News Highlights:

• Two more Palestinian patients die in Gaza due to the Israeli and Egyptian blockade, bringing the total number to 320.
• Israeli settlers attack a Palestinian ambulance in Hebron/Alkhalil, and the patient who has being taken home had to be returned to hospital.
• Palestinian political prisoners start radio show to have contact with relatives due to the denial of family visits by Israeli authorities.
• U.S. government shipped almost 1000 containers of munitions to Israel one week before the attack on Gaza; Amnesty Int’l. is concerned the shipment contains white phosphorous.

Feature:

The feature was a tribute to the victims and survivors of the Jenin massacre that happened during Israel’s military attacks in April 2002, and highlighted reports from international journalists as well as cultural segments. The two reports included one from the April 16th, 2002 British Independent and the second from free lance British journalist Jonathan Cook written in June of 2002. Both reports detailed the war crimes that had transpired in the Jenin refugee camp, and Cook’s article questioned why the international community had been so quick to forget the victims.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an April 13th, 2009 statement by Independent Jewish Voices in Canada criticizing the refusal of the Canadian government to attend the upcoming Durban conference.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• 14-year-old Palestinian boy shot by Israeli forces in Qalqilya, reminiscent of the recent shooting of U.S. activist Tristan Anderson who is still in critical condition.
• Israel demolishes Palestinian homes in Jerusalem, as extremist settlers attack Palestinians in another area of Jerusalem.
• Independent fact-finding mission says Israeli military forces committed serious violations of international law in Gazan assault.
• Israel still holds 432 Palestinian kids as political prisoners, 10 under administrative detention without trial or charge.

Feature:

A live conversation with Smadar Carmon, from Not in Our Name, a progressive Jewish group in Toronto, about their activities and objectives. She explained how the group is critical of Israeli government policies and how she had been one of the women that occupied the Israeli consulate in Toronto during the assault on Gaza. She then detailed NION’s latest action, which had been a picket to boycott Israeli wines on April 5th and talked about the aggressive over-reaction from local pro-Zionist forces. The segment concluded with a discussion about the global boycott Israel movement and how it is having an impact.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an April 6th, 2009 Electronic Intifada report about how Israeli settlement produce may be enjoying EU privileges, contrary to the EU’s own trade agreement.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli forces violently disperse a Land Day demonstration in Hebron/AlKhalil, and arrest a German citizen.
• Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi, a leading Palestinian politician, calls for an independent inquiry into Israeli atrocities in Gaza, after the Israeli military drops its investigation with no findings.
• British MP George Galloway, who was banned from entering Canada, spoke via video link to audiences all across Canada.
• Arab and Palestinian groups in Quebec refuse to meet with Jason Kenney, due to his discriminatory policies, the latest of which was to ban George Galloway.
• Israeli exporters forced to cut their prices, in part because of the global boycott Israel movement, according to Israeli manufacturers.

Feature:

A live interview with Cindy and Craig Corrie, the parents of Rachel Corrie, who was killed six years ago by an Israeli military bulldozer. The Corries had just returned from a trip to Gaza with the CodePink delegation that had managed to enter Gaza to distribute packages to Palestinian women. They talked about how they had still not received adequate replies from the Israeli government regarding Rachel’s death and also commented on the work of the Rachel Corrie Foundation they had set up. Finally, they expressed their shock at the devastation they had seen in Gaza on this trip, after the Israeli attacks earlier this year.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a March 30th, 2009 Electronic Intifada report about a call by academics in Lebanon to join the boycott Israel movement.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli troops shut down press conference with the parents of Tristan Anderson, the American peace activist shot by Israeli military during a non-violent protest.
• Clashes erupt in Umm al-Fahm after right-wing Israeli settlers parade through the mostly Palestinian town in the Galilee.
• Israeli High Court approves the seizure of more than 30 dunums in east Jerusalem to erect an Israeli military checkpoint.
• British MP George Galloway arrives in the U.S. for a speaking tour, despite being banned in Canada by Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, the same minister who cut funding to the Canadian Arab Federation last week.
• Israeli Labor Party votes to join new coalition government, despite opposition from within the party due to Benjamin Netanyahu’s public opposition to peace efforts.

Feature:

The feature was another in our series of Eyewitness Palestine, Eyewitness Gaza, with two stories about the wanton conduct of the Israeli military, especially during the last aggression on Gaza earlier this year. The first, from the British Guardian on March 23th, 2009, detailed the attacks on medical personnel and institutions in Gaza by Israeli troops in January of this year, which resulted in the death of 16 medics and damage to 27 hospitals. The second report was from the British Observer on March 22nd, 2009 and detailed exposes in the Israeli media about random killings and vandalism carried out by the Israeli military, again in Gaza.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a March 22nd, 2009 AFP report about how anti-Arab verbal and physical attacks are on the rise inside Israel.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• American peace activist Tristan Anderson is critically injured in Ni’lin after being shot in the head with a new type of teargas canister by the Israeli military.
• Israeli forces demolish the sixth floor of a multi-storey building in East Jerusalem, and other floors of the building are also under threat.
• Extremist Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman is designated as foreign minister in a governing pact with Benjamin Netanyahu, who is still trying to form a new government.
• International human rights campaigners, including Desmond Tutu, call on the U.N. to investigate allegations of war crimes during the Israeli assault in Gaza.
• 180 Palestinian leaders meet in Cairo, representing 14 groups, and try to hammer out the basis for a unity transitional government.

Feature:

A tribute to American peace activist and student Rachel Corrie who was brutally killed by an Israeli military bulldozer six years ago and to all international volunteers who are sacrificing in many ways to support the Palestinian people. There were presentations of poetry and music honouring the legacy of Rachel by Jim Page, David Rovics, Ed Mast and Maryam Tollar. A brief interview was also highlighted with Kim, a local Jewish-Canadian woman, who had last year been part of the non-violent protests at Ni’lin where another American Tristan Anderson was critically injured over the weekend.

Focus on Zionism:

Focus was linked with the special feature honouring Rachel Corrie and concluded that segment with the reading of part of the Corrie family statement issued on March 16th, 2009 after their visit to Gaza last week.

Here is an audio file of this show: