News Highlights:
- Mahmoud Abbas has the backing of the U.S. and Egypt in his efforts to take over the Rafah border crossing without including Hamas.
- Hamas officials state that the Rafah crossing needs a new security arrangement, that does not involve Israeli control or veto over everything that passes through the border.
- Israeli army prevents aid convoy organized by Israeli human rights groups from entering Gaza with much-needed food supplies.
- Israeli army invades Bethlehem area, leaving one Palestinian civilian dead and 7 injured.
- Israeli Arab Knesset members will attend the funeral for Dr. George Habash in Amman, after he passed away on Feb. 26th; Habash was eulogized as one of the most prominent Palestinian leaders of his generation.
Feature:
The special feature offered various commentaries on the life and legacy of the late George Habash, the founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine PFLP and a leading revolutionary thinker. Excerpts of an article published in The Guardian by Karma Nabulsi, entitled “Rebel from a bygone era”, were read, which talked about Habash’s contribution not only to Arab unity and nationalism but also to progressive internationalism. The second commentary was from www.palestinechronicle.com and highlighted the need for leadership like Habash’s during the current difficult times for Palestinians. We concluded with remarks from our in-studio panel, that also emphasized the importance of Habash’s leadership and how it had been undervalued within the Palestinian movement and even within the PFLP.
Focus on Zionism:
Highlights of a January 28th, 2008 article from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz about a general strike and rally in Nazareth over the decision by the Israeli attorney general to not indict police officers involved in the killing of 13 Palestinian Israelis.
Here is an audio file of this show: