gaza

By Crystal Zevon

As the country, and indeed, the world, mourns the tragic and unnecessary loss of so many young lives to the Newtown School Massacre, many peace activists and advocates for non-violence around the world are mourning another loss… the loss of a tireless advocate for peace and reconciliation, a blogger on this website, Mira Dabit.

I was sound asleep in my grandson’s bed when my cell phone woke me on December 15th at 12:30 a.m. Slightly annoyed, I answered the phone. It was my partner from Searching for Occupy, Denise Valdez. She was crying. No. She was sobbing. For a few moments, I listened to her crying. Then, she managed to blurt out, “Crystal, I have some bad news…” A pause. A sob. “Mira is dead.”

What? No. I must have heard that wrong. Mira, our Palestinian cohort from Occupy Washington, D.C. and Peace House, was only 27 years old. I just talked to her… what?... two weeks ago? She was excited about her newest endeavor ‘Love Music Hate Racism’. She was bubbling over in a characteristic burst of uninhibited enthusiasm…

Sadly, I did not hear it wrong. Mira, even when she phoned me, had been sick. Apparently, she had gone to the hospital a few times, but the last time she got fed up with the hours of waiting. She was Palestinian so, of course, she had to line up in the uninsured queue. She left before seeing a doctor and died a few hours later.

Hundreds of people from the San Francisco Bay Area march in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza as they are continuously bombed by Israeli F-16's, Drones, and Navy warships.

 

sTAr MaNgLeD BaNneR _part 2 _ a voice for America
part two of an examination of the suitability of the United States as a peace broker in the Middle East From: BoycotDivestSanction Views: 40 0 ratings Time: 12:14 More in Nonprofits & Activism

sTAr MaNgLeD BaNneR _part 1 _ a voice for iSRAEL
part one of an examination of the suitability of the United States as a peace broker in the Middle East From: BoycotDivestSanction Views: 46 0 ratings Time: 14:45 More in Nonprofits & Activism

CodePink Austin, along with other friends and supporters of the U.S. Boat to Gaza, held a symbolic "launch" on the Pfluger Bridge over Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. Participants read excerpts from writings by Alice Walker and Kathy Kelly and the letter... to President Obama regarding the reasons for the trip to Gaza. Austin citizens were asked to stop and write messages to the passengers and participate in other symbolic actions. This event took place on June 26th, 2011. Organized by CodePink Austin (http://www.codepinkaustin.com). To learn more about the voyage please visit: http://ustogaza.org/ To read about US activists who prepare to break Israel’s blockade on Gaza, please visit: http://electronicintifada.net/content/us-activists-prepare-break-israels...

Palestinian poet Remi Kanazi performs his poem "A Letter" at Monkeywrench Books in Austin, Texas on 4/4/11. Remi Kanazi - a poet, writer, and activist based in New York City. Poetic Injustice is the long-awaited release by this Palestinian-American poet and it is a diverse mix of unabashed resistance poems. Laced with searing indictments of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and war, Remi tackles some of the most important issues facing the world today. Remi is also the editor of Poets For Palestine (Al Jisser Group, 2008). His political commentary has been featured by news outlets throughout the world, including Al Jazeera English, GRITtv with Laura Flanders, and BBC Radio. His poetry has taken him across North America, the UK, and the Middle East, and he recently appeared in the Palestine Festival of Literature as well as Poetry International. He is a recurring writer in residence and advisory board member for the Palestine Writing Workshop. Poetic Injustice: Writings on Resistance and Palestine available today at - http://www.PoeticInjustice.net Produced by Jeff Zavala. A ZGraphix Production.http://zgraphix.org

Palestinian poet Remi Kanazi performs his poem "Only as Equals" at Monkeywrench Books in Austin, Texas on 4/4/11. Remi Kanazi - a poet, writer, and activist based in New York City. Poetic Injustice is the long-awaited release by this Palestinian-American poet and it is a diverse mix of unabashed resistance poems. Laced with searing indictments of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and war, Remi tackles some of the most important issues facing the world today. Remi is also the editor of Poets For Palestine (Al Jisser Group, 2008). His political commentary has been featured by news outlets throughout the world, including Al Jazeera English, GRITtv with Laura Flanders, and BBC Radio. His poetry has taken him across North America, the UK, and the Middle East, and he recently appeared in the Palestine Festival of Literature as well as Poetry International. He is a recurring writer in residence and advisory board member for the Palestine Writing Workshop. Only as Equals: Every time I think of 9/11
I see burning flesh dripping off the bones of Iraqi children in Fallujah Now Gaza I tend to memorialize the forgotten The collateral damage eclipsing our unpunished crimes Maybe it’s because I’m a numbers guy Because if I had a dollar for every time an Iraqi died since 2003 
I’d be a millionaire And don’t get me wrong Sometimes I don’t know who I hate more The governments in the West Or the politicians in the East Who sell their souls quicker than the oil they export Straw men who use Palestine as a tool to line their pockets And don’t give a nickel to their people Quisling governments Who stitch mouths shut for a check from Washington and AIPAC How can you be their prototypical anti-Semite If you are signing peace accords to oppress your own people?

Palestinian poet Remi Kanazi performs his short piece "Poem for Gaza" at Monkeywrench Books in Austin, Texas on 4/4/11. Remi Kanazi - a poet, writer, and activist based in New York City. Poetic Injustice is the long-awaited release by this Palestinian-American poet and it is a diverse mix of unabashed resistance poems. Laced with searing indictments of occupation, ethnic cleansing, and war, Remi tackles some of the most important issues facing the world today. Remi is also the editor of Poets For Palestine (Al Jisser Group, 2008). His political commentary has been featured by news outlets throughout the world, including Al Jazeera English, GRITtv with Laura Flanders, and BBC Radio. His poetry has taken him across North America, the UK, and the Middle East, and he recently appeared in the Palestine Festival of Literature as well as Poetry International. He is a recurring writer in residence and advisory board member for the Palestine Writing Workshop. Produced by Jeff Zavala. A ZGraphix Production.http://zgraphix.org

Reverend Jim Rigby quotes Martin Luther King Jr. on MLK Day Jan. 17th 2009. 500 concerned citizens gathered at the Austin capitol building to speak out against the genocide perpetrated by the terrorist state of Israel on the defenseless Palestinians. "I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing-oriented" society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered." MLK Jr. from his speech "A Time to Break Silence" "They asked if our own nation wasn't using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today - my own government." -MLK Jr. 1 year to the day before his murder! This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala. http://zgraphix.org

MonkeyWrench Books and Palestine Online Store are happy to host this evening of music and politics with David Rovics. Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala. http://zgraphix.orgSong list includes: I'm A Better Anarchist Than You, Cordova,Draft Dodger Rag (by Phil Ochs), The Last Lincoln Veteran, Song for the Mavi Marmara, I Wanna Go Home, Pirates of Somalia, Saint Patrick Battalion, Song for My Broken Heart, Burn it Down, John Brown, Asylum-Seeking Daleks (by Attila the Stockbroker), Lebanon (2006), Behind the Barricades, The Internationale

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala. http://zgraphix.orgLyrics to Asylum-Seeking Daleks by Attila the Stockbroker They claim their planet's dying:that soon it's going to blowAnd so they're coming here - they saythey've nowhere else to go...With their strange computer voicesand their one eye on a poleThey're moving in next door and thenthey're signing on the dole...Asylum-seeking Daleksare landing here at noon!Why can't we simply send them backor stick them on the moon?It says here in the Daily Mailthey're coming here to stay -The Loony Lefties let them in! The middle class will pay...They say that they're not terrorists:That doesn't wash with me!The last time I saw one I hidWeeks behind the settee...Good Lord - they¹re pink. With purple bumps!There's photos of them here!Not just extra-terrestial...The bloody things are queer!Yes!

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.

Described by Amy Goodman as the "musical version of Democracy Now!," Rovics is an internationally celebrated political folks musician. David has traveled the world as a professional flat-picking rabble-rouser, and regularly tours on four continents, playing for audiences large and small at cafes, pubs, universities, churches, union halls and protest rallies. He has shared the stage with a veritable of who's who of the left in two dozen countries, and has had his music featured on Democracy Now!, BBC, Al-Jazeera and other networks. His essays are published regularly on CounterPunch elsewhere, and the 200+ songs he makes available for free on the web have been downloaded more than a million times. Most importantly, he's really good. He will make you laugh, he will make you cry, he will make the revolution irresistible.Palestine Online Store (http://www.palestineonlinestore.com/) is the web's leading website marketing products from or about Palestine.This was filmed at MonkeyWrench Books (http://www.monkeywrenchbooks.org).This is a zgraphix production. Produced by Jeff Zavala.