News
International Middle East Media Center
Several wounded in anti-wall protest in Bil’in
IMEMC – 16 Jul 2010 – Two Palestinian citizens were injured and dozens of suffocations occurred due to the attacks of the Israeli military forces to the participants in the weekly anti-wall protest in the town of Bil’in west of Ramallah on Friday.
Palestinians may have to swear loyalty to ‘Jewish’ state with new law.
IMEMC – 16 Jul 2010 – Israel’s cabinet is set to accept a host of new measures that will greatly increase the burden on Palestinians seeking to be with their families in Israel.
Israeli troops invade village near Jenin, break into homes and vandalise property
IMEMC – 16 Jul 2010 – An Israeli military force consists of at least 20 armored vehicles invaded the village of Barta’a near Jenin in the northern West Bank and break into residents homes in the early hours of Friday morning.
Under Suspicion of “Contacting Foreign Agent,” Israeli Security Unit Kidnaps A Man in the Golan
IMEMC – 15 Jul 2010 – Israeli officers of the “Regional Unit for International Investigation”, operating under the Israeli Security Agency, kidnapped an Arab resident from Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights, under suspicion of what was described as “spying, and contacting a foreign agent”.
Jenin raid sparks clashes with Israeli forces
7/16/2010 – Jenin – Ma’an – Live fire and damaged property were reported following the pull-out of 20 armored Israeli vehicles from the Jenin-area village of Barta following a four-hour raid operation that ended at 5am Friday. Member of the municipal council Tawfiq Qabaha told Ma’an troops encircled the town at 1am, blocking entrances and entering the extended family….
Tibi: Racist law will face no obstacle
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Palestinian MK Ahmad Tibi confirmed reports that the Israeli cabinet is set to pass a law requiring Arab residents to swear allegiance to a Jewish State. The law would be one of a series of measures poised to be voted into law on Sunday by the Israeli cabinet, all of which would make….
2 days of raids at Hadarim prison
7/16/2010 – Salfit – Ma’an – Palestinian prisoners held in Israel’s Hadarim detention center reported a second day of raids, the Prisoners Studies Center said Friday. The prison authorities carried out the raids with the pretext of searching for cell phones, but the inspection teams seized personal belongings, photos, letters and university books, detainees told the center. Hundreds of….
2 injured in Bil’in, journalist injured in Al-Ma’sara protests
7/16/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Two residents of the West Bank village of Bil’in and an international journalist in Al’-Ma’sara village were injured on Friday, during weekly protests against Israel’s separation wall. In Bil’in, where the wall cuts off agricultural lands from farmers despite a High Court ruling mandating its removal, Israeli forces stationed on the western….
’No comment’ on arbitrary treatment
7/16/2010 – Qalqiliya – Ma’an – A father of five from Azzun Atma village in the northern West Bank was told by Israeli soldiers manning the single civilian crossing into the area that on Tuesday, 50kgs of flour was too much and he could not bring it home. Hassen Mahmoud Qadus was also told to leave two kilograms of….
Report: Lieberman wants Gaza as independent entity
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman plans to absolve Israel of responsibility for Gaza, Israeli press reported Friday. Lieberman reportedly intends the move to achieve the international recognition the 2005 unilateral pullout from Gaza – when Israeli forces removed 21 settlements and thousands of soldiers from the enclave – was envisioned as. Israel’s continued presence….
Southern Gaza crossing to expand
7/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Among the goods brought into Gaza on Thursday, officials said, were pebble aggregates to be used for expanding the Kerem Shalom crossing facilities. The expansion comes in line with Israeli announcements that under the new terms of the siege on Gaza, crossings facilities would be upgraded. Aid groups have questioned the expansion of….
In photos: Soldiers and prayers mingle in Hebron mosque
7/16/2010 – MaanImages / Haytham Othman – In 1993 the Ibrahimi Mosque, where the tombs of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim patriarchs Rachel, Leah, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob and Abraham are believed to be housed, was partitioned. One section of the Mosque is designated for Palestinian use, and the other used principally by Jewish settlers occupying areas in the city….
Cars to enter Gaza via Erez
7/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A senior coordination office representative in Gaza told Ma’an on Friday that Israel would begin permitting the entry of small motor vehicles into the Strip starting as early as Monday. Office director Maher Abu Al-Auf said he was informed of the decision on Friday morning, adding that both new and old models of….
Report: Police arrest 6 Palestinians in Israel
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Police in Petah Tikvah have arrested six Palestinians illegally residing in Israel, Israeli news site Ynet reported Friday. The report said two were arrested while working at a nursing home, and four were detained in a nearby apartment, adding that investigations found the Palestinians were holding false ID cards….
EU pledges 71 euros million for PA state plan
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The European Commission announced a “‚Äö¬¨71 million aid package to support Prime Minister Salam Fayyad’s plan to build a Palestinian state by 2011, a statement from EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton said. Ahead of her visit to the region, which will reportedly include a visit to the Gaza Strip, Ashton said the….
Independent: Arab League chief blames factions for split
7/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Moussa blamed Palestinian factions for obstructing conciliation, saying the continued division was destroying chances for state building, a Palestinian official reported. Moussa spoke during a meeting with members of an independent commission of non-aligned leaders working through the unity file. Members were in Cairo on Thursday….
ICAHD: US cannot, or will not, deliver peace
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli government has “returned with a vengeance” to its policy of demolishing Palestinian homes, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions said Wednesday. Detailing Tuesday’s demolition of six homes in East Jerusalem, the demolition of a Palestinian reservoir in a West Bank Wednesday and the municipal approval to demolish 22 homes in East….
Mitchell begins latest round of talks
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – US Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell will to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, ahead of scheduled meetings with officials in Ramallah on Saturday and Cairo on Sunday. The visit comes as forces in Ramallah including President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party have spoken out against talks with Israel….
Jerusalem Christians support Hamas ministers
7/16/2010 – Jerusalem – Ma’an – A delegation representing Christian communities in Jerusalem visited a sit-in tent outside Red Cross headquarters on Friday, erected by three Palestinian lawmakers faced with expulsion from the city. Former Jerusalem affairs’ minister Khaled Abu Arafah and two other Palestinian Legislative Council members, Ahmad Atoun and Muhammad Totah, who were all voted into public….
EU chief calls for end to Gaza seige
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – EU chief Catherine Ashton reiterated her call for an end to Israel’s four-year blockade of Gaza ahead of her visit to the Strip on Sunday. The High Representative will visit the UN refugee agency’s summer camp and school, and will sign an agreement to increase EU financial assistance to the agency by….
Malaysian doctors arrive in Gaza
7/16/2010 – Gaza – Ma’an – A delegation of nine Malaysian doctors arrived in Gaza Friday via the Rafah crossing on Egypt’s border. The doctors were received by the Palestinian Red Crescent. The medical delegation was the second to arrive in two days: a team of Indonesian medics arrived through the same crossing on Thursday….
Fatah, Hamas reject Lieberman plan
7/16/2010 – Ramallah – Ma’an – Fatah and Hamas rejected Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman’s reported plan to make Gaza an independent entity, spokesmen said Friday. The comments followed a press report issued earlier in the day, which alleged that Lieberman planned to lift the four-year siege on Gaza, while hermetically sealing its borders with Israel, in a move….
Hamas: PA forces arrest 5 West Bank affiliates
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Officials from within the Hamas movement released a statement on Friday, accusing Palestinian Authority police and security officer of detaining five party affiliates from areas in the northern West Bank. The detentions were said to have occurred between Thursday and Friday morning, and were reportedly carried out based on political motives to repress….
Report: Hamas submits proposal to Cairo
7/16/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Hamas has submitted a proposal to Cairo to overcome the stalled national conciliation process, Egyptian press reported Friday. In an interview with Egyptian daily newspaper Ash-Shorouk, Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahhar outlined the proposal to form two central election committees, the first formed of judges and independent leaders, and the second formed from….
Are we approaching a major conflict for millions of Arab youths?
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Arab civil society leaders gathered on the shores of the Dead Sea were quite sure about the future of Arab youth. Leaders from Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Palestine (both West Bank and Gaza) and Jordan were invited…
Israel stops listening to its judges: Palestinians suffer as courts’ authority hits all-time low
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – The Israeli government is facing legal action for contempt over its refusal to implement a Supreme Court ruling that it end a policy of awarding preferential budgets to Jewish communities, including settlements, rather than much poorer…
APN legislative round-up for the week ending July 16, 2010
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – 1. Bills and Resolutions 2. Attacking the Palestinian Authority on Capitol Hill 3. Gohmert’s Wacky World 4. APN and J Street: Turning No into Yes on a Two-State Solution 5. APN on Tax-Exempt Funding for Settlements…
Can American Palestinians come together as one voice?
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – The battle for Palestine is not in the furrowed hills of the West Bank, the narrow streets of Jerusalem or the scorching deserts of the Gaza Strip. It’s in the minds of Americans. Yet before Palestinians…
Erakat: Demolitions threaten peace process
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat has warned US Middle East envoy George Mitchell that unless Washington can keep Israel from demolishing Palestinian homes and putting up settlements, reviving the peace process will be difficult,…
Fatah, Hamas reject FM’s disengagement plan
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – West Bank-leading Fatah and Gazed-based Hamas have rejected Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman’s plan to disengage from and seal Gaza from Israel, Ma’an News Agency reported Friday. Lieberman’s plan to disengage from Gaza and sealing…
West Bank computer lab for the blind honored
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – The computer literacy for the blind program at the Hebron branch of Al-Quds Open University has been honored this week by the Washington, DC-based Jerusalem Fund . Braille keyboard [Wikimedia Commons] The computer lab has…
FM: Engage Hamas, disengage from Gaza
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman has proposed turning responsibility for Gaza over to the Europeans, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday. Kids play amid the rubble of Israel’s Operation Cast Lead – a 22-day assault…
Report: Lieberman went behind Bibi’s back on UN appointment
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has reportedly gotten his “revenge” on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for keeping Lieberman in the dark when Israeli and Turkish officials met after the flotilla upset, Iranian Press TV…
Mitchell, Netanyahu meet
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and US Middle East envoy George Mitchell met in Jerusalem Friday to discuss the on-going if stalemated peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Mitchell (left) and Netanyahu (…
EU’s Ashton calls on Israel to open Gaza crossings
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, has called on Israel to open Gaza crossings as she embarks on her second tour of the Middle East in four months, the Associated Press reported…
Israeli cabinet to consider loyalty oath bill
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Arab MK says law targets Palestinians Washington – The Israeli cabinet is expected to approve “a series of measures” in its Sunday meeting that will make acquiring Israeli citizenship by Palestinians more difficult, Haaretz reported Friday….
JPost Poll: 46% Israelis say Obama pro-Palestinian
Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 – Washington – A poll conducted by Smith Research has revealed that nearly half – 46% – of Israelis feel US President Barack Obama is more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday. President Obama [Jmtimages…
Night Beat: One-state right wingers
Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 – Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middle East, and beyond: Israel’s West Bank Separation wall. [Photo: Justin McIntosh] Israeli journalist Noam Sheizaf, who blogs at Promised Land , has an important article in the Haaretz weekend magazine…
Gourmet food, Balkan and Palestinian style
Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 – Something readers might find of interest: Over at Foreign Policy , I just wrote a piece on new states and territories trying to elbow their way into the US gourmet food market . Although much of the article…
Mazzi & Sneakas: Jewish-Muslim duo raps for mutual understanding
Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 – By Sarah Harlan Washington – Meet Mazzi & Sneakas . This Israeli-Iranian hip-hop duo formed in 2007. Both had been in the rap game for some time, Jewish-Israeli “Sneakas” performing in Israel and Muslim-Iranian “Mazzi” performing in…
Syria slammed on human rights
AlJazeera 16 Jul 2010 – Bashar al-Assad’s reign ‘a wasted decade’ for freedom and civil rights, group says.
Jundallah claims deadly Iran blasts
AlJazeera 16 Jul 2010 – Rebel group says twin attacks on mosque a response to its leader’s recent execution.
Aid ship unloaded at Egypt port
AlJazeera 16 Jul 2010 – Red Crescent to transport cargo to Gaza after Israel forced Libyan ship to El Arish port.
Troops Suppress Anti Wall Protests In Different West Bank Locations
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN – This Friday anti wall protests were reported at the villages of Bil’in, Nil’in and Nabi Saleh in central West Bank in addition to Wadi Rahal, Ertass and Al…
An Interview With Jeff Halper – Part 2
PNN – Jeff Halper is Co-Founder and Coordinator for the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). He was commissioned as a resource person for the Presbyterian Church’s Middle East Study Committee during its 219th…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (07-14 July 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Iran group wins legal battle against US
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Appeals court orders reconsideration of ‘terrorist group’ label.
Iran blames US for suicide bombing
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Iranian lawmaker: “America should be answerable” for the attack.
US freezes terror imam’s assets
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Treasury Dept. implements sanctions against cleric with ties to 9/11.
Ashton: Israel, open Gaza crossings
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – EU foreign policy chief to begin Middle East visit this weekend.
29 al-Qaida suspects arrested in Turkey
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Latest in a string of raids against Turkish terror suspects.
Government approves new two-year budget
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Netanyahu: “The budget is responsible and balanced.” Defense budget cut by NIS 2.7 billion; Israel Beiteinu storms out of meeting; Shas protests welfare cuts.
‘No freedom, no rights’ in Syria
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Human Rights Watch: Assad failed to deliver on promises of reform.
Clinton condemns Iran bombing
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Secretary of State calls for perpetrators to be held accountable.
Meiron Reuven appointed UN ambassador
Jeruslalem Post 16 Jul 2010 – Report: Lieberman bypassing Netanyahu’s approval.
International Solidarity Movement
US to Gaza announces plan to join the next Freedom Flotilla
7/16/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – U. S. Boat to Gaza – July 14 – This is an important moment in history. In the aftermath of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla massacre and increased world-wide scrutiny of Israel’s blockade of Gaza, the Israeli government has mounted a huge public relations campaign spreading the lie that by letting a few more items into Gaza the….
Friend of alleged Jewish terrorist: Shin Bet is panicking
Ha’aretz – Israeli forces search Pearlman’s parents home; Pearlman: Shin Bet encouraged me to commit violent acts.
Shin Bet applied ‘legitimate’ methods to probe Jewish terrorist, security sources say
Ha’aretz – Chaim Pearlman says newly released audio recordings show Shin Bet agent coerced the suspected Jewish terrorist to initiate attacks on Arabs.
Alleged Jewish terrorist: Tape proves Shin Bet tried to coerce me to commit murder
Ha’aretz – In newly released recordings, alleged Shin Bet agent can be heard urging Chaim Pearlman to assassinate Sheik Ra’ad Salah.
French judge: I knew Turkish group behind Gaza flotilla had terror ties in 1996
Ha’aretz – Jean-Louis Brugui?®re, who fights global terror groups and those who finance them, says the IHH is a terrorist group, not a charity.
EU’s Ashton: Israel must open all Gaza border crossings
Ha’aretz – European Union’s FM says ahead of three-day visit to the region that the organization has been calling for ‘fundamental’ changes of policy regarding Gaza blockade.
Greater U.S. military aid should assist Israel’s ‘tough’ peace talks decisions, official says
Ha’aretz – U.S. is confident that Iron Dome will provide improved defense for the people of Israel, says assistant secretary of state.
Abbas unlikely to agree to direct talks soon, say Ramallah sources
Ha’aretz – Mitchell in region to meet Palestinian president and PM Netanyahu, in latest bid to see direct peace negotiations resume., Meron Reuven will replace the Israel’s current Ambassador to the United…
Poll: Most Americans would back Israel attack on Iran
Ha’aretz – 56 percent of Americans support an Israeli strike to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, according to a poll conducted by a U.S. research firm.
Shin Bet arrests eight Israeli Arabs for illicit arms trading
Ha’aretz – The investigation into this case last month led police to arrest suspects in murder of Nazareth taxi driver Yafim Weinstein.
Israel to introduce new citizenship requirement
Uruknet July 16, 2010 – At the moment, anyone adopting Israeli citizenship declares that they will be “a loyal citizen of the State of Israel” in the ceremony before they get their passport. That is about to change in a very significant way. From Sunday, they must add, “a Jewish and democratic state”. At the same time, the government will…
Destroying the Palestinian state
Uruknet July 16, 2010 – While the rest of the world talks about a peace process, and while President Barack Obama raises false hopes of a resolution to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, Israel is working frantically to create irreversible facts in occupied East Jerusalem as well as across the West Bank. These facts, which take the form of tens of…
Gaza’s Electricity Crisis –
Uruknet July 16, 2010 – Under siege for over three years, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues unabated, Israel’s bogus easing doing little to relieve it, including a serious electricity shortage, what the Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement addressed in a May report titled, “Electricity Shortage in Gaza: Who Turned Out the Lights?” Besides earlier attacks, Cast Lead severely damaged…
IOA reduces food to Palestinian captives in Negev prison
Uruknet July 16, 2010 – The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) has decided Thursday to reduce the amount of food it gives to the Palestinian captives in the Negev desert prison in another clear violation of international laws and conventions on prisoners. In a statement it issued Thursday, the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) revealed that it received many complaints from the…
Report: Lieberman wants Gaza as independent entity
Uruknet July 16, 2010 – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman plans to absolve Israel of responsibility for Gaza, Israeli press reported Friday. Lieberman reportedly intends the move to achieve the international recognition the 2005 unilateral pullout from Gaza – when Israeli forces removed 21 settlements and thousands of soldiers from the enclave – was envisioned as. Israel’s continued presence on…
Sistan and Baluchestan: more to blame than solely US imperialism and sectarianism
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – “Terror in Iran: Another Day, Another Atrocity in the World of Dirty War” is a great article which comprehensively explains how US imperialism is muddling in Sistan and Baluchestan province of Iran by equipping and funding Jundullah, a militant Islamist group based in Sistan and Baluchestan . I do agree that it’s necessary for us to…
Israeli government faces contempt case for ignoring Arab rights
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – The Israeli government is facing legal action for contempt over its refusal to implement a Supreme Court ruling that it end a policy of awarding preferential budgets to Jewish communities, including settlements, rather than much poorer Palestinian Arab towns and villages inside Israel. The contempt case on behalf of Israel’s Palestinian minority comes in the…
US Probing Israeli, Indian Attempts to Buy ‘Dual Use’ Equipment
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – The Buraeu of Industry and Security is said to be investigating the US-based company Pelogy over allegations that they attempted to purchase potential “dual use” items to be exported to Israel and India, potentially for use in their nuclear weapons programs. The buraeu so far has not offered any particular information into the exact types…
Palestinian-Israeli Minister Loses Passport For Flotilla Involvement
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – On Tuesday, Israeli ministers voted to strip MK Haneen Zouabi of her parliamentary privileges for participating in the Gaza flotilla. The motion, carried by a 34-16 majority in a special committee, is the first of its kind in Knesset (Israeli parliament) history. Prominent academics and representatives of civil rights groups have condemned the decision. The…
A call from Gazans to the world: “Keep trying to break the siege”
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – In a press conference at the port of Gaza city yesterday government officials, fishing associations, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups reiterated their support for the attempts by international activists to break the Israeli siege of Gaza by sea. Yesterday (July 14th 2010) many people amassed at the Gazan port to urge on the latest…
Author of Torture Memos Admits Some Techniques Were Not Approved By DOJ
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – Jay Bybee, the former head of the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) who signed two infamous August 2002 legal memos which gave CIA interrogators the green light to torture “war on terror” prisoners, told a congressional committee that more than a half-dozen of the tactics detainees were subjected to were not “authorized”…
Israeli Occupation bulldoze six Palestinian homes in Jerusalem
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – Reports from Jerusalem confirm that since Tuesday morning the Israeli Occupation Municipality has destroyed a number of houses in the Beit Hanina, Jabal El Makbar, and Isawiya districts of the city. The sources added that the Occupation forces destroyed three houses in Isawiya: The first of them is owned by Mahmoud Isawi and was under…
Tehran Finds Neat Way Out on Gaza Shipment
Uruknet July 15, 2010- After weeks of planning and a fair amount of talking up the story, Iran has finally made it clear that it is not after all sending a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. Sending a vessel under an Iranian flag might have been just the kind of propaganda coup Tehran would like — but it could…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (07-14 July 2010)
Uruknet July 15, 2010 – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (07 — 14 July 2010): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian woman and wounded thirteen civilians, including two women and three children, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip, on 13…
Gaza aid ship docks in Egypt
The National 16 Jul 2010 – A ship barred by the Israeli navy from sailing to Gaza with aid for Palestinians docked instead at Egypt’s El Arish port yesterday.
AIC Upgrades Website Infrastructure
Alternative Information Center – The Alternative Information Center (AIC) is currently upgrading its website infrastructure. We will be back online by Tuesday 22 June 2010.
Two Injured, Dozens Suffered Gas Inhalation in Bil’in
WAFA – RAMALLAH, July 16, 2010 (WAFA)- Two demonstrators were injured and dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation in the West Bank village of Bil’in west of Ramallah weekly demonstration
Oxfam: Gaza Caught Offsides
WAFA – GAZA, July 16, 2010 (WAFA)- Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip because of the ongoing Israeli blockade were, like the rest of the world, keenly following the World Cup over the last weeks in
Israeli FM Presents Second disengagement from Gaza, Ynet Says
WAFA – TEL AVIV, July 16, 2010 (WAFA)- Five years after Israel’s unilateral disengagement from Gaza, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has proposed a new plan aimed at ridding Israel of any
Turkel Committee Demands Documents
WAFA – TEL AVIV, July 16, 2010 (WAFA)- Israeli Retired Justice Jacob Turkel, head of the commission probing the events surrounding the Gaza-bound flotilla, has issued letters to military and government
Mitchell meets Netanyahu in push for direct talks
Daily Star 16 Jul 2010 US envoy George Mitchell held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday in a push to get Israel and the Palestinians to move to direct negotiations for the first time in 18 months. Mitchell…
EU chief diplomat to visit Gaza, meet Mideast leaders
Daily Star 16 Jul 2010 BRUSSELS: Europe stands ready to help open crossing points for goods to Gaza, EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said Friday ahead of a visit to the Palestinian territory. Ashton begins a three-day trip to the…
Sunni rebels claim Iran mosque bombing killing 27
Daily Star 16 Jul 2010 TEHRAN: Iran was Friday probing twin suicide bombings in a crowded Shiite mosque which slaughtered 27 people in an attack a shadowy Sunni rebel group said was to avenge the execution of its militant leader. Thursday…
Iranian scientist was CIA spy inside Iran for years – NYT
Daily Star 16 Jul 2010 The Iranian scientist who spent 14 months in the United States in mysterious circumstances had been a CIA informant inside Iran for years, The New York Times reported Friday.”Shahram Amiri described to American intelligence officers details…
Russian Parliament expands powers of KGB successor
Daily Star 16 Jul 2010 MOSCOW: The Russian Parliament on Friday passed a controversial bill expanding what rights groups warn are the already formidable powers of the successor to the Soviet-era KGB security service. Rights activists and some lawmakers say the…
‘No freedom, no rights’ for Syrians under Assad – HRW
Daily Star 16 Jul 2010 NEW YORK: During a decade in power, Syrian President Bashar Assad has not delivered on promises of greater freedoms or rights for his people, Human Rights Watch said on Friday.Assad “has not delivered on his promises…
Mother of five killed by Israeli artillery fire close to Gaza buffer zone
The Guardian 16 Jul 2010 – Three relatives also wounded in shelling on Gaza border, as family say no rockets were heard being fired before attack A mother of five was killed by Israeli artillery fire when she went to fetch her…
Survey reveals British Jews can be a critical friend to Israel | Antony Lerman
The Guardian 16 Jul 2010 – There is no appetite among Jews living in the UK for giving Israel carte blanche to do what it likes, according to a new report Israel risks losing its friends, Jonathan Freedland warned last week , referring,…
OPT: The Humanitarian Monitor – June 2010
Relief Web 16 Jul 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
OPT: Protection of Civilians Weekly Reports, 7 – 13 July 2010
Relief Web 16 Jul 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
West Bank: Access and Closure (June 2010)
Relief Web 16 Jul 2010 – Source: OCHA
L’ECOSOC souligne la n?©cessit?© de renforcer la coordination de l’aide humanitaire d’urgence fournie par les organismes des Nations Unies
Relief Web 16 Jul 2010 – Source: UN Economic and Social Council
Lebanon arrests 3rd ‘Israel spy’
YNet News – Suspect former employee of Lebanon’s telecommunications sector, source says….
‘Iranian scientist was CIA informant in Tehran’
YNet News – American administration says nuclear scientist who claimed was nabbed by CIA was….
Meiron Reuven named temporary ambassador to UN
YNet News – Career diplomat currently serves as Israeli ambassador to Colombia. Lieberman:….
FM presents: 2nd disengagement from Gaza
YNet News – Plan aimed at ridding Israel of any responsibility for Strip calls to lift….
US: Iron Dome will work
YNet News – A US-backed rocket shield is on track to protect Israeli towns against rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, a senior State Department official said Friday. The Iron …….
PA: Jerusalem demolitions hurt peace
YNet News – The Palestinians have warned US envoy George Mitchell that it will be difficult to revive peace talks if Washington cannot stop Israel from demolishing Arab homes or …….
Hamas rejects Lieberman’s plan
YNet News – Hamas on Friday rejected a new plan by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, aimed at ridding Israel of any responsibility for Gaza. A spokesman for the organization, …….
Anger in IDF over surge in probes
YNet News – Senior IDF officers are furious over “the military prosecution’s excessive involvement in operational matters,” following a growing number of probes into battlefield …….
Report: Extensive ties between Erdogan government, Gaza flotilla organizers
YNet News – Turkish diplomats and government officials told the New York Times that the Turkish organization that led the Gaza-bound flotilla in late May has extensive connections …….
Palestinian Information Center
Tension running high at Jalbu’ prison
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – The Israeli occupation prison authority has intensified its search operations of various sections of Jalbu’ prison at the pretext that they found mobile phones smuggled into the prison.
Haneyya: Al-Amal ship succeeded in delivering its message
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – Ismael Haneyya, the Palestinian prime minister, said on Thursday that the Libyan Al-Amal ship succeeded in its mission and clearly highlighted the need to end the unjust Israeli siege.
Dozens suffer breathing difficulties in confrontations in southern al-Khalil
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – Confrontations between young Palestinians and IOF troops took place Friday at dawn in the southern neighbourhoods of the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil.
The Minister of Culture inaugurates the mural of “Freedom Aspirations”
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – The Minister of Culture in the Palestinian government in Gaza, Osama al-Isawi, inaugurated on Thursday a new mural entitled “Freedom Aspirations” on the wall of the naval police HQ at Gaza’s port.
Bahar condemns Arab, international silence on ordeal of Jerusalem lawmakers
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – Dr. Ahmad Bahar, the first-deputy speaker of the PLC, strongly condemned the inexplicable Arab and international silence towards the Israeli decision to exile four Jerusalem lawmakers.
IOA reduces food to Palestinian captives in Negev prison
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) has decided Thursday to reduce the amount of food it gives to the Palestinian captives in the Negev desert prison.
Misha’al meets with Mousa; says Hamas keen on reconciliation
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – Head of Hamas political bureau, Khaled Misha’al, on Thursday met with Amre Mousa, the Secretary General of the AL in Damascus where Misha’al stressed his Movement’s keenness on reconciliation.
