News Highlights:

• Israeli forces erect checkpoints in occupied east Jerusalem, as they continue harassment of the Palestinians in Silwan.
• Human rights groups collect information on 17 Palestinian kids arrested in Silwan and say the number of Palestinian minors detained in occupied east Jerusalem is actually considerably higher.
• U.S. offers Israel an “incentive package” to continue its partial settlement freeze for 90 days, including 20 new fighter jets and a comprehensive security agreement, along with no requests for further extensions on the construction moratorium which does not include occupied east Jerusalem.

Feature:

A live interview with Antonia House from New York, about recent protests in the U.S. against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Antonia, who is a member of the Jewish Voice for Peace, explained how she got involved with supporting Palestinian rights, especially after visiting the occupied West Bank. She then detailed the action she and other young progressive Jews had taken in New Orleans, challenging Netanyahu’s speech to a large crowd about what are the real forces “delegitimizing Israel”. Their group, www.YoungJewishProud.org had held up large signs pointing out that it’s the Israeli occupation, loyalty oaths and other Israeli government policies that are the delegitimizing forces (check out the video of the action on Youtube). There was also discussion of how progressive Jews that are speaking out are being increasingly and aggressively targeted by the Israel lobby.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a November 13th, 2010 editorial from Gulfnews.com about comments from UN representative John Ging that the blockade on Gaza has not eased.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli forces escalate confrontations in occupied east Jerusalem, including harassment of hundreds of Palestinian school kids.
• Israel approves more than 1300 new settler units in occupied east Jerusalem, as PM Netanyahu claims to be discussing a revival of “peace talks” in the U.S.
• Israeli artists intensify their boycott of performances in the illegal Ariel settlement on occupied land.

Feature:

The feature was an interview with Diana Ralph, from Independent Jewish Voices, about the Ottawa conference to “Combat anti-Semitism”, and IJV’s response to the conference which they feel is a direct attack on free speech in Canada. Diana detailed the history of the Inter-Parliamentary Conference to combat anti-Semitism (ICCA) and its Canadian branch, the CPCCA, and how she felt both were initiated by the pro-Israel lobby to help suppress and criminalize criticism of Israeli government policies. She told us about her group’s press conference and new video, just released on Nov. 8, entitled “Defend Free Speech: the CPCCA and the new McCarthyism” which can be viewed on Youtube.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a Nov. 8th, 2010 press release from Palestinian NGO, al Haq, about their efforts to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada to have the case of the Bilin villagers heard against two Canadian companies building illegal settlements on the village’s land.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Two Palestinian 13-year-old boys were severely abused by Israeli interrogators during detention, as Israeli human rights groups release a new report about Israeli torture of Palestinian detainees.
• Israeli military police arrest 100 Palestinian kids in Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, according to the Christian Science Monitor.
• More reports of shootings of Palestinian labourers, many of them teenagers, in Israel’s self-imposed live fire exclusion zone in northern Gaza.
• The trial over the unlawful killing of Rachel Corrie continues in Haifa on Nov. 4, with some witnesses from the Israeli military still testifying from behind a screen.

Feature:

A discussion with Omar Shaban, the president of the UBC chapter of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, about the recent Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions conference he and others from UBC attended in Montreal. Omar detailed some of the highlights of the conference, including guest speakers from Palestine and South Africa. He also discussed the various workshops that took place, including ones about consumer boycotts, academic boycott, and labour boycotts and noted the recommendations that came out of the academic boycott workshop aimed at both students and faculty. More information can be obtained at the conference website www.bdsquebec.org

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a message from Palestinian political prisoner, Ameer Makhoul, to the World Education Forum. Ameer, a Palestinian Israeli, sent his message from an Israeli prison after being arrested in May of this year.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Oct. 22nd, at least 15 Palestinians injured in the village of Nabi Saleh during an anti-wall demo; in a similar protest in Al Masara near Bethlehem, an international activist is wounded and 2 arrested by Israeli soldiers.
• An Israeli military court extends the solitary confinement of Ahmad Saadat, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
• Israeli forces injure a Palestinian man with a mental disability near the northern border of Gaza, the latest Palestinian to be wounded in Israel’s self-imposed no-go zone.

Feature:

A live interview with Ala Jaradat from the Addameer Prisoner Support Assocation in Palestine, currently on a speaking tour in eastern Canada. Ala has been active in prisoner rights for nearly 15 years and gave an overview of the situation of Palestinian political prisoners and the issue of administrative detention without trial or charges. He further explained how 20% of the Palestinian population have gone through the Israeli prison system and the impact of this on the fabric of Palestinian society. He also detailed some of the activities he will be participating in during his tour here and encouraged listeners to pressure the Canadian government and officials to adopt a less biased foreign policy.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an October 25th, 2010 Electronic Intifada report about protest over the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD tourism meeting in occupied Jerusalem.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli forces clash with the Palestinian residents of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem as home demolitions continue.
• Israeli forces detain a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council from the Hebron district.
• A prominent Lebanese civil rights activist is arrested for protesting the restrictions on freedom of movement for Palestinians in the refugee camps in Lebanon.

Feature:

An instudio discussion about the boycott of Mountain Equipment Coop and their “partnering” with Israeli war crimes. There was a detailed explanation of the history of how activists tried in vain to get MEC to deshelve from Israeli products. It is of particular significance that the Israeli company MEC deals with has links to the Israeli military industry and supplies not only the Israeli army, but also the U.S. Marines and the UK army. Patrik Parkes, editor of the Global Educator, then joined the panel and talked about how MEC has failed as a coop and how bike enthusiasts are also critical of MEC’s business practices. Listeners were encouraged to join the general boycott of MEC, express their concerns to MEC officials and join local boycott activities (more info at www.cpavancouver.org )

Focus on Zionism:

Due to the length of the feature, Focus was postponed for this week. This week and the next are part of Coop Radio’s fall marathon and supporters can go to www.coopradio.org to help keep alternative media alive.

Here is an audio file of this show: