The siege on Yassir Arafat’s Ramallah compound entered its fifth day today. This comes despite a United Nations Security Council that Israel leave Arafat’s headquarters which have been nearly destroyed.

Yesterday, Israel’s ambassador to Washington met Bush administration officials to discuss the IDF operations in Ramallah. The Americans stressed during the meeting that the United States is interested in a swift conclusion to the five-day siege on Arafat. Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres denied today that Israel and the Bush Administration are arguing over the siege.

In our studio we are joined with peace activist and professor Jeff Halper.

Guest:

• Jeff Halper, coordinator, Israeli Coalition Against House Demolitions and Professor of Anthropology at Ben Gurion University. He has lived in Israel since 1973. Jeff has researched and written extensively on Israeli society and is the author of the book “Between Redemption and Revival: the Jewish Yishuv in Jerusalem in the nineteenth century.” Jeff founded and directed Israel’s Committee to Save the Ethiopian Jews. He has been active in the Israeli peace movement for many years. As the Coordinator of ICAHD, he has forged a new mode of Israeli peace activity based on nonviolent direct action and civil disobedience to the Israeli Occupation authorities and in close cooperation with Palestinian organizations.

Related links:

• Israeli Coalition Against House Demolitions