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This show includes a live interview with Israeli American artist and activist Udi Aloni about his trip to New York, the launch of his new book and his involvement with the Jenin Freedom Theater.

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

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Israel and Hamas have reportedly agreed to a prisoner exchange, but none of the high profile Palestinian political prisoners will be included.
  • The hunger strike by political detainees in Israeli jails continues, as fear mounts about the health of PFLP leader Ahmad Saadat.
  • As olive harvest season begins in the West Bank, the livelihood of the village of al Walaja near Bethlehem is threatened by the apartheid wall.

Feature:

A live interview with Israeli American artist and activist Udi Aloni about his trip to New York, the launch of his new book and his involvement with the Jenin Freedom Theater. Udi talked about the murder of his friend Juliano Mer Khamis, the director of the Freedom Theater, who was assassinated in the Jenin refugee camp in April, 2011. Udi explained how he is trying to keep the theatre going and has brought some of the young actors for a presentation of Waiting for Godot at Columbia Univ. He then detailed his new book “What does a Jew Want?” and discussed the themes of bi-nationalism that he explores in his writings.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an October 11th, 2011 statement by the UN Human Rights Office saying how Israeli security forces escorting settlers have used excessive force against Palestinians, particularly in the village of Qusra.

Here is an audio file of this show:

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Thousands of Palestinians demonstrate in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, as the detainees enter the 8th day of their hunger strike.
  • Israeli officials carry out more demolitions in occupied Jerusalem, the second in 2 days.
  • Palestinians rally against U.S. diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, with some of the protestors throwing shoes at the group.

Feature:

A live interview from Palestine with prisoner advocate and activist, Sahar Abdo, who gave an update on the ongoing hunger strike by Palestinian political detainees. Ms. Abdo, herself a former political prisoner, explained how the strike had started, its demands and talked about the deteriorating health situation of some of the prisoners as the strike goes into its second week. There was also discussion of the role of the US government and the sentiment of Palestinians both towards the detainees and the hypocrisy of many Western governments. Ms. Abdo concluded by calling on people to do everything they could to help save the lives of the prisoners, especially contacting the ICRC and government officials.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a September 30th, 2011 Maan news article about the increasing demolition orders handed out by Israeli authorities to Palestinians, and how UN Agencies had documented this alarming trend especially in “Area C” in the occupied West Bank.

Here is an audio file of this show:

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This show includes a live interview from Palestine with prisoner advocate and activist, Sahar Abdo, who gave an update on the ongoing hunger strike by Palestinian political detainees.

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

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Israeli officials approve 1100 new settler housing units in the occupied West Bank, a move condemned by Palestinian and international leaders.
  • Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails start a hunger strike to protest the use of longterm solitary confinement and abuse of prisoners and their visitors by authorities.
  • Israeli forces arrest a Palestinian youth and summon four children for interrogation, one as young as 8 years old, in occupied East Jerusalem.

Feature:

A live interview with Rev. Brian McIntosh from the Holy Land Awareness and Action Task Group in Toronto, about the launch of their Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israel. Rev McIntosh explained the history leading up to the development of this BDS project, which is calling on churches to target 6 companies complicit with Israeli occupation (see http://occupiedwithpeace.org/). He talked about his own personal experience in understanding the Palestinian issue, including a trip he made recently to Palestine, and also frankly analyzed the difficulties in bringing this issue forward within the United Church and the western Church community in general.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a September 24th, 2011 AlJazeera.net report about how foreign “militants with military experience” (recruited by the French Jewish Defense League) are supporting Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Here is an audio file of this show:

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Palestinian and international activists set up a watchdog group to monitor the increasing settler violence against Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank
  • Israeli military forces force Palestinian vehicles to wait for hours at 3 major checkpoints in the West Bank
  • Mahmoud Abbas will push ahead with seeking full UN membership for a Palestinian state

Feature:

The feature marked two painful anniversaries in the Palestinian calendar, 41 years since Black September in Jordan and the 29th anniversary of the Sabra and Shatila massacres in Beirut, Lebanon. There was a discussion of the brutal attack on Palestinians in Amman Jordan in September 1970, and how that event paved the way for U.S.-Israeli hegemonic plans in the region. Part of a letter sent by Yasser Arafat to Arab leaders meeting (once again) in Cairo was also read. There were musical compositions marking both anniversaries by Palestinian and Lebanese artists, as well as excerpts from a recent statement by American author Franklin Lamb, “29 Years after the Massacre at Sabra Shatila”.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a September 16th, 2011 Independent newspaper report about an Israeli soldier’s testimony of the indiscriminate and dangerous use of teargas in the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh.

Here is an audio file of this show:

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This show includes a discussion with Palestinian Canadian activist Khaled Mouammar from Toronto about the upcoming “statehood” moves at the United Nations and why they have provoked so much debate amongst Palestinians.

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

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Israeli officials authorize a plan to uproot and “resettle” 30,000 Palestinian Bedouin in the Negev.
  • Israeli soldiers demolish Palestinian water infrastructure in the occupied northern West Bank.
  • Palestinians mark the 18th anniversary of the signing of the failed Oslo accords, and note how the accords worsened the situation on the ground for Palestinians.
  • Israel sends 2 airforce jets to Cairo to evacuate embassy staff after Egyptian protestors scale the recently erected wall and storm the embassy and the nearby Interior Ministry headquarters.

Feature:

The feature was a discussion with Palestinian Canadian activist Khaled Mouammar from Toronto about the upcoming “statehood” moves at the United Nations and why they have provoked so much debate amongst Palestinians. Khaled, former president of the Canadian Arab Federation, explained how many Palestinians distrust the motives behind the current moves by Mahmoud Abbas and the old discredited leadership and question how UN recognition by itself will help benefit the Palestinian struggle. He detailed how many civil society groups have come out against the statehood campaign as its been presented, including AlDameer, Badil and Stop the Wall, and called on supporters to focus on intensifying the grassroots struggles, such as the global boycott Israel movement.

Focus on Zionism:

Focus was highlights of a September 12th, 2011 press release about the success of the boycott movement in helping to bring the leading and partially state-owned Israeli agricultural export company into liquidation.

Here is an audio file of this show:

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This show marked the 24th anniversary of Voice of Palestine being on the air at Vancouver Coop Radio and the feature brought together most of the original programming team to talk about what the anniversary meant and compare the political environment then and now.

Note: This recording is missing the News portion of the program (approximately the first 15 minutes). Efforts are being made to retrieve the entire program and the recording will be updated at that time.

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

This week …

News Highlights:

  • Settlers torch a mosque in the occupied West Bank as EU representatives criticize the provocation and also express concern over the impact of the separation wall on the village of Al Walaja.
  • Egyptian authorities put up a 2 metre high wall around the Israeli embassy in Cairo, as Egyptians continue to protest the Israeli military’s killing of 5 Egyptian border police last month.
  • Turkey takes moves against the Israeli government including expelling the Israeli ambassador and refutes the findings of the UN report into Israel’s deadly raid on the Gaza aid flotilla.
  • Palestinians in Gaza and international human rights groups also question the report’s findings, one of which claims Israel’s blockade of Gaza is a “legal security measure”.

Feature:

This show marked the 24th anniversary of Voice of Palestine being on the air at Vancouver Coop Radio and the feature brought together most of the original programming team to talk about what the anniversary meant and compare the political environment then and now. The show also highlighted the music played on the show 24 years ago, in particular the compositions of Palestinian singer/songwriter George Kurmoz. One point that was emphasized by all of the team was that no-one could have predicted that 24 years later the show would still be struggling against the same Israeli government repression and intimidation. The discussion concluded by thanking all of our listeners, the supporters locally and nationally who sent congrats and the team that maintains our improved website, which has over 8 years of archives to explore, as well as other historical documents in the gallery section.

Focus on Zionism:

Focus was postponed for this show due to the importance of the anniversary special.

Here is an audio file of this show: