23 December, 2010 – VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Netanyahu Accuses the Palestinians Of Obstructing Peace
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Friday December 24, 2010 – 04:38, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, claimed that the International Community understands that the Palestinians, not Israel, are responsible for obstruction the efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.
Shepherd killed; 3 injured in Northern Gaza
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 18:22, The Israeli army fired at four Palestinian farmers and shepherds in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Thursday, killing one and wounding three, local sources reported.
Syria Sends Relief Aid to Gaza
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 17:56, A Syrian popular committee has sent a new humanitarian aid convoy of food and medicines to the Gaza Strip, according to local sources.
‘Israeli War Crimes’ Ads to Appear in US
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 17:13, A group of peace activists based in Seattle, Washington has launched a series of ads on city buses reading “Israeli war crimes: Your tax dollars at work”. A poll by a local tv station showed overwhelming support for the ads among respondents.
Gaza Exports Due to Increase Next Week
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 14:33, Around 15 tons of agricultural exports are set to leave the Gaza Strip over next week’s crossings operations, Radio Israel revealed to Ma’an News.
Palestinian Draft Resolution Will Be Presented to UNSC
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 14:07, Palestinian chief negotiator Erakat announced on Wednesday that a draft resolution on settlements is ready to be put forth at the UNSC in February, media agencies said.
Two Palestinians Injured in Hebron
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 12:55, Israeli army shot at two young men in city of Hebron on Thursday morning, the PNN claimed.
Settlement Construction Witnessing Rapid Increase
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 12:41, Three months after the so-called settlement freeze ended, Israel started a speedy construction process in Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, Israeli Peace Now movement reported.
Three Arrested Near Jenin in Morning Raid
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 12:28, On Thursday morning, Israeli troops invaded an area near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, and kidnapped three Palestinians, the Palestine News Network reported.
Right-wing Israelis rally to kick Arabs out of Bat Yam
IMEMC – 23 Dec 2010 – Thursday December 23, 2010 – 12:28, Around 150 Israelis shouting “Death to Arabs and to Jews who date Arabs” gathered in the town of Bat Yam this week for a rally called “Keep Bat Yam Jewish”. They referenced the edict recently signed by dozens of Israeli rabbis calling on Jews to refuse to rent to non-Jews.
Medics: 1 dead after shooting on Gaza border
12/24/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — A Palestinian shepherd died Thursday hours after Israeli troops shot him and three others along the border with Israel inside northern Gaza, medics said. Salamah Abu Hashish, 22, sustained wounds to the back in the shooting, which occurred north of Beit Lahiya, Gaza medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya told….
Medics: Israel gunfire injures 4 on Gaza border
12/23/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli gunfire injured four Palestinian workers early Thursday in the Gaza Strip, medical officials said. Medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said a 14-year-old boy was seriously injured in the head while collecting stone aggregates. A 22-year-old shepherd was seriously injured by shots to the back, the medics….
Israel stalls on promised Gaza exports
12/24/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Two days after Israeli authorities approved the transport of Gaza strawberries into the West Bank, Dutch officials behind the project said foot dragging had delayed the first delivery. The PA Ministry of Agriculture said that it expected to receive a full list of items to be permitted out of Gaza on….
Wave of ethnic rage sparks concern in Israel
12/24/2010 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — A wave of protests and discriminatory acts by Jewish Israelis against Palestinians and Africans is worrying rights activists and has prompted an unprecedented appeal for calm from Israel’s prime minister. The past week alone has seen a string of passionate protests targeting “fraternisation” between Palestinian men and Jewish women and criticizing….
Yitzhar settlers blamed for attack on farmers
12/23/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Officials from the northern West Bank village of Madama accused settlers from the neighboring Israeli colony of Yitzhar of attacking a group of farmers ploughing lands near the settlement fence on Thursday morning. Hasan Zeyadeh, member of the Madma village council, said the farmers were on lands south of the village….
Villagers watch settlement homes multiply
12/23/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — West Bank monitors said settlers in the northern region set up 20 new mobile units on the outskirts of the illegal settlements of Eli and Shilo, across from the village of Qaryut. The report came from PA officials as Israeli newspapers announced the number of new homes approved for construction on….
Anger after Nazareth suburb bans Christmas tree
12/24/2010 – BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Ma’an) — Christmas festivities in the Holy Land focus on the West Bank town of Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born and the Palestinian Authority hosts annual celebrations. Israel’s government highlights events in Nazareth, a predominantly Palestinian city in Israel where Jesus is believed to have spent much…. Related: Nazareth suburb’s mayor: Christmas trees ‘provocative’
Beit Jala parish boycotts controversial patriarch
12/23/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Greek Orthodox parish in Beit Jala refused to welcome Patriarch Theophilos III of Jerusalem on Sunday, when he entered Bethlehem for the feat of St. Nicholas and the lighting parish Christmas tree. Rather than local scout groups drumming in the patriarch, he was greeted with banners announcing that residents did….
Rights group highlights Gaza closure
12/23/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has released a new report on the “Illegal Closure of the Gaza Strip: Collective Punishment of the Civilian Population.” The closure was imposed following Hamas’ takeover in 2007. This form of closure has been continuously applied to the so-called “hostile entity,” cutting off 1….
After hunger strike, PA moves Hamas prisoners
12/23/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Mediation between rights groups and the Palestinian Authority prison service brought to an end the hunger strike of two prisoners affiliated with Hamas, and a decision to move the men to prisons closer to their families. The decision was announced Wednesday by Hamas officials in the West Bank, in a statement….
