News
International Middle East Media Center
British musician Elvis Costello cancels Israel tour as ‘matter of conscience’
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – After a campaign to boycott Israel targeted singer Elvis Costello with calls, letters and faxes, he decided that he could not, in good conscience, continue with a planned tour in Israel. He decided to join the boycott of Israel even though he acknowledged that this would cost him any future invitations to Israel.
The Israeli Military detains Six Civilians During Morning Invasions
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – Six Palestinian civilians were detained by Israeli troops on Tuesday during morning invasions targeting West Bank communities.
Palestinian Fighters Clashe With Israeli Forces In Northern Gaza
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – A group of Palestinian fighters clashed on Tuesday with an invading Israeli force in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Settlements Boycott Campaign Starts In The West Bank, Settlers Outraged
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – Israeli settlers groups called on the Israeli government to stop proximity talks with the Palestinians due to the settlements products boycott campaign that started today in the West Bank.
Israeli Military Leaders Prepare Scenarios For Possible Redeployment In Gaza
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – Several senior Israeli military leaders and leaders of the military police held a meeting recently to prepare scenarios for a possible reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and appointing a “military governor” should Israel decide to redeploy its army in the coastal region.
Army Invades Northern Gaza
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – Palestinian sources reported that Israeli soldiers carried out, on Tuesday at dawn, a limited invasion into al-Saifa area, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and clashes with resistance fighters.
Gaza Government Executes Three Prisoners
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – The Hamas run security forces in the Gaza Strip and its Ministry of Interior executed three prisoners, on Tuesday at dawn, who were previously convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The three were executed by gunfire.
Egypt Arrests 16 Palestinian Islamic Jihad Members
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – The Qatar-based al-Jazeera reported that the Egyptian Security Services arrested 16 members of Islamic Jihad at the Rafah Terminal, while heading back to the Gaza Strip after receiving medical treatment in Syria.
Hamas Demolished Homes In Rafah
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – Local sources have reported that the Hamas security forces in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, demolished several homes, Sunday, and intends to demolish more homes under the claim that they were built without permits.
Thousands of Palestinians commemorate Nakba in Ramallah
IMEMC – 18 May 2010 – In a massive protest march, Saturday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, thousands of Palestinians marched through the city streets in remembrance of the 62nd anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, or ‘Catastrophe’, when the state of Israel was created on Palestinian land in 1948 and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were expelled from their homes in, what is now, Israel.
Behind Gaza’s ‘generator-related deaths’
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The death of two men in a house fire last week brought the total number of blackout related deaths to almost 30, and prompted an investigation by Gaza-based human rights center Al-Mezan. The men in the latest case were brothers, both handicapped, living in a two-story home in Rafah with their family. When….
Settler attempts to overrun Palestinian car
5/18/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – An Israeli citizen living on an illegal West Bank settlement attempted to force a Palestinian vehicle off the road on Monday, which was transporting Palestinian Authority Ministry of Tourism staff from Nablus to Ramallah. Haitham Eshtayeh, an employee, told Ma’an that the car was approaching the Shilo settlement in Nablus when an Israeli….
Mother of 2 detainees dies after stroke
5/18/2010 – Tulkarem – Ma’an – The 56-year-old mother always said her health declined when two of her sons were taken by Israeli forces, charged and sentenced to extended prison terms. Hajjeh Latifa Al-Khawli, from the Tulkarem refugee camp, suffered astroke on Monday morning, relatives said, having not seen her sons for more than five years. Her sons….
Overnight detentions target Nablus, Bethlehem areas
5/18/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Two men were taken from their homes by invading Israeli forces overnight, detained from the Talluza and Aqraba villages in the Nablus municipality Tuesday morning. Palestinian security sources said the Talluza area was entered after midnight, and Yehya Kamel, 23, was taken for questioning to an unknown location after being taken from his….
50 aid trucks enter Gaza ahead of Wednesday closure
5/18/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli officials told Gaza liaison officers that all crossings for the Strip would be closed on Wednesday for the Jewish holiday of Shavout, and some 50 trucks of aid would be permitted in on Tuesday. Liaison officer Raed Fattouh said he expected between 45 to 56 truckloads of goods, in addition to limited….
Costello cancels Israel shows as ‘matter of instinct and conscience’
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Seventies-era singer and songwriter Elvis Costello canceled his June/July concert series in Israel, citing – in part – the “despicable acts of violence perpetrated in the name of liberation.” The move was immediately welcomed by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, whose director of campaigns and operations, Sarah Colborne, said an increasing number of artists were….
Rafah open for fourth day
5/18/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Nearly 850 residents left Gaza for Egypt through the Rafah crossing on Tuesday, which remained open for the fourth consecutive day in a bid to alleviate the number of stranded travelers on either side, the de facto Palestinian Border Crossing Corporation (PRCC) said. Ten buses and 18 ambulances left Gaza via the pedestrian….
Woman barred from entering Sheikh Jarrah
5/18/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli authorities banned a Palestinian resident of Jerusalem from entering the occupied Ea
st Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah on Tuesday for one month and fined her 800 Shekels for assaulting an Israeli citizen in the flashpoint neighborhood two weeks prior. Jamlat Al-Mughraby, from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabel Mukkaber, was living with….
Der Spiegel: Israeli soldiers fall pray to Facebook spy
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A number of Israeli soldiers reportedly fell victim to a Facebook spy scam, the German newspaper Der Spiegel wrote Tuesday. The soldiers seemingly befriend a young woman on the social networking site who may have been a Hezbollah operative, the daily wrote. The article, quoting an Israeli news site, said a Facebook profile belonging to Reut Zuckerman was used to lure soldiers…. Related:Computer-translated Der Spiegel article
Factions report clash with Israeli troops in Gaza
5/18/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A joint force of resistance factions said they clashed with Israeli forces in Gaza’s northwestern most neighborhood, As-Sifa, at sunrise on Tuesday morning. A statement from the Fatah-affiliated Al-Mujahideen Brigades alongside the Popular Resistance Committees’ An-Naser Salah Ad-Din Brigades said fighters came under fire from Israeli troops in the region, and responded by….
Report: Israel may appoint Gaza military governor
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Top military officials are reportedly preparing to appoint a military governor for the Gaza Strip, in what would be a significant move toward re-occupying the area, the Hebrew language daily Ma’ariv wrote Tuesday. Military officials purportedly asked the police division to find a suitable candidate for the post of Gaza Military Governor, to….
Israeli sappers detonate explosives at Hamra checkpoint
5/18/2010 – Tubas – Ma’an – Palestinian security sources said a bomb scare was behind the closure of the Hamra checkpoint between Nablus and Jericho on Tuesday afternoon, reporting one boy detained. The checkpoint, on Highway 57 at the eastern edge of Nablus next to the illegal Hamra settlement, was closed for hours and Palestinians turned away, witnesses reported….
US consul in Qalqiliya pledges support for state building
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – US Consul General Daniel Rubinstein visited Qalqiliya on Monday, where he toured the Green Qalqiliya festival and reiterated American commitments to the establishment of a viable Palestinian state. On his tour, Rubinstein noticed that, “despite the impact the barrier wall has had on the Qalqiliya economy, local traders and farmers are working amid….
Fatah signs deal with EU Social Democrats
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Fatah signed a partnership agreement with a coalition of social democratic parties within the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, ratified by Central Committee member Nabil Sha’ath. The agreement sets out commitments to strengthen cooperation between the Group of Progressive Alliance Socialists and Democrats, particularly in parliamentary activities, a statement from the Fatah….
French push reconstruction of Gaza hospital
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – After two successful shipments of building supplies into Gaza for the reconstruction of Al-Quds Hospital, French consular officials said they were confident the project would go forward. Twenty tons of cement and eight of iron reinforcing bars entered Gaza on 13 May, and a second shipment went through on the 17th, for the….
Belgium donates cars to PA civil police
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A hand over ceremony of 25 Belgian-donated vehicles for the Palestinian Authority Civil Police was held on Tuesday at the Civil Police Compound in the Tireh neighborhood of Ramallah. The convoy of cars was donated by Belgium with support and coordination from UNOPS and EUPOL COPPS, the EU Police Police Mission in the….
PA hands out blacklisted settlement goods list
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem/Jenin – Ma’an – Residents received hand-delivered lists of blacklisted settlement products on Tuesday as the Palestinian Authority kicked off its door-to-door anti-settlement produce campaign throughout the West Bank, comprising the first of several pamphlets to be distributed as part of the House to House program. The list, part of an 88-page guide on how to participate in the boycott…. Related:Settlement products guide (Arabic – PDF)
In photos: PA launches House to House settlement boycott
5/18/2010 – Volunteers start the new House to house campaign to boycott settlement goods in the West Bank city of Qalqiliya on 18 May 2010. The new campaign will see over 3,000 volunteers across the West Bank go door-to-door to distribute the first part of a settlement produce guide as the first leg of the Palestinian Authority’s….
Report: US envoy arrives for proximity talks
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – US Middle East envoy George Mitchell began brokering the latest round of indirect talks on Tuesday between Israeli and Palestinian officials, media outlets reported. Mitchell met with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv, Barak’s office said, and is expected to head to Ramallah to meet President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday….
UN envoy: Quick progress in new proximity talks vital
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A senior UN official warned Tuesday that rapid progress is vital in light of considerable challenges, including efforts by militants on both sides to derail the process, the UN news agency reported.”After many setbacks and delays, we are entering a new phase in the efforts for Israeli-Palestinian peace,” Special Coordinator for the….
Rejected plan for Silwan includes zero forced evictions
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem/Jerusalem – Ma’an – A team of specialists from Jerusalem and Haifa banded together when the Israeli municipality re-affirmed its intention to demolish 88 homes in the Silwan neighborhood, and constructed an alternative city plan. While the Israeli municipal plan has the area at 80 percent green space, and the community plan has about 20 percent….
Gaza govt executes 3 convicted murderers
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Gaza government executed three convicted murders on Tuesday, a move quickly condemned by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, the de facto Interior Ministry implemented the death by hanging sentence early Tuesday morning while the Associated Press reported that three bullet-riddled bodies were dropped of at….
Gaza opens first Olympic-size swimming pool
5/18/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Gaza’s first Olympic-standard swimming pool was inauguratedat the As-Sadaka club during a ceremony on Tuesday held by the Islamic Society. Gaza government ministers, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, leaders of Islamic and national governing bodies, as well as club members and athletes were among those at the opening ceremony, where Secretary-General of….
PSE: Al-Quds Index bounces back after sharp fall
5/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Al-Quds Index rose on Tuesday, up by 1. 45 points, after Monday’s sharp decline on the Palestinian Securities Exchange. At the close of trading, shares of 27 companies were traded, with shares of 13 companies rose ,while those of seven companies declined. Total of traded shares was 754,112 for a total value….
West Bank health and economy up a bit, Gaza down
5/18/2010 – Dubai – IRIN – With a failing economy, rising unemployment and deteriorating power, sanitation and health facilities, the health of population continues to worsen, according to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report. In contrast, modest improvements have been made in the West Bank.As a consequence of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip, 98 percent of industrial operations have been shut down since 2007…. Related:Source
View videos of resistance, read articles, and take action this week
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – In this digest: a) Videos about the ongoing popular resistance including in Nabi Saleh, Sheikh Jarrah, Beit Jala, Italy etc. b) Four actions you can take for this week including support for the Free Gaza movement,…
Comic book saving the world from stereotypical rhetoric
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Kuwait City – Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of a highly successful comic series that is published in eight different languages and will soon appear on television screens all over the United States, has been ranked one of…
Influential Moroccan intellectual leaves international legacy
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – “Reason is a light which is certainly needed to illuminate the darkness, but it can also be useful in full daylight.” – Mohammed Abed al-Jabri (27 December 1936 – 3 May 2010) Bonn, Germany – Mohammed…
Saudi Arabia and the United States: working toward a better world
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Jeddah – Two initiatives – US President Barack Obama’s vision of interfaith harmony as expounded in his historic June 2009 address to the Muslim world from Cairo, and the interfaith dialogue initiated by Saudi King Abdullah…
Palestinian football drama for social change
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Bethlehem, West Bank – In Bethlehem’s Manger Square, under a full moon, two lovers recite Palestinian national poet Mahmoud Darwish’s words of affection and longing. Where they stand, shadows cast on the stones of Christ’s birthplace…
No Elvis in Jerusalem. Costello joins the boycott
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – The campaign for the academic and cultural boycott of Israel has gotten itself another big fish. Singer and songwriter Elvis Costello, scheduled to play two concerts in Israel this summer, announced he would be canceling his…
Missed opportunity with Iran?
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – The Obama administration is essentially ignoring the Iranian nuclear deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded today by announcing that the United States has reached an agreement on sanctions with the…
A life-saving surgery for Palestinian children
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – On May 7, a six member team of doctors and nurses from Messa, Italy finished a week of pediatric cardiac surgery at Makassed Hospital on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem. This is the third…
Report: Israel preparing for possible reoccupation of Gaza
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Washington – The Hebrew-language daily Ma’ariv reported Tuesday that top Israeli military officials are preparing to appoint a military governor to the Gaza Strip, which would be a “significant move” toward the reoccupation of Gaza, Ma’an…
US opposes WHO resolution against Gaza siege
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Washington – The World Health Organization passed a resolution over US objections on Tuesday calling for an immediate end to Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip, AFP reported . The WHO flag (above) merges the United Nations…
Mitchell, Barak hold talks
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Abbas absent from Nakba commemorations New York – US Middle East envoy George Mitchell held talks with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak at his Tel Aviv residence on Tuesday, as the zig-zagging lurch toward peace negations…
Museum of Tolerance unearths thousands of skeletons
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Washington – The so-called Museum of Tolerance slated for construction on the oldest Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem has resulted in the exhumation of more then 1000 people laid to rest there, Haaretz’s Nir Hasson reported Tuesday….
Skepticism abounds as negotiations gear up
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Washington – US Middle East envoy George Mitchell was in the region reportedly meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak ahead of his shuttle diplomacy between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah and Israeli Prime Minister…
Clinton: Powers reach deal on Iran sanctions
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – New Yor
k – US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton told lawmakers on Tuesday that the five permanent members of the UN Security Council have reached agreement on a fourth round of sanctions on Iran over its…
Report: Health and economy stats down in Gaza
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Dubai – IRIN – With a failing economy, rising unemployment and deteriorating power, sanitation and health facilities, the health of Gaza’s population continues to worsen, according to a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report. In contrast,…
Three executed in Gaza
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – New York – Palestinian authorities in Gaza executed three people convicted of murder on Tuesday, rejecting appeals by rights groups against the death penalty. Hamas executes prisoners by firing squad against a wall like the one…
WB boycott goes door-to-door
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Washington – In April, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas approved an official boycott of the purchase, sell and consumption of goods produced on West Bank settlements, and now Palestinians are taking their campaign into neighborhoods across the…
Detained activist allowed to see lawyer
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Court extends detention of Ameer Makhoul New York – A Palestinian-Israeli community organizer who was arrested by Israeli security forces in early May was permitted access to his lawyers for the first time in two weeks…
Israel rejects offer to restore ties with Qatar
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Washington – Israel has rejected proposals to restore diplomatic ties with Qatar in exchange for allowing the Gulf nation to conduct reconstruction projects in Gaza, Haaretz reported Tuesday. HH Sheikh Hamed bin Khalifa al-Thani, Emir of…
Bombshell: Former new republic editor, Peter Beinart, on the collapse of the “Pro-Israel” establishment
Palestine Note 18 May 2010 – Peter Beinart, former editor of Marty Peretz’ New Republic has written a groundbreaking piece in the New York Review Of Books about the end of the “pro-Israel” lobby’s hold on American Jews. Beinart, in his late…
Noam Chomsky denied entry to West Bank, Israel
Palestine Note 17 May 2010 – Legendary academic Noam Chomsky has been denied entry to the West Bank and Israel. While crossing over the Allenby Bridge from Jordan into the West Bank, Chomsky was prevented from entering the West Bank by Israeli…
Yediot legal editor: Chomsky affair part of trend that “could mark the end of Israel as a freedom-loving state of law”
Palestine Note 17 May 2010 – In the generally sensationalist tabloid Yediot, Israel’s most popular newspaper, the legal affairs editor, Judge (ret.) Boaz Okon, is a breath of fresh air. He is one of the few mainstream Israeli journalists who dare use…
Elvis Costello cancels Israel concerts
Palestine Note 17 May 2010 – New York – Following pressure from boycott campaigners, rock musician Elvis Costello announced on Saturday that he is canceling a pair of scheduled concerts in Israel. In a statement on his website, Costello said the decision…
UN discusses Iran sanctions deal
AlJazeera 18 May 2010 – UN security council debates draft resolution over Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme.
Israel: Chomsky ban ‘big mistake’
AlJazeera 18 May 2010 – Ministry says US academic should have been let in for West Bank lecture.
Elvis Costello joins Israel boycott, canceling June shows
Ha’aretz – ‘Humiliation and intimidation’ of Palestinians behind decision to scrap Caesarea concerts, British singer says.
Settlers: Palestinian boycott is an ‘act of hate’
Ha’aretz – Yesha Council calls on government to close Israeli ports to Palestinian goods until embargo on goods produced in settlements ends.
Netanyahu: Gay father and twins must be allowed to return to Israel
Ha’aretz – Dan Goldberg and his sons — who were born to a surrogate mother in India – have been awaiting permission to proceed with a paternity test that would determine whether he is indeed their biological father.
Why does Iran see Turkey as an ‘honest broker’ for a nuclear deal?
Ha’aretz – The uranium transfer deal transforms Iran and Turkey into strategic allies without undermining Turkey’s standing in the West.
UN Security Council sanctions draft targets Iran’s banks, cargo, arms
Ha’aretz – Clinton: World powers, including Russia and China, agree on a draft sanctions resolution against Iran; Brazil refuses to discuss the council’s sanctions.
Assad: Peres promised open peace talks if Syria cuts Iran ties
Ha’aretz – Syrian leader says his country is ‘ready for both peace and war’; Israeli president denies using Russian mediation to offer negotiations.
IOF opens fire at peaceful demo in Gaza
18 May 2010 – Gaza, May 18, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened today fire at Palestinian demonstrators in Bait Lahya town, in north of Gaza, who were protest against the Israeli buffer zone around the Gaza Strip. Palestinian national leaders, foreigner activists, and citizens participated in the demonstration that la
unched from the town of Bait Lahya and stationed on…
IOF Conducts 19 Attacks Against Gazan Fisherment
18 May 2010 – Gaza, May 18, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Between 1 January 2010 and 30 April 2010, there was a significant increase in the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) documented 19 attacks launched by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against Palestinian fishermen at sea. According to a report, PCHR documented…
IOF opens fire at Gazan workers in Rafah
18 May 2010 – Gaza, May 18, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli military vehicles stationed at the border between Gaza and the Palestinian occupied land of 48 opened fire on Tuesday morning from their machine-guns towards the citizens in the area of Gaza International Airport, east of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. According SAFA news agency quoting eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers from military vehicles…
Hamas destroys dozens of homes in southern Gaza
18 May 2010 – Gaza, May 18, (Pal Telegraph — By Rizek Abdel Jawad — AP) Gaza: Hamas police wielding clubs beat and pushed residents out of dozens of homes in the southern Gaza town of Rafah on Sunday before knocking the buildings down with bulldozers, residents said. Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers said the homes were built illegally on government land. Newly homeless residents…
After denied entry to West Bank, Chomsky likens Israel to ‘Stalinist regime’
18 May 2010 – West Bank, May 18, (Pal Telegraph — Agencies) The Interior Ministry refused to let linguist Noam Chomsky into Israel and the West Bank on Sunday. Chomsky, who aligns himself with the radical left, had been scheduled to lecture at Bir Zeit University near Ramallah, and visit Bil’in and Hebron, as well as meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and…
Israel detains 6 Palestinians in the WB
18 May 2010 – West Bank, May 18, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained today six Palestinians from the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Nablus. Local sources reported that Israeli soldiers raided the house of the citizen Tareq Hamara in Housan village in Bethlehem. They searched the house and then detained his son Adam, 19. The IOF raided number of…
Israeli official: Gaza aid boats would be stopped
18 May 2010 – Palestine, May 18, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — A senior Israeli official said on Monday that a plan by pro-Palestinian activists to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip was a “provocation” and would be stopped, Palestinian sources reported. The Free Gaza Movement, an international group seeking to ship humanitarian aid and activists into the Gaza Strip, aims to send…
Report: Israel preparing for possible reoccupation of Gaza
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – The Hebrew-language daily Ma’ariv reported Tuesday that top Israeli military officials are preparing to appoint a military governor to the Gaza Strip, which would be a “significant move” toward the reoccupation of Gaza, Ma’an News Agency said. According to the report, military officials have asked Israeli police to submit names of suitable candidates for the…
Hamas house demolitions spark criticism
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – Hamas Islamists ruling the Gaza Strip have been demolishing Palestinian homes they say were built without permits, leading to unwelcome comparisons to arch-enemy Israel… Fatheya al-Ghezawi, 52, sat in the sand with her daughter near the rubble of her home, which had housed her family of 15. She said she fled Gaza city last year…
Hamas Demolished Homes In Rafah
Uruknet May 18, 2010- Local sources have reported that the Hamas security forces in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, demolished several homes, Sunday, and intends to demolish more homes under the claim that they were built without permits. The sources that clashes took place between a number of residents and the security forces leading to several…
Elvis Costello’s Israel concert cancellation lauded
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) warmly welcomes Elvis Costello’s cancellation of his scheduled performances in Israel. Costello’s decision is a great victory for the ethical responsibilities of international cultural figures, a key factor in the cultural boycott of Israel. It comes after similar cancellations by Gil Scott-Heron, Carlos…
Jerusalem: Museum of Tolerance unearths thousands of skeletons
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – he so-called Museum of Tolerance slated for construction on the oldest Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem has resulted in the exhumation of more then 1000 people laid to rest there, Haaretz’s Nir Hasson reported Tuesday. In the three-part special on the controversial Museum of Tolerance and Human Dignity, part II focuses on the excavation of ancient…
DCI – Palestine submits 14 cases of sexual assault and threats to the UN for investigation
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – On 18 May 2010, DCI-Palestine submitted 14 cases to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture for investigation. The submission relates to the sexual assault, or threat of sexual assault, of Palestinian children at the hands of Israeli soldiers, interogators and police between January 2009 and April 2010. The ages of the children range from 13…
Israeli official: we will destroy Al-Bustan Neighborhood after June 15
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – Fakhri Abu Diab-member of the Committee for the Defense of the territory of Silwan and Al-Bustan neighborhood warned from Israeli threats conveyed to him by Israeli official in charge of the East Jerusalem municipality file, Yakir Segev, who said that if the locales of Al-Bustan neighborhood refuse the plans of the Occupation municipality, then the…
Report: Israel may appoint Gaza military governor
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – Top military officials are reportedly preparing to appoint a military governor for the Gaza Strip, in what would be a significant move toward re-occupying the area, the Hebrew language daily Ma’ariv wrote Tuesday. Military officials purportedly asked the police division to find a suitable candidate for the post of Gaza Military Governor, to be appointed…
‘Nakba Law’ The Latest Threat To Civil Liberties In Israel
Uruknet May 18, 2010 – On March 16th the Israeli Knesset passed on first reading a softened version of the ‘Nakba law’, allowing the state to revoke government funding for groups judged to be acting “against the principles of the country”. Such actions include marking the foundation date of Israel with mourning ceremonies, effectively criminalising the traditional Palestinian Nakba Day…
Comrade Sa’adat: End occupation in all historic Palestine
Uruknet May 17, 2010 – Comrade Ahmad Sa’adat, the imprisoned General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, denounced any negotiations with the occupation, saying that “the solution to the critical historical conflict in the Middle East will only be the establishment of one state on the entire Palestinian national soil, from river to sea, with full…
Video:Nabi Saleh protest 14-05-2010.wmvIsraeli soldiers drag, beat and kick Israeli woman
Uruknet May 17, 2010 – The weekly protests in Nabi Saleh have quickly gained a reputation as the most violent of the West Bank demonstrations, yesterdays proved true to the norm where an arrested Israeli woman was repeatedly kicked and savaged on the ground by a Border Police thug and the villagers were subjected to blizzards of tear gas and…
Religious edict to expand sphere for targeting Palestinians in “Price Tag” campaign
Uruknet May 17, 2010 – Rabbi Yitzhak Shapira, leader of the Yosef Chai Yeshiva; a religious institution in the Yitzhar settlement, has called for an expansion of the ‘price tag’ campaign – a settler policy of retribution against Palestinians and their property in response to government operations to evacuate settlement enclaves in the West Bank. Shapira’s statements were made as…
UN says Iran’s nuke deal “encouraging”
Uruknet May 17, 2010 – The Iranian nuclear fuel swap deal brokered by Turkey and Brazil is “encouraging,” United Nations spokesperson Martin Nesirky said on Monday. “Efforts to try to resolve this through dialogue are important and are to be encouraged,” he told reporters. On Monday in Tehran, Iran signed an agreement with Turkey and Brazil on shipping most of…
Gaza: remarkable urgency
Uruknet May 17, 2010 – A dry winter with very late rains —at the end of January, the last possible time for planting, the farmers said —followed by a dry spring evolved into the beginnings of a dry summer. Called yesterday to accompany farmers in the Faraheen and Khoza’a regions, each east of Khan Younis, we were suddenly busy again….
Turkey credits Obama for Iran nuclear fuel deal
The National 18 May 2010 – Experts say pact reached through an initiative by Brazil and Turkey that was possibly backed by US will move back Tehran’s nuclear clock.
