News
International Middle East Media Center
Mubarak Holds Separate Meetings With Abbas, Mitchell, and Netanyahu
IMEMC – 18 Jul 2010 – Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, held in Cairo separate meetings with Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, U.S Middle East Envoy, George Mitchell, and Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Report: “Soldiers Killed 5 Palestinians In Gaza in June”
IMEMC – 18 Jul 2010 – The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, based in Gaza, issued a report on the Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip in June and stated that Israeli soldiers continued their attacks and killed five Palestinians in different part of the Gaza Strip.
Detained PFLP Secretary-General Remains In Solitary Confinement
IMEMC – 18 Jul 2010 – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) warned that its secretary-general, Ahmad Saadat, is facing what is called “slow death” in Israeli prisons and that he remains in solitary confinement since more than 18 months.
Child Wounded In Hebron
IMEMC – 18 Jul 2010 – Palestinian medical sources in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, reported on Sunday evening that a Palestinian child was wounded after a settler rammed him with his speeding motorcycle in the Al Sahla Street, in the Old City.
Soldiers Attack Reporters In Hebron
IMEMC – 18 Jul 2010 – Two Palestinian reporters were mildly wounded after being attacked by Israeli soldiers during the nonviolent weekly protest held near Beit Ummar, in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
Barghouthi: 100 settlement units underway in Beit Jala
7/18/2010 – Ramallah ““ Ma’an ““ Israel recently began construction on 100 new settlement units in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouthi announced Sunday. The latest settlement construction is underway on Palestinian land in the towns of Beit Jala and Al-Walaja, as US Middle East envoy visits the region for the latest round of….
Rights group: Gaza injuries triple
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israel’s military has increased attacks on Palestinian civilians who collect rubble of destroyed buildings and roads on the border between Gaza and Israel, a human rights group said Sunday. Since January, 27 people have been injured including 10 children, the Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights reported. Eight of them were hurt in July….
Ashton in Gaza: No major change to siege
7/18/2010 – Gaza ““ Ma’an ““ EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said Sunday that no significant changes have been made since her last visit to Gaza four months ago, before Israel’s decision to allow previously barred goods into the enclave. Speaking to reporters at a UN school in Gaza City, Ashton reiterated her call for a complete opening of the Strip’s borders….
Cabinet debates ’Jewish state’ loyalty oath
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – An amendment to Israel’s citizenship bill, requiring all Israeli citizens to swear allegiance to a Jewish state, is due to be presented to the cabinet Sunday. Israel’s Association for Civil Rights described the addition as “one of the most dangerous and racist proposals we’ve seen in the past few….
FPA slams use of force against journalists
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Foreign Press Association in Israel and the Palestinian territories denounced Saturday what it termed “a recent change in policy” by Israeli forces in their treatment of journalists in the West Bank. The association, which represents foreign correspondents and journalists working in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, says it “strongly protests” what appears to be an increase in the harassment of journalists….
Official: Gaza imports held at port for 4 years
7/18/2010 – Gaza “Ma’an” Israeli authorities have yet to release Gaza-bound goods sequestered at Israeli seaports for over four years despite reportedly easing the terms of its blockade, independent lawmaker Jamal Al-Khoudary said Sunday. Al-Khoudary, who also heads the Popular Committee Against the Siege, issued a statement saying containers imported by Palestinian merchants since Israel imposed its….
Israeli court extends Abu Teir’s detention
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – Israel’s Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court ruled Sunday that Palestinian lawmaker Muhammad Abu Teir will remain in detention until legal proceedings against him are completed. The ruling followed Abu Teir’s refusal to post bail set at 350,000 shekels (about $90,900), the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Abu Teir is among three other Palestinian Legislative….
Gaza officials: Cars will not enter this week
7/18/2010 – Gaza “Ma’an” Officials at the Ministry of Civil Affairs denied reports that cars and vehicles will enter Gaza this week. Officials said Israel informed the ministry that the Erez crossing in the north of the Strip was technically and logistically ready to receive cars, but did not set any date for imports to begin….
Settler runs down 11-year-old Hebron boy
7/18/2010 – Hebron “Ma’an” An Israeli settler on a motorbike struck an 11-year-old boy in the West Bank city of Hebron’s old city on Sunday. Medical officials said Abdallah Hasan Al-Muhtaseb was struck on As-Sahla Street and was receiving treatment at the scene. Developing….
8 activists from Libyan aid ship arrive in Gaza
7/18/2010 – Cairo – Ma’an – Eight activists from a Libyan aid ship which docked in Egypt’s Al-Arish port arrived in Gaza on Sunday via the southern Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border. Palestinian crossings officials expect 30 trucks to deliver the ship’s cargo of humanitarian aid later via the southern Kerem Shalom crossing. Five trucks loaded….
Rights group condemns attack on wedding party
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – Gunmen attacked a wedding party in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, a rights group said, calling on the attorney general to investigate the incident which “constitutes part of the state of security chaos and the misuse of weapons currently prevailing” in the occupied territories. Eight masked gunmen allegedly attacked the party in a….
Press group condemns attacks on journalists
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli military’s attacks on journalists in Bethlehem and Hebron on Saturday show that the army has “become a major threat to the lives of journalists and their safety,” the Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms said. In a statement Sunday, the press freedom group also condemned the Palestinian Authority security forces for raiding the Watan TV headquarters….
Israel releases Fatah detainee
7/18/2010 – Tulkarem – Ma’an – Israeli authorities released Fatah-affiliated detainee Moath Samir Haroun, 20, from Meggido prison in Israel on Sunday. Israeli forces, supported by undercover units, detained Haroun, from Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, two years ago for his activities in the armed wing of the Fatah movement….
Nablus man wounded in drive-by shooting
7/18/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – A 25-year old Palestinian man was shot near Balata refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus Sunday. Locals said a man stepped out of a car and fired several shots at Ghassan Abu Ruweis’s feet before speeding away. Palestinian medics said the Red Crescent transferred Abu Ruweis to….
Abbas in Cairo to discuss peace process
7/18/2010 – Cairo Ma’an President Mahmoud Abbas arrived on Saturday evening in the Egyptian capital, where he is scheduled to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to discuss a recent meeting with US mediators during the latest round of indirect talks with Israel. Abbas, accompanied by chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat and presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh….
Ashton: EU ready to play role at Gaza crossings
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton met with premier Salam Fayyad on Saturday evening, reiterating her call on Israel to open all Gaza crossings ahead of her scheduled visit to the Strip. Ashton said the EU “is ready to play a role at the crossings provided that a number of conditions are met,” as she called on Israel for a “full and effective implementation of the new Israeli policy….”
ASEAN joins calls to end Gaza siege
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has joined mounting calls for Israel to end its siege on Gaza. ASEAN’s annual meeting began Thursday in Vietnam, and foreign ministers from the 10 countries in the association convene Monday. A document released ahead of the meeting called for “?ìunimpeded access of humanitarian assistance….
Report: Suspected Lebanese spy escapes to Israel
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies – A new suspect involved in a telecommunication spy network fled Lebanon for Israel on Friday, a day after another suspect was detained, Lebanese media reported Sunday. According to the Lebanese daily An-Nahar, the latest suspect was an employee of Lebanon’s Alfa telecommunications, identified only as NRMA. The daily said that the alleged….
EU, PA launch program to rebuild Gaza economy
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem – Ma’an – The EU and the Palestinian Authority officially launched the Private Sector Reconstruction in Gaza program Sunday. The launch coincides with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton’s visit to the besieged Strip, where she saw two of the 203 companies to benefit from the scheme. In total the EU will contribute “‚Äö¬¨22 million….
Moussa: No direct talks without written guarantees
7/18/2010 – Bethlehem “Ma’an” After his meeting with US mediator George Mitchell on Sunday, Arab League chief Amr Moussa affirmed that Palestinians cannot enter direct talks with Israel without written guarantees. Mousa told reporters that “?ìmoving from proximity talks into direct ones without any confirmation or guarantee on Israel’s seriousness means that wehave entered into….
Israel closes Allenby bridge
7/18/2010 – Jericho – Ma’an – Israeli authorities closed Jordan’s Allenby Bridge since 5pm Sunday evening. Jericho police spokesman Raed Abu Gharbeiyah said the crossing is open to travelers entering the West Bank but closed to those trying to leave. He added that those passengers waiting tonight in Jericho will be the first to cross to Jordan on….
In photos: Gaza ministry destroys unlicensed motorbikes
7/18/2010 – MaanImages / Ahmad Gbyn – Palestinian workers with the Gaza government’s Ministry of Transportation destroy unlicensed motorcycles in Gaza City on 1 July 2010. In May, the ministry announced it would be handing down “severe penalties” to unlicensed motorcyclists following over 200 injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents and 14 deaths since the beginning of 2010. Penalties include….
Court to hear lawsuit against PA cabinet
7/18/2010 – Ramallah ““ Ma’an ““ The High Court of Justice agreed Sunday to hear a lawsuit filed against the Palestinian Authority cabinet over its deferral of local elections that were scheduled to take place this month. The lawsuit was filed by a group of lawyers representing left-wing, democratic, and independent parties seeking to overturn the decision. The court….
Women in Gaza forbidden to smoke arghileh
7/18/2010 – Gaza “Ma’an” The Interior Ministry in the Gaza Strip has banned women from smoking the water pipe arghileh in public places Sunday. Police spokesman Ayman Batneiji said that women smoking water pipes in public places “contradicts” Palestinian traditions and values. The decision will be enforced, he said. Hamas-aligned security officers have told cafe and restaurant….
PSE: No shares up as Al-Quds Index tumbles
7/18/2010 – Nablus – Ma’an – Shares in 12 companies fell on the Palestinian Securities Exchange at the close of trading on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Al-Quds Index closed at 507. 63 points, plummeting by 0. 37 percent (1. 0 points) compared with the last trading session. A total of 338,590 shares were traded for a total value of $668,822….
Flotilla 2 on the horizon
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – Groups plan new convoys to Gaza New York – Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar famously predicted in June that a wave of ships would head to the Gaza Strip ” after the world cup .” Although the…
Netanyahu says Africans ‘a threat to Israel’s Jewish character’
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – New York – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that a recnet “flood of illegal workers infiltrating from Africa” into Israel was “a concrete threat to the Jewish and democratic character of the country.”…
Legitimate questions
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – Over dinner in Bethlehem recently, I mentioned to my brother-in-law how Israel has strategically succeeded in cutting off Gaza Strip from the West Bank. While agreeing with me, he told me what a senior Israeli officer…
Netanyahu opposes Lieberman’s Gaza plan
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – New York – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is indicating that he opposes a controversial proposal by his foreign minister, far-right leader Avigdor Lieberman, to sever all ties with the Gaza Strip. [Official White House Photo…
Palestinian nonviolent organizer sentenced to year in prison
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – New York – An Israeli military court sentenced a Palestinian human rights activist to a year in prison on Sunday on the charge of “aiding an illegal organization.” Activist Wa’el Al-Faqeeh [Photo: Courtesy International Solidarity Movement]…
Happy Nelson Mandela Day
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – New York – The world is celebrating its first Nelson Mandela Day on Sunday. Mandela, the iconic ANC leader who became South Africa’s first black president, is celebrating his 92nd birthday. The UN decided last year…
Women banned from smoking argileh in Gaza
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – New York – The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza has banned women from smoking argileh, the ubiquitous water pipe, in cafes. Flavored tobacco is usually smoked from the argileh [Wikimedia Commons] “It is inappropriate for a…
EU envoy: Israel must open Gaza’s borders
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – New York – Catherine Ashton, the EU’s highest foreign policy official, visited Gaza on Sunday where she called on the international community to pressure Israel to end its blockade of the tiny Palestinian territory. Baroness Catherine…
Cairo hosts Mideast talks
Palestine Note 18 Jul 2010 – New York – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks in quick succession on Sunday with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. George Mitchell, Special Envoy to…
Iran scientist claims US swap plan
AlJazeera 18 Jul 2010 – Amiri says US officials kidnapped him to help free three detained Americans in Iran.
EU calls for opening Gaza borders
AlJazeera 18 Jul 2010 – Bloc’s foreign policy says she will press Israel to end restrictions on Gazans.
Netanyahu: US easily manipulated
AlJazeera 18 Jul 2010 – Israeli PM seen discussing ways to undermine Oslo Accords in 2001 videotape.
Hamas Bans Water Pipes For Women
PNN – Ramallah — PNN — Hamas has given orders to forbid women from smoking water pipes in restaurants and coffee shops of the Gaza Strip. According to a correspondent of the New York…
Protest Against Suspension Of Elections
PNN – Ramallah — PNN — Palestinian lawmakers and party officials gathered in front of the Legislative Council in Ramallah yesterday, objecting the suspension of Palestinian municipal elections which were scheduled for July 17th….
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Attack on Wedding Party by Unknown Gunmen
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Field Update On Thursday, 15 July 2010, unknown gunmen attacked a wedding party being held for Baker al-Shawwaf on land belonging to his family in the ‘Abassan village. The attackers carried guns and clubs and dispersed the participants by force, which constitutes part of the state of security chaos and the misuse of weapons currently prevailing in the Occupied Palestinian
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (07-14 July 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Direcotr Raji Sourani Meets with the Honorable Baroness Catherine Ashton in Gaza
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Ref: 64/2010 The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ (PCHR) Director, lawyer Raji Sourani, expressed satisfaction with the meeting that was held this morning between the Honorable Baroness Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and a number of figures from civil society organizations and the private and public sectors in the Gaza Strip.
‘Israel convinces US with Credible military plan on Iran’
Jeruslalem Post 19 Jul 2010 – Recent media reports suggests Jerusalem has increased diplomatic efforts to persuade White House that credible military option needed.
Ashkenazi heads to France, Italy
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – IDF Chief left on Sunday on a five-day trip aimed at increasing military ties with Europe.
Debunk of comparison between Israel, apartheid South Africa
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – ‘We wanted to provide the audience with the tools to tackle this false analogy.’
Drought-plagued Israel ready as global heat soars
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – The last six months have been the hottest on record around the globe, according to an American weather analysis.
IDF officer suspected of sexual assault
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – Soldier in elite unit arrested in Ramle on suspicion of sexual abuse.
Livni, Barak meet to talk policy
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – Meeting comes at a time of rising tensions within the gov’t coalition.
Hamas bans women from smoking in public
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – ‘Women smoking in public against tradition.’
Abu Tir to remain in Israel
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – Hamas leader to stay in jail after refusing to post bail.
PM: ‘Conversion law bad for the Jews’
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – Relations between Israel Beiteinu and the coalition hit a low.
Ashton calls for direct talks
Jeruslalem Post 18 Jul 2010 – EU foreign policy chief visits Gaza, calls for Israel to open crossings.
International Solidarity Movement
Popular struggle organizer Wa’el Al-Faqeeh sentenced to one year
7/18/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Palestinian human rights activist Wa’el Al-Faqeeh has been sentenced to one year in Israeli military prison, on the charge of aiding an illegal organization. Al-Faqeeh was arrested by the Israeli military on 9 December 2009, thus due to be released in December of this year. The sentence was handed down in Salem military prrison, in….
Civil Administration told to crack down on illegal Arab structures
Ha’aretz – Defense Ministry order gives priorities to building that pose a ‘security threat’, applying most to structures close to roads in Jordan valley and Mount Hebron.
Netanyahu and Lieberman try to mend differences amid crisis over conversion bill
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to meet later Monday; Netanyahu’s opposition to the conversion bill is perceived as a message to Lieberman, in the wake of the latter’s threat not…
Netanyahu: Illegal African immigrants – a threat to Israel’s Jewish character
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister urges construction of fence along border with Egypt to prevent infiltrators from entering Israel.
‘State has 90 days to justify amnesty law for Gaza pullout protesters’
Ha’aretz – High Court rules amnesty law for Gaza disengagement protesters harms equality after demonstrators arrested in Sheikh Jarrah file petition.
Interior Minister Yishai: Absence of conversion law poses danger to Jewish people
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu, who opposes law giving the rabbinate sole control over conversions, says issue will tear the Jewish people apart.
Psychological warfare intensifies between Shin Bet and Jewish extremists
Ha’aretz – The arrest last week of alleged Jewish terrorist Chaim Pearlman marks a peak in the mind games played between Shin Bet and Jewish settlers.
Thousands mourn U.S. plane crash victims at Beit Shemesh funeral
Ha’aretz – Funeral held for Illinois resident and 3 of his Israeli grandchildren; an investigation into the crash is underway.
State eyes ‘legal’ takeover of abandoned East Jerusalem properties
Ha’aretz – Pending court approval, government could assume control over properties of people who moved to enemy states during the War of Independence, as well as structures that belong to people now…
Lieberman: Israel planning to improve Gaza’s water and electricity infrastructure
Ha’aretz – In meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman says Israel ‘is looking for serious partners’ to improve economic situation in Gaza.
Report: Suspected spy for Israel escapes from Lebanon
Ha’aretz – A Lebanese telecommunications worker, suspected of spying for Israel, has fled to Israel, the Lebanese newspaper A-Nahar reports.
Turkish hackers target Israeli pizza lovers
Ha’aretz – The email addresses and passwords of more than 25,000 Israeli Pizza Hut customers have been published in an online Turkish hackers forum., The next session of the UN General Assembly,…
Egypt FM: Still no basis for direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks
Ha’aretz – PM meets with Egyptian president; Egyptian officials tell Haaretz there is anger in Cairo over Lieberman’s recent call to sever ties with Gaza.
Turkish hackers steal personal details of tens of thousands of Israelis
Ha’aretz – In the wake of Gaza flotilla raid, hackers in Turkey have disclosed personal details of tens of thousands of Israelis, blogger reveals.
Fatah rejects Mitchell’s bid for direct talks, PA official says
Ha’aretz – Fatah official says U.S. special envoy George Mitchell did not give adequate answers on the issues of borders and security for the Palestinians to agree to direct negotiations.
