2 January, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Palestinian Killed by Army Fire At A Roadblock In The Jordan Valley
IMEMC – 2 Jan 2011 – Sunday January 02, 2011 – 09:44, Palestinian medical sources reported on Sunday morning, that Israeli soldiers stationed at the Al Hamra roadblock in the Jordan valley, shot and killed a Palestinian youth despite having his hands up following soldiers demands.
25 Persons Killed In Bombing Targeting Church In Alexandria
IMEMC – 2 Jan 2011 – Sunday January 02, 2011 – 09:02, A statement released by Christian priests in Egypt, including the secretary of the Coptic Pope, Shenouda III of Alexandria, revealed that an explosion targeting a church in Alexandria left at least 25 persons dead and more than 79 wounded.
Nonviolent Protestor Killed After Being Asphyxiated by Tear Gas in Bil’in
IMEMC – 2 Jan 2011 – Sunday January 02, 2011 – 00:28, Jawaher Abu Rahma, aged 36, died on Saturday, after suffering the effects of tear gas inhalation fired by the Israeli military during the Friday weekly protest in Bil’in. Medical sources reported that the cause of the death was suffocation from tear gas chemicals mixed with phosphorus.
Soldiers shoot Palestinian dead at checkpoint
1/2/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Sunday shot dead a Palestinian man at Hamra checkpoint east of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Sources in the Palestinian Red Crescent identified the man as Tubas-resident Mahmoud Muhammad Dharaghma, 21, and said his body was riddled with bullets. Eyewitness Dr Hatim Froukh said Dharaghma was shot…. Related: PA: Israeli shooting ‘dangerous escalation’
Lawyer slams army cover-up of tear gas death
1/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The lawyer of the family of a Palestinian woman who died after being tear-gassed by Israeli troops at a West Bank protest accused the military on Sunday of a cover-up.” Once again the army is covering up the actions of its men, instead of apologizing and conducting a serious inquiry,” Michael Sfard told….
Settlers attack Hebron popular comittee official
1/2/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Settlers in Hebron attacked a Popular Committee official on Sunday, leaving him unconscious, witnesses said. Azmi Ash-Shuyukhi was transferred by ambulance to Hebron’s government hospital after he was beaten while leading a solidarity tour near Yatta, south of the West Bank city. After regaining consciousness, Ash-Shuyukhi said 10 settlers….
Israeli airstrikes injure 2 in Gaza
1/2/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli warplanes launched attacks early Sunday morning on two sites in the Gaza Strip leaving two Palestinians injured, medics said. Locals said the first airstrike targeted a training field for Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, in Jabalia in northern Gaza. Medics said one Palestinian was injured and the….
Hamas: PA detained 3,000 members in 2010
1/2/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security forces detained 3,000 Hamas affiliates in the West Bank in 2010, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Sunday. At a press conference in Gaza City, Barhoum said 1,404 of those detained by PA forces had served time in Israeli jails, 49 were prominent Hamas leaders, 49 Imams of….
Asian ship sets sail from Syria with Gaza aid
1/2/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) – An aid ship carrying goods for the blockaded Gaza Strip and backed by Asian activists has set sail from the Syrian port of Latakia for Egypt, a Palestinian official said in Damascus on Sunday. Khaled Abdel-Majid, a spokesman for Palestinian groups based in Syria, told AFP that the boat had left Latakia on….
BDS Report: Jerusalem marathon changes course
1/2/2011 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — Sportswear company Adidas forced the Jerusalem Municipality to reroute a planned marathon to avoid occupied Palestinian neighborhoods, Israeli media reported Sunday. Hebrew-language daily Ma’ariv said Adidas threatened to withdraw sponsorship from the event after the company was lobbied by human rights organizations. The newspaper reported that several organizations….
Armed settlers surround Palestinian home
1/2/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Dozens of armed settlers on Sunday surrounded a Palestinian home in Burin south of Nablus, a Palestinian Authority official said. Ghassan Doughlas, a settlement affairs officer who monitors the northern West Bank, said settlers attempted to enter the home of Um Ayman Suwan, but were stopped by dozens of residents. Palestinians….
Worker injured during pursuit by Israeli forces
1/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — A Palestinian worker on Sunday sustained fractures and bruises while being chased by Israeli forces near Jerusalem, the Palestinian Solidarity Project said. PSP spokesman Mohammad Ayyad Awad said Ahmad Al-A’lami, 22, fell from a 3-story building when Israeli forces raided his workplace. He was transferred to the Hadassah….
Wikileaks: Israel preparing for ‘large scale war’
1/2/2011 – OSLO (AFP) — Israel’s army chief told a US Congress delegation in late 2009 he was preparing for a large war in the Middle East, probably against Hamas or Hezbollah, leaked US diplomatic cables showed on Sunday.” I am preparing the Israeli army for a large scale war, since it is easier to scale….
Palestine National Orchestra makes debut in Israel
1/2/2011 – HAIFA, Israel (AFP) — The Palestine National Orchestra has made its debut in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Israeli city of Haifa under the banner of “Today an orchestra, tomorrow a state.”The 40-member orchestra launched its inaugural tour on Friday in the West Bank city of Ramallah, moved on the next….
Palestinians held for ‘plotting Jerusalem stadium attack’
1/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) – Two Palestinians have been arrested for a suspected plot to fire a rocket into a Jerusalem football stadium along with three other men who sold them firearms, Israel’s Shin Bet intelligence service said Sunday. Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security agency, said two of the men, Mussa Hamada and Bassem….
Egypt media warn of civil war after bombing
1/2/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Egyptian newspapers warned Sunday that “civil war” could break out unless Christians and Muslims close ranks after a deadly attack on a Coptic church that triggered angry protests. The authorities said that a suicide bomber blew himself up outside Al-Qiddissin church in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria early on New Year’s….
Army: Soldier injured at anti-wall rally
1/2/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — The Israeli military said Saturday that a soldier was lightly injured at an anti-wall rally Friday in Nil’in west of Ramallah in the central West Bank. Israeli soldiers used force to shut down the protest, firing tear-gas canisters and rubber-coated steel bullets at demonstrators. The army said a soldier….
Gaza: One border crossing to operate
1/2/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities informed Palestinian crossings officials that one Gaza crossing would be partially opened on Sunday for the limited transfer of goods into the coastal enclave, liaison officer Raed Fattouh told Ma’an. Between 120 and 130 truckloads of goods are expected to enter Gaza via the southernmost crossing….
Commission: Reports of Hamas detainee’s death are false
1/2/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Palestinian Commission for Human Rights on Sunday said media reports that a Hamas member died in Palestinian Authority custody were false. Representatives of the commission said they visited Muhannad Neiroukh in a PA prison in Bethlehem, and that he was on hunger strike but in good health….
Israeli forces arrest 2 children in Jerusalem
1/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces on Sunday detained two Palestinian children in Jerusalem’s Old City, witnesses said. Khaled Dweik, 6, and his 7-year-old cousin Mohammad Suheil were playing hopscotch in the Bab Al-A’mud area. They were throwing stones as part of the game and accidentally hit an Israeli soldier….
Detainee released after 8 years
1/2/2011 – TULKAREM (Ma’an) — Israeli authorities on Sunday released a Palestinian from Tulkarem following eight years in detention. Ibrahim Yasin Mahmoud Yasin ,30, was arrested on January 9, 2003 for affiliation with the armed wing of Islamic Jihad. His brother, Shadi Mahmoud Yasin, is serving a 32-year sentence for affiliation with Hamas’ armed….
Israel extends family reunification ban
1/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel on Sunday extended for six months a ban preventing Palestinians married to Israelis immigrating to the state, the premier’s office said in a statement.” The ministerial committee for security affairs decided tonight [Sunday] to extend for six months a text on family unification, which expired December 31,” said a statement….
PA: Israeli shooting ‘dangerous escalation’
1/2/2011 – RAMALLAH (AFP) — A senior Palestinian official on Sunday condemned the death of a man shot dead by Israeli troops at a West Bank checkpoint, calling it a “dangerous escalation”. Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned the death of Mohammed Daraghme, which came less than 48 hours after the death of a Palestinian…. Related: Soldiers shoot dead Palestinian at checkpoint
Deadlock in peace efforts testing Israeli coalition
1/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — The deadlock in Middle East peace efforts is placing strain on the ruling coalition of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with ministers of the doveish Labor party threatening to jump ship.” This government today is coming to a standstill,” Minorities Minister Avishay Braverman told reporters as he arrived Sunday at the weekly cabinet….
UN office concerned by West Bank deaths
1/2/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The office of UN Middle East envoy Robert Serry on Sunday expressed concern over the deaths of two Palestiniansin 48 hours in incidents involving the Israeli army.” We are very worried that two Palestinians have lost their lives in recent days in incidents involving Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank….
Egypt’s Copts clash with police
AlJazeera 2 Jan 2011 – Clashes on Sunday come as authorities question seven suspects over New Year blasts that killed 21 people.
Iran ‘downs two western spy drones’
AlJazeera 2 Jan 2011 – Iran’s revolutionary Guards claim shooting down two drones in the Gulf for violations against the Islamic republic soil.
Iran stoning ruling ‘could change’
AlJazeera 2 Jan 2011 – Justice department official says death sentence may be commuted, while convict says she may “sue” journalists.
Tension flares amid Israeli raids
AlJazeera 2 Jan 2011 – One Palestinian shot dead at checkpoint in the West Bank and two more injured in Gaza as Israeli jets hit refugee camp.
Israeli Troops Kill a Palestinian Young Man in the Jordan Valley, Two Injured in the Gaza Strip
PNN – Jordan Valley ‚Äì PNN ‚Äì A Palestinian young man was killed after Israeli soldiers shot him on Saturday morning at al Hamra roadblock in the Jordan valley. Mohamed Daraghma, 21 years old,…
Woman dies of Tear Gas Suffocation in Bil’in
PNN – Bil’in ‚Äì PNN – Jawaher Abu Rahma , 35 years old, from the central West Bank village of Bil’in died on Saturday afternoon after inhaling Israeli tear gas fired at protesters during the…
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (23 – 29 December. 2010)
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
NIS 4m. gives Bikur Cholim a month’s lease on life
Jeruslalem Post 3 Jan 2011 – Funds may be a delaying tactic by Treasury until beds, third of the personnel can be divided among J’lem’s 3 main hospitals.
Bil’in victim dreamed of meeting brother ‘in paradise’
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – Jawaher Abu Rahma is the 21st activist, 2nd from her village to die as an apparent result of IDF actions at West Bank demonstrations.
‘Hizbullah can fire 400-600 rockets a day in next war’
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – Mossad official’s estimate from leaked cable predicts Tel Aviv will be hit; Iran has 300 long-range missiles, IDF chief says.
US denies anger at Barak over peace process problems
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – Sources close to PM and Defense Minister accuse political rivals of trying to undercut Barak.
PA official: Chile, Uruguay to recognize Palestinian state
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – Ecuador will join Brazil in welcoming a Palestinian Embassy, Riyad al-Maliki says, Chilean president to visit West Bank.
CNN Arabic readers vote Erdogan ‘Man of the Year’
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – Turkish PM’s popularity in the Arab street attributed to flotilla incident and his role as mediator between Iran and the West.
Two arrested for Hamas plot to fire rockets at stadium
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – Hamas activists from e. J’lem gathered intelligence on Teddy Stadium in the city as part of terror attack plan, Shin Bet investigation revealed.
Jerusalem in 2111 film competition winner announced
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – Winning video, ‘Secular Quarter #3’, directed by Israeli film student David Gidali depicts futuristic J’lem divided by steel walls and covered by dome.
IAF strikes Gaza in response to Kassam rocket firing
Jeruslalem Post 2 Jan 2011 – The air force hit three targets in the strip including weapons factory; IDF says it holds Hamas responsible for any terrorist activity in Gaza.
International Solidarity Movement
Demonstrators ‘return’ tear gas canisters to US ambassador’s home
1/2/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – 972 Magazine – Israeli activists protesting the killing of Bil’in’s Jawaher Abu Rahmah “Àúreturned’ spent tear gas canisters to the residence of the American ambassador to Israel late Saturday evening. Jawaher Abu Rahmah, 36, was evacuated to the Ramallah hospital on Friday after inhaling massive amounts of tear-gas during the weekly…. Related: +972 Magazine
Civilian killed by Israeli military in Gaza
1/2/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – International Solidarity Movement, Gaza – On Tuesday evening, December 28, 19-year-old Hassan Mohammed Qedeh was killed by the Israeli military in the village of Khoza’a, east of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. According to the Israeli forces, and subsequently repeated by various media outlets, he was a resistance fighter. However, witnesses….
Netanyahu proposes plan to strengthen Israel’s emergency services
Ha’aretz – PM to present government with bill allocating NIS 800 million for earthquake and fire preparedness; proposed reforms include transferring fire services care from Interior Ministry to Public Security Ministry.
Outgoing Mossad chief: I did the best I could
Ha’aretz – Speaking before Sunday’s cabinet meeting, Meir Dagan devotes his parting words to praise those who choose to serve in the Mossad.
It’s official: 2010 was record year for travel in Israel
Ha’aretz – Approximately 11.485 million passengers passed through Ben Gurion Airport over the course of the year on international flights ‚Äì an increase of 9.3 percent since 2009.
Shas’ rebel MK: The party is turning Sephardi Jews into anti-Zionists
Ha’aretz – Haim Amsalem reiterates stance on easing conversions and urges ultra-Orthodox to ‘go to work’.
Netanyahu scores last-minute deal to stop crippling nation-wide strike
Ha’aretz – Agreement comes after late night meeting called by PM Netanyahu with finance and interior ministers and the Union of Local Authorities.
Five Supreme Court justices likely to recuse themselves from Katsav appeal
Ha’aretz – The five justices were on the expanded bench that heard appeals by social action groups and three complainants in July and October 2007 against the plea bargain with Katsav.
Police clash with leftists at Tel Aviv rally over Palestinian protester’s death
Ha’aretz – Hundreds of activists protest in front of Defense Ministry after Palestinian woman dies as a result of tear gas shot by IDF; Police reportedly slap former Meretz MK.
Palestinian FM: Chile, Paraguay to recognize Palestinian state in coming weeks
Ha’aretz – Uruguay also expected to recognize independent Palestinian state based on 1967 borders in March; Ecuador also due to open PA embassy.
WikiLeaks quotes IDF chief: Iran could hit Israel within 12 minutes
Ha’aretz – Gabi Ashkenazi told U.S. officials in 2009 that Israel was preparing for war against Hamas, Hezbollah and that rocket threat against Israel is ‘more serious than ever.’
Abbas: Israeli-Palestinian peace could be reached in two months
Ha’aretz – Palestinian leader urges Netanyahu to take new approach to peace process; Netanyahu: I’ll sit for direct talks until agreement achieved.
Egypt kills African migrant trying to sneak into Israel
Ha’aretz – Officers on patrol opened fire on the infiltrator after he refused orders to stop, hitting him twice in the stomach., 36-year-old Jawaher Abu Rahmah died Saturday, a day after inhaling…
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary to get tips from Israel on airport security
Ha’aretz – Napolitano’s tenure has been dogged by two attempted Al-Qaida attacks on U.S.-bound planes as well as traveler protests at intrusive airport pat-downs and screenings.
11 Israeli activists arrested after protest at home of U.S. ambassador
Ha’aretz – Demonstrators were protesting death of 36-year-old Palestinian woman, who inhaled tear gas at a rally against the West Bank fence on Friday.
IDF troops kill Palestinian apparently planning to stab them
Ha’aretz – Soldiers open fire at Mohammed Drajma, 21, refuses their orders to stop as he approached a West Bank checkpoint carrying a broken bottle.
Labor members tell Barak: Your claims on peace process damaged Israel in eyes of U.S.
Ha’aretz – U.S. officials feel Defense Minister ‘deceived’ them about his ability to pressure Netanyahu into resuming talks; Labor mulling ultimatum for Netanyau: Hold direct talks or we’ll quit coalition.
IDF opens probe into death of Palestinian protester
Ha’aretz – Jawaher Abu Rahmah, 36, died after inhaling tear gas at a protest against Israel’s separation barrier in the village of Bil’in on Friday.
Netanyahu to Mubarak: Israel and Egypt must stand united against terrorism
Ha’aretz – PM reacts to church bombing in Alexandria which killed 21 people; Netanyahu to meet with Egyptian president next week to discuss deadlock in peace process.
Israeli soldiers shoot dead Palestinian at checkpoint
Uruknet January 2, 2011 -sraeli forces on Sunday shot dead a Palestinian man at Hamra checkpoint east of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Sources in the Palestinian Red Crescent identified the man as Tubas-resident Mahmoud Muhammad Dharaghma, 21, and said his body was riddled with bullets. Eyewitness Dr Hatim Froukh said Dharaghma was shot at close range by three…
This Year, The Illegal, Malicious Israeli Occupation Must End
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – To those who dwell in Palestine and Israel who oppose injustice and are working in solidarity to end Israel’s cruelty, salutations, and greetings to the people of the world who support their struggle. The appalling death yesterday of Jawaher Abu Rahmah from inhalation of tear gas fired by the Israeli Occupation Forces at a peaceful…
In Italy, “A propos de notre mission en Palestine”, and more
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – The teargas grenades that killed Jawaher Abu Rahmah were most likely made in the USA. So 11 people were arrested by Israeli police as they protested in front of the residence of the US Ambassador to Israel. Demonstrations and vigils were held in many cities and towns around the world. We had a small but…
IDF: Palestinian killed at checkpoint was unarmed
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – An IDF soldier guarding the West Bank checkpoint of Bekaot shot and killed a Palestinian man despite observing that he was unarmed, an initial investigation of Sunday’s incident showed. It appears that eight bullets were fired at the 20-year-old Tubas resident, Mohammad Dragma, when more soldiers rushed to help the first soldier in the shooting…
TOXIC ZIONISM
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – ….Why is there silence when a Palestinian child is slaughtered? Why is there silence when an entire segment of the Palestinian people is slaughtered in Gaza? Why is there silence when a family is evicted from their home to make room for illegal squatters? Why is there silence when two people from one family are…
MasterCard Hosted Mossad Assassins, Blocked WikiLeaks
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – The U.S. credit card company MasterCard, has hosted murderous Israeli intelligence agents from the terrorist state’s MOSSAD secret service. The wanted criminals had used passports from other countries including Australia whilst carrying out the murder of an Arab leader in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in the Arabian Gulf. Australia has not retaliated against Israel for…
What really happened in Bil’in
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – ….I can say that Isabel Kershner’s comment in the New York Times, that these demonstrations “inevitably end in clashes, with young Palestinians hurling stones and the Israeli security forces firing tear gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets” completely reverses the course of events. The IOF commenced firing tear gas long before any demonstrators neared them….
The price of resisting
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – …In 2009, I spent six months living in Bil’in; for four months straight, the Israeli army would raid the village at night, taking young teenage boys from their homes, some as young as thirteen years old, and imprisoning them for months on end. No reasons were given for their arrests, but those attending the demonstrations…
An open letter from Gaza to Thomas Quasthoff: Do not Forget the Gaza Concentration Camp and “Tell It like It Is!”
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – Dear Mr. Thomas Quasthoff, We are a group of artists, singers, academics and students from Gaza, and our only fault is being Palestinians. For that, Mr. Quasthoff, we are imprisoned with our families and loved ones in what even main-stream Human Rights Organizations call the largest open air prison in modern history. It has come…
Israeli forces arrest 2 children in Jerusalem
Uruknet Janaury 2, 2011 — Israeli forces on Sunday detained two Palestinian children in Jerusalem’s Old City, witnesses said. Khaled Dweik, 6, and his 7-year-old cousin Mohammad Suheil were playing hopscotch in the Bab Al-A’mud area. They were throwing stones as part of the game and accidentally hit an Israeli soldier who then arrested them, locals said…
Demonstrators ‘return’ tear gas canisters to US ambassador’s home
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – Israeli activists protesting the killing of Bil’in’s Jawaher Abu Rahmah ‘returned’ spent tear gas canisters to the residence of the American ambassador to Israel late Saturday evening. Jawaher Abu Rahmah, 36, was evacuated to the Ramallah hospital on Friday after inhaling massive amounts of tear-gas during the weekly protest in Bil’in, and died of poisoning…
Tension flares amid Israeli raids
Uruknet January 2, 2010 – Two civilians have been injured in air raids on Gaza by Israeli forces, according to Palestinian emergency services officials, while the Israeli military says a projectile has been fired on Israel. A military spokesman said it was launched from the Gaza Strip into the southern Eshkol region on Sunday. No casualties or damage were reported…
Gazan youth issue manifesto to vent their anger with all sides in the conflict
Uruknet January 2, 2010 – The meeting takes place in a bare room in a block of flats in the centre of Gaza City. No photographs, no real names ‚Äì those are the conditions. This is the first time that a group of young Palestinian cyber-activists has agreed to meet a journalist since launching what it calls Gaza Youth’s Manifesto…
WikiLeaks: Israel preparing for ‘large scale war’
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – “I am preparing the Israeli army for a large scale war, since it is easier to scale down to a smaller operation than to do the opposite,” Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi was quoted as saying in a cable from the US embassy in Tel Aviv. The document, dated November 15, 2009, was quoted Sunday in…
Andy Worthington Visits the US to Campaign for the Closure of Guant?°namo on the 9th Anniverary of the Prison’s Opening, January 6-12, 2011
Uruknet January 2, 2011 – The 9th anniversary of the opening of the “War on Terror” prison at Guant?°namo Bay is on January 11, and, in the hope of raising awareness of the need for action to close Guant?°namo and to secure fair trials or release from the prison for the 174 men still held, Andy Worthington, freelance investigative journalist,…
Child, Paramedic Wounded By Army Fire During Nabi Saleh Weekly Protest
Uruknet January 1, 2011 – s dozens of residents and international peace activists held their nonviolent weekly protest against the Annexation Wall in Nabi Saleh village, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers violently attacked them and fired rubber-coated metal bullets and gas bombs leading to several injuries. Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers fired dozens of gas bombs at…
Running Cover for IsraelThe US Congress’s Pet Pariah
Uruknet January 1, 2011 — This week marks the second anniversary of among the most savage criminal slaughters of human life in long memory. The 522 hour indiscriminate carnage, “Cast Lead” that killed 1,417 Palestinians, mostly civilians, 352 of them children, injuring for life more than 5,300 , indicts Israel as well as those countries that continue to supply it weapons,…
Israeli Army Injured Over 1,000 Palestinian Demonstrators in 2010
Alternative Information Center – A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) states that during the last week of 2010, Israeli forces injured 38 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, more than…
Cornerstone Laid for Palestinian Embassy in Brazil
Alternative Information Center – Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas was in Brasilia on Friday, 31 December, to lay the first stone in what will be the first Palestinian embassy in the Americas.
Settlers Plan Race through Hebron to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Kiryat Arba Colony
Alternative Information Center – In early February a “City of Ancestors Race” will take place in Hebron with hundreds of runners from throughout Israel, according to the Hebrew-language news site nrg.co.il .
Labour Must Stand for Palestine
Alternative Information Center – U.S. trade unionists are circulating an open letter to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka challenging his attack on the movement for boycott, sanctions and divestment (BDS) against Israel and explaining why the BDS movement is necessary, especially…
SPF Deivers Tonfa Training to 37 Recruits
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 20, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Special Police Force (SPF) has successfully delivered a Tonfa training course to 37 new SPF recruits, according to a press release by EUPOL-COPPS,
Abu Rdeineh: All Settlement Forms are Illegal, Rejected
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 19 (WAFA)- The Presidency spokesperson , Nabil Abu Rdeineh confirmed today that all the forms of settlement (outposts and non-random) in Palestinian lands are illegal. Commenting
Netanyahu Declines Demolishing Settlements’ Random Units
WAFA – TEL AVIV, October 19 (WAFA) ‚Äì Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that he wouldn’t demolish the unregulated construction in a various settlements although the government has issued
The Elders Urge Comprehensive Approach to Arab-Israeli Peace
WAFA – DAMASCUS, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- The Elders have called for a more comprehensive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following discussions with officials, civil society, business and
France Provides €4 million for Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant
WAFA – JERUSALEM, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- On Sunday 17 of October 2010, at Ministry of Planning, Mr Dov Zerah, CEO of the French Development Agency (AFD), Dr Ali Jarbawi, Minister of Planning and
IOF deploys Ariel Settlement
WAFA – SALFIT, October 19 (WAFA)- The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) deployed, today, the Ariel Settlement that is established by force on the lands of the Salfit, Iskaka, Yasuf and Burkin
Dr. Erakat: Israel Seeks De Facto Recognition of Illegal Practices
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiations Affairs Department Dr. Saeb Erakat said, yesterday, “By hosting the OECD conference in Jerusalem,
Observer: Israeli Government on Division Verge, Netanyahu Negotiates Kadima
WAFA – LONDON, October 17, 2010(WAFA) – The British Newspaper ‘Observer’ wrote that the Israeli government is facing the division risk because of the deadlock in the negotiations with the Palestinians
Egypt reels from terror attack on Christians
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 Israel’s Army chief told a US Congress delegation in late 2009 he was preparing for a large war in the Middle East, probably against Hamas or Hizbullah, leaked US diplomatic cables showed Sunday.The revelations come at…
US cable: Israel preparing for large-scale war in Middle East
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 Israel’s Army chief told a US Congress delegation in late 2009 he was preparing for a large war in the Middle East, probably against Hamas or Hizbullah, leaked US diplomatic cables showed Sunday.The revelations come at…
Israeli troops kill Palestinian at West Bank checkpoint
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 NABLUS, Occupied West Bank: Israeli troops shot dead a Palestinian at a checkpoint near the occupied West Bank city of Nablus Sunday, less than 48 hours after a female protester died after being tear-gassed. Palestinian officials…
Iran says it shot down two Western spy planes in Gulf
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 TEHRAN: Iran has shot down two unmanned Western reconnaissance drone aircraft in the Gulf, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency Sunday.”Many spy planes and ultra-modern aircrafts of…
Islamic Republic may commute woman’s stoning sentence
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 TEHRAN: The sentence of death by stoning issued by an Iranian court against a mother of two could be quashed, a senior judiciary official said Sunday, adding some ambiguities remained in her case.When asked by Fars…
Name Mossad abductors, Iran MP tells Turkey
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 TEHRAN/BEIRUT: A senior Iranian MP called on Turkey to expose the “Zionist kidnappers” of a former deputy defense minister who went missing in Istanbul in 2007, Fars news agency reported Sunday.”Turkey is expected to release the…
Deadlock in peace efforts testing Israeli coalition as Labor threatens to quit
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: The deadlock in Middle East peace efforts is placing strain on the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with ministers of the dovish Labor party threatening to jump ship.”This government today is coming…
Qatar, US sign security pact on terrorism, airport security
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 DOHA: US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and her Qatari counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani signed a bilateral security accord to boost bilateral cooperation Sunday.”Homeland security does not begin at America’s borders -…
WikiLeaks: US says Egypt military resists change
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 The Egyptian military’s capabilities have “decayed” and must be modernized to counter new threats, but the country’s ageing leadership has resisted change, according to US diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks.
Asian aid ship sets sail with supplies for Gaza
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 DAMASCUS: An aid ship with goods for the blockaded Gaza Strip and backed by Asian activists has set sail from the Syrian port of Latakia for Egypt, a Palestinian official said in Damascus Sunday.Khaled Abdel-Majid, a…
Alexandria mourners want blood of Christian victims avenged
Daily Star 2 Jan 2011 Grieving Christian women wept and urged God to “avenge” their dead as they gathered Sunday at a bloodied church in northern Egypt where 21 people were killed in a New Year Day’s bombing.”God avenge our martyrs,”…
Israel investigates tear gas death of Palestinian protester
The Guardian 2 Jan 2011 – Jawaher Abu Rahmeh inhaled tear gas fired by soldiers at weekly protest in Bilin against Israel’s West Bank barrier The Israeli military has launched an investigation into the death of a Palestinian woman who was overcome…
Asian ship sets sail with Gaza aid
Relief Web 2 Jan 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse
Israeli troops kill Palestinian at W.Bank checkpoint
Relief Web 2 Jan 2011 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet
EGYPT: Church Bombing Fuels Sectarian Rift
IPS It was a tragic year for Egypt’s minority Coptic Christian community that began with a drive-by shooting at a church in southern Egypt, and ended in deadly clashes near Cairo after authorities halted construction of a church. As 2010 came to a close, Copts ushering in the New Year with…
Iran: We shot down 2 ‘Western spy’ drones
YNet News – Revolutionary Guards’ air force commander boasts that all ‘enemy’ bases in Gulf….
Report: Iran to commute Ashtiani’s sentence
YNet News – Prosecutor says case of woman charged with murdering her husband and sentenced….
Hamas plan: Missile at soccer match
YNet News – Shin Bet investigation reveals two east Jerusalem residents visited hill….
Palestinian shot to death at roadblock
YNet News – Troops open fire at man approaching IDF force southeast of Nablus with broken….
US murder suspect commits suicide in Israel
YNet News – Israeli doctor accused of killing two women, committing insurance fraud in US….
IAF strikes in Gaza after mortar fire
YNet News – IDF Spokesperson’s Office says aircraft bombed several targets in southern,….
IDF: Palestinian killed at checkpoint was unarmed
YNet News – An IDF soldier guarding the West Bank checkpoint of Bekaot shot and killed a Palestinian man despite observing that he was unarmed, an initial investigation of Sunday’s …….
PA: Chile, Uruguay to recognize state
YNet News – The Palestinian Authority announced Sunday that Chile and Uruguay intend to declare recognition of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. According to …….
Cable: Israel planned ‘large-scale war’ in 2009
YNet News – Israel’s army chief told a US Congress delegation in late 2009 he was preparing for a large war in the Middle East, probably against Hamas or Hezbollah, leaked US …….
Palestinian Information Center
Arab Organization takes legal action against chief PA officials
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – The England-based Arab Organization for Human Rights addressed PA chief Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad demanding a solution to West Bank hunger strikers who are demanding their freedom.
Resistance factions stage Gaza sit-in to protest West Bank political arrests
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – Palestinian resistance factions have staged a sit-in on the Legislative Council’s courtyard in Gaza to reiterate their opposition to the unjustified spree of political arrests in the West Bank.
Bahr phones Amr Moussa to save hunger strikers
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – Palestinian Legislative Council deputy speaker, Ahmed Bahr, phoned Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa noon Sunday asking him to come to the aid of the six Hamas hunger strikers.
Israeli military sources acknowledge that the slain Palestinian was not armed
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – Israeli military sources acknowledged on Sunday that the Palestinian youth who was killed earlier today at the Hamra roadblock near Tobas city was not carrying a knife or a firebomb.
Hamas holds PA fully responsible for lives of political detainees in its jails
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – The Hamas Movement held the PA and its security forces fully responsible for the lives and safety of all political prisoners in their jails, especially the hunger strikers in Jericho prison.
Families of hunger strikers appeal for saving their sons from death
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – The families of five hunger strikers said their sons may die any moment and appealed to all human rights organizations to intervene with the Palestinian authority to get their sons released.
Report: Israel demolishes 55 Jerusalem homes in 2010
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – Israel’s Jerusalem municipality leveled 40 homes and forced 15 Palestinian families to rip down their homes by their own hands in the holy city in 2010, said the Wadi Ain al-Halwa Information Center.
Hamas MPs: Murdering unarmed civilians reveals Israel’s savagery
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – Hamas lawmakers in Nablus strongly denounced the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) for murdering Ahmed Muslamani near the Hamra roadblock east of Nablus in cold blood.
Masri: Gaza today is harder to break, fears no Israeli threats
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – Senior Hamas official Mushir Al-Masri said that Israel’s threats and psychological warfare against Gaza people do not intimidate them, stressing that Gaza today is much stronger and harder to break.
Israel to isolate settlements around Gaza with trees
PIC 2 Jan 2011 – Israel has sights set on cordoning off settlements with dense trees to isolate communities there from their Palestinian neighbors in the Gaza Strip.
Human Rights Group Calls on Gaza to Abolish Capital Punishment
The Media Line 11 Dec 2010 – Call came amid increase in death sentences by military court A military court in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip has sentenced at least four men to death, prompting a Palestinian human rights organization to level harsh criticism…
Storm shuts down eastern Mediterranean
The Media Line 11 Dec 2010 – Ports and Suez Canal closed, ship sink in storm following severe Mideast drought Mother Nature was wreaking havoc in the eastern Mediterranean, sending a surging storm across the region Sunday which sank a ship, shut ports…
Gas Companies Take Offensive Against Israeli Tax Plan
The Media Line 11 Dec 2010 – Recommended increase of government’s take to 60% reflects third world thinking TEL AVIV ‚Äì Israel’s decision to reconsider its tax and royalty regime for energy is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and risks future exploration, the…
Palestinians Killed, Israeli Soldier Wounded in Gaza Clash
The Media Line 11 Dec 2010 – aching the security fence separating Israel and the Gaza Strip Saturday night killing two. A short time later, when soldiers began a search of the scene of the incident, they were targeted by automatic rifle fire…
Palestinians Honor Firefighters Who Fought Israeli Blaze
The Media Line 11 Dec 2010 – ast week’s massive wildfire in Israel were honored on Saturday at a ceremony presided over by Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud ‘Abbas. ‘Abbas drew a historical parallel, explaining that, ” Palestinian history shows we have never hesitated to…
Netanyahu Tries to Straddle Religious-Secular Divide as Parliament Considers Conversion Bill
The Media Line 11 Dec 2010 – bill that will approve religious conversions conducted by Israel ‘s military is set for its first of three readings in the parliament, but its passage presents political difficulties for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Strongly opposed by the…
Egypt calls for calm as church bombing toll rises to 25
LA Times 3 Jan 2011 – Egyptian authorities try to keep tensions between Christians and Muslims from rising after the New Year’s bombing. At least seven people are being held on suspicion of involvement in the attack on a Coptic church. The New Year’s Day bombing of a church in the northern coastal city of Alexandria sparked calls for calm Sunday as Egyptian security officials scrambled to find suspects and the death toll rose to 25, according to a statement issued Sunday by the nation’s Coptic Orthodox Church.
Palestinians to appeal to U.N. with anti-settlement resolution
LA Times 2 Jan 2011 – The carefully worded resolution declares Jewish settlement in the West Bank a major obstacle to ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It is meant to increase pressure on Israel and the U.S. to move forward. Frustrated by the collapse of U.S.-sponsored peace talks, Palestinians are preparing to take their case to the U.N. Security Council in the coming days with a resolution declaring ongoing Jewish settlement in the West Bank a major obstacle to ending the conflict.
Egypt Tries to Calm Outrage Over Deadly Bombing at Coptic Mass
New York Times 2 Jan 2011 – Some blame government negligence for an attack that killed 21.
Israeli Troops Kill Palestinian Man in West Bank
New York Times 2 Jan 2011 – Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian man as he approached a checkpoint in the northern West Bank early Sunday holding a glass bottle, the military said.
Iran Says It Shot Down Two Drones in Persian Gulf
New York Times 2 Jan 2011 – Iran has shot down two unmanned western reconnaissance drone aircraft in the Gulf, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted as saying by the semi-official Fars news agency on Sunday.
Lo, Uri Avnery said to carry ‘Murders in Uniform’ poster
Mondoweiss – From Ofer in Israel. I’m trusting the translation… And I believe this was at the demonstration against the killing of Jawaher Abu Rahma.
Is it anti-Semitic to warn women about the perils of meeting Israeli men?
Mondoweiss – From Ynet today: Ashkelon rally targets Arabs who ‘seduce girls’ … Fliers handed out in anticipation of the rally say, “Father, wake up before Yusuf is sitting in your living room”. …..”Recently we have been witnessing a serious threat. Dozens of Arabs living near the beach in…
Let the world see….’A Child’s View from Gaza’
Mondoweiss – We posted this video of children’s drawings a week ago , but it deserves a repeat performance : The new year has arrived, 2011. Please let it be better than 2008-2009-2020; let it be better for Gaza. For Gaza I wish a year without war; without the shower…
Groundbreaking report terms Israel’s isolation cells ‘dungeons’
Mondoweiss – With a headshot of Marwan Barghouti, Haaretz brings us this chilling report from the Israel Bar Association describing Israel’s isolation wings at the Ayalon and Shikma prisons as “not fit for human habitation” and “look more like a dungeon.” “crammed, rancid with smells of sewer and…
Outside Akko, I run into Christian Zionists from Arkansas
Mondoweiss – I am always jolted by the contradictions of Ben Gurion airport, a bastion of modernity and normalcy, evocative art and posters celebrating the Israeli national mythos. I know my Palestinian friends cannot walk these corridors, my heart lurches when the 20 year old Israeli soldier asks…
“Israel Navy Chasing Gaza-Bound Asia 1”
Al-Manar 2 Jan 2011 – Two warships with Israel’s Navy are reportedly chasing a vessel from Asia 1, an Asia-sourced Gaza-bound aid ship in international waters. The ship, named Salam, is allegedly carrying tons of medical and food supplies for the Tel Aviv-blockaded Gaza Strip as well as eight human…
Abbas: Peace Agreement Could be Signed within 2 Months
Al-Manar 1 Feb 2011 – President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview on Palestinian television that a peace agreement with Israel could be signed within two months if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has good intentions, reported Israel Radio. Abbas said that what is needed is not negotiations, but decisions. He…
As Hundreds Mourned Gassed Woman’s Death, Israel Gunned a Palestinian
Al-Manar 1 Feb 2011 – At the time hundreds of Palestinians and anti-barrier activists have attended the funeral procession of a Palestinian protester who died after inhaling the gas fired by Israeli forces quelling a protest in the occupied West Bank, the occupation forces have shot dead a Palestinian man near…
Israeli Fighter Jets Strike Gaza Strip
Al-Manar 1 Feb 2011 – Israeli warplanes have pounded positions in the central and northern Gaza Strip, leaving at least two people injured, a Press TV correspondent reports. Israeli fighters bombarded the northern city of Jebaliya as well as areas in the central Gaza on Saturday night. The overnight…
Demonstrators ‘return’ tear gas canisters to US ambassador’s home
Joseph Dana 2 Jan 2011 – Peace Signs in the Back of Police Van in Tel Aviv 1.1.10 Picture Credit: Oren Ziv/activestills.org Israeli activists protesting the killing of Bil’in’s Jawaher Abu Rahmah ‘returned’ spent tear gas canisters to the residence of the American ambassador to Israel late Saturday evening. Jawaher Abu Rahmah,…
Iranians ‘shoot down spy drones’
BBC 2 Jan 2011 – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have shot down two “Western spy drones” in the Gulf, a senior Iranian commander is quoted as saying.
Palestinian killed at checkpoint
BBC 2 Jan 2011 – A Palestinian man is shot dead after trying to attack Israeli troops at a West Bank checkpoint, Israeli and Palestinian officials say.
Iran leader’s car gets $1m offer
BBC 1 Jan 2011 РA 33-year-old car owned by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that has been put up for auction reportedly attracts an offer of $1m (£640,000).
Iran ‘must free German reporters’
BBC 2 Jan 2011 – More than 100 prominent Germans appeal for the release of two journalists held in Iran after interviewing the son of a woman sentenced to die.
(en) Palestine-Israel, The heroic struggle of Bil’in and the IDF murder of a Female demonstrator Jawaher Abu Rahmah
A-infos 2 Jan 2011 – Bilin was cold yesterday. It rained and the wind and damp got to everything. —— About a thousand of us showed up — Palestinians, Israelis and internationals — to protest the apartheid barrier in the village. The Israeli army knew we were coming so flying checkpoints…
Articles
Obama and Israel: The pessimistic perspective
Avi Shlaim, 12/27/2010
The American-Israeli special relationship is a classic example of the tail that wags the dog. As a result of its palpable partiality towards Israel, America has lost all credibility in the eyes not only of the Palestinians but of the wider Arab and Muslim worlds. The so-called peace process has been all process and no peace. It is worse than a sham. Peace talks that go nowhere slowly provide Israel with just the cover it needs to pursue its relentlessly expansionist agenda on the West Bank. The asymmetry of power between Israel and the Palestinians militates against a just settlement of the conflict. A just settlement means a two-state solution, the emergence of an independent Palestinian state on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip with a capital city in East Jerusalem. Only America can push Israel into such a settlement. It has the leverage but it has not exercised it. America gives Israel money, arms, and advice. Israel takes the money, takes the arms, and ignores the advice.
Barack Obama’s election was widely expected to usher in a more even-handed policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the Cairo speech of 4 June 2009, Obama expressed support for ‘the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own’. Obama is a spell-binding orator. However, to use an American phrase, he is better at talking the talk than at walking the walk. The rhetoric has changed but subservience to Israel remains the order of the day. Obama, to be fair, did recognize at the outset that the expansion of Jewish settlements on the West Bank is the main obstacle to progress. He therefore insisted on a complete settlement freeze. Obama had three showdowns with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on this critical issue but he backed down each time. Why did the most powerful man in the world allow himself to be defeated and humiliated by his junior partner? The answer must lie, to a large extent, in the persistent power of the Israel lobby in the United States. more.. e-mail
What options exist for Netanyahu next time on the high seas?
Richard Lightbown, Redress1/2/2011
On 26 December thousands turned out in Istanbul to welcome the Mavi Marmara back to the port. A large banner on the starboard side featured photos of the nine martyrs from the Israeli raid. The ship had spent more than four months in Iskenderun where forensic experts had checked out the bullet holes that Israeli operatives had filled and painted over. Blood-stained clothing and heaps of ransacked baggage have been cleared away. No doubt the railings cut by activists for the makeshift defence of the ship have now been replaced, and perhaps the six kitchens have been restocked with knives and utensils to replace those taken to display to the world’s media as proof of a premeditated “lynch” of Israel’s well-equipped and highly-trained elite special forces. Israel’s continuing strangulation of Gaza
Already it has been announced that the ship is to leave on the first anniversary of the raid on 31 May 2011 in a renewed attempt to break the blockade. The need in Gaza remains acute. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reported on 18 October that Israel maintains a total ban on raw materials and construction materials necessary for rebuilding. (It is still unclear whether the 3,500 tons of cement from the flotilla was ever allowed to reach Gaza.) On 9 July the same non-governmental organization had stated that 86,000 homes and 900,000 tons of concrete were needed to make good the damage from Operation Cast Lead and provide for population growth.
Gisha, an Israeli organization that challenges restrictions on Palestinian movement, reported on 21 December that bureaucratic delays to permits for construction materials had thwarted international projects to build schools, hospitals and infrastructure, while projects administered by the Hamas government were using materials entering through the tunnels from the Egyptian border. In the five months between July and December 744 truckloads of cement, gravel and steel had entered the Strip via the Israeli crossings, compared with 900 tons (equivalent to 36 truckloads) which pass each day through the 30-40 tunnels intended for construction materials. more.. e-mail
The AZC’s internal ‘Information and Public Relations Department’ reports
Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy12/29/2010
Between 1962-1963 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee subpoenaed internal reports of the American Zionist Council during its investigation into the activities of registered agents of foreign principals. They discovered that more than $5 million in tax exempt (and possibly overseas donations) had been laundered through the Jewish Agency’s American Section into the American Zionist Council. The Jewish Agency functioned as a quasi-branch of the Israeli government, received Israeli government funding, and was able to review legislation before it went to the Knesset under its Covenant Agreement.
This violated IRS regulations on the use of tax exempt charitable funds and the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The following reports detail how the American Zionist Council used the funding in a sophisticated campaign to cajole and intimidate news media, subvert open debate about Israel and undermine reporting about key issues of the day such as Israel’s Dimona nuclear weapons facility, operation Susannah terror attacks on the United States, and the return of Arab refugees to their homes. The AZC tracked and targeted professors and engaged in covert operations obliquely referred to in the following internal reports.
After the Justice Department ordered the American Zionist Council to register as a foreign agent in late 1962, it transferred responsibilities to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which refuses to register as a foreign agent of the Israeli government.
On May 19, 1970, the Dow Jones Observer reported, “In 1963 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigated the Jewish Agency and uncovered a ‘conduit’ operation run by an organization called the American Zionist Council….” more.. e-mail
Interim Forever: Lieberman’s Peace Plan?
Palestine Chronicle: 2 Jan 2011 – By Uri Avnery – Israel ‘I have three answers,’ the Jew told the rabbi when his neighbor sued him for not returning a borrowed jar. “First, I never borrowed a jar from him. Second, the jar was broken. Third, I returned it to him long ago.” Avigdor Lieberman’s Peace Plan shows a similar kind of logic. Peace plan? Lieberman? Oh yes. Contrary to everything you thought, Lieberman wants peace, indeed is yearning for peace. So much so that he has spent days and nights working out an entire Peace Plan of his own. This week he summoned Israel’s 170 senior diplomats, the elite of our foreign service, and revealed his thoughts to them. The opinions of the Foreign Minister are of course binding for the diplomats, and from now on they constitute the guiding line for all Israeli diplomatic missions around the world. But first of all, Lieberman settled accounts…more
Will Zuma’s Foreign Policy on Palestine Take a Leap Forward?
Palestine Chronicle: 2 Jan 2011 – By Iqbal Jassat — Pretoria If Karima Brown is correct in her evaluation of President Jacob Zuma’s canny ability to gain ascendancy despite teetering on the brink, would it be an unreasonable expectation to have him propel South Africa to take a more hands-on approach regarding apartheid Israel? I raise this question in respect of what is generally perceived to be South Africa’s weak and indecisive foreign policy that, barring occasional censure of Israeli conduct, seems to be largely silent and ineffective. Brown, a highly respected journalist and commentator, in reviewing Zuma’s troubled past, points out how he bounces back to not only providing leadership to a fractured alliance, but also to effectively marginalize threats from a variety of internal threats. Nevertheless, this otherwise fine analysis lacks a significant dimension: Zuma’s foreign policy! Given that our advocacy work revolves around issues of Islamophobia and a number of themes related to…more
Palestine Betrayed — Book Review
Palestine Chronicle: 2 Jan 2011 – By George Polley (Efraim Karsh. Palestine Betrayed. Yale University Press, 2010.) Howard Sachar, author of A History of Israel, calls it ‘A work of meticulous, even exhaustive scholarship which must be taken with great seriousness and respect by historians of diverse points of view.’ Indeed, any student of modern Israel will ignore at their peril its sheer cornucopia of factual revelations’ (from the dust jacket) … and the sheer abundance of its factual exclusions. The following two quotations, one from the first page, the other from the last page of the text (257) establish the parameters of Professor Karsh’s study. “For Jews all over the world, this was the fulfillment of a millenarian yearning for national rebirth in their ancestral homeland. For Arab political elites, it was a shameful surrender of (a however minute) part of the perceived pan-Arab patrimony to a foreign invader.” “And so it goes on. More…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
To subscribe, please write to OccupationNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com or visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OccupationNews/join
The New Dark Age 
Leave a comment