10 July , 2011 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
Israel Deports 36 Activists, 82 Still Detained
IMEMC – Sunday July 10, 2011 – 22:20, The Israeli Immigration Agency reported Sunday evening that 36 pro-Palestine activists of the “Welcome To Palestine” campaign, who flew from Europe to Tel Aviv, were deported, while 82 activists are still detained awaiting deportation.
Gaza woman injured by Israeli fire
7/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – A Palestinian woman was hit by a stray gunshot, apparently from an Israeli guard towers, in northern Gaza on Saturday. Spokesperson for the Gaza Strip’s emergency and ambulance service Adham Abu Salmiya said the woman was evacuated to the hospital and medics said her wounds were moderate. Abu…. Related: Army strikes Gaza after projectiles land in Israel
Protesters try to break through Bethlehem checkpoint
7/10/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Palestinians and international activists in Bethlehem on Sunday tried to force their way through a checkpoint separating the West Bank city from Jerusalem. Among the protesters were activists who were onboard the so-called “flytilla” that arrived Friday at Ben Gurion International Airport. Israeli soldiers prevented protesters from accessing the area and….
Army strikes Gaza after projectiles land in Israel
7/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) – Israeli fighter jets bombarded a target in the northern Gaza Strip early Sunday morning. The Israeli army said the target was hit accurately. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said a concrete factory in the Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza city was bombarded and destroyed. No injuries were reported. Military…. Related: Gaza woman injured by Israeli fire
Palestinian journalist ‘barred from traveling’
7/10/2011 – QALQILIYA (Ma’an) — A Palestinian journalist says he has been barred from leaving the West Bank. Mustafa Sabri says Israel has prevented him from traveling to Jordan due to “security concerns.””I presented a travel application in 2001 through Hamoked,” an Israeli organization, Sabri said. It was rejected at the time and 10 years….
Israeli forces raid Bethlehem, break into homes
7/10/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Israeli forces raided the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem on Sunday morning and ransacked houses. Palestinian security officials told Ma’an that six Israeli military vehicles stormed Bethlehem in the early morning hours and toured the area before troops dismounted and ransacked several homes in the As-Saff neighborhood. The….
Gaza fishermen challenge navel siege
7/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) —Palestinian fishermen are challenging Israeli naval restrictions on how far they can sail off the coast of Gaza. The Ministry of Agriculture in the Gaza Strip says some fishermen took their ships out six miles from the coast Saturday and Sunday, even though the navy opened fire to send them….
Israel to seek UN opinion on maritime border spat
7/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel is to seek a UN opinion on its maritime borders with Lebanon in the Mediterranean, where lucrative offshore gas fields have been found, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday.” We will soon be presenting the United Nations headquarters in New York with our position on our maritime borders,” Lieberman told Israeli….
Hebron villagers protest settlement expansion
7/10/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — Villagers from At-Tuwani south of Hebron marched Saturday to the outpost of the Maon settlement, delivering a message to settlers protesting their presence. Israeli soldiers tossed smoke and stun grenades to disperse the protesters. One person sustained mild burns after a stun grenade exploded near his feet, a protest organizer told….
Journalists union condemns attack on Ma’an office
7/10/2011 – GAZA CITY (Ma’an) — Unknown assailants attempted to set fire to Ma’an Network’s office in Gaza City early Sunday, in an incident described by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate as an attack on freedom of speech. Staff at the agency’s main office in Gaza said a gate in front…. Related: Arson attack on Ma`an office condemned
Israel deports 36 activists, 82 still held
7/10/2011 – JERUSALEM (AFP) — Israel on Sunday deported 36 pro-Palestinian activists who were taken into custody after flying into Israel for protests over the weekend, an official said. Two other activists were deported overnight, leaving 82 still in Israeli custody awaiting flights back to home.” Now on their way to their flights are 36 people, 35 of….
Israel lawmakers consider bill to outlaw boycotts
7/10/2011 – TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma’an) — Israel’s parliament is to vote Monday on a bill aimed at outlawing boycotts of the country and its activities in the occupied territories, Israeli media reported. The “boycott bill” is aimed against anyone who declares an academic, economic, or artistic boycott on Israeliorganizations including settlements, the Ynet….
PA ‘arrests 22 Islamists’
7/10/2011 – BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) — The Hizb ut-Tahrir movement on Friday said the Palestinian Authority arrested 22 of its members after the pacifist Islamist group distributed a statement criticizing the government. The PA harshly beat those who were detained in Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, the movement said in a statement calling on the government….
Arson attack on Ma`an office condemned
7/10/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Representatives of Palestinian factions and media outlets visited Ma’an’s office in Gaza City on Sunday, condemning an apparent arson attack against the TV and radio network. Head of the Organization of Palestinian NGOs Amjad Ash-Shawwa condemned what he called “serious assault” and demanded that the authorities in…. Related: Journalists union condemns attack on Ma’an office
Fayyad: PA committed to protecting homeland
7/10/2011 – RAMALLAH (Ma’an) — Prime Minister in Ramallah Salam Fayyad said Sunday the Palestinian Authority aimed to protect the Palestinian homeland from Israel’s settlement project. Speaking at an event welcoming a Jordanian parliamentary delegation in Ramallah, Fayyad praised a Jordanian initiative to visit Palestine and learn more about life under occupation. Fayyad briefed….
Israeli film wins at Czech film festival
7/10/2011 – KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic (AFP) — Israeli film “Restoration”, directed by Joseph Madmony, won the main prize at the 46th international film festival in the Czech spa city of Karlovy Vary on Saturday. A jury led by Hungarian director Istvan Szabo chose the film starring Sasson Gabai about a struggling furniture restoration workshop out of 12….
Syria calls in French, US envoys over Hama visit
7/10/2011 – DAMASCUS (AFP) — The Syrian foreign ministry called in the French and US ambassadors on Sunday to deliver a “strong protest” over their visit to the flashpoint central city of Hama last week, state media said.” The ministry called in the US and French ambassadors to deliver a strong protest against their visit to Hama without….
Gaddafi government ‘in talks with France’
AlJazeera 10 Jul 2011 – Saif al-Islam’s comments came a few hours after French defence minister said the rebels should negotiate with Tripoli.
US urges Yemen’s Saleh to transfer power
AlJazeera 10 Jul 2011 – Top aide John Brennan delivers US president’s letter to Yemeni leader, urging Saleh to sign off on power transfer deal.
Panetta to push Iraq on US military presence
AlJazeera 10 Jul 2011 – Defence secretary’s first visit comes as a new diplomatic push is made with the opening of a consulate in Irbil.
Egyptians push for faster reforms
AlJazeera 10 Jul 2011 – Thousands fill Cairo’s main square in protest against the Sharif government’s perceived failure to bring about change.
Interpol issues Hariri murder case alerts
AlJazeera 10 Jul 2011 – Arrest warrants circulated for four suspects at the request of Special Tribunal for Lebanon investigating 2005 killing.
Syrian opposition rejects ‘national dialogue’
AlJazeera 10 Jul 2011 – Opposition figures boycott meeting in Damascus which government says is to discuss a framework for dialogue on reform.
Israel clamps down on fly-in protest
AlJazeera 9 Jul 2011 – Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists have been blacklisted in Europe or deported from Tel Aviv airport.
International Solidarity Movement
Flytilla activists begin hunger strike in Israeli jail
7/10/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Welcome to Palestine – Israeli authorities set stringent conditions for release of “Welcome to Palestine” prisoners – The large majority of international visitors are still incarcerated under brutal conditions, begin a hunger strike in Israeli jail – Bethlehem, July 10, 2011. Over 120 internationals attempting to visit Palestine are still being illegally detained – kidnapped – in two Israeli detention….
Testimony ends in Israel case over killed American
7/10/2011 – International Solidarity Movement – Associated Press – An Israeli court heard its final witness Sunday in a trial surrounding the death of American activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an Israeli military bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003. Israel’s commanding officer in Gaza at the time, Col. Pinhas Zuaretz, testified Sunday. Corrie, a pro-Palestinian activist from….
Israeli soldiers inspect several houses in Bethlehem
10 Jul 2011 – West Bank, (Pal Telegraph)-Israeli occupation forces stormed and inspected several houses in the south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. No arrests were reported.
Palestinian woman wounded by Israeli fire in northern Gaza
10 Jul 2011 – Gaza Strip, (Pal Telegraph)-A Palestinian woman was moderately wounded by Israeli gunfire in the north of Gaza Strip.
Dissidents boycott Syrian regime’s ‘national dialogue conference’
The National 10 Jul 2011 – Opposition to Assad regime refuses to take part in formal talks with government officials as long as deadly security crackdown continues and thousands of protesters remain jailed.
Rock-bottom expectations as Middle East Quartet meets to discuss peace efforts
The National 10 Jul 2011 – Representatives of US, UN, Russia and EU will ‘compare notes’ on stalled Palestinian-Israeli peace process today as US finds itself opposed by almost whole of rest of world in its attempt to block Palestinian statehood application to UN.
Israel starts expulsion of ‘flytilla’ activists after airport detentions
The National 10 Jul 2011 – Arrested protesters are sent home as 130 are held in a largely thwarted attempted mass fly-in of Palestinian supporters at Ben Gurion airport during the weekend.
Yemen’s opposition shows signs of split
The National 9 Jul 2011 –
Israel set to vote on controversial law outlawing boycotts
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu: vote will take place as planned, despite Monday’s Mideast Quartet meeting.
Israel begins deportation of pro-Palestinian ‘flytilla’ activists
Ha’aretz – The first group of 36 Europeans who were refused entry to the country have boarded a Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt.
Vice Premier: Iran, Hezbollah behind Lebanon protest over Israel sea border
Ha’aretz – Moshe Ya’alon tells cabinet Iran and Hezbollah decided to turn maritime border into point of contention after Israel announced natural gas discoveries.
U.S. accuses Syria of stirring protest outside embassy
Ha’aretz – Weekend protest outside U.S. Embassy in Damascus lasts 31 hours; U.S. ambassador tells FM that such anti-American ‘incitement’ must stop.
Israel Police investigating video comparing officers to Nazis
Ha’aretz – The editors and promoters of a YouTube video comparing Israeli police officer to Nazi soldiers will be investigated.
Israeli man convicted of murdering his 3 young children
Ha’aretz – Itai Ben Dror killed the children, aged 10, 8, and 5, on his ex-wife’s birthday a year ago.
Secular activists: Police ignoring ultra-Orthodox attacks on Sabbath traffic in Jerusalem
Ha’aretz – Police maintain that they are ensuring that the main artery Neviim Street remains open to traffic on Saturdays.
Netanyahu: Israel recognizes South Sudan as independent state
Ha’aretz – Interior Minister Eli Yishai calls on Israel to immediately begin negotiations with the new country in order to return the thousands of refugees and migrant workers who had crossed into Israel over the past years.
Donniel Hartman: Are We a Nation That Dwells Apart?
Ha’aretz – An Israel which leads will find many who want accompany it
Netanyahu: Maritime borders proposed by Lebanon encroach upon Israel territory
Ha’aretz – Netanyahu says lines declared by Lebanon are further south than those determined in previous deals; Israel to submit coordinates on maritime border with Lebanon to UN after U.S. endorses Lebanese version of where lines should be.
Lieberman: Erdogan shut the door on Israeli-Turkish reconciliation
Ha’aretz – Foreign minister says Turkey PM’s demand that Israel end Gaza siege and apologize for IDF raid on ship in Gaza flotilla last year is unacceptable.
IDF strikes Gaza tunnel after Qassams land in Israel
Ha’aretz – Israel Air Force aircraft hit smuggling tunnel in northern Gaza following rocket attacks on Israel overnight Saturday.
Bill seeks to reduce use of milk-supplements at hospitals
Ha’aretz – Knesset set to discuss bill intending to reduce the use of milk supplements at hospitals for babies and encourage breast-feeding, in line with World Health Organization code.
Decision to raise women’s retirement age postponed by two months
Ha’aretz – Postponement intended to allow government enough time to reach a decision regarding the public committee’s recommendation to raise women’s retirement age to 67.
Did natural gas companies secretly buy land in Acre?
Ha’aretz – An unknown group called Contec Medical Vision offered to buy the land from the liquidator a few months ago; real estate market sources claim land is ideal for gas company to build underwater pipeline from offshore reserve to onshore holding facility.
Price control likely to resume for some dairy products
Ha’aretz – Following recent cottage cheese boycott over prices government reportedly likely to recommend state price controls on some dairy products; Control would decrease prices by 10 percent according to sources.
Tycoons fling dirt in diaper duel
Ha’aretz – The cottage cheese boycott casts a spotlight on the price of diapers in Israel.
Egyptian protesters vow to stay camped in Tahrir Square
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Anger rising against what many see as the reluctance of the military council to deliver on the demands of protesters who ousted Mubarak.
Itai Ben-Dror convicted of murdering his 3 children
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Prosecution recommends court give him three life sentences; defense attorneys request psychological evaluation.
Syria’s opposition boycotts government talks
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – US expert: Dialogue with Assad is an “obscene fantasy.”
Thirty-eight ‘Flightilla’ activists deported to Europe
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Remainder of pro-Palestinian activists being detained are expected to be put on flights in the near future.
Lebanon says it will protect its borders and resources
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Warning comes after Netanyahu, cabinet approve demarcation of maritime border between the countries in area with large gas reserves.
Cabinet okays demarcation of northern maritime border
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Move made to protect economic rights in lucrative offshore territories near Lebanon; Beirut warns it will defend its borders and resources.
Tunisian Secularists Fight Back
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Women received the vote shortly after independence in 1956 and unlike most Arab countries, polygamy is banned and abortions are allowed.
North Sudan: What next?
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Nothing will change in Sudan until the world addresses the religious element of its conflicts.
Libyan delegation reportedly visited Israel, met Livni
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Senior delegation sent by Gaddafi attempted to alter Israeli perception of the embattled leader, passed along digital information, Channel 2 says.
Athens and Jerusalem
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Warming relations between Israel and Greece is a positive development that should be pursued and nurtured.
An invitation to meet
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Shared pursuit of democratic and Zionist values are ample grounds for an exchange of ideas.
The path from dictatorship to democracy
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Indonesia has asked in recent years to be more involved in Middle Eastern affairs by playing the role of mediator and peacemaker.
Jordan on the verge of a survival showdown?
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Jordan’s prime minister revealed that his country would vote against Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly in September.
‘James Cunningham was consulted on Pollard funeral’
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Account by US officials contradicts statement by US ambassador in ‘Post’ interview; claims State Dept. nixed request to attend dad’s funeral.
One Israeli dies, 13 injured in minibus crash in Georgia
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Two most seriously injured Israelis expected to arrive back in Israel on special plane arranged by Georgian president.
Gallery: South Sudanese celebrate independence in TA
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Tel Aviv’s South Sudanese population celebrated their homeland’s independence on Sunday.
Syria starts ‘national dialogue’ – without opposition
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – VP Shara says there is no alternative to dialogue but opposition activists and leaders say violence must first stop.
Opposition MKs intensify efforts against ‘Boycott Bill’
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Anti-boycott law is expected to pass if vote is not postponed; Meretz’s Gal-On proposes bill to label products made in West Bank.
Syria VP hosts ‘national dialogue,’ opposition boycotts
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Shara says conference aims to achieve a “pluralistic and democratic country”; opposition fears Assad government will exploit talks while arresting and killing protesters across country.
Police probing YouTube clip comparing police to Nazis
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Clip compares special patrol officers to Nazi soldiers; video believed to have been produced by far-right elements.
The secrets of taking good pictures: Step 2
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – A new column: Photography expert Tom Langford gives his advice on how to turn an average shot into the perfect photograph.
Iran condemns US envoy’s ‘suspicious’ visit to Syria
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Iranian deputy FM says US ambassador Ford’s uncoordinated visit to Hama proves that US is meddling in Syrian affairs, FARS reports.
Cabinet approves northern maritime border
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Motion comes after Lebanon submitted to UN maps which demarcate naval borders that infringe on Israel’s economic zone and gas reserves.
Untangling the Web: 21st-century ADHD
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – A new Jpost.com column on the ever-changing world of news online: In the sea of iPhones and flashing ads, what is the proverbial Ritalin?
Cabinet approves maritime economic zone proposal
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Motion comes after Lebanon submitted to UN maps which demarcate naval borders that infringe on Israel’s economic zone and gas reserves.
As Arab Spring roils, hunger emerges
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Military violence compounds preexisting economic factors, leaving millions hungry in Syria, Libya and nearly one third of Yemeni population.
Netanyahu announces quick recognition of S. Sudan
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – PM says “we will be happy to cooperate with new country”; Yishai: New state will make it easier on Israel to send back Sudanese refugees.
Former Nazi resort rebuilt as huge youth hostel
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Resort originally built as world’s largest hotel but ended up as one of the biggest Nazi building projects to prepare soldiers for war.
Fire breaks out at Tel Aviv District Court archives
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Court evacuated, one person injured lightly due to smoke inhalation; police suspect fire was result of electrical shortage.
Gov’t to vote on maps defining northern maritime border
Jerusalem Post 10 Jul 2011 – Resolution submitted to gov’t says Lebanon’s claims of ownership over naval territory and maps it sent to UN contradict previous agreements.
MIDEAST: ‘Flytilla’ Debacle Another PR Nightmare For Israel
IPS Confused foreign tourists arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday would be forgiven for thinking that a terrorist attack was about to take place.
Protests spread in Egypt as discontent with military rule grows
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – Protests have brought Egypt’s administrative and commercial nerve centres to a standstill , as government attempts to stem a growing wave of opposition to military rule succeeded only in galvanising demonstrators further. The interim prime minister, Essam Sharaf, took to the airwaves late on Saturday pledging to “meet the people’s demands”, following mass rallies across…
Tunisians protest against Israel ties
Uruknet June 10, 2011 – Around 600 people rallied in Tunis Sunday threatening to out leaders believed to support normalisation of diplomatic ties with Israel. “Death to all Tunisians attempting to normalise relations with Israel,” said Ahmed Kahlaoui, who chairs a committee opposing the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two countries. “We will denounce them and publish their…
The American-Saudi Relationship An Old Friendship Starts to Crumble
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – …. Last month the prince spoke before American and British officers stationed at Molesworth Royal Air Force Base in southern England on “A Saudi security doctrine for the next century”. This doctrine is designed to respond to the changing situation in the region, to the inner conflicts in the neighbouring states of Syria, Yemen and…
Iraq’s Protestors Cut Main Road to Border with Iran
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – Kurdish demonstrators cut the main road to the border point with Iran in Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala on Sunday, in protest against Iran’s cutting the flow of water in a tributary vital for Iraqi citizens. Since the morning, dozens of protestors from the Iraqi city of Khanaqin, some 150 km northeast of Baghdad,…
Dueling UN Flotilla I Commissions
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – ….Last September, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), issued its damning findings on Israel’s Flotilla I massacre, killing nine and wounding dozens of peaceful humanitarian activists heading for Gaza with aid. As a result, HRC: “concluded that a series of violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, were committed by…
Syria opens ‘dialogue’ with opposition absent
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – Syria opened a “national dialogue” on Sunday that it hailed as a step towards multi-party democracy after five decades of Baath party rule but its credibility was undermined by an opposition boycott. Delegates observed a minute’s silence in memory of the “martyrs” before the playing of the national anthem. “We are going to hold…
Flytilla’ Debacle Another PR Nightmare For Israel
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – Confused foreign tourists arriving at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport on Friday would be forgiven for thinking that a terrorist attack was about to take place. Hundreds of armed Israeli soldiers and police spread throughout the airport as Israeli police surrounded six Israeli pro-Palestinian peace activists who were arrested for unfurling Palestinian flags and…
Killer Drones Take the Place of War
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – …. Killer drones are not primarily weapons of war, as usually defined, but instead are automated technologies designed for convenient, targeted killing or assassination outside of war zones. As mentioned, the usual targets are in countries we aren’t at war with, far from usual areas of armed conflict. .And killer drones in these countries are…
Did you ever talk to Sheikh Raed Salah? Did you ever really listen to him?*
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – Sheikh Raed Salah, one of the most prominent campaigners for Palestinian rights, traveled to the United Kingdom to participate in a speaking tour, including at the launch of the ‘Building Peace and Justice in Jerusalem’ Campaign in Parliament, but was instead arrested for deportation from his hotel room. What has Sheikh Raed Salah done…
Flytilla activists begin hunger strike in Israeli jail
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – Over 120 internationals attempting to visit Palestine are still being illegally detained – kidnapped – in two Israeli detention centers, in Ramle and in Beer Al-Saba’ (Beersheva). These friends of Palestine, among which there are minors and elderly persons with medical conditions, have been and are being mistreated and subjected to unnecessary brutality. For…
Israeli Air Force Bombards Brick Factory In Gaza
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – The Israeli Air Force carried out, on Saturday at night, an air-strike targeting a brick factory, east of Gaza city; damage was reported, no injuries. Eyewitnesses reported that at least one missile directly hit the factory causing excessive damage, and also inflicting damage to nearby homes. Medics and civil defense personnel arrived at the…
Statement from the Local Coordination Committee in the District of Hama Around the visit of the Western Ambassadors to the City
Uruknet July 10, 2011 – … Until yesterday, the west was still trying to be on good terms with the Assad regime to the point that the American Ambassador himself was in Damascus under the acknowledgment of the regime itself, trying to give it help and advice. Didn’t this same Ambassador say that there was exaggeration when talking about the…
Conditions worsen in Basra hospitals as government slashes allocations
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – Hospitals in the southern Iraqi Province of Basra suffer from a lack of medicine and falling standards in their health and hygiene services, the governor said. Khalaf Abdulsamad made the remarks following a meeting with the heads of public hospitals and clinics in the province during which they complained about their work conditions. “We…
A special form for Arab passengers to warn airport ahead of their arrival
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – Israel responded to the “flytilla” with a wildly disproportionate deployment of police and extraordinary security checks. But Palestinian citizens of Israel are discriminated at the Ben Gurion Airport on an hourly basis – and are now able to racially profile themselves, using a specially provided form to warn the airport authorities of their arrival….
Israeli forces shot, injure Palestinian girl in Gaza
Uruknet July 9, 2011 — Israeli army forces shot and injured a Palestinian girl in her 20s northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, a medical source said. Israeli forces, positioned in their posts on the borders between Gaza and Israel to the north of Beit Lahya town, opened fire at the girl and injured her, Adham Abu Saleema, spokesman of…
A special form for Arab passengers to warn airport ahead of their arrival A special form for Arab passengers to warn airport ahead of their arrival
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – Israel responded to the “flytilla” with a wildly disproportionate deployment of police and extraordinary security checks. But Palestinian citizens of Israel are discriminated at the Ben Gurion Airport on an hourly basis – and are now able to racially profile themselves, using a specially provided form to warn the airport authorities of their arrival….
Appeals Court Rejects More Media Consolidation
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – In six editions of “The Media Monopoly” and subsequent update titled, “The New Media Monopoly,” Ben Bagdikian explained how deregulation let major media corporations consolidate to oligopoly size. Since 1983, the number of corporations owning most newspapers, magazines, book publishers, recorded music, movie studios, television and radio stations shrunk from 50 to a handful,…
Free Gaza endorses the BNC call for immediate embargo on Israel
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – The Free Gaza Movement welcomes, endorses, and supports the Palestinian Boycott National Committee (BNC) call for an immediate and comprehensive military embargo on Israel. Freedom Flotilla II, and Israel’s attempts to thwart it through outrageous acts of intimidation, lies, political pressure, threats of violence, and sabotage, has reminded the world that the criminal blockade…
The game in Syria
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – …The United States, European countries and the Arabs are all involved, but the most striking development arose this week, when the French and American ambassadors to Syria journeyed to the city of Hama to show solidarity with a popular uprising there. It would be na?Øve to think that the ambassadors would have made the…
Yemen: Dozens of Civilians Killed in Southern Fighting
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – Yemeni forces may have killed dozens of civilians in unlawful attacks while fighting an Islamist armed group in southern Abyan province since May 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. The militants in Abyan, called Ansar al-Sharia (Partisans of Islamic Law), may have unlawfully placed civilians at risk by deploying in densely populated areas and…
Israel to expel 120 pro-Palestinian activists ‚Äé
Uruknet July 9, 2011 — Israel is preparing to expel 120 mostly European activists jailed after having managed to arrive on flights to the country as part of a pro-Palestinian protest, an official said Saturday. But immigration service spokeswoman Sabine Hadad said four activists from Germany and Holland were authorized to stay after giving a written commitment “not to…
Press Release: Sheikh Raed Salah denied Bail
Uruknet July 9, 2011 – After a three-hour hearing yesterday in London, Sheikh Raed Salah was denied bail by the courts and is to remain in a high security prison with dangerous criminals until his appeal against deportation is heard. The judge stated that the prosecution’s submissions that Sheikh Raed would abscond if granted bail were not convincing, and…
Sudan’s smooth separation masks messy divorce
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 North and South Sudanese awoke in separate nations Sunday, relieved at the ease of the split but no closer to solving rows over borders, oil sharing and other issues that may yet spark conflict.
Syrian opposition groups boycott dialogue
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Rights groups say more than 1,300 civilians have been killed and 12,000 people have been arrested since the start of demonstrations demanding more freedom began in March.
Fneish commends southerners’ ties with UNIFIL
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Minister of State Mohammad Fneish commended Sunday the relations between the residents of south Lebanon and U.N. peacekeeping troops…
Jellyfish invasion hits south Lebanon shores
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Thousands of jellyfish are invading the country’s southern beaches from Sidon to the town of Naqoura, stinging beachgoers who cross their path.
Lebanese hacker targets Damascus University
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 A Lebanese hacker has targeted the website of Damascus University and posted information and a message saying more government and Syrian education websites will be hacked.
EU enlargement chief to visit Turkey as accession talks stall
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 The European Union’s enlargement chief will start a three-day visit to Turkey Monday to discuss ways of breaking an impasse in the country’s accession talks, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
Palestinian news agency in Gaza firebombed
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Unknown attackers threw Molotov cocktails at the office of a Palestinian news agency in Gaza City Sunday, causing damage but no injuries, the agency said.
Israel deports 36 ‘flytilla’ activists, 82 still held
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Israel Sunday deported 36 pro-Palestinian activists who were taken into custody after flying into Israel for protests over the weekend, an official said.
Davutoglu in Iran for talks on regional crises
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Iran Sunday after holding talks in Saudi Arabia focused on turmoil in the region, notably in Syria.
Israel’s FM: Ankara shut door on rapprochement
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Turkey’s leader has shut the door on reconciliation with Israel by insisting it end the Gaza blockade and apologize for storming a Turkish ship sailing toward the Palestinian enclave, Israel’s top diplomat said Sunday.
Doctors return from West to help out Libyan rebels fighting at front
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 The Bir Ayad field hospital is in a single room with no electricity in a former roadside cafe near the front line in Libya’s Western mountains.
U.S. troop decision tops Panetta’s Baghdad agenda as more Saddam-era mass graves found
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta arrived in Baghdad Sunday to urge Iraqi leaders to act against Iran-backed Shiite militias, as another American soldier was killed in the south of the country.
Fighting kills 8 in Yemen as U.S. envoy presses Saleh to leave office
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Eight people were killed in southern Yemen in two separate incidents Sunday as U.S. President Barack Obama’s top counterterrorism official met President Ali Abdullah Saleh to urge him to hand over power quickly.
Gadhafi forces shell rebels south of Tripoli
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi let loose a heavy artillery bombardment Sunday to try to push back rebel fighters who had taken a village about 100 km south of Tripoli.
Al-Jazeera: We’re the target of a threat campaign
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Al-Jazeera satellite news channel Sunday condemned what it called a campaign of threats against its journalists because of its coverage of uprisings in the Arab world.
Egyptian frustrations with army, government mount
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Egyptian activists vowed Sunday to stay camped in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, accusing the army rulers of failing to sweep out corruption, end the use of military courts and swiftly try those who killed protesters.
Gadhafi forces counterattack southwest of Tripoli
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi launched a counterattack on Sunday against rebel advance positions 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Tripoli, an AFP correspondent reported.
Syrian vice president calls for transition to democracy
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Farouq al-Sharaa speaks at a national dialogue that opened Sunday with some critics of the government and a boycott by the main opposition driving the four-month-old uprising in the country.
Syria calls in French, U.S. envoys over Hama visit
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Syrian Foreign Ministry calls in the French and U.S. ambassadors to deliver a “strong protest” over their visit to the flashpoint central city of Hama last week.
Turkish foreign minister to visit Iran after Saudi talks
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Ahmet Davutoglu had been expected to return to Turkey on Sunday after meeting his Saudi counterpart, but now intends to carry out a whirlwind tour of regional hotspots before heading home late on Tuesday.
Syria opens ‘dialogue’ with opposition absent
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Syria opens a “national dialogue” that it hails as a step towards multi-party democracy after five decades of Baath party rule but its credibility is undermined by an opposition boycott.
Lebanon joins economic forum in U.S.
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Lebanon’s Ambassador to the U.S. will join a forum focusing on business opportunities in the Middle East following recent changes in the Arab world, a U.S.-based newspaper reported over the weekend.
Israel approves maritime border that conflicts with Lebanon map
Daily Star 10 Jul 2011 Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, says Hezbollah is pushing Lebanon into friction over seas containing gas fields.
Georgia accident casualties arrive in Israel
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – The Boeing 737 organized by the Georgian government to transport the Israelis injured in an accident which took place near Kutaisi Sunday morning, landed at Ben Gurion … ….
Netanyahu puts breaks on ‘boycott bill’
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – It seems that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not wish to present Israel in a negative light to the Quartet states which are set to meet on Monday for a crucial … ….
Tunisians protest against Israel ties
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Around 600 people rallied in Tunis Sunday threatening to out leaders believed to support normalization of diplomatic ties with Israel. “Death to all Tunisians … ….
Egypt detains kosher food delivery to Israeli embassy
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Israel’s tense relations with Egypt were strained further recently, after Egyptian border guards stationed at the Taba Border detained vehicles transporting kosher food … ….
Anti-Israel bias in Mexican school exam
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – An anti-Israeli question that appeared on a national exam in Mexico brought about protest from Mexico’s Jewish community. Dialogue between the two countries did lead … ….
S. Korean mission visits Shalit tent
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – A South Korean mission comprised of Buddhist monks and the Nirvana Dance Company visited the Shalit protest tent in Jerusalem, in show of support for the captive … ….
Al-Jazeera: Syria threatening journalists
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Al-Jazeera satellite news channel on Sunday condemned what it called a campaign of threats against its journalists because of its coverage of uprisings in the Arab … ….
Lebanon: We won’t forfeit maritime rights
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Beirut’s minister of energy warns Israel against violating Lebanon’s naval….
New bill promotes chemical castration for sex offenders
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Knesset committee begins deliberation over proposal that could see Israel use….
Testimony ends in Israeli case over slain American
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Haifa District Court set to enter verdict deliberations in civil suit filed over….
Dad convicted of murdering his 3 kids
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Court convicts Itay Ben Dror of three counts of premeditated murder for stabbing….
Israeli tourist killed in Georgia
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Minibus carrying 14 Israelis crashes headlong into truck; diplomatic sources say….
Court: Probe of slain Palestinian girl ‘sloppy’
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – High Court rejects petition to put 2 Border Guard officers on trial for death of….
Video compares police to Nazis
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Police to probe tape showing footage of Nazi troops beating prisoners, officers….
Bedouin Development Authority builds trust in Negev
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Negotiators being trained for land reform talks say Israel ‘must take back….
Israel sets maritime borders
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Cabinet ratifies agreement with Cyprus setting borders around area thought to….
Israel congratulates South Sudan
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Netanyahu offers cooperation with world’s newest country, Yishai hopes to return….
Activist: Syrian regime has arrested 60,000 people
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Human rights activist decries ‘revolving door’ arrest policy, says prisons….
Knesset braces for ‘Boycott bill’ vote
YNet News, 10 Jul 2011 – Plenum in uproar over bill declaring boycotts against any Israeli organization….
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian girl wounded in IOF shooting
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired at Palestinian citizens in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza on Saturday wounding a girl, medical sources reported.
Thousands of Palestinians demonstrate demanding freedom for Sheikh Salah
PIC – Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated in the streets of Nazareth to the north of 1948 occupied Palestine demanding the immediate release of Sheikh Raed Salah from his UK jail.
Bahar calls on IOC head to push Palestinian issues on international forum
PIC – Deputy speaker of the PLC Ahmed Bahar called on Ekmelleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary-general of the OIC, to bring current Palestinian affairs to the international forum.
IOF raids several locations in West Bank
PIC – Israeli occupation forces raided several locations in the West Bank and set up road blocks on Sunday morning arresting at least one Palestinian man.
El-Khoudary: No turning back on reconciliation
PIC – Independent Palestinian legislator Jamal El-Khoudary said there is no turning back on the Palestinians’ choice of reconciliation, calling the unity deal signing a national accomplishment.
Israeli court extends detention of Hamas MP for six months
PIC – An Israeli military court on Sunday extended the detention of Hamas MP and former finance minister Dr. Omar Abdel Razek for six months for the second time running.
IOF soldiers arrest Palestinian journalist
PIC – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested Palestinian journalist Mohammed Basharat from his home in village of Tamun, Tobas province, on Sunday, sources in the village told the PIC reporter.
Hamas: Service decline signals intent behind UNRWA name change
PIC – Hamas’s refugees’ affairs department has said the recent decline in UNRWA’s services confirms the body’s “evil objectives” behind the recent name change, which excluded the term “relief works”.
Detainee in Ramallah goes on hunger strike
PIC – Mohammed Naim Al-Aruri went on hunger strike in a Ramallah jail on Saturday to protest being held in jail for three months after completing his sentence.
IOF continues to crack down on West Bank protests
PIC – Israeli occupation forces cracked down Sunday on peaceful demonstrations welcoming foreign pro-Palestinian activists near the Dome Barrier outside of Bethlehem.
Israeli raid on Gaza destroys brick factory
PIC – 10/07/2011 – 09:46 AM
European initiative calls on international judges to see execution of ruling
PIC – 10/07/2011 – 10:04 AM
Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem Hands Demolition Order to Elderly Palestinian Woman in Jerusalem
WAFA
Israeli Settler Runs Over Palestinian Child in Bethlehem
WAFA
Patriarch Theophilos III Lays Foundation Stone for School’s Building in Ramallah
WAFA
Israeli Authorities are Changing Historical Sites’ Features in Silwan
WAFA
Palestinian Fashion Designer Presents his Latest Trend in Rome
WAFA
Quartet Needs to Change Approach to Peace, Says Ashrawi
WAFA
Abbas to Receive Bersani on Monday
WAFA
Newspapers Review: Israeli Attack on Qalandia Protest, Anti-Corruption News, Flytilla Deportations
WAFA
Israeli Strike Destroys Palestinian Factory in Gaza
WAFA
JEFF GATES: Induced Fraud
Intifada-Palestine: 10 Jul 2011 – This is the third in a four-part series by Jeff Gates / Intifada Palestine Jeff Gates Even as the Berlin Wall was being reduced to rubble, the forces that have since dismantled the US economy were gaining power. Driven by the all-pervasive… more
Netanyahu Panics — American and European activists Flytilla
Intifada-Palestine: 10 Jul 2011 – When Folks like Kathy Kelly Visit Palestine by Sea or by Air Netanyahu Panics “I, and another US Boat to Gaza campaign member, Missy Lane, will head to Tel Aviv, where we plan to be part of a “flytilla,” a new… more
Fearful Syrians use coded language to mask protest activities
LA Times 9 Jul 2011 – In a country where the walls are said to have ears, Syrians have long erred on the side of paranoia. And from the beginning, the Syrian revolution has been marked by doublespeak. At home in San Fernando in early June, Hadia Al-Abdullah was watching an…
The Lede: U.S. Ambassador Greeted With Roses by Syrian Protesters in Hama
New York Times 9 Jul 2011 – Video recorded by Syrian activists appears to show that protesters holding olive branches tossed roses on to the American ambassador’s car in Hama’s central Aasi Square on Friday.
Why the Crimean War Matters
New York Times 9 Jul 2011 – Orlando Figes explains how the Crimean War, a major turning point in European and Middle Eastern history, resonates today.
Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity movement gears up for big Palestinian independence demonstration
Mondoweiss – Sheikh Jarrah, Jerusalem ‚ÄìAs they do every Friday afternoon in occupied Jerusalem, the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity movement demonstrated July 8 against illegal Jewish-only settlements in Jerusalem that continue to displace Palestinians and diminish any remaining hope that a state of Palestine could have East Jerusalem as…
‘Flytilla’ protest rocks the Israeli status quo in a sacred place ‚Äì the airport
Mondoweiss – A report over the weekend in Maariv said that IDF special forces went on a flight from Geneva in Ben-Gurion Airport to sort the passengers between “pro Palestinian activists” and the rest of the passengers. Eventually, they deported 25 people. This is only one of many…
Israel tracked Facebook to compile int’l blacklist for flytilla
Mondoweiss – Facebook made the Egyptian revolution. I guess the sword cuts both ways. CBC: Israel had tracked the activists on social media sites like Facebook, compiled a blacklist of about 300 names and asked airlines to keep those on the list off flights to Israel.
Alterman describes a future for Israelis as free citizens of a normal democratic country ‘dystopian.’ And why?
Mondoweiss – Eric Alterman has an important piece at the Forward stating the liberal Zionist opposition to any talk of a one-state/binational democracy in Israel/Palestine and, from an American platform, reminding Palestinians who live over there that they must accept their historic dispossession. Jack Ross, author of a…
Jewish binationalists predicted declaring a Jewish ethnic state would plunge Palestine into unending war
Mondoweiss – More about Eric Alterman’s important piece at the Forward defending Zionism against Palestinian refugees’ claims of dispossession. This is from the great Jerry Haber , in the Forward comment section. Professor Alterman, please drop the standard Zionist narrative of the “naivete” of the Ihud group [which supported…
Kites Soar Over Karmei Tsur Settlement
Palestine Solidarity Project 10 Jul 2011 – On Saturday, July 9, about 70 children ages 8-14 from the Center for Freedom and Justice’s annual summer camp flew kites on a hill across from the Karmei Tsur settlement. The kites featured Palestinian flags and children flew them over the area for about an hour….
Resistance to the Occupation continues in Ni’lin and Shuqba
Palestine Solidarity Project 10 Jul 2011 – 10 July 2011 On Friday July 8, residents from the village of Ni’lin demonstrated against the Apartheid Wall. The group included around 15 Palestinians, 2 Israelis and 10 internationals. Holding signs and chanting, the group marched to the Wall and demonstrated for around an hour against…
Why Endorsing Partial Boycotts of Israeli Products, or Even Global Boycotts, Doesn’t Violate the Proposed Anti-Boycott Law
The Magnes Zionist 10 Jul 2011 – For some time I have been waiting for the Anti-boycott Bill to pass on its second and third parliamentary readings so I could be one of the first to violate this ridiculous infringement of free speech as an act of civil disobedience. Yet having read the…
Were ‘Air Flotilla’ Activists Arrested in West Bank Demonstrations?
Joseph Dana 10 Jul 2011 – Demonstration in Nabi Saleh 9 July 2011. Photo by Oren Ziv/ Activestills.org According to media reports carried by all major news outlets in Israel, four ‘air flotilla’ passengers were arrested/detained Saturday in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh during an unarmed demonstration this morning. Haaretz,…
The Battle Over the Gaza Aid Flotilla
Joseph Dana 10 Jul 2011 – This pieceoriginallyappeared in The Nation on 1 July 2011 Athens On Thursday, the passengers of the Audacity of Hope , the US boat in the “Freedom Flotilla 2” to Gaza—a convoy of ten boats, two cargo ships and some 300 civilians—emerged from their hotel on the edge…
The Unlikely Alliance between Greek Activists and the Flotilla
Joseph Dana 10 Jul 2011 – After a week of anti-austerity demonstrations and flotillatraining, activists from both camps have emerged unified in their claim that Greek government no longer represents its people; rather it is now beholden to the interests of foreign bodies, be it Israel or the InternationalMonetaryFund. ATHENS ‚Äì On…
Syria opens ‘national dialogue’
BBC 10 Jul 2011 – Syria’s ruling party opens a “national dialogue” to discuss possible political reforms, but many opposition figures vow to stay away.
VIDEO: Syria opens ‘national dialogue’
BBC 10 Jul 2011 – The Syrian government is holding a two-day meeting with members of the ruling Baath party and its opponents.
On flotillas and the law: civil society versus Israel lobbies in US and Europe
Sabbah report 10 Jul 2011 – Lawrence Davidson argues that the deadly influence of Israeli special interests groups on Western governments, especially that of the USA, means that advocates of justice for the Palestinians have only one recourse: civil society actions such as the Gaza humanitarian flotillas.
Articles
The PLO is to ‘liberate’ not to legalize partition
Salman Abu Sitta, Middle East Monitor (MEMO)7/10/2011
If political wisdom does not prevail, if no crucial decisions are taken in which ALL Palestinians are represented, and if we do not learn from the mistakes of the past by changing the previous policies and methods and those who made them, then we are embarking on a disaster greater and more catastrophic than that of Oslo. If today’s relentless pursuit for the recognition of an “independent State of Palestine” had existed before 1947, we would have applauded it with enthusiasm, and sacrificed our lives for it, as did our people from 1920 onwards.
