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International Middle East Media Center
Arab
Child Hurt By Explosive Near Shfa-Amr
IMEMC 4 Jan 2010 -
Tuesday January 05, 2010 - 02:42, Israeli sources reported Monday that
a 13-year-old Arab child was hurt when an explosive, apparently dropped
by the Israeli army during training, detonated as he carried it.
Christian
Peacemakers deported from Israel
IMEMC 4 Jan 2010 -
Tuesday January 05, 2010 - 02:27, Two members of the Christian
Peacemaker Teams have been refused entry into Israel, and deported by
Israeli authorities.
Settlers
Protest Settlement Freeze By “Smashing Ice”
IMEMC 4 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 04, 2010 - 21:21, The so-called Yesha Council of
Settlements organized a protest for the settlers in front of the
residence of Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and installed
an ice structure before breaking it up to symbolize their rejection to
the temporary freeze of settlement activities.
FPLP
Fighters Survive An Assassination Attempt in Gaza
IMEMC 4 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 04, 2010 - 21:09, The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the
armed wing of the Popular Front For the Liberation of Palestine,
reported Monday that a group of its fighters survived an assassination
attempt when an Israeli drone fired a missile at them.
Peace
Talks Still Contingent Upon Settlement Freeze
IMEMC 4 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 04, 2010 - 16:57, Israel must commit to freezing
settlement construction if talks are to resume, says Abbas.
Viva
Palestina aid convoy docks in Egypt's Al-Arish sea port
IMEMC 4 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 04, 2010 - 16:53, Viva Palestina aid convoy ship has
docked in Egypt's Al-Arish sea port on Monday and all the vehicles
on-board have passed through Egyptian customs.
Israeli
forces ’deliberately let him bleed to death’
1/4/2010 - Part nine
of a series recounting the findings of South African jurist Richard
Goldstone's UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict - Bethlehem -
Ma'an - On 4 January 2009, one year ago today, Iyad Samouni, his wife,
and five children were together with about 40 other members of their
extended family in the house of Asaad Samouni, a relative. At around
1am, they heard noise on the roof. At about 5am, Israeli soldiers
walked down the stairs from the roof, knocked on the door, and entered
the house. They asked for Hamas fighters. The residents replied that
there were none. Stationing themselves in the house, soldiers separated
women, children and the elderly from the men. Iyad and all the other
men were forced into a separate room, blindfolded and bound with
plastic handcuffs. They were allowed to use the bathroom only after one
of the men urinated on himself.
Israel:
Gaza’s Nahal Oz crossing closed permanently
1/4/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an -Israeli authorities informed the Palestinian side officially on
Monday that the Nahal Oz border crossing in the northeast of Gaza will
remain closed. Palestinian border crossing official Raed Fattouh told
Ma'an that Israel has decided to shutdown the Nahal Oz crossing which
was used for shipping fuel and gas into the besieged coastal strip. In
recent months, Israel allowed limited quantities of domestic gas
through the Kerem Shalom crossing in southern Gaza. On Monday, Israeli
authorities opened the Kerem Shalom crossing and the Karni crossing in
the northeast to allow limited amounts of humanitarian aid and domestic
gas, in addition to permitting the export of Gaza strawberries.
According to Fattouh, 70 truckloads of humanitarian aid and commercial
merchandise in addition to limited quantities of gas and industrial
diesel are expected to enter the Gaza Strip. . .
Anti-wall
activists rally outside prison
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - Anti-wall activists demonstrated outside Israel's Ofer Prison
near the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday to demand the release of
detained activist Jamal Juma to concide with the convening of his
military court hearing. Jamal Juma, 47, the coordinator of the
Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall campaign was detained on 16
December 2009 without being charged and is considered "a prisoner of
conscience" the organizers of the rally said in a statement on Monday.
"Palestinians, Israelis and international supporters will rally to
demand the release of Jamal Juma' and other imprisoned anti-Wall
activists and also call for an end to the widespread repression of
Palestinian human rights defenders. Protesters will further call for
the Apartheid Wall to be torn down. " Juma, a high profile human rights
defender and activist, was detained in the recent. . .
Fayyad
concedes PA tortured Hamas detainees
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - Caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad implicitly admitted in
a report published on Sunday that Palestinian Authority security forces
have tortured Hamas detainees over the past two years. An Associated
Press report on the subject, citing interviews with Hamas inmates,
rights activists, Hamas officials and Fayyad himself, said that most
torture had ended in October. Fayyad's comments, however, amounted to
the first time a senior PA official conceded that abuses were committed
by the security forces, many of which are trained by the US, Russia,
and other world powers. Fayyad claimed a "dramatic change for the
better" in West Bank prisons and said that 43 officers had been jailed,
fired or demoted for abusing prisoners. The prime minister denied that
torture was ever official policy but admitted past "excesses" that he
said stemmed from a flawed culture of revenge.
PFLP
fighters say Israeli warplanes strike Gaza
1/4/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Palestinian fighters in Gaza said they narrowly escaped a
missile fired by an Israeli warplane in the northern Gaza Strip on
Monday evening. The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) reported the
airstrike. In a statement received by Ma'an the group also said that
they fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an Israeli military watchtower
along the border in northern Gaza. An Israeli military spokesman said
based on an initial investigation, officials were unaware of any
airstrikes. Earlier, another armed group said it fired rocket-propelled
grenades an Israeli bulldozer in the northern Gaza Strip. The An-Nasser
Salah Ad-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance
committees said it launched the attack near a site it called "Abu
Samra's orange grove" north of the town of Beit Lahiya.
Israel
re-opens Hebron road 10 years after closure
1/4/2010 - Hebron -
Ma'an - Israeli forces re-opened the northern entrance to the town of
Halhul on Monday in the West Bank city of Hebron, following 10 years of
closure, according to Halhul Mayor Ziyad Abu Yousef. Abu Yousef told
Ma'an that negotiations with Israel had been ongoing for the last five
years to re-open the entrance. However, Israel only approved lifting
the closer two months prior, based on conditions, one of which was that
the Halhul Municipality would be responsible for removing the
military's roadblocks and dirt mounds placed by Israel to block entry
into the town. The re-opening of the northern entrance will happen in
two phases, allowing at first only cars from Hebron to enter, after
which a two-way road will be paved to allow movement in and out of
Halhul, the mayor said. The closure of the town's northern entrance has
had an adverse impact on Halhul's economy, as the road was considered
the essential point of entry in Hebron.
’Wanted’
Palestinian fighter hands self in
1/4/2010 - Jenin -
Ma'an - An operative affiliated with the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades,
Fatah's paramilitary wing, handed himself over to Israeli authorities
on Sunday evening, Ma'an has learned. Imad Tayih, 22, from the Al-Far'a
Refugee Camp near Tubas, had been "wanted" by Israeli authorities for
over a year and a half. During his time as a fugitive, Tayih survived
targeted assassination attempts and was injured as a result on several
occasions. On Sunday evening, he gave himself up at the Salim military
base in Nablus, according to his cousin Faris, who observed that Tayih
had been receiving a high volume of telephone calls from Israeli
intelligence threatening to kill him if he did not give himself up.
Faris explained that whenever his cousin would receive such a call, it
was swiftly followed by attempts to ambush or abduct Tayih, adding that
he had survived two assassination attempts. . .
Probe
sought in death of Gaza woman in police custody
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) called on
Monday for an investigation into the death of a 56-year-old woman who
was reportedly assaulted by police. According to PCHR's investigation,
four de facto government police vehicles arrived at Nazira Jaddou'a
As-Sweirki's home in the Touffah neighborhood of Gaza City at 8pm on
Friday. "The policemen demanded Mohammed, 22, the victim's son, who was
in his shop [on] the ground floor in his house to blow out candles that
were lit up on the balcony, seemingly to celebrate the anniversary of
Fatah movement," the rights group said. Fatah supporters lit candles in
Gaza after the Hamas-controlled government banned celebrations marking
the anniversary. After an argument between the woman's son's Sami, 40,
Amer 27, and Mohammed, 22, police assaulted all thre and arrested the
later two, PCHR reported.
Egypt
opens Rafah crossing for the second day
1/4/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing for the second
consecutive day on Monday, the Gaza government's Border Crossing
Committee reported. Those allowed to transit include holders of
international passports and travelers who have coordinated their
passage with Egyptian authorities. On Tuesday, the Rafah crossing will
be open to all who seek to travel into or from Egypt from Gaza, the
committee said. The committee added that all transit arrangements had
been thoroughly organized in coordination with the de facto Ministry of
Interior, and noted that 1,098 people left Gaza yesterday while 187
were unable to pass for varying reasons. According to the Gaza Ministry
of Interior, 6,000 Palestinians have registered to enter Egypt via the
Rafah crossing including 600 patients. The deadline to register for
travel via Rafah, the Ministry added, ended three weeks ago.
Fatah:
Mash’al lying about unity deal
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - Azzam Al-Ahmad, speaker of the Palestinian Legislative
Council's Fatah bloc, on Monday accused Hamas leader Khalid Mash'al of
lying when he said a reconciliation agreement was in the final stages.
"If Mash'al is telling the truth, let him go to Cairo and tell the
Egyptians that Hamas agrees to their reconciliation plan," Al-Ahmad
said. "Hamas' deception and wordplay pushed Egypt and the Arab League
secretary-general to declare that it was Hamas who impeded national
reconciliation," he added, noting that "Egypt revealed recently that
Hamas thwarted Palestinian reconciliation. "Mash'al, Hamas' most senior
leader, said on Sunday the Islamic movement was close to achieving a
deal with its Fatah rivals. "We achieved great strides toward achieving
reconciliation," he told reporters Riyadh, according to Reuters. "We
are in the final stages now. "
Fatah:
No progress in reconcilliation with Hamas
1/4/2010 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Fatah denied on Monday that progress had been made in
reconciliation talks with Hamas. "There is nothing new to talk about on
the national reconciliation issue," Fatah spokesman Fahmi Za'arir said.
"Both sides have said a lot, but now something should be done order to
get the Palestinian house in order," he added. The remarks come after
Hamas' Political Bureau chief Khalid Mash'al claimed on Sunday that the
two groups were "in the final stages" of the reconciliation process.
"We achieved great strides toward achieving reconciliation," Mash'al
told reporters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he met with that
country's foreign minister. Za'arir said that Hamas was dealing with
reconciliation as if it were a competition. The Fatah official also
reiterated his party's argument that it was the signed an
Egyptian-proposed plan to bring the two groups into a power-sharing
agreement, while Hamas has not.
Israeli
forces detain 3 Palestinians in Jenin
1/4/2010 - Jenin -
Ma'an - Israeli forces stormed the eastern neighborhood of Jenin and
detained three Palestinians after raiding their homes early on Monday
morning, security sources said. Those detained were identified as Fouad
Zakarna, Ahmad Al-Qut, and Ashraf Al-Aqhash. Witnesses at the scene
said that Israeli forces further raided the home of Jenin's former
mayor Walid Abu Muwais in search of his son. [end]
Israeli
forces detain 6 civilians near Hebron
1/4/2010 - Hebron -
Ma'an - Israeli forces detained six Palestinian civilians in Hebron and
the Al-Arrub refugee camp early on Monday morning, Palestinian security
sources said. Israeli forces raided the camp Hebron and stormed houses,
detaining four civilians: Khaled Al-Badawi, 22, Rami At-Titti, 25,
Muayyad At-Titti, 26, and Abdul Fattah Abu Wardeh, 22. Soldiers also
detained two other civilians in Hebron city. They were not immediately
identified. Israel's military reported arresting six Palestinians
"wanted for suspected terrorist activities in Judea and Samaria [the
West Bank]. "[end]
Report:
Grenade explodes at Fatah office in Lebanon
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an/Agencies - A hand grenade reportedly exploded at the office of
Fatah official Sultan Abu Al-Aynayn in the city of Tyre, Lebanon on
Monday. A correspondent for the Beirut-based news site NOW Lebanon said
no injuries were reported, but that the explosion caused property
damage in the Rashdiyeh refugee camp in south Lebanon. The reported
attack comes after Aynayn accused external parties of bringing foreign
fighters linked to Al-Qaeda into the Palestinian refugee camps in
Lebanon"We have taken measures to prevent Al-Qaeda from infiltrating
Palestinian refugee camps after we received information that external
parties were seeking to export extremists, particularly from Iraq," Abu
al-Aynayn said in an interview with AFP. Earlier on Sunday Fatah gunmen
clashed with fighters affiliated with the Jund Ash-Sham faction in Ein
Al-Hilweh refugee camp in the city of Sidon.
Abbas:
Talks start immediately after freeze
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday reiterated the PLO's
position that Israel must stop expanding West Bank settlements before
Palestinians would be willing to renew peace talks. "We are not
imposing conditions; this is clear. But we have previously stated and
will repeat that as soon as settlement construction stops we will
resume negotiations immediately," he told journalists after a meeting
with Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak in the Red Sea resort town of Sharm
Ash-Sheikh. Abbas added that Israel would have to recognize an
"international reference" beforehand, as well, if it expected the talks
to be fruitful. The Palestinian people do not object to meetings and
negotiations, he said. He made no comment on a proposed trilateral
peace summit with Mubarak and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu, who also visited Egypt last weeks for talks with Mubarak. . .
PA
cabinet: No talks without freeze
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - The cabinet of the Ramallah-based Palestinian government
reiterated a call on Monday for Israel to halt the expansion of West
Bank settlements as a step toward renewed peace talks. During the
weekly cabinet meeting ministers concluded that "progress in the peace
process requires a comprehensive cessation of all Israeli settlement
activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, including
Jerusalem. " "The full freeze of settlement activities includes
proclaimed natural growth," the cabinet said. "It also requires Israeli
abstention from provocative measures such as arrests, assassinations
and invasion of Palestinian areas and stopping illegal measures and
practices in Jerusalem," the cabinet said in a statement after the
meeting. A settlement freeze is needed, the ministers concluded, "to
create a clear framework of reference for a peace process,. . . "
PA
forms team to advance WTO bid
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- The Palestinian Authority is forming a "national team" to oversee
efforts to gain full membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO),
the caretaker cabinet said on Monday. The issue came up in the weekly
meeting of the Ramallah-based cabinet led by Prime Minister Salam
Fayyad, himself an American-trained economist. The cabinet said the WTO
bid was part of a project of achieving "national economic readiness.
"In September the PA announced it was applying to upgrade its status
from Observer toFull Observer, a step before full membership. Fayyad is
the author of a government plan he says is designed to establish the
institutional trappings of statehood within two years. . . . .
Israeli
radio warns female soldiers against hitchhiking
1/4/2010 - Jerusalem
- Ma'an - Israel's Army Radio has begun regularly transmitting
announcements warning female soldiers not to hitchhike from their
military bases. "Female soldiers, don't hitchhike as you can't be sure
how it will end," the announcement said. It was not clear what lead to
the frequent announcements, as there have been no known cases of
Palestinian armed groups targeting female Israeli soldiers. The
increased announcements follow ongoing reports that, despite stalemate,
a prisoner exchange deal whereby Palestinian militants holding Israeli
soldier Gilad Shalit for the release of Palestinian prisoners. The
Israeli army has been known to enforce what it terms the "Hannibal
procedure," whereby Israeli soldiers at risk of being kidnapped have
been shot. The policy is enacted to thwart leverage for any Palestinian
prisoner swap and was discovered to have been used. . .
PA
police detain 6 Palestinians on drug charges
1/4/2010 - Salfit -
Ma'an - Palestinian Authority police detained six men suspected of
possessing narcotics in Hebron and Salfit on Sunday. Three were
detained in Salift for carrying a substance similar in form to hashish,
in addition to narcotics-related paraphernalia, according to a
statemented issued by the PA police's Public Relations and Information
Department. A further three Palestinians were arrested from the village
of Dura in Hebron following a tip-off that a narcotics deal was
underway in the village, the statement said. Police ambushed and
apprehended the suspects, it added. The report said the suspects would
be transferred to public prosecution for legal proceedings. [end]
PA
to pay employees on Wednesday
1/4/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - The Palestinian Authority (PA), the largest employer in the
West Bank and Gaza with some 140,000 employees, announced on Monday
that workers will receive their salaries on Wednesday. The head of the
salaries department at the PA finance ministry, Abdul Naser Atallah
told Ma'an that the money will be transferred to banks on Tuesday and
made available to workers on Wednesday. He also said that the PA
caretaker government still has not approved a budget. [end]
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Original plan called for just 60 percent of population to receive protection kits.
Are IDF dogs trained to pounce all who say 'God is great' in Arabic?
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Following expose, MK Ahmed Tibi tells Knesset plenum: 'I say here Allah Hu Akbar. Any dogs here to attack me?'
Be'er Sheva police call off terror alert
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Two suspects carrying suspicious bag detained for questioning; shots apparently fired during arrest.
IDF dependence on technology spawns whole new battlefield
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - In the new battlefield of cyberspace, the war is against terrorist hackers.
Airport tragedy averted as civilian, military aircrafts nearly collide
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Second incident in 2009 at Ovda airport nearly ended in frontal collision between the 2 planes.
Anti-Zionist ultra-Orthodox Jews celebrate Sabbath in Gaza
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Neturei Karta: Gazans must understand that Israel's offensive was not done in the name of Judaism.
Abbas considers scaling back security ties with Israel
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - PA president contemplates move following an IDF raid on Nablus that killed three militants.
Israel strikes Gaza targets after Grad rocket attack
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Witnesses report several injured; PFLP claims responsibility for firing two Grad rockets at Netivot Thursday.
Orders were to capture militants alive - so why were they killed?
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Three wanted Palestinians who were killed by IDF were not armed and did not try to escape.
Mubarak to Netanyahu: Accept Hamas' demands for Shalit deal
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Egypt can guarantee deal and possible Gaza calm if Israel shows flexibility, according to Saudi paper.
Yeshiva students to Court: Give IDF status back to Har Bracha
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Students appeal ousting of school from hesder over rabbi's encouragement to refuse settlement evacuation orders.
Gaza militants fire Grad rocket into Netivot
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - No injuries or damage reported; rocket strike is first such attack on Netivot in nine months.
Envoy to U.S.: Washington and Israel not discussing Iran strike
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Michael Oren: Our main focus is on formulating, applying sanctions against Iran in 2010.
Settler teen arrested over West Bank mosque arson, then freed
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Parents and grandfather of main suspect in attack on Yasuf mosque were killed in Palestinian terror attack.
Al-Hayat: Hamas ready with final response on Israel's offer for Shalit
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Delegates conclude Damascus debate and head to Cairo to meet with German mediator, paper reports.
Ramallah, January 4, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas was to travel to Egypt yesterday to discuss the possible relaunch of US-backed peace talks amid lingering divisions over Israeli settlement expansion. Mr Abbas's spokesman, Nabil Abu Rudeina, said he would meet the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, at the Red Sea resort of Sharm elSheikh today to discuss "important developments"...
Expectant Families Awaiting Prisoners Release
Gaza, January 4, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails attend a sit-in protest at the office of the International Red Cross Committee (ICRC) in Gaza City, to demand the release of prisoners detained by Israel. Israel holds about 11,000 Palestinians in its prisons from Gaza and West Bank including, women and children. The prisoners' families...
Meshaal: Palestinian reconciliation deal “close”
Saudi Arabia, January 4, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The political leader of Hamas Khaled Meshaal said Sunday that significant development has been made in Egyptian-sponsored talks aimed at reconciling Hamas with Fatah movement. The two main Palestinian factions have been divided since Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, leaving Mahmoud Abbas the President of Palestinian Authority and...
Egypt Opens Rafah Crossing
Gaza, January 3, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The Egyptian authorities declared that it will open Rafah crossing today for the people who have visas. The total number of the people who want to leave the Gaza Strip is 6000 including 700 students. Rafah crossing was opened 2 months ago for patients and students. Thousands of patients, students and people who...
Abbas to Meet Mubarak in Cairo
Ramallah, January 2, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- Barakat Al-Farra, the Palestinian ambassador to Egypt, announced that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas plans to meet Monday in Cairo with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss the latest development on Palestinian arena He pointed out that Mr. Abbas would arrive in Cairo, as well as the accompanying delegation Sunday afternoon, explaining that the meeting...
The National 3 Jan 2010 - A year after the Israeli offensive on Gaza, the ceasefire continues to hold and a report says 2009 saw the lowest number of violent incidents in decades.
Kurdish dissidents arrested in Syria
The National 3 Jan 2010 - As members of party demanding autonomy for Syrian Kurds earlier this month are arrested, opposition groups criticise the move as counterproductive.
Iran sets a nuclear end game
The National 3 Jan 2010 - Tehran defiantly sets its own end-of-January deadline for world powers to agree to its already rejected counter proposals on a nuclear agreement.
AlJazeera 4 Jan 2010 - Seven employees get three to seven years in prison over accident south of Cairo.
Foreigners 'among Iran arrests'
AlJazeera 4 Jan 2010 - Spy chief says detainees had been leading "psychological war" against Tehran.
Egypt court upholds exam veil ban
AlJazeera 3 Jan 2010 - Court backs decision to ban university students from wearing niqab during exams.
Iran to try Ashoura rally detainees
AlJazeera 3 Jan 2010 - Judiciary snubs request for seven unidentified defendants to be tried in open court.
Alternative Information Center
Beyond Commemoration: Operation Cast Lead One Year AfterAlternative Information Center 29 Dec 2009 - Three hundred and sixty five days after the beginning of the Operation “Cast Lead,” what characterizes these days is silence. The silence of those who didn't survive—those 1,400 people killed by bombings in Gaza. Three hundred...
PNN 4 Jan 2010 - , analysts say.A year after the Israeli offensive on Gaza, the ceasefire continues to hold and 2009 saw Israel register the lowest number of incidents of Palestinian-Israeli violence in the decade just ended, according to a report released last week by the country’s internal security agencaccording to a report released last week by the country’s internal security agency.Nevertheless, Israeli analysts will not...
Gaza economy suffocates under blockade
PNN 4 Jan 2010 - Four years on, Gazans are still facing the fallout from an election that saw Hamas come to victory. Since then, Gaza has been under an Israeli blockade that makes it almost impossible for goods to travel in and out. Read more (http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-01-04/gaza-economy-israel-blockade.html?fullstory) For the past decade, the Palestine Trade Center (PalTrade) has been helping private companies interested in exporting to Gaza. But...
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Abbas reiterates demand for full settlement freeze, but Jerusalem sees 'wiggle room' in PA position.
'Livni has damaged Kadima and country'
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Mofaz says party seniors not consulted about sitting in opposition; faction rejects Aflalo split demand.
Wanted: A few good men to break the ice
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Settlers protest 10-month contruction freeze in demonstration opposite prime minister's home.
Arab MK: Settlers are a malignant tumor
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Verbal spat erupts at Knesset civil rights debate; MK Rotem wishes Palestinian state "death by cancer."
Aflalo blasts Livni, but stays in Kadima
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Aflalo reiterated his disappointment with party leadership, but announced he would not unilaterally leave faction.
'We seek sanctions on Iran gov't to avoid harming civilians'
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Clinton says Washington has begun discussions with partners about pressure on Teheran, but stresses door not closed on diplomacy.
US watch and no-fly lists grow
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Failed Christmas Day attack prompts officials to closely scrutinize large database of terror suspects.
EU lawmakers call off Iran trip
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Visit canceled after US Congressmen say it wouldbe "counterproductive and potentially damaging."
No Holds Barred: The American air farce
Jeruslalem Post 4 Jan 2010 - Israel might as well send a team to Washington to advise an increasingly hapless Homeland Security Administration?
IPS JERUSALEM, Dec 30 (IPS) - In the absence of any progress towards peace between Israelis and Palestinians, leaders of the Palestinian Authority (PA) are adopting a reasonable approach as a way of building up international pressure on Israel to get it back to the negotiating table.
MIDEAST: New Year Reopens Wounds of the Old
IPS GAZA CITY, Dec 30 (IPS) - For many survivors of the last Israeli war on Gaza, time has not healed their wounds, physical or emotional.
MIDEAST: 'Prince of Peace' - Obama or Netanyahu?
IPS JERUSALEM, Jan 1 (IPS) - United States President Barack Obama’s intended broad Mideast policies are running into the complexities of peacemaking - especially after the ‘Prince of Peace’ began insisting on the necessity of, sometimes, fighting for peace.
MIDEAST: ‘’What About the Mailboxes?’’
IPS OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM, Dec 22 (IPS) - The sun is about to set over Jabel Mukaber. The call of the muezzin envelops the valley beneath Naim Aweisat’s balcony and, rolling from the mosques of Abu Dis across the wall in the West Bank, rebounds from the stark concrete Israeli security...
PCHR
International Solidarity Movement
Are Israel and apartheid South Africa really different?1/4/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Akiva Eldar, Haaretz - The day after the murder of the settler Meir Hai about 10 days ago, Major General (res. ) Amos Gilad was asked to comment on the claim by settlers that the attack was able to take place because roadblocks had been lifted on West Bank roads. The security-political coordinator at the Defense Ministry told his radio interviewer that the policy of thinning out internal roadblocks has greatly contributed to the West Bank's impressive economic growth. According to Gilad, who until recently was coordinator of activities in the territories, the improvement of the Palestinians' economic lot has contributed substantially to Israelis' security. An army man, who is not suspected of belonging to a human rights organization, thus upsets the simplistic and most accepted formula: restrictions on Arabs means more security for Jews.
My Husband: Jailed for Protesting Israel’s Wall
1/4/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Majida Abu Rahmah, Huffington Post - On International Human Rights Day in last year, my husband Abdallah Abu Rahmah was in Berlin receiving a medal from the World Association for Human Rights. This year on the same day, December 10th, Abdallah was taken away at 2am by Israeli soldiers who broke into our West Bank home. Abdallah was arrested for the same reasons he received the prize – his nonviolent struggle for justice, equality and peace in Israel/Palestine. My husband is a school teacher and farmer from the Palestinian village of Bil'in. When Israel built its apartheid wall here, it separated Bil'in from more than half of its land, in order to facilitate the expansion of the illegal settlement Mattityahu East. In response, Abdallah and fellow villagers began a campaign of nonviolent resistance. Every Friday for the past five years, we've marched, with Israeli and international supporters, to protest the theft of our land and livelihoods.
Trapped in the land of Oz
1/4/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Haaretz, 3 January - A complaint to the court ombudsman against Jerusalem District Court Judge Yitzhak Milanov reveals cooperation of questionable legality between the police and Oz, the Interior Ministry unit that deals with illegal foreigners, in the treatment of foreigners who took part in recent demonstrations in East Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarra neighborhood. According to the complaint – which was submitted to the ombudsman, former Supreme Court justice Eliezer Goldberg, on December 17 – the police misused their authority by handing the left-wing foreign activists they arrested over to Oz, even though the foreigners were present in Israel legally and therefore do not fall under Oz's jurisdiction. The police's motive, the complaint alleged, was to avoid judicial review of the arrests. About three weeks ago, it said, 23 demonstrators were arrested, including three foreign citizens:. . . .
Israel believes Abbas on the verge of agreeing to peace talks
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed cautious optimism Monday that talks with the Palestinians will soon resume. ...
Italy-based group accuses Israel of poisoning Gaza land
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - The Italian New Weapons Committee accuses Israel of contaminating Gaza land through bombing, and the president of the European Jewish Congress termed the claims "unfounded blood libels reminiscent of tales of Jews poisoning wells." ...
U.S. pledges 'more commitment' to Mideast peace process
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - The United States pledged Monday to be "even more committed this year" to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, warning that any further delay would only hurt the interests of all parties involved. ...
Clinton: West wants to 'pressure' Iran regime, but spare its citizens
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Monday that the United States has begun discussing with its allies methods of "pressure and sanctions" to take on Iran over the latter's contentious nuclear program, emphasizing that the goal was to stop the Islamic regime without harming innocent civilians. ...
Free Barghouti Now
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Click here for more articles by Bradley Burston ...
The Guardian 4 Jan 2010 - From Iran to Yemen, and from Zimbabwe to Italy, we look at the prospects for conflict and include the Guardian's Troublespotometer rating 1 Iran Iran's claim to the number one position on the Guardian's 2010 Troublespotometer...
Video: Gaza war: One year on, Palestinians struggle to rebuild life from the rubble
The Guardian 4 Jan 2010 - Inigo Gilmore returns to Gaza to explore the fate of families who are trying to piece together their lives and want Israel to be prosecuted for war crimes Guy Grandjean Inigo Gilmore Mona Mahmood
'Significant progress' in attempts to reconcile Hamas and Fatah
The Guardian 3 Jan 2010 - Egyptian-backed talks intended to bring together Palestinian factions divided since Hamas seized control of Gaza Strip The leader of Hamas, Khaled Mashaal, today said significant progress had been made in Egyptian-sponsored talks aimed at reconciling the...
Hung out to dry in the West Bank | Seth Freedman
The Guardian 4 Jan 2010 - Severely-restricted access to water is one of Israel's main weapons against the Jahalin nomads At first glance, the bedouin community of Ras al-Awja seem unaffected by the political turbulence that engulfs the rest of the region....
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Malnutrition is widespread in Israeli hospitals, according to a one-day audit conducted a year ago in three hospitals. This month the Health Ministry will repeat the examination and expand it to 14 hospitals. ...
Israeli fisherman sentenced for poisoning Kinneret catch
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - In an unprecedented sentence, a Beit She'an Magistrate's Court sentenced Eran Asayag, a fisherman from Tiberias, to 10 months imprisonment for various fishery violations in Lake Kinneret including the use of poison as a means of fishing. ...
Haredi Web geeks fight rabbis' crackdown on internet
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - Under a blitz attack by ultra-Orthodox rabbis, the people behind the country's ultra-Orthodox Web sites are attempting to return fire. ...
Israel to simulate biological warfare attack
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - An exercise simulating a response to a biological warfare attack will be carried out in the Dan region next week. ...
Are IDF dogs trained to pounce all who say 'God is great' in Arabic?
Ha'aretz 4 Jan 2010 - The Israel Defense Forces has denied allegations that it trains its canines to attack anybody heard saying Allah Hu Akbar, Arabic for 'God is great.' ...
Relief Web 4 Jan 2010 - Source: Amnesty
Delayed Gaza relief convoy arrives in Egypt
Relief Web 4 Jan 2010 - Source: Agence France-Presse
Gaza Infant Dying due to Siege
Relief Web 4 Jan 2010 - Source: Medical Aid for Palestinians
OPT - Cast Lead Aggression 1st Anniversary, Day 9: Playing on the Roof, At-Tuffah, Gaza City
Relief Web 4 Jan 2010 - Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
OPT: Operation Cast Lead - a Critical Study of the Goldstone Report
Relief Web 4 Jan 2010 - Source: MIFTAH
ACTED Newsletter No 60 - Dec 2009
Relief Web 4 Jan 2010 - Source: Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development
YNet News 4 Jan 2010 - Source at Prime Minister's Office says unclear when peace talks with Palestinians will be launched, but adds some of Palestinian president's remarks following his meeting with Egypt's Mubarak were 'positive in regards to the negotiations'
Livni says Mofaz trying to destroy Kadima
YNet News 4 Jan 2010 - Opposition chairwoman slams her party's No. 2 following his repeated demands to move up primary elections
3 Hebron residents arrested in Jerusalem
YNet News 4 Jan 2010 - Police officers stationed near Jaffa Gate thwart terror attack after spotting suspicious vehicle carrying three young Palestinians. Suspects tell investigators were planning to stab 'a Jew or a security officer'
US seeks to pressure Iran, revolutionary guards
YNet News 4 Jan 2010 - Secretary of State Clinton says Washington has begun discussing with other countries fresh sanctions to try to pressure Tehran government to curb nuclear program
Napolitano postpones visit to Israel
YNet News 4 Jan 2010 - US secretary of homeland security cancels scheduled visit due to public pressure, Obama's call to hold extensive investigation into aviation security measures following thwarted Christmas terror attack on plane
Gang suspected of kidnapping African refugees
YNet News 4 Jan 2010 - Ynet learns police arrested two foreign nationals living in Jerusalem on suspicion of demanding ransom in exchange for release of refugees held in special detention camps in Israel, Sinai. According to suspicions, those who could not pay were tortured, sometimes to death
Mofaz says Livni causing damage to Israel
YNet News 4 Jan 2010 - Kadima's No. 2 slams his party's leader in special press briefing. He says opposition chairwoman lacks leadership, makes decisions based on text messages received from her advisors. Aide to Livni: Claims pathetic
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 Dozens of Tehran University professors appealed Monday to Iran's supreme leader to halt the ongoing violence against protesters, adding a new and respected voice in support of the opposition. The government, meanwhile, stepped up its accusations that the West is fomenting Tehran's post-election turmoil, saying that foreign nationals were among those arrested in the most recent clashes.
Abbas sticks to demand for settlement freeze before talks
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas said on Monday he was open to peace negotiations with Israel, but that as agreed with Egypt talks could only resume when Jewish settlement activity ends. "There is no objection to returning to the negotiating table or holding any meetings in principle," Abbas told reporters in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh after talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Hamas inmates say torture ended in West Bank jails
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 Palestinian security forces in the occupied West Bank have stopped torturing Hamas prisoners, ending two years of systematic abuse, Hamas inmates told AP in jailhouse interviews. The change in practice, said to have taken effect in October, was confirmed by a West Bank Hamas leader, human rights activists and the Palestinian prime minister.
Activists leave Egypt after Gaza entry denied
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 More than 1,000 international activists have headed home after Egypt denied them passage to Gaza for a solidarity march with the besieged enclave's Palestinians, organizers said Monday. "Most participants of the Gaza Freedom March have gone home. Around 250 are still in Cairo, some will try to get into the Gaza Strip and some will go home," one of the organizers, Ann Wright, told AFP.
Iranian president visits Central Asia for talks on security
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan Monday on his first international trip since a crackdown on opposition supporters in Tehran left at least eight dead. After talks with his Tajik counterpart Emomali Rakhmon, Ahmadinejad told journalists the two countries would cooperate on regional security.
France rejects Iran's nuclear counterproposal
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 France has rejected Iran's latest call for a new deadline to end the standoff over its contested nuclear program, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday. "We are not the ones who have to decide whether to accept what they want to impose on us," Kouchner told RTL radio. "No, this is not the way it is done."
Gunmen flee with millions from French heist
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 A dozen masked gunmen made off with several million dollars on Monday after using explosives to blast open a cash-carrying armored van in a village in southern France. The gang used several vehicles to block the Sazias security van in the village of Gemenos, near Aubagne, before firing a rocket and finally resorting to explosives to get their hands on the stash.
Karzai orders Afghan Parliament to suspend winter break
Daily Star 4 Jan 2010 Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Monday ordered that the Parliament suspend a winter break so that it can vet and vote on new cabinet nominees after lawmakers rejected over two thirds of his original candidates. But there may be a difficult confrontation ahead as the president plans to return some of the failed choices as candidates for different ministries, a senior official said.
Palestinian Information Center
Ellen Rosser describes odyssey of the Gaza Freedom MarchPIC 4 Jan 2010 - Our first morning in Gaza was devoted to traveling to the Erez border crossing with Israel —by way of the buildings destroyed by Israel in its war against Gaza called Operation Cast Lead.
Lifeline-3 finally in El-Arish
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - The international aid convoy Lifeline-3 for Gaza finally arrived in El-Arish harbor in Egypt on Sunday evening aboard a Turkish cargo ship en route to Gaza Strip.
Bahar: Building the steel wall legal, humanitarian and religious violation
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - Dr. Ahmed Bahar, the first deputy speaker of the PLC, has described the underground steel wall being built by Egypt at its borders with Gaza Strip as the "death wall".
MP Mansour: Closure of Shujaia crossing, steel wall execution sentence
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - MP Mona Mansour has condemned the Israeli decision to close the Shujaia crossing (Nahal Oz) with Gaza once and for all, describing it as "repressive".
Hamas: We will continue in our national role in seeking reconciliation
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - Hamas affirmed that it would not give up its national and responsible role in convincing all parties on the importance of forging reconciliation for the sake of the Palestinian people's interests.
French society organizes protest sit-in at Egyptian embassy
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - The Sheikh Yassin coalition on Sunday evening organized a sit-in at the Egyptian embassy in Paris to protest Egypt's construction of a steel wall along its borders with Gaza Strip.
Al-Aqsa foundation: The land subsidence in Silwan widened
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - Al-Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage reported that the plot of cave-ins in the main street between the town of Silwan and the Aqsa Mosque has widened significantly.
IOA continues to desecrate Mamanullah cemetery
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - The IOA is still unearthing and destroying the ancient Muslim cemetery in Jerusalem, the Mamanullah graveyard, the committee for reconstruction of Muslim cemeteries in Jerusalem said.
Haneyya: We are keen on improving the health sector in Gaza
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - Palestinian premier Ismail Haneyya stated that his government is keen on improving the health sector in Gaza by all means available in order to alleviate the citizens’ suffering.
IOA razes around 1,000 Palestinian homes in 10 years
PIC 4 Jan 2010 - The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has razed 969 Palestinian homes in the West Bank in the period from 1-1-2000 till 31-12-2009, the land research center said in a report on Sunday.
LA Times 4 Jan 2010 - Highway 443 cuts through Palestinian territory but has been closed to Palestinians since 2002, after several Israeli drivers were fatally attacked. Now it's reopening, and so are some national wounds. Cruising down this disputed four-lane highway, with all its twists and turns, is like taking a road trip through the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. You pass the walls and barriers that keep Palestinians from accessing Highway 443 as it slices through their land. Then there are the hazardous corridors where Israeli drivers have been shot and killed.
New York Times 4 Jan 2010 - Risking expulsion and possibly arrest, 88 professors called on Ayatollah Khamenei to end violence against protesters.
Standoff in Iran Deepens With New Show of Force
New York Times 4 Jan 2010 - Security forces filled Tehran streets to deter protests, as the opposition leader said he did not fear to give his life to his cause.
U.S. Sees an Opportunity to Press Iran on Nuclear Fuel
New York Times 4 Jan 2010 - Setbacks in its nuclear program and protests in the streets are making Iran’s leaders vulnerable to strong new sanctions, the Obama administration says.
Iranian Filmmakers Keep Focus on the Turmoil
New York Times 4 Jan 2010 - Directors have used their works and celebrity to draw attention to the protests that have roiled Iran since June.
Palestinians End Torture of Hamas Prisoners
New York Times 4 Jan 2010 - Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said the decision to halt any abuse was part of an effort to make sure a future state is built on the right foundations.
Iran Gives West One-Month ‘Ultimatum’ to Accept Nuclear Counterproposal
New York Times 3 Jan 2010 - Iran’s foreign minister said the country could begin further enriching its nuclear stockpile on its own.
Palestine Monitor - 4 Jan 2010 - SOMETHING ODD, almost bizarre, is going on in Egypt these days. About 1400 activists from all over the world gathered there on their way to the Gaza Strip. On the anniversary of the “Cast Lead” War, they intended to participate in a non-violent demonstration against the...
Sderot ‘peace march’ promotes war
Mondoweiss - 4 Jan 2010 - We’ve been following the Gaza Freedom March and its aftermath here on the site, but there was another Gaza-related march held around the same time. Check out this video (after the ad) from the Jerusalem Post : The ending couldn’t have been better if it was made...
Introducing – The Daily Nuisance
Mondoweiss - 4 Jan 2010 - Flying Protester (Photo: Ahmad Mesleh/TDN ) From a press release announcing the new website The Daily Nuisance : Today, a new journalist collective based in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories launches its online publication, The Daily Nuisance (TDN). Employing Palestinian, Israeli, and locally-based international journalists, TDN (found...
Apparently, Bono’s never heard of Jamal Juma’
Mondoweiss - 4 Jan 2010 - To be honest, I’m not sure why Bono gets an op-ed column in the New York Times . Regardless, the Times on January 2 carried an op-ed in which the U-2 lead singer and founder of the ONE campaign wrote about 10 things he would like to...
Meet the Post-zionist Zionists: Gilad Zwick
Mondoweiss - 4 Jan 2010 - This post is part of a week-long series of interviews with Jewish Israelis discussing their connection to the idea of Zionism. We hope this series will spark a conversation over the what Zionism means today. For more on these interviews see this post . Gilad Zwick Gilad...
Deconstructing Simon Wiesenthal
Mondoweiss - 4 Jan 2010 - The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, California, is named after the famed Austrian Nazi-hunter, Simon Wiesenthal, a connection that turns out to be appropriate in disturbing but unexpected ways. That is, both Simon Wiesenthal and the Center named after him have been accused of flagrant...
Articles
The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine
Fatma Elshhati, Miho Seki And Anthony Löwstedt, CounterPunch 1/1/2010
An Interview with Ilan Pappe
Israeli historian Ilan Pappe’s groundbreaking book, The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine (Engl. orig. 2006), on the events in 1947-49 that led to the formation of the state of Israel, had just been published in German translation, and he was in Austria to promote it. A few weeks prior to the outbreak of the Gaza war (2008-2009), Pappe answered our questions in such a way that all his points are still as relevant today as they were a year ago. Gaza is still suffocating under a heavy Israeli blockade, East Jerusalem and the West Bank still being invaded by illegal Jewish settlers. It is clearer than ever before that Israel is not defending itself; it is extending itself. The remaining Palestinian pockets of land look like 20th-century South African Bantustans, and worse, like the shrinking and disappearing American Indian reservations of the 19th century.
The ethnic cleansing of Palestine is still ongoing today, according to Pappe, and it is an intentional policy by the state of Israel. The international community, unfortunately, is doing next to nothing to stop Israel’s illegal expansion. But Pappe lit up the evening for the roughly hundred-strong audience. He illustrated with concrete examples and vivid testimony how everybody and anybody can do something to contribute to justice and peace in the Middle East. His research and findings, as well as his ideals, have been viewed in a negative light by Israelis, and their reactions have led to his exile from his home in Haifa. The distinguished researcher and dedicated activist is currently Chair of the History Department at Exeter University in the UK, and he continues to research events and issues that many Israelis would rather leave buried and forgotten. He also spreads awareness of the injustices suffered by the Palestinian people through giving lectures around the world and publishing journalistic work. more.. e-mail
Anger over church land sales to Israel
Nikola Kosmatopoulos, Ma’an News Agency 1/4/2010
Jerusalem - Serious charges are being made against the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem by Palestinian Greek Orthodox organizations and other local bodies. These charges, which are reminiscent of the times of the legendary Irineos, include corruption, deception of the parish and extensive cooperation with Israel in the Judaization of Jerusalem.
In a lengthy statement, the "Council of Arab Orthodox Institutions and Organizations in Palestine" attacked the Patriarchate in harsh and angry manner, accusing it of overtly selling Palestinian land to Israeli companies for "thirty pieces of silver" and calling on it to "stop being a real estate business."
Cancellation request
These Palestinian Greek Orthodox organizations are demanding the immediate cancellation of the agreements granting land to Israeli contractors, as well as the immediate implementation of the promises made by the new Patriarch to the Palestinian Authority, to the Jordanian government and to the Greek Orthodox parish in Palestine just before his election to office in 2005.
We urge the Patriarchate to abolish the agreements and to allow the implementation of Law 27 of 1958, which calls for the establishment of a Joint Board consisting of eight laity and clergy representatives. We also ask for the publication of the finances of the church. We are totally in the dark! The only way to know if our land is being sold is to Israeli companies is to take the issue to their own courts! This is how we found out about this agreement." says Marwan Toubasi, who is a member of the Arab Orthodox community in Palestine, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and the soul behind the protest. more.. e-mail
Gaza Freedom March activists target Egypt’s complicity
Sayed Dhansay, Electronic Intifada 12/31/2009
It was another eventful day here in Cairo at the inaugural Gaza Freedom March (GFM). On Tuesday night, organizers informed the 1,362-strong delegation that only 100 of them had been selected to travel to Gaza yesterday morning, Wednesday 30 December. After several hours of heated debate with organizers over whether this was an appropriate strategy, the meeting concluded without a consensus.
As of Tuesday night, only the South African, French, Canadian and Swedish delegations had decided to boycott the 100-person convoy. Although an incredibly tough decision to make, the groups adopted this principled stance because they felt that the offer was divisive and betrayed the very aim of the march -- to break the siege imposed on Gaza.
These delegations refused to further legitimize and reinforce the Egyptian government’s policy of occasionally allowing small aid convoys into the besieged Gaza Strip. They view the Gaza Freedom March as a political, rather than humanitarian effort, designed to pressure the Egyptian government into opening the Rafah crossing permanently.
The groups saw the acceptance of this offer by organizers as a betrayal to the original mission statement, and a dangerous compromise with the Egyptian government, allowing it to only perpetuate its inhumane policy of closure at the Rafah border with Gaza. more.. e-mail
Gaza Freedom Marchers issue the "Cairo Declaration" to end Israeli apartheid
Electronic Intifada: 4 Jan 2010 - Gaza Freedom Marchers have approved a declaration aimed at accelerating the global campaign for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid, calling for a global mass, democratic anti-apartheid movement to work in full consultation with Palestinian civil society to implement the Palestinian call for BDS.
Unbreakable in Cairo
Electronic Intifada: 4 Jan 2010 - Though I have lived most of my life in and around Chicago, it has never been my complete home. My sisters and I were born as first-generation Palestinian-Americans coming from Kuwait and for this reason our lives in Chicago always felt temporary -- we were only supposed to stay until the Gulf War was over, we finished school, the occupation ended, the siege was broken, etc. The only accepted rhetoric about our presence in America was and continues to be, "This is not our home, we are from Gaza." Dana Elborno writes from Cairo.
Sailing into trouble: "To Gaza with Love" reviewed
Electronic Intifada: 4 Jan 2010 - To Gaza with Love is a documentary by Aki Nawaz for Iran's English-language channel Press TV. It is an account of the first boats that successfully broke the siege of Gaza in August 2008. The filmmakers traveled to the Gaza Strip with the Free Gaza Movement, which organized the trip. Asa Winstanley reviews for The Electronic Intifada.
"I hope that I die on my land"
Electronic Intifada: 4 Jan 2010 - Fatima Mohammed Yassin, 49, is a farmer from the Palestinian village of Bilin in the occupied West Bank. In spite of Israel's occupation and construction of its wall in the West Bank, including on Bilin's farm land, Yassin and her husband continue to work their land on a daily basis. Jody McIntyre spoke to her for The Electronic Intifada.
In Gaza: 3 Jan 2010 - “I haven’t been on my land since we harvested the wheat last August. It’s too dangerous. There was an Israeli operation here yesterday…6 tanks and 4 bulldozers. I could see them from my rooftop in the village, but didn’t know if they’d destroyed my land.” Abdul Nasser Abu Taima has 15 dunams of agricultural land roughly 400 m from the Green Line border dividing Gaza and Israel. Until a few years ago, he had a home on and lived off the land. Israeli bulldozers destroyed his house and razed his land. “That was our home,” he says, picking up a piece of piping with a chunk of foundation still attached,...
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jan 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood – London Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown, marked the start of the New Year in a way that many campaigners for justice and liberty will find lamentable. The charity MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians) had written an open letter to Brown asking him to "urgently use all available diplomatic means to bring an immediate and unconditional end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip". It reminded Brown that a year after the assault on Gaza, in which almost 1,400 Palestinians were killed and more than 5,300 injured, civilians continued to pay a devastating price. "Across the Gaza Strip, over 3,530 homes were completely destroyed and more than 2,850 severely damaged. Tens of thousands more homes suffered structural damage." A recent MAP survey of the most vulnerable families shows that only 2% have been able to repair their homes from damage inflicted in last winter's bombardment. Families now face the winter in tents or in the rubble of their destroyed homes. Furthermore “the blockade is directly compromising one of the people of Gaza's most basic human rights; the right to health. Israeli authorities continue to routinely, and without explanation, block or delay the entry of medical supplies and equipment, leaving hospitals less able to cope. As hospitals falter, patients seeking care outside the Gaza Strip are routinely denied exit for life-saving medical treatment...” And that’s not all. A public health disaster is looming: with no spare parts for maintenance or repair, water and sewage treatment facilities cannot function....
Palestine 2010: Grab the Ball
Palestine Chronicle: 4 Jan 2010 - By James Gundun - Washington D.C. 2009 was finally supposed to bring positive change to the Middle East. US President Barack Obama conjured hope by promising responsible exits from Iraq and Afghanistan and, more profoundly, to pursue a two-state solution starting day one. Instead an Israeli-Hamas prisoner swap came to dominate headlines as 2009 fell flat, a fitting end to a lost decade. Not the progress had Obama had in mind. Beleaguered Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced that he won’t seek re-election less than a year after Obama assumed office; Gaza remains similarly besieged. Muslims and non-Muslims alike are losing confidence in his ability to engage the Middle East. Many US and Israeli officials would scoff at the growing number of skeptics who’ve deemed their collaboration a failure, but Fatah and Hamas leaders could both offer a five reasons why in ten seconds. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demeanor and preference for unilateral action, coupled with Obama’s backsliding, is snuffing the hope out. The latest Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PSR) opinion poll found that 68% of Palestinians believe the possibility of a two-state solution within the next five years is low or non-existent. While Arab states aren’t throwing in the towel, they’ve seen nothing given up and vented their anger over Goldstone’s report in the meantime. Just about every regional observer is asking where the US leadership has gone. So it’s not surprising that Obama wants to change the tune for 2010. This is the year everything...
The Iron Wall of Egypt
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Jan 2010 - By Uri Avnery – Israel Something odd, almost bizarre, is going on in Egypt these days. About 1400 activists from all over the world gathered there on their way to the Gaza Strip. On the anniversary of the “Cast Lead” War, they intended to participate in a non-violent demonstration against the ongoing blockade, which makes the life of 1.5 million inhabitants of the Strip intolerable. At the same time, protest demonstrations were to take place in many countries. In Tel-Aviv, too, a big protest was planned. The “monitoring committee” of the Arab citizens of Israel was to organize an event on the Gaza border. When the international activists arrived in Egypt, a surprise awaited them. The Egyptian government forbade their trip to Gaza. Their buses were held up at the outskirts of Cairo and turned back. Individual protesters who succeeded in reaching the Sinai in regular buses were taken off them. The Egyptian security forces conducted a regular hunt for the activists. The angry activists besieged their embassies in Cairo. On the street in front of the French embassy, a tent camp sprang up which was soon surrounded by the Egyptian police. American protesters gathered in front of their embassy and demanded to see the ambassador. Several protesters who are over 70 years old started a hunger strike. Everywhere, the protesters were held up by Egyptian elite units in full riot gear, while red water cannon trucks were lurking in the background. Protesters who tried to assemble in Cairo’s central...
The Israel Lobby's War on Al Manar TV
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Jan 2010 - By Franklin Lamb - Beirut Having inherited the Bush administration's rising stack of terrorism lists, President Obama's team had expressed interest in culling them 'so they are more accurate and manageable and Americans experience less stress', according to Homeland Security director Janet Napolitano. These lists, plus the reported existence of others that have not been made public, are supposed to reduce the fear and stress on Americans just knowing there are such lists and that someone is ‘watching out’. In many cases travelers experience more stress because they never know when Transportation Security Authority (TSA) agents at airports might eye a ‘hit’ on a computer screen, lunge into action and ruin a trip. Duplicate names on various lists plus the difficulty of getting oneself off the lists have led to increasing pressure on the Obama administration to refine the concept of who really is a terrorist. The various “T” and watch lists are swelling annually by thousands of names-some quite similar leading to confusion and uncertainly who really is and isn’t on and who is on but shouldn’t be and vice versa. As of Christmas Eve, the ‘Terrorism Watch List’ reportedly included some 900,000 names with a "selectee" list with somewhere close to 30,000 people within the higher-risk category, and a "no-fly" list with an estimated 10,000 names of people who are not allowed to board planes. Today it’s anyone’s guess who is on but shouldn’t be and who is off but should be on. All passengers departing the US...