News
International Middle East Media Center
Netanyahu Calls For Direct Talks
IMEMC – 22 Jun 2010 – Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, called on the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to start direct peace talks with Israel without any delays. Yet, he did not offer any changes on this stances, especially regarding Jerusalem and settlement construction.
Soldiers Kidnap 21 Palestinians In Hebron
IMEMC – 22 Jun 2010 – Israeli soldiers kidnapped on Tuesday 21 Palestinians in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, after invading several areas and breaking into dozens of homes, local sources reported.
Washington Asks For Clarifications Regarding Demolition Orders In Jerusalem
IMEMC – 22 Jun 2010 – Israeli sources reported that senior U.S. officials asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for clarifications regarding Israel’s decision to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem, in order to replace them with an “Archeological Garden”.
Israel Drumming For War Against Hezbollah
IMEMC – 22 Jun 2010 – The Lebanese paper, al-Mustaqbal, stated that France has information from different sources, mainly from Washington, revealing that Israel intends to wage a war against Lebanon in order to strike the Hezbollah party.
Jewish Businessmen Negotiating With Orthodox Patriarchate To Renew Jerusalem Land Leases
IMEMC – 22 Jun 2010 – Israeli sources reported that a number of Jewish businessmen are holding talks with the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem, controlled and dominated by the Orthodox Patriarchate in Greece, in order to renew land leases in the city.
Israeli Organization Places Ad for Volunteers To Attack Solidarity Ships
IMEMC – 22 Jun 2010 – An Israeli security organization placed an advertisement in the ads section in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot, seeking “women volunteers” to attack and remove women from the Lebanese aid flotilla “Miriam” filled with aid supplies and women peace activists.
Candle Light Rally In Gaza In Support of Aid Ships
IMEMC – 21 Jun 2010 – Hundreds of Gaza women held a rally on Monday evening at the Fishermen Port in Gaza City and lit candles in a display of solidarity with the Lebanese Aid Ship, Miriam, and Naji al-Ali Ship, both of which are transporting humanitarian aid. The activists onboard Miriam are all women.
U.S. Warns Americans Against Traveling To Gaza
IMEMC – 21 Jun 2010 – The U.S. State Department warned its citizens against going to the Gaza Strip, and against what it called “infiltrating” into Gaza by participating in solidarity ships or by any other means. The statement was welcomed by Israel.
Tubas home demolitions continue restrictive policy
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Six homes in the Tubas municipality whose owners reported receiving demolition orders on Monday will be demolished on the basis of what the UN calls a restrictive Israeli “planning regime.”Israeli Civil Administration officials responded to requests for information from Ma’an late on Monday, confirming that orders given in Al-Hadidiya were a “last….
Israel’s latest East Jerusalem plan denounced
6/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The approval Monday of a plan to raze 22 houses to make way for a park in East Jerusalem is facing widespread criticism. Richard Miron, spokesman for UN Special Coordinator Robert Serry, described the Jerusalem Municipality’s decision as “worrying,” and reminded the Israeli government of its responsibility not to take “provocative steps” in….
Gaza tunnel worker killed by electric shock
6/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Medics on Tuesday afternoon removed the body of a worker killed earlier by an electric shock in a tunnel under the border between Egypt and the southern Gaza Strip. Medical officials at the site of the apparent accident in Rafah identified the victim as 22-year-old Abdullah Abu Hammad of Khan Younis. Abu….
US warns aid workers, journalists against flotillas
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The US State Department issued an updated travel warning Sunday, specifically advising its citizens against travel to Gaza. On its website, the department strongly urged even journalists and aid workers not to attempt to enter the strip. The warning comes after US citizens on board a Gaza-bound aid ship were boarded and attacked….
Israeli guides in Bethlehem, as tourists can’t get out
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli tour guides were ceremoniously welcomed to Bethlehem for the first time Monday and given regular permission to access the West Bank city unhindered. Entry and exit is not so smooth, however, for foreign tourists using private cars and Palestinian buses, despite a guarantee of passage promised in the same package of “goodwill” measures…. Related:In photos: Israeli tour guides enter Bethlehem
Mass detentions in Hebron village
6/22/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces entered the southern West Bank overnight, detaining more than 20 men, on Tuesday morning, including several members of the same family. Witnesses said dozens of jeeps entered the Hebron-area town of Dura, breaking into homes and harassing family members of those being detained. The majority of the detentions were in the….
Israel orders settlers off Palestinian land
6/22/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – An Israeli military appeals court on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of settlers from Palestinian-owned land near the southern West bank city of Hebron. Yatta landowner Khalil Al-Jbour said the 100-dunum plot was taken over by residents of the illegal Susiya settlement southeast of the village. The rest of the land, he added….
PCHR condemns ’ethnic cleansing’ in Jerusalem
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has strongly condemned the “aggressive measures” taken by Israeli forces in occupied East Jerusalem, describing them as “part of a series of measures aimed at ethnic cleansing and creating a Jewish majority in the city.” In a statement, the PCHR cited bulldozing activities in northern Jerusalem to….
Palestine’s refugees – all you need to know
6/22/2010 – Madrid – IRIN – The United Nations’ humanitarian news and analysis service released a report on Palestinain refugees on Tuesday, one day after the world marked the International Day of the Refugee. The following are facts and figures about the current and historical situation of Palestinian refugees starting in 1948. Fast facts: The total number of displaced….
Fatah official to go on trial for violating Al-Aqsa ban
6/22/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – An Israeli court will resume proceedings Wednesday against a Fatah official accused of violating a military order banning him from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and its environs in East Jerusalem. The trial for Fatah’s Jerusalem affairs chief Hatem Abdel Qader was due to commence in May but was canceled after Israeli protesters….
130 trucks to enter Gaza via single crossing
6/23/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli officials informed their Palestinian crossing counterparts that agricultural tools, car parts, ketchup, sewing needles, toys and make-up would be permitted to enter Gaza on Tuesday. Liaison crossings official Raed Fattuh said 130 truckloads of goods would be permitted to enter Gaza, noting the news was communicated to him by Israeli crossings officials….
Detainees’ wives graduate from computer course
6/22/2010 – Gaza/Bethlehem – Ma’an – A ceremony was held in Gaza as detainees’ wives graduated from a computer course Tuesday. The women were taught computer skills and how to use the internet in a 20-hour course organized by the Wa’d Organization, which campaigns for the rights of prisoners and ex-prisoners. In a statement, the organization said….
In photos: Israeli tour guides enter Bethlehem
6/22/2010 – On 21 June 2010, 50 Israeli tour guides were given permission by the Israeli government to enter Bethlehem, previously prohibited to them by their own government. The guides were required to attend a briefing at the Etzion Regional Brigade, “as part of a seminar in preparation for the entrance of Israeli tour guides into the city of Bethlehem,” an Israeli military statement said…. Related:Israeli guides in Bethlehem, as tourists can’t get out
Report: US upset over ’geriatric’ flotilla panel
6/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – High-ranking US officials have reportedly expressed resentment and disappointment over the “laughable” probe appointed to investigate Israel’s deadly attack on a Turkish aid ship which was part of the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla earlier this month. According to the Hebrew-language Israeli daily Maariv, the US was angered that the Israeli government appointed 75-year-old….
PA condemns move to expel Hamas lawmakers
6/23/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – At its weekly meeting, the Palestinian Authority cabinet expressed its full support for the PLO Executive Committee’s call for an end to Israel’s siege on the Gaza Strip, reopening all crossings and the unconditional free flow of supplies. The cabinet, chaired by Salam Fayyad, also welcomed the PLO’s call for international observers on….
Quartet: Situation in Gaza ’unsustainable, unacceptable’
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an -The human rights situation of the civilian population of Gaza is “unsustainable, unacceptable, and not in the interests of any of those concerned,” the Quartet said Tuesday. The Quartet, made up of the US, EU, Russia, and the UN, emphasized the need for “a fundamental change in policy in Gaza,” demanding the “unimpeded….
Forensics training for Palestinian lawyers
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Lawyers across the occupied West Bank began a training course in forensics Monday. The three-week course is a joint initiative between the Palestinian Bar Association and the EU police support mission (EUPOL COPPS) teaching specialist forensics to selected criminal defense lawyers. The main modules of the training will deal with crime scene management….
Fatah delegation meets with Lebanese MP
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A delegation of Fatah and PLO officials met with a Lebanese MP in southern Lebanon on Tuesday to discuss the status of Palestinian refugees. The delegation, headed by Fatah Central Committee member Azzam Al-Ahmad and the party’s acting representative to Lebanon Ashraf Dabbour, met with MP Bahiyya Al-Hariri, a member of Lebanon’s Future….
Sha’ath: Easing the siege legitimizes it
6/22/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – The Netanyahu-Blair plan to ease the siege on Gaza is meant to protect Israel from international pressure, Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha’ath said Tuesday.”Easing the siege will only consolidate Israel’s control of [Gaza’s] terminals, which should be under the control of the Palestinian Authority and international monitors,” Sha’ath said, rebuking Israel’s….
Report: Hezbollah cancels bid to kill Israel official
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Hezbollah planned to kill an Israeli official but the plan was dropped following Israel’s navy raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, Arab media reported Wednesday. The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, quoting a source close to the Hezbollah command, reported that the plan was scrapped because the group did not want to divert attention….
Hamas: PA continues to detain top members
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority security forces detained two top Hamas affiliates in the West Bank on Monday night, the Islamist movement saidThe two detained were identified as chief of the Hamas-affiliated Al-Quds TV Nawaf Al-Amar and Deputy Nablus Mayor Mahdi Al-Hanbali. A Hamas statement said the two were among 14 Hamas supporters detained by PA….
Hamas: Fatah not serious about unity deal
6/22/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas warned Wednesday of unspecified repercussions if the Palestinian Authority continues its ongoing detention campaign against West Bank-based supporters and leaders of the Islamic movement. Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, is asserting that 30 affiliates were detained overnight and at least 70 more summoned for interrogation by the Ramallah-based PA, which has….
Palestine Motorsport races continue in Ramallah
6/22/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Ramallah’s governor will announce the names of 2010’s Palestinian Car-Racing Championship participants in the city’s downtown on Thursday, race organizers said. In a statement released on Tuesday, race organizers said the third of five rounds of the championship would be held on 25 June in Ramallah, at the Betunia track. The race….
Power is relative: Runaway general Stanley McChrystal has to Go
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Barack Obama has an easy choice to make: fire a general who has established a culture of insubordination and indifference toward civilian leaders and partners in government or defer yet again to a general who acquires…
‘Mariam’ gets green light for Gaza
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington – The ‘Mariam,’ an all-female Lebanese ship carrying aid to Gaza, has received authorization to set sail for the blockaded territory, the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday. The green-light announcement follows the authorization of another lebanese…
American Arabs take front-and-center at high profile Chicago trial
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Despite a difficult-to-pronounce name, Rod Blagojevich has become a household word across the nation over the past two years, symbolizing the notorious “culture of corruption” that plague’s the state’s political environment. Elected Illinois governor in 2003,…
Lebanon warns Israel over flotilla
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Lebanon: Israel responsible for any attack on Gaza ships Washington — Lebanon plans to hold Israel responsible for any attack made on aid ships sailing to Gaza, AFP News Agency reported Tuesday. “Israel will be held…
Report: US officials worried over ‘geriatric’ flotilla commission
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington — US officials have reportedly expressed frustration over the advanced age of Israel’s internal commission appointed to investigate the deadly May 31Gaza flotilla raid. Shabtai Rosen, 93, appears in the Israeli newspaper Ma’ariv in his…
Aid group to take money, jobs to Gaza
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington – American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) announced Monday that it raised $250,000 for development projects in Gaza. Children wait in line to collect drinking water in Gaza. Much of Gaza’s waterworks system was destroyed…
‘Hezbollah almost assassinated top Israeli figure’
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington — Hezbollah came close to assassinating a top Israeli figure but pulled back in the chaos of the Gaza flotilla crisis, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai reported Tuesday. “Hezbollah almost assassinated a senior Israeli figure,” persons close…
