News Highlights:
- Jan. 31st – Israeli soldiers kill 10-year-old Palestinian girl in a playground at a U.N. school.
- Mahmoud Abbas and Ariel Sharon to hold summit next week, but some
Palestinian officials warn that bilateral cooperation must lead to a final
settlement. - Jan. 30th – Israeli border police plan to demolish Arab neighbourhood in Jerusalem to protect the separation wall.
- Jan. 27th – U.N. human rights envoy says Israel’s planned pullout from Gaza will not change its status as the occupying power, because it will still retain control over all access points; John Dugard also states Israel
probably committed war crimes with its “massive and wanton” destruction of
homes in Gaza.
Feature:
An interview with Riad Muslih, an Iraqi Canadian, about the Jan. 30th Iraqi
elections, their credibility, and what the results mean. The whole concept
of elections under occupation, both in Iraq and recently in Palestine, was
discussed and their legitimacy questioned. Riad talked about irregularities
in the voting procedures in Iraq and it was mentioned how some people were
told they would lose their food rations if they didn’t vote. Riad concluded
the elections did not serve democracy and also talked about how the status
of women had deteriorated under the occupation.
Focus on Zionism:
Highlights of a Jan. 30th report from the British Observer, about the trial
of the Israeli soldier that shot the British student Tom Hurndall. An
investigation by the paper has turned up allegations of missing evidence and
a military cover-up by Israel.