Nazareth suburb’s mayor: Christmas trees ‘provocative’
12/23/2010 – NAZARETH ILLIT, Israel (AFP) — The mayor of a Jewish suburb of Nazareth sparked outrage on Wednesday after refusing to allow Christmas trees to be placed in town squares, calling them provocative. Predominantly Jewish Nazareth Illit, or Upper Nazareth, is adjacent to Nazareth, where Christians believe Jesus spent much of his life. It has a sizable…. Related: Anger after Nazareth suburb bans Christmas tree
Gaza exports to increase Sunday
12/23/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Reports on Radio Israel said the coming week of crossings operations would see some 15 tons of agricultural exports leave the Strip, as Israeli officials told Palestinian liaison officers in Gaza that only one crossing would operate on Thursday. Since 2007, some 800 trucks of strawberries and carnations grown in Gaza….
Armed group says 3 mortars fired at Israel post
12/24/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said it fired three mortars at an Israeli post east of Al-Bureij refugee camp Thursday. In a statement, the National Resistance Brigades said “the shelling comes in response to Israeli crimes against Palestinians and to affirm the path….
50,000 mobile phones allowed into Gaza
12/24/2010 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — After coordination between Israel’s Civil Administration offices, two telecommunications companies managed to deliver 50,000 mobile phones to the Gaza Strip. Hussam Daffoush, head of the Madar company which along with Al-Barq arranged the transfer, said Gaza’s market suffers from a lack of electronics due to the….
Palestine joins ranks of army medical group
12/23/2010 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Brigadier General Khalil An-Naqib, General Director of the PA’s Military Medical Services announced Tuesday that the organization was recognized as an official member in the Pan-Arab Regional Group of Military Medicine. The decision, he said, came after the Palestinian team participated in the organization’s Second International Congress….
In photos: US marines mark holiday with Bethlehem orphans
12/23/2010 – MaanImages / Haytham Othman – The US Marines stationed at the Consul General in Jerusalem continued a tradition of charitable giving during the holiday season by donating toys, baby formula and diapers to the Holy Family Orphanage in Bethlehem on Wednesday. The annual Toys for Tots program, marines say, aims to “deliver a message of hope and….
Abbas warns of Israeli escalation in Gaza
12/23/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — President Mahmoud Abbas told EU officials in Ramallah on Wednesday afternoon that he was concerned about a new Israeli escalation targeting the people of Gaza, the official government news agency WAFA reported. The warning came as Israel submitted a complaint to the UN over what it said was an escalation in….
Israeli, PA forces tour Bethlehem before Christmas
12/23/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces were accompanied by Palestinian personnel on Wednesday night, as a joint operation touted Bethlehem’s Manger Street and Nativity Square ahead of the biblical city’s Christmas celebrations. The convoy was made up of five jeeps from Israel’s Civil Administration and four Palestinian security forces….
Report: WikiLeaks to publish Israel cables
12/23/2010 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Wednesday that his website is due to release thousands of documents related to Israel, Israel’s Channel 10 reported Thursday. In an interview with Al-Jazeera quoted by the Israeli daily Haaretz, Assange said that only very few files related to Israel were published….
PA: Hamas cell planned attack on Ramallah
12/24/2010 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — Palestinian police said Wednesday they uncovered a Ramallah-based Hamas cell that stockpiled weapons intended for use against Palestinian security forces. Major General Adnan Damiri, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority’s security forces, said the cell had been discovered two months ago.” We seized their weapons, which were intended to target the….
Dahlan: Investigation to clear up ‘misunderstanding’
12/23/2010 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Sources close to the Fatah Central Committee confirmed reports that prominent member Muhammad Dahlan was being investigated, but would not confirm the nature of the accusations being probed. On Saturday, Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz published a report saying that the Palestinian Authority had questioned men who admitted they were hired by…. Related: Report: PA suspects Dahlan recruiting militia
Netanyahu wishes Christians well on holiday
12/23/2010 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday in Jerusalem wished Christian citizens of Israel and Christians worldwide a merry Christmas.”This is the Holy Land; this is the place where the message of eternal peace burst forth and captured the imagination of the entire world. It’s still a job….
Representative Steve Rothman (D-NJ) writes Sarkozy to protest anti-tank missile sales to Lebanon
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Josh Rogin, Foreign Policy – A Democratic House lawmaker is calling on France not to sell advanced anti-tank weapons to Lebanon, out of fear they could fall into the hands of Hezbollah. “As you know, Lebanon…
Mitchell: Lack of U.S. involvement in Mideast could lead to outbreak of violence
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Haaretz – U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell said on Thursday in an interview on The Maine Public Broadcasting Network that the United States government would not terminate its involvement in the peace process between Israel…
Israeli, PA forces tour Bethlehem before Christmas
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Maan – Israeli forces were accompanied by Palestinian personnel on Wednesday night, as a joint operation touted Bethlehem’s Manger Street and Nativity Square ahead of the biblical city’s Christmas celebrations. Read Full Article Photo: Nativity Square…
In Bethlehem, shepherds watching their flocks by night are a dying breed
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – The Guardian – If an “angel of the Lord” were to appear in the sky over Bethlehem today, there would be scarcely any shepherds keeping watch over their flocks to witness the scene. Spending nights and…
UN says Israel, Hamas want to reduce Gaza Strip tension
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Alert Net – The United Nations said on Thursday that Israel and the Gaza Strip’s rulers, the Islamist group Hamas, had indicated they wanted to reduce tension in and around the coastal enclave and appealed for…
Israel allows more exports from Gaza in order to slowly ease blockade
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Haaretz – Israel will allow farmers and private businessmen to export goods from Gaza for the first since Hamas took power over the coastal enclave, Army Radio quoted an Israeli defense official as saying on Thursday….
Hundreds of Gaza Christians depart for Christmas in the West Bank
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Haaretz – More than 500 members of the Gaza Strip’s tiny Christian community left the blockaded territory on Thursday to participate in Christmas celebrations in Jesus’ traditional birthplace of Bethlehem. Read Full Article Photo: Square in…
Netanyahu: World starting to understand that Israel is not obstacle to Mideast peace
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Haaretz – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the world is starting to understand that Israel is not the obstacle to Middle East peace, Israel Radio reported on Thursday. Netanyahu placed the blame for the lack…
PA: Hamas cell planned attack on Ramallah
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Maan – Palestinian police said Wednesday they uncovered a Ramallah-based Hamas cell that stockpiled weapons intended for use against Palestinian security forces. Read Full Article
Dahlan: Investigation to clear up “misunderstanding”
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Maan – Sources close to the Fatah Central Committee confirmed reports that prominent member Muhammad Dahlan was being investigated, but would not confirm the nature of the accusations being probed. Read Full Article
Villagers watch settlement homes multiply
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Maan – West Bank monitors said settlers in the northern region set up 20 new mobile units on the outskirts of the illegal settlements of Eli and Shilo, across from the village of Qaryut. Read Full…
Report: WikiLeaks to publish Israel cables
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Maan – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Wednesday that his website is due to release thousands of documents related to Israel, Israel’s Channel 10 reported Thursday. Read Full Article Photo: [bbwbryant, Flickr]
Gaza victimized by double standard
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Ann Wright, Honolulu Star Adviser – As a long swath of Israel’s coast was consumed by a raging fire earlier this month that killed more than 40 people, the world quickly came to Israel’s aid. The…
What slapdash H.R. 1765 reveals about the lobby and public awareness
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – As House Resolution 1765, formerly 1731 and 1734, passed in the House by a voice vote enjoining the Obama administration to oppose a unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence, the peace camp looked disheveled and mystified. With…
Don’t forget about Iraq’s parliament
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – Iraqis who voted decisively for change in the March 2010 election have some reason to be disappointed with the familiar faces dominating the government, which was unveiled yesterday after nine months of negotiations. But there’s one…
UN lifts sanctions on Iraq – 15+ years late
Palestine Note 23 Dec 2010 – According to BBC, today the UN Security Council lifted most sanctions on Iraq. To understand why most Iraqis would greet this announcement with a mixture of repressed anger, resignation, and cynicism, one needs to review the…
Third Annual Shepherds’ Nights Festival Starts In Beit Sahour
PNN – Ghassan Bannoura – PNN — For the third year in a row the Shepherds’ Nights festival started on Thursday in the southern West Bank city of Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem. The festival…
Bethlehem’s Manger Square Lights Up in Christmas Best
PNN – Bethlehem — PNN – With just two days to go until Christmas, festivities in Manger Square, adjacent to the Church of the Nativity, were in nearly full swing. Work crews set up…
Road block in Beit Ommar
PNN – On Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010, at 3:00pm, Israeli soldiers arrived with a bulldozer and created a cement and dirt barrier at one of the three entrances to Beit Ommar village off of…
Israeli Soldiers Shoot Two in Hebron
PNN – Hebron — PNN – Two Palestinians were wounded in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday morning when Israeli troops opened fire on them in the region of Wadi al-Gharous,…
Three Arrested Near Jenin, Troops Close Off City
PNN – Jenin — PNN – Israeli raids near the northern West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday morning resulted in three arrested in the village of Kafr Ra’i and a blockade of the…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Two Palestinians were Killed in Gaza City and Jabalia Refugee Camp After Weapons Were Used to Resolve Family Disputes
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Field Update In Gaza City on Wednesday morning, 22 December 2010, Mohammed Mohammed al-Ashram, 28 was killed due to violence resulting from a family dispute. Additionally, in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, 20 December 2010, Zohair Ibrahim al-Ghandour, 39 was killed due to violence caused by another family dispute. Such incidents are characteristic of the
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16 — 22 December. 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Ahmadinejad: Nuclear talks ‘historic opportunity’
Jeruslalem Post 23 Dec 2010 – Iranian president says talks can “change confrontation to cooperation” but adds “Iran’s nuclear path is irreversible.”
UN envoy: Israel, Hamas want to reduce Gaza tensions
Jeruslalem Post 23 Dec 2010 – “We are hearing a clear desire from all concerned to deescalate the situation and respect calm and I appeal for an end to acts of violence,” Serry says; Palestinians claim IDF shot, killed shepherd near Gaza border.
PM: Incorrect to think PA wants peace and Israel doesn’t
Jeruslalem Post 23 Dec 2010 – Netanyahu says idea is politically correct misconception; “Israel is ready for substantive negotiations, has taken substantive steps to launch them.”
J’lem: Hundreds gather supporting W.Bank construction
Jeruslalem Post 23 Dec 2010 – Right wing activists fill Zion Square at rally saying “Yes to building, no to making concessions”; issue of identity of Jewish state also raised.
IDF fires on Palestinians approaching Gaza border fence
Jeruslalem Post 23 Dec 2010 – Unconfirmed Palestinian reports say four were injured while searching for gravel, two seriously, including 14-year-old hit in head.
International Solidarity Movement
13 Homeless After Home Demolition in Ras al Ahmud
12/23/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Tuesday, Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian home in Ras al Ahmud, East Jerusalem. ISM activists interviewed family members left homeless by the senseless demolition. On December 19, 2010, Israeli soldiers entered the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al Ahmud and left a demolition notice on the window of a Palestinian home. The families inside were….
Action Alert: Help Silwan Resident Adnan Gheith Stay in Jerusalem
12/23/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – I know the Occupation in and out — I lived under it my entire life, but even I cannot imagine being in Adnan Gheith’s position. I don’t want to believe that something like this is possible, and I want to do all I can to stop what…. Related: Popular Struggle Coordination Committee
Army Raids the House of a Popular Committee Member in Beit Ummar Using Live Ammunition
12/23/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – Popular Struggle Coordination Committee – Soldiers from the Karmei Tzur settlement/military base invaded a civilian house this afternoon in Beit Ummar using live ammunition and sound bombs. During the raid, woman and children were injured as the soldiers harassed one of the Popular Committee leaders of the village. At 3 pm, soldiers came from the…. Related: Popular Struggle Coordination Committee
Special Tribute to Rachel Corrie in Iranian Weekly
12/23/2010 – International Solidarity Movement – 16 December 2010, Panjereh Weekly – “When I come back from Palestine, I probably will have nightmares and constantly feel guilty for not being here, but I can channel that into more work. Coming here is one of the better things I’ve ever done.”As one of the biggest Iranian student movements has requested….
Body of American tourist killed near Jerusalem flown to U.S.
Ha’aretz – Dozens attend memorial service for Kristine Luken who was stabbed to death last weekend in a forest near Jerusalem while hiking with a friend.
Peres wishes Christian world ‘profound’ Christmas greetings
Ha’aretz – Speaking after a children’s choir singing rendition of ‘Silent Nights,’ Peres expresses hope that people of all faiths live in a better, more peaceful world next year.
Three Jerusalem teens suspected of sexually abusing classmate
Ha’aretz – Teens, 15, all learned together in prominent a Jerusalem school; abuse allegedly took place in afternoons at the school or at victim’s home.
U.S. rabbi gets rare permission to visit Yitzhak Hall at Tomb of Patriarchs
Ha’aretz – Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto visits hall where Jewish terrrorist gunned down 29 Muslims at prayer in 1994; Pinto recently slammed edict from Israeli rabbis banning rental of homes to Arabs.
Israel fire services to get additional NIS 300 million for annual budget
Ha’aretz – Move comes after Carmel fire disaster and uproar over lack of funds to firefighting services.
Left-wing students fight university ban of ‘libelous’ flyer featuring Lieberman
Ha’aretz – ‘Freedom of opinion and speech are an essential condition for vibrant and meaningful academic life,’ students write in their appeal.
UN: Israel, Hamas seeking to reduce recent Gaza tension
Ha’aretz – Rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip have increased in recent weeks in the run-up to the second anniversary of Israel’s winter 2008-09 offensive against Hamas.
Netanyahu: World starting to understand that Israel is not obstacle to Mideast peace
Ha’aretz – Prime minister blames lack of progress in peace process on Iran’s influence as well as internal divisions within Fatah.
Hundreds of Gaza Christians depart for Christmas in the West Bank
Ha’aretz – IDF coordinates the rare passage to the West Bank, saying it was part of its goal to ensure freedom of worship for all religions.
Uruguay plans to recognize Palestinian state
Ha’aretz – Joining Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, Uraguay Foreign Minister Luis Almagro says his country is studying implications of decision with regard to international law., Farmers, private businessmen to be allowed to…
‘WikiLeaks to publish Israel cables on Second Lebanon War, Dubai assassination’
Ha’aretz – Julian Assange, founder of whistle-blowing website, says thousands of documents related to Israel are due to be released over next six months.
Israel’s UN envoy: Palestinian draft resolution is attempt to bypass negotiations
Ha’aretz – Palestinians prepare UN draft resolution condemning Israel’s settlement activity which will be presented to the Security Council in February.
Palestinians: Draft condemning West Bank settlements ready for UN
Ha’aretz – Chief Palestinian negotiator says he expects resolution to be put forth at Security Council in February, and hopes U.S. will not use its veto.
Chief Palestinian negotiator: Israeli attacks on Gaza make region more volatile
Ha’aretz – Saeb Erekat warns that IDF attack on the Hamas-ruled territory would only elevate anarchy, bloodshed in area; Deputy PM Meridor says Israel won’t tolerate rocket fire from Gaza.
U.S. criticized New Zealand for reaction to 2004 Israel spy affair, WikiLeaks cables reveal
Ha’aretz – The Guardian reports that U.S. diplomats accused New Zealand of using the arrest of two suspected Israeli spies in 2004 to bolster its export of lamb to Arab states.
Gazan worker shot by Israeli army
23 Dec 2010 – Gaza, December 23, (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces opened…
IOF soldier admits killing Gaza civilian woman
23 Dec 2010 – Palestine, December 23, (Pal Telegraph) — The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that a soldier in the Givati Brigade, in the Israeli occupation army, called S. admitted that he shot a woman carrying a white flag in the upper body. About half an hour later, S. then told the Military Police, the company commander arrived and S. was stunned by his…
Israeli army shots 2 Palestinians in Hebron
23 Dec 2010 – Hebron, December 23, (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) shot Thursday two Palestinians in Hebron city, in the West Bank. Security sources told SAFA news agency that Israeli soldiers shot two citizens from the same family known as Mohammed Al-Jabari and Ismail Al-Jabari, adding that they were transferred to the hospital to receive medication. The Israeli occupation forces raided…
Gaza to resume the expert of agriculture products
23 Dec 2010 – Gaza, December 23, (Pal Telegraph) – Gaza will be resuming the expert of agriculture products next week to Europe after the Israeli agreement since Israel has stopped the expert for three and a half years . The Israeli mini-cabinet for political and security affairs has approved this decision, according to Israel radio. The first agriculture export shipment from Gaza to Europe…
Palestinian detainees go on a hunger strike in Hwara jail
23 Dec 2010 – Nablus, December 23, (Pal Telegraph) — Palestinian detainees in the Israeli jail of Hwara, in south of Nablus, have started a hunger strike protesting the bad conditions which they live, WAFA news agency reported. The director of Al-Aser club in Nablus, Raed Amer, said to WAFA that the strike came as a protest against the terrible situation which they live…
Israeli army detains 3 brothers in Jenin
23 Dec 2010 – Jenin, December 23, (Pal Telegraph) — Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained Thursday three Palestinian brothers from Kafer Rai town in Jenin, in the West Bank. Palestinian sources reported that tens of Israeli soldiers blockaded the house of Wael Molhem and then detained his three sons Motasem, Montaser and Mohammed, adding that they were transferred to unknown place. The sources added…
Shepherd killed by Israeli soldiers, Palestinian medical officials say
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – A Palestinian shepherd died Thursday hours after Israeli troops shot him and three others along the border with Israel inside northern Gaza, medics said. Salamah Abu Hashish, 22, sustained wounds to the back in the shooting, which occurred north of Beit Lahiya, Gaza medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya told Ma’an. The official said Abu…
Israeli and US Machinations to be Revealed Sooner or Later?
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – In an Al Jazeera interview conducted in Arabic, Julian Assange has revealed that it will take Wikileaks six months to release documents on Israel. This is confirmed by a post on the WL Central blog. Here’s a translation of the Al Jazeera story accompanying the interview provided to me by a fluent friend:
The smoking cable: Israel said it had ‘secret accord’ with U.S. over expanding settlements even as Obama said in Cairo they must stop!
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – This is why Wikileaks is so crucial: A June 2009 cable from France, days after the great Cairo speech of Obama, in which the Israelis are said to claim a secret deal with the US for settlement growth. I’m running. More to say later. And note too where Sarkozy says, Israel, the horse of history…
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16 — 22 December. 2010)
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – Summary – Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (16 — 22 December 2010): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 5 activists of the Palestinian resistance and wound 4 others in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 8 Palestinian civilians, including a child in the…
Israeli officer claims Goldstone report will not restrict IDF in future war
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – A senior officer in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has claimed that the UN’s Goldstone Report on Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip two years ago is unlikely to affect the army’s tactics in future wars. The officer in the Northern Command — speaking anonymously as is the norm — said, “It would be a…
‘WikiLeaks to publish Israel cables on Second Lebanon War, Dubai assassination’
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said his whistleblowing website plans to publish hundreds of “sensitive” US diplomatic cables on Israel, Al-Jazeera television reported on Thursday. “Sensitive and classified documents” on Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon and January’s assassination in Dubai of Hamas militant Mahmud al-Mabhuh would be released, Assange told Al-Jazeera in an interview. Assange…
Haaretz journalist doubles as anti-“delegitimization” operative
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – Haaretz has an international reputation as Israel’s most liberal and reliable newspaper. But The Electronic Intifada has discovered that one of the newspaper’s regularly-featured reporters, Cnaan Liphshiz, used his news reports for the publication to promote the agenda of an extreme pro-Israel group with which he was also employed. At the same time, Liphshiz appears…
Right-wing Israelis rally to kick Arabs out of Bat Yam
Uruknet December 23, 2010 – Around 150 Israelis shouting “Death to Arabs and to Jews who date Arabs” gathered in the town of Bat Yam this week for a rally called “Keep Bat Yam Jewish”. They referenced the edict recently signed by dozens of Israeli rabbis calling on Jews to refuse to rent to non-Jews. Rabbi Yosef Scheinen of the…
Ameer Makhoul’s perpetual trial
Uruknet December 22, 2010 – We arrive at the Haifa court building around 11am, half an hour after proceedings began in the ongoing trial of Ameer Makhoul, a leading Palestinian activist who holds Israeli citizenship and was arrested in his home in the middle of the night last May. After being held without charge, tortured and denied access to an…
Progress Towards Duty Free Access of Palestinian Agricultural, Fisheries Products to EU
Alternative Information Center – The European Commission and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip have agreed the text of a draft agreement on further liberalisation of EU imports of agricultural products, processed agricultural and fish and…
Iran says January nuclear talks historic opportunity
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 MELBOURNE, Australia: Three men who believed Islam was under threat from Western nations were found guilty in an Australian court Thursday of plotting a suicide attack against a Sydney army base. The men, all Australian citizens…
Australian court finds 3 men guilty of terror plot
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 MELBOURNE, Australia: Three men who believed Islam was under threat from Western nations were found guilty in an Australian court Thursday of plotting a suicide attack against a Sydney army base. The men, all Australian citizens…
WikiLeaks to publish sensitive Israel cables
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 DUBAI: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said his website plans to publish hundreds of “sensitive” US diplomatic cables on Israel, Al-Jazeera television reported Thursday. “Sensitive and classified documents” on Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon and January’s…
Anti-Israel commuter bus ads fuel controversy in Seattle
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 SEATTLE, Washington: Seattle peace activists are planning to post anti-Israel ads on the sides of local commuter buses protesting US support for the Jewish state, prompting outcry from Jewish groups. The banners show Palestinian children standing…
United Nations demands halt to Ivory Coast killings
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 ABIDJAN: The UN condemned Thursday the killing of 173 people in “atrocities” triggered by Ivory Coast’s political crisis and accused Laurent Gbagbo’s forces of harassing its peacekeepers. UN officials in Abidjan said Gbagbo’s security forces, shielded…
Lack of female faces in Iraq Cabinet draws protest
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 BAGHDAD: Iraq’s female lawmakers are furious that only one member of the country’s new Cabinet is a woman and are demanding better representation in the government praised by the international community for bringing together the country’s…
Iraq refugees in Syria wait years for fresh start
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 DAMASCUS: Oshana Khamo is one of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have taken refuge in Syria from the violence at home and have been kept waiting for years to be resettled elsewhere to start a…
With Turkey ties frayed, Israel turns to the Balkans
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel is currently boosting its ties with Balkan nations after a deep freeze in relations with Turkey, formerly its closest and strongest regional ally. For over a decade, Ankara and the Jewish state shared…
Wave of Jewish racism hatred worries Netanyahu, activists
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A wave of protests and discriminatory acts by Jewish Israelis against Arabs and Africans is worrying rights activists and has prompted an unprecedented appeal for calm from Israel’s prime minister. The past week alone…
UN envoys criticize Israel’s home demolitions
Daily Star 23 Dec 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Two United Nations representatives have criticized Israel for demolishing Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem, as Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now said Israeli settlers have illegally begun to work on at least 100 homes…
Gaza’s Christians celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem
The Guardian 23 Dec 2010 – About 500 residents permitted to leave blockaded territory to participate in festivities in the town where Christ was born More than 500 members of the Gaza Strip’s Christian community left the blockaded territory today to join…
In Bethlehem, shepherds watching their flocks by night are a dying breed
The Guardian 23 Dec 2010 – Jewish settlements, Israeli army checkpoints, closed military zones and the separation wall make them an increasing rarity If an “angel of the Lord” were to appear in the sky over Bethlehem today, there would be scarcely…
This week in the Middle East | Brian Whitaker
The Guardian 23 Dec 2010 – Charities that fund the settlers; Egypt’s vanishing migrants; Christmas extravagance in the Gulf, and an unhappy New Year This is the start of a regular weekly look at the Middle East, focusing on some of the…
Helping the children of Gaza, two years on
Relief Web 23 Dec 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
OPT: Emergency Appeal 2011
Relief Web 23 Dec 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Israelis kill one Gazan, wound three: medics
Relief Web 23 Dec 2010 – Source: Agence France-Presse
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, condemns Jerusalem home demolitions and assists affected families
Relief Web 23 Dec 2010 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Christmas Eve Protest in al Walaja
Stop The Wall – The day before Christmas, Palestinians from the Bethlehem district will gather in the village al Walajah to demonstrate against the Wall and settlements that threaten to encircle the village and turn it into an open air prison.
Five still held for blocking bulldozers in al Walaja
Stop The Wall – Yesterday morning, residents of the village of al Walaja blocked Occupation bulldozers clearing a path for the Wall. In response, soldiers attacked the protestors and arrested eight Palestinians, among them youth and activists with the popular resistance. [
Assange promises info on Mabhouh, Lebanon War
YNet News – WikiLeaks has barely begun to scratch surface of information it has on Israel,….
Since end of freeze: 13,000 homes approved
YNet News – Intensive building noted in outlying, smaller settlements since West Bank….
Lieberman depicts doctrine to Newsweek
YNet News – Deemed ‘Israel’s most popular politician’, foreign minister enlightens magazine….
Palestinians draft UN resolution against settlements
YNet News – PA requests Security Council meeting to discuss resolution, hopes US will not….
Minister Braverman threatens to quit, says Israel turning into Iran
YNet News – Braverman demands Labor to tell PM Netanyahu that if he doesn’t renew talks with….
Iran opposition: Dark future awaits economy
YNet News – Iranian economy in trouble? Tehran’s recent subsidy cuts in face of UN sanctions….
Palestinian Information Center
IOF soldiers wound Palestinian teen worker, round up 3 brothers
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired at and wounded a Palestinian teen worker while collecting gravel in northern Gaza Strip on Thursday morning, medical sources reported.
Hamas parliamentary bloc calls for releasing all hunger strikers from jails
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – The Hamas parliamentary bloc called anew for releasing immediately all hunger strikers from the Palestinian authority’s jails in the West Bank after their health conditions reached a deadly level.
Israeli army levels Araqib village for eighth time
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – The Israeli army with the help of a fleet of bulldozers has been leveling the Araqib village between the cities of Raht and Bir Sabe’ since early Thursday morning.
National committee holds Israel responsible for life of detainee Asfour
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – The higher national committee for prisoners held Israel fully responsible for the life of patient Ahmed Asfour who is now in Ramle prison hospital after his health condition critically deteriorated.
Settlement expansion in Palestine rises by 65 per cent
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – More than half of Jewish settlements in Palestinian land are being expanded or built up 65 per cent faster than the previous year, the Israeli Peace Now organization reported Thursday.
Two Palestinians critically injured in IOF shooting in Al-Khalil
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – Two Palestinian citizens were critically injured on Thursday morning in Al-Khalil city at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF), witnesses reported.
Asian Convoy 1: Palestine is the focal point of world events
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – Feroz Mesberola, chief of the multinational Asian Convoy 1, expressed his crew’s extreme delight as the convoy landed Wednesday in Damascus, where they met with Khalid Meshaal and other leaders.
Israel threatens scorched earth policy in any future Lebanon war
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – The Israeli army might resort to scorched earth policy in any future military confrontation with the Lebanese Hizbullah party militias, an Israeli army source said.
Gaza religious affairs ministry denounces new 180-house settlement plan in J’lem
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – The Gaza religious affairs ministry renounced Thursday a plan by Israel’s Jerusalem municipality to erect a 180-house Jewish settlement district near the south Jerusalem district of Amlesson.
Rezqa: Israel boosting military presence to justify future strikes on Gaza
PIC 23 Dec 2010 – Dr. Yousef Rezqa said Wednesday that Israel is aiming by its recent boost of military presence around the Gaza Strip to produce enough media justifications to continue assassinating Gazans by air.
After Freeze, Settlement Building Booms in West Bank
New York Times 23 Dec 2010 – In the three months since Israel ended its freeze, construction is booming in places that are least likely to be part of Israel after any two-state peace deal.
Prisoners Group Brings Relief Behind Bars
Palestine Monitor – Over 10,000 Palestinians are suffering human rights abuses in Israeli jails, many of whom have not been convicted of any crime. A grass-roots initiative is aiming to provide representation to forgotten detainees. Cecile Gault met them. The idea of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC) was born…
Seattle nixes bus ads decrying Israeli war crimes
Mondoweiss – I got the news from the Jewish Federation, in an email a friend passed along: Dear [—-] Thanks to the efforts of the Jewish Federation, and our partners at the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, and StandWithUs NW — as well as the many supporters…
Assange is holding dirt on Israel because western newspapers didn’t want to publish it
Mondoweiss – This is what Walt and Mearsheimer said about the Israel lobby, it acts to protect Israel in the press. I am guessing Assange is referring to the New York Times, among other publications. Al Jazeera : DOHA: WikiLeaks will release top secret American files concerning Israel in…
Seattle Jewish groups say that bus ads blasting ‘Israeli war crimes’ foment‚Ķ violence
Mondoweiss – A mind is a terrible thing to waste, as the NAACP used to say. Well I’m witnessing the decline of Jewish intelligence, in a statement from the Seattle Jewish Federation : The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, American Jewish Committee, Anti-Defamation League and StandWithUs NW met together…
Notice the volk vibe in this racist Tel Aviv rally against miscegenation and integration
Mondoweiss – Here’s ahmedmoor’s video from a demonstration in a Tel Aviv neighborhood called Bat Yam three nights back, against relationships between Palestinians and Jews, and against Palestinians living in certain neighborhoods. Notice how many of the racists are young. I need a translator for the charming placards….
This post-Zionist would leave in place the law of return
Mondoweiss – The other day I used a comment from “liberal Zionist” Jon S as a springboard to condemn the colonialist roots of Zionism, and Jon S took exception: I would like to make some comments and clarifications. I see that you describe me as a Liberal Zionist….
One Palestinian Martyred, Three Wounded by Israeli Gunfire
Al-Manar 23 Dec 2010 – One Palestinian was martyred and three others wounded by Israeli gunfire in northern Gaza on Thursday, including a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the head, Palestinian medical sources said. The Israeli occupation military confirmed that soldiers opened fire on several people who, it claimed,…
Erekat: Draft Resolution on Settlements Ready
Al-Manar 23 Dec 2010 – Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat says a draft resolution condemning Israel’s West Bank settlement activity is ready to be presented to the UN Security Council (UNSC). Erekat said on Wednesday that he expects the resolution to be put forth at the UNSC in February after…
New Gaza war ‘a question of time’
BBC 23 Dec 2010 – A senior Israeli army officer tells the BBC that as long as Hamas remains in control of the Gaza Strip, another war is “only a question of time”.
Egypt lifts Red Sea diving ban
BBC 23 Dec 2010 – The Egyptian authorities lift all diving restrictions in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh following the shark attacks earlier this month.
Body of US hiker to be flown home
BBC 23 Dec 2010 – The body of an American woman stabbed to death outside Jerusalem is being flown back to the US, an Israeli church official says.
Bread riots?
BBC 23 Dec 2010 – Police brace for trouble as Iran ends food and petrol subsidies
Stealth Resolutions by Congress
Antiwar.com 23 Dec 2010 – Sucking up (again) to Israel, by Philip Giraldi
Articles
Is Obama whitewashing defeat?
Ramzy Baroud, Ma’an News Agency12/23/2010
He may still possess the poise of a confident leader and an eloquent intellectual, but the presidency of Barack Obama is now suffering its most difficult phase to date. Certainly, Obama cannot solely be blamed for all the factors that have stifled his country’s chances of recovery from the failures of the Bush era.
But the man who promised the moon has now extended the abhorrent and morally unjustifiable tax cuts for America’s wealthiest class. The “?ìsweeping”¬ù $858 billion tax bill was signed into law on December 17. It includes an $801 billion package of tax cuts, extending Bush’s tax break for the rich for two more years “” at a time when the majority of Americans are reeling under the weight of a failing economy and persistently high unemployment.Still, the tax bill was presented by the self-assured president as “?ìreal money that’s going to make a real difference in people’s lives….
….Obama’s handling of the shortly-lived peace talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel’s rightwing government is another example of a striking failure followed by whitewash. Although he adamantly demanded a halt to Israel’s construction of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, Obama soon began capitulating before an obstinate Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israeli leader, supported by much of the US Congress and backed by a strong Israel lobby in Washington, finally forced Obama into a humiliating retreat. Even a generous bribe to win a limited Israeli moratorium on settlement construction failed. Obama administration officials finally declared that the US would abandon its efforts to halt Israeli settlement expansion, effectively signaling an American exit from the ‘peace process.’
Instead of laying the blame squarely on Israel, the Obama administration delved into the same long-discredited rhetoric that only Palestinians and Israelis are capable of accomplishing peace without any outside intervention. That was the core message of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who argued that it was up to Israel and the Palestinian leadership to “settle their conflict”…. more.. e-mail
Spies and lies, especially against your allies
Khalid, Middle East Monitor (MEMO)12/22/2010
Reports from the United States say that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to ask for the release of convicted spy Jonathan Jay Pollard. A report in the New York Times claims that Pollard’s release will be the subject of a “public request” to President Barack Obama; he was convicted in 1987 of spying for Israel and received a life sentence.
Recent reports from Egypt speak of Israelis being charged in absentia of trying to recruit Syrian and Lebanese nationals for obvious purposes. There is no doubt that such things go on all the time around the world and we probably don’t hear of most cases. What makes the Pollard case stand out is the fact that Israel recruited and employed a spy for espionage against its closest ally. While the whole spying business is very murky, you can at least understand why sworn enemies might want to spy on each other; but Israel spying on the United States of America? With friends like that, who needs enemies?
