed by IOF near the border in the central Gaza Strip.-A Palestinian civilian was wounded in the east of Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinian boys sustained severe burns as a smoke bomb, left by IOF in Hebron, exploded. IOF continued to target Palestinian farmers in border areas in the northern Gaza Strip. -IOF fired at Palestinian farmers in two separate incidents, but no casualties were reported. IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.Two demonstrators, including an international human rights defender, were wounded.IOF arrested 11 demonstrators, including 10 Israeli solidarity activists and an international one. IOF conducted 38 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 15 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children.The arrested civilians include the mother of Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri, who was deported to Syria. IOF continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers continued their attacks in the West Bank. Israeli settlers caused severe damages to a Palestinian house, southwest of Bethlehem. Seventy olive trees in the vicinity of "Qidoumim" settlement, northeast of Qalqilya, were uprooted. Three women activists were attacked at Zaatara checkpoint, south of Nablus. Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the Gaza Strip and tightened the siege on the West Bank. IOF arrested at least 3 Palestinians at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
Source: PCHR week of May 19-25, 2011