27 October, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Soldiers Kidnap Seven Children In Silwan
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Thursday October 28, 2010 – 03:57, Palestinian sources reported Wednesday that Israeli soldiers and undercover units of the Israeli army kidnapped seven children in Silwan town, south of the Al Aqsa Mosque, in occupied East Jerusalem.
MK Hanin Zo’by Wounded By Israeli Fire
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Thursday October 28, 2010 – 01:08, Arab member of the Israeli Knesset, Hanin Zo’by, stated that she was hit by two rubber-coated bullets fired by the Israeli police during Wednesday clashes in Um Al Fahim Arab city, after the police violently attacked protesters who took off to the streets to counter a march by fundamentalist settlers.
Settlers Torch Hothouses Near Ramallah
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Thursday October 28, 2010 – 00:28, A group of fundamentalist settlers torched on Wednesday several agricultural hothouses that belong to residents of Nabi Saleh and Dir Nitham villages, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
Israeli Army Kills a Palestinian Citizen and Injures Three in Gaza
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Wednesday October 27, 2010 – 14:41, On Wednesday afternoon, a Palestinian man was killed by shrapnel fragments from an exploded artillery shell fired by Israeli tanks stationed in the town of Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Israeli Occupation Gunboats Attack Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Wednesday October 27, 2010 – 13:14, On Wednesday at dawn, Israeli gunboats opened fire at fishing boats off the shoreline in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Police Car Kills Palestinian Child
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Wednesday October 27, 2010 – 12:03, Israeli sources reported that on Tuesday night, a Palestinian boy from the town of Yatta, south of Hebron, was killed by an Israeli police car that ran over him in the town of Ashdod, in the southern part of Israel.
Israeli Public Prosecution Postpones Sentencing Fatah Official
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Wednesday October 27, 2010 – 11:33, The Palestinian news agency, Ma’an, reported on Wednesday that the Israeli public prosecution has postponed sentencing Hatem Abd al-Qader, an official in charge of the Jerusalem Folder in the Fatah Movement, to November 30, 2010. Al-Qader is accused of violating a military order of the commander of the home front, that prevented him from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque, and also for causing incitement.
Israeli Soldiers Confiscate Heavy Equipment During Invasion of Beit Fajjar
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Wednesday October 27, 2010 – 11:18, Kamel Hamash, head of the local council, confirmed on Wednesday morning, that a number of Israeli army soldiers confiscated a bulldozer and other equipment belonging to a citizen from the region of Khelat Heja, near Beit Fajjar, east of Bethlehem.
Israeli Army Ransacks Homes; Detains Palestinians in Nablus
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Wednesday October 27, 2010 – 10:30, The Palestinian News Agency Ma’an, reported on Wednesday that the Israeli army detained five Palestinians from the villages of Madama and Beta in the southern part of Nablus.
Extremist Settlers To March In Umm al-Fahm
IMEMC – 27 Oct 2010 – Wednesday October 27, 2010 – 09:39, Under police protection, right-wing extremists intend to march in the town of Umm al-Fahm, in the north of Israel to demand the expulsion of Arabs from the country and to commemorate Maer Kahane, the founder of the Kach Movement.
Medics: Israeli shelling kills Gaza man
10/27/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli tank shells killed a young Palestinian man in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to medics. Medics said Jihad Sobhi Afaneh, 20, was killed by shrapnel from tank shells. The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, said Afaneh was a member of the group….
Israel razes Jerusalem Bedouin camp
10/27/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli soldiers and Civil Administration personnel razed a Bedouin encampment, belonging to the Jahalin clan in Isawiya, northeast of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, locals said. Hani Al-Eisaway of the Isawiya Land Defense committee said the Israeli personnel bulldozed more than 50 dunums of land in what Israel….
Erekat: Settlers have Israeli authorities’ full cooperation
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat “strongly condemned” on Wednesday a flood of raw sewage that destroyed a Palestinian olive grove in the near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, which Israeli settlers are suspected of perpetrating. Residents in the village of Deir Al-Hatab said 660 olive trees were poisoned by….
Far-right march faces protest
10/27/2010 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — Several Palestinian citizens of Israel were arrested after demonstrating against a march by far-right Israeli activists in the city of Umm Al-Fahm on Wednesday. Palestinians threw stones and set fire to tires when far-right protesters entered the city, which contains the largest Palestinian community inside Israel. Israeli forces fired stun….
Israel detains 5 from Nablus area
10/27/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained five Palestinians, including four minors, from the villages of Madama and Beita in the northern West Bank district of Nablus. Local sources identified the detained from Madama as Mujahed Abdullah Qet, 18, Akram Jebril Zyadeh, 16, Akram Issa Nassar, 16, and Muhammad Amer, 17, from Madma village and….
Comic brings `miracle` of Kahane to children
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The life story of the late Israeli lawmaker Meir Kahane, an ultranationalist activist whose banned Kach party is considered a terrorist organization by the United States, is now available for children. A comic book called “Miracle Man,” alluding to a 5th century warrior-rabbi buried near Tiberias, will be published in the…. Related: Slideshow: Panels from the forthcoming comic book
Family donates relative’s corneas to Eye Bank
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The family of a woman who recently passed away in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem has donated her corneas to the Eye Bank in Palestine. Relatives of Sumaya Abdel Al-Hamid As’ad said they contacted the donor bank after she passed on Tuesday in the Beit Jala Arab….
Israel opens 1 Gaza crossing
10/27/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities will partially open the Kerem Shalom to allow aid into Gaza on Wednesday, a Palestinian crossings official said. Raed Fattouh said approximately 190 truckloads of goods for the agricultural and commercial sectors would be allowed through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza. Limited quantities of domestic gas….
Coalition Against Racism against Umm Al-Fahm march
10/27/2010 – HAIFA, Israel (Ma’an) — The Coalition Against Racism called on Israeli authorities to prevent a demonstration by extreme right-wing group “Baruch” Our Land of Israel in the Palestinian town of Umm Al-Fahm. The High Court of Israel has approved the demonstration despite security concerns raised by Israeli police. A similar demonstration by the same…. Related: Far-right march faces protest
Detainees mark decades in Israeli custody
10/27/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – The detainees center reported Wednesday that a prisoner from Tulkarem has marked 22 years in Israeli custody. The center said in a statement that Abdul Men’em Ta’mah, 42, was detained on 27 October 1989 and sentenced to life in prison. Hazem Ali Salem, 43, meanwhile, has….
Kahane revival slideshow – Excerpt: `Miracle Man` by Naama Nieman
10/27/2010 – Translated by Dena Shunra – slides courtesy Arutz Sheva – Panels from “Miracle Man,” a forthcoming comic book written by Naama Nieman and illustrated by Dikla Sagiv, serve as “An original way of teaching the path and heritage of Rabbi Meir Kahane to the young generation.”Kahane, the ultranationalist Israeli lawmaker and spiritual leader, was assassinated in…. Related: Comic brings `miracle` of Kahane to children
UK university votes to maintain ties with Nablus
10/27/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — The student union of a UK university has voted to renew its “twinning” relationship with An-Najah National University in the West Bank city of Nablus. A general meeting of Manchester University’s student union passed a motion to “reaffirm and continue to strengthen” its commitment to the twinning, and resolved….
Netanyahu to convene forum of ministers
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Isralei Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was scheduled to convene his forum of seven ministers Wednesday to discuss the issue of American policy in the aftermath of midterm elections in the United States. President Obama’s Democratic party is expected to lose a large number of seats in those elections. The….
Fatah: Syria has not requested apology
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Syria has not requested an official apology from Fatah for canceling a meeting in Damascus with rival movement Hamas after accusing the Syrian leadership of “humiliating” the party at an Arab League session, an official said Tuesday night. Fatah Central Committee member Ahmad Al-Azzam told Ma’an that the reports….
Hamas denies talks ongoing over Shalit deal
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas rebuffed comments Tuesday evening by an Israeli official that talks to secure a captured Israeli soldier in exchange for Palestinian prisoners were ongoing. Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil told Ma’an the reports were “totally untrue” and that Israel’s comments were meant to “reassure the Israelis that they….
Haifa activist accepts plea deal
10/27/2010 – GAZA (Ma’an) — Ameer Makhoul, the Palestinian activist from Haifa, accepted a plea bargain on Wednesday, confessing to espionage charges leveled by the Israeli state. Makhoul, an Israeli citizen, was detained by authorities during a nighttime raid on his home in May. He and his lawyers maintain that the charges against him are political….
Fayyad signs funding agreement with EU
10/27/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority Prime Minster Salam Fayyad signed a funding agreement with the European Union worth ‚Ǩ41. 4 million on Wednesday to cover the PA’s operating costs until the end of 2010. At the prime minster’s office in Ramallah, EU Representative Christian Berger said the contribution aimed….
British minister of state visits PA police HQ
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — UK Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan paid an official visit to the headquarters of the Ramallah Police during his visit to the West Bank on Wednesday. Duncan met with EUPOL COPPS officialNicholas Robsen, as well as with the Palestinian Civil Police, Ramallah District Commander Lt Col Yasser Al-Fahoom….
Haniyeh welcomes French delegation to Gaza
10/27/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday that direct communication with international governments was vital. Receiving a French delegation in Gaza to discuss human rights, Haniyeh called on the group to have solidarity with Palestinian efforts to end the occupation and establish a state with Jerusalem as its capital. The….
Hamas: PA arrests 7 West Bank supporters
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Hamas said on Wednesday that Palestinian Authority security forces arrested seven of the movement’s members in the West Bank. Hamas said in a statement that PA forces continued what they called a campaign of arrests against the group, detaining members in the Jericho, Nablus, Jerusalem and Tubas districts….
Hamas agrees to meet outside Syria
10/27/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Hamas is willing to accept Fatah’s request to meet somewhere other than Damascus to discuss reconciliation, Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil said Wednesday. Fatah canceled the scheduled meeting in Damascus after a perceived humiliation during an Arab League summit in Sirtre, Libya, when the Syrian president urged President Mahmoud….
Palestine clown festival launched
10/27/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Circus School announced Tuesday the launching of Festiclown Palestine, a joint project with the Spanish association Pallasos en Rebeldia. The project will take place over a year, culminating in a joint festival at the end of 2011, a statement read. During the year, Festiclown caravans will come to Palestine….
Palestinian singer to perform in Bethlehem
10/27/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Palestinian star Ammar Hassan will celebrate this year’s olive festival in Bethlehem. Prime Minister Salam Fayyad is sponsoring the event scheduled for Saturday in the city’s Nativity Square. Ammar recently participated at a Lebanese performing contest and won second place….
Wataniya launches prize campaign
10/27/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Wataniya Mobile announced Wednesday the launch of a new campaign entering all of its customers into a contest to win three apartments in Ramallah, in addition to other prizes. Customers benefit automatically without any registration. The higher the number and value of recharge transactions or the higher the settled bill amount….
Arab/Islamic World unknowingly funding attacks against Obama and Arabs
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Is it unknowing and unintentional, or is it just the typical kind of stupidity we have come to expect from the Arab and Islamic World governments and businesses? Regardless, the Arab and Islamic Worlds are undermining…
Engaging Muslims in British society
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – London – In recent years, few subjects have had more column inches, multimedia pieces and funding streams devoted to them than the integration of Muslims into British society. Whole essays have been devoted to the notion…
East and West: partners in justice
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Sana’a – In 2008, the American organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) reached out to me as a legal rights activist and asked me to help facilitate their mission in Yemen. They wanted to address human rights…
When it comes to the burqa debate, France should look to Canada
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Montreal, Canada – As the burqa controversy continues to make headlines in France, it is worth examining what France could learn from Canada, which has worked to reconcile freedom of religion with national security and women…
Indonesian Muslims say no to violence in the name of Islam
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Yogyakarta, Indonesia – If you were to open a newspaper in Indonesia today, there would be little to dispel the myth that Islam is a religion of violence. But looking more deeply at how Muslims respond…
Grand dame of Muslim-Western dialogue
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Rabat – Regardless of what she is writing about – whether it’s women’s rights in the Arab world, the fear of Islam in the West or cultural globalisation – Fatema Mernissi, the Moroccan academic and essayist,…
Your father is not a victim, Mr. Aziz!
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – As I was checking the latest tweets on Iraq on my iPhone this morning, I came across a BBC World tweet that read ” Tariq Aziz is a victim, says his son http://bbc.in/9uCfME .” I shook…
Settlers accuse Israel of ‘silent’ freeze on construction
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – Israeli settlers have accused the government of engaging in negotiations with the US to reinstitute the settlement freeze after stalling the construction of over 4000 apartment complexes in the West Bank, Haaretz reported Wednesday….
PA against Hamas participation in peace process
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – The Palestinian Authority stated that they were against the US and EU’s attempts to persuade Hamas to join the Middle East peace talks, the Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday. “Hamas has no vision or political…
Iran fuels first nuclear plant
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – The Islamic Republic of Iran has begun fueling the core if its first nuclear plant, the BBC reported Wednesday. The Bushehr nuclear plant is set to produce electricity starting in 2011. Russia will facilitate…
National Union MK: UN should investigate American war crimes in Iraq
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – Right-wing Israeli Knesset member Michael Ben-Ari of the National Union party called on the United Nations to investigate the United States for war crimes in Iraq after Wikileaks released numerous military documents revealing that…
Egypt detains opposition supporters
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – Approximately 70 of Muslim Brotherhood supporters were detained for putting up election posters in Alexandra, the BBC reported Wednesday. An Egyptian security official stated that the posters breached a law as they used religious…
Netanyahu may pay African nations to accept migrant laborers
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has decided to take a firmer stance on the deportation of illegal migrant workers in the country and is considering paying African nations to offer refuge to the deportees,…
Israeli Arab convicted of spying for Hezbollah
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – Israeli Arab activist, Amir Makhoul, confessed his involvement in espionage for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in an Israeli court and has accepted a plea bargain, the BBC reported Wednesday. Through the plea bargain, prosecutors…
Knesset Committee votes in favor of bill allowing towns to reject residents
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – The Constitutuon, Law, and Justice Committee of the Israeli Knesset voted unanimously in favor of a new bill allowing Israeli towns with less than 500 people the right to appoint admissions boards who may…
WATCH: Steve Clemons talks to Jim Lehrer about Iran’s Afghanistan connection
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, publisher of the Washington Note, and contributor to Palestine Note, Steve Clemons stopped by PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer along with with National Defense University professor Ali…
Former President Bill Clinton, Cherie Blair, music legend Quincy Jones and other distinguished guests support Tomorrow’s Youth Organization
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – Tomorrow’s Youth Organization brought together over 400 celebrities, advocates, government and diplomatic representatives, and private sector leaders on Thursday, October 21 at the first annual TYO Gala in Washington, DC. One hundred percent of…
Cape Town Opera rejects call to boycott Israel
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – Washington – South Africa’s Cape Town Opera troupe has rejected the calls of celebrated anti-apartheid activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu to cancel their performance in Israel next month as part of a boycott against Israel for its…
Rightists, Arabs, and police clash in Umm al-Fahm
Palestine Note 27 Oct 2010 – A small group of far right Israeli activists spark chaos after demonstrating in an Arab town. Washington – Riot police were deployed to the Palestinian village of Umm al-Fahm after clashes erupted over an Israeli ulranationalist…
J street myths and facts
Palestine Note 26 Oct 2010 – Email is a wonderful thing. Quick information bites. Easy to bookmark and save. Easy to use. Easy to pass along. And too easy to misuse in email strings that spew incorrect information, but take on the…
Intractable problems
Palestine Note 26 Oct 2010 – Some problems are so complex, so intractable, as to defy easy solution. Or so it may seem. The geocentric, Ptolemaic system of the solar system is an example of an extremely complex system, with movements that…
Clashes erupt at Israel march
AlJazeera 27 Oct 2010 – Violence between police and Palestinian-Israeli protesters angered by a march by a right-wing Jewish group.
Demolitions Continue in ‘Aissawiya, Provoking Popular Anger
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – Widespread demolitions continued in the occupied central Jerusalem neighborhood of ‘Aissawiya as bulldozers followed Israeli soldiers from house to house and popular rage spread. A Wafa reporter in…
Makhoul Confesses to Charges of Espionage
PNN – Tel Aviv – PNN – Israeli-Arab activist Ameer Makhoul admitted to espionage against Israel on Wednesday. A plea agreement was reached with Makhoul confessing to conspiring with and assisting Hezbollah. Specifically, the…
Gaza: One Killed, Three Injured by Israeli Tank Fire
PNN – Gaza- PNN — A Palestinian man was killed and three others were injured by Israeli tank fire at the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalyia on Wednesday. Jihad Affana, 20, was killed…
University Students Protest Yeshiva Stipends at Netanyahu’s Home
PNN – Tel Aviv – PNN – Hebrew University Students rallied in front of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyau’s house at 6:30 this morning to protest extensive state funding of Yeshiva students. The students brought…
Al-Awda Launches New Palestinian Childrens’s Rights Campaign
PNN – Ramallah — PNN — Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, just launched a new program that will focus on Palestinian children’s rights that have been detained by Israel, as well as…
Racism Evident Even In the Image Of The Wall
PNN – By Eyad Burnat – I went on a tour to photograph the Israeli Wall that was built on the territory of the Palestinian village of Bil’in, located in central West Bank. After…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (14— 20 October 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Fast train between TA, J’lem expected to be running by 2017
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – One of main causes for delay in construction was Israel Railways’ failure to conduct a proper environmental impact study, report says.
Top archeologist in critical condition after fall at site
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – The 76-year-old archeologist is one of the foremost experts on Herodion, a man-made mountain built by King Herod near Bethlehem.
Labor activists want leadership race moved up
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Branch secretaries meet in Netivot to express desire that replacement for Barak at party’s helm be found sooner.
Three out of five members of Amar advisory panel resign
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Bill aims to shift responsibility for army conversions to IDF chief rabbi as Amar is still yet to give his consent to process.
IDF takes anti-aircraft missiles in Gaza into account
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Last week, at a Likud faction meeting, Netanyahu already alluded to the likelihood of Hamas possessing anti-aircraft missiles.
In appreciative memory of JFK
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Fifty years after John F. Kennedy won the US presidency, a very personal tribute to ‘a good man’ who ‘loved Israel very much.’
IDF encrypting drones after Hizbullah intercepted footage
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – An army investigation concludes that Hizbullah used footage from an IDF drone to plan the 1997 attack known as ‘The Shayetet Disaster’ in which 11 Israeli commandos were killed.
Better Place to bring electric taxis to San Francisco area
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Full infrastructure will consist of charge spots and battery switch stations; deployment in Israel on track for late 2011.
Mahoul pleads guilty to aiding Hizbullah in plea bargain
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Sentencing hearing to be held in December; the state calls for 10 years in jail, while Mahoul’s lawyer wants 7 years.
Peel-on protection from cell phone radiation
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – A product from Israel deflects cell phone radiation from your body and claims to reduce electromagnetic exposure by 98 percent.
Ban Ki-moon concerned over armed Hizbullah in Lebanon
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – UN chief says militias operating in country outside of gov’t control; calls on Shi’ite group to lay down arms and act solely as political party; Hariri tribune investigators chased away by crowd in Beirut.
PA against persuading Hamas to join peace process
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – West Bank leadership concerned that US, EU may be reaching out to rival party: “Hamas has no vision or political program,” spokesman says.
PA against attempts to persuade Hamas to join peace process
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – West Bank leadership concerned that US, EU may be reaching out to rival party: “Hamas has no vision or political program. They are using various methods to undermine the Palestinian Authority,” spokesman says.
British Chief Rabbi’s song gets million hits on YouTube
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – A special video recording of “Oseh Shalom” recorded by cantors was made to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Israel’s establishment.
Ex-Iraqi MP urges US to form moderate Arab-Israeli alliance
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Partnership based on economic interest could give US greater leverage against Iran, says Mithal al-Alusi, whose sons were murdered after he came to Israel in ’04.
Israeli think tank supports Arab Peace Initiative
Jeruslalem Post 27 Oct 2010 – Study by Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya uses computerized scenarios; finds Arab plan to be “most suitable step for Israel.”
International Solidarity Movement
Israeli Military’s negligence exposes schoolchildren to Israeli settler threats
10/27/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 25 October – Christian Peacemaker Team – On the afternoon of Monday October 25th, Palestinian schoolchildren from the villages of Tuba and Maghayir al Abeed were threatened by four adult Israeli settlers from the Havat Ma’on outpost while walking home from school. The children, aged 6-13, were walking without their normal Israeli military escort….
Caterpillar to delay supply of D9 bulldozers to IDF
10/27/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 25 October – The Jerusalem Post – Caterpillar, the company which supplies the IDF with bulldozers, has announced that it is delaying the supply of D9 bulldozers during the time that the trial of Rachel Corrie proceeds, Channel 2 reported on Monday. The company does not usually manufacture a military version of the D9 but it has….
Clashes erupt at Israel march
10/27/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Al Jazeera – Violent clashes have broken out between Palestinian-Israelis and Israeli police in response to a demonstration by members of a right-wing Jewish group in the town of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel. Israeli police fired tear gas at a crowd of Palestinian-Israelis who had gathered to protest against the march by about 70 Our….
Protesters at Israeli universities rally against stipends for yeshiva students
Ha’aretz – The government approved state budget which includes NIS 111 million intended for yeshiva students.
Two dozen people, mostly tourists, lightly hurt in bus accident in Negev
Ha’aretz – The 25 injured were taken to the Yoseftal Hospital in Eilat for treatment; in 2008, 24 Russian guides were killed in worst bus crash in Israeli history.
Israeli Arab activist confesses to spying for Hezbollah
Ha’aretz – Ameer Makhoul admits to charges of espionage, contact with a foreign agent and conspiring to assist an enemy, in plea bargain reached Wednesday.
Knesset panel approves controversial bill allowing towns to reject residents
Ha’aretz – Israeli Arab MKs al-Sana and Tibi walk out on committee discussion, calling it a ‘criminal law’ aiming to prevent Arabs from joining Israeli towns.
Police clash with Arab protesters as rightists rally in Umm al-Fahm
Ha’aretz – Police fire stun grenades, tear gas to scatter crowd; extreme rightists protest in Arab town and call for the Islamic Movement to be outlawed in Israel.
Teens killed in crash at Palmahim after taking mother’s car for joy ride
Ha’aretz – Neither of the two 16-year-old boys had a driver’s license; a third teen who was also in car apparently fled the scene with light injuries.
Channel 1 bows to pressure to air Rabin memorial ceremony
Ha’aretz – In the face of public outcry, broadcaster reverses decision to ignore annual event to mark prime minister’s assasination.
MK proposes punishing IDF soldiers photographed humiliating Palestinians
Ha’aretz – Proposal follows a string of pictures and videos that have surfaced on the Internet in recent months’ Hanegbi defends bill as method of deterring soldiers from behavior that damages the…
Settlers accuse Israel of imposing ‘silent’ West Bank freeze
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu has refused to extend the construction slowdown that expired in September, though officials say they are in talks with Washington on reaching a compromise.
Islamic Jihad militant killed by IDF shell near Gaza border
Ha’aretz – Troops fire shell after Palestinian approaches Gaza security fence, says IDF spokesperson.
Syria spurns U.S. bid to mend ties
Ha’aretz – America has sown chaos across the globe, says Assad in an apparent rejection of the Obama administration’s overtures., Iranian Foreign Ministry says no decision had yet been taken on attending…
UN nuclear watchdog urges Iran to take ‘concrete steps’ toward fulfilling obligations
Ha’aretz – Iran begins loading fuel into Bushehr reactor, marking step toward the start-up of Irans’s first nuclear plant.
Timeline of Iran’s nuclear program since October 2009
Ha’aretz – On October 1, 2009, Iran approved a plan top send 75% of its low-enriched uranium abroad; on October 26, 2010, it began loading its first nuclear reactor.
Israel opens Abu Salem, keeps Karni closed
26 Oct 2010 – Gaza, October 26, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli occupation authorities partially opened today the Kerem Abu Salem and Karni commercial crossings to the entry of dozens of trucks carrying aid and fuel to the Gaza Strip. Chairman of the Coordinating Committee of Gaza’s Supplies, Raed Fattouh, said that the Israeli occupation authorities allowed the entry of between 180-190 trucks through the Kerem…
Mental Health Treatment in Palestine: Electroshocks and Out-dated Medicine
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – The World Health Organisation’s key requirements for mental health treatment include “physical security, social support networks, employment, access to education and healthcare and the opportunities for self-actualisation.” These conditions don’t exist in Palestine, where they are needed most. Palestinians are exposed to extraordinarily high levels of trauma, the effects of which can last a lifetime….
Clinton: US Has No Problem with Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Reactor
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the United States has no problem with Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor because the power plant’s Russian uranium fuel will be returned after it is used. The Bushehr plant, which has been under construction for many years, is now being loaded with fuel. Despite their concerns about what…
The Real Bloomers of Palestine
Uruknet 1948 Lest We Forget has obtained a copy of the full Survey of Palestine (Including the map survey) for its records. The following outline extracts shed more light on the Zionist lies about Palestine being “a land without people….” We recommend that Survey to all our Supporters…
Clashes erupt at Israel march
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – Violent clashes have broken out between Palestinian-Israelis and Israeli police in response to a demonstration by members of a right-wing Jewish group in the town of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel. Israeli police fired tear gas at a crowd of Palestinian-Israelis who had gathered to protest against the march by about 70 Our Land of…
Treasure House Under Threat
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – Few outside of Gaza would consider its history much beyond the decades of Israeli occupation. But Gaza is a historical treasure house. Many of those treasures are now in Israeli museums, and those that remain are becoming difficult to preserve due to the Israeli siege. Gaza, set along the historical silk road and on the…
Israeli Occupation Gunboats Attack Palestinian Fishermen in Gaza
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – On Wednesday at dawn, Israeli gunboats opened fire at fishing boats off the shoreline in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. A WAFA correspondent reported that an Israeli gunboat opened fire randomly at Palestinian fishing boats, preventing them from fishing freely. In related news, Israeli war planes, flying at low altitudes over the Gaza…
New photographs reveal IDF’s “purity of arms” claim to be a sick joke
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – A new set of photographs taken by Israeli soldiers has appeared on the Facebook page of the Israeli human rights group “Breaking the Silence”. These photos show Israeli soldiers abusing and humiliating Palestinians during “Operation Cast Lead” – the 2008-2009 assault on Gaza. One photograph shows Israeli soldiers grabbing a man by the throat and…
IOF soldiers open indiscriminate fire at Husan homes
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) mounting six armored vehicles on Tuesday afternoon stormed the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem, and fired rubber-coated bullets and gas bombs at citizens’ homes. Locals said that the soldiers broke into many houses in the village, which are adjacent to the main road trekked by Jewish settlers, and violently assaulted…
Israel razes Jerusalem Bedouin camp
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – Israeli soldiers and Civil Administration personnel razed a Bedouin encampment, belonging to the Jahalin clan in Isawiya, northeast of Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, locals said. Hani Al-Eisaway of the Isawiya Land Defense committee said the Israeli personnel bulldozed more than 50 dunums of land in what Israel calls the E1 zone…
Debunking pro-Israeli arguments against boycott
Uruknet October 27, 2010 – While the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against apartheid Israel continues to grow, its opponents continue to resort to the same old canards in trying to defend Israel. In a Jerusalem Post article published on 17 October 2010, columnist Hannah Brown gives us a good example of some of the Israeli talking points (“British…
Medics: Israeli shells kill Gaza man
Uruknet October 27, 2010 — Israeli tank shells killed a young Palestinian man in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, according to medics. Medics said Jihad Sobhi Afaneh, 20, was killed by shrapnel from tank shells. The armed wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, said Afaneh was a member of the group. nAn Israeli military spokesman said…
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – The present report considers developments relevant to the obligations of Israel under international law, as well as the situation of people living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Emphasis is given to the cumulative impact of Israeli policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem arising from prolonged occupation, which exhibits features of colonialism and apartheid,…
Israel ‘Outraged’ as UN Calls for End to Settler AttacksUN Envoy Slams Attacks on Mosques, Olive Trees
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry today condemned a flurry of high profile settler attacks across the West Bank, urging the Israeli government to “combat violence and terror” by the settler groups. The settlers have launched a number of attacks in recent weeks, burning mosques and chopping down olive trees…
Jewish settlers destroy 200 olive trees in Nablus
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – Citizens in Deir Al-Hatab village, Nablus district, were stunned at the sight of 200 of their olive trees damaged in the fields after Jewish settlers poured sewage water from the nearby Allon Moreh settlement into their land. The citizens said on Tuesday that the settlers usually discharge polluted water from factories of canned meat and…
Video: Gazans missing out on school
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – In Gaza, 40,000 students have been unable to start school this year because there are not enough buildings to accomodate them. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency says the Palestinian territory needs at least 100 new schools but there is simply not enough construction material available because of Israel’s blockade of the territory. Al…
Settler violence September-October
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – Illegal settlements continue to be built across the West Bank and bring with them even more problems, including increasing incidents of settler violence. The illegal settlers colonising the West Bank attack Palestinian people, land, schools, mosques and agriculture. A problem that has existed for some time is worsening, and the Israeli military generally turns a…
Israeli flotilla probe ‘a sham’
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – For the past few days I’ve had the delightful task of hanging around the Yitzhak Rabin Guest House in West Jerusalem. I was covering the latest round of questioning by (Israeli) judges, appointed by the (Israeli) government to examine the legality of their deadly raid on the Gaza-bound aid ship last May. The inquiry is…
Palestinians have the right to resist occupation by any means, even non violent ones
Uruknet As a Western supporter (non Muslim/Arab) of the Palestinian cause, I have always find it rather difficult to talk (let alone to advocate) about how best Palestinians can resist occupation, especially when this occupation is usually extremely violent and genocidal at times. Ramzy Baroud’s self-restrained criticism of Western and some other willing peace teachers, has prompted me to introduce…
Israeli Siege Kept Baby Girl From Leukemia Treatment
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – Nasma Abu Lasheen died on 16 October, 2010 from treatable leukemia, 155 kilometres from adequate medical facilities. She had spent most of her two years sick, ferried around Gaza and Israel between blood tests, treatments and doctors in six different hospitals. Her family had celebrated her second birthday in Gaza City, waiting on permission from…
Israel Hands 231 Orders Targeting Arab Homes In Jerusalem
Uruknet October 26, 2010 – Local sources in Jerusalem reported Monday that the Israeli Authorities handed 231 demolition orders on Monday targeting Arab and Palestinian homes in several neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem. The orders target homes in Shu’fat, Silwan, Al Bustan, Beit Hanina, Al Esawiyya, Wadi Al Dam, and the Al Ras area in Wadi Al Joz, and other…
Clashes erupt as Israeli extremists demonstrate in Arab town
Daily Star 27 Oct 2010 MOSCOW: Russia denied Wednesday having signed a contract to deliver MiG-31 fighter jets to Syria, a deal that would provoke tensions with Israel and the United States. “The contract for deliveries of MiG-31s to Syria exists…
Russia denies contract to sell MiG-31 fighter jets to Syria
Daily Star 27 Oct 2010 MOSCOW: Russia denied Wednesday having signed a contract to deliver MiG-31 fighter jets to Syria, a deal that would provoke tensions with Israel and the United States. “The contract for deliveries of MiG-31s to Syria exists…
Ahmadinejad scores diplomatic goal in soccer match with Morales
Daily Star 27 Oct 2010 TEHRAN: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was on striking form when he met his Bolivian counterpart Evo Morales Wednesday – on the soccer pitch for a friendly match with top Iranian players, according to local media.
Government delaying 4,300 West Bank apartments – settlers
Daily Star 27 Oct 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Jewish settlers accused their government Wednesday of holding up construction of more than 4,000 apartments in large West Bank settlements, suggesting that Israel is quietly complying with US demands to reinstate a building moratorium…
From the archive, 27 October 1994: Israel and Jordan open era of peace
The Guardian 27 Oct 2010 – Originally published in the Guardian on 27 October 1994 Israel and Jordan made peace yesterday as Palestinians protested and President Clinton traded insults and warnings with Islamist militants. The theatrical splendour of the peace signing ceremony,…
8th Week against the Apartheid Wall, November 9 — 16 2010
Stop The Wall – [
Report: Islamic Jihad man killed in Gaza
YNet News – Palestinians say al-Quds Brigades member, 29, hit by IDF tank shell. Earlier,….
Makhoul admits to spying for Hezbollah
YNet News – Arab writer, activist signs plea bargain admitting to charges carrying jail….
7 detained as students protest haredi funds
YNet News – Hundreds rally in Jerusalem, Ramat Gan and Beersheba against bill granting….
Silwan Arabs: Mayor pouring fuel on fire
YNet News – The residents of the Al-Bustan neighborhood of Silwan in east Jerusalem have been campaigning against the demolition of Palestinian homes in the area for nearly three …….
Islamic Jihad: Israel exploited photos
YNet News – Islamic Jihad slammed Israel after photos were published showing armed Turks standing by Islamic Jihad members. “The occupation took advantage of the souvenir photos …….
Minister Erdan set to be appointed UN ambassador
YNet News – Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan is expected to be appointed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, senior Likud …….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian young man killed in IOF shelling
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – A Palestinian young man was killed on Wednesday when the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired at him while collecting gravel in northern Gaza, medical sources said.
Hamas calls for Dismissal of UN official for scoffing at right to return
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – Hamas said Director of the New York Representative Office of the UN’s Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) should be dismissed over scoffing remarks he blurted out on the Palestinian refugees’ right to return.
Haneyya asks French delegates to support Palestinian rights
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – Ismail Haneyya has asked visiting French human rights delegation to assist the Palestinian people in its quest for freedom, expressing his government’s readiness to open dialog with the West.
IPS offers treatment for woman prisoner in return for her isolation
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – The Israeli prison service (IPA) has offered medical treatment for a Palestinian woman prisoner in Damon jail in return for isolating her for three months in Ramle prison.
Bardawil: Al Ahmed’s remarks on reconciliation are positive
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – Hamas official Salah Al-Bardawil hailed the latest remarks made by Azzam Al-Ahmed on the national reconciliation as positive, hoping that Fatah has a real will to end the inter-Palestinian division.
Jerusalemite villagers clash with Israeli security forces
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – Confrontations were reported afternoon Wednesday in a number of Jerusalemite villages between Israeli occupation police and young men in the vicinity of occupied Jerusalem.
Abdelrazeq: There is agreement with Fatah to stop arrests in the West Bank
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – Hamas lawmaker Omar Abdelrazeq stated that there is agreement with Fatah to completely stop all political arrests in the West Bank immediately after the signing of any reconciliation agreement.
Settlers’ provocative march in Umm Al-Fahm triggers violent clashes
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – Violent clashes broke out between the Palestinians in Umm Al-Fahm and Israeli policemen who protected dozens of extremist Jewish settlers holding a provocative protest against the Islamic Movement.
Knesset speaker in Morocco for Mediterranean conference
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – Israeli Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin leaves for Morocco on Wednesday to attend the Mediterranean parliamentary society conference to be held in Rabat.
National committee of prisoners: Shalit law is not frozen
PIC 27 Oct 2010 – The higher national committee for the support of prisoners said that Israel still implements the law of Shalit which a governmental committee approved in order to punish Palestinian prisoners.
Obama Set to Offer Stricter Nuclear Deal to Iran, Officials Say
New York Times 27 Oct 2010 – The United States and its European allies are preparing a new offer for negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program.
March in Israel Ends in Clashes In Arab Town
New York Times 27 Oct 2010 – Dozens of Jewish extremists carrying Israeli flags marched defiantly on Wednesday through Umm el-Fahm, an Israeli Arab town, chanting “death to terrorists.”
Diplomatic Memo: In Mideast House of Cards, U.S. Views Lebanon as Shaky
New York Times 27 Oct 2010 – The White House, already struggling to stave off a collapse of Middle East peace talks, is alarmed by unrest in Lebanon, whose own peace is threatened.
AL-KHALIL (HEBRON): Palestinian family awakens to discover 100 mature grapevines destroyed
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
AT-TUWANI/ABORIGINAL JUSTICE REFLECTION: Seeking the peace of Palestine by engaging our own settler reality
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
AL-KHALIL (HEBRON) REFLECTION: God’s justice, even for the shops
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
Mental Health Treatment in Palestine: Electroshocks and Out-dated Medicine
Palestine Monitor – The World Health Organisation’s key requirements for mental health treatment include “physical security, social support networks, employment, access to education and healthcare and the opportunities for self-actualisation.” These conditions don’t exist in Palestine, where they are needed most. Written and photographed by Liza Noteris. Bethlehem Psychiatric…
Sheikh Jarrah activists confront Jerusalem mayor over the ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Silwan
Mondoweiss –
The ADL’s ‘top ten’ list is consistent with its history of muzzling dissent on Israel at all costs
Mondoweiss – Recently, the Anti-Defamation League came out with a statement placing Students for Justice in Palestine on its top 10 anti-Israel organizations in the United States. As ADL has a history of spying and attempting to crush pro-Palestine, anti-apartheid activists working on issues of justice and civil…
Abu Ben Tzahali
Mondoweiss – Abu Ben Tzahali (may our tribe release!) Awoke one day from a deep nap of peace, And saw, within the daylight in his room, Making it rich, and like a desert in bloom, An Editor writing in a book of gold: Exceeding success made Ben Tzahali…
An open letter to Hebrew University
Mondoweiss – It has been brought to my attention that Professor Maya Kahanoff was recently let go from The Rothberg International School at Hebrew University on the grounds of her personal politics; it was made clear that her lifetime of knowledge on peace and understanding were no longer…
Noah Feldman says that those who seek to bring ‘pure justice’ to negotiations stand in the way of peace
Mondoweiss – The other day Ibn Tufayl reported on a debate at Harvard Law School over the two-state solution or the one-state solution between eminent profs, Noah Feldman and Duncan Kennedy. A student who attended the debate and wishes to remain anonymous fills in: During the Q &…
Islamic Jihad Fighter Martyred by Israeli Tank Shell in Gaza
Al-Manar 27 Oct 2010 – An Israeli occupation force killed on Wednesday an Islamic Jihad fighter in the north of Gaza strip, movement and Palestinian medical sources said. Health ministry spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya identified the martyr as Jihad Afana, 20, and said he had been killed by a tank shell…
Clashes Erupt in Umm al-Fahm amid Right-Wing Protest
Al-Manar 27 Oct 2010 – Dozens of extreme rightists arrived in the Palestinian town of Umm al-Fahm on Wednesday morning in order to hold a protest march calling for the Islamic Movement to be outlawed in Israel. Several Arab protesters hurled rocks at the rightists, and police forces fired tear…
Jerusalem Activists Confront Mayor Nir Barkat
Joseph Dana 27 Oct 2010 – Nir Barkat, the secular and dangerous mayor of Jerusalem, was forced to confront direct action protest during a recent art gala in Jerusalem. Jerusalem activists from the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity movement confronted the mayor with questions regarding his policy of ethnic cleansing in Silwan and Shiekh…
Israeli medical humanitarian group is to share alternative Nobel prize
New Weapons Committee 27 Oct 2010 – The Tel Aviv based Physicians for Human Rights-Israel will share the “alternative Nobel prize” for its work, which includes helping Palestinians, migrant workers, and refugees. The prize, the Right Livelihood Award, was established in 1980 to “honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to…
Palestinian MP sentenced to administrative detention
Sabr 27 Oct 2010 – HEBRON ( Ma’an ) — An Israeli military court on Monday sentenced a Hamas-affiliated member of the Palestinian Legislative council to six months of administrative detention. Hatem Qafaish, elected to the Palestinian parliament in 2006 with Hamas’ Change and Reform bloc, was detained after Israeli forces ransacked his…
Israel clash over anti-Arab march
BBC 27 Oct 2010 – Israeli police clash with Arab protesters in the northern town of Umm al-Fahm, as Israeli far-right activists stage a demonstration.
Israeli Arab convicted of spying
BBC 27 Oct 2010 – An Israeli court convicts a leading Israeli Arab activist of spying for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Opera snubs Tutu Israel tour plea
BBC 27 Oct 2010 – South Africa’s Cape Town Opera turns down an appeal from Nobel peace prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu to call off a tour of Israel.
Iran fuels first nuclear reactor
BBC 26 Oct 2010 – Iran begins fuelling its first nuclear power station at Bushehr, despite Western unease over its nuclear ambitions.
Israel is Relieved Not to be The Only War Criminal
Sabbah report 27 Oct 2010 – According to the logic of Israeli propagandists, some of whom are disguised as journalists, Israel should now proudly look at the rest of the world: They killed more people there. Yes, war is cruel, the world is full of crimes and injustice, but not one of…
A Worse Record Than Saddam’s
Sabbah report 27 Oct 2010 – The war killed, maimed and destroyed more civilians than Saddam did, even during the most diabolical periods of his rule. Revealed are countless atrocities and the deaths of 66,000 Iraqi civilians at the hands of US and British soldiers and Iraqi personnel who had joined the…
Mahmoud Abbas Caves In: Recognizes the US as a Jewish State [Satire]
Sabbah report 27 Oct 2010 – Peace is just busting out all over. In a major breakthrough engineered by the great man of change and hope and who has blocked access to all documents that tell us anything about him, Israeli Vice President for American Affairs (IVPAA), Barrack Hussein Obama, the Israeli…
Articles
Justice, Israeli style
Sherine Tadros, MWC News, International Solidarity Movement10/27/2010
22 October 2010 – “Does anyone know the Hebrew word for ‘occupation’?” A question from the state assigned Hebrew translator to the packed out courtroom.
And that kicked off the trial into the killing of US activist Rachel Corrie, which took her family seven years to secure.
Today, several months later, we were back at Haifa District Court to hear from the Israeli soldier who was driving the bulldozer that killed Rachel whilst she was peacefully protesting against Palestinian home demolitions in Gaza in 2003.
And hear is all we could do — thanks to an unusual request filed by the state, and accepted by the judge, the driver and other soldiers testifying in this case have done so behind a dark screen to protect their identity (for “security” reasons).
I can’t tell you the driver’s name (there is a gag order) but I can say that he is a Russian immigrant to Israel that, ironically, shares the same birthday as Rachel.
It was a long and painful testimony, the driver answering the questions with variations of the phrase: “I don’t remember.”
He couldn’t even recall the time of day Rachel was killed and claimed he did not realize when he knocked Rachel down and drove over her with his four-tonne Caterpillar bulldozer.
Presumably, he also didn’t realize when he then backed up over her a second time crushing her body with his blade.
For Cindy Corrie, a retired music teacher from Olympia, Washington, that was the hardest part of the day: “Hearing the man who killed my daughter, without a shred of remorse in his voice, say he couldn’t remember when it happened.” — See also: Sourcemore.. e-mail
Israel Reveals Documents related to the Gaza Closure Policy
Gisha10/21/2010
After one and a half years in which Israel at first denied their existence and then claimed that revealing them would harm “state security”, the State of Israel released three documents that outline its policy for permitting transfer of goods into the Gaza Strip prior to the May 31 flotilla incident. The documents were released due to a Freedom of Information Act petition submitted by Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement in the Tel Aviv District Court, in which Gisha demanded transparency regarding the Gaza closure policy. Israel still refuses to release the current documents governing the closure policy as amended after the flotilla incident. “Policy of Deliberate Reduction”
The documents reveal that the state approved “a policy of deliberate reduction” for basic goods in the Gaza Strip (section h.4, page 5*). Thus, for example, Israel restricted the supply of fuel needed for the power plant, disrupting the supply of electricity and water. The state set a “lower warning line” (section g.2, page 5) to give advance warning of expected shortages in a particular item, but at the same time approved ignoring that warning, if the good in question was subject to a policy of “deliberate reduction”. Moreover, the state set an “upper red line” above which even basic humanitarian items could be blocked, even if they were in demand (section g.1, page 5). The state claimed in a cover letter to Gisha that in practice, it had not authorized reduction of “basic goods” below the “lower warning line”, but it did not define what these “basic goods” were (page 2). “Luxuries” denied for Gaza Strip residents
In violation of international law, which allows Israel to restrict the passage of goods only for concrete security reasons, the decision whether to permit or prohibit an item was also based on “the good’s public perception” and “whether it is viewed as a luxury” (section c.b, page 16). In other words, items characterized as “luxury” items would be banned — even if they posed no security threat, and even if they were needed…. more.. e-mail
Encouraging the diaspora to invest in Palestine
Rateb Rabie, Ma’an News Agency10/27/2010
Now is a critical moment in the life of the Palestinian nation. Palestinians are uniting their efforts toward establishing a state founded on justice, peace, and equality. The Palestinian people are committed to their rebirth as a nation. For this dream to be realized, institutions must be built in order to meet humanitarian, cultural, and material needs. The Palestinian people are committed to building these. The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF) is eager to be a partner in this historic development.
The theme of this year’s conference is Living the Faith: Promoting Peace and Human Security in the Holy Land. For more than twelve years, HCEF has endeavored to build support among Americans who desire to make a significant impact on the promotion of peace and human security in the Holy Land.
This year’s international conference opens a unique opportunity for people from all walks of life to become key players in this process. HCEF is hosting an Investment Forum to which distinguished American, Arab-American, and Palestinian business leaders have been invited. Its focus will be the key issues related to investment in Palestine. The goal of the forum is to identify robust and effective mechanisms for implementing emerging business strategies.
Some of the distinguished speakers and participants at the Investment Forum will Bank of Palestine chairman Hashim Hani Shawa, former World Bank director Juan José Daboub and Palestinian communications group PalTel CEO Ammar Aker are expected to participate, alongside 400-500 others.
The presence of these distinguished participants extends beyond personal self-interest. Each sees his role as a catalyst. It is an opportunity to do good by connecting investors interested in the welfare of the Palestinian people with emerging opportunities…..more.. e-mail
Montreal activists launch campus boycott campaign
Electronic Intifada: 27 Oct 2010 – As a boycott, divestment and sanctions conference was convened in Montreal last week, activists launched a boycott campaign at two city universities.more
Debunking pro-Israeli arguments against boycott
Electronic Intifada: 27 Oct 2010 – While the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against apartheid Israel continues to grow, its opponents continue to resort to the same old canards in trying to defend Israel. Sami Hermez comments for The Electronic Intifada.more
Gaza’s ancient treasures threatened
Electronic Intifada: 27 Oct 2010 – GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – Few outside of Gaza would consider its history much beyond the decades of Israeli occupation. But Gaza is a historical treasure house.more
Mental Health Treatment in Palestine: Electroshocks and Out-dated Medicine
Palestine Monitor: 27 Oct 2010 – The World Health Organisation’s key requirements for mental health treatment include “physical security, social support networks, employment, access to education and healthcare and the opportunities for self-actualisation.” These conditions don’t exist in Palestine, where they are needed most. Written and photographed by Liza Noteris. Bethlehem Psychiatric Hospital Palestinians are exposed to extraordinarily high levels of trauma, the effects of which can last a lifetime. War, imprisonment, restricted movement, daily humiliation, poverty, house demolitions or evictions have all had a corrosive effect on the psychological wellbeing of the Palestinian population. This acute and chronic stress which accompanies daily life for many Palestinians makes them more likely to suffer psychological problems. Symptoms of anxiety and depression are common across the territories. According to the Humanitarian Practice Network one out of three Palestinians is in need of mental help. Traditionally close ties within families mean that mentally ill people are often cared for…more
The Remaining Option for the Palestinians
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Oct 2010 – By George S. Hishmeh — Washington, D.C. Over 70 years ago, agitating European Zionist leaders were offered by Britain, who then ruled Palestine, about 20 percent of the Arab country to establish a state there, a partition they accepted in principle but then demanded more land. This offer was made behind Palestinians backs. Ten years later, the United Nations approved the partition plan which gave Palestinian Jews 55 percent of the country, although they hardly owned five percent of the land, while the Palestinian Arabs would retain 45 percent. The Palestinians, backed by the Arab states, rejected the plan and resolved to win it back. However, the Six Day War of 1967 ended with the Palestinians remaining in control of a little over 20 percent of their country — a turnaround that remains indigestible, if not emotionally devastating. And consequently, the Israelis have ever since moved into the occupied territories…more
Open Letter to Cape Town Opera: Boycott Apartheid
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Oct 2010 – By PSCABI and Others (An Open letter From Besieged Gaza to Cape Town Opera: Remember South African Liberation and Boycott Apartheid Israel.) We are writing to you from the Bantustan of the Gaza Strip, from under a ‘medieval’ siege, our land, air and sea borders controlled and blockaded by the fourth most powerful military in the world — that of the Israeli State. We are shocked for your decision to perform the Cape Town Opera in the Sun City of the Middle East. We are Palestinian artists, students and teachers in Gaza who experienced first-hand Israel’s genocidal onslaught of Gaza for 3 weeks during the winter of 2009 that killed over 1400 people, including over 430 of our children, war crimes outlined in the United Nations Goldstone Report. We are asking you to cancel the Cape Town Opera performance in the Israeli state-sponsored Tel Aviv Opera House this November 12,…more
How Do Fascists Creep into Power?
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Oct 2010 – By Lillian Rosengarten Uri Avneri’s always powerful observations raise the most profound question. How can it happen, the lure of Fascism that oozes into the fabric of societies with the promise of a better life? There are always those who are not vulnerable to the language of temptation, the racist rhetoric that tears a society apart. These heroes become freedom fighters. An example is Hans Lebrecht, my father’s first cousin who was an active resistance fighter in World War 11, a noted Communist activist and supporter and writer for Gush Shalom. He was my mentor and beloved friend. Now in his 90’s he resides at Kibbutz Beit-Oren. I cannot visit him for I am not allowed to return to Israel because I have dissented against their injustice to Palestinians. Here is a still timely quote from “JewishFriends of Palestine Gateway, by Hans. “I am sorry and upset that now, as…more
The Chosen Peoples — Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Oct 2010 – By Jim Miles (The Chosen Peoples – American, Israel, and the Ordeals of Divine Election. Todd Gitlin and Liel Leibowtiz. Simon & Schuster. 2010.) A work on studying chosen peoples needs to be approached with some kind of trepidation when one knows that they themselves are not chosen. If for nothing else, it is impossible to rationally argue against faith in biblical ‘chosenness.’ However, if one accepts the underlying premise that other people believe in their being chosen then the idea of chosenness can be worked with. This appears to be what the authors of this new book “The Chosen Peoples” attempt to examine. In an historical sense, looking at the way the idea of being chosen affected the decisions and events around the people claiming to be chosen, the authors did a reasonable job. It is much more of an historical overview than a psychological examination of the ramifications…more
ADL’s Top US Anti-Israeli Groups
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Oct 2010 – By Stephen Lendman Founded by B’nai B’rith in 1913, its stated mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all,” calling itself “the nation’s premier civil rights/human relations agency, (fighting) anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry….” In fact, Abraham Foxman, its national director, uses high-mindedness and unfounded anti-semitism hysteria as cover for backing Jewish supremacy and the right of Israelis over Arabs, including by occupation and belligerently enforced apartheid. One of the 52 listed Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organization (CPMAJO) Zionist organizations, ADL disseminates pro-Israeli propaganda and conducts smear campaigns against Israeli critics, under the guise of fighting anti-semitism and supporting human rights equitably. Overall, in fact, its long history is disturbing. In the late 1930s and 40s, it spied on suspected communist sympathizers, working with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), later called the House Committee…more
Gaza, Mohammed and My Mother – Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 26 Oct 2010 – By Elana Golden (My Father Was A Freedom Fighter — Gaza’s Untold Story. Ramzy Baroud. Pluto Press. 2010) My Father was a Freedom Fighter is a page-turner though I read it in small bites, the way you would eat a rich chocolate cake. It is a great read not only for those interested in the Israel/Palestine conflict but for anyone who loves books about family, courage, hope and resilience. For while clearly illustrating the trajectory of the long and complex history of the conflict — My Father was a Freedom Fighter tells a story of survival that is beyond this particular conflict. It is a personal story told through the keen eye of Ramzy Baroud, it reads like a novel, and is universal in its tone, its humanity, its psychology. Mohammed Baroud, the 1948 Palestinian refugee, the subject in the book’s title, who lives in a refugee camp in the…more
UK decommisioners: Verdictsoon…
Tales to Tell: 23 Oct 2010 – more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 
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