Posted on November 1st, 2011 by Marian Houk
Quiet satisfaction in Jerusalem — East Jerusalem, that is — the day after UNESCO voted to admit Palestine as a full member state. According to one adviser to UNRWA, the vote count has been revised to 114 votes in favor [not just 107, as was reported yesterday]… But, because my internet was down from morning [...]
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Filed under: Ambassadors and other diplomats, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, USA, United Nations, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on October 31st, 2011 by Marian Houk
Despite a near-100% certainty that U.S. funding [representing 22% of the agency's budget] will be cut, UNESCO member states voted this afternoon in Paris to admit the State of Palestine into full membership of the UN’s Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization. UPDATE: Within hours, the U.S. State Department announced that a $60 million payment due [...]
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Filed under: Palestine & Palestinians, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on October 29th, 2011 by Marian Houk
Take a look at this article, published here: Look at the headline: The Children of Shu’fat Camp Rejoice at “Animals” Muppet Show . OK. Now, read the article itself. It’s not so long. It appears, from careful reading, that this WAFA article was produced entirely on the basis of a press release from UNRWA. In [...]
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Filed under: Donors, Human Rights, Journalism and Journalists, Palestine & Palestinians, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on August 19th, 2011 by Marian Houk
Chris Gunness, UNRWA Spokesman based in the Agency’s Sheikh Jarrah office in Jerusalem, sent out a message Friday saying that “Many people around the world were shocked by the images of unarmed refugees being shot at as they fled from their homes, amid the firing on their refugee camp. But the good news is that [...]
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Filed under: Human Rights, Palestine & Palestinians, Syria, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on July 22nd, 2011 by Marian Houk
Here are some excerpts, which I’m recording here as notes for the record, from a discussion about the Israeli seizure of the Flotillas headed to Gaza and Israel’s continuing naval blockade of Gaza, in comments made on a post on Mondoweiss, written by Steve Fake and published on 19 July, entitled “Destination? Gaza!: The Freedom [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Gaza, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC, International Court of Justice - ICJ, International Humanitarian Law, International Law, International Tribunals, Israel, Law of the Sea Convention, Palestine & Palestinians, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on November 5th, 2010 by Marian Houk
A chilling report appeared in the Guardian newspaper today, here. Guardian Correspondent in Jerusalem Harriet Sherwood wrote: “Israeli authorities have approved the delivery of four submachine guns to the main UN agency in Gaza for the protection of its head, John Ging, following assassination attempts and death threats … The UN is thought to use [...]
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Filed under: Gaza, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on November 3rd, 2010 by Marian Houk
Haaretz is reporting tonight that Israel will “reduce cooperation” with UNESCO after a vote in Paris last week concerning two heritage sites Israel has claimed for its own — Rachel’s Tomb at the entrance to Bethlehem, and the immensely important Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. The Haaretz account said: “Referring to the [Bethlehem] structure as the [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Human Rights, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on July 24th, 2010 by Marian Houk
Why don’t we dance more? Just look at the kids in these videos: This one is for Chris Gunness of UNRWA — and the kids: Go Gaza! And here, too (the kids, in Rwanda): Where the hell is Matt dot com…
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Filed under: Gaza, Human Rights, Rwanda, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on June 17th, 2010 by Marian Houk
Human Rights Watch has just sent out an email that started out by criticizing the weak mandate that it said undermines the credibility of the three-member panel appointed by the government to look into the Freedom Flotilla and also at the Israeli naval raid on the Flotilla at sea (in which at least 9 Turkish [...]
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Filed under: Boundaries & Borders, Gaza, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, International Humanitarian Law, International Law, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, Sanctions, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
Posted on May 6th, 2010 by Marian Houk
A “Freedom Flotilla” is planning to sail for Gaza by the end of the month. It will be the ninth expedition to try to reach Gaza by sea. According to the Free Gaza movement, this time it will be bigger and better than ever. This time, there will be Turkish involvement. This raises the stakes. [...]
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Filed under: Gaza, Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, International Law, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians, United Nations Agencies and Programmes
