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International Middle East Media Center
Four Fighters Killed In Gaza
IMEMC – 7 Jun 2010 – Palestinian medical sources reported, Monday at dawn, that four fighters were killed by Israeli fire near the Gaza coast.
US Embassy in Israel Demands Investigation into American Injured in Protest
IMEMC – 7 Jun 2010 – The American Embassy in Israel has called for an IDF investigation into how Emily Honochowicz, 21, lost her eye after being hit by a tear gas canister at a protest last week at the Qalandia checkpoint in the West Bank.
Divestment Movement Gains Momentum In US And Britain
IMEMC – 7 Jun 2010 – The largest labor union in Britain, Unite, has passed a resolution to divest from Israel, while another U.S. College, slain activist Rachel Corrie’s school Evergreen College, has also voted for divestment.
American Journalist slammed for comments on Israel/Palestine
IMEMC – 7 Jun 2010 – Veteran American journalist Helen Thomas was harshly slammed by Jewish groups in the United States for comments she made a week ago regarding the Israeli occupation in Palestine.
Jordan Valley families given 10 days to leave homes
6/7/2010 – Tubas – Ma’an – Israeli army delivered eviction orders to five Palestinian families in two Tubas-area villages in the Jordan Valley, giving families ten days to evacuate their lands after declaring the area a “closed military zone.” The move, described as “devastating” to the families by head of the Atuf village council Abdallah Bisharat, would see more….
Israel fire kills 4 on coast; air strike hits Strip
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – One man was injured in an Israeli air strike on the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, and a second by Israeli fire near Erez only hours after Israeli warships shot dead four members of Fatah’s armed wing off the Gaza coast early Monday morning. The strike, which Israeli military officials said targeted a….
Israeli forces take 2 men, child from homes
6/7/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained three Palestinians from Beit Ummar overnight and led them to unknown destinations, local officials reported on Monday morning. Spokesman of the Palestine Solidarity Project Muhammad Ayyad Awad said troops entered the town and broke into a number of homes, pulling out men identified as:Tamer Ismail Muhammad Awad, 23Saif Rabih….
Egypt says siege ’failure,’ opens Rafah indefinitely
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – An Egyptian security official declared the blockade on Gaza a failure and announced its borders indefinitely open, the Associated Press reported on Monday, as Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad said he would “stand by every decision” Turkey made to lift the siege. Egypt opened its crossing with Gaza shortly after a deadly Israeli attack on an aid fleet en route to the coastal enclave, which left at least nine activists dead…. Related:Egypt to allow medical, food aid into Gaza
In photos: Beit Jala protesters dragged from wall site
6/7/2010 – As Israel continues construction on its separation wall in the Bethlehem-area town of Beit Jala locals once again voiced protest during a weekly rally against the confiscation of lands owned by the town, a local monastery and private individuals. On 6 June 2010, one day after Israel forcibly diverted the MV Rachel Corrie from its….
Gaza detainees barred from visits for 4 years
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Relatives of Palestinian prisoners from the Gaza Strip in Israeli prisons are appealing to the International Red Cross to resume their visitation rights, which they have been stripped of for the last four years. At an IRC event in Gaza City, families reiterated the need for the visitation program to be resumed. One….
UNRWA strike in West Bank suspended for 3 days
6/7/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Union of Arab Employees ofUNRWA will suspend strike action for three days beginning Monday in the West Bank, a statement issued one day prior read. The suspension was a gesture of appreciation toward efforts to resolve West Bank UNRWA employees’ demands by President Mahmoud Abbas and UNRWA General Commissioner Filippo Grandi, the….
Israel to permit 124 truckloads of goods into Gaza
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Limited aid and commercial supplies will enter Gaza via a single crossing on Monday, military Palestinian officials in Gaza said, with the UN noted a slight increase in goods, mostly for reconstruction projects under INGO supervision. The southernmost crossing, Kerem Shalom, will see the transport of some 124 truckloads of goods, in addition….
500 per day continue to travel through Rafah
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The de facto government border crossings administration announced Sunday that some 439 Palestinians exited Gaza for Egypt, and 151 returned to the area via Rafah crossing as the terminal remains open for people and limited goods. According to the committee, the majority of Palestinians returning to the coastal enclave were patients having completed….
Law student sentenced to 18 months by Israeli military court
6/7/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israel’s Ofer military court sentenced a Hebron University law student to an 18-month term, and fined him 2,000 shekels on Monday. Sheikh Mo’ayad Borhan was accused of resisting the occupation and will complete his term at the Ofer prison, located in the West Bank….
PCHR calls for probe into blast critically injuring Rafah child
6/7/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Center for Human Rights called for an investigations into the causes of a blast that left a child with critical injuries in the southern Gaza town of Rafah last Sunday, a statement read. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 6am on 6 June, an unknown object exploded in a….
Fire breaks out at Israeli military impound in Bethlehem
6/7/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A fire broke out an Israeli military impound for illegal and stolen cars in the illegal Kfar Ezyon settlement south of Bethlehem on Monday. Israeli police said firemen surrounded the area and controlled the fire, with no injures reported….
46 Arab parliamentarians visit Gaza, vow change
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Arab Parliament announced its intention to form a committee dedicated to work on breaking Israel’s siege on Gaza by supporting land and sea convoys to challenge the Israeli blockade, the body’s president said Sunday. Current president of the parliament, Libyan Huda bin Amer, on a visit to Gaza following the opening of….
Egypt to allow medical, food aid into Gaza
6/7/2010 – Al-Arish – Ma’an – Egyptian authorities prepared for the entry of food aid into Gaza through the former Auja commercial crossing on Monday, which includes 265 tons of biscuits for the World Food Program, a Palestinian Authority official said. The official, Omar Hadhud, said Egyptian authorities will allow the aid through the crossing that was formerly used to transfer goods …. Related:Egypt says siege ‘failure,’ opens Rafah indefinitely
Turkey FM: No Israel probe, no normalization
6/7/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Normalization of ties with Israel is out of the question if the country rejects an international inquiry into the deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday.” If Israel. . . gives the green light for the establishment of an international [inquiry] commission and is ready to answer to….
Abu Libdeh participates in Tel Aviv seminar on PA boycott
6/7/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority Minister of National Economy Hasan Abu Libdeh arrived in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon to participate in a seminar on the PA’s boycott of settlement goods. Organized by the German Friedrich Ebert Fund, Tel Aviv University, and the Peres Center For Peace, Abu Libdeh said his attendance was meant to inform….
Jordanian aid arrives in Gaza via Erez crossing
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A Jordanian aid convoy arrived in a Gaza hospital on Monday, after being permitted entry through the northern Erez crossing with Israel, a day after it arrived in the West Bank. Chief of the Jordanian Hospital in Gaza, where the aid convoy arrived, Hussein Ghudeibat, said six truckloads arrived loaded with medical equipment….
Abbas forces Sheikh Tamimi into retirement
6/7/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas announced the end of Sheikh Tayseer Tamimi’s career as Palestinian Chief Justice and Supreme Judge on Monday, with sources citing corruption charges brought forward by whistle-blower Fahmi Shabana months earlier. With Shabana’s allegations principally focused on former presidential adviser Rafiq Al-Husseini, who was embroiled in a sex-tape scandal and accusations….
Haniyeh: Fatah trying to oust us in PLC
6/7/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamas is ready for reconciliation “but there remain internal details that should be resolved,” including the distribution of the faction within the Palestinian Legislative Council, said Gaza government Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Monday. Points of contention remain elections and PLC distribution of seats according to faction “because Fatah is trying to push….
Arab artists delegation to visit Gaza
6/7/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Palestinian Artists Union said Monday that all preparations were complete to receive a visiting delegation of Arab artists to the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Head of the Palestinian union Zakariyah Zein Ad-Din said “the visit is within the context of continued efforts to break the siege on Gaza and to show that….
Marijuana seized in Tulkarem garden
6/7/2010 – Tulkarem – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority anti-narcotics police confiscated several marijuana plants and seeds from a homeowner’s garden in Tulkarem and arrested the owner, police said Monday. Police responded to local complaints of the homeowner’s marijuana stash, and found 17 plants in his garden, as well as 352 seeds of the psychoactive drug. The suspect was taken….
US wants inquiry after protester loses eye
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Washington – The United States has asked Israel to investigate an American woman losing her eye during a demonstration May 31, AFP news agency reported Monday. Israeli soldiers practice with tear-gas canisters. [Photo: OllyL – Flickr]…
Helen Thomas retires
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Washington – Veteren journalist and White House reporter Helen Thomas announced Monday that she is retiring. Thomas, known as the “dean of the White House press corps,” appears in an undated photo. [Photo: Roniweb – Flickr]…
Helen Thomas trips up
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – RabbiLive got a provocative comment from the iconic White House correspondent Helen Thomas — sort of the Max Blumenthalesque treatment of the Israel-Palestine issue from the other side of the coin. Helen Thomas, in my view,…
Economy: West Bank SME sector gets boost at conference
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Washington – Arab business leaders and international representatives showed faith in the West Bank economy at the 2010 Palestine Investment Conference in Bethlehem last week. International donors pledged in excess of $655 million for Palestinian development….
PA: Abbas seeks ‘serious solution’ in talks with Obama
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Washington – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will ask US counterpart Barack Obama for significant moves toward a Middle East peace deal when the two leaders meet in Washington on Wednesday, a senior aide told Palestine Note….
Turkey threatens Israel ties
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Probe flotilla raid or ties will never recover, FM says Washington – Turkey stood firm on Monday demanding that Israel accept an international inquiry into last Monday’s deadly raid on a Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla. In Ankara,…
Did Mavi Marmara passengers aid injured Israelis?
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – By Jared Malsin New York – Previously unseen pictures emerged on Sunday that apparently contradict Israel’s official account of its raid last week on a Turkish ship carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Israeli commandos…
Palestinian union urges dockworker ban on Israeli ships
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – New York – The Palestinian trade union movement called on dockworkers worldwide to refuse to load or offload cargo from Israeli ships in response to Israel’s attack last week on a Gaza-bound humanitarian convoy in the…
Iran Red Crescent sends Gaza ships
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – New York – Iran’s Red Crescent said it will send two ships carrying humanitarian aid to the besieged Gaza Strip this week. According to Al Jazeera , the plan was approved by Iran’s foreign ministry Sunday. Iran…
Knesset to strip Palestinian member of privileges
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Washington – The Knesset House Committee voted Monday to strip Palestinian-Israeli MK Hanin Zoabi of her parliamentary privileges in punishment for her participation in the Gaza-bound aid flotilla last week, Haaretz reported . Hanin Zoabi, pictured above,…
Arab League chief to visit Gaza
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Washington – Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa will make an unprecedented visit to the Gaza Strip next week, his aide told AFP news agency Monday. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa addresses the World Economic Forum in…
Israel navy kills 4 on Gaza coast
Palestine Note 7 Jun 2010 – Israel says it ‘thwarted attack’ By Jared Malsin New York – Israeli warships opened fire on a Palestinian boat off the coast of Gaza early on Monday, reportedly killing four people . The Israeli military said it…
Israel retracts flotilla satire video, but gov’t officials love it
Palestine Note 6 Jun 2010 – By Jared Malsin New York – The Israeli government was forced to apologize this week for endorsing a YouTube video satirizing the Gaza aid flotilla that Israeli commandos attacked on Monday. The clip, titled “We Con…
Israel defends aid ship raid
AlJazeera 7 Jun 2010 – PM says “terrorists” were on board the Freedom Flotilla, but passengers deny the accusation.
Palestinians killed by Israeli fire
AlJazeera 7 Jun 2010 – Four killed and one missing after Israeli navy patrol opens fire off Gaza coast.
Hebron: Unequal Measures
PNN – Mahmoud Mahmoud — PNN – Hebron is second holiest city to followers of Judaism and is one of the last cities of Palestine that was invaded by the Arabs in the seventh…
MADA Documents Israeli Attacks On Journalists In May
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedom (MADA) recorded several violations against Palestinian journalists by the Israeli army during the month of May. According to the center’s…
EU Again Contributes To Palestinian Salaries & Pensions
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – Today, the European Union made its sixth contribution this year to the Palestinian Authority’s payment of its civil service salaries and pensions, both in the Gaza Strip and…
Man Injured In Northern Gaza, Troops Arrest Six Civilians In W.B Raids
PNN – Gaza — PNN- A Palestinian civilian was injured when and Israeli drone fire a missile at a group of residents in the northern part of the Gaza Strip and Israel. Witnesses said…
White House Correspondent Under Pressure to Resign
PNN – Washington – PNN – Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas is facing increasing marginalization due to controversial comments she made about Israel in the wake of the attack on the Gaza Freedom…
Israeli Parliament Revoke Arab MK Haneen Zoubi’s Rights
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – The Israeli Knesset House Committee revoked today all parliamentary privileges of the Arab MK Haneen Zoubi due to her participation in Free Gaza flotilla last Monday. Haneen Zoubi…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (27 May — 02 June 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Rabbi Eliyahu, 81, dies in Jerusalem
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Former Chief Sephardi Rabbi passes away at Shaare Zedek.
Analysis:The flotilla dynamic
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – The current crisis will most likely end with Livni at the cabinet table.
Turkey’s support of Hamas worries PA
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – ‘We want blockade lifted, but Hamas must end Gaza coup.’
Israel won’t let Iranian ships reach Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Gov’t likely to approve local probe of flotilla raid with two int’l observers.
Musicians welcome here
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Israel was not and is not supposed to be a bunker.
Helen Thomas retires after Israel remark
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – US journalist had said Jewish should “get the hell out of Palestine.”
Erdogan: Israel must pay the price
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Turkish PM meets Assad, demands UN investigation of flotilla raid.
Turkey FM: Israel should accept probe
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Turkey “will pursue accountability” for the flotilla raid “until the end.”
Biden meets Mubarak to discuss Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Leaders discuss nuclear Iran and Palestinian issue in Sharm e-Sheikh.
Barak: IDF will not be investigated
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Netanyahu decries attempts to break Gaza blockade and his government.
PM: Not the time for no-confidence vote
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Netanyahu decries attempts to break Gaza blockade and his government.
Report: Iran sending ships to Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Red Crescent planning two aid ships this week.
‘Israel will reject int’l inquiry’
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Michael Oren: “we’re a democratic nation, will investigate ourselves.”
A call for reason
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – We urge the Obama administration to relate fair-mindedly to Israel over the flotilla crisis, and thus to set the tone for the international response.
‘Navy to do it differently next time’
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – IDF: ‘H?ºrriyet’ pics prove soldiers opened fire only after attack.
‘Gaza uproar unlikely to hurt economy’
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – US Treasury official says Israel will weather the storm financially.
Cairo refuses to let aid into Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jun 2010 – Meanwhile, Hamas announces refusal to allow Red Cross to see Schalit.
International Solidarity Movement
Time to break the siege on Gaza: A survivor’s account of Mavi Marmara
6/7/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – During the Israeli attack on the Mavi Maramara, deep in international waters, I was inside the body of the ship. We were unarmed civilians ranging in age from a one-year-old child to an 88-year-old priest. We were going to Gaza to break the siege that Israel has imposed on a million-and-a-half people for the….
Former chief rabbi Mordechai Eliahu dies in Jerusalem, age 81
Ha’aretz – Thousands gather for funeral of Eliahu, who was considered the spiritual patron of the settlement movement and was revered by Ashkenazi and Sephardi religious Zionists alike.
Kadima leader Livni: Israel can save itself from global isolation
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu: Opposition needs to stand by coalition when Israel under fire; PM demands ‘restraint and responsibility’. says ‘next flotilla is on the horizon.
Arab MK’s life threatened after IDF ‘Nazi’ comments
Ha’aretz – United Arab List leader Talab al-Sana blames right-wing politicians for inciting hatred after anonymous fax says ‘you’re dead’.
Knesset panel recommends revoking Arab MK’s privileges
Ha’aretz – Decision to strip Balad MK Hanin Zuabi of privileges over Gaza flotilla participation passed by a majority of seven to one; Zuabi to Haaretz: We are victims of a witch…
Unidentified male teenager found decapitated in Holon
Ha’aretz – Police are investigating whether the teen was playing with a grenade or if he committed suicide.
Uri Avneri assaulted after speaking at peace really in Tel Aviv,
7 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 7, (Pal Telegraph) Shortly after writing the article below, Uri Avnery, leader of the Israeli peace movement Gush Shalom, was assaulted by Right-wingers in Israel. The full account appears after his analysis, which he’d prefer you to read first. Avnery is a frequent contributor to Tikkun Magazine and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board.
Media Freedoms Violations in oPt during May 2010
7 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 7, (Pal Telegraph) The Palestinian Centre for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) has monitored several violations against the Palestinian Journalists during last May, and most of these violations were committed by the Israeli occupation forces. Where they assaulted WAFA Agency & APA photographer Muammar Jamil Awad, AlAyam Newspaper Editor Ahmad Faraj, Pal Media cameraman Yousef Shaheen, WAFA Agency…
Israel detains 6 Palestinians in Hebron
7 Jun 2010 – Hebron, June 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained six Palestinians in Bait Omar and Al-Aroub camp in the West Bank city of Hebron. Local sources reported that Israeli occupation forces detain three citizens in Al-Aroub camp. Ali Al-Badwi, Nour Al-Badwi and Ahmed Al-Badwi were detained after raiding their houses by the IOF. IOF raided Bait…
Israel shells different areas in Gaza
7 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli drone plane and tanks opened fire and shelled today different areas in Gaza Strip, number of injuries were reported. Israeli drone plane fire a missile today at a group of Palestinian citizens in Jabalia town, in Gaza, causing nubmer of injuires. The citizen Ahmad Slah was among the injuries who transferred to…
Israel detains two Palestinian boys in WB
7 Jun 2010 – West Bank, June 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces detained yesterday evening two Palestinian boys in Bethlehem and Hebron in the West Bank. Israeli forces detained the boy Ahmad Abu Amira at one of the entrances of Al-Haram Al-Ibrahimi under the pretext of finding a knife with him. In Bethlehem, Israeli occupation force detain a boy, his name…
Israeli navy kills four Palestinians at sea
7 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) – Four Palestinians were killed early Monday when their boat was fired on by Israeli navy off the central Gaza Strip. The Palestinians’ boat was attacked by Israeli gunboats at the sea of Al-Zahra area in the middle of Gaza Strip, Palestinian sources said. The Director of Emergency Services at Al-Shefa Hospital, Dr. Muawiya…
Divestment Movement Gains Momentum In US And Britain
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – The largest labor union in Britain, Unite, has passed a resolution to divest from Israel, while another U.S. College, slain activist Rachel Corrie’s school Evergreen College, has also voted for divestment. The British union passed the motion unanimously two days after an Israeli attack on an aid ship killed 8 Turkish and 1 American aid…
Did Israel press on with bloody attack on Mavi Marmara even as ship fled at full-speed?
