5 January, 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Gaza Youth Manifesto Joins Supporters
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 17:45, The manifesto that an anonymous group of Gazan students, called Gaza Youth Breaks Out, issued three weeks ago showing their despair over the living conditions in the strip, has captivated thousands of supporters worldwide, The Guardian echoed. [see GAZAN YOUTH’S MANIFESTO FOR CHANGE]
Police Raid Homes of Israeli anti-Wall Activists
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 17:09, Israeli activists who are involved in protests against the Israeli annexation wall had their homes searched by Israeli police.
Call for Israeli Facebook Groups to be closed down
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 15:55, The deputy Israeli Attorney-General has asked the police in Israel to investigate two Facebook groups for inciting racism against Arabs.
Knesset to Vote on Proposal to Investigate Organizations Critical of Israeli Military
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 15:13, The Knesset will vote on Wednesday on a proposal initiated by Yisrael Beiteinu to establish a committee of inquiry into groups that are critical of human rights violations committed by the Israeli military.
Lieberman: At least a Decade to Achieve Mid-east Peace
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 13:16, Israeli hard right-wing foreign affairs minister Avigdor Lieberman, speaking to Agency France Press in an exclusive interview, stressed on Tuesday that at least a decade is needed to reach a political agreement with the Palestinians as he does not see any real goodwill from the Palestinian leadership and there are other issues which have higher priority.
European Activists Arrested at Al Hamra Checkpoint
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 12:48, Israeli troops arrested on Tuesday five activists from a European pro-Palestine movement as they were trying to cross the Al Hamra military roadblock, in the West Bank, the Palestinian Information Center reported.
Netanyahu Wants Israeli Spy Released From U.S Jail
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 12:47, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, sent on Tuesday a letter to President Barack Obama asking that he releases Jonathan Pollard, who was spying on Israel’s best ally, the United States, and was sentenced in 1987 to life in prison.
Fishermen Abducted off Gaza Port
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 12:08, Israeli navy detained, on Tuesday morning, an unspecified number of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing off the coast of Gaza City, local sources said.
EU Official: “Urgent Progress Is Needed” In Mideast Talks
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 11:58, Catherine Ashton, the Foreign Policy Chief of the European Union, is on her way to Israel and Palestine Wednesday, and told reporters as she headed to the region, “There is no alternative to a negotiated peace agreement”.
Two Israeli Airstrikes Hit Gaza Overnight
IMEMC – 5 Jan 2011 – Wednesday January 05, 2011 – 11:27, The Israeli Air Force attacked two areas in the Gaza Strip overnight under the pretext of responding to a Qassam homemade shell that was allegedly fired from Gaza into an open area in Ashkelon (Asqalan); no injuries were reported.
Wikileaks: Israel deliberately choked Gaza economy
1/5/2011 – OSLO (AFP) — Israel deliberately maintained the economy of the Gaza strip “on the brink of collapse” without “pushing it over the edge,” a leaked US diplomatic cable from 2008 showed Wednesday. According to a cable from the US embassy in Tel Aviv dated November 3, 2008 — obtained by WikiLeaks and posted online by Norwegian daily….
Hebron settlers scuffle with local governor
1/5/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Recently appointed Hebron Governor Kamil Hamid was visiting Wednesday the homes of locals who face constant settler harassment, when a mob of settlers surrounded the home he was in shouting “terrorist,” preventing the delegation from leaving the area. Israeli police operating in the neighborhood reportedly interfered when a fight broke out…. Related: Hebron governor visits Hamas-affiliated detainees
Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza twice overnight
1/5/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel’s airforce struck two areas in the Gaza Strip overnight, in what a statement said was a “response to this morning’s firing of a Qassam Rocket,” which allegedly hit outside Ashkelon on Tuesday. According to the military, the sites targeted were a “Hamas terror activity….
Israeli military: Factions launch 2nd round of projectiles
1/5/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israeli military officials reported a second projectile launch from Gaza on Wednesday afternoon, saying the a military-grade shell landed in the Negev hours after a home-made Qassam landed in the same region. Neither launch has yet been claimed by Palestinian factions operating in Gaza. Israel’s Channel 7….
2 East Jerusalem activists arrested
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel police have arrested two Palestinian activists from a flashpoint neighborhood in East Jerusalem in a move local officials said on Wednesday was politically motivated. Adnan Gheith, a political activist from Silwan in annexed East Jerusalem, was arrested by police on Wednesday on suspicion of attacking a Jewish settler, his lawyer Rami Othman….
Israeli police raid leftist homes
1/5/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) —Israeli activists who participate in protests against their country’s separation barrier came under state attack on Wednesday, with special forces entering homes in Tel Aviv. Israeli special police forces showed up outside one home in central Tel Aviv, shared by a number of left-wing activists. After spending….
Israeli MPs vote to probe rights group
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli MPs on Wednesday voted in favor of a parliamentary inquiry into the funding of local rights groups allegedly helping to build war crimes cases abroad against Israeli military personnel. The 41-15 vote in the 120-seat assembly brought a storm of protest from local rights groups, with The Public Committee Against….
Palestinian psychiatrist wins Olof Palme Prize
1/5/2011 – STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AFP) — Palestinian psychiatrist Eyad El-Sarraj on Tuesday won the 2010 Olof Palme Prize for his “self-sacrificing and indefatigable struggle for common sense, reconciliation, and peace” in the Middle East, the Swedish jury said. El-Sarraj, who in 1977 became the first psychiatrist to practice in Gaza, is the founder of the Gaza Community Mental….
Israel rejects appeal for rights violations data
1/5/2011 – TEL AVIV (Ma’an) — Israel’s High Court on Tuesday rejected a petition requesting the release of information on rights violations by military interrogators in the West Bank, rights groups said. Israeli organization Yesh Din and the Movement for Freedom of Information petitioned the court to disclose information on how frequently military interrogators…. Related: Yesh Din: Petition rejected
Israel troops fire on Palestinians at Gaza border
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli troops opened fire on a group of Palestinians apparently trying to breach the Gaza Strip border on Wednesday, hitting at least one of them, the military said. The border shooting came hours after militants fired what were apparently two mortar shells into southern Israel without causing any damage or casualties, the army….
Activists: Military claims over tear gas death ‘ridiculous’
1/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) —Substantial evidence contradicts the army’s version of the events surrounding the death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah, activists said Tuesday, after Israeli military officials told international media that they believed some evidence in the case to be false. A statement from the Popular Organizing Committee said the facts contradicting the…. Related: Israeli investigation doubts death by tear gas
Palestinian businesses demolished in East Jerusalem
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) —Israeli authorities on Wednesday demolished the businesses of a Palestinian resident northeast of Jerusalem, witnesses said. Forces destroyed two garages, a car wash and building materials belonging to Abed Al-Aziz Al-Khatib, a resident of Hizma. The buildings provided the main source of income for Al-Khatib’s 50-member family, he….
Egyptian border forces shoot migrant
1/5/2011 – EL-ARISH, Egypt (Ma’an) — A Sudanese migrant was injured Wednesday morning while he was attempting to enter Israel, Egyptian security sources said. Egyptian forces fired at the man three kilometers from the Kerem Shalom crossing, officials said….
Ramsey Clark: Siege on Gaza must end
1/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Former US Attorney General William Ramsey Clark said Wednesday that what he witnessed in Gaza was “far beyond expecations.” Clark said the trip had been tough and the journey exhausting. He waited for several hours at Cairo airport before he crossing to the blockaded coastal enclave by land at Rafah…. Related: US member of Saddam defense committee visits Gaza
Muslim, Christian and Jewish clerics meet in Ramallah
1/5/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) – Muslim, Christian and Jewish clerics met in Ramallah on Wednesday to declare a joint stance on Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem. The religious leaders met at the offices of the Islamic Christian Commission in Support of Jerusalem and the Holy Sites. In a news conference at the Ramallah office, the….
Netanyahu heckled at fire memorial
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Angry mourners on Wednesday heckled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and forced another minister to leave a memorial service for 44 people killed in Israel’s worst forest fire. Netanyahu was speaking at a state memorial service marking 30 days since their deaths in the blaze, the worst in Israel’s 62….
US member of Saddam defense committee visits Gaza
1/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — An American delegation headed by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Tuesday night, saying the visit would be a chance to see first hand the conditions in the area. Clark was Attorney General under US President Lyndon Johnson in the 1960s, and later…. Related: Ramsey Clark: Siege on Gaza must end
Two Gaza crossings open for limited goods transfer
1/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The bulk goods crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip opened on Wednesday, for the second time in a week, amid UN warnings of a sustained wheat crisis in Gaza. Liaison official Raed Fattouh said 140 truckloads of wheat and animal feed would enter the Strip through the karni crossing….
Hebron governor visits Hamas-affiliated detainees
1/5/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) – Hebron governor Kamil Hamid on Wednesday visited Hamas-affiliated detainees held by Palestinian Authority security services. Hamid told Ma’an he wanted to check up on the prisoners after they partially ended a hunger strike, and to listen to their demands and pass them on to President Mahmoud Abbas. The governor…. Related: Hebron settlers scuffle with local governor
Nurse attacked at Nablus Hospital
1/5/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority police on Wednesday arrested two men who allegedly attacked a nurse in the emergency room at a Nablus hospital. The nurse was treating the suspects’ father, police said, when the men he asked them to leave their father’s room so he could finish his examination. The….
Israel, Hamas, Damascus send condolences to Abbas
1/5/2011 – AMMAN, Jordan (Ma’an) — Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahhar contacted President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday and extended his condolences over the death of Abbas’s brother Attah who passed away on Monday in Damascus. During this call Az-Zahhar reiterated his hope that the rival political parties, his Hamas with Abbas’ Fatah, could reconcile….
Lieberman: No Mideast peace for ‘at least a decade’
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel’s hard-right wing settler Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told AFP on Tuesday “at least a decade” would be needed to reach a peace accord with Palestinians.” I think that we have good cooperation (with the Palestinians) on the economy and security and we must continue cooperation on these two levels and….
Italian singer brings Gaza twinning accord
1/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Deputy Gaza Mayor Nezar Hejazi welcomed renowned Italian opera singer Joseph Fallisi to the Strip on Wednesday. Fallisi arrived in Gaza with the Asia 1 aid convoy. A delegation from Gaza’s Culture Ministry and the head of the Palestinian union of artists Zakareyah Zein Din joined the deputy….
Ashton: No alternative to negotiated deal
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will arrive in the Middle East on Wednesday, where she said she intends to push forward the peace process, saying in a statement that there was “No alternative to a negotiated deal.”On her two-day visit, she will meet leaders from both the Israeli and….
Drug dealer detained in Qalqiliya
1/5/2011 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority police on Tuesday arrested a suspected drug dealer in the West Bank city of Qalqiliya. Police said they seized drugs during a raid on the man’s barber shop. The investigation is ongoing, a police report said….
PA releases Dahlan-affiliate
1/5/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority security services released Wednesday the director of Mohammad Dahlan’s office in Ramallah, following his detention five days earlier. Mu’taz Khuder was detained in the course of an investigation by the Fatah Central Committee, the ruling party’s top body, into the actions of Dahlan….
Gaza ministry releases seized cars
1/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Gaza Transport Ministry said Wednesday it would release all cars seized over registration issues, ministry official Adnan Abu Auda said. In September, Israel allowed the import of new cars into the Strip for the first time since 2007. The Gaza ministry seized many of the imported vehicles from traders….
Palestinian health ministries exchange accusations
1/5/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The health ministries of the rival Palestinian governments in Gaza and the West Bank exchanged accusations on Wednesday. The Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry in Ramallah accused Gaza government security forces of arresting and dismissing health workers in the Strip, and summoning dozens more for questioning. Further, the PA….
Lieberman to stay put in coalition govt
1/5/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel’s ultra-nationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman appears set on becoming the new champion of the Israeli right although for the time being, he is happy to stay within the ruling coalition. Describing his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leader as “correct,” Lieberman told AFP he thought the makeup of….
H1N1 claims second Palestinian life in month
1/5/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Palestinian Minister of Health Fathi Abu Mughli confirmed the first H1N1-related death in the West Bank of the year, saying the virus, commonly known as swine flu, had made a resurgence in the region. The official said the victim was from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and had….
Police detain 3 Arab-Israelis suspected of forging cash
1/5/2011 – HEBRON (Ma’an) — Palestinian Authority police on Wednesday detained three men in Hebron accused of possessing forged currency. The men tried to buy a cell phone with a fake 500 shekel note (around $140) in a shop in Halhul, south of Hebron, police said. The shop owner noticed immediately and discreetly called the police….
Besieged Gaza two years after cast lead
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – December 28 was Cast Lead’s second anniversary, a three week onslaught inflicting an appalling human, destructive and environmental toll. The war ended. Regular attacks continued, and Gaza remains suffocating under siege. Yet world leaders are doing…
An insider’s reflections on Israeli-Palestinian dialogue
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Jerusalem – Why are we meeting? What is our goal? And if we achieve it, will it have any impact on the reality outside? These are a few of the questions Israeli and Palestinian members of…
Ramsey Clark: Siege on Gaza must end
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Maan – Former US Attorney General William Ramsey Clark said Wednesday that what he witnessed in Gaza was “far beyond expecations.” Clark said the trip had been tough and the journey exhausting. He waited for several…
Muslim, Christian and Jewish clerics meet in Ramallah
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Maan – Muslim, Christian and Jewish clerics met in Ramallah on Wednesday to declare a joint stance on Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem. The religious leaders met at the offices of the Islamic Christian Commission in Support…
Mubarak to meet with Netanyahu in Sharm al-Sheikh on Thursday
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Al Masry Al Youm – President Hosni Mubarak will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the resort city of Sharm al-Sheikh on Thursday. Informed sources said they will discuss obstacles facing the peace process…
Palestinian Red Crescent accuses Israel of blocking access
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Alert Net – The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has accused Israeli forces of violating international humanitarian law in 161 incidents against their crews and medical teams in 2010. Read Full Article Photo: [Wikimedia Commons]
Israel Planned to Keep Gaza’s Economy ‘on the Brink of Collapse,’ Leaked Cable Says
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – New York Times – According to a leaked United States diplomatic cable sent to Washington from the American embassy in Tel Aviv in late 2008, Israeli officials told American diplomats “on multiple occasions that they intend…
Palestinian businesses demolished in East Jerusalem
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Maan – Israeli authorities on Wednesday demolished the businesses of a Palestinian resident northeast of Jerusalem, witnesses said. Forces destroyed two garages, a car wash and building materials belonging to Abed Al-Aziz Al-Khatib, a resident of…
PFLP founder dies at 86
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Maan – Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine founder Ahmad Al—Yamani died in Beirut on Tuesday at the age of 86, PFLP politburo member Jamil Majdalawi said. Read Full Article Photo: Flag of the Popular…
Jerusalem boxing club unites Jews and Arabs in and out of the ring
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Washington Post – In a converted bomb shelter in a low-income Jewish neighborhood, Ismail Jaafari, a Palestinian boxer from across town, bobbed and weaved in the ring, trading punches with an Israeli opponent. They were sparring…
Gazan youth issue manifesto to vent their anger with all sides in the conflict
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – The Guardian – The meeting takes place in a bare room in a block of flats in the centre of Gaza City. No photographs, no real names — those are the conditions. This is the first…
Breaking the Israel-Palestine deadlock
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Noam Chomsky, Truthout – While intensively engaged in illegal settlement expansion, the government of Israel is also seeking to deal with two problems: a global campaign of what it perceives as “delegitimation” — that is, objections…
Price for Jonathan Pollard’s release should be a done deal on Palestine
Palestine Note 5 Jan 2011 – Jonathan Pollard was paid for his espionage by a foreign government. Whether that government was the Soviet Union, China, Great Britain, or as it turned out — Israel — Pollard was a compensated enemy of the…
Egypt charges pro-Copt activists
AlJazeera 5 Jan 2011 – Eight Muslim activists who joined Coptic demonstrations against Alexandria attack charged with disturbing public safety.
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
Lieberman invites Turkish counterpart for ‘honest dialogue’
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – In ‘Post’ op-ed, FM says Israel won’t be “punching bag,” but adds,”allies can have disagreements, it is how we deal with them that is the true mark of any relationship.” Poll: 63% of Turks want to freeze ties with J’lem.
FM calls on EU to form force to prevent Gaza smuggling
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – Lieberman tells Ashton once smuggling stops, Israel will lift Gaza closure; Netanyahu to meet Mubarak in Egypt.
Lior Lotan appointed next IDF spokesman
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – Appointment approved by Barak; to begin job when Ashkenazi steps down; served as exec.-dir. of Int’l Institute for Counter-Terrorism.
Left-wing NGOs mad Knesset to probe foreign funding
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – B’Tselem: Persecution and attempts at silencing will not stop us; Israel Beiteinu welcomes decision to establish committee of inquiry.
UN: We will not intervene in maritime gas drilling dispute
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – Lebanese FM Shami sends letter to Ban Ki-Moon, urging him to “prevent Israel from exploiting Lebanon’s oil and maritime wealth.”
UN: We will not interfere in maritime gas drilling dispute
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – Lebanese FM Shami sends letter to Ban Ki-Moon, urging him to “prevent Israel from exploiting Lebanon’s oil and maritime wealth.”
Former US attorney-general visits Hamas leader in Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – Ramsey Clark, a long-time critic of US foreign policy who served on Saddam Hussein’s legal team, meets with Haniyeh in 3-day solidarity mission.
2 Facebook groups accused of racism against Arabs
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – State Prosecutor’s Office asks police to investigate groups calling for acts of violence to be carried out against Arabs in Israel.
Lebanon to UN: Protect our gas from Israeli drilling
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – Lebanese FM Shami sends letter to Ban Ki-Moon, urging him to “prevent Israel from exploiting Lebanon’s oil and maritime wealth.”
Israel focuses its energy on clean technologies
Jeruslalem Post 5 Jan 2011 – Better Place’s Shai Agassi: When China comes to Israel to learn about electric cars, then something amazing is happening.
Netanyahu heckled by angry mourners at Carmel fire memorial, Yishai hounded out
Ha’aretz – Following state ceremony honoring the 44 victims, both Prime Minister and Interior Minister say their hearts are with the bereaved families; aides to Yishai: He suffered injustice on life television.
Leftist groups: ‘Witch hunt’ against us will destroy democracy in Israel
Ha’aretz – Knesset plenum votes overwhelmingly in favor of establishing panel of inquiry to probe source of funding for rights groups accused of ‘delegitimizing’ the IDF.
Israeli teen kills himself after teased during Facebook chat
Ha’aretz – Family of teen from central Israel say there were no warning signals that he may attempt suicide, believe friends on Facebook encouraged him to take his life.
Knesset votes to probe Israeli groups accused of ‘delegitimizing’ IDF
Ha’aretz – Panel of inquiry will primarily look into these groups’ funding sources, particularly to examine whether foreign state or terror-linked organizations are involved.
Israel Police recommend charging Interior Ministry D-G with fraud
Ha’aretz – Gabi Maimon suspected of involvement in fraud scheme in which apartments designated for residents who had been evacuated from their homes in Gush Katif were handed out in return for…
Israeli Facebook groups may face investigation for inciting racism
Ha’aretz – Deputy attorney general requested police open investigation into groups “Death to all Arabs”, and “Protest in Umm al-Fahm against the Islamic Movement”.
Two Netanya men suspected of raping 12-year-old girl
Ha’aretz – Investigation began when girl became pregnant and underwent an abortion; more arrests are expected.
Man sentenced to 40 months for purchasing weapon stolen from IDF chief’s office
Ha’aretz – Nashraf Sadir bought gun from Louis Maskuta, who was recently sentenced to 10 years after stealing items from office of Gabi Ashkenazi.
Former justice minister: Katsav should be pardoned after he is sentenced
Ha’aretz – Yossi Beilin tells Channel 1 that ex-president’s trial was traumatic for the country but that Israeli democracy passed the test.
Israel calls on EU to help stop weapons smuggling into Gaza
Ha’aretz – In the region to meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, EU foreign policy chief Ashton is told that Israel’s siege on Gaza will continue until Palestinian arms smuggling ends.
Israel asks U.S. to ban Turkish charity behind Gaza flotilla
Ha’aretz – IHH is banned in Israel over its alleged support for Hamas; WikiLeaks shows U.S. has expressed concern over its link to terror group.
IDF soldiers shoot Palestinians on Gaza border, reportedly killing one
Ha’aretz – Troops open fire on two figures approaching to the no-go zone, along the length of the border between Kfar Aza and Kibbutz Nahal Oz.
Israel to Palestinians: How can we make peace if you won’t talk to us?
Ha’aretz – Government spokesman Mark Regev urges the Palestinian leadership to rid itself of the ‘mirage’ that there can be any alternative to a negotiated agreement., Yoav Galant picks Colonel (res.) Lotan,…
Former U.S. attorney general visits Gaza on solidarity mission
Ha’aretz – Ramsey Clark, who served in the 1960s, has been a longtime critic of U.S. military policy in the Middle East.
Netanyahu backs plan to let more Palestinian workers into Israel
Ha’aretz – Proposal by Industry, Trade and Labor Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer would grant work permits to 5,250 West Bank Palestinians – 4,000 in construction and 1,250 in agriculture.
Medvedev to visit Palestinian territories, despite canceling Israel leg
Ha’aretz – Russian president had been planning to tour Israel as well, but was forced to cancel due to a strike at the foreign ministry.
Lebanon to UN: Protect gas from Israel drilling
Ha’aretz – An estimated 16 trillion cubic feet of natural gas was recently found off of Israel’s coast; it is largest amount of natural gas discovered in the world in last decade.
WikiLeaks: Israel aimed to keep Gaza economy on brink of collapse
Ha’aretz – Cable from the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv says Israeli officials wanted Gaza’s economy ‘functioning at the lowest level possible consistent with avoiding a humanitarian crisis.’
EU pushes Mideast talks, says ‘no alternative’ to negotiated deal
Ha’aretz – Foreign policy chief in region to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders, expected to press Israel to reopen access to Gaza.
IAF jets hit Gaza targets in wake of Qassam rocket attack
Ha’aretz – Two targets in Gaza struck in retaliation for earlier Qassam rocket launched into southern Israel; no injuries reported in both attacks.
A New Year’s song of hope for Gaza
Uruknet January 5, 2011 – …And yet I sang, after initially insisting on remaining in my chair. I wanted to fill my heart with joy. I wanted to teach my kids to be open-minded and think beyond the conservative way of life that is said to be imposed on them. I sang to tell the whole world that there is…
Israeli lawmakers approve ‘McCarthy-esque’ panel to probe ‘left-wing’ groups
Uruknet January 5, 2011 – Israeli left-wing organizations warned that the legislatures approval of a commission to investigate certain non-governmental organizations (NGOs) would “destroy democracy” in the nation. The Knesset plenum approved a proposal by members of the rightwing Yisrael Beiteinu party Wednesday to investigate the sources of funding for left-wing NGO’s accused of working against the Israel Defense Forces (…
Another arrest over US ambassador protest; Israel ramps up intimidation of leftists
Uruknet January 5, 2011 – Another Israeli activist has been arrested and jailed in connection to the protest in front of the US ambassador’s house last Saturday night. The activist was summoned for ‘questioning’ yesterday afternoon and arrested upon arrival. He has been charged with the same crimes as the other activists who were released yesterday on no bail. Unlike…
Wikileaks : Israel planned to push Gaza Strip to ‘brink of economic collapse’
Uruknet Januaty 5, 2011 – Israel deliberately maintained the economy of the Gaza strip “on the brink of collapse” without “pushing it over the edge,” a leaked US diplomatic cable from 2008 showed Wednesday. According to a cable from the US embassy in Tel Aviv dated November 3, 2008 — obtained by WikiLeaks and posted online by Norwegian daily Aftenposten…
Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza twice overnight
Uruknet January 5, 2011 – Israel’s airforce struck two areas in the Gaza Strip overnight, in what a statement said was a “response to this morning’s firing of a Qassam Rocket,” which allegedly hit outside Ashkelon on Tuesday…. No resistance faction has claimed to have launched a projectile toward Israel since the evening of January 2…
Besieged Gaza Two Years After Cast Lead
Uruknet January 5, 2011 – December 28 was Cast Lead’s second anniversary, a three week onslaught inflicting an appalling human, destructive and environmental toll. The war ended. Regular attacks continued, and Gaza remains suffocating under siege. Yet world leaders are doing nothing to end it or hold Israeli war criminals accountable. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) said “Gaza…
One Family in Gaza
Uruknet January 5, 2011 – Just months after the Israeli assault that killed 1,390 Palestinians, I visited Gaza. Among dozens of painful stories I heard, one family stood out. I spent several days with Kamal and Wafaa Awajah, playing with their children, sleeping in the tent they were living in, and filming their story. Wafaa described the execution of their…
Guest Media Alert – Tilting Towards IsraelJournalist Jonathan Cook Reveals The Bias In ‘Balance’ On Israel-Palestine
Uruknet January 4, 2011 – Towards the end of last year, we sent out two media alerts – Put The Palestinians On A Diet and Too Toxic To Handle? – about the corporate media’s failure to report the release of documents detailing Israel’s deliberate policy of near-starvation for Gaza. “The idea”, explained a senior Israeli official, “is to put the…
No Mideast peace for ‘at least a decade:’ Lieberman
Uruknet January 4, 2011 ‚Äî Controversial hard-right Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told AFP on Tuesday “at least a decade” would be needed to reach a peace accord with the Palestinians. “I think that we have good cooperation (with the Palestinians) on the economy and security and we must continue cooperation on these two levels and postpone the political solution…
Substantial Evidence Contradicts Army’s Version of Palestinian’s Death
Alternative Information Center – The evidence surrounding the events leading to the death of Bil’in resident Jawaher Abu Rahmah disproves completely the army spokesperson’s version, to the point of putting the army in a ridiculous light.
SPF Deivers Tonfa Training to 37 Recruits
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 20, 2010 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Special Police Force (SPF) has successfully delivered a Tonfa training course to 37 new SPF recruits, according to a press release by EUPOL-COPPS,
Abu Rdeineh: All Settlement Forms are Illegal, Rejected
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 19 (WAFA)- The Presidency spokesperson , Nabil Abu Rdeineh confirmed today that all the forms of settlement (outposts and non-random) in Palestinian lands are illegal. Commenting
Netanyahu Declines Demolishing Settlements’ Random Units
WAFA – TEL AVIV, October 19 (WAFA) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided that he wouldn’t demolish the unregulated construction in a various settlements although the government has issued
The Elders Urge Comprehensive Approach to Arab-Israeli Peace
WAFA – DAMASCUS, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- The Elders have called for a more comprehensive approach to the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks following discussions with officials, civil society, business and
France Provides €4 million for Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant
WAFA – JERUSALEM, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- On Sunday 17 of October 2010, at Ministry of Planning, Mr Dov Zerah, CEO of the French Development Agency (AFD), Dr Ali Jarbawi, Minister of Planning and
IOF deploys Ariel Settlement
WAFA – SALFIT, October 19 (WAFA)- The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) deployed, today, the Ariel Settlement that is established by force on the lands of the Salfit, Iskaka, Yasuf and Burkin
Dr. Erakat: Israel Seeks De Facto Recognition of Illegal Practices
WAFA – RAMALLAH, October 19, 2010 (WAFA)- Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization Negotiations Affairs Department Dr. Saeb Erakat said, yesterday, “By hosting the OECD conference in Jerusalem,
Observer: Israeli Government on Division Verge, Netanyahu Negotiates Kadima
WAFA – LONDON, October 17, 2010(WAFA) – The British Newspaper ‘Observer’ wrote that the Israeli government is facing the division risk because of the deadlock in the negotiations with the Palestinians
Egypt rules out foreign protection after Coptic church attack
Daily Star 5 Jan 2011 LONDON/TEL AVIV: Israel urged the Palestinian leadership to set aside a diplomatic campaign to widen the stalled peace process and get back instead to direct talks as the E.U. foreign policy chief kicked-off a two-day visit…
Israel dismisses Palestinian peace-deal alternatives as mirage
Daily Star 5 Jan 2011 LONDON/TEL AVIV: Israel urged the Palestinian leadership to set aside a diplomatic campaign to widen the stalled peace process and get back instead to direct talks as the E.U. foreign policy chief kicked-off a two-day visit…
WikiLeaks: Israel deliberately choked Gaza’s economy
Daily Star 5 Jan 2011 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israel told U.S. officials in 2008 it would keep Gaza’s economy “on the brink of collapse” while avoiding a humanitarian crisis, according to U.S. diplomatic cables published Wednesday by a Norwegian daily. Three cables…
Moqtada al-Sadr returns to Iraq after exile
Daily Star 5 Jan 2011 NAJAF, Iraq: Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr returned to Iraq Wednesday from years of self-imposed exile in Iran, after his faction struck a deal to join a new government, Sadrist officials said. Sadr’s return coincided with a…
Israeli lawmakers’ move to probe rights groups draws protest
Daily Star 5 Jan 2011 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli rights groups protested Wednesday a vote by Israeli M.P.s in favor of a parliamentary inquiry into the funding of local human rights groups allegedly helping to build war crimes cases abroad against Israeli…
Turks see U.S., Israel as top threats, poll reveals
Daily Star 5 Jan 2011 ANKARA: The United States and Israel top the list of countries that Turks see as a threat, according to an opinion poll released Wednesday. The survey, conducted by the Ankara-based Metropoll research company last month, found…
Jordan restores order to restive city, opens probe into riots
Daily Star 5 Jan 2011 AMMAN: Jordan’s government said Wednesday it has restored order to the restive southern city of Maan a day after violent riots sparked by the murder this week of two men in a labor dispute. “Calm and…
Knesset approves investigation of Israeli human rights groups
The Guardian 5 Jan 2011 – Commission of inquiry into groups monitoring activities of the Israeli military in occupied West Bank denounced as ‘McCarthyite’ The funding of Israeli human and civil rights groups is to be investigated amid claims they are acting…
The EU, Ireland and Luxembourg contribute to the Palestinian Authority’s payment of December salaries and pensions
Relief Web 5 Jan 2011 – Source: European Union
Israel deliberately choked Gaza economy: WikiLeaks
Relief Web 5 Jan 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse
INTERVIEW-Palestinians seek quick UN action on settlements
Relief Web 5 Jan 2011 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet
Bahrain to build health clinic and library in Gaza
Relief Web 5 Jan 2011 – Source: UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
Lebanon to UN: Protect gas from Israel
YNet News – Lebanese officials accuse Israel of drilling in fields that extend into Lebanon,….
WikiLeaks: Israel vowed to limit Gaza economy
YNet News – Blockade to keep Gaza ‘functioning at lowest level possible’ without….
Swine flu hits Israel, hospitals swamped
YNet News – Three people have died, 14 in critical condition as deadly flu spreads mainly….
Jordan: Swift action needed for peace
YNet News – Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Wednesday urged “swift action” to help push forward the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, warning against wasting more time, a palace …….
64% of Turks: Freeze ties with Israel
YNet News – The United States and Israel top the list of countries that Turks see as a threat, according to an opinion poll seen by AFP Wednesday. The survey, conducted by the …….
Knesset approves probe against leftist groups
YNet News – The Knesset approved on Wednesday Yisrael Beiteinu’s motion to establish a parliamentary inquiry commission into the funding of leftist organizations in Israel. The …….
Copts on global Christmas alert after Egypt bombing
YNet News – Coptic Christians around the world are on alert for possible copycat attacks ahead of their Christmas on Friday after Islamist radicals hailed a deadly church bombing in …….
Palestinian Information Center
Of course, Israel is Egypt’s enemy
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – Some Israeli officials have voiced surprise at revelations published by Wikileaks showing that the Egyptian military continues to view the apartheid Israeli regime as the primary strategic threat.
Protesters interrupt Barak speech, calling him ‘child killer’
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – Palestinian youth interrupted a Tel Aviv University speech by Ehud Barak, calling the Israeli war minister a Gaza child killer.
IOF troops raid southern, central Gaza Strip
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) raided central and southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday and bulldozed cultivated land lots, Palestinian security sources reported.
Haneyya briefs former US Attorney General on political developments in Palestine
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – The Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza Ismail Haneyya briefed former US Attorney General Ramsey Clarke noon Wednesday on the latest political developments in the Palestinian arena.
Khafsh holds IOA responsible for the life of Jordanian detainee
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – The director of the Ahrar center for prisoners’ studies and human rights, Fuad Al-Khafsh, held the IOA fully responsible for the life of Jordanian detainee Amjad Al-Sidir.
Abu Shaar condemns $18 million mosque conversion
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – Gaza religious affairs minister Talib Abu Shaar condemned Wednesday Israel for a multi-million dollar move to Judaize two mosques in the city of Jerusalem.
PA intelligence to hold military trials against hunger strikers in its jails
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – Without considering their poor health conditions, the PA intelligence apparatus told the hunger strikers in its jails on Tuesday that they would have to appear before military courts.
Former American justice minister arrives in Gaza
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – Ramsey Clark, the former American justice minister, arrived in the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border terminal heading a delegation at a late hour on Tuesday night.
Hamas MPs slams preventive security for summoning professor Ashqar
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – Hamas lawmakers denounced the Palestinian authority’s preventive security for summoning at night Tuesday professor and scientist Issam Al-Ashqar and held it fully responsible for his life.
Prison sources: Dr. Dhoqan’s health is steadily deteriorating
PIC 5 Jan 2011 – The health of Al-Najah University lecturer Dr. Ghassan Dhoqan is steadily deteriorating, sources inside the PA Junaid prison in Nablus told the PIC.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Visits Israeli Commando Unit
The Media Line 4 Jan 2011 – U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, visiting Israel, said Israeli-style airport security wouldn’t work for the United States. Known for its profiling methods, Israel hosted Napolitano and showed her how security was managed at Ben…
Netanyahu Off to Egypt to Meet Mubarak
The Media Line 4 Jan 2011 – Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is to travel to Egypt on Thursday to meet with President Husni Mubarak ostensibly to seek ways to revive the stalled peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Mubarak earlier this…
Jordan clamps down on rioting in south
LA Times 5 Jan 2011 – The clashes began in the Maan governorate after two people died in a fight among workers at a water project, official media reported. The troubles escalated into a wider dispute between rival clans. Security forces imposed a clampdown and officials warned troublemakers of consequences as calm was restored Wednesday in southern Jordan after several days of tribal violence.
Israeli Military Officials Challenge Account of Palestinian Woman’s Death
New York Times 5 Jan 2011 – The Israeli military is casting doubt on Palestinian accounts that a woman died from tear gas.
World Briefing | Mideast: Israel: An Appeal for a Spy’s Release
New York Times 5 Jan 2011 – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday read aloud in Parliament a letter asking President Obama for clemency for Jonathan Jay Pollard, left, the American serving a life term in a United States prison for spying for Israel.
VIDEO: B’Tselem worker beaten by Israeli soldier
Palestine Monitor – Two Palestinian family members were beaten and arrested by an Israeli soldier in their own olive grove last November, following an unlawful detainment of their two teenage relatives. Filming for B’Tselem near Susiya in the southern Hebron Hills, ‘Aliaa a-Nawaj’ah, 12, and her 14-year old brother…
Friday January 7 at 11.30 in Bili’in: Call for Women to come to remember, to honor Jawaher Abu Rahmeh
Palestine Monitor – We call for all women to participate alongside Italian Parliament member and peace activist Luisa Morgantini, in a silent vigil in Bil’in to express our grief and sorrow for the loss of the gentle and courageous Palestinian woman, nonviolent resister, Jawaher Abu Rahmeh. As the world…
Arab countries can’t compete globally because they are ‘baksheesh’ societies
Mondoweiss – Latest Wikicable, from 2006 : U.S. businesses allege that corruption by Israeli officials at Karni crossing is impeding their access to the Gaza market. As of late May 34 shipments of American goods, amounting to nearly USD 1.9 million dollars, have been waiting three to four months…
Signs of desperation in the lobby
Mondoweiss – A bunch of jobs are being advertised by the rightwing shoppe, The Israel Project , Lanny Davis’s old outfit that is Israel-right-or-wrong. Why are they hiring so many people? I believe because they’re flailing, because public opinion is changing fast on the special relationship, and even the…
The invisible world inside Israel
Mondoweiss – In a dream world, I would write about Palestinians in Israel. I would write about my experiences working and living in Israel, why I care and why it matters. I would talk about the myriad of perspectives, the layers and layers and layers of complications, melanges…
Collective punishment: Wikileaks doc says Israel kept Gaza on ‘brink of collapse’ partly as response to capture of Gilad Shalit
Mondoweiss – The Wikileaks cable first reported by Aftenposten and mentioned by Amy Goodman this morning on Democracy Now (and picked up by Robert Mackey at the Times and Andrew Sullivan too). The assault on the banking system was documented in November 2008, a few weeks before Cast…
#hasbarafail
Mondoweiss – From the official Twitter account of the Israeli Government’s Press Office: For the facts on Jawaher Abu Rahmah’s death, see here .
Two Israeli Airstrikes Target Gaza
Al-Manar 5 Jan 2011 – Israeli warplanes have conducted airstrikes on two locations in the Gaza Strip, but there have been no immediate reports of deaths or injuries. The attacks targeted the city of Dair al-Balah in central Gaza and the city of Rafah in the south, a Press TV…
Another arrest over US ambassador protest; Israel ramps up intimidation of leftists
Joseph Dana 5 Jan 2011 – Another Israeli activist has been arrested and jailed in connection to t he protest in front of the US ambassador’s house last Saturday night . The activist was summoned for ‘questioning’ yesterday afternoon and arrested upon arrival. He has been charged with the same crimes as the…
Netanyahu heckled at fire memorial
BBC 5 Jan 2011 – Israel’s PM and interior minister are heckled at a memorial service for the 42 people who died in the country’s worst-ever wildfire.
Dutch query Iran death sentence
BBC 5 Jan 2011 – The Dutch government is seeking “clarification” of reports that a Dutch-Iranian woman has been sentenced to death in Tehran.
Tea Party Should Emulate Clinton, Not Reagan
Antiwar.com 5 Jan 2011 – As the Tea Party migrates from the grass roots to the brier patch of the nation’s capital, sadly it will probably meet the same fate as other movements from “real America” who tried to plow new ground in Washington — in the ash heap of history….
Bereaved Israelis, Palestinians Unite Across Violent Borders
Antiwar.com 5 Jan 2011 – JERUSALEM — With Middle East peace talks at a standstill, a group of activists is taking matters into its own hands. The Parents’ Circle Families Forum, a group comprising Palestinians and Israelis who have lost family members in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, aims to build a bridge…
(en) Palestine-Israel – MEDIA – Time (+ cnn), A Palestinian’s Death Highlights Alliance with Israeli Leftists
A-infos 5 Jan 2011 – The death of Jawaher Abu Rahmah on Saturday, reportedly from fumes inhaled after Israeli troops fired tear gas at protesters in the West Bank village of Bil’in the previous day, could easily have passed as another quotidian Palestinian tragedy. The residents of Bil’in have been protesting…
Articles
Wikileaks: Israel Plans Total War on Lebanon, Gaza
Juan Cole, Informed Comment1/5/2011
The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten has summarized an Israeli military briefing by Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi of a US congressional delegation a little over a year ago and concludes that
“The memo on the talks between Ashkenazi and [Congressman Ike] Skelton, as well as numerous other documents from the same period of time, to which Aftenposten has gained access, leave a clear message: The Israeli military is forging ahead at full speed with preparations for a new war in the Middle East.”
Note: This war preparation is serious and specific, according to the paper, and clearly is not just a matter of vague contingency planning.
The paper says that US cables quote Ashkenazi telling the US congressmen, “I’m preparing the Israeli army for a major war, since it is easier to scale down to a smaller operation than to do the opposite.”
The general’s plans are driven by fear of growing stockpiles of rockets in Hamas-controlled Gaza and in Hizbullah-controlled Southern Lebanon, the likely theaters of the planned major new war. Ashkenazi does not seem capable of considering that, given a number of Israeli invasions and occupations of those regions, the rockets may be primarily defensive.
Ashkenazi told the visiting delegation that Israeli unmanned drones had had great success in identifying rocket emplacements in southern Lebanon, and that it had been aided in this endeavor by the US National Security Agency,which spies on communications. — See also: Israel deliberately choked Gaza economy: WikiLeaks more.. e-mail
Any Respect For International Law Left In The US Congress?
Franklin Lamb, Intifada Palestine1/5/2011
Beirut: 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, diplomatic cover and to enforce Israel’s illegal siege on sealed Gaza.
The US administration, as revealed in a State Department cable posted by Wikileaks, has been working overtime with Israel to parry further condemnation of Israeli crimes documented in the Richard Goldstone and Richard Falk Reports, among others. These investigations established massive violations of human rights and international law, war crimes, and possible crimes against humanity while refuting claims by Israel that it acted according to the limited international right of self-defense. Goldstone, Falk and others have demonstrated that it was both the victims of Cast Lead and the Mavi Marmara who alone possessed the right of self-defense in light of Israel’s agressions, not Israel.
As Professor Falk instructs us, Israeli actions in both cases:
“Are certainly acts of aggression under the UN Charter, and an act of war by reference to customary international law. Whenever force is used in situations other than in situation where a proper claim of self-defense is made, the undertaking is unlawful, and if as here, it is an instance of flagrant non-defensive force, the attacker is engaged in criminal conduct and both the offending state and the perpetrators acting on behalf of the should be held responsible, and to the extent international crimes took place, held accountable.”. more.. e-mail
Shin Bet puts Israeli ‘anarchists’ in crosshairs
Amira Hass, Haaretz, Israeli Occupation Archive12/27/2010
The two security cadets at Ben-Gurion International Airport stood by the plane’s door. That Friday, December 17, they were waiting not for some Mohammad, but rather for a Cohen. Matan Cohen.
He disembarked, and they followed him through passport control. From there he was taken to a small interrogation room. The duty policeman told Cohen, 22, a student at Hampshire College, that he was being detained on suspicion of “hostile activity.”
Cohen: “Was it you who decided to detain me?”
Policeman: “No, security elements did.”
Cohen: “Meaning the Shin Bet security service?”
Policeman: “Yes, the Shin Bet’s Jewish department.”
Four more people in civilian clothes examined Cohen’s possessions. It took them two and a half hours. They asked some questions that showed Cohen they did not know a thing about him. (He is an anarchist activist and one of the coordinators of BDS — Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on Israel — in the United States.) They told him they did not have the security clearance to gain access to his file.
“We merely were warned that you are suspected of terrorist activity,” which means they have to go through his bags, they said. After the examination, he was taken back to the policeman, who said, “If it were up to me, I would let you go already. I’m waiting for a telephone call from the head of the Jewish department.” — See also: Source more.. e-mail
A New Year’s song of hope for Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 5 Jan 2011 – On New Year’s Eve, my family and I planned to escape the immense pressure we and everyone else in Gaza continue to endure. We ended up at a party that contradicted the notion that conservative Gaza is being ruled by freedom-curtailing Islamists.more
VIDEO: B’Tselem worker beaten by Israeli soldier
Palestine Monitor: 5 Jan 2011 – Two Palestinian family members were beaten and arrested by an Israeli soldier in their own olive grove last November, following an unlawful detainment of their two teenage relatives. Filming for B’Tselem near Susiya in the southern Hebron Hills, ‘Aliaa a-Nawaj’ah, 12, and her 14-year old brother Hamzah were leading their sheep on their own land when, according to ‘Aliaa, around 7:30 AM, two soldiers arrived via an army jeep. The soldiers detained the siblings with plastic handcuffs before releasing them. Responding to the soldiers, family members of the siblings came to the farm and, according to B’Tselem: “Among them were Nasser a-Nawaj’ah, a B’Tselem field researcher, and Ahmad a-Nawaj’ah, who volunteers in B’Tselem’s camera distribution project. The two soldiers saw Nasser filming the events, went over to him and pushed him, telling him that he was forbidden to be there. As noted, the land belongs to the Nawaj’ah family. The…more
Friday January 7 at 11.30 in Bili’in: Call for Women to come to remember, to honor Jawaher Abu Rahmeh
Palestine Monitor: 5 Jan 2011 – We call for all women to participate alongside Italian Parliament member and peace activist Luisa Morgantini, in a silent vigil in Bil’in to express our grief and sorrow for the loss of the gentle and courageous Palestinian woman, nonviolent resister, Jawaher Abu Rahmeh. As the world was celebrating the new year, Jawaher Abu Rahmeh, a 36 year old Palestinian women and resident of Bili’in, was killed by tear gas used in a massive way by the Israeli occupation forces against nonviolent and peaceful people, Palestinian, International and Israeli, who together act to stop the wall and end the occupation. Jawaher every Friday was marching towards the fence which stole the land of the Palestinian farmers for a new Israeli colony. Like many Palestinian women, she was courageous, proud and full of dignity. Her mother is still mourning the loss of her beloved son, Bassem also killed two years ago by…more
Declaring Palestine: Revisiting Hope and Failure
Palestine Chronicle: 5 Jan 2011 – By Ramzy Baroud When late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat read the Declaration of the Palestinian Independence just over 22 years ago, Palestinians everywhere were enthralled. They held onto his every word during the Palestinian National Council (PNC) session in Algeria on November 15, 1988. The council members incessantly applauded and chanted in the name of Palestine, freedom, the people and much more. Back in Nuseirat, a refugee camp in Gaza, a large crowd of neighbors and friends watched the event on a small black and white television. The Declaration of Independence read, in part: “On this day unlike all others…as we stand at the threshold of a new dawn, in all honor and modesty we humbly bow to the sacred spirits of our fallen ones, Palestinian and Arab, by the purity of whose sacrifice for the homeland our sky has been illuminated and our Land given life.” Many tears were…more
Besieged Gaza Two Years after Cast Lead
Palestine Chronicle: 5 Jan 2011 – By Stephen Lendman December 28 was Cast Lead’s second anniversary, a three week onslaught inflicting an appalling human, destructive and environmental toll. The war ended. Regular attacks continued, and Gaza remains suffocating under siege. Yet world leaders are doing nothing to end it or hold Israeli war criminals accountable. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) said “Gaza remains sealed-off from the outside world (after) the single most brutal event in” the occupation’s history, and “impunity for war crimes prevails.” To date, victims’ rights have been unaddressed. International law remains ignored. Indisputable war crimes were airbrushed from history. Israeli war criminals were shielded from justice. Only three lower-ranking soldier were convicted for war-related offenses. One was for credit card theft, two others for using a nine year old boy as a human shield. Israeli government officials who ordered war, generals and top commanders who planned and implemented it, and other…more
What More Can Obama Do
Palestine Chronicle: 5 Jan 2011 – By George S. Hishmeh — Washington Barack Obama must be very disappointed these days since he was hardly applauded in the American media which reviewed his domestic and foreign policies, especially his stance on the Middle East, at the beginning of the century’s second decade. In foreign affairs, his “signature issue” throughout his first two years has been the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, which disappointingly remains in limbo, despite his key appointment of former senator George Mitchell as his Middle East peace envoy just as he stepped triumphantly into the White House. The then popular American president was hoping to reach a settlement within a year after the direct talks where launched last September. Even his regrettable attempt at appeasing Israel with a significant arms and financial deal had failed to prompt the right-wing Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon its colonial expansion into the Palestinian territories, occupied…more
Tata’s Lovesong — A Poem
Palestine Chronicle: 5 Jan 2011 – By Jehan Bseiso I Maktoob: It is written. Where? In a big book in the sky. II Tata, my grandmother, would only tell the story in staccato: “1948. Falasteen. Orange blossom fields. Salt. Blue Gaza waters. ” Tears in her long black lashes, “And when my father died, his horse wept in the funeral”. III Inhale: Sikes-Piko, Exodus, memory, shrapnel, black September, blue ribbons on bloodied chests, allahu akbar. Exhale: Settlements, walls, katyushas, mahmoud darwish, Che Guevara’s lips, Jerusalem, Maryam,Kuffieh. IV The artist explains to the BBC camera: “This is post-post-post modern. It’s actually Andy Warhol, meets Baudrilliard with a hint of Jalal Al Din Rumi. The theme is…keys, as in, existential symbols. Imagine. These people left with their keys around their necks. It’s 3 dimensional: denial, delusion, deference. The photos are taken from maximum empathy angles.. you feel what they feel.” The woman stares at the BBC camera, says:…more
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