31 October, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Hamas Leader Denies Secret Talks with Israel
IMEMC – 31 Oct 2010 – Sunday October 31, 2010 – 09:51, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida’s claims that Syria had approved secret negotiations regarding a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas were denied today by a Hamas leader.
Remembering The 54th Anniversary Of The Israeli Massacre In Kafr Qasim
IMEMC – 31 Oct 2010 – Sunday October 31, 2010 – 09:47, On the evening of October 29, 1956 Israeli troops shot and killed 49 unarmed Palestinian civilians in the village of Kafr Qasem, 20 km east of Tel Aviv near the green line.
Daily shootings in Gaza’s border zone
10/31/2010 – UMM AN-NASSER, Gaza (Ma’an) — A string of shootings of Palestinian workers, many of them only teenagers, in the northern Gaza Strip has brought renewed attention to a live-fire exclusion zone imposed by Israel on the Gaza side of the Green Line. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon removed settlers and most soldiers from Gaza….
Center: Israelis attack Jerusalem man
10/31/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A mob of Israelis attacked a Jerusalem man late Thursday, his family and a purported witness said. Farid Tubasi, 28, was hospitalized at the intensive care unit of Hadassah Medical Center after he sustained serious wounds and bruises at the hands of a mob of “extremist” Israelis, Abed Tubasi, his brother….
Center: Silwan resident suffers blindness after clashes
10/31/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) —A resident of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem is suffering severe vision problems after inhaling tear gas during recent clashes in the flashpoint neighborhood, a community center said. The Wadi Hilwa Information Center said Ahmad Al-Juba, 20, gradually lost his vision since the clashes in late September, when Israeli forces used….
Report: 2 Israelis charged with shooting at Palestinians
11/1/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — An Israeli border police officer and his friend were charged Sunday with firing live ammunition during an impromptu protest last weekend against Palestinians in Safed, a city in northern Israel, Israeli press reported. According to the indictment, on Friday night police officer Abraham Elmakis, his friend Raziel Rubenstein and….
Report: Leftover Israeli explosives cause Tubas blast
10/31/2010 – TUBAS (Ma’an) — An abandoned building in Tubas was destroyed Saturday in a blast caused by explosives left behind by Israeli forces, Palestinian Authority civil defense department said. A car belonging to PA security forces was damaged in the explosion, and the glass of two homes in the area shattered, a statement said. No….
Settlers dispute vandalism allegations
10/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — After four Israeli rights groups submitted a letter to the country’s army documenting attacks on Palestinians, settlers denied the allegations and said locals were more likely to blame.”Every year as the olive harvest season comes around so do various groups of provocateurs,” settler leader David Ha’ivri….
Gaza: 1 terminal partly open, Karni closed
10/31/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities will partially open one crossing into the Gaza Strip on Sunday for the limited delivery of food and fuel, a Palestinian liaison official said. Raed Fattouh said the Palestinian side was told to expect 150-160 truckloads of commercial goods and humanitarian aid through the Kerem Shalom terminal….
Israel says Jerusalem church fire wasn’t arson
10/31/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli police said Saturday that a weekend fire at a Jerusalem church appeared to be accidental. Luba As-Samri, an Israeli police spokeswoman, told Ma’an that the incident at Jerusalem’s Alliance Church lightly injured 13 people. They were treated Thursday for smoke inhalation at local Israeli hospitals, she…. Related: Church officials say arson behind Jerusalem fire
Gaza crossing to open exclusively for pilgrims
10/31/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip will be used by Hajj pilgrims for one week in 2010, the Gaza crossings authority announced Sunday. In a statement, authorities said the crossing would operate in one direction from 3 to 9 November to make travel easier and faster for….
Father of Gaza deportee dies in Bethlehem
10/31/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The father of a deportee to the Gaza Strip died Saturday in the southern West Bank, relatives said. Ahmad Mahmoud I’beiyat, 60, died in Beit Jala hospital, near Bethlehem, his son Jawad said. The two had been separated for nine years. Twenty-six Palestinians who took refuge in the….
Army detains suspect in West Bank shooting
10/31/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces arrested a 34-year-old Bethlehem resident Saturday suspected of shooting at an Israeli vehicle. Muhaned Muhamed Mahmud Aza was arrested within two hours of a shooting attack on an Israeli car traveling between the illegal Har Gilo settlement and Jerusalem, an army statement said. No injuries were reported. The….
Turkey: Israel’s actions threaten Mideast
10/31/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel’s Channel 10 reported Saturday that an Ankara policy paper defined Israel as a central threat to Turkey’s security, blaming Israeli policies for destabilizing the region. The Channel 10 report, quoted by the Israeli daily Haaretz and citing Turkish media outlets, said Turkey’s….
Sources: Egypt wants to host peace talks
10/31/2010 – LONDON (Ma’an) – Egypt is contacting world and regional sides to organize an international peace conference, the London-based Al-Hayat daily reported Saturday quoting Egyptian sources.”Egypt considers it unbelievable that the status quo remains unchanged in light of Israel’s refusal to take a positive step regarding settlements, while the Palestinian president insists….
Report: Israel PM offers to trade freeze for US spy
10/31/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has suggested to US President Barack Obama to free Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in exchange for extending settlement freeze in the West Bank for 60 days, an Israeli news site reported Saturday. Inian Merkazi (“Central Issues”) quoted sources in Washington saying Netanyahu has already made his….
PA economy minister: Settlement removal is priority
10/31/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Eliminating settlements from occupied Palestinian territory is the national objective and the basis for the government-led settlement boycott, Palestinian Authority National Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libdeh said Saturday. Since taking office a year ago, Libdeh has led a campaign to end the sale of settlement produce in the West Bank. Prime….
Arabs and Muslims must speak out against attacks against Jews and Christians
Palestine Note 31 Oct 2010 – Al Qaeda terrorists target Jews and Christians, silence from Islamic leaders Where is the outcry against the slaughter of Christians in Iraq or the attempted murder of Jews in the United States by Al-Qaeda operatives in…
The bomb Israel should be most worried about
Palestine Note 31 Oct 2010 – If we survey American Jews that are at least moderately engaged on the topic of Israel, and ask them what they see as the greatest existential threats Israel faces, Iran would certainly lead the list. Hamas,…
Israeli Border Officer Charged With Shooting At Arabs During Clashes In Safed
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN — A Border Police officer and civilian were charged with using live fire during clashes between Jewish and Arabs in the city of Safed last weekend. Last weekend in…
Suicide Bombing Injures 22 People in Istanbul
PNN – Istanbul — PNN — A suicide bomber blew himself up early on Sunday, wounding 22 people in Istanbul’s main square. Police reported that the suicide bomber tried to enter a parked police…
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
Israel warns Russia that Iran may get S-300 via Venezuela
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – With Caracas set to sign an agreement to purchase the system, Israel is concerned that Islamic Regime will eventually obtain S-300 based on increasingly warm ties between the two countries.
Bethlehem resident detained after weekend shooting
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – 34-year-old Muhaned Aza detained on suspicion of perpetrating attack on car traveling between Har Gilo and J’lem; none were hurt in shooting.
Bethlehem resident arrested for weekend terror shooting
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – 34-year-old Muhaned Aza detained on suspicion of perpetrating attack on car traveling between Har Gilo and J’lem; none were hurt in shooting.
‘Israel Tea Party’ holds inaugural event in Tel Aviv
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – Rally hardly resembles US rallies; no Yaakovs are seen in powdered wigs with faux muskets hollering ‘no taxation without representation’.
Church burning: Christian org. warns against speculation
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem says it does not appear the blaze was a ‘price tag’ attack by Jewish settlers.
Filipino worker in Barak case is arrested by Oz unit
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – Authorities had not been able to track Virginia down until Sunday, though journalists located her earlier this month.
Barak, Ashkenazi testify before State Comptroller
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – Defense Minister, Chief of Staff discuss “Galant document” with Lindenstraus ; Barak freezes Brick Committee’s activities.
Barak freezes committee investigating ‘Galant document’
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – Defense Minister testifies before State Comptroller Lindenstraus about forged document, disbands Brick Committee.
Fatah offical says Fayyad ungrateful to Abbas
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – Za’areer: The prime minister does not have a private vision, all that he does is a translation of president’s and Fatah platform.
Hamas warns against buying cars imported from Israel
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – Ministry says it fears bugs and bombs, but many Gazans assert the warning is a cynical business decision.
Tourism minister urges Israelis to boycott Turkey
Jeruslalem Post 31 Oct 2010 – Mesezhnikov’s call for travelers to boycott Turkey follows reports that Ankara had classified Israel as a “strategic threat.”
IDF arrests suspect in West Bank shooting, warns Hamas planning more attacks
Ha’aretz – Car traveling near Bethlehem hit in back by gunfire, none hurt; IDF says Hamas weakened in West Bank but intent on carrying out more shootings.
Netanyahu: Mail bombs targeting U.S. synagogues proves Islamist terror is rising
Ha’aretz – Qatar Airways: Mail bomb traveled on two passenger planes; Prime Minister says attack on Madrid, London, Mumbai and Bali are all part of same attack ‘directed at the nations of…
Tourism Minister urges Israelis to boycott Turkey
Ha’aretz – Stas Mesezhnikov calls for boycott after reports Turkey classified Israel as a strategic threat; says boycott is for national honor.
Netanyahu to visit U.S. next week, but won’t meet with Obama
Ha’aretz – PM to travel to New Orleans for annual U.S. Jewish conference, due to meet with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.
Report: Egypt proposes international summit to sustain Mideast peace process
Ha’aretz – ‘We must find an alternative to the peace process, especially in light of the Israeli government’s extreme rightist views,’ Egyptian source tells Al-Hayat., Lawrence Korb tells Army Radio Pollard’s punishment…
ANALYSIS / Netanyahu, Abbas and the battle for the U.S. press
Ha’aretz – The Palestinian President scored a PR victory this week when his Israeli negotiating partner failed to convince American journalists of his commitment to peace.
Israel shows injustice towards 2 young Palestinians
31 Oct 2010 – Umm Al-Fahm, October 31, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli police arrested today morning two young men from the city of “Umm Al-Fahm” in the Palestinian occupied territories of 1948, for allegedly throwing stones towards Israeli special forces during clashes that erupted in the city last Wednesday during a demonstration of the Israeli extreme right wing. The Israeli police said in a statement…
Israeli army shoots Gazan worker
31 Oct 2010 – Gaza, October 31, (Pal Telegraph) A Gazan citizen (46 years), was injured today morning in the foot after being shot by Israeli occupation forces in the town of “Beit Lahia”, in the northern Gaza Strip. A spokesman for the military medical services, Adham Abu Salmeyah, said that the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian workers who were working…
22 injured at increasingly violent An Nabi Saleh Demonstration
31 Oct 2010 – West Bank, October 31, (Pal Telegraph — ISM) Many shebab, two journalists and a girl were injured on Friday at the weekly demonstration in An Nabi Saleh. Villagers had employed a new strategy in response to the increasing violence of soldiers and border police. Demonstrators shot with pepper spray at An Nabi Saleh Demonstrators split up and approached the road…
Viciously Attacking Israeli Arabs
Uruknet October 31, 2010 – Reminiscent of Kristallnacht violence, Israeli Arabs in Haifa District’s Umm al-Fahm community were attacked, Haaretz writers Fadi Eyadat, Jack Khoury, and Chaim Levinson headlining, “Police clash with Arab protesters as rightists rally in Umm al-Fahm,” saying: In Arab Umm al-Fahm, “Dozens of extreme rightists (hooligan West Bank settlers) held a protest against the Islamic Movement,”…
Peace group: Army occupies Hebron-area home
Uruknet October 31, 2010 — Israeli soldiers occupied a Palestinian home on Thursday in the Baqa’a Valley near Hebron for the third time in two months, a report from the Hebron-based Christian Peacemaker Teams said. Family members told CPT their father collapsed when he tried to prevent the soldiers entering, and that he was taken to hospital in an ambulance….
Palestinian resident attacked by group of colonists
Uruknet October 31, 2010 – A Palestinian resident from occupied East Jerusalem was admitted to the ICU of Hadasa Hospital after a group of colonists attacked him while he was on his way home. Sources told Gulf News that the 28 year old Farid Al Toubasi finished up his work duty in West Jerusalem and returned home back in occupied…
The Lobby debate is a joke
Uruknet October 31, 2010 – So in a break from reading the delight ful ethno gra phies of the players in the Israel Lobby littering the comment section in Mon doweiss, I started reading Grant Smith’s
Remembering The 54th Anniversary Of The Israeli Massacre In Kafr Qasim
Uruknet October 31, 2010 – On the evening of October 29, 1956 Israeli troops shot and killed 49 unarmed Palestinian civilians in the village of Kafr Qasem, 20 km east of Tel Aviv near the green line. Now the village has a population of 18,100 Palestinians, some of whom marched today alongside neighboring Arab villages to commemorate those killed 1956….
Could Have Danced All Siege
Uruknet October 31, 2010 – “I’d planned to have my wedding party on a Thursday night, when more people could come, and stay later. But because the Dabke dancers weren’t free then, I held it on a Tuesday,” says Mohammed Ghronaim, 27, from Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. “Canaan Dabke is a talented group,” he says. “But everyone loves them all…
Iran says it is ready to restart nuclear talks
Uruknet October 30, 2010 — Iran notified the European Union Friday that it is willing to restart international negotiations over its nuclear program after Nov. 10, potentially reviving talks that foundered a year ago. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a letter to the EU’s foreign policy chief that Iran is ready to hold talks “in a place and…
Video: Picking olives under occupation
Uruknet October 30, 2010 – Families in the village of Qusin with properties close to the illegal settlements Shave Shomeron and Shave Shomron, make an attempt to harvest their olives but soldiers forced them to leave. One of these families has been unable to access their land for the last nine years due to settler attacks and pressure from Israeli…
Western politicians prefer to ignore Israel’s racism
Uruknet October 30, 2010 – Imagine a mainstream Australian politician saying that Aborigines should be banned from leading tourists around Uluru because they might “present anti-Australian positions” to visitors. The outcry would be furious. But a bill is currently before the Israeli Knesset, led by a parliamentarian from the “moderate” Kadima party, that would bar Arab residents of East Jerusalem…
‘We want social justice for all’Mustafa Barghouti represents the Palestinian hope of an emerging third power.
Uruknet October 30, 2010 – He is articulate, courteous, handsome and suave. A medical doctor by profession he is also a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and was candidate for the Presidency of Palestinian Authority in 2005. Fifty-six-year-old Mustafa Barghouti wears many hats, but what he most represents is the hope of an emerging third power for his Palestinian…
Lebanon and Iran make uneasy bedfellows
Uruknet October 30, 2010 – I think it should be a Beirut Diary this week. Deep background, you understand. The truth. Believe me, it is. When President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad entered the palace dining room to eat with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri last week — Saad being the son of ex-premier Rafiq who was murdered by … we’ll come to that…
Iran not prepared to discuss nuclear program – Ahmadinejad aide
Daily Star 31 Oct 2010 TEHRAN: Iran will not discuss its nuclear program at talks with global powers, an adviser to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday, adding fresh doubt to the chances of a negotiated end to its stand-off with the…
Israel’s coalition government threatened by walk out
The Guardian 31 Oct 2010 – Labour party will walk out of Israel’s coalition government unless negotiations with the Palestinians get under way Israel’s Labour party will walk out of the rightwing-dominated coalition government unless serious negotiations with the Palestinians get under…
MIDEAST: The People Speak
IPS The focus on people’s movements in Palestine continues to gain momentum with growing non-violent demonstrations in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, and with a Palestine-wide call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
MIDEAST: Could Have Danced All Siege
IPS “I’d planned to have my wedding party on a Thursday night, when more people could come, and stay later. But because the Dabke dancers weren’t free then, I held it on a Tuesday,” says Mohammed Ghronaim, 27, from Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
8th Week against the Apartheid Wall, November 9 — 16 2010
Stop The Wall – [
German minister postpones Israel trip
YNet News – Germany’s top security official calls off planned visit to Jewish state to stay….
Ahmadinejad aide says Iran not ready to talk nuclear
YNet News – President’s media adviser says, ‘We will not be talking with the Western party….
PM: I’ll discuss terror threat with Biden next week
YNet News – After explosive-laden packages targeting Chicago shuls intercepted, Netanyahu….
Tourism minister: Boycott Turkey — maintain national pride
YNet News – After Turkish National Security Council defines Israel as ‘central threat,’….
Protest, anti-Israel speech greets Rivlin in Morocco
YNet News – Knesset speaker attends Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, slammed for Gaza….
Soldier jailed for posing with bound Palestinian
YNet News – The Central Command’s military court has sentenced an Israel Defense Forces soldiers to five months in prison for posing next to a bound Palestinian. The photos were …….
Oz Unit traces Barak’s illegal maid
YNet News – Inspectors of the Interior Ministry’s Oz Unit managed to track down the foreign worker who was employed at the house of Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The announcement came …….
Yishai: We’ll fight for Jewish majority
YNet News – Interior Minister Eli Yishai is preparing for a battle over the State of Israel’s Jewish character. Speaking at a Knesset discussion on the country’s immigration, …….
‘Accurate intelligence crucial in thwarting terror plots’
YNet News – Terrorist groups have managed to find a loophole in security procedures of airborne cargo and planted mail bombs bound for the US from Yemen, which were discovered due to …….
Anti-Gaza op protestor to get NIS 12,000
YNet News – Student Ran Tzoref, who was prosecuted over an illegal demonstration against Operation Cast Lead in Gaza, will receive NIS 12,838 (about $3,545) in damages, the Beersheba …….
35 tree vandalism cases in 6 weeks
B’tselem 27 Oct 2010 – Four Israeli human rights groups sent an urgent letter today to senior Israeli military commanders, in which they called on the commanders to take all necessary steps to ensure that Palestinians and their properties are protected from violence and damage gram FilesQuickTimeQTSystem
Palestinian Information Center
Report: Israeli soldiers kill 3, injure dozens in October in Gaza Strip
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – A report issued by Gaza Strip medical services documented dozens of Palestinian deaths and injuries at the hands of Israeli occupation forces in the month of October, 2010.
Jewish settlers on the rampage in Salfit
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – Extremist Jewish settlers on Sunday attacked Palestinian citizens while harvesting their olive crops west of Salfit and tried to rob their harvest, local sources reported.
Undercover police expel minors arrested at scene of alleged stone throwing
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – An undercover Israeli security unit assaulted and arrested a group of children at the scene of an alleged rock throwing incidednt and turned them in for questioning, locals reported.
Netanyahu in Washington next week, no meeting with Obama scheduled
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he would head to the USA next Sunday on an official visit during which he would attend a conference for Jewish organizations.
Jewish mob leaves Palestinian man in critical condition after senseless attack
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – An angry mob of Jewish settlers assaulted Thursday night a Palestinian man while he was walking down Hillel Street in West Jerusalem until he lost consciousness.
European politicians to visit J’lem, W. Bank and meet with Palestinian officials
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – A delegation of European politicians is expected to visit on Sunday Jerusalem and the West Bank in order to witness the Israeli violations there and meet with Palestinian officials and citizens.
Resheq slams settlers’ arson attack on J’lem church
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – Member of Hamas’s political bureau Ezzat Al-Resheq strongly denounced the Israeli settlers’ arson attack on one of the churches on Al-Anbiya street in occupied Jerusalem.
IOF kidnap five Palestinian boys in Silwan
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – The Israeli occupation forces kidnapped five Palestinian boys in Silwan, occupied Jerusalem, on suspicion of their participation in recent events in the occupied holy city.
Hamdan: Idea of int’l conference a waste of time and effort
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – Hamas international relations official Osama Hamdan described as a waste of time and effort the new Egyptian effort to save the collapsing settlement process between Israel and Abbas’s authority.
Israeli vehicle under attack in WB, no casualties
PIC 31 Oct 2010 – An Israeli car came under fire while passing near Battir village west of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Saturday night but no casualties were reported.
Israel’s overheated housing market rouses concerns
LA Times 1 Nov 2010 – Fueled by low interest rates and shortage of new construction, prices are up by 30%, with investors driving the trend. The central banks raising of benchmark rates has had no effect. The global financial crisis has left Israel’s real estate market with a problem most U.S. homeowners only dream about: Property values are rising too fast.
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 –
Hate-Preacher Rabbi Provokes Riots in The Galilee
Palestine Monitor – Arabs and Jews have united in condemning Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu for inciting racism in the Upper Galilee town of Safed. Eliyahu chaired a conference last week in which he informed his audience that it was ‘sinful’ to sell or rent property to non-Jews, sparking a…
Joy to the world, David Broder says Obama can rejuvenate the economy by going to war with Iran
Mondoweiss – “The war recovery?” by David Broder in the Washington Post . Is this a Zionist trojan horse? Here is where Obama is likely to prevail. With strong Republican support in Congress for challenging Iran’s ambition to become a nuclear power, he can spend much of 2011 and…
‘Haaretz’s desperate cry for help— ‘South Africa is here’
Mondoweiss – When I first moved outside the city, I had a neighbor who was a drunk. I liked the guy a lot. He was funny and smart. He helped me with home improvement stuff, and I watched him die before my eyes. Another neighbor told me that…
‘NPR’ gives Avigdor Lieberman a pass, as always
Mondoweiss – Yesterday my wife and I contributed to the New York public radio pledge drive. I do it because I listen to NPR a lot, and because I often trash NPR on this site. You got to pay the piper. Then last night I was working on…
‘I shared my father’s belief that Arabic is the loveliest language in the world’
Mondoweiss – Wadad Makdisi Cortas was a pioneering Lebanese educator. She wrote the memoir, A World I Loved: The Story of an Arab Woman, in the 1960s in Arabic then translated it into English. Her daughter Mariam Said pushed for the book’s publication, a year ago . I’m going…
Oslo mayor joins protest against illegal Israeli wall
Mondoweiss – Dr. Rateb Abu Rahmah of the Bil’in popular committee sent this note Friday after the demonstration: Today’s demonstration in Bil’in against the Apartheid wall, organized by the Popular Committee of Bil’in, was joined by many local residents, Israeli activists as well as many internationals. As the…
Hamas Slams Al-Quds Church Attack
Al-Manar 31 Oct 2010 – Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has denounced a recent attack by Israeli settlers against a church in western al-Quds (Jerusalem). The group said in a statement on Saturday that the crime was reminiscent of the Israeli regime’s “racist policy” that is hostile to heavenly religions and of…
Articles
Segregation of Jews and Arabs in 2010 Israel is almost absolute
Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu, Ha’aretz10/29/2010
For those of us who live here, it is something we take for granted. But visitors from abroad cannot believe their eyes.
Under the guise of the deceptively mundane name “Amendment to the Cooperative Associations Bill,” the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee this week finalized a bill intended to bypass previous rulings of the High Court of Justice. If indeed this legislation is approved by the Knesset plenum, it will not be possible to describe it as anything other than an apartheid law.
Ten years ago, the High Court of Justice ordered the town of Katzir to accept the family of Adel and Iman Kaadan, Arab citizens of Israel, as members of the community. Seven years later, the court issued a similar ruling against the Galilee village of Rakefet, which, like Katzir, is Jewish. Now, however, the legislature has come up with a proper “Zionist” response to the justices: If it becomes law, the amendment will give acceptance committees of communal villages the authority to limit residence in their towns exclusively to Jews.
Using polished and sanitized language, the bill would allow such committees in small rural suburbs to reject applications from families that “are incompatible with the social-cultural fabric of the community, and where there are grounds to assume that they will disrupt this fabric.”
In other words, if admissions committees were previously forced to exercise some degree of creativity if they wanted to hide their national-ethnic grounds for rejecting Arabs, now, as Rabbi Akiva said, “All is foreseen, and freedom of choice is granted” (Pirkei Avot 3 ). Arabs? Not here. Sorry, the law is with us on this. more.. e-mail
Is Rupert Murdoch ignorant or an agent of Zionist deception?
Alan Hart, Veterans Today11/1/2010
What Murdoch sees as the rise of anti-Semitism is, in fact, the rise of anti-Israelism.
In a recent speech at an Anti-Defamation League (ADL) dinner, Rupert Murdoch, arguably the most influential mainstream media chief on planet Earth, made some extraordinary statements which must be challenged. But first it’s necessary for us all to be clear about what ADL’s role is.
Its proclaimed objective is to “fight anti-Semitism”. In reality its main purpose under the leadership of Abe Foxman is to smear, harass, silence and preferably destroy those of all faiths and none who are critical of Zionism in action — critical of Israel’s policies in general and its contempt for international law in particular; and critical of the awesome power of the Zionist lobby, in America especially.
In his speech Murdoch said his own perspective on the evil of anti-Semitism was “simple”. He put it this way (my emphasis added):
“We live in a world where there is an ongoing war against the Jews. For the first decades after Israel’s founding, this war was conventional in nature. The goal was straightforward — to use military force to overrun Israel.”
That was Murdoch’s carefully understated way of endorsing Zionism’s assertion that for the first decades of its life Israel lived in danger of annihilation, the “driving into the sea” of its Jews. As I document in detail through the three volumes of the American edition of my book Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews, Israel’s existence was never, ever, in danger from any combination of Arab force. Zionism’s assertion to the contrary was the cover that allowed Israel to get away where it mattered most (in America and Western Europe) with presenting its aggression as self-defence and itself as the victim when, actually, it was and is the oppressor. — See also: Murdoch speech more.. e-mail
Zionist Tolerance for a Change
Gilad Atzmon, Dissident Voice10/30/2010
I have spent the last ten years elaborating on Jewish national ideology and tribal politics. During my journey of grasping what Zionism and Israel stand for, I came to realize that it is actually the Jewish left — and Jewish Marxists in particular — that provide us with an adequate glimpse into contemporary Jewish identity, tribal supremacy, marginal politics and tribalism.
‘Jewish left’ is basically an oxymoron. It is a contradiction in terms, because ‘Jewishness’ is a tribal ideology, whilst ‘the left’ are traditionally understood as aspiring to universalism.
On the face of it, the ‘Jewish left’ is, at least categorically, no different from Israel or Zionism: after all, it is an attempt to form yet another ‘Jews only political club’. And as far as the Palestinian solidarity movement is concerned, its role is subject to a growing debate — For on the one hand, one can see the political benefit of pointing at a very few ‘good Jews’, and emphasizing that there are Jews who ‘oppose Zionism as Jews’. Yet on the other hand, however, accepting the legitimacy of such a racially orientated political affair, is in itself, an acceptance of yet another form, or manifestation of Zionism, for Zionism claims that Jews are primarily Jewish, and had better operate politically as Jews.1
To a certain extent then, it is clear that Jewish anti Zionism, is, in itself, still just another form of Zionism.
‘Jewish dissidence’ has two main roles: First, it attempts to depict and bolster a positive image of Jews in general.2 Second, it is there to silence and obscure any attempts on the part of the outsider to grasp the meaning of Jewish identity and Jewish politics within the machinations of the Jewish state. It is also there to stop elements in this movement from elaborating on the crucial role of Jewish lobbying.
The Jewish Left is there then, to mute any possible criticism of Jewish politics within the wider Left movements. It is there to stop the Goyim from looking into Jewish affairs. more.. e-mail
“No chance for two states”: Interview with Knesset member Haneen Zoabi
Electronic Intifada: 31 Oct 2010 – There is now “no chance” for a two-state solution. So said Haneen Zoabi, a Palestinian member of the Israeli parliament in an exclusive interview with The Electronic Intifada, two days after she was injured by Israeli police.more
dancing under siege
In Gaza: 31 Oct 2010 – * photo: Ahmad Hammad Oct 31, 2010 (IPS) — “I’d planned to have my wedding party on a Thursday night, when more people could come, and stay later. But because the Dabke dancers weren’t free then, I held it on a Tuesday,” says Mohammed Ghronaim, 27, from Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. “Canaan Dabke is a talented group,” he says. “But everyone loves them all the more because they are children and dance in an amazing way. Most of the people who came to my wedding probably came just for the Dabke.” Dabke, the traditional Middle Eastern line dance of agile steps, stomps and jumps, is still today an important element of Palestinian culture, and is virtually imperative to wedding parties. While professional groups abound in Gaza and Dabke is good business during wedding season, one group has made itself known for its unique style and energy. Founder and trainer of…more
Hate-Preacher Rabbi Provokes Riots in The Galilee
Palestine Monitor: 31 Oct 2010 – Arabs and Jews have united in condemning Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu for inciting racism in the Upper Galilee town of Safed. Eliyahu chaired a conference last week in which he informed his audience that it was ‘sinful’ to sell or rent property to non-Jews, sparking a violent demonstration against Arab students of Safed College. The Rabbi had previously demanded that the Israeli government “hang the children of terrorists from a tree”. Written by Sophie Crowe. Rocks and glass outside the Arab students’ home after the riots. On Friday, around sixty orthodox Jews gathered outside the home of three Arab students. One of them, Aiman Hamoda, was returning from work when he saw the crowd. “They were shouting ‘Death to the Arabs!’ and demanding we leave Safed”, he told us. They threw stones at the house and gun shots were fired, breaking a window. The students called the police, who arrived…more
US Policy and the Future of Palestine
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Oct 2010 – (Editor’s Note: The following is the text of a speech delivered on October 22, 2010 in Washington by Kathleen Christison at the annual meeting of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR) on the subject of current U.S. policy toward the Israel-Palestine problem. Christison is an accomplished author and a retired Middle East analyst at the CIA.) By Kathleen Christison When Benjamin Netanyahu, then out of office, was caught on video talking back in 2001 to a family of settlers in the West Bank, he boasted about having undermined the Oslo agreement when he was prime minister in the mid-1990s. And, speaking about the United States, he said “I know what America is. America is a thing that you can move very easily, move it in the right direction.” I would have to say that this little truism uttered by Netanyahu has never been more accurate than it is today….more
A Turning Point Quietly Reached
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Oct 2010 – By Jeremy Salt — Ankara This turning point has arrived quietly, no fanfare or advance warning signifying its importance. After 62 years there is nothing left to talk about with Israel. Finally, all possibilities have been eliminated. Past plans are scattered across the landscape like the whitened bones of dinosaurs, their only purpose to remind us and future generations of what might have been but never was. The last flimsy veil has been pulled away from a ‘peace process’ that was never a peace process in the first place but a different kind of war process. Netanyahu slaps Obama’s face time after time (and Obama does not react). Michael Oren tells the world Israel will decide its borders and noone else. Lieberman tells European Foreign Ministers to mind their own business. When you have solved your own problems come and talk to us, he says, and by the way, Israel…more
Bread and the Circus
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Oct 2010 – By Uri Avnery — Israel I was surprised when, towards the end of 1975, I received an invitation from the Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin, to meet him at his residence. He opened the door himself, poured me a glass of whisky, poured one for himself, and without any further ado asked me: ‘Tell me, Uri, have you decided to destroy all the doves in the Labor Party?’ Some weeks before, my magazine, Haolam Hazeh (“This World”), had started to publish disclosures about the corrupt dealings of the candidate for President of the Central Bank, Asher Yadlin. On the eve of the conversation, we had also started to publish suspicions concerning the Minister of Housing, Avraham Ofer. Both were leaders of the Labor “doves”. I answered that, unfortunately, I could not offer immunity to corrupt politicians, even if their political positions were close to mine. These are separate matters. I told…more
A Show of Palestinian Business Resilience
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Oct 2010 – By Sam Bahour Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will most likely cut a ribbon; a handful of government officials will be jockeying for camera time to claim economic leadership; major multinationals will compete to get their logo in the limelight; international donors, like USAID, DFID and the World Bank will be prominently featured and the media will eat all of this and regurgitate it, with little or no real analysis, as economic development toward statehood. This is all a probable scenario in the upcoming Palestinian information and communication technology (ICT) sector’s premier annual public event, EXPOTECH Technology Week 2010. The real story however will be embedded in the exhibition’s booths, in the people who are struggling to survive under a brutal and prolonged Israeli military occupation while keeping their eye on the prize: building an information technology sector that has the potential to be a pillar of a future Palestinian…more
Arab Ocean’s Eleven
Palestine Chronicle: 31 Oct 2010 – By Sherri Muzher It’s been said that the greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance; it is the ILLUSION OF KNOWLEDGE. And when it comes to the Arab World, there seems to be many illusions — illusions that have brought people oceans apart. I call it the Arab Ocean’s Eleven. (1) Allah. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. This is no different than the Spanish calling God “Dios” or the French saying “Dieu.” The word Allah came before the religion of Islam was even established. Because Muslims of all ethnicities believe God spoke in Arabic, all Muslims use the word Allah. But go to any Arab Christian church — Allah is who is honored. (2) Not all Arabs are Muslims and not all Muslims are Arabs. Many people use the words interchangeably as if they were the same thing. They’re not. One is an ethnicity; the other is…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment