News Highlights:

• European parliamentarian Luisa Morgantini says Israel must stop its executions and extrajudicial killings and calls on the EU to take a firm position.
• Azmi Bishara resigns from the Israeli Knesset while in Egypt and his party is calling for a total lifting of the gag order on the Israeli investigation against Bishara, to allow him to clear his name.
• Hezbollah says there are serious talks regarding a prisoner swap with Israel, but they insist on the release of all Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli jails.
• Critics called for the resignation of the Canadian Defense Minister after fresh charges that Afghan prisoners handed over by Canadian troops to local authorities, had been tortured.

Feature:

The feature was a live interview over the phone with Jewish American singer/songwriter David Rovics about his work and his upcoming trip to Vancouver. David spoke about what motivated him to sing for oppressed peoples all over the world and also what he had seen and experienced during his trips to Palestine. Several of David’s songs were also played and some description of the lyrics presented. (Ed. Note – David was barred from entering Canada the day after this interview, but the Palestine Centre in Vancouver went ahead with a reception to honor him and presented him, in absentia, with an appreciation award.)

Focus on Zionism:

Due to the length of the feature, Focus was not carried this week.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Palestinians mark annual “Prisoners Day” and call for the release of their relatives and political leaders in Israeli jails.
• There are 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners including 398 children and 110 women; Palestinian cabinet minister says 4000 of the Palestinian detainees have not even been tried, including 40 MPs.
• Palestinian village of Bilin will hold 2nd annual Int’l. Conference to highlight non-violent resistance to the Israeli occupation; Bilin has last 60% of its agricultural land to the apartheid wall and has been holding weekly demos for over 2 years.
• Israeli PM says in interview on CBC TV that Palestinian demands for a prisoner exchange are “too high” and also claims he is ready to meet Saudi Arabia.
• Reporters Without Borders condemns Palestinian police actions against a crowd of journalists demonstrating in Gaza in support of release of BBC’s Alan Johnston.

Feature:

The special feature was an interview with Vancouver-East MP Libby Davies from Ottawa about the newly formed Canada Palestine Parliamentary Association. Libby spoke about how the group was formed to try and ensure that Canadian foreign policy was in the best interests of the Palestinian people and how she had felt there had been a need for this group for many years. There was also discussion of how supporters of Palestinian human rights needed to make their views known to their politicians, including within the NDP.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an April 13th, 2007 Guardian article about how the National Union of Journalists in Britain had voted for a boycott of Israeli goods.

Here is an audio file of this show:

Highlights:

• List of Palestinian detainees to be included in any prisoner swap for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is released; list includes Marwan Bargouthi and Ahmed Saadat.
• Detained Palestinian mother, whose baby was born in jail, appeals to be included in any prisoner exchange.
• MK Azmi Bishara may resign from the Israeli Knesset; he is currently travelling to Arab countries and has called on Hamas and other Arabs to stop making concessions for a non-existent peace process.
• Joyce Hurndall, mother of British peace activist Tom Hurndall shot by an Israeli sniper, releases new book called “Defy the Stars”

Feature:

We presented the second in a series of highlights from the third annual Palestine Lives Conference, held March 31, 2007 at McMaster University in Hamilton. The conference was organized by SPHR Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights, a student group on campus, and brought together activists and academics from across Canada. Excerpts of the presentation on Canadian foreign policy and Palestine by Hanna Kawas were played.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an article by Sonja Karkar, from Women for Palestine, entitled The Ghosts of Deir Yassin. The article was carried on Znet and marked the anniversary of the April 9/48 massacre of Palestinian villagers in Deir Yassin by Zionist terror gangs.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Israeli forces stormed East Jerusalem’s Shufat refugee camp in the middle of the night and told 300 Palestinians they had 2 weeks to leave their homes.
• Rescue efforts continue in northern Gaza after the sewage flood that killed 5 people; eleven Palestinians are still missing and 250 homes were damaged.
• Leaders of Christian churches in Jerusalem release an Easter message, urging Christians around the world to help end the economic embargo on the Palestinians.
• Palestinian cabinet minister Mustafa Bargouthi says Canada risks isolation after government officials refused to meet with him; Dr. Bargouthi, an independent who is the new Palestinian information minister and has met with Canadian officials many times before, said Canada could end up standing alone with Israel.
• Canadian MPs announce the formation of the Canada Palestine Parliamentary Association that will help “ensure Canada’s foreign policy…is in the best interests of the Palestinian people”.

Feature:

The third annual Palestine Lives conference was held at McMaster University in Hamilton on March 31st, 2007. The conference, sponsored by Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights SPHR, brought together a wealth of informed speakers from across Canada. Highlights of the presentation by Prof. David Noble from York University entitled “Repression against Palestine Solidarity Organizing”, in which he talked about his lawsuit against the university in regards to the influence of the Israeli lobby, were played.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of the Btselem March 28th, 2007 report about the new settlement being established in Hebron and calling for its evacuation.

Here is an audio file of this show:

This show includes a live interview with two members of the freexero.com collective about their upcoming exhibition entitled “The wall of Nablus – From the Romans to Hamas”.

Here is an audio file of this show:

News Highlights:

• Dozens of Israeli settlers occupy Palestinian home still under construction in Hebron/Alkhalil, alleging they bought it; settlers have attempted this before with another building and Palestinian owner says all the ownership documents are in his possession.
• Arab League SG Amr Moussa calls on Israel to restart Mideast negotiations based on the 2002 Arab initiative, which will be reaffirmed at the League Summit on March 28th.
• Norwegian official is the first European diplomat to hold talks with the new Palestinian unity government, as he meets with PM Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza; Israel is pressuring international community to boycott the new government.
• U.S. official holds talks with new Palestinian Finance Minister, one of four Palestinian cabinet ministers it will reportedly deal with.
• 4th anniversary of the murder of American peace activist Rachel Corrie by an Israeli military bulldozer is marked by opening the first home in a rebuilding campaign in Gaza.

Feature:

Our guest live on the phone from Palestine/Israel was Mia Amir, an Israeli-born organizer, poet and researcher. Mia, who now lives in Canada, explained why she was in Palestine/Israel, what she had seen, and what her experiences had been. She related one story of a Palestinian woman friend from Deheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem, who works in Jerusalem, and had to get up at 4 am to travel a torturous and dangerous route around the separation wall to get to her job (previously a 15 minute trip). There was also discussion about the strategies for peace in the area and ways to support the Palestinian people.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a March 19th, 2007 ISM press release about a photo exhibit by Palestinian Khaled Jarrar showing the daily suffering of Palestinians at Israeli checkpoints.

Here is an audio file of this show: