Live from Palestine: International and Palestinian Direct Action Against the Israeli Occupation

I read the book after I attended a Peace in the Middle East group discussion at a Boulder CO. where I met Ms. Nancy. She showed great honesty and intellectual spirit through total subjectivity in her thoughts during the meeting and in the book. It is a wonderful read for subjective intellects.

The primary function of the ISM is to participate with Palestinians in locally organized non-violence resistance to Israeli occupation, and to bear witness to the ongoing humanitarian, political, and social crises of the region. Membership in this organization is composed of an international array of activists concerned with the Palestinian crisis, and the achievement of equity and justice in the area. Some of the activities that ISM volunteers regularly participate includes: Monitoring and documenting human rights abuses at some of the many dozens of military checkpoints; Participate in the removal of roadblocks that restrict Palestinian movement; Participate in nonviolent marches, demonstrations, etc.; Media work - informing international media of what is occurring in the Occupied territories and put them in touch with those who may speak to them; Participate in the annual Olive harvest with Palestinian farmers who are at high risk of injury due to violent attacks by Israeli settlers; And work with communities that are being affected by the building of the so-called "security wall" and are seeking creative ways to bring attention to and to resist the stealing of their land and means of livelihood. Moreover, ISM volunteers get involved with numerous other emergency situations from accompanying children through checkpoints to school in an effort to prevent them from being tear gassed for defying orders to return to their homes; to accompanying and making sure that ambulances are able to get through check points, to bringing food and supplies to families whose houses have been taken over by soldiers for military purposes and in which they are unable to leave; to the very important monitoring and documenting the unreported late night military invasions and the destruction such caused. First, the ISM has been extremely influential in organizing and supporting various forms of non-violent resistance in Palestine. While Palestinians have a history of nonviolent resistance, the Israeli government considers all forms of resistance as dangerous and illegal. Thus it is not surprising that it is common to have Palestinians involved in actions that, say in the united states would be protected - like demonstrations - is met with incredible violence and arrests. ISM volunteers have come to participate in such nonviolent forms of resistance and as such, hopes that they will less dangerous for Palestinians to engage in and thus keeping such a form viable. These non-violent forms of protest clearly do not receive anywhere the amount of attention by the media or others, as do violent forms of resistance, such as suicide bombings. Thus, left undiscussed is the structural and implicit violence that shapes everyday life for ordinarily Palestinians; this violence is not of a "spectacular" nature but, rather, hinges on repeated and routine forms of harassment (such as road checks, curfews over entire regions for many weeks, house searches, arrests without char

For too long the public has been denied access to the truth about a place that touches deeply many of us, though in different ways: The Holy Land. World peace movement seems to draw towards centre stage only to provide an alternative to institutionalised human rights bodies that have lost focus as they became increasingly politicised. The legacy of our fellow citizens of the world, such as Rachel Cory, who put their lives on the line for the sake of truth, is quite gratifying. Live From Palestine is the voice of those truth lovers- their work is a promised land where the future may hold hope for those devastated by hostilities for so long. The book includes essays from a divers group of Israelis, Palestinians, and internationals who perhaps have not met in person but most certainly have on the level of consciousness. Live From Palestine intimately tells many stories, but one truth. It "documents the voices of Palestinian non-violent activists who have too often been censored from US mainstream media." Also recommended: Image And Reality Of The Israel-Palestine Conflict, Norman Finkelstein; The Holocaust Against the Palestinians, Michael Hoffman and Moshe Lieberman.

Live From Palestine is an honest account of peace activists who devoted their energy to find the truth and bring it back home to us. They risked their lives to tell the story that our media will never tell. The book is also a valuable account of Palestinians and internationals, but more significantly of Israelis who are bound by their belief in the Palestinian cause, disbelief in the brutal occupation, and who wish to contribute to a just solution to the longest standing conflict. Live From Palestine brought a new dimension to my understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a well-balanced one. Please invest in this publication.