This week in Palestine - Salem-News.Com

In today's news letter: events, good and bad news, good articles and commentaries.

(BETHLEHEM) - Taybeh Oktoberfest today and tomorrow taybehmunicipality.org and demonstration in Beit Ummar today (Saturday) at 1:00 p.m. Last week, we attended a number of events including a wonderful play called "Handala" at Al-Rowwad in Aida Refugee Camp that is about our current reality (youtube.com/user/aidacamp).

A British High Court determined Friday evening that the arrest of Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic Movement in 1948 Palestine, upon landing in the United Kingdom two months ago, was illegal, and as such, Salah is eligible to receive compensation from the state.

This ruling comes after the British government removed a law that allowed prosecution of war criminals in British courts. Thus the back and forth between truth/justice and the Israel lobby in England continues (since 1917!).

In other lobby news, President Obama and many politicians in sending greetings to Jews for the new year developed the horrible habit of linking it to support for Israel as if Judaism and Zionism are the same, If Apartheid Israel is indeed a Jewish project and is linked to Judaism, Judaism is in deep trouble.

I wrote to one politician to say "Do you issue statements on Muslim Holidays referring to unshakable commitments to any Islamic majority country? On a Buddhist Holiday to unshakable commitment to Japan? On Christmas for unshakable commitment to Britain? Why the hypocrisy and double standard?

And what about the millions of Jews who do not care about Israel or even consider it an apartheid state-- does your message relate to them?".

I could have gone further and stated would it have been acceptable on Christmas for an American politician to send greeting to Christians saying that he has unshakable commitment to Christian Nazi Germany? Someday this Greek tragedy will end and all people will look back and shake their heads in amazement at this absurdity.

I shared with you before some excellent articles published in the phenomenal monthly called “This Week in Palestine’. There themes every month are different and include an assemblage of articles accompanied by great photography and a highly efficient and pleasing layout in the print edition. This month the theme is on celebrations. I was asked to write one of the articles: Where commemoration meets celebration. This Week in Palestine, October 2011. Where Commemoration Meets Celebration - thisweekinpalestine.com

The ongoing saga of Qosra, Nablus, West Bank..09-24.09.2011 ...قصرا قضاء نابلس

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