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The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project

violence

  • Palestinian-American man, 80, found dead after Israeli raid in West Bank

    Men stand next to a poster announcing the death of Omar Asad in the village of Jiljilya BBC News Services, January 13, 2022 Omar Asad's relatives say he was out in his village of Jiljilya until late and was returning home when he was detained using rough treatment. According to Palestinian health officials, he died…


  • ADC Statement on Sanctioned Israeli Murder of Palestinian American

    ADC Statement on Sanctioned Israeli Murder of Palestinian American   Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | January 13, 2022 – The American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) extends its deepest condolences to the family of Arab-American Omar Abdalmajeed As’ad, who was murdered by Israeli forces on Wednesday January 12, 2022. The news of his death is a…


  • Elderly Palestinian-American dies after violent arrest by Israeli forces

    Eyewitnesses say Omar Muhammad Asaad, 80, was driving home when he was stopped by soldiers, dragged out of the car, assaulted and left lying unconscious on the ground Abd al-Ilah Asaad holding a photo of his cousin Omar Muhammad Asaad, 80, who died on Wednesday morning (Shatha Hammad/MEE) Shatha Hammad, Middle East Eye, 12 January…


  • Join the #WetsuwetenResistance Pipeline Fight

    The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project supports the efforts of the Wet’suwet’en nation to exercise their rights as a sovereign nation to manage and protect their lands and waters. In particular, they have the right to disallow construction of the proposed TC Energy Coastal GasLink pipeline. As advocates for human rights in Palestine, we see the…


  • Why US lawmakers should witness the Israeli occupation firsthand

    A visit by Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Mark Pocan to my Palestinian village affirmed the value of politicians learning about Israel’s policies on the ground. Palestinians protest the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin to the heritage site of ancient Susya, in Yatta, near the West Bank city of Hebron, March 14, 2021. (Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)…


  • New Film on Hebron at the New York Times

    Mission: Hebron by Israeli filmmaker Rona Segal was published recently in the opinion section of the New York Times website, and can be watched there (with a subscription) or on YouTube. Mission: Hebron is a short documentary based on interviews conducted by the director with Breaking the Silence testifiers about their service in Hebron. Describing…


  • Settler attacks on Palestinians more than double in two years

    Israeli authorities have created a “permissive atmosphere” allowing settlers to “let off steam” Hebrew graffiti in the village of Deir Estya, which translates as ‘village of terrorists’, in an apparent ‘price tag’ attack by Jewish settlers, 18 June 2019 (AFP) Middle East Eye, 4 October 2021 Israeli settler attacks on Palestinian villages and properties in…


  • Amnesty Condemns Settler Attack on Palestinian Playground

    Jewish settlers try to destroy a Palestinian playground near Hebron. (Photo: via Social Media) The Palestine Chronicle, November 8, 2021 Amnesty International has condemned an attack by Israeli settlers and soldiers against Palestinian children in a playground in the occupied West Bank village of Susya, near Hebron (Al-Khalil), according to the Middle East Monitor. The…


  • Legal victory against Israeli seizure of the Tahrir

    Dear friends and supporters, We have some major news! Finally, after 10 years, the Israeli government has settled our compensation claim for its seizure of our boat and its cargo. On November 4, 2011, the Tahrir, funded by grassroots donations from Canada, Australia, Belgium and Denmark, along with its cargo of some $30,000 in medical…


  • November 8 – 11
    The Other Israel Film Festival

    The Other Israel Film Festival Streaming two films from Breaking the Silence The First 54 Years: An Abbreviated Manual for Military Occupation The latest from Director and Breaking the Silence Executive Board member Avi Mograbi has been making the rounds at film festivals around the world. Based on testimonies of former IDF soldiers and officers…


  • October 22, 2021
    2021 Edward Said Memorial Lecture with Susan Abulhawa

    1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Eastern The Jerusalem Fund In this year’s Edward Said Memorial Lecture, Susan Abulhawa will provide valuable insight into Israel’s global arms trade and exports, and how this ties into Israeli settler colonialism and oppression of Palestinians. Susan Abulhawa is a novelist, poet, essayist, scientist, mother, and activist. Her debut novel…


  • October 12, 2021
    No Way to Treat a Child Webinar

    On Tuesday, October 12, at 8 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Pacific, please join the No Way to Treat a Child campaign for a webinar to unpack U.S. military funding to Israel. We’ll discuss the different kinds of military funding that the U.S. sends to Israel, share updates from Capitol Hill that affect Palestinians and…


  • House overwhelmingly approves Iron Dome funding in 420-9 vote

    Mark Pocan (D-WI), Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), all of whom have been critical of Israel, voted ‘Yes’ RASHIDA TLAIB CALLS ISRAEL AN APARTHEID STATE DURING DELIBERATIONS ON SPENDING $1 BILLION FOR ISRAELI MILITARY PROGRAM, IRON DOME. SEPT. 23, 2021. SCREENSHOT MICHAEL ARRIA AND PHILIP WEISS, Mondoweiss, SEPTEMBER…


  • Don’t fund Iron Dome

    Giving Israel $1 billion in fungible money for a weapon system will only encourage further war crimes. ISRAEL’S IRON DOME SYSTEM INTERCEPT ROCKETS LAUNCHED FROM THE GAZA STRIP TOWARDS ISRAEL, AS SEEN FROM GAZA STRIP, ON MAY 19, 2021. (PHOTO: BASHAR TALEB/APA IMAGES) STEPHEN R. SHALOM, Mondoweiss, SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 Like Nora Berman (“I’m a…


  • Rep. Mark Pocan: Iron Dome should avert need for Israeli retaliatory strikes

    Pocan, a leading figure among Israel critics in the House, organized a series of floor speeches criticizing Israel Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI) Marc Rod, Jewish Insider, May 20, 2021 Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), a left-wing Democrat who has frequently been vocally critical of Israel, argued on Wednesday that Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system should…


  • October 9, 2021
    Webinar with Filmmaker Fida Qishta

    Join the US Boats to Gaza webinar with documentary filmmaker Fida Qishta, who has just returned from several months in Gaza. Fida will speak about the current conditions in Gaza and show clips from footage she filmed after the latest Israeli attack on Gaza. She will also talk about her upcoming new documentary, We Are…


  • Dane County Board letter campaign

    This campaign by Madison for Palestine is endorsed by MRSCP. Use the following links to find your Dane County Board supervisor and compose a letter asking them to support proposed resolution 2021 RES-131, urging the Biden Administration to end military aid to Israel in the wake of the recent assault on Gaza. View resolution 2021…


  • October 7, 2021
    “Gaza is Palestine” Hearing

    The Peoples’ Inquiry, sponsored by Adalah Justice Project and MPower Change, is an opportunity for the U.S. public to hear the accounts of Palestinians from Gaza on the massacres carried out by Israel in May 2021. It will culminate in a clear call to action for people in the U.S. to exercise personal power to…


  • September 22-28, 2021
    Virtual Delegations to the South Hebron Hills

    Visit with Youth of Sumud and your guides Bana & Sami September 2021 Join us for a virtual tour of the South Hebron Hills. During this tour we will visit villages in the southern part of the West Bank where Palestinians remain steadfast and continue to resist the constant threats and attacks from nearby Israeli…


  • September 12, 2021
    South Hebron Hills online tour and event

    A lot of media focus has rightfully been given to Sheik Jarrah and Gaza recently, but in the South Hebron Hills similar human rights violations are going on which don’t garner as much attention. We invite you to join us and our friends at the Good Shepherd Collective and the Youth of Sumud to explore…


  • Conscientious objector: ‘I don’t want to wear a uniform that symbolizes violence and pain’

    Shahar Perets, who was sentenced to prison for refusing to join the Israeli army, talks about meeting Palestinians for the first time, her visits to the West Bank, and how Israeli society represses the occupation. Israeli conscientious objector Shahar Perets. (Oren Ziv) Oren Ziv, +972 Magazine, September 1, 2021 Israeli conscientious objector Shahar Perets was…


  • Breaking: Israeli warplanes launch airstrikes on Gaza Strip

    Days of Palestine – Gaza, Aug 21, 2021 Israeli occupation warplanes moments ago launched airstrikes on the Gaza Strip attacking several sites in the enclave.  A Days of Palestine correspondent said that heavy explosions were heard in different areas of the Gaza Strip. Read More: Hamas: Israel’s airstrikes a renewed attempt to cover up its…


  • Israeli aircraft strike Hamas sites in Gaza as hostilities escalate

    Cross-border gunfire earlier on Saturday seriously injured an Israeli soldier and wounded 41 Palestinians Palestinian protesters evacuate an injured youth on a stretcher amid the clashes with Israeli security forces. Photograph: APAImages/Rex/Shutterstock The Guardian, 21 Aug 2021 Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza late on Saturday, the military said, in an escalation of hostilities…


  • Said Odeh’s Legacy, Months after Israeli Forces Killed Him

    Three months ago I wrote to you with the news that Israeli forces shot dead 16-year-old Said Yousef Mohammad Odeh in Odala, a village located near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Since then, my team spoke with Said’s family and friends to hear their reflections on his life and the impact of his brutal…


  • Israeli soldiers killed an 11-year-old Palestinian boy

    Then, during his funeral, they killed someone else


  • Inside The Deadly Fight to Save a Palestinian Village from Illegal Israeli Settlements

    YUMNA PATEL AND MARC STEINER, The Real News Network, JULY 29, 2021 In early May, a group of Israeli settlers arrived with caravans and set up an illegal outpost on the top of Jabal Sabih on the outskirts of Beita, which is located in the northern occupied West Bank. Since then, every single day for…


  • Channel 12 News report: Settler violence in the South Hebron Hills

    Breaking the Silence, Jul 26, 2021 Last Friday night, 15 minutes of the main evening news broadcast on Channel 12 – one of the programs with the highest viewer ratings in Israel – were dedicated to journalist Yigal Mosko’s report on the unbelievable reality of the South Hebron hills. The report covered several of the…


  • No More Weapons for Israel

    Defense for Children Palestine, July 21, 2021 In May 2021, Israeli forces launched an 11-day military offensive against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip dubbed Operation Guardian of the Walls. The Israeli military used U.S.-manufactured weapons in a massive assault that resulted in the deaths of at least 256 Palestinians, including 67 children. More than 91,000…


  • ‘So They Know We Existed’: Palestinians Film War in Gaza

    Trapped in deadly fighting between Israel and Hamas, Palestinians in Gaza used their phones to capture the toll of the 11-day war in May. Yousur Al-Hlou, Neil Collier and Soliman Hijjy, New York Times, July 14, 2021


  • Gaza Is Still Under Attack — but You Wouldn’t Know It From the Media

    A young medical student speaks out about life in the besieged Strip, the persistence of Israeli attacks, and the need for real solidarity. Flames are seen after an Israeli air strike strikes in Gaza City, Gaza, on June 15, 2021. (Photo by Ali Jadallah / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Amal Haddad, The Nation, JULY…


  • Black-Palestine solidarity is making its way to Capitol Hill

    Progressive Black Democrats are reviving a radical tradition of Palestine solidarity in Congress, challenging Black leaders in their own party and Washington’s support for Israeli state violence. Black Lives Matter protest in Century City, California on June 6, 2020. (Brett Morrison/CC BY 2.0) Alex Kane, +972 Magazine, June 16, 2021 On May 13, something remarkable…


  • SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN RETRACTED PRO-PALESTINE ARTICLE WITHOUT ANY FACTUAL ERRORS

    A Palestinian child, wounded by Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip, receives treatment at Al-Shifa Hospital on May 19, 2021 in Gaza City, Gaza. Fatima Shbair/Getty Images Murtaza Hussain, The Intercept, July 1 2021 After right-wing outrage, the esteemed journal removed an opinion piece expressing solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli bombardment. Sabreen Akhter felt…


  • Ben & Jerry’s: Stop supporting apartheid in Palestine

    SumOfUs, June 28, 2021 Last month, during the eleven-day assault by Israeli military on the Gaza Strip, 256 Palestinians, including 66 children, died. And last week, thousands of right-wing nationalists paraded around Jerusalem shouting ‘death to Arabs’. The only way to stop the never-ending cycle of settlement expansion and violence is to make the economic…


  • Israel launches air strikes on Gaza putting fragile ceasefire in jeopardy

    Air raids pound Gaza Strip after Palestinians in besieged enclave reportedly sent incendiary balloons into southern Israel Israeli jets bombed areas across the besieged Palestinian enclave early on 16 June (AFP) Middle East Eye, 16 June 2021 Israel launched air strikes on the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday in response to incendiary balloons reportedly launched…


  • End U.S. Tax Dollars for Israel’s Genocide of Palestinians

    Leah Muskin-Pierret, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR), June 15, 2021 WASHINGTON, DC — 🔥 Statement & Call to Action: The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights condemns the state-sanctioned, racist, anti-Palestinian flag march on June 15, 2021 in Jerusalem and continuing bombing of Palestinians in Gaza and calls for the U.S. to immediately stop funding…


  • Israeli soldiers killed 16-year-old Mohammad today

    Defense for Children Palestine, June 11, 2021 Israeli forces shot and killed 16-year-old Mohammad Said Mohammad Hamayel with a live bullet to the chest this afternoon in Beita, a village southeast of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus. When Mohammad was killed, Beita village residents were protesting against a new illegal Israeli outpost recently…


  • Home Demolitions in Silwan, East Jerusalem

    Join Silwan activists Sahar Abassi and Zuheir Rajabi online to find out how you can help.


  • How a West Bank Trip Turned This Congressman Into One of Israel’s Strongest Critics

    Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan tells Haaretz why he welcomes a new Israeli government, even one led by a right-winger like Naftali Bennett who has renounced the two-state solution Wisconsin Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan. Andy Manis / AP Ben Samuels, Haaretz, Jun. 7, 2021 WASHINGTON – How does a lawmaker go from surface-level familiarity with the…


  • Update: June 4, 2021
    Candle Lit Vigil for Palestine

    UW-Madison Students for Justice in Palestine UW Library Mall 8:30 PM Join us to mourn the lives lost, show solidarity to the Palestinian people, and condemn U.S military aid to Israel. Meet at Library Mall Candle walk up to the Capitol Speakers & Open Mic Number of candles provided for the number of lives lost.…


  • F-35s Bombing Gaza

    Why are these advanced fighters used against Palestinians? Manlio Dinucci, Global Research, May 19, 2021 Israeli Forces spokesman Zilberman announced the start of the bombing of Gaza, specifying that “80 fighters are taking part in the operation, including the advanced F-35s” (The Times of Israel, May 11, 2021). It is officially the baptism of fire…


  • Life Under Occupation: The Misery at the Heart of the Conflict

    An eviction in East Jerusalem lies at the center of a conflict that led to war between Israel and Hamas. But for millions of Palestinians, the routine indignities of occupation are part of daily life.


  • “FREE PALESTINE RALLY” IN MILWAUKEE DRAWS DIVERSE CROWD

    Lee Matz for the Wiscosin Muslim Journal Sandra Whitehead, Wisconsin Muslim Journal, May 21, 2021 A crowd gathered Thursday evening at “The Calling,” the orange sunburst artwork on the east end of Wisconsin Avenue, for a “Free Palestine” rally planned by a coalition of organizations. A post on the Wisconsin Chapter of Bail Out the…


  • Some of the 66 Palestinian Children Killed

    Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) is a non-profit organization that offers journalists facts, analysis, experts, and digital resources about Palestine and Palestinians.


  • Pocan: Ceasefire is only a crucial first step

    A ceasefire is a crucial first step to end the current violence. But this didn't just start 12 days ago. This is about decades of Israel's home demolitions, illegal settlement expansion, blockades in Gaza + Hamas' rocket fire. The US must do more to promote peace & justice. https://t.co/5FqiAmLz1Z — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) May…


  • Demonstrators rally in support of Palestinians at Wisconsin State Capitol

    Follows days of violence in the Middle East Fatoumata Ceesay, Madison365, May 17, 2021 More than 100 people gathered at the Capitol building Saturday morning to peacefully protest and stand in solidarity with Palestine, leading to a brief confrontation with an Israel supporter.  Continued at Madison365 >>


  • Across The U.S., People Protest The Violence In Gaza And Israel

    Jason Breslow, NPR, May 19, 2021 Crowds gather Tuesday at the Israeli Consulate in Los Angeles, in solidarity with a general strike by Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Justin L. Stewart/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images In cities across the U.S., overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian protesters have taken to the streets in solidarity…


  • Update: May 18, 2021
    EMERGENCY VIGIL FOR GAZA AND PALESTINE

    Names of Palestinian Casualties as of May 16, 2021 [pdf-embedder url=”http://madisonrafah.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/names-of-casualties-as-of-may-16.pdf” title=”Names of Palestinian Casualties as of May 16″] Plaza at Trader Joes Monroe and Spooner Streets Madison, Wisconsin 8 — 9 pm The devastation and loss of life caused by Israel’s unrelenting bombardment of Gaza is drastically escalating, with no end in sight. Today,…


  • Mark Pocan: We need an immediate cease-fire

    We need an immediate cease-fire @POTUS. I joined @hereandnow to explain why this isn't a conflict that started this month. This is about decades of mistreatment of Palestinians, the continued expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, & U.S. complicity. pic.twitter.com/fvmHYuVL6t — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) May 18, 2021


  • Possible House Committee Hold on Arms Sale to Israel

    This is the right decision. Over 200 Palestinians are dead—including 61 children. 10 people in Israel—2 kids—are dead. Homes, roads & news offices have been destroyed in Gaza. Another blank check for Israel is not going to end this violence. The US must demand a cease-fire. https://t.co/ZPd0uW6RGo — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) May 18, 2021


  • Marcel Khalifa – The Child and the Kite

    In Arabic a kite and plane are the same thing, Tayaara, which means a thing that flies. So when the title says “The Child and the Kite” it could be also “The Child and the Plane” and both would be appropriate for this poem. In other words, there is an ambiguity in Arabic that is…


  • Phyllis Bennis on the US response to the Israel-Palestine Conflict

    Al Jazeera, May 15, 2021 Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies, joins us for the latest updates and analysis.


  • American Muslims for Palestine — Milwaukee Rally

    American Muslims for Palestine — Milwaukee Rally to Defend Jerusalem and Palestine, May 12, 2021 “Over 1,000 people showed up for Wednesday’s AMP-Milwaukee Rally. Milwaukeeans sent a loud message they will not stand for the continued violent occupation of Palestinian lands by Israeli forces.” All photos: Joe Brusky. More information: AMP-Milwaukee


  • Emergency Aid Appeal

    First of all, thanks to those who turned out for yesterday’s banner drop and today’s demonstration at the Capitol covered by Channel 27 News. Demonstrations were held all over the world yesterday and today, even in France where they were prohibited by the Macron government at the last minute. As I write this, live media…


  • Running Orders

    Running Orders BY LENA KHALAF TUFFAHA They call us now, before they drop the bombs. The phone rings and someone who knows my first name calls and says in perfect Arabic “This is David.” And in my stupor of sonic booms and glass-shattering symphonies still smashing around in my head I think, Do I know…


  • This Must End

    A Letter from Gaza as Israel’s bombs fall Gaza, 2018 Photo: AFSC Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei, American Friends Service Committee, May 13, 2021 I am writing this letter looking at my terrified 6-year old son, who keeps putting his hands over his ears trying block the sounds of Israel’s bombardment, my two daughters, aged 13…


  • Update: May 15, 2021
    Palestine Can’t Breathe Demonstration

    And a Facebook video   Reshaping Madison Together Event Occupation is a CRIME! Right now, near the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba and during Ramadan (Muslims’ most sacred time of the year), the Palestinian village of Sheikh Jarrah is being forcefully “evicted” by Israel as settlers try to STEAL the Palestinian homes. The government-sanctioned theft-in-progress…


  • Barbara Olson and Tsela Barr: Let’s stop funding Israel’s campaign of oppression

    Smoke rises following Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, Thursday, May 13, 2021. Weary Palestinians are somberly marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, as Hamas and Israel traded more rockets and airstrikes and Jewish-Arab violence raged across Israel. (AP Photo – Adel Hana) TSELA BARR AND BARB OLSON, The Cap Times, May…


  • Palestinians in Israel now face far right mob violence backed by the state

    Protests by Palestinian citizens are being greeted with a mix of police violence and vigilante-style attacks from Jewish fascists The more the Palestinian minority protests against the structural discrimination it faces, the more it risks inflaming the passions of the Jewish far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a meeting with Israeli border police…


  • An Army Like No Other — How the Israel Defense Forces Made a Nation

    by Haim Bresheeth-Zabner NOW AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD AS A FREE EBOOK The Israeli army, officially named the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), was established in 1948 by David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, who believed that “the whole nation is the army.” In his mind, the IDF was to be an army like no other. It…


  • “Palestinians Do Indeed Exist”

    Your Friday reminder to listen to our only Palestinian member of Congress, @RashidaTlaib, and remember that even if some folks don’t want to acknowledge Palestinians—they do exist and their human rights do matter.pic.twitter.com/fxWmRX0FGp — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) May 14, 2021


  • May 14, 2021
    A Public Affair on WORT

    On A Public Affair Friday, May 14 at 12:30 pm, Esty Dinur will be speaking with Mazin Qumsiyeh about conditions in Palestine and Israel. Qumsiyeh is a Professor and Director of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity & Sustainability and the Palestine Museum of Natural History at Bethlehem University. He previously served on the faculties of…


  • May 14, 2021
    Madison-Rafah Banner Drop

    In support of Palestinians under attack from the Israeli military and right-wing Jewish extremists. There are now more than 100 dead and 600 injured in Gaza. See In Pictures: Ruins and devastation as Israeli attacks pummel Gaza, Al Jazeera, 13 May 2021. Campus Drive Pedestrian Overpass (Parking Lot 41 at University & N. Prospect Ave.)…


  • A Nightmare of Terror Across the Landscape of Palestine

    Israeli forces respond to a Palestinian man protesting in Jerusalem by placing him in a choke hold. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP via Getty Images) Yousef Munayyer, The Nation, 5/13/21 I have been trying to think of a moment since 1948 when so broad a range of Palestinians have been exposed to as great…


  • Update: May 10, 2021
    Banner Drop for Sheikh Jarrah

    Note: The start time has changed to 3:30 pm. In light of the recent events in Jerusalem and the escalating fight to stop the forced expulsions of Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, MRSCP will be holding a banner drop tomorrow, Monday May 10, beginning at 3:30 on the Campus Drive pedestrian overpass.…


  • Israeli warplanes destroy 12-story residential building in Gaza

    Palestinian factions threaten to target capital Tel Aviv in response Smoke rises from buildings as Israeli fighter jets continue to pound a Palestinian building called "Hanady" at Al-Rimal neighbourhood in the Gaza Strip, on May 11, 2021. The death toll in Israel’s deadly ongoing air offensive increased to 28 by Tuesday evening, including one woman…


  • Rep. Mark Pocan’s Recognition of Israeli Violence

    Agreed. We cannot just condemn rockets fired by Hamas and ignore Israel's state-sanctioned police violence against Palestinians—including unlawful evictions, violent attacks on protestors & the murder of Palestinian children. U.S. aid should not be funding this violence. https://t.co/5ObpNIzMMg — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) May 11, 2021


  • Live: Nine children killed in Gaza, Israeli forces storm al-Aqsa again

    Middle East Eye Follow MEE's updates from Jerusalem and beyond as tensions soar over the threatened eviction of Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah Key Points Al-Aqsa stormed for the third time in three days 20 Palestinians killed by bombing in Gaza, including 9 children One Palestinian shot dead during protests in Lod, Israel Live Updates Palestinian…


  • Sheikh Jarrah Explained

    The past and present of East Jerusalem Middle East Eye explains the history of Israel’s push to evict Palestinian families from the East Jerusalem community Mustafa Abu Sneineh, Middle East Eye, 6 May 2021 Sheikh Jarrah, the Palestinian neighbourhood in occupied East Jerusalem facing imminent Israeli eviction, was once a breezy orchard lying less than…


  • May 23, 2021
    Virtual Book Launch for Determined to Stay on Silwan

    Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) Virtual Book Launch for Silwan! “Determined to Stay: Palestinian Youth Fight for Their Village” May 23 @ 1-2 pm Central Silwan is a Palestinian village just outside the ancient walls of Jerusalem’s Old City. Determined to Stay is the moving story of its people in the face of occupation. As…


  • May 16-20, 2021
    Virtual Delegation to Lifta: Commemorate the Nakba

    With your guide Umar al-Ghubari Eyewitness Palestine To commemorate Nakba Day this year, we will be traveling virtually to Lifta to discuss the wider historical context of the Nakba. The story of Lifta is one example of about 600 Palestinian localities that were captured, and their indigenous residents expelled, during the Nakba (the Catastrophe) in…


  • May 11, 2021
    Virtual Delegation to Mesarvot: Israeli Military Refusers

    With your guide Yuval Gal Cohen and our co-sponsors: Refuser Solidarity Network and OBJECTOR Impact Project Eyewitness Palestine Mesarvot is a network of Israeli activists that supports conscientious objectors in their refusal to become soldiers and take part in the occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people. Our goal is to promote a platform for…


  • Rep. Pocan on Israeli police violence at Sheikh Jarrah

    The Israeli police violence against Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah is completely unacceptable. The Israeli military is forcing hundreds of Palestinians out of their homes. US taxpayer dollars should not fund annexation of Palestinian land or destruction of Palestinian homes. https://t.co/PTxcLEoZY4 — Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) May 6, 2021 Israeli forces detain a man after storming…


  • National Lawyers Guild Urges Biden to Align US Israel-Palestine Policy With International Law

    “The United States cannot turn its back on the atrocities, including war crimes, enabled by U.S. policies, particularly its decades long policy of shielding Israel from accountability.” “It has long been obvious to anyone paying attention that U.S. policy on Palestine and Israel does not match its rhetoric nor the ideals that it claims to…


  • Israeli Authorities Close Gaza Sea and Ban Palestinian Fishing

    Deterioration of Living Condition For 4860 Fishermen and Workers in Associated Professions Ref: 45/2021 Date: 26 April 2021 Time: 10:30 GMT On Monday, 26 April 2021, Israeli authorities closed Gaza Sea completely and prevented fishermen from sailing and fishing. These Israeli measures are part of the Israeli collective punishment policy practiced against Palestinian civilians in…


  • Human Rights Watch Documents Israeli Apartheid

    American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), April 27, 2021 For the past week, the world watched as Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians living in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Over 1500 Palestinians, mostly children, are facing threats of forced displacement and home demolitions by Israeli authorities. For nearly 75 years, this has been the devastating reality for…


  • Hundreds of far-right Israeli activists chant “death to Arabs” in East Jerusalem

    Middle East Eye, YouTube, Apr 23, 2021 Hundreds of far-right Israeli activists took to the streets of Jerusalem’s Old City on Thursday night chanting “death to Arabs” and “Arabs get out.” A counter-protest by Palestinians resulted in violent clashes between protesters and Israeli security forces leaving more than 100 Palestinians injured.


  • I write to remember the brutality of Jewish violence I saw in Jerusalem

    There was the Palestinian father who tried to save his daughter from the police, the young Kahanists chanting ‘death to Arabs’ in the streets, the fear I felt when asked if I am a leftist. I write to remember it all. Orly Noy, +972 Magazine, April 24, 2021 Medics treat a Palestinian wounded by Israeli…


  • Shooting revives criticism of Israel’s use of deadly force

    Somaya, the wife of Palestinian Osama Mansour, who was shot to death by Israeli soldiers at a temporary checkpoint in the occupied West Bank earlier this month, holds their 10 year-old twins Nissan, left and Bissan, right, at their family house, in the West Bank village of Biddu, west of Ramallah, Tuesday, April 20, 2021.…


  • Banner Drop for Daunte Wright!


  • US congresswoman denounces ‘disturbing’ arrests of Palestinian children

    Betty McCollum vows to push that US military aid to Israel is not ‘used in any way that violates the rights of any Palestinian’ B’Tselem says Israeli forces arrested five Palestinian children in the West Bank on Wednesday (B’Tselem) Ali Harb, Middle East Eye, 11 March 2021 US Congresswoman Betty McCollum, a Democrat who has…


  • ICC launches Palestine war crimes probe


  • February 10, 2021
    Jim Zogby Talks with Human Rights Advocate Issa Amro

    Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m CT In the months we have been gathering weekly for Coffee & a Column, I have welcomed our substantive conversations each week. I’ve also been thinking about how to expand our community and it is with that in mind that I am excited to share…


  • More on Masafer Yatta in the Occupied West Bank

    Masafer Yatta: A Palestinian community fighting for survival Masafer Yatta: A Palestinian community under pressure The Israeli army shooting that left Harun Abu Aram paralysed has once again brought to light the difficult living conditions in the West Bank hamlets


  • January 25, 2121
    Yemen Banner Drop


  • Biden should end support for bombing and starvation of Yemen

    People run following an explosion at the airport in Aden, Yemen, shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed Cabinet landed on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. No one on board the government plane was hurt but initial reports said several people at the airport were killed. (AP Photo/Hani Mohammed) Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, The Cap…


  • UPDATE: Violence and Ethnic Cleansing in South Hebron Hills

    One of our members is personally acquainted with these people and provides the following update. Please sign the petition below and consider donating to help both shooting victim Arun Abu Aram and arrested rights activist Sami Huraini. Palestinian human rights activist Sami Huraini was arrested by Israeli forces during a pre-dawn raid on his home…


  • About Suffering: A Massacre of the Innocents in Yemen

    The United States is contributing to the violent attacks on Yemen, while cutting back its humanitarian relief efforts. Bruegel the Elder’s “Massacre of the Innocents” Kathy Kelly, The Progressive, January 19, 2021 In 1565, Pieter Bruegel the Elder created The Massacre of the Innocents, a provocative masterpiece of religious art. The painting reworks a biblical…


  • The village where Palestinians are rendered completely powerless

    Help Harun Abu Aram Heal Rebuilding Alliance is organizing this fundraiser and will be working with the family to meet their needs. They are a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to realize a just and enduring peace in Palestine and Israel founded upon equal rights, equal security, and equal opportunity for all. Harun Abu…


  • Why Was Harun Abu Aram Shot?

    Help Harun Abu Aram Heal Rebuilding Alliance is organizing this fundraiser and will be working with the family to meet their needs. They are a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to realize a just and enduring peace in Palestine and Israel founded upon equal rights, equal security, and equal opportunity for all. Hamed Qawasmeh,…


  • Israeli Strikes on Gaza: 3 Civilians wounded and Buildings Damaged

    Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, December 27, 2020 Three Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded and many civilian buildings were damaged due to IOF air strikes in a densely populated area in Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 00:40 on…


  • Landmark Endorsement of Rep. Joaquin Castro for House Chair

    Over 50 progressive organizations endorse Rep. Joaquin Castro for Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC). At the end of November, Democratic House members will vote on who takes leadership of this important committee. HFAC makes decisions on arms control and disarmament issues, international funding and aid, deployment and use of armed forces, drug…


  • Kafr Qasim Massacre, October 29, 1956

    Adalah Justice Project, October 29, 2020 Today is the anniversary of the 1956 massacre at Kafr Qasim. Kafr Qasim is one of hundreds of Palestinian villages occupied by Israel during the 1948 ethnic cleansing campaigns. Located near the militarized border of Israel’s expanding colonial rule in 1956, Israeli “border police” enforcing an unannounced early curfew…


  • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Boycotts Yitzhak Rabin Event

    Yesterday progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) was headlined in the Palestine news-sphere as word came out about her speaking at a Peace Now event memorializing former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. For Palestinians, this news was triggering. For us, Rabin is not known as the “peacemaker” as U.S. history memorializes him, but as a colonial…


  • Children Die in Home Fire During Power Outage

    Ref: 85/2020, 02 September 2020 Three siblings from al-Nuseirat refugee camp, Central Gaza Strip, died after fire broke out in their house caused by a lit candle used for light during power outage on Tuesday, 01 September 2020; a manifestation of Gaza’s chronic electricity crisis. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) expresses its deep…


  • Artists condemn Israeli raids on Palestinian cultural centres

    Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (Ahdaf Soueif for PalFest) Massive Attack, Steve Coogan, Peter Gabriel, Maxine Peake, Philip Pullman and Benjamin Zephaniah are among 60+ cultural figures to put their names to an open letter condemning attacks on key Palestinian cultural centres. The letter says the attacks are ‘part of a well-documented campaign of…


  • Faith Leaders Oppose F-35 Fighter Jets

    Find inspiration and hope reading this full-page ad from the July 29 Wisconsin State Journal. In an expression of moral solidarity, 39 leaders of local faith organizations clearly state why they oppose bringing F-35 Striker Force jets to our county and our country. Calling on our Senators to stop supporting these deadly war machines, these…


  • Israel demolishes Palestinian coronavirus testing centre

    Israeli soldiers watched construction on desperately needed facility for two months before sending in the bulldozers Palestinian engineer Raed Maswade inspects the rubble of the testing centre after it was demolished by Israeli authorities in Hebron (AFP) Akram Al-Waara and Mustafa Abu Sneineh, Middle East Eye, 21 July 2020 Israeli authorities have demolished a Palestinian…


  • Israel Raids Cultural Centre and Conservatory of Music

    Date: 23 July 2020 Time: 09 30 GMT On Wednesday, 22 July 2020, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided Yabous Cultural Centre and Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) in the center of occupied East Jerusalem and confiscated thousands of documents, files, PCs, tablets, and surveillance cameras. At the same time, IOF raided a house…


  • Palestinians say Israel stole ancient baptismal font from Bethlehem town

    THE ANCIENT BAPTISMAL FONT ALLEGEDLY STOLEN FROM TUQU BY ISRAELI FORCES. (PHOTO: MA’AN NEWS AGENCY) YUMNA PATEL, Mondoweiss, JULY 20, 2020 Palestinians from a Bethlehem-area town are accusing Israeli forces of illegally seizing an ancient artifact from their town in the predawn hours of Monday morning.  The incident took place in the southern occupied West…


  • Release Palestinian bodies for burial

    Ahmad Erekat was unlawfully killed by Israeli occupation forces 24 days ago. His body, among those of 63 other slain Palestinians, is still being held hostage by the Israeli government. This petition is demanding to #BringAhmadHome & #BringThemAllHome: https://t.co/SzvamsnFaZ pic.twitter.com/moAzX1YZFs — IMEU (@theIMEU) July 16, 2020 Even in death, we are not free – we…