News
International Middle East Media Center
Nine Wounded In Silwan
IMEMC – 5 May 2010 – Palestinian medical sources reported Wednesday that nine Palestinians were wounded during clashes with Israeli soldiers, undercover forces and policemen in Silwan town, south of the Al Aqsa mosque in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli-Palestinian Indirect Talks Pending PLO Approval
IMEMC – 5 May 2010 – The Palestinian Librations Organization Executive Committee will convene on Saturday to decide on resuming indirect talks with Israel mediated by Washington.
Israeli Troops Detain 12 Palestinian Civilians During Morning Invasions
IMEMC – 5 May 2010 – At least 12 Palestinian civilians were detained by Israeli soldiers during morning military invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities on Wednesday.
Israeli Tanks And Bulldozers Invaded Southern Gaza Strip Areas
IMEMC – 5 May 2010 – A number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded farm lands close to the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah boarders with Israel.
Katz: “Settlement Construction Will Resume In September”
IMEMC – 5 May 2010 – Israeli Transportation Minister, Yisrael Katz, stated that a full pace of settlement construction and expansion in the occupied West Bank will resume directly after the temporary settlement freeze ends on September 1.
US: “Jerusalem Issue To Be Discussed At Final Stage Of Negotiations”
IMEMC – 5 May 2010 – As indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks are to start Wednesday, advisor to U.S. President, Barack Obama, stated that the issue of Jerusalem would be discussed during the final stages of negotiations.
Settler Leaders Demand Withholding P.A Money For Boycotting Settlement Products
IMEMC – 5 May 2010 – Leaders of the settler movement in the occupied West Bank demanded the Israeli government to withhold all funds meant for the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank for boycotting settlement products and for forbidding the Palestinian workers from working in Jewish settlements.
Medics: 9 injured in Silwan clashes
5/5/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Nine Palestinians were injured in clashes between residents and Israeli police forces in the flashpoint neighborhood of Silwan, occupied East Jerusalem, medics said. Ma’an’s correspondent said violence erupted as Israeli police forces fired rubber bullets and tea-gas canisters, reporting that one individual was lightly injured after being hit….
Settler accused of killing Palestinians declared unfit to stand trial
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A settler accused of murdering two Palestinians is unfit to stand trial, an Israeli psychiatrist said in an evaluation quoted Tuesday in the Israeli press. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that Yaakov Teitel, a resident of the illegal settlement of Shvut Rachel, was charged last November with….
Medics: Gaza man dies in tunnel collapse
5/5/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian laborer was killed Wednesday after a smuggling tunnel collapsed along the border between Egypt and Gaza. Muawiya Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency services at Gaza’s Health Ministry, told Ma’an that the body of 20-year-old Ibrahim Abu Lehia arrived at a hospital in the south….
Center says prison guards applying punitive measures
5/5/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an -Head of the Detainees’ Studies Center said Monday that the Israeli Prison Service applied a number of punitive measures against Palestinian detainees over the past week. Ra’fat Hamdounah said detainees were banned from family visits, and others were transferred from detention centers without the required ruling from an….
Gaza executions prompt collaborator surrender
5/5/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israel intelligence collaborators in Gaza are turning themselves in to de facto security forces following two executions in April, security sources said Wednesday. One security official told the Al Majd Info website that the Gaza government had received a number of phone calls from collaborators seeking amnesty. Relatives….
Report: Israel violates Lebanon airspace
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The Lebanese army issued a statement on Wednesday that an Israeli plane violated Lebanese airspace on Tuesday morning, Beirut-based news media reported Wednesday. The military, quoted by the news agency Now Lebanon, said the aircraft was an Israeli reconnaissance plane that flew over the coastal town of….
Israel’s accession to OEDC — An open letter
5/5/2010 – Israel is currently seeking membership to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which has repeatedly been rejected due to its human rights record. The following is an open letter penned by various Palestinian human rights NGOs. To the distinguished representatives of OECD Member States Dear Sir/Madam, It….
Abbas: Indirect talks to last 4 months
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – US-brokered proximity talks with Israel will tackle final status issues first, with borders and security at the top of the agenda, President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday. The Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership will meet with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell on Saturday to inform him of their readiness for….
Report: Settlers place razed house blocks on Netanyahu’s doorstep
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli residents of the illegal West Bank settlement of Shavei Shomron placed the blocks of buildings demolished by Israeli forces in front of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house on Wednesday, Israeli media reported. The rubble was also placed before the homes of Israeli Defense Minister Ehud….
PA sets deadline to end settlement work
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority is working in full swing to make sure no laborers will be working in Israeli settlements by the end of 2011, PA Minster of National Economy Hasan Abu Libda said Tuesday.” There are currently 25,000 Palestinians who make their living from working in Israeli settlements….
Israel court seeks answers on settlement outposts
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israel’s High Court of Justice issued an injunction Wednesday requiring the state to explain why it has not followed through with evacuating every illegal outpost built on Palestinian land in the West Bank, news reports said. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the cou
rt, Israel’s highest, made….
Turkish ceramics for Al-Aqsa await Israeli OK, says official
5/5/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli authorities have reportedly prohibited the entry of 168 boxes of ceramics donated by the Turkish government for refurbishment works on the Al-Aqsa Mosque, director of the Jerusalem endowments office said Sunday. Sheikh Azzam Al-Khatib said the ceramics were banned by Israeli authorities because the government claims full….
2 Gaza crossings partially open
5/5/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli authorities decided to partially open two commercial crossings into Gaza on Wednesday. Raed Fattouh, a Palestinian liaison official, said approximately 134 truckloads of goods including five trucks of plastic pipes for the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility would be allowed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing in….
2 Palestinians released from Israeli custody
5/5/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli authorities released two Palestinian detainees from detention centers in Israel, the Palestinian Detainees Center said Wednesday. Fawzi Qawariq, from the Orta village in Nablus, was released late Tuesday night after serving six years in various Israeli detention centers, the PDC said, while Muhammad Mustapha, from the same….
Medics: Misfired weapon kills Gaza toddler
5/5/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian girl died Wednesday after a gun belonging to a relative misfired in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, medics said. Two-year-old Batoul Kalab was pronounced dead on arrival from a single gunshot wound to the head, medical official said. It was not immediately clear if the relative….
Israel: PLO delaying talks ‘for no real reason’
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli officials expressed disappointment Tuesday that the Palestinians had not yet announced their agreement to begin proximity talks. An Israeli official quoted by the Israeli daily Haaretz on Wednesday said the PLO was delaying the announcement “for no real reason.”A senior Israeli source told the newspaper….
Hard times for Gaza-based Fatah official
5/5/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Muhammad Muheisin Shahada, a Fatah official from Gaza who once received a salary from the Palestinian Authority for his work at the media office of the movement’s Al-Aqsa Brigades says he has not received pay for three years. Shahada is 31 years old, married and the father of….
Fatah spokesman arrives in Gaza
5/5/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Fatah spokesman Fayiz Abu Aita traveled from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, in a rare visit to the enclave controlled by the rival Hamas movement. Abu Aita was visiting Gaza to check up on his father, who suffered a stroke Tuesday. After entering via….
Bethlehem prepares for 2nd Palestine Investment Conference
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority cabinet allocated 485,000 US dollars to Bethlehem councils, southern West Bank, for local improvements and renovations ahead of the Second Palestine Investment Conference scheduled for June. Bethlehem Governor Abdul Fattah Hamayil met on Wednesday with mayors and heads of village councils to inform them of….
Fayyad launches Palestinian media award
5/5/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced Wednesday the launch of an annual award for outstanding reporting in Palestinian media. Fayyad told reports during his weekly press briefing on Palestinian media that he saluted Palestinian journalists on World Press Freedom Day, considering the event “very important for Palestinian journalists. On….
American dance ensemble performs in Bethlehem
5/6/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Aspiring dancers in the occupied West Bank took advantage of a unique opportunity over the weekend, when US officials brought a New York-based dance ensemble into Bethlehem for a workshop and performance. On tour in the region and participating in the ongoing Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival Related:TWIP: Ramallah Contemporary Dance FestivalandYaa Samar! Dance Theatre
Palestinian Christians mark St George’s Day
5/5/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Over 500 Palestinian Orthodox Christians visited St George’s Church on Wednesday in the Bethlehem village of Al-Khader, the Arabic for George, to mark the saint’s feast. Celebrations were further held across churches in the West Bank named after Saint George and in the Bethlehem village, both Christians and….
UN watchdog wants Israel to join NPT
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – IAEA seeks international input on persuading Israel to join treaty Washington – The UN’s nuclear watchdog is seeking international support in persuading Israel to join the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) in a step that will likely put…
Israel seizes human rights officer
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – Human rights officer Izet Sahin appears in an undated file photograph [Photo: Jewish Voice for Peace] Israeli authorities arrested Palestinian human rights advocate Izet Sahin at the Bethlehem-Jerusalem military checkpoint last week, the group Jewish Voice…
Iraq: Maliki and rival form Shia bloc
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – Amid a manual recount for the March election, Iraqi incumbent PM Nouri al-Maliki has teamed up with his chief Shia rivals in the Iraqi National Alliance, Al-Jazeera English says. Nouri al-Maliki The new Shia bloc is…
Mitchell, Netanyahu meet ahead of talks
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – US mideast envoy George Mitchell met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in the run up to expected indirect peace negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Israeli daily Haaretz reported that the…
Berkeley, CA: Right-wing Jews deface progressive rabbi’s home
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – The home of Rabbi Michael Lerner was defaced late Sunday night, Bay-area KTVU News reports. Pro-Israel Harvard University law professor Alan Dershowitz Lerner is the editor of progressive Jewish magazine Tikkun , and the magazine believes “right-wing…
Egypt fails to protect girls from ‘sex tourism’
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – Poverty, exploitation, and thin anti-trafficking laws are allowing young Egyptian girls to be sold into temporary marriage to Arab tourists from the Gulf, IRIN News reports. Fliers warning against and advertising trafficking women A 14-year-old Egyptian…
Settlers use army to drive out Palestinians
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – In a recent West Bank incident, a group of settlers from the nearby Maskiot settlement set up a “protest” tent aside a tent home belonging to Bedouin herdsmen, Haaretz ‘s Amira Hass reports . Bedouin women cooking…
Jewish terror suspect declared ‘unfit,’ trial postponed
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – Israeli Yaakov (Jack) Teitel was arrested on terror charges last November. Set to be tried, the Jerusalem district psychiatrist says Teitel is unfit to stand trial, Haaretz reports. Teitel is a resident of West Bank settlement…
Are Saudi women getting behind the wheel?
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – Saudi-owned Elaph online magazine recently announced women may be permitted to drive in the kingdom within two months, the Guardian ‘s Fahad Faruqui reports . Women in Saudi Arabia are required to cover everything but the hands…
PA announces 2011 deadline to end settlement employment
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – The West Bank government says no Palestinian will be employed on any settlement by the end of next year PA Minister of National Economy Hasan Abu Libda said the government is working to ensure no Palestinian…
Hamas condemns Israel negotiations
Palestine Note 5 May 2010 – The Hamas government in Gaza announced Tuesday that it rejects any effort to enter negotiations with Israel “under Israeli pressure and American conditions” at its weekly cabinet meeting, Ma’an News Agency reports. Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh…
Obama renews Syria sanctions
AlJazeera 4 May 2010 – US president calls country an “extraordinary threat” to US security and foreign policy.
Iran to stage new Gulf ‘war games’
AlJazeera 4 May 2010 – Navy to begin eight days of manoeuvres, less than two weeks after its last round.
Apology over Lebanon lynching death
AlJazeera 5 May 2010 – Lebanon’s justice minister has apologized for an angry mob that killed an Egyptian man accused of murder.
Abbas gives peace talks four months
AlJazeera 5 May 2010 – The Palestinian president says “proximity talks” with Israel will last four months.
Police: Olmert may have passed alleged bribe money to his brother
Ha’aretz – Former PM Olmert is suspected of having given his brother, Yossi, some of the alleged bribes from Holyland affair.
IN PICTURES / Samaritan pilgrims pray at West Bank holy site
Ha’aretz – According to tradition, the Samaritans are descendants of Jews who were not deported when the Assyrians conquered Israel.
Children’s book author: Gilad Shalit stole my story
Ha’aretz – Shelly Elkayam sues Shalit family for plagiarism, says she deserves royalties just as Gilad deserves to be released.
Two children injured after tree falls on kindergarten playground
Ha’aretz – Teacher heard the tree breaking and rushed the children out of the playground before it fell.
Beit Shemesh municipality official arrested in Holyland affair
Ha’aretz – Motti Hota, the Beit Shemesh town manager, is suspected of having accepted bribes during the development of the Holyland residential project.
21st century Israel more educated, tech savvy, survey says
Ha’aretz – As of 2008, 22.9% of Israelis earned a college degree, a rise from 14.3% in 1995.
Knesset panel slams lack of Arabs in government agencies
Ha’aretz – MK Tibi: Absence of Arabs in these positions means Arabs aren’t included in ministries’ decision-making processes.
Settlers devise new strategy to scare away Palestinian neighbors
Ha’aretz – Dozens of settlers set up a ‘protest’ tent next to a tent belonging to Bedouin herdsmen on Palestinian land.
Fifth suspect arrested in connection to fatal attack of Be’er Sheva teen
Ha’aretz – Boy allegedly killed by girlfriend’s step dad during brawl; police arrest girl for purportedly giving false testimony.
Nick Clegg to Haaretz: I admire Israel, but won’t stop criticizing its government
Ha’aretz – ‘We must distinguish clearly between the Israeli people and certain actions of the Israeli government,’ says the Liberal Democrat leader ahead of British elections.
UN nuclear watchdog seeks to persuade Israel to join NPT
Ha’aretz – IAEA chief is seeking international input on implementing a resolution that demands Israel accede to treaty.
UN Security Council permanent members back nuke-free Mideast
Ha’aretz – U.S., Russia, Britain, France a
nd China voice support for ‘full implementation’ of nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
Netanyahu and Mitchell hold talks in ‘good atmosphere’
Ha’aretz – Lieberman doubts Palestinians’ intentions for proximity talks; Abbas says it will be hard to work with the ‘radical and stubborn’ Israeli government.
Brazil FM: We haven’t offered to mediate in Iran nuclear row
Ha’aretz – Ahmadinejad agrees ‘in principle’ to Brazil mediation, says Israeli threats won’t stop Iran’s nuclear program., High Court of Justice had accepted Palestinian petition claiming outpost built on private land, but more structures have popped up there since the 2008 demolition.
Syria gave advanced M-600 missiles to Hezbollah, defense officials claim
Ha’aretz – Army intelligence worried by Lebanese militants’ growing rocket arsenal – but says Syria has a genuine desire to strike a peace deal with Israel.
Israel: Palestinians stalling kickoff of proximity peace talks
Ha’aretz – Source in U.S. administration says it now appears a Palestinian announcement will come only on Saturday, after PLO meet.
Jailed PFLP leader: Only a one-state solution is possible
Ha’aretz – Ahmad Saadat, currently serving 30 years in Israeli prison, believes peace talks will deepen Palestinian rift.
Settlers intend to vandalize mosques, defense officials learn
Ha’aretz – Settlers to protest the destruction of outposts and official measures taken against fellow right-wing activists.
Abbas laying the groundwork for failure of proximity talks, intelligence boss claims
Ha’aretz – Abbas’ goal is to show that Israel does not want peace, Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz told a Knesset committee.
Egyptian official: Israel-Hamas prisoner swap negotiations in standstill
Ha’aretz – JCall co-founder David Chemla says some pressure is actually helping Israel’s image in Europe., Obama: Nations that violate NPT will be less secure, more isolated; Western delegates walk out as Ahmadinejad addresses UN summit., Sources said Israel is weighing whether to permit armed Palestinian police to patrol towns, including Abu Dis., Obama calls PM just hours after U.S. envoy George Mitchell arrives in Israel; Netanyahu briefs Egyptian president on plans for negotiations, expected to begin Wednesday., The lawyers hope that the return of the documents will help end the matter and allow Haaretz reporter Uri Blau to return to Israel., Annual report of the IDF Ombudsman reveals the army received 6,100 complaints from soldiers, 60% of which were justified.
Israel conducts limited raid in Khan Younis
5 May 2010 – Gaza, May 5, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces raided today a limited area in Al-Frahen to the east of Khan Younis, in central Gaza Strip. According WAFA news agency, four bulldozers and five tanks invaded 400 meter in Al-Frahen area near the borders with the Palestinian occupied land of 48. The bulldozers razed agricultural lands, the sources added….
