News Highlights:
- Apr 23th – Israeli police prevented hundreds of Armenian Orthodox worshipers from taking part in a sacred pre-Easter ceremony in Jerusalem; Armenian archbishop denounces lack of free access to holy places.
- Many banks, including the Arab Bank, are submitting to U.S. pressure to not transfer funds to the new Palestinian Authority; Bush administration has threatened to “take action” against any bank that deals with money coming to the PA.
- Apr 22nd – Bilin villagers institute boycott of Israeli products; they also hold a anti-wall protest with Israeli and international activists that is attacked by Israeli troops.
- Apr 23th – clashes between Hamas and Fateh members in Gaza escalate; Palestinian officials hope to contain the tensions.
Feature:
A live interview with Ayad Abueqtaish, a former Palestinian political prisoner and research coordinator with Defence for Children Int’l Palestine. Ayad is on a cross-Canada tour explaining the circumstances of the almost 9000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. He also talked about the inhumane conditions of the child prisoners, including torture, and how their future is seriously impacted, especially in regards to the right to education.
Focus on Zionism:
Highlights of an April 23rd, 2006 release from the Int’l Womens Peace Service, regarding the situation on the ground in the Palestinian Salfit region created by the Israeli wall and checkpoints.
Here is an audio file of this show: