The conference was a breakthrough not only regarding the number of participants but first of all because of its quality. It indicates a political shift which in most western countries is already in full swing. The two-state solution is being recognized more and more not only as deception and farce but as an outright support for Israeli apartheid. This change is due to the dramatic impact of the continuing blockade of Gaza, the Israeli military aggression on Gaza in January 2009 as well as the massacre on the Gaza freedom flotilla. Outstanding orator was Ilan Pappé, an Israel historian teaching in England. He was setting the line: A Jewish state cannot be other than colonial oppressing the Palestinians. There is no such thing as progressive Zionism. On the contrary Pappé compared … [read more]

Equality – or nothing (Edward W. Said) The speakers were the Israeli historian Prof. Ilan Pappé from the University of Exeter (U.K.), Prof. Haidar Eid from the Al Aqsa University Gaza, Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh from Bir Zeit University Ramallah, the co-founder of the Internet Portal Electronic Intifada Ali Abunimah, the Palestinian activist Lubna Masarwa, the international law expert from Hamburg Prof. Norman Paech, the journalist and human rights activist Evelyn Hecht-Galinski, Annette Groth MP from the parliamentary fraction of the left party (DIE LINKE), lawyer Jörg Lang, and Attia Rajab and Verena Rajab from the Stuttgart Palestine Committee. The jazz musician Gilad Atzmon supported the conference with his welcome address. The actress Julianna Herzberg and Samir Mansour with his … [read more]

Maryam Abu Dagga was interviewed be the Intifada Magazine during her participation in the 9th International Symposium against Isolation, held in Vienna on December 4-5, 2010. Intifada: Recently you spoke in different meetings and forums in Berlin, Copenhagen and other European cities. What is your impression of the European solidarity movement? Maryam Abu Dagga (M.A.D): First of all thank you for this meeting. Living in Gaza under the siege is very hard, and after the war our suffering and problems have gotten worse, especially for the people of our party. We have many problems and many difficulties to move. So it is only at very few times that we have the possibility to meet people internationally to speak about our problems. This occasion is very important for me and for the … [read more]

Brothers, Sisters and comrades, I am glad and honoured to be addressing you for this event. I would like to tell you that from the start of our Palestinian revolutionary movement, we knew we were not alone, that our struggle was part of the international struggle. This makes us continue our struggle without fear in facing zionism and imperialism, especially US imperialism, as we know people around the world are with us practically and not just theoretically. We have learnt from history that when a people is occupied and oppressed they will revolt to liberate themselves using all methods including armed struggle, which is also enshrined in the UN Charta. Our homeland has been occupied since 1948, and I Leila Khaled have been a refugee for 62 years like 6 million other … [read more]

Makhoul’s lawyers further secured a ruling from the Nazareth District Court, September 14th, upholding Makhoul’s right to direct and confidential access to counsel. Makhoul’s right to counsel as a citizen of Israel had been routinely violated by prison authorities, who had been officially and conspicuously wire-tapping his conversations, conducted across glass barriers via telephone, with his lawyers. Background Sixteen members of Israel Security Agency, commonly known in English as the Shin Bet, abducted Mr. Makhoul from his home at 3:00 am on May 6th, 2010. They searched his home and office, seizing personal items belonging to Makhoul and his family, as well as office equipment, documents and databases. Makhoul was detained incommunicado. A sweeping “gag order” was … [read more]

During the first era of the occupation 1967-1993, the Zionist occupation imposed a plan of shattering and terminating the productive structure of WBG economy, confiscating land for its colonies, closing large farming areas for its military training, dumping the local market with its products and cutting all export import links with other countries, a policy that made the local economy captive to the occupation economy. The occupation destructive policy continued during the second stage of the occupation (1993 until today) under the Palestinian Authority (PA) regime which contributes to the deepening of the crisis but in a different manner. Israeli terminating policy of the first era which continued through the second era is essentially a de-development policy that has made the social … [read more]

Founded in 1983 the “Islamic Jihad” (IJ) has been the first Islamic organisation which took up arms and joined the struggle for the liberation of Palestine. It offered the first Islamic alternative to the secular project of Arafat even before the Muslim Brotherhood created Hamas and embarked on the armed struggle. The political difference between IJ and Hamas is that the first puts national liberation before the Islamisation of society. Inspired by the Islamic revolution in Iran its founder Fathi Shikaki (born 1951 and assassinated 1995 in Malta) absorbed many social and political elements not only from Shiite political Islam but also from the secular left and the Pan-arabist movement. His book “Khomeini: The Islamic Solution and the Alternative” which appeared in 1979 can be … [read more]

