News Highlights:

• Human rights groups call for international intervention and monitoring of the mass arrest campaigns by Israeli forces in the Palestinian village of Awarta.
• Fuel crisis looms in Gaza, as tensions increase and Israel keeps all crossings closed for the 7th straight day; 18 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the last week, including at least 6 civilian deaths with a mother and daughter from the Qdeih family in Abasan village near Khan Younis killed while baking bread.
• Brazilian subsidiary of Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems wins contract to supply Brazilian air force.
• Egyptian demonstrators go back to Tahrir Square to express their frustration with the military rulers, who meet the protest with violence.

Feature:

The feature was a live interview with Alison Weir, founder of the group If Americans Knew. Alison explained how she became interested in the Palestinian issue and how her history as a journalist led her to challenge the pro-Israel bias in much of the Western media. She detailed the recent report her group had issued about the specific bias in the Associated Press, which is a source for a lot of international news carried in the U.S., and encouraged people to check out their website www.ifamericansknew.com .

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of an April 8th, 2011 Wikileaks exclusive from the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, about how the King of Bahrain had bragged of his intelligence/security ties with the Israeli state.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli officials approve another 900 new settler units in occupied Palestinian land.
• Jenin refugee camp mourns the killing of theatre director Juliano Mer Khamis by unknown gunmen; Mer Khamis was the director of the Freedom Theatre and had lived in the camp for 7 years.
• Palestinian unity delegation heads to Cairo for further talks.
• Israeli 12th grade students take part in a simulated attack on targets wearing keffiyehs, the traditional Arab headdress.

Feature:

The feature marked the 9th anniversary of the brutal Israeli attack on the Jenin refugee camp and the subsequent massacre of Palestinians. An interview with Mohammed Bakri, the director of the film Jenin Jenin, was replayed from April, 2005; he explained how he had been harassed and intimidated by Israeli officials for making the documentary which simply gave voice to the Palestinians from the camp, harassment which is continuing to this day, most recently a banning of his film at the Hebrew University and disciplining of the students who organized the showing.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of an April 4th, 2011 press release from the Corrie family about the ongoing trial to hold Israel accountable for Rachel Corrie’s killing.

Here is an audio file of this show:

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• UN Envoy Robert Serry condemns the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza by the Israeli military and expresses concern over the escalating situation
• An Israeli settler shoots two Palestinians in a funeral procession in Beit Ummar
• Turkey is blocking Nato’s taking over the “no-fly zone” on Libya, as Russia and China raise concerns about the military attacks on Libya
• Yemen’s President offers to step down by the end of 2011, as protests continue after 41 demonstrators were killed last week in a violent crackdown

Feature:

A conversation with Prof. Lawrence Davidson from West Chester University in the U.S., about the rapidly unfolding developments in the Arab world. Prof. Davidson questioned the motivations of those Western powers involved in the intervention in Libya and highlighted their hypocrisy regarding the sanctity of civilian casualties. He has written articles pointing out that no such concern was acted upon for the Gazan civilians during Israel’s last massive invasion. There was also discussion about the uprisings in other countries from Bahrain to Yemen, and the role of the Saudi government in trying to suppress the Bahraini movement. Prof. Davidson concluded by calling on people to educate themselves and get involved, especially with the Boycott Israel movement which is gaining momentum.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a March 20th, 2011 report about the perpetual collective punishment inflicted on the Palestinian village of Awarta by the Israeli military.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Jailed Palestinian leader from Bilin, Abdullah Abu Rahmah, is finally released from Israeli prison after serving 16 months for organizing peaceful demos
• Israel announced massive expansions to illegal settlements in the West Bank, a day after an Israeli family was killed in Itamar settlement
• Thousands of Palestinians rally in both Gaza and the West Bank to call for national unity
• Protests and uprisings continue across the Arab world, as Saudi forces go into Bahrain to suppress the pro-reform demonstrations there

Feature:

A live interview with Palestinian American Huweida Arraf, the chair of Free Gaza and co-founder of the Int’l. Solidarity Movement ISM. Huweida was in Regina as part of a mini-tour of Canada to address several meetings on university campuses during Israeli Apartheid Week. Huweida explained she was also helping to raise money for the Canadian Boat to Gaza that will be part of the next Free Gaza flotilla to sail this coming May. There was discussion of the activities of ISM and the 8th commemoration of the death of American student Rachel Corrie, killed by an Israeli military bulldozer while trying to protect the home of a Palestinian family.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpt of an online petition to support academic freedom and condemn the recent attacks on Queens Univ. Rector, who supported the inclusion of Israeli Apartheid Week on Canadian campuses.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli settlers uproot olive trees from a Palestinian village near Nablus, provoking clashes that leave 10 Palestinians injured.
• Palestinian women rally for Int’l Women’s Day and call for national unity.
• Arab media reports that opposition rebels in Libya consider negotiations if Mouammar Ghaddafi immediately steps down, as the Yemeni government now resorts to kidnapping and “disappearing” leading activists in the democracy protests there.
• Israeli Apartheid Week kicked off March 7, this year in 72 cities worldwide, mainly on university campuses.

Feature:

The special feature was a live interview with Brian Latour from Winnipeg about the activities organized for Israeli Apartheid Week IAW at both the U of Manitoba and the U of Winnipeg. Brian talked about how he got involved in Palestinian support work, especially after the horrific attack on Gaza in late 2008. He detailed how the current Manitoba NDP government was establishing close links with the Israeli government and also explained about the failed attempt last year to have IAW condemned in the Manitoba legislature. He then went on to highlight the schedule for IAW activities in Winnipeg, that includes panels on Boycott Divestment and Sanctions, the apartheid nature of the Israeli state, as well as a keynote address by Huweida Arraf, the chair of Free Gaza.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of the statement by Roger Waters, from Pink Floyd, as to why he was now supporting the academic and cultural boycott of Israel. This was followed by Waters’ rendition of the song “We Shall Overcome (for Palestine)“.

Here is an audio file of this show: