The Madison-Rafah Sister City Project (MRSCP)
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145 of the 193 UN member states recognize Palestinian statehood, including 9 of the G20 and 10 of the 27 EU countries. ― Joel Beinin, Professor of Middle East History, Emeritus, Stanford University, Jun 1, 2024
Trump makes a one-state solution more likely
Supporters of Israel hate it when people use the word “apartheid” to describe the country, but we don’t have another term for a political system in which one ethnic group rules over another, confining it to small islands of territory and denying it full political representation. Palestinians protesting the Trump administration’s decision to recognize Jerusalem…
Israel Publishes BDS Blacklist:
20 Groups Will Be Denied EntryIsrael’s Strategic Affairs Ministry had for months refused to divulge the list Blacklisted American organizations: ■ American Friends Service Committee ■ American Muslims for Palestine ■ CodePINK ■ Jewish Voice for Peace ■ National Students for Justice in Palestine ■ US Campaign for Palestinian Rights US Campaign for Palestinian Rights (USCPR) Executive Director Yousef Munayyer…
Gaza’s health system close to collapse as electricity crisis threatens total blackout
World Health Organization warns hospitals could be plunged into darkness by end of February without fresh funding to keep emergency generators running Babies born prematurely are crammed into an incubator at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, where experts say ‘dangerous overcrowding’ has become commonplace. (Sarah Helm for the Observer) Rebecca Ratcliffe, The Guardian, 3 Jan 2018…
Israeli journalist who called for unspeakable acts against Ahed Tamimi tries, and fails, to backpedal
Ben Caspit, from his twitter feed Jonathan Ofir, Mondoweiss, December 26, 2017 Prominent Israeli journalist Ben Caspit caused international furor last week, when he wrote in his Maariv article that “in the case of the girls, we should exact a price at some other opportunity, in the dark, without witnesses and cameras”. Caspit has certainly…
Solidarity with the Palestinian People
Shared Injustice, Shared Struggle on International Day of Solidarity Claire Gilbert, Grassroots International, November 28, 2017 November 29th is the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people. These days, the global Palestinian solidarity movement has deepened and grown with powerful expressions of joint struggle with other movements around the world. A few weeks ago…
Israel indicts Palestinian teenage girl who punched soldier
Ali Sawafta, Reuters, January 1, 2018 OFER PRISON, West Bank (Reuters) – Israel indicted a 16-year-old Palestinian girl on Monday on charges including assault for punching an Israeli soldier in the face two weeks ago, an incident which made her into a hero for Palestinians and was seen as humiliating by right-wing Israelis. Israel has…
Who am I? I am a Palestinian girl.
Niveen Abboushi, Facebook, December 22 Who am I? I am a Palestinian girl. Before I was born, the occupation took most of my village’s lands to build a new settlement called Halamish. Then they arrested my father. When my aunt went to visit him, one of the soldiers pushed her over the stairs of the…
Code Pink Update: Calling for a 16-year-old to be raped?
No one should have to live under the rule of an occupying army. No one should have to pass through checkpoints on their way to school, watch their family members be shot, or have their homes invaded in the middle of the night. Two weeks ago, 16-year-old Palestinian girl, Ahed Tamimi, couldn’t take it anymore.…
Gaza Lights: Electrical Power for People Under Siege
The Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) “Many mothers told us the same story. Their children are so scared of the dark they won’t even get up at night to use the bathroom. One mother brings home rubbing alcohol from the clinic where she works to make a small fire so her children can have light…
Free 16-year-old Ahed Tamimi
On December 18, 2017, in the middle of the night the Israeli army burst into the Tamimi family home and arrested 16-year-old girl, Ahed Tamimi. They beat her father, mother, older and younger brothers and confiscated the families laptops, phones and cameras. Today, when Ahed’s mother, Nariman, went to inquire which detention center her daughter…
Palestinian double amputee killed by Israeli sniper
Abu Thurayyah was demonstrating against the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital when he was killed [Mohammed Salem/Reuters] AL JAZEERA NEWS, 16 Dec 2017 Two days before he was killed, Ibrahim Abu Thurayyah filmed a message to the Israeli army. “I am passing a message to the Zionist occupation army,” the 29-year-old double…
New Crime of Excessive Use of Force
Israeli Forces Kill 4 Palestinians, including Lower-Limb Amputee, and Wound 252 Civilians, including Children, Journalists and Paramedics Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), Gaza City, Ref: 90/2017, December 16, 2017 On Friday Afternoon, 15 December 2017,Israeli forces killed 3 Palestinian civilians; one of whom is a lower-limb amputee, and wounded 252 civilians, including 19 children,…
December 15, 2017 Update:
Hebron PlaygroundPlaygrounds for Palestine – Madison July 9, 2016 Hi everyone, I went to Hebron yesterday and helped with the installation of the playground. They were supposed to continue today but working on Saturday is a bit risky because of the settlers. See attached some pics. 2 international volunteers were also helping us. Best, Samir •…
Take Action: Palestinian leader’s son abducted by Israel
This is how Israel marked Human Rights Day. Please call the following (ask for the foreign policy aide) to intervene on behalf of Abdul Khalik Burnat with the U.S. State Department: Sen. Baldwin, Madison: 608-264-5338 Sen. Baldwin, DC: 202-224-5653 Rep. Pocan, Madison: 608-258-9800 Rep. Pocan, DC: 202-225-2906 (Pocan is a signer of HR 4391 on…
December 12, 2017
Beyond One State, Two StateCreative Solutions to the Israel-Palestine Conflict Dr. Johan Galtung Professor and Founder of Transcend International Livestream from The Palestine Center Washington, DC 11:00 pm – 1:00 pm CST Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Dr. Johan Galtung will discuss alternatives to the one-state, two-state solutions for Israel-Palestine. A sociologist and mathematician by profession, Galtung is recognized as…
What’s The Deal With Jerusalem, Anyway?
Sana Saeed, AJ+, June 11, 2017 Jerusalem is arguably the most contentious city in history. From the Crusades to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, a lot of civilizations and peoples have tried to claim the land. But the recent history of Jerusalem has made the city more than just contentious – it’s made it one of…
The Palestinian Right to Jerusalem Is an International Law that Cannot Be Taken Away
Position Paper: A Grant of Recognition from those who do not own to those who do not deserve The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), December 7, 2017 Baflour Declaration Recurs In a dangerous precedent that violates the international law, on Wednesday, the US President, Donald Trump, declared that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and…
Gaza City in the spotlight: hesitant hope in a city where everyone still wants out
As the UN’s day of solidarity with Palestinians nears, Gazans have restored a hesitant bustle Miriam Berger, The Guardian, Saturday 25 November 2017 Fishermen off the coast of Gaza City, which is home to a 5,000-year-old port. (David Levene, The Guardian) Today Medinat Ghazzah, or Gaza City, is running on empty – and yet still…
New Palestine 101 video! – US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Anna Baltzer, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights, 29 Nov 2017 Have you ever heard anyone say that the issue of Palestine/Israel is “complicated?” We have, and now there is a video to debunk it. Today, on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and the 70th anniversary of the United Nation’s (UN) partition…
December 2, 2017
Fair Trade Holiday FestivalMonona Terrace Convention Center 1 John Nolen Drive, Madison 9 am to 4 pm Come do your holiday shopping with Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, Playgrounds for Palestine-Madison and 54 other vendors selling fair trade products from around the world! MRSCP and PfP will be selling Palestinian olive oil in several sizes, olive oil soap, zaatar,…
Israel and the US are trying to prevent publication of a ‘blacklist’ of companies doing business in the West Bank
Business Insider/Julie Bort Josef Federman, Josh Lederman, Jamey Keaten, Business Insider, November 27, 2017 Israel and the Trump Administration are working “feverishly” to prevent a database of companies that operate in Israel’s West Bank settlements from being published. Dozens of major names are expected to appear on the list, including 100 local companies and 50…
Stop Violence against Women and Girls,
PCHR’s Women Unit Starts 16 Days of Activism Campaign to End Violence Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), November 26, 2017
Israel no longer bothers with the illusion of legal proceedings
Israel is so confident of its ability to expel Palestinian communities that it no longer even bothers to create the illusion of legal proceedings B’Tselem, November 22, 2017 Over the past month, the state has informed three Palestinian communities that it intends to expel them from their homes and land. The notification was made by…
#TalkAboutYemem
Donna Smith, Progressive Democrats of America, Nov 22, 2017 Yemen Is Suffering. Please Help. While there is so much going on in this country and so much upheaval continues to swirl around our planet, many millions of Americans find themselves in a rush to get away from all things political long enough to find even…
Children are starving in Yemen
The White House should intervene
November 21, 2017
In Service of State Violence“Palestine and the Restrictions on Academic Freedom” Listen live online here Tuesday, November 21 11:30 am – 1:00 pm CENTRAL TIME Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi The Palestine Center, Washington, DC The presentation will also be posted on line after the talk. Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi is Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies/Race and Resistance Studies & the Senior…
December 3, 2017
Lessons and Carols for AdventFirst Congregational United Church of Christ 1609 University Avenue, Madison 7:00 pm The local Bright Stars of Bethlehem chapter presents its fourth annual Advent Lessons and Carols service to support Dar al Kalima University College in Bethlehem. Musicians and readers from over a half-dozen local congregations will present beautiful music and you can join in…
December 5, 2017
Rabbi Arik Ascherman speaks on “A Torah of Justice for Israel”First Unitarian Society Landmark Auditorium 900 University Bay Drive, Madison 7:00 pm Rabbi Arik Ascherman has dedicated his life to upholding the Jewish tradition of universal human rights, winning victories for Palestinians and unemployed Israelis alike, and sometimes placing himself in physical danger. After leading Rabbis For Human Rights for 21 years, Rabbi Ascherman recently…
December 10, 2017
Moving Past Hate[pdf-embedder url=”http://madisonrafah.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/United-Against-Hate-flyer-FINAL.pdf”] It’s been five years since the attack on the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, when the calm of a Sunday on August 5, 2012, was shattered by a White Supremacist Gunman killing six innocent people and wounded others. This gunman was a member of a hate group founded by Arno Michaelis.…
Walker Order and GOP Bills on BDS Serve Big Donor
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, November 14, 2017 Republican Gov. Scott Walker has prohibited the state from doing business with anyone who participates in a boycott against Israel, a move guaranteed to please a Las Vegas casino billionaire who has contributed more than $900,000 to Walker and the state GOP. On Oct. 27, Walker issue Executive Order…
Protect the right to boycott Israel in Wisconsin
Barbara Olson and Tsela Barr, Wisconsin State Journal, November 11, 2017 Barbara OlsonTsela Barr Gov. Scott Walker just issued an executive order prohibiting current or future state contracts with any “business entity” that engages in the constitutionally protected right to boycott Israel for its human rights violations. Republicans are pushing two similar bills in the…
November 19, 2017
Orchard Ridge Fair Trade FairFeaturing beautiful and unusual holiday gifts and items from around the world. All proceeds go to the organizations and their artisans to help them become self-sustaining. MRSCP and Playgrounds for Palestine-Madison will be selling our Palestinian embroidery, ceramics, earrings, kuffiyehs, olive oil and olive oil soap. Free admission and parking. For more information on the…
November 9 – Global Day of Action: A World without Walls
Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall) From Israel’s apartheid Wall on Palestinian land to the US Wall of Shame on indigenous land at the border with Mexico – Walls are monuments of expulsion, exclusion, oppression, discrimination and exploitation. As people affected by these walls and as movements that pose justice, freedom and equality as…
Decode Hate by the Arab American Institute
Arab American Institute Decode Hate examines the sprawling, deeply embedded network of monetized hate. By underscoring the deliberate misinformation and fear-mongering of featured groups, this project reveals how hate is translated into mainstream discourse and discriminatory policies. © Copyright Arab American Institute Foundation. 2017 All Rights Reserved.
Protect Free Speech
Twelve leading faith organizations pen an open letter opposing anti-BDS legislation Friends of Sabeel North America, November 7, 2017 Today, 12 leading faith groups, including the Alliance of Baptists, Presbyterian Church USA, and the United Church of Christ, ran a letter in The Kansas City Star calling anti-BDS legislation in the United States what it…
Ask Sen. Tammy Baldwin to Oppose Kenneth Marcus’s Nomination
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights On October 30, Trump nominated Kenneth Marcus to be Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights in the Department of Education. Marcus has a long record of filing spurious discrimination claims with the department in an effort to suppress Palestine activism on campus, and supports anti-BDS legislation. Marcus is yet another Trump…
November 9, 2017
Kathy Kelly at Edgewood CollegeAnderson Auditorium Predolin Center Edgewood College 1000 Edgewood College Dr Madison, WI 7:00 PM “Trillions for the Military: Will That Make Us Secure?” Kathy Kelly, Voices for Creative Nonviolence Kathy Kelly, a global activist for peace, is one of the founding members of Voices in the Wilderness, and currently a co-coordinator of Voices for…
November 8, 2017
Wisconsin Union Presents Bassem YoussefWisconsin Union Theater 800 Langdon Street UW-Madison 8:00 pm (doors open at 7:30) Dubbed the “Jon Stewart of Egypt” by The New Yorker, heart-surgeon-turned-satirist Bassem Youssef is now making waves in America for his controversial brand of comedy. This event is co-presented with Wisconsin Union Directorate’s Performing Arts Committee and Distinguished Lecture Series. Sponsored by…
November 6, 2017
Jerusalem on the Moving Edge of Colonial RuleTom Philip Abowd Tufts University 206 Ingraham Hall 1155 Observatory Drive UW-Madison 12 noon – 1:00 pm This Middle East Studies presentation will analyze how colonialism and colonial urbanism remain a crucial component of contemporary Palestinian and Israeli realities. It seeks to illuminate everyday life as well as the broader institutional forces that comprise and…
State shouldn’t punish boycott movement — Joel Garb
Wisconsin State Journal, 11/3/17 Many Jews, including myself, as well as many others have been inspired by the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement in dealing with Israel. Israel’s current occupation of the Palestinian people on their traditional land is part of the reason for my discontent. Last Friday, Wisconsin’s governor signed Executive Order 261, alleging…
Wisconsin 24th State to bar or condemn Israel BDS movement
Jewish News Service, October 29, 2017 (JNS.org) Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker issued an executive order last Friday to ban state agencies from engaging in businesses with ties to the anti-Israel BDS movement. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. Credit: Michael Vadon via Wikimedia Commons. “We stand firmly against discrimination in any form and we wholly support our…
PayPal: Stop Discriminating Against Palestinians
We won’t accept PayPal’s discrimination against Palestinians! PayPal refuses to offer its services to Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian territories, while Israelis next door in illegal settlements have full access to PayPal’s international transactions. Join us today and tell PayPal to stop discriminating against Palestinians! ActionAid has been raising our concerns with the CEO…
Trump taps head of anti-Palestinian group for Education Civil Rights
Nora Barrows-Friedman, The Electronic Intifada, 27 October 2017
Madison’s Sister Cities
A PUBLIC AFFAIR, WORT 89.9FM, OCTOBER 24, 2017 Today we’re talking about Madison’s Sister Cities. Host Bert Zipperer speaks with Madison businessman, activist, and former City Council member Ricardo Gonzalez. You might know him as the owner of the much-beloved The Cardinal Bar, or from his work with the Madison-Camaguey Sister City Association. Later in…
Thousands Of Israelis Take To The Streets Calling For Palestinian Genocide
A reporter at the scene remarked that it seemed “more like a celebration of murder than anything.” Whitney Webb, MintPress News, October 6, 2016 The Tel Aviv rally — organized to support an Israeli soldier who murdered a wounded Palestinian by shooting him in the head as the victim lay on his back — was…
Last Month for Gaza Lights!
Our campaign to provide 50 “Gaza Lights” systems to families in Rafah is into its last month. We have almost raised the $4700 cost of the project. Thanks to those who have given so far. Details on the campaign here: • Halfway There: Help us Send “Gaza Lights” to Rafah!, September 17, 2017 • Help…
October 17, 2017
Farhana Khera Lecture at UWUniversity of Wisconsin Law School Room 2260, 4:00 pm [Map] Reception to follow The 2017 Mildred Fish-Harnack Human Rights and Democracy Lecture will be “Upholding America’s Promise for All” by Farhana Khera, President and Executive Director, Muslim Advocates. Farhana Khera is the first executive director of Muslim Advocates. Prior to joining Muslim Advocates in 2005,…
A Policy of Displacement
Visualizing Palestine, September 2012 “‘Policy of Displacement’ focuses on the Israeli government’s widespread practice of demolishing Palestinian homes in the West Bank and Gaza since 1967. The data for the graphic draws primarily on research by the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). The graphic was first published by Al Jazeera English on 28 August,…
October 19, 2017
Talk and Interview with Tariq AliHavens Center Award for Lifetime Contribution to Critical Scholarship Tariq AliDavid Barsamian Tariq Ali: Writer, Journalist, Filmmaker Thursday, October 19, 2017, 7PM Elvehjem L160 (Philips Auditorium) 800 University Ave Tariq Ali will speak on “1917-2017: Wars and Revolutions”. Following his lecture, he will be joined on stage for an interview with journalist DAVID BARSAMIAN…
