This week …

News Highlights:

  • The Head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Aziz Dweik, is sentenced to six months administrative detention by an Israeli military court with no charges being brought against him.
  • British officials raise concerns about Israel’s treatment of Palestinian child prisoners, an issue highlighted recently in the British press.
  • Israeli authorities demolish Beit Arabiya for the 5th time, along with other structures in the Anata region.

Feature:

A live interview with Prof. Lawrence Davidson from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, a history professor who focuses on American foreign policy in the Middle East. Prof. Davidson talked about the unfolding developments in the region, including the uprisings in the Arab world and US policies towards Iran. He also detailed some of his recent articles, including one entitled The Divergent Faces of Israel, in part about the rise of fascist elements in Israeli society.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a January 24th, 2012 Electronic Intifada article about how 3 Palestinian students at the College of Engineering in Jerusalem were put under house arrest for a week for urging a boycott of a speech by Shimon Peres.

Here is an audio file of this show:

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This show includes a live interview with Prof. Lawrence Davidson from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, a history professor who focuses on American foreign policy in the Middle East.

Download an audio file of today’s entire show to listen at home on your computer:

This week …

News Highlights:

  • British officials condemn Israeli settlements as “deliberate vandalism” of efforts to establish a Palestinian state.
  • Israeli forces detain 12 Palestinians in Qalqilya, including minors and recently released political prisoners; Qalqilya is completely encircled by Israeli settlements and the route of the separation wall.
  • A recent fuel shortage in Egypt increases frustrations, as the country marks the first anniversary of the Egyptian uprising this month.

Feature:

The feature was a speech given by Dr. Adam Hanieh at a meeting entitled “Palestine’s Fight for Freedom” in London, England on October 24th, 2011. The meeting was organized by the National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport London Region and included many noteworthy speakers, including Ilan Pappe. Adam’s speech focused on why trade unions should support the Palestinian campaign for Boycott Divestment and Sanctions against Israel until it complies with international law, and the meeting was aiming to further that debate within the trade union movement.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a January 17th, 2012 report from the Alternative Info Centre about the recent report by a French parliamentary committee calling Israel’s allocation of water in the West Bank “apartheid”.

Here is an audio file of this show:

Downloads

This show includes a speech given by Dr. Adam Hanieh at a meeting entitled “Palestine’s Fight for Freedom” in London, England on October 24th, 2011.

Download an audio file of today’s entire show to listen at home on your computer:

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Israeli government breaks all settlement building records in 2011, and Peace Now reports a 20% increase in settlement construction.
  • Palestinians try to drive from Jericho to Ramallah on a road designated exclusively for the use of Jewish settlers, and Israeli soldiers arrest five people, including a 15 year old girl.
  • Israeli settlers attack 2 Palestinian boys, aged 11 and 12, in the center of Hebron/AlKhalil, the scene of repeated settler aggressions and vandalism.

Feature:

The feature was a cultural special, highlighting the work of Lebanese singer/songwriter Khalid el Habre and some of the poetry of the late Mahmoud Darwish that el Habre has set to music. There was a brief history and discussion of el Habre’s work and his place amongst the many progressive Lebanese singers who have dedicated much of their music for Palestine. We presented several of his songs, including the Guitar Player and In Praise of the High Shadow, both based on poems by Mahmoud Darwish.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a January 10th, 2012 report about how an Israeli military court had approved the illegal interrogation of a Palestinian minor who was unlawfully arrested in the dead of night and refused access to counsel.

Here is an audio file of this show:

Downloads

This show includes a cultural special, highlighting the work of Lebanese singer/songwriter Khalid el Habre and some of the poetry of the late Mahmoud Darwish that el Habre has set to music.

Download an audio file of today’s entire show to listen at home on your computer:

Downloads

This show includes a live interview from Cairo with Ehab Lotayef, Egyptian-Canadian activist and poet, about the highlights and momentous events of 2011 and the solidarity work here in Canada.

Download an audio file of today’s entire show to listen at home on your computer:

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Israeli soldiers raid the Palestinian village of Beit Ummar and injure a local shepherd after throwing a sound grenade directly at him; last month, another Palestinian was killed when Israeli military forces fired a tear gas canister at his face in Nabi Saleh.
  • Palestinian and Israeli negotiators meet in Amman, Jordan, the first such meeting in over a year, that ended once again without any breakthroughs or progress.
  • Imprisoned Palestine legislator and Fateh leader Marwan Bargouthi pens a letter from prison, saying the peace process is dead and negotiations are finished, and also welcoming the efforts towards national unity reconciliation.

Feature:

A live interview from Cairo with Ehab Lotayef, Egyptian-Canadian activist and poet, about the highlights and momentous events of 2011 and the solidarity work here in Canada. Ehab, who lives in Montreal, first talked about the Arab uprisings in 2011, their significance and the challenges and positive repercussions that lie ahead. He detailed how even he had been surprised by the strength and determination of the democratic forces in the Arab world, especially after so many years of brutal oppression by dictatorial regimes. There was also discussion of the Palestinian solidarity work here in Canada, and the Canadian Boat to Gaza CBG 2011 highlights, as Ehab is a member of the national committee for the CBG and was also a delegate on the last Tahrir voyage.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a January 1st, 2012 report from the Christian Peacemakers Team CPT about how Israeli settlers are attacking a Palestinian family in their home near Hebron/AlKhalil.

Here is an audio file of this show:

This week …

News Highlights:

  • A new report on Palestinian political detainees shows that 3312 Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces in 2011, an average of 9 Palestinians/day.
  • Palestinian NGOs in Gaza issue an open letter on the 3rd anniversary of Israel’s military invasion, calling on international civil society to make 2012 the year of a Free Palestine.
  • Israeli PM Netanyahu says he will not restart negotiations with any Palestinian government that includes Hamas, after Palestinian groups make some progress towards national reconciliation in recent days.

Feature:

A live interview with Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, a Palestinian writer and activist who teaches at both Bethlehem and BirZeit Universities in the occupied West Bank. Mazin, who had just arrived in New York for a short visit, talked about this year’s Christmas in Bethlehem and what the checkpoints and permit system mean as restrictions on the daily freedom of movement of all Palestinians. He also detailed recent examples of Palestinian popular resistance to the apartheid wall, settlements and land confiscation, subjects on which he has written a book and many articles.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a personal account by a Palestinian student in Gaza about the first day of the horrific Israeli bombing 3 years ago.

Here is an audio file of this show:

Downloads

This show includes a live interview with Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, a Palestinian writer and activist who teaches at both Bethlehem and BirZeit Universities in the occupied West Bank. Mazin, who had just arrived in New York for a short visit, talked about this year’s Christmas in Bethlehem and what the checkpoints and permit system mean as restrictions on the daily freedom of movement of all Palestinians.

Download an audio file of today’s entire show to listen at home on your computer: