The New Dark Age

30 September, 2010 — VTJP

News

International Middle East Media Center

Army Fires At Farmers, homes, In Rafah
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Thursday September 30, 2010 – 22:49, Palestinian farmers stated Thursday evening that Israeli soldiers stationed near the border in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, fired rounds of live ammunition at them, their lands and homes. No injuries were reported.

Israeli Police Detains 12 Palestinians In Jerusalem
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Thursday September 30, 2010 – 22:28, Israeli Police Detains 12 Palestinians In Jerusalem, Israeli policemen detained on Thursday 12 Palestinians near the Al Aqsa Mosque and took them to unknown destinations.

PCHR Weekly Report: 6 killed, 5 wounded by Israeli forces this week
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Thursday September 30, 2010 – 20:14, In its weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 23-29 September 2010, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights found that Israeli forces killed 5 Palestinians, including a fisherman and a toddler, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. In addition, a member of the Palestinian resistance died of previous wounds in the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Secretary Of The European Union To Meet Palestinian And Israeli Officials
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Thursday September 30, 2010 – 17:57, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, said she would travel to the Middle East from 30 September to 2 October, to meet Israeli leaders and then go to Ramallah to meet their Palestinians counterparts, Israeli sources reported.

Israeli Settlers Write Slogans Call For Mosque Demolition In Nablus
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Thursday September 30, 2010 – 12:57, Israeli extremists settlers called, on thursday, for the demolition of a mosque in the West Bank village of Burin, near Nablus.

Israel Uses Expired Gas Bomb in Silwan
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Thursday September 30, 2010 – 11:52, In a journalist conference held in Silwan tent on Wednesday, medics and lawyers reveled that Israeli army uses expired tear gas and sound bombs to suppress the demonstrations which happened in Jerusalem last week.

Palestinian Worker Wounded By Explosive Dropped By Israeli Army
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Thursday September 30, 2010 – 10:12, Medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that a Palestinian man was wounded by unexploded ordinance, apparently dropped by the Israeli army during the war on Gaza last year.

Abu el-Gheit: "I Don't Think The Palestinians Will Resume Talks"
IMEMC – 30 Sep 2010 – Wednesday September 29, 2010 – 22:52, Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmad Abu el-Gheit, stated that he does not believe that Palestinians will be back to the negotiations table due to Israel's refusal to halt its settlement activities in the occupied territories.
 

Ma'an News

Gaza worker said injured by Israeli ordnance
9/30/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — A worker collecting stone and rubble aggregates in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday morning was moderately injured in an explosion. Medical services spokesman Adham Abu Silmiyya said the man, in this 30s, was transferred to Kamal Udwan Hospital in Jabaliya. Medics believed the injuries were caused by the remains….

Silwan studies Israeli use of expired weapons
9/30/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma'an) — Silwan residents will launch an investigation into the use of expired and oxidized tear-gas canisters by the Israeli military which locals say pose health risks. A news conference was held at the Silwan protest tent in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, where a local committee said a preliminary investigation had been undertaken….

Father says son assaulted by Hebron settlers
9/30/2010 – HEBRON (Ma'an) — A group of at least four young men from the Kiryat Arba settlement attacked a young boy east of Hebron on Wednesday night. Jawdat Al-Ja'bari said that 4 settlers attacked his son Baha while he wason his way home. He said the teen was left with bruises on his….

PA: Settlers lobbying to demolish mosque
9/30/2010 – NABLUS (Ma'an) — Israeli settlers have distributed fliers calling for the demolition of a mosque in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian Authority official said Thursday. Ghassan Doughlas, who holds the settlements portfolio in the area, said large banners have been posted opposing a mosque in the Burin village, which is near the illegal….

Report: Four illegal outposts to be built in Hebron
9/30/2010 – HEBRON (Ma'an) — The infrastructure for four illegal outposts is being constructed around the West Bank city of Hebron, a settlement affairs expert said Thursday. In an interview with Ma'an Radio, Abed Al-Hadi Hantash said the outposts would be integrated to form a new settlement, which would be linked with Kiryat Arba….

Gaza crossings sealed for Jewish holiday
9/30/2010 – GAZA (Ma'an) — Crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip were sealed Thursday morning, as Israel observes the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The crossings will remain closed Friday and Saturday and reopen Sunday, officials told Palestinian crossings liaison Raed Fattouh, who noted that the closure affects both commercial and pedestrian crossings. Thursday's….

Detentions made in Al-Aqsa following settler visit
9/30/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma'an) —Israeli police detained several men from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Thursday, following reports that settlers had entered the area and sparked anger. Minister of Waqf and religious affairs in Gaza Taleb Abu Sha'ar sounded the alarm shortly before noon, saying Jewish worshipers had made the provocative move of….

Settler said behind wheel of Qalqiliya hit and run
9/30/2010 – QALQILIYA (Ma'an) — A Nablus father was reported injured Thursday after a settler allegedly ran him over and fled the scene. Mahmud Muhammad Al-Hajj Jum'a, 32, said he was standing near the main road east of Qalqiliya waiting near the area's Israeli District Coordination Office for a taxi to take….

Sources: Israeli forces detain Hebron judge
9/30/2010 – HEBRON (Ma'an) — Israeli forces detained a magistrates' court judge in Hebron overnight on Wednesday, security sources said. Sources said forces ransacked Jamal Abdul Majeed Shadeed's home before taking him to an unknown destination. An Israeli military spokeswoman said no arrests were made in the West Bank overnight on Wednesday as….

Locals: Soldiers enter Iraq Burin village
9/30/2010 – NABLUS (Ma'an) — Two Israeli military jeeps entered Iraq Burin village in the northern West Bank on Thursday morning, locals reported. Soldiers closed off a road and entered a resident's home, before heading to the roof, witnesses said. Forces reportedly looked around, and then left when approached by villagers. An Israeli military…. Related: Iraq Burin

PLO factions to discuss stance on talks
9/30/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma'an) — Saturday was set as the deadline for a meeting between top PLO leaders and faction representatives for discussions on a unified stance on the issue of peace talks. The decision to call the meeting was made by the Fatah Central Committee during its meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday night, member of…. Related: Clinton, Ashton to push for settlements halt

Arab League postpones meeting
9/30/2010 – CAIRO (Ma'an) — The Arab League follow-up committee meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas was postponed from Monday to Wednesday to give the US more time to salvage peace talks, Agence-France Presse reported Thursday. Arab League spokesman Ahmed Eissa told the news agency that the meeting was delayed to "allow Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to….

Senior UN officials visit Hebron
9/30/2010 – HEBRON (Ma'an) — Hebron Mayor Khalid Al-Useili met with senior UN officials Thursday to discuss the situation in the West Bank city. Al-Useili was joined by local councilors to brief UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry and UN Development Programme special representative Jen Anders Toyberg-Frandzen. The mayor told the….

Fayyad receives new Swedish consul
9/30/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma'an) — Palestinian Authority Prime Minster Salam Fayyad on Thursday met the new Swedish consul to the PA Axel Wernhoff in his office in Ramallah. Fayyad updated Wernhoff on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and wished him success in his new mission. Earlier Thursday, Fayyad met with Gary Grappo, recently appointed….

Mitchell meets Abbas in bid to save talks
9/30/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma'an) — "We will continue attempts to find common ground," US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell told reporters after meeting Thursday with President Mahmoud Abbas. The announcement, signaling a continued stalemate in the US quest to bring Israeli and Palestinian negotiators back to the peace talk table, comes as US and….

PFLP calls for immediate withdrawal from talks
9/30/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine on Thursday called on the PLO to withdraw from talks in the absence of a total end to settlement building. The leftist faction rejected a two-month extension to the partial freeze on settlement building, which US President Barack Obama was reported to….

Erekat: Israel holds key to resuming talks
9/30/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) — The chief PLO negotiator says Israel can restart peace negotiations by freezing settlements. Saeb Erekat said Thursday that the PLO had repeatedly demanded that Israel stop housing construction in the occupied Palestinian territories, including so-called natural growth, to give the peace process "the opportunity it deserves.""We are not opposed to….

Negotiator says Mitchell denied US guarantees
9/30/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) — A member of the PLO negotiating team said Thursday that US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell denied reports in the Israeli media that the US had offered Israel guarantees in exchange for freezing settlements. Israel's Hebrew language daily Maariv reported Wednesday that US President Barack Obama sent….

Fayyad signs $40 million World Bank agreement
9/30/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma'an) — World Bank representative Miram Sherman signed an agreement with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Thursday to deliver a $40 million grant to the PA. Fayyad said the grant was aimed at enabling the PA to continue building state institutions and developing the infrastructure for a Palestinian state. During the….

Rafah police say drug smuggling attempt thwarted
9/30/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — Gaza police seized 12 bags of hashish and a 26-year-old at the Egyptian border, authorities in Rafah said. A police spokesman said a man identified only as SJ was found with drugs strapped to his waist moving toward the Egypt-bound smuggling tunnels, and was intercepted following a tip by….

Islamic Jihad: PA arrests West Bank leader
9/30/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma'an) — Palestinian Authority forces detained a member of Islamic Jihad on Thursday, the movement's Gaza branch said. Khader Adnan was detained from his workplace in the town of Qabatiya in the Jenin district, a statement from the party said." Adnan has suffered medical troubles since his release from Israeli….

Union instructs employees not to return cars to PA
9/30/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma'an) — The civil servants' union has instructed employees not to hand in their cars as a dispute over the Palestinian Authority's decision to reduce the number of government-issued vehicles continues. Government spokesman Ghassan Al-Khatib announced in August that 6,200 government cars would be revoked from high-level civil servants as….

Report: Bodies of 18 Ottoman soldiers found near Nablus
9/30/2010 – NABLUS (Ma'an) — The bodies of 18 Ottoman soldiers have been found in the northern West Bank, a Turkish news network reported Thursday. The bodies were found in a cave near Aqaba village in the Nablus district, and initial investigations suggested the soldiers were killed by British soldiers in 1918, the Jerusalem-based Turkish news….
 

Palestine Note

Curing world disappointment with Israel
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – A US State Department spokesman told reporters this week that Washington was disappointed with Israel because of its failure to extend the settlement moratorium for as long as the peace talks were moving. UN Secretary General…

Forget the old two-state solution: Tackling the hard stuff in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – By Mickey Bergman, Amjad Atallah Nineteen years after President George Bush Sr. brought Israel and the Arab world together to negotiate an end to Israel's occupations of Palestinian and Syrian territory, the United States is still…

Farewell to arms: Jenny, Iraq and the next war
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Let's call her Jenny. Jenny was alone, and clearly confused. Her face was dotted with acne, and her short, blond hair was stiff at the ends. As the Skyline train sped towards the next destination, she…

MJ Rosenberg vs. ATFP
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Readers of my work will be aware that I have frequently cited the articles of MJ Rosenberg, late of the Israel Policy Forum and who now works for Media Matters. In recent days, MJ has been…

WATCH: Charlie Rose interviews Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – An hour-long interview with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on September 20, 2010 during the Iranian leaders US visit.

Iran: Now en Espa?±ol
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – WASHINGTON – The Guardian reports that Iranian state-run television network IRIB is planning to launch a new Spanish language news channel in order to "explain the ideological legitimacy of the Islamic system" to Latin American audiences,…

Energy companies withdraw from Iran in compliance with US sanctions
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Washington – Royal Dutch Shell, Total, Statoil and Italy ENI have terminated their business with Iran to comply with US-issued punitive sanctions, the BBC reported Thursday. The United States has issued these sanctions in response to…

WATCH: John Oliver proposes a "time share" solution to settlement crisis
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c Middle Eastern Promises www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

Dubai chief of police: Mossad behind death threats
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Washington – Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Dubai's chief of police who led the investigation of a senior Hamas official's assassination in January reports that he has received death threats from Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad. The police chief's…

Israeli doctors and global activists receive 'alternative Nobel prize'
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Washington – Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), an organization of doctors working in mobile clinics in occupied Palestinian territories, was presented with the Right Livelihood award, often referred to as the 'alternative Nobel prize,' the…

NYT: Biblical Allusion to Esther in Stuxnet Code
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – The New York Times has reported that a Biblical clue has been found in the powerful computer worm Stuxnet, which has already infected a number of computers in Iran, furthering suspicions that Israel was behind its…

Iranian blogger sentenced to 19.5 years in prison
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Washington – Canadian-Iranian blogger, Hossein Derakhshan, 35, has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison with charges of blasphemy and propaganda against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Derakhshan has also been banned from any involvement…

EU and US attempt to salvage peace talks
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Washington – US President Barack Obama as well as US Mideast peace envoy George Mitchell and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton have been reaching out to Palestinian and Israeli leadership in an effort to save…

Egyptian Foreign Minister Dismisses Lieberman's UN Speech, Says Not Representative of Israel
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has said that the views Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman expressed at the UN earlier this week do not represent Israel. Aboul Gheit also admitted that he did not listen…

Tomorrow's Youth Organization partners with Clinton Global Initiative
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Washington – Tomorrow's Youth Organization (TYO) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that focuses on disadvantaged areas in the Middle East. They empower children, youth, and parents to realize their potential as active members of society. In…

WATCH: Terror alert: Colbert warns of "sleeper-in-coffin cells."
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Terror a New One www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive

Foreign Minister: Syria prepared to continue talks with Israel if Golan Heights on the table
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – WASHINGTON – Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al Muallem has declared that his country is willing to resume peace talks with Israel if the end of the occupation in the Golan Heights is involved. "Admitting the obligation…

University of Johannesburg sets conditions for relationship with Israeli university
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – WASHINGTON – Though the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has refrained from joining academic boycotts against Israel, it has asked Ben-Gurion University (BGU) to work with its Palestinian partners if the relationship between the two universities is…

The Aftermath of the Settlement Freeze Expiration
Palestine Note 30 Sep 2010 – Whats next for the Palestinian-Israeli talks? Since September 26th, ongoing direct peace talks are on the verge of collapsing. WASHINGTON – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has consistently said he would quit talks if settlement construction began…
 

Palestine News Network

EU sends High Representative/Vice President to Middle East
PNN – Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission, Will travel to the Middle East on Thursday in support of direct peace…

Nationwide Launch Of Film On Palestinian-Israeli Nonviolence Struggle
PNN – Oklahoma City, OK‚ÄîEthnoGraphic Media (EGM) marked the United Nation's International Day of Peace by kicking off a 12-day launch of its latest documentary, Little Town of Bethlehem. The standing-room-only event at Boston…

New American Film On The Arab Stereotype
PNN – USA — PNN – To redress the dangerous representational bias of Arabs and Arab Americans in the media, American filmmaker Mika Johnson, and collaborating artists, have launched an educational online initiative that…

How To Cure World Disappointment With Israel
PNN – By Daoud Kuttab – A US State Department spokesman told reporters this week that Washington was disappointed with Israel because of its failure to extend the settlement moratorium for as long as…

Audio: Interview With Yonatan Shapira Crew Member Of Jewish Boat To Gaza
PNN – Bethlehem – PNN – On Tuesday this week the Israeli navy intercepted Jewish Boat to Gaza, Irene. Despite claims by the Israeli Military that the boarding of Irene was conducted in a…

PA Officials Convey Resistance to Resume Peace Talks Ahead of Mitchell's Visit
PNN – PNN – Ahead of the visit from US envoy George Mitchell on Thursday, Palestinian Authority Officials expressed resistance to resume the peace talks without an extension of the West Bank settlement freeze….
 

Palestinian Center for Human Rights

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (23-29 September 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
 

Ha'aretz

Arab League may call for UN Security Council session on settlement freeze expiration
Ha'aretz – At its meeting on Wednesday in Cairo, the Arab League will consider a proposal to initiate an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the expiration of Israel's freeze on West…

Dutch watchdog criticizes Israeli tourism website for blurring borders
Ha'aretz – The Dutch advertising watchdog says 'misleading' information on Israel's tourism website does not show where the border lies between Israel and 'disputed' areas.

White House: Obama did not send letter to Netanyahu
Ha'aretz – A researcher with ties to Dennis Ross published an article on Wednesday saying that Obama sent a letter to Netanyahu offering U.S. guarantees in exchange for a two month settlement…

Obama in personal appeal to Netanyahu: Extend settlement freeze for two months
Ha'aretz – Netanyahu inclined to reject Obama's offer, which includes string of security incentives, citing lack of political support., Commander that led investigation into the killing of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh claims…

Palestinians expected to leave direct talks
Ha'aretz – After giving Netanyahu an extension of several days to stop the renewed building in the settlements, the Palestinian leadership is expected to decide to cut off contact on Saturday.

South African academics reject call to boycott Israeli university
Ha'aretz – University of Johannesburg staff reject bid endorsed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, pass compromise urging Ben-Gurion University to work with Palestinian schools.
 

Uruknet

Silwan studies Israeli use of expired weapons
Uruknet September 30, 2010 — Silwan residents will launch an investigation into the use of expired and oxidized tear-gas canisters by the Israeli military which locals say pose health risks. A news conference was held at the Silwan protest tent in East Jerusalem on Wednesday, where a local committee said a preliminary investigation had been undertaken after residents reported an…

Hamas crackdown further limits Gaza's distractions from the siege
Uruknet September 30, 2010 – I have been watching with disappointment the news coming from Gaza regarding the government's crackdown on popular attractions where many Gazans plan their staycations. According to a number of Gaza investors, making a large investment in Gaza requires you to be an affiliate of Hamas or partner with one who is. Otherwise, your investment is…

Report: Four illegal outposts to be built in Hebron
Uruknet September 30, 2010 – The infrastructure for four illegal outposts is being constructed around the West Bank city of Hebron, a settlement affairs expert said Thursday. In an interview with Ma'an Radio, Abed Al-Hadi Hantash said the outposts would be integrated to form a new settlement, which would be linked with Kiryat Arba, the largest settlement in the district….

Nilin journalist "determined to film"
Uruknet September 30, 2010 – For more than two years the people of Nilin in the occupied West Bank have embarked on a campaign of unarmed grassroots resistance against the theft of their land by Israeli settlements and the wall. Twenty-seven-year-old Hamoudeh Saeed Abd al-Haq Amireh is part of this resistance. Originally a medic and the sole breadwinner for his…

Mossad 'issued death threats' to Dubai police chief
Uruknet September 30, 2010 ‚Äî Dubai's police chief said he has received death threats from Israel's spy agency Mossad linked to his role in uncovering details of the assassination of a senior Hamas leader, a report said on Thursday. The Arabic-language Al-Ittihad daily quoted Dahi Khalfan as saying he had "received two death threats based on the case of Hamas…

Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (23-29 September 2010)
Uruknet September 30, 2010 – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (23 — 29 September 2010): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 5 Palestinians, including a toddler and a fisherman, while a 6th one died of previous wounds. They also wounded 7 Palestinian civilians. In the Gaza Strip, on…

UN report into flotilla attack exposes Israeli lies and criminality
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – Israel has been condemned, yet again, by the United Nations for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws. A UN report released last week has confirmed that there is "clear evidence to support prosecutions" against the Israeli authorities for the crimes of "wilful killing; torture or inhumane treatment; and wilfully causing great suffering…

Statistics show that 120 Jewish settlements expanded during the "freeze"
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – Statistics show that 120 Jewish settlements expanded during the "freeze"As the ramifications of the Israeli decision not to extend the moratorium on settlement building are being digested, statistics released by the Land Research Centre show that 120 illegal Jewish settlements were expanded during the 10 months of the supposed "freeze". The centre's director, Jamal Talab,…

FBI targets US Palestine activists
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – Tracy Molm sometimes has a hard time paying rent, so it came as a surprise when American security forces banged on her door at 7am one morning, and searched her apartment under suspicions she provided material support to a terrorist organisation. Warrants indicate that investigators believe Molm and at least seven other activists from the…

An Israeli Gandhi Seized at Sea
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof complained a while back that he was still "waiting for Gandhi" in Palestine. I complained, in turn, that it was hypocritical for Kristof to bewail, and perpetuate the stereotype of, the "violent" Palestinians. Instead he should stay home and call for a new Gandhi here in the U.S., which…

PPP calls for united, popular resistance front
Uruknet September 29, 2010 — The leftist Palestinian Peoples' Party called on Tuesday for a united front for the popular resistance, in a statement marking the outbreak of the Second Intifada in 2000. The PPP said Palestinian factions should learn from the First and Second Intifadas "to adopt the peoples' way of facing aggression," demanding the formation of a united…

Syria open to resuming Israel talks
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – Syria is willing to resume peace talks with Israel if they are geared towards Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, the country's foreign minister has said. Walid al-Muallim said that Damascus would be interested in restarting negotiations with Tel Aviv if "Syria found an Israeli partner who is committed to the conditions of the peace…

Palestinian Authority Recommends Whitewashing Gaza War Crimes
Uruknet September 29, 20910 – Who do they serve anyway? It's clear from the sham peace talks and a new development. The Mahmoud Abbas-controlled Palestinian Authority (PA) wants Israel absolved of accountability for Cast Lead crimes of war and against humanity. No matter that conclusive evidence exposed them, the result of the IDF's 23-day day rampage, killing over 1,400, injuring…

PA decision at UN a "betrayal of Gaza victims' rights"
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – As members of the Palestinian Council of Human Rights Organizations, we strongly condemn the decision of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to support a UN Human Rights Council resolution that accords further time for ineffective domestic investigations, thus effectively failing to pursue accountability for crimes committed during the Israeli offensive code-named "Operation Cast Lead." The death…

Protection by any means necessary
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – This month, Palestinians in Lebanon commemorated the 28th anniversary of a crime whose perpetrators remain unpunished and whose victims still wait for justice. In September 1982, the Israeli army surrounded the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in Beirut. For nearly three days, Israeli forces allowed their allies in the right-wing Lebanese Christian Phalange…

South Africa's Israel boycott
Uruknet September 29, 2010 – When Chief Albert Luthuli made a call for the international community to support a boycott of apartheid South Africa in 1958, the response was a widespread and dedicated movement that played a significant role in ending apartheid. Amid the sporting boycotts, the pledges of playwrights and artists, the actions by workers to stop South African…
 

WAFA – Palestine News Agency

EU's Ashton: Israel must Extend Settlement Freeze to Give Talks a Chance
WAFA – WASHINGTON, September 30, 2010 (WAFA)- Israel must extend its recently expired West Bank building moratorium if stalled peace talks with the Palestinian Authority can have any chance of

New School Opened for Bedouin Children near Jerusalem
WAFA – JERUSALEM, September 30, 2010 (WAFA)- A new school for 300 children who were previously educated in shipping containers was opened in the village of Arab Al-Jahalin, outside Jerusalem, United Nations

CCI Increased by 0.29, PCBS
WAFA – RAMALLAH, September 30, 2010 (WAFA)- Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) reported Thursday that the Construction Cost Index (CCI) Increased by 0.29%, Water Networks Cost Index (WNCI)
 

Daily Star

Mitchell holds crucial talks with Abbas and pledges to maintain efforts to save peace negotiations
Daily Star 30 Sep 2010 QUITO: Unrest erupted in Ecuador on Thursday with soldiers taking control of the main airport, police protesting in the streets and looting in the capital while President Rafael Correa looked at dissolving a deadlocked Congress.

Unrest rocks Ecuador, troops take airport
Daily Star 30 Sep 2010 QUITO: Unrest erupted in Ecuador on Thursday with soldiers taking control of the main airport, police protesting in the streets and looting in the capital while President Rafael Correa looked at dissolving a deadlocked Congress.

US gets tough on energy firms over Iran ties
Daily Star 30 Sep 2010 WASHINGTON: The US State Department said on Thursday it was imposing economic sanctions on a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) as part of an effort to get tough on Iran's energy sector….

Regional nations sign accord to tackle sand storms
Daily Star 30 Sep 2010 TEHRAN: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Qatar and Turkey have inked an accord in Tehran aimed at tackling the problem of sand storms within the next five years, local media reported on Thursday. The agreement was reached at…

Iran media subsidies to be based on loyalty to establishment – minister
Daily Star 30 Sep 2010 TEHRAN: Iranian newspapers will receive government aid based on their loyalty to the establishment, Culture and Islamic Guidance Minister Mohammad Hosseini was quoted as saying by media Thursday. "The subsidies allocated to newspapers will be given…

Stuxnet file 'Myrtus' hints at Israeli involvement – report
Daily Star 30 Sep 2010 WASHINGTON: The Stuxnet worm attacking computers in Iran includes a reference to the Book of Esther, the Old Testament story in which the Jews pre-empt a Persian plot to destroy them, and is a possible clue…

You get the truth only from 'former' officials
Daily Star 30 Sep 2010 Warning from the Obama administration's submission to Israeli pressure, in an interview with OTV, Michael Scheuer, a "former" senior CIA officer, said: "Three hundred million Americans could wake up tomorrow to discover that a foreign leader,…
 

The Guardian

Obama offering Israel incentives to extend freeze on settlement construction, say reports
The Guardian 30 Sep 2010 – US president said to have listed a range of inducements in letter sent to Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu Barack Obama has offered a range of inducements to Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu in return for…
 

Relief Web

Council adopts texts on follow-up on Report of Fact-Finding Mission on flotilla attack and on Committee of Independent Experts on Gaza conflict
Relief Web 30 Sep 2010 – Source: UN Human Rights Council

Decolonization, Outer Space, Peacekeeping, Palestine Refugees, Information Top Agenda of Fourth Committee, Which Completes Bureau in Organizational Meeting
Relief Web 30 Sep 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly

OPT: Emergency Service Support Project III Second Additional Financing (AF-2)
Relief Web 30 Sep 2010 – Source: World Bank

Press Conference on High-Level Events during First Week of General Assembly's Sixty-Fifth Session
Relief Web 30 Sep 2010 – Source: UN Department of Public Information
 

Stop The Wall

8th Week against the Apartheid Wall, November 9 — 16 2010
Stop The Wall – [
 

YNet News

Palestinians may continue talks if construction limited to settlement blocs
YNet News – US envoy Mitchell meets Palestinian president Abbas in Ramallah as part of….

Dubai police chief says Mossad behind death threats
YNet News – Dahi Khalfan Tamim, who led probe into assassination of senior Hamas figure….

Hezbollah to block financing for Hariri tribunal
YNet News – 'You know our position on the tribunal, so we cannot agree to finance it,'….

'Obama guarantees Bibi: Only 2 more months of freeze'
YNet News – Dennis Ross updates Jewish senators on US demand that Israel extend settlement….

Israel issues travel warning for Ecuador
YNet News – The Foreign Ministry issued a warning Thursday to Israelis traveling in Ecuador recommending that they remain indoors due to the upheaval currently taking place in the …….

Palestinian mental patients get hysterectomies
YNet News – A debate held by a Palestinian radio station has revisited the issue of female mutilation, with interviewed parents saying they prefer to perform hysterectomies on …….

Ottoman soldiers' remains found near Nablus
YNet News – The remains of 18 soldiers belonging to the Ottoman Empire have been found in the West Bank, the Turkish TRT and Palestinian Ma'an news agencies reported Thursday. …….

Obama pressed to weigh Iran strike
YNet News – WASHINGTON — US President Barack Obama is under pressure to consider a military strike on Iran, according to the Financial Times. Both Senator Joe Lieberman and …….

NYT links Iran worm to bible
YNet News – Computer specialists charged with examining the Stuxnet computer virus, which has reportedly infected Iranian nuclear infrastructure, have found that one of its files was …….
 

Palestinian Information Center

Abu Zuhri: Hamas keenness on reconciliation not reflecting support for talks
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – Sami Abu Zuhri affirmed that his movement's keenness on reconciliation was not a reflection of support for negotiations with Israel but rather aims at hardening the anti negotiations front.

Ansar Al-Asra: Israel kidnaps about 500 Palestinian children every year
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – Ansar Al-Asra, a human rights organization, reported Thursday that Israel kidnaps about 500 Palestinian prisoners under age 18 every year and there are still 310 of them in its jails.

Report: 70,000 Palestinians jailed since intifada
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – The PSC issued Thursday on the tenth anniversary of the Aqsa intifada a comprehensive report which found that Israeli authorities have since the intifada arrested 70,000 Palestinians.

Russian analyst: Middle East peace process in a fix
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – A Russian analyst has said that the peace process in the Middle East was passing through a real crisis that culminated in the current stalled negotiations between the PA in Ramallah and Israel.

Bardawil slams PA for saving Israel again from punishment
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – Senior Hamas official Salah Al-Bardawil strongly denounced the PA for putting forward a draft resolution in Geneva protecting Israel from any legal action taken against it for its war crimes in Gaza.

IOA approves confiscation of 66 dunums in Al-Khalil
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) approved on Wednesday a bill to seize 66 dunums of land in the town of Tafouh, west of the city of Al-Khalil.

Zionist settlers call for demolishing mosque in Burin
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – Zionist settlers in the Nablus district have distributed pamphlets calling for the demolition of a mosque in Burin village, south of Nablus city.

UN rights council adopts report condemning Israel over flotilla massacre
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – The UN Human Right's Council voted to back a report issued by one of its fact-finding missions that offers "clear evidence" to prosecute Israel for the deadly attacks on the Freedom Flotilla.

Nassif urges Hamas to give priority to detainees in W. Bank jails
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – Senior Hamas official Ra'fat Nassif, a prisoner in Israeli jails, called on his Movement to give priority to the issue of Palestinian detainees in the Palestinian Authority's prisons.

Conference: Toxic munitions used against protesters in O. Jerusalem
PIC 30 Sep 2010 – A conference was held by the Silwan defense committee and the Quds Information Center on Wednesday to discuss forming a probe into bombs Israeli soldiers used in crackdowns against Palestinians.
 

Los Angeles Times

U.S. sanctions selectively under its Iran policy
LA Times 30 Sep 2010 – The administration penalizes a Swiss subsidiary of Iran's national oil company but avoids confronting Russian and Chinese firms, which may have added to diplomatic friction. The Obama administration rolled out its first penalty Thursday under the new U.S. sanctions on Iran, but carefully avoided any challenge to Russian and Chinese companies that would have risked diplomatic fallout.

Ecuador declares emergency amid police protests
LA Times 30 Sep 2010 – Police angered by possible pay cuts set off tear gas during a visit by President Rafael Correa, who is taken to hospital. They later surround the hospital too, sparking panic. Ecuador declared a state of emergency after President Rafael Correa was overcome by tear gas Thursday at a barracks in Quito, the capital, where he went to confront police who had walked off the job in protest over salaries and benefits.
 

New York Times

U.S. Works to Persuade Israel on Settlement Freeze
New York Times 30 Sep 2010 – Efforts to salvage Middle East peace talks were at full throttle, with meetings and possible inducements to Israelis and Palestinians.

Kin of Detainees Seek Prosecution of Iran Officials
New York Times 30 Sep 2010 – Families of three anti-government protesters who died at Iran's Kahrizak prison have demanded the prosecution of those running the extra-legal detention center.
 

Misc

Settlers spray graffiti on mosque in Nablus, run over a man in Qalqiliya, attack a teenager in Hebron and
Mondoweiss – more news from Today in Palestine: Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing Palestinians may continue talks if construction limited to settlement blocs US envoy Mitchell meets Palestinian president Abbas in Ramallah as part of American, international effort to save peace talks; PLO Executive Committee to…

Makovsky: Obama will give it up for Israel for a two-month freeze extension
Mondoweiss – According to a startling report in the Jerusalem Post , David Makovsky of the Washington Institute of Near East Policy told Israeli Army Radio that President Obama is asking (read begging) Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept a two-month temporary settlement freeze. In exchange, Washington will promise…

Hamas crackdown further limits Gaza's distractions from the siege
Mondoweiss – I have been watching with disappointment the news coming from Gaza regarding the government's crackdown on popular attractions where many Gazans plan their staycations. According to a number of Gaza investors, making a large investment in Gaza requires you to be an affiliate of Hamas or…

The Jewish boat and the 'peace process'
Mondoweiss – As yet another boat‚Äî a Jewish one this time ‚Äîis forcefully boarded by the Israeli navy while attempting to run the blockade of Gaza, a natural question for many Americans is: Why are boats still trying to run the blockade when Abbas and Netanyahu are in…

Israel's government by chaos
Mondoweiss – Check out Carlo Strenger's hilarious ditty today in Haaretz on Israel's "glorious government by chaos": It is my great honor to explain [Israel's contradictory foreign policy positions] in the tradition of my master teacher, and one of the greatest specialists in explaining the complex dynamics of…
 

Misc 2

PA Wants Moratorium Extension, Obama Asks for 2-Months One
Al-Manar 30 Sep 2010 – The Palestinians dug in ahead of a crucial meeting Thursday with Washington's Mideast envoy, saying they can't be expected to continue "peace talks" unless Israel reverses a decision to lift restrictions on West Bank settlement construction. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' advisers on Wednesday stopped short…

Israeli border police break into homes and demand to be served coffee in Silwan
Joseph Dana 30 Sep 2010 – On Tuesday evening, Israeli border police and special Yasma forces rampaged through the East Jerusalem city of Silwan. Their presence on the ground was due to unrest that has been engulfing the city since last week's murder of a 35 year old Palestinian at the hands…

Bel?©n Fern?°ndez — Israeli invention for electric hair removal device contributes to female happiness worldwide
Palestine Think Tank 30 Sep 2010 – While attempting to read an article on the Haaretz website this afternoon about the brutality of the IDF takeover of the Gaza-bound boat Irene, filled with Jewish activists, I was distracted by an advertisement at the top of the page. The ad featured a cheerful non-Israeli…

Oil companies withdraw from Iran
BBC 30 Sep 2010 – Four major energy companies are pulling out of Iran in order to comply with US sanctions, the State Department says.

Iran delays nuclear plant start
BBC 30 Sep 2010 – The head of Iran's atomic agency says power generation from its first nuclear plant will probably begin in January, two months later than announced.

Israeli doctors win 'other Nobel'
BBC 30 Sep 2010 – An Israeli doctors' group is named among four winners of this year's Right Livelihood award – dubbed the "alternative Nobel prize".

Obama Imposes New Iran Sanctions as War Chorus Rises
Antiwar.com 30 Sep 2010 – Amid new calls for Washington to attack Iran's nuclear facilities if its diplomatic efforts at curbing Tehran's uranium-enrichment program fail, the United States Wednesday imposed unilateral sanctions against eight senior Iranian officials whom it accused of committing "sustained and severe violations of human rights." Announced at…

Imperial Israel
Sabbah report 30 Sep 2010 – By Stephen Lendman* | Sabbah Report | www.sabbah.biz In his book "Against Empire," Michael Parenti defines imperialism as "the process whereby the dominant politico-economic interests of one nation expropriate for their own enrichment the land, labor, raw materials, and markets of another people." In a September…

The Settlement Freeze and the Peace Process Freeze
Sabbah report 30 Sep 2010 – With Michele Dunne, Nadia Hijab and Daniel Levy. On or about Sept. 26 the Israeli government's declared settlement moratorium came to an end. This has been identified as a major obstacle in the nascent peace talks. The moratorium has been incomplete and settlement construction has continued…

Articles

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The Ineffable Lobby
Paul Pillar, The National Interest9/29/2010
Lately one hasn't heard much of the screaming against the observation that supporters of a certain Middle Eastern state exercise influence over U.S. policy that is well out of proportion to what a clear focus on U.S. interests would dictate. That's because the observation doesn't get voiced very much. The screaming reached a crescendo three years ago when John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt published their book on the subject. Evidently the vituperation, often accompanied by reckless charges of anti-Semitism, that was heaped on those two scholars and anyone else daring to make similar observations about this dimension of the making of U.S. foreign policy has been sufficient to keep the subject out of most discussions among polite company.
But I can't help noticing that in commentary about construction of Israeli settlements in occupied territory and the role this construction is playing in impeding Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, some of the same quarters that have been quickest to shout down the idea that the powerful lobby in question exists have been providing some of the clearest evidence that it does exist and continues to shape important aspects of U.S. policy. When President Obama earlier this year attempted to insist on a cessation of settlement construction in the interest of facilitating peace talks, he was berated for taking a stand that supposedly was unreasonable and unwise and then, after he duly backed down in the face of Benjamin Netanyahu's recalcitrance, was told that his mistake was not in backing down but instead in ever making an issue of settlement construction in the first place. Now, amid discussions over the expiration of Netanyahu's moratorium on settlement construction, the U.S. position is again one of pointing out the unhelpful effects of resuming construction activity but stopping short of doing anything that would be effective in ending the Israeli recalcitrance. And again we hear from supporters of Israeli policies that the United States ought to bow not only to Israeli behavior but to the preferences on this issue of the hardest line elements in Netanyahu's coalition government. Those elements are represented most visibly by Foreign Minister (and West Bank settler) Avigdor Lieberman, who on Tuesday treated the United Nations General Assembly to the spectacle of a speech in which he renounced the final status negotiations to which his own government supposedly is committed. more.. e-mail

SA university must reconsider Israel ties
Haidar Eid, Ma'an News Agency9/28/2010
As a graduate of the University of Johannesburg and a resident of Gaza, I find it distressing that the university has signed an agreement with Israel's Ben Gurion University despite the policy of ethnic cleansing and the latest war crimes committed against the people of Gaza by the nation's government.
Israeli academic institutions are known to be complicit in Israel's policy of colonization and apartheid. As such, an agreement with an academic institution goes against the words of Nelson Mandela, who said in 1997:
"It behoves all South Africans, themselves erstwhile beneficiaries of generous international support, to stand up and be counted among those contributing actively to the cause of freedom and justice … we know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians."
Every day, millions of Palestinians are denied the full right to education in the occupied Palestinian territories and in the refugee camps of the diaspora. Education is denied because of Israeli checkpoints, the siege of Gaza and the apartheid-like discrimination faced by Palestinian students in Israel.
Thousands of Palestinian students and lecturers are in Israeli dungeons often without trial or sentenced by military courts. All credible international human rights and humanitarian organizations have detailed how the Israeli military deliberately targets Palestinian students and schools including UN schools. The recent Goldstone report corroborates these facts.
Palestinians stood with South Africans during the struggle against South African apartheid. We ask you to join us in our struggle against Israeli apartheid…. more.. e-mail

Curing world disappointment with Israel
Daoud Kuttab, Ma'an News Agency9/30/2010
A US State Department spokesman told reporters this week that Washington was disappointed with Israel because of its failure to extend the settlement moratorium for as long as the peace talks were moving.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon used the same words to describe how the United Nations feels towards Israel. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, meeting with President Mahmoud Abbas in Paris, expressed the same sentiment vis-a-vis Israel's decisions.
This is not the first time that the world community shows disappointment with the state of Israel. But foreign policy is surely not made of a negative feeling towards a particular country. If the sum total of the international community's dissatisfaction with Israel is simply expressed through a negative adjective, not much progress is going to be achieved on the way to a lasting peace.
The American position is probably the most perplexing. The US president invested the office of the presidency to make a public plea from the UN General Assembly rostrum, asking the Israelis to extend the settlement activity freeze a further three months, to give direct talks a chance. In the same speech, Barack Obama hailed the bravery of the Palestinian president who is taking risks for peace.
Washington, which is involved in two direct wars (and many undeclared ones) has clearly stated that Middle East peace is in the national interest of the United States. This statement was first made by former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, and has since been repeated by presidents Bush and Obama as well as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. more.. e-mail

Days of action planned after FBI raids on activists
Electronic Intifada: 30 Sep 2010 – Activists are planning new actions after rallies took place in dozens of cities across the United States to protest raids by the FBI on homes of anti-war and Palestine and Colombia solidarity activists in Minnesota and Chicago last week. The FBI also subpoenaed at least 14 activists in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan to testify at a grand jury.more

Days before birthday, my son sees Gaza's horror
Electronic Intifada: 30 Sep 2010 – The Electronic Intifada reporter Rami Almeghari was in the hospital with his son, whose lips were being stitched up, when the victims of an Israeli air strike were rushed into the admissions room.more

Hunger and poverty worsen in Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 30 Sep 2010 – GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – According to the World Food Programme and Food and Agriculture Organization, the food insecure in Gaza are an alarming 61 percent, with another 16 percent vulnerable to food insecurity.more

Nilin journalist "determined to film"
Electronic Intifada: 30 Sep 2010 – Hamoudeh Amireh participates in the resistance against Israel's settlements through his documentation of the grassroots struggle in the occupied West Bank village of Nilin. Jody McIntyre interviews for The Electronic Intifada.more

Farewell to Arms: Jenny, Iraq and the Next War
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Sep 2010 – By Ramzy Baroud Let's call her Jenny. Jenny was alone, and clearly confused. Her face was dotted with acne, and her short, blond hair was stiff at the ends. As the Skyline train sped towards the next destination, she stood 'at attention' in her military fatigue and boots staring aimlessly into the vastness of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Jenny was not the only returnee from Iraq. The airport was bustling with men and women in uniform. There seemed to be little festivity awaiting them. The scene was marred with the same confusion and uncertainty that have accompanied this war from the start: unclear goals that kept on changing while its own advocates – in the media, the government and within right-wing think tanks – began slowly and shamelessly disowning it. They all changed their tune, and many of them redirected their venom at Iran. In the meanwhile, the soldiers…more

Abbas Must Forge Palestinian Unity
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Sep 2010 – By James Gundun — Washington, D.C. Mahmoud Abbas, acting president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), seems to have an infinite number of reasons to disengage from US-sponsored negotiations with Israel. Reduced to a singularity, Palestinians possess little trust in America to negotiate an equal two-state solution and none in Israel. But Abbas wisely chose to await a special Arab League meeting, scheduled for October 4th, before deciding the near-term fate of direct talks with his counterpart, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although Abbas is talking a tougher game since Israel's settlement "freeze" in the West Bank expired, he can't move either way without covering fire. "We don't want to stop the talks, but if the building continues, we will have to put a stop to them," Abbas told radio station Europe 1. "(Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu must know that peace is more important than settlements. We ask for a…more

Olmert's Speech, and Two Fingers
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Sep 2010 – By Uri Avnery — Israel Ehud Olmert raised his hands before his face, two fingertips almost touching: 'We were that close!' He was talking about the negotiation he had conducted personally with Mahmoud Abbas, just before he himself was forced to vacate the Prime Minister's office. That was the climax of the speech he made last week at a meeting of the "Geneva Initiative". Before analyzing it, a few words about the host and about the speaker. The Geneva Initiative rose like a meteor and fell like a meteor in the early 2000s. At its center was a serious effort to draft a full and final peace agreement with the Palestinian people. It came after a draft prepared by Gush Shalom and resembled it in many ways. But there were two big differences: the Geneva Initiative had an identified Palestinian partner, and it was far more detailed. While the Gush…more

The Ball is Now in Obama's Court
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Sep 2010 – By George S. Hishmeh – Washington, D.C. Although some may blame Benjamin Netanyahu and even Mahmoud Abbas for dropping the ball soon after their peace negotiations began three weeks ago, the more likely person who will be blamed should the talks collapse totally will be no other than Barack Obama on whom many had banked. The American president has been very reluctant to be forceful, much as this could have favorably tipped the balance in favor of a final settlement. On the other hand Obama's public remarks, including his speech at the opening session of the U.N. General Assembly earlier this month, were noteworthy for his bluntness over Israeli suspension of colonization and ethnic cleansing that has been evident again this week in occupied East Jerusalem. Yet, as one columnist said on another subject, "when we really need (Obama) to take a strong stand, he's halfhearted" — a view that…more

Israel's Stranglehold over US Foreign Policy
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Sep 2010 – By Maidhc ?ì Cathail If Israel's stranglehold over U.S. foreign policy is to be broken, Americans will need to be informed about the harm that Washington's unconditional support for the Jewish state is doing to American interests, say leading analysts of U.S.-Israeli relations. According to John J. Mearsheimer, co-author of The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy, "The only plausible way to weaken the lobby's influence on U.S. foreign policy is for prominent policymakers and opinion-makers to speak openly about the damage the special relationship is doing to the American national interest." "Plenty of people in the United States, especially inside the Beltway, know that Israel is an albatross around America's neck," says Mearsheimer, the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago. "But they are afraid to stand up and say that for fear that the lobby will attack them and damage their…more

Israel Conscripts More 'Ambassadors'
Palestine Chronicle: 30 Sep 2010 – By Belen Fernandez While attempting to read an article on the Haaretz website this afternoon about the brutality of the IDF takeover of the Gaza-bound boat Irene, filled with Jewish activists, I was distracted by an advertisement at the top of the page. The ad featured a cheerful non-Israeli woman with bangs and a flowered scarf around her neck, a picnic scene in the background, and a skewer of meat oscillating at her side. The accompanying speech balloon, which alternately appeared in Hebrew, Russian, and English, was a reference to the skewered meat: "Cooking methods in Israel are quite primitive…". The balloon was then replaced by a black box of text with the following appeal: "Are you tired of seeing how we are portrayed in the world? "You can change the picture! Now in English, Russian and Hebrew." Viewers interested in multilingual pictorial change are invited to visit a website…more

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