News
International Middle East Media Center
P.A Forces Arrest Al Biereh Deputy Mayor
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – Palestinian security forces arrested on Tuesday that deputy mayor of Al Biereh city, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
11 Swedish citizens onboard the Freedom Flotilla
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – Ship to Gaza and Freedom Flotilla, at this moment bearing for Gaza over the Mediterranean, have 11 Swedish citizens onboard. Among these can be found both members of parliament, activists, medical doctors and intellectuals
We Will Resist Israel’s Attempts To Stop US
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – (Hearklin, Crete, Tuesday, May 25, 2010) As Israel continues to insist it will stop the seven-ship international Freedom Flotilla, two more ships departed from Greece to Gaza today.
The Military To Demolish Homes In Northern West Bank
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – Israeli troops handed out demotion orders to nine Palestinian home owners in the village of Yatma near Nablus, northern West Bank.
Tanks Bomb Gaza Homes; Troops detain Civilians From The West Bank
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – Israeli tanks stationed at the Gaza Strip borders with Israeli bombarded on Tuesday residents homes and farmers in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Solidarity Ships Sail To Gaza Thursday
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – The Greek-Swedish solidarity ship, carrying humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip, sailed earlier on Tuesday morning after several hours delay due to technical difficulties, while the rest of the ships will sail to meet in Cyprus before heading to Gaza.
Fighters Detonate An Explosive Charge Near The Electronic Fence In Gaza
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – Palestinian fighters detonated an explosive device near an Israeli military vehicle, Tuesday morning, near the Erez terminal in northern Gaza.
Abu Zurhi: “Threats Against Freedom Flotilla, State Terrorism”
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – Hamas spokesman Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri stated that he is sure the Freedom Flotilla, a convoy of ships carrying humanitarian support and international and Arab activists to the Gaza Strip, will reach its destination, adding that Israel’s threats against the Flotilla are clear instances of “State Terrorism.”
Suspected Mossad Agent Expelled From Australia
IMEMC – 25 May 2010 – An Israeli diplomat in Australia who is believed to have been involved in forgery of passports used in the Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Madbouh in Dubai earlier this year is being expelled from the country.
Israeli Police Recommend Indicting Lieberman
IMEMC – 24 May 2010 – The Israeli police recommended indicting Israel’s Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, who is under investigation for corruption and money laundering charges.
Israel destroying Gaza agriculture, food security, NGOs say
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Over 60 percent of Gaza households are food insecure as a result of the ongoing blockade Israel imposed on the coastal enclave, leading to a collapse of its formal economy, the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) said Tuesday. AIDA, which represents over 80 NGOs, called on Israel for “full and unfettered access….
Israel to demolish 9 homes in Nablus village, PA official says
5/25/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Israel’s Civil Administration handed down nine demolition warrants to home-owners in the Yatma village south of Nablus City on Tuesday, a Palestinian Authority official told Ma’an. Ghassan Doughlas, head of the PA portfolio on settlements in the northern West Bank, said the warrants were distributed to residents whose homes are built at the….
Israeli army: Gaza blast caused by wired donkey cart
5/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Shortly after farmers in the northern Gaza Strip reported an explosion on Tuesday afternoon, Israeli military sources said two mortars were launched from the area toward the Negev. Farmers said they had been told to evacuate the area by Israeli forces shortly after they heard an explosion, which one witness told Ma’an was….
Hamas makes arrests over UNRWA arson
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Gaza government said Tuesday they had detained a group of suspects in the burning down of an UNRWA recreation facility in Gaza City, news agencies reported.”A group of people suspected of involvement in the damage caused to tents in the UNRWA holiday camp was arrested,” the Hamas interior ministry said in….
Al-Aqsa Foundation worried by Sultan`s Pool dig
5/25/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – The Al-Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage expressed concern over excavations carried out on the Sultan’s Pool, adjacent to the Old City of Jerusalem last week, saying it feared the “Islamic site would be destroyed.”According to a statement by the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA), what was uncovered was a Mamluk bridge, “covered….
Israel detains 3 from Hebron village, 7 from East J`lem
5/25/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained three Palestinians overnight Monday from the Hebron village of Tarqumiya, security sources told Ma’an. Security sources said village was raided overnight and Israeli forces searched a number of homes before detaining Muhammad Rajab Shahda Fatafta, 24 and Khalil Muhammad Ismail Qabaja, 24. Separately, Jihad Tuneneh, 25, was detained by Israeli….
HaMoked petitions high court to stop expulsions immediately
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamoked, the Center for the Defence of the Individual, served a petition to Israel’s High Court of Justice on Tuesday, along with 15 other Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations, regarding the practice of expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip on the basis of their registered address. In….
Detainees say punished over blankets
5/25/2010 – Salfit – Ma’an – Fifty four detainees were transferred out of the Ashkelon prison in Israel for requesting clean blankets, the Detainees Center reported Tuesday. A letter smuggled out of the prison by detainees said the move was a punitive measure applied to inmates, after they appealed for new blankets to replace threadbare and old ones, the….
Israel to allow building materials into Gaza for UNRWA
5/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Four truckloads of building materials will enter Gaza on Tuesday, along with some 120 loads of goods for the commercial and agricultural sector, Israeli officials told crossings liaison officials. The building materials are destined for UNRWA reconstruction and repair projects, Palestinian crossings official Raed Fattouh said, and would include 170 tons of cement….
PA, PLO slam Israeli stance on boycott
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas continued to insist on the necessity of boycotting Israeli settlement products, in the face of ballooning Israeli criticism, highlighting again on Monday the parameters of the movement. The statement followed the publication of accusations by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleging the boycott was one of several Palestinian “steps that….
Al-Aqsa Brigades warn Hamas against execution of leader
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Almost one year after the sentence was handed down, the West Bank’s Al-Aqsa Brigades warned the Hamas government against the execution of the group’s leader. If Shadi Ahmad is executed, “the response will be unprecedented,” Al-Aqsa officials said in a statement, threatening to retaliate against the “highest ranks of Hamas in the West….
Argentina at 200 – Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana
5/25/2010 – Argentina is turning 200 years old today. We regard the commemoration of the bicentenary as a process in which celebration goes hand in hand with reflection. That is what we have been doing recently. The purpose of these lines is to include all peoples of the world in our celebration, presenting some highlights of our….
Jericho opens Argentina Street to mark bicentenary
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Argentine Representative to the Palestinian Authority and the Jericho Municipality opened Argentina Street in the Palestinian city to mark the Latin American country’s bicentenary. Ambassador Horacio Wamba and high-ranking Jericho officials opened the new street on Sunday aspart of the celebrations for Argentine National Day and the bicentennial of its first national….
Israel to permit entry to Arab investors for PIC
5/25/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Israel will permit an exceptional 815 Middle East businessmen and women to enter the West Bank for Bethlehem’s second Palestine Investment Conference (PIC) in June, officials announced on Tuesday. Executive director of PIC Ja’far Hdeib called news of the permits, communicated by Israel’s Civil Administration late Monday night, the first signs of success….
Quartet welcomes Israeli measures to ease movement
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Middle East Quartet officials welcomed on Tuesday a package of measures the Israeli army said would ease movement and access restrictions in the West Bank. A Quartet statement said Head of the Mission Robert Danin welcomed the development, saying, “some of these steps are significant and should improve the economic and living conditions….
Egypt: Captured ’top officer’ unstable man fleeing fa
mily
5/25/2010 – Al-Arish – Ma’an – The Egyptian authorities denied on Tuesday, reports from Hamas officials that a top Egyptian security officer was detained in Gaza the day before. The man in question, Egyptian sources said, was a mentally unstable man who was intercepted by security men attempting to cross illegally into Gaza. Gaza officials, however, reported Monday that….
Hamas slams Israeli threats against freedom fleet
5/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Hamas-led government in Gaza called on Tuesday for the formation of a national support committee to protect the entry of a nine-boat fleet bringing humanitarian aid into the Strip’s port. Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said ongoing Israeli threats to bar the Freedom Flotilla from weighing anchor in Gaza shows “Israel is obviously….
In photos: American singers perform in Nablus
5/25/2010 – American singer Kareem Salama performs at an event organized by the US Consulate in Jerusalem. Salama and his band performed at An-Najah National University in Nablus on 22 May 2010. Salama singing American Heritage songs. In the past, the American representative to Palestine has hosted musical talent from swing to jazz to rap, and toured….
PA to send 15 trucks of medical aid to Gaza
5/25/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Fifteen truckloads of medical aid destined for Gaza were loaded on Tuesday, the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health announced. Minister Fathi Abu Moghli said the aid, which consists of medicine and medical supplies, is worth approximately 14 million shekels and is due to arrive in Gaza’s medical warehouse by Wednesday. The delivery includes….
Tulkarem demands apology over bird flu scare
5/25/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Tulkarem’s deputy mayor called on President Mahmoud Abbas to secure an apology from the Ministries of Health and Agriculture to poultry farmers in the Bal’a village for the recent avian flu outbreak scare. Hasan Khreisheh told Ma’an that poultry farmers required full compensation after the village was quarantined for eight days following rumors….
50,000 Palestinians register for Hajj
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – More than 50,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip signed up on Tuesday to take part in this year’s Hajj lottery, hoping to participate in the Muslim pilgrimage due at the end of Ramadan in September. Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash said that while only 6,600 West Bankers….
Fire crews control orange grove fire
5/25/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian firefighters said they were able to gain control over a number of blazes across the northern West Bank on Tuesday, a statement read. Among the fires controlled include a blaze in a Jenin orange grove, which consumed 15 trees, and spread to a nearby olive tree crop near the Jalzon refugee camp….
PSE: Al-Quds Index drops 0.93%
5/25/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian shares fell sharply in Tuesday trading, as the Al-Quds Index fell by 0. 93% on the Palestine Securities Exchange. The worst hit share was AZIZA, the Palestine Poultry company, down 4. 98% as it struggles to recover from a recent avian flu scare in the northern Tulkarem district. The Arab Investors company….
What do they want from the Palestinians?
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – By Yariv Oppenheimer Those Palestinians, what ingrates. Instead of being happy that the Israeli economy has learned to exploit the lands of Judea and Samaria and to invest inordinate sums of money to build factories and…
Steele sides with Israeli settlers: Obama has ‘left Israel to fend for herself’
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – On Saturday, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele appeared at a right-wing pro-Israeli settler rally in New York’s Central Park, trashing the Obama administration’s policy toward Israel, and rejecting further Israeli “concessions” to the peace process….
15 hurt in Israeli strikes on Gaza
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – Warplanes hit 2 targets following mortar shells New York – Fifteen Palestinians were wounded when Israel’s air force struck at least two targets in the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday, Palestinian officials said. A spokesman for…
The first step on a life-changing journey
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – I first heard about Creativity for Peace through their website. I found what looked like a great program for peace-minded girls. It involves travel to New Mexico, US and brings together Jewish Israeli, Arab Israeli and…
Searching for solutions in Israel and Palestine
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – One last item from this week’s Al Jazeera Forum, where the Israeli-Arab conflict was surely the most-discussed issue – not just on panels, but in countless sideline discussions as well (like my colleague Andrew Wander’s interviews…
The new frontiers of Israeli (public) diplomacy, ctd.: Finnish travel agent humiliated after admitting that her fianc?© is Egyptian
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – Be mean to tourists A travel agent from Finland was humiliated at the Eilat airport. She was stripped, her bra was taken for x-ray by a man and her personal effects were corrupted. She claims the…
Abbas: Iran is ‘hijacking’ Palestinian affairs
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – New York – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas harshly criticized Iran on Tuesday for allegedly interfering in Palestinian politics. In an interview with Egyptian television, Abbas said that Hamas was refusing to achieve intra-Palestinian reconciliation because of…
Nasrallah: We’ll target Israeli ships in war
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – New York – Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said on Tuesday that his fighters would attack Israeli ships should the Jewish state impose a sea blockade on Lebanon in the event of a future war. Demonstrators lift…
Turkey urges Israel: Lift Gaza blockade
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – New York – Turkey urged Israel on Tuesday to lift its blockade of Gaza and allow a Turkish-led convoy of ships carrying humanitarian aid to enter the the territory, Reuters reported . “Freedom Flotilla” convoy-goers hold up…
Did Israel torture Ameer Makhoul?
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – New gag order in case of jailed rights activist New York – Israeli authorities have banned the release of information detailing alleged torture by security agents of jailed community organizer Ameer Makhoul. If true, the torture…
Officer accused of killing Palestinian boy indicted
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – Washington – An Israeli officer charged with shooting and killing an 11-year-old Palestinian boy at an anti-wall demonstration in Ni’lin in 2008 has been indicted, Ynet News reported Tuesday. A boy sits at the fresh grave…
GOP chairman sides with settlers at rally
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – New York – Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Steele lashed out at the Obama administration on Saturday in a speech at a Central Park rally organized by right-wing pro-settler groups. “It grieves me to the…
Explosion, mortar fire reported on Gaza border
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – Washington – Farmers reported an explosion in northern Gaza Tuesday afternoon, which the Israeli military said was followed quickly by two mortars launched into the Negev, Ma’an News Agency reported . A witness told Ma’an the explosion…
Israeli minister calls for sanctions over settler boycott
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – Washington – Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom threatened the Palestinian Authority with sanctions unless it rescinds its ban on settler goods, Ynet News reported Tuesday. Agricultural goods from settlements like cantaloupe have already been seized…
Survey: Facebook beats out newspapers among Arabs
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – Washington – A survey by Dubai-based Spot On Public Relations has found there are roughly a million more Facebook users than newspapers readers in the Arab world. Facebook has more than 15 million users in the…
Palestinian and Israeli security forces in Beit Jala and ACTION:Bethlehem/Haifa etc
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – (occupation forces uprooting olive trees in Nahhalin this Monday morning; call me or email me for details) We had a demonstration in Al-Walaja on Sunday morning (23 May 2010) which went smoothly. At 11:30 we went…
Israel politics pointed in illiberal direction
Palestine Note 25 May 2010 – Peter Beinart’s important New York Review of Books essay, ” The Failure of the American Jewish Establishment ” outlining a generationally bifurcated American Jewish community in which Israel-focused institutions are increasingly dominated by zealots while more…
Trial begins in Israel leak case
Palestine Note 24 May 2010 – New York – Court proceedings began in Tel Aviv on Monday in the case of Anat Kamm, a journalist and former Israeli soldier who is charged with charged with espionage for handing sensitive documents to another…
EU could shrink PA aid if peace talks fail
Palestine Note 24 May 2010 – New York – The European Union could reduce its financial support for the Palestinian Authority (PA) if no progress toward a peace deal with Israel, EU officials said on Monday, according to Reuters . The EU as…
Obama warns Hariri over Hezbollah arms
Palestine Note 24 May 2010 – Lebanon PM voices ‘skepticism’ at peace process New York – President Barack Obama hosted Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the White House on Monday in a meeting that addressed concerns about Syrian arms reaching Hezbollah….
Israel launches air raids on Gaza
AlJazeera 25 May 2010 – Fifteen injured in strikes on abandoned airport and Hamas training camp.
Israeli ‘nuclear offer’ to S Africa
AlJazeera 24 May 2010 – Forthcoming book exposes secret 1975 weapons agreement with apartheid South Africa.
Stranded gay father to return to Israel with twins this week
Ha’aretz – Dan Goldberg had been refused entry into Israel for 2 months, awaiting court permission to proceed with a paternity test.
Court rejects settlers’ appeal to stay in East Jerusalem building
Ha’aretz – The 7-story Beit Yehonatan structure was built by ultra-nationalists in the heart of Silwan, a predominantly Arab neighborhood.
Study paints bleak picture of Jewish-Arab ties in Israel
Ha’aretz – Almost half of Arabs surveyed dissatisfied with life in Israel, report to Knesset shows, warning deteriorating inter-ethnic relations threaten to break the relative calm.
Border policeman accused in killing of Palestinian boy
Ha’aretz – Prosecutors present letter of indictment against former border guard Omri Abu, charging him with causing death by negligence in shooting of 10-year-old Palestinian boy in Na’alin in 2008.
Government committee backs residency status for foreign workers’ children
Ha’aretz – Ruling, which would allow children living in Israel for at least six years to stay in the country, will go before Interior Minister Eli Yishai next week.
Math matriculation goes digital in Israel
Ha’aretz – For the first time, school principals will download test papers from a specially created website and then distribute them to students.
500 academics, students sign letter protesting Israel’s refusal to grant Noam Chomsky entry
Ha’aretz – The letter reads: Under democracy, we do not silence voices that express an opinion which is different than the dominant one.
Police to question Ehud Olmert in Holyland probe on Tuesday
Ha’aretz – Former prime minister to be questioned on a line of corruption charges, among them accepting bribes worth NIS 1 million from contractors of Holyland project.
Netanyahu to PA: Israel boycott is only hurting yourselves
Ha’aretz – PM: Israel aspires to economic peace. The Palestinians must now decide if they are aiming for peace or not.
Israel Police: Indict Avigdor Lieberman for breach of trust
Ha’aretz – Police believe that Lieberman was shown classified material from an ongoing police investigation against him over allegations of fraud and embezzlement.
Haredim attack Interior Minister’s car in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Eli Yishai is rescued from Mea Shearim by special police after extremist Haredim slash his tires and pelt his car with rocks, eggs.
Israel mounts air strike on Gaza tunnels overnight
Ha’aretz – PA sources say 15 Gazans injured; strike comes after Palestinian militants had blown up a donkey cart filled with dynamite near Gaza border.
Report: Nuclear forum to ignore Iran, urge Israel to sign NPT
Ha’aretz – Nuclear disarmament official says Iran threatened to slam U.S., western powers with ‘serious nuclear noncompliance’ if mentioned in final NPT conference resolution.
Nasrallah: We will attack ships approaching Israel in future war
Ha’aretz – Hezbollah chief tells supporters the militant group has the capability to inflict as much harm on Israel as it did in Lebanon during the 2006 war.
Turkey to Israel: Lift blockade of Gaza
Ha’aretz – Israel warns it would block a fleet of nine ships carrying some 700 international pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian supplies from reaching Gaza.
Netanyahu buying his survival with taxpayers’ money, opposition says
Ha’aretz – Kadima MK slams prime minister in special Knesset session called to discuss the coalition’s alleged inability to represent Israel’s interests.
IDF troops escape unharmed after bomb explodes on Gaza border
Ha’aretz – Wagon rolls over bomb apparently planted by militants 60 meters from security fence; two mortar shells strike near Ashkelon.
Mitchell to U.S. Jews: Peace in the Middle East is possible
Ha’aretz – At D.C. Jewish day school, Obama’s envoy says he won’t discount possibility of Hamas one day joining negotiations.
Israel raids different areas in Gaza over night by air
25 May 2010 – Gaza, May 26, (Pal Telegraph) An Israeli warplane (f16) targeted Gaza’s former International Airport in Rafah, in southern Gaza Strip, without causing injuries. The Israeli warplane bombed the airport with three missiles without reported inuries so far. Local sources said that the Israeli aircraft (F-16) fired two missiles also on an agricultural land, north of Beit Hanoun in the northern…
Egypt welcomes Gaza’s fleet of “Freedom”
25 May 2010 – Gaza, May 25, (Pal Telegraph) The Egyptian government announced today that it’s ready to receive the fleet of freedom’s ship that are sailing to Gaza if blockaded by Israel. Spokesperson of Egyptian foreign Affairs, Husam Zaki, expressed Egypt’s willingness to allow the ships loaded with Humanitarian aid to Gaza via Egyptian borders if they were officially contacted by the founders…
Israel to demolish 9 Palestinian houses
25 May 2010 – Nablus, May 25, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation authorities notified today nine Palestinians of its intention to demolish their houses in Yetma village, south of the city of the West Bank Nablus.
Israel plows 15 donums in east of Bethlehem
25 May 2010 – West Bank, May 25, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli bulldozers plowed Palestinian lands in Nahlen village in the west of Bethlehem city. Military vehicles and bulldozers were present in the site where they plew 15 donums and uprooted number of olive trees. “The aim of plowing is to confiscate the land of Abu Al-Qoron close to Jba’out and Bytar Alit…
Israeli allegation about hidden helicopters in Turkish ships
25 May 2010 – Gaza, May 25, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli intelligence website “Deepak” said today, that the Turkish government sent a confidential letter to its Israeli counterpart on Monday included a threat of “reprisals” if the Israeli Navy intercepted the ships of the fleet of “Freedom”.
Israeli police begins investigating Olmert, Liberman is on the list too
25 May 2010 – Jerusalem, May 25, (Pal Telegraph) Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, was subjected to investig
ation for the first time in the case of “big architectural enterprise corruption” in the west of Jerusalem, the case is known as the “Holy land.”
Palestinians survive Israel’s shelling in Gaza
25 May 2010 – Gaza, May 25, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) targeted today a group of citizens in north of Gaza, no casualties were reported. Israeli tanks stationed on the north of Gaza, near the borders of the Palestinian occupied land of 48, shelled, one shell at least, today the citizens in the area of Al-Waha to the east of…
Israel detains 9 Palestinians in the WB
25 May 2010 – West Bank, May 25, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained today nine Palestinians from the cities of the West Bank Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron. IOF detained three of the detainees from Tarqomya. The detainees are: Mohammed Ftafta, 24, Jehad Tnina, 25 and Khalil Qbaja, 24, Wafa news agency reported. Security sources added that IOF erected military barriers…
Why is Israel torturing the Palestinian residents of Sheikh Sa’ad?
