The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP)
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They left me in the room for five hours with my hands tied behind my back and my legs tied to each other. When I refused to confess, they slapped me and tightened the hand ties more and more. ― 15-year-old Palestinian, Room No. 4, Nov 1, 2015
Delegation on Incarceration, Detention, and Political Prisoners
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MAY 2017 DELEGATION! May 13 – 26, 2017 Incarceration, Detention, and Political Prisoners Interfaith Peace-Builders Co-Sponsored by Defense for Children International – Palestine This delegation is your chance to explore Palestinian and Israeli efforts to achieve peace with justice and delve deeper into the issues of detention and incarceration, the Israeli military…
Life of a child in occupied Palestine
Images From Palestine, March 2, 2016
TAKE ACTION: Congress to Vote on Pro-Settlement Resolution!
Josh Ruebner, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, 04 January 2017 By now you’ve probably heard that President Obama—after waiting eight years and watching Israel’s settler population increase by more than 100,000—finally did something about Israel’s unrelenting colonization of Palestinian land. On December 23, the United States abstained on UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which reiterated…
Diana Buttu & Gideon Levy on Israeli Settlements, Kerry, Military Aid & End of Two-State Solution
Democracy Now! December 30, 2016 Guests Diana Buttu — attorney based in Palestine. She has served as a legal adviser to the Palestinians in negotiations with Israel. She was previously an adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Gideon Levy — Haaretz columnist and a member of the newspaper’s editorial board. His new article is titled…
Will Israel Echo South Africa’s Apartheid?
At this point, the South Africa example is most instructive. Recall the state of that country as the campaign to abolish apartheid built up steam — a privileged white minority ruling a black majority in a violent and brutal system. Economic and trade sanctions gradually beginning to strangle this nation that had historically been Africa’s…
The Two-State Solution: What It Is and Why It Hasn’t Happened
“The two-state solution has for decades been the primary focus of efforts to achieve peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here’s a basic guide.” “With few viable or popular alternatives, the most likely choice may be to simply maintain the status quo — though few believe that is possible in the long term.” Yet Israel has…
Kerry harshly condemns Israeli settler activity as an obstacle to peace
Secretary of State John F. Kerry speaks about the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and the U.S. decision to allow passage of a U.N. resolution condemning Israeli settler activity in the West Bank. (Andrew Harnik-Associated Press) Carol Morello, The Washington Post, December 28, 2016 Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Wednesday offered a harsh and detailed…
How Israel Misuses the Bible
By fuming over a U.N. resolution against Israel’s settlements on Palestinian land, Israeli leaders reveal their final solution for the Palestinians – to deny them property rights and displace them. Daniel C. Maguire, Consortiumnews.com, December 27, 2016 Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, let the theological cat out of the bag. When the…
Israel rejects ‘shameful’ UN resolution amid criticism of Netanyahu
“Resolution 2334 shatters the [Israeli] government-induced illusion that the settlement project has been normalised, that it passed the point of no return, that it is now a fait accompli that will remain unchallenged” Peter Beaumont, The Guardian, 24 December 2016 Israel’s ambassador to UN rejects ‘shameful’ resolution to halt Israeli settlements Jerusalem — Israel has…
What the UN Security Council resolution means for the US and Israel
Oren Liebermann, CNN, December 26, 2016 Israel has bitterly denounced the resolution They warn it harms, not helps, the peace process Jerusalem (CNN) — The United Nations Security Council on Friday passed a resolution condemning Israel’s settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The United States abstained on the resolution, allowing it to pass,…
Update January 28, 2017
Freeze for Peace Run and Walk![pdf-embedder url=”http://madisonrafah.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Freeze-Flyer-FINAL-.pdf” title=”Freeze Flyer-FINAL-“] Links for Registration Online: freezeforpeace.itsyourrace.com Mail-in Form: colombiasupport.net Mark your calendars for something different: the Freeze for Peace Run sponsored by Colombia Support Network with support from MRSCP, to fund food programs that benefit the citizens of the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado in Colombia. This very important…
Open Doors for Refugees — Madison
Here is the latest update from Open Doors for Refugees about the expected Syrian refugees coming to Madison. Open Doors is looking for furniture, household items, and gift certificates for the families. Dear Friends, There’s been a tremendous outpouring of support for Open Doors, especially since the election. Thanks to all of you who’ve contacted…
Hope & Peace Foundation For Children Update
Anees Mansour, December 16, 2016 Dear Friends, Assalamu Alaikum & Hello Everyone, I hope you, your family and friends are doing well. Special thanks to our old and new donors for your contributions to our winter project “Keep Children Of Gaza Warm.” Alhamdulillah (Thanks to God) we have achieved our goal within a few days…
Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project!
Find out what happened at last night's hearing . . . and join us for a holiday celebration Become a Member * Website * LIKE US ON Facebook * FOLLOW BNSCP ON Twitter Last Night, Council Approved NABLUS As Boulder’s 8th Sister City . . . We knew you’d want to know immediately, and we’ll send all the details…
Reversing 2013 decision, Boulder makes Nablus a sister city
Boulder City Council members vote 7-2 in favor of sister city proposal Alex Burness, DailyCamera Boulder News, 12/13/2016 Tom Hovestol, right, and Sid Fox listen to a speaker during a Boulder City Council meeting regarding the proposed sister city of Nablus, Palestine, on Tuesday at the Boulder Municipal Building. (Jeremy Papasso / Staff Photographer) The…
Palestinian Author Reflects on Life in Gaza
Lupe Salmeron, Madison365, December 5, 2016 An audience of around 30 people gathered to hear from talented blogger and political analyst Laila El-Haddad on Nov. 29 at The Crossing. Laila El-Haddad is a talented blogger, political analyst, engaging public speaker, and parent-of-three from Gaza City. She is the author of Gaza Mom: Palestine, Politics, Parenting,…
New Senate bill threatens free speech
Instead of fighting antisemitism, new Senate bill threatens free speech Jewish Voice for Peace, 06 December 2016 On Friday, without a single Senator in the Senate Chamber, the Senate unanimously passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act. Judging by the title, it seems a reasonable enough piece of legislation. And the Anti-Defamation League was one of its…
Rosary Sisters High School Dabka
Dabka dance to “My Blood is Palestinian”. Enjoy. Jerusalem, Palestine Shahir Hunaina, YouTube, November 16, 2016 My Blood is Palestinian (Dammi Falastini)Translation by Sara Ba Keeping my oath, following my religionYou will find me on my landI belong to my people, I sacrifice my soul for themMy blood is Palestinian, Palestinian, PalestinianMy blood is Palestinian…
How to See Palestine: An ABC of Colonialism
Nicholas Mirzoeff, Critical Inquiry, November 28, 2016 Acknowledgements I visited accompanying the art activist group MTL and with the generous support of many Palestinians, especially Habshe Yossef. I would also like to acknowledge the decolonial activist group Zochrot for arranging my meeting at al-Aqarib. The full web project is still being worked on by techs…
No fires or inciting politicians can destroy our shared society
Samah Salaime, +972, November 26, 2016 The wildfire that struck Neve Shalom-Wahat al-Salam left our Jewish-Arab village more resilient than ever before. We invite Israel’s politicians to learn from us on how to heal our society’s wounds. Fire fighters try to extinguish a forest fire in the forest near Neve Shalom and Latrun, outside Jerusalem, November…
Palestinians Blamed for Forest Fires Across Palestine
Dr. Mazin Qumsiyeh, November 25, 2016 But fires are raging across Western Asia Middle East Fires, Past Week (Global Forest Watch, Washington, DC) Over 200 forest fires are raging in Palestine (now renamed the Jewish State of Israel, including its occupied Palestinian territories). Many countries are helping put out the fires, including four teams of…
Update November 25, 2016
Laila El-Haddad on WORTFriday, Nov 25 WORT 89.9 FM A Public Affair 12:00 – 1:00 PM Starting at 6:00 minutes: Laila El-Haddad was the guest on WORT Radio’s noon-time call in show A Public Affair with host Esty Dinur. See The Gaza Kitchen with Laila El-Haddad in Madison for more info.
A letter from Gaza to the Natives of Standing Rock
Israa Suliman, WE ARE NOT NUMBERS, November 15, 2016 Dear Native Americans, Although we are of different color, religion, culture and place, I have learned, as I read about the protests at Standing Rock, that we have much more in common than differences. When I read your history, I can see myself and my people…
Third Palestinian Submission to the International Criminal Court on Gaza Closure
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, November 22, 2016 Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, and Issam Younis, Director of Al Mezan. Palestinian human rights organizations (Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and Aldameer) held today, 22 November 2016, a press conference to announce presenting the third legal submission…
A Musical Message from the Children of Gaza to the World
Wael Yazji’s 2007 operetta Ehna, with lyrics by the poet Jamal Darimli Wael Yazji, YouTube, November 23, 2007
Update from Anees in Rafah
November 21, 2016 Dear Friends, Alsalam Alaykum, I hope my email finds you well. I’m writing to keep you posted about the situation here at the moment, so I have good news and bad news, and I will start with the good news. Good News: 1. The Palestinian guy I mentioned in my previous update who was…
November 30, 2016
Living in Limbo: East Jerusalem Behind the Separation WallWednesday, Nov. 30 Online Livestreaming at The Jerusalem Fund 12:00 – 1:00 pm CST A presentation by Moien Odeh, Attorney at Law and Visiting Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. This talk will focus on the East Jerusalem neighborhoods behind the separation barrier, where approximately 120,000 Palestinians reside but the Palestinian…
Update November 29, 2016
The Gaza Kitchen with Laila El-Haddad in MadisonThe Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey is a cookbook and a documentary portrait of the Gaza Strip by Laila El-Haddad and Maggie Schmitt, published by Just World Books. The Crossing 1127 University Avenue Madison [Map] 4:30 pm: Gaza, From Blogging to Cooking and Everything In Between A Conversation with Laila El-Haddad based on topics…
Keep Gaza Children Warm
Anees Mansour, gofundme, November 5, 2016 We are about to enter the winter season in Gaza. The houses can’t handle the weather as they are not insulated properly and we only get about eight hours of electricity a day. The conditions are extremely difficult. We’ve been working with children from some of the most marginalized…
EU recognizes right to boycott Israel
Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada Activism and BDS Beat 28 October 2016 EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, left, has affirmed that boycotting Israel is a protected free speech right. (European External Action Service) The European Union recognizes the right of its citizens to boycott Israel, its top foreign policy official has said. “The EU…
Why Israel Still Refuses to Choose
It’s easier to leave Palestinians in limbo waiting for a “peace process” that goes nowhere ROGER COHEN, The New York Times, October 28, 2016 One of the largest Israeli settlements on the West Bank, Maale Adumim, rising in the distance over the Palestinian village of Zaim (Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times) TEL AVIV…
Update October 22, 2016
Wisconsin Book Festival: The Way to the SpringC-SPAN video link: c-span.org/video/?416995-3/ben-ehrenreich-discusses-way-spring Wisconsin Book Festival The Way to the Spring Ben Ehrenreich 10/22/2016 – 12:00pm Central Library – Community Rooms 301 & 302 Ben Ehrenreich first started reporting from the West Bank in 2011, on an assignment for Harper’s Magazine. He went back again for the New York Times the following year, which…
Free speech triumphs over pro-Israel bullies in US universities
Nora Barrows-Friedman, The Electronic Intifada, 20 October 2016 Students constructed a mock wall on the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor campus to protest Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights. (SAFE-UMich Facebook) Students have won major victories for free speech on US campuses lately as attempts by Israel lobby groups to suppress Palestine solidarity activism continue to…
October 20, 2016
Novelist Ben Ehrenreich on WORTThursday, October 20 “A Public Affair” 12:00 – 1:00 pm Allen Ruff’s Thursday guest will be freelance journalist and novelist Ben Ehrenreich, author of “The Way to the Spring – Life and Death in Palestine,” which describes life in the Palestinian village of Nabi Salih and the villagers’ struggles against settler encroachments and state harassment…
Update October 23, 2016
Israeli and Palestinian Parents Grieve, Work Together for JusticeIt Won’t Stop Until We Talk A Parents Circle Family Forum Presentation Sunday, October 23 Two families – one Jewish Israeli, one Palestinian Christian – have lost a close family member as a result of the prolonged conflict between their two nations. As part of this organization of over 600 families, George and Najwa Saadeh…
December 3, 2016
Madison’s Fair Trade Holiday FestivalGifts with a Story Monona Terrace Convention Center 1 John Nolen Drive, Madison 9 am to 4 pm [Map] Admission is free. MRSCP will have a table offering kuffiyehs and other crafts, and olive oil.
October 23, 2016
UNA-USA Luncheon: Madison: A Tale of Two CitiesUpdate: The Room No. 4 Exhibit advertised previously will not be available at this event. Monona Terrace Hall of Ideas 1 John Nolen Drive, Madison 11:45 AM to 2:30 PM Please join the UNA-USA Dane County Chapter for our annual luncheon on Sunday, October 23rd, 2016 at Monona Terrace. This year’s luncheon: “Madison: A Tale…
November 20, 2016
Orchard Ridge UCC Fair Trade FairSunday, November 20 Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ 1501 Gilbert Rd, Madison [Map] Annual Fair Trade Fair! Come find unusual and beautiful gifts and holiday items from around the world. All proceeds go to the organizations and their artisans to help them become self-sustaining. MRSCP will have a table offering kuffiyehs and other crafts,…
Fall fundraising appeal from MRSCP
Luci Lights for Rafah and Playground finish for Hebron Dear Members and Friends of MRSCP, We would like to ask your support for two modest but important projects this fall. The first is to help MRSCP and the Rebuilding Alliance send a shipment of solar-powered, inflatable Luci Lights to a classroom of Rafah Children. $400…
Israeli Military Blocks Female Flotilla From Reaching Gaza
Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams, October 05, 2016 Group including Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire aimed ‘to highlight the vital role women play not only in the resistance movement, but in the survival of the Palestinian people as a whole’ Map shows the path the boat took through the Mediterranean before it was stopped by the Israeli…
SOS Women’s Boat to Gaza – Contact Lost
At 15:58 CEST (Central European Summer Time) on 5 October, we lost contact again with the Zaytouna-Oliva and presume that the Israeli Occupation Navy has surrounded it in International Waters (latest recorded position: Lat+31.906033 Lon+33.757630) and has forced it off its course to Gaza. On board are 13 women, including Mairead Maguire, the 1976 Nobel…
October 11, 2016
Online Panel: Against Israel’s Colonial TideTuesday, October 11 12 noon – 1 pm Central Listen live at http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/livestream Online panel discussion presented by the Palestine Center in DC: Against Israel’s Colonial Tide: Palestinian Initiatives to Shape Their Future with Nur Arafeh, Policy Fellow, Al-Shabaka Tareq G. Baconi, Policy Fellow, Al-Shabaka Nadia Hijab, Executive Director, Al-Shabaka This panel examines the intersection…
October 6, 2016
Film: Pinkwashing Exposed: Seattle Fights Back!UW-Madison Multicultural Student Center Red Gym – 2nd Floor 716 Langdon St, Madison, Wisconsin 7:30 pm Sponsored by UW-Madison Students for Justice in Palestine. Film screening of the documentary Pinkwashing Exposed: Seattle Fights Back!, which follows queer activists fighting against Israeli pinkwashing propaganda in their community, providing a strategic primer on intersectional social justice activism.…
PHROC Welcomes the Launch of Women’s Boat to Gaza
Al-Haq, 26 September 2016 The Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) expresses its full supportof the Women’s Boat to Gaza, with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, to break the Israeli closure of the Gaza Strip. PHROC calls upon the international community to support the voyage of the Boat until it reaches Gaza’s shores in an expression…
Zaytouna-Oliva departs for Gaza
Amal-Hope II to follow soon Women’s Boat to Gaza, Messina, Italy, September 27, 2016 This morning at 9:50 am, women representing 13 countries spanning five continents began their journey on Zaytouna-Oliva to the shores of Gaza, which has been under blockade since 2007. On board are a Nobel Peace Laureate, three parliamentarians, a decorated US…
Zaytouna-Oliva leaves Corsica for Italy
Women’s Boat to Gaza, September 20, 2016 Ajaccio, Corsica, France: The Women’s Boat to Gaza (Zaytouna-Oliva) left the port of Ajaccio at 09:30 this morning. It is due to arrive later this week in Messina, Sicily, Italy, where it will dock for the last time, prior to sailing to challenge the illegal blockade of Gaza.…
A special appeal from our friend Anees Mansour in Rafah
The Hope and Peace Foundation has now been providing services for Rafah children for one year. The program is going to lose the lease on the building they are presently using, unless they raise six months worth of rent by the end of this month, through this on line funding campaign. Please see the link…
ADC Remembers Sabra and Shatila
Washington, DC | www.adc.org | September 16, 2014 — Today marks 32 years since the Sabra and Shatila massacre — one of the bloodiest and most brutal atrocities of our time. On September 16, 1982, shortly after Israeli troops seized control of west Beirut, the right-wing Lebanese militia forces operating under the direction of Israeli…
Gaza-bound flotilla sails off from Spain’s Barcelona
International activists on two boats carrying food and medicine aim to break Israeli siege on Palestinian territory Al Jazeera, 15 Sep 2016 Two boats, Amal and Zaytouna, will have 11 women on board each [Courtesy: Rumbo a Gaza] A new flotilla of international activists has left for the Gaza Strip from the Spanish city of…
Barcelona Hosts Women’s Boat to Gaza for their inaugural journey
Women’s Boat to Gaza, September 12, 2016 Barcelona, Spain – From September 12-14, the sailing vessels Amal-Hope and Zaytouna-Oliva will moor at Bosch i Alsina dock in the port of Barcelona where various events (concerts, talks, nonviolent workshops, a street parade and visits to the boats) will take place as farewell for the women leaving…