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – The ship Mavi Marmara was not heading toward Israel or Israeli territorial waters when it was attacked, boarded and comandeered by Israeli forces in the early hours of 31 May in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea approximately 85 miles west of Haifa. Had it stayed on its heading at that time it would…
The MV Rachel Corrie’s Humanitarian Cargo: Another “generous offer” from Israel?
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – On the morning of June 5, the MV Rachel Corrie, a 1,200-ton cargo ship named after the young American woman who was crushed to death in Gaza in 2003 by an Israeli bulldozer, was illegally seized by the Israeli Navy and taken against the crew’s will to the Israeli port city of Ashdod. Part of…
A Jew explains why he is leading flotilla protest
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – …since we commenced organizing this protest, some have called me and warned me that my political career is over for co-sponsoring this rally and forum and that I am associating with anti-semites, etc. i wanted to address those issues briefly. from an early age, my vision of Judaism was a vision replete with social commitment…
The Old Gaza Boy and the Sea
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – I grew up by the Gaza sea. Through my childhood, I could never quite comprehend how such a giant a body of water, which promised such endless freedom, could also border on such a tiny and cramped stretch of land – a land that was perpetually held hostage, even as it remained perpetually defiant. From…
Beatings, Abuse, Doctored Evidence Emerge
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – Although Israel successfully controlled news of its deadly commando raid on the Free Gaza (FG) flotilla during the first crucial 48 hours of media coverage, emerging evidence from witnesses and survivors is challenging the Israeli government’s version of events. These include claims of medical treatment being withheld; beatings and abuse of passengers who never resisted;…
Commandos raid the Rachel Corrie asFurther evidence emerges of Israel’s criminal attack on Gaza aid flotilla
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – …Israeli claims that its troops acted in self-defence on board the Mavi Marmara are refuted not only by eye-witness testimony, but by the results of the autopsies carried out by the Turkish Council of Forensic Medicine for the Ministry of Justice. According to the Guardian, which obtained a copy of the results, the nine men…
Egypt says siege ‘failure,’ opens Rafah indefinitely
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – An Egyptian security official declared the blockade on Gaza a failure and announced its borders indefinitely open, the Associated Press reported on Monday, as Syria’s President Bashar Al-Assad said he would “stand by every decision” Turkey made to lift the siege. Egypt opened its crossing with Gaza shortly after a deadly Israeli attack on an…
My TV Debate with Ed Koch About Israel’s Gaza Flotilla Massacre
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – On MSNBC today, I debated former New York Mayor Ed Koch about the deadly Israeli attack on the humanitarian Flotilla attempting to deliver much needed goods to the people of Gaza, who are forced to live under a constant state of siege and blockade imposed by Israel. Among the dead is reportedly a 19-year old…
Gaza Flotilla: Israel, the United States, and a Special Relationship
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – There seems to be a double standard in the application of the principles in the War on Terrorism. The inhuman acts that unbreakable allies perpetrate upon defenseless humanitarian aid givers, are apparently perfectly fine and good. It seems it is the activists’ word, versus the Likudnik government of Israel at this point, and the Obama…
Israel forced to apologise for YouTube spoof of Gaza flotilla
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – The Israeli government has been forced to apologise for circulating a spoof video mocking activists aboard the Gaza flotilla, nine of who were shot dead by Israeli forces last week. The YouTube clip, set to the tune of the 1985 charity single We Are the World, features Israelis dressed as Arabs and activists, waving weapons…
East Jerusalem locals fear mass demolition immanent
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – More than a dozen Israeli police were seen taking photos and film footage of Palestinian homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, sparking fears that Israeli officials plan to enact a mass demolition plan in the coming weeks. Residents said police filming was observed from the roads leading into the area, and officers with…
Israel fire kills 4 off Gaza coast
Uruknet June 7, 2010 – Israeli fire killed four Palestinians off the coast of the Gaza Strip early Monday. The four were fishermen, according to Palestinian navy and medical sources quoted by Al-Jazeera. An Israeli military spokesman told Ma’an that the men were part of a squad preparing to attack..
Human Experimentation at the Heart of Bush Administration’s Torture Program
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – High-value detainees captured during the Bush administration’s “war on terror” who were subjected to brutal torture techniques were part of a Nazi Germany-type program involving illegal human experimentation, the purpose of which was to collect research “data,” according to a disturbing new report that calls on President Barack Obama, Congress and other government agencies to…
Hamas welcomes EU proposal to monitor crossings
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – Hamas officials have supported a proposed EU plan to monitor Gaza crossings and life the Israeli-lead siege on the coastal enclave, statements issued Sunday indicated. Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil called statements by Spanish Minster of Foreign Affairs Miguel ?Ångel Moratinos, whose country currently holds the head of the rotating EU parliament, said the movement would…
Video: Children Of GazaAre You Brave Enough To Witness Life In Gaza?
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – In December 2008, the Israeli Defence Force attacked Gaza. Around 300 children were among the 1,300 Palestinians that were killed. After the ceasefire, BAFTA-winning filmmaker Jezza Neumann arrived in Gaza to follow the lives of three children over a year. Surrounded by the remnants of the demolished Gaza Strip and increasingly isolated by the blockade…
Jewish flotilla to break Gaza siege
Uruknet June 6, 2010 – The German-Jewish organization Jewish Voice for Peace in the Middle East is preparing a Jewish flotilla to the Gaza Strip. “We intend to leave around July,” a member of the organization, Kate Leitrer said. “We have one small craft so far, in which there will be between 12 and 16 people, mostly Jews.” Leitrer, herself…
Hamas says it will study Spanish idea cautiously
The National 7 Jun 2010 – Hamas cautiously welcomes suggestions to allow international monitors at Gaza’s ports and borders to end the Israeli blockade.
Arab MP is Israel’s public enemy No1
The National 7 Jun 2010 – Haneen Zoubi, who has become a national hate figure since challenging Israel’s account of the confrontation, said yesterday she was facing a witch-hunt .
Israeli forces kill Palestinian ‘commandos’
The National 7 Jun 2010 – Israeli forces shoot dead four Palestinian commandos’ off Gaza, as Iran’s Red Crescent prepares to send two more aid ships to the besieged territory.
Israeli Knesset Committee Recommends Revoking Privileges of MK Zoabi After Her Participation in Freedom Flotilla
Alternative Information Center – The Israeli Knesset’s House Committee met Monday (7 June) to recommend revoking the privileges of MK Hanin Zoabi. The revocation would serve as punishment for Zoabi’s participation in last…
Iranian Red Crescent Plans to Send Boats to Gaza Strip
Alternative Information Center – The Iranian Red Crescent is calling for volunteer relief workers, following an announcement that they plan to send to two ships to Gaza this week. The volunteers will accompany the boats. According to Abdolrauf Adibzadeh, the…
Background Information on Sheikh Raed Salah, Palestinian Leader Arrested on Freedom Flotilla
Alternative Information Center – Sheikh Raed Salah was one of four Palestinian citizens of Israel on-board the Mavi Marmara when Israeli soldiers attacked the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla last Monday (31 May). The leader of the Islamic Movement’s northern branch in…
Israel’s Attack on the Freedom Flotilla: A Turning Point in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
Alternative Information Center – What happened last week, when activists and humanitarian heroes were killed during their attempt to break the siege on Gaza, opened the eyes of the international community to the real tragedy of one and half million…
Palestinian Political Reactions to Israel’s Attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Alternative Information Center – Israel’s recent attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla aid convoy has sparked global criticism and outrage. Leaders across the Palestinian political community, from the West Bank to Gaza, are speaking out, united in their call for…
PCHR Condemns Israeli Decision to Expel 4 PLC Members from Jerusalem
WAFA – GAZA, June 7, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemned an Israeli decision to cancel the permanent residence in occupied Jerusalem of four members of the Palestinian
Kuwaiti MP Urges Arab Parliament to Explain Palestine Cause to EP
WAFA – CAIRO, June 7, 2010 (WAFA)- ‘The Arab Parliament should contact the European Parliamentarian EP and parliaments around the Arab region to explain the dimensions of the Palestinian cause,’
Knesset Committee Revokes Arab MK’s Privileges
WAFA – TEL AVIV, June 7, 2010 (WAFA)- The Knesset’s House Committee on Monday recommended revoking the privileges of Israeli Arab MK Hanin Zuabi, after she participated in last week’s freedom
PM Meets with German Official
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 7, 2010 (WAFA)- PM Dr. Salam Fayyad in presence of Minister of Education Mrs. Lamis Al-Alami met Monday with the Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Education and
EU Contributes Palestinian Salaries, Pensions
WAFA – JERUSALEM, June 7, 2010 (WAFA) – The European Union made its sixth contribution this year to the Palestinian Authority’s payment of its civil service salaries and pensions, both in the Gaza Strip and
Practical Training for Palestinian Police, Tomorrow
WAFA – JERICHO, June 7, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Civil Police, with the support of the Representative Office of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ramallah and EUPOL COPPS, will hold, tomorrow, several
Turkey demands Israel face punishment for flotilla raid
Daily Star 7 Jun 2010 Turkey called for international punishment of Israel for its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid ship, telling a regional summit on Monday that Israel’s blockade of the territory should be lifted immediately. Meanwhile, United States Vice…
Obama should choose right over self-interest
Daily Star 7 Jun 2010 Words fail me when it comes to describing how I feel about Israel’s murder of civilians in international waters. There were over 600 men, women, children and a 1-year-old infant on the “Mavi Mamara” – one…
Iran Red Crescent to send 3 aid ships to Gaza
Daily Star 7 Jun 2010 The Iranian Red Crescent said on Monday that it will send three aid ships to Gaza in the latest bid to break the blockade imposed on the Palestinian territory by Iran’s arch-foe Israel.It will also send…
European Jewish groups to join flotillas to break siege
Daily Star 7 Jun 2010 BEIRUT: A Jewish European peace group is to launch a boat to break the blockade of Gaza in the coming months, organizers told The Daily Star, almost a week after nine activists were killed making the…
Turkish Airforce bombs PKK in Iraq as Iranian troops reportedly enter territory
Daily Star 7 Jun 2010 Turkish warplanes bombed Monday several Kurdish rebel positions in neighboring northern Iraq, the NTV news channel reported, amid an upsurge in unrest between troops and the outlawed group.Also on Monday, a senior Iraqi official says the…
Bomb concern makes Iran ‘special case’ – IAEA chief
Daily Star 7 Jun 2010 The UN atomic watchdog chief on Monday deflected an Arab push for Israel’s nuclear work to receive the same scrutiny as Iran’s, saying Tehran’s failure to dispel fears over its intentions made it a “special case.”…
Israel set to hold own inquiry into Gaza flotilla killings
The Guardian 7 Jun 2010 – ‚Ä¢ State panel of justices expected to include outside observers ‚Ä¢ Turkey attacks Israel’s rejection of UN inquiry proposal Israel is expected to announce an internal investigation into last week’s assault on an convoy of aid…
Helen Thomas to retire after ‘offensive and reprehensible’ remarks | Richard Adams
The Guardian 7 Jun 2010 – Helen Thomas, White House correspondent since 1961, to retire after controversial comments on Jews and Palestine Helen Thomas’s career as a member of the White House press corps since the first days of the Kennedy administration…
Aftermath of Gaza coast killings
The Guardian 7 Jun 2010 – 7 Jun 2010: Israeli naval forces shot and killed four men wearing diving suits in the waters off the coast of the Gaza Strip. The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade militant group said they were members of its…
Israeli navy kills four Palestinians off Gaza coast
The Guardian 7 Jun 2010 – Men wearing diving suits were on their way to carry out an attack in Israel, claims military spokesman At least four Palestinians were killed when Israeli navy commandos opened fire on what they said was a…
Israel must clarify Palestine’s status | Hussein Ibish
The Guardian 7 Jun 2010 – The Palestinian boycott of settlement goods demands Israel addresses the territory’s ambiguous legal and political status While world attention has been heavily focused on efforts to break the siege of Gaza , Palestinians in the West Bank…
Israel rejects multinational inquiry into flotilla attack
The Guardian 6 Jun 2010 – UN-proposed commission into flotilla raid is dismissed as global pressure grows for Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, today dismissed a UN proposal for an international commission to investigate last…
Israel forced to apologise for YouTube spoof of Gaza flotilla
The Guardian 7 Jun 2010 – Israeli government press office distributed video link featuring Arabs and activists singing The Israeli government has been forced to apologise for circulating a spoof video mocking activists aboard the Gaza flotilla, nine of who were shot…
UAERCA provides medical aid to hospitals in Palestine
Relief Web 7 Jun 2010 – Source: Emirates News Agency
PCHR Condemns the Israeli Decision to Expel Four Members of the Palestinian Legislative Council from Occupied Jerusalem
Relief Web 7 Jun 2010 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
OPT: Iran Red Crescent to send two aid ships to Gaza
Relief Web 7 Jun 2010 – Source: Agence France-Presse
Israel expels activists as Gaza pressure grows
Relief Web 7 Jun 2010 – Source: Agence France-Presse
The village of Al-Ma’sara shows their solidarity with the martyrs of the Freedom Flotilla
Stop The Wall – On June 4th, 2010, the village of Al-Ma’sara’s regular weekly protest against the Apartheid Wall became a solidarity march with the martyrs of the Freedom Flotilla. Protestors raised flags of the countries that participated in the multilateral humanitarian effort to end the siege in Gaza and marched with a model ship. [
Barak: Frustration over flotilla understandable
YNet News – Defense minister addresses Knesset plenum during no-confidence discussion, says….
Egypt: Gaza blockade a failure, border stays open
YNet News – Security official says closure failed to achieve its goals, including Shalit’s….
Hamas refuses to allow aid supplies into Gaza
YNet News – Goods brought by flotilla pile up in army warehouses because Hamas rejects their….
Livni: Gov’t fails to represent Israel
YNet News – Knesset plenum hears Opposition’s no-confidence vote following raid on Gaza….
Erdogan to Assad: Israel will pay for flotilla raid
YNet News – During press conference in Istanbul, Turkish PM calls on Israel to ‘put an end….
Biden: US seeks new ways to deal with Gaza
YNet News – American vice president meets with Egyptian President Mubarak in Sharm….
Fatah may delay PA elections
YNet News – Due to ongoing internal rifts, Palestinian movement considers postponing local….
Israel likely to probe flotilla with foreign observer
YNet News – Following another discussion, seven-minister forum decides commission of inquiry….
Palestinian minister: Boycott only against settlement products
YNet News – The Palestinian finance minister stressed Sunday that the boycott on Israeli products pertains only to goods produced in settlements, and that the Palestinian Authority …….
PM’s Office mulls flotilla probe format
YNet News – Israel is trying to compile a list of candidates to head an inquiry into the naval raid of the Gaza aid sail. The Prime Minister’s Office plans to approach some of …….
IDF chief orders probe into flotilla raid
YNet News – IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi on Monday ordered a formal, external inquiry into Operation Sky Winds — the naval raid of the Gaza aid flotilla. The …….
Navy: Gaza divers planned attack on home front
YNet News – Despite Palestinian claims that the four al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades men who were killed by an Israel Navy force on Monday in waters near Gaza were not terrorists, a senior …….
Palestinian Information Center
Racist rabbi dead, advocated genocide against Palestinians
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – Mordechai Elyahu, one of Israel’s most racist and fascist-minded rabbis, died Monday, at the age of 81, Israeli sources reported.
Abu Zuhri: Hamas welcomes European observers at Rafah crossing
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman, has said that his movement welcomed the French foreign minister’s proposal regarding European supervision over the Rafah border crossing.
Steel wall between Egypt and Gaza to be finished by the end of summer
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – An Egyptian security official said on Monday that Egypt will complete the construction of the steel wall rooted underground between Egypt and the Gaza Strip by the end of this summer.
Assad, Erdogan: Israel must pay a price for its crime
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – Visiting Syrian president and Turkish premier Recep Erdogan have renewed their condemnation of the Israeli bloody attack on the Freedom Flotilla, saying it reflected the aggressive nature of Israel.
USA demands investigation for injury of American woman
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – The U.S. embassy in Israel demanded that Israel investigates the case of a young American woman who was injured when Israeli occupation forces fired teargas canisters at her in the West Bank.
Israel detains Freedom Flotilla ships for eight consecutive days
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – The Israel occupation authority is still holding vessels of the Freedom Flotilla in its custody, after eight consecutive days of the raid last Monday by Israeli naval forces.
Malaysian Prime Minister calls for international trial of Israeli officials
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – Malaysian Prime Minister said on Monday that Israeli officials are “global gangsters,” and demanded their prosecution before the International Court of Justice for their attack on the Freedom Flotilla
DWO: Lift the siege on Gaza now
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – Doctors of the World Organization (DWO) called for lifting Gaza blockade in order to improve the living and health conditions of its inhabitants in the long-term.
Davutoglu: No relations with Israel before an int’l probe into Flotilla crime
PIC 7 Jun 2010 – Turkish minister of foreign affairs Ahmet Davutoglu reiterated that his country cannot restore its relations with Israel if it still refuses an independent probe committee to be formed by the UN.
Israeli navy kills 4 Palestinians off Gaza
LA Times 7 Jun 2010 – A naval force opens fire on militants in diving suits just a week after commandos killed nine pro-Palestinian activists aboard an aid vessel. The Israeli navy killed four Palestinian militants in diver suits off the coast of Gaza before dawn Monday, the Israeli military and Palestinian officials said.
Four Militants Killed Near Gaza Coast by Israeli Navy
New York Times 7 Jun 2010 – Israel said on Monday that its naval force fired on what it called a “squad of terrorists wearing diving suits.”
Israelis Fire on Divers Off Gaza
New York Times 7 Jun 2010 – The Israeli Navy fired on Palestinian divers off Gaza before dawn on Monday, and Palestinian medics said they later retrieved four bodies.
Israeli Knesset Committee Recommends Revoking Privileges of MK Zoabi After Her Participation in Freedom Flotilla
Alternative Information Center 3 – The Israeli Knesset’s House Committee met Monday (7 June) to recommend revoking the privileges of MK Hanin Zoabi. The revocation would serve as punishment for Zoabi’s participation in last…
Protests in USA Say “End The Blockade On Gaza”
Palestine Monitor – Every time Israel invents a new way to oppress the Palestinians, American peace and justice organizations stand at the ready to organise protests. With established newsletters and email lists, the dedicated members of pro-justice organizations are able to respond with lightening speed to incursions, attacks and…
Palestinian Political Reactions to Israel’s Attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Alternative Information Center 1 – Israel’s recent attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla aid convoy has sparked global criticism and outrage. Leaders across the Palestinian political community, from the West Bank to Gaza, are speaking out, united in their call for action on the part of Palestinians and the international community…
Israel’s Attack on the Freedom Flotilla: A Turning Point in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
Alternative Information Center 1 – What happened last week, when activists and humanitarian heroes were killed during their attempt to break the siege on Gaza, opened the eyes of the international community to the real tragedy of one and half million Gazans, dying daily because of the three-year siege and international…
Background Information on Sheikh Raed Salah, Palestinian Leader Arrested on Freedom Flotilla
Alternative Information Center 1 – Sheikh Raed Salah was one of four Palestinian citizens of Israel on-board the Mavi Marmara when Israeli soldiers attacked the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla last Monday (31 May). The leader of the Islamic Movement’s northern branch in Israel, Sheikh Salah and three other prominent Palestinian leaders…
Iranian Red Crescent Plans to Send Boats to Gaza Strip
Alternative Information Center 1 – The Iranian Red Crescent is calling for volunteer relief workers, following an announcement that they plan to send to two ships to Gaza this week. The volunteers will accompany the boats. According to Abdolrauf Adibzadeh, the Red Crescent director for international affairs, two boats will be…
Pro-IDF, Anti-Turkish Rally in Tel Aviv (or a Glimpse Into Collective Israeli Derangement)
Mondoweiss – On June 1, 2010, thousands of Israelis gathered spontaneously in front of the Turkish Embassy in Tel Aviv to demonstrate in support of the Israeli Naval commando unit that killed nine passengers on the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish-backed boat from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Egged on…
‘TNR’ says Judt wants to turn many of world’s Jews into refugees
Mondoweiss – Jonathan Chait at New Republic says that Helen Thomas’s formula for Israel/Palestine is the same as Tony Judt’s : Judt advocates dissolving the state of Israel and replacing it with a a bi-national democratic state where Jews can live happily and peacefully as minority citizens of Palestine….
An unqualified defense of Helen Thomas
Mondoweiss – UPDATE: Thomas has announced her retirement . Her comments [telling Israelis to leave Palestine and “go home” to Europe] do not reflect a desire to see Israel/Palestine judenrein , but rather an ominous sense of what a dangerous place Israel has become, and will only increasingly be, for…
Petition in Support of MK Hanin Zoabi
Palestine Think Tank – Hanin Zoabi A group of Israelis seeks to protest the actions that their government is taking regarding a member of their own parliament. They have written a brief petition, which we have translated below so that it can meet its goal of 100,000 signatories. While we…
Thanks, Iran! But NO Thanks! (Even Hamas wonders about the political convenience of the IRG escorts for Aid to Gaza)
Palestine Think Tank – As you might have heard now, Iran has volunteered to send aid ships to Gaza. As stated in Tehran, “The Iranian Red Crescent has decided to send two aid ships to Gaza this week and has called for volunteers to act as relief workers and accompany…
JEWS BOYCOTTING ISRAEL WELL DONE
Irish4Palestine – source Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods – A Spearheading New Initiative by Ruth Tenne (Sunday, April 1, 2007) ———————————————————————————————————————— “…the viability of a future Palestinian economy depends significantly on its trading opportunities.” ———————————————————————————————————————— The latest report [1] of the International Development Select Committee regarding the Occupied…
Partial List of Items Prohibited/Permitted into the Gaza Strip – June 2010
Gisha –
US ‘seeks new way ahead’ in Gaza
BBC – The US says it is looking for new ways to address Gaza’s crisis, after last week’s Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Israeli navy kills four off Gaza
BBC – Israel shoots dead four Palestinians wearing diving gear off the Gaza coast, Israeli and Palestinian officials say.
Drowning in the Law of the Sea
Antiwar.com – Within an hour after Israel commandos hijacked the Free Gaza Movement flotilla on the high seas and killed at least nine relief workers, Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted to its Web site a “legal background” to the attack. The short, 12-point statement makes a low-key, matter of…
Our Enemies, the Israelis
Antiwar.com – One of my readers, in the comments section below, wrote the following in response to my last column on Israel’s hijacking of the Gaza flotilla: “Again I ask the question: What do the Israelis have on our politicians that makes them such whores? Dirty pictures? Threats…
(en) Anarkismo.net: Left and Zionism, like eating salt and sugar at the same time by author Urrea Esteban Ferreira [machine translation]
A-infos – The following article was originally prepared for Issue No. 31 of the Road Map Magazine. Publication that is driven by a group of resident Palestinian community in Chile. My intention as a collaborator in this monthly magazine, aimed primarily to assist with analysis from a libertarian…
Palestinian Trade Union Movement Calls on International Dockworkers Unions to Block Loading/Offloading Israeli Ships
BDS – Palestinian Trade Union Movement Calls on International Dockworkers Unions to Block Loading/Offloading Israeli Ships Until Israel Complies Fully with International Law and Ends its Illegal Siege of Gaza read more
Articles
Supporting Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Against Israel
Alice Walker, Huffington Post6/7/2010
“You will have no protection.” – Medgar Evers to Civil Rights Activists in Mississippi, shortly before he was assassinated on June 12, 1963.
My heart is breaking; but I do not mind.
For one thing, as soon as I wrote those words I was able to weep, which I had not been able to do since learning of the attack by armed Israeli commandos on defenseless peace activists carrying aid to Gaza who tried to fend them off using chairs and sticks. I am thankful to know what it means to be good; I know that the people of the Freedom Flotilla are/were, in some cases, some of the best people on earth. They have not stood silently by and watched the destruction of others, brutally, sustained, without offering themselves, weaponless except for their bodies, to the situation. I am thankful to have a long history of knowing people like this from my earliest years, beginning in my student days of marches and demonstrations: for peace, for non-separation among peoples, for justice for Women, for People of Color, for Cubans, for Animals, for Indians, and for Her, the planet.
I am weeping for the truth of Medgar’s statement; so brave and so true. I weep for him gunned down in his carport, not far from where I would eventually live in Mississippi, with a box of t-shirts in his arms that said: ’Jim Crow Must Go.’ Though trained in the United States Military under racist treatment one cringes to imagine, he remained a peaceful soldier in the army of liberation to the end. I weep and will always weep, even through the widest smiles, for the beautiful young wife, Myrlie Evers, he left behind, herself still strong and focused on the truth of struggle; and for their children, who lost their father to a fate they could not possibly, at the time, understand. I don’t think any of us could imagine during that particular phase of the struggle for justice, that we risked losing not just our lives, which we were prepared to give, but also our children, who we were not.
Nothing protected Medgar, nor will anything protect any of us; nothing but our love for ourselves and for others whom we recognize unfailingly as also ourselves. Nothing can protect us but our lives. How we have lived them; what battles, with love and compassion our only shield, we have engaged….more..e-mail
The deadly closing of the Israeli mind
Ilan Pappe, The Independent6/6/2010
The decline in Israel’s reputation since the brutal attack on the Gaza flotilla is unlikely to influence the country’s leaders
At the top of Israel’s political and military systems stand two men, Ehud Barak and Benjamin Netanyahu, who are behind the brutal attack on the Gaza flotilla that shocked the world but that seemed to be hailed as a pure act of self-defence by the Israeli public.
Although they come from the left (Defence minister Barak from the Labour Party) and the right (Prime Minister Netanyahu from Likkud) of Israeli politics, their thinking on Gaza in general and on the flotilla in particular is informed by the same history and identical worldview.
At one time, Ehud Barak was Benjamin Netanyahu’s commanding officer in the Israeli equivalent of the SAS. More precisely, they served in a similar unit to the one sent to assault the Turkish ship last week. Their perception of the reality in the Gaza Strip is shared by other leading members of the Israeli political and military elite, and is widely supported by the Jewish electorate at home.
And it is a simple take on reality. Hamas, although the only government in the Arab world elected democratically by the people, has to be eliminated as a political as well as a military force. This is not only because it continues the struggle against the 40-year Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip by launching primitive missiles into Israel — more often than not in retaliation to an Israel killing of its activists in the West Bank. But it is mainly due to its political opposition for the kind of “peace” Israel wants to impose on the Palestinians.
The forced peace is not negotiable as far as the Israeli political elite is concerned, and it offers the Palestinians a limited control and sovereignty in the Gaza Strip and in parts of the West Bank…. — See also:Soldiers carried ‘assassination lists’ – The hijacking of the truth: Film evidence ‘destroyed’more..e-mail
On Cowardice and Violence
Ken O’keefe, Istanbul, CounterPunch6/8/2010
Reflections by a Former US Marine on the Mavi Marmara
In 2002 I initiated the TJP Human Shield Action to Iraq because I knew that the invasion of Iraq had been planned well in advance, that it was part of a ‘Global Spectrum Dominance’ agenda as laid out by the Project For A New American Century. I knew that protests had no chance of stopping the invasion, and that largely these protests were just a way of making us feel better about the coming mass murder; by being able to say “I protested against it.” With that understanding I argued that the only viable way to stop the invasion was to conduct a mass migration to Iraq. A migration in which people from around the world, especially western citizens, would position themselves at sites in Iraq that are supposed to be protected by international law, but which are routinely bombed when it is only Iraqi, Palestinian, generally non-white, western lives who will be killed. I felt 10,000 such people could stop the invasion, or at the very least, expose the invasion for what it was from the start, an act of international aggression, a war crime and a crime against humanity.
I have for many years understood that we, people of conscience, are the true holders of power in this world. Frustratingly however we have largely relinquished that power and failed to reach our full potential. Our potential to create a better world, a just world. Nonetheless I have conspired with others of like mind to reveal and exercise our true power.
When our two double decker busses travelled from London to Baghdad through Turkey, it was ever clear that the people of Turkey also could sense the power of this act, and they were the biggest participants in it. In the end we did not get the numbers required to stop the war, with at least one million Iraqi’s dead as a result, but I remain convinced that it was within our power to prevent the invasion. A massive opportunity lost as far as I am concerned.
In 2007 I joined the Free Gaza Movement with its plan to challenge the blockade of Gaza by travelling to Gaza by sea. From the moment I heard of the plan I knew it could succeed and ultimately I served as a captain on the first attempt….more..e-mail
Israel’s attack on Flotilla violates international law
Electronic Intifada: 7 Jun 2010 – In the aftermath of Israel’s 31 May attack on the Freedom Flotilla that left nine dead and scores wounded, each side claimed their actions were protected under international law. While the Israelis cited self-defense, and the Flotilla passengers reiterated that they were peace activists on a humanitarian mission that were attacked in international waters where neither Israel (nor any other state) has any claim. Jinan Bastaki comments for The Electronic Intifada.
Protests in USA Say “End The Blockade On Gaza”
Palestine Monitor: 7 Jun 2010 – Every time Israel invents a new way to oppress the Palestinians, American peace and justice organizations stand at the ready to organise protests. With established newsletters and email lists, the dedicated members of pro-justice organizations are able to respond with lightening speed to incursions, attacks and other atrocities. But when the Freedom Flotilla was attacked – when Israel was willing to kill to prevent Gazans from receiving even the most basic aid – humanity as a whole stood up in outrage. Sarah Jawhari, organiser of the KC Protest In Kansas City, Missouri, humanity took the form of one college student. Sara Jawhari, a journalism major and member of last December’s land convoy to Gaza, contacted local organisations to see if a protest was being planned. When one responded that there was no Israeli consulate in KC and therefore no need to protest, she jumped onto Facebook. From there she organised…
The Old Gaza Boy and the Sea
Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jun 2010 – By Ramzy Baroud I grew up by the Gaza sea. Through my childhood, I could never quite comprehend how such a giant a body of water, which promised such endless freedom, could also border on such a tiny and cramped stretch of land – a land that was perpetually held hostage, even as it remained perpetually defiant. From a young age, I would embark with my family on the short journey from our refugee camp to the beach. We went on a haggard cart, laboriously pulled by an equally gaunt donkey. The moment our feet touched the warm sand, the deafening screams would commence. Little feet would run faster than Olympic champions and for a few hours all our cares would dissipate. Here there was no occupation, no prison, no refugee status. Everything smelled and tasted of salt and watermelon. My mother would sit atop a torn, checkered blanket to…more
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