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – The Palestinian village of Sheikh Sa’ad has been essentially disconnected from the outside world by the Israeli defense establishment. This is one of those stories that make me, as an Israeli, feel truly shameful. As Haaretz reported Monday, the village is located near Jerusalem but is isolated from all surrounding villages due to the location…
In the Zionist Entity:The Authorities and the Public would prefer to outlaw Human Rights Organizations!!!
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – …”More than 20 MKs, including members of opposition party Kadima, proposed a new bill which will make it possible to outlaw important human rights groups in Israel. Among the organizations mentioned in the proposed bill are Doctors for Human rights, The Coalition of Woman for Peace, The Public Committee against Torture in Israel, and Adalah:…
24-Year Old Iranian Faces Deportation, Execution for Leading Protest for Immigration Reform
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – Washington, DC — Mohammad Abdollahi has lived in the United States for twenty-one years and considers himself an American. But after participating in a sit-in for immigration reform, he now finds himself facing imminent deportation to Iran. And because Abdollahi is gay, if deported to Iran, he could face execution. Abdollahi came to the US…
All eyes on Israel as UN considers Middle East nuclear ban
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – Israel faces unprecedented pressure to abandon its official policy of “ambiguity” on its possession of nuclear weapons as the international community meets at the United Nations in New York this week to consider banning such arsenals from the Middle East. Israel’s equivocal stance on its atomic status was shattered by reports on Monday that it…
ISRAEL’S STRANGE BEHAVIOUR ON FLOTILLA TO GAZA
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – Amazing the odd tactics Israel has attempted in the last two weeks with regards to the Flotilla coming to Gaza. First they threaten the ministers of the various countries, Turkey, UK, Ireland, Sweden, etc. Telling them to call back their dignitaries. Then they suddenly allow some trucks into Gaza with a little humanitarian aid, to…
Hamas’ Turn to Demolish Palestinian Homes
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – On Sunday approximately 150 Palestinians from 20 families were driven out of their homes in Rafah, in the southern Gaza strip, by heavily armed police and soldiers who menaced them with clubs. The difference this time was that it was not the Israeli Defence Forces carrying out evictions and demolitions but Hamas security forces, including…
Israel destroying Gaza agriculture, food security, NGOs say
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – Over 60 percent of Gaza households are food insecure as a result of the ongoing blockade Israel imposed on the coastal enclave, leading to a collapse of its formal economy, the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA) said Tuesday. AIDA, which represents over 80 NGOs, called on Israel for “full and unfettered access into and…
Con-Dems to deport three-year-old to Iran
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – The Con-Dem government has ordered the deportation of a three-year-old Iranian girl and her family just days after it pledged to place “child welfare at the heart of what we do.” The home of Feridoon Pourshahnaz Varjovi, Sheila Sadeghi and their daughter Taraneh was raided earlier this month by immigration enforcement officers and they have…
Long-separated family reunites in Gaza through tunnel
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – Naima Akkawi, a 40-year-old Moroccan native, is finally back home in Gaza with her husband Mahmoud Jouda and her two young children, Riwan (5) and Rimas (3) after an enforced absence of 10 years.During that long and agonizing separation, Mahmoud and Naima did all they could to get back together through official channels but it…
Vanunu: ‘Shame on you, democracy’
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – After serving 18 years in solitary for leaking secrets about Israel’s Dimona nuclear plant in the Negev to the London Times in 1986, nuclear technician Mordecai Vanunu is now about to serve another three months for violating the terms of his “parole,” apparently under an endless house arrest. “Shame on you, democracy” was his response…
We will resist Israel’s attempts to stop us
Uruknet May 25, 2010- As Israel continues to insist it will stop the seven-ship international Freedom Flotilla, two more ships departed from Greece to Gaza today. A 2000 ton cargo ship and fifty-person passenger ship owned by the European Campaign Against the Siege of Gaza, and Swedish/Greek Ship to Gaza campaigns left Athens to meet the Freedom Flotilla in international…
Settlement Boycott in Full Force [May 16 — May 22]
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – On May 18th, approximately 3,000 volunteers went door to door in several areas of the West Bank handing out a list of boycotted settlement products. The volunteers also urged citizens to sign the “Karama” pledge, which stipulates that they would no longer buy any products made in West Bank Jewish settlements. The campaign is part…
What are They so Afraid Of?
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – Sixteen yachts, part of an Israeli flotilla, set sails off the shores of Herzeliya in protest of the three-ship flotilla that left Turkey en route to Gaza on May 22. The Israeli yachts waved huge Israeli flags, pictures equating Turkish Prime Minister
Recep Tayyip Erdoƒüan to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad plastered to the sides. Other…
What Will They Think of Next? DARPA’s “Malintent” Machines
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – As America’s War On Terror morphs into an endless assault on civil and human rights, the technophilic fantasies of our masters, and the corporations whom they lovingly serve, even amidst the doom and gloom of capitalism’s global economic collapse, have taken extraordinary steps to ensure that the “state of exception” spawned by the 9/11 provocation…
New settlement outpost near Ramallah
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – Israeli sources claim that a number of Jewish settlers have established a new settlement outpost called “Mtsudt Harry”, next to the Jewish settlement of Atarh, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. This has been done ostensibly as a protest against the Israeli government’s intention to confiscate those lands for a Palestinian city called Rawabi….
Countdown to Freedom Flotilla arrival on shores of Gaza
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – As reception plans are completed for the Freedom Flotilla due to arrive in Gaza on the 27 May, the Chair of the Popular Committee Against the Siege has revealed details of the ships setting sail with much-needed humanitarian aid. Jamal Alkhodary, MP, said that three ships were due to sail from Istanbul on Saturday 22…
Israeli ‘nuclear offer’ revealed
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – …Allister Sparks, a political commentator and former editor of South Africa’s Rand Daily Mail newspaper, told Al Jazeera that the confirmation of a relationship between Israel and the apartheid regime came as no surprise. “Israel will obviously come out and deny this evidence and label anyone who takes it seriously as being anti-Semites,” he said, “…
Nakba-62: we will not forget, we will not forgive
Uruknet May 25, 2010 – It is true that Israel has not introduced gas chambers into Palestinian towns and villages. (Gas chambers were not the main method of killing in Nazi Germany). However, Israel has been killing and tormenting Palestinians unceasingly in a variety of ways that, in their brutality and sheer evil, don’t really differ in substance from Nazi…
Human Rights as Distraction from OppressionAdvocacy for the Oppressor
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – Last Sunday, 23 May, an email exchange came out on the list of Ron Saba, editor of Montreal Planet magazine, an advocate of human rights, with an indefatigable focus on Palestinian rights. In particular, he unceasingly documents the full blown racism of the Jewish National Fund (JNF; which allows the sale of land in Israel…
Civil society in the lead
Uruknet May 24, 2010 – …Today’s boycott of settlement products is not a new effort, nor was it designed by the PA. It is a product of the hard work of dozens upon dozens of civil society players in Palestine and abroad. The build-up to today’s boycott comes from a two-pronged civil society strategy. The first prong is a global…
Israel’s authorities toughen the line on political corruption at top
The National 25 May 2010 – Ex-PM faces fraud investigations, and police recommend prosecuting current foreign minister over money laundering report.
All eyes on Israel as UN considers Middle East nuclear ban
The National 25 May 2010 – Pressure is mounting for it to disclose its arsenal after revelations of an offer to sell nuclear weapons to apartheid South Africa in 1975.
Hizbollah keeps its powder dry
The National 25 May 2010 – Analysis The Shiite group has vastly increased its size and training of members since the conflict with Israel in 2006.
International Solidarity Movement
May Is About Memories
5/25/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Inter Press Service, Eva Bartlett – GAZA CITY, May 23, 2010 (IPS) — This is the month for Palestinians to remember their Nakba, or “catastrophe”, in which more than 700,000 women, men and children were pushed off their land and rendered homeless refugees by the Zionist attacks before, during and after the founding of Israel in….
Israeli Media: Israel to Charge Ameer Makhoul this Week with Assistance to Enemy during War, Espionage
Alternative Information Center – The state of Israel is planning to charge Ameer Makhoul, Chairperson of Ittijah: Union of Arab Community-Based Associations, with espionage, conspiracy, assistance to the enemy at wartime and contact…
AIC Exhibition Al Quds: Like Heaven or Closer Opens in Bethlehem
Alternative Information Center – Al Quds: Like Heaven or Closer, the art exhibition of the Alternative Information Center (AIC) and Palestinian political artist Yousef Katalo, opened on 25 May in Bethlehem. The exhibition, held under the patronage of Bethlehem Mayor…
Repression of Civil Liberties in Israel: A Dangerous Regression
Alternative Information Center – Two months ago I published in my blog a short article entitled Bilin as an Allegory: The Party is Over, Declares Netanyahu, in which I tried to explain that we were entering a new era in…
Israelis Protest Prevention of Noam Chomsky’s Passage to Birzeit University
Alternative Information Center – Minister of Interior Ishai, On Sunday 16 May, the Ministry of Interior prevented the passage of linguist Professor Noam Chomsky through the Allenby Bridge, on his way to lecture at Birzeit University and after he was…
The Military To Demolish Homes In Northern W.B
PNN – Nablus — PNN – Israeli troops handed out demotion orders to nine Palestinian home owners in the village of
Yatma near Nablus, northern West Bank. Local sources announced that the nine homes…
Conference Aims To End Normalization With Israel
PNN – Monique Poupon — PNN — Over the weekend About 300 people gathered at the Protestant Church in Ramallah to attend The Conference Against Normalization With Israel. The conference was organized by the…
More Corruption Allegation For Israeli Foreign Minister
PNN – Tal Aviv — PNN – Israeli police have recommended that charges of corruption and breach of trust be brought against Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The charges stem from allegations that Lieberman tried…
Troops Confiscate 1000 Copies Of A Local Singer Album
PNN – Hiba Lama — PNN – Just days before the release of Bassil Ziyad’s new album the Israeli military has confiscated 1000 copies of it at a military checkpoint while on rout to…
Farmers Prepare For Harvest Under Fear Of Settlers’ Attacks
PNN – Nablus – Amin Abu Wardeh — PNN- Palestinian farmers from the village of Qssra near the northern West Bank city of Nablus were surprised by armed Israeli settlers forcing them to leave…
Tanks Bomb Gaza Homes, Troops Arrests Civilians From W.B.
PNN – Gaza-Bethlehem — PNN – Israeli tanks stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip border and Israel bombarded residents’ homes and farmers in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday….
ISRAEL: Settlement Policy Wrong Say European Jews
IPS PARIS, May 25 (IPS) – Prominent Jewish intellectuals living in Europe have begun denouncing the Israeli policy of allowing settlements to come up on Palestinian territories as “morally and politically wrong.’’
Weekly Stop the Wall Repression Update
Stop The Wall – The BDS National Committee (BNC) cordially invites you to the Second National Conference on BDS: a strategy for civil resistance. The conference aims to raise awareness about BDS as an effective and critical civil resistance strategy, expand the adoption by Palestinian civil society of boycott as a principle tool of resistance, and encourage civil society worldwide to join the global BDS movement, whose anchor and reference is the BNC. [
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (13 — 19 May 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Settlements plan to serve as war-refuge
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2010 – Judea, Samaria and Gaza Council is preparing to host half a million.
Fate of Gaza flotilla remains vague
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2010 – Navy prepares to block fleet of 9 ships as IDF awaits PM’s orders.
Olmert Holyland probe lasts 8 hours
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2010 – Former PM’s US brother also suspected of receiving bribes.
‘We’re not ready to face chemical attack’
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2010 – Home Front Command: Israel unprepared for most likely WMD attack.
‘Recon for attack a warning to Iran’
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2010 – Israeli official: US okay of reconnaissance flights may signal strike.
‘Schalit will suffer if our men do’
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2010 – Hamas swears to retaliate if Israel worsens prisoners’ conditions.
Hamas: Schalit will suffer if our men do
Jeruslalem Post 26 May 2010 – Islamists swear to retaliate if Israel worsens prisoners’ conditions.
‘We will destroy Israel-bound ships’
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – Nasrallah: In next war, if Lebanon embargoed, Hizbullah will respond.
Fate of Gaza flotilla still vague
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – Navy prepares to block fleet of 9 ships as IDF awaits PM’s orders.
Gaza terrorists detonate donkey at border
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – Animal dead, no human casualties; 200 kg of dynamite heaped on cart.
Makhoul to be indicted this week
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – Suspected Hizbullah spy’s remand is extended until Friday.
Court rejects Beit Yehonatan appeal
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – J’lem court calls for residents’ eviction, building demolition immediately.
Police question Olmert on Holyland
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – Former PM’s US brother suspected of receiving bribes.
Analysis: Israel still paying for Lebanon pull-out
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – Israel ultimately gave Iran their first victory.
The overdue Schalit bill
Jeruslalem Post 25 May 2010 – The attempt to pressure Hamas corrects balance.
Assad: US has lost influence in ME
Jeruslalem Post 24 May 2010 – Meridor says Iran nuke issue holds global power balance at stake.
Humanitarian Aid Agencies Urge Israel to Lift Siege as Agricultural Sector Suffers
WAFA – GAZA, May 25, 2010 (WAFA) – Humanitarian aid agencies called upon the Government of Israel for full and unfettered access into and out of the Gaza Strip for materials and exports necessary for the
World Health Assembly Expresses Deep Concern at Health Crisis in OPT
WAFA – GENEVA, May 25, 2010 (WAFA)- The Sixty-third World Health Assembly, expressed its deep concern at the health crisis and rising levels of food insecurity in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT),
Argentine Celebrates its Bicentenary
WAFA – BUENOS AIRES, May 25, 2010 (WAFA)- Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic Jorge Taiana invited in an article on the occasion of his
Cooperation Agreements signed between Palestine, Vietnam
WAFA –
All Corruption Charges Being Leveled Against Olmert, Haaretz Says
WAFA – TEL AVIV, May 25, 2010(WAFA)- Former Israeli prime minister to be questioned on Tuesday in Holyland Affair, over allegations he accepted bribes totaling more than NIS 1 million from real estate
President Abbas’ Official Visit to Vietnam
WAFA – HANOI, May 25, 2010(WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas met his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Minh Triet in his official three-day visit to Vietnam starting May 24, indicating positive
Hamas Prohibits Sit-in in Solidarity with UNRWA
WAFA – GAZA, May 24, 2010 (WAFA)- Hamas prohibited Monday a sit-in that had been arranged by the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) in protest of yesterday’s despicable attack on an UNRWA summer camp site on
Al Mezan Condemns Israeli Approval of ‘Shalit Law” Bill
WAFA – GAZA, May 24, 2010 (WAFA)- Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights condemned on Monday the Israeli Mini-Cabinet approval on Sunday of the ‘Shalit Law’ bill, which imposes harsher measures on the conditions
Is it time for the west to engage with Hamas and Hezbollah?
The Guardian 25 May 2010 – Debate in Qatar this week between groups at heart of Middle East conflict adds weight to calls for international dialogue Al-Jazeera, the Arabic satellite TV network, rarely shies away from controversy, so it was not surprising…
Gaza aid flotilla to set sail for confrontation with Israel
The Guardian 25 May 2010 – Israelis promise to stop eight ships carrying 10,000 tonnes of aid, 800 activists and politicians from more than 40 countries A flotilla of eight boats carrying thousands of tonnes of construction materials, medical equipment and other…
Palestinians defy ban on Jewish settlement work
The Guardian 25 May 2010 – ‘It’s either this or stealing’ — 25,000 Palestinians in the West Bank risk jail and fines if found violating the law The back gate at the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Sefer is only open for an…
Even picnics in Israel are political | Neve Gordon
The Guardian 25 May 2010 – Our farewell picnic to Ezra Nawi before his prison term for peaceful protest carried a new message to most Israeli picnics Picnics, like almost everything else in Israel, are often political. Oz Shelach underscores this point…
OPT: Israel ends highway segregation, pleasing no-one
Relief Web 25 May 2010 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet
International Meeting on Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process Opens in Istanbul Spotlights Path to Ending Occupation, Building Viable Palestinian State
Relief Web 25 May 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly
Secretary-General Advises Parties against Provocations, as UN International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process Opens
Relief Web 25 May 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly, UN Secretary-General
OPT: Farming without Land, Fishing without Water: Gaza Agriculture Sector Struggles to Survive
Relief Web 25 May 2010 – Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Netanyahu: Iran deal deceptive
YNet News – Prime minister says uranium swap agreement ‘obvious deception’ aimed at….
Begin: PM won’t extend construction freeze
YNet News – Eretz Israel lobby meets with minister as part of campaign to prevent extension….
Turkey: Let ships into Gaza
YNet News – Turkey urges Israel to lift Gaza blockade, let in ships carrying humanitarian….
Palestinians: Israeli threats meaningles
YNet News – Sources in Ramallah unimpressed by Minister Shalom threats to impose sanctions….
Costello invited to tour Israel
YNet News – Pro-Israel group offers pop singer VIP tour, says cancellation of show….
Hamas makes arrests over torching of UN summer camp
YNet News – Islamist group detains suspects in torching of UNRWA seaside camp where….
IDF angry over student exercise exemption
YNet News – Students being examined on day of nationwide home front exercise told they may….
Olmert questioned for 8 hours on Holyland affair
YNet News – Former prime minister interrogated for first time in bribe scandal bribery….
Clinton: Iran’s letter to IAEA has ‘deficiencies’
YNet News – US secretary of state says letter of notification on nuclear fuel swap deal….
15 hurt in Gaza strike
YNet News – Fifteen people were wounded early Wednesday after the Air Force struck targets in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. The wounded were taken to hospitals in the …….
Rightist banned from J’lem neighborhoods
YNet News – In an unprecedented move, the administrative order against settler Neriah Ofen, keeping him away from the West Bank, was extended to also include the Jerusalem …….
Gaza mission activist: It’s just like facing Nazis
YNet News – Skewed sense of history? Eight ships are already making their way through the Mediterranean towards the Gaza Strip in, the framework of a European aid mission – with …….
Nasrallah threatens to hit ships
YNet News – Lebanese rhetoric escalating: Hezbollah Chief Hassan Nasrallah said on Tuesday the Shiite group would attack all military, civilian and commercial ships heading towards …….
PA’s Abbas slams Iran
YNet News – Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas harshly slammed the Iranian regime Tuesday for interfering in Palestinian affairs. In an interview with Egyptian …….
Yemeni tribesmen abduct US couple near Sanaa
Daily Star 25 May 2010 SANAA: Armed Yemeni tribesmen kidnapped two US tourists, a husband and wife, near the Yemeni capital Sanaa on Monday and were demanding the release of a jailed relative, Yemeni security officials said. The couple’s Yemeni driver…
Israel denies report of ‘nuclear exchange’ talks with South Africa
Daily Star 25 May 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel never “negotiated the exchange” of nuclear weapons with South Africa, President Shimon Peres said on Monday, denying a report that he personally offered missiles to the apartheid regime in 1975. The report, published…
Mass graves for piles of lies
Daily Star 25 May 2010 When Israel has proven its aggressive nature to the whole world, when the savagery of its wars against its neighbors for over 60 years and the blockade it is imposing on unarmed civilians in Gaza have…
Hamas says it detained Egyptian officer in Gaza
Daily Star 25 May 2010 GAZA CITY: Hamas-run police arrested and deported a high-ranking Egyptian officer who snuck into the Gaza Strip, the interior minister said Monday, drawing a denial from Cairo.”The security services have arrested a high-ranking Egyptian officer who…
Jailed American hikers engaged in Iranian prison
Daily Star 25 May 2010 WASHINGTON: Two of the three US hikers held in Iran for nearly a year on spying charges were engaged in Tehran’s infamous Evin prison and plan to marry shortly after their release, their mothers said Monday….
Assad: US has lost Mideast peace influence
Daily Star 25 May 2010 The US has lost its influence in the Mideast peace process despite the hopes raised by President Barack Obama, Syrian President Bashar Assad said on Monday. Assad was quoted as telling the Italian daily La Repubblica…
Obama Hosts Lebanon’s Al-Hariri at White House
The Media Line 24 May 2010 – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri met with President Obama at the White House on Monday, the first visit by the Lebanese leader. In a statement issued after the meeting, the White House reported that the President…
Netanyahu vs. Olmert vs. Palestinian Authority Arises in Talks
The Media Line 24 May 2010 – Palestinian negotiators have asked U.S. mediator George Mitchell to clarify whether the position of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is consistent with that of his predecessor Ehud Olmert. Now in the second round of indirect talks,…
Australia Expels Israeli Official Over Dubai Killing
New York Times 24 May 2010 – The use of forged passports from Australia and other countries in the killing of a Hamas operative continued to strain relations between Israel and several of its allies.
Israel Denies It Offered South Africa Warheads
New York Times 24 May 2010 – The office of Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, strongly denied Monday that Mr. Peres offered to sell nuclear warheads to South Africa in 1975, as reported by The Guardian.
Iranian Filmmaker Released on Bail
New York Times 25 May 2010 – Jafar Panahi, an internationally celebrated Iranian director whose detention in Iran was a focus of discussion at the Cannes Film Festival this month, was released on bail Wednesday in Tehran.
Israeli Media: Israel to Charge Ameer Makhoul this Week with Assistance to Enemy during War, Espionage
Alternative Information Center 3 – The state of Israel is planning to charge Ameer Makhoul, Chairperson of Ittijah: Union of Arab Community-Based Associations, with espionage, conspiracy, assistance to the enemy at wartime and contact…
The Big Match: Football V Occupation
Palestine Monitor – Palestine sits modestly at 174th in the FIFA world rankings, held jointly with the Seychelles and Somalia. But such a position belies the revolution that has taken place in Palestinian football over the last two years. The Palestinian and Jordanian teams pose together before the 2008…
Israelis Protest Prevention of Noam Chomsky’s Passage to Birzeit University
Alternative Information Center 1 – Minister of Interior Ishai, On Sunday 16 May, the Ministry of Interior prevented the passage of linguist Professor Noam Chomsky through the Allenby Bridge, on his way to lecture at Birzeit University and after he was detained for interrogation at the border crossing for more than…
Repression of Civil Liberties in Israel: A Dangerous Regression
Alternative Information Center 1 – Two months ago I published in my blog a short article entitled Bilin as an Allegory: The Party is Over, Declares Netanyahu, in which I tried to explain that we were entering a new era in respect to civil liberties in Israel. The last two months…
AIC Exhibition Al Quds: Like Heaven or Closer Opens in Bethlehem
Alternative Information Center 1 – Al Quds: Like Heaven or Closer, the art exhibition of the Alternative Information Center (AIC) and Palestinian political artist Yousef Katalo, opened on 25 May in Bethlehem. The exhibition, held under the patronage of Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh and the Palestinian Minister of Labour Ahmad Majdalani,…
Isabel does her job
Mondoweiss – NYT : “Israel Denies It Offered South Africa Warheads” By ISABEL KERSHNER Published: May 24, 2010 JERUSALEM — The office of Israel’s president, Shimon Peres, strongly denied Monday that Mr. Peres, as Israel’s defense minister, offered to sell nuclear warheads to South Africa in 1975, as reported…
Freedom Flotilla carrying 10,000 tons of aid to Gaza, and maybe Chomsky
Mondoweiss – “We recommend the world send ships to the shores of Gaza, and we believe that Israel would not stop these vessels because the sea is open, and many human rights organizations have been successful in previous similar steps, and proved that breaking the siege on Gaza…
Teaneck harassment trial involves pro-Palestinian bumper stickers
Mondoweiss – Bernie Thau is on the board of the Hebron Fund , which raises money for settlers in the West Bank. Rich Siegel is on the board of Deir Yassin Remembered. Tomorrow morning Thau goes on trial in Teaneck Municipal Court for allegedly harassing Siegel a month back…
More on the Gaza flotilla— and a call to demonstrate
Mondoweiss – Here is the latest news on the progress of the flotilla , with pictures of some of the boats, and a call to friends of Gaza to act now to try and mount political pressure to get the flotilla in. Israel has threatened to block the ships,…
Could Flotilla bring sea change in Washington attitude to Gaza?
Mondoweiss – The giant freedom flotilla is under way to Gaza this week from several countries, nine boats. They’re due in Gaza on Thursday. Breaking the US blackout on the story, The Hill is covering the flotilla , a piece by Iara Lee, who is on board. Rep. Brian…
Beliin Fernandez — 10 Years of Israeli Variations on the Term “Withdrawal”
Palestine Think Tank – photo by Amelia Opalinska This article first appeared on the Official Website of the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. As the Israeli occupation army withdrew from southern Lebanon on May 24, 2000, Zeinab al Mohammad, a resident of Tyre, set out for the liberated village of…
Brenda Heard — A Day to Remember: Resistance and Liberation Day 2010
Palestine Think Tank – Anniversaries measure time. In one respect, they are an artificial concept. We decide, for instance, that twenty-five years of marriage should be celebrated, but we ignore the subsequent days as merely marking the path to twenty-six years. And reaching twenty-six years, though obviously a greater length…
ISRAEL’S STRANGE BEHAVIOUR ON FLOTILLA TO GAZA
Irish4Palestine – Amazing the odd tactics Israel has attempted in the last two weeks with regards to the Flotilla coming to Gaza. First they threaten the ministers of the various countries, Turkey, UK, Ireland, Sweden, etc. Telling them to call back their dignitaries. Then they suddenly allow some…
Jailed Iranian director released
BBC – Acclaimed Iranian film director Jafar Panahi has been released from detention in a Tehran prison, reports say.
Police question former Israel PM
BBC – Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been questioned by police for the first time since stepping down from office.
Iran ‘ready for new co-operation’
BBC – Iran’s nuclear fuel exchange deal shows it is ready to co-operate with the West, its UN envoy tells the BBC.
US Funds Apartheid Roads on West Bank
Antiwar.com – RAMALLAH — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is helping Israel to construct an apartheid road infrastructure in the occupied Palestinian West Bank by financing nearly a quarter of the segregated road system primarily for the benefit of Israeli settlers. USAID’s figures state that…
How Dare They Make a Deal With Iran?
Antiwar.com – “I think this announcement is as convincing an answer to the efforts undertaken in Tehran over the last few days as any we could provide,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on START (strategic arms reduction treaty) on May…
Rand Paul Drinks Tea, Turns Into Hawk?
Antiwar.com – “When it is said that nothing, including a nuclear strike, is off the table on Iran, are those who say it not also threatening genocide?” – Rep. Ron Paul, May 22, 2007 “I don’t think you take [nuclear weapons] off the table.” – Rand Paul on…
Civil society in the lead
Sabbah report – Palestinians call to boycott Israeli products (Photo: MaanImages/Mushir Abdelrahman) By Sam Bahour* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz When politicians face failure what do they do? Step down? No way. Not in Palestine at least. Over and over again the Palestinian leadership has hit a cement wall (no pun…
Boycott Targets Stars From Elvis to Elton
Sabbah report – By Nathan Guttman Washington — It was a feather in the cap of pro-boycott activists, but for Israelis, a major setback. With battle lines drawn across concert halls and stadiums hosting rock bands, the decision by mega-star Elvis Costello to cancel his planned concerts in Israel…
Palestinian nonviolence relies on global non-silence
Sabbah report – By Yousef Munayyer * | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz When will there be a Palestinian Gandhi? I’m often asked this question by people who sympathise with Palestinian suffering but are uncomfortable associating themselves with resistance movements that they see as violent or terrorist. The reality of course is that…
Articles
Ameer Makhoul to face charge of wartime aid to enemy state
Jack Khoury, Haaretz, Israeli Occupation Archive5/26/2010
Officials with intimate knowledge of the espionage investigation against an Israeli Arab head of charity say case one of the most serious ever against an Arab citizen.
Officials with intimate knowledge of the espionage investigation against an Israeli Arab head of a charity said yesterday that the case was one of the most serious ever against an Arab citizen since the founding of the state.
Ameer Makhoul, an author who heads Ittijah, also known as the Union of Arab Community-Based Associations, was arrested last month by the Shin Bet security service for allegedly contacting an agent from Hezbollah. Authorities also detained Omar Said, a member of the Balad movement.
Prosecutors yesterday submitted a declaration of intent to indict Makhoul to the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court, two days after a similar declaration was presented in the Said case. Legal officials are formulating the wording of a criminal indictment against Makhoul, who will most likely face charges of serious security violations, including aggravated espionage, aiding the enemy during wartime, and contact with a foreign agent. Said will be accused of lesser crimes, including contact with a foreign agent and passing information to an enemy.
Officials brace for backlash
According to police, the Northern District Prosecutor’s office will submit the indictment against Said to the Nazareth District Court as Said is a resident of nearby Kafr Kana. Makhoul will most likely be indicted either tomorrow or in the coming days in the Haifa District Court. — See also: Source: Ha’aretz more.. e-mail
A Day to Remember: Resistance and Liberation Day 2010
Brenda Heard, Axis of Logic5/25/2010
Anniversaries measure time. In one respect, they are an artificial concept. We decide, for instance, that twenty-five years of marriage should be celebrated, but we ignore the subsequent days as merely marking the path to twenty-six years. And reaching twenty-six years, though obviously a greater length of marriage, will not be celebrated with t
he same gusto as the twenty-fifth anniversary that boasts pre-printed greeting cards and foil balloons.
As the contrivance of marking anniversaries in many ways defies common sense, we might ask ourselves why we do it. Perhaps it is because the infinite, amorphous magnitude of time must be taken in bite-size pieces. It would otherwise be overwhelming. When we stop the passage of time—no matter how arbitrarily, no matter how superficially—then we are in effect looking for significance in what we accomplish with our lives.
On the 25th of May 2010, we observe the ten-year anniversary of the Lebanese Resistance and Liberation Day. A full decade has passed since the victory that baffled the Western world. A twenty-two year military occupation was virtually uprooted and expelled. The balance of global power was unhinged.
This tilting of the scales took time. It cost many lives. But in the end, the so-called mighty army created by the Americans for their Jewish state, an army protected politically by the Western superpowers, was soundly defeated by the persistent determination of ordinary Lebanese. These ordinary Lebanese were bound by their commitment to protect their homes and their families, their faith and their dignity. They fought back and they stood firm.
While the Western-“Israeli” alliance wanted to believe that they could intimidate and tyrannise the Lebanese into submission, they discovered that the more they pushed, the more the Lebanese resisted…. more.. e-mail
Even picnics in Israel are political
Neve Gordon, Redress5/26/2010
Our farewell picnic to Ezra Nawi before his prison term for peaceful protest carried a new message to most Israeli picnics.
Picnics, like almost everything else in Israel, are often political. Oz Shelach underlines this point in his collection of short stories Picnic Grounds, where he describes how a history professor takes his family on a picnic in the pine forest near Givat Shaul, a Jerusalem neighborhood. The professor teaches his son some of the camping skills he learned while serving in the Israeli military, using old stones to block the wind and to protect the newly-lit fire. The stones, we are told, are the remains of a village known as Deir Yassin.
Although Shelach does not say as much, Deir Yassin was a Palestinian village located on the outskirts of Jerusalem. The Jewish neighborhood, which now stands in its place, was built not long after Israeli paramilitary forces evicted its Palestinian residents, while massacring an estimated 100 men, women and children out of a total population of 600. Shelach does not recount this history; he simply describes how the father builds a fire with his son and then ends the story by noting that the history professor “imagined that he and his family were having a picnic, unrelated to the village, enjoying its grounds, outside history”.
Many picnics in Israel take place in pine forests that were planted to cover the remains of hundreds of Palestinian villages destroyed in 1948. Wittingly or unwittingly, these gatherings have a political effect, since the people enjoying their leisure time on these sites reenact the historical suppression of the Palestinian Nakba.
This past Saturday [22 May] I also went on a picnic with my family, but in stark opposition to most Israeli picnics it tried to enact a remembering by exposing the continued domination and expulsion of Palestinians. We joined a group of Jews and Palestinians from Ta’ayush in the South Hebron desert to break bread together and bid farewell to Ezra Nawi, who the following day began serving a jail sentence for resisting Israel’s occupation. more.. e-mail
Interview: ethnic cleansing inside the green line
Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2010 – Rawia Abu Rabia, a social activist and human rights lawyer with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, represents her community and advocates for their human and civil rights as the state continues to discriminate and uproot citizens across the country. Nora Barrows-Friedman interviewed Abu Rabia on the ongoing displacement of Palestinians inside Israel.
The PA’s disingenuous boycott campaign
Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2010 – The Palestinian Authority (PA) has lately made a show of calling on Palestinians to boycott goods manufactured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Despite the rhetoric of defiance, the effort actually appears designed to undermine and abort the broader Palestinian and global civil society campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions, and to reassure Israel of the PA’s ongoing collaboration. Ali Abunimah comments.
Long-separated family reunites in Gaza through tunnel
Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2010 – Naima Akkawi, a 40-year-old Moroccan native, is finally back home in Gaza with her husband Mahmoud Jouda and her two young children, Riwan (5) and Rimas (3) after an enforced absence of 10 years. During that long and agonizing separation, Mahmoud and Naima did all they could to get back together through official channels but it was all to no avail. Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada.
The Big Match: Football V Occupation
Palestine Monitor: 25 May 2010 – Palestine sits modestly at 174th in the FIFA world rankings, held jointly with the Seychelles and Somalia. But such a position belies the revolution that has taken place in Palestinian football over the last two years. The Palestinian and Jordanian teams pose together before the 2008 match On October 26, 2008, the Palestinian men’s football team played its first home match on national soil. Previous matches where they had officially been at home on the fixture list were played in neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Qatar. Around 13 months later, in November of 2009, the cycle was completed when the women‘s team were also able to play a home game. Both matches were played against neighbouring Jordan and both finished in draws. 1-1 in the men’s game, 2-2 in the women’s. Palestine was presented with the FIFA Development Award in 2008, “in recognition of the difficult task that it…
Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Not Just another Middle East Crisis
Palestine Chronicle: 25 May 2010 – By Ron Forthofer The U.S. corporate media have provided little coverage on some important happenings in the Middle East during the past 18 months. You might ask what’s the big deal — bad stuff happens there all the time and it doesn’t concern me. In this case, recent events have the potential to create an international crisis in the coming days. Before getting to the possible explosive situation, we first need some background information. One key event is that Gaza has become a flash point in the relations between Turkey and Israel. In a dramatic reversal, Turkey has mo
ved from close relations with Israel to being quite critical of Israeli policies, particularly of those against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. For example, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan labeled Israeli actions in Gaza during its December 2008 attack a “crime against humanity”. Taking a longer-term view, Erdogan also said: “Civilians…more
Beyond Fundamentalism — Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 24 May 2010 – By Jim Miles Beyond Fundamentalism – Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization. Reza Aslan. Random House, New York. 2009/10. I first encountered Reza Aslan on the Jon Stewart Show and was somewhat perturbed by his interview – unfortunately I have not been able to retrieve that reference on the internet, but it did intrigue me and led me to purchasing his book Beyond Fundamentalism. More than likely that was what his intentions originally were for, to promote purchase and readership of his latest book, originally published as “How to Win a Cosmic War.” At first appearances the writing seemed highly sensationalized, presenting definitions about the differences between holy wars and ‘cosmic’ wars as if there was a substantial difference between the two. That a “cosmic war is a religious war,” does not seem to offer much differentiation to that of a holy war. That cosmic warriors “are fighting…more
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