JAI Eye on Palestine-Sept. 2015

The YMCA-YWCA Joint Advocacy Initiative issues this bi-weekly newsletter to keep you updated on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories related to the Israeli occupation.

Abbas U.N. Speech: A bombshell in a Teacup?

In response to President Abbas’ United Nation speech, the following are some responses from seven Palestinian Analysts produced by the Institute for Middle East Understanding By Diana Buttu, Mouin Rabbani, Yousef Munayyer, Noura Erakat, Nadia Hijab, George Bisharat, Ali Abunimah.  Read more

Strike Ends After 27 Days, Christian Schools in Israel Reopen

About 33,000 students at 47 Christian schools are back in class after school officials and the Israeli Ministry of Education struck a deal on Sunday to end a four-week strike. The one-year agreement means the schools will have about $12.5 million in increased government funding.

Christian leaders had complained that the Education Ministry was discriminating against them by making deep cuts in financial support to the “unofficial but recognized” private Christian schools. The government had funded 45 percent of the $52 million per year it costs to run the schools, but over the last decade cut its support to 29 percent. It also issued new restrictions on tuition.  Read more

Huge French multinational Veolia completely divests from Israel

The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and its worldwide partners are celebrating the withdrawal of the huge French corporation Veolia from the Jerusalem Light Rail (JLR), an illegal rail system built to facilitate the growth and expansion of Israeli colonial settlements on occupied Palestinian territory.

The sale of its stake in the JLR project ends all of Veolia’s involvement in the Israeli market, including all projects that violate international law and the human rights of the Palestinian people.  Read more