News Highlights:

• Palestinian reconciliation talks stall on who should be interim prime minister
• Italian activists do a boycott action outside Israel’s Agrexco headquarter on June 17, as Vancouver activists picket the Jewish National Fund Gala dinner the day before
• Chaos continues at the Rafah border crossing as only 400 travellers per day are allowed through from Gaza, with restrictions still existing for who can cross
• Freedom Flotilla organizers say they are sailing on schedule despite Israeli threats
• Israeli demolitions continue, this time destroying homes and other structures in the hamlet of Khirbet Bir al Idd, a small community that has already had 90% of its land confiscated for settlements

Feature:

A live interview with Nino Pagliccia from the local Canadian Boat to Gaza committee about the upcoming sailing of the Freedom Flotilla 2. Nino updated us on the Canadian ship that is part of the flotilla, The Tahrir, and talked about the campaign launched by pro-Israel groups to try and abort the flotilla in many countries, including Canada. There was also discussion of moves by officials across all major Canadian political parties to marginalize the flotilla, including within the NDP convention that had just wrapped up in Vancouver. However, Nino emphasized that the flotilla is sailing as planned and has already brought worldwide attention to the horrific siege on the Gazan population (follow the flotilla at www.tahrir.ca or www.freegaza.org).

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a June 19th, 2011 report from Gaza by Canadian Eva Bartlett about the deteriorating medical system and the acute lack of medicines in Gazan hospitals.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli military bulldozes ten homes in the Palestinian Bedouin hamlet of Fasayil in the occupied Jordan Valley.
• UN Refugee Agency UNRWA marks 5 years of the siege on Gaza, which spokesman Chris Guinness says punishes “the poorest of the poor”.
• Israel hands out demolition orders to a mosque and school in the village of Bruqin.

Feature:

The feature was a live interview with Ron Saba, editor of the Montreal Planet magazine, about the racist policies of the Jewish National Fund JNF and the growing global movement to expose and stop the activities of the JNF. Ron detailed Canadian government complicity in JNF war crimes through the tax-deductible status granted to the organization in this country and also talked about the many campaigns that had tried to reverse this, including his own complaint in 2007 to the Human Rights Commission. There was discussion of the infamous Canada Park, built on 3 occupied and destroyed Palestinian villages, as well as the encouraging moves across Europe to bring the JNF to account, particularly in Britain.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a June 12th, 2011 statement from Gaza in support of the upcoming Freedom Flotilla 2.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli settlers torch and vandalize a mosque near Ramallah, the latest action of settler violence.
• UN Human Rights Commissioner criticizes Israel for the killing of protestors in the occupied Golan Heights on the June 5th anniversary of Israeli occupation.
• Protests all over Palestine are also met with Israeli military force, especially at the checkpoints and crossings.
• The Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza is reopened after Egyptian authorities arbitrarily closed it; however, all Palestinian men between 18-40 still cannot travel freely.

Feature:

A live interview with Chelsea Byers from Code Pink about protests against the speeches of visiting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in May. Chelsea, a young and courageous American activist, explained how she got involved in support for Palestinian rights and how she and others had disrupted Netanyahu’s appearance at the AIPAC Israel lobby gala. There was discussion of the U.S. government’s unconditional support for Israel and how people can get involved to promote peace with justice for the Palestinians and the region as a whole.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a June 5th, 2011 report from the Alternative Info Centre about a march for 2500 settler youth into Palestinian towns organized under the auspices of the Israeli education system.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Egypt relaxes crossing procedures at the Rafah border with Gaza, but only for the movement of persons, not goods.
• Israeli military raids the Palestinian village of al Tuwani and demands villagers stop their non-violent protests to protect their lands.
• Israeli Foreign Minister thanks Stephen Harper for objecting to any specific mention of 1967 borders in the G8 final statement.
• UK military personnel are training the Saudi elite security force that has been used to brutally squash protests in Bahrain.

Feature:

A live interview with Kevin Neish from Victoria about the one-year anniversary of the deadly Israeli attack on the Mavi Marmara and the upcoming flotilla to break the siege on Gaza. Kevin, a long time peace activist, was on the Mavi Marmara a year ago and detailed his experience on the ship and his incarceration at the hands of Israeli forces. Kevin, who will be sailing on the Mavi again in the next flotilla this June, also talked about the work he had done in the last year, the reaction of Canadian people and officials and how best to support the Palestinian people in their struggle.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a May 30th, 2011 report from the Alternative Information Centre about Israeli occupation hampering Palestinian access to water.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli forces begin to install a barbed wire fence around a Palestinian village in the northern West Bank, completely closing it off.
• Israeli forces detain a 70-year-old Palestinian woman, in what prisoner advocates say may be an attempt to pressure her activist son.
• Barak Obama rejects Palestinian statehood moves at the UN, in his address to the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu also speaks at the AIPAC meeting, and rules out any compromise on key issues in negotiations.

Feature:

A live interview with Khalid Mouammar, the president of the Canadian Arab Federation CAF, about issues of importance both here in Canada and in Palestine. Khalid, a Palestinian Canadian from the Galilee, talked about the policies of the Canadian government on issues in the Arab world, which have been against the aspirations of the Arab people be it in Tunisia, Egypt or Palestine. He also detailed what is happening with CAF’s lawsuit against the government for arbitrarily cutting its funding. The interview concluded with analysis of the 63^rd commemoration of the Nakbe and how the Palestinian and Arab youth are leading the way in realizing Palestinian dreams.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a May 23rd, 20111 on-the-ground report from the Palestine Monitor about resistance to the Israeli plan to completely seal off the village of Izbat at-Tabib.

Here is an audio file of this show: