3 November, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Adhan Banned at Hebron’s Al-Ibrahimi Mosque 54 Times in One Month
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 18:50, The Muslim call to prayer (Adhan) was prohibited by the Israeli authorities at Hebron’s Al-Ibrahimi Mosque for 54 times, during the month of October, the Middle East Monitor reported.
Political Survey: 56% Against the Resumption of Talks with Israel
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 17:52, According to a recent poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO), 56.1% of the respondents polled are opposed to resuming direct peace talks with the Israeli government, mainly because the construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has not stopped.
US Midterm Elections and the Middle East Peace Process
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 17:43, The outcome of Tuesday’s midterm elections in the United States marked the Republican party’s victory in the House of Representatives with a majority of at least 62 seats gained. No change is expected by Palestinians on the status of Palestine in the current peace negotiations.
Meeting Between Non-violent Activists and British Foreign Secretary in Ramallah
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 16:25, On Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, met a group of Palestinian non-violent resistance activists near the Israeli wall that surrounds the city of Ramallah.
Hamas: Palestinian Killed in Gaza Car Explosion
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 13:39, The Hamas Interior Ministry declared that a car exploded outside the Palestinian Authority passport office in Gaza City, killing one Palestinian.
Israeli Education Minister Proposes a “New Code of Ethics” to Encourage Zionism
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 11:37, On Tuesday, during the meeting of the Knesset Education Committee, the Israeli Education Minister, Gideon Sa’ar, explained that the objective of the new code should be to end the present row over teaching Zionism. Professors think that the plan exceeds the limits of academic freedom.
AFP: Children of Silwan to Be Placed Under House Arrest
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 11:21, Shmulik Ben Ruby, spokesman for the Israeli police, said on Tuesday that Israel was to issue court orders imposing house arrest on stone-throwing children living in the Arab neighborhood of Silwan, in East Jerusalem, Agence France-Presse reported.
Israeli Army Detained Four Brothers in Tulkarem
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 10:49, On Wednesday, the Israeli army detained four brothers from al-Gayosee family, from the village of Kor, in the southern part of Tulkarem. Detention was accompanied with invasion and searching of some houses in the village.
Anti-Arab Campaign Intensifies in Safed, With Public Humiliation of Elderly Man Who Rents to Arabs
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Wednesday November 03, 2010 – 08:35, An 89-year old Jewish man has become the latest target of an organized campaign to rid the Israeli town of Safed of Palestinian-Israelis (Palestinians with Israeli citizenship). On Tuesday, posters appeared all over town denouncing the man for renting an apartment to three Palestinian-Israeli students studying at Safed College.
Gaza: Balfour Protest Banned
IMEMC – 3 Nov 2010 – Tuesday November 02, 2010 – 17:45, A group said that Hamas prohibited a demonstration scheduled on the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration in Gaza on Tuesday, Ma’an News reported.
1 killed in Gaza City blast
11/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian was killed and several others injured in an explosion targeting a car in Gaza City just before noon Wednesday. Civil defense officials said an Israeli drone targeted the car, which was on the street outside the Palestinian Authority passport office in western Gaza City. An Israeli military spokeswoman…. Related: Israel claims assassination in Gaza
Israel claims assassination in Gaza
11/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israel’s military claimed the assassination of a Gaza fighter hours after the 27-year-old was killed by an explosion that destroyed a car he was driving. The military, which initially declined to comment, said Muhammad Jamal Nimnim was a senior leader in the Salafist military group Jaish Al-Islam…. Related: 1 killed in Gaza City blast
Israeli army seizes 4 brothers in raid
11/3/2010 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces seized four men, all brothers, during a raid on their home in the West Bank village of Kur, south of Tulkarem, early Wednesday, local officials said. Village council head Jalal Al-Jayousi said Israeli soldiers in several armored vehicles entered the village at 3 a. m. , firing flares and stun….
Israel suspends UNESCO ties over West Bank holy site
11/4/2010 – JERUSALEM (DPA) — Israel said Wednesday it was suspending its cooperation with UNESCO because it had described as a mosque a West Bank shrine said to be the tomb of the Biblical matriarch Rachel. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minter Dany Ayalon told the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, that the UN cultural organization should withdraw its “recognition….
Egyptian authorities restrict travel of Gaza poet
11/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Egyptian authorities prevented a Gaza poet from traveling to a poetry competition in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Suleiman Al-Hazeen, from An-Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip district of Deir Al-Balah, was accepted to be one of 7,000 contestants in the “Prince of Poets” competition hosted by the Gulf….
Israeli court sentences Gaza man
11/3/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A Beersheba court sentenced a Gaza man to six and a half years in Israeli custody on Wednesday, the Center for the Study of Detainees in Gaza said. Tareq Abed Rabbo, from the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza, was born in 1976. He was detained in March, accused of affiliation….
Woman demands prison transfer
11/3/2010 – SALFIT (Ma’an) — A woman in Israeli detention ended her hunger strike on Wednesday, after prison officials said they would examine her request to be transferred to a different institution, where her sister remains in custody. The Salfit Prisoners Center said lanan Abu Ghilmah had initially planned on a 21-day protest, but halted….
Israel allows gravel, electric transformers into Gaza
11/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities will permit a rare shipment of gravel required for construction to enter the besieged Gaza Strip on Wednesday, a Palestinian official said. Raed Fattuh said that Israel would allow around 220 truckloads of humanitarian aid and other goods to enter Gaza, including 131 truckloads of gravel required for….
Britain working to change arrest law, Hague says
11/4/2010 – JERUSALEM (DPA) — The British government is working to change a law which has seen Israeli officials threatened with lawsuits in Britain, visiting British Foreign Secretary William Hague said in Ramallah Wednesday.” We will soon be putting a proposal to change the law,” he told a joint news conference with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. But, he…. Related: UK and Palestine sign first ‘treaty between nations’
Poll: 56% oppose resuming talks with Israel
11/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — More than half of Palestinians in the occupied territories oppose a return to direct negotiations with Israel in the face of ongoing West Bank settlement expansion, an opinion poll released Wednesday suggests. The survey, from the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, prepared by Beit Sahour-based pollster Nabil Kukali, also showed…. Related: PCPO
UK and Palestine sign first ‘treaty between nations’
11/4/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Billed by British officials as the “first treaty between the two nations,” Palestinian culture minister Siham Barghouti signed a film agreement with visiting UK Foreign Secretary William Hague on Wednesday. The agreement aims to “lead to the sharing of ideas, knowledge and skills, helping stimulate productivity in both film industries,” and…. Related: Britain working to change arrest law, Hague says
Gaza police shoot man dead while breaking up fight
11/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Police shot a man dead while breaking up a fight in a market inGaza’s Shati refugee camp on Wednesday, police said. The victim was identified as Alaa As-Sour of Shati camp. Gaza police spokesman Ayman Al-Batniji said police fired warning shots in the air before mistakenly shooting the….
EU to sign over €31 million to PA, UNRWA
11/4/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy Stefan F?ɬºle will sign a ‚Ǩ31 million in agreements with UNRWA and the Palestinian Authority on Thursday, an EU statement said. The first, an ‚Ǩ11 million financing agreement co-signed with PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, will go to “support the….
Republicans capture US House
11/3/2010 – WASHINGTON (Ma’an) — The Republican party won a majority in the US House of Representatives but failed to capture the Senate during the country’s Tuesday midterm elections. Voters angry about a stagnating economy swept President Barack Obama’s Democrats from the lower house of congress. According to news network projections, Republicans….
Egypt intelligence chief to visit Israel
11/3/2010 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — Egyptian intelligence chief Omer Suleiman will arrive in Israel on Thursday in an attempt to break an impasse in Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, news reports say. Suleiman is to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to discuss ways of resuming negotiations, Egyptian reports said. Suleiman is expected….
Lithuanian minister pays visit to EU police mission
11/3/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Lithuania’s Minister of Interior Raimundas Palaitis paid a visit to the EU’s police training mission in Ramallah on Wednesday. Palaitis and his delegation met with the EUPOL COPPS deputy head of mission, Jesper Friedrichsen, and with the Lithuanian commander, Arturas Simelionis. Friedrichsen briefed the minister on the….
Abbas aide: Palestinians don’t expect change in US Mideast policy
11/3/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (DPA) — A senior aide to President Mahmoud Abbas said Wednesday he did not expect the outcome of the US mid-term congressional elections to affect the Middle East peace process.” We will continue to work with the US administration as before,” Yasser Abed Rabbo told Voice of Palestine Radio from Kuwait, where he….
Abbas: US trying to restart peace talks
11/3/2010 – MANAMA, Bahrain (Ma’an) — Continuous efforts have been made by US mediators to bring stalled peace talks back on track, President Mahmoud Abbas told the Kuwait News Agency KUNA on Wednesday. As PA officials insist that the midterm elections – which took seats in the nation’s congress away from President Barack Obama’…. Related: Abbas aide: Palestinians don’t expect change in US Mideast policy
Bethlehem officials patrol for expired goods
11/3/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinian customs officials in Bethlehem destroyed five tons of food deemed unfit for human consumption Wednesday, a spokesman said. Municipal workers carried out the destruction, while police charged the merchant who was found to have the food – deemed to be past its expiry date – in stock in his shop. Police said….
Pilgrims depart Gaza for Mecca
11/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The first group of Palestinian pilgrims from Gaza was set to leave on Wednesday en route to Mecca to perform Hajj, officials said. Salam Barakah, the chief of Palestinian police at the Rafah crossing, said personnel at the terminal began processing the group of 700 pilgrims at 9 AM on….
In photos: Olives hit the presses
11/3/2010 – MaanImages / Luay Sababa – Palestinian women bottle freshly pressed olive oil and can pickled olives to be sold at the Olive Harvest Festival in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, 30 October 2010….
Netanyahu ready to resume work with Obama
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Washington – After the US midterm elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel is ready to renew stalled talks with the Palestinians, Ynet News reported Wednesday. Despite political setbacks for the Democratic Party…
Egypt intelligence chief to visit Israel
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Washington – In an effort to renew Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Egyptian intelligence chief Omer Suleiman is scheduled to travel to Israel on Thursday, Ma’an News Agency reported Thursday. Suleiman is set to met with Israeli Prime Minister…
Tea Party representative to visit Israel
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Washington – Newly elected Florida senator, Republican Marco Rubio is scheduled to arrive in Israel on Sunday, much to the approval of pro-Israeli groups, Ynet News reported Wednesday. AIPAC applauded the election results and stated: “It…
Iranian stoning woman not yet executed
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Washington – French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has declared that the Iranian woman sentenced to death by stoning has not yet been executed, the BBC reported Wednesday. Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted several years ago for…
US to send additional financial support to STL
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Washington – American Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice announced on Wednesday that the US would be sending an additional $10 million dollars to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon which is tasked with investigating…
Israel halts dialogue with UK due to war crimes law
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Washington – Israel has canceled a meeting with Britain in protest of a law that allows for the arrest of visiting Israeli officials accused of war crimes, Haaretz reported Wednesday. The cancelation was declared during British…
Car explosion in Gaza City kills suspected militant
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Washington – A suspected Palestinian militant from the group Army of Islam has died in a car explosion in Gaza City outside the headquarters of a Hamas-run police station. At least two others were also wounded…
Republicans take US Congress, Democrats maintain hold on Senate
Palestine Note 3 Nov 2010 – Midterm election results yield important changes, but State Department claims it will not effect Mideast policy. Washington – As had been predicted, Republicans made significant gains in Congress and the Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections in…
Israel suspends ‘dialogue’ with UK
AlJazeera 3 Nov 2010 – Strategic dialogue postponed in protest at law that allows British courts to prosecute Israeli officials for war crimes.
Protests as Egypt candidates barred
AlJazeera 3 Nov 2010 – Government preliminarily denies 57 Muslim Brotherhood candidates from running in polls amid claims of a crackdown.
One killed in Gaza car explosion
AlJazeera 3 Nov 2010 – A 27-year-old Palestinian man killed and another wounded in Israeli attack outside the main police compound in Gaza City
Israeli Army Calls 2008 Ni’lin Shooting “Operational Accident”
PNN – Bethlehem ‚Äì PNN – The Israeli news house YNetNews.com reported today that Israeli Major-General Gershon Hacohen called the 2008 shooting of a bound Palestinian protestor an “operational accident.” The shooter, former battalion…
Nonviolent Resistance Activists Meet British Foreign Secretary Hague
PNN – Ramallah ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì On Wednesday, a group of Palestinian nonviolent resistance activists met William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, in the city of Ramallah. The meeting took place near the Israeli…
Poll: 56% Oppose Resuming Direct Talks With Israel
PNN – Bethlehem ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì A recent poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion (PCPO) found that 56.1 % of respondents were opposed to resuming direct peace talks with the Israeli government,…
One Killed, Four Injured by Israeli Missile Strike in Gaza City
PNN – Gaza ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì A Palestinian civilian was killed and four others were injured during an Israeli airstrike targeting Gaza City on Wednesday afternoon. Interior Ministry sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed…
Catholic Priest: Israel Doesn’t Investigate Complaints of Jerusalem Church Attacks
PNN – Jerusalem ‚Äì PNN – A Catholic priest accused Israeli authorities of failing to investigate complaints of encroachment on Jerusalem churches, such as that regarding the attack on the Our Father Abraham church…
Prosecutors House Vandalized Over Conviction of Gaza Soldiers
PNN – Petah Tikva – PNN – Graffiti was found on house of Major-General Avichai Mandelblit this morning in response to the prosecutor’s conviction of two Israeli soldiers. The graffiti called Mandelblit a traitor…
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
IDF investigates 400 complaints over Cast Lead conduct
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 РOut of the 400 complaints, 50 evolved into criminal investigations – led by the Military Police – and three into indictments.
‚ÄòInability to protect officials halting UK-Israel dialogue’
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Officials in J’lem tell Hague more must be done over universal jurisdiction legislation; Hague meets with Fayyad, Palestinian activists.
Braverman: America’s world status is most important
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Danon: Republicans will put brakes on the consistently dubious, sometimes dangerous Obama policies regarding Israel these past two years.
PM to ask UN chief to rebuff PA’s unilateral statehood bid
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Israel cuts ties with UNESCO until retracts designation of Jewish holy sites as ‚ÄòPalestinian’; Arab League Sec.-Gen. says wants UN to lead peace process.
‚ÄòTicking bomb’ terrorist killed in Gaza air strike
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Shin Bet acknowledges targeted assassination of Army of Islam member with ties to al-Qaida; was planning to attack US, Israel targets in Sinai Peninsula.
Obama takes responsibility for Democratic ‚Äòshellacking’
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Republicans win at least 60 seats to reclaim the US House; Israel ‚Äòindifferent to results,’ happy with bipartisan support for state, says Ayalon; Livni: A weak US president endangers the Jewish state.
Ayalon says FM will no longer cooperate with UNESCO
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Decision comes after UN organization slams Israel for declaring Cave of Patriarchs, Rachel’s tomb as national sites.
Shin Bet confirms killing terrorist in Gaza car bomb
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Explosion killed a top operative in an al Qaida-affiliated Palestinian terror group who planned attacks on Israelis and Americans.
Livni: It’s stupid to think weak US president helps Israel
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Kadima leader slams Netanyahu’s peace negotiations strategy and those who hoped for Democrats defeat in US elections in Knesset, Netanyahu tells MKs he hopes the PA desires peace as much as Israel and the US do.
PM: I hope the Palestinians desire peace as much as we do
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Likud MK Elkin blames Israel’s diplomatic isolation on an outside campaign against the state, not gov’t’s policies; Kadima MK Boim encourages Netanyahu to “join national pantheon” through peace efforts.
Hariri court president appeals for acceptance
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – UN-backed tribunal plans to issue an indictment in December in the 2005 killing of Lebanon’s PM.
Factor panel: Republican Congress better for Israel, Tea Pa
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – ?
Palestinian dies in Gaza car explosion
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Hamas said blast caused by Israeli air strike; man killed reportedly belonged to al-Qaida-linked “Army of Islam.”
Majority of Palestinians oppose return to direct talks
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Opinion poll shows disapproval of PA President Abbas’s leadership; mixed views on Kassam rocket attacks into Israel.
Hariri to BBC: Israel thinks it can get away with it
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – “I think Iran has an influence, but the real danger lies in not acheiving a comprehensive peace,” says Lebanese PM in interview.
Israel boosts airport security in wake of al-Qaida plots
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Security officials tells ‘Post’ that the Shin Bet had conducted drills to train airport security for similar scenarios in recent months.
Reported 3-year delay in F-35 program may impact delivery
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – Less than a month after Israel signs contact to purchase squadron of stealth F-35 fighter jet, an internal review may affect delivery to the IAF.
IDF unveils new systems that increase safety, precision
Jeruslalem Post 3 Nov 2010 – The Logistics and Technology Directorate unveiled new systems aimed at improving ability to bring supplies to troops behind enemy lines.
International Solidarity Movement
IDF general: Naalin shooting an operational accident
11/3/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 03 November, Ynet News – Commander of IDF colleges Major-General Gershon Hacohen testifies as character witness for former battalion commander Omri Borberg convicted of attempted threats in 2008 shooting incident involving bound Palestinian protester – The defense team of Lieutenant-Colonel Omri Borberg and Staff-Sergeant (res. ) Leonardo Corea, who were involved in the shooting of a bound Palestinian…. Related: Source: YNet
3 Arrested Protesting Expansion of Settlement in Jiftlik, the Jordan Valley
11/3/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 31 October 2010 – Sunday, settlers clashed with Bedouin villagers of Jiftlik in the Jordan Valley, as settlers tried to expand their settlement of Massu¬¥a. Their expansion will isolate Jiftlik and result in the whole Bedouin community losing access to their pastures, making it impossible for the Bedouins to live in their village and thereby….
Knesset debates future of Israeli flag production
Ha’aretz – Knesset passes preliminary reading of bill requiring all Israeli flags be manufactured in Israel.
IDF chief defends Gaza war probes after vandals deface prosecutor’s home
Ha’aretz – ‘Traitor’ sprayed across walls of Avihai Mandelblitt’s house in Petah Tikva after he opened investigations into soldiers’ conduct in Gaza war.
Police refuse permit for secular student protest in Bnei Brak
Ha’aretz – College students banned from demostrating in Orthodox Jewish district, days after ultra-rightwing protest went ahead in Arab town.
Smoke and flames at Ben Gurion as airport drills for disaster
Ha’aretz – Emergency services carry out large-scale exercise to test readiness for a major air crash.
Israel clashes with UNESCO in row over holy sites
Ha’aretz – Government furious over UN decision to classify West Bank biblical tomb as a mosque.
Israel claims assassination of top Islamist militant in Gaza
Ha’aretz – IDF says it attacked Mohammed Nimnim, killed when his car exploded in Gaza City earlier Wednesday.
Netanyahu says he will meet Clinton during U.S. visit
Ha’aretz – PM will arrive in New Orleans on Sunday to address a conference of the U.S. Jewish community, where Joe Biden will also speak.
Israel to publish Palestinian ‘incitement index’
Ha’aretz – Cabinet debates draft mechanism to measure anti-Israel sentiment in the Palestinian Authority.
Lebanon sentences three to death for spying for Israel
Ha’aretz – Dozens of Lebanese have been arrested since last year as part of an espionage investigation in which many have been formally charged; suspects can appeal sentence., Many members of Netanyahu’s…
Israel halts ‘special strategic dialogue’ with Britain to protest arrest warrants
Ha’aretz – British universal jurisdiction empowers judges to issue arrest warrants for nearly any visitor accused of war crimes anywhere in the world; visiting Foreign Secretary William Hague wants law changed, embassy…
Hamas blames IDF after Gaza blast kills one Palestinian
Ha’aretz – Hamas says it ‘assumes’ explosion to be Israeli attack, but will continue investigation into cause.
British foreign secretary to meet Palestinian activists in East Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – William Hague’s itinerary, which includes Sheikh Jarrah, raises eyebrows in Israel’s diplomatic corps.
Palestinian PM skipping East Jerusalem event due to Israeli pressure
Ha’aretz – Fayyad was to appear at reception in Dahiat al-Salam marking completion of 15 new East Jerusalem schools; police issued warrant banning event at hall, leading owner to move reception to…
Deputy PM Meridor cancels London visit following lawsuit threat
Ha’aretz – Intelligence and Atomic Energy Minister reportedly faced charges linked to his role in the IDF raid on the Gaza-bound flotilla.
Israel opens Abu Salem, keeps Karni closed
2 Nov 2010 – Gaza, November 2, (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…
Come to Al-Walaja Friday and to Palestine this Christmas
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – A critical peace march in Al-Walaja Noon Friday, 5 November 2010. The local committee invites all activists to this critical event coming only 3 days before a key Israeli supreme court session that will rule about the wall that is being built to strangulate the village. Attending thr march on Friday will help in drawing…
Colussus: the giant Gazan prison
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – Gaza “the giant open prison” are not the words of Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president. Nor were they scripted by Hamas’ Khaled Mishaal or Fatah’s Mahmoud Abbas. They belong to David Cameron, the young and charismatic British prime minister. Since the imposition of the Gaza blockade nearly four years ago, no single European leader has…
More questions about the settler attack on church in Jerusalem
Uruknet November 3, 2010 — A group of extremist Israeli settlers attacked and set fire to an old Christian church in Jerusalem (Al Quds) on Friday night, 30th October. The church itself was built more than a hundred years ago and has housed Christian worshippers in the Holy city of Al Quds for decades. For the leaders of the Church,…
Report: Settlers kill 3 Palestinian children and wound scores of others over a 2 year period
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – An international human rights foundation has confirmed that Palestinian children have become “a target of attack from groups of extremist Jewish settlers”. In a report entitled ‘Under attack: Settler violence against Palestinian children in the occupied territories’, the Palestinians branch of the Global Movement for the Defence of Children documented 38 separate incidences of settler…
Israel assassinates Islamist militant in Gaza
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – Israel has admitted it was behind the assassination a Palestinian man killed when his car exploded in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The Israel Defense Forces says it had killed Mohammed Nimnim, who the army says was a senior member of the Army of Islam, an extremist militant group. Nimnim was killed in a joint…
In Unusual Move, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Slam Ahmadinejad
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – In an unprecedented move, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has directly blasted President Mahmud Ahmadinejad over controversial comments he made recently, including saying that parliament is not on top of the country’s affairs. Ahmadinejad was also criticized for promoting an “Iranian school of thought” instead of an Islamic one. Ahmadinejad has in recent weeks…
A Personal Occupation
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – Last week, Israeli soldiers occupied Hayat Mutlak al-Salaymeh’s house for the third time since August. On October 28, around 25 young soldiers piled into her family’s small apartment on the third floor of a family-owned complex. For a few days her house became a fortress: the soldiers erected the Israeli flag on top of the…
Video: Gaza children bear scars of war
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – Israel’s war on Gaza almost two years ago killed at least 1,400 Palestinians – including more than 300 children according to human rights groups. Many of the children who witnessed the violence now suffer ongoing psychological damage. Al Jazeera’s Nadim Baba reports on how residents are trying to restore some normality to the children of…
1 killed in Gaza City blast
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – A Palestinian was killed and several others injured in an explosion targeting a car in Gaza City just before noon Wednesday. Civil defense officials said an Israeli drone targeted the car, which was on the street outside the Palestinian Authority passport office in western Gaza City. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment. Gaza medical…
Israel to place stone-throwing children under house arrest
Uruknet November 3, 2010 — Israeli police said on Tuesday they would begin imposing house arrest on stone-throwing youths in east Jerusalem and hold their parents legally responsible for their actions. “The police will bring the situation of children throwing stones at the police and at Jewish cars under control with court orders imposing strict house arrest on these children,”…
Imperialism, Islamophobia, and Torture
Uruknet November 3, 2010 – During the Nuremberg Trials, the chief American prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson, famously stated[i]: “To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.” America has a long history…
DCI-Palestine releases new report on settler violence
Uruknet November 2, 2010 – Today, DCI-Palestine releases a new report on settler violence directed against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. The report – Under Attack: Settler Violence against Palestinian Children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, [with brochure] documents 38 incidents of settler violence against children during a two year period, in which three children…
Palestinian detainee still in jail months after serving term
Uruknet November 2, 2010 – Protesting a 3-month delay of his release, a Gaza man held in Israel’s Negev prison went on hunger strike Monday, a prisoners support group reported. Shadi Abu Al-Hussein, 34, from the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, was due for release on 31 August but has remained in an isolation cell. An Israeli prison service…
Olives and Balfour and more
Uruknet November 2, 2010 We just finished our olive harvest. This year we got over twice as much olives as last year from our own grove. This year hundreds of trees were damaged and/or harvest stolen by settlers. People are still harvesting near the apartheid wall/colonial settlements and if you are in Palestine and interested, you may still get a…
Israel Prevents Palestinian Prime Minister from Attending Jerusalem Ceremony
Alternative Information Center – Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was forced to cancel visits to school ceremonies in the East Jerusalem on Tuesday (2 November), following a warning from Israel’s Public Security Ministry.
Lobby MEPs for Accurate Labelling of Israeli Settlement Goods
Alternative Information Center – I am writing you with regards to the ongoing debate around the correct labeling of Israeli products entering the EU market.
A study of humanitarian financing for older people
Relief Web 3 Nov 2010 – Source: HelpAge International
Press Conference by Security Council President on Work Programme for November
Relief Web 3 Nov 2010 – Source: UN Department of Public Information, UN Security Council
Prosecuting pillage
Relief Web 3 Nov 2010 – Source: International Justice Tribune
OPT: Socio-economic Report – September 2010
Relief Web 3 Nov 2010 – Source: UN Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories
8th Week against the Apartheid Wall, November 9 – 16 2010
Stop The Wall – [
IDF, Shin Bet confirm killing of Gaza terrorist
YNet News – Hamas says Army of Islam commander killed in airstrike near police headquarters,….
British FM backs non-violent struggle against security fence
YNet News – William Hague meets with Palestinian activists, calls jailed leaders ‘human….
PM: Palestinians not ready for peace
YNet News – During debate titled ‘The world against Israel ‚Äì how the Netanyahu….
Settlers visit Bethlehem governor
YNet News – Members of pro-peace Eretz Shalom organization meet with Palestinian officials….
IDF general: Naalin shooting an operational accident
YNet News – Commander of IDF colleges Major-General Gershon Hacohen testifies as character….
Iran: Russia ‘sold’ us to Americans
YNet News – Ahmadinejad reiterates ire at canceled sale of S-300 missile defense system from….
PA official: Israel intervened in US vote
YNet News – Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary-general of PLO’s Executive Committee, says….
Terror expert: Recent attacks message to US voters
YNet News – Head of Counter-Terror Institute says terrorists trying to prove they have not….
Israel blocks Qureia’s entry to Jordan
YNet News – Israel prevented former Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia from crossing into Jordan by car, Ynet reported Wednesday. Qureia, the current chairman of the …….
PM ‘ready to resume work with Obama’
YNet News – After the conclusion of the midterm elections in the US on Tuesday, Israel is preparing to step up talks with the American administration vis-?†-vis the stalemated …….
Deputy FM: Israel won’t cooperate with UNESCO
YNet News – “Israel has no intention of cooperating with UNESCO,” Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon told the Knesset on Wednesday in response to the world culture organization’s …….
Days after election victory: ‘Tea Party’ coming to Israel
YNet News – First they took Washington, now they’ll take Jerusalem? With victory in the congressional elections less than a day old, Florida Senator Marco Rubio (Rep.) who considers …….
Poll: Gazans disappointed with Hamas
YNet News – A recent poll conducted in Gaza has revealed a sharp drop in support for Hamas, but the ruling Islamist movement is preventing the survey’s publication, the state-run …….
Firing at workers near the Gaza perimeter fence
B’tselem 2 Nov 2010 – Over the past year, B’Tselem has documented 11 cases in which soldiers fired at and wounded Palestinian civilians close to the perimeter fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The use of live fire to remove civilians from the area is indiscriminate, cau
Suspicion: settlers torched vehicles in northern West Bank
B’tselem 2 Nov 2010 – Security-camera footage obtained by B’Tselem raises serious suspicion that settlers torched two vehicles in Qusra on the night of 13-14 Oct. ’10, in the framework of “price tag” actions. B’Tselem demands law-enforcement authorities take immediate, firm ac
Palestinian Information Center
IOA deliberately sabotages tourism in eastern Jerusalem
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – Jerusalemite merchants accused the Israeli occupation authority (IOA)of deliberately sabotaging tourism in eastern Jerusalem especially the Old City through directing tourists to Jewish areas.
Bahar departs for Haj at the head of parliamentary delegation
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – A five-member parliamentary delegation led by first deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council left Gaza on Wednesday en route to Saudi Arabia to perform Haj (pilgrimage).
Swedish demonstration demands arresting Mofaz for war crimes
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – Tens of Swedes demonstrated on Wednesday in front of the Swedish institute for international relations against the visit of Israel’s former chief of staff Shaul Mofaz.
Bardawil: The resistance, not Abbas, prevents new Israeli war on Gaza
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – Salah Al-Bardawil stated that the strength of the Palestinian resistance and the international solidarity with Gaza are the only reasons that prevent Israel from waging a new war on the Strip.
Israeli police arrest five Palestinian children in Silwan
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – Israeli occupation policemen stormed the Silwan town, south of the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, on Wednesday and arrested five Palestinian children including two brothers.
PA security storms home in Wadi Al-Hariya area of Al-Khalil city
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – The Palestinian authority’s security militias stormed at a late hour Tuesday evening Wadi Al-Hariya neighborhood in Al-Khalil city and violently broke into one of the homes there.
Israel to build huge military bridge between Buraq plaza and Aqsa Mosque
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – Al-Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage said that the Israeli committee for planning approved the plan of building the military bridge between Al-Buraq square and Al-Maghariba Gate.
Palestinian man killed in Israeli raid
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – A Palestinian man was killed and others were injured when Israeli warplanes targeted a civilian car in downtown Gaza city on Wednesday.
DCI: 38 incidents of settlers’ violence against children occurred in two years
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – Defense for children international (DCI) organization-Palestine section documented 38 incidents of settlers’ violence against Palestinian children that happened during the past two years.
Detainees in Hawara complain of inhuman incarceration
PIC 3 Nov 2010 – The Palestinian prisoner’s committee said in a statement on Wednesday that tension was rising high among Palestinian detainees in the Israeli Hawara military detention center.
Militant killed in Gaza, Israeli officials say
LA Times 3 Nov 2010 – The militant, a leader of a fringe group known as the Army of Islam, was said to be planning a terrorist attack against Israeli and American targets in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. Israeli officials said Wednesday that their forces killed a senior Palestinian commander from an Al Qaeda-affiliated Islamist group in the Gaza Strip as he was planning a terrorist attack against Israeli and American targets in Egypt’s Sinai peninsula.
Israel Attack Kills a Top Militant in Gaza
New York Times 3 Nov 2010 – The apparent airstrike that killed Mohammed al-Nemne, leader of group inspired by Al Qaeda, ended a period of relative calm in the region.
Lebanon Cracks Down on Internet Freedom
New York Times 3 Nov 2010 – Over the past year, the country’s reputation as a bastion of free speech has been tarnished by a rash of arrests, detentions and intimidation of Lebanese citizens for their online activities.
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 –
Intimidation Continues in Susiya as Peace Activists Are Arrested
Palestine Monitor – Two activists from the Jewish-Arab equality group Ta’ayush were arrested while assisting olive farmers in Susiya village on Saturday. The harvest had been interrupted by Israeli soldiers who claimed the land was disputed, although Israeli government-issued aerial maps showed it to be Palestinian. Written and photographed…
Ramallah’s Olive Press
Palestine Monitor – The olive harvest is the definitive Mediterranean tradition. From the Pyrennes to the Atlases, Tunis to Athens, Jerusalem to Damascus, farmers and families are climbing trees and filling sacks in their grey-green groves. But before these kilos can be poured on pasta, heated to fry, or…
A Personal Occupation
Palestine Monitor – Last week, Israeli soldiers occupied Hayat Mutlak al-Salaymeh’s house for the third time since August. On October 28, around 25 young soldiers piled into her family’s small apartment on the third floor of a family-owned complex. For a few days her house became a fortress: the…
UK Foreign Secretary meets with Palestinian activists, when will the US follow suit?
Mondoweiss – The Popular Struggle Coordination Committee is reporting that William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, met with leading Palestinian grassroots activists in Ramallah. The meeting serves as a subtle show of support as Israel continues to crack down on the spreading nonviolent resistance to the Wall. From…
BREAKING NEWS: Benjamin Netanyahu retains control of U.S. Congress
Mondoweiss – The headline is courtesy of Ali Abunimah’s twitter feed . Josh Rogan reports for Foreign Policy on The Israel Project’s victory lap: One prominent pro-Israel lobbying group in Washington is already praising the GOP takeover of the House of Representatives as a net benefit for Israel. “While…
Is Lev Leviev out of the settlement building business?
Mondoweiss – Adalah-NY is claiming victory in helping to force Israeli industrialist Lev Leviev out of the settlement construction business . Adalah has been campaigning for years against Leviev, including some very creative protests outside his flagship Manhattan boutique. From an Adalah-NY press release: Africa Israel, the flagship company…
There are more than just Palestinian refugees in Israel
Mondoweiss – The Israeli activist who goes by the name gangreentv has sent us the video above. It’s the second video we’ve posted from them. They also sent this explanation below: While much media attention is focused on Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian population, and rightfully so, most…
ADL seeks to submarine Gaza boat fundraiser at Rutgers
Mondoweiss – This is important. Tomorrow night at Rutgers, the New Jersey state university, Palestinian solidarity groups are exercising their right to assembly and free speech by gathering to raise money for the US boat to Gaza — which seeks to aid the 1.5 million people living in…
Palestinian Martyred, Three Wounded in Gaza Car Blast
Al-Manar 3 Nov 2010 – A Palestinian was martyred and three others wounded on Wednesday when a car exploded near the headquarters of the police force in Gaza City, medics and eye witnesses said. Adham Abu Selmiya, the spokesman for emergency services in the Hamas-run health ministry, named the man…
British Foreign Secretary Meets with Palestinian Activists in a Show of Solidarity
Joseph Dana 3 Nov 2010 – William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, met with leading Palestinian grassroots organizers this afternoon in an unequivocal show of support in face of ongoing Israeli repression. This is a clear message that parts of the international community are aware of the grassroots non-violent work against the…
Israel halts ‘dialogue’ with UK
BBC 3 Nov 2010 – Israel is postponing “strategic dialogue” with Britain over defence and security issues, as William Hague arrives in Israel for an official visit.
Iran stoning woman ‘not executed’
BBC 3 Nov 2010 – The French foreign minister says Iran has not yet decided to execute a woman sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, amid reports her execution was imminent.
Israel behind Gaza militant death
BBC 3 Nov 2010 – Israel says it was responsible for an explosion that killed a suspected Palestinian militant and wounded two others in Gaza.
Israeli Settlers’ Terror
Sabbah report 3 Nov 2010 – Palestinians in the Israeli occupied West Bank face waves after waves of Israeli terror campaigns throughout the year. These terror waves are committed by Israeli extremist settlers (colonizers) as well as the Israeli army. The most common attacks include violent trespassing on Palestinian properties during the…
A Reply To Rupert Murdoch – Hiding Truth Behind Euphemisms, Omissions, Slanders And Lies
Sabbah report 3 Nov 2010 – Not content with such slander against innocent people indignant at the unconscionable brutality of the Israeli war machine, Murdoch chooses to slide silently by the horrific massacres inflicted on the people of Palestine during the Nakba, insisting that Israel suffered decades of “straightforward” military force by…
American Democracy: Pro-Israel Tweedledum And Tweedledee
Sabbah report 3 Nov 2010 – Deeply concerned about the increasing use of support for Israel as a partisan issue in American domestic politics, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, reminded everyone that “bipartisan support for Israel is a strategic national interest for the State of Israel.”One rule that Pollak…
(en) Palestine-Israel, Just another week of joint struggles of the AAtW and the wider Israeli radicals circle with Palestinian activists.
A-infos 3 Nov 2010 – Jerusalem is still in the focus of struggle because the transfer efforts there are increasing lately. The joint struggle in the Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah occupied neighborhoods contributed to the building of a wider circle of activists – including liberal and left Zionists who regard the…
Articles
Tough questions for Hamas
Haidar Eid, Ma’an News Agency11/3/2010
Hamas’ victory in the 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council elections surprised everyone, including its own members and leaders. Many local and international activists were also relieved, as the victory was a blow to the Bush doctrine in the Middle East. It was also a test of the credibility of the liberal democratic approach and its applications in the region.
This article is not concerned with domestic or foreign reactions and attempts to topple the sole democratic experience in the Arab world. Rather, it tackles Hamas’ failure to live up to its own commitments to its constituencies, many of whom were not necessarily supporters of the movement. It also examines the extent of Hamas’ credibility in committing to the social contract by which major democracies abide in terms of respecting individual citizens and safeguarding their dignity. This contract applies not only to male but also to female citizens.
First, one ought to reiterate the fact that Hamas is part of the resistance camp. In addition to the enormous sacrifices that many of its leaders and cadres have made, if creatively invested, Hamas’ actions ultimately support the interests of the Palestinian cause. This implies the following question: Has Hamas been able to actually build on this high level of commitment and sacrifice, not only on the part of the movement but of Palestinians in general?
Despite its somewhat fiery statements, Hamas’ impulse and willingness to deal with American propositions are indeed astonishing. Two letters were sent, as far as I know, to the new Obama administration after the term of former US President George W. Bush ended. The Americans emphasized that they declined to accept the first letter. However, it is the content of the letters and how they reflect the aspirations of Palestinians — both in all of historic Palestine as well as in the Diaspora — that is significant. more.. e-mail
The Statehood of Palestine: International Law in the Middle East Conflict
By Yousef Munayyer, Jerusalem Fund for Education and Community Development10/31/2010
Palestine Center Book Review: The Statehood of Palestine: International Law in the Middle East Conflict, by John Quigley
Will the Palestinians ask the United Nations to recognize their state? This has been an oft-asked question, particularly in recent weeks, as the American-mediated peace process has stalemated once Israel continued to build illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. But what if Palestine is already a state? This is the argument made by John Quigley, professor of international and comparative law at the Ohio State University Law School and author of the newly published book The Statehood of Palestine: International Law in the Middle East Conflict.
Quigley pores over years of international legal history as it relates to the question of Palestine from the pre-WWI period through the modern era. For Weberians, the idea that Palestine may in fact be a state will be difficult to understand or accept, but Quigley is not interested in satisfying political criteria in his definition of statehood. Rather, he looks at the legal definition of statehood as it exists in international law and as it is applied throughout the international community, and asks whether or not Palestine today, or at any point in its history, satisfied the legal definition of a state. The answer is yes. The essence of Quigley’s argument:
The view that Palestine is not a state suffers from four errors. It disregards historical facts that show Palestine statehood dating from the mandate period. It applies criteria for Palestine statehood that are more stringent than those actually followed in the international community. It fails to account for the fact that Palestine’s territory is under belligerent occupation. It fails to account for the facts showing the implied recognition of Palestine… Palestine should be brought into the community of nations as a full-fledged citizen. more.. e-mail
The Phantom Left
Chris Hedges, Truthdig10/31/2010
The American left is a phantom. It is conjured up by the right wing to tag Barack Obama as a socialist and used by the liberal class to justify its complacency and lethargy. It diverts attention from corporate power. It perpetuates the myth of a democratic system that is influenced by the votes of citizens, political platforms and the work of legislators. It keeps the world neatly divided into a left and a right. The phantom left functions as a convenient scapegoat. The right wing blames it for moral degeneration and fiscal chaos. The liberal class uses it to call for “moderation.” And while we waste our time talking nonsense, the engines of corporate power—masked, ruthless and unexamined—happily devour the state.
The loss of a radical left in American politics has been catastrophic. The left once harbored militant anarchist and communist labor unions, an independent, alternative press, social movements and politicians not tethered to corporate benefactors. But its disappearance, the result of long witch hunts for communists, post-industrialization and the silencing of those who did not sign on for the utopian vision of globalization, means that there is no counterforce to halt our slide into corporate neofeudalism. This harsh reality, however, is not palatable. So the corporations that control mass communications conjure up the phantom of a left. They blame the phantom for our debacle. And they get us to speak in absurdities.
The phantom left took a central role on the mall this weekend in Washington. It had performed admirably for Glenn Beck, who used it in his own rally as a lightning rod to instill anger and fear. And the phantom left proved equally useful for the comics Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, who spoke to the crowd wearing red-white-and-blue costumes. The two comics evoked the phantom left, as the liberal class always does, in defense of moderation, which might better be described as apathy. If the right wing is crazy and if the left wing is crazy, the argument goes, then we moderates will be reasonable. We will be nice. Exxon and Goldman Sachs, along with predatory banks and the arms industry, may be ripping the guts out of the country, our rights—including habeas corpus—may have been revoked, but don’t get mad. Don’t be shrill. Don’t be like the crazies on the left. more.. e-mail
Dreaming of dancing around the world
Electronic Intifada: 3 Nov 2010 – After years of training, the traditional Canaan Dabke dance troupe has a name renowned throughout Gaza, and uniforms to match.more
Intimidation Continues in Susiya as Peace Activists Are Arrested
Palestine Monitor: 3 Nov 2010 – Two activists from the Jewish-Arab equality group Ta’ayush were arrested while assisting olive farmers in Susiya village on Saturday. The harvest had been interrupted by Israeli soldiers who claimed the land was disputed, although Israeli government-issued aerial maps showed it to be Palestinian. Written and photographed by Brynn Ruba. Israeli soldiers arrest a Ta’ayush activist for entering a declared “Closed Military Zone,” after appealing for his help translating for a detained Palestinian woman. The Ta’ayush activists, who specialise in supporting Palestinians’ legal rights to their property, showed the aerial maps to soldiers, as well as relevant land deeds. The maps have been publically available since a Peace Now campaign pressured the government into disclosing data on ownership of the land in the occupied territories. The soldiers refused to acknowledge that the area was private Palestinian farmland, instead proclaiming it a ‚Äòclosed military zone’, a common but illegal method of crowd…more
Ramallah’s Olive Press
Palestine Monitor: 3 Nov 2010 – The olive harvest is the definitive Mediterranean tradition. From the Pyrennes to the Atlases, Tunis to Athens, Jerusalem to Damascus, farmers and families are climbing trees and filling sacks in their grey-green groves. But before these kilos can be poured on pasta, heated to fry, or soaked in bread, the olives must go to a press. Palestine Monitor visited Ramallah’s downtown olive press to see how the season’s harvest gets from the raw to the extra virgin. The first phase of the olive press: all the olives from one batch are put in this funnel. From the funnel, a conveyor belt carries the olives to the washer. The manager demonstrates how the entire press operation is controlled. Ramallah’s downtown olive press was founded in 1972 and when in season, it produces on average 2.5 tons of olive oil a day. In the washer, twigs and dirt are removed from the…more
A Personal Occupation
Palestine Monitor: 3 Nov 2010 – Last week, Israeli soldiers occupied Hayat Mutlak al-Salaymeh’s house for the third time since August. On October 28, around 25 young soldiers piled into her family’s small apartment on the third floor of a family-owned complex. For a few days her house became a fortress: the soldiers erected the Israeli flag on top of the roof, stationed two men at the bottom entrance, two on roof, and the rest remained inside her home, supposedly keeping security for a Jewish celebration taking place that weekend. Written and photographed by Charlotte Silver. The view from the Al-Salaymeh home of the expanding Kiryat Arba settlement The Israeli soldiers first occupied Hayat’s house in August. They stayed for 50 days, during which time Hayat reported that they filled the toilet with bread and food, broke the bathroom sink, and smashed dishes. When the soldiers returned for the second time, less than a week after…more
Kufur Qasim Massacre: The Triumph of Memory
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Nov 2010 – By Seraj Assi On October 29, 1956, the Israel Border Police (Magav) announced a sudden curfew on the village of Kufur Qasim located on the Israeli side of the Green Line. Colonel Yiskhar Shadmi, then the Brigade Commander of Israel’s Central District, gathered the border patrol battalion commanders and instructed them to shot and kill anyone found outside his or her place during the curfew, including women and children. When asked what to do with those workers who were unaware of the curfew, he replied with the cynical Arabic term “Allah Yirhamhu (May God have mercy on him). Less than thirty minutes after the curfew had been announced, village workers returning home were lined up and shot to death. In less than two hours, the massacre claimed the lives of 48 Palestinian citizens all but four of whom were residents of Kufur Qasim. The majority of the victims were children…more
Arab Bishops Leading the Way
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Nov 2010 – By George S. Hishmeh ‚Äì Washington, D.C. A recent meeting in Vatican of some 200 Catholic bishops, mainly from the Arab world, will very likely go down in history for adopting the strongest condemnation by Christian church leaders of present-day Israeli policies and actions. At the same time, it will be remembered for their call on all Christians, Muslims and Jews in the Middle East, where Muslims are the majority, to work together to end the heart-wrenching bloody turmoil as a result of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that has plagued the region for more than six decades and led to the emigration of tens of thousands, especially Christians. The bishops “concluding statement” issued a couple of days after their two-week meeting which ended on October 24 stressed that “recourse to theological and biblical positions which use the Word of God to wrongly justify injustices is not acceptable,” a blunt reference to…more
The Unquenchable Spirit of Resistance in Gaza
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Nov 2010 – By Tapani Lausti (Ramzy Baroud, My Father was a Freedom Fighter: Gaza’s Untold Story . Pluto Press 2010.) It is hard to finish reading this book without tears in one’s eyes. Mohammed Baroud’s life story, as told by his son Ramzy, encapsulates the tragedy of the Palestinians in general and the Gazans in particular. It is a story of the amazing resilience of people whose life and dreams have been shattered for decades, with much of the world watching with indifference or incomprehension. Mohammed Baroud’s home village Beit Daras, in Southern Palestine, was taken over in May 1948 by Israeli forces with extreme violence. Thus began Mohammed’s story as a refugee in one of Gaza’s many refugee camps. He became a freedom fighter. He was once a fighter in an Egyptian army unit, and later a member of a Palestinian Liberation Army brigade. He was also a husband of and father…more
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The New Dark Age 
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