LATEST NEWS

Israel defies US: 240 new homes on Palestinian land
guardian.co.uk--Rory McCarthy--June 23, 2009
Israel's defence ministry has proposed legalising 60 existing homes at a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, and building another 240 homes at the site, despite US calls for a halt to settlement growth. Construction at the outpost, known as Water Reservoir Hill, near the Talmon settlement, north of Ramallah, would "greatly damage" the freedom of movement of Palestinian farmers in the area, according to Bimkom, an Israeli planning rights group.It said the construction plan was put forward for public inspection shortly after the Israeli government was formed this spring and was first approved by Ehud Barak, the defence minister. It was now awaiting final approval. Click here to read article.

Neocon enemies, using diplomacy, reach deal for Shalit's release
Salon.com--by Glenn Greenwald--June 26, 2009
Last night, I noted the sudden and obviously hypocritical concern about detainee abuse emerging from The Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb now that the transfer of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by the Palestinians to Egypt appears imminent and it's time to exploit his detention...Goldfarb also tries to attribute this deal for Shalit's release to the heroism of Benjamin Netanyahu...it was not Netanyahu, but numerous other parties -- Jimmy Carter, Egypt, Syria and the Obama administration -- who engineered the agreement to transfer Shalit from Gaza to Egypt (followed eventually by his release to Israel, pending the release by Israel of Palestinian prisoners). Click here to read article.

Carter decries Gaza destruction
CNN--June 16, 2009
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday on a visit to Gaza that he had to "hold back tears" when he saw the destruction caused by the deadly campaign Israel waged against Gaza militants in January..."I come to the American school which was educating your children, supported by my own country. I see it's been deliberately destroyed by bombs from F16s made in my country and delivered to the Israelis." Click to read.

Chomsky: What Obama Didn't Say in His Cairo Address Speaks Volumes About His Mideast Policy
Noam Chomsky, AlterNet.org-- June 4, 2009.
"A CNN headline, reporting Obama's plans for his June 4 address in Cairo, Egypt, reads "Obama looks to reach the soul of the Muslim world." Perhaps that captures his intent, but more significant is the content hidden in the rhetorical stance, or more accurately, omitted...."
Click here to read article.

Obama's "interference" in Israeli politics
by Glenn Greenwald--salon.com--June 3, 2009
Both Likud Party members in Israel as well as their Americans supporters – including members of both parties in the U.S. Congress – are beginning to complain that the Obama administration is unduly "interfering" in Israeli politics by insisting on a full cessation of settlement growth.  The Jerusalem Post today reports:  "US President Barack Obama's administration's criticism of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's policies has crossed the line into interfering in Israeli politics, top Likud ministers and MKs said Tuesday".Click here to read article.

Pattern Recognition: Why Israel's favorite rhetorical device is no longer effective
TPMCafe--May 21, 2009--by Liel Liebovitz
As a former pawn in Israel's foreign ministry, stationed in New York, the one thing I miss most is not the diplomatic visa, the corner office overlooking the United Nations, or the ability to park anywhere in Manhattan with impunity. What I find myself yearning for is...
Click here to read article

IDF admits indiscriminate killing
Time Magazine--3/21/09
Whenever concerns are expressed over civilian casualties inflicted in Israeli military operations, the country's generals and political leaders are quick to insist that theirs is the "world's most moral army." That claim was challenged by human rights observers over Israel's recent offensive in Gaza...read more
 

New teargas canister used by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians

An aid convoy led by George Galloway has arrived in Gaza after travelling more than 5,000 miles
SKY - March 10, 2009 The Viva Palestina convoy left Hyde Park in London on Valentine's Day, with more than 100 vehicles driven by volunteers including British MP George Galloway. They brought aid worth more than £1.5m including medical supplies, clothes, food and toys as well as 20 ambulances, two buses, a fire engine and a fishing boat.

"Our message is we are all Palestinians now," Mr. Galloway said upon entering Gaza. "Now we want the siege of Gaza lifted and the Rafah crossing completely open."

There had been doubts over whether the convoy would reach its destination after a dispute between the organizers and Egyptian officials over non-medical aid.

Evidence of Phosphorous use in Gaza-  BBC Photo

Israel and Hamas Agree to a Cease-Fire

Israel's attack on Gaza has ended and Hamas has agreed to hold fire until Sunday, January 25th to allow Israeli troops to leave.  The result of the Israeli offensive:

50 UN facilities and 21 medical facilities were damaged.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has described the damage in Gaza as "appalling". Israel has agreed to investigate claims that white phosphorous was used in Gaza attacks. The use of white phosphorous on civilians is a breach of international law.

More on the humanitarian situation in Gaza

Information on U.S. Military Aid for Israeli forces attacking Gaza.

Gaza: A Way to Help Now

The Coalition for Peace with Justice is sending donations to Al Ahli Hospital, a medical facility operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem which provides care to Gazans hurt in the conflict.

Recommended Reading:
I Need You My Son
by Mazin Qumsiyeh
Mazin Qumsiyeh is a Professor at Bethlehem University. He served on the board/steering/executive committees of a number of groups including Peace Action Education Fund, the US Campaign to End the Occupation, the Palestinian American Congress, Association for One Democratic State in Israel/Palestine, and BoycottIsraeliGoods.org. He is now president of the Palestinian Center for Rapprochement Between People.  He is an active member of a number of human rights groups. Several of his books have been published including the acclaimed "Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human Rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle".

Remembering the Nakba  
As Israel and many throughout the world celebrate the Birth of Israel, we believe it is important to reflect upon the circumstances under which Israel became a nation.  We must remember the 700,000 Palestinians who lost their homes, and the thousands who lost their lives, as Zionists expelled much of the indigenous population of Palestine to create a state of Jewish exclusivity.  Visit our Remembering the Nakba page for links to many educational resources.

Recommended Viewing:
Land of the Settlers
Land of the Settlers is a five part documentary created by Chaim Yavin, famed Israeli news anchor.  In these two clips Hebron and Security Checkpoints, we see a glimpse of the powerful series which aired on Israeli Channel 2 in 2005, causing much controversy for its criticism of the settlements and Israeli settlers.

Recent CPWJ Activity
Coalition members Mary Lou Smith and John Crane were recently in Israel/Palestine taking part in Sabeel's 7th international conference, "The Nakba, Memory, Reality and Beyond." They also visited organizations such as Hope Flowers School and Wi'am. "It's been fantastic to reconnect with peace advocates from around the world," Mary Lou writes.  John was able to take video footage showing how the situation has progressed on the ground, between 2005 and now. Stay tuned for more complete reports from them.

Poll: American voters’ support of Israel drops
From JTA--The Global News Service of the Jewish People--June 15, 2009

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- American voters' support for Israel has dropped 20 percent in the past nine months, a new survey found.

Some 49 percent of American voters call themselves supporters of Israel, down from 69 percent last September, according to the poll conducted for The Israel Project.

The number of voters who called themselves undecided rose during that same period, and the number of Palestinian supporters remained steady at 7 percent. The number of Israel supporters hit a low of 38 percent immediately following the 2005 disengagement from Gaza, with an equal rise in undecided voters.

The poll was conducted among 800 registered voters on June 2 and 3 by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. It has not been officially released by The Israel Project, but was leaked to the media by someone who received the numbers the day after the poll was completed on Thursday.

According to the poll, some 44 percent of voters believe the United States should support Israel, down from 69 percent a year ago. Some 5 percent of voters believe the United States should support the Palestinians, with 32 percent undecided.

Some 23 percent of voters believed that Israel should return all lands captured in 1967, with 57 percent saying some should be retained for security.

Some 66 percent of those polled do not believe that Israeli support of a two-state solution -- including establishing an independent Palestinian state and stopping the expansion of settlements -- will  bring lasting peace to the region, with 22 percent saying it will. In addition, 48 percent believe the Israeli support would not end Palestinian terrorism; 39 percent said it would.

Some 85 percent of respondents believe that Iran is a serious threat to Israel, with only 7 percent saying it is not -- figures that have remained virtually unchanged over the past year.