IMEU : From the Media

Investigate Israel's killing of US teen, rights group tells Obama (Maureen Clare Murphy, The Electronic Intifada)

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:14:00 PST

The Center for Constitutional Rights called on US President Barack Obama last week to break his three-year silence over Israels 2009 killing of 18-year-old US citizen Furkan Doan during its siege on the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara ship in international waters. Earlier this year, the Center for Constitutional Rights published 5,000 pages of US government documents related to the killing of the nine humanitarian activists on the Mavi Marmara. The documents show the extent to which the US disregarded the rights and safety of its citizens participating in the humanitarian mission to the besieged Gaza Strip.

Palestinian film of love and betrayal breaks new ground at Cannes (Belinda Goldsmith, Reuters)

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:09:47 PST

A tragic love story between two Palestinians living under Israeli occupation received a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival on Monday and broke new ground as the first film fully funded by the Palestinian cinema industry. "Omar" by director Hany Abu-Assad, known for the 2005 award-winning film "Paradise Now", is a political thriller interwoven with a story of trust and betrayal as two lovers are torn apart by Israel's secret police and Palestinian freedom fighters.

Israeli forces demolish 2 houses in East Jerusalem (Ma'an News Agency)

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:07:33 PST

Israeli forces demolished two houses in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of al-Tur on Tuesday, locals said, leaving seven people homeless. Israeli forces raided two homes owned by the Shalan family early Tuesday and forced them to evacuate the property and take their belongings with them, members of the family told Ma'an. Since 1967, the Israeli authorities have demolished some 2,000 houses in East Jerusalem.

Palestinian activists sue Israel for the return of 6,000 books (Vita Bekker, The National)

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:13:09 PST

In 2011 a revelation by an Israeli researcher that about 6,000 books that had belonged to the Palestinian cultural elite living in West Jerusalem before the 1948 war are languishing in the basement of the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem and marked "abandoned property" caused controversy. Now, Palestinian activists are making a legal bid to get the books back. Palestinian history experts like Mahmoud Yazbak of Israel's Haifa University say their return could significantly shed light on the pre-war Palestinian intellectual awakening that had been centred in Jerusalem.

London protest outside UEFA congress to call for cancelation of Israel tournament (Adri Nieuwhof, The Electronic Intifada)

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:06:42 PST

On Friday, 24 May, protestors from several European countries will assemble outside UEFA's annual congress to call for the cancelation of Israel as location for the European Under-21 football championship. The European football's governing body awarded Israel the prestigious tournament despite the country’s systematic violation of Palestinians' rights. Geoffrey Lee, coordinator of the Red Card Israeli Racism campaign, stated that UEFA should follow the example of Stephen Hawking, who pulled out of an international conference in Israel because of its treatment of Palestinians. UEFA should "refuse to be part of one of Israel’s window-dressing exercises," he said.

Kibbutz residents attack Bedouin village in the Negev (Ma'an News Agency)

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:03:59 PST

Israelis from a Negev kibbutz attacked a Bedouin village on Sunday, setting fire to a tent, a Ma'an reporter said. Residents from the Kibbutz of Retamim attacked the adjacent Bedouin village of Bir Hadaj and set fire to a tent belonging to Eid Abu Habbak, head of the local village council, Salman Ibin Hamid, told Ma'an. On May 6, an Israeli government committee approved a draft bill setting a framework to implement the evacuation of "unrecognized" villages in the Negev, most of which existed before the state of Israel.

Barbara Boxer's visa bill for Israel comes under concerted attack (Alex Kane, Mondoweiss)

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:58:11 PST

A bill pushed by the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) that critics say would codify Israeli discrimination against American travelers is still on the table. But Palestine solidarity activists and their allies are ramping up their campaign to thwart it. The bill in question is a reciprocal visa waiver program with Israel. But the legislative language would effectively give Israel the go-ahead to continue its practice of pointing to security concerns when it denies Palestinian- or Arab-Americans entry to the country. The U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation and a host of other groups are now making a concerted effort to make sure the proposal doesn't become the law of the land.

Settlers attack West Bank farmer twice a week (Jillian Kestler-D'Amours, The Electronic Intifada )

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:56:08 PST

Makhlouf's home sits on the outskirts of the West Bank village of Asira al-Qibliya, only 500 meters from the illegal Israeli settlement outpost of Shalhevet Farm, an offshoot of the equally illegal settlement of Yitzhar. Makhlouf said that his house was attacked by Israeli settlers at least two times per week and has been vandalized more than 100 times. The windows on Makhlouf's two-story home all have bars on the outside to prevent them from shattering when settlers throw stones.

Israeli forces close road linking villages to Ramallah (Ma'an News Agency)

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:53:54 PST

Israeli forces on Saturday blocked a road between Ramallah and Deir Jarir with cement blocks, witnesses said. The road connects Deir Jarir and neighboring villages to Ramallah and Jericho. Locals said they will be forced to take a long and bumpy detour to Ramallah via Qalandia. The mayor of Deir Jarir, Imad Ulwei, condemned the road's closure as collective punishment in response to peaceful protests.

Palestinian vehicle burned by settler Molotov (Ma'an News Agency)

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:49:02 PST

Settlers from Beit El on Saturday evening threw a Molotov cocktail toward Palestinian vehicles on the Ramallah-Nablus road and near al-Jalazun refugee camp north of Ramallah. The settlers threw Molotovs toward more than one Palestinian car, and even toward passers-by. A Palestinian car completely burned due to a Molotov cocktail. No injuries were recorded. The driver of the car was able to escape without incident.