The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP)
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Apr 1, 2025
❝Random Quotes❞
We shall keep our priests within the confines of their temples in the same way as we shall keep our professional army within the confines of their barracks. Army and priesthood shall receive honors high as their valuable functions deserve. But they must not interfere in the administration of the State which confers distinction upon them, else they will conjure up difficulties without and within. — Theodor Herzl, The Jewish State (1896)
Oct 2, 3 & 12, 2024: Jewish Voice for Peace High Holy Day Events
Judaism Beyond Zionism Jewish Voice for Peace-Madison invites the public to these free Judaism Beyond Zionism-themed High Holy Day events. If you plan on attending potlucks, please bring food and/or drinks. For the Erev Rosh Hashanah potluck, please add your name to this sign up sheet.
Sep 28, 2024: Madison All Out for Lebanon
More at Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine
Sanders Files to Force First-Ever Vote on Blocking Weapons to Israel
The resolutions are not likely to pass. If they do, they can still be vetoed by President Biden. “There is a mountain of documentary evidence” that Israel uses US weapons to violate the law, Sanders said. By Sharon Zhang, TRUTHOUT, September 26, 2024 Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders arrives for a hearing…
No, Israel does not have a right to defend itself in Gaza. But the Palestinians do.
Basic morality and simple logic dictate that the right of self-defense belongs to the Palestinian people, not to their oppressor. And international law agrees. BY CRAIG MOKHIBER, MONDOWEISS, SEPTEMBER 10, 2024 MEMBERS OF THE PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE HOLD THEIR WEAPONS DURING A MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR MOHAMMED AL-AZIZI AND ABDUL RAHMAN SOBH, WHO WERE KILLED BY ISRAELI FORCES…
Milwaukee Mural Sends a Message: Stop Genocide in Gaza
Photos by Kamal Moon Sandra Whitehead, Milwaukee Muslim Journal, Sep 20, 2024 “Together we have demonstrated our community’s courage to stand up for what is right,” said Ihsan Atta, who commissioned a mural displayed on his building in Milwaukee to protest against Israel’s bombing of Gaza. “Murals are one of the most prevalent public forms of…
Seizing the West Bank: Extremist settlers in power
BBC World Service, Sep 2, 2024 Since Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel on 7 October 2023, extremist Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank are increasingly using violence to seize land and property which is forcing many Palestinians from their homes. Click here to subscribe to our channel https://bbc.in/3VyyriM “Settlements Above the…
West Bank settler expansion: a year on the frontline
Channel 4 News, Feb 26, 2024 In the West Bank tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been a fact of life for decades. But since the October 7th attacks, the situation has only got worse, with hundreds of Palestinians being killed – and more illegal Israeli settlements spreading across the land. Filmmaker Katie Arnold has…
Stop the U.S. from arming Israel’s genocide
Take these steps as Senator Bernie Sanders prepares a Joint Resolution of Disapproval to stop the Biden-Harris administration from sending more weapons to Israel. The resolution has not yet been introduced but the national mobilization behind it is underway.
Israel Deliberately Blocked Humanitarian Aid to Gaza. Antony Blinken Disagreed.
Blinken told Congress, “We do not currently assess that the Israeli government is prohibiting or otherwise restricting” aid, even though the U.S. Agency for International Development and others had determined that Israel had broken the law. by Brett Murphy, ProPublica, Sept. 24, 2024 Investigative Journalism in the Public Interest The U.S. government’s two foremost authorities on…
Palestinian Journalist Mujahed al-Saadi Violently Arrested by Israeli Forces in Home Raid
Al-Saadi is being held in administrative detention at Megiddo, a prison known for abuse SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS, DROP SITE NEWS, SEP 24, 2024 This month, we published a dispatch from Palestinian journalist Mujahed al-Saadi documenting the IDF’s siege of hospitals in Jenin. On Thursday, al-Saadi was violently dragged from his home and remains in Israeli captivity. At…
Oct 28, 2024: Film Boycott, on the anti-BDS movement
Madison Central Library 6:00 pm Over the past six years, unbeknownst to most Americans, 37 states passed laws intending to silence boycotts and other nonviolent measures aimed at pressuring Israel on its human rights record. These dangerous bills remove the legal protection that has been awarded to boycotts for generations, granting governments the power to…
Israeli air strikes kill 492 people in Lebanon
David Gritten, BBC News, September 23, 2024 At least 492 people have been killed in intense and wide-ranging Israeli air strikes targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry says, in the deadliest day of conflict there in almost 20 years. Thousands of families have also fled their homes as the Israeli military said it…
‘Operation al-Aqsa Flood’ Day 353
Israel launches bombing campaign on Lebanon as Hezbollah retaliates Israel’s intensifying bombardment of Lebanon has killed at least 274 people so far, while Hezbollah retaliates with rockets across Israel. The Israeli army also raided and forcibly shut down the Ramallah office of Al Jazeera. BY QASSAM MUADDI, MONDOWEISS, SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 FACEBOOK X WHATSAPP LINKEDIN MASTODON BLUESKY…
Oct 10, 2024: Gallery Night with MxBazPaints
Artist Baz participated in our Silent Art Auction for Gaza. Delta Beer Lab 167 E Badger Rd, Madison 6 – 9 pm 608 640 4500
How extremist settlers in the West Bank became the law
Mobilisation of violent settlers has intensified Palestinians’ fears of attacks and displacement Alison Killing, Chris Campbell and Peter Andringa in London and James Shotter in Jerusalem, FINANCIAL TIMES, SEPTEMBER 17 2024 The village of At-Tuwani, a Palestinian farming community of around 1,600 people, is nestled in a small valley in the occupied West Bank, south of the city of Hebron. Since the 1980s,…
Israeli Soldiers Killed 15 Protesters in the Same Place They Shot Aysenur Eygi
Since 2021, Israeli soldiers have met weekly protests in the West Bank village with deadly force. Jonah Valdez, The Intercept, September 17 2024 ON A HOT August afternoon in 2021 as protesters confronted Israeli soldiers near the West Bank village of Beita, Imad Ali Dweikat stood far away from the commotion, next to several parked ambulances,…
Israel attacks Bright Stars Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb, President of Dar al-Kalima University, spoke September 8 at Midvale Community Lutheran Church in Madison. BREAKING NEWS As many of you already know, Israeli forces attacked Dar al-Kalima University in Bethlehem on Monday, September 16. As posted on Bright Stars’ Facebook page, this attack has once again brought to light the…
Settler attack near cave home projects
This morning Mohammed Badawi Al-Dababse, one of the shepherds from Khalat al-Dabea in Masafer Yatta, was attacked by settlers attempting to steal his sheep. His home is one of those that received construction funding from the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project in 2023. He was able to save the sheep but was hurt himself. View this…
Press Conference in Milwaukee on Swastika and Star of David Mural
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine (@wiscoforpali) wiscoforpali (Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine) and freepali (Falasteen Hayati) on Instagram Milwaukee mural showing swastika with Star of David draws condemnation Mural in city’s Riverwest neighborhood has since been vandalized BY SARAH LEHR, WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO, SEPTEMBER 13,…
Universities Act to Silence Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators
September 16, 2024 Dr. James J. Zogby President, Arab American Institute In the 1960s, social critic Paul Goodman offered a parable to describe what had gone wrong with American higher education. He wrote: “Millennia ago, there were wise people who knew many things that they were eager to share. Young people came to them and asked, ‘Would…
42 Years Later: The Massacre of Sabra and Shatila Still Haunts Us Amid Gaza’s Ongoing Genocide
Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | September 15, 2024 – Today marks the 42nd anniversary of one of the most brutal acts of violence in modern history: the massacre of the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Beginning on September 16, 1982, Lebanese militia, operating under the direction of Israeli forces, massacred, wounded, and left homeless thousands of defenseless…
The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza
Fault Lines Documentary & Al Jazeera English, YouTube, Jun 21, 2024 From air strikes to field executions, Fault Lines investigates the killings of civilians by the Israeli military in Gaza and the role of the United States in the war. As Israel’s bombing campaign continues in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis deepens to catastrophic levels,…
Opinion | Stop the bloodshed in Gaza; divest now
By Miriam Hasan et al. | guest column The Cap Times, Sep 12, 2024 The U.S. was first to recognize the state of Israel when it was created in 1948. Since then, U.S. leaders have treated Israel like a strategic asset needed to advance American interests in the Middle East. Pursuing those interests and protecting…
The Deadly US Weapons of Civilian Destruction
By Thalif Deen, IPS-Inter Press Service, Sep 13, 2024 UNITED NATIONS (IPS) – As the devastating 11-month-old conflict in Gaza keeps escalating, with over 41,000 mostly civilian killings, and more than 92,000 Palestinians injured –in retaliation for the 1,200 killings inside Israel last October– the Israelis continue to defy the United States which maintains its uninterrupted flow…
Filmmakers Condemn Israeli Films at Venice Festival
‘No Artwashing Genocide’ Although festival head Alberto Barbera spoke out against ongoing war crimes in Gaza, he stated he has no intention of removing the films from this year’s lineup Mehr Jan, American Muslim Today, Sep 10, 2024 Around 300 filmmakers, including Palestinian director Hany Abu-Assad, have voiced their objection to the Venice Film Festival’s…
New video, witnesses challenge Israel’s account of U.S. activist’s killing
The IDF said Aysenur Eygi was shot “unintentionally” during a “violent riot.” A Post analysis shows clashes had subsided and protesters had retreated. By Miriam Berger, Loveday Morris, Meg Kelly, Jarrett Ley and Sufian Taha Washington Post, September 11, 2024 BEITA, West Bank — It was Aysenur Eygi’s first time at a West Bank demonstration, and she was nervous. The 26-year-old…
Oct 5, 2024 Update: Ilan Pappe on Christian Zionism and the Israel Lobby
11 am CT Online Join Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace (PCAP) and Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) for “Christian Zionism and the Israel Lobby: A Conversation with Ilan Pappe.” Dr. Awad Halabi will be interviewing Ilan Pappe over Zoom about his latest book, Lobbying for Zionism on Both Sides of the Atlantic. Donate $100 or…
Oct 2, 2024: Mouin Rabbani on Gaza Apocalypse: Causes and Consequences
The Havens Wright Center for Social Justice Zoom 12 noon – 1:30 pm CT This event is presented in collaboration with the Institute for International and Regional Studies National Resource Center (IRIS NRC), and the Middle East Studies Program at UW-Madison. Mouin Rabbani is a researcher, analyst, and commentator specialising in Palestinian affairs, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the…
Sep 25 & 28, 2024: All Out for Lebanon
Sponsored by CODEPINK, Students for Justice in Palestine-UW Madison, Jewish Voice for Peace-Madison, and Madison for a World Beyond War.
Sep 23, 2024: Antiwar Film Series – “A Bold Peace”: Costa Rica’s Path of Demilitarization
Sept 23, 2024 o, “Una Paz Audaz” Madison Central Library 201 W Mifflin St, Rooms 301 & 302 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm In September, the Antiwar Film Series will show A Bold Peace, a documentary about how Costa Rica abolished its military and the peace dividends that they have reaped. Watch the trailer here. We will show…
Sep 22, 2024: Banners Up for Palestine! at the Willy Street Fair!
Willy Street Fair postponed until 1 pm today. Parade has been cancelled. March With Us in the Parade! Assemble in the I/O Arcade Bar parking lot, 927 Williamson Street, Madison 10:30 am – 12 Noon You are invited to join the MRSCP contingent in the Willy Street Fair Parade! Wear your kuffiyehs, bring your family & friends as…
Sep 21, 2024: Film: “Where Olive Trees Weep”
International Peace Day Viewing Friends Meeting House, 1704 Roberts Court, Madison 7 pm (social gathering at 6:30; discussion follows film) The film Where Olive Trees Weep offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. The film follows a…
Sep 21, 2024: Andaleeb Cartonera Workshop at Friends Meeting House
You are invited to an Andaleeb Cartonera bookmaking workshop for ceasefire in Palestine and war abolition. Come learn to create a Latin American-style cartonera book. Contribute by painting a cardboard cover for Andaleeb Cartonera’s publications. Andaleeb Cartonera press was established in Madison, WI in August 2024 to “pay tribute to the endurance of the Palestinian people,…
Sep 21, 2024: Saturday Gaza Vigil at the Farmers Market
Saturdays Capitol Square at King St, E Main St and S Pinckney St 10 am – 12 noon We join again the Commemorative Action led by the Interfaith Peace Working Group. The display of shoes and reading of names of children who have been killed are a vivid representation of the Palestinian tragedy. With other local peace…
Sep 20, 2024: The State of Healthcare in Gaza
12 noon – 1 pm Live at 89.9 FM and streaming, or archived Tune in to A Public Affair for an update on the terrible health care situation in Gaza. Host Esty Dinur will be talking with Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, a trauma surgeon who recently traveled to and provided medical care in Gaza, and Yara M. Asi, Assistant Professor at the…
Sep 18, 2024: Visualizing Palestine Virtual Book Launch
10 am CT This Wednesday, September 18th we hope you’ll join us for a virtual book launch event at 11am Eastern time/ 6pm Palestine time. Book co-editors and VP team members Aline Batarseh and Yosra El Gazzar will be in conversation with Noura Erakat and Linda Sarsour to discuss narrative shift and data-backed visualizations that…
Sep 17, 2024: Medical Apartheid in Palestine
Online 12 noon CT REGISTER HERE Health care is a human right. But under the Israeli occupation, Palestinians have been deprived of access to even basic medicine, services, and treatment. Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza and the West Bank have deepened the crisis. To learn more about medical apartheid in Palestine, register for this American…
Sep 17, 2024: Growing Repression of Dissent on Palestine
10 am CT Online Join this online briefing to learn more about growing repression of dissent on Israel-Palestine, a trend that has built over decades and escalated in the past year. From anti-boycott legislation to the recent arrests of student protestors, leading experts will examine how these actions impact American democracy and our right to…
Sep 16, 2024: Vigil at Tammy Baldwin’s office
Ask Congress to block weapons to Israel & call off World War III 30 W Mifflin St 11 am – 1 pm “There will be another shipment of military weapons and planes that has to come before Congress to get an approval, and I will lead the effort to try to stop that,” – Bernie…
Sep 12, 2024: U.S. Gaza Doctors Speak Out
6 pm CENTRAL Online Vermonters for Justice in Palestine present a virtual talk by two American surgeons who traveled to work at Gaza hospitals about the horrors they witnessed there. REGISTER HERE. You will receive a confirmation email with a URL.
Sep 11, 2024: Support student facing discipline for pro-Palestine actions
September 11, 2024 Please consider attending this rally and hearing as requested by UW-Madison Students for Justice in Palestine. This is part of a disturbing national trend of university administrators, politicians and influential donors spending the summer dreaming up new (and likely unconstitutional) ways to suppress criticism of Israel on US campuses and elsewhere. Besides continuing to…
Blinken says killing of American woman in West Bank ‘unprovoked and unjustified’
“No one should be shot and killed for attending a protest” The Guardian, September 10, 2024 The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is in London on a diplomatic visit. He has met with the British foreign secretary, David Lammy. They held a press conference, which you can watch in the video at the top of this blog,…
US State Department declines to Condemn Israel for Shooting American Activist in the Head, Killing Her
JUAN COLE, INFORMED CONSENT, 09/07/2024 Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Basil Maghrebi at the Israeli newspaper Arab 48 reports that on Friday, Israeli troops killed an American observer in the West Bank with a gunshot to her head, as she participated in a procession at Beita south of Nablus in the Palestinian West Bank. Aysenur Eygi, 26, a…
Witness: Israeli troops intentionally killed US activist
Maureen Clare Murphy, The Electronic Intifada, 7 September 2024 Israeli occupation forces killed both an American woman during a protest in Beita, a village near Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, and a 13-year-old Palestinian girl in a separate but nearby incident on Friday. In the latter incident, Bana Amjad Baker (some outlets gave…
On the murder of Ayşenur Eygi
Jeff Halper, ICAHD, September 8, 2024 Yet another courageous person who gave her life for a just cause, Palestinian rights. Ayşenur Eygi joins two other members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM0), Rachel Corrie and Tom Hurndall, killed in actions against Israeli destruction of Palestinian life in its genocidal campaign since 1948…
Israel Has Built an Economy Fueled by Genocide at Home and Abroad
With the help of the US, Israel exports instruments of oppression abroad, while testing them against Palestinians. By Ciudong Ng, TRUTHOUT, September 1, 2024 As Israel tightens its siege, medical supplies in the Gaza Strip are running out, and doctors confront patients with unimaginable injuries. The orthopedist Hani Bseso operated on his niece Ahed’s leg, after a shell plowed…
Free speech expert, ACLU question new UW-Madison protest policy
Singing, distributing newspapers and more “expressive activities” could be banned within 25 feet of university buildings under new protest guidelines announced ahead of the fall semester. By Noe Goldhaber, The Daily Cardinal, August 30, 2024 The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s new protest policy may be unconstitutional, a constitutional law expert and ACLU of Wisconsin lawyer told The…
