Voice of Palestine (http://www.voiceofpalestine.ca) will be interviewing Cindy and Craig Corrie on Tuesday evening Jan. 22, 2008, from 8:00-9:00 pm PST. Cindy and Craig are the parents of Rachel Corrie, who was murdered by an Israeli bulldozer on March 16, 2003. The will talk about the play “My Name is Rachel Corrie” that will premiering in Vancouver at the Havana Theatre, 1212 Commercial Drive, Vancouver from January 24 - February 9 (http://neworldtheatre.com/) . They will also talk about their efforts to keep the memory of Rachel alive and about the Rachel Corrie Foundation.

Voice of Palestine broadcasts weekly on Vancouver Cooperative Radio (CFRO) 102.7 FM, Vancouver. The show broadcasts for one hour every Tuesday night from 8 to 9 pm PST (Wednesday morning 6:00 to 7:00 am Palestine time). It first went on the air in September, 1987, and has hit the airwaves every week for the past twenty years. People outside of Vancouver can listen to the show live on the internet http://www.coopradio.org/listen/

Neta Golan is an Israeli peace with justice activist living in Ramallah, and a founder of the International Solidarity Movement and a good friend of mine. Here’s her very fine piece on the Annapolis meeting and the people Israeli leaders dare not mention by name: Refugees.”Anyone familiar with Israeli politics was not surprised that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert did not acknowledge Israel’s occupation in his speech at Annapolis. What was surprising was that short of mentioning the “R” word- refugees, Olmert acknowledged the Palestinian refugee problem.”  — Link

This story aired on NPR’s Morning Edition on Thanksgiving morning and was sent to me by Diane Adkin, a good friend in the Portland area now working as the US Sales Coordinator for Canaan Fair Trade olive oil.  The story was produced by Sandy Tolen, author of The Lemon Tree and some of you will recognize Rabbi Arik Ascherman.

The following is a message from the Gaza Mental Health Foundation, Inc. Please forward it to people you think would be interested in supporting the Gaza Community Mental Heath Program:

The future of the Gaza Strip has never been so bleak.

While the world stands silently by, the million and a half residents of the giant prison that is the Gaza Strip are subjected to a siege depriving them of sufficient fuel, electricity, food, water resources, medicines and other basic necessities, as well as access to adequate medical care, education and a way to make a living. Gazans are enduring the kind of collective punishment that is considered a war crime under international law. (more…)

Middle East Talks in Annapolis: Photo-Op or Talk-Fest

By Phyllis Bennis

From the Institute for Policy Studies

15 November 2007

** There is one thing certain about the international (or regional or bilateral) Middle East peace conference (or meeting or get-together) called by Condoleezza Rice (or George Bush or Elliott Abrams) for November (or maybe December): it’s going to be held in Annapolis, Maryland (probably). (more…)

Download the “Looting Nahr al-Bared”.

In May 2007 Nahr al Bared Refugee Camp, home to over 30,000 Palestinian refugees, became the site of a 4-month battle between the Lebanese Army and extremist group Fatah al-Islam.

More than 40 civilians, 167 soldiers and 200 Fatah al-Islam members were killed, 30,000 refugees were displaced. From early September, when the battle ended, until the October 10, the camp was under Lebanese army control.

As the camp re-opened, thousand families returned to houses that had been burnt, looted and vandalized. Witnesses attest to what appears to be a systematic pattern of burning and looting. Racist graffiti written in many homes in the camp is signed with the names of various Lebanese Army Commando groups.

No military or independent investigation has been carried out. Amnesty International has written to the Lebanese government, calling for an investigation, but journalists and human rights organizations are being denied entry to the camp.

This short documentary deals with the looting and burning of Nahr al-Bared Camp. All the footage was secretly filmed.