11 October, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Asad Slams Israel’s New Citizenship Law
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Tuesday October 12, 2010 – 01:41, Syrian President, Bashar Asad, strongly denounced on Monday the new Israeli citizenship law requiring all non-Jews in the country to pledge allegiance to Israel as a “Jewish democratic state”. Asad said this law Is part of a long-standing plan Israel is steadily applying.
Netanyahu Offers Freeze In Return For Recognition Of Jewish State
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 23:58, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, offered on Monday a new temporary freeze of settlement activities in the West Bank in exchange for an official Palestinian recognition of Israel as the State of the Jewish People.
Palestinian Child Wounded In Silwan
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 23:00, Palestinian medical sources reported Monday evening that a child was shot by a rubber-coated bullets in his leg and a gas bomb in his face during clashes between Palestinian youths, Israeli soldiers and settlers in Silwan town, in occupied East Jerusalem.
Israeli Soldiers Arrest A Student From Hebon University
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 17:37, On Monday the Israeli military arrested Sajeda Al-‘Awawda, 20, a student at the Hebron University, and moved her to an unknown destination.
Israeli Military Arrests Five Citizens From Hebron
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 12:04, On Monday, the Israeli army arrested five citizens from the Hebron area and invaded several other areas in the same region.
While Israel Banned It, P.A. Approves Textbook Telling “Both Sides Of The Story”
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 11:48, “Learning Each Other’s Historical Narrative” is the name of a new textbook approved for teaching in Palestinian schools but is still banned in Israel. The book explains the historical narratives of the Nakba, the creation of Israel, and the Arab Israeli conflict, showing both the Palestinian and the Israeli narratives.
Ireland Voids Weapons Deal With Israel
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 11:23, The Irish Ministry of Defense had voided a weapons deal with Israel in which Israel was to provide Ireland with 20 Million rounds of live ammunition. The decision was attributed to the assassination of a Hamas leader in Dubai earlier this year.
Troops Kidnap Three Boys In The West Bank
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 10:48, On Monday morning, the Israeli military kidnapped three Palestinian youths from the towns of Kafel Hares and Kera, east of Salfit in the West Bank.
Israeli Artists, Intellectuals Protest Against New Israeli Bill
IMEMC – 11 Oct 2010 – Monday October 11, 2010 – 09:58, Shortly after the Israeli cabinet of Benjamin Netanyahu passed a bill on Sunday requiring all non-Jewish citizens to pledge allegiance to Israel not only as a state but as a “Jewish and democratic state”, hundreds of Israeli intellectuals and artists held a protest rally in Tel Aviv to challenge the new bill.
Child injured in Silwan clashes
10/11/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian child sustained a rubber bullet wound to the leg and another injury to his face after he was hit by a stun grenade during clashes in the flashpoint East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Monday afternoon, locals said. Locals identified the child as Suleiman Siyam, 12, who was injured….
Bahar: Loyalty oath another nakba
10/11/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israel’s new loyalty oath requiring non-Jews to to swear allegiance to “a Jewish and democratic state” was described as a new catastrophe or nakba for Palestinians living in Israel by the Palestinian Legislative Council’s deputy speaker on Monday. Speaking to reporters in Gaza City, Ahmad Bahar….
Army court sentences protest leader to 1 year
10/11/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — An Israeli military court on Monday sentenced non-violent protest organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah to 12 months imprisonment, with a six-month suspended sentence. Abu Rahmah has been in an Israeli jail since December, and was convicted in August of incitement, and organizing and participating in protests in Bil’in. Ofer military…. Related: Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah sentenced to a year in prison
Abu Ali Brigades: 2 projectiles fired at military zone
10/11/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said fighters launched two projectiles at an Israeli military zone in north Gaza on Monday morning. The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said in a statement that the projectiles targeted an area near a cemetery by Jabaliya refugee camp….
Israel transfers 20 detainees overnight
10/11/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — An Israeli prison administration transferred 20 Palestinian detainees on Sunday night without notice, a detainees’ center said. The prisoners, all serving long-term sentences, were transferred from Majedo prison, and were not told where they would be taken. Some detainees found out from guards that they would be moved to Jelbou….
Locals: Mother of newborn detained in Hebron
10/11/2010 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained seven residents of the Hebron district on Monday, including a mother who gave birth 2 weeks ago, locals said. Israeli soldiers detained Sajida Riziq Muhammad Al-Awawda, 20, at midday outside Hebron university, where she is a student of Islamic law. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society called for her….
PA approves textbook teaching Zionist narrative
10/11/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education has approved a textbook, banned by Israel, to teach schoolchildren the Zionist and Palestinian narrative, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.” Learning the Historical Narrative of the Other” was the joint initiative of a Swedish group and Israeli and Palestinian professors to promote coexistence, and was…. Related: PA denies backing textbook with Zionist narrative
Israel backs bill on majority vote for territorial withdrawal
10/11/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli parliament’s Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved a bill on Monday requiring a 60-MK majority and national consent on withdrawing from territory occupied by Israel in 1967. The referendum bill on withdrawal from the Syrian Golan Heights and East Jerusalem mandates that any government decision be brought….
Israeli groups call on security forces to protect Palestinians
10/11/2010 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — The Israeli rights group Yesh Din on Monday called on Israeli authorities to protect Palestinians during the olive harvest season. The group sent a letter to high-ranking officials to remind them of Israel’s obligation under international law to protect residents of territory which it occupies, a statement said….
Israel to open 2 Gaza crossings
10/11/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities announced Monday that Gaza borders were to be opened for the delivery of goods. A Palestinian liaison officer said authorities decided to open the Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings for fuel transfers Authorities will allow 200 trucks via Kerem Shalom and 120 trucks via Karni loaded with wheat….
Israelis protest ‘fascist’ loyalty oath
10/11/2010 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — More than 150 demonstrators rallied in Tel Aviv on Sunday against what they said was their country’s decline into fascism. The protest was held in response to the cabinet’s approval of an amendment to Israel’s citizenship law, requiring all non-Jews to swear loyalty to….
Report: Woman detained for allegedly attempting to stab officer
10/11/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian woman was detained on Monday at an Israeli military checkpoint for allegedly attempting to stab a Border Guard officer, Israeli media reported. According to Israeli news site Ynet the woman was from Bethlehem and was taken for questioning after the officer took control of the woman during the reported….
Lieberman: Europe should fix itself first
10/11/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s foreign minister told his French and Spanish counterparts on Sunday to solve problems in Europe before Israel will listen to European advice, Israeli press reported.”I don’t expect you to solve the problems of the world, but I certainly expect that before you come here to…. Related: Europe FMs dismiss Lieberman comments
PA rejects demand on Jewish state for freeze
10/11/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority on Monday rejected a demand earlier by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in exchange for an extension to a settlement freeze. President Mahmoud Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh told British news wire Reuters that a return to peace talks required a…. Related: Israel PM offers freeze for recognition of Israel as Jewish state
Israel PM offers freeze for recognition of Israel as Jewish state
10/11/2010 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on the Palestinian Authority to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in exchange for an extension to a settlement construction moratorium on Monday, Israeli media reported. Israeli daily Haaretz said Netanyahu made the offer before the Israeli parliament, saying “If the Palestinian leadership will…. Related: PA rejects demand on Jewish state for freeze
Europe FMs dismiss Lieberman comments
10/11/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Spain’s foreign minister dismissed comments Monday by his Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman that the EU should resolve internal conflicts before attempting to find solutions for the Middle East, Israeli media reported. Miguel Moratinos said Lieberman’s remarks were prompted by Europe’s vital role in the Middle…. Related: Lieberman: Europe should fix itself first
Fayyad signs €30 million deal with Spanish FM
10/11/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Spain pledged to offer ‚Ǩ30 million to support the Palestinian Authority after signing an agreement between the country’s foreign minister Miguel Moratinos and premier Salam Fayyad. Fayyad met with Moratinos and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner to discuss political developments and dangers to the peace process, where he….
Fatah: Netanyahu demand ‘new obstacle’ to talks
10/11/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Fatah described Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand that the Palestinian Authority recognize Israel asJewish state for the extension of a moratorium on West Bank settlement construction as a “new obstacle in reviving negotiations,” on Monday. Party spokesman Ahmad Assaf said the condition “proves false claims by the Israeli government….
Report: New arrest revealed in Mabhouh hit
10/11/2010 – DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Ma’an) — The Dubai chief of police said a major suspect in the assassination of a Hamas official was arrested in a western country two months ago, UAE press reported Monday. According to English-language daily The National, authorities in the country asked that nothing be made public on the suspect….
PA: Hamas is dividing homeland
10/11/2010 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority on Sunday said Hamas was acting to socially and economically separate Gaza from the West Bank. Ministers at a weekly Cabinet meeting condemned Hamas’ imposition of import duty on goods entering Gaza from the West Bank. Further, the Gaza government was forcing companies registered in Ramallah to….
PA funds municipal projects in East Jerusalem
10/11/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority has been funding municipal projects in East Jerusalem after residents complained that the Israel Jerusalem municipality failed to meet their needs, despite paying taxes, a spokesman told Ma’an on Monday. PA spokesman Ghassan Al-Khatib said the Ramallah-based government was funding a number of projects in the….
PA denies backing textbook with Zionist narrative
10/11/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — A Palestinian Authority Ministry of Education official denied on Monday approving a textbook which teaches schoolchildren the Zionist and Palestinian narrative. A member of the PA ministry’s curriculum committee Thwarwat Zaid rebuffed a report in Israeli daily Haaretz that the textbook had been approved and said the committee neither…. Related: PA approves textbook teaching Zionist narrative
President’s office rebuffs rumors of Abbas resignation
10/11/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas will continue on as leader of the Palestinian Authority, the secretary-general of the president’s office said Monday. Abdul Rahim said reports of Abbas’ resignation and the dismantling of the PA were “all rumors to lower the spirits of the Palestinians,” as he received the Tunisian….
Couple’s 10th child born at 10.10 on 10/10/10
10/11/2010 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — A Palestinian woman gave birth to her tenth child at 10. 10 a. m. on 10 October 2010. Nidal Al-Ouwaiwi said his new son was a gift from God.”People pay money to get lucky numbers, God has given us Saif Ad-Din with special numbers.”Al-Ouwaiwi and his wife Um As-Said….
Protest organizer in Bil’in sentenced to year in jail for “incitement”
Palestine Note 11 Oct 2010 – Washington – The coordinator of the Bil’in Popular Committee Against the Wall and the Settlements, Abdullah Abu Rahmah, has been sentenced to a year in jail and a $1400 fine by an Israeli military court for…
Israel offers conditional settlements freeze, PA rejects
Palestine Note 11 Oct 2010 – Washington – The Israeli government has offered to extend the settlement freeze in exchange for Palestinian recognition of Israel as a Jewish state. Reuters quotes the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as saying, “If the Palestinian…
FM Lieberman tells Europe to solve its own problems
Palestine Note 11 Oct 2010 – Washington – Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman made controversial headlines again when he met with his French and Spanish counterparts in Jerusalem this past weekend, reportedly saying that Europe should solve its own problems before it…
Deputy PM: Citizenship Act detrimental to Israel
Palestine Note 11 Oct 2010 – Top Likud member opposes the passing of a “loyalty oath” Washington – Israeli Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Intelligence Dan Meridor has spoken to Ynet News of his opposition to the Citizenship Act, a bill…
Palestinians reject Netanyahu terms
AlJazeera 11 Oct 2010 – Leader wants Israel’s recognition as a Jewish state in exchange for extension of partial freeze on settlement growth.
Israel jails Palestinian activist
AlJazeera 11 Oct 2010 – Israeli court hands Abu Rahma one-year jail term after accusing him of being behind West Bank wall protests.
Iran arrests ‘foreign journalists’
AlJazeera 11 Oct 2010 – Two “German nationals” travelling on tourist visas alleged to have interviewed son of woman facing execution by stoning.
Beit Safafa Schools: Overcrowded and Without Services, and With Two Curricula Under One Roof
PNN – Beit Safafa, about 10 kilometers from Jerusalem, has overcrowded schools whose classrooms are too small, and it suffers from a unique condition: it uses both Israeli and Palestinian curricula.Abdulkarim Lafi, an engineer…
East Jerusalem Street Repairs Funded by Palestinian Authority
PNN – The neighbor lies within the Israeli Municipal boundaries, but has not had the proper attention to the streets by Israel. The infrastructure was in major need of upgrading and repair, but with…
Ehsan Dababseh: I’m Happy to Spread the Video, But I Don’t Expect Results from the Investigation
PNN – At the end of her term, a video was made showing a group of occupation soldiers dancing around her as she remains bound and blindfolded. Offensive to the dignity of prisoners and…
Cooking for the Wedding… where Men Excel over Women
PNN – As restaurants and hotels compete to prepare the feast, the duty of cooking must fall to a man—as opposed to the usual picture, which ties the woman to the kitchen.Mahmoud Salah, a…
“Sins”: A Social Message through Creative Movements
PNN – A girl enters, also in tatters, and begins to walk in synchrony with the shrill music amidst them, as if walking through a sleeping family. She approaches one of the barrels, in…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (30 September — 06 October 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Organizes Rule of Law and Universal Jurisdiction Conference: October 15 — 17, Malaga, Spain
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Ref: 77/2010 From 15 — 17 October, 2010, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) will organize a rule of law and universal jurisdiction conference in Malaga, Spain. The conference will address issues relating to the enforcement of international humanitarian and human rights law, with particular focus on both universal jurisdiction and the International Criminal Court. The purpose of the
Migrant Workers Hotline goes to court over kindergarteners
Jeruslalem Post 12 Oct 2010 – 19 kids born to foreign workers had applications to remain in Israel rejected because they don’t meet age criteria.
Dershowitz spars over how to defend Israel on US campuses
Jeruslalem Post 12 Oct 2010 – “The important point is to fight back,” Harvard law professor told the dozens of students among 800 activists.
Hamas won’t deliver letters to or from Schalit
Jeruslalem Post 12 Oct 2010 – Group official denies reports that Red Cross had recently delivered letters from the family to Schalit.
Knesset panel debates rock-throwing youths in J’lem
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – At Knesset hearing on youth violence in Silwan, arguments erupt between National Union MK Michael Ben-Ari, United Arab List MK Taleb A-Sanaa.
Parents demonstrate near fatal Jerusalem accident site
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – On October 6, a six-year-old boy was killed in a three-car collision; four others were wounded, including his sister, age five.
Barak, Rivlin blast ministers for okaying referendum bill
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Defense minister: Law, which would require national referendum in any case in which Israel agrees to hand over annexed areas, unnecessary.
French, Spanish FMs miffed at leak of Lieberman rebuke
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – FM denies he apologized for telling Europe to mind its own business.
Abbas to Arab League: Israel has violated all agreements
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Abbas also sought the backing of the three countries for his intention to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state if the peace process fails.
Settlers tell PM: Respond to PA rejectionism by building
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Settler leaders call on Netanyahu to issue new Jewish West Bank building tenders in response to PA’s rejection; Efrat Council head tells ‘Post’ we understand that there is no partner for negotiations.”
Labor ministers: Obama keeping coalition intact
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Barak resists faction’s pressure to issue ultimatum on staying in gov’t based on progress in talks with PA.
Kutcher talks Twitter, ‘hasbara’ at Tel Aviv expo
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Star says Israel needs to showcase its “smart, intelligent, bright, caring people who are looking for solutions in the world.”
Protests against Swiss failure to uphold Iran sanctions
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – The Stop the Bomb coalition holds demonstrations; Israel slams energy giant EGL for ignoring sanctions.
‘If PA reject Jewish state, authorize W.Bank building’
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Settler leaders call on PM to issue new Jewish West Bank building tenders in response to PA’s rejection; Efrat Council head tells ‘Post’ we understand that there is no partner for negotiations.”
Syrian president accuses Israel of working against peace
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Assad says Arab side really wants peace process and Israeli side is working in opposite direction after meeting with Turkey’s Erdogan.
Palestinians reject PM’s building freeze offer
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Spokesman for PA President Mahmoud Abbas reject Netanyahu’s offer to extend moratorium for recognition of Israel as the Jewish homeland, says the two issues are not connected.
Netanyahu: Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – PM speaks at official opening of Knesset winter session; Peres: It’s up to our generation to make peace; Rivlin: Gov’t trying to impose a “mini-presidency.”
‘Even a child, if endangering one’s life, should be shot’
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Emergency Knesset meeting of Committee for Rights of the Child examines issue of youth throwing stones in east Jerusalem.
Spy cell cooperating with Israel detained by Lebanese
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Lebanese media sources say Israeli intelligence services requested information on missing IAF navigator Ron Arad in return for money.
Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore share ‘love, light’ in Israel
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Communication is key word for Hollywood couple’s current visit as pair reportedly renew wedding vows, talk social networking in Tel Aviv.
J’lem named top travel culture, sightseeing destination
Jeruslalem Post 11 Oct 2010 – Other destinations on top 10 list include London, New York, Paris, Rome, Washington, as well as Florence, Venice, Istanbul and Siem Reap, Cambodia. Jerusalem ranked seventh.
International Solidarity Movement
Weekly demonstrations: Israeli soldiers retreat when the sheeps arrive in Al-Ma`sara
10/11/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 8 and 9 October 2010 – Friday demonstrations – Al-Ma`sara – On Friday afternoon, around 50 protesters, including many international and Israeli activists, gathered in the village of Al-Ma’sara, near Bethlehem, to demonstrate against the theft of village land by the Gush Etzion settlement block. Soldiers were waiting the demonstrators at the exit of the village….
A tour of the maze of Israeli (in)justice
10/11/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – by Stella – Ron, the Irish activist arrested during the peaceful demo in Beit Ummar, will remain in prison till the 12th of October. On Sunday we went to see Ron’s trial at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem early in the morning, because they didn’t give us the exact time when it….
Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah sentenced to a year in prison
10/11/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – Bil’in protest organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment today, for his involvement in his village’s unarmed struggle against the wall. Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced today to 12 months in prison, plus 6 months suspended sentence for 3 years and a fine of…. Related: Army court sentences protest leader to 1 year
State Control Committee to monitor illegal Arab structures from E. J’lem settler stronghold
Ha’aretz – Committee to visit Beit Yonatan in Silwan and discuss illegal building in East Jerusalem.
Yeshiva student charged with assault on racial grounds
Ha’aretz – Raziel Azulay from Tiberias accused of attacking and severely injuring Arab man for meeting with Jewish women.
Netanyahu offers settlement freeze in return for recognition as Jewish state, Palestinians say no
Ha’aretz – Prime minister says Israel will extend settlement freeze if the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state, Abbas spokesman says ‘issue of Jewishness of the state has nothing to do…
Ministerial panel decides: Territorial concessions only by referendum
Ha’aretz – Knesset committee to support bill outlining procedural implementation of referendum, making previously approved law viable.
‘Israel should treat its minorities the way we always wanted to be treated’
Ha’aretz – Intelligence minister Dan Meridor says requiring loyalty oath to ‘Jewish and democratic state’ will alienate Arab public in Israel.
Rightist website marks anniversary of Rabin’s murder – with a conspiracy theory contest
Ha’aretz – Arutz Sheva’s Hebrew site promises to publish the ‘most interesting’ theory about the assassination of the prime minister in 1995.
Israeli academic: Loyalty oath resembles racist laws of 1935
Ha’aretz – Over 100 people demonstrated against loyalty oath in Tel Aviv; warn ‘Israel is becoming a fascist state.’
French, Spanish FMs: Lieberman violated every rule of diplomacy
Ha’aretz – European foreign ministers furious with Israeli counterpart, who told them to ‘solve their own problems before they complain to Israel.’
Lieberman: Israel will not be the Czechoslovakia of 2010
Ha’aretz – The foreign minister tells his French and Spanish counterparts, ‘Solve your own problems in Europe before you come to us.’
Shas party split on settlement freeze extension
Ha’aretz – Eli Yishai says Ovadia Yosef opposes any form of a settlement freeze extension; Ariel Attias, however, says Shas would not stand in the way of two-month extension.
Peres: Alternative to peace is dangerous
Ha’aretz – French and Spanish foreign ministers Bernard Kouchner and Miguel Moratinos meet with Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on first day of their Middle East trip., French FM Bernard Kouchner says that…
Arab League members at odds over role in Mideast peace process
Ha’aretz – Syria: League has no authority to give PA license to continue negotiations; Abbas threatens to step down if Mideast talks break down, say aides.
Israeli settlers started expanding settlements in WB
11 Oct 2010 – Nablus, October 11, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli settlers began a few days ago to continue working on building a new settlement as an expansion to “Sha’rat Tikva” settlement which is built on the territory of the people living in the town of Beit Amin and the village’s governorate of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank. Witnesses said that the construction work…
IOF arrests 3 from WB
11 Oct 2010 – Hebron, October 11, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli occupation forces arrested at dawn today three citizens of Hebron and Bethlehem in the southern West Bank, including a university student. In Hebron, specifically the town “Dura” was raided by the Israeli occupation forces at three in the morning searching the student’s home, Iyad Jamil Ahmed Alama (25 years) before his arrest and then…
Ireland cancels buying weapons from Israel
11 Oct 2010 – Jerusalem, October 11, (Pal Telegraph) According to the Israeli newspaper “Maariv” today, the Irish Ministry of Defense h canceled a deal held with “Israel” on providing the IRA each year by more than 20 million rounds of ammunition used by Irish military forces. The newspaper quoted an Irish newspaper saying: “After the purchase of the Irish Ministry of Defense during…
Israel prosecutes local peace activist
11 Oct 2010 – Ramallah, October 11, (Pal Telegraph) A military court in Ofer prison, west of Ramallah, is expected to issue today its final ruling against the Palestinian activist and coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Separation Wall in Bil’in, Abdullah Abu Rahma. The prosecution of the Israeli military court pointed earlier charges of incitement and organizing illegal demonstrations against Abu Rahma,…
Israel opens Gaza’s commercial crossings
11 Oct 2010 – Gaza, October 11, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli occupation authorities decided to open today the Kerem Abu Salem and Karni commercial crossings for the entry of dozens of trucks carrying aid and industrial fuel to the Gaza Strip. Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Gaza’s Supplies, Raed Fattouh, said that Israeli occupation authorities will allow the entry of between 190-200 trucks through…
PA rejects demand on Jewish state for freeze
Uruknet October 11, 2010 — The Palestinian Authority on Monday rejected a demand earlier by Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Israel as a Jewish state in exchange for an extension to a settlement freeze. President Mahmoud Abbas’ spokesman Nabil Abu Rudaineh told British news wire Reuters that a return to peace talks required a freeze on Israel’s settlement building. “…
Trying to watch the stars in the Palestinian desert
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – I think my friend Ahmed is bored. I think that when I rock up from Britain for another hectic visit to Palestine, I provide an excuse for him to go to places he hasn’t been since his youthful days as a tour guide during the busy Oslo years of the mid-1990s, before the uprising of…
Introducing ethnic cleansing
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – … Israeli police and army recently concluded an extensive drill, practicing response to “riots” that would follow the signing of a peace agreement covering “population exchange” […] Menashe’s report also notes the Prison Service is prepared [sic] to release 1,500 illegal aliens from Israeli prisons to absorb new Palestinian detainees within 24 hours, although it’s unclear whether…
How good news became bad for Gaza
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – Hasan Abu Dan still has at hand a single pair of trendy River Woman grey denim shorts, ending just above the knee and complete with Hebrew price label, to remind him of just what a traumatic year 2007 was for his family’s garment business. For when Hamas seized control of Gaza after the collapse of…
Video: Looting the Holy Land
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – Since 1967 countless artifacts have been unearthed and removed from the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. Many are displayed in Israeli museums and private collections, while others are sold to tourists. Al Jazeera searches through the evidence, unearthing the facts and exposing a power struggle in which every stone has meaning…
Exclusive eye-witness account: Universal Jurisdiction on trial
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – When I was being held in Israel in 2007 and undergoing a 12-hour interrogation session I remember my interrogator saying to me as he shrugged his shoulders ‘International Law? What is that?’ I asked him if he believed he was above International Law and he said ‘of course; we are the Law.’ I remember a…
Corrie family appeals decision allowing soldiers to testify behind screen
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – Lawyers for the family of Rachel Corrie filed an appeal with the Israeli Supreme Court on Sunday, challenging a decision to allow soldiers to testify behind a screen in the lawsuit filed against the State of Israel for the unlawful killing of the American peace activist in Rafah, Gaza. State attorneys made the highly unusual…
Benny Morris: The pseudo-liberal, the bona-fide fascist
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – Benny Morris, a Zionist historian turned fascist, has been trying so desperately to convince the English-speaking world that Jewish fascism, otherwise known as Zionism, is totally compatible with western liberal traditions. A few years ago, Morris remarked that Israel should have “finished the job” in 1948 by massacring and expelling all native Palestinians. Apart from…
Israel’s loyalty oath: Discriminatory by design
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – There are two narratives at work in Israel that have a bearing on the capacity of its leaders to negotiate the creation of an independent Palestinian state next to it. The first is official and intended for external consumption. It is the one that claims Israel is ready to sit down with the Palestinians in…
I Pledge Allegiance to What?
Uruknet October 11, 2010 – Sometimes, Israeli leaders go so far to the extreme that the Palestinians don’t need to do anything additional to embarrass them. This is one of those times. While Palestinians have tirelessly put their best efforts forth to prove to the world that Israel promotes racist ideals and forcefully puts them into practice, the Israeli cabinet…
Open Letter to JNF: Equal Rights, Sustainable Development for Negev, Not Dispossession of Bedouin!
Alternative Information Center – An Open Letter to Ronald Lauder, Stanley Chesley, Russell Robinson and the entire leadership of the Jewish National Fund:¬† Equal rights, sustainability, and development for Israel ‘s Negev — not dispossession of the Bedouin!
Trial for ISM Activist Rachel Corrie Continues in Israel
Alternative Information Center – The trial for Rachel Corrie, the International Solidarity Mission (ISM) activist killed in Gaza by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003, continues in the Israeli city of Haifa , with the state presenting witnesses.
Israeli Government Backs Referendum Bill
WAFA – TEL AVIV, October 11, 2010 (WAFA)- The Israeli Ministerial Committee on Legislation approved Monday the referendum bill mandating that any government decision on ceding Israeli annexed territories
Citizenship Law Amendment Sparks Condemnation from Palestinians, Israelis
WAFA –
French, Spanish FMs: Lieberman Violated Every Rule of Diplomacy
WAFA – TEL AVIV, October 11, 2010 (WAFA)- The foreign ministers of Spain and France were furious with their Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman, telling him Monday morning during a phone conversation that
British Foreign Secretary: We must Make Progress on Peace Process
WAFA – LONDON, October 11, 2010 (WAFA)- British Foreign Secretary William Hague commends the leadership of
Israel MPs trade barbs over East Jerusalem hit-and-run
Daily Star 11 Oct 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Tensions over an incident in which a Jewish settler leader ran over two stone-throwing Palestinian boys in a flashpoint district of occupied East Jerusalem spilled over into the Israeli parliament on Monday. Ultra-nationalist Jewish…
Tehran ‘to show proof’ Israel’s nukes from US
Daily Star 11 Oct 2010 TEHRAN: Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said on Monday that Tehran is to reveal proof of how nuclear material enriched by United States was delivered to the Islamic Republic’s arch-foe Israel. “We will soon publish…
Iran arrests ‘fake journalists’ reporting on stoning case
Daily Star 11 Oct 2010 TEHRAN: Iran said on Monday it has arrested two foreigners who posed as journalists to interview the son of a woman facing execution by stoning, in a case that triggered international condemnation.Public prosecutor Gholam Hossein Mohseni…
Chinese security minister inks cooperation pact with Saudis
Daily Star 11 Oct 2010 RIYADH: China and Saudi Arabia have agreed to set up a joint security commission, in the latest sign of growing ties between the two countries, the kingdom’s official SPA news agency reported on Monday. Public Security…
Rights group protest jailing of eight Syrian Islamists
Daily Star 11 Oct 2010 DAMASCUS: A Syrian security court has sentenced eight Islamists to jail terms ranging from three to six years for membership of a “secret” organization, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said late on Sunday. Three people…
Bahrain election drive muted despite sectarian tensions
Daily Star 11 Oct 2010 MANAMA: Political posters are sprouting in Bahrain ahead of elections next week that lack luster despite security fears and sectarian tensions fueled by the arrest of Shiite activists. Analysts say campaigning in the Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom…
Israeli troops accused of shooting children in Gaza
The Guardian 11 Oct 2010 – ‚Ä¢ Victims were scavenging for rubble, say rights groups ‚Ä¢ Attacks allegedly took place outside 300-metre buffer zone At least 10 Palestinian children have been shot and wounded by Israeli troops in the past three months…
OPT: UNRWA dedicates Jenin School to Sheikh Ahmed Bin Zayed
Relief Web 11 Oct 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
OPT: The Case of Sheikh Jarrah – Updated version, October 2010
Relief Web 11 Oct 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Presidential Memorandum – Providing Funds to the Palestinian Authority
Relief Web 11 Oct 2010 – Source: Government of the United States of America
8th Week against the Apartheid Wall, November 9 — 16 2010
Stop The Wall – [
Calendar of collective olive harvest initiatives
Stop The Wall – The Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign and its popular committees are coordinating collective efforts to safeguard the annual olive harvest.
Assad: Israel’s loyalty oath racist
YNet News – After meeting Turkish leader, Syrian president slams cabinet’s approval of….
Iran says has proof of US nuclear aid to Israel
YNet News – Tehran’s nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili says Islamic Republic has tangible….
Spanish FM: Europe has vital role in Middle East
YNet News – French, Spanish foreign minister brush-off Avigdor Lieberman’s suggestion that….
Lebanon arrests spy ‘looking for info on Ron Arad’
YNet News – Beirut’s media reports Lebanese intelligence has uncovered new espionage ring….
Meridor: This isn’t the Israel we know
YNet News – Minister of Intelligence Services sees new amendment to Citizenship Act as….
Israel silent ahead of Ahmadinejad visit to Lebanon: ‘He’s his own worst enemy’
YNet News – “We don’t need a campaign, because Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is creating a negative PR campaign for himself,” Foreign Ministry sources said while explaining Israel’s silence …….
Settlers: No Jewish state without West Bank construction
YNet News – “What kind of Jewish state will this become if only Jews are prohibited from building homes?” the Yesha Council said Monday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said …….
Sculptor of Knesset wall: I’m just as loyal as Lieberman
YNet News – Protests against Citizenship Act amendment still going strong: Israel Prize laureate, sculptor Dani Karavan , who created the well known southern wall in the Knesset …….
Iran arrests ‘fake journalists’ who interviewed Ashtiani’s son
YNet News – Iran said on Monday it has arrested two foreigners who posed as journalists to interview the son of a woman facing execution by stoning, in a case that triggered …….
Suspicion: Man forced woman to breastfeed girls aged 9, 10
YNet News – Police arrested a 37-year-old resident of central Israel on Sunday on suspicion that he had sexually harassed and committed lewd acts on his friend’s wife. The man, a …….
Dark shadow hangs over conviction of protest leader
B’tselem 10 Oct 2010 – Abdallah Abu Rahma, to be sentenced today (11.10.10), was convicted inciting demonstrators to throw stones and of organizing and participating in an illegal demonstration based on questionable testimonies by minors.
Palestinian Information Center
Hamas: Shalit deal closed, mediators have pulled out
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – Hamas leader Dr. Osama Al Muzaini said Germany will no longer mediate in prisoner deal after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reneged on previous agreements thwarting the deal.
Ghoul: Isolating prisoners a war crime
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – Minister of prisoners in Gaza Dr. Mohammed Al-Ghoul has described the Israeli occupation authority’s (IOA) policy of isolating Palestinian prisoners as a war crime.
Bahar: Amendment to Israeli citizenship law a humanitarian crime
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – PLC first deputy speaker Dr. Ahmed Bahar said Israeli government’s decision to approve an amendment on its citizenship law is a “legal and humanitarian crime”.
Ashqar: Security coordination with IOA topmost obstacle before reconciliation
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – Hamas MP Ismail Al-Ashqar has said that the Fatah-controlled authority in Ramallah’s security coordination with the IOA was the biggest obstacle in face of national reconciliation.
Abbas proposes int’l mandate from UN on territories after failed talks
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – Saeb Erekat said Abbas, meeting with Arab leaders in Sirte summit, proposed seeking international mandate from UN on 1967 occupied Palestinian territories as an alternative for failed talks.
Israel endorses referendum on withdrawal from Jerusalem, Golan
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – The Israeli ministerial committee entrusted with legislation has endorsed a draft law making it imperative to hold a referendum on any future Israeli withdrawal from land under “Israel’s sovereignty”.
Dubai police: A prime suspect in Mabhouh case was arrested outside UAE
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan announced that a prime suspect in the assassination of Hamas official Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai was arrested abroad, according to the UAE National newspaper.
PA education ministry to introduce Israeli history book into W. Bank schools
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – The Palestinian Authority’s ministry of education accepted to introduce a new book into West Bank schools addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict according to the Israeli point of view.
PA security spokesman holds Hamas responsible for death of its fighters
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – Security Spokesman for the PA Adnan Al-Dhameri exonerated the Israeli occupation forces and the PA security forces of the assassination of two Palestinian resistance fighters in Al-Khalil city.
Lawyers of flotilla victims push int’l court to prosecute Israel
PIC 11 Oct 2010 – Lawyers representing Freedom Flotilla victims have filed requests to the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israel on charges of crimes against humanity.
Lebanon, neighbors brace for Ahmadinejad visit
LA Times 11 Oct 2010 – Some in Lebanon, as well as Israel and the U.S., fear that the Iranian leader’s visit, which includes stops in Hezbollah’s stronghold in the south near Israel, will add to regional instability. From dozens of giant billboards mounted on overpasses and hundreds of smaller placards along highways near the Israeli border, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s image peers out, half-smiling and one hand held in an informal salute.
News Analysis: Netanyahu’s Moves Spark Debate on Intentions
New York Times 11 Oct 2010 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel offered to freeze settlements in exchange for Palestinian recognition.
World Briefing | Middle East: At Synod With Mideast Bishops, Pope Condemns Terror Ideologies
New York Times 11 Oct 2010 – Pope Benedict XVI opened a two-week synod of Catholic bishops from the Middle East by condemning terrorist ideologies carried out in “God’s name.”
HEBRON: Open Shuhada St. movement changes tactics
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
AT-TUWANI: After a long struggle, At-Tuwani on the grid.
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
Rachel Corrie Trial: Commander Forgets What Happened
Palestine Monitor – The ongoing civil lawsuit lodged by Rachel Corrie’s family against the state of Israel for the unlawful killing of their daughter resumed on Thursday, October 7. The trial, which first began on March 10, is seeking prosecution for the killing of Rachel on March 23, 2003…
Bil’in leader Abdallah Abu Rahmah sentenced to a year in prison for organizing nonviolent protests against the Wall
Mondoweiss – The following press release was issued today by the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee : Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced today to 12 months in prison, plus 6 months suspended sentence for 3 years and a fine of 5,000 NIS. In the sentencing, the judge cited the non-implementation…
Turn right at the end: The future of a country that gave up on democracy
Mondoweiss РSivan Hurvitz is a a graphic designer and illustrator, living and working in Tel Aviv. Learn more about her work by visiting her portfolio and her website . Click on each image to enlarge.            
Follow Mondoweiss on the Kindle
Mondoweiss – You asked and we delivered. You can now subscribe to Mondoweiss on Amazon’s Kindle . Just another way to follow the action. Also remember, you can also follow us on Twitter , Facebook , and through our new email newsletter (there is a sign up form in the right-hand…
Israel’s ethnic cleansing drill a result of nationalists adopting the two-state solution
Mondoweiss – Cross-posted from Dimi’s Notes . Noam Sheizaf ¬† reports¬† on his blog the police and army recently concluded an extensive drill, practicing response to riots that would follow the signing of a peace agreement covering “population exchange”. Here is a verbatim translation of the very careful phrasing…
‘We wouldn’t eat their sandwiches!’ —an interview with Lillian Rosengarten
Mondoweiss – Lillian Rosengarten, the only American on the Jewish boat to Gaza , lives near me in the Hudson Valley, and the other day I visited her to interview her about her experience on the British-flagged catamaran that the Israelis had intercepted on the high seas on September…
Abbas Told Arab Summit Israel Has “Cancelled Oslo”
Al-Manar 11 Oct 2010 – Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas told Arab leaders over the weekend that Israel has in effect scrapped the 1993 Oslo accords it has signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), chief negotiator Saeb Erakat told AFP on Monday. ¬†¬† He accused Israel of having stripped the Palestinian…
Flotilla Activist Repeats Gaza Trip
Al-Manar 10 Nov 2010 – A pro-Palestinian activist, who was aboard the Freedom Flotilla, is making another attempt as part of a new aid convoy to break Israel’s siege of the Gaza Strip. ¬† Ali El-Awaisi from Dundee, Scotland departed for the impoverished coastal sliver on Friday as part of the “…
Free Abdallah Abu Rahmah
Joseph Dana 11 Oct 2010 – Bil’in Popular Committee Chairman Abdallah Abu Rahmah was¬†sentenced¬†to one year in jail this afternoon for non-violent resistance to Israeli occupation. The time for international support of Abdallah Abu Rahmah and the popular unarmed struggle is now! ¬†Please visit the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee for more¬†information¬†on how…
Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah sentenced to a year in prison
Joseph Dana 11 Oct 2010 – Bil’in protest organizer Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment today, for his involvement in his village’s unarmed struggle against the wall. Abdullah Abu Rahmeh sits inside the courtoom at Ofer military jail near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Monday, Oct. 11, 2010….
Bil’in’s Abdallah Abu Rahmah’s to be sentenced TOMORROW
Joseph Dana 10 Oct 2010 – The protest leader, whose been pronounced a human rights defender by the EU, is already imprisoned for 10 months and is facing a potentially harsh sentence. Abdallah Abu Rahmah at the Ofer Military Court during his trial. Picture Credit: Oren Ziv Tomorrow, Monday, October 11 th ,…
Palestinians reject Israel offer
BBC 11 Oct 2010 – Palestinian officials reject an offer by the Israeli government to halt settlement construction if the Palestinians recognise Israel as a “Jewish state”.
‘German journalists’ held in Iran
BBC 11 Oct 2010 – Iranian officials say they have arrested two foreign nationals who interviewed the family of a woman who faces a death sentence for adultery.
Israeli debate after boys injured
BBC 11 Oct 2010 – The Israeli parliament debates the rolr of children in violence after two Palestinian boys were run over and injured by a right-wing activist.
Fix Europe first, Israeli FM says
BBC 11 Oct 2010 – Israel’s foreign minister tells his counterparts from France and Spain to solve Europe’s problems before taking on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
His Father’s Boy
Antiwar.com 11 Oct 2010 – Which is the real Netanyahu? Bibi the weakling, the invertebrate, who always gives in to pressure, who zigzags to the left and to the right, depending whether the pressure comes from the U.S. or from his coalition partners?The tricky Likud chief, who is afraid that Avigdor…
Articles
Israel’s loyalty oath: Discriminatory by design
Editorial, The Guardian 10/11/2010
      New pledge requires future citizens declare their loyalty to an ideology, one intended to exclude Palestinians
¬†¬†¬†¬† There are two narratives at work in Israel that have a bearing on the capacity of its leaders to negotiate the creation of an independent Palestinian state next to it. The first is official and intended for external consumption. It is the one that claims Israel is ready to sit down with the Palestinians in direct talks without preconditions and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, should not have wasted so much of the 10 month partial freeze on settlement building before he did so. On Saturday, America was given another month by the Arab League to persuade Binyamin Netanyahu’s government to halt settlement building, the bare minimum required for talks to continue.
¬†¬†¬†¬† There is however a second narrative, which could be called business as usual, and it has nothing to do with occupation, Iran’s nuclear programme, Hizbullah’s rocket arsenal, or any threat which could be called existential. This was evident in all its inglory yesterday when the Israeli cabinet approved a measure requiring candidates for Israeli citizenship to pledge loyalty to “the state of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state”. The naturalisation oath would not apply to Jews, who are granted automatic citizenship under the law of return, so it is, by definition, discriminatory. The existing text binds individuals to declare their loyalty to the state of Israel. The new version requires future citizens to declare their loyalty not just to a state but an ideology, one specifically designed to exclude one fifth of its citizens who see themselves as Palestinian.
¬†¬†¬†¬† Palestinian Israeli leaders have described this proposal as racist. Palestinian Israeli citizens do not have to take this oath, but their partners seeking naturalisation do. Neither could agree with Israel’s characterisation of itself as a Jewish state. It could be a state of Jews and all its citizens, but never a Jewish state. Nor is this the only bill around. There are 20 others in the slipstream that have a similar effect…. more.. e-mail
Noam Chomsky in Turkey: EU racism, Kurds, Gaza Flotilla Attack
Fatma Demirelli, Todays Zaman, Israeli Occupation Archive 10/11/2010
¬†¬†¬†¬†¬† Resistance to Turkey’s membership in the European Union on grounds that it lags behind fulfilling human rights criteria is not fully unjustified, but, according to Noam Chomsky — the world-renowned US linguist and political scientist — the key reason why Turkey is unlikely to join the EU is European racism.
¬†¬†¬†¬† “Europe can claim with some justification that Turkey has not satisfied all of the human rights conditions. On the other hand, I don’t really think this is the reason. …I think it is plain racism,” Chomsky told Today’s Zaman in an interview on Sunday.
¬†¬†¬†¬† He pointed to a recent statement by German Chancellor Angela Merkel — in which Merkel said that Germany’s culture was based on Christian and Jewish values and that Muslims in the country should accept this — and said that, apart from the fact Merkel mentioned Jewish values because of the Holocaust and not because Jewish values really shaped German culture, it was “a pretty extreme and racist statement from a major political figure in Europe.”
¬†¬†¬†¬† According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) professor, Germany is only one of the European countries where one can see a “rightwing backlash against Muslim immigrants” and: “It is the background reason why Turkey is unlikely to be accepted into the EU, even if it meets all the human rights standards.”
¬†¬†¬†¬† ….On another development that strained Turkish-US relations, namely the Israeli raid on an aid flotilla on May 31 which killed eight Turks and one Turkish American, Chomsky was straightforward in condemning Israel.
¬†¬†¬†¬† “This is clearly a serious criminal attack,” he said. “It is hijacking in international waters and there were quite brutal murders.” But, although this case is more extreme than others, he said, Israel’s “hijacking ships in international waters, kidnapping people, killing them sometimes, bringing them to Israel, keeping them hostages in prisons for long periods” have been going on for at least 30 years, and Israel can continue those actions because it is tolerated by the United States. — See also: Source more.. e-mail
Hope, and How Not to Visit Palestine
Robin Yassin-Kassab, Palestine Think Tank 10/8/2010
¬†¬†¬†¬†¬† My visit to Nablus coincided with the first Palestinian Human Rights Film Festival at an-Najah University. Even better than the films shown were the panel discussions afterwards, on issues such as refugees, resistance and women’s rights. The first film I saw was “To Shoot an Elephant” (watch it here), a brutal, highly-recommended documentary shot by International Solidarity Movement activists who happened to be in Gaza as the 2008/09 massacre unfolded. After the screening the audience communicated with director Alberto Arce via a video link-up to Spain. (Alberto is permanently banned from entry into Israeli-controlled territory.)
¬†¬†¬†¬† Alberto said this: “It is not my job to tell the Palestinians what to do. It’s my job to support the Palestinians and to witness what’s happening to them. The Palestinians have suffered so much from the actions of foreigners, and foreigners have no right to impose their beliefs on Palestinians.”
¬†¬†¬†¬† Later he argued that one factor behind changing Western attitudes to Israel-Palestine has been the great hospitality of Palestinians, who have welcomed thousands of foreign visitors and volunteers into their towns, camps and homes over the last decade. Once these foreigners have an opportunity to experience daily life in Palestine they become ambassadors of the Palestinian cause in their home countries. Alberto cautioned, however, that besieged Gaza has recently become less welcoming to non-Muslim outsiders. The understandably paranoid Hamas government fears the foreigners are spies calling in air strikes, and many of Gaza’s traumatised younger generation, who have seen the West joining wholeheartedly in Israel’s siege of the prison territory, are unwilling or unable to distinguish between Western governments and people.
¬†¬†¬†¬† On the comparatively less-stressed West Bank, foreigners are still very welcome (and tougher, more experienced activists will of course still be able to make themselves at home in Gaza, which needs more witnesses and helpers than ever)…. more.. e-mail
Alvin Ailey: don’t dance around Israeli apartheid
Electronic Intifada: 11 Oct 2010 – The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) is deeply disturbed by news reports that your company plans to participate, later this month, in the fourth annual Tel Aviv Dance Festival, an initiative sponsored by the Tel Aviv Municipality and cultural institutions that are complicit in maintaining Israel’s system of colonial oppression.more
Israel’s other “peace” plan: arm-twisting Obama
Electronic Intifada: 11 Oct 2010 – Rather than investing wasted energy in doomed talks, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators appear to be adopting the same alternative strategy: cutting a deal directly with Washington that circumvents the other party. Jonathan Cook analyzes.more
Trying to watch the stars in the Palestinian desert
Electronic Intifada: 11 Oct 2010 – The Electronic Intifada contributor Sarah Irving recounts an attempt to enjoy the Palestinian night sky despite the obstacles of the occupation.more
Rachel Corrie Trial: Commander Forgets What Happened
Palestine Monitor: 11 Oct 2010 – The ongoing civil lawsuit lodged by Rachel Corrie’s family against the state of Israel for the unlawful killing of their daughter resumed on Thursday, October 7. The trial, which first began on March 10, is seeking prosecution for the killing of Rachel on March 23, 2003 in Rafah, Gaza. Rachel was killed by a bulldozer operated by IDF soldiers as she tried to block the demolition of a Palestinian home. Charlotte Silver reports. Shalom Michaeli, head of the Military Police Special Investigation, and the commander present at the scene of Rachel’s death testified in court on Thursday. The commander’s identity was restricted to his initials, A.S., and during his testimony, he remained hidden behind a curtain. He is the first soldier to testify under the extraordinary secrecy motion that was granted to the state after attorneys argued that such unusual measures were needed to protect the soldiers’ identity and safety….more
Israel’s Other ‘Peace’ Plan: Arm-twisting Obama
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Oct 2010 – By Jonathan Cook – Nazareth A ghost haunted the meeting of the Arab League in Libya at the weekend, as its foreign ministers decided to give a little more time to the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. That ghost was the Camp David talks of summer 2000, when US President Bill Clinton publicly held Yasser Arafat, the then-Palestinian leader, responsible for the breakdown of the negotiations, despite an earlier promise to blame neither side if they failed. Mr Clinton’s finger-pointing breathed life into the accusation from Ehud Barak, Israel’s prime minister, that there was “no Palestinian partner for peace”; brought about the collapse of the Israeli peace movement, and ultimately sanctioned the decision of Mr Barak’s successor, Ariel Sharon, to invade the Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank. A decade later, the Arab League ministers did not want to expose Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to a similar…more
Palestinians Must Fight Fire with Fire
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Oct 2010 – By James Gundun — Washington, D.C. For a moment the Palestinians appeared to be playing with fire by continuing Israel’s momentum. September 26th felt like a distant memory when the Arab League finally convened a special summit to debate the future of direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who resists any thought of a free extension on settlement restrictions. The intervening weeks have further eroded the Palestinians’ weak negotiating position as Washington rolls over to prevent another collapse of US-sponsored talks and shield its own floundering image in the Middle East. Then Mahmoud Abbas, acting president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), and the Arab League gave President Barack Obama and his team another month to skew a final status agreement. This “crisis” has the makings of an organized heist and a scam, so it seemed particularly suicidal to offer America more time to coax a settlement extension…more
The Real Netanyahu: His Father’s Boy
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Oct 2010 – By Uri Avnery — Israel Which is the real Netanyahu? – Bibi the weakling, the invertebrate, who always gives in to pressure, who zigzags to the left and to the right, depending whether the pressure comes from the US or from his coalition partners? – The tricky Likud chief, who is afraid that Avigdor Ivett Lieberman might succeed in pushing him towards the Center and displace him as the leader of the entire Right? – Netanyahu, the man of principle, who is determined to prevent at any cost the setting up of the State of Palestine, and is therefore using every possible ruse to sabotage real negotiations? The real Netanyahu — stand up! Hey, wait a minute, what’s going on here? Do I see all three of them rising? The first Netanyahu is the one who meets the eye. A leaf in the wind. The con man without principles and…more
Israel, Palestine: A History of Economic Oppression
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Oct 2010 – By Jamil Salman — Amman, Jordan Many of last month’s headlines would have you believe that a vibrant, independent Palestinian state had become an inevitable reality. On the back of ‘peace talks’ which offered renewed hope and financial institutions which declared that the “Palestinian economy is growing”, one could be forgiven for presuming that Palestinians had finally turned the corner towards prosperity. Both the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank have published impressive first half GDP growth rates that should, theoretically, place both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank amongst the top 10 countries in the world for this category. It is estimated that combined, both Territories will even out at an overall 8% GDP growth rate by the year’s end. This may come as a pleasant surprise to most people who would not have expected such rapid growth in light of the debilitating effects of a…more
Letter Reveals Obama’s Contempt for International Law
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Oct 2010 – By Stuart Littlewood – London It has been an unsettling week watching Obama’s unholy alliance with Israel take the world a step nearer the edge of the abyss. First I read Mark Glenn’s scary piece, “Exodus of Jewish Advisors from Obama White House Likely Not an Omen of Good Things to Come”, in which he suggests the unexpected departure of Rahm Emmanuel, David Axelrod and Larry Summers from the top echelons of the White House might indicate that some sinister and possibly cataclysmic event is imminent. Then I saw reports in Haaretz and elsewhere about a leaked letter from Obama to Israeli prime minister Netanyahu, showering him with gifts if he, Netanyahu, would only save Obama’s political bacon and see him through next month’s primaries by extending Israel’s freeze on settlement building for just a few months. Obama’s letter, we’re told, grants a list of reckless American favours. He agrees…more
Manitoba Government Ignores Palestinian Oppression
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Oct 2010 – By Paul Graham — Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada A few days ago, Manitoba Premier Greg Selinger announced his government’s intention to deepen economic and cultural relations with Israel. “Manitoba and Israel have common interests in clean energy, water quality and conservation. These interests provide the opportunities to share knowledge and strengthen our education and economic relationships and partnership,” Selinger said in a news release. Water Stewardship Minister Christine Melnick, and Innovation, Energy and Mines Minister Dave Chomiak will join Selinger on the trade mission, Oct. 15-20, which is sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. Selinger said he plans to sign partnership agreements, help promote the Royal Winnipeg Ballet 70th anniversary tour of Israel and dedicate a park designed to promote peace. Early opposition to Selinger plans has been expressed by bloggers such as myself, but more organized campaigns are beginning to take shape. “We remain unreservedly disappointed with the Manitoba…more
Lieberman and the Jewish Political Continuum
Dissident Voice: 11 Oct 2010 – Following Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman’s address at the UN last week, Aluf Benn wrote in Haaretz : During the past few weeks, Netanyahu invested a great deal of effort in trying to convince the leaders of the world that he is serious about peace with the Palestinians. He asked them to ignore the resumption of settlement construction, and convinced Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas not to quit the negotiations. Now comes Lieberman, Israel’s most senior diplomat, and tells all those leaders that… Netanyahu is faking. Even worse: the foreign minister is implying that Netanyahu’s demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state is merely cover for the expulsion of Arab citizens. Netanyahu, Barak and many other Israelis are often ‘outraged’ by FM Lieberman. I guess that Israelis grasp that their senior diplomat exposes the Israeli ploy: when Israelis talk peace — what they really mean is war with no…more
Israel’s Other “Peace” Plan
Dissident Voice: 11 Oct 2010 – A ghost haunted the meeting of the Arab League in Libya at the weekend, as its foreign ministers decided to give a little more time to the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. That ghost was the Camp David talks of summer 2000, when US President Bill Clinton publicly held Yasser Arafat, the then-Palestinian leader, responsible for the breakdown of the negotiations, despite an earlier promise to blame neither side if they failed. Mr Clinton’s finger-pointing breathed life into the accusation from Ehud Barak, Israel’s prime minister, that there was “no Palestinian partner for peace”; brought about the collapse of the Israeli peace movement, and ultimately sanctioned the decision of Mr Barak’s successor, Ariel Sharon, to invade the Palestinian-controlled areas of the West Bank. A decade later, the Arab League ministers did not want to expose Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to a similar charge from Barack Obama. They…more
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