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International Middle East Media Center
Child Tortured, His Privates electrified By Israeli Interrogators
IMEMC – 24 Jun 2010 – Israeli interrogators tortured a Palestinian child who was detained and sent a detention near in a settlement near Hebron. The child said that the interrogators used electricity in torturing him by attaching wires to his testicles.
Zionist Workshop Canceled At Us Social Forum
IMEMC – 24 Jun 2010 – As progressives from across the US gather this week in Detroit, Michigan for the 2nd U.S. Social Forum, a coalition of groups calling for the cancellation of a workshop sponsored by the Zionist organization ‘Stand with Us’ applauded the decision of the Social Forum’s steering committee to cancel the workshop.
Swedish dockworkers block Israeli goods in boycott action
IMEMC – 24 Jun 2010 – After similar boycott actions in Oakland, California, Norway and South Africa, dockworkers in Sweden have decided to block the import of Israeli goods during the next week.
FGM Collecting Evidence, Testimonies To Sue Israeli Over Flotilla Attack
IMEMC – 23 Jun 2010 – Members of the Free Gaza Movement are collecting testimonies and evidence by contacting activists who were onboard the Turkish ship that was attacked by the Israeli military while heading to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla humanitarian aid convoy.
’The wall ruined my life, separated my family’
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The demolition of a Palestinian man’s home on Monday was his final lost battle in a string of defeats going back to the 1990s, the Beit Jala man told Ma’an. In 1992, Israel confiscated several hundred dunums of land belonging to the family, where the tunnels system was created to connect the illegal….
Teenager shot by settler forced to pay fine
6/24/2010 – Hebron/Bethlehem – Ma’an – A teenage boy shot by an Israeli settler has been fined by Israeli police investigating the case, family members said. Mohammad Ibrahim, 16, was shot in the chest as he walked home from school with his friends on 4 June. His friend, Moataz Moussa Omran Banat, was also shot in the leg….
Israel to re-investigate shooting of American activist
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel’s District Attorney ordered an investigation into the incident that left an American protester in a persistent coma, now in its 15th month. US activist Tristan Anderson was shot in the head with a high-velocity tear-gas canister as he supported Palestinian protesters in the village of Ni’lin on 13 March 2009. A court….
Gaza power station low on fuel
6/25/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The power station in the Gaza Strip will be forced to shut down Friday due to lack of fuel, officials said late Thursday. Generators at the station, the only one in Gaza, are operating at 40 percent capacity, energy authority engineer Kan’an Obeid said. Obeid told Ma’an that the Palestinian Authority Finance Ministry….
Negev prisoners report ’uncountable number of insects’
6/24/2010 – Salfit – Ma’an – Palestinian detainees in Israel’s Negev prison told lawyers Wednesday that as the summer encroached, an increasing number of insects and rodents had invaded their tents. The prison facility is mostly outdoors, with several quadrants of tents set up in compounds for prisoners, who said the deteriorating conditions had caused several inmates to break….
Red Crescent medic detained at Gaza crossing
6/24/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained a Red Crescent medic Wednesday night at the Erez crossing as he and four other medics were en route to a training conference in Jerusalem. Maher Abu Auf, a Palestinian official at the Beit Hanoun crossing, said Israeli border guards detained medic Ashraf Al-Khatib and refused to explain why he….
Israel: Lawmaker has 24 hours to leave Jerusalem
6/24/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Hamas lawmaker Muhammad Abu Teir has until Friday to leave Jerusalem, Israeli police informed him late Wednesday. Officials said the Palestinian Legislative Council member was reached by phone at his Sur Baher home after sundown Wednesday with news that upon order of Israel’s High Court, his residency rights would soon be voided. On….
Flotilla organizers: We’ll take Israel to The Hague
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Free Gaza Movement says it will take the State of Israel to the International Criminal Court over last month’s raid on an aid ship that left nine civilians dead. Twelve lawyers from countries whose citizens took part in the voyage are collecting evidence and testimonies from passengers, human rights lawyer Audrey Bomse….
7 said detained in Hebron area
6/24/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli troops raided several Hebron-area towns on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, detaining what Palestinain security sources said were eight men, with several homes reported ransacked. North of Hebron troops entered Beit Ummar and Beit Awla, detaining Yousef Abu Hashem, Aziz Ismael, 42, Mufid Atashneh, and Ibrahim Al-Jabarin, 32. To the west of….
Family exhumes body of slain Jerusalem man
6/24/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – At the request of the Al-Julani family, the body of the man shot dead in Jerusalem last week was exhumed just after midnight on Thursday morning for autopsy. The body of the 38-year-old Zaid was taken from its place of internment at the Al-Asbat Gate cemetery near Al-Aqsa Mosque under the watch….
Army: 7 mortar shells fired from Gaza strike Israel
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinians launched 12 projectiles toward Israeli territory over the course of Thursday, Israel’s military said. Seven mortar shells landed in the Sha’ar regional council and the rest landed inside the Gaza Strip, an Israeli army spokeswoman said. The military official told Ma’an that there were no reports of injury or damage in the….
Journalists review Palestine media freedoms
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – MADA, the Palestinian center for development and media freedom, hosted its monthly consultative meeting Thursday with a group of journalists in Ramallah to discuss the situation of media freedom in the occupied Palestinian territories. MADA director Mousa Rimawi spoke to participants about the rate of attacks on journalists, saying numbers were down compared….
Report: 3 mortars fired from Gaza
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israel’s online Yedioth Ahronoth reported the launch of three projectiles from the Gaza Strip toward the western Negev on Thursday afternoon. No injuries were reported, the online news report said, noting the mortars landed in an open area of the Hof Ashkelon Regional Council. No Palestinian faction has claimed the launch of….
Clashes reported along border in northern Gaza
6/24/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A Palestinian military group affiliated with the attacked an Israeli patrol that entered the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said its forces fired several mortar shells toward an Israeli unit that penetrated the Erez area of northern Gaza near Beit Hanoun….
EU expands social welfare program in West Bank
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Almost 50,000 in need Palestinian families will receive cash allowances under an EU and Palestinian Authority initiative, a joint statement said. Saturday’s payment will be the tenth under the scheme. However, the program has been reformed in the West Bank, expanding to target more families in extreme poverty. In a statement, Minister for….
US senators urge Obama to stand by Israel
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – In a letter, 87 American senators told President Barack Obama that the US “must continue” to stand with Israel. In a senate of 100 members, the group of 87 represents a strong majority.Declaring that Israel “faces multiple threats from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the current regime in Iran,”…. Related:Signatories to the Reid-McConnell Letter on the Gaza Flotilla Incident (PDF)andText of the letter
Barak to Clinton: Israel fully committed to peace process
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Proximity talks continue in Washington as Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barack met with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday, to discuss a “wide range of issues,” the officials told reporters. Following the meeting, a White House representative said Israel had demonstrated an “earnest commitment” and a”fundamental decision to change approach….
Abbas: Expelling lawmakers sets ’dangerous precedent’
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – President Mahmoud Abbas has condemned Israel’s plan to expel four members of the Palestinian parliament from Jerusalem. Israel moved forward this week on a plan to strip the residency of four Palestinian Legislative Council members serving constituencies in East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967.”Stripping a Palestinian parliament member of their….
Fatah official: Abbas not willing to go to Gaza
6/24/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – President Mahmoud Abbas is unwilling to visit Gaza because Hamas has not reciprocated his conciliatory efforts, a senior Fatah official said Tuesday. Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha’ath told Ma’an that Hamas failed to welcome Abbas when he announced his willingness to visit the Strip, and that the president is reluctant to go….
Qalqiliya men accused of school-document forgeries
6/24/2010 – Qalqiliya – Ma’an – Three Qalqiliya men accused of forging school diplomas were detained by Palestinian Authority police on Wednesday, a police statement said. According to the police public relations office, officials received information a week earlier that a man had presented forged documents to prospective employers. The man was questioned by police, and admitted that he….
Fires doused in Jenin, Qalqiliya
6/24/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Firefighters put out several blazes in the northern West Bank on Thursday, civil defense crews said. In a roundup report, the Palestinian Authority civil defense unit said forces put out fires at a furniture factory and a car in Jenin, while a house-fire in Qalqiliya was also doused. There was no mention of….
Jordan’s Media fails in times of economic difficulties
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Media and governments have always had a love-hate relationship. While they both need each other, the attempts by one to overwhelm the other (especially when governments try to control media) have often led to unpleasant results….
Americans for peace now welcomes changes to Iran sanctions legislation; expresses continued reservations about the bill
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Americans for Peace Now (APN) today welcomed changes made to the Iran Sanctions bill (HR 2194) by the House-Senate conference. APN also expressed continued concerns about both the timing of Congress’ passage of the bill and…
Gadaffi ‘adopts’ Italian mountain village
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Always surprising Libyan leader of the revolution Muammar al-Gadaffi is reportedly “adopting” a small town outside of Rome. Antrodoco is a village of under 3000 residents in Italy’s Lazio region. The financially struggling village has been…
AIPAC riding high as election fears grip democrats
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Check out this piece by Jim Lobe (current recipient of my annual I.F Stone award for courageous reporting). Lobe has it exactly right. (Take a look at this AIPAC-drafted Senate letter, designed to show that, flotilla…
Lieberman makes u-turn on Gaza
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Israeli FM shifts Israeli policy, asking European delegation to visit Gaza Strip Washington – During a meeting with his Italian counterpart, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman invited his Italian counterpart to lead a group of European…
Likud votes to resume settlements in September
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Washington — Israel’s Likud party voted Thursday to continue and expand settlement building in the West Bank once a 10-month moratorium ends in September, AFP News Agency reported . The party’s Central Committee backed the settlement proposal,…
A plea for peace from a “mabat chitzoni”
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – MIDDLEBURY, Vermont – The events aboard the Mavi Marmara were a disaster. It seems that on that point, everyone agrees. Where I stand, this is not primarily because they were a PR nightmare for Israel’s image…
Jerusalem
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – JERUSALEM – “What now?” asks the final line of Lea Goldberg’s poem on the heavenly and earthly Jerusalems. Those of us in the earthly metropolis know that the dualistic divide isn’t representative, and that there are…
Congress to vote on Iran sanctions
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – By Sarah Harlan Washington – The United States Congress is slated to vote today on HR 2194, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010. Above depicts a replica of a nuclear reactor. [Wikimedia…
My Jerusalem
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – JERUSALEM – Jerusalem made me who I am today. I’ve spent half of my life here, 18 years of searching and trying to belong, still without any success. Born in Nazareth to a Palestinian family, I…
A special regime for Jerusalem
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – John Bell, Michael Bell, Mike J. Molloy, Tom Najem OTTAWA – Over the past few months, the issue of Jerusalem has once again risen as a matter of dangerous contention between Israel and Palestine. Claims to…
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon: Righting a perpetual wrong
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Finally, a parliamentary debate in Lebanon over the human rights of Palestinian refugees. What is unfortunate though, is that granting basic civil rights to over 400,000 Palestinians – 62 years after their expulsion from their historic…
Conflict reporting in Palestine
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – By William McKeithen Washington — Residents, activists, and journalists joined Wednesday at the Palestine Center in Washington, DC to listen to a panel discussion on reporting conflict in the Palestinian territories. Panelist Taghreed El-Khodary was the…
Etzioni: Time to Bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure!
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – This piece speaks for itself. It can be summed up like this. Bombing Iran’s nuclear sites won’t succeed in stopping Iranian nuclear development so the US and or Israel should bomb Iran itself, what Etzioni calls…
Behind the Flotilla headlines: Turkish strategic competition and U.S. policy in the Middle East
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – By Ghassan Schbley and Scott Weiner In the wake of the Israel Defense Force raid on the Mavi Marmara ship bound for Gaza, the United States must maintain a delicate regional balance between four influential actors…
Lebanon to debate new bill for Palestinian refugees
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Washington — Lebanese legislators issued Wednesday a second draft of a bill to grant Palestinian refugees greater rights, The Daily Star reported Thursday. The new draft revises a similar bill that was introduced for discussion by…
PN exclusive: Life under siege
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – By Erica Silverman Gaza – More than a year after Israel’s 23-day offensive, Operation Caste Lead, in the Gaza Strip, leveled city blocks still mark the landscape of Gaza City where university buildings and historic sites…
Tristan Anderson: Israeli investigation deemed ‘negligent’
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Washington — An Israeli district court ordered a new investigation into the firing of a tear-gas canister that left an American protester irreversibly brain-damaged, Ma’an News Agency reported Thursday. A photo of Tristan Anderson during a…
Report: Lebanon to block Gaza boats
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Beirut and Hezbollah reportedly working together to stop aid convoy Washington – According to Arabic-language Lebanese daily Al-Liwaa, the Lebanese government has teamed up with powerful Islamist party Hezbollah stop keep aid ships bound for Gaza…
Report: ‘Neutralized’ Jerusalemite to undergo autopsy
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – The body of recently slain Ziad Al-Julani has been exhumed for autopsy at his family’s request, Ma’an News Agency reported Thursday. Israeli border police in Jerusalem. Ziad Al-Julani was shot and killed last week after an…
Rabbi: Thomas shows ‘the true face of the Arab’
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Washington — Helen Thomas has received another piece of hate mail for her incendiary May 27 comments against Jews. In this latest letter , Rabbi David Algaze “thanks” Thomas for showing everyone the true face of all…
UN: East Jerusalem demolitions ‘illegal’
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Washington – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced Wednesday that the Israeli-administered Jerusalem Municipality’s plans to raze 22 Arab homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood Silwan is illegal under international law and “unhelpful” to the peace process,…
Barak: Israel wants to move past flotilla, focus on peace
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Washington – In a phone call Wednesday to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel wants to put aside tensions from the May 31 flotilla raid and focus on the…
Mideast night beat: Rolling Stone edition
Palestine Note 24 Jun 2010 – Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middle East, and beyond: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza How did Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings produce the article that brought down general Stanley McChrystal? He tells Newsweek…
‘We don’t want a crossing for plates, cups and tooth brushes’
Palestine Note 23 Jun 2010 – Keram Abu Salem Crossing We watched the trucks roll into Gaza with goods Israel has not allowed in for more than three years. And when we waved the drivers down to stop so we could see…
UN blasts razing of Jerusalem homes
AlJazeera 23 Jun 2010 – World body also raises questions about Israel’s pledge to ease Gaza siege.
Implementation Begins On A Unique Palestinian Early Childhood Website
PNN – Ramallah- PNN- An agreement was signed today to produce a unique website dedicated to Palestinian early childhood. The agreement between PenMedia a Palestinian media NGO and Teksolutions with funding from USAID will…
Audio Feature: Bulldozers And Archeology; Bad News For Al-Bustan
PNN – This week the Israeli Jerusalem municipality revived a year old plan to demolish Palestinian homes near the old city part to make way for a tourist center, the plan drew criticism. UN…
Divided In Media and Country
PNN – Fadi Abu Sada — The change was necessary in the Palestinian Journalist’s Syndicate which was first established twenty years ago, regardless of all the reservations that took place during the election process…
Discrimination In Emmanuel Settlement Amongst Jews
PNN – Ranallah — PNN – Controversy continues in the settlement of Emmanuel in the West Bank. At issue is the demand of Ashkenazi families to have their female children educated seperately from Sephardi…
Ban Ki-moon Deeply Concerned Over Home Demolition In Silwan
PNN – Jerusalem – PNN – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon criticized Israeli officials for continuing their plan to demolish 22 Palestinian homes in the Silwan area of east Jerusalem. Ban’s statement increased the pressure…
Lawyers Demand Israel To Investigate Jerusalem’s Museum Of Tolerance
PNN – Mahmoud Mahmoud — Jerusalem – The Association for Muslim Affairs is an organization that represents heads of various Muslim communities in Israel. One of the organizations attorneys Kais Nasser submitted a complaint…
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
FM’s Jpost op-ed draws fire
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Labor and Kadima slam Lieberman’s ‘redraw the borders’ piece.
IDF testing ‘safer’ cluster bombs
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Special self-destruct mechanism reduces amount of unexploded ordnance.
Hamas informant risks deportation
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Shin Bet agent breaks cover to implore US not to deport Mosab Hassan Yousef.
IDF braces for Iran & Lebanon ships
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – But some say they may not set sail.
Group aims to create more civilian service positions
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Many young people who want to serve their country aren’t drafted by the IDF.
Yishai attacks hypocrisy of ‘racist’ secular Israel
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Shas chairman calls on families to move their girls to Sephardi schools…and hints he’ll do the same.
Abbas slams Israel’s plan to expel Hamas legislators
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – PA chief says move is dangerous and complicates efforts to achieve peace.
IDF will boost trucks to Gaza by 200%
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – UN official praises policy change; activists urge full reopening of Karni.
Senate approves tough Iran sanctions
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Congress winds up debate on sanctions to hit Iran’s energy industry.
Lieberman changes tune on Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Invites Italian to lead delegation of European ministers to Gaza.
9 mortars, rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Palestinians fire rockets throughout the day, no damage reported.
Likud votes for new building
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jun 2010 – Party Central C’tee majority supports expanding settlements after freeze.
Hamas warns against Schalit rescue
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jun 2010 – Terror group’s website says captive has been watching World Cup games.
An ‘emotional blockade’ is levied against Israel
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jun 2010 – French envoy speaks about human rights.
International Solidarity Movement
Hebron visit by Knesset member provokes settler venom
6/24/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – A member of the left-wing Knesset party visited Tel Rumeida settlement in Hebron Wednesday, generating a large crowd as walked through the city. He came to speak and was given a tour of the settlements. The group was surrounded by around 10 police, 40 border police, and also at least two vans of secret police….
Naturei Karta assault Haredi MKs in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – MKs beaten, cursed as they emerge from prayers at Mea She’arim synagogue prior to meeting with Slonim rabbi.
Likud committee votes in favor of resuming settlement construction
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister Netanyahu conspicuously absent from Central Committee meeting on September expiration of temporary building freeze.
Jerusalem Police reject Gay Pride parade route
Ha’aretz – Parade organizers plan to march to Knesset to honor those who were murdered at the Bar Noar gay center in Tel Aviv last summer.
Court rejects bid to delay testimony of key witness in Olmert trial
Ha’aretz – Olmert’s defense team asking AG to investigate harassment of Hadas Saltzman, witness in Rishon Tours affair.
Beating the heat at Jerusalem’s zoo
Ha’aretz –
Israel to introduce revamped Jewish studies curriculum in state schools
Ha’aretz –
New compensation bill for Gaza settlers passes first Knesset reading
Ha’aretz – Proposed law would offer compensation for businesses evacuated in 2005 pullout from Gaza and four West Bank settlements.
Slonim grand rabbi: Even a firing squad won’t make us compromise on Immanuel school row
Ha’aretz – Slonim Grand Rabbi Shmuel Berezovsky calls the High Court a heretical, demonic force for its actions in the Immanuel school segregation case.
Settlers threaten to forcibly evict East Jerusalem Palestinians
Ha’aretz – Israeli settlers say they will hire private security firms to evacuate four families if they do not leave property by July 4.
Woman hurt as train collides with vehicle in central Israel
Ha’aretz – Train reportedly cut through parked van, approximately 800 meters south of Beit Yehoshua station.
Court overturns prison sentences for mothers in school segregation row
Ha’aretz – Twenty-two ultra-Orthodox mothers of girls at school in settlement of Immanuel either exempted from prison or allowed to delay sentences until jailed husbands returned home.
U.S. Congress approves new penalties against Iran
Ha’aretz – The Senate and House of Representatives passed in quick succession on Thursday tough new sanctions targeting Iran’s banking, energy sectors.
Report: Lieberman changes policy, invites European diplomats to Gaza
Ha’aretz – Ch. 2: Foreign Minister invites Italian FM to head delegation to Gaza; European MPs to Israel: Lift Gaza blockade completely.
Abbas: Israel must not expel Hamas politicians from Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Jerusalem police confiscated the Israeli identity cards of the four Hamas legislators – Mohammed Abu Tir, Mohammed Totach, Khaled Abu Arafa, and Ahmed Atoun – in early June and gave…
Infrastructure Minister warns Hezbollah: Israel will fight for its gas fields
Ha’aretz – Landau responds to Lebanon MPs’ accusations that Israel’s off-shore drilling violated naval territorial lines., Lebanese media reports Beirut working with Hezbollah to stop boats due to set sail Thursday; Nasrallah…
Israel to reopen investigation into shooting of U.S. activist
Ha’aretz – Police to re-examine case of Tristan Anderson of Oakland, critically injured in March 2009 by a tear gas canister during a protest against the West Bank separation barrier.
UN urges Israel to rethink East Jerusalem construction plans
Ha’aretz – Secretary-General calls move to raze Arab homes in Silwan ‘unhelpful’ and ‘contrary to international law.’
Cairo envoy miffed at snub from top Netanyahu aide
Ha’aretz – National Security Adviser Uzi Arad met with Egyptian officials in Cairo earlier this month without coordinating his visit or updating Israeli ambassador Yitzhak Levanon, Haaretz has learned.
Report: IAF helicopters unload equipment ‘meant for attacking a Muslim state’ at Saudi airport
Ha’aretz – Helicopters landed at a Saudi airport and unloaded equipment intended for attacking targets in a Muslim state, semi-official news agency reports.
Israel indicts three East Jerusalem Arabs over shooting attack on settlers
Ha’aretz – Suspects allegedly fired 11 bullets at Beit Yonatan settlers’ jeep, lightly wounding a government-appointed security guard.
Israel raids Hebron, detains 5 Palestinians
24 Jun 2010 – Hebron, June 24, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided today Hebron in the West Bank and detained five Palestinians. Security sources said that Israeli forces raided Ezna, Bait Awla and Sair towns in Hebron. They detained Ibrahim Al-Jabareen, 32, Azez Ismail, 42, and Mofed Atasha, 32, Mohammed Al-Kisi, 32, and his brother Khalil. They also searched the…
Palestinian child Tortured, His Privates electrified By Israeli Interrogators
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – Israeli interrogators tortured a Palestinian child who was detained and sent a detention near in a settlement near Hebron. The child said that the interrogators used electricity in torturing him by attaching wires to his testicles. Human Rights Commissioner in the Palestinian Territories, based in Gaza, Kiert Jorneg, stated that Israeli interrogators used wires and…
Iran 22 Khordad 1389: Yet again the masses come to the rescue, Yet again Mousavi is dragged behind the movement
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – On the anniversary of last year’s rigged elections in Iran, there were demonstrations on the streets of Iranian cities, in particular in Tehran. But while the youth in particular organised for the day, the so-called “leaders” like Mousavi did what they could to weaken the movement by declaring at the last minute that he was…
US senators urge Obama to stand by Israel
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – In a letter, 87 American senators told President Barack Obama that the US “must continue” to stand with Israel. In a senate of 100 members, the group of 87 represents a strong majority. Declaring that Israel “faces multiple threats from Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the current regime in Iran,” the senators outlined…
PCHR Calls for the Immediate and Complete End of the Illegal Closure of Gaza
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – Israel has subjected the Gaza Strip to an illegal closure policy since 1991. This policy’s current, most extreme form has been applied continuously for over three years following the Hamas takeover in June 2007. This closure constitutes a form of collective punishment and has completely cut off Gaza from the outside world. Palestinian civilians in…
Iran will not send aid ship to Gaza
Uruknet June 24, 2010 — Iran will not send a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza as it had planned to do on Thursday, according to a report from the official news agency of Iran. The Islamic Republic News Agency quoted Hossein Sheikholeslam, secretary-general of the International Conference for the Support of the Palestinian Intifada, as saying: “The Iranian ship…
Fake calls to “ease” the Gaza siege
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – Ever since Israel’s murderous attack on the Freedom Flotilla on 31 May, there have been increasing calls from many parties on Israel to end its siege of Gaza. This is strange as well as deceitful, for the siege is not Israel’s alone. Many of those who now talk about ending the blockade have strongly supported…
Devouring al-Quds in broad daylight
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – The recent decision by the Israeli government to banish four Palestinian lawmakers from Jerusalem to areas in the West Bank run by the Palestinian Authority (PA) is another repugnant expression of the Israeli policy of ethnic cleansing in the city, holy to Muslims, Christians and Jews. This undeclared but clear policy aims to minimize as…
Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Righting a Perpetual Wrong
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – Finally, a parliamentary debate in Lebanon over the human rights of Palestinian refugees. What is unfortunate though, is that granting basic civil rights to over 400,000 Palestinians – 62 years after their expulsion from their historic homeland and the issuing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — has been a topic of ‘debate’ in…
Turkish Military Delegation In Israel For Drone Deal
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – Turkish Military officials are currently in Israel to receive training and test four Israeli drones, Heron, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries which is owned by the Israeli government. The visit came amidst reported tension between Israel and Turkey and after the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Erdogan, threatened to suspend all military cooperation with Israel after…
Senate bill would authorize US president to seize control of Internet
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – A bill introduced by Joseph Lieberman, Independent Senator from Connecticut and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman, would give the US president wide-ranging powers, including the ability to order Internet providers to restrict access to the global network. The bill, entitled the “Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act” (PCNAA), was presented in the…
‘The wall ruined my life, separated my family’
Uruknet June 24, 2010 – The demolition of a Palestinian man’s home on Monday was his final lost battle in a string of defeats going back to the 1990s, the Beit Jala man told Ma’an. In 1992, Israel confiscated several hundred dunums of land belonging to the family, where the tunnels system was created to connect the illegal Israeli settlements…
Family says son paralyzed from torture in Israeli jail
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – The parents of a Palestinian detainee from Jenin have called on international rights groups to secure their son’s immediate release, after he was reportedly tortured in an Israeli prison. Asad Sholi, from the Kafr Dan village in Jenin, was severely beaten by Israeli Prison Service staff, during which both hands and legs were broken, parents…
Barriers, Borders, and Blockades: Policing Movement and Controlling Information
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – To keep some out. To fence others in. To police movement, instill fear, uncertainty, and instability. Palestine is a land cross-hashed with separation barriers, walls, fences and checkpoints. For many people, these structures make one either an exile or a prisoner, barred from returning or unable to leave. But in addition to the policing of…
Birkat Goes It Alone: Silwan The Target For Ethnic Cleansing
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – From Cast Lead to the Mavi Marmara, few states have displayed Israel’s commitment to unilateral action. A unique ability to deflect external criticism has allowed successive administrations to advance Israel’s expansionist interests. A microcosm can be glimpsed in Jerusalem, where Mayor Nir Birkat’s intention to re-develop in Silwan place the Municipality’s glamour project over the…
Palestinian Jerusalemites go work abroad and get residency revoked upon return
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – Palestinians who choose to study and work abroad are finding out — too late — that they have imperiled their right to return to their hometown. Last Wednesday afternoon a “shabah,” an illegal sojourner, sat in the small conference room of Jerusalem District Court Judge Noam Solberg. That’s how he was described by Solberg and…
Belgian lawyers to charge Barak and Livni for war crimes
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – Two Belgian lawyers announced on Wednesday that, working on behalf of a group of Palestinians – including, significantly, one who is a Belgian national – they were intending to charge 14 Israeli politicians, including Ehud Olmert, Ehud Barak, Tzipi Livni and Matan Vilnai, for crimes against humanity and war crimes. The lawyers, Georges-Henri Beauthier and…
‘Free Palestine’, Not Only Gaza
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – One thing is missing in the ‘Free Gaza’ movement. Activists and civil societies and journalists who support the Palestinian cause are rightfully angry at Israel’s murderous campaign against the aid-loaded ‘Freedom Flotilla’ that was going to the besieged and starved residents of Gaza, but they ignore the overall conditions in the West Bank, East Jerusalem…
UN chief says Israeli plan for east Jerusalem is illegal
Uruknet June 23, 2010 — UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday voiced concern that an Israeli plan to raze 22 Arab homes to make way for an archaeological park in annexed east Jerusalem is “unhelpful” and against international law. Ban “is deeply concerned about the decision by the Jerusalem Municipality to advance planning for house demolitions and further settlement activity…
US Social Forum cancels exploitative Zionist workshop
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – In a historic accomplishment, the leadership of the US Social Forum voted this morning to cancel a workshop proposed by “Stand With US,” a Zionist organization that sought to represent Israel as a safe haven for LGBTQI communities and undermine the broadening support for the cause of justice in/for Palestine. As the National Planning Committee (…
Hebron Jew won’t claim home until Palestinians return
Uruknet June 23, 2010 – An elderly Jewish man from Hebron has asked the city’s mayor to permit his burial in a Muslim cemetery when he dies, insisting that his body not be placed in one of the sites now controlled by Israeli settlers. Haim Bajayo, 75, visited Mayor Khalid Al-Useili at his office in the southern West Bank city…
World Bank Proposes $55M for Projects in West Bank, Gaza
WAFA – WASHINGTON, June 24, 2010 (WAFA)- The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved today a proposal to provide $55 million in funding for projects in the West Bank and Gaza (WBG) to support
Ban Voices deep Concern at Municipal Plan to Demolish Homes in East Jerusalem
WAFA – NEW YORK, June 24, 2010 (WAFA)- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced deep concern at the news that the municipality of Jerusalem has advanced planning for the demolition of existing homes and
EU Contribution of €10.2M of Social Allowances to Families in Need
WAFA – JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, June 24, 2010 (WAFA)- On Saturday June 26, the Palestinian Authority and the European Union are launching a new payment of social allowances to over 49,600 vulnerable Palestinian
PCBS: 99.9% of Households Connected to Electricity Network
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 24, 2010 (WAFA) – Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported Thursday that 99.9% of households in the Palestinian Territory were connected to the public electricity
Shiite rifts threaten to prolong delay in forming Iraq cabinet
Daily Star 24 Jun 2010 BAGHDAD: Iraq’s main Shiite-led blocs are facing serious problems in deciding on a candidate for prime minister, straining their alliance and threatening to prolong the delay in forming a government, party officials said. The failure to…
Jordan unions urge France to revoke Al-Aqsa TV ban
Daily Star 24 Jun 2010 AMMAN: Jordan’s Islamist-dominated trade unions urged France on Thursday to revoke an “unjust” decision to block broadcasts by the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television channel for alleged incitement. “The unjust ban will kill Palestinian voices of freedom that…
Abbas protests move to expel Hamas MPs from Jerusalem
Daily Star 24 Jun 2010 RAMALLAH, Occupied West Bank: Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas on Thursday protested an Israeli move to expel four senior Hamas officials, including three MPs, from occupied Jerusalem.”The Israeli government’s decision to strip the identities of some Jerusalemites…
Iran to declare conditions for nuclear talks next week
Daily Star 24 Jun 2010 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday that Iran will next week lay down its conditions for talks with the world powers after they imposed new UN sanctions over Tehran’s nuclear program. “The Islamic Republic of Iran…
China says terrorist group broken up in Xinjiang
Daily Star 24 Jun 2010 BEIJING: China said Thursday it has crushed a gang of Muslim terrorists that plotted attacks after deadly ethnic violence in the northwestern region of Xinjiang last year. Public Security Ministry spokesman Wu Heping said the “hard-core…
Why Palestinians are second-class citizens in Lebanon | Ahmed Moor
The Guardian 24 Jun 2010 – Arab leaders pay lip service to Palestinian rights — except when it comes to the rights of domiciled refugees in their countries I moved to Beirut from New York nine months ago and began looking for…
Ban voices deep concern at municipal plan to demolish homes in East Jerusalem
Relief Web 24 Jun 2010 – Source: UN News Service
Palestinian civil society representatives discuss the European Neighbourhood Policy
Relief Web 24 Jun 2010 – Source: European Union
OPT: The European Union continues the3rdannual “Study in Europe” event at Al Najah University – Nablus
Relief Web 24 Jun 2010 – Source: European Union
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory 17- 23 June 2010
Relief Web 24 Jun 2010 – Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Iranian Gaza aid ship won’t sail due to ‘Israeli threats’
YNet News – Iran flotilla organizers note Israel sees vessels from Iran, Lebanon as ‘sign of….
Rocket explodes in south; none injured
YNet News – Eight mortar shells also fired at Israel from Gaza Strip Thursday, causing no….
Court slams prosecution in Olmert affair
YNet News – Jerusalem District Court president criticizes prosecution over problematic….
Neturei Karta attack MKs
YNet News – Knesset members Maklev, Gafni attacked in Jerusalem’s Mea Shearim neighborhood….
Council of Europe: Israel broke international law
YNet News – Council avoids condemning Israel, but criticizes Israel’s handling of flotilla….
Abbas blames Israel for freeze in talks
YNet News – At press conference with visiting Austrian chancellor, Palestinian president….
Landau: Israel willing to use force to protect gas finds
YNet News – National infrastructure minister responds to Lebanese claims that ‘Leviathan,’….
Four years on, still waiting for Gilad
YNet News – Four years. 48 months. 1,461 days. 35,064 hours. Alone. This is the inconceivable amount of time Gilad Shalit has spent in Hamas captivity in Gaza. Four years of …….
Noam Shalit in Rome: Europe’s voice weak
YNet News – Noam Shalit, father of abducted IDF soldier Gilad, said to Ynet on Thursday that Europe’s call for the release of his son is not enough. “Here and there they make calls …….
Senate OKs new penalties against Iran
YNet News – The US Senate on Thursday passed tough new sanctions targeting Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and Iran’s imports of gas and other refined energy products as the Tehran …….
Policy change: Lieberman invites foreign ministers to Gaza Strip
YNet News – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday suggested to his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini that he head a delegation of European foreign ministers to the Gaza …….
US says Gaza flotillas ‘irresponsible’
YNet News – WASHINGTON – The US State Department on Thursday released a statement against additional flotillas to the Gaza Strip, calling them “irresponsible.” The statement …….
Halutz on Iran: Israel will know what to do if threatened
YNet News – “The State of Israel has the right to defend itself. It has the power to defend itself and if it is pushed into a corner then I assume it will know how to do that,” …….
Four years since the abduction of Gilad Shalit
B’tselem 23 Jun 2010 – On the fourth anniversary of the abduction of Gilad Shalit, B’Tselem again emphasizes that Hamas must release him immediately. Pending his release, those holding Shalit must treat him humanely and allow representatives of the International Red Cross to vi
Palestinian Information Center
Abu Zuhri: Ramallah authority providing political cover for IOA crimes
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri lashed out at the Fatah-controlled PA for conspiring with the IOA against a Turkish attempt to push for international investigation into the IOA attack on the Freedom Flotilla.
Khudari: Palestinians entitled to sea route linking Gaza to outside world
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – MP Jamal Al-Khudari has underlined that the Palestinians are entitled to having a sea route linking Gaza Strip to the outside world under European supervision.
One Belgian and 13 Gazans to sue Israeli officials for war crimes
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – A Belgian doctor of Palestinian origin and 13 other Palestinians from Gaza hired two lawyers to file lawsuits against 14 Israeli politicians on a charge of committing war crimes.
Report: PA undermined Turkey’s push for UN flotilla probe
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – An American website has revealed a serious document proving that the PA was colluding to abort Turkish efforts demanding international investigation into the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla.
Arab information ministers: Media should focus on breaking the siege
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – Arab information ministers sitting in Cairo called on the Arab media to highlight the Israeli siege on Gaza and the importance of breaking it.
Russia concerned over IOA plan to raze Silwan homes
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko has expressed his country’s concern over the IOA plan to knock down 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan in Eastern Jerusalem.
Morgantini appeals for taking action against Israeli decision to exile MPs
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – Deputy president of the European parliament Louisa Morgantini called on the international community to take action against Israel’s military decision to exile Palestinian lawmakers from Jerusalem.
IOA court refuses to release lawyer on bail, IOF troops detain more West Bankers
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – The judge at the Israeli central court in Jerusalem refused a request to release a Palestinian female lawyer along with her two brothers on bail, the father of the lawyer said.
UN: IOA demolition of Jerusalemite homes illegal, heightens tension
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – The UN Secretary General has criticized the Israeli occupation authority’s (IOA) decision to raze 22 homes in Silwan town, occupied Jerusalem, describing the step as “unhelpful and illegal”.
Hamas slams PA for urging Europe not to open sea route to Gaza
PIC 24 Jun 2010 – The Hamas Movement strongly denounced the Palestinian Authority for sending a delegation to Europe to persuade officials there to rescind its plan to open a sea route to the besieged Gaza Strip.
Is Israel Arming in Saudi Arabia?
The Media Line 23 Jun 2010 – Reports claim Israeli helicopters landed in Saudi Arabia to prep an attack on Iran; But is it true? Israeli Air Force aircraft dropped off large quantities of military gear at a Saudi Arabian military base last…
UN Chief: Israel Agrees to Withdraw from Lebanese Border Village
The Media Line 24 Jun 2010 – U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday that Israel has agreed to his proposal for an Israeli withdrawal from the northern part of the border village of Ghajar “in the near future.” The Secretary-General said that he…
World Briefing | Middle East: Israel: Spy Satellite Is Launched
New York Times 22 Jun 2010 – The new satellite, known as Ofek-9, will help Israel more efficiently monitor the region, including Iran, said Chaim Eshed, the director of Israel’s military space program.
Trial of Iran’s ‘Blogfather’ Begins in Tehran
New York Times 24 Jun 2010 – More than a year and a half after he was arrested in Tehran, Hossein Derakhshan, an influential Iranian-Canadian blogger also known as Hoder, was put on trial on Wednesday.
The Last Keffiyeh Factory In Palestine
Palestine Monitor – Originating in ancient Mesopotamia, the Keffiyah was popular among Arab men who used it to protect their face, head, and neck from the elements of nature. The traditional pattern, which is still used today in Palestine and other Arab Nations, was modeled after fishing nets and…
Barkat Goes It Alone: Silwan The Target For Ethnic Cleansing
Palestine Monitor – From Cast Lead to the Mavi Marmara, few states have displayed Israel’s commitment to unilateral action. A unique ability to deflect external criticism has allowed successive administrations to advance Israel’s expansionist interests. A microcosm can be glimpsed in Jerusalem, where Mayor Nir Barkat’s intention to re-develop…
Israel lobby group FLAME says black Ethiopian Jews are ‘backward’
Mondoweiss – Is the Israel lobby out of touch with America today? Or is this just the charm offensive for President Obama? Here’s an ad that the lobby group FLAME (Facts & Logic About the Middle East) is running in at least one Jewish newspaper and that is…
Midnight on the Mavi Marmara
Mondoweiss – Learn more and order the book on the OR Books website .
The ‘one state’ conversation continues
Mondoweiss – I was pleasantly surprised to read Ben Zakkai’s one-state formula for Palestine/Israel. Our thinking on the issue is closer to one another than I thought it would be. There are some big things I disagree with, but the fact that an Israeli (Jewish-Israeli?) has undertaken to…
Where Kindness Is A Crime
Mondoweiss – In a May 7 article, Haaretz reporter Ilana Hammerman described in dramatic detail a crime she had methodically planned and committed. In defiance of laws supposedly related to Israel’s security, Hammerman picked up three teenage Palestinian girls in their village in the West Bank, took them…
The brand is tanking, in the East River
Mondoweiss – The Conference of Presidents, a lead group in the Israel lobby, is as we speak leading some kind of flotilla in the East River near the United Nations to demand the release of Gilad Shalit by Hamas, a ccording to twitter feeds from Dan Sieradski (congrats…
Jerusalem housing plan ‘illegal’
BBC – UN chief Ban Ki-moon says Jerusalem municipality’s plan to demolish Palestinian homes in Silwan is illegal and unhelpful.
US Congress backs Iran sanctions
BBC – The US Congress overwhelmingly approves new sanctions against companies trading with Iran over its nuclear programme.
Iran ‘steps up’ enrichment work
BBC – Iran produces 17kg (37lb) of uranium enriched to 20%, it says, defying UN attempts to halt its nuclear programme.
Israel Lobby Riding High in US Election Run-Up
Antiwar.com – Despite the growing international condemnation and isolation incurred by the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, the right-wing leadership of the so-called “Israel Lobby” here is riding high in the U.S. Congress. So far this week, it has chalked up a key victory on Capitol Hill…
Anait Brutian: The Hijacked Democracy and the Zionist Media
Sabbah report – By Anait Brutian* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz On June 2, 1010, immediately after the massacre on Mavi Marmara, in an emergency IAC meeting in NYC, Sara Flounders briefly described the events of the past few days: “While world opinion has been galvanized over the massacre…
(en) Canada, Southern Ontario Anarchist Resistance – G20 Toronto — SOAR Statement on Indigenous Rights and Settler Solidarity
A-infos – June 24 has been declared a day of action for Indigenous resistance, for Indigenous sovereignty and to defend the land. we at SOAR echo the calls against policies of assimilation, against the criminalization of land protectors, against policies of dispossession, against the exploitative resource extraction industry…
(en) US, Cleavland, Anarchist thoughts on the Successful Picketing of the Israeli Zin Line Ship on Sunday, June 20, 2010
A-infos – History was made Today. Met together to flame the spark struck by the Gaza Flotilla. 800 of us. —- Long day to me. Up ready at a.m. 4:30 Copwatch Security crew swept into office gearing up. —— Last minute hustling for rides to docks. Wobbly universal-labeled…
Articles
Connecting The Zionist Dots
Gilad Atzmon, Atlantic Free Press6/24/2010
“Anti-Semite is an empty signifier, no one actually can be an Anti-Semite and this includes me of course. In short, you are either a racist – which I am not – or have an ideological disagreement with Zionism… which I have.”
A few weeks ago the Jewish Chronicle published a list of Jewish MPs in the UK parliament. It named 24 in total, encompassing 12 Conservatives, 10 Labour, and two Liberal Democrats. Author and peace activist Stuart Littlewood elaborated on these figures and presented the following analysis:
“The Jewish population in the UK is 280,000 or 0.46 per cent. There are 650 seats in the House of Commons so, as a proportion, Jewish entitlement is only three seats. The conclusion is pretty obvious. With 24 seats, Jews are eight times over-represented. Which means, of course, that other groups must be under-represented, including Muslims‚ĶIf Muslims, for instance, were over-represented to the same extent as the Jews (i.e. eight times) they’d have 200 seats. All hell would break loose.” A question must be raised here. Why are Jews overwhelmingly over-represented in the British parliament, in British and American political pressure groups, in political fundraising and in the media?
Haim Saban, the Israeli-American, multibillionaire media mogul offers the answer. The New Yorker reported this week that at a conference last fall, Saban described his pro-Israeli formula, outlining “three ways to be influential in American politics‚Ķmake donations to political parties, establish think tanks, and control media outlets.”
As I have mentioned many times before, there is no such a thing as Jewish conspiracy. It is all done in the open. In front of TV cameras from all over the world, listed Israeli Propaganda Author as well as British Foreign Secretary David Miliband gave the Israelis a green light to operation Cast Lead….more..e-mail
Washington Asks: What to Do About Israel?
Helene Cooper, New York Times6/4/2010
Some topics are so inflammatory that they are never discussed without first inserting a number of caveats. And so, when Anthony Cordesman, a foreign policy dignitary in this town’s think tank circuit, dropped an article on Wednesday headlined “Israel as a Strategic Liability,” he made sure to open with a plethora of qualifications.
First, he noted, America’s commitment to Israel is motivated by morality and ethics — a reaction to the Holocaust, to Western anti-Semitism and to American foot-dragging before and during World War II that left European Jews slaughtered by the Nazis. Second, Israel is a democracy with the same values as the United States. Third, the United States will never abandon Israel, and will help it keep its military edge over its neighbors. And America will guard Israel against an Iranian nuclear threat.
But once Mr. Cordesman had dispensed with what in the newspaper world is called the “to-be-sure” paragraphs, he laid out a dispassionate argument that has gained increased traction in Washington — both inside the Obama administration (including the Pentagon, White House and State Department) and outside, during forums, policy breakfasts, even a seder in Bethesda. Recent Israeli governments, particularly the one led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr. Cordesman argued, have ignored the national security concerns of its biggest benefactor, the United States, and instead have taken steps that damage American interests abroad.
“The depth of America’s moral commitment does not justify or excuse actions by an Israeli government that unnecessarily make Israel a strategic liability when it should remain an asset,” Mr. Cordesman wrote, in commentary for the centrist Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he is the Arleigh A. Burke Chair in strategy. “It is time Israel realized that it has obligations to the United States, as well as the United States to Israel, and that it become far more careful about the extent to which it tests the limits of U.S. patience and exploits the support of American Jews.”
The list of recent moves by the Netanyahu government that potentially threaten American interests has grown steadily, many foreign policy experts argue…..more..e-mail
Cutting through the confusion about Israel/Palestine
Richard Forer, Redress6/21/2010
Richard Forer, a former member of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), exposes the deceitful and dishonest foundations on which support for Israel is built. In a detailed letter, he outlines a path which those interested in justice and genuine peace in the Middle East can take to reach a true understanding of the Palestine-Israel conflict.
In the spring of 2009, I was a member of a group that put up a billboard criticizing Israel’s lethal use of force during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza. A year later, the group received a letter from a college student — referred to as “J” below — asking it to remove the billboard. The student said that he had researched the Gaza invasion and had concluded that both sides were equally responsible for its consequences. He felt that the billboard unfairly placed the blame for all of the destruction solely at the feet of Israel. I replied to the student with the following letter, some of which contains passages from my forthcoming book.
Hi J,
Thank you for your letter. First, I assume you are Jewish. Is that correct? Before I get into the specifics of your letter I want to talk about a few things you might find interesting. I do so because everyone involved in the Israel-Palestine issue has the potential to change the world from an arena of Us against Them into one of peace and respect. But that requires undeviating self-honesty, which leads to compassion, clarity and understanding. Most people do not take up the challenge of looking deeply within for fear of what they might find. They revert to the safety of their presumed identity and the beliefs and images that make up and reinforce their identity. Attachment to a limited or exclusive identity always carries with it the consciousness of Us against Them. The consciousness of Us against Them requires that there be unending conflict.
Perhaps you have it within yourself to look beyond what you currently see as all sides of the issue. I hope so because the lives of those who suffer on either side of the conflict depend upon people like you….more..e-mail
Fake calls to “ease” the Gaza siege
Electronic Intifada: 24 Jun 2010 – Ever since Israel’s murderous attack on the Freedom Flotilla on 31 May, there have been increasing calls from many parties on Israel to end its siege of Gaza. This is strange as well as deceitful, for the siege is not Israel’s alone. Hasan Abu Nimah comments.
National unity remains elusive under occupation
Electronic Intifada: 24 Jun 2010 – Since the split between the Fatah and Hamas factions deepened after the latter stymied foreign-backed efforts to overthrow it in 2007 following its election victory the previous year, there has been much talk of restoring Palestinian unity. Such reconciliation has however so far eluded all efforts. Some analysts think it may have a better chance now. Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada.
The Last Keffiyeh Factory In Palestine
Palestine Monitor: 24 Jun 2010 – Originating in ancient Mesopotamia, the Keffiyah was popular among Arab men who used it to protect their face, head, and neck from the elements of nature. The traditional pattern, which is still used today in Palestine and other Arab Nations, was modeled after fishing nets and ears of grain. During the Arab Revolt in the 1930s, the keffiyah became a symbol of Palestinian nationalism and in the 1980s Yasser Arafat made the keffiyah a globally recognized symbol of the Palestinian struggle. Today, cheaper imports of the keffiyah from China threaten an already troubled industry. Rebecca Fudala takes a look inside the last keffiyah factory in Palestine. All photography by Rebecca Fudala Keffiyah’s like these are common throughout the West Bank and all around the world. Selling for a fraction of usual prices, these Chinese made scarves are endangering the local industry and slowly erasing a Palestinian tradition. It’s no coincidence…
Barkat Goes It Alone: Silwan The Target For Ethnic Cleansing
Palestine Monitor: 23 Jun 2010 – From Cast Lead to the Mavi Marmara, few states have displayed Israel’s commitment to unilateral action. A unique ability to deflect external criticism has allowed successive administrations to advance Israel’s expansionist interests. A microcosm can be glimpsed in Jerusalem, where Mayor Nir Barkat’s intention to re-develop in Silwan place the Municipality’s glamour project over the rights of residents, the agenda of his government and stillborn proximity talks. Far from applauding the nationalist initiative, which would see at least 22 Arab homes demolished to make way for the King David Gardens, Defence Minister Ehud Barak condemned a “lack of common sense and sense of timing”. The US State Department concurred that the move “undermined trust” ahead of proximity talks. The notional objectives of both are undermined by Monday‘s announcement. The Israeli Government have stepped up diplomacy efforts in an attempt to repair their shattered image following the flotilla massacre, while the…
Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon: Righting a Perpetual Wrong
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jun 2010 – By Ramzy Baroud Finally, a parliamentary debate in Lebanon over the human rights of Palestinian refugees. What is unfortunate though, is that granting basic civil rights to over 400,000 Palestinians – 62 years after their expulsion from their historic homeland and the issuing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — has been a topic of ‘debate’ in the first place. Equally regrettable is the fact that various ‘Christian’ Lebanese political forces are fiercely opposing granting Palestinians their rights. Most Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are second and third generation refugees. Impoverished camps are the only homes they have ever known. In Palestine, their real home, their villages were destroyed, their fields were burnt down and their culture was eradicated. An ongoing attempt at erasing every aspect of the Palestinian Arab identity in today’s Israel continues unabated, strengthened by the rightwing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Foreign Minister…more
Obama Fires General McChrystal
Palestine Chronicle: 24 Jun 2010 – By Deepak Tripathi After a day of intense speculation, President Obama fired his top military commander and the chief architect of American policy in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, on Wednesday, June 23. The president made the announcement following a face-to-face meeting with General McChrystal in the White House. The general was summoned to explain to the president a series of comments made by him and his aides to the Rolling Stone magazine. McChrystal’s remarks this time went beyond anything the rebellious general had said in public before, rocking America’s political and military establishments. Despite a prompt and profuse apology for displaying what General McChrystal admitted was poor judgment and a lack of integrity, his fate was sealed by the nature of his remarks. In the article, one of McChrystal’s aides is quoted as saying the general was disappointed at his first meeting with an ‘unprepared’ Obama, his commander-in-chief. The aide…more
End the Siege of Gaza, Occupation of Palestine
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Jun 2010 – By Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate On Saturday 5th June, 2010, 35 heavily armed Israeli Navy Seals commandeered our boat, MV Rachel Corrie, one of the Freedom Flotilla, in International waters (30 miles off the coast of Gaza). As they did so, we 19 humanitarian activists and crew, sat on the deck. We were quietly anxious, aware of the solitary figure in the wheelhouse with his hands held high against the window, in full view of the three Israeli warships, 4 approaching zodiacs and 2 commando carriers, whose guns were pointing in his direction. I personally wondered if the courageous Derek Graham would live to tell the tale, conscious of what happened on the Turkish ship, Mavi Marmara, earlier in the week. On Monday 3lst May, 2010, we heard via satellite phone that the Israeli Commandoes had boarded in International waters, from helicopter and zodiacs, the Turkish Ship, MV Mavi…more
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The New Dark Age 