The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP)
Posts
Mar 30, 2025
❝Random Quotes❞
You can’t have occupation and human rights. ― Christopher Hitchens, English-American author and journalist, 1997
Where is Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, and what is Israel doing to him?
TAREQ S. HAJJAJ, MONDOWEISS, JANUARY 3, 2025. It has been one week since the Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, was detained by Israeli forces. Reports indicate he is being held inside a notorious torture facility, but Israeli officials won’t confirm where he is. His white coat stands out in stark contrast…
Dwight Howard: ‘I tweeted Free Palestine.’
‘Less than 10 minutes later, I got a call from the NBA commissioner.’ By HoopsHype | January 7, 2025 Dwight Howard: But when you’re in the NBA, there are a lot of things you want to say, but you know if you say them, there will be repercussions. You could get into a lot of trouble. For example,…
Group of Quebec doctors suspends non-essential work Monday to protest bloodshed in Gaza
CBC, January 6, 2025 As Israel’s deadly assaults on Gazans and their fragile health-care system rage on, some Quebec doctors are rising in protest by taking sick leave Monday and suspending their non-essential activities for the day. United under the banner of Quebec Doctors Against Genocide and Health Workers Alliance for Palestine, this group of medical…
Willy Street Update on Sabra Boycott
Co-op News, Jan 6, 2025. “We have decided to drop the five Sabra products” In November, 1% of Owners (337) requested a boycott of Sabra Hummus. Per our Boycott Policy, in December, we initiated a two-week comment period, which ended on December 16, 2024. These Owners called for Willy Street Co-op to remove Sabra Hummus from…
‘Where the Hell Is Doctor Hussam?’ Israel Gives Mixed Messages on Gaza Hospital Director
“Dr. Abu Safiya’s unlawful detention is emblematic of the broader attacks on the healthcare sector in Gaza and Israel’s attempts to annihilate it. It is part and parcel of Israel’s genocidal intent and genocidal acts—meant to inflict conditions of life CALCULATED TO BRING ABOUT DESTRUCTION OF PALESTINIANS.” —Agnès Callamard; Director, Amnesty International JESSICA CORBETT, COMMON…
Rights Group Finds Israel Uses Gaza ‘Safe Zones’ to ‘Hide a Genocide’
The analysis was published a day before Israeli forces bombed yet another “safe zone,” killing at least 12 Palestinians, including children. BRETT WILKINS, COMMON DREAMS, Jan 02, 2025 A report published on Wednesday details how Israel forcibly expels Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in order to facilitate—and hide—genocidal attacks in evacuated areas, while forcing refugees into alleged humanitarian “safe…
The Scramble To Find The Gaza Doctor In The White Coat
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya is one of six medical workers with the Chicago-based organization MedGlobal who remain in Israeli custody. Jonah Valdez, THE INTERCEPT, December 31 2024 AS THE ISRAELI military closed in on Kamal Adwan Hospital in recent weeks — the last remaining major health care facility in northern Gaza — Dr. Hussam Abu…
Jan 11-12, 2025: January Unity Gathering
You are invited to this two-day gathering to strengthen popular unity and plans for advancing world peace, justice, sustainability, and democracy throughout Wisconsin. Saturday and Sunday: People will meet for most of both days from 9 am until 4 pm in the North Hearing Room (225NW) and the GAR Hall (413N) of the State Capitol Building.…
Feb 22, 2025 Update: People’s Forum on the Black Freedom Struggle & Palestine!
‘BLACK FREEDOM STRUGGLE & PALESTINE!’ TO FEATURE INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS MADISON, WISCONSIN – An educational forum discussing the historical relationships between the Black Freedom Struggle, Palestine and other people’s liberation struggles internationally, will take place at 2222 S Park Street, Madison, WI from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025. The event is free and open to the…
What It’s Truly Like to Sleep in a Damp, Frigid Tent: A Report From Gaza
Five newborns have died of hypothermia amid the cold in Gaza. Doctors tell Drop Site the deaths are a direct result of Israel’s blockades ABUBAKER ABED, DROP SITE NEWS, JAN 1, 2025 DEIR AL-BALAH, GAZA—On the morning of Dec 28th, Yahya Al-Batraan, a 40-year-old father of five sons and three daughters, got up in his…
Israeli forces arrest Gaza hospital chief after ‘burning doctors and patients alive’
Troops beat Hussam Abu Safiya and kidnapped him alongside other doctors, leaving northern Gaza without any health services By MEE staff, Middle East Eye, 28 December 2024 Israeli forces detained the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, after setting the health facility in northern Gaza on fire with doctors and patients inside, according to…
And Now There Is Blood on my Name, and on the Name of America
Julia Vinograd, “For My Tree In Israel,” 1988
Today at Tuba in Masafer Yatta
December 22, 2024 Settlers have been in the village of Tuba multiple times in the last 48 hours. They chased all the sheep and the camels, using dogs and a flock of sheep, they completely destroyed the cultivated grazing crops of the camels, they chased and harassed multiple shepherds, stole a donkey which they rode…
The mystery is not why we Irish have responded to Israel’s barbarism. It’s why others have not.
I don’t believe in the idea of being on the right side of history. The histories of the future are none of our concern. Our concern is the present Mark O’Connell, The Irish Times, Dec 21 2024 A few weeks ago, I interviewed the historian Rashid Khalidi. Khalidi, who recently retired as professor of Modern…
Dec 21, 2024 Update: Interfaith “Longest Night” Gaza Vigil
Around 75 people braved the cold weather and joined the longest night vigil and service earlier this evening. I am overwhelmed by the turnout and the positive response of all participants and the cars beeping in support as they drove by. It was a wonderful night of solidarity. We had reporters there from Channel3000 and…
Not Another Bomb
Why as a Jew I Stand with Palestinian Liberation BY MARC ROSENTHAL, THE PROGRESSIVE, DECEMBER 18, 2024 grew up post-World War II in Madison, Wisconsin, in the shadow of the Holocaust. Our rabbi was a survivor of Auschwitz. As one of my most influential teachers, he instilled in me the understanding that silence in the face…
End-of-Year Appeal
Survival in Gaza, Plant an Olive Tree, and Replace the Sheep Your help is needed to support three projects in Palestine Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP) is asking you to help Palestinians survive and remain on their lands in both Gaza and Masafer Yatta through You can learn the latest on these projects by reading…
‘We kill civilians and count them as terrorists’: Israeli reservists recount Gaza service
With Tel Aviv focused on expanding its occupation of southern Syria, Israeli soldiers say the army is operating freely inside Gaza as ‘an armed independent militia without laws’ News Desk, THE CRADLE, DEC 18, 2024 Israeli reservists who served in the Netzarim Corridor, a recently built road that splits the Gaza Strip in two, have…
Erased & Suppressed: Palestinian Testimonies of Meta’s Censorship
7amleh, the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media, has released a new report titled “Erased and Suppressed: Palestinian Testimonies of Meta’s Censorship”. It highlights direct testimonies from Palestinian influencers, journalists, and media outlets who have faced Meta’s discriminatory practices. The report exposes Meta’s approach to silencing Palestinian content and suppressing the Palestinian narrative, particularly…
Dec 23, 2024: Peace walk through the malls
We were inspired by this video from Cardiff and we’ll replicate it here in Madison. If interested, contact us at warabolition@gmail.com View this post on Instagram A post shared by Parents & Teachers for Palestine – Cardiff (@parentsteachersforpalestine)
The War in Gaza Is Far Worse Than You Thought
The Airwars report shows a rate of civilian slaughter “incomparable with any 21st century air campaign. It is by far the most intense, destructive, and fatal conflict for civilians that Airwars has ever documented.” MATTHEW PETTI, REASON, 12.13.2024 How many people in Gaza have been killed by the Israel-Hamas war? For a long time, the only…
Inside Israel’s opportunistic invasion of Syria
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Israel has carried out an unprovoked invasion of Syria with the support of the U.S. The goals are clear: take strategic land, render Syria defenseless for the future, and redraw the political map of the Middle East. BY MITCHELL PLITNICK, MONDOWEISS, DECEMBER 13, 2024 Even as Bashar al-Assad was scrambling to…
The Last Two Weeks Have Been the Most Dire in the Gaza War: Hospital Director
Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza “will turn into a graveyard for everyone inside” amid ongoing Israeli attacks HERMAN GILL, DROP SITE NEWS, DEC 16, 2024 Since the beginning of October, all three remaining hospitals in northern Gaza have endured relentless military attacks by Israel. Only three healthcare facilities in northern Gaza remain “minimally functional,”…
Dec 13, 2024: West Bank Update from Cassandra Dixon on WORT
WORT 89.9FM Madison · A Report from the West Bank, Then an Update on Syria On today’s show, host Esty Dinur speaks with activist and longtime friend of the show Cassandra Dixon who just returned from the West Bank. They discuss the settler outposts in the area and violence facing Palestinians. They also discuss the realties facing olive farmers and shepherds in Masafer…
East Jerusalem, West Bank Palestinians displaced en masse
Home Demolitions spike to 15 year high Israel, like every other settler-colonial state, is premised on the erasure of the indigenous population. Demolishing Palestinian homes to drive them of their lands is a critical tool in the advancement of zionism. Cody O’Rourke, Good Shepherd Collective, December 9, 2024 Based on the data over the last…
GAZA IN CONTEXT Series: The Colonial History that Shaped the Modern Middle East
OnlineJan 5, 12, 26 and Feb 2, 2024 2:00 – 3:30 pm CT Massachusetts Peace Action Education Fund, December 12, 2024 The Israeli war on Gaza – widely considered genocide – did not begin on October 7, 2023. This series will look at the background of Zionism and colonialism that laid the foundation for ongoing…
Deadline for removing Sabra Hummus from Willy Street Co-op is December 16!
Special Update & Action Request Member requests to remove Sabra Hummus from the shelves at Willy Street co-op have passed the threshold needed to trigger a two-week comment period, after which the management will have three weeks to decide. If you are a co-op member, we need you to take action by Monday, Dec. 16, when…
ADC Statement on Syria and Continued Israeli Aggression
Israel’s recent escalation in Syria is emblematic of its broader strategy to reshape the Middle East to its advantage. Washington, D.C. | www.adc.org | December 12, 2024 – The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) envisions an Arab world free of foreign intervention and imperialism. Our longstanding position supports a region that is democratic, sovereign, and respectful of the…
December 13: The War on Palestine and Lebanon and its Environmental Effects
Online 11 am CT On Rendering Uninhabitable: The War on Palestine and Lebanon and its Environmental Effects Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and its expansion of killing and destruction in Lebanon have targeted the ecologies and environments that sustain the livelihood of Palestinians and Lebanese. In Gaza, Palestinians face the destruction of water infrastructure and agricultural…
Dec 17, 2024: Shifting the Narrative to Restore UNRWA Aid
Online 5 pm – 6:30 pm CT Millions of Palestinians in Gaza and throughout the Middle East rely on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for humanitarian aid. Yet earlier this year, U.S. funding for UNRWA was cut off, driven in part by disinformation linking UNRWA to Hamas. It’s critical to counter these…
Dec 15, 2024: Uprooting the Jewish National Fund
Online 1:30 pm CT Join the Green Olive Collective to discuss the central role of the Jewish National Fund (JNF) in the ongoing displacement of Palestinians. We are proud to host Ghassan Najjar of the Burin Land and Farming Cooperative and Umar al-Ghubari of Zochrot for a conversation about the central role of the JNF in the…
Dec 15, 2024: International Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Online 10 am – 11:30 am CT Global Solidarity for Peace in Palestine (GSPP) is a coalition of organizations from around the world committed to defending the rights of Palestinians and ending the occupation. Our movement is built on the principles of justice, human dignity, and respect for international law. You are invited to join…
Tell the Senate: No more repression of the Palestine rights movement
Jewish Voice for Peace, November 27, 2024 As the Senate heads into its final weeks before the new Congress, we must block two incredibly dangerous pieces of repressive legislation. The first is a version of legislation that just passed the House, known as the “Nonprofit Killer Bill,” which would give the incoming Trump administration the…
Report: We Will Return
An analysis of the escalating forced displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank since the start of the genocide in Gaza Stop the Wall, 10 December 2024 The Rights of Return, Reparation, Restitution, Compensation and Non-Repetition Remain the Key to Justice for the Palestinian People In this report, we have detailed the expulsion of…
Dec 14, 2024: Andaleeb Cartonera Workshop at Madison Friends’ Meeting House
1704 Roberts Court, Madison 2-5 pm Everyone is invited to another Andaleeb Cartonera workshop to make cardboard covers for books, hosted this time by the great folks at the Madison Meeting House. Come and find out how you can support Palestinian liberation and speaking truth to power with this amazing and beautiful new project.
Dec 14, 2024: Informational Picket at Willy Street Co-op North
2817 Sherman Avenue, Madison 1-3 pm Please join MRSCP, Revolutionary Socialists of Madison, and UE Local 1186 of Willy Street Co-op for an informational picket and leafleting at Willy Street North, the only one of the three co-op locations currently carrying Sabra Hummus. In response to requests from 1% of co-op members over the past six…
U.S. Nonprofit Raised $300,000 for Israeli Sniper Unit Killing Unarmed Palestinians
Other U.S. nonprofits have raised up to $100 million annually for the IDF, underscoring the deep financial and ideological ties between pro-Israel organizations in the United States and the Israeli military. U.S. Nonprofit Raised $300,000 for Israeli Sniper Unit Associated With Killings of Unarmed Palestinians by Drop Site News “Your support allowed us to get…
Except for Palestine
“When crises erupt, we protect civilians from mass atrocities, promote accountability for those responsible for human rights violations and abuses, seek to free political prisoners, and create space for civilian dialogue.” Joseph R. Biden Jr.
UNRWA: Nearly one million Palestinians at risk this winter
“We are running out of words. Hunger and disease are rampant. This keeps testing our shared humanity.” Gaza now has the highest number of child amputees per capita in the world. By Mera Aladam, Middle East Eye, 9 December 2024 The UN agency for Palestinian refugee (Unrwa) has warned that 945,000 Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of exposure to…
US repeats Israel’s ‘right to defend itself’ after invasion of Syria
State Department says Israel has right to ‘take actions against terrorist organisations’ By MEE staff, 9 December 2024 The US State Department said on Monday that Israel was acting in self-defence when its military invaded Syrian territory beyond the demilitarised buffer zone, following the removal of the Bashar al-Assad government by rebel groups. On Sunday, Israeli forces moved from the occupied Golan…
This Is Genocide And It Must End Now
Amnesty International just released a major report1 documenting how the Israeli government has committed and is continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Right now, successfully pressing the U.S. to suspend sending arms to Israel until it stops committing genocide and other crimes under international law is our NUMBER ONE priority. But we need your help…
In Masafer Yatta There’s No P In PTSD
WORT 89.9FM Madison · In Masafer-Yatta there’s no P in PTSD WORLD VIEW, DECEMBER 8, 2024 Cassandra Dixon, a local and international peace activist, has just returned from the occupied West Bank with tales of increased hardship for Palestinian farmers. The West Bank agriculturists have been trying to save their lands from being seized by…
25 years of resisting Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank
Al Jazeera, Nov 21, 2024 Atta Jaber’s family has farmed the Baqa’a Valley in the illegally occupied West Bank for hundreds of years, but since Israel’s 1967 occupation, their land has been confiscated piecemeal by Israeli settlers, and their homes and ancient farming terraces attacked and demolished. “The sound of the bulldozer is the music…
Erasing Palestinian Life in Gaza: Israel’s Genocide Exposed
Francesca Albanase and Eyal Weizman, Palestine Deep Dive, 8 Nov, 2024 “Israel aims to cancel and erase Palestinian life!” UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese, and director of Forensic Architecture, Eyal Weizman, expose the mechanics of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Speaking to Palestinian journalist from Gaza, Ahmed Alnaouq, Francesca references her…
Challenging Israeli ‘Hasbara’ and ‘Conventional Wisdom’ on Palestine
An Anti-Colonial Reframing Jeff Halper, Director, ICAHD, October 30, 2024 Israel’s success in “selling” its wars and oppressive colonial practices lies in its ability to condense its political position into one succinct sentence. “Israel,” the hasbara/PR line goes, “is a small, democratic, Western [subtext: white] country besieged by Arab/Muslim [subtext: dark, irrational] terrorism.” That hits about…
Let’s Turn Refaat Alareer’s “If I Must Die” into a Bestseller
On December 10 Palestinian writer, poet and educator Refaat Alareer will posthumously publish a book, “If I Must Die,” a collection of his poetry and prose. DROP SITE NEWS, DEC 6, 2024 Today marks one year since Israel assassinated Palestinian writer, poet and educator Refaat Alareer with a targeted airstrike on the second floor apartment…
Death march from Beit Lahia
Hossam Shabat reports from northern Gaza on Israel’s mass expulsion campaign Death march from Beit Lahia by Drop Site News Hossam Shabat reports from northern Gaza on Israel’s mass expulsion campaign Read on Substack
Boycott Review at Willy St Co-op
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Madison Rafah Sister City Project (@madisonrafah) Boycott Comment Link
