Posts in In the News
DROP THE PRETENSE

Houston, TX I Houston Chronicle

Eyewitness Palestine delegate Bridget Jensen’s letter to the editor has been published in the Houston Chronicle, in response to the article “Trump puts Mideast on edge:”

She writes, 

“since dropping the pretense of the location of Israel’s capital being other than Jerusalem was one factor in Trump’s recent decision, the discussion of dropping pretenses should be widened, starting with the pretense that there is any peace process.

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TRUMP ENDING US DOUBLE-SPEAK ON MIDDLE EAST 'PEACE'

Washington DC I Middle East Eye

Eyewitness Palestine delegation leader Noura Erakat in her new article in Middle East Eye writes, 

“Thank you President Trump, you have finally ended US double-speak on Middle East ‘peace’…Far from signalling a doomsday scenario, Trump has removed the emperor’s clothes to reveal the farce of the peace process. Now what next for the Palestinians?”

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YAFFA - THE CITY MY FAMILY ONCE CALLED HOME

 Yaffa, Palestine I Mondoweiss

Eyewitness Palestine delegate Amirah AbuLughod just returned from the Oliver Harvest delegation. Her reflection of visiting Yaffa, the city her family once called home, for the first time is now published in Mondoweiss.

She writes “I walked these streets – we walked these streets – with a man whose family stayed after the Nakba in 1948. His family was one of only 4,000 who stayed out of an original population of 120,000.”

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U.S. FAITH GROUPS DEFEND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO BOYCOTT IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN FREEDOM

Washington, DC I Huffington Post

Eyewitness delegation leader Philip Farah writes that the Kansas Commission of Education barred a math teacher from a program for training other teachers because she refused to sign a pledge certifying that she is “not engaged in boycotting Israel.”


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DOWN WITH LAWFARE

San Francisco, California I Electronic Intifada

Delegation leader Nora Barrows-Friedman writes about San Francisco State University’s faculty, Dr. Rabab Abdulhadi, victory last week over the lawsuit, filed in June, prepared by The Lawfare Project, a group that describes itself as “the legal arm of the pro-Israel community.”

Nora writes, “The decision to dismiss the suit proves that these types of legal attempts by Israel advocacy groups ‘will fail,’ Palestine Legal’s Liz Jackson said. “They have no merit because the facts they allege are untrue and the legal theory they’re based on is an abuse of civil rights law….

"Abdulhadi said the dismissal of the lawsuit sends a strong message to those trying to silence students and faculty and praised activists and organizations that have fought back.

'For me personally, it renews my faith, my determination [to continue teaching],’ Abdulhadi said. 'These campaigns are designed to destroy careers. So this is a wake up call to the Zionists to say, you need to back off, and the people won’t allow you to do this.’

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THE PUBLIC PULSE: MISSED A STRONG SPEAKER

Omaha, Nebraska I Omaha World Herald

Eyewitness Palestine delegate Sharon Conlon wrote to the Omaha World-Herald last week about the Millard North High School’s district revoking their invitation of Nora Carmi, a Palestinian Christian woman, on the basis that the district wanted to ‘protect students from politicization.’

Sharon writes, “I heard Carmi speak three times: at Creighton University, the College of St. Mary and a Pacific Springs Retirement Center luncheon for faith leaders. She spoke about how her faith helped her cope with the injustices of living under the Israeli military occupation.

I know the accuracy of her statements. This spring I was in Palestinian East Jerusalem and the West Bank and experienced the racism of the government toward non-Jews.

It’s a shame that Millard Schools did not allow her to speak; the district used censorship as a form of “protection.” Apparently administrators don’t understand the difference between criticizing the Israeli government policies and hating Jews. When I criticize the U.S. government, I do not hate Americans.”


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INTERSECTIONALITY AND THE MAINSTREAMING OF PALESTINE

San Francisco, California I Palestine in America

Delegation leader Nora Barrows-Friedman writes an article titled “Intersectionality and the  mainstreaming of Palestine” in Palestine in America.

She writes:

“Princess Nokia did it. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis did it. Queer filmmakers did it. A group of NFL players did it. Barcelona city council members did it. Even Sacramento, California transit officials did it. 

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Calling for Accountability of the 35th anniversary of the Massacre of Sabra & Shatila

USA I Al-Jazeera

As we enter the 35th anniversary of the Sabra & Shatila massacre, we enter 35 years with neither accountability nor justice.

In this reflective op-ed, Nabil Mohamad –a survivor of the massacre, writes that the brutalization in Sabra & Shatila “was a direct consequence of Israel’s violation of the American-brokered ceasefire and the impunity bestowed on Israel by the US and the international community.” He writes, that “the international community is obliged to remedy its moral responsibility” to the victims and the survivors.

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RAED AL-SALHI DIES AFTER ISRAELI RAID AT DHEISHEH CAMP

Santa Clara, CA  I Facebook/Al-Jazeera

Eyewitness Palestine delegate Safeer M. wrote a  moving post upon recently returning:

“Been trying to avoid sharing this since yesterday morning. Members of the group & I stayed with Fashek and had breakfast with him and Raed when we stayed at the Dehesha refugee camp in Bethlehem. I had written earlier about staying at Fashek’s place and having to close the windows due to the tear gas fired in the camp by the Israeli army. At breakfast, Fashek told us that him and Raed were the only two out of his eleven friends who had not been killed or arrested. A few weeks ago, we found out that Fashek was taken to jail by the the Israeli army - no charges, trial, nothing.

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BERKELEY SHOULD SUPPORT COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE BY SAYING NO TO URBAN SHIELD

San Francisco, CA I Berkeleyside

Eyewitness Palestine delegate Mohamed Shehk, with two other authors, has published a piece in Berkeleyside in lieu of tonight’s Berkeley City Council meeting and vote on withdrawal from Urban Shield.

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WITH STEADFASTNESS: A REPORT FROM PALESTINE

Boston, MA I Mondoweiss

Eyewitness Palestine delegate William Ruhm recently returned to the US from IFPB’s delegation investigating Incarceration, Detention and Political Prisoners. His article, “With steadfastness: a report from Palestine” has been published in Mondoweiss and can be read by clicking on the link below.

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TO PROTECT ARABS AND MUSLIMS FROM TRUMP, START LOCALLY

San Francisco, CA I East Bay Times

Eyewitness Palestine delegate Lara Kiswani writes: “Yes, the Muslim ban is an extreme form of anti-Arab, African and Muslim violence. Yes, our places of worship and organizations are at risk of attack. Our safety and livelihood are under threat, a threat faced by many who call Oakland home”.

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