Cultural heritage has long been an innocuous pawn in conflict, but a prominent example that is often overlooked is the role of archaeology in the Israel-Palestine crisis. Archaeologists have long-criticised Israeli excavations in the West Bank, which appear to systematically abuse the occupation force’s power and flout international law, whilst alienating Palestinians from their cultural heritage. Megan Hanna reports from Hebron, where the neighborhood of Tel Rumeida is one of the most contested residential areas in the West Bank, including a Palestinian neighbourhood and an Israeli settlement within its boundaries. Since November, Tel Rumeida was declared a closed military zone, effectively ghettoizing the district. But Tel Rumeida’s problems long-precede the current spate of violence. An archaeological site, which dates back to the middle Bronze Age, has been the focus of a battle between settlers of the area, the Palestinian municipality of Hebron and numerous rights groups – notably Emek Shevah, an organization of archaeologists who focus on the role and misuse of archaeology in the Israel-Palestine crisis. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkDfStSI6NE

Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, says Israel has been violating international law for decades, but that it now talks about these crimes overtly. Watch the full episode of WITNESSING PALESTINE with Frank Barat for more from her and Palestinian writer and activist Susan Abulhawa. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFjUxZkzIMk

New York Jews protest Gaza attack in act of civil disobedience. Members of Jewish Voice for Peace and Jews Say No! enter the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces office to protest their funding of the Israeli army. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=133tUwEaEJc

Just a few years ago the idea of a pro-Palestine political action group in Washington D.C. seemed ridiculous. But U.S. politics around Palestine are shifting and a number of PACs have sprung up recently. The latest grows out of the nonprofit American Muslims for Palestine who just launched their own affiliated 501c4 organization, Americans for Justice in Palestine Action. Earlier this week Mondoweiss' U.S. correspondent Michael Arria spoke with Dr. Osama Abuirhsaid and Ayah Ziyadeh. Dr. Osama Abuirshaid is the Executive Director and a board member of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP). He is a board member of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), an umbrella organization of eight major national American Muslim organizations. He lectures frequently on Middle East and American politics. He is a regular commentator on Palestinian and Middle Eastern affairs as well as on the American domestic and foreign policy on various Arabic satellite T.V. channels such as Aljazeera. He authored or co-authored several books in Arabic and he published dozens of studies and articles in Arabic and English, on issues relevant to the Middle East and its political climate. He is the co-author of the controversial study: "Hamas: Ideological Rigidity and Political Flexibility," which was published by the United States Institute of Peace in 2009. He is a community activist and speaker. Abuirshaid completed his PhD in Political Science at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom. Ayah Ziyadeh is AMP's advocacy director. She is a Palestinian-American human rights activist, advocate, and writer who maintains a track record in organizing awareness of Palestine and other crucial human rights issues. She has 5+ years of political and grassroots advocacy as well as lobbying campaign experience. This experience consists of being legislative staff, a lobbying intern working closely with the ACLU, and an organizer working with several different organizations and coalitions, providing her with extensive knowledge of all of the spaces contributing to policy-making and advocacy. Aside from her work, Ayah is completing her master's in International Human Rights at the Josef Korbel School of International Relations. Throughout her graduate experience, she has specialized in Palestinian rights and the dynamics of the ethnic cleansing of Palestine. She has completed an abundance of research and policy work on the issue. - - - SUPPORT OUR WORK: Help us continue our critical independent coverage of events in Palestine, Israel, and related U.S. politics. Donate today at https://mondoweiss.net/donate - - - SHOW NOTES: Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJPA) – https://ajpaction.org/ AJPA Twitter – https://twitter.com/ajpaction ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DK1j5cvPQM