Bayoumi: The PA’s principle of negotiation over J’lem is wrong
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – Ibrahim Al-Bayoumi, an expert at the national center for social and criminal research, stated that the Palestinian authority’s principle of negotiation with Israel over Jerusalem is totally invalid.
Israeli terrorist says Shin Bet asked him to murder Sheikh Raed Salah
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – The Israeli police arrested Tuesday night an Israeli terrorist claiming that the internal security Shin Bet offered him a sum of money in order to assassinate Sheikh Ra’ed Salah.
Khudari: The Libyan ship resisted six Israeli attempts to thwart its mission
PIC 16 Jul 2010 – Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee against the siege, said Thursday that the Libyan aid ship Amal withstood six Israeli attempts to prevent it from reaching the besieged Gaza Strip.
Syrian Hotel Rooms Set to Double
The Media Line 15 Jul 2010 – The number of hotel rooms in Syria is set to nearly double by 2015, a report has claimed. The report, by real estate consultancy firm Colliers International, found that the boom in Syrian tourism is leading…
Militant group claims Iran suicide bombings
LA Times 17 Jul 2010 – The Sunni Jundallah group says the twin attacks at a mosque, which killed at least 27, were meant to harm Revolutionary Guardsmen and to avenge the hanging last month of its leader, Abdulmalak Rigi. An Islamic militant group whose leader was recently executed by Iranian authorities claimed responsibility Friday for a devastating pair of bomb blasts the previous night that killed at least 27 people, including members of the elite Revolutionary Guard, and injured 270 others at a mosque in southeastern Iran.
Sponsor of Flotilla Tied to Elite of Turkey
New York Times 16 Jul 2010 – The charity behind the Gaza flotilla, which ended in an Israeli raid, had support from Turkey’s governing party.
Toll Rises From Twin Suicide Bombings at Iranian Mosque
New York Times 16 Jul 2010 – The bombers, one in women’s clothing, attacked outside a mosque in southeastern Iran, killing at least 26 people.
U.S. Says Scientist Aided C.I.A. While Still in Iran
New York Times 16 Jul 2010 – American officials say they received information about Iran’s nuclear program from Shahram Amiri, who has not been seen publicly since he was whisked away from the Tehran airport yesterday.
NYT Ties Turkish Group to ‘Terrorism’—by Mixing It Up With a Different Group
Mondoweiss – Ever since the Israeli raid on a Turkish group’s boat filled with aid for the Gaza Strip, there has been a lot of attempts in the press , following Israel’s lead , to label the Turkish humanitarian group IHH a supporter of “terrorism.” The latest salvo comes from…
Speculation about extending settlement ‘freeze’ is irrelevant
Mondoweiss – Apparently, the big question surrounding the possible start of “direct talks” between the Palestinian Authority and the Netanyahu government is whether the so-called “settlement freeze” will be extended past its expiration date in September. In an interview with Benjamin Netanyahu on ABC’s Good Morning America, George…
‘Arab villages get bus routes’
Mondoweiss – That was the headline in the Jerusalem Post the other day. It is about the Israeli government approving, for the first time ever, bus routes that actually reach Palestinian towns in Israel. As offensive as this inequality is, it reminds us how little is known about…
‘Emergency Committee for Israel’ is housed in ‘Liberation of Iraq’ offices
Mondoweiss – Remember all the folks who denied that there was any meaningful Israel agenda in the push for war with Iraq? Well here are Jim Lobe and Eli Clifton at lobelog covering the rollout of the neoconservative Emergency Committee for Israel, which has been getting so much…
Sec’y Clinton seems to equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism
Mondoweiss – Urgent business, here. Hillary Clinton, three days ago , at a “Reception Hosted for the Jewish Community and Hannah Rosenthal, Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism,” which Clinton describes as an “awesome responsibility.” President Obama and I are determined to curb anti-Semitism and to work to…
Amiri ‘spied for US inside Iran’
BBC – US officials say the Iranian scientist who claims to have been tortured by the CIA was a willing and paid spy for years.
US cleric put on terror blacklist
BBC – Washington puts US-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki on a terror blacklist for allegedly planning attacks on the US.
Friday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 9 Wounded
Antiwar.com – At least seven Iraqis were killed and nine more were wounded in prayer day attacks. Prime Minister Barham Salih, of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, said the government has talked with Iran about ending shelling in the region. Also, a fire ignited by an electrical short killed…
Clues Suggest Amiri Defection Was an Iranian Plant
Antiwar.com – U.S. officials are explaining Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri’s return to Iran as the result of a defector having a change of heart because of his concern about Iranian government threats to his family. Iran and Amiri himself have insisted that it is a simple case of…
TheShahram Charade
Antiwar.com – By now the narrative iswell-established, at least as far as the Western media is concerned:Shahram Amiri, an Iranian scientist, defected to the US last year, but changed his mind and has now returned to Iran. No matter: we squeezed him dry, as one intelligence official boasted,…
Israel Chokes Gaza Despite Announced Easing
Antiwar.com – RAMALLAH — Israel has received international praise for its decision to ease its crippling blockade on Gaza following the country’s deadly assault on a humanitarian flotilla trying to bring desperately needed humanitarian aid to the coastal territory. But according to the UN and human rights organizations,…
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…
(en) Ireland, Anarchist WSM – Workers Solidarity #116 – Anarchists Take Over Liberty Hall Once Again!
A-infos – Saturday the 29th of May saw the return of the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair to Liberty Hall. It is the 5th Bookfair to be held in the city and what started out as a small event in a community hall in the Liberties is now one of…
Articles
Palestinians suffer as Israeli courts’ authority bottoms out
Jonathan Cook, Ma’an News Agency7/16/2010
Nazareth – The Israeli government faces legal action for contempt over its refusal to implement a Supreme Court ruling that it end a policy of awarding preferential budgets to Jewish communities, including settlements, rather than much poorer Palestinian towns and villages inside Israel.
The contempt case, filed on behalf of Israel’s Palestinian minority, comes in the wake of growing criticism of the government for ignoring court decisions it does not like – a trend that has been noted by the Supreme Court justices themselves.
Yehudit Karp, a former Israeli deputy attorney general, compiled a list of 12 recent court rulings the government refused to implement, but legal groups believe there are more examples. Many of the disregarded judgments confer benefits on Palestinians, either in the occupied Palestinian territories or inside Israel, or penalize settlers living on lands occupied after 1967.
Critics accused the government of violating the rule of law and warned that defiance has been possible chiefly because right-wing politicians and religious groups have severely eroded the Supreme Court’s authority over the past few years.
Senior members of the current right-wing government of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including the justice minister, Ya’akov Ne’eman, have repeatedly criticized the court for what they call its “judicial activism”, or interference in matters they believe should be decided by the parliament alone.
Legal experts, however, warn that because Israel lacks a constitution the court is the only bulwark against a tyrannical Jewish majority abusing the rights of the country’s 1.3 million Palestinian citizens, as well as 4.5 million Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza. more.. e-mail
Study: Attack on Iran would be ‘start of long war’
Daniel Tencer, The Raw Story7/14/2010
Iran’s response to an attack could send oil prices through the roof, think tank argues
An Israeli attack on Iran would fail to stop Tehran’s alleged nuclear weapons program and would lead to a “long war” that would be marked by economic instability and mass civilian casualties, says a study from British think tank.
In a report (PDF) released Wednesday, the Oxford Research Group stated that, while the likelihood of a US attack on Iran’s nuclear program has been lessened by the Obama administration’s policies, advances in Israeli military technology have increased the potential for an Israeli attack.
The study, entitled “Military Action Against Iran: Impact and Effects,” also argues that an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would galvanize the Iranian public behind the leadership of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and give the regime in Tehran more support and rationale for developing nuclear capabilities.
“An Iranian administration under attack would experience considerable national unity and would work rapidly to redevelop its weapons programs, withdrawing from the NPT and prioritizing nuclear weapons,” the report states. Story continues below…
As a result of that, the study concluded, Israel would be forced into repeatedly attacking Iranian facilities, “resulting in prolonged conflict — the start of a long war with potential regional and global consequences.”
Furthermore, the report — written by Paul Rogers, a professor of peace studies at Bradford University — suggested that any Israeli strike on Iran would cause a large number of civilian casualties…. — See also: Report (PDF) more.. e-mail
Missing fuel raises questions
Mahmoud Barham, Ma’an News Agency7/16/2010
Nablus — Israel’s largest distributor of refined oil products and the Palestinian Authority’s energy authority scrambled Thursday to explain how thousands of liters of purchased fuel disappeared en route to petrol stations across the occupied West Bank.
Paz Oil, an Israeli energy company which holds exclusive rights to stock gas stations in the West Bank, is accused of siphoning profits from the daily petrol it is contractually required to deliver under a two-year deal with the PA that expires in September.
Documents, photographs, and testimony obtained by Ma’an reveal that 2,000 liters of fuel sold to the PA recently disappeared between Ashdod, Israel and two transfer stations along the Green Line, which separates Israel from the occupied Palestinian territories.
Crossings employees, speaking on the condition of anonymity, estimate that up to five percent of a load’s value can be hidden from inspectors. This deficit amounts to between 2-3,000 liters of fuel that has gone missing on the PA’s watch. Senior officials in the Ramallah-based Palestinian government are aware of the evidence but have declined to address the issue and Paz Oil did not immediately respond to email and phone inquiries.
Paz Oil vehicles transfer fuel to the PA via two crossings, Nil’in in the Ramallah district and Tarqumiya in Hebron. Each of the dozens of trucks entering each day should pass over a weigh station to calculate the amount of fuel being carried, but delays along the border coupled with loads of 35-45,000 liters of kerosene, benzene, or other fuel can cause backups of up to four hours. Inspectors tend to spot check the fuel instead of weighing it, glancing into the tanks and sending the drivers on their way. more.. e-mail
Israel imprisoned my father for nonviolently resisting the occupation
Electronic Intifada: 16 Jul 2010 – On 12 January 2010 my father Ibrahim was arrested by the Israeli army and sentenced to two years in prison for organizing and participating in nonviolent protests against the Israel’s wall in the occupied West Bank. The wall cuts us off from our land and our olive groves, robbing our family of its livelihood. Saeed Amireh writes from Nilin, occupied West Bank.
Israel’s economic warfare still keenly felt in Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 16 Jul 2010 – RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) — Israel has received international praise for its decision to ease its crippling blockade on Gaza following the country’s deadly assault on a humanitarian flotilla trying to bring desperately needed humanitarian aid to the coastal territory. But according to the UN and human rights organizations, the easing of the blockade is insufficient in meeting Gaza’s needs.
Palestinians Suffer as Courts’ Authority Hits All-time Low
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Jul 2010 – By Jonathan Cook – Nazareth The Israeli government is facing legal action for contempt over its refusal to implement a Supreme Court ruling that it end a policy of awarding preferential budgets to Jewish communities, including settlements, rather than much poorer Palestinian Arab towns and villages inside Israel. The contempt case on behalf of Israel’s Palestinian minority comes in the wake of growing criticism of the government for ignoring court decisions it does not like — a trend that has been noted by the Supreme Court justices themselves. Yehudit Karp, a former deputy attorney general, compiled a list of 12 recent court rulings the government has refused to implement, but legal groups believe there are more examples. Many of the disregarded judgements confer benefits on Palestinians, either in the occupied territories or inside Israel, or penalise the settlers. Critics have accused the government of violating the rule of law and…more
Mr. Blair: At-Tuwani Awaits Your Response
Palestine Chronicle: 16 Jul 2010 – By Ron Taylor Dear Tony Blair, I think even you would admit your appointment, in 2007, as Special Envoy to the Middle East Quartet was not met with unfettered joy in occupied Palestine. In fact, to be quite honest, the announcement was greeted with a mixture of dismay, derision and not a little anger. It’s not too difficult to imagine the reasons. After all, you had been Prime Minister of a country which is seen as a right-or-wrong supporter of Israel. You are an avowed ‘Friend of Israel’. And, the party you once led receives large donations from well-known Zionists. Probably even more damning though is that you danced to George W Bush’s tune and enlisted your country in the disastrous invasion of Iraq – widely seen by many in the Middle East as an Israeli war waged by the West. Yet another reminder to Palestinians, if one were needed,…more
British Jews Support Israeli War Crimes
Dissident Voice: 16 Jul 2010 – The Jewish community in Britain seems to be over the moon. A survey that was published a few days ago suggests that British Jews are nothing but ‘peace lovers’. The Guardian was also quick to report that 77% of “British Jews favour a ‘two-state solution’ in Israel”. In practice, this actually means that at least 77% of British Jews believe that millions of dispossessed Palestinians should continue to dwell in refugee camps and never be allowed to their homes, cities, and villages. I am actually far from impressed with British Jewry’s inclination towards peace. Professor Dan McGowan pointed out recently that Israel and Palestine are in fact “one country with one water system, one electrical grid, one monetary system, one telephone system and one postal system. It is already one state, although half the population has lesser rights or none at all.” Bearing McGowan’s insight, I wonder what drives 77%…
Israel Stops Listening to Its Judges
Dissident Voice: 16 Jul 2010 – The Israeli government is facing legal action for contempt over its refusal to implement a Supreme Court ruling that it end a policy of awarding preferential budgets to Jewish communities, including settlements, rather than much poorer Palestinian Arab towns and villages inside Israel. The contempt case on behalf of Israel’s Palestinian minority comes in the wake of growing criticism of the government for ignoring court decisions it does not like — a trend that has been noted by the Supreme Court justices themselves. Yehudit Karp, a former deputy attorney general, compiled a list of 12 recent court rulings the government has refused to implement, but legal groups believe there are more examples. Many of the disregarded judgements confer benefits on Palestinians, either in the occupied territories or inside Israel, or penalise the settlers. Critics have accused the government of violating the rule of law and warned that the defiance has…
Under Threat: A Free and Open Internet
Dissident Voice: 16 Jul 2010 – This article updates an earlier one titled “ The Struggle for Net Neutrality “. First some background. As a candidate, Obama pledged support for “network neutrality to preserve the benefits of open competition on the Internet.” As president, he reneged across the board, including for Internet freedom and openness, Boston.com writer Joelle Tessler headlining, “FCC votes to reconsider broadband regulations,” saying: Federal regulators are “wading into a bitter policy dispute that could be tied up in Congress and the courts for years.” At stake: a free, open, and affordable Internet, threatened by powerful phone and cable giants wanting to privatize and control it, have unregulated pricing power, and decide what’s published at what speed or blocked. On June 16, alternate regulatory paths were considered, including the one likely to prevail, favored by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski “to define broadband access as a telecommunications service subject to ‘common carrier’ obligations to…
CAN A RABBI LIE ABOUT APARTHEID?
Intifada-Palestine: 16 Jul 2010 – By Khalid Amayreh South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein Another lying Rabbi (Chief Rabbi of South Africa) The shipyard dogs of Zionismget ferociously mad whenever Israel is described as a racist and apartheid state. They argue rather vehemently that it is unfair and unjust to describe the deformed pariah entity as an apartheid state, citing the fact that non-Jews in Israel are accorded equal political rights and are allowed to vote. Well, I think we do a great injustice to language when we call Israel an apartheid state because the Zionist regime is far more nefarious than all the apartheid and discrimination in the world combined. Theoretically, Israel does give some rights to non-Jewish citizens. However, when these rights are dealt with in practice, they are effectively devoid of any substance. In fact, non-Jews are accorded citizenship in Israel only in exchange for coming to terms with Jewish supremacy and…more
Israeli Extremist says Shin Bet tried to Recruit him to Assassinate Sheikh Raed Salah
Intifada-Palestine: 16 Jul 2010 – Middle East Monitor This case will certainly be a source of embarrassment for Israel and Shin Bet, not only because it reveals how they try to recruit racists and criminals to assassinate Arabs but also, if Pearlman is telling the truth, how willing they are to frame Israelis as well. On Tuesday, 30 year old Israeli Haim Pearlman was arrested by the Jerusalem authorities on suspicion of murdering a number of Palestinians, attempted murder and illegal firearm possession. He is suspected of being the “serial stabber” responsible for the deaths of a number of Arabs in the 1990s. Pearlman has a long history of criminality and criminal association. He is a member of Kach which is an extreme far right, racist Israeli movement. It is so extreme that is has been banned by the Knesset for inciting racism and is considered to be a terrorist organisation by America, the EU…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment