Monday, April 22, 2024

A Dream of Palestine ... A children's book written by Wafa Shami illustrated by Christina Qahoush: Noor, a young school-aged girl, is curious to learn about what happened to her Palestinian grandmother (Teta) during the infamous 1948 Nakba (The Catastrophe) that befell the Palestinian people, and why her family was forced to leave their home in al-Quds (Jerusalem). Why were they pushed out of their homeland? Where did they go? And how did they become refugees?

A Dream of Palestine by Wafa Shami illustrated by Christina Qahoush

Noor, a young school-aged girl, is curious to learn about what happened to her Palestinian grandmother (Teta) during the infamous 1948 Nakba (The Catastrophe) that befell the Palestinian people, and why her family was forced to leave their home in al-Quds (Jerusalem). Why were they pushed out of their homeland? Where did they go? And how did they become refugees?

Wafa Shami is also the author of

Easter in Ramallah

Olive Harvest in Palestine: A story of childhood memories

A is for Arab

When Za'atar Met Zeit

Wafa Shami

Wafa Shami was born and raised in Ramallah, Palestine.

She moved to the U.S. to pursue higher education and graduated with a Master’s degree in International Studies.

Since moving to the U.S. Wafa has maintained her engagement in Middle Eastern issues as a volunteer.

After her son was born she was inspired to write children’s storybooks based on her childhood memories

Her stories, Easter in Ramallah, and Olive Harvest in Palestine were published in the last few years.

Besides being busy raising her son, Wafa who lives in California has a passion for cooking and writes a food blog, in which she shares her family’s recipes.

Visit her blog at www.palestineinadish.com and follow her on social media @palestineinadish for delicious recipes.

Disinformation Warfare: Journalistic Cover for Israel’s Genocide- For decades, Israel has recognized the importance of information warfare in justifying the everyday violence of occupation, apartheid, and settler colonialism. Now they are using the same tactics in overdrive to justify and facilitate genocide. In just six months, Israeli forces have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians and left most of Gaza uninhabitable.

Apr

11:00am https://www.crowdcast.io/c/disinformation-warfare

Disinformation Warfare: Journalistic Cover for Israel’s Genocide

By Al-Shabaka

For decades, Israel has recognized the importance of information warfare in justifying the everyday violence of occupation, apartheid, and settler colonialism. Now they are using the same tactics in overdrive to justify and facilitate genocide. In just six months, Israeli forces have killed more than 33,000 Palestinians and left most of Gaza uninhabitable. Meanwhile, Israel’s most powerful benefactors continue to largely ignore growing public calls for a ceasefire and accountability. This could not have been achieved without the complicity of western journalists across Europe and the US, who have manufactured consent for their governments’ unconditional support of Israel by uncritically parroting Israeli military disinformation and outright propaganda.

In our upcoming policy lab, Laila Al-Arian and Abir Kopty join host Tariq Kenney-Shawa to discuss the role journalists and the media are playing in shielding Israel from accountability, what journalists should be doing to effectively and accurately cover the genocide, and how the public can navigate the world of Israeli disinformation.

Laila Al-Arian is an award-winning journalist, filmmaker, and executive producer of the Al Jazeera English documentary series Fault Lines. She is also the co-author of "Collateral Damage: America's War Against Iraqi Civilians."

Abir Kopty is an Al-Shabaka policy member, as well as a journalist and writer based in Berlin. She holds an MA in Political Communication from City University, London. Her political analysis appeared in MEE, TRT, The Nation and others. She has also hosted and produced podcasts with Sowt podcasting. Samir Kassir Award Nominee for opinion articles category.

Tariq Kenney-Shawa is Al-Shabaka's US Policy Fellow and co-host of Al-Shabaka's Policy Lab series. He holds a Masters degree in International Affairs from Columbia University. Tariq's research and writing have covered a range of topics, from the role of open-source intelligence in exposing Israel's war crimes to analysis of Palestinian liberation tactics.

About the Policy Lab Program: Al-Shabaka's Policy Lab Program is an online live-stream space where audiences can engage directly with expert analysts from our nearly 200-member network as they craft policies and strategies related to Palestine. The labs are free and open for public participation, inviting viewers to join in on policy discussions.

Note: This discussion will take place in English. Our policy labs are supported through the generosity of donors. They are free to attend, though we accept contributions on a sliding scale upon registration to help sustain the program.

Mona Chalabi: Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank – visualized... International attention is on Gaza, but attacks by Israelis who live on Palestinian land have been increasing

SEE MORE

Mona Chalabi

Mon 22 Apr 2024

While international attention has been turned toward Gaza, violence against Palestinians has increased in the West Bank too. Israeli settler attacks have become more frequent.

Settlers are Israeli citizens who live on Palestinian land. In most cases, this happens because Palestinians are prevented from accessing their land and are physically attacked by settlers. In a third of cases, Palestinian property is damaged by settlers. These findings come from a UN report published in September 2023 that showed a years-long rise in settler violence against Palestinians. Because of these numbers, the UN has noted that “settler-driven displacement did not start with Hamas’s deadly attack”.

“Settlers attacked us, destroying our homes, water tanks, solar panels and cars,” Abu Khaled, 43, told the UN after being displaced on 28 October. “I felt the presence of death so tangibly as if I saw it with my own eyes … I made the hardest decision in my life: to leave Zanuta and leave everything behind, as memories. I did this to protect my children.” Those who remain are not safe. “They prevent us from grazing our sheep,” Mohamad Abu Seif, 90, said. He has lived with his family in Ein Shibli, a herding community, for over 40 years. They remain vulnerable to threats and harassment by settlers.

The Israeli government routinely acknowledges these colonies as part of the Israeli state despite the fact that they are illegal under international law.

[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]

Article 49 of the fourth Geneva convention prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.

"The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has found that “as a rule, the military prefers to remove Palestinians from their own farmland or pastureland rather than confront settlers”. This has also been the case in recent months, when Israeli forces have accompanied or supported settler attacks in almost half of all incidents, according to the UN. In over a third of the incidents reported since October, settlers threatened Palestinians with firearms, including by opening fire."

"The thousands of Palestinians who have been forced from their homes have little recourse to justice. In four out of every five cases, Israeli police failed in the investigation of Israelis who harmed Palestinians and their property. This finding comes from Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights group that has investigated the way Israeli law enforcement treats these settler attacks. It found that between 2005 and 2021, just 3% of ideologically motivated cases resulted in a conviction."

The Colonna report, which was commissioned by the UN in the wake of Israeli allegations, found that Unrwa had regularly supplied Israel with lists of its employees for vetting, and that “the Israeli government has not informed Unrwa of any concerns relating to any Unrwa staff based on these staff lists since 2011”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/22/israel-unrwa-staff-terrorist-links-yet-to-provide-evidence-colonna-report

Israel has yet to provide evidence of Unrwa staff terrorist links, Colonna report says

Exclusive: Review finds government has yet to substantiate claims UN relief agency staff have ties to Hamas or Islamic Jihad

Middle East crisis – live updates

".... Israel led major donors in January to cut their funding to the agency, the main channel of humanitarian support not only to Palestinians in Gaza but to Palestinian refugee communities across the region.

The funding was cut despite the dire needs of 2.3 million people in Gaza, most of whom have been forced from their homes by the Israeli offensive since 7 October and have been struggling to find water, food, shelter or medical care.

Most of the donor nations have resumed their funding in recent weeks. UK ministers had said they would wait for the Colonna report to make a decision on resuming funding. US financial support of Unrwa has been permanently banned by Congress since the allegations were made...."

Israel has failed to provide evidence of Unrwa staff terrorist links: report

April 22 2024

An independent review led by former French Foreign Minister Cahterine Colonna said that Israel has yet to provide supporting evidence that staff at Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, are members of terrorist organisations such as Hamas.

The Guardian says the report found that Unrwa had had regularly supplies Israel with lists of its employees for vetting, and that "the Israeli government has not informed Unrwa of any concerns relating to any Unrwa staff based on these staff lists since 2011".

Israel's accusations against Unrwa have led to many major donor states suspending their funding of the agency at a time when Palestinians in Gaza are in dire need of aid.

Most of the major donors resumed funding in recent weeks, with the UK saying it would wait for the findings of the Colonna-led report to make a decision. US financial supporting for Unrwa, on the other hand, has been permanently banned by Congress.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-has-failed-provide-evidence-unrwa-staff-terrorist-links-report?nid=357231&topic=Israel%2527s%2520war%2520on%2520Gaza&fid=511216

Gaza death toll reaches 34,151

Falastine Saleh: By weaponising settlers, the Israeli government not only perpetuates violence, but also lays the groundwork for further domination, displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians

A Palestinian inspects the damage in the village of Mughayir near Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on 13 April, 2024, after an attack by Israeli settlers on the village (AFP)

Settler terrorism: Palestinians are becoming prisoners in their own homeland

Falastine Saleh

22 April 2024 12:01 BST |

I can still feel the weight of that moment back in 2015, sitting in Beirut and sharing my concerns with a friend who works in journalism. I spoke of Israel’s extensive arming of settlers, and my deep worry that it would lead to a surge of violence and ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank.

My friend looked at me as though I was speaking from some distant, irrational place, and insisted that times had changed - that another Nakba was not within the realm of possibility.

Now, here we are, nine years later, and the very nightmare I feared is unfurling before our eyes.

The recent surge of settler terrorism and violence in the occupied West Bank is the inevitable culmination of years of policy decisions. Over the past decade, successive Israeli governments have unabashedly armed settlers, effectively equipping them to carry out their own brand of intimidation and aggression.... READ MORE https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/israel-settlers-terrorism-palestinians-prisoners-homeland-becoming

April is Arab American Heritage Month!✨ ... GOOD BOOKS!

April is Arab American Heritage Month!

Susan Muaddi Darraj

@bnunionsqnyc

April is Arab American Heritage Month!

We wanted to take a moment to spotlight some truly incredible books by some amazing Arab American authors.

𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚 by Margot Douaihy

𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 by Susan Abulhawa

𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙨 by Suleika Jaouad

𝘼 𝙒𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙨 𝙉𝙤 𝙈𝙖𝙣 by Etaf Rum

𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙀𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙏𝙤𝙤 𝙈𝙪𝙘𝙝 by Zaina Arafat

𝙄𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙊𝙛 𝙈𝙚𝙣 by Hisham Matar

𝘽𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖 by Eman Quotah

𝘽𝙚𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙄𝙨 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖 by Susan Muaddi Darraj

𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙬𝙤 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣𝙨 by Aisha Abdel Gawad

𝙈𝙮 𝙁𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 by Hisham Matar

𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙠 by Sarafina El-Badry Nance

𝙏𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙚𝙖 by Hafsah Faizal

Which ones have you read? And which ones are you adding to your list?

#arabamericanheritagemonth #arabvoices #barnesandnoble #bn #bnbuz #bookish

Sunday, April 21, 2024

CSM In West Bank, wave of settler violence creating feel of a war zone

Nasser Nasser/AP

Mohammad Bader inspects his torched house, in the West Bank village of al-Mughayer, April 13, 2024.

By Fatima AbdulKarim Special contributor
Taylor Luck Special correspondent

April 19, 2024 | RAMALLAH, West Bank; and AMMAN, Jordan

After years of scattered pinpoint attacks, Israeli settler violence this week enveloped the West Bank and struck larger communities.

From Nablus to Jericho to Bethlehem to the edge of Ramallah, deadly attacks by far-right settlers hit towns and villages, killing four Palestinians, wounding dozens, and grinding life in the West Bank to a halt.

The wave of violence, which followed the disappearance and death of a 14-year-old Israeli settler, a shepherd, comes as the Palestinian Authority warns it is struggling to keep the peace.... READ MORE https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2024/0419/israel-west-bank-settlers-palestinians-violence

Why We Wrote This

A story focused on

Safety

With the world focused on Iran and Gaza, Israeli settlers are stepping up attacks against Palestinian towns and villages in the West Bank. Feeling abandoned, many residents believe they should take matters into their own hands.

USC cancels all graduation speakers because their best & brightest student, valedictorian Asna Tabassum, supports Palestinians on her social media accounts. Tabassum in turn urges everyone "to see past our deepest fears and recognize the need to support justice for all people, including the Palestinian people."

There are enough weapons of war and destruction already on planet earth. The only way to build a just and lasting peace (and to protect Jews plus every one else) is to invest all energies into full respect for Human Rights for ALL human beings, regardless of supposed race or religion. That means one state or two to end the Israel/Palestine conflict, start with FULL RESPECT for every refugee's inalienable legal and moral right to return to original homes and lands.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

NOTES https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes

"Art is the language of peace, love and life. Drawing and playing with children are the only tools of resistance I have to improve living conditions" Basel Elmaqosui of Palestine

AP News: Israeli strikes on southern Gaza city of Rafah kill 18, mostly children, as US advances aid package

In the vibrant tapestry of Palestine, Christians and Muslims intertwine as friends –each Christian cherishing a Muslim companion, and every Muslim embracing a Christian confidant. (NABLUS TAMREYAH recipe) in This Week in Palesitne

Handala- the Palestinian Refugee Child

Dismantling the culture of silence... "On Remembrance: When Words Become Our Strength"

Palestine Museum US: Today we mark the opening of the exhibition "Foreigners in Their Homeland: Occupation | Apartheid | Genocide"

"What was the crime of the Palestinian child?" a poem on Palestine by Ahmad Ibsais

Time: Imagining a Free Palestine by Ahmad Ibsais, a first-generation Palestinian American who writes the newsletter State of Siege.

Palestinian-American Poet Fady Joudah Wins $100,000 Jackson Poetry Prize 2024 “Distinguished by his courage to speak in the face of the unspeakable, in poems of lyric concision and intensity.”

Shhhh.... that's ANTI- SEMITIC

Years from now students will study the Palestinian GENOCIDE and wonder HOW DID NO ONE STOP THIS??

UN experts deeply concerned over 'scholasticide’ in Gaza 18 April 2024 “When schools are destroyed, so too are hopes and dreams.” Even UN schools sheltering forcibly displaced civilians are being bombed, including in Israeli military-designated “safe zones.” “These attacks are not isolated incidents. They present a systematic pattern of violence aimed at dismantling the very foundation of Palestinian society,” the experts said.

In northern Gaza, famine sets in: ‘We will eat anything’... [CSM] Reports indicate that the amount of flour entering Gaza may be ticking up slightly, but the need is urgent. Palestinian families are becoming increasingly desperate.

"I fear we are forgetting lessons from that terrible history" Eva Ladipo... My family’s past, and Germany’s, weighs heavily upon me. And it’s why I feel so strongly about Gaza

The Guardian view on the catastrophe in Gaza: it must not be overshadowed by the Iran crisis Editorial

UNRWA: A man-made famine is "tightening its grip" across Gaza

Israeli forces have killed over 33,900 Palestinians and injured over 76,000 since 7 October... Of the total killed, 13,900 of them were children.

Reuters photographer Mohammad Salem's haunting image of a grieving Palestinian woman embracing her little niece, killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza, has just won the 2024 World Press Photo of the Year Award.

No Tech for Apartheid campaign ... Google fires 28 employees for protesting Israel cloud deal

Time Magazine's The 100 Most Influential People of 2024: Palestinian Photo-Journalist Motaz Azaiza "We need to stop this war.”

Stop wasting America's time and resources playing word games for racist Israel

UN rights body demands Israel be held accountable for possible war crimes..."in just six months, more humanitarians have been killed in this conflict than in any war of the modern era.”

Palestine was not an empty piece of land before Israel

Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?

The UN Mediator for Palestine, Count Folke Bernadotte, believed that the Palestinians displaced had a right to return to their homes and wrote several UN reports to that effect.

"It would be an offence against the principles of elemental justice if these innocent victims of the conflict were denied the right to return to their homes while Jewish immigrants flow into Palestine, and, indeed, at least offer the threat of permanent replacement of the Arab refugees who have been rooted in the land for centuries."

Bernadotte was assassinated on Friday 17 September 1948 by members of the group Lehi, a Zionist terrorist organization, commonly known in the West as the Stern Gang

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world

PALESTINE REMEMBERED

"Art is the language of peace, love and life. Drawing and playing with children are the only tools of resistance I have to improve living conditions" Basel Elmaqosui of Palestine

Resisting with the pencil: Art as a language of hope in the Gaza Strip

New Arab story by

Giovanni Vigna 16 April, 2024

Basel Elmaqosui hopes to keep memories alive through drawing and teaching children art, as Israel's bombs continue to destroy dreams and reality in Gaza.

"I try to keep my humanity alive through drawing and teaching children," says Basel Elmaqosui, a Palestinian artist living in Gaza who has survived bombings.

"I search for stores that sell drawing materials," he explains. "I have managed to buy paper and charcoal pencils but cannot paint in colour: everything around me is black, frightening, terrifying and violent.

"This led me to depict scenes of everyday life with a charcoal pencil," Basel tells The New Arab.

"Who will gather the pieces of a child who has lost his parents, of a man who has lost his wife or of a mother who has lost her children and her newborn? During the ethnic cleansing that Israel is carrying out against the Palestinian people, I try to assemble the scattered fragments to create a clear and complete picture"

Fifty-three-year-old Basel lives in Rafah, near the border with Egypt, with his wife, five children and other relatives.

Leaving Gaza is very difficult and expensive. "The cost to organise the journey amounts to $10,000 per person," Basel reminds us.... READ MORE https://www.newarab.com/features/resisting-pencil-art-language-hope-gaza

"Everything is fragmented — human beings, buildings, streets, trees, tents and even human rights. Life has become a collection of scattered fragments and shreds.

"Who will gather the pieces of a child who has lost his parents, of a man who has lost his wife or of a mother who has lost her children and her newborn? During the ethnic cleansing that Israel is carrying out against the Palestinian people, I try to assemble the scattered fragments to create a clear and complete picture," Basel explains.

Before the start of the war, Basel lived in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Strip. After October 7, his life, like that of thousands upon thousands of other Palestinians, became a continuous search for shelter, food and water.

AP News: Israeli strikes on southern Gaza city of Rafah kill 18, mostly children, as US advances aid package

By MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH and SAMY MAGDY

Updated 6:38 AM EDT, April 21, 2024

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight killed 18 people, including 14 children, health officials said Sunday, as the United States was on track to approve billions of dollars of additional military aid to its close ally.

Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has sought refuge from fighting elsewhere. It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive to the city on the border with Egypt despite international calls for restraint, including from the U.S.... READ MORE https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-04-21-2024-8c027f2587c2c433d0fde41b63a0e0c3

At least 469 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry

The war has killed at least 34,049 Palestinians and wounded another 76,901, according to the Gaza Health Ministry... at least two-thirds have been children and women. It also says the real toll is likely higher as many bodies are stuck beneath the rubble left by airstrikes or are in areas that are unreachable for medics.

Saturday, April 20, 2024

In the vibrant tapestry of Palestine, Christians and Muslims intertwine as friends –each Christian cherishing a Muslim companion, and every Muslim embracing a Christian confidant. (NABLUS TAMREYAH recipe) in This Week in Palesitne

https://thisweekinpalestine.com/nablus-tamreyeh/

Nablus Tamreyeh

By Rawan Asaad

In the tapestry of spiritual observances, Christians worldwide, alongside their brethren in Palestine, embark on the solemn journey of Great Lent, a forty-day odyssey of abstinence from all animal products. Coincidentally, Muslims also engage in fasting during the sacred month of Ramadan. Amidst these hallowed moments, we unveil the recipe for Nablus Tamreyeh – a delectable confection void of animal derivatives, bearing the mantle of veganism, exuding lightness, vitality, and an unmistakable Palestinian essence.

In the vibrant tapestry of Palestine, Christians and Muslims intertwine as friends –each Christian cherishing a Muslim companion, and every Muslim embracing a Christian confidant. Amidst the shared bonds of neighbors, colleagues, and acquaintances, let the aroma of this delectable dessert unite hearts. Whether gifted to your Christian companion or your Muslim confidant, delve into its sweetness and watch prayers bloom during these sanctified moments.

Ingredients

For the dough:

– ¾ c flour

– ¼ c water (more or less as needed)

– a pinch of salt

For the filling:

– ½ c coarse semolina

– ½ c sugar

– 2 c water

– powdered sugar as needed (for decoration)

Preparation

For the dough:

– Place the flour and salt in an electric mixer bowl, gradually pour in the water while continuously kneading to obtain a soft, nonsticky dough. You can use your hands in the absence of an electric mixer.

– Continue kneading for five minutes using the mixer or ten minutes by hand.

– Divide the dough into eight equal portions.

– Place the dough portions in a lightly oiled bowl.

– Cover the bowl and set it aside to rest for one hour.

For the filling:

– In a pot over medium heat, stir together the sugar, water, and semolina until boiling.

– Continue gently stirring the mixture until it thickens.

– Pour the mixture into a rectangular tray, let it cool, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate briefly (not more than half an hour), until it becomes firm.

– Remove the filling from the refrigerator, and cut it into eight equal pieces.

– On a flat surface lightly greased with oil, roll out each dough portion separately into the thinnest possible square.

– Place a piece of filling in the center of each dough portion.

– Take a corner of the dough and place it over the filling.

– Repeat folding the dough with the remaining corners until all edges of the dough are closed over the filling, forming a square. (Do not stretch the dough too much over the filling.)

– Press lightly and roll the square with the palm of your hand to make it slightly thinner.

– Repeat with the remaining dough portions.

– In a pot, heat enough oil.

– Place the dough pieces in the hot oil and fry them until they are golden and crispy.

– Remove the pastries from the oil and drain them on paper towels.

Sprinkle the pastries with powdered sugar and serve immediately, while hot.

Sahtein!

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