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International Middle East Media Center

Israeli TV: “Israel Agrees To Freeze Settlements For 10 Months”
IMEMC 23 Nov 2009 - Tuesday November 24, 2009 - 01:49, The Israeli TV, Channel One, reported on Monday at night that Israel agreed to freeze all settlement activities, except in Jerusalem, for 10 months.

Shalom: “Israel Will Not Free Barghouthi, Saadat”
IMEMC 23 Nov 2009 - Tuesday November 24, 2009 - 01:28, Visiting London, Israeli deputy Prime Minister, Silvan Shalom, stated that Israel will not release Fateh leader, Marwan Barghouthi, and Secretary-general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Ahmad Saadat.

Abbas: “Palestinians Will Not Start A New Intifada”
IMEMC 23 Nov 2009 - Monday November 23, 2009 - 23:16, Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated Monday that the Palestinians will not start a new Intifada despite the fact that they are disappointed by the stalled the peace process, sponsored by the United States.

The Israeli military kidnaps two civilians during a number of invasions in the West Bank
IMEMC 23 Nov 2009 - Monday November 23, 2009 - 15:29, Two Palestinian civilians were kidnapped on Monday at dawn by Israeli troops during military invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.

Israeli settlers attack Palestinian vehicles in northern West Bank
IMEMC 23 Nov 2009 - Monday November 23, 2009 - 15:20, A Group of 20 Israeli settlers hurled stones, on Monday afternoon, at Palestinian vehicles driving at road near the northern west Bank city of Nablus.

The Israeli military hands out 25 evection orders to Palestinian families near Jerusalem
IMEMC 23 Nov 2009 - Monday November 23, 2009 - 15:19, 25 Palestinians families living near Jerusalem city received on Monday at dawn evection orders from the Israeli military.

Ma'an News

Palestinian bus driver attacked by settlers
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A Palestinian Jerusalemite was attacked by Israeli extremists in the illegal settlement of Bitar Eliet, south west of Bethlehem, according to Israeli media on Sunday. Maher Medwani, 47, from Ras Al-Amoud in East Jerusalem, was severely beaten by three Israeli settlers on the bus he was driving, who then proceeded to throw stones at him, according to the Israeli daily Yedihoth Ahronoth. Medwani stated that he refuses to return to the settlement out of fear that he will be killed by the settlers, the newspaper quoted. Yedihoth Ahronoth further reported that the recent beating of Medwani follows a pattern of violence and discrimination against Palestinians in the settlement, adding that hundreds of settlers, supported by local rabbis, demanded the dismissal of Palestinian workers citing that they harass women settlers and that their presence in the exclusively Israeli settlement causes what they term "spiritual concerns". 

Egyptian security raids 4 Gaza smuggling tunnels
11/23/2009 - Al-Arish - Ma'an - Egyptian authorities stormed four smuggling tunnels and a warehouse between Egypt and Gaza, Egyptian security sources revealed on Monday. The sources told Ma'an that Egyptian security forces raided the area near Salah Ad-Din on the border between Gaza and Egypt and found four smuggling tunnels. The forces were unable to arrest the smugglers, who had fled scene, according to the sources. However, large quantities of electrical appliances were found on their way to the Gaza Strip. The Egyptian authorities also raided a warehouse storing food and goods that were en route to Gaza via the smuggling tunnels. More than 450 smuggling tunnels have been apprehended this year by the Egyptian authorities. Since Israel and Egypt imposed a devastating blockade on Gaza in 2007, a vast network of smuggling tunnels has become the only reliable means of moving goods into Gaza. 

Egyptian banks demand return of shares in King David Hotel
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Two Egyptian banks petitioned the Israel High Court of Justice, demanding the return of their shares in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported on Monday. The Egyptian Arab Land Bank and the Bank of Egypt stated that the shares in the hotel were purchased during the 1930s and are worth millions of US dollars, according to the Israeli daily Ma'ariv. The petition put forward stated that after the 1948 war, the shares were transferred to the Israeli Absentee Property Custodian, which in turn sold the shares to Israeli companies. The petition further highlighted that the Absentee Property Custodian should have returned the shares owned by the Egyptian banks following the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, as stipulated by international law. 

Palestinian nun beatified in Nazareth
11/24/2009 - Nazareth - Ma'an - Thousands of Palestinians attended a beatification ceremony for a Catholic nun in Nazareth on Sunday morning. In a special mass at the Basilica of Our Lady of the Annunciation, local clergy praised the late Sister Maria Alfonsina Danil Ghattas, an educator who campaigned against illiteracy. Archbishop Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints who presided over Sunday's ceremony, said Ghattas devoted her life to helping others. She died in 1927 at the age of 83. Born in Jerusalem in 1843, Ghattas co-founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Most Holy Rosary of Jerusalem in the 1880s in Palestine. More than a century later, the institution still serves Palestinian girls in what is now Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In Nazareth, Amato delivered a message from Pope Benedict XVI, who approved the beatification over the summer. 

PA official banned from nearing Al-Aqsa
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli police reportedly banned senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official Hatem Abdul Qader on Monday from coming within 150 meters of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israeli radio reported that Abdul Qader will be allowed to appeal the decision after seven days. Abdul Qader was arrested by Israeli authorities three times recent months during Palestinian demonstrations at the Mosque, Islam's third holiest site, amid Israeli intrusions into the site. The Haram Ash-Sharif compound which contains the mosque is a focal point of Palestinian nationalism. Right-wing Israeli groups also lay claim to the area, causing tension. A visit by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon to the compound in September 2000 sparked the second intifada, dubbed the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Abdul Qader is the Fatah official in charge of Jerusalem affairs. 

VIDEO - Film imagines army checkpoints in London
11/24/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A new short film transposes Israel's movement restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied territories to London. In No Way Through a man drives through London in a desperate attempt to reach a hospital, after an ambulance is blocked by soldiers from reaching the scene of an accident. The seven-minute clip is an apparent attempt to compel Western viewers to imagine themselves in the shoes of Palestinians. Although analogy is not exact - the soldiers "occupying" London are British and speak English, unlike Israeli forces in the West Bank who speak Hebrew instead of Arabic - the film captures something of the challenges Palestinians face inside their own territory. The film was co-directed by Alexandra Bouillon and Sheila Menon, released in May as a part of the British experimental art and activism initiative Ctrl. 

Israel: Gaza projectile falls
11/24/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinians in Gaza launched a homemade projectile into Israeli territory on Monday, the country's military said. A military spokesperson told Ma'an that the projectile launched from northern Gaza landed Israel's Negev desert, west of the Nahal Oz fuel terminal, causing no casualties or damage. Israeli media reported that a siren sounded at 6:50pm. An explosion was also heard in the area. No Palestinian group has claimed responsibility for the reported strike. The launch comes two days after the Hamas-run government in Gaza announced it had reached an agreement with armed groups to cease cross-border attacks into Israel. However, three groups, the armed wings of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) and Fatah, all said that they were not bound by the agreement. 

Israel opens two Gaza crossings for aid delivery
11/23/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli authorities opened the Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings in Gaza on Monday, while Nahal Oz remained closed. Palestinian crossings official Raed Fattuh said between 108-118 truckloads of commercial merchandize and humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza through Kerem Shalom. He said that aid will include 20 trucks carrying 600 calves for the Muslim Eid Al-Adha holiday, during which sheep and calves are traditionally slaughtered. Fattouh added that 95 truckloads of wheat and fodder would be allowed through Karni. Israel opened the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday and allowed 20 trucks loaded with 600 calves, in addition to aid and merchandise. Both Nahal Oz and Karni remained closed. 

Palestinian detainees to receive 550 Shekels for Eid
11/23/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Palestinian prisoners will receive 550 New Israeli Shekels for the Eid Al-Adha holiday and for October and November, according to a statement released by Palestinian Minister of Prisoners and Ex-Detainees Issa Qaraqe on Monday. Qaraqe added that the ministry was successful in raising prisoners' canteen allowance to 50 NIS to allow detainees to purchase sweets during the Muslim Feast starting on Friday. The ministry also raised 94,000 Shekels to provide winter tent covers for detainees held at the Negev prison, to protect them from winter weather. According to the statement, Qaraqe accused the Israeli prison administration of delaying the approval of 350 Shekels for 900 Gazan detainees to buy clothes as their families have been banned from visiting for the last three years. The Palestinian ministry awaits Israeli approval, Qaraqe added. 

Woman killed in car accident between Ramallah and Jerusalem
11/23/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - A Palestinian woman was killed and her son was injured in a hit-and-run accident on Sunday, on the road between Ramallah and Jerusalem. The Palestinian police media office explained that a car with an Israeli license plate hit Khayriyya Kan'an,48, and her son, 13, from Qaddura refugee camp in Ramallah. The driver fled the scene towards Ramallah, the media office reported, adding that patrols found the car and are continuing the search to find the driver. Paramedic Imad Nofal, who evacuated the victims from the wreckage, told Ma'an the woman sustained serious wounds to the head and body. The road between Ramallah in the central West Bank, and the entrance to Ar-Ram, near East Jerusalem, has been the site of three accidents during recent months. The crossroad has no traffic lights and is usually highly congested. 

Donated books to enter Gaza in the coming days
11/24/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - A consignment of books and stationary will arrive in the Gaza Strip in the coming days, The Qatar Foundation announced on Monday. The Qatar Foundation, in conjunction with the Jordan Hashemite Charity, will deliver 18 trucks containing 250 tons of books and stationary to the Gaza Strip worth an estimated 10 million Qatari riyals, according to a news release issued by the organization. Qatar's ambassador to Jordan, Mane Abdel Hadi Al-Hajery applauded the efforts of the Jordan Hashemite Charity in overcoming the significant difficulties associated with sending aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, additionally commending Palestinians that have contributed to the implementation of the project, which focuses on supporting education in Gaza. The statement added that Al-Hajery paid tribute to the admirable initiatives undertaken by The Qatar Foundation in support of. . . 

Hamas leader: Swap coming soon, and on our terms
11/24/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - An Israeli-Palestinian prisoner swap will be finalized soon, said Ahmad Bahar, deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in a speech on Monday. The Hamas official was referring to the day's media frenzy over hints of a breakthrough for the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured in 2006. Addressing relatives of imprisoned Palestinians gathered at the Red Cross building in Gaza City on Monday, Bahar said "the light has dawned. You will soon meet your imprisoned sons. "He added, "Our people will soon celebrate the return of Palestinians from the occupation's prisons - and on the captors' terms,"In turn, Bahar called on factions holding Shalit not to alter their demands. "Your brothers in Hamas and in the government insist on an honorable resolution for our people. . . . " 

Prisoners optimistic amid exchange rumors
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Jailed Palestinians were in good spirits on Monday despite what they termed "torturous" rumors of an imminent prisoner swap that reported in the media. Responding to the reports of progress toward an exchange between Israel and the Gaza-based captors of an Israeli soldier, Chris Bandak, a Christian from Bethlehem, wrote that he and his fellow detainees "are sure the Palestinian leadership is doing everything it can [to free us]. " "Despite what is and isn't published in the media, this does not shake our confidence in ourselves and our right to liberty and to live with our families," he added. He was referring to Monday's media frenzy over hints of a breakthrough in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which is seeking the release of around 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured in 2006. 

Muslim-Christian group: Jerusalem holier than football
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The head of the Muslim-Christian Commission, an interfaith Palestinian organization, expressed regret on Saturday that the Arab and Muslim world was more focused on soccer than protecting Jerusalem. Speaking at the commission's new headquarters in Jerusalem, Secretary-General Hasan Khater said he was disappointed by the enthusiasm soccer players demonstrated last week in Sudan compared to their support for holy sites in Jerusalem. "I thought the Arab and Muslim countries were in a coma, unable to get excited about anything, but the match between Egypt and Algeria proved there is incredible potential. . . unfortunately it's being used for everything but furthering the nation's interests and real concerns," he said. He asked how soccer fans could become so "hysterically excited" over a match, but not when "Israeli soldiers hunt down and arrest Palestinian worshipers in Al-Aqsa's courtyards. . . . " 

Haniyeh receives Syrian soap stars in Gaza
11/23/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an -De facto government Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh received a delegation of Arab actors visiting the besieged Gaza Strip on Sunday. During a reception held for the delegation of actors at the de facto government offices in Gaza City, Haniyeh asserted that Hamas was willing to reach a reconciliation agreement and had undertaken great efforts to cooperate with Arab countries. "We are an inseparable part of Levant, and we feel close to the people and the leadership of Syria. The Palestinian people always watch Syrian TV productions which are always committed to the Arab causes in general and the Palestinian cause in particular. The latest popular soap Bab Al-Hara symbolized the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip,"�Haniyah said, addressing the delegation of Syrian actors in Gaza. Haniyeh added that, "Inter-Palestinian rivalry is an exception, and we want real Palestinian. . . 

Stranded Gazan pilgrims permitted to travel to Mecca
11/23/2009 - Mecca - Ma'an - The 1,000 Palestinian pilgrims from Gaza will travel to Mecca on Wednesday, according to Palestinian Minster of Endowments and Islamic Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash, despite Egypt's announcement earlier on Monday that the Rafah crossing will not be opened for them to travel. The minister assured that the remaining pilgrims from Gaza will leave on Wednesday through the Rafah border crossing at dawn and fly to Jeddah via Cairo airport, adding that the formal documents were being finalized. Al-Habbash added that 1,000 Palestinians from the West Bank, whose travel costs were undertaken by Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, will leave for Mecca on Tuesday morning at 10:00am through The Allenby Bridge and then will travel directly to Jeddah. Earlier on Monday, Egyptian sources told Ma'an that the Rafah crossing would not be opened to allow the 1,000 Palestinians from Gaza. . . 

In Argentina, Abbas overshadowed by Ahmadinejad
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Argentina for talks on the now comatose Middle East peace process on Sunday, on a visit overshadowed by Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahadinejad's visit to neighboring Brazil. Abbas was to meet with his argentine counterpart Cristina Kirchner on Monday. Last week Kirchner told visiting Israeli President Peres her government favors the creation of a Palestinian state. Palestinian-Israeli peace talks were broken off in December 2008 when Israel launched a three-week war on the Gaza Strip that ultimately left more than 1,400 Palestinians dead. Abbas recently rejected an Israeli offer to resume talks on the grounds that Israel must halt the expansion of settlements on land taken from Palestinians. During his meeting with Kirchner, Abbas praised Argentina for voting in support of a UN-mandated investigation into the war. 

Syrian soap superstars tour Gaza
11/23/2009 - Syrian soap opera superstars were among a delegation of actors that entered the Gaza Strip on Sunday on a solidarity visit to the besieged enclave. The group of 12 included Wafa Mousselie and Salim Kallas, who play leading characters on the hugely popular soap opera Bab Al-Hara (Gate of the Neighborhood), which appears nightly during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Watched by tens of millions across the Arab world, Bab Al-Hara is popular among Palestinians, particularly for its depictions of Syrian resistance to French colonialism in the 1930s. The delegation included Duraid Lahham, a leading comedian and director, who was visiting Gaza for the second time this year. Jamal Suleiman of the show Ahla Raya was also on the delegation. Among the group were Assad Eid, Rafiq Sbeie, Assad Fadda, Susan Najem Ad-Din, Radwan Aqili, Talhat Hamdi, Hadi Baqdunes, Hesham Hasbani and TV cameraman Ayman Salameh. 

PA cabinet rejects temporary borders
11/23/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - The Palestinian caretaker government rejected all partial solutions and plans to establish a Palestinian state on temporary borders during its weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah on Monday. Cabinet members guaranteed to end the transition stage which started sixteen years ago following the Oslo Accords and that the Palestinian state must by lands occupied by Israel in 1967 with Jerusalem as its capital. The cabinet expressed their appreciation for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who rejected the proposal of a Palestinian state on temporary borders. Members further condemned settlement expansion plans announced on Thursday by the Jerusalem Municipality to build 900 housing units in Gilo. The cabinet further established a ministerial committee to discuss the implementation of a retirement system for Palestinian Universities in coordination with the Higher. . . 

Germany criticizes settlements before Israel visit
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Germany assailed Israel on Monday in unusually stark terms over plans to expand settlements on land taken from Palestinians, a week before the two counties leaders meet in Berlin. "We greatly regret the recent decision to allow the construction of new homes in East Jerusalem," Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman spokesman Ulrich Wilhelm told reporters at a regular news conference, according to Reuters. The remarks coincide with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle's first trip to Israel and are in response to Israel's approval last week of plans to build 900 new housing units in the settlement of Gilo, south of Jerusalem. Germany is believed to be softer than other states in its criticism of Israel due to the legacy of the Holocaust in which the country's Nazi regime killed six million Jews. 

Tulkarem Mayor Abdul-Raziq dead at 64
11/23/2009 - Tulkarem - Ma'an - The mayor of Tulkarem, Ahmad Abdul-Raziq, died on Monday morning at an Israeli hospital. He was 64. Abdul-Raziq was first hospitalized on 25 September. He was appointed head of an interim committee to take charge of Tulkarem's municipal council on 5 January 2009. The deceased was born in Tulkarem in 1945. He studied engineering at Alexandria University in Egypt. He joined Fatah when it was established in 1965, and headed the Union of Palestinian Students across the world in the 1970s. In 1977, he was appointed representative of the PLO in Alexandria, then in Bangladesh (1980-1985), then Pakistan (1985-1988). In 1988 he became Palestinian ambassador to Pakistan. In 2005, he was appointed ambassador of Palestine to Algeria. Abdul-Raziq was also member of the Palestinian National Council. 

PA to pay workers on Tuesday
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Authority, the largest employer in the occupied territories, will pay its workers on Tuesday ahead of the Eid Al-Adha holiday, according to a union official. Workers' union leader Bassam Zakarneh said on Monday that by Tuesday workers will be able to withdraw their salaries from the banks. On Wednesday, caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced that the Israeli Ministry of Finance had approved the transfer of the PA's tax revenues in time for the disbursement of salaries before Eid Al-Adha, which begins on 27 November, and denied Israeli news reports that Israel was delaying the transfer of tax revenue collected on behalf of the PA. 

Palestinian police dismantle explosive
11/23/2009 - Nablus - Ma'an - The Nablus police explosives unit dismantled a grenade found in a scrap shop in the old city of Nablus on Monday, according to a police statement. The information office of the Palestinian police statement noted that officers from the explosives unit arrived at the scene after the shop owner reported to the police that a grenade-like object had been found in a scrap metal pile he bought from an Israeli salesperson. Upon confirming that the object was a live grenade, the explosives unit team transferred and dismantled it in a safe place, the statement said, adding that the process resulted in no injuries or damage to property. The information office urged Palestinians to report to the police immediately if they encounter any suspicious objectives. 

MoE seizes contraband meat, settlement products in the West Bank
11/23/2009 - Hebron / Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian consumer goods monitor department seized 10,800 kilograms of frozen imported meat on Sunday, during a field tour of Palestinian market places in Bethlehem and Hebron. The contraband meat was not labeled in Arabic, violating guidelines set out by the Ministry of Economy, the consumer goods department said. Meanwhile, the consumer goods monitor group seized an unspecified amount of milk in Bethlehem that was produced on an unnamedIsraeli settlement. All contraband goods will be destroyed in accordance with Palestinian governmental decisions of 2005, the department added. Minister of Economy Hasan Abu Libdeh has urged Palestinians to boycott products manufactured on illegal Israeli settlements built within the 1967 borders. The Ministry of Economy further seized 1,175 kilograms of textiles in Nablus that were manufactured on the illegal settlement Barqan in the West Bank town of Salfit. 

PSE drops: Al-Quds Index down 0.39% on Monday
11/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Stocks fell slightly on the Palestine Securities Exchange in Nablus on Monday, as the Al-Quds Index closed at 499. 4, dropping 1. 96 points (0. 39%). Trading volume was 385,731 shares traded for a total value of 905,848. 05 US dollars in 262 trades. The shares of 24 companies were traded. The shares prices of 13 companies rose, and five declined. The top five gainers were PLAZA by 4. 84%, PRICO by 4. 11%, ARE by 3. 77%, PCB by 3. 75%, and MIC by 3. 64%. The top five losers were AHC by 5. 00%, LADAEN by 3. 13%, BPC by 1. 63%, PALTEL by 1. 49%, and AMB by 1. 27%. [end] 

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In Gaza
moving on, until the next massacre
23 Nov 2009 - Three years after the murder of seventeen from the Athemna family –among them fourteen women and children, including an infant –and one from the Kaferna family, the pain has little receded for the Athamnah family survivors. When Desmond Tutu visited the region a year and a half after the attack [coming from Rafah after being prevented entry by Israeli authorities], he aptly described the 8 November 2006 Israeli shelling of the family sleeping in their homes as a ‘massacre’. This particular massacre came just a day after the Israeli army had pulled out of Gaza, following their 6 day-long invasion dubbed “Autumn Clouds” (in line with the sadistic tradition of...

Palestine Chronicle
As a Light Unto the Nations
23 Nov 2009 - By Gilad Atzmon - London 'Israel is the light onto the nations' says the Torah. Indeed it is, and not just because the Torah says so. Israel is ahead of everyone else in many fronts. Take for instance, terrorizing civilian populations and practicing some of the most devastating murderous tactics upon elders, women and young. The Jerusalem post reported yesterday that the Chairman of NATO's Military Committee, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, visited Israel earlier this week to study "IDF tactics and methods that the military alliance can utilise for its war in Afghanistan." A senior Israeli defence official added "The one thing on NATO's mind today is how to win in Afghanistan...Di Paola was very impressed by the IDF, which is a major source of information due to our operational experience." I would advise both the Israeli official and Admiral Di Paola to slightly curb their enthusiasm. The IDF didn't win a single war since 1967. Yes, it murdered many civilians, it flattened many cities, it starved millions, it has been committing war crimes on a daily basis for decades and yet, it didn't win a war. Thus, the IDF cannot really teach NATO how to win in Afghanistan. If NATO generals are stupid enough to follow IDF tactics, like the Israeli generals, they will start to see the charges of war crimes pile up against them. They may even be lucky enough to share their cells with some Israelis in due course, once justice is performed. Admiral Di Paola...