Feature Archives

Marcella "Sali" Grace Eiler, a solidarity activist with the struggle in Oaxaca and Chiapas, was found dead on September 24th in a deserted cabin twenty minutes from the village of San Jose del Pacifico, Oaxaca, Mexico. She was brutally raped and murdered. On different occasions and to different people, Sali mentioned that recently she had suffered political persecution and surveillance in Oaxaca. Many people believe that her murder is part of the widespread repression against the social movement and directed particularly at international observers.

On On August 25th, Sahar Vardi was sentenced to seven days in jail for refusing to join the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). Vardi is the first women among a group of Israeli high school seniors who are refusing to join the occupying Israeli military. The group has published and sent a letter to Israel’s Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, saying, “Our refusal comes first and foremost as a protest on the separation, control, oppression and killing policy held by the state of Israel in the occupied territories, as we understand that this oppression, killing and routing of hatred will never lead us to peace, and they are all contradictory to the basic values a society that pretends to be democratic should have.”

On August 23rd, two small boats carrying 42 human rights activists broke the siege of Gaza. They sailed from Cyprus in defiance of Israeli threats to intercept the boats to enforce its blockade of Gaza. The arriving boats were greeted by thousands of jubilant Gazans and former Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Intense international support was crucial in persuading Israel to allow the boats through.

On August 12th, the police of Orissa, India detained David Pugh, a teacher who lives in San Francisco. The Orissa Police have also detained two anti-displacement activists, Protima Das and Pradeep, who accompanied Pugh. Pugh has been released from detention, but the Orissa police have ordered him to stay at his hotel to await further interrogation. In a press release, the movement against displacement in India has called on people to urgently contact various officials in Orissa and India and demand the release of all the activists.

Update! Pugh has been released from detention and he has issued a statement.

On on July 28, Ehud Olmert, Israel's Prime Minister, announced that he will resign his post once a new leader is chosen for his party-Kadima. This decision comes as a result of two investigation for corruption that is carried against Olmert. Olmert has been under many police investigations in recent years for corruption and bribery.

On July 28th, at the Left Bank offices in Tel Aviv, a party was held to celebrate thirty years of artistic and political work by Mohammad Bakri, a well known Palestinian actor and director. Another reason for the celebration was a recent decision by a judge who ruled that Bakri cannot be sued for making the film Jenin Jenin. After producing Jenin Jenin, a documentary featuring interviews with residents of the refugee camp Jenin following the Israeli invasion in April 2002, Bakri was sued by a group of Israeli soldiers. The film shows through the testimony of Palestinians that the invasion of Jenin in April of 2002, constitute a war crime.

In at least five separate incidents during July alone, U.S.-led NATO forces have killed as many as 132 civilians in Afghanistan. The worst of the five attacks took place in the Deh Bala district of the Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, where a U.S. air strike killed 47 civilians on July 6th. Another air strike killed up to 22 Afghani civilians on July 4th when missiles from U.S. helicopters struck civilians in Kunarn. Nine more Afghani civilians were killed in the province of Farah on July 15th. In a fourth attack, up to 50 civilians died and at least seven more were wounded in the western province of Herat. The fifth and most recent attack occurred on July 20th, when at least four Afghani civilians were killed.