Stories about Palestine from May, 2007
Syria: Lebanese Ceasefire
“Fateh Al Islam has accepted a government offer of a ceasefire. They say they will stop attacks if the army does not attack them. The army has responded by saying they never fire first. Humanitarian organisations say it's vital to have a break in fighting to get food and water...
Lebanon: Fighting Toll
As fighting in Lebanon continues between the Lebanese Army and Fateh el Islam, Tom Felle takes a look at the toll: “As witnesses said there are bodies strewn on the streets inside the camp, the body count from the deadliest fighting to hit Lebanon for two decades hit 80 yesterday....
Lebanon: Attrition War
“The situation is sliding into an attrition war. The broad support by all Lebanese and Palestinian faction, other than ‘Fateh al Islam’, to the army and its actions against those cold blood terrorist, has been eroding rapidly…” writes Bob from Lebanon. “I think that the window of opportunity, to decisively...
Egypt: On Israeli-Palestinian Relations
‘Another, other, other, depressing slide downward in the Middle East: “Hamas declared open war on Israel yesterday, pledging to renew suicide bombings after Israeli leaders vowed to kill senior politicians from the militant movement, including Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian Prime Minister” (The Times) Is it just me, or wouldn't a...
Syria: Bombing Nahr el Bared Camp
Blogger Golaniya from Syria announces: “My friend Ashraf, a Palestinian refugee in Rashydyeh Camp in the South, has recently launched his blog, and posted about the current Uncovered situation of Nahr el Bared camp.”
Palestine: Protest Against Arab Family in Israel
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah links to an article about a protest by Israeli citizens demanding that an Arab family is not allowed to move into the Naveh Zayit neighborhood in Lod.
Egypt: Breast-feeding Adults
Palestinian blogger Amal A is in stitches over the latest Egyptian Islamic university Al Azhar fatwa, which stipulates that a woman can nurse or breast-feed a grown up man, if they are to work together in an office without a male chaperon. Bahraini Mahmood Al Yousif warns us not to...
Arabeyes: Memorial Translations
Whether it was a genuine mistake or part of a calculated propaganda strategy, the Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI) sure has a lot of explanation to do as bloggers across the region started questioning their motives this week after glaring mistakes were spotted in the translation of a Palestinian children's television programme.
Israel: Terrifying Conversation from Sderot
Israeli blogger Stephanie posts an IM chat between Sderot resident Shlomo and a friend sitting at a business meeting in another part of Israel. “In our day/age of YouTube, BlackBerry, IM and the power of “instant”, the effect of someone chatting to another person in real time during a rocket...
Palestine: Life in Gaza
Palestinian blogger Dr Mona El Farra describes her life in Gaza here. “In the last 4 days, situation has deteriorated in Gaza, clashes between Fath and Hamas restarted, I am staying at home, my daughter could not go to school…I cannot go to my work; I have patchy power, and...
Palestine: Four Ways to Die in Gaza
Palestinian blogger Amal A says there are four ways to die, if you live in Gaza. They are: “By an Israeli missile By a guided Palestinian bullet to the heart By a stray Palestinian bullet to the head By a heart explosion out of frustration, fury, and despair.”
Palestine: Double Nakba
Writing from Gaza for the Electronic Intifada, Rami Almeghari says: “My pen is bleeding, my hand is shaking, my heart is sighing and my mind is stuffed with the bitter experiences of the past 14 months. The latest is today's anniversary of the Palestinian catastrophe (Nakba); today is a double...
Israel: Daily Kos Bans Palestinian Bloggers
Jerusalem-based blogger DesertPeace announces : “In their continuing ‘War Against Truth, Justice and The American Way’ Daily Kos banned two other writers who dared to speak the truth. My dear Brother Haitham of Sabbah's Blog and my Sister Nancy of Umkalil.”
Algeria: Bad Translations
Algerian blogger and linguist Lameen Souag takes a look at bad translations. “The moral in all this for English-language media is clear: when some helpful organisation sends you a free translation of some foreign-language article or program, do look a gift horse in the mouth, and check the translation with...
Jordan: The Way We Fight
Discussion is heating up at Naseem Tarawnah‘s post entitled The Way We Fight. On occupation, resistance and war, he writes: “Instead we say ‘they started it’ or ‘they’ve done worse’. And so our models for resistance become the laws of physics; our reactions became proportionate and equal to their actions....
Israel: Life in Sderot
Blogger Rick Richman brings us up-to-date with the latest developments in the Israeli town of Sdoret. “The invaluable One Jerusalem held a bloggers’ conference call today with Noam Bedein of the Sderot Media Center to provide some perspective. The audio of the call is here. Bedein told a story of...
Israel: Palestinians Banned from Dead Sea
Blogger Dan Fleshler reports that IDF soldiers have received orders to prevent Palestinians from accessing the Dead Sea. “This is the kind of story that feeds into the increasingly popular tendency to equate Israel with South Africa under apartheid. I don’t buy into this equation…yet. There are a number of...
Palestine: End Occupation Rallies Planned
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah reports about mass protests to end Israeli occupation, planned on June 9th and 10th in Washington, DC.
Palestine: Disabled Children on the Street
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah reports the destruction of a centre for disabled children by the Israeli forces. “Where on earth would you expect to see a military forces going out at 5:30 AM to throw out ‘handicapped children’ to the cold streets after snatching the kids out of their beds?...
Palestine: Israel Lobby Debate
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah writes about the Doha Debate held at Oxford and hosted by Tim Sebastian , which “took place amid mounting controversy over the role of the pro-Israel lobby in the United States and accusations that it has suppressed criticism of Israel – a charge that the lobby...
Palestine: Why Israel is After Bishara?
Palestinian blogger Haitham Sabbah links to an article by former Israeli Knesset member Azmi Bishara.
