News
International Middle East Media Center
Israeli Police Crackdown On Protesters In East Jerusalem, Eleven Civilians Arrested
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 16:45, Eleven protesters were arrested by Israeli officers after a crackdown on a protest organized by Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
Protesters Carry Photos of ISM Activist During Weekly Nil’in Protest One Year On From Injury
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 15:27, Dozens of protesters were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation, this Friday, following the weekly demonstration in the central West Bank village of Nil’in, near Ramallah.
Two Injured, Dozens Suffer Effects Of Tear Gas Inhalation At The Bil’in Weekly
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 15:13, Two civilians were injured as dozens suffered from the effects of tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked the weekly anti wall protest at the village of Bil’in, central West Bank.
Clashes Erupt At Jerusalem’s Old City
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 14:57, Clashes erupted, on Friday afternoon, at Jerusalem’s old city between local youths and Israeli soldiers after the later prevented people for praying.
Al-Ma’sara Village, Southern West Bank, Protest The Israeli Built Wall
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 14:41, Villagers of al-Ma’sara, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, protested on Friday the Israeli built wall on villagers’ lands.
Palestinians Demand Entry to Jerusalem without permits during the Holy Week of Easter
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 13:12, Palestinian Christian organizations, figures and many other Palestinians from the Jerusalem and the surrounding area have sent a letter on March 4, to the heads of churches in Jerusalem, demanding them to encourage all Christians in Palestine to enter Jerusalem for the Easter celebrations without applying for permits from the Israeli authorities.
Barak Orders Full Closure on Jerusalem, West Bank
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 12:26, Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, ordered a full siege on Jerusalem and the West Bank starting on Thursday night after night. His decision was made after the Israeli Police warned of the possibility of clashes in Jerusalem.
Israeli Police Approves A Protest For Fundamentalist Settlers in East Jerusalem
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 11:04, The Israeli police approved a request filed by fundamentalist Jewish settlers who requested to be allowed to hold a protest in Silwan Arab town, in East Jerusalem.
Settlers Torch Olive Orchard In Hebron
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 10:22, A group of fundamentalist Jewish settlers burnt on Thursday at night an olive orchard in Safa village, north west of Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.
Resident Wounded In Israeli Air Strike In Khan Younis
IMEMC – Friday March 12, 2010 – 05:27, Palestinian medical sources reported on Thursday at night that a resident was wounded when the Israeli Air Force fired missiles at a factory in Al Qarara, north of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Jerusalem center: New restrictions at Al-Aqsa
3/13/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli police imposed tight restrictions on entry of worshipers to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights reported Thursday, on the eve of the Muslim holy day. Police began preventing worshipers under the age of 50 from entering the mosque for prayer in the late afternoon, while those who were allowed to access had to leave their IDs with Israeli police until they finished and left, the center said in a statement. The move infuriated worshipers, and the center condemned the measures as a violation of privacy and freedom to worship. It expected the coming hours to see further restrictions on worshipers after violent clashes left dozens injured a week earlier. Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld confirmed the age restrictions, which he said were necessitated by recent disturbances at the East Jerusalem site, considered to be among the holiest for Muslims and Jews.
Protesters hurt, arrested in Jerusalem, West Bank
3/13/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Several people were reported injured and arrested in anti-occupation protests across the West Bank and Jerusalem on Friday. Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, Palestinians said they were hurt by right wing Israelis who hurled stones in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. A Palestinian from Jerusalem told Ma’an that “settlers” were throwing stones at restaurants in the area. The incident was also reported in Israeli media. Meanwhile eight demonstrators were arrested when some 100 left-wing Israelis protested settlement construction nearby. The arrests proceeded while police allowed a right-wing counter demonstration to proceed. Separately, some 15 demonstrators were reported injured by Israeli forces who cracked down on protests against Israel’s separation wall in the villages of Bil’in and Ni’lin west of Ramallah.
Clashes erupt near Al-Aqsa Mosque
3/12/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday. Several Palestinians were reported injured, but it was not immediately clear how seriously. Mosque security guards and Al-Aqsa Foundation officials said less than usual numbers of worshipers were permitted to enter the holy site, and that less than 2,000 attended Friday prayers, which usually draw thousands more. Clashes erupted between Palestinian women and Israeli forces, the correspondent added. Israeli police were seen striking several women with batons when they attempted to cross through checkpoints in the Old City. Palestinian residents of Jerusalem were prohibited from gathering in large number, especially near the Ras Al-Amoud area, he added. Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said no one was injured, but confirmed that confrontations erupted in the Ras Al-Amoud area.
Israel to reinvestigate injury of US protester
3/12/2010 – New York – Ma’an – Israel will reopen an investigation into an incident in which American peace activist Tristan Anderson was critically wounded by Israeli forces during a West Bank protest in 2009. Anderson, 38, suffered brain damage when he was hit by a high-velocity teargas grenade fired by an Israeli border policeman in Ni’lin on 13 March 2009. Since his injuries prevent him from being moved to the US, Anderson remains in Tel Aviv’s Tel Hashomer hospital. An Israeli Justice Ministry spokesman told the country’s daily newspaper Haaretz that the investigation would be reopened. Israeli police closed their investigation in December citing a “lack of criminal culpability. “ Anderson’s parents’ attorney, Michael Sfard, wrote to Israel’s central district prosecutor’s office on Tuesday, demanding the probe be reopened on the grounds that it was deeply flawed.
US family appeals move to close shooting inquiry
3/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – This week the parents of US activist Tristan Anderson filed an appeal on Israel’s decision to close an investigation concerning their son’s injury. The 38-year-old American was critically injured by a high-velocity tear-gas projectile shot by Israeli Border Police in the West Bank village of Nil’in on 13 March 2009. In a statement, the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee reported that the basic grounds for the appeal include “undeniable negligence” in the investigation. This alleged negligence particularly involves two “critical errors in the investigation” conducted by the investigative unit of the West Bank Israeli Police Force. The first error was “mistaken identity”, the statement indicated: There were several Border Police squads in Nil’in at the time of Tristan’s injury, but only one was interviewed by investigators.
Egypt expels hundreds of Palestinians to Gaza
3/12/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Palestinian border officials said Friday that 224 Palestinians were sent back to the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Thursday night. The Palestinians, most of them former medical patients, were sent back via Rafah, the de facto crossings authority officials told Ma’an. The reports came amid larger allegations that Egypt had hardened its policies on issuing visas to Hamas leader from Gaza. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported Friday that Cairo wants Hamas to sign an Egyptian-backed reconciliation agreement with its Fatah rivals. Egypt’s construction of a wall between the Sinai and Gaza was just the latest point of controversy between the two sides, Haaretz reported. [end]
Mayor: Israeli settlers uprooted 40 olive trees
3/12/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli settlers uprooted dozens of olive trees in Qaryut, south of Nablus, at dawn on Friday, officials said. The settlers uprooted 40 olive trees in the Al-Batashiyah area of Qaryut, the village’s mayor Abdel Nasser Al-Qaryuti told Ma’an. The apparent vandalism was discovered as residents of the village woke up on Friday morning, Al-Qaryuti said. He said the trees were planted on land belonging to village residents Muhammad Jaber Abdullah, Ahmad Jaber Abdullah and Yasser Hassan. Calls to Israel’s Civil Administration, a branch of the country’s Defense Ministry that handles civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories, were not immediately returned. Calls to an Israeli police spokesman based in the West Bank went unanswered. Latest in a series of similar allegationsIsraeli settlers set fire to a Palestinian car in the northern West Bank on Wednesday,. . .
All Gaza crossings closed
3/12/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli authorities informed Gaza officials that the Strip’s border terminals wouldbe closed from Friday to Saturday evening. The Kerem Shalom, Karni and Nahal Oz crossings will be shut down throughout the weekend, Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said. They will reopen on Sunday, he added. The continued closure of the Nahal Oz terminal, formerly used exclusively for the transport of fuel has resulted in a continued shortage of cooking gas, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported. Last week,843 tonnes of cooking gas entered Gaza, which constitutes 60 percent of the weekly needs of gas, as estimated by the Gas Stations Owners Association , the UN body said. “As a result, the cooking gas rationing scheme introduced in November 2009 remains in place,” the OCHA Protection of Civilians report said.
Israel imposes West Bank closure
3/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces imposed a general closure on the West Bank beginning Friday morning, the army said. The decision means those Palestinians with permits will generally not be permitted to access Jerusalem over the weekend. The move comes in accordance with directives of the Israeli minister of defense, Ehud Barak, following situation assessments, the army said in a statement explaining the closure. “The IDF will continue to operate in order to protect the citizens of Israel while maintaining the quality of life of the Palestinian population in the area,” the statement said, noting that some Palestinians will still be allowed to enter Jerusalem and Israel. For the duration of the closure, persons who will need to pass for humanitarian reasons, including medical patients en route to care, 1,500 medical workers, 1,100 religious workers, 550 teachers and other professional. . .
Army: Israeli woman hurt by rocks near Ramallah
3/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An Israeli woman was injured near the illegal settlement of Ofra, northeast of Ramallah, on Thursday when Palestinian threw rocks at her car, an Israeli military spokesman said. The woman received medical treatment at the scene, the official said, while forces searched the area. An hour later two Molotov cocktails were tossed at another Israeli vehicle nearby, causing no injuries, the official added. [end]
Gaza: 1,000 candles mark 1,000 days of siege
3/13/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hundreds gathered in Gaza City on Thursday night to mark the 1,000th day of siege on the coastal enclave, lighting candles representing the thousands dead since the Israeli-led blockade began in 2007. The Popular Committee Against the Siege organized the vigil, encouraging those who lost loved ones to carry their photos in the streets as the rally took place in the Square of the Unknown Fighter. Others carried candles and banners calling for an end to the siege and a return to a life of dignity. Children from the Baladna Cultural Theater presented performed skits illustrating the damage done to kids and families during the siege, demanding protection from injustice and violence. Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee, addressed those gathered. “We will never surrender,” he said, stressing the strength of the people in the face of rights violations.
Latest Gaza entry, exit numbers
3/12/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Some 119 citizens entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing while eight citizens left on Wednesday, officials said. The Gaza crossings authority said the Erez terminal with Israel was partially open and saw the transit of 86 residents, including 33 patients with 30 companions, nine with permission to work, four with permission to travel, and 10 for other purposes. Additionally, 54 international passport holders and three Palestinians with Israeli citizenship left via Erez, the report said. Erez further saw the entry of 127 individuals, 89 of whom were Gaza residents, including 35 patients returning after completing medical treatment, 33 companions, two visitors and 19 for other purposes, the de facto government authority said. Meanwhile, 37 foreign nationals entered, as well as one person with Israeli citizenship.
Palestinian woman detained at Hebron mosque
3/12/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained a Palestinian woman near the Ibrahimi Mosque on Friday morning, security sources said. Officials told Ma’an the woman, identified as Alya Abdul Majeed An-Natsheh, 30, was accused of carrying a knife. An-Natsheh was detained at 6:30am and taken to an undisclosed location, the Palestinian security sources explained. An Israeli military spokesman said Border Police forces detained a woman carrying a 16-centimeter knife, and transferred her to Israeli police. The spokesman said the woman was found to be in possession of the knife at a checkpoint inside the site, which Israelis refer to as the Tomb of the Patriarch. Since the start of 2010, at least five Palestinians have been detained on accusations of knife possession in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque. Many of the detentions are contested by Palestinians as false. . . . .
In photos: 1,000 days of blockade in Gaza
3/12/2010 – 1-3: Palestinians light candles to mark 1,000 days of the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, in Gaza City on 11 March 2010 – MaanImages / Wissam Nassar. 4-5: Jamal Al-Khudari, head of Gaza’s Popular Committee Against the Siege, speaks on 11 March 2010, at a rally marking the landmark – MaanImages / Popular Committee. 5-6: Palestinians roast coffee beans at their store in Gaza City on 4 March 2010. Coffee is on the list of items banned from entering Gaza by Israel. The unroasted beans are smuggled in through the Egypt-Gaza tunnels – MaanImages / Wissam Nassar. 7-8: An Egyptian soldier watches a demonstration against the construction of a subterranean border wall, as Palestinians in Rafah rally on 21 December 2009. Egypt has only implicitly confirmed the construction of the underground wall, which was first reported by Israeli media, saying it is aimed at protecting its territory from security threats.
Bethlehem remembers slain fighters
3/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinians in Bethlehem marked the two-year anniversary of the Israeli assassination of four local men on Friday, an event that shocked the city. Israeli operatives driving a car with Palestinian license plates gunned down Mohammad Shahada, Issa Marzouq, Imad Al-Kamel, and Ahmad Al-Balboul while they were waiting in a car outside of a bakery in Bethlehem’s city center early on the evening of 12 March 2008. All four were members of Palestinain political factions or militant wings banned by Israel: Shahada, Marzouq and Al-Kamel were members of Islamic Jihad. Al-Balboul was affiliated with Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades. In a memorial on Friday, Palestinians in cars waving flags and playing patriotic music paraded down Bethlehem’s main street. The spectacular killing of four prominent men caused deep sorrow and rage in Bethlehem.
In photos: Airstrike aftermath in Khan Younis
3/12/2010 – MaanImages / Hatem Omar – Palestinians inspect the rubble of a factory in southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, 12 March 2010. A Rafah smuggling tunnel was bombed in addition to the facility, which locals said produced medical equipment and Israel identified as a weapons lab. [end]
Islamic Jihad: Peace process should be pronounced dead
3/13/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas and Palestinian opposition factions organized rallies in Gaza to support the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites believed to be under Israeli threat, a representative said on Friday. Demonstrators gathered at mosques throughout Gaza City, walking toward the Field of Palestine Part, then on to the ruins of the Palestinian Legislative Council. Speaking in front of the PLC building, Islamic Jihad leader Muhammad Al-Hindi called on the Arab world “not to give a cover to those who want to give up Palestine,” and withdraw their support for US-sponsored “proximity talks. “The Palestinian officials who participated in negotiations in past years must be exposed, Al-Hindi said demandeding a declaration of the failure of the peace process. Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya addressed the crowd after Al-Hindi, saying “It’s time for the Arab and Islamic nations to rise up to protect Al-Aqsa and the holy sites. “
OneVoice: Don’t let extremists seize the peace process
3/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Members and staff of OneVoice Israel, which describes itself an international grassroots movement amplifying the voice of Israeli and Palestinian moderates, urged attendees US Vice President Joe Biden’s speech at Tel Aviv University on Thursday not to let extremists on either side seize the peace process. Eight youth leaders joined the movement’s Israel interim director, Tal Harris, and coordinator, Guy Lupo, in distributing some 1,000 flyers to attendees in support of the renewal of talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority. “ The agenda in Israel is being hijacked by extremists who work to undermine our government’s strategy for peace,” said Harris. “Today, we witnessed 700 students at Tel Aviv University eager for change, who disagree with the appeasement of extreme settlers. . . “
PA police hand over suspected drug dealer to Israel
3/12/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Palestinian police arrested a man accused of selling illegal drugs in the town of Al-Ezariyah, east of Jerusalem. A police statement said that the suspect was found to be in possession of unnamed varieties of drugs. He was said to be a main distributor supplying other drug dealers in the area. The suspect was found to be in possession of a blue Israeli-issued identity card for Jerusalem residents. He was handed over to Israeli police. [end]
Abbas, Tunisian leader mull reaction to settlement plan
3/12/2010 – New York – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas and Tunisian leader Zine Al-Abidine discussed on Friday how the Arab League should respond to Israel’s announcement of new settlement construction in East Jerusalem. The discussion was prompted by a Tuesday announcement by the Israeli Interior Ministry that it plans to add 1,600 housing units to the settlement of Ramat Shlomo, built on seized Palestinian land in East Jerusalem. One day after the announcement, the Arab League said planned indirect peace negotiations between PLO leaders and Israel were derailed, after an inauspicious start on Sunday. The league had given its blessing to the US-mediated talks last week. The Council of Arab Foreign Ministers is set to meet later in March, where reports say a final pronouncement on whether or not talks will go forward will be made.
Clinton rebukes Netanyahu over settlements
3/12/2010 – New York – Ma’an – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to issue an unusually strong rebuke for a new plan to expand West Bank settlements, US officials said. The call came after the Israeli Interior Ministry announced on Tuesday that it plans to add 1,600 homes to the Ramat Shlomo settlement, which is built on Palestinian land in East Jerusalem, causing Palestinian leaders to back away from a commitment to US-sponsored peace talks. The Arab League advised Abbas not to enter the proposed talks. “ Secretary Clinton also spoke this morning with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to reiterate the United States’ strong objections to Tuesday’s announcement, not just in terms of timing, but also in its substance,” State Department spokesman PJ Crowley told reporters at a press briefing on Friday.
Haniyeh criticized for appointing female minister
3/12/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The pacifist Islamist movement Hizb Ut-Tahrir criticized Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday for appointing a woman to his cabinet. In a statement, the group’s Palestine branch said the appointment was “a clear violation of the command of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. “In Hizb Ut-Tahrir’s interpretation of Islam, women are banned from taking leadership roles. The group said the appointment was a sign of unwanted Western influence, and at the same time criticized Haniyeh’s government for “accepting Israel’s existence. “ Haniyeh announced on Tuesday that he plans to appoint an as-yet unnamed woman to lead a newly formed Women’s Affairs Ministry in Gaza. “ We are a national government, based on Islamic principles, and we call on women to become more involved in the parliament, municipalities, and ministries. . . “
Palestinians try to breach East Jerusalem checkpoint
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – IDF seals off West Bank for 48 hours; Israel forces arrest one Palestinian for assaulting police.
Why are Israel’s politicians still prevaricating about rocket defense?
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – While citizens of North, South are safer, government stalling is keeping further plans from materializing.
Police to let far-rightists march in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Activists led by Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir to protest against illegal Palestinian construction.
UN humanitarian chief warns of disaster if Gaza siege continues
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – John Holmes calls on Israel, Egypt to end Gaza blockade, says siege doesn’t weaken Hamas.
IAF strikes two targets in southern Gaza Strip
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – IDF Spokesperson: Airstrikes launched in response to Qassam rocket attack that hit western Negev kibbutz.
Two IDF soldiers charged with using 9-year-old ‘human shield’ in Gaza war
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – IDF court free soldier convicted of beating Palestinian, rejects demand to return officer to the ranks.
State: IDF not to blame for activist Rachel Corrie’s death
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – State Prosecution asks court to dismiss civil suit filed by U.S. activist’s family against Israel.
UN bomb disposal unit to enter Gaza to neutralize ordnance
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – IDF authorizes UN sapper unit’s entry into Gaza to deal with unexploded arms from Operation Cast Lead.
IDF Chief of Staff: All options on Iran should remain open
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Ashkenazi spoke at Friends of IDF dinner; Protestors outside held signs condemning ‘Israeli war crimes.’
Iran maneuvering Israel in a show of nuclear strength
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Iran concluded that the danger of an Israeli strike of nuclear sites has been neutralized.
IDF arrests Palestinian tractor driver who fled West Bank crash
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Three Israelis injured after tractor slammed into their car; IDF believes incident not terror-related.
U.S. urges caution as Israel okays 112 new West Bank homes
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – State Department says move does not violate freeze; Palestinians: Israel trying to sabotage talks.
PA moves to ban Palestinians from working in settlements
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Economics Min. drafting law he hopes will pass this month; PA already moving against settlement-made goods.
Palestinian boy freed from IDF jail without paying bail
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Hebron teenager had been held for nine days for alleged stone-throwing, after family unable to pay NIS 2,000.
Six Palestinians killed in accident with IDF jeep
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Car swerves off course head-on into IDF armed jeep near Ofra settlement in West Bank.
Report: Hamas admits losing control in Gaza
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Gaza in anarchy as extremist groups challenge Hamas regime, military chief tells Damascus leader.
IDF to release new findings defending Gaza war strike
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Army uses reports by Hamas and Islamic Jihad to justify mosque attack during Operation Cast Lead.
Israel treading carefully to avoid war with Syria
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – IDF cancels part of massive combat training exercise to calm tensions along northern border.
Shin Bet’s Hamas spy hires bodyguards after Haaretz story
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – I love my father, but his movement is arrogant and evil, says Hamas leader’s son who spied for Israel.
Respected Danish journalist admits ‘I was a Mossad agent’
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – It’s not uncommon for secret agents to take up a career in journalism as a cover for clandestine work.
West Bank rises up in a new ‘white’ intifada
3/12/2010 – The Independent – As Israel cracks down harshly on unarmed protesters, Donald Macintyre meets one Palestinian family whose teenage son has paid a heavy price – Ehab Barghouti would not have been at the demonstration at all if his father Asdal had had his way. Asdal found his son, 14, on the road from their village of Beit Rima and ordered him into the car. “I told him: ‘You shouldn’t go, you’re too young. ‘ He told me: ‘I want to resist. ‘ I said: ‘Do you want me to see you on TV? ‘” But when Asdal stopped at a local garage and went in to talk to the mechanic, Ehab made his escape. A few hours later he was unconscious in intensive care in Ramallah’s main hospital, a rubber-coated steel bullet having penetrated his skull. He had been standing among a crowd of youths, well inside the nearby village of Nabi Saleh, on a hillside carpeted with the first daisies and wild flowers of spring.
State to reinvestigate wounding of U.S. activist
3/12/2010 – Ha’aretz – The state this week agreed to reinvestigate the 2009 near-fatal wounding of American pro-Palestinian protester Tristan Anderson in the West Bank, after his lawyer complained that the discontinued probe of the case was “negligent. “”We will reexamine the decision to close the case of Tristan Anderson,” Justice Ministry spokesman Ron Roman told Anglo File. He said this after receiving an appeal from the lawyer of the 38-year-old American, who remains in critical condition at the Sheba Medical Center after police seriously injured him in the head exactly one year ago during a demonstration. The ministry decided in December to close its investigation into Anderson’s injury after its probe produced “a lack of criminal culpability. “Anderson, a Californian, was hit in the forehead on March 13, 2009 by a tear gas canister fired by a border policeman in the village of Na’alin during a demonstration against Israel’s contested separation fence.
Israel seals off West Bank amid heightened tension
3/12/2010 – Yahoo! News – JERUSALEM (AFP) ‚Äì Israel sealed off the West Bank on Friday amid tension with key ally the United States and in Jerusalem over plans to build new homes for Jewish settlers and fears of fresh violence at Al-Aqsa mosque compound. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the new settlements announcement “a deeply negative signal” about Israel’s approach to US ties. The 48-hour closure to run until midnight on Saturday drew harsh criticism from European Parliament chief Jerzy Buzek who said it was “unhelpful” and would complicate efforts to revive peace talks. Israeli police also barred men under the age of 50 from praying at the site of the mosque compound, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews. Isolated incidents broke out after the noon prayers. Four Palestinians were arrested after youths threw stones near Jerusalem’s Old City, police said.
Israel Rules Out ‘Concessions’ for Peace Talks
3/11/2010 – Antiwar.com – Jason Ditz – Palestinian Negotiator Says Talks Won’t Be Renewed Unless Settlement Construction Stops – Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat confirmed reports today that President Abbas had decided to halt peace talks with Israel unless the Israeli government abandons construction in East Jerusalem settlements. This effectively means the end to the peace process, before it has even begun, as Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon later declared that not only will Israel not abandon the plan, they will never again offer any concession for peace. The concessions so far, to the extent that any have been made, amounted to an announced, albeit extremely limited, settlement freeze in the West Bank (not including occupied East Jerusalem). Even this freeze has largely been ignored by the government, which has approved a myriad of settlement construction since the announcement,. . . .
VIDEO – Najla Said reads from her play of her teenage visit to Gaza
3/12/2010 – P U L S E – Najla Said, daughter of the late great Edward said, is not known for her father’s analytical acumen. She is all American sensibility and speech, and not as politically inclined as some of the rest of her family. But as an actress and playwright she gives a very human and compelling portrait of being an Arab-American, and specifically a Palestinian-American visiting Gaza as a teenager in this excerpt from her play. It was a trip that changed her, and coincided with highly personal events such as her father learning he had leukemia and her anorexia. And in this human portrait, Najla may well reach an audience which the best political analysis will miss. [end]
French protest import of Israeli settlement goods
3/8/2010 – Press TV – Thousands of French protesters have rallied against the import of Israeli settlement goods, specifically by the company Agrexco. Thousands of French protesters have rallied against the import of Israeli goods produced in Palestinian territories. Monday’s demonstration comes less then a month after the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled that Israeli goods made in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank cannot be considered Israeli. This means that those products cannot benefit from a trade deal giving Israel preferential access to EU markets. The protesters, who came from all over France, symbolically gathered in the streets of the Mediterranean port of Sete — a hub for the biggest Israeli food exporter, Agrexco. Over fifty percent of the company, selling over 300,000 tons of fresh fruits and vegetables to Europe, is owned by the Israeli regime.
Biden calls for Hizbullah disarmament during Tel Aviv University talk
3/12/2010 – Daily Star – Us VP URGES immediate restart to Palestinian-Israeli peace talks after row – US Vice President Joe Biden stressed Thursday during a speech in Israel that his country would pursue its efforts to fully implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to stop arms flow to Hizbullah and strip the party of its weapons, while also calling for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks to start without delay. ‘Weapons constituting danger equally against Israeli and Lebanese civilians,” Biden said during a lecture at Tel Aviv University on Thursday. Biden also slammed Iran’s leadership for funding and arming Hizbullah as well as seeking nuclear weapons. ‘There is no doubt that the major danger in the region is Iran, whose leadership defies the international community in its attempts to acquire nuclear weapons,” Biden said. ‘During the past 10 years, Iran became more dangerous and is building thousands of centrifuges while supporting and funding Hizbullah,” he added.
Middle East Quartet condemns Israeli settlement plan
3/12/2010 – Yahoo! News – UNITED NATIONS (AFP) ‚Äì The Middle East diplomatic Quartet on Friday condemned Israel’s plans to build new settler homes and said unilateral actions would not be recognized by the international community. The group — the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations — “condemns Israel’s decision to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem. “ “The Quartet reaffirms that unilateral actions taken by either party cannot prejudge the outcome of negotiations and will not be recognized by the international community,” it added in a statement. Israel announced Tuesday during a landmark visit by US Vice President Joe Biden that 1,600 new settler homes would be built in predominantly Arab east Jerusalem. The announcement triggered fury among Arab and Palestinian leaders, just as fledgling indirect talks appeared to have been coaxed back to life by the United States.
Saudis deny discussing pressure on China over Iran with US
3/12/2010 – Yahoo! News – RIYADH (AFP) ‚Äì Saudi Arabia denied on Friday that its officials had discussed with US Defence Secretary Robert Gates putting pressure on China to back a new round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear ambitions. An “official source” quoted by the official SPA news agency said reports that Riyadh said it was willing to use its influence to get Beijing to support UN sanctions aimed at convincing Iran to halt its atomic programme were false. “This issue is not true, it was not discussed during the visit of the secretary of defence who was in the kingdom recently,” the source was cited as saying. The Saudi government often expresses its official view on sensitive topics as unidentified “official sources” speaking to SPA. A Saudi official aware of the SPA statement told AFP the government did not wish to elaborate. Gates visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and Abu Dhabi on Thursday to discuss Washington’s push for new sanctions on Iran.
UN plays down risk of renewed Lebanon-Israel strife
3/12/2010 – Yahoo! News – Buzz up!0 votesUNITED NATIONS (AFP) ‚Äì A top UN official on Friday played down risk of renewed fighting between Israel and Lebanon’s Shiite movement Hezbollah but urged the two sides to refrain from further “inflammatory” words. Michael Williams, the UN special coordinator for Lebanon, told reporters that he briefed the Security Council “on the recent rise in rhetoric and public threats between Israel and Lebanon which have generated concerns of a renewed confrontation. “ “This public rhetoric and brinkmanship contravenes the spirit of (Security Council) Resolution 1701 and is utterly unhelpful,” he noted. Resolution 1701 ended a 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah that killed more than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and more than 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers. It has not led to a permanent ceasefire. Williams said that in his private talks with Israeli and Lebanese officials, both sides,. . . .
Lula Says Leaders Afraid Israel May Attack Iran If Talks Fail
3/12/2010 – Business Week – March 12 (Bloomberg) — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said world leaders are afraid that Israel may attack Iran if a diplomatic solution over the country’s nuclear program is not reached ‘quickly. “Lula, who makes his first trip to Israel next week, said in an interview with Israeli newspaper Haaretz that countries involved in Middle East peace talks have ‘grown tired” of the process. Bringing new mediators such as Brazil to the table is the only way to advance, according to a transcript of the interview released by the Presidency. ‘The leaders I spoke to believe that we must act quickly, otherwise Israel will attack Iran,” Lula said, adding that sanctions against Iran could be counterproductive. ‘We can’t allow happen in Iran what happened in Iraq. Before any sanctions, we must undertake all possible efforts to try and build peace in the Middle East.
Confusion: US Thinks Israel Peace Talks Still Going On
3/11/2010 – Antiwar.com – State Dept Dismisses Reports, But PA Very Clear in Stance – There appears to be no small level of confusion among US officials over whether or not the indirect talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority are actually going to go through as planned. State Department spokesman PJ Crowley insisted today that ‘I don’t think that report that’s been circulating for the last 24 hours is accurate,” adding ‘as far as I know, we are still moving forward. “But Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saed Erekat was very direct in confirming the reports, saying that the PA has no intention of resuming peace talks unless Israel halted its East Jerusalem settlement expansion. Israel has already ruled this out, effectively making the talks dead on arrival. Exactly why the United States State Department, which is expected to broker the talks, was not told of the PA’s position is. . . .
Analysis: US hamstrung on Israeli settlements
3/11/2010 – Antiwar.com – Analysis: With too much at stake to walk away, Obama, Biden are hobbled on Israeli settlements – AP News- A year ago, President Barack Obama boldly, unequivocally demanded that Israel stop building settlements on the West Bank and east Jerusalem. Today he’s left with little choice but to swallow a stinging and very public rebuke from America’s closest Mideast ally. Why? Too much is at stake. The administration has invested too much time, credibility and political capital to throw up its hands and walk away from its hard-fought efforts to get Israel and the Palestinians back to peace talks. An open fight with Israel is the last thing Obama needs in the midst of domestic political turmoil that has snarled signature efforts like health care reform. But the White House has signaled deep anger and probably won’t forgive or forget Israel’s boorish behavior.
13 Honor Killings in Two Months in Palestine
Uruknet March 12, 2010 – Seven women were killed in the Palestinian territories because of “honor killings” in the first month of the year 2010. These news were released by Palestinian human rights organizations interested in women’s issues, but according to my sources, this statistic was falsified and the real number of women who were murdered, only in the cities of…
Palestinians mark 1000 days of the siegeEXCLUSIVE PICTURES
Uruknet March 2, 2010 – Palestinians mark 1000 days of the siegePalestinians in Gaza have held a candlelit vigil to mark the 1000th day of the siege of Gaza. Hundreds of people gathered at the “Square of the Unknown Soldier” in Gaza City on 11 March to remind the world of the immoral blockade imposed by Israel, with Egyptian support. Under…
West Bank rises up in a new ‘white’ intifada
Uruknet March 12, 2010 – Ehab Barghouti would not have been at the demonstration at all if his father Asdal had had his way. Asdal found his son, 14, on the road from their village of Beit Rima and ordered him into the car. “I told him: ‘You shouldn’t go, you’re too young.’ He told me: ‘I want to resist.’ I…
Clashes erupt near Al-Aqsa Mosque
Uruknet March 12, 2010 – Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians near the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday. Several Palestinians were reported injured, but it was not immediately clear how seriously. Mosque security guards and Al-Aqsa Foundation officials said less than usual numbers of worshipers were permitted to enter the holy site, and that less than 2,000 attended Friday…
Israeli Settlement Expansions Continue
Uruknet March 12, 2010 – Currently, around 500,000 Jews reside illegally in over 120 West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements as well as dozens of outposts. Their numbers grow daily despite occasional pledges to curtail or slow them, the latest last November when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a 10 month freeze, calling it a move to “help launch meaningful negotiations…
Palestinians report to Arab Health Ministers on Israeli actions against patients and hospitals.
Uruknet March 12, 2010 – The Ministers of Health of the Arab states have been given a detailed report on the situation of health provision in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The report was presented by the Palestinian Health Minister, Fathi Abu Maghly, during a meeting of the Ministers of Health at the 34th session of their council in the Arab League…
Israel imposes West Bank closure
Uruknet March 12, 2010 – Israeli forces imposed a general closure on the West Bank beginning Friday morning, the army said. The decision means those Palestinians with permits will generally not be permitted to access Jerusalem over the weekend. The move comes in accordance with directives of the Israeli minister of defense, Ehud Barak, following situation assessments, the army said in…
Two IDF soldiers charged with using 9-year-old ‘human shield’ in Gaza war
Uruknet March 11, 2010 – The Israel Defense Forces prosecution on Thursday filed an indictment against two combat soldiers suspected of inappropriate conduct during Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip in 2008. The soldiers, who served as staff sergeants in the Givati Brigade during Operation Cast Lead, allegedly forced a 9-year-old Palestinian boy to open a number of bags they thought…
Dubai Investigation Exposes Israeli Ops in USA
Uruknet March 11, 2010 – An ongoing investigation by the Dubai Police force into the assassination of a high-level Hamas official in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in January has drawn back the curtains of secrecy and deception to reveal yet again the contours of Israel’s massive and ever-expanding espionage operations in the United States. The murder of Mahmoud Al Mabhouh…
U.S. gave Israel green light for East Jerusalem construction
Uruknet March 12, 2010 – The apology offered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Interior Minister Eli Yishai recalls the joke about the servant who pinched the king’s bottom. En route to the gallows, the servant apologized: He thought it was the queen’s bottom. The statement issued by Netanyahu’s bureau said that in light of the ongoing dispute between Israel and…
Poll: 46% of Israeli high-schoolers don’t want equality for Arabs
Uruknet March 11, 2010 – Racism and refusal to evacuate alongside support for a democratic system of government ‚Äì these are the jumbled sentiment of Israel’s high school students, according to a recent poll. They support a democratic form of government, but more than half of them believe that Arabs should not be allowed to vote in Knesset elections. One out…
Poll: Half of Israeli high schoolers oppose equal rights for Arabs
Uruknet March 11, 2010 – Nearly half of Israel’s high school students do not believe that Israeli-Arabs are entitled to the same rights as Jews in Israel, according to the results of a new survey released yesterday. The same poll revealed that more than half the students would deny Arabs the right to be elected to the Knesset. The survey, which…
Israel charges 2 soldiers for using Palestinian boy as ‘shield’
Jerusalem, March 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The Israeli military prosecutor charged two Israeli staff sergeants on Thursday with instructing a 9-year-old Palestinian boy to open several bags the soldiers suspected were booby-trapped during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza just over a year ago. The military said in a statement that “soldiers were strictly forbidden from making use of civilians…
Power outages cause increase in deaths from faulty generators
Gaza, March 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraphy; by Karl Schembri) – Daily power cuts in Gaza resulting from the Israeli blockade mean that Palestinians must now use cheap generators in their attempt to carry on with daily life. As the migraine-inducing sounds of generators overwhelm the Strip, Oxfam’s Karl Schembri discovers power cuts have caused much deeper disruptions, immune to quick-fix…
Activist tells Israeli court how bulldozer crushed Rachel Corrie to death
Haifa, March 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The final moments of Rachel Corrie, the American peace activist crushed to death beneath a pile of earth and rubble in the path of an advancing Israeli army bulldozer, were described to an Israeli court by an eyewitness yesterday. The parents of the 23-year-old, who was killed by the bulldozer in March 2003,…
Hamas to release British journalist in Gaza
Gaza, March 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – A British journalist arrested by Hamas in the Gaza Strip last month and held for nearly four weeks on suspicion of spying for Israel, was being released on Thursday, his lawyer and Palestinian officials said. Paul Martin was detained on February 14 while on a visit to Hamas-run Gaza to give evidence in…
Gaza marks 1,000 days of Israeli siege
Gaza, March 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The Palestinians in the Gaza Strip marke 1,000 days of the tight Israeli siege imposed on the narrow enclave, where 1.5 million Gazans are facing a “slow death.” The Popular Committee to challenge the Israeli siege told a news conference in Gaza that the population of the Gaza Strip is facing a “slow…
Israel seals off the West Bank
The National 12 Mar 2010 – A 48-hour curfew has been imposed until midnight tonight amid fears of violence as tensions heightened over plans for new homes in East Jerusalem.
Gaza is open-air prison’ UN humanitarian chief
The National 12 Mar 2010 – John Holmes warns of an impending humanitarian disaster if Egypt succeeds in blocking the tunnels that pass under its border.
Budrus, the West Bank film that succeeds by not pleasing anyone fully
The National 11 Mar 2010 – As the wrangling continues over stalled Middle East peace talks, a documentary about non-violent resistance made by a New York-based director may have the best take on the situation.
Bibi the conqueror
Palestine Note 12 Mar 2010 – You’ve really got to hand it to the Netanyahu government. They looked the Vice President of the United States squarely in the eye and, through a piece of random spittle, managed to once again hit the…
WATCH: ‘A [PEACE] SETTLEMENT… DERAILED BY A SETTLEMENT!’
Palestine Note 12 Mar 2010 – THE DAILY SHOW RIBS VP BIDEN’S VISIT TO ISRAEL AND HIS DINNER WITH NETANYAHU The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart took on the stalled peace process yesterday in his segment “The Path from Peace.” The subject of…
Bad time for Israel settlements fight
Palestine Note 12 Mar 2010 – This week in Israel, Vice President Joe Biden found out something that he’s probably known for quite some time: No good deed goes unpunished. Shortly after Biden arrived in Jerusalem on Tuesday, to reassure the Israelis…
An indirect route to a Palestinian state?
Palestine Note 12 Mar 2010 – RAMALLAH – Palestinians and Israelis have different and possibly contradictory expectations from the indirect negotiations that the United States has pushed both sides into beginning. Israel was among the first parties to welcome the Arab League’s…
High moral principle in Israel
Palestine Note 12 Mar 2010 – In the wake of Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel , a Knesset committee on Thursday endorsed a change to the country’s planning procedures aimed at preventing a similarly embarrassing episode of bad timing from occurring…
Nigerian terrorist
Palestine Note 12 Mar 2010 – 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Mutallab tried to blow up a plane in Detroit on Christmas Day. Is Nigeria a terrorist haven, a place where terrorism against America thrives? Probably not. Mutallab is one person out of…
‘Abbas Pulls Out of Talks
The Media Line 10 Mar 2010 – Following a Wednesday night emergency session of the Arab League, Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud ‘Abbas pulled out of the new round of peace talks with Israel that were expected to begin this week. The talks were…
European Union Rebuffs Jewish Efforts to Sidetrack Goldstone Endorsement
The Media Line 10 Mar 2010 – Word that European Jewish leaders had persuaded the European Union to defer endorsing the findings of the Goldstone Commission proved to be premature. On Wednesday, the European Parliament ratified a resolution endorsing the Goldstone findings, including…
Gaza Receives United Nations Bomb Disposal Unit
The Media Line 10 Mar 2010 – Munitions experts from the United Nations have arrived in the Gaza Strip on a mission to defuse unexploded bombs left over from last January’s fighting between Israel and Hamas. It’s estimated that the job will take…
Israel indicts soldiers over Gaza
AlJazeera 11 Mar 2010 – Two soldiers face three years in jail over conduct during Gaza war.
US urges ‘prompt’ Middle East talks
AlJazeera 12 Mar 2010 – Palestinians have not pulled out of talks with Israel despite settlement row, US says.
Israel seals off West Bank
AlJazeera 12 Mar 2010 – Closure imposed on occupied territory in anticipation of protests after Friday prayers.
Clinton warns Israel on US ties
AlJazeera 12 Mar 2010 – US secretary of state says Israel is putting ties at risk over new settlements in West Bank.
Clinton calls PM, slams J’lem plan
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – Quartet: condemns Israel’s unilateral action; Abbas: talks would have resumed.
Quartet condemns Israel for R. Shlomo plans
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – US, UN, Russia & EU oppose unilateral action prejudicial to agreement; peace the fundamental interest of all parties.
1 Arab hurt in Sheikh Jarrah
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – As left-wing protest disperses, Jews hurl rocks at Arabs in J’lem neighborhood.
’Israel got in way of renewal of talks’
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – Abbas says negotiations were scheduled to begin soon, but were postponed.
W. Bank sealed amid Arab rioting fears
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – Police boost presence in Jerusalem’s Old City, Temple Mount access restricted.
Hamas releases UK journalist
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – Group accused Paul Martin of being security threat, but did not charge him.
Yemen holds US man after al-Qaida sweep, shootout
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – Sharif Mobley suspected of being member of terror group and killing guard in attempt to break out of hospital.
IAF bombs Gaza tunnel, arms factory
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – Air raid comes in response to Kassam attack; general closure imposed on W. Bank.
Footage of Jibril Deal soldiers aired
Jeruslalem Post 12 Mar 2010 – In special broadcast, Al-Jazeera shows Israelis in PLF captivity in Syria.
OCHA Weekly Report: At least 72 Palestinians Injured
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 – JERUSALEM, March 12, 2010 (WAFA)- This week saw the highest level of Palestinian injuries in a single-week since the first week of July 2008: at least 72 Palestinians were wounded in various
Journalist’s Detention by Hamas Violated Due Process, Says HRW
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 РNEW YORK, March 12, 2009 (WAFA)– The 25-day detention by Hamas of the British journalist Paul Martin seriously violated his due process rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Thursday. Martin
From Jerusalem With Love… Naji
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 – JERUSALEM, March 12, 2010 (WAFA)- The U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem and the Palestinian National Theater ‘Al Hakawati” have joined forces on an innovative cultural exchange program that brings
Dozens Injured in Weekly Demos against the Wall
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 – RAMALLAH, March 12, 2010 (WAFA)- Dozens of citizens were injured as Israeli Occupation forces (IOF) stormed peaceful demonstrators of tear gas and rubber bullets in the weekly rallies against
The World Needs Sincere Dialogue, Says Lula
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 – BRAS?çLIA, March 12, 2010 (WAFA)‚Äì On the eve of travelling to Israel, Palestine and Jordan, Brazilian President Luiz In?°cio Lula da Silva said, in an interview to ANBA and to Israeli
Release of British Journalist Held by Hamas in Gaza
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 –
S&D Group Backs UN Investigations on Gaza
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 – STRASBOURG, March 11, 2010 (WAFA)-S&D Group backed the resolution adopted yesterday by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on the implementation of the Goldstone recommendations endorsing the
Economic, Social Development in West Bank, Gaza Continues to be World Bank Priority
WAFA 12 Mar 2010 –
EGYPT: Population Growth Overtakes Literacy Rise
IPS LUXOR, Mar 12 (IPS) – Literacy programmes are teaching millions of Egyptians to read, but are struggling to keep up with the country’s high population growth.
MIDEAST: Building Settlements, Not Peace
IPS JERUSALEM, Mar 12 (IPS) – “The best laid-schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley” (Scottish for ‘going wrong’).
EGYPT: U.N. Slams Abuse of Emergency Law
IPS NEW YORK, Mar 11 (IPS) – Despite diplomatic maneuvering designed to block any review of its human rights record, a United Nations special rapporteur has told the U.N. Human Rights Council that proposed changes in Egypt’s constitution “would create a permanent legal state of emergency”.
MIDEAST: Iran, Israel Spoiling for a Fight?
IPS RAMALLAH, Mar 10 (IPS) – Iran and Israel appear to be spoiling for a fight, going by recent belligerent statements emanating from several regional capitals.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (04 – 10 March 2010)
PCHR 10 Mar 2010 – A worker builds a new house in the “Beitar Illit” settlement near Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
International Solidarity Movement
Family Appeals Decision to Close Investigation on Shooting of US Citizen Tristan Anderson
3/12/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – This week the parents of Tristan Anderson filed an appeal on the decision to close the investigation concerning their son’s injury. – The 38 year-old American was critically injured by a high velocity tear gas projectile shot by Israeli Border Police in the West Bank village of Nili’in on March 13, 2009. The basic grounds for the appeal include undeniable negligence in the investigation. This negligence particularly involves two critical errors in the investigation conducted by the Investigative unit of the SJ District (West Bank) Israeli Police Force: Mistaken identity: There were several Border Police squads in Nili’in at the time of Tristan’s injury, but only one of them was interviewed by investigators. A thorough examination of the facts shows that the squad interviewed was the wrong one. No field visit: The investigation team did not visit the scene of the incident. . . .
State to reinvestigate wounding of U.S. activist
3/12/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Ha’aretz – The state this week agreed to reinvestigate the 2009 near-fatal wounding of American pro-Palestinian protester Tristan Anderson in the West Bank, after his lawyer complained that the discontinued probe of the case was “negligent. “”We will reexamine the decision to close the case of Tristan Anderson,” Justice Ministry spokesman Ron Roman told Anglo File. He said this after receiving an appeal from the lawyer of the 38-year-old American, who remains in critical condition at the Sheba Medical Center after police seriously injured him in the head exactly one year ago during a demonstration. The ministry decided in December to close its investigation into Anderson’s injury after its probe produced “a lack of criminal culpability. “Anderson, a Californian, was hit in the forehead on March 13, 2009 by a tear gas canister fired by a border policeman in the village of Na’alin during a demonstration against Israel’s contested separation fence.
West Bank rises up in a new ‚Äòwhite’ intifada
3/12/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Donald Macintyre, The Independent – Under a cloud of tear gas residents of the Palestinian village Nabi Saleh, Israeli and international activists run away during the weekly demonstration against Israeli settlement expansion, in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh, near the Jewish settlement of HalamishEhab Barghouti would not have been at the demonstration at all if his father Asdal had had his way. Asdal found his son, 14, on the road from their village of Beit Rima and ordered him into the car. “I told him: ‚ÄòYou shouldn’t go, you’re too young. ‘ He told me: ‚ÄòI want to resist. ‘ I said: ‚ÄòDo you want me to see you on TV? ‘” But when Asdal stopped at a local garage and went in to talk to the mechanic, Ehab made his escape. A few hours later he was unconscious in intensive care in Ramallah’s main hospital, a rubber-coated steel bullet having penetrated his skull.
Israel believes East Jerusalem row won’t stop Mideast talks
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Senior U.S. officials: Though crisis is over publicly, it will take time to restore trust between the two sides.
Quartet condemns Israel: Unilateral action cannot prejudge talks’ outcome
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Israel ‘expected to take action’ to revive peace talks, U.S. Secretary of State tells prime minister in phone call.
Emmanuel Sivan / So what does the Arab and Muslim street really think?
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – People on the street have no reliable info, unsurprisingly their impression is based merely on gut feeling.
MESS Report / Palestinian police chief knows ‘the secret of the correct use of force’
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Avi Issacharoff talks to PA Police Commissioner Hazem Atallah in first Israeli media interview.
Comment / UN Human Rights Council is both the problem and the solution
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – UNHRC is today composed of only 49 percent ‘free’ member states, as classified by Freedom House.
UN worried by war of words between Israel and Lebanon
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Exchanges of threats ‘have generated concerns of a renewed confrontation,’ UN official says.
’People are laughing at you’: U.K. expert on Israel’s PR effort
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – ‘Fascinating as it is that you developed the cherry tomato, do you really think it will change people’s perceptions?’
Now the Americans are certain no one is in charge here
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – In alienating Joe Biden, the prime minister lost his one real friend at the top of the U.S. administration.
Austrian government discovers mass graves of Nazi victims
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – The mass graves, contianing aboout 70 bodies, are located underneath an army sports field in Graz.
Jewish extremists to model Bar Refaeli: Don’t marry DiCaprio
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – In letter to supermodel, Baruch Marzel wrote: Assimilation has forever been an enemy of the Jewish people.
Brazil leader talks Mideast peace, how to be friends with both Israel and Iran
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – In exclusive interview, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tells Haaretz it’s time for more serious Israel-Palestinian talks.
Corrie’s sister to Haaretz: U.S. encouraged family to sue Israel
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Sister of killed U.S. activist Rachel Corrie speaks to Haaretz as trial over Corrie’s death begins.
’Abbas seeks U.S. pledge for East Jerusalem construction freeze’
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Report: Mitchell urges Abbas not to walk away from negotiations; Israel: Row won’t stop Mideast talks.
Egyptian guards seriously wound Ethiopian trying to cross into Israel
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Egypt has been under international pressure to stop using lethal force against migrants.
Interior Minister Yishai: Israel’s relationship with U.S. is above all else
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Crisis with U.S. over East Jerusalem construction caused by unfortunate coincidence, says Shas chair.
Israel and America: Foolish tricks | Editorial
The Guardian 12 Mar 2010 – By its continued settlement expansion, Israel makes the two-state solution ever harder to realise Politics is ultimately about interests. Morals and highfalutin principles have their place, but a more reliable truth is that governments and countries…
Biden visit exposed Israeli settler truths | Daniel Levy
The Guardian 12 Mar 2010 – This week the US saw Netanyahu’s government in all its glorious stubborness ‚Äìproviding a clarity the peace process badly needs There was a moment of rare clarity this week for America’s efforts to advance Israeli-Palestinian peace….
Israeli settlements plan angers archbishop of Canterbury
The Guardian 12 Mar 2010 – Dr Rowan Williams adds voice to growing criticism of scheme to build nearly 2,000 homes on occupied territory The archbishop of Canterbury has waded into the row over Israeli plans to build hundreds of homes on…
How Bibi lost a best friend | Aluf Benn
The Guardian 12 Mar 2010 – Netanyahu needs all the support he can get. But he still turned Biden’s visit into a diplomatic fiasco Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, has a bad habit: when things appear to be moving in the right…
Israel plans more East Jerusalem homes as talks collapse
The Guardian 11 Mar 2010 – NGO list shows how plans stand after latest settlement announcement brought Palestinian peace talks to halt Israeli authorities are considering plans for at least another 8,000 homes in settlements in East Jerusalem, it emerged today, despite…
Joe Biden attempts to salvage Middle East peace talks
The Guardian 11 Mar 2010 – US vice-president appeals to Israel after Palestinians walk out over decision to build new homes in Jewish settlement The US vice-president, Joe Biden, today attempted to salvage the Middle East peace talks after the Palestinians announced…
Israel’s unfair ‘law of return’ | Abe Hayeem
The Guardian 11 Mar 2010 – While British Jews are offered property in the West Bank, Palestinian refugees are still denied the right to return The yearly drive to encourage British Jews to emigrate to Israel culminated last weekend in the Israel…
British journalist freed by Hamas leaves Gaza
The Guardian 11 Mar 2010 – Paul Martin enters Israel following his release from captivity four weeks after arrest in spying case A British journalist held by Hamas for nearly four weeks on suspicion of spying for Israel has left Gaza after…
Why do Egyptians love Avatar? | Joseph Mayton
The Guardian 11 Mar 2010 – Parallels between the Na’vi and oppressed people in the Arab world are flawed ‚Äì and imply the need for a foreign saviour The gigantic blue Na’vi of Pandora have captured Egyptian and Arab minds over the…
Bibi’s snub to Biden may backfire | Simon Tisdall
The Guardian 11 Mar 2010 – Intentional or not, the announcement of new settlements in East Jerusalem may push the US into a tougher stance towards Israel It’s not the first time that Israel has stiffed Barack Obama over his attempts to…
Thank you for using Qalandiyah checkpoint
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – About the MESS Report …
Police to let far-rightists march in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz 12 Mar 2010 – Jerusalem Police on Thursday agreed to let dozens of far-rightists march through an Arab village in East Jerusalem. The activists, led by Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir, had requested to demonstrate in Silwan to protest illegal Palestinian construction in the area. …
Don’t call the Israeli Left anti-Zionist
Ha’aretz 11 Mar 2010 – They estimate that the number of participants in the demonstrations in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah was 3,000; and they stress that for a long time, no one has seen such a large protest here. Yallah! We have a fight. …
Pro-Palestinian urge boycott of Europe’s H&M after Israel branch opens
Ha’aretz 11 Mar 2010 – More than 24 European and Middle Eastern pro-Palestinian organizations on Thursday condemned the opening of H&M’s flagship store in Israel and called to boycott the clothing chain’s stores in Europe in response. …
Jews displaced from Arab lands finally recognized
Ha’aretz 11 Mar 2010 – For the first time since they came to Israel, all 10 Jewish communities displaced from Arab countries have agreed on a course of action to address their grievances – and triumphed in the political arena. …
Economic and Social Development in the West Bank and Gaza continues to be a World Bank Priority
Relief Web 12 Mar 2010 – Source: World Bank
Women’s Commission Forwards Draft Resolution on Assistance to Palestinian Women to Economic and Social Council, Adopts Six More, as It Concludes Annual Session
Relief Web 12 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Commission on the Status of Women, UN Economic and Social Council
Delivering Vital, Flavorful Medicine to West Bank
Relief Web 12 Mar 2010 – Source: American Near East Refugee Aid
Providing Access to Clean Water in Gaza
Relief Web 12 Mar 2010 – Source: American Near East Refugee Aid
OPT: Statement by Middle East Quartet, 12 Mar 2010
Relief Web 12 Mar 2010 – Source: Middle East Quartet
Capoeira brings joy to displaced Iraqi children at the Al-Tanf refugee camp in Syria
Relief Web 12 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Children’s Fund
Haredim riot in Sheikh Jarrah
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – Shortly after rally against Jewish presence in east Jerusalem neighborhood concludes, dozens of ultra-Orthodox Jews arrive at the scene, stone passing cars. Leftist: We’ll fight for Palestinians’ right to return to their homes
Clinton slams Israel on housing announcement
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – Secretary of state tells Netanyahu announcement of plan to build more Jewish homes in east Jerusalem ‘contradicts spirit of Biden’s Mideast trip, undermines confidence in peace process’
Abbas, Ben Ali discuss Israeli ‘settlement’ plan
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – In Tunisia, Palestinian president says approval of plan to construct 1,600 housing units in east Jerusalem ‘got in the way of’ plans to launch indirect talks
Turkish ambassador: Developments in Ankara-J’lem ties imminent
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – In apparent sign of thaw in relations, members of Knesset’s Israel-Turkey Friendship Organization attend luncheon at Celikkol’s Herzliya home. ‘Turkey a bridge between Israel, Islamic nations,’ Deputy Minister Kara says during event
Palestinians: Soldiers watched as settlers attacked
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – Nablus area Palestinians say assaulted by Gilad Farm residents; settlers accuse leftists of ‘provocation’; three settlers detained
3,000 police stationed in J’lem, 3 rioters arrested
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – After asking to impose full closure on West Bank, thousands of police officers dispatched to maintain order during Friday prayers on Temple Mount. Clashes breakout while police commissioner visits Western Wall command post, but Friday prayers end in relative calm
After Biden debacle, PMO rep present in building talks
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – Following Interior Ministry’s authorization of 1,600 housing units in east Jerusalem during US Vice President Joe Biden’s visit, Minister Herzog initiates addendum to law ‘in order to prevent similar mishaps in future’
Will classified Eichmann files be released?
YNet News 12 Mar 2010 – Journalists, researchers and former intelligence agents tell Der Spiegel of Germany’s reluctance to expose documents unraveling Nazi war criminal’s flight from Europe after World War II. Former German agent says Frankfurt prosecutor gave information to Israel because he ‘didn’t trust the Germans to want to find Eichmann’
Volunteer work at Qarawa Bani-Hassan prompts settler activity
Stop The Wall – Tens of Israeli settlers have returned to the sight of the springs at Qarawa Bani-Hassan; a village 14 Km west of Salfit, known for its beautiful landscape and water springs. This time, the settlers are supported by the Occupation army and bulldozers, and also by Israeli volunteers from Tel Aviv and Herzliya. They have brought construction materials to the spring and have started what looks like the first steps to building yet another settlement, and stealing more Palestinian land. [
Villages continue to fight the Wall across the West Bank
Stop The Wall – Weekly protests against the Wall are continuing as old struggles reappear in Bethlehem. On Friday, in addition to the ongoing actions in Beit Jala and other areas, the villages of al-Ma’sara, Bil’in, Nabi Saleh and Ni’lin held their weekly demonstrations. Protestors faced tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds, and one young boy was seriously injured in Nabi Saleh. [
Palestinian Information Center
Israeli occupation bar worshipers from reaching the Aqsa Mosque
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – IOF troops closed on Friday the gates leading to the Aqsa Mosque in the occupied city of Jerusalem, allowing through only men over 50 years of age.
Mass demonstrations in Gaza in support of the Aqsa and other holy places
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – Tens of thousands of people participated in demonstrations in the Gaza Strip in support of Islamic holy places coming under Israeli occupation attack in the West Bank.
Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood: Holy places can be protected by force only
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – Thousands of Jordanians participated in a huge rally in support of the Aqsa Mosque and other holy places which was organised by the Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan.
Egyptian security arrest tens of “Muslim brothers” who demonstrated for Aqsa
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – Egyptian police arrested around fifty members of the Muslim Brotherhood movement in five districts as they participated in demonstrations in support of the Aqsa Mosque after the Friday prayers.
Gazans mark 1000 days of siege
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – MP Jamal al-Khudari and thousands of Palestinians and foreign sympathisers on Thursday evening lit a thousand candles to mark a thousand days of siege on the Gaza Strip.
Bahar to Arab leaders: cancel negotiations’ decision
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – Ahmad Bahar, the first deputy-speaker of the Palestinian parliament, has called on the Ramallah-based PA authority to immediately stop all forms of negotiations with the Israeli occupation..
Muslim-Christian organization exposes dangerous Judaization plan in O. Jerusalem
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – The Muslim-Christian organization has exposed an Israeli plan aiming at building 50,000 settlement units in the occupied city of Jerusalem, describing the scheme as most dangerous.
Palestinians in Holland condemn the world’s silence towards Gaza siege
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – The Palestinian forum in Holland on Thursday condemned international silence towards the Israeli siege on Gaza that left nearly 1.5 million people living there in extremely harsh conditions.
Israeli occupation impose a closure on the West Bank
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – The Israeli occupation authorities imposed a total closure on the West Bank starting Thursday evening for 48 hours that could be renewed.
Israel hands out invitations to attend opening of synagogue inside Aqsa Mosque
PIC 13 Mar 2010 – Palestinian sources in Jerusalem said that the Israeli occupation authorities started to distribute official invitations for the opening of a synagogue at the heart of the Aqsa Mosque on March 16.
Questions abound after Biden’s Israel visit
LA Times 12 Mar 2010 – Oddly timed news that Israel was approving new housing in disputed East Jerusalem antagonized the Palestinians and the Americans. Why was it made public during the vice president’s trip? You come for a hug. You leave with a slap.
Biden seeks to nurture Mideast talks
LA Times 11 Mar 2010 – His troubled Mideast trip approaches its end with a Palestinian threat to pull out of planned peace negotiations. Vice President Joe Biden, winding up a disconcerting trip to the Middle East, struggled Thursday to keep hopes alive for new peace talks amid Palestinian anger over Israeli plans for new housing construction in a disputed Jerusalem neighborhood.
Two Israeli soldiers accused of using human shield
LA Times 12 Mar 2010 – The two are indicted in military court for allegedly using a 9-year-old Palestinian boy to open packages they thought had bombs during the Gaza war. The United Nations had referred the case to Israel. Two Israeli soldiers involved in the Gaza Strip offensive a year ago used a 9-year-old Palestinian boy as a human shield to open packages they believed were booby-trapped with explosives, the Israeli army charged Thursday.
Israelis Block Palestinians From Holy Site
New York Times 12 Mar 2010 – On Friday, Israeli police prevented young Palestinian men from praying at a holy site in Jerusalem, and Israel’s military imposed a general ban on travel by Palestinians from the West Bank into Israel.
Israel Seals Off West Bank to Prevent Unrest
New York Times 12 Mar 2010 – Israel wants to prevent Palestinians to enter the country for 48 hours, in reaction to clashes following Friday prayers that have taken place in the past few weeks.
Israeli Ad Riffs on Dubai Assassination
New York Times 12 Mar 2010 – To illustrate the slogan “We offer killer prices,” an Israeli supermarket chain’s new commercial will feature surveillance camera footage of actors dressed like the suspects accused of assassinating a Hamas official in Dubai in January.
Palestinians Honor a Figure Reviled in Israel as a Terrorist
New York Times 12 Mar 2010 – Palestinian students dedicated a public square to the memory of Dalal Mughrabi, who in 1978 helped carry out the deadliest terrorist attack in Israel’s history.
Hamas Releases British Journalist After 25 Days
New York Times 12 Mar 2010 – British officials took Paul Martin, a freelance filmmaker, to Israel after Hamas officials ended his 25-day detention.
Israel Charges 2 Soldiers in Gaza War Case
New York Times 12 Mar 2010 – Two Israeli soldiers were charged with instructing a Palestinian boy to open several bags they suspected were booby-trapped during Israel’s 2009 military campaign in Gaza.
Rachel Corrie Family Finally Puts Israel in Dock
Palestine Monitor – 11 Mar 2010 – Seven years after Rachel Corrie, a US peace activist, was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, her family was to put the Israeli government in the dock today. A judge in the northern Israeli city of Haifa was due to be presented with evidence…
Is Hillary’s ‚Äòdeeply negative signal’ a deeply positive signal?
Mondoweiss – 12 Mar 2010 – The Obama Administration finally realized its credibility was in tatters after the shenanigans of this week in Israel. With the President apparently sedated and the Vice President hoarse from crooning love songs to Israel, it was decided to have the top wimps step aside and let…
Pressure mounts on Swedish clothing chain that finds Israel vogue
Mondoweiss – 12 Mar 2010 – The boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement is turning up the heat on Swedish clothing store H&M. A new H&M store opened in Tel Aviv March 11 to hundreds of Israeli shoppers, Haaretz reported. H&M plans to open seven stores in total in Israel, with the…
Golda is hero to Texas right
Mondoweiss – 12 Mar 2010 – Huffpo reports on Texas Education Board approving far-right curriculum changes: Conservative Republican Terri Leo, a member of the powerful Christian conservative voting bloc, called the standards “world class” and “exceptional.” Board members argued about the classification of historic periods (still B.C. and A.D., rather than B.C.E….
Bibi’s father says ‚Äòenemies’ seeks ‚Äòdestruction of the Jewish people’
Mondoweiss – 12 Mar 2010 – Yossi Verter in today’s Ha’aretz relates some chilling words from the father of Prime Minster Netanyahu at a celebration for the the elder’s 100th birthday. One hopes that the Obama Administration knows what they are dealing with when it comes to the Israeli Prime Minister. Verter…
Dear Congress: What the Purim video reveals about the racism embedded in the Israeli state structure
Mondoweiss – 12 Mar 2010 – If granted one simple wish to raise awareness in the US Congress about where America’s annual Israel subsidy goes, it would be this: before the next pro-Israel vote, members of Congress would sit down and watch YNET’s ninety second video of Israeli settlers holding a Purim…
Articles
Brutalizing Palestinian children
Stephen Lendman, Palestine Note 3/11/2010
As an isolated incident, it would be appalling and criminal. As a regular occurrence, it’s state-sponsored terrorism against defenseless children, subjected to barbarism by Israeli soldiers committing crimes against humanity to crush their will for wanting to live free on their own land – what Westerners take for granted; what Palestinians since 1948 haven’t had, and since 1967, under military occupation denying their very humanity. Nora Barrows-Friedman does heroic reporting for Pacifica Radio’s KPFA Flashpoints Radio and as an activist/teacher/journalist in Occupied Palestine during regular visits. On March 8 on the Electronic Intifada, she wrote about Amir al-Mohteseb, a 10-year old Hebron child, arrested, detained, and savagely beaten after his 12-year old brother Hasan endured similar treatment a week earlier. On March 7 at 2AM, “Israeli soldiers (broke) into (his) house, snatch(ed) Amir from his bed, threatened his parents with death by gunfire if they” interfered, took him down the stairwell, and brutally beat him causing internal abdomen bleeding, requiring overnight hospitalization. “In complete shock and distress, Amir would not open his mouth to speak for another day and a half.” Before the incident, he told Barrows-Friedman he was playing in the street on his way with Hasan to see their aunt when: “Two….soldiers stopped us and handcuffed us, (took) us to two separate jeeps, (took) me to the settlement and put me in a corner, (put) a dog next to me,” refused to let him use the bathroom, threatened to hold him forever, wouldn’t let him call his mother, blindfolded him, and held him until his father managed to get him late at night.more..e-mail
Expecting a third Intifada
Khaled Amayreh in Ramallah, Al-Ahram Weekly 3/11/2010
The next Intifada could see the Palestinian people in struggle not only against Israel but also against the Palestinian Authority.
Observers in occupied Palestine are increasingly of the opinion that a fresh Intifada or uprising is in the offing as the Israeli authorities keep provoking Palestinians, including stepping up efforts to gain Jewish prayer rights at Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has warned that provocative Israeli actions at Haram Al-Sharif (the Noble Sanctuary) could trigger a religious war between Jews and Muslims. The organisation called on the world community to stop Israeli aggression before it was too late.
The warning came after Israeli security forces attacked Muslim worshipers during Friday’s congregational prayers on 5 March. Israeli paramilitary police fired tear gas and stun grenades, injuring as many 50 Palestinians, many of them elderly. Some of the injured were transferred to the two main hospitals in East Jerusalem, but many had to be treated on site as Israeli troops impeded emergency medical efforts.
The Israeli police said it ‘intervened” in reaction to stone throwing towards the nearby Al-Buraq Wall, which Jews call the ‘Western Wall plaza”. Palestinians have been protesting a series of Israeli provocations, including efforts by Jewish religious groups to gain a foothold at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Last week, Israeli troops escorted a number of Jewish fanatics into the Haram Al-Sharif esplanade where they started holding religious rituals. Muslim worshipers in the area hurled stones towards them, prompting soldiers to attack the Muslims.more..e-mail
America to the rescue, (not) again
Sam Bahour, Ma’an News Agency 3/12/2010
We are told that US President Barack Obama has taken a leap of political faith in trying to bridge a final peace settlement between Palestinians and Israelis. America’s weapon of choice is “proximity talks,” with the threat that if either side fails to meet American expectations, the US will squarely and publicly lay blame. If this was a sitcom it would be the opportune time to crack up laughing; regretfully this is not the case.
Real people – whole generations – of Palestinians are on the verge of being locked into another decade of protracted and violent military occupation. Many Israeli lives and hopes are at stake as well.
It has been reported in the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, that President Obama submitted a letter of commitment to the Palestinian side to get these indirect “proximity talks” off the ground. The letter notes, “Our core remains a viable, independent and sovereign Palestinian State with contiguous territory that ends the occupation that began in 1967.”
This is not the first time a US administration has used its creativity in crafting new terminology to deal with the conflict instead of relying on the time-tested body of international law that provides the keys to real progress. In the past, in place of “independent state” the US has attached such adjectives to the word “state” as “contiguous,” “viable,” “economically viable,” “territorial continuity,” and the like. In his use of words, President Obama has just picked up where the failures of past administrations left off.
International law clearly defines what an independent state is and any attempt to redefine it is an act of bad faith.
Israeli failed state
The timing of the US move toward new talks is rather conspicuous as well. Israel is proving itself to be a ‚Äòfailed state;’ a ‘rogue state’ which has become a liability to its allies. How are its leaders greeting this latest move?more..e-mail
Harvard students condemn center’s defense of fellow’s racist statements
Electronic Intifada: 12 Mar 2010 – We students at Harvard University are disturbed by the racist and inhumane comments of Martin Kramer, Visiting Scholar at the National Security Studies Program at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. We have become even more alarmed that rather than taking a dissociating or even strictly neutral stance against such extremist and hateful statements, the Weatherhead Center issued a defensive response.
Interview: Education and resistance at the Ann Arbor Palestine film fest
Electronic Intifada: 12 Mar 2010 – The second annual Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival opened on Wednesday, 10 March with the feature film Pomegranates and Myrrh . Such festivals are a growing phenomenon with new ones popping up throughout the United States. The Electronic Intifada contributor Jimmy Johnson spoke with festival organizers Hena Ashraf, Ryah Aqel, Lauren Thams and Pomegranates and Myrhh director Najwa Najjar.
Flouting its own laws, EU accommodates “Made in Israel”
Electronic Intifada: 12 Mar 2010 – In 2008 Britain expressed concern about how goods originating from Israeli settlements in the West Bank may be benefiting illegally from European Union trade preferences that theoretically only apply to businesses within Israel’s internationally-recognized borders. However, EU officials have not only failed to defend international law, they have accommodated Israel’s abuse of it. David Cronin analyzes for The Electronic Intifada.
Sending a laptop to Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 12 Mar 2010 – I sat outdoors at a cafe on the Mediterranean Sea in al-Arish, a dusty seaside town in Egypt’s northern Sinai. I drank a tea and smoked a water pipe; it gave me something to do while I waited for Ismail — that’s not his real name — an Egyptian Bedouin tunnel smuggler who was going to deliver a package for me into Gaza. Ahmed Moor writes from al-Arish.
Homes and livelihoods gone in an instant
In Gaza: 11 Mar 2010 – Israeli bulldozers destroyed three homes and 17 dunams of agricultural land in eastern Khan Younis on 18 February. Electronic Intifada Radia Abu Sbaih, 47, lives with her sister and one niece on family land roughly 700 meters from the ‘green line” boundary between Israel and Gaza. Until 18 February 2010, they had nearly 600 olive, fruit, date and nut trees, an agricultural cistern, a water well, various vegetables and a house. Theirs was one of three homes demolished by Israeli military bulldozers that day in al-Mossadar, eastern Gaza. Around 8am that morning, approximately five Israeli military bulldozers and upwards of 10 Israeli tanks, accompanied by more than 50 foot soldiers, invaded the farming region, according to locals. ‘We were in our home when we heard the Israeli tanks and bulldozers approaching. We ran off immediately,” says Sbaih. She walks over felled trees, past the bulldozed cistern, and to the ruins…
Rachel Corrie Family Finally Puts Israel in Dock
Palestine Monitor: 11 Mar 2010 – Seven years after Rachel Corrie, a US peace activist, was killed by an Israeli army bulldozer in Gaza, her family was to put the Israeli government in the dock today. A judge in the northern Israeli city of Haifa was due to be presented with evidence that 23-year-old Corrie was killed unlawfully as she stood in the path of the bulldozer, trying to prevent it from demolishing Palestinian homes in Rafah. Corrie’s parents, Craig and Cindy, who arrived in Israel on Saturday, said they hoped their civil action would shed new light on their daughter’s killing and finally lead to Israel’s being held responsible for her death. They are also seeking damages that could amount to millions of dollars if the court finds in their favour. An internal army investigation was closed shortly after Corrie’s death, exonerating both the bulldozer driver and the commanders who oversaw the operation. Three Britons…
The Decline of Israel: Interview with Jonathan Cook
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Mar 2010 – By New Left Project In a wide-ranging interview with the New Left Project, Nazareth-based journalist Jonathan Cook describes the increasingly repressive nature of Israeli society and the prospects for a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict NLP: What did you make of Ehud Barak’s recent comparison of Israel to South Africa? JC: We should be extremely wary of ascribing a leftwing agenda to senior Israeli politicians who make use of the word ‘apartheid’ in the Israeli-Palestinian context. Barak was not claiming that Israel is an apartheid state when he addressed the high-powered delegates at the Herzliya conference last month; he was warning the Netanyahu government that its approach to the two-state solution was endangering Israel’s legitimacy in the eyes of the world that would eventually lead to it being called an apartheid state. He was politicking. His goal was to intimidate Netanyahu into signing up to his, and the Israeli centre’s,…more
America To The Rescue, (Not) Again
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Mar 2010 – By Sam Bahour We are told that President Obama has taken a leap of political faith in trying to bridge a final peace settlement between Palestinians and Israelis. The United States’ new weapon is “proximity talks”: if either side fails to meet American expectations, the US will squarely and publicly lay blame. If this was a sitcom it would be the opportune time to crack up laughing; regretfully this is not the case. Real people – whole generations – of Palestinians are on the verge of being locked into another decade of protracted and violent military occupation. Many Israelis’ lives and hopes are at stake as well. It has been reported in Ha’aretz that President Obama submitted a letter of commitment to the Palestinian side to get these indirect ‘proximity talks” off the ground. The letter notes, “Our core remains a viable, independent and sovereign Palestinian State with contiguous territory…more
Three Kings – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Mar 2010 – By Jim Miles Three Kings – The Rise of an American Empire in the Middle East After World War II. Lloyd C. Gardner. New Press, N.Y., 2009. This concisely written and well documented work covers the ‘Truman Doctrine…the essential rubric under which the United States projected its power globally after World War II…the ideological foundation for the ‘imperial presidency.” Lloyd Gardner focuses his analysis on the Middle East, although the imperial trends expanded globally through the Americas and on into Asia as the old empires faded and the U.S. took their place. More specifically it is a study of ‘U.S. maneuvers to replace the British in the region of signal importance, the Middle East.” The signal importance of the region contains two factors: oil, the regional resource that enticed the British into the area in the first place; and ‘international communism’ and the rhetorically inflated fears of a grand international…more
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment