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International Middle East Media Center
Nine
Palestinians Wounded By the Israeli Military in Hebron
IMEMC 7 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 08, 2010 - 02:13, Nine Palestinian residents were
wounded in separate Israeli military attacks targeting the villages of
Sa’ir and Yatta, in the Hebron district, in the southern part of the
West Bank.
Troops
attack a Palestinian family in Hebron
IMEMC 7 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 08, 2010 - 00:09, Israeli soldiers attacked on Thursday
a Palestinian family in Al Tawana, in the southern West Bank city of
Hebron, and kidnapped one family member.
Army
Invades Bil’in, Soldiers Say “we Are Just Doing Our Job”
IMEMC 7 Jan 2010 -
Thursday January 07, 2010 - 13:10, In a rather familiar scene in the
village of Bil’in near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, Israeli
troops invaded the village, once again, and stormed the house of Rani
Ayoub, a local peace activist. The invasion comes one day after the
army raided the village to kidnap some children.
Gaza
Children Fly Balloons Carrying Pictures Of Slain Family Members
IMEMC 7 Jan 2010 -
Thursday January 07, 2010 - 11:44, Dozens of children in the Gaza Strip
launched balloons carrying the pictures of their parent and family
members who were killed by the Israeli army during Israel’s illegal war
against the coastal region one year ago.
Hundreds
Protest In Front Of Egypt’s Embassy
IMEMC 7 Jan 2010 -
Thursday January 07, 2010 - 09:45, Hundreds of Turkish citizens and
activists held a protest on Tuesday evening in front of the Egyptian
Embassy in the Turkish capital, Ankara. The human rights activists,
including parliamentarians, protested until dawn hours of Wednesday.
Israel
To Pay 10 M. In Compensation To The UN
IMEMC 7 Jan 2010 -
Thursday January 07, 2010 - 08:29, In an unofficial admission of
targeting United Nations facilities, the Israeli government decided to
pay the United Nations 10 Million USD in compensation for targeting its
facilities during the war on Gaza one year ago.
Israeli
jets attack targets across Gaza
1/8/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Israeli warplanes carried out a series of raids on military
sites throughout the Gaza Strip late Thursday night, witnesses said and
Israel's military confirmed. Muawiya Hassanein, the Gaza Health
Ministry's director of ambulance and emergency services, told Ma'an he
was not aware of any casualties. He said the jets struck four areas in
total. Al-Jazeera reported that a missile killed one Palestinian and
injured two inside a smuggling tunnel along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Ma'an could not immediately confirm the report, although locals
reported smoke rising above the tunnel area just after midnight. At
least two missiles landed in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan
Younis, one of them near a school, and a third between Khan Younis and
Rafah. Jets were still flying overhead the area early into Friday
morning. Meanwhile, Ma'an's correspondent said two missiles struck a
military target in the Gaza City neighborhood of Zaytoun.
Hanan’s
eight-year battle with Yitzhar settlers
1/7/2010 - Nablus -
Ma'an - On 5 May 2002, dozens of armed settlers from the Yitzhar
settlement attacked the Safwan family, setting fire to their home,
sending dogs into the home and damaging most of the furniture. Hanan
Safwan, 49-years-old, recounted that her husband died on the spot that
day in May, "ever since then," she lamented, "the attacks against this
family have never stopped. "The family lives in the village of Burin,
south of Nablus, a kilometer north of the Yitzhar settlement. "I can
remember how my kids stood in panic and fear watching the fierce
settlers' attack and seeing their father Adnan suffering a heart
attack. . . he couldn't stand to see the home he build destroyed before
his eyes," Hanan said. The most recent attack came last week, when a
group of settlers snuck onto her family's property before sunrise, and
uprooted 18 olive trees.
Researcher
calls for increased attention to long-term prisoners
1/8/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Sixty-five-year-old prisoner Ibrahim Jaber, the fifth oldest
Palestinian in Israeli detention, was moved to the Ramon facility in
the Negev desert last week, researcher in prisoners affairs Abdel
Nasser Farawneh said Wednesday. Farawneh said in a statement that
Jaber, who has been in prison for 27 years, has been ignored and
deserves more attention from international organizations. He called on
human rights groups to highlight the plight of men who have spent
almost half their lives in prison. Jaber was detained in 1982, accused
of involvement in the death of three Israelis in Jerusalem and
affiliation with Fatah. In a related issue, young Palestinian detainees
on Thursday urged the Palestinian Authority to coordinate high school
exit exams with Israel. Tawfiq Abu Na'im, a prisoner, said that in the
coming weeks, students will start registering for tawjihi. . .
Israeli
forces raid Bil’in home in search of documents, phone
1/7/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - Bil'in residents reported the entry of between 35 to 40
Israeli soldiers in 6 jeeps and a troop carrier which entered the
village before sunrise Thursday and surrounded the home of Ranu Ayub,
detained by Israeli forces last week. According to reports, Ayub has
been kept in the West Jerusalem interrogation center without access to
a lawyer or family visits. He has not been charged. Iyad Burnat, head
of Bil'in's Popular Committee in a statement following the raid, that
soldiers invaded Ayub's home "on a trawling exercise, seeking
documentation and Rani Ayub's mobile phone. "[end]
Israeli
forces shoot Hebron teen
1/8/2010 - Hebron -
Ma'an - Three Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli
soldiers at a military checkpoint north of the West Bank city of Hebron
on Thursday, medical officials said. A boy named Majid Muhammad Abdul
Rahman Jaradat, 16, was shot in the hand and the abdomen, medics said,
and was transported to Hadassah Ein Karem hospital in Jerusalem. A
hospital spokeswoman, Karmit Orpav, said a Palestinian arrived at the
hospital in an intensive care ambulance following the incident and was
going into surgery for "serious" injuries. "He's on his way to the
operating room now," she said. The incident reportedly took place at a
checkpoint on bypass road number 35. It was not clear what the cause of
the clashes was. An Israeli military spokesman said that Israeli forces
fired at three Palestinians who were rolling burning tires and throwing
stones.
Canadian
profs warn of waning rights in Palestinian universities
1/8/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - Education International and the Canadian Association of
University Teachers released a report Wednesday warning of the decline
of academic freedom and professional rights of higher education
teaching personnel in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The report blames
the "continuing political conflict in the region," but notes pressure
from within the academy and from external political forces. "There are
clear and consistent violations of internationally recognized academic
rights as detailed in UNESCO's 1997 Recommendation Concerning the
Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel," David Robinson,
associate executive director of CAUT and author of the report said in a
statement. The study, The Status of Higher Education Teaching Personnel
in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, found that the strong polarization
of opinions within Israel over the political conflict. . .
Israel
seals Gaza crossings after shelling
1/7/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - One truck of carnations and two trucks of strawberries were set
to leave the Gaza Strip Thursday, with an expected 86-96 truckloads of
humanitarian aid to enter the area, Palestinian crossings authority
official Raed Fattouh said. When a projectile reportedly fired by Gaza
militants hit near the Kerem Shalom crossing, however, the transfer
point was shut-down and sealed. The Israeli office of the Coordinator
of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) could not
immediately be reached to confirm whether the crossing would be
re-opened later in the day. The import/export activity was set to go
through Gaza's only open crossing, Kerem Shalom, as Israeli officials
announced the permanent closure of the Nahal Oz crossing - previously
used for the transport of fuel - and decided to keep the bulk goods
crossing closed at Karni.
Israel
warns Gazans after mortar fire
1/8/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - The Popular Resistance Committees claimed a third round of
mortar launches Thursday afternoon, following two early morning
barrages aimed at Israeli targets in and around the Gaza Strip, sources
said. The total number of confirmed launches stood at 11 by the
mid-afternoon, with three more reported after 2pm, while Israeli media
sources said 10 of the mortars landed in the southern Negev. One of the
projectiles landed near the Kerem Shalom crossing, prompting its
closure. An Israeli military spokesman told Ma'an that officials
confirmed that five-seven shells had landed, including two on the
crossing itself. There were no reports of injuries or damage. The three
launches appear to be the largest attack on southern Israel since the
end of Israel's Operation Cast Lead last year. Projectiles have been
intermittently launched at Israeli targets in clusters of two to four,
with no more than two barrages launched in a single day.
Day
12: The shooting of Amal, Souad, Samar and Hajja
1/8/2010 - Part 12
of a series recounting the findings of South African jurist Richard
Goldstone's UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict. - Bethlehem -
Ma'an - In the late morning of 7 January 2009, Israeli tanks moved onto
a small piece of agricultural land in front of the of the house of
Khalid Abd Rabbo and his wife Kawthar, on the ground floor of a
four-story building in the eastern part of Izbat Abd Rabbo, a
neighborhood east of Jabaliya inhabited primarily by members of their
extended family. In testimony to Richard Goldstone's UN inquiry, Khalid
recounted: "On January 7 at 12:50pm the Israeli army bulldozed our
garden and the Israeli tanks were positioned in front of our house.
They started yelling at us through the speakers and asked us to leave
the house. "Moments earlier, at 12:30pm, megaphone messages telling all
residents to leave were heard across the neighborhood.
Report:
Israel to pay $10 million in compensation to UN
1/8/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - Israel will pay 10 million US dollars in compensation to the
United Nations for bombing its facilities during the offensive on Gaza
one year ago, an Israeli newspaper reported on Thursday. The
Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Israel decided to
make the payment to the UN "although it did not deliberately target its
facilities. "According to eyewitnesses, human rights groups, and two UN
investigations into the matter, numerous UN installations were bombed
during the war, including schools. The central warehouse of the UN
relief agency UNRWA was gutted in a fire that witnesses said was
sparked by the incendiary white phosphorus shells fired by Israeli
warplanes. A UN investigation into the attacks on its facilities found
Israel liable for the damage and asked that it pay 11. 4 million US
dollars.
Nine
detained in night raids
1/7/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - The Israeli military said on Thursday it detained nine
Palestinians during overnight operations in the West Bank. A military
official told Ma'an that one Palestinian was taken from Azzun Atma near
Qalqiliya, one from Kobar north of Ramallah, four from Masra
Al-Qibiliya north of Ramallah and three from Al-Arrub Refugee Camp
north of Hebron. The military said the "wanted" Palestinians were
"taken for questioning. "The detainees were not immediately identified.
In another overnight raid, Israeli troops invaded the house of Diya
Hoshiyeh, a reporter for Palestine television, he told Ma'an. Hoshiyeh
said soldiers created "a huge mess" while searching the house, adding
that troops raided his brother's house in the same building, assaulting
his nephews and forcing the family into the street.
Rafah
crossing closed after exit of 2,633 Palestinians
1/7/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Egyptian border officials announced the closure of the Rafah
crossing following four days of pedestrian traffic including the
entrance of more than 500 international activists into the besieged
Strip. The de facto government Ministry of the Interior announced the
closure Thursday, noting a total of 2,633 Palestinians left Gaza and
321 entered. The fourth day of open crossings was reserved for
individuals holding international passports, officials noted. No
numbers were available for the total number of passport holders that
entered or exited the Strip from the de facto government, but at least
500 international activists with the Viva Palestina convoy were
permitted to enter the Strip for 48-hours. The border was kept open
Wednesday despite clashes between Egyptian soldiers and Viva Palestina
activists, as well as stone throwing from Palestinians in the Gazan
Rafah.
In
photos: Christmas controversy in Bethlehem
1/7/2010 - 1-5:
Fanfare welcomes Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan Mar Sweirios Malki Murad
and Coptic Archbishop Abraham to the Church of the Nativity, the
traditional birthplace of Christ, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on
Wednesday. Eastern churches celebrate according to the Georgian
calendar, two weeks after Western denominations. Orthodox make up the
largest denomination of Palestine`s Christian minority. 6-8: Priests
and a few remaining loyalists await the annual arrival of Greek
Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III outside the Nativity
Church. Prominent Christian figures refused to welcome him, however,
holding banners condemning alleged leases of church land to Israeli
developers for the construction of new settlements. 9-11: A cordon of
Palestinian Authority riot police link hands to form a human barricade
between protesters along the patriarch`s route. . . .
