3 December, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Hamas Denies Al-Qaeda Presence but Claims Extremist Group on Rise
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 17:40, Hamas Prime Minister Haniyeh firmly declared that there is no al-Qaeda in Gaza but also denounced a new group of zealots is rising, the Associated Press reported on Thursday.
Dozens of Injured Due To Tear Gas Inhalation in the Weekly Protest in Bil’in
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 16:49, On Friday, dozens of people suffered tear gas inhalation during the weekly nonviolent protests against the wall and settlements in Bil’in, west Ramallah; no arrest were reported.
Erekat Claims Israel Uses Christmas to Deepen the Separation of the Holy Land
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 14:08, With regard to a pre-Christians reception that the Israeli government has organized in East Jerusalem on December 6, Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat denounced on Thursday that “the Israel Ministry of Tourism has hijacked Christmas for political purposes.”
Israeli Forces Raid Refugee Camps Near Jenin
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 12:23, Israeli troops entered the refugee camps of Barqin and Aqaba, in the proximity of Jenin, on Friday morning, PNN claimed.
Asia’s First Aid Convoy to Leave for Gaza
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 11:50, Asia’s first humanitarian convoy is due to begin its journey to the Gaza Strip, trying to break Israel’s siege, Press TV reported.
Four Palestinians Killed In A Traffic Accident In Yemen
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 11:31, On Thursday, four Palestinian students were killed and others were injured due to a car accident in the city of Aden, western Yemen, the Maan News Agency reported.
Controlling Carmel Fire Could Take At Least Several Days
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 11:20, As the fires continue to consume more areas in Al Karmel, and with 41 residents dead, 14.000 evacuated from their homes, and more than 20.000 Dunams burnt, Israeli sources stated that controlling the fires could take at least several days while the devastating environmental effects of the fires could last 20 -40 years.
Clashes Reported In East Jerusalem
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 11:03, Clashes broke out in Al-Isawiya neighborhood, East Jerusalem, on Thursday evening, between dozens of Palestinian residents and Israeli forces, the Ma’an NewsAgency reported.
Female Detainees Safely Moved Out Of Al Damoun Prison
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 05:16, Amin Shooman, head of the Higher Committee for West Bank Detainees imprisoned by Israel, stated that all female detainees imprisoned at the Al Damoun Israeli prison were evacuated to the Hasharon prison due to raging fires in the north.
Army Shells Khan Younis
IMEMC – 3 Dec 2010 – Friday December 03, 2010 – 05:00, Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip reported that Israeli soldiers shelled on Thursday evening a number of homes east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
88th worker shot in northern Gaza ‘no go zone’
12/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Gaza man was shot in the foot Friday morning, medics in the coastal enclave confirmed saying the wound was inflicted by Israeli sniper fire targeting a man collecting gravel particles in the northern border area. The injured man was evacuated to the Kamal Udwan Hospital in Jabaliya and identified….
Brazil recognizes Palestinian state
12/3/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Fatah leader Nabil Sha’ath on Friday welcomed Brazil’s decision to recognize the State of Palestine on 1967 borders.” It is a day of joy and enthusiasm for the peoples of Palestine and Brazil. It is the confirmation of the brotherhood between both peoplesand the friendship with President….
Evening clashes in East Jerusalem
12/3/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Clashes erupted in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Al-Isawiya on Thursday evening, between residents and Israeli forces conducting patrols on the area northeast of the Old City. Eight residents were treated for tear-gas inhalation, head of the Union of Arab Medics Mohammad Al-Gharabli told Ma’n. An Israeli police spokeswoman….
Report: Lebanese court convicts Israeli collaborator
12/3/2010 – BEIRUT, Lebanon (Ma’an) — A Lebanese Military Court sentenced a citizen to 15 years of hard labor on charges of collaboration with Israel, the country’s National News Agency reported on Thursday. The man, identified as Ziad Homsi was found guilty of providing Israeli intelligence agencies with classified information about military and civil….
1,000 children send Christmas message from Bethlehem
12/3/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — A thousand children from across the West Bank gathered in Bethlehem on Friday to send a Christmas message to children around the world. The Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation organized activities and theatrical performances for the children at the Catholic Action Center. The children then marched from the Center to Nativity….
Thousands battle to tame Israel’s worst fire
12/3/2010 – HAIFA, Israel (AFP) — Thousands of Israeli firemen and rescuers fought Friday to control a massive forest fire that has killed 41 people, as global help poured in to battle the biggest inferno in the country’s history. As high winds drove the blaze towards the northern port city of Haifa, police and medical officials….
Gaza facing wheat crisis
12/3/2010 – GAZA (Ma’an) —The head of Gaza’s bakeries’ association said Friday that the Strip is facing a crisis due to wheat shortages. Abdul Nasser Al-Ajramy said Israel has decreased the amount of wheat it allows into Gaza, leaving mills in the Strip empty. Israel opens Karni crossing once a week to….
Clashes re-ignite in East Jerusalem neighborhood
12/3/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Clashes broke out after a brief period of calm in the Al-Isawiya neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem on Friday afternoon. Clashes centered on the western side of the neighborhood, when a march of peace activists and villagers passed through the area protesting the continued closure of roads leading to the residential….
Gaza: Brigades claim military action in south
12/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades announced Friday morning that fighters from the militant group fired three mortar shells toward a gathering of Israeli soldiers east of Khan Younis. The Israeli troops, a statement from the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said, were near the….
Palestinian firefighters join efforts to control blaze
12/3/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Palestinian firefighters are aiding efforts to control a forest fire which has spread across northern Israel, Palestinian civil defense officials said. The blaze, which has killed at least 41 people and devastated more than 10,000 acres of land, was still burning out of control 24 hours after it started in the….
Fire crews struggle to control blaze
12/3/2010 – HAIFA, Israel (AFP) – Thousands of Israeli rescuers and firemen backed by fire crews from around the globe battled on Friday to conquer the biggest inferno in Israel’s history, which has already killed 41 people. As high winds drove flames towards the northern port city of Haifa, officials said they had found 41 bodies….
Workers unions declare partial strike Monday
12/3/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The unions of health and education employees announced a partial strike set to take place Monday, affecting workers in government service jobs as a protest against the amendment of pension laws, health insurance, severance pay and the right to strike. A Thursday statement released by the unions said the strike would….
Families of Haifa detainees worry as fire rages near city
12/3/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Ramallah’s International Solidarity Institute called on Haifa’s Damoun women’s prison administration to ensure the safety of detainees, following requests for information from more than a dozen families of prisoners who fear for their safety. The prison was evacuated as part of a massive fire rescue….
Nablus villages targeted in overnight raids, 4 detained
12/3/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces detained four men overnight, and searched several homes in villages surrounding Nablus, officials said. An Israeli military statement confirmed the detention of four “wanted Palestinian suspects,” with PA security officials saying two of those detentions were in Taluza village north of Nablus. According to Israel’s Army Radio….
Hebron woman released from Israeli custody
12/3/2010 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — An Israeli court in Bersheba released Mariam Al-Atawnah, 44, from detention after she was taken into police custody during a visit with her brother five days earlier, Hebron’s prisoners center reported….
Gaza crossings closed
12/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli officials announced the closure of all Gaza-Israel crossing terminals on Friday, a day ahead of the scheduled weekend, with passages remaining sealed on Saturday for the Jewish sabbath. Palestinian crossings liaison official, Raed Fattouh told Ma’an that service would resume on Monday. Recapping the previous day’….
WikiLeaks database – DOHA
12/4/2010 – A database of leaked American diplomatic cables originating from the US Embassy in Doha, Qatar, as relating to Washington’s relations with the Palestinians and their institutions. The cables — selected from 250,000 diplomatic communiques — were obtained and released by the whistleblowing group WikiLeaks. Relevant passages are highlighted in bold. 09/08/2009: Army officials….
Erekat: Israel hijacking Christmas for political gain
12/3/2010 – JERICHO (Ma’an) — “The Israel Ministry of Tourism has hijacked Christmas for political purposes,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Thursday, denouncing the occupying nation for hosting a pre-Christmas reception in East Jerusalem. The reception, set for 6 December, will see diplomats, heads of churches and other community members gather in the city to….
Obama offers ‘condolences,’ aid in fighting Israel fire
12/3/2010 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President Barack Obama on Thursday expressed his “deepest condolences” for the victims of a massive forest fire in Israel and said the United States had offered to help fight it. The blaze engulfed a forest near the northern Israeli city of Haifa, killing 40 people, most of them prison guards on board….
Hezbollah image at stake in Hariri case, experts say
12/3/2010 – BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) – An indictment of Hezbollah members in connection with the murder of Lebanese ex-premier Rafiq Hariri could forever tarnish the party’s image as a resistance movement and threaten its raison d’etre, analysts say.” Whether one single member or 100 are implicated makes absolutely no difference, Hezbollah won’t….
Hizb Ut-Tahrir says Hamas giving up principles
12/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Islamist movement Hizb Ut-Tahrir on Thursday slammed Hamas, saying the party was giving up its principles. Hizb Ut-Tahrir (Liberation Party) issued a statement following a rare news conference held by Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza on Wednesday. The party said Hamas was heading toward the same track….
Clinton: US ‘intensively’ working on peace
12/3/2010 – MANAMA, Bahrain (AFP) — The United States is working “intensively” to secure peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted on Friday, a day after Palestinians said US efforts failed, an allegation that was later denied by other PA sources.”The United States is working intensively to create the conditions that will….
Lebanon defense minister denies WikiLeaks cable content
12/3/2010 – BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr denied on Friday allegations in a diplomatic cable revealed by the whistleblowing website WikiLeaks that he gave advice to Israel in 2008 on how to get rid of Hezbollah, an aide said.” The information posted by WikiLeaks is not complete and is not accurate,” said Murr aide….
Army: Israel detonates ‘spy’ devices in Lebanon
12/3/2010 – TYRE, Lebanon (AFP) – The Israeli army on Friday detonated two of its espionage devices in southern Lebanon, slightly injuring two passers-by, a Lebanese army spokesman said.” Around noon today, the Israeli enemy detonated two spying apparatuses by remote control in Wadi Qaysiyya outside of Majdal Selem” near the southern coastal city of Tyre, the spokesman….
US: Hariri justice will not destabilize Lebanon
12/3/2010 – MANAMA (AFP) – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Friday that the UN Special Tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of ex-premier Rafiq Hariri will not destabilize Lebanon.” The Special Tribunal represents a statement by the world that the era of political assassination with impunity in Lebanon must end,” Clinton said at a major security….
Fatah’s armed wing demands release of member
12/3/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Fatah’s armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, called on the Gaza government Fridayto release one of its members. Amir Ash-Shareef was detained one month earlier by internal security forces from the Hamas-led government, the brigades said in a statement. Ash-Shareef is listed as “wanted” by the Israeli army, and….
Bethlehem prepares for Christmas
12/3/2010 – But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”Micah 5:2The prophecy came true 2,000 years ago, and Bethlehem has for centuries been….
WikiLeaks: US, Britain argued over spy flights
12/3/2010 – WASHINGTON (AFP) — US and British officials clashed over the use of a Cyprus air base for US spying missions in 2008, with London worried about complicity in potential rights abuses, leaked cables showed Thursday. The British were particularly concerned about U2 spy plane missions to track militants in Lebanon, Turkey and northern Iraq that provided….
Clashes re-ignite in East Jerusalem neighborhood
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Maan – Clashes broke out after a brief period of calm in the Al-Isawiya neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem on Friday afternoon. Clashes centered on the western side of the neighborhood, when a march of peace…
Clinton: US “intensively” working on peace
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Maan – The United States is working “intensively” to secure peace between Israel and the Palestinians, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insisted on Friday, a day after Palestinians said US efforts failed, an allegation that was…
Former Fatah star Mohammed Dahlan falls from favor
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – The National – Where is Mohammed Dahlan? For days rumours have swirled of a falling out between the one-time heir apparent to Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas. Palestinian Authority officials will not confirm…
PA lends firefighters a hand in Carmel blaze
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Palestinian official says authority decided to help because blaze in north is ‘human catastrophe’ Ynet News – Israel received help from a number of unexpected sources as firefighters attempted to battle one of the worst blazes…
Abbas aide says Israel to blame for “collapse” of peace talks
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Al Arabiya – The United States should openly blame Israel for the “collapse” of the peace process, a senior Palestinian official said on Thursday, in one of the bleakest assessments yet on Middle East peace efforts….
Mideast Conflict Plays Out In A House Divided
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – NPR – On the surface, Jerusalem’s Old City seems like the ideal melting pot of cultures and religions. Muslims, Christians and Jews live in this ancient walled enclave of less than half a square mile. It…
Clinton urges Iran to “engage seriously” on nuclear program
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Voice of America – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is urging Iran to “engage seriously” with the international community about its nuclear program. Read Full Article Photo: [US Department of State, Flickr]
Israeli PM Netanyahu thanks Turkey for airplanes to battle Carmel Fire
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Jerusalem Post – Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Friday evening was at the PMO making contact with additional foreign governments in continuing efforts to secure firefighting equipment and planes. Earlier Friday, Netanyahu thanked his Turkish counterpart Recep…
Wikileaked: The Gulf Between Dictators and Their People
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Yousef Munayyer, The Palestine Center – Now that a few days have gone by since the initial release of some secret U.S. State Department cables by the website WikiLeaks , we can pause and reflect on some…
New chief named to take over Israeli Mossad from Meir Dagan
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Los Angeles Times – Monday’s announcement of the next chief of Israel’s Mossad ended the mystery about who will succeed leadership of the country’s spy agency. Tamir Pardo, known to the public until now only as…
Israelis make cover of Iranian magazine
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Ynet News – Metal band Orphaned Land, popular in Arab world, stars on cover of Iranian rock music publication Divan. ‘Music demolishes political barriers,’ says frontman Kobi Farhi. Read Full Article Here Photo: [Orphaned-Land.com]
Palestinian delegate to U.S.: Congress shouldn’t interfere in Mideast peace process
Palestine Note 3 Dec 2010 – Haaretz – Maen Rashid Areikat: Israelis and Palestinians, not the U.S. Congress, will decide the future of the conflict; parents of Rachel Corrie receive award at event marking International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People….
Israel battles deadly forest fire
AlJazeera 3 Dec 2010 – Assistance arrives from other countries as firefighters struggle to put out blaze that has killed at least 41 people.
Omar Ubeidat and the Biggest Animals on Earth
PNN – Jerusalem — Maysa Abu Ghazala — PNN/Exclusive – His childhood dreams and his love of working with animals pushed OmarUbeidat, 33, to train and care for the largest animals on the face…
Israeli Troops Enter Jenin Area Refugee Camps, No Arrests
PNN – Jenin — PNN – On Friday morning Israeli forces entered the refugee camps of Barqin, north of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and Aqaba, near Tubas. Local sources reported five…
Thoughts on Germany and Palestine
PNN – Mazin Qumsiyeh – Guest Writer – The conference in Stuttgart about Palestine was themed Separated in the past, together in the future , was sold-out, and had some high powered speakers and lots…
Brazil says it recognizes Palestinian state
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2010 – President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sends letter to Mahmoud Abbas expressing hope that recognition will contribute to peace and security.
US rushes assistance to Israel to combat Carmel fires
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2010 – Obama expresses condolences; sends 45 tons of fire-retardant spray to quell fires; British PM also sends sympathies, offers assistance.
This Week in History: ‘The Palestine Post’ is established
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2010 – The paper was established in 1932 in British-mandate Palestine, survived a terror attack and eventually became ‘The Jerusalem Post.’
Wikileaks: Lebanon advised on how to defeat Hizbullah
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2010 – Lebanon’s defense minister offered US officials advice on how Israel could defeat group in future war.
Wikileaks: Lebanon advised Israel how to defeat Hizbullah
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2010 – Lebanon’s defense minister offered US officials advice on how J’lem could defeat group in future war, vowed to keep Lebanese army out of fighting.
World Jewry to raise funds to help victims of Carmel fire
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2010 – Jewish Agency, JDC have people on ground in northern Israel helping residents flee flames, putting plans in place to help victims rebuild lives.
Analysis: Heroism, resilience… and gnawing questions
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2010 – Israel, with world help, is rising to fight the northern inferno. When the flames are finally doused, there will be some harsh lessons to learn.
Health, humor and a holistic approach
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2010 – Chef Jessica Porter will be giving cooking classes in Israel. Here, she talks about how macrobiotics can transform bodies and souls.
Small fires break out across Galilee; police suspect arson
Ha’aretz – Police Commissioner David Cohen had warned local police chiefs to prepare for a spate of fires that were purposely started.
Animals at Carmel nature reserve face new threat from wildfire
Ha’aretz – The lives of hundreds of rare animals are threatened as flames spread towards the Hai-Bar nature reserve.
Wildfire spreads to Ein Hod, Nir Etzion
Ha’aretz – Operations of firefighting aircraft have been called off until Saturday morning, leaving ground crews with the task of battling the blaze overnight.
Victims of the Carmel fire / ‘Now we must deal with this tragedy’
Ha’aretz – 42 people have been killed in the wildfire that is raging through a large area of northern Israel.
PM calls Erdogan, thanks international community for aid in Carmel fire disaster
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu speaks to Turkish PM Erdogan for the first time since taking office, says incident may portend improvement in bilateral relations.
Animals saved when flames heading for Carmel wildlife reserve stopped short
Ha’aretz – Hundreds of rare species of animals saved from almost certain death.
Netanyahu: Israel can’t fight massive brushfire alone
Ha’aretz – In emergency cabinet meeting convened over brushfire raging through North, PM thanks nations sending aid, which include including Egypt, Jordan and Turkey.
‘We can’t say that fire in the North is under control’
Ha’aretz – Police commissioner says blaze may be contained by Saturday afternoon; death toll reaches 42; over 17,000 Northern residents have been evacuated from their homes.
First Carmel fire victims identified, as Israel grapples with national tragedy
Ha’aretz – Medical crews continue task of identifying brushfire victims, most of whom died on a Prison Service bus consumed by flames en route to aid a prison evacuation.
Carmel inferno proves Israel can’t afford war with Iran
Ha’aretz – Just like Israel’s army in the 1973 Yom Kippur war, the emergency services were wholly unprepared to handle a shock on this scale.
17,000 evacuated as huge blaze threatens Haifa
Ha’aretz – Carmel-area esidents moved to safety as brushfire sweeps across northern Israel, leaving 42 dead.
Carmel fire: Haifa Police Chief critically injured
Ha’aretz – Minutes after being interviewed, Deputy Commander Ahuva Tomer drove behind the bus of prison guards that caught fire.
Obama ensures Netanyahu forest fire assistance top U.S. priority
Ha’aretz – U.S. is sending a team of expert firefighters and supplies to Israel to help the country contain the worst forest fire in its history.
Netanyahu makes fresh appeal for international help to battle Carmel blaze
Ha’aretz – Prime Minister speaks with the leaders of Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, asking them to send fire-fighting planes.
Hezbollah claims it has found Israeli spying device
Ha’aretz – Group says Israel was spying on its private telecommunications network.
Lebanon defense minister ‘offered invasion advice for Israel’
Ha’aretz – Elias Murr advised U.S. diplomats on how Israel could ‘clean out’ Hezbollah from southern Lebanon, WikiLeaks cable shows., U.S. pledges assistance as blaze creeps toward Haifa; Netanyahu calls emergency cabinet…
WikiLeaks founder: Netanyahu believes expos?© will aid Mideast peace
Ha’aretz – Julian Assange tells Time: Netanyahu says leaders must speak in public like they do in private; Turkey: Israel engineered WikiLeaks release.
Brazil recognizes Palestinian state on 1967 borders
Uruknet December 3, 2010 — Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva recognized a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders Friday in a public letter addressed to Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas. The decision came in response to a personal request made by Abbas on November 24, according to the letter published on the foreign ministry’s website. “Considering that the demand…
Wiki weakens Iran war drive The Saudi endorsement could be the kiss of death for Netanyahu’s push for a military strike on Iran.
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, is ecstatic. He has come to the conclusion that a diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks, revealing that the Saudis privately favour a military strike on Iran, has vindicated Israel’s hawkish stance. With Saudi Arabia aboard the war train, how can it possibly be derailed? Of course, he is totally…
Boycott Amazon.com
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – As many of you know, Amazon.com kicked WikiLeaks off its servers on Wednesday. Amazon didn’t bother to give WikiLeaks any notice. It just pulled the plug, causing the website to be inaccessible for a few hours. Amazon made the decision after speaking with Senator Joe Lieberman’s office. Evidently Liberman staffers called to ask why Amazon…
Why we walked out
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – Students across the US are protesting a public relations campaign that brings soldiers from the Israeli army to speak on campuses. These tours are an attempt to justify recent war crimes committed by the army and are coordinated by various organizations, the most well-known being the Zionist organization StandWithUs. Our protests have drawn attention to…
88th worker shot in northern Gaza ‘no go zone’
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – A Gaza man was shot in the foot Friday morning, medics in the coastal enclave confirmed saying the wound was inflicted by Israeli sniper fire targeting a man collecting gravel particles in the northern border area. The injured man was evacuated to the Kamal Udwan Hospital in Jabaliya and identified only as 20-year-old “AB.” Medics…
UN: situation in Gaza is “not improving”
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – Millions of Palestinians are living in precarious conditions and need help to survive, the United Nations said Thursday, as it sought $575 million for them in 2011. Despite recent improvements in the situation in the Gaza Strip, things are “not improving” for the 4.5 million people who live in the Palestinian Territories, said Maxwell Gaylard,…
One-Third of Israeli Support Wartime Concentration Camps for Palestinian Citizens
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – One nugget I overlooked (pg. 142) in the Israel Democracy Institute annual survey which I featured here a day or so ago is this one that Ofer Neiman pointed out to me. 33% of Israelis support placing Israeli Palestinian citizens in concentration camps during wartime. Only 50% of Israeli Jews oppose this approach. The actual…
WikiLeaks Exposes Israeli Mafia’s Growing Influence Cable reveals Mafia-government connection — But US media don’t care to dig for the
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – I love how the pundits are yawning over the latest WikiLeaks revelations: oh, there’s nothing to see here, it’s all so boring, no “smoking gun,” so let’s just move right along. These people are just plain lazy: they want “scoops” delivered to their front doors, all neatly packaged and labeled as such. In short, they…
Settlers Torch Olive Orchard near Nablus
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – Israeli settlers torched on Thursday evening Palestinian Olive Orchards near the Homesh evacuated settlement, west of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Ghassan Douglas, in charge of settlements file at the Palestinian Authority in the northern part of the West Bank, stated that a number of extremist Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of…
Obama’s Israel Policy: Speak softly and carry a very big carrot
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – Even those familiar with the long and shameful history of America’s appeasement of Israel were taken aback by the Obama administration’s extraordinary offer to Benjamin Netanyahu. In exchange for a paltry one-off 90 day freeze on illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), Israel will get twenty F-35 stealth fighter jets…
All Guantanamo Prisoners Were Subjected to “Pharmacological Waterboarding”
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – …As has been clear for many years, since prisoners and former prisoners began speaking about the conditions of their confinement, medical and psychiatric personnel were intimately involved in a regime that involved withholding medical treatment for those who refused to “cooperate” with their interrogators — in other words, by providing false confessions — and the…
Gaza facing wheat crisis
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – The head of Gaza’s bakeries’ association said Friday that the Strip is facing a crisis due to wheat shortages. Abdul Nasser Al-Ajramy said Israel has decreased the amount of wheat it allows into Gaza, leaving mills in the Strip empty. Israel opens Karni crossing once a week to allow around 100 truckloads of wheat and…
NGO Monitor Targets Truth for Israel
Uruknet December 3, 2010 – Its web site (ngo-monitor.org) says it “was founded to promote accountability, and advance a vigorous discussion on the reports and activities of NGOs claiming to promote moral agendas, such as humanitarian aid and human rights.” In fact, it’s a Jerusalem-based pro-Israeli front group, disseminating propaganda and hate, debasing legitimate human rights organizations, independent journalism, and…
Gaza: The Roof Is Now the Field
Uruknet December 2, 2010 – BEIT HANOUN, Gaza, Dec 2, 2010 — “We grow on our roof because we are farmers but have no land now,” says Moatassan Hamad, 21, from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza Strip. “Our family is large and thankfully what we grow feeds us,” he says. They grow a variety of staple vegetables. “Cabbage and eggplants…
Video: The other special relationshipSeen as an honest-broker in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Canada has become one of Israel’s most fervent supporters.
Uruknet December 2, 2010 — In Canada, a high-stakes battle is being waged between a powerful pro-Israel lobby close to the conservative government, and a growing Palestinian solidarity movement that calls Israel an apartheid state that should be subject to boycott, divestment and sanctions. But there is one point on which both sides agree: over the past five or six…
Corporations found guilty at Russell Tribunal second session
Uruknet December 2, 2010 – On 22 November a jury of international experts announced their verdict that compelling evidence shows corporate complicity in Israeli violations of international law. The verdict followed two full days of presentations in London at the second international session of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine from 20 to 21 November. The session examined the role of…
More Joe Lieberman-caused Internet censorship
Uruknet December 2, 2010 – Following up on my post from earlier today about Joe Lieberman’s Chinese-replicating Internet censorship efforts (and please read that first for the context), I wanted this to be highlighted separately: The New York Times reports that another company has now capitulated to Lieberman’s demands: “a Seattle-based software company, Tableau, which provides a free Web platform…
Joe Lieberman emulates Chinese dictators
Uruknet December 2, 2010 – …Talking Points Memo — in an article headlined: “How Lieberman Got Amazon To Drop Wikileaks” — detailed that Lieberman’s “staffers . . . called Amazon to ask about it, and left questions with a press secretary including, ‘Are there plans to take the site down?'” Shortly thereafter, “Amazon called them back . . . to say they had kicked Wikileaks off.”…
Today in Palestine: hypocrisy watch
Uruknet December 2, 2010 – An IDF press release reads:
TOO TOXIC TO HANDLE?FOLLOW-UP ALERT ON ISRAEL’S POLICY OF NEAR-STARVATION FOR GAZA
Uruknet December 2, 2010 On November 17, we sent out a media alert that highlighted the corporate media’s lack of interest in official documents revealing Israel’s deliberate policy of near-starvation for Gaza. The documents had been obtained by Gisha, an Israeli human rights group, which won a legal battle in October to compel the Israeli government to release the information….
SPF Deivers Tonfa Training to 37 Recruits
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 20, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Special Police Force (SPF) has successfully delivered a Tonfa training course to 37 new SPF recruits, according to a press release by EUPOL-COPPS,
Abu Rdeineh: All Settlement Forms are Illegal, Rejected
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 19 (WAFA)- The Presidency spokesperson , Nabil Abu Rdeineh confirmed today that all the forms of settlement (outposts and non-random) in Palestinian lands are illegal. Commenting
Netanyahu Declines Demolishing Settlements’ Random Units
WAFA – TEL AVIV, October 19 (WAFA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that he wouldn’t demolish the unregulated construction in a various settlements although the government has issued
The Elders Urge Comprehensive Approach to Arab-Israeli Peace
WAFA – DAMASCUS, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- The Elders have called for a more comprehensive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following discussions with officials, civil society, business and
France Provides €4 million for Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant
WAFA – JERUSALEM, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- On Sunday 17 of October 2010, at Ministry of Planning, Mr Dov Zerah, CEO of the French Development Agency (AFD), Dr Ali Jarbawi, Minister of Planning and
IOF deploys Ariel Settlement
WAFA – SALFIT, October 19 (WAFA)- The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) deployed, today, the Ariel Settlement that is established by force on the lands of the Salfit, Iskaka, Yasuf and Burkin
Dr. Erakat: Israel Seeks De Facto Recognition of Illegal Practices
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiations Affairs Department Dr. Saeb Erakat said, yesterday, “By hosting the OECD conference in Jerusalem,
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
Clinton says US still working to resume Middle East talks
Daily Star 3 Dec 2010 MANAMA: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday the United States was still working to relaunch Middle East peace talks despite the Palestinian assessment that negotiations with Israel had collapsed. “The US is working intensively…
International crews help Israel fight forest fire
Daily Star 3 Dec 2010 TIRAT CARMEL, Israel: International firefighting teams were helping Israel battle a huge forest fire close to the port city of Haifa Friday that has killed at least 42 people and forced mass evacuations. European planes and…
What we must do for Iraq now
Daily Star 3 Dec 2010 Under this title, American Vice President Joseph Biden wrote an op-ed in The New York Times on November 20, 2010, coinciding with a NATO summit aimed at confronting the rest of the world, a European endeavor…
Copt candidate blames NDP ‘Islamists’ for Egypt poll defeat
Daily Star 3 Dec 2010 CAIRO: A Coptic opposition candidate defeated in a parliamentary election accused “extremist” Islamic elements in the ruling party Friday of trying to further marginalize Egypt’s beleaguered Christian minority.”The situation in Egypt is very serious. There is…
Damascus brushes off IAEA probe, urges scrutiny of Israel
Daily Star 3 Dec 2010 VIENNA: Syria dismissed Friday calls to grant UN nuclear inspectors prompt access to the remains of a suspected nuclear site bombed to rubble by Israel, saying they should focus their investigation on the Jewish state instead….
Yvette Cooper calls for Israeli settler labelling on food imports
The Guardian 3 Dec 2010 – Cooper wants EU to follow example of supermarkets which identify goods produced in occupied West Bank Britain should step up pressure on Israel to stop building illegal settlements in the West Bank by pressing for greater…
OPT: PROTECTION OF CIVILIANS Weekly Report 24 – 30 November 2010
Relief Web 3 Dec 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Funerals held across Israel following fire disaster
YNet News – Thousands attend funerals of Prison Service cadets who died in Carmel fire….
PA lends firefighters a hand
YNet News – Palestinian official says authority decided to help because blaze in north is….
Netanyahu thanks Erdogan for aid
YNet News – At emergency Cabinet meeting, prime minister says response to Israel’s call for….
Fire moves west, more evacuated
YNet News – Firefighting teams from Greece, Bulgaira, Cyprus, and Britain arrive in Israel,….
