14 December, 2010 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Bedouin Community Wells Destroyed Near Hebron
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 18:06, The Israeli Civil Administration officials destroyed five wells and several sheds, on Tuesday, in a small Bedouin community in the south Hebron hills, locals reported.
Israeli Forces Arrest 31 in West Bank and Demolish 2 Houses in Jerusalem
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 17:24, Israeli troops arrested 31 people in overnight raids across the West Bank. Meanwhile, troops demolished two Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, on Tuesday morning, local sources announced.
P.A. Firefighters Refused Entrance to Israel For Honouring Ceremony
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 16:39, Israeli daily, Haaretz, has reported that Israel has cancelled its ceremony to honour the Palestinian firefighters that participated in the global assistance to the State of Israel, following the fire that devastated the Haifa/ Mt. Carmel region, due to Israel refusing to issue entry permits for all firefighters.
US Congress Warns PA on Revived Peace Negotiations
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 15:10, The US Congress mounted pressure on the Palestinian Authority to resume peace talks, warning against a unilateral declaration of statehood, media sources reported.
Rabbi Drukman Suggests Discriminating Between “A Loyal Arab”, and “An Arab Who Hates Israel”
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 13:09, Rabbi Haim Druckman, regarded as a ‘moderate’ leader of religious Zionism, presented his own version of resolving the issue of not renting homes at Arabs, by suggesting that a “loyal Arab” can rent or buy a flat while “haters of Israel” will be denied this right.
Two Palestinians Wounded By Shellfire in Gaza
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 12:52, Two young Palestinians were injured on Monday by Israel’s shelling in the northwest of Beit Lahiya, north of Gaza, medical sources claimed.
The Israeli NGO Breaking the Silence Launches a New Book
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 12:18, Marking the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the Second Intifada, Breaking the Silence is due to publish a new text, “Occupation of the Territories – Israeli Soldier Testimonies 2000-2010”, which contains 180 testimonies from more than 100 male and female military personnel.
12 Radio, TV Stations to Close in the West Bank
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 12:06, Palestinian Attorney General, Ahmad Al-Mughni, announced on Monday the closure of 12 local radio and television stations in the West Bank, Ma’an News agency said.
Freedom Flotilla 2 To Sail To Gaza Next Spring
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 11:24, Freedom Flotilla 2 solidarity ships will be sailing to the Gaza Strip next spring in order to challenge Israel’s siege on the Gaza Strip by delivering much needed humanitarian and medical supplies.
Sheikh Salah Released After Five Months Imprisonment
IMEMC – 14 Dec 2010 – Tuesday December 14, 2010 – 07:42, The Israeli Authorities released on Monday the head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, Sheikh Raed Salah, after serving a five-month sentence issued against him by an Israeli court.
2 shot near Gaza border
12/14/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Medics in the Gaza Strip said crews transported two workers injured by Israeli firing north of Beit Lahiya to hospital on Tuesday, both with bullet wounds in their lower legs. The report said the men were injured while collecting cement particles from buildings in the area destroyed during Operation Cast….
31 detained in Israeli raids across West Bank
12/14/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Military officials said in a statement on Tuesday morning that overnight raids saw 31 detained from their homes in the West Bank overnight. At least four of the detentions were of men from Nablus area’s Beita village, where Palestinian police said four were identified as missing. The four were….
Homes demolished in East Jerusalem
12/14/2010 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Two Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, both under construction, were demolished by Israeli forces on Tuesday morning, as bulldozers executed demolition orders stating the homes lacked permits. The homes, in the Ras Al-Amud and Sur Bahir neighborhoods of occupied East Jerusalem, were two of an estimated 60,000 with standing demolition orders….
Israeli forces demolish Bedouin community wells
12/14/2010 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Five wells and several sheds were destroyed by Israeli Civil Administration officials on Tuesday, in a small Bedouin encampment in the south Hebron hills, locals said. The area, known as Arab Al-Ka’abna, sits between the villages of At-Tuwani and Umm Lasafa, in “Area C,” a zone under total Israeli….
Report: Israel refuses entry to Palestinian firefighters
12/14/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli officials on Tuesday canceled a ceremony planned to honor the Palestinian firemen after a number of crew members were refused permits to cross the border, an Israeli newspaper reported. Haaretz quoted Fire Services Commander Ahmed Rizik as saying he and his staff were surprised to learn when they….
Law would bar attorneys from visiting prisoners
12/14/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israel’s legislative council approved a new draft law Monday that would deny Palestinian prisoners the right to visits from their lawyers for a period of one year following detention. The law, which amends guidelines for the treatment of prisoners, extends to the Israeli courts the power to ban Palestinian….
Limited imports/exports on Gaza crossings
12/14/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) —The southernmost crossing point between Gaza and Israel, Kerem Shalom, and the northernmost bulk goods crossing were both opened on Tuesday for the export of flowers and strawberries and the import of limited commercial, humanitarian and fuel products, officials said. The limited export, organized under a Dutch government program assisting….
In photos: Bethlehem hosts inter-religious dialogue
12/14/2010 – MaanImages / Luay Sababa – Muslims, Christians and Jewish religious leaders take part in an Islamic-Christian conference in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Dec. 14, 2010. More than 300 participants joined in the event. A large contingent from the anti-Zionist Jewish group Neturei Karta attended and were warmly welcomed by their hosts….
Closed broadcasters say regulations unfair
12/14/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Following the Monday shut-down of 12 independent West Bank radio and television stations by Palestinian Authority officials, owner blistered at accusations that they had failed to pay what were called exorbitant retroactive fees for the previous four years.”We do not want to violate the law, neither do we like to….
US envoy tours West Bank
12/15/2010 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — The Obama administration’s special envoy to the Mideast toured sites in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, in a bid to reassert US efforts in the stalled peace process with Israel. George Mitchell met business leaders at a dairy refinery in Hebron, where he said officials were working with….
In photos: US envoy tours Hebron dairy plant
12/14/2010 – MaanImages / Haytham Othman – George Mitchell, the US special envoy to the Middle East, and other American officials meet Palestinian business and political leaders during a tour of the Al-Juneidi dairy refinery in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Dec. 14, 2010. US officials said the visit highlighted Mitchell’s commitment to Palestinian business….
PA sends winter provisions to prisoners of Israel
12/14/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Prisoners Affairs sent Tuesday a shipment of warm winter clothing and blankets to the 2,200 Palestinian detainees rendered shelter-less at Israel’s Negev prison in the wake of a wind-storm that knocked down the tent-homes of prisoners. The ministry said the blankets and….
Haniyeh: Hamas will win elections
12/14/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Given fair conditions, Hamas would win another landslide victory in all Palestinian areas Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Tuesday, “Hamas will get the West Bank and Gaza with more votes than before.” Speaking during a celebration marking the 23rd anniversary of the founding of Hamas, Haniyeh referenced a decision….
Clear Gold
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Jon B. Alterman, CSIS – The real wild card for political and social unrest in the Middle East over the next 20 years is not war, terrorism, or revolution‚Äîit is water. Conventional security threats dominate public…
EU Shelves Recognizing Palestinian State
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Al Jazeera – Foreign ministers from the European Union have said they would recognise a Palestinian state “when appropriate”. The ministers’ declaration on Monday followed a call from Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority,…
US Illusions in Lebanon
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Roger Cohen, New York Times – Once upon a time a U.S. secretary of state spoke of the “birth pangs of a new Middle East.” That’s now the most laughed-at phrase in gravity-defying Lebanon, a country…
Zionism is not racism, at least not knowingly
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – The heart of a Zionist is not racist, certainly not knowingly. A leading Zionist in my community, someone who would defend Israel’s “right to exist” tooth and nail wrote to me to say: I think my…
Is Obama charting a new Mideast peace course?
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Now that the United States has officially abandoned its attempt to convince Israel to stop building settlements for just a little while, please?, everyone is waiting for Plan B. Those who still hope for a peaceful…
Hamas holds massive Gaza rally
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Al Jazeera – Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters have filled the streets of Gaza City in a mass rally to boost support for the Palestinian resistance group on its 23rd anniversary. Cars and buildings were…
Israel refuses entry to Palestinian firefighters being honored for Carmel fire assistance
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Haaretz – Israeli officials on Tuesday canceled a ceremony planned to honor the Palestinian firemen who assisted in battling the Carmel fire last week, after a number of crew members were refused permits to cross the…
How Can Anyone Defend Kissinger Now?
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Christopher Hitchens, Slate – Over the last few weeks, this modest little column of mine has been acquiring an almost eerie prescience and potency. I called for the death sentence on Tariq Aziz to be commuted ,…
Official statement from the EU regarding Middle East peace process
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Council conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process 3058th FOREIGN AFFAIRS Council meeting Brussels, 13 December 2010 The Council adopted the following conclusions: “The EU believes that urgent progress is needed towards a two state solution…
Drought hits Middle East farmers, again
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Alert Net – Anxious farmers gather in their field on a warm, clear day in Syria’s arid northern region of Al-Raqqa, near the banks of the Euphrates River. The ground in this corner of the ‘fertile…
Hamas leader says group will never recognize Israel
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Alert Net – A large crowd of Palestinians cheered a Hamas leader’s pledge on Tuesday never to recognise Israel and celebrated the Islamist movement’s 23rd anniversary at a Gaza rally punctuated by sonic booms from Israeli…
Who’s stopping the peace process?
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Danny Ayalon, Los Angeles Times – The breakdown ofÔÄ• Israeli-Palestinian peace talks has predictably resulted in blame laid almost exclusively on Israel. However, events of the last 17 years ‚Äî since Israeli-Palestinian peace talks began ‚Äî…
A U.N. Plan for Israel
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Robert Wright, New York Times – The blogger Andrew Sullivan has called America’s policy toward Israel “assisted suicide.” That may be an exaggeration, but on Friday it became less of one. The occasion was a speech…
Israel detained 1,200 Palestinian children in Jerusalem this year
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – A new report from an Israeli civil rights organization condemns Israel’s treatment of minors Jonathan Cook, The National – Israeli police have been criticised over their treatment of hundreds of Palestinian children, some as young as…
Hani Masri appears on Larry King Live
Palestine Note 14 Dec 2010 – Washington – Co-founder of Palestine Note and president of Tomorrow’s Youth Organization stopped by CNN’s Larry King Live to talk about influencing Middle East peace through “bottom-up” work. A full transcript of the interview may be…
Hamas holds massive Gaza rally
AlJazeera 14 Dec 2010 – Resistance group throws 23rd anniversary rally, as tight Israeli siege makes Gaza’s Hamas rulers increasingly unpopular.
