News Highlights:

• 15 protestors are arrested on Palm Sunday by Israeli forces as they peacefully try to exercise their religious traditions of pilgrimage to Jerusalem; the 10 Palestinians in the group are held for at least 96 hours while the Israeli and international activists are released.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu says he is healing the "rift" with the U.S. government over settlement building.
• The trial in Israeli District Court over the unlawful killing of Rachel Corrie by the Israeli military will not resume until September, 2010 at the earliest.
• The largest Swedish pension fund bars Israeli arms maker Elbit Systems from its investments.

Feature:

The feature was a special Eyewitness Palestine marking both Land Day and the Global Boycott Israel Day. There were many actions around the world commemorating both occasions and our feature highlighted two reports, the first an open letter from Gazan students to the President of Berkeley's Student Senate regarding the veto of a bill calling for divestment from two companies supporting Israeli occupation. The second report was highlights of an interview with Bilal Jadou from Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, carried on the Electronic Intifada, about how his family are literally cut in half by the apartheid wall.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a March 29th, 2010 dispatch in the Ecumenical News Int'l. about how Palestinian Christians are protesting the travel permit system imposed by Israel that restricts their freedom of access to the holy sites in Jerusalem.

News Highlights:

• 4 Palestinian youths killed in less than 24 hours, two near Nablus as they were on route to work in the family farm.
• 2 Palestinians hurt in Beit Jala, after Israeli forces violently disperse a rally commemorating Rachel Corrie.
• Gazans are disappointed with the comments of UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, after waiting more than a year for UN action to alleviate their suffering.
• British government decision to expel an Israeli official over forged UK passports used in an assassination in Dubai is welcomed by Palestinian leaders.

Feature:

A live interview with Canadian author and activist Yves Engler, who has just released his latest book, Canada and Israel: Building Apartheid. Yves talked about his student experiences at Concordia University and what had brought him to support Palestinian rights. He explained what was in his book detailing Canada's historic and current support for Israel, including the role of Christian Zionists and many leading Canadian politicians. There was also discussion of the Israeli Reut Institute report, which had urged Mossad (the Israeli security service) to "sabotage" people active in the global boycott Israel movement, specifically in Toronto and the Bay Area.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a dispatch by Dr. Mona ElFarra in Gaza about the lack of access to safe and clean water in Gaza and efforts by NGOs to help resolve the problem. The UN estimates Gaza will have no drinking water in the next 15 years.

News Highlights:

• 91 Palestinians are injured today iin occupied East Jerusalem, as Israeli forces continue to suppress protests over Israeli settlement expansion.
• An Israeli military closure over the occupied West Bank continues and Paletinian men and boys under 50 are banned from attending religious services in Jerusalem.
• Israeli PM Netanyahu says his government will continue its settlement building throughout Jerusalem, confirming the recent announcement of 1600 new units.
• The family of Rachel Corrie, the American student killed by an Israeli bulldozer, begin their civil lawsuit in Israeli court.
• A new report details Brazil's complicity with Israeli occupation, in particular the growing Brazilian arms trade with Israel.

Feature:

A live interview with Palestinian American playwright and activist Ismail Khalidi about the ongoing trial in Israel over the killing of Rachel Corrie, as the Corrie family finally got their day in court after 7 years. Ismail updated us on the testimony at the trial so far and detailed Israeli government efforts to obstruct certain witnesses from being able to attend. He also told us about the International Day of Action on this 7th anniversary of Rachel's killing by an Israeli bulldozer in Rafah, Gaza. There was discussion of the response, or lack of, by the mainstream U.S. media to the trial and Ismail concluded by calling on listeners to support the Palestinian struggle, saying he has hopeful things were beginning to change.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a March 16th, 2010 action alert from the Palestinian NGO Al Haq about the continued Israeli settlement expansion in occupied East Jerusalem and calls on the international community to halt this erosion of Palestinian rights.

News Highlights:

• U.S. officials condemn Israeli settlement building in East Jerusalem, announced as U.S. VP Joe Biden is visiting the area.
• 3 Palestinian boys are detained and harassed by Israeli soldiers as they were gathering herbs near Hebron Al/Khalil.
• The siege on Gaza entered its 1000th day and Gazan officials comment on the increasing unemployment and lack of medical services.
• UN special rapporteur Richard Falk says the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah is trying to get him to resign and is impeding his reports critical of Israeli policies.

Feature:

A live interview with Jewish Canadian activist Ben Saifer, from Students against Israeli Apartheid at Carleton University in Ottawa. Ben explained first how he had personally become involved with supporting Palestinian human rights and then detailed the growth of SAIA as a student group on campuses. He talked about the Israeli Apartheid Week that had just happened, the response of some politicians to the event, and also emphasized how he felt open debate was the best strategy. Ben concluded by detailing the SAIA campaign underway to pressure Carleton University Pension Fund to divest from companies supporting Israeli occupation and militarism.

Focus on Zionism:

A March 9th, 2010 press release from the International Solidarity Movement about Israeli settler vandalism at the Palestinian village of Qarawat Bani Hassan.

News Highlights:

• Israeli Apartheid Week starts on university campuses in over 40 countries, as some Canadian politicians try to use their office to silence debate.
• Israeli forces storm the Al Aqsa compound in occupied Jerusalem, as tensions continue over Israeli demolitions of homes and expansion of settlements in East Jerusalem.
• Dubai's police chief says suspects in the assassination of a Palestinian leader are hiding out in Israel.
• Israeli High Court will hear a challenge to a law that restricts Palestinian Israelis from bringing in their spouses.

Feature:

A live interview with Jewish American documentary filmmaker and activist Adam Shapiro about his new film series, "Chronicles of a Refugee" and his tour across N. America with the film. The series, which includes six parts, gives a voice to Palestinian refugees and their experiences globally over the last 61 years. The film is being shown on several university campuses as part of Israeli Apartheid Week and there was discussion about the Zionist attempts in Canada to shut down any public debate and criticism over Israeli policies.

Focus on Zionism:

Highlights of a February 25th, 2010 statement by 500 Montreal artists speaking out against Israeli apartheid and in support of the global Boycott Israel movement.