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Palestine's Radio Al Hara Begins Marathon Protest Broadcast
Christian Eede , July 9th, 2020 17:01

Ben UFO, Mykki Blanco and Nicolás Jaar are amongst the artists contributing mixes to the 80-hour broadcast which is raising awareness of Israel's proposed annexation of the West Bank

Palestine's Radio Al Hara has begun a three-day broadcast of mixes and radio shows, which the station has described as an "anti-colonial, anti-racist worldwide protest" of Israel's annexation plans of the West Bank.

The 80-hour broadcast began yesterday (July 8) at 8am Bethlehem time and will continue into the afternoon of July 11. Amongst the DJs and artists who will feature over the course of the three days are Ben UFO, Kampire, Nicolás Jaar, Mykki Blanco, Deena Abdelwahed, Éclair Fifi, and Abdullah Miniawy. A number of local Palestinian artists are also airing shows and mixes, as well as Radio Al Hara founders Elias Anastas and Saeed Abu-Jaber.

You can tune in now via Radio Al Hara, and find a schedule for the full broadcast below.

The marathon broadcast is taking place under the name Fil Mishmish, an Arabic phrase which translates as "tomorrow, when the apricots bloom". The station is protesting and raising awareness of Israel's plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Egypt, France, Germany and Jordan are amongst the countries who have voiced opposition towards Israel's plans, deeming them a violation of international law.

"While this 72-hour event arises from events in Palestine, it addresses the anger of populations worldwide and aims to unite struggles against injustice and occupation, while acknowledging the specificity of each case," Radio Al Hara, which is based in Bethlehem and Ramallah, has said.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, claiming the territory is disputed. Plans for parts of the West Bank to be annexed are envisaged as part of a deal between the Israeli government and the US administration. The Washington Institute lays out the annexation possibilities in more detail here.

Around 430,000 Israeli settlers and civilians currently live in the West Bank under Israeli civilian law. Between 2 to 3 million Palestinian Arabs simultaneously live in the West Bank, and are subject to military law.