News Highlights:

• Palestinian refugees protest outside the UNRWA headquarters in Gaza City, calling on the UN agency to rebuild their homes 5 years after they were pulled down.
• A mosque in the Palestinian village of Bani Naim is spray painted with racist slogans, the 4th such attack in 2 weeks.
• Israeli officials approve another 1000 units of settler housing in the occupied West Bank.
• French firm Lacoste demands the removal of work by Palestinian artist Larissa Sansour from the shortlist for the Lacoste Elysee Prize, claiming it was “too pro-Palestinian”.

Feature:

Another in our series of Eyewitness Palestine features, this one highlighting the relentless oppression faced by Palestinians in the occupied West Bank from the Israeli military and settlers. The first report, written by international volunteer Ben Lorber, talked about the daily ordeal of just getting to school in Hebron/AlKhalil and detailed the difficult situation of the Qurduba School. The second section dealt with the village of Nabi Saleh and its resistance to the apartheid wall, and the shooting death of Mustafa Tamimi by Israeli soldiers during a recent anti-wall protest in the village.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a December 16th, 2011 report from Maan news agency about the call by the mayor of Bethlehem to the international community to boycott Israel until it agrees to Palestinian independence.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Thousands of Palestinians gather in Nabi Saleh to mourn Mustafa Tamimi, who died after being hit in the head by an Israeli tear gas canister fired at close range.
• Palestinian Israelis protest the “Braver Plan” that will dispossess more than 100,000 Palestinian Bedouins from the Negev and confiscate their land.
• Israeli officials authorize more illegal settler housing near Bethlehem.
• Over 20 human rights groups, including Amnesty and Human Rights Watch, state that settler violence against Palestinians increased in 2011, as did the expansion of settler enclaves.

Feature:

A live interview with David Heap from London, Ontario about his experiences as one of the 27 delegates aboard the Freedom Waves flotilla in November of this year that challenged the siege on Gaza. David, a member of the Canadian Boat to Gaza committee, was on the Tahrir both in last July’s attempt to sail from Greece and last month’s sailing with the Irish ship Saoirse. He talked about those experiences, and detailed his encounters with the Israeli navy and prison officials. David also analyzed the positions of the Canadian government and the opposition party, the NDP, and encouraged listeners to keep pressuring politicians to take a balanced stand in favour of international law and human rights.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a December 12th , 2011 report by Ali Abunimah from the Electronic Intifada about how the Israeli daily Haaretz had pulled its own story about a rally by Israeli Jews in Tel Aviv against African immigrants.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli officials approve 650 more settler housing units in the illegal settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev built on Palestinian land from the towns of Beit Hanina and Hizma
• Israeli forces destroy a stone cutting plant in Qalqilya, livelihood for 8 Palestinian families, as demolitions continue in Area C in the occupied West Bank, which is under complete Israeli military and civil control
• Israeli military forces step up their arrest raids in the West Bank, focusing on labor and grassroots organizers, as more evidence of torture and abuse of Palestinian detainees is brought to light by Israeli media

Feature:

A live interview with Prof. Marc Ellis from Baylor University in Texas, about his work at Baylor and his theological and political beliefs. Prof. Ellis is Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies at Baylor and he explained how he came to understand and advocate for Palestinian human rights. He is currently facing difficulties at Baylor, which many feel is due to his principled stands on Palestine/Israel, and listeners were encouraged to check out the petition online to support him.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a December 2nd, 2011 report about Israeli military harassment and arrest of Palestinian fishermen off the coast of Gaza.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli officials approve 119 housing units in the illegal settlement of Shilo.
• Mahmoud Abbas says Palestinian elections will be May 4, after recent reconciliation talks in Cairo with Hamas leader Khaled Meshal.
• The Palestinian Sumarin family in occupied East Jerusalem gets a temporary delay on their eviction by a Jewish National Fund subsidiary, but they and many others still live under the constant threat of dispossession.

Feature:

We were joined in the studio by two members of the local Canada Boat to Gaza CBG committee, Karen DeVito and John Turnbull. They both explained how they had come to support the Palestinian struggle for human and national rights and then talked about their activities with CBG, including Karen’s experiences as one of the recent Freedom Waves delegates who were forcefully taken from international waters to an Israeli prison for trying to break the siege on Gaza. The discussion ended, on this Int’l Day of Solidarity with the Palestinians, by both guests talking about how listeners can best practically show support for the Palestinian people.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a report about how Israeli officials finally apologized to a pregnant American news photographer for an overly-intrusive security search, including forcing her to go through an x-ray machine.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli settler groups are given approval to take over more Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem.
• Cairo police attack demonstrators in and around Tahrir Square, killing at least 33.
• Israeli authorities extend the detention of a female Palestinian journalist from al Quds TV, even though no charges have yet been brought against her.

Feature:

An interview with author Michael Riordon, who is in BC on a speaking tour about his new book “Our Way to Fight”. Michael explained how he became interested in the struggle for Palestinian human rights and detailed the voices of grassroots activists that are highlighted in his book. He also emphasized how he wanted to bring forth those voices that are otherwise silenced and marginalized.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a report by the Alternative Info Centre showing new research that details how thousands of Palestinian agricultural holdings cannot be accessed due to Israeli land confiscation, the separation wall and settlements.

Here is an audio file of this show: