1. Jewish history museum
to be built over Muslim
graveyard
Thousands demonstrate
against attack on Gaza Not enough food in Gaza
Aqsa
Israel stops foreign
journalists from
entering Gaza
est uct oDestruction o Ga aon Gaza

2. R E A C T I O N S
T O T H E G A Z A
C R I S I S
2
Thousands demonstrate against attack on Gaza
Farah Iqbal, 29,
Birmingham
History exposes the many
shameful genocides initiated by
megalomaniac politicians. Gaza
is more shocking because of the
incredible disparity between the
aggressor and the victim, and the
fact that the perpetrator claims the
role of victim. Some world leaders
are almost cheering Israel on while
theycondemntherealvictims.Israel
on civilians with impunity.
Governments, including Arab
ones, should feel ashamed of their
open complicity in these attacks.
Israel needs to be challenged on
its claims including that there is no
humanitarian crisis and that Gaza is
no longer occupied. Israel controls
the sea, land and air space of Gaza,
so it is still occupying it. This crisis
has made me focus my prayers on
the people of Gaza once more, and
I pray that we see a free Palestine in
our lifetime.
Arwa Aburawa, 22,
Manchester
Like everybody I know who heard
and subsequent death toll, I was
illegal Israeli settlements, theft
of land, house demolitions, the
separation wall and the brutal
blockade on Gaza it had become
one day of violence and another
day of oppression- in Palestine, it
was always just more suffering. Yet
Israel’s latest deadly attack against
the Palestinians of Gaza cannot be
ignored and will never be forgotten.
“Operation Cast Lead” which began
a deadly and undiscriminating
assault on a siege-crippled people
has already been declared the
bloodiest day in all sixty years of
In four days Israel killed almost
400 hundred Palestinians and
injured over 1,000 others. It is
hard not to feel helpless watching
news, hearing women cry for their
children and listening to the world
leaders spinning their lies. I just
keep asking myself why isn’t the
US and UK directly condemning
What should we all be doing to
these questions; all I know is that
we will never give up on Gaza.
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Israel’s attack on Gaza has
led to hundreds of thousands of
people across the globe taking
to the streets in protest. The
international condemnation
from the citizens of the world
has been loud and resounding
and protests have spanned
from New York, London and
Paris, to Damascus, Tel Aviv
and Karachi.
Despite Israel’s attempts to
convince the world that this is
a defensive war, the protests
around the world are no longer
convinced by Israel’s ‘security’
related arguments for attacking
Palestinian towns and cities.
On January 3rd 2009, the
streets of every major city in
the world were taken up by
protestors. In London, despite
the freezing temperatures,
between 60,000 and 80,000
protestors marched from
Embankment to Trafalgar
Square, in an emotive show
of opposition to the war.
Following the precedent set by
Iraqi journalist Muntazer al-
Zaidi, many protestors brought
with them old shoes which
they threw across Whitehall
towards Downing Street.
Police reported that 1,000
old shoes littered the streets
after the demonstration.
The protest in London was
supported by many politicians
and celebrities, including
Annie Lennox, Bianca Jagger,
Alexi Sayle, Ken Livingston,
George Galloway, Yvonne
Ridley, Jeremy Corbyn MP,
Clare Short MP and Sarah
Teather MP.
The main message
emanating from the speakers
at the demonstration was that
Israel needed to be stopped
resolution needed to be
employed that did not include
death, destruction and bombing
of civilians. Annie Lenox
described her feelings when
she saw the bombings and
said she was responding ‘as a
mother and as a human being’
by opposing the bombing of
Gaza. She encouraged both
sides to come to the negotiating
table so that peace could really
be achieved between Israel
and Palestinians, something
everyone recognises isn’t
going to be achieved by war.
The protest continue to take
place across the country.
Demonstrators line the streets of London
Annie Lennox speaking to the Media about the humanitarian situation in Gaza
Bianca Jagger speaking at the rally Ken Livingstone speaking to the crowd

3. 3
Aisha Abbasi, 25,
London
It is saddening and maddening that
Israeli Occupation Forces have
killed and injured so many civilians
in Gaza. It is little wonder that many
people like myself are angered and
are calling for world leaders to act.
Israel is a bully and the world can see
that. Killing women, children and
the elderly has been something that
the Israeli government has long been
attack on Gazan civilians is being
watched and reported the world-
over. Every day, pictures of bloodied
people, old and young, white sheets
covering human mounds and what
once were large buildings now
reduced to rubble, are displayed on
our television screens and you can’t
help but feel deeply saddened and
infuriated. May the people of Gaza
be liberated from their oppressors,
may they be victorious and may the
suffering end.
To Allaah we belong and to Him
we shall return. Victory to the
Palestinians!
Fatima Patel, 35,
Leicester
Israelis say that they are targeting
Hamas and not civilians. But, you
only have to look at the news reports
to see that this is far from the truth.
The majority of people killed in this
bloody war against the Gazans are
civilian men, women and innocent
children.Israel’sattackontheschool
in Gaza on Tuesday 6th of January is
further proof of its persistent terror
The injustice of the situation is
astounding. We are constantly
reminded of Israel ’s ‘vulnerability’
to the possible threat of Hamas. But
when you put it into context, Hamas
is just a small group within Palestine.
What about the threat of terror from
Israel to the Palestinians’ - being
bombed on a daily basis, being
driven out of their homeland, losing
their families and having little or
no basic supplies of medicine, food
on them not only by the Israelis but
with the support from countries such
as the U.S. , Britain and the puppet
Arab countries.
So whilst we the international
communitystandbyandwatchIsrael
‘defend’ itself from the supposed
threat of Hamas rockets, the death
toll of innocent Palestinians in Gaza
is rising rapidly. If Israel has the
right to defend itself from minor
rockets then surely the Palestinians
have a right to defend themselves
from the deadly bombs the Israelis
that pebbles do less damage than
bricks.
From the start of the Israeli
bombing of Gaza, Israel
impeded access by foreign
journalists to the besieged
strip. As the military onslaught
continued, the Foreign Press
Association (FPA) issued
proceedings at the Israeli
Supreme Court challenging
Israeli restrictions on their
right to travel in to Gaza. In
a judgment delivered on 31
December 2008, the Court
held in favour of the journalists
ordering the Israeli government
to allow international journ-
alists to enter Gaza and report
on the effects of the attacks.
The victory was very limited
in scope however, as the court
only required Israel to allow up
to 12 journalists to enter Gaza
each time the Erez crossing is
opened. As Israel has sealed all
border crossings, apart from
allowing paltry supplies to
enter, no journalist actually
managed to cross the border.
The FPA was scathing
of Israel, and FPA’s lawyer,
Gilead Sher stated that Israel’s
prohibition on journalists
entering Gaza “violates two
fundamental rights – the
freedom of expression and
the freedom of the press.” He
went on to state that “[t]here
are several countries in this
world, such as North Korea,
Zimbabwe and Burma, that
zones. Israel is a democracy
with a free liberal press and it
should stay so, even in times of
crisis and danger.”
Israel’s ban on journalists
in Gaza has been criticized by
many as an attempt to limit the
media coverage which would
give a realistic portrayal of
the extent of the suffering on
the ground. In the meantime,
Israeli spokespersons are
dominating the airwaves in an
attempt to convince the world
that the war is just.
Following the ground
incursions, Israel allowed
limited numbers of foreign
journalists to enter ‘deeply
imbedded within its army.’This
was considered by some as
another move to ensure Israel’s
side of the story was told.
Israel stops foreign journalists from entering Gaza
Prior to the bombing of
Gaza, the 18 month long siege
which isolated it completely
from the outside world had a
crippling effect on the area.The
siege of Gaza made the lives of
the Palestinians living there
a nightmare, and amounted
to yet another cruel form of
collective punishment imposed
by Israel. With unemployment
at 80%, much of Gaza is aid-
dependent.
The main power plant in
Gaza was forced to shut down
duetoalackoffuelinDecember
resulting in more than 75% of
the Gaza strip being affected,
with some people living in
complete darkness. Power cuts
and daily blackouts not only
cause distress to the families,
but also affect supplies into
the area. Only 15% of the
needs of the population were
reaching them, leaving the
majority without adequate
food, fresh water, electricity
and medicines.
The 1.6 million civilians
were and continue to be
denied freedom of movement,
and even severely ill patients
were not permitted to travel
to neighbouring countries for
treatment not available in Gaza.
TheUnitedNationsorganisation
(UNRWA) distributing aid was
also restricted in its duties
leading to it predicting a dire
humanitarian crisis even before
the bombing occurred, if the
siege was not lifted.
Gaza’s economy collapsed
entirely as Israel prevented any
export from Gaza through the
controls. To add to the misery,
Israel continued incursions into
Gaza causing death and injury
to civilians even during the
period of truce. As a result of
this misery imposed by Israel,
into Israel from the Gaza
Strip. Israel has used this as
grounds for launching its war
on Gaza, citing Israel’s need
for security. Palestinians argue
that they have no semblance
of normality in their lives at
all due to Israel’s occupation,
and security for Palestinians
remains a distant dream. Many
Palestinian mothers have
asked why their children are
considered less than Israeli
children.
The Gaza Siege
R E A C T I O N S
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4. I N B R I E F
4
Muslim charity’s bank
accounts to be closed
Barclays Bank and Lloyds TSB
have both issued warnings to
Interpal and Ummah Welfare
Trust that their accounts will be
closed in the next few weeks,
without giving any explanation
Despite heavy campaigning to
reverse the decisions, many feel
that this amounts to yet another
attempt to restrict the continuation
of essential humanitarian work
in Palestine. Interpal has been
an essential aid organization in
Palestine for many years, providing
aid for orphans, widows and
assisting with other social projects.
Ummah Welfare Trust conducts
aid projects in countries around
the world, including Palestine.
It is thought that they have been
their aid work in Palestine.
The closure of these accounts will
have detrimental effects on the
charities’ ability to continue their
work
Unilever withdraws from
illegal Israeli settlement
Unilever, a major manufacturer
of food, home care, and personal
products has made the decision to
divest from a pretzel and snacks
factory situated in an Israeli
settlement in the West Bank. The
factory is owned by the company
Biegel & Biegel, which Unilever
own a 51% share in. The decision
came about through constructive
dialogue between Unilever
Netherlands and United Civilians
for Peace (UCP) concerning the
legal and ethical implications of
investment in Biegel & Biegel.
This represents an important and
the occupation as the economic
maintaining the illegal settlements.
Anti-Islam Conference
takes place in Jerusalem
A one-day conference with an anti-
Islam theme took place in occupied
Jerusalem last month with speakers
from America and Holland as
well as Israel. Daniel Pipes, an
American Jewish Zionist with anti-
Islam views; Dutch legislator and
politician Greet Wilders and far-
right Israeli lawmaker Aryeh Eldad
were among the attendees of the
conference.
Ismael Shindi, a professor
of Islamic Studies at Hebron
University said “These people
are not serious scholars. They are
motivated by a pathological and
blind hatred of Islam and Muslims,
not by a real desire to know the
truth. Their respective records
and backgrounds underscore their
academic, intellectual and moral
bankruptcy.”
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updates and information about our
events, log in your email at our
website www.aqsa.org.uk
As the U.S President-elect
Barak Obama starts to form his
has been a very strategic one
for the Middle East. Obama has
chosen the Illinois Democrat
Congressman, Rahm Emanuel,
a former adviser to President
Clinton, to be his Chief of
Staff. Rahm, an Orthodox Jew,
was born in Israel and has
deep Zionist roots. He was a
special Israeli Defence Forces
operative during the 1991 Gulf
War. Once in position, he will
be responsible for much of
the internal management of
the new administration. The
Independent described his role
as follows: “Mr Emanuel’s
really he’s the Obama team’s
pantomime villain: the tough-
guy….who twists arms and is
responsible for actually getting
things done”. His dealings with
the Clinton administration has
given him the reputation of a
partisan Democrat.
Rahm, nicknamed
“Rahmbo”, served as a
volunteer in the Israeli Defence
Force with dual U.S and
Israeli citizenship. His father,
Benjamin M. Emanuel, was a
member of the Zionist Irgun
terrorist organisation, which
was responsible for blowing
up the King David Hotel in
Jerusalem in 1946 and was also
involved in the Deir Yassin
massacre in 1948.
In an interview with the
Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv,
Emanuel is reported to have
said regarding his son’s
the president to be pro-Israel,
why wouldn’t he be? What is
he, an Arab? He’s not going to
House.” Rahm later apologised
for these comments on behalf
of his father to the American-
Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee.
Obama has led Palestinians to
worry about the new American
Middle East crisis, although
many around the world are
of the doubt and are waiting
eagerly in hope that the US will
become more impartial under
Obama’s watch. The departing
precidency of George W. Bush
has been the most disasterous
for Palestinians. During his
allowed Israel impunity in
its military actions against
Palestinians leading to severely
oppressive policies..
Violent raid in detention centre injures detainees
Palestinian prisoners at the
Oufar detention facility located
in Bitounia town southwest of
Ramallah in the West Bank
suffered a violent raid by Israeli
prison guards on 20 December
2008.Thefacilityhasbeenused
since April 2002, following
“Operation Defensive Shield”
under which a large scale
Israeli military campaign in the
West Bank took place. Many
Palestinians were arrested
during that operation and were
being detained at Oufar. There
are currently 1,200 Palestinians
still in detention living under
harsh conditions.
On 20 December, dozens
of Israeli prison guards along
with representatives of the
detention centre conducted a
violent, and what detainees
called unprovoked, ‘search’
during which they physically
assaulted many of the
prisoners. The detainees were
then tortured with hot water
hoses, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters. Fires broke out
in 8 tents and 9 detainees were
injured in the violence. Reports
suggest that the number of raids
in such detention facilities has
increased over the last year, and
include increasingly alarming
assaults on the prisoners. The
is becoming more prevalent,
causing suffocation and
respiratory diseases in many
detainees.
The Palestinian prisoners,
their lawyers and their families
remain helpless to do anything
about the violence against
them from Israeli prison
guards. Campaigns have been
launched within Israel and the
Palestinian territories to raise
awareness of the plight of
over 11,000 prisoners held by
Israel. Many of these prisoners
are held for political reasons
and numerous have not been
charged with any offence.
Jewish history museum to be built over Muslim graveyard
A $250 million museum
which will contain a theatre
complex, library, conference
centre,galleryandlecturehalls,
is to be built over the site of a
Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem
by the Los Angeles-based the
Simon Wiesenthal Centre. It is
estimated that around 70,000
Muslims are buried in the
cemetery,includingsomeofthe
Prophet Muhammad’s (peace
be upon him) companions.
The Wiesenthal Museum of
Tolerance, claiming to promote
unity and respect for all faiths,
began preliminary excavations
in February 2006 on the site of
the Mamila Muslim cemetery,
but was halted when it came to
light that around 300 skeletons
were unearthed and taken
away by the Israeli Antiquities
Authorities.
Two Palestinian groups lost
the appeal in the Israeli High
Court of Justice for the excav-
ations to be stopped, and
permission was granted for the
construction to continue, over
the cemetery site.
The Court held that the
cemetery has been in public
use since the 1960s when a
small parking lot was put in
place over a section of the
graveyard. The court also
rejected the claim that the
building of the museum would
cause disruption of public
order. The Mufti of Al-Quds,
Sheikh Mohammed Hussein,
said the verdict was a “grave
decision which harms the
Muslim holy sites.”
In a press conference
soon after the verdict was
announced, Sheikh Raed
Salah, the leader of the Islamic
Movement in Israel said
“Israel is declaring a global
war on Muslims and Arabs”.
Construction is expected to
resume immediately.

5. I N B R I E F
5
Pressure to complete
Apartheid Wall by 2010
The Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert has said that the 790 km-
long separation wall must be
completed by 2010 due to rising
global condemnation. Despite the
World Court declaring the building
of the wall as illegal in 2004,
Israel has continued to cut off the
Palestinians with concrete wall
sections and wired fencing, which
is being constructed inside the West
Bank; annexing huge chunks of
Palestinian Land in to Israel.
Leader of Palestinian
organisation sentenced
Ahmed Saadat, the leader of the
Palestinian Front for the Liberation
of Palestine (PFLP) has been
sentenced to thirty years in prison
by an Israeli military court for
heading a “terrorist organisation”.
Saadat was arrested in March 2006
during a raid on a Palestinian-run
prison in Jericho. He was originally
accused of planning the murder of
Rehavam Zeevi, the then Israeli
Minister of Tourism, but this
was not mentioned at the time of
sentencing. PFLP members believe
the arrest was purely political.
Ahmed Saadat, 54, is a father of
four and was a staunch supporter of
Extra-judicial killings
prevalent among Israeli
Occupation Forces
The Israeli state has been involved
in ‘targeted assassinations’or extra-
judicial killings since its inception.
Some have accused Israel of ‘state
terrorism’ due to this policy which
basically boils down to execution
without trial.
The use of targeted killings is
closely linked to the political
situation at the time, and the
number of killings escalated during
the second Intifada, beginning in
2000. This crime against humanity
is no secret as Israel is very open
about this illegal practice.
The Palestinian Center for Human
Rights (PCHR) reported that during
the period between 2000 and 2006,
Israel killed 603 Palestinians during
extra-judicial killing operations,
to Palestinian deaths.
Interpal gets limited aid
through to besieged Gaza
Despite the bombing of Gaza and
closure of borders, the charity
Interpal was successful in getting
some aid through to the besieged
aid went through the Rafah crossing
in collaboration with emergency
response efforts organized by
the Egyptian Medical Syndicate,
Human Relief Committee. Israel
is restricting the amount of
humanitarian aid passing into Gaza
and once it does pass, there is little
infrastructure left on the other
side for distribution, resulting in
many Palestinians not receiving
desperately needed supplies.
In December 2008, the
unprecedented step when
it advised Britons not to
purchase property within
Israeli settlements in the West
Bank. These settlements were
built by Israel illegally on land
stolen from Palestinians, and
over the past 30 years, more
and more settlements have
been established and existing
ones expanded despite UN
Resolutions condemning Israel
and international pressure
to give the land back to the
rightful Palestinian owners.
This advice from the
government is seen as a
proactive shift in British policy
where Israel is concerned, and
warns potential purchasers that
peace agreements between
IsraelandthePalestinianscould
have an impact on the property.
Palestinians negotiating peace
have demanded a return of
the land upon which the
settlements were built. These
without compensation from
Palestinian families who have
lived on them for generations.
Israel has refused to relinquish
the settlements and in an effort
to change facts on the ground,
built its separation wall within
the occupied West Bank so
that it circles the major illegal
settlements, cutting them
off permanently from the
remainder of the West Bank.
The British government
takes the position that these
settlements are indeed illegal,
in accordance with clear
provisions of the Third Geneva
Convention. Palestinian
Ambassador to the UK,
Manuel Hassassian, responded
by saying: “This is a dramatic
change of policy by Great
Britain. They have gone a long
way in being critical of Israel’s
policies. In the past they have
talked about settlement being
an obstacle to peace and so on.
But this is a milestone. They
are now being proactive and
very serious.”
In a letter addressed to
Salam Fayed from Gordon
Brown, dated December 9th
and quoted by the Guardian,
Mr Brown said: “We have
long expressed our opposition
to settlement activity. But that
activity has continued and has
accelerated since theAnnapolis
process was launched. I share
your frustration at this. The
UK is now looking at what
effective action we can take
to discourage settlement
expansion.
“Given our clear position
on settlements it follows that
we would not want any British
national to purchase property
inside an illegal settlement.”
Israel has responded
negatively to the change in
policy as expected. Israeli
settlers pose many problems
to Palestinians including their
propensity for violence against
Palestinians, as evidenced in a
Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA) which stated
that Israeli ultranationalists
have been encouraged by the
state to take over Palestinian
land and natural resources.
The reports states that: “Settler
violence is not random
criminal activity; in most cases
it is ideology-driven, organised
violence, the goal of which is
to assert settler dominance in
the area”
On another front, Britain
has been taking a leading
role in persuading the EU to
properly label products made in
settlements in the West Bank,
some of which are marked as
made in Israel.
established in Jerusalem
As President George W.
following what some have
dubbed the most disastrous
Administration in US history,
his parting gift to Israel is
the Forward-Based X-band
Transportable (FBX-T) radar
system. This radar system is
intended to strengthen Israeli
defences against possible
missile attacks from Iran, and
was put in place in Jerusalem.
The radar system is manned
by 120 U.S. personnel and is
designed to detect short and
medium-range missiles. It is
located at an Israeli Air Force
base at Nevatim in the Negev
Desert, where it is linked to
the U.S. Joint Tactical Ground
Station (JTAGS) in Europe.
This new system
onse time needed by Israel if it
is attacked and provides more
detailed information about the
missile including its place of
origin. Most importantly, this
parting “gift” from America
meansthatanymissileattackon
Israel is now likely to be seen
as an attack onAmerica as well,
justifying U.S. involvement in
any counter-attack.
Although this has great
implications for protecting
Israel from air missiles, it also
means Israel will be limited
from launching any attack on
Iran. The radar system was
put in place “as a signal of
Washington’s opposition to an
Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear
program”. It means that U.S.
permission has to be sought
before any Israeli strike on
Iran. American personnel
responsible for the radar, and
all associated military would
become a target in the event of a
retaliation by Iran thus drawing
It remains to be seen how this
strategy of the Bush admini-
stration will effect Obama.
Not enough food in Gaza
The humanitarian crisis
in Gaza was occurring long
before Israel’s bombings and
bombardment. The people in
Gazawereslowlybeingstarved
for months before the current
assault. At the beginning of
November, the entire Strip was
sealed off from the outside
world once more as Israel ref-
usedtoallowinfood,medicine,
fuel, parts for water and
sanitation systems, fertiliser
and even basic necessities such
as phones and paper were in
short supply.
According to Oxfam, merely
137trucksoffoodwereallowed
into Gaza in November. This is
actual needs of the 1.5 million
residents of the Strip. This
average of 4.6 trucks per
day can be compared to the
average in October 2008 of
123 trucks per day which was
realistic number needed by
the population of 564 trucks
per day which went in during
December 2005.
The two main food
providers in Gaza are the UN
Relief and Works Agency
for Palestine Refugees in the
Near East (UNRWA) and
the World Food Programme
(WFP). UNRWA alone feeds
approximately 750,000 people
in Gaza which amounts to half
of the population. It requires
this requirement. Between 5
November and 30 November
only 23 trucks arrived in total.
This amounts to approximately
6 per cent of the total food
needed. There were three
days in November 2008 when
UNRWA ran out of food and
this left 20,000 people without
sustenance. John Ging, the
director of UNRWA in Gaza,
states that most of the people
who get food aid are entirely
dependent on it.
The WFP has encountered
similar problems getting
its food trucks into Gaza.
Furthermore, for those trucks
that Israel has not allowed into
the Gaza Strip, the WFP is
required to pay to store the food
being carried by them. This
cost $215,000 in November
2008 alone. The WFP will
have to pay an extra $150,000
for storage in December, thus
instead of using this money to
support Palestinians, it will go
to Israeli businesses.

6. 6
A Doctor in
Galilee: The life
and struggle of a
Palestinian in Israel
BY HATIM KANAANEH
Pluto Press, ISBN 978 0
7453 2786 0, £18.99
Palestinians living within the
State of Israel are often low on
the priority list for Palestine
solidarity activists. The quieter
oppressions of discrimination
and marginalisation are less
attention-grabbing than the
horrors of military occupation,
and the fact that some Israeli
citizens of Palestinian descent
side with their new government
and even serve in the Israeli
army alienates some supporters
of the Palestinian cause.
Hatim Kanaaneh’s
autobiography, however, is
a highly readable, engaging
and clear-sighted illustration
of why anyone who wishes
to see the Palestinian people
and culture survive and thrive
should be supporting those
Palestinians resident within
Israel. And despite the walls
which now divide those in the
Galilee from their cousins in J
eninorTubas,thedevastating
pain of Kanaaneh’s response
to the 2002 Jenin massacre,
whose aftermath he witnessed,
across the Separation Wall still
are.
Kanaaneh uses an
autobiographical format to
explore the history of those
in 1948. He describes his own
Mandate and then Israeli rule,
growing up in the Galilee
village of Arrabeh, steeped in
family history and resentment
of the British atrocities of 1936,
when the Mandate authorities
put down a Palestinian
uprising by destroying food
and farming supplies in acts
very reminiscent of later
Israeli military offences. From
1948 to 1966, Palestinian
villages like Arrabeh existed
under military rule, and even
after this, expressions of
Palestinian identity or protests
against discrimination and
oppression were met with
violence, including the killing
of six unarmed demonstrators
participating in a strike in 1976,
an incident commemorated on
March 30th as Land Day ever
since.
Kanaaneh is not, however,
romantic about pre-1948
Palestinian life. The villages
he remembers may have been
part of a vibrant Palestinian
history and culture, but they
were also poor and life was
tough. Kanaaneh himself
describes the realisation that
his odd appearance as an adult
was down to childhood rickets,
and that two of his siblings
who died in infancy were not
victims of evil eye, but of
malnutrition. He is also critical
of the traditional patriarchy of
his home and of its effects on
the lives of women and girls,
including the ongoing danger
of ‘honour killings’ for women
seen as having shamed their
families.
The modern Palestinian
villages which Kanaaneh
describes in the Galilee are
also far from romantic. Under
massively discriminatory
Israeli planning and municipal
funding policies, ‘Arab’ towns
are systematically under-
resourced. They often lack
decent roads, good-quality
other healthcare facilities,
adequate water resources and
safe sanitation.
Kanaaneh’s personal
experiences offer particular
insight into the oppression
meted out to Palestinian
citizens of Israel through the
health system. As a doctor he
patients to be provided with
the same healthcare as Jewish
Israelis – for them to be given
the same priority in building
new clinics and hospitals,
to be properly targeted in
immunisation campaigns and
for reproductive choices to be
given to all women as a right of
control over their own bodies,
not to be manipulated as a
weapon by Israeli politicians
the Arabs.’
The many Machiavellian
ways in which the Israeli
state accomplishes these aims
– and the deliberate nature of
the discrimination – is thrown
into sharp relief by Kanaaneh’s
own stories. He describes
the outrageous bureaucratic
buck-passing which allowed
Palestinian and Bedouin
villages to endure open sewers
running through the streets and
women having to collect water
from a single standpipe, while
a Jewish town on the next
hilltop might have glittering
swimming pools and sprinklers
scattering potable water onto
he also describes incidents
when racist assumptions by
Jewish doctors, nurses or
receptionists, or the absence
of Arabic-speaking personnel
in hospitals in areas with large
Arab populations, caused
sickness and death amongst
Palestinian patients.
Supposedly neutral medical
administrators are revealed
as sympathising with policy
of deliberate removal of Arab
citizens from Israel, and the
interference of the Shin Bet
security apparatus in the
education system, vetting
teachers and students, is
exposed as ruining lives and
careers. And racism amongst
Israeli Jews – particularly
discrimination against
Sephardis–illustratesthemany
divisions within the society of
the State of Israel.
Kanaaneh’s Palestinian
colleagues are not let entirely
off the hook either. The
complacency of old-timers
and the widespread networks
of informers throughout Arab
communities are held up for
scrutiny.Palestiniancontractors
are condemned for their role
in building Israeli settlements
in the West Bank, and the
Islamic religious elite amongst
Israel’s Palestinian community
excoriated for their willingness
to have new appointments
vetted by the Shin Bet.
This is not a book to
their assumptions. Kanaaneh’s
willingnesstocriticiseallsectors
of society – including himself –
means that there are no heroes
in this book, and although
there are villains aplenty they
don’t always conform to the
reader’s prejudgments. But
between Jonathan Cook’s
excellent introduction and
Hatim Kanaaneh’s decades
of experience and ability to
convey it through his own life
and the stories of the patients
he sees, organisations he’s
run and fellow villagers he’s
given lifts to, this is a deeply
informative account of the
realities of life for Israel’s
Palestinian citizens.
Sarah Irving is a freelance
writer
www.sarahirving.net
BOOK REVIEW

7. 7
By Yvonne Ridley
Some of my more eclectic,
fun-lovingfriendsarebecoming
weary of my campaigns against
injustices.
I see their eyes glaze over
whenever I mention Palestine
and the fact that half a million
Jewish settlers are living
illegally on land stolen in
They squirm uncomfortably
on their chairs showing all the
signs of activism fatigue.
But I had a major
breakthrough recently with
Palestine and suddenly had
their attention like never
before. It was simple. I took
Palestine out of the Middle
East and began talking about
the Mediterranean.
I told them how myself and
40 plus other peace activists
sailed to Gaza to break the
draconian siege imposed by
the State of Israel. Slowly, but
surely their eyebrows arched
as I said our two boats from
the Free Gaza Movement
weaved in and out of the Greek
islands, on to Cyprus and then
into Gaza never once leaving
Mediterranean waters. My fun-
loving, sun-loving gels were
shocked.
“It’s not a Mediterranean
issue, surely not?” quizzed
one who is still a candidate
for 18-30 holidays and crazy
weekends in Ibiza. Another
who is more Torremolinos
(minus Monty Python’s spam
and chips) Turkey and Tunis
appeared to turn white under
her fading summer Med tan,
while the third told us how
she had spent all of July and
August sailing around the
Greek islands.
Suddenly I had my Fun Girl
Three sitting, mouths wide-
open in amazement, as I told
them about the Palestinian
around the Mediterranean rim
... it’s an industry which has
been on the go since biblical
times.
Now these Palestinian
endangered species, I warned
- far more vulnerable than
other endangered species in
the Mediterranean including
the emblematic sharks, turtles,
whales and seals.
And there it was, on their
faces. Something which I had
tried in vain to do previously - I
had got their attention and they
were shocked and it showed.
We huddled around my lounge
inaconspiratorialmanneraswe
got out our iPods and Google
Earthed the Mediterranean.
Sure enough, there on the east
side of the Mediterranean was
the tiny Gaza Strip.
thick and fast. Who is trying to
their own waters? What is the
European Union doing?
It was one of those Eureka!
moments and I realised
where we - as in Palestinian
campaigners, peace activists
and supporters might be going
wrong. We are boring the pants
off the non-activists who really
can’t get that excited about a
bunch of exotic folk living in
faraway distant lands. I’m not
excusing this type of attitude,
but let’s start dealing with the
realities.
Yes, I know it’s not right but
let’s face it, this wall of apathy
is even harder to tear down
than the Apartheid wall which
eats into Palestinian lands.
So let’s turn Palestine into
an issue that Europeans will
really understand by bringing
it closer to their homes. Let’s
educateWesternholidaymakers
who head to the diverse
Mediterranean coast for their
breaks about the basic right of
cast his nets in the same waters
Can you imagine how
Spanish, French, Italian or
if they were told by Israeli
Naval personnel to go back to
the shore? Can you imagine
the international outcry if these
shelled as they tried to haul in
their catch? Can you imagine
the consequences if powerful
nets of these Mediterranean
men causing damage to and
destroying the nets?
Or, as happened recently,
boardedbyIsraelifrogmenwho
then set about with taser stun
guns attacking those on board.
We only found out about this
latest episode because the fools
couldn’t tell the difference
between international activists
from America, Scotland and
Italy otherwise they would
never have raided the boat.
Of course there would be an
international outcry, diplomats
and forwards in the corridors
of power if this sort of piracy or
terrorism happened elsewhere
in the Mediterranean.
So why is it OK to do all of
this and more to Palestinian
same sea, which is why I think
this is now a European Union
issue rather than a Middle East
one.
The leaders of the Arab
world have shown they’re as
much use as a gelded horse
in a stud farm, so until they
get some guts, gumption or
backbone let’s turn this issue
into a European problem.
At the moment the Israeli
Navy controls the Gazan
territorial waters under its
illegal occupation of the entire
region and its siege of the Gaza
Strip. Every day Palestinian
to their livelihood, their well
being and their lives – a direct
result of this decades long
Israeli Occupation and this 2
year long siege.The Palestinian
to a livelihood - to go out and
families and live their lives
just like their counterparts do
elsewhere in the Med.
I think the time has come to
exert pressure on the European
Union to do something and
act swiftly to protect this
endangered species in the
Mediterranean waters.
www.yvonneridley.org
CatchYvonne on her weekly
show The Agenda, broadcast
on Press TV every Thursday
evening after the 8pm news on
the Sky channel 515.
By Arwa Aburawa
As the attack on the Gaza
Strip continues, a Palestinian
human rights organisation has
warnedoftheimmediatedanger
to children being targeted and
killed by Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF). The Palestinian
Centre for Human rights stated
in its latest report that, “If the
renounced by either side and
the hostilities resume, then
children living in the Gaza
Strip will immediately be once
more at risk of being targeted
and killed by the IOF.”
Gaza Strip on November 4,
when Israeli forces killed six
Palestinians in a raid. Ongoing
retaliatory attacks between the
two sides raised concerns that
either disintegrate ahead of
its expiry or a new agreement
would not be reached.
The heightened blockade on
Gaza, put in place at the beg-
inningofthehostilities,attracted
criticism from humanitarian
organisation due to rapidly
dwindling food, fuel and
medical supplies. A report by
the International Committee of
the Red Cross revealed that the
blockade had led to a steady
rise in chronic malnutrition
among the 1.5 million people
living in the Gaza Strip.
Whilst the threat of
malnutrition was noted, the
Palestinian Centre for Human
Rights (PCHR) feared that the
riseinhostilitieswouldmarkthe
threat to Palestinian children.
According to the latest PCHR
report, Blood On Their Hands,
Israel has “consistently failed
in its legal obligation to offer
protection towards the children
of the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.”
Since the Second Intifada
in 2000 Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF) killed more than
860 children in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, mainly
within the Gaza Strip. Rather
than respecting International
Humanitarian Law and United
Nation Convention on the
RightsofChildrenwhichgrants
children protection during
the Israeli Occupation Force
consistently use “excessive
lethal force against Palestinian
children.”
From June 2007 to June
2008 alone, 68 children were
killed in the Gaza Strip. These
lethal attacks on innocent
children- some only one years
a response to militant groups
PCHR investigations into such
allegations have consistently
refuted this, stating that the
“IOF war on children in the
Gaza Strip has increasingly
involved IOF use of advanced
militarytechnologytopinpoint,
and kill the intended targets.”
On 1 March 2008, twelve
year old Safaa Abu-Saif who
lived in Jabalia of northern
Gaza bled to death after being
hit by a single bullet. Her only
crime was to take the outdoor
stairs up to visit her aunties
during the large-scale military
operation in the Gaza Strip
which was launched on
February of the same year. She
was struck down by IOF and
when an ambulance was called,
the family were told that they
would be unable to make it as
Palestinian ambulances were
being targeted by Israeli tanks.
Trapped inside their home,
the family struggled to tend
to Safaa who died three hours
later.
This evidence suggests that
IOF are using snipers to target
children, further undermining
their claims that they are
targeting legitimate military
targets. PCHR investigations
into110civiliandeathsbetween
February/March 2008 also
excessive lethal force against
civilians in the Gaza Strip,
and the deliberate targeting of
civilians, including children.”
Sadly, this is one of many
widespread human rights
violations against Palestinians
living in the Occupied
Territories which has resulted
in the deaths of 3,724
unarmed civilians since 2000.
PCHR’s report remarked that;
“civilians were undoubtedly
deliberately targeted, as the
IOF bombarded, shot and
shelled in and around densely
populated civilian areas, where
it was clearly impossible to
distinguish between military
and civilian targets.”
The recent attacks on Gaza
deaths is a clear indication
that this pattern of targeting
young children and civilians
is set to continue. Furthermore
with ground troops now inside
the Gaza Strip, new evidence
has emerged which indicates
that Israel is openly targeting
civilians.
Such a blatant disregard for
the lives of Palestinians and
their young children cannot go
unquestioned any longer and
this attack on Gaza is giving
rise to more criticism of Israel
than seen since 1967.
Arwa Aburawa is a freelace
journalist
Making Palestine a Real Issue
Comment and Opinion
Fears for the Safety and Future of the Children
in Gaza

8. 8
Message from Friends of Al-Aqsa
defeated and helpless. What makes the
is failing to condemn Israel and take the
steps necessary for Israel to be stopped in its
has been made of this despite national and
This war is not defensive despite what
Israeli politicians claim in the media. Israel
learnt how to win from all perspectives.
necessity, the war machine is now sharpening
to the blogosphere and media, with footage
available of so called precision bombing
operations.
in order to hamper impartial coverage. It has
abysmal conditions in hospitals.
the same rehearsed line to the media and
governments all over the globe, however, the
vigils and demonstrations have been held all
over the world resonating international civil
society’s condemnation of Israel, and a new
Each of us can make
fa difference. Details of
the Friends of Al-Aqsa
campaign can be found
on the back page of this
edition of Aqsa News.

9. 9
Israel’s war on Gaza has beenI l’
a two pronged approach: military
and media. A new information
directorate was established by the
the media. When the attack began,
crafted core messages intended to
victim and not the aggressor.
It is important to disseminate
the correct information to the
Friends of Al Aqsa answers some
War on Gaza.
1. Who are Fatah and Hamas?
They are both political parties
late Yasser Arafat. They were
the leading political organisation
Abbas is the head of Fatah.
in 1987, and they have opposed
Israeli violence and oppression.
They became a political party
and won a land slide election in
Israel and its allies rejected a
democratic election, and imposed
sanctions which have crippled the
2. Are the Palestinian people
divided?
As with all societies,
by Israel and the US’ divide and
of Israeli.
3. Who broke the 6 month cease
the majority of that time. Israel
and severely restricted movement
medical patients in dire need of
treatment not available in Gaza
were also denied movement to
receive treatment.
In November, Israel initiated
over a three day period and left
broken by Israel.
4. What does Gaza being ‘under
siege’ mean?
controls the air space and the sea,
making Gaza in effect a large
open air prison. Israel says it is
ended as Israel controls all access
to the territory.
Israel imposed a siege when it
closed all the border crossings and
severely restricted the movement
as they had no raw materials.
had no access to vital treatment.
and lack of clean water. Disease
in children is the norm. Schools
There is no semblance of normal
life in Gaza and the 1.5 million
than lives.
5. Does Israel have a right to self
defence?
Every state has the right to self
collective self-defence if an armed
Israel cites self defence and
Israel’s military actions are in
do not have a recognised state nor
armed forces and therefore cannot
been killed than Israelis. These
defence very poor, especially as
6. What does international law
state?
civilians, amongst others.
violating, almost each and every
one of these sacred rights of the
violations of which are war
crimes.
7. What does going to a protest
achieve – is there any point?
what is happening in Gaza and the
proves that opposition to Israeli
will create a movement at the civil
society level to take forward the
9. What else will make a
difference?
and a challenge to the Israeli
government for not allowing
that they remove them from
their shelves in protest at Israeli
and Spencer who are long time
congregation for relief for
9. How can the Israel/Palestine
and the ability to grow and prosper
in peace and dignity, with their
free of Israeli imposed violence
For further information and
to join the email list please visit
www.aqsa.org.uk
name for Gaza, the second
is also one of the most ancient
cities in the world. It is located
was the great grandfather
he died in Gaza while on a
entered Gaza led by the great
location between Asia and
who is one of the great Fiqh
War I. After Israel was formed,
in 1949, Egypt and Israel
signed a treaty to keep Gaza
to atrocities being committed
presence was stronger in Gaza
and their political rivals
Fatah for some months before
has imposed a siege on Gaza
inhabitants.
The siege is still in force
even as the war goes on.
a nightmare. A father left his
4 children and pregnant wife
Israeli rocket hit their small
at the same time: the father,
mother, and 5 children, leaving
5 month old baby girl when
girls, aged 5 and 9, died while
travelling with their father and
to escape the bombing
gives it to the children to eat.
A father is forced to brings his
electricity; and not even wood
in some locations in Gaza in
the winter.
A mother died in the lap
of her 9 year old son. I tried
emotions overwhelmed me.
Emergency vehicles are
die attempting to help those
who died before them. An old
man in a wheelchair lives to tell
the story of the bombing of his
were killed, and many others
civilian homes, markets; all of
Israel to save its UN schools as
children were killed in attacks
on these schools.
All these scenes and many
more are not stopped by the
No one is able to stop the
do is defend their land and their
people. They will gain victory.
Gaza Hashim
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

10. pening in Gaza, which is a tiny strippstripripThere is a war happening in Gaza, whiT ere is a war happening in Gaza, whicherre is a wwar happpening in Gazazaza, whic ish is aa
of land on the Mediterranean Sea. This area has 1.5
million
Palestinians living on it and they are all crowded in.
During the war, Israel has attacked a lot of Palestinian
homes and public buildings including schools. It is
important to think about the children in Gaza who have
no safety and think about how you can help them. One
good way would be to raise money for charity which
can be sent to Palestine. The charity called Interpal
helps Palestinians in Gaza.
Other things you can do is raise awareness about what
is happening in your school so that other children and
students know what is happening. Maybe even write
to the Prime Minister Godon Brown or your MP and tell
them how you feel about the children in Gaza. This will
help politicians in the UK be more fair in how they deal
with Israel and the Palestinians.
Most of all, when you make prayers, pray for the
people of Gaza.
I O NI O NT IT II TIT IT IE TEPPMOOC OC O MMMC O MC O M PC O M P IITTEEE T I IITTT I
For your chance to win a £20 Argosr your chance to win a £20 Argos
Voucher and a Friends of Al-Aqsa
goody bag, enter our competition!
12 years old or under???
Find the words in this word-search for
your chance to win!
Deadline for both
competitions:
29th February 2009
Send your answers with yourr
name, age and address to:
Friends of Al-Aqsa, PO Box
5127, Leicester, LE2 0WU.
Or email us on
info@aqsa.org
Winners of the last editions
competition:
Zaynab Lorgat,
age 9 from Walsall and
Unaisah Ounia,
age 16 from Preston.
13 – 18 years old???
chance to win! The words all relate to the War in Gaza.
ymra
iiinvlca
ytlcasua
nnatioocndem
nnoientc
cotker
nneevogrmt
ssiimlezaag trsip
raw
ing in Gaza whichThere is a war happening in Gaza whichT re is a war happening in Gaza whicheree is a wawar happening in Gaazaa which
kiddies Corner
10
Gaza
Bombing
Aid
Medicine
Fuel
Peace
Food
Supplies
Electricity
Families
Charity
School

11. 11
As the Israeli war on Gaza
continues, by land and air,
the number of civilian deaths
is escalating. Israel claims
to be targeting Hamas and
really to be found in people’s
homes? Palestinians want
to live ordinary lives not
However, Israeli tanks are
shooting and missiles are
falling indiscriminately all
over Gaza.
One household, which
like many others sought
protect its family members
from the bombing, managed
to take shelter in their single-
storey home in Zeitoun,
south-east of Gaza city. But
things turned for the worse
when Israel stepped up its
aggression and decided to
roll in the tanks and artillery
on the ground.
Dozens of tanks and
Israeli troops set up position
close to the home of the
Samouni family, as reported
by the Independent. After
seizing control of the area,
neighbours were crammed
in to the Samouni family’s
home as the bombing and
shooting started. They were
left with no food or water,
all day and all night, just
waiting in fear for it to all
end.
On the second day, a bomb
fell on the house, killing
Wael Samouni’s mother,
two cousins and three of his
children. He had no choice
his son Mohammed and
those still alive. They were
taken to hospital. Samouni’s
brother and family were
also in his house when the
bomb fell, and his wife and
daughter were killed.
This story is just one of
many tragic narrations of
innocentPalestinianfamilies
targeted in this war. Families
are being killed and homes
destroyed on a daily basis.
In the Shamali district, north
of Gaza city a missle struck
a three-story apartment
block, killing Amer Abu
Asha, his two wives and four
children. One of his brothers
commented “It’s unjust.
They are targeting civilians
children, old women…some
European andArab countries
are supporting Israel in this
terrorism.
They want to crack down
on Hamas, but Hamas is not
in the houses. It’s on the
front line. Go there and kill
them. Not us.”
On January 6th, an Israeli
missile targeted a UN school
in the Jabaliya refugee
camp killing 40 women and
childrenandinjuringafurther
15 critically. Other children
were injured to varying
degrees and left shocked
as the school buildings and
grounds were being used
by families escaping the
perilous refuge.
After 2 hours of silence,
Israeli spokespersons had
the audacity to blame Hamas
for the deaths, suggesting
that Hamas were using the
grounds to store weapons,
then that the civilians were
used as human shields and
a whole barrage of other
excuses for this inexcusable
War Crime. Finally, a week
later, they admitted that
the school bombing was a
mistake.
For every deliberate strike
against a religious building,
hospital, or educational
establishment, Israel has
claimed Hamas stores
weapons there. In each
attack, dozens of civilians
have been killed and Israel
has shown no remorse for
these deaths.
Israel is fully aware that
Gaza is a densely populated
area and therefore any
missile strike will kill
innocent people, yet this fact
has not stopped the missiles
raining down.
These actions have
been labelled as atrocities
by many human rights
campaigners and the UN has
issued several statements
severely criticising Israel,
including a UN Resolution
calling for an immediate
end to the hostilities and full
withdrawal from the Gaza
Strip.
Missile Strike
Kills Three
Siblings
Israeli Shelling Kills over 40 at UN School

12. TAKE ACTION!
Politicians
Write to the Prime Minister; Foreign Minister
and your local MP demanding they call upon
Israel to immediately withdraw from Gaza and
stop the bombing.
Rt Hon. Prime Minister Gordon Brown
10 Downing Street
London
SW1 2AA
You can fax the Prime Minister on 020 7925
0918
Right Hon David Miliband MP
Foreign Secretary
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH
Tel: 020 7008 1500 (switchboard)
And contact your local MP
Media
Write to the Media and request balanced
Israeli government for not allowing foreign
journalists into Gaza to report on the
humanitarian situation on the ground:
BBC News – 020 8743 8000 / 0870 0100 222
E: news24.comments@bbc.co.uk
ITN – Tel - 0207 833 3000
Sky News – 020 7705 3000 / 08702 403000
Boycott
It is now more important than ever to boycott
Israeli goods and contact all stores and super-
markets that stock Israeli goods requesting that
they remove them from their shelves in protest
at Israeli actions. Picket shops like Marks and
Spencer who are long time supporters of Israel.
A boycott list can be found at www.aqsa.org.uk
Protest
Attend protest rallies in your localities and
nationally to make your voice heard.
Attend the next national demonstration in
London (details available on our web-site
www.aqsa.org.uk)
Prayer
It is time we prayed as individuals and in
congregation for the people of Gaza. Request
your mosque and religious institutions to hold
collective prayers.
DON’T STOP UNTIL
THE KILLING STOPS!!
End the War on Gaza!
Nowhere is safe in Gaza, and the lights are now out.