Israel bars entry to W Bank firemen
AlJazeera 14 Dec 2010 – Ceremony to honour firefighters cancelled after Israel denies entry permits to Palestinians who helped battle blaze.
Troops Destroy Well near Hebron, Shoot Two Construction Workers in Gaza
PNN – Hebron — PNN – Israeli forces entered the Urb al-Kabneh area south of Hebron and demolished a water well, while elsewhere a Palestinian worker collecting material for concrete was shot near Beit…
Knesset Rules Prisoners May Not See Lawyers for up to One Year
PNN – Ramallah — PNN – A law recently passed by the Israeli Knesset, mandating that prisoners may not see their lawyers for up to one year‚Äîup from the prior period of five weeks‚Äîis…
Poll: 69% Support Signing Peace Treaty with Israel
PNN – Ramallah — PNN – The results of a recent poll conducted by Near East Consulting show a rise in the popularity of Fatah, a corresponding fall in the popularity of Hamas, and…
PLO Executives: EU Statement Forms “Important Basis’ for Regional Peace
PNN – Ramallah — PNN – The Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) welcomed recent statements by the European Union (EU) and said they consider it an “important basis for effective international…
Israeli Troops Arrest 31 throughout West Bank; Houses Razed in East Jerusalem
PNN – Ramallah — PNN – Overnight raids around the West Bank by Israeli troops resulted in 31 arrests, while at least one house was confirmed razed in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (02 — 08 December. 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
‘Nazism, Islam shared common enemies – the Jews’
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Nazis promised grand mufti of J’lem Haj Amin al-Husseini leadership of Palestine after slaughter of its Jews, according to US report.
The funny business of remembering Koby Mandell
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Comedy review: In the expanded confines of the Jerusalem Theater, Avi Liberman’s was the act that seemed too short.
Rudd still sees linkage between Iran and diplomatic talks
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Australian FM to ‘Post’: Israeli-Palestinian accord would allow Arab world to “exclusively focus” on Iran.
‘Include issue of Jewish refugees from Arab lands in talks’
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Foreign Ministry pushing to include Jews who fled from Arab countries in core issue discussion with the US about refugees; Ayalon: Rights and justice for Palestinian refugees prominent while Jews have been ignored.
Palestinians warn Israeli settlers: ‘Over our dead bodies’
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – A grassroots initiative urges West Bankers to stop land confiscations by burying their dead in rural areas.
Palestinians Warn Israel Settlers: ‘Over Our Dead Bodies’
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – A grassroots initiative urges West Bankers to stop land confiscations by burying their in rural areas.
Ahmadinejad faces anger in Iran over firing of FM
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Top lawmakers and media in Islamic Republic say Mottaki’s dismissal points to growing split between president and conservative rivals.
FM: IDF conversion bill will come to Knesset ‘as is’
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Lieberman says no changes will be made to wording of bill, says that his party does not “seek war with Shas, but will not give up.”
Netanyahu: Both Israel and the Palestinian need peace
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Abbas, Mitchell meet amid US efforts to renew peace talks, PA official says Erekat asked for “US guarantees and answers before returning to any negotiations, direct or indirect.”
Haniyeh: Hamas will never recognize Israel
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Hamas PM speaks at rally marking 23rd anniversary since movement’s founding; politicians hand out chocolate to improve image in Gaza.
‘List of Palestinian firefighters wasn’t received in time’
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Defense officials say Civil Administration had asked for details to issue permits for firefighters meant to be honored in Usfiya ceremony.
Abbas, Mitchell meet amid US efforts to renew peace talks
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Prior to Ramallah meeting, PA official says Erekat asked US for “US guarantees and answers before returning to any negotiations, direct or indirect”; comes after Netanyahu meets US Mideast envoy.
Exclusive video: Time to clown around
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – An interview with Dr. Arik Steinberger, whose comical approach to dentistry has earned him the name of Israel’s Patch Adams.
The good humor man
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – After three years in Jerusalem, David Kilimnick takes his top comedians and open mic nights to Tel Aviv to give them a whirl at the Carousel Theater.
Hamas hands out chocolate to raise support in Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – Group’s leaders have been sweeping streets, giving out candies to help improve image in the Strip ahead of movement’s 23rd anniversary celebrations.
Fatah members, in their own divided words
Jeruslalem Post 14 Dec 2010 – An excerpt from an online study shows supporters of Abbas’s faction to be ambivalent, at best, about peace.
Roman statue discovered in Ashkelon after storm damage
Ha’aretz – A 1.2 meter high statue of a woman was found after part of a cliff crumbled, revealing archaeological treasures.
Supertanker owners say Israel rejected initial offer for firefighting plane
Ha’aretz – The U.S. company Evergreen says their first offer was refused by Foreign Ministry, so plane only began operations on the fourth day of the fire; PMO issues contradicting statement saying…
‘Technical error prevented Palestinian firefighters from entering Israel for ceremony’
Ha’aretz – Ten Palestinian firefighters had come to Israel’s aid to fight the Carmel fire but three were not given entry permits to attend a ceremony honoring them.
State Comptroller to launch special probe into Carmel fire
Ha’aretz – Micha Lindenstrauss heeds Netanyahu’s request and agrees to prepare a special report on the events surrounding the Carmel fire to be ready within four months.
Lieberman: No changing or postponing IDF conversion bill
Ha’aretz – The Foreign Minister called the Haredi leadership ‘hypocritical’ for opposing the effort to force municipal clerks to accept conversions performed by IDF rabbis.
Israeli airport traffic breaks all-time record with over 11,000,000 passengers
Ha’aretz – Airports Authority expects another 500,000 people to have passed through Ben Gurion’s gates by the end of the year.
Memorial honoring West Bank terror victim desecrated, close to anniversary of attack
Ha’aretz – Broken bottles and paint tossed on monument erected in memory of Rabbi Meir Hai, who was shot by Palestinian terrorists on his way home in 2009.
Knesset postpones vote on state panel of inquiry into Carmel fire
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu is opposed to state probe, but Yishai wants panel to clear him of responsibility; MK Hasson: This is our moment of truth as members of Knesset.
Left-handed Israeli students fight for their right to sit in comfort
Ha’aretz – Southpaw students demand adequate seating in college classrooms.
Israel one step closer to stripping former Arab MK of pension
Ha’aretz – Knesset approves first reading of bill that would revoke stipend from any current or former lawmaker who skipped criminal trial; Bishara fled to Jordan when under probe for passing information…
Palestinians to Mitchell: U.S. must demand talks based on 1967 borders
Ha’aretz – U.S. envoy meets with Abbas, who says Palestinians have already submitted their stance on core issues and that the U.S. must now turn to Netanyahu with demands.
Hamas leader in Gaza vows group will never recognize Israel
Ha’aretz – At rally marking 23 years since founding of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh says ‘Hamas will be the faithful guard of the Palestinian people’s rights and the basic Palestinian principles.’
Israel refuses entry to Palestinian firefighters being honored for Carmel fire assistance
Ha’aretz – Ceremony forced into cancellation after only 7 out 10 granted permits; PA: How could the same men be allowed in to fight the fire but not to be honored for…
Mitchell: Washington remains committed to an independent Palestinian state
Ha’aretz – U.S. envoy shuttles between Jerusalem and Ramallah in bid to see stalled peace process resume with eye on core issues; Palestinian source tells AFP: Obama must halt settlement building and…
Australia feared Israeli strike on Iran could spark nuclear war, WikiLeaks cables reveal
Ha’aretz – WikiLeaks cables provided to The Age show that Australian intelligence believed that Iran should not be considered a rogue state.
Netanyahu hails U.S. retreat on settlement freeze demands
Ha’aretz – PM to meet with U.S. envoy George Mitchell on Monday evening in Jerusalem; Obama administration wants Israel to take a position on core issues, with an emphasis on borders.
Ramallah: Abbas to meet with Mitchell
14 Dec 2010 – Ramallah , December 14, (Pal Telegraph) – US Mideast envoy George Mitchell was scheduled to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Tuesday to discuss the peace process. Abbas will travel to Cairo on Wednesday for a meeting with Arab League leaders on the future of the talks with Israel. The U.S. special envoy is expected to make clear…
Israeli occupation demolishes houses in east of Hebron
14 Dec 2010 – Hebron, December 14, (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished on Tuesday number of houses in east of Hebron, in the West Bank. “Israeli bulldozers and three vehicles have started demolishing number of houses and water wells in the area” Eid Al-Hazalin, a citizen in the demolished area said. The sources said that they demolished the houses of Ez Al-Faker…
Israeli army detains 4 Palestinians in WB
14 Dec 2010 – Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:””; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} West Bank, December 14, (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained Tuesday three Palestinians from different cities…
Civil rights for Palestinian refugees
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – The Palestine Civil Rights Campaign‚ÄîLebanon (PCRC) was organized in Washington DC and Beirut, Lebanon in late 2009 with the goal of achieving, in concert with Lebanese based NGOs, the enactment in Lebanon’s parliament of two basic civil rights for more than 400,000 UNRWA registered Palestinians. These are the basic civil rights to work and to…
Palestinian resistance: the future?
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – …But now Palestinian civil society, without the patronage ability of the PA and without the support of the US government, Arab governments, or even of European countries has assumed its own leadership role. And the PLO is tentatively following. The PA (which exists only as long as the PLO continues to endorse it) has adopted…
UN concerned after Gaza charity closed
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – Almost one week after Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip closed the doors to a charity assisting children and teenagers, UN officials and international NGO Human Rights Watch released statements calling for the re-opening of the institution, and condemning the closure. On Monday, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Sport and Development Wilfried Lemke issued…
Where There is No Will, There is No Way
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – When Palestinian deputy minister of information Mutwakil Taha decided to offer his two bits on the origins of the Western Wall last month, quipping that Jews had no historical claim to the site, not only Israelis were up in arms but the United States too. “We strongly condemn these comments and fully reject them as…
Israel bars entry to W Bank firemen
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – Israel has barred a group of Palestinian firefighters from attending a ceremony where they were to be honoured for their help in battling a deadly forest fire last week. At least 10 Palestinians were invited to attend the event in northern Israel, where the four-day fire left 41 people dead and ravaged large swaths of…
Activists protest Israeli army sergeant’s campus propaganda visit
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – On 2 December, the Western Massachusetts Coalition for Palestine organized a protest of an event entitled “Overcoming Terror: A True Story” which took place on the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst. Israeli army sergeant Kenny Sachs was the guest speaker at the event, an on-call speaker for Israeli propaganda groups Upstart Activist and Divestment…
IOA razes Jerusalemite home, endorses construction of 24 Jewish housing units
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority bulldozed a Palestinian home in Ras Al-Amoud suburb in occupied Jerusalem, near Silwn town, on Tuesday at the usual pretext of lack of permit. Local sources said that a big number of security forces escorted the municipal teams in their work, noting that they encircled the area and blocked in and…
Shortage of medicine and equipment threatens patients’ lives in Gaza
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – The Palestinian Health Ministry stores in Gaza have run out of essential medicines and basic medical equipment, putting the lives of hundreds of patients at risk. The General Pharmacy Manager at the Ministry of Health has warned that the lack of almost 140 drugs and vital equipment is now at a life-threatening stage. According to…
Bedouin community wells demolished by Israeli forces
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – Five wells and several sheds were destroyed by Israeli Civil Administration officials on Tuesday, in a small Bedouin encampment in the south Hebron hills, locals said. The area, known as Arab Al-Ka’abna, sits between the villages of At-Tuwani and Umm Lasafa, in “Area C,” a zone under total Israeli military and civil control. Area representative…
Freedom Flotilla 2 To Sail To Gaza Next Spring
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – Freedom Flotilla 2 solidarity ships will be sailing to the Gaza Strip next spring in order to challenge Israel’s siege on the Gaza Strip by delivering much needed humanitarian and medical supplies. Flotilla organizers said that the deadly Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla on May 31 that left nine Turkish activists dead will not…
Israeli law to bar lawyers from visiting Palestinian prisoners
Uruknet December 14, 2010 – Israel’s legislative council approved a new draft law Monday that would deny Palestinian prisoners the right to visits from their lawyers for a period of one year following detention. The law, which amends guidelines for the treatment of prisoners, extends to the Israeli courts the power to ban Palestinian prisoners from visits by their legal…
First Victory of BDS Campaign against Israel in Japan
Alternative Information Center – On 1st December, theMUJIofficially announced on their website cancellation of its plan to open a store in Israel. Since the12 April 2010 release of the MUJIplan to open a store in Israel, and in order to…
Ahmadinejad under fire over Mottaki sacking
Daily Star 14 Dec 2010 TEHRAN: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s brisk firing of his foreign minister drew sharp criticism at home Tuesday, re-igniting divisions between him and fellow conservatives who have long resented what they see as the Iranian president’s power grabs….
Barak holds talks with Gates in US on threat posed by Iran, Middle East peace process
Daily Star 14 Dec 2010 WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Robert Gates held talks late Monday with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the threat posed by Iran and the latest Middle East peace efforts, a spokesman said. A day before his…
Military could block president’s son from top job – WikiLeaks
Daily Star 14 Dec 2010 O: Egypt’s military could be a “key stumbling block” for any bid by presidential son Gamal Mubarak to succeed his father in next year’s election, according to leaked US diplomatic cables. But the 47-year-old banker and…
New language for Middle East peace
Daily Star 14 Dec 2010 The recent passage by Israel’s Knesset of a law requiring either a two-thirds Knesset majority or approval by an unprecedented national referendum before Israel can “cede” any land in expanded East Jerusalem to a Palestinian state…
Hamas: ‘We will never recognize Israel’
Daily Star 14 Dec 2010 GAZA CITY: Hamas would consider a “truce” with Israel, but will never recognize the state, senior leader Ismail Haniyya said Tuesday as thousands of Gazans gathered to celebrate the group’s 23rd anniversary.
UN calls for Cypriot efforts on peace
Daily Star 14 Dec 2010 UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council called Tuesday for a new effort by Cyprus’ rival communities to make a permanent peace accord as it renewed the mandate of the peacekeeping force on the divided island.
Iraqi forces face key security test over Ashura ceremonies
Daily Star 14 Dec 2010 KARBALA, Iraq: Iraqi forces will provide security for Ashura ceremonies this week in Karbala with no active support from US forces, in a key test of their capabilities ahead of an American pullout in a year.Heavy…
CENTRAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE FUND: MORE THAN US$2 BILLION AT FIVE YEAR MARK
Relief Web 14 Dec 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Lebanon Storms Crush Palestinian Settlement
Relief Web 14 Dec 2010 – Source: Voice of America
Israeli, Palestinian Leaders Urged to Focus Urgently on Essential Elements of ‘Negotiated Two-State Endgame’ in Security Council Briefing
Relief Web 14 Dec 2010 – Source: UN Security Council
Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP): Appeal 2011 for the occupied Palestinian territory
Relief Web 14 Dec 2010 – Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Drought Hits Middle East Farmers, Again
IPS Anxious farmers gather in their field on a warm, clear day in Syria’s arid northern region of Al-Raqqa, near the banks of the Euphrates River. The ground in this corner of the ‘fertile crescent’ is barren, save for a small herd of sheep on the ten-hectare farm.
Police expose Jordanian drug ring
YNet News – Two Hebron women arrested on suspicion of planning to sell thousands of ecstasy….
IDF chief: Do justice with hesder yeshivot
YNet News – Ashkenazi says criticism voiced by Paratroopers Brigade Commander against hesder….
‘I’d rather die than be jailed in Israel’
YNet News – Secret flight carrying 150 Sudanese infiltrators takes off from Ben-Gurion….
‘Azmi Bishara law’ passes in Knesset first reading
YNet News – Law stating that State of Israel will withhold salary and pension payments and….
Knesset speaker: Israel’s leaders act like dogs
YNet News – In an especially colorful analogy, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin compared Tuesday Israel’s current-day leadership to dogs being led by their masters. Rivlin told his …….
Hamas: We won’t recognize Israel
YNet News – Tens of thousands of Hamas supporters gathered in the Gaza Strip Tuesday to celebrate the organization’s 23rd anniversary. During the rally, Palestinian Prime …….
Palestinian firemen snubbed
YNet News – The Palestinian firefighting team that helped fight the Carmel fire last week did not receive a permit to enter Israel Tuesday for a ceremony in its honor in northern …….
Fire scandal: Israel dismissed firefighting aircraft
YNet News – Carmel blaze disgrace: The massive “Supertanker” firefighting aircraft, which arrived in Israel days into the disaster and played a key role in extinguishing the flames, …….
Peres: Time running out on peace
YNet News – The European Union expressed its faith in peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians on Monday, but President Shimon Peres believes there is not much time …….
Palestinian Information Center
Hamas: Here to stay
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Notwithstanding treacherous conspiracies constantly devised against Hamas by Hamas’s enemies, Hamas is likely to stay with us for a long time to come and even grow.
Haneyya: Hamas inception was a step to correct PLO deviation
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Ismail Haneyya said Palestinian reconciliation is the strategic option of Hamas, which has come to correct the deviation the PLO has fallen into when recognizing Israel.
Hindi: Masses attending Hamas anniversary affirm support for resistance
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Dr. Mohammed Al-Hindi, political bureau member of Islamic Jihad, has called for halting the negotiations process with Israel after its proven failure and to resort to national unity.
Ghanushi: Hamas saved Palestinian cause from PLO’s decline
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Tunisian Nahda head Rashid Al-Ghanushi praised Hamas as having a track record that he said has saved the Palestinian question from becoming lost when the PLO entered the channel of negotiations.
Bahar discusses with Syrian parliament speaker bilateral relations
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Dr. Ahmed Bahar, the first deputy speaker of the Palestinian legislative council, discussed with Syrian parliament speaker Dr. Mahmoud Al-Abrash parliamentary relations between the two sides.
IOA razes Jerusalemite home, endorses construction of 24 Jewish housing units
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – The Israeli occupation authority bulldozed a Palestinian home in Ras Al-Amoud suburb in occupied Jerusalem, near Silwn town, on Tuesday at the usual pretext of lack of permit.
Prisoner Khalifa exposed to torture by PA interrogators
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Islamic Jihad said that prisoner Faisal Khalifa is being exposed to excruciating torture at the hands of interrogators from the Palestinian authority in Tulkarem city.
IOF troops storm house of MP Halaika
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed the house of MP Samira Al-Halaika in Shuyukh town, Al-Khalil district, at noon Tuesday, the MP said.
Two Palestinian workers wounded in IOF shooting
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Two Palestinian citizens were wounded in northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning when Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened machinegun fire at them.
Al-Qassam Brigades: Our only goal is to liberate Palestine from the occupation
PIC 14 Dec 2010 – Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, stated on the 23 inception anniversary of its Movement, that its only goal is to liberate occupied Palestine and the resistance is the means to do so.
Iran’s president faces anger at home over firing foreign minister, exposes deepening rifts
LA Times 14 Dec 2010 – TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ‚Äî President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faced outrage at home Tuesday over the ambush-style dismissal of his longtime foreign minister, more evidence of a growing rift in Iran’s conservative leadership just as Tehran reopens talks with world powers on its disputed nuclear program.
Ein Hod Journal: Israel’s Arabs and Jews, United by Flames
New York Times 14 Dec 2010 – For Ein Hod, an artist’s colony in northern Israel, and Ayn Hawd, the neighboring Israeli Arab village, the flames did not distinguish between Arab and Jew.
The Lede: Iran Decries ‘Crackdown’ on U.K. Protesters
New York Times 14 Dec 2010 – In a meeting with the British ambassador to Iran on Monday, the head of Iran’s office of human rights condemned British police for using force during student protests last week.
If Yaffa saw me—really saw me—wouldn’t it at least love me a little?
Mondoweiss – @font-face { font-family: “Cambria”; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: “Times New Roman”; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } “Habibi don’t see me” —Suheir Hammad I went to Yaffa on Friday night. I have a permit that expires next month, so my friends are taking me…
What’s really wrong with the Goldstone Report
Mondoweiss – The usual rightwing “pro-Israel” circles are gleeful over the reported resignation of Christian Tomuschat, a German jurist who has been heading the UN committee charged with implementing the Goldstone Report. For example, B’nai B’rith International welcomed the resignation, commenting that it would further undermine the credibility…
‘Hey AIPAC leave Iran alone!’ —Flashmob strikes AIPAC event in Oakland— 7 arrests
Mondoweiss – We don’t need AIPAC control… Hey AIPAC, Leave Iran alone! Hey AIPAC, Leave Congress alone! One of the arrested is Rae Abileah, who heckled Netanyahu in New Orleans… Note the frankly realist poster: Put US Interests First!
86-year-old Holocaust survivor joins flashmob at Best Buy in St. Louis: ‘We don’t want your dirty [Motorola] phones’
Mondoweiss – More than 40 pro-Palestinian activists hit a Best Buy in St. Louis 10 days ago in a flashmob song-n-dance about boycotting Motorola. Video is just out. Truly inspired, lovely, funny, Christmas spirit. Hedy Epstein, 86, is at 3:10 or so. Says Anna Baltzer, another member of…
Fear and loathing in Long Island
Mondoweiss – Tonight the UJA-Federation of New York will be hosting a Jewish community-wide event in a Nassau County (Long Island) suburb . In this season of peace and goodwill, what might this event have as its focus? One might think it would center around learning about and assisting…
Two Palestinians Wounded by Israeli Occupation Fire
Al-Manar 14 Dec 2010 – Another Israeli shellfire injured on Monday two young Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources said. The attack took place in the northwest of Beit Lahiya on Monday, health services spokesman Adham Abu Selmiya told AFP. Earlier on Saturday, two more Palestinians…
“Israel Dumps Chemical Waste in W.Bank”
Al-Manar 13 Dec 2010 – Israeli factories are quietly dumping hazardous industrial waste from polluting industries in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, the city’s governor says. The Israeli move came to light in November when Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces seized a truckload of chemical waste, originating from Israeli…
Khalid Amayreh — Beware of the extremists
Palestine Think Tank 14 Dec 2010 – It is one of Israel’s strategic goals to induce the so-called clash of civilizations between Islam and the West. This is the reason why fascist Europeans such as Geert Wilders, for example, are often more popular in Israel than in their own countries. Israel and its…
the liberation of Adeeb Abu Rahma VIDEO!
Palestine Think Tank 14 Dec 2010 – Joyful to see, Adeeb Abu Rahma, the leader of the popular resistance movement in Bi’lin is welcomed by his friends, family and supporters as he is released from prison. Long live the Palestinian resistance, long live Palestine! [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website…
The Occupation in a Nutshell (Adeeb Abu Rahma is released) with VIDEO
Palestine Think Tank 14 Dec 2010 – So there you have it all. The systematic confiscation of the land (sometimes illegally even by our own standards); the separated legal systems, with different laws for Jews and Arabs; the unproportional use of force against civilians and minors; the treatment of any kind of protest…
Israel passes law denying prisoners lawyer visits for one year after arrest
Sabr 14 Dec 2010 – [ 13/12/2010 – 06:19 PM ] NAZARETH, ( PIC )— Israel’s legislative commission approved Monday a new draft law that would deny Palestinian prisoners the right to lawyer visits for one year upon arrest in an attempt to tighten restrictions on those prisoners. The amended law will afford…
The release of Adeeb Abu -Rahmah
Sabr 14 Dec 2010 – Photo By Hamde Abu-Rahma Photo By Hamde Abu-Rahma Bil’in – Ramallah:12-12-2010. Released by the Israeli Occupation Forces today from Ofer Prison is central activist Adeeb Abo Rahma (age 40) who is from the village of Bil’in, after being incarcerated for 18 months, and was suspending from…
Israel transfers key Hamas leader to Ramon prison solitary confinement
Sabr 14 Dec 2010 – [ 13/12/2010 – 05:27 PM ] NABLUS, ( PIC )— After spending his last six years in solitary confinement, the Israeli prison authority transferred Monday leading Hamas figure Jamal Abul Haija from the facility in Ramle to the Ramon prison in south occupied Palestine, the Ahrar prisoners rights…
Strong winds uproot tent housing detainees at Negev prison
Sabr 14 Dec 2010 – [ 13/12/2010 – 11:30 AM ] GAZA, ( PIC )— Strong winds uprooted and tore up a tent housing detainees at the Negev prison, prisoners there said, adding that other sections of tents in the prison are under threat of similar incidence. Negev adjoined nine tented sections to…
Iran policy ‘unchanged’ by firing
BBC 14 Dec 2010 – There will be no change to Iran’s nuclear and foreign policies after President Ahmadinejad fires the country’s foreign minister, officials say.
Mass rally for Hamas anniversary
BBC 14 Dec 2010 – Hamas leader Ismail Haniya says he is committed to Palestinian national reconciliation, at a mass rally in Gaza to mark the group’s 23rd anniversary.
Israel returns Sudanese migrants
BBC 14 Dec 2010 – Israel deports 150 Sudanese migrants who entered the country illegally in search of work.
Articles
No such thing as justice in the Holy Land, Palestinian Church leaders tell the Irish
Stuart Littlewood, Redress12/15/2010
“We need only one thing, to be protected by the world against the crimes of Israel”
We are not here as politicians, they said. We come as representatives of the various churches in Jerusalem.
But the trio from the Holy Land showed they were more than a match for Western politicians who fancy they know all about the Middle East.
Archbishop Theodosius Hanna (Greek Orthodox Church), Monsignor Manuel Musallam (Latin Catholic) and Mr Constantine Dabbagh (Executive Director of the Middle East Council of Churches) are courageous human rights defenders and spiritual leaders from Palestine. They have just completed a tour of Ireland to raise awareness of the situation in their homeland under Israeli military occupation and the plight of the dwindling Christian community there.
“We need only one thing, to be protected by the world against the crimes of Israel,” was their central message.
The week-long visit was arranged by SADAKA, the Ireland Palestine Alliance, and part funded by Trocaire, the overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, and Christian Aid.
After delivering a special Christmas greeting from the Holy Land to the president and the people of Ireland, the Palestinian church leaders were able to establish a mutual understanding with President Mary McAleese that peace is more than an absence of violence — “the only lasting peace is a just peace”.
During their visit the churchmen described the Israeli occupation as the “crucifixion of the nation of Palestine”, and made a plea to all of Ireland’s leaders to “act and intervene, or nothing will change”. more.. e-mail
Israel’s war on Jerusalem children
Jonathan Cook, Israeli Occupation Archive12/13/2010
1,200 children arrested in year
Israeli police have been criticised over their treatment of hundreds of Palestinian children, some as young as seven, arrested and interrogated on suspicion of stone-throwing in East Jerusalem.
In the past year, criminal investigations have been opened against more than 1,200 Palestinian minors in Jerusalem on stone-throwing charges, according to police statistics gathered by the Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). That was nearly twice the number of children arrested last year in the much larger Palestinian territory of the West Bank.
Most of the arrests have occurred in the Silwan district, close to Jerusalem’s Old City, where 350 extremist Jewish settlers have set up several heavily guarded illegal enclaves among 50,000 Palestinian residents.
Late last month, in a sign of growing anger at the arrests, a large crowd in Silwan was reported to have prevented police from arresting Adam Rishek, a seven-year-old accused of stone-throwing. His parents later filed a complaint claiming he had been beaten by the officers.
Tensions between residents and settlers have been rising steadily since the Jerusalem municipality unveiled a plan in February to demolish dozens of Palestinian homes in the Bustan neighbourhood to expand a Biblically-themed archeological park run by Elad, a settler organisation.
The plan is currently on hold following US pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister. — See also: Source more.. e-mail
The Corrie Trial in Israel: Seeking Answers And Accountability
Katherine Gallagher, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs12/1/2010
Transparent. Credible. Thorough. These were the words used by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in 2003 when setting forth the terms under which the investigation into the killing of Rachel Corrie would be conducted to George W. Bush, one day after Rachel was crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer. Both the scene at the courtroom in Haifa, where the Corrie family’s civil case is proceeding against the state of Israel, and the testimony of the bulldozer driver who killed Rachel, expose the hollowness of those words.
Transparent? First, the scene at the courthouse. I arrived early with the Corrie family and their legal team. When we got to the courtroom, there was already a crowd gathered outside. Entering the courtroom, I was struck first by the small size of the room assigned to a case that has received significant international attention: there were only two rows that could each comfortably fit about 14 people.
Nearly half the seats were already taken by young members of the Israeli military, in uniform, and people we heard were from the Israeli Ministry of Defense. We quickly secured seats for the family and their translators, a team made up largely of dedicated volunteers as the proceedings are conducted in Hebrew and no translation is provided by the court. I was lucky to be in the courtroom, squeezed in between a journalist and shared translator. Many of the journalists, human rights observers and members of the public who had come to attend the proceedings were denied entry into the courtroom.
The one break in the four-and-a-half hour testimony of the bulldozer driver led to a chaotic scene with people trying to get into the courtroom and Israeli security officers pushing the lines of people back, as they decided who could come into the courtroom and who would be left in the hall. Sarah Corrie Simpson, Rachel’s sister, had to intervene to secure entry for the family’s translators. more.. e-mail
Activists protest Israeli army sergeant’s campus propaganda visit
Electronic Intifada: 14 Dec 2010 – On 2 December, the Western Massachusetts Coalition for Palestine organized a protest of an event entitled “Overcoming Terror: A True Story” which took place on the University of Massachusetts campus in Amherst.more
Defend Jennifer Peto, a Brave Canadian Critic of Zionism
Dissident Voice: 14 Dec 2010 – Canada is mostly a diluted version of the USA. But Canadians are justly proud of their country’s resistance to the abrasive style of American politics. In one respect, though, it is more extreme than the United States — it is the only country with a more fanatical Israel Lobby. When the University of Toronto recently accepted a Master’s thesis critical of Jewish privilege, the Lobby, the media, and politicians, immediately condemned it as ‘hate’. Some of these legislators declared the University should not have awarded the M.A. to Sociology and Equity Studies student Jennifer Peto, an unprecedented interference of the government in academic freedom. When a Jewish anti-Zionist like Peto is physically threatened by Zionists and denounced by politicians, the first thing is obviously to defend her and her freedom of speech. But there is a danger in giving extra credit to her argument because it has come under such…more
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