8 November, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Erekat: “Netanyahu Determined To Destroy Talks”
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Monday November 08, 2010 – 22:58, Chief Palestinian Negotiator, Dr. Saeb Erekat, accused Israel Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of acting in a way that is meant to foil peace talks and hinder the chances of a peace deal with the Palestinians.
Maliki Holds Israel Responsible For Obstruction Of Talks
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Monday November 08, 2010 – 22:21, Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyadh Maliky, stated during his Monday meeting in Ramallah with his Slovenian counterpart, Samuel Zbogar, that Israel is responsible for the obstruction of peace talks, especially due to its illegal settlement activities and ongoing violations in occupied East Jerusalem.
German FM Visits Gaza, Urges the End of the Blockade but Refuses to Meet Hamas
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Monday November 08, 2010 – 16:01, German Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, urged Israel to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip but refused to meet Hamas officials, in the first German official visit to Gaza in almost four years.
Haaretz: No More “Wanted” Palestinians In the West Bank
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Monday November 08, 2010 – 11:14, Israeli paper, Haaretz, reported Monday morning that. for the first time since the beginning of the second Intifada in late September 2000, army records indicate that there are no more “wanted” Palestinians in the northern part of the West Bank, and only a few in the southern part.
Abbas: Palestinian State Could be Declared Within a Year
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Monday November 08, 2010 – 11:07, Speaking at the first Sir Bani Yas Forum on Peace and Global Security in Abu Dhabi, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Palestinians will declare a sovereign state within a year, if negotiations with Israel fail.
Fundamentalists Attack Chilean Tourist After “Suspecting” He Is Arab
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Monday November 08, 2010 – 10:18, A group of Israeli fundamentalists attacked, on Thursday after midnight, a Chilean tourist while walking through a public park in Jerusalem after “suspecting” that he is an Arab.
Hundreds of Israeli police demolish mosque; 1,000 Bedouins protest the demolition
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Monday November 08, 2010 – 10:05, A massive force of Israeli police, accompanied by officials with the Israeli Lands Administration, descended on the Palestinian Bedouin town of Rahat, in southern Israel, where they demolished a mosque that they claimed was ‘built without a permit’.
Israeli prosecutors seek to increase sentence of Palestinian non-violent leader
IMEMC – 8 Nov 2010 – Sunday November 07, 2010 – 14:50, Abdullah Abu Rahma, a leader of the non-violent movement in Palestine currently imprisoned in an Israeli detention camp for “incitement”, faces two new hearings this week as Israeli prosecutors attempt to increase his sentence beyond the one year term he is now serving.
Israeli homes plan for Jerusalem sparks Palestinian fury
11/8/2010 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s approval of more than 1,300 new homes in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday sparked fury from the Palestinians, who accused Israel of sabotaging peace talks, and disappointment in Washington. The plans were announced as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in the United States to discuss a revival of peace….
Israel denies doctor entry to Gaza
11/8/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities denied entry to a doctor visiting Gaza as part of a French group Sunday, medical sources said. The Iraqi doctor holds British nationality, and is an anesthestist. He was part of a delegation with Professor Christophe Oberlin, a specialist in hand surgery, a statement from Nasser Hospital in….
Abbas should release journalist, press freedom group says
11/8/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms called on President Mahmoud Abbas to release journalist Tareq Abu Zaid, a correspondent for Aqsa TV.” Today marks one year after the arrest of Abu Zaid in the city of Nablus in the West Bank,” MADA said in a statement calling on Abbas….
Israeli, US Jews disrupt Netanyahu speech
11/8/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A group of young Jews disrupted a speech Monday by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Five of the young adults, including three Israelis and Israeli-Americans, traveled to the largest gathering of Jewish leaders in the US, the Jewish Federation General Assembly, which met Monday in New Orleans, the Jewish Voice for…. Related: www.YoungJewishProud.org
US court ‘should not have publicly released’ co-conspirators list
11/8/2010 – DALLAS, TX (Ma’an) — A widely circulated document from a US terrorism financing case should never have been released publicly and violated legal guarantees to due process rights, a federal judge has ruled. The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday that a ruling recently ordered unsealed by an appeals court found that the release of….
Boycott coordinating organization established in Europe
11/8/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Monday marks the establishment of a European coordinating organization for promoting the academic and cultural boycott of Israel, following a founding meeting in Paris in September. EPACBI currently includes representatives from organizations in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The British Committee for the….
US: Lebanon powerless to stop UN Hariri tribunal
11/9/2010 – BEIRUT (AFP) — Lebanon is powerless to stop a UN-backed probe into the murder of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri despite a campaign by Hezbollah to torpedo the court, visiting US Senator John Kerry said Monday. Kerry spoke in Beirut ahead of talks in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, whose country was accused anew by Washington on…. Related: Report: UN’s Hariri probe will indict 2 Hezbollah members
Report: Airline apologizes after strip-searching US professor
11/8/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel’s national airline El Al on Monday apologized to a visiting professor strip-searched on her way to conference in Jerusalem, an Israeli newspaper reported. Heather Bradshaw, a neuroscientist, was travelling from the UK to Israel at the invitation of Hebrew University when she was subjected a physical….
BDS: International organizations urged to abandon online Israel event
11/8/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — In a letter, 17 organizations in the US and abroad were urged by several groups to respect the Palestinian boycott call and cancel their participation in a November Internet event, “With Earth and Each Other.”The event is organized by Friends of the Arava Institute, and other partners, including the Jewish….
German minister calls on Israel to lift Gaza blockade
11/8/2010 – GAZA CITY (DPA) — German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle called Monday on Israel to lift its siege of the Gaza Strip, saying the blockade of 1. 5 million people was “not acceptable.” “The blockade of Gaza supports extremism and weakens the moderates and we should not forget that Gaza is part of the two state solution….
Palestinian ‘sentenced to death by hanging’
11/8/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A court in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip has sentenced a man from Beit Lahiya to death by hanging after he was convicted of killing a child, a Palestinian human rights group said Monday. Zahi Abdul Rahman Al-Masri, 32, was convicted of the willful killing of Samah Sofian Al-Shamali, 9, on in….
Mayor visits released detainee
11/8/2010 – TUBAS (Ma’an) — A mayor and other figures visited a released detainee Monday. Fahed Bani Odeh of Tubas spent eight years in Israeli detention. Marwan At-Tubasi congratulated Fahed, and wished that others would soon be freed. The Tubas mayor added that the Palestinian Authority was working to free others….
Teenager detained at Hebron checkpoint
11/8/2010 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Israeli troops detained a young man at a military checkpoint south of Hebron on Monday evening, his parents said. Anan Ismael, 19, was headed home from work in Beit Awwa, near Hebron, in a taxi when he was stopped and detained, relatives said. An Israeli military spokeswoman did not immediately return….
Anger and curses as women pray out loud at Western Wall
11/8/2010 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — More than 100 Jewish women endured curses and abuse early Monday as they tried to pray out loud at the Western Wall, the holiest site in Judaism, where women are banned from raising their voices. As the group of worshippers gathered at the back of the women’s section of the wall….
Abbas: We will have final word on negotiations
11/9/2010 – ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (Ma’an) — Palestinians will have the final word if negotiations with Israel fail, President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday. Speaking at the first Sir Bani Yas Forum on Peace and Global Security in Abu Dhabi, Abbas said Palestinians had complied with a number of international resolutions, while Israel had not….
Netanyahu: Iran must believe world is willing to act
11/9/2010 – WASHINGTON (DPA) — Iran must believe the world is willing to use force if the Islamic state is to be persuaded to give up its nuclear ambitions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday.”If the world wants to stop Iran without military action, it has to convince them that they are willing to take such….
Report: Israel’s ‘wanted’ list shrinks in West Bank
11/8/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — For the first time in a decade, there are no security suspects wanted by Israel in the northern West Bank, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday. Meanwhile only a few suspects are sought by Israel in the southern West Bank, the report said. Haaretz cited increased security cooperation between….
Ma’an staff join Tunisian embassy’s celebrations
11/8/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — An official delegation of Ma’an network staff joined celebrations at the Tunisian Embassy in Ramallah, marking the 23rd anniversary of the November 7 Change. In 1987, Tunisia’s President Habib Bourguiba was removed from office by his prime minister, Ben Ali, who said the president was not fit….
Report: UN’s Hariri probe will indict 2 Hezbollah members
11/8/2010 – NEW YORK (Ma’an) — The United Nations-backed court investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri is moving to indict between two and six members of the militant group Hezbollah by year-end, a US newspaper reported Monday. The Wall Street Journal, quoting people briefed on the tribunal’s work, reported…. Related: US: Lebanon powerless to stop UN Hariri tribunal
Hamas slams German foreign minister’s refusal to meet
11/8/2010 – GAZA CITY (DPA) — The Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip on Monday slammed as “insulting” the refusal by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to meet it while visiting the salient. Senior Hamas leader and legislator Kamal Shrafi said that while the Islamist Palestinian movement welcomed a visit by an official of his standing, it was….
Israel hoists Belgian flag to greet German foreign minister
11/8/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (DPA) — Flying the flag of visiting a statesman’s country is the traditional manner for displaying a diplomatic friendship – but it helps if it’s the right flag. Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported Monday that the Israel’s foreign ministry came close to an embarrassing diplomatic incident…. Related: Westerwelle is first German minister to visit Gaza in 4 years and German minister calls on Israel to lift Gaza blockade
Westerwelle is first German minister to visit Gaza in 4 years
11/8/2010 – GAZA CITY (DPA) — German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle became the first member of the German government to visit the Gaza Strip in nearly four years on Monday, when he visited a girl’s school in the salient and also toured a water treatment plant. Westerwelle, who arrived in Israel Sunday, also met with local…. Related: German minister calls on Israel to lift Gaza blockade
Erekat: Israel sabotaging peace with new settlement plans
11/8/2010 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — The PLO on Monday accused Israel’s prime minister of working to sabotage peace talks by approving the building of 1,300 new settler homes in annexed East Jerusalem.” We thought that [Benjamin] Netanyahu was going to the United States to stop settlement activity and restart negotiations but it is clear to us….
Report: Netanyahu hopes to shift US focus from talks
11/8/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, currently visiting the US, is trying to shift the focus from the Palestinian issue to the Iranian issue, an Israeli newspaper reported Monday. Last night, he met US Vice President Joe Biden and asked him to threaten Tehran with a military offensive to stop….
US disappointed by plans for new Jerusalem homes
11/8/2010 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States is “deeply disappointed” over Israel’s announced plans to build 1,300 new settler homes in annexed East Jerusalem, a State Department spokesman said Monday. Washington is “deeply disappointed by the announcement of advanced planning for new housing units in sensitive areas of East Jerusalem,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley….
Hamas delegation heads to Damascus for talks
11/8/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The president of Hamas’ security committee Ismail Al-Ashqar left Gaza for Damascus on Monday to join reconciliation talks with Fatah. Speaking at the Rafah crossing on the Gaza-Egypt border, Al-Ashqar said the meeting would take place Tuesday in the Syrian capital. The Hamas official said the security file was….
47 ‘illegal’ cars destroyed in Ramallah
11/8/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Palestinian police destroyed 47 illegal cars in Ramallah on Monday. A police report said the cars, which were illegally imported, were destroyed in line with policy….
PA court to rule on elections deferral next month
11/8/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian High Court of Justice listened Monday to final pleas by the general prosecutor over the deferral of local elections that were scheduled for July. The court decided to have convene a final session 13 December to rule. Two written pleadings were submitted by prosecutors Khalid Awwad and NajatBreicky. The….
PA to send money to Palestinian detainees
11/8/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Detainees minister Issa Qaraqe announced Monday that the ministry transferred 350 shekels to each detainee in Israeli prisons for the annual Muslim holiday Eid Al-Adha. The minister said he intended to send 450 shekels but the prison administration cut the plan by 100. The ministry is making efforts to transfer clothing….
PA detains controversial blogger
11/9/2010 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Residents of a conservative northern West Bank city were surprised when security forces detained a controversial blogger whose postings on Facebook had infuriated Muslims. A high-ranking source in the general Palestinian intelligence services told Ma’an that the detainee, who was not identified, was arrested in Qalqiliya. He refused to….
Jordan’s upcoming election overshadowed by calls for boycott
11/8/2010 – AMMAN, Jordan (DPA) — Jordanians are set to head to the polls on Tuesday, despite a boycott urged by the country’s largest opposition party. A total of 763 candidates, including 134 women, will be competing for the 120 seats in the lower house of parliament, with some 2. 4 million people eligible to vote….
Over 1,300 new settlement homes approved for construction in E Jerusalem
Palestine Note 8 Nov 2010 – Washington – Over 1,300 new homes are set for construction beyond the Green Line in East Jerusalem, the Israeli Interior Ministry announced on Monday. The announcement cocincides with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s trip to the US,…
German FM calls for end to Gaza blockade, snubs Hamas
Palestine Note 8 Nov 2010 – Washington – German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has called for Israel to end the blockade on the Gaza Strip during an official visit to the Palestinian territory. “The blockade of Gaza supports extremism and weakens the…
Netanyahu calls for “credible” military threat against Iran
Palestine Note 8 Nov 2010 – US rejects his request, preferring sanctions and negotiations. Washington – According to Israeli sources, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told US Vice President Joe Biden that the only way to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons was…
Israel permits new settlement homes
AlJazeera 8 Nov 2010 – Interior ministry gives go-ahead for construction of more than a thousand new settler homes in occupied East Jerusalem.
US snubs Israel over threat to Iran
AlJazeera 8 Nov 2010 – US rejects Israeli request for military threat against Iran over its nuclear programme, favouring continued sanctions.
Israel Plans to Build 1000 New Units in Har Homa Settlement, Near Bethlehem
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN – Wafa reported on Monday that the Ruth Yosef, the chairman of the Israeli Jerusalem District Planning and Building Committee, published new plans to build 1000 residential units in…
Jerusalem Municipal Police Remove Statue of Slain Samer Sirhan
PNN – Maysa Abu Ghazala — Jerusalem — PNN – Israeli municipal workers and border police in Jerusalem removed a statue meant to commemorate Samer Sirhan, the 22-year-old Palestinian killed in Silwan by an…
German FM Urges Israel to Lift Gaza Blockade
PNN – Gaza City — PNN – German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, the first German official to visit Gaza in almost four years, urged Israel to lift its embargo of the Gaza Strip and…
Biden Reaffirms American Relations With Israel
PNN – New Orleans, Louisiana — PNN — U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke to the Jewish Federation of North America on Sunday and reaffirmed the strong relationship between Israel and the United States….
Israeli Digging Fells al-Aqsa Tree
PNN – Jerusalem — PNN – Israeli excavation operations around and underneath al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem caused a pine tree near the mosque to fall on Monday morning. The Al-Aqsa Waqf and Heritage Foundation…
UN Concerned Over Change in Jerusalem Checkpoint Administration
PNN – Jerusalem – PNN – The United Nations expressed its concern over the possible transfer of Jerusalem checkpoint administration from the Israeli Army to the Defense Ministry Crossing Authority. Such transfers have already…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (28 Oct. — 03 Nov. 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Israeli envoy: Things would be easier without the UN
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – “The hypocrisy of the United Nations makes Israel the scapegoat for everything,” says interim Israeli ambassador to the UN Meron Reuben.
Hamas nixes Arafat commemoration in Gaza Strip
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – The decision comes as representatives of the Fatah and Hamas prepare to meet in Syria to discuss ways of solving the dispute between them.
Abbas was ready to back deal with Olmert, Bush memoir says
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Agreement was to include handing over ‘vast majority’ of West Bank and building tunnel to Gaza; Barbara Bush called son, “first Jewish president.”
J’lem area village fails to have security barrier moved
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Southwest of the capital, the village of Walaja is set to lose access to almost half of its land if construction continues on planned route.
Analysis: Hankering for Hanegbi
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Netanyahu might be in New York this week, but his heart will be in Jerusalem, hoping for good news for Tzahi Hanegbi.
US ‘disappointed’ by plans for 1,345 east J’lem homes
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Announcement is “counter-productive to resumption of direct negotiations efforts between parties,” PJ Crowley says.
US ‘disappointed’ by approval of 1,345 new east J’lem homes
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Announcement is “counter-productive to resumption of direct negotiations efforts between parties,” PJ Crowley says.
Amid controversy, Ariel theater opens with sold-out show
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Limor Livnat, Ariel Mayor tell crowds “the cultural center was built by the state of Israel. We traveled a long path to get to this day.”
Netanyahu: A nuclear Iran is greatest danger to world
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – PM heckled repeatedly by activists at New Orleans GA protesting West Bank “occupation” and plans for loyalty oath.
NGO Monitor slams UN for Iran election to women’s agency
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Anne Herzberg also criticizes Saudi Arabia’s appointment telling ‘Post’ that inclusion in UN Woman commission “will make mockery of human rights.”
‘Impossible to return to talks with current Israeli gov’t’
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Abbas says Palestinians have 7 options if talks fail, dismisses possibility of only partial freeze; Erekat claims Israel choosing settlements over peace.
Gov’t announces building of 1,300 apartments in east J’lem
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Interior ministry plans to go ahead with construction beyond The Green Line: 978 new apartments in Har Homa neighborhood, 320 in Ramot; announcement comes as Netanyahu faces opposition while in US.
German FM says Gaza blockade ‘strengthens extremists’
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Westerwelle calls closure of strip “unacceptable, must end”; does not meet with Hamas leadership due to group’s refusal to renounce violence, recognize Israel; calls for Schalit’s release after meeting kidnapped soldier’s father.
Senior employee of Meuhedet ‘awarded tenders to relatives’
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Employee also “bypassed legal tenders”; worked for Jerusalem branch and was arrested after an undercover investigation.
Hamas insulted by German FM’s refusal to meet them in Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Westerwelle does not meet with Gaza leadership because of there refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel; calls on terror group to free Gilad Schalit after meeting kidnapped soldier’s father.
Foreign Ministry: 1100 Africans sneak into Israel monthly
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Average of illegal migrants infiltrating southern border from Egypt jumps from 350 per month last year as construction of long planned fence yet to begin.
Kuwaiti paper calls for ‘unconditional’ talks with Israel
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – ‘Arab Times’ editor calls on PA president to follow in footsteps of Anwar Sadat and “embarrass” Israel; says Palestinians “pay the price on their own.”
On Gaza visit, German FM calls on Hamas to free Schalit
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Westerwelle says his country sees speedy return of soldier to his family as humane step, a day after meeting Noam Schalit.
123,000 fall below poverty line in 2009
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Herzog says poverty one of the main dangers to the State of Israel: “We like to talk about poverty, but not about the poor.”
Foreign worker enslaved in home of East J’lem couple
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Woman was forced to work 15 hours a day without pay and lived in the couple’s bathroom; she managed to escape their home after 22 months.
Erekat: PA will ask US to recognize state if talks fail
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – PA chief negotiator says if Israel continues settlements and talks fail they will turn to US for unilateral declaration of state within 1967 borders.
Report: Mugniyah among suspects behind Hariri murder
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Tribunal set to indict former Hizbullah leader responsible for several terrorist attacks, and his brother-in-law, in murder of Lebanese PM.
Pamela Anderson flies in to show us how to tango
Jeruslalem Post 8 Nov 2010 – Former ‘Baywatch’ sex symbol says she’s now investing her passions in anti-fur trade campaign, Israel “a progressive, wonderful example to the rest of the world.”
Israeli know-how helping to combat hunger in Africa
Jeruslalem Post 7 Nov 2010 – Israel has been a leader in developing innovative drip-irrigation systems that reduce the amount of water needed for farming.
On his own path to the Holy Land
Jeruslalem Post 7 Nov 2010 – John Lee Hooker Jr. used to live the blues. Now he just sings them. And to do so in Israel, he says, “blows my mind.”
International Solidarity Movement
Israeli forces remove the memorial of Samer Sarhan amidst daily unrest in Silwan
11/8/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Wadi Hilweh Information Center – Today, workers from the Jerusalem municipality and Israeli forces removed the Memorial of Samer Sarhan, this morning. They also removed the water supply donated on the soul of Samer Sarhan and the olive tree planted in the place, although the tree was present prior to the monument. The operation took place….
Likud MK launches new award for Zionist arts
Ha’aretz – Culture and Sports Minister says she intends to fight against growing public delegitimization of arts center in West Bank settlement of Ariel.
Report reveals poverty is on the rise in Israel
Ha’aretz – National Insurance Institute report shows the number of families living below the poverty line increased by 15,000 in 2009.
El Al apologizes for strip-searching U.S. professor
Ha’aretz – Neuroscientist Heather Bradshaw was subjected to a physical search despite an invitation from Hebrew University.
Two Jaffa streets named after Arab personalities, bringing total to 7
Ha’aretz – Decision still needs to be approved by the Tel Aviv Municipal Council; move only to become official in 2011.
Hecklers disrupt Netanyahu’s speech at U.S. Jewish conference
Ha’aretz – Protesters chant ‘loyalty oath delegitimizes Israel’ during Prime Minister’s speech at Jewish Federations General Assembly.
J Street urges Israel to halt settlement building until borders finalized
Ha’aretz – Pro-Israel lobby ‘profoundly disspointed’ by news of approval to build nearly 1,000 houses beyond Green Line.
Netanyahu: Nuclear-armed Iran is the greatest danger facing Israel
Ha’aretz – Speaking at the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America, PM warns against the delegitimization of Israel, says authors of Goldstone report owe IDF an apology.
Michael Oren urges U.S. Jews to defend Israel against aggressors
Ha’aretz – During Jewish Federations General Assembly, Israel’s ambassador to U.S. tells Jews to ‘respect the decisions made by the world’s most resilient democracy… even if you disagree with us.’, Guido Westerwelle…
Hamas slams German foreign minister’s refusal to meet
Ha’aretz – Militant group furious at snub from Guido Westerwelle during Gaza visit.
Geert Wilders’ very own two-state solution
Ha’aretz – Dutch demagogue teams up with Israeli rightists to claim that ‘Jordan is Palestine’.
Report: UN to indict top Hezbollah commander over Hariri murder
Ha’aretz – Brother-in-law of terror mastermind Imad Mugniyeh to be among those charged for 2005 killing of Lebanese PM, reports the Wall Street Journal.
U.S.: Force is not the only way to stop a nuclear Iran
Ha’aretz – Obama administration rebuffs Netanyahu’s claim that sanctions against Tehran are failing.
Biden to American Jewry: U.S. determined to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons
Ha’aretz – U.S. VP addresses the Jewish Federations General Assembly, says that America’s relationship with Israel is unbreakable.
Netanyahu to Biden: Sanctions are not stopping Iran’s nuclear program
Ha’aretz – U.S. quick to rebuff PM’s claim that only force can halt Tehran’s designs on a bomb.
Israel opens Abu Salem, keeps Karni closed
7 Nov 2010 – Gaza, November 11, (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…
To a Child who Dreamt of Freedom
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – You dreamt of playing with your friends in the streets and alleys of Palestine, you dreamt of playing without fear of F-16s and tanks, you dreamt of playing without blood and tears. You dreamt of running in the streets, up the hills and on the beach. You dreamt of playing hide and seek in a…
BDS and Israel’s Battle for Legitimacy
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – Israeli propagandists attacking the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement often claim that pro-Palestinian activists hide behind words like International Humanitarian Law to promote a hidden agenda aimed at demonizing and deligitmizing Israel. But there is no hidden agenda. We are explicit and clear in what we say and what we call for. We don’t hide…
US snubs Israel over threat to Iran
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – The US has rejected comments by Israel’s prime minister calling for a military threat against Iran to ensure it does not obtain nuclear weapons. “We know that they are concerned about the impact of the sanctions. The sanctions are biting more deeply than they anticipated and we are working very hard at this,” Robert Gates,…
Sebastia’s living community sidelined for ancient ruins
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – I have in my possession two leaflets about Sebastia, an outrageously pretty little West Bank village which you’d never guess was once a major city, the capital of ancient kingdoms and home to an imposing Crusader cathedral which is now the village mosque. The two leaflets describe pretty much the same set of archaeological sites,…
For Palestinians, Mid-Term Elections don’t Mean Much
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – Unfortunately however, for the Palestinian cause it will not make that much difference who takes the House. In the end, the Palestinians are faced with an Israel that goes but so much in its “peace efforts” before casting the entire blame on the Palestinians. Ideally, the United States could play the crucial role of imposing…
Israeli homes plan for Jerusalem sparks Palestinian fury
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – Israel’s approval of more than 1,300 new homes in occupied East Jerusalem on Monday sparked fury from the Palestinians, who accused Israel of sabotaging peace talks, and disappointment in Washington. The plans were announced as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in the United States to discuss a revival of peace talks. “We thought that…
The loyalty oath and Israel’s Zionist “left”
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – On 10 October 2010, the Israeli government proposed a bill obligating non-Jewish naturalized citizens to swear loyalty to a “Jewish and democratic state.” The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network (IJAN) deplores this attempt to demand recognition of Israel as a Jewish state — a state whose existence is premised on the removal of the indigenous people…
“Targeted assassinations,” in Gaza, again
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – Several days ago, to conscience-shattering silence, the Israeli Defense Forces carried out a “targeted assas si na tion” in downtown Gaza City, blowing up a car belonging to Mohammed Jamal al-Nimnim, a senior member of the Army of Islam. The little black crosses, xananas (drones) that buzz above Gaza con stantly appar ently hit the car with a missile, “pre-empting”…
Israeli Banks Profiteering from Occupation –
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – Wall Street does it. Other Western banks do it. They all exploit markets, often ripping off customers illegally. Why not Israeli banks also in their own back yard, easily in expanding settlements. The Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP) includes 10 feminist organizations and non-affiliated activist women in Israel. Founded in 2000, it advocates “radical…
IOA deprives two Palestinian villages of potable water
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has been depriving villages of Brukin and Kufr Al-Deek, west of Salfit district, of potable water for the fifth day on Sunday, locals reported. They said that the sewage water of the nearby Ar’il settlement had polluted the underground water wells of both villages, adding that the IOA cut the…
Video: Theft of Wadi Fuqeen land continues apace
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – Settlement freeze or not, the theft of the Palestinian village of Wadi Fuqeen’s land continues without interruption as the illegal Jewish settlement of Beitar Illit expands exponentially on the village’s land…
Israeli soldiers shoot worker on north Gaza border
Uruknet November 8, 2010 – A Palestinian man was injured Sunday when Israeli forces opened fire at a group of workers collecting stone aggregates near an evacuated Israeli settlement in northern Gaza. Eyewitnesses said 19-year-old Karam Al-Adham was shot in his left leg near the abandoned Eli Sinai structure northwest of Beit Lahiya. He was evacuated to hospital, where medics…
Observer: Israeli Government on Division Verge, Netanyahu Negotiates Kadima
WAFA – LONDON, October 17, 2010(WAFA) – The British Newspaper ‘Observer’ wrote that the Israeli government is facing the division risk because of the deadlock in the negotiations with the Palestinians
Israeli plan for more than 1,300 new homes in East Jerusalem provokes Palestinian outrage
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 IRBIL, Iraq: Leaders of Iraq’s major political blocs met Monday for the first time since March elections in a new push to break the eight-month deadlock over forming a new government. Car bombs struck three predominantly…
Israel ‘will not be dictated to,’ says Netanyahu
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 NEW ORLEANS: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday urged Palestinians to return to the negotiating table, warning that Israel will not yield to international dictates. Speaking before a gathering of the Jewish Federations of North America in…
US tells Israel sanctions against Iran ‘having effect’
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 MELBOURNE: The US rejected Monday Israeli concerns that it had become necessary to pursue a credible military threat against Iran, saying sanctions could deter Tehran from building a nuclear weapon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told…
Obama backs India’s drive for UN power
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 NEW DELHI: US President Barack Obama backed Monday India’s quest for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, inviting the world’s largest democracy to take its “rightful” place at the summit of global power.
Iranian police crack down on underground rap scene – report
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 TEHRAN: Iranian police have made a string of arrests in raids targeting the capital’s underground rap scene, the Tehran-Emrouz newspaper reported Monday. An unspecified number of “boys and girls were arrested, and Western musical instruments and…
Israeli Army’s list of wanted West Bankers dwindles – report
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The Israeli military’s list of West Bank Palestinians wanted for attacks against Israelis has dwindled to almost zero, Israel’s Haaretz daily reported Monday. According to the report, there is not a single name on…
Radical Yemeni cleric calls for killing of Americans ‘without hesitation’
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 SANAA: US-Yemeni radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi has called for the killing of Americans “without hesitation” and accused Iran of trying to impose control over Sunnis in the Gulf, SITE monitors said Monday. “Do not consult anyone…
Jordan Islamists could turn ‘tough’ outside Parliament to garner support
Daily Star 8 Nov 2010 AMMAN: Jordan’s boycott by Islamists of Tuesday’s general election means they may now resort to a tougher stance outside Parliament, posing a threat to stability in the kingdom, analysts said. “The Islamists now might weigh the…
My family, the enemy
The Guardian 8 Nov 2010 – Israeli film-maker Noa Ben-Hagai went in search of a forgotten great-aunt and found cousins who are Palestinian Arabs. What happened next? Back when peace did not seem such an impossibility, it was fashionable to cast the…
After GOP victory, emboldened Israel declares new building in East Jerusalem
Relief Web 8 Nov 2010 – Source: Christian Science Monitor
Refugee Returns Possible ‘Doorway’ to Resolving Arab-Israeli Conflict, Say Fourth Committee Delegates, as Israel Touts ‘Cynicism’ of Israeli Practices Committee
Relief Web 8 Nov 2010 – Source: UN General Assembly
UAE sends 500 tons of relief to Gaza
Relief Web 8 Nov 2010 – Source: Emirates News Agency
Gaza Strip- Land Crossing Activities, October 16th to October 23rd, 2010
Relief Web 8 Nov 2010 – Source: Government of Israel
US-IRAN: Netanyahu Pounds War Drums
IPS Less than a week after Republicans made major gains in the U.S. midterm elections, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has called on President Barack Obama to “create a credible threat of military action” against Iran.
Media kit for BDS media marathon on 12 and 13 November
Stop The Wall – Join us in the BDS media marathon on the 12 and 13 November as part of the Week Against the Apartheid Wall! Follow the links for articles, video footage and audio pieces on the Wall, settlements, apartheid and BDS. [
Join the Anti-Apartheid Media Marathon on 12 and 13 November
Stop The Wall – The annual Week Against the Apartheid Wall from 9-16 November is starting! Palestinian and international activists will again mobilize in the streets and organize a series of events across the globe. This mobilization on the ground will be complemented by a fast paced 48 hour media marathon on 12 and 13 November. We call on media to join 48 hours non-stop coverage! [
German FM in Gaza: End Israeli blockade
YNet News – After tour of UN school, German-funded sewage treatment plant in Strip,….
Jerusalem Municipality approves construction beyond Green Line
YNet News – Just before Netanyahu-ban meeting in New York, capital’s Planning and….
MK: Tel Aviv to turn into African city
YNet News – National Union’s Yaakov Katz warns that ‘within a few years, Israel will have….
Report: Mugniyah among top suspects in Hariri murder
YNet News – UN-backed tribunal set to indict up to six senior Hezbollah members in….
US rejects Israeli call to threaten Iran
YNet News – Secretary of Defense Gates turns down PM Netanyahu’s request for a ‘credible’….
US ‘deeply disappointed’ by plans for new homes in Jerusalem
YNet News – WASHINGTON – The United States is “deeply disappointed” over Israel’s announced plans to build 1,300 new homes in east Jerusalem, a State Department spokesman said …….
Israeli who disrupted PM’s speech: We were raised on human rights
YNet News – “When I got up to disrupt the prime minister’s speech, he was speaking of the de-legitimization of Israel, and I yelled out that I am an Israeli and that it is the …….
Hamas invites Ahamdinejad to Gaza
YNet News – Hamas has invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahamdinejad to visit the Gaza Strip on Monday. Ahmed Youssef, deputy Hamas foreign minister told Iranian news agency Fars that …….
Protestors disrupt Netanyahu’s GA speech in New Orleans
YNet News – “We are ready to recognize a Palestinian state as the state of the Palestinian people, but we expect them to recognize the Jewish State as the state of the Jewish …….
Ya’alon to Russia: Tell Palestinians Israel is Jewish
YNet News – The Soviet Union supported the United Nations Partition Plan in 1947, when it was clear Israel will be a Jewish nation, and Russia should do so now as well, said Vice …….
Erekat: Israeli construction plans sabotaging peace efforts
YNet News – The Palestinians on Monday accused Israel’s prime minister of working to sabotage peace talks by approving the building of housing units beyond the Green Line. “We …….
Senator Kerry urges Lebanese to accept Hariri court
YNet News – Lebanon cannot change the course of a tribunal investigating the killing of statesman Rafik al-Hariri, a leading US senator said on Monday in comments acknowledging …….
Palestinian Information Center
Israel expels two Swedes from occupied Palestine
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) detained and later expelled two Swedish citizens, one of them was a lawmaker, upon their arrival in the occupied Palestinian territories.
PA preventive security transfers prisoner to hospital after health problems
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – Informed Palestinian sources said that the Palestinian authority’s preventive security transferred prisoner Amjad Kazzaz to the government hospital in Al-Khalil after his health deteriorated.
Israeli conference to discuss allocating Jordan as state for Palestinians
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – Netherlands MP Geert Wilders is scheduled to attend a conference in Israel to discuss a plan to turn Jordan into a national homeland for Palestinians and shoot down the two-states proposal.
Resheq hopes Fatah would rid itself of foreign conditions
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – Success of the Hamas-Fatah meeting in Damascus hinges on Fatah’s ability to rid itself of American and Israeli interventions and conditions, Ezzet Al-Resheq, political bureau member of Hamas, said.
Religious affairs ministry warns of upcoming ideological war
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – Palestine’s religious affairs ministry warned Israel’s announcement to relaunch Jerusalem 2020 project could spark a “painful” ideological war in the holy city.
Israel’s Jerusalem municipality announces new settlement projects in city
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – The Israel occupation’s Jerusalem municipality announced Monday bids to build around a thousand new settlement units in Jebel Abu Ghunaim, south Jerusalem.
Hamas asks Germany to exert practical efforts to end Gaza siege
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – Ayman Taha, a Hamas leader, asked German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle, who visited Gaza Strip for a few hours on Monday, to turn his words on lifting the Gaza siege into practical deeds.
Israel to establish 11 new villages in Negev
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – The Israeli housing ministry announced a new scheme to judaize the Negev, south of Palestine occupied in 1948, that envisages establishing 11 new villages in the area from Beersheba to Arad.
Palestinian prisoners suspend their hunger strike for few months
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – The international Tadamun society for human rights said that the Palestinian prisoners decided to postpone their hunger strike for several months after some of their demands were fulfilled.
Palestinian prisoner society calls for firing Habbash from his post
PIC 8 Nov 2010 – The Palestinian prisoner society called on Mahmoud Abbas to remove his minister of religious affairs Mahmoud Habbash from his post after he expunged 200 names of pilgrims.
Israel to build more homes in East Jerusalem
LA Times 8 Nov 2010 – The announcement comes as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Obama administration officials about stalled peace talks with the Palestinians. Setting the stage for another potential clash with the Obama administration, Israel said Monday that it would build an additional 1,300 homes on disputed land in East Jerusalem.
Israel Plans 1,000 Housing Units in East Jerusalem
New York Times 8 Nov 2010 – The plan comes as the United States attempts to renew a freeze in settlement construction and get stalled peace negotiations back on track.
For Family of Slain Activist, No End in Sight for Case
New York Times 8 Nov 2010 – The family of Rachel Corrie, who was killed by a military bulldozer in Gaza in 2003, is exhausted but unbent as they push a civil case against the Israeli Army.
In Grief and Defiance, Baghdad’s Christians Return to Scene of Attack
New York Times 8 Nov 2010 – A week after a night of terror, a Sunday of regaining strength.
AL KHALIL (HEBRON): Two Palestinians killed, four families made homeless.
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
AL-KHALIL (HEBRON): Palestinian family awakens to discover 100 mature grapevines destroyed
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
UNRWA Strikes Wreak Havoc in Refugee Camps
Palestine Monitor – Refugee camps across the West Bank have been thrown into crisis by a United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) strike. Schools, health centres, sanitation and food distribution have been suspended for over two weeks as a result of pay disputes between management and ground staff….
Five young Jews disrupt Netanyahu speech with call for new Jewish identity
Mondoweiss – Update: The video with four of the activists who disrupted Netanyahu was just posted to YouTube. News from the General Assembly of the Jewish Federations in New Orleans, a press release from Jewish Voice for Peace. Note the inspiring statements from the young disrupters: A group…
My conversation with an Israeli leftist
Mondoweiss – I think the following gchat conversation gives some insight into Israeli leftist thinking. The irony of this conversation that sticks out most is that in visiting various villages in the West Bank, it is notable that Israel does not at all differentiate itself from the dozens…
Canadian lawmakers resurrect McCarthy in hearings that say criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism
Mondoweiss – Canada is the latest front in the battle between critics of Israel and those who would smear them as anti-Semites. The video below is from Independent Jewish Voices . An article by Jillian Kestler-D’Amours follows . The Canadian Parliamentary Coalition for Combating Anti-Semitism (CPCCA) held an international Conference…
Israeli Supreme Court approves buildings for ‘Jews only’ in Jaffa
Mondoweiss – And more news from Today in Palestine: Settlers/ Land, Property, Resource Theft & Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing IOA deprives two Palestinian villages of potable water The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has been depriving villages of Brukin and Kufr Al-Deek, west of Salfit district, of potable water for the…
‘Zionism and peace are incompatible’ — Israeli general’s son
Mondoweiss – Now that the two-state-solution is all but dead, it is vital for Americans to hear the voices of Israelis and Jews and Palestinians who are imagining a different future. And maybe we are witnessing in that the end of Zionism. The important thing though is the…
Hamas Slams German FM’s Refusal to Meet
Al-Manar 8 Nov 2010 – The Hamas administration in the Gaza on Monday slammed as “insulting” the refusal by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle to meet it while visiting the strip. Senior Hamas leader and legislator Kamal Shrafi said that while the Islamist Palestinian movement welcomed a visit by an…
Ten Protesters Injured During Nabi Saleh Demonstration; Four Hospitalized
Joseph Dana 8 Nov 2010 – In another outbreak of military violence against protesting civilians, soldiers and Border Police officers confronted demonstrators with rubber-coated bullets and tear-gas; torched olive tree. Medics treating a demonstrator’s wounds This week’s Friday demonstration started off in a calmer manner than usual, as the army did not…
Maariv: Geert Wilders to express support for “Jordan is Palestine” at Tel-Aviv conference
Coteret 8 Nov 2010 – There’s more to this. Israeli adulation for the Dutch ultra-nationalist is not limited to the National Union: Manfred Gerstenfeld, Chairman of the Board of Fellows at Dore Gold’s neoconservative power-house — The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs — has been a leading cheerleader . Dutch reinforcement for…
Int’l jurist: Palestinian detainees are hostages under international law
Sabr 8 Nov 2010 – [ 07/11/2010 – 10:04 AM ] CAIRO, (PIC)– International law expert Hasan Omar stated that the Palestinian detainees in Isreli jails are not prisoners, but they are hostages being held by the Israeli occupation state and they must be released according to the principles of international law….
Rights group: Female detainees in Talmond denied medical treatment
Sabr 8 Nov 2010 – [ 06/11/2010 – 04:52 PM ] RAMALLAH, ( PIC )– Several ill detainees in the female population of the Israeli Talmond prison have been denied medical treatment, a Palestinian rights group reported, adding that the prison administration has refused to allow a dentist into the facility. The Mandela…
MK: Release Shalit regardless of the price
Sabr 8 Nov 2010 – [ 06/11/2010 – 03:08 PM ] OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, ( PIC )– Israeli Knesset (parliament) member (Kadima) Yisrael Hasson has said that Israel should pay the price for the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit if it was unable to determine his location. The Hebrew radio that reported the…
Nafha detainees gearing to go on hunger strike next week
Sabr 8 Nov 2010 – [ 06/11/2010 – 10:07 AM ] GAZA, ( PIC )– Palestinian detainees in the Israeli Nafha prison are gearing to go on hunger strike next week in response to rising unfair treatment by the Israel Prison Service (IPS), the “Prisoners’ Supporters” organization in Gaza said, calling on the…
Jordan set for general election
BBC 8 Nov 2010 – Jordanians are due to vote in parliamentary elections that have been boycotted by the strongest opposition party, the Islamic Action Front.
Israel plans 1,300 settler homes
BBC 8 Nov 2010 – Israel reveals plans to build nearly 1,300 housing units for Jewish settlers in occupied East Jerusalem.
Democracy on show
BBC 8 Nov 2010 – Jordan holds election to a backdrop of a boycott and apathy
Articles
Rabbis’ edict bars renting to Arabs
Jonathan Cook, Israeli Occupation Archive11/8/2010
Galilee cities vie for title of ‘most racist’
The tranquility of Safed, a small Israeli city nestled high in the hills of the Upper Galilee close to the Lebanese border, is not usually disturbed except by the occasional pilgrimage by Madonna or other famous devotees of the Jewish mystical teachings of Kabbalah.
But in the past few weeks, Safed — one of Judaism’s four holy cities — has been making headlines of a very different kind. Gideon Levy, a columnist for the Israeli daily Haaretz, last week declared it “the most racist city in the country”.
The unflattering, and hotly contested, epithet follows an edict from Safed’s senior rabbis ordering residents not to sell or rent homes to “non-Jews” — a reference to the country’s Palestinian Arab citizens, who comprise a fifth of Israel’s population.
At an emergency meeting, called last month to discuss the dangers of “assimilation” caused by Arab men dating Jewish women, the 18 rabbis warned that Safed was facing an “Arab takeover”. Jewish residents were told to inform on neighbours who try to sell or rent to Arabs.
The number of Arabs in the city, though low, has been steadily rising as Safed Academic College has expanded. There are now some 1,300 Arab students enrolled at the school.
The rabbis’ statements have provoked a series of riots by local religious Jews, in which several Arab homes have been attacked to chants of “Death to the Arabs”. In one recent incident, three Arab students were beaten as shots were fired.
So far three Jewish youths, including an off-duty policeman, have been charged with participating in the violence. The policeman is accused of firing his gun. more.. e-mail
Israel Claims Victory in US Midterm Elections
Franklin Lamb, Beirut, CounterPunch11/5/2010
Did Anyone Really Think They Would Lose?
The Republican party’s gain of 60 plus House Seats (10 seats, all held by Democrats, are still undecided at press time) and six Senate seats, is the largest Congressional increase for either party since 1948 when the Democrats gained 75 seats in the lower chamber and Harry Truman won the White House. Next January’s 112th Congress is already receiving rave advance reviews, some coming from the more than half a million Jewish settlers in more than 100 illegal colonies in occupied Palestine who are pleased to see President Obama emasculated and the sentiments expressed in his June 2008 Cairo speech long forgotten. Many are hoping he will be replaced by likes of Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, or a Mike Huckabee in 2012. Danny Dayan, head of the Yesha Council, which represents Jewish settlers in the West Bank, and whose representatives are increasingly on the rampage, by word and by deed, spoke for many when he told a post election news conference that he expected the new Congress “will facilitate a more open-minded approach to Israel’s needs [i.e., yet more Palestinian land] than what we’ve experienced over the last two years.”
AIPAC, as it does after every Congressional election, offered pro forma congratulations to the winners: “It is abundantly clear that the 112th Congress will continue America’s long tradition of staunch support for a strong, safe and secure Israel and an abiding friendship between the United States and our most reliable ally in the Middle East.” No sooner had the election results been declared than key winners received what for decades has been a post election ritual, bestowed on new Members of Congress. That would be the delivery of US taxpayer subsidized invitations for all expense paid junkets to Israel. Of this year’s batch, Florida’s new Senator, Marco Rubio, who considers himself a Tea Party leader and who has been called “America’s great Right hope’ will lead the flock and arrive in Israel on this Sunday, November 7. more.. e-mail
Palestine: A Challenging Tourism Destination Endeavors and challenges of promoting sustainable tourism in Palestine
Dr. Khouloud Daibes, This Week in Palestine10/30/2010
Palestine’s comparative advantage-encompassing Jerusalem, the home of the three monotheistic religions; Bethlehem, the Birthplace of Jesus; and Jericho, the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world-provides a unique tourism offer. This advantage, combined with many other religious and historic sites, make Palestine an indispensable part of any pilgrimage or trip to the Holy Land. Furthermore, although the size of the Palestinian tourism sector is marginal when compared to others in the region in terms of size, revenue, and tourism assets (whether religious, cultural, natural or historical), Palestine possesses an abundance of treasures that are key ingredients in any comprehensive visit or pilgrimage to the region.
For Palestine to successfully compete and get its share of regional tourism arrivals, we need to diversify our tourism offerings and promote the richness in cultural, historical and natural resources. While religious tourism will remain the backbone of our tourism offer, there is a clear and identified need to develop and diversify our offer to be able to attract more regional visitors to spend more time and money in Palestine. More importantly, Palestine needs to promote itself as an independent destination that is not only an integral part of any visit to the Holy Land, but also to the region at large.
This shift in strategic focus will not be easy, as Palestine is faced with numerous challenges and threats that continue to hinder efforts to develop a sustainable tourism industry. The Occupation, with all its facets, is the biggest obstacle. The restrictions on movement and access (on both tourists and Palestinian service providers) make managing tourist flow and developing themed routes very difficult. Israel’s refusal to allow Palestinians to renovate, restore and manage key sites located in Area C, such as Sebastiya, the Jordan Valley, and the coast of the Dead Sea hinder our abilities to develop a comprehensive tourism offer, and the overall lack of control over borders and points of entry makes managing and developing a tourism sector extremely challenging.more.. e-mail
Audio: Highlights from Montreal BDS conference
Electronic Intifada: 8 Nov 2010 – More than 600 activists from Quebec, Canada, and the United States gathered in Montreal from 22-24 October for a weekend-long conference on growing the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement. The Electronic Intifada contributor Gretchen King produced an audio report from the conference.more
Sebastia’s living community sidelined for ancient ruins
Electronic Intifada: 8 Nov 2010 – One can find very different leaflets about the same place: Sebastia, an outrageously pretty little West Bank village which you’d never guess was once a major city, the capital of ancient kingdoms and home to an imposing Crusader cathedral which is now the village mosque.more
The loyalty oath and Israel’s Zionist “left”
Electronic Intifada: 8 Nov 2010 – The Zionist “Left” is distancing itself from a loyalty oath bill on the Israeli government’s table, but the proposed oath is entirely consistent with Israel’s racist foundations and continued ethnic cleansing — all of which the Zionist “Left” has played a central role in perpetrating and whitewashing.more
UNRWA Strikes Wreak Havoc in Refugee Camps
Palestine Monitor: 8 Nov 2010 – Refugee camps across the West Bank have been thrown into crisis by a United Nations Relief & Works Agency (UNRWA) strike. Schools, health centres, sanitation and food distribution have been suspended for over two weeks as a result of pay disputes between management and ground staff. “The students just sit at home now,” says Mahmoud Tohee, popular committee chairman for Al-Amari camp, Ramallah. “The schools are closed completely.” The children have already missed a fortnight, and the streets they play in are filled with trash and sewage, left to fester by UNRWA’s striking labourers. Sick residents are forced to travel elsewhere for treatment now that the health centre has closed. UNRWA’s ground staff, who also live in the camps, suffer with everyone else. They say they are being exploited by their employers who have effectively frozen their pay while increasing their own salaries. Al-Amari programme director Galeb Hussein feels it…more
BDS and Israel’s Battle for Legitimacy
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Nov 2010 – By Samah Sabawi (Excerpts from a speech presented at the first National BDS Conference in Australia October 2010.) Israeli propagandists attacking the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement often claim that pro-Palestinian activists hide behind words like International Humanitarian Law to promote a hidden agenda aimed at demonizing and deligitmizing Israel. But there is no hidden agenda. We are explicit and clear in what we say and what we call for. We don’t hide behind International Humanitarian Law we stand by it. This is precisely why Israeli propagandists have good reason to worry. Israel knows that its fight to legitimize its behavior cannot be won for as long as the BDS movement continues to expose its violations of IHL. So it is pushing back with its army of lawyers and experts in an effort to exonerate itself of accountability, redefine the rules of IHL and undermine international bodies and institutions. If…more
Galilee Cities Vie for Title of ‘Most Racist’
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Nov 2010 – By Jonathan Cook — Nazareth The tranquility of Safed, a small Israeli city nestled high in the hills of the Upper Galilee close to the Lebanese border, is not usually disturbed except by the occasional pilgrimage by Madonna or other famous devotees of the Jewish mystical teachings of Kabbalah. But in the past few weeks, Safed — one of Judaism’s four holy cities — has been making headlines of a very different kind. Gideon Levy, a columnist for the Israeli daily Haaretz, last week declared it “the most racist city in the country”. The unflattering, and hotly contested, epithet follows an edict from Safed’s senior rabbis ordering residents not to sell or rent homes to “non-Jews” — a reference to the country’s Palestinian Arab citizens, who comprise a fifth of Israel’s population. At an emergency meeting, called last month to discuss the dangers of “assimilation” caused by Arab men dating…more
The Resurrection of Ariel Sharon
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Nov 2010 – By William A. Cook ‘He’s neither alive nor dead.’ Raanan Gissin, Sharon’s former advisor, made the above comment last month as quoted in the Jerusalem Post (20-10-2010) upon the exhibit of a lifelike sculpture by Noam Braslavsky in Tel Aviv. The wax figure shows the comatose Sharon’s chest move up and down “to depict Sharon’s dependence on a breathing machine.” Some have found the work unsettling. “It’s very tragic,” Gissin noted. It’s “only sickening voyeurism,” Kadima MK Yoel Hasson declaimed. Braslavsky created “the sculpture because Sharon has been absent from the public eye for so long,” according to the Post’s article. Regardless, the exhibit has stirred up the Israelis as they are forced to revisit the former PM who is not yet dead. Coincidentally, this week Christoph Schult published an article in Spiegel Online titled “The Israeli Patient: Searching for Ariel Sharon’s Political Legacy.” While noting that the former Prime…more
SA Rabbi Denies Existence of Apartheid in Israel
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Nov 2010 – By Iqbal Jassat — Pretoria The late Palestinian author and eloquent spokesman for the Palestinian cause in the West, Edward W. Said, in a ’96 essay titled ‘Mandela, Netanyahu, and Arafat’ brilliantly captured the contrasts amongst these leaders. But the defining gaps were not related to personalities; instead Said unpacked crucial differences related to and informed by ideology. For instance he cited Nelson Mandela’s commitment to the African National Congress’ [ANC] single goal for which it was created: the end of apartheid, and the institution of legal equality — one person, one vote — between blacks and whites. On the other hand, Benjamin Netanyahu, who incidentally was on his first official trip to the United States, represented bigotry and falsehood. Today almost fifteen years later, one will fully appreciate Said’s critic of this man. His analysis likened Netanyahu to all other Israeli leaders who denied the past and the reality…more
Al-Qaeda’s Latest Christmas Gift to Israel
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Nov 2010 – By Maidhc Ó Cathail While Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) may have claimed responsibility for the parcel bomb plot, it’s worth considering how this latest Yemen-linked terror scare has been a gift to their avowed enemies. A mere two weeks before the discovery of mail bombs addressed to “two places of Jewish worship in Chicago,” Rupert Murdoch sounded prescient as he received an award from the Anti-Defamation League for his support of Israel. “The terrorists continue to target Jews across the world,” declared the media mogul in his acceptance speech. “But they have not succeeded in bringing down the Israeli government — and they have not weakened Israeli resolve.” Equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, the Fox News owner smeared the growing worldwide condemnation of Israel’s rogue behaviour as an “ongoing war against the Jews.” Benjamin Netanyahu, a frequent London house guest of Murdoch and a likely recipient of…more
Israeli Banks Profiteering from Occupation
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Nov 2010 – By Stephen Lendman Wall Street does it. Other Western banks do it. They all exploit markets, often ripping off customers illegally. Why not Israeli banks also in their own back yard, easily in expanding settlements. The Coalition of Women for Peace (CWP) includes 10 feminist organizations and non-affiliated activist women in Israel. Founded in 2000, it advocates “radical social and political change,” and is “a leading voice against the occupation, committed to feminist principles of organizing and Jewish-Palestinian partnership in a relentless struggle for a just peace.” In October, it released a report titled, “Financing the Israeli Occupation, The Direct Involvement of Israeli Banks in Illegal Settlement Activity and Control over the Palestinian Banking Market.” Besides stealing Palestinian land, economic interests play a large role in Israel’s occupation, including resource control, labor exploitation, and commercial enterprises of all kinds, operating freely and illegally in settlements, banks among them. Israeli banks…more
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The New Dark Age 
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