10 April, 2011 — VTJP
News
Sources: Ceasefire deal reached in Gaza
4/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Palestinian sources say UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry managed to reach a ceasefire agreement late Saturday between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza. The agreement, according to the sources, necessitates that Israel stops strikes on the Gaza Strip and Palestinian military groups commit to…. Related: Israel warns of stronger response to rockets
Hamas declares Gaza emergency amid strikes
4/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — The Gaza Strip’s Hamas rulers have declared a state of emergency in the wake of confrontations with Israel that have left 18 people dead in the deadliest clashes since a devastating war more than two years ago. A truce declared by Palestinian armed groups in the enclave unravelled even before….
Israel warns of stronger response to rockets
4/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Sunday that Israel will respond “with even more force” if rocket fire by Gaza militants continues. Speaking shortly after a rocket fired from Gaza struck near the southern city of Ashkelon, Netanyahu warned that any further attacks would be dealt with harshly.” If the criminal attacks…. Related: Sources: Ceasefire deal reached in Gaza
9 more detained in latest Awarta sweep
4/10/2011 – NABLUS (Ma’an) — Caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad announced Sunday that he would visit the village of Awarta, after Israeli forces entered the village to carry out the fifth arrest campaign, detaining nine, including a mother, father and daughter. The Sunday morning raids followed close on the heels of a mass round up on….
WikiLeaks: Israel ruled out Iran strike in 2005
4/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israeli defense officials ruled out a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities as early as 2005, US diplomatic cables leaked to whistleblower site WikiLeaks show, an Israeli newspaper said Sunday. The documents given to the Haaretz newspaper by WikiLeaks detail conversations between US diplomats and Israeli defense officials, which suggested Israel did….
Israel army: 3 rockets strike western Negev
4/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — The Israeli army said Sunday that Palestinian militants in the northern Gaza Strip fired three rockets into the western Negev, in an attack shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened a harsh response for continued projectile fire. The rockets landed in the Sha’ar HaNegev and Eshkol regions of southern….
Arab League urges Gaza no-fly zone
4/11/2011 – CAIRO (Ma’an) — The Arab League council adopted Sunday an initiative which calls upon the UN Security Council to convene immediately to adopt a resolution imposing an air embargo on Israeli military flights over Gaza, reports said. The Syrian news agency SANA reported late Sunday that the initiative is aimed at protecting unarmed civilians….
‘Dahlan’s failing mental health treated in Israel’
4/10/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Former Fatah strongman Muhammad Dahlan’s mental health is rapidly deteriorating, according to a 2005 assessment by a top Israeli security official made public Sunday by WikiLeaks. In a message to Washington sent from the US embassy in Tel Aviv, then head of the Israeli Defense Ministry’….
New Palestinian military groups surface in Gaza
4/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – New Palestinian military groups in the Gaza Strip have claimed responsibility, for the first time, for firing missiles at Israeli targetsbordering the strip. The “Abdullah Azzam Brigades – Marwan Haddad division – in the Levant” claimed responsibility Sunday for firing a Grad missile at the Israeli city of Ashkelon and two homemade….
Popular Front rejects Israel ceasefire deal
4/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine came out Sunday against a ceasefire proposal that has the support of Hamas and other factions in the Gaza Strip. Popular Front leader Jamal Mezher described the truce as a “mistake” because Israel’s army did not stop “its assault, is….
Fire destroys row of furniture stores near Jenin
4/10/2011 – JENIN (Ma’an) — A fire erupted in the center of the northern west Bank village of Bart’a Ash-Sharqiya near Jenin Sunday morning destroying 13 stores before firefighters and volunteers managed to put out the blaze. Jenin civil defense director Ata Abu Ar-Rub told Ma’an that firefighters were called at 1….
Barak offers Gaza ceasefire if Palestinians join
4/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel is ready to stop firing at armed Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip if the Palestinians reciprocate, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Sunday on Israeli public radio. 1 ) Tony B? / ME 10/04/2011 13:05 No. Israel did not say “reciprocate”. They said “if Pals will stop attacking Israeli civilians”. Big…. Related: Sources: Ceasefire deal reached in Gaza and Hamas: Israel ‘truce will be met with a truce’
Hamas: Israel ‘truce will be met with a truce’
4/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (AFP) — Hamas is willing to commit to a truce with Israel if it stops attacks on the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the Islamist group told Agence France-Presse on Sunday….
Egypt protesters defy military after crackdown
4/10/2011 – CAIRO (AFP) — Several hundred protesters who staged an overnight demonstation in Cairo’s Tahrir square after a deadly military crackdown remained in the square Sunday after the army backed down on a threat to disperse them. The protesters, who have barricaded the square with a burnt-out army truck, barbed wire and beams chanted against….
Diplomacy takes center stage in Libyan conflict
4/10/2011 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — A high-ranking African Union delegation was due in Libya on Sunday to present a blueprint for an end to the current crisis as plans for a new constitution were unveiled by parliament. And on the ground, NATO destroyed key ammunition stockpiles and armoured vehicles in air strikes across the country. African Union mediators….
Rights activist: Syria forces killed 28 protesters
4/10/2011 – NICOSIA (AFP) — Syrian security forces killed a total of 28 people on Saturday, human rights activists said Sunday. Twenty-six died at the funerals of protesters killed in and around the southern agricultural town of Daraa, while two more were shot dead in the industrial town of Homs, in west central Syria.” Police and security services….
Al-Alam TV: Iran expels ‘several’ Kuwait diplomats
4/10/2011 – TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran has expelled “several” Kuwaiti diplomats in retaliation for the expulsion of Tehran’s diplomats accused of spying in the Gulf emirate, the Arabic-language Al-Alam television reported Sunday.” Iran expelled in retaliation several Kuwaiti diplomats,” the station announced, quoting an informed source who did not reveal how many diplomats had been asked….
About ‘1,000 relics’ stolen during Egypt uprising
4/10/2011 – MADRID (AFP) — Thieves stole around 1,000 relics from museums and archeological sites across Egypt since protests against the government broke out in January, Egypt’s minister for antiquities Zahi Hawass said Sunday in a newspaper interview.” We are investigating all the incidents to find the items. Up until now we have identified many culprits….
Gulf states back departure of Yemen’s Saleh
4/10/2011 – RIYADH (AFP) — The Gulf Cooperation Council on Sunday urged embattled Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to ensure a peaceful transition to his deputy, GCC chief Abdullatif al-Zayani said after a meeting in Riyadh….
Zuma: Gadhafi regime accepts African Union peace plan
4/10/2011 – TRIPOLI (AFP) — The regime of Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi has accepted an African Union peace plan designed to the end the current conflict, South African President Jacob Zuma said from Tripoli on Sunday….
Gaddafi ‘accepts’ AU plan to end fighting
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Terms of “road map” proposed by African mission unclear, including whether Libyan leader will pull troops out of cities.
UAE detains pro-democracy activists
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Officials detain two activists advocating democratic reforms, following last week’s arrest of prominent blogger.
Ben Ali brother arrested in Tunisia
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Slah Ben Ali is the latest associate of the ousted leader to be detained as part of ongoing political purge.
Exit polls put Peru leftist in the lead
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Ollanta Humala emerges as clear front-runner for June 5 presidential election in the South American nation.
Poland marks aircraft tragedy amid row
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Diplomatic disagreement over plaque commemorating death of Polish officials overshadows memorial ceremonies.
Deaths reported in fresh Syria violence
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Assad loyalists allegedly open fire in northern port city of Baniyas amid continued anti-government protests.
Egypt prosecutor to question Mubarak
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Move comes after the former Egyptian president said he would defend himself against “unjust campaign”.
Gulf ministers meet to discuss Yemen
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Protests against Saleh continue as diplomats meet in Saudi capital to discuss mediation efforts.
Egyptian military to replace some governors
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Military council accedes to protesters’ demands over removal of some Mubarak appointees, as thousands protest in Cairo.
Israel and Hamas look to ease tensions
AlJazeera 10 Apr 2011 – Despite recent escalation of cross-border violence, both sides have indicated they would favour a ceasefire.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Condemns Murder of Actor and Director Juliano Mer-Khamis by Unknown Gunman in Jenin
Palestinian Center for Human Rights Wednesday, 06 April 2011
International Solidarity Movement
Gaza under attack: death and destruction in Rafah
4/10/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – IISM, Gaza – On the afternoon of Thursday April 7th, Israeli forces escalated their attacks on the Gaza Strip. The murderous offensive has killed 18 people so far, the majority of them being civilians. Among the massacred are a mother, her daughter, two children, two elderly men and four members of Al Qassam Brigades. More than….
Armed Settlers supported by Israeli army attack Palestinian village.
4/10/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – ISM – At 8. 30am yesterday morning around fifty settlers, some masked and armed with guns, descended from Yitzhar settlement onto the Palestinianvillage of Assira Al Qibliya. International observers from the UK and Ireland witnessed the settlers threw rocks at homes and people on the outskirts of the village injuring one local, who is being treated….
Army fires on Iraq Burin during olive tree planting
4/10/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – ISM – Bullets and tear gas were fired upon Palestinians and internationals whilst they planted olive trees on the land legally owned by the village of Iraq Burin yesterday. The popular committee asked for a group of internationals to assist them in planting olive trees on the village land which is close to an army out….
Alternative Information Center
Israel Kills 18, Injures Dozens in Air Attacks on Gaza Strip
Alternative Information Center – Israeli air fire has killed at least18 people and injured scores in the Gaza Strip since Thursday, 7 April. This is the most aggressive Israeli attack faced by the blockaded coastal area since Operation Cast Lead…
Commemorating 63rd Anniversary of Zionist Massacre in Palestinian Village Deir Yassin
Alternative Information Center – The Palestinian village of Deir Yassin was one of five Palestinian villages to the west of Jerusalem that were completely cleansed and destroyed during the ethnic cleansing of 1948 (the other four are Qalunia, Sarris, Beit…
Another BDS Victory as Veolia Dumped from Possible Billion Pound Tender
Alternative Information Center – The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement has had great success in London. After one year of campaigning by activists, the South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) had decided to drop the bid from the company Veolia…
Arab League calls for no-fly zone over Gaza
Relief Web 10 Apr 2011 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet
OPT: Israel and Hamas look to end Gaza flare-up
Relief Web 10 Apr 2011 – Source: Reuters – AlertNet
OPT: IOF Attacks Violate International Law; 61 Killed and Injured in Three Days of Attacks in Gaza
Relief Web 10 Apr 2011 – Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
OPT: Israel floats ceasefire if Gaza militants hold fire
Relief Web 10 Apr 2011 – Source: Agence France-Presse
Israeli army again invades Awarta, detains 9
10 Apr 2011 – West Bank, (Pal telegraph)- Israeli occupation forces invaded Sunday morning Awarta village in the south part of Nablus raiding several houses and arresting Palestinians.
Mubarak speaks to defend his reputation
The National 10 Apr 2011 – Egypt’s deposed president Hosni Mubarak said yesterday that the corruption allegations against him and his family were false
GCC appeals for Yemen’s Saleh to ‘transfer power’
The National 10 Apr 2011 – As demonstrations were erupting across Yemen yesterday, the GCC appealed to Ali Abduallh Saleh to proceed with the transfer of his powers to the vice president.
IDF refrains from response to Gaza rocket fire as border violence cools
Ha’aretz – Hamas official makes rare direct appeal to Israel, calling for a halt to the fighting during an Israel Radio interview he gave in Hebrew.
MESS Report / Mutual deterrence between Israel and Gaza is working
Ha’aretz – Both sides still hold a few aces. Israel can reoccupy the Strip if it decides to do so, and Hamas has rockets capable of reaching Tel Aviv.
Haaretz WikiLeaks exclusive / ‘We’re doomed if Hamas takes power’
Ha’aretz – Comment distinguish top defense advisor Amos Gilad from other Israeli officials, most of whom failed to predict the effect the 2006 elections would have on the Palestinian Authority.
Amira Hass / Supreme Court is on wrong side of West Bank separation fence
Ha’aretz – A recent ruling demonstrates the bureaucratic machinery the state has created to restrict the Palestinians’ ability to enter, live and work on land west of the separation fence.
Education Ministry hunting for Arab teachers absent on Land Day
Ha’aretz – This year marked the 35th anniversary of the first Land Day in 1976, when 6 Israeli Arabs were killed in clashes with security forces while protesting the seizure of Galilee land.
Meet on new settlement construction postponed due to pressure from Netanyahu
Ha’aretz – Due to postponement, discussion on new construction in Har Homa and Pisgat Ze’ev, which was supposed to take place this week, will not occur until May fifth.
Syria forces kill four protesters in Banias, witnesses say
Ha’aretz – Witnesses say the army sealed off the port city and opened fire as hundreds of pro-democracy protesters gathered at nearby mosque.
A Special Place in Hell / A letter to progressive U.S. Jews: These are your people
Ha’aretz – We have lost perspective in this endless war. In a kind of affirmative action, some progressive American Jews support, identify with and help Palestinian victims of the conflict, while shunning, or worse, blaming the Israeli victims.
Donniel Hartman: Talking About Israel
Ha’aretz – Goldstone, J-Street, AIPAC, and the space in between
Palestinian official: Israel, Gaza militants agreed to a cease-fire
Ha’aretz – Although neither Israel nor the Palestinians confirmed the cease-fire, a significantly smaller number of rockets were fired from Gaza on Sunday and Palestinians reported no Israeli air strikes.
VIDEO / Defense Ministry releases footage of Iron Dome in action
Ha’aretz – Video shows an Iron Dome battery near Ashkelon intercept a rocket which was fired from Gaza over the weekend.
Sudan says it has proof that Israel carried out strike on Port Sudan
Ha’aretz – Sudan Foreign Ministry says Israel is the only owner of the rockets used in strike which targeted a car and killed two Sudanese nationals.
Netanyahu warns Hamas of ‘severe response’ to increase of rocket fire
Ha’aretz – The prime minister visited one of the Iron Dome missile defense systems near Ashkelon, where he said that he hopes Hamas intends to return quiet to the south after several days of escalation.
Police ordered to compensate leftists arrested at East Jerusalem protest
Ha’aretz – Judge severely reprimands police for arresting protesters without warrant in Sheikh Jarrah, writing, ‘The right to demonstrate is deeply rooted in the foundations of a democracy.’
Israel’s defense establishment to get additional NIS 260 million
Ha’aretz – Finance Ministry officials expect the defense establishment to demand another billion shekels due to the current flare-up in the south, but say they plan to reject any proposals for raising the defense budget.
MK Ben-Eliezer released from hospital after life-threatening flu
Ha’aretz – The 75-year-old lawmaker tells reporters that he planned to return to politics once he had completely recovered.
Assad loyalists fire at Sunni Muslims in Syria city
Ha’aretz – Witnesses said Assad loyalists fired on group guarding mosque in Banias after pro-democracy unrest flared in the conservative coastal city.
Mubarak breaks silence, denies corruption allegations
Ha’aretz – The former president of Egypt Hosni Mubarak says that he has no foreign assets and that he will fight ‘lies’ about him and his family in a recording on Al-Arabiya television.
Iran military plane crashes in country’s south, killing pilot, injuring co-pilot
Ha’aretz – State news agency says crash happened during a training mission; military delegation dispatched to crash site for investigation.
Finance: Flare-up not reason to boost defense budget
Ha’aretz – Defense Ministry awaits U.S. budget expected to include $205 million earmarked to help Israel acquire more Iron Dome missile defense systems.
Talks stall between doctors, treasury
Ha’aretz – No surgery on Monday, Tuesday; doctors plan to hold explanatory meetings at hospitals Sunday.
U.S. avoids costly shutdown after late $38b compromise
Ha’aretz – A shutdown – the first in more than 15 years – would have hit the economy, idled some 800,000 federal employees, closed national parks and monuments and delayed paychecks for troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Cabinet unanimously approves Yoram Cohen to head Shin Bet
Ha’aretz – PM hails Cohen as the right man to lead the security services in Israel’s war against terror, and its intelligence and technological battles; cabinet also approves Major General Ilan Franco to head Israel Prison Services.
Turkey condemns IDF Gaza attacks as ‘excessive and disproportionate’
Ha’aretz – A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement released Sunday strongly condemns IDF attacks on Gaza, in which Palestinians say 19 were killed.
Counter terrorism bureau warns Israelis of terror attacks abroad
Ha’aretz – Bureau says Far East as well as Greece and Turkey could be places where attack could occur; warning comes days before thousands of Israelis are expected to travel abroad for Passover vacation.
Israel to continue fighting ‘terror in Gaza’ despite Hamas ceasefire plea
Ha’aretz – After briefing on Sunday, cabinet decides to instruct IDF to continue to work against terror in Gaza in order to stop the rocket fire which continues to pound Israel’s southern region.
Hamas urges Israel in rare direct appeal to halt attacks on Gaza
Ha’aretz – Palestinian official says militant groups agree to Arab/UN proposal for cease-fire; Barak: Hamas military wing has no interest in truce.
Sudan: Israel paralyzed our radars to carry out deadly attack
Ha’aretz – Sudan’s Foreign Ministry says it has ‘solid proof’ that Israel launched missiles at port city, maintains stance that neither targets were involved in flow of arms from Iran to Gaza.
Israel vows to respond ‘most harshly’ if Gaza rockets continue
Ha’aretz – After Hamas signal willingness for truce if military attacks stop, three mortar shells and two rockets fired at Israel from Gaza; one rocket strikes south of Ashkelon, another is intercepted by Iron Dome.
Both Israel and Hamas say open to truce if other side stops firing
Ha’aretz – Rocket strikes south of Ashkelon, another intercepted by Iron Dome; mortar fire continues on Negev after Palestinian militants launched more than 120 rounds at Israel over the weekend; 19 Palestinians killed in IAF retaliatory attacks.
Hamas-Egypt relations worry Israel
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Cairo stops building underground wall; Israel urges Cairo to continue tough position on smuggling and to prevent the flow of arms to Gaza.
Man promises to ‘be good’ after nose restored by surgeon
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – The man’s nose appears to have been intentionally severed as part of a crime dispute; doctors say nose seems to have been bitten off.
Court sentences Sodmi twins for sexual molesting, killing
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – The brothers are convicted of the 2010 killing of seven year-old Leon Kalantarov and will face 22- and 19-year prison sentences.
3 charged with usurping assets of missing Russian-Israeli
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Suspects deny attempting to seize control of the assets of businessman Alexei Zakrenko.
Strike by public hospital doctors likely after Pessach
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Only urgent surgery to treat cancer patients will be performed today and tomorrow.
Heroic bus driver says he always feared attack
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – “I thought about it. I wasn’t afraid for myself, I was afraid for the children,” says Zion Yamini, “I always left my house with a heavy heart.”
‘Hamas wants to enhance status, doesn’t want Cast Lead’
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Meir Elran of Tel Aviv University says that the escalation does not mean Hamas is goading the IDF into launching a second Operation Cast Lead.
‘Five people killed in renewed Syrian clashes’
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Witness says 4 protesters killed in Banias; 1 soldier dies in ambush on army patrol; death toll from weekend protests reaches 42.
Libya: 15 killed as NATO planes bomb Gaddafi forces
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – 25 Gaddafi tanks near Ajdabiyah, Misrata destroyed; rebels say cleared eastern town of Libyan leader loyalists.
Syria says army unit ambushed in Banias, one killed
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – 5 people injured during raising sectarian tension as pro-democracy protests spread; gov’t deploys tanks in part of Banias.
Israel issues travel warning to Mediterranean states
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Counter-terrorism bureau also warns against travel to Far East during Pessah in light of escalation in violence along Gaza border.
PM on Eichmann trial anniversary: The Jewish People live
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Gov’t approves allocation of NIS 4 m. to commemorate 50 years since war crimes trial; courtroom testimony videos uploaded to YouTube.
Arab League plans to ask UN to impose no-fly zone over Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Amid escalation in violence along border Moussa says proposal to be presented to UNSC; Gaza ceasefire brokered by UN official Robert Serry who acts as intermediary between Hamas and J’lem, Ma’an reports.
Mubarak speaks up, vows to fight corruption allegations
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Deposed Egyptian president breaks 2-month silence, says “unfounded allegations seek to harm my reputation and integrity.”
Turkey condemns ‘disproportionate’ IDF violence in Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Foreign Ministry in Ankara expresses unease over escalating violence, calls for sides to act with common sense, restraint.
Finance C’tee okays NIS 260m. defense budget increase
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Additional funds to go toward home-front preparedness; c’tee refuses to pass second budget increase due to inadequate information.
Barak: 750,000 citizens in bomb shelters is unacceptable
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Netanyahu warns that Iron Dome isn’t a complete solution for Gaza attacks; US to transfer additional $205m. for more Iron Dome batteries.
World War II graves testify to past bloodshed in Libya
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Graves of thousands of dead World War II soldiers lie beneath sands of current Libyan revolution.
More than 1,000 defy Egypt army order to leave square
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Protesters in Cairo’s Tahrir Square call for quick move to civilian rule and a deeper purge of corrupt officials.
Ben Eliezer heads home after month-long hospitalization
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Labor MK says he’ll return to politics “little by little”; “dreamed of Labor Party being rebuilt, getting its strength back” while ill.
Syrian tanks deploy in force to deter more unrest
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Live ammo, tear gas used to disperse thousands; several youths injured; crackdown comes amid reports of at least 37 killed over weekend.
Gaddafi forces push Libya rebels into eastern town
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Four rebel fighters are killed as Gaddafi loyalists push battle eastward toward crucial rebel stronghold of Ajdabiyah.
Egyptian Army ‘ready to use force’ to clear Cairo square
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Generals in Egypt threaten crackdown after protesters gather again in Tahrir Square; thousands call for Tantawi’s resignation.
Palestinian unity could force Israel’s hand
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Israel may be forced to negotiate with Abbas, or at least make a more serious effort to dialogue with the PA before September and a unilateral declaration supported both by Fatah and Hamas.
Iran expels 3 Kuwaiti diplomats in spy dispute
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Move follows death sentence for two Iranians accused of spying by Kuwait; Tehran gives Kuwaitis 10 days to leave the Islamic Republic.
Hamas: Palestinian factions not interested in escalation
Jeruslalem Post 10 Apr 2011 – Spokesperson for Hamas says that “it would be natural for calm to be restored” in Gaza if Israel ceases attacks.
Wiesenthal Center blasts Dutch university’s apartheid event
Jeruslalem Post 9 Apr 2011 – Erasmus University hosts events equating Israel with South African apartheid regime; event was funded by the EU.
A visit to the quaint village of Apalachicola
Jeruslalem Post 9 Apr 2011 – A Florida getaway: If you go, don’t miss the chocolate shop!
Knesset caucus to focus on relations with American Jews
Jeruslalem Post 9 Apr 2011 – We should learn from US tolerance, MK Ben-Simon says; caucus is a result of project connecting Israeli politicians with US community leaders.
Looting Social Security To Wage War
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – Americans, apparently, are unaware of how the federal government’s illegal, foreign wars sap the economy and rob every household. The Iraq war cost alone is 20 percent of the size of last year’s entire U.S. economy. Instead of investing that sum at home, “which would have produced income and jobs growth and solvency for state…
Suppressing Truth and Promoting War: A New York Times Tradition
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – According to media scholar/critic Robert McChesney, today’s corporate journalism is co-opted, corrupted, gutted, and virtually worthless as a source of real news, information and analysis. As a result, a free and open society is at risk because fiction substitutes for fact. News is carefully managed. Dissent is marginalized, and supporting wealth and power interests replace…
Special Field Report: IOF Attacks Violate International Law: 61 Killed and Injured in Three Days of Attacks in Gaza
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued escalated its attacks on the Gaza Strip. Between the evening of Thursday 7 April 2011 and evening of Saturday 9 April 2011, the IOF killed 19 Palestinians, including two children, two women and two elderly persons. It also injured 44 persons, including 13 children, one woman, and two paramedics….
Sources: Ceasefire deal reached in Gaza
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – Palestinian sources say UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process Robert Serry managed to reach a ceasefire agreement late Saturday between Israel and Palestinian factions in Gaza. The agreement, according to the sources, necessitates that Israel stops strikes on the Gaza Strip and Palestinian military groups commit to stop firing shells toward Israeli…
Gaza under attack: death and destruction in Rafah
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – Salama El-Dabari is seated in a tent, mourning the loss of his nephew, the 17 year old Khaled Ismail Hamdan el-Dabari, while he explains to ISM volunteers what has happened. “Khaled was following the ambulances on his motorbike, to assist the medics in evacuating the injured people. As soon as the ambulances arrived, an Apache…
Libya, AFRICOM, And US Scramble For Africa
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – As Western war mongering in Libya continues, there’s another dimension to the conflict to consider: what role does the existence of the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM) have to do with America’s participation in this invasion? Ever since the West launched military intervention in Libya, some scholars have said the powers were engaging in imperial…
Libya: rebel defences ‘failing’ as Gaddafi forces move towards Benghazi
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – Muammar Gaddafi’s forces continued to fight their way toward Benghazi, the heart of Libya’s revolution, as five African leaders arrived in Tripoli in an effort to broker a ceasefire and political settlement. Rebel defences around Ajdabiya appeared to be failing as Gaddafi’s soldiers broke in to the heart of the strategic town, 90 miles from…
Arab League to ask UN for no-fly zone in Gaza
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – Arab League Chief Amr Mussa said the organisation will ask the UN to impose a no-fly zone over Gaza, which Israel has pounded with air strikes in response to rocket fire. Mussa told an emergency meeting of Arab League ambassadors that “the Arab bloc in the United Nations has been directed to ask for the…
Syria forces killed 28 at protest funerals: rights activist
Uruknet April 10, 2011 – Human rights activists say Syrian security forces killed a total of 28 people on Saturday. Twenty-six died at the funerals of protesters killed in and around the southern agricultural town of Daraa on friday, while two more were shot dead in the industrial town of Homs, in west central Syria. In a joint statement six…
New York Times demands escalation of killing in Libya
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – Having endorsed the Obama administration’s war in Libya on the pretext of “protecting civilians,” the editors of the New York Times are now demanding a sharp escalation in the killing through the reintroduction of the US military’s flying gunships. “Wars are messy business,” the laptop generals of Eighth Avenue inform their readers in an editorial…
From Deir Yassin to Gaza
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – My kind old mother laments Decades of memory that transcends Fake Gods and fake peace offers who bless nichsayon** and slaughter our eyes fail to see or just lament blood of a child licked off a pavement By stray thirsty cats with more morals than army brats Our ears fail to hear voice of Dr….
Military Resistance 9D 7: “Nothing Like This”
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – Reporting from Landstuhl, Germany, and HelmandGrim combat statistics that one military doctor called “unbelievable” show U.S. troops inAfghanistan suffered an unprecedented number of catastrophic injuries last year,including a tripling of amputations of more than one limb. A study by doctors at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where mostwounded troops are sent before returning…
Did Nouri al-Maliki already extend the SOFA?
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – New Sabbah reports that a source in Parliament states that Nouri’s Council fo Ministers has voted to extend the SOFA and that they signed the extension as well “during the last meeting of the Council of Ministers.” Since US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told US troops yesterday that the whole purpose of his visit…
An account of the army crackdown on Tahrir
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – I received this email about last night’s events in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, when army and security forces crackdown down on protestors who had set up camp in the square. There is still a lot of confusion about what happened, with the army claiming that thugs from the NDP had attacked the square and claiming it…
Video; Corrupt Revolution: ‘Libya rebel chiefs ex-govt stooges with West links’
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – When a revolution takes place in a country – it is the business of the people in that country to conduct the revolution, believes anti-war activist John Reese from Stop the War Coalition.
This one was playing football, that one’s headless…’ Israeli escalation against Gaza
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – Death looms ominously once again over the blockaded Gaza Strip, and innocent blood is once again falling down like rain. The sound of Israeli drones buzzing high above 24 hours a day set the scene the tremors every 30 minutes or so. Since Palestinian militants struck an Israeli school bus on Thursday afternoon, injuring critically…
Gaza MoH says medicine shortage critical
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – De facto minister of health Basem Na’im announced Saturday, after four consecutive days of crossings closure, that more than 150 kinds of medicines have run out at the ministry’s warehouses. Beyond medicines, he said from a news conference at Gaza City’s Ash-Shifa Hospital, spare parts for medical equipment are sparse, with some machines inoperable due…
Iraq Blocks U.S. Aid to Camp of Iranian Exiles After Attack
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – The government of Iraq continued on Saturday to block the delivery of American humanitarian aid to Iranian exiles who were wounded in clashes with the Iraqi Army at a camp north of Baghdad, an American military spokesman said. On Saturday, a spokesman for the People’s Mujahedeen, an Iranian exile organization that the United States classifies…
Dozens of Yemen protesters wounded
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – Dozens of protesters demanding that Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh end his more than 30-year-old rule were wounded in clashes with security forces in the capital Sanaa as pro-democracy rallies continue. Riot police with batons were out in force late Saturday, using tear gas and live fire against protesters in the capital, Al Jazeera’s special…
A PART OF ALL OF US WAS MURDERED IN JENIN
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – The mourning period for Juliano Mer-Khamis will end soon, but what he dedicated his life to and symbolised will never end. It matters not to me who actually pulled the trigger on the gun that killed Juliano. In reality, he was killed by the occupation that he so despised. An occupation that is responsible for…
WATCH: brutal arrest of protesters in Nabi Saleh (West Bank)
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – The demonstrations against the Occupation in Nabi Saleh have experienced major setbacks in recent months. The demonstrations been taking place for over one year despite serious military repression. The two leaders of the community, Bassem and Naji Tamimi, have both been arrested by Israeli soldiers along with 12 percent of the total population of the…
‘Stop bombing,’ says Libya’s top Churchman
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – Although signals from the Vatican have been largely muted regarding the U.S.-led coalition intervention in Libya, the top Church official in the north African Arab country makes no secret of where he stands: “Stop the bombing in Libya! Stop this crusade of Christian Western countries against the Muslims!” Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, who has been…
Gilbert Achcar’s Defense of Humanitarian Intervention
Uruknet April 9, 2011 – Gilbert Achcar defends the recently “UN-authorized” imperialist intervention in Libya on the ground that general principles may require exceptions in concrete cases. “Every general rule admits of exceptions. This includes the general rule that UN-authorized military interventions by imperialist powers are purely reactionary ones, and can never achieve a humanitarian or positive purpose.” This kind…
Israel and Hamas step back from major Gaza confrontation
The Guardian 10 Apr 2011 – Leaders from both sides appeal for restraint after escalation of violence to levels not seen since end of Gaza war in 2009 Israel and Hamas appeared to have stepped back from a major confrontation after a…
Israel and Hamas call for calm after Gaza violence
The Guardian 10 Apr 2011 – Ehud Barak plays down talk of ground offensive after missile attack on Israeli school bus and retaliatory air strikes Israel and Hamas have signalled that they are looking to stop a flare-up in violence that began…
EGYPT: Shia Hope for New Chapter
IPS The political currents that sweep across the Middle East often surge out of Iran, form treacherous eddies in Lebanon and Iraq, then slam into the front door of Ahmad Rasem El-Nafis’ apartment in the northern Egyptian city of Mansoura.
New Stop the Wall report: Brazil’s Military Relations with Israel (Portuguese version)
Stop The Wall – Mar 30, 2011— On the occasion of the 3rd global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Action Day on March 30 (Palestinian Land Day), we release Stop the Wall’s disconcerting and potentially explosive report on growing and strategic military relations between Brazil and Israel. (Portuguese version) [
Arab League wants Gaza no-fly zone
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Amr Mussa to ask UN that same sanction imposed on Libya be implemented against….
Israel presents: Iron Dome in action
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – (Video) Defense Ministry releases video showing missile defense system….
Sudan says found proof of Israeli strike
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Remnants of AGM-114 missile used by American-made apache helicopters owned by….
Czech reporters sue Israel over flotilla raid
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Two journalists say Jewish state has yet to return money and equipment….
Police to compensate leftist protestors
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Court orders police to reimburse four Shiekh Jarrah Solidarity Movement….
Report: Deadly shooting in Syria’s Banias
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – (Video) Witnesses say security forces opened fire in coastal town, killing some….
Warning: Mediterranean Basin dangerous
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Counter Terrorism Bureau issues general travel advisory, warning of terror….
AG ‘unsatisfied’ with pace of IDF probes
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – In his testmony before Turkel Commission on Gaza flotilla raid, Yehuda Weinstein….
Mubarak slams ‘smear campaign’
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Ousted Egyptian president gives first speech since being removed from power in….
BND career after arresting Anne Frank
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – US archives docs reveal SS officer responsible for detaining Jewish girl and….
Barak: Threat to south unacceptable
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Defense minister, Deputy PM Shalom butt heads during cabinet meeting over….
Ashkelon calls for IDF operation in Gaza
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Many of southern city’s residents demand swift, extensive military campaign in….
IDF estimates round of violence over
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – One round of escalation may be over, but the IDF is already preparing for the next one ‚Äì despite sporadic rocket fire from the Gaza Strip on Sunday, military officials … ….
Approval of J’lem building plans delayed
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Four extensive construction plans in Jewish neighborhoods located beyond the Green Line in Jerusalem have been removed from the agenda of the District Planning and … ….
Israeli envoy returns from Ivory Coast
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Israeli diplomats returned from Ivory Coast on Sunday, two days after being rescued from the fighting in the western African country by UN forces. “I’m always happy … ….
IDF official: Gaza seeing economic growth
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Amid continued rocket fire and retaliatory IDF strikes in the Gaza Strip, the security establishment has been focusing its efforts on humanitarian aid. “We have to … ….
Qassam follows ceasefire declaration
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – A Qassam rocket exploded within the Ashkelon Coast Regional Council on Sunday evening, shortly after the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip issued an official … ….
Hundreds attend Itamar murder memorial
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – Hundreds gathered on Sunday in the West Bank settlement of Itamar to mark the end of the 30-day mourning period for five members of the Fogel family, who were brutally … ….
Marching alone for Gilad Shalit
YNet News, 10 Apr 2011 – About nine months after the nationwide march for Gilad Shalit, which was joined by tens of thousands of people across Israel, another march for the kidnapped soldier is … ….
Palestinian Information Center
Hamas has every right to smuggle weapons into Gaza
PIC – Hamas has an absolute moral, legal and human right to defend the people of Gaza against incessant Israeli aggression.
Hamdan warns Israel of consequences of new war
PIC – Osama Hamdan, Hamas’s international relations official, has warned that Israel would face serious consequences over the new war launched against the Gaza Strip.
Israeli gunboats fire at Palestinian fishing boats
PIC – Israeli navy gunboats fired at Palestinian fishing boats off the coasts of the Gaza Strip and chased them to the beach on Sunday evening, local sources reported.
Naim discusses health needs with int’l agencies in Gaza
PIC – Minister of Health in Gaza Dr. Basem Naim discussed on Sunday with representatives of international agencies in the Strip the impact of the Israeli aggression and siege on the health sector.
Arab League to ask Security Council to impose no-fly zone over Gaza
PIC – Amr Moussa said it was decided that the United Nations Arab group would ask for a meeting of the UN Security Council aimed at stopping the Israeli aggression and enforcing a no-fly zone over Gaza.
IOA starts building new factories on Palestinian land in Salfit
PIC – The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) allowed the construction of new factories in the so-called Burkan industrial area built on Palestinian land west of Salfit city.
Sudan Gov’t says it will respond to Israel’s violation of its airspace
PIC – The Sudanese armed forces said the two Israeli warplanes, which attacked a car in Port Sudan city, used kind of radio interference to enter the Sudanese airspace.
Foreign Ministry lauds Egyptian stance against Israeli aggression
PIC – The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has lauded Egypt for helping to protect the Palestinians during the recent Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Ihsanoglu calls for protecting the Palestinians, Turkey denounces the aggression
PIC – The Secretary-General of the OIC, Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, has called for providing international protection for the Palestinian people in face of the Israeli aggressions.
European network appeals to Moussa and Ihsanoglu to save prisoners
PIC – The European network to defend rights of Palestinian prisoners demanded the Arab League and the Islamic conference to work on ending the suffering of Palestinian prisoners confined in solitary cells.
Israel Plans to Expel 8 Palestinian Prisoners
WAFA
Return of Palestinians in Libya Continue
WAFA
Jenin Holds Sit-in to Protest Filmmaker’s Murder
WAFA
First Venture Capital Fund Targeting Palestinian IT Launched
WAFA
Four Wounded in Israeli Air Raids on Gaza
WAFA
Human Rights Watch Issues Report on Conditions of Palestinian Journalists
WAFA
Settlement to Compensate Family of Worker Killed by Guard
WAFA
Israeli Soldiers Arrest Palestinians, Settlers Destroy Land in Hebron Area
WAFA
EU, Britain Condemn Israel’s Settlement Plans
WAFA
PAUL BALLES: SHIFTING FOCUS
Intifada-Palestine: 10 Apr 2011 – Paul Balles The incredible arrogance of David Harris of the American Jewish Committee (AJC) would pass as a sick joke if his readers didn’t take his pronouncements so seriously. In his latest, AJC welcomed the UN Human Rights Council’s decision to… more
EXCLUSIVE : Lebanon – Wiki-Cables Tell of Treason, US Interference, Franklin Lamb
Intifada-Palestine: 10 Apr 2011 – Exclusive to Veterans Today Interview with Franklin Lamb in Beirut on the latest Wilkileaks from US Embassy Beirut and the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Franklin Lamb , a former Assistant Counsel of the US House Judiciary Committee at the US Congress… more
At least 3 die in Syria protests, witnesses say
LA Times 10 Apr 2011 – Violence in Baniyas follows a march the night before at which Syrians chanted their desire to topple the regime of President Bashar Assad — a change from earlier slogans that had called for reform and freedom. At least three people were killed and scores wounded…
Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak decries ‘falsehood, slander and defamation’
LA Times 10 Apr 2011 – Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak speaks out for the first time since his regime was toppled. On the same day, officials say he and his sons have been summoned for questioning about the violence during the revolt. In his first public speech since he was…
Rebels and NATO Strikes Repel Assault on Key Libyan Town
New York Times 10 Apr 2011 – Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s military forces appeared to falter in a second day of assault against Ajdabiya.
Gulf Nations Repeat Offer to Mediate Crisis in Yemen
New York Times 10 Apr 2011 – A bloc of Persian Gulf countries renewed its offer to help mediate the political crisis in Yemen and to ease the transition of power from the embattled president.
Four Killed as Syria Cuts Off City
New York Times 10 Apr 2011 – Violence broke out after hundreds of protesters gathered in Banias, a port city that was sealed off by the army.
Israel and Hamas Consider Cease-Fire
New York Times 10 Apr 2011 – As the two sides signaled that they were willing to restore calm, militants in Gaza fired about 10 rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel, but Israel did not immediately respond.
As Qaddafi’s Troops Move In, a Seesaw Battle for Rebel City
New York Times 10 Apr 2011 – Libyan forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi pressed a ground attack on Ajdabiya, bringing the battle with the opposition back to the doorstep of the strategically vital rebel city.
2 Protesters Killed in Egypt’s Tahrir Square
New York Times 10 Apr 2011 – Security forces killed two and injured dozens in an attempt to disperse peaceful protesters, witnesses said.
Obama makes clear US opposition to ceasefire, insists on regime change in Libya
WSWS – US President Barack Obama’s rejection of Muammar Gaddafi’s plea for a ceasefire again underscores that NATO’s intervention into Libya’s civil war has nothing to do with protecting civilians.
US Senate discusses sending troops to Libya
WSWS – Gen. Carter Ham told the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations that US troops may have to be sent to Libya because there is little chance of the opposition Transitional National Council defeating the forces loyal to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi.
SOUTH HEBRON HILLS: Israeli military demolishes village of Amniyr for second time in five weeks
Christian Peacemaker Teams – Palestine –
Racist protest in Tel Aviv targets refugees and migrants
Mondoweiss – Racism in Israel is nothing new. There is racism against Palestinians, against Arabs, against non-Jews. There is racism between Jews from Europe and Jews from Arab countries. In our racism, we are no different from many other Western countries. However, the past year in Israel has…
Scenes from Gaza
Mondoweiss – Gaza under attack: death and destruction in Rafah ISM 10 Apr — …Salama El-Dabari is seated in a tent, mourning the loss of his nephew, the 17 year old Khaled Ismail Hamdan el-Dabari, while he explains to ISM volunteers what has happened. “Khaled was following the…
Shabak Charges Against Abusisi Further Debunked
Tikun Olam – Dirar Abusisi’s Phd diploma Friends in the Ukraine have done tremendous research there regarding the charges against Dirar Abusisi levelled by the Israeli Shabak. I’ve already reported on the debunking of a number of the claims contained in his charge sheet. My sources there have enabled…
Ten Eyes for an Eye: The IDF Allegedly Smashes and Plunders the Arab Village of Awarta
The Magnes Zionist 10 Apr 2011 – Since the murders of the members of the Fogel family in Itamar, the lives of the people of the neighboring village of Awarta, have become hell. I am reproducing Noam Sheizaf’s report in order to give it wider circulation. According to reports, hundreds of Palestinians have…
Israeli racism turns its ugly head in south Tel Aviv
Joseph Dana 10 Apr 2011 – Racism in Israel is nothing new. There is racism against Palestinians, against Arabs, against non-Jews. There is racism between Jews from Europe and Jews from Arab countries. In our racism, we are no different from many other Western countries. However, the past year in Israel has…
Gaza truck drivers strike to protest Karni Closure
Gisha 10 Apr 2011 – Bread prices expected to rise, [2011-03-06]
Gisha response to closing of Karni Crossing: Gaza’s Crossings Squeezed Shut
Gisha 10 Apr 2011 – , [2011-03-03]
Israel ‘ready for Gaza ceasefire’
BBC 10 Apr 2011 – Israel gives its first indication – after days of violence – that it will observe a ceasefire in Gaza if Palestinian militants there end rocket attacks.
Information as weapon
BBC 9 Apr 2011 – Journalist Maziar Bahari on why Iran’s rulers fear the internet and a free press
The Goldstone Affair: The Loyal Zionist Judge Who Came In From the Cold
Sabbah report 10 Apr 2011 – Whatever initially might have been right about Zionism as a movement, the Goldstone affair is a further indication that Zionism has been badly misused by Israel’s current leadership.
Shifting focus
Sabbah report 10 Apr 2011 – Harris and his cronies at the AJC have been working the same charade for years: when the rest of the world focuses on Israeli intransigence, Harris shifts attention to Egypt or Libya or Iran.When Palestinians are starving or being murdered in Gaza, Harris writes about Hamas…
Israel: Spoiling for Another Fight?
Sabbah report 10 Apr 2011 – Throughout its history, Israel intimidated as a regional menace, preemptively attacking Palestinians and regional neighbors for any reason or none at all. Each time, it’s claimed self-righteousness and “self-defense,” what scoundrels always say.
Articles
War on memory
Ramzy Baroud, Al-Ahram Weekly4/7/2011
Israel is resolving its democracy dilemma — by doing away with democracy.
Palestinian citizens of Israel can be proud of the fact that their collective tenacity has always proved stronger than any Israeli attempt at dislocating them from their rightful historical narrative. Now, they are being told to cease and desist from commemorating the Nakba, the Catastrophe of 1948, which saw the brutal seizure and depopulation of most of Palestine in order to construct the Israeli “miracle”.
Currently estimated at a fifth of the population of today’s Israel, Palestinians with Israeli citizenship have endured appalling treatment for decades. As Muslims and Christians, they have been regarded as an anomaly in what was meant to be a perfect Jewish utopia governed by the laws of democracy. This is the quandary that Israel has never mastered, as the non-Jewish citizens of Israel have represented a major obstacle to that vision.
The question of what to do with Palestinian citizens of Israel has long haunted Israeli politicians. Discriminatory laws, unlawful seizure of land and even violence have all failed to deter Palestinians from demanding equality and exposing the moral inconsistency of Israel’s selective democracy and dubious history. More, all attempts at fragmenting Palestinian national identity — through different sets of laws for Palestinians in Israel, East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza and millions in Diaspora — have not been enough to disfigure the innate sense of solidarity and belonging that Palestinian communities feel towards one another. When Palestinian activists gather in Jerusalem, Algiers or London, one fails to trace borderlines, the details of identity cards, or any other form of classification used by Israel. When Palestinians meet, Israel’s divisive laws prove frivolous. more.. e-mail
Spring coming early for Hamas
Khaled Amayreh, Al-Ahram Weekly4/7/2011
While little progress in Palestinian reconciliation appears on the horizon, events in Egypt may have levelled the playing field for Hamas.
Despite affirmations to the contrary, the most recent effort at restoring Palestinian national unity between Fatah and Hamas seems to have fizzled out. Fatah and Hamas officials have been trading accusations on their respective sincerity about ending the three-year rift between them.
Hamas is yet to announce a definitive date for the now uncertain visit to the Gaza Strip Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Mahmoud Abbas was said to be planning. Some Hamas leaders have accused Abbas and the Fatah leadership in the West Back of seeking a “public relations visit” in order to throw the proverbial ball into Hamas’s court.
Hamas, which is not unanimous in its views about the visit, has demanded that proper and appropriate preparations be made in order to ensure the success of Abbas’s visit. These include accord on divisive political issues, a halt to politically motivated detentions, the release of political detainees, and a prompt end to the police state atmosphere in the West Bank.
Hamas said Fatah’s refusal to deal seriously with these requirements meant that latter was not really interested in reconciling with Hamas.
“We have asked him [Chairman Abbas] more than once to send a delegation to Gaza or to any place he wants in order to arrange for the visit. Part of these arrangements is tackling the remaining issues of dispute, so his visit would be a culmination of an arrangement between the two parties [Fatah and Hamas]. But Abbas seems to want a merely formal visit unrelated to actual reconciliation, which is unacceptable. Hamas’s position is agreement first, then reconciliation.”…. more.. e-mail
Silently holding their breath
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly4/7/2011
Some Israeli commentators are openly recognising that the current regime in Damascus is the best one they can hope for.
It was easy to notice the surprise of the news anchor of the morning news show on Israeli Radio when retired General Effi Eitam, the former head of the National Religious Party and former housing minister, was concerned about the overthrow of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Eitam is not only an extreme rightwing politician in Israel but lives in the settlement of Katzrin located on the Syrian Golan Heights, which Israel occupied in 1967. Eitam was definitive in his comments on the unrest currently sweeping across Syria.
“The incumbent regime in Syria is the best one for Israel,” he stated, adding that despite the hostile positions of the Syrian regime towards Israel it is better than other alternatives that could replace it if it fell. Eitam surprised listeners when he said that he does not believe that the incumbent regime in Syria is “serious” about recovering the Golan Heights. He attempted a political explanation of his theory, stating: “The problem with the incumbent regime in Syria is that its legitimacy relies on the support of the minority religious Alawite group, which is why it is always trying to maintain the semblance of conflict with Israel to justify its continuation in power. Accordingly, this regime is not interested in recovering the Golan through political settlement because it believes that reaching a political settlement would once again open up debate about the legitimacy of the ruling regime, and raise questions about the future rule of the minority Alawites over the Sunni majority.”
While General Etam’s statements were a surprise because in the past he had always attacked the incumbent Syrian regime, many Israelis in power believe that keeping the current regime in Syria in place is the best option for Israel…. more.. e-mail
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