Studies show that US coverage is Israeli-centric. The main bureaus for CNN, Associated Press, Time, etc. are located in Israel and often staffed by Israelis. The son of the NY Times bureau chief is in the Israeli army;"pundit" Jeffrey Goldberg served in the IDF; Wolf Blitzer worked for AIPAC. Because the U.S. gives Israel over $8 million/day - more than to any other nation - we feel it is essential that we be fully informed on this region. Below are news reports to augment mainstream coverage.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Dozens in Gaza join prison hunger strike

Ma'an – Dozens of young men from several factions held a sit-in protest in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City on Saturday, marking Palestinian Prisoners Day.

Saber Abu Karsh, head of the Wa'ed Prisoners Society, said "all Palestinian factions are united in solidarity with the prisoners and, in support of their cause, join their hunger strike inside the Israeli jails."

Nash'et Al-Wheidi, member of the Popular Movement to Support Prisoners, said "this tent was erected to support the prisoners in Israeli jails and to demand an end to the division that has harmed the prisoners' cause."

Last week, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Qaraqe said the Israeli Prison Service has applied punitive measures to 36 Palestinian female prisoners in the Ad-Damun prison in response to the general hunger strike that began on 7 April........

Detainees said they would escalate their protest if the IPS did not respond to their protests against humiliating treatment of relatives visiting detainees and banning Gaza prisons from family visitation rights for over four years.  Full story