News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian Factions Meet In Gaza
IMEMC – Wednesday April 21, 2010 – 03:28, Palestinian factions, including the rival Fateh and Hamas movements, held on Tuesday a meeting in northern Gaza to discuss the latest Israeli decision to deport thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank.
Israeli Tanks Bombard Gaza
IMEMC – Wednesday April 21, 2010 – 02:53, On Tuesday evening, Israeli tanks fired several shells into Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, and into Dir Al Balah in central Gaza; damage was reported, no injuries.
Eritrean Immigrant Killed By Egyptian Border Police
IMEMC – Wednesday April 21, 2010 – 02:03, Egyptian security sources reported Tuesday that a 31-year-old Eritrean man was killed by Egyptian Border Police fire while trying to infiltrate into Israel.
Israeli Settlers Uproot Olive Trees In Northern West Bank
IMEMC – Tuesday April 20, 2010 – 19:31, Israeli settlers uprooted on Tuesday dozens of olive trees owned by Palestinian farmers form the village of Qarwit near Nablus city, northern West Bank.
Israeli navy attacks Gazan fishing boats
IMEMC – Tuesday April 20, 2010 – 19:23, Israeli navy vessels attacked on Tuesday Palestinian fishermen boats off Gaza City shoreline.
Palestinian Worker Dies, Two Injured At Separate Tunnel Accidents In The Gaza Strip
IMEMC – Tuesday April 20, 2010 – 15:33, A Palestinian worker was killed and two others injured late Monday night during separate tunnel accidents at the southern Gaza Strip boarders with Egypt.
Falk Slams Israel’s Deportation Orders
IMEMC – Tuesday April 20, 2010 – 11:52, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories, Richard Falk, slammed the Israeli decision to deport thousands of Palestinians from the occupied territories the claim that they are “illegally staying in the West Bank”.
Mayor: 3 homes, reservoir slated for demolition
4/20/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli authorities on Tuesday reportedly handed demolition orders to four Palestinian residents in the West Bank city of Halhul, notifying them that their homes and water reservoir were to be bulldozed. Halhul Mayor Ziyad Abu Yousif told Ma’an that Israeli forces stormed the Rumouz neighborhood of the city, where they distributed the notices to Ahmad Awad, Muhammad Zamara, and Dirar Zamara, informing them of plans to demolish their homes. The mayor added that forces further handed a warrant to Muhammad Abu Yousif, notifying him that his water reservoir would be demolished because of its close proximity to Area C, which is under full Israeli control. A representative for Israel’s Civil Administration in the West Bank, responsible for issuing the warrants, did not answer calls seeking comment.
Nablus official: Settlers uproot 250 olive seedlings
4/20/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – A number of Israeli settlers uprooted 250 olive tree seedlings on Tuesday at dawn, after Palestinian farmers spent several days planting the crop in the Qaryut village south of Nablus, an official said. Ghassan Doughlas, Palestinian Authority head of the settler portfolio in the northern West Bank, told Ma’an that settlers from the illegal Hayovel outpost east of the village uprooted the olive crop, which Palestinian farmers planted for Earth Day. Abdul Nasser Al-Qaryuti, head of the village council, called on human rights organizations to intervene and halt settler assaults on Palestinian lands. No complaint was submitted to Israel’s Civil Administration, a spokesman said.
Huwwara detainees allege medical negligence
4/20/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Prisoners in the Huwwara detention center south of Nablus have accused the Israeli Prison Service of deliberate medical negligence, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said Tuesday. Detainees wrote to the society demanding that the International Society of the Red Cross and concerned organizations visit them urgently to review the IPS’ medical treatment policy and their situation. The prison doctor has not been available for several months, and detaineeshave not been allowed access to the medical examination room, they wrote. Detainees further said complaints of illness are not checked, and that they are only offered an over-the-counter analgesic by a nurse rather than access to a doctor. The society said prisoners complained of malnutrition, lack of drinking water, and insufficient meals, resulting in hunger. Moreover, detainees said the IPS still forbids relatives from bringing items of clothing during visits, adding that many were detained in overnight raids and were not given the opportunity to change clothes.
Union chief: Settlers stormed housing unit near Ramallah
4/20/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – A group of settlers broke into the General Union of Palestinian Workers’ housing complex on Monday evening north of Ramallah, causing damage to property, the union’s chief said. Water tanks belonging to the housing complex in Ein Sinyia were destroyed in the incident as well as surrounding property, according to Hassan Sharakeh, the head of the Palestinian union. The assailants remained in the area for approximately two hours before Israeli troops evacuated the area, he added. Sharakeh said the incident was the second in less than a month, and that nearby settlers had announced their intentions to appropriate the housing unit and create a settlement. The workers union sent several letters of complaint to the Palestinian leadership in Ramallah and human rights groups imploring them to condemn the acts and provide additional protection.
Gaza protesters test Israeli no-go zone
4/20/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Shots were fired after hundreds of Palestinians marched north of Beit Lahiya toward the Israeli military no-go zone in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. Local Initiative coordinator Saber Az-Za’aneen said residents began the rally from the Atatra village raising Palestinian flags and marching toward the barbed-wire fencing. Az-Za’aneen said a number of Israeli military jeeps surrounded the area where the rally was intended to take place and opened fire at them. No injuries were reported. An Israeli military spokesman said security forces operating in the same area spotted a group of Palestinians approaching the barrier along the northern Gaza Strip. The force fired warning shots in the air in an attempt to drive them away from the fence, the spokesman said. The group left the area without incident, the official added.
Israel army: 1 hurt by settlers near Nablus
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An Israeli soldier was lightly hurt in clashes with settlers in the northern West Bank on Tuesday, the army said. The soldier was hurt by a bottle of paint that was thrown at his face, an Israeli military spokesman said, alleging that residents of the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar had
attempted to reach the Palestinian village of Madama, south of Nablus, for reasons that were unclear. One of the settlers was detained at the scene for refusing to abide by a closed military zone order that was declared after Israeli forces arrived, the spokesman added. The unidentified detainee was transferred into the custody of the Israeli police, the official said. The tires of an Israeli military vehicle were slashed as more settlers arrived at the scene and began hurling rocks and attacking soldiers, according to the army official, who termed the incident a riot.
Unemployment highest in Khan Younis, Qalqiliya
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The unemployment rates in the Qalqiliya and Khan Younis governorates were the highest in 2009, a report from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) indicated Tuesday. The results showed a labor force participation rate as 41. 6 percent in 2009 compared with 41. 3 percent in 2008. Male participation was 67. 0 percent in 2009 compared with 66. 8 percent in 2008, and for women was 15. 5 percent in 2009 compared with 15. 2 percent in 2008. The results revealed that the unemployment rate in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2009 was 24. 5 percent, distributed as 24. 1 percent for men and 26. 4 percent for women. Unemployment rate in the West Bank reached 17. 8 percent; with 17. 6 percent for men and 18. 8 percent for women, whereas in the Gaza Strip unemployment rate reached 38. 6 percent; with 37. 3 percent for males and 45.
PJS condemns attack on Al-Jazeera car
4/20/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has condemned Sunday’s armed attack on the vehicle of an Al-Jazeera crew. The syndicate said in a statement on Tuesday that the driver, Ma’mun Othman, was driving home in the Samir area north of Jerusalem when he was attacked by four armed men late Sunday evening. One of the armed men reportedly exited a parked car and shot three bullets from a pistol at the Al-Jazeera vehicle. Abdul Nasser An-Najjar, the PJS secretary-general, demanded that police investigate the incident and put the suspects on trial. An-Najjar stressed that freedom of press “is sacred and no one should abuse it.”The syndicate serves as Palestine’s representative in the International Federation of Journalists.
EU funds child entertainment projects in Palestine
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Over the past three years, the European Union has been fundinga project helping Palestinian children in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip gain access to safe entertainment and games. The project was carried out by the British Save the Children organization and the Palestinian Tamer Institute for Community Education. The project is considered a success amongst schools, with students happily cooperating. Commenting on the project, headmistress of Azzun elementary girls school Nahida Shbeita says “The project started more than two years ago trying, in the first place, to help students get rid of stress and pressure from the overall dire conditions in Palestine. There have been no entertainment centers for the students to express themselves, and they found in this project an opportunity to release pressure and express their feelings.
EU project trains Palestinian olive farmers
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an -An EU project has helped small-scale Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank produce international standard organic olive oil for global sale and develop their trade. Some 800 olive farmers attended a series of courses on administration, trimming olive trees, harvesting, olive oil extraction and laboratory work, undertaken by the European Commission, OXFAM, the Union of Palestinian Farmers, and Bethlehem University’s Fair Trade Development Center. The number of indirect beneficiaries exceeds 2,900 farmers from more than 30 West Bank villages.”We learned several new things about olive trees and plant diseases and how to deal with them. We learned new picking and storage methods and much more through the project,” says Um Yazan, a Palestinian woman who benefited from the training. The Ma’an Network produced a documentary on the project, cataloging the success of Palestinian. . .
IBSA calls for urgent negotiations
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – India, Brazil and South Africa have called for the urgent resumption of talks leading to a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Palestinian state. In a statement on Monday, the Indian representative in Ramallah said a comprehensive peace process in the Middle East “must reach concrete progress on all tracks and [IBSA] reiterates their support to efforts aimed at reactivating talks between Israel, Syria and Lebanon.”An enlarged participation of the international community in this endeavor, the statement said, including developing countries with good relations with all parties, could bring “a fresh perspective to the peace process, and IBSA countries will actively support this process.” The Israeli government was strongly urged to freeze all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, “including natural. . .
Israel at 62: No apologies for Jerusalem building
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – As Israel marked the 62nd declaration of its statehood Monday evening, officials reiterated their commitment to a “unified Jerusalem,” Israeli media reported.”We will not apologize for building up Jerusalem our capital,” said Knesset speaker Reuven Rivlin during his Independence Day speech, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported. Since the announcement on the eve of US-brokered proximity talks between Israelis and Palestinians that further settlement expansion is expected in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel has reiterated its unwavering commitment to construction throughout the city despite international condemnation. However, Rivlin further told conveners that “[Israel’s] fear of the ‘other’ across the wall, especially in Jerusalem, whether Arab or ultra-Orthodox, goes against the Zionist spirit,” Haaretz reported.
Mash’al: Hamas won’t recognize Israel
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Hamas leader Khalid Mash’al said Monday that Arab officials had urged the movement to accept the International Quartet’s conditions and recognize Israel in exchange for amendments to the Egyptian-backed unity deal.”Whoever asks us to recognize Israel will be disappointed,” Mash’al, the senior-most Hamas leader said during a speech marking a week of Prisoners Day activities in Damascus, where he has lived since his August 1999 expulsion from Jordan.”I tell the Americans, the Zionists, and everyone. . . we will not succumb to your terms. We won’t pay a political price no matter how long the blockade lasts. God is with us and he will grant us victory.” Addressing Palestinian prisoners, the Hamas leader vowed to ensure their release.”All the laws of the world were not enough to release prisoners. They signed Oslo and many agreements after but thousands remained in the prisons of the enemy. . . .”
Sri Lanka calls on Israel to withdraw to pre-67 borders
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Sri Lanka on Thursday called on Israel to withdraw from the occupied Palestinian territories, saying sustainable peace could only be obtained if Israel were to retreat to the 1967 borders, end the blockade, illegal exp
ansion of settlements, and the construction of the separation wall. Sri Lankan Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Bandula Jayasekara, speaking at the UN Security Council, said his country believed that a resolution of the Palestinian conflict was crucial in restoring peace in the Middle East, and “therefore called on all sides to fully implement resolutions regarding both the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the two-State solution,” a statement read. While the relaxation of restrictions regarding the economic blockade in the occupied Palestinian territories are noted, there remain deep concerns about the daily suffering and hardship. . .
Lebanese military questions Palestinians over clashes
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A member of the Lebanese parliament filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine on Tuesday, Lebanese media reported. The National News Agency said MP Okab Sakr filed suit against the PFLP General Command’s media officer , Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Two Palestinians and a Lebanese national were interrogated by the military over clashes that erupted between members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine in Bekaa two weeks prior, Lebanese media reported Tuesday. The National News Agency (NNA) said Military Investigative Samih Al-Hajj carried out the interrogation and issued arrest warrants against the three detained men, adding thathe will resume the interrogation process on Thursday. Meanwhile, the same news agency reported that Lebanese MP Okab Sakr filed a lawsuit against PFLP Central Command media officer. . .
Diliani: Israel’s independence marks human catastrophe
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Fatah Revolutionary Council member Dimitri Diliani said Tuesday that Israel’s Independence Day celebrations marked a 62-year-old human catastrophe.” Over 8 million Palestinian refugees who lost their homes and were driven out of their country by Zionist militias are still living in the shadow of the catastrophic event that took place 62 years ago,” Diliani said in a statement. The Fatah official said Israel had failed to resolve the Palestinian refugee crisis in spite of UN resolution 194 that calls for the return of Palestinian refugees to their homes and their entitlement to compensation for “the hardship resulted from the establishment of the state of Israel and the suffering experienced.” Moreover, Diliani said, Israel has maintained its occupation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, since 1967, which “continues with more rigor. . .
Qatar weighs in on Palestinian unity deal
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Qatar has put forward a comprehensive initiative for Palestinian reconciliation with Egyptian, Syrian and Saudi support, the secretary of the Higher Follow Up committee said Tuesday. Khaled Abdul Majeed told the Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper from Damascus that the initiative includes Palestinian unity, the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and Palestinian prisoners, opening Gaza’s crossings and alleviating the siege imposed on the coastal enclave. A parallel proposal was put forward by Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa which involves identifying practical extensions to the Egyptian document, giving both Fatah and Hamas the guarantees they seek, Abdul Majeed told the newspaper. If both factions agree upon the deal, Fatah and Hamas will be invited to ratify the document in Cairo followed by other Palestinian factions, he added.
Doctors’ union sends fuel for Gaza hospitals
4/20/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Union of Arab Doctors’ Relief and Emergency Committee said Tuesday that it made an emergency delivery of 72,000 liters of industrial diesel to Gaza to cover the deficit in the Strip’s hospitals. De facto Health Minister Basem Na’im praised the move and the union’s “unique role” in supporting Palestinians in Gaza, providing a quick response to the fuel crisis faced in Gaza’s hospitals. Dr Muhammad Al-Alkook, the head of the committee, said the union is ready to support the health sector in Gaza and to provide what is needed to alleviate the effects of the blockade. [end]
Military medics mark 4 years of Hamas rule
4/20/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Palestinian Military Medical Services marched toward Gaza’s parliament building Monday, marking over four years since Hamas’ victory in the January 2006 general elections. Crowds of doctors, nurses, and administrative staff participated in the rally and were welcomed by a number of Palestinian Legislative Council members in Gaza City. Ahmad Bahar, the PLC’s deputy speaker, told gatherers that “the medical staff were able to prove themselves by providing distinctive health services and care for Gazans despite Israel’s blockade.”Abdul Qader Al-Arbid, general director of medical services, saidstaff “came today to assure [the government] that the medical services stand alongside Palestinian legitimacy.”
3 Bethlehem TV stations reopened
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Telecommunications reversed a decision to take three Bethlehem TV stations off the air on Tuesday, the city’s governor Fattah Hamayelsaid. Head of Information Services in Bethlehem Munjed Jado told Ma’an that the decision was revoked after station owners submitted the necessary documents and an agreement was reached with the ministry to allow them to continue broadcasting. Al-Mahed, Al-Ruah and Al-Kul TV stations were shut down after failing to apply to the Ministries of Interior, Information and Telecommunication for the necessary licenses after the PA launched a crackdown on radio and TV stations across the West Bank, operating without permits or on interfering frequencies. The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate called on Sunday for local radio and TV stations who have yet to conclude their permit registration in Palestinian Authority ministries to contact the union for assistance.
Teachers Union chief to meet Fayyad
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Secretary-General of the Teachers Union Mahmoud Suwan said Tuesday that a meeting will take place in the coming days between the secretariat and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to discuss teachers’ needs. Suwan said in a statement to Ma’an that after considerable efforts to resolve outstanding issues and to meet teachers’ needs, the anticipated meeting with the Ramallah-based Palestinian leader will resolve the dispute. The scheduled talks follow weeks of strikes and other protest actions across the occupied West Bank. [end]
Report: Abbas in poor health
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – President Mahmoud Abbas is in poor health, an Arabic-language newspaper reported Tuesday. The London-based daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that Abbas visited a private hospital in Jordan several times in recent weeks. According to the report, Abbas has received treatment in a special wing and has asked that doctors keep his illness under wraps. Fatah Central Committe member Azzam Al-Ahmad dismissed reports of any serious illness, but confirmed that doctors had indeed asked the Palestinian leader to rest for a few weeks. Last month, Abbas was lightly injured after falling in his hotel room in Amman, Jordan. Abbas, 75, has served as head of the PLO since 2004. He was elected president in 2005.
Fatah leader dismisses Abbas illness ‘rumors’
4/20/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas is perfectly healthy, a top Fatah official insisted Tuesday amid Arabic-language news reports that the PLO chief is seriously ill. Fatah Central Committee member Azzam Al-Ahmad dismissed as rumors a report by the London-based daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi that Abbas loyalists were covering up his condition. Al-Ahmad told Ma’an that Abbas’ doctors had asked the Palestinian leader to take it easy for six weeks after he was was lightly injured when falling in his hotel room in Amman last month. Al-Quds reported that Abbas has visited a private hospital in Jordan several times in recent weeks for treatment in a special wing, and that he has asked doctors to keep his illness under wraps. Abbas, 75, has served as head of the PLO since 2004. He was elected president in 2005.
‘Toxic’ plastic smuggled from settlements into Hebron
4/20/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority customs officers and police confiscated plastic materials smuggled from an Israeli settlement into Hebron on Tuesday. Officer Husam Khalayleh, the head of customs in Hebron, said the goods were seized at 2:00 am in a waste disposal truck in Hebron. The truck owner, from Nablus, said he was transporting waste but after inspecting the vehicle, police found nine tons of toxic plastic materials, banned by the Health Ministry. Khalayleh said that the smugglers and the truck driver were apprehended that an legal action will be taken against the suspects, pending completion of investigations. The head of customs said the smuggling of settlement goods into the occupied Palestinian territories was extremely dangerous.
Hamas leader vows to capture more Israeli soldiers
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Khaled Meshal: America’s insisting Hamas recognize Israel is to blame for failure of talks with Fatah.
U.S. Defense Department: Iranian missile may be able to hit U.S. by 2015
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Report: With Iranian support, Hezbollah replenished its arsenal beyond levels it had in 2006 war with Israel.
Egypt seeks UN pressure on Israel over nuclear arms
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Egypt wants regional conference against atomic weapons, seeks support of U.S., France, Britain.
Israel reopens embassy in New Zealand after eight-year absence
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – A group called ‘No Israel embassy in Wellington’ vowed to protest the embassy’s presence in Wellington.
World leaders congratulate Israel on Independence Day
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Dozens of leaders sent Peres, Israel greetings; Obama on Independence Day: Our ties will only strengthen.
Report: TV’s South Park targeted over depiction of Prophet Mohammed
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Revolutionmuslim.com: Show creators will ‘probably end up’ like Dutch filmmaker killed by extremist.
Rahm Emanuel: Now is not the time for a new Mideast peace plan
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – White House Chief of Staff tells Bloomberg TV the relationship between Obama and Netanyahu are ‘constructive.’
Turkey offers to mediate in Iran’s nuclear row with West
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Turkish FM in Iran for high-level talks; China: There is still room for diplomacy to resolve nuclear dispute.
State Dept.: U.S. unsure whether Syria sent missiles to Hezbollah
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Hariri responds to reports, repeated by President Peres, that Syria supplied Hezbollah with Scud missiles.
Lieberman: Jerusalem is our eternal capital, it will never be divided
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – FM tells diplomats that Israel has proven many times it is willing to pay a heavy price for peace.
Hamas burns sacks of addictive pain pills smuggled into Gaza
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Gaza’s Hamas rulers on Tuesday burned nearly 2 million pills of a painkiller many Gazans take recreationally because they say it relaxes them and provides temporary relief from the territory’s hardships. …
IDF soldier hurt in clashes with settlers in Yitzhar
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – An Israel Defense Forces soldier was wounded Tuesday during clashes between security forces and residents of the settlement of Yitzhar in the West Bank. …
Israelis throng to national parks to celebrate Independence Day
Ha’aretz 20 Apr 2010 – Hundreds of thousands of Israelis thronged to the country’s national parks on Tuesday as they celebrated the country’s 62nd Independence Day. …
IOF open fire at farmers in Khan Younis
20 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) ‚Äì Israeli soldiers at military towers opened today fire at the Palestinian farmers and citizens’ houses in east of Khan Youins. The Palestinian farmers were forced to evacuate their land to avoid the Israeli fire, no injuries were reported. Israeli tanks and bulldozers used to raid the area near the Gaza-Israel border from Kesofem,…
Israeli gunboats pen fire at Gazan fishing boats
20 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli gunboats opened fire today at Palestinian fishing boats sailing in northern Gaza waters, Palestinian sources said. The Israeli gunboats opened heavy fire towards dozens of Palestinian fishing boats anchored on Al-Sodaneya coastal area, north of Gaza Strip and no casualties were reported. Israeli gunboats stationed in the waters of Gaza target Palestinian…
Israeli settlers uproot 250 olive nurslings
20 Apr 2010 – Nablus, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) ‚Äì Israeli settlers uprooted today 250 olive nurslings in Qarout village south of Nablus. The official of West Bank settlements file, Ghassan Douglas, said that number of Israeli settlers uprooted today 250 olive nurslings which the Palestinians citizens plant in the Palestinian Land day. The president of Qarout village council, Abed Al-Naser Al-Qaruoti, confirmed…
Israel to demolish 3 houses, water reservoir in Hebron
20 Apr 2010 – Hebron, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli authorities delivered demolition warrants to Palestinian residents in Halhul village north of Hebron in the West Bank, notifying them of thier intention to demolish the
ir homes and water reservoir. Halhul Mayor Ziyad Abu Yousif said that Israeli forces riadedf Rumouz neighborhood in Hebron and notified Ahmad Awad, Muhammad Zamara and Dirar Zamara,…
Israel imposes house arrest on 3 Jerusalemites
20 Apr 2010 – Jerusalem, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) ‚Äì Israel imposed house arrest on three Jerusalemites while extended the detention of a fourth one. Al-Solh court in Jerusalem decided to impose the house arrest on three youths from Al-Thawri neighborhood and fining them with 2000 Shekel ($540 USD). It also extended the detention of the fourth youth. The Israeli occupation forces detained…
Abbas promises to confront deportations
20 Apr 2010 – Cairo, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) ‚Äì The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas vowed yesterday to confront Israeli military orders that could lead to deportations from the occupied West Bank. He confirmed that the Palestinian Authority will confront this order by all means. “Israel has no right to deport any Palestinian, and the Palestinian Authority will not allow it and will…
Palestinian largest “Musakhan “enters the world Guinness book
20 Apr 2010 – Ramallah, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) ‚Äì Thousands of Palestinians gathered on Monday at A’roora village, north of Ramallah to celebrate the ceremony of accepting the largest Palestinian “Musakhan”, loaf of chicken, into the Guinness book of world records. Jamal Al-A’roori, director of the project of baking the largest “Musakhan Loaf” said that the preparations for the project took one…
Palestinian killed, two injured in collapse of two tunnels
20 Apr 2010 – Gaza, April 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) ‚Äì A young Palestinian man died Monday evening after a smuggling tunnel collapsed in Gaza-Egypt border in southern Rafah. Mohammad Abu Shaar, 22, died while he was working inside a smuggling tunnel in Brazil area. He was transferred to Abu Yousif Al-Najjar Hospital in the town. Other two tunnels workers were injured today in…
Remembering Janet Lee Stevens, a Martyr for Palestinian Refugees
Uruknet April 20, 2010 – Dearest Janet, It’s a very beautiful fall day here in Beirut today. Twenty-five years ago this week since the massacre at the Palestinian refugee camps at Sabra-Shatila. Bright blue sky and a fall breeze. It actually rained last night. Enough to clean out some of the humidity and dust. Fortunately not enough to make the usual…
Settlers Install An Illegal Outpost On Palestinian Land In Hebron
Uruknet April 20, 2010 – 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. Local sources reported that the settlers came from the illegal Keryat Arba settlement in Hebron, and installed tents at the land of Al Botty…
Mash’al: Hamas won’t recognize Israel
Uruknet April 20, 2010 – Hamas leader Khalid Mash’al said Monday that Arab officials had urged the movement to accept the International Quartet’s conditions and recognize Israel in exchange for amendments to the Egyptian-backed unity deal. “Whoever asks us to recognize Israel will be disappointed,” Mash’al, the senior-most Hamas leader said during a speech marking a week of Prisoners Day activities…
“Introducing the MV Rachel Corrie”
Uruknet April 20, 2010 – The 1200-ton cargo ship had been abandoned in July 2009, off the coast of Ireland. She was then impounded after an inspection by the International Transport Federation (ITF) discovered her owners had exploited their Lithuanian crewmembers – not paying their wages and subjecting them to humiliating treatment, and they had been left with just one day…
Video: Helping traumatised Palestinian children
Uruknet April 20, 2010 – In occupied East Jerusalem, there has been a long history of clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinians protesting against evictions, house demolitions and illegal settlements. Many Palestinian children are left traumatised by the violence they see going on around them on a near daily basis. Al Jazeera’s Jacky Rowland reports from East Jerusalem, where a…
Deporting Gandhi from Palestine
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – The Israeli government’s recent announcement of Army order No. 1,650 was just the latest act of provocation in a series of calculated measures to derail any possible resumption of peace negotiations. Under this new draconian measure, anyone who doesn’t have a “permit” to be in the West Bank is to be considered an “infiltrator” and subject…
Custodial Death Marred Palestinian Prisoners Day
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – A young Palestinian man died in Israeli custody as hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of villages and towns across the West Bank and Gaza to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners Day on Friday, Apr. 16. Raed Abu Hammad, 31, was found dead in his prison cell late on Friday after spending the last 18 months in…
International activist arrested on false accusations in Sheikh Jarrah
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – 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…
From 1967 to 2006, Israel uprooted an estimated 2.5 million trees in the occupied territories
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – From 1967 to 1999, Israel uprooted an estimated 1,000,000 trees in the OT, and an additional 1,405,658 trees from 2000-2006 (source: Status of the Environment, Applied Research Institute ‚Äì Jerusalem (ARIJ), 2007). On the uprooting of trees following the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Meron Benvenisti wrote: “The destruction of hundreds of thousands…
ISRAEL CELEBRATES ITS INDEPENDENCE FROM HUMANITY
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – Tomorrow Israel will celebrate its Day of Independence. Thousands of Israelis will gather in parks and prepare the Hibachis which were carefully put away in storage a year ago. It’s a happy day for those very people that seem to be totally oblivious to the suffering which resulted from the Declaration which created the state. At…
Beit Sahour: a microcosm of Israeli colonization
Uruknet April 19, 2010 – Forced by Israeli construction in East Jerusalem, the US president delivers a “rare rebuke” of an ally. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu begins “construction of a new housing project in East Jerusalem” despite the risk of drawing “fierce, and possibly violent, Palestinian protest, along with international denunciations,” as reported by The New York Times. While this…
PA PRESIDENT RUMORED ILL
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – FATAH LEADER DISMISSES ABBAS ILLNESS CLAIMS Arabic-language news reports have surfaced in past 24 hours claiming PA President Mahmoud Abbas is seriously ill, prompting Fatah officials to dismiss rumors that the government is covering up the…
Hamas imposes ‘unreasonable taxes’ as Gaza weathers fiscal crisis
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – As if things weren’t bad enough in Gaza, the Hamas municipal government have begun levying taxes unheard of before on residents and business owners in Gaza, Xinhua reports. The Israeli blockade of Gaza, impose after the…
APN tells house: Israel shouldn’t be a political pawn
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – This morning APN sent the following message to all House offices: Dear [ ], This week Members of Congress are being pressed to cosponsor H. Con. Res. 260 – a resolution whose ostensible purpose is to recognize the…
Hamas will not recognize Israel, leader says
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mash’al announced Monday that Hamas has no intentions of recognizing Israel to speed along Palestinian political reunification or the peace process, Ma’an News Agency reports. Mash’al said Arab officials have been urging…
Arab MK Ahmed Tibi talks peace, racism, and the one-state solution
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – Tuesday Palestinian Center Executive Director Yousef Munayyer interviewed Palestinian MK Dr. Ahmed Tibi about Obama, settlements, the peace process, racism in Israel, and the possibility of a one-state solution, the Palestine Center reports. Excerpts from Dr….
Palestinian ‘Musakhan’ makes it into the record books
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – 40 cooks from across the West Bank showed off their enormous ‘musakhan’ (chicken loaf) in Aaroora village near Ramallah on Monday, Al-Arabiya reports. The loaf is the largest of its kind in the world and has…
POLYGAMY EN VOGUE IN GAZA
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – WHY SO MANY YOUNG GIRLS ARE BECOMING SECOND WIVES IN COASTAL PALESTINE By Mariam Hamed, special to Palestine Note I recently got in touch with my old friend Amal. I asked her what was new in…
New York airport ‚Äòblind’ to El Al racial profiling
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – Brothers win damages for abusive checks Two Israeli Arab brothers have won $8,000 in damages from Israel’s national carrier, El Al, after a court found that their treatment by the company’s security staff at a New…
15 years since Oklahoma bombing: The shift from “Arab” to “Muslim”
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – The bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995 was a milestone for American Arab relations. Immediately after the bombing, police and the public suspected the perpetrators were Arab. Voices who…
Elie Wiesel and the rest of us : Compassion on the cheap
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor, memoirist, and humanitarian took out a full page ad in the Washington Post last week defending Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s position on Jerusalem: it belongs to the Jews and that is…
Unemployment report: Highest instances are in Khan Younis, Qalqiliya
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics announced Tuesday that the highest unemployment rates across of the occupied Palestinian territories were in Khan Younis (Gaza) and Qalqiliya (West Bank) in 2009, Ma’an News Agency reports. Labor force…
National independence: Armed resistance is out, ‘peaceful strategy’ is in
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – Palestinians are are augmenting “top-down” negotiation gains with popular peaceful initiatives to end the occupation, American Task Force on Palestine founder and president Ziad Asali writes in the Guardian Monday. Citing Ghassan Khatib’s February 25 article…
British analyst Ali: US, insurgents can’t win Afghan war
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – By Jared Malsin New York ‚Äì Neither the US and its allies nor insurgents led by the Taliban can win the nine-year-old war in Afghanistan, leading British critic Tariq Ali told an audience in Manhattan on…
Iranian ayatollah: extramarital sex causes earthquakes
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – 2010’s devestating earthquakes are the result of women wearing immodest clothing, according to a senior Iranian cleric : “Many women who dress inappropriately … cause youths to go astray, taint their chastity and incite extramarital sex in society,…
The false religion of Mideast peace
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – On October 18, 1991, against long odds and in front of an incredulous press corps, U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III and Soviet Foreign Minister Boris Pankin announced that Arabs and Israelis were being…
Who paid for Elie Wiesel’s NYT ad?
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – Sunday’s New York Times featured, like many other American newspapers, a full-page ad from Elie Wiesel opposing Jerusalem’s repartition . Other copies of the a
dvertisement appeared in the International Herald Tribune and Wall Street Journal . Full-page ads…
Israel celebrates its 62nd anniversary: How do Palestinians deal with it?
Palestine Note 20 Apr 2010 – When I was a student leader at the University of Illinois in Chicago, I was always amazed at the polar-dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict and how it fed the conflict. Every year on May 14 th ,…
Three years after journalist 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…
Egypt reasserts Nile water rights
AlJazeera 20 Apr 2010 – Nile Basin Initiative members urged not to sign new agreement to share river’s water.
Syria warned on ‘missile transfer’
AlJazeera 20 Apr 2010 – US labels potential delivery of Scuds to Lebanon’s Hezbollah “provocative behaviour”.
Anger at Egypt MPs’ call for force
AlJazeera 20 Apr 2010 – Protesters condemn ruling party politicians’ call for police to open fire on activists.
Netanyahu says East Jerusalem demands ‘prevent peace’
PNN – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will not accept demands that Israel stop building in occupied East Jerusalem. Demands to halt building in the part of the city that Palestinians…
Anniversary of Israel no cause for celebration’
PNN – RAMALLAH // Israelis today mark the 62nd anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. As a national holiday, army checkpoints and crossings to the West Bank and Gaza Strip are shut…
Barak urges end to occupation
PNN – Ehud Barak, Israel’s defence minister, has said that his country must recognise that the world will not put up with decades more of Israeli rule over the Palestinian people. Speaking to Israel…
MIDEAST: Custodial Death Marred Palestinian Prisoners Day
IPS BEIT UMMAR, Occupied West Bank, Apr 19 (IPS) – A young Palestinian man died in Israeli custody as hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of villages and towns across the West Bank and Gaza to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners Day on Friday, Apr. 16.
International Solidarity Movement
Gazans fired upon with live rounds at nonviolent demo
4/20/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Israeli army shot several rounds of live ‚Äòwarning’fire at about 150peaceful protesters who entered the so called ‘security belt. ‘ This belt consists of 300 meters of Palestinian land alongside the borderline. Israelis enforce a no-go ‚Äòrule’for Palestinians with lethal weapons. As for the Israeli army, they cross to the Palestinian side regularly. Their tanks leave a fresh trail of destruction in the fields upon each incursion. The demonstration took place at noon, 19th April 2010, in the Nadha border area near the town of Rafah in the south of Gaza Strip. The organisers were the Popular Campaign Against the Buffer Zone, a coalition of people living and farming in a buffer zones across Gaza and a number of political parties and civil society organizations. A group of about 20 local women, some carrying pictures of their family members in Israeli jails and local residents, joined the march.
Spirit of resistance strong in Iraq Burin
4/20/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Local and international activists broadcast a message of protest against settler and military violence in Iraq Burin last Saturday 17 April, marching to the threatened farmlands that lie between the village and the illegal settlement of Bracha. The demonstration showcased the village’s spirit of resistance, refusing to waver in the face of severe military repression. Iraq Burin, touted by proud locals as the most beautiful village in Palestine (and agreed upon by international solidarity activists present) is situated just south of Nablus city, in the northern region of the West Bank. Local protesters, joined by ISM activists, assembled under a beaming midday sun at the southern edge of the village, facing the contested farmlands that lie between the village and the illegal Israeli settlement of Bracha. It was to these lands that demonstrators would march, and stake their rightful claim to.
IDF drafts pullback to pre-Intifada lines
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – Netanyahu to US: Stopping construction in Jerusalem is a nonstarter.
PM: Stop refined oil exports to Iran
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – Teheran announces approval of third enrichment plant.
‘Police will only notify us just before probe’
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – “They won’t coordinate it with us ahead of time,” says Olmert spokesman.
Yitzhar settlers clash with soldiers
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – 1 soldier lightly hurt; boy detained for slashing tires of army car.
Is an anxious Fatah behind bid to reshuffle PA cabinet?
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – Conflicting views over separation of party’s Central Committee, PA gov’t
Lieberman: J’lem remains indivisible
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – Quoting Begin, FM tells foreign diplomats Israel is ready for peace.
Lieberman: Jerusalem remains indivisible
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – Quoting Begin, FM tells foreign diplomats Israel is ready for peace.
Iranian missiles may reach US by 2015
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – Report by US defense officials says Iran’s military no match for US.
Mashaal vows to capture more soldiers
Jeruslalem Post 20 Apr 2010 – Hamas leader blames Israel for failure to close deal on Gilad Schalit.
Diliani: Israel’s Creation Marks 62-year-old Human Catastrophe
WAFA 20 Apr 2010 – JERUSALEM, April 20, 2010 (WAFA)- As the state of Israel celebrates its creation, over 8 million Palestinian refugees who lost their homes and were driven out of their country by Zionist
EUPOL Provides Logistics Support to PCP
WAFA 20 Apr 2010 – RAMALLAH, April 20, 2010 (WAFA)- EUPOL COPPS provides logistics advice to the Logistics Offices of the PCP at both, District and HQ levels with the aim of helping the Palestinian Civil Police (PCP)
Unemployment Highest in Qalqilia, Khan Younis
WAFA 20 Apr 2010 – RAMALLAH, April 20, 2010 (WAFA)- Unemployment rate registered the highest in Qalqilia governorate among the West Bank Governorates, while Khan Younis Governorate registered the highest among Gaza
Settlers Uproot Olive Trees in Qaryut
WAFA 20 Apr 2010 РNABLUS, April 20, 2010 (WAFA) – Jewish Settlers uprooted at night tens of Olive trees in West Bank village of Qaryut south of Nablus. Citizens shocked this morning when they saw their trees
IOF Prevents Palestinians to Demonstrate in Jerusalem
WAFA 20 Apr 2010 – JERUSALEM, April 20, 2010(WAFA) – Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) prevented tens of Palestinian citizens of Israel to demonstrate in commemorate the Nakba day. Palestinians citizens of Israel,
OCHA: Violence Escalation Highlights Fragility of Situation
WAFA 20 Apr 2010 – JERUSALEM, April 20, 2010 (WAFA)- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, yesterday, that “the sudden escalation of violence that swept across the occupied Palestinian
Letters: Cost to Palestinians of Israeli security
The Guardian 20 Apr 2010 – Next time Ron Prosor ( DNA of the Jewish state , 20 April) travels home, perhaps he should go to the Jerusalem bus station and take a No 36 out of East Jerusalem and into al-Azaria, and there…
Rubble, rocks, mud houses square up to Gaza housing crisis
Relief Web 20 Apr 2010 – Source: Agence France-Presse
ANALYSIS-No more bets in Middle East standoff
Relief Web 19 Apr 2010 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet
Zaken to give her version in Holyland case
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – Att. Fetman, counsel for Olmert confidant Shula Zaken, returns from US after presenting her with offer to testify against former prime minister
Israel at 62: This is how we celebrated
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – 800,000 take to Israel’s parks, forests, JNF campsites, while others celebrate at other sites throughout country. President, prime minister, chief of staff, defense minister, sing off key with IDF orchestra
World poll: Only 19% see Israel in positive light
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – Survey conducted in 28 countries on 29,000 respondents reveals that only Iran, Pakistan, North Korea have more negative perception than Israel. Most ‘loved’ country is Germany. ‘Obama effect’ has resulted in improvement in relations towards US for first time since 2005
IDF: Settlers beat soldier, hurl stones
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – Soldiers trying to block Yitzhar settlers from approaching Palestinian village get stoned, one soldier lightly injured. IDF says, ‘Violence towards soldiers intolerable, particularly on Independence Day’. In another incident, settlers vandalize Palestinian car entering Gilad Farm
Hundreds protest Nakba with Palestinian, Turkish flags
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – Hundreds of Arabs mark their ‘day of disaster’ with march on ruins of village of Miska, next to Tira. ‘Denying Nakba akin to denying Holocaust’
Lebanese PM says Scuds accusations like Iraq’s WMD
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – Saad Hariri denies allegations that Hezbollah obtained long-range missiles from Syria, compares charges to false American allegations of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq ahead of invasion
Hamas burns recreational drugs, taxes cigarettes
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – Gaza rulers burn nearly 2 million painkillers many residents of Strip take in search of relief from territory’s hardship
Indyk: Netanyahu must choose – Obama, or Right
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – In New York Times article, former US ambassador to Israel addresses root of political crisis between Washington and Jerusalem, says Obama views Iranian nuclear program, Israeli-Palestinian conflict as two sides of same coin while Netanyahu believes construction dispute only boosts Iran
Lieberman: Jerusalem not negotiable
YNet News 20 Apr 2010 – Speaking at diplomatic reception to mark Independence Day, foreign minister asserts Jerusalem’s status as Israel’s undivided eternal capital, says any attempt to impose peace will fail
Arab Israelis mark 62nd year since ‘Nakba’ saw 750,000 Palestinians dispossessed
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Thousands of Israel’s Arab citizens marked the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” that accompanied Israel’s creation, when some 750,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Protesters carrying Palestinian flags and signs with the names of destroyed Arab villages marched to the site
Turkey offers to act as intermediary on Iran swap
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 TEHRAN: UN Security Council member Turkey offered on Tuesday to help break a deadlock over an atomic fuel deal for Tehran and insisted that diplomacy is the
best way to resolve Iran’s nuclear crisis.”The solution for Iran’s nuclear program is through negotiations and the diplomatic process,” Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told a news
Gaza Strip housing projects at ground zero
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 GAZA CITY: Crushed rubble and rocks, recycled metal, tents, containers and “mud houses” make up blockaded Gaza’s modest answer to its housing crisis more than a year after the devastating Hamas-Israel war. “We are at zero. There are no projects, no major residential projects,” was the grim assessment of the response to Gaza’s pos-war
Egypt seeks UN pressure on Israel over nuclear arms
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 UNITED NATIONS: Israel may come under new pressure next month at a UN meeting on atomic weapons as the United States, Britain and France consider backing Egypt’s call for a zone in the Middle East free of nuclear arms, envoys said. The 189 signatories to the 1970 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) will meet at United Nations headquarters in
Hamas burns recreational drugs, taxes cigarettes in Strip
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip: Gaza’s Hamas rulers on Tuesday burned nearly 2 million pills of a painkiller many Gazans take recreationally because they say it relaxes them and provides temporary relief from the territory’s hardships. The disposal of the drugs comes days after the Islamic militant group confiscated cigarettes from Gaza shops to collect taxes
Iraq attacks will persist despite Al-Qaeda killings – analysts
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 BAGHDAD: The killing of Al-Qaeda’s top two leaders in Iraq will send shockwaves through the terror network, but mid-level commanders must also be removed if attacks are to stop, defense analysts said Tuesday. Abu Omar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayub al-Masri – both linked with Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden – died in a shootout Sunday near
Palestinian armed factions grave threat to Lebanon’s security – Ban
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 BEIRUT: The continued presence of Palestinian armed factions in Lebanon constitutes a serious threat to national and regional security, according to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The alleged transfer of Syria-exported Scud missiles to Hizbullah is also a major cause of international concern, the UN chief said. In his latest interim report on
Lebanon-Turkey trade sees decline in 2009
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 BEIRUT: Head of Beirut Traders Association Nadim Assi said Tuesday that Turkey’s exports to Lebanon amounted to $650 million in 2009 which is equivalent to 4.2 percent of the total Lebanese imports. “Lebanese imports from Turkey increased by 150 percent between 2006 and 2008, but they decreased in 2009 following the international drop
Lebanon-Syria ties need spring cleaning
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 Politicians gathered this week in Downtown Beirut to do two things. Senior bureaucrats huddled and headed for Damascus in order to review the bilateral agreements that have been in the news recently. Also, practically the entire political class turned out for a rather large reception hosted by the Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, a post that many never
Politicians on soccer pitch put on rare display of Lebanese unity
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri: “On the occasion of April 13, we confirm our complete commitment to the Taif Accord, which not only put an end to the Civil War but also laid down the guidelines toward fortifying national consensus and developing our political system.” “I also take this occasion to confirm what was mentioned in the Cabinet’s policy
Hundreds attend Syrian National Day celebrations at BIEL
Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 BEIRUT: Over 500 people are said to have turned out for the Syrian Arab Republic’s National Day celebrations, which were held at the Beirut International Exhibition and Leisure center on Monday. The event was hosted by the Syrian Arab Republic’s ambassador in Lebanon, Ali Abdel Karim Ali, and was attended by the very cream of Lebanon’s political
Abu Zuhri: Obama’s statement proves unlimited support for Israel
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said in a press release on Tuesday that American president Barack Obama’s statement on the occasion of Nakba affirmed his administration’s bias..
Masri: Shalit to be released only after captors conditions are met
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Hamas MP Mushir Al-Masri has affirmed that all attempts to blackmail or pressure the captors of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit had ended up in failure.
Bardawil: Reconciliation is frozen, no new initiatives
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Dr. Salah Al-Bardawil, one of Hamas’s leaders, said that there were no new Arab initiatives or moves concerning the Palestinian reconciliation, adding that the issue was frozen at present.
Mizan: IOF killed 13 Gazans, injured 62 in the past three months
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Al-Mizan centre for human rights issued its quarterly report on the Israeli violations of international humanitarian law against the Gaza people during the first three months of 2010.
Israeli gunboats target fishermen off Rafah coast
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Israeli gunboats opened fire Tuesday morning at Palestinian fishermen and their boats off the coast of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, without any reported injuries.
Ahrar: IPA imposes heavy fines on prisoners
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Ahrar center for prisoners’ studies said on Tuesday tha
t the Israeli prisons authority (IPA) started to follow a new repressive policy represented in imposing enormous fines on prisoners.
Jewish settlers uproot olive trees in Nablus, IOF soldiers terrorize Al-Khalil
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Tens of Jewish settlers stormed Palestinian cultivated land lots in Qaryut village, south of Nablus city, last night and uprooted olive trees and caused vast damage.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain call for lifting siege on Gaza
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have expressed concern over the continued Israeli siege on the Palestinian people especially in Gaza Strip and called for its immediate end.
Jordanians demand their gov’t to cut its ties with Israel
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – A number of Jordanian national figures called on their government to sever its relations with Israel in response to its decision to deport tens of thousands of Palestinians..
Abbas’s militia kidnap seven people including journalist
PIC 20 Apr 2010 – A Palestinian human rights source reported that Abbas’s militias kidnapped once again on Monday morning journalist Muhannad Salahat, the representative of Rased human rights organisation.
Hariri Rejects Israeli Accusations About Scuds
New York Times 20 Apr 2010 – Lebanon’s prime minister dismissed Israeli accusations that Syria has been providing Scud missiles to the Hezbollah militia in his country.
Iran Mutes a Chorus of Voices for Reform
New York Times 20 Apr 2010 – Iranian authorities suspended two prominent opposition political parties, banned a newspaper and handed down prison sentences to three reformist political figures.
U.S. Speaks to Syrian Envoy of Arms Worries
New York Times 20 Apr 2010 – The Obama administration summoned the ranking Syrian diplomat in Washington to register concern about accusations that Syria transferred arms to the radical Islamic group Hezbollah.
“Occupied Palestine, Dexia involved”
Palestine Monitor – Since 1967, Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank (and Gaza). But besides the military occupation of the Palestinian territory, Israeli authorities have been building and expanding settlements, on Palestinian land, confiscating properties and destroying daily life of several communities. How does this process work? Why…
Why Israel Should Not Be Allowed To Join The OECD
Palestine Monitor – The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) does exactly what its name suggests. The group, established in its current form in 1961, states that its mission is essentially “to help governments and society reap the full benefits of globalisation, while tackling the economic, social and…
Why ‚Äòhafrada’ shouldn’t replace apartheid in our discussions about Israel/Palestine
Mondoweiss – Andrew Kadi responds to the earlier post ” Maybe we should rename apartheid ‚Äòhafrada’? “: Aside from the various points being made in the comments section, it seems folks have overlooked a very serious reason that apartheid should be the term used with regard to Israel:…
Walt and Mearsheimer just scratched the surface
Mondoweiss – Are you watching MSNBC?!? Donny Deutsch is hosting (I guess he’s in for the suspended David Shuster ) and he’s doing a segment on Israel/Iran. Sole guest: Alan Dershowitz, who calls Israel “the perfect ally” and suggests Obama is another Neville Chamberlain. Deutsch laps it all up….
Israel’s global standing continues downward spiral, but many don’t grasp why
Mondoweiss – BBC News released its annual poll of citizens of 28 countries’ attitudes towards other nations two days ago, and the news isn’t good for Israel. Israel can count Iran, Pakistan and North Korea as company—only these countries are less favorably viewed around the world than Israel….
How Ohio Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy learned to stop worrying and love the lobby
Mondoweiss – One of newly-elected Ohio congresswoman Mary Jo Kilroy’s first votes was her January 9, 2009 “Yea” on H.R. 34, the Gaza war resolution “Recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself against attacks.” I live in Kilroy’s Columbus district and wrote to express my disappointment, but did not…
Maybe we should rename apartheid ‚Äòhafrada’?
Mondoweiss – Hannah Schwarzschild was one of the organizers of Saturday’s teach-in in Philadelphia that one participant bowed out of because its title was “Israeli Apartheid.” And she has suggested that people pushing for Palestinian freedom adopt the term “hafrada” over apartheid. Hafrada is the Hebrew word for…
Articles
Declare Independence. Free Israel. End the Occupation.
Bradley Burston, Ha’aretz4/20/2010
Shimon the Tzadik, the righteous, the just, the saintly, was one of the last of the Great Knesset. He used to say: The world continues to exist because of three things: Torah, Worship, and Acts of Lovingkindness. – Talmud, Pirkeh Avot
SHEIKH JARRAH, East Jerusalem – It’s taken us years and years, but we’ve finally realized the dream of every Israeli.
It was my wife who noticed. “I really like this,” she said one Friday as we left the house, “getting out and going to a foreign country every weekend.”
Our fellow Israeli Jews, inveterate world travelers that they are, literally go out of their way to avoid this place, which is called East Jerusalem. Some steer clear because it scares them, others simply because it feels so, well, foreign.
In the end, what they miss out on, is the view from here. If just once they’d make the trip. On a clear day, they could see their own future.
This is not just any neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Just as the settlers here, with their Baruch Goldstein celebrants, are not just any
settlers, nor the anti-settlement protest held here each Friday, a demonstration like any other.
More than any other area of the Holy Land, this is the place where Israelis gather regularly to declare their independence from Occupation.
Here, because Sheikh Jarrah is where the settlement movement has come to die. The settlement named for Shimon the Just, is where the Occupation has begun to write its own ending.more..e-mail
Independence Day: 26,6356; 3,500, 1,500, 1,455
Baha Hillo, Ma’an News Agency4/19/2010
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 ceremonies around the country.
Yom Hazikaron as the Israelis call it, begins with silence and sirens that mourn the deaths of soldiers, but when the mourning is over, the celebration begins. The celebration of Israel’s ‚Äòstrength,’ and of all the wars it has won: a celebration of racism and apartheid.
That the day of the fallen soldier, and the celebration of the so called victories of the state of Israel are celebrated during the same week as the Holocaust Memorial Day, is a travesty. The narrative string that starts with the Holocaust, passes through the death of those who fought for the state, and ends in celebration.
It is the Zionist narrative, it takes the Holocaust out of Europe and brings it to the Middle East, with Israelis declaring that they must defend the state, that Zionists must rally and defend against the enemy, this time the Arabs.
By juxtaposing the Holocaust Memorial Day with Israel’s Yom Hazikaron/Independence Day, the Arabs become those who are denying Jewish existence. In fact, however, it is the very same narrative that denies Palestinian existence.
The way the story is told means that when Palestinians assert their right to exist, they activate a constructed binary that somehow denies Jewishness.
Palestinians everywhere have to put up with the reality of being oppressed, expelled, occupied, divided, fenced in, controlled and so on, without being allowed to commemorate their miseries, or , god forbid, try to repair them. This is very clear when it comes to certain historic events like the Nakba (the Catastrophe of 1948).more..e-mail
Iran’s Disarmament Conference: The Power of Logic
Eric Walberg, Dissident Voice4/20/2010
The logic of power is still overriding the power of logic, quipped the head of Iran’s Atomic Organisation Ali Salehi at the “Nuclear Energy for All, Nuclear Weapons for None” disarmament conference in Tehran last weekend. He was referring to US foreign policy, in particular, nuclear. Taking this elegant formulation a step further, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says nuclear-armed states such as the United States should be removed entirely from the IAEA and its Board of Governors. Iran’s president called for the formation of a new international body to oversee nuclear disarmament, or at least the reinvigoration of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Twenty-four foreign and deputy foreign ministers and official representatives from 60 states, including China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iraq, and Turkey came to Tehran, with the glaring exception of the US and Israel, though they were invited along with everyone else. The conference was a direct reply to Washington’s refusal to invite Iran to its own Nuclear Security Summit last week, which attracted the attention of 47 leaders, and focused ‚— more cynically ‚— merely on international control of all nuclear-related activity.
Obama’s conference was limited to efforts to protect weapon-usable nuclear materials (notably spent fuel from Ukraine) to safeguard against nuclear terrorism, and endorsed Obama’s call for securing all nuclear materials around the globe within four years to keep them out of the grasp of terrorists.
This is an echo of the 1946 Baruch Plan by the US to force a prostrate world into accepting US control of nuclear power/ weapons. A threadbare demand by the only country which has actually used nuclear weapons in battle ‚— against innocent civilians. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said, “The one and only nuclear criminal in the world now falsely claims to be fighting against the spread of atomic weapons but has definitely not taken and will not take any serious action in this regard.”more..e-mail
Video: US Jews break Israel’s “Law of Return”
Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 – As US Jews, we have an automatic right to Israeli citizenship under Israel’s “Law of Return,” while many Palestinians have not been able to return home in over 60 years. It is not right that we may “return” to a state that is not ours while Palestinians are excluded and continuously dispossessed.
Gil Scott-Heron: don’t go to the moon
Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 – In an open letter to musician Gil Scott-Heron, The Electronic Intifada’s Matthew Cassel urges him to cancel his upcoming concert in Tel Aviv: “Your scheduled concert in Tel Aviv is in direct violation of the call by Palestinian civil society for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. A similar boycott, which you full-heartedly supported, was called for in South Africa and helped bring an end to apartheid in that country.”
El Al sued for racial profiling
Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 – Two Palestinian citizens of Israel have won $8,000 in damages from Israel’s national carrier, El Al, after a court found that their treatment by the company’s security staff at a New York airport had been “abusive and unnecessary.” Jonathan Cook reports.
Israeli forces besiege Prisoners Day commemoration
Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 – BEIT UMMAR, occupied West Bank (IPS) – A young Palestinian man died in Israeli custody as hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of villages and towns across the West Bank and Gaza to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners Day on Friday, 16 April.
Book Review: Norman Finkelstein’s “This time we went too far”
Electronic Intif
ada: 20 Apr 2010 – Despite Israel’s attempts to spin its 2008 Gaza invasion, global public opinion of Israel has sunk to an all-time low. In his latest book, “This Time We Went Too Far ,” Norman Finkelstein argues that Gaza marked a turning point in public opinion reminiscent of the international reaction to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre in South Africa. Ziyaad Lunat reviews for The Electronic Intifada.
“Occupied Palestine, Dexia involved”
Palestine Monitor: 20 Apr 2010 – Since 1967, Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank (and Gaza). But besides the military occupation of the Palestinian territory, Israeli authorities have been building and expanding settlements, on Palestinian land, confiscating properties and destroying daily life of several communities. How does this process work? Why has a financial group like Dexia invested in activities related to settlement expansion? Intal, a Belgian solidarity movement, produced a short documentary illustrating the nature of Dexia’s relationship with settlement construction. The filmmakers, Bruno and Pierre Lempereur, spent three months touring the West Bank. Palestine occup?©e – Dexia impliqu?©e | Isra?´l koloniseert – Dexia financiert from intal info on Vimeo . The video is part of a Belgian campaign called “Occupied Palestine, Dexia involved ” http://www.intal.be/fr/campagne/pal… Further info about Dexia on: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDet… http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=50988 http://www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_…
Why Israel Should Not Be Allowed To Join The OECD
Palestine Monitor: 20 Apr 2010 – The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) does exactly what its name suggests. The group, established in its current form in 1961, states that its mission is essentially “to help governments and society reap the full benefits of globalisation, while tackling the economic, social and governance challenges that can accompany it.” It claims to be ” committed to democratic government and the market economy” and it aims to bring together like-minded governments from around the world to: ” Support sustainable economic growth; Boost employment; Raise living standards; Maintain financial stability; Assist other countries’ economic development; Contribute to growth in world trade”. Further, it “provides a forum where governments can compare and exchange policy experiences, identify good practices and promote decisions and recommendations.” The OECD now has 30 member states with plans to add new members soon. In May a vote will be held in which it will be decided whether or…
Remembering Janet Lee Stevens, a Martyr for Palestinian Refugees
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Apr 2010 – By Franklin Lamb This letter was written to Janet Lee Stevens on the 25th anniversary of the Sabra & Shatila Massacre, on Sept. 14, 2007, from Martyr’s Square, Shatila Camp Dearest Janet, It’s a very beautiful fall day here in Beirut today. Twenty-five years ago this week since the massacre at the Palestinian refugee camps at Sabra-Shatila. Bright blue sky and a fall breeze. It actually rained last night. Enough to clean out some of the humidity and dust. Fortunately not enough to make the usual rain created swamp of sewage and filth on Rue Sabra, or flood the grassless burial ground of the mass grave (the camp residents named it Martyrs Square, one of several so named memorials now in Lebanon) where you once told me that on Sunday September 19, 1982, you watched, sickened, as families and Red Crescent workers created a subterranean mountain of butchered and bullet-riddled…more
The Arabs, Weak by Choice
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Apr 2010 – By Hasan El-Hasan Nation-states living in the area from Morocco to Iraq including the Arabian Peninsula share a distinct culture and history, and speak Arabic, albeit with hundreds of dialects. Arab nationalism is “ingrained in the soul of Arab individuals based on the sentiments of a glorious past”, but Arab unity today is needed to deal with challenges posed by the twenty-first century Orientalism. European colonialists divided the region, planted the State of Israel, drew the borders and supported its ruling regimes after stripping them of their Arab legitimacy in favor of tribal and local nationalism; and the region remains hostage to its imperialist past. Each state within this region has developed its own realities, laws, culture and history that have grown over the years, and developed its own interests which in many cases are not shared by others. The establishment of a strong union of these nations that can…more
New York Airport ‘Blind’ to El Al Racial Profiling
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Apr 2010 – By Jonathan Cook – Nazareth Two Israeli Arab brothers have won $8,000 in damages from Israel’s national carrier, El Al, after a court found that their treatment by the company’s security staff at a New York airport had been ‘abusive and unnecessary’. Abdel Wahab and Abdel Aziz Shalabi were assigned a female security guard who watched over them at the airport’s departure gate for nearly two hours, in full view of hundreds of fellow passengers, after they had passed the security and baggage checks. Later, El Al’s head of security threatened to bar Abdel Wahab, 43, from the flight if he did not apologise to the guard for going to the toilet without first getting her approval. Abdel Aziz said he had been humiliated and “cried like I’ve never cried before in public”. Although surveys of Arab citizens, who comprise one-fifth of Israel’s population, show that most have suffered degrading…more
End Occupation Then Start Negotiations
Palestine Chronicle: 20 Apr 2010 – By Sam Bahour US President Barack Obama is about to take a political leap on the Palestine/Israel issue. Many American presidents took similar leaps and each and every one of them fell flat on their faces. The leap is the launch of a new US peace initiative that promises, yet again, to bring the stubborn Palestinian-Israeli conflict to an end. Obama would be well advised to learn from all the other infamous US initiatives as he frames his own. There is absolutely nothing news-breaking in the news of a fresh US peace initiative. Palestinians and Israelis have been on the receiving end of so many such plans that they can usually accurately predict the content before they receive them. This time, however, expectations are not so clear. The way Obama has been dealing with this issue since taking office has been far from traditional. The hope is that the substance…more
The New Dark Age 
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