News
International Middle East Media Center
Moscow Warns Against Israel’s Decision To Deport Thousands of Palestinians
IMEMC – Thursday April 15, 2010 – 06:48, The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement warning that implementing Israeli order #1650 regarding the deportation of thousands of residents from the West Bank could lead to further escalation and tension in the region.
Nine Detainees Could Face Deportation
IMEMC – Thursday April 15, 2010 – 03:00, The Israeli Authorities decided to send nine Palestinian detainees to court although they served their terms, under the pretext that they do not carry Identity Cards. The nine detainees will likely be deported to Jordan.
Israeli TV: “Hamas Wants To Abduct More Soldiers”
IMEMC – Thursday April 15, 2010 – 02:51, The Israeli TV, Channel 2, reported that the Hamas movement ordered its military wing to try to abduct soldiers and move them to safe locations, preferably in the West Bank, in order to avoid holding the Hamas-led government in Gaza responsible for such attack.
Israeli Military Kidnaps Two Palestinians And Assault Another
IMEMC – Wednesday April 14, 2010 – 17:53, Israeli forces kidnapped two Palestinian civilians Wednesday morning from the West Bank. Palestinian media sources reported that Israeli troops invaded the town of Yattah near Hebron and kidnapped Hamza Hoshiyeh and took him to unknown destination.
Israeli Forces Demolish three houses in the West Bank
IMEMC – Wednesday April 14, 2010 – 16:17, Israeli military demolished three houses in the West Bank on Wednesday in Al-Khader and Beit Sahour near Bethlehem and the village of Hares near Salfit.
Three Wounded After Army Opened Fire At Peaceful Protest Near Gaza
IMEMC – Wednesday April 14, 2010 – 12:55, Local sources reported Wednesday that three Palestinians were shot and wounded after the Israeli army opened fire at a nonviolent protest east of Al Shujaeyya in Gaza city.
Settlers Torch Two Vehicles, Right Graffiti On Mosque’s Wall
IMEMC – Wednesday April 14, 2010 – 12:30, Israeli settlers invaded on Wednesday at dawn the village of Huwwara, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, torched two cars and wrote graffiti at the wall of a local mosque.
Israelis Advised Out of Sinai
IMEMC – Wednesday April 14, 2010 – 12:11, Israeli sources reported that the “Counter Terrorism Unit” at the office if Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued an urgent waning advising all Israeli tourists in Sinai to return to Israel immediately due to info regarding a possible attack.
Jerusalem Mayor Wants More Palestinian Homes Demolished
IMEMC – Wednesday April 14, 2010 – 06:05, Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat, issued orders instructing municipality engineers to demolish more Palestinian homes at a number of neighborhoods in Silwan town in East Jerusalem.
Settlers vandalize mosque, burn cars in Huwwara
4/14/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli citizens living in an illegal West Bank settlement vandalized a mosque in Huwwara, after storming the Nablus village early Wednesday morning. Settlers from the nearby Yitzhar settlement ascended upon the village at 2am and sprayed graffiti, including a Star of David and racist slogans across the the Bilal Ben Rab Mosque in the Qoza area of the village, said Ghassan Doughlas, Palestinian Authority official in charge of the settlement portfolio in the northern West Bank. Two cars were further set on fire in the village, belonging to Ziad Abdullah Theeb and Sameer Ibrhaim Zahar respectively. The official added that settlers crashed into another vehicle belonging to Zaher’s brother. According to Israeli media, more than 300 olive trees were uprooted and the racist graffiti was sprayed across the village.
Medics: 3 injured by Israeli fire in Gaza rally
4/14/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Three Palestinians were injured on Wednesday when Israeli forces opened fire toward a rally testing Israel’s no-go zone, east of Ash-Shuja’iyeh, northern Gaza Strip. Muawiya Hassanein, chief of emergency and ambulance services in Gaza, said the three sustained light injuries during the demonstration, and were transferred to the Dar Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City for treatment. Witnesses said Mahmud As-Sawi sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. Palestine People’s Party politburo member Walid Al-Awad told Ma’an that hundreds of residents headed toward the buffer zone waving Palestinian flags. Al-Awad said “the atmosphere in the peaceful march in general is tense, because there are Israeli vehicles and helicopters [present].” Similar rallies are held weekly throughout Gaza, protesting against the no-go area, which experts say eats up 20% of Gaza’s arable land.
Mossad operation threatened against reporter
4/14/2010 – Jonathan Cook – Nazareth — An Israeli journalist who went into hiding after writing a series of reports showing lawbreaking approved by Israeli army commanders faces a lengthy jail term for espionage if caught, as Israeli security services warned at the weekend they would “remove the gloves” to track him down. The Shin Bet, Israel’s secret police, said it was treating Uri Blau, a reporter with the liberal Haaretz daily newspaper who has gone underground in London, as a “fugitive felon” and that a warrant for his arrest had been issued. Options being considered are an extradition request to the British authorities or, if that fails, a secret operation by Mossad, Israel’s spy agency, to smuggle him back, according to Ma’ariv, a right-wing Israeli newspaper. It was revealed yesterday that Mr Blau’s informant, Anat Kamm, 23, a former conscript soldier who copied hundreds of classified. . .
Locals: Settlers storm Tulkarem village
4/14/2010 – Tulkarem – Ma’an – A group of Israeli settlers stormed a Tulkarem village on Tuesday, blocking residents and school children from entering, locals said. Residents of Khirbet Al-Hammam village, five kilometers east of An-Nazla Ash-Sharqiya, said the group of over 50 inspected homes and archaeological sites in the area. Muhammad Halouli, a resident of the village, said the settlers came from Mevo Dotan, an Israeli-only settlement in Jenin, and prevented residents from entering the village as they performed their tour. No clashes were reported. [end]
Israeli forces raid 2 homes south of Jerusalem
4/14/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli forces reportedly raided two houses south of Jerusalem on Wednesday. The two homes in the Sur Bahir village belong to Fatah affiliates Muhammad and Shihadeh Bkirat. Muhammad Bkirat told Ma’an that the soldiers made a “huge mess” while searching for “prohibited materials.”However, the soldiers ultimately left both homes without taking anything or making an arrest, Bkirat added. A spokesman for
Israel’s paramilitary Border Police unit did not immediately return calls seeking comment. [end]
PFLP: 3 mortars fired at Israeli forces in Gaza
4/14/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Operatives affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said they launched three mortars against Israeli forces east of Gaza City on Wednesday. The PFLP’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said its forces attacked a patrol accompanied by a military bulldozer stationed at the eastern cemetery between Gaza City and Israel. The purported attack came in response to “Israeli attacks and crimes against Palestinians and detainees,” the leftist Palestinian faction explained in a statement. An Israeli military spokesman said he was aware of no such attack. [end]
Official: Gaza gov’t crippled by ban on fund transfers
4/14/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Gaza government is facing a financial crisis in light of a ban imposed on bank transfers to the Hamas-led government by Egypt and resulting from the Israeli siege, an official said Wednesday. Head of budgetary and financial affairs for Gaza’s Palestinian Legislative Council Jamal Nassar told Ma’an that the de facto government is unable to access funds from abroad “because banks are enforcing the US National Bank’s order to prevent any dealing with Hamas and the government. Gaza banks cannot ignore the US demand on transferring funds. Ninety percent of the government’s funds come from abroad in the form of financial aid, and 10 percent is retrieved from collecting taxes and fees in Gaza,” he said. Nassar added that large, profitable companies in Gaza have refrained from paying taxes, negatively impacting the government.
PA police: 7 detained by Israel in West Bank
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians across the West Bank on Tuesday, Palestinian Authority police said. A PA statement said forces raided Qalqiliya, northern West Bank, in the morning and detained Hakam Nasri Sabri, Wasfi Daoud Mahmud, Kamal Abdul Fattah Yassin, Ruslan Kawwas, and Marwan Theeb Sa’sa. Israeli troops further raided the Duheisha refugee camp in Bethlehem, detaining Saleh Muhammad Abdul Rahman Al-Ju’edi. In Ramallah, Israeli forces detained Muhammad Ahmad Daoud as he attempted to cross the Atara checkpoint, police said. Police further reported that Riziq Khalil Nafe, 40, was severely beaten by Israeli forces near the separation wall in Ni’lin, sustaining a broken leg as a result. Nafe was transferred to hospital to undergo treatment. Forces also raided the Barta’a village in Jenin, surrounding the home of Hussam Abdullah Qabha, police said, performing a number of home searches, with no detentions reported.
PA minister: Israeli military orders don’t include Gazans
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority officials said Tuesday evening that Gaza residents would not be affected by Israel’s deportation order which defines Palestinians living in the West Bank without coordination as “infiltrators.”PA Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein As-Sheikh told Ma’an that the order “is inapplicable to Gazans living or working in the West Bank; it is related to those who obtain a visa to visit Israel, who then won’t be allowed to enter the West Bank.”Other PA sources have said that because Gaza residents are living in PA-controlled parts of the West Bank, approximately 70,000, the order is not meant to include them. Director of the Ad-Damir organization Khalil Abu Shammala described the orders as “coercive deportation” violating the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the expulsion of people from occupied land.
Obama: US can’t impose peace
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – US President Barack Obama said Tuesday that Israelis and Palestinians may not be ready to resolve the conflict, in spite of pressure Washington exerts on the two sides, Obama said he had little hope for progress toward Middle East Peace during a news conference after hosting a nuclear security summit, according to Reuters.”The truth is in some of these conflicts the United States can’t impose solutions unless the participants in these conflicts are willing to break out of old patterns of antagonism,” he said. US-brokered “proximity talks” were quickly derailed when Israel announced a settlement expansion plan during US Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to the region in a bid to renew negotiations. Despite US condemnation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have given little ground over Israeli-only building on land occupied in 1967 during talks with Obama in Washington last month.
Egypt closes Rafah crossing indefinitely
4/14/2010 – Al-Arish- Ma’an – Egyptian authorities announced Wednesday morning that the Rafah crossing into Gaza would be closed to travelers indefinitely.The crossing is usually opened on Wednesdays and Thursdays to allow Palestinian patients who have completed their treatment in Egypt to return to Gaza. However, Egyptian authorities gave no explanation as to the decision’s motives. Mustafa Al-Tayeh, an Arab Doctors Federation official, said authorities informed him that the decision would be implemented for an”indefinite period of time.”At-Tayeh added that medical aid was due to enter Gaza on Wednesday, but would be prohibited as a result of the closure. Egypt opens the Rafah crossing haphazardly, often causing Palestinian patients and students to become stranded on either side.On 1 March, Egyptian authorities opened the crossing for a three-day period, following a two-month closure. Related:Egypt suddenly reopens Rafah crossing
Teenager detained in Salfit
4/14/2010 – Salfit – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained a young man in Salfit at dawn Wednesday and took him to unknown destination, onlookers said. Witnesses identified the detainee as Mus’ab Ash-Sha’b, 17, and said he was taken from his house in the Old City in Salfit. An Israeli military spokesman confirmed that one Palestinian was arrested in Salfit, in addition to seven others elsewhere. They were transferred for security questioning, he added. The local branch of the Palestinian Detainees Center condemned what it termed the continuous detentions in Salfit and other cities in the occupied West Bank. [end]
Egypt suddenly reopens Rafah crossing
4/14/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Within hours of announcing the terminal’s “indefinite closure,” Egyptian authorities said on Wednesday that Cairo had reopened the Rafah crossing into Gaza. Egyptian security sources told Ma’an the crossing’s reopening came “without mentioning any reasons,” and that it would remain open for Palestinian patients who have completed treatment in Egyptian hospitals to return until Thursday, in accordance with its weekly schedule.Egyptian authorities announced Wednesday morning that the Rafah crossing into Gaza would be closed to travelers indefinitely. Authorities gave no explanation as to the decision’s motives.Egypt opens the Rafah crossing haphazardly, often causing Palestinian patients and students to become stranded on either side. The crossing is only open two days each week and only into Gaza.On 1 March, Egyptian authorities opened the crossing for a three-day period, following a two-month closure. Related:Egypt closes Rafah
crossing indefinitely
Israel tells citizens to leave Sinai
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies -Israel issued an “urgent” warning Tuesday to its citizens to leave Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula immediately citing “concrete evidence of an expected terrorist attempt to kidnap Israelis in Sinai,” The Associated Press reported. The statement from the Israeli prime minister’s anti-terror office called on families of Israelis visiting the Sinai to establish contact with them, the AP reported. According to the news agency, the statement was address to “all Israelis residing in Sinai to leave immediately and return home. Families of Israelis residing in Sinai are asked to contact them and update them on the travel warning.” Egyptian security officials told the AP that about 35,000 Israelis are in the Sinai now, and they expected thousands more to arrive later this month. In late March, Israel issued similar warnings ahead of the Jewish holiday of Passover against travel. . .
Dispute over naming of oPts stalls water strategy
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Failure to agree on how to name the occupied Palestinian territories has prevented representatives of the 43 countries of the Union for the Mediterranean (UFM) from approving a joint strategy for guaranteeing the water resources of the whole Mediterranean basin. A document intended to promote common initiatives for water management, which was due to be the first major strategy of the recently created UFM, had been expected to come out of the 4th Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference, the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (EPNI) said Wednesday. However, during a news conference following the meeting, the insurmountable obstacle was a nuance of terminology, since Israel’s representatives would not accept the document referring to “occupied territories,” instead proposing the term “territories under occupation,” which, EPNI wrote, was not acceptable to the Arab bloc.
Egypt: Israel’s warning meant to harm tourism
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel’s warning issued to its citizens requesting them to leave the Sinai Peninsula is an attempt to negatively affect tourism in the area, Egyptian security sources said Wednesday. Egyptian security reportedly expressed surprise following Israel’s warning, describing it as an exaggeration aimed at deterring Israeli tourism in the Sinai and Egypt, according to the Israeli news site Central Issues.The site further said Egyptian forces have increased their deployment throughout the Sinai following the announcement. Meanwhile, Israel’s Army Radio reported that dozens of families cut their trips short in the peninsula shortly after the warning was issued.On Tuesday, Israel issued an “urgent” warning to its citizens to leave the Sinai immediately citing “concrete evidence of an expected terrorist attempt to kidnap Israelis in Sinai,” according to The Associated Press. Related:‘Egypt and Turkey Cause Netanyahu’s Nuclear Summit Cancellation’
De facto gov’t denies shutting down Rafah tunnels
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Ministry of the Interior in the Gaza Strip has denied reports that the Hamas-run government shut down smuggling tunnels along the Egyptian border. Interior Ministry spokesman Ihab Al-Ghussein said in a statement posted on Hamas-affiliated Web sites Wednesday that “the Palestinian government in Gaza did not issue any order to shut down tunnels along the border.”The reports are rumors and nothing more, Al-Ghussein stressed. The tunnels provide basic needs for the people of Gaza, and amount to an exceptional workaround necessitated by the Israeli-led siege on the coastal enclave, he said. Once the siege is lifted and the crossings are opened permanently, the government there will shut down the tunnels and declare smuggling illegal, the official added. Earlier Wednesday, the Israeli daily Haaretz, quoting residents and tunnel operators, reported that Hamas ordered Gaza. . .
PLO advisory memo on Israeli military orders
4/14/2010 – MEMORANDUM TO: MEMBERS OF THE PLO EXCUTIVE COMMITTEE, AND FATAH CENTRAL COMMITTEE FROM: DR. SAEB ERAKAT – Subject: Israeli Military Orders Aimed at Expelling Palestinians from the West BankDate: 14 April 2010 The purpose of this memo is to advise on the implications of two new Israeli military orders regarding Prevention of Infiltration (Amendment No. 2) and regarding Security Provisions (Amendment No. 112) that came into effect on April 13, 2010. I. Issue Order No. 1650 regarding Prevention of Infiltration and Order No. 1649 regarding Security Provisions were issued in October 2009 as amendments to a 1969 military order that declared “infiltrators” coming from Jordan, Syria, Egypt or Lebanon (the so-called “enemy states” at the time of the issuance of the order) liable to imprisonment and deportation. The new orders re-define an “infiltrator” in such generic terms that virtually any person. . .
Bahrain culture minister meets PA ambassador
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Bahraini Culture and Information Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa received in her office Tuesday Palestinian Ambassador to Bahrain Ahmed Abbas Ramadhan. The Bahrain News Agency reported that the two discussed cooperation in various fields, including mainly the cultural sector. Shaikha Mai lauded the diplomatic role played by the Palestinian ambassador in bolstering bilateral relations, according to the report. [end]
UN political chief urges Israel to freeze settlements
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The top United Nations political official on Wednesday reiterated the world body’s calls on Israel to freeze its settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council that while a partial restraint on construction is welcomed, it is insufficient and fuels a crisis of confidence that has kept talks between the parties from resuming.” This policy falls short of Israel’s Roadmap obligation of a full settlement freeze and excludes settlement activity in East Jerusalem,” Pascoe was quoted as saying by the UN News Centre. Calling the situation on the group “fragile,” Pascoe said in a briefing on the Middle East that the transfer of Israeli settlers into the heart of the Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem had led to further incidents of violence.
US Consul brings modern dance troupe from Washington
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – CityDance Ensemble, an American modern dance troupe from Washington, DC, performed for hundreds of school children and families in Jerusalem and Jericho as a part of a two-day cultural exchange program this week sponsored by the US Consulate General in Jerusalem, in cooperation with the Jericho Municipality and the American Corner in Jericho. The nine-person company is visiting the region for the second consecutive year. They utilize high energy, innovative modern dance techniques, original music and storytelling to highlight issues they care about — including climate change and international engagement. The consulate invited CityDance to perform as a part of its month-long environmental awareness program, which includes cultural and educational events thr
oughout April that bring Americans and Palestinians together to address our shared concerns about the environment.
Alaa Tartir: A Palestinian success story
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Alaa’ Tartir, an alumnus of Birzeit University, is one of many Palestinians who enjoyed success at an international university. He dreamed of becoming a football player for Manchester United — a dream that eventually led him to a graduate career at the University of Manchester. A bright and gifted young man, Tartir decided to pursue a research-based masters in ideal investment scenarios, choosing to conduct direct interviews in a bid to learn the optimum means to impart this knowledge onto others, and particularly to Palestinians at home. However, Tartir was initially unable to secure funding for his studies and was on numerous waiting lists. The next year he was offered a scholarship by the British Council and began a Masters in Financial Development at the University of Manchester in the UK. He still remembers the phone call informing him that he would receive funding – he said he felt like the happiest man in the world.
UAE court sentences pregnant Palestinian to life on drug charges
4/14/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A convicted Palestinian drug trafficker on Tuesday became the first woman in Abu Dhabi to be sentenced to life in prison, local media reported Wednesday. The National, an English-language Emirati newspaper, reported that FA, a refugee, was found guilty at the Criminal Court of trafficking Dh300,000 worth of Valium pills. She was also fined Dh50,000. The woman is seven months pregnant, and will give birth in prison, according to the report. The child will remain with her for two years in a specially designated area of the UAE capital’s Al Wathba prison. [end]
U.S. Congress urges Obama to impose ‘crippling sanctions’ on Iran
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – U.S. official: Iran could have nuclear bomb in a year; U.S. says China will support Iran sanctions.
Hamas orders Gaza smuggling tunnels shut under Egyptian pressure
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Closure follows urgent request by Egyptian security forces after Sinai terror warnings.
Report: Shalit mediator calls for urgent international action
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – German negotiator frustrated by Israel’s rejection of prisoner swap deal with Hamas, Palestinian media say.
Syria prefers deterrence over peace with Israel
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Currently, there is no stick that can compel Syria to reconsider its alliance with Hezbollah.
76 US Senators Sign on to Israel Letter
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – More than three quarters of the U.S. Senate, including 38 Democrats, have signed on to a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton implicitly rebuking the Obama Administration for its confrontational stance toward Israel. The letter, backed by the pro-Israel group AIPAC, now has the signatures of 76 Senators and says in part:
Israeli Demolition Campaign in Tree Towns Across the West Bank
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – In an aggravation of Israeli policy of home demolitions, a house and two shops were razed in the Central West Bank village of Hares this morning. An additional house was reduced to rubble in the village of alKhadder, West of Bethlehem and a 1,000 square meters factory was demolished in the town Beit Sahour. In what…
Human rights centre claims that 2000 sick detainees are held in Israeli prisons
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – According to the Centre for Prisoner Studies in the Palestinian territories, there are 2,000 sick Palestinian and Arab detainees being held in Israeli prisons. This constitutes 25% of the total number of Palestinian detainees in Israeli custody. Sixteen of these prisoners are seriously ill with cancer. In a press release, the human rights group stated that…
Gazans Gassed by Silent Killer
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – “You feel very sleepy and dizzy. You put your head down and all you want to do is sleep. Everything feels very peaceful, you are not even aware what is happening and if there is no immediate intervention you are dead within minutes,” Enaam Abu Nada told IPS. Abu Nada is one of the lucky ones…
Journalist threatened with extradition, arrest by Mossad
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – An Israeli journalist who went into hiding after writing a series of reports showing lawbreaking approved by Israeli army commanders faces a lengthy jail term for espionage if caught, as Israeli security services warned at the weekend they would “remove the gloves” to track him down. The Shin Bet, Israel’s secret police, said it was treating…
Israel’s Infiltration Prevention Bill
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – International law protects refugees and asylum seekers, Article I of the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees calling them: “A person who owning to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of their nationality, and…
Adding Torture to Injury
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – It was bad enough that Ahmad Asfour was severely maimed by an Israeli drone strike outside his house on Jan. 9, 2009. But, his search for advanced treatment landed the journalism student, now 19, in Israeli prison where he remains. According to Mahmud Abo Rahma of the Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, not many Palestinians…
Gaza: endless casualties of Israel’s “buffer zone”
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – Mahmoud Shawa, 19, was shot just below the knee by an Israeli soldier during a non-violent demonstration against the Israeli-imposed ‘buffer zone’ near Nahal Oz border crossing. He was rushed to the Shifa Hospital bleeding heavily. Although in great pain and having lost a considerable amount of blood, Shawa was able to clarify that, no, the…
‘Settlers’ desecrate W Bank mosque
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – Palestinian security officials have said that Israeli settlers desecrated a mosque in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli army confirmed that “anonymous suspects” scrawled graffiti, including a Jewish star of David alongside the name of the Prophet Mohammed written in Hebrew. Palestinian and Israeli officials said on Wednesday that the suspects set fire to two cars…
Palestinian demos continue non-violent against a violent Israeli army
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – … For many months, Palestinians have been marching in Beit Hanoun and other border regions, stretching down to the south-eastern Rafah border. Armed with flags, voices, spirit, and very aware of the dangers from the Israeli soldiers, Palestinian women, men, and youths march, singing, chanting and proclaiming their right to live, work and be on Palestinian land….
Israel, War and Water
Uruknet April 14, 2010 – There is a global crisis emerging concerning the allocation, uses, and abuses of fresh water. This is a combination of misuse by humans and the increasing violence and changing frequency of various weather conditions as the global climate heats up. Along with the heating are other factors such as the acidification of the oceans as they…
Spooked Wild In The Jordan Valley
Uruknet April 13, 2010 – Nobody can deny it: the Jordan Valley is one of the most beautiful places of the West Bank, except for the people who live in it. Classified as Area C, Israeli occupation forces have imposed harsh restrictions on building and movement. Inhabitants, like the Bedouins of Al-Hadidiyeh, have become hunted on their own lands, spooked like…
Jerusalem Mayor Wants More Palestinian Homes Demolished
14 Apr 2010 – Palestine, April 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph, by Saed Bannoura) – Jerusalem Mayor, Nir Barkat, issued orders instructing municipality engineers to demolish more Palestinian homes at a number of neighborhoods in Silwan town in East Jerusalem. The municipality will start the demolishing of Palestinian homes in Silwan on Wednesday and could also demolish homes in other Arab neighborhoods. Israel recently demolished…
Israel issues a stern warning to PA
14 Apr 2010 – West Bank, April 14, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli military issued a stern warning to the Palestinian Authority recently, in order to cool off and ease the work of “violence” in the West Bank, particularly those carried out on the security fence fearing that those acts will come out of control and turn into escalation. Colonel Avi Mizrahi, commander of the…
Gaza: IOF shoots 3 in peaceful demo
14 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) shot today three Palestinian demonstrators in Al-Shijayah area, in Gaza, in a protest against the Israeli buffer zone around the Gaza Strip. According to Dr. Muawiya Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency, the IOF opened fire toward the demonstrators and shot three of them. The three injured demonstrators…
Israel demloishes a house in West Bank
14 Apr 2010 – Ramallah, April 14, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation force demolishes a house under construction and a number of greenhouses in the village of “Hares” north of Salfit. Local sources in the village reported that the Israeli occupation forces, accompanied by a number of bulldozers, stormed the village in the early morning hours today, and demolished the house of Maher Hassan…
Israel partially opens Gaza’s commercial crossings today
14 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 14, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities decided to partially open Kerem Abu Salem and Carney commercial crossings to let in food, aid and fuel today. Raed Fattouh, the Chairman of goods entry to Gaza committee, confirmed that the Israeli occupation authorities decided to open the Kerem Abu Salem crossing, which is located southeast of the Gaza Strip,…
Egypt issues a ‘sudden” order to close Rafah crossing
14 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 14, Egypt issued a sudden order today to close the Rafah crossing infront of the movement of Palestinian returnees to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and Thursday for an indefinite period and without giving any reasons for this sudden decision. Egypt has assigned the days of Wednesday and Thursday of each week for the return of Palestinian patients…
Israel detains 2 Palestinians, beats 1 in WB
14 Apr 2010 – West Bank, April 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained today two Palestinians from Yata and Ramallah and beat a third in West Bank. The IOF detained today Nedal Hindeyah, 20, from Betounia in the west of Ramallah. His family said that the Israeli forces raided their house today and checked their ID cards and then detained…
Israeli settlers attack Palestinians’ cars and mosque in Nablus
14 Apr 2010 – Nablus, April 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli settlers burnt today Palestinians’ cars and attacked a mosque in Howara in Nablus, in the West Bank. Local sources confirmed that groups of Israeli settlers believed that they launched from Yetsahar settlement to attack the village, saying that it was not the first time to attack the village. The official of West…
Israel detains 2 Palestinians in Jenin
14 Apr 2010 – Jenin, April 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces detained today two Palestinians from Barqeen village in Jenin, north of West Bank. The Israeli forces detained Mahmoud Qasrawi, 25, and Adnan Sobh, 20, after raiding Barqeen village by 15 military vehicles and searching the detainees’ houses, security sources said.
Publish banned Gaza ‘war crimes’ report, says Arab Israeli MP
The National 14 Apr 2010 – An Arab politician says suppression of Haaretz’s investigation into the 2008 siege is ‘outrageous’.
US holds back on ambassador to Syria amid Hizbollah Scud fears
The National 14 Apr 2010 – Security officials have become increasingly concerned that Syria has provided Hizbollah with sophisticated ballistic missiles that could effectively target all of Israel.
Israel warns citizens to leave Sinai
The National 14 Apr 2010 – Israel issues an urgent warning to its citizens to leave Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula amid fears of a terrorist plot.
Blogs go beyond traditional media to bridge divides
Palestine Note 14 Apr 2010 – Paris – The way mainstream media has covered major events of the past two decades leaves much to be desired. After the 9/11 attacks, rigid, insular debates and discussions too often replaced free and open discourse,…
A Muslim’s passover
Palestine Note 14 Apr 2010 – Washington, DC – Except for a casual mention of Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian lands and the tensions they recently caused in US-Israeli relations, my Passover Seder last week was very spiritual -another adventure for this…
Time for change 20 years after Lebanon’s civil war
Palestine Note 14 Apr 2010 – Beirut – Since the general elections in Lebanon last June, which kept the Western and Saudi-backed March 14th alliance in power and ushered Saad Hariri to the premiership, there has been an air of appeasement among…
LIKUD THEOCON: ‘BIDEN, ERDOGAN SOW THE SEEDS OF ANOTHER HOLOCAUST’
Palestine Note 14 Apr 2010 – POWERFUL ISRAELI RIGHT-WINGER MOSHE FEIGLIN PULLS THE STRINGS IN ISRAEL, AND HIS AGENDA HAS NO ROOM FOR DIPLOMACY Moshe Feiglin ‘s religious right-wing group “Manhighut Yehudit” – The Jewish Leadership Movement – is a powerful force…
Quebec niqab legislation would cover more than the face
Palestine Note 14 Apr 2010 – Ottawa – Across Europe, discussions are taking place about what local Muslim women wear – specifically the niqab (face veil), burqa (a garment that covers the body, head and face) and the hijab (headscarf). More recently…
A terrorist by any other name
Palestine Note 14 Apr 2010 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – When is a terrorist not considered a terrorist? When the US media identifies him or her as a “Christian”. And when is a terrorist group not considered a terrorist group? When the US…
Syria Supplies Scud Missiles to Hizbullah While Accepting American Overtures
The Media Line 13 Apr 2010 – Syrian President Bashar Al-Asad has been supplying Scud missiles to Hizbullah while accepting overtures of relationship-building from President Obama. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that American officials have confirmed Israeli charges that Syria is, indeed,…
Former Nuclear Watchdog Chief El-Baradei Backs Violence Against Israel
The Media Line 13 Apr 2010 – Mohammed El-Baradei, who recently stepped down as head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and is now running for the Egyptian presidency, has endorsed the armed struggle against Israel. In a report…
Israelis React to Warning to Leave Egypt’s Sinai Under Kidnap Threat
The Media Line 13 Apr 2010 – Israelis were warned on Tuesday to locate relatives vacationing in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and bring them home immediately because of a threat by terrorist groups to kidnap Israeli citizens. The advisory by the Counter-Terrorism bureau based…
‘Settlers’ desecrate W Bank mosque
AlJazeera 14 Apr 2010 – Officials say graffiti scrawled on walls of mosque in Huwara near Nablus.
4th International Political Field Seminar: DEADLINE: 25th April 2010
Alternative Information Center – Monday, 12 April 2010, FourthInternational Political Field Seminar “Bridges instead of Walls” 9th May 2010 – 15th May 2010 DEADLINE: 25th April 2010 The time is almost finished! The AIC…
Palestinians test out Gandhi-style protest
PNN – Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Palestinians being driven from East Jerusalem homes
PNN – Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Obama doubtful on Middle East peace
PNN – Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Gaza tunnel smugglers trade in new cars
PNN – Wednesday, 14 April 2010
UK bans Kotel from Israeli tourism ad
Jeruslalem Post 15 Apr 2010 – Officials deem image misleading, as it is in “occupied territories.”
More e. J’lem construction on agenda
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 – Local planning committee will discuss building projects over the Green Line today.
IDF preps soldiers for settler violence
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 – Graffiti spray-painted on Hawara mosque near Nablus.
Lupolianski named as suspect in Holyland case
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 – Former Jerusalem mayor arrested on suspicion of receiving almost NIS 3m. in bribes disguised as donations; Olmert cuts Spain trip short, returns to Israel.
Jerusalem councilwoman raises light rail concerns
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 –
Lindenstrauss okays Shai’s IDF pension
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 –
‚’Post’ journalist given UN reporting award
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 – Ruth Eglash honored for project on the dismal state of relations between Israel and Jordan 16 years after normalization.
Jordan protests expulsion rule
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 – Israeli ambassador summoned over new West Bank permit decree.
‘Lupolianksi may be connected to Holyland’
Jeruslalem Post 14 Apr 2010 – Former mayor arres
ted, remanded in custody; Olmert cuts Spain trip.
Time for US to Move Forward on Palestine, Daily Star Says
WAFA 14 Apr 2010 – BEIRUT, April 14, 2010 (WAFA) – If the US will take the initiative, they would find no lack of Palestinians who could run with the chance to build a state. But time is running out for…
PCBS: CPI Decreases by 0.03% in March
WAFA 14 Apr 2010 – RAMALLAH, April 14, 2010(WAFA) – Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) said today, “the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the Palestinian Territory decreased by 0.03% in March compared
PLO: Israeli Military Orders Pursue Palestinians Human, “Demographic” Level
WAFA 14 Apr 2010 – RAMALLH, April 14, 2010(WAFA)-The PLO Executive Committee PLO called on all parties concerned to bring Israel to rescind its military orders to cease, and desist from pursuing Palestinians in human
Settlers Attack Mosque in Nablus
WAFA 14 Apr 2010 – NABLUS, April 14, 2010 (WAFA)- Extremist settlers attacked, today, a mosque, and set private vehicles on fire, in Howara town, south of northern West bank city of Nablus.
U.S. Consulate General Hosts American Dance Troupe CityDance Ensemble
WAFA 14 Apr 2010 – JERUSALEM, April 14, 2010 (WAFA)- CityDance Ensemble, an American modern dance troupe from Washington, D.C., performed for hundreds of schoolchildren and families in Jerusalem and Jericho as a part
Haaretz: Israeli Deportation Order to Limit Population Growth in WB
WAFA 14 Apr 2010 – TEL AVIV, April 14, 2010 (WAFA)- Israeli Journalist Amira Hass wrote, today, that “the goals {of the latest Israeli Military Order to deport “illegal” Palestinian residents} are to limit the
IOF Demolished 2 Houses in West Bank
WAFA 14 Apr 2010 –
MIDEAST: Israel Trapped in Nuclear Isolation
IPS JERUSALEM, Apr 14 (IPS) – As the world grapples with controlling the spread of nuclear weapons, it’s a time of complex choices in a Middle East edging between possible confrontation with Iran and possible movement towards Israeli-Palestinian peace.
MIDEAST: Adding Torture to Injury
IPS GAZA, Apr 14 (IPS) – It was bad enough that Ahmad Asfour was severely maimed by an Israeli drone strike outside his house on Jan. 9, 2009. But, his search for advanced treatment landed the journalism student, now 19, in Israeli prison where he remains.
International Solidarity Movement
Youth shot in the leg by Israeli Soldiers near the Nahal Oz border crossing
4/15/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – ISM Gaza, 14th April – Mahmoud Shawa a 19 year old resident of Shaja’iyya district of Gaza City, received a wound from a live round in his leg while participating in a peaceful demonstration near Nahal Oz border crossing. Mahmoud was urgently transported by an ambulance to the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City bleeding heavily and suffering from shock. The bullet entered at the back of the knee area and exited at the other side and the x-ray shows that it nearly missed the bone. The demonstration was a part of regular weekly protests against the 300 metre buffer zone imposed by Israel as a no-go area for Palestinians, where livefire is frequently used against the ‚’trespassers’. A group of over one hundred local residents and activists from different civil society organizations andpolitical parties started marching towards the border at 11. 30. They came under the extensive live fire almost from the start. . . .
Israeli Demolition Campaign in Tree Towns Across the West Bank
4/14/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, 14th April – In an aggravation of Israeli policy of home demolitions, a house and two shops were razed in the Central West Bank village of Hares this morning. An additional house was reduced to rubble in the village of alKhadder, West of Bethlehem and a 1,000 square meters factory was demolished in the town Beit Sahour. In what seems as a coordinated move, Israeli forces carried out demolitions in two different areas of the West Bank today, rendering at least 16 people homeless. In recent months, international pressure has cause a significant decline in the demolition of Palestinian houses in the Israeli-controlled Area C of the West Bank. Israel uses its statutory authority in Area C, which spans over 60% of the West Bank, to dramatically limit Palestinian development. Palestinians fear that today’s consorted demolitions may be the opening salvo in a provocative change in Israeli policy.
If it were up to the people, Anat Kamm would be executed
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – If Shin Bet director determines Kamm should be punished severely, that is what will happen.
No one meant to embarrass Israel at nuclear summit
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – It’s regrettable that Netanyahu opted out of attending such an important forum and one wonders why.
‘Obama told Sarkozy he’ll keep pressure on Israel, PA’
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Western diplomat: Obama skeptical of Netanyahu’s ability and willingness to advance peace process.
U.S.: Lebanon at risk if Syria sent Scuds to Hezbollah
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – White House raises concern with Syria over reports of missile shipments to Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon.
Jordan condemns Israel over West Bank deportation order
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Israel refutes eviction reports, assures PA that there will be no deportation of Palestinians to Gaza.
Expert: Accused Nazi guard Demjanjuk’s ID appears authentic
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Anton Dallmayer testified the typeset and handwriting on the card matches those issued at SS training camp.
Barak: Israel won’t be pressured into signing nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Defense Minister
stresses that unlike other nations, Israel has never threatened to annihilate another nation.
Who are the world’s richest Jews?
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – TheMarker published an analysis of the world’s richest Jews, ranking them by sector and industry.
Hundreds of Israelis return from Sinai after kidnap warning
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Hamas thought to be behind plot to abduct Israeli; Counter-Terrorism Bureau issues urgent advisory.
At least 400 dead as heavy quake rocks southern China
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Residents left without without shelter in near-freezing temperatures in Qinghai on Tibetan plateau.
Report: U.S. confirms Syria gave Scuds to Hezbollah
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – U.S. plans to restore Syria envoy under threat after claims Damascus supplied militants with advanced missiles.
One month after U.S. crisis, peace process still stalled
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – The U.S. is hinting that if the diplomatic stalemate continues, it will release its own peace plan.
Suppressing book bolsters settlers | Seth Freedman
The Guardian 14 Apr 2010 – The decision by an Israeli book chain to stop selling a pamphlet criticising settlers undermines the nation’s democratic credentials Targeting Israeli businesses via the threat of boycotts is usually the preserve of radical forces from abroad,…
2,000 bicycles to be available for rent around Tel Aviv
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – After a two-year delay, Tel Avivians may soon be able to rent bicycles. On Wednesday, the Tel Aviv municipality signed the NIS 100 million deal to grant the bicycle franchise to logistics firm FSM. …
No one saw, no one heard: 300 Palestinian olive trees uprooted
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Some 300 olive trees belonging to Palestinians were uprooted on the night between Monday and Tuesday in groves near the village of Mihmas, close to the illegal outpost of Migron. Mihmas residents blamed settlers for the attack and said this was the third time the settlers had uprooted trees in the area. …
The dyslexic student got the ministry’s message: Touch luck, kid
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – For 10th grader Tomer Moritz, it’s crystal-clear: If his learning difficulties are not taken into account, he is not going to pass the matriculation exam in Hebrew grammar and then not get a matriculation certificate and so there’s little chance of higher education. He wrote Education Minister Gideo Sa’ar this week, after learning that Sa’ar’s ministry has toughened its stance on tailoring exams to meet students’ difficulties. …
Why is the Communications Ministry banning the iPad?
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – The Communications Ministry announced Tuesday that it was imposing a blanket ban on the import of Apple’s new tablet computer, the iPad, citing incompatibility with the European Wi-Fi standard, which is used in Israel. For this reason, several such computers have been confiscated by customs officials at Ben-Gurion Airport. Eden Bar Tal, director of the Communications Ministry, defends the ban. …
Hip-hop trailblazer Gil Scott-Heron books Tel Aviv appearance
Ha’aretz 14 Apr 2010 – Rap pioneer Gil Scott-Heron is to come to Israel for one performance on May 25 in Tel Aviv’s Barbie club. …
Should Israel end nuclear ambiguity?
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – After Obama urges Israel to join Non-Proliferation Treaty, Israeli experts disagree on best course of action. ‘If we had taken this step, we wouldn’t be dragged into it now,’ Prof. Uzi Even says. Meanwhile, Dr. Efraim Escolai says there’s no reason to change policy
US concerned over Hezbollah’s Scud missiles
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – Commenting on recent reports that Syria transferred Scud missiles to Shiite group, White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs says US relayed its concerns to Damascus, warns move could undermine regional stability
Barak: Delay State’s response on outpost razing
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – Defense minister asks High Court to postpone discussion on demolition of fallen soldier’s house due to ‘shock and tragedy’
Peres to Kouchner: Talks will have ‘Hollywood’ ending
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – President meets with French foreign minister, says ‘Israel’s top political echelon in agreement over two-state solution.’ Kouchner to Peres: ‘You are my role model for peace; I’ve learned from you important lessons in diplomacy’
Gov’t official: PM won’t approve east J’lem demolitions
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – Attorney general to review request to carry out demolition orders against east Jerusalem homes, but government source says it’s unlikely Netanyahu will approve demolition at sensitive time in ties with US
Former Jerusalem mayor arrested in Holyland affair
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – Uri Lupolianski suspected of taking some NIS 3 million in bribes in return for advancing Holyland real estate project; implies his predecessor, Ehud Olmert, was responsible for affair. Court extends his remand by five days
‘Iran will have enough material for bomb in 1 year’
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – US officials tell Congress Islamic Republic could produce enough highly enriched uranium for nuclear bomb in one year, would need three to five years to build usable weapon
Jordan protests Israel’s West Bank expulsion rule
YNet News 14 Apr 2010 – Ambassador Nevo handed ‘harshly worded’ letter describing Israeli move as ‘blatant violation’ of Jewish state’s obligations as occupier of Palestinian territories
Sinai terror-attack fears send Israelis streaming out of Egypt
Daily Star 15 Apr 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A government warning of an imminent terror attack against Israeli visitors to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Red Sea coast has sent hundreds pouring back
across the border, police said on Wednesday.Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP that when the warning was issued Tuesday afternoon, 650 Israelis were in the
Hamas-ruled Gaza sees stirrings of less violent protest
Daily Star 15 Apr 2010 GAZA CITY: They walked across shelled-out no-man’s land on the edge of the Gaza Strip, drawing within 200 meters of the Israeli border before gunshots snapped over their heads.And yet the Palestinians who made their way toward the border last week had not come to fire rockets or bury explosives, but to wave flags and hurl stones in protest against Israel’s
Israeli ‘apartheid’ targets two-state deal – Erakat
Daily Star 15 Apr 2010 Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erakat charges that Israel has become an “apartheid regime” worse than during South Africa’s darkest hours and is doing its utmost to sabotage any two-state peace.Erakat told AFP in an interview that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rightwing-led government had the choice: “Settlements or peace
Iran needs 3-5 years to build usable atom bomb – US officials
Daily Star 15 Apr 2010 Iran could produce enough highly enriched uranium needed to build a nuclear bomb in as little as one year but it would probably need three to five years to build a “usable” atomic weapon, top Pentagon officials said on Wednesday. The new timeframe presented to Congress comes as US President Barack Obama presses a reluctant China
Hamas orders Gaza smuggling tunnels shut
Daily Star 15 Apr 2010 RAFAH, Gaza Strip: Hamas ordered smuggling tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border temporarily closed, cutting a key economic lifeline for 1.5 million Palestinians in the impoverished territory. A senior Hamas official said the tunnels were cleared at Egypt’s request following warnings from Israel that they could be used in a plot to snatch Israelis vacationing
Iran, KSA push for Iraqi influence as US draws down
Daily Star 15 Apr 2010 BAGHDAD: Iran and Saudi Arabia are bolstering their influence in Iraq weeks after a closely-fought election while the US becomes increasingly focused on a smooth military withdrawal, analysts say. The composition of Iraq’s next government remains unclear after a March 7 ballot ended in stalemate but the clout of key neighbor countries has seen
Palestinian Information Center
Islamic Jihad calls for giving up Oslo and shunning settlement process
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Islamic Jihad movement has called for terminating the “futile” Oslo project and shunning the illusion of a settlement process, which only led to more concessions.
Syria condemns Israeli attempt to evacuate the West Bank of its inhabitants
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Syria denounced the Israeli occupation authority’s (IOA) military order number 1650 that stipulated the expulsion of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank for being “illegal residents”.
IOF troops demolish three Palestinian homes
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday razed three Palestinian homes in the districts of Bethlehem and Salfit at the pretext of lack of construction permits, locals reported.
Action front: Israel’s intent to displace W. Bankers poses a threat to Jordan
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – The Islamic action front, the largest political party in Jordan, warned of the Israeli decision to deport thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank, saying it poses a real threat to Jordan.
Hamas slams Spanish higher court for closing file of Daraj massacre
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Hamas denounced the Spanish higher court for closing the case of the Israeli massacre committed in 2002 in the neighborhood of Daraj in Gaza city, which claimed the lives of dozens of civilians.
Uprising of ships organizers hold conference in Istanbul
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Organizers of the “uprising of ships” against the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza attended a conference held Tuesday in Istanbul by the Turkish IHH relief foundation aboard its Mavi Marmara aid ship.
IOF shooting wounds three Palestinians east of Gaza
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Three Palestinian citizens were wounded, at the hands of Israeli occupation forces (IOF), while taking part in a peaceful march east of Gaza city on Wednesday against the buffer zone.
Three Palestinians wounded by Israeli gunfire in Beit Ommar town
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire Tuesday during an attack carried out by Israeli troops and armed settlers on a march organized in Beit Ommar town, north of Al-Khalil.
Relatives of prisoners appeal for end to strip search
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation jails have appealed to the human rights groups and the Red Cross to pressure the IOA into halting strip searches.
Israel urges its nationals to leave Sinai immediately
PIC 15 Apr 2010 – Israel’s so-called counter-terrorism bureau issued urgent calls on all Israelis in
Egypt, especially in Sinai Peninsula, to leave the country immediately.
U.S. willing to consider weaker Iran sanctions
LA Times 15 Apr 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says adoption of a new U.N. sanctions resolution is more vital than the actual measures taken. It could serve as a launching pad for stricter sanctions. The Obama administration signaled Wednesday that the United States would accept weakened United Nations sanctions against Iran as a way to quickly assemble a broad international coalition against Tehran’s nuclear program.
U.S. concerned over Hezbollah Scud allegations
LA Times 15 Apr 2010 – Israel says Syria supplied the Lebanon-based militant group with powerful missiles. Syrian officials in Washington say the allegations are false. The Obama administration voiced concerns Wednesday about Israeli allegations that Syria recently delivered Scud missiles to Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon, a move U.S. officials warned could destabilize the region.
Officials Assess Iran’s Capability on Atom Bomb Fuel
New York Times 14 Apr 2010 – Iran could produce enough fuel for at least one nuclear weapon within a year, but would likely need two to five years to make a workable bomb, two top officials said.
Mideast Land Conflict Now Includes Street Signs
New York Times 14 Apr 2010 – A dispute over naming streets in Ramallah is an example of how Israelis and Palestinians are almost incapable of hearing one another.
Israel Says Syria Gave Missiles to Hezbollah
New York Times 14 Apr 2010 – Israeli officials said that accurate long-distance Scud missiles were given to the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
Checkpoints
Palestine Monitor – “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…
Would You Buy Stolen Goods?
Palestine Monitor – The British umbrella body of trade unions, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has launched a campaign calling for an import ban for goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The campaign was launched together with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, a campaign based in England…
Restoring What Settlers Destroyed
Palestine Monitor – Qarawat Bani Hassan, in the area of Wadi Qana, between Salfeet, Nablus and Qalqiliya (North of the West Bank); Palestinian, international and even Israeli activists have begun to restore ancient wells and a collapsed cave that were destroyed eight months ago by Jewish settlers from the…
Reclaiming Water in Qarawat Bani Hassan
Palestine Monitor – End of December, accompanied by soldiers, Israeli settlers driving bulldozers started carrying out significant construction works in the area where is located the Neweitef Al — Majur spring, central source of water for farming the land of the nearby West Bank town of Qarawat Bani Hassan,…
Barghouthi to OECD’s members: don’t approve Israel’s membership!
Palestine Monitor – ” These new military amendments adopted by Israel to an order that dates back to 1969, represent a very dangerous measure from the perspectives of both content and timing”. With these words during yesterday’s press conference Dr Mustafa Barghouthi condemned the new military order issued by…
4th International Political Field Seminar: DEADLINE: 25th April 2010
Alternative Information Center – Monday, 12 April 2010, FourthInternational Political Field Seminar “Bridges instead of Walls” 9th May 2010 – 15th May 2010 DEADLINE: 25th April 2010 The time is almost finished! The AIC wants just to remind you that the deadline to joint…
‚’Forward’: Finkelstein has a ‚’disease’
Mondoweiss – Also, he hates himself and those who made him, is a bruised apple, and full of poison, and in the grip of of a great force that is compelling him to do and say strange things— all from Mark Cohen’s review of the documentary , American Radical,…
My mother, the infiltrator
Mondoweiss – My mother is an illegal infiltrator. She has infiltrated her hometown, where her parents were born and where she was raised. Her activities as an infiltrator are as varied as they are nefarious: She takes my sister to school, with the neighbor’s kids. She cooks and…
The West Bank expulsion order is merely the latest step in a long process
Mondoweiss – The Israeli army order that permits Israel to ethnically purge the West Bank of non-Jews (Palestinians and foreigners who are not Jewish) is the next rational step in the evolution of the Jewish state. A Ha’aretz editorial calls this latest iteration of the ethnic cleansing of…
What a sleek, modern ethnic-cleansing operation looks like
Mondoweiss – The above photograph is said to be of a caravan of police vehicles leaving the Negev village of El-Araqib after demolishing three homes there yesterday. A report from the the Regional Council for Unrecognized Villages in the Negev , states: Yesterday, Tuesday, April 13th, the Government of…
Bedouin youths on a hike apparently have no right to exist
Mondoweiss – Rebecca Vilkomerson tells a quietly-stirring story at The Only Democracy , about the (apparently-accidental) killing by Israeli soldiers of a Bedouin youth two weeks ago in a village in the Negev that is surrounded by military reserves. Vilkomerson explains that Qasr al-Sir was originally part of Dimona,…
Articles
Talking Palestine to Power
Sonja Karkar, Dissident Voice4/14/2010
Today, there is no excuse for not knowing the truth
about Palestine, especially what is happening in Gaza. Even taking into account the disinformation spread in mainstream media, there are enough glimpses one gets of a ravaged Gaza and a brutalized people that should compel us to ask questions. There are enough websites and blogs easily available for anyone to learn more, even if it requires sifting through and evaluating the available information. Certainly, the alarm bells should be ringing when our political leaders declare undying fealty to Israel or cavalierly wear it as a badge of honour, despite the documented reports of Israel’s war crimes by human rights groups and official enquiries.
But the world lacks courage from government leaders, acquiescent mainstream media, non-governmental organizations dependent on government support, academics looking for tenure, and populations too long fed on a diet of Zionist myths. People are terrified of being labelled anti-Semitic, a mendacious charge against anyone criticizing Israel. Palestinians too, afraid of being further shunned and disadvantaged in countries that give them refuge, so often remain silent. Not only do people fear repercussions, but speaking the truth or even just hearing it has a way of taking people out of their comfort zones. They fear their troubled consciences may require them to act and so they bury their heads deeper into the sand where they hope even the sounds of silence might be extinguished.
This, then, is the challenge for advocates the world over. How does one talk Palestine to power if one cannot even talk Palestine to the people who are in fear of the powerful?
In the face of media saturation with Zionist viewpoints and the new “Brand Israel” campaigns, many wanting to advocate for Palestine might feel defeated, but time and again we see that the power of one can be enormously effective.more..e-mail
The Boomerang Effect
Gilad Atzmon, Dissident Voice4/14/2010
In case you didn’t know, in Britain the Holocaust is part of the National Curriculum. Thanks to the ‚’The Holocaust Educational Trust’ our children are guaranteed to learn how bad the Nazis were. This is probably much easier for our kids to acknowledge than to look into the ways in which the embarrassing legacy of the British Empire reverberates throughout almost every contemporary disastrous conflict on this planet. It is deemed far easier for our kids to learn about Anne Frank than to absorb the fact that Britain is directly responsible for the robbery of Palestine and the Palestinian ordeal. Learning about Auschwitz is also far easier than accepting the devastating reality created by Britain’s latest illegal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a colossal crime which has cost more than 1.5 million innocent lives so far. Thanks to The Holocaust Educational Trust we can brush history and our current crimes aside. Learning about the bad Nazis is far easier on our children than learning about the complicity of Britain in the holocaust. I guess that toughening British immigration laws to stop Jews escaping to Britain in the 1930s is not a prominent chapter in our kids’ text books.
The Holocaust Educational Trust was established in 1988 says their official website. “Our aim is to educate young people from every background about the Holocaust and the important lessons to be learned for today.”
Wonderful, I think to myself. My 9 year old son told me that a Shoa guru visited his school recently to talk about the holocaust. My son raised his hand, he wondered whether the lesson of the holocaust could be applied to the Palestinian ordeal. “We are not here to talk about politics” answered the ‚’trusted’ trained Shoa mentor. For my son the message was clear: The Jewish people’s suffering is universal, other people’s suffering is ‚’politics’.
“The Trust” says the website “works in schools, universities and in the community to raise awareness and understanding of the Holocaust, providing teacher training, an outreach program for schools, teaching aids and resource material. One of our earliest achievements was ensuring that the Holocaust formed part of the National Curriculum for History.”more..e-mail
The U.N. Partition Plan and Arab ‘Catastrophe’
Jeremy R. Hammond, Dissident Voice4/14/2010
In 1947, Great Britain, unable to reconcile its conflicting obligations to both Jews and Arabs, requested that the United Nations take up the question of Palestine. In May, the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine (UNSCOP) was created by a General Assembly resolution. UNSCOP’s purpose was to investigate the situation in Palestine and “submit such proposals as it may consider appropriate for the solution of the problem of Palestine”.
At the time, the U.N. consisted of 55 members, including Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria. Palestine by then remained the only one of the formerly Mandated Territories not to become an independent state. No representatives from any Arab nations, however, were included in UNSCOP.1 Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia requested that “The termination of the Mandate over Palestine and the declaration of its independence” be placed on the agenda, but this motion was rejected. The Arab Higher Committee thus announced it would not collaborate, although individual Arab states did agree to meet with representatives from UNSCOP.2
UNSCOP’s investigation included a 15-day tour of Palestine, splitting time between visits to Arab and Jewish communities. Seven days — nearly half that same amount of time spent touring Palestine itself — were spent touring Displaced Persons (D.P.) camps in Germany and Austria and witnessing the plight of the Jews there.3 The proposal to visit the D.P. camps passed by a vote of six to four with one abstention, despite the objection from two members that it would be “improper to connect the displaced persons, and the Jewish problem as a whole, with the problem of Palestine”.2 More time was spent visiting D.P. camps than the total number of days spent visiting the Arab nations neighboring Palestine and meeting with representatives there.
Public hearings were held in which 37 representatives were heard, 31 of whom were Jews representing 17 Jewish organizations, but with only one representative from each of the six Arab states.4….more..e-mail
An immaculate conception?
Electronic Intifada: 14 Apr 2010 – The Palestinian Authority is pregnant! Indeed, it is the unelected and American-imposed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad who is pregnant. He told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz in a recent interview that “the time for this baby to be born will come … and we estimate it will come around 2011.” Unlike females of the human species but like female whales, the gestation period for male Palestinian collaborators with the Israeli occupation extends at least to two years. Joseph Massad comments.
Film review: Uncovering truth and humor in Edward Salem’s “Impunity”
Electronic Intifada: 14 Apr 2010 – Edward Salem’s is not a conventional documentary in the sense that it doesn’t offer any one or series of narratives for the audience to follow. Impunity is instead best appreciated as a profound ethnography on the coping mechanisms of a people under siege and in the aftermath of the massive destruction of Operation Cast Lead. Jimmy Johnson writes for The Electronic Intifada.
A silent killer in Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 14 Apr 2010 – GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – “You feel very sleepy and dizzy. You put your head down and all you want to do is sleep. Everything feels very peaceful, you are not even aware what is happening and if there is no immediate intervention you are dead within minutes,” Enaam Abu Nada told IPS.
endless casualties of Israel’s “buffer zone”
In Gaza: 14 Apr 2010 – Mahmoud Shawa, 19, was shot just below the knee by an Israeli soldier during a non-violent demonstration against the Israeli-imposed ‚’buffer zone’ near Nahal Oz border crossing. He was rushed to the Shifa Hospital bleeding heavily. Although in great pain and having lost a considerable amount of blood, Shawa was able to clarify that, no, the Israeli soldiers did not give any warning before they shot him in the leg. The bullet, entering and exiting just below Shawa’s left knee was clearly intended for his kneecap, paralleling the injuries of two of four demonstrators shot by Israeli soldiers on March 30 in two separate Land Day demonstrations. One year earlier, Wafa An Najar, 17, was ‘kneecapped’ as she and her family returned to the site of their home, destroyed during the Israeli war on Gaza in 2008-2009. As Wafa stood roughly 800 metres from the border in Khoza’a, southeast of…
Would You Buy Stolen Goods?
Palestine Monitor: 14 Apr 2010 – The British umbrella body of trade unions, the Trades Union Congress (TUC), has launched a campaign calling for an import ban for goods produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The campaign was launched together with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, a campaign based in England which aims to raise public awareness about the occupation of Palestine and the struggle of the Palestinian people. Launching a leaflet – Would You Buy Stolen Goods? – and a briefing for unions to promote the campaign, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: ‘Israeli settlements are built on stolen Palestinian land and are illegal under international law. By confiscating land and resources, and encouraging conflict, they make life a misery for ordinary Palestinian workers and their families. And as Israel’s recent announcement of yet more settlement building shows, they are the biggest obstacle to resuming peace talks. It’s easy for us to feel powerless…
Restoring What Settlers Destroyed
Palestine Monitor: 14 Apr 2010 – Qarawat Bani Hassan, in the area of Wadi Qana, between Salfeet, Nablus and Qalqiliya (North of the West Bank); Palestinian, international and even Israeli activists have begun to restore ancient wells and a collapsed cave that were destroyed eight months ago by Jewish settlers from the Nofim settlement. The Palestinians want to enjoy the wonderful area as a family park, where the spring of Neweitef al-Majur, central source of water for the village, is located. All pictures by FLV. The spring of Neweitef al-Majur finds its source in the natural hills around Qarawat Bani Hassan. The israeli settlement of Nofim, founded in 1986, now home to over 100 families, is located onj the top of the hill. Abdul Kahim Raayn, the mayor of Qarawat Bani Hassan, explains to everyone what they have to do. “We will not let the Israelis take our spring, like it has already happened in many…
The New Dark Age 