Fatah official on trial for breaking Al-Aqsa ban
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington — Court proceedings against a Fatah official accused of violating a military order barring him from the Al-Aqsa compound will resume tomorrow, Ma’an New Agency reported Tuesday. The trial against Hatem Abdel Qader, Fatah’s chief…
Gaza: Overland shipments to increase
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington – On the heels of an Israeli cabinet decision to ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip, the goods allowed into Gaza are expected to increase in their amount and variety, Al Jazeera English reported…
Pop singer denies role in Gaza-bound voyage
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington — Lebanese pop star Haifa Wehbe and Hezbollah both rejected claims that the religious party barred Wehbe from joining an all-female crew sailing for the Gaza coast, Gulf News reported Tuesday. Pop star Haifa Wehbe…
Web game explains Israel’s restrictions on Palestinian movement
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – New York – The Israeli legal advocacy group Gisha has set up a web-based game that explains the maddening bureaucracy that restricts Palestinian freedom of movement and is driving a wedge between the West Bank and…
Court overturns mothers’ sentences in settlement segregation case
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington – Israel’s High Court overturned sentences against twenty-two ultra-Orthodox women found in contempt after they violated Israel’s mandatory education law by refusing to send their daughters to school with Jewish girls of non-European descent, Haaretz…
Court orders settlers off Palestinian land
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Washington — An Israeli military appeals court has ordered settlers to vacate Palestinian-owned land just outside Hebron in the West Bank. The settlers illegally took over the land more than five years ago. Ma’an News Agency…
Barak tells UN: Shelve flotilla probe
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Israel says internal probe sufficient New York – Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, said on Monday that he asked the UN to scrap plans for an independent commission of inquiry into Israel’s deadly raid last month…
Nakba til now: A refugee timeline
Palestine Note 22 Jun 2010 – Madrid – IRIN – International attention has been focused on the Palestinian question in recent weeks in the wake of Israeli military actions against marine activists trying to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip and recent…
Mideast night beat: Amazons, oil spills, and sex shops
Palestine Note 21 Jun 2010 – Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middle East, and beyond: Israel’s security apparatus is recruiting ” women of great physical strength and motivation” to confront a Lebanese women’s ship heading for Gaza. Israel’s defense minister, Ehud…
Road shipments to Gaza begin
AlJazeera 22 Jun 2010 – Lorries bring goods allowed under Israel’s “liberalised” policy to Palestinian enclave.
More Aid Ships To Sail To Gaza Amidst Israeli Threats
PNN – Gaza — PNN – An Iranian aid ship is slated to departure to the Gaza Strip this weekend; two Lebanese ships will also set sail to Gaza this week. “Children of Gaza”…
How Do You Get From Gaza To Ramallah? Play “Safe Passage”
PNN – Tal Aviv — PNN – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement (Gisha) today launched the first computer game of its kind in Israel. Safe Passage allows the user to experience interactively the…
Jerusalem Home Demolition Plans Stir Controversy
PNN – Jerusalem – PNN – A plan to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in east Jerusalem is stirring up controversy within Israel and abroad after its approval by Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat on Monday….
Quartet: Current Situation In Gaza Unsustainable
PNN – By: Donn Bobb — UN Radio – The current situation in Gaza, including the humanitarian and human rights situation of the civilian population, is unsustainable, unacceptable, and not in the interests of…
Troops Attack Southern W. B. Village and Arrest 21 Civilians
PNN – Hebron — PNN – At least 21 Palestinian civilians were arrested by Israeli troops on Tuesday when troops attacked the village of Dier Samit near Hebron in the southern part of the…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (10-16 June 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
‘Sanctions are not a panacea’
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – US officials say efforts to pressure Iran fruitful, but insufficient.
FM to Kadima: Accept ‘transfer’
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – Lieberman sets his conditions for joining gov’t coalition.
Thousands protest in France for Schalit
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – “To defend Israel is to defend democracy,” reads one banner.
Netanyahu: Pollard acted as Israel agent
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – Michael Oren suggests perspective be applied to agent’s case.
Israel launches new spy satellite
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – Improving intelligence to face Iran’s pursuit of nuclear power.
Turkey: Fully lift Gaza blockade
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – Turkey calls Israel’s blockade ease “positive, yet insufficient.”
Schalit’s grandfather meets PM in Jerusalem
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – After discussing deal to free soldier, Tzvi Schalit “exhausted.”
Firefighters battle blazes across Israel
Jeruslalem Post 22 Jun 2010 – Fires in Galilee, J’lem, Beit Shemesh areas rage as temperatures soar.
Tensions rise between Hizbullah, Sfeir
Jeruslalem Post 21 Jun 2010 – Maronite leader tours Bekaa, is accused of “insulting” Islamist party.
International Solidarity Movement
Demonstrators refuse to be intimidated by military violence
6/22/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Al Ma’asara – After three years of being blocked from accessing their land on Fridays, Al Ma’asara villagers were granted permission on Friday to walk to the fields which will be confiscated by planned wall construction. Soldiers initially tried to block the route with razor wire but, as it was tangled and out of commission, relented….
Firefighters battle blazes across Israel as temperatures soar
Ha’aretz – Two people were seriously hurt in a fire in the north; firefighters continue to extinguish blazes caused by extreme heat and strong winds.
Ramat Hasharon schools to print Israeli flag on uniforms in effort to enhance nationalism
Ha’aretz – Central city’s Mayor says they want to encourage Zionism and national pride; students who oppose the decision will not be forced to wear the shirt.
Israel launches new Ofek 9 military spy satellite
Ha’aretz – Ofek 9, equipped with a high resolution camera, to join two previously launched active Israeli satellites.
Malaysia seeks emergency UN session on Gaza-flotilla deaths
Ha’aretz – Diplomatic sources say effort stems from a desire to embarrass Israel in response to what Arab states consider a lax UN response to the raid.
Hamas propaganda: Gilad Shalit watches World Cup in captivity
Ha’aretz – Pro-Hamas news website reports that the captive Israeli soldier has been following daily soccer matches on pro-Hamas al-Aqsa satellite channel.
Lebanon to UN: Israel will suffer consequences if our ships are attacked
Ha’aretz – Israel warns it would use ‘any means necessary’ to stop Lebanon Gaza-bound flotilla from breaking blockade., Iran announces sending aid ship to Gaza; Israel: Ships sent by Iran’s ayatollahs have…
Lieberman: Kadima can join gov’t only if they support populated land swap
Ha’aretz – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says coalition will not compromise on plan to exchange populated territories with Palestinians, rather than giving up land for peace.
Report: Hezbollah prepares retaliation for potential Nasrallah assassination
Ha’aretz – Kuwaiti newspaper quotes Russian sources as saying Israel is monitoring Nasrallah, and even located the Hezbollah chief a year ago.
Netanyahu: Pollard was an Israeli spy, Oren must clarify remarks
Ha’aretz – In radio interview, Michael Oren apparently contradicts Netanyahu’s admission that Israel stole U.S. secrets as part of officially sanctioned operation.
Mayor defends plan to raze Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Municipality hits back after defense minister slams scheme to demolish 22 Palestinian homes, saying it ‘shows lack of common sense and poor timing’.
Netanyahu: Decision to ease Gaza siege weakens Hamas
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister tells Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that easing civilian blockade allows Israel to focus on real security concerns.
US concern over Jerusalem home demolition plan
22 Jun 2010 – US, June 22, 2010 (Pal Telegraph-BBC) — The US State Department has expressed concern about an Israeli plan for the demolition of 22 Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem. Spokesman PJ Crowley said it was the kind of action that undermined trust and increased the risk of violence. The scheme, part of a redevelopment project in the Silwan neighbourhood, is…
Barack demands UN to stop their “flotilla” inquiry
22 Jun 2010 – Jerusalem, June 22, (Pal Telegraph) Defense Minister Ehud Barak, urged the United Nations to suspend plans for an independent inquiry supported by the international organization in a raid by Israeli commandos on a convoy of ships carrying humanitarian aid as it traveled to the Gaza Strip last month, which killed nine civilian Turks.
Israel detains more than 20 Palestinians in Hebron
22 Jun 2010 – Hebron, June 22, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained more than 20 Palestinians today from Dorah town in Hebron, in the West Bank. Witness said that IOF detained more than 20 citizens after raiding and searching their houses, adding that they beat them and forced them to leave their houses. The witness added that the majority of…
Israel lets into Gaza few new permitted commodities
22 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 22, (Pal Telegraph) Engineer Raed Fattouh, the Chairman of Gaza’s supplies committee, said that the Israeli side has decided today to introduce new commodities to the Gaza Strip which was declared as new permitted commodities during the past few days. Fattouh said in a press statement that about 130 trucks loaded with humanitarian entered for the sectors of…
Israel detains 4 Palestinians in WB
21 Jun 2010 – West Bank, June 21, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained four Palestinians on Monday from Hebron and Jerusalem, in the West Bank and erected number of military checkpoints in Hebron. Security sources in Jerusalem said that IOF soldiers detained three youths from Al-Thawri neighborhood, their identities are unknown. In Hebron, IOF soldiers detained Mohammed Al-Jondi while he…
WE SWEAR WE WILL RETURN
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – June 21, 2010 – In Et-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City there is a cemetery with a number of graves. Here are buried Arab fighters who fall during the 1948 Zionist conquest of historic Palestine, called by the Palestinian the Nakba. Following the 1967 war, when the Israeli forces also captured the West Bank and Gaza…
Jerusalem Mayor To Raze Silwan Homes And Peace Process
Uruknet June 22, 2010 – On Monday, the Jerusalem Municipality approved plans for the expansion of an archaeological site beneath the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan. The controversial plan would see up to 88 homes in occupied East Jerusalem bulldozed. The move met with unprecedented condemnation from the US State Department, Israeli peace groups and even Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who…
Exclusive: Leaked documents show PA undermined Turkey’s push for UN flotilla probe
Uruknet June 22, 2010 – The Palestinian Authority attempted to neutralize a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution condemning Israel’s deadly attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, leaked UN and Palestinian Authority documents obtained by The Electronic Intifada show. Israel’s 31 May attack killed nine Turkish citizens, including a dual US-Turkish citizen, and injured dozens of others aboard the Mavi…
Palestine: Freed Islamic leader urges national unity
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – Nayef Rajoub, the popular Islamic leader in the al-Khalil region, has been set free after spending 48 months of captivity in Zionist jails and detention camps for “taking part in illegal elections.”… Rajoub pointed out that he was carrying two messages from thousands of Palestinian political prisoners and resistance activists languishing in Israeli dungeons and…
Activists prevent Israeli ship from unloading at US port
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – For the first time in US history, a peaceful protest was able to stop workers from unloading an Israeli cargo ship on Sunday, 20 June, in the San Francisco Bay area. From 5:30am until 7pm, social justice activists and labor union organizers blocked and picketed several entrances at the Port of Oakland, preventing two shifts…
Iranian aid ships for Gaza delayed indefinitely ‚Äé
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – No Iranian aid ships have been dispatched to Gaza Strip according to the Iranian Red Crescent . “The departure of two Iranian aid ships for Gaza has been delayed due to lack of coordination and a change of cargo”, the Red Crescent official said Monday without specifying when the flotilla would leave. ISNA news agency quoted…
Peace Groups Slam High Court Ruling on “Terror Support”
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – In the wake of Monday’s Supreme Court decision upholding a law making it a crime to provide any “material support” to an organisation designated as a “terrorist” by the U.S. government, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter charged that the law “actually threatens our work and the work of many other peacemaking organisations that must interact…
Israel gripped by identity of ‘Prisoner X’
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – The elusive “Mr X” is being held for unspecified crimes and confined in total seclusion within a private wing of the maximum-security Ayalon prison. No one knew of his existence until the shroud of secrecy was briefly lifted after a story appeared on the website of Israel’s leading Hebrew-language newspaper Yediot Ahronot. Quoting unidentified officials…
UNRWA spokesman calls for total end to siege
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – Israel must lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip to allow for the full construction of the coastal enclave, an UNRWA spokesman told Reuters on Monday. “We need to have the blockade fully lifted,” said spokesman Christopher Gunness of UNRWA, the United Nations relief agency that looks after Palestinian refugees, speaking to the news agency…
“What solidarity means”: a letter from Gilboa Prison
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – Ameer Makhoul is a human rights defender, the director of the Arab nongovernmental organization network Ittijah, a leading voice of the Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and a Palestinian citizen of Israel. He has been in Israeli detention since he was arrested from his family home in Haifa in the early morning hours of…
Video: Concerns over Gaza blockade “ease”
Uruknet June 21, 2010 – Israel has announced it will loosen its blockade on the Gaza Strip by allowing a greater variety of goods to enter the territory, which has been deprived of basic imports including medicine and construction material for more than three years. The Israeli prime minister’s office said it will start prohibiting only items deemed as “weapons…
Fury in Egypt over oil leak ‘cover-up’
The National 22 Jun 2010 – Activists and businessmen accuse the government of witholding information about the extent of the spill.
Israel seeks payback for easing Gaza blockade
The National 22 Jun 2010 – The country is urging the UN to shelve plans for an inquiry into the deadly flotilla attack last month, but Turkey is not likely to be so easily satisfied.
Speculation rife over identity of Israel’s prisoner Mr X’
The National 22 Jun 2010 – Information blackout over inmate held in notorious Wing 15, built for Yitzhak Rabin’s killer.
Abbas, Abdullah II Condemn Israeli Decision to Demolish 22 Houses in Jerusalem
WAFA – AMMAN, June 22, 2010 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbass and King of Jordan Abdullah II condemned an Israeli decision to expel four Palestinian legislators from Jerusalem and another decision to
Havat Ma’on Settlers Hurl more Threat to At-Tuwani Villagers
WAFA – HEBRON, June 22, 2010 (WAFA)- Ten days after the attack launched by masked settlers from Havat Ma’on illegal outpost to the village of At-Tuwani, settlers keep on threatening Palestinians,
HRW: Easing Blockade of Imports First Step
WAFA – JERUSALEM, June 22, 2010 (WAFA)- The Israeli Cabinet decision to ease the blockade of Gaza is a step toward ending a policy that amounts to unlawful collective punishment of Gaza’s civilians, but
PBA, EUPOL COPPS’ Training on Forensics for Lawyers
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 22, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Bar Association (PBA) together with EUPOL COPPS have started the implementation of a 3-week specialization course for criminal defence lawyers in
PCBS: 10,791 Operating Vehicles Employing 11,656 Persons
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 22, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) stated that the total number of operating vehicles in the Palestinian Territory reached 10,791 of which 10,285 were
Iran says inspector ban is ‘notice’ to atomic watchdog
Daily Star 22 Jun 2010 TEHRAN: Iran said on Tuesday its barring of two nuclear inspectors serves as “notice” to the head of the UN atomic agency but added Tehran was ready for talks with the watchdog as suggested by France. “…
Sunni rebels vow revenge after leader hanged in Tehran
Daily Star 22 Jun 2010 WASHINGTON: The Sunni rebel group Jundallah has threatened retaliation against Iran for the reported execution of its chief Abdolmalek Rigi, US-based monitors said Monday. Rigi, whose group has been accused of deadly attacks against security forces…
Iran still sending blockade-busting ship to Gaza
Daily Star 22 Jun 2010 Iran said Tuesday it would send a blockade-busting ship carrying aid and pro-Palestinian activists to Gaza, fueling concern in Israel, where commandos were training for another possible confrontation at sea.Israel warned archenemy Iran to drop the…
Comoros’ Sambi reshuffles government
Daily Star 22 Jun 2010 MORONI: The president of the troubled Indian Ocean state of Comoros, Ahmad Abdallah Sambi, reshuffled the Cabinet on Tuesday, in a move aimed at defusing political tensions between the coupe-prone archipelago’s islands.”The president – has reshuffled…
Job-hunting Syrians head for cities amid severe drought
Daily Star 22 Jun 2010 DAMASCUS: A severe four-year drought is devastating Syria’s rural communities, forcing them to abandon the country’s traditional breadbasket in the northeast for cities in search of employment.Earlier this month, the World Food Program started delivering food…
Morocco breaks up radical Palestinian Islamist cell
Daily Star 22 Jun 2010 RABAT: Moroccan security forces have broken up a Palestinian-led radical Islamist cell that was planning attacks in the North African country, the official MAP news agency said on Monday.Islamist-linked violence is rare in Morocco, a staunch…
Ehud Barak attacks timing of plans to demolish 22 Palestinian homes
The Guardian 22 Jun 2010 – Israel’s defence minister highlights Jerusalem’s ‘King’s Garden’ project at US visit Israel’s defence minister, Ehud Barak, has attacked the timing of plans to raze Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem as prejudicial to hopes for continuing peace…
Israel opposition attacks Binyamin Netanyahu for easing blockade
The Guardian 22 Jun 2010 – Tzipi Livni, leader of centrist Kadima party, said Israel has to make decisions based on its own interests, not those of others Tzipi Livni, the Israeli opposition leader, today attacked Binyamin Netanyahu for the way he…
Gaza: State of siege | Editorial
The Guardian 22 Jun 2010 – The only way out of these failing policies is to actively seek Palestinian reconciliation, rather than veto it It did not take long for the optimism generated by Israel’s decision to ease the blockade of Gaza…
OPT: Commissioner-General’s Statement to the Advisory Commission
Relief Web 22 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Syria: UNRWA Unveils a New Danish-Funded School in Yarmouk
Relief Web 22 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
In Brief: More items allowed into Gaza
Relief Web 22 Jun 2010 – Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks
Canadian Rendition Probe Expands to U.S., Syria
IPS The Canadian government has quietly been conducting an international criminal probe of the actions of Syrian and U.S. authorities in the case of Maher Arar, the Canadian who was arrested in 2002 by U.S. officials and then rendered to a Syrian jail where he was held incommunicado and tortured for…
Canada announces sanctions on Iran
YNet News – Canada reacting to Iranian violations like other countries did, Canadian foreign….
US: Sanctions having an effect
YNet News – More companies shun Tehran in wake of latest round of UN sanctions, senior US….
FM: Coalition won’t change after freeze
YNet News – Avigdor Lieberman says end of construction freeze in September is ‘ real test….
Abbas appeals to US over Silwan construction plan
YNet News – Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says Palestinian president contacted….
Report: Hezbollah nearly assassinated senior Israeli figure
YNet News – Kuwaiti newspaper reports Shiite group ‘managed to follow’ Israeli figure deemed….
Israel launches spy satellite
YNet News – Israel boosts space presence: The defense establishment launched another spy satellite to space Tuesday evening, thereby boosting Israel’s intelligence-gatherings …….
Lebanon: Israel fully responsible for any attack
YNet News – Lebanon said on Tuesday it would hold Israel responsible for any attack, in response to Israeli warnings that it would use “all necessary force” to stop aid boats …….
Livni: Blockade lifted out of weakness
YNet News – Tzipi Livni was among the leading decision-makers when the Gaza blockade was implemented. The former foreign minister, and current opposition leader, does not admit that …….
Army chief: We have right to impose siege
YNet News – The Gaza Strip must not be allowed to turn into an Iranian port, IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Tuesday. Speaking at the hesder yeshiva in the northern town …….
Turkey: Siege relief insufficient
YNet News – Following the government’s decision to ease the Gaza blockade, the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Tuesday issued its first official statement on the matter, saying the step …….
Palestinian Information Center
U.S. activist: Israeli siege depends on the complicity of neighboring countries
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – Max Ajl emphasized that Israel’s siege on the Gaza Strip relies on the complicity of neighboring countries, which in turn do what they do because of the silence of their people.
Lebanon holds Israel responsible for any attack on its people, infrastructure
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – Lebanon held Israel responsible for any attack on Lebanon in response to an Israeli assertion it would use all means possible to block arrival of Lebanese aid ships to Gaza.
Iranian, Jordanian sea and land aid convoys head to Gaza soon
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – The Iranian Red Crescent (IRC) plans to send 1100 tons of relief material to the Gaza Strip aboard a ship dubbed “A ship for Gaza children”.
Israel pressures UN to block Freedom Flotilla investigation committee
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – The IOA is trying to dissuade the UN from its plan to form an international committee to investigate the Israeli massacre committed against activists on board the Freedom Flotilla.
IOA serves five demolition notices in Qalqilia
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – The IOA served five demolition notices to owners of five installations in Jinsafout village, east of Qalqilia city, at the pretext of building in area C without permit.
Palestinian youths clash with occupation police in Aqsa, IOF raids Gaza
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – Israeli occupation policemen clashed on Tuesday with Palestinian worshippers in the Aqsa Mosque’s plazas, eyewitnesses reported.
Rajoub: The exile of MPs is Israel’s most dangerous crime in J’lem
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – Former minister of religious affairs Nayef Rajoub said that Israel’s crimes in Jerusalem are new old criminal acts, the most dangerous of them is the issue of exiling four lawmakers.
Hamas: Abbas’s militias kidnapped more than 30 of our cadres in W. Bank
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – The Hamas Movement said Tuesday that Mahmoud Abbas’s security militias kidnapped more than 30 people of its cadres in the West Bank last night, warning of the repercussions of such escalation.
Ihsanoglu: Expelling Jerusalemite MPs is part of Israel’s Judaization scheme
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said that the decision to exile four Palestinian lawmakers from Jerusalem falls within Israel’s systematic policy that is aimed to empty the city of its natives and Judaize it.
Independent mediators frustrated at Egyptian refusal of reconciliation proposal
PIC 22 Jun 2010 – A member in the team of independent figures mediating an end to the internal rift between Hamas and Fatah said that his team members were frustrated at the Egyptian refusal of their proposal.
US Pressure Leads Netanyahu to Deep Freeze Jerusalem Demolitions
The Media Line 21 Jun 2010 – The Jerusalem Planning and Construction Committee’s decision to approve the demolition of Arab houses to make way for a park has been put on virtual hold due to political pressure. Israel’s Prime Minister’s office issued a…
Israel Backtracking on Support for Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard?
The Media Line 21 Jun 2010 – Israel’s Ambassador to the US Michael Oren appears to have signaled a change in Israel’s policy toward Jonathan Pollard, the US naval analyst convicted of spying for Israel. According to a reported interview with a Washington…
Shimon Peres defends Israel’s policies as vital to security
LA Times 23 Jun 2010 – The Israeli president says the Gaza blockade was put in place to protect the Jewish state from terrorism, and those who haven’t faced terrorism do not understand the need for such an action. Israeli President Shimon Peres said Tuesday that his nation’s policy on the Gaza Strip has not yielded the results the government expected, and he criticized municipal plans to tear down 22 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem to make way for redevelopment.
Israeli Criticizes Plans to Raze Palestinian Homes
New York Times 22 Jun 2010 – In a statement released by his office, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that authorities were “not demonstrating any common sense or any sense of timing — and it is not the first time.”
Jerusalem Mayor To Raze Silwan Homes And Peace Process
Palestine Monitor – On Monday, the Jerusalem Municipality approved plans for the expansion of an archaeological site beneath the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan. The controversial plan would see up to 88 homes in occupied East Jerusalem bulldozed. Michael Carpenter spoke to Silwan residents. Children watch an Israeli military jeep…
‘Haaretz’ runs piece saying only boycott will move Israel
Mondoweiss – Gosh this piece should be in the New York Times: Ayala Shani and Ofer Neiman, in Haaretz in Hebrew, (translation at JSF), say that only boycott will persuade Israel to change its behavior: Is Israel being singled out? As was true about white South Africa, the…
Lawrence Wright: ‘most ideal outcome of entire flotilla episode’ would be‚Ķ. release of Gilad Shalit!
Mondoweiss – The New Yorker’s expert on human rights in Gaza is interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air, alongside Ali Abunimah and John Mearsheimer. I’m sorry, that was a joke: the Abunimah and Mearsheimer. When it comes to Israel, the adventurous Gross can’t leave her comfort zone….
‘Commentary’ attacks labor (because Israel always comes first)
Mondoweiss – I remember when people dismissed Walt and Mearsheimer as purveying “monocausal” political science. Well they weren’t monocausal, but the Israel lobby really is monocausal in its thinking. Commentary now dismisses the entire American labor movement because, huh, portions of it seem to be siding with the…
Jewish group protests ‘Brand Israel’ in North Carolina
Mondoweiss – From the video description: Jews for a Just Peace-NC set up a “Palestinian house demolition” tableau in front of the Durham Performing Arts Center to protest an American Dance Festival performance by the Israel-based Inbal Pinto & Avshalom Pollak Dance Company on June 17, 2010. The…
What’s the difference between incitement and patriotism?
Mondoweiss – Here you have an Israeli government minister, Vice Premier Moshe Ya’alon, praising the founder of the Stern Gang. Only a little while back, the official Israeli/hasbara talking point du jour was to beat up on Palestinians for incitement, which they defined as naming a street in…
[NOT satire] Maariv: Netanyahu aides say they’ve decided that Blair lead Gaza Hasbara
Coteret – [Teaser] Quartet’s Middle East envoy stands at the front of Israeli Hasbara] [Headline] Israel introduces: Spokesman Tony Blair [Sub-headline] Israel’s policy has a new media representative: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has enlisted his vast experience and international standing to explain the decision to…
“Storm in pajamas”: Maariv reports US concerned by age of Flotilla investigation commissioners
Coteret – The makings of a farce: [Commissionmember Shabtai] Rosen’s long list of credentials did not help endear him to the Americans, who were embarrassed by the photograph of him reading material while wearing pajamas with his Filipino by his side. The photograph also got him trouble with…
Yediot’s Kadmon: How Israel managed to ‘both eat the stinking fish and be expelled from the city’
Coteret – UPDATE The source of the fable is the Talmud (Mechilata Derabi Ishmael) where it describes how the Egyptians managed to enact a their worst case scenario: Suffered the Ten Plagues, Let Israel go and lost all their wealth. Thanks, Shlomit Yarkoni . A Hasidic fable tells of…
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 –
Israel pardons ‘school row’ mothers
BBC – Israel’s supreme court overturns jail sentences for ultra-Orthodox Jewish mothers who defied a school integration ruling.
Jerusalem park plan draws US ire
BBC – The US criticises an Israeli plan to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem to make way for a tourist park.
Iran doubles highest banknote
BBC – Iran doubles the denomination of its highest banknote to 100,000 rials, worth about $10, its Central Bank Governor says.
Israel asks UN to shelve inquiry
BBC – Israel asks the UN to ditch an international inquiry into an Israeli raid on a ship trying to break the Gaza blockade.
Yousef Munayyer: Israel’s History of Impunity
Sabbah report – By Yousef Munayyer* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Last week the government of Israel announced the launch of an investigation into the events surrounding the deadly Memorial Day flotilla raid which left nine activists dead. Many international bodies including the United Nations (UN) and the European…
Haifa Wehbe denies role in Gaza-bound voyage
Sabbah report – By Habib Toumi, Bahrain Bureau Chief Lebanese superstar Haifa Wehbe and Hezbollah have denied media reports that the religious formation had banned the singer from boarding Mariam, the Gaza-bound ship carrying humanitarian aid. Haifa said that she did not sign up to be among the activists…
Anait Brutian: Let the Truth Be Heard!
Sabbah report – By Anait Brutian* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz On June 16, 2010 the International Action Center circulated a petition entitled: Defend Gaza Freedom Flotilla Survivors’ Right to Speak! The petition concerned a scheduled event for Thursday, June 17, 2010 at 7:00 PM at House of the…
Stephen Lendman: Palestinian Women Under Occupation
Sabbah report – By Stephen Lendman* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz The Al-Zaytouna Centre for Studies and Consultations is a Beirut, Lebanon-based organization engaged in “strategic and futuristic studies on the Arab and Muslim worlds, (emphasizing) the Palestinian issue. In early 2010, it published the second of its series,…
(en) US, Portland, June 19th Anarchists March against police violence
A-infos – Recently, the Israeli attacks against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and the murders of 9 activists, and the ongoing BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf have overshadowed another ongoing crisis right here in liberal Portland: police violence and murders of our citizens, racial profiling and the…
Articles
Israel Makes Small Change to Gaza Blockade, Brands Lebanese Women’s Aid Mission ‘Hizbullah’
Juan Cole, Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development6/21/2010
Edmund Sanders of the LAT puts the matter correctly when he says that Israel’s national security government (a subset of key cabinet ministers) took a “small step” Sunday in announcing a further easing of the Israeli blockade of civilian Palestinians in the Gaza strip. The new policy is said to envision the abolition of the list of permitted items in favor of a small list of goods not permitted because they have military uses.
But the Israelis can continue the blockade even with a smaller list of prohibited items by limiting truck traffic through the checkpoints. That traffic is tiny now compared to the period before 2006, and Sunday’s announcement may not increase it that much.
I wrote on Friday, “For one thing, how many items are let in is less important than the volume of each. The Irish Times quotes Robert Serry, the head of the Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). During the first week in June, imports declined by a quarter, even though Israel expanded the list of allowed imports by 11 food and health items. OCHA says that the amount of staples and aid going into Gaza is only about 17% of the goods routinely allowed in before the blockade began. So an ‘easing’ would not even restore the status quo ante of pre-2007.”
The USG Open Source Center translated a report from Jerusalem Voice of Israel Network B in Hebrew on Sunday June 20 saying,
‘ “The coordinator of government activities in the territories informed the PA tonight that as of tomorrow morning, the number of trucks crossing through Kerem Shalom will be daily increased by 30%. Our correspondent Karmela Menashe reports that this will allow the daily entry of 140 trucks into the Gaza Strip through the Kerem Shalom crossing.’
If the increase is only 30% of the present truck traffic, that would be about 23% of the trucks that routinely traveled into Gaza before the blockade…. — See also:Source: Informed Commentmore..e-mail
Palestinian settlers?
Akram Baker, Ma’an News Agency6/22/2010
The question of Israel’s illegal settlements in occupied Palestine is one of the core issues of the conflict. In blatant violation of international law, the continuing expansion of new and existing settlements by consecutive Israeli governments has caused a major rift between Israel and the Obama administration.
And while the entire world (with the notable exception of Israel) is in agreement that the settlements must to a large extent be dismantled in any peace agreement, the question of what to do with the settlers themselves is even thornier.
The more than half a million Israeli Jews currently living on land occupied by Israel during the 1967 war range from hard-line ideologues to economic opportunists. What binds them is the fact that all were actively encouraged by Israeli government policies of financial incentives and extensive protection by the Israeli army to move into the settlements.
During the so-called “peace years” between 1996 and 2000, settlement activity accelerated at an unprecedented pace under both Israel’s Labor and Likud governments, bringing into question the sincerity of the country’s intentions about peacemaking from the very start. So the question is not only what should be done, but also what can viably be done in order to resolve this issue.
Let me state from the outset that I am of the firmest belief that each and every settler living in the occupied Palestinian territory has no legal justification to be there. Their presence there has nothing to do with the security of the State of Israel and everything to do with the perpetuation of the occupation of Palestine, rendering any potential “agreement” next to useless before the ink dries on the paper. These are neither benign “neighborhoods” nor communities. They are very potent weapons in the arsenal of subjugation and occupation. But they are, as Israel very well knows, facts on the ground. And they cannot be ignored. So should they be allowed to stay?more..e-mail
Abbas NOT Calling For Unconditional Lifting Of Gaza Blockade
Ali Abunimah, CounterCurrents6/14/2010
After Israel’s Gaza flotilla massacre, the Abbas Palestinian Authority (PA) in Ramallah has been claiming that it is calling for “unconditional lifting” of the blockade of Gaza. This is in order to jump on the anti-siege bandwagon, and to conceal the PA’s embarrassment about the fact that it has long effectively supported the blockade, along with Egypt.
The PA also denied a report in Haaretz today that Mahmoud Abbas told President Obama Israel should not lift its naval blockade.
When you read between the lines, it is very clear that Abbas continues to support the blockade as a means to exert pressure on Hamas to achieve what the US-PA coup plot of 2007 failed to achieve, the overthrow or surrender of the movement that won the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council election, and the placement of Gaza under control of PA militias which coordinate all their activities directly with the Israeli occupation, just like in the West Bank today.
In a speech at the Brookings Institution in Washington on 10 June, Abbas made it clear his position has not changed. He believes the Gaza siege should effectively remain in place until his US-trained and Israeli-approved collaborator militias return to Gaza in the context of “reconciliation” with Hamas, it being clear that “reconciliation” means Hamas’ capitulation to Abbas’ control and authority. Here is the relevant exchange between Abbas, and Israel lobbyist Martin Indyk:
MR. INDYK: Thank you very much, President Abbas. I would like to get into the negotiations issues with you, but first of all I thought perhaps we should focus on Gaza for a moment. What do you envisage the role for your government, the Palestinian Authority, in this process of easing the blockade and the closure? Is there something that you see that you can work with the Israelis on this?
PRESIDENT ABBAS: I think our government is legitimate representative of the Palestinians and the West Bank and Gaza…. — See also:Source: Abunimah Blogmore..e-mail
Gaza moves New York City mother from apathy to activism
Electronic Intifada: 23 Jun 2010 – Last New Year’s Eve, Debbie Mardon did not celebrate with noise makers or confetti — instead, she headed to Cairo’s main square to participate in the Gaza Freedom March with her son and daughter. It was an unlikely place to be for a previously apolitical mother who voted for George W. Bush and as recently as three years ago relied on right-wing radio hosts to help her make sense of the world. Alex Kane reports.
EU and Israel collaborate on cleaner, deadlier aircraft engines
Electronic Intifada: 22 Jun 2010 – BRUSSELS (IPS) — European Union subsidies earmarked for reducing air travel’s contribution to climate change may help develop deadlier warplanes than those already found in the world’s arsenals, Brussels officials have admitted. Some 1.6 billion euros ($2 billion) has been allocated to the EU’s Clean Sky project, which aims to develop aircraft engines that emit half as much carbon dioxide as those now in use.
Exclusive: Leaked documents show PA undermined Turkey’s push for UN flotilla probe
Electronic Intifada: 22 Jun 2010 – Leaked documents obtained by The Electronic Intifada show that the Palestinian Authority tried and failed to undermine Turkey’s push for strong condemnation, and an independent UN Human Rights Council investigation into Israel’s deadly attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. Asa Winstanley reports.
Jerusalem Mayor To Raze Silwan Homes And Peace Process
Palestine Monitor: 22 Jun 2010 – On Monday, the Jerusalem Municipality approved plans for the expansion of an archaeological site beneath the Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan. The controversial plan would see up to 88 homes in occupied East Jerusalem bulldozed. Michael Carpenter spoke to Silwan residents. Children watch an Israeli military jeep pass through Silwan. Photo: Michael Carpenter The move met with unprecedented condemnation from the US State Department, Israeli peace groups and even Defence Minister Ehud Barak, who accused the planning committee of a “lack of common sense and sense of timing”. Timing has never been a strong point of Municipality Mayor Nir Barkat, who in March waited for Vice-President Joe Biden’s arrival before announcing 1,600 new homes for Jews in occupied East Jerusalem. With Israel under increasing pressure following the flotilla massacre and fledgling peace talks yet to begin in earnest, Jerusalem’s unilateral announcement has exposed Israel to new criticism over their commitment to…
Turkey Rejects European Plea to Join EU
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Jun 2010 – By Belen Fernandez — Istanbul Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently categorized as ‘black propaganda’ the claim that Turkey is shifting its foreign policy orientation away from the West, especially in the aftermath of the May 31 Israeli murder of 9 Turkish humanitarian activists on the Mavi Marmara. Explaining that his administration’s policy of improved relations with neighbors—manifestations of which include the waiving of visa requirements for citizens of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Libya—has drastically increased tourism revenues, Erdogan has also reminded the West of Turkey’s application for European integration, pending since 1963, and has threatened the European Union with the label “Christian Club” in the event that Turkey is not admitted. The denunciation of black propaganda is simply an effort to stave off domestic and international opponents keen to create the impression that the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party is abandoning the secular, Western-oriented legacy of Mustafa…more
‘Am I Not a Human’: Women under Occupation
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Jun 2010 – By Stephen Lendman In spite of their exceptional suffering, Palestinian women display remarkable endurance qualities. Living under stress in poverty, their homes destroyed, lands razed or expropriated, children sick, husbands imprisoned, fathers killed, and more, they plant seeds of hope, fulfill their daily social role, and participate in political and every day resistance. Since the 1948 Nakba, they’ve been denied basic human rights, security, free expression and movement, a safe and healthy environment, and education. They became refugees in their own land and abroad, bearing burdens beyond the capacity most women can bear anywhere. Under occupation, they struggle daily to endure, survive, and provide the best for their families and children – as spouses, mothers, caregivers, fighters, nurses, workers, and teachers. Annually on March 8, International Women’s Day commemorates their economic, political, cultural, scientific, and social achievements, but for Palestinian women, it’s more – their struggle under Israeli occupation, their…more
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