One of the creators of Oscar-nominated animation Waltz With Bashir has made a short film to alter Israeli perceptions of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A 90-second film Closed Zone has been launched online in support of the human rights group Gisha, which advocates freedom of movement for Palestinians. It shows a Palestinian boy chasing a bird but having his path blocked.
http://www.closedzone.com/
Anyone who has reveled in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine knows the important role olives play in giving their taste buds cause to cheer. Whether eaten whole or through their oil, olives complete nearly any meal. Yet, here in Palestine in particular, zaytoun (olives) provide flavor to our lives beyond simply satisfying our palates. They are a vital part of the Palestinian economy, and are the nation’s largest commercial crop. According to UN figures, olive trees account for more than 45 percent of all farmland and 80 percent of all orchards in Palestine. They also happen to be a consistent target for Israeli settler and military attacks.
Source: SACSIS
Justice Richard Goldstone is accused of being unfair to Israel in his investigative report on the war in Gaza, which the Israeli government has stepped up efforts to discredit in the international media. But Phyllis Bennis, author of “Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,” contends that there is no way that the credibility of the Goldstone report can be challenged. The real challenge, she says, is how much pressure we, as civil society, can bring to bear on our governments to make the report real.
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