International Solidarity Movement volunteer Pat O'Connor has been held for over two weeks in Israeli prison in awaiting deportation. O'Connor was denied entry in 2003, and since gained entry on another passport. Israel is expelling him because he is an exceptionally valuable resource for non-violent activists in Palestine, with his fluent Arabic, and years of work as a humantatian aid worker in Africa and Gaza. Here he notes that while Israel insists Palestinians stop the violence against Israel, it greets legitmate Palestinian non-violent protest with tear gas, bullets, and stun grenades. This is about Israel demanding nothing less than total submission from the Palestinian people. He writes the following Feb. 14 in Ha'aretz while still in Israel's Maasiyahu Prison in Ramle.

An article in Ha'aretz Jan. 30 says that Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz has approved the government's application of its 1950 Absentee Property Law to confiscate about one half of Palestinian-owned land in East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinians who live elsewhere in the West Bank and are cut off from their lands by the Separation Wall are having their lands and property seized on the grounds that they don't live in Israel. Israel plans to redistribute the confiscated land to Jews only. The decision was made secretly by the government in July. The Absentee law stipulates that those whose land is confiscated have no right to appeal the action, nor any right to compensation. According to the lawyer representing some of those who are losing property, Israel plans to colonize E. Jerusalem's Muslim Quarter as well.

The New Haven (CT) Board of Alderman voted to ask the US to end its occupation of Iraq and bring the troops home. This was the culmination of a lot of hard work involving hundreds of peace activists which was spearheaded by the Green party's Alderwomen Joyce Chen. As Alan Brison put it, "An amazing thing about the vote was the racial breakdown. Among minorities on the board the vote was 16-0 in favor, with 3 absences. Among white, mostly "liberals", the vote was 4-3 with 4 either absent or not voting." This is one of few cities in the US to pass such a resolution. Please consider working with others to expand these efforts. Also write letters to editor on such topics. [From Mazin Qumsiyeh. To subscribe to Mazin's list, send an email to sympa@lists.riseup.net?subject=subscribe%20mazin.qumsiyeh]

Jayyous, a town of 3,400 in the West Bank, is being cleansed quickly through illegal Israeli settlement expansion, funded indirectly with US tax dollars. The Rhode Island Qalqilya Alliance has background information, and says what you can do to take action.

NEW YORK — December 15, 2004 — The Court of Appeals, New York State's highest court, announced Saturday that it will consider whether dismissed and sealed cases may be considered in imposing jail sentences on four political demonstrators who protested the U.S.-sponsored occupation of Palestine and the U.S. war on Iraq.