News
International Middle East Media Center
Obama Phones Abbas, Assures Him Peace Is Possible
IMEMC – 9 Jul 2010 – United States President, Barack Obama, phoned on Friday evening the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, in Ramallah and discussed with him the latest developments that took place during Obama’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
P.A Calls On the U.S To Stop Tax Breaks For Settlements
IMEMC – 9 Jul 2010 – The Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank called on the United States to stop its tax breaks and deductions to organizations that support Israel’s illegal settlements.
Reports: Palestinian Authority in West Bank refusing to issue passports for Gazans
IMEMC – 9 Jul 2010 – Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have reported that 100,000 passport applications submitted to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank have yet to be processed — although it is unclear whether the delay lies with the Fateh-run Palestinian Authority or with the Israeli officials who require approval of each passport issued to Palestinians.
Netanyahu thinks peace possible within a year
IMEMC – 9 Jul 2010 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed to a crowd in New York that he thought peace was attainable in the next year in spite of Israel’s recent actions.
Netanyahu: “Settlement Activities To Resume By The End Of September”
IMEMC – 9 Jul 2010 – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that he will not renew the so-called settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank after it expires at the end of September.
PCHR Weekly Report: 7 civilians injured, including 2 children, by Israeli troops this week
IMEMC – 9 Jul 2010 – In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory for the week of 01-06 July 2010, seven civilians, including two children and a journalist, were injured.
Report: Tel Aviv rabbis protest foreign presence
7/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Twenty-five rabbis from Tel Aviv have signed an edict forbidding the rental of apartments to “infiltrators” and illegal foreign workers, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday. In the wake of “severe pressure” facing south Tel Aviv and its “abandonment by the government, that begins with the Israeli-Egyptian border and ends with the….
Bil’in leader remains in jail after term ends
7/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Bil’in protest leader Adeeb Abu Rahma is being held in Israeli custody until the prosecution’s appeal against him is heard, despite having served his term in full, a statement read Friday. Abu Rahma, a taxi driver and organizer of the weekly anti wall protests in the central West Bank village of Bil’in near….
Indian port union boycotts Israeli ships, cargo
7/9/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The trade unions at India’s Cochin Port have reached an understanding amongst themselves to boycott Israeli ships and cargo in protest of the siege of Gaza, Indian media reported this week. The boycott began on 17 June on receipt of information that cargo unloaded at Colombo Port from an Israeli ship was….
Israel closes Gaza crossings for weekend
7/10/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Israeli authorities closed down all crossings into the Gaza Strip on Friday, ahead of the Israeli weekend, Palestinian crossings officials said. Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said he was informed that the Karni crossing in the north and the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south would be reopened on Sunday. On Thursday, Israel….
2 injured, 2 detained at West Bank protest
7/9/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Two Palestinians were injured and two foreign nationals were detained during an anti-wall protest in the occupied West Bank on Friday, onlookers said. Tha’er Muhammad, 25, and Muhammad Thaher, 20, were reported injured by tear-gas canisters, and two unnamed foreign-passports holders were detained, witnesses said….
8 detained at East Jerusalem protest
7/9/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Eight activists were detained and held for questioning over blocking roadways at a protest in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem late Friday, Israeli media reported. The Palestinian district is the site of weekly demonstrations against the takeover of local residents’ homes by Israeli settlers. The demonstrations are frequently attended….
Hamas official denies Egypt ban on traveling via Rafah
7/10/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Cairo has not banned Hamas officials from traveling through the Rafah crossing, senior party leader Salah Al-Bardawil said Thursday. Rebuffing reports on the travel ban, Al-Bardawil said such a move “would not serve conciliation nor push [Hamas] to change their stance on the Egyptian proposal,” a statement read. The senior official said that….
Tibi: Destroy the wall
7/9/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Palestinian Knesset member Ahmad Tibi called on international rights groups to take immediate action against Israel’s disregard for the International Court of Justice’s opinion on the illegality of the wall Friday. Tibi and fellow MK Mohammad Barakeh had participated in the hearing six years ago at the Hague, where he said it was….
Egypt releases 2 Islamic Jihad detainees
7/9/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Egyptian authorities released two Islamic Jihad detainees on Thursday night, a party source told Ma’an. The detainees were released following negotiations with Egypt, which remain ongoing to free nine other party members in Egyptian custody, the source said. In mid-May, Egyptian authorities released six Palestinian prisoners after several months of detention, prompting Palestinian….
Palestinian liaison office raided near Erez
7/9/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – The Gaza crossings and coordination office near the northern Erez terminal was raided by a group of unknown assailants on Friday, officials said. Liaison chief Maher Abu Al-Auf said the office, which specializes in coordinating the travel of patients and Gaza residents in and out of the Strip, was broken into at dawn….
Army court sentences Palestinian to 2 life terms
7/9/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – A Palestinian prisoner accused of affiliation with Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades’ Bethlehem branch was sentenced Friday to two life terms in addition to 25 years by a military court, a source said. An Israeli military court convicted Nayef Salem Abayyat for involvement in the killing of an Israeli woman at the Al-Khader junction south….
Israel says Hezbollah, Iran plotting to attack travelers
7/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau released a warning Thursday advising its citizens that Hezbollah and Iran were planning to murder or kidnap Israeli citizens.”According to the information we have, threats of revenge against Israelis abroad continue to exist with an emphasis on businessmen and former state officials, by acts of killing or kidnapping,” the….
Netanyahu: We’ve already done enough
7/10/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled Thursday he would not extend a partial and temporary moratorium on new housing starts in settlements in the occupied West Bank.”I think we’ve done enough. Let’s get on with the talks,” he was quoted as saying by Reuters, when asked in New York City whether….
Erekat: Time to reverse damage caused by wall
7/9/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat said “It is time for the international community to assist in reversing the damage caused by the Wall and its regime,” as he marked the sixth anniversary of an advisory opinion on the wall’s illegality on Friday. The International Court of Justice opinion issued six years ago held….
PA to Obama: Stop tax breaks on illegal settlements
7/9/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – US tax deductions on West Bank settlements fund illegal activity and support “extremists and terrorists,” the Palestinian Authority media center said Thursday.”While the Palestinian people work hard to build a secure, independent state, these organizations are getting a tax break for funding settlers who steal our land and water, desecrate our places….
Gaddafi charity to send Gaza aid boat
7/9/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an/Agencies – A charity headed by the son of Libyan leader Moamar Gaddafi is sending an aid boat from Greece to Gaza to break Israel’s blockaded of the coastal enclave, organizers told Agence France-Presse on Friday. The cargo ship Hope will depart from Lavrio, 60 kilometers southeast of Athens, the Libyan embassy reportedly said….
Visit by Europe MPs ’first sign siege will end’
7/9/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – An expected visit to Gaza by EU parliamentarians will signal the end of Hamas political isolation and the Israeli imposed blockade, a senior Hamas government official said Friday. Gaza Foreign Affairs Ministry Undersecretary Ahmad Yousef said he welcomed EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton’s visitscheduled for next Wednesday, describing it as “significant.” “The….
EU police trainers launch new website
7/9/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The EU unit tasked with training Palestinian Authority police cadets has launched an English-language website. The new EUPOL COPPS site provides users with a comprehensive overview of the mission including general information, facts and figures, press releases, the monthly newsletter, as well as photos and videos related to all its activates. Through the….
Netanyahu meets Shalit family
7/9/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sarah met Friday with Noam and Aviva Shalit, the parents of captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, at the prime minister’s residence in Jerusalem, Israeli media reported. After the hour-long meeting, Noam Shalit, who has been leading a protest from the Galilee to Jerusalem for….
Hamas: PA forces detain 15 affiliated students
7/9/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – Hamas accused Palestinian Authority forces of detaining 15 students last week, as well as four party members over the past two days, a statement read Friday. The Islamist movement said the students were enrolled in the An-Najah University in Nablus and were detained by PA Preventative Security forces during separate campaigns. A Qalqiliya….
Turning no into yes on a two-state solution
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Coauthored by Lara Friedman, Director of Policy and Government Relations for Americans for Peace Now, and Isaac Luria, Vice President for Communications and New Media at J Street. We hear far too many “Nos!” in the…
Haifa Mayor wants to turn Mavi Marmara into “floating hotel” so it can become a “symbol of reconciliation and hope”
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Cruiseship Marmara Mayor of Haifa Yonah Yahav has a creative idea: to turn the Turkish ship into a floating hotel Amir Buhbut, Maariv, July 8 2010 [Hebrew original here and at bottom of post] While Turkey…
Hamas: EU MPs’ visit first step to ending Gaza blockade entirely
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington — An upcoming visit by European Union parliamentarians will be a vital step in ending the military blockade of the Gaza strip and the political blockade of Hamas, a senior party official said Friday. HIgh…
PA tells Obama: End tax breaks for settler groups
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – New York – The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Friday urged the US government to end tax exemptions for nonprofit groups funding Israel’s illegal West Bank settlements. PA spokesman Ghassan Khatib said that such funds go to…
Goldberg gets his war on
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – There is a great bumper sticker that reads: “America’s Labor Unions: The People Who Gave You The Weekend.” That slogan came to mind after reading three blog posts this week on attacking Iran from the Atlantic’s…
Acceptance
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – I think it’s amazing how quickly the Palestinians adapt to changing facts on the ground. Having lived in Palestine for the better part of the last decade, and covered the Second Intifada as a journalist, I…
Haifa mayor: Turn Mavi Marmara into ‘floating hotel’
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington — While Israel has decided to withhold the ships confiscated during the May 31 raid, Haifa Mayor Yonah Yahav has his own idea for the Mavi Marmara, the largest of vessels: turn it into an…
Peace bullish or ‘bullshit’
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – The good news: “Netanyahu to give peace process a ‘robust push”. The bad news, any rational person privy to the ideology and makeup of the Israeli government knows this not serious. And yet, after their meeting,…
Economic activism against the occupation: Working from within
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Working from Within A Political Compromise Ever since the outbreak of the Al-Aqsa intifada, the Israeli anti-occupation movement has been reinventing itself in new forms of action and solidarity work. Facing hostile denial from Israeli public…
Peace and self-interest — the power of nonviolent resistance
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – BERLIN – It comes as no surprise that what happened on the Mavi Marmara on the last day of May is no longer a central news item. Israel received an inconsequential lecture from its allies, a…
Not in anyone’s possession
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – JERUSALEM – “Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Genesis 4:8) This was the first of many murders in the Bible. The sages of the Talmud (record of rabbinic discussions 200-500 CE) tried…
Four years of Gaza blockade: Some lessons learned
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – GAZA CITY – The Gaza flotilla brought the blockade into sharp relief and highlighted its failures. We must seize this moment and take advantage of the world’s interest in Gaza not only to alleviate the blockade,…
Hezbollah opens war-themed amusement park
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington — The Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah has launched a new attraction in south Lebanon: an amusement park commemorating the militant group’s 2006 war with Israel. Hezbollah posters, sporting leader Hassan Nasrallah, hang in the Lebanese…
Riot Friday
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – ‘Unprecedented police brutality’ in East Jerusalem New York – Israeli leftists held their weekly demonstration in East Jerusalem on Friday in protest of Israeli settlers’ takeover of Palestinian houses. This week they were met with a…
Designers rebrand Hebron
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington — A new campaign launched by two Israeli designers has created a new image for the West Bank city of Hebron, visually uniting both the city’s Islamic past and its corporate potentials. A report on…
Former PLO envoy: US shouldn’t stand in the way of Hamas-Fatah deal
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – By Sarah Harlan Washington – The US should stop standing in the way of a reconciliation between Palestinian rivals Hamas and Fatah, former PLO ambassador to the US Afif Safieh said on Thursday night. PLO Ambassador…
UN calls for calm as clashes increase in south Lebanon
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington — After a confrontation last week between residents of Hezbollah-heavy southern Lebanon and UN peacekeepers, the head of the blue-helmeted UNIFIL force has issued a call for calm, Al-Jazeera English reported Friday. A UN soldier…
Israel closes case on soldier shooting civilians
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington — Israel’s State Prosecutor has decided to close the case against a Nahal Haredi soldier accused of opening fire on two unarmed Palestinian civilians last year, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. A Nahal Haredi…
Gaza kids bid for record basketball bounce
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – New York – Children in the besieged Gaza Strip will attempt on July 22nd to set the world record for the simultaneous bouncing of basketballs. [Illustration: Courtesy UNRWA] Some 6,000 children will participate in the feat…
PA to US: Stop settlement tax breaks
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Obama urged to stop tax-exempt funds to illegal West Bank activity New York – The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Friday urged the US government to end tax exemptions for nonprofit groups funding Israel’s illegal West Bank…
WATCH LIVE: ‘Engaging Muslim Communities’
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington – Watch the live stream of “Conversations with America: Engaging Muslim Communities Worldwide,” featuring Farah Pandith and Steve Clemons at 11:15am, EST. Pandith, the State Department’s Special Representative to Muslim Communities, and Clemons, Director of…
Libya sends ship to Gaza
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington – Docked off the Greek coast, a Libyan aid ship has prepared to set sail for Gaza, the Associated Press reported Friday. An aerial view of the Mavi Marmara, one of the “Freedom Flotilla” vessels…
Hezbollah denounces firing of Mideast editor
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Washington — Hezbollah has denounced the recent firing of CNN senior Middle East editor Octavia Nasr, who was sacked for tweeting her sadness over the death of a senior Lebanese Shiite cleric, AP reported Friday. Calling…
Night Beat: Obama’s Israel charm offensive
Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 – Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middle East, and beyond: President Barack Obama gave an interview to Israel’s Channel 2 television on Wednesday night in which he reassured Israelis that his administration gives more aid to…
Octavia Nasr’s blunder: When a tweet gets you fired
Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 – As many of you have heard by now: CNN Senior Middle East correspondent Octavia Nasr has been fired over one single tweet . The 140 (or less) word burst said the following: “Sad to hear of the…
Cluster bombs and civilian lives: Efficient killing, profits and human rights
Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 – Cluster bombs are in the news again, thanks to a recent report from Amnesty International. The human rights agency has confirmed that 35 women and children were killed following the latest US attacks on an alleged…
UN: West Bank wall a health hazard
AlJazeera 9 Jul 2010 – New report says barrier being built by Israel limits Palestinian access to medical care.
Netanyahu meets Shalit’s parents
AlJazeera 9 Jul 2010 – Israeli PM says “millions of people” pushing for captured soldier’s release.
Lebanon peacekeepers urge calm
AlJazeera 9 Jul 2010 – Head of peacekeeping force in country’s south pens open letter seeking co-operation.
Dozens Injured Marking The Sixth ICJ Ruling Anniversary
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura – PNN – Anti wall protests were organized across the West Bank on Friday marking the sixth anniversary of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling against the wall Israel…
Presbyterian Peace Fellowship To Partner With “Jewish-Ship-To-Gaza”
PNN – Washington — PNN — this week it was announced that the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship would partner with a number of European Jewish groups who are planning to sail to Gaza to break…
Thousands Watch End Of Shalit March
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN — Thousands watched the father of a detained Israeli soldier make an emotional plea to secure the safe return of his son. Over the last 12 days, the family…
Peace Process Is A Foreign Term For Palestinians In Jerusalem And Gaza
PNN – By Daoud Kuttab – Over dinner in Bethlehem, this week, I mentioned to my brother in law how Israel has strategically succeeded in cutting off the Gaza Strip from the West Bank….
PCHR: Seven Injured; 23 Arrested By the Israeli Army This Week
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura — PNN- This week Israeli military attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza left seven civilians injured including two children; the Palestinian Center for Human Rights said…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (01-06 July 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Hizbullah threatens Israel on Syrian TV
Jeruslalem Post 9 Jul 2010 – Deputy says Israel will suffer high losses in next war.
PM expresses support to Schalits
Jeruslalem Post 9 Jul 2010 – Netanyahu meets with family of kidnapped soldier at his J’lem residence.
PA wants guarantees for direct talks
Jeruslalem Post 9 Jul 2010 – Officials accuse Israel of pressuring PA into talks without purpose.
Rabbi Yehuda Amital dies at 85 in J’lem.
Jeruslalem Post 9 Jul 2010 – Thousands mourn Meimad movement, Har Etzion Yeshiva founder.
Libyan ship to sail for Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 9 Jul 2010 – Organization headed by Gaddafi’s son to send blockade busting vessel.
Netanyahu to meet Schalits in J’lem
Jeruslalem Post 9 Jul 2010 – March leader: The family will meet with PM only if he has news on deal.
Study: Trauma influences Gazan terror
Jeruslalem Post 9 Jul 2010 – Teens with relatives killed, wounded by IDF 2x as likely to back aggression.
In diplomacy, as in life, the show is the thing
Jeruslalem Post 8 Jul 2010 – Perceptions of Obama-PM meeting benefit Israel.
UK envoy eulogizes ‘great’ Fadlallah
Jeruslalem Post 8 Jul 2010 – World ‘needs more men’ like late Hizbullah mentor, ambassador blogs.
AG’s review of contentious beach resort may be tainted by conflict of interests, environmental groups say
Ha’aretz – State Comptroller declared that the authorization process which okayed the building of a private resort in Palmahim, one of central Israel’s last unspoiled beaches.
Noam Shalit meets with Netanyahu, says given ‘no news’
Ha’aretz – Parents of abducted soldier Gilad Shalit marched from Galilee home to PM’s residence in Jerusalem, where they plan to remain until son’s release.
Moderate religious Zionist leader Rabbi Yehuda Amital dies at 86
Ha’aretz – Amital, who founded the Meimad movement supported a land swap with the Palestinians in return for a peace agreement.
Israel’s new 5-year space plan ready for approval
Ha’aretz – NIS 1.5b investment could spark $10b industry
Tel Aviv Rabbis: Renting apartments to foreign workers violates Jewish law
Ha’aretz – Residents of southern Tel Aviv declare war against the predominance of foreign workers in their neighborhoods and enlist rabbis to their cause.
Security Council denounces attacks on UN troops in southern Lebanon
Ha’aretz – Villagers seized weapons from French troops in the UNIFIL force and wounded their patrol leader last week.
Israel to UN: Block Gaza-bound Libyan aid ship
Ha’aretz – Israeli envoy to UN expresses dismay at ‘questionable and provocative’ intentions of Libyan mission.
Obama to Abbas: I will make every effort to ensure Palestinian statehood
Ha’aretz – U.S. President calls Abbas days after meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu to voice support for Palestinian leadership.
Charity led by Gadhafi’s son sends humanitarian aid ship to Gaza
Ha’aretz – Organizers of Libyan charity expect Hope cargo ship to set out from Greece later Friday with 2,000 tons of aid and ‘a number of supporters’, according to AFP., Iran’s chief…
Ex-CIA chief: Secrecy after attack on Syrian nuclear plant unjustified
Ha’aretz – Hayden’s comments, published in a journal on intelligence published by the CIA, reflect a view different from that of Israel, which has not commented on the attack, widely attributed to…
McCain: Israel not considering strike against Iran right now
Ha’aretz – Senator visiting Jerusalem says it’s too soon to discuss issue, according to Washington Post; Sen. Lieberman: U.S. will use ‘every means’ to stop Iran.
It’s official: Israel has gotten away with it — again
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – When the Israeli Navy raided the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship that was part of an aid flotilla attempting to break the blockade of Gaza, and killed nine activists in international waters, the world took notice. Condemnations of the raid and calls for the end of the economically crippling 3-year-old Israeli blockade of Gaza rung…
Holy mackerel!Christians must love and defend Israelis, preaches church mission
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – …Some say the CMJ encourages the physical restoration of the Jewish people to the biblical Land of Israel despite the suffering this causes, and published statements seem to confirm it. Wikipedia says: “CMJ has always adopted a Zionist position, and expressed the view that the Jewish people deserved a state in the Holy Land decades…
Decades of Palestinian Displacement in East Jerusalem
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – The UN General Assembly’s 1947 Resolution 181 internationalized Jerusalem as a separate body (a corpus separatum), administered by a UN Trustee Council, a policy still binding but not followed. Nor have other resolutions or international law provisions Israel rejects, ones interfering with its military occupation, affecting E. Jerusalem Palestinians repressively since June 1967, more still…
Boycott, divestment and sanctions in Australia, five years on
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – It is five years since Palestinian civil society first made the call for a global boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against the apartheid state of Israel. At the time, introducing such action in Australia seemed impossible when the public barely knew anything about the Palestinian struggle for justice and freedom. Education had to be a…
Video: Palestinian healthcare paralysed by separation wall
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – Palestinians in the West Bank are not allowed into Israel for treatment unless they have a permit. The process of getting one is lengthy and complex. With males often denied permits on security grounds. The UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the World Health Organisation has issued a report expressing grave concern…
Learn About Israeli Terrorism in this Video
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – Breaking YOU — a common saying which can be heard when somebody attacks a defenseless person. “Breaking YOU” were the only words uttered by dozens of defenseless women who were crying and screaming in their homes in Hebron, when dozens of IDF soldiers terrorized them in their houses. The inhuman scene was followed by the…
Gaza: Dialysis in Paralysis
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – Ahmed Zourob is one of the 164 patients who fill the Dialysis Unit at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City everyday. Like the others, he is here because his kidneys, deteriorated by disease, cannot adequately perform their function; as with many of the patients here, he relies on the medical treatment he receives at Al-Shifa to…
Timebends: Parsing Progressive Perspectives on Power’s Abuses
Uruknet July 9, 2010 – Imagine how great the “progressive” furor would be if the Bush Administration had suddenly denied a visa to an award-winning Colombian journalist because of his reportage on human rights abuses by his American-backed government. Would we not have heard, rightly, how this draconian action exemplified the administration’s tyrannical nature, its use of raw, arbitrary power…
Palestinian workers say attacked with electric batons
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – Four Palestinians said they were beaten with electric batons while they were at work inside Israel Wednesday, Ma’an’s correspondent reported. The construction workers, from Yatta, south of the West Bank city of Hebron, said they were attacked by five Israelis, who they identified as settlers, in the southern Israeli town of Masmiya. They were not…
Israel threatens to expel Palestinian politicians from Jerusalem
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – Israeli authorities have threatened four Palestinian politicians with expulsion from Jerusalem because of their affiliation to Hamas in a case which could have wide ramifications for others deemed undesirable by the Jewish state. Mohammed Abu Tir, 59, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), is in police custody for failing to leave the city…
Infinite Jest: State Terror From Nixon to Obama
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – …So who cares if the American president and his minions ordered the murder of Rene Schneider almost 40 years ago because he tried to defend the democratic system of his country? Who cares if this murder helped pave the way to mass butchery and repression under an American-backed dictator? Who cares if this kind of…
Ghassan Kanafani — anniversary of his assassination — gone, but NOT forgotten!
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – Today we commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of one of Palestine’s great modern heroes. Ghassan Kanafani, unlike some other equally great Palestinian intellectuals, is somewhat lesser known. At the moment, exploring the reasons we will leave to the side, though we do want to investigate this. What we want to do is to present…
US to establish nuclear energy cooperation with Israel
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – Yesterday morning (07/07), Hebrew media sources claimed to have discovered a ‘secret’ US letter of guarantee to the Israeli government in which Washington undertakes to establish nuclear energy cooperation with Israel. In a broadcast by the Hebrew Army radio station, it was stated that “the United States had sent Israel a ‘secret’ letter of guarantee…
More IDF Lies about Israeli Activists in the West Bank
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – During the weekly protest yesterday in the West Bank village of Nabi Salih, two Israeli demonstrators were violently arrested by IDF soliders. These activists, Matan Cohen and Yonathan Shapria, were standing among a group of children and other Palestinian and Israeli demonstrators when the army made a brash decision to arrest them. After the arrest,…
Six years in jail, no charge: the war on terror’s forgotten victim speaks
Uruknet Babar Ahmad, 35, is the longest-serving prisoner held without charge or trial in the UK. In his first media interview since his arrest on a US extradition warrant in 2004, Mr Ahmad tells Robert Verkaik that he is the forgotten victim of the ‘war on terror’. In March 2009, he was awarded ¬£60,000 in compensation after an admission by…
Thousands missing out on education in Gaza
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – Thousands of Palestinian refugee children in the Gaza Strip are unable to receive adequate education, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). About 39,000 child refugees in Gaza will not attend UNRWA schools this year, since the agency is unable to build or re-build schools due to the Israeli blockade, damage sustained during…
Haifa Mayor Calls For Turning Seized Turkish Ship Into Floating Hotel
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – After Israel attacked the Turkish “Marmara” solidarity ship trying to send humanitarian and medical supplies to Gaza, and killed nine nonviolent activists before towing the ship to Haifa, Haifa mayor, Yona Yahav, presented a plan that aims at turning the ship into a floating hotel. Israel attacked and seized the ship nearly a month and…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (01-06 July 2010)
Uruknet July 8, 2010 – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (01 — 06 July 2010):Shooting: During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded nine civilians, including four children, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, Israeli forces used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized…
Anti-brutality protesters in silent display across Egypt
The National 9 Jul 2010 – The latest demonstrations over the death of Khalid Said last month show Egyptian society is no longer closing its eyes to police brutality.
Gaza aid ship prepares to set sail
The National 9 Jul 2010 – A ship commissioned by a Libyan charity prepares to set sail to Gaza loaded with aid, a month after Israel’s deadly raid on the Mavi Marmara flotilla.
Obama Promises to Exert all Efforts for Palestinian State
WAFA – RAMALLAH, July 9, 2010 (WAFA)- U.S. President Barack Obama promised, over a phone call on Fridaywith President Mahmoud Abbas, to exert all possible effort for the establishment of an
Demonstrators Picket Netanyahu’s Appearance in NYC
WAFA – NEW YORK, July 9, 2010 (WAFA)- For the second time in just eight days, a leading Israeli political figure has a faced vigorous protest crowd in New York City, Adalah-NY reported. Following last
Great Gaza Global Bounce
WAFA –
Israel: 12-day march calls for Gilad Shalit’s release
The Guardian 9 Jul 2010 – Supporters calling for the release of Gilad Shalit go on a 12-day protest march to Jerusalem
Council debates situation in Palestine and other occupied Arab territories
Relief Web 9 Jul 2010 – Source: International Service for Human Rights
OPT: Six years on, Barrier casts shadow over West Bank life
Relief Web 9 Jul 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
OPT: Protection of Civilians Weekly Reports, 30 June – 6 July 2010
Relief Web 9 Jul 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
MIDEAST: Out of Step With the Peace Beat
IPS What led the Middle East hit parade this week was less the chords struck harmoniously at the White House Tuesday by two deft diplomatic dancers than the slick dance routine performed by a squad of Israeli soldiers patrolling the streets of the occupied Palestinian city of Hebron.
‘Mediterranean Intifada’ Helping Hamas
IPS Israel’s deadly assault on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla last month has led to mounting international pressure to end the ongoing Israeli and Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip. The incident, say local analysts, has also served to bolster the position of Palestinian resistance group Hamas, which has governed the strip…
Anti-fence protestor: Palestinians’ rights ignored
YNet News – Weekly rallies in West Bank villages mark sixth anniversary of Hague court….
27 people onboard Libyan aid ship to Gaza
YNet News – Journey of vessel commissioned by Gaddafi charity organization expected to take….
Hezbollah denounces CNN’s firing of Mideast editor
YNet News – Lebanese group protests dismissal of Middle East editor over Twitter post….
Charity headed by Gaddafi’s son to send Gaza aid boat
YNet News – Libyan ship to set sail from Greece to Gaza to break Israeli siege. Organizers….
Iran says US must state position on Israeli nukes
YNet News – Ahmadinejad received with open arms in Nigeria, but also criticized there for….
Israel to UN: Stop Libyan aid ship
YNet News – WASHINGTON — Israel warned the United Nations on Friday evening that it would not let a Libyan aid ship planning to sail to Gaza break the blockade imposed on the Strip. …….
Hezbollah: If Israel attacks, it will be defeated
YNet News – Hezbollah’s deputy secretary-general, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said Friday that his organization would crush any attempt by Israel to launch an attack on the Shiite group and …….
Obama to Abbas: Working towards Palestinian state
YNet News – US President Barack Obama telephoned Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday evening and promised to exert every effort towards the establishment of an independent …….
Iran appears to back down on woman’s stoning
YNet News – Iran appeared Friday to have backed down over the stoning of a woman for adultery amid an international outcry, although her lawyer said she remained in jail and could …….
Lebanon to send more troops south after skirmishes
YNet News – The Lebanese army will send an additional brigade to the south of the country after several skirmishes between United Nations peacekeepers and villagers inflamed tensions …….
Leftists clash with police in Sheikh Jarrah
YNet News – Eight people were detained for questioning on Friday afternoon during a weekly protest at the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah. Some 250 left-wing …….
Iran says woman won’t be stoned to death
LA Times 9 Jul 2010 – But activists and her lawyer fear she may be executed another way. She denies committing adultery. After a spirited international campaign joined by Western politicians and celebrities, the Iranian government apparently will not stone a woman accused of adultery. But human rights activists and her lawyer still worried Friday that she could be executed by other means.
Israel Vows to ‘Take Risks’ in Talks With Palestinians
New York Times 9 Jul 2010 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said that he was ready to begin direct peace talks; President Obama seemed to offer political cover on the issue.
World Briefing: Middle East: Iran: Merchants on Strike for 3rd Day
New York Times 9 Jul 2010 – Widespread strikes continued for a third day on Thursday at Tehran’s central bazaar, according to Iranian news sites, as merchants protested a proposed tax increase on their earnings.
World Briefing: Middle East: Egypt: Elbaradei Supporters Go Online
New York Times 9 Jul 2010 – Egypt’s biggest opposition bloc, the Muslim Brotherhood, has set up a Web site to support Mohamed ElBaradei in his campaign for political reform.
JFK threatened to abandon Israel over nukes
Mondoweiss – Re your post, JFK was first (to thank Jews for his political elevation). Warren Bass’s Support Any Friend is a very good book. The episode you quote however is only the beginning of the JFK-Ben Gurion relationship. Read chapter 6, “The Delicate Matter: Kennedy’s Struggle to…
Pastel settlers
Mondoweiss – One of the pleasures of reading the New York Times is learning to recognize different writers’ structural biases. I don’t really know Jim Rutenberg or Mike McIntire, but I’ve been reading Ethan Bronner’s work for years now. His work is tendentiously pro-Zionist; he’s the commensurate ‘…
NYT’s Roger Cohen valorizes ‘Palestinian national struggle’
Mondoweiss – Roger Cohen also scores Obama’s “lovefest” with Netanyahu here, and is shrewd in pointing out the conflation of Israel’s permanent war with the U.S. “war on terror.” I don’t like his sardine can metaphor for Gaza; it dehumanizes 1.5 million people in an open-air prison. (I…
Today in Palestine: Palestinian healthcare paralyzed by separation wall
Mondoweiss – And other news from Today in Palestine: Land theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing Netanyahu: “Settlement Activities To Resume By The End Of September” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that he will not renew the so-called settlement freeze in the occupied West Bank after it expires at…
Obama’s kicking can down the road because he can’t save Israel even if he tried
Mondoweiss – Jerome Slater, at his blog, writes on “Obama’s Dilemma ” and offers a bleak analysis of Obama’s choices: However, even if Obama privately shared the views of, say, J Street and Americans for Peace Now—and for that matter, of those critics (like me) well to the…
Haifa Mayor wants to turn Mavi Marmara into “floating hotel” so it can become a “symbol of reconciliation and hope”
Coteret – Cruiseship Marmara Mayor of Haifa Yonah Yahav has a creative idea: to turn the Turkish ship into a floating hotel Amir Buhbut, Maariv, July 8 2010 [Hebrew original here and at bottom of post] While Turkey is demanding Israel apologize over the flotilla to Gaza, the…
HAVING YOUR CAKE AND EATING IT TOO
Irish4Palestine – Dear misguided America, stop being a doormat for Israel, and stop helping them to create and fill more illegal settlements. You send them 3 Billion a year whilst your people cannot afford Health Care or housing. They drag you into war after war, have ruined your…
UK envoy’s blog draws Israel ire
BBC – Israel criticises Britain’s ambassador to Lebanon for eulogising a late Lebanese cleric said to have inspired Hezbollah.
Lebanon UN force appeals for calm
BBC – The UN peacekeeping chief in southern Lebanon appeals for calm, after recent incidents in which villagers attacked soldiers.
Iran woman escapes stoning
BBC – The Iranian authorities say a woman convicted of adultery, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, will not be stoned to death.
Iran Sanctions May Target Iran’s Middle Class
Antiwar.com – Although the United States and its allies insist that the latest round of U.N. sanctions against Iran targets high-level government officials rather than the general population, interviews with a number of analysts, activists and journalists in Tehran reveal a growing concern over the impact on the…
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…
Palestinian BDS National Committee marks five years of Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions
BDS – Palestinian BDS National Committee marks five years of Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions read more
Articles
Video Interview: The Political Economy of Israel’s Occupation
The Real News7/8/2010
Transcript
PAUL JAY, SENIOR EDITOR, TRNN: Welcome to The Real News Network. I’m Paul Jay, and we’re in Jerusalem. Now joining us is Shir Hever. He’s an economist at the Alternative Information Center and author of the upcoming book Political Economy of Israel’s Occupation. Thanks for joining us Shir.
SHIR HEVER, ECONOMIST, ALTERNATIVE INFORMATION CENTER: Hello.
JAY: So, in talking to people in Israel, one thing I hear constantly is the fight here is about national identity, it’s about the defense of the Jewish state. I don’t hear very much about economics of Israel or the economics of occupation. So how does national identity relate to the economics here?
HEVER: Well, the economic reality of Israel, of course, plays a part in every aspect of Israel’s existence—in the politics, in the society, and, of course, also in identity issues as well. The occupation of the Palestinian territories defines Israel’s economy in a large way. About two-thirds of Israel’s history, it has been occupying power, controlling Palestinian territories. But even before that occupation, Israel has created a very particular system of economic control, which is designed to promote the idea of a Jewish state. The Jewish state is not merely a cultural idea; it’s not merely a symbolic idea; it’s a material reality which is designed to redistribute wealth in order to draw as many Jews as possible to this area and to maintain a sustainable control of the Jewish population over a piece of land which is by nature binational.
JAY: Now, in terms of the Israeli economy, what percentile at the top controls the majority of the Israeli economy in terms of ownership?
HEVER: Israel is very centralized in terms of capital, far more than most developed economies in the world….. — See also: Part 2 and Part 3 more.. e-mail
Report: ‘Exposed: The Treatment of Palestinian Detainees During Operation Cast Lead’
PCATI and Adalah, Adalah7/8/2010
The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, released, today, a special report “Exposed” which discusses violations of detainee rights during “Cast Lead”. The report relies on a significant number of testimonies given to PCATI and Adalah attorneys, most of the civilian detainees who were arrested by the Israeli army and interrogated in Israel. The testimonies provide give rise to a series claim that the Israeli Army systematically and deliberately violated their basic rights while disregarding domestic and international law.
Among its primary findings:
1. The State of Israel failed in it its international & domestic legal obligation to provide information regarding place of detention to detainee family members without delay to families of the detainees and to organizations dealing with detainees. Not only were detainee families harmed by this dereliction also the ability to monitor detention conditions and the application of detainee rights was harmed.
2. The detainees were held in wretched conditions. They were held in ditches and in cold and dark cells while be denied minimally appropriate nutrition and sanitary needs. This treatment forms the basis for the torture and ill treatment that many of the detainees experienced at various stages of their detention. These conditions allowed the army to break the spirit and to humiliate the detainees in addition to the violence that they suffered during interrogation.
3. The testimonies revealed that the army systematically used the Gaz residets as human shields in order to protect the soldiers while engaged in military activity, within the strip and for many days and even up to 10 days in some instances. At times the civilians were forced to go into homes ahead of the soldiers, to march next to the soldiers to shield them from gun fire. more.. e-mail
Israel: A Failing Colonial Project
M. Shahid Alam, Dissident Voice7/7/2010
Increasingly, despite its early military and political successes, it appears that Israel cannot for long endure as a colonial project. It must choose between wars — and destruction — or transition to a state for all its peoples.
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 licked its native problem for good? Not really.
The Palestinians inside Israel pushed back with a high natural rate of growth in their numbers. As a result, despite the continuing influx of Jewish immigrants, the Palestinian share in Israel’s population has grown to above 20 percent. Increasingly, Jews in Israel see Israeli Arabs as a threat to their Jewish state. Some are advocating a fresh round of ethnic cleansing. Others are calling for a new partition to exclude areas with Arab majorities.
The Palestinians expelled from Israel in 1948 did not go away either. Most of them set up camp in areas around Israel — the West Bank, Gaza, southern Lebanon and Jordan. In 1967, when Israel conquered Gaza and the West Bank, it could expel a much smaller fraction of the Palestinians from these territories. In consequence, with more than a million additional Palestinians under its control, Israeli had recreated its native problem. more.. e-mail
In Gaza, dialysis in paralysis
Electronic Intifada: 9 Jul 2010 – Now under siege for more than three years and thus unable to provide necessary medication, plagued with equipment in perpetual disrepair, and confronted with an acute shortage of electricity, al-Shifa’s dialysis unit is unable to properly treat its patients.
California dockworkers reject meeting with Israeli consul
Electronic Intifada: 9 Jul 2010 – Two weeks after the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) in the San Francisco Bay Area joined with activists at the Port of Oakland to block the unloading of an Israeli Zim Lines cargo ship, the union reaffirmed its support of Palestinian rights despite pressure from the Israeli consulate and the Zionist-Israeli organization Stand With Us.
“Beware of Small States”: journalist David Hirst interviewed
Electronic Intifada: 9 Jul 2010 – Veteran Middle East correspondent David Hirst, author of the seminal work on the Palestinian plight The Gun and the Olive Branch , has a new release: Beware of Small States , an equally important book on Lebanon’s complex tragedy. The Electronic Intifada contributor Robin Yassin-Kassab interviews Hirst on his work and views.
Boycott, divestment and sanctions in Australia, five years on
Electronic Intifada: 9 Jul 2010 – In Australia, with a supine government and a media unwilling to investigate Israel’s criminal acts, getting the Palestine message out to the public has been a real challenge. However, Australian unions look like they might be changing that. Sonja Karkar comments on the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement in Australia on the anniversary of the historic Palestinian call for such tactics.
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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