Arab Media Watch chairman Sharif Hikmat Nashashibi was interviewed on January 18 on Newstalk 106 FM, Ireland's radio station of the year, along with the chief editor of the Jerusalem Post, on prospects for a Palestinian ceasefire.
AMW advisor Christopher Leadbeater got a letter published on the same subject in the January 19 edition of Israel's Haaretz newspaper.
On the same day, AMW director Tahrir Swift was interviewed by BBC Scotland on the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.
Tahrir and AMW advisor Sami Ramadani were among 20 Iraqi signatories of a letter published in the January 21 edition of the Guardian explaining why they are boycotting the elections.
On the same day, AMW was featured in a TV programme on the imagery of Arabs in the West on Arab News Broadcasting.
Ramadani was interviewed twice on BBC Radio 4 - on January 21 on The World Tonight, and on January 22 on Today - on the Iraqi elections.
Sharif and directors Muna Nashashibi and Victor Kattan were interviewed about AMW on Syrian TV on January 22.
Sharif argued on Newstalk that a Palestinian ceasefire was unrealistic without reciprocity by Israel and a sense by Palestinians that they will get closer to realising their freedom and fundamental human rights, and that the power of the Palestinian Authority to ensure a ceasefire has been severely undermined by years of Israeli attacks.
Leadbeater's letter is as follows:
We'll know who to blame
Regarding "IDF: Abbas could do more against militants," January 14
The IDF expectations reported in the article by Amos Harel can only result from a failure to understand the Palestinian position, although it is both simple and rational and has been well explained.
Abbas has made it abundantly clear that he has absolutely no intention of starting a civil war in Palestine to meet either Israeli or American demands. It is not his function as the leader of the Palestinian people to arrest or slaughter those who believe in violent resistance to Israeli occupation and abuse.
He has offered a truce in which he would undertake to convince the Palestinian militants of the desirability of a ceasefire, provided Israel stop killing Palestinians. That is a truce most of the world would consider reasonable.
However, so far Israel has refused to stop killing Palestinians, and its "shock" in the face of violent resistance is hard to take seriously.
Of course, it was widely expected that Sharon would take the first possible excuse to demonize Abbas, and he seems to be doing that now. The world is watching, and will know who to blame.
Christopher Leadbeater
On BBC Scotland, Tahrir was asked how the photos of prisoner abuse were received in Iraq. She said they, together with the Abu Ghraib photos, vindicated the views that this war was not about human rights and democracy, and it is neccessary that unfettered access to all detention centres is granted to the International Committee of the Red Cross and human rights organisations in order to ensure these abuses do not recur.
Tahrir was then asked about the image of British soldiers as opposed to American soldiers. She said people have so far distinguished in their attitude between British soldiers and the UK government, and it is the government that has sent the troops to carry out an illegal invasion and occupation and put them in an impossible situation.
The letter signed by Tahrir and Ramadani, among others, is at:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,3604,1395170,00.html
Iraq elections are not free
Iraq is being denied free and fair elections, after enduring decades of Saddam's brutal dictatorship. The US and British occupation governments have engineered a process for reproducing the US-appointed Iraqi interim government to prolong the occupation and incite sectarian and ethnic conflicts.
Millions of Iraqis, under siege in many parts of their homeland, will be disenfranchised. While boycotting this undemocratic exercise, we strongly condemn all forms of violence against Iraqis participating in it. We, as exiles, are confident that the vast majority of Iraqis, at home and abroad, shall unite to end the US-led occupation and establish democracy, whatever their stance on participation.
We echo opinions within Iraq stressing the impossibility of holding free and fair elections while under occupation, and being subjected to war crimes by the US-led forces.
However, we support demands for minimal pre-conditions: setting a strict timetable for the withdrawal of all occupation forces; ceasing all attacks, and confining all occupation forces to barracks until withdrawal; ending martial law and releasing all political prisoners; establishing an independent election commission, led by Iraq's senior serving and retired judges, and including all Iraq's political forces. It could be assisted by anti-occupation figures, eg Nelson Mandela, and the UN.
Sami Ramadani, Haifa Zangana, Prof Kamal Majid, Tahrir Numan, Dr Imad Khaddur, iMundher Adhami, and 14 others.