A Christmas Eve special from Manger Square (Bethlehem) with Jaggi Singh and, in studio, Montreal squatters Andy, Caiou and others.

Discussion includes report from a peace demonstration in Manger Square, an interview with an Israeli refusenik (who refused to serve in occupied Palestine), reflections on the mainstream media spin on Christmas in Palestine, and more.

Just a small piece of news I think is important to pass on, for the record ...

I really never thought that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) would care about my presence in the West Bank, and it was easy enough getting into occupied Palestine (it was just getting into the "Israel" part of Palestine that was the hard part). With all their worries about terrorist attacks on their country, why would a professional army actively search for a lone "Canadian" writer and activist with no links whatsoever to "terror groups"? Nonetheless, I now have confirmation that the IOF is looking for me, sort of.

December 20, 2002 -- I write this article from Beit Sahour, a Palestinian town -- no more than thirty minutes south of Jerusalem -- that has been enduring 24-hour curfew for almost one-month. Technically, I'm inside the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. And technically, I've disobeyed an Israeli high court ruling that allowed me to stay in Israel for seven days on the very specific condition that I not visit the Palestinian territories. All this in spite of the failed attempts of the Israeli Secret Service and the Interior Ministry here to have me deemed a security threat, based on "secret evidence" presented in a closed court hearing that excluded my lawyer and me.

JERUSALEM, December 19, 2002 -- In a decision described as "embarassing" by Israeli human rights observers, Palestinian worker Jihad Abu Id was denied bail today in Tel Aviv District Court.

(Sorry for my English, this is a French 2 English translation of http://altermundus.net/autremonde.htm)

1. The basic cause of the big problems of the human society is according to us the concentration of decision powers, and produced goods, in the hands of an tiny minority of privileged;

2. Solutions consist of sharing information and powers between all with direct democracy, and liberate humanity to the obligation of labour to live with Basic Income;

3. To realize these two solutions it suits to start with realizing politically this corporation project; the civil corporation would have of his own initiative:
- to establish a new Constitution, and demand a popular referendum to substitute it to the old one;
- to create a political party without bosses of which the internal functioning would be based on the principles of the direct democracy, and of which programs it would be to realize the direct democracy and Basic Income on the body of the planet before 2020.

Une entrevue avec l'activiste montréalais jaggi Singh, lors de l'émission Planète Internationale du vendredi 27 décembre 2002.

Planète Internationale est une émission d'information alternative sur l'actualité internationale. Tous les vendredis, sur les ondes de radio Centre-Ville CINQ 102,3 FM

Dorothy Igharo, a non-status Nigerian woman living in Canada for the last 7 years has been informed by Immigration Canada that she will be allowed to remain in Canada and will finally be granted landed status!

December 20, 2002 -- I write this article from Beit Sahour, a Palestiniantown -- no more than thirty minutes south of Jerusalem -- that has been enduring 24-hour curfew for almost one-month. Technically, I'm inside the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. And technically, I've disobeyed an Israeli high court ruling that allowed me to stay in Israel for seven days on the very specific condition that I not visit the Palestinian territories. All this in spite of the failed attempts of the Israeli Secret Service and the Interior Ministry here to have me deemed a security threat, based on "secret evidence" presented in a closed court hearing that excluded my lawyer and me.

Technically, I'm now open to arrest and expulsion by the Israeli authorities, not because of any criminal act, or potential act, but because I've dared to visit Palestine in defiance of their orders.

Flyer à distribuer pour la manifestation

L'écrivain et militant Montréalais Jaggi Singh s'est rendu en Palestine avec le Mouvement de Solidarité Internationale pour observer la situation des droits de la personne depuis l'intérieur des territoires occupés.

Le CMAQ a suivi de prêt les développements de sa mission d'observation.

Dès son arrivée, samedi le 14 décembre, Singh s'est trouvé l'objet d'une controverse diplomatique, les autorités israéliennes lui refusant l'entrée en Israël et le maintenant en détention pendant 2 jours et demie.

Après que la cour du district de Tel Aviv lui ait accordé une libération sous caution, Singh est resté quelques jours à Jérusalem Est, où il a pu rédiger un rapport sur la politique israélienne de déportation, avant de décider de mener à bien sa mission en contrevenant aux ordres de la cour israélienne pour rejoindre les territoires occupés de Palestine.

Pour commenter sa situation, Singh a pu accorder plusieurs entrevues à diverses stations de radio, notamment à CKUT 90,3 et Radio Centre-Ville 102,3, à Montréal.

La plus récente entrevue en français date du vendredi 27 décembre.

Voyez aussi le dossier en anglais, où vous trouverez d'autres entrevues réalisées avec des militants palestiniens au cours des derniers jours.