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A young Palestinian man was shot at by Israeli troops yesterday. The incident was part of a series of intensive gunfire rounds into Palestinian farms by Israeli soldiers stationed near the Northern Gaza border. Earlier yesterday, six Palestinians were injured when Israeli forces invaded deep into Gaza from the North. The region has been wracked by intermittent violence, most of it incited by Israel, since the end of the 3 week Gaza war in January. Meanwhile, President Obama gave his much-anticipated speech in Cairo, Egypt early this morning. He called on the Hamas Party to renounce violence and on Israel to stop building settlements. Hamas leaders in an open letter invited Obama to Gaza to see firsthand the devastation of the war. The Free Gaza movement also wrote to the President asking him to realign US foreign policy with international law on the issue of the Israeli Palestinian conflict. The conflict that has raged on for more than 60 years, is the source of much discontent in the Arab and Muslim world, and has also generated over the years, a strong international solidarity movement, reminiscent of the anti-apartheid movements of years past.

Today we’ll hear from one of the strongest international supporters of Palestinian sovereignty: George Galloway, a member of the British Parliament with the Respect Party, and long-time peace activist, particularly on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Over the past several months, Galloway organized a major convoy of supplies from Britain to Gaza called Viva Palestina. In his travels to North America, Galloway was denied entry into Canada apparently for being a “terrorist sympathizer.” He was allowed into the United States and gave a stirring speech about the situation in Gaza. Today we’ll play you excerpts of his powerful speech.

Last August, the man considered to be the Palestinian national poet and a major symbol of Palestinian resistance to occupation, Mahmoud Darwish, died at the age of 67. Darwish published over 30 volumes of poetry and is featured in a brand new book called Poets for Palestine. Edited by Remi Kanazi, Poets for Palestine showcases forty-eight poems alongside original artworks by Palestinian artists. Poets include Suheir Hammad, Amiri Baraka, and many others, including my guest for the hour, Omar Offendum of the NOMADS.

Thank you Gifts:

George Galloway Speech on DVD – $100

Poets for Palestine book – $85