31 August, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian fighters open fire on settlers near Hebron, killing four
IMEMC – 31 Aug 2010 – Wednesday September 01, 2010 – 01:23, On Tuesday night, four Israeli settlers were killed just outside Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron, in the southern West Bank, when Palestinian fighters allegedly fired at their car.
Israeli settlers attack Palestinian farmers near Salfit
IMEMC – 31 Aug 2010 – Tuesday August 31, 2010 – 17:39, A group of Israeli settlers opened fire at a group of Palestinian farmers while working on their lands near the village of Deir Istiah, near Salfit In the northern West Bank, Palestine News Network reported.
4 dead in West Bank shooting attack
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Four Israeli citizens were shot dead in the occupied West Bank late Tuesday, Israeli military officials said. Palestinian gunmen opened fire on a car driving east of the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement near Hebron at 6:30 p. m, army officials said. The victims were related and included a pregnant woman….
Mayor: Settlers open fire at Palestinian farmers
8/31/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — A village mayor in Salfit said Tuesday that 10 armed Israeli settlers opened fire at three Palestinian teenagers as they tended to their land in Deir Istiya. Village Mayor Nathmi Salman said Yousef Muhammad Al-Qaysi, 17, Sharaf Dawoud Ubeid, 18, and Udayy Azzam Ubeid, 18, were all tending to their land….
Israeli settlement attempts expansion
8/31/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Residents of an illegal West Bank settlement attempted on Monday to install additional housing units to its plot, Israel’s Civil Administration confirmed. A spokesman for Israel’s Civil Administration said three trucks carrying three mobile homes were seen trying to enter the Elon Morehsettlement, amid an government-issued ban….
Bedouin families told to leave by June
8/31/2010 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities issued warrants ordered Bedouin families lodging in tents and sheds on land between Jericho and Jerusalem to leave the area by June 2011. Ahmad Ka’abna, who was issued a warrant, said around 600 households would face evacuation if the order is enforced. Resident Fayiz Ka’abna….
Report: Israeli academics join settlement boycott
8/31/2010 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — The Israeli actors’ boycott of a new Ariel cultural center has received a boost with over 150 academics and several dozen authors and artists signing letters in their support, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Tuesday. In a letter released Monday, over 150 faculty members from universities across Israel vowed…. Related: BBC: Israeli academics boycott West Bank settlements
Communist Party of Israel supports actors boycott
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hundreds gathered Monday at the Habima National Theater in Tel Aviv to demonstrate support for its actors who are boycotting performances in the occupied West Bank settlement of Ariel. A Communist Party of Israel member, Knesset member Dov Henin, said at the rally that “the Israeli theater is not and will….
150 anti-aircraft missiles found in Sinai
8/31/2010 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities have discovered three stores of explosives bound for Gaza, officials said Tuesday. Egyptian security sources say Cairo will continue a 10-day campaign against arms smuggling in the Sinai which began Thursday. One warehouse was uncovered in Nakhel city netting 30 artillery shells and 20 anti-aircraft missiles. A….
Gaza: Man shot dead in family clash
9/1/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian man was shot dead Monday after fighting broke out between family members near his home in the central Gaza Strip, a Health Ministry official said. Director of ambulance and emergency services Muawiya Hassanein said Salama An-Nabaheen, 33, died of a gunshot wound after relatives opened fire near his….
Palestinian student says denied travel at Allenby
8/31/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Israeli authorities on Tuesday prevented a Palestinian student from exiting the West Bank at the Allenby Bridge, as he was en route to Cyprus to continue his studies, the young man said. The Ramallah resident said it was the second time he had tried to cross the bridge and return to….
Previously unknown group claims Hebron attack
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian group calling itself the Al-Haq (“Rights”) Brigades has claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s shooting that left four Israeli citizens dead in the occupied West Bank. The previously unknown group said in a statement to Ma’an that its operatives successfully fled capture following the attack which targeted….
Japan extends food aid grant to UNRWA
9/1/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Japanese government on Tuesday extended a food aid grant to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The grant worth $6. 88 million will be used for the purchase of wheat flour and pulses, such as lentils and chickpeas, for Palestinian refugees registered….
Abbas: We’re committed to peace
9/1/2010 – WASHINGTON (Ma’an) — The PLO’s decision to return to direct negotiations with Israel reflects its commitment to peace, not fear of pressure from the international community, President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday. Speaking with Ma’an aboard the presidential jet en route to Washington, Abbas said the Obama administration appeared committed to….
Hamas claims involvement in West Bank attack
9/1/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Islamist Hamas movement’s Al-Qassam Brigades has claimed responsibility for Tuesday evening’s deadly attack that left four Israeli citizens dead near Hebron in the occupied West Bank….
Barak, Abbas met secretly in Jordan
8/31/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met secretly in Jordan days before peace talks were set to begin in Washington, Israeli media reported Tuesday. The PLO’s chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat later confirmed the report during an interview on Ma’an Radio. Speaking from Washington, where….
Sha’ath to accompany Abbas to Washington
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha’ath will accompany President Mahmoud Abbas to Washington, the official announced on Tuesday in Ramallah during a meeting on Israel’s settlement policy. Sha’ath is expected to be among a small handful of officials traveling to the American capital for a….
Gaza lawmakers reject peace talks
8/31/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza affirmed on Tuesday during a parliamentary session their rejection of the soon-to-be-renewed direct talks between the PLO and Israel. Lawmaker Khalil Al-Hayya warned Fatah against “involvement” with Israel during the negotiations set to resume 2 September, which would indicate that they had “sold out….
PLO delegation to Washington peace talks identified
8/31/2010 – Mahmoud Abbas, Saeb Erekat, Yasser Abed Rabbo, Nabeel Sha’ath, Muhammad Shtayyeh, Nabil Abu Rudeineh – Abbas: Born in Safad, Palestine in 1935, Abbas and his family fled in 1948 becoming refugees in Syria. He lived in exile until 1994, when he came to the occupied Palestinian territories as part of the Palestinian negotiations team….
Hamas praises deadly West Bank shooting attack
8/31/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas has praised a deadly shooting attack near the illegal Kiryat Arba settlement, but did not claim involvement in the operation that left four Israeli relatives dead late Tuesday near Hebron. The operation was “a natural response to the crimes of the occupation” and proof “of a failure of security….
Americans for Peace Now condemns West Bank attack
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Americans for Peace Now, a Washington-based group which opposes settlements, has condemned Tuesday’s attack that left four Israelis dead near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.”Today’s attack is a senseless act of violence whose likely purpose is to derail the peace talks that are set….
UN peace envoy condemns West Bank shooting attack
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The UN’s Mideast peace envoy says he is shocked by the news of Tuesday evening’s killing of four Israelis in an attack on a car in the occupied West Bank.”We condemn this murderous act and call for those responsible to be brought to justice,” UN Special….
Israel army blames Hamas for West Bank attack
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The commander of Israel’s Judea and Samaria (West Bank) Regional Brigade has blamed Hamas for Tuesday night’s attack near Hebron in the occupied West Bank that left four Israeli citizens dead in the deadliest attack against settlers in years. In a statement, Brig. Gen. Nitzan Alon said….
Fayyad condemns deadly West Bank attack
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said have condemned Tuesday’s shooting attack that killed four Israeli citizens near Hebron in the occupied West Bank.”What happened tonight in Hebron was timed to coincide with the PLO’s efforts toward conducting credible negotiations to end the occupation….
PA condemns attack ‘claimed by Hamas’
8/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority has condemned Tuesday’s shooting attack that left four Israeli citizens dead near a settlement close to Hebron in the occupied West Bank.”What happened tonight in Hebron was timed to coincide with the PLO’s decision to engage in negotiations to end the occupation and….
Fayyad ‘sorry’ for response to anti-talks forum
8/31/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Prime Minister Salam Fayyad apologized Monday evening for the actions of Palestinian Authority security forces at a conference meant to protest the PLO’s decision to return to direct peace talks.”As prime minister, I am fully responsible for what happened and I apologize,” Fayyad said during a news conference…. Related: PA forces assault press and rights workers at anti-talks protest
PA cabinet votes to reduce government spending
8/31/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — During its regular Monday session, the Palestinian Authority cabinet decided to continue its austerity program, and pledged to decrease current government running costs. Government vehicle use will be reduced, the cabinet decided, and a “series of measures” would be implemented, a report from the meeting promised, in an effort to reduce….
Greengrocers referred to prosecution over high prices
8/31/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Four greengrocers working in the central West Bank district of Ramallah and Al-Bireh were referred to the Palestinian general prosecution for raising the price of their produce exorbitantly, a ministry official said. Palestinian Authority Ministry of Economy official Nidal Sadaga said the grocers were selling certain fruit and vegetables at high….
The Power and weakness of boycott
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Recently, Norway announced that a major Israeli company and a subsidiary were to be excluded from its national wealth fund’s investment list. The reasons were past activity in building settlements in the West Bank and working…
Is the Israel lobby blocking Obama’s nominee for ambassador to Turkey?
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – My interview with the Ambassador Charles Freeman (whose nomination to chair the National Intelligence Council was stymied by Israel lobbyists ) was published on Friday . Freeman said a lot of compelling and thoughtful things in our talk…
Want that Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, Mr. President? Perform a c-section
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – After more than 20 months of trying, the Obama administration will this week convene direct Israel-Palestinian peace talks in Washington D.C. Even if it is well founded (and it is), the administration must be understandably irked…
Violence used to block peace
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Four Israeli settlers were murdered Tuesday, the day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are set to meet in Washington DC to kick start direct peace talks. The murders of two…
Hamas praises settler attack but does not claim involvement
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Washington – Four Israeli settlers were shot to death near Hebron Tuesday, Ma’an News Agency reported . Hamas militants, like those seen above, were not responsible for the attack on a car carrying four Israeli settlers Tuesday,…
Abu Dhabi to host comic convention
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Washington – Sci-fi and comics enthusiasts in the Middle East will rejoice when Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates hosts its own version of the San Diego, CA Comic-Con International expo in March 2011, The…
Clinton to meet with Abbas, Netanyahu separately
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Washington – Ahead of direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leadership Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to meet Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu separately, according to a…
PLO ‘urges’ Yale president to decry extremism at right-wing conference
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Washington – Last week, Yale University held a three-day conference to discuss “Global Antisemitism: A Crisis of Modernity.” The conference focused heavily on support of Israel and conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, said journalist and…
Arab MK Zoabi testifies before UN flotilla probe
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Washington – Palestinian-Israeli Knesset member Hanin Zoabi testified Tuesday before the a United Nations investigation of the May 31 “Freedom Flotilla” raid that left nine activists dead, Haaretz reported . Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi [Wikimedia Commons] Zoabi,…
Abbas wants US active in talks
Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 – Leaders gear up for direct negotiations in DC Washington – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that he hopes the US will be “active” in mediating the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks this week, The Associated Press reported ….
Relief CEO works for the children of Palestine
Palestine Note 30 Aug 2010 – By Sarah Harlan Washington – Palestine Note has featured several articles outlining the work of Palestine Children’s Relief Fund , a medical relief charity focused on getting children in the Middle East urgent surgical care. PCRF CEO…
Four Israelis killed in West Bank
AlJazeera 31 Aug 2010 – Military wing of Hamas claims responsibility for attack that killed four Israelis travelling on a highway near Hebron.
Israel academics snub settlements
AlJazeera 31 Aug 2010 – More than 150 Israeli academics say they will stop working in Jewish settlements in occupied West Bank.
Clinton meets Middle East leaders
AlJazeera 31 Aug 2010 – US secretary of state holds one-on-one talks with Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab officials in advance of direct talks.
Four Israelis killed in a shoot out near a southern West Bank settlement
PNN – Hebron — PNN — four Israelis were killed during a shoot out at settlers’ road number 60 near the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba in southern Wet Bank. Al Qassam Brigades the…
When Your Neighbor Does Not Love You
PNN – By: Maria C. Khoury, Ed. D. – Here in the Holy Land, as Christians we should be in the forefront of non-violent action since one of our very basic commandments is not…
Catalonian Youth Advocate Palestine Via Music
PNN – Nablus — PNN exclusive — a group of Catalonian youth currently visiting the Palestinian territory have taken the responsibility to advocate the Palestinian cause using a number of methods among them music….
Fatah Welcomes Israeli Artists’ Decision To Boycott Settlement Theater
PNN – Ramallah— PNN – The Fatah movement welcomed on Tuesday a group of Israeli artists’ decision to boycott a theater in the Settlement of Aril in northern West Bank. Around 60 Israeli theater…
Northern West Bank: Settlers Open Fire at Palestinian Civilians
PNN – Salfit — PNN — a group of Israeli settlers opened fire on Tuesday morning at a group of Palestinian farmers while working on their lands near the northern West Bank town of…
Gisha: Is the Closure of the Gaza Strip Really for Security Reasons?
PNN – GIsha- PNN- head of today’s testimony by Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Gisha sent a letter to The Turkel Public Commission to Examine the Israeli…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
One Person Killed in Family Dispute in al-Boreij and Two Militants Injured by Security Forces in Khan Yunis
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Field Update Yesterday afternoon, Salama Ramadan al-Nabahin, 28, from al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, was shot dead by a relative of him. In another incident, two members of an armed group were shot and injured by security forces in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) calls for investigating
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (19 -25 August 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Historic absence of housing starts in Judea and Samaria
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – Only five new housing starts in settlements in first two quarters of 2010.
Abbas: Settlers are sitting on lands that are not theirs
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – PA President sends message prior to deadly Kiryat Arba attack.
Analysis: An attempt to torpedo peace talks
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – The attack near Kiryat Arba sends a clear message that peace talks are not accepted by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, under direction from Iran.
2 J’lem teens suspected of killing man over cigarette
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – Police believe youths, aged 13 and 15, were drunk when they hit US citizen over the head with a wooden plank.
4 Israelis shot dead by terrorists in West Bank
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – Yitzhak Ames, Tali Ames, Kochava Ben-Haim and Avishai Schindler were all from Beit Hagai; Netanyahu directs security forces to act “without constraints against the murderers;” Hamas claims responsibility.
Barak: ‘Israel will exact a price from the murderers’
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – Four killed as terrorists open fire near Kiryat Arba; Victims, from Beit Hagai, shot while driving, include 2 men, 2 women, one reportedly pregnant; attack comes before scheduled peace talks in Washington.
Report: Egypt confiscates weapons en route to Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – Artillery shells, anti-aircraft missiles and other weapons reportedly found in warehouses and sides of mountains in the Sinai were headed for underground smuggling tunnels.
UNHRC probe of Gaza flotilla talks to MK Zoabi
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – Arab Israeli Knesset member says “it was evident that the commandos intended to kill the passengers.”
‘Objective criteria for senior IDF appointments needed
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – State Comptroller releases report calling for systematic procedure for promoting IDF officers to the rank of major-general.
2 J’lem teenagers kill man for refusing them a cigarette
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – 13 and 15-year-old believed to be drunk when they hit homeless American citizen over the head with a wooden plank.
Barak secretly meets Abbas in Amman
Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 – On the eve of PM’s departure for Washington to relaunch talks with the Palestinians, defense minister and PA president discuss easing security conditions in West Bank as confidence building measure.
Israel praises Egyptian effort to curb arms flow to Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 30 Aug 2010 – Defense officials question veracity of reports that forces had seized shoulder-to-air missiles in recent days.
US congressmen: Turkey’s new stance on Israel welcome
Jeruslalem Post 30 Aug 2010 – Jewish leaders say words need to be backed up with action, more changes needed.
US may give Israel arms in exchange for concessions
Jeruslalem Post 30 Aug 2010 – Compensation for security assets lost in peace deal with Palestinians seen as a possibility.
2,000 year-old intact carving of Cupid found in Jerusalem
Jeruslalem Post 30 Aug 2010 – Archeological excavation yields intact onyx carving; announcement made ahead of annual City of David Archeology Conference.
International Solidarity Movement
A fortnight of injustice in Sheikh Jarrah
8/31/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – The past two weeks in Sheikh Jarrah have seen a resurgence of settler harassment and violence against the local Palestinians – beyond low intensity abuse that is the norm. Verbal sparring and abusive exchanges were sparked when a young settler entered the occupied Al-Ghawe house on August 16th. The teenager then went to the top of….
Demonstrations face heightened Israeli military repression
8/31/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Bi’lin — Palestinian shot in the knee with a rubber-coated steel bullet – On the third Friday of Ramadan the Bil’in popular committee marked the 9th anniversary of the assassination Abu Ali Mustafa, former PFLP secretary general. A large number of internationals, including British and French people, supported the demonstration, with many….
Israeli academics boycott West Bank settlements
8/31/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – BBC News – More than 150 Israeli academics say they will no longer lecture or work in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. In a letter, they said they supported the recent decision by a group of actors and others not to take part in cultural activity there. The academics said that acceptance of the settlements…. Related: Source: BBC
First Bollywood movie about Jesus’ childhood to start filming in Israel
Ha’aretz – Director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao said his production will be narrated in four languages and feature an all-Indian cast of child actors and seven devotional songs.
Comptroller releases scathing report on IDF appointments
Ha’aretz – State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss describes the current process of appointing major generals as ‘negotiations between the chief of staff and defense minister.’
Teens suspected of beating U.S. Jew to death in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Suspects allegedly attacked Lance Wolf, 60, because he refused to give them a cigarette; Victim lay bleeding for 50 minutes before anyone called for help.
Two brothers suspected of stealing donations for transplant patients
Ha’aretz – The suspects ran an organization to raise for funds for patients in need of liver, heart transplants; the two have admitted to irregularities but deny stealing money.
Man arrested after girl, 8, found naked in cemetery
Ha’aretz – Police find child’s clothes near the scene of suspect’s arrest after witness reports seeing her in his car.
MK Oron: Artists have a right not to perform in West Bank settlements
Ha’aretz – 300 demonstrators gathered outside Habima Theater in Tel Aviv to protest the theater’s decision to stage performances in the West Bank settlement of Ariel.
U.S.: Despite concerns, direct talks can achieve peace in one year
Ha’aretz – Speaking to reporters, Special U.S. envoy Mitchell says President Obama places comprehensive Mideast peace negotiations at a ‘very high priority.’
West Bank attack shows how far the enemies of Mideast peace will go, White House says
Ha’aretz – White House statement urges peace talk parties to keep moving forward through difficult times, continue working to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Hamas vows more attacks to come, as PA condemns West Bank shooting
Ha’aretz – Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, opposes the peace talks starting in Washington on Wednesday and is not taking part.
Netanyahu arrives in Washington, as U.S. launches new peace talks push
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister expected to tell Clinton that terror will not determine the future of Israeli settlements or borders., Hamas claims responsibility for West Bank attack in which two men and…
Israeli Arab MK Zuabi: IDF boarded Gaza flotilla ships with intent to kill
Ha’aretz – Zuabi testified before UN panel probing Israeli naval commando raid that left nine Turkish citizens dead on May 31.
IDF general: ‘No justification for Gaza aid flotilla’
Ha’aretz – IDF Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot tells Turkel Committee that Gazans have the goods needed to maintain basic lifestyle; says flotilla was intended to strengthen Hamas, not Gaza residents.
Mubarak signals Egypt succession by taking son to Washington
Ha’aretz – Gamal Mubarak, long presumed heir to the ageing president, will meet Israeli delegates to peace summit – and maybe even Netanyahu himself.
Netanyahu heads to Washington as settlement building casts shadow over peace talks
Ha’aretz – Ahead of historic talks, prime minister refuses to reassure Palestinians by extending West Bank settlement freeze, due to expire late September.
Video: Israeli settlements to be determining issue in peace talks
Uruknet August 31, 2010 – The building of new Israeli settlements on Palestinian territories will be one of the key and determining issues in upcoming peace talks that will be held in the US capital Washington DC. Israel has been criticised by all sides, including the US, for its illegal construction of thousands of homes, which have been separated by…
Even the dead pose a “demographic threat” in Occupied Jerusalem
Uruknet August 31, 2010 – In stable democratic states there are laws that protect historic sites against confiscation or destruction. Governments allocate funds from state budgets for their maintenance. However, in Israel such normal procedures do not apply when it comes to maintaining Islamic heritage sites. To the contrary, Muslim sanctities all over Palestine have suffered systematic destruction at the…
Four Israelis killed in West Bank
Uruknet August 31, 2010 – Four Israelis have been killed in a shooting attack near Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to Israeli police. The gunman opened fire on a car driving on Highway 60 near the Kiryat Arba settlement, according to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. “We can confirm there are four dead at the scene,” said Micky Rosenfeld,…
Justice Deferred: Upholding the ICJ RulingHow can Palestinians utilize the 2004 International Court of Justice ruling to achieve their rights?
Uruknet August 31, 2010 – …Israel began constructing the wall in June 2002 following its invasion of cities in the West Bank, which it dubbed “Operation Defensive Shield.” In retrospect, the invasion appears to have been a prelude to the construction of the wall and no one recognized the significance of the invasion’s code name at the time. The immense…
Ghoul: Transferring sick captives back to prison tantamount to execution verdict
Uruknet August 31, 2010 — Dr. Mohammed Faraj al-Ghoul, the prisoners and ex-prisoners’ minister in the Palestinian government, has described the Israeli decision of sending sick Palestinian prisoners back to detention cells as tantamount to death sentence. He added that the Israeli step reveals the fact that Israeli occupation gives no consideration to health of the Palestinian captives, underlining that…
Settlers fire at teenage Palestinian farmers
Uruknet August 31, 2010 – Ten Zionist settlers fired at and chased three Palestinian farmers in Deir Istiya village, Nablus, on Tuesday morning while tending to their lands. The village’s mayor said that the three farmers, all in their teens, were fertilizing olive trees in one of the fields north of the village when the settlers mounting horses attacked them….
Video: SHOULD PEOPLE BOYCOTT ISRAEL?Omar Barghouti explains the aims of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – … So the boycott movement is five, six years old. It’s too early to discuss how much impact it’s having on the Israeli economy. It is having, but not a huge impact. At this stage, the point is not about making Israel’s economy lose a lot. We cannot do this so rapidly. It’s about presenting Israel…
TEDx: Equating the Colonizer and Colonized
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – It has come to our knowledge that TED, a non-profit organization carrying the slogan ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’ has started a program called the ‘TEDxHolyLand.’ This is supposed to be an experience which seeks to “bring together the people of Palestine and Israel who do not ordinarily meet to share a half day together hearing and…
Abbas is a man in exile, even among his own
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, faces a crisis of credibility among his own people as he heads into direct talks with Israel in Washington this week. Perhaps nothing better illustrates this than a rather awkward security crackdown Thursday in Ramallah, when leftist factions convened a meeting to protest against Mr Abbas’s decision to accept the…
Leftist Jews set on launching flotilla to bust Gaza siege
Uruknet August 30, 2010 — Left-wing Jewish organizations active in Europe and occupied Palestine say they are preparing to sail a ship to break the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. The scheduled place and time of departure will be announced shortly before the date to avoid the sprout of any disruptions or obstacles in the way of its…
“Solidarity tastes different inside prison”
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – The following is an edited excerpt from a 7 August 2010 letter written by Ameer Makhoul from Israeli prison. A human rights defender, the director of the Arab nongovernmental organization network Ittijah, a leading voice of the Palestinian boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and a Palestinian citizen of Israel, Makhoul was arrested during a raid…
McCarthy in Israel
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – On May 31, I joined some 50 students and faculty members who gathered outside Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to demonstrate against the Israeli military assault on the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid toward Gaza. In response, the next day a few hundred students marched toward the social-sciences building, Israeli flags in hand. Amid the nationalist…
Israel expands 2 settlements ahead of direct talks with Palestinians
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – Three days before the direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are officially launched in Washington on Thursday, a Palestinian official revealed on Monday that Israel began to expand two Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Palestinian state-run news agency Wafa has quoted Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) official, who is…
B’Tselem invites theatre heads to field visit to view harm caused by Ariel settlement to Palestinian human rights
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – B’Tselem wrote today to the managers of Israel’s theatres, calling them to visit the Northern West Bank and see for themselves the heavy damage to human rights inflicted by the continued existence of the Ariel settlement. B’Tselem’s letter followed the managers’ decision to perform plays for the first time in the West Bank, in the…
Life Amid The Ruins: Gazans Still Feel Under Siege
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – …Soad Abed Rabbo is the matriarch of the extended clan. Dressed in black, she sits impassively in a plastic chair outside in the shade to stay cool. The fighting leveled her house, and only the floor remained. Now, she and her family occupy what’s left; shelter and privacy come from a tent strung up over…
FLASHBACK: US, UK Roles in Iran’s Mass Executions
Uruknet August 30, 2010 – The Reagan administration’s secret overtures and arms shipments to Iran are part of a seven-year-long pattern of covert Central Intelligence Agency operations — some dating back to the Carter administration — that were designed both to curry favor with the regime of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and support Iranian exiles who seek to overthrow it, according…
4 Israelis killed in West Bank gun attack
The National 31 Aug 2010 – Pregnant woman among victims from settlement family.
Bedouin future at stake in the Negev
The National 31 Aug 2010 – Israel has nationalised most of the desert, but the Bedouin are pressing legal claims for their ancestral property rights.
UN panel told Israeli flotilla commados had ‘license to kill’
The National 31 Aug 2010 – The Arab Israeli MP Haneen Zuabi told a human rights inquiry that the soldiers made no attempt to avoid bloodshed aboard the Turkish aid ship to Gaza.
Trial in Death of Rachel Corrie Resumes in Israel
Alternative Information Center – The trial for Rachel Corrie, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) activist killed in 2003, resumes in the Israeli city of Haifa on 5 September.
Government to Review Decision to Expel Children of Migrant Workers
Alternative Information Center – Further discussion on the pending deportation of children of migrant workers is expected to take places in the coming days within the Israeli government. An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the government will…
Additional Israeli Artists Refuse to Perform in New Settlement Cultural Center
Alternative Information Center – 60 of Israel’s most prominent actors, writers, and directors, from the country’s five leading theatres, have signed a petition saying they will not perform at the new cultural center of the West Bank settlement Ariel .
Abbas Condemns Military Operation in Hebron
WAFA – WASHINGTON, August 31, 2010 (WAFA)- President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Leadership condemned Tuesday the military operation in Hebron, stemming from condemnation of any acts against
Israel to Continue West Bank Settlement, Ambassador to Russia Says
WAFA – MOSCOW, August 31, 2010 (WAFA)- Israel opposes a moratorium on West Bank settlement activity, the country’s ambassador to Russia, Anna Azari, said during a press-briefing in Moscow Tuesday, Voice of
Kuwait Red Crescent Feeds the Fasting during Ramadan
WAFA – AMMAN, August 31, 2010 (WAFA)- On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, the Kuwait Red Crescent Society (KRCS) has pledged US$69,000 to ‘feed the fasting’ in the Gaza Strip upon the directive of
Is Closure of Gaza Strip Really for Security Reasons?, Gisha Wonders
WAFA – TEL AVIV, August 31, 2010 (WAFA)- Ahead of today’s testimony by Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, the Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Occupied Territories, the Israeli human rights
Israeli Lecturers Back Theater Boycott
WAFA – TEL AVIV, August 31, 2010 (WAFA)- Academicians join actors and authors, call for moratorium on cultural performances in West Bank settlements; ‘Israel’s conduct in [occupied territories] constitutes
Hamas claims West Bank killings as direct peace talks set to resume
Daily Star 31 Aug 2010
Iran’s Kayhan: ‘Prostitute’ Carla Bruni deserves death
Daily Star 31 Aug 2010
Tehran needs two weeks to load fuel in nuclear plant
Daily Star 31 Aug 2010
Jumblatt holds talks with Iranian ambassador in attempt to mend relations with Tehran
Daily Star 31 Aug 2010
Israel’s ‘Kfir’ brigade to quit West Bank, join Northern Command
Daily Star 31 Aug 2010
Higher Defense Council vows to increase security measures
Daily Star 31 Aug 2010
Four Israeli settlers shot dead on eve of White House talks
The Guardian 31 Aug 2010 – Hamas gunmen open fire on car along main road to West Bank city of Hebron in incident that could jeopardise vital peace talks Hamas gunmen shot dead four Israeli settlers on the outskirts of the volatile…
Pawan Kalyan to star in Bollywood film of Christ’s life
The Guardian 31 Aug 2010 – Production costing $30m to be filmed in Israel and Palestinian Territories with all-Indian cast of mainly children Monty Python was condemned for irreverence, Mel Gibson was castigated for violence and Martin Scorsese got into trouble over…
Obama hosts Israeli-Palestinian peace talks amid fears over settlement ban
The Guardian 31 Aug 2010 – Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmood Abbas en route to Washington for dinner with US president The contentious issue of West Bank settlement construction is threatening to dominate the first face-to-face talks for 20 months between Israel and…
Bureau of Palestinian Rights Committee Welcomes Decision by Israelis, Palestinians to Resume Direct Negotiations Towards Resolving All Permanent Status Issues
Relief Web 31 Aug 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly
World Bank Flash: Recent Growth in West Bank and Gaza
Relief Web 31 Aug 2010 – Source: World Bank
Germany provides Palestinian police with more radios
Relief Web 30 Aug 2010 – Source: Government of Georgia
Students from Gaza: Disregarded Victims of Israel’s Siege of the Gaza Strip – A Report on Israel’s Prevention of Gazan Students from Studying at the West Bank Universities
Relief Web 31 Aug 2010 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
EGYPT: Military Court Sentences Civilian Workers
IPS An Egyptian military court handed down sentences Monday in the trial of eight civilian factory workers who led a protest against deteriorating safety conditions in an army-owned factory. Rights groups say the trial should never have taken place.
Invitation: Mass demonstration “No direct bilateral negotiations under the conditions set by the US and Israel”
Stop The Wall – The coordination committee formed in opposition to the direct negotiations held under conditions set by the US and Israel calls on all political forces and Palestinians to join a mass demonstration.
Likud MK: Attack proves Palestinians don’t want peace
YNet News – Attack shows world Israel seeks peace, Palestinians want violence, Likud MK….
Comptroller: IDF officers lack training
YNet News – State comptroller’s report on appointments of army’s senior officers reveals….
Police: Teens lynched American in Jerusalem
YNet News – Arab teens aged 13, 15 charged with killing 60-year old because he wouldn’t give….
Report: Central Israel in range of Hamas rockets
YNet News – Experts say organization to begin producing Fajar-5 rockets, which can reach Tel….
2 officers suspected of taking bribes
YNet News – Border Guard officers arrested for allowing Palestinian trucks to pass through….
Hamas claims responsibility for shooting attack
YNet News – Hamas claimed full responsibility for the lethal shooting attack in south Mount Hebron Tuesday in which four Israelis were killed. Abu Ubaida, spokesman for Izz …….
Ashkenazi: We will catch terrorists
YNet News – IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi arrived at the scene of Tuesday’s shooting attack in which four Israelis were killed and said, “This is certainly a very serious …….
4 Israelis killed in shooting attack
YNet News – Lethal terror attack on eve of peace talks: Four Israelis were murdered Tuesday evening after the vehicle they were traveling in was ambushed by terrorists in the Hebron …….
PA fears attack’s effect on talks
YNet News – Palestinian Authority officials expressed concern that Tuesday’s West Bank shooting attack that left four Israelis dead would compromise the Palestinian position in …….
4 Israelis killed in West Bank as peace summit nears
LA Times 1 Sep 2010 – The militant Hamas movement takes responsibility for the attack near Hebron as leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority head to Washington for talks. As Israeli and Palestinian leaders headed to Washington for a much-anticipated peace summit, four Israelis were killed Tuesday near the disputed West Bank city of Hebron after their vehicle came under fire from unidentified gunmen.
4 Israeli Settlers Killed in West Bank
New York Times 31 Aug 2010 – The Israelis were killed on Tuesday evening when their car was fired on near the settlement of Kiryat Arba.
‘How to kill goyim and influence people’
Mondoweiss – Weiss: Earlier today I complained that Americans are not getting the news about what Israel is becoming. My endless complaint. Here is someone who can cut the corridor, as they say: Max Blumenthal, whose message from Jerusalem a year ago was killed and killed and killed…
Now Israeli academics sign on to occupation-boycott, citing disaster for Jewish state
Mondoweiss – Another shoe drops on boycott. Here are Israeli academics, many of them obviously Zionist, saying that they will not go into the territories. Their petition helps to dispel the big clouds surrounding academic boycott here in the U.S. Yes these Israelis are leaders; because as Omar…
Advocates for 3 U.S. hikers captured by Iran spotlight their leftwing activism
Mondoweiss – Here is a great piece by Stephen Zunes on Huffpo about the three American hikers captured by Iran a year ago, evidently when they were on Iraqi soil, visiting a famous water fall. Zunes situates the travelers’ experience in leftwing activism. They had worked in a…
3-year-old in Hebron has cerebral atrophy, but Israel won’t let her mother in Gaza come back to her
Mondoweiss – and other news from Today in Palestine: Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing Israel expands 2 settlements ahead of direct talks with Palestinians RAMALLAH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) — Three days before the direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are officially launched in Washington…
CAMERA doth protest too much re its role in Boston anti-mosque campaign
Mondoweiss – Yesterday CAMERA’s Dexter van Zile responded to a post by Jeff Klein critiquing the Israel lobby organization. Klein now responds : CAMERA apparently didn’t like being mentioned in my piece on the anti-Mosque campaign in Boston. However, their complaint is a good example of their regular method…
Tutu calls on Israel to release anti-wall leader
Sabr 31 Aug 2010 – BETHLEHEM ( Ma’an ) — Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa expressed concern Saturday over the conviction of a Palestinian anti-wall campaign leader by an Israeli military court for his involvement in non-violent protests. “I am deeply concerned about the conviction earlier this week of Abdallah Abu Rahmah…
Israeli court imposes tough conditions for release of female prisoner
Sabr 31 Aug 2010 – [ 30/08/2010 – 02:08 PM ] NABLUS, ( PIC )— Palestinian human rights sources said that the Israeli military court issued a decision to release female prisoner Tagrid Abu Galmi from Burin village in Nablus city, but on condition that she pays an exorbitant fine and is placed…
Detainees’ mothers plan sit-in at Red Cross HQ
Sabr 31 Aug 2010 – Palestinian women shout slogans as they hold photographs of their relatives held in Israeli jails during a protest calling for their release on 21 December 2008 in the West Bank city of Nablus. [MaanImages/Rami Swidan] GAZA CITY ( Ma’an ) — The Detainees’ Mothers Committee said Monday that…
Jerusalem man charged with contacting Hamas
Sabr 31 Aug 2010 – BETHLEHEM ( Ma’an ) — A Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem has been indicted for contacting Hamas operatives during his studies in Cyprus and allegedly agreeing to gather intelligence on Israel, Israeli media reported Monday. The indictment filed by the Jerusalem District Prosecution said Ahmad Awad, 22, became…
Four Israelis killed in West Bank
BBC 31 Aug 2010 – Four Israelis are shot dead in an attack near a settlement in the West Bank, days before peace talks in the US.
Iran’s Bruni slurs ‘unacceptable’
BBC 31 Aug 2010 – France says that “insults” in Iran’s media aimed at France’s first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, are “unacceptable”.
Israel academics shun settlements
BBC 31 Aug 2010 – More than 150 Israeli academics say they will no longer lecture or work in Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Abbas is a Man in Exile, Even Among His Own
Sabbah report 31 Aug 2010 – By Omar Karmi | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, faces a crisis of credibility among his own people as he heads into direct talks with Israel in Washington this week. Perhaps nothing better illustrates this than a rather awkward security crackdown Thursday…
Israel Threatens War with Lebanon
Sabbah report 31 Aug 2010 – If Israel attempts to siphon oil & natural gas from Lebanese waters, conflict could result By Stephen Lendman* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz Palestine is belligerently occupied. Threats continue against Iran and Syria as well as Lebanon, specifically Hezbollah, elected partner in the nation’s unity government,…
Israeli and US Zionists mount ferocious attack on liberal academics in Israel
Sabbah report 31 Aug 2010 – By Neve Gordon* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz On 31 May, I joined some 50 students and faculty members who gathered outside Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to demonstrate against the Israeli military assault on the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. In response, the next…
Yale University’s Pro-Israeli, Anti-Islamic Conference
Sabbah report 31 Aug 2010 – By Stephen Lendman* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz On August 25, Yale University ended a three day global anti-Semitism “crisis” conference promoting the notion that Israeli criticism is “anti-Semitic,” no matter how justified. Boola boola, for shame, mighty Yale displaying the same type anti-Islamic hatred virulent…
Articles
Abbas is a man in exile, even among his own
Omar Karmi, The National8/30/2010
Diana Buttu: “Failure could lead to another intifada, but not necessarily one against Israel. This one might well be directed against the Palestinian Authority.”
RAMALLAH // Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, faces a crisis of credibility among his own people as he heads into direct talks with Israel in Washington this week.
Perhaps nothing better illustrates this than a rather awkward security crackdown Thursday in Ramallah, when leftist factions convened a meeting to protest against Mr Abbas’s decision to accept the US invitation to the talks. Security officials justified the actions of dozens of plainclothes security officers, who disrupted the meeting and prevented a press conference from being held, as a legal measure against an “illegal rally”.
But privately, Palestinian Authority officials expressed their dismay at what looked to most like an effort by security services to stifle dissent.
And dissent there is.
All Palestinian political factions, bar one, have denounced the direct talks, some in harsher language than others.
Only Fatah, Mr Abbas’s own group, supports direct talks. Even among its members, though, there are plenty of disapproving voices.
Ordinary Palestinians, as well as the political factions, feel they have little influence on the Palestinian leadership’s decisions. The Palestinian polity is broken…. more.. e-mail
Hamas, the I.R.A. and Us
Ali Abunimah, New York Times8/28/2010
GEORGE J. MITCHELL, the United States Middle East envoy, tried to counter low expectations for renewed Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations by harking back to his experience as a mediator in Northern Ireland.
At an Aug. 20 news conference with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, announcing the talks that will begin this week, Mr. Mitchell reminded journalists that during difficult negotiations in Northern Ireland, “We had about 700 days of failure and one day of success” — the day in 1998 that the Belfast Agreement instituting power-sharing between pro-British unionists and Irish nationalists was signed.
Mr. Mitchell’s comparison is misleading at best. Success in the Irish talks was the result not just of determination and time, but also a very different United States approach to diplomacy.
The conflict in Northern Ireland had been intractable for decades. Unionists backed by the British government saw any political compromise with Irish nationalists as a danger, one that would lead to a united Ireland in which a Catholic majority would dominate minority Protestant unionists. The British government also refused to deal with the Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein, despite its significant electoral mandate, because of its close ties to the Irish Republican Army, which had carried out violent acts in the United Kingdom.
A parallel can be seen with the American refusal to speak to the Palestinian party Hamas, which decisively won elections in the West Bank and Gaza in 2006. Asked what role Hamas would have in the renewed talks, Mr. Mitchell answered with one word: “None.” No serious analyst believes that peace can be made between Palestinians and Israelis without Hamas on board, any more than could have been the case in Northern Ireland without Sinn Fein and the I.R.A. more.. e-mail
‘Bullied’ but not surrendering
Lamis Adoni, AlJazeera8/29/2010
The resumption of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) will allow Barack Obama to have his day presiding over the launch of another series of futile negotiations and, in providing an opportunity for Binyamin Netanyahu to assert his unwavering commitment to Israel’s colonial policies, will earn the Israeli prime minister further bragging rights.
But while the talks may serve immediate American and Israeli interests they will do nothing for the cause of peace.
In fact, the mere announcement that talks will resume has emboldened the Israeli prime minister to declare that settlement-building will continue and to demand Palestinian recognition of the Jewish character of the Israeli state as a precondition for any future agreement. So, at the same time that it has pressured the PA into dropping its preconditions for participating, the US has allowed Netanyahu to impose his on the whole process with impunity.
The Palestinians have already made clear that they will withdraw from talks should Israel not extend its freeze on settlement construction when it expires on September 26. But regardless of how long they last, the talks will have already started a process that will only perpetuate the Israeli occupation. This is simply the old new story of the ‘peace process’ — which, since it started in 1993, has consolidated Israeli control over the Palestinians while brutally crushing their resistance.
Arab complicity
Responsibility for the decision to participate — despite overwhelming Palestinian opposition – must rest with the PA. But, it is important to recognise the growing American and Arab complicity in pushing the PA to surrender. more.. e-mail
What the wall has done
Electronic Intifada: 31 Aug 2010 – Israel began constructing the wall in June 2002 following its invasion of cities in the West Bank, which it dubbed “Operation Defensive Shield.” The immense scale of the 2002 invasion — characterized by the destruction of Palestinian civilian infrastructure, mass arrests, assassinations and massacres — ensured that the construction of the wall would commence with as little resistance as possible. Jamal Juma’ comments.more
The Real ‘Crisis’: Yale’s Pro-Israeli Conference
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Aug 2010 – By Stephen Lendman On August 25, Yale University ended a three day global anti-Semitism ‘crisis’ conference promoting the notion that Israeli criticism is “anti-Semitic,” no matter how justified. Boola boola, for shame, mighty Yale displaying the same type anti-Islamic hatred virulent throughout America, raging daily in headlines over the proposed New York City Islamic cultural center, falsely called a mosque, but does it matter? What matters is racism, hate-mongering, and persecuting Muslims for political advantage – on display at Yale for a three day propaganda hate fest. Imagine what’s taught in its classrooms. The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism (YIISA) Calling itself “dedicated to the scholarly research of the origins and manifestations associated with antisemitism globally, as well as other forms of prejudice, including racisms, as it relates to policy,” YIISA presented its “Global Antisemitism: A Crisis of Modernity conference, at a time the supposed “crisis” is…more
Defence of Apartheid Israel Unjustifiable
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Aug 2010 – By Iqbal Jassat — Pretoria I wonder whether pro-Israeli apologists ever sense the sheer hopelessness of their desperate attempts to shield the apartheid regime from legitimate and necessary criticism. Having had the misfortune of reading the misguided views of Benjamin Pogrund [Sunday Independent, August 29], I am convinced that his angry attempt to admonish South Africans vis-á-vis their negative stance against Israel, reflects poor judgment. By calling into question the actions of striking people within the public sector, he then demands that due to the unacceptable behavior accompanying the strikes, South Africa has no right to stand in judgment of poor little Israel. Apart from the total lack of logic in his futile attempt to exploit the legitimate grievances of strikers, Pogrund displayed his unashamed loyalty to a pariah state that has been stripped of all morality due to its aggressive policies of oppression, occupation, racism and unending wars of…more
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