News
International Middle East Media Center
Egyptian Man Killed By Israeli Army Fire, One Injured And Two Arrested
IMEMC – 27 Jun 2010 – Israeli soldiers shot and killed an Egyptian man, wounded another man, and detained two others while attempting to infiltrate into Israel through the Egyptian border.
Several Palestinians Wounded In Jerusalem Clashes
IMEMC – 27 Jun 2010 – Palestinian medical sources reported Sunday morning that several residents were wounded during clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli policemen invading Al Rajabi neighborhood in Silwan town in East Jerusalem.
23 injured in Silwan clashes overnight
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem/Jerusalem – Ma’an – At least 20 Palestinians were injured as of Sunday morning, in clashes with Israeli forces that began Saturday night and continued through the morning in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood. Witnesses said one Palestinian was shot with live ammunition and two others were hit by tear-gas canisters during confrontations in the Ar-Rajabi….
Gaza: 12 hours of darkness
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – An emergency electricity program was implemented throughout the Gaza Strip on Saturday, after the sole power station shut down a day earlier due to a massive fuel shortage. The Gaza Electricity Distribution Corporation said the remaining 137 megawatts the station could produce with its limited fuel reserves would be distributed across districts for six hours…. Related:PA: Gaza power incompetent or hiding something
Beit Jala protesters say police used excessive force
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – What organizers called a peaceful rally in Beit Jala on Sunday ended with the detention of four protesters and the injury of three others.”Soldiers used excessive force” one protester told Ma’an, firing sound bombs, tear-gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets at the group, which marched toward the Cremisan winery, where the path of….
Fresh clashes erupt in Silwan
6/27/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Fierce clashes broke out in several East Jerusalem neighborhoods Sunday afternoon, following a brief period of calm on the tail of violence that continued overnight. Israeli border police and young local residents were fighting in the Aiyn Al-Louzam, Ar-Rajabi, and Bir Ayoub quarters of the Silwan area in the middle of Silwan neighborhood….
PA: Gaza power incompetent or hiding something
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Gaza authorities must take responsibility for the disruption to power supplies and act immediately to restore them, the Ramallah-government said Sunday.In a critical statement, PA officials said the Gaza power plant had not made its scheduled payment to Ramallah for the month of June. A Monday statement from the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company, however, said the PA refused to pay for fuel…. Related:Gaza: 12 hours of darkness
UNRWA director: Innocent children pay toll of Gaza siege
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – It is “shameful” that the international community allowed the Gaza siege to enter its fourth year as “750,000 innocent children are paying the toll,” UNRWA director of Gaza operations John Ging said Sunday. Speaking at a news conference in Gaza City, Ging added “The political focus should be translated into action rather….
Farmer says Israeli forces confiscate tractor
6/27/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli soldiers prevented a farmer from working his land by confiscating his bulldozer and driving it away, the farmer reported Sunday. Bassam Hammdan, from Wadi Al-Jalmoun in Beit Ula, north of the West Bank city of Hebron, was trying to plant olive and almond trees with a group of volunteers when the incident….
Gaza: 1 terminal temporarily open
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli authorities temporarily opened one of Gaza’s terminals on Sunday for limited deliveries of aid and fuel. Israeli officials told Palestinian crossings authorities to expect 137-147 truckloads of aid and commercial goods via the southern Kerem Shalom crossing. Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said limited quantities of domestic gas and industrial….
Report: Iranian MPs to set sail for Gaza on Lebanese ship
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – An Iranian lawmaker said a parliamentary delegation is planning to travel with a Gaza-bound aid ship sailing from Lebanon, Iranian media reported Saturday. Mahmoud Ahmadi-Beighash, a member of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, told the Iranian Student News Agency that MPs preferred to set sail to Gaza as….
Shalit family begins 12-day march
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The family of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will march to Jerusalem on Sunday, four years after his capture by fighters in the Gaza Strip. Thousands are expected to join the family on the 12-day march, which aims to pressure the government to secure Shalit’s release, Israeli online news site Ynet reported. The….
Hamas says Israel blocking Shalit deal
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas reiterated its accusation on Sunday that the Israeli government is obstructing the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Days after the fourth anniversary of the soldier’s capture, spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement that Hamas is ready to honor a prisoner swap deal. He added that any attempt by the….
Source: PLC members will not be expelled
6/27/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Four Palestinian lawmakers affiliated with Hamas will not be expelled from Jerusalem, sources told Ma’an on Sunday, and Israel will reverse its decision. The information was revealed three days after the four elected PLC members spoke with President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, where they announced publicly that they do not represent a party….
Lawmakers to file suit against PA over stalled elections
6/27/2010 – Qalqiliya – Ma’an – Preparations are underway to file suit against the Palestinian Authority over the deferral of local elections in early June, a Palestinian lawmaker said Saturday evening. Khalida Jarrar, representing the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said the PA’s decision to stay elections and to create consensus lists were “against the principles of….
Hamas: PA forces detain leader, 23 supporters
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamas accused Palestinian Authority security forces of detaining 24 party affiliates across northern West Bank districts, a Sunday statement said. A party statement said Hamas leader Anwar Umeir was detained in the Bal’a village east of Tulkarem after he was summoned by PA intelligence. An imam from Illar, north of Tulkarem, and 15….
Gaza bank closes over police use of force
6/27/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Palestine Islamic Bank in Gaza City suspended operations on Sunday after cash was “withdrawn from the bank by force,” officials said. Gaza police said the incident was the legal recovery of 16,000 US dollars belonging to a local charity, following a court ruling to unfreeze their funds held in the bank. The….
Gaza cabinet chief says unity only first step
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – National conciliation is only the first step; the real challenge is what comes next, Gaza government’s general-secretary said in a statement Sunday. Mohammad Awad said that the Gaza government was working hard to achieve “real and sustainable unity” which will “preserve the gains that were achieved over the past years,” and not….
European music festival kicks off in Jerusalem
6/27/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Aiming to break down social, religious, and cultural prejudice, 40 musicians from 10 countries will perform in a festival honoring Jerusalem on Sunday. The Sounding Jerusalem Festival 2010 is set to begin on Sunday, and last for two weeks with concerts across the West Bank and Jerusalem. The festival’s artistic director, Erich Oskar….
Unrest in East Jerusalem
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – Israeli forces disperse protesters in Silwan New York – Palestinians clashed with Israeli police and security guards in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Sunday evening, according to news reports. The clashes came less than…
Turkey denies entry to Israeli plane
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – New York – In a further sign of unravelling ties between the two countries, Turkey denied an Israeli air force jet permission to use its airspace en route to poland, the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronot reported…
Police seize funds from Gaza bank
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – New York – Police in the Gaza Strip seized $16,000 from a bank on Sunday after the institution refused to comply with a court order to release the funds. [Photo: Wikimedia Commons] AFP news agency has…
Lebanon arrests telecom exec suspected of spying for Israel
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – New York – Lebanese authorities have arrested an executive at state-owned mobile telecom firm Alfa on suspicion of spying for Israel , security sources told Reuters on Sunday. “Army intelligence officials are questioning him. They have also…
G-8 leaders convinced Israel will strike Iran, Italian PM says
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – New York – The leaders of the Group of Eight (G-8) world economic powers “believe absolutely” that Israel is likely to attack Iran to with the stated aim of preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons Italian…
12-hour power cut in Gaza
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – New York – Much of the Gaza Strip was without electricity for 12 hours on Sunday. [Wikimedia Commons] The Gaza power company said the blackouts occurred because the Strip’s sole power plant was short of fuel ,…
‘We want to live in dignity’
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – Protest for Palestinian rights in Lebanon New York – Thousands of Palestinians and Lebanese held a demonstration in front of the UN headquarters in Beirut demanding basic rights for Palestinian refugees. The descendants of those expelled…
Syria: Drought over but crops still failing
Palestine Note 27 Jun 2010 – Damascus – IRIN – More rain has signalled the end of three years of a devastating drought in Syria’s north-eastern region but it is not falling consistently enough to benefit this year’s harvests, UN agencies have…
Israeli soldier’s family urges swap
AlJazeera 27 Jun 2010 – Gilad Shalit’s parents march to prime minister’s home to press for prisoner exchange.
Refugees march for Lebanon rights
AlJazeera 27 Jun 2010 – Thousands of Palestinians rally in Lebanese capital seeking basic human rights.
Orthodox fathers freed in Israel
AlJazeera 27 Jun 2010 – Court orders release of those jailed in row over school integration.
Power Plant Operators To PNN: Power Cuts in Gaza up To 12 hours A Day
PNN – Gaza — PNN – The Director of operations at the Gaza Power Plant, Dirar Abu Sissi, said that the Gaza Strip will be suffering power cuts up to 12 hours day. The…
Palestinians Wounded In East Jerusalem Clashes
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura — PNN – A number of Palestinian residents were wounded on Sunday during clashes with Israeli police and settlers in the Sliwan village adjacent to Jerusalem’s old city. The clashes…
No More Flooding In Tubas
PNN – PNN — ANERA – “It was extremely challenging getting to the University; sometimes even impossible,” reminisces Ms. Randa Khader, a twenty-four-year-old student at Al-Quds Open University in Tubas. She frowns, adding, “Cars…
PARIAHS TO PIONEERS
PNN – PNN – ORG – Could the settler movement be part of the solution and not part of the problem in the resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? In light of the current proximity…
Germany To Rehabilitation Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant
PNN – PNN — Ramallah — over the weekend a contract for emergency rehabilitation and extension of Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant was signed. The project is carried out by the Coastal Municipal Water Utility (…
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
‘Fertilizer to be on Gaza negative list’
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – PM expected to show complete list of disallowed items to Obama.
Terkel panel begins flotilla probe
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – Both foreign observers arrive in Israel to monitor c’tee meetings.
Levanon formally takes up envoy’s post in ’chilly’ Cairo
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – Levanon, a veteran diplomat and fluent Arabic speaker born in Lebanon, has served previously as Israel’s envoy to the UN institutions in Geneva.
Silwan: 6 security personnel injured
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – Israeli forces and Palestinians clash in east Jerusalem neighborhood.
Panetta: Iran has uranium for 2 bombs
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – CIA director doubts UN penalties will stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Mullen: I see Israeli perspective
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – Barak expresses appreciation for visiting US army chief’s contributions.”
Conflicting reports on Iran ship
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – Statements from Teheran on sailing of Gaza aid flotilla differ.
Barak: Israel happy to weclome Mullen
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – “We very much value his contribution to the security and stability of the region”
UNWRA criticizes Palestinian infighting
Jeruslalem Post 27 Jun 2010 – UN agency blames shutdown of Gaza’s only power plant on Hamas and PA.
Ministers reject bill to prevent discrimination in state schools
Ha’aretz – Proposal called on government to revoke state funding of school found in violation of law; MK Molla: Government should have accepted this bill, given that the Immanuel affair ended today.
Israel’s chief justice lashes out over illegal West Bank building
Ha’aretz – Justices slam state over a request to retroactively authorize the construction of a sewage purification plant in the West Bank settlement of Ofra.
Western Wall museum plans threaten Roman relics, archaeologists warn
Ha’aretz – Jerusalem planning council to rule on controversial project that opponents claim would destroy valuable ancient structures beneath the Old City.
Immanuel parents: In Israel today, it’s the rabbis who decide – not the courts
Ha’aretz – As judges release parents jailed in West Bank school segregation row, Shas spiritual leader says ‘Only unity will save us.’
Kibbutz volunteers to mark centenary with nostalgic return to Israel
Ha’aretz – The kibbutz movement, 100 years old this year, hopes to persuade some of its 350,000 past volunteers to renew their connection with Israel this fall.
Noam Shalit: We are not optimistic as we set out for Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Noam Shalit, father of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, calls on public to take part in 12-day march to prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem.
Ask Israel to stop using live amunition against Gaza’s buffer zone protesters
27 Jun 2010 – Gaza , June 27, (Pal Telegraph — The Only Democracy) A call to stop the use of live ammunition by Israel against unarmed citizens in the Gaza ’buffer zone’. The catastrophic Israeli attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, which left 9 dead, has rightly horrified the international community. However, lethal force by the Israeli military is nothing new to Palestinians. In…
Captive Israeli soldier’s parents march for swap
27 Jun 2010 – Jerusalem, June 27, 2010 (Pal Telegraph-Reuters) — The parents of an Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip since 2006 began a 12-day march on Sunday from their northern home to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau’s Jerusalem residence to press for a prisoner swap. “We are strong enough to (trade) hundreds of murderers for Gilad Shalit,” said Shimshon Liebman, head of…
Gaza sits with no power for second consecutive day
27 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 27, (Pal Telegraph) Gaza sits in complete darkness and suffers from very long hours of power outages that lasted for more than two whole days. The Electricity Distribution Company in the governorates of the Gaza Strip, appealed to all Arab countries to take an effective positive attitude to help break the current situation and the difficult situation that…
Israel raids Hebron, no detentions were reported
27 Jun 2010 – Hebron, June 27, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided Sunday several neighborhoods in the city of Hebron, no detentions were reported. Local sources said that Israeli forces raided the neighborhoods of Hebron and roamed the main streets and crossroads. The IOF daily roams and raids the neighborhoods of Hebron under the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians….
20 Palestinian injured in Silwan clashes
27 Jun 2010 – Jerusalem, June 27, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) —Twenty Palestinian were wounded Sunday morning during clashes between them and Israeli policemen invading Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem, Palestinian sources reported. The sources reported the dozens of Israeli soldiers and border-guard units invaded the neighborhood in addition to armed Jewish settlers, adding that they opened fire randomly at the citizens and fired gas…
Gaza blockade ‘easing’ is a facade
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – After the world was in an uproar over the Israeli attack on the civilian flotilla bringing aid to the besieged Gaza Strip, Israel has now begun ‘easing’ the strangling blockade of Gaza. Previously prohibited items are now allowed in, and most media outlets covering the region show us images of lorries driving into Gaza thanks…
Iran, Turkey and the Arabs…
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – Was watching an interesting interview on Al-Jazeera Arabic. The guest is a Kuwaiti professor, a political analyst and an ex MP who was basically kicked out of the Kuwait Parliament and who goes by the name of Abdallah Al Nafissi. The discussion revolved on the rise of a new regional power – Turkey, as a…
The Only Democracy in the Middle East: 25.6.10
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – Across the West Bank, Friday was a day of protest against Israel’s blood diamonds, which are harvested while infringing on human rights in African countries and then polished in apartheid Israel and then exported. The diamond trade accounts for 30% of Israel’s total manufacturing exports. After the ceremony in honor of Palestinian prisoners, the people…
Amos Horev: Castrated Palestinian in Blood Vengeance
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – Amos Horev, the retired IDF general, former Technion president, and chief booster of the Israeli defense industry, has a rather sordid past that many might find akin to being a terrorist, Israel-style. He is one of three panel members of the Gaza flotilla investigation and this incident, described by the inimitable Tom Segev in a…
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights 2009 Annual Report
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – Each year, PCHR publishes its annual report on Occupied Palestine, this year’s a detailed 250 page review of the past year, including the first days of Israel’s war on Gaza, Operation Cast Lead, “the major issue in the record of human rights and international humanitarian law violations in the Occupied Palestinian Terrority (OPT) in 2009,”…
Washington asks Hamas not to comment on meetings with US officials
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – Press reports have quoted a senior US official as saying that a high levelled American envoy will arrive in an Arab country this week to hold meetings with the leaders of Hamas and to deliver a message from the US administration. Al-Quds Al-Arabi newspaper said that on Thursday, a senior political source in Hamas confirmed…
The two faces of Lebanon
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – Thousands of Lebanese and Palestinian activists are marching in Beirut today in support of social and economic rights for the more than 400,000 Palestinians living in the country’s 12 refugee camps. A debate in the Lebanese parliament over granting civil rights – apart from the right to vote and naturalisation – to Palestinian refugees has…
UNRWA director: Innocent children pay toll of Gaza siege
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – It is “shameful” that the international community allowed the Gaza siege to enter its fourth year as “750,000 innocent children are paying the toll,” UNRWA director of Gaza operations John Ging said Sunday. Speaking at a news conference in Gaza City, Ging added “The political focus should be translated into action rather than discussing improvements…
Israeli official during informal talks: “Jerusalem was promised by God to the Jews”
Uruknet June 27, 2010 – Deputy Israeli Prime Minister Dan Meridor held an ‘informal meeting’ with Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Friday, during which he quoted the late Pope John Paul II as saying, ” Jerusalem is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims alike, but was promised only to the Jews”. The intractable theological position of Israeli negotiators has, in…
Gaza’s only remaining power station shut down Saturday; causing widespread blackout
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – With the besieged population of the Gaza Strip facing severe electricity shortages, the one operational power station that was not bombed by Israeli forces last year shut down early Saturday morning due to a lack of fuel. The head of the Gaza Power Authority, Kan’an Obeid, blamed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, of the rival…
On the International Day against Torture, Al Mezan Calls the International Community to Intervene to Stop the Crime of Torture in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – The 26 June 2010 marks the International Day against Torture. It’s an occasion to promote all efforts to implement the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which entered into force on 26 June 1987. This year, the International Day against Torture comes amid the escalation in Israeli violations…
Gaza factories remain paralysed despite Israel pledge to ease blockade
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – The chilled Tropika that Salama al-Kishawi proudly serves guests in his office tastes, unusually for a processed juice, of real oranges — especially refreshing on a 35C midsummer day in Gaza. But the flagship product of the Gaza Juice Factory has a significance that goes way beyond its taste. The factory employs 65 workers and…
Calling for Accountability on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – …In retrospect, however, the Clinton administration had begun to pave the way for the torture regime that was developed in response to the 9/11 attacks by allowing – or tacitly encouraging – the CIA to become involved in a program of “extraordinary rendition” as early as 1995. Building on a long tradition of kidnapping foreign…
Israeli foreign minister wants Palestinians stripped of citizenship and relocated
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s far-right foreign minister, set out this week what he called a “blueprint for a resolution to the conflict” with the Palestinians that demands most of the country’s large Palestinian minority be stripped of citizenship and relocated outside Israel’s future borders. Mr Lieberman said that Israel faced growing diplomatic pressure for a full…
Likud Approves Resumption Of Settlement Activities
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – The Likud Party, headed by Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, decided Thursday evening to resume settlement activities in the occupied territories directly after the declared settlement “freeze” expires on September 26. Some 2,500 senior Likud party leaders and members held a party convention on Thursday evening and issue a statement confirming the resumption of settlement…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (17-23 June 2010)
Uruknet June 26, 2010 – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (17 — 23 June 2010):
Iranian cleric issues fatwa against pet dogs
The National 27 Jun 2010 – As keeping a pet dog becomes increasingly trendy in some parts of Tehran, a cleric has ruled that doing so is forbidden.
Palestinian refugees demand dignity in Lebanon
The National 27 Jun 2010 – An estimated 6,000 people gathered across Lebanon yesterday to demand greater social and economic rights for Palestinians in the country.
110,000 in Syria will be deprived of food aid’
The National 27 Jun 2010 – Global economic crunch and tensions between Syria and the US shown as reasons for donors’ unwillingness to give additional $12.2m needed.
Jewish Groups to Send Gaza Flotilla, JTA Says
WAFA – TEL AVIV, June 27, 2010 (WAFA)- A coalition of international Jewish organizations sympathetic to the Palestinians will send a flotilla to Gaza to try to break Israel’s blockade of the Strip, JTA
EWASH Calls for Ending not Easing Blockade
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 27, 2010 (WAFA)- The Emergency Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Group (EWASH) — a coalition of 26 NGOs called on Israel to put an immediate and sustained end to the blockade of the Gaza
China, OIC Express Determination to Continue Cooperation
WAFA – BEIJING, June 27, 2010 (WAFA)- On the basis of the fruitful interaction and discussion between the Chinese and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) delegations, both sides highlighted the
GEDCo Calls for Ending Crisis in Gaza
WAFA – GAZA, June 27, 2010 (WAFA)- Due to the seriousness of the current electrical power crisis existing in the Gaza Governorates, Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCo) appealed, today, to all
Iranian lawmakers to travel on Lebanese aid ships
Daily Star 27 Jun 2010 TEHRAN: Iranian lawmakers, protesting at Israel’s blockade of Gaza, plan to travel on an aid ship that is preparing to leave from Lebanon, an official said on Saturday. Lebanon said last week it would allow a…
Chavez meets with Assad in Venezuela, inks trade fund
Daily Star 27 Jun 2010 CARACAS: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez hosted Syrian President Bashar Assad late on Saturday and called on Latin America and the Arab world to fight what he called America’s imperialist and capitalist interests abroad. During a meeting…
Palestinians must resolve Gaza power crisis – UNRWA‚Äà
Daily Star 27 Jun 2010 GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Sunday called on bickering Palestinian factions to resolve a deepening electricity “crisis” in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip. “It is such a tragedy that, on top…
American military chief in Israel for top-level talks
Daily Star 27 Jun 2010 TEL AVIV: The top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, on Sunday held talks in Tel Aviv with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and other members of the military’s top brass, officials said. A US Embassy…
Captured Gilad Shalit’s family begins march across Israel
Daily Star 27 Jun 2010 MITZPE HILA, Israel: Roars of support and a sea of ribbons marked the start on Sunday of a march across Israel by Gilad Shalit’s family in a campaign to bring back the soldier held in Gaza…
US: Turkey must demonstrate commitment to West
Daily Star 27 Jun 2010 WASHINGTON: The United States is warning Turkey that it is alienating US supporters and needs to demonstrate its commitment to partnership with the West. The remarks by Philip Gordon, the Obama administration’s top diplomat on European…
Egypt barring Gaza aid ship from Suez Canal – Iran Red Crescent
Daily Star 27 Jun 2010 TEHRAN: The Iranian Red Crescent said on Sunday that in addition to restrictions imposed by Israel, Egypt had barred a Gaza-bound aid ship from entering the Suez Canal, leading to the trip being postponed. “The ship’s…
Gaza murals warn against collaboration with Israel
The Guardian 27 Jun 2010 – Following the execution of two informants in April, Hamas has launched a campaign including murals, posters, radio broadcasts and religious speeches in an effort to reduce collaboration with the Israeli military Harriet Sherwood
Hamas warns Palestinians against collaborating with Israel
The Guardian 27 Jun 2010 – Gaza campaign includes posters, murals, radio broadcasts and religious speeches, and runs alongside amnesty for informants Hamas has launched a campaign warning Palestinians in Gaza against collaborating with Israel following the execution of two alleged informants…
Peres to meet with Livni
YNet News – After meeting with PM twice last week, president slated to meet with opposition….
Lebanese man suspected of spying for Israel
YNet News – Ad-Diyar reports cell phone company employee suspected of giving Israel….
Mullen says he sees threats from Israeli angle
YNet News – Israeli ambassador in Washington believes that Israel and US growing apart, but….
Iran: Children appeal for help in saving mother from execution
YNet News – Woman convicted of having sex with two men who murdered her husband sentenced to….
Court to State: Implement demolition order for Ofra plant
YNet News – High Court gives State 90 days to declare why it has yet to destroy West Bank….
Collaborator: Officer didn’t want info on Shalit
YNet News – Gaza-based website quotes senior Palestinian collaborator as saying he tried to….
Turkey bans entry of IDF aircraft
YNet News – Delegation of officers headed to Auschwitz forced to use alternative route after….
Report: Syria wants Brazil to help Mideast peace
YNet News – Syrian President Bashar Assad has invited Brazil to help negotiate peace in the Middle East, a sign that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has strengthened his …….
Construction at Sheikh Jarrah begins
YNet News – Construction in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah began Sunday, just a few days before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to meet with the US …….
Molotov cocktails thrown in Silwan, 10 injured
YNet News – Disturbances in Silwan continue. Some 200 people started rioted Sunday in the Silwan neighborhood of east Jerusalem. The rioters threw stones at dozens of Border Guard …….
Hamas releases new Shalit animation
YNet News – On the day the march for Gilad Shalit’s release set off from Mitzpe Hila, Hamas published a new animated video depicting the moment the soldier was kidnapped on June 25, …….
Bereaved families: Shalit, not at any price
YNet News – Bereaved families said Sunday, as a march in honor of kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit began making its way to Jerusalem, that they feel the price for the soldier’s release …….
West worries China may undermine Iran sanctions efforts
LA Times 28 Jun 2010 – Officials fear that China, which has questioned the value of sanctions and is hungry for energy, will step up its trade with Iran as other countries scale back. U.S. and European officials in charge of efforts to tighten sanctions against Iran have expressed new concerns that China is quietly positioning itself to undermine the latest measures.
Family of Captured Israeli Soldier Press for Deal
New York Times 27 Jun 2010 – The family of Gilad Shalit began a march to Jerusalem to press the government to make a deal for his release.
Egypt Concedes to Resistance Against Privatization
New York Times 27 Jun 2010 – The act of selling state companies had become radioactive because of resistance from a skeptical public that believed the transactions were riddled with corruption and insider dealing.
Palestinians and Police Collide in East Jerusalem
New York Times 27 Jun 2010 – The city plans to raze 22 Palestinian homes to make way for a tourist area.
Anti-Zionist show in Rochester is back on, though not in original church venue
Mondoweiss – Yesterday we ran musician Rich Siegel’s report that a gig he was doing at a church in Rochester, NY, with Gilad Atzmon, like Siegel an anti-Zionist, got cancelled because of political pressure, including from a local temple, B’rith Kodesh. Some folks who read the report queried…
’NYT’ makes excuses for Netanyahu
Mondoweiss – Can it be a coincidence that just as Netanyahu is about to visit Obama, reports surface that the the un-frozen settlement ‘freeze’ continues in robust fashion (“Construction begins on 20 homes in Sheikh Jarrah”). I’m not a prophet, but I’m going to guess that this, too,…
Long predicted, Goldberg’s eclipse finally begins
Mondoweiss – Everyone’s talking about this post by Glenn Greenwald on Jeffrey Goldberg’s journalistically-disastrous performance in the buildup to the Iraq war. Greenwald puts more fuel on a fire that can only be built now, when that tragic decision is in the past, about why we made the…
Goldstone missed the cut
Mondoweiss – When Israel announced the formation of an independent commission to investigate the Flotilla debacle, Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a statement welcoming the news and noting that “the structure and terms of reference of Israel’s proposed independent public commission can meet the standard of a prompt,…
Roll over Ben-Gurion— Michael Oren says the special relationship is over
Mondoweiss – Haaretz reports : Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Michael Oren, painted a dark picture of U.S.-Israeli relations during a briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem last week. Israeli diplomats say Oren described the current situation as a “tectonic rift” in which Israel and the United States are…
Channel Two TV news demonstrates how to railroad a non-violent protest movement
Coteret – The Sheikh Jarrah protest movement pulled off an impressive demonstration on Friday (June 25 2010.) More than five hundred Israelis and Palestinians marched in the East Jerusalemneighborhoodof Silwan, to protest the planned demolition of 22 Palestinian homes .” Bernard Avishai has posted an interesting account of…
Globes publishes guide to post-flotilla international business for Israelis
Coteret – Here’s a simpler, three-step, guide: Accept the existence of a connection between your government’s policies and the trouble you’re having; recognize that alternatives exist (hey, your PM just said that the blockade was amistake); use your clout to force the government to adopt them. Until they…
Yediot: In summit with Netanyahu, Obama will demand full lifting of Gaza blockade
Coteret – Obama to demand end to blockade Shimon Shiffer, Yediot, June 27 2010 [page 4; Hebrew original here and at bottom of post] The lifting of the blockade on the Gaza Strip and permission for Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip freely through Israeli border crossings. These…
Shalit’s parents begin long march
BBC – The parents of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit begin a long march to Jerusalem to press for his release, four years after his capture.
Jonathan Cook — Gaza Blockade — ‘Let Them Eat Coriander!’
Sabbah report – By Jonathan Cook* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz As Israel this week declared the “easing” of the four-year blockade of Gaza, an official explained the new guiding principle: “Civilian goods for civilian people.” The severe and apparently arbitrary restrictions on foodstuffs entering the enclave — coriander…
Dr. Elias Akleh — Who is the Terrorist: Hamas or Israel?
Sabbah report – By Dr. Elias Akleh* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Israelis justify their genocidal economic siege against Gaza Strip, their December 2008 barbaric war crime onslaught against 1.5 million Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and their international piracy against the international “Break the Siege Campaign” and the humanitarian…
(en) Britain, Anarchist Federation (AF) – Crocodile Tears for Gaza
A-infos – This text was originally distributed by Manchester Anarchist Federation as a leaflet on a demonstration in solidarity with Gaza on Sunday 13/6/10 —— On May 31st in the dead of night, Israeli elite commandos stormed a convoy of ships carrying aid, preventing it from reaching Gaza,…
Articles
Fighting talk — The new propaganda
Robert Fisk, The Independent, Israeli Occupation Archive6/27/2010
Following the latest in semantics on the news? Journalism and the Israeli government are in love again. It’s Islamic terror, Turkish terror, Hamas terror, Islamic Jihad terror, Hezbollah terror, activist terror, war on terror, Palestinian terror, Muslim terror, Iranian terror, Syrian terror, anti-Semitic terror…
But I am doing the Israelis an injustice. Their lexicon, and that of the White House — most of the time — and our reporters’ lexicon, is the same. Yes, let’s be fair to the Israelis. Their lexicon goes like this: Terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror, terror.
How many times did I just use the word “terror”? Twenty. But it might as well be 60, or 100, or 1,000, or a million. We are in love with the word, seduced by it, fixated by it, attacked by it, assaulted by it, raped by it, committed to it. It is love and sadism and death in one double syllable, the prime time-theme song, the opening of every television symphony, the headline of every page, a punctuation mark in our journalism, a semicolon, a comma, our most powerful full stop. “Terror, terror, terror, terror”. Each repetition justifies its predecessor.
Most of all, it’s about the terror of power and the power of terror. Power and terror have become interchangeable. We journalists have let this happen. Our language has become not just a debased ally, but a full verbal partner in the language of governments and armies and generals and weapons. Remember the “bunker buster” and the “Scud buster” and the “target-rich environment” in the Gulf War (Part One)? Forget about “weapons of mass destruction”. Too obviously silly. But “WMD” in the Gulf War (Part Two) had a power of its own, a secret code — genetic, perhaps, like DNA — for something that would reap terror, terror, terror, terror, terror. “45 Minutes to Terror”.
Power and the media are not just about cosy relationships between journalists and political leaders, between editors and presidents…. — See also:Sourcemore..e-mail
Speaking out against injustice, disinformation and bigotry
Paul J. Balles, Redress6/28/2010
Paul J. Balles recounts how every time he spoke out against injustice, disinformation and bigotry — the Vietnam war, the Palestine-Israel conflict, the aggressions against Iraq and Afghanistan — he was told to shut up. But he will never shut up.
”It’s my patriotic duty … to criticize my own country where there’s injustice, inhuman cruelty, bigotry, brainwashing or disinformation inadequately revealed in any major media.”
Born and raised in America, I learned that my country was built on outstanding principles propped up by a great constitution. When I saw those principles violated and the constitution ignored, I complained. At times, I was told to shut up.
The Vietnam War was well underway when I started teaching at a California university. I learned as much as I could about the war, believed it was wrong and joined the protesters. My untenured position was at risk for joining the peaceniks.
I also learned that Arabs and Israelis were more alike than different when expressing their antagonism toward each other. One of each happened to be in a class I was teaching. Each would sidle up to me, separately and at different times, to explain what was wrong with the other.
The Israeli told me how Arabs wanted to drive Israelis into the sea. The Arab explained how Arabs and Jews had lived in harmony for centuries in Palestine; and he couldn’t understand why the Israelis were stealing their land.
Assuring me that they were threatened, the Israeli reminded me of how six million Jews suffered the fate of a Holocaust in Germany. He even argued that Israel was under constant threat from millions of Arabs surrounding his people.more..e-mail
Israelis, Internationals Take Action Against Silwan Demolitions
Palestine Monitor: 26 Jun 2010 – Hundreds of Israelis joined Palestinians and international peace activists in the streets of Silwan, East Jerusalem yesterday in protest against the decision to destroy 22 Palestinian homes. The historic show of support coincides with UN and US condemnation of the Municipality’s provocative scheme. Written by Michael Carpenter. Photography by Rebecca Fudala. “The state of Israel has taken a bad path in the last several decades, and we are here to say that not all Israelis support it.” Said Shira Wilkof, one of seven principle organisers of the Israeli-led protests in Sheikh Jarrah. This week they lent their support to the people of Silwan. Speaking just before the march began, she explained, “This is going to be one of the biggest demonstrations in one of the most sensitive and complex neighbourhoods where I would say some of the most evil occupation is taking place. For me, this is an historic event,…
Shalit, For Example
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Jun 2010 – By Uri Avnery I am composing these lines while looking through the window at the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, and thinking about the young man who is being held not far from this sea, a few dozen kilometers from here. Can Gilad Shalit look out on the same sea through his window? Does he even have a window? How is he? How is he being treated? He has been in captivity for four years and one day today, with no end in sight. Gilad Shalit has become a living symbol — a symbol of Israeli reality, of the inability of our leaders to make decisions, of their moral and political cowardice, of their inability to analyze a situation and draw conclusions. If there had been an opportunity to free Shalit through military action, the Israeli government would have seized it eagerly. So much is obvious, because the Israeli…more
The Golden Rings of Betrayal
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Jun 2010 – By William A. Cook [NOTE: On the 21st of June Haaretz published an article, ‘Lebanon allows Gaza-bound ship to sail to Cyprus.’ Two ships may be involved, one with a contingent of Americans, approximately 10, another with a group of women including Nuns, the Miriam. This new effort at breaking the Israeli siege of Gaza follows the attack on the boats that sailed from Turkey where 9 people were killed by Israeli naval forces. The exact date for the sailing has not been announced but expectations were high for this Saturday. The Council for National Interest in Washington, D.C. has been a major organizer for this venture. Dr. Cook joined the CNI contingent and is now in Lebanon. The timing of this event coincides with the publication of his The Plight of the Palestinians and the publication in Arabic of his The Chronicles of Nefaria printed in Amman, Jordan.] Not…more
Occupied Palestine: Good News and Bad
Palestine Chronicle: 27 Jun 2010 – By Stephen Lendman First the good news. On June 22, the International Middle East Media Center reported that the UN Human Rights Council (that established the Goldstone Commission) approved “forming an international committee to probe the deadly Israeli” Flotilla attack, massacring and injuring dozens of nonviolent activists on board. Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to shelve it, saying: “We expressed our view that for the time being, as long as….new flotillas are in the preparation, it’s probably better to leave (an investigation) on the shelf for a certain time” – in other words, postpone it long enough to forget, letting Israel’s self-examination whitewash top officials’ culpability, a vain hope given world outrage, mushrooming toward universally branding Israel a pariah rogue state. The Human Rights Council (HRC) said committee officials will include lawyers and international law and human rights experts, the body to present its findings in…more
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The New Dark Age 