The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is back visiting the region within the framework of US efforts to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, while Israeli forces continue to close all the Gaza border crossings, as they have done for more than two years. These stories and more in this week’s update.

This program was produced by the International Middle East Media Center.

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Two converted fishing boats set sail from Cyprus today carrying more than forty activists and humanitarian workers who are part of the Free Gaza movement that is trying to break the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli foreign ministry said in an open letter to the participants, “We assume that your intentions are good but, in fact, the result of your action is that you are supporting the regime of a terrorist organization in Gaza.” We speak with three of the activists at sea: Huwaida Arraf, co-founder of the International Solidarity Movement; Lauren Booth, a journalist and sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair; and Israeli anthropology professor Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.

This program was produced by Democracy Now! for August 22, 2008.

For more information, visit:
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freegaza.org
icahdusa.org

The Free Gaza Movement has set sail from Cyprus on their way to Gaza. Reports vary as to whether the Israeli government will allow the two boats, the S.S. Free Gaza and the S.S. Liberty, to pass through the naval blockade and reach the Gazan coast. The boats are sending out video updates periodically during their trip. This report was posted from the deck of the S.S. Liberty (named after the U.S.S. Liberty which was fired upon by Israel during the 1967 war killing scores of American crewman) at 7pm GMT on August 22, 2008.

For more information and to donate to the Free Gaza Movement, visit:
freegaza.org

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his call for Palestinian national unity this week while the Bil’in conference on popular resistance ends with a nonviolent protest against the separation wall. These stories and more in this week’s update.

This Week in Palestine for June 1 through June 6, 2008 was brought to you by the International Middle East Media Center.

For more information, visit:
imemc.org

A new report by a consortium of British aid agencies says the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is the worst in forty years. VOA’s Jim Teeple reports the report blames Israel for the crisis, but Israeli officials say Hamas militants are to blame.

This program was produced by Voice Of America for March 6, 2008.

For more information, visit:
voanews.com
careinternational.org.uk
oxfam.org
amnesty.org
medecinsdumonde.org.uk
savethechildren.org.uk
trocaire.org