Salem-News.com Gaza articles Page 50

Palestinian Prisoners Behind Bars and Walls

From Eileen Fleming's “Memoirs of a Nice Irish American ‘Girl’s’ Life in Occupied Territory”.

(WEST BANK, Palestine) - Joharah Baker is Director of the Media and Information Department at the Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH). She wrote:

It has been just under a week since the historic deal between Hamas and Israel saw the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for 1,027 Palestinian political prisoners.

Considering a Palestinian kid throwing stones gets imprisonment and mashed testicles...
Shalit got off lightly

How on earth does Shalit embody the values of life and respect for human rights?

(LONDON) - While the whole world, it seemed, was in ecstasy over the freeing of Gilad Shalit, I was amazed to discover that the Israeli tank-gunner had been made an honorary citizen of Rome, Paris, Baltimore, Miami, Pittsburgh and New Orleans. Knowing what we know, that’s pretty sick stuff.

Rome's mayor, Gianni Alemanno, said that honouring Shalit in this way was "a gesture of high symbolic value, with which Rome chooses to salute the values of life, of solidarity and of respect for the human rights." He added, "You cannot win using violence, kidnapping and ransom."

Palestinian Prisoners Are Not `Unpeople`; They Are Children of God

The Muamar brothers are not “unpeople”. They are children of God. They and all of their fellow political prisoners must be set free.

(CHICAGO) - In a talk at New York City’s Barnard College the night the Hamas-Israeli prisoner exchange was announced, Noam Chomsky anticipated the one-sided media coverage of the exchange. He charged the media with treating Israeli Jews as people, while dismissing Palestinians as “unpeople”.

Chomsky, who is Jewish, brings credentials to this issue as both an acclaimed linguistic scholar, and a strong advocate of Palestinian human rights.

Two Prisoner Stories and the Olive Harvest

Latest roundup of stories from Palestine.

(BETHLEHEM) - Western media try to make Palestinian political prisoners mere numbers while personalizing one Israeli soldier. So let me just give you the names and brief story of two of those released Palestinian political prisoners.

-Chris Bandak, a Palestinian Christian from Bethlehem was just 21 when he was abducted by the Israeli occupation forces. He was released after spending the last 9 years in Israeli prisons for his resistance activities to the colonial occupation.

The ongoing trial in the murder of solidarity activist Vittorio Arrigoni

The kidnapping and murder shocked the humanitarian community at large.

(GAZA CITY) - The military trial of the four men charged with the death of Italian International Solidarity Movement Activist Vittorio Arrigoni continued in Gaza City today.

Kids Have the Right to Read About Palestine

The world includes Palestine! Wouldn't it be great if kids could read about it?

(WASHINGTON D.C.) - Did you know that children have no books in their classroom or library that recognize the contributions, history, geography, government, trade, lifestyle, language, arts, leisure and food of the people of Palestine?

The Book they Don`t Want you to Read

But let me reassure you. On every front they fail. Our world has changed. ‘The Wandering Who’ spreads like a forest fire and a second edition is about to be printed. - Jonathan Cook

(LONDON) - Here we go again: Jewish Zionists and Jewish 'anti-Zionist' yet again join forces to burn a book that, amongst other things, explores the Jewish culture of book-burning. Is this a coincidence? I don’t think so.

It seems as if award-winning Islamophobic Harry’s Place is now so desperate to stop ‘The Wandering Who’ that they wail, “Why Is The Times Selling an Antisemitic Book?”

First Freed Palestinians Welcomed Home in Prisoner Swap (VIDEO)

Photos and video of celebration direct from Palestine.

(SALEM / GAZA) - The biggest party in the world took place in Palestine yesterday, and it does not look to be over very soon. Some report up to a million people gathered for the huge welcome home celebration of 477 Palestinians released from Israeli prisons.

It was the first of part of the two-phase event that will bring a total of 1027 Palestinians out from behind bars, a deal that Hamas reached with Israel in exchange for Gilad Shalit.

Prisoner exchange list does NOT include any children

Each year approximately 700 Palestinian children (12-17 years) from the West Bank are prosecuted in Israeli military courts after being arrested, interrogated and detained by the Israeli army, police or security agents.

(LONDON) - On 11 October 2011, Israel and Hamas announced a deal to release Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the freeing of Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit.

Under the deal a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners were released in two stages beginning on 18 October, and concluding two months later.

Palestinians Celebrate Prisoner Swap in Gaza

"Thank you to the forces of the resistance for returning us as liberated heroes," said one prisoner.

(GAZA CITY) - he Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas declared victory Tuesday as hundreds of Palestinian prisoners were freed in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit.

In Gaza, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was spotted gesturing 'V' with both his hands. The Islamist movement prepared a military band to accompany the celebrations.