News Highlights:
- Jan. 15th – Israeli tank shell kills 50-year-old Palestinian woman and her son
in their home in Khan Younis. - The same day, Israeli troops kill six other Palestinians in Gaza Ariel Sharon instructs his army to carry out unlimited operations in Gaza,
“without restrictions”. - Jan 15th – Palestinian Election Commission staff resign to protest
irregularities in the Jan. 9th presidential election; the 46 who left included
senior members who said pressure was exerted by Mahmoud Abbas’ campaign
PLO Legal Unit is being shut down, despite new negotiations allegedly on the
horizon; lawyers in the unit say there was pressure from the donor countries
and the Palestine Authority leadership.
Feature:
An interview with Professor Marion Boulby from Trent University, who was a
Canadian election observer for the Jan. 9th, 2005 Palestinian elections. It
was discussed how the Canadian delegation did not include any
Palestinian-Canadians and also the role of such observers. Prof. Boulby
spoke about what she saw on the ground and the restrictions on voters and
candidates, especially in Jerusalem.
Focus on Zionism:
Highlights of a Jan. 18th press release from the Palestinian Centre for Human
Rights about the dire situation of thousands of Palestinians trapped on the
Egyptian side of the Rafah international crossing into Gaza. Israeli forces
have closed the crossing point since Dec. 13th, 2004.
Here is an audio file of this show: