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News
Several
injured by Israeli shelling in Gaza
10/6/2009 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Several people were injured by Israeli shelling east of Gaza
City on Tuesday afternoon, witnesses and medics said. Witnesses said
seven artillery shells landed near a Palestinian security installation
close to the Ash-Shujaiyyah neighborhood, near the Green Line border
with Israel. The director of Emergency Services in the Health Ministry
in Gaza, Muawiya Hassanein said ambulances raced to the site of the
shelling to evacuate a number of wounded people. An Israeli military
spokesperson said Israeli forces opened fire when alleged Palestinian
gunmen shot at Israeli civilians performing maintenance work along the
border. The Israeli military also said that its tanks had opened fire
in the area. Palestinian armed groups have not claimed responsibility
for any shooting at Israeli forces in Gaza.
Sheikh
Raed Salah arrested by Israeli forces for 'incitement'
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel
Sheikh Raed Salah was arrested by Israeli authorities Tuesday for
incitement, news soruces said. The charges were said to be based on
statements the religious leader made during Israeli violence at the
Al-Aqsa Mosque and an increasing number of clashes between Palestinians
and Israeli forces in the area of the Old City. Lawyer of the Islamic
movement Zahi Njedat called the arrest political, and the result of the
ongoing Israeli campaign of incitement against Sheikh Salah and the
Islamic movement. The action was reportedly okayed by Israeli Police
Commissioner Dudi Cohen, the state prosecutor, and West Jerusalem
District Police Commander Aharon Franco.
Israeli
right wing to lay corner stone latest East Jlem settlement
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Thousands of right-wing Israelis will
attend the laying of the foundation stone for East Jerusalem's newest
settlement on Wednesday, as construction of the illegal homes and
communities continues on occupied Palestinian land. According to the
Israeli Hebrew-language Ma'ariv newspaper, the ceremony will take place
at 4pm, and will be attended by Israeli Minister of the Interior Eli
Yishai, Rabbi Meir Lau, and several other members of the Israeli
Knesset. This project is the second phase of building on Mount Scopus
in what is being billed as the Israeli neighborhood of Nof Zion.
One-hundred and five new housing units will be built in the starting
phase, financed by Jewish investors from the United States under the
Digal Investments & Holdings Ltd registration. The group's website
lists an American sales director as the primary contact.
Report:
Hamas thwarted other factions’ attacks on Israel
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Hamas-run government in the Gaza Strip has
actively prevented armed groups from launching shells from Gaza into
Israel over the past few days, the London-based newspaper Ash-Sharq
Al-Awsat reported on Tuesday. Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat's Arabic website
quoted sources in the resistance groups in Gaza saying, "Hamas security
services have detained two militants while they were preparing to fire
homemade projectiles towards Israel. They were questioned and released
after a couple of hours. " The sources explained that the militants
were affiliated to newly-established Palestinian militant groups, and
that they told interrogators they wanted to fire shells at Israeli
towns in retaliation for Israeli settlers' reported intrusions into the
Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. "Palestinian factions are satisfied
with only releasing useless statements and chanting. . . "
Internationals
helping with olive harvest threatened with detention
10/6/2009 - Nablus -
Ma'an - Israeli authorities prevented a foreign solidarity group from
helping Palestinian farmers harvest olives in the village of Sabastia
Tuesday morning. The village, north west of Nablus in the West Bank,
has lands that border the illegal Israeli settlement of Shave Shomeron.
Local official in charge of the settlement file Ghassan Douglas said
that a large number of Israeli police and soldiers prevented at least
seven foreigners from accessing Palestinian land to help harvest
olives. The internationals were threatened with arrest by Isaeli
forces, Douglas added. [end]
What
was Abbas promised in return for burying Goldstone?
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The public is both bewildered and outraged about
President Mahmoud Abbas' reported capitulation to US pressure in
delaying action on Richard Goldstone's report on war crimes in Gaza.
One of many unanswered questions about the Geneva affair is: What was
he promised? What did the US offer Abbas that convinced him to burry
Goldstone's meticulously-researched indictment of Israel? An Israeli
journalist attempts to answer this question in an article that appeared
on Tuesday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been plotting
to topple Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in order to relieve
himself of US pressure over the last six months, an Israeli journalist
claimed in an article published on Tuesday. "During their tripartite
meeting in New York last month, US president Obama, Israeli Prime
Minister Netanyahu, and Palestinian President Abbas. . .
Hamas:
Unity talks still on despite Gaza report controversy
10/6/2009 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Hamas denied news reports on Tuesday that the movement added
new conditions for a proposed Palestinian unity deal as a result of the
deferral of action on the Goldstone report on war crimes in Gaza. "We
have not set any new preconditions because we appreciate the Egyptian
efforts and we are interested in completing a conciliation agreement,"
Hamas spokesperson said over the phone. Barhoum also explained that his
movement and other factions were invited to a meeting on 26 October in
Cairo at which a unity deal will reportedly be signed. The extent of
our knowledge is that delegations will leave to Cairo on 18 October to
begin dialogue on the 19th hoping to sign agreement before the end of
the month, he added. The Hamas official said the Palestinian
Authority's decision to defer action on the Goldstone report in the UN
Human Rights Council did not, however, indicate good will for
reconciliation.
Hamas
police: Abbas aides could be arrested if they enter Gaza
10/6/2009 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Hamas-backed police in the Gaza Strip threatened to arrest
anyone involved in the deferral of international action on the United
Nations report on war crimes in Gaza on Tuesday. Police official Rafiq
Abu Hani said during a Gaza news conference that if anyone linked to
the decision to reverse the Palestinian Authority's (PA) support for
Judge Richard Goldstone's report enters the Strip, they could be
arrested. He said this could happen even if Hamas signs a unity deal
with Fatah, which controls the PA in the West Bank. "The police are
legally considering the possibility of filing a lawsuit on behalf of
the families of the police martyrs to sue Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas," Abu Hani referring to the hundreds of police who were killed
in Israel's attack on Gaza last winter. The withdrawal of a motion to
refer the report from the UN Human Rights Council. . .
Israeli
Arab party urges Abbas to quit over Goldstone report
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - The Balad party, representing Arabs and
Palestinians in Israel, plans to call for the resignation of
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday following the
Palestinian leader's failure to push through a resolution on the
Goldstone commission. The reportsuggested taking Israel and Hamas
militants to the International Criminal Court over allegations of war
crimes during Israel's Operation Cast Lead, but action on the
accusations was postponed, allegedly under American pressure, until
March 2010. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz said the party's leader Jamal
Zahalka was leading the call. [end]
PLO
official slams Abbas decision to remain out of country in crisis
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Outgoing Palestinian ambassador to Egypt
Nabil Amr accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of being behind
the decision to prevent action on the UN-mandated Goldstone report on
Israel's Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. A move from the Palestine
Liberation Organization representative to the UN Human Rights Council
saw the resolution to adopt the recommendations of the Goldstone report
postponed until March. The move, allegedly under pressure from the
United States, resulted in a general outcry from all levels of
Palestinian society. In response to the outrage, Abbas announced he
would form a committee to uncover the process behind the dropping of
the resolution. The commission will be inaugurated by Abbas when he
returns from a trip abroad, during which he has visited Yemin, Rome,
and was denied entry into Syria over his reported role in the Goldstone
report fiasco.
PFLP
demands Abbas apologize for 'Goldstone sin'
10/6/2009 - Gaza -
Ma'an - The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine demanded
President Mahmoud Abbas apologize to the Palestinian people Tuesday for
what the party called the "sin" of deferring the vote of the Goldstone
report. Member if the central committee of the PFLP Kayid Al-Ghoul said
in a statement the apology was a "necessary step" to clear the way for
the Abbas-mandated investigations committee. He said a clear path must
be made for the investigation, because Palestinians have the right to
know why they were not supported. Al-Ghoul stressed the need for Abbas'
government to continue follow-up and call UN Secretary General Ban Ki
Moon to request that the Goldstone commission report be put in front of
the UN Security Council. He also called on Palestinian leaders to go to
international prosecutors and seek the prosecution of Israeli war
criminals.
Report:
Dweik calls for Abbas’ resignation
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative
Council Aziz Duwaik called for the resignation of Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, following the failure of Palestinian
leadership to demand action on the UN-mandated Goldstone report on
Israel's Operation Cast Lead. Duwaik was quoted in the English language
Israeli news page Ynet, in an un-sourced interview. He was reported to
have called for the establishment of national Palestinian commission,
separate from the recently organized Abbas-mandated committee, to
investigate the issues which saw the deferral of a resolution that
could have seen Israeli leaders and Hamas militants tried for war
crimes committed during the winter war that killed more than 1,400
Palestinians and 9 Israelis. The Hamas leader, who was released from
Israeli prison only months ago after almost three years in detention
without. . .
Hebron-area
dispute over Roman-era coffin ends in arrests
10/6/2009 - Hebron -
Ma'an - Police arrested several people in the village of Beit Kahel,
northwest of Hebron on Tuesday night after a dispute broke out over the
discovery of a Roman-era coffin. According to local sources, a resident
of the town discovered the coffin in an ancient grave when he was
excavating his land with the intention of building on it. The discovery
ignited an argument over who has the rights to the artifact. One
resident called the Palestinian Tourism and Antiquities police, who
arrested several people. A police examination of the coffin found that
it dates to the Roman era. [end]
Israel
closes two key Gaza crossings
10/6/2009 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Israel will partially open the Kerem Shalom crossing into the
besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday to allow about 83 trucks loaded with
goods to enter, according to crossing official Raed Fattouh. Fattouh
confirmed that both the Nahal Oz, and the Karni crossings would remain
closed. Nahal Oz is the terminal used for delivery of fuel and cooking
gas, and Karni is used for delivery of wheat and animal feed. For three
years, Israel has been opening these crossings at less than 20% of
capacity. [end]
Egyptian
authorities arrest 9 African migrants
10/6/2009 - Al-Arish
- Ma'an - Egyptian security services arrested nine African migrants
from Eritrea and Ethiopia who they said were attempting to cross into
Israel 14 kilometers from Rafah land crossing. The same sources,
however, said the Africans were arrested at the razor-wire fence when
they tried to pass into Israeli lands. The sources added that the nine
paid 1,000 US dollars each to foreign smugglers to help them enter
Israel through the Sinai. [end]
Hamas:
Israel stalling swap talks over insistence key leaders released
10/6/2009 - Gaza -
Ma'an - The Al-Qassam Brigades website announced their determination to
secure the release of Hamas leader Ibrahim Hamid, in what they called
the "second stage" of the prisoner swap following the release of a
video of a captured Israeli soldier. The prisoner swap deal will "break
all Israeli standards," a Sunday post on the website said, despite
Israeli "horrification" over the demand for the man's release. Hamid
was taken in a West Bank raid by Israeli forces following the capture
of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006. He has been held since then
without charge, as he refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the
Israeli court system. The website said Israeli authorities were
refusing to complete a prisoner swap because Gaza factions demanded
Hamid be on the list. The fighter is accused of carrying out dozens of
operations in Israel, which resulted in death and injury.
British,
Palestinian businesses work to boost Palestinian tourism
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - UK business and tourism experts were in Bethlehem
Tuesday during a one week visit to connect with their Palestinian
counterparts and discuss avenues for potential tourism growth. The
mission is a direct result of the UK-Palestine Investment Conference
held in London in December 2008, under Palestinian Prime Minister Salam
Fayyad and his British counterpart Gordon Brown. The event was attended
by 60 Palestinian and 100 UK business people. The group's itinerary
includes visits to well known and undiscovered Palestinian sites, as
well as meetings with Palestinian Minister for Tourism and Antiquities
Kholoud Duaibes and Minister for National Economy Bassem Khoury.
Opportunities to attract the growing band of ecologically-minded green
tourists to the region will also be explored, a statement from the
group said, stressing visits to wildlife and bird-watching areas.
Ramallah
PLC members side with Abbas over Gaza report fiasco
10/6/2009 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) asked
Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad Al-Maliki on Monday for an
explanation as to why Palestinian diplomats dropped their endorsement
of a key United Nations report on alleged war crimes in Gaza. A
statement that emerged from the Ramallah meeting was much less critical
of Abbas and his government than a parallel but separate meeting of
Hamas-affiliated lawmakers in the Gaza Strip that denounced President
Mahmoud Abbas as a traitor for moving to delay international action on
the report by Judge Richard Goldstone. The Ramallah statement asked
Al-Maliki to explain the Palestinian Authority's efforts to follow up
on the report, and welcomed Abbas' decision to form a commission of
inquiry into why the report was dropped. The statement went on to
praise the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and its. . .
Dahlan:
Netanyahu provoking clashes to avoid peace talks
10/6/2009 - Cairo -
Ma'an - Escalating Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the Al-Aqsa
Mosque in Jerusalem are part of continuing effort to impose
facts-on-the-ground in the holy city Palestinian lawmaker and Fatah
central committee member Muhammad Dahlan said Monday. In a statement
sent from Cairo, Dahlan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu of furthering attempts to take Jerusalem away from
Palestinians, in the face of ongoing peace efforts. "Netanyahu wants
this escalation in Jerusalem in order to avoid the resumption of
negotiations which might compel him to withdraw to the 1967 borders,"
he said. [end]
US
denies it pressured Abbas to delay UN action on Gaza
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The United States denied reports on Monday that it
pressured President Mahmoud Abbas to allow the United Nations to delay
action to bring alleged Israeli war criminals to justice. At the daily
State Department press briefing on Monday, spokesperson Ian Kelly was
asked about reports that US officials demanded that Abbas ask the UN
Human Rights Council to delay a vote the report of investigator Richard
Goldstone. "I don't know if I would accept your characterization of
pressuring," Kelly responded. "I think that we recognized that we had
serious concerns with the recommendations and some of the allegations.
" Goldstone's report called for Israeli and Palestinian officials to
be investigated and prosecuted for alleged war crimes committed during
Israel's three-week assault on Gaza last winter.
Report:
Fifteen US Navy ships in Israeli waters for joint drill
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Fifteen US Navy warships arrived in Israeli waters
in advance of a major joint military exercise, according to the Hebrew
newspaper Ma'ariv on Tuesday. The newspaper said the ships began
arriving several weeks ago carrying fighter jets which later landed on
Israel's land military bases. Previous media reports suggested that the
purpose of the upcoming drill would be to simulate an Iranian missile
strike on Israel. A high-ranking Israeli military official told Ma'ariv
that the joint maneuvers are a "clear message" to Iran. The newspaper
added that Israeli and US officials held talks over the past several
weeks to prepare for the joint drill, which will take place under
supervision of a US general who has already arrived in Israel. Ma'ariv
also noted that US warplanes from military bases in Turkey will
participate in the exercise.
Erekat:
Israel 'lighting matches' in East Jerusalem
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel is intentionally provoking violence in
Jerusalem, Chief Palestinian Negotiator, Saeb Erekat warned on Tuesday.
"Israel is lighting matches in the hope of sparking a fire,
deliberately escalating tensions in occupied East Jerusalem rather than
taking steps to placate the situation," Erekat said in a statement.
"What makes this all the more dangerous is the vacuum created by the
absence of a credible peace process that offers hope instead of more
settlements," the negotiator added. Tensions ran high again on Tuesday
as Israel deployed 20,000 police in the city as thousands of Israelis
marched in a parade for the Jewish holiday Sukkot that wound through
sensitive East Jerusalem neighborhoods such as Silwan, adjacent to the
Old City. Erekat warned that if Israel continues on its current course,
the recent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian protesters
could spread.
Abbas
inaugurates newest Palestinian embassy in Rome
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas opened the
newest Palestinian Embassy in Rome on Tuesday, during an official visit
to Italy which began early in the day. Disembarking from his airplane,
Abbas was greeted by the chiefs of protocol from the Ialian Republic
and the Vatican, as well and the Palestinian commissioner in Italy
Shawki Ermeli, and Palestine's Ambassador to the Vatican, among others.
During his visit Abbas will meet President of the Italian Republic
Giorgio Napolitano, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, Prime Minister of
Italy Silvio Berlusconi, and President of the Italian Chamber of
Deputies Gianfranco Fini. Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat, and
the president's spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeinah, both accompanied the
Abbas on his visit.
Erekat
blames other nations for UNHCR fiasco; may divert to UNSC
10/6/2009 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - The countries that pressured Palestinian leadership to drop
the chance for a decision on the Goldstone report on war crimes in Gaza
at the Human Rights Council may be named by Chief Palestinian
Negotiator Saeb Erekat. The member of the Palestinian Liberation
Organization made a veiled threat to name what he called "the countries
that said they would support the launch of negotiations without any
preconditions, without stopping settlement," during an exclusive
interview Tuesday. Erekat implied that the countries urging the PLO and
the Palestinian Authority back to the peace negotiating table were also
those who forced leaders to drop the chance to have Israel and Hamas
militants tried for war crimes at the International Criminal Court for
actions during Israel's Operation Cast Lead which killed more than
1,400 Palestinians and nine Israelis.
Erekat:
Syria apologized for refusal to see Abbas
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is not
unwelcome in Syria, Palestine Liberation Organization Chief Negotiator
Saeb Erekat said Tuesday. Syria turned Abbas away on Sunday, reportedly
over his decision to delay a vote over South African justice Richard
Goldstone's report on the Gaza assault last winter, the Qatari network
Al-Jazeera reported Monday. Erekat said the visit had only been
postponed and Sytian authorities had called to appologise, and said
Syrian leaderBashar Al-Assad had been double booked for a meeting with
Saudi Arabian King Abdulla Bin Abed Al-Aziz. Erekat said a new meeting
was going to be scheduled. [end]
Hamas:
PA detains two West Bank supporters
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Hamas movement said on Tuesday that
Fatah-backed Palestinian Authority security forces detained two
supporters of the Islamic movement in the West Bank over the past two
days. A Hamas statement said the detainees were from the Nablus and
Qalqiliya districts in the northern West Bank. [end]
PA-mandated
investigations over Goldstone fiasco to begin Thurs
10/6/2009 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Investigations by the Palestinian committee on the Goldstone
report will begin their work as soon as Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas returns from his visits abroad, members of the committee said. On
Sunday, Abbas ordered an investigation into why his own government
delayed international action on a United Nations report calling for
investigations on alleged Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip. The
President is currently in Italy, and before that Yemen and Jordan. He
was also scheduled to visit Syria, but was denied entry into the
country because of his stance on the Goldstone issue. Member of the
investigative committee and member of the Palestinian Legislative
Committee Dr Azmi Shu'aybi said information had already been collected
in preparation of its inauguration, which will be officiated by Abbas.
Two
of top three EU quiz show prizes go to Gazans
10/6/2009 - Gaza -
Ma'an - "You know more about Europe than the Europeans," EC
representative in the West Bank and Gaza Christian Berger told a group
of Gazans as they received prizes for their correct answers on the
Ma'an Network Quiz Show From Here and There on Tuesday. On the
EU-funded radio show, Palestinians were asked questions such as Q: A
Schengen visa is a visa that allows its carrier to enter all the states
of the European Union. This visa is given by: A. The European
Commission, B. The European Council, C. Each member state of the
European Union, D. The Council of the European Union. The awards
ceremony took place in Al-Quds International Hotel in central Gaza
City. Thirty-three Gazans were honored for their knowledge of European
culture and history, including two of the three top prizes of laptop
computers.
PSE
surges: Al-Quds Index up 1.54%
10/6/2009 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Stocks rose for the second consecutive day on the
Palestine Securities Exchange in the West Bank city of Nablus on
Tuesday. The Al-Quds Index closed at 511. 31, registering an increase
of 7. 77 points (1. 54%) over Monday's close. Trading Volume for
Tuesday reached 595,193 shares traded for a total value of 857,800. 49
US dollars over the course of 417 trades. The shares of 23 companies
were traded. The shares prices of 10 companies rose, while those of
eight others fell. The top five gainers were APC by (4. 21%), WASSEL by
(3. 17%), PALTEL by (2. 67%), AIB by (2. 38%), and PADICO by (2. 34%).
The top five losers were AHC by (4. 17%), PIIC by (3. 03%), NCI by (2.
94%), JCC by (2. 12%), and NIC by (1. 23%).
6 Oct 2009 - Court bars Sheikh Ra'ad Salah from capital for 30 days amid suspicions of incitement and sedition.
IAF jets scramble as plane flies over Dimona nuclear facility
6 Oct 2009 - During the Six Day War, an Israeli jet was shot down after accidentally passing near the nuclear facility.
Report: Hamas arrests militants planning to fire rockets at Israel
6 Oct 2009 - According to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, Gaza rulers have ordered all factions to refrain from any rocket attacks.
Lebanon arrests woman for contacting Israel over Ron Arad
6 Oct 2009 - PMO said last month that Israel was working on the assumption that the missing IAF navigator is still alive.
Islamic leader tells Haaretz: Temple Mount clashes won't end until occupation of Jerusalem does
5 Oct 2009 - Riots in Jerusalem continue as heads of Hamas and the Islamic Movement call protesters to the site.
IDF soldier and cop hurt in East Jerusalem clashes
5 Oct 2009 - Soldier moderately wounded after stabbed during bus check in Shoafat; officer hurt as youth hurl rocks.
Detention of
young Palestinian children up 74% [07-oct-2009 02:58 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
According to the latest figures compiled by DCI-Palestine from sources
including the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) and temporary Israeli army
detention facilities, the number of Palestinian children detained in
Israeli prisons and detention centres inside Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territory at the end of September, was 326. DCI-Palestine
is pleased to report that following the...
Voices of Gloom
Get Louder [07-oct-2009 02:33 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
Three Israeli soldiers, automatic rifles slung across their shoulders,
are questioning a group of Palestinian builders. The top floors being
added to the concrete house that lies right alongside Israel's security
wall which divides off occupied East Jerusalem from Palestinian
territory on the eastern side of the wall have evidently aroused some
concern. Perhaps, when complete,...
Israeli
highschoolers choose jail over occupation army service [07-oct-2009
01:23 ECT]
October 6, 2009 - As
US-made Hellfire missiles and white phosphorus rained down on the
entrapped people of the Gaza Strip earlier this year, a number of
"refuseniks," young Israeli men and women who refuse to serve mandatory
military conscription after high school, along with anti-occupation
activists attempted to shut down the Israeli Air Force base near Tel
Aviv. It...
Gaza:
irrepressible culture, living traditions [07-oct-2009 01:07 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
While harvesting olives, Beit Hanoun "Local Initiative" volunteers show
an amazing spirit, humour, comradery. Abu Ahmed is skilled in arts of
traditional singing and Dabke. He sings of pre-1948 Palestine and of
the olive harvest...
Gaza:
[07-oct-2009 01:07 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
While harvesting olives, Beit Hanoun "Local Initiative" volunteers show
an amazing spirit, humour, comradery. Abu Ahmed is skilled in arts of
traditional singing and Dabke. He sings of pre-1948 Palestine and of
the olive harvest...
While on Their
Way to Worship: Israeli Crimes against the Palestinian People
[07-oct-2009 00:28 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
The Palestinians in this video were on their way to worship. This is
what the Israeli occupation looks like on a good day, when it's on its
best behavior, while Israeli B'Tselem peace activists are on the scene
with their video cameras running. They herd the old women like they
were cattle. The men and boys...
Iran closes
leading newspapers [06-oct-2009 23:52 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
Iran has shut down three daily newspapers critical of Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, the president, according to reports by state-run news
agencies. While no reason was given, the newspapers had been considered
sympathetic towards those protesting over Ahmadinejad's disputed
re-election in June. The papers closed on Tuesday were Tahlil Rooz
(Day's Analysis) in the southern city of Shiraz,...
Buying Off the
Palestinian Authority How Israel Buried the UN's War Crime Probe
[06-oct-2009 23:44 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
Israel celebrated at the weekend its success at the United Nations in
forcing the Palestinians to defer demands that the International
Criminal Court investigate allegations of war crimes committed by
Israel during its winter assault on the Gaza Strip. The about-turn,
following furious lobbying from Israel and the United States, appears
to have buried the damning...
Disabled in
Israel forced to beg in Gaza [06-oct-2009 22:42 ECT]
October 6, 2009 - -
Since he fell from seven stories at a construction site in Israel 11
years ago, Fadel Abu Alqumsan has been left disabled and unable to
work, but a comprehensive disability allowance from the Israeli
National Insurance Institute(NII) kept him going. Despite the serious
accident that left him crippled and in need of regular treatment, the...
Hamas police:
Abbas aides could be arrested if they enter Gaza [06-oct-2009 22:27 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
Hamas-backed police in the Gaza Strip threatened to arrest anyone
involved in the deferral of international action on the United Nations
report on war crimes in Gaza on Tuesday. Police official Rafiq Abu Hani
said during a Gaza news conference that if anyone linked to the
decision to reverse the Palestinian Authority's (PA) support for
Judge...
Jewish Appeal to
Support the Goldstone Report [06-oct-2009 21:29 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
The primary author of the recently released UN Report on Gaza, the
internationally respected jurist Richard Goldstone, has been attacked
by establishment voices within the Jewish community. When those within
a community try to "excommunicate" and dishonor a truth-teller, it is
our obligation and responsibility to speak out vehemently on their
behalf and on behalf of...
Video:
Palestinian anger at Abbas [06-oct-2009 20:31 ECT]
October 6, 2009 -
Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, is facing a growing backlash
over the postponement of a vote on a UN report that criticises Israel
for the Gaza war. The report by Richard Goldstone, a South African
judge, blamed both the Israeli military and Palestinian fighters for
war crimes during Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip between
December...
Amman, October 7th, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - It's time to quit waiting for the United States to make everything right. Lawyers from the Palestine Legal Aid Fund offer an alternative approach to resisting the construction of illegal settlements in Palestine.
Old City of Jerusalem: silence before the storm
London, October 6, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - A number of guards of Al Aqsa Mosque reported today that Israeli soldiers and police stood at the gates of the mosque and prevented them from entering today to conduct their business. After having their...
Call for an investigation into Abbas over UN report
Gaza, October 6, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- Eyad Al-Sarraj, head of the national reconciliation campaign, called for an investigation into Mahmoud Abbas and his possible removal from office over the decision to delay taking action on the UN report about Israeli war crimes in...
Israeli official cancels UK visit on fears of arrest
Gaza, October 5, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon has canceled a planned trip to Britain over fears of being arrested there, Israeli sources have said.
Palestinians commemorate Al Aqsa Intifada through Bili'n resistance
Bil'in, October 3, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - Yesterday's weekly demonstration in Bil'in was inundated with gas, but no arrests were made.
6 Oct 2009 - The closure of the Haram al Sharif compound has strained relations in Jerusalem to a point unseen in almost a decade.
Sunni cleric calls for peaceful demonstrations
6 Oct 2009 - A prominent Sunni Muslim cleric has criticised Muslims and their leaders for not protecting Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and is calling for public protest on Friday.
Saudi king's Syria visit feeds hopes
6 Oct 2009 - This week's visit to Syria by Saudi King Abdullah marks a potential reconciliation between the two rivals after years of bitter relations.
Jordanians question relations with Israel
5 Oct 2009 - A movement against the normalisation of ties between Israel and Jordan grows within the nation.
Threats led to deferral of UN Gaza investigation
5 Oct 2009 - Vigorous lobbying by Israel and US buries damning report on Israel's conduct during the invasion that killed hundreds of civilians.
6 Oct 2009 - Report says Israeli video forced Palestinian Authority to delay vote on UN Gaza war report.
Iran closes leading newspapers
6 Oct 2009 - Iranian government bans publications critical of President Ahmadinejad.
Israel 'in new settlement drive'
6 Oct 2009 - Israeli report says Tel Aviv constructing new housese despite agreements to stop.
Palestinian unity deal in jeopardy
5 Oct 2009 - Fatah accepts Egypt's invite to sign pact but Hamas says Goldstone debacle could hurt talks.
Alternative Information Center
Demolitions and Destruction Again in the Unrecognized Villages in the Israeli Negev6 Oct 2009 - On Sunday the government of Israel demolished five homes in the southern Negev: three of these homes in the village of al-Ghrair, south of Ovdat. One of the families in 2004 had agreed to move from...
Guernica Written With the Hands and Hearts of Children
5 Oct 2009 - Located in the beautiful Well of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is a stunning exhibition, "Loss of Innocence: Gaza Children’s Art". Rod Cox, who collated the exhibition, drove from Cheshire, through Europe and North Africa to Gaza with...
6 Oct 2009 - Taybeh - Taybeh’s fifth annual beer festival has brought a much-needed economic stimulus, international attention, and an enjoyable weekend to this small West Bank village. Over ten thousand Palestinians, internationals and tourists descended upon this quiet village tucked away in the hills north of Ramallah for the two day festival. Spirits were high as festival participants sampled honey from the local beehives,...
Four injuries overnight in West Bank, arrests in Jerusalem, Palestinian police report
5 Oct 2009 - Ramallah / PNN – Four people were injured yesterday evening by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. In a report on Israeli attacks issued by the Palestinian police it was stated that 19 year old Mohammad Khalid Shehda was admitted to Ramallah Hospital after being shot by a rubber-coated steel bullet in the left leg.Mustafa Imad Hijazi, a 20 year old resident of...
Gaza childrens artwork exhibition at Liverpool Cathedral UK
5 Oct 2009 - Liverpool / Anne Candlin - Loss Of Innocence: Gaza children's artwork, is an exhibition of paintings and drawings done by children in Gaza following the Israeli 22 day assault earlier this year. The exhibition, supported by UNESCO Gaza office, was collated by Rod Cox who went to Gaza early this year with the British overland humanitarian convoy. He stayed through March and April...
Nearly 1,000 people in the streets of Ramallah call for PNA resignations
5 Oct 2009 - Ramallah / Stop the Wall - Nearly a thousand people took to the streets yesterday in Ramallah to protest the position of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) on the Goldstone Report. Carrying flags and banners and blocking traffic, people marched and vented their rage against the PNA for failing to take the opportunity to see Israeli war criminals tried in international courts. Protestors,...
Heads in the sand: Hamas head of PLC says coming back without issue while Abbas postpones Goldstone
5 Oct 2009 - Kristen Ess – The elected head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Aziz Dweik said Monday that he will be returning to his natural role in the Legislative Council without any agreement from Fateh. Dweik ran on the Change and Reform ticket in the 2005-2006 Legislative elections, which landed him in Israeli prison along with 100 of his colleagues who were rounded-up...
