Mel Frykberg

Mel Frykberg writes for Inter Press Service.

Gazans Dying to Enter Israel

Israel’s crippling blockade of the coastal territory of Gaza is pushing desperate young Palestinians to ever more extreme measures in the search for livelihoods, despite an agreement granting Gazans greater access to their agricultural land. In search of work, some Gazans try to enter Israel by jumping the fence that separates it from Gaza. Others … Continue reading “Gazans Dying to Enter Israel”

Free Ticket to ‘Apartheid’: Israel’s Palestinian-Only Buses

“At least we are not treated like dogs and made to feel so uncomfortable,” Amjad Samara, 30, a labourer from Nablus in the northern West Bank told IPS as he and a group of Palestinians waited at the checkpoint near Qalqilia to cross into Israel for their day job. Samara was referring to the new … Continue reading “Free Ticket to ‘Apartheid’: Israel’s Palestinian-Only Buses”

Palestinians Prepare a Bitter Welcome for Obama

The rumbling drone of a fleet of U.S. helicopters carrying security and administrative personnel could be heard long before the eight choppers came into view over the Ramallah horizon on their way to the Palestinian Authority  (PA) presidential compound in the West Bank de facto capital Ramallah. The helicopters circled over the city several times, … Continue reading “Palestinians Prepare a Bitter Welcome for Obama”

A Third Intifada on the Horizon?

HEBRON, Occupied West Bank — A new Palestinian group called the National Union Battalions (NUB), comprising Palestinians from across the political spectrum, has called for a third Palestinian uprising, or Intifada. Simultaneously, Israeli intelligence is warning that conditions on the ground in the West Bank are ripe for another Palestinian revolt. These warnings come as … Continue reading “A Third Intifada on the Horizon?”

Children Face the Fallout of Gaza War

GAZA CITY — As Israel and Hamas separately celebrate the ceasefire and their “victory” over the other following Israel’s blistering eight-day military assault on the Gaza strip, civilians continue to pay the price. According to the Palestine Center for Human Rights (PCHR), more than 160 Palestinians lost their lives by Nov. 21, the last day … Continue reading “Children Face the Fallout of Gaza War”

Christians Worry Over a Future in Egypt

CAIRO — The tranquil, green, upper-class Cairo suburb Maadi is a bubble of privilege separated from the city’s noisier, dirtier, overcrowded suburbs where working-class Egyptians struggle to make ends meet and where Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (MB) has established a strong following. But this bubble of tranquility stands juxtaposed to another reality which threatens other parts … Continue reading “Christians Worry Over a Future in Egypt”

Shadow Fighting Erupts Over Gadhafi

CAIRO — Civilians in the town of Bani Walid, 170 km southeast of Tripoli, are facing a humanitarian crisis as Libyan security forces lay siege to the stronghold of Moammar Gadhafi supporters, cutting off water, food, and medical supplies. Local doctors told Amnesty International that on Oct. 4, three vehicles carrying medical supplies, oxygen, and … Continue reading “Shadow Fighting Erupts Over Gadhafi”

Living in Hiding From Libyan Militias

Farrah Hamary looks the picture of despair as sweat trickles down his face in Tripoli’s heat and humidity. Hamary is too afraid to give his full name or to allow his picture to be taken. He shows IPS the scars criss-crossing his back, the cigarette burns on his arms, and the bones in his left … Continue reading “Living in Hiding From Libyan Militias”

Libyan Islamists Cornered, Not Quieted

CAIRO — It could be premature to believe that the storming of Islamist militia bases by Benghazi citizens on Friday could spell the end for Libya’s Islamist militants. Just as it was premature to claim when moderate Libyan political parties took the majority of votes during the July elections that Libya had bucked the Islamist … Continue reading “Libyan Islamists Cornered, Not Quieted”

Gadhafi Loyalists Up in Arms

TRIPOLI — The security situation in Libya remains tense as violence, by way of car bombings, political assassinations of high-ranking government and military officials, attacks on foreign diplomatic staff and NGOs, and young men sorting out minor disputes with AK-47s, continues unabated. IPS spoke with armed Gadhafi loyalists who vowed they will step up their … Continue reading “Gadhafi Loyalists Up in Arms”