News
International Middle East Media Center
Settlers Install An Illegal Outpost On Palestinian Land In Hebron
IMEMC – Tuesday April 20, 2010 – 00:56, A group of armed, extremist, Israeli settlers occupied on Monday a Palestinian agricultural land in Wadi Al Hasseen area, east of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and installed several tents.
Israel To Deport A West Bank Detainee To Gaza
IMEMC – Tuesday April 20, 2010 – 00:48, The Israeli Authorities decided to deport a detainee from Kafr Thuluth town, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, to the Gaza Strip. 14 other detainees will also be deported at a later stage.
P.A Shuts Down Ten TV, Radio Stations
IMEMC – Tuesday April 20, 2010 – 00:33, The Palestinian government in the West Bank officially shut down ten TV and Radio stations; seven in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and three in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank.
Troops Open Fire At A Nonviolent Wall Protest In The Gaza Strip
IMEMC – Monday April 19, 2010 – 18:26, Israeli troops opened fire on Monday at Palestinians gathered at the Israeli built wall near Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip.
The Military Orders The Demolishing Of Four Homes In Southern West Bank
IMEMC – Monday April 19, 2010 – 18:16, The Israeli army handed out on Monday demolition orders to four Palestinian home-owners at the town of Halhul, southern West Bank.
Palestinian Worker critically Injured In A Tunnel Accident At The Gaza Egypt Borders
IMEMC – Monday April 19, 2010 – 18:03, A Palestinian worker was critically injured, on Monday, while working inside a tunnel between the southern Gaza Strip borders and Egypt.
Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinian Cars At The Ramallah-Nablus Road Central West Bank
IMEMC – Monday April 19, 2010 – 16:24, A group of Israeli settlers attacked on Monday Palestinian cars at the road connecting the central West Bank city of Ramallah with the northern city of Nablus.
Fighters Exchange Fire With Israeli Forces In Northern Gaza
IMEMC – Monday April 19, 2010 – 12:58, The Salah Ed Deen Brigades issued a press release stating that its fighters exchanged fire with under-cover forces of the Israeli army invading an area in northern Gaza on Monday at down.
Family Of Dead Detainee Demands Investigation
IMEMC – Monday April 19, 2010 – 12:05, The family of detainee Raed Abu Hammad, from Al Ezariyya town in east Jerusalem, demanded a full investigation into the death of their sign who died last Friday at an Israeli detention facility.
Barak: ‚”Currently, Iran Poses No Threat”
IMEMC – Monday April 19, 2010 – 11:44, Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, stated Monday that, at the current stage, Iran does not pose any threat to the existence of the state of Israel, and added that should it obtain nuclear weapons, it would lead the region to step-up the nuclear race.
Man killed as Rafah tunnel collapse
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A young man was killed on Monday when a tunnel underneath the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed in Rafah, southern Gaza. Medic Adham Abu Salmia identified the victim as Muhammad Abu Sha’ar, 22, and said his body was transferred to the Abu Yousef An-Najjar hospital in Gaza. In early April, a group of six Palestinian workers went missing following the collapse ofa subterranean smuggling tunnel under the Yebna refugee camp in Rafah. All were later found on the Egyptian side of the tunnel, medics said. Several Palestinians have died as a result of tunnel collapses, with human rights organizations calling for better protection and safety for workers involved in the industry. The underground tunnel complex was created along the Egypt-Gaza border in the wake of Israel’s lockdown of the coastal enclave in June 2007, following Hamas’ takeover of the Strip.
Settlers, forces block Nablus-Ramallah road for event
4/19/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Hundreds of settlers accompanied by armed soldiers blocked the Wadi Al-Haramiya road between Nablus and Ramallah on Monday afternoon, throwing rocks at Palestinian cars, witnesses said. The zone, on the road north past the Atara checkpoint where road 456 meets Highway 60, and south of the illegal Israeli settlement of Shilo, was the area where 23 Israeli soldiers and settlers were killed during clashes following the outbreak of the Second Indifada. Most of the deaths occurred in 2002. Horus after the event, an Israeli military spokesman confirmed that a settler group had organized a memorial event for Israel’s Day of the Fallen Soldier, celebrated on 19 April for 2010. The spokesman said soldiers did accompany the mourners, but said no unusual activity was reported during the event. Dozens of travelers stranded on the road complained of at least an hour’s wait as the. . .
Gaza residents test no-go zone, shots fired
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hundreds of Palestinians marched toward the Israeli imposed no-go zone on Monday, east of Rafah organizers said. Popular Resistance Campaign coordinator Mahmoud Az-Ziq said residents, raising Palestinian flags, began the rally at the As-Shoka area east of Rafah and marched toward the barbed-wire fencing, sectioning off an estimated 20% of arable land along the Gaza Strip’s border. Az-Ziq added that Israeli forces opened fire toward the rally, with no injuries reported. The Israeli army considers the buffer area a combat zone where Palestinian access is restricted. An Israeli military representative said forces fired warning shots in the air to deter the gathering from approaching any further and said “no hits were identified.”The PRC coordinator called on Hamas to participate in the marches, which take place weekly across the Gaza Strip in areas affected by the buffer zone.
Erekat skeptical over Abu Dis handover plans
4/19/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel may re-zone parts of the Jerusalem Municipality on the east side of the separation wall so they fall under Palestinian Authority control, head of the PLO negotiations department Saeb Erekat said Sunday. In a broadcast from the Ma’an Radio Network, Erekat explained that Abu Dis, along with Al-Eizariya and As-Sawahira were all supposed to be transferred to PA control under subsequent phases of the Oslo Peace process, scheduled for 1998.”Even after Oslo the Knesset agreed on the transfer,” Erekat said, adding that he had learned about a renewed interest by Israel to finally make the transfer. At the end of March, Israeli news outlets quoted Palestinain sources who cited US pressure over the handover, in line with the establishment of a Palestinian state in 2011 as per caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s plan.
Israel allows `07 kitchen goods into Gaza
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Kitchenware seized in 2007 is next on the list for entry into Gaza, Palestinian Ministry of Economy representative Naser As-Sarraj said Sunday, marking the second permitted transfer of goods from the banned stockpile. The decision to allow the goods into Gaza came, As-Sarraj explained, after a petition filed by local merchants was approved by an Israeli court judge. The goods had little time to enter the Strip, however, as Israeli officials announced a two-day closure of the crossings as Israel celebrates its independence day. Merchants waiting for goods to be transferred in before the Hamas takeover of Gaza will finally get their goods, As-Sarraj explained, but the imports – first of clothing and now kitchenware -do not signal an end to the ban on the goods. The import is a one-time deal to clear the Israeli port of Ashdod, where the goods have been stored since their arrival in early 2007.
Candle procession in Bethlehem marks Prisoners Day
4/19/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Approximately 500 from the Bethlehem area lit candles and marched in a mournful procession along the city’s Star Street on Sunday evening, commemorating the lives of Palestinian men and women trapped in Israeli prisons. Parents and family members of imprisoned men, women and children who stand accused of resisting the Israeli occupation were flanked by the Bethlehem community and political leaders, and lead by Minister of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqe through the streets. Leader of the Palestinian Detainees Society in Bethlehem Abdul Fattah Khalil spoke as the crowds gathered at the Nissan building on Manger Street, and congratulated all present for their continued support of both prisoners and their families.”Our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters are suffering inhuman treatment,” in Israeli detention centers, Khalil said. He called on human rights institutions to demand the release of what, under international law, are more than 10,000 prisoners of war.
Gaza: PRC military wing reports clash with Israeli unit
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) said a group of their fighters clashed with a unit of Israeli infantry soldiers who crossed the borders into the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. Fighters with the An-Nasser Salah Ad-Din Brigades reportedly exchanged machine gun and light weapon fire with the Israeli unit for 25 minutes in the early morning, in a region west of Beit Lahiya known as the Zinda or A’tarta neighborhood. The area is deep into the northern Gaza Strip, south of the almost 1km no-go-zone in the northwestern corner of Gaza. In a statement, the group said it would continue to fight Israeli soldiers who enter Gaza, in an effort to protect the lands of the Strip. An Israeli military spokesman said he was unaware of any clashes in the area in the morning. A similar report of clashes on Sunday was also denied by the military.
Abbas: PA will act against Israel’s deportation orders
4/19/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian Authority will counter all attempts made by Israeli authorities to implement two military orders mandating the deportation of Palestinians from the West Bank. Abbas’ remarks were made following a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday, where he told his counterpart that the PA had already begun to work against the military orders.”Israel does not have the right to deport any Palestinian, the Pales
tinian authority will not allow it,” Abbas said.”Our basic agreement with Israel is that the West Bank and Gaza are one geographic entity under the Palestinian Authority. Israel’sdecision is an act of provocation and was meant to anger Palestinians.” Countering the Israeli government’s comments that the orders would only be applied to Palestinians without ID cards, Abbas assured that all Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip hold the necessary identity documents.
Rights groups call for inquiry 3 years after journalist killed
4/19/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Al-Mezan Center reiterated calls for an international investigation into the slaying of Reuters journalist Fadel Shana’a on the third anniversary of his death. Just before 7am on 19 April 2008 Israeli forces began a military operation in Gaza’s Johur Ad-Dik and Al-Buriej refugee camp areas. Shana’a was clearly identified as a member of the press, as was the vehicle he was standing next to. Shana’a was filming the operation from a bridge several hundred meters away, when Israeli forces fired a shell at him and his vehicle, killing the cameraman instantly. According to Al-Mezan, 13 other civilians, including 8 children, were killed during the military operation. Marking the anniversary of Shana’a’s death, Al-Mezan reasserted its belief that the death constituted a “gross violation of human rights,” citing article (79) of the Additional Protocol I to Geneva Conventions. . .
Gaza civilian border traffic stifled
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – De facto government monitoring committee for Gaza crossings reported drastically restricted numbers of travelers entering and exiting the Strip last week, in their Monday report. The Rafah crossing remained essentially closed, with five special cases exiting via coordination with Egyptian officials, and one person entering the Gaza Strip. In its report, crossings officials noted that thousands of Gaza residents had been waiting to enter and exit the Strip since May 2009. Recent crossings traffic was recorded by the committee as: Left/Returned: 11-18 April, Rafah – 5/1 <> 8-9 April, Rafah – 195/212, Erez – 27/192 <> 1 April – 8 April, Rafah – 3/175, Erez- 234/187 <> 31 March, Rafah – 0/228, Erez – 153/147 <> 26 – 8 March, Rafah – 0/244, Erez – 292 /309.
Israeli forces discover weapons cache in Druze village
4/19/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces reportedly discovered a weapons cache in a cave in the Druze village of Beit Jann, northern Israel on Sunday. Israeli media said the weapons were discovered after intensive searches with sniffer dogs. Three young men from the village were detained, all of whom serve in the Israeli army. Sources said arms discovered include four kilograms of explosives, 40mm shells, grenades, machine guns and military uniforms. An Israeli military spokeswoman said she would look into the reports. [end]
Gaza gov’t vows to implement death penalty
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – De facto Minister of Interior Fathi Hammad said Monday the government “will not hesitate” to implement the death penalty against collaborators. Hammad told reporters outside the home of the former minister of interior, who was killed in during the Gaza war, that the Hamas government would continue enforcing capital punishment in the coastal enclave against “those who have caused harm to national interests and who were the cause of the death of many Palestinians.”Denouncing human rights groups’ condemnation of the recent execution of two Gaza residents charged with collaboration, Hammad told the groups to “focus on the tragedy of Palestinian families caused by traitors.”The Gaza minister further denied the existence of political detainees in de facto government prisons and accused Muhammad Dahlan, Fatah Central Committee member and former Gaza strong-man, to be “behind such rumors that target the [de facto] government. . . .”
PA cabinet: Gaza executions unconstitutional
4/19/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – During the Ramallah-based government’s weekly cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Monday, ministers condemned the de facto government’s execution of two Gaza residents, describing the move as unconstitutional. Cabinet members said the executions were carried out without the approval of President Mahmoud Abbas, which is required in accordance with Palestinian law, and are considered a violation of human rights, reiterating both Palestinian and Israeli rights groups fears. Moreover, ministers said “the unilateral step” threatened to further cement internal division, lessening opportunities for both Fatah and Hamas to reach a comprehensive unity deal. Israeli orders mandating Palestinian expulsion from West Bank – Palestinian Authority ministers agreed that necessary measures must be adopted to protect Palestinians living in the West Bank threatened. . .
Israel releases 2 Gaza men from prison
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Following the completion of a 17 and nine-year prison terms respectively, two Gaza men were released back into the Strip on Sunday, the local prisoners committee announced. Abdul Naser Al-Bahar from Gaza City was detained in 1993 and charged with affiliation to the Hamas movement, whileAmin Saleh from the southern Gaza city of Rafah was detained on 28 August 2001, and charged with affiliation to the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Riyad Al-Ashkar, head of the committee, said the two were received by family and friends at the Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. [end]
Dead body found in well near Jenin
4/19/2010 – Jenin – Ma’an – Civil defense rescue crews retrieved a body from a well in the Jaba village near Jenin on Monday, a report read. The rescue team rushed to the site of the accident after being informed by residents, and drained the well to retrieve the body. Palestinian Authority police were also present at the scene and have launched an investigation into the incident. [end]
Hamas: Talks on unity, prisoner swap frozen
4/19/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Negotiations to secure a prisoner swap deal and achieve Palestinian reconciliation have been brought to a standstill, Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil said Monday.”Communication with Cairo on reconciliation is nonexistent now; there are no actual efforts underway for unity nor is there progress on completing [captured Israeli soldier Gilad] Shalit’s swap deal,” a statement issued by the Hamas leader read. Talks with the Egyptian capital are confined to coordinating the entry and exit of patients through the Rafah crossing along the Gaza-Egypt border, Al-Bardawil said. The leader further said Hamas’ stance remains unchanged and the movement’s popularity is growing.”Hamas will never recognize Israel and will not give up any of the Palestinian peoples’ constants.” Al-Bardawil said Israel’s tightening of the blockade of the coastal enclave and prisoner repression in Israeli jails is “blackmail to make Hamas change its political position”.
PA political adviser visits Jericho police academy
4/19/2010 – Jericho – Ma’an – Major-General Adnan Dmeiri, the Palestinian Authority political adviser, visited the Jericho Police Academy on Sunday. Accompanied by Khalid Al-Masri, political commissar of Jericho
, Dmeiri toured the academy, where he and the administration discussed new courses and workshops to be offered to police. Dmeiri said security institutions in Palestine have improved over the past few years, which has fully supported the Ramallah-based leadership, which in turn has had a positive influence on forces. The PA political adviser thanked police training staff at the academy and said “we are glad to have such expertise that will ensure the high level of trained police officers.” [end]
PA police arrest 2 suspected of drug dealing in Hebron
4/19/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority police arrested two suspected drug dealers on Monday in two separate incidents in the West Bank city of Hebron. A police statement read that information was received that a dealer was selling hashish in the area. The suspect was apprehended in his car, where police found 199. 6 grams of hashish, the report said. The second arrest was made in the center of Hebron City, where police found quantities of hashish mixed with tobacco in his car. [end]
PA public works minister tenders resignation
4/19/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Minister of Public Works Mohammad Shtayyeh tendered his resignation on Monday, informing President Mahmoud Abbas and the Ministers Council that he wished to resign his public office. Shtayyeh cited his desire to devote his energies to the Fatah movement, to which he was elected a member of the Central Committee in August. During the Sixth Fatah Conference, delegates decided to implement a party regulation requiring members voted into the Central Committee would not be permitted to hold public office. Shtayyeh was managing director of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR, an institution tasked by the Palestinian Authority to supervise donor-financed projects) in 1996 and a founding member of the Palestinian Development Fund. He has been active in the Hamas-Fatah unity negotiations.
PEGASE funding: Getting Muna back on her feet
4/19/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Muna Warni was left to support her seven children including a disabled son ten years ago when her husband walked out, unable to face the prospect of caring for his family with no job or prospects. When he was 13, one of her sons, Imad, was in a car accident that damaged his spinal cord, and he requires constant care, as well as surgeries to keep what mobility he has. There have already been 36 surgeries, in addition to daily physiotherapy.”I had to discontinue the treatments because there is just no money,” Muna said.” I’m ready to work,” she said, explaining how after her husband left, and sold all his lands including those bequeathed to her as part of the wedding dowry.”I knocked on all doors of the doors I could find,” trying to find work cleaning or helping around other people’s homes.” I was desperate to improve my situation so I went to the Ministry of Social Affairs. . .
PJS chief visits Ma’an
4/19/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Abdul Nasser An-Najjar visited the Ma’an Network headquarters in Bethlehem on Monday, accompanied by journalist Khalil Shahin. The chief was welcomed by Ma’an’s Editor-in-Chief Nasser Al-Lahham who briefed him on the various departments within the network. An-Najjar discussed a number of issues relating to journalism in the occupied Palestinian territories with Ma’an’s newsroom, and commended Ma’an journalists for their work. The PJS chief added that the union vows to provide professional support for the Ma’an news team and to all Palestinian journalists. Al-Lahham praised An-Najjar’s efforts to serve Palestinian media since his election in 2010 and wished him success in his new position.
Netanyahu: We won’t stop working to bring home Gilad Shalit
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Israel will continue its efforts to bring home abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday at a Memorial Day ceremony in Jerusalem dedicated to the victims of terror attacks. …
Jerusalem police charge Haredi youth for torching Israeli flag
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Jerusalem police on Monday charged a 20-year-old ultra-Orthodox man with disorderly conduct and desecrating the state flag, after he allegedly set Israel’s flag on fire in the Shabbat Square in Jerusalem a day earlier. …
IN PICTURES / Israelis celebrate Independence Day
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – After a day of mourning for more than 22,000 people lost in battle or terror attacks, Israelis on Monday night celebrated the start of Independence Day with nationwide festivities, including concerts, fireworks and street parties. …
Barak: Iran poses no immediate existential threat to Israel
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Pentagon officials: Obama’s security advisers considering broad range of options to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
Declare Independence. Free Israel. End the Occupation.
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – I used to wonder if my generation would survive the Occupation. Now I wonder if Israel will.
Can the U.S. government officially protect Jewish students?
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Jewish groups exert communal effort to get the U.S. Department of Education more deeply involved in probing allegations of anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Defense Minister: Israel needs to recognize the occupation must end
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Ehud Barak: Israel-U.S. alienation is not good for Israel, we must act to change things.
Israel has no right to be called ‘heir’ to Holocaust victims
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Zionist leaders have little cause for pride in their actions during the Second World War – Zionist financiers withheld funds, while the JDC refused to help save Europe’s wretched Jewry, instead prioritizing the needs of the Yishuv.
Hamas: We’ll continue carrying out executions in Gaza
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Rights groups decried Hamas’ killing last week of two men accused of collaborating with Israel.
Iranian cleric: Promiscuous women cause earthquakes
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Cleric says there is no solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt to Islam’s moral codes.
Two top al-Qaida leaders in Iraq killed in raid
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – U.S. military described the killings as a ‘potentially devastating blow’ to the militant group.
Netanyahu: Israeli construction in East Jerusalem is justified
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Netanyahu tells ABC that Palestinian demand that Israel stop building in settlements is ‘unacceptable.’
U.S.: Iran’s rhetoric doesn’t always match its nuclear capabilities
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – U.S. State Department spokesman says U.S. still willing to discuss a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran.
Obama: U.S. to continue efforts towards two-state solution
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – WATCH: Hillary Clinton sends Israel Independence Day greeting; ‘U.S. will stand by Israel.’
Israel’s Independence Day: Nationwide ceremonies, celebrations
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Independence Day celebrations kicked off Monday night in Israel with the lighting of beacons at the official ceremony at Mount Herzl national cemetery in Jerusalem, which also marks the conclusion of Memorial Day. …
One woman’s journey from Ethiopia to the IDF officer corps
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Netzanet Fredeh is constantly required by her surroundings to bear the title “an Israeli of Ethiopian origin.” But she bears this title with pride. As commander of the Immigration and Integration Branch of the Israel Defense Forces’ Education Corps, she works to advance the lot of Ethiopian soldiers – an advancement that she herself epitomizes. …
Israel opens fire at peaceful demo in Gaza
19 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 19, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces opened fire today toward a peaceful demonstration in Rafah against the Israeli buffer zone in the Gaza-Israel border, no injuries were reported. The popular committee to resist the buffer zone called for the peaceful demonstration. It was launched from Al-Showka area to the border area east of the Rafah city….
Settlers block linking road between Ramallah and Nablus
19 Apr 2010 – Ramallah, April 19, (Pal Telegraph) Settlers blocked the main road between Nablus and Ramallah in the area of ‚”Wadi Al Harameyeh” today. According to local sources, hundreds of settlers guarded by Israeli occupation forces, gathered and began attacking Palestinian citizens in the area and the Palestinian cars on the main road between the two cities. The Israeli militant barrier in…
A symbolic funeral for dead Polish president in Bethlehem
19 Apr 2010 – Bethlehem, April 19, (Pal telegraph) ‚”Palestinian people have demonstrated that they are a friend indeed when a friend is in need, as the Arab proverb says,” so said the representative of Poland to the Palestinian National Authority Boguv Oohudyk, in the Arabic language yesterday, during a symbolic funeral and a prayer upon the spirit of the Polish president late Lech…
Held houseware to enter Gaza
19 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 19, (Pal Telegraph) Nasser Al-Sarraj, Undersecretary of the Ministry of National Economy, declared that Israel will allow the entry of houseware into Gaza, which were blocked from entry and sitting in the Israeli ports since 2007. He said In a statement, that the Israeli approval includes the goods that were held in Israeli ports since December 2007 only,…
Israel closes Gaza’s commercial crossings
19 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 18, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities announced the closure of Gaza’s commercial crossings today and tomorrow because of Jewish holidays. Raed Fattouh, Chairman of goods entry to Gaza Committee, said that the Israeli occupation forces closed the Kerem Abu Salem and Carney commercial crossings today and tomorrow due to jewish holidays, to be re-opened on next Wednesday’s…
Palestinians bury prisoner found dead in cell in Israeli jails
19 Apr 2010 – Jerusalem, April 19, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — The Palestinians in Al-Azriah town near Jerusalem participated yesterday in the funeral of Raed Abu Hmad, 31, who was found dead in his cell Friday in Eshel Prison in the Negev where he spent five years in the Israeli jails. Hmad who was sentenced to ten years, resident of Al-Azriah town near Jerusalem,…
Israel conducts limited incursion in north Gaza
19 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 19, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces raided today Bait Lahya town in north of Gaza Strip. Local sources said that Israeli Special Force combined with number of military vehicles and under the cover of warplanes conducted incursion in Doght the evacuated settlement in west of Bait Lahya where they opened the fire heavily toward everything moving….
Two tunnel workers injured in gas pipe blast
19 Apr 2010 – Rafah, April 19, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Two Palestinians workers were injured Sunday night in a gas pipe blast inside a tunnel between Gaza-Egypt borders. Fadi Al-Bawab and Mohammed Ashour were working inside the tunnel when the pipe exploded. The two injured workers were transferred to Naser Hospital in Khan Youins as they suffer third degree burns on their bodies,…
West Bank: Weekly Protest Video Round-Up
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – Friday’s demonstrations were dominated by commemorating the Palestinian Prisoners Day. Here ‘s what happened in the main locations up and down the West Bank. In Bil’in, the rally marked the anniversary of the death of Bassem Abu Rahme, killed by the Israeli Army last year…
Israeli Soldier Burns Palestinian Teacher With Cigarette
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – Say and repeat: “Yasser Arafat is a son of a bitch”. The israeli soldier from the so-called “border police” insisted that a Palestinian teacher from Hebron should say that. The Palestinian teacher was caught and harassed by the IDF soldier while he was on his way back home. The teacher refused the order of the IDF….
Independence Day: 26,6356; 3,500, 1,500, 1,455
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – On 19 and 20 April, Israel will mourn what is says were 26,653 Israelis killed in the past 150 years, 22,682 of which were soldiers. The Day of the Fallen Soldier sees hundreds of thousands lay flags on the graves of their lost loved ones, and the Minister of Defense Ehud Barak will speak at official…
The Nakba is in its 63rd year: whither Palestine now?
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – The Palestinian issue is at the centre of the conflict between Israel and the Arab world. Starting with the early Zionists’ lobbying around Europe’s capitals in the early twentieth century, through Britain’s “Balfour Declaratio
n” and the break-up of the Ottoman Empire after the First World War; the League of Nations Mandate given to Britain, increased Jewish…
Settlers, Israeli forces block Nablus-Ramallah road for event
Uruknet April 19, 2010 — Hundreds of settlers accompanied by armed soldiers blocked the Wadi Al-Haramiya road between Nablus and Ramallah on Monday afternoon, throwing rocks at Palestinian cars, witnesses said. The zone, on the road north past the Atara checkpoint where road 456 meets Highway 60, and south of the illegal Israeli settlement of Shilo, was the area where 23…
Medical solidarity with Gaza: in conversation with Mads Gilbert
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – Ahead of the English publication of his book Eyes in Gaza (co-authored with Dr. Erik Fosse), Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert spoke to The Electronic Intifada about what he witnessed during Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s three-week long assault on the Gaza Strip starting in December 2008, during which more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed and thousands more…
Tuba: Israeli Police Forces Ransack Houses
Uruknet April 18, 2010 – On Wednesday March 31st, Israeli Special Police Forces entered the village of Tuba in the South Hebron Hills and ransacked two homes. Two white vehicles drove into the village at around 10am. A third vehicle, a van, was parked outside the village. Ommar Abu Jundia, a Tuba resident, came out of his house and was searched…
Israeli Arab brothers win payout for El Al abuse’ in New York
The National 19 Apr 2010 – After abusive and unnecessary’ treatment at a New York airport, victims now plan to sue in US court over Israel’s racial profiling.
Iran asks UN for nuclear fuel agreement
The National 19 Apr 2010 – Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran wants to discuss a nuclear fuel deal with UN Security Council members.
Ehud Barak: Occupation must end
The National 19 Apr 2010 – Israel’s defence minister says his country must recognise that the world will not put up with decades more of Israeli rule over the Palestinian people.
A scribe of Gaza’s forgotten massacre: Palestine Note interviews cartoonist Joe Sacco
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – By Sarah Harlan The 2010 Ridenhour Prizes April 14 honored cartoonist and journalist Joe Sacco for his latest work, Footnotes in Gaza , with the Ridenhour Book Prize at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. A…
RAISING THE DEAD IN JERUSALEM
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – ‘NECROPOLITICS’ REIGNS SUPREME ONCE MORE AS ISRAEL ATTEMPTS TO UNEARTH A MUSLIM CEMETERY TO BUILD A ‘MUSEUM OF TOLERANCE’ By Jared Malsin, special to Palestine Note The Arab-Israeli confrontation has once again returned to the politics…
Netanyahu says US ‘prevents peace’ with E. Jerusalem demands
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US demands to stop building in East Jerusalem, BBC reports. The Obama administration’s demands to halt settlement building in what is the be the capital of the future Palestinian state…
Herzl’s dream; Their dream; Our dream
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – As I write these lines, I am listening, live on the internet, to the ceremony that ushers in Israel’s Independence Day, at Jerusalem’s Mount Herzl. This ceremony always moves me. I write these lines and my…
3 years after journalist’s death, rights groups still call for inquiry
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – On the third anniversary of Reuters journalist Fadel Shana’a’s death, the Al-Mezan Center repeated its call for an international inquiry into the killing of Shana’a, Ma’an News Agency reports. Israeli soldiers beat journalist as they attempt…
Resistance begins with oneself
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – Waking up in Tel Aviv on a Friday morning before a day in the occupation is a surreal experience. Friday is a peaceful day in the city. Many are not working and the air often feels…
No one knows whether they would rescue a stranger
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – I am always intrigued by Elie Wiesel who seems to believe that, as a victim of the Holocaust, he is, by definition, a righteous man. But he’s not. Status as a victim does not confer righteousness….
Is this where the holy land Is headed?
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – Jerusalem, April 31, 2027 — The final segment from what was known as the Security Wall was torn down yesterday as street signs in the holy city were changed in preparation of the upcoming Unification Day…
Barak says ‘change’ necessary to repair US-Israeli relationship
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – Monday Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak voiced his concerns about the US-Israeli relations to Israel radio and said “growing alienation [with President Obama’s administration] is not a good thing for the state of Israel,” CNN reports….
Hamas-Fatah unity deal and prisoner swap both come to a standstill
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – Despite encouraging voices over the weekend, negotiations toward brokering a Hamas-Fatah unity agreement have come to a halt, Ma’an News Agency reports. In addition to the reconciliation stalemate, Hamas leader Salah al-Bardawil says progress has stalled…
More from Jordan’s king Abdullah II: The status quo is unacceptable and dangerous
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – After my post about King Abdullah II’s sobering comments that war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanan may be “imminent” to a group of Congressmen organized by R
epresentative Adam Schiff last week, I received a clarification…
Diaspora Jews: Israeli opinion is not Jewish opinion
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – “The Jewish diaspora is losing patience with Israel,” New York-based analyst Tony Karon writes to the National . Carte blanch Jewish support of Israel is fading across the world, Karon finds. Last week’s South Africa bar mitzvah…
Soldiers and settlers block West Bank road
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – Israeli soldiers accompanied hundreds of settlers to block the Wadi Al-Haramiya road running between Nablus and Ramallah on Monday afternoon, Ma’an News Agency reports. IDF soldiers accompany Israeli marches in Jerusalem . Israeli soldiers frequently accompany Israelis…
Queen Rania launches E. Jerusalem school renovation project
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – The Madrasati Palestine project, created by Jordan’s Queen Rania to address the “deteriorating state of education” in East Jerusalem, kicked off Sunday with a ceremony and press conference in Amman, the Jordan Times reports. Her Majesty…
KING OF JORDAN: ISRAEL STATUS QUO CREATES TENSIONS THAT ARE ‘UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS’
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – KING ABDULLAH II MEETS WITH CONGRESSMEN TO DISCUSS AN IMMINENT LEBANESE-ISRAELI CONFLICT THAT COULD ‘TRIGGER ANOTHER CYCLE OF VIOLENCE IN THE REGION’ Wednesday, the Washington Note ‘s Steve Clemons reported on Jordan’s King Abdullah II “sobering…
Elie Wiesel’s Jerusalem
Palestine Note 19 Apr 2010 – Friday’s International Herald Tribune brought us two statements, the first, a full page ad by Elie Wiesel, explaining his (and presumably every Jew’s) attachment to Jerusalem, and second, a column by the Times’ Roger Cohen, explaining…
Fatah Behind Bid to Reshuffle the PA Cabinet?
The Media Line 18 Apr 2010 – Conflicting views over participation of high-ranking Fatah members in the Ramallah-based government. Rumors of an imminent reshuffle in the Palestinian cabinet have ignited debate over expanding Fatah Party presence under the independent Prime Minister Salam Fayyad….
Israel in Back-to-Back Commemorations: Remembrance and Independence Days
The Media Line 18 Apr 2010 – Israel is observing the back-to-back commemorations of Remembrance Day and Independence Day on Monday and Tuesday. The tradition in the Jewish state is to spend 24 hours in solemn recollection of those who have died in…
Hamas Executes Two Prisoners for Collaborating With Israel
The Media Line 18 Apr 2010 – Ignoring protests from across the Western world, and not bothering to get authorization from the Palestinian President, the de facto Hamas government in the Gaza Strip executed two men for collaborating with Israel. A Hamas firing…
Barak urges end to occupation
AlJazeera 19 Apr 2010 – Israeli defence minister says world will not continue to accept rule over Palestinians.
New Military Order “Infiltrates” Palestinian Rights: Statement by Kairos Palestine
Alternative Information Center – Sunday, 18 April 2010, Kairos Palestine expresses its outrage and dismay about a new Israeli military order that will categorize tens of thousands of Palestinians living in the West Bank as ‚”infiltrators” — ostensibly because they…
Traders hit by Gaza City taxes
PNN – GAZA CITY // Radi Abdel Karim spends most of his days in an old hospital bed that he has somehow managed to squeeze into the corner of a shop space in a northern…
Clinton presses Israel do more to start peace talks
PNN – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has again called on Israel to do more to pursue peace with the Palestinians. She urged Israel to support efforts by the Palestinian Authority in the…
Palestinians mark Prisoners’ Day
PNN – Hamas and Fatah have joined crowds of Palestinians in calling on Israel to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails. Representatives of the rival factions staged a protest and 24-hour…
Short Sightedness and Un-envisioned Policy Makers
PNN – By: Mitri I. Musleh U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton and the U.S administration realize that the Middle East regional stability and the longevity of a secure Israeli State lie within the current…
Netanyahu to Hamas: Bring back Schalit
Jeruslalem Post 19 Apr 2010 – In Remembrance Day speech, PM says all Israelis yearn for peace.
‘Independence War hasn’t ended’
Jeruslalem Post 19 Apr 2010 – Ya’alon discusses gaps with US, says settlements shouldn’t be removed.
Iran picks new enrichment site
Jeruslalem Post 19 Apr 2010 – But foreign minister says country wants more talks on fuel deal.
62 Things I love about Israel
Jeruslalem Post 19 Apr 2010 –
Haredi protest in Jerusalem
Jeruslalem Post 19 Apr 2010 – Men burn trash cans on Remembrance Day
Barak: No war this summer
Jeruslalem Post 19 Apr 2010 – Barak says Israel must allow the Palestinians to “rule themselves.”
Al Mezan Quarter Report: 13 Persons Killed,
62 Injured
WAFA 19 Apr 2010 – GAZA, April 19, 2010 (WAFA)- Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights issued its quarter report on the Israeli violations of international humanitarian law against the population of the Gaza Strip during the
EUPOL COPPS Joins Mousakhan Contest for World Record
WAFA 19 Apr 2010 – RAMALLAH, April 19, 2010 (WAFA)- EUPOL COPPS’ Head of Mission, Henrik Malmquist, attended today’s culinary contest organized by the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in the village of
Israeli Military Orders ‘in Breach of International HR Law,’ Warns UN Special Rapporteur
WAFA 19 Apr 2010 – GENEVA, April 19, 2010 (WAFA) — The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, warned Monday that two Israeli Military Orders
Barak: Israel Needs to End Occupation
WAFA 19 Apr 2010 – TEL AVIV, April 19, 2010(WFAFA)-Israel must recognize that the world will not put up with decades more of Israeli rule over the Palestinian people, Israeli Minister of Security Ehud Barak, Haaretz
Launching of ‚”Madrasati Palestine” to Renovate East Jerusalem Schools
WAFA 19 Apr 2010 – AMMAN, April 19, 2010 (WAFA)- Prime Minster Salam Fayyad and Jordanian Queen Rania launched the ” Madrasati Palestine initiative” to combat the deteriorating state of education in East Jerusalem,
U.S. Consul: Palestinian Entrepreneurs Represent Foundations of a Palestinian State
WAFA 19 Apr 2010 – RAMALLAH, April 19, 2010 (WAFA)- The U.S. Consul General, Daniel Rubenstein, said, today, that the delegation, composed of Palestinian business women and men, who will participate in the presidential
Q&A: ‘U.S. Can Stop Israeli Settlements’
IPS JERUSALEM, Apr 19 (IPS) – Ziad Abuzayyad was Palestinian cabinet minister responsible for Jerusalem affairs and a member of the Palestinian Legislature. During previous rounds of peace talks with Israel he was a leading member of the Palestinian negotiating team
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Meets with High-Profile ILO Mission
PCHR 17 Apr 2010 – Ref: 42/2010 On 15 April 2010, Jaber Weshah, Deputy Director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), and Khalil Shaheen, Director of PCHR Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Unit, met with a Mission from the International Labour Office (ILO). The ILO Mission was presided by Friedrich Buttler, Special Representative of ILO Director-General…..
International Solidarity Movement
International activist arrested on false accusations in Sheikh Jarrah
4/19/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – At approximately 11. 30pm on the 18th April, a British ISM activist, Robin Brown, was arrested in Sheikh Jarrah having been falsely accused by Israeli settlers of attacking them with tear gas. Those present in the hours leading up to his arrest insist this cannot possibly be true. Brown was released from police custody at 3am on the 19th — recognition from the police that there was absolutely no evidence to support the settlers’ accusations. Earlier in the evening, settlers had attempted to destroy a mural that was recently painted in the front garden of the Al Kurd home, half of which is occupied by settlers. Running past the wall, they threw cupfuls of white paint at the mural before fleeing down the street. Despite their later claims to police, there was no confrontation in the street between them and the Palestinian residents of the neighbourhood, or the international activists who were also present.
U.S. summons Syrian diplomat over arms transfer to Hezbollah
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – U.S.: Syria’s designation as state sponsor of terrorism directly related to its support for Hezbollah.
Obama: U.S. to continue efforts towards two-state solution
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – WATCH: Hillary Clinton sends Israel Independence Day greeting; ‘U.S. will stand by Israel.’
U.S.: Iran’s rhetoric doesn’t always match its nuclear capabilities
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – U.S. State Department spokesman says U.S. still willing to discuss a nuclear fuel swap deal with Iran.
Netanyahu: Israeli construction in East Jerusalem is justified
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Netanyahu tells ABC that Palestinian demand that Israel stop building in settlements is ‘unacceptable.’
Two top al-Qaida leaders in Iraq killed in raid
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – U.S. military described the killings as a ‘potentially devastating blow’ to the militant group.
Iranian cleric: Promiscuous women cause earthquakes
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Cleric says there is no solution but to take refuge in religion and to adapt to Islam’s moral codes.
Hamas: We’ll continue carrying out executions in Gaza
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Rights groups decried Hamas’ killing last week of two men accused of collaborating with Israel.
Israel has no right to be called ‘heir’ to Holocaust victims
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Zionist leaders have little cause for pride in their actions during the Second World War – Zionist financiers withheld funds, while the JDC refused to help save Europe’s wretched Jewry, instead prioritizing the needs of the Yishuv.
Defense Minister: Israel needs to recognize the occupation must end
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Ehud Barak: Israel-U.S. alienation is not good for Israel, we must act to change things.
Can the U.S. government officially protect Jewish students?
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Jewish groups exert communal effort to get the U.S. Department of Education more deeply involved in probing allegations of anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Declare Independence. Free Israel. End the Occupation.
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – I used to wonder if my generation would survive the Occupation. Now I wonder if Israel will.
Barak: Iran poses no immedia
te existential threat to Israel
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Pentagon officials: Obama’s security advisers considering broad range of options to curb Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel independence day overshadowed by controversy
The Guardian 19 Apr 2010 – Tomorrow’s 62nd birthday celebrations marred by bribery scandal and peace impasse Blue and white Star of David flags are flying from cars and buildings all over the country as Israelis prepare to celebrate tomorrow’s Independence Day…
A peaceful strategy for Palestinian independence | Ziad Asali
The Guardian 19 Apr 2010 – Palestinians are adding a series of bottom-up tactics to augment top-down negotiations and diplomacy Palestinians have recently been developing a peaceful multilevel strategy to achieve their national goals of a negotiated peace agreement with Israel, an…
Israel’s Independence Day: Nationwide ceremonies, celebrations
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Independence Day celebrations kicked off Monday night in Israel with the lighting of beacons at the official ceremony at Mount Herzl national cemetery in Jerusalem, which also marks the conclusion of Memorial Day. …
Netanyahu: We won’t stop working to bring home Gilad Shalit
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Israel will continue its efforts to bring home abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday at a Memorial Day ceremony in Jerusalem dedicated to the victims of terror attacks. …
Jerusalem police charge Haredi youth for torching Israeli flag
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Jerusalem police on Monday charged a 20-year-old ultra-Orthodox man with disorderly conduct and desecrating the state flag, after he allegedly set Israel’s flag on fire in the Shabbat Square in Jerusalem a day earlier. …
IN PICTURES / Israelis celebrate Independence Day
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – After a day of mourning for more than 22,000 people lost in battle or terror attacks, Israelis on Monday night celebrated the start of Independence Day with nationwide festivities, including concerts, fireworks and street parties. …
One woman’s journey from Ethiopia to the IDF officer corps
Ha’aretz 19 Apr 2010 – Netzanet Fredeh is constantly required by her surroundings to bear the title “an Israeli of Ethiopian origin.” But she bears this title with pride. As commander of the Immigration and Integration Branch of the Israel Defense Forces’ Education Corps, she works to advance the lot of Ethiopian soldiers – an advancement that she herself epitomizes. …
Israeli military orders “in breach of international human rights law,” warns UN Special Rapporteur
Relief Web 19 Apr 2010 – Source: UN Human Rights Council
Al Mezan Quarter report: Continuous Israeli Violations against Palestinians in the First Four Months of 2010; 13 Persons Killed and 62 injured
Relief Web 19 Apr 2010 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
Court: Jerusalem Municipality favors haredi schools
YNet News 19 Apr 2010 – Judge Noam Solberg grants petition filed by Israel Religious Action Center against City’s decision to increase budget of ultra-Orthodox educational institutions
Israel celebrates 62nd anniversary
YNet News 19 Apr 2010 – Celebrations of joy replace Memorial Day sorrow as State marks 62 years of independence. PM Netanyahu says, ‘We are not here by chance; we are here because this is our land.’ Knesset Speaker Rivlin addresses divisions within Jerusalem
Haredi charged with burning Israeli flag on Memorial Day
YNet News 19 Apr 2010 – Yehiel Hazan was arrested by undercover officer during Neturei Karta rally held as siren honoring Israel’s fallen soldiers sounded
Hamas vows to keep executing ‘collaborators’ in Gaza
YNet News 19 Apr 2010 – Palestinian leadership in Strip ignores human rights groups condemnations, says it will continue issuing death sentence to those accused of spying for Israel
Netanyahu to ABC: Jerusalem construction justified
YNet News 19 Apr 2010 – In interview with ‘Good Morning America,’ Israeli PM says Palestinian demand to stop Jewish construction in eastern part of capital ‘unacceptable’; calls Iranian nuclear ambitions ‘biggest issue facing our times’
Syria allows American school to reopen
YNet News 19 Apr 2010 – American school shut by Syrian authorities in November 2008 allowed to reopen; indicates improving ties between two countries, says American official
Barak rules out imminent Middle East war
Daily Star 19 Apr 2010 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak sought to calm fears of an impending new Middle East war, telling a radio interviewer Monday that Israel had no intentions of starting a fresh round of fighting. Speaking on army radio as Israel observed a day of remembrance for its war dead and victims of militant attacks, Barak was asked to respond to comments
Ahmadinejad approves sites for new enrichment plants
Daily Star 19 Apr 2010 TEHRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has approved the sites for new uranium enrichment plants in Iran, a close aide said on Monday, despite growing world pressure to stop the sensitive nuclear work. The Iranian president’s senior adviser, Mojtaba Samareh Hashemi, told the ILNA news agency that the hardliner had “approved
UN expert slams Israel’s expulsion orders
Daily Star 19 Apr 2010 GENEVA: A UN expert on Monday criticized two Israeli military orders which could lead to deportations or detentions in the Occupied Territories, saying that they may be in breach of international convenants. Richard Falk, t
he UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said the vagueness of the terms used in the orders
Iran suspends two leading reformist parties
Daily Star 19 Apr 2010 TEHRAN: Iran’s political watchdog has banned all activities by two leading reformist parties which backed opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi in June’s presidential poll, a state-owned daily said Monday. The watchdog also recommended to the judiciary that both the Islamic Iran Participation Front and the Islamic Revolution Mujahedeen
American aid cuts to Egypt take toll on country’s democracy groups
Daily Star 19 Apr 2010 CAIRO: President Barack Obama has dramatically cut funds to promote democracy in Egypt, a shift that could affect everything from anti-corruption programs to the monitoring of elections.Washington’s cuts over the past year – amounting to around 50 percent – have drawn accusations that the Obama administration is easing off reform pressure on the autocratic government
Thai troops on Bangkok streets to protect financial hub
Daily Star 19 Apr 2010 BANGKOK: Thai security forces swooped on central Bangkok Monday wielding weapons and razor wire to block “Red Shirt” protesters from taking their anti-government campaign to the capital’s financial hub. Thousands of military and riot police, many of them armed with assault rifles and shotguns, were deployed in the Silom business district close
OCHA warns of disastrous situation in Bethlehem
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – The OCHA warned that the incessant Israeli attempts to control lands, establish bypass roads, and settlement expansion were negatively affecting the humanitarian conditions of Bethlehem residents.
IOA serves demolition notices to four Palestinian landlords
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) served demolition notices to four citizens in Halhul village, north of Al-Khalil, local sources said on Monday.
Change and reform bloc appreciates Larijani’s stand
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – The change and reform parliament bloc has appreciated the “courageous” stands of Ali Larijani who condemned the Israeli deportation decision against thousands of Palestinians.
Hammad: Taking over Gaza was a necessary step to end chaos
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – Palestinian minister of interior Fathi Hammad stated Monday that the armed takeover of the Gaza Strip was never on the agenda of the elected Palestinian government or Hamas Movement..
Bardawil: All contacts with Egypt over prisoner deal or reconciliation frozen
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – Dr. Salah Al-Bardawil stated Monday that all contacts with Cairo over the inter-Palestinian reconciliation or the prisoner swap deal are frozen and there are no efforts in this regard.
Abbas’s militias and IOF kidnap five Palestinians in W. Bank
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – Mahmoud Abbas’s militias (security apparatuses) and the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped five Palestinian citizens affiliated with Hamas in the West Bank, according to a Hamas statement.
Jalbo prison administration punishes prisoners
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – The international Tadamun institution has said that the Israeli Jalbo prison administration imposed a number of punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners..
Larijani: IOA decision to expel Palestinians a crime
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – Speaker of the Iranian Shoura council (parliament) Ali Larijani has condemned the Israeli occupation authority’s (IOA) decision to expel tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank.
Resistance fighters clash with IOF special forces
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – Palestinian resistance confronted a pre-dawn incursion by Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday in Beit Lahia, north of the Gaza Strip, local sources told the PIC reporter.
IOA offers security responsibility in WB tension hotbeds to Abbas’s militias
PIC 19 Apr 2010 – The IOA is negotiating with the PA in Ramallah over handing over security control to its militias in a number of West Bank villages considered by the IOA as hotbeds of tension.
Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi works out frustrations
LA Times 18 Apr 2010 – He made ‘No One Knows About Persian Cats,’ about two Iranian rockers trying to make it to a London gig, without government approval. The state of Iranian film, circa 2010, is like Iran in miniature: anxious, uncertain and riven by dissension. And interviewing an Iranian filmmaker, like “No One Knows About Persian Cats” director Bahman Ghobadi, is an experience in stereophonic sound: the director and his translator spend as much time arguing over his responses as he spends actually answering questions.
Gates Pushes Back on Report of Memo About Iran Policy
New York Times 18 Apr 2010 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates acknowledged writing the memo but said his goal was ‚”to contribute to an orderly and timely decision-making process.”
Weekly Protest VIDEO ROUND-UP
Palestine Monitor – Friday’s demonstrations were dominated by commemorating the Palestinian Prisoners Day. Here ‘s what happened in the main locations up and down the West Bank. In Bil’in, the rally marked the anniversary of the death of Bassem Abu Rahme, killed by the Israeli Army last year. BIL’IN…
New Military Order “Infiltrates” Palestinian Rights: Statement by Kairos Palestine
Alternative Information Center – Sunday, 18 April 2010, Kairos Palestine expresses its outrage and dismay about a new Israeli military order that will categorize tens of thousands of Palestinians living in the West Bank as ‚”infiltrators” — ostensibly because they lack the proper permits — and give military officers sweeping…
Assessing Iran’s nuclear intentions
Mondoweiss – Thomas Schelling, a Nobel laureate and an expert in nuclear strategy, spoke at the New America Foundation in Washington last week. Having recently attended the highly influential Herzliya Conference in Israel, Schelling said : I was impressed with how many Israelis speculate that what Iran wants to…
Israel is debated at California Democratic convention, Harman walks out in huff
Mondoweiss – We often note the news that Democratic rank-and-file support for Israel is fading. Well, the California State Democratic Convention yesterday endorsed Congresswoman Jane Harman for reelection from a district around Los Angeles, but before it did so, Harman and her opponent, Marcy Winograd, both appeared before…
Toronto threatens Pride march funding over apartheid comparison
Mondoweiss – Update : As can be expected Muzzlewatch has been all over this story. Check out their great in-depth report here . The Toronto Star reports that the city of Toronto is considering withdrawing funding from the Toronto Pride march next year if the organization Queers Against Israeli Apartheid…
Are there non-Jews in West Jerusalem?
Mondoweiss – Yesterday Ali Gharib reported a statement on West Jerusalem last week by Michael Ratner (from a presentation on the Mamilla cemetery): “What you have to conclude is that they want to take this spot,” Ratner said, “then the next spot. It’s clear they want to eradicate…
Not a good time to be Martin Kramer, or a good time to be Harvard’s Weatherhead Center
Mondoweiss – Great letter in the Harvard Crimson today on the Martin Kramer scandal, keeping it alive, from scholars Lori Allen, Vincent A. Brown and Ajantha Subramanian. Smart analysis of Kramer’s ideas. And interesting that these lefties quote Steve Walt, who was once pilloried at Harvard. The speech…
Articles
Boldness vs. Bullets At The Gaza Border
Max Ajl, Truthout4/19/2010
The razor-wire and concrete frontier between Israel and Gaza is intermittently interrupted by remote-controlled metal observation towers equipped with motion sensors. When the sensors detect something, the metal petals atop the towers peel back, blooming. A small bloom means the interior camera is peering around. A big bloom occurs when the people controlling the machine guns inside the turret are thinking about blasting someone.
On Tuesday, in a border area near Atatra, a neighborhood in Beit Lehiya in northern Gaza, the top only opened a little – just looking around. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) software operator saw us nearing the border, perhaps 200 Palestinians and seven internationals. The Palestinians marched, boisterously and peacefully, holding a banner reading “No for the security wall and we call on international society for urgent intervention to stop the Israeli violations of Palestinian rights.”
The bigger group of them stopped maybe 150 meters of the border, well within the Israel-decreed buffer zone. The bolder youth surged forward, to the first string of barbed wire, maybe 25 meters from the border, then around it, past the ring road, then nearly to the border fence. There they defiantly planted a Palestinian flag. They climbed on top of a metal structure, maybe formerly used for transmitting electricity, and planted several Palestinian flags. I mentioned to another international, Rada, that “someone was going to get shot,” we were so close to the border. I guessed wrong, luckily. And there we waited. We didn’t wait too long.
First one jeep, then two, then three, drove up in a tremendous hurry. IDF marksmen rushed from the jeeps and took up sniping positions on a sand-dune overlooking the enemy: in this case peaceful Palestinian demonstrators clustered on their own land, with a few international witnesses, and a lot of clearly visible press wearing blue flak jackets.more..e-mail
New Military Order ‘Infiltrates’ Palestinian Rights: A Statement by Kairos Palestine (DOC)
Kairos Palestine4/18/2010
(Jerusalem 18.04.2010) Kairos Palestine expresses its outrage and dismay about a new Israeli military order that will categorize tens of thousands of Palestinians living in the West Bank as ‚”infiltrators” — ostensibly because they lack the proper permits — and give military officers sweeping control over their deportation. We condemn this action and call upon churches worldwide to publically demand the revocation of the order regarding ‚”Prevention of Infiltration” (Amendment No. 2) issued by the Israeli military authorities.
The new order (signed in October 2009 but not publically released; scheduled to take effect on April 13, 2010) amends an order issued in 1969 after Israel officially occupied the West Bank and Jerusalem. The new amendment redefines an ‚”infiltrator” as ‚”a person who entered the Area unlawfully following the effective date, or a person who is present in the Area and does not lawfully hold a permit” (amendment to section 1.1.B), making him/her:
a) subject to almost immediate deportation,
b) potentially subject to a jail term of up to seven years, and
c) responsible for funding his/her own detention and deportation.
Furthermore, the military may delay an individual’s appearance before an appeals committee for up to eight days, despite the fact that it may command his/her expulsion within 72 hours of the order, which means, in effect, that people may be deported without any kind of legal hearing (cf. Amendment to section 3 C.D).
Who exactly will the Israeli military target as ‚”infiltrators”? As Amira Hass of Ha’aretz reports, ‚”the order’s language is both general and ambiguous” about this matter. Indeed, the Israeli NGO H
aMoked, Center for the Defense of the Individual, remarks that the declaration is so vague that it could permit ‚”the [Israeli] military to empty the West Bank of almost all of its Palestinian inhabitants.” — See also:Ha’aretz: IDF order will enable mass deportation from West BankandHaMoked (PDF)more..e-mail
How Obama Must Deal With Israeli Avoidance Methods
Nadia Hijab, CounterPunch4/16/2010
Difficult and More Likely to Succeed
As Barack Obama seeks leadership of the nuclear nonproliferation cause this week, the long shadow cast by the Arab-Israeli conflict is close by. And a proliferation of peace plan advice is coming his way, inspired by reports that his administration may be planning to issue its own plan.
So far, the heaviest hitters’ advice is that from former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski and former Congressman Stephen Solarz, in their jointly written editorial in The Washington Post. They call on Obama to make a dramatic gesture: To travel to Jerusalem with world leaders and declare a four-point plan. This would, they argue, make it possible for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to deal with their recalcitrant elements.
I hope the president doesn’t listen to them. On the face of it, the Brzezinski-Solarz plan-for-Obama’s-plan looks eminently reasonable and even-handed, with bitter pills dished out to “both sides.” But it puts the United States in a needlessly exposed position.
It is one thing for former government representatives to airily dismiss international law as regards Palestinian refugee rights in exchange for an Israeli agreement to share Jerusalem, which is not legally Israel’s to share. It is quite another for the highest American official to do so.
The United States should indeed have a clear idea of its bottom line because it simply cannot leave the matter to be negotiated by the two sides, given the vast imbalance of power. But it should not publicly announce a peace plan. What it should publicly announce is that it will not recognize any changes Israel has made beyond the Green Line, and that it will encourage its partners to do the same.more..e-mail
Beit Sahour: a microcosm of Israeli colonization
Electronic Intifada: 19 Apr 2010 – Har Homa settlement’s impact on the Palestinian community has been devastating, with the town of Beit Sahour now dominated by the ever-expanding settlement. While many are aware of Beit Sahour’s famous nonviolent resistance during the first Palestinian intifada (1987-1993), less well-known is how Israeli rule continues to choke the town. Ben White reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Palestine’s first independent think tank launched
Electronic Intifada: 19 Apr 2010 – Last week, Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network, was launched ( www.al-shabaka.org ). Al-Shabaka, which means “The Network,” is the first independent strategy and policy-related think tank for Palestinians and by Palestinians.
Medical solidarity with Gaza: in conversation with Mads Gilbert
Electronic Intifada: 19 Apr 2010 – Ahead of the English publication of his book Eyes in Gaza (co-authored with Dr. Erik Fosse), Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert recently spoke with The Electronic Intifada contributor Stefan Christoff about what he witnessed during Operation Cast Lead, Israel’s three-week long assault on the Gaza Strip starting in December 2008, during which more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed and thousands more injured.
The New Dark Age 
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