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News
Video:
Palestinian children ride obstacle course to school [01-oct-2009 01:35
ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
Unco-operative donkeys and checkpoints manned by armed soldiers are not
obstacles most students have to face on their way to school. But for
some Palestinian bedouin children living in the occupied West Bank,
they are everyday challenges on their journey to get an education, as
Al Jazeera's Clayton Swisher finds in the town of Tubas...
Al-Qassam: Israel
will free 20 women for Shalit videotape [01-oct-2009 00:24 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, revealed Wednesday that
thanks to Egyptian and German efforts, Israel decided to release 20
female prisoners from its jails in exchange for videotaped information
on its captive soldier in Gaza Gilad Shalit. Spokesman for the Brigades
Abu Obeida told a news conference held in Gaza that six female
prisoners...
Report: Israel
set to approve massive new settlement near Bethlehem [01-oct-2009 00:18
ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
Israel's Ministry of the Interior is expected to approve could become
the most populous single settlement in the occupied Palestinian
territories since 1967, an Israeli newspaper reported on Wendesday. The
Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv stated that the project, prepared by both
the Ministry of the Interior and the Jerusalem Municipality, calls for
the construction of 14,000 housing...
Iranian foreign
minister makes rare visit to Washington [30-sep-2009 22:00 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
Iran's foreign minister made a rare visit to the U.S. capital Wednesday
on a visa granted with unusual speed by the State Department one day
before the start of nuclear talks in Geneva. State Department spokesman
P.J. Crowley played down the significance of the U.S. decision to
permit the visit by Manouchehr Mottaki, even though it...
Israel's
propagandists shoot themselves in the foot as they shoot off their
mouths [30-sep-2009 21:36 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
If you have ever visited a blog or on-line discussion group on the
Middle East you have doubtless had the misfortune to run into them.
They are known by the language they use: depraved sexual insults, bile,
bigotry, threats, disinformation and character assassination. That's
right: I'm talking about "hasbarats," Zionist trolls who infect the
Internet with...
Health ministry
reports death of 358th victim of siege [30-sep-2009 21:25 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
The Palestinian health ministry announced on Wednesday that a
four-year-old child died in Gaza city from liver tumor after he could
not travel outside Gaza Strip for treatment abroad. It said in a
statement that the death of Abdul Rahman Sukkar brought the number of
victims of the Israeli siege on Gaza to 358 while many...
Al-Qassam: Israel
will free 20 women for Shalit videotape [30-sep-2009 21:18 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, revealed Wednesday that
thanks to Egyptian and German efforts, Israel decided to release 20
female prisoners from its jails in exchange for videotaped information
on its captive soldier in Gaza Gilad Shalit. Spokesman for the Brigades
Abu Obeida told a news conference held in Gaza that six female
prisoners...
Lebanon's cluster
bomb lessons [30-sep-2009 20:31 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
"He was picking grapes when he died," says Khalil Kassem Terkiya,
glancing at his wife as he recalls the day their son was killed by a
cluster bomb in southern Lebanon. Greying and slight, Terkiya looks
older than his 46 years: "A cluster bomb was caught in the vine and it
exploded. It was the day...
Threat of
demolition against 131 apartments in Jerusalem, homes for 1,000
citizens [30-sep-2009 20:11 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
The Israeli policy of destroying Palestinian homes in occupied East
Jerusalem is continuing at a rapid pace. No diplomatic turn or
negotiation is having any affect, as the Fateh official in charge of
the file of Jerusalem, Hatem Abdel Qader, pointed out today. A
delegation from his office is in the Israeli Supreme Court today to...
Saudi Arabia not
to allow use of its airspace against Iran [30-sep-2009 19:51 ECT]
September 30, 2009 -
Saudi Arabia has refuted the report that the Israeli and British
intelligence heads met with its officials, who agreed to allow the
Jewish state to use their airspace to attack Iranian nuclear
facilities. British newspaper Sunday Express had reported that Saudi
officials had recently met British Intelligence chief and Israel's
Mossad chief Meir Dagan in London...
Israeli Arabs to
launch strike against discriminatory policies [30-sep-2009 19:46 ECT]
30 September 2009 -
Israel's 1.4 million Arab citizens are to stage a one-day general
strike on October 1 to oppose the openly racist and discriminatory
policies of Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu's government. Jafar
Farah, director of the Mossawa Center, the Advocacy Center for Arab
Citizens in Israel, cited "ongoing police violence, cuts in the state
budget that will detrimentally...
Is the Middle
East heading towards the eighth war? [30-sep-2009 19:19 ECT]
September 29, 2009 -
...In the view of many Arab observers the failure of the American plan
will push the region sooner or later towards a comprehensive war which
would be the logical result of the aggressive Zionist policy. Are we
heading towards the eighth Arab Israeli war, it is difficult to tell,
but what is sure that the absence...
30 Sep 2009 - Army says troops came under attack from stone throwers; Palestinians say killing intentional.
Who are the Palestinian prisoners to be freed for Shalit video?
30 Sep 2009 - No prisoners with blood on their hands on list; Prisoners to be released for sign of life of Shalit.
Hamas: Video will prove Gilad Shalit alive and well
30 Sep 2009 - Israel says 20 women to be counted towards prisoners released in a future deal for Shalit.
U.K. source: We disagreed with U.S. assessment on Iran nukes
30 Sep 2009 - Source says British officials suspect Iran has been seeking nuclear weapons for the past few years.
Shalit family: Happy about Gilad video, but won't rest until he's home
30 Sep 2009 - Israel to receive new footage of captive soldier in return for release of 20 Palestinian women in Israeli jails.
Saudi Arabia denies it offered Israeli jets flight path to Iran
30 Sep 2009 - Britain's Sunday Express reported that the Saudis had agreed to turn a blind eye to Israel attack on Iran.
Cries of 'hold me back' may lead Israel to strike Iran
29 Sep 2009 - Israel is trying to persuade others that if 'the world' doesn't act, it will attack Iran on its own.
Top Israeli educator: Israel should probe Gaza war before it's forced to
29 Sep 2009 - Uriel Reichman calls for probe in joint statement with former education minister Amnon Rubinstein.
ANALYSIS / Is there 'smoking gun' proof of Iran bid for nukes?
29 Sep 2009 - U.S. intelligence says no proof Iran renewed its efforts since 2003, Germany claims it never stopped program.
MI: IDF needs new ethics code for war on terror
29 Sep 2009 - MI chief says current code doesn't sufficiently address asymmetric warfare, such as in Gaza offensive.
IAF strikes Gaza tunnels after two Qassams hit Negev
29 Sep 2009 - No casualties in rocket attack on west Negev; Palestinians shoot at IDF troops along Gaza security fence.
Court grants Palestinian man entry to Israel, despite state ban
29 Sep 2009 - Interior Ministry had West Bank man on 'security grounds', based on Shin Bet recomendation.
Israeli moderately hurt in West Bank shooting
29 Sep 2009 - Palestinian opened fire on Israeli car near the settlement of Shilo; two Qassams strike west Negev.
Israel marks 36th anniversary of Yom Kippur War
29 Sep 2009 - At ceremony in Jerusalem, Deputy Defense Min. speaks of IDF troops' bravery in repelling 1973 assault.
Slight increase in security incidents along fence with Gaza
29 Sep 2009 - IDF reports 14 incidents of light-weapons fire and six attempted infiltrations in September.
9/30/2009 - Jenin - Ma'an - A seventeen-year-old student was killed on Wednesday morning when an Israeli military jeep ran him over near the West Bank city of Jenin. According to witnesses, Foad Mahmoud Nayif Turkman, 17, was standing with other students outside Izz ad-Din al-Qassam high school in the village of Ya'bad, West of Jenin at 11am. Mohammed Naiyf, Turkman's uncle and a teacher at the school, said he saw army forces "came onto the road of the school. This road is especially for the school. " "The jeep was driving fast towards a group of students. The jeep ran over [Turkman's] body with all four wheels, and then backed up and drove over him again. Then the soldiers wouldn't allow us to get Foad for about 15 minutes," he added. Turkman was then taken to Jenin government hospital where he was eventually declared dead.
Two die in smuggling tunnels after airstrike
9/30/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Two Palestinians died as a result of a gas leak inside a smuggling tunnel along Gaza's border with Egypt in the city of Rafah, medics said on Wednesday. Medicals at Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital in Rafah said Muhammad Jalal Abu Sef, 45, and Riziq Al-Masri, 28, were dead when they arrived. Thirteen others were injured as a result of the gas leak, which occurred after Israeli warplanes bombed the tunnels. It was not immediately clear if the gas leak was a direct result of the airstrikes. Israeli warplanes launched three separate raids on the Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning. Two raids targetedthe Rafah smuggling tunnels on the border with Egypt in the city of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. According to medical sources, six lightly Palestinians were treated at Abu Yousef An-Najjar Hospital in Rafah in direct connection with the airstrike.
Israeli soldiers assault man at checkpoint, seize 14 during raids
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A 21-year-old man was hospitalized after being beaten by Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint in the West Bank on Tuesday night, Palestinian Authority (PA) police said. Natheer Jamil Hrebat, from the town of Dura, was transferred to the Hebron Government Hospital with bruises on several areas of his body, police said. The reported assault took place at a checkpoint near the village of Ar-Ramadin, south of Hebron. Meanwhile Israeli military forces seized 14 Palestinians during raids on Tuesday night throughout the West Bank, according to Israeli and Palestinian sources. Israeli forces stormed the village of Hussan, west of Bethlehem, and detained a number of people there. As of Wednesday morning, only one of the detainees could be identified: is Ayman Sa'di Abdullah Ash-Sha'er, a student at Al-Quds Open University.
Israeli army vandalizes Azzun water station in raid
9/30/2009 - Qalqiliya - Ma'an - Israeli forces invaded the town of Azzun in Qalqiliya Wednesday, assaulting a guard at the area's pumping station, which provides most of the water for residents. The facility was searched and the door broken in. The guard,Ahmad Abed Al-Hafeth Adwan, said forces spent at least thirty minutes searching the building and surveying the water source. The incident comes one day after Israeli forces delivered demolition papers to eight home owners in the village. The orders followed several Israeli invasions into the town, and accusations that youth threw Molotov cocktails at troops. Azzun villagers also began a protest campaign at the start of the summer, demanding better access to their village Residents appealed to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to activate the necessary channels so the illegal invasions could stop.
Report: Israel set to approve massive new settlement near Bethlehem
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel's Ministry of the Interior is expected to approve could become the most populous single settlement in the occupied Palestinian territories since 1967, an Israeli newspaper reported on Wendesday. The Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv stated that the project, prepared by both the Ministry of the Interior and the Jerusalem Municipality, calls for the construction of 14,000 housing units for 40,000 Jewish Israelis on 3,000 dunums (three square kilometers) of land near the West Bank city of Bethlehem. The land in question is owned by Palestinians in the West Bank village of Al-Walaja, sandwiched between the settlement of Gilo and the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. The newspaper added that the project is supported by senior political leaders in the ruling Likud party and far right parties, who want to expand and consolidate the ring of settlements around Jerusalem.
Two Gaza crossings open
9/30/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli authorities decided to open the Kerem Shalom and Nahal Oz crossings on Wednesday to allow food and fuel into the besieged Gaza strip. Karni crossing will remain closed. Palestinian crossings representative Raed Fattouh said that the Kerem Shalom crossing would be open for 95 to 105 trucks carrying commercial merchandise and humanitarian aid. Nahal Oz will be opened to deliver limited quantities of cooking gas, and European Union-supplied industrial diesel for the Gaza power plant. Karni crossing, formerly the main terminal for the delivery of goods, will be closed on Wednesday, according to Fattouh. [end]
Israeli police interrogate Al-Aqsa preacher
9/30/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israeli police interrogated Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, chief of the Islamic Supreme Committee, and preacher of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday afternoon over possible charges of incitement and disturbing public order. The interrogation came after Israeli police clashed with Palestinian protesters at the Al-Aqsa Compound on Sunday after Israeli settlers were reported entering the sensitive holy site. Sheikh Sabri said that he was interrogated at the Russian Compound prison in Jerusalem from 4pm to 7pm on Tuesday. "They falsely accused me of inciting Palestinian youths to hurl stone at Israeli police officers. They also questioned why I called Palestinian citizens to head to the Al-Aqsa Mosque. " He added that his interrogators played recordings of news reports in which he had been interviewed commenting on the events at Al-Aqsa.
HRW: US, EU 'treating war crimes with kid gloves'
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - "The failure of the United States and European Union governments to endorse the report of the [UN] Gaza fact-finding mission sends a message that serious laws-of-war violations will be treated with kid gloves when committed by an ally," Human Rights Watch said WednesdayThe HRW statement condemned what they called a failure of the US and EU to support the recommendation of the UN-mandated Goldstone that the war crimes outlined in the report be investigated by the International Criminal Court. The American response to the report was that it was "unbalanced" and "deeply flawed. " HRW said the country's officials never provided "real facts to support those assertions. " The UK, France, and Germany, made no comment about the report, and a Swedish ambassador to the UN said the report was credible, but did not endorse. . .
Allenby bridge sees 9,000 travellers following Israeli closures
9/30/2009 - Jericho - Ma'an - Palestinian Authority police said 9,000 travellers passed through Allenby Bridge Tuesday, following closures and slow movement during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur. Travellers were passing into and out of the West Bank, with 4,800 entering and 4,200 exiting. The bridge stayed open until midnight so all those waitnig could cross. There was a total of 185 buses. Police say traffic was heavy because family in the West Bank and Jordan needed to return to their homes following the Eid celebrations. A statement from the police requested travellers take extra care when carrying liquids through the crossing, particularly olive oil, which can spill and slow down the crossing process.
Israeli soldiers report detention of teens for attempted stabbing
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Two 13-year-old Palestinians were reportedly detained Wednesday at the Atarot checkpoint northwest of Jerusalem on Wednesday, the Israeli police website reported. The two young boys allegedly were carrying a knife, and soldiers said they intended to attack checkpoint guards. [end]
Israeli officer arrested for transferring Palestinians into Israel
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli police arrested one of their own on Wednesday for alleged involvement in illegally transferring Palestinian labourers from the West Bank into the Galilee, part of Israel. The officer and three others were detained, Israel Radio reported. A police statement reiterated that it is illegal for Palestinians without permits to work in Israeli controlled areas. [end]
Nablus youth impersonating Israeli officer arrested
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli police arrested a 22-year-old man from Nablus near Tel Aviv on Wednesday, for allegedly impersonating an Israeli border guard, Israeli news reported. The young man was detained as he entered the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. He was asked to prove his identity but did not have an army ID card, news reports said. [end]
Report: Hamas to open PLC offices throughout Arab world
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Gaza's leading party Hamas is reportedly considering opening braches of the Palestinian Legislative Council in several Arab capitals in an effort to overcome Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on Palestinians, the Middle East desk of China View (Xinhua) reported Tuesday. The news site said the details of the plan were under review, but noted that PLC member for Hamas Marwan Abu Rass was already in Damascus to lay the groundwork for a Palestinian Legislative Council office in the Syrian capital. Another PLC member for Hamas Ismail Al-Ashqar backed up the statement. Xinhua quoted the lawmaker as saying "Hamas is thinking seriously of opening a regular office in the Syrian capital"¦Such a step would help break the siege on the bloc's members. " Deputy Speaker of the PLC Ahmed Bahar further confirmed the plan; noting offices would open. . .
Israel green-lights France bid to rebuild Gaza hospital
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - After refusing for several months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly agreed to a request by French President Nicolas Sarkozy to rebuild the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza, destroyed by the Israeli military during last winter's offensive. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz,Netanyahu told Sarkozy by phone Tuesday that he had decided to approve the project as a humanitarian gesture. Israel has banned construction materials from entering Gaza, preventing any reconstruction from taking place in the war-ravaged territory. Netanyahu said he wished to accommodate Paris due to the "strident stance that France has taken on Iran's nuclear program," according to Haaretz. Sarkozy made the request during Netanyahu's visit to Paris in early March. The Al-Quds Hospital, managed by the Palestine Red Crescent Society, was partially destroyed when struck. . .
Former Arafat aide: Third Intifada on its way
9/30/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Bassam Abu Sharif, a former senior advisor to late President Yasser Arafat, added his voice to a chorus of those raising the possibility of a third Intifada, or uprising against Israel. "The Palestinians are preparing themselves to carry out another Intifada of independence and freedom in response to Israeli violations, massacres and policies against the Palestinians and their land, against Jerusalem, the confiscation of land and the geographic separation of the Palestinian territories," said the former Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) spokesperson in a press conference in Ramallah. Several political figures from across the Palestinian spectrum have suggested this week that a new uprising is on its way in the wake of the violent clashes with Israeli police at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday. Abu Sharif said Palestinians will not remain silent in the face of "Israeli violations" and the "failure" of peace talks.
Israel to release 20 Palestinian women in exchange for Shalit video
9/30/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israel agreed to release 20 Palestinian women prisoners in exchange for a one-minute video of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier who was captured by militants in 2006, sources said Wednesday. The video, to be handed over on Friday, is supposed to be definite proof that Shalit is still alive, the Israeli government confirmed. An Egyptian official said in a statement Wednesday morning that, "It is doubtless that the Israeli decision will enhance the efforts to complete a prisoner swap deal. "Egyptian and German mediators will continue to work on a deal to exchange hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for Shalit. In the meantime Israel will receive proof Shalit is alive and details about his condition. A spokesperson for Hamas' armed Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, said in a press conference in Gaza, "The Palestinian factions who are detaining Shalit, are still adamant about their demands to complete a prisoner swap deal.
Israel to import palm fronds from Gaza for Sukkot
9/30/2009 - Tel Aviv - Ma'an - Mya Guarnieri - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved on Tuesday the immediate important of palm fronds from the Gaza Strip to Israel, according to the Hebrew daily Ma'ariv. The move came at the behest of the Israeli Minister of Religious Services, Yakov Margi, who feared that a shortage of palm fronds and a local monopoly on the item would send prices skyrocketing for the Jewish holiday Sukkot. For the weeklong holiday, many Jewish Israelis build a sukkah (literally, booth) using palm fronds for the hut's roof. The temporary shelter is constructed in remembrance of the forty years that, according to religious tradition, the ancient Israelites wandered in the desert. Margi reportedly thanked Barak for the decision, stating that it would keep the prices of palm fronds down and would preclude local merchants from overcharging customers.
Abbas visits Havana
9/30/2009 - During his visit to Cuba in September, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed three agreements with the Cuban government to strengthen cooperation around education, culture and sports. The higher education agreement will see the development of cooperative science projects between the country, while the cultural agreements focus on the recovery and preservation of manuscripts and training around evaluation of historical events in document preservation. In the field of sport, the Cuban Youth and Sports Ministrysigned a deal with Abbas to promote and strengthen ties in sports and physical education. Abbas' visit to Havana was the first of a string of visits to the Cuban capital, including: 28 September, Cuban President Rual Castro meets with the president of Cyprus - 29 September Castro meets with President of Zambia.
PLO Executive Committee supports Palestinian track in New York
9/30/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - An overview of recent meetings in New York was presented to the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization in Ramallah Wednesday, and members generally supported the actions of representatives. Chair of the PLO and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presented the summary of the tripartite meeting between US President Barack Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Abbas, while PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat presented information on follow up meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton. In its official statement on the proceedings in New York, the Executive Committee said it "welcomed the positions expressed by President Obama and the case of ending the occupation that started in the 1967 and the Jerusalem issue and refugees and borders. " The committee also expressed appreciation to the Middle East Quartet in its. . .
Fatah tells Abbas: No talks without settlement freeze
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' party, Fatah, demanded he refuse to continue peace talks with Israel until the Netanyahu government agree to halting settlement construction, the Associated Press reported Wednesday. Fatah Central Committee member Mohammed Dahlan told the news agency that the 23-member committee was unanimous on the issue, and also insisted an agenda for the talks be set ahead of time. Analysts say the move may help Abbas request that US President Barack Obama remove his pressure from the Palestinian side to let go of their earlier condition. Reports last week said Abbas had bowed to US pressure over the settlement issue shortly after the tripartite meeting between Israel, Palestine and the US in New York on 22 September. The meeting was held at Obama's personal request, after US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell failed. . .
Gaza police seize 230k in forged US dollars
9/30/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Palestinian police loyal to the government in Gaza say they have arrested a currency-counterfeiting ring. According to Ala Al-Batsh, the director of the police station in the Ash-Shuja'iya neighborhood of Gaza City, police found the suspects in possession of 230,000 forged US dollars in various denominations. Al-Batsh also said the suspects confessed during questioning. The seizure was the largest sum of forged bills found in the Gaza Strip in the last three years, police said. [end]
Gaza police arrest suspected collaborator
9/30/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Police detectives in Gaza say they arrested a man on Tuesday for collaborating with Israel. Sources in the detectives' department in Gaza said the man, identified only by the initials "RA," admitted during interrogation that he had contacts with the Israeli intelligence services, providing them with information about Palestinian fighters, the locations of mines, and projectile launchers. He also told investigators that he had helped Israeli forces prepare for missions in Gaza. The source added that the suspect informed detectives about other collaborators, and police are preparing to arrest them. He also was also suspected of adultery and drug trafficking, police said.
PPP meets Mash’al; expects unity deal before end of October
9/30/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Secretary General of the Palestine People's Bassam As-Salhi said he expects sides to reach a conciliation agreement by 25 October and that "elections will be held on time. " As-Salhi said holding elections on time will be agreed on during the Cairo meetings, noting a meeting between his party and Hamas leader in exile Khalid Mash'al in Damascus Tuesday which he described as "better than any before, with a positive atmosphere around the completion of a national agreement. " Mash'al was open to discussion over mechanisms for ending the internal Palestinian division and starting the conciliation process, As-Salhi said. " We are closer now than any other time to accomplish a complicated and difficult conciliation agreement, but we must start working on a conclusion," he added. As-Salhi said both he and Mash'al viewed the coming process as complicated, explaining,. . .
Abbas to hold talks with Egypt mediator on Hamas-Fatah deal
9/30/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas is set to meet Egypt's Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman in the coming days to continue talks advancing a Palestinian unity government, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) sources revealed Wednesday. PLO Executive Committee member Saleh Ra'fat said the meeting will likely take place in Jordan, where Sulaiman is expected to inform Abbas of the reactions expressed by various other factions, especially Hamas, to the Egyptian conciliation proposal handed out in August. The Executive Committee will hold a special session when Abbas returns and make their final suggestions around the process. Ra'fat noted that Abbas is also keen in hearing the reactions of Arab states like Sudan, Yemen and Jordan. Suleiman held talks on Monday with Khalid Mash'al, the top leader of Hamas, the rival of Abbas' Fatah party.
PSE falls: Al-Quds Index closes down 0.17%
9/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestine Securities Exchange in Nablus fell on Wednesday, as the Al-Quds Index closed at 498. 92, a decrease of 0. 86 points (0. 17%) over the previous trading session. Trading Volume for Wednesday reached 861,132 shares for a total value of 1,174,562. 27 US dollars over the course of 504 trades. The shares of 26 companies were traded. The shares prices of nine companies rose while those of 12 declined. The top five gainers were AIG by (4. 71%), AHC by (4. 35%), MIC by (3. 51%), ARAB by (3. 39%), and PLAZA by (3. 39%). The top five losers were ISBK by (4. 88%), PIIC by (4. 62%), AMB by (4. 55%), AZIZA by (4. 24%), and JPH by (3. 75%). [end]
West, Iran prepare for landmark meeting
30 Sep 2009 - Major powers expected to demand swift inspections at nuclear plant in first direct talks between US and Tehran in 30 years.
Israel frees 20 women prisoners
30 Sep 2009 - In exchange for a video showing a soldier captured in Gaza three years ago is still alive, Israel has agreed to free 20 Palestinian women.
UN: culture of impunity in Gaza must end
29 Sep 2009 - A 'culture of impunity' is protecting both Israel and Hamas from prosecution over war crimes committed in the Gaza Strip, the head of a UN investigation panel says.
Hamas agrees to reconcile with Fatah
29 Sep 2009 - Hamas announces it will accept an Egyptian proposal for ending its bitter power struggle with Fatah, renewing hopes for an end to political deadlock.
Israel adds to submarine fleet
29 Sep 2009 - Delivery is taken of two German submarines ordered four years ago that can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads.
Hamas agrees in principle to reconcile with Fatah
29 Sep 2009 - A deal brokered by Egypt is due to be signed in October by the two rival Palestinian groups
30 Sep 2009 - Twenty Palestinian women to be set free in exchange for proof of captured soldier's life.
IAEA: Iran on wrong side of law
30 Sep 2009 - Atomic agency says Tehran should have revealed second nuclear plant earlier.
Gaza al-Quds hospital to be rebuilt
30 Sep 2009 - Netanyahu agrees to French request to rebuild al-Quds hospital destroyed by Israeli forces.
UN investigator defends Gaza report
29 Sep 2009 - UN body urged to adopt report that accuses Israel and Palestinian groups of war crimes.
Alternative Information Center
On Palestinian Civil Disobedience30 Sep 2009 - A simple Google search with the words "Palestinian violence" yields over 86,000 pages, while a search with the words "Palestinian civil disobedience" generates only 47 pages. Sometime in 1846, Henry David Thoreau spent a night in...
Capacity or Audacity: Comments on Israel’s Report to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee
29 Sep 2009 - To download the report in pdf format, click here . In June 2009, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a document called Supporting Palestinian Capacity Building: Israel’s Effort in Supporting the Palestinian Economy, Security Reforms and...
30 Sep 2009 - Gaza / PNN - In an early morning aerial attack on the southern Gaza Strip’s Rafah, Israeli warplanes fired missiles into the sleeping town. Two Palestinians were killed.The target was the tunnel system that acts as a lifeline during the ongoing siege. Palestinian medical sources report four injuries and seven people missing.
Palestinian who fled besieged Gaza to shop in Egypt remains in prison, human rights group appeals
29 Sep 2009 - Gaza / PNN – After years of siege there came the few days that the border between Gaza and Egypt was broken open. Thousands of trapped Palestinians fled, but not forever Most shopped and slept in the parks and beaches, “smelled the air”, before returning to the besieged Gaza Strip.One of those men is Ayman Nofal. The Palestinian citizen of the Gaza Strip...
Palestinian reconciliation signing expected 18 October, Hamas accepts, Fateh quibbles
29 Sep 2009 - Ramallah / PNN - Informed Palestinian sources revealed today that the proposed date for the comprehensive national conference with Palestinian factions to discuss the draft of final reconciliation will be 18 October. Drafted by Egypt, the document attempts to take into account all concerns raised during the course of national dialogue. Feedback from the Egyptian paper is now being implemented into the pages.The...
Largest settlement in years being imposed in Al Walajah, a town between Bethlehem and East Jerusalem
29 Sep 2009 - Bethlehem / PNN - Under the title Project: a large Jewish neighborhood in East Jerusalem the Israeli Maariv newspaper published the news. On its front page Wednesday the nearing reality came of the loss of even more Bethlehem lands.Some 14,000 settler units in Bethlehem’s Al Walajeh Village are going in.This village has a vibrant history of nonviolent resistance to the confiscation of its...
Netanyahu to open tunnels under Silwan in order to mislead public into believing a false history
29 Sep 2009 - Jerusalem / PNN – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reopening the tunnels of 1996, says the Al Aqsa Foundation for the Preservation of Islamic Heritage. In an urgent statement the Foundation said that it had learned from several sources in the threatened East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan that the Israelis are officially reopening the network of tunnels below the town.The network extends...
Palestinian obstetrician among nominees for Sakharov prize
29 Sep 2009 - A Palestinian obstetrician in Gaza who has treated both Israelis and Palestinians is among the 10 nominees put forward for this year's Sakharov Prize. The European Parliament’s award is for defenders of human rights and democracy across the world.To read more about the nomination of Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, please visit: http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id_type=1 id=19659 lang_id=450 (http://www.enpi-info.eu/mainmed.php?id_type=1 id=19659 lang_id=450)
Fateh official: rampant arrests in Jerusalem are calculated to arouse political response
29 Sep 2009 - Jerusalem / PNN - Member of the Revolutionary Council of Fateh, Dimitri Diliani said today that he considers the intensive campaign of arrests carried out by the Israeli authorities in the occupied city of Jerusalem since Sunday's attacks on Al Aqsa, and particularly before dawn on Tuesday, as an extension of escalating provocations. “These rampant arrests are aimed to provoke reactions,” he said...
EAST JERUSALEM, Sep 30 (IPS) - Palestinian politicians and Israeli political analysts are warning of a third Palestinian Intifadah following serious rioting in East Jerusalem last Sunday.
POLITICS: Taliban's Tank-Killing Bombs Came from U.S., Not Iran
WASHINGTON, Sep 3 (IPS) - In support of the official U.S. assertion that Iran is arming its sworn enemy, the Taliban, the head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), Dennis Blair, has cited a statement by a Taliban commander last year attributing military success against NATO...
29 Sep 2009 - Weekly actions against the Wall were held in the villages of Bil'in and al-Ma'sara, with demonstrators calling for an end to settlement activity and Palestinian unity. Soldiers tear gassed marchers in Bil'in and arrested three people near the Wall. [
Ni’lin village demands release of Mohammad Othman during Friday demonstration
26 Sep 2009 - This week in Ni'lin, several hundred demonstrators marched to the Wall where they were met with tear gas as well as rubber and live bullets. Youth carried pictures of Mohammed Othman, arrested last Tuesday, demanding his release. Three people were arrested near the end of the demonstration. [
PCHR
During the reporting period, a Palestinian civilian died of a previous wound he had sustained by IOF in Hebron. Additionally, 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by IOF and settlers in the West Bank.
International Solidarity Movement
Palestinian youth run over by Israeli military jeep outside school in Jenin-area village9/30/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - 30 September 2009: Palestinian youth run over by Israeli military jeep outside school in Jenin-area village. At around 11am, Foad Mahmoud Naiyf Turkman, 17 years of age, was run over by a military jeep as he was standing outside of his high school. Witnesses say that the students had finished school and were gathered outside Izz ad-Din al-Qassam high school in Yabad village, west of Jenin. According to the uncle of Turkman, Mohammad Naiyf, who is a teacher in the school and witnessed the event, "The jeep was driving fast towards a group of students. Foad was run over, the jeep backed up and drove over him a second time. Then the soldiers wouldn't allow us to get Foad for about 15 minutes. Turkman was taken to Jenin hospital and died an hour later from his injuries. Yabad village is surrounded by several illegal settlements to the west and south; Mevo Dotan, Hermesh, Rehan, Shaqed, and Hinnanit.
IDF jeep hits, kills Palestinian youth
10/1/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - YNet News, 30 September - A 17-year-old Palestinian high school student was injured after being hit by an IDF jeep in the village of Yabed near Jenin, and died shortly later of his wounds. The IDF said the youth was injured during a riot in the area, but his relatives claim he was intentionally run over. The IDF said the incident occurred during a routine tour of soldiers and representatives of the Mekorot water company, meant to improve the infrastructure in the village. A violent riot reportedly broke out, and residents began throwing stones at the force. The military vehicle drove backwards and fatally hit the youth. He was evacuated to hospital in Jenin, where he died of his wounds. The IDF is investigating the circumstances of the incident. Meanwhile, Palestinian sources in Jenin said the youth, Fouad Naif Turkman was hit by the IDF jeep intentionally.
Iran: We'll buy enriched uranium from third party
30 Sep 2009 - Iran is willing to purchase uranium enriched to the grade it requires for its Tehran reactor from a third party, rather than carry out the enrichment itself, the French news agency AFP quoted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as saying on Wednesday. ...
Poll: 56% of American Jews think U.S. should strike Iran
30 Sep 2009 - One day ahead of talks in Geneva between Iran and six major powers - the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany - on Tehran's controversial nuclear program, a national poll finds that 56 percent of American Jews support a U.S. military strike against Iran. ...
Goldstone: Israel intentionally targeted Gaza civilian sites
30 Sep 2009 - Richard Goldstone, who recently headed a United Nations commission investigating the events of Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter, told CNN on Wednesday that Israel had intentionally targeted some civilian sites during the fighting, though he stressed that he did not believe it was an Israeli policy. ...
Three Israelis in tsunami-struck Samoa: We are not hurt
29 Sep 2009 - Three Israeli tourists visiting Samoa, which was hit be a series of tsunamis, contacted the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem on Wednesday to report that they had arrived at high ground and were not hurt. ...
Fatah to Abbas: no talks without settlement freeze
29 Sep 2009 - The Palestinian party Fatah has declared to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who heads the movement, that he must not resume peace talks unless Israel freezes its settlement construction, a senior Fatah member said Wednesday. ...
30 Sep 2009 - Israel to free 20 female Palestinian prisoners in exchange for information about the soldier captured in 2006
Should Ehud Barak have immunity? | Afua Hirsch
30 Sep 2009 - The attempt to arrest the Israeli minister in Britain has rekindled a lively debate on diplomatic immunity from international law The attempt to obtain an international arrest warrant for deputy Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak is...
Israel agrees to free Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit video
30 Sep 2009 - Government says it will free 20 female prisoners for proof kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is 'alive and well' Israel said today it would release 20 female Palestinian prisoners and in return the Islamist movement Hamas would...
Israeli minister Ehud Barak faces war crimes arrest threat during UK visit
29 Sep 2009 - Israel received an uncomfortable reminder of international anger over the Gaza war today when lawyers representing 16 Palestinians asked a London court to issue an arrest warrant for its defence minister, Ehud Barak, who is visiting...
Israel's vile anti-miscegenation squads | Seth Freedman
29 Sep 2009 - When the police lend support to vigilante groups hounding Jewish-Arab couples, what hope is there for coexistence? Whilst the proliferation of ultra-orthodox " vigilante police " is a stain on Israeli society, their Taliban-esque actions can at least...
Arab nations must endorse Goldstone report | Abderrahim Sabir
29 Sep 2009 - Will Arab members of the UN human rights council show the courage to endorse a call for accountability in the Gaza conflict? The UN Human Rights Council (HRC) has earned a poor reputation for impartiality when...
Lawyers seek arrest of Israeli defence minister in UK for alleged war crimes
29 Sep 2009 - Palestinian families apply for international arrest warrant for Ehud Barak over military offensive in Gaza British lawyers for 16 Palestinians are seeking to obtain an international arrest warrant for the Israeli defence minister, Ehud Barak, in...
29 Sep 2009 - Five teenagers from central Israel were detained for questioning on Wednesday for allegedly inciting to murder Tel Aviv mayor Ron Huldai on the website Facebook. ...
WATCH: Quentin Tarantino takes Israeli celebrity to L.A. premiere
29 Sep 2009 - World renowned film director Quentin Tarantino was seen at the premiere of the movie "Whip It" in Los Angeles on Tuesday escorted by Israeli singer Daniella Pik, the daughter of Israeli legend Tzvika Pik. ...
Ultra-Orthodox balk at new rabbinical ban on Sabbath elevators
29 Sep 2009 - Announcement snowballed into strong disagreement that threatens to destroy a rare halachic consensus.
Netanyahu wants panel of inquiry over UN Gaza report
29 Sep 2009 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to present a proposal to his cabinet Thursday for the establishment of an investigative committee to probe the findings of the Goldstone Commission report on the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas. ...
Evacuated Gaza settlers find their transition a never-ending saga
29 Sep 2009 - Aharon Hazut, a former resident of Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip, is due to be questioned at the income tax offices Wednesday. Until four years ago, Hazut was a model taxpayer, to the tune of around NIS 250,000 a year. Then one day his income dropped to zero. ...
30 Sep 2009 - Source: UN Security Council
UN SG welcomes adoption of Security Council resolution 1888 (2009)
30 Sep 2009 - Source: UN Secretary-General
Security Council adopts text mandating peacekeeping missions to protect women, girls from sexual violence in armed conflict - resolution 1888 (2009) adopted unanimously
30 Sep 2009 - Source: UN Security Council
OPT: Country Brief 2 - Building safe passage for women's employment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
30 Sep 2009 - Source: International Labour Organization
Human Rights Council holds general debates on situation in Palestine and occupied Arab territories, human rights bodies and Vienna Declaration
30 Sep 2009 - Source: UN Human Rights Council
Address of H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Arab Republic of Egypt before the 64th Session of the General Assembly
30 Sep 2009 - Source: Government of Egypt
30 Sep 2009 - Sources involved in negotiations on prisoner exchange deal say 'videotape deal' made possible when Palestinian group agreed to deliver prayer book Rabbi Ovadia Yosef sent to kidnapped soldier. 'Further developments expected soon, but a deal is still far away,' one of sources says
Crime leaders arrested in cocaine smuggling sting
30 Sep 2009 - In cooperation with Panamanian authorities, police thwart smuggling of 108 kilograms (238 pounds) of cocaine, hidden inside speakers, into Israel. One of those involved becomes state's witness; 27 suspects arrested
West goes to Iran talks – and readies sanctions
30 Sep 2009 - As they prepare for new talks Thursday with Islamic Republic on its nuclear program, US and its allies contemplating new and tighter sanctions on Tehran, in clear signal of expectations that negotiations may again end in failure
Rocket hits western Negev; none injured
30 Sep 2009 - Loud explosion rocks kibbutz in Sha'ar Hanegev Regional Council after Qassam fired from Gaza
Barak: Talks will continue until Gilad returns
30 Sep 2009 - Defense minister telephones kidnapped soldier's father ahead of expected arrival of videotape containing sign of life from captive soldier
US Jews back American strike in Iran
30 Sep 2009 - AJC survey shows most Jews are in favor of military action against nuclear sites. Despite supporting Obama in presidential elections, Jews are unhappy with his attitude towards Israel
Ahmadinejad: Iran to propose 3rd-party uranium enrichment
30 Sep 2009 - Ahmadinejad suggests his country buy from external source uranium enriched to grade it requires for its Tehran reactor rather than carry out enrichment itself. Clinton: Iran must meet UN demands or face greater isolation
Cop suspected of smuggling Palestinians into Israel
30 Sep 2009 - Border Guard officer stationed in capital allegedly bribed by three east Jerusalem residents, facilitates smuggling of illegal aliens into country
Palestinian Information Center
Abu Marzouk: Freeing 20 female detainees is a step to the release of all women30 Sep 2009 - Dr. Moussa Abu Marzouk stated that the release of 20 Palestinian women in exchange for a videotape on Shalit is a good step towards the release of all female detainees from Israeli jails.
Health ministry reports death of 358th victim of siege
30 Sep 2009 - The Palestinian health ministry announced on Wednesday that a four-year-old child died in Gaza city from liver tumor after he could not travel outside Gaza Strip for treatment abroad.
Al-Qassam: Israel will free 20 women for Shalit videotape
30 Sep 2009 - Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, revealed that Israel decided to release 20 female prisoners from its jails in exchange for videotaped information on its captive soldier Gilad Shalit.
IOA renews administrative detention of woman pharmacist
30 Sep 2009 - The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) on Wednesday renewed the administrative detention, without trial or charge, of Majeda Fidda, a pharmacist from Nablus, for four months.
Israeli military jeep runs over, kills Palestinian teen
30 Sep 2009 - A Palestinian school student was run over and killed by an Israeli army jeep inside his school in Yabad village, Jenin district, on Wednesday, medical sources reported.
Palestinian gov't : The Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem are both a red line
30 Sep 2009 - The Palestinian government warned that the Aqsa Mosque and the occupied city of Jerusalem are both a red line and any harm inflicted on them may generate unprecedented reactions.
Palestinian killed, five others missing in Israeli raid
30 Sep 2009 - A 28-year-old Palestinian citizen was killed and five others went missing in the Israeli aerial raid earlier Wednesday targeting the tunnels areas in south of the Gaza Strip, medical sources reported.
IOA to build 14,000 housing units in OJ, threatens more demolitions in WB
30 Sep 2009 - The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) is planning to build 14,000 new housing units in occupied Jerusalem, a Hebrew paper reported.
Resheq: Egypt set dates for signing a reconciliation agreement next month
30 Sep 2009 - Ezzat Al-Resheq, a member of Hamas political bureau, said that the Egyptians set dates for signing a reconciliation agreement next month.
Hamas: Britain should apologize to Palestinians
30 Sep 2009 - Britain was directly responsible for the events that led to the Palestinian refugees' problem and should apologize for its role, the head of the refugees department in Hamas Hussam Ahmed said.
29 Sep 2009 - The nation will face the U.S. and other world powers in Geneva over its nuclear program. Iran intends to continue enriching uranium; the U.S. intends to halt any weapons work. Representatives of six major world powers and Iran will begin talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program when they meet Thursday. Here is a primer on the issues to be discussed.
Israel mutes its rhetoric against Iran as talks loom
30 Sep 2009 - Israeli leaders say they are willing to wait as President Obama plays out his strategy of negotiating with Iran while threatening stronger world sanctions if the talks fail. Israel has warned for years that it might carry out military action to prevent Iran from building an atomic bomb. But as the United States and other powers prepare to confront Iran in talks this week, the message from Jerusalem is more restrained.
Missile tests underscore the threat Iran poses in Mideast
29 Sep 2009 - The launches show Iran is capable of striking Israel, Europe and U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf. They send a message that 'we are able to give a swift . . . answer to our enemies,' a general says. Iran's reported test-firing Monday of medium-range missiles that could reach Israel, Europe and American bases in the Persian Gulf was a reminder of the potent military threat Tehran poses to nations seeking to derail its nuclear program.
30 Sep 2009 - Israel said Wednesday it would release 20 Palestinian women from its jails in exchange for a videotape of a captured Israeli soldier that would prove that he is alive.
Iran Is Seeking a ‘Two-Way Street’ at Talks
29 Sep 2009 - The Iranian foreign minister said the basis for the talks had to be a range of issues, including the recession, trade, regional conflicts and international disarmament.
China’s Ties With Iran Complicate Diplomacy
29 Sep 2009 - As the United States issues new calls to punish Iran over its nuclear program, it is not clear that Washington’s interests are the same as Beijing’s.
U.N. Investigator Presents Report on Gaza War
29 Sep 2009 - Richard Goldstone reported to the United Nations Human Rights Council on 36 specific attacks in Gaza and a number on the West Bank and in Israel.
Iran Defends ‘Rights’ to Run Its Newly Declared Plant
29 Sep 2009 - Iran said that it would soon offer a timetable for inspectors to visit a hitherto secret facility, but was not prepared to debate its “rights” to operate the plant.
Lens: David Burnett’s 44 Days in Iran
29 Sep 2009 - A photographer who has made the most of inside access to document revolutionary change discusses what it is like to see history unfold, from the outside.
9/30/2009 - Political Theatrics - The way to prevent terror acts is to prevent Jews and Arabs from using the same roads, Binyamin Regional Council Head Avi Roeh said Wednesday. Roeh’s solution to the situation is to reverse the government’s policy of concessions to the Arabs. “The only answer is to build and build, as much as possible,” he explained. “The more we deepen our hold, the more we will increase our security. At the same time we will demand that the Defense Minister bring back the roadblocks. ” According to Roeh, the removal of roadblocks has made it possible for Arab cars to use previously sealed-off dirt roads to burst into the larger roads, or use them for escape after an attack. He would like to see a separation between Jews and Arabs on the roads. “My hope is that there will be separation, at least on Highway 60 (the main artery which runs from north to south through Judea and Samaria) and certainly on the roads next to the communities.
Young Israeli Women Challenge former Israeli Foreign Minister on Gaza and Occupied Territories policies
9/28/2009 - OpEd News - CODEPINK - This week, in the unlikely location of Hawaii, two young Israeli women who refused Israeli mandatory military service,Maya Wind and Netta Mishly,provided a dramatic counterpoint to one of Israel's war architects, former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Livni was invited to Hawaii by Governor Linda Lingle to keynote the International Women's Leadership Forum, an annual one-day conference organized to provide international role models for women of Hawaii. Governor Lingle, one of two Jewish U. S. state governors, made her first trip to Israel in May, 2004 for the 56thanniversary of Israel's independence, when she led a 27-member trade delegation. Travel and accommodation costs for Lingle and two other delegation members were paid by the Israeli government, while other delegation members paid for their own expenses.
MI: IDF needs new ethics code for war on terror
10/1/2009 - Ha'aretz - '. . . soldiers should not be forced to take extra risks, beyond those inherent in combat, to prevent harm to civilians. ' -- The Israel Defense Forces should adopt a "Code of Ethics for the War on Terror," because its existing ethical code is insufficient, according to Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, the head of Military Intelligence. Yadlin co-authored the proposed code along with Prof. Asa Kasher, the philosopher who drafted the army's first code of ethics in the mid-1990s. That code was later replaced by the current one, "The Spirit of the IDF," drafted by other philosophers. However, Yadlin argues, the current code does not sufficiently address one of the army's most pressing challenges: asymmetric warfare against terrorist organizations that operate amid a civilian population, such as the 2006 war against Hezbollah in Lebanon or January's Operation Cast Lead against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Court grants Palestinian man entry to Israel, despite state ban
9/29/2009 - Ha'aretz - The Haifa District Court on Tuesday overturned the Interior Ministry's decision to deny entry for security reasons to a Palestinian resident of the West BankJihad Nazer, of the Atil village near Tul Karm and has been married to an Israeli citizen from the northern village Baka Jat since 1996. The couple has two children living in Israel and have been trying since their wedding to arrange the appropriate documents to bring Nazer into the country. The High Court of Justice in 1994 granted the couple its request for family reunification. Nazer has since been given temporary entrance permits every two to six months. But following his last permit, Nazer's request for re-enter was denied by the Interior Ministry. The couple appealed to the military court, which found no security grounds to deny his entrance to Israel.
Netanyahu wants panel of inquiry over UN Gaza report
9/30/2009 - Ha'aretz - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to present a proposal to his cabinet Thursday for the establishment of an investigative committee to probe the findings of the Goldstone Commission report on the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas. The report, which accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes during the Israel Defense Forces' three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip this January, was formally presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council Tuesday. The Palestinian Authority is urging the council to adopt the Goldstone Commission report in full and pass it on to the General Assembly for action. Top officials in Jerusalem have stated that the report is full of lies and distortions, which demand an examination of how Goldstone arrived at his conclusions. Sources in Defense Minister Ehud Barak's bureau denied Wednesday reports that Barak had called for the establishment of
Palestinian official: Still not ready for direct talks with Israel
9/29/2009 - Ha'aretz - Associated Press - Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat on Tuesday played down expectations for U. S. President Barack Obama's latest attempt to restart regional peace talks, saying key differences with Israel make it difficult for negotiations to resume. Erekat spoke ahead of talks in Washington this week with Obama's special Mideast envoy, George Mitchell. The former U. S. senator is holding separate meetings with Israeli and Palestinians teams in hopes of reviving the long-stalled peace talks. Erekat reiterated the Palestinians' insistence that Israel stop all settlement construction in the West Bank, and stressed there would be no direct talks with the Israelis during this week's trip to Washington. " There will not be Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in Washington," Erekat said. "There will be parallel American-Israeli negotiations and Palestinian-American negotiations. "
Israel agrees to free Palestinian prisoners for Gilad Shalit video
9/30/2009 - The Guardian - Government says it will free 20 female prisoners for proof kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit is 'alive and well' - Israel said today it would release 20 female Palestinian prisoners and in return the Islamist movement Hamas would hand over a recently recorded video of a soldier captured near Gaza more than three years ago. The agreement suggests progress behind the scenes in the effort to secure the release of Gilad Shalit, who was captured by Palestinian militants, including some from Hamas, in June 2006. German intelligence officers have been mediating in the case since July, along with Egyptian officials. Israel's security cabinet agreed that the women prisoners would be released in return for "updated and unequivocal proof regarding the well-being and status of Gilad Shalit". The names of the prisoners to be released will be published in case there are objections within Israel and they are then likely to be released on Friday.
’No credible evidence’ of Iranian nuclear weapons, says UN inspector
9/30/2009 - The Guardian - Mohamed ElBaradei says Iran was 'on the wrong side of the law' but rejects British intelligence claims - The UN's chief weapons inspector, Mohamed ElBaradei, said today he had seen "no credible evidence" that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, rejecting British intelligence allegations that a weapons programme has been going on for at least four years. The claims and counter-claims came on the eve of a potentially decisive meeting in Geneva between diplomats from six world powers and an Iranian delegation about Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Iran insists its programme is for peaceful purposes, and that there is nothing illegal about a uranium enrichment plant under construction near the city of Qom, the existence of which was revealed last week. Iranian leaders say they did not have to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) until six months before the first uranium was processed.
Analysis finds holes in US Iran story: US may have pretended to know about facility
9/30/2009 - The Raw Story - Gareth Porter - WASHINGTON (IPS) - The story line that dominated media coverage of the second Iranian uranium enrichment facility last week was the official assertion that U. S. intelligence had caught Iran trying to conceal a "secret" nuclear facility. But an analysis of the transcript of that briefing by senior administration officials that was the sole basis for the news stories and other evidence reveals damaging admissions, conflicts with the facts and unanswered questions that undermine its credibility. Iran's notification to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of the second enrichment facility in a letter on Sep. 21 was buried deep in most of the news stories and explained as a response to being detected by U. S. intelligence. In reporting the story in that way, journalists were relying entirely on the testimony of "senior administration officials" who briefed them at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh Friday.
IDF jeep hits, kills Palestinian youth
9/30/2009 - YNetNews - Military claims 17-year-old accidentally hit during riots that broke out during routine tour of Yabed village near Jenin. Youth's family says hit was intentional - A 17-year-old Palestinian high school student was injured after being hit by an IDF jeep in the village of Yabed near Jenin, and died shortly later of his wounds. The IDF said the youth was injured during a riot in the area, but his relatives claim he was intentionally run over. The IDF said the incident occurred during a routine tour of soldiers and representatives of the Mekorot water company, meant to improve the infrastructure in the village. A violent riot reportedly broke out, and residents began throwing stones at the force. The military vehicle drove backwards and fatally hit the youth. He was evacuated to hospital in Jenin, where he died of his wounds.
Wiesel, Dershowitz: Human Rights Watch reform needed
9/29/2009 - YNetNews - In open letter, members of NGO Monitor's advisory board say HRW 'has degenerated into a political lobby aimed primarily at Israel,' call for replacement of senior officials, particularly in Middle East division - Leading academics, journalists, legal and security experts, including Elie Wiesel, Professor Alan Dershowitz, former CIA Director R. James Woolsey and Professor Judea Pearl, called last week for an independent review and reform of Human Rights Watch (HRW). This follows NGO Monitor’s recent in-depth study of HRW’s Middle East activities over the past several years. According to NGO Monitor, an open letter signed by members of its International Advisory Board highlights the finding that "On Middle East issues, HRW has degenerated into a political lobby aimed primarily at Israel. "The recent Goldstone report on the Gaza war, which includes 30 unverified references to HRW claims,
VIDEO - Pentagon Officials Believe Israel Will Attack Iran’s Nuclear Sites Before the End Of Year
9/29/2009 - Eclipptv.com - infolive. tv - Pentagon Officials Believe Israel Will Attack Iran's Nuclear Sites Before The End Of Year
Netanyahu: Goldstone Will Make UN Irrelevant
10/1/2009 - Arutz Sheva - (IsraelNN. com) Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday continued the Israeli full frontal assault against the United Nations report compiled by retired South African Judge Richard Goldstone. The report accused the Jewish State of committing war crimes in its counter-terror operation in Gaza in December 2008 and January 2009. " The United Nations' conference in Geneva could be a disaster for peace and a disaster for the fight against terror,” Netanyahu said, in a meeting with ambassadors from the Asia-Pacific region. He was referring to the conference of the U. N. 's Human Rights Council, where Goldstone presented his final report on Operation Cast Lead. " The basic principle of the legitimate right of a democratic country to retaliate against terror is being crushed by a body belonging to the U. N. and this is a terrible blow to the organization,” Netanyahu said.
’Relentless’ legal actions await Israeli officials
9/30/2009 - Press TV - Deferment of an appeal to prosecute Ehud Barak over crimes committed during Gaza war does not forestall further legal actions against Israeli officials, says a pro-Palestinian lawyer. The ruling will not stop efforts to prosecute Israeli officials who arrive in Britain in connection with the offensive against Gaza, said Attorney Tayab Ali, who led the court petition asking British authorities to arrest the Israeli defense minister. Pro-Palestinian lawyers filed a request with the Westminster Magistrates Court to issue the warrant over Israel's war crimes in the Gaza Strip during its last December offensive. But the court rejected the appeal on Tuesday upon the British Foreign Ministry's recommendation, saying Barak enjoys diplomatic immunity and therefore cannot be prosecuted. " We will continue to seek legal action against Israeli officials," said Ali, the British-Pakistani attorney who prepared the motion against Barak.
Arianna’s friends
9/29/2009 - Mondoweiss - Adam Horowitz - Arianna Huffington’s recent trip to Israel/Palestine has been getting some attention on this site and has done very little to displace the moniker Huffpep (progressive except Palestine). I hadn’t followed the trip very closely, but I did come across this interesting nugget on her last post: "On my way to the airport in Tel Aviv, I stopped at the Dallal Restaurant for dinner with Gidi Grinstein and his wife, and my friend Dan Adler, an LA based entrepreneur and former CAA executive, who was also flying back to the U. S. "Why is this interesting? Well, it opens very serious questions about who Huffington was meeting with and who she gets her information from on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict (and the broader Middle East). Here is Gidi Grinstein being interviewed by Jeffrey Goldberg in 2008: "Talk about the importance of settling the Palestinian problem.
Articles
The Goldstone Report: Fierce but Toothless
Yacov Ben Efrat, Challenge 9/25/2009
Judge Richard Goldstone of the UN Human Rights Council has issued a devastating report on war crimes during the latest campaign in Gaza, arousing much ire in Israel. During his investigation, the government refused to cooperate. In fact the Goldstone Committee had to enter Gaza via Egypt. On seeing the destruction, the members concluded, as had most European officials who visited there, that Israel’s use of force was entirely out of proportion to any real danger. This disproportionate force left behind much more than ruined buildings. It wiped out entire families. The deaths of more than a hundred children testify that Israel waged war in disdain of civilian life, caring only to make Hamas pay as much as possible while safeguarding its own soldiers.
This is nothing new. The war of 1973 was the last in which Israel combated regular armies. Since then this country has fought against armed militias, Lebanese and Palestinian, among whom the civilian population has been considered a legitimate target. In the first Lebanon War against the PLO (1982), a new pattern was created: there was the siege on Beirut, the massacre in the refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila, and the bombing of the Ein Khilweh camp, leaving thousands of dead and wounded civilians. That same war got the backing of the international community. The UN never investigated. The difference this time, however, is that the pictures coming out of Gaza aroused tremendous international anger. The Goldstone Report reflects the will to prevent Israel from emerging spotless from its Operation Cast Lead. Conflicting views in Israel
As ever, opinions in Israel differ. Most people condemn Goldstone, accuse the Rights Council of political leanings, and describe the report as a prize for terror. Haaretz, on the liberal side, called in its editorial of September 17 for a national committee of inquiry into the war, as Goldstone had urged. ... more.. e-mail
Another War in the Works
Paul Craig Roberts, CounterPunch 9/29/2009
Fabricating a Case Against Iran
Does anyone remember all the lies that they were told by President Bush and the “mainstream media” about the grave threat to America from weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? These lies were repeated endlessly in the print and TV media despite the reports from the weapons inspectors, who had been sent to Iraq, that no such weapons existed.
The weapons inspectors did an honest job in Iraq and told the truth, but the mainstream media did not emphasize their findings. Instead, the media served as a Ministry of Propaganda, beating the war drums for the US government.
Now the whole process is repeating itself. This time the target is Iran.
As there is no real case against Iran, Obama took a script from Bush’s playbook and fabricated one.
First the facts: As a signatory to the non-proliferation treaty, Iran’s nuclear facilities are open to inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which carefully monitors Iran’s nuclear energy program to make certain that no material is diverted to nuclear weapons.
The IAEA has monitored Iran’s nuclear energy program and has announced repeatedly that it has found no diversion of nuclear material to a weapons program. All 16 US intelligence agencies have affirmed and reaffirmed that Iran abandoned interest in nuclear weapons years ago.more.. e-mail
Electronic Intifada
Gaza solidarity organizer under house arrest in Israel
30 Sep 2009 - Nine months after he helped to organize protests against Israel's attack on Gaza, Samih Jabareen is a prisoner in his home in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv. The 40-year-old actor and theatre director is one of dozens of Arab political activists in Israel who have faced long-term detention during and since Israel's winter assault on Gaza in what human rights groups are calling political intimidation and repression of free speech by the Israeli police and courts. Jonathan Cook reports.
Night raids in Bilin target activists
29 Sep 2009 - For the last three months, residents of the West Bank village of Bilin have been subjected to constant night raids by the Israeli military in retaliation for the village's five-year campaign of nonviolent resistance against Israel's wall being constructed on their land. Members of the Bilin Popular Committee have been arrested as well as teenagers and young boys from the village in order to obtain forced confessions against committee members. Bilin Popular Committee's Media Coordinator Abdullah Abu Rahme tells the story of the 16 September 2009 raid of his home to The Electronic Intifada contributor Jody McIntyre.
Jerusalem Palestinians defining their own future
29 Sep 2009 - OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM (IPS) - Almost a year ago a barely noticed event took place in Sawarha, a Palestinian neighborhood in the Israeli-occupied part of the city. On that November day, Israeli Jerusalemites were voting in a new mayor and a new city council. On that same day, in this neighborhood home to 25,000, people were ignoring the Israeli-run elections. Instead, they were focused on electing their own local council.
In Gaza
snapshots
30 Sep 2009 - “She
wants to photograph everything,” the young man was saying in Arabic to
his friend. True, I was at the window, camera ready. But it’s never
possible to catch those quickly-passing moments: like yesterday, the
two teens on a bike, one riding, one side-saddle between the driver and
the handlebars, but grinning widely. Or the boy hitching his donkey to
the cart and navigating it from house-side into the busy traffic near
Saha district. 10 years old? Or the kid dancing wedding-style: arms up,
hips shaking as he slink-dances down his house stairs. Maybe 5 years
old? Or the hoard of kids playing on a mound of sand [blurry, but...
Palestine Chronicle
Gaza
Peace Protester is Prisoner in Own Home
29 Sep 2009 - - By
Jonathan Cook - Nazareth Nine months after he helped to organise
protests against Israel's attack on Gaza, Samih Jabareen is a prisoner
in his home in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv, an electronic bracelet around his
ankle to alert the police should he step outside his front door. The
40-year-old actor and theatre director is one of dozens of Arab
political activists in Israel who have faced long-term detention during
and since Israel's winter assault on Gaza in what human rights groups
are calling political intimidation and repression of free speech by the
Israeli police and courts. A report published last week by Adalah, an
Arab legal rights group in Israel, said 830 Israeli demonstrators, the
overwhelming majority of them Arab citizens, were arrested for
participating in mostly peaceful demonstrations during the 23 days of
the Gaza operation. According to the report, the police broke up
protests using physical violence; most protesters were refused bail
during legal proceedings, despite the minor charges; the courts treated
children no differently from adults, in violation of international law;
and Arab leaders were interrogated and threatened by the secret police
in a bid to end their political activity. This month's report by the UN
inquiry into Gaza, led by Judge Richard Goldstone, dedicated a chapter
to events inside Israel, concluding similarly that there was wide-scale
repression of political activists, non-governmental organisations and
journalists in Israel. The goal, the committee said, was "to minimise
public scrutiny of [Israel's] conduct both during its military
operations...
Make
Love or Make War: Two Sides of the Israeli Coin
29 Sep 2009 - - By
Jim Miles That Israel exists and has the power to continue existing is
very much a fact. With a sophisticated military establishment including
more than 200 nuclear weapons (at lowest estimates) there is no way
Israel would stop existing as a state of some kind. The argument within
Israel, minimally interpreted from a few written works, is how will
Israel survive into the future along the lines of what kind of state
will it be and how will that be achieved. As with most societies, there
are large divisions within Israel about the best way forward, arguments
that look back over the millennia for support, yet turn pivotally on
the shoah of the Second World War and the awareness that there is a
serious problem with the Palestinian population both within Israel and
within the occupied territories. It can be argued that all of Israel is
occupied territory, but the reality of the occupation is that the
territory behind the green line will not be dealt with under any
negotiated settlement. Inside Israel there are many ideological splits,
none of which of course deny Israel, but with many different intents
and purposes for the way forward, with several different
interpretations of past and present events. In simplest terms, two
recent works examine the way forward: one advocates militarism, and the
preparedness for a long ongoing struggle; the other advocates peace and
the love and joy of a revived Judaism. Saving Israel [1] is written by
Daniel Gordis, the...
Jewish
Author: Time to Boycott Israel
29 Sep 2009 - - By
Stu Harrison 'The war could have finished the day before I arrived',
independent journalist and author Antony Loewenstein told ‘Green Left
Weekly’ of his recent trip to the besieged Palestinian territory of
Gaza. His trip in July was months after the December-January war, in
which more than 1400 Palestinian deaths were recorded. Gaza remains
under a near-total land, sea and air blockade by Israel and Egypt. "The
devastation still exists and people are undoubtedly angry, they are
frustrated, they're disillusioned with Israel certainly, with Egypt
undoubtedly and with the international community", he said. Loewenstein
recently released a fully updated third edition of his best-selling
book, ‘My Israel Question’. The book explores the Jewish identity and
its attachment to Zionism and the state of Israel. It was first
released in 2006 and has since been the subject of heated debate in
Australia and around the world. Loewenstein told ‘GLW’ the war still
loomed large over life in Gaza: "Being there, you get the sense that
people are being forgotten. The war has only led to further
desperation. You see massive areas of destruction, neighborhoods
destroyed, houses flattened, and because Israel and Egypt don't allow
any cement into the [Gaza] strip nothing is being repaired." But
despite this, Loewenstein said he found a people trying to move on with
their lives. "I found that people were determined to continue the
struggle for more self-determination whatever that might mean. Whether
they believe in a one state solution, two state solution, whatever....
US
Interests Versus The Jewish State
29 Sep 2009 - - By
Jeff Gates Barack Obama’s recent conduct at the U.N. removed all
remaining doubt as to Israeli influence inside this latest U.S.
presidency. When he uttered the phrase 'the Jewish state of Israel,' he
provided precisely the provocation required to ensure that peace in the
Middle East will continue to be deferred. When, in May 1948,
Christian-Zionist Harry Truman agreed to recognize an enclave of
Jewish-Zionist extremists as a nation state, he struck out “Jewish
state” and wrote the “state of Israel.” Despite assurances from Zionist
lobbyist Chaim Weizmann that Israel would be a democracy, Truman feared
the Zionist state might become what it became: a racist theocracy
committed to an expansionist agenda that endangers U.S. interests in
the region. Barack Obama is a political product of Chicago’s West Side
Jewish community and the nation’s “first Jewish president” according to
former Clinton White House counsel Abner Mikva. Though branded an agent
of change, when the zeitgeist of his campaign suggested that change
might encompass a shift in the U.S.-Israeli relationship, those
Ashkenazim who produced this presidential phenomenon let their
displeasure be known. The candidate of change quickly made the
requisite rounds of pro-Israeli venues where he promised his
benefactors there would be no change in an entangled alliance that, in
retrospect, is the primary reason the U.S. finds itself at war in the
Middle East. His U.N. performance thrilled those colonial Zionists
whose duplicity troubled Truman. Meanwhile his “Jewish state” comment
was guaranteed to inflame tensions in the region....