Hebron
resident shot in clan clash
1/7/2010 - Hebron -
Ma'an - Police in the West Bank city of Hebron opened an investigation
into the shooting of a resident on Thursday. Police said a resident was
treated for a gunshot wound at Al-Mezan Hospital in Hebron. Palestinian
Authority forces went to the scene of the shooting and found that it
took place during a fight between two families in the
Israeli-controlled H2 section of Hebron. Also on Thursday
Hamas-controlled police in Gaza said they arrested a man in Deir
Al-Balah for stealing items valued at 150,000 Israeli shekels from a
house. The suspect confessed to the robbery under interrogation, they
said. [end]
Mitchell:
Peace talks should take just 2 years
1/8/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - US President Barack Obama's envoy to the Middle East said on
Wednesday that peace negotiations should take no more than two years
once they begin. The envoy, George Mitchell, said in an interview on
the Charlie Rose program on American public television that he plans to
return to the region in the coming days in hopes of pushing forward the
long-comatose talks. "We think that the negotiation should last no more
than two years, once begun we think it can be done within that period
of time," Mitchell said. "We hope the parties agree. Personally I think
it can be done in a shorter period of time. " Mitchell is expected to
visit, Israel, Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon in 10 days. Recent news
reports say Mitchell is expected to be carrying letters of guarantees
outlining the US position on renewed talks. According to reports, the
letters are likely to call for negotiations based on the 1967 borders
while granting Israel the right to keep certain West Bank settlements.
Haniyeh:
Gaza doesn’t threaten Egypt
1/8/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Thursday called for
Egypt to hold an urgent, direct meeting with the Hamas-led government
todiscuss bilateral relations and Cairo's policy toward Gaza's besieged
people. "Gaza does not threaten Egypt's security. It is that which
defends Arab, Islamic, and Egyptian security," he said, speaking a a
ceremony organized by his government to receive the Viva Palestina
convoy, which arrived on Wednesday. "Construction of the steel wall
along the [Rafah] border, along with the developments accompanying Viva
Palestina, necessitates holding a direct meeting with the Egyptians,"
the Gaza-based prime minister added. "The Egyptian people, even senior
officials, support Palestine and lifting the siege imposed on Gaza. "
Haniyeh praised members of the convoy and, as he had earlier,
reiterated his condemnation for the "attack" on the Viva. . .
Report:
Syrian-made explosives found planted in south Lebanon
1/7/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an/Agencies - Approximately ten explosive devices were found on
Lebanon's southern border last week, Israeli media reported Thursday.
Reports suggested that the bombs were designed to target Israeli forces
entering Lebanon, and said sources in Israel "believed the devices were
placed at the site by Hizbullah. "Israel's daily newspaper Haaretz,
said the devices were planted several kilometers north of the Israeli
town of Metula, near the Lebanese town of Al-Khiam. It also quoted
source saying the devices were either Syrian or Iranian made. The
explosives were found by the UN team responsible for peace keeping in
southern Lebanon, UNIFIL. The discovery of the weapons follows
intermittent attacks by Lebanese militias in the south, which Israeli
forces have retaliated against with equal or greater force. . . . .
Israel-UNIFIL
talks end without agreement
1/7/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - A second round of talks between Israel and UNIFIL concerning
the occupied Lebanese village of Ghajar have ended without an
agreement, Israel's Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday. In a
statement, the ministry said the meeting was aimed at reaching a
temporary agreement on the issue. Talks are scheduled to continue in
the next few weeks, the statement added. Following Israel's withdrawal
from southern Lebanon in 2000, the UN determined that the international
border between Syria and Lebanon cuts across the village. Israel
maintains its occupation of the southern section of the village,
frequently invading the northern Lebanese part. The Foreign Ministry
statement said "Israel clarified that it is committed to continue its
attempts to reach an agreement concerning Ghajar village within the
framework of UN Security Council resolution 1701. "
De
facto government opens Bissan Village, latest Gaza park
1/7/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - A small zoo, swimming pool, park and picnic area make up the
new Bissan Entertainment Village in northern Gaza, opened for families
on Wednesday by the de facto government. Animals from the rapidly
closing smuggling tunnels brought to Gaza via Egypt roam fresh pens in
the 14 dunum area next to picnic areas and barbecue pits, as well as
two new buildingshousing a shop and small recreation center. The park
opening was attended by the local government's Minister of the Interior
Fathi Hammad, Minister of Agriculture Muhammad Al-Agha, PLC member
Ahmad Bahar and de facto police Chief Jamal Al-Jarrah amid a large
festival to celebrate the event. The park is the first built since
Israel's war on Gaza in December and January of 2008-9. A newly planted
forest in the park includes dozens of olive trees with plaques
dedicating each tree to a child from the northern neighborhood killed
during the war.
Hamas:
PA seizes 10 members
1/7/2010 - Bethlehem
- Ma'an - Hamas said on Thursday that Fatah-allied Palestinian
Authority forces seized 10 members of the Islamist movement from the
West Bank. Ma'an could not immediately verify these claims. Hamas
identified the detainees as the following: Sheikh Wajih Qawwas and
Ahmad Nazzal, in Qalqiliya, Abbas Ja'ara in Nablus, Bara' Yousif, a
student, in Ramallah, Bilal Salim in Hebron, Sabia Ayyash in Salfit,
Sheikh Muhammad Awad Al-Jammal, Muhammad Abu Al-Hayja, Zuheir Musa and
Omar Abu Ar-Rab in Jenin. [end]
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Qassam fired from Gaza explodes near Ashkelon; 10 mortars hit Israel; anti-tank missile fired at IDF troops.
Ahmadinejad: Iran and Syria will create a new world order
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Report: Syria President Assad urges Washington to play a stronger role in Mideast peacemaking.
Galloway-led aid convoy enters Gaza following border strife
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Border crossing remains open another day to allow Palestinians stranded on either side to cross.
Are IDF dogs trained to pounce all who say 'God is great' in Arabic?
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Following expose, MK Ahmed Tibi tells Knesset plenum: 'I say here Allah Hu Akbar. Any dogs here to attack me?'
Report: Al-Qaida CIA bomber was furious over Gaza war
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Al-Quds Al-Arabi: Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi made numerous attempts to join Gaza aid group.
UNIFIL peacekeepers find bombs buried near Israel border
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Bombs believed to have been buried in southern Lebanon by Hezbollah to strike at IDF troops.
Iron Dome may be ready, but Gaza front is still in danger
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Defense establishment aces trial of barrage interception; IDF to deploy Gaza rocket interceptor by June.
Israel to deploy Gaza rocket interceptor by June
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Defense establishment aces trial of barrage interception, marking end to Iron Dome development period.
IDF urges Negev residents: Get ready, Gaza quiet may not last
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - GOC Southern Command says IDF prepared to face any tensions, saying calm along border could be temporary.
How did an Al-Qaida double agent dupe the CIA?
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Seven Americans and one Jordanian were killed in a suicide bombing last week on a CIA base.
IDF to seek legal advice during future conflicts
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Policy change comes after international criticism of IDF conduct during Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.
Palestinians: Israeli strike kills Gaza militant
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Medics and a Palestinian militant group said four others were wounded in the strike on central Gaza.
Israel airport now testing 'self-check' security system
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - El Al frequent flyers are first group to use biometric system, meant to replace question-answer security method.
IDF to blanket Israel with gas masks
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Home Front Command to distribute protection kits to all civilians, rather than planned 60%, starting February.
Be'er Sheva police call off terror alert
Ha'aretz 7 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 7 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 7 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 7 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 7 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 7 Jan 2010 - Witnesses report several injured; PFLP claims responsibility for firing two Grad rockets at Netivot Thursday.
Israeli
Theft of Palestinian Property
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - Adalah, meaning justice in Arabic, is the legal center for Arab
Minority Rights in Israel advocating through Israeli Supreme Court
petitions; lawsuits and appeals to the District, Magistrate and Labor
Courts; pre-petitions to the Attorney General; and various other ways
to serve its constituency in a nation where only Jews have rights. It
also prepares publications...
PCHR
Condemns Measures Taken by Security Services in Gaza against Fatah
Activists
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns measures
taken by the security services in Gaza against activists of Fatah
Movement in the Gaza Strip to prevent them from commemorating the 45th
anniversary of the establishment on the movement on the 1st of January.
Security services in Gaza arrested dozens of activists of Fatah
movement during...
Israel
launches air strike in Gaza City -Hamas
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - Several explosions were heard on Thursday night in Gaza City, in
what Hamas and Palestinian radio stations said was the result of an
Israeli air strike. Smoke and flames were visible from the site of the
blasts. The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the attack...
'Israel
to compensate UN for Gaza war damages'
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - Israel has agreed in principle to reimburse losses the United
Nations suffered during Israel's three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip
last winter,a UN spokesman said on Thursday. Spokesman Martin Nesirky
declined to give a figure or other details of the accord. A UN inquiry
last year put the cost of damage to UN property in Gaza...
Gaza
Children Fly Balloons Carrying Pictures Of Slain Family Members
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - Dozens of children in the Gaza Strip launched balloons carrying
the pictures of their parent and family members who were killed by the
Israeli army during Israel’s illegal war against the coastal region one
year ago. The event took place in Abu Ja’far Al Mansur School for Boys
in the Al Atatra area that was heavily...
Charges
of Palestinian Child torture in Israeli prisons 'Cell No. 36' -
DCI-Palestine submits 13 cases to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
Uruknet January 7,
2009 - On 6 January 2010, DCI-Palestine submitted 13 cases to the UN
Special Rapporteur on Torture for investigation. The cases relate to
the ill-treatment, and in some cases torture, of Palestinian children
being held at the notorious Al Jalame Interrogation and Detention
Centre near Haifa, in Israel, between February 2008 and March 2009. In
each case, boys...
Settlers
build new outpost, assault old man and teen
Uruknet January 7,
2010 -- A number of Jewish settlers built a new settlement outpost in
Jericho district in protest over the Israeli government's decision to
freeze settlement activity in the West Bank for ten months. Hebrew
daily Yediot Ahronot said on Wednesday that the outpost was built by a
group of activists followers of the so-called youth for land of...
Israeli
media reports Tel Aviv involvement in religious tensions in Egypt
Uruknet January 7.
2010 - A report in the Israeli media claims that Tel Aviv is involved
in fuelling the religious tensions between Muslims and Christians in
Egypt. The aim, according to the article in Haaretz newspaper, is to
tarnish Egypt’s image and international public opinion, in Europe
particularly. According to the article, Israel used a Canadian activist
of Egyptian origin,...
Clashes
after Egypt Copt killings
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - Clashes have broken out in southern Egypt between thousands of
Christian Copts and police after the Christmas Eve killing of six Copts
in a drive-by shooting, police officials say. Fighting erupted outside
a hospital morgue on Thursday where the bodies of the Christians killed
the previous day were kept, the official said. Six male churchgoers
and...
Israeli
forces shoot Hebron teen
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - Three Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers
at a military checkpoint north of the West Bank city of Hebron on
Thursday, medical officials said. A boy named Majid Muhammad Abdul
Rahman Jaradat, 16, was shot in the hand and the abdomen, medics said,
and was transported to Hadassah Ein Karem hospital in Jerusalem. A...
Palestine
Memorial Week in London
Uruknet January 7,
2010 - Palestine Memorial week will be lunched with the first
anniversary of the indiscriminate war against the besieged people of
Gaza approaching, a number of organizations based in the UK and Europe
are preparing for a week of events and actions. The events which will
last one week will remember the victims killed in more than 30...
A
year after losing a father and sons, a Gaza family copes
Uruknet January 6,
2010 - "Four months after the martyrdom of my husband and two of my
sons, my granddaughter Lina was born -- the daughter of my martyred son
Basel," said Fathiya Abu Jbarah. Fathiya is the widow of Jihad Abu
Jbarah and mother of Basil, 30, and Usama, 21 who were killed on 4
January 2009 by an Israeli...
South Gaza, January 8, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- Following the extensive Israeli attacks across Gaza Strip, Israeli air force launched a number of air raids against the food tunnels with Egypt. Medical sources reported that 2 civilians killed and a number injured in the heavy bombardment.
Viva Palestina Arrives in Gaza
Gaza, January 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Viva Palestina aid convoy entered Gaza Wednesday night, after it received the approval of Egyptian authorities to bring into the besieged, impoverished coastal sliver several tons of humanitarian supplies. More than 500 international activists accompanying the convoy organized by the British-based group Viva Palestina entered Gaza through Rafah border crossing. The Egyptian approval...
Egyptian Soldier Dead and More Than 35 Gazans Hurt
Gaza, January 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Egyptian troops and Hamas loyalists opened fire along Gaza's border Wednesday, leaving an Egyptian soldier dead and more than 35 Gazans hurt. The shooting, accompanied by a barrage of rocks, underlined the mounting tensions over Egypt's construction of underground steel. Egypt says that securing its border with Gaza is a matter of national...
Gaza: Soil Has Been Contaminated Due to Bombings
Gaza, January 7, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The 2006 and 2009 Israeli bombings in Gaza Strip have left a high concentration of toxic metals in the soil. Those metals can cause tumours and problems with fertility, and they can have serious effects on newly born babies, like deformities and genetic pathologies. The metals are in particular tungsten, mercury, molybdