News
International Middle East Media Center
Israel Vows Accelerated Settlement Construction In East Jerusalem
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – The Israeli government vowed on Monday that settlement construction and expansion in and around occupied East Jerusalem will be accelerated, but did not present a time frame.
Egyptian Navy Confiscates Palestinian Fishing Equipment
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – The Egyptian Navy confiscated fishing equipment owned by Palestinian fishermen after claiming that they crossed into Egyptian territorial waters.
Settlers Torch Farmlands In Qalqilia
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – A group of Jewish settlers torched on Monday evening farmlands the belong to residents of Jet village near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia.
Israel Accuses Two Palestinian Community Leaders Of Spying For Hezbollah
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – Two Palestinian community leaders were accused by the Israeli Security Service of spying for the Lebanese-based armed group Hezbollah.
Palestinian- Israeli Proximity Talks At Risk
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – The U.S Special Envoy for Peace in the region, George Mitchell, left the Middle East on Sunday, after completing the first round of proximity talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Army Hands Out 10 Demolition Orders To Villagers Near Hebron
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – Israeli troops invaded on Monday the village of Bani Neim, near Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank, and handed out 10 demolition orders.
Israeli Legislator Submits A Proposal For A Palestinian State in Jordan
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – Israeli Legislator, Aryeh Eldad, member of the National Union fundamentalist party, asked the Israeli Knesset to discuss a proposal he submitted regarding establishing a Palestinian state in Jordan.
Israeli Air Force Bombards Two Tunnels in Rafah
IMEMC – 10 May 2010 – Local sources reported that the Israeli Air force bombarded on Monday at dawn two siege-busting tunnels east of the Rafah Terminal, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Infant Dies After Inhaling Gaza Fired By The Army In Hebron
IMEMC – 9 May 2010 – Palestinian medical sources in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, reported Sunday that an infant died due to inhaling gas fired by the army at protestors in the nearby Beit Ummar town.
Israel expands illegal settlement in Jordan Valley
5/10/2010 – Tubas – Ma’an – Observers in the Jordan Valley reported dozens of trucks loaded with construction materials entering the illegal Israeli settlement of Nahal Maskyyot, followed by trucks full or workers building homes despite a government freeze. The Save the Jordan Valley Campaign said trucks of wood and cement entered the settlement on Sunday, and noted construction….
Toddler reportedly dies after inhaling tear gas
5/10/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – A child from the Hebron village of Beit Ummar reportedly died on Sunday evening after inhaling tear gas deployed by Israeli forces during a Friday rally, locals said. Father of one-and-a-half year old Hamza Samar Mehanna Maria said Israeli forces deployed tear-gas canisters near their home on Friday evening, and the child was….
Israeli official says J’lem building to continue
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel will continue building housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and its outskirts, an Israeli cabinet official said Monday, with no timetable announced to avoid derailing proximity talks, Israeli media reported. Speaking to Israel’s Army Radio, cabinet secretary Zevi Houser said construction in the occupied part of the city “will start soon” and that “construction in Jerusalem is going on as normal.” Houser’s comments contradicted recent Israeli government statements that a slow-down in construction, particularly in the East Jerusalem illegal settlement of Ramat Shlomo, would be enforced in a bid to encourage Palestinian officials to remain in US-brokered proximity talks, which were derailed in March when the settlement expansion was announced. President Mahmoud Abbas called on US to respond to reports that another settlement in occupied Jerusalem was underway, … Related:Abbas demands US answer on Jerusalem construction
Hebron-area village served with 10 stop work orders
5/10/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Ten families in the Hebron-area village of Bani Na’im were served with stop work orders on Monday, and ordered to appear before a magistrate as early as 3 June to defend their homes from demolition. The Bani Na’im municipality issued a statement Monday afternoon accusing Israel of failing to support the spirit of….
Uniformed woman behind Netanya hit-and-run
5/10/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – A Hebron man working in Israel was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv, on Monday with police saying the woman driving the vehicle was in army uniform. The victim, identified as Muhammad Rasmi Ahmad Erzeqat, 24, was from the Taffouh village west of Hebron. Friends said he was….
Israeli air force strikes Gaza tunnels
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli warplanes struck what a military spokesman described as “two terror sites” in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday morning, destroying two smuggling tunnels with no injuries reported. The spokesman said the strikes were in response to projectile fire from Gaza on Saturday night. The Jerusalem Post reported a single home-made projectile landed….
PA official: Settlers set fire to crops near Nablus
5/10/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Israeli citizens residing on an illegal West Bank outpost near Nablus reportedly set fire to a field of crops belonging to the Palestinian village of Jit between Nablus and Qalqiliya on Monday, an official said. Ghassan Doughlas, a Palestinian Authority official responsible for the northern West Bank settlement file, said dozens of Israeli….
Abbas demands US answer on Jerusalem construction
5/10/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas asked the US administration for answers on reports that Israeli construction in East Jerusalem is continuing, even as Palestinians agreed to re-enter proximity talks. Government officials had assured Palestinians that the US secured a promise from Israel to halt construction for the duration of the talks, citing pressure from right-wing groups as preventing public statements over the issue. The alleged assurances – publicly called a farce by the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – were apparently behind the Arab League and PLO support for a return to talks. A report by the Israeli peace group Peace Now was published by the Israeli news agency Haaretz on Sunday, saying that 14 residential units were underway in Ras Al-Amud, where an Israeli developer was awaiting approval to transform a police station into a new settlement. Related:Israeli official says J’lem building to continue
In photos: Fishing in Gaza
5/10/2010 – MaanImages / Hatem Omar – Boats of Palestinian fishermen at port in Gaza City on 9 May 2010. Reports in March said fish were being imported into Gaza – which traditionally had a massive fishing industry – for the first time, as the Israeli-imposed fishing limit of three nautical miles stifled the industry. Further, fishermen who venture outside the….
Islamic movement head in Israel to sail to Gaza
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Head of the Islamic movement inside Israel Sheikh Ra’ed Salah told Palestinians in the diaspora at a European conference on Sunday that he would be among the 600 activists sailing to Gaza later in the month. The London-based Ikhwan Web – the official news source for the Muslim Brotherhood – said the announcement was met….
Fire devastates goods awaiting Gaza import
5/10/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A blaze broke out in an imported goods warehouse in the Mashaf Shofa area in Israel along the Gaza border on Monday, a Palestinian official said. Liaison official Raed Fattouh said the warehouse stores food, motor oil, shoes, clothes and aluminum imported by Gaza merchants and is located between the southern Kerem Shalom….
Fatah lawmaker’s trial postponed for 71st time
5/10/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – An Israeli military court postponed the trial of a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council for the 71st time, delaying the hearing until Wednesday, family members said Monday. Jamal Tirawi’s most recent hearing was held at the Salem detention center, family members said, adding that Tirawi refused to recognize the military tribunal’s legality….
Official says Israel accepted into OECD
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A senior Israeli diplomat said Monday that Israel has been admitted into the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, news agencies reported. Israeli Foreign Ministry official Uri Gutman told the Associated Press that he was informed that the 31-member organization voted in favor of Israel’s membership and a formal an
nouncement is….
Boycott group: OECD decision shows ‘complicity with war crimes’
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A Palestinian boycott movement condemned the OECD’s decision to offer Israel membership to the body on Monday, a statement read. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), a coalition of Palestinian organizations and trade unions, renounced the move, with a spokesperson commenting that by accepting Israel, “OECD member countries show a blatant….
1 Gaza crossing partially open
5/10/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The southernmost Gaza-Israel crossing will be opened by Israeli authorities on Monday for the transfer of 88 truckloads of aid and commercial goods, a Palestinian liaison officer said. Crossings official Raed Fattouh said the delivery would include limited amounts of domestic-use gas and industrial diesel. The bulk goods crossing at Karni, just south….
Nativity Church deportee speaks of 8 years in exile
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A Palestinian resistance fighter deported to Ireland in 2002 following Israel’s siege of the Nativity Church in Bethlehem marked eight years in exile in April. Speaking to Ma’an, Jihda Ja’ara appeared more optimistic about the situation following Palestinian Authority intervention. Ja’ara, the spokesman for the 13 Palestinians deported to Europe, said deportees faced….
3 Palestinians detained allegedly possessing pipe bombs
5/10/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – The Israeli army detained three Palestinians at the Yaqa’ot checkpoint east of Nablus on Monday. Israel’s Army Radio said those detained were found in possession of five pipe bombs and were transferred to security questioning. Explosives experts were called to the scene to detonate the explosives, with no injuries reported, the broadcast reported….
Canada funds CSI lab in Tulkarem
5/10/2010 – Tulkarem – Ma’an – A brand new forensics laboratory will open at Tulkarem’s Thabet Thabet Hospital in three months, under a project overseen by the Palestinian Authority Ministries of Health and Justice, supported by the Canadian government, officials said Monday. Minister of Justice in the Ramallah-based government Ali Al-Khashan and his colleague, Minister of Health Fathi Abu….
Report: Lebanon tells UN Israeli forces stole 200 goats
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies -Lebanon filed a complaint against Israel with the UN Security Council after an Israeli force infiltrated Lebanon and seized nearly 200 goats in the area of Al-Shahel, on the outskirts of the town of Shebaa, Lebanese media reported Monday. Beirut, which currently chairs the Security Council, filed the complaint on Thursday, after….
Hamas confirms letters sent to Obama
5/10/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Gaza government confirmed reports Monday that it had reached out to the US administration in written letters, denying, however, that notes were related to a ceasefire deal.”The government sent a letter to US president Barack Obama a few months ago calling for an end to Israel’s siege and an end the….
UN report says human security absent in Palestine
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The widespread absence of human security in the occupied Palestinian territory has impeded progress for Palestinians, the latest UN Human Deveopment Report found. The Palestinian Human Development Report 2009/10, written by an independent team and sponsored by the UN Development Program (UNDP), was released on Sunday, and explores different facets of….
Hamas demands release of Palestinians in Egyptian custody
5/10/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas called for the immediate release of all Palestinian detainees in Egyptian prisons on Monday, after a party delegation met with a recently-released prisoner. Islamic Jihad leader Darwish Al-Gherbali was released from Egyptian custody following 51 days of incarceration. He was returned to Gaza with five other Palestinians. The leader was congratulated on….
Israel detains Haifa man for alleged spying
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A Palestinian citizen of Israel was detained by Israeli forces on Thursday, two weeks after authorities handed down a travel ban imposed by Israel’s Interior Ministry. Amir Makhoul, director of Ittijah and chairman of the Popular Committee for the Defense of the Political Freedoms, was arrested by Israeli forces on 6 May during….
Ki-moon welcomes start to proximity talks
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – UN Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon said he is encouraged by the start of Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks, voicing hope that they will lead to direct negotiations, the UN’s news site reported Monday. In a statement issued by his spokesperson Sunday evening, Ki-moon commended the US initiative, expressing hope that “the parties are able to….
PA police: 35 fugitives in Hebron arrested
5/10/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority police apprehended 35 men and women they said were fugitives, all from the southern West Bank town of Halhul, in the Hebron governorate, a report said Monday. Among those arrested include a woman in her 30s who was suspected of setting fire to her husband’s home following a dispute, the report….
5 PLO factions form elections coalition
5/10/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – West Bank leaders of the five factions that met in Rafah and endorsed the PLO decision to return to talks with Israel came out Monday and announced a coalition in the upcoming municipal elections. The Palestinian Arab Front (PAF) hosted the Arab Liberation Front (ALF), the Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA), the Palestinian Popular….
Abbas to cabinet: PA must build on achievements
5/10/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority must work toward reinforcing and furthering its success, President Mahmoud Abbas toldministers during the weekly cabinet meeting.”The government must achieve new accomplishments and protect them. I will support the government’s agenda of ending the occupation and reaching statehood,” Abbas told ministersThe PA must build on its achievements and continue….
Day after hummus victory, Lebanon wins falafel war
5/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A day after winning the hummus war against Israel, chefs in Lebanon scored another victory – this time with falafel – when chefsset a new Guinness record on Sunday, Lebanese media reported. According to the news site Ya Libnan, more than 300 chefs mixed a ton of chickpeas with an equal portion of broad….
Work toward Middle East peace by any means available
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Something is happening with the Middle East conflict, but it is hard to say what. A breakthrough appears to be at hand, though all the parties still seem to be clinging to their traditional positions. The…
Don’t play with Middle East maps, II
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – An editorial by Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief David Horovitz posits low expectations for success of the latest round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks getting underway this week, based on Yassar Arafat’s intransigence during the 2000 peace talks. Even…
Nahum Barnea: Under Obama, deceit on settlement expansion is no longer viable
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – The winking duo Op-ed, Nahum Barnea, Yediot, May 10-10 [Hebrew original here and at bottom of post] Last Wednesday, MK Danny Danon (Likud) notified me that Netanyahu was going to make a dramatic decision on the…
Palestinian politician Barghouthi uninspired by talks
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Washington – Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority have potentially hit a wall after Monday’s report that 14 settlement homes are under construction in East Jerusalem, but Palestinian National Initiative leader Mustafa Barghouthi had…
The “Get Goldstone” Campaign
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Right-wingers within and without Israel continue their witch hunt against Judge Richard Goldstone By MJ Rosenberg Washington – The Israeli right (and its friends in the US) will never tire of their obsession with Judge Richard…
Digital dispossession: Facebook links Palestine to Israel
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Washington – Last month, social networking website Facebook reformatted users’ profiles to link their interests, home town, and the like to actual pages. In a geopolitical snafu, however, the feature began linking fans of Palestine to…
E. Jerusalem: 75% of Palestinian kids live in poverty
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Washington – An Israeli rights group says three out of four Palestinian children live in poverty in East Jerusalem, Al-Jazeera English reported Monday. Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem leads into the Old City [Photo: Amanderson2 -…
US company implicated in Mabhouh investigation
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Washington – US-based payment distribution company Payoneer has figured into the Dubai police investigation of the murder of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh for allegedly providing the suspects with credit cards and payment, Al-Arabiya reported on Mosaic…
Woman among militants executed in Iran
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Washington – Iran executed five militants, including a woman, for acts of terrorism against the state, AFP reported Sunday. Iran hanged 270 prisoners in 2009, AFP reports [Photo: The Toe Stubber – Flickr] The five -…
Hamas sends letter to Obama
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Washington – The Hamas government in Gaza confirmed Monday that it had reached out the US administration in writing “a few months ago,” Ma’an News Agency reported Monday. Hamas official government policy ensures the organization’s right…
Yemen: School occupation ‘threatens northern ceasefire’
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Yemen – IRIN – A rebel occupation of a number of schools in the northern Yemeni governorate of Saada is preventing thousands of children from attending classes and threatening to undermine a recently signed ceasefire between…
Abbas demands answers from US on Jerusalem build
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Palestine looks to US for answers after Jerusalem settlement construction reports surface days after Israel and Palestinians re-enter negotiations Washington – Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is looking to Washington for answers after reports emerged…
Gaza finds ‘solution’ to Egyptian barrier
Palestine Note 10 May 2010 – Washington – Gazans who work in the smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt have found a way through Egypt’s subterranean barrier, BBC reported Thursday – blow torches. A Gaza tunnel worker maneuvers through the narrow underground…
Israeli air raids hit southern Gaza
AlJazeera 9 May 2010 – Tunnel near Rafah hit as Israelis and Palestinians begin indirect talks.
Heavy heat wave sparks fires across Israel
Ha’aretz – Fire in Golan Heights landmine field causes detonation of several explosive devices; two schools burn in Sakhnin.
Ozzy Osbourne to perform in Israel in the summer
Ha’aretz – Former Black Sabbath singer joins a rapidly expanding list of global music stars who will be performing in Israel this summer.
Man, 22, arrested for allegedly raping 82-year-old woman
Ha’aretz – Man denies allegations that he raped over 3 women; police say they have DNA evidence implicating him.
Volcanic ash cloud edges toward Israel
Ha’aretz – Transportation minister orders emergency planning as Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokul erupts for a second time, sending volcanic debris into the Eastern Mediterranean.
Rights group: 75% of Palestinia
n children in East Jerusalem live in poverty
Ha’aretz – ACRI report cites a severe discrimination and neglect in East Jerusalem, which is home to more than 300,000 Palestinians.
Israeli Arabs plan mass rally to protest ‘political persecution by security officials’
Ha’aretz – The protest comes after measures taken by security officials in recent weeks that led Arab advocacy groups to contact human rights groups abroad and diplomats in Israel.
Ministers delay talks on ‘Rona Ramon Law’
Ha’aretz – The ministers said they would revisit the issue in three weeks after receiving input on the proposal from the Israel Press Council.
Protest vigil planned for newborn twins stuck in India
Ha’aretz – Protesters will demand that temporary visas be issued to the twins, Itay and Liron, who were born in India to a surrogate, so they can enter Israel.
Netanyahu’s far-right rival mulls leaving Likud
Ha’aretz – Feiglin says Likud has turned into a non-democratic party, a ‘dead man walking’.
Medvedev arrives in Syria, may discuss Israel ties
Ha’aretz – During the visit, the first formal trip by a Russian leader to Damascus, Assad is expected to ask Russia for new long-range missiles.
IAEA will not tie Israel’s nuclear program with Iran, sources say
Ha’aretz – Diplomatic sources say a June meeting of the UN watchdog’s board does not represent a changed attitude toward Israel’s secretive program.
OECD entrance is ‘seal of approval,’ Netanyahu says
Ha’aretz – 31 members of the OECD unanimously voted in favor of accepting Israel as a member of the group.
Israel detains Turkey national over illegal Gaza aid work
Ha’aretz – Izzet Shahin, arrested in the West Bank by Israeli security forces two weeks ago, had been organizing a Gaza aid shipment.
Vice Prime Minister Ya’alon: Israel has the technological capability to strike Iran
Ha’aretz – Addressing a conference on air power, Ya’alon said Israel’s experience in carrying out air strikes against militants along its borders could easily be extended to distant sorties in Iran., Gag order lifted on news that Omar Said, a member of the Balad movement, and Amir Makhoul, director general of an Arab charity, were detained by the Shin Bet security service.
Israel bombs Gaza in retaliation for rocket attack
Ha’aretz – IAF targets smuggling tunnel and defunct Gaza airport as Qassam hits Israel hours after restart of peace talks.
Palestinians report first Israeli violation of talks to U.S.
Ha’aretz – Just two days after peace talks resume, PA complains to American mediators, accusing Israel of breaching negotiation terms.
Barak: No threat to Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity
Ha’aretz – No reason Israel should bow to global pressure to reveal extent of alleged nuclear arsenal, defense minister says., President relays message to Assad via Russian President Medvedev who is expected to visit Damascus Monday., Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said Hezbollah cannot disarm before a defense strategy is reached that would also address future Israeli attacks., Israel and U.S. laud PLO decision to approve mediated peace talks, despite warnings from Hamas., Israeli nuclear capabilities are on the provisional agenda for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s June 7 meeting., U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah., Former South African jurist answers critics following claims he was involved in apartheid-era death sentences., ‘We must distinguish between the Israeli people and the Israeli government,’ says the Liberal Democrat leader ahead of U.K. election.
75% of Palestinian kids in East Jerusalem live in poverty
10 May 2010 – Jerusalem, May 10, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — An Israeli human rights group released a report on Monday saying that almost three-quarters of Palestinian children living in East Jerusalem are poor. Some 95,000 East Jerusalem children (around 74 %) live under the poverty line, compared to about 45 % of children living in Jewish neighborhoods. According to the report, titled Human Rights in…
Estimates: Volcanish ash to reach Israel very soon
10 May 2010 – Jerusalem, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli Ministry of Transportation announced today the possibility of airspace closure to civilian aircrafts departuring from and landing onto the airports in Israel, after receiving information about the possibility of the arrival of volcanic ash emitted from the volcano in Iceland, northern Europe. According to “Yediot Ahronot” Israeli newspaper, the Israeli Ministry of Transportation…
IOF raids Bait Omar in Hebron
10 May 2010 – Hebron, May 10, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation force called border guard raided Bait Omar village in the north of Hebron in the West Bank. They opened fire heavily which injured an infant and her mother as the car was turned over. The spokesman for the solidarity project, Mohammed Ayad, said that Israeli occupation forces fired sound and gas…
Palestinians find new ways to defy Gaza’s Buffer Zone
10 May 2010 – Gaza, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) Hundreds of citizens volunteered for harvesting agricultural lands located on the eastern border of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, another step towards defying the buffer zone which is adjacent to the territory of the citizens. The rally was organized by the Popular Campaign against the Buffer zone in the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan…
First solidarity ship sails to Gaza
10 May 2010 – Gaza, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) The first ship in the international solida
rity fleet with Gaza kicks off on Wednesday 05/12/2010 from Ireland bound for Gaza, passing through Greece. This move will be followed by the movement of the rest of the ships in the 22 nd of this month from the ports of Turkey and Greece at the same time…
Israel to demolish 10 houses in Hebron
10 May 2010 – Hebron, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities notified today 10 more houses to be demolished in the areas of “Khellet Abu Beida” and “Al Jalajel” near the town of “Bani Na’im” north-east of Hebron. The municipality of “Bani Naim” issued a press statement, saying ” which coincides with the start of the indirect negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis,…
Israel detains 3 Palestinians in Nablus
10 May 2010 – Nablus, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) IOF arrested three Palestinians today at “Beka’ot” barrier in “Al Aghwar” area east of Nablus, claiming that they found explosions with those three and arrested them for “Explosive Possession”. The Israeli Army’s spokesperson said that The three raised the doubts of “Kfir” brigade’s soldiers Who were managing the barrier, after searching them they claimed that…
IOF raid Hebron, 1 Palestinian arrested
10 May 2010 – Hebron, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli soldiers arrested today a citizen after raiding his house in the village of “Kharsa” south of Hebron in the West Bank, while raiding the village of “Kom”, which is located in the west of the province. Local sources said that IOF arrested Mahmoud Ahmed Aahati, after raiding his house, searching and tampering with its…
Israeli runs over Palestinian worker “Intentionally”
10 May 2010 – Jerusalem, May 10, (Pal Telegraph) Mohammed Rasmi Ahmed Arziqat (24 years), from the town of “Tafouh” west of Hebron and worked in Israel, died today by being run over by an Israeli car in the city of Netanya, on his way to work. His family said that they received the news of their son’s death in “Linyado” hospital after being…
Israel bombs tunnel in Rafah
10 May 2010 – Gaza, May 10, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli warplanes shelled yesterday a smuggling tunnels in Rafah, no injuries were reported. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli warplanes shelled the tunnel in Al-Jradat ears with one shell at least and no injuries were reported. In the last three years, more than 150 Palestinian youth were killed in tunnels collapses. Gazans use tunnels to…
Israel’s Arab MPs Face Backlash over Libya Visit
Uruknet May 10, 2010 – Six Arab members of the Israeli parliament returned last week from a visit to Libya at the personal invitation of its leader, Muammer Qadafi, to a storm of protest in Israel, including threats to prosecute them and bar them from standing in future elections. The delegation of 39 public figures from Israel’s Arab minority, who were…
6,500 disabled children in Gaza after war
Uruknet May 10, 2010 – Palestinian patients at the Artificial Limbs and Polio Centre in Gaza, recieve help with the adjustment of their atificial limbs. Demand for the center’s services has increased dramatically after the late war of 2008-2009 in Gaza. Doctors at the centre recieve material for the artificial limbs through NGO organizations such as the “Red cross” and ” Islamic…
Palestinian civil society slams OECD over Israel’s accession
Uruknet May 10, 2010 – Palestinian civil society represented by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee (BNC), a wide coalition of the largest Palestinian mass organizations and trade unions, issued a strong condemnation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) decision today to welcome Israel as a member of the organization at its ministerial meeting to take place…
Settlers Torch Farmlands In Qalqilia
Uruknet May 10, 2010- A group of Jewish settlers torched on Monday evening farmlands the belong to residents of Jet village near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia. The settlers also attacked several residents while the Israeli army did not attempt to intervene, local sources reported. The sources added that the settlers came from Gavon illegal outpost installed on village…
Israel denies guarantee of settlement freeze; new building work begins
Uruknet May 10, 2010 – A senior Israeli political source has denied that the government gave the US administration a guarantee on a settlement freeze in East Jerusalem. The denial came after the start of proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority was announced. According to Radio Israel, the source said, “Israel did not give Washington any guarantees with respect…
Israeli official says J’lem building to continue
Uruknet May 10, 2010 – Israel will continue building housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and its outskirts, an Israeli cabinet official said Monday, with no timetable announced to avoid derailing proximity talks, Israeli media reported. Speaking to Israel’s Army Radio, cabinet secretary Zevi Houser said construction in the occupied part of the city “will start soon” and that “construction in…
Video: Born in Gaza
Uruknet May 10, 2010- The OECD said Monday it had invited Slovenia, Estonia and Israel to join the exclusive club of prominent world economies, despite Palestinian objections to the inclusion of Israel. The three states “will contribute to a more plural and open OECD that is playing an increasingly important role in the global economic architecture,” OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria…
OECD invites Israel to join despite Palestinian objections
Uruknet May 10, 2010- The OECD said Monday it had invited Slovenia, Estonia and Israel to join the exclusive club of prominent world economies, despite Palestinian objections to the inclusion of Israel. The three states “will contribute to a more plural and open OECD that is playing an increasingly important role in the global economic architecture,” OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria…
Israeli Settlers Step Up Attacks on Palestinian Mosques
Uruknet May 10, 2010 – “There is immense anger as well as a feeling of vulnerability and fear when a place of sanctuary and holiness is subject to indiscriminate violence,” says Issa Hussein. “Despite living under a brutal military occupation and being subjected to regular attacks by Israeli settlers for decades, normally places of worship were spared,” Hussein, a spokesman from…
Poverty ‘widespread’ in E Jerusalem
Uruknet May 10, 2010 – A majority of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, including three out of four children, live in poverty, an Israeli rights group has said. In a report released on Monday, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (Acri) accused Israel of neglect and discrimination in its policies. Despite the conditions, only 10 per cent of East Jerusalem’s 300,000…
Video: Israel Bans the Basics of Life
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – Why do Israeli authorities only allow 81 items into Gaza? According to journalist Amira Hass, the Israeli Advocacy organization, Gisha, filed a suit against the government of Israel claiming that commercial interests inside Israel and their lobbying power, were determining what came into Gaza. Governments continue to let Israel get away with starving and depriving the…
For Those Who Don’t Believe Israel Shoots Innocent Farmers
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – It was late February in 2009, when Israeli forces shot a twenty-year-old Palestinian farmer as he worked his land in the village of Al-Faraheen, east of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip. Weeks earlier, on Tuesday 27 January 2009, in Al Faraheen, Israeli forces shot at several farmers, killing a 27-year-old man whose job in life…
Indirect talks won’t succeed
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – Despite Israel’s insistence on carrying out its illegal, land-grabbing policies in the West Bank and occupied east Jerusalem, Palestinians have disappointingly agreed to a new peace initiative that involves the US’s George Mitchell shuttling back and forth between the Palestinian and Israeli leaderships. The Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Executive Committee met last week to decide on whether…
A massacre of arabs masked by a state of national amnesiaSixty years on, the true story of the slaughter of Palestinians at Deir Yassin may finally come out
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – More than one unwitting visitor to Jerusalem has fallen prey to the bizarre delusion that they are the Messiah. Usually, they are whisked off to the serene surroundings of Kfar Shaul psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of the city, where they are gently nursed back to health. It is an interesting irony that the patients at…
Public Figures Call For Delay In OECD Vote On Israeli Entry
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – Public figures launched an urgent appeal to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, which are due to vote on Israel’s accession to the group on Monday. In a Sunday statement, signtories such as 1976 Northern Ireland Nobel Prize for Peace Laureate Mairead Maguire, former South African Special Rapporteur of UN on Palestine John…
SOWING IN GAZA
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – Under the great siege, in the little Gaza Strip, occupied, oppressed, martyred, there are indeed many islands of bravery and resistance which compose the grand citadel of steadfastness. One of the islands is the Qattan Centre for the Child. It is the most modern, handsome, elegant, competent, efficient, tasteful institution in Gaza, according to the many….
Israel: Terrified of Clowns, Coriander, and Human Rights
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – …About two weeks ago, a plane landed at Ben Gurion airport, and out of it came Sen’or Ivan Prado, the most famous professional clown in Spain, accompanied by a female Spanish national of Arab descent. The two were on their way to Ramallah, “capital” of the “autonomous” Paltustanian Authority, where Prado was invited to perform and…
Jordan River ‘to run dry next year’
Uruknet May 9, 2010 – Normally on bus tours the guide will make numerous pit stops for the sightseers. But as we drove from Jerusalem out of the Judea Mountains and into the open space of the Jordan Valley, our Jordan River tour guide asked the participants to use the bathroom at the gas station where we first stopped, because we…
East Jerusalem homes hamper peace process
The National 10 May 2010 – The Palestine Liberation Organisation has protested to the US against Israel’s construction of 14 Jewish homes in the Ras al Amoud neighbourhood.
Russia’s Medvedev in Syria to revive old partnership
The National 10 May 2010 – Seeking to expand its Middle East role, Moscow views Damascus — with its ties to Iran, Hizbollah and Palestinian militants — as central to that aim.
Hundreds rally over arrest of Israeli-Palestinian human rights activist
The National 10 May 2010 – The arrest of Ameer Makhoul, on accusations by Israel of colluding with Hizbollah, is seen by West Bank human rights groups as part of a campaign to silence dissent.
International Solidarity Movement
Weekend demonstrations continue the struggle
5/10/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 10 May 2010 – Bil’in – Demonstration in Bil’in symbolizing the Nakba and Palestinian refugees’ inability to bury loved ones on native soil. – Today’s demonstrators, Palestinians, Israelis, and internationals, marched from the Bil’in mosque towards the illegal apartheid wall. Halfway along the route, the procession picked up several men dressed entirely in black, carrying a coffin with….
Alternative Information Center
OPGAI Calls: Free Palestinian Civil Society Activist Ameer Makhoul!
Alternative Information Center – Israeli authorities arrested the community leader and activist Ameer Makhoul, who serves as the General Director of Ittijah — Union of Arab Community Based Associations, and President of the Popular Committee…
Huge Israeli Companies
Liable to Awaken Political Boycott throughout World
Alternative Information Center – Since its establishment, Israel has been under attack regarding the legitimacy of its very existence. This attack has tremendous economic implications. In the past they were due primarily to Arab countries that created the infamous Arab…
President Abbas Chaired Cabinet On Monday
PNN – Ramallah – PNN – Chairing the weekly cabinet meeting in ht Central West Bank city of Ramallah today, President Abbas noted that the first phase of negotiations focused on resolving Israeli-American differences….
A Palestinian Worker Killed In Israel By A Speeding Car
PNN – Israel – PNN- Mohamed Izrekat, 24 years old, was killed on Monday afternoon after being hit with a speeding car near his work place in the Israeli town of Nataniya. Izrekat, from…
Israel Accuse Two Palestinian Community Leaders of Spying For Hezbollah
PNN – Jerusalem – PNN – Two Palestinian community leaders were accused by the Israeli Secret service of spying For the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. The two were identified as Omar Said, a member…
Israel Accepted Into OECD; Arab MK Says It Encourages Apartheid
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN- The Arab member of the Israeli Knesset ( Parliament), Mohamed Baraka, stated today that OECD decision to accepted Israel encourages discrimination and Apartheid. The Arab MK added during a press…
The Israeli Military Hand Out 10 Demolition Orders To Villagers In Southern West Bank
PNN – Hebron – PNN – Israeli troops invaded on Monday the village of Bani Na’eem , southern West Bank, and handed out 10 demolition orders to residents. Troops targeted homes that are built off…
Israel’s High Court Ruling Violates Villagers’ Human Rights
PNN – B’TSELEM — PNN- On 15 March 2010, the Israeli High Court of Justice accepted the state’s position and held that the village of Sheikh Sa’ed, near Jerusalem, will be severed from East…
MIDEAST: Israeli Settlers Step Up Attacks on Palestinian Mosques
IPS LUBBAN ASH SHARQIYA, West Bank, May 10 (IPS) – “There is immense anger as well as a feeling of vulnerability and fear when a place of sanctuary and holiness is subject to indiscriminate violence,” says Issa Hussein.
Protest against the Unspeakable: Palestinian citizens of Israel in mass rally
Stop The Wall – In response to a gag order placed on them by the Israeli authorities regarding an act of political persecution by Israel, Palestinian organizations inside the Green Line call on all to join a
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Appeals to Palestinian President to Stop Application of Death Penalty
PCHR 9 May 2010 – Ref: 50/2010 This morning, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) sent a letter to Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, appealing to him to stop the application of the death penalty under the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), in light the latest developments in the Gaza Strip with regard to the implementation of two death sentences in violation of the law and….
OECD entry shows Israel’s prominence
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – PM: We are on path to become one of the most competitive, advanced economies.
Barak says Israel needs new peace plan
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – “My working assumption is that it is our responsibility to get an agreement with the Palestinians despite the tough decisions that we must make”, said Barak.
Construction of 14 housing units begins in Ras el-Amud
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Chief Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat said the Israeli plans for the Ras el-Amud housing project undermined trust-building.
Barkat insists construction in Jerusalem to continue
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – The advancement of municipal construction would in fact continue in all sections of Jerusalem.
Ya’alon: weapons tech gives Israel an edge
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Israel is already “in a military confrontation with Iran,” Ya’alon said.
IAF strikes Gaza after rocket attack
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – The IDF Spokesman’s Office said the targets had been struck accurately.
2 nabbed for spying for Hizbullah
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Relatives claim suspects were unfairly targeted. Gag order partially lifted.
‘Israel fought its own battles’
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Peres, on Victory Day visit, addresses Eurasian Jewish Congress.
NGO petitions against reopening Highway 443 to Palestinians
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – In the 1980s, Israel confiscated privately owned Palestinian land in villages situated along the highway to expand the route 443.
Alleged double-billing victims praise Olmert
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Organizations thank Olmert for always making himself available to help.
IDF arrested Turkish man for ‘endangering W. Bank security’
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Suspect is an active member of a pro-Palestinian, Islamic-oriented human rights organization.
Burger Ranch to take over all local branches of Burger K
ing
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Romance between Israel and US fast food chain loses its flame.
‘Ameer Makhoul, Omar Abdo nabbed for spying for Hizbullah’
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Two Israeli Arabs suspected of contacting enemy agents; detainee’s nephew: “This is just another Shin Bet shenanigan.”
‘Construction in e. J’lem will push on’
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Meridor: Israel will not accept a “discriminatory” policy.
East Jerusalem plans cloud peace talks
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Meridor: Israel will not accept a “discriminatory” policy.
Israeli Arabs nabbed for spying for Hizbullah
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Political activist, 2nd man arrested on suspicion of engaging enemy agents.
Israel braces for volcanic ash cloud
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Transportation Ministry: Ash may hit Israeli airspace; IAA to meet.
Barak: No threat to nuclear ambiguity
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Defense ninister allays concerns over US backing for policy.
Israel braces for ash cloud
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Transportation Ministry says volcanic ash may reach Israeli airspace.
Studying Judaism
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 – Bible is central to Jews’ connection to Israel.
Palestinian thief held for luring tourist with gay sex
Jeruslalem Post 10 May 2010 –
Diliani: OECD Decision on Israel Harms Peace Efforts
WAFA – JERUSALEM, May 10, 2010 (WAFA)- Fateh’s Revolutionary Council member, Dimitri Diliani, said today that OECD’s decision to accept Israel’s membership harms political efforts aimed at making peace and
Ban Welcomes Start of Israeli-Palestinian Proximity Talks
WAFA – NEW YORK, May 10, 2010 (WAFA)- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he is encouraged by the start of Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks, voicing hope that they will lead to direct negotiations
Europe Celebrates its Day in Palestine
WAFA – RAMALLAH, May 10, 2010 (WAFA) – Europe celebrated, Sunday, in, the 60th
President Abbas Demands US Response to Settlement Expansion
WAFA – RAMALLAH, May 10, 2010 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas demanded, today, the U.S Administration to respond to the Israeli Government’s continuation of its settlement expansion activities in Occupied
From the West Bank | Theatre review
The Guardian 10 May 2010 – Tron, Glasgow After blanket coverage of the intricacies of the British political system, how refreshing to be reminded of the wider world. And how invigorating, in this opening salvo of Mayfesto, a two-week programme of politically…
Two Arab citizens of Israel accused of spying for Hezbollah
The Guardian 10 May 2010 – Political activists from country’s Arab community seized on suspicion of severe security offences Two Arab citizens of Israel have been arrested on suspicion of spying for the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Amir Makhoul, 52, who runs…
EU Declaration by HR Ashton on the launch of proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinians
Relief Web 10 May 2010 – Source: European Union
West Bank and Gaza-GZ-North Gaza Emergency Sewage Treatment Project Additional Financing 2
Relief Web 10 May 2010 – Source: World Bank
Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation 3 May 2010
Relief Web 10 May 2010 – Source: Government of Israel
Ban welcomes start of Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks
Relief Web 10 May 2010 – Source: UN News Service
Jerusalem: Only 21% of Jews secular
YNet News – Latest figures show Haredim comprise 30% of capital’s adult Jewish population….
Iraq: Scores killed in day of terror
YNet News – Suicide bomber detonates outside textile factory after two car bombs go off in….
Police prepare for clashes with haredim
YNet News – Israel Police officials say forces preparing for several potentially explosive….
Medvedev, Assad to discuss Mideast peace
YNet News – Russian president expected to hand over message from Israel during visit in….
Iran: LA Terror group working against us
YNet News – Tehran accuses Tondar organization, which runs pro-opposition TV, radio stations….
Barkat: Holyland hurt Jerusalem
YNet News – Mayor addresses real estate scandal for first time, says ‘If allegations are….
Ash cloud to arrive in Israel Monday night
YNet News – State announces ash cloud from Iceland volcano is of low concentration, will not….
Ya’alon: Israel capable of attacking Iran
YNet News – Former IDF chief says technology has improved range, aerial refuelling,….
MK Ganaim calls for Islamic c
aliphate in Israel
YNet News – On completion of first year in Knesset, Arab MK tells Nazareth newspaper ‘it is….
Haredim riot in Jerusalem
YNet News – Ultra-orthodox fury: Hundreds of haredim rioted in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood Monday night, blocking roads, setting garbage bins on fire, and hurling stones at …….
Report: Berlin growing close to Ramallah
YNet News – BERLIN — The German government is ready to start meeting with Palestinian Authority officials directly, as a symbol of the strong ties between leaderships, Der Spiegel …….
Turkish terror suspect detained by Shin Bet
YNet News – A Turkish citizen has been in Israeli custody for two weeks undergoing interrogation on suspicion of aiding Palestinian organizations banned by Israel, the Shin Bet said …….
Hundreds protest arrest of alleged Arab spies
YNet News – Some 300 people rallied in Haifa Monday evening in protest of the arrest of well-known Arab figures Omar Said and Ameer Makhoul on suspicion of contacting a Hezbollah …….
Peres: We never asked US to fight for us
YNet News – President Shimon Peres took a jab Monday at European states that recently criticized Israel, saying that unlike their conduct in World War II, Israel has never asked that …….
Netanyahu insists: No Jerusalem construction freeze
YNet News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that Israel did not make any pledges to the US, even after US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell declared Sunday …….
Medvedev eyes revival of ties on visit to Syria
Daily Star 10 May 2010 DAMASCUS: President Dmitry Medvedev began on Monday the first visit by a Russian head of state to Syria, eying a revival of the once thriving partnership between the Soviet-era allies. Medvedev, who is accompanied by a…
Sudan arrests two over killing of peacekeepers in Darfur region
Daily Star 10 May 2010 KHARTOUM: Sudanese police have arrested two men suspected of killing two Egyptian peacekeepers in an ambush in Sudan’s Darfur region, state media said on Monday. The attack on the joint UN/African Union UNAMID peacekeepers marked a…
Two Yemeni policemen hurt defusing bomb
Daily Star 10 May 2010 SANAA: Two Yemeni policemen were wounded trying to dismantle a bomb in the southern port of Aden just minutes after another device exploded in the city, a security source said on Monday. “A bomb planted in…
Israel primed for war on Iran – Netanyahu deputy
Daily Star 10 May 2010 Israel is primed for a war on Iran, a deputy to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday, in a rare break with his government’s reticence as world powers try to talk Tehran into curbing its…
Hamas says no casualties after Israeli airstrike on Gaza tunnels
Daily Star 10 May 2010 GAZA: An Israeli aircraft fired a missile at smuggling tunnels near the Gaza Strip border with Egypt early Monday, causing damage but no casualties, officials from the Hamas-run security forces said. The Israeli Army had no…
Israel to continue Jerusalem building despite talks
Daily Star 10 May 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Newly launched, US-brokered peace efforts hit a snag Monday as Israel vowed settlement building would continue in East Jerusalem, infuriating te Palestinians who protested to the US. “It is evident we will continue to…
At least 99 people killed in attacks across Iraq
Daily Star 10 May 2010 BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a textile factory Monday in a crowd that gathered after two cars bombings at the same spot in the worst of a series of attacks killing nearly 100…
Two Israeli Arabs accused of spying for Hizbullah
Daily Star 10 May 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel has arrested two Israeli Arabs suspected of spying for Hizbullah in Lebanon, police and security services said Monday, partially lifting a gag order on the case. Websites had already flouted the gag order…
Palestinian Information Center
Barhoum: USA encouraging IOA to commit more crimes
PIC 10 May 2010 – Fawzi Barhoum said that Hamas views with utmost concern the American administration’s intention to supply the Israeli air force with cluster bombs and other destruction weapons.
Zahhar: We are studying proposals to overcome reconciliation obstacles
PIC 10 May 2010 – Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, a political bureau member of Hamas, said that his movement was studying a number of proposals to overcome obstacles to national reconciliation.
Husband of liberated prisoner killed in an Israeli hit and run accident
PIC 10 May 2010 – Mohammed Erzeikat, 24, a Palestinian worker from Al-Khalil district, was killed in Netanya on Monday morning when an Israeli settler ran him over then sped away.
Netanyahu gov’t: Building in Jerusalem to continue
PIC 10 May 2010 – The settlement activity in occupied Jerusalem whether planning or building would continue unabated as they were in the past 43 years, Israeli premier media adviser Nir Hefetz said.
Jewish rabbis flock into Aqsa, Abu Zuhri denounces step
PIC 10 May 2010 – 45 Jewish rabbis stormed the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem on Monday under strict security protection on the eve of the anniversary of the occupation of eastern Jerusalem in June 1967.
Hamas: USA planning settlement of Palestinian refugees in host countries
PIC 10 May 2010 – The refugees department in Hamas movement has warned that the USA was planning to settle a big number of Palestinian refugees in host countries in return for huge economic assistance.
IOA banished 420 Palestinians since start of 2010
PIC 10 May 2010 – Rased said that the IOA had deported 420 Palestinians this year from the West Bank even before the implementation of military order 1650 that entails the banishment of thousands of Palestinians.
Palestinian lawyer tortured in Israeli dungeons
PIC 10 May 2010 – Jerusalemite lawyer Shireen Al-Aisawi has said that Israeli interrogators in the Maskobeh detention center in occupied Jerusalem have been torturing her since first day of detention.
Berlin declaration endorses right of resistance, return
PIC 10 May 2010 – More than 10,000 Palestinians residing in Europe issued the Berlin Declaration at conclusion of their two-day conference asserting their right to return to their homeland Palestine.
Israeli raid targets tunnel in southern Gaza
PIC 10 May 2010 – Israeli warplanes raided one of the tunnels on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders south of Rafah on Sunday night, local sources said.
Why Join the OECD?
The Media Line 10 May 2010 – As Israel celebrates its acceptance into the elite economic club, analysts discuss its benefits. The 31 members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) voted unanimously Monday to accept Israel as a member of…
Washington Warns Israelis and Palestinians Not to Derail Indirect Peace Talks
The Media Line 9 May 2010 – The State Department issued a dire threat to the Israelis and Palestinians not to take any steps that might sabotage the recently announced indirect peace talks. Spokesman Philip Crowley said that if any party took such…
Welfare system could cause Israel to collapse, economist warns
LA Times 10 May 2010 – Nearly one in five Israeli men between the ages of 35 and 54 do not work, including Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews, says Dan Ben-David. As their numbers rise, so does the economic peril, he says.
Israel Will Join Economic Group of Developed Nations
New York Times 10 May 2010 – The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a 31-country group often seen as an exclusive club of rich countries, voted unanimously to admit Israel.
U.S.-Brokered Mideast Shuttle Talks Begin Again
New York Times 9 May 2010 – The Obama administration said indirect, U.S.-brokered talks had resumed between Israel and the Palestinians.
Iran Executes Five Activists, Sending Message to Critics
New York Times 9 May 2010 – The executions were widely seen as intended to discourage people from staging anti-government rallies on June 12.
Weekly Protest – VIDEO ROUND UP
Palestine Monitor – Up and down the West Bank non-violent protests took place during the last weekend. Here’s a video round-up of what happened. Bil’in / Demonstration in Bi’lin – 7 May 2010 Courtesy: Oren Ziv – Activestills Six people were arrested in Bil’in on Friday during a demonstration to…
OPGAI Calls: Free Palestinian Civil Society Activist Ameer Makhoul!
Alternative Information Center – Israeli authorities arrested the community leader and activist Ameer Makhoul, who serves as the General Director of Ittijah — Union of Arab Community Based Associations, and President of the Popular Committee for the Defence of Political Freedoms The Israeli police and the General Security Services (Shabak)…
’60 Minutes’ piece hints that Palestinian conditions endanger Americans
Mondoweiss – The Petraeus view that Israel’s policies endanger Americans is gaining traction. Tonight on “60 Minutes,” Steve Kroft’s piece on homegrown terrorism in the wake of the Times Square case included an interview with Phillip Mudd, till recently the domestic terrorism expert in the FBI’s intelligence leadership….
Articles
If the secret police ran a Jewish state
Bradley Burston, Ha’aretz5/10/2010
If a Jewish state were run by the secret police, Israelis could disappear without a trace. No contact with lawyers. Court-ordered muzzles on broadcast and print news media.
If a Jewish state were run by the secret police, there were be gag orders forbidding journalists to write even of the existence of the gag orders.
Thank God such a thing couldn’t happen here.
If a Jewish state were run by the secret police, its age
nts would meet Spain’s most prominent clown on his arrival at the airport. They would confiscate his passport, interrogate him on and off for six hours, and tell the Interior Ministry to order him expelled without entry.
