News
International Middle East Media Center
U.S. envoy George Mitchell cancels his visit to Israel amidst U.S-Israeli diplomatic crisis
IMEMC – Tuesday March 16, 2010 – 16:40, The U.S Embassy in Tel Aviv informed Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu that U.S. special peace envoy George Mitchell had cancel his visit to the region.
Gaza: Hundreds Protest In Solidarity With Jerusalem
IMEMC – Tuesday March 16, 2010 – 15:58, Hundreds of students along with politicians and teachers protested on Tuesday in Gaza city in solidarity with Jerusalem.
Jerusalem Update: 38 Injured At Least 20 Detained As Police Crackdown On Palestinian Protesters
IMEMC – Tuesday March 16, 2010 – 15:46, At least 38 Palestinians civilians were injured by Israeli police fire on Tuesday during the ongoing clashes in East Jerusalem.
Nine Wounded in Jerusalem clashes, Four Kidnapped
IMEMC – Tuesday March 16, 2010 – 11:17, Clashes were reported on Tuesday morning in several parts of East Jerusalem’s Old City and its surrounding neighborhoods as the Israeli police attacked the areas in question after the residents held a strike to protest Israel’s violations and settlement activities in the city.
Mitchell Delays Visit To Middle East
IMEMC – Tuesday March 16, 2010 – 10:31, The Israeli TV. Channel 2, reported on Monday at night that the U.S. Middle East Envoy, George Mitchell, decided to postpone his visit to the Middle East due to tension between Washington and Tel Aviv over settlement construction.
The Israeli Military Detains 16 Palestinians In The West Bank
IMEMC – Monday March 15, 2010 – 18:14, Sixteen Palestinian civilians were detained by Israeli troops on Monday during invasions targeting West Bank communities.
Ten Injured As Israeli Troops Open Fire At Students Near Ramallah City, Central West Bank
IMEMC – Monday March 15, 2010 – 18:02, Ten Palestinian university students were injured by Israeli troops fire on Monday during clashes at a military checkpoint near Ramallah city central West Bank.
Clashes Reported in Jerusalem’s Old City
IMEMC – Monday March 15, 2010 – 10:30, The Arabs48 news website reported that violent clashes took place on Sunday at night between Israeli soldiers, policemen and residents of the Old City of Jerusalem. Clashes were also reported in Ras Al Amoud area.
Israeli government allows sale of stolen Palestinian property to Israelis
IMEMC – Monday March 15, 2010 – 10:04, In response to an inquiry by the Palestinian human rights organization Adalah, the Israeli Justice Ministry has clarified its recent revision of Israeli land law, confirming that the revision allows the sale of seized Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Jewish citizens of Israel, or to private companies.
Israel extends West Bank closure until Tuesday
IMEMC – Sunday March 14, 2010 – 20:25, Israeli security forces announced that a full closure on the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank would be extended until Tuesday, supposedly to protect a group of Israeli settlers as they begin construction of a Jewish synagogue on stolen Palestinian land in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Violence continues across East Jerusalem, West Bank
3/16/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an -An Israeli police officer was shot in the hand north of Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, an official said. The unidentified officer was taken to a hospital in the French Hill neighborhood, Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said. Rosenfeld told Ma’an that police cordoned off the area, in the Ras Al-Amoud district north of Jerusalem, while searching for the suspect. Over 91 Palestinians were injured, with 60 detained, as discord continued throughout East Jerusalem and the Old City on Tuesday. Ma’an’s Jerusalem correspondent said 40 of the injured sustained rubber bullet wounds, fired by Israeli forces, with seven sustaining injuries to the eye. The reporter added that an international journalist was injured in Eisawiyyah, an East Jerusalem neighborhood. The main entry to Eisawiyyah was closed off by Israeli border guards with cement blocs, preventing residents from entering or leaving, the reporter added.
Corrie witness: Army tried to alter my statement
3/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Haifa District Court on Monday saw the third day of testimony in the civil lawsuit filed by Rachel Corrie’s family against the State of Israel for her unlawful killing in Rafah, Gaza. Rachel was crushed to death on 16 March 2003 by a Caterpillar D9R bulldozer. She had been demonstrating against Palestinian home demolitions with fellow members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles. Monday’s only testimony came from British citizen Alice Coy, a nurse, who was an eyewitness to the killing. The state spent most of the day trying to establish that contrary to all eyewitness accounts and human rights reports, the Israeli military had no intention of demolishing homes in the area on the day Rachel was killed, the Rachel Corrie Foundation said in a statement.
Mass protests held across Gaza in solidarity with Jerusalem
3/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Demonstrators gathered across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, condemning Israeli policy across East Jerusalem and events in the Old City. In Gaza City, protestors amassed at the Palestinian Legilsative Council square, in defense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. In the Al-Wustaarea, school students gathered from across the Gaza governorates, waving Palestinian flags and banners denouncing Israel’s actions in Jerusalem. The de facto Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments, Taleb Abu Sha’ar, called on Palestinians and Arabs across the Middle East to hold further protests in the name of Jerusalem and the city’s holy sites. Sha’ar called on Palestinian resistance factions to target their attacks at “the heart of Israel” in response to what he termed “disrespect” for Muslim and Christian holy sites, and condemned the rededication of the Hurva synagogue on Monday, 330 meters from the Al-Aqsa compound.
Hamas: Israel is playing with fire
3/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas said Tuesday that Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories have become more perilous than ever, as clashes broke out across Jerusalem and the West Bank over the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, called on Palestinians and the Arab world to rescue holy sites from Israeli attacks, saying “what is happening in Jerusalem, and attacks against the Al-Aqsa Mosque is an Israeli crime that has gone beyond all red lines. ” The results of such attacks is extremely dangerous. Israel is playing with fire,” a statement read. Zuhri added that the Arab world should pave the way for resistance, as US backed negotiations have failed, following Israel’s announcement of unabated settlement construction in Jerusalem. . . . .
Bahar urges Al-Qassam to respond to Jerusalem clashes
3/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Palestinian Legislative Council Deputy Speaker Ahmad Bahar called on the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, to respond to Tuesday’s clashes in East Jerusalem over access to holy sites. During one of many rallies held across Gaza, Bahar told gatherers “to express your anger to the maximum and call on the Arab League to cancel its decision to support the resumption of indirect negotiations with the Israeli occupation. “Bahar criticized the Palestinian Authority for preventing solidarity demonstrations with Al-Aqsa, describing the move as a “betrayal. “The PLC official praised Palestinians with Israeli citizenship who were prevented from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Tuesday, particularly Sheikh Raed Salah. Moreover, Bahar said the recent events, particularly the recent opening of the Hurva synagogue 330 meters away from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, should. . .
Israeli police officer injured by gunfire north of Jerusalem
3/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An Israeli police officer was shot in the hand north of Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, an official said. The unidentified officer was taken to a hospital in the French Hill neighborhood, Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said. Rosenfeld told Ma’an that police cordoned off the area, in the Ras Al-Amoud district north of Jerusalem, while searching for the suspect. [end]
Palestinian detained, soldier injured at clash near school
3/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An Israeli soldier was lightly injured by rocks after clashes broke out at a school southeast of Bethlehem on Tuesday, onlookers said. Pupils at the Teqoa High School for Boys threw rocks at soldiers, who responded by firing tear-gas canisters, rubber-coated bullets, and stun grenades, witnesses said. Majed Ash-Shaer, a teacher at the high school, told Ma’an that Israeli forces had entered the village and were posted beside the school earlyTuesday morning. Students threw stones at the soldiers, who raided the school and evacuated it, Ash-Shaer said. Witnesses said a soldier suffered a leg injury after being hit by a stone. He was evacuated from the area in a military jeep, onlookers said. Two other jeeps were damaged, according to the witness accounts. An Israeli military spokesman was unaware of that incident, which was apparently unrelated to another in Beit Ummar,. . .
One Gaza crossing partially open
3/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli authorities will open the Kerem Shalom crossing on Tuesday to allow aid into the Gaza Strip, an official said. Palestinian liaison Raed Fattouh said approximately 83 to 93 truckloads of aid would be allowed through the terminal, Gaza’s southernmost crossing with Israel. Three trucks of cut flowers will be transferred out of the coastal enclave, the official added. Restricted quantities of domestic gas and industrial diesel will also enter via Kerem Shalom crossing, he said. The Karni crossing will be closed, he added. [end]
Rafah crossing remains closed, Erez partially open
3/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Rafah crossing on the Egyptian-Gaza border remained closed on Tuesday, the de facto crossings committee reported. However, despite the crossing’s closure, six Gaza residents entered the besieged costal enclave between Sunday and Monday, having arranged their transit beforehand, the committee said. On Tuesday, the Erez crossing with Israel to north, saw the entry of 101 individuals, 78 of whom were Gaza residents, including 32 patients returning after completing medical treatment with 32 companions, two visitors, two with work permits and 10 for other purposes, the de facto committee said. Some 22 foreign nationals entered, as well as one person with Israeli citizenship, the report said. The committee said the sole foot transit crossing with Israel was partially open on Sunday, seeing the transit of 135 Gaza residents, including 54 patients with 52 companions, 16 with. . .
Object explodes near Nablus, injuring young man
3/16/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – A young man was injured overnight as a suspicious object exploded in an area in the northern West Bank, officials said. He was identified as Waseem Dwekat, 21, by the Palestine Red Crescent Society. The explosion was reported between the Beita and Osarin villages south of Nablus. Medics said Dwekat was hospitalized with moderate injuries at Rafidia Hospital west of Nablus. He lost two fingers, Red Crescent officials said. [end]
Quartet condemns Israeli settlement plans
3/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Middle East diplomatic Quartet has condemned Israel’s plans to build new settler homes, vowing not to recognize unilateral actions, Agence France-Presse reported Friday. The Quartet “condemns Israel’s decision to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem,” AFP reported. “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,” the international body, made up of the UN, US, EU and Russia, reportedly said in a statement. AFP quoted the Quartet as adding that it had agreed to closely monitor developments in Jerusalem and to keep under consideration “additional steps that may be required to address the situation on the ground. ” It reiterated backing for peace talks and said the creation of “an independent, contiguous and viable state of Palestine. . . ”
State Department: Mitchell may postpone visit
3/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The US State Department is waiting for a formal Israeli response to its concerns, declining comment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks in support of settlements, Agence France-Presse reported Monday. Netanyahu earlier in the day indicated that construction of Israeli settlements would continue in East Jerusalem, despite an angry phone call last week from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging him to stop, AFP said. “When she outlined what she thought appropriate actions would be to the prime minister, she asked for a response by the Israeli government. We wait for the response,” State Department spokesman reportedly Philip Crowley told reporters. Crowley added: “We asked for a formal response from the Israeli government and when we get that response we’ll react to it. ” He also said US envoy George Mitchell may reschedule travel plans to the region, where he was expected to arrive this week.
Clinton to travel to Moscow for Quartet talks
3/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – On 18-19 March, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, accompanied by US envoy George Mitchell, will participate in a meeting of the Quartet, the State Department announced Monday. She will meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and European Union High Representative Catherine Ashton, as well as Quartet Representative Tony Blair, to discuss Mideast peace efforts, Assistant Secretary Philip J. Crowley said. In a statement, Crowley said the secretary would also meet with senior Russian officials to discuss progress on a successor agreement to START, cooperation on nonproliferation, counterterrorism, regional security issues, and the work of the Bilateral Presidential Commission. The US State Department is waiting for a formal Israeli response to its concerns, declining comment on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks in support of settlements, Agence France-Presse reported Monday.
Canada concerned by Jerusalem settlement expansion
3/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Lawrence Cannon, Canadian minister of foreign affairs, has expressed Canada’s concern regarding the planned expansion of Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, and encouraged Israelis and Palestinians to move ahead with indirect peace talks. In a statement issued Thursday, Cannon said “The Government of Canada regrets the Government of Israel’s announcement of plans for the construction of further housing units in East Jerusalem. ” Consistent with the positions of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and other key partners, the Canadian government sees the construction of permanent settlements in East Jerusalem as an obstacle to the prospects for peace. ” Canada believes that all parties should abide by their international commitments. This announcement does not advance the cause of peace in the region. ”
Palestinians urged to complete voter registration
3/16/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – The Palestinian Central Elections Commission, representing the West Bank and Jerusalem, urged citizens who are eligible to vote to head to polling centers to register. Tuesday, 17 March is the last day to register to vote, the commission said in a statement. The 773 registration centers began operating on 6 March, in addition to movable field teams. The commission explained that a wide-scale educative campaign was being conducted through various media outlets to educate citizens about registration for the coming local elections, scheduled to take place on 17 July. Central Election Commission staff have exerted significant efforts to update registers and to add each citizen eligible to vote. The commission was expected to publish an initial list of voters by the beginning of May. . . . .
IDF official: Neither Israel nor PA wants violence
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Hamas ‘day of rage’ leads to violence across Jerusalem; police chief: This will not lead to third intifada.
Egypt may try Israeli journalist for sneaking across border
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Yotam Feldman, who also reports for Haaretz, was working on piece for Ch. 10 about illegal immigration.
IDF declares West Bank protest villages a ‘closed military area’
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Police cite military edict restricting movement in Bil’in and and Na’alin until August.
Israeli NGO: Hamas ‘used civilians as human shields’ in Gaza
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Goldstone report showed ‘systematic pro-Palestinian bias’, says Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
Egypt’s wall along Gaza border nears completion
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Smugglers dimiss attempt to seal off Hamas-ruled Gaza: ‘We’ll just tunnel deeper’.
Settlers’ call sends Palestinian shepherd to IDF beating
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Soldiers reportedly bound and blindfolded civilian, then assaulted him repeatedly.
Iran tried to buy nuclear bomb from Pakistan as early as 1987
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – New documents reveal how a close ally of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei bid $10bn for ready-made weapons.
IDF chief in Turkey to mend damaged ties
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi’s visit is first Turkish trip by an army chief in five years.
Police preparing for East Jerusalem riots over new synagogue
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – 2,500 policemen to be deployed ahead of dedication of Hurva synagogue in Old City’s Jewish quarter.
IDF phasing out contentious tank shell in wake of Gaza war
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – ‘Flechettes,’ with a kill zone of 300 by 100 metres, were reportedly fired in congested Palestinian areas.
High Court rejects petition to stop building in West Bank outpost
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Judge blocks injunction against settlement building for second time in a month.
Israel nabs Hamas leader behind 2003 terror attacks
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Mahar Udda suspected of leading Hamas unit responsible for killing more than 70 Israelis in last 10 years.
Palestinians try to breach East Jerusalem checkpoint
Ha’aretz 16 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 16 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 16 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 16 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 16 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 16 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 16 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 16 Mar 2010 – IDF authorizes UN sapper unit’s entry into Gaza to deal with unexploded arms from Operation Cast Lead.
Israel’s apartheid: Making Palestinians pay for Hitler’s crimes
Uruknet March 16, 2010 – A year after a murderous Israel’s assault, the war on the people of Gaza continues. Gaza is still under siege — still surrounded by walls and checkpoints. Its people are denied the necessities of life and the right to rebuild and shape their future. For me, as a survivor of the holocaust, the tragic situation in…
Video: Fierce clashes in Jerusalem as protests spread
Uruknet March 16, 2010 – Fierce confrontations have broken out in the early hours of Tuesday in many parts of occupied Jerusalem after Zionist settlers opened a synagogue next to Al Aqsa Mosque and declared their intention to lay the foundation stone of the so-called third temple. Some of the fiercest clashes erupted between young Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces…
Violence continues across East Jerusalem, West Bank
Uruknet March 16, 2010 – An Israeli police officer was shot in the hand north of Jerusalem on Tuesday evening, an official said. The unidentified officer was taken to a hospital in the French Hill neighborhood, Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said. Rosenfeld told Ma’an that police cordoned off the area, in the Ras Al-Amoud district north of Jerusalem, while searching…
Peace Process Hypocrisy: Stillborn from Inception
Uruknet March 15, 2010 – Journalist Henry Siegman titled his August 2007 London Review of Books article, “The Great Middle East Peace Process Scam,” calling it likely “the most spectacular deception in modern diplomatic history.” This writer omits most likely calling it the no-peace peace process, stillborn from inception, while Haaretz writer Gideon Levy, on March 7, 2010, wrote “There has…
Flyer calls on non-Jews to ‘leave the land’
Uruknet March 15, 2010 — Right-wing ultra-orthodox Jews handed out Arabic fliers calling on “non-Jews to leave the land of Israel,” in the streets of Jerusalem on Sunday, witnesses reported. The fliers, quoting Torah and Qur’an, used scripture to urge Palestinians living in the city to leave. “The Old Testament says the land of Israel is small and belongs to Jews…
Britain’s policy on Palestine is hypocritical, duplicitous and mendacious
Uruknet March 15, 2010 – Last week, a few Palestinian journalists and I had the opportunity to meet with Martin Day, a spokesman of the British government. The meeting, which was hosted by the Arabic Media Internet Network (AMIN), took place in Ramallah. In his introductory remarks, Day gave the impression that the imminent renewal of peace talks between the almost…
Iran bans leading pro-reform political party
Uruknet March 15, 2010 ‚Äî President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s hard-line government said Monday it has banned Iran’s largest pro-reform political party in a new strike against an opposition movement that has largely been swept from the streets since last year’s postelection turmoil. Keeping the pressure on elsewhere, dozens of government-supporters descended on the home of Mahdi Karroubi, one of the main opposition…
Can We Call it “Just Another Fascist Regime in the Middle East” yet?
Uruknet March 15, 2010 – The Israeli environment, today, is calmer to a degree; Most probably due to the short memory span of the typical Israeli. Yet the authorities (the only ones with property rights to this memory span) are exponentially getting more and more nervous about world perception of Israel. This nervousness manifests in many different and desperate ways, I’ve…
Eye Witness Testifies in Rachel Corrie Case: Israeli Military Investigator Tried to Influence My Statement
Uruknet March 15, 2010 – Today, March 15 2010, the Haifa District Court saw the third day of testimony in the civil lawsuit filed by Rachel Corrie’s family against the State of Israel for her unlawful killing in Rafah, Gaza. Rachel was crushed to death on March 16, 2003 by a Caterpillar D9R bulldozer. She had been nonviolently demonstrating against Palestinian…
European Union found guilty at first session of Russell Tribunal
Uruknet March 15, 2010 – The first session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RTP) was heard in Barcelona, Spain earlier this month. The RTP is a peoples’ legal initiative designed to systematically try key actors responsible for the perpetuation of human rights violations in Palestine. In the frame this time was the European Union (EU). Two days and 21 expert…
Health ministry: 12 deaths and 25 injuries in Gaza during three months
Uruknet March 15, 2010 – The Palestinian ministry of health reported Sunday that the number of victims who have been killed in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli occupation since the start of 2010 and until the ninth of March amounted to 12 Palestinians and the injuries to 25 others. According to a report issued by the ministry’s information office, 75…
Iran Sentences 6 Protesters to Death
Uruknet March 15, 2010 – Iranian authorities announced death penalties on Monday for six people arrested during protests in December, in what appeared to be strong warning to the opposition ahead of a traditional annual celebration. The annual tradition, the Feast of Fire, goes backs thousands of years to Zoroastrian times and has been banned in Iran in recent decades because…
Jonathan Cook discusses increasingly repressive nature of Israel
Ramallah, March 16, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – In a wide-ranging interview conducted by the New Left Project, journalist Jonathan Cook describes the increasingly repressive nature of Israeli society and the prospects for a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. New Left Project (NLP) : What did you make of Ehud Barak’s recent comparison of Israel to South Africa? JC: We should be…
Egypt says underground wall almost finished
Cairo, March 16, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The reinforced underground steel wall that Egypt is building along its border with Gaza is nearly completed, Egyptian daily Al-Shorouq reported Monday. “Work on the main wall is in its fourth and final stage,” the paper reported. Once that is complete, cameras and detection devices will be installed. The process will take “a…
IOF injures 5 Palestinians in Ni’lin
West Bank, March 16, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- At least five people were injured Tuesday afternoon in the clashes between the Palestinians and Israeli soldiers in Ni’lin village, in the West Bank’s Ramallah, following the demonstration which people staged in support of Jerusalem. Salah Al-Khawaja, a spokesman for the Popular Committee against the Wall in Ni’lin, said: “hundreds of villagers and…
Thousands protest in Gaza
Gaza, March 16, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Thousands of people took to the streets across the Gaza Strip today to protest the reopening of a 17th century synagogue in Jerusalem. “With our blood, with our souls, we sacrifice for you, Jerusalem,” the crowds of mostly school students shouted as they waved Palestinian flags and held up posters of the golden…
Israel raids town; builds watchtower in WB
West Bank, March 16, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- Patrols of Israeli occupation army raided before Tuesday afternoon several streets and neighborhoods in western Hebron’s Nuba town, the West Bank. Witnesses said: “A force of Israeli occupation army and heavily armed patrols roamed around the town in a provocative manner, wandered among the town’s residences, and pulled out without any arrests.” In…
Jihadists of Gaza take on Hamas for not being Islamic enough
The National 16 Mar 2010 – Hamas leadership threatens to strike back with force against the diverse Salafi movement known for advocating violent global struggle.
Jerusalem’s day of rage’
The National 16 Mar 2010 – Peace envoy Mitchell cancels visit but Israel defiant in rift with US as violent clashes rock East Jerusalem.
Syria ready to make up with Lebanese critic
The National 16 Mar 2010 – Syria is ready to meet with a Lebanese politician who has been one of its harshest critics in order to restart relations with him.
Dated Power Grid Hampers Israeli Renewable Energy Plans
The Media Line 16 Mar 2010 – Expert says national power grid incapable of meeting Israeli Minister of Environment’s renewable energy targets. In February Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure Uzi Landau announced that by 2020, 10 percent of Israel’s energy needs will come…
Israel to Increase EU Economic Ties
The Media Line 14 Mar 2010 – The European Union may be Israel’s largest trading partner but Israel’s Finance Minister says there is still room for improvement. Israeli Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz called Monday for stronger economic ties and increased cooperation between Israel…
Mitchell Postpones Visit to Region
The Media Line 15 Mar 2010 – The special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell has postponed his visit to the region thus further delaying the expected resumption of so-called “proximity talks” between the Israelis and Palestinians. Mitchell was expected to…
After Five-Year Hiatus, Israeli Army Chief Visits Turkey
The Media Line 15 Mar 2010 – With diplomatic ties strained between Israel and Turkey, military relations appear to be improving as IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazy paid a visit to Ankara, the first time such a high-ranking visit…
Egypt clears way for women judges
AlJazeera 15 Mar 2010 – Top constitutional court says internal vote opposing induction was invalid.
Synagogue opens in Jerusalem
AlJazeera 15 Mar 2010 – Rebuilt Hurva opens its doors as Israeli troops injure Palestinians in West Bank clash.
Violence flares in East Jerusalem
AlJazeera 16 Mar 2010 – Several Palestinians arrested on “day of rage” after reopening of synagogue in Old City.
Alternative Information Center
World Education Forum in Palestine Launched
Alternative Information Center – Tuesday, 16 March 2010, The Palestinian National Committee in charge of the preparations of the World Social Forum on Education hosted a delegation of the International Advisory Committee of the World Social Forum in Ramallah from…
AIC Participates in Moroccan Social Forum for Another World
Alternative Information Center – Tuesday, 16 March 2010, Seven hundred people attended the 5th Moroccan Social Forum, held in Bouznika, near Casablanca, from 5-7 March 2010. The Alternative Information Center (AIC) and the Teachers’ Creativity Centre from Palestine joined the…
Condolences
Alternative Information Center – Monday, 08 March 2010, The Alternative Information Center shares in the deep sorrow of veteran staff member Bryan Atinsky, at the tragic and untimely loss of his wife, Dr. Efrat Gamliel-Atinsky, children Noam (5) and Ya’ari (…
Clashes break out in east Jerusalem
PNN – Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Israel vows more settlement building despite crisis
PNN – Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Eye Witness Testifies:
PNN – Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Bil’in and Ni’lin declared closed military zones every Friday
PNN – Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Congress stresses support for Israel
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – 2 US Congressmen send letter calling on White House to tone down attacks.
Robert Ford outlines Syria concerns
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – Pick for envoy says US won’t relax sanctions on Syria while it supports terror.
‘Israel must prove peace commitment’
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – Softer tone from Washington, as Clinton reaffirms “close, unshakable bond.”
‘Israel planning to destroy al Aksa’
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – Martyrs Brigades calls on PA to release jailed “fighters,” let them “defend J’lem.”
‘Day of Rage’ riots rocks e. J’lem
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – Police officer shot, 14 others hurt, 100 Palestinians wounded, 60 arrested.
PM, Lieberman want to go to China to discuss Iran
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 –
New US envoy to Syria outlines concerns
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – Robert Ford says US won’t relax sanctions on Damascus as long as it supports terror.
IDF watches for signs of W. Bank uprising
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – Security officials say chances that a third intifada will erupt are still unlikely.
‘Forget about a third intifada… this is war’
Jeruslalem Post 16 Mar 2010 – Riot police out in full force to counter hot spots throughout east Jerusalem.
MIDEAST: U.S.-Israeli Tensions Escalating Quickly
IPS WASHINGTON, Mar 15 (IPS) – The crisis touched off by last week’s announcement of Israel’s plans to build 1,600 new homes for Jews in Arab East Jerusalem during a high-profile visit by U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden appears to be escalating rapidly.
MIDEAST: An Unlikely Collision Takes Place
IPS JERUSALEM, Mar 15 (IPS) – In the middle of last week, it seemed that the old clich?© about the light at the end of the dark Middle East tunnel was being confirmed: the U.S. had successfully cajoled both Israel and the Palestinian Authority into beginning to talk again.
Armed Clashes in Jabalya and Explosion in Police Station in Gaza City
PCHR 16 Mar 2010 – Field Update Yesterday, armed clashes took place in Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, due to which a gunman was wounded. In a separate incident, unknown persons detonated a bomb near the Sheikh Radwan police station without injuries. These incidents are part of the ongoing state of security chaos and….
Civilian Kidnapped and Tortured by Unknown Persons
PCHR 16 Mar 2010 – Field Update On Sunday, 14 March 2010, unknown gunmen kidnapped Salah Mohammed al-Masri, 38, in Gaza city. They led him to an unknown destination and violently beat him. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 21:30 on Sunday, 14 March 2010, Salah al-Masri, an n employee in….
Man Killed and 3 Others Wounded in Armed Family Dispute in Rafah
PCHR 14 Mar 2010 – Field Update On Sunday morning, 14 March 2010, a man was killed and 3 others were wounded in a family dispute, in which firearms were used, in al-Shouka village, northeast of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, at approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 14 March 2010, a quarrel erupted….
International Solidarity Movement
Eye witness testifies: Israeli military investigator tried to influence my statement
3/16/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Rachel Corrie Foundation, 15 March – Today, March 15, 2010, the Haifa District Court saw the third day of testimony in the civil lawsuit filed by Rachel Corrie’s family against the State of Israel for her unlawful killing in Rafah, Gaza. Rachel was crushed to death on March 16, 2003 by a Caterpillar D9R bulldozer. She had been nonviolently demonstrating against Palestinian home demolitions with fellow members of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct action methods and principles. Today’s only testimony came from British citizen Alice Coy, a nurse, who was an eyewitness to the killing. The state spent most of the day trying to establish that contrary to all eyewitness accounts and human rights reports, the Israeli Military had no intention. . .
Nil’in commemorates year anniversary of Tristan Anderson shooting: two arrested
3/16/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 13 March 2010 – On Friday, March 13th, the one year anniversary of the critical injury of international activist Tristan Anderson, approximately 100 Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals gathered for the weekly demonstration in Ni’lin to claim justice for Tristan. Anderson, a 38 year old U. S. citizen who was volunteering with the International Solidarity Movement, was hit in the forehead by a high-flying tear gas projectile during a demonstration in Ni’lin last year. The projectile was fired against IOF regulations, as soldiers shot the canisters directly at demonstrators rather than in an arcing fashion. According to the manufacturer of the tear gas canisters, the projectile was designed to penetrate walls and to be used in confined spaces; neither was necessary at the open-air demonstration demonstration in 2009. Tristan sustained serious brain damage, and remains hospitalized in Tel Aviv, his condition too serious for him to be moved home to the US.
Tulkarem and Ramallah mark the seventh anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie
3/16/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – On March 16th 2003, an Israeli bulldozer killed the American activist Rachel Corrie in Rafah, Gaza. Today, in Kafr Sur, near Tulkarem, and in Ramallah, family, friends and supporters gathered together to commemorate the anniversary of her murder. Students of Kafr Sur Secondary School, who have been working on a research project about Rachel’s life and death, today marked the anniversary with a march to a memorial stone at the entrance to the village. The students were joined by children from the nearby primary school, as the stone was unveiled and speeches were delivered by the headmaster, one of the students, and an ISM activist. A boy in Tulkarem smiles and holds photos of Rachel. Approximately fifty Palestinians, Internationals and media then joined Craig and Cindy Corrie, Rachel’s parents, for the inauguration ceremony of Rachel Corrie Street in Ramallah.
Grassroots activist Wa’el Al-Faqeeh faces military court, still without charge
3/16/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Palestinian activist Wa’el Al-Faqeeh faced his third hearing in Salim military court on 11 March. His detention period was extended until 24 April when the next hearing will take place. Al-Faqeeh remains imprisoned without charge since his arrest from his Nablus home on 9 December 2009. It is expected that Al-Faqeeh will be charged with aiding an illegal organization, a common pretext employed by the Israeli military to imprison politically active Palestinians, and faces a minimum of 12 months behind bars. Al-Faqeeh, imprisoned for over three months now, sent a message to his loved ones from Jelemeh prison as he began the new year imprisoned by Israel’s occupation forces: “I am the captive Wael Al-Faqeeh, wishing the free world a Happy New Year full of peace, security and love. I hope for a year of enlightment in all human relations, and a renewed call for peace agreements, supported by the free people of the world. ”
Qalandiya: Checkpoint closure anger surfaces
3/16/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Approximately 200 residents of Qalandiya gathered today to protest the continued closure of the checkpointin their city, allowing them access to Israel. Israeli military attempted to suppress the protest by invading and occupying a Palestinian home, and firing tear gas and rubber bullets down a roof into rush hour traffic below. In the densely packed street, several demonstrators were hit with tear gas canisters that were fired directly at them, as well as numerous passing vehicles. One driver suffered from tear gas inhalation after a canister smashed through the back windscreen their car. On Friday 5th March, Israeli soldiers in An Nabi Saleh used a similar tactic of firing directly down onto a demonstration from the roofs of houses. This led to the near fatal shooting of a fourteen-year-old boy, after which it had been hoped cease to use this dangerous tactic.
Israel preparing response to U.S. demands
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – As Secretary of State Clinton demands cancellation of new settlement building, tensions in E. Jerusalem escalate.
Netanyahu to Clinton: Israel has proven its commitment to peace
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Clinton dismisses suggestions of crisis in Israel ties; U.S. envoy Mitchell postpones visit to region.
Nazi veterans in Latvia march to remember fallen comrades
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Latvian capital splits, as dozens cheer on Nazi vets, alongside hecklers shouting ‘Nazis get out of Latvia.’
UN chief chides Lieberman for breaching confidentiality of talks
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Lieberman tells Ban that Israel seeks more objectivity from world instead of pressure and demands.
VIDEO / Egypt president shown on TV for first time since surgery
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Hosni Mubarak, 81, had his gallbladder removed last week stirring rumors about the seriousness of his condition.
IN PICTURES / Danish artist dresses her baby as Hitler, exploring the meaning of evil
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Exhibit by Nina Maria Kleivan also includes her daughter in costumes depicting Mussolini, Milosevic and Stalin.
Israel’s Titanic moment: Does Obama want Bibi’s head?
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – With Hamas at the gates of J’lem, the U.S. has begun to treat the Netanyahu gov’t as if it were Hamas.
U.S. general: Iran efforts at nuclear bomb slowing down
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Chinese FM says Beijing still seeks diplomatic solution to nuclear stand-off, after Germany calls for sanctions.
St. Patrick’s Day With the Irish and the Jews
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – In a Dublin college Mick Moloney met Jews for the first time, now he’s recorded an album celebrating Irish-Jewish ties.
Icons of Britain’s Jewish past now back on display
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – London Jewish Museum reopens after two years of closure and a 10 million pound expansion.
Did Germany help Eichmann escape to Argentina?
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – German court may release papers detailing Adolf Eichmann’s escape and subsequent capture by Israel.
Iran not blocking Palestinian reconciliation, Tehran says
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Tehran rejects Abbas’ claim that Iran is interfering in reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas.
EU calls for renewal of indirect Israel-Syria peace talks
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Earlier this month, Turkey said was prepared to resume mediating talks between Syria and Israel.
U.S. anger over East Jerusalem row is excessive
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – It’s time for Washington to down the rhetoric – it plays into Netanyahu’s hands and encourages violence.
Israel doesn’t need to grovel for U.S. forgiveness
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – On subject of Jerusalem, government of Israel and administration in Washington simply disagree.
Crisis in US-Israeli relations: Barack Obama must not back down | Editorial
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – Mr Netanyahu’s coalition went too far even for a pliant US president. And Mr Obama is not that He blinked once and he can not afford to blink again. The most serious crisis in US-Israeli relations…
Israel slapped America — and may have jolted Obama awake | Jonathan Freedland
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – The row over Joe Biden’s visit gives Washington the chance to dispense with endless talks about talks and push for real peace Things might get tense in the green room next week at the Walter E…
Jerusalem: Palestinians and Israeli forces clash in streets
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – The streets in and around the old city of East Jerusalem are the site of conflict between Israeli police on what they call a ‘day of rage’. Dozens of rock-throwing Palestinians confront police in several locations…
Hillary Clinton piles pressure on Israel over East Jerusalem settlements
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – US secretary of state says onus is on Israel to restart peace process as Israeli soldiers clash with Palestinians The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, todaydemonstrated a new-found steeliness towards Israel by making it clear…
Pass notes No 2,746: Binyamin Netanyahu
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – The Israeli prime minister is embroiled in an international crisis Age: 60. Appearance: Statesmanlike. Great, another middle-aged man in a suit. This one’s prime minister of Israel, isn’t he? Or is that Benjamin Netanyahu? They’re the…
‘Day of rage’ in East Jerusalem
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – Dozens of Palestinian stone-throwers clash with Israeli police in East Jerusalem on a ‘day of rage’ declared by Hamas Islamists in protest at Israel’s consecration of an ancient synagogue in the city
Violent clashes erupt in East Jerusalem as synagogue reopens
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – Hamas begin ‘day of rage’ as US envoy postpones visit in protest over settlement policy Israeli-Palestinian tensions erupted into violence today with clashes in East Jerusalem as the US postponed a visit by its Middle East…
Ian Black on relations between Israel and the USA said to be the worst in thirty years
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – Ian Black on relations between Israel and the USA said to be the worst in thirty years Ian Black
US-Israel relations: White House ‘will not shy away’ from pushing for talks
The Guardian 16 Mar 2010 – United States determined to persuade Israel into substantive peace talks with Palestinians, Obama administration source says President Barack Obama and the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, are on a collision course today in a row described…
Video: Clashes erupt in the West Bank as Jerusalem tension runs high
The Guardian 15 Mar 2010 – Israeli troops wounded at least six Palestinians during a confrontation in the occupied West Bank as tension over the Jerusalem settlements plan runs high
Rightists prepare banner denouncing Obama as ‘PLO agent’
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – A group of far-right activists on Tuesday announced their plan to hang hundreds of posters across the country depicting U.S. President Barack Obama under the headline “agent of the PLO.” The banner is already on display in the office of National Union MK Michael Ben Ari. …
So what’s it like being called an Israel-hater?
Ha’aretz 16 Mar 2010 – Sahar Vardi, 19, has excellent reasons to be afraid. Far-right Web sites have dubbed her a traitor and the daughter of a traitor. Sahar’s father, Amiel Vardi, a researcher and lecturer in classics at the Hebrew University, is among the founders of Ta’ayush and other leftist groups. He was shot in 2006 by a settler when he and friends tried to help Palestinian farmers reach their vineyards during the grape harvest. …
Trumpeldor House in danger of ruin despite national heritage status
Ha’aretz 15 Mar 2010 – The recent rain torrents on Trumpeldor House on Kibbutz Tel Yosef penetrated the museum’s walls and damaged the documents in it. …
‘Government knew of Jewish terrorist’s plan to open fire on Shfaram bus’
Ha’aretz 15 Mar 2010 – Newly discovered footage of a terrorist attack perpetrated by an Israel Defense Forces soldier in the Arab town of Shfaram five years ago indicates that authorities were aware of plans to commit the attack, a lawyer representing Israeli Arabs suspected of taking part in the subsequent lynching of the gunman said Sunday. …
Historic Tel Aviv synagogue to revert to public ownership
Ha’aretz 15 Mar 2010 – A historic synagogue and school in Tel Aviv linked to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook will be removed from private ownership and opened to the public, the Tel Aviv District Planning and Building committee says. …
Press Conference by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at United Nations Headquarters, 16 March 2010
Relief Web 16 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Secretary-General
Palestinian Rights Committee Considers Status of Effort to Launch Proximity Talks, Reviews Committee’s Activities, Looks Ahead to Next Week’s Seminar in Vienna
Relief Web 16 Mar 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly
After unrest in East Jerusalem, Ban calls for calm
Relief Web 16 Mar 2010 – Source: UN News Service
The grave violations of human rights in the OPT, particularly due to the recent Israeli military attacks against the occupied Gaza Strip: Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the implementation of Human Rights Council resolutions S-9/1 and S-12/1 (A/HRC/13/54)
Relief Web 16 Mar 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly, UN Human Rights Council
West Bank street named for dead US activist
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – On seventh anniversary of her death, Ramallah street named after Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by IDF bulldozer as she stood in machine’s path in act of protest against house demolitions in Gaza
Clinton: Israel must prove commitment to peace
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – US secretary of state says Obama administration awaiting response from Israel to suggestions on how to repair damage caused by announcement of new housing in east Jerusalem, but pledges ‘unshakable bond’ with Jewish state. Democratic congressman: Israel a sovereign nation and ally, not a punching bag
IDF source: Riots won’t spark new intifada
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – Senior officer estimates level of violence in Jerusalem will gradually die down, says ‘Palestinian residents want to return to normal life.’ Forces instructed to be cautious, for fear that large number of Palestinian casualties will lead to escalation
US nominee pledges ‘straight talk’ with Syria
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – Robert Ford, Obama’s choice to be first American ambassador to Damascus in five years, tells Senate committee Syria remains supporter of terrorist groups
Several buses stoned in Jaffa
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – No injuries reported, but one of vehicle’s windowpane smashed. Police forces dispatched to area, looking into possible link to Palestinian riots in Jerusalem
UN chief: Jerusalem subject of final negotiation
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – On backdrop of violent clashes in capital, Ban Ki-moon urged Israelis, Palestinians to practice restraint but condemns east Jerusalem construction, saying ‘ settlements are illegal under international law’
Orlev: Jerusalem issue will cause coalition crisis
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – While Washington demands cancellation of construction plan in Ramat Shlomo, Habayit Hayehudi faction warns such move will threaten Netanyahu government’s stability
Policeman shot, wounded in east J’lem
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – Officer sustains light injury to hand after being fired on in Ras al-Amud neighborhood. Security forces combing area in bid to locate shooter
US general: Iran’s nuclear bomb effort has slowed
YNet News 16 Mar 2010 – Head of US Central Command David Petraeus confident Islamic Republic won’t achieve nuclear capability in 2010
Testimony: Schoolhouse still in ruins, a year after Cast Lead
14 Mar 2010 – Beit Lahiya lies near the northern border of the Gaza Strip, where Israel began its invasion in Operation Cast Lead. Pupils of a school in the town that suffered heavy fire are still studying among the ruins, as the Israeli siege is preventing reconstruct
Clashes erupt in East Jerusalem, US envoy delays trip ‘indefinitely’
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Hundreds of Palestinians in East Jerusalem set tires and garbage bins ablaze Tuesday and hurled rocks at Israeli riot police, who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. The heaviest clashes in months broke out as an American envoy abruptly canceled a visit, deepening a US-Israeli diplomatic feud.
Tehran police guard against festival demonstrations
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 TEHRAN: Iranians jumped over bonfires and set off firecrackers on Tuesday in the annual Persian fire festival as security forces fanned across Tehran to quell possible opposition protests, witnesses told AFP.Tehran police chief General Hossein Sajedinia told the ISNA news agency his forces were deployed to prevent “any event in the city” in an apparent
US envoy nominee vows ‘straight talk’ with Syria
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama’s choice to be the first US ambassador to Syria in five years went before a Senate committee Tuesday and said Syria remains a supporter of terrorist groups. Robert Ford told his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations panel that as ambassador he will deliver “unfiltered straight talk” to Damascus
Syria: Timing of accord depends on EU ‘flexibility’
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 DAMASCUS: Syria said Tuesday it will soon restart talks with the European Union on a stalled partnership agreement, but that its timing will depend on the flexibility shown to Damascus over certain points.”A European delegation will travel to Damascus to negotiate the points in the agreement that raise Syrian concern,” Foreign Minister Walid Moallem
Defiant Karroubi says Iran regime ‘plagued with despotism’
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 TEHRAN: A day after his apartment block was besieged by hardliners calling for his prosecution, defiant Iranian opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi lashed out at the government, saying it was “plagued with despotism,” his website reported on Tuesday.The cleric, who continues to question the legitimacy of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election,
Lieberman confirms boycott of Brazilian president
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s foreign minister confirmed Tuesday that he boycotted meetings with the visiting Brazilian president, claiming he refused to visit the grave of the founder of modern Zionism.Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told Israeli media he did not attend President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s speech at the Israeli Parliament Monday
China more concerned about Iran but still wary on sanctions
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 BEIJING: China has become more concerned about international tensions over Iran’s nuclear program, but remains doubtful sanctions can resolve the stand-off, the Chinese foreign minister said on Tuesday.Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi was speaking after talks with visiting British Foreign Secretary (minister) David Miliband, where one of
Israeli reporter grilled by Egyptian military over illegal border-crossing attempt
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 AL-ARISH, Egypt: Egyptian military prosecutors were interrogating an Israeli journalist on Tuesday after arresting him at the border as he tried to cross illegally with an African migrant, a security source said, adding the journalist risks a military trial.Yotam Feldman and the Ghanian were arrested Sunday along a route used by smugglers who help African migrants into Israel, officials said.
North African states discuss rising Al-Qaeda threat
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 ALGIERS: Seven North African states held talks Tuesday in Algeria to plan a coordinated response to Al-Qaeda following a dangerous rise in the terror threat in the Sahara-Sahel region, officials said.The conference “indicates our shared will to take adequate and suitable steps in a coordinated manner” in response to the terror threat “which has seen dangerous developments
Jumblatt’s son enters politics
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 BEIRUT: Timor Walid Jumblatt marked his entry to Lebanese politics on Tuesday by laying a red rose on the memorial site of his grandfather Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) founder Kamal Jumblatt. Jumblatt was assassinated on March 16, 2009. Walid Jumblatt had told Al-Jazeera news channel over the weekend that Timor, with the help
Partners in Israeli incitement
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 From the very first day that there was talk of relaunching the Middle East peace process, it should have been obvious to the Palestinians that the Israelis would seek to undermine negotiations through some form of stalling and/or provocation. But familiarity with this age-old Israeli strategy apparently hasn’t stopped Palestinian leaders from gobbling up the bait
Lebanon receives praise for freedom of media expression
Daily Star 16 Mar 2010 BEIRUT: Lebanon is a “shining beacon” when it comes to freedom of media expression in the Arab world, a top international media expert said Tuesday. Speaking at the launch of the countdown to the 63rd World Newspaper Congress and the 17th World Editors Forum, both to be held in Beirut in June this year, Timothy Balding, director general of the
Palestinian Information Center
150 wounded in the day of rage
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – IOF used rubber bullets and teargas on Tuesday to disperse Palestinian demonstrations protesting the opening of the ruins synagogue near the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem wounding 150 citizens.
Fatah leader: Intifada only bring about “disasters”
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – Tayseer Nasrallah, a Fatah leader, has criticized calls for igniting a third intifada against the Israeli violations in occupied Jerusalem and the opening of the ruins synagogue near the Aqsa Mosque.
Radwan: all options open before resistance
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – Dr. Ismail Radwan has said that all options are open before Palestinian resistance to retaliate to Israel’s violations of holy places and for its relentless policy of judaization and settlement.
Hamas calls on PA to unleash resistance fighters to curb Israeli crimes in J’lem
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – Hamas on Tuesday called on the Palestinian Authority to unleash the Palestinian resistance to respond to Israel’s crimes in occupied Jerusalem.
Haneyya, gov’t call for urgent OIC session
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – The Palestinian government in Gaza under premier Ismail Haneyya on Tuesday called on the Arab leaders to prioritize the issue of Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque in their upcoming summit conference.
Palestinians in J’lem create human cordon around Aqsa Mosque
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – Spokesman for the Islamic Movement Zahi Anjidat said that the Palestinians of the holy city and the occupied lands managed on Tuesday morning to create a human cordon protecting the Aqsa Mosque.
Zahhar: The Palestinians will defend J’lem with their flesh and bones
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – Mahmoud Al-Zahhar stressed that the Palestinian people will protect Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque with their flesh and bones, vowing that the ruin synagogue will wreak havoc on Israel’s existence.
Khreisha: PA in Ramallah pursuing Netanyahu’s vision
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – Hasan Khreisha has accused the PA in Ramallah of pursuing the Israeli premier’s vision on means of settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict mainly concentrating on the economic factor.
Palestinian Intifada breaks out throughout O. Jerusalem
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – A Palestinian Intifada (uprising) has broken out in different areas of occupied Jerusalem Tuesday morning in response to the calls for participating in the day of anger.
Mishaal calls for open campaign as of Tuesday to protect J’lem and Aqsa
PIC 16 Mar 2010 – Khaled Mishaal called for initiating an open campaign on Tuesday to protect Jerusalem, the Aqsa Mosque and all Islamic and Christian holy sites in Palestine.
More than 100 injured in ‘Day of Rage’ Israeli-Palestinian clashes
LA Times 16 Mar 2010 – Palestinians fueled by anger over what they see as Israeli expansions into Palestinian-dominated areas clash with police in East Jerusalem. Rising political and religious tensions in Jerusalem spilled into the streets Tuesday with a string of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police that left more than 100 people injured.
Israel rejects U.S. calls to halt East Jerusalem plan
LA Times 16 Mar 2010 – Prime Minister Netanyahu says construction will go ahead, despite a diplomatic flap. A day after trying to ease tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday rejected U.S. demands to end the construction of new housing units in disputed East Jerusalem, leaving the two allies in the middle of an increasingly uncomfortable diplomatic feud.
Israel’s Netanyahu seeks to ease tension after Biden’s Mideast trip
LA Times 15 Mar 2010 – The premier expresses regret over the announcement of a Jewish housing project. The U.S. says the move hurt efforts to restart peace talks with Palestinians and embarrassed the vice president. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried Sunday to move beyond a diplomatic rift with the U.S. even as Obama administration officials reiterated their displeasure with a controversial housing project in East Jerusalem.
Israelis Resist U.S. Demands on Building in Jerusalem
New York Times 16 Mar 2010 – Israel said it would reject U.S. demands and expressed anger over the public upbraiding of the prime minister.
Rebuilt Synagogue Is Caught in Disputes Over Jerusalem
New York Times 16 Mar 2010 – Israel officially inaugurated a rebuilt synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City, entangling what was intended to be a festive event with the diplomatic row over new Israeli construction.
Iran Plans to Execute 6 Arrested in Protests
New York Times 16 Mar 2010 – The announcement appeared to be strong warning to the opposition ahead of a traditional annual celebration.
World Briefing | Middle East: Egypt: Constitutional Court Supports Female Judges
New York Times 15 Mar 2010 – The ruling follows a dispute in the State Council, the top administrative court, over whether women should be appointed to the courts.
Some Palestinian Jordanians Lose Citizenship
New York Times 14 Mar 2010 – A Human Rights Watch report said 2,700 people lost citizenship from 2004 to 2008 and more were vulnerable.
Rethinking What Happens If Iran Gets Nuclear Weapons
New York Times 13 Mar 2010 – Whatever the U.S. wishes, Iran may get nuclear weapons. A debate is building on whether containment would work.
The linkage fantasy
Mondoweiss – 16 Mar 2010 – Israel-supporters in the U.S. know they will lose if the issue is framed as a linkage: Palestinian grievances are endangering our troops. Jeffrey Goldberg does some digging : “I called the White House to ask if Biden actually said this. It would be quite something, of course,…
Who does the ‘Times’ call?
Mondoweiss – 16 Mar 2010 – What follows is an abridged version of Times story on East Jerusalem tensions : the [Israeli] spokesman, Stephan Miller, said… The Obama administration’s Middle East envoy, George J. Mitchell , said Tuesda… Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in an interview on Israel Radio.. [Mrs Clinton] said at a…
Howard Berman: Please— let’s get back to bashing Goldstone!
Mondoweiss – 16 Mar 2010 – Ron Klein, a Florida congressman, puts out a statement saying , “I am deeply disappointed that even after the Israeli government apologized, State Department and White House officials have sustained their condemnations against the State of Israel, using harsh terms.” He wants to get back to the…
Holocaust porn is serious subject
Mondoweiss – 16 Mar 2010 – Eran Shayshon found Naomi Klein’s mention of Holocaust pornography “extraordinarily amusing.” Amusing? What’s that about? Does he think it’s not real? An event on this very topic was just held in San Francisco a few days ago: the screening of a film on this pornography, called…
We cut no ice on the right, what gives?
Mondoweiss – 16 Mar 2010 – Walter Russell Mead wrote this interesting passage on why the right supports Israel : “Many of the arguments and perceptions that have weakened support for Israel on the left cut no ice with the populist right. The argument that just war theory forbids the ‘disproportionate’ use of…
News from Within Videocast: The Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem
Alternative Information Center – 16 Mar 2010 – Friday, 05 March 2010, The US-based Center for Constitutional Rights is petitioning various United Nations offices, of Palestinian families whose ancestors are buried in the Mamila Cemetery. The cemetery better known as Mamilla, has been a Muslim burial ground since the 7th century, when companions of…
Border Police Critically Injures 14 Year Old in Nabi Saleh Demonstration
Alternative Information Center – 16 Mar 2010 – Saturday, 06 March 2010, The 14 year old boy was critically injured during a demonstration in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh against creeping land grab by the adjacent Jewish-only settlement of Halamish.
Condolences
Alternative Information Center – 16 Mar 2010 – Monday, 08 March 2010, The Alternative Information Center shares in the deep sorrow of veteran staff member Bryan Atinsky, at the tragic and untimely loss of his wife, Dr. Efrat Gamliel-Atinsky, children Noam (5) and Ya’ari (8 months) Gamliel-Atinsky and mother-in-law Esther Gamliel, in a car…
World Education Forum in Palestine Launched
Alternative Information Center – 16 Mar 2010 – Tuesday, 16 March 2010, The Palestinian National Committee in charge of the preparations of the World Social Forum on Education hosted a delegation of the International Advisory Committee of the World Social Forum in Ramallah from March 11 -13. Together they launched the organizing process that…
AIC Participates in Moroccan Social Forum for Another World
Alternative Information Center – 16 Mar 2010 – Tuesday, 16 March 2010, Seven hundred people attended the 5th Moroccan Social Forum, held in Bouznika, near Casablanca, from 5-7 March 2010. The Alternative Information Center (AIC) and the Teachers’ Creativity Centre from Palestine joined the meeting; the friendly and helpful atmosphere among the participants,…
Articles
Israel demands peace from Palestinians as its own racism spreads
Zvi Barel, Haaretz, Israeli Occupation Archive 3/14/2010
The Strategic Affairs Ministry never ceases to bring us peace of mind. How nice to know that someone in Israel is monitoring Palestinian incitement, ensuring they “create an environment of peace” and striving “to push them toward a culture of peace”. After all, what do we care about construction in Jerusalem, Efrat or Ramat Shlomo, or about checkpoints, arrests, home demolitions, the army’s “neighbor policy,” bone breaking, land appropriation or the blockade of 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza?
All of these are minor issues compared with naming a square near Ramallah after Dalal Mughrabi, a Palestinian woman who took part in a bloody terror attack three decades ago, calling for confronting the occupation or referring to suicide bombers as martyrs. These are the real threats to peace. After all, according to the road map, the Palestinians are responsible for ending incitement. After we have meticulously fulfilled everything the road map required of us and completely frozen settlement construction, it’s now their turn.
Yossi Kuperwasser, the deputy director of the Strategic Affairs Ministry and a generally bright man who once headed the Military Intelligence research department, explains that there are several categories of incitement. These include encouraging others to commit terrorist acts, demonizing Israel and creating an atmosphere of hostility toward it. The fact that the occupation persists in the Palestinian territories, and that any nation under occupation will do virtually anything to rid itself of this arrangement, is apparently missing from his consciousness.
In his view, when Palestinians get up in the morning they begin cursing Israel and plotting its erasure from the map and school textbooks through the noble acts of their martyrs…. — See also:Sourcemore..e-mail
Taboo Inhibits Frank Iran/Israel Talk
Ray McGovern, Consortiumnews.com 3/11/2010
Participants at an otherwise informative discussion on “Iran at a Crossroads” at the Senate on Wednesday seemed at pains to barricade the doors against the proverbial elephant being admitted into the room ‚Äî in this case, Israel.
This, despite the fact that the agenda virtually dictated that the elephant be allowed in. The cavernous hearing room also could have accommodated it — however awkward and untidy the atmosphere might have become.
Otherwise, as was entirely predictable, the discussion would be lacking a crucial element. Which it turned out to be.
The tongue-tied impediment displayed by some of the presenters can be chalked up mostly to the all-too-familiar timidity on Capitol Hill to countenance candid discussion of any issue on which Israel can be revealed to be a fly in the ointment.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, obtained use of the hearing room for the organizers of the discussion, the thoroughly professional National Iranian American Council headed by Professor Trita Parsi. This is to Levin’s credit, in my view.
At the same time, Sen. Levin holds the all-time-high record for PAC contributions from groups affiliated with the self-described “America’s Pro-Israel Lobby” ‚Äî the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
In any case, a truly distinguished panel launched the discussion on “The U.S. and Iran: Back to Confrontation?” which Professor Parsi moderated. The panelists began by setting a fact- and reality-based context, which in turn raised hopes of a no-holds-barred discussion. Their observations included, or implied, the following….more..e-mail
Three Kings – The Rise of an American Empire in the Middle East After World War II
Jim Miles, Axis of Logic 3/13/2010
Book Review: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 conspiracy to attack and dominate the world.
Palestine
When I first started my readings on current events as related to 9/11, the attack on Afghanistan and then on Iraq, it soon became clear that Palestine was symbolically at the heart of the problems in the Middle East. Beyond that, it is also at the heart of other problems involving human rights, international law, the U.S. government, and corporate power among others. The Second World War ended with the violent remainders of various empires imploding on themselves, most significantly the British Empire collapsed in India and the Middle East. Right from the outset, the Palestinian situation was identified as a “major stumbling block” to U.S. imperial ambitions as “Of all the political problems which call for solution in this area the Palestine question is probably the most important and urgent at the present time.”more..e-mail
Documentary: “Nahr al-Bared: Checkpoints and more”
Electronic Intifada: 16 Mar 2010 – Nahr al-Bared refugee camp has still not recovered from the devastating war in 2007 during which it was destroyed. The Lebanese army has been keeping a tight grip on the camp and the 20,000 displaced Palestinians who have returned so far. This 30-minute film documents various consequences of the siege on Nahr al-Bared. Merchants and artisans explain their specific problems and a UN agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA) project manager, a project coordinator of the Palestinian-Arab Women League, the president of Nahr al-Bared’s Merchants’ Committee and a researcher provide their views and thoughts on the issue.
Israel’s actions on the ground proving difficult to spin
Electronic Intifada: 16 Mar 2010 – JERSUSALEM (IPS) – Israeli riot police and soldiers have, since Friday, sealed off the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest shrine, restricting entry to women and Palestinian men over 50. Outside the walled Old City, where the al-Aqsa mosque is situated, and in several West Bank villages, clashes were reported.
European Union found guilty at first session of Russell Tribunal
Electronic Intifada: 15 Mar 2010 – The first session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RTP) was heard in Barcelona, Spain earlier this month. The RTP is a peoples’ legal initiative designed to systematically try key actors responsible for the perpetuation of human rights violations in Palestine. In the frame this time was the European Union (EU). Two days and 21 expert witness testimonies later, the RTP found individual states and the EU as a whole guilty of persistent violations and misconduct with regards to international and internal EU law. Ewa Jasiewicz and Frank Barat comment for The Electronic Intifada.
Review: Finkelstein’s transformation to victim hero in “American Radical”
Electronic Intifada: 15 Mar 2010 – With unfettered access to Norman Finkelstein during the most dramatic stage of his career, American Radical: the trials of Norman Finkelstein directors David Ridgen and Nicolas Rossier provide a compelling look at one of the most roundly vilified academics in recent American history. Max Blumenthal reviews the new documentary for The Electronic Intifada.
psst… voices calling loud
In Gaza: 16 Mar 2010 – Today, the latest in growing demonstrations in the Israeli-imposed “buffer zone” , demonstrators again protested this lethal Israeli ban (shoot to kill threat) which renders roughly 30% of Gaza’s best agricultural land off-limits and under which in August 2009 the UN’s OCHA reported 33 Palestinian civilians (among them 11 children) had been killed and another 61 civilians (among them 13 children) injured. From January 18 2009 to September 15 2009 alone, ISM reported 7 civilians (among them 4 children) killed and 28 (among them 8 children and 2 women) injured by Israeli soldiers in the border regions. Bearing in mind that the Israeli assaults on farmers and civilians in the border regions have continued , and that these assaults occur far beyond the 300 metres that Israeli authorities say make up the “buffer zone” [the actual off-limits area veering up to 2 km in some areas ], those protesting weekly have serious, valid…
EU Found Guilty at First Session of Russell Tribunal
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Mar 2010 – By Ewa Jasiewicz and Frank Barat The first session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine (RTP) was heard in Barcelona, Spain earlier this month. The RTP is a peoples’ legal initiative designed to systematically try key actors responsible for the perpetuation of human rights violations in Palestine. In the frame this time was the European Union (EU). Two days and 21 expert witness testimonies later, the RTP found individual states and the EU as a whole guilty of persistent violations and misconduct with regards to international and internal EU law. These included: assistance in perpetrating the crime of apartheid — deepened in definition as applicable to the violation of the inalienable right of return for refugees and the collective punishment and ghettoization of Gaza; aiding the procurement of war crimes and crimes against humanity particularly with regards to Gaza; and violating the Palestinian right to self-determination, aiding illegal colonization, the…more
Murdoch’s Kind of Arabs: Sleeping with the Enemy
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Mar 2010 – By Jeremy Salt — Ankara Rupert Murdoch, perhaps the greatest defender of free speech and the free flow of communications in recorded human history, or so you would think to read his speeches, and the praise heaped on him by his flatterers, pleaded at the inaugural Abu Dhabi Media Summit last week for an end to media censorship in the Middle East so that the entire region could benefit from the ‘powerful wind’ of creative energy that was blowing through it. He warned his Arab media hosts not to bury inconvenient stories because ‘in the long run this is very counterproductive’. For someone who has spent his life burying inconvenient truths this is certainly amusing. Recently Murdoch and his son James have launched full-scale attacks on the BBC because its news web sites have made it ‘incredibly difficult’ for corporations such as theirs to charge for the news on their…more
With a Veil on Their Heads and a Blindfold over Our Eyes
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Mar 2010 – By Agust??n Velloso — Madrid The national press in Spain continues to include articles of and letters to the editor relating to the veil. It would seem that this garment has become a problem for Western society, where its use is really not noticed, even though, curiously, this does not seem the case where its use is widespread. The truth is that this insignificant garment, as well as covering the heads of Muslim women, is useful for covering up the situation of Spanish women. The nouveau riche has little money and less memory, but lots of degrees in modernity and distinction to tell others, with such exquisite tact and force if necessary, what they should do. Veils were -and in some cases still are- part of the Spanish women attire for ages. Without the necessity of right-wing crusades or left-wing peace operations, veils have become shorter and less present, just…more
The New Dark Age 
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