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International Middle East Media Center
Jerusalem Legislator Receives Extended Detention By Israel
IMEMC – 4 Jul 2010 – An Israeli court decided Sunday to extend the remand of Jerusalem lawmaker of Hamas, Mohammad Abu Teir, until July 12. The prosecution is demanding the expulsion of Abu Teir from his hometown, Jerusalem.
PCHR is Gravely Concerned by the Continued Summonsing and Detention of Fatah Activists in Gaza
IMEMC – 4 Jul 2010 – The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is grave concerned by and wishes to highlight the repeated summonsing and detention of dozens of Fatah activists by the Internal Security Service (ISS) in Gaza, as well as the confiscation of the passports of some of these activists.
Standoff at Hebron mosque
7/5/2010 – Soldiers used several Palestinians as human shields – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces surrounded a mosque in the occupied West Bank late Sunday, opening fire and ordering it evacuated. It was not immediately clear what provoked the standoff at the Ar-Rihiya Mosque south of Hebron, where two Palestinians were detained. Local residents told Ma’an that Israeli forces….
Jerusalem man forced to demolish home extension
7/4/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Faced with the prospect of paying thousands of dollars in fines to the Israeli municipality that administers occupied East Jerusalem, a Palestinian homeowner has demolished part of his own house. Nayef Kasteru, a father of three living in the Aqbat As-Saraya neighborhood of Jerusalem’s Old City, on Sunday finished dismantling a 49-meter….
Israeli forces disperse Beit Ummar rally
7/4/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli forces deployed riot dispersal means against Palestinians gathered near a settlement Saturday afternoon in the Hebron district, after the rally was attacked by Israeli settlers, officials said. Palestine Solidarity Project spokesman Muhammad Ayad Awad said participants, waving Palestinian and Turkish flags, and journalists were accosted by Israeli settlers near the Karmi Tsur….
Israel police search for Jerusalem lawmakers (1)
7/4/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli police have made contact with the relatives of three Jerusalem lawmakers slated for expulsion, on the eve of a deadline Israel put forward for them to leave. Family members of Ahmad Atoun, Mohammad Totah, and Khaled Abu Arafeh – all Hamas-affiliated legislators – said they received calls Sunday from Israeli police demanding information on their whereabouts…. Related: Israel police search for Jerusalem lawmakers (2)
Several injured as Israeli forces disperse Beit Jala rally
7/4/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Several injuries were reported on Sunday as Israeli forces dispersed a march protesting settlement expansion and the wall’s construction in Beit Jala, a town in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem. Imad Abu Nassar, the coordinator of the national committee against the wall, said confrontations were based near the Cremisan area and….
Israel extends detention of Jerusalem lawmaker
7/4/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – An Israeli court has extended the detention period of Palestinian lawmaker Mohammad Abu Teir upon the advice of its attorney general, who is considering an arrangement alternative to expulsion. Defense attorney Fadi Qawasmi said the court’s decision came after a request was presented to the Israeli interior minister to review a ruling taken….
Egypt says 400 tunnels destroyed this year
7/4/2010 – Rafah – Ma’an – Egyptian authorities said Sunday that 400 smuggling tunnels have been destroyed since the beginning of the year. The announcement came after nine tunnels on the border with Gaza were taken over and a smuggler was detained. The detainee, identified only by his initials RR, was among the most wanted, intelligence sources said. Authorities….
Hezbollah leader Muhammad Fadlallah dead at 74
7/4/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Lebanon’s Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, one of Shiite Islam’s highest religious authorities, died Sunday at the age of 74, a medical source at a Beirut hospital told Reuters. A key figure in the founding of Hezbollah in 1982, Reuters reported that Fadlallah was known for his moderate and progressive social….
Israel partially opens 1 Gaza terminal
7/4/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli authorities are expected to partially open one crossing into Gaza on Sunday for the entry of aid and fuel, Palestinian Authority officials said. Approximately 152 to 162 truckloads of goods for the commercial and agricultural sector would be permitted entry through Gaza’s Kerem Shalom crossing in the south, PA liaison official Raed….
Israel police search for Jerusalem lawmakers (2)
7/4/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Israeli police are searching for four Jerusalem lawmakers on the eve of a deadline put forward for him to them to leave. The families of Muhammad Abu Teir, Ahmad Atoun, Mohammad Totah, and Khaled Abu Arafeh – all Hamas-affiliated legislators – said they received calls Sunday from Israeli police demanding information on their whereabouts since morning…. Related: Israel police search for Jerusalem lawmakers (1)
Barghouthi: Resistance our strategic choice
7/4/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Palestinian National Initiative leader Mustafa Barghouthi said Saturday that talks with Israel have failed, speaking at a rally calling for the reopening of Ash-Shuhada Street in Hebron.” We are here in Hebron to stress that resistance is our strategic choice as negotiations with the right-wing Israeli government have failed,” Barghouthi told party members….
Egypt FM: Arab League to declare Palestinian state if talks fail
7/4/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The Arab League will turn to the UN Security Council to declare a Palestinian state if proximity talks between Israeli and Palestinian officials fail to achieve progress by September, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abul Gheit said Saturday. According to Egyptian news site Al-Masry Al-Youm, Abul Gheit said Arab countries should act while….
PCHR concerned for Fatah activists in Gaza
7/4/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights says it is concerned by and wishes to highlight the repeated summonsing and detention of dozens of Fatah activists by the Internal Security Service in Gaza. In a statement, the PCHR called upon the government in Gaza to refrain from summonsing Fatah members and detaining them in….
Report: Israel concerned over Saudi-US defense deal
7/4/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israel is trying to thwart a defense deal between the US and Saudi Arabia for the purchase of new F15 fighter jets and upgrades to the Saudi air force, Israeli media reported Sunday. According to a senior defense force source, the US is interested in developing the Saudi air force to deter….
Mash’al: No link between siege, unity deal
7/4/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Exiled Hamas politburo chief Khaled Mash’al said Sunday that any attempt to connect an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza and the ratification of a Palestinian unity deal was “unacceptable.”Mash’al told the Jordanian newspaper As-Sabil in Damascus that recent comments by Fatah on the reconciliation deal are “attempts to divert attention from….
Egypt allows Malaysian aid into Gaza
7/4/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Egyptian authorities permitted the entry of Malaysian aid into the Gaza Strip on Saturday, despite barring its accompanying delegation, charity officials said. Twelve Malaysian representatives and journalists were set to enter Gaza to deliver the aid, but were not allowed to transit through the Rafah crossing for failing to secure coordination with Egyptian….
Zahhar: Fatah too immature for unity deal
7/4/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahhar said Sunday that his movement would not undertake new initiatives on ratifying a unity deal because “Fatah is not mature enough.” Az-Zahhar said he refused the return of “corrupt Fatah security forces and leaders to Gaza. . . reconciliation does not mean symbols of corruption will return,” referring to Hamas’ rival….
In photos: Palestinian leaders mark US independence
7/4/2010 – MaanImages – George HaleUS Consul General Daniel Rubinstein greets Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and other Palestinian dignitaries at the US Consulate General’s annual Independence Day reception on 30 June 2010. Muslim, Christian, and Jewish religious figures from Jerusalem were among the attendees, as well as US General Keith Dayton….
UAE donates 103 cars to PA
7/4/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – The United Arab Emirates has donated 103 different types of vehicles to the Palestinian Authority, Minister of Wafq and Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash announced Sunday. Al-Habbash, who also chairs the Commission for Presidential Aid, said the vehicles were delivered through the UAE’s Red Crescent committee under the instruction of Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh….
Israeli cabinet expands flotilla probe scope
7/4/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The Israeli cabinet voted Sunday to expand the jurisdiction of an internal probe into Israel’s raid of a Gaza-bound aid ship in international waters on 31 May. The commission, headed by former justice Jacob Tirkel, will now be allowed to subpoena witnesses and receive sworn testimony, the Israeli prime minister’s office said….
Hebron police detain 36 across district
7/4/2010 – Hebron – Ma’an – Palestinian Authority police detained 36 men they said were fugitives and impounded 30 illegal cars in the southern West Bank district of Hebron, a report issued Sunday read. Those apprehended, the report detailed, included 10 suspects driving illegal cars and another 16 suspected of involvement in a number of criminal cases, theft, and….
Report: Lebanese flotilla to arrive in Gaza within weeks
Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 – Washington – Two Lebanese aid ships bound for Gaza are expected to arrive at Gaza’s shores “in a couple of weeks,” Xinhua reported Sunday. The violent seizure of the Mavi Marmara and the rest of the…
Turkel probe gets expanded powers
Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 – Washington – Israel’s investigation of the May 31 “Freedom Flotilla” raid led by jurist Jacob Turkel has received greater authority, Chinese news service Xinhua reported Sunday. The “Freedom Flotilla” aid convoy was bound for Gaza when…
Knesset won’t receive veto on settlement freeze
Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 – Washington – Israeli PM and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu has consolidated support against giving the Knesset veto power in the proposed extension of the West Bank settlement freeze, Haaretz reported Sunday. Settlers are keen to…
Abu Tir’s detention extended
Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 – Washington – The Israeli court hearing Hamas-affiliated lawmaker Muhammad Abu Tir’s appeal has ruled to extend his detention, Ma’an News Agency reported Sunday. The ruling came one day ahead of the state’s deadline for Abu Tir…
Abu Daoud, Munich attack organizer, dies in Syria
Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 – Mohammed Daoud Odeh died of kidney failure on Saturday Washington – The person who planned the deadly attack against Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, died of illness on Saturday at the age of…
Israeli-Palestinian soccer team honored in Johannesburg
Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 – Israeli and Palestinian girls play on the same team with the Peres Center for Peace soccer initiative. Photo source : Flickr WrenB Washington – A team of Israeli and Palestinian teenage soccer players was honored in Johannesburg…
Watch: How Gilad Shalit will save Netanyahu?
Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he will release 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in return for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. ‚Ä®Why the sudden change of heart? And will Netanyahu survive? Watch this report on Link…
Lebanon’s Shia Muslim leader dies
AlJazeera 4 Jul 2010 – Fadlallah, once regarded as Hezbollah’s spiritual guide, was a staunch critic of US and Israel.
Fears over Lebanon confrontations
AlJazeera 4 Jul 2010 – UN officials “very concerned” at tensions between residents and peacekeepers in south.
Israel expands flotilla inquiry
AlJazeera 4 Jul 2010 – Panel gets power to call witnesses but troops will face separate military inquiry.
Iran ‘has proof’ scientist abducted
AlJazeera 4 Jul 2010 – Tehran demands answers from US as it hands over “evidence” to Swiss embassy.
Four Injured During Anti Wall Protest Near Bethlehem
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura — PNN – Four civilians among them a journalist were injured on Sunday during the weekly anti wall protest at the town of Beit Jala near Bethlehem in southern West…
How To Win The War Against Israel? Truth Or Consequences
PNN – By: Mitri I. Musleh – The Middle East, being one of the troubled spots in the world without a peaceful resolution, remains a major concern and a real threat to world peace…
First Franco Arab Film Festival In The West Bank
PNN – PNN — Ramallah —Starting on the 1rst of July the first Franco Arab Film Festival is taking place in five cities of the West Bank. The festival is launched by Patrick Girard,…
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
State may yet decide to indict Messer
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jul 2010 – Former Olmert lawyer not off the hook for Talansky,Investment Center affairs.
Chaplain, central command differ over Shabbat evacuations
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jul 2010 – Committee clarifies IDF position on evacuating right wing activists.
IDF increases, enhances its urban warfare training centers
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jul 2010 – Next battles with Hizbullah and Hamas will be fought in densely populated areas.
Barak, Ben-Eliezer feud intensifies
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jul 2010 – At Labor Meeting, Ben-Eliezer threatens to “skewer” Barak aide.
Lieberman off to Baltics
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – FM discusses Iran and Turkey with Latvian President.
Settlers campaign against PM
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – “Don’t extend housing freeze,” they implore as he heads to DC.
Expansion work begins on Gaza side of Kerem Shalom crossing
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Netanyahu to present Obama with new list of goods banned from entering Strip.
Turkey pulls out of navy excercise
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – In wake of flotilla, Turks pull out of drill with IDF, US.
Gazans: Release all Hamas prisoners
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Israel Philharmonic to play for Schalit in Eshkol Park.
PM may offer freeze extension
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – According to offer, Obama would accept Israeli control of large settlements.
Gazans demands release of all Hamas prisoners
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Rona Ramon offers personal prayer for Gilad.
Lieberman, Ben-Eliezer, Barak meet with int’l officials
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Barak gets meetings in DC, Ben-Eliezer meets Turks, and FM Lieberman goes to Latvia.
Ben-Eliezer threatens to skewer DM’s aide
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Barak left with no political allies.
‘Gas masks distribution a failure’
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – IDF Home Front Command head encourages citizens to buy their own masks.
Erekat: Israel causing failure of talks
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – PA negotiator says continued building impedes direct talks.
Jordan school using Israeli-made gowns
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Hashemite University students using graduation gowns cause uproar.
‚ÄòGowngate’: ‚ÄòMade in Israel Graduation Gowns Cause Uproar
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Jordanian graduates shocked to find made in Israel labels atop their graduation gowns.
Ben-Eliezer accuses Barak of info leak
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Trade Minister to Barak aide “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
Top Shi’ite cleric dies in Lebanon, age 75
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jul 2010 – Alleged Hizbullah leader blacklisted as ‘terrorist’ by United States.
International Solidarity Movement
Israeli courts criminalize protest: Adeeb Abu Rahma sentenced to two years
7/4/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – International network for the Palestinian popular nonviolent resistance – Israeli repression of Palestinian non-violent resistance against the Wall and the Occupation takes a distubring turn: Adeeb Abu Rahma, from Bil’in Village, sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. On 30 June 2010, grassroots activist Adeeb Abu Rahma, member of the Bil’in Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements….
Ben-Eliezer slams Barak in wake of covert Turkey meeting
Ha’aretz – Trade minister tells defense minister’s media aide: ‘I’ll skewer you, you don’t know who you’re messing with.’
‘Fighting for every drop’
Ha’aretz – Tel Aviv’s annual water fight, after six years a firm fixture in the city’s cultural calendar, this year played out under the banner ‘Fighting for Every Drop’.
Noam Shalit: Tens of thousands of Israelis can’t be wrong
Ha’aretz – Father of abducted IDF soldier Gilad Shalit addresses Ra’anana crowd, urges Netanyahu to heed the public that supports prisoner swap with Hamas.
Israel set to release ‘black list’ of items banned from Gaza
Ha’aretz – Goods have begun flowing into coastal territory since Israel lifted blockade; all but weapons and ‘dual use’ materials will be allowed to enter.
Sign of progress in Mideast talks: Barak and Fayyad to meet for first time in months
Ha’aretz – Meeting comes on eve of Netanyahu talks with Obama, who wants the two sides to move to direct peace negotiations.
Ministers reject MKs’ veto on settlement freeze
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday scrambled for support ahead of the vote, telephoning cabinet ministers from his Likud party in the hope of persuading them to oppose the transfer…
Netanyahu hopes Obama meeting will pave way for direct Mideast talks
Ha’aretz – U.S. President to host PM on Tuesday; Netanyahu tells cabinet: There is no substitute for direct negotiations., FM Mottaki says Israel would not have raided Gaza flotilla if the UN…
Government expands authority of Gaza flotilla probe commission
Ha’aretz – Newly added powers will allow the Turkel Commission to subpoena witnesses and receive sworn testimony.
Iran to halt 20% enrichment if uranium swap implemented
Ha’aretz – Parliament’s foreign policy chief says Iran willing to renegotiate fuel export agreement if UN drops sanctions
Shalit family and 5,000 supporters march into Tel Aviv
Ha’aretz – Demonstration calling for release of captured IDF soldier has already caused severe traffic disturbances during the morning rush hour.
Egypt FM: Arab League will declare Palestinian state if peace talks fail
Ha’aretz – Top Palestinian negotiator Erekat refutes reports claiming that Abbas had offered Israel a West Bank land swap as part of a final status peace agreement.
Israel allows Gazan prisoners to call their families
4 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 4, (Pal Telegraph) The Israeli occupation authorities Decided to allow prisoners of the Gaza Strip, to call their families about a month ago from the beginning of Ramadan and after negotiations and an appeal done by the leadership of the prisoners movement. The prisoners in ‚ÄòRamleh’ prisonsaid that The Gaza Strip prisoners in Israeli jails have begun to…
IOF injures photojournalist, 3 others in Beit Jala’s peaceful demo
4 Jul 2010 – Bethlehem, July 4, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces fired today gas bombs at a peaceful demo in Bait Jala which injured a photojournalist and other three protesters. Local sources reported that the photojournalist Mahmoud Alian who works with Al-Qudes newspaper was shot by a gas bomb in his head, adding that three others were suffocated while they were…
Government expands authority of Gaza flotilla probe commission
4 Jul 2010 – Jerusalem, July 4, (Pal Telegraph — Ha’aretz) The government has unanimously voted Sunday to expand the authority of the Turkel Commission, formed to investigate Israel’s raid of the Gaza-bound flotilla. According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the newly added powers will allow the commission, headed by Supreme Court justice Jacob Turkel “subpoena witnesses and receiving sworn…
Netanyahu angers Shalit supporters
4 Jul 2010 – Jerusalem, July 4, (Pal Telegraph — Press TV) Tens of thousands of Israelis have protested against Tel Aviv’s refusal to accept a deal to swap captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit for imprisoned Hamas officials. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu raised public anger after announcing in a televised address on Thursday that he would not agree to the release of some…
Israel erects mobile barrier in Nablus
4 Jul 2010 – Nablus, July 4, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces erected today a mobile military checkpoint near Howara town in Nablus city, in the West Bank. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli soldiers stopped citizens’ cars and searched them carefully and verified their ID cards. They added that they randomly chose the cars they searched. Israel erects more than 500 military checkpoints…
Israel ratifies dicision of building new settlements in Jerusalem
4 Jul 2010 – Jerusalem, July 4, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” said that today a decision anticipated in the area of management and construction in East Jerusalem which will overshadow once again Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. The so-called Israeli Committee of the local coordination and construction is scheduled to endorse the decision of creating 60 residential units in the…
Gaza siege damages Palestinians’ health: study
Uruknet July 4 2010 – Palestinian health experts studying the impact of Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip say it threatens to cause long-term damage to Palestinians’ health, with many children at risk of stunted growth or malnutrition. In a series of studies published in the Lancet medical journal on Friday, researchers also said Israel’s attack on the region in…
Arab Intellectuals: rise up to the challenge — “Freedom First”
Uruknet July 4, 2010 – A nation under occupation cannot afford to stray off its course, neither to the right nor to the left, that is an intellectual luxury it cannot afford. A fight for freedom and independence, such as that of the Palestinians, should not fall into the trap of turning into an internal ideological struggle or a rift…
PCHR is Gravely Concerned by the Continued Summonsing and Detention of Fatah Activists in Gaza and Confiscation of their Passports
Uruknet July 4, 2010 – The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is grave concerned by and wishes to highlight the repeated summonsing and detention of dozens of Fatah activists by the Internal Security Service (ISS) in Gaza, as well as the confiscation of the passports of some of these activists. PCHR calls upon the government in Gaza to refrain…
The Battle of Nabi Saleh: Soldiers vs. Kids
Uruknet July 4, 2010 – When Israeli soldiers entered the embattled Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh on July 2, they were immediately confronted by over a dozen small children. While the IDF is accustomed to firing teargas canisters, percussion grenades, rubber bullets and even live .22 caliber ammunition at adolescent boys, members of the Nahal unit and Kfir border police…
Ahmad Sa’adat: A Palestinian Prisoner of Conscience
Uruknet July 4, 2010 – He’s the 1967-founded Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine’s (PFLP) General Secretary, one of thousands of Palestinian political prisoners, sentenced in 2002 to 30 years in prison “for a range of ‘security-related’ political offenses,’ ” including his prominence in a prohibited organization, a 1993 document stating that: “The strategic aim of the PFLP’s struggle alongside…
Lebanese aid ships to arrive in Gaza soon: Palestinian official
Uruknet July 4, 2010 – A Palestinian official said Sunday that two Lebanese aid ships are expected to arrive in Gaza in a couple of weeks. Jamal al-Khoudary, an independent lawmaker and head of the Popular Committee Against Siege, told Xinhua that he was informed by the teams of the aid vessels that they would set sail to Gaza soon….
Several injured as Israeli forces disperse Beit Jala rally
Uruknet July 4, 2010 – Several injuries were reported on Sunday as Israeli forces dispersed a march protesting settlement expansion and the wall’s construction in Beit Jala, a town in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem. Imad Abu Nassar, the coordinator of the national committee against the wall, said confrontations were based near the Cremisan area and the injured…
Video: Siege squeezes Gaza entrepreneurs
Uruknet July 3, 2010 – News Middle East Siege squeezes Gaza entrepreneurs Business in the Gaza Strip continues to suffer because Israel is refusing to allow companies to import certain important materials. These restrictions have forced thousands of Palestinians to rely on the use of underground tunnels to smuggle the materials into the territory. Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston reports from…
GIVING A VOICE TO THE VOICELESS IN LETTERS FROM PALESTINE
Uruknet July 3, 2010 – Yesterday morning I received a copy of Kenneth Ring’s new book Letters From Palestine in the mail. It is one of the few books that I literally could not put down until I finished reading it. The format, the content, everything about it made it the perfect vehicle by which an entire nation, rendered voiceless,…
Video: Israeli siege halts Gaza projects
Uruknet July 3, 2010 – It’s three years since the international community promised Palestinians $7.7 billion at an aid conference in Paris. And on Thursday donors are meeting again. But in Gaza Al Jazeera’s found that while the promised money has been delivered to international organizations, Israel’s siege has meant it can’t be put to use. Al Jazeera’s Nicole Johnston.
Fatah: 100 affiliates summoned by Gaza govt
Uruknet July 3, 2010 – Fatah has accused the Gaza government of summoning over 100 affiliates and supporters in the northern Strip, a statement issued Saturday read. According to Fatah, affiliates were ordered to appear before de facto government security forces or intelligence services between 25 May and 1 July. Fatah further said “political detainees are being treated like criminals”…
Lebanon’s Ayatollah Fadlallah dies
The National 4 Jul 2010 – Lebanon’s most respected Shiite religious authority, with millions of devoted followers around the world, died yesterday at the age of 75 after a long battle with various ailments.
Israel extends flotilla investigation powers
The National 4 Jul 2010 – Israel’s cabinet backs a plan to grant broader powers to the committee investigating a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
Iran provides ‘evidence’ CIA abducted scientist
Daily Star 4 Jul 2010 TEHRAN: Iran has submitted “evidence” to the Swiss Embassy that its nuclear scientist was abducted by US intelligence agents, the English language Press TV website reported on Sunday. “The evidence related to the abduction of Shahram…
Iran could halt 20 pct uranium enrichment if given fuel – MP
Daily Star 4 Jul 2010 TEHRAN: A top Iranian lawmaker said Sunday Tehran could stop refining uranium to 20 percent purity level, the most controversial part of its atomic program, if it gets nuclear fuel required for a research reactor. “If…
Hamas accuses Israeli premier of ‘lying’ over failure in prisoner-swap talks
Daily Star 4 Jul 2010 GAZA CITY, Palestinian Territories: Hamas on Sunday accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of “lying” to the Israeli people about a prisoner swap deal to secure the release of a captured Israeli soldier. The soldier was…
Israel-US summit expected to boost image of relations
Daily Star 4 Jul 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: When US President Barack Obama meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, media handlers will try to convey a cozier image of the relationship than at their last encounter. But major…
Israel’s Cabinet grants wider powers to Gaza flotilla inquiry
Daily Star 4 Jul 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel’s Cabinet granted wider powers on Sunday to a commission investigating a deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, enabling the five-man panel to compel witnesses to appear and testify under oath. However, the…
Egypt’s Mubarak visits Algeria to pay condolences to Bouteflika
Daily Star 4 Jul 2010 ALGIERS: Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived in Algiers Sunday to extend condolences to Algeria’s leader upon the death of his brother, in a sign of improving ties between the North African nations.Mubarak, accompanied by Egyptian Foreign…
Syria jails elderly lawyer Maleh for 3 years
Daily Star 4 Jul 2010 DAMASCUS: A Syrian military court sentenced a 79-year-old lawyer on Sunday who campaigned for decades for an end to the emergency law, jailing him for three years on charges of “weakening national morale,” defense lawyers said. “…
US to press Binyamin Netanyahu to extend freeze on settlements
The Guardian 4 Jul 2010 – Barack Obama is anxious to build on what has been achieved since settlements freeze started in November Israel’s prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, will come under intense pressure on Tuesday to extend his 10-month freeze on the…
Mohammed Oudeh (Abu Daoud) obituary
The Guardian 4 Jul 2010 – Mastermind behind the attack on Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics Mohammed Oudeh, more commonly known by his guerrilla name Abu Daoud, who has died from kidney problems aged 73, was the self-proclaimed mastermind of…
PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON PROGRAMME OF WORK FOR JULY
Relief Web 4 Jul 2010 – Source: UN Department of Public Information
Nasrallah on cleric’s death: We lost merciful father
YNet News – Hezbollah chief says Ayatollah Fadlallah taught Shi’ites to ‘reject injustice,….
Hamas summer camps underway
YNet News – Group’s leaders in Gaza say camps convey non-violent messages of educational,….
Abu-Tir offered to stay in J’lem if he quits Hamas
YNet News – Recent negotiations produce possibility of compromise by which indictment….
East Jerusalem men accused of operating ‘Fatah police’
YNet News – Three residents of Shuafat refugee camp indicted for being members of terrorist….
Hamas’ Zahar: Our demands won’t change
YNet News – Relatives of Palestinian prisoners stage protest outside Hamas strongman’s house….
Cabinet okays extended jurisdiction for Turkel committee
YNet News – Commission investigating Gaza flotilla raid now authorized to summon witnesses…..
Hezbollah spiritual leader dies at 74
YNet News – Medical sources say Lebanon’s Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah,….
Israel braces for Obama meeting
YNet News – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet US President Barack Obama Tuesday, and Jerusalem is making every effort to prevent embarrassments such as those …….
ACRI: Lecturer’s rights violated
YNet News – Ben Gurion University’s dismissal of Dr. Yeruham Leavitt, a lecturer and resident of the West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba who made anti-gay remarks during class, …….
Labor officials: Barak on way out?
YNet News – The Labor Party has broken many negative records during the last few years, but many party members felt Sunday morning was a new low. After harsh words and stormy debates …….
Palestinian Information Center
Malaysian aid convoy arrives in Gaza Strip
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – Relief aid and medicines from the Aman Palestine Institute in Malaysia with an estimated worth of $100,000US arrived in Gaza on Sunday morning via the Egyptian Rafah crossing.
Israeli law to prohibit detainees from appearing in court during investigation
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – The Israeli Minister of Justice presented a proposal to the government which provides a free hand for Israeli intelligence in interrogation of Palestinian detainees without referring to the courts.
Zahhar: Next round of negotiations on Shalit tougher
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar on Sunday reassured relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails that his movement’s position in the next round of talks on the exchange deal would be tougher than before.
IOF soldiers storm house of another Khalil MP
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – The Israeli occupation forces stormed the home of MP Mohammed Abu Juhaisha in Edhna village, west of Al-Khalil, at dawn Sunday and handed his son Mukdad an order to meet an intelligence official.
Nakhala: Egypt still detaining 11 Jihad elements
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – Deputy secretary general of Islamic Jihad movement Ziyad Nakhala has said that Egypt was detaining 11 of its members despite numerous mediation bids to release them.
Israeli court elongates Palestinian MP Abu Tair’s sentence
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – Fadi Qawasemi, the attorney for the Jerusalemite MPs threatened with deportation, said that the Israeli court has decided to extend Jerusalem MP Mohammed Abu Tair’s detention until Monday next week.
IOF troops wound four civilians, detain three others in peaceful march
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – Four Palestinian citizens were wounded while three others were arrested when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) quelled a peaceful anti wall march in Beit Jala town north of Bethlehem on Sunday.
Zionist extremists planning to evict 40 Jerusalemites
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – Hebrew daily Yediot Ahronot reported on Sunday that Zionist settlers have threatened to evict the occupants of a Palestinian building in East Jerusalem.
IOA to build 60 new housing units in OJ
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – The organization and construction committee is to endorse the construction of 60 new housing units in Eastern Jerusalem that would coincide with Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
IOF soldiers break into MP’s home, detain 3 Palestinians
PIC 4 Jul 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) broke into the home of MP Mohammed Al-Tal in Dhaheria town, southwest of Al-Khalil, at dawn Sunday.
Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah dies at 74; Lebanon’s top cleric was once Hezbollah’s mentor
LA Times 5 Jul 2010 – The Shiite Muslim leader, accused in the deadly 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut, had drifted away from radical politics, instead espousing some relatively progressive social views. Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, one of the most revered clerics in the Shiite Muslim faith and a one-time spiritual mentor to the Lebanese political organization and militia Hezbollah, has died. He was 74.
Israel Grows Uneasy Over Reliance on Migrant Labor
New York Times 4 Jul 2010 – Even as foreign workers have become a mainstay of the Israeli economy, their presence has increasingly clashed with the country’s Zionist ideology.
Diplomatic Memo: Nudge on Arms Further Divides the U.S. and Israel
New York Times 4 Jul 2010 – The United States has urged Israel to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, yielding to demands by Arab nations.
Israeli Ministry of Justice endorses extremist interpretations of Jewish Law
Coteret – Invitation to seminar On Friday, July 9, the Ministry of Justice and the Jewish Legal Heritage Society will present a two-day seminar on Jewish laws concerning the Land of Israel. [An invitation in Hebrew can be seen here and a translation is appended at the bottom…
Yediot: Hebron Brigade commander cancels UK study trip for fear of arrest
Coteret – The Brigade commander won’t go Yossi Yehoshua, Yediot, July 2 2010 [Hebrew original here and at bottom of post] The IDF was forced to cancel the departure of the outgoing Hebron Brigade commander, Col. Udi Ben-Moha, to study in the UK. Yedioth Ahronoth has learned that…
Maariv: Ahead of summit, Netanyahu to meet with Obama’s “rivals” — McCain, Lieberman and Specter — in Israel
Coteret – Netanyahu to meet with Obama’s rivals in Israel Eli Bardenstein, Maariv July 4 2010 [page 6; Hebrew original here and at bottom of post] […] Netanyahu is scheduled to leave for Washington tomorrow, for a meeting with President Obama. Israeli sources in Washington assess that he…
Yediot: Lieberman absent from July 4 celebration at Tel-Aviv Embassy
Coteret – US Embassy celebrated independence, Lieberman didn’t show up Lieberman’s office: “He was on a tour of the North and announced he would not attend” Itamar Eichner, Yedioth, July 4 2010 [Hebrew original here and bottom of post] Oddly, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman chose not to attend…
cartoon of the day
Palestine Think Tank – “Menacing Palestine’s Unity” by Ben Heine
Laila Faisal — Arab Intellectuals: rise up to the challenge — “Freedom First”
Palestine Think Tank – I think that the initial problem with the Palestinian issue was that the Palestinian intellegencia turned their national struggle from that of a basic unified clear-cut fight for nationhood, into a more of an academic debate over what political colour both the struggle, and then the…
RACIST COMPUTER
Irish4Palestine – sorry, not about Palestine, but this is the weirdest thing ever POSTED BY IRISH4PALESTINE http://irish4palestine.blogspot.com/ [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Hezbollah ‘mentor’ dies in Beirut
BBC – Lebanon’s top Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Fadlallah, seen as a mentor to militant group Hezbollah, has died aged 74.
Iran ‘proves US took scientist’
BBC – Iran says it has handed over new documents proving one of its nuclear scientists was abducted by the US.
To end the occupation, cripple Israeli banks — by Terry Crawford-Browne
Sabbah report – By Terry Crawford-Browne* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz 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…
Articles
Nocturnal Terror in Silwan
Jesse Bacon, Israel: The Only Democracy in the Middle East?7/3/2010
Another night sets in on Silwan. Just two days ago, hundreds of Israeli and Palestinian demonstrators marched together along the narrow streets of the neighborhood, to support the local residents, facing the municipality’s plan to demolish 22 houses. But here, as anywhere in east Jerusalem, happenings do not cease for a moment.
In previous weeks, more and more appeals to the solidarity activists of Sheikh Jarrah came in from the residents of Silwan. In view of our successful campaign, more and more Palestinians have been trying to find a way for Arab-Jewish cooperation. During recent tours in Silwan, we all had a sense of urgency and shared destiny. We must act, and act fast, before catastrophe hits us, before the abyss becomes too deep and wide to bridge. And we must act together, against all the risks and against all the suspicion which has built up here over the years.
And now we are here, climbing up the narrow alleys, together with the locals. Just one hour ago, tens of private security guards, escorted by border policemen, entered Palestinian homes around “Beit Hadvash” (house of honey in Hebrew…) and “Beit Yehonatan”. The settlers have only managed to seize two houses in this area, but this is enough to bring the place to the brink of eruption. Nightly border police patrols, private security personnel, armed with guns, undercover policemen and “Mistaarvim” (Israeli soldiers disguised as Arabs) have turned the place into a war zone.
This alley is narrow, dark. Tens of meters above us, shots are being fired and explosions can be heard. A helicopter is hovering above us, projecting rays of light onto alleys where the municipality has never thought of installing street lights. Twenty activists cling to the walls, and keep going forward.
All of a sudden the alley comes to an end, and a battlefield lies ahead of us. The small street around Beit Hadvash is all strewn with rifle bullet casings, unexploded grenades and the parts of destroyed cars. The soldiers are standing in groups at the entrances to houses and on the balconies, shooting into the houses around them…. more.. e-mail
Torpedoing the Lebanon Flotilla: Controlling Civil Disobedience
William A. Cook, Pacific Free Press7/4/2010
Ten days ago I left California to join other U.S. citizens on the Lebanese Boat Brigade—the first such effort to penetrate Israel’s blockade of Gaza since the deadly attack on the Freedom Flotilla May 31. I joined other Americans—Jeff K and Noel I from Boston, Ron D from Maui, Bill S from South Carolina, and Sister Pat C from Wisconsin—enticed by an announcement from the Council for the National Interest and the Palestine Civil Rights Campaign to bring women, journalists and writers to this latest effort to break the siege of Gaza now in its 3rd year. We congregated at the Royal Garden Hotel in Beirut while others gathered in other places, two large groups intentionally brought to weaken Israel’s resolve to assert force—the first a large contingent of women from many lands including nuns to board a ship renamed Mariam for the Mother of God, carrying as well medical supplies and toys, the second a group of journalists without borders to accompany a cargo ship, the Julia, loaded with construction materials. Each came determined to express solidarity with the people of Gaza who have suffered more than 62 years of occupation, oppression, siege and destruction by the Israeli state and the Congress of the U.S—a battalion of abuses fittingly described as “crimes against humanity.” This article by Dr. William Cook is the third in a series devoted to the Lebanon flotilla. It is also the last as the flotilla appears to be sinking in the morass of political duplicity and an atmosphere of induced fear. I will not speak for the others, American or foreign, but I will mark in passing the sense of futility they feel as Americans for their government’s complicity in Israel’s blatant and calculated destruction of the people of Palestine…. more.. e-mail
When Does Conciliatory Become Obsequious? Abbas Meets The Pro-Israel Lobby
Ira Glunts, Lobelog6/30/2010
In what was a surprising and disconcerting development, 30 of the most influential and politically powerful American Jews identified with the pro-Israel lobby, met recently with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in what was called a “dinner and conversation.” The Palestinian leadership has never before met formally with Jewish American supporters of Israel, who as a group are usually more intransigent than the Israeli government in power.
The event, which was described as “surreal” by one of the organizers, took place in Washington on the evening of June 9. The meeting was sponsored by the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, which is currently headed by former Florida congressman, Robert Wexler. As a legislator, Wexler was a staunch and mostly uncritical supporter of Israeli government policy. He was a leading defender of the 2008 Israeli invasion of Gaza and recently justified the Israeli commando assault upon the Turkish-led aid flotilla as self-defense.
In attendance at the event, in which Abbas spent 90 minutes answering questions from the Jewish leaders, were an all-star-team of prominent pro-Israel activists. Among the participants were leaders of the most powerful Jewish organizations: Howard Kohr, Executive Director of AIPAC; Lee Rosenberg, President of AIPAC; Robert Sugarman, National Chair of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); and Alan Solow, Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Also present were former government officials Elliot Abrams, Steve Hadley (I guess he must be Jewish) and Dov Zakheim. The pro-Israel American press was represented by Mort Zuckerman. (This list is taken from the S. Daniel Abraham Center’s website.)
A transcript of the meeting was made apparently at the insistence of the Palestinian leader. (It has been made available to various media and Jewish organizations, but is not, to my knowledge, been publicly posted online.)…. more.. e-mail
Israel’s Attack on Egypt in ’67 was not ‘Preemptive’
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jul 2010 – By Jeremy R. Hammond It is often claimed that Israel’s attack on Egypt that began the June 1967 ‘Six Day War’ was a ‘preemptive’ one. Implicit in that description is the notion that Israel was under imminent threat of an attack from Egypt. Yet this historical interpretation of the war is not sustained by the documentary record. The President of Egypt, then known as the United Arab Republic (UAR), Gamal Abdel Nasser, later conveyed to U.S. President Lyndon Johnson that his troop buildup in the Sinai Peninsula prior to the war had been to defend against a feared Israeli attack. In a meeting with Nasser, Johnson’s special envoy to the UAR, Robert B. Anderson, expressed U.S. puzzlement over why he had massed troops in the Sinai, to which Nasser replied, “Whether you believe it or not, we were in fear of an attack from Israel. We had been informed that…more
Israel: A Failing Colonial Project
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jul 2010 – By M. Shahid Alam Increasingly, despite its early military and political successes, it appears unlikely that Israel can endure for long as a colonial project. In order to firmly secure its existence — as firmly as that is possible for any state — a settler state has to overcome three challenges. It has to solve the native problem; break away from its mother country; and gain the recognition of neighboring states and peoples. It can be shown that Israel has not met any of these conditions. Consider Israel’s native problem. In 1948, in the months before and after its creation, Israel appeared to have solved its native problem in one fell swoop. It had expelled 80 percent of the Palestinians from the territories it had conquered. In addition, with the rapid influx of Arab Jews, Palestinians were soon reduced to less than ten percent of Israel’s population. So, had Israel…more
A Rift in Relations: Israel vs. Turkey
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jul 2010 – By Anait Brutian Speaking in Toronto, during the G20 Summit, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that ‘his country has closed its airspace to some Israeli military flights.’ Turkish officials said that the ban would not affect commercial flights and that ‘each flight request would be assessed case by case.’ But since “military planes are required to obtain overflight permission before each flight,” the ban already affected at least one military plane that was denied permission immediately after it took effect. On Sunday, Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot reported that “Turkey had barred a jet carrying Israeli military officers en route to a tour of memorial sites in Auschwitz … to fly over Turkish airspace.” As a result, the aircraft with more than 100 officers on board “was forced to make a detour to reach its destination.” Even though the IDF refrained from commenting on the incident, the “rift in…more
Time to Muzzle Israel
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jul 2010 – By Gulamhusein A. Abba The bloody and dastardly attack, by Israeli forces, in international waters, under cover of darkness, on a peaceful and unarmed flotilla, carrying nothing but humanitarian aid to a besieged people experiencing a humanitarian crisis, was strongly denounced by people and governments from all over the world. Deservedly so. Israel, instead of apologizing, or at least being contrite, immediately launched a brazen and aggressive campaign to justify its actions and paint the aid-bearers as the villains of the piece! It spewed out the standard propaganda. It tried to demonize the aid-bearers by alleging, in the face of evidence to the contrary, that some of them had ties to terrorists; “accidentally” released a video mocking those attacked; widely circulated heavily edited and doctored photos and videos showing those on the flotilla “attacking” the Israeli commandos (but did not make public video images of the commandos just prior to…more
A Broomstick Can Shoot
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Jul 2010 – By Uri Avnery — Israel A victory is a victory. A big victory is better than a small one, but a small victory is better than a defeat. This week we won. Immediately after the Turkel Commission was set up to investigate the flotilla incident, Gush Shalom filed a petition to the Supreme Court of Justice against its appointment. We demanded its replacement by a full-fledged State Commission of Inquiry. The court hearing was fixed for last Wednesday. But on Tuesday afternoon, the Attorney General’s office called our lawyer, Gabi Lasky: the Prime Minister had decided at the last moment to increase the powers of the commission, and the government was about to confirm the change. Therefore, the Attorney General asked us to agree to a postponement of the hearing for ten days. Not a single Israeli newspaper had published a word about our application — something unthinkable if it…more
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The New Dark Age 
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