On this week's podcast, DJ Ev Daddy has a conversation with Abbas Naqvi, a student member of Penn BDS - Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions - a group on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.

Abbas highlights the moral necessity of BDS, and invites everybody to attend the conference on February 4th and 5th at the University of Pennsylvania. The conference's keynote speaker is Ali Abunimah of the website Electronic Intifada, and it will focus on teaching attendees more about BDS, and about building a larger network for BDS in the United States. A few examples of workshops for attendees include Professor Eve Troutt-Powell, Helena Cobban, and Bill Fletcher Jr. discussing lessons learned from the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, Susan Abulhawa and Remi Kanazi discussing BDS and literary expression, and Max Blumenthal and Phil Weiss discussing journalism and the Palestinian struggle.

For more information and to register for the conference, check out the Penn BDS website.

This week's show also featured news coverage relevant to the Middle East and North Africa:

"Iraq War Officially Ends, Leaving Thousands Dead, Millions Displaced, Strong Contractor Presence," on Common Dreams.

"US Alone as Israel Condemned in UN Security Council," on Common Dreams.

"Egypt protests: 8 die and 300 wounded in new clashes in Tahrir Square," at the UK Daily Mail. 

"Bed Bath & Beyond flash mob: Stop Selling Illegal Israeli Settlement Products," at Mondoweiss.net.
And of course, what show would be complete without some hot tunes? If you haven't heard the tracks, we had some amazing tracks by John Legend and the Roots, N.A.S.A., and Talib Kweli.
In solidarity. 

"Is an Israeli and American war with Iran a foregone conclusion?",  "Are we already at war?"

These were just two of the questions we posed to our guest this week, Richard Silverstein.  Richard has been covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 1967, and has been blogging at Tikun Olam since 2003.  His writing has been featured in Haaretz, the Jewish Forward, Los Angeles Times, the Guardian's Comment is Free, and other internationally recognized publications. 

Also on the show, Brendan Work of the Palestine News Network gives us on-the-ground reporting from Bethlehem, a track called 'Film the Police' by B. Dolan, and we have news on Newt Gingrich and Lowe's promoting racism against Muslims and Palestinians.

Finally, our heartfelt condolences go to the family of Mustafa Tamimi, who was murdered by the Israeli Defense Forces at a demonstration last Friday, December 9, in the village of Nabi Saleh.

December 10 was a horrific day for me.  Around 1030 EST, my father, 59 year-old Daniel Graber, passed away due to a massive heart attack.  He had gone out for a bike ride earlier that morning.  During the ride, he had to stop several times because of shortness of breath.  When he came home, he complained to my sister that he was having chest pains.  He got changed out of his biking clothes, and she set out to driving him to the local hospital.

They didn't make it far down the road before my father lost consciousness.  My sister pulled over.  The ambulance came and met my sister and my dad.  They tried everything in the ambulance and at the hospital.  They tried everything.  But it wasn't enough to save my father.

I got the phone call from my mom around noon.  I had to come home to Virginia from Philadelphia.

There is a seven hour difference between Virginia and Palestine, which means that it was about 1730 on Saturday in Palestine when my father passed away.

Less than 24 hours before my father passed away, 28 year-old Mustafa Tamimi passed away in the hospital in Petah Tikva.  Both deaths took our families by surprise.  Nobody saw it coming.  My dad goes for a bike ride every Saturday morning.

The demonstration in Nabi Saleh on Friday, December 9, marked two years of demonstrations against the confiscation of villagers' land.  They also marked the 24th anniversary of the first intifada.  Every week in those two years, the villagers have gone out to demonstrate and to demand an end to land confiscation by the neighboring illegal Israeli settlement of Halamish, and to demand access to their freshwater spring.  And each week, the soldiers of the Israeli Defense Forces have violently quashed the nonviolent demonstrations.

On Friday, Mustafa Tamimi was a part of the demonstration.  He was demanding that his family have access to their land, and his neighbors have access to their land.

And then a young soldier in the IDF shot him in the face with a tear gas canister, opening up a gaping wound that streamed blood.  The IDF detained two of the protesters alongside Mustafa, and prevented others from getting him treatment.  He lay on the ground while others called for a taxi.

It's been six days since last Friday.  We had memorial services for my father yesterday.  Mustafa's memorial service on Sunday was met with tear gas and more violence from the soldiers of the IDF.

It's been a terribly difficult week for me, having lost my father.  I can only imagine the pain of the Tamimi family.

And I wonder...  What's this week been like for the young soldier who opened up the rear door of the military jeep and fired the canister at Mustafa's head?

Does he feel the same way as the spokespeople of the IDF?  Does he feel justified because Mustafa was throwing stones at the vehicle or because Mustafa had a slingshot in his back pocket?

Wherever the soldier is stationed, do they give him high fives and pats on the back?  "Nice shot, dude!", "One less terrorist to deal with!"  

There were several soldiers there, and the IDF obviously knows that they are responsible for Mustafa's murder.  So how do they deal with that?  Will that same soldier be at Nabi Saleh next week?  Will they aim lower, higher, or at the head again?

Does the young soldier who was in the back of the jeep have trouble sleeping at night?  Does he still see the blood pouring out of Mustafa's face and that blood-soaked Palestinian flag waving in the air?  Does he hear the wails of Linah and the others who were there with Mustafa?

Will this act of murder weigh on his conscience until Mustafa's family has justice?

Syrian-American blogger Razan Ghazzawi (http://razanghazzawi.com/) has been held by Syrian authorities since December 4th, and is facing up to 15 years of imprisonment on false charges.  Palestinian bloggers and activists released a letter of solidarity with Razan, and are calling for her immediate release.

We, a group of Palestinian bloggers and activists raise our voices loud and clear in solidarity with all the prisoners of the Great Syrian Revolution. We stand with all the prisoners, activists, artists, bloggers and others, all who are shouting in the streets or on various platforms demanding freedom and justice, while decrying the huge amount of injustice and oppression practiced by the Syrian regime for more than four decades.

We issue this statement in solidarity with all those Syrian activists, and with the blogger Razan Ghazzawi who was arrested on December 4th, on the Jordanian-Syrian crossing border. Razan was adamant in her support for the Palestinian cause. She was the first to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian bloggers who were not granted a visa to enter Tunisia in order to participate in the Arab Bloggers Conference. Razan posted a blog in 2008 during the massacre on Gaza titled, “The Idea of Solidarity with Gaza.” She wrote, “I understand when Cubans, Brazilians, and Pakistanies stand in solidarity with Gaza. But what I do not understand is when Syrians, Lebanese, Jordanians, and also Palestinians in exile stand in solidarity. What is the meaning of solidarity in this context?”

Not only do we stand in solidarity with Razan and the other prisoners, but we also affirm that our destiny is one, our concerns are one, and our struggle is one. Palestine can never be free while the Arab people live under repressive and reactionary regimes. The road to a free Palestine comes with a free Syria, in which Syrians live in dignity.

Freedom to all of the prisoners in the Syrian regime’s cells. Long live the Syrian Revolution, free from dictatorship, sectarianism, and foreign intervention.

If you wish to help #FreeRazan, repost this on your own blog and spread the call.

Signatories:

Abir Kopty

Abrar Agil

Ahmed Fahoum

Ahmed Nimer

Alaa Abu Diab

Ali Abunimah

Ali AlMasri

Ali Bari

Amal Murtaja

Amani Ighbaria

Amra Amra

Anas Hamra

Asmaa AlGhoul

Bashar Lubbad

Budour Hasan

Dalia Ghorab

Dalia Othman

Deema AlSaafin

Diana Al-Zeer

Doa Ali

Fidaa Abu Assi

Hala AlSafadi

Hamza Elbuhaisi

Hanaa Mahameed

Huwaida Arraf

Ebaa Rezeq

Irene Nasser

Jalal AbuKhater

Khaled AlShihabi

Linah AlSaafin

Maath Musleh

Maha Rezeq

Majd Kayyal

Mariam Al-Barghouti

Meera AlBaba

Mira Nabulsi

Nader Al-Khuzundar

Nadine Darwish

Nalan Al Sarraj

Nihal ElAlami

Nisreen Mazzawi

Ola Anan

Osama Ghorab

Osama Shomar

Rasha Hilwi

Rowan Abu-Shahla

Saed Karzoun

Saleh Dawabsheh

Thameena Husary

Yusra Jamous

DJ Ev Daddy gives a special report on the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby group which demonstrates a stranglehold on America's foreign policy in the Middle East.

Then, Matt has an exclusive interview with Ellie Hutchison of Al Bustan Seeds of Culture. Ellie teaches poetry with Al Bustan at Northeast High School in Philadelphia. Al Bustan teaches Arab language and culture in Philadelphia as a means of increasing understanding between peoples, specifically as Arab Americans immigrate to the United States.

Al Bustan presents Palestinian-American poet Suheir Hammad accompanied by the Philadelphia Arab Music Ensemble this Friday, December 9th at 7:30 at the Trinity Center for Urban Life at 22nd and Spruce Street. This event is free and open to the public. Join the event on Facebook.

Other news from the program:

Brendan Work reporting from the Occupied West Bank with Palestine News Network.

"Death Penalty Dropped Against Mumia Abu-Jamal," Associated Press.

There will be a rally marking 30 years of incarceration this Friday, December 9, at 7:30 at the Constitution Center at 525 Arch Street. The event will feature Dr. Cornell West, Vijay Prashad, Ramona Africa, Michelle Alexander, Immortal Technique, and others. Join the event on Facebook.

"US loses drone over Iran - accident or mobile jamming?" by Annie Robbins at Mondoweiss.net.