News
International Middle East Media Center
Egyptian Protestors Demand Expelling Israeli Ambassador
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 01:34, Dozens of Egyptians held a protest on Thursday in front of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry in Cairo demanding the country to expel the Israeli ambassador from the country, and to sever all ties with Israel.
Trial opens for soldiers accused of using child as human shield in Gaza
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 00:28, DCI-Palestine welcomes the commencement of the trial of two Israeli soldiers accused of using a 9-year-old boy for military purposes and to shield themselves from danger during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza (December 2008-January 2009).
Israeli Troops Detain Five Civilians During An Invasion Targeting Hebron City
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 17:50, Five Palestinian civilians were detained on Thursday by Israeli troops during an invasion targeting Hebron, southern West Bank.
Gaza : Israel’s Navy Injure A Palestinian Fisherman As Tanks Fire Leave Another Worker Injured
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 17:08, The Israeli military injured on Thursday a Palestinian fisherman and a worker during two separate attacks in the Gaza Strip.
British Organizations To Sue Israel Over Forged Passports Used By Assassins
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 13:10, Several British organizations, along with Palestinian and Islamic Institutions in Britain, are conducting preparations to file a lawsuit against the Israeli Mossad for forging British passports that were used by some of the assassins who killed Hamas leader, Mahmoud Al Madbouh, in Dubai in January.
Sama News: “Angered By Netanyahu, Obama Leaves Meeting”
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 10:59, The Sama News Agency reported that the President of the United States, Barack Obama, insulted the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, when he told him “the meeting is over” as Netanyahu continued to try to connect the settlements issue with the Iranian “Nuclear File”, and refused to halt settlement activities in East Jerusalem.
Sudanese Man Wounded By Egyptian Fire Near Border
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 10:02, A Sudanese man was shot and wounded by Egyptian police fire on Wednesday evening as he tried to infiltrate into Israel from an area south of the Kerem Shalom Crossing.
New Israeli settlement expansion plan thwarts US efforts at diplomacy
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 09:32, After the US administration asked for ‘clarification’ of Israel’s plan to expand settler housing in East Jerusalem on Tuesday, the Israeli government responded with another bold announcement of a settlement expansion which some Israeli politicians say “spits in the eye” of the Obama administration.
Netanyahu Leaves Washington Without Accepting Any “Compromise”
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 08:05, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, left the United States without reaching any compromise or understanding with the American administration, especially regarding settlement construction in occupied East Jerusalem.
Gazans To Protest The Siege Thursday
IMEMC – Thursday March 25, 2010 – 06:25, The Popular Committee Against the Siege on Gaza will be organizing a protest on Thursday before noon near the monument that commentates the victims of Israel’s illegal and deadly siege on the coastal region.
Israeli fire injures 1 in southern Gaza
3/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian worker was critically injured on Thursday morning as the Israeli forces at the closed Sufa crossing opened fire on a group of men collecting rubble for the re-manufacturing of construction materials, medics said. Director of ambulance and emergency services in Gaza, Muawiya Hassanein, identified the injured man as Naji Abu Rayda, 32, noting he was shot in the back and transferred to the European Hospital. An Israeli military spokesman said he was unfamiliar any such incident in the area of the Sufa crossing. Israeli news sources reported a similar incident near the Rafah crossing, southwest of Sufa. The spokesman said he had no knowledge of an incident matching either description. According to the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Rayda was injured in the right thigh when he and several other workers were approximately 500 meters from the border fence.
Fisherman injured following naval confrontation
3/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli gunboats opened fire on fishermen off the Gaza coast near Beit Lahiya in the northern Strip on Thursday morning, injuring one man, medics said. The unidentified fisherman was treated on the scene, Gaza director of ambulance and emergency services Muawiya Hassanein said. Medics said the man was lightly injured and successfully treated. An Israeli military spokeswoman said naval boats observed the vessel heading out of the enforced fishing limit in the northern Strip, and “called several times” warning the boat to return to the area, after which warning shots were fired, she said. As the fisherman “attempted to evade” Israeli naval boats, the spokeswoman said naval officers saw the fisherman “search his belongings” on the boat at which point he “fell and injured his head” on the side of the boat. The spokeswoman noted that officers reported seeing the fisherman fully conscious following the incident.
Center: Family ordered to fund own eviction
3/25/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – The Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights said Thursday that Israeli police handed the Hanoun family from Sheikh Jarrah a notification they must pay 13,000 shekels in fees to foreign workers who expelled the family from their home last year. In the statement, the center added that two other families, identified as another from the Hanoun clan and one headed by Abdul Fattah Al-Ghawi, were also expelled the same way. They, too, fear that Israel may demand that they compensate the foreign workers [end]
Fatah official: J’lem family ordered to fund own eviction
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A senior Fatah official said Thursday that Israeli authorities have ordered an East Jerusalem family to compensate the state for expenses incurred during the process of removing them from their home. Hatem Abdul Qader, who monitors Jerusalem affairs on behalf of Fatah, told Ma’an radio on Thursday that the order issued to the family of Majed Hanun was “rude and blunt,” and wondered “how a family evicted from its home can then be asked to pay for their eviction!” “Israeli courts do not serve these families, but rather give them time [before eviction],” Abdul Qader said. ” The Israeli court accredited forged settler documents but did not approve documents submitted by the Palestinians,” he added. “The ruling includes permission to confiscate property of Palestinians in the city. “Nevertheless, he affirmed that such orders will serve to inspire further protest actions and. . . ”
Israeli forces cross Lebanon buffer in ‘routine operation’
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Lebanese news agencies said a 17-strong force of Israeli soldiers crossed the border fence into the Ghajar village on Thursday, taking up a post on one of its hilltops. Israeli media quoted army personnel describing the event as a routine operation. The force crossed a fence but not the border, reports said. On Saturday, the Lebanese military reported firing on two Israeli fighter aircraft that reportedly entered the country’s airspace. A statement issued by the Lebanese army said ground artillery fired at two low-flying Israeli jet fighters. The Israeli army had no comment on that incident. In 2009, there were two incidents of exchanged fire between Israel and Lebanon. On 21 February 2009, Israel shelled southern Lebanon after a rocket landed in Israel. Hizbullah and Palestinian factions all denied involvement in the launch.
Egyptian guards close 5 smuggling tunnels
3/25/2010 – Al-Arish – Ma’an – Egyptian authorities took control of and closed five smuggling tunnels along the Gaza border in the Salah Ad-Din area overnight on Wednesday, officials said. The tunnels emerged 120 meters from the Gaza-Egypt border, officials said, noting no smugglers or goods were seized in the operations. Officers with the Egyptian security forces also detained a Sudanese man they said was attempting to enter Israel. Abdul Salam Hussein, 26, was identified by Egyptian officers who called out to him warning the man to halt allegedly en route to the Israeli border. When the man failed to stop, officers opened fire and injured him in the legs. He was transferred to the Egyptian Rafah hospital. Hussein said he had paid 1,000 US dollars to foreign smugglers to help him enter Israel where he hoped to seek political asylum, officials said.
