Israel vs No. 2 Pencils and More

For farmers in Al Walajah, this might be the last year they can reach their land. If the Israeli apartheid system has its way, the Apartheid Wall will confiscate 2000 dunams of village land, separating farmers from 400 olive trees.

Special thanks to: Sabbah Report

(BETHLEHEM) - Many activities make life here fascinating and cultured. This week we had the Palestine International Book Fair in AlBireh – Ramallah, a poetry reading at the beautiful Russian Cultural Center in Bethlehem, a number of serious debates between candidates running for municipal elections (though I wish the level of interest would go beyond the elections and address issues of colonization), theater plays, art exhibits and much more. * In this week's report we ask those who can to join olive picking in Al-Walaja or other threatened communities, report on Russell tribunal, a finally released internal Israeli document details collective punishment of Gaza, Israel scuttles SAT test in West Bank, action petition demanding credible investigation of killing of Rachel Corrie, a PLO report, and open letter to US Green Party Presidential Candidate.* Action: Uinternationals and local activists are joining olive picking in a number of communities in Palestine.

For example for farmers in Al Walajah, this might be the last year they can reach their land. If the Israeli apartheid system has its way, the Apartheid Wall will confiscate 2000 dunams of village land, separating farmers from 400 olive trees.

Join us in Al Walajah or other villages for an olive harvest on threatened land. In Al Walajah Saturday 27th October 2012, 7am – 1pm (Stay the Friday night (Oct 26th) in Muhanad’s Al Araj place Al Walajah) CONTACT: Ahmad Shihadeh, Ph: 059 521915 In an effort to publicize Israeli violations of international law against the Palestinian people, the Russell Tribunal on Palestine held its fourth session this past weekend. The Russell Tribunal on Palestine, an independent human rights organization founded in 2009, has convened in Barcelona in 2010, London in 2010 and Cape Town in 2011 to present different aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

http://nyunews.com/index.php/2012/10/09/rtop/

The document outlining Israeli previous strategy of collective punishment
of the occupied Gaza strip housing 1.5 million Palestinians, most of them
refugees.  This sick document (available at
http://www.haaretz.com/resources/Pdf/red-lines.pdf)  is almost reminiscent
of”scientific”  studies done in Germany during the Nazi Regime.  For more
see Gisha reports
http://www.gisha.org/item.asp?lang_id=en&p_id=1699
http://www.gisha.org/UserFiles/File/publications/redlines/red-lines-presentation-eng.pdf
and Haaretz:  “After a three-and-a-half-year legal battle waged by the
Gisha human rights organization, the Coordinator of Government Activities
in the Territories has finally released a 2008 document that detailed its
"red lines" for "food consumption in the Gaza Strip…."
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/2-279-calories-per-person-how-israel-made-sure-gaza-didn-t-starve.premium-1.470419#

Israel vs. No. 2 Pencils: As countless students around the world took the
SAT a week ago, Palestinians from the West Bank could not join their ranks.
The October SAT exam was cancelled for students in the West Bank: The
Israeli authorities held the exams sent by the College Board for weeks, not
releasing the tests to AMIDEAST’s office in Ramallah….
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/10/16/israel-sat-oped/

PLO Report: 45 Years of Israeli Occupation: What is Left of the Two State
Solution
http://www.nad-plo.org/userfiles/file/New%20Publications/What%20is%20left%20of%20the%20two-state%20solution.pdf

Action: US Citizens especially should sign this petition demanding a
credible investigation of the killing of Rachel Corrie
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/641/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=11627

Green Party pres’l candidate misses crucial political opportunity by not
talking up democracy in Israel/Palestin
http://mondoweiss.net/2012/10/green-party-presl-candidate-misses-crucial-political-opportunity-by-not-talking-up-democracy-in-israelpalestine.html

Stay human

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD
http://qumsiyeh.org

Mazin Qumsiyeh, PhD - Popular Committee to Defend Ush Ghrab (PCDUG) "A Bedouin in Cyberspace, a villager at home. Mazin has been an Associate Professor of Genetics; Director, Cytogenetics Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine since 1999. He previously held a similar position at Duke University. Professor Qumsiyeh has authored over 110 scientific papers in areas of mammalogy, biology, and medicine including mammalian biology and evolution, clinical genetics, and cancer research. He has published over 100 letters to the editor and 30 op-ed pieces in International, national, regional and local papers on issues ranging from politics to environmental issues. His appearances in national media included the Washington Post, New York Times, Boston Globe, CNBC, C-Span, and ABC, among others. He is the founder and president of the Holy Land Conservation Foundation and ex-President of the Middle East Genetics Association, and Prof. Qumsiyeh won the Jallow activism award from the Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee in 1998. He is author of “Sharing the Land of Canaan: Human rights and the Israeli/Palestinian Struggle” and just published “Popular Resistance in Palestine: A history of Hope and Empowerment.” Visit Mazin Qumsiyeh's amazing and informative Website to learn more: qumsiyeh.org.