Wadi Qana, occupied West Bank—About 30 residents of Deir Istiya gathered under an olive tree in the village’s Qana Valley farmland on Friday, 18 May 2012, for midday prayers. They were praying for a miracle. Last month, Israel’s Civil Administration (ICA)—the deceptive title allotted to the governing body running its occupation of the West Bank—handed nine of Deir Istiya’s farmers orders to uproot over 1,400 olive trees by May 1st or face the consequences. Nafiz Mansour, whose extended family owns most of the farmland in Wadi Qana, is rather despondent when looking towards the future. “What can we do? We are up against the one of the strongest militaries in the world – they can do whatever they want. We are living on 22% of historic Palestine and the are taking more every day.”

Occupation to confiscate 30 dunums of Palestinian land in Deir Estia

The Israeli occupation issued a military order to confiscate 30 dunums (1 dunum= 1000 square meters) of Palestinian land in the village of Deir Estia in the northern West Bank district of Salfit.

Jewish settlers wound Palestinian, set dozens of dunums on fire

A Palestinian youth was shot in his abdomen while hundreds of cultivated dunums of land were set on fire during Jewish settlers attacks on a number of villages to the south of Nablus on Saturday.

http://www.palestine-info.co.uk Fear to CPDS: Short Documentaries Tell the Story, Talgha Bendie – Gaza

The Centre for Political and Development Studies (CPDS) had the privilege of having Harry Fear, a young independent film maker, present a lecture on the importance of short documentaries. Harry who is 23 hails from Oxford, England. He has made many short documentaries which highlight issues such as social injustices which take place around the world. Fear recently returned from South Africa where he shot some short documentaries on location. He is currently working in the Gaza Strip shooting short documentaries which have a running time of up to thirty minuets or less and hopes to show the world the reality of life in Gaza as opposed to the mainstream bias of the Palestinian/ Israeli conflict. http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19317 Power of Culture: PalFest Breaks the Siege of Gaza, Ayah Bashir – Gaza

Amid the focus on the economic hardships caused by Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip, it has been easy for many to overlook the fact that the territory’s 1.6 million people have been kept under a cultural siege as well. This is ironic because much international debate has emphasized the rights and wrongs of cultural boycott of Israel in the context of the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign. For years, the Palestine Festival of Literature — PalFest — has been trying to break this siege. Amid the focus on the economic hardships caused by Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip, it has been easy for many to overlook the fact that the territory’s 1.6 million people have been kept under a cultural siege as well. This is ironic because much international debate has emphasized the rights and wrongs of cultural boycott of Israel in the context of the growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) campaign. For years, the Palestine Festival of Literature — PalFest — has been trying to break this siege. http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19316 Israeli Violence and Aggression / Attacks on Peaceful Protest IOF troops open fire at southern Gaza

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened heavy machinegun fire at the eastern outskirts of Khan Younis, to the south of Gaza Strip, on Saturday morning, local sources said.

Israeli settler shoots Palestinian An Israeli settler shot and wounded a Palestinian man on Saturday in a clash that began when a group of settlers set fire to fields belonging to a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, officials said. Residents said about 25 settlers, some of them carrying guns, set fire to wheat fields in the village of Orif, which is near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. http://english.al-akhbar.com WATCH: Settlers set fire to Palestinian olive grove, man shot, Noam Sheizaf

Eyewitness report that a Palestinian who tried to put out a fire started by settlers in Urif was shot and injured. Throughout the day, there were reports of settlers from Yitzhar trying to set fire to Palestinian olive groves near the village of Urif, south of Nablus in the West Bank. The entire area is know for its frequent confrontations between settlers and local farmers. A team from B’Tselem who arrived at the spot caught one of the attacks on camera; Sarit Michaeli, spokesperson for B’Tselem who filmed the video, told me she had a very clear view of the settlers torching the field.

Hunger Strikers / Other Prisoner News Abu Kweik to resume hunger strike after his administrative detention extended

Hamas official Hussein Abu Kweik said he would go on open hunger strike once again to protest the Israeli court order to extend his administrative detention for three months.

Sarsak and Rikhawi continue their hunger strike

Two Palestinian prisoners, held by the Israeli occupation, are still refusing food despite the deal to end a mass prisoner hunger strike, the prisoners’ center for studies reported. Two Palestinian prisoners, held by the Israeli occupation, are still refusing food despite the deal to end a mass prisoner hunger strike, the prisoners’ center for studies reported.

Detainees in Huwwara jail ‘start hunger strike’ RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Prisoners in Israel’s Huwwara detention center started a hunger strike Wednesday in protest of poor conditions, the Palestinian prisoners society said. The society’s lawyer visited the jail Thursday and said prisoners were returning their meals. Prisoner Rida Khalid, of al-Ain refugee camp in Nablus, said detainees were demanding decent food, cleaning products to wash their clothes and cells and adequate breaks, the society said in a statement. Khalid said prisoners’ demands were basic yet the administration refused to meet them. He said the hunger strike would continue until the demands were met. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=488844 Hamas administrative detainees threaten to resume hunger strike

Administrative detainees from Hamas said they are seriously mulling over going on gradual hunger strike if the Israeli prison authority violated its agreement with them and extended their detention. http://www.palestine-info.co.uk Ashkar: Prisoners from Gaza to receive family visits next month

The IPS told prisoners from Gaza that it will allow their relatives to visit them starting next June, under the recent agreement signed between the prisoners’ leadership and the IPS.

http://www.palestine-info.co.uk Solidarity / BDS / Anti-Normalization

Alexandria bucks national trends and Islamist reputation ALEXANDRIA – Praying for the best, Mabrooka Hassan Ali sat with her husband under the shade beside their voting station on the Mediterranean coastline. Ali, in her mid-60s, said she had just finished casting her vote for Hamdeen Sabbahi, Egypt’s secular, nationalist candidate. “I did it for the martyrs,” said Ali, who is from downtown Alexandria, the governorate’s most densely populated district. “I did it because we’re tired of being slapped around, youth have no jobs and we want to live.” Alexandria is the home of Khaled Said, a young man who was beaten to death in broad daylight by police in June 2010 and is considered the first martyr of the revolution. It is also considered a stronghold for Islamists, with thousands of Salafi followers and Muslim Brothers. Over the past few weeks, however, Alexandria has proven to be full of surprises.

Why Did Sabbahi – ‘One of Us’ – Do So Well?

During revolutionary times, remarkable social, cultural and economic changes occur. Each phase potentially carries new surprises as a reflection of these emerging changes. The emergence of Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi in third place, so far, behind the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate, Mohamed Mursi and Mubarak-era Ahmed Shafiq reveals the significant portion of Egyptians thirsty for social justice. After Islamists – the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists – successfully campaigned for a ‘yes’ vote in a referendum on the constitutional declaration in March 2011, and then swept the parliamentary elections later in the year, the Islamists managed to win only on average forty-two percent of votes in the presidential elections.

For years we have heard pro-Israeli supporters talk about how Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, well, that argument is no longer valid with the recent historical elections taking place in Neighboring Egypt. Pro-Israeli groups have often sought to legitimize themselves with this argument, that by virtue of being a democracy, Israel should be supported, and that since Israel is a democracy, it shows that they are somehow better than the Arabs.

Iran

President Jalal Talabani posted on his website a plea for Iraqi’s leaders to end the political dispute that threatens to break apar the Coalition government, and perhaps Iraq itself. Meanwhile, at least nine Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded.

Officials: Roadside bomb kills 3 Iraqi soldiers

Officials say a roadside bombing in northern Iraq has killed three soldiers. Officials say a roadside bombing in northern Iraq has killed three soldiers. http://news.yahoo.com/officials-roadside-bomb-kills-3-iraqi-soldiers-121140306.html

Baghdad mortar attack kills one, wounds six

A mortar attack in Baghdad killed one person and wounded six others Thursday, in the second attack in Iraq’s capital during key talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, security and medical officials said. A mortar attack in Baghdad killed one person and wounded six others Thursday, in the second attack in Iraq’s capital during key talks on Iran’s nuclear programme, security and medical officials said.



http://www.freep.com/article/20120525/NEWS07/205250390/UN-commission-says-Syrian-army-rebels-deal-in-death-and-torture The Syrian regime and an increasingly organized rebel force are carrying out illegal killings and torturing their opponents. Rebel face control: US ‘to screen Syrian opposition for arms supply’

Washington is an inch from starting shipping arms to the opposition in Syria, anonymous US officials say. The biggest hitch is that it wants to be sure American guns will be pointed in the right direction and won’t end up in the hands of Al Qaeda.

Free Syrian Army says cannot commit to peace plan

The Free Syrian Army said on Saturday it could no longer commit to the ceasefire brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan unless there was an immediate solution to regime violence. http://news.yahoo.com/free-syrian-army-says-cannot-commit-peace-plan-155058881.html The Free Syrian Army said on Saturday it could no longer commit to the ceasefire brokered by UN-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan unless there was an immediate solution to regime violence.

Opposition has failed Syrian people, says outgoing leader Burhan Ghalioun

The head of Syria’s main opposition bloc, Burhan Ghalioun, admitted after resigning Thursday that the Syrian National Council (SNC) was riven with divisions and has not lived up to Syrians’ sacrifices. “We were not up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people. http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/05/24/216272.html The head of Syria’s main opposition bloc, Burhan Ghalioun, admitted after resigning Thursday that the Syrian National Council (SNC) was riven with divisions and has not lived up to Syrians’ sacrifices. “We were not up to the sacrifices of the Syrian people.

Syrian troops continue protest crackdowns

Activists say two killed in northern city of Aleppo, with reports of violence in Homs, Idlib, Damascus and Inkhel. Activists say two killed in northern city of Aleppo, with reports of violence in Homs, Idlib, Damascus and Inkhel. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/2012525133112667140.html

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