Egyptian steel barrier tests Gazan mettle
3/25/2010 – Gaza – IRIN – Egypt’s imminent completion of an above-and-below-ground steel barrier along its border with the Gaza Strip is putting Gazans on edge: How will they survive without the huge trade conducted via underground tunnels? A lucrative tunnel smuggling trade in a range of commodities took off after Israel imposed an economic embargo on the Strip after a Hamas takeover in June 2007. The World Bank and Palestinian economists estimate that at least 80 percent of Gaza’s total imports come through the tunnels. ” Digging tunnels and working in them is one of the few jobs available for Palestinian youth in Gaza,” Omar Sha’ban, a Gazan economist, said. ” Tunnel workers reportedly earn US $25 per day, a huge sum in the current Palestinian economy. However, they are subjected to daily bombings by the Israeli air force, tunnel collapses and fires.
Coordination: PA, Israel team up to fight mixed marriage
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – It wasn’t the first time Israelis and Palestinians joined together in an attempt to break up a Jewish-Muslim couple, only the most recent. Years after authorities ended a similar relationship in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem, they’re at it again. First it was phone calls from the woman’s “family. “”Hello, we represent Sima’s family and we come in the name of. . . . organization. We ask you to return the girl to her parents. “”Hello, we represent Sima’s father. He came to us as a clan and we demand that you return the girl. “”Hello, I’m Rabbi. . . . Tell your husband that we are ready to pay him half a million shekels if he returns you to your parents. ” These were just a fraction of the phone calls that continued as the weeks and months went on since Muhammad Hamamra, from the Husan village west of Bethlehem, fell in love with a Jewish woman, Sima, from the neighboring settlement.
Israeli forces raid Dura, detain 4
3/25/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli authorities detained four citizens, including three brothers, from Dura, south of Hebron, on Thursday morning, taking all four men to an unknown destination, witnesses said. Israeli forces entered the town before sunrise and raided the homes of the Arqub and Naser families. Relatives identified those detained as:Hassan Muhammad Hassan Naser, 32Muhammad Yousif Abu Arqub, 18Usama Yousif Abu Arqub, 31Sami Yousif Abu Arqub, 28After looking into the report, an Israeli military spokeswoman refused comment. In the north, Palestinian police said a Yasuf man was detained at the Za’atara checkpoint south of Nablus. He was pulled from a car at the military terminal, police said, and identified the man as Nathem Muhammad Khalil Obed, 45.
UNHRC expected to pass resolution for Gaza compensation
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The 13th session of the UN Human Rights Council is expected to pass a resolution demanding compensation for Gaza residents who suffered losses during Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, observers said. The resolution would be the fourth involving Israel, with two condemning the continued occupation and siege of Palestinian areas and a third on the continued occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights. A UN news brief issued on Monday said Palestinian permanent representative to the UN Ibrahim Khrashi had endorsed the compensation resolution, noting “Israel would contribute the most as it had caused the most damage. ” He called on Switzerland to hold a conference before the end of the year on the alleged violations of the Geneva Convention perpetrated by Israel, and asked all stakeholders to demand real and conclusive investigations into allegations laid out by the Goldstone report.
Limited shipments of goods into Gaza via 2 crossings
3/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – One hundred and twenty-four truckloads of goods were expected to be transferred into Gaza via its southernmost Kerem Shalom crossing on Thursday, the last anticipated day of regular aid delivery ahead of the Jewish Passover holiday, officials said. Palestinian crossings liaison officer Raed Fattouh said limited amounts of cooking gas and industrial diesel would also be transferred into Gaza via Kerem Shalom, while three truckloads of cut carnations would be permitted for export. Flowers and strawberries have been the only two products permitted for export from Gaza by Israeli authorities over the past three years. The transport was arranged under a Dutch government program supporting Gaza farmers. The northern bulk goods crossing at the Karni terminal will also open Thursday, Fattouh said, for the transfer of 147 truckloads of wheat and animal feed.
Nativity Church deportee to be buried in West Bank
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The body of Nativity Church deportee Abdallah Dawood will be repatriated and buried in Palestinian soil on Sunday, 28 March, officials from the caretaker government’s Civil Affairs Ministry announced. The decision came one day after the death of the Nablus native following heart surgery in Algeria. Shortly after his death was announced, Israeli Knesset Member Muhammad Barakeh made an official request to the country’s minister of defense, Ehud Barak, asking that he not put obstacles in the way of the repatriation of Dawood. Hussein Ash-Shaikh, the minister of civil affairs with the caretaker government, said Israeli officials would permit Dawood’s body to enter the West Bank from Amman. He said Dawood would be transported to the Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, where his family lives, for burial.
Netanyahu falters under direct US questions
3/25/2010 – Nasser Lahham – According to the Israeli press, US President Barack Obama has posed two questions to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which made the leader stammer, lose his balance and schedule his flight home to Tel Aviv. The first question, it seems,was “to what extent are you ready to divide Jerusalem? ” , and the second,”in what timeframe do you want to accomplish the process of reconciliation with the Palestinians? “The press had no answers from the Israeli leader, who returned to the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC for consultations with seven advisers. For Netanyahu, they are two tricky questions to answer. If he tells Obama he is unwilling to divide Jerusalem and unable to reconcile with Palestinians, he would expose Israel to a series of unprecedented international sanctions from the Quartet and the international community.
Delays expected at Allenby during Jewish holiday
3/25/2010 – Jericho – Ma’an – Palestinian police announced Thursday that the Allenby Bridge will be partially closed in both directions on Monday until 10:30am. Israeli authorities are shutting down the crossing in advance of Passover. “The last bus will be heading from Jericho as scheduled, along with the last bus coming from Jordan to the Palestinian territories,” the Jericho police department said in a statement. “The movement of travelers will be limited for Friday and Saturday until 10:30am as usual,” it added. “Sunday will be full-time operations until 9:00 in the evening. On Tuesday, movement will be back to normal. “[end]
Israel rejects UNHRC resolution
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israel rejected a UN Human Rights Council resolution urging the country to pay Palestinians for damage incurred during the military assault on Gaza that began in late 2008. “The UNHRC resolution” has nothing to do with safeguarding human rights,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said in a statement, according to The Jerusalem Post, an English-language Israeli newspaper. “Israel, as a democratic country, will continue its internal investigations, as part of its commitment to rule of law and moral values. “[end]
Arab envoys convene in Libya
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Arab ministers of foreign affairs met in Sirt, Libya on Thursday ahead of the 22nd Arab League summit that has been closely followed over expectations it will address inter-Palestinian disunity. The summit, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, is the first for Libya, which has announced its intentions to shape the agenda around “putting Arab disputes aside, as a title for the summit. “A preparatory session was attended by the Qatari minister of foreign affairs, Ahmad Bin Abdallah Al-Mahmoud, who said Arabs ought to “urgently take responsibility for what is happening to Christian and Islamic sites in Palestine. “”The international community must take responsibility for what is happening in Palestine, which includes the siege [on Gaza], displacement, bloodshed, and intransigence by the Israeli occupier.
PA customs chief says army harassing officers
3/25/2010 – Salfit – Ma’an – Israel’s army tightened procedures around the West Bank city of Salfit on Thursday, threatening to invade after customs officers seized goods produced in settlements in the district, an official said. Ghaleb Diwan, general director of the Palestinian customs authority, said “staff were on an official mission to detain a trader who failed to pay taxes. . . but found a warehouse full of large amounts of plastic manufactured in a settlement. “Israeli forces installed checkpoints around the city and threatened to invade, Diwan said, in the event the goods were not returned. “These goods were seized due to the decision [by the PA] that prevents settlement produce from entering Palestinian markets. “In a sharp warning to Israeli authorities, Diwan said efforts to track PA customs officers would result in “a similar escalation by the Palestinian Authority — banning Israeli goods in general, not just those coming from the settlements.
PA official denies reports of Abbas` declining health
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Aides to President Mahmoud Abbas denied reports in the Israeli press on Thursday, alleging the president was suffering from poor health, the government-run news agency Wafa reported. The report, broadcast on Israel’s Channel 10,said a sick Abbas put in a phone call to Israel Minister of Defense Ehud Barak, but did not detail the nature of any condition. Presidential adviser Nimir Hammad said in a statement to Wafa that the report was akin to a “threat” and said the station would be charged with “incitement. ” “We categorically deny the contents of this fabricated story by the members of Israeli intelligence services,” which he said used the station as a mouthpiece. “The president is in good health,” Hammad said, despite a fall two weeks ago and a mild flu in Tunis.
President mourns death of former military adviser
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmud Abbas sent condolences on Thursday to the family of his former military adviser. Major-General Farid Amr Al-Qutb, known as Abu Basel, passed away Wednesday. Abbas awarded Al-Qutb the Jerusalem Medal, the Palestinian Authority’s highest honor, in 2007 for exceptional service. [end]
Hamas: PA arrests 5 West Bank members
3/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority security forces recently detained five Hamas members and affiliates from locations across the West Bank, party officials said Thursday. A statement from Hamas party leaders said those detained were from the Hebron, Nablus and Salfit districts. The allegations, which could not be independently verified by Ma’an, come as both calls for unity and tension between parties increase. Hamas leaders spoke out against PA efforts to start peace talks with Israel, and have demanded that efforts to restart talks be declared failed. Hamas also wants PA officials to make moves toward reconciliation, release detained members, and activate dormant resistance forces. The PA has endorsed popular resistance campaigns, but generally does not condone the use of violence.
Gaza police ban motorcycle riding after midnight
3/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – De facto government police in Rafah announced on Thursday a ban on motorcycle driving after midnight in the Rafah governorate, which officials said would be effective immediately. Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Abu Kashef, director of the police in Rafah, said the decision comes after complaints from citizenry. On 26 February, the de facto Ministry of the Interior announced that wedding parties would be allowed to continue up until midnight, after which they would be “prohibited to ensure people’s rest and relaxation. ” A ban prohibiting men from working in women’s hair salons was signed by de facto Minister of the Interior Fathi Hammad in early March, as observers marked the move as the latest in a series of laws restricting personal freedoms in the coastal enclave. Over the past five months, women have been prohibited from riding motorcycles, and men have been banned from removing their shirts at the beach.
Barak under fire for ministry’s costly Independence Day party
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – State Comptroller report says Barak brought cost of Defense Ministry fete to more than NIS 1.5 million.
Exclusive / Despite row, U.S. and Israel sign massive arms deal
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Israel will purchase three new Hercules C-130J airplanes at cost of nearly a quarter billion dollars.
After delay, Turkey receives first delivery of Israeli-made drones
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Six Heron drones delivered; Diplomatic row between countries delayed execution of $185 million deal.
‘I was stabbed in the back,’ says soldier who used human shield in Gaza
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Trial begins for two IDF soldiers suspected of using children to open bags of explosives in Gaza war.
Israel defends right to arrest foreigners in West Bank
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – State argues legal right to detain non-Israelis, even in areas under Palestinian control.
Court ruling lets settlers shoot in air to repel Palestinians
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Settler found not guilty of mishandling a weapon after firing over the heads of Palestinian shepherds.
Military prosecutor to IDF: Probe shooting death of two Palestinians
Ha’aretz 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 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 25 Mar 2010 – Israel retaliates after pro-al-Qaida militants fire five Qassam rockets in 24 hours, killing a Thai worker.
Gaza : Israel’s Navy Injure A Palestinian Fisherman As Tanks Fire Leave Another Worker Injured
Uruknet March 25, 2010 – The Israeli military injured on Thursday a Palestinian fisherman and a worker during two separate attacks in the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian fisherman sustained wounds by Israeli naval forces on Thursday near northern Gaza Strip shoreline. Israeli naval forces opened heavy fire at fishing boats off the northern shoreline. The attack left one man injured and…
Israel’s Provocation at al-Aqsa: Rabbi Plans ‘Miracle’
Uruknet March 25, 2010 – The Israeli government has indicated that it will press ahead with a plan to enlarge the Jewish prayer plaza at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, despite warnings that the move risks triggering a third intifada. Israeli officials rejected this week a Jerusalem court’s proposal to shelve the plan after the judge accepted that the…
Exclusive / Despite row, U.S. and Israel sign massive arms deal
Uruknet March 25, 2010 – As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington this week absorbing the full wrath of the Obama administration, the Pentagon and Israel’s defense establishment were in the process of sealing a large arms deal. According to the deal, Israel will purchase three new Hercules C-130J airplanes. The deal for the three aircrafts, designed by Lockheed Martin,…
Rendered Homeless, Palestinian Family Ordered To Pay Its Expulsion Expenses
Uruknet The Jerusalem Center for Social and Economical Rights (JCCER) reported that the Israeli police handed Wednesday a Palestinian family from East Jerusalem an order to pay 13.000 NIS, demanding family members to pay the expenses of their expulsion from their home. Members of Majed Hannoun family, from Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, were forced out of their home last year and were…
Netanyahu defies Washington on settlements
Uruknet March 25, 2010 – There was no report on the meeting Tuesday between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Neither was an official handshake staged, let alone a press conference. It was not until Wednesday that a terse statement was released by the White House, explaining that there remain disagreements with Israel and that the US…
Israeli fire in southern Gaza critically injures one
Uruknet March 25, 2010 – A Palestinian worker was critically injured on Thursday morning as the Israeli forces at the closed Sufa crossing opened fire on a group of men collecting rubble for the re-manufacturing of construction materials, medics said. Director of ambulance and emergency services in Gaza, Muawiya Hassanein, identified the injured man as Naji Abu Rayda, 32, noting he…
Palestine is Not a Humanitarian Issue
Uruknet March 24, 2010 – “The Palestinian issue is not a humanitarian or relief issue. It is highly political. Thank you all for the financial support which you presented us. The Ministry of Planning has 84 finance files, but we can not plan, implement or develop these projects because of the occupation. Therefore, we must put before your eyes that helping…
Video: Targeted Citizen
Uruknet March 24, 2010 – The film “Targeted Citizen” (15 minutes), produced by filmmaker Rachel Leah Jones for Adalah, surveys discrimination against the Palestinian citizens of Israel. With the participation of experts Dr. Yousef Jabareen of the Technion and Dr. Khaled Abu Asbeh of the Van Leer Institute, as well as Adalah attorneys Sawsan Zaher, Abeer Baker and Hassan Jabareen, inequality…
Witnesses: Israeli forces enter Hebron-area school
Uruknet March 24, 2010 Israeli soldiers threatened schoolchildren and launched at least one tear-gas canister when they entered the Ar-Rihiya School for Boys in the village south of Hebron Wednesday morning, witnesses said… An eyewitness said soldiers evacuated the school and noted at lest one boy suffered tear-gas inhalation. He said he did not know why the forces invaded the…
The Jerusalem “Compromise”Obama Still Has No Stomach to Take on Israel
Uruknet March 24, 2010 – Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the United States this week armed with a mandate from the Israeli parliament. A large majority of legislators from all of Israel’s main parties had supported a petition urging him to stand firm on the building of Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem the very issue that got him into hot…
Israeli plan to triple settlement activities in W. Bank
Uruknet March 24, 2010— Council of settlements director Naftali Bennett revealed an Israeli plan to expand settlement construction in the West Bank to three times what it is now and raise the number of settlers to one million Israelis. In an interview published by Reuters on Tuesday, Bennett said that he is doing his best to end the temporary freeze on…
Netanyahu set to announce new settlement building plans following his return from Washington
Uruknet March 24, 2010 – Israel’s Cabinet Secretary, Zvi Hauser, has confirmed that the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will announce new settlement construction plans on his return from Washington. The new settlements are planned for different parts of Jerusalem and the West Bank along the same lines as the recently announced construction at the Ramat Shlomo settlement in Jerusalem. In…
Abdullah Daoud to be buried at his hometown on march 28th
Bethlehem, March 25, (Pal Telegraph) The Minister Hussein al-Sheikh, President of the General Authority for Civil Affairs, said that the occupation authorities had agreed to bury the martyr Abdullah Daoud, 48, at his home town (Bethlehem) next Sunday, March 28. Sheikh pointed that after the efforts of civil affairs, Israel agreed to the return of the martyr Abdullah Daoud’s body,…
IOF shoot Gazan fisherman
Gaza, March 25, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) Israeli gunships opened fire on Thursday at Palestinian fishing boats off the coasts of northern Gaza Strip and injured a fisherman. Hasim Juma Qzaan was injured and taken to Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia in the northern sector, Palestinian sources said. Palestinian fishing boats are targeted daily, as Israel claims that they…
Israel detains 3 Palestinians in Hebron
Hebron, March 25, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces detained on Thursday a citizen from Dura village, southwest of Hebron in the West Bank, while the other two citizens were detained Wednesday evening near Al-Hram Al-Ibrahimi. Security sources told SAFA news agency that the soldiers detained Hassan Mohammed Nasr,39 , from Dura after raiding his home, Fouad Fares Al-Qasrawi ,23,…
IOF shoot Gazan worker
Gaza, March 25, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation soldiers shot a Gazan worker near Sofa crossing east of Rafah city south of Gaza Strip on Thursday. Naji Abu Rida, 31, was wounded in the chest when Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire towards workers in the Sofa crossing, Palestinian sources reported. Abu Rida was with a group of workers collecting…
Israel kidnaps 20 Gazan workers
Gaza, March 24, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces arrested on Wednesday about 20 Gazan workers near the evacuated Israeli settlement of Dugit in the northern Gaza Strip, local sources said. Gazan worker collects stones from destroyed houses The sources said that Israeli soldiers from special force unit entered in Dugit area and chased a number of workers who…
Israeli forces wound two men in Gaza
The National 25 Mar 2010 – Two Palestinians were shot and wounded by Israeli forces in separate incidents in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, local medics said.
Israel ‘playing with fire’ with Western Wall construction
The National 25 Mar 2010 – Benjamin Netanyahu’s government will press ahead with construction at the Western Wall, despite the threat of a third Palestinian intifada.
Israel opts to lie low’ after Britain expels its spy chief
The National 24 Mar 2010 – Israeli officials regard rebuff as face-saving exercise by British government concerned by political considerations as it faces an imminent election.
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…
UN rights body censures Israel
AlJazeera 24 Mar 2010 – Three resolutions condemning Israeli policies passed in UN Human Rights Council.
Netanyahu leaves US ties unresolved
AlJazeera 25 Mar 2010 – Israeli PM insists progress has been made but no concrete measures are announced.
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…
Israeli army indicts 2 soldiers accused of using boy as human shield in Gaza war
PNN – Thursday, 25 March 2010
Obama and Netanyahu play hardball over Israeli settlement plan
PNN – Thursday, 25 March 2010
Israel defends right to arrest foreigners in West Bank
PNN – Thursday, 25 March 2010
Netanyahu holds talks with Obama amid settlement row
PNN – Wednesday, 24 March 2010
Post poll: Obama still in single digits
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – 9% of local Jews say US administration pro-Israel; 48% call it pro- Palestinian.
African migrants celebrate their own Egypt exodus
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – Nearly 300 people attend special community Seder in south Tel Aviv.
Obama demands Netanyahu’s peace answers by Saturday
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – US hopes to get immediate Arab League approval for proximity talks; PA official: DC meetings ended without progress on east Jerusalem construction freeze.
Petition may lead to wider acceptance of common law marriage
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – Permanent resident of Israel and former member of Black Hebrews community asks to wed her partner, a Nigerian Christian.
Israel mum on UK passport promises
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – Officials say they are unaware if Lieberman will provide UK with guarantee.
Palestinian, Israeli journalists meet in Tel Aviv
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – Reporters from Gaza and the West Bank tour Tel Aviv as part of initiative to build bridges between Arab media and their peers in Israel.
‘Barak’s personal guests tripled’
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – Lindenstrauss: State funds wasted at defense ministry independence day reception.
Olmert denies Rishontours allegations
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – Former PM says he was not personally involved in planning, funding trips abroad.
Likud applauds PM’s stance on e. J’lem
Jeruslalem Post 25 Mar 2010 – “No one should concern itself with Israel’s interests except for Israel,” says Livnat.
MIDEAST: ‘Palestinian Life is Cheap’
IPS RAMALLAH, Mar 24 (IPS) – In early February, 41-year-old Fayez Ahmed Faraj, a father of nine from the city of Hebron, 30 miles south of Jerusalem, in the southern West Bank, was shot dead in his home town by Israeli soldiers after he allegedly tried to stab one of them….
MIDEAST: Israeli Army World’s Most Moral?
IPS RAMALLAH, Mar 23 (IPS) – Many Israelis like to believe, and the clich is repeated regularly in Israel, that their army is the “most moral army in the world.”
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (18-24 march 2010)
PCHR 24 Mar 2010 – A Palestinian is carried into al-Aqsa Martys Hospital in the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah, as he was wounded by Israeli troops, 22 March 2010….
PCHR Concludes a Human Rights Training Course in Rafah
PCHR 24 Mar 2010 – Ref: 35/2010….
PCHR Receives Professor Tateyama from the Department of International Relations at the Japan National Defense Academy
PCHR 24 Mar 2010 – Ref: 36/2009….
International Solidarity Movement
Fisherman shot in the head and critically ill in Shifa’a Hospital in Gaza
3/25/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – ISM Gaza – Fisherman Hazem Gora’ani, age 26,from the town of Deir Al Balah, south of Gaza City, was brought to Shifa Hospital with serious head wounds around 9 o’clock this morning. An urgent operation lasting one and a half hours was performed to stop the bleeding inside his brain. Dr Samir Kahlout from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) told the ISM volunteers who visited Mr Gora’ani that his condition was critical andunstable and that he was unconscious following the operation. Over the next 72 hours Mr Gora’ani will be monitored and the decision will be made about the need for further operations, including to remove bits of shrapnel lodged in his brain. We talked to Mr Gora’ani’s brother Nafiz who was anxiously waiting in front of the ICU with a relative and another two fishermen for news about Hazem. . . . Israeli soldiers fire at the fishermen so frequently that incidents are rarely reported if they did notresult in serious injury.
VIDEO – Animation produced in Palestine: struggles with breast cancer in Gaza
3/25/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Directed by Ahmad Habash – Fatenah is a 27 year old woman living in the Gaza Strip. Her life is similar to the lives of many other women in Gaza. Her life changes the day she discovers to have breast cancer. This animation, the first produced in Palestine, shows with great accuracy the scenarios of Gaza city. The 27 minutes long story is a breath-taking journey into Fatenah’s daily struggles. It uncovers the human drama of her fight to survive. This journey into the heart of the Gaza Strip will touch and move you. – In 3 parts – Directed by Ahmad Habash, Screenplay Saed Andoni, Ahmad Habash, Ambrogio Manenti, Produced by Saed Andoni, Music Said Murad, Editing Saed Andoni, Animation Ahmad Habash, Director of Photography Ahmad Habash, Sound Designer — Zaher Rashmawi, Voices Actors: Buthaina Sumairi (Fatenah), Ahmad Abu Saloom (Abu Rasheed), Shaden Saleem (Amal), Imad Ahmad (Mualem), Mesbah Deeb (Ayman), Waleed Aqel (Dr.
VIDEO / Why wasn’t Obama photographed with Netanyahu?
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – White House waves of suggestion that U.S. president was ’embarrassed’ to be seen with Israeli PM.
Palestinians dismiss U.S., Israel reports of Mideast progress
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Netanyahu postpones Forum of Seven meet; White House: Obama wants confidence-building measures.
Petraeus to Ashkenazi: I never said Israel policy endangers U.S.
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Petraeus denies blaming Israel for stalled peace progress; Gates: Conflict ‘affects’ U.S. security interests.
Netanyahu: Progress made in talks with U.S.
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Netanyahu says U.S., Israel working on compromise as diplomatic crisis with Washington remains unresolved.
Mayor backs Netanyahu over ongoing East Jerusalem construction
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Ministers rally behind Netanyahu on East Jerusalem; Vice PM: How did capital become stumbling block?
U.S. Congressman Cantor: I’ve been threatened because I’m Jewish
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Cantor says he was ‘directly threatened’ when someone shot at the window of his office in Virginia.
Nearly 300 Congress members declare commitment to ‘unbreakable’ U.S.-Israel bond
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Letter to Clinton underscores Biden remarks that there is ‘no space’ when it comes to Israel’s security.
Critics slam decision to exclude U.S. Jews from nationwide census
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Census provides government with info used to track demographic trends, direct funding where it?s needed.
What does it really mean to be a Jew?
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Status as a Jew has historically been determined either by matrilineal descent or by conversion into the faith. However, in two millennia of diaspora, Jewish identity has become far more multifaceted than the progenitors of the tribe could ever have imagined.
Bin Laden to kill any U.S. hostages if 9/11 mastermind executed
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – U.S. terrorism monitoring firm confirms statement is authentic; 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed trial due to start.
Netanyahu faces a U.S. adamant about East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – The U.S. demand for Israeli settlement building to end is long-standing, but only now being put into effect.
U.K. officials were split over expelling Israeli in Dubai row
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Foreign Office officials back expulsion of Mossad man over alleged use of forged U.K. passports.
UN rights council: Experts to monitor Gaza war crimes probes
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Committee to monitor Goldstone recommendations; UNHRC suggests Israel pay Palestinians reparations.
Israel to U.S.: Latest East Jerusalem building okayed last year
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – U.S. seeks clarification from Israel over plan to allow settler group to build 20 units in Sheikh Jarrah.
Assad: Syria committed to peace, but has no faith in Israel
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Syrian president says talks cannot continue without Israeli committment to leave all of Golan Heights.
Ivor Dembina | Comedy review
The Guardian 25 Mar 2010 – House of Commons, London Heckles are one thing, division bells quite another. Veteran standup Ivor Dembina has spent 20 years handling the former, but that’s no preparation for when his show is interrupted by a ringing…
Expectations low for Arab summit to ‘save’ Jerusalem
The Guardian 25 Mar 2010 – Absences and disputes between Arab League members threaten to scupper talks in Libya over impasse with Israel Arab states are preparing a summit to “save” Jerusalem from Israel and want urgent action to promote Palestinian reconciliation…
The real price of Israel’s settlements | Seth Freedman
The Guardian 25 Mar 2010 – Israel has spent $17bn on its settlements in the Palestinian territories, but the cost to the peace process is much higher The cost of building Israeli settlements in the occupied territories stands at more than $17bn,…
Britain’s historical mandate | Natasha Gill
The Guardian 25 Mar 2010 – A frank recognition of its past in the Middle East can give Britain a unique role in the peace process The reprimand of Israel by David Miliband, the foreign secretary, resonated sharply in an already difficult…
Letters: Israel’s right to defend the nation against terrorism
The Guardian 24 Mar 2010 – While there was in-depth coverage of the legitimacy of Israel’s right to defend its citizens in your reports , comment and letters, little was said about Mahmoud al-Mabhouh . Al-Mabhouh was a senior member of Hamas. A section…
Obama and Netanyahu play hardball over Israeli settlement plan
The Guardian 24 Mar 2010 – News blackout imposed as two leaders engage in tough talks over plans for another East Jerusalem settlement The White House was today seeking clarification from the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, after it emerged that approval…
Mossad expulsion: they still don’t get it | Michael White
The Guardian 24 Mar 2010 – I’m not ‘one of those’ liberals who relentlessly denigrates Israel, but murdering Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was a crime and a mistake The day after mild-mannered David Miliband expelled Mossad’s senior man at the Israeli embassy in London…
Netanyahu’s reluctant gift to Palestine | Hussein Ibish
The Guardian 25 Mar 2010 – US pressure on Binyamin Netanyahu has not achieved a settlement freeze, but it has delivered real gains to Palestinians The Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu is not being honest with his fellow Israelis by insisting that…
Binyamin Netanyahu and Obama meet amid row over settlements
The Guardian 24 Mar 2010 – Leaders hold low-profile talks following Israeli PM’s refusal to halt building in east Jerusalem Barack Obama and the visiting Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, capped a turbulent few weeks for mutual relations with unusually low-profile White…
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…
State Prosecutor: Gay couples shouldn’t have right to surrogate pregnancy
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – The surrogacy law should not apply to gay and lesbian couples, the State Prosecution wrote to the High Court of Justice on Thursday. In its appeal, the Prosecution added that it is perhaps the time to reevaluate what constitutes a family. …
Olmert denies charges against him in double-billing affair
Ha’aretz 25 Mar 2010 – Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday denied all the charges against in him in the corruption probe known as the Rishontours affair, in which Olmert is alleged to have illegally double-billed charities and a government ministry for the same flights booked through the travel agency. …
Supreme Court: No bread for Muslim inmates over Passover
Ha’aretz 24 Mar 2010 – The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected an appeal from an Arab prison inmate who asked to receive bread instead of matzah with his meals during the upcoming Passover holiday. …
Israeli rabbis warn about fake Passover matzah
Ha’aretz 24 Mar 2010 – Israel’s Chief Rabbinate is warning Israeli citizens to be on the lookout for pirate matzah, a vendor said Wednesday. …
As we recall our Passover exodus, think of the flight of African refugees
Ha’aretz 24 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. …
Over 51,800 poor Palestinian families receive a new payment of social allowances through PEGASE
Relief Web 25 Mar 2010 – Source: European Union, Palestinian National Authority
OPT: Food Security and Nutrition Survey For Herding Communities In Area C, Joint UNRWA UNICEF WFP Household Survey
Relief Web 25 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Children’s Fund, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, World Food Programme
OPT: Human Rights Council Adopts Follow-Up Resolution on Goldstone Report – Climate of Impunity Must be Combated
Relief Web 25 Mar 2010 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Human Rights Council condemns Israel’s construction of settlements in Palestinian lands
Relief Web 25 Mar 2010 – Source: UN Radio
Palestinians: Obama wants Israel to hand over Abu-Dis to PA
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – US demands that Israel hand over area adjacent to Jerusalem to exclusive PA control, Palestinian sources say, adding that Americans want Palestinian state to be established within next two years
Arabs pledge $500 million in east J’lem aid
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – Arab League foreign ministers grant PA’s request for hefty donation, amid harsh criticismon Israeli construction in capital
Jerusalem cinema to remain closed on Shabbat
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – Secular councilors furious with Mayor Barkat after approval of weekday-only movie theater complex
IDF to screen Palestinians entering Route 443
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – Army prepares for implementation of court order to allow Palestinian traffic on highway
US general reaffirms military bond with Israel
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – General David Petraeus calls Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, repudiates comments attributed to him about Israeli policies endangering US troops
White House, Netanyahu: Progress achieved during visit
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – Addressing Netanyahu’s US visit, White House says progress made on ‘important issues’; Bibi says golden path found to allow America to move peace process forward, while persevering Israel’s national interests
Mayor Barkat: We’ll continue to build in east Jerusalem
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – Jerusalem mayor endorses Prime Minister Netanyahu’s stance vis-?-vis President Obama, says construction in capital more important than anywhere else; ‘We shall continue to build in the city’s east and west,’ Nir Barkat says
State comptroller slams Barak’s wastefulness
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – Report criticizes exaggerated spending at defense minister’s traditional Independence Day party
Hezbollah men questioned in Hariri probe
YNet News 25 Mar 2010 – UN investigators renew probe, interview Hezbollah members in connection with 2005 murder of Lebanese PM
International Water Day: Chronic shortage in West Bank
23 Mar 2010 – The discriminatory division of the shared water resources infringes the Palestinians’ right to water, to sanitation, and to health. Israel’s policy also infringes the Palestinians’ right to gain a livelihood, in that the water shortage prevents developmen
Palestinian Information Center
Khudari to the Arab summit: Break the siege on Gaza now
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – MP Jamal Al-Khudari asked the Arab summit conference to open in Libya on Saturday to send a high level delegation to Gaza to get acquainted with the effects of the one thousand days of siege.
Jewish settlers assault Palestinian home in OJ
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Tens of Jewish settlers attacked the home of a Palestinian Jerusalemite family in Ras Al-Amud suburb in occupied Jerusalem on Thursday, eyewitnesses reported.
Mishaal urges Arab leaders to support J’lem people’s steadfastness practically
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Khaled Mishaal called on Arab leaders to support the steadfastness of Jerusalem people with practical steps and employ their countries’ economic and political weight in serving the Palestinian cause.
Israeli MPs embark on provocative tour of Aqsa gates
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Three members of the Israeli parliament of the extreme right-wing National Union party on Wednesday toured the gates of the holy Aqsa Mosque escorted by Israeli occupation police.
PFLP calls on the Arabs to drop the “peace” option
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Maher Al-Taher, politburo member of the popular front for the liberation of Palestine, has said that the negotiations with the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) only served the IOA and the USA.
Two Palestinians wounded in IOF gunfire
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Two Palestinian citizens were wounded on Thursday morning when Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired at Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, medical sources reported.
The Guardian: Israel’s forging of British passports is a mark of its arrogance
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – The Guardian newspaper said that Israel’s persistence in defying the US and its forging of British passports in order to murder a senior Hamas official in Dubai is a “mark of arrogance.”
Hamas hails Mauritania’s decision to close Israel’s embassy
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Hamas hailed the Mauritanian decision to close Israel’s embassy and sever its diplomatic ties completely with it, saying that this step reflected the nobility of Mauritania and its people.
IOF soldiers detain 20 Gazans
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained 20 Palestinian workers in northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday and took them to an unknown location.
Mansi: Israeli settlement expansion with American blessing
PIC 25 Mar 2010 – Dr. Yousef Mansi has denounced the Jewish controlled Jerusalem municipality for approving the construction of 20 housing units in Sheikh Jarrah in occupied Jerusalem.
Palestinian security forces walk a careful line
LA Times 26 Mar 2010 – The Palestinian Authority’s reformed forces are more professional than ever. But operating under Israeli control while maintaining legitimacy in eyes of their people is an ongoing battle. As the highest ranking commander of nearly 8,000 Palestinian security forces, Maj. Gen. Diab Ali is accustomed to being top gun. But the salutes often stop when he leaves the military base and travels through the West Bank.
Another East Jerusalem project gets OK
LA Times 25 Mar 2010 – Approval for the 20-unit project for Jewish residents funded by a U.S. businessman comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with President Obama. Officials deny a political motive. Another controversial housing project in East Jerusalem has received approval to break ground despite strong U.S. objections, officials said Wednesday.
Britain expels Israel diplomat over passports
LA Times 24 Mar 2010 – British Foreign Secretary David Miliband says forged passports used by suspects in the assassination of a Hamas figure in Dubai were linked to Israel. The expelled envoy is said to be a Mossad agent. Britain expelled a high-ranking Israeli diplomat Tuesday in retaliation for alleged misuse of British passports by Israeli agents suspected in the assassination of a senior Hamas commander two months ago in Dubai.
U.S. Fails to Persuade Israel on Housing Plan
New York Times 25 Mar 2010 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not appear willing to give President Obama a commitment to rein in building in East Jerusalem.
Israel Confirms New Building in East Jerusalem
New York Times 24 Mar 2010 – Construction of a contentious Jewish housing project in a predominantly Arab neighborhood of East Jerusalem could start at any time, officials said.
China and Russia Pressed Iran to Accept U.N. Deal
New York Times 24 Mar 2010 – Russia said its envoys and Chinese envoys pressured Iran to accept a plan on uranium enrichment but Iran refused.
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…
Violence Will Not Kill The Non-Violent Popular Resistance
Palestine Monitor – 25 Mar 2010 – “What we can daily testify to is the growing violence carried out against Palestinian civilians both by Israeli settlers and military, a violence which is daily undermining the physical security of Palestinians”. With these words Dr Mustafa Barghouthi opened his speech during a press conference on…
What the Jewish state’ means to its Palestinian citizens
Mondoweiss – 25 Mar 2010 – Must see video from Adalah : (h/t to the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation ) Related posts: Obama administration supports equal rights for all Israeli citizens, even in a Jewish state’ Israeli Palestinian party that seeks democracy for all citizens risks disqualification Israel wants to keep…
No partner for peace
Mondoweiss – 25 Mar 2010 – The crisis between Israel and the U.S. turned into an unprecedented confrontation when Obama laid it all on the table and asked the Prime Minister, “How far are you willing to go when the negotiations reach the final stage?” Netanyahu did not respond. Ma’ariv ( Hebrew ), March…
When will the US press show us what annexed East Jerusalem looks like?
Mondoweiss – 25 Mar 2010 – One of the great surprises of my recent visit to Israel and Palestine was the morning I stood on a hillside south of Gilo in the Palestinian village of Wallajeh and gazed over at the settlement with its fancy red tile roofs. We were in a…
2 int’l volunteers are arrested; are they anti- or post-Zionist?
Mondoweiss – 25 Mar 2010 – I was trained as a newsperson, and I woke up today realizing that the greatest story in the world is happening right now in Israel and Palestine. It is an amazing story, and if you are invested in Zionism, you’re bound to miss the news because…
I make a blanket judgment that turns out to be unhhh
Mondoweiss – 25 Mar 2010 – Steve Walt says that I was wrong in my characterization of the news that Harvard’s Weatherhead Center scheduled an Israeli consul general as a speaker. I said the invitation reflects the fact that Weatherhead houses Martin Kramer, the neocon sandbox blogger. Walt: I think you went…
World Education Forum in Palestine Launched
Alternative Information Center – 25 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 – 25 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 – 25 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…
Articles
Washington’s worst ally
Ayman El-Amir, Al-Ahram Weekly 3/18/2010
Build, build, build: as Israel annexes Palestinian property to build yet more illegal settlements it seems no one has the will to stop them.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has taken a handful of dust from East Jerusalem and thrown it in the face of Barack Obama, his administration, the American people and the Arabs. The Israeli government’s declared decision to build 1,600 new housing units in and around East Jerusalem, and to confiscate Palestinian property for the purpose, was designed to test the limits of Washington’s tolerance of its expansionist policy. It has been gradually expropriating what is left of Palestinian territory to forestall the creation of a future Palestinian state. When Washington reacted angrily, the Netanyahu government, in time-honoured fashion, set another test. It regreted the timing of the announcement, which coincided with the visit of US Vice-President Joseph Biden, but not the substance.
When Washington insisted it was the substance that mattered Netanyahu reiterated his regret that it was bad timing, not bad policy. He wanted to reassure his ultra-rightwing coalition partners that the settlement policy was still alive and well and would be resumed as soon as the row with the Obama administration blew over. Mendacious Israel will weather this storm, as it has others, by resorting to Congress, its most compliant ally, controlled as it is by the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) lobby. AIPAC itself sent out a signal to Congress. It said the present crisis in US-Israeli relations was a matter of concern. What it meant was that the crisis should somehow be resolved in favour of Israel, or that the Obama administration must be taught a lesson for daring to disagree with Israeli policy.
Upon his arrival in Israel, Biden deflated Israeli whining over threats to its security by reaffirming in advance the Obama administration’s “absolute, total, unvarnished commitment to Israel’s security”. He also lambasted Iran for its quest for nuclear power, a popular political theme in Washington these days….more..e-mail
Israel’s ‘No Renting to Arabs’ Policy
Jonathan Cook, CounterPunch 3/23/2010
Jewish Couple Loses Court Battle to Help Bedouin Friends
Nevatim.
The Zakai and Tarabin families should be a picture of happy coexistence across the ethnic divide, a model for others to emulate in Israel.
But Natalie and Weisman Zakai say the past three years — since the Jewish couple offered to rent their home to Bedouin friends, Ahmed and Khalas Tarabin — have been a living hell.
“I have always loved Israel,” said Mrs Zakai, 43. “But to see the depth of the racism of our neighbours has made me question why we live in this country.”
Three of the couple’s six dogs have been mysteriously poisoned; Mrs Zakai’s car has been sprayed with the words “Arab lover” and the windows smashed; her three children in school are regularly taunted and bullied by other pupils; and a collection of vintage cars in the family’s yard has been set on fire in what police say was an arson attack.
To add to these indignities, the Zakais have spent three years and thousands of dollars battling through the courts against the elected officials of their community of Nevatim, in Israel’s southern Negev desert, who have said they are determined to keep the Tarabins from moving in.
Last week the Zakais’ legal struggle looked like it had run out of steam. The supreme court told the two families the Tarabins should submit to a vetting committee of local officials to assess their suitability a requirement that has never been made before by the Negev community in the case of a family seeking to rent a home.more..e-mail
Netanyahu’s Ring and the Legitimacy of Zionism
Ahmed Amr, Palestine Chronicle, Axis of Logic 3/24/2010
You can’t make this stuff up. It was a Monday, the first day of spring in 2010, a time usually reserved for a little fresh air. Alas, the Prime Minister of Israel was dispensing noxious fumes in a speech to AIPAC, the pro-Israeli lobbying conglomerate that is considered the single most effective arm-twisting organization in Washington. Did I forget to mention the Prime Minister’s name? It’s Benjamin Netanyahu. The significance of that factoid will become apparent as we move along.
Here’s part of what Netanyahu had to say to the AIPAC faithful and the drooling congressmen and senators who came to pay homage to the prince of Israel.
“The attempt by many to describe the Jews as foreign colonialists in their own homeland is one of the great lies of modern times. In my office, I have on display a signet ring that was loaned to me by Israel’s Department of Antiquities. The ring was found next to the Western wall, but it dates back some 2,800 years ago, two hundred years after King David turned Jerusalem into our capital city. The ring is a seal of a Jewish official, and inscribed on it in Hebrew is his name: Netanyahu. His name was Netanyahu Ben-Yoash. My first name, Benjamin, dates back 1,000 years earlier to Benjamin, the son of Jacob. One of Benjamin’s brothers was named Shimon, which also happens to be the first name of my good friend, Shimon Peres, the President of Israel. Nearly 4,000 years ago, Benjamin, Shimon and their ten brothers roamed the hills of Judea. Ladies and Gentlemen, the connection between the Jewish people and the Land of Israel cannot be denied. The connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem cannot be denied. The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 year ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital.”
There you have it folks. If your name is Benjamin Netanyahu, what more justification do you need to expropriate land from the native Palestinians?….more..e-mail
Rights groups dispute Israel’s story in Hebron killing
Electronic Intifada: 25 Mar 2010 – RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) – In early February, 41-year-old Fayez Ahmed Faraj, a father of nine from the city of Hebron, 30 miles south of Jerusalem, in the southern West Bank, was shot dead in his home town by Israeli soldiers after he allegedly tried to stab one of them. After a preliminary investigation the Israeli military authorities stated that the soldiers had acted in self-defense and had used the necessary force.
Israel’s inclusion in economic organization a threat to democracy
Electronic Intifada: 25 Mar 2010 – Membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which includes 30 of the world’s most developed countries, does not provide money or any special economic benefits. Yet it is easy to see why the Israeli government attributes great importance to Israel becoming one of its members. Shir Hever analyzes for The Electronic Intifada.
Thirsty for justice
Electronic Intifada: 25 Mar 2010 – Toni Morrison once 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 Maia Project with Aidan O’Leary, Deputy Director of the UN agency for Palestine refugees Operations in Gaza. Dr. Mona El-Farra writes from the Gaza Strip.
Israel’s latest provocation at al-Aqsa
Electronic Intifada: 25 Mar 2010 – The Israeli government has indicated that it will press ahead with a plan to enlarge the Jewish prayer plaza at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, despite warnings that the move risks triggering a third intifada. Israeli officials rejected this week a Jerusalem court’s proposal to shelve the plan after the judge accepted that the plaza’s expansion would violate the “status quo” arrangement covering the Old City’s holy places. Jonathan Cook reports from Jerusalem.
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 beachone 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…
Israel’s Provocation at al-Aqsa: Rabbi Plans ‘Miracle’
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Mar 2010 – By Jonathan Cook – Jerusalem The Israeli government has indicated that it will press ahead with a plan to enlarge the Jewish prayer plaza at the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City, despite warnings that the move risks triggering a third intifada. Israeli officials rejected this week a Jerusalem court’s proposal to shelve the plan after the judge accepted that the plaza’s expansion would violate the “status quo” arrangement covering the Old City’s holy places. Islamic authorities agreed to the arrangement after Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967. The site eyed by Israeli officials is located at the Mughrabi Gate, an entrance to the mosque compound known as the Haram al Sharif, the most sensitive site in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Inside are Al Aqsa Mosque and the golden-topped Dome of the Rock. Earlier encroachments by Israel on Islamic authority at the site have triggered clashes between…more
My Children, Ralph Nader and the South China Sea
Palestine Chronicle: 25 Mar 2010 – By Ramzy Baroud I basked in the warm Borneo sun, following a long run somewhere at the edge of a rainforest. The beach was only partly clean, but the water was most inviting. My children ran excitedly, collecting what I assumed to be shells and whatever other treasures the South China Sea had decided to divulge that afternoon. Their movement, from afar, signaled frenzy and perhaps even a slight panic. I hesitated at first, then ran to investigate. At the ages of six and four, my girls Zarefah and Iman were already the most kindhearted kids. They were actually going through complete and unmitigated panic, as they had just noticed the starfish which had been cast off by the waves and which were now dotting the shoreline as far as the eye could see. The children became determined to place every single one of them back in the water before…more
The Jerusalem ‘Compromise’
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Mar 2010 – By Jonathan Cook – Nazareth Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in the United States this week armed with a mandate from the Israeli parliament. A large majority of legislators from all of Israel’s main parties had supported a petition urging him to stand firm on the building of Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem — the very issue that got him into hot water days earlier with the White House. Given the Israeli consensus on Jerusalem, there was no way Mr Netanyahu could have avoided rubbing that wound again in his speech on Monday to the annual conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the powerful pro-Israel lobby group. He told the thousands of delegates: “The Jewish people were building Jerusalem 3,000 years ago and the Jewish people are building Jerusalem today. Jerusalem is not a settlement. It is our capital.” Citing his own policy as inseparable from all previous…more
The New Dark Age 
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