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International Middle East Media Center
PMRS: “52% of Gaza Children Suffer From Malnutrition”
IMEMC – 29 Jun 2010 – A study conducted by the Palestinian Medical Relief Association (PMRS) revealed that 52% of the children in Gaza suffer from anaemia, and severe deficiency in phosphor, calcium and zinc, while a significant number of children suffer from infections in their respiratory systems.
Russia To Send 50 Armored Vehicles To The P.A.
IMEMC – 29 Jun 2010 – Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, stated that the Palestinian Authority will soon receive 50 Russian armored vehicles that were donated by Russia several years ago but Israel opposed the delivery.
Abu Tier detained; expulsion expected
6/30/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Jerusalem resident and elected Palestinian official Mohammad Abu Tier was detained by Israeli police on Wednesday, and reportedly taken to the Russian Compound for questioning. Former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs for the Palestinian Authority Khalid Abu Arafa confirmed the arrest, which he said was carried out near the official’s Sur Baher home, in….
4 residents issued stop work orders in Hebron village
6/30/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Four Palestinian homeowners were presented with stop work orders by Israel’s Civil Administration on Tuesday in the Al-Burj village south of Hebron, alleging that the homes were built without the necessary permits. Residents said the orders were delivered by Israeli forces accompanying Civil Administration officials. The orders, known locally as “demolition orders,” demand….
Barak to meet Fayyad
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak will hold direct talks with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the coming days, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday. Fayyad’s office confirmed that the meeting is being arranged, noting that it will not take place until Fayyad returns from a meeting with donors in Paris, scheduled to begin….
Israel seals Gaza crossing over ’security concerns’
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – Israel shut down Gaza’s Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday over security concerns, an Israeli official confirmed, shortly after Palestinian Authority officials announced previously banned goods would be permitted entry. Spokeswoman for Israel’s Coordination and Liaison Administration in Gaza Nili Aharon said the crossing was sealed after receiving information on potential projectile launching….
Rights groups demand investigation into Gaza border protest death
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Human rights groups demanded a criminal investigation into the killing of a Gaza man during a peaceful protest near Gaza’s border, a statement said Wednesday. Israeli forces shot 21-year-old Ahmad Deib on 28 April at a demonstration against Israel’s unilateral enforcement of a no-go zone along the Gaza-Israel border, which swallows up….
Bil’in reports night raid
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces entered the village of Bil’in at 3am Wednesday morning, local officials said, adding that they feared the move signaled a new wave of night time detentions and home invasions. The raid was the first reported since 22 May, before which residents reported troops entering the area on an almost nightly basis….
Detainee moved to isolation cell, center says
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian prisoners held at Israel’s Hadarim Prison said the Prison Service transferred a Bethlehem detainee into solitary confinement on Wednesday, the Detainees’ Center reported. Bassam Abu Aker, from the Aida refugee camp north of Bethlehem, was originally sentenced to a 12-year term, a statement from the center read, and is considered a….
In photos: Anti-wall rally in Beit Jala
6/30/2010 – Palestinian demonstrators exercise passive resistance as Israeli forces attempt to remove them from the most recent site of construction for the country’s separation wall, encroaching on an ancient monastery, vineyards and hundreds of dunums of Palestinian-owned lands. The demonstration, on 27 June 2010, was a continuation of what have become weekly gatherings of locals, Israelis….
Gaza prison committee praises Shalit family’s efforts
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem/Gaza – Ma’an – The Detainees’ Support Committee in Gaza called on the Shalit family on Wednesday to continue to pressure their government to secure the release of their son. The Shalit family is on a 12-day march to Jerusalem, where they plan to camp outside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s residence until their son is….
Israeli army: Projectile lands in southern Israel
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A projectile launched from the Gaza Strip came close to hitting a building in Southern Israel Wednesday, following which one Gaza terminal was shut down. The home-made projectile landed near a packing-house in the Sdot Negev Regional Council early Wednesday morning, Israeli news site Ynet said, which was confirmed by the Israeli….
Gaza fighters claim attack on Israeli bulldozer
6/30/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s militant wing, the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, claimed to have launched an RPG at an Israeli military bulldozer operating in the border area south of Gaza City on Wednesday. The alleged attack came following the reported launch of a projectile – as yet unconfirmed by local….
Lebanon PM calls for unity on granting Palestinian rights
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri called for national unity on the conferring of civil rights to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, ahead of a parliamentary debate, Lebanese media reported Tuesday.”There are humanitarian, social and ethical duties, and the Lebanese state should assume the responsibility of providing them to the Palestinian brothers,” Hariri….
Qalqiliya: Woman attacked, house burnt in family brawl
6/30/2010 – Qalqiliya – Ma’an – A woman was attacked and her southern Qalqiliya home was set fire to on Wednesday, reportedly owing to a family dispute, Palestinian civil defense representatives said. A spokesperson said fire fighters were prevented from accessing the site of the blaze, requiring police intervention in an area under full Israeli security control. Police were….
Man detained at Erez crossing
6/30/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained a man Wednesday at Gaza’s northern Erez crossing. Rafah-resident Usama Anwar Suboh, said to be in his forties, was en route to hospital in Israel. His companion was not permitted to cross, and no reason was given for his detention, Palestinian sources said. Israeli officials stationed at the crossing were….
Limited Israeli incursion into Bethlehem
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Two armored Israeli military vehicles crossed into the central West Bank city of Bethlehem late Thursday near the separation barrier, onlookers said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the soldiers were searching for a Palestinian suspected of throwing an explosive device toward a military installation in the same general area. There were no reports….
Az-Zahhar: Hamas not affected by regional pressure
6/30/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Senior Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahhar said Wednesday that the faction’s decision making process is not affected by regional pressure but rather by internal politics. Az-Zahhar’s comments were made during a lecture in Gaza on Hamas’ political thought and regional relations, where he said the movement maintains “strong ties” with its allies. Strained relations….
Report: Flotilla probe will not question soldiers
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel’s investigation into the attack on a Gaza-bound aid ship, which left nine civilians dead, will not question soldiers or examine the government’s approval of the raid, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday. The announcement came alongside a second, which said the scope of the committee would be widened, following the request of….
Indonesian delegation gives $2 million to build hospital
6/30/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A visiting delegation of Indonesian MPs to Gaza donated 2 million US dollars to build a public hospital in the northern Strip, members announced Tuesday. Gaza government Health Minister Basem Na’em thanked the delegation for its donation and said the new hospital will be named the Ar-Rayan Hospital, as government officials and delegation….
Lawmaker says EU must stop funding ’Israeli war machine’
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – MEP Bairbre de Br?ɬ?n called on the European Commission on Tuesday to stop funding Israeli companies which “develop military technology,” until Israel complies with international human rights standards. De Br?ɬ?n asked the EC to reveal the extent of funding it provides to companies whose research has military applications, which she said….
Fatah warns Israel: No more Jerusalem settlements
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Following an Israeli media report on the immanent construction of a 1,400-unit settlement hotel in East Jerusalem, a Fatah official said patience was running out, and warned the situation was at risk of an “explosion.”The statement followed the airing of a Channel 10 News report on Tuesday, where reporters said the….
Hamas: PA continues to detain party leaders
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Hamas accused the Palestinian Authority preventative security forces of detaining 13 supporters across the West Bank overnight Wednesday, including two prominent leaders. A statement issued by the movement said leaders Yahya Zeeyud from Jenin and Mohammad Hashem Khader from Qalqiliya were detained by PA forces after they were summoned by the intelligence services….
Media summer camp in Bethlehem
6/30/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – A summer media training camp for Palestinian children aged 13 to 16 will open its doors to participants on 12 July, funded by the Finnish Diaconia University of Applied Sciences and the country’s Foreign Ministry. Sponsored by the Institute for Community Partnership at Bethlehem University, the two-week course entitled “Listen to my story….
Netanyahu in ‘secret talks’ with Turkey
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – New York – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opened a secret channel of communications with Turkey that bypassed his own foreign minister, Turkish and Israeli television revealed on Wednesday. Israel’s Minister of Industry, Trade and…
Gagged! Canada boycotts criticism of Israel
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – In Canada, under Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, free speech and free inquiry regarding controversial policies and actions of the state of Israel have been increasingly threatened. Two unfolding political dramas deserve special attention. First,…
CENTCOM talking sense on Hamas and Hizballah
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Mark Perry strikes again over on Foreign Policy ‘s Middle East Channel: In a “Red Team” report issued on May 7 and entitled “Managing Hizballah and Hamas,” senior CENTCOM intelligence officers question the current U.S. policy…
‘Son of Hamas’ granted asylum in US
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Washington — A US immigration court ruled Wednesday it would not deport Mosab Hassan Yousef, who spied on Hamas for the Israeli intelligence group Shin Bet, Haaretz reported . After a decision a year ago by the…
‘No Quarter’ for Jerusalem’s Armenians
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Washington – Despite having lived in Jerusalem for some 1,500 years and survived a genocide of their own, Jerusalem’s Armenian community faces an uncertain future as Israel asserts it claim to the mutli-religious city. Armenian Orthodox…
PA official tells Palestine Note: Hamas-Fatah rift makes peace impossible
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – By Sarah Harlan Washington – The political split between Hamas and Fatah is helping prolong Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory and will make a peace deal impossible, Sabri Saidam, an advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas…
Court orders Beit Yonatan settlers out
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Washington — The settler group Ateret Cohanim lost its suit requesting an Israeli court for a stay of eviction from Beit Yonatan in the Silwan neighborhood of East Jerusalem, Haaretz reported Wednesday. The Al-Bustan area in…
East Jerusalem MP seized
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Hamas lawmaker Abu Tir faces expulsion Washington — Israeli police seized on Wednesday Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Legislative Council member Mohammed Abu Tir for refusing to obey a government order to leave his East Jerusalem home for exile…
EU official: Silwan demolitions ‘obstacle to peace’
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Washington — Wednesday European Union foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton called the planned demolition of 22 houses in East Jerusalem to make way for a park and shopping center “an obstacle to peace.” AFP News Agency…
Israeli officer arrested for ‘spying for Hezbollah’
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Washington – An Israeli soldier and civilians have been arrested and accused of drug smuggling and passing information to Shia Islamist group Hezbollah, the Israeli army reportedly announced Wednesday. News agency AFP said of the army’s…
Filmmaker Iara Lee: Mavi Marmara raid was a bloodbath
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – By Jared Malsin New York — The tale of Israel’s deadly assault on the Gaza aid flotilla in May was, importantly, the story of Israel’s bid to control the information that was publicly available about the…
Lebanon: Hariri calls for Palestinian refugee rights
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Washington – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri has called for “national unity” on granting more rights to the 400,000 Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon, the Daily Star reported Tuesday. Lebanese PM Saad Hariri called Tuesday for…
Israel seals Gaza crossing for ‘security concerns’
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Washington — Israel closed Gaza’s Kerem Shalom border crossing on Wednesday, citing ‘security concerns.’ Kerem Shalom crossing [Nick in Israel – Flickr] Ma’an News Agency reported : Spokeswoman for Israel’s Coordination and Liaison Administration in Gaza Nili…
HIV data emerges for Middle East
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Dubai – IRIN – Statistics on the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the Middle East are hard to come by but a new study launched on 28 June in the United Arab Emirates has attempted to gather…
In ‘Faith Misplaced’ Palestinian history gets personal
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – By William McKeithen Washington — “Go West, young man!” These were the famous words uttered by John B.L. Soule in 1851 at the start of an era of American expansionism. Yet more than three decades earlier,…
Fayyad to meet Barak
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Meeting seen as step toward direct talks New York – Ramallah-based Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is to hold talks with Israel’s defense minister, Ehud Barak, in the coming days, Barak said on Wednesday . According to…
Report: Power cuts, blockade obstacles to rebuilding Gaza
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Gaza City – IRIN – Eighteen months after Israel’s 23-day offensive in the Gaza Strip, three-quarters of damaged homes, buildings and infrastructure remain unrepaired, according to a reconstruction needs assessment published by the UN Development Programme (…
Mideast night beat: Poverty often worse in West Bank than in Gaza
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middle East, and beyond: An Israeli soldier near an unfinished section of the wall in the West Bank in August 2004 . [Photo: Justin McIntosh via Wikimedia Commons] Children living in…
The delusional lobby
Palestine Note 29 Jun 2010 – I guess this is what happens to people who never hear the word “no.” In an op-ed published today by JTA, the two most powerful and influential leaders of the pro-Israel lobby assert, as proclaimed in…
Israel arrests Hamas MP
AlJazeera 30 Jun 2010 – Palestinian held after failing to comply with order to leave occupied Jerusalem.
Israel may expand flotilla inquiry
AlJazeera 30 Jun 2010 – Government considers request to be allowed to subpoena witnesses after panel’s request.
Death sentences in Iran prison case
AlJazeera 30 Jun 2010 – Two suspects to be executed over killing of anti-government protesters last year.
Settlers Attack Palestinian Water Well Keepers
PNN – Nablus — PNN — a group of armed Israeli settlers attacked on Wednesday two Palestinian water well keepers at the village of Sabastyia near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Witnesses…
Judge Threatens to Quit the Flotilla Inquiry Probe
PNN – Tal Aviv — PNN — Justice Jacob Turkel, the head of the Israeli investigation committee on the Flotilla attack , threatened to resign unless his powers were increased, which had widened the scope…
EU Criticize East Jerusalem Home Demolition
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – European Union Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton stated that Israel’s planned demolition of Palestinian homes in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan is an obstacle to peace . The…
Report : West Bank Poverty higher than Gaza
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN – A human right aid group said that Over a million Palestinians living in Area C of the West Bank live under direct Israel control. Save the Children stated…
Oxfam: Gaza Unplugged; Weekly Update
PNN – Oxfam — PNN — the international aid work organization Oxfam realsed its weekly report documenting life in Gaza. The report covers the period from June 20th to 26th, 2010. Abd al Rahman…
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
‘Population transfer may be war crime’
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Falk asks Israel to prevent violations of int’l law in east Jerusalem.
Judge grants ex-Israeli spy US asylum
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Son of a Hamas founder passes US immigration background check.
Bet Shemesh fires ‘probably arson’
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Over 30,000 trees damaged in worst fires since Lebanon war.
Lador: New proof against Lieberman
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – State Attorney announces new report on the FM corruption case.
Barak, Fayyad to meet
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Defense Minister to discuss security and economic issues with Palestinian PM.
Abu Tir arrested for not leaving capital
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Hamas head arrested after not complying with court order.
Mitchell calls for Schalit’s release
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – US envoy visits Gaza border crossing, praises new blockade policy.
Police arrest drug dealer spy suspects
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – NCO, 7 Israeli citizens suspected passing on info to Hizbullah.
EU expresses angst over demolitions
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – East Jerusalem demolitions labeled as an “illegal obstacle to peace.”
Barak and Mitchell discuss direct talks
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Defense Minister will meet with Palestinians to promote talks, security.
NCO allegedly spied for Hizbullah
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – IDF arrests suspect for allegedly passing intel.
Officer allegedly spied for Hizbullah
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Non-commissioned IDF officer arrested on suspicion passing intel.
Joint poll shows doubts abound over Palestinian state
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Palestinians demonstrated a surge of support for Turkey,not Syria,Iran.
Hamas-Fatah gap unbridgeable
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – C’tee to end inter-faction fighting disbanded, PA arrests Hamas men.
Healing Jewish rifts in the ‘three weeks’
Jeruslalem Post 29 Jun 2010 – Widening gap between Israel and the Diaspora.
Settlers lose court battle against East Jerusalem eviction
Ha’aretz – Settler group Ateret Cohanim had asked court to delay eviction from Beit Yonatan in the Arab-majority neighborhood of Silwan.
Court throws the book at Israeli shoe-thrower
Ha’aretz – Lawyer for Pini Cohen, who attacked Supreme Court Justice Dorit Beinisch, calls three year sentence ‘totally exaggerated’.
Can watching TV make you depressed about your finances?
Ha’aretz – A new Israeli academic study claims there is a correlation between watching television and financial pessimism.
Shalit march, day 3 / 3,000 join in to pressure Netanyahu for prisoner swap
Ha’aretz – The Haifa municipality welcomed the procession with a giant puzzle depicting the Shalit family, with the pieces that comprise the image of Gilad Shalit noticeably absent.
Rightist: Police turning settlements into ‘mini-Iran’ by cracking down on our protests
Ha’aretz – Activists now forbidden from demonstrating against construction freeze in settlements where Civil Administration officials live.
Lieberman slams Netanyahu over goverment’s secret meeting with Turkey
Ha’aretz – Tension within coalition as foreign minister accuses Netanyahu of undermining trust following reports PM approved clandestine talks with Turkish foreign minister.
U.S. court grants asylum to ‘Son of Hamas’
Ha’aretz – American authorities retract request to deport Mosab Hassan Yousef, who had spied on the militant group on behalf of the Shin Bet for a decade.
Report: Arab states give up on emergency Gaza flotilla UN debate
Ha’aretz – Last week, Haaretz learned that Arab UN members had been pushing for a special session as a result of what they considered a disappointing UNSC debate.
Hundreds of Gaza smuggling tunnels suspend work as blockade eases
Ha’aretz – Gaza traders freeze orders for smuggled goods as they wait to see whether merchandise shipped legally from Israel will be cheaper.
Israel arrests Hamas official for failing to leave East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Mohammed Abu Tir, along with three other Hamas legislators, was ordered to leave Israel by July over his links with the militant organization.
IDF career soldier suspected of spying for Hezbollah
Ha’aretz – Suspect allegedly participated in drug smuggling gang that transferred sensitive military information to Hezbollah-linked figure in Lebanon.
Barak to meet Palestinian PM; the objective – direct peace talks
Ha’aretz – At joint press conference with George Mitchell, Defense Minister says ‘our demand is that neither side set preconditions’
‘Israel’s plan to raze E. Jerusalem homes is an obstacle to peace’
Ha’aretz – EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton says ‘settlements and demolitions of homes are illegal under international law.’
Report: Lebanon to probe top government officials in Israel spy ring case
Ha’aretz – Lebanese officials: Investigation will continue until the Israeli intelligence is blind and deaf in Lebanon.
Qassam rocket fired from Gaza destroys Negev packing plant
Ha’aretz – Rocket also seriously damages other structures in the Sdot Negev Regional Council; no one hurt.
Israel steadily increasing number of aid trucks allowed into Gaza
Ha’aretz – Starting Wednesday, Israel will let in 150 trucks per day, a 50 percent increase over the number before the government’s decision to ease the civilian blockade on Gaza.
ANALYSIS / Israel doesn’t seem to want to really probe Gaza flotilla raid
Ha’aretz – Turkel quickly discovered that a panel with a limited mandate and no authority to subpoena witnesses, which is at the mercy of officials’ willingness to appear before it, cannot do…
Gazan prisoner is paralyzed due to sever injury during his interrogation
30 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 30, (Pal Telegraph) International Solidarity for Human Rights Foundation revealed the injury of prisoner Mohamed Mustafa Abdel Aziz from northern Gaza Strip, due to the fact that he was severely beaten on his back during his arrest and interrogation Mohamed is now paralyzed. A researcher at the Foundation, Ahmad Betawi, confirmed that the prisoner suffered a hemorrhage in…
Indonesian delegation ends their Gaza’s visit by donating 2 million dollars
30 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 30, (Pal Telegraph) Yesterday a delegation of 35 Indonesian MPs entered Gaza in an attempt to break the siege and check the latest updates on Gaza’s continually deteriorating situation. The Indonesian delegation, who visited the Gaza Strip, donated the amount of two million dollars for a hospital to be built in northern Gaza Strip; they named it “Al…
Palestinians protest in front of Askalan jail
30 Jun 2010 – Jenin, June 30, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — The prisoners affairs committee in the Palestinian occupied land of 48 organized on Wednesday a protest in front of Askalan Israeli jail condemning the jail administration arbitrary policy. The protesters chanted slogans and shouted against the Israeli occupation demanding the release of the Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails.
Israel closes Gaza’s commercial crossings after receiving warnings
30 Jun 2010 – Gaza, June 30, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli decided to close Gaza’s commercial crossings between Israel and southern Gaza Strip, following the receipt of warnings to the Israeli security services. The area of the crossings is under tight security, and is witnessing interference in the movement of Israelis living in near communities, sources did not disclose anything about the nature of the…
Israeli imposes restricted procedures at Howara barrier
30 Jun 2010 – Nablus, June 30, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) impose today restricted their procedures at Howara military checkpoint, north of Nblus, and obstruct the movement of the citizens. Witnesses said that Israeli soldiers verified the ID cards of the citizens and detained number of them, so traffic jam took place. They added that the soldiers were holding a…
Israel erects 2 barriers in Jenin
30 Jun 2010 – Jenin, June 30, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces erected today tow military checkpoints at Arabah and Mithlon towns in Jenin city, in the West Bank. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers stopped citizens’ cars and searched it carefully and verified their ID cards which resulted in obstructing their movement from and to the towns. Israel erects more than 500…
Lieberman slams Netanyahu over government’s secret meeting with Turkey
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman reacted furiously on Wednesday to reports that a cabinet colleague had held a secret meeting with the Turkish government, saying the move had damaged his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Lieberman accused the prime minister of undermining his authority after it emerged that another minister, Benjamin Ben Eliezer, had met…
West Bank poverty ‘worse than Gaza’
Uruknet June 30, 2010- Children living in the poorest parts of the West Bank face significantly worse conditions than their counterparts in Gaza, a study conducted by an international youth charity has found. The report by Save the Children UK, due to be released on Wednesday, says that families forced from their homes in the West Bank are suffering the…
PMRS: “52% of Gaza Children Suffer From Malnutrition”
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – A study conducted by the Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS) revealed that 52% of the children in Gaza suffer from anaemia, and severe deficiency in phosphor, calcium and zinc, while a significant number of children suffer from infections in their respiratory systems. The statement came during a ceremony marking the end of the first phase…
Demolitions, new settlements in East Jerusalem could amount to war crimes — UN expert
Uruknet June 30 2010 – “International law does not allow Israel to bulldoze Palestinian homes to make space for the mayor’s project to build a garden, or anything else,” he said. An independent United Nations expert today urged Israel to prevent further rights violations in East Jerusalem, warning that population transfers in or from occupied territory are war crimes under…
Abu Tier detained; expulsion expected
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – Jerusalem resident and elected Palestinian official Mohammad Abu Tier was detained by Israeli police on Wednesday, and reportedly taken to the Russian Compound for questioning. Former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs for the Palestinian Authority Khalid Abu Arafa confirmed the arrest, which he said was carried out near the official’s Sur Baher home, in a neighborhood…
Guess who wants to kill the Internet?
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – It would be hard to think of anyone who has done more to undermine American freedoms than Joseph Lieberman. Since 9/11, the Independent senator from Connecticut has introduced a raft of legislation in the name of the “global war on terror” which has steadily eroded constitutional rights. If the United States looks increasingly like a…
Where have all the Peaceniks Gone?
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – I was convinced that Barack Obama was not the progressive-peace-savior that many of my friends and colleagues were making him out to be. But, I was right about that, and I think the facts have borne me out: the Overseas Contingency Operation (formerly known as George’s War OF Terror) has become even more of a…
Palestinian boycott of Israeli settlement goods starts to bite
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Israeli factories based in settlements on the West Bank have been forced to cut back production as a growing Palestinian boycott movement begins to take effect. The boycott, endorsed by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was given further momentum this week when a campaign to clear supermarket shelves of produce originating in settlements was rolled…
HUMANITARIAN AID WORKERS IN GAZA RESPOND TO THE ‘EASE OF THE SIEGE’
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Over time, Israeli will perhaps take further measures to ease the assault on daily life Gaza. However, until Israel permits exports out of Gaza, raw materials to enter, and freedom of movement, no amount of chocolate and mayonnaise can ease the misery the siege is causing…
Khudari: IOA still banning entry of 3500 commodities into Gaza
Uruknet June 29, 2010 — MP Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee against the siege, has said that the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) was still barring the entry of 3500 commodities into the Gaza Strip. He said in a report published on Sunday that the IOA allowed only 10% of goods that were previously banned from entering Gaza,…
Responding to Avigdor Lieberman
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Avigdor Lieberman writes: “While many claim that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is territorial, the facts suggest otherwise. Israel had no citizens, settlers or military in the West Bank until 1967, but did not enjoy one moment’s peace from our neighbors and the terrorists that they supported” (“My blueprint for a resolution,” Jerusalem Post, 23 June 2010)….
Israel transfer of Hamas men from Jerusalem may be war crime, UN envoy says
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Israel’s intention to expel four Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem to the West Bank could constitute a war crime, a UN human rights expert charged on Tuesday. Richard Falk, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said the move was part of a Israeli push to remove Palestinians from East Jerusalem. “These…
Thousands of Gazans trek to Cairo for medical treatment
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – 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, whose six-year-old son…
Barghouthi: Jerusalem Master Plan To Erase Palestinian Existence From The City
Uruknet June 29, 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…
Israel’s discrimination against its Arab citizens
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Racism was, and still is, an inherent feature of Zionism and the state established on its back, Israel. From its declaration of independence up to this day, the 20% of Israel’s citizens who are Arabs have suffered from the state’s racist policies and have been subjected to a fierce campaign of repression. Through racist laws…
Twenty thousand Palestinians are threatened with expulsion from the West Bank
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Israeli sources have revealed that about 20,000 Palestinians in the West Bank are living in fear of expulsion because they hold residence papers issued in Gaza and the Israeli authorities refuse to allow them to update the documents, even though they have lived in the West Bank for many years. Concerns have been rising since…
BP in the Gulf — The Persian GulfHow an Oil Company Helped Destroy Democracy in Iran
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – To frustrated Americans who have begun boycotting BP: Welcome to the club. It’s great not to be the only member any more!
Electricity crisis in Gaza requires rapid EU intervention
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Dear Parliamentarian, In the present sweltering heat of the Gaza summer, civilians are currently suffering from electricity blackouts often lasting for between eight to twelve hours duration (up from average cuts of six to eight hours before January 2010). According to the U.N “these cuts affect the provision of essential services water supply, sewage removal/treatment…medical…
Children in West Bank facing worse conditions than in Gaza
Uruknet June 29, 2010 – Areas of the West Bank under complete Israeli control have plummeted into a humanitarian crisis worse than Gaza, Save the Children warns. A new report, “Life on the Edge”, released today, states that an estimated 40,000 Palestinians living in Area C – the 60% of the West Bank under Israeli control – are unable to…
6,800 Detainees, Including 300 Children, Currently Imprisoned By Israel
Uruknet June 29, 2001 – 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. Farawna stated that eleven elected legislators are still imprisoned by Israel, and that there are nearly 1,500 detainees who are…
Israeli Gaza inquiry will be little more than a whitewash’
The National 30 Jun 2010 – Israel is considering extending the mandate of a commission of inquiry that it set up in June to look into the deadly raid on a flotilla of ships bringing aid to Gaza.
Spain Funds 3 Compounds For PCP worth €6M
WAFA –
Ashton: Israel’s Plan to Raze Jerusalem Homes Obstacle to Peace
WAFA – TEL AVIV, June 30, 2010 (WAFA)- EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton says ‘settlements and demolitions of homes are illegal under international law, ‘ Haaretz Israeli Daily said,
PCBS: CCI Decreases by 0.47%
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 30, 2010 (WAFA)- Construction Cost Index (CCI) Decreased by 0.47%,While Road Cost Index (RCI)
De Br??n : EU must End Funding of Israeli Military Research
WAFA – BRUXELLES, June 30, 2010 (WAFA)- Bairbre de Br??n called, today, on European Commissioner, Maire Geoghagan-Quinn, to ‘not provide research funding for Israeli companies which engage in research
OXFAM: 60% Energy Deficit in Gaza Strip
WAFA – GAZA, June 30, 2010 (WAFA)- On the night of Friday 25 June, the Gaza power plant was completely shut down as fuel needed to operate it was not
Israel mulls wider mandate for flotilla panel
Daily Star 30 Jun 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel may upgrade the mandate of its probe of a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, by allowing it to subpoena witnesses, a statement from Premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. The panel headed by…
Israeli Soldier arrested for ‘passing’ Intel to Hizbullah
Daily Star 30 Jun 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: An Israeli soldier and several civilians have been arrested for allegedly passing information to Lebanese Hizbullah and smuggling drugs across the border, the army said Wednesday. “It is suspected that an [Israeli Army] warrant…
Rights bodies urge Kuwait to drop charges against writer
Daily Star 30 Jun 2010 KUWAIT CITY: Two leading international human rights organizations have welcomed the release of prominent Kuwaiti writer Mohammad Abdel-Qader al-Jassem but urged the Gulf state to drop charges against him. “Though Jassem is out of jail for…
Iran condemns two to hang over murder of detained protesters
Daily Star 30 Jun 2010 TEHRAN: An Iranian military court has sentenced two men to death in connection with the “murders” of at least three anti-government protesters in a notorious jail, state news agency IRNA said on Wednesday.The death sentences were…
Iraq militants kill 8 people, including police commander
Daily Star 30 Jun 2010 RAMADI, Iraq: Insurgents killed a police commander, his wife and a companion in western Iraq on Wednesday before claiming the lives of three policemen in a suicide bombing, and two more police died in a shooting…
Israel arrests Islamist MP for refusing to leave Jerusalem
Daily Star 30 Jun 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli police on Wednesday arrested a recently freed Hamas MP for refusing to follow an order expelling him from Jerusalem, police said.Mohammad Abu Teir was one of four senior Hamas officials Israel has been…
Barak to meet with Fayyad in coming days
Daily Star 30 Jun 2010 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak is to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in the coming days, the two sides said on Wednesday, for a rare high-level meeting between the two sides.Barak confirmed the meeting…
Israel’s anti-boycott belligerence | Miri Weingarten
The Guardian 30 Jun 2010 – A bill seeking to outlaw boycotts of Israeli institutions and products — including in settlements — is diplomatically explosive A new “anti-boycott bill”, the third in a series of proposed laws that aim to curtail the…
Identical letters dated 22 June 2010 from the Charg?© d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council (A/64/839—S/2010/334)
Relief Web 30 Jun 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly, UN Security Council
OPT: The sixth meeting of the PA-EU Joint Committee forms a turning point in bilateral relations
Relief Web 30 Jun 2010 – Source: European Union
OPT: Obstacles on road to Gaza rebuilding
Relief Web 30 Jun 2010 – Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks
In violation of Medical Ethics and International Law: Israel Restricts the Access of Gaza Patients to Urgent Medical Treatment if their Condition is Not Life-Threatening
Relief Web 30 Jun 2010 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
MIDEAST: When the Police Have an Illegal Headquarters
IPS Talks aimed at reaching an intelligence-sharing agreement between the European Union and Israel have skirted around the location of Israel’s national police headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem.
Talks Hit a Rock Called East Jerusalem
IPS The sound of stun grenades and gunfire resounded through this embattled Palestinian neighbourhood. Amidst increased tension over plans to tighten Israel’s grip over the occupied eastern part of the city, Israeli border police and Palestinian youths confronted each other all through Sunday night. Dozens of Palestinians were wounded, mostly from…
Abu-Tir arrested again
YNet News – Senior Hamas member of Palestinian parliament violates order to leave Jerusalem,….
Iran declares boycott on Coca Cola, Intel and ‘Zionists’
YNet News – Ahmadinejad signs law forbidding Iranian broadcast authority from airing….
Hezbollah vows to ‘defend Lebanese gas’
YNet News – In interview with al-Manar television, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Sheikh….
Barak to meet with Fayyad soon
YNet News – Following meeting with US special envoy, defense minister says will meet with….
IDF officer suspected of transferring information to Hezbollah
YNet News – Master sergeant from north arrested on suspicion of providing Lebanese drug….
Noam Shalit: People of Israel want Gilad home
YNet News – Shalit family, activists reach northern city of Yokneam on fourth day of protest….
Report: Saudi Arabia wants US to press Iran
YNet News – American sources tell Lebanese paper US President Barack Obama, Saudi King….
2 sentenced to death for Iran protester killings
YNet News – An Iranian military court sentenced two people to death on Wednesday for the murder of three protesters taken into custody after last June’s contested presidential …….
FM: Ben-Eliezer meeting with Turkey’s Davutoglu ‘violation of norms’
YNet News – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman expressed anger at Wednesday’s clandestine meeting between Minister of Trade, Industry and Labor Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and Turkish …….
State prosecutor: Progress in Lieberman investigation
YNet News – State Prosecutor Moshe Lador said Wednesday that his office recently obtained new documentation that has advanced the investigation against Foreign Minister Avigdor …….
US judge agrees to grant asylum to son of Hamas founder
YNet News – The son of a Hamas founder who became a Christian and an Israeli spy will be granted US asylum after he passes a routine background check, an immigration judge ruled …….
Hezbollah says Israel controls telecom network
YNet News – Lebanese state-owned mobile phone firm Alfa confirmed on Wednesday an employee had been detained by the army on suspicion of spying for Israel, a case Hezbollah said …….
Palestinian Information Center
EU: demolition of Jerusalem homes a violation of international law
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said that Israel’s decision to demolish several houses belonging to Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem is a violation of international law.
Tadamun: Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails suffer from paralysis and cancer
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – Tadamun society for human rights said that 23 prisoners permanently residing in the Ramle prison hospital are suffering from deliberate medical neglect by the Israeli prisons authority.
Israeli disguised policemen kidnap Jerusalemite MP
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – A group of Israeli policemen disguised in plain clothes kidnapped Jerusalemite MP Mohammed Abu Tir near his home in Sour Baher village, occupied Jerusalem, on Wednesday.
IOA extends administrative custody of Palestinian MP
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) on Wednesday extended the administrative detention, without trial or charge, of Basem Al-Za’arir, a Palestinian member of parliament.
Barak to meet Fayyad within days to progress talks
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – Israeli war minister Ehud Barak has said that he would meet Salam Fayyad, the illegitimate Palestinian premier in Ramallah, within the few coming days in a bid to progress the peace process.
Muzaini: No new proposals on exchange deal
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – Osama Al-Muzaini has denied press reports speculating that new proposals were tabled regarding the resumption of negotiations on the prisoners’ exchange deal between Israel and the resistance.
Abbas’s militias kidnap 12 Palestinians including religious figures in W. Bank
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – Abbas’s security militias kidnapped during the past two days 12 Palestinian citizens, most of them affiliated with Hamas, including religious figures and ex-detainees.
New settlement project in disputed area of Jabal Mukaber in J’lem
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – Channel 10 revealed an intended settlement project in Jabal Mukaber, east of Jerusalem, in the context of the schemes aimed at expanding the Jewish neighborhoods at the expense of Palestinian lands.
Israeli occupation soldier admits shooting Joulani at point-blank
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – An Israeli occupation soldier from the border guards, who killed Jerusalemite citizen Ziad Joulani on June 11 in Jerusalem, admitted that he shot Jilani at point-blank range, according to Haaretz.
Sources: Israel steadily changes the Ibrahimi Mosque
PIC 30 Jun 2010 – Reliable Palestinian sources said that the Israeli occupation authority is working diligently and systematically on changing the Ibrahimi Mosque from inside.
Cargo of Turkish Aid From Flotilla Begins Arriving in Gaza
New York Times 30 Jun 2010 – Food, clothing and medical supplies began arriving one month after Israeli commandos killed nine Turks in a raid on the flotilla.
Campaign to Spare Activist Intensifies in Iran
New York Times 30 Jun 2010 – As reports circulated that Iran was preparing to execute Zeinab Jalalian, a prominent opposition figure publicly urged the authorities to show compassion.
Solidarity As A Weapon: The MST In Palestine
Palestine Monitor – “There is a weapon more powerful than any Israeli tank or U.S. missile, which is international solidarity,” said Marcelo Buzetto, a S?£o Paulo native visiting Haifa last month. The weeks following Israeli’s deadly flotilla raid on May 31st initiated an outpour of global support for the…
Israel’s ‘periphery doctrine’ of non-Arab friends is in tatters
Mondoweiss – After reading Glenn Greenwald’s scathing rebuke several days ago , Jeffrey Goldberg composed himself enough to respond by inviting Greenwald to visit Iraqi Kurdistan, and let the rest of us know who is in his rolodex : “As it happens, I was e-mailing yesterday with the prime minister…
Avishai: ‘on the verge of fascism…’
Mondoweiss – Bernard Avishai at TPM says that the Israeli press has become lapdog as the country swerves right… I’ve had four or five conversations over the past couple of weeks in which people volunteered, without prompting, that they feel they now know what it was like to…
Writing from the ‘Ramallah bubble,’ Friedman is blind to Gaza and West Bank poverty
Mondoweiss – Writing from the confines of what some Palestinians call the “Ramallah bubble ,” Thomas Friedman thinks he knows how to solve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict: “quietly support[ing]” the Palestinian Authority while it builds a “real economy, a professional security force and an effective, transparent government bureaucracy.” Friedman…
Iara Lee: International pressure since flotilla shows it might be ‘the beginning of the end’
Mondoweiss – Filmmaker Iara Lee continues to be outspoken since returning from the freedom flotilla. Her footage from the Mavi Marmara offers some of the most compelling evidence of what took place the night of the Israeli attack, and Jared Malsin just interviewed her on her film and…
Will mainline American Protestants give Palestinian Christians a voice?
Mondoweiss – B’nai B’rith has issued a statement criticizing the recommendations of the Middle East Study Committee of the Presbyterian Church USA . These recommendations include possibly withholding US military aid to Israel in order to encourage it to abide by international law as well as an endorsement of…
IT JUST DOES YOUR HEAD IN
Irish4Palestine – As Israel readys its apartheid armies to tear down more Palestinian homes for a Jewish Tourist Attraction. Fatah perpares to meet Ehud Barak. The word “insanity” springs to mind:link A Palestinian official announced Wednesday that Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will meet with Israel’s Defense Minister…
NAZI BORG OBSTACLE TO PEACE
Irish4Palestine – Well folks, there at it again, doing what they do best. Destroying peoples lives and inflicting racist apartheid polices on all thsoe they deem lesser human beings.Palestinians have no peace partner:link Calling Israel “an obstacle to peace”, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton on Wednesday criticized…
CHILDREN OF A LESSER GOD
Irish4Palestine – HAMAS DON’T GIVE IN ON SHALIT From DesertpeaceIn the final analysis, Hamas has a huge moral responsibility toward thousands of Palestinian families whose children are languishing in Israeli concentration camps and dungeons. Needless to say, these people have spent the prime of their lives in Israeli…
Death penalty for Iran jail abuse
BBC – Two men are sentenced to death in Iran over the deaths of three anti-government protesters at Kahrizak jail, reports say.
Israel ‘to expand’ flotilla probe
BBC – Israel is ready to expand the powers of an inquiry into its deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, PM Netanyahu says.
‘Hezbollah spies’ held in Israel
BBC – Israel arrests a soldier and several civilians suspected of spying for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the army says.
Iran scientist ‘flees US captors’
BBC – A man claiming to be a kidnapped Iranian nuclear scientist says he has escaped from US custody, in a video on Iranian TV.
Hamas: don’t give in on Shalit — by Khalid Amayreh
Sabbah report – By Khalid Amayreh* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz The cruel Israeli regime is organizing a fresh campaign to demand the release of one of its occupation soldiers, detained in a secret Gaza location. The new campaign, publicized by the Jewish-controlled media in Europe and North America,…
Guess Who Wants to Kill the Internet? by Maidhc ?ì Cathail
Sabbah report – By Maidhc ?ì Cathail* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz It would be hard to think of anyone who has done more to undermine American freedoms than Joseph Lieberman. Since 9/11, the Independent senator from Connecticut has introduced a raft of legislation in the name of the…
Sinking Ship — By John J. Mearsheimer
Sabbah report – The attack on the Gaza relief flotilla jeopardizes Israel itself. By John J. Mearsheimer* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Israel’s botched raid against the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla on May 31 is the latest sign that Israel is on a disastrous course that it seems incapable of…
Articles
Bill Christison ~~ In Memoriam
Donna J Volatile, Desert Peace6/30/2010
-I only knew Bill by his convictions. By those he was a giant.-
Remembering Bill Christison – Anti-War Movement Loses A Wonderful Activist and Advocate For Peace and For Palestine
I first met Bill and Kathy Christison, several years ago, at a dinner hosted by a dear friend and political activist, who brought a group of us together: Christians, Palestinians, Israeli and American Jewish activists and others.
When I found out that Bill and Kathy were retired CIA analysts, my radar went way up and I told myself there was no way I was going to trust these people… How could I possibly trust them? They had been career people with ‘the agency’!
Thankfully, it did not take long for me to see how very wrong headed I was and from the moment I realized they were on ‘our side’, I also came to recognize what better assets could there possibly be, for the anti-war movement and to advocate for the Palestinian cause, than two people who knew and understood the inner workings of US Foreign Policy, having been on the inside of that establishment.
It’s almost impossible to speak about Bill without mentioning Kathy because they were a team and that is how we have known them on just about every level.
Separately and together, Bill and Kathy wrote a multitude of articles, they have appeared on numerous radio and television programs, traveled extensively to promote peace and the Palestinian cause and to expose the absolute failure of US Foreign Policy, most especially in the Middle East. Kathy has written two books and (Perceptions of Palestine and The Wound of Dispossession) she and Bill wrote one book together, Palestine in Pieces: Graphic Perspectives on The Israeli Occupation….. more.. e-mail
In violation of Medical Ethics and International Law: Israel Restricts the Access of Gaza Patients to Urgent Medical Treatment
Physicians for Human Rights – Israel6/29/2010
In violation of Medical Ethics and International Law: Israel Restricts the Access of Gaza Patients to Urgent Medical Treatment if their Condition is Not Life-Threatening
A new position paper by three human rights organizations, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-IL), Al-Mezan and Adalah, reviews Israel’s exit policy at the Erez Crossing regarding Gaza patients seeking medical treatment unavailable in Gaza. The paper argues that there is a consistent Israeli policy of distinguishing between life-threatening cases and cases that affect quality of life, as a basis to deny their exit from the Strip for medical treatment, which violates the principles of medical ethics and international law.
This conclusion is based on an analysis of Israel’s rejections of applications submitted by Gaza patients during 2009, which found a strong correlation between cases considered life-threatening and permit approval rates. It should be stressed that cases which are not defined as life-threatening, and which were denied by Israel, can still be clinically urgent: this includes, for example, conditions that can lead to the loss of limbs, organs, or eyesight.
The organizations argue that Israel must allow every patient requiring medical treatment that is unavailable in Gaza access to treatment outside the Strip without delay.
The policy, which was first adopted on June 2007, is still in effect today. In the past two months, PHR-IL has received about 80 applications from Gaza patients whose requests to exit Gaza to receive medical treatment had been rejected by the Israeli security authorities. This is an extraordinarily high number of rejections in a relatively short period of time, which calls for special attention, given that all of these patients suffer from non-life-threatening medical conditions….. — See also: Position Paper: Who Gets to Go? (PDF) more.. e-mail
When the Police Have an Illegal Headquarters
David Cronin, Inter Press Service6/30/2010
BRUSSELS – Talks aimed at reaching an intelligence-sharing agreement between the European Union and Israel have skirted around the location of Israel’s national police headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem.
In 2005, the EU decided that Europol, its law enforcement office, should negotiate a formal cooperation agreement with Israel. Although Europol stated last year that a draft accord had been completed, it has now acknowledged that the question of Israeli police basing their headquarters on Palestinian land has not been properly addressed.
“The negotiations so far have not touched upon the issue of the location of the main office of the Israeli police in East Jerusalem,” a Europol spokesman told IPS.
The issue is highly sensitive because the EU has never recognised Israel’s 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem, and has opposed Israel’s policy of evicting Palestinians from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah, the neighbourhood where Israel’s police and public security ministry are headquartered. A report by EU diplomats from March last year complained about a marked acceleration in the pace with which Israeli settlements are being built in East Jerusalem as part of a deliberate policy to sever it from the remainder of the West Bank. “Israel is, by practical means, actively pursuing the illegal annexation of East Jerusalem,” the report said.
Israel is one of several countries – including Russia, the U.S. and Canada – to have entered into talks on sharing information with Europol. As part of an eventual agreement, Europol would expect to have representatives stationed in Israel’s police headquarters. Such a move would involve a reversal of a decades-old EU policy as it would mean a de facto recognition of Israel’s takeover of East Jerusalem. more.. e-mail
To end the occupation, cripple Israeli banks
Electronic Intifada: 30 Jun 2010 – If international civil society is serious about urgently ending Israel’s violations of Palestinian rights, including ending the occupation, then suspension of SWIFT transactions to and from Israeli banks offers an instrument to help bring about a peaceful resolution of an intractable conflict. Terry Crawford-Browne comments for The Electronic Intifada.
Israel set to enforce revocation of Jerusalemites’ residency rights
Electronic Intifada: 30 Jun 2010 – Israeli human rights groups and Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority who extended his term under controversial emergency powers, have condemned a decision by Israel to expel four Palestinian politicians from East Jerusalem by the end of this week. Jonathan Cook reports.
Palestinians in Lebanon demonstrate for their rights
Electronic Intifada: 30 Jun 2010 – As cars plastered with the flags of Brazil, Germany, Argentina and other favorite World Cup teams drove across Beirut on Sunday, Palestinian refugees and their supporters carried Palestinian and Lebanese flags as they marched through the capital. They called for their human rights in Lebanon, where they have lived without them for more than six decades. Matthew Cassel reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Solidarity As A Weapon: The MST In Palestine
Palestine Monitor: 30 Jun 2010 – “There is a weapon more powerful than any Israeli tank or U.S. missile, which is international solidarity,” said Marcelo Buzetto, a S?£o Paulo native visiting Haifa last month. The weeks following Israeli’s deadly flotilla raid on May 31st initiated an outpour of global support for the people of Gaza. As Israel deflects attention from ending the crushing blockade through its purported “easing,” people standing in true solidarity with Palestinians—including those in the West Bank, the 1948 areas, and the diaspora—should remember Buzetto’s words. “ There is a weapon more powerful than any Israeli tank or U.S. missile, which is international solidarity ,” said Marcelo Buzetto, a Sao Paulo native visiting Haifa last month. The weeks following Israeli’s deadly flotilla raid on May 31st initiated an outpour of global support for the people of Gaza. As Israel deflects attention from ending the crushing blockade through its purported “ easing,” people standing…
On Israel’s ‘Right to Exist’ and on Racism
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Jun 2010 – By Denis G. Rancourt Surely the Israeli government would agree that the right of a nation state to exist is a question of international law. Under international law, no other country has ever demanded or been granted that another nation state be forced to officially recognize the claimant nation’s “right to exist”, under the threat of military reprisal no less. But since this is an original and unresolved question of international law and since Israel has forcefully put it on the table, it is relevant to examine whether Israel is following established principles of international law, such as the Geneva Conventions for example, or foreign country assassinations and kidnappings, or international waters commando attacks of civilian ships, etc. These specific questions of international law are not complicated. The laws and international treaties are written in clear language, and Israel’s actions are also clear. Global civil society (Amnesty International, Human Rights…more
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