Life under Israeli occupation continues, by Mazin Qumsiyeh
Dear All Life under Israeli occupation continues bitterly much of the time but we try to live, work, love and survive as best as we can. Political prisoners (in Israeli and Palestinian jails) wage their struggles. We try to rebuild homes demolished. Friends get married, have children, university students graduate, a new school year begins, harvest of some crops (wheat, barley, lentils,), and we enjoy the season of grapes, cactus fruits, figs, and other fruits. We at the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability continue to serve our mission of research, education, and conservation leading to sustainable human and natural communities. Last week we were focused on issues of protected areas where with the Environment Quality Authority we are designating key areas to protect, removing many areas designated by the Israeli authorities strictly for colonial reasons (not because of nature). We have also been building capacity for example training programs in GIS/Remote sensing as part of our work towards a National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan. In short we continue to have “joyful participation in the sorrows of this world” as the Buddhists say. We invite you to visit us and join us as we envision a better world and work for it.
Action: Please join me to donate for the legal fees of our friend Ronnie Barkan who defended human rights. See https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/helpronnie
Action: Ask US Congress to act now to end discrimination against U.S. citizens seeking to enter Palestine https://actionnetwork.org/letters/american-fair-entry/
Action: Stop trade with settlements for food sovereignty https://friendsoftheearth.eu/news/stop-trade-with-settlements-for-food-sovereignty-in-palestine/
Facebook tells moderators to allow graphic images of Russian airstrikes but censors Israeli attacks: Internal memos show Meta deemed attacks on Ukrainian civilians “newsworthy” — prompting claims of a double standard among Palestine advocates. https://theintercept.com/2022/08/27/facebook-instagram-meta-russia-ukraine-war/
Israeli rules say West Bank visitors must declare love interest story https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-62730164 regulations https://bit.ly/3cQA35n
World Jewry leaders arrive in Basel to celebrate 125 years since First Zionist CongressFollowing warnings about huge pro-Palestinian demonstrations, the Swiss government passed and has set aside a €5.7 million security budget. The Rhine River will be closed to ship traffic and airspace will be closed for the duration of the congress, with the area of the hall to be secured by thousands of security personnel. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-715735
Book Review: The hundred year war on Palestine https://countercurrents.org/2022/07/the-hundred-year-war-on-palestine/ Edward Said’s lone defense of Islam against Zionists https://youtu.be/hnVHuA6xlOo When Roger Waters cried http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/57186.htm
Stay Human and keep Palestine alive,
Mazin Qumsiyeh A bedouin in cyberspace, a villager at home Professor, Founder, and (volunteer) Director Palestine Museum of Natural History, Palestine Institute of Biodiversity and Sustainability Bethlehem University Occupied Palestine, http://qumsiyeh.org http://palestinenature.org
facebook pages Personal https://www.facebook.com/mazin.qumsiyeh.9, Museum https://www.facebook.com/PIBS.PMNH