This week on Crossing The Line, an Israeli MP introduces a draft bill to eliminate Arabic as an official language of the Zionist state in another attempt by the Israeli government to ethnically cleanse Palestine, former PLO spokesperson Diana Buttu joins us to speak on this latest development.

Also this week, it has been more than a year since the re-displacement of Palestinian refugees from Nahr al-Bared. Many news outlets broadcast battles between militants from Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese army in the camp, but what they didn’t show was the aftermath of the nearly 90-day siege due to a media blackout imposed by the Lebanese government. But a group of filmmakers managed to get in and document a number of human rights violations by the army, we’ll speak to one of them on this week’s show.

And finally, the US State Department denied them, then granted them, we’re speaking about seven Fulbright scholarships that were awarded, taken away and then re-awarded. Dr. Marcy Newman will join us to talk about the Fulbright controversy as well as the plight of other university students in Gaza who also wish to travel abroad in order to further their studies.

This program was produced by Crossing The Line for June 6, 2008.

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They claim to be the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-peace movement in the United States, seeking a more just and equitable situation for both Israelis and Palestinians, but is the new pro-Israeli lobby group J-Street any different from AIPAC? Crossing The Line speaks to Nadia Hijab about this new face on Capital Hill.

Also this week, Israel recently concluded its week-long celebrations marking 60 years of Independence. Dignitaries from around the world, including George W. Bush, traveled to the region to partake in the festivities and offered words of encouragement for peace. But in our second segment guest, Alice Rothchild, wonders if peace might be accelerated if Israelis looked at things from the perspective of the occupied rather than the occupiers.

This program was produced by Crossing The Line for May 23, 2008.

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jstreet.org
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alicerothchild.com

On Monday the 28th of April, 2008, Bryan Atinsky spoke with Nassar Ibrahim in the offices of the Alternative Information Center in Beit Sahour. Nassar, a longtime Palestinian writer, journalist and activist, is Policy Director of the AIC. We discussed the implications of the recent visit of former US President Jimmy Carter to the Middle East, the possibility of a long-term ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the context of recent US and Israeli diplomatic maneuvers in the region, and Palestinian plans for events to commemorate 60 years since the Nakba.

This program was produced by the Alternative Information Center for April 28, 2008.

For more information, visit:
alternativenews.org

Many Palestinians and solidarity activists advocate for the one-state solution as the best for both Israelis and Palestinians. Host Naji Ali talks with author and professor Michael Neumann who argues that the one-state solution is an illusion rather than a practical and possible solution to the conflict.

Next, Israeli Occupation Forces have been given new orders that allow troops to use live rounds against Palestinians demonstrating against the apartheid wall in Jerusalem. Author and activist Anna Baltzer joins Ali to discuss these latest tactics and the broader implications they have on resistance to the occupation.

And as always, Crossing the Line begins with “This Week in Palestine,” a service provided by The International Middle East Media Center.

This program was produced by Crossing The Line for April 22, 2008.

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imemc.org

A United States envoy has launched a new peace mission to the Middle East. As Robert Berger reports from VOA’s Jerusalem bureau, he was critical of both Israel and the Palestinians.

This program was produced by Voice Of America for March 14, 2008.

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voanews.com

Presidential hopefulls are traveling across the US addressing issues like the economy, abortion, taxes and the war on Iraq. While John McCain is running on a platform similar to the policies of the Bush administration, the biggest issue for the democratic candidates is change. But when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are any of the candidates addressing the offering a solution that is any different from recent White House administrations? Host Naji Ali speaks with EI co-founder Ali Abunimah about the US presidential candidates and their views on the conflict in the Middle East.

Crossing the Line is a weekly podcast dedicated to giving voice to the voiceless in occupied Palestine. Through investigative news, arts, eyewitness accounts, and music, Crossing the Line does its best to present the lives of people on the ground.

This program was produced for February 28, 2008.

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George Cadman interviews Professor Stephen Zunes about current Palestinian/Israeli peace negotiations.

Dr. Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco, where he has taught since 1995. He serves as an advisory committee member and Middle East editor for the Foreign Policy in Focus Project and as an associate editor of Peace Review. He is the author of scores of articles for scholarly and general readership on Middle Eastern politics, U.S. foreign policy, international terrorism, social movements, and human rights. He is the principal editor of “Nonviolent Social Movements” and the author of the highly-acclaimed “Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism” and the forthcoming “Western Sahara: Nationalism and Conflict in Northwest Africa”.

This program was produced by Peace Talks for Free Radio Santa Cruz for January 24, 2008.

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stephenzunes.org

Professor Kovel is a prolific writer who has published ten books and over a hundred articles. His most recent book: “Overcoming Zionism,” published by the Pluto Press in the UK, and distributed by the University of Michigan Press, predictably earned him the ire of what Rabbi Arthur Waskow, of the Shalom Center in Philadelphia, calls “Jewish Officialdom,” or the “Official Jewish Institutional Structures,” including the Michigan chapters of the American Jewish Congress, the Jewish Community Relations Council, and B’nai Brith.

As a result, the University of Michigan Press, temporarily suspended distribution of the book in August 2007 amid the now tiresome, shrill accusations of anti-Semitism. Once again, it appeared that the age-old tactic of killing the messenger to deny access to the message had succeeded.

In October, 2007, however, following a “growing campaign led by fellow academics and civil libertarians,” (principally historian Howard Zinn), the University of Michigan Press reversed its decision.

This program was produced by This Week In Palestine for January 20, 2008.

For more information, visit:
truthandjusticeradio.org
joelkovel.org

Dr. Qumsiyeh speaks about the current political developments and the futility of the recent conferences at Annapolis and Paris, which had avoided all the main issues. He also discusses his new book, Sharing the Land of Canaan. Dr. Qumsiyeh concludes by detailing the situation on the ground in the Bethlehem area, where he was born and visits often, and tells the story of his elderly mother who is now unable to visit a church in Jerusalem where she annually used to light a candle after Mazin survived a childhood illness.

This program was produced by the Voice of Palestine radio program for December 18, 2007.

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qumsiyeh.org

President Bush has arrived in Israel - the first stop on a Middle East journey designed to bolster the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and foster unity on Iran. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports Mr. Bush immediately went to work, following a formal arrival ceremony at Israel’s main airport.

This program was produced by Voice of America for January 9, 2008.

For more information, visit:
voanews.com