News Highlights:

• A Palestinian family who lost 29 members in Israeli attacks in January 2009, is suing PM Ehud Olmert and other Israeli officials for “criminal negligence”.
• Health system in Gaza was further devastated during the Israeli aggression earlier this year, with 15 hospitals and 41 clinics damaged.
• Israel plans to demolish six homes and a mosque in villages south of Nablus, in an area surrounded by four illegal settlements.
• Hamas rejects U.S. intervention in Palestinian unity talks, after U.S. officials insisted Salam Fayyad, who recently resigned, must head any new government.

Feature:

An interview direct from Gaza City with Montreal engineer, activist and poet Ehab Lotayef, who just recently managed to enter into Gaza with the CodePink delegation. Amir Rizk from our sister station in Montreal talked with Ehab about the destruction and suffering he had seen so far in Gaza City and also about his difficulties in being able to cross through the Rafah border. Ehab had just hours before the interview gone to greet the Viva Palestina delegation from Britain headed by George Galloway that had also finally just managed to enter Gaza bringing medical supplies and ambulances.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a March 9th, 2009 article carried in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz about a court petition filed by the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din stating that Israel is violating international law by exploiting West Bank mineral resources for its own benefit.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• A high-ranking U.S. delegation is shocked to discover that items such as lentils and macaroni are included in the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
• The U.S. administration plans to spend most of its announced $900 million aid package on support for the appointed Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, not for reconstruction in Gaza; announcement came at an international conference supposedly to assist with rebuilding Gaza.
• Israeli group Peace Now reveals that the Israeli housing ministry is planning to nearly double the number of settlers in the occupied West Bank; Peace Now states this is only a small part of the overall expansion plan for the occupied territories.
• Palestinian leader Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi says there is no hope for peace with Israel after the recent elections and the new plans to built 73,000 new settlement units.
• Canadian Arab Federation issues a press release on the first day of Israeli Apartheid Week, calling for Canadian universities to uphold free speech; several Ontario universities have taken repressive measures against pro-Palestinian groups, including banning posters and disciplining students.

Feature:

An interview from Gaza City with Dr. Eyad Sarraj, first played on our sister station CKUT in Montreal in late January, 2009. Dr. Sarraj spoke about the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza, the destruction he had witnessed and called on listeners to support the global boycott Israel movement. The interview had been forwarded to us by Montreal activist Ehab Lotayef, who is currently in Egypt trying to enter Gaza and will be on our March 10th show.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a March 1st, 2009 Electronic Intifada article about the Israeli army harassment of the village of Jayyous and its mayor.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli forces open fire on Palestinian farmers and international volunteers in northern Gaza near Khan Younis; 4 farmers have been shot since January 27th, 2009 while working in their fields.
• Palestinian Muslim and Christian leaders denounce the Israeli settlement expansion in east Jerusalem, most recently in the Al Bustan neighbourhood whose residents just received home demolition orders from Israeli authorities.
• Amnesty International. calls for an arms embargo on Israel and Palestinian groups, and calls on the U.S. to stop supplying weapons to Israel.
• Israeli human rights group Btselem and Human Rights Watch say Israel is preventing them from entering Gaza to conduct independent investigations.

Feature:

A live interview with Ali Mallah from CUPE Ontario about the recent resolution passed over the weekend by CUPE Ontario workers to boycott Israeli universities. Ali gave background about CUPE’s leading role in the boycott movement and detailed the harassment being inflicted upon them by the Zionist lobby and even Canadian government officials. Ali, who is also VP of the Canadian Arab Federation, also told us about the slander campaign being launched against CAF leaders, specifically by Canadian cabinet minister Jason Kenney. Kenney has even threatened to cut funding given to CAF to help new immigrants. Ali concluded by calling on people to resist these attempts to silence the growing movement criticizing Israeli government policies.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a February 24th, 2009 report from the International Solidarity Movement in Palestine about the Israeli blockade and military curfew on Jayyous village in the occupied West Bank.

News Highlights:

• New settlement construction of 2500 more units expected for Efrat as the Israeli military takes over 425 acres of Palestinian land.
• Israeli political parties consider coalition partners ahead of announcement later this week as to who will form the next government.
• Israeli military officials admit its army could face significant difficulties justifying the destruction of so many civilian homes in Gaza during the recent aggression.
• Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency says Israel’s shunning of the nuclear proliferation treaty is a major obstacle to global disarmament.

Feature:

A live interview with Jay Cassano, from Students for Justice in Palestine, about the recent divestment of Hampshire College from companies involved in aiding Israeli occupation. Jay explained the 2-year process that had led up to this decision, and noted that Hampshire College was also the first U.S. college to divest from apartheid S. Africa. Jay explained that in both cases, the administration attempted to downplay the move publicly and concluded by calling on all people to engage in educational and boycott work.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a Feb. 16th, 2009 Electronic Intifada article about the rebuilding of the Islamic University of Gaza after Israeli bombing destroyed computer labs, science labs and other buildings. The article also detailed the connection of Israeli universities with the Israeli military, especially in research and development.

News Highlights:

• UN Secretary General appoints an inquiry into the deaths and destruction at UN facilities in Gaza during the Israeli aggression.
• Israeli forces destroy Bedouin Jahalin structures, leaving 30 homeless including 15 kids; this is just one expulsion in this community to make way for settlement expansion.
• Israeli elections show Kadima and Likud close in the results, and rightwing extremist Avigdor Lieberman whose party came in third says he will hold the key to forming the next government.
• Hamas says a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal will not happen until after the Israeli elections.
• Irish trade unionists to launch a boycott a boycott of Israeli goods.

Feature:

The first in-studio panel discussion of 2009 analyzed developments in the region, especially the Israeli elections and what is happening in the Palestinian political arena. The panel noted the move to more rightwing parties in the Israeli election, but also explained that for Palestinians it really didn’t make much difference as to which party formed the government, as it was Kadima and Labour who had led the brutal attacks on Gaza just weeks ago. Noted Israeli columnist Gideon Levy had said a few days before the elections that a Likud victory would remove the “lie of negotiations and the injustice of the peace process”. The panel also talked about the Palestinian political landscape, possibility of an upcoming prisoner release, and when and if Palestinian elections would happen.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a Feb. 10th, 2009 press release by the Canadian Arab Federation about harassment and defamation they are suffering from Bnai Brith.