Mel Frykberg

Mel Frykberg writes for Inter Press Service.

Settler Sewage Ruins Palestinian Crops, Drinking Water

BEIT UMMAR, West Bank — Residents of this Palestinian village refuse to buy the idea that the flood of raw sewage from the adjacent Israeli settlement of Kfar Etzion, that destroyed vineyards and contaminated their drinking water, was an accident. The Israeli Civil Administration, which administers the occupied West Bank, claims the spillage was the … Continue reading “Settler Sewage Ruins Palestinian Crops, Drinking Water”

Gazans Gassed by Silent Killer

GAZA CITY – "You feel very sleepy and dizzy. You put your head down and all you want to do is sleep. Everything feels very peaceful, you are not even aware what is happening, and if there is no immediate intervention you are dead within minutes," Enaam Abu Nada told IPS. Abu Nada is one … Continue reading “Gazans Gassed by Silent Killer”

Israel Gags News on Extrajudicial Killings

RAMALLAH – An Israeli journalist remains under house arrest and another lives abroad after they broke news on Israeli undercover units carrying out assassinations or "targeted killings" of non-combatant Palestinian political opponents. Anat Kam, 23, who used to work for the Israeli news site Walla, was arrested last December for allegedly copying secret Israeli Defense … Continue reading “Israel Gags News on Extrajudicial Killings”

‘Palestinian Life is Cheap’

RAMALLAH – In early February, 41-year-old Fayez Ahmed Faraj, a father of nine from the city of Hebron, 30 miles south of Jerusalem, in the southern West Bank, was shot dead in his home town by Israeli soldiers after he allegedly tried to stab one of them. After a preliminary investigation the Israeli military authorities … Continue reading “‘Palestinian Life is Cheap’”

Israeli Army World’s Most Moral?

RAMALLAH – Many Israelis like to believe, and the cliché is repeated regularly in Israel, that their army is the "most moral army in the world." However, following the Gaza war which left 1,400 Palestinians dead, most of them civilians, some Israelis have begun to question this. Furthermore, the fatal shooting of four Palestinian teenagers … Continue reading “Israeli Army World’s Most Moral?”

‘Day of Rage’ Engulfs Palestine

QALANDIA, West Bank – On Tuesday tens of hundreds of Palestinians of all political persuasions took to the streets, alleys and sidewalks as widespread rioting and protests spread across East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and into Israel proper. The worst violence in several years, something of a mini Intifada or uprising, followed the Islamist … Continue reading “‘Day of Rage’ Engulfs Palestine”

Iran, Israel Spoiling for a Fight?

RAMALLAH — Iran and Israel appear to be spoiling for a fight, going by recent belligerent statements emanating from several regional capitals. Military movement on the ground is also lending credence to the idea that the mutual loathing and major ideological differences between the two countries could lead to a vortex of violence capable of … Continue reading “Iran, Israel Spoiling for a Fight?”

Dubai Hit Exposes Hamas’ Weaknesses

RAMALLAH – Hamas has closed ranks and is licking its wounds following the Jan. 20 assassination in Dubai of one of its top operatives, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. It is alleged that one of its own was responsible for providing the hit team with vital logistical information. Dubai’s chief of police, Lt. Gen. Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, on … Continue reading “Dubai Hit Exposes Hamas’ Weaknesses”

Scandals, Assassination Plan Rock Palestinian Authority

RAMALLAH — The Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah is fighting a tidal wave of fresh allegations, including sexual harassment, an internal power struggle and embezzlement. But the arrest of a cell of Fatah members, including officials working for the PA’s security forces, by their PA colleagues on the grounds that they planned to assassinate members … Continue reading “Scandals, Assassination Plan Rock Palestinian Authority”

Gazans Denied Justice as Rights Take a Beating

RAMALLAH — Gazans hoping for a modicum of justice following Israel’s indiscriminate military assault on the coastal territory during December 2008 and January 2009 — which left 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, dead — could be waiting in vain. The Israeli government has taken the offensive in the propaganda battle and attacked United Nations-appointed Justice Richard … Continue reading “Gazans Denied Justice as Rights Take a Beating”