Ali Abunimah
Democracy Now! Friday, September 23, 2011
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to officially submit a statehood request to the United Nations in defiance of U.S. and Israeli threats. A new joint Israeli-Palestinian poll shows the Obama administration’s stance on Palestinian recognition at the United Nations is more extreme than that of a strong majority of Israeli citizens, with 69 percent of Israelis saying their government should accept U.N. recognition of an independent Palestinian state. We host a debate with two leading Palestinian analysts: Ali Abunimah, co-founder of the website The Electronic Intifada and author of "One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse," and Mouin Rabbani of the Institute for Palestine Studies and the webzine Jadaliyya. Democracy Now!, a daily independent newshour.
Email this page"Democracy Now!" Tues. June 1 2010
It was early Monday morning as Israeli soldiers stormed the Gaza-bound international aid convoy called the Freedom Flotilla in international waters about 40 miles off the coast of Gaza. The 6 ships had nearly 700 international activists on board and 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid. They were aiming to break the 3-year long siege of the Gaza strip. Israeli commandos landed on the lead ship in the convoy the Turkish Mavi Marmara, which had about 600 activists on board. At least 10 and as many as 19 civilians on board the ship have been reported to have died in the attack. Israeli troops proceeded to seize the Mavi Marmara and the 5 other ships and take them to the port of Ashdod. Hundreds of activists are being detained in an Israeli prison and nearly 50 others have been deported. The United Nations Security Council has condemned the attack and called for the immediate release of the ships and the civilians held by Israel and called for an impartial investigation. All the permanent member of the Security Council except for the United States explicitly called for Israel’s 3-year blockade of the Gaza strip to be lifted. Turkey has compared Israel’s actions to state terrorism. We speak to Adam Shapiro, Amira Hass, Ali Abunimah and Richard Falk. "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.
GRITtv: An Inside Look at Gaza
Last week on GRITtv, Ali Abunimah noted that it was harder to get into Gaza than to get into a maximum-security prison. Journalists are no exception -- most of them have been kept out for three years. So the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem handed video cameras to 18 young Gazans and asked them to document what's going on -- for sharing with Israelis and the rest of the world. Thanks so much to B'Tselem for sharing the videos with us.
GRITtv: Jan. 11, 2010
Julia Serano, Naomi Clark and filmmaker Jules Rosskam talk about being transgender in the U.S. and how far we still have to go. Rebel comedian Reno offers some thoughts on whether progressives should give up on Obama, what he can actually change, and why instead of blaming him, perhaps we should look harder at ourselves. Guillermo Chacon and Yanira Arias of the Salvadoran American National Network discuss the deaths of Salvadoran activists, the involvement of transnational companies with U.S. subsidiaries, and what the U.S. can do to help. Raj Patel looks at how consumption and greed became goods. Plus an update on the financial overhaul bills and film from 18 young Gazans showing the conditions there. Thanks to B'Tselem for the videos.
GRITtv: Marching for Freedom for Gaza
On the anniversary of the "Operation Cast Lead" assault on Gaza, almost 1400 people from 43 countries converged in Egypt to march to Gaza, demanding an end to the siege there. Since the actual attacks ended, the people of Gaza have been cut off from the rest of the world, and this unprecedented action, as well as solidarity movements around the globe, was designed to raise international awareness of the plight of the Gazan people. Ali Abunimah, cofounder of Electronic Intifada, and Medea Benjamin, cofounder of Code Pink: Women for Peace, took part in the march in Egypt. They join us to discuss the march, and we also speak to Electronic Intifada contributor Rami Almeghari, who is living and working in the Gaza strip.
GRITtv: Jan. 7, 2010
No matter what the news is, the response from TV news seems to be the same: quote Dick Cheney. We saw plenty of that this week, along with pronouncements that Democrats are doomed in 2010, complaints about progressives who've criticized the health care bill, and of course Tiger Woods. Joining us to discuss the good, bad and ugly in this week's media are Marcy Wheeler, Liza Sabater, the Rude Pundit Lee Papa and Dan Gerstein; in a new documentary from Robert Opel's nephew and namesake, we take a look at "Uncle Bob"'s life, family, and tragic death; Ali Abunimah, cofounder of Electronic Intifada, and Medea Benjamin, cofounder of Code Pink: Women for Peace, took part in the march for Gaza in Egypt, and we also speak to Electronic Intifada contributor Rami Almeghari; Kate Clinton celebrates radical feminist theologian Mary Daly, who died this week at age 81.
Democracy Now!: Wed., Dec. 30, 2009
We look at the Obama administration’s handling of the aborted bomb attack and the media’s coverage with Spencer Ackerman of the Washington Independent; in Cairo, we talk with Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada about the situation in Cairo and Gaza and with Roger Waters, who supports the Gaza Freedom March; a Red Cross spokesman remembers the Israeli assault; a final look at the U.S. economy with Dean Baker and the Rev. Jesse Jackson. "Democracy Now!" is a daily independent newshour.
