News
International Middle East Media Center
Erekat: “Peace Process Can’t Advance Without Progress On Borders”
IMEMC – 1 Jul 2010 – Dr. Saeb Erekat, head of the negotiations department at the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) stated that moving to direct talks and achieving peace cannot be conducted without progress in the two-state solution and the issue of borders.
Netanyahu: “Israeli Willing To Pay High Price To Release Shalit, Not At Any Cost”
IMEMC – 1 Jul 2010 – Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that Israel is willing to pay a high price to secure the release of prisoner —of-war, corporal Gilad Shalit, but will not pay any price that would “endanger Israel’s security”.
Hamas Legislators Hold Protest Against Deportation Orders
IMEMC – 1 Jul 2010 – Elected Hamas legislators in Jerusalem started a protest against Israel’s order to expel them from Jerusalem, and will likely escalate their protest to a hunger Strike.
Zahalka: “Deporting Jerusalem Legislators, Part of Israel’s Ethnic Cleaning of Palestinians”
IMEMC – 1 Jul 2010 – Arab member of Knesset of the National Democratic Assembly party, Dr. Jamal Zahalka, stated that the kidnapping of the Palestinian legislator from Jerusalem, Mohammad Abu Teir, and the Israeli decision to deport him is part of Israeli political and ethnic cleaning of the Palestinian people.
Israeli Air Force Bombards Several Areas In Gaza
IMEMC – 1 Jul 2010 – The Israeli Air Force carried out several air strikes targeting areas in the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, and in Gaza City; damage was reported, no injuries.
Netanyahu “Invites” Abbas To Visit Jerusalem
IMEMC – 1 Jul 2010 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, invited the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, to visit Jerusalem and hold direct talks with him.
Army Kidnaps Hamas Legislator In Jerusalem, Prepares To Deport Him
IMEMC – 30 Jun 2010 – Israeli soldiers and undercover forces, on Wednesday evening, kidnapped Hamas legislator from Jerusalem, Mohammad Abu Teir, and moved him to the al-Maskobiyya prison, in preparation to deport him along with other Hamas legislators from the city.
Hebron: Scores Kidnapped by Israelis in June
IMEMC – 30 Jun 2010 – A report published by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society’s (PPS) Hebron branch, revealed that Israeli soldiers kidnapped 100 Palestinians in several neighborhoods in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and its surrounding towns and villages, during the month of June.
Israeli Spy on Hamas Granted Asylum in the U.S.
IMEMC – 30 Jun 2010 – Mos’ab, the son of senior Hamas political leader, Hasan Yousef, was granted asylum by a U.S. Immigration Judge when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security dropped its objections against allowing him to remain in the country.
Army Invades Bil’in
IMEMC – 30 Jun 2010 – Israeli soldiers invaded the village of Bil’in, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, in an attempt to kidnap a local activist of the nonviolent movement against the annexation wall built on village lands.
Israel demolishes dozens of homes in Jordan Valley
7/1/2010 – Jericho – Ma’an – Israeli forces demolished dozens of homes and structures in two villages in the Jordan Valley Thursday, reports said. Soldiers arrived with bulldozers in Khirbet Atuf and Khirbet Ar-Ras Al-Ahmar, in the Tubas municipality, and destroyed houses and sheep structures under the pretext the areas are closed military zones, village representative Abdallah Bisharat said….
Area C poverty ’worse than Gaza’
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank have “plummeted into a humanitarian crisis worse than Gaza,” a report released Wednesday said. The US-based Save The Children organization found that “thousands of children are going hungry and are vulnerable to killer diseases,” and that conditions for children have reached “crisis point.”…. Related: Video: AlJazeera
Israeli warplanes target 3 sites in Gaza
7/1/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli aircraft shelled two locations in the southern Gaza Strip and one in the north Thursday morning, damaging the already destroyed Yasser Arafat International Airport, a residential area, and an empty field. Eyewitnesses said at least two F16 warplanes were involved in the operation, and one Gaza City resident said a strike targeted….
Gaza blackouts down to 8 hours per day
7/1/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A delivery of 250,000 liters of industrial fuel on Wednesday will allow the Gaza Power Plant to redistribute its electricity supply, providing central Gaza with 16 hours of power each day. With the infusion of fuel, the Gaza Energy Authority said in a statement, power production will once again reach 30 megawatts, bringing….
Officials press Obama on Jerusalem ’ethnic cleansing’
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian officials from across the political spectrum lodged a petition at the US Consulate on Thursday urging President Barack Obama to stop “ethnic cleansing” in Jerusalem. The group, which included former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs Khalid Abu Arafah and Jerusalem Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, specifically addressed the expulsion of lawmakers. Abu Arafah is….
UK Gaza defendants found not guilty
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Five of seven anti-war protesters who broke into a UK weapons factory and caused ¬£200,000 worth of damage during Israel’s 2008-09 assault on have been found not guilty, activists say. The defendants, who had been charged with conspiracy to cause criminal damage, did not deny their role in damaging the factory and putting the production line out of action…. Related: Smash EDO and Gaza Demonstrators Support Campaign
Israel delays trial for Jerusalem MP
7/1/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – An Israeli court has delayed the trial for Palestinian lawmaker Mohammad Abu Teir, his lawyer said Thursday. Attorney Fadi Qawasmi told Ma’an that his client would return to court Sunday, when the judge would hear an extended defense. The lawyer’s remarks were expected to run long, but the judge’s schedule did not permit….
Obstacles on road to Gaza rebuilding
7/1/2010 – 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 (UNDP) in Jerusalem. Around US$527 million is required to return Gaza to its pre-war state…. Related: Source: IRIN
Heavy police presence in Silwan
7/1/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained three residents of the Palestinian neighborhood of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem on Thursday. As Israeli forces fanned out around the area, six homes were declared military posts, with families either confined to the space or told to evacuate. One family reported damage to the roof of their home as….
1 Gaza crossing partially open
7/1/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A single Gaza crossing will be opened for the transport of goods into the coastal enclave, Palestinian liaison officials were told by their Israeli counterparts on Thursday. Israeli officials said 160 truckloads of goods would be permitted into Gaza via the southernmost crossing Kerem Shalom, with Palestinian official Raed Fattouh noting that three….
