News Highlights:

Feature:

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News Highlights:

• Israel bombs Lebanon for the 7th day, killing another 29 people, and raising the death toll to more than 250 Lebanese, mostly civilians; there is also heavy destruction on ports, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.
• Israeli cabinet says that Israel intends to create a “buffer zone” in south Lebanon; so far, 25 Israelis have died, 13 of them civilians.
• July 17th – Israeli jets fire missiles at people fleeing the fighting in south Lebanon, killing 12 civilians, including 7 Canadians.
• U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice says there should be a ceasefire when “conditions are conducive to do so”; U.S. administration says it is not backing calls for an immediate ceasefire.

Feature:

A live studio interview with Arik, an Israeli peace activist and refusenik, who is currently visiting Vancouver. Arik spoke movingly about what prompted him to refuse his service with the Israeli army, despite enormous social pressure to stay quiet. Arik also detailed his experiences here in Vancouver with Jews for a Just Peace and announced upcoming events at which he would be speaking. There was also discussion of the current Israeli invasion into Lebanon, and an article by leading Israeli activist Uri Avnery in which he compares this latest aggression with Israel’s 1982 invasion.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a July 16th, 2006 article from the British Observer with eyewitness reports from the aftermath of the deadly Israeli air strike on civilian vehicles fleeing south Lebanon, that left 20 people dead, including many children and seven Canadians.

News Highlights

• More than 50 Palestinians, including many civilians especially children, have been killed since Israel started its wide scale offensive into Gaza.
• 6 Israeli human rights groups have petitioned the Israeli High Court demanding an end to Israeli measures that harm the Palestinian civilian population.
• Palestinian Ministry of Health calls for an investigation into reports of a new kind of Israeli weapon that may contain toxic or radioactive materials.
• July 9th marks the two-year anniversary of the International Court of Justice ruling, declaring the apartheid wall illegal; despite that, Israel continues to build the barrier.

Feature:

A live interview from Ramallah, Palestine with Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi, president of the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees UPMRC and secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative. Dr. Bargouthi spoke movingly of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and also commented on the lack of international response. He talked about the role of the UPMRC and how they are trying to cope in such difficult circumstances. Dr. Bargouthi had been invited to the World Peace Forum, but was unable to attend. Nonetheless, he was attacked in the Vancouver Sun and he responded to their outrageous accusations. Finally, he concluded by calling on supporters here, especially those in the Palestinian community, to become more active in sending medical aid and doing educational work.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of an article in the July 10th, 2006 Israeli newspaper Haaretz about the last meal of the Wahba family in Gaza who were killed by an Israeli missile while eating lunch in their home.

News Highlights:

• Switzerland says Israel is violating international law in its Gaza offensive, especially with collective punishment of the civilian Palestinian population.
• Amnesty Int’l also describes Israel’s attacks as war crimes, and calls on Israel to rebuild the infrastructure it deliberately damaged, especially the water and electricity networks.
• Palestinian officials say they are close to an agreement over the release of the captured Israeli soldier.
• Palestinian Bedouin community will file a counter-report to the U.N. detailing the systemic discrimination they face in Israel.

Feature

A live interview with Howie Hawkins, from the U.S. Green Party, who is calling for Israel to halt its attacks on Gaza. Hawkins, who is a candidate for the U.S. Senate in N.Y. and is running against Hilary Clinton, gave details of the statement he released on July 2nd criticizing Israel’s practices in Gaza and calling for an even-handed approach. The U.S. Green Party is taking a principled stand for justice in the Middle East and some members are also pushing for divestment from Israel.

Focus on Zionism:

Excerpts of a July 3th, 2006 article in Haaretz by Gideon Levy about the illegitimacy of Israel’s collective punishment on Gaza.

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News Highlights:

• Fateh and Hamas will form a Palestinian national unity government.
• Israeli PM Ehud Olmert rules out any negotiations over release of an Israeli soldier held by Palestinian fighters; soldier was taken in a pre-dawn attack on an Israeli tank.
• Palestinian groups are calling for soldier to be exchanged for Palestinian female and under-age prisoners.
• Hundreds of Israeli soldiers and vehicles are amassed on Gaza’s border, while diplomatic efforts continue.
• Lutheran vocational centre in Beit Hanina (Jerusalem), opened in 1949, is being strangled by apartheid wall, which runs just 150 metres in front of the school; most students and staff cannot reach the school because they now lack the correct permits.

Feature:

Two special guests were live in the studio, Dr. Nurit Peled-Elhanan and Miko Peled. Nurit, an Israeli education professor, was in town for the World Peace Forum and made two presentations, one at a public meeting and the other the keynote speech to the Educators Forum. She spoke about the racism in the Israeli educational system, and how it is impacting young Israelis. Nurit had been the focus of an outrageous attack in the Vancouver Sun, the local CanWest paper notorious for its pro-Israeli views. Miko, an activist in San Diego, spoke about how there must be equality between Palestinians and Israelis, and that his experiences had brought him to support a single, democratic secular state.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a press release from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights in Gaza about the complete land and sea closure of the Gaza Strip and how this collective punishment is affecting the Palestinian civilians there.

Here is an audio file of this show: