Stories about Palestine from March, 2009
Palestine: Land Day
body on the line’s Palestine-based author writes about her experience with Land Day. The blogger visited towns in which Palestinians have resisted as well as the towns and villages of her friends.
Israel/Palestine: Photos from Both Sides
American blogger Cory Driver of 32n5w, who as a Peace Corps Volunteer became an honorary member of the Moroccan blogosphere, has posted a series of photos from a recent observation trip to Israel. Of his trip, the blogger stated: “So, i was officially on a tour of Palestinian deprivation and...
Palestine: Commemorating Land Day
March 30 is Land Day, on which Palestinians everywhere, but especially those within Israel, commemorate the day in 1976 when six unarmed Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed by the Israeli army and police during protests against land expropriation. The day has become a way to mark the struggle of the Palestinians to hold onto their land, when demonstrations take place as well as other events. Palestinian and pro-Palestinian bloggers around the world have observed the occasion.
Palestine: Traditional Dress
Sameh Abo Wadih writes about the traditional Palestinian thobe [Ar].
Palestine: The Changing Face of Jerusalem
Ned, who lives in Ramallah, writes about the changes he has seen taking place in Jerusalem: “Israel is clearly trying to change the whole face of Jerusalem, making it more Jewish than it has ever been. In the process, thousands of Arabs are losing their right to live in the...
Israel: A Letter to Bernard Kouchner
Dr Hatim Kanaaneh has written an open letter to Bernard Kouchner, French foreign minister: “The news that you have preemptively spoken against any official objection to the expected appointment of Avigdor Lieberman to the post of Foreign Minister of Israel distresses me. … (As) a Palestinian citizen of Israel…Mr. Lieberman...
Palestine: The Purpose of Checkpoints
Marcy Newman, who lives in Nablus in the West Bank, describes driving home late at night, and the difficulties she had getting into the city through the numerous Israeli checkpoints that surround it: “these checkpoints are not to keep people in and out – it is to make people think...
Palestine: Experiencing Contempt in Egypt
Gull from the Gaza Beach is angry with Egypt: “The overwhelming majority of Palestinians who passed through Cairo International Airport have a stock of stories about the humiliation to which they are exposed … The Egyptian government contributes to the suffering of the Palestinian people.”
Palestine: Dancing Defiantly in Gaza
At Tales to Tell Sharyn Lock has posted photos of cultural groups dancing and playing music in the ruins of the Red Crescent complex in Gaza.
Palestine: Remember The War
Young Gazan blogger Lina AlSharif has made two videos to mark three months since the Israeli attacks on Gaza began.
Palestine: Testimonies Regarding Israeli War Crimes in Gaza
Bloggers in Gaza have not been surprised by the testimonies of Israeli soldiers documenting war crimes they committed or witnessed during the recent attacks on Gaza - or by any of the other stories now being reported regarding the Israeli military's conduct.
Palestine: A Mother's Pain
In Gaza, Lebanese activist Natalie Abou Shakra tells the story of a mother who took part in a protest for the release of her son, a political prisoner in the Nafha top security prison in Israel, whom she hadn't seen for 25 years; on her way home from the protest...
Israel: The Language of Taxis
Rasha Helwa, who is a Palestinian citizen of Israel living in Acre (and describes herself as living in Palestine), has written a series of short posts at her blog Zaghroda about her thoughts when taking shared taxis, and on the significance of the language - Arabic or Hebrew - that the driver chooses to use.
Israel: Boxes Containing Treats Blocked From Entering Gaza
Jam, biscuits, date bars, tea, sweets, and tomato paste are among the foodstuffs that Israel blocked from entering Gaza, Eva of Israel reports on Mideast Youth. Over 3,000 boxes were denied entry and all boxes containing these items will be detained in the future.
Israel: Thwarted Bombing Had Capacity to Kill 30,000
A bombing was thwarted in a mall in Haifa, Israel on Saturday night, ExpatEgghead reported. Israeli news stated that the 40 kilogram car bomb had the power to kill 30,000 people.
Palestine: Resistance – Not Charity
Marcy Newman writes at Body On The Line about the importance of resistance by Palestinians, not charity from foreigners: “the use of this word ‘humanitarian,’ to me implies that palestinians are some sort of charity case who are not capable of taking care of themselves, of fighting this battle themselves…the...
Palestine: The Politics of Food
Anne at Mapping The Margins describes her attempts to only buy food that is produced locally by Palestinians, rather than Israeli products.
Palestine: Art as Resistance
Abdelfattah Abusrour, director of Al-Rowwad Culture and Theatre Center in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem, crossposts an article he has written about the use of art as a means of resistance: “I was born Palestinian and I don’t want to do anything to change this. I was born in...
Palestine: Remembering Rachel Corrie
Gazan blogger Fida Qishta commemorates the death of American activist Rachel Corrie six years ago: “Every year we remember 16th March. We remember a kind, insightful, talented person committed to the plight of the Palestinian people. Her name was Rachel Corrie. … We should remember Rachel and all that she...
Palestine: Robbed of a Childhood
Gazan blogger Ayman Quader describes the plight of children who are forced to work because of the desperate economic situation in the Gaza Strip: “It is true that Palestinians have honed a collective resilience in the face of historic hardships. But this strength should not be sentimentalized. Children, who remain...
Palestine: “Welcome to the Gaza Zoo!”
At the New Internationalist Gaza Blog, Louisa Waugh describes seeing hordes of foreigners arriving in the Gaza Strip in recent weeks – and calls it the Gaza solidarity circus.
