Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
10 June 2010
IATP cohosted a two-day workshop on consumer food cooperatives in Beijing. Lindy Bannister (pictured left with IATP President Jim Harkness), General Manager of the Wedge Community Coop in Minneapolis, was a featured guest. Check out videos and photos from the trip.
See our blog posts about the workshop: “Exploring consumer cooperatives in China” and “An official thumbs-up for organic ag in China.”
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justicewheels — 8 June 2010
The uprooting of the olive trees and destruction of the land of Abu Nidal in the village of Al-Walaja. This heartbreaking experience was exacerbated by the fact that the apartheid wall being built will encircle the village on all sides cutting all the villagers from their agricultural lands. 30 homes have been demolished and others are slated for demolition. The village is basically being ethnically cleansed methodically. It started in 1948 when villagers were removed from half their lands and continued after 1967 as the Zionist movement coveted and went after the rest of their lands.
Mazin Qumsiyeh
10 June 2010
I was released from detention after investigation only with minor bruises, threats and warnings but both Israeli activists Shy and Yotam were brought in front of a judge on some false charges and judged to stay away from the wall for 30 days (last time for me it was 15 days) with hefty fines if they violate the order. I was honored to share a few hours with them in detention. The past two days have not been easy (videos below). Yesterday (Tuesday June 8th), we witnessed how the land of Al-Walaja was being destroyed. Abu Nidal watched as Israeli colonizers uprooted olive trees that his family has planted decades ago and trees donated by Europeans 8 years ago. After the devastation, activists were determined to do something and this morning some even chained themselves to a bulldozer. The ‘Border police’ are known for being ruthless and mean. In this case, there was also the added complication of the Israeli army deciding to put a unit headed by a Druze officer named Asa’ad that included a mix of Ashkenazim and Druze and a token black soldier. One of the Ashkenazi soldiers was particularly aggressive. The Druze soldiers appeared out of place. Some soldiers confided that they are merely forced to serve.
Alison Weir
9 June 2010
Whenever Israel commits yet another atrocity, its defenders are quick to redirect public attention away from the grisly crime scene.
Currently, there are headlines about allegedly anti-Semitic comments made by senior White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Pundits across the land evince outrage at her off-the-cuff 25-second statement made to a man who appears to be holding a camera right in her face.
Thomas issued a public apology for her words, but this was insufficient to assuage the wounded feelings of powerful antagonists, and she has now retired from a long and distinguished career.
Before we examine her comments and evaluate their possible validity, let’s look at other recent events having to do with Israel.
By Jamal Elshayyal
Al Jazeera producer Jamal Elshayyal recalls the Israeli assault on the Gaza aid convoy.
Firstly I must apologise for taking so long to update my blog. The events of the past few days have been hectic to say the least, and I am still trying to come to grips with many of the things that have happened.
It was this time last week that I was on the top deck of the Mavi Marmara, and first spotted Israeli warships at a distance, as they approached the humanitarian flotilla. Little did I know how deadly and bloody the events that soon unfolded would be.
What I will write in this entry is fact, every letter of it, none of it is opinion, none of it is analysis, I will leave that to you, the reader.
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