Susan Nathan To Speak in CT

Susan Nathan, he author of the brilliant "The Other Side of Israel: My Journey Across the Jewish/Arab Divide" will be speaking in CT twice once at Yale on Sunday, Sept. 21 and again in Greenwich on Sept. 22nd. The book which has been translated into 9 languages talks about the apartheid conditions for Palestinian citizens of Israel.

Nathan lives in Tamra in the Israeli Galilee region. She is one of two Israeli Jews who live in Israeli Arab towns. More about her in Wikipedia. For a chapter of her book click here.

She'll be speaking at Yale (meeting hall not yet set) at 8 p.m. on Sunday evening September 21 and on Monday evening September 22nd at the Greenwich Library Cole Auditorium, 101 Putnam Avenue, Greenwich at 7 p.m..

To hear a brand new 7 minute interview with Nathan click here. To see Stanley Heller's video interview of Nathan in 2007 click here a scroll down to show #190.

Ramadan in Palestine

Mazin Qumsiyeh

Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine September 6

Palestinian houses are easily distinguished from Israeli houses by one non-variant feature: Palestinian houses have water storage tanks on top of them. Running water 24 hours a day is reserved for Israeli colonial settlers. A trickle is occasionally sent our way and we try to maximize its use. But storage tanks on top of roofs are increasingly not helpful as the water pressure is so low when it is on that water cannot reach that high. Those who can afford it, have started putting new tanks on the ground or buying supplemental water. Drilling and maintaining wells (as our ancestors did) has been forbidden by Israeli regulations for many decades.

Our old house is an exception since we do have a well that collects rainwater. Occasionally after long stretches of no or barely running water, a relative asks if they could have a bath at our house. Water here also costs a lot more than it does to Israeli colonial settlers. Not coincidentally the water we are denied is our water. 80% of the water of the West Bank is used by Israeli Jews (illegally according to International law). Yesterday, tens of thousands of Palestinians waited at a checkpoint for hours but most were denied entrance to pray in the holiest site for Islam in Palestine on the first holy Friday of Ramadan.

CONTINUED

Boats Make it Back to Cyprus and Are Planning a Second Trip

The "Free Gaza" and "Liberty" have made it back to Cyprus. Some of their activists stayed in Gaza. In their place seven Palestinians left from Gaza including a teenager Saed Musleh, 15, who lost a leg to an Israeli tank shell two years ago. He was accompanied by his father Khaled in hopes of being fitted with an artificial limb either in Cyprus, or another country. .

This was the first time in history when Palestinians left their land solely on permission of Palestinian authorities. In the words of Palestinian voyager, Musheir El-Farra, originally born and raised in Khan Younis in Gaza but currently living in Sheffield , UK : “For the first time in my life, I went to Gaza without being humiliated, without having to ask Israel for permission. We did it. We finally did it. And now others must join us and do it as well.” For more see freegaza.org.

Ha'aretz reports that the boats plan to return to Gaza next month to be the vanguard a a ferry service betrween Cyrpus and Gaza.

Shukran, and love to all of you

I woke up this morning wondering if it was all a dream. And then I looked through the window and saw the harbor, and the fishing boats, and our two proud lttle boats, the FREE GAZA and the LIBERTY, bobbing gently in the Gaza breeze and I could finally believe we are here!

There are not enough words to describe the feelings we all had as we saw the shores of Gaza appear on our horizon, and then as we got closer and closer we were welcomed by the first of dozens of fishing boats, all crowded with cheering, waving Gazans who had waited since early morning for our arrival. Dozens of them jumped into the water and climbed aboard our boats, cheering and waving and hugging everybody, smiling and telling us "you are welcome." I don't know how so many members of our welcoming committee managed to crowd onto the two piers.... women, men, children, a band playing for us, police trying to control them as more of them jumped into the water to reach us.

It was truly an experience for a lifetime. Surreal. After two years of planning and hoping, and disappointments, and great sadness when our beloved friend Riad was suddenly gone from us. But his spirit is here with us, and many of us wore pink shirts in his memory.

There is so much more to say, but for now this is just to say we have arrived, we are elated, we are humbled, we could not have achieved this without the support of so many friends and strangers who believed in us.

Shukran, and love to all of you.

Mary in Gaza City

Boats Arrive in Gaza

Aug. 23 The international efforts worked!!!!!! In the weeks leading to the voyage activists worked hard on publicity and succeed in making this a cause celebre in Europe. While eveyone expected the Israeli Navy would commit piracy and arrest the activists it didn't happen. The Israeli government openly said they were afraid of publicity.

On the same day the boats landed 50 of us marched down Main St. in Hartford and over to Bushnell Park. See it on Youtube. (click on the high quality view under # of views) Our lead banner said "End the Siege of Gaza...Justice for Palestinians" Our second banner was "No Attack on Iran"

In the park there were short speeches by Haidar Abu Shakra of the Palestine American Congress, Mahmoud Monsour, Imam of the New London Mosque, Frank O'Gorman of People of Faith, Mongi Dhaouadi of the Council on American Islamic Relations, Jamshid Marvasti, and June Pinkin a Hartford teacher union activist. Mazin Qumsiyeh spoke from Beit Sahour Palestine via speakerphone. Ahlam Shalhout read poetry of Mahmoud Darwish.

Though the national media is running with this story, the CT media purposely ignored it, despite press releases and phone calls. We need to tell our own story with ads, billboards and TV commericials.

No CT Congressman has had a word to say about the siege in recent memory.

Of course, the siege remains in effect. What's needed is an Armada of Supplies for Gaza and a permanent opening of trade.

Read this shocked account of life in Gaza, by a Canadian Jew, Harry Shannon.

150 Jews from Around the World Denounce Drive to Attack Iran

See the statement and signers by clicking here. Statement issued August 11, 2008 and updated as of August 15. Statement in English, Arabic, French and German

Who was Behind the Charges that Iraq sent the Anthrax?

The Justice Department now says the anthrax letters of 2001 that killed five people in the U.S. were sent by a Bruce Ivins, a top U.S. anthrax researcher. Ivins recently committed suicide. The media is saying Justice considers the case closed. But what about the notes that went along with the anthrax powder, notes that seemed to be coming from Islamic extremists? Is there any evidence that Ivins hated Muslims and wanted to stir up America further after 9/11?

Beyond that what about all those charges that circulated in the media that Iraq was behind the attack? Writer and blogger Glen Greewald reports that ABC news claimed it had 4 sources that told it that there was the compound bentonite in the anthrax powder and that bentonite was evidence that the anthrax came from Iraq. Only in 2007 did ABC admit there was no bentonite in the powder. Who were these four lying sources and what was their movtives?

Another Youth Killed in Nil'in

The Israeli Butchers Force killed a teenager in Nil'in today. This is a day after the killing of an 11 year old in the same village. Yousef Ahmad Younis Amira was shot in the head with a so-called rubber coated bullet and was pronounced brain dead in Ramallah Hospital.

According to International Solidarity Movement activists in Ni'lin, fighting broke out between an estimated 200 boys and young men and Israeli forces at about 5:30pm. The villagers had earlier built five barricades of rubble and stones blocking the main road into Ni'lin. An Israeli excavator attempted to clear a path through the barricades but was driven back by a hail of stones.

About 50 Israeli soldiers then attacked using sound bombs, rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas. At around 7:30pm, Yousef Ahmad Younis Amira was shot in the head by a rubber coated steel bullet.

Live Bullet Killed 11 Year Old in Nil'in

The Israeli Border Police admit live ammunition killed Ahmad Mousa, 11, during a protest against the building of the Apartheid Wall through the village of Nil'in. Palestinian sources describe the almost daily protests against the land and olive tree theft as peaceful. The Israeli paper Ha'aretz claims there is frequent stone throwing. Even if that's true police could use shields and wear eyeguards. They don't have to shoot people.

Recently Nil'in was in the news because a Palestinian girl took video of a solider shooting a bound and blindfolded Palestinian at point blank range with a rubber coated metal bullet. The video received international attention. The soldier who shot has been released. He claimed he was following orders. On July 29 his officer, Lieutenant Colonel Omri Bruberg, was suspend after flunking a lie detector test.

Time Magazine Says Afghanistan is
"The Right War"
Bull....Pull the Troops Out

Time's cover story is about Afghanistan. It's written by a former British Foreign Service officer.

For a completely different take see our interview with Lenni Brenner on the "Comeback of the Taliban".

The National Assembly which met in late June in Cleveland was originally going to focus almost exclusively on Iraq, but activists wisely took up Afghanistan, too, calling for immediate withdrawal. The group is now the National Assembly to End the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars and Occupations.

MECC Calls for
"We Cannot Afford a War Against Iran" Campaign

We have a chance of stopping war against Iran. This country can't afford it and people know it. Iran has warned that any "limited bombing" of their country will result in a massive strike against oil tankers, our troops in Iraq and Israel. Oil prices will skyrocket. Still Congressional support for HCON 362 is rising (247 sponsors) and with the fanatics in the White House anything is possible. We have a good leaflet on the subject for distribution and we call on all our readers to write letters to the media and to call Congress. We also have a petition available for downloading. And listen to an great interview with Scott Ritter here.

Big Success at National Assembly

In Cleveland on June 28-29 four hundred people gathered for the National Assembly, a body called to urge the fractured anti-war movement to get back massively in the streets. Anyone who attended had an equal vote. The Middle East Crisis Committee's proposal on Palestine passed as did others on Afghanistan and Iran. For a full report click here for the Counterpunch article.

The National Assembly is not a rival anti-war coalition, but an attempt to show existing groups the state of grassroots sentiment and to call for unity. The Assembly did decide to continue as a network.

Call Congress to Oppose Bill Calling for Iran Blockade

As of July 3 over two hundred members of Congress have got behind HCON 362 which is a "sense of Congress" resolution that "demands" the US start "prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran" This of course requires a land and sea blockade of Iran, which they know would lead to warfare. They don't yet have a majority so it's important you contact you member of Congress and have them stand against this madness. Click here
to contact your member of Congress. Text of bill is here. To see current cosponsors click here.

The bill is currently in the Foreign Relations Committee. July 9 is the date set for a hearing on Iran so the bill could come up then. Lynn Woolsey, Ron Paul and Barbara Lee Phone: (202) 225-2661 are on the committee. Perhaps one of them could get some rational testimony (like from Seymour Hersh or Scott Ritter) or at least they could ask tough questions. The Committee Chair is Howard Berman and he should be asked also (202) 225-4695 .

To hear Stanley Heller explain why this bill is a terrible idea click here.

"Zohan" Movie a Stinker

Filled with Arab Stereotypes

Click here for Remi Kanazi's review

Two Letters, One Published, One Not

The New Haven Register published Stanley Heller's letter answering Charles Krauthammer. The Hartford Courant wouldn't print his letter attacking Joe Lieberman's association with lunatic Rev. John Hagee. Click here to see the letters.

Poets for Palestine

You've heard Remi Kanazi's poems on our "The Struggle" TV program. He's just one of the poets in the collection "Poets for Palestine"

"Poets For Palestine" was published to unite a diverse range of poets, spoken word artists, and hip-hop artists who have used their words to elevate the consciousness of humanity. Sixty years after the dispossession of the Palestinian people, this anthology presents forty-eight poems alongside original works by Palestinian artists. All proceeds from the sale of this collection will go toward funding future cultural projects that highlight Arab artistry in the New York City area. .

Selected Past Headline Stories

July 30 08 Another Youth Killed in Nil'in

May 26 Regime Deports Jewish Hero

April 25 Dems Offer Bush an Extra $70 Billion

April 17 Israel Threatens to End the Iranian Nation

March 30 Will "Stop Loss" Break Through? **** Ritter Regrets

March 8 Israelis Loot Orphanage - Vilnai Threatens "Holocaust"

February 22 The Man Who Should Win the Academy Award

January 1 Peace Activists Occupy Huckabee’s Iowa Campaign Office

November 24 Palestine Authority Doesn't Have the Right to Cut a Deal

October 30 Break the Siege

September 15 Cut and Run

September 13 Pentagon Will Take Out 1,200 Iranian Targets

August 20 European Union Turns off Gaza Electricty

July 12 Senate Supports Lieberman 97-0

July 6 - Is US Killing 10,000 a Month in Iraq...or is it More?

June 28 - Israelis Kill 11 in Gaza --- Katzav Cops a Plea

June 25 Lieberman Commits War Crime

June 1 Rabbi Uses Bible Story to Justify Carpet Bombing

May 20 Israelis Shoot Dead Fetus

May 2 Whistleblower Vanunu Found Guilty

April 8 Sanctions Working: Another Dialysis Death

March 31 Six Month Old Killed at Checkpoint

March 20 Tanya Reinhart has Died / 80% on Food Aid in Gaza

February 27 Nablus Raped Again

February 19 - Facing MECCA - Uri Avnery

More past headlines

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