Amazon pulled a book by the Israeli “publicist, editor and creative specialist” Assaf A. Voll, which reduces three thousand years of Palestinian history and achievement to 132 bank pages — blank, except for a printed watermark of a Palestinian flag superimposed over Palestinian/Roman pillars. It is aimed at dehumanizing Palestinians, and erasing a proud history.
Recent days have dashed any thought that Donald Trump would be neutral or an honest broker. Negotiator Jason Greenblatt spent all his time echoing the Israeli message about the conflict, while envoy Jared Kushner reportedly angered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas by carrying Netanyahu’s talking points to Ramallah.
A loud and festive protest against the Israeli occupation of al-Quds, also known as Jerusalem, convened in Times Square on Friday, June 23, 2017. The protest was organized by the Free Al-Quds network and Muslim Congress and co-sponsored, by a number of New York-area community organizations, including the Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, NY 4 Palestine, and the NYC Students for Justice in Palestine. More than 100 demonstrators commemorated Al-Quds Day by reaffirming the right of New Yorkers to boycott institutions complicit in Zionism and calling for the end of Israel’s violent, decades-long occupation of Jerusalem. The demonstrators also called for an end to Saudi Arabia’s ongoing bombardment of Yemen, which has killed thousands of innocent Yemeni civilians in the Saudi-led coalition airstrikes.
Jewish Voice for Peace Health Advisory Council issues this urgent statement to raise awareness and concern about the life-threatening and dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This catastrophic situation is largely the result of long and short term Israeli policies exacerbated by the cynical power struggle between the leadership of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
Israeli musicians write an open letter to Radiohead’s Thom Yorke asking him to honor the Palestinian BDS call and cancel the band’s upcoming concert in Israel: “Israel is increasingly notorious for being a place that forward-thinking artists who care about equality and freedom want little to do with. We are confident that this reality will contribute to moving the Israeli government to change its unjust policies, and help convince companies to divest from Israel, just as they did in apartheid South Africa. Canceling your show will disrupt the ‘business as usual’ facade that international performances in Israel perpetuate. Please reconsider violating the Palestinian call for boycott.”
If Peace Now is so opposed to the Israeli occupation, why does it help pay the salary of a man who promotes it nonstop: Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents. Young Jews who are resisting the occupation would never do such a thing.
In yet another sign that the Democratic left is determined to stand up for Palestinian human rights, 34 congresspeople have signed letters supportive of Issa Amro, the courageous and non-violent leader of protest actions in occupied Hebron who has been accused by Israel of a series of absurd charges going back to 2010, including “insulting a soldier,” “assault” and demonstrating without a permit.
In a speech to visiting young Jews, Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel’s “hand is outstretched to peace,” but he twice makes a fist as he says it.
Two babies born with life-threatening conditions died in Gaza this week after they didn’t receive permission from the Palestinian Authority to get medical treatment in Israel, the Health Ministry in Gaza said, according to Haaretz. Both babies had heart defects. One died Monday, the second Tuesday.
Photojournalist Hamde Abu Rahme writes, “Palestinian journalists defy the continuous harassment and abuse, and thanks to the internet and outlets like Mondoweiss, we are succeeding. Using the web’s broad and rapid global reach, we are exercising our fundamental right to freedom of expression and challenging Israel’s constant portrayal of Palestinians as violent terrorists. If you are among those around the world who believe in what I do—in the value of journalism in exposing Israel’s crimes—please decide how you will give material impact to that belief. You can buy my book. And you can donate to Mondoweiss, which supports the work of me and others seeking to spread the truth.”