(2018-12-25). Bethlehem: Woodcraftsmen struggle to keep Xmas tradition alive. aljazeera.com As tourists begin to arrive in Bethlehem, Palestinian craftspeople are hoping that a difficult year will end well.
(2018-12-25). Ex-Israel PM: Netanyahu Not Fit To Remain Prime Minister. iranian.com Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak said yesterday that Benjamin Netanyahu is not fit to continue to serve in his position as prime minister, Quds Press reported. "Netanyahu cannot concentrate on anything and does not remember whether his wife was in Nicaragua or Guatemala," Barak said. "Netanyahu is no more trusted." He added: "Netanyahu's role is to […]
(2018-12-25). Congress Is Trying to Use the Spending Bill to Criminalize Boycotts of Israel. indybay.org According to recent reports, congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle are planning to sneak a bill criminalizing politically motivated boycotts of Israel into the end-of-the-year omnibus spending bill.
(2018-12-24). The Pernicious Walls in Bethlehem, Palestine, and Around the World. counterpunch.org As the countdown for the 2018 Christmas festivities begins, the tiny Palestinian village of Beit Lahem (Arabic for Bethlehem/House of Bread), is in its 51st year of a brutal occupation. Not unlike previous occupiers, the Israelis, employing the most sophisticated surveillance technology, are ruling Palestine with the harshest, most hateful, and most egregiously atrocious laws More
(2018-12-24). Israel tries to wreck Christmas for Palestinians. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN — The Ma'an press agency is reporting, December 23, that once again Israeli authorities are refusing to give Palestinian Christians in Gaza travel permits that would allow them to celebrate Christmas with loved ones in other parts of Palestine, or to visit Bethlehem. | The Ma'an article states "The Israeli occupation annually obstructs the travel of Palestinian Christians from Gaza to Bethlehem and Jerusalem to attend Christmas celebrations and be reunited with their families in the occupied West Bank." | In a related development, Israeli troops shot and killed four demonstrators in Gaza, Fr…
(2018-12-24). Honduras Aims to Move Embassy From Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. telesurenglish.net Honduras is in the midst of negotiations with Israel over a possible move of its embassy to Jerusalem. | RELATED: | Colombia: President-Elect Duque Considers Embassy Move to Jerusalem in Support of Israel | The Central American country, who's neoliberal President Juan Orlando Hernandez (JOH) is known for often capitulating to theUnited States interests, has sent a delegation to meet Israeli officials Sunday to talk about the potential move of its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem…
(2018-12-24). Israel: Netanyahu's Coalition Collapses, Early Elections Called. telesurenglish.net Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition collapsed Monday and an early general election was decided for April 9. The elections were supposed to be held in November. | RELATED | Israeli Soldiers Fire on Unknown Gunmen at Syria Border | A common refrain made by Netanyahu since the last elections in 2015 is that his coalition will last for four years, a fact that has not yet materialized. | "With God's help, we will win," said the prime minister who wants to form the same coa…
(2018-12-24). Israeli Soldiers Fire on Unknown Gunmen at Syria Border. telesurenglish.net Israeli troops fired at alleged "gunmen" near the Syrian border without knowing exactly if they had intentions to enter their territory. | RELATED: | US: Trump's New Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan A War Hawk | News agencies reported that Israeli soldiers have fired on "several gunmen" at the border with Syria in the Golan Heights. | The Israeli Defe…
(2018-12-24). Turkish President Erdogan Slams Netanyahu On Twitter. iranian.com Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarked on a new war of words, with the two heads trading insults again on Sunday. Erdogan slammed Netanyahu as an "oppressor", following the Israeli Prime Minister's claim that he had massacred Kurds. "You are an oppressor, cruel and at the head of state terror," […]
(2018-12-24). Dem. Rep. of Congo Postpones Election While US Props up President Kabila. therealnews.com 
After 58 years of repression, the battle for democracy picks up in the DRC, while PResident Joseph Kabila continues to enjoy unquestioned support from the US and has an Israeli security company working for him. We speak to Maurice Carney
(2018-12-23). Zarif Claims No One In Islamic Republic Has Ever Called For Israel's Destruction. iranian.com While "Death to Israel" is globally recognized as one of the trademark slogans of the Islamic Republic, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif insists that nobody in Tehran has ever threatened Israel with destruction. Speaking to the French weekly, Le Point, Zarif fires back at a question, demanding, "When did we say we want to […]
(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). 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). 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,…
(2018-12-20). 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). 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
(2018-12-18). 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). 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). 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). 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). 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…
(2018-12-08). 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…
(2018-11-26). Palestinian Civil Society Urges World Governments to Impose a Military Embargo on Saudi Regime Over Khashoggi Murder and War Crimes in Yemen, On Israel for War Crimes and Apartheid Against Palestinians. bdsmovement.net 
Palestinian Civil Society Urges World Governments to Impose a Military Embargo on Saudi Regime Over Khashoggi Murder and War Crimes in Yemen, On Israel for War Crimes and Apartheid Against Palestinians: Update"We appeal to progressives and social movements everywhere to pressure their governments to impose strict military embargoes on all states that are perpetrating crimes against hu…
(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…