IOF besiege a house in Jericho
5 May 2010 – Jericho, May 5, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupying forces surrounded early today the house of Mounir Shaaban El Aidi, who is a prisoner in the Israeli jails, while 15 members of his family of children and women are living in it. Witnesses said that the Israeli occupation forces, for the second time in a week, are digging near the house…
Fatah spokesperson reaches Gaza today
5 May 2010 – Gaza, May 5, (Pal Telegraph) Dr. Fayez Abu Eita, spokesman of Fatah movement, arrived Gaza today through “Erez”, which is located in “Beit Hanoon” at the northern of Gaza Strip. Abu Eita said upon arriving, that the visit comes after the deterioration of his father’s health, who suffered a stroke yesterday, adding that “Gaza is a part of my Palestine…
Kuwaiti solidarity delegation leaves Gaza today
5 May 2010 – Gaza, May 5, (Pal Telegraph) The Border Crossings Authority announced today that a Kuwaiti delegation left the Gaza Strip through Rafah crossing after a visit that lasted 3 days. The Kuwaiti delegation visited the Gaza Strip via Rafah crossing last Sunday consisting of 5 persons headed by MP Abdul Mohsen Al-Qattan. The visit of the Kuwaiti solidarity delegation comes to…
Israel opens fire towards houses in Rafah
5 May 2010 – Rafah, May 5, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces opened fire today toward the citizens’ houses in Rafah. Local sources told WAFA news agency that the Israeli soldiers centralized in the military towers opened heavy fire towards the citizens’ houses in Al-Nahda neighborhood in east of Rafah. The Israeli soldiers opened random fire from heavy shotguns which caused heavy…
Israel detains 10 Palestinians in the WB
5 May 2010 – West Bank, May 5, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained today 10 Palestinians from Nablus and Toubas in the West Bank. Local sources reported that Israeli forces raided Boureen and Tal villages in Nablus where they detained nine Palestinians and then transferred them to unknown place. In Boureen the IOF detained three brothers Mohammed, Raed and Rostom…
1, 451 Palestinians kidnapped in four months
Uruknet May 5, 2010 – Specialist in prisoners’ affairs Abdelnasser Farwana said that Israel kidnapped during only four months 1, 451 Palestinians including nine women and 100 children under age 18. Farwana added in a report that most of the arrests took place in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem except for 28 arrest incidents in the Gaza Strip in addition…
The Israeli Military Shells Residential Areas In Gaza City
Uruknet May 4, 2010 – Israeli tanks shelled on Tuesday residential areas near Gaza City and farm lands close to the borders with Israel. Witnesses told local media that tanks shel
ls caused damage in property but reported no injuries among civilians. Meanwhile army tanks also fire at farmers close to the eastern Gaza borders with Israel and forced to leave their…
General Election: Shhh‚Ķ don’t mention the Occupation
Uruknet May 4, 2010 – In the run-up to Britain’s general election we’ve heard next to nothing about Middle East policy from the three main party leaders in their much-publicised debates on TV. They have studiously avoided all mention of the outrage in the Holy Land and the way it impacts so directly on world peace. The plight of the Palestinian…
Boycott puts the squeeze on Jewish settlers
The National 5 May 2010 – The Palestinian Authority hopes the campaign will economically undermine illegal communities while increasing demand for Arab goods.
International Solidarity Movement
Youth against Settlements organizes another successful demonstration in the heart of Hebron
5/5/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Youth Against Settlements – 4 May – On Saturday 1st May 2010, Youth Against Settlements held the second of their new, weekly, non-violent demonstrations in the heart of the Old City of Hebron. The demonstration calls for the opening to Palestinians of Shuhada Street and freedom of movement for all Palestinians in….
Ten arrested from the W.B; Tanks Attack Farm Lands In Gaza
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura — PNN- Ten Palestinian civilians were arrested by Israeli troops on Wednesday during morning invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities. Palestinian sources reported army raids at the cities…
Settlements Products Boycott Campaign Starts In Israel
PNN – Mayssa Abu Ghazalih — Jerusalem – PNN Exclusive- Eamaar for Economic Development Association started on Wednesday a Settlements Products boycott campaign inside Israel. The campaign, titled “I am Boycotting”, will focus on…
Obama is Insisting on Building Trust As A Precondition for Working With Israel
PNN – By Daoud Kuttab – The US is the only world power that can help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace. Few dispute the unique American standing. For the US to be able to…
Israeli-Palestinian Indirect Talks Pending PLO Approval
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura — PNN – The Palestinian Librations Organization Executive Committee will convene on Saturday to decide on resuming indirect talks with Israel mediated by Washington. The U.S envoy to the Middle…
The Palestine Festival of Literature 1 – 6 May, Day Two: Nablus
PNN – By William Sutcliffe – I have never before given a reading in a Turkish bath. Nor have I given a reading to a room packed to the rafters with a buzzing audience…
Human Right Group Condemns Killing of Child By The PA
PNN – Hebron – PNN- The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights issued a statement on Wednesday condemning the killing of a child by Palestinian security forces in the southern West Bank city of Hebron….
Arab Israelis boycott W. Bank goods
Jeruslalem Post 6 May 2010 – “We are part of the Palestinian people,” Kafr Kana leader says.
‘Special regime for sharing J’lem’
Jeruslalem Post 6 May 2010 – Peace group suggests joint control by Israel, PA.
Arab Israelis launch boycott of settlement goods
Jeruslalem Post 6 May 2010 – “We are part of the Palestinian people,” Kafr Kana leader says.
‘PA negotiating with US, not Israel’
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – Mitchell meets PM as Abbas allocates 4 months for the negotiations.
‘Israel should follow Czech example of two-state solution’
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – Peres and visiting Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohut strengthen ties between Jerusalem and Prague.
Minor projects on agenda as J’lem c’tee quietly meets
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – “Nothing too controversial being discussed,” says Peace Now.
First-ever int’l missile defense conference held in TA
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – Speakers from Israeli arms manufacturers Rafael, Elisra and Israel Aerospace Industries discuss the importance of US-Israel cooperation.
Ya’alon: No trading land for terror
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – Vice PM says W. Bank settlements aren’t what hinders peace.
Hizbullah received hundreds of Syrian missiles
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – Baidatz: Recent transfers are only the tip of the iceberg
Nuke-free ME on UN agenda
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – Egypt’s UN envoy: Opportunity of NPT conference must be seized.
Analysis: J’lem watches the rise of Nick Clegg
Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 – Candidate last year: “We must stop arming Israel.”
Syria: UNRWA Open Day Showcases New Initiatives
WAFA – DAMASCUS, May 5, 2010 (WAFA)- UNRWA’s Damascus Training Centre (DTC) celebrated its annual Open Day Tuesday, to showcase achievements in technical and vocational training, to promote its youth
Palestinian NGOs: Put Israel’s Accession to OECD on Hold
WAFA – RAMALLAH, May 5, 2010 (WAFA)- Palestinian Human Rights NGOs Council called on the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) putting the accession process on hold pending a fuller
EU Contributes €21 M to help PA Maintain Basic Services
WAFA – JERUSALEM, May 5, 2010 (WAFA)- Less than a m
onth after a World Bank report called for improved sustainability and predictability of financial support by the donor community to the Palestinian
Tomorrow Hearing of Appeal for Restoration of Ownership over Al Arakib
WAFA – TEL AVIV, May 5, 2010 (WAFA)- Tomorrow morning there will resume at the Beersheba District Court the hearing of Nuri al Okbi’s appeal for restoration of his ownership over the Al Arakib land from
Richard Goldstone | My mandate on Gaza was even-handed, my loyalty is to justice
The Guardian 5 May 2010 – It would have been hypocritical for me not to speak out about Israeli violations of international law simply because I am Jewish At the outset let me say that I have taken no pleasure in seeing…
PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT
Relief Web 5 May 2010 – Source: UN Department of Public Information
Palestine Plan 2009-2010 (MAAPS001) Annual Report 2009
Relief Web 5 May 2010 – Source: IFRC
European Union contributes €21 million to help the Palestinian Authority maintain basic services through regular payment of salaries and pensions
Relief Web 5 May 2010 – Source: European Union
Palestinian Human Rights NGOs Council Letter: Israel’s Accession to the OECD
Relief Web 5 May 2010 – Source: Al-Dameer, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, Defence for Children International/Palestine Section
Rabbi Froman: Judaism opposes mosque arson
YNet News – Rabbi visits mosque Palestinians claim was torched, says he will bring settlers….
NATO missile official cites cooperation with Israel
YNet News – Israel hold preliminary technical talks with NATO that could lay groundwork for….
Abbas gives peace talks 4 months
YNet News – Palestinian president says indirect talks with Israel must focus on key issues….
Ahmadinejad vows Iran will continue nuclear program
YNet News – President Ahmadinejad tells ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ Iran will ‘definitely….
Syria slams US renewal of sanctions on Damascus
YNet News – Duputy FM Mekdad says sanctions show Washington ‘has lost its credibility’;….
Iran begins new military maneuvers in Persian Gulf
YNet News – Velayat-89 exercise in Strait of Hormuz, Sea of Oman to last eight days and….
Washington Post warns Obama against pressuring Israel
YNet News – WASHINGTON — The Washington Post warned US President Barack Obama Wednesday against applying too much pressure on Israel as proximity talks with the Palestinians begin. …….
IAEA chief focuses on Israel
YNet News – The head of the UN atomic watchdog is asking for international input on how to persuade Israel to join the Non-Proliferation Treaty, in a move that is sure to add to …….
Police suspect Olmert gave brother bribe money
YNet News – Police and the State Prosecutor’s Office are currently investigating whether former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert transferred ill-gotten funds to his brother, Yossi, who …….
Settlers wish destruction on Barak’s home
YNet News – Creative response: Settlers from Shavei Shomron scattered building bricks near the homes of the prime minister, defense minister, and Minister Moshe Ya’alon, a day after …….
‘Netanyahu-Mitchell meeting constructive’
YNet News – Proximity talks with the Palestinians have yet to be launched in practice, Jerusalem officials said on Wednesday, after a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin …….
US among major powers backing Mideast nuclear-weapons ban
Daily Star 5 May 2010 The US, Russia, Britain, France and China on Wednesday voiced support for making the Middle East a nuclear-arms-free zone, which would mean Israel would have to scrap any atomic bombs it has, as US Mideast envoy…
France refuses to extradite Iranian engineer to US
Daily Star 5 May 2010 PARIS: French court on Wednesday turned down a US request to extradite an Iranian engineer accused of buying electronic parts and exporting them illegally to Iran for use by the military.The decision to release Majid Kakavand…
Morocco invites UN resolution on W. Sahara
Daily Star 5 May 2010 RABAT: Morocco welcomed Tuesday a UN resolution on the disputed Western Sahara as confirming that negotiations should focus on autonomy and not outright independence.”Resolution 1920 [-] fits perfectly the Moroccan vision and approach,” Foreign Minister Taieb…
Angry Egyptian protesters make camp outside Parliament
Daily Star 5 May 2010 CAIRO: Mervat Rifai, a 34-year-old mother of three, has like dozens of other civil servants and laborers been camping outside Egypt’s Parliament building for weeks demanding better working conditions.She, like her fellow campers who have made…
Prosecution to question Egypt author for Coptic ‘insult’
Daily Star 5 May 2010 CAIRO: An Egyptian author whose book enraged the Coptic Church said on Wednesday he was wanted for questioning by the state security prosecution on suspicion of maligning the Christian faith.Public prosecutor “Abdel Magid Mahmoud has referred…
Israel’s supreme court demands state explain illegal outpost
Daily Star 5 May 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the state 90 days to explain why it had failed to carry out an order to demolish an unauthorized settlement outpost built on private Palestinian land. In 2005…
Iran accepts Brazil mediation to revive atom deal
Daily Star 5 May 2010 TEHRAN: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has agreed “in principle” to Brazilian mediation to revive a UN-brokered nuclear fuel swap deal with world powers, the semi-official Fars news agency said on Wednesday. The powers see the deal…
Palestinian Information Center
Break siege ships to head to Turkey, Greece then Gaza, Khudari hails step
PIC 5 May 2010 – European vessels loaded with relief material to the Gaza Strip would first head to Greece and Turkey in mid May to group with other boats boarded by solidarity activists en route to Gaza.
Hamas parliamentary bloc hails Turkish withdrawal from Israel friendship society
PIC 5 May 2010 – Hamas’s change and reform parliamentary bloc on Wednesday hailed the honorable stand of Turkish lawmakers who withdrew from the Turkish-Israeli parliamentary friendship committee.
IOF limited incursion damages crops in southern Gaza
PIC 5 May 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided east of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip, on Wednesday amidst indiscriminate shooting, locals reported.
Ghoul: Shalit’s freedom conditional to release of old-serving prisoners
PIC 5 May 2010 – Justice minister Mohammed Al-Ghoul said that resistance is the best means to secure liberation of Palestinian prisoners from IOA jails topped by those serving high sentences.
Barhoum: American financial backing to Abbas a “bribe”
PIC 5 May 2010 – The American administration’s donation of 150 million dollars to Mahmoud Abbas’s authority in Ramallah immediately after his acceptance to return to negotiations was a “bribe”, Fawzi Barhoum said.
Resheq: The Burning of Luban mosque dealt a blow to the Arab follow-up committee
PIC 5 May 2010 – Ezzat Al-Resheq denounced the arson attack on a mosque in Luban Al-Sharqiya village, saying this crime dealt a blow to the Arab follow-up committee who approved the resumption of talks with Israel.
Shitrit: My gov’t rejects the establishment of a Palestinian capital in J’lem
PIC 5 May 2010 – MK Meir Shitrit confirmed his government’s rejection of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state in any future negotiations, suggesting establishing it outside the old city.
1, 451 Palestinians kidnapped in four months
PIC 5 May 2010 – Specialist in prisoners’ affairs Abdelnasser Farwana said that Israel kidnapped during only four months 1, 451 Palestinians including nine women and 100 children under age 18.
Collaborators turn themselves in to Palestinian security in Gaza
PIC 5 May 2010 – A high-level security source said that a number of Shabak agents turned themselves in to the Palestinian security apparatuses in Gaza after two spies working for Israel were recently executed.
Abu Zuhri: Mitchell’s visit preparing for ceremonial talks
PIC 5 May 2010 – The visit of George Mitchell is meant to bring together the Ramallah authority with the IOA at a largely ceremonial negotiating table, Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, said.
Indirect Talks Delayed While Waiting for Palestinian Approval
The Media Line 4 May 2010 – The indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinians that were due to kick-off on Wednesday might not get started this week at all. Approval from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has not yet been forthcoming and…
Israel Charges Two Soldiers with Using a Boy to Open Possibly Rigged Packages
The Media Line 4 May 2010 – Two Israeli soldiers with the rank of staff sergeant were charged in military court on Tuesday with forcing a Palestinian boy to open boxes that were suspected of having been rigged with explosives. The incident involving…
Sophisticated M600 Missiles Put Tel Aviv in Range of Hizbullah
The Media Line 4 May 2010 – Syria has provided Hizbullah with a supply of M600 missiles during the past year according to the head of research for Israel’s military intelligence. The Syrian copy of an Iranian design has a range of 187…
On Israel, Jews and Leaders Often Disagree
New York Times 5 May 2010 – Reaction to President Obama’s policies shows a divide between traditional American Jewish leaders and the community as a whole.
Rabbi Moshe Hirsch, Israel Opponent, Dies at 86
New York Times 4 May 2010 – Rabbi Hirsch led an Orthodox sect that believes that God and Jewish law forbids a Jewish state until the Messiah comes.
Checkpoints
Palestine Monitor – “The right to freedom of movement provides that people are entitled to move freely within the borders of the state, to leave any country and to return to their country.” Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 12 of the International Covenant…
Norman Finkelstein: Too Far This Time
Palestine Monitor – GRITtv recently featured “American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein”, a documentary about scholar and professor Finkelstein’s struggles with the larger intellectual community and the US’s Israel policy. Finkelstein joined GRITtv to talk about the film, the current state of U.S./Israel relations, and his new book….
A Journey Through A Ghost Town
Palestine Monitor – “The following photos were taken in Hebron, occupied West Bank both inside and on the immediate outskirts of the Old City. At the time, I was on a medical mission with Surgical Volunteers International, funded in part by Smile Train and sponsored by the Palestinian Children’s…
A ‚Äòhistoric opportunity at hand’ tonight as UC San Diego votes on divestment
Mondoweiss – Anfal Awwad, Benjamin Balthaser, Oliver Burchill, Amal Dalmar and Aaron Dimsdale write in the UCSD newspaper The Guardian about the UCSD divestment resolution that will be voted on tonight: We have a historic opportunity to stop our university from contributing to the violation of human rights….
Look into the terrifying face of the enemy
Mondoweiss – Scary, huh? This is Izzet Sahin, founder of a human rights office in the West Bank , arrested by Israel last week as he was passing through the Bethlehem checkpoint—and then taken into Israel. Oh, and he’s a Hebrew student. Who’s reporting on this in the U.S.,…
Pot calls kettle apartheid
Mondoweiss – I understand the latest attacks on Richard Goldstone will involve his service as a judge in apartheid days. The Jerusalem Post has picked up an investigation by Yedioth, an assertion that Goldstone condemned blacks to their deaths in Apartheid South Africa. They’re desperate. Hasbara folks are…
Producer of ‚ÄòBudrus’ set his sights on—
Mondoweiss – I keep saying that the Israel lobby, whose power the lobby itself poo-poos, is a giant tower of Jewish history whose chronicles will fill library shelves one day when it’s no longer controversial. Dershowitz, Philip Roth and John Mearsheimer have all written about it. The day…
Now, Goldstone is trying to delegitimize US sovereignty (and maybe impose Sharia law too)
Mondoweiss – Brooke Goldstein speaking at the Lawfare forum at Fordham Law School last week. She’s at the neoconservative Hudson Institute. Again I challenge the reporters, follow the money. Why is Fordham bending over for this type of craziness. Wow: It is also very important when analyzing any…
Articles
Two Little Girls: Murder in the Jordan Valley
International Solidarity Movement5/5/2010
We stopped by the roadside at the spot where the two little girls had been killed. Their blood still stained the cushion on which they had been sitting, fragments of the military jeep which had rammed their father’s tractor still littered the ground. Janaa Fakha (8), her sister Maasa (5) and their brother Hussein (9) never saw what hit them as they waited for their father to take them from the family fields to their home in the small village of Al Ain al Baida in the northern Jordan Valley. Al Ain al Baida (the White Spring) is one of the few remaining Palestinian villages here. Its inhabitants scratch a living from what remains to them of their lands in this fertile and beautiful area.
That April day Emad Fakha had taken three of his four children to help in the fields after school, something they enjoyed, a treat. The children had climbed into the “basket” on the ground at the rear of the tractor, ready to be lifted up. Emad was preparing to start the motor when an Israeli military jeep swerved off the road, at speed, and rammed into the tractor from behind. While Hussein was thrown clear and suffered only a broken leg, the little girls didn’t stand a chance. With the body of one sister draped obscenely over its front bumper, the jeep reversed for five or six metres and then rammed once again into the tractor. What might have been a tragic accident is thus revealed for what it was — a cold-blooded murder.
Their jeep undriveable and so unable to escape, the soldiers threatened Emad with their rifles. More soldiers arrived but it was 25 minutes before the Israeli police reached the scene. The soldiers claimed that it was “an accident”, but Israeli citizen Eliazer Salam, from the settlement at Yama, who had witnessed the entire incident from his car, testified that the jeep driver had not applied his brakes at any stage and had, indeed, swerved off the road and accelerated into the tractor.
The jeep’s driver was arrested but there has been no news that he is to face any charges in a court of law. When I asked the family whether there would be an inquest (explaining that this was the usual procedure in Western, democratic countries) they didn’t understand the term. They have no recourse to the protection of the law, as we know it….more..e-mail
Can You Pass The Iran Quiz?
Jeffrey Rudolph, CounterCurrents4/30/2010
What can possibly justify the relentless U.S. diplomatic (and mainstream media) assault on Iran ?
It cannot be argued that Iran is an aggressive state that is dangerous to its neighbors, as facts do not support this claim. It cannot be relevant that Iran adheres to Islamic fundamentalism, has a flawed democracy and denies women full western-style civil rights, as Saudi Arabia is more fundamentalist, far less democratic and more oppressive of women, yet it is a U.S. ally. It cannot be relevant that Iran has, over the years, had a nuclear research program, and is most likely pursuing the capacity to develop nuclear weapons, as Pakistan, India, Israel and other states are nuclear powers yet remain U.S. allies—indeed, Israel deceived the U.S. while developing its nuclear program.
The answer to the above-posed question is fairly obvious: Iran must be punished for leaving the orbit of U.S. control. Since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, when the Shah was removed, Iran, unlike, say, Saudi Arabia, acts independently and thus compromises U.S. power in two ways: i) Defiance of U.S. dictates affects the U.S.’s attainment of goals linked to Iran; and, ii) Defiance of U.S. dictates establishes a “bad” example for other countries that may wish to pursue an indep
endent course. The Shah could commit any number of abuses—widespread torture, for example—yet his loyalty to the U.S. exempted him from American condemnation—yet not from the condemnation of the bulk of Iranians who brought him down.
The following quiz is an attempt to introduce more balance into the mainstream discussion of Iran.
Iran Quiz Questions :
1. Is Iran an Arab country?
2. Has Iran launched an aggressive war of conquest against another country since 1900?….more..e-mail
On Iran, the U.S. is Painting Itself into a Political and Moral Corner
Rodrigue Tremblay, Dissident Voice5/5/2010
This confrontation [between the forces of the Apocalypse and Israel] is willed by God, who wants to use this conflict to erase his people’s enemies before a New Age begins.— U.S. President George W. Bush (in a 2003 conversation with French President Jacques Chirac)
Preventive war was an invention of [Adolf] Hitler. Frankly, I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked about such a thing.— Dwight D. Eisenhower
We don’t desire any nuclear proliferation in our region, and our policy is well known regardless of which country has such programs. For us it doesn’t matter whether it is Israel or Iran. I will call on the international community, which is so sensitive toward Iran, to pay attention to Israel, too.— Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s Prime Minister
Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.— The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
By now, most everybody knows that the (2003-) Bush-Cheney Iraq War was based on fiction and on deception. There was no such thing as “weapons of mass destruction” in Iraq, the rationale for an illegal attack against that country. And Bush II and his accomplices knew that.
But incredibly, just as the Bush-Cheney administration did in order to launch a war against Iraq in 2003 by (falsely) alleging that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, the Obama-Biden administration, in 2010, is arguing for unilateral sanctions against Iran and even beating the drums of war against Iran, alleging that its program to enrich uranium and operate nuclear power plants is posing an existential threat to Israel, to Europe and to the United States.more..e-mail
injured: time doesn’t heal all wounds
In Gaza: 5 May 2010 – The terms “injured” and “wounded” deserve more attention. Over 4,500 injured in 2008-2009 the Israeli war on Gaza. 350 injured in the 27 February — 3 March 2008 Israeli military invasion operation dubbed “Hot Winter”. Abdul Rachman Abu Oida was one of these injured. * Abed, 16, in a Cairo hospital in 2008. His life will never be the same. Even now, two years since being shot in his spine by an Israeli sniper, Abed is suffering from various organ failures, let alone the fact that he will never walk again and that sitting in a wheelchair can only be done sparingly due to the pressure it puts on his broken spine. In 2008, from Cairo, I wrote about Abed : At 11:00am on 2 March, Abed stood on the roof of his family’s home, observing as Israeli tanks overran the area. No curfew had been announced, and he was unaware of…
A Journey Through A Ghost Town
Palestine Monitor: 5 May 2010 – “The following photos were taken in Hebron, occupied West Bank both inside and on the immediate outskirts of the Old City. At the time, I was on a medical mission with Surgical Volunteers International, funded in part by Smile Train and sponsored by the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. When I wasn’t working at the hospital, my free time was spent observing the cultural interactions of Palestinians in their daily lives in the West Bank.” Anthony Karen / A Palestinian woman makes her way through the Old City of Hebron / / A young Palestinian boy makes his way through a checkpoint outside the Ibrahim Mosque / The beginning of A-Shuhada Street, just outside the Ibrahim Mosque. Israeli restrictions on Palestinians in Hebron began with the closure in 1994 of A-Shuhada Street to traffic and commerce, disallowing vehicles and shuttering shops along this main artery through the commercial center of Hebron. / A group of settlers…
Norman Finkelstein: Too Far This Time
Palestine Monitor: 5 May 2010 – GRITtv recently featured “American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein”, a documentary about scholar and professor Finkelstein’s struggles with the larger intellectual community and the US’s Israel policy. Finkelstein joined GRITtv to talk about the film, the current state of U.S./Israel relations, and his new book. Published by Or Books, This Time We Went Too Far explores the possibility that the December 2008 invasion of Gaza has caused a significant shift in the international community—including the American Jewish community—opinion of Israel. / For more info about GRITtv: http://www.grittv.org/
Ending the Hypocrisy of Lebanon’s ‘Voice for Palestine’
Palestine Chronicle: 5 May 2010 – By Franklin Lamb – Beirut This year, the Merry Month of May in Lebanon includes Labor day, the May 15 anniversary of the Nakba, the month-long Lebanese municipal elections and the May 5 elevation of Lebanon to the presidency of the United Nations Security Council. Yet, for most Palestinians whiling away their lives in Lebanon’s 12 fetid refugee camps and 27 gatherings, May will pass anything but Merry. The festive Labor day and month long elections, held in the 26 municipalities in Lebanon, with the participation of more than 650 glad-handing -vote seeking candidates extolling the Lebanese virtue of working to provide for one’s family, constitute a cruel joke for Palestinian refugees denied the right to work. The May 15th anniversary of the Nakba reminds the World that Lebanon’s “camp Palestinians”, approximately 15 per cent of the 750,000+ who were ethnically cleansed by Zionist gangs six decades ago, suffer an…more
Proximity Talks: Turning the Other Cheek
Palestine Chronicle: 5 May 2010 – By George S. Hishmeh — Washington DC By choice or coincidence, Barak Obama and Mahmoud Abbas find themselves this week in the same boat, thanks to the mischief of Benjamin Netanyahu. The American and Palestinian leaders have turned the other cheek helplessly, and seemingly adopted the choice offered in the Christian doctrine which favored a non-violent response to an aggressor. One explanation of this doctrine, among many, is that to turn the other cheek is neither humiliating nor retaliation but “rather a response of s
trength that says: ‚ÄòI will not seek revenge because I am stronger than that.’” True or not, we will find out in the next four months when and if these proximity talks, scheduled to start this month between the Palestinians and Israelis, are supposed to end with the launching of direct peace negotiations after a hiatus of 18 months. The consensus among Palestinians, Israelis and others…more
Soldier Committed Abuse Against Palestinian Detainees
Palestine Chronicle: 5 May 2010 – By Stephen Lendman The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PACTI – stoptorture.org) calls ‘torture and ill treatment of any kind … incompatible with’ moral democratic values. It “advocates for all persons” in Israel and Occupied Palestine to protect them from abusive treatment of all kinds. In June 2008, its report titled, “No Defense: Soldier Violence against Palestinian Detainees” is just as relevant today, perhaps more so given Israel’s intensified violence and abuse in Gaza and the West Bank in the past year. PACTI interviewed detainees and participating soldiers, included media reports, IDF provided information, and comments of political figures regarding these practices. Observed was a phenomenon dating back decades, and, of course, remains ongoing today. Hence, the report’s relevance and need to discuss it. Especially since September 2000 (the beginning of the second Intifada), “the number of arrests has been unprecedented. Thousands of Palestinians are arrested each year….and are executed…more
UK General Election: Shhh … Don’t Mention Israeli Occupation
Palestine Chronicle: 5 May 2010 – By Stuart Littlewood — London In the run-up to Britain’s general election we’ve heard next to nothing about Middle East policy from the three main party leaders in their much-publicized debates on TV. They have studiously avoided all mention of the outrage in the Holy Land and the way it impacts so directly on world peace. The plight of the Palestinian people ever since Britain abandoned its mandate responsibility, and their endless struggle for freedom from Israel’s military occupation, threatens our safety but word of it never passes their lips. And the programme bosses appear to block questions on the subject. Early in the campaign I received a message from a local Liberal Democrat MP saying: “I urge everyone to get to Norwich and help elect our fantastic candidate Simon W.” But hang on, before rushing to volunteer I wanted to know just one thing. What was Mr W’s personal…more
The New Dark Age 
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