 www.araustralia.org |
Alternative Radio (Aust.) PO Box 780 Morwell Victoria 3848 Australia tel. 61-3-5134-8556 mob. 61-413-597-828 inquiries@araustralia.org |
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www.araustralia.org |
Alternative Radio (Aust.) PO Box 780 Morwell Victoria 3848 Australia tel. 61-3-5134-8556 mob. 61-413-597-828 inquiries@araustralia.org |
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Media reporting on the conflict between the Israeli government and Palestinian people is often framed as a bilateral issue. The warring nations have millennia old grievances we are told and that is the reason for mounting death toll and human suffering. Yet there is much more to this conflict that often goes un-commented on or is under-reported as matter of course. While zealots on both sides fuel the tempers and passions of their respective peoples, the most powerful nations on earth either turn a blind eye or vacillate in the their support for one side or the other, depending on their latest domestic public opinion polls. The moderate voices on both sides are drowned out by the screams of the fanatics in Jerusalem, Washington, London and Canberra.
Hanan Ashrawi has been one of the moderate voices who has argued for a peaceful solution to break the ongoing cycle of violence. Since departing from the Palestinian Authority in the early 1990s' Hanan Ashrawi has sought out and worked with both Palestinian and Israeli moderates on alternatives to the various flawed and destructive "peace plans" that have been put forward. Dr. Ashrawi visited Australia in November 2003 to receive the 2003 Sydney Peace Prize. Her visit sparked heated debate and unleashed what she described as the most vitriolic and personal attack by the Zionist lobby she has ever encountered. The Sydney Peace Prize committee was attacked in the media and the Mayor of Sydney refused to present the award. Nonetheless, the award ceremony and associated events went ahead to the acclamation of all those who seek peace and justice in the Middle East. Dr. Ashrawi is the author of From Intifada to Independence and This Side of Peace. She spoke at the University of Sydney on November the 5th on the eve of receiving her award. ** CD only |