(2018-12-22). Lebanon's border tense as Israel excavates 'Hezbollah tunnels'. aljazeera.com With Syria's war nearing an end, Israel turns its attention to tunnels allegedly dug by Hezbollah along Lebanese border.
(2018-12-22). Russia Offers to Host Palestine-Israel Peace Talks. telesurenglish.net Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow is offering to host meetings between chief Palestinian and Israeli officials in a bid to resolve the ongoing conflict between the two countries. | RELATED: | Israeli Forces Detain Palestine Reporters Filming Land Razing | "Given our special relations not only with Palestine but Israel as well, we want…
(2018-12-22). Amira Hass: Why Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent is still relevant. aljazeera.com The Israeli journalist covering Gaza and West Bank shares her thoughts on Noam Chomsky's Manufacturing Consent.
(2018-12-22). Trump Syria Pullout 'A Major Blow' To Israel: Experts. iranian.com US President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw troops from Syria has come as a "major blow" to Tel Aviv, according to Israeli analysts, Anadolu Agency reports. On Wednesday, Trump — citing the defeat of the Daesh terrorist group — announced that US troops would be withdrawn from the war-torn country. "It's time for our troops to come […]
(2018-12-22). Gideon Levy has No Sympathy for Colonists as a Group. therealnews.com 
Gideon Levy: all colonists and all Israelis share responsibility for the occupation and apartheid system in Palestine. There is sympathy for individuals, but there is no symmetry: the power is on the Israeli side
(2018-12-21). Donorbox Suspends BDS National Committee's Account After Threats from Israeli Legal Group. commondreams.org ______________________________…
(2018-12-21). States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back. thenation.com States Are Cracking Down on the Movement for Palestinian Rights—but Cities Are Pushing Back…
(2018-12-21). The Trump Administration Isn't Ending the Wars in Syria or Yemen — It's Only Shifting (and Fighting Over) Strategy. globalresearch.ca Amidst the steady gains of the Syrian army, which has reclaimed land from ISIS and various rebel factions since 2016, Trump has sought to market the destabilization of Syria as a success in his presidency. The move represents a shift in strategy in loss minimization for the Gulf-Israel-US axis in the Middle East.
(2018-12-21). Democrats Block Ocasio-Cortez's Green New Deal Committee. telesurenglish.net Despite weeks of protests demanding Democrats to push for a Green New Deal, the Democratic leadership blocked Thursday a proposal by congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to form a committee that would have drafted the New Deal project. | RELATED: | Ocasio-Cortez Won't Join AIPAC's Israel Trip | Instead, they've decided to back a plan by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to revive a global warming panel lead by representative Kathy Castor. | The move sparked controversy because Castor has di…
(2018-12-21). Donorbox Shutters BDS Fundraising After Complaint by Israeli-Government Linked Group. mintpressnews.com 
JERUSALEM (AP) — A U.S. software company said Friday it blocked the fundraising account of the Palestinian-led boycott movement against Israel following a complaint by a pro-Israel group that the campaign has links to militant organizations. | Donorbox, which makes fundraising management software, confirmed that the BDS campaign's account was temporarily blocked while it investigates the allegations. | The BDS movement called the Israeli move "McCarthyite." | The decision came in response to a complaint from Shurat HaDin, an Israeli advocacy group that files lawsuits around the world against Israel's foes,…
(2018-12-21). Is There a Plot to Depopulate Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon? counterpunch.org An eerie video composed of a recorded audio prayer and a photo of one 'Hajj Jamal Ghalaini' occasionally pops up on Facebook. The voice is that of an alleged religious sheikh, praying for the well-being of the man in the photo for saving the Palestinian refugee youth of Lebanon, by facilitating their departure to Europe. More
(2018-12-20). With Water Scarce & UN Food Aid Cut, Israeli Bev Co SodaStream Opens New Gaza Plant. mintpressnews.com Israeli company SodaStream announced it will open a new factory in besieged Gaza, where residents face a water shortage and UN aid cuts.
(2018-12-20). UN: Hezbollah Tunnels Do Not Have Exit Points in Israel. theantimedia.com 
(MEMO) — Hezbollah tunnels do not have exit points in Israel, the top UN peace keeping official said yesterday during a briefing at Security Council. Speaking during a session held under the request of Israel, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, confirmed the existence of at least two tunnels crossing the "Blue Line" — the …
(2018-12-20). Trump Publicly Admits His Middle East Policy Puts Israel First — Not America. theantimedia.com 
(MPN) — In a recent interview with the Washington Post, U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that his administration's Middle East policy — including the illegal U.S. military occupation of nearly a third of Syria, the administration's adoption of aggressive Iranian sanctions, and Trump's response to murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi — is not driven by his country's interest in oil but instead …
(2018-12-20). Senators Sneak Amendment to Make Israel Boycott Illegal. therealnews.com 
While Senators Cardin and Portman are trying to sneak a last-minute amendment into the budget bill to make BDS illegal — violating free speech — 26 states are also moving to make boycotts of Israel illegal. We speak to IPS's Phyllis Bennis about the anti-BDS efforts in the US
(2018-12-19). West Bank Uprising: Israel's Divide and Conquer Strategy Falls Apart. therealnews.com 
Shir Hever explains that the Israeli government's deal with the Hamas party undermined the incentive for Palestinian security coordination, as the Israeli military is dragged in to implement colonial policing. As a result, Hamas has never been stronger
(2018-12-19). Israel Tampered With Video of Strike That Killed Two Palestinian Boys, Investigators Say. theintercept.com 
A Forensic Architecture study suggests Israel's military manipulated video to mislead the public about whether its pilots could have seen two child victims.
(2018-12-18). Glenn Greenwald: Congress Is Trying to Make It a Federal Crime to Participate in Boycott of Israel. democracynow.org 
Twenty-six states have laws preventing state agencies from contracting with companies or individuals aligned with the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. BDS is an international campaign to pressure Israel to comply with international law and respect Palestinian rights. However, its opponents say BDS is a thinly disguised anti-Semitic attempt to debilitate or even destroy Israel. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of The Intercept. His latest piece is headlined "A Texas Elementary School Speech Pathologist Refused to Sign a Pro-Israel Oath, Now…
(2018-12-18). Headlines for December 18, 2018. democracynow.org Government Shutdown Looms as Trump Demands $5 Billion for Border Wall, Yemen: Fragile Ceasefire Takes Hold After Hodeidah Fighting Dies Down, Yemeni Mother of Dying 2-Year-Old Child Is Denied U.S. Entry, Ex-Associates of Michael Flynn Arrested over Illegal Turkish Lobbying, Senate Committee Claims Russia Targeted African Americans on Social Media, Nicaraguan Government Raids Journalists' Office, Human Rights Group, U.N. Appeals for Palestinian Aid as Trump Withdraws U.S. Support, Australia Recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's Undivided Capital, U.S. and Hungary Dissent as U.N. Votes 181 to 2 for Refugee Pact, Hungary…
(2018-12-18). Meet the Texas Speech Pathologist Who Lost School Job for Refusing to Sign Pro-Israel, Anti-BDS Oath. democracynow.org 
A Palestinian-American speech pathologist in Austin, Texas, has filed a federal lawsuit for losing her job after refusing to sign a pro-Israel oath. Bahia Amawi is an Arabic-speaking child language specialist who had worked for nine years in the Pflugerville Independent School District. But she lost her job last year after she declined to sign a pledge that she would "not boycott Israel during the term of the contract" and that she would not take any action that is "intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or limit commercial relations with Israel." We speak with Bahia Amawi and Gadeir Abbas, senior litiga…
(2018-12-18). Marc Lamont Hill Speaks Out After CNN Fires Him for Pro-Palestine Speech at U.N. democracynow.org 
Less than a month after CNN fired Temple University professor Marc Lamont Hill for giving a speech at the United Nations supporting Palestinian rights, we speak with him about the international attention his comments have received, academic freedom and why he feels it's more important than ever to speak out about Israeli human rights abuses. Marc Lamont Hill is a professor of media studies and urban education at Temple University. He is the author of several books, including "Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond." We also speak with Pulitzer Prize-winning journa…
(2018-12-18). The Rogue Crown Prince & the Dangerous US-Saudi-Israel Alliance. therealnews.com 
Col. Lawrence Wilkerson and Paul Jay discuss the US Senate resolution condemning Mohamed Bin Salman for the killing of Jamal Khashoggi; there is concern amongst the neocons of both major parties that MBS is undermining the strategy to weaken Iran
(2018-12-18). Don't Punish US Companies That Help End Abuses in the West Bank. hrw.org 
| | Barkan, located in the occupied West Bank, is an Israeli residential settlement and industrial zone that houses around 120 factories that export around 80 percent of their goods abroad. In the background is the Palestinian village of Qarawat Bani Hassan. © 2004 David Silverman | Today the US Congress is weighing draft legislation based on problematic logic that conflates a call for businesses to stop operating in West Bank settlements, which are unlawful under the 1949 Geneva Conventions that prohibit transferring…
(2018-12-17). A Texas Elementary School Speech Pathologist Refused to Sign a Pro-Israel Oath, Now Mandatory in Many States — so She Lost Her Job. theintercept.com A major attack on the First Amendment: No credible advocate of free expression can remain silent about this "free speech exception for Israel."
(2018-12-14). FRSO message to PFLP on 51st anniversary of founding. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO) to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). | Dear Comrades, | On the occasion of the 51st anniversary of the founding of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the leadership and members of Freedom Road Socialist Organization send our fraternal greetings, and our hopes that your future is marked by success upon success, and great victories in the struggle against the Zionist occupation and its imperialist backers.
| | The Palestinian resistance and efforts of t…
(2018-12-08). German Court Confirms BDS Advocacy is Protected Freedom of Expression and Assembly. bdsmovement.net 
German Court Confirms BDS Advocacy is Protected Freedom of Expression and Assembly: In the NewsA German court confirms that advocating for BDS and Palestinian rights constitutes freedom of expression and assembly, rights that are protected by the German constitution and are essential for democracy. The court ruled that the German city of Oldenburg unlawfully violated these fundamental rights when it revoked a perm…
(2018-12-06). Palestinians and Brazilians Call For Joint Struggle Against Israel-Bolsonaro Alliance. bdsmovement.net 
Palestinians and Brazilians Call For Joint Struggle Against Israel-Bolsonaro Alliance: BNC StatementWhile Brazil's new president wants to follow in the footsteps of Donald Trump moving the Brazilian embassy to Jerusalem, and Rio de Janeiro's new governor wants to buy Israeli weaponized drones, Palestinian and Rio de Janeiro's favelas' social movements call for a joint and global struggle agains…
(2018-11-20). Airbnb's Decision to Exit Israel's Illegal Settlements: A Partial Victory for Human Rights & Accountability. bdsmovement.net 
Airbnb's Decision to Exit Israel's Illegal Settlements: A Partial Victory for Human Rights & Accountability: BNC StatementAirbnb's decision to end its business in Israel's illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory is an important first step. It unfortunately fails to cover settlements in East Jerusalem, which is also occupied according to international law. All Isr…
(2018-11-14). The Crisis in Gaza and a Potential Ceasefire. zcomm.org Discussing the recent Israeli special forces operation inside the Gaza Strip that killed 7 Palestinians and one Israeli soldier, as well as Israeli air strikes and a potential ceasefire…
(2018-11-12). Palestine: Fadwa Tuqan's poems and data on women's education. zcomm.org And here is my second attempt at bridging the three areas: poems, justice and data visualization. This time, it's the Palestinian poet, Fadwa Tuqan, whose poems I have highlighted alongside some charts depicting the progress over the years on a number of women's education indicators in the West Bank and Gaza. (Earlier, I had used Read more…