13 Oct 10 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
Palestinian activist Abdullah Abu Rahma has been sentenced to a year in prison for incitement by an Israeli military court. He is a leading organiser of the weekly protests against the separation barrier that Israel has built in the West Bank village of Bil’in. The protests started over five years ago and the activist has already served 10 months of his sentence on remand. The events are normally non-violent, but occasionally confrontations occur. Supporters claim the barrier is necessary to keep out suicide bombers. Protesters view it as an attempted land grab. The International Court of Justice and the Israeli Supreme Court have both declared parts of the wall unlawful.
27 Sep 10 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost
The Education Ministry has banned a history textbook that includes both the Israeli and Palestinian narrative of the Middle East conflict. The principal of a high school in Sderot was summoned to the ministry after his school was found to be using the book, entitled Learning the Historical Narrative of the Other. The school’s history syllabus, which aims to encourage understanding between the two peoples, was rejected by the head of the ministry’s pedagogic secretariat, Zvi Zamaret.
05 Mar 10 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, Uncategorized
Paul Martin, the British freelance journalist who was arrested on 14 February whilst attending the trial of Hamas activist Mohammed Abu Muaileq, has had his detention extended by a Hamas military court. Martin, who is accused of helping the former militant and collaborating with the Israeli army, will be held for at least another 15 days.
15 Feb 10 | Index Index, Middle East and North Africa, minipost, Uncategorized
British freelance journalist and documentary film maker Paul Martin was detained at a Gaza courthouse yesterday on the orders of Hamas officials. According to a Ministry of Interior Spokesman Martin – who has worked for the BBC and the Time – is suspected of breaking Palestinian law and is to be detained for 15 days, but the allegations have not been clarified further.