Ashton: Israel must allow Gaza to resume exports
Ha’aretz – EU’s FM visits Gaza Strip; Minister Edelstein: I hope that Ashton will understand there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Destroying the Palestinian state
18 Jul 2010 – Jerusalem, July 18, (Pal Telegraph – By Khaled Amayreh – Al Ahram weekly) 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…
Ashton in Gaza for her 2nd time in 3 months
18 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 18, (Pal Telegraph) Senior representative of the European Foreign Policy, Catherine Ashton, entered this morning into the Gaza Strip through Beit Hanoun crossing in northern Gaza, in her second visit to the strip within three months on a tour of the occupied Palestinian territories. Ashton began her trip to inspect a pharmaceutical factory funded by the European Union…
IOF raids Balata camp in Nablus
18 Jul 2010 – Nablus, July 18, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces raided Sunday Balata refugee camp in the city of Nablus in the north of the occupied West Bank, no detentions were reported. Witnesses said that nine military troops of Israeli occupation forces raided Balata refugee camp at 2 a.m. The occupation forces withdrew after two hours of raiding the, the…
Gaza’s government prevents women from smoking hookahs in public
18 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 18, (Pal Telegraph) Hamas’s De Facto Government in Gaza decided to prevent women from smoking hookahs in public and opened places in the Gaza Strip. Spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior affairs, Ihab al Ghoussein, said in a pres statement that that the resolution does not include indoor restaurants and places. Ghoussein added that the decision was taken…
Libyan delegation of “Hope” aid ship enters Gaza
18 Jul 2010 – Gaza, July 18, (Pal Telegraph) The Libyan delegation of “Hope” Libyan aid ship that the docked in the port of El Arish after being banned by the Israeli occupation authorities access to the Gaza Strip, arrived through the Rafah border crossing on today morning. Chief delegate Abdul Raouf Aljaziri, said in a statement to the press, that the trucks of…
Wars on the Palestinian people
Uruknet July 18, 2010 – It is easy to believe that the people of Palestine face just one war, that which is related to the occupation of the West Bank and the siege of the Gaza Strip; some may even limit the “war” to the blockade of the Gaza Strip on the grounds that the West Bank is involved in…
Video: Palestinian Women Prisoners
Uruknet July 18, 2010 – Since 1967, approximately 700,000 Palestinians have been arrested and detained under Israeli military orders. This number accounts for close to 20 percent of the population in the occupied Palestinian territories. Today, 7,000 Palestinians — including over 300 children and 34 women — remain in Israeli prisons. The AIC explored the stories of two Palestinian women,…
IOA exiles Jerusalem child for throwing stones
Uruknet July 18, 2010 – An eleven-year-old boy from Jerusalem was exiled by Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) for throwing stones at Israeli military forces. The committee for defense of land and real estate in Silwan south of the Aqsa Mosque said that an Israeli court in Jerusalem decided to expel 11-year-old Ahmed Gheith from the Batn al-Hawa district of Silwan…
Netanyahu: Illegal African immigrants – a threat to Israel’s Jewish character
Uruknet July 18, 2010 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the recent “flood of illegal workers infiltrating from Africa” into Israel was “a concrete threat to the Jewish and democratic character of the country.” Speaking at a meeting aimed at formulating Israel’s immigration policy, Netanyahu said that most Western nations have already taken action to prevent similar…
Israel’s ‘illegal’ children
Uruknet July 18, 2010 – For most children summer is a carefree time. But for the children of Israel’s undocumented migrant workers, deportation looms on the horizon. It has been a hotly contested issue since last July, when the Oz Unit, a strong arm of the interior ministry’s population and immigration authority, first hit the streets. As the state took…
Netanyahu admits on video he deceived US to destroy Oslo accord
Uruknet July 17, 2010 – The contents of a secretly recorded video threaten to gravely embarrass not only Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister but also the US administration of Barack Obama. The film was shot, apparently without Mr Netanyahu’s knowledge, nine years ago, when the government of Ariel Sharon had started reinvading the main cities of the West Bank…
IHH announces more convoys to break Gaza siege
Uruknet July 17, 2010 – Bulent Yildirim, the head of the Turkish IHH humanitarian relief foundation, has asserted that his organization prepares for more sea and land convoys to break the unjust siege on Gaza Strip, revealing “many surprises” to come in the coming three months. Yildirim statements were voiced during a meeting with Muslim youths from Indonesia, France, Germany,…
The next idiot who tells me that the Palestinians should find a Gandhi, I will punch in the nose
Uruknet July 17, 2010 – The latest idiot who’s seriously competing for the top of my list: Nick Kristof, whom I used to respect – and was joyed to have as graduation speaker years ago – but have come to realize that he’s just another wannabe Friedman. In his latest article, “Waiting for Gandhi”, he takes his family on a…
Israeli court issues child with restraining order
Uruknet July 17, 2010 – A Jerusalem boy from the Baten Al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan was issued a restraining order by an Israeli district court on Friday ordering the 12-year-old to stay away from a neighboring area. Identified by the Wadi Hilwa Information Center as Ahmad Gheith, the boy’s family had to pay 4,000 shekels ($1,035) in bail to ensure…
Bibi the Bamboozler to Settlers: ‘America Won’t Get in Our Way…It’s Easily Moved’
Uruknet July 17, 2010 – Israel’s Channel 10 secured a video (Hebrew) recorded in 2001 during the height of a Palestinian terror campaign against Israel and the settlements. It records a condolence call Bibi Netanyahu, recently “retired” from politics after losing the prime ministership several years earlier, pays on a group of West Bank widows whose husbands had been killed…
Video: Israeli sewage-dumping affects Palestinian villages
Uruknet July 17, 2010 – Israeli settlements have been dumping untreated waste directly into a sewage canal that runs through the occupied West Bank, affecting Palestinian villages along its banks. The hazard posed is compounded by the dumping of toxic chemical waste on agricultural land, with villagers reporting a rash of skin diseases and respiratory problems. The Israeli government has…
Resurgence of crushed’ extremists in Iran
The National 18 Jul 2010 – Jundallah, an outlawed group Tehran claims to have destroyed, is alive and dangerous.
EU diplomat raises Gaza pressure
The National 18 Jul 2010 – Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, urges the international community to pressure Israel to ease its siege of the Gaza Strip.
Ashton calls for pressure on Israel to ease blockade
The National 18 Jul 2010 – The European Union’s foreign policy chief urges the international community to pressure Israel to take further steps to ease its blockade of the Gaza Strip.
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.
Ashton Visits EU-PA Supported Businesses in Gaza
WAFA – GAZA, July 18, 2010 (WAFA)- On the occasion of the visit of EU High Representative Catherine Ashton to the Gaza Strip, the European Union and the Palestinian Authority officially launch today
EU Contributes ‚Ǩ2 Million to UNRWA’s Summer Games
WAFA – GAZA, July 18, 2010 (WAFA)- The European Union has today announced a contribution of ‚Ǩ2 million to support the largest ever youth initiative in Gaza – Summer Games — and to support UNRWA’s Enterprise
Ashton Announces €2 Million Grant to UNRWA Summer Activities
WAFA РGAZA, July 18, 2010 (WAFA)-EU High Representative and Vice-President Catherine Ashton, announced, today, that the EU given an additional €2 million to support not only the schools, but also the
Israeli State has 90 Days to Justify Amnesty Law for Gaza Pullout Protesters
WAFA – TEL AVIV, July 18, 2010 (WAFA)- The Israeli Supreme Court issued an injunction on Sunday ordering the state to provide justification within 90 days to prevent the court from overturning a law which
Al Mezan: 27 Injured; 10 Children, since Beginning of 2010
WAFA – GAZA, July 18, 2010 (WAFA)- The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) increased its attacks on Palestinian civilians who collect the rubble of the destroyed buildings and roads near the border fence
Palestinians build solar car from scratch
The Guardian 18 Jul 2010 – Students overcome scant resources to put green prototype on Hebron’s diesel and donkey polluted roads Visitors to the West Bank town of Hebron this summer might find a strange-looking white vehicle motoring through its streets —…
Chris Patten urges bolder EU approach over Middle East conflict
The Guardian 18 Jul 2010 – EU commissioner Chris Patten calls Gaza blockade an immoral failure and says bloc must be more independent-minded The European Union must shake off US dominance and take a bolder approach in pressing for a settlement of…
Hamas bans women from smoking water pipes
The Guardian 18 Jul 2010 – Habit destroys marriages and sullies image of Palestinians, claims interior ministry Hamas has banned women from smoking water pipes in cafes, saying it destroys marriages and sullies the image of the Palestinian people. “It is inappropriate…
In light of EU HR Ashton’s visit, the EU contributes ‚Ǩ2 million to UNRWA’s Summer Games and the Agency’s Organizational Development
Relief Web 18 Jul 2010 – Source: European Union, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Nasrallah’s father recounts son’s rise to fame
YNet News – Abu-Hassan Nasrallah tells Iranian reporter he wanted Hezbollah chief to be….
Livni, Barak meet while PM visits Egypt
YNet News – Defense minister, opposition leader meet on backdrop of tensions between….
Netanyahu, Mubarak discuss ‘conditions for peace’
YNet News – Leaders meet in Cairo after delay on Egypt’s part, discuss ‘terms necessary for….
Abu-Tir to remain in custody
YNet News – Senior Hamas figure, arrested for refusing to stay away from Jerusalem, fails to….
Aharonovitch: Infiltrators require new jail every month
YNet News – Internal security minister says some 1,200 African infiltrators enter Israel….
Report: Terrorists plotted Christmas bombs in NY
YNet News – Fox News quotes FBI warning that terror group linked to Somali man planned to….
US suspects Iranian nuclear scientist was double agent
YNet News – Did Shahram Amiri, who was paid $5 million to disclose information on Tehran’s….
Bloggers get Palestinian village water
YNet News – Hundreds of Israelis managed to overcome years of bureaucratic battles in only two and a half months — without ever leaving the house. The viral activists used blogs, …….
Lieberman: World interested in Gaza plan
YNet News – Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman continued to propagate his recently formulated plan for a second disengagement from Gaza on Sunday, after a meeting with the EU foreign …….
PM says opposes conversion bill
YNet News – On the backdrop of recent tensions with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified Sunday morning that he is against the …….
Ashton tours Gaza, examines siege
YNet News – The international community must pressure Israel to go beyond easing its Gaza embargo and throw open the territory’s long-blockaded borders, the EU foreign policy chief …….
Palestinians’ Israeli residence revoked for “disloyalty”
B’tselem 17 Jul 2010 – Israel is acting to forcibly transfer four Palestinian politicians affiliated with Hamas from East Jerusalem. Israel revoked their permanent resident status in 2006, for the first time using grounds of disloyalty to the state.
Cheaper Internet: Next Stop, ‘Palestine’
The Media Line 17 Jul 2010 – Palestinian Minister works to break up telecommunications monopoly [Jerusalem] Internet is about to get cheaper for Palestinains. Within weeks, the Palestinian Authority will be taking action which is expected to end the virtual monopoly held by…
New Demand from ‘Abbas: International Force to Patrol Border
The Media Line 17 Jul 2010 – Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud ‘Abbas has reportedly rejected Obama Mideast envoy George Mitchell’s request to elevate negotiations with Israel to the level of direct talks, instead placing two new demands on the table: Israel’s acceptance of…
Turkish Gaza-Flotilla Organizer: Land Convoys on Tap
The Media Line 17 Jul 2010 – IHH, the Islamic charity behind the violent skirmish between Israeli naval commandos and protestors aboard the blockade-running ship Mavi Marmara while it sailed toward the Gaza Strip on May 31, says it will continue its efforts…
Death in Police Encounter Stirs Calls for Change in Egypt
New York Times 18 Jul 2010 – Opposition figures and rights workers are suggesting that the death of Khaled Said could be a turning point in a long campaign to root out what they call a culture of brutality and abuse.
Iranian Scientist Says U.S. Wanted to Swap Him for 3 Hikers
New York Times 18 Jul 2010 – Shahram Amiri made his first appearance since his arrival last week in Tehran in a videotaped interview broadcast on Iran’s state television Saturday evening.
Senior E.U. Emissary Visits Gaza
New York Times 18 Jul 2010 – The European Union’s top foreign policy official visited Gaza on Sunday and called for further pressure on Israel to allow freer movement of people and goods out of the Palestinian territory.
Barghouthi: 100 Settlement Units Underway in Beit Jala
Palestine Monitor – Israel recently began construction on 100 new settlement units in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouthi announced Sunday. The latest settlement construction is underway on Palestinian land in the towns of Beit Jala and Al-Walaja, as US Middle East envoy visits…
Obama aide dodges Syrian ambassador on Israeli nukes and Medea Benjamin on ’special relationship’
Mondoweiss – As we noted, Ass’t Sec’y of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro appeared at Saban Center on Friday (on C-Span). And if you go to minute 46, not long after Shapiro is going on about a nuclear Iran, you will see Syrian Ambassador to the U.S.,…
Today in Palestine: bulldozed homes, and loyalty oaths
Mondoweiss – And other news from Today in Palestine: Land theft and destruction/Ethnic cleansing Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, “ICAHD Denounces Israeli Demolitions (and American Enabling)” Although the pressure to demolish is constant — the Israeli authorities have demolished 24,000 Palestinian homes since 1967 and new orders are…
Gideon Levy warns that Israeli ‘regime’ is likely ‘doomed’
Mondoweiss – What is Israel? Haaretz has two outcry pieces you will not read in the U.S. press, by liberal Israelis who say that rightwing intolerance is consuming their society. I imagine that both men would rather live in a democracy, from river to sea, than in the…
The American street is wising up
Mondoweiss – John Cole, at the Scranton Times-Tribune, a week ago, after the Netanyahu visit, “Flying the Flag” . A lot of the comments are positive, at Cole’s site (h/t Jeff Blankfort):
Fisk: Obama ‘grovelling’ to Israel lobby for midterms
Mondoweiss – The Obama-Bibi performance is bringing catcalls from Europe. In the Independent , Robert Fisk condemns “the unctuous, weak-willed, cringing figure of Barack ‘Change’ Obama” for rolling over and talking about how the brave Netanyahu, whose government has just destroyed some more Arab homes in East Jerusalem, is…
Relatives of prisoners complain of humiliating search
Sabr – [ 18/07/2010 – 09:00 AM ] NEGEV, ( PIC )— Relatives of Palestinian prisoners have complained of the humiliating search on the part of Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) that in certain instances included strip search. The mother of prisoner Mohammed Al-Masri, who is held in the Negev prison,…
2 days of raids at Hadarim prison
Sabr – Published Friday 16/07/2010 (updated) 17/07/2010 19:06 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…
PCHR weekly report 7/7 – 14/7/2010
Sabr – extracts from PCHR weekly report 7/7 – 14/7/2010 At least 800 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza in Israeli jails have been deprived of family visitation for more than two and a half years. In recognition of ICRC as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls…
IOA exiles Jerusalem child for throwing stones
Sabr – [ 17/07/2010 – 04:58 PM ] OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, ( PIC )— An eleven-year-old boy from Jerusalem was exiled by Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) for throwing stones at Israeli military forces. The committee for defense of land and real estate in Silwan south of the Aqsa Mosque said that…
Israel ‘must open Gaza borders’
BBC – Israel must go beyond easing its blockade of Gaza and throw open its border, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has said.
US ‘wanted to swap’ Iranian scientist
BBC – The Iranian scientist who claims he was abducted by US intelligence services, has given his first television interview since returning to Tehran.
First decade
BBC – Why Bashar Assad’s grip on Syria has never been stronger
Iranian Scientist Would Not Play ‘Curveball’
Antiwar.com – Useful insights often must be seen through a glass darkly. But some can be pulled through the smoke and mirrors shrouding the wanderings of Iranian scientist Shahram Amiri, who is now back home in Iran after 14 months in the U.S. as guest of the CIA….
The Spot-and-Shoot Game: Israeli female soldiers kill by remote control
Sabbah report – By Jonathan Cook* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz It is called Spot and Shoot. Operators sit in front of a TV monitor from which they can control the action with a PlayStation-style joystick. The aim: to kill. Played by: young women serving in the Israeli army….
Articles
Interview responses by Richard Falk
C.J. Polychroniou, MyCatbirdSeat.com 7/18/2010
Interview responses by Richard Falk to questions regarding his Annual Reports as Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian Territories on behalf of UN Human Rights Council
CJP: Upon whose request was this report submitted and what are its main findings?
RF: As Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip) on behalf of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), I have an obligation to submit annually two reports, one to the HRC and the other to the General Assembly. The most recent report was to the HRC, covering the period June-December 2009, and is addressed to Israeli violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law in the course of its occupation of the Palestinian territories occupied during the 1967 War. It does not cover violations of human rights law by the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the West Bank, nor by Hamas in Gaza. The report’s presentation to the HRC had been originally scheduled for presentation and discussion in March 2010 but was postponed at the initiative of the (PA) that had sought revision of the original text. Some modifications were made, but the PA continued to be dissatisfied, but their attempt to postpone again the consideration of the report was rejected by the parliamentary official who determines the HRC agenda. The report was presented and discussed at a session of the HRC on June 14, 2010. There was no serious friction although the substance of the report was generally criticized by the representative of the United States, who also complained that the framework of inquiry was biased because it only referred to Israeli violations.
The report’s major findings can be described in summary form:
* urgent emphasis was placed on the continuing humanitarian catastrophe resulting from the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which continued to deny the civilian population basic necessities in sufficient quantities…. more.. e-mail
Off the Grid in the South Hebron Hills
Iris Keltz, CounterPunch 7/16/2010
Down Highway 60
Bedouin villages in the South Hebron Hills are poised to skip the industrial age and take a leap from primitive to sustainable. They will never have to worry about reducing their carbon footprint— unlike those of us from affluent societies in the US or Israel. Renewable energy systems— wind turbines and solar panels are being built for the poorest and most marginalized communities in the occupied West Bank. This help is a matter of life-support. Environmental studies reveal their cisterns are toxic and they have been denied access to the electricity grid servicing nearby settlements. The project is a joint initiative of Israelis and Palestinian community workers who believe borders of fear and racism are best overcome by neighbors working together.
I am traveling on Highway 60 with Ilan, cofounder of Breaking the Silence, a group of former Israeli soldiers who insist on telling their fellow citizens the price of occupation. Historically this road connected seven major cities: Nablus/Shchem, Genin, Tul-Karem, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Hebron/Halil and Be’ersheva. In 95-6 during the Oslo agreements, the road was shifted to lead ’around’ the Bethlehem area. The tunnels near Beit Jallah were dug, establishing the first “Israeli only roads”, marking the beginning of “separate roads.” Check Points were set up, not quite on the Green Line, shaving land away from Palestinians (as usual). Internationals are supposed to go through Bethlehem near Rachel’s Tomb Checkpoint, turning the Beit Jallah “tunnels” into a de-facto apartheid checkpoint. To pass through, one must have either a Blue ID- Israeli citizenship, or ’the Right of Return’. Neither of which I have, but Ilan does not seem worried. West Bank Palestinians are not aloud into Jerusalem without permits and green license plates are not aloud within Israeli ’67 lines. They are however allowed on Highway 60 if it is within the Occupied Territory. Jerusalem is effectively off from the the road as is historical continuity, the traditional economy and of course the people. more.. e-mail
An open letter to the Jewish people
Mairead Maguire, Ma’an News Agency 7/18/2010
I write to ask for your help in gaining the freedom of a good man, a man of peace, and a man of conscience.
In the Jewish scriptures there is great emphasis on justice and freedom and it is for such, for one man, that I write to seek your help.
He will not be aware that I am writing this appeal, but I do so in the hope that with your help, it will produce his freedom, and not (and this I must risk) cause yet more punishment and cruelty to be inflicted upon him.
However, I feel when I tell you the story, it will touch your hearts and there will be those among you who will be able to help him gain his freedom.
In May 2010, this man was returned to prison to serve three months for allegedly breaking his prison release restrictions and speaking to the foreign media. On 11 July 2010, he had his first visit in seven weeks. His brother, Meir, was granted a 30-minute visit. There was a glass window between them and they spoke via phone. He wore a prison uniform. He is held in the harshest section there is in the prison. It holds the most notorious criminals in the country, well-known murder cases. About a dozen are in severe isolation conditions. He is in a cell by himself for 24 hours a day, no window but a small wire-covered crack at the top part of one wall. He has about an hour’s walk a day in a very tiny yard. He was simply thrown in a cell by the security agents, the door locked, and left to suffer there all alone. He has not spoken to anyone in all the seven weeks and this visit was (apart from a short visit of his lawyer six weeks ago) the first conversation he had in seven weeks. His food is limited in quality and quantity, and his reading material is two books he has with him. Of course his spirits are down as a result of being put in such harsh, inhuman and cruel conditions.
His name is Mordechai Vanunu, and he is in an Israeli prison cell. more.. e-mail
Tough times for Gaza travel agent
Electronic Intifada: 18 Jul 2010 – “Shurafa Tourist and Travel Company has been operating in Gaza since 1952,” Nabil Shurafa, general manager of the company, says proudly. This historical background is significant, as much for understanding the many and various forms of movement restrictions with which Shurafa Travel has had to deal during Gaza’s 43 year occupation as for providing a rationale for how and why Shurafa remains open under the current restrictions. …more
Palestinians suffer as Israeli government ignores its own court
Electronic Intifada: 18 Jul 2010 – The Israeli government is facing legal action for contempt over its refusal to implement a high 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. Jonathan Cook reports. …more
Water restrictions in the occupied West Bank
Electronic Intifada: 18 Jul 2010 – RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IRIN) – The worst place to be in the occupied West Bank in terms of water and sanitation facilities is an Israeli-controlled stretch of land known as Area C, where the Palestinian Authority (PA) is technically responsible for water services, but simply unable to deliver. …more
Barghouthi: 100 Settlement Units Underway in Beit Jala
Palestine Monitor: 18 Jul 2010 – Israel recently began construction on 100 new settlement units in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouthi announced Sunday. The latest settlement construction is underway on Palestinian land in the towns of Beit Jala and Al-Walaja, as US Middle East envoy visits the region for the latest round of indirect talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Barghouthi said. He said Israeli authorities began overturning land and surrounding it with barbed wires, which he said was an attempt to thwart Palestinian land owners from protesting the confiscation. He said the work began secretly to avoid ” the exposure of the Netanyahu government’s false claims of freezing settlement construction.” Israel announced it would halt settlement expansion and building in the West Bank. However, a report issued by the Islamic Christian Commission for Support of Jerusalem and the Holy Places in May alleged that Israel plans to expand its Jerusalem……more
IDF Raids Across the West Bank
Palestine Monitor: 17 Jul 2010 – Thursday morning saw simultaneous raids take place in homes throughout the West Bank: the Northern village of Beit Furiq was one of the targeted areas with 8 residents taken, including 2 women. Over 50 soldiers surrounded the Abu Ghalam family home in Beit Furiq and entered by force at 2.30 am, arresting 20 year old Laith Abu Ghalam, and confiscating electronic equipment and the ID of one family member according to the residents of the home. Apparently around 50 soldiers entered the home following sound bombs: the use of riot dispersal gear in the raid was confirmed by an Israeli Military spokesperson. At the same time two other homes in the village were raided. Hani Aref Abdu As-Su’od and Hamada Hanany, along with Mas’ab and Sajed Abdul-Latif Maltyat were taken from the Maltyat home. All electronic equipment was also stripped from this home. Ayman Abu Ghalam, released only one month……more
Vanishing Jaffa: The Forgotten History of Andromeda
Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jul 2010 – By Seraj Assi On June 14, 2010, hundreds of Orthodox Jewish protestors took to the streets in Jaffa to riot against what they see as a “desecration of Jewish grave sites” in the luxury housing project in Jaffa, known as the Andromeda Hill. Reporting the event, the Israeli media turned it religious-secular Jewish conflict, or in simple words, a Jewish-Jewish conflict. Long before this latest clash exploded, Andromeda Hill was a stage of open conflict between the Arab population of Jaffa and the state of Israel. Jaffa’s Arabs have long protested the project, but their voice is never heard. The Israeli media reports the event as if the Arab population of Jaffa, the real victims of the Andromeda project, does not exist. The history of Andromeda is now viewed through the distorting prism of this single event. The real narrative – the dispossession, the disempowerment, the unrelenting daily grind of……more
No Help from Washington
Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jul 2010 – By Nicola Nasser Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials in the government of Mohamed Abbas often complain they spend more time negotiating with American rather than Israeli governments. This has been particularly true of late. Since Israel’s all-out assault on Gaza nearly a year and half ago, Palestinian officials have discontinued all direct talks with the Israelis and have been talking to the Americans. US presidential envoy George Mitchell has been closely engaged in the region since May 2010, but his efforts have not proved fruitful. The Palestinians have had no more luck with the Americans than with the Israelis. They have been consistently asked to accept US-Israeli peace terms that spell disaster and capitulation. Apart from exhausting the Palestinians, and making them edge closer to further concessions, nothing of substance has emerged from talks with either the Americans or the Israelis. The Americans have sold the Palestinians false hopes, giving……more
A Parliamentary Mob
Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jul 2010 – By Uri Avnery — Israel When I was first elected to the Knesset, I was appalled at what I found. I discovered that, with rare exceptions, the intellectual level of the debates was close to zero. They consisted mainly of strings of clich?©s of the most commonplace variety. During most of the debates, the plenum was almost empty. Most participants spoke vulgar Hebrew. When voting, many members had no idea what they were voting for or against, they just followed the party whip. That was 1967, when the Knesset included members like Levy Eshkol and Pinchas Sapir, David Ben-Gurion and Moshe Dayan, Menachem Begin and Yohanan Bader, Meir Yaari and Yaakov Chazan, for whom today streets, highroads and neighborhoods are named. In comparison to the present Knesset, that Knesset now looks like Plato’s Academy. What frightened me more than anything else was the readiness of members to enact irresponsible laws……more
Gaza’s Electricity Crisis
Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jul 2010 – By Stephen Lendman 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 Gaza’s sole power plant, putting it on the verge of collapse, exacerbated by inadequate industrial diesel supplies and the destruction of power lines supplying electricity from Israel and Egypt. As a result, Gaza experiences outages of up to 12 hours a day, severely disrupting “normal functioning of humanitarian infrastructure, including health and education institutions and water and sewage systems, as well as the agricultural sector.” In addition, faulty generators at times kill or injure users, an untenable situation because of Israeli attacks and siege, in violation of international law. Chronology of Gaza’s……more
Fidal Castro: The Source of Wars
Intifada-Palestine: 18 Jul 2010 – “Today, Everything Hangs by a Thread”…. An Incident Could set in Motion an all out Nuclear War by Fidel Castro Ruz On July 4, I said that neither the United States nor Iran would give in: “one, prevented by the pride of the powerful, and the other because it has the capacity and the will to fight oppression, as we have seen so many times before in the history of mankind.” In nearly every war, one party wishes to avoid it and, sometimes, the two parties do. This time it will happen although one of the parties does not wish it. That was the case of the two World Wars of 1914 and 1939, only 25 years one from the other. The carnage was awful in both wars, which would not have erupted had it not been for previous miscalculations. Both defended imperialist interests and believed they could accomplish their……more
An Exclusive Interview with Stephen Sniegoski, author of The Transparent Cabal
MyCatBirdSeat.com: 18 Jul 2010 – Ed Note: Stephen J. Sniegoski, Ph.D. earned his doctorate in American history, with a focus on American foreign policy, at the University of Maryland. His focus on the neoconservative involvement in American foreign policy antedates September 11, 2001. His first major work on the subject, “The War on Iraq: Conceived in Israel” was published February 10, 2003, more than a month before the American attack. He is the author of The Transparent Cabal : The Neoconservative Agenda, War in the Middle East, and the National Interest of Israel . I have not read the book, yet, but if this book is as comprehensive as Dr. Stephen Sniegoski’ says it is, then it will make a good weapon to carry into the battle. Dr. Sniegoski In the author’s own words, “The Transparent Cabal examines a controversial, and in some respects, taboo subject: the role of the neoconservatives as the fundamental driving force in……more
GORDON DUFF: TIME TO END AMERICAN OCCUPATION OF MIDDLE EAST
MyCatBirdSeat.com: 17 Jul 2010 – Even Imaginary Enemies Can Get Tired For the last decade, America has been shuffling its entire military, including hundreds of thousands of private contractors, in and out of the Middle East on little more than a “snipe hunt.” Time for a reality check. Iraq never attacked the US. Reports say Al Qaeda may have fewer than 30 men in Afghanistan. The Taliban has been asking for a cease fire for months. Turkey and Brazil negotiated a nuclear deal with Iran ending any possible threat, one we strangely, very strangely ignored. “Thermo-nuclear Israel’s” continual whining and manipulation is wearing thin. America’s economy, her Army and her suffering veterans demand an end to our Bush era phony war. General Petraeus is now in Afghanistan. The endless games, paying the Taliban for security, protecting drug dealers and propping up a failed dictatorship can come to an end. OK, some news; the Taliban is……more
Interview responses by Richard Falk to questions regarding his Annual Reports as Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian Territories on behalf of UN Human Rights Council
MyCatBirdSeat.com: 17 Jul 2010 – Interviewed by C.J. Polychroniou, a freelance journalist, mainly published in Athens CJP: Upon whose request was this report submitted and what are its main findings? RF: As Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza Strip) on behalf of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), I have an obligation to submit annually two reports, one to the HRC and the other to the General Assembly. The most recent report was to the HRC, covering the period June-December 2009, and is addressed to Israeli violations of human rights law and international humanitarian law in the course of its occupation of the Palestinian territories occupied during the 1967 War. It does not cover violations of human rights law by the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the West Bank, nor by Hamas in Gaza. The report’s presentation to the HRC had been originally scheduled for presentation and discussion in March 2010 but……more
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The New Dark Age 
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