Friday, May 8, 2026

" “I think [Palestine] is the moral issue of our time and I believe it’s been used to undermine democratic institutions in the US,” Elghandour said. He referred to the cancelled invitation as a sign or “erosion of free speech and the first amendment”. “We’ve seen a livestreamed genocide,” he added. “And we’re supposed to worry about the feelings of the people who support that.” " Rami Elghandour

Rami Elghandour. Photograph: Courtesy Rami Elghandour

Rutgers graduation speaker canceled for pro-Palestinian posts says decision sends ‘dangerous’ message

Rami Elghandour tells Guardian in exclusive interview his speech was cancelled due to students’ complaints

Rutgers University abruptly rescinded its invitation to a prominent alum who was slated to deliver a graduation speech next week after some students complained about social media posts he had published about Palestine.

Rami Elghandour – a tech entrepreneur, graduate of Rutgers’ School of Engineering, and executive producer of the Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab – was set to deliver a graduation address at the school’s campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey on 15 May.

But the school’s dean, Alberto Cuitiño, called Elghandour last week and told him he was cancelling the speech because of students’ complaints, though he declined to say how many students and what posts they had complained about. The dean, Elghandour said, broadly described the posts as “opposed to their beliefs”.

“What is most puzzling to me is that they champion me for my humanitarian views and now they’re canceling me for them,” Elghandour told the Guardian in an exclusive interview... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/06/rutgers-cancel-graduation-speech-pro-palestine-post

[AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or quotes or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine]

"Lethal Israeli attacks on an engineer and drivers transporting water have intensified the water crisis that is fuelling the spread of infectious diseases; Médecins Sans Frontières has called the weaponisation of water supplies a campaign of collective punishment. Never mind the estimated $70bn cost of reconstruction; homes are still being flattened. Families in tents face a rat infestation. Essential medicines are unavailable. Hospitals and schools lie in ruins." The Guardian view on ceasefires that aren’t: Israel never stopped killing in Gaza

‘Never mind the estimated $70bn cost of reconstruction; homes are still being flattened. Families in tents face a rat infestation. Essential medicines are unavailable.’ Photograph: AFP/Getty

"The meaning of the term “ceasefire” should be self‑evident. Yet Israel’s strikes have killed scores of people in Lebanon since it agreed a truce with Hezbollah under pressure from the US, with the two sides trading fire. There was a strike on Beirut on Wednesday. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government would be delighted to resume war with Iran. But it is wary of Donald Trump’s wrath as he seeks an exit from the conflict.

In Gaza, the Israeli military has killed more than 800 people since the truce there was declared in October, striking almost every day. This, too, is not a true ceasefire but a de-escalation, however necessary. Lethal Israeli attacks on an engineer and drivers transporting water have intensified the water crisis that is fuelling the spread of infectious diseases; Médecins Sans Frontières has called the weaponisation of water supplies a campaign of collective punishment. Never mind the estimated $70bn cost of reconstruction; homes are still being flattened. Families in tents face a rat infestation. Essential medicines are unavailable. Hospitals and schools lie in ruins. An analysis of the war’s impact on education described children feeling “like the living dead”.

Israel agreed to end attacks, massively increase the aid allowed into the territory and withdraw its forces to within a “yellow line” – still accounting for 53% of the territory. Yet strikes have continued, aid flows yo-yo and essential items are blocked on the claim that they are “dual use”. The military has expanded its zone of control substantially – and the..." READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/07/the-guardian-view-on-ceasefires-that-arent-israel-never-stopped-killing-in-gaza-allies-must-reject-any-escalation

Thursday, May 7, 2026

NPR- Skeletons in their clothing: Recovering bodies from the rubble in Gaza....An Israeli drone buzzes over a sea of debris in northern Gaza, where homes were turned into mass graves...

A neighborhood of Beit Lahia was destroyed in Israeli strikes in October 2024, including a strike on a building that killed 132 members of the extended Abu Naser family.

May 6, 20265:00 AM ET

Anas Baba

BEIT LAHIA, Gaza Strip — An Israeli drone buzzes over a sea of debris in northern Gaza, where homes were turned into mass graves.

This is where a recovery crew has carried out one of its first missions to unearth bodies buried deep under rubble — at the site of one of the deadliest Israeli strikes of the Gaza war.

The strike destroyed a five-story apartment building in late October 2024, killing more than 132 members of the extended Abu Naser family sheltering inside, an NPR investigation documented.

"We've been dreaming every day of the moment we could recover the martyrs, honor them, and bury them," said Ola Abu Naser, a 30-year-old survivor. "Every day we felt as if they were calling us, saying: 'We are here.'"

About 8,000 bodies are believed to still be buried under debris throughout Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry.

NPR documented the three-day recovery mission at the site of the Abu Naser family massacre.... READ MORE https://www.npr.org/2026/05/06/nx-s1-5811930/gaza-recovering-bodies

The short film “Every Day in Gaza” has won the First Prize in the Short Film category at the 71st edition of the David di Donatello Awards, often referred to as the “Italian Oscars.” Produced in 2025, the film tells the story of a barber from Gaza who narrates, in his own voice, the horrors and devastations of war. To date, the film has been screened in over 90 cinemas worldwide.

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Know Her Name: Shireen Abu Akleh [a prominent Palestinian-American Journalist] spent 25 years making sure people could not claim they did not know what was happening. Then she was killed by Israeli military fire doing exactly that.

Know Her Name

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On the morning of May 11 2022, Shireen Abu Akleh put on her press vest, marked clearly with the word PRESS, and went to cover an Israeli military raid in Jenin. She was shot in the head within minutes of arriving.

She was one of the most recognisable journalists in the Arab world, a face millions trusted for over two decades on Al Jazeera. The bullet that killed her came from Israeli military fire. Multiple investigations, including one by the United States government, confirmed it. Israel called it unintentional. No one was charged.

Abu Akleh had reported from Palestinian territories since 1997, covering the second intifada, the siege of Ramallah and the daily reality of life under occupation when few Western outlets were present. Her death triggered a global outcry. At her funeral in Jerusalem, Israeli police beat mourners carrying her coffin. The images circled the world before her body reached the ground.

She spent 25 years making sure people could not claim they did not know what was happening. Then she was killed doing exactly that.

Follow Know Her Name — a new name every day.

#KnowHerName #WomensHistory #PressFreedom

This isn't Gaza today, it's Yaffa (Jaffa) in 1948. No H*mas, no October 7. Just the same story repeating itself: erase, then occupy.

queenofpalestine

Yafa (Jaffa), once known as the Bride of the Sea, is a Palestinian city rich in history, culture, and resilience. Overlooking the Mediterranean, Yafa was a thriving Palestinian hub before 1948—known for its bustling markets, historic architecture, and vibrant cultural life. Today, though much has changed, the heart of Yafa remains deeply Palestinian, a testament to the unbreakable bond between its people and their land.

A City of History and Prosperity

For centuries, Yafa was one of the most significant cities in Palestine. With a history dating back over 4,000 years, it was a center of trade, agriculture, and culture. By the early 20th century, Yafa was a leading Palestinian city, known for:

• Thriving orange groves, especially the famous Jaffa oranges, which were exported worldwide. The famous Jaffa cakes were invented in Yafa.

• A bustling port, connecting Palestine to the rest of the world.

• A cultural renaissance, with newspapers, theaters, and literary circles flourishing.

The city was home to tens of thousands of Palestinians—Muslims and Christians—who lived, worked, and contributed to its rich social fabric.

The Nakba and the Loss of Yafa-

In 1948, terrorist Zionist gangs carried out a genocide on Yafa residents, forcibly displacing more than 95% of its Palestinian population.

Before Hamas existed.
Before 7th October 2023.

📸 @mohammedsh.gaza #repost @corkhcw

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQO5IsrjYae/

In Gaza, reconstruction is urgently needed. Despite the ceasefire, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are still living in overcrowded make-shift sites, with nowhere else to go. Thousands of people continue to live in UNRWA buildings, where our teams supply clean water, sanitation staff maintain hygiene, and children engage in learning activities. #UNRWAworks

UNRWA

@UNRWA

In #Gaza, reconstruction is urgently needed.

Despite the ceasefire, hundreds of thousands of displaced people are still living in overcrowded make-shift sites, with nowhere else to go.

Thousands of people continue to live in UNRWA buildings, where our teams supply clean water, sanitation staff maintain hygiene, and children engage in learning activities.

#UNRWAworks

https://x.com/UNRWA/status/2052026334587633843/photo/1

"When a real and final catastrophe should befall us in Palestine the first responsible for it would be the British and the second responsible for it the Terrorist organizations build up from our own ranks [Jewish]." Albert Einstein April 10, 1948

https://ifamericansknew.org/history/ter-einstein.html

April 10, 1948

Mr. Shepard Rifkin
Exec. Director
American Friends of the Fighters
for the Freedom of Israel
149 Second Ave.
New York 3,N.Y.

Dear Sir:

When a real and final catastrophe should befall us in Palestine the first responsible for it would be the British and the second responsible for it the Terrorist organizations build up from our own ranks [Jewish].

I am not willing to see anybody associated with those misled and criminal people.

Sincerely yours,
Albert Einstein

https://ifamericansknew.org/history/ter-einstein.html

"They massacred Arab babies" -1948 headline reporting on the Palestinian village of Dier Yassin where Zionist terrorists armed with bayonets slaughted men, women, and children.

Headlined in the Sydney Daily Telegraph, 1948.

Monson did not try to downplay Zionist crimes and he humanised the Palestinian victims.

https://www.newspapers.com/image/973772025/?match=1&terms=They%20massacred%20Arab%20babies&clipping_id=189895560

"Liberation - Catharsis" by Najat El-Khairy- a collector and lecturer on Palestinian embroidery who uses her art to preserve this cultural legacy.... "The olive grove and doves are prominent features in the artwork. The olive grove with its trees represents peace, while the two doves in the sky symbolize freedom and the right of return."

"Liberation - Catharsis" by Palestinian artist Najat El-Khairy.

Zara Zhar

@Boudicca61AD

"Liberation - Catharsis" by Palestinian artist Najat El-Khairy. The artwork is part of a series that explores themes of purification and liberation from occupation, reflecting on the artist's personal journey and the Palestinian experience.

Symbolism and Meaning

The woman in the artwork represents the "Palestinian Fellaha" or village woman, and also the olive tree, which is a symbol of resilience, resistance, and determination. She is depicted with tree roots for legs, deeply entrenched in her land, proudly holding her history, culture, and heritage.

Her face is intentionally omitted to represent all Palestinian women. The embroidery on the woman's dress and in the background is a central element.

Najat El-Khairy is a collector and lecturer on Palestinian embroidery and uses her art to preserve this cultural legacy. The patterns often include motifs with specific meanings, such as "The Walls of Jerusalem" and "the Star of Bethlehem," and are used to assert the identity of the land.

The olive grove and doves are prominent features in the artwork. The olive grove with its trees represents peace, while the two doves in the sky symbolize freedom and the right of return.

The "forbidden colors" (red, green, white, and black) of the Palestinian flag, which the occupiers banned in artwork from 1980 to 1993, are freely used in this piece to assert Palestinian identity.

Najat El-Khairy's art, including "Liberation - Catharsis," is her way of documenting and preserving Palestinian cultural heritage on a lasting surface, such as porcelain, to prevent it from being forgotten or appropriated.

The artist was born in 1948, the year of the Nakba, which she sees as a driving force for her mission to keep Palestinian culture alive.

https://x.com/Boudicca61AD/status/2051783193280323932/photo/1

Annie's New Letters (& notes)

Labels

Friday, May 8, 2026

Rutgers graduation speaker canceled for pro-Palestinian posts says decision sends ‘dangerous’ message

Thursday, May 7, 2026

NPR- Skeletons in their clothing: Recovering bodies from the rubble in Gaza....An Israeli drone buzzes over a sea of debris in northern Gaza, where homes were turned into mass graves...

Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Know Her Name: Shireen Abu Akleh [a prominent Palestinian-American Journalist] spent 25 years making sure people could not claim they did not know what was happening. Then she was killed by Israeli military fire doing exactly that.

Know Her Name

Know Her Name

This isn't Gaza today, it's Yaffa (Jaffa) in 1948. No H*mas, no October 7. Just the same story repeating itself: erase, then occupy.

"When a real and final catastrophe should befall us in Palestine the first responsible for it would be the British and the second responsible for it the Terrorist organizations build up from our own ranks [Jewish]." Albert Einstein April 10, 1948

"They massacred Arab babies" -1948 headline reporting on the Palestinian village of Dier Yassin where Zionist terrorists armed with bayonets slaughted men, women, and children.