The League of Nations acknowledged in Article 22 of its Charter the independence of Palestine from the sea to the river, and from Ras al Naqura to Um Rashrash, and placed it under category A Mandate, like Iraq; that meant an independent state which only needed assistance and advice from the Mandate government to build its institutions. Iraq was Palestine’s twin, with the difference that Iraq became an independent state; and Palestine did not.
The British Mandate undermined these legal foundations by admitting Jewish immigrants to Palestine and not allowing Palestinian parliamentary representation as long as the majority of the population of Palestine were Arabs. Then the Zionists undermined the whole foundations by occupying Palestine in two stages, in 1948 and 1967.
The great difference between the Mandate period and the present day is that the Palestinian people before 1947 were resident in their homeland, rooted for thousands of years. The demand for independence in the country was thus self-evident, as was the case with British colonies and protectorates.
Today, the Zionist movement has achieved through brute force its myth that Palestine was “a land without a people” by ethnically cleansing the Palestinian population. That’s why the situation facing Palestinians now is different…. more.. e-mail
US collusion in the Gaza blockade is an affront to human rights
Cindy Corrie, The Guardian7/8/2011
My daughter’s death shows the cruelty of an America that won’t protect its own and is complicit in harming Palestinian civilians.
When Greek authorities prevented the US ship the Audacity of Hope leaving its port in Athens this week, they dealt a blow to a group of brave and principled Americans who were trying to carry thousands of letters from US citizens to those who wait on Gaza’s shores.
I know many of the people who were on this boat, and my family’s letter was part of their cargo. In 2003 my daughter Rachel Corrie made her journey to Gaza and was run down and killed by a US-made Israeli military Caterpillar D-9 bulldozer. She was trying to protect a Gazan family and their home, one of thousands illegally destroyed in Israeli military clearing operations.
Now my family is on a parallel journey with those activists as we return this week to Israeli court to confront Colonel Pinhas Zuaretz, the commanding officer of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade in 2003. His testimony should shed light not only on actions of troops responsible for Rachel’s killing but also on the Israeli military’s broad failures as an occupying power to protect civilian life and property.
This week’s flotilla was travelling to Gaza, as Rachel did, to stand with Palestinians against oppression and illegal occupation and for a just, enduring peace.
Some liken the action to those of “freedom riders” who 50 years ago journeyed bravely to the American south to oppose racist laws that kept blacks and whites from sitting together on buses….. more.. e-mail
Noam Chomsky: In Israel, a Tsunami warning
Noam Chomsky, Israeli Occupation Archive7/8/2011
In May, in a closed meeting of many of Israel’s business leaders, Idan Ofer, a holding-company magnate, warned, “We are quickly turning into South Africa. The economic blow of sanctions will be felt by every family in Israel.”
The business leaders’ particular concern was the U.N. General Assembly session this September, where the Palestinian Authority is planning to call for recognition of a Palestinian state.
Dan Gillerman, Israel’s former ambassador to the United Nations, warned participants that “the morning after the anticipated announcement of recognition of a Palestinian state, a painful and dramatic process of Southafricanization will begin” _ meaning that Israel would become a pariah state, subject to international sanctions.
In this and subsequent meetings, the oligarchs urged the government to initiate efforts modeled on the Saudi (Arab League) proposals and the unofficial Geneva Accord of 2003, in which high-level Palestinian and Israeli negotiators detailed a two-state settlement that was welcomed by most of the world, dismissed by Israel and ignored by Washington.
In March, Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak warned of the prospective U.N. action as a “tsunami.” The fear is that the world will condemn Israel not only for violating international law but also for carrying out its criminal acts in an occupied state recognized by the U.N.
The U.S. and Israel are waging intensive diplomatic campaigns to head off the tsunami. If they fail, recognition of a Palestinian state is likely. more.. e-mail
heat stupor
In Gaza: 10 Jul 2011 – Sometimes it’s nice that the sound of the generators blots everything else out…street traffic, watermelon sellers, honking taxis looking for fares… But usually it’s just a headache, and I feel a sense of lethargy overwhelm me. The power is out, it’s mid-afternoon, there is no breeze, the sun’s heat cuts through thin curtains… and the generators are coughing all along the street below. For the shops it’s worth their investment in a 300 shekel generator (plus the fuel to run it, which is not always cheap or available) to power their lighting, fan, computer, refrigerator…inside the noise is less intrusive, but outside it deafens. Then it’s not just one generator but an unending stream, if you are walking on a commercial street. Clouds of noxious gas, reminding me of motorboats at play on otherwise tranquil lakes, or snowmobiles barging through pristine forest trails. Never a pleasant smell, nor combined with…more
Diplomacy Goes for Nought with Israelis
Palestine Chronicle: 9 Jul 2011 – By Stuart Reigeluth The Palestinians have been standing in line for decades, waiting to join the global family of nations, waiting for international recognition, waiting most of all for the superpower seal of approval. There is a historic irony in South Sudan skipping the line and becoming the 193rd country today, but Palestine may have its chance yet in September at the United Nations. The UN General Assembly consists of 193 states now (including South Sudan soon) and needs a 2/3 majority of 128 states to approve the UN Security Council recommendation for Palestinian statehood. However, if the United States vetoes the motion at the UNSC — as it is expected to do — then the recommendation obviously will not go on to the next stage. What can the Palestinians do? They could push to circumvent the Security Council by appealing to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and claim…more
Audaciously Sailing On, With Hope!
Palestine Chronicle: 9 Jul 2011 – By Hagit Borer For 44 years now, the people in the territories occupied by Israel in 1967 have been awaiting their freedom. In Gaza, people have been waiting for five years for a release from the largest world’s open air prison; for the resumption of at least some measure of free movement, for the resumption of risk-free fishing and raw materials, for the re-emergence of commerce and industry. Since Operation Cast Lead, two and a half years ago, they have been also been waiting for the arrival of construction material that would allow them to rebuild their homes, their schools, their hospitals, their infrastructure, destroyed by Israel. For six months now, and like my 40 fellow passengers, I have been waiting to sail to Gaza. For more than a year, Ann and Jane and Laurie and Helaine and Nic and so many others have been working tirelessly on the US…more
More material available from Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel – www.vtjp.org
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The New Dark Age 
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