Lieberman: Gov’t knew of plane shortage
YNet News – ‘Issue of firefighting planes was discussed, but nothing moves here until….
Turkey: Israel aid no sign of improved ties
YNet News – Turkish clarification: Turkey’s decision to send two firefighting planes to Israel to assist in battling the Carmel blaze does not attest to improved ties with the Jewish …….
Police face arson wave
YNet News – Dozens of blazes were reported across Israel Friday, on top of the massive forest fire still raging in northern Israel, as the police raised its alert level nationwide. …….
Firefighters: Blaze spreading towards Haifa University
YNet News – The massive fire still raging in northern Israel is spreading towards the University of Haifa, firefighting officials said Friday evening. Students have been …….
Hezbollah overjoyed by fire
YNet News – Arab networks celebrate fire disaster: Many Arab media outlets have been taking advantage of Israel’s fire disaster to disparage the Jewish state and rejoice over its …….
Palestinian Information Center
Dershowitz: Zionist liar par exellance
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – Alan Dershowitz, the American Zionist fanatic, is notorious for his brashly racist views about just anything non-Jewish.
Palestinians attend the Friday prayers at Aqsa amidst strict security measures
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – Thousands of Palestinians participated in the Friday prayers at the Aqsa Mosque despite Israeli occupation strict measures around occupied Jerusalem, the old city and the Aqsa Mosque’s surroundings.
Clashes between protestors and occupation police in Eisaweyya
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – Clashes broke out, Friday evening, in the Eisaweyya suburb of occupied Jerusalem after a protest march in which local residents and foreign sympathisers participated.
Funeral for two martyrs in the northern Gaza Strip
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – Residents of the northern Gaza Strip participated in the funeral of two martyrs, affiliated with the Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, who were killed by IOF troops.
Abbas’s militia kidnap five Hamas supporters, 3 of them university students
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – Abbas’s militia continue its campaign against Hamas supporters in all districts. They kidnapped 5 activists in the districts of Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem and Salfit, said local sources on Friday.
Ministry of prisoners holds Fatah responsible on lives of hunger strikers in Jer
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – The PA ministry of prisoners in Gaza has held the authority of Fatah in the West Bank fully responsible for the lives of six Palestinian prisoners who went on hunger strike for the tenth day..
Palestinian delegation depart for Algeria to attend conference on Palestinian pr
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – A delegation from the supreme national committee for supporting the prisoners has left the besieged Gaza Strip going to Algeria to attend a conference on the prisoners in occupation jails.
Gaza citizen wounded by IOF bullets
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – IOF troops fired at a Palestinian man on Friday while he was collecting scrap in the northern Gaza Strip wounding him in the foot, according to Palestinian medical sources.
US deals Abbas another serious blow with regard to settlement freeze
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – An official PA source said on Thursday that the US has informed them of the failure of its efforts to get the Israeli occupation to renew the “freeze” on settlement expansion..
Ministry of agriculture warns of severe shortage in fodder
PIC 3 Dec 2010 – The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in Gaza said that livestock in the Gaza Strip is facing a real threat because of the severe shortage in fodder.
International help pours in as Israel battles forest fire
LA Times 4 Dec 2010 – From Bulgaria to Jordan and Greece, even Turkey, send firefighters, equipment, helicopters and other help as a fire rages in Carmel Forest. The toll rises to 41 as officials hope to control the blaze by weekend. From Jordanian firefighters to Greek aircraft, a rare outpouring of international support for Israel helped the nation battle its worst-ever forest fire Friday, but the blaze continued to rage out of control.
Israel Struggles to Quell Lethal Forest Fire
New York Times 3 Dec 2010 – Israel was still struggling on Friday to control a fire raging in a rain-starved forest in northern Israel that has left at least 41 people dead.
SOUTH HEBRON HILLS: Israeli Army arrests young Palestinian man in South Hebron Hills
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
AL-KHALIL (HEBRON): Shepherd made homeless, livelihood threatened, son in prison
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
Urban Planning Forcing Arabs From Israeli Cities
Palestine Monitor – An urban development plan in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality is driving up property prices and causing an influx of higher income groups to the area. Jaffa is an attractive alternative to nearby Tel Aviv, luring numerous wealthy Jewish buyers. The urban planning project and its consequent…
Double your donation in December, get two gifts!
Mondoweiss – Normally we don’t encourage people to donate any specific amount. We’re grateful for both the time you give to the site and whatever financial contribution you can make. This month is a unique situation though. We have a donor who has agreed to match any…
‘Wikileaks’ cable drop is a giant power move for the left
Mondoweiss – (Source: Wikileaks ) I love the rage against Julian Assange. It shows how effective the Wikileaks drop has been. Schumer: “This man has put his own ego above the safety of millions of innocents… He should be extradited, tried for espionage, and given the most severe penalty…
Mt Carmel fire is huge news— what about the arson all over Palestine??
Mondoweiss – Because, I document the news every single day and am aware of the fact that a week does not pass without settlers setting fire to Palestinian schools, homes and agricultural land it’s almost impossible for me not make “political hay” out of the fact that while…
The latest from Haiti
Mondoweiss – I’m just back from Port-au-Prince, where, as always, I met people with extraordinary courage. Here is my up-to-date report in The Nation, in which I present one of them — Pierre France, a 35-year-old electrician who, along with his friends, risked their own lives to prevent…
Why doesn’t the world offer assistance when settlers set fire to West Bank land?
Mondoweiss – And other news from Today in Palestine: Settlers/ Land, Property, Resource Theft & Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing Official: Settlers set fire to West Bank land NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian-owned olive groves near the evacuated settlement of Homesh, near the West Bank city of…
Israeli police round up 600 Palestinian workers
Sabr 3 Dec 2010 – [ 02/12/2010 – 11:11 AM ] RAMALLAH, ( PIC )— Israeli police in the 1948 occupied Palestinian land rounded up 600 Palestinian workers from the West Bank for working in those lands without permit. The Israeli radio said on Wednesday night that the border police launched a large-scale…
Troops Kidnap Elected Legislator In Hebron
Sabr 3 Dec 2010 – Wednesday December 01, 2010 12:01 by Saed Bannoura – IMEMC & Agencies Israeli soldiers kidnapped, on Wednesday at dawn, legislator Sheikh Khalil Nayef Rajoub, after breaking into his home and searching it. Legislator Khalil Nayef Rajoub – Image Palestine-Info His family stated that soldiers surrounded their…
Iran urged to engage with talks
BBC 3 Dec 2010 – Hillary Clinton calls on Iran to engage in nuclear talks in good faith, adding that the country could one day enrich its own uranium for civilian purposes.
Israel struggles to contain fire
BBC 3 Dec 2010 – A massive forest fire rages in northern Israel for a second day despite efforts by thousands of Israeli and foreign firefighters to contain it.
Wikileaks reveals Egypt Nile fear
BBC 3 Dec 2010 – A leaked US embassy cable reveals Egypt’s fears that possible independence for Southern Sudan could threaten its access to the River Nile.
Iran arrests over scientist death
BBC 2 Dec 2010 – Iran’s intelligence minister says the country has made a number of arrests following attacks on nuclear scientists in Tehran on Monday.
German Govt ‘Crying Wolf’ on Terrorist Attacks
Antiwar.com 3 Dec 2010 – BERLIN, Dec 2 (IPS) — Government officials in Germany are being accused of manipulating threats of terrorism to induce public hysteria, even while warning against such reactions. The self-contradictory approach has prompted German citizens to call the terror warnings “farcical” and “negligent.” In mid-November, three separate…
WikiLeaks Exposes Israeli Mafia’s Growing Influence
Antiwar.com 3 Dec 2010 – Justin Raimondo on the Mafia-govt connection
NYT Stokes Fear of Iran
Antiwar.com 3 Dec 2010 – And Washington Post, too, says Ray McGovern
WikiLeaks Exposes Israeli Mafia’s Growing Influence
Sabbah report 3 Dec 2010 – Ominously, the cable goes on to bemoan the fact that Israeli organized crime figures are no longer automatically prevented from entering the US due to a change in the rules. “Visas Shark” was apparently a program that effectively excluded organized crime figures from the US, and…
WikiLeaks and Espionage — Israeli Style
Sabbah report 3 Dec 2010 – Zionism faces an existential threat though not from Iran or those Tel Aviv portrays as “Islamo-fascists.” The threat lurks in the fast-emerging transparency that confirms pro-Israelis as the source of the intelligence that took the U.S. to war on false premises.A critical mass of disinformation persuaded…
The folly of the Israeli AND Arab approach to Iran
Sabbah report 3 Dec 2010 – Netanyahu was absolutely correct when he told a group of editors in Tel Aviv that “Israel has not been damaged at all by the Wikileaks publications.” A senior Israeli government official went further in his response to questions from AFP. He said: “We have come out…
Will the Palestinian Authority declare an independent state… or collapse?
Sabbah report 3 Dec 2010 – Heaven knows how the average Palestinian must feel as a result of the incompetent leadership they have had to endure these last 63 years, a leadership which failed to coherently argue and convey the justice of the Palestinian cause and never bothered, even to this day,…
Articles
Wikileaks leaks toxic acid in every direction, except to Israel
Tariq Shadid, Palestine Think Tank12/1/2010
Let us ponder for a second about the meaning of ‘leaking’. When something is leaking, it is usually understood that some fluid substance that is supposed to be flowing in a certain direction, is escaping from its designed route because of a defect in the structure that was built to guide it. Usually, if you have a leaking pipe in your water system, your main problem is that you are unable to control the flow of it, and water goes into directions where you don’t want it to be going.
However, the definition of ‘Wikileaking’ seems to be following entirely different laws of nature. Indeed, the information is flowing away from the secret pipelines it was originally guided into. However, the strange thing about ‘Wikileaking’ is that Israel, a country widely known for its secret dealings and cunning intelligence service, is managing to keep dry feet in spite of the massive political flooding allegedly caused by Wikileaks’ founding father, Julian Assange.
The lack of control that is so typical of other forms of ‘leaking’, certainly does not seem to apply to ‘Wikileaking’ — instead it looks like it is under perfect control, and carefully guided in such a way that it only serves the interests of one state, namely that of Israel.
Assange takes a leak, the world jumps up
Barely a country in the world that is actively involved in Middle East and other international affairs, either by choice or by geographical location, has been spared by Assange’s latest opening of his Pandora’s box of revelations. It is hard to visit a news source these days, without the word ‘Wikileaks’ jumping into your view at least once, and revealing some scandalous backdoor deal, secret agreement or embarrassing hidden relationship between governments who on the surface seem to be diametrically opposed to each other in the political spectrum. more.. e-mail
Palestinian tourism reaches new heights
Yusef Daher, Ma’an News Agency12/3/2010
Palestine was blessed by prophets, by artists, writers, revolutionaries and the many many exceptional personalities of its children. As a place it is also blessed by holy sites, geographical diversity and striking views. History, heritage, and denominational mosaics are part of the destination. Over all this, however, the occupation places a huge setback over the Palestinian tourism industry.
Fighting this negative power is an exceptional woman, our Minister of Tourism Dr Khouloud Deibes.
For the past three years Dr. Deibes served as the Minister of Tourism and Antiquities. Previously the head of a cultural heritage center in Bethlehem, she was prepared to take on the challenge. The proof is not her personality or her speeches but rather what the industry has accomplished during her era.
After three years in her post, the tourism contribution within the Palestinian GDP is the highest since the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. Its share is almost 15 percent, climbing from only 10 percent in 2009, with a current total estimated value of $885 million dollars.
Following the lows during the first and second intifadas, the hotels of Palestine have climbed back up to the record number of 90 hotels in addition to more than forty guest houses and hostels. Another Palestinian record this year was the giant leap in the number of local tourists, up to 2.7 million; double the year before.
The local, Palestinian tourists combine with our international visitors to equal close to 5 million a year visiting the sites of Palestine. With this number the Palestinian tourism industry passed a benchmark. And we are still under occupation. more.. e-mail
Why we walked out
Electronic Intifada: 3 Dec 2010 – Students across the US are protesting a public relations campaign that brings soldiers from the Israeli army to speak on campuses. These tours are an attempt to justify recent war crimes committed by the army and are coordinated by various organizations, the most well-known being the Zionist organization StandWithUs. Ahmad Hasan and Danielle B?§ck comment.more
Without land, Gaza farmers grow crops on roofs
Electronic Intifada: 3 Dec 2010 – BEIT HANOUN, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) – “We grow on our roof because we are farmers but have no land now,” says Moatassan Hamad, 21, from Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. “Our family is large and thankfully what we grow feeds us,” he says. They grow a variety of staple vegetables.more
Urban Planning Forcing Arabs From Israeli Cities
Palestine Monitor: 3 Dec 2010 – An urban development plan in the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Municipality is driving up property prices and causing an influx of higher income groups to the area. Jaffa is an attractive alternative to nearby Tel Aviv, luring numerous wealthy Jewish buyers. The urban planning project and its consequent gentrification made no provisions for the Arab community, leading to a severe housing problem which the municipality has refused to confront. Written by Sophie Crowe. Residents protest in Jaffa in April According to a report carried out by Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights, an Israeli organisation, 40% of Jaffa’s 20,000 Arabs live in ‘Absentee Ownership’ (AO) homes, houses that Arabs were forced to flee when Jaffa was ethnically cleansed in 1948. The Israel Land Administration (ILA), which owns 90% of land in Israel and is responsible for the management of public land, has contracted Amidar, a state-run housing company, to manage the AO…more
Wikileaks: Did Abbas Know in Advance about the War on Gaza?
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Dec 2010 – By Stuart Littlewood — London One of the most grotesque Wikileaks revelations so far is the disclosure that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was told in advance about the murderous assault on his countrymen in Gaza two years ago. Some claim that the Wikileaks eye-openers are a ‘dirty tricks’ operation by people with a large axe to grind. It is certainly odd that ‘evidence’ is selected to portray Arab states as eager to see Iran zapped for an unproven nuclear threat when, actually, the Middle East is far more anxious about the very real and present nuclear threat from Israel. That same mentality would no doubt wish to drive an ever bigger wedge between Fatah and political rival Hamas So what are we to make of the documents claiming that in a June 2009 meeting between Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak and a U.S. congressional delegation, Barak said that the…more
Uprooting the Bedouins
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Dec 2010 – By Neve Gordon — Israel Despite the fact that it was the seventh demolition since last July, this time the destruction of the Bedouin village Al-Arakib in the Israeli Negev was different. The difference is not because the homeless residents have to deal this time with the harsh desert winter; nor in the fact that the bulldozers began razing the homes just minutes before the forty children left for school, thus engraving another violent scene in their memory. Rather, the demolition was different because this time Christian evangelists from the United States and England were involved. I know this for a fact because right next to the demolished homes, the Jewish National Fund put up a big sign that reads: “GOD-TV FOREST, A Generous donation by God-TV made 1,000,000 tree saplings available to be planted in the land of Israel and also provided for the creation of water projects throughout…more
NGO Monitor War on Truth, Electronic Intifada
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Dec 2010 – By Stephen Lendman NGO Monitor web site (ngo-monitor.org) says it “was founded to promote accountability, and advance a vigorous discussion on the reports and activities of NGOs claiming to promote moral agendas, such as humanitarian aid and human rights.” In fact, it’s a Jerusalem-based pro-Israeli front group, disseminating propaganda and hate, debasing legitimate human rights organizations, independent journalism, and other advocates for truth, equity and justice. Its director, Gerald Steinberg, is a Bar Ilan University political science professor, a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a steering committee member of the Forum on Antisemitism at the Office of the (Israeli) Prime Minister, and various other organizations promoting a pro-Israeli agenda. His report titled, “Trojan Horse: The Impact of European Government Funding for Israeli NGOs” was jointly prepared with the Institute for Zionist Strategies, headed by Israel Harel, co-founder of the fundamentalist Gush Emunim (Bloc of the Faithful), a…more
Obama’s Israel Policy: A Very Big Carrot
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Dec 2010 – By Maidhc ?ì Cathail Even those familiar with the long and shameful history of America’s appeasement of Israel were taken aback by the Obama administration’s extraordinary offer to Netanyahu. In exchange for a paltry one-off 90 day freeze on illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), Israel will get 20 F-35 stealth fighter jets worth $3 billion and a slew of other goodies. Yet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly gave up to eight hours with Netanyahu trying to persuade him to accept “one of the most generous bribes ever bestowed by the United States on any foreign power.” Praising the Israeli Prime Minister for eventually agreeing to put the offer to his security cabinet, President Obama took it as “a signal that he is serious.” But is there any reason to believe that Netanyahu is any more “serious” about consenting to the creation of a…more
To Gaza with Humble Apologies — A Poem
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Dec 2010 – By Lillian Rosengarten I am a Jew symbolic of the carnage of Gaza. I will walk on the ravished desolation of destroyed lives places where Apache helicopters fired yet another missile on to crowds reduced to charred remains. I wonder how to make contact for I am ashamed. What justifies the brutal rampage of terror and murder? Now in Rafah where entire neighborhoods are reduced to rubble Where Israeli tanks and bulldozers made in USA Add an extra 2000 families left homeless. They flee on donkey carts piled up with nothing to nowhere! No food, no water, no money, flattened neighborhoods from the reign of terror. Where has hope gone? Where are the olive groves I love so much? Does anyone remember the Nazis sixty years ago? I am going to Gaza and wonder. How can it be that arms will be outstretched to welcome me? Will they see my…more
Obama’s Israel Policy: Speak Softly and Carry a Very Big Carrot
Dissident Voice: 3 Dec 2010 – Even those familiar with the long and shameful history of America’s appeasement of Israel were taken aback by the Obama administration’s extraordinary offer to Netanyahu. In exchange for a paltry one-off 90 day freeze on illegal settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem), Israel will get 20 F-35 stealth fighter jets worth $3 billion and a slew of other goodies. Yet Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reportedly gave up to eight hours with Netanyahu trying to persuade him to accept “one of the most generous bribes ever bestowed by the United States on any foreign power.” Praising the Israeli Prime Minister for eventually agreeing to put the offer to his security cabinet, President Obama took it as “a signal that he is serious.” But is there any reason to believe that Netanyahu is any more “serious” about consenting to the creation of a viable Palestinian state today…more
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The New Dark Age 