Thank God such a thing wouldn’t happen anywhere.
Because if the secret police ran the Jewish state, it would also run — and run with – the Interior Ministry. Which, in turn, would undermine and overrule the Foreign Ministry and even the Prime Minister’s Office, changing the course of Israel’s international diplomacy, its global public relations, and its relationship with Washington.
And because if the secret police ran the Jewish state, any and every move could be explained in two words and never more than two. Security reasons.
Moreover, if a Jewish state were run by the secret police, the chief of the secret police would hold an effective veto over the resumption and the substance of peace talks with the Palestinians, or over such issues as easing a crippling embargo on every one of Gaza’s million and a half people — See also:Two Israeli Arabs arrested on suspicion of spying, contact with HezbollahandShin Bet deports Spain’s most famous clown upon arrival in Israelmore..e-mail
Declassified GAO Report Exposes Fatally Flawed Israel Investigations
Grant Smith, Antiwar.com5/10/2010
The 2010 Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is underway at UN Headquarters in New York. A working paper calls for a nuclear-free Middle East. It would require member states of the NPT to “disclose in their national reports on the implementation of the resolution on the Middle East all information available to them on the nature and scope of Israeli nuclear facilities and activities, including information pertaining to previous nuclear transfers to Israel.” On May 6, 2010, the Government Accountability Office (formerly known as the General Accounting Office) released the previously secret 1978 report “Nuclear Diversion in the U.S.? 13 Years of Contradiction and Confusion” [.pdf]. It fills in important historic gaps about weapons-grade uranium diversions from the U.S. to Israel.
U.S. presidents have long acquiesced to “strategic ambiguity” — a policy of neither confirming nor denying that Israel even possesses nuclear weapons. This pretext has allowed the U.S. to deliver the lion’s share of its foreign assistance budget to Israel, despite clear legal prohibitions imposed by the Glenn and Symington amendments to the Foreign Assistance Act. UN member countries have long suspected that the United States either turns a blind eye or actively supports the transfer of know-how, weapons-grade uranium, and dual-use technology to Israel. The 62-page General Accounting Office investigation and correspondence confirms the United States refuses to mount credible investigations that would enable warranted prosecutions of the perpetrators.
“Nuclear Diversion in the U.S.? 13 Years of Contradiction and Confusion” investigates the period between 1957 and 1967 when the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC) received over 22 tons of uranium-235 — the key material used to fabricate nuclear weapons. NUMEC’s founder and president Zalman M. Shapiro was head of a local Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) chapter and a sales agent for the Defense Ministry of Israel in the U.S…. — See also:IRMEP: Nuclear Diversion in the U.S.? 13 Years of Contradiction and Confusionmore..e-mail
Meddling in Africa
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly5/7/2010
Israel is forging ever-closer ties in the Arab hinterland in Africa, virtually unopposed
All signs indicate that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman remains keen on implementing his ministry’s strategic priorities as set out from his first day in office, including pouncing on Africa. Lieberman’s interest in Africa revives former prime minister Golda Meir’s outlook in the 1950s and 1960s. She visited most non-Arab states on the continent. Israel’s current intensified moves mainly target the Horn of Africa, which includes Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.
While the Israeli Foreign Ministry is in theory in charge of Israel’s policies in Africa, there is no doubt that the party that is playing the greater role is Mossad. It maintains active agents in many African capitals, as recently revealed by Haaretz newspaper. Assigning Mossad this task is directly connected to this organisation’s routine attempts to undermine the national security of Arab states in Africa and on the Red Sea.
Indeed, there is a direct relationship between recent efforts to nurture Israeli-Ethiopian ties and threats by the government of Addis Ababa to re-channel Nile waters to the disadvantage of Egypt and Sudan. According to Israeli sources, the relationship between Tel Aviv and Addis Ababa went to a new level when Tel Aviv showed dexterity in abandoning its former ally Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki for the sake of closer ties with the Ethiopian regime. Israel and Ethiopia have signed many arms deals and are involved in training programmes whereby Israeli military units train Ethiopian forces.
Some make a connection between Tel Aviv’s cooperation with Addis Ababa and Ethiopia’s victories over Eritrea in battles that took place two years ago. Meanwhile, no one expects Israel or Ethiopia to reveal what may have been planned against Egypt behind the scenes. Lieberman once threatened to destroy Egypt’s High Dam….more..e-mail
Fourth annual Houston Palestine film fest opens this week
Electronic Intifada: 10 May 2010 – The Houston Palestine Film Festival is proud to bring Houston another year of great films and thoughtful discussion with its fourth annual film festival. This year’s program encompasses a wide range of films that highlight the unique strength and struggle of the Palestinian people.
Palestinian civil society slams OECD over Israel’s accession
Electronic Intifada: 10 May 2010 – Palestinian civil society represented by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee, a wide coalition of the largest Palestinian mass organizations and trade unions, issued a strong condemnation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Develop
ment’s decision today to welcome Israel as a member of the organization at its ministerial meeting to take place on 27-78 May.
Weekly Protest – VIDEO ROUND UP
Palestine Monitor: 10 May 2010 – Up and down the West Bank non-violent protests took place during the last weekend. Here’s a video round-up of what happened. Bil’in / Demonstration in Bi’lin – 7 May 2010 Courtesy: Oren Ziv – Activestills Six people were arrested in Bil’in on Friday during a demonstration to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of Al-Nakba. One resident was injured by a teargas canister and dozens suffered tear gas inhalation. Demonstrators, made up of Palestinian, Israeli and international activists, proceeded from Bil’in mosque to the fence. A number of demonstrators dressed in black and carried a coffin with a man inside. Tear gas fired at protesters by an Israeli army unit caused fire in nearby olive groves. Haitham, the injured man, was transferred to hospital in Ramallah. Six others were arrested. Nabi Saleh An eleven-year-old child was arrested at a protest in Nabi Saleh on Friday. He was then taken to the Halamish police…
British Election Drama Continues: Clegg’s Unpleasant Choices
Palestine Chronicle: 10 May 2010 – By Stuart Littlewood — London Britain is left dangling by an indecisive general election while horse trading goes on behind closed doors. The Liberal Democrats hold the balance of power and their leader Nick Clegg is running around meeting negotiators from David “I’m-a-Zionist” Cameron’s Conservatives and trying to reach a collaborative agreement so that a new era of government can begin. At the same time he’s having telephone conversations with sad loser Gordon Brown. While waiting for a result I began drawing up my own parliamentary ‘dream team’. This is not easy as many people, myself included, regard the top Tory and Labour figures – Hague, Osborne, Balls, Miliband – as just as much a pain in the fundament as their respective leaders. Supposing Clegg resists overtures from the Conservatives and tries for a ‘rainbow’ coalition with Labour under a caretaker Prime Minister such as Alan Johnson. My fantasy team…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 