Committee formed to investigate President Abbas as he agrees with Washington to postpone Goldstone
5 Oct 2009 - Ramallah / special to PNN – Early Monday a committee was formed to investigate the circumstances of the Palestinian Authority agreeing to back-off from the Goldstone Report. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked the Palestinian leadership to support postponing a vote to accept the findings that proved the Israelis committed war crimes in Gaza. The public has taken to the streets for...
DUBAI Tuesday, October 06, 2009 (IRIN) - The latest issue of Humanitarian Exchange, a monthly magazine for humanitarian practitioners, highlights “the crisis of dignity” in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). A number of articles focus on the impact of the Israeli barrier and closure system.
Analysis: Looming water crisis in Gaza
GAZA CITY Tuesday, September 15, 2009 (IRIN) - Unless urgent action is taken, the supply of water fit for human use in the Gaza Strip will be depleted in 5-10 years, according to the Gaza Coastal Municipal Water Utility (CMWU) and UN agencies working there.
Analysis: Shebaa Farms key to Levant hydro-diplomacy
BEIRUT Thursday, September 10, 2009 (IRIN) - The politics of the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, a rugged sliver of mountainside wedged between Lebanon, Israel and Syria, have long overshadowed what some Lebanese environmentalists call “the real issue” of the disputed area: its water resources.
WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (IPS) - Despite strong support for diplomatic engagement with Iran, most U.S. citizens believe such efforts will ultimately fail and that Washington should be prepared to use military force to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to a new poll released here Tuesday by the...
MIDEAST: Voices of Gloom Get Louder
ABU DIS, Occupied West Bank, Oct 5 (IPS) - Three Israeli soldiers, automatic rifles slung across their shoulders, are questioning a group of Palestinian builders. The top floors being added to the concrete house that lies right alongside Israel's security wall which divides off occupied East Jerusalem from Palestinian territory...
5 Oct 2009 - Nearly a thousand people took to the streets today in Ramallah to protest the position of the PNA on the Goldstone Report. Carrying flags and banners and blocking traffic, people marched and vented their rage against the Palestinian Authority (PA) for failing to take the opportunity to see Israeli war criminals tried in international courts. [
More injuries and arrests as the villages of Bil’in and Ma’sara protest the Wall
4 Oct 2009 - Protestors marched against the Wall in Bil’in and al-Ma’sara on Friday. A solidarity delegation from France joined the people of Bil’in, and two people were injured during the course of the day. Occupation forces have also arrested another member of the Bil’in popular committee. [
PCHR
This report on Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) coincides with the 9th anniversary of the al-Aqsa Intifada, which erupted following the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s provocative visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque (the Holy Sanctuary) in occupied Jerusalem.
International Solidarity Movement
VIDEO - Organizer admits City of David endangers Arab homes10/5/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Akiva Eldar, Ha'aretz - A video tape made during a guided tour of the archaeological excavations at Silwan (the City of David) near Jerusalem’s Old City walls reveals how Elad, the association that runs the dig, works together with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Jerusalem municipality to dig under the homes of Arab residents. In the tape, made a year ago, the founding head of Elad, David Be’eri, says: “At a certain point we came to court. The judge approached me and said, ‘you’re digging under their houses. ’ I said ‘I’m digging under their houses? King David dug under their houses. I’m just cleaning. ’ He said to me, ‘Clean as much as possible. ’ Since then, we’re just cleaning; we’re not digging. ” Be’eri goes on to describe an excavation method in which “we built from the top down” and “everything’s standing in the air” [due to the removal of fill].
UN Security Council to meet today on Goldstone report
6 Oct 2009 - The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss Libya's request for an emergency session on a report that accused Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas of committing war crimes during Israel's offensive in Gaza. ...
Abbas: Advance peace talks or we will take Goldstone report to court
6 Oct 2009 - If Israel does not soften its positions on the peace process, the Palestinian Authority will resume pushing to get the Goldstone report moved to the Security Council, and thence to the International Criminal Court, an associate of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told Haaretz Tuesday. ...
U.S. slams Honduran radioman's anti-Semitic remarks
6 Oct 2009 - The U.S. Ambassador in Honduras has condemned anti-Semitic remarks by a local radio news director who has been an outspoken opponent of the coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya. Ambassador Hugo Llorens sent a letter to Radio Globo owner Alejandro Villatoro expressing "astonishment and incomprehension" over the Sept. 25 remarks by station director David Romero. ...
Orthodox Jewish boxer to vie for light-welterweight crown
6 Oct 2009 - Orthodox Jewish boxer Dmitriy Salita will be the first to challenge Amir Khan for the WBA light-welterweight crown, as the unbeaten New Yorker takes on the defending champion December 5 in Newcastle, England. ...
Israeli Arab party urges Abbas to quit over Goldstone report
5 Oct 2009 - Click here for more on the Goldstone commission report on the Gaza conflict ...
6 Oct 2009 - Sacred to both Jews and Muslims, the Temple Mount (Al-Haram al-Sharif) is still a hugely significant site 3,000 years after it was first built Paddy Allen
Israel deploys police as Jerusalem tensions rise
6 Oct 2009 - Clashes with Palestinians mar Jewish holiday week of Sukkot • Interactive: Jerusalem's holiest site Israel deployed thousands of police on the streets of Jerusalem today to protect a Jewish holiday parade after days of rock throwing...
Peace must be made on Temple Mount | Seth Freedman
6 Oct 2009 - Palestinians are right to air their grievances, but violence against Israeli worshippers at this holy site damages the wider cause With home demolitions and evictions occurring on a near daily basis, the theft of villagers' land...
Letters: Time for action on Goldstone report
5 Oct 2009 - It is deplorable that the Goldstone report was removed from the agenda of the UN human rights council last week ( Palestinians bow to US pressure on Gaza report , 3 October). In effect this means no action...
Israeli minister Moshe Ya'alon rejects British trip amid arrest fears
5 Oct 2009 - Vice-prime minister warned he could be arrested in UK on suspicion of war crimes An Israeli cabinet minister has turned down an invitation to visit Britain next month after he was warned he might face arrest...
Fatah-led security officers accused of torturing Hamas suspect to death
5 Oct 2009 - Palestinian authorities begin military trial over death of Haitham Amr, fourth Hamas suspect to die in custody this year Palestinian authorities have begun a rare military trial of security officers accused of torturing a Hamas suspect...
The tropes of 'Jewish antisemitism' | Antony Lerman
5 Oct 2009 - The concept of the 'self-hating Jew' has been dignified with a pseudo-psychopathology by those keen to suppress dissent From the moment he took the job heading the UN Human Rights Council's mission to investigate human rights...
5 Oct 2009 - The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Tuesday ordered the release of one of the leaders of the Israeli Arab Islamic Movement, but restricted him from entering Jerusalem for 30 days. ...
Israeli scientists turn rush-hour traffic into electricity
5 Oct 2009 - An Israeli company has developed a method of generating electricity from road traffic, and Israeli may look to implement the system on the nation's highways. ...
Israel police arrests Islamic Movement leader over incitement charges
5 Oct 2009 - Leader of the Islamic Movement's northern chapter, Ra'ad Salah, was arrested on Tuesday on suspicion that he had incited to violence and incited riots in light of remarks he had made recently. ...
Police crack suspected Israeli drug trafficking ring in Japan
5 Oct 2009 - Japanese authorities have uncovered a suspected drug trafficking and money laundering ring believed to be run largely through Israeli-run jewelry kiosks in Tokyo. ...
Vandals destroy ancient Negev site
5 Oct 2009 - Police yesterday arrested two Negev Bedouin on suspicion of vandalizing the southern archaeological park of Avdat as revenge for the recent demolition of homes in the area. ...
6 Oct 2009 - Source: International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
In Brief: Humanitarian magazine shines a light on OPT
6 Oct 2009 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks
OPT: Detention of young children up to 74%
6 Oct 2009 - Source: Defence for Children International/Palestine Section
Police flood into Jerusalem's Old City after clashes
6 Oct 2009 - Source: Agence France-Presse
Le Conseil de sécurité réaffirme l'importance d'associer les femmes à la reconstruction après les conflits - résolution 1889
6 Oct 2009 - Source: UN Security Council
Palestine Rights Bureau says situation in East Jerusalem deeply disturbing'
5 Oct 2009 - Source: UN General Assembly
6 Oct 2009 - Libya requests meeting of UN Security Council to discuss UN report accusing Israel, Palestinian groups of war crimes during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. Spokesman for council's rotating president says request being considered, Libyan spokesman says metting to be held Wednesday
PA activists: Gov't not helping J'lem
6 Oct 2009 - Despite Abbas' warning against Jewish takeover of Jerusalem, many Palestinians say Palestinian Authority not doing enough to take care of situation in capital
Salah released; banned from J'lem for 30 days
6 Oct 2009 - Jerusalem Magistrate's Court releases head of Islamic Movement's northern branch Sheikh Raed Salah hours after his arrest for incitement, but bans him from entering Jerusalem for 30-day period
Russia denies scientist helping Iran
6 Oct 2009 - National Security Council head Nikolai Patrushev denies Sunday Times report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Russians list of scientists helping Iran build bomb, says has 'no knowledge of information on companies, individuals' assisting Tehran with nuclear program
Palestinians parliament head: Dismiss Abbas
6 Oct 2009 - Aziz Duwaik, Hamas man recently released from Israeli prison, calls for establishment of national Palestinian commission to probe PA's conduct on Goldstone Report, urges Arab League to manage interim period following Abbas' dismissal
Kotel rabbi urges religious leaders to 'restore sanity'
6 Oct 2009 - As violent incidents in east Jerusalem continue, Rabbi Rabinovich issues special statement claiming that officials outside of Jerusalem have encouraged disturbances that damage peaceful relationship between religions in Old City
IDF responds to sniper fire in Gaza; 7 injured
6 Oct 2009 - Palestinian sources report several civilians injured from IDF artillery shells fired at east Gaza City. Assault comes shortly after Ansar al-Sunnah claims responsibility for sniper shots fired at workers near border fence
6 Oct 2009 - WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Monday described last week's nuclear talks with Iran as positive. US administration officials told lawmakers Tuesday that they are ready to take substantial action against Iran if it disregards current diplomatic efforts. Clinton said the session in Geneva "was a worthwhile meeting."
Palestinians accuse Israel of fanning tensions in Jerusalem
6 Oct 2009 - OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A senior Palestinian official on Tuesday accused Israel of deliberately creating a dangerous situation in East Jerusalem, to trigger violence, justify a crackdown and tighten its grip on the disputed city. Palestinian leaders have issued dire warnings in the past week after clashes at Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusa lem's Old City between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters.
Hamas warns discord over UN report could harm unity deal
6 Oct 2009 - GAZA CITY: Hamas warned on Tuesday that controversy over a damning UN report on the Gaza war could affect the Palestinian reconciliation deal which Egypt said was to be signed later this month in Cairo. "All the Palestinian factions, including Hamas, are angry at the [Palestinian] Authority after what happened with the Goldstone report and this could affect arrangements for the [reconciliation] dialogue."
Who dare take a balanced position?
6 Oct 2009 - I do not know whether the release of Palestinian prisoners was planned to coincide with voting on Richard Goldstone's report at the UN Human Rights Council; the report which details the crimes committed by Israel in its brutal war on Gaza. The Israeli government could have released the prisoners who have almost completed their sentences, which were illegal and unfair in the first place.
Egypt opposition wants ElBaradei to assume country's top post
6 Oct 2009 - CAIRO: Whether President Hosni Mubarak runs for re-election in 2011 or gives way to his son Gamal, an opposition party sees UN nuclear watchdog head Mohamed ElBaradei as a strong contender for Egypt's top job. A prominent candidate would give an unexpected boost to the opposition in its rivalry with Mubarak's National Democratic Party, a pillar of the Egyptian political system.
Russian official denies Israel shared secret nuclear evidence on Iran
6 Oct 2009 - MOSCOW: A top Russian security official on Tuesday denied a report that Israel had confronted Moscow with evidence that Russian experts were helping Iran build an atomic bomb, news agencies reported. Nikolai Patrushev, head of Russia's national Security Council, said Moscow had received no information from foreign intelligence agencies about Russian companies or individuals helping Iran build a nuclear weapon.
Iran's military gains 'not threat' to neighbors
6 Oct 2009 - TEHRAN: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday that Tehran's military advances were not aimed at threatening its neighbors but instead were helping the country to progress in similar manner. Khamenei, commander-in-chief of Iran's armed forces, said that the countries would not regain their "might and dignity" by depending on the United States for military aid and weapons.
Al-Qaeda offshoot claims recent spate of Algeria attacks
6 Oct 2009 - ALGIERS, Algeria: Al-Qaeda's North African offshoot claimed it killed or injured dozens of Algerian security forces in 29 separate attacks and bombings over the past two months, des pite the intense military pressure that appears to have seriously limited the militants' scope. The claim Monday by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM, came as security forces reported that they killed eight suspected Islamist fighters over the weekend.
Palestinian Information Center
IOA escalates its attack and incitement against Islamic Movement6 Oct 2009 - The IOA escalated its attack and incitement against the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands and accused its leaders of instigating disturbances in the Aqsa Mosque.
IOF damage cultivated land, fire at Gaza suburb
6 Oct 2009 - More than 15 armored vehicles loaded with Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Tuesday escorted a bulldozer in an incursion east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza Strip, security sources reported.
Amr: Abbas is responsible for delaying the vote on Goldstone’s report
6 Oct 2009 - Nabil Amr, the resigned Palestinian ambassador to Cairo, accused Mahmoud Abbas of being responsible for postponing the vote on Goldstone’s report about Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Barhoum: Hamas did not add new conditions for reconciliation
6 Oct 2009 - Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, on Tuesday denied press reports that his Movement had added new conditions for concluding a national reconciliation agreement.
Abbas refuses emergency Arab meeting on Aqsa
6 Oct 2009 - Mahmoud Abbas has refused the idea of calling for an emergency Arab meeting to discuss the Israeli storming of the Aqsa and the resultant confrontations, well informed Palestinian sources revealed.
Al-Aqsa foundation: A new Israeli tunnel built under the Aqsa Mosque
6 Oct 2009 - Al-Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities almost finished the building of a new tunnel under the Aqsa Mosque.
Al Thani and Ihsanoglu: Abbas delayed action on Goldstone’s report
6 Oct 2009 - Khaled Al Thani and Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu affirmed Monday that the Palestinian Authority (PA) was responsible for delaying the vote on Goldstone’s report.
Hebrew press: Shalit one of the major failures for Israeli intelligence
6 Oct 2009 - A Hebrew daily has acknowledged that the issue of the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was one of the major failures in the history of Israeli intelligence.
Thousands of Turks demonstrate against Israeli attempt to storm the Aqsa
6 Oct 2009 - Thousands of Turkish people demonstrated on Monday in Istanbul's Taksim square denouncing the Israeli repeated attempts to storm the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.
Abu Zuhri: Egypt did not inform Hamas of a date for signing agreement
6 Oct 2009 - Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said that his Movement was not informed with any new arrangements or dates for signing the final national reconciliation agreement.
5 Oct 2009 - The nation is moving away from challenging the West to 'transparency,' says the head of the U.N.'s nuclear enforcement agency. Saying Iran appeared to be moving away from confrontation with the West, the head of the United Nations nuclear enforcement agency announced Sunday that Tehran had agreed to a date this month for international inspectors to visit what until recently had been a covert underground uranium-enrichment plant.
Iran sets date for inspection of nuclear plant
5 Oct 2009 - Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, says Tehran appears to be moving away from confrontation with the West. Inspectors are to visit the recently revealed Fordu site Oct. 25. Saying Iran appeared to be moving away from confrontation with the West, the head of the United Nations nuclear enforcement agency announced Sunday that Tehran had agreed to a date this month for international inspectors to visit what until recently had been a covert underground uranium-enrichment plant.
5 Oct 2009 - Egypt’s top Islamic cleric is planning to bar students wearing a face veil from entering the schools of Al Azhar, Sunni Islam’s premier educational institution, according to an independent newspaper.
World Briefing | Middle East: Egypt: ‘Artificial Virginity’ Kit Opposed
5 Oct 2009 - Conservative lawmakers have called for a ban on imports of a Chinese-made kit meant to help women fake their virginity.
World Briefing | Middle East: Gaza: Harsh Words From Hamas
5 Oct 2009 - Hamas leaders stepped up their verbal assault of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, saying they no longer considered him a Palestinian.
World Briefing | Middle East: Israel: Official Cancels Trip to Britain
5 Oct 2009 - Moshe Yaalon, a government minister and former army chief of staff, feared he could be arrested on war crimes charges.
Black Market Shows Iran Can Adapt to Sanctions
5 Oct 2009 - The focus on sanctions has intensified, but history shows it would be difficult to truly quarantine Iran’s economy.
Iran Agrees to Allow Inspectors on Oct. 25
5 Oct 2009 - The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency said during a visit to Tehran that Iran had given access to a newly disclosed nuclear enrichment facility.
Mondoweiss - 6 Oct 2009 - Bret Stephens used to be a journalist in Israel, now he’s at the Wall Street Journal. And the talk about Israel’s nuclear arsenal that’s finally filtering into the discourse, so that the Iranian discussion doesn’t happen in a hypocritical vacuum? Well, Stephens tries to head that...
NYT uses Edelman obit for Holocaust kitsch, and leaves out the pro-Palestinian angle
Mondoweiss - 6 Oct 2009 - A tediously-long Holocaust tale is told here in the New York Times in its obit for Marek Edelman, last survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Don’t get me wrong. I like Holocaust stories. This one just goes on too long, and I feel like I’ve heard...
In the occupied territories, Jewish holidays mean lockdown for Palestinians
Mondoweiss - 6 Oct 2009 - The following was sent to us by J.E., a student from the United States, who is currently living, working and learning in a refugee camp in Occupied Palestine as she completes her master’s degree in social justice. She is only using her initials to protect her...
IDF ethics advisor on civilian casualties: ‘whoever stayed [in Gaza], let the blood be on his head.’
Mondoweiss - 6 Oct 2009 - Gideon Levy offers a profile of Prof. Asa Kasher, the author of the IDF’s Code of Conduct, in Haaretz . Kasher is philosopher who was won the prestigious Israel Prize and was a founding member of the Israeli refuser organization Yesh Gvul. He is also the author...
a third intifadah?
Mondoweiss - 6 Oct 2009 - Access to the Temple Mount is being restricted following Palestinian violence in Jerusalem. The JPost: Jerusalem Police chief Cmdr. Aharon Franco caused a brief stir when, referring to the ongoing violence, he called the capital’s Muslim residents "ungrateful." "There’s a certain degree of ungratefulness from the...
Demolitions and Destruction Again in the Unrecognized Villages in the Israeli Negev
Alternative Information Center - 6 Oct 2009 - On Sunday the government of Israel demolished five homes in the southern Negev: three of these homes in the village of al-Ghrair, south of Ovdat. One of the families in 2004 had agreed to move from their former location by the army base of Ramon to...
Guernica Written With the Hands and Hearts of Children
Alternative Information Center - 5 Oct 2009 - Located in the beautiful Well of Liverpool Anglican Cathedral is a stunning exhibition, "Loss of Innocence: Gaza Children’s Art". Rod Cox, who collated the exhibition, drove from Cheshire, through Europe and North Africa to Gaza with the UK humanitarian aid convoy in March, following the 22...
Articles
Israel’s friends are losing patience
Editorial, Daily Star 10/5/2009
On Tuesday, many in the Middle East will be marking the anniversary of the 1973 October War which pitted Egypt and Syria against Israel. Thirty years after signing the Camp David Accords – a perceived consequence of the conflict – the Israeli leadership has seemingly failed to learn anything from the negotiations which brought peace for withdrawal from the Sinai.
A perpetual intransigence on the part of successive Israeli governments to meet even the most fundamental requirements outlined by Palestinians and the Arab states makes the prospect of peace as hopeless as ever, and only serves to deepen Israel’s isolation in the region. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s call on Saturday for Israel to find the political will to enter into meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians should serve as a wakeup call that its friends are quickly losing patience. The significance of these remarks from the first Arab state to recognize Israel cannot have gone unnoticed.
Netanyahu’s refusal to obey international law by freezing settlements in the occupied West Bank has angered even Israel’s closest allies in the United States and the European Union. Its policies toward the Palestinian territories such as the creation of a separation wall, restricted movement, and the blockade of Gaza, has put it at odds with the United Nations, countless human rights organizations and a large part of the international community. Internal pressures from more extreme elements within the Israeli government may explain resistance to some of these demands, but do not suffice as an excuse to disobey countless UN resolutions and rulings by international legal bodies.
Time and again Israel has shown its preference for military might rather than to acknowledge the grievances of those it fights against, such as with Lebanon, Hamas, and the long list of neighbors whom they have fought. During its 30 years of peace with Egypt, Israel has seen successive governments – right- and left-wing, of “hawks” and “doves” – all of whom have followed the same disastrous policies; all of whom have preferred force to dialogue. more.. e-mail
The Betrayal of Gilad Shalit
Uri Avnery, Antiwar.com 10/5/2009
Saturday was the 1,196th day in captivity for the soldier Gilad Shalit.
A prisoner of war must not be left in captivity. A wounded soldier must not be left in the field. The state signs an unwritten contract with every person who joins the army, and most definitely with everyone who serves in a combat unit.
The behavior of the Israeli governments in these 1,196 days, of the politicians and the generals who are responsible for this outrage, is a violation of this contract, a betrayal of trust. In short: an infamy. It enrages and infuriates every decent person, and not only combat soldiers.
The betrayal is already in the terminology used. In the words of the Book of Proverbs (18:21): "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."
A soldier captured by the enemy in a military action is a prisoner of war – in every language, in every country.
Gilad Shalit was captured in a military action. He was an armed soldier in uniform. In this context, it does not matter whether the action itself was legal or illegal, and whether the captors were regular soldiers or guerrillas.
Gilad Shalit is a prisoner of war.
The denial started at the first moment. The Israeli government refused to call the capture by its proper name and insisted that it was an "abduction" or even "kidnapping."
The disciplined Israeli media, marching behind the generals in lockstep like the Prussian guard, joined the chorus. Not a single newspaper, not a single radio or TV announcer ever spoke about the "prisoner of war." All of them, almost without exception, from the first day on, spoke about the "abducted" or "kidnapped" soldier. more.. e-mail
Electronic Intifada
Israeli highschoolers choose jail over occupation army service
6 Oct 2009 - Israeli youth who refuse to cooperate with Israel's military occupation are sent into a lengthy and relentless labyrinth of court martials and consecutive jail terms in what Israeli lawyer Michael Sfard calls a "price tag" meant to deter other young Israelis from non-participation. "Otherwise," he says, "[the Israeli government's] argument says, everyone -- of ideological or personal reasons -- will refuse to serve." The Electronic Intifada contributor Nora Barrows-Friedman recently interviewed two young Israeli women who have refused to serve in the army.
How Israel bought off UN's war crimes probe
6 Oct 2009 - Israeli diplomats suggested on Sunday that Washington had promised the Palestinian Authority, in return for delaying an inquiry into accusations Israeli war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, that the US would apply "significant pressure" on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, to move ahead on a diplomatic process when the US envoy, George Mitchell, arrives in the region tomorrow. But, according to Israeli and Palestinian analysts, diplomatic arm-twisting was not the only factor in the PA's change of heart. Jonathan Cook reports.
Review: Darwish, between the national and the human
6 Oct 2009 - "All beautiful poetry," wrote the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, "is an act of resistance.". At a time when the US unconditionally backs Israel's war against the Palestinians, and when everyone agrees that books are on their way out, two new, beautifully produced translated collections of Darwish's work from independent American publishers are real acts of resistance. Raymond Deane reviews for The Electronic Intifada.
UN must act on Goldstone and the PA must be dissolved
5 Oct 2009 - Succumbing to US pressure and unabashed Israeli blackmail, Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Ramallah Palestinian Authority (PA), was reportedly personally responsible for the decision to defer UN Security Council consideration of the Goldstone report. This dashed the hopes of Palestinians everywhere as well as those of international human rights organizations and solidarity movements, that Israel would finally face a long overdue process of legal accountability and that its victims would have a measure of justice.
In Gaza
no
colour
6 Oct 2009 - i’m not
a faction supporter, carry no particular party flag, carry but the
green, black, white and red Palestinian flag… but this goes beyond
factions. This is undeniable collaboration, at the hands of the million
and a half shackled to hell: PA’s Goldstone block linked to tape
…Quoting what it called reliable sources, Shahab news agency said on
Tuesday that PA representatives at a meeting in Washington had
initially rejected Israel’s request not to endorse the report and were
determined to stick to this position. But, the agency added, Brigadier
Eli Avraham played a videotape showing a meeting between Mahmoud Abbas,
the Palestinian president, and Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence...
Palestine Chronicle
Deconstructing
the Israeli Narrative
6 Oct 2009 - By Dan
Lieberman As Israel's democratic posture becomes more questioned, its
mystique becomes more exaggerated. To prove the validity of its
actions, Israel's supporters focus on three components of Israel's
drive to an accomplished nation: The significance of the Zionist
mission, Israel as a Jewish state, and Israel not being responsible for
the Palestinian displaced persons. All of these issues, which had roles
in establishing the Israel state, are expressed with sweeping
generalities, devoid of specifics and facts. Obfuscation, lack of
clarity and an assumption that what is being related is correct often
characterize discussions of these issues. No questions asked and
nothing to explain. Evidence contradicts the narratives that Israel's
supporters work diligently to create. Before constructing a base for
Middle East peace, it is essential to deconstruct the spurious Israeli
narratives. The Zionists portray themselves as a vanguard of Jewish
thought and aspiration, leading the masses of Jewish people to freedom
and fulfilling the promises denied to them by an adversarial world.
History contradicts these portrayals, especially that of Zionism as a
mass movement by the Jewish people. Zionist philosophy had little
appeal to the Jewish people in the late 19th century. "The first
Zionist Congress (1887) was to have taken place in Munich, Germany.
However, due to considerable opposition by the local community
leadership, both Orthodox and Reform, it was decided to transfer the
proceedings to Basle, Switzerland. Reform Judaism in a series of
proclamations, which culminated in the 1885 Pittsburgh Conference,
rejected the Zionist program (Note:...
Will
Israel Ensure that History Repeats Itself?
6 Oct 2009 - By Jeff
Gates The lead-up to the first U.S.-Iran talks in three decades saw a
replay of the same modus operandi that induced the U.S. and its allies
to invade Iraq in March 2003. Then as now, the invasion of Iran is
consistent with a regime change agenda for Greater Israel described in
a 1996 strategy document prepared by Jewish-Americans for Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As with Iraq, the threat of weapons of
mass destruction is again marketed as a causa belli. As with Iraq, the
claim is disputed by weapons inspectors and intelligence analysts. The
Iraqi program had been shut down a dozen years before the invasion. In
Iran, there is no evidence that uranium is being enriched beyond the
low levels required for energy and medical purposes. Reports of a
“secret” processing plant failed to note that Iran suspended uranium
enrichment from 2003 until 2005. Seeing no change in the political
climate except more sanctions and more Israeli threats to bomb its
nuclear sites, Iran began building and equipping a new facility. As
with Iraq, there is no direct threat to the U.S. As with Iraq,
mainstream U.S. media focused not on Israel—the only nation in the
region known to have nuclear weapons—but on Iran. Enrichment is
relatively easy compared to the steps required to design, build and
reliably deliver a nuclear warhead. Activity around each of those steps
can be readily detected. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates
acknowledged that even if Iran were attacked, that does...
Obama's
Witchhunt
6 Oct 2009 - By
Stephen Lendman The FBI's top six news stories for the week ending
September 25 were about arrests and/or indictments of suspected Muslim
terrorists. Combined, they became the latest national security targets
in America's war on Islam. Waged relentlessly since 9/11, it continues
unabated under Obama for the same political advantage George Bush
sought by stoking fear to be used as a pretext to wage imperial wars
and crack down ruthlessly at home with police state efficiency - today
against Muslims, Latino immigrants, environmental and animal rights
activists, and street protestors, tomorrow against anyone voicing
dissent. Najibullah Zazi - The FBI's Top Story for the Week Ending
September 25, 2009 On September 24, an FBI press release announced the
indictment of Najibullah Zazi, an Aurora, CO-based legal US resident
from Afghanistan on a conspiracy charge "to use weapons of mass
destruction (explosive bombs) against persons or property in the United
States" based on allegations that he "received bomb-making instructions
in Pakistan, purchased components of improvised explosive devices, and
traveled to New York City on September 10 in furtherance of his
criminal plans." He was also charged with knowingly and willfully
making false statements to the FBI regarding international and domestic
terrorism. In addition, the indictment alleges that he and others
traveled in interstate and foreign commerce and used email and the
Internet to carry out his "criminal plans." If convicted, Zazi faces a
potential life sentence even though he's likely another victim of
police state justice in Washington's war on...
UN
Must Immediately Adopt and Act on Goldstone Report
5 Oct 2009 - By Omar
Barghouti Palestinian civil society has strongly and almost unanimously
condemned the Palestinian Authority's latest decision to delay adoption
by the UN Human Rights Council of the report prepared by the UN
Fact-Finding Mission, headed by justice Richard Goldstone, into the
recent Israeli war of aggression against the Palestinian people in the
occupied Gaza Strip. A common demand in almost all Palestinian
statements issued in this respect was for the UN to adopt the report
and act without undue delay on its recommendations in order to bring an
end to Israel's criminal impunity and to hold it accountable before
international law for its war crimes and crimes against humanity
committed in Gaza and, indeed, all over the occupied Palestinian
territory. Succumbing to US pressures and unabashed Israeli blackmail,
the president of the PA himself reportedly was himself responsible for
the decision to defer discussion at the Council of the Goldstone
report, dashing the hopes of Palestinians everywhere as well as of
international human rights organizations and solidarity movements that
Israel will finally face a long overdue process of legal accountability
and that its victims will have a measure of justice. This decision by
the PA, which in effect delays adoption of the report at least until
March 2010, giving Israel a golden opportunity to bury it with US,
European, Arab and now Palestinian complicity, constitutes the most
blatant case yet of PA betrayal of Palestinian rights and surrender to
Israeli dictates. This is not the first time, though, that...