The Israeli Military Arrests Six Civilians During Morning Invasions
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN – Six Palestinian civilians were arrested by Israeli troops on Tuesday during morning invasions targeting West Bank communities. Israeli soldiers raided homes at the village of Hussan near Bethlehem,…
Israeli Military Leaders Prepare Scenarios For Possible Redeployment In Gaza
PNN – Saed Bannoura — IMEMC – Several senior Israeli military leaders and leaders of the military police held a meeting recently to prepare scenarios for a possible reoccupation of the Gaza Strip and…
Palestinian Fighters Clashes With Israeli Forces In Northern Gaza
PNN – Gaza – PNN – A group of Palestinian fighters clashed on Tuesday with an invading Israeli force in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Salah Al Deen Brigades said in a…
Elvis Costello Boycotts Israel
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN- World singer, Elvis Costello, have canceled his concert in Israel due to its occupation to the Palestinians and they way its army treats them. Costello was going to perform…
Settlements Boycott Campaign Starts In The West Bank, Settlers Outraged
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura — PNN – Israeli settlers groups called on the Israeli government to stop proximity talks with the Palestinians due to the settlements products boycott campaign that started today in the…
Why Gaza Journalists Were Not Allowed To Jericho Conference??
PNN – PNN Exclusive- The Arabic Media Internet Network — AMIN – concluded its conference for Media this week without the participation of Gaza based journalists. In the opening ceremony speeches were supposed to…
MIDEAST: Dreaming With Their Feet
IPS GAZA CITY, May 18 (IPS) – Ahmed Ismail, 23, is leading a dance out of troubled times in Gaza. Breakdancing is his way to help the youth of Gaza begin dreaming and having fun again.
MIDEAST: Chomsky – Latest Jewish Thinker Savaged by Israel
IPS RAMALLAH, May 18 (IPS) – When internationally renowned linguist, philosopher and political analyst Noam Chomsky was barred from entering the West Bank, he joined a chorus of Jewish intellectuals savaged by the Israeli government for outspoken criticism.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory ( 06-12 May 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
UN powers back new Iran sanctions
Jeruslalem Post 19 May 2010 – New proposal targets Revolutionary Guard, investments related to nuclear program.
Damage due to Barzilai riots in Jerusalem: NIS 1 million
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – Haredi demonstrators vandalized garbage bins, traffic lights and vehicles.
Gov’t rejects Iran deal as a ruse
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – Says Iranian deal is a maneuver to prevent agreement on sanctions.
Iran optimistic about nuke deal
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – Spokesman urges West to stop “seeking excuses” not to resolve issue.
‘Syria turned down Peres peace offer’
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – Assad says president offered Golan in return for subdued Iran ties.
Costello cancels Israel shows
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – No peace, love and understanding from Elvis.
‘Syria turned down Peres’s peace offer’
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – Assad says president offered Golan in return for subdued Iran ties.
IDF sends 14,000 tons of aid to Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – Fuel, gas, food, hygiene products and medical supplies transferred.
Hamas executes 3 convicted killers
Jeruslalem Post 18 May 2010 – Doctor says bullet-riddled bodies dumped at Gaza hospital.
Unemployment Rate Highest in Tulkarm, Khan Younis
WAFA – RAMALLAH, May 18, 2010 (WAFA)- Unemployment rate was the highest in Tulkarm governorate among the West Bank
Who Shall be Denied Entry into Israel , Gush Shalom Says
WAFA – TEL AVIV, May 18, 2010 (WAFA)- Following the Chomsky Affair, Gush Shalom (the Israeli Peace Bloc) considered an Israeli Supreme Court appeal against the Minister of the Interior, demanding clear and
Palestinians, Germans Begin Landmark Political Partnership
WAFA – BERLIN, May 18, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian National Authority and Germany tread new ground in Berlin, today, kicking off the landmark German-Palestinian Steering Committee, according to
Elvis Costello Cancels Concert in Israel
WAFA – RAMALLAH, May 18, 2010 (WAFA)- Elvis Costello has announced on his website that ‘after considerable contemplation that I have lately arrived at the decision that I must withdraw from the two
Elvis Costello cancels concerts in Israel in protest at treatment of Palestinians
The Guardian 18 May 2010 – Singer says he acted on ‘conscience’, as he joins a list of performers who have boycotted Israel for political reasons Elvis Costello has cancelled two concerts he was scheduled to play in Israel in protest at…
Le HCR et ses partenaires militent pour le programme europ?©en commun de r?©installation
Relief Web 18 May 2010 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
UNHCR and partners lobby for joint European resettlement scheme
Relief Web 18 May 2010 – Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
‘Powerful Elements’ Will Try to Delay Progress of New Israeli-Palestinian Proximity Talks, Special Coordinator Tells Security Council
Relief Web 18 May 2010 – Source: UN Security Council
Belgium donates 25 cars to Palestinian Civil Police
Relief Web 18 May 2010 – Source: European Commission
Assad: Peres offered us ‘Golan for Iran’
YNet News – Syrian president says his Russian counterpart relayed message from Israeli….
Sadat’s nephew begins work in Israel
YNet News – He was only three when his uncle signed historic peace treaty with Israel. More….
Settlers: PA boycott — economic terror
YNet News – Yesha Council responds to new Palestinian campaign distributing list of banned….
Hamas executes 3 convicted murderers
YNet News – Tuesday’s execution is second in Strip after two Palestinians accused of….
Report: Holland’s sympathy for Israel in decline
YNet News – Internal Foreign Ministry document obtained by Ynet points to decrease in Dutch….
Assad advisor: There’s always a chance of war
YNet News – Dr. Bouthaina Shaaban tells Hezbollah TV station that Syria is not interested in….
UN sanctions target Iran banks, arms
YNet News – A UN Security Council draft resolution, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, calls for expanding punitive measures against Iran, its banking and other industries for refusing to …….
Hezbollah holds ‘Jihad tours’ for students
YNet News – Just days before the tenth anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah hosted hundreds of students at what it called ‘The Land of Islamic …….
Clinton: Powers agree on Iran resolution
YNet News – French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Tuesday a nuclear fuel swap with Iran agreed in talks with Brazil and Turkey was a “positive step” and it was waiting for Tehran …….
Industrialists: Palestinians only hurting themselves
YNet News – Major factory owners in Israel began to gird for battle against a Palestinian boycott of t
heir products Tuesday, following the distribution of thousands of pamphlets to …….
PA boycott campaign gains momentum
YNet News – Hundreds of activists took to the streets of the West Bank on Tuesday and distributed brochures calling on the Palestinians to boycott settlement products. The …….
Iran awaits quick response to nuclear deal
YNet News – Iran expects a quick response from world powers on an accord to ship much of its low enriched uranium to Turkey as part of a nuclear fuel swap deal, the foreign ministry …….
France releases man who killed Iran’s last premier
Daily Star 18 May 2010 PARIS: An Iranian assassin who killed the country’s last prime minister under its ousted shah was freed from a French prison Tuesday and was allowed to return to the homeland that now considers him a hero…
Israel plays war-game assuming Tehran has nuclear bomb
Daily Star 18 May 2010 HERZLIYA, Israel: A nuclear-armed Iran would blunt Israel’s military autonomy, a war-game involving former Israeli generals and diplomats has concluded, though some players predicted Tehran would also exercise restraint. Sunday’s event at a campus north of…
Iran kills two members of PJAK – report
Daily Star 18 May 2010 TEHRAN: Iran’s security forces have killed two members of a Kurdish guerrilla group near the Islamic Republic’s western borders, state television reported on Tuesday.Acting commander of Iran’s Border Guards Rahim Khorshidvand said the two were members…
US envoy arrives for Israeli-Palestinian talks
Daily Star 18 May 2010 US President Barack Obama’s Middle East envoy began mediating a new round of indirect peace talks on Tuesday as Israel and the Palestinians appeared to be heeding Washington’s calls for goodwill gestures. George Mitchell will shuttle…
Palestinian Information Center
Barhoum: Arab silence encouraged occupation
PIC 18 May 2010 – Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman, has described as “state terrorism” the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) schemes to raze the entire Bustan suburb in occupied Jerusalem.
European parliament declares solidarity with Palestinian prisoners
PIC 18 May 2010 – The European parliament has declared fully solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation jails and expressed sympathy over their tragic incarceration conditions.
IOA intelligence questions wife of Hamas MP
PIC 18 May 2010 – The IOA intelligence apparatus interrogated the wife of Hamas MP Ahmed Attun in Maskobeh detention center for several hours before releasing her at a late hour on Monday.
European campaign: The Freedom Flotilla to sail as scheduled
PIC 18 May 2010 – The European campaign to end the siege on Gaza has condemned the Israeli threats to block the Freedom Flotilla, carrying hundreds of solidarity activists and humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
Jerusalemite prisoner appeals for letting him see his mother in ICU
PIC 18 May 2010 – Jerusalemite prisoner Ahmed Khalaf has appealed to the Red Cross and human rights groups to help in allowing him to see his mother who has been in the intensive care unit for ten days.
Khudari: Freedom Flotilla adamant on reaching Gaza
PIC 18 May 2010 – MP Jamal Al-Khudari has said that the Freedom Flotilla is adamant on breaking the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip and going ahead in its sea voyage to the besieged enclave.
Palestinian homicide convicts put to death
PIC 18 May 2010 – Three Palestinian homicide convicts were executed in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after being found guilty of premeditated murder.
IOA to start razing Bustan suburb within days
PIC 18 May 2010 – The IOA is preparing all necessary crews and equipment to start razing Palestinian homes in the Bustan suburb in occupied Jerusalem within the few coming days, Fakhri Abu Diyab said.
Resistance fighters foil IOF incursion in northern Gaza
PIC 18 May 2010 – Palestinian resistance fighters foiled an attempt by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) to infiltrate into northern Gaza at dawn Tuesday, a communiqu?© said.
Nakba-62: we will not forget, we will not forgive
PIC 18 May 2010 – Zionism viewed Palestine as a land without a people for a people without a land. This arrogant denial of the Palestinian people’s very existence didn’t originate in ignorance of reality
Family Sexual Assault Surfacing in Gaza
The Media Line 17 M
ay 2010 – [Gaza City] — Eighteen-year-old “E.S.” hides in the corner of her dark room, fearing the approach of a family member coming to prey on her flesh again. The wary girl with deep green eyes and golden…
U.S., allies present proposal for Iran sanctions
LA Times 18 May 2010 – Brushing aside Iran’s latest offer to address concerns on its nuclear program, the major powers introduce a list of new U.N. sanctions.The measures would limit arms sales and allow searches of ships.
Clinton announces Iran sanctions agreement
LA Times 18 May 2010 – The secretary of State tells a Senate committee that the U.S. and other U.N. Security Council countries, including Russia and China, have drafted a resolution that will ‘send an unmistakable message’ to Iran. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told a Senate committee that U.S. officials have reached an agreement with U.N. Security Council members China, Russia, Britain and France for a draft sanctions resolution that will be sent to the full 15-member council later Tuesday.
Rafah Journal: Homes Built as Statement Razed to Make Another
New York Times 18 May 2010 – At least 25 houses in Gaza were demolished by the Hamas government, which is struggling to become a governing organization.
U.S. Is Skeptical on Iranian Deal for Nuclear Fuel
New York Times 18 May 2010 – Monday’s agreement, negotiated by Brazil and Turkey, could undermine efforts in the U.N. to impose new sanctions on Iran.
(!) Can’t read content
Alternative Information Center 3 – We’re sorry, content cannot be read. If you are the feed creator , something went wrong while the Dapp ran. To see what happened, please go to the Dapp’s page on dapper.net , or Contact Dapper support specifying the Dapp name If you are a subscriber , this feed…
Elvis Backs The Boycott
Palestine Monitor – Veteran rock musician Elvis Costello has pulled out of two scheduled concerts inside Israel. The British five-time Grammy award winning singer and guitarist cited the “intimidation and humiliation of Palestinian civilians” in an open letter explaining his decision. Costello’s public snub represents another major coup for…
‘Nakba Law’ The Latest Threat To Civil Liberties In Israel
Palestine Monitor – On March 16th the Israeli Knesset passed on first reading a softened version of the ‘Nakba law’, allowing the state to revoke government funding for groups judged to be acting “against the principles of the country”. Such actions include marking the foundation date of Israel with…
Nakba: Words and Pictures
Palestine Monitor – A series of images and testimonies to coincide with the 62nd anniversary of the “Nakba” . In 1948, following the UN vote on the Partition Plan in November 1947, Palestinian residents of over 420 villages were expelled from the land would become the state of Israel, creating…
The Ongoing Nakba Of Palestinians
Palestine Monitor – Demonstrations have been organised this week in all the occupied Palestinian territories, to commemorate the 62nd Anniversary of the Nabka, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their houses and driven out of their homeland. Palestine Monitor interviewed Palestinian singer Rim Banna. / Rim…
Mustafa Barghouthi and Noam Chomsky Deliver Joint Condemnation of ‘Fascist’ Israeli Policies
Palestine Monitor – MP Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, co-hosted a press conference in Ramallah today with Professor Noam Chomsky, speaking from Amman, Jordan. Professor Chomsky, who along with his daughter was prevented from entering the West Bank yesterday by Israeli authorities, could not…
Making the case for Zionism
Mondoweiss – Photographer: Ahmad Gharabli/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images, from the Wall Street Journal ‘s “pictures of the week” for the past week. Reports the Journal: “FACING A CROWD: A Palestinian woman whose house has been occupied by Jewish settlers argued with Israelis who came to celebrate Jerusalem Day in…
Bush-Obama neocon at Treasury is lobby’s hope re Iran
Mondoweiss – The “lobby’s” crusade against Iran continues. Here, Jonathan Schanzer, “a former terrorism intelligence analyst at the U.S. Treasury Department, vice president of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies,” a potent neoconservative thinktank that emerged after 9-11, wants to give the job to fellow Israel-supporter,…
Christian Zionists are chopped liver next to ‘political, intellectual and economic elite’
Mondoweiss – One of those pieces I wish I’d written! Daniel Luban responds to the Beinart piece by analyzing the Israel lobby’s effort to replace young Jews who don’t care about Israel with evangelical Christians: I think that both supporters of Christian Zionism like [Walter Russell] Mead and…
‘I will not cooperate with any Israeli institution while Palestinians are denied basic human rights’
Mondoweiss – Two friends of mine, both professors at prestigious universities, have refused to review research proposals for the BSF (United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation), a high level grant-awarding institution, established by the governments of the United States and Israel in 1972, to support cooperative research projects of…
Under his breath, Richard Cohen whispers, ‘Israel, beware’
Mondoweiss – Richard Cohen is a real smart guy. I think he’s an Israel lobbyist in the sense that W&M defined the job, he is using his position to try and preserve the Jewish state against all critics (including Walt and Mearsheimer, who got him to sing the…
Articles
Arabs Shut out of Israeli Public Sector
Jonathan Cook, Dissident Voice5/17/2010
Unemployed computer engineer, Morad Lashin, would like to work in Israel’s Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admitted his chances of being recruited are slim.
The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 per cent of the company’s 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Arab minority constituting nearly 20 per cent of the population.
The committee’s report presents a picture of massive under-representation of Arab citizens across most of the public sector, including in government companies and ministries, where the percentage of Arab staff typically falls below two per cent of employees.
According to Sikkuy, a group lobbying for greater civic equality, discriminatory hiring policies have left thousands of Arab graduates jobless, even though the government promised affirmative action a decade ago.
Mr Lashin, 30, from Nazareth, said his remaining hope was to find a job in the public sector after a series of short-term contracts in private hi-tech firms. “Everywhere you go, they ask if you have served in the army. Because Arab citizens are exempt, the good jobs are always reserved for Jews.”
Ali Haider, a co-director of Sikkuy, said: “What kind of example is set for the Israeli private sector when the government consistently finds excuses not to employ Arab citizens too?”
Ahmed Tibi, who heads the parliamentary committee on Arab employment in the public sector, said that even when government bodies appointed Arabs it was invariably in lowly positions. “The absence of Arabs in [senior] roles means that they have no say in the ministries’ decision-making processes,” he said.
The issue of under-representation in the public sector was first acknowledged by officials in 2000, when the Fair Representation Law was passed under pressure from Arab political parties.more..e-mail
Gaza Fever
Greta Berlin, CounterPunch5/18/2010
“You Need a Proper Boat … “
We’ve all caught the fever, every one of us who works to send boats to Gaza. From August 2006, when a handful of us started the Free Gaza Movement, every one who has joined us has been stricken with a bad case of the disease. It is chronic. It sometimes causes afflicted patients to insist that if just one more voyage can be planned to this small slice of the Mediterranean, we’ll all be in remission. There is no real cure in sight… yet.
Gaza Fever has now attacked thousands of us who have a passionate sense of justice.
The disease began shortly after Israel invaded Lebanon in 2006, as a group of us were in despair that the Palestinians, once again, were the forgotten symptom of Israel’s grand designs. As the world watched the defeat of Israel by a small band of guerrilla fighters in Lebanon, Israel decided it would take its wrath out on the Palestinians, specifically the Palestinians of Gaza. We watched as Israel, in January 2009, deliberately bombed 1.5 million Palestinians into abject poverty, a man-made catastrophe bordering on genocide.
One man in Australia suggested we sail a boat from New York to Gaza in protest of the closures there. That small idea has grown into a flotilla that leaves at the end of May with 700 people on board nine ships.
We, who have traveled by boat to Gaza, come back changed, blisters of outrage forever marking us. Those who have supported us through donations, letters, outraged picketing in front of Israeli Embassies demanding Israel stop its war crimes against a civilian population are also changed, as they watched our small boats sail into Gaza five times, cheering us on our way. Then, when our last three missions were violently stopped by Israel, thousands stepped up and donated to help us buy new boats.more..e-mail
Margaret Atwood Cashes In
Jennifer Matsui, Dissident Voice5/17/2010
Novelist Margaret Atwood’s decision to travel to Tel Aviv to share a literary prize worth a million dollars has ignited a controversy in which the septuagenarian author and vice-president of the literary human rights organization PEN International has come under fire by Palestinian rights activists. Ms Atwood’s acceptance of the Dan David Prize, whose previous laureates include Al Gore and Tony Blair, is viewed by Ms Atwood’s critics as a betrayal to the ideals she supposedly represents, and an unwitting endorsement of Israel’s race exclusive policies.
The Canadian author’s insistence that refusing the blood-spattered trophy would be tantamount to “censorship” rings as false as her commitments to justice as an anti-apartheid activist, and as a writer who has made tyranny and oppression recurring themes in her novels, elevating her from fiction writer to public intellectual. I say “false” because “justice for some” is hardly an ethical stance with any merit, and certainly not one that will maintain her status as an “oppositional intellectual”. Sadly, this “intellectual” has made no effort to research the subject of Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian land and its unyielding, systematic oppression of the Palestinian people (as many Jewish and Israeli scholars and activists themselves have bravely condemned). Otherwise, she would use the occasion of the invitation to condemn an increasingly murderous regime and call upon its people to support sanctions, boycotts and divestments until their government accepted the rule of International law and reversed its policy of displacement and expulsion of Arab people from their ancestral lands. Instead the once outspoken author has chosen to put monetary interests ahead of the principled moral stances she has taken in the past, in order to lay claim to a tainted prize given each year to fame-hungry “artists” looking to boost sagging sales of their product while making all the appropriate noises to the press about free speech.
Ms Atwood’s blandly centrist posturing is symptomatic of a malady particular to the cosseted and fossilized members of a wealthy nation’s cultural elite, for whom “free speech” is a largely unexamined term….more..e-mail
Elvis Costello’s Israel concert cancellation lauded
Electronic Intifada: 18 May 2010 – The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) warmly welcomes Elvis Costello’s cancellation of his scheduled performances in Israel. Costello’s decision is a great victory for the ethical responsibilities of international cultural figures, a key factor in the cultural boycott of Israel.
Challenging Canada’s myths about its role in Palestine
Electronic Intifada: 18 May 2010 – Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler’s recent comments that Canada’s policy towards th
e Middle East has been put in the service of domestic electoral concerns have been read as critical by the corporate media. However, Fowler is only one of many reproducing a fantasy of Canada having a reputation for being fair, just and objective as regards the Middle East. Sean F. McMahon comments for The Electronic Intifada.
Elvis Backs The Boycott
Palestine Monitor: 18 May 2010 – Veteran rock musician Elvis Costello has pulled out of two scheduled concerts inside Israel. The British five-time Grammy award winning singer and guitarist cited the “intimidation and humiliation of Palestinian civilians” in an open letter explaining his decision. Costello’s public snub represents another major coup for the global BDS (Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions) campaign and PACBI-the department dedicated to an academic and cultural boycott of apartheid Israel. Costello follows in the footsteps of such high profile performers as Santana and Gil Scott Heron, who also pulled out of tour dates in Israel recently. It is believed the combined pressure from various branches of the international BDS movement played a major part in Costello’s decision, who as recently as two weeks ago was re-iterating his desire to go ahead with the concerts in Ceasarea, Haifa. In a letter on the musician’s official website he expressed concern that performing in Israel would…
‘Nakba Law’ The Latest Threat To Civil Liberties In Israel
Palestine Monitor: 18 May 2010 – On March 16th the Israeli Knesset passed on first reading a softened version of the ‘Nakba law’, allowing the state to revoke government funding for groups judged to be acting “against the principles of the country”. Such actions include marking the foundation date of Israel with mourning ceremonies, effectively criminalising the traditional Palestinian Nakba Day. Monday in Ramallah On March 16th the Israeli Knesset passed on first reading a softened version of the ‘Nakba law’, allowing the state to revoke government funding for groups judged to be acting “against the principles of the country”. Such actions include marking the foundation date of Israel with mourning ceremonies, effectively criminalising the traditional Palestinian Nakba Day. The Nakba — Arabic for catastrophe — refers to the mass expulsion of Palestinians from the land which would become the state of Israel, creating over 750,000 refugees. It is commemorated each year by Palestinians in Israel,…
Nakba: Words and Pictures
Palestine Monitor: 18 May 2010 – A series of images and testimonies to coincide with the 62nd anniversary of the “Nakba” . In 1948, following the UN vote on the Partition Plan in November 1947, Palestinian residents of over 420 villages were expelled from the land would become the state of Israel, creating 750,000 refugees. Nakba is the Arabic word for catastrophe. The exodus from Haifa Source: Wikimedia Commons Father Audeh Rantisi, Lydda, 11 years old at the time I cannot forget three horror-filled days in July of 1948. The pain sears my memory, and I cannot rid myself of it no matter how hard I try. First, Israeli soldiers forced thousands of Palestinians from their homes near the Mediterranean coast, even though some families had lived in the same houses for centuries. (My family had been in the town of Lydda in Palestine at least 1,600 years). Then, without water, we stumbled into the hills and…
The Ongoing Nakba Of Palestinians
Palestine Monitor: 18 May 2010 – Demonstrations have been organised this week in all the occupied Palestinian territories, to commemorate the 62nd Anniversary of the Nabka, when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their houses and driven out of their homeland. Palestine Monitor interviewed Palestinian singer Rim Banna. / Rim Banna Photo: Activestills Rim Banna sings the notes of Onadikum, the notorious ballad of the Palestinian folkloristic tradition, whilst behind the scenery of the stage the Israeli Army is patrolling the entrance of Al- Masara. This West Bank village lies 13 km from Bethlehem and, like the 8 other villages in the area, is completely encircled by the illegal Israeli settlement of Efrat (part of the Gush Etzion block). In Al-Masara on Friday the internationally-known Palestinian singer openedthe rallies commemorating the Nakba, an event organised by the local committee with the support of the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, and in cooperation with the Minister…
Will Hezbollah Support Right to Work for Palestinian Refugees?
Palestine Chronicle: 18 May 2010 – By Franklin Lamb — Beirut The current relationship between Palestinian refugees in Lebanon and Hezbollah is not as clear cut as often assumed, despite the frequent inspiring brotherly words of Hezbollah’s leadership and the fact that the Party enjoys the support of more than 90% of the camp refugees, none of whom can vote. What this means is that the willingness of the Lebanese Resistance to spend its domestic political capital to legislate the right work to work for Palestinian refugees is not settled as of mid-May 2010. The Hezbollah-PLO historical connection is well known in Lebanon. If Grand Ayatollah Imam Sayyed Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini was the omnipresent but unseen father at the birth of the Party of God (whose very name he approved), the Beirut headquartered Palestine Liberation Organization was in some ways the infant organization’s nurturing and occasionally doting ‘uncle.’ This familial relationship weakened, but did not collapse…more
Noam Chomsky Was Not Prevented From Entering Israel
Palestine Chronicle: 18 May 2010 – By Sam Husseini Many reported that Noam Chomsky was recently stopped from entering Israel. This is false. Totally false. He was prevented from going to the Palestinian city of Ramallah by Israeli forces. This important distinction highlights among other things that Israel controls the borders into occupied Palestinian areas, a large part of the problem. AP stated: “An Israeli official says academic and polemicist Noam Chomsky, who is a fierce critic of Israel, has been denied entry to the country”. Al Jazeera English had Chomsky on and introduced the segment by saying he was “stopped from entering Israel”. ABC News ran the headline “Noam Chomsky Denied Entry to Israel”. Matthew Rothschild wrote: “On Sunday, the Israeli government denied Noam Chomsky entry into the country”. Some got the facts right, noting that Chomsky was denied entry into the West Bank by Israel — but didn’t highlight why or how that might…more
Who Wants This American Dead?
Palestine Chronicle: 18 May 2010 – By Jeff Gates Why kill Anwar al-Awlaki, an American who inspired the Times Square Fizzler and advised the Crotch Bomb Sizzler? This Islamic preacher is “out there.” No doubt about it. So is Christian preacher John Hagee. Hagee promises his flock a Rapture that will beam them up to Heaven. But not just yet. First God’s Chosen People must recover Jerusalem. Remind me: isn’t the status of Jerusalem THE most contentious and volatile issue in the entire Middle East? Hagee is much loved by the Likud Party wing nuts that have never shown any desire for peace with an indigenous population that has been ethnically cleansed, imprisoned and provoked with impunity
for six-plus decades. Isn’t Hagee’s preaching an incitement to violence? Yet members of his flock can claim a tax deduction to support his inspired preaching. We call this freedom of religion If the recovery of Jerusalem for The Chosen…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 