News
International Middle East Media Center
Three Fundamentalist Knesset Members To Tour the Al Aqsa Mosque
IMEMC – Wednesday March 24, 2010 – 02:51, Three Israeli Knesset members of the National Union fundamentalist party stated that they intend to tour the yards of the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
Jerusalem Municipality Approves More Units For Jewish Settlers
IMEMC – Wednesday March 24, 2010 – 01:50, The Jerusalem Municipality approved the construction of 20 more units for Jewish settlers in an area near the Shepherd Hotel, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Netanyahu: “Palestinian Demands Could Halt Talks For Another Year”
IMEMC – Wednesday March 24, 2010 – 01:28, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated Tuesday that the Palestinian “demands” for a full settlement freeze could lead for delaying the peace talks for another year.
Israeli Tanks Invade Areas At The Gaza Strip Borders
IMEMC – Tuesday March 23, 2010 – 18:34, Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded areas in northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday at dawn and opened fire at nearby homes.
Settlers Attack Farmers At Different Locations In The West Bank
IMEMC – Tuesday March 23, 2010 – 18:24, Armed Israeli settlers attacked on Tuesday Palestinian farmers in different locations in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Troops Release A Community Organizer After Weeklong Detention And Torture
IMEMC – Tuesday March 23, 2010 – 17:57, The Israeli military released on Tuesday at dawn Omer Aladdin from the village of Al Ma’ssara, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Britain To Formally Accuse Israel of Cloning Passports
IMEMC – Tuesday March 23, 2010 – 12:03, The British Authorities will be formally accusing the Israeli Mossad of forging British passports that were used by some of the assassins who killed Hamas officials Mahmoud Al Madbouh in Dubai in January.
Netanyahu: “Jerusalem Is Not A Settlement”
IMEMC – Tuesday March 23, 2010 – 11:22, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that Jerusalem is not an occupied city, but the eternal capital of Israel, and added that the Jewish people started building Jerusalem 3000 years ago, “and now they will continue to build”.
Four Wounded In Israeli Air Strike In Gaza
IMEMC – Tuesday March 23, 2010 – 09:01, Palestinian medical sources reported that four residents were wounded on Wednesday at dawn when the Israeli air force fired several missiles at farmlands in Al Tuffah neighborhood, east of Gaza City.
Hundreds Protest Jerusalem’s Mayor Visit to London
IMEMC – Tuesday March 23, 2010 – 01:15, Hundreds of Arabs, Muslims and British nationals held a protest on Monday evening in the center of the British Capital, London, to protest the visit of Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat, who was invited to speak in London.
Popular committee says organizer tortured
3/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An organizer of popular resistance activities in the village of Al-Ma’asara alleged he was tortured while in Israeli prison, a report from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said on Monday. According to a statement from the committee, Al-Ma’asara organizer Omar Ala Ad-Din was detained as he passed through the Container checkpoint, an internal West Bank military post, on 14 March. Ala Ad-Din said he was beaten repeatedly, first by the soldiers who detained him and later by intelligence officers in the Russian Compound, an Israeli investigation center in Jerusalem. He said he was kicked, punched and shocked several times with a taser. He said he was questioned about participation in the protests against the construction of Israel’s separation wall, and accused of assaulting the soldier who arrested him. Related:Palestinian organizer tortured in Israeli jail
Israeli forces ransack homes following Friday protests
3/23/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces ransacked the homes of several anti-wall activists in the southern West Bank overnight Friday, threatening to torture them and their families if they continued organizing protests in Beit Ummar, an official said. Several days later, on Tuesday, Israeli military representatives confirmed soldiers “acted against individuals suspected of involvement in severe offences, including rock throwing and participation in violent and illegal riots,” but noted it “rejects the general claims pertaining to inappropriate offences allegedly committed against Palestinian residents. ” Muhammad Awad, spokesman for the Palestine Solidarity Project, said the home of Yousif Abu Mariyya, head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, was ransacked, and that Abu Mariyya was beaten “before the very eyes” of his family members.
4 wounded after Gaza airstrike
3/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – At least four Palestinians were injured in an Israeli airstrike late Monday evening targeting the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City, medical and security sources said. The wounded were taken for treatment to Ash-Shifa Hospital, where medics described their shrapnel injuries as mild to moderate. The air attack targeted a home east of Gaza City, Palestinian security sources told Ma’an. Several homes were reportedly damaged. Israel’s military described the target as a Palestinian weapons-storage facility in Gaza City. The army reported identifying a direct hit. A military spokesman told Ma’an the attack came in response to 10 projectiles recently fired toward southern Israel from Gaza. “The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to disrupt the calm in southern Israel,” he said. “Hamas is solely responsible for maintaining the calm. . . “
Gaza protesters demand access to lands in no-go zone
3/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hundreds joined the ongoing challenge to the Israeli-enforced no-go zone, limiting access to agricultural lands near the Gaza border, with protesters marching toward the area in the northern Strip on Tuesday. Participant Sabir Za’anin said the crowd was the largest yet, noting the group decided to once again test the northern no-go zone, policed at 300-500 meters away from the border fence. According to some estimates, the Israeli no-go zone that envelopes the Gaza Strip occupies some 20 percent of arable land in the coastal enclave. During the protest, campaign coordinator Mahmoud Az-Zeq said the group marched directly toward the watch-tower at the Erez crossing and were only 80 meters away when warning shots were fired. Az-Zeq told demonstrators that the Palestinian National struggle “must be activated in all its forms,” and praised the non-violent demonstrations in Gaza. . .
Sinjil lands declared closed zones after settler provocation
3/23/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – At least 40 armed settlers accosted Palestinian farmers working near Sinjil village on Tuesday, prompting the arrival of Israeli forces, who declared the area a closed military zone, locals reported. Imad Masalma, head of the Sinjil municipal council, said farmers had obtained a permit to enter the 50 dunum-area following five years of closure, and refused to leave their lands when confronted by the group of settlers. Soldiers arrived on the scene and initially attempted to evacuate the settlers, Masalma said, but ended up declaring the area a closed military area and forcing the farmers to evacuate the land. The group of villagers in the field included farmers with eight tractors and several members of the local popular committee, established to defend the village and its agricultural lands, Masalma said.
Parents call for release of detained son diagnosed with cancer
3/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Parents of a Palestinian detainee diagnosed with spinal cancer have called on international human rights groups on Tuesday to secure his release. Raed Drabiyeh, 37, from Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza, was sentenced to life and has served 14 years of his term, the Detainees’ Studies Center said. Drabiyeh’s parents, whose son was diagnosed with cancer in 2005, said he has undergone six spinal surgeries and is now in a wheelchair. The center described Drabiyeh’s case as serious and critical. The center called for Drabiyeh’s immediate release on medical grounds “before he dies in an Israeli prison hospital,” where, they say, he will not receive adequate treatment. His parents further asked to be afforded their right to prison visits “so we can see our son at least for one last time. “As Gaza residents, the Israeli Prison Service has prohibited them from family visitation rights.
PA Police: Israel detains 4, raids Jenin, refugee camp
3/23/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Israeli raids targeted Jenin and the Far’a refugee camp north of Nablus overnight Monday, with four detained and three released, a police report said. The public relations office of the Palestinian police in the West Bank said Israeli soldiers detained three from the Askar refugee camp on allegations of knife possession. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the three were detained and handed over to the Palestinian Authority, noting they remained in PA custody. Police said the men were detained for hours then handed over to the Palestinian liaison office, while one man detained from the Far’a refugee camp north of Nablus remains in Israeli custody. Police identified the man as 21-year-old Jamal Tayeh. The spokeswoman said she had no knowledge of the incident. A raid targeted Jenin at 3am, entering the cit via the Nablus road.
Gaza MP: Ban visit disappointed 1.5 million Gazans
3/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Gaza residents waited more than one year for the return of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Gaza leader Jamal Al-Khoudary said Monday, hoping he would change the reality in Gaza and end the siege. The head of the Popular Committee Against the Siege on Gaza called Ban’s words a disappointment to Gazans, noting his “comments did not show that such a thing might happen. ” Al-Khoudary said Ban “did not address the suffering of people displaced by the war. He did not mention the destroyed homes and farms, those who have become disabled, workers who have become jobless, electricity crisis, crossings closed, difficult health situation, or all the disastrous effects of the embargo. ” He called the UN housing project, which aimed at building 150 units in Gaza, an “insufficient step since there are housing projects for construction of 2,200 units in Gaza stopped as a result of the siege. . . “
Prisoner society condemns Ban Ki-moon meet with Shalit family
3/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Wa’ed Society for Detainees denounced on Tuesday UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s meeting with the family of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, describing the move as “shameful. “The society said during the UN chief’s visit to the Gaza Strip, “he did not care to listen to the suffering of the relatives of detainees who lined up to meet him and talk to him,” a statement said. The statement added that the society was dismayed when Ban Ki-moon met with Shalit’s family to discuss human rights, but completely “ignored the plight of Palestinian prisoners. “The society pointed to numerous children who gathered during his visit, holding photos of detained parents. “The Secretary-General described Shalit’s capture and detention by Palestinian resistance factions as ‘unacceptable’ but he remained silent regarding the cases of thousands of Palestinian detainees,” the statement read.
Barghouthi: Not even Netanyahu can erase Jerusalem history
3/23/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Mustafa Barghouthi, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, called the statements of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Washington’s AIPAC conference “lies and fabrications, attempts to falsify Palestinian history. “Speaking out against Netanyahu’s statement calling the construction of Israeli homes on occupied Palestinian land “not a settlement,”Barghouti said no attempt to “Judaize Jerusalem will delete Palestinian history” from the city. During his speech at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Washington, Netanyahu told Jewish lobbyists, that “[t]he connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel cannot be denied. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem cannot be denied. “He continued, saying, “The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 year ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. “
Israel army to investigate deadly Nablus shooting
3/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An investigation will be launched into the deaths of two Nablus teenagers, the Israeli army said Monday evening. ” Brigadier General Nitzan Alon has appointed a team of experts led by a lieutenant colonel to examine the circumstances of the deaths of two Palestinian rioters during the violent and illegal riot in Iraq Burin,” an Israeli military spokesman said over the phone. A teenager died early Sunday from injuries sustained at a protest a day earlier, when another boy was shot dead. Useid Qadus, 16, was shot in the head by Israeli forces, medics said, and Muhammad Qadus, also 16, died of a wound to the chest shortly after the a protest in Iraq Burin, another village south of Nablus. The Israeli military said its forces opened fire with riot-control means to disperse a violent riot, denying allegations its soldiers used live ammunition against the two teenagers.
Israeli forces release Jerusalemite
3/23/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli forces released a Jerusalemite from prison on Monday, after he served seven years in detention centers on “security charges,” the Prisoners Center said. Amer Basem Yousef Nasser Ad-Din, 28, from Jerusalem’s Wadi Joz neighborhood was detained on 6 July 2003. He was taken from a flying checkpoint set up in Silwan and held at the Russian Compound for several days of questioning and was later convicted. [end]
One Gaza crossing partially open
3/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Kerem Shalom crossing will be partially opened for the transport of limited goods into the Gaza Strip, Israeli officials informed Palestinian liaison officers on Tuesday. Raed Fattouh said between 87 and 97 truckloads of aid for the commercial and agricultural sectors would pass into the Strip, and three truckloads of cut carnations will be permitted to leave. The flowers along with strawberries, exported under a dutch government program to support Gaza farmers, are the only items Gaza has been permitted to export since the start of the Israeli siege on the area in 2007. Limited quantities of domestic gas and industrial diesel will also enter via the Kerem Shalom crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, Fattouh explained, noting the closure of the Karni crossing in the north.
Research suggests BBC Arabic coverage not objective
3/23/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – A researcher at Birzeit University submitted findings Saturday outlining what she found to be un-objective coverage around “the question of Palestine” on BBC Arabic’s broadcast news. The study, focusing on the daily news program World News This Evening’s broadcasts between 8 November and 8 December 2008, found external political motivations swayed coverage of Palestine only weeks before Israel launched its Operation Cast Lead on 26 December 2008. Masters student Buthayna Hamdan, who pioneered the study, explained that she measured the objectivity of the reports by BBC’s own standards, and basic precepts of news coverage. Benchmarks for measurement included: Omission of facts, clear differentiation of facts and opinions, and avoiding prioritization of accounts. The research found that the news coverage employed Israeli terminology, describing the military as “defense forces”. . .
UK prepares Palestinian swimmers for London Olympics
3/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Young Palestinian swimming champions received their medals in a special event held at te Ibrahimyeh College in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, marking the end of a project aimed at discovering swimmers with potential to compete on behalf of Palestine at the London Olympics in 2012. The project, funded by the British Consulate General in Jerusalem, allowed the swimming federation to train 50 young Jerusalemites for a period of five months, a statement read. The final competition was held in Ramallah two weeks ago. As he announced the winners, Ibrahim Tawil, head of the Palestine Swimming Federation said”what the Palestinian people lack in facilities, they make up for in courage and hardwork. Olympic medals might be a distant dream for us, but that doesn’t stop us working to ensure that Palestinians can compete and give a performance of which their country can be proud.
Ashkenazi: Hamas wants Gaza, not violence
3/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamas fighters were not behind the recent projectile launches from Gaza, Israel army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi told Knesset members on Tuesday, Israeli media reported. Speaking at the the Knesset’s security and foreign affairs committee, Ashkenazi said Hamas was more interested in maintaining its rule over Gaza than escalating violence with Israel, since it would cause the collapse of the state of appeasement in Gaza and risk shuffling the deck in the Strip, the Israeli Hebrew-language daily Ma’ariv wrote. Nonetheless, he added, Hamas “could do more to stop the rocket fire. “This was also Ashkenazi’s justification for why “the IDF retaliates against Hamas targets. . . because we regard them as the sovereign group [in the Strip]. ” Israeli military representatives regularly note that the institution holds Hamas responsible for maintaining security control of the Gaza Strip.
Chinese vice premier on West Bank tour
3/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu visited the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square on Tuesday morning, during a trip aimed at supporting peace efforts in the region, officials said. Liangyu was welcomed by Bethlehem Governor Abdul Fattah Hamayel, Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarsa, the Chief of Police in Bethlehem, Ala’ At-Tamimi, and a number of clergy men. He later traveled to Ramallah for a meeting with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The visit, the Chinese vice premier said, was undertaken to gain further insight on Bethlehem and daily life, and will visit other historical sites in the city during his tour. Hamayel told Liangyu that the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah would not enter into direct or indirect talks with Israel until it brings an end to settlement expansion and activity, he said, considering such activities an attempt to “erase the meaning of the peace process. “
Answers expected following Obama-Netanyahu meet
3/23/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – US Middle East envoy George Mitchell assured President Mahmoud Abbas Tuesday, that he would be updated on Israel’s committment to the Quartet’s demand following meetings in Washington later in the week. The Quartet, of which the United States is a members, asked Israel to revoke a decision to build 1,600 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem following a meeting of the body in Moscow on Friday. The update will follow a meeting between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Thursday, Secretary-General of the President’s office At-Tayyib Abdul Rahim said during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Hui Liangyu in Ramallah. Abdul Rahim told the Chinese vice premier that Israeli insistence on continued settlement activity on land occupied in 1967 would bring an end to the possibility of a two-state solution and the peace process overall.
Hamas welcomes UK’s expulsion of Israeli diplomat
3/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas leader Salah Bardawil said the movement welcomed the British government’s decision to expel an Israeli officialover 12 forged UK passports used in the assassination of one of its leaders in Dubai. Bardawil said the move was a significant development in Britain’s stance, adding “we hope that this level of development will continue, particularly in bringing Israeli leaders who committted crimes against the Palestinian people before court. “British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told lawmakers on Tuesday that an unnamed Israeli diplomat in the UK has been removed following an investigation into the use of forged British passports in the suspected Mossad hit. Milliband said an investigation found there are “compelling reasons to believe that Israel was responsible” for forging passports used to enter Dubai for the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh on 20 January in his luxury hotel room, the Associated Press reported.
EU FMs discuss Middle East peace with Blair
3/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – EU foreign ministers discussed the Middle East peace process with International Quartet envoy Tony Blair on Monday, following the derailing of indirect talks between Palestinian and Israeli negotiators after Israel announced an expansion to an East Jerusalem settlement. Meeting in the Foreign Affairs Council, ministers heard from High Representative Catherine Ashton, who reported on her recent visit to the Middle East and the International Quartet meeting in Moscow, while Tony Blair briefed them on the situation and efforts on the ground, a statement from European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument Information Center read. Blair told the European Parliament’s Development Committee that “immense problems” must be overcome to find a solution to the Middle East crisis on Monday, the BBC reported. The former UK premier said, however, that “real, significant” progress had been made during the past three years.
PLC speaker Dweik fine after crash with Israeli vehicle
3/23/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Palestinian Legislative Council Speaker Aziz Dweik suffered no injuries when his car collided with an Israeli vehicle on the Anata road north of Jerusalem, the leader said Tuesday. Dweik said he was en route to Ramallah when the accident occurred, sparking rumors of injury or machinations on all sides. During a phone interview shortly after the crash, Dweik said the collision was a simple accident and noted none involved were injured. He said he was a passenger in the car beside PLC member Maher Bader, whose son was in the driver’s seat. [end]
Elections committee: 85% of West Bankers registered
3/23/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Voter registration for June municipal elections in the West Bank concluded on Tuesday, the Palestinian Central Elections Commission (CEC), with what officials called a high turnout. CEC technical staff counted a total of 201,438 newly registered voters, bringing the total number of registered West Bankers to what the committee estimates as 85% of eligible voters. No new voters will be added to the rolls until after the end of local elections scheduled for 17 June 2010, the statement said. When the updated registration rolls are completed, the CEC said it would produce a preliminary registry, which will be published for “exhibition and challenge,” between 25 and 29 April, the legal timeline for corrections laid out by Palestinian elections law, the CEC said. A statement from the CEC called the total estimated number of registered West Bank voters “relatively high” compared to the global average.
PA police confiscate opium in Tubas
3/23/2010 – Tubas – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority police confiscated several opium plants on Tuesday, in the Kafiret area of Tubas in the West Bank. A police report said the anti-narcotics police seized the plants after receiving information that opium flowers were spotted in the area. An investigation has been launched to locate the owners and planters of the confiscated opium, the report added. [end]
PA policeman honored for work
3/23/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – A Palestinian Authority police officer was honored on Tuesday for his “honesty and commitment to duty” in Jericho, during a ceremony in Ramallah. Chief of Police Major General Hazem Attallah presented Adjunct Officer Murad Abu Tamam with a 1,000 shekel reward, after he found a woman’s handbag in Jericho containing money and her identification documents, while he was on duty. Abu Tamam insisted on returning the item personally to its owner, and as such was honored for his commitment to the PA police and Palestinians. [end]
Ma’an Newsletter
3/23/2010 – Dear friends and supporters,Welcome to the second edition of Ma’an Network’s newsletter, bringing you the latest information about Ma’an projects, services, and upcoming activities. As the largest non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening independent Palestinian media and empowering Palestinians to demand their rights, our work will be of interest to all those engaged in the fields of journalism, human rights, and democratic governance in the region. As always, we welcome your suggestions and comments; please contact us at info@maannet. org. Since its foundation in 2004, Ma’an Network has been at the forefront of championing new formats and technologies in order to bring impartial and reliable information to Palestinian citizens. In recent months Ma’an audiences have entered radio quizzes, questioned decision-makers live on TV, watched the finale of the first Palestinian university. . .
Military prosecutor to IDF: Probe shooting death of two Palestinians
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Prosecutor urges internal police, Judea and Samaria division already planning to look into incident.
IDF soldier laid to rest after killed by friendly fire
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – IDF St.-Sgt. Gabriel Cepic was killed by friendly fire near Kissufim during pursuit of infiltrators.
IDF official to Hamas: Don’t repeat mistakes of Gaza war
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – IDF chief of staff: Iran threat rising, Hamas accountable for Qassams, Hezbollah deploying north of Litani.
IAF strikes Gaza City weapons storage facility
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Israel launches attack in response to recent Gaza Strip rocket fire on southern communities.
Would Palestinian state stymie Iran’s plans?
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – U.S. General David Petraeus said Israeli-Palestinian conflict enflames anti-American feelings.
IDF soldier killed by friendly fire on Gaza border
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Golani troops open fire on comrades after mistaking tank soldiers for terrorists.
Can anything douse the flames of West Bank unrest?
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Two clashes between IDF and Palestinians over the weekend are a drop in the ocean of an imminent upsurge.
Egypt frees Israeli journalist who tried to infiltrate border
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Yotam Feldman, who also works for Haaretz, was preparing a piece on illegal immigration for Ch. 10.
Israel hits Gaza tunnel in response to latest rocket attack
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – No casualties or damages reported in Sunday’s Qassam strike, which came days after Thai worker killed in south.
Gaza rocket fired at south Israel, days after deadly strike
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – No casualties or damages reported; four rockets fired over weekend, 12 over course of last week.
West Bank businessman eyes creation of new city – if Israel agrees
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Town will cut West Bank unemployment by 10 per cent, Palestinian developers say.
Palestinians can use route 443, but Israel will seize Palestinian land to ‘secure’ it
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Route 443, connecting Modi’in to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, supposed to open to Palestinians in 10 weeks.
Israeli troops shoot dead Palestinian boy in West Bank
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Sixteen-year-old killed by IDF rifle fire during violent protest outside Nablus, medics say.
IDF soldier released by Jordanian army after crossing border
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Israel retaliates after pro-al-Qaida militants fire five Qassam rockets in 24 hours, killing a Thai worker.
At least 14 wounded in IAF missile strike on Gaza
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Israel retaliates after pro-al-Qaida militants fire five Qassam rockets in 24 hours, killing a Thai worker.
Gaza rocket strikes south Israel for fifth time in 24 hours
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – IAF aircraft attack at least six locations in Gaza, including smuggling tunnels, in response to deadly rocket.
‘Israel will defend itself from Gaza rockets, regardless of Goldstone’
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – IAF strikes six targets in Gaza in response to Qassam rocket attack that killed a man Thursday.
Hezbollah official: Israel strike on Iran could ignite Mideast
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Group’s deputy chief says anyone who attacked Iran would pay the price, whether Israel or the U.S.
IDF troops assaulted after wandering into Hebron’s Arab area
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – 3 soldiers wounded after losing their way in Hebron during physical training exercise.
Lebanon arrests Saudi national for alleged Mossad links
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Man was reportedly communicating with an IDF patrol when he was arrested Lebanon security forces.
Israel launches fresh Gaza air raid
Uruknet March 23, 2010 – Five people have been injured by Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian security officials and witnesses say. The five casualties, including one woman, were injured by shell fragments when an Israeli aircraft fired a missile on a house east of Gaza City late on Monday, the officials and witnesses said. The house, which was…
Gaza water authorities: 90 percent of water is polluted
Uruknet March 23, 2010 — Director of the water authority in the coastal areas Mundher Shiblak warned Monday that the percentage of water pollution in the Gaza Strip reached to 90 percent, pointing out that the crisis is worsening due to the lack of desalination and wastewater treatment plants. This came in a meeting held on the occasion of the world…
UK expels Israeli diplomat over Hamas killing
Uruknet March 23, 2010 — Britain has expelled an Israeli diplomat in connection with cloned passports used by suspects in the January killing of a Hamas leader in Dubai, a British government source familiar with the situation told CNN Tuesday. Israel’s ambassador to the United Kingdom met with British Foreign Office officials on Monday, the source said. The expelled diplomat’s rank…
Popular committee says organizer tortured in Israeli prison
Uruknet March 23, 2010 – An organizer of popular resistance activities in the village of Al-Ma’asara alleged he was tortured while in Israeli prison, a report from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee said on Monday. According to a statement from the committee, Al-Ma’asara organizer Omar Ala Ad-Din was detained as he passed through the Container checkpoint, an internal West Bank military…
Video: Human Shield Story: US activist Rachel Corrie remembered in film
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – Seven years ago American peace activist Rachel Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer while protesting against the demolition of Palestinian homes in Gaza. Her parents are now suing the Israeli government. The trial got underway on the anniversary of her death. RT caught up with filmmaker Simone Bitton, who made it her mission…
Palestinians in Israel’s ‚Äòdemocracy’: The Judaization of the Galilee
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – # The ‘Judaization of the Galilee’ refers to Israeli state and regional policies aimed at increasing the proportion of Jewish residents in relation to Palestinians in the Galilee, an area in the north of the country which retained a sizeable Palestinian population after 1948. # Judaizing the Galilee is just one element of Israel’s regime of control over…
Gaza civil society to UN chief: siege more than “unacceptable”
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – Your Excellency: You are already well aware of the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza as a consequence of Israel’s devastating military attacks and its siege. As recently as 27 December 2009, you called the blockade of Gaza “unacceptable.” While this statement is certainly valid, it constitutes a gross understatement of the actual situation which amounts to…
Going it alone: a Third Intifada?
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – It may well be that the citizens of the world, tired of hearing newscasts about Israel and the Palestinians, are not in the mood to hear it. Still, pressure in Palestine is building up quickly due to Israel’s continuing defiance of calls from around the world to halt settlement building in East Jerusalem and the other…
AMERICANS MUST NEVER HEAR THE TRUTH ABOUT GAZA
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – During the Bush Administration, Mohammed Omer had a problem obtaining a visa to enter the United States for a speaking engagement. Condoleeza Rice intervened and the visa was granted. During the Obama Administration, Mohammed Omer WAS DENIED a visa to enter the United States for a speaking tour AND NO ONE INTERVENED. We were promised a ‘…
Tell Me Again, Who Made The Desert Bloom?
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – In December 1945 and January 1946, the British Mandate authorities carried out an extensive survey of Palestine, in support of the work of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine. The results were published in the Survey of Palestine, which has been scanned and made available online by Palestine Remembered; all 1300 pages can be read…
SHOOT TO KILL POLICY
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – Like in Ireland during our conflict the British had a “shoot to Kill” policy, and now in Palestine the Zionists have a “shoot to kill” policy.The problem with having a “shoot to kill” policy, is that it often causes civilian murders. And sometimes it even backfires. For instance, today Israel killed one of their own. Yup,…
Israel is stealing Palestinian and Arab water
Uruknet March 22, 2010 – World Water Day is upon us. Initiated by the United Nations in 1992 during its Conference on Environment and Development, 22 March 1993 was chosen as the first international day for water aiming to draw attention to the importance of fresh water and its availability. The commemoration of the day has since focused every year on…
Israeli settlers prevent farmers from reaching their lands in Nablus
Nablus, March 23, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli Settlers stopped today number of farmers from Qaryut village, southeast of Nablus in the West Bank and prevented them from reaching their land. The official of West Bank settlements file, Ghassan Douglas, said to SAFA news agency: “The settlers of Rachel settlement, which adjacent to the village, prevented the farmers from reaching…
Israel warns 8 families of demolishing their houses
West Bank, March 23, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation authorities delivered demolition warnings against eight Bedouin in the area of Ras Khamis, near Shuafat camp east of occupied Jerusalem. The official for Jerusalem portfolio in Fatah, Hatem Abd Al-Kader said: “All of Mohammed, Hassan and Hatem Krishan received demolition warnings against their homes in the coming period.” Abd Al-Kader…
Gaza: Israeli airstrike injures four
Gaza, March 23, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – An Israeli air strike on the Gaza Strip overnight on Monday injured four Palestinians. The four injuries, including one woman, were slightly hurt by shell fragments when Israeli F16 warplane fired a missile on a house in Al-Tofah neighborhood the east part of Gaza City. The empty house was completely destroyed and three…
Egypt detains 3 Gazan fishermen
Gaza, March 22, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Three Gazan fishermen were kidnapped Sunday afternoon by Egyptian security forces off the Gaza coast after entering the Egyptian territorial water, Palestinian sources reported. Nizar Ayash, a Palestinian fishermen unionist, said to SAFA news agency that the Israeli siege and restrictions on Gaza which allow Gazan fishermen to fish in distance of 3…
Israel kidnaps 9 Palestinians from Hebron
Hebron, March 22, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces today kidnapped nine citizens from Dura village, southwest of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Security sources said to SAFA news agency that Israeli occupation forces detained the two brothers Amjad,32, and Shadi Al-Shahateet ,24 , after the raiding the town. Also they kidnapped seven citizens, after raiding their homes in…
Britain expels Mossad agent
The National 23 Mar 2010 – In damning statement to parliament, foreign secretary Miliband says evidence that Israel killed Hamas official in Dubai is compelling’.
Obama and Netanyahu meet behind closed doors
The National 23 Mar 2010 – The two leaders meet for the first time since a diplomatic feud erupted over plans for 1,600 new illegal Israeli homes in East Jerusalem.
Israeli soldier killed by friendly fire’
The National 23 Mar 2010 – Israeli forces mistakenly shoot and kill a fellow soldier while looking for three Palestinians who crossed the border from the Gaza Strip.
Rights Groups: Hamas Liable for Rocket Attacks
The Media Line 20 Mar 2010 – International human rights groups criticize Hamas over continuing Gaza rocket attacks on civilians in Israel. Hamas authorities in Gaza have the responsibility to stop indiscriminate rocket attacks into Israel, international human rights groups said over the…
UN’s Ban Ki-Moon Pledges Continued Support for Gazans
The Media Line 20 Mar 2010 – Visiting the Gaza Strip, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was “distressed” by the rubble from last year’s 22-day Israeli offensive and pledged Palestinians that the UN would “stand with you.” Ban’s visit to Israel…
Netanyahu Heads to Washington – Meeting with Obama
The Media Line 20 Mar 2010 – Hours before he took off for Washington, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu declared that major issues such as Jerusalem, refugees, settlements and borders were all on the table for negotiations with the Palestinians. The clarification came…
Iran ex-leader’s grandson arrested
AlJazeera 23 Mar 2010 – Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani’s grandson accused of taking part in post-election protests.
Israel launches fresh Gaza air raid
AlJazeera 23 Mar 2010 – Five injured in second such attack in days amid rocket fire from blockaded strip.
Alternative Information Center
Why Protest Building a Synagogue?
Alternative Information Center – Thursday, 18 March 2010, The Hurva synagogue was destroyed in the 1948 war by the Jordanian army. Before 1948, synagogues were used by Zionist underground forces for illicit activities including hording weapons.* But why is there…
Upcoming AIC Publication: Social Chaos: A Critical Perspective on the Israeli Educational System
Alternative Information Center – Wednesday, 17 March 2010, In April the Alternative Information Center (AIC) will release a new publication entitled Social Chaos: A Critical Perspective on the Israeli Educational System. Social Chaos is a compilation of articles written by…
It is Time to Hear the Palestinian People
Alternative Information Center – Tuesday, 16 March 2010, Israel’s dangerous and arrogant escalation in settlement building, house demolitions and evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem indicates that the government of Netanyahu-Lieberman’s is pushing for overt clash and conflict– and…
Israel’s ‘No Renting to Arabs’ Policy
PNN – Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Netanyahu: Jewish neighbourhoods part of peace deal
PNN – Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Mauritania Cuts Diplomatic Ties With Israel
PNN – Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Twilight Zone / Child’s play
PNN – Monday, 22 March 2010
Iran, Libya bid for UNHRC membership
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – Leshno Yaar: Iran’s inclusion would be “last straw in diminishing reputation.”
‘J’lem should be at world’s center’
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – In London, Barkat says capital should return to the role it played in history.
‘Tell us if Israel freezes in J’lem’
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – US to inform PA whether Israel is prepared to halt construction in the capital.
Jewish homes approved in e. J’lem
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – Peace Now condemns final approval of 20 new housing units in Sheikh Jarrah.
PA closes only Christian TV station
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – Owner of private channel accuses Ramallah gov’t of silencing the voice of the Christian minority in the Holy Land.
Jewish homes approved in Sheikh Jarrah
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – Peace Now condemns municipality’s final approval of 20 new houses in east J’lem.
Israel blasts UK for expelling diplomat
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – Miliband: No country could stand such misuse of its passports.
‘Tell us if Israel will freeze in E. J’lem’
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – US to inform PA whether Israel is prepared to halt construction in the capital.
‘United J’lem should be at world’s center’
Jeruslalem Post 23 Mar 2010 – In London, Barkat says capital should return to the role it played in history.
MIDEAST: Clinton Acknowledges “Daylight” Between US and Israel
IPS WASHINGTON, Mar 22 (IPS) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered reassurance Monday to the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee that the Barack Obama administration’s “commitment to Israel’s security and Israel’s future is rock solid,” while echoing the words of warning issued by Gen. David Petraeus and Vice-President…
MIDEAST: EU Boosts Israel Ties, Ignores Illegal Settlements
IPS BRUSSELS, Mar 22 (IPS) – Diplomats representing the European Union (EU) have drawn up a new plan for strengthening their relations with Israel despite the expansion of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
PCHR Address 13th Session of Human Rights Council
PCHR 22 Mar 2010 – Ref: 34/2010 On Monday 22, and Tuesday 23 March, 2010, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), addressed the 13 th Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva…..
International Solidarity Movement
Palestinian organizer tortured in Israeli jail
3/23/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – Omar Alaaeddin from the village of alMa’asara was nabbed from the Container Checkpoint on Sunday the 14th. He was released yesterday with no charges pressed against him. Alaaeddin reports having been tortured in the Israeli Russian Compound Jail in Jerusalem. Omar Alaaeddin, who is involved in organizing demonstrations in the village of alMa’asra south of Bethlehem, was arrested a week ago on Sunday at the Container Checkpoint, as he was making his way back home from Ramallah, with a group of students and university professors. The groups was in Ramallah to see a theater play. Alaaeddin was beaten repeatedly, both by the soldiers who detained him, and later, in the Israeli Russian Compound jail in Jerusalem. He reports to have been kicked, punched and even electroshocked with a taser by the soldiers and his jailers. Related:Popular committee says organizer tortured
Demonstration in front of United Nations HQ Gaza
3/23/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – ISM-Gaza, 22 March – To mark the International Water Day, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) organised a demonstration in front of United Nations Head Quarters in the Gaza Strip. Approximately 100 farmers and representatives of various civil society organisations gathered together to send a clear message to the United Nations and the International Community that the current water situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is dangerous and cannot be overlooked. After a number of speeches, the organizers of the demonstration presented a letter to Ban Ki Moon asking for the Palestinians’ right to water to be protected. Saad Zyaad, Project Manager within the UAWC addressed the special water issues Occupied Palestine faces. The main source of water in Gaza is groundwater coming from Hebron. The quantity and quality of this groundwater has had adverse effects from the Israeli. . . .
Obama hosts Netanyahu after week of bilateral tensions
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – President and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testing Netanyahu’s will for peace, U.S. source says.
Russia, China quietly prodding Iran towards nuclear deal
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Powers launched coordinated diplomatic push in Tehran in early March, Western officials say.
New east Jerusalem homes approved hours before Netanyahu-Obama meet
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Settler group given green light to build 20 new housing units in Shepherd Hotel in east Jerusalem.
Lieberman ‘regrets’ U.K. decision to expel Israeli diplomat
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Lieberman: No proof of Israel role in Dubai hit; rightist MK: Israel should expel British official.
Britain issues Israel travel warning amid expulsion over passport row
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Israeli diplomat expelled over ‘passport misuse’ in Dubai; U.K.: Israel showed disregard for our sovereignty.
Why is this night different? Who’s asking?
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – These four Haggadot are four answers to the question of why the Seder night is different from all other nights.
Netanyahu to U.S.: Palestinian demands may delay peace talks again
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Netanyahu courts U.S. leaders including Clinton after AIPAC speech, declares that Jerusalem is not a settlement.
Jewish Democrats ‘thank’ Obama for historic health care reform
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Day after House approves biggest health care reform in 40 years, Obama signs bill into law.
Is Obama’s problem that Netanyahu is a Republican at heart?
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Sense is that when it comes to Mideast policy, no one in Obama administration is in charge.
Pirates capture ship carrying Israeli cargo in Indian Ocean
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – The Maltese-flagged ship left Ashdod 10 days ago for the Far East with a 11 million dollar shipment of potash.
Arab League chief pushes for closer ties with Iran
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Moussa will present his proposal to a two-day Arab League leaders summit in Libya that starts Saturday.
Fiance of slain Iran protestor meets Peres in Israel trip
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – ‘I came to Israel as a messenger for peace,’ says partner of Neda Soltan.
German court convicts former Nazi soldier over WWII murders
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – 88-year-old Heinrich Boere gets life in prison for killings three Dutch civilians during his stint in the SS.
A strong Obama is good for Israel
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Netanyahu faces Obama buoyed by healthcare victory, and knows Israel needs strong U.S. leadership.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to AIPAC conference
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Only privately held copy of list of Jews to be saved from Nazi camps is on sale for $2.2 million.
Israel voices regret at UK expulsion of diplomat
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – Public security minister says Britain has made ‘wrong decision’ in response to use of forged passports in Dubai murder Israel said tonight it regretted Britain’s decision to expel a diplomat over the forged passports used in…
Letters: Strong words but little action on Israel
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – Strong words from the quartet about Israel’s obstruction of the Middle East peace process ( Report , 20 March); but, as with Obama, words only. As usual, all possible strong action will be taken, short of actual action….
Binyamin Netanyahu defiant ahead of meeting with Barack Obama
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – Isareli PM refuses to bow to US demands and freeze building of settlements in East Jerusalem The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, came out fighting against American pressure to end construction of Jewish settlements in East…
David Miliband: ‘Compelling evidence’ Israel was behind misuse of UK passports in Hamas hit
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – Foreign secretary confirms Britain has demanded withdrawal of Israeli diplomat following ‘intolerable’ use of identity papers David Miliband said today that there was “compelling evidence” that Israel was responsible for misuse of British passports as part…
Battered Binyamin Netanyahu comes out fighting | Simon Tisdall
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – Britain’s expulsion of an Israeli diplomat is another blow to Netanyahu, but he’s defiant in the face of global pressure Britain’s decision to expel an Israeli diplomat following the use of forged UK passports by the…
Making the Middle East nuclear-free | Dan Plesch
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – With tensions building between Iran and Israel, how can we best achieve nuclear disarmament in the Middle East? On Wednesday night, in London, there is a rare chance to engage in dialogue with Israelis and Palestinians…
Q&A: Israel and the Dubai killing
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – The background, the key players and the consequences of the row over the killing of a Hamas militant in Dubai What triggered the row? Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a senior official of the Palestinian group Hamas, was murdered,…
Video: Binyamin Netanyahu: ‘Jerusalem is not a settlement. It’s our capital’
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – Israeli prime minister gives a defiant speech in Washington to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and calls Iran an ‘unprecedented threat to humanity’
Israeli settlements undermine peace prospects, warns Clinton
The Guardian 22 Mar 2010 – Secretary of state reaffirms ‘rock-solid’ commitment to Israeli security but says US has responsibility to tell friend the truth Hillary Clinton today warned Israel against any further new Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory, saying they undermined…
Assassinating Hamas won’t work | Arik Diamant and David Zoneshine
The Guardian 23 Mar 2010 – Israel’s policy of assassinating Palestinian leaders is misguided – it should be talking to them instead As the dust settles on the publicity storm triggered by the Dubai assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh , a deep feeling of…
African refugees remember their own exodus
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – As Pesach comes around again, Jews all over the world are preparing to sit down and remember our journey as Jews, through the desert and into Israel, escaping slavery and oppression in Egypt. A few days before most of us begin our Seder, an alternative event will take place in Tel Aviv, telling a similar story. …
Oscar-nominated actress Bar Belfer seriously hurt in Tel Aviv car accident
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Israeli actress Bar Belfer was seriously injured on Tuesday when she was struck by a car on the Ayalon Highway, just south of Tel Aviv. …
Settlements have cost Israel $17 billion, study finds
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – Israeli settlements in the West Bank encompass 12 million square meters of roads, homes and factories that cost more than $17 billion to build, according to a study by the Macro Center for Political Economics. …
IDF probing ‘regrettable’ killings of 4 Palestinians in West Bank
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – The IDF is investigating two West Bank incidents in which Israeli soldiers shot dead four Palestinians in less than 24 hours. …
IDF to investigate death of soldier from friendly fire
Ha’aretz 23 Mar 2010 – An Israeli soldier, 21-year-old Sgt. Gabriel Cepic, was killed Monday by so-called friendly fire on the border with the Gaza Strip. …
Human Rights Council holds general debate on follow-up and implementation of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action
Relief Web 23 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Human Rights Council
Human Rights Council holds general debate on human rights situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories
Relief Web 23 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Human Rights Council
Secretary-General Demands Full Justice, Due Process for Victims, in Message to Mark Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
Relief Web 23 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Secretary-General
Lebanese children raise funds to build kindergarten in Gaza
Relief Web 23 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
US aviation security to adopt Israeli model
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – US official says Israel’s security protocols ‘offer blueprint for trying to thwart terrorism plots in aviation system’
Netanyahu-Obama meeting over
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – American president, Israeli prime minister meet at White House for 90 minutes Tuesday; shortly before PM enters meeting, reports surface of yet another approval of east Jerusalem construction project
New Mossad rep to head to UK
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – Israel to send replacement for diplomat expelled by Britain over passport affair, Ynet learns
Another crisis brewing? Sheikh Jarah construction OK’d
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – Controversial east Jerusalem construction plan approved ahead of Netanyahu-Obama meeting at White House; Plan to build at Shepherd Hotel compound met with American resistance several months ago
1st granddaughter born to Egypt’s Mubarak
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – Less than year after death of his oldest grandson, Egyptian president welcomes his first granddaughter to world
Did IDF soldiers lie?
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – Inconsistent testimonies prompt Military Police to probe clash that left two rioters dead
South under fire again; rocket hits populated area
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – Southern Israel residents rush to secured rooms as rocket attacks from Gaza continue
West Bank: 2 Israelis hurt by stones
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – Two Israelis lightly wounded while traveling near Nablus, fire at attackers
British warning: Watch your passports
YNet News 23 Mar 2010 – Amidst forged passport scandal, Britain updates Israel travel advisory; ‘We recommend that you only hand your passport over to third parties including Israeli officials when absolutely necessary; Foreign Office says
UK expels Israeli diplomat over Dubai assassination
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 LONDON: Britain took the extraordinary step Tuesday of expelling an Israeli diplomat for the first time in more than 20 years, after concluding there was compelling evidence that a government-sponsored assassination squad used forged British passports in the plot to slay a senior Hamas operative in Dubai. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said
Iraq’s two main Shiite blocs discuss merger in wake of vote
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 BAGHDAD: Iraq’s two main Shiite political blocs, one led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and another whose leaders have close ties to Iran, are discussing a merger that could widen Iraq’s sectarian divide. A union between Maliki’s State of Law and the Iraqi National Alliance, two of the top three vote-getters in Iraq’s March 7 parliamentary election.
Netanyahu, Obama gird for tense talks after settlement row
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 WASHINGTON: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was due at tense White House talks Tuesday, after showing no sign of bowing to fierce US pressure in a row over the construction of Jewish homes in occupied East Jerusalem. “Jerusalem is not a settlement” Netanyahu declared in a fiery speech late Monday night, sending an apparent
Jewish settlements an economic choice, Israeli study says
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 TEL AVIV: Israel builds thousands of homes in the occupied West Bank each year, with settlers drawn mainly by economic benefits, according to an analysis published on Tuesday by the Tel Aviv Macro Center for Political Economics. The United States and European Union consider the settlements illegitimate and an obstacle to peace between
US, Yemen hold talks on bilateral security amid attack warning
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 SANAA: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh has met a senior American defense official to discuss fighting terrorism amid a warning of Al-Qaeda maritime attacks, the official Saba news reported. Saleh’s Monday meeting with James Clapper, the US undersecretary of defense for intelligence, came on the same day the US Navy warned that the militant
Iran ignores Obama message, dialogue still far off
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 DUBAI: Iran has shrugged off a second New Year message from US President Barack Obama to Iranians, underlining how far the countries are from starting any meaningful dialogue. At his inauguration last year, Obama offered an outstretched hand if Iran would “unclench its fist.” Two months later at Nowruz, the Persian New Year, he offered a “new beginning.
Arab League chief pushes for closer ties with Tehran
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 CAIRO: The Arab League chief wants the 22-nation bloc to engage Iran directly over concerns about its growing influence and its nuclear activities, in a step that could undermine US and Israeli efforts to isolate the country, diplomats said Tuesday. Senior US officials including Defense Secretary Robert Gates toured the region last month to urge Arab allies
Public school teachers strike in Beirut for pay increase
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 BEIRUT: Hundreds of teachers from across the country gathered in downtown Beirut Tuesday to protest derisory pay levels, as the Education Minister promised to preserve teachers’ rights in Lebanon. Hassan Mneimneh said that the demands being made by teachers in the public education sector would be met, but only if representatives agreed to negotiate.
Mideast officials stress need for unified transport laws
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 BEIRUT: Transport officials on Monday affirmed the importance of unifying transport legislation among Arab countries and removing obstacles to the movement of goods and people in this region. Officials were speaking at the 11th Session of the ESCWA Transport Committee, held under the auspices of Lebanese Minister of Transportation, Ghazi Aridi.
Syria ties require coherent policy
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 Syrian Ambassador Ali Abdel-Karim Ali visited President Michel Sleiman on Tuesday in the Presidential Palace; that item should constitute simply a regular event, not particularly newsworthy one, and yet it might represent something of a milestone.The diplomatic representation of Syria is evidently confirming that Damascus is pursuing normal, state-to-state
Comic book contest looks to break down barriers
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 BEIRUT: Comic books can have a powerful effect on readers of all races, ages, classes and educational backgrounds. But what happens when you take different and often conflicting communities, and try to create a comic book? In Lebanon, four non-governmental organizations are trying to do just that. The Italian organization Coordination Committee
First-born in the year of the first war
Daily Star 23 Mar 2010 BEIRUT: By now, the components of the tale are so familiar they can be broken down and re-assembled like an AK-47. The political class seems irreconcilably divided in its efforts to divide the carcass of state. Since both sides frame their bickering in geopolitical terms – those putatively “with” the West and those apparently “against” it – both have strong
Palestinian Information Center
PPH calls on poets of the world to help save Palestinian culture and heritage
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – The Palestine Poetry House (PPH) called on poets of the world on their annual day to support the Palestinian people in their struggle for justice using their poetry..
Hamas welcomes British expulsion of Israeli diplomat
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – Hamas welcomed the British decision to expel an Israeli diplomat from London for his involvement in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmuod Al-Mabhouh in Dubai last January.
Ramahi: Netanyahu statement a slap to peace talks mongers
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – MP Dr. Mahmoud Al-Ramahi has said that Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement that building in Jerusalem is like building in Tel Aviv because Jerusalem is the eternal capital of Israel was not a surprise.
IOF troops advances in northern Gaza, assist settlers’ assault in WB
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) mounting army vehicles and escorting bulldozers advanced into northern Gaza Strip near the Beit Hanun crossing and razed a number of destroyed buildings in the area.
Daily Telegraph: Britain to accuse Mossad officially over Dubai assassination
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the British foreign ministry intends to accuse the Mossad officially of assassinating senior Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai last January.
Israel issues demolition orders against 8 homes in O. Jerusalem
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – The Israeli municipal council in Jerusalem issued demolition orders against eight Palestinian homes in Ras Shehadeh and Issawiya as a prelude to initiating the project of Shaare Hamizrah settlement.
Zahhar: The West Bank became vulnerable because of Abbas and his lackeys
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – Mahmoud Al-Zahhar stated that the absence of the Palestinian resistance in the West Bank because of Mahmoud Abbas and his lackeys made the West Bank defenseless and an easy prey for Israel.
Campaign castigates Washington over Gaza buildings
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – The European campaign strongly denounced the US administration for pressuring Israel to allow into Gaza limited construction materials sufficient only for the building of 150 housing units in Gaza.
Gaza water authorities: 90 percent of water is polluted
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – Director of the water authority in the coastal areas Mundher Shiblak warned that the percentage of water pollution in the Gaza Strip reached to 90 percent, pointing out that the crisis is worsening.
Hundreds demonstrate against visit of Barkat to London
PIC 23 Mar 2010 – Around 300 demonstrators of different nationalities held a protest rally in front of Chatham House in downtown London against the visit of Nir Barkat, the Jewish mayor of Jerusalem.
Hillary Clinton stands firm on Israel construction
LA Times 23 Mar 2010 – During a visit by Netanyahu, Clinton signals that the U.S. will continue its opposition to building in disputed areas. Netanyahu is expected to declare a strong Israeli right to build in Jerusalem. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton gave no ground Monday on U.S. opposition to Israeli construction in disputed areas, signaling that Washington would continue pressing Israel during two days of high-profile events.
Standoff in Iran over subsidy cuts
LA Times 23 Mar 2010 – President Ahmadinejad wants to slash government subsidies for food and fuel by $40 billion and take control of the savings. Rivals in parliament have agreed to half that amount. Conservative rivals of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stood firm Monday in their fight to prevent him from rapidly cutting government subsidies for basic staples and taking control of the billions in savings.
Tensions rise as Israeli soldiers kill 2 Palestinians
LA Times 22 Mar 2010 – The military has killed four Palestinians over the weekend. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to Washington after a diplomatic fracas over Israeli housing construction. Hours before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embarked Sunday on a trip to Washington to mend U.S.-Israeli ties, tensions built in the West Bank when Israeli soldiers shot dead two Palestinian teenagers they say threatened them with a pitchfork and ax.
Israel Absorbs Twin Rebukes From Top Allies
New York Times 23 Mar 2010 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu found himself at odds with the White House and Britain over recent episodes that angered Israel’s top allies.
Questions Linger in Egypt as Leader Heals
New York Times 23 Mar 2010 – Hosni Mubarak’s recuperation from gall bladder surgery has eased some anxiety where before uncertainty fueled rumors that the president was seriously ill, or even dead.
Former Iranian Leader’s Grandson Arrested in Tehran
New York Times 22 Mar 2010 – The arrest on Monday was the second in a week involving relatives of Iran’s former president, Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Checkpoints
Palestine Monitor – 17 Dec 2010 – “The right to freedom of movement provides that people are entitled to move freely within the borders of the state, to leave any country and to return to their country.” Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 12 of the International Covenant…
Britain kicks out Mossad chief
Mondoweiss – 23 Mar 2010 – After a recent warning from US military leaders that Israel is putting at risk the lives of American soldiers in the Middle East, the British government has warned that actions by Israel present ” a hazard for the safety of British nationals in the region .”…
AIPAC supports BDS….of Iran
Mondoweiss – 23 Mar 2010 – I remember similar presentations last year trying to co-opt the campus divestment movement. Good luck with that. The Mondo reader who sent this along said, “This is a fascinating exercise in projection and denial.” Related posts: Obama’s Iran adviser got $40,000 from AIPAC for speaking gigs…
consciousness is rising, even in New York
Mondoweiss – 23 Mar 2010 – This image of the monumental painting “Wall Wailing” by Marlene Dumas hardly does it justice. A stunning show, called “Against the Wall,” at the David Zwirner gallery in New York. Go see it. Show that you care about segregation in your name. Thanks to Mohammed of…
consciousness is rising, even in the MSM
Mondoweiss – 23 Mar 2010 – Ali Abunimah has been shut out of the mainstream media. CNN at last grants him a platform to say the peace process is a mockery: And, after two embarrassing defeats at the Israel lobby’s hands, chances that Obama will use America’s massive financial aid to Israel…
World Education Forum in Palestine Launched
Alternative Information Center – 23 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 – 23 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,…
It is Time to Hear the Palestinian People
Alternative Information Center – 23 Mar 2010 – Tuesday, 16 March 2010, Israel’s dangerous and arrogant escalation in settlement building, house demolitions and evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem indicates that the government of Netanyahu-Lieberman’s is pushing for overt clash and conflict– and demonstrates that it has absolutely no real…
Why Protest Building a Synagogue?
Alternative Information Center – 23 Mar 2010 – Thursday, 18 March 2010, The Hurva synagogue was destroyed in the 1948 war by the Jordanian army. Before 1948, synagogues were used by Zionist underground forces for illicit activities including hording weapons.* But why is there a furor over building it again? First we must recognize…
Upcoming AIC Publication: Social Chaos: A Critical Perspective on the Israeli Educational System
Alternative Information Center – 23 Mar 2010 – Wednesday, 17 March 2010, In April the Alternative Information Center (AIC) will release a new publication entitled Social Chaos: A Critical Perspective on the Israeli Educational System. Social Chaos is a compilation of articles written by AIC co-founder and board member Marcello Weksler, Director of Educational…
Articles
Israel is stealing Palestinian and Arab water
Sawsan Ramahi, Middle East Monitor (MEMO) 3/22/2010
World Water Day is upon us. Initiated by the United Nations in 1992 during its Conference on Environment and Development, 22 March 1993 was chosen as the first international day for water aiming to draw attention to the importance of fresh water and its availability. The commemoration of the day has since focused every year on a different aspect of the difficulties faced by people in obtaining fresh water.
There is no doubt that UN interest in this matter is of great importance, although the world body needs to do more than merely have an annual day on the issue. What is required is for the UN to put an end to the monopoly of water by any state which has water sources within its borders and to put an end to the diversion and theft of water from occupied lands.
When an occupying power exploits the resources of the occupied land at the expense of the original inhabitants, it builds itself on the ruins of what it has destroyed, and such theft of resources is obvious, even when the occupier tries to hide its actions behind noble principles. This malfeasance is made worse by claiming that the land in question is a gift from God and politically-motivated myths such as it is “a land without a people for a people without land”. When such wrongdoing is compounded even further by acts of genocide against the indigenous people, killing thousands and dispossessing hundreds of thousands in acts of ethnic cleansing, the situation is very serious indeed. Following on from the efforts to destroy the necessities of life for those under occupation, the occupier has sought to control the main necessity, the water resources. The de facto annexation and control of water in the occupied Palestinian territories has always been, alongside the colonisation of land, one of Israel’s priorities.
This long-standing aim of the Jewish state has been confirmed by confidential documents published by the British Foreign Office, in which David Ben-Gurion, writing in 1941, said, “We have to remember that for the Jewish state’s ability to survive it must have within its borders, the waters of the [rivers] Jordan and Litani.” –Briefing Paper (PDF)— See also:Briefing Paper (PDF)more..e-mail
Israelis are behaving like spoiled rich brats
Udi Aloni, International Solidarity Movement 3/22/2010
Haaretz, 21 March – The terrifying specter of non-violent resistance to the occupation and the apartheid regime is hovering over the State of Israel, and all the state’s dignitaries have been recruited to battle it.
This non-violent resistance operates both in areas under Israel’s reign of control, in the form of a popular struggle on both sides of the green line, and across the globe, through the Israeli and international affirmative response to the Palestinian call for boycotts, divestment and sanctions on Israel, until it ends the occupation and grants full equality to people from both nations living under its rule.
As an act of solidarity with the subjugated Palestinian people, a group of Jewish Israelis has decided to join those Palestinians who have chosen the non-violent struggle for civic and national justice. This act has given politically conscientious Jewish Israelis a golden opportunity to join a campaign against their own government without forsaking their own people. Indeed, this act leads the way towards a broader joint struggle with the oppressed people, through a rebuilding of our fundamental human values, enabling us to do away with the friend/foe dichotomy, which lies at the root of Israeli racism and anxiety.
One should hope that this non-violent resistance, led by a popular Palestinian leadership, will evolve into a binational Palestinian-Jewish front for an equitable and egalitarian political solution.
Right-wing groups and government organs have joined forces with all their might at the face of this new adversary who has risen up to challenge the decades-long racist theft of land from one ethnic group and its transfer into the hands of another. This is not surprising. — See also:Sourcemore..e-mail
India For Selective Assassination Of Its Own Citizens?
Trevor Selvam, CounterCurrents 1/31/2010
Recent statements from Indian leaders and police officers gives away the new strategy on the war on Naxalism. To make the movement “headless” by carrying out selective assassination of its leaders with the help of Israeli operatives.
Plucky savvyness combined with unnecessary bravado has recently marked the attempts at media interface by some Maoist leaders. There are benefits to reap and a price to pay, as a result. On the one hand, it has been a long time coming for the Maoists to come out of their jungle bases and give press conferences, or invite selected correspondents to visit their bases under armed escort. They correctly understood that their political program (and not their military campaign only) needed to be promoted and publicized……
….Selective assassination, use of UAVs, missile attacks on selected homes and sniper fire has been a hallmark of the Israeli Mossad and Defence forces, not only in Gaza and the West Bank, but also in different parts of the world including South America, Iran and Europe. For the past several years it is now well-known that India has entered into very close collaboration with the IDF and over 32 non-disclosure arms and security agreements have been signed with them. The Mossad has titillated gun-and ammo freaks and underhanded counter-insurgency nutjobs with their secretive killing techniques. Assassination and murder that goes undocumented, un-prosecuted and never brought to light, when the Mossad is involved. The CIA fumbles, trips and gets blown up. Not the Mossad. That is why India has chosen them to deploy dirty tricks on India’s citizens. Perhaps, Mr. Chidambaram would like to take out the Maoists leaders one by one and he has realized that it will not happen by sending in 100,000 troops and anti-mine trucks or IAF helicopters. So the next tactic is to walk away from the roads and get special forces trained to go into the jungles and “live there like guerillas” and seek the Maoists in their hideouts. Therefore high power sniper rifles, night vision sights have become necessary. The “headless” statement should be studied carefully. I am wondering if it is actually code word for carrying out assassinations…. Related:Arundhati Roy: Walking With The Comrades— See also:Arundhati Roy: Walking With The Comradesmore..e-mail
EU boosts ties with Israel, ignores settlements and occupation
Electronic Intifada: 23 Mar 2010 – BRUSSELS (IPS) – Diplomats representing the European Union (EU) have drawn up a new plan for strengthening their relations with Israel despite the expansion of illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Spain, the current holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, is eager that work proceeds on formally upgrading the Union’s political and commercial ties with Israel over the next few months.
The US’ choreographed “outrage” at Israel
Electronic Intifada: 23 Mar 2010 – The speeches at AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobby group, on Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Netanyahu’s subsequent meeting with US President Barack Obama are widely seen as drawing to a close what Israeli ambassador to the US Michael Oren called the “most severe crisis in US-Israel relations” in decades. However, this “crisis” has been widely misconstrued by both supporters and critics of Israel. Stephen Maher comments for The Electronic Intifada.
In Australia, a day of solidarity with Palestine
Electronic Intifada: 23 Mar 2010 – In an important show of solidarity, 500 individuals participated in pro-Palestine activities on Friday 19 March in Melbourne, Australia, protesting against both the brutality of Israel’s actions in recent weeks and the ongoing support of the Australian government for Israeli apartheid. Omar Hassan writes from Australia.
Soundtrack to the struggle: Rafeef Ziadah’s “Hadeel” reviewed
Electronic Intifada: 23 Mar 2010 – Like stones thrown from the palms of Palestinian youth, Rafeef Ziadah’s lyrics are relentless in the way they shower audiences with the multiple layers of resistance and diaspora. Ziadah’s debut album, Hadeel , unleashes a tapestry of fierce poetry infused with an eclectic selection of beautiful sounds. Ahmed Habib reviews for The Electronic Intifada.
grasping beauty
In Gaza: 23 Mar 2010 – It’s one of those beautiful, sunny days, with a fresh sea breeze and people strolling on the beach…one of those days in which you can almost forget the manifold tragedies that unfold daily in Gaza under siege. Under siege for four years, really, but fully under siege since mid 2007, over 1000 days. One thousand days of compromises on basic human rights and necessities for the human beings living here. Compromises which deny the ill –the seriously ill –medical care, deny students proper study materials or access to study abroad, deny access to work outside a jobless Strip, deny dreams and hopes, breath and life. But on a day like this –far from the border regions where IOF soldiers fire on unarmed Palestinians, where workers scrounge for recyclables, where farmers look at land beyond their reach (but within Gaza) thanks to the Israeli-imposed “buffer zone” –one can temporarily forget all…
Who is Killing Whom in Israel/Palestine?
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Mar 2010 – By Sonja Karkar One man dead in Israel and the whole world knows. He actually was not Israeli, but an unfortunate immigrant worker from Thailand. We have been told who killed him too: not by name, but by some shadowy nom de guerre, used by jihadist groups some claim to be loosely affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq and elsewhere. The unknown group in Gaza, Ansar al-Sunna, claimed responsibility for the rocket fired into Israel that caused the man’s death by shrapnel. The Hamas government has had its own problems with such groups, which have challenged its rule in Gaza. But, that is neither here nor there for Israel. Israel has already said that its response will be strong. And sure enough, Israeli bombers have pounded the southern-most part of Gaza, so far killing and wounding some fourteen Palestinian civilians including children, three of them critically. The proportionality of the response…more
Water Day Doesn’t Quench Growing Thirst of Gazans
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Mar 2010 – By Dr. Mona El-Farra – Gaza Toni Morrison wrote, “All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was.” I feel it is the same for Palestinian refugees, who have struggled for decades for their right to return home. I thought of this connection between water and refugees during a recent meeting about the Middle East Children’s Alliance’s (MECA) Maia Project with Mr. Aidan O’Leary, Deputy Director of UNRWA Operations in Gaza. UNRWA provides assistance, protection and advocacy for 4.7 million Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. We are working with UNRWA to install locally-made water purification and desalination units in their schools. Mr. Oeley expressed his total appreciation for the Maia Project and stressed that providing clean drinking water to children is among the highest priorities and needs for Gaza schools. Mr. John Ging, UNRWA’s…more
She’s Em Bed with the Israelis: Kershner and the NY Times
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Mar 2010 – By Ira Glunts The New York Times has always been known for its pro-Israel coverage. However, their present team of Isabele Kershner and Ethan Bronner have raised the degree of biased reporting to a new level of distortion. The other day, Isabele Kershner presented a “scoop” that surely made her controversial boss proud. Her superior, Jerusalem Bureau Chief Ethan “AbuBenTzali*” Bronner, has been criticized for his lack of objectivity, but his colleague Kershner showed that she too can compose pro-Israel news stories. Kershner reports in “Israel Seeks To Mend Rift With The U.S.” (March 17) that the octogenarian Israeli President, Shimon Peres, whom she incorrectly implies has a moderating effect on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, floated a bridging proposal which was meant to mend the current rift between feuding American and Israeli officials. Peres sought to introduce a distinction between building colonies on open land in and around occupied East…more
The New Dark Age 
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