Soldiers detain 4 overnight near Bethlehem
7/1/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces raided Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, and detained three young men and a teenager at dawn Thursday. Soldiers threw tear gas canisters into the home of one resident, identified as Ahmad Abu Maria, where his family members inhaled the gas and were treated at the village clinic, village representative Muhammad….
Former detainee sentenced to another 2 years
7/1/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – An Israeli military court has sentenced former female detainee Aysha Ibrahim Ghneimat, 19, to two more years in jail, the Detainees Society reported Thursday. The organization said Ghneimat was detained in September 2009 when she was still in school and again before that for one year. She was arrested shortly after her recent….
8 Palestinians detained in overnight raids
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli forces detained eight Palestinians overnight and handed out two stop-work orders in the northern West Bank, Palestinian police reported Thursday morning. The eight seized were from the Qalqiliya district and the orders were received in Hares village, near Salfit, police said in a daily report. One of the Qalqiliya detainees was seized….
Netanyahu firm on prisoner exchange
7/2/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel is willing to pay a heavy price in negotiations with Hamas to exchange a captured soldier for Palestinians, but not any price. In a live address to the nation, Netanyahu was quoted by the Israeli media as saying that all Israelis wanted captured….
PA-EU Joint Committee marks ’turning point’
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Around 40 officials from the EU and the Palestinian Authority began work on a new five-year action plan at the sixth annual Joint Committee meeting held in Ramallah Wednesday. The plan will support Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s “ambitious state-building agenda that we support whole-heartedly,” European Commission director Tomas Dupla del Moral said. PA….
Egyptian opposition to pay Gaza visit
7/1/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A 30-member Egyptian delegation including nine parliamentarians from Egypt’s Wafd party will be welcomed by the Palestinian Legislative Council on Thursday, deputized speaker for the body Ahmad Bahar said. The group, traveling to Gaza as part of a continued effort from Egyptian officials to support the people of Gaza and to find….
PA vows to increase public outreach in Israel
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – President Mahmoud Abbas met six journalists from Israel’s top news outlets in his Ramallah office Wednesday, two Israeli journalists said. Reporters Aluf Benn and Akiva Eldar billed the meeting as part of a campaign by Abbas to enlist Israeli public support for a peace settlement based on 1967 borders. The writers noted….
Riyadh supports Gaza families affected by siege
7/1/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A Khan Younis mosque distributed blankets, food and kitchen utensils to 160 families in Khan Younis on Wednesday, through donations from Saudi Arabia. The goods, donated by the Islamic Organization of Riyadh, were given to families in the Al-Amal and Al-Muasker neighborhoods, head of the mosque-affiliated charitable institute Yasser Al-Habibi said. He added….
In photos: Israeli journalists tour Ma`an HQ
7/1/2010 – A delegation of Israeli journalists speak with Ma’an CEO Raed Othman and chief editor Nasser Laham in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on 30 June 2010. The group met President Abbas and other officials during a day-long visit to the occupied territories….
Mitchell in Ramallah for talks with Abbas
7/1/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – US peace envoy George Mitchell arrived Thursday in the West Bank city of Ramallah for ongoing talks on borders and security in a bid to convince President Mahmoud Abbas to return to direct negotiations with Israel. But chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said there would be no move toward real negotiations until “progress….
Hamas: Netanyahu wants to escape responsibility
7/1/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Israeli prime minister’s statements on a prisoner deal were “an attempt to escape responsibility,” Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said late Thursday following televised remarks by Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu was simply attempting to justify why he failed to approve a deal offered by the German mediator, Barhoum added.” These statements are an attempt….
PA police get 3 new logistics compounds
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Construction began on three logistics compounds for Palestinian Authority police on Wednesday, in the Nablus, Hebron and Ramallah governorates. A 6-million-euro project funded by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID), the projects will see light vehicle maintenance, IT and communication as well as warehouse buildings installed in police compounds….
PA police: 6 arrested, 10 cars impounded
7/1/2010 – Salfit – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority police arrested Thursday six men wanted by courts for a variety of alleged offenses, among them a man sentenced to death who was accused of killing a police officer in Salfit. The Salfit police department reported that the campaign came in the framework of arresting all fugitives in the region and….
NYT columnist: PSE undeniably stable
7/1/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – If you don’t mind a little volatility, there is a lot of potential upside to investing in the Palestinian Securities Exchange, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman wrote in his column Tuesday. Although the PSE trading index declined by 5. 64 points Thursday, hitting 510. 3 – a 1. 09-percent fall – the shares….
Fires in Jenin controlled, authorities say
7/1/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian firefighters have controlled two fires in Jenin, civil defense reported Thursday. No one was reported injured in the fires that authorities said broke out at a house and in an olive grove. Forces also controlled a fire that broke out in the Atil village in the Tulkarem district, civil defense reported….
APN on Turkey
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Today APN’s board adopted the following policy language regarding Turkey: Turkey has long been a key ally of Israel. In 1949, Turkey was the first Muslim state to recognize Israel. Since that time, both Israel and…
Maariv: Netanyahu won’t meet Clinton; ‘sources’ say she “isn’t relevant”
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Do they honestly think that publicizing a quote like this, on record or off, works to their advantage? Israeli diplomatic [euphemism for Prime Minister’s Office — DR] sources said: “Clinton isn’t relevant and is out of…
The two state solution; Israels last lifeline
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Ship to Gaza’s aim is to finally lift the illegal blockade of Gaza, which means that no goods or people have the right to enter or leave Gaza without a permit from Israel. If they succeed,…
Former MK: ‘Barkat unfit to be mayor’
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington — News commentator and former Knesset member Yossi Sarid denounced Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat for his efforts to move more settlers into east Jerusalem, Ynet News reported Thursday. Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat took office in…
Hamas: Netanyahu’s Shalit statement ‘deludes the public’
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington – Following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s public statement regarding a prisoner swap that would free captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, the Hamas government in Gaza responded that the Israeli leader missed the point of…
Blair: Construction materials to enter Gaza in coming weeks
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington — Middle East envoy Tony Blair has assured skeptics that construction materials should be arriving in the Gaza Strip “in the next two or three weeks,” Ynet News reported Thursday . Demonstrators in London protest against…
The Hit List: Which musicians are boycotting Israel?
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – By Jared Malsin New York – Israel has faced a wave of cancellations by major musical acts in recent months, with several groups and musicians choosing to heed calls a boycott in the wake of Israel’s…
NYT columnist Kristoff: The occupation is morally repugnant
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington – New York Times veteran columnist Nicholas Kristoff wrote from the Hebron area in the West Bank Wednesday about the poverty and inequality heaped on Palestinians in the West Bank by the Israeli occupation. Israeli…
Clerical error: Israeli military summons 7-year-old boy
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington — Israeli military forces mistakenly summoned a 7-year-old boy to a Shin Bet investigation earlier this month. The soldiers failed to realize they had the wrong name, age, and address of the person they were…
In the Warsaw Ghetto, a call to liberate Gaza
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington – On Sunday former Israeli Air Force captain and BDS activist Yonatan Shapira along with “Freedom Flotilla” participant Ewa Jasiewicz visited Poland’s Warsaw Ghetto and called for Israel to ends it ghettoization of Palestinians. On…
Turkey reiterates demands for Israeli reparations
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington — In a meeting with a top Israeli official, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu made clear what is expected from Israel to mend relations damaged following the May 31 flotilla raid, Ynet news reported Thursday….
Lawmaker Abu Tir refuses to leave Jerusalem
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington – Palestinian lawmaker Muhammad Abu Tir has been indicted since his arrest Wednesday for continuing to stay in in his East Jerusalem home after Israel ordered him banished to the West Bank over his affiliation…
Abbas: Palestinians losing faith in 2 state solution
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – New York – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in a series of interviews with Israeli media published on Thursday that Palestinians are fast losing whatever faith they still have in the peace process. US President Barack…
Russia to send 50 armored vehicles to PA
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington — Russia has announced it will deliver 50 armored vehicles to the Palestinian Authority in the next days, Ynet News reported Thursday. “In the coming days 50 armored personnel carriers [APCs] will be delivered to…
Israeli Dep. FM insists ‘Gazans are provided for’
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington – Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told ambassadors gathered at the Kerem Shalom crossing Thursday that the Gaza Strip is well-provided for by Israel and that “the only humanitarian incident in Gaza is the…
Israeli police detain 3 in Jerusalem neighborhood
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington — Israeli troops detained 3 Silwan residents Thursday. Israeli police have increased their presence in the tense neighborhood since the Israel-administered Jerusalem municipality recently announced plans to raze Arab homes therein. Ma’an News Agency reported :…
Gaza blackouts cut to 8 hours a day
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Washington – Gaza blackouts are reportedly down to eight hours a day after a delivery of 250,000 liters of fuel to the territory on Wednesday. According to M’an News Agency, with this fuel shipment, the Gaza…
Israeli warplanes hit Gaza
Palestine Note 1 Jul 2010 – Airport damaged in renewed strikes New York – Israel’s air force bombed at least two locations in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning, reportedly damaging Gaza’s abandoned airport. Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported that in addition…
Night Beat: Lieberman furious over secret Turkey talks
Palestine Note 30 Jun 2010 – Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middile East, and beyond, with a nod to Marc Ambinder , the progenitor of The Night Beat. Avigdor Liebmeran [Wikimedia Commons] Israeli foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman is furious after PM Benjamin…
Israel and Turkey in ‘secret’ talks
AlJazeera 1 Jul 2010 – Meeting provokes row between Israeli foreign ministry and the office of the prime minister.
PNN English Launches New Site
PNN – PNN – The Palestine News Network has today launched its new look English site, replacing the two year old site with a sleek new design.The Site, created and redesigned by Ra’ed Rishmawi,…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory ( 24-30 June 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Poll:Likud, Israel Beiteinu voters want haredim out of gov’t
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 –
Obama signs Iran sanctions into law
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – Israeli businessmen urge American companies to boycott Teheran.
Gov’t: PA may control Gaza crossings
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – Israel considers responsibility transfer under Abbas, US pressure.
FM to take ‘calculated’ revenge on PM
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – Lieberman furious over secret Turkey talks, doesn’t intend to resign.
Lieberman to take ‘cold, calculated’ revenge against PM
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – FM infuriated over Turkey talks exclusion, says ‘things cannot go on this way,’ but won’t ‘give anyone joy’ by resigning.
Turkey: Secret meeting unsuccessful
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – Turkey’s demands to Israel are unchanged after Brussels meeting.
Abu Tir charged in Jerusalem
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – Hamas member to remain jailed; prosecutors want life in prison.
PM to meet FM on secret Zurich meeting
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – Lieberman says party won’t leave government over meeting with Turkey.
Lieberman angry over Zurich meeting
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – FM says party won’t leave government but PMO cannot continue behavior.
IAF strikes Gaza after Kassam attack
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – Military targets terrorist tunnel, weapons production facility.
‘Direct talks if PM clarifies stand on borders, security’
Jeruslalem Post 1 Jul 2010 – In briefing to Hebrew media, Abbas calls Israel’s government his partner, urges release of Schalit and all Palestinian prisoners, says he doesn’t deny 6 million died in Holocaust.
Hamas’s Abu Tir arrested again
Jeruslalem Post 30 Jun 2010 – Legislator arrested for not complying with order to leave capital.
International Solidarity Movement
Direct action around Palestine
7/1/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Al Ma’asara – The people of Al-Ma’asara’s again demonstrated peacefully last Friday, protesting against land seizures and settler harassment. Twenty villagers were joined by a handful of Israelis and internationals, marching from the village out towards the confiscated fields. For the second week running, the group was allowed to reach the fields; Israeli army jeeps appeared….
Noam Shalit responds to Netanyahu: Israel also knows the price of abandoning Gilad
Ha’aretz – Family of captive soldier outraged by Netanyahu’s address on prisoner swap, in which he said Israel would free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Lawyer of accused Hezbollah spy says police wire-tapped conversations
Ha’aretz – Israeli Arab Ameer Makhoul, a well known activist among Arab charities, is accused of communicating with Hezbollah agents.
