News
International Middle East Media Center
Bil’in Marks World Cup In Its Own Creative Way
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – Nonviolent protestors in Bil’in village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, formed their own team, which they called the Palestinian National Football Team, coinciding with the start of World Cup in South Africa, and stressing the Palestinian right of independence.
Ni’lin Residents protest the wall and settlers chant “Palestinians go to Jordan”
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – Residents of the village of Ni’lin organized an anti-wall demonstration after the Friday prayer today. Protesters marched from the mosque to the land slated for confiscation, despite the Israeli decision which declared the villager’s land a closed military zone.
New kind of protest: Bil’in villagers play football at the wall
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – Israelis and international supporters joined on Friday the weekly nonviolent protest against the wall in the village of Bil’in, central West Bank.
Nonviolent anti-wall activities in Bethlehem villages after the prayer
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – Palestinian villagers near Bethlehem, southern West Bank, organized on Friday protests against the wall Israel is building on their lands.
African Immigrant Killed By Egyptian Border Police
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – Egyptian sources reported that an African immigrant was shot and killed on Friday morning by Egyptian Border Police fire as he was trying to infiltrate into Israel, another immigrant was detained at the border with Israel.
PCHR Weekly Report: 6 killed, 3 wounded by Israeli forces this week
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – In its Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 03— 09 June 2010, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that 1 Palestinian civilian and 5 resistance fighters were killed by Israeli forces. In addition, 2 Palestinian civilians and 1 resistance fighter were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank.
Four Extremist Young Settlers Could Face Mosque Vandalism Charges
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – The Magistrates Court in Haifa decided on Thursday to keep four settlers, Yeshiva students, in custody as they are the main suspects in spraying racist graffiti on the walls of a mosque in Ibteen village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, last Tuesday night.
Local Elections Delayed Until Further Notice
IMEMC – 11 Jun 2010 – The Palestinian Ministerial Council in the West Bank decided to delay that local council elections scheduled for July 17, until further notice. The Council said that a new elections date will be set later on.
Palestinian Detainee Dies In Israeli Prison
IMEMC – 10 Jun 2010 – The Ahrar Center for Detainees Studies reported Thursday that detainee Mohammad Abdul-Salaam Abdeen, 37, from al-Toor Palestinian neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, died at the al-Ramla prison.
Clashes after man shot dead in Jerusalem
6/11/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – A Palestinian man from Jerusalem was shot and killed by Israeli border guards on Friday, after he reportedly failed to stop at a checkpoint in the Wadi Joz neighborhood. Witnesses said he was in serious condition as he was taken to hospital, with Israeli news sites reporting that the man died en route….
Journalists recount experiences on board Gaza flotilla
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Journalists who were aboard the aid flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli naval commandoes on 31 May have been recounting their experiences, several of which were compiled by the Paris-based press freedom group Reporters Without Borders. At the same time, Turkish journalist Cevdet Kili?ɬßlar, who was fatally shot at the start of….
VIDEO – Raw footage of deadly flotilla raid
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A full hour of raw footage taken aboard the Mavi Marmara in the hour leading up to and during the Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla surfaced Thursday. Despite the Israeli government’s efforts to confiscate all of the footage taken during the attack, filmmaker Iara Lee was able to smuggle one hour….
Israeli police to limit Al-Aqsa access
6/11/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli Police announced a limited access policy for Palestinian men under 40 traveling to the Al-Aqsa Mosque for prayers on Friday. Similar to restriction imposed the week before, Palestinian men under 40 with West Bank residency cards will be prohibited from entry to the Old City. The restrictions this week also include Palestinian….
DCI report to renew issue of Israel’s torture of children
6/12/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian children are routinely tortured during periods of detention by Israeli forces, a report recently released by Defence For Children International (DCI) found. The document, based on hundreds of sworn, independent affidavits, was been submitted to the UN Committee Against Torture following its release, and is expected to renew an international challenge to Israeli detention practices…. Related:AlJazeera: Israel faces child-abuse claims
’Cameramen, press photographers and reporters were mistreated’
6/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Reporters Without Borders continues to deplore the Israeli military’s use of video footage seized from journalists during its raid on the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla on 31 May. Several video sequences have been posted by the Israel Defense Forces on YouTube, where they are described as “video taken on the Gaza flotilla.”The seizure….
Man deported from Eilat to Gaza
6/11/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli authorities deported a Beersheba resident from his work in Eilat on Thursday night, the Wa’ed Prisoners Organization said. The man, born in the Gaza Strip town of Johr Ad-Dik, married a Palestinian citizen of Israel in 2000, and moved to Beersheba where he has lived since. The man, identified as Saber Abu….
Gaza: Week’s imports down as allowed items increase
6/11/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli crossings officials announced the closure of all Gaza crossing points on Friday, despite a scheduled opening, meaning a two-day closure including the scheduled holiday on Saturday, a crossings official said. Liaison official for the Palestinian side of the crossings, Raed Fattouh, said the crossings would re-open on Sunday, and continue allowing imports….
Report: Israel prepped flotilla PR weeks in advance
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli defense and diplomatic officials began preparations for the Gaza flotilla’s arrival two months prior to the deadly raid in international waters on 31 May, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday. Efforts were led by the army, Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and national media relations division of the Prime Minister’s Office, according….
After flotilla raid, Pink Floyd’s Waters revamps ’Overcome’
6/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The legendary Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters has recorded a new version of “We Shall Overcome” honoring victims of Israel’s flotilla attack. The song was originally recorded in support of the Gaza Freedom March in late 2009….
’Beyond the Sun’ premiers in Ramallah
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian film ‘Beyond the Sun’ – the first film production of the ‘Turning Point’ project is screened for the first time to the public, in Al-Kasaba theater in Ramallah on Thursday. Sami Mitwasi stars as the narrator and main character Osamain “Beyond the Sun,” an independent, 100% Palestinian movie from second-time film director….
PA reopens settler-torched mosque
6/12/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – The Al-Lubban Ash-Sharqiya Mosque was re-opened on Friday, under the patronage of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Presidential representative At-Tayyeb Abdul Rahim, government news agency WAFA reported. The building was torched the morning of 4 May by Israelis settlers, witnesses said, who used curtains and copies of the Qur’an to start the blaze….
Bahraini aid convoy preparing for trip to Gaza
6/11/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A 15-person strong aid convoy will depart from Bahrain in the coming days, loaded with almost a ton of aid for the Gaza Strip, spokesman for the Popular Committee Against the Siege Ali An-Nazli said Thursday. The convoy is expected to reach the Rafah crossing within the week, traveling first by air….
Gaza students detained on Egyptian holiday
6/11/2010 – Al-Arish – Ma’an – Three Palestinian residents of Gaza were detained on Friday after entering Egypt illegally via the smuggling tunnels, on holiday, Egyptian security forces said. The tunnel, which runs from Gaza’s Salah Ad-Din area into Egypt, was used by the 19-year-old university students to sneak out. The three were not detained until police stopped….
Palestinians kick footballs over Israel’s wall
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – As the World Cup opened Friday afternoon in Johannesburg, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank hosted an opening ceremony of their own highlighting their right to be an independent nation. Facing off against Israeli border guards manning a barrier that cuts through half of the Palestinian village, demonstrators in Bili’in, near Ramallah, formed….
MADA condemns detention of 3 journalists
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) condemned on Friday the detention of three journalists in the occupied West Bank. Photographers Nasser Al-Shuokhi of The Associated Press, Fadi Aruri of Xinhua, and Atef Safadi of the European Press Agency were briefly detained while covering a protest in Bil’in, near Ramallah. Al-Shuokhi….
You decide
6/11/2010 – My name is Iara Lee. I am a dual US-Brazilian citizen of Korean descent. I am a filmmaker and a human rights activist. I decided to join the Freedom Flotilla after going to Gaza a few months ago and seeing first hand the devastation there. After hearing the pleas of the people living in Gaza….
Hamas official rejects visits for Shalit
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – There will be no Red Cross visits for an Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian factions in 2006, undersecretary of Hamas’ politburo Musa Abu Marzuq told the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper on Friday. The announcement followed calls from Israeli officials for visits to captured Israel soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for an easing of the….
EU hosts judicial conference in Bethlehem
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An unprecedented conference began in in this central West Bank city Friday, bringing together judges and prosecutors with the aim of achieving practical solutions to the backlog of criminal cases before the courts – one of the major challenges facing the judicial system in the occupied Palestinian territory. The two-day conference for judges and….
UN says Israel lifting some movement restrictions
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel has removed two earth mounds in the occupied West Bank, which blocked vehicular traffic through the main entrances to Kafr Ad-Dik village in the Salfit governorate and to Jamma’in village in the Nablus governorate, UN officials said Friday. These openings have improved access to services, markets and livelihoods, according to a UN….
Report: EU to press Israel on Gaza siege
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – European Union foreign ministers will call on Israel next week to lift an “unacceptable and counterproductive” three-year-blockade of Gaza, Reuters reported Friday. In a draft statement prepared for a meeting on Monday, Reuters reported, the foreign ministers will condemn the use of violence during Israel’s operation to stop a flotilla of aid ships….
UN expert: Flotilla inquiry must be credible
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Any inquiry set up by Israel to investigate the Gaza flotilla incident which led to the deaths of nine civilians must be given a genuine capacity to find facts or it will not be considered credible, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions said Friday.” There are several indispensable requirements for any such….
Elections: PLO official says lists remained unregistered
6/12/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Dozens of elections lists remain unregistered, PLO Executive Committee member Hana A’mirah told Ma’an on Friday, citing the failure to record candidates as a contributing factor to the cabinet decision to delay the July vote. A’mira said that despite the contributing factor, he was not a supporter of the decision to delay the….
Controversy over elections decision continues
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem/Ramallah – Ma’an – Justifications and condemnations continue to pour in following the surprise announcement Thursday afternoon that municipal elections set for July would be canceled in the interest of Palestinian unity and an end to the Gaza blockade. Minister of Local Governance Kahled Al-Qauasmy weighed in late in the day, telling Ma’an Radio that the….
Hamas: Elections delay not at our request
6/11/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Palestinian Authority decision to delay municipal elections in the West Bank was “partisan and personal,” and aimed at circumventing what was a “national consensus,” a Hamas spokesman said Friday. Speaking for the Gaza leadership, spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Ma’an that the decision to postpone the West Bank municipal vote was seen by….
Hamas: PA arrested party members in WB
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamas officials accused Palestinian Authority police of detaining two party members from their West Bank homes in Bethlehem and Qalqiliya on Thursday night….
DFLP: Elections delay clear violation of law
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem/ Ramallah – Ma’an – Lining up with other leftist parties, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) called the decision to postpone West Bank municipal elections a clear violation of Palestinian law. Citing Elections law 10 (2005), a statement from the party demanded that the government in the West Bank respect the law, committing….
Fida: PA call to delay vote unjustified
6/11/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – The Palestinian Democratic Union (Fida) called the delay of a municipal vote “unjustified,” in a statement released on Friday. In what appeared to be a near-universal trend in the Palestinian political arena, Fida said there was no real justification for the PA decision to postpone “indefinitely” the municipal vote that had been scheduled….
Independent figure ’not surprised’ be elections delay
6/11/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Independent political figure Omar Assaf said Friday that “anyone who studied the political map of the Palestinian leadership at its current phase would have seen the risks of an election.” The official said the Thursday decision to postpone “indefinitely” the municipal vote slated for 17 July did not come as a surprise to….
PFLP: Elections delay a blow to democracy
6/11/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) candidate on the Ramallah leftist list Kahleda Jarar spoke on behalf of the party Friday, saying the front rejected the PA decision to postpone elections.”It is a delay in democracy,” Jarar told Ma’an, and a “blow to all factions.”The statement lines up with….
Thousands attend Tel Aviv gay pride parade
6/12/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Thousands of Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv on Friday to attend its annual gay pride parade. The event comes a year after two young Israeli citizens were shot dead in an attack on a Tel Aviv gay youth center. Ayala Katz, the mother of Nir Katz, one of the….
Senator’s resolution supports Israeli flotilla raid
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) announced Wednesday a non-binding resolution supporting Israel’s in its raid of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla May 31. Palestine Note contact Cornyn’s office to inquire how the senator reconciles his resolution…
Helen Thomas on everything, including Israel
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – Vice Magazine conducted an interview with Helen Thomas in March, well-prior to her career-ending comments in late May, but they were saving it for a later issue. In light of the polarization of the…
‘They bled to death’: Complete Mavi Marmara footage released
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – The entirety of filmmaker Iara Lee’s footage from the Mavi Marmara was released Friday. Partial footage was released Thursday of Israel’s deadly raid last week on the Turkish-owned ship Mavi Marmara, which was carrying…
Abbas to dicuss Gaza with French premier
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will reportedly discussing ending the Gaza siege with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at their meeting next week. French President Nicolas Sarkozy stands with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. [Photo: Speaker Pelosi…
Bil’in demonstrators form World Cup team
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – Palestinian, Israeli and international demonstrators formed a “national” football team at the Bil’in wall protest site Friday, marking the beginning of the World Cup, Friends of Freedom and Justice – Bil’in reported . A youth…
Israelis call Wadi Joz incident a ‘terror attack’
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – A Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli police after “he reportedly failed to stop at a checkpoint in the Wadi Joz neighborhood,” Ma’an News Agency reported Friday. Soldiers loiter with their guns…
Police restrict men from Al-Aqsa
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – Men under 40 have been restricted from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City, Ma’an News Agency reported Friday. A woman stands outside Al-Aqsa Mosque. [Photo: Carmelo Aquilina – Flickr] The restriction is common…
End the siege on Israel
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Israel’s deadly attack on the “Freedom Flotilla” is proof of how Gaza continues to give Israel a taste of its own medicine. Intended to help solve Israel’s problems with Hamas, the three-year-old siege of Gaza is…
Flotilla activist’s credit card scandal
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – After having his credit card confiscated by Israeli forces last week, Italian journalist onboard the “Freedom Flotilla” Manolo Luppichini said the card has continued being used. Luppichini said the card along with the rest…
Quartet and regional players talk easing Gaza blockade
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Bahrain prepares aid convoy for besieged Strip Washington – While Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has been in the US to discuss ways to end the Gaza siege with President Obama , meetings have been held…
French flotilla activists to sue Barak
Palestine Note 11 Jun 2010 – Washington – French activists who took part in the “Freedom Flotilla” have announced their intentions to sue Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Ynet News reported Friday. The so-called “Freedom Flotilla” aid convoy attempted to run to…
Ahmadinejad: Israel is doomed
AlJazeera 11 Jun 2010 – Iranian president accuses Western powers of “monopolising” atomic technology.
Israeli police kill Palestinian man
AlJazeera 11 Jun 2010 – Conflicting accounts over shooting in occupied East Jerusalem .
Nabi Saleh village Protest The Israeli Wall, One Israeli Activist Injured
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura — PNN – Israeli and international activists joined the villagers of Nabi Saleh , central West Bank, on Friday to protest the wall Israel’s is building on villagers lands People marched…
Palestine National Football Team In Bili’in
PNN – Bil’in — PNN – Israelis and international supporters joined on Friday the weekly nonviolent protest against the wall in the village of Bil’in, central West Bank. Demonstrators in Bil’in today formed their…
Southern West Bank Villages Protest The wall, Troops Arrest One Organizer
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN – Palestinian villagers near Bethlehem, southern West Bank, organized on Friday protests against the wall Israel is building on their lands. In the village of Wad Rahal international supporters…
Two Soldiers Injured In Haifa
PNN – Haifa — PNN – Two Israeli soldiers were reported injured on Friday in the coastal city of Haifa in northern Israel after a scuffle with Palestinian youth. A number of soldiers were…
Israeli Police Kill A Palestinian Man In East Jerusalem
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – Zyiad Al Jolani, 40 years old, was shot and killed on Friday afternoon by Israeli police at Wadi Al Joz neighborhood of East Jerusalem. Al Jolani was evacuated…
Israel’s Deterrence Unlikely To Succeed
PNN – By Daoud Kuttab – One of the most repeated questions asked by many following the attack on the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla was why Israel did what it did. Why a very powerful…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (03— 09 June 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Tel Aviv gay parade draws thousands
Jeruslalem Post 11 Jun 2010 – Livni: Israel must denounce hatred of those who are different.
Hamas: Schalit enjoys full rights
Jeruslalem Post 11 Jun 2010 – Official says soldier better off than Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Diplomacy: Rocking the boat
Jeruslalem Post 11 Jun 2010 – Ankara has made it impossible to ignore Gaza.
W. Bank municipal elections delayed
Jeruslalem Post 11 Jun 2010 – Fatah could not agree on candidates, Hamas had banned vote in Gaza.
W. Bank municipal elections postponed
Jeruslalem Post 11 Jun 2010 – Fatah could not agree on candidates, and Hamas had banned vote in Gaza.
Learning to live like neighbors
Jeruslalem Post 10 Jun 2010 – IDF, PA forces have come a long way since 2000.
‘The world’s most famous brand’
Jeruslalem Post 10 Jun 2010 – How do planners market Jerusalem as attractive?
Think Again: Confronting the zeitgeist head on
Jeruslalem Post 10 Jun 2010 – As passionately as Daniel Gordis wishes that US Jewish youth knew more about Israel, he has little to offer by way of solutions to the looming crisis.
International Solidarity Movement
Activists disrupt Caterpillar shareholder meeting
6/11/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Kristin Szremski, The Electronic Intifada – While pro-Palestinian activists and supporters of Israel lined opposite sides of South LaSalle Street outside the Northern Trust Building in Chicago on 9 June, James Owens, the outgoing CEO and Chairman of Caterpillar Inc. , told a room full of shareholders the company was not responsible for the way Israel uses….
Thousands take part in Tel Aviv gay pride parade
Ha’aretz – Supporting gay community is not political issue but a matter of human respect and decency, opposition leader Tzipi Livni tells crowd.
Anshel Pfeffer / Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu — an eloquent racist
Ha’aretz – In the early 1950s, the young Eliyahu was imprisoned for his membership in a group that collected arms and firebombs with the intention of imposing Torah law on the young…
Democratic Party Defends Israeli Attack
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – Tens of thousands of Israelis protested in the streets of Tel Aviv last weekend against their right-wing government’s attack on an unarmed humanitarian aid flotilla sailing in international waters. International condemnation of the raids continued in foreign capitals. Meanwhile, in Washington, Democratic congressional leaders were lining up alongside their Republican colleagues to defend the Israeli…
“Arrest me, I’m a terrorist”
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – Responding to US Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) call for the arrest and prosecution of “any US citizens who were aboard or involved with the Freedom Flotilla,” several American activists “turned themselves in” Thursday – at Sherman’s office. “Arrest me, I’m a terrorist,” said one of the activists, several of whom were affiliated with the Free…
Thousands of Rockets, Millions of Bullets?
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – One thing to add about coverage of Gaza’s’ rockets is the popularity of the phrase “thousands of rockets.” To cite one of many examples, Joe Klein writes for Time (6/9/10):
Greek Tragedy in Jerusalem
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – Omar Ibn al-Khattab square, near the Jaffa Gate entrance of the Old City of Jerusalem, is a site rich with the memory of conquerors past. From Khattab himself through to Kaiser Wilhelm II and General Allenby in the 19th and 20th centuries, this has been the location of choice for victorious invaders. Over the past…
Just Released: Unedited Footage from Mavi Marmara of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Uruknet MEDIA ALERT: JUST RELEASED: ONE HOUR OF FOOTAGE FROM MAVI MARMARA Footage taken aboard largest ship in Gaza Freedom Flotilla in hour before and during raid by Israeli military. A full hour of raw footage taken aboard the Mavi Marmara in the hour leading up to and during the Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla has just been…
Iran’s neoliberal agenda
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – …From the outside, Iran’s Islamic regime is superficially characterised by its anti-Western foreign policy and particularly by its verbal attacks against the US and Israel. However, the vast majority of progressives rightly recognise that beneath its sloganeering facade lies a theocratic and reactionary regime fronted by Ahmadinejad’s illegitimate government. Less noted is the regime’s neoliberal…
DCI-Palestine submits 50 cases of ill-treatment to the UN Committee Against Torture
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – On 7 June 2010, DCI-Palestine submitted 50 new cases of ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian children by the Israeli authorities to the UN Committee Against Torture, a committee of 10 independent experts whose role is to review state compliance with the Convention Against Torture. The Committee last reviewed Israel’s compliance with the Convention in May…
Gaza Is in Our Hearts
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – …The key difference in all this is that Israel’s retrograde leaders have Gaza in their bomb sights, and squeezed within the stranglehold of a dreadful embargo, while those calling for an end to the terrible depredations and denials imposed upon it, and on all Palestinians, hold Gaza in their hearts. Universal solidarity supporting eminently just…
‘They bled to death’: Complete Mavi Marmara footage released
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – The entirety of filmmaker Iara Lee’s footage from the Mavi Marmara was released Friday. Partial footage was released Thursday of Israel’s deadly raid last week on the Turkish-owned ship Mavi Marmara, which was carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. New York-based filmmaker Iara Lee was on the ship during the attack, and she managed to…
Israel plans to send bill to Palestinians over boycotts
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – What do The Pixies, Elvis Costello, and Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, have in common? A cursory glance might suggest not much yet all have deeply irked Israel. When Mr Fayyad first embarked on a door-to-door campaign to persuade Palestinians to shun all products made by Jewish settlers, the Israeli public simply…
Activists disrupt Caterpillar shareholder meeting
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – While pro-Palestinian activists and supporters of Israel lined opposite sides of South LaSalle Street outside the Northern Trust Building in Chicago on 9 June, James Owens, the outgoing CEO and Chairman of Caterpillar Inc., told a room full of shareholders the company was not responsible for the way Israel uses the bulldozers the company manufactures…
Hope and anxiety at Rafah crossing
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – Jamila Hammouda, a mother of five small children, hopes that she will be reunited with her family in Cairo, Egypt. Because of closure and travel restrictions, her last visit was 15 years ago. Hammouda, her husband and their children were waiting on the Gaza side of the Rafah terminal crossing with Egypt, where Palestinians in…
Israel FM Lieberman admits Gaza blockade intended as collective punishment: a war crime
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – …Collective punishment, put very simply, is punishing one person for something done by someone else. The Fourth Geneva Convention — which as the UN Security Council, General Assembly and numerous governments have repeatedly affirmed, governs Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, states in Article 33:
Obama defends Israel as tactical shift prepared on Gaza blockade
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – President Barack Obama’s meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Washington on Wednesday again demonstrated US complicity with the Israeli government’s criminal blockade of Gaza that led to the May 31 raid on an aid flotilla which resulted in nine activists being shot dead by Israeli naval commandos. Obama described the situation in the…
Report: Israel prepped flotilla PR weeks in advance
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – Israeli defense and diplomatic officials began preparations for the Gaza flotilla’s arrival two months prior to the deadly raid in international waters on 31 May, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday. Efforts were led by the army, Defense Ministry, Foreign Ministry, and national media relations division of the Prime Minister’s Office, according to the report,…
DCI report to renew issue of Israel’s torture of children
Uruknet June 11, 2010 – Palestinian children are routinely tortured during periods of detention by Israeli forces, a report recently released by Defence For Children International (DCI) found. The document, based on hundreds of sworn, independent affidavits, was been submitted to the UN Committee Against Torture following its release, and is expected to renew an international challenge to Israeli detention…
Israel about to criminalize BDS
Uruknet June 10, 2010 – What is Israel’s reaction to the growing nonviolent movement of boycott, divestment, and sanctions? Well criminalize it, of course! We just learned new bill has been introduced in the Israeli Knesset by 25 Knesset members, that would criminalize all BDS activities or even BDS advocacy inside or outside Israel. The proposed bill would target those…
The Banality of Occupation
Uruknet June 10, 2010 – While the world has been rightfully focused on the Gaza Flotilla, the banality of occupation goes on. In this video (originally posted on Coteret), a twelve year old boy is arrested in Bil’in. An international activist and the boy’s mother plead with the soldiers to release him, but the soldiers ignore them completely, with the…
Video: Smuggled Photos
Uruknet June 10, 2010 – A Victoria peace activist who was aboard an aid ship attacked by Israeli commandos off Gaza last week says he was able to smuggle out photos of the raid. Kevin Neish says he hid a camera card on his body before he was seized by Israeli soldiers. Some of Kevin Neish’s photos were published in…
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (03— 09 June 2010)
Uruknet June 10, 2010 – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (03 — 09 June 2010):
Swimmer links continents for UN’s sake
The National 11 Jun 2010 – Marcos Diaz, who is crossing from one continent to another to raise awareness for the United Nations Millenium Development Goals, has arrived in Egypt.
Ahmadinejad lashes out at Israel
The National 11 Jun 2010 – The Iranian president lashes out at Israel saying the Jewish state is doomed and accuses the US of shielding it.
France, Italy & Spain Call for Averting another Gaza
WAFA – PARIS, June 11, 2010 (WAFA)- France, Italy and Spain announce Friday the European Union readiness to deploy its civilian mission simultaneously at the Karni and Rafah frontier posts linking Gaza to
Gaza Flotilla Inquiry Must Comply with Standards, UN Expert Says
WAFA – NEW YORK, June 11, 2010 (WAFA)- Any inquiry set up by Israel to investigate the Gaza Flotilla assault which led to the deaths of nine civilians must be given a genuine capacity to find facts or it
Palestine National Football Team Created in Bili’in
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 11, 2010 (WAFA)- Demonstrators in the West Bank village of Bili’in, who organize a weekly protest against the Israeli Aparheid Wall, formed today their own Palestine national football
Four convicted killers of American in Sudan escape
Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 KHARTOUM: Four Sudanese Islamists sentenced to hang for the New Year’s Eve murder of a US diplomat and his driver in Khartoum have escaped from prison, a security source said on Friday.”The four men escaped yesterday […
Iran dissident: I was aducted by four Arabic-speaking men
Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 BERLIN: An Iranian dissident who went missing for almost two weeks in Germany has told the Associated Press he was kidnapped by four Arabic-speaking man who threatened to kill him for a film he made that…
One killed, 14 wounded in Kurdish attacks in Turkey
Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 DIYARBAKIR, Turkey: A woman was killed and 14 others, most of them soldiers, were wounded in two Kurdish rebel attacks in Turkey, a security official and media reports said Friday.The woman, the wife of an army…
Most Israelis back government in wake of boat raid – poll
Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Most Israelis back their rightwing government in the wake of the botched May 31 assault on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla that sparked international outrage, a poll said Friday.The survey found that 57 percent of…
Israeli border guards kill Palestinian after car hits them
Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli border guards shot dead a Palestinian on Friday after he hit two of them with his pick-up truck in mostly Arab East Jerusalem, police and Palestinian medics said.”The man struck two members of…
Iran slams US, easy on China’s UN vote
Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 President Barack Obama made a “big mistake” in seeking to punish Iran over its nuclear program, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Friday, slamming Washington but glossing over China’s decision to back UN Security Council sanctions.Ahmadinejad, visiting…
Israel must act if it wants forgiveness, says Turkey
Daily Star 11 Jun 2010 Israel must make amends to be forgiven for a commando assault on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, including apologizing for the attack and paying compensation, Turkish President Abdullah Gul told the French daily Le Monde. Gul added…
Gaza flotilla attack: activist releases new footage
The Guardian 11 Jun 2010 – Documentary maker Iara Lee smuggles out video despite Israeli attempt to confiscate all recordings New footage has emerged of the Israeli assault on a convoy of aid ships headed to Gaza in which nine activists were…
Gazans pin hopes on Egypt border
The Guardian 11 Jun 2010 – Since Egypt opened the Rafah crossing, many people from Gaza have rushed south, including some in need of urgent medical treatment. Harriet Sherwood spoke to those waiting Thousands of Gazans have rushed to the southern border…
Roy Greenslade: BBC reporter on being ‘a Jew and a journalist’
The Guardian 11 Jun 2010 – In a valedictory despatch, Tim Franks yesterday explained what it was like to spend three years in the BBC’s Middle East bureau being “a Jew, and a journalist.” On Radio 4’s From Our Own Correspondent , he…
Barack Obama announces $400m aid package to Gaza and West Bank
The Guardian 10 Jun 2010 – UK has promised increase in aid to troubled area as well President Barack Obama said today the US would send $400m of aid to the Palestinian territories following 10 days of international focus on Gaza, which…
Gaza flotilla: “To be credible, Israeli Inquiry must be given the capacity to find the facts,” says UN expert
Relief Web 11 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Human Rights Council
Secours Islamique France in Gaza: humanitarian action under blockade
Relief Web 11 Jun 2010 – Source: Secours Islamique France
OPT: Protection of Civilians Weekly Report | 02-08 June 2010
Relief Web 11 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Special Refugee Survey Quarterly issue focuses on UNRWA
Relief Web 10 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
MIDEAST: Advantage Hamas After Flotilla Fiasco
IPS RAMALLAH, Jun 10 (IPS) – Israel may allow soft drinks, juice, canned fruit, salads, biscuits and potato chips into the Gaza Strip from next week. What should be an unremarkable event is making news headlines and portends unseen consequences.
Israeli Push for Sanctions Losing Legitimacy
IPS JERUSALEM, Jun 10 (IPS) – Israel has given guarded approval to the new round of sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council in the international community’s bid to haul back Iran’s nuclear programme.
Occupation forces release Palestinian activist Mazin Qumsiyeh
Stop The Wall – Israeli Occupation forces released the Palestinian activist, Mazin Qumsiyeh, and the international supporters that were arrested earlier that day for participating in a sit-in aimed at preventing the Israeli bulldozing of agricultural land in the region of Al-Jozeh in al-Walajeh. [
Pride Parade celebrated in Tel Aviv
YNet News – Gay community’s main event in Israel held under heavy concerns of political….
Sail participants to sue Barak in France
YNet News – French activists who took part in Gaza flotilla plan to file legal claim with….
IDF: Unprofessional action led to botched rescue
YNet News – Family of young man killed when he fell off stretcher held by helicopter into….
Protest: TA fountain water painted red
YNet News – Members of Committee to Lift the Siege on Gaza deface Tel Aviv landmarks in….
Bloodied walls, slingshots seen in new footage of Marmara
YNet News – (Video) Free Gaza Movement releases documentation taken by US director’s camera….
‘Israel freed top terrorists caught on flotilla’
YNet News – Intelligence community enraged by decision to release chief Hamas fundraiser and….
Gul likens Israel to al-Qaeda
YNet News – Israel must make amends to be forgiven for a commando raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, including apologizing and paying compensation, Turkish President Abdullah Gul …….
Castro: Swastika has become Israel’s banner
YNet News – Former Cuban President Fidel Castro slammed Israel on Friday and compared its policies to those of Nazi Germany. He said Israel seems to have taken the swastika as its …….
Fayyad at torched mosque: ‘They will destroy, we will build’
YNet News – Over a month after the mosque in Lubban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus was completely consumed by fire in the dead of the night, Palestinians held a festive inaugural …….
Palestinian runs over policemen in Jerusalem
YNet News – Four Border Guard officers were lightly injured Friday after being run over by a Palestinian driving a pickup truck in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Wadi Joz. The …….
Russia to freeze missile sale to Iran
YNet News – Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has told France that Moscow will freeze a delivery of S-300 missiles to Iran following passage of extended UN sanctions against …….
Palestinian Information Center
IOF troops murder a Palestinian Jerusalem resident
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – IOF troops murdered on Friday Ziad al-Joulani, from the Wadi al-Jouz neighbourhood in occupied Jerusalem, claiming that he refused to stop when ordered by the IOF.
Egypt-US concede failure of steel barrier along Gaza borders
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – Hebrew media sources have revealed that an atmosphere of pessimism prevailed on the meeting of US Vice-president Joe Biden with Egyptian president Husni Mubarak in Sharm e-Sheikh
Thabet: Abbas’s statements a prelude to transfer of Palestinians
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – Thabet condemned statements made by Mahmoud Abbas during his meeting with Zionist leaders in Washington when he said that he will not deny the right of the Jewih people to the land of “Israel”.
Salah: Israel failed to deter siege-breaking ships
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – Sheikh Raed Salah said on Thursday that the Israeli occupation authorities failed to stop international supporters and siege-breaking ships from coming to Gaza Strip.
Fatah internal rifts foil municipal elections in W. Bank
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – The unconstitutional government of Salam Fayyadh in the West Bank has, surprisingly, decided to adjourn the municipal elections in the West Bank scheduled for July..
Turkey rejects an Israeli investigation into the flotilla massacre
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – The Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, said on Thursday that his government will not accept and Israeli investigation into the attack on the Freedom Flotilla which was on its way to Gaza..
Haneyya: Occupation has failed to stifle the siege issue
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – The Prime Minister of the Palestinian government in Gaza, Ismail Haneyya, met on Thursday with a delegation of Arab artists and expressed his gratitude for their solidarity visit to the Gaza Strip.
Iranian aid ship sales to Gaza today
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – Muhamad Ali Nurani, Deputy Secretary General of the Society to Defend Palestinian People, said that an Iranian aid ship will be setting sail Friday to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Hamas and Jihad captives declare a 3-day hunger strike
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – Hamas and Jihad captives in the Negev desert prison on Friday morning declared a hunger strike for three days in protest at the circumstances of the death of fellow captive Muhammad Abdeen.
Muhammad Abdeen dies in an Israeli jail
PIC 11 Jun 2010 – Ahrar Centre for Prisoners Affairs confirmed the death on Thursday of Muhammad Abdul-Salam Abdeen, 37, in Ramlah prison. The HNCSP 2010 held the Israeli occupation responsible for his death.
Iran Sanctions May Impact UAE Markets
The Media Line 9 Jun 2010 – The new round of UN-approved sanctions could reduce trade across the entire Gulf region, especially the Emirates. The effects of the new United Nations Security Council sanctions against Iran will be felt far beyond Tehran, in…
Obama Meets ‘Abbas at White House; Announces $400 Aid Package
The Media Line 9 Jun 2010 – Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud ‘Abbas came away from Wednesday’s White House meeting with an additional $400 million in U.S. aid for projects in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. President Obama used the occasion to…
Israel’s Additions to List of Goods Approved for Gaza Fail to Impress
The Media Line 9 Jun 2010 – Reacting to intense international pressure to allow more goods — and more of them — into the Gaza Strip, Israel added some food items to the “approved” list, but the gesture has failed to impress any…
Across Iran, Anger Lies Behind Face of Calm
New York Times 11 Jun 2010 – Through a broad and at times brutal crackdown, the government has succeeded in suppressing protests that followed President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s re-election.
Israeli Police Kill Palestinian Driver in East Jerusalem
New York Times 11 Jun 2010 – Tensions have been running high since an Israeli commando raid last month on a Turkish aid ship bound for Gaza.
Gaza activists in prison stripes try to give themselves up to Congressman Brad Sherman
Mondoweiss – A bunch of Gaza activists descended on California congressman Brad Sherman’s office to protest his statement that Americans who go to Gaza should be prosecuted for aiding terrorists . Medea Benjamin is there wearing prison stripes, Ann Wright of Code Pink too (there’s the blonde colonel, at…
These ‘Times’ demand Robert Mackey
Mondoweiss – The New York Times has become notorious for its thoroughly pro-Israel reporting on Israel/Palestine. So it was somewhat of a shock to read recent entries on the Times’ “Lede” blog , authored by Robert Mackey, and see actual reporting and blogging that doesn’t take Israeli claims at…
Report: Obama to call for independent inquiry of flotilla raid
Mondoweiss – Of course, be mindful of the source, wanting to hurt Obama and paint him as the AntiChrist, but, just letting youall know: The Weekly Standard has learned that senior Obama administration officials have been telling foreign governments that the administration intends to support an effort next…
Pillow talk: ‘NYT’ correspondent’s husband says Israel is in a war against critical information
Mondoweiss – And you’re worried about New York Times correspondent Ethan Bronner’s son joining the IDF? Well the other New York Times correspondent, Isabel Kershner, is an Israeli married to an Israeli, Hirsh Goodman, and below is Goodman’s take on the Mavi Marmara bloodbath. Goodman is a journalist…
Egyptian artists, Abbas, many nations, and Gazan children too— decry the siege
Mondoweiss – And other news and headlines from Today in Palestine: Land Theft/Destruction and Ethnic Cleansing Israel orders razing of five Palestinian homes RAMALLAH: The Israeli authorities on Thursday handed notification to five Palestinian families in the West Bank village of Al-Nabi Saleh that their homes were to…
Haitham Sabbah — Israel and the World Cup: Always Scores High
Palestine Think Tank – By Haitham Sabbah | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Congratulations to all football lovers, the countdown has finally come to end and now we can all watch the new edition of the World Cup. Football was always one of the few things that brings the world together….
VIDEO extravaganza — Highlights of Erdogan speech, Roger Waters song for Gaza, Reading Mark Regev’s Mind!
Palestine Think Tank – Three videos to savour. The first, highlights of the landmark speech of Erdogan following the Gaza Freedom Flotilla Massacre, with musical accompaniment. The last, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters sings We Shall Overcome for the people of Palestine. If you loved “The Wall”, this is its natural…
Gaza Internal Security Break into Offices of Five NGOs; Confiscate Belongings:Al Mezan Condemns the Assaults, Calls for Respecting the Law
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights –
Flotilla Activists Detained in Israel without Access to Lawyers, Al Mezan Calls for Investigation, Accountability, and End of the Siege of Gaza
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights –
Israel Violently Attacks the Freedom Fleet in International Waters; Al Mezan Calls on International Community to Investigate and Protect Solidarity Activists
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights –
ISRAEL MAKES PARTY FOR ITSELF
Irish4Palestine – Well, this is just the most insane thing ever, and the FUNNIEST THING ever!! Israel is depressed, poor little Israel. Major entertainers are cancelling their gigs again and again. No one wants to be associated with the evil rogue state, even more so after the Flotilla…
ISRAEL PISSES OFF JOURNALIST-PRICELESS
Irish4Palestine – Australian journalist Mike Carlton has had enough and is taking on the Zionist Lobby attacking him:It is a ferocious beast, the Jewish lobby. Write just one sentence even mildly critical of Israel and it lunges from its lair, fangs bared. ”I rejoice every time a f—-ing…
HEAD BANGING
Irish4Palestine – Countless Movies, books, documentaries, not enough. What can I say, it’s the Holocaust again. The world can never pay Israel enough, gotta keep giving to Israel, and giving and giving and giving and giving for all of eternity, because they are the only victims in the…
Iran ‘tense’ on poll anniversary
BBC – Security is stepped up across Iran, witnesses say, a year after the disputed poll which brought President Ahmadinejad to power.
Russia backs away from Iran deal
BBC – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin says Moscow will freeze the sale of surface-to-air missiles to Iran, according to French officials.
Iran’s Green Movement: One Year Later
Antiwar.com – Juan Cole on how the US and Israel help the hardliners
Advantage Hamas After Flotilla Fiasco
Antiwar.com – RAMALLAH ‚Äî Israel may allow soft drinks, juice, canned fruit, salads, biscuits, and potato chips into the Gaza Strip from next week. What should be an unremarkable event is making news headlines and portends unseen consequences. After four years of a crippling Israeli blockade, which has…
Was Israel Video of Attack on ‘Mavi Marmara’ Hoaxed?
Sabbah report – By Haitham Sabbah | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Three sleuth posters working together at conspiracy forum whatdefuck.com proved the Israeli Defense Force footage of the attack on the Mavi Marmara was a deliberate fabrication as seen in this video originally broadcast by SKY NEWS. The most obvious difference…
Israel and the World Cup: Always Scores High
Sabbah report – By Haitham Sabbah | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Congratulations to all football lovers, the countdown has finally come to end and now we can all watch the new edition of the World Cup . Football was always one of the few things that brings the world together. Well, everyone…
Alan Sabrosky — Israel’s Gaza Blockade: Letting The Chips Fall Where They May
Sabbah report – By Dr. Alan Sabrosky * | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz In a gesture that has received more than a little attention in the Western media, Israeli officials announced with some fanfare that they were easing the embargo of goods they allow into Palestine. Israel’s supporters have been using the…
(en) US, Students for a Democratic Society* Condemns Freedom Flotilla Massacre
A-infos – Students for a Democratic Society condemns in the strongest terms Israel’s massacre and kidnapping of the activists of the Freedom Flotilla on May 31 that was bringing humanitarian aid in solidarity with the people in Gaza. This terroristic act of piracy on the high seas by…
(en) Britain, Anarchist Class War blog http://classwar-uk.blogspot.com/ – Solidarity with SMASH the EDO
A-infos – Toff Boy Cameron made a heartfelt speech last week when Israel launched yet another war on innocent people. To the disgrace of Joe Public, the European Union and all those who feel they have a penny to spend, Israel continues on their murderous mission. —— Yes,…
Articles
Obama, the ADC and the Gaza Flotilla
Jennifer Loewenstein, CounterPunch6/10/2010
No Regrets
Imagine the media coverage that would have awaited us in our local and national newspapers, our radio, facebook, twitter and television news alerts and special bulletins had Iran or another ‘enemy’ nation killed —and in some cases executed — 9 or more Israeli or American Jewish peace activists aboard a Turkish vessel (and therefore a NATO partner). What if that vessel were leading a convoy of 700 unarmed activists aboard ships filled with humanitarian aid to a million and a half Jewish political prisoners held hostage by that nation on spurious and sinister claims of ‘national security’?
Imagine, in the wake of these events, President Obama not even bothering to respond to an invitation to deliver the keynote address at AIPAC, the US’ most influential pro-Israel lobby, as Jews and their supporters from across the United States traveled to Washington DC for AIPAC’s most important annual event — one that coincided with the 30th anniversary of its founding? The political fallout from such an offense would have created a storm of controversy.
Of course, none of this happened because the event at hand involved the murder of 9 Turkish-Muslim activists (one an American citizen) aboard a convoy of ships on behalf of the Gaza Freedom Movement, a movement organized and participated in by citizens from around the world, including Israel, fed up with the craven, gutless responses of their governments to more than half a century of dispossession, expulsion, theft, abuse and killing of Arabs and Muslims from, or supporting, Palestine. Faced with the imminent ‘threat’ of having to cease its illegal siege and blockade of Gaza —and perhaps from there begin dismantling its occupation by letting the aid ships in — Israel seized the occasion to halt the flotilla in international waters and storm the ship with the maximum amount of force at its disposal. Taking these already violent and illegal actions to levels of absurdity bordering on madness, Israel then made the cynical and preposterous claims that it had been forced to use ‘self-defense’ against al-Qaeda-allied terrorists on the high seas. By then even some of Israel’s most egregious defenders had begun to voice some complaints.more..e-mail
As Israel Kills and Maims, Outrage is Directed at Helen Thomas
Alison Weir, Antiwar.com6/10/2010
Whenever Israel commits yet another atrocity, its defenders are quick to redirect public attention away from the grisly crime scene.
Currently, there are headlines about allegedly anti-Semitic comments made by senior White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Pundits across the land evince outrage at her off-the-cuff 25-second statement made to a man who appears to be holding a camera right in her face.
Thomas issued a public apology for her words, but this was insufficient to assuage the wounded feelings of powerful antagonists, and she has now retired from a long and distinguished career.
Before we examine her comments and evaluate their possible validity, let’s look at other recent events having to do with Israel.
On May 31st Israeli commandos killed at least nine unarmed volunteers attempting to take humanitarian supplies to Gaza.
According to eyewitness reports and forensic evidence, many of these aid volunteers were shot at close range, including a 19-year-old American citizen killed by four bullets to the head and one to the chest fired from 18 inches away.
Israel immediately imprisoned eyewitnesses and hundreds of other aid participants, confiscated their cameras, laptops, and other possessions, and prevented them from speaking to the press for days. Among the incarcerated were decorated U.S. veterans and an 80-year-old former ambassador who had been deputy director of Reagan’s Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism.
When they finally emerged and were able to tell their stories, many described horrific scenes of Israeli commandos shooting people in the head, of those tending the injured being shot in the stomach, of people bleeding to death while flotilla participants waved white flags and pled for help.more..e-mail
Obama Goes with Neocon Flow on Iran
Robert Parry, Consortium News6/10/2010
Whether wittingly or witlessly, President Barack Obama is pursuing a neocon-charted path on Iran that parallels the one that George W. Bush took to war with Iraq — ratcheting up sanctions against the “enemy,” refusing to tolerate more peaceful options, and swaggering along with the propagandistic tough-guy-ism of the major U.S. news media.
The Obama administration is celebrating its victory in getting the UN Security Council on Wednesday to approve a fourth round of economic sanctions against Iran. Obama also is expected to sign on to even more draconian penalties that should soon sail through Congress.
Obama may be thinking that his UN diplomatic achievement will buy him some credibility — and some time — with American neocons and Israel’s Likud government, which favor a showdown with Iran over its nuclear program.
However, the end result of the new sanctions may well be a greater likelihood that the debate within the Iranian government will tilt toward a decision to proceed with ever-higher-level enrichment of uranium and possibly construction of a nuclear bomb as the only means of self-defense.
That may be the opposite of what Obama seeks, but it is what the neocons and Likud would cite as justification for another Middle East war.
Just as the neocons and Israel wanted “regime change” in Iraq, they have long hungered for “regime change” in Iran, too. A favorite neocon joke at the time of the Iraq War was to speculate on which direction to go next, to Syria or Iran, with the punch-line, “Real men to go Tehran!”more..e-mail
Activists disrupt Caterpillar shareholder meeting
Electronic Intifada: 11 Jun 2010 – While pro-Palestinian activists and supporters of Israel lined opposite sides of South LaSalle Street outside the Northern Trust Building in Chicago on 9 June, James Owens, the outgoing CEO and Chairman of Caterpillar Inc., told a room full of shareholders the company was not responsible for the way Israel uses the bulldozers the company manufactures in the United States. Kristin Szremski reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Will Flotilla tragedy bring change in Israel?
Electronic Intifada: 11 Jun 2010 – Is it possible to be shocked and yet not be surprised? Israel’s stupidity and disregard for human life is nothing new. It is a recurring theme in the life of the Jewish state from its very inception. Yet as the news unfolded and the images of the Israeli assault on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza began to unravel a sense of shock was expressed everywhere. Miko Peled comments.
Hope and anxiety at Rafah crossing
Electronic Intifada: 11 Jun 2010 – Jamila Hammouda, a mother of five small children, hopes that she will be reunited with her family in Cairo, Egypt. Hammouda, her husband and their children were waiting on the Gaza side of the Rafah terminal crossing with Egypt, where Palestinians in Gaza have queued up after Egyptian authorities reopened the crossing “indefinitely.” Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Obama, the ADC and the Gaza Freedom Flotilla
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Jun 2010 – By Jennifer Loewenstein Imagine the media coverage that would have awaited us in our local and national newspapers, our radio, facebook, twitter and television news alerts and special bulletins had Iran or another ‘enemy’ nation killed —and in some cases executed — 9 or more Israeli or American Jewish peace activists aboard a Turkish vessel (and therefore a NATO partner). What if that vessel were leading a convoy of 700 unarmed activists aboard ships filled with humanitarian aid to a million and a half Jewish political prisoners held hostage by that nation on spurious and sinister claims of ‘national security’? Imagine, in the wake of these events, President Obama rejecting without comment an invitation to deliver the keynote address at AIPAC, the US’ most influential pro-Israel lobby, as Jews and their supporters from across the United States traveled to Washington DC for AIPAC’s most important annual event — one that…more
The Outrage at Helen Thomas
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Jun 2010 – The Outrage at Helen Thomas By Alison Weir Whenever Israel commits yet another atrocity, its defenders are quick to redirect public attention away from the grisly crime scene. Currently, there are headlines about allegedly anti-Semitic comments made by senior White House correspondent Helen Thomas. Pundits across the land evince outrage at her off-the-cuff 25-second statement made to a man who appears to be holding a camera right in her face. Thomas issued a public apology for her words, but this was insufficient to assuage the wounded feelings of powerful antagonists, and she has now retired from a long and distinguished career. Before we examine her comments and evaluate their possible validity, let’s look at other recent events having to do with Israel. On May 31st Israeli commandos killed at least nine unarmed volunteers attempting to take humanitarian supplies to Gaza. According to eyewitness reports and forensic evidence, many of these…more
They’re Coming: Freedom Flotilla Two and Others Planned
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Jun 2010 – By Stephen Lendman The European Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza (ECESG) is “an umbrella body” of 34 European human rights and humanitarian organizations supporting the right of Palestinians “to live in peace and dignity,” to be free from occupation, and to have “their own independent and sovereign state, (and) encourages all peoples of conscience and human rights advocates to intensify their efforts to highlight this life-theatening issue and end the catastrophe.” On its June 6 web site posting (savegaza.eu), ECESG reported that preparations for an even larger Freedom Flotilla Two are well advanced, and will be launched in the coming weeks, saying their mission is humanitarian, and others will keep coming until the siege is lifted and aid can enter freely. Its members helped organize Freedom Flotilla One along with Free Gaza Movement (FG), Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), Ship to Gaza Greece, and Ship to Gaza Sweden. ECESG…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment