News
International Middle East Media Center
Mitchell To Start Middle East Tour
IMEMC – 29 Jun 2010 – U.S. Middle East Peace Envoy, George Mitchell, will start a two-day tour in Israel and the Palestinian territories, on Tuesday.
Zahhar: “Eight Ships Heading To Gaza In Coming Months”
IMEMC – 29 Jun 2010 – Hamas political leader, Mahmoud Zahhar, stated that there are at least eight solidarity ships that would be heading to the Gaza Strip in the coming two months.
6,800 Detainees, Including 300 Children, Currently Imprisoned By Israel
IMEMC – 28 Jun 2010 – Abdul-Nasser Farawna, a Palestinian researcher specialising in detainees’ affairs and a former detainee himself, stated that there are currently 6,800 detainees imprisoned by Israel, including 300 children, 34 women, and 213 detainees in administrative detention.
IHH releases flotilla assessment
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Turkish humanitarian group IHH has released an assessment of the flotilla mission last month in which nine activists died when Israeli forces raided the vessel in international waters. “This operation was hostile from the very beginning, directed towards killing and killing as many as possible. Israeli soldiers did not open fire on the ships as a warning. They opened fire to kill…”
5 seized in Silwan, including 12-year-old child
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem/Jerusalem – Ma’an “Israeli forces seized five Palestinians, including a 12-year-old child, from Silwan in East Jerusalem at dawn on Tuesday. – Ma’an’s Jerusalem correspondent said the detentions relate to the clashes that erupted in Silwan on Saturday. The detainees were identified as Ahmad and Nasser Abu Nab, Ahmad Awad, Ahmad Abu….
No World Cup in Gaza as Strip drowns in darkness
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an ““ While football matches entertain the rest of the world, few in Gaza will enjoy the privilege, as most houses do not have electricity. Gaza local Abu Muhammad followed the Algeria ““ Slovenia match on the local radio, but said he was sad that he could only hear the game and not watch….
Thousands of Gazans trek to Cairo for medical treatment
6/29/2010 – Cairo – IRIN – Thousands of Gazans are taking advantage of an open border crossing with Egypt since 1 June to seek treatment for a range of illnesses in Cairo hospitals.”Israel’s blockade has left everything in Gaza in tatters. People can’t find the simplest things to meet their needs,” said 40-year-old Gazan Sayed Abu Asi….
Israeli press: Mitchell ’frustrated’ by Israel
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – US Middle East envoy George Mitchell is frustrated by Israel’s lack of “seriousness” on core issues in proximity talks, a senior US official told Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz. Mitchell, due in the region for further talks Thursday, wants “things to move faster,” the official added. In four rounds of proximity talks….
Az-Zahar: Gulf states will send wave of flotillas
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – “At least eight ships will come from the Gulf” to bring aid to Gaza in coming months, Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahar said Sunday. He added that the states involved could include Iran, and questioned what “morality” could justify preventing the country giving food and medicine, in an interview with British daily newspaper….
Former Israel ministers back Shalit deal
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies ““ While the directors of Israel’s Mossad spy agency object to releasing “?ìheavyweight” killers in exchange for the release of captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, Israel’s four most recent defense ministers are reportedly ready for a deal. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak as well as former defense ministers Amir Peretz, Shaul Mofaz….
Israel army court sentences Bethlehem man to life
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an “An Israeli military court has sentenced a Bethlehem resident to life in jail, a prisoners group said Tuesday. Nayef Obeiyat was detained in 2006 and was sentenced to life by Israel’s Ofer military court, the Detainees Center reported….
Israeli forces detain PA security officer
6/29/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an “Israeli forces detained a member of the Palestinian Authority security forces during an overnight raid of the Idhna village in the southern West Bank district of Hebron on Monday. A PA security source said Nour Ad-Din Al-Kharouf, 33, was detained after Israeli forces raided his home and took him to an unknown location….
Armed group claims shelling attack in Gaza
6/29/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an “A leftist Palestinian military group said its operatives launched two mortar shells at an Israeli target in the northern Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said its forces launched the shells at an Israeli force near the Erez crossing.” This attack….
Israel agrees to broaden flotilla probe’s scope
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to broaden the powers of a committee charged with probing the Gaza flotilla raid, Israeli peace group Gush Shalom said Tuesday. The announcement follows reports in Israeli media that Judge Ya’akov Tirkel, who heads the committee, threatened to resign unless the government agrees to widen the scope….
PA urges Israel to stop torture in ’all forms’
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – On the occasion of the International Day Against Torture, the Palestinian Authority cabinet stressed that torture and assaults on Palestinian prisoners are practiced by various Israeli authorities.” Israel is the only country in the world which goes far in practicing all forms of physical and psychological torture against our people at checkpoints, in….
Indonesia lawmakers visit Gaza
6/29/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an “A delegation of Indonesian parliament members arrived in the Gaza Strip from Egypt on Tuesday. The 35-member group was received by Ahmad Bahar, the head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, at the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza. The delegation is expected to place a cornerstone at the site of a new….
Haniyeh calls on Arab world to break siege
6/29/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an “Gaza government premier Ismail Haniyeh said US and Israeli efforts to ease the Gaza blockade are “only lies,” as he met with an Indonesian parliamentary delegation on Tuesday. Haniyeh called on Arabs and Muslims to “continue their political and public efforts” to bring the Israeli-imposed siege to an end, adding that media reports….
5,000 stores undergo settlement goods inspection
6/29/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an “Volunteers for the Palestinian Authority’s latest settlement good boycott initiative visited over 5,000 supermarkets across the West Bank on Monday, as the Shop to Shop campaign entered its second day. Campaign directer Omar Kabha said store owners responded to volunteers, who disseminate information on the settlement goods ban and inspect supermarkets. The initiative….
Russia to send 50 troop carriers to PA
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced Tuesday that 50 troop carriers would soon be delivered to the Palestinian Authority.”Moscow provided them [the carriers] a few years ago but Israel refused to hand them over,” Lavrov said, speaking to reporters in Ramallah.”We have already sent the carriers. The vehicles arrived in Jordan….
Gaza government opens new prison
6/29/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an “The Gaza government inaugurated a newly-built prison on Monday in the southern Gaza district of Khan Younis. Built on lands of the evacuated Israeli settlement Jani Tal, the prison is able to hold up to 800 inmates, Gaza Interior Minister Fathi Hammad said at the opening ceremony.”The law is above everyone. There….
Man jailed for selling land to Israel
6/29/2010 – Qalqiliya – Ma’an “The Palestinian Authority Court of First Instance on Tuesday sentenced a Palestinian man to 10 years imprisonment on charges of selling land to Israel. The accused, identified only by the initials AF, 44, from Qalqiliya in the occupied West Bank, was convicted in accordance with the 1960 article 144 of the penal code….
Fatah document to urge Abbas into unity deal
6/29/2010 – Bethlehem/Jerusalem ““ Ma’an ““ Fatah’s Revolutionary Council has prepared a document for President Mahmoud Abbas urging him to guarantee a Palestinian unity deal with Hamas, Jerusalem Affairs chief Hatem Abdul Qader told Ma’an on Tuesday. While the document commends Abbas for his contribution toward reconciling rival movements Fatah and Hamas, it aims at “paralleling” the pressure….
Pregnant settler killed, Palestinian injured in crash
6/29/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an “An Israeli woman residing on an illegal settlement was killed and one Palestinian was injured when their cars collided on the Wadi Al-Balat road near the Birzeit village north of Ramallah on Tuesday. Tahila Malakhi, 23, living in the Ateret settlement, was evacuated from the wreckage by a Palestinian civil defense rescue crew….
Jerusalem politicians face expulsion
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Israel creating loyalty test, warn lawyers Israeli human-rights groups and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, have condemned a decision by Israel to expel four Palestinian politicians from East Jerusalem by the end of…
The PA’s end (of year grade card)
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Last Monday, Palestine Note reported that PLO Chief Negotiator, Saeb Erekat has once again threatened the disbanding of the Palestinian Authority. After my initial panic at the chaos that would ensue, I decided to examine the…
Jerusalem’s Mayor is a Threat to Israel’s future
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Americans for Peace Now sent a letter to President Obama today, urgently pointing out what should be obvious to him: ” Engage NOW to get Jerusalem under control.” The full text of the letter can be…
Sacking McChrystal: Testimony to a lost war
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Normal 0 false false false EN-US ZH-CN AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 On August 10, 1997, in The New York Times Magazine, David K. Shipler headlined, “Robert McNamara and the Ghosts of Vietnam” saying: Looking back, one of the…
Saudi king: Peace Initiative still on table
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – White House: Abdullah committed to deal with Israel New York – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah reiterated his commitment to a comprehensive peace deal with Israel during a meeting with US President Barack Obama, the White House…
Turkel threatens to quit flotilla probe
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Washington — The head of Israel’s internal investigation into the deadly May 31 flotilla raid has threatened to quit unless the commission is granted a wider scope. Haaretz reported Tuesday: Earlier this week, retired Supreme Court…
PA boycott squeezes settlements
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Washington – The Palestinian Authority’s boycott of settlement-produced goods is having tangible effects on the wallets of Israelis and Israeli settlers, the Guardian reported Tuesday. Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad, a political independent seated with Israeli opposition…
Border police admits point-blank execution
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Washington – The border policeman who shot Palestinian Ziad Al-Julani earlier this month has admitted to shooting Al-Julani at point-blank range, a Justice Ministry investigation revealed via Haaretz . Originally following the incident, an official police statement…
Activists accuse Egypt of blockading Gaza
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Washington — Egyptian officials have barred a group of Jordanian activists, trade unionists, and journalists from entering Gaza through the Rafah border crossing, AFP news agency reported Tuesday. “They carry nothing but solidarity for the people…
UN expert: Jerusalem demolitions, settlements could be war crimes
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – New York – Israel’s demolition of Palestinian houses and construction of new Jewish-only settlements in East Jerusalem could amount to war crimes, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories said Monday….
Settlers distraught over handgun law
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Washington — West Bank settlers have condemned a new government campaign aimed at limiting handguns, saying the government should give them special treatment, Haaretz reported Tuesday. In a society where compulsory military service means the majority…
Israel FM: No Palestinian state before 2012
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – New York – No Palestinian state will be established in the next two years, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Tuesday, citing difficulties in the US-managed negotiation process. US envoy George Mitchell met with Israeli Foreign…
Mitchell ‘frustrated’ with Netanyahu
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Washington – US Middle East envoy George Mitchell is “frustrated” with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct toward negotiations with the Palestinians, the Israeli daily Haaretz said Tuesday. PM Netanyahu (left) appears with then-Presidential candidate Barack…
IHH: Flotilla raid premeditated
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Turkish group releases report on Israeli assault New York – Israel’s May 31 raid on a Gaza-bound aid convoy was a premeditated attack with the intention to kill, Turkish charity IHH said in a report released…
Thousands of Gazans trek to Cairo for medical treatment
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Cairo – IRIN – Thousands of Gazans are taking advantage of an open border crossing with Egypt since 1 June to seek treatment for a range of illnesses in Cairo hospitals. A British aid convoy arrives…
Israeli foreign minister wants Palestinians stripped of citizenship and relocated
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – NAZARETH // 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…
Channel Ten news: Construction starts at Shepherd Hotel settlement compound in Sheikh Jarrah, East Jerusalem
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Transcript follows video. This comes on the day of the publication of the Jerusalem Municipality Master Plan, with plans for expansion of settlement enclaves across the city. Last night, riots broke out in the East Jerusalem…
Israeli newspapers: Bad at geography
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – As Israel and Iranian jingoists keep on beating the war drums, they are forgetting one thing… geography. Multiple stories in the Israeli press this weekend described an upcoming Iranian blockade-busting ship to the Gaza Strip that…
Silwan becomes a battlefield
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Last night tensions in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan boiled over , leading to some of the most serious clashes between Palestinians residents of the city and Israeli security forces in years. This is not the…
Mideast night beat: Jerusalem, flotilla, assassination
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – By Jared Malsin Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middle East, and beyond: The Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City [Photo: Berthold Werner, Wikimedia Commons] The Israeli mayor of Jerusalem,…
Opposition leader: Netanyahu ‘ruining the country’
Palestine Note 28 Jun 2010 – Washington — Opposition leader Tzipi Livni condemned current Israeli leadership, saying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak are “ruining the country,” Ynet News reported Monday. “Israel is in trouble, not because the whole…
West Bank poverty ‘worse than Gaza’
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2010 – More children going hungry in the West Bank’s poorest areas than in blockaded Gaza.
Saudis urge US on Middle East peace
AlJazeera 29 Jun 2010 – King Abdullah in US to discuss Palestinian issue and nuclear standoff with Iran.
The Treatment Of Palestinian Refugees In Lebanon
PNN – Beirut — PNN – There are over 400,000 Palestinians living in twelve refugee camps in Lebanon and today many are marching in Beirut calling for their social and economic rights. Allowing Palestinians…
Jordanians to Invest in Israeli Farm Industry
PNN – Mustafa Sabri — PNN- A number of Jordanian investors are planning to invest in farming business in the Israeli side of the Jordan valley. According to media sources in Jordan, Israel has…
U.S. Frustration with Stalled Proximity Talks
PNN – Washington – PNN – U.S. envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell arrives again this week to continue proximity talks with Israeli and Palestinian leadership in Jerusalem and Ramallah. Israeli Media reported…
Captured Soldier’s Family Pressures Israeli Government
PNN – Israel – PNN – The family of captured Israeli soldier Galid Shalit is marching with thousands of supporters from northern Israel to Jerusalem in order to put pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin…
UN Condemns the Vandalism of Gaza Summer Camp
PNN – Gaza — PNN – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the vandalism saying he is very concerned that this is the second such incident in a month. On Monday unknown gunmen in…
Protestors Take Responsibility Over The Future Of Sheikh Jarrah
PNN – Alessandra Bajec- PNN – A hot Friday afternoon, walking down from Nablus Rd in East Jerusalem , the noticeable crowd on a small park, some Brazilian beats resonating in the air. For several…
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
Settler ads to oppose new freeze
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – Ahead of PM’s visit to Washington, settlers’ group launches ad campaign.
Are sanctions kicking in?
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – As major oil companies pull out of Iran, analysts differ over the import of new economic restrictions.
‘Bulgaria shares warm ties with Israel’
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – Bulgarian FM Nikolay Mladenov calls visit the sign of a “true friend.”
4 firefighters hurt in major blazes
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – 3000 dunams burned in Beit Shemesh; fires break out across Israel.
Fires break out across Israel
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – Aircraft, IDF soldiers join firefighters in nation-wide battle.
Netanyahu to Lavrov: Pressure Hamas
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – PM asks Russian FM to help secure Gilad Schalit’s release.
FM: Iran is biggest threat to ME
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – Lavrov says Moscow will continue to engage with Hamas.
Lieberman: Iran is the biggest threat to ME due to support for terrorists
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – FM, Russian counterpart express difference in opinion as Lavrov says Moscow will continue to engage with Hamas, explains Quartet mechanism needed to be expanded to be more effective.
Russia to continue ties with Hamas
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – Lavrov: Quartet mechanism needed to be expanded to be more effective.
‘Israel must apologize for Gaza blockade’
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – In TV interview, Erdogan says Turkey won’t mediate Syria talks.
Deserter to receive military burial
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – IDF agrees to bury AWOL soldier killed in accident.
Netanyahu and Barak destroying the country, says Livni
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – Opposition leader criticizes gov’t at Kadima meeting.
International Solidarity Movement
Israel to Reinvestigate the Shooting of US Activist Tristan Anderson
6/30/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – The Israeli District Attorney announced last week that the police will revisit its investigation into the shooting of American activist, Tristan Anderson, who was critically injured by a high velocity tear gas projectile that was shot directly at him by an Israeli Border Police officer during an anti-Wall protest in the….
Magen David Adom chief questioned in tax fraud probe
Ha’aretz – Ambulance services’ chief executive Eli Been investigated over suspected use of tax breaks for personal gain.
Police suspects arsonists to blame for Jerusalem-area brush fire
Ha’aretz – Fires rage in regions across Israel due to continued summer heat-wave; residents evacuated, no casualties reported.
West Bank settlers outraged by Israel Police curb on handguns
Ha’aretz – West Bank residents claim discrimination as nationwide campaign to limit gun use makes no exception for Israelis living beyond the Green Line.
Islamic Movement may be poisoning souls of Israeli Arabs, MK says
Ha’aretz – Zevulun Orlev comments during emergency Knesset committee meet, concerning the movement’s infiltration into northern Israel’s education system.
Pregnant woman, unborn child killed in West Bank car accident
Ha’aretz – The collision occurred on the road to Bir Zeit when a car, driven by a resident of the Binyamin settlement, was killed after frontal collision with a Palestinian driver
IDF deserter will receive official military burial, AG says
Ha’aretz – Decision comes after IDF informed the family of Yair Sassoon, who was killed in a motorcycle accident, that their son could not be considered a soldier.
Citing ‘parking rage,’ police seek to limit number of cars entering TA port
Ha’aretz –
Watchdog slams police, prosecution’s handling of Haim Ramon ‘kiss affair’
Ha’aretz –
T.A. court subpoenas two Merck scientists who allegedly knew of Vioxx dangers
Ha’aretz –
Nature guides may be hiding facts to avoid offending religious hikers
Ha’aretz – The Knesset is expected to look into the possibility that Israel Nature and Parks Authority guides at the Soreq Cave Nature Reserve are concealing the true age of the cavern’s…
Razing of Palestinian homes in E. Jerusalem approved despite 250 shortfalls in plan
Ha’aretz – Documents obtained by Haaretz suggest that the plan to raze 22 Palestinian homes in Silwan to make room for tourist center was not ready to be approved by planning committee,…
Saudi king assures Obama of commitment to two-state Mideast solution
Ha’aretz – King Abdullah hosts Obama to discuss ‘importance’ of Palestinian state beside strong Israel; meeting also focused on Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
AWOL soldier given military funeral despite IDF’s objections
Ha’aretz – Yair Sasson’s parents had petitioned High Court against army’s decision; Sasson had agreed to return to army on June 27, but was killed two days before he could fulfill promise.
Netanyahu likely to widen remit of Gaza flotilla probe after judge threatens to quit
Ha’aretz – Government to bow to pressure from Justice Jacob Turkel, who says law demands a wider scope for inquiry into Israel’s deadly raid on a Turkish-flagged aid ship a month ago.
Egypt forces kill Eritrean woman at Israel border
Ha’aretz – Two other Eritrean women and a child arrested; at least 19 migrants have been shot trying to enter Israel this year.
Netanyahu to Russia: Pressure Hamas to free Shalit
Ha’aretz – Family of abducted soldier reaches Haifa area on day 3 of its protest march to Jerusalem, accompanied by 3,000 supporters.
Israel transfer of Hamas men from Jerusalem may be war crime, UN envoy says
Ha’aretz – UN human rights rapporteur says forcible transfer of four Palestinians from East Jerusalem would break international law.
Israel raid on Gaza flotilla was a premeditated ‘terrorist attack’, say Turkish organizers
Ha’aretz – Report drafted by IHH, the Turkish NGO which spearheaded the May 31 flotilla, calls says IDF deadly takeover ‘an attack against all humanity and peace’.
Lieberman: Absolutely no chance for a Palestinian state within next two years
Ha’aretz – Foreign Minister slams Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov over Moscow’s contacts with Hamas, as the two officials meet in Jerusalem.
Erdogan: Israel must apologize for Gaza flotilla, blockade
Ha’aretz – Turkish PM tells Charlie Rose that Israeli government is the single biggest obstacle to Mideast peace, saying Turkey convinced Hamas to join talks ‘to a certain extent.’
Mullen: Iran will continue to strive for nukes
Ha’aretz – U.S. military chief says there is ‘no reason to trust’ Iran’s assurances that it is only pursuing a peaceful nuclear program.
Hamas releases new animated video featuring Gilad Shalit
Ha’aretz – Clip depicts the cross-border raid in which Shalit was abducted, with a tank shown exploding.
