By Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD, A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home

Axis of Logic

They finally released our 10 friends yesterday from Israeli jails on bail pending “trial”. Those kidnapped from the peaceful march in Bethlehem area on Palm Sunday attended a press conference in Ramallah and passed by Beit Sahour late last night. Each is to appear in front of a military judge later this month. Yet, the Friday regular demonstration in Al-Ma’sara was large and daring. Speeches were given at the site where soldiers had stretched barbed wire blocking the road. Internationals (including Israelis) participated with Palestinians.

The occupation troops decided to end the demonstration early with a barrage of concussion/stun grenades. Two reporters and two demonstrators were injured by the soldiers as they tried to arrest some people in a violent way. They managed to arrest our deaf Italian colleague. The soldiers also shot directly at my car smashing one concussion grenade into the windshield from a distance of over 100 meters (replacement and clean-up will cost $250-300).

Similar repression occurred in other towns in the West Bank. Israel also shelled a number of places in Gaza including a dairy products factory.

Huwwara Checkpoint land day event: nonviolent resistance met by violence again and again. (Video shows Israel's violent response)

This Aljazeerah English shows our land day activities in Beit Sahour

BART Art Commemorates

Palestine Land Day in San Francisco

A guerrilla art squad hung Land Day posters in place of advertisements on BART in advance of this morning's commute. Guerrilla artists took to BART this morning in observation of Palestinian Land Day. Over 150 unauthorized posters appeared in many trains this morning, replacing the usual advertisements.

The stark black and white poster shows a woman clinging to an olive tree, while a soldier lurks behind her in a jeep. “Thinking locally/Acting globally” is the message, supplemented by the explanatory headline, “U.S. Funded Israeli Apartheid.” Support the Maia Project: Bringing clean water to children in Palestine

There is a growing water crisis in Palestine that affects agriculture, industry, and the health of virtually every adult and child. In the Gaza Strip, poor sanitation and over-extraction have polluted the limited water supply. In September 2009, the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) launched the Maia Project (Arabic for “water”) to provide Palestinian children with clean, safe drinking water.

Some of my talk in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) made it to this radio show and you can listen to it at Indypgh



Video of my talk in Stamford, CT is now posted at "The Struggle".



US Department of Justice is asked to regulate AIPAC as a Foreign Agent of the Israeli Government

Actions (good or bad) speak louder than words



Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD, A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home