“Palestinian guests in Lebanon are working with total freedom. First of all we do not refer to them as “refugees”. They are our brothers who are suffering and in a very difficult situation that they did not cause and they have lost their country. They sought our help in Lebanon as brothers. You Americans really need to understand that in our Arab, Muslim, and Christian culture, you help your brother. You share with him your loaf of bread. You split it in half and give half to your brother. So out of this sacred tradition, out of the long history that binds us with our Palestinian brothers we host them in Lebanon temporarily until they can go back to their country. But while they are here, of course Lebanon is living through a difficult situation ourselves but our Palestinian … [read more]

Founded in 1975 by Ibrahim Ghonaim the Haraka Islamiyyah Muhjahida is considered to be the oldest Islamic movement within the Palestinian refugee camp Ain el Hilweh, Lebanon, which embarked on the armed struggle in order to liberate Palestine. It participated in the resistance against the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1978 and 1982. In 1990 Jamal Khattab took over the leadership of the group. As a graduate from the American University of Beirut he shaped a moderate face for the movement and focused on media work. Beside Usbat al-Ansar (considered close to Al Quaida) and Ansar Allah (considered close to Hezbollah) JIM with some 200 fighters is the third armed Salafi force in the camp. It is, however, politically more articulated and wields a wider field of influence which leads to a … [read more]

28.07.2010 The Sumud centre was cleaned and enough chairs were prepared. Visitors from inside the camp were expected, who were also excited to meet the historical figure again. Thirty minutes before the scheduled arrival the electricity was cut. Ironic comments were heard in the dark place ‘Well, this shouldn’t be a surprise’; ‘Let’s get some candles, the meeting will be romantic’; ‘You think we should move to the PFLP office?’…. More interesting was the scene outside, as Nashet activists and two old PFLP guards neighbouring the building: - Comrade, you have an electricity generator. Can you lend us some electricity? - Our generator is too small. It barely runs the refrigerator and two lamps! - Please comrade, it is Leila Khaled coming! - And even if it was … [read more]

Tuesday, August 3: A new war to come? On Tuesday, we heard about the escalation at the border in the south that had happened the day before. The Israelis decided to cut a tree on the Lebanese territory because the tree didn’t allow an Israeli camera the full view on the Lebanese land which they seek to observe. The Lebanese army didn’t give the permission to cut the tree on their territory and as the Israelis did it anyway the Lebanese started to shoot. At first they shot in the air as a warning, then they shot on target. The result was three dead on the Lebanese side (two soldiers and one journalist), one on the Israeli side, many injured on both sides, and the danger of a new war to begin. In the camp we discussed about that issue with the Palestinian refugees. We wanted to … [read more]

Meeting Hamas Thursday evening, July 29, one part of the delegation met the Hamas leader of Beirut and Saida, Abu Achmad Alfatel while the others remained in Beirut to visit Al Akhbar Newspaper. Abu Achmad Alfatel explained the delicate situation of the Palestinian people in Gaza to the participants. Since the elections in 2006, political conditions have tightened through the extended embargo and the general isolation from the rest of the world, which makes daily life very difficult. It seems to him that the western governments were ready to accept the elections, but not the unexpected result - this gives a clear idea of western perception of democracy. Due to the 2009 war in Gaza 70% of the region is destroyed, there exist hardly any infrastructure: ‘We live like in stone age’, … [read more]

Now, Israel is moving towards the criminal prosecution of those who advocate Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) as tools to press Israeli compliance with international law and norms in its Apartheid rule and occupation of the Palestinian people. It is targeting BDS activists for lengthy interrogations and arrest for nonviolent resistance. Its diplomats are considering intervening against BDS successes in localities, such as Olympia, Washington, where a food coop joined the boycott of Israeli goods. This movement, people must understand, is spurned by the failure of governments to bring justice to the Palestinians, a point recently made by Antony Lowenstein. As BDS grows, it’s shaping up as a truly global movement. This is an open call from Indian academics, writers and … [read more]

In total some 1,000 people attended. There was the Arab left represented by personalities like Omar Barghouti, the coordinator of the campaign for Boycott, Disinvestment and Sanctions (BDS), Jamal Jumaa of Stop the Wall, Heidar Eid (by video link from Gaza), a political leader of the campaign to lift the blockade, recognised across the factions, or Abd el-Latif Gheith, chairman of the prisoners support association Adameer from Jerusalem (also by internet transmission) – to name only a few. Ahmed Saadat, leader of the PFLP lingering in Zionist jail, sent an address. A good portion of the participants came from Abnaa el-Balad, “children of the land”, the engine of the committee for a secular democratic state. There were also several Jewish Israeli partcipants like the professors Ilan … [read more]

Carrying approximately 310 passengers -including workers, students, public figures and activists- the convoy was packed with symbolic food supplies which the besieged strip is deprived of, as a result of the Israeli-imposed siege and Egypt’s refusal to allow these banned items through. The convoy was co-organized by various Egyptian entities including syndicates; political parties and organizations active in supporting the Palestinian cause. Our convoy action came in light of Egypt’s decision on 1 June 2010 to “open” the Rafah border crossing “indefinitely.” If applied as spin-doctors marketed it to public opinion, Egypt’s pledge would practically end the siege of Gaza and the suffering of its people, which is why it was hailed by the state-run media as a “master … [read more]

We thank the many hundreds of dedicated activists for the rights of the Palestinian people and for justice and freedom that made the long way from different parts of Palestine and from all over the world and shared with us their enthusiasm and insights through three long days of networking, discussions and commitment to struggle together for the just cause. We thank the many hundreds of organizations and individuals that couldn’t come to attend the conference but send us their warm greetings and supportive messages or signed the petition in support of the goals of the conference. We want to assure all of you that our common effort was not in vain. The conference was an important step forward for analyzing the roots of the racist regime, critically study many different experiences … [read more]

Palestinian and European youth worked jointly in renovating a building, which had been destroyed in the successive sieges and bombardments of the camp. The restored building became a multipurpose community centre, a place of interchange, memory and civil commitment, a meeting point for all the young Palestinian of the refugee camp: the Cultural Centre “Sumud”. This year, Sumud starts the second phase: a new brigade will go to the camp. With the help of the collected donations, further restoration and furnishing works will be carried out in the centre. The target of this year is even more ambitious: beside the voluntary works in the building, a film making workshop will be held for Palestinian and Lebanese youth, as well as for the international volunteers, whose task will also be … [read more]

As Palestinians living inside Israel commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba; Israel continues its political persecutions of Palestinian leaders, recently arresting two veteran activists: Dr. Omar Said, a political activist and Mr. Ameer Makhoul- director of Ittijah and chairman of the Popular Committee for the Defense of the Political Freedoms. The arrests were conducted in fierce violation of basic human and civil rights and mark an alarming escalation in Israel's political persecutions to anyone who defies its institutionalized policies of discrimination. Ameer Makhoul and Omar Said join a long list of political persecutions routinely practiced by Israel's General Security Service 'Shabak', including denying professor Noam Chomsky, a Jewish political activist, … [read more]

United against Israeli apartheid and colonialism The Second Haifa Conference for the Return of the Palestinian Refugees and for the Democratic Secular State in Historic Palestine (28-30 May 2010) The goals of the conference are to: • Raise awareness and interest in a solution based on the return of the refugees and the democratic secular state locally and internationally. • Provide a forum for the free exchange of opinions and experiences between the supporters of the project, leading to common activities. • Create follow-up and coordination mechanisms to build the movement. Lawyer Salma Wakeem, from the preparatory committee of the conference, sees the conference as “a qualitative step in the building of a world-wide progressive movement that is based on the … [read more]

Last week, the Secretary-General of the PFLP -through written answers to Reuters- has warned against more peace talks with Israel, saying a resumption of negotiations will not achieve Palestinian goals and deepen divisions among Palestinians. He said the Middle East conflict could only be resolved through the creation of a state shared by Palestinians and Jews. The talks proposed by the United States to revive the two-decade old peace process aimed to hide “American impotence” and US President Barack Obama’s failure to make good on promises of a new beginning with the Muslim world, he said. (sources: the News.com / … [read more]