From Gaza with lulav

Posted on October 10, 2011

Ahead of the Jewish festival of Sukkot which begins this Wednesday, lulavs, palm fronds used in religious rituals of the holiday, are in big demand in Israel. A minor crisis arose therefore when Egypt announced that it will not be … Continue reading →

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What have we learned from Gaza?

Posted on October 4, 2011

“But Israel did more than just make sweeping offers. We actually left territory. We withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 and from every square inch of Gaza in 2005. That didn’t calm the Islamic storm, the militant Islamic storm that threatens … Continue reading →

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Myths and Facts on the Palmer Report

Posted on September 7, 2011

This week we address some common myths and misconceptions which have emerged over the past days following the release of the Report of the Secretary-General’s Panel of Inquiry on the 31 May 2010 Flotilla Incident (in other words, the Palmer Report). These are myths which we identified in the report itself, in the Israeli and Turkish positions as they are summarized in the report, as well as in public debate (mainly in the media) sparked by the report. Continue reading →

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Q&A on the Palmer report

Posted on September 1, 2011
Ilustration: z_fishies, Flickr. CC BY-NC 2.0

The Palmer Commission, appointed by the UN secretary-general to investigate the events surrounding the Gaza flotilla in 2010, is expected to publish its report tomorrow. According to media reports, the commission is likely to find that Israel was within its rights to stop the vessels on their approach to Gaza, but will criticize the excessive use of force during the operation. Below, Gisha offers responses to several questions regarding legal status of the flotilla, the closure, and the connection between the two Continue reading →

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The defense minister goes green with a new recycling program in Gaza

Posted on August 17, 2011
Erez Crossing. Photo: PHR Israel

To mark the month of Ramadan, Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved a series of gestures toward Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. At first glance, these gestures appear to be good news, but further examination reveals that most of them … Continue reading →

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A different kind of housing crisis

Posted on August 3, 2011
Tent City in Tel Aviv

Tent cities have sprung up around the country, as people frustrated with the high cost of housing in Israel and inspired by campers on the tony Rothschild Boulevard in Tel Aviv are sleeping outside and blocking main roads in protest.  … Continue reading →

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Numbers, meet context

Posted on July 21, 2011
Sousy_furniture2

A new report by COGAT looks at statistics one year after the Israeli government decided to “expand the civilian policy toward the Strip” and “ease” the closure. How do the numbers look in the wider context? Continue reading →

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Who's stringing along the Quartet?

Posted on July 11, 2011

Today, the Quartet on the Middle East is meeting in Washington. The United Nations’ secretary general and the American, Russian and European Union foreign ministers are expected to discuss UN recognition of a Palestinian state and stalled peace negotiations. These … Continue reading →

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Doing the math – 1.6 million people, zero export

Posted on June 30, 2011

At the time when preparations for the flotilla are underway, we wish to focus on the situation in Gaza and on the fact that Israel continues to prohibit export of goods from the Strip. Continue reading →

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The top 10 reasons why the opening of Rafah Crossing just doesn’t cut it

Posted on June 16, 2011
Rafah Crossing, June 2011. Photo: Mohammed Azaiza, Gisha

In no particular order of importance, we thought we’d list some of the reasons why the opening of Rafah, while significant and helpful, doesn’t meet all of Gaza’s needs for access and why, as some voices in Israel have recently suggested, it can’t serve as Gaza’s only access point… Continue reading →

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