Moreover, Pollard is not the only person convicted of spying for Israel in the US; around the same time, another US citizen, Ben-Ami Kadish was doing the same thing; he wasn’t charged until 2008 but due to his advanced age by then (eighty-four years old) he was fined instead of being sent to prison. A former chief of the US Justice Department’s internal security section claims that between 1950 and 1980, “the Israeli intelligence service… was the second most active in the United States”; the Soviet Union was in number one spot.
There may well still be spies working in the US and passing secrets to Israel; the Zionist state’s spy agency, Mossad, used forged passports of European allies in its assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh almost a year ago. Clearly, Israel has no qualms about treating its friends with contempt if it serves its own interests to do so. In fact, Israel has a history of this, sometimes with very bloody consequences. — See also: A Report: War Crimes Committed Against U.S. Military Personnel, June 8, 1967 more.. e-mail
Tell that to the USS Liberty’s survivors, Mr Lieberman
Alan Hart, Redress12/22/2010
Recalling the cold-blooded Israeli attack on the US warship the Liberty, Alan Hart considers what nuclear-armed Israel might do if its Moldovan bouncer-cum-foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, got the job he covets most, that of Israeli prime minister.
Question: Why is it that in this Christian season of “Peace on earth and good will to all men (and women)” the name of Israel’s Soviet-born foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, described by some as Israel’s “Hitler in-the-making”, should enter my mind?
Answer: Because I’ve been thinking about a most extraordinary statement (extraordinary even by his own standards) he made on a recent visit to Australia.
His Australian counterpart, Kevin Rudd, had apparently asked him if Israel would sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to assist the cause of stopping the spread of nuclear weapons.
Liberman said “No” because “Israel does not pose a threat to peace in the world”. (My emphasis added).
The problem, Liberman asserted, “is not focused on the issue of the deployment of nuclear weapons itself” but on “the responsibility of the states which possess weapons of this kind”.
So according to Lieberman, the nuclear-armed Zionist state is a responsible state. There’s no need for the world to be concerned about its refusal to sign the NPT…. more.. e-mail
Haaretz journalist doubles as anti-“delegitimization” operative
Electronic Intifada: 23 Dec 2010 – Haaretz has an international reputation as Israel’s most liberal and reliable newspaper. But The Electronic Intifada has discovered that one of the newspaper’s regularly-featured reporters, Cnaan Liphshiz, used his news reports for the publication to promote the agenda of an extreme pro-Israel group with which he was also employed. Ali Abunimah reports.more
Prisoners Group Brings Relief Behind Bars
Palestine Monitor: 23 Dec 2010 – Over 10,000 Palestinians are suffering human rights abuses in Israeli jails, many of whom have not been convicted of any crime. A grass-roots initiative is aiming to provide representation to forgotten detainees. Cecile Gault met them. The idea of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club (PPC) was born in jail. One of the men that came up with it is Abderal Anabi, who now heads the PPC. Mr. Anabi was first arrested when he was 18 years old, in 1988 and spent a few months locked up. A short period of freedom ensued, before he was arrested again and sentenced to life. It was during his time in the Jnaid prison near Nablus – a prison reserved for those serving long sentences – that, together with a few other prisoners, they decided that they needed to come together to solve their problems. As part of the 1993 Oslo Accords, Israel agreed to…more
Obama’s Indecisiveness Defines His Presidency
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Dec 2010 – By Ramzy Baroud He may still possess the poise of a confident leader and an eloquent intellectual, but the presidency of Barack Obama is now suffering its most difficult phase to date. Certainly, Obama cannot solely be blamed for all the factors that have stifled his country’s chances of recovery from the failures of the Bush era. But the man who promised the moon has now extended the abhorrent and morally unjustifiable tax cuts for America’s wealthiest class. The “sweeping” $858 billion tax bill was signed into law on December 17. It includes an $801 billion package of tax cuts, extending Bush’s tax break for the rich for two more years — at a time when the majority of Americans are reeling under the weight of a failing economy and persistently high unemployment. Still, the tax bill was presented by the self-assured president as “real money that’s going to make…more
Freedom of the Press in the Arab World
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Dec 2010 – By Abdel-Qader Yassine Coming from the land where two thousand years ago, four men named John, Matthew, Mark and Luke exercised a form of journalism never equalled since, I begin with the quotation: “Know ye the Truth and Truth shall make thee free.” Indeed, those three words: Knowledge, Truth, and Freedom, are interrelated concepts crucial to the understanding of our topic. Of course, very few of us are given the chance to preach the same sort of Gospel that the four illustrious predecessors have preached. I am not even sure that we all ambition their type of career. Yet it is strange that in the Arab World, truth has always been considered “divine” and revealed in form as well as in content, to whatever god or prophet it is attributed. The knowledge of truth is therefore considered a privilege. People who possess this privilege necessarily claim a monopoly of freedom…more
Cast Lead — A Poem
Palestine Chronicle: 23 Dec 2010 – By Helen Aouad Groups of gulls holding fast to an old sea while bangs undo their sky must ask themselves: Wherefore is disaster new? Sky-let’s look-is recoupable so lulling water lays to rest the time till swells swell back to what they were paralleling drier blues above. Glossing over depth gets wet wings airborne homing inland plain white smoke weeds their gyral course higher sharing air with winning tops never mind which side the dreidels fall on-never mind day or night making room: Willie Peter spoiling twilight dislocating dawns that hollow what was left of what was meted out square on a lip of land looking west unacknowledged though not about to slip off just because near or far away networked lives in paltry atonement stop us asking how a moral army’s oeuvre- -set to print as such wouldn’t raise the stakes of justice for those faring afterwards who may…more
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The New Dark Age 