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ePalestine.ps - Sam Bahour

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News & opinions from a Palestinian-American
living & working in Ramallah/Al-Bireh, Palestine

[ePalestine] Update on Gaza…

by | January 3, 2009 | Latest News

Dear friends,

I know we are all being inundated with information from and about Gaza, so I will do my best to be as selective as possible.  Thus, I will include more than one issue in the same post.

The Israeli killing machine continues.  I can’t stand the tallying anymore! These are real people, real children, with names, parents, grandmas, grandpas, siblings, and families!

Three hours ago I was able to speak to my friend Maha in Gaza, the person that my Israeli “mom,” Deb Reich, wrote about in the article I posted yesterday.  Our call abruptly ended when she was interrupted by her neighbor to learn that there is a rumor that the Al-Omma University building in al-Rimal, Gaza City, which is 3 houses away from her families, has been targeted for an air strike.  Israel has been terrorizing people for the last few days by actually calling and advising of an oncoming strike.  They like to brag that this is forewarning – an expression of their humanity.  What they like to forget to note is that hundreds of residential homes have received these calls and were not yet targeted.  Maha and her family, and her brothers family (9 children in all), now sit in a candle lit room, freezing cold, awaiting the fallout of the attack.  I got through to her again 20 minutes ago, her voice, trembling, while she advised they still sit, huddled in a single room they believe is least exposed, and wait while they listen to the thumps of attacks taking place further away. 

Before I pass you today’s material, I want to note something you may have not seen.  As Israel and the US planned this latest insane round of genocide, while the world was celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year, what was the President of the US doing — pardoning, posthumously, Americans that broke US law 60+ years ago to supply aircraft to Jews fighting for the state of Israel.  I had a hard time believing it too.  See:

Bush pardons Israel bomber seller 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7799170.stm

One can only guess that in the fog of Gaza, Israel is pressing for the living Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard to also be pardoned.  Then again, maybe they will use pressing for his release as a litmus test to incoming President Obama.

Gaza population – 60% children under 15!!! Children now damaged for life, if the live the ground assault,

Sam

—

Vittorio Arrigoni from Gaza

As I always try to do, I share with you first the voices of those on the ground.  This one is from Vittorio Arrigoni, a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement.  I have been unable to remove her words from my mind since reading it.

http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2009/01/01/vittorio-arrigoni-writes-from-gaza/

Cynthia McKinney, Free Gaza Movement

Next is a piece by Cynthia McKinney, a former United States Representative, who was on the last boat, DIGNITY, that the Free Gaza Movement attempted to send to Gaza, but was turned back by Israel after the Israeli navy rammed the boat.

http://www.freegaza.org/index.php?module=latest_news&id=23f1fef7bddd36ec5a63da9f6677a15f&offset=

Israeli Air Force pamphlets 

(ACTION ITEM) Gaza  awoke today with pamphlets scattered everywhere by the Israeli air force, see: http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=34493 .  The Israeli military is marketing their blind, insane destruction services to anyone who is willing to advise them of a target.  How pitiful can a military be?  They ask Gazans to call 02-583-9749 (for those outside of Palestine that’s +972-2-583-9749) or email helpgaza2008@gmail.com . May I suggest they hear from all of us about what we think of their war crime campaign against Gaza. 

For those that have short-memories, two consice lessons: 

Israel over-reaches 

By Nadia Hijab

http://imeu.net/news/printer0015233.shtml

Israel Has No Intention of Granting a Palestinian State 

If Hamas Did Not Exist 

By Jennifer Loewenstein 

https://www.counterpunch.org/2009/01/01/if-hamas-did-not-exist/

Of course, more Israeli opinions:

The Self-Defense of Suicide

By OREN BEN-DOR

https://www.counterpunch.org/2009/01/01/the-self-defense-of-suicide/

If you (or I) were Palestinian

Yossi Sarid

https://www.haaretz.com/2009-01-02/ty-article/yossi-sarid-if-you-or-i-were-palestinian/0000017f-df0a-db5a-a57f-df6ad4960000

Flyer

(ACTION ITEM)  For those of you organizing demos, you may want to consider using this leaflet put out by If Americans Knew:

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/download/GazaDec08.pdf

Audio

Finally, if you want to hear (or use in your demos by putting his voice on the loudspeakers) an inspiring talk by South African Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu on Palestine/Israel from a few months back go to: http://media.libsyn.com/media/ctl/CTL_Podcast_Jan_2nd.mp3

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Author

  • Sam Bahour

    Sam Bahour is a Palestinian-American business consultant, writer, and commentator based in Al-Bireh/Ramallah, Palestine. He is the principal of Applied Information Management (AIM), a consultancy specializing in business development and startup advisory services.

    Bahour played a foundational role in establishing two of Palestine’s publicly traded companies: the Palestine Telecommunications Company (PALTEL) and the Arab Palestinian Shopping Centers (APSC). He co-founded Americans for a Vibrant Palestinian Economy (A4VPE), of which he is now an emeritus member, and served as an independent director on the board of Arab Islamic Bank P.L.C. from 2004 to 2025. He currently serves on the board of Just Vision and The Palestine Economic Policy Research Institute (MAS).

    He frequently gives talks to delegations visiting Palestine on the subjects of Palestine’s political economy, Palestinian Politics 101, and a general orientation to the state of affairs under Israeli military occupation.

    A prolific writer on Palestinian affairs, Bahour has been published in major international outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian, Haaretz, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, Al Jazeera America, Le Monde diplomatique, Al-Monitor, +972 Magazine, The Hill, and Arab News. He has appeared as a commentator on NPR, CNN, BBC, and other broadcast media.

    Bahour is the co-editor of Homeland: Oral Histories of Palestine and Palestinians (Olive Branch Press, 1993) and was profiled in the bestselling anthology Kingdom of Olives and Ash, edited by Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, in a chapter authored by Chabon titled “The Tallest Man in Ramallah.” He holds an Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree in Computer Technology from Youngstown State University, and a Kellogg-Recanati International Executive MBA — a joint program of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and the Recanati Business School at Tel Aviv University.

    He tweets at @SamBahour, blogs at www.epalestine.ps, and may be reached at sbahour[AT]gmail[DOT]com.

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