Israel detains two Palestinians in Jenin
29 Jun 2010 – Jenin, June 29, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces detained two Palestinians in Jenin overnight, in the West Bank. Israeli forces detained the two men, Gasan Ablai, 42, and Saleh Al-Sadi, 55, while they were passing a street near Al-Zbabda town. They were in their way back from a hospital in Nablus when they were stopped at a sudden…
Israel launches arresting campaigns in Jerusalem
29 Jun 2010 – Jerusalem, June 29, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli occupation forces arrested today five Jerusalemites from the town of ‘Silwan’, south of Al Aqsa Mosque. Local sources said that the Israeli occupation forces have launched a wide arresting campaign in ‘Holwa’ valley and the middle of the town. According to the same sources, Israeli forces arrested five Jerusalemites, including two children under the…
Israel raids Yata, Ezna in Hebron
29 Jun 2010 – Hebron, June 29, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided today several neighborhoods in the city of Hebron. Local sources said that Israeli forces raided the towns of Ezna and Yata in Hebron. They detained Nour Al-Kharouf, from Ezna after searching his house. The IOF daily roams and raids the neighborhoods of Hebron under the pretext of searching…
Israel conducts different raids and incursions in Gaza
29 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 29, (Pal Telegraph) A Gazan died and three others were injured after an Israeli raid on the separating fence east of Gaza City. Witnesses said that an Israeli tank fired a shell and at least at the end of palm street in Sha’f area, but the Israeli army said that its planes carried out the raid during their…
Gaza awaits major crisis sitting without power and water
29 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 29, (Pal Telegraph) Municipality of Gaza warned of the possibility that the sewage system of the Gaza Strip will collapse in the event if these outrageously long power outages continue, this also cause the cut of power off the pumps of wastewater in all regions. Experts stressed that the shut down of Gaza’s sewage station is an example…
Mitchell visits Palestine and Israel today
29 Jun 2010 – Ramallah, June 29, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli sources said that the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, George Mitchell, will arrive today to Israel and the Palestinian territories in a two-days visit. The sources added that Mitchell will meet with officials in Israel and the Palestinian National Authority to discuss the convergence of views on several issues, Mitchell’s visit comes…
Israel parrtially opens one commercial crossings, no fuel
29 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 29, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities decided today to partially open the commercial crossings leading to the Gaza Strip. The Chairman of Gaza’s supplies, Engineer Raed Fattouh, confirmed that the Israeli side decided to open today the Kerem Abu Salem and Karni commercial crossings partially to let in goods, aid and cooking gas.
Barred from Jerusalem for crime of being Palestinian
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – To say that Palestinian Murad Al-Khalaf’s roots are in Jerusalem is a serious understatement. His family lived in the Baka district of West Jerusalem until they were forced to leave in the war of 1948. They have since lived — and live — in the inner East Jerusalem district of Ras al-Amud. His family doctor…
Israel condemned for expelling Palestinian politicians
Uruknet June 28, 2010 – NAZARETH, ISRAEL // Israeli human-rights groups and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, have condemned a decision by Israel to expel four Palestinian politicians from East Jerusalem by the end of this week. The Israeli government revoked their residency rights in Jerusalem a few weeks ago, after claiming they were “in breach of trust”…
Obama Internet Kill Switch Plan Approved By US Senate
Uruknet June 28, 2010 – A US Senate committee has approved a wide-ranging cybersecurity bill that some critics have suggested would give the US president the authority to shut down parts of the Internet during a cyberattack. Senator Joe Lieberman and other bill sponsors have refuted the charges that the Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act gives the president…
Masked Gunmen Torch UNRWA Summer Camp In Central Gaza
Uruknet June 28, 2010 – A group of unknown gunmen attacked on Monday at dawn a summer camp that belongs to the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) in al-Zawayda area, north of Dir al-Balah in central Gaza. Eyewitnesses reported that the attack against the school students’ summer camp caused excessive damage and that the gunmen torched most of…
The Historical Context of The Green Movement
Uruknet June 28, 2010 – …It’s sometimes assumed by neo-orientalist commentators that people who are struggling in the Middle East are either white man’s agents, or ignorant fundamentalists against the outside’s world. In the former case, the question is asked: “how dare they ask for human rights and justice, our personal belongings, when the rural areas in Iran love the…
10 Jordan Valley families given 24 hours to leave homes
Uruknet June 28, 2010 – Ten families in the Jordan Valley were handed home demolition orders on Sunday and given 24 hours to evacuate their lands. Most of the homes to be demolished belong to the Daraghmah and Al-Makahmreh families, who say they have documents proving their ownership of the land filed with Israel’s Land Registry. The families said they…
Gaza: control
Uruknet June 28, 2010 – The process of entering and leaving Gaza is incomparable to anywhere else. All borders are closed by Israel and Egypt to all but a small number of the students and ill who need to leave the Strip. And now, while the Egyptian-controlled Rafah crossing is temporarily open, unless you have connections, supreme luck, or money…
Gaza: 1 killed, 3 injured in Israeli air strike
Uruknet June 28, 2010 – One Palestinian was killed and three others were injured in an Israeli air strike along the northern Gaza border on Monday evening, east of a juice factory, medics said. Witnesses said an Israeli drone fired at Palestinian fighters in the north-eastern Ash-Shuja’iyah neighborhood. Medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiyeh said Bassam Badwan, 32, was killed…
Palestinians up the stakes in boycott of settler goods
The National 28 Jun 2010 – Volunteers will visit 66,000 outlets across West Bank to distribute stickers proclaiming that they do not sell settlement products.
Children in West Bank Facing Worse Conditions than in Gaza
WAFA –
Gaza: UN Officials Condemn Latest Attack on Recreational Facility
WAFA – NEW YORK, June 29, 2010 (WAFA)UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of United Nations relief operations in Gaza have deplored this Monday’s attack on a recreational facility used by children
Demolitions, New Settlements in East Jerusalem Could Amount to War Crimes, UN expert Says
WAFA – GENEVA, June 29, 2010 (WAFA)- An independent United Nations expert today urged Israel to prevent further rights violations in East Jerusalem, warning that population transfers in or from occupied
U.S. Frustrated over Mired Proximity Talks, Haaretz Says
WAFA – TEL AVIV, June 29, 2010 (WAFA)-U.S. Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell is frustrated by the conduct of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the proximity talks with the Palestinians,
Lieberman: No Chance for Palestinian State within Next Two Years
WAFA – TEL AVIV, June 29, 2010 (WAFA)-“An independent Palestinian State is not a possibility in the next two years,” Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said following a meeting with Russian
Saudi king in Washington as Abbas receives Lavrov
Daily Star 29 Jun 2010 US President Barack Obama welcomed Saudi King Abdullah to the White House on Tuesday, as he seeks to reinvigorate his Mideast peace drive and crank up pressure on Iran over its nuclear program. Abdullah’s visit comes…
Iran says nuclear talks to resume with Brazil, Turk
Daily Star 29 Jun 2010 TEHRAN: Iran said on Tuesday it would soon resume nuclear talks with Turkey and Brazil – a tentative first step back to international negotiations after Tehran was hit with a new wave of sanctions over its…
Meshaal calls for more rights for Palestinian refugees
Daily Star 29 Jun 2010 Exile d Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal on Monday called for greater rights for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. “We will not choose Lebanon over Palestine but it is shameful to keep the Palestinians in Lebanon without rights under…
Egypt prevents Jordanian activists from entering Gaza
Daily Star 29 Jun 2010 AMMAN: A group of Jordanian trade unionists who tried to get into the blockaded Gaza Strip returned home Tuesday after Egypt denied them entry through the Rafah crossing. “We decided to go back to Jordan after…
Israeli plan to raze homes in East Jerusalem ‘illegal’ – UN rights envoy
Daily Star 29 Jun 2010 GENEVA: Israel’s plan to demolish some 20 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem is illegal and reflects its systematic bid to drive Palestinians out of the holy city, a UN human rights expert charged on Tuesday. Richard…
HRW lambastes Egypt for beating protesters
Daily Star 29 Jun 2010 CAIRO: Human Rights Watch has criticized Egyptian police for beating and arresting protesters at several peaceful rallies this month, saying the treatment amounted to “extrajudicial punishment.””Egyptian authorities should stop beating and arbitrarily arresting peaceful demonstrators and…
Deadly Iraq attacks kill 12, wound two dozen
Daily Star 29 Jun 2010 TIKRIT, Iraq: A suicide bomber killed five people in northern Iraq on Tuesday as bombs in Baghdad and other deadly attacks raised the death toll to 12, including an Iraqi general, security officials told AFP. The…
Palestinian boycott of Israeli settlement goods starts to bite
The Guardian 29 Jun 2010 – Campaign to clear supermarket shelves of West Bank settlement wares forces Israeli factories to cut production Israeli factories based in settlements on the West Bank have been forced to cut back production as a growing Palestinian…
Opportunities Amidst Crises: UNRWA and Palestine Refugees In Today’s Middle East
Relief Web 29 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Grandi: I hope for a solution to Palestinian question that would bring UNRWA’s existence to an end
Relief Web 29 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Gaza Clinic Serves Community of 6,000
Relief Web 29 Jun 2010 – Source: American Near East Refugee Aid
Israel must avoid further violations of international law in East Jerusalem — UN human rights expert
Relief Web 29 Jun 2010 – Source: UN Human Rights Council
Forensics: Turks shot multiple times on Gaza-bound ship
YNet News – Attorney for families of IDF commando raid victims says forensic reports ‘make….
Egypt police kill Eritrean woman at Israeli border
YNet News – 38-year-old woman shot three times midway along the Sinai border; another two….
Iran says its enemies deserved to crash out of World Cup
YNet News – FM Mottaki tells reporters, ‘Countries which played key role in imposing new….
Erdogan: Turkey still friend to Israel
YNet News – Turkish PM tells Charlie Rose US must take leading role in aftermath of flotilla….
Foreign Ministry employees shun diplomats
YNet News – As if Israel’s foreign relations weren’t bad enough — workers disrupt diplomats’….
Palestinians won’t buy from settlements, but will work in them
YNet News – According to survey conducted by Truman Institute and Palestinian policy….
Australian PM criticized over Israel ties
YNet News – Less than week after bring appointed prime minister, Julia Gillard forced to….
Russian FM: Talking to Hamas important
YNet News – After meeting with Israeli counterpart Lieberman, Lavrov clarifies Moscow trying….
AG: IDF deserter to get military burial
YNet News – Following parents’ High Court petition, Weinstein rules soldier killed in road….
Settlers launch ‘aggressive’ campaign against Netanyahu
YNet News – Settlement leaders on Tuesday launched an “aggressive and direct” campaign on the eve of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, lest he “again betrays …….
Obama, Saudi King discuss 2-state Mideast solution
YNet News – WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama and Saudi King Abdullah discussed the Middle East peace process and the importance of securing a Palestinian homeland alongside a …….
OECD acceptance ceremony held in Paris due to Tammuz fast
YNet News – The tight schedule of the head of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) dictated that the ceremony marking Israel’s acceptance into the …….
Court upholds decision to keep rightist out of Jerusalem neighborhoods
YNet News – The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the petition submitted by the organization Honenu and extreme rightwing activist Neriah Ofen against the IDF decision forbidding …….
Minister Landau: Another withdrawal? Barak like battered woman
YNet News – Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beitenu) leveled harsh criticism at Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who said he was proud of his decision to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000 and …….
Israeli Rules Out Palestinian State by 2012
New York Times 29 Jun 2010 – Israel’s foreign minister said on Tuesday there was no chance a Palestinian state would be established in the next two years.
World Briefing | Middle East: Israel: Police Say 7 Arab Men Arrested in April Had Planned Attacks on Jews and Christians
New York Times 29 Jun 2010 – Aviv Elgrisi, the police chief for the northern region, told Israeli Radio that the men had been inspired to act after watching speeches by Osama bin Laden.
Barghouthi: Jerusalem Master Plan To Erase Palestinian Existence From The City
Palestine Monitor – Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative strongly condemned the new Master plan, which is set to be approved by the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee. The document calls for the expansion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, on privately owned Arab…
No contest on whether to protect Israel or protect U.S. citizens
Mondoweiss – My oh my, what a sad state of affairs it is when the prime minister of another country takes a stronger stance than the U.S. government has on the killing of an innocent U.S. citizen. Charlie Rose interviewed Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan last night,…
Ambition and orthodoxy
Mondoweiss – Elena Kagan has of course been nominated to the Supreme Court. In 2006, when she was dean of Harvard Law School, Kagan introduced Aharon Barak, chief judge of Israel’s High Court of Justice, during an award ceremony as “my judicial hero.” She explained ( per the New…
IHH report on the freedom flotilla
Mondoweiss – I haven’t had a chance to read this all the way through, but it looks like the most comprehensive reports into the flotilla attack yet. Here is one particularly chilling passage on the initial Israeli attack (p.22): Around 4:10, messages from the ship Defne, which was…
‘Liberate All Ghettos’: Gaza solidarity in the Warsaw ghetto
Mondoweiss – And other news from Today in Palestine: Land theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing Akiva Eldar / West Bank outsposts are growing ‘under the state’s nose’ If the state’s claim that it is taking care of illegal building in outposts sounds familiar, it’s because it’s just the same old…
NPR corrects itself — to a point
Mondoweiss – Several updates from the National Public Radio front: ‚Ä¢ Last week, just a day after I sent a complaint to Fresh Air and NPR ombudsman Alicia Shepard about the misleading account of the origins of the siege of Gaza presented by Terry Gross’s guest Lawrence Wright,…
Maariv: MEPs warn Peres of gathering boycott momentum
Coteret – [Teaser] Is the whole world against us? [Headline] European Parliament: “Phenomenon of boycotts against Israel gaining momentum” [Sub-headline] Members of the European lobby for Israel warn: The deterioration in the political climate is increasing boycotts of Israeli products, companies and businessmen; requested that Peres utilize his…
ISRAEL UPSET AT ITS NEW NAZI IMAGE
Irish4Palestine – Posted by Desertpeace Yesterday I posted a piece which made reference to Israel’s Foreign Minister being a nazi‚Ķ Today Israel sent a protest to an Egyptian newspaper for publishing a cartoon linking Israel to nazis‚Ķ. Instead of protesting, perhaps they should stop acting as such. The…
‘Israeli spy’ arrested in Lebanon
BBC – Lebanon arrested a man accused of spying for Israel for more than 15 years, the country’s Telecommunications Minister Charbel Nahhas says.
Egypt shoots Israel-bound migrant
BBC – An African migrant is shot and killed by Egyptian police as she tries to cross illegally from the Sinai Peninsula into Israel.
Israeli air strike kills Gaza man
BBC – A Palestinian man is killed and two others wounded in an Israeli air strike in Gaza, Palestinian medics say.
Articles
Jerusalem politicians face expulsion
Jonathan Cook, Ma’an News Agency6/29/2010
Nazareth – Israeli human-rights groups and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, have condemned a decision by Israel to expel four Palestinian politicians from East Jerusalem by the end of this week.
The Israeli government revoked their residency rights in Jerusalem a few weeks ago, after claiming they were “in breach of trust” for belonging to a “foreign parliament,” a reference to the Palestinian Legislative Council.
All four men belong to Hamas and were arrested a few months after taking part in the Palestinian national elections in January 2006. They remained in jail until recently as “bargaining chips” for the release of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who is being held captive by Hamas.
Observers say Israel’s move reflects its anger at Hamas’ growing hold on the political sympathies of Jerusalem’s 260,000 Palestinians and is designed to further entrench a physical separation Israel has been imposing on East Jerusalem and the adjacent West Bank.
Israel has not said where the three MPs and a former cabinet minister will be expelled to. The loss of residency effectively leaves the politicians stateless, in breach of international law, according to human-rights lawyers.
Hassan Jabareen, the director of the Adalah legal center for the Palestinian minority in Israel, said a “very dangerous precedent” was being set. “It is the first time Palestinians in East Jerusalem have had their residency revoked for being ‘disloyal’ and this could be used to expel many other residents whose politics Israel does not like.
“This is a draconian measure characteristic of dark and totalitarian regimes,” he said. more.. e-mail
Israeli radicalism foremost obstacle to peace
Ahmed Qrei’a, Ma’an News Agency6/29/2010
The realization of the just and lasting peace in the Middle East is still possible. This is the primary conclusion that could be deduced from our long quest for peace, despite the scarce achievements and unlimited failures that marked the 18 years of faltering negotiations.
Achieving the desired peace, however, will only be possible when certain objective requirements are present and met. In fact, these requirements are already present and well-established in the principles of international legitimacy and law, as articulated clearly in the UN Security Council and General Assembly Resolutions.
Despite the bleak climate and overwhelming pessimism that prevail in the Middle East, the peoples of the region continue to hold fast to the choice of peace and coexistence. Our peoples, who have for long suffered the scourge of wars and conflicts, realize that peace is the only choice capable of ending the ongoing bloodshed, and fulfill their legitimate need for genuine security, stability and prosperity.
However, the possibility of achieving peace continues to be challenged by hostile policies and realities on the ground. This possibility is further undermined by many subjective factors on both sides that curb the possibility of moving forward on the road to peace that is gradually turning into a gloomy tunnel with a very dim light at its end.
Perhaps, the first and foremost challenge that confronts the peace process today, is the radical right-wing mentality that controls the Israeli decision-making, which is reflected clearly in the outright denial of the basic human rights of the Palestinian people, including the right to self-determination.
This mentality is also reflected in the incessant practices that undermine the possibility of reaching the just and lasting peace, particularly the ongoing settlement activities and attempts to alter the demographic and geographic realities on the ground. more.. e-mail
Israeli foreign minister’s “peace plan”: stripping Palestinians of citizenship
Electronic Intifada: 29 Jun 2010 – Avigdor Lieberman, Israel’s far-right foreign minister, set out last 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. Jonathan Cook reports.
Barghouthi: Jerusalem Master Plan To Erase Palestinian Existence From The City
Palestine Monitor: 29 Jun 2010 – Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative strongly condemned the new Master plan, which is set to be approved by the Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee. The document calls for the expansion of Jewish settlements in East Jerusalem, on privately owned Arab property. “The approval of this plan” – Dr. Barghouthi explained — “represents an unprecedented Israeli effort to ‘judaise’ East Jerusalem. Since it has been occupied in 1967, this is the latest chapter of discriminatory policies daily carried out through attacks on Palestinian population, evictions from their homes, Jerusalem ID card confiscations. Using insidious bureaucratic tools, Israel is further trying to isolate Jerusalem from Palestinians.” “ The unilateral Israeli actions in Jerusalem are carried out in blatant violation of the so-called peace process. With this policy plan, Israel continues to engage in intensive planning in occupied territory, with the aim to maintain a…
From the USS Liberty to the Mavi Marmara
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2010 – By Rifat Audeh In an outstanding article entitled ‘How Israeli propaganda shaped U.S. media coverage of the flotilla attack’, Glenn Greenwald makes the argument that is self-evident in the title. As someone who was on the Mavi Marmara ship and interviewed frequently after the Israeli crime, I can attest to the accuracy of his findings, which are also applicable to the Canadian media and other global media outlets as well, albeit to a lesser extent. After international pressure forced my kidnappers to release me and the other activists, Canadian media outlets kept asking me if it was we — the passengers of the ship — who had attacked the Israeli commandos! These questions were based solely on the footage released by the Israeli military and the Israeli narrative of what took place. Accordingly, it is worth taking a step back and looking at the big picture and the facts that…more
Palestine in Pieces — Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 29 Jun 2010 – By Aisha Ghani Palestine in Pieces: Graphic Perspectives on the Israeli Occupation. Kathleen and Bill Christison. London: Pluto Press, 2010. (Order Here ) “When you have seen the vast extent and permanence of Israeli settlements throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem; when you have endured the checkpoints that squeeze and confine Palestinians and stop any hope of Palestinian economic development in its tracks; when you have watched homes, the very center of people’s lives, being demolished for no other reason than that their owners are not Jews; when even inside Israel you have seen the homes and villages of Palestinians and Palestinian Bedouin who are citizens of Israel being destroyed because they stand in the way of Jewish development and expansion — when you have seen all these things, it is crystal clear that Zionism’s design is absolute Jewish control over the entirety of Palestine swept clean of Palestinians.” Kathleen…more
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The New Dark Age 