News
International Middle East Media Center
Child Dies Due to The Siege on Gaza
IMEMC – Sunday March 28, 2010 – 00:01, Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that a 5-year-old child died on Saturday at a local hospital due to the ongoing illegal Israeli siege on the coastal region.
Palestinian Killed East Of Khan Younis
IMEMC – Saturday March 27, 2010 – 05:49, Palestinian medical sources reported, on Friday at night, that one resident was killed and several others were wounded after the Israeli army bombarded Khuza”a town, East of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Settlement Food Company Market Its Food In Europe Using Fake Address
IMEMC – Saturday March 27, 2010 – 04:34, The Israeli Peace Bloc, Gush Shalom, reported that “Shamir Salads” an Israeli company in a West Bank Israeli settlement, is marketing its products in Europe using a fake address claiming it is in Israel and not in the occupied West Bank.
Six Palestinians Wounded As Army Bombards Khan Younis
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 23:05, Palestinian medical sources in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, reported that six Palestinians were wounded on Friday evening after the army bombarded an area East of Khan Younis.
Child Wounded By Army Fire in Northern Gaza
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 22:07, Palestinian medical sources in Gaza reported that a Palestinian child was shot and wounded on Friday afternoon near the Beit Hanoun (Eretz) crossing , in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Two Israeli Soldiers, Two Palestinians, killed in Khan Younis Clashes
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 21:37, The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas movement, claimed responsibility on Friday for killing two Israeli soldiers during clashes that took place east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. At least two Palestinians were killed and several others were wounded.
U.S Informs Abbas Of Obama-Netanyahu Meeting Failure
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 19:40, The United States Administration officially informed Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, of the failure of the meeting that took place between American President, Barack Obama, and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
One Injured At The Weekly Anti Wall Protest In The Northern West Bank Village Of Nabi-saleh
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 16:56, A Palestinian youth was injured when Israeli troops opened fire at anti wall protesters in the village of Nabi-Saleh, northern West Bank.
One Israeli Detained Other Protesters Injured In The Anti Wall Bil”in Weekly Protest
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 16:49, Villagers of Bil”in, central West Bank, along with international and Israeli supporters protested on Friday the Israeli wall built on farmers lands.
Israeli Troops Use Tear Gas To Suppress Anti Wall Protest In Nil”in Village
IMEMC – Friday March 26, 2010 – 16:24, Seven civilians were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation in Friday at the village of Nil”in central West Bank during the anti-wall weekly protest.
Israel plans expansion to Western Wall plaza
3/27/2010 – 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 a Jerusalem court’s proposal to shelve the plan earlier in the week 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 proposed area for an expanded compound is in the area of the Mughrabi Gate, and one of the entrances to the Haram Ash-Sharif, or noble sanctuary, which houses the Al-Asqa Mosque. Waves of Israeli encroachments on the site starting in August at the start of Ramadan and surging in February and March led to protests and violence targeting Palestinians.
Tanks enter Gaza, Palestinian killed in airstrike
3/27/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian civilian died of injuries sustained after Israeli warplanes struck east of Khan Younis, Gaza overnight on Friday, as tanks entered south of the coastal enclave. Medics at the An-Nasser Hospital in Rafah said Haitham Abed Al-Hakim Arafat, 23, died from critical wounds after several surgeries, which he sustained during an Israeli airstrike on Khuza’a, close to the border with Israel. The aerial attack followed clashes between Palestinian fighters and the Israeli army along the eastern Gaza border on Friday, in which two Palestinian fighters and two Israeli soldiers were killed. Israeli tanks were reported to have advanced east of Khan Younis following clashes. Medics said 13 Palestinians were injured when tanks and bulldozers moved into Khuza’a, with injuries ranging from critical to moderate. An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma’an that “overnight the IDF continued. . . .
Child injured in anti-wall rally near Ramallah
3/27/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – A child was shot in the eye with a rubber-coated bullet during an anti-wall rally on Friday, in the West Bank village of Deir Nidham, northwest of Ramallah. Ahmad Yousef At-Tamimi, 15, suffered an injury to the eye when Israeli forces fired rubber-coated bullets at protesters following Friday prayers. Residents and international peace activists marched against the confiscation of hundreds of dunums of village land for the expansion of the adjacent Hallamish settlement. Karem At-Tamimi, Ahmad’s cousin, said he underwent surgery in the Ramallah Hospital, describing his condition as moderate. Protesters, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans denouncing Israeli settlement policy across the occupied Palestinian territories, including home demolitions in East Jerusalem, further called for a halt to the detention of peace activists.
Egyptian forces kill 2 African migrants at Israel border
3/27/2010 – Al-Arish – Ma’an – Two African migrants were shot dead by Egyptian security forces and five others were injured on Saturday as they attempted to enter Israel near the southern crossing with Egypt. Ma’an’s correspondent said another African migrant was detained by Egyptian forces as the group attempted to enter Israel near the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and Gaza. Egyptian security forces claimed to have fired warning shots toward the group of eight migrants, who reportedly continued in their attempt to pass through the barbed wire. Under interrogation, the migrants allegedly told Egyptian authorities that they payed 8,000 US dollars to human traffickers in a bid to secure their illegal entry into Israel in search of work. The injured were transferred to the Al-Arish Hospital, as well as the bodies of those killed.
CPJ: Journalists assaulted south of Nablus
3/28/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A group of Palestinian journalists was assaulted on 28 January 2010, while reporting on olive tree planting in Burin village, south of Nablus in the West Bank, the US-based Committee to Protect Journalists reported Saturday. According to the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA), Israeli forces assaulted Rami Swidan, a photographer for Ma’an News Agency; Ashraf Abu Shawish, a cameraman for Palmedia, and Reuters photographers Abdel Rahim al-Qusini and Hassan Titi. According to Swidan, Israeli soldiers told the journalists they were not allowed to take pictures because the area was a closed military zone. When the journalists refused to stop, soldiers hit them and attempted to take their cameras before throwing tear-gas canisters and stun grenades, Swidan said. In a statement, Nablus Deputy Governor Anan Al-Atira, who had been at the tree planting, called the violence “brutal and baseless.
Israel detains woman, 19, at Qalandiya checkpoint
3/27/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained a young Palestinian woman on Saturday morning at the Qalandiya checkpoint into Jerusalem, accused of attempting to stab a soldier. The unidentified woman, 19, from the Al-Am’ari refugee camp, was detained and transferred for questioning. An Israeli military spokeswoman said a woman was detained at 11pm on Friday at the checkpoint, in possession of a 30cm knife, and was taken for questioning with the Israel Police. [end]
Israeli forces detain 2 in Bethlehem
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained two Palestinians from their homes on Al-Karkafe Street, in Bethlehem, on Friday. Palestinian security sources said Israeli forces stormed the street, entering the respective homes of Karim Mahmoud Zawahreh and Khalil Ali Zawahreh, both 24, taking them to an unknown location. The two men had previously been detained for affiliation with the Islamic Jihad movement, the sources added. An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma’an on Friday that five “wanted Palestinian suspects were arrested in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank]. Two in Jenin, one in Burqin, west of Jenin, and two in Bethlehem. “[end]
Palestinian Christians vow to mark Easter in Jerusalem
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Orthodox organizations in Palestine have called on Palestinian Christians to celebrate Holy Fire Saturday in Jerusalem, in spite of Israeli restrictions placed upon worshipers. The traditional Orthodox ceremony, which takes place after Palm Sunday, is the transfer of fire that is said to emanate from Jesus’ tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City, by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch to the congregation through candles and torches. Palestinian Christians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip are made to apply for permits allowing them entry to the occupied part of the city. Gaza residents are less likely to receive approval from Israeli authorities. The Council of Arab Orthodox Organizations urged the heads of churches in Jerusalem “to stand by the rights and aspirations of their congregation and to stand up to the discriminatory policies of Israel with the freedom of worship.
Israeli settlers blamed for Hebron vandalism
3/27/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Settlers from the illegal settlement of Ma’on, east of Yatta in the Hebron district, on Saturday destroyed a metal fence that was installed by Palestinian residents to protect their land, a local official said. Saber Al-Hereini, head of the At-Tuwani village council, blamed “relentless” Israeli settlers, who he said brought down a fence erected by local residents and damaged dozens of seedlings ready for planting. “The settlers, supported by Israel’s army, are trying to expand the settlement — which was built on our land — on even more of our land,” he added. “We were expelled from our land and property in an attempt to turn these Palestinian lands into an Israeli area empty of Palestinians. “An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army was unaware of the allegations. A complaint can be filed with the District Coordination Office, which would investigate such an incident if informed, she added.
Medics: Teenager lightly injured in Nablus clash
3/27/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – A young Palestinian man was reported injured Saturday afternoon in clashes south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Medics said Adham Qadus, 19, was struck in the hand by a rubber-coated bullet when Israeli forces opened fire in the village of Iraq Burin. He was transferred to a Nablus hospital with moderate to light injuries, medics said. Several others choked on tear gas fired by Israeli forces operating in the area, but their light injuries were treated in the field, medics said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said soldiers dispersed a small gathering in the area without incident. The forces were called in when a group of Palestinians arrived near Bracha, an illegal settlement adjacent to the village, and the army was asked to intervene over concerns the gathering could turn violent, she added. The young man reportedly injured in Saturday’s incident shares the same family name as two Nablus teenagers killed last week.
Activists: Israeli settlers thwart EU customs
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The peace movement Gush Shalom said Saturday it had heard from Jewish peace activists in the Netherlands that the Israeli “Shamir Salads” company gives false information on the covers of its products sold in Europe. The activists said that they had purchased a box of Shamir Salads hummus at the Kosher Food shop in The Hague, on which the label read that the company is located in Kiryat Ata, north of Haifa. But when they checked the list of settlement products on the Gush Shalom website, they discovered that the Shamir Salads factory is in fact at the industrial zone of the Barkan settlement on the West Bank, the group said. Gush Shalom said it was informed that the Jewish peace activists bought the products because they support Israel and hope that Israel will have a peaceful future, but were alarmed to find that the products were produced in the West Bank.
Gaza mourns airstrike victim as Israel ends incursion
3/27/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israel’s military incursion into the southern Gaza Strip ended late Saturday morning, killing one and injuring dozens in what officials say was the bloodiest Israeli operation since Operation Cast Lead, which ended in January 2009. The funeral procession for Haitham Abed Al-Hakim Arafat, 23, a civilian who was killed in an overnight airstrike, was held in Khuza’a, which locals said was “devastated” by Israel’s operation into the border town, east of Khan Younis. The procession began at the family home, before the burial in the Khan Younis cemetery. Residents said Israeli tanks and armored bulldozers withdrew from the town, after partially destroying the home of Hashem Ad-Dughmah home, 200 meters from Israel’s border. “It was the only home left in that area,” one local told Ma’an. An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma’an that “overnight the IDF continued to operate in the. . .
Fayyad, Avnery to speak in Qalqiliya village
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Uri Avnery, of the Israeli peace organization Gush Shalom, and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will speak at a Land Day rally in the Izbat Tabib village in the Qalqiliya district on Saturday. Former Knesset Member Avnery, along with a group of Israeli peace and human rights activists, will participate in the Land Day rally organized by the Popular Committee Against the Wall, in the Qalqiliya-area village, which is encircled by Israel’s separation wall. Among the Palestinian speakers expected at the rally are Qalqiliya Governor Rabih Al-Khandaqji, Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative, and Palestinian Legislative Council members Mahmoud Al-Aloul and Hatem Abdel Qader. Palestinians in the the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israel mark Land Day on 30 March, commemorating the 1976 slaying of six Palestinians and the injury of over 100 in Israel by Israeli forces. . .
Egyptian detained for smuggling money into Gaza
3/27/2010 – Al-Arish – Ma’an -Egyptian security forces detained a local on Friday night suspected of trying to smuggle money into the Gaza Strip through the coastal enclave’s tunnel complex. Ma’an’s Al-Arish correspondent said Ibrahim Suleiman Abu Zur was detained whilst driving through the Salah Ad-Din area on the Egyptian side of Rafah. Forces confiscated approximately 2 million Egyptian pounds and 60,000 US dollars found in Abu Zur’s vehicle. During the investigation, it was alleged that Abu Zur intended to smuggle the money into the coastal enclave. Investigations are ongoing to locate the source of the money. [end]
244 Palestinians return to Gaza
3/27/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The de facto border crossings administration said Saturday that 244 residents returned to Gaza through the Rafah terminalinto Egypt over the past two days. Most who entered through Rafah were patients and individuals stranded as a result of Egypt’s ad-hoc opening policy, the commitee said, among them 29 people traveling with prior special coordination. Authorities said the Erez crossing with Israel, to the north of Gaza, was partially open on Thursday, with 309 individuals departing from the border, among them 236 Gaza residents, 66 foreign nationals and seven Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. The total number of individuals entering Gaza on Thursday was 216, of which 186 were Gaza residents, 25 foreign nationals, and five Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. On Friday, the Erez crossing was again only partially functioning, the committee said, reporting the departure. . .
Israel identifies personnel killed in Gaza clashes
3/28/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel issued a statement late Saturday naming two members of its armed forces killed in fierce clashes that also left two Palestinian fighters dead by Friday afternoon. The two were identified as Major Eliraz Peretz, 32, from the illegal West Bank settlement of Eli, and Staff Sergeant Ilan Sabyatkovski, 21, from Rishon LeZion in central Israel. Two injured soldiers were evacuated by helicopters to a hospital for further medical care, the army said. [end]
Gaddaffi named president of Arab League
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The rotating presidency of the Arab League will officially be handed over to Libya, ahead of the summit’s inauguration on Saturday in Sirtre, Libya, replacing Qatar. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddaffi will replace Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani of Qatar as president of the Arab League. After the consultation session, this year’s summit conveners will attend a closed door session to discuss five agenda items, including Jerusalem and the possible withdrawal of the Arab Peace Initiative. While Arab leaders began arriving for the Sirtre symposium on Friday and Saturday, seven leaders confirmed they will not attend this year, including UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, King of Bahrain Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifah, and Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will not attend for heath reasons.
Moussa: It”s time to reconsider peace process
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Arab League secretary-general Amr Moussa said Saturday in Libya that there would be “no place” for Israel in the region so long as it considers itself “a state [above] the law” and “obstructs the peace process. ” In his remarks to the body’s 22nd summit in Sirte, Moussa questioned the legitimacy of the peace process, and urged the Arab League to seriously consider declaring it failed. He said negotiations could not remain an open-ended process. The secretary-general also noted that the international community has rejected Israel’s settlement policy and embraced a global approach and consensus on the two-state solution. Palestinians’ right to regain their land is not in question, he said. Israel must be held accountable for international treaties on human rights, Moussa added, and stop covering up its nuclear program.
Israel, Hamas urged to cooperate with UN inquiry
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Amnesty International has called on the Israeli government and Hamas to cooperate fully with the committee of independent experts which the UN Human Rights Council voted to establish on 25 March. The committee’s task will involve monitoring domestic investigations into war crimes and other serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law alleged to have occurred during the 22-day conflict in Gaza and southern Israel between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009. “The committee’s assessment of the Israeli and Palestinian investigations should be made available to the UN Human Rights Council, General Assembly and Security Council in the coming months,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa. “A comprehensive assessment of the domestic investigations could provide a solid basis for decisions on. . .
Erdogan slams Israeli “united Jerusalem” policy
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told conveners at the Arab League summit on Saturday that Israel is unwise to consider Jerusalem as its united capital. “This is madness and does not commit us in any way,” Erdogan said. “Jerusalem is the apple of each and every Muslims’ eye. . . we cannot accept any Israeli violation against Jerusalem or Muslim holy sites. “The Turkish premier said Israel’s decision to build a 1,600-home expansion to an East Jerusalem settlement on occupied Palestinian land was “not acceptable and has no justification. “Israel-Turkey relations soured in January when Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon sat Turkish ambassador Ahmet Orguz Celikkol on a lower sofa, while refusing to shake the Turkish official’s hand while the media was present. The incident was seen as humiliating, with Ayalon denying attempts to belittle Celikkol, who. . .
Arab League summit opens in Libya
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – There will be no talks with Israel absent a full settlement freeze, President Mahmoud Abbas told delegates at the Arab League summit in Serit, Libya on Saturday. In order to save the two-state solution, Abbas said, immediate action was required to compel Israel into committing to the establishment of a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel in 1967, a settlement moratorium, and adhering to the terms of the Road Map agreement. ” Jerusalem is the jewel in the crown as well as the door and the key to peace. We emphasize that we hold onto every grain of soil and stone in Jerusalem. We are determined to defend Palestine’s capital,” he said. The president further called on the international community not to recognize unilateral actions in Jerusalem, and demanded that Arab and Muslim support be mobilized, in coordination with the Organization of the Islamic Conference,. . .
Abbas: No talks without settlement freeze
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – There will be no talks with Israel absent a full settlement freeze, President Mahmoud Abbas told delegates at the Arab League summit in Serit, Libya on Saturday. Abbas said that in order to save the two-state solution, immediate action was required to compel Israel into committing to the establishment of a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel in 1967, a settlement moratorium, and adhering to the terms of the Road Map agreement. “Jerusalem is the jewel in the crown as well as the door and the key to peace. We emphasize that we hold onto every grain of soil and stone in Jerusalem. We are determined to defend Palestine’s capital,” he said. The president further called on the international community not to recognize unilateral actions in Jerusalem, and demanded that Arab and Muslim support be mobilized, in coordination with the Organization of the Islamic Conference,. . .
UN chief addresses Arab League
3/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for indirect negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians with a common aim of resolving all final issues within 24 months. “There is no alternative to negotiations for a two-state solution,” the UN secretary-general told Middle East leaders gathered at the Arab League’s 22nd summit in Sirte, Libya on Saturday. Recalling his visit to the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel days earlier after the Quartet meeting in Moscow, Ban told the summit that “for the United Nations, Gaza is a priority. “”The closure is wrong and must end,” he was quoted as saying by the UN News Centre, calling the humanitarian situation in the coastal enclave “unacceptable and unsustainable. “Calling for an end to Israel’s occupation that began in 1967, the UN leader reiterated his condemnation of settlement activity in East Jerusalem, describing the settlements as illegal.
PA Ministry of Health delivers medical aid to Gaza
3/27/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health announced Saturday that four truckloads of medical supplies were delivered to the ministry’s storehouse in Gaza. Ministry spokesman Omar An-Naser told Ma’an that the delivery was made upon the instruction of PA Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli, and includes 50 boxes of aid worth 2 million shekels. “The aid includes medical supplies needed for surgeries and X-rays, in addition to materials needed to guarantee the functioning of Gaza hospitals. The transfer was coordinated with the the Ministry of Health in Gaza and the International Committee of the Red Cross,” An-Nasser added. The spokesman said a further 13 truckloads of medical aid, worth 6 million shekels, is “awaiting suitable coordination” to ensure its delivery to the ministry’s Gaza storehouse, specifically designated for the European Hospital in Gaza.
PA forces arrest 36 fugitives at Allenby Bridge
3/27/2010 – Jericho – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority security forces deployed at the Allenby Bridge crossing into Jordan arrested 36 fugitives attempting to flee over the past week, a police report said. Those arrested were wanted for various criminal charges, including fraud, according to police. Meanwhile, police noted a rise in travel through the Allenby Bridge crossing, with the total transit of 15,930 individuals in both directions. Entering Jericho over the week were 7,742 individuals, including 120 foreign nationals and 58 Israeli ID-card holders. In the opposite direction, 7,889 individuals entered Jordan through the crossing, of which 57 were international passport holders, 71 with Israeli ID cards, and 11 patients traveling in Palestine Red Crescent ambulances en route for treatment in Jordan. The report said 46 Palestinians were barred from travel by Israeli authorities for “security reasons.
In photos: Al-Obaideya vs. Jabal Al-Mukaber
3/27/2010 – MaanImages / Haytham Othman — Photos 1-8: Players fight for the control of the ball during a football match between Al-Obaideya and Jabal Al-Mukaber (green) in the West Bank village of Al-Khader, near Bethlehem, on 20 March 2010. — Photos 9-13: Palestinian children demonstrate against Israel’s renovation of a synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City and further settlement expansion in the occupied city before kick-off, 20 March 2010. [end]
Amos Harel / Israel’s border with Egypt is like the Wild West
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – PM wants to build a fence along the Egyptian border, as tensions rise over the refugee question.
IDF concerned Hamas trying to change ‘rules of the game’ in Gaza
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – As part of possible change in Hamas’ tactics, they could begin targeting of Israeli patrols along Gaza border.
Mother of soldier killed in Gaza: He paid the price of war
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Major Eliraz Peretz and Staff Sergeant Ilan Sviatkovsky die in Gaza clash; another soldier in serious condition.
IAF conducts first missile-defense system test
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Just how well will the air force’s multi-layered technology protect Israel from rocket attacks?
Egypt police shoots dead two African migrants at Israel border
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Security forces injure five and detain three African migrants who tried infiltrating the Egyptian border into Israel.
Is Gaza now Netanyahu’s biggest problem?
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – While PM focuses on U.S. pressure, four Israeli fatalities in last week near Gaza may prove more urgent.
NATO chief calls for new missile defenses to counter Iran
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – West must cooperate with Russia against ‘growing WMD threat’, Anders Fogh Rasmussen tells allies.
Barak under fire for ministry’s costly Independence Day party
Ha’aretz 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 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 27 Mar 2010 – Two clashes between IDF and Palestinians over the weekend are a drop in the ocean of an imminent upsurge.
Video: Israeli Troops Release A Community Organizer After Weeklong Detention And Torture
Uruknet The Israeli military released on Tuesday at dawn Omer Aladdin from the village of Al Massara, near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem. Aladdin was detained by Israeli troops last week while passing thought a military checkpoint near Bethlehem. After hours of his release Aladdin had to be taken to hospital after suffering health complications. He was tortured by…
“Cabbing” for Israel?A question every voter should ask candidates in the coming UK general election
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – There can be few sights more pathetic than ex-ministers and chums of Tony Blair offering to use their government contacts to help influence policy on behalf of business clients. “I’m like a cab for hire,” said Stephen Byers when secretly filmed by a Channel 4 TV ‘Dispatches” programme. Byers could be “hailed” for 3,000 to 5,000…
Digging out East Jerusalem: how Israeli families are taking over
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – …They are doing so house by house, street by street. Israel considers all of Jerusalem its undivided capital and it is the seat of government.
Justice for the Murder of Rachel Corrie
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – Seven years ago, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) caterpillar crushed Rachel Corrie, an International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist, to death in Rafah, in the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip. She was wearing a fluorescent vest, screaming through a microphone at the armored vehicle as it bore down upon her as she tried to use her…
Child Dies Due to The Siege on Gaza
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that a 5-year-old child died on Saturday at a local hospital due to the ongoing illegal Israeli siege on the coastal region. The child, Fuad Swerih, 5, suffered respiratory issues, and Israeli prevented his transfer to hospitals outside the besieged and war- torn Gaza Strip. Swerih is from…
Israeli invasion into southeastern Gaza kills 4, injures 8, destroys a home and ravages farmland
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – On 26 March, fighting erupted between Palestinian resistance and invading Israeli soldiers when IOF jeeps, tanks, and bulldozers invaded, supported by F-16s, Apache helicopters and unmanned drones from above. Two Israeli soldiers were reported killed and 2 more injured. Medics with the Red Crescent report that three Palestinian resistance fighters were killed, along with 1 civilian,…
In West Bank Palestinian Childhood Is Cut Short It”s the Law
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – In the West Bank, there is a two-tiered system of justice, including for minors. For settler children, justice is administered according to Israeli domestic law, with all the due process protections that affords. They cannot be charged as adults until they reach 18, in accordance with the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, to…
Palestinian Political Prisoners
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – The numbers vary but range at any time from over 7,000 to 12,000 or more. In April 2008, the Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel cited 11,000, including 345 children and 98 women. Over 1,000 suffered from chronic or other diseases. Around 150 were seriously ill from heart disease, cancer, and other diseases,…
Israeli tanks enter Gaza, Palestinian killed in airstrike
Uruknet March 27, 2010 – A Palestinian civilian died of injuries sustained after Israeli warplanes struck east of Khan Younis, Gaza overnight on Friday, as tanks entered south of the coastal enclave. Medics at the An-Nasser Hospital in Rafah said Haitham Abed Al-Hakim Arafat, 23, died from critical wounds after several surgeries, which he sustained during an Israeli airstrike on Khuza’a,…
Israeli soldiers target Gaza”s poorest, including children
Uruknet March 26, 2010 – Said Abdel Aziz Hamdan, 15, went for his first time to Gaza”s northern border area to try gathering scrap metal for re-sale. Although an area lined with Israeli military towers and notorious for Israeli soldier shooting, shelling and abductions of Palestinian workers and farmers, Hamdan did not feel he would be in danger. “People go there…
Israeli MP demands an “emergency government” to intensify settlement activity
Uruknet March 26, 2010 – An extreme right-wing Israeli MP has called for the formation of what he described as “an emergency government” to focus on the continuation of settlement projects in occupied Jerusalem. The call comes following the exposure of American demands to halt settlement building in Palestinian neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem. According to Israeli media sources, Zevulun Orlev, head…
“Foreign fraud aimed at controlling territory in Sinai has Israeli involvement”
Uruknet March 26, 2010 – It has been alleged that foreign control of large swathes of the Sinai Peninsula has been obtained through fraud. The claim was made by Egyptian writer and intellectual Fahmi Howeidi, who revealed that over “800 sq.km of the peninsula has been obtained by foreigners, including Israelis, by fraudulent means”. An additional 1000 residential units in the…
West bank’s christians speak out
Jerusalem, March 27, (Pal Telegraph) A press conference was held today including a number of Palestinian Christian characters at the headquarters of the Palestinian media center which aimed to advertise the position of Palestinian Christians rejecting the Israeli action in the city of Jerusalem to mark the Feast of Resurrection, and especially on Holy Saturday, as the Israeli authorities will…
Gaza’s news round up: Martyr buried, IOF’s withdrawal
Gaza, March 27, (Pal Telegraph) The masses of Khan Younis buried on Saturday, martyr Haitham Abdel-Hakim Arafat (23 years) who died Friday night after being wounded in the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Yunis, after an Israeli aircraft bombed a group of civilians following the attacks, which occurred at the border, at east of Khan Yunis. And The funeral,…
Israel arrests two men in Bethlehem
Bethlehem, March 27, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli forces arrested two young men at dawn today after storming their homes in the neighborhood of Karkafa downtown Bethlehem. Palestinian security sources reported that the Israeli army forces stormed Karkafa and launched a raid that affected a number of houses and arrested two men Karim Mahmoud Zawahra, Khalil Ali Zawahra Ibulgan ( 24 years), and…
Israel demolishes house in Khan Younis
Khan Younis, March 27, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces demolished a house today in New Abasan east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip. Three Israeli bulldozers accompanied by several military vehicles raided Khan Younis and completely demolished a house belonging to Hashim Daghma, eyewitnesses told SAFA news agency. The mayor of New Abasan, Abd Al-Rauf Asfour, said that…
Israel detains Palestinian girl in Ramallah
Ramallah, March 27, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces detained today a Palestinian girl from Al-Amari camp in Ramallah. Security sources said that the detained girl, 19 years, was detained by the Israeli occupation forces as she crossed Qalandia military checkpoint and then taken to unknown place.
Moussa holds out little hope for peace
The National 27 Mar 2010 – The 22nd Arab League Summit opens with a stark warning from Amr Moussa, that Arab countries need to prepare for the eventuality that the peace process between Palestinians and Israel will end in failure.
Fierce fighting erupts in Gaza
The National 27 Mar 2010 – Palestinians fear that the clashes, the worst since last year’s war, may pull the embattled territory into a new cycle of violence.
Digging out East Jerusalem: how Israeli families are taking over
The National 27 Mar 2010 – House by house, street by street, Israeli families are taking over an area that Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.
New poll on American attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Palestine Note 27 Mar 2010 – A new poll out this week shows that while Israelis retain strong US public support, Americans are deeply concerned that the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict puts US interests at risk across the Middle East and the public,…
ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE PROCESS MAY FAIL AMR MOUSSA
Palestine Note 27 Mar 2010 – “IT’S A WASTE OF TIME’ Arab League Chief Amr Moussa said Arab states must prepare for the possibility that peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians may be a failure, news agencies reported. His remarks came…
Holy land churches slam Israel’s policy in Jerusalem
Palestine Note 27 Mar 2010 – In a press conference organized in Jerusalem this morning by The National Christian Coalition in the Holy Land, Representatives of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, Latin Patriarchate, Armenian Patriarchate, Episcopal Church slammed Israel’s policies in Occupied East…
Palestinian political prisoners
Palestine Note 27 Mar 2010 – The numbers vary but range at any time from over 7,000 to 12,000 or more. In April 2008, the Adalah Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel cited 11,000, including 345 children and 98 women….
Mustafa Barghouti on declaration of Hebron site as “Israeli national heritage site”
Palestine Note 27 Mar 2010 – On February 22, 2010, I interviewed Dr. Mustafa Barghouti as he left the Ibrahimi Mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron. He came to pray at the mosque the day after Netanyahu declared the Ibrahimi…
US, UK have new pariah state: Israel
Palestine Note 27 Mar 2010 – It’s a strange time to be in Washington, and hard for me to come to grips with the fact that I’m witnessing the worst crisis in the history of US-Israeli relations. It’s less about the fact…
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…
Israeli cabinet mulls US demands
AlJazeera 26 Mar 2010 – Prime minister calls “crisis” session following troubled talks in Washington.
Saudi arrests over ‘terror plot’
AlJazeera 26 Mar 2010 – More than 100 arrested for allegedly plotting attacks on kingdom’s oil installations.
Israel ends Gaza incursion
AlJazeera 27 Mar 2010 – Withdrawal follows clash that left two Israeli soldiers and one Palestinian dead.
Egypt’s Mubarak returns home
AlJazeera 27 Mar 2010 – President arrives in Sharm el-Sheikh following gall bladder surgery in Germany.
Alternative Information Center
OECD Countries Attempt to Illegally Affirm Israel’s Occupation of Palestinian, Syrian Territories
Alternative Information Center – Thursday, 18 March 2010, Israel’s proposed ascension to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is nearly complete, while the details of this ascension provide a worrying picture of European negligence: The statistics provided by…
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…
Despite ban, Gaza men still style women”s hair
PNN – Saturday, 27 March 2010
Israeli troops killed in Gaza clash
PNN – Saturday, 27 March 2010
Jerusalem to dominate Arab summit
PNN – Saturday, 27 March 2010
‘We must brace for peace process fail’
Jeruslalem Post 28 Mar 2010 – Amr Moussa: Situation “reached turning point”; Abbas: No deal while e. J’lem occupied.
IDF tanks leave Gaza after clashes
Jeruslalem Post 28 Mar 2010 – 2 Golani soldiers killed; Barak warns of “ramifications.”
‘Septet’ continues to discuss US demands
Jeruslalem Post 28 Mar 2010 – Three-quarters of Congress signs letter calling to ease tensions with Israel.
Gaza groups squabble over credit for killing Golani soldiers
Jeruslalem Post 27 Mar 2010 – Hamas leaders in the Strip reportedly in hiding for fear of Israeli reprisal.
Analysis: Is Israel”s deterrence losing steam?
Jeruslalem Post 27 Mar 2010 – A year after Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, the clashes along the border may be a sign that Hamas has become the primary and most immediate security challenge for Netanyahu.
The decline of the West
Jeruslalem Post 27 Mar 2010 – UK”s move against Israel fits into the European trend of appeasing Islam.
Egypt’s Mubarak returns home 3 weeks after surgery
Jeruslalem Post 27 Mar 2010 – Egyptian president will gradually resume his regular work schedule.
Amr Moussa: We must prepare for failure of peace process
Jeruslalem Post 27 Mar 2010 – Arab league chief says the situation “has reached a turning point”; calls for nuclear talks with Iran; Erdogan calls Israeli policy on east Jerusalem “madness.”
‘Iran sanctions may be necessary’
Jeruslalem Post 27 Mar 2010 – Medvedev tells Arab League restrictions aren’t optimal, but cannot be excluded.
Lebanese Children Raise Funds to Build Kindergarten in Gaza
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 – BEIRUT, March 27, 2010 (WAFA)- The head of the United Nations’ humanitarian mission in Gaza visited Lebanon to receive funding to build a kindergarten in the besieged enclave, in a project
Human Rights Council Concludes thirteenth Session
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 – GENEVA, March 27, 2010 (WAFA)- The UN Human Rights Council closed its thirteenth regular session this afternoon, adopting 28 texts on a wide range of issues, including texts on Jewish settlements in
Activists Opposed to Separation Wall Speak Up UN Meeting in Support of Palestinian People
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 – VIENNA, March 27, 2010 (WAFA)- Representatives of non-governmental organizations, activists and others attending Friday’s United Nations Meeting of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People
Holy Land Churches Slam Israel’s Policy in Jerusalem
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 – JERUSALEM, March 27, 2010 (WAFA)- In a press conference organized in Jerusalem this morning by The National Christian Coalition in the Holy Land, Representatives of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate,
ADC Addresses Settlement Development, East Jerusalem at Town Hall in New York
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 – NEW YORK, March 26, 2010 (WAFA)- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee ADC was represented by Legal Advisor, Mr. Abed Ayoub, at a town hall meeting in New York, which questioned why
EUPOL COPPS Supports Judicial Police Training for PCP
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 – RAMALLAH, March 26, 2010 (WAFA)- EUPOL COPPS” Head of Mission, Henrik Malmquist, co-chaired together with PCP”s Director of the Judicial Police, Lt. Col. Iyad Stayeh, the graduation ceremony of a
Palestinian Receives International Award in Psychiatry
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 –
OCHA Weekly Report: Clashes in East Jerusalem Continued
WAFA 27 Mar 2010 – JERUSALEM, March 26, 2010 (WAFA)- Israeli forces killed four Palestinians this week, bringing the total of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2010 to five, UN Office for the Coordination of
MIDEAST: Religion Sways Policy, Now in Israel
IPS JERUSALEM, Mar 26 (IPS) – There was a time when Israel was held in contempt by its neighbours for its over-liberal ways. They felt it did not “belong” in the Middle East.
EGYPT: Civil Society Sidelined Ahead of Elections
IPS CAIRO, Mar 26 (IPS) – Egypt’s ruling party is taking measures to restrict the work of non-governmental organisations ahead of crucial parliamentary elections.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
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
Teenager shot by Israeli forces in northern Gaza
3/26/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – ISM Gaza – Said Abdel Aziz Hamdan, 15, went for his first time to Gaza’s northern border area to try gathering scrap metal for re-sale. Although an area lined with Israeli military towers and notorious for Israeli soldier shooting, shelling and abductions of Palestinian workers and farmers, Hamdan did not feel he would be in danger. “People go there everyday to gather bits of metal and concrete. The Israelis see us and know we are just working, it’s normal,” he said from his hospital bed in Jabaliya’s Kamal Adwan hospital. Hamdan set out from home shortly after 10 am Friday, going with his younger brother Suleiman, 13, to earn whatever shekels they could. From a family of 7 brothers and 5 sisters and whose father is unemployed, Said Hamdan had no other options for employment. “My friends go every Friday, so I decided to join them today, to try this work.
Tough stance on Israel at Arab League summit opener
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – League agreed $500 m. would be donated each year to bolster Palestinian institutions in E. Jerusalem.
Israel should thank Obama for acting like a friend
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – With Obama there is a chance Israel could work for a better future, in which it will claim only what it owns.
Israel’s financial success can’t overcome political despair
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Despite the fact that Israel’s stable economy has raised quality of life, once there was hope for we could make peace.
Netanyahu endangering Israel’s security
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – If U.S. gives Israel the cold shoulder, other important countries like, Britain, Egypt and Brazil might too.
Dershowitz: Obama needs hard line on Iran to win Israeli support
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – ‘Mistrust of Barack Obama will make it more difficult to persuade Israelis to take risks for peace.’
Peres blames Netanyahu for breaching Jerusalem status quo
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – President reportedly told PM the diplomatic row with U.S. could be resolved if Israel ends E. J’lem building.
Mother of soldier killed in Gaza: He paid the price of war
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Major Eliraz Peretz and Staff Sergeant Ilan Sviatkovsky die in Gaza clash; another soldier in serious condition.
Zionist Organization of America: Obama’s Israel stance ‘an insult’ to all Jews
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – ZOA members also demand an apology from Clinton for previously claiming to support undivided Jerusalem.
Israeli security guards foil pirate attack off Somalia
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Attackers driven off in gun battle as crew thwarts second hijacking attempt in a week.
Is Gaza now Netanyahu’s biggest problem?
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – While PM focuses on U.S. pressure, four Israeli fatalities in last week near Gaza may prove more urgent.
Netanyahu: I’m not building in Jerusalem for Lieberman and Yishai
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – ‘I plan to continue building in Jerusalem as all previous prime ministers did before me,’ PM vows.
Israel’s U.S. envoy: We face monumental challenges this Passover
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Michael Oren urges U.S. Jewish leaders to overcome differences with Israel and ‘unite as a people.’
U.S. assessing ‘most effective path forward’ for peace talks
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Despite upcoming holiday period, U.S. determined to push Mideast peace efforts ahead, says official.
Report: Egypt’s Mubarak expected to return home Saturday
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Egyptian President Mubarak in good health after undergoing gall-bladder surgery in Germany on March 6.
Where have all the anti-Semites gone?
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – The glass is half full: Anti-Semitism is mostly no longer politically correct and doesn’t pay off electorally.
Ivor Dembina | Comedy review
The Guardian 26 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…
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…
Israel Supreme Court: Talkbackers needn’t be exposed in libel cases
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Surfers who post comments on Web sites scored a victory in Israel’s Supreme Court last week. The vice president of the country’s highest court, Eliezer Rivlin, and Justice Edmond Levy handed down a majority ruling that Internet service providers cannot be forced to disclose the identity of anonymous posters, even at the behest of a person who claims he has suffered damage from the comments. …
Jaffa becomes a collector’s Eden in pre-dawn hours
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – As the work week ends and the weekend begins, in the pre-dawn hours between last call and first light, the sellers start unpacking their wares. …
Jerusalem police arrest Sheikh Jarrah activist
Ha’aretz 27 Mar 2010 – Jerusalem police arrested Michael Solsberry, one of the key activists in the ongoing protests in Sheikh Jarrah, at his home in Pisgat Ze’ev on Friday evening. …
Palestinian student: Israel Border Police beat me for hours
Ha’aretz 26 Mar 2010 – A Palestinian who was imprisoned for a week says members of the Border Police beat and abused him for hours, then accused him of attacking one of them. …
Netanyahu intensifies bid to poach Kadima MKs for coalition
Ha’aretz 26 Mar 2010 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will intensify efforts to draw Kadima MKs to the Likud, say sources close to him. The move comes in response to the crisis in relations between the United States and Israel, and the sources say the crisis atmosphere highlighted for many, including MK Shaul Mofaz, the need to rally for a broader centrist coalition. …
Report on Israeli Settlement in the Occupied Territories March-April 2010
Relief Web 27 Mar 2010 – Source: Foundation for Middle East Peace
$17.4bln spent on West Bank settlements: report
Relief Web 27 Mar 2010 – Source: Agence France-Presse
Secretary-General urges Arab leaders to support Middle East talks
Relief Web 27 Mar 2010 – Source: UN News Service
Deadly Fighting Erupts Along Israel-Gaza Border
Relief Web 27 Mar 2010 – Source: Voice of America
Bill: Grant Preference to IDF alumni for diplomacy posts
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – Cabinet to vote on foreign minister’s proposal to favor ex-soldiers for ministry’s cadet course
Police deploy backup forces in Jerusalem
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – Jerusalem Police deploy thousands of officers in effort to secure capital during Passover holiday
Slain major’s home in danger of being razed
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – Miriam Peretz, mother of major killed in gunfight in Gaza, says her son died so Israelis can ‘walk proud’, and ‘God loves Golani’; meanwhile Ynet learns demolition orders have been issued on his home in West Bank outpost
Israel tests multilevel missile defense system
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – IAF officer says knowledge of interaction between different missile systems will help intercept threats
UN chief ‘concerned’ about Gaza violence
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – Ban Ki-moon laments incident in which two IDF soldiers were killed, calls for ‘maximum restraint’
Egypt police kill 2 African migrants on Israel border
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – Border guards shoot, kill two infiltrators and wound five others trying to cross illegally into Israel
Abbas: Israel igniting Jerusalem
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – Palestinian president tells Arab League summit Jerusalem must be ‘saved from Jewification’
Arab League inches towards Iran
YNet News 27 Mar 2010 – At summit held in Libya Amr Moussa warns against ‘Israeli nuclear threat’, says peace process may turn out to be ‘complete failure’ and suggests dialogue with Tehran. Turkey’s Erdogan slams Israel’s ‘aggression in Jerusalem’
Stop the Wall Land Day and Global BDS Day Activities
Stop The Wall – Click here to see the full program – including 20 activities all over the West Bank -, which Stop the Wall and the popular committees against the Wall and the settlements are organizing to commemorate Land Day and join in the Global BDS Action Day. [
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2215.shtml
Stop The Wall – As soon as the demonstrators reached the edge of the village, the occupation forces began firing tear gas on them, using Israel”s latest export product a tear gas launcher that fires 30-40 tear gas grenades at a time. [
Israel says it will still build in occupied Jerusalem
Daily Star 27 Mar 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel insisted on Friday it would not change its policy of building homes in East Jerusalem, keeping the country at odds with Washington on how to renew stalled peace talks with Palestinians. The statement on Jerusalem came as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened senior cabinet ministers to consider confidence
Two Israelis dead in worst Gaza clash in year
Daily Star 27 Mar 2010 GAZA: Two Israeli soldiers were killed and at least two Palestinians wounded on Friday in what may be the most deadly clash on the Gaza Strip border since Israel ended its war there 14 months ago. The Israeli army said an officer and a conscript were killed in an ambush by Palestinian gunmen against an Israeli military patrol. Two other soldiers were wounded.
Riots expose well of fear beneath Jerusalem’s Old City
Daily Star 27 Mar 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The riots that shook Jerusalem this month were sparked by mere rumors, but tensions remain high in the narrow alleys of the Old City and could erupt again, confounding US-led peace efforts.The trigger for the March 16 troubles, the worst unrest to hit the Holy City in years, was the opening of a rebuilt 17th-century
HRW urges Syria to probe Kurd New Year shootings
Daily Star 27 Mar 2010 NEW YORK: Human Rights Watch urged the Syrian authorities Friday to probe the shootings by security forces during Kurdish New Year celebrations that killed at least one person. “Syrian authorities should conduct an independent investigation into the shootings by security forces on March 21, 2010, that left at least one person dead and others wounded
Clinton sees increasing momentum on Iran sanctions
Daily Star 27 Mar 2010 WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday there would be “increasing activity” in the near future toward a package of UN sanctions on Iran over its disputed nuclear program.Clinton said the Obama administration had held “constructive talks” with all its partners and in-depth consultations with Russia and other international partners
Arabs challenge Israeli settlements with Jerusalem fund
Daily Star 27 Mar 2010 SIRTE, Libya: Arab foreign ministers on Thursday agreed to raise funds for Jerusalem Palestinians in a bid to counter Israel’s settlement drive in the Holy City, at preparatory talks for a weekend summit.The decision will be submitted to Arab leaders for ratification when they gather on Saturday and Sunday in the Libyan Mediterranean city of Sirte for their annual conference.
Palestinian Information Center
Another Arab summit: another exercise in political impotence
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Once again, hundreds of millions of Arabs and Muslims are affronted with another Arab summit, an annual ritual that effectively became a buzzword for futility, incompetence and idiotic wrangling..
Abul Ghait: Establishing relations with Israel a condition for reconciliation
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abul Ghait has said that the Palestinian reconciliation was a must, describing the current situation as unacceptable.
Nazzal calls on the Arabs to halt normalization with Israel
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Mohammed Nazzal has called on the Arab summiteers currently convening in the Libyan city of Sirte to adopt practical measures to support occupied Jerusalem, the Aqsa Mosque and holy shrines.
Erdogan Netanyahu’s statement on Jerusalem “madness”
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Turkish premier Recep Erdogan has described Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement about retaining Jerusalem as the eternal, unified capital of Israel as sheer “madness”.
IOF troops round up 3 Palestinians including female teen
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained a 19-year-old Palestinian young woman at the Qalandia roadblock and took her to an unknown destination, local sources said.
Hamas demands Arab summit to take serious positions to protect Jerusalem
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Hamas called on the Arab summit to take serious and practical positions to protect the occupied city of Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque against the Israeli schemes.
Arab leaders gather in Sirte, Jerusalem to dominate their summit
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Arab leaders gathered in Sirte ahead of the Arab summit that will be held under the name of Jerusalem and will address many hot issues especially the dangers threatening the holy city.
Zeidan warns of PA recognition of Israel”s right to settlement expansion
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – MP Abdelrahman Zeidan warned that the last visit of the Israeli premier to Washington would engender PA recognition of Israel”s right to continue settlement and Judaization activities in Jerusalem.
Thousands march in Rafah, Damascus in solidarity with Jerusalem
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Thousands of citizens participated in a massive rally organized by Hamas Movement in Rafah city on Friday afternoon in solidarity with occupied Jerusalem and the Islamic holy shrines.
IOF troops raze Palestinian home in southern Gaza
PIC 27 Mar 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) leveled a Palestinian home in Abasan Al-Jadida to the east of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, at dawn Saturday, locals reported.
In Egypt, all eyes on Mubarak’s health
LA Times 27 Mar 2010 – Many fear that the military may step in if President Mubarak falters before elections are held. Without him, some fear that the country will slide into chaos. George Ishak has been battling the political repression of the Egyptian government for years, so it seemed odd recently when he mentioned, perhaps with a bit of slyness, that he was praying for the good health of President Hosni Mubarak.
2 Israeli soldiers, 2 Palestinian fighters killed in Gaza Strip clash
LA Times 27 Mar 2010 – Hamas says the soldiers provoked its forces by crossing the border. Israel says its troops were investigating a potential assault after an uptick in rocket attacks. Two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian militants were killed Friday in a gun battle in the Gaza Strip, heightening fears that violence in the region is returning to levels not seen for more than a year.
Palestinian security forces walk a careful line
LA Times 26 Mar 2010 – The Palestinian Authority’s reformed forces are more professional than ever. But maintaining legitimacy in eyes of their people despite Israeli limits on their authority is an ongoing battle. As the highest-ranking commander of nearly 8,000 Palestinian security troops, 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.
West softens proposed Iran sanctions
LA Times 26 Mar 2010 – The new tack by U.S. and Europe is an effort to win the support of Russia and China and gain broad international backing. U.S. and European officials considering new sanctions against Iran have decided to set aside some of the harshest of the measures as they seek broader international agreement in United Nations Security Council negotiations, said diplomats involved in the talks.
Agencies Suspect Iran Is Planning New Atomic Sites
New York Times 27 Mar 2010 – Six months after the revelation of a secret nuclear enrichment site, inspectors and intelligence agencies suspect that Tehran is preparing to build more sites in defiance of United Nations demands.
Mubarak Returns to Egypt; Succession Debate Persists
New York Times 27 Mar 2010 – President Hosni Mubarak”s arrived back, ending a period of intense speculation over the state of his health but maybe not about his political future.
Netanyahu Remains Firm on Jerusalem Housing
New York Times 27 Mar 2010 – The Israeli prime minister met with his top ministers to discuss the government”s next moves, but there was no indication that the differences with the United States had been resolved.
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…
Concert to Support Palestinian Medical Relief Society
Palestine Monitor – 27 Mar 2010 – Andr Mergenthaler Naser Halayqa Govinda Schlegel Behnam Hassani Anne Galowich Pivi Kaufmann Hany Heshmat Trierer Guitarrenquartett Organis par Organisiert von : Naser Halayqa Comit pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient (CPJPO) Centre Culturel de Rencontre Abbaye de Neumnster (CCRN) Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS – Ramallah,…
“NYT” publishes a very helpful map of East Jerusalem
Mondoweiss – 27 Mar 2010 – I keep flailing the American press for not showing people what East Jerusalem looks like; how far settlements like Gilo and Ramat Shlomo are from the Old City. Well the Times has a pretty good editorial supporting Obama over Netanyahu here , and it is accompanied by…
“Politico” quietly revises a political anecdote, saving face for “J Street”
Mondoweiss – 27 Mar 2010 – What is J Street up against? The American Jewish establishment, which is calcified and backward and ethnocentric. Politico”s Alex Isenstadt reported the other day that U.S. House candidate Doug Pike had lost support among Jews in the Philadelphia suburbs because he liked J Street. Emphasis mine:…
First time melodrama, second time caper
Mondoweiss – 27 Mar 2010 – The Zionist Organization of America, showing where its heart lies, has done us all a service by collecting a lot of clips describing Obama”s humiliation of Netanyahu. Even Bradley Burston waxes melodramatic: the settlement movement has “done in one meeting what Israel”s foes have sought for…
World Education Forum in Palestine Launched
Alternative Information Center – 27 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…
It is Time to Hear the Palestinian People
Alternative Information Center – 27 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 – 27 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 – 27 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…
OECD Countries Attempt to Illegally Affirm Israel’s Occupation of Palestinian, Syrian Territories
Alternative Information Center – 27 Mar 2010 – Thursday, 18 March 2010, Israel’s proposed ascension to the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is nearly complete, while the details of this ascension provide a worrying picture of European negligence: The statistics provided by Israel to the OECD’s committees have no reference to the…
Articles
Israeli intelligence, our constant companion
Jeff Stein, Washington Post 3/25/2010
Judging by once sensitive FBI documents making the rounds in recent days, the Israelis have been at this task in Washington for a very long time.
Another big week for Israeli spies new and old.
In the latest chapter of the Dubai assassination drama, Britain gave the boot Tuesday to an Israeli diplomat, asserting that Israel was involved in the forgery of U.K. passports used in the January killing of a senior Hamas operative.
Meanwhile, declassified FBI documents from a 25-year-old Israeli spy scandal here surfaced on the Internet.
Lest one think the Israelis might lay low for awhile, a defiant Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu delivered a fiery speech in Washington Tuesday to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the same powerful group implicated in that long-ago spy scandal.
Odd, for a business that”s supposed to stay out of the news. Then again, that”s been the fate of spy services in recent years. A lot of what they do, from espionage and bribery to counterterrorism and hacking into computers, has ended up on the front page.
So it was in London Tuesday, when Her Majesty”s Government concluded “there are compelling reasons to believe that Israel was responsible for the misuse of the British passports,” in the words of Foreign Secretary David Miliband.
As a consequence, Britain ordered the expulsion of an unidentified Israeli diplomat after concluding that the high-quality fakes used in the Dubai hit were almost certainly “made by a state intelligence service.”more..e-mail
A prayer for Rachel Corrie
Aijaz Zaka Syed, Al-Ahram Weekly 3/25/2010
The supreme sacrifice of one US student who gave her life to save Palestinian homes and families will not be in vain.
And I thought people like Rachel Corrie only existed in books and movies — people who can stare death in the face and put their own lives on the line to save someone else”s. Rachel Corrie just did that.
The 23-year-old student activist travelled thousands of miles from her Ivy League University in the United States to form a human shield protecting Palestinian families. This happened in March 2003 when all of us were obsessing over Iraq”s non-existent weapons of mass destruction.
Full of idealism and dreams about creating a better and just world, Rachel Corrie was too young to die. At a time when most of her friends and fellow students were having a good time experimenting with drugs, booze and sex, Rachel joined the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a peace movement against the Israeli occupation, and travelled all the way to the occupied Palestinian territories.
She wanted to help and make a difference for long tormented Palestinians. She was so passionate about her cause that she spent many months learning Arabic and educating herself and her family and friends about the Middle East and the appalling humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territories. Rachel first went to the West Bank for training with the ISM. Then she volunteered to go to Gaza, to Rafah in particular, as she felt it was forsaken and needed her attention.
There were many international activists like her on the ground trying to help Palestinians by providing aid, teaching their children and, more importantly, protecting them from the murderous Israeli forces. Rachel enthusiastically joined these valiant efforts…..more..e-mail
On the road to Canossa
Uri Avnery, Ma”an News Agency 3/27/2010
In January 1077, King Henry IV walked to Canossa. He crossed the snow-covered Alps barefoot, wearing a penitent monk”s hair shirt, and reached the North-Italian fortress in which the Vicar of God had found refuge.
Pope Gregory VII had excommunicated him after a conflict over the right to invest bishops throughout the German Reich. The excommunication endangered the position of the king, and he decided to do everything possible to get it lifted.
The king waited for three days outside the gates of Canossa, fasting and wearing the hair shirt, until the pope agreed to open the gate. After the king knelt before the pope, the ban was lifted and the conflict came to an end at least for the time being.
This week, the Netanyahu went to Canossa in the United States, in order to prevent Pope Obama I from putting a ban on him.
Contrary to the German king, Bibi I did not walk barefoot in the snow, did not exchange his expensive suit for a hair shirt and did not forgo his sumptuous meals. But he, too, was compelled to wait for several days at the gates of the White House, before the pope deigned to receive him.
The German king knew that he had to pay the full price for the pardon. He knelt. The Israeli king thought that he could get off cheap. As is his wont, he tried all kinds of subterfuges. He did not kneel, but barely bowed. The pope was not satisfied.
This time, the walk to Canossa did not succeed. On the contrary, it made the situation worse. The deadly sword of American excommunication continues to hang above Netanyahu”s head.more..e-mail
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The New Dark Age 
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