Washington DC.

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Anthony Bourdain: Palestinians Have Been Robbed of their Basic Humanity

Chef and TV host Anthony Bourdain was awarded the Voices of Courage and Conscience in media award by the Muslim Public Affairs Council for the episode he did on Palestine on Parts Unknown, his new show on CNN.

In the episode he travels to the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and the West Bank to explore and experience Palestinian cuisine.

One memorable moment during his trip to Hebron, he asks about the racist Israeli graffiti that was spray painted on a Palestinian home that said “Death to Arabs”.

In his acceptance speech for the award he says:

“I was enormously grateful for the response from Palestinians in particular for doing what seemed to me an ordinary thing, something we do all the time: show regular people doing everyday things, cooking and enjoying meals, playing with their children, talking about their lives, their hopes and dreams.

It is a measure I guess of how twisted and shallow our depiction of a people is that these images come as a shock to so many. The world has visited many terrible things on the Palestinian people, none more shameful than robbing them of their basic humanity.

People are not statistics. That is all we attempted to show. A small, pathetically small step towards understanding.”

Watch his acceptance speech for his award below:

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Supporting Crystal Palace since 19.45 on 29th August 1972 (approximately)!

I'm sure there are many injustices occurring to innocent people who don't want to get involved....Especially those in Gaza who didn't vote for Hamas and couldn't afford to get out.

But the fact remains that in Gaza the Palestinians voted in Hamas.

It wasn't said officially but the day that happened many in the west turned away. I remember it as a giant step backward and I feared for democracy. But it's a reality that the Palestinians there voted for continual war and no democracy and that is what is happening.....A led to B.

No one in the west...or indeed the middle east is going to directly intervene between Israel and Hamas.

What is happening in the west bank is by contrast very different. Fatah suppress the war games and have won a far more prominent role.....It's why I think they already regard the 'joint government' approach as a mistake.

In the west bank Israel is constantly criticized for its land grabbing activities and America and the west have made it plain that no peace deal will be forged without the 'settlement' issue being dealt with.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

There is no genocide......Injustice but no genocide.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

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Anonymous to launch cyber attack on Israel in support of Palestine...

I think it shows a growing discontentment from around the world at the treatment of ordinary Palestinians. Will it achieve much? Doubt it.

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Here's a fairly balanced article about the situation in Gaza, which is surprising as it's from the usually pro-Israeli Economist. says that Hamas continues to fire missiles because any retaliation will help garner sympathy for Palestine's plight.