‘Israel willing to pay heavy price to free Gilad Shalit – but not any price’
Ha’aretz – PM addresses mounting pressure to implement prisoner swap, says he has agreed to free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners; Hamas: Main issue is not how many prisoners, but which ones.
Charges dropped against three Israeli policemen accused of abusing Palestinian
Ha’aretz – Internal Investigations Department says the case is proceeding against a fourth officer, who police consider the main suspect in the alleged abuse.
IDF officer suspected of sexually harassing thousands of girls on the internet
Ha’aretz – Eyal Nahum, 25, also allegedly molested dozens of girls over the age of 16 and is said to have threatened to post naked pictures of them when they tried to…
Lieberman rebuffs Netanyahu attempt to reconcile
Ha’aretz – Foreign Minister refuses to respond to PM’s repeated phone calls, but the two will be forced to meet in other frameworks sometime in next two days.
1.5 million Israeli children celebrate start of two-month summer vacation
Ha’aretz – 2009-2010 school year began with outrage over private religious schools’ refusal to admit immigrant Ethiopian students and ended with furor over the ethnic segregation of an ultra-Orthodox girls school.
‘New material may affect decision to indict Lieberman in graft case’
Ha’aretz – State Prosecutor Lador says information will be included in the document compiled by the SPO, and which will be then be handed to the AG.
German parliament expected to pass motion urging Israel to end Gaza blockade
Ha’aretz – The cross-party motion, an unusual demonstration of unity against Israeli policy, follows calls in Germany to being Hamas into the political process.
Abbas: No direct talks without progress on borders and security
Ha’aretz – Abbas warned before meet with George Mitchell in Ramallah that his people were losing faith in a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Russia to deliver armored vehicles to Palestinian Authority
Ha’aretz – A Russian foreign ministry spokesman says armored personnel carriers to be delivered to Jordan and transferred to PA ‘in the coming days.’
Shalit march, day 5 / Netanyahu to clarify stance on prisoner swap to Israeli public
Ha’aretz – Some 1,500 supporters join Shalit family, as march prepares to reach Hadera., Israel is still deciding exactly what it will and will not allow into Gaza under a new approach…
Report: Obama pressured Israel and Turkey to hold secret talks
Ha’aretz – Barak opposed idea of Ben-Eliezer meeting Turkish FM, according to associates; Lieberman furious with Netanyahu for not informing him of plan, but says matter won’t lead Yisrael Beiteinu to quit…
‘Iran supplied Syria with radar system to thwart surprise Israel attack’
Ha’aretz – According to Wall Street Journal, Iran is equipping its ally with ability to prevent IDF from attacking nuclear facilities and to bolster defenses of Syria and Hezbollah.
Russia refuses Israel cultural center over spy fears
Ha’aretz – Lieberman has been trying to obtain Russia’s permission for the cultural center, to be run by the Israeli Liaison Bureau.
IDF mistakenly summons 7-year-old Palestinian boy to Shin Bet interrogation
Ha’aretz – Shin Bet spokesperson’s office tells Haaretz the security service does not summon children to be interrogated and this case was obviously a mistake.
Why are so many Israelis arrested over illegal arms deals worldwide?
Ha’aretz – The U.S. authorities’ recent arrest of an Israeli for seeking to sell arms to Somalia raises disturbing questions and answers.
Brazil, Syria slam Israel over Gaza flotilla, blockade
Ha’aretz – Syria President Assad voices support of Iran nuclear uranium swap deal initiated by Turkey and Brazil during rare South America visit.
Lieberman slams Netanyahu over government’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.
Egyptian solidarity delegation arrives Gaza today
1 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 1, (Pal Telegraph) A delegation of Egyptian solidarity activists carrying aid and medicines to hospitals in the besieged Gaza Strip Arrived before noon today to the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing in an attempt to break Gaza’s imposed siege for nearly four years. The delegation includes 30 people including deputies from the Egyptian Wafd Party and…
Gaza’s only power plant re-operates with one generator
1 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 1, (Pal Telegraph) Gaza’s power plant and Electricity Company announced the return to schedule the distribution of electricity to the pre-crisis so as to cut it on a rate of 8 hours per day instead of for 18 hours or 20 hours. The Energy Authority said that it had to run only one generator in the power station…
Israel conducts limited incursion in Khan Younis
1 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 1, (Pal Telegraph) Several Israeli bulldozers and tanks broke into the Farrahin east of Khan Younis in the northern Gaza Strip, amid heavy firing towards the houses and property of citizens conducting a limited incursion. Witnesses said that Israeli forces reinforced with tanks, two bulldozers and militant trucks broke this morning into Farrahin area east of Khan Younis…
Israel expels Jerusalemite deputies
1 Jul 2010 – Jerusalem, July 1, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities decided to re-put Deputy Conclave Mohammed Abu Tir before the court to decide on the decision to expel him from the city, which entered into execution a week ago. Israeli police forces captured Deputy Abu Tir, at the entrance of Sur Bahir town, in Jerusalem, on Wednesday, and took him to…
Israel conducts different air raids across Gaza
1 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 1, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli armed aircrafts bombed shortly after midnight a number of sites in the southern Gaza Strip and the north without reported casualties. Witnesses said Israeli armed aircrafts of the type (f16) targeted with two missiles the vicinity of Gaza International Airport in Rafah which was closed a number of years ago and has been…
IOF raids Hebron, arrests four
1 Jul 2010 – Hebron, July 1, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupying forces broke today into the town of “Beit Amer”, north of Hebron, and raided several houses, during which arrested 4 young men and a whole family suffered from suffocation due to inhalation of tear gas. The spokesperson of the Palestinian Solidarity Project in the town, Mohamed Ayad Awad, confirmed that the Israeli…
Israel opens one of Gaza’s commercial crossings, lets in fuel
1 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 1, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities decided today to open the Kerem Abu Salem crossing to let in food, aid and fuel. Engineer Raed Fattouh, the Chairman of Gaza’s Supplies Coordination Committee, confirmed today that the Israeli occupation authorities decided today to insert 160 trucks loaded with aid for the sectors of trade and agriculture through Kerem…
State Terror, Israeli Style
Uruknet July 1, 2010 – Ongoing since its May 14, 1948 “Declaration of Independence,” Israel systematically reigned terror against Palestinians and neighboring states, always claiming self-defense – bogus then, bogus now, historian Ilan Pappe describing Israel as a “settler Prussian state: a combination of colonialist policies….manifested in the dominance of the army over political, cultural and economic life,” then adding: “…
Israeli Air Force Bombards Several Areas In Gaza
Uruknet July 1, 2010 – The Israeli Air Force carried out several air strikes targeting areas in the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip, and in Gaza City; damage was reported, no injuries. Local sources reported that F-16 fighter jets fired two missiles at an area near the Gaza International Airport in Rafah, in the southern part of…
To end the occupation, cripple Israeli banks
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – The international banking sanctions campaign in New York against apartheid South Africa during the 1980s is regarded as the most effective strategy in bringing about a nonviolent end to the country’s apartheid system. The campaign culminated in President FW de Klerk’s announcement in February 1990, releasing Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, and the beginning…
On Israel’s ‘Right to Exist’ and on Racism
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – 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…
Death Squad Terror in Honduras
Uruknet June 20, 2010 – On June 28, 2009, while he slept, dozens of Honduran soldiers stormed President Manuel Zelaya’s residence, arrested him at gunpoint, and exiled him to Costa Rica, in violation of the 1982 Constitution, stating: “No Honduran may be expatriated nor delivered by the authorities to a foreign state,” nor may a democratically elected leader be deposed,…
Palestinians in Lebanon demonstrate for their rights
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – In Lebanon, Palestinian refugees have lived under discriminatory laws that deny them most basic civil rights. They are not allowed to work in more than 20 white collar professions, including medicine, law and engineering. Meanwhile, blue collar jobs require that Palestinians obtain work permits that must be renewed annually or if a worker changes employers….
Examining the Palestinian Left at SOAS : Episode I
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – I am always astounded that activists, especially those in the West, have got little to no grip on the history of Palestinian political movements. Yes, they know one or two things about the PLO (most of it very vague), al Fatah, Hamas, Arafat, those who are slightly more aware of things even have an opinion…
Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing
Uruknet June 30, 2010 – Forced expulsion, revocation of residency rights, excessive taxation, mass house demolition, recurrent land seizure and bulldozing Arab property. These are some of the main components of Israel’s latest aggressive campaign to rid East Jerusalem of its Arab demographics and identity. Judaising, by any and all means, the occupied Arab city that Israel seized from Jordan…
Al Qa’eda launches online magazine
The National 1 Jul 2010 – The terror group’s English-language offering is believed to be a propaganda tool to recruit jihadists in the US and Europe.
Turkey and Israel hold secret talks to rebuild relations
The National 1 Jul 2010 – The Turkish foreign minister and the Israeli trade minister met secretly to discuss ways of building ties following the crisis over the Gaza flotilla.
Israel Restricts Patient’s Access to Medical Treatment
WAFA – RAMALLAH, July 1, 2010 (WAFA)- 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
EUPOL COPPS Hosts Seminar on Rule of Law
WAFA – RAMALLAH, July 1, 2010 (WAFA)- EUPOL COPPS’ Rule of Law section hosted today, an information seminar on all the section’s activities that brought together representatives from its local counterparts
APN Calls for Extending Settlement Freeze
WAFA – WASHINGTON, July 1, 2010 (WAFA)- Americans for Peace Now (APN) set out a Petition calling for the settlement freeze to be extended, as U.S President Obama will meet with Israeli Prime Minister
IOF Continues Human Rights Violations in OPT
WAFA –
Netanyahu Willing to Free 1000 Palestinians for Shalit
WAFA – TEL AVIV, July 1, 2010 (WAFA)- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, today, that he is willing to approve the deal presented by the German mediator to free 1000 Palestinian prisoners in
Israelis Threaten Kindergarten Children
WAFA –
Israel Restricts the Access of Gaza Patients to Urgent Medical Treatment
WAFA – GAZA, June 30, 2010 (WAFA)- 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
PNA-EU Joint Committee Forms Turning Point in Bilateral Relations
WAFA – RAMALLAH, June 30, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the European Union (EU) convened today for their annual Joint Committee session in the framework of the European
Tehran supplies radar system to Syria – report
Daily Star 1 Jul 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Iran has supplied a sophisticated radar system to Syria that can monitor Israeli air force sorties and threaten its ability to attack Iranian nuclear targets by surprise, the Wall Street Journal said on Thursday….
Turkey, Israel hold secret talks to repair ties
Daily Star 1 Jul 2010 ANKARA: Turkey and Israel held secret talks to seek a way out of a deep crisis in bilateral ties sparked by a deadly raid on Gaza-bound aid ships, officials said Thursday. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu…
Iran warms it is ‘more determined’ on nuclear drive
Daily Star 1 Jul 2010 TEHRAN: A defiant Iran said Thursday it has told UN Security Council members that new sanctions will not affect its nuclear program, prompting France to say Tehran was not heading in the right direction. Tehran “considers…
Assad backs Brazil-Turkey plan to solve Iran nuclear row
Daily Star 1 Jul 2010 BRASILIA: Syrian President Bashar Assad voiced support Wednesday for the efforts of Brazil and Turkey to broker a diplomatic solution to the international tensions over Iran’s nuclear program.Under a May accord, Iran agreed to send some…
Turk gunships hit PKK rebels after troops ambushed
Daily Star 1 Jul 2010 Turkish helicopter gunships, backed by ground troops, killed 12 Kurdish rebels during an operation launched after militants ambushed and killed five members of the security forces, the army said on Thursday.Television news channels showed helicopters firing…
Al-Qaeda claims Algeria’s deadliest attack in a year
Daily Star 1 Jul 2010 ALGIERS: Al-Qaeda-linked militants have claimed responsibility for killing 11 Algerian paramilitary police in the oil-rich state’s deadliest attack in a year.The dawn ambush on Wednesday near the border with Mali mocked a new regional security cooperation…
Israel will free 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit
The Guardian 1 Jul 2010 – Binyamin Netanyahu draws the line at paying ‘any price’ for freedom of soldier, who was abducted in 2006 Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, tonight confirmed he was prepared to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for…
Israel’s gay propaganda war | Jasbir Puar
The Guardian 1 Jul 2010 – In portraying itself as the only gay-friendly country in a homophobic region the Israeli state reveals its own desperation Israel’s recent attack on a flotilla delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, killing at least nine people, suggests…
Lessons from Camp David | Ben White
The Guardian 1 Jul 2010 – Ten years after Bill Clinton guided failed Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, the idea of a negotiation on equal terms is now defunct Ten years ago this month, Israelis and Palestinians gathered at Camp David , under the guidance…
Gaza lawyer challenges West Bank study ban
The Guardian 1 Jul 2010 – Israeli authorities deny Fatima Sharif permission to leave Gaza to study human rights at university in Ramallah A 29-year-old lawyer from Gaza has launched a legal challenge against Israel’s refusal to allow her to travel to…
OPT: Statement by Richard Miron, Spokesperson for the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry, 1 July 2010
Relief Web 1 Jul 2010 – Source: UN Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories
Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation
Relief Web 1 Jul 2010 – Source: Government of Israel
OPT: The Events in Silwan, June 27, 2010: Escalation in Police Violence and Attacks on Medical Personnel
Relief Web 1 Jul 2010 – Source: Physicians for Human Rights
In Four Separate Incidents, the IOF Arrest Palestinian Patients at Erez, Attack different areas in the Gaza Strip and Invade North Gaza District
Relief Web 1 Jul 2010 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
FILM: One West Bank Town’s “Unarmed Courage”
IPS Ayed Morrar is just one man. A quiet man, of small stature, whose kind but intense eyes look out from behind wire-rimmed glasses. But he is a man who has become the face of the Palestinian non-violent resistance movement.
IDF intensifies ‘terror tunnel’ attacks in Gaza
YNet News – 16 of 48 targets attacked by IDF since beginning of 2010 were tunnels meant to….
Abbas to Mitchell: No direct talks before border issue resolved
YNet News – During Ramallah meeting, Palestinian president tells US envoy Israel must….
Iran: Sanctions do not ban S-300 Russian missiles
YNet News – Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani says deal for supply of sophisticated air….
Turkey reiterates demands for amends by Israel
YNet News – Ankara official confirms Brussels meeting between FM Davutoglu, Minister….
Abu-Tir indicted for staying in Israel illegally
YNet News – Islamist group member indicted a mere month after release from Israeli prison…..
PM aide meets with Lieberman over insult
YNet News – Lieberman’s associates say relations between him, Netanyahu changed over….
Russia to give armored vehicles to PA
YNet News – Moscow vows to deliver 50 armored personnel carriers to West Bank government in….
IDF officer suspected of seducing young girls
YNet News – Police believe 25-year old Eyal Nahum contacted 4,000 girls, some under 14, for….
Gaza attorney petitions court to study in Birzeit
YNet News – Fatima Sharif wants to study human rights, diplomacy in West Bank but says….
Prisoners’ families urge Shalits to squeeze gov’t
YNet News – Families of Palestinian prisoners held a press conference Thursday during which they encouraged Aviva and Noam Shalit to keep pressuring the Israeli government on behalf …….
Dubai: Iran smuggles nuclear equipment via UAE ports
YNet News – United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Hamad al-Kaabi has confirmed reports that Iran is using Dubai ports to smuggle equipment needed …….
Yossi Sarid: Jerusalem needs mayor who will divide it
YNet News – “We need a mayor who will be willing to divide Jerusalem. (Nir) Barkat is unfit to be mayor,” former minister Yossi Sarid said Thursday at a conference organized by Peace …….
Netanyahu urges Abbas to meet
YNet News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his call to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to meet, urging him “not to waste another 15 months.” “I am ready to …….
Noam Shalit: PM drawing terrible scenarios instead of freeing Gilad
YNet News – The father of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit said that all Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does is “recycle Olmert’s press conferences from 2009.” Instead of freeing …….
Netanyahu: Shalit deal — not at any price
YNet News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday evening presented his position on the negotiations for the release of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, four days after the …….
Blair: Gaza to get construction material soon
YNet News – Mideast envoy Tony Blair said Thursday he expects badly needed construction material to start flowing into the Gaza Strip in two to three weeks now that Israel has agreed …….
Palestinian Information Center
The political whores of Washington
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – Last week, 338 members of the US House of Representatives signed a petition calling on President Obama to veto any UN resolution denouncing the murderous Israeli raid on the Freedom Flotilla.
Armouti: Egypt’s claims about the opening of Rafah crossing untrue
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – Dr. Ahmed Al-Armouti, the head of the Jordanian delegation who was denied access to Gaza, denied that the Egyptian authorities facilitate the movement of goods and people into the besieged Gaza Strip.
Abu Tir stands trial
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) will put Jerusalemite deputy Mohammed Abu Tir on trial at noon Thursday to decide on his deportation from his own city.
IOF troops demolish tens of Palestinian homes in Jordan Valley
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – The Jerusalem legal aid and human rights center reported that Israel issued demolition orders against dozens of Palestinians homes in the Jordan Valley known as Al-Aghwar region.
Report: 100 Palestinians kidnapped by Israeli troops last month in Al-Khalil
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – The Palestinian prisoner society revealed that the Israeli occupation forces kidnapped 100 Palestinian citizens in Al-Khalil last June, including patients, disabled, ex-detainees and children.
IOA threatens deportation of Gazan to Egypt after completing his sentence
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has threatened to deport Gazan prisoner Mohammed Shaat, of Khan Younis, to Egypt.
Qaradawi asks Egypt to open Rafah crossing, hails Turkish positions
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – Sheikh Yousuf Al-Qaradawi demanded the Egyptian regime to open the Rafah border crossing permanently and hailed Turkey for its admirable position towards the besieged Gaza Strip.
IOF warplanes, gunboats blast Gaza targets
PIC 1 Jul 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) escalated their attacks on the Gaza Strip on Thursday launching three air raids and shelling Rafah from the sea.
Turkish Aid From Flotilla Begins Arriving in Gaza
New York Times 1 Jul 2010 – The aid arrives one month after Israeli commandos killed nine Turks in a raid on the flotilla.
Turkish and Israeli Officials Meet Secretly on Raid Crisis
New York Times 1 Jul 2010 – While it was unclear whether Israel and Turkey made any progress in resolving their differences, the meeting created a potentially damaging rift within the Israeli government.
World Briefing | Middle East: Israel: Defense Minister to Meet Palestinian Premier
New York Times 1 Jul 2010 – Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Wednesday that he would meet in the next few days with the Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad.
The Battle For Al-Walaja
Palestine Monitor – Hidden between the ancient cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, lies the village of Al-Walaja. Home to around 2,000 people, mainly agricultural workers, the land is rich in olive trees, summer crops and other natural resources. But the village is at a crossroads. Reporting from Aaron Dearborn….
Palestinian journalist left ‘NYT’ because of ‘taint’ of Jerusalem correspondent’s son joining IDF
Mondoweiss – Alex Kane reports at his new blog : During a June 23 panel discussion at the Washington, D.C.-based Palestine Center, former New York Times reporter Taghreed El-Khodary said that she had to quit being a correspondent in the Gaza Strip after it was confirmed that Times’ Jerusalem…
CNN on the growing cultural boycott
Mondoweiss – Saying that Elton John has “stuck by his guns” certainly sounds different in this context.
Palestinian member of Knesset calls arrest of legislator in J’lem ‘ethnic cleansing’
Mondoweiss – And other news from Seham’s digest, Today in Palestine: Land theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing IOF troops demolish tens of Palestinian homes in Jordan Valley The Jerusalem legal aid and human rights center reported that Israel issued demolition orders against dozens of Palestinians homes in the Jordan…
UK BDS vote includes call to review ‘whether Zionism is compatible with Methodist beliefs’
Mondoweiss – The Methodist Church of Britain voted yesterday to boycott Israeli-produced goods and services from the West Bank. From their press release : The Methodist Church has today voted to boycott all products from Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, and to encourage Methodists across Britain to do…
Petraeus braintrust says ‘pragmatic’ and representative Hamas must be included in Palestinian gov’t
Mondoweiss – Ali Abunimah says this is huge and he’s right, Mark Perry breaks the story that Petraeus’s Central Command got a report in May from a “Red Team” of senior intelligence advisers that runs counter to American policy in Israel Palestine and appears to dis General Dayton’s…
Maariv: Netanyahu won’t meet Clinton; ‘sources’ say she “isn’t relevant”
Coteret – Do they honestly think that publicizing a quote like this, on record or off, works to theiradvantage? Israeli diplomatic [euphemism for Prime Minister’s Office — DR] sources said: “Clinton isn’t relevant and is out of the circle of influence. Mitchell has taken over the peace process…
Examining the Palestinian Left at SOAS : Episode I (by Caf?® Thawra, intro by Mary Rizzo)
Palestine Think Tank – WRITTEN BY CAFE’ THAWRA, Intro by Mary Rizzo I am always astounded that activists, especially those in the West, have got little to no grip on the history of Palestinian political movements. Yes, they know one or two things about the PLO (most of it very…
Hamas: don’t give in on Shalit
Palestine Think Tank – This position may not be popular in New York and Paris. But why show the slightest concern about what Paris and New York think in the first place. They have always been and continue to be our direct or indirect tormentors. Our responsibility is first and…
Position Paper Who Gets to Go? In Violation of Medical Ethics and the Law: Israel’s Distinction between Gaza Patients in Need of Medical Care
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights –
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
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights –
Adalah and Al Mezan Demand the Opening of a Criminal Investigation into the Killing of Ahmad Deeb by the Israeli Military during a Peaceful Demonstration near the Border in Gaza
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights –
Israel renews Shalit swap offer
BBC – Israel renews its offer to release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners if Hamas militants free captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
Obama signs new sanctions on Iran
BBC – US President Barack Obama signs into law new sanctions against Iran intended to impede its nuclear programme.
Egypt police face ‘brutality’ charges
BBC – The Egyptian authorities charge two plain-clothed police officers over the death of a 28-year-old man in Alexandria last month.
Turkey back to talks with Israel
BBC – Israel holds its first high-level meeting with Turkey since Turkish activists were killed on an aid ship bound for Gaza.
Talks Hit a Rock Called East Jerusalem
Antiwar.com – SILWAN, East Jerusalem — The sound of stun grenades and gunfire resounded through this embattled Palestinian neighborhood. 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…
When the Police Have an Illegal Headquarters
Antiwar.com – 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…
Spanish stores boycott Israeli game
BDS – Maya Mahler [ YNet ] 1 July 2010 – Rummikub, the Israeli game made popular worldwide, has become the recent victim of the trend to boycott Israeli goods throughout the world. read more
Jury clears activists who broke into Brighton arms factory
BDS РBibi van der Zee and Rob Evans [ Guardian ] 30 June 2010 РFive activists who caused £180,000 damage to an arms factory were acquitted after they argued they were seeking to prevent Israeli war crimes. read more
Articles
The Two Sides of a Barbed-Wire Fence
Nicholas D. Kristof, Karmel, West Bank, New York Times6/30/2010
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank is widely acknowledged to be unsustainable and costly to the country’s image. But one more blunt truth must be acknowledged: the occupation is morally repugnant.
On one side of a barbed-wire fence here in the southern Hebron hills is the Bedouin village of Umm al-Kheir, where Palestinians live in ramshackle tents and huts. They aren’t allowed to connect to the electrical grid, and Israel won’t permit them to build homes, barns for their animals or even toilets. When the villagers build permanent structures, the Israeli authorities come and demolish them, according to villagers and Israeli human rights organizations.
On the other side of the barbed wire is the Jewish settlement of Karmel, a lovely green oasis that looks like an American suburb. It has lush gardens, kids riding bikes and air-conditioned homes. It also has a gleaming, electrified poultry barn that it runs as a business.
Elad Orian, an Israeli human rights activist, nodded toward the poultry barn and noted: “Those chickens get more electricity and water than all the Palestinians around here.”
It’s fair to acknowledge that there are double standards in the Middle East, with particular scrutiny on Israeli abuses. After all, the biggest theft of Arab land in the Middle East has nothing to do with Palestinians: It is Morocco’s robbery of the resource-rich Western Sahara from the people who live there.
None of that changes the ugly truth that our ally, Israel, is using American military support to maintain an occupation that is both oppressive and unjust. Israel has eased checkpoints this year — a real improvement in quality of life — but the system is intrinsically malignant. more.. e-mail
Legalizing the Jerusalem lie
Michael Carpenter, Ma’an News Agency7/1/2010
Three months after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “spat in Obama’s eye” by timing high-level diplomatic visits with the announcement of sweeping development plans in East Jerusalem, the city is about to codify into law an even more ambitious master plan for taking over the entire heart of the stateless Palestinian nation. And once again, Bibi is off to Washington.
In symbolic microcosm, construction began this past weekend on the controversial grounds of the Shepherd Hotel. The compound lies in the traditionally Palestinian neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, on the Palestinian side of the Green Line in Jerusalem, just north of the Old City. The hotel itself was considered property of Jordan (having passed from the erstwhile ownership of Grand Mufti Haj Amin Al-Husseini) until it was purchased in 1985 by Irving Moskowitz, a wealthy American Jew and a major financier of the Israeli settler movement.
In the wake of dramatic 2008-2009 settlement activity in Sheikh Jarrah — recall that several Palestinian families are now living in tents outside their former homes while protected Israeli settlers sleep inside — plans were floated to construct 20 Israeli-only housing units on the large property of the Shepherd Hotel. The plan was met with international condemnation and was silenced more than once, but it never went away. On Sunday, construction work began. The new development will see upwards of 100 Israelis wedged into the heart of Palestinian East Jerusalem.
“You see, they want all Sheikh Jarrah,” says local resident Muhammad Sabagh. Muhammad has problems of his own, because a legal claim against his house is currently grinding through the Israeli courts. He hopes to be luckier than some of his now-homeless neighbors. “We don’t accept settlers in our neighborhood,” he says. more.. e-mail
Israel’s Stalemate
Seyla Benhabib, Reset DOC6/26/2010
On a balmy and humid Saturday night, June 5th, we left our apartment on Kikar Masarik Square in Tel-Aviv and walked down to Yitzhak Rabin Square, only 5 minutes away. Recalling our youthful days at similar anti-war and peace marches, we eyed the crowd anxiously.
We soon realized that we were joining the crowd, whose size would eventually grow to 6,000 and sponsored by the Israeli Peace Movement (Shalom Ahshav), at the gathering spot of the Israeli Communist Party (Hadash): I noticed many young Arabs carrying the hammer and sickle, along with girls, Israeli or Palestinian, with their khaffiyas, chanting in Hebrew and Arabic as a distinguished looking elderly Arab gentleman addressed that part of the crowd.
As the sea of red flags surges around us, I suppressed a tear: Such a sight is hardly visible in any European capital. I recalled all those Jewish communist militants of Europe who gave their lives for an ideal that was hollowed out by history. “Wie eine Trane im Ozean,” I mused —like a tear in the Ocean— recalling that beautiful novel of Mannes Sperber, documenting the decimation of a generation of militants by Stalin and party purges even before the gas chambers reached them. But here now before me were their children and grandchildren, not in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Budapest and Moscow, but in Tel-Aviv.
At that point, we noticed another group, again with many youthful members that has entered the square. It is the Latin American Socialist Youth Alliance, chanting into their megaphones in Hebrew — “El Pueblo unido, no maz sera venciro.” We joined them, and started marching as the sounds of English, Hebrew, and Spanish wafted over heads like so many delicious smells of an eclectic cuisine. more.. e-mail
Israel convicts grassroots activist to two years’ imprisonment
Electronic Intifada: 1 Jul 2010 – On 30 June grassroots activist Adeeb Abu Rahmah was sentenced by Israel to two years imprisonment at a military court hearing at the Ofer Military Complex in the occupied West Bank. Abu Rahmah already spent 11 months behind bars and his arrest and detention is part of Israel’s repressive efforts to criminalize the grassroots popular resistance to the Israeli occupation. Amy Darwish reports for The Electronic Intifada.
Queers Against Israeli Apartheid refuse to be silenced
Electronic Intifada: 1 Jul 2010 – On the morning of 25 May, the Board of Pride Toronto held a press conference on the lawn outside its offices to announce that the phrase “Israeli Apartheid” would be censored from the upcoming 2010 Pride Parade. The decision, aimed at banning the Toronto-based activist group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid from the parade, set off a firestorm in the community. Savannah Garmon comments for The Electronic Intifada.
EU-Israel talks skirt around Jerusalem police headquarters
Electronic Intifada: 1 Jul 2010 – BRUSSELS (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. In 2005, the EU decided that Europol, its law enforcement office, should negotiate a formal cooperation agreement with Israel.
The Battle For Al-Walaja
Palestine Monitor: 1 Jul 2010 – Hidden between the ancient cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem, lies the village of Al-Walaja. Home to around 2,000 people, mainly agricultural workers, the land is rich in olive trees, summer crops and other natural resources. But the village is at a crossroads. Reporting from Aaron Dearborn. This year has witnessed a surge in Israeli military crackdowns, as Al-Walaja joins Bili’n, Ni’lin and Beit Jala, as the scene of heated weekly anti-wall demonstrations and popular resistance. Since the first construction workers and soldiers arrived to begin clearing land for the Wall almost four years ago, locals say they have received an increasing number of eviction orders, arrests, threats and intimidation from IDF soldiers. The current plan for Al-Walaja will see the town surrounded on all sides by the wall. Only one entry and exit point, under complete military control, will remain. The position of nearby settlements mean the Wall will encroach…
Millennium Goals Revisited: Noble Ideas, and Feel-Good Moments
Palestine Chronicle: 1 Jul 2010 – By Ramzy Baroud When the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were first declared, they were met with a sense of promise. A decade later, despite all the official insistence that all is on track, it is increasingly clear that this approach to development was flawed from the onset. For ten years, numerous committees, international and local organizations and independent researchers have tirelessly mulled over all sorts of indicators, numbers, charts and statistical data relating to extreme poverty and hunger, universal primary education, gender equality, child mortality, and so on. The conclusions derived from all the data weren’t necessarily grim. And the sincerity of the many men and women who have indefatigably worked to ensure that the eight international development goals — agreed to by all 192 UN member states and over 20 international organizations — were fully implemented, cannot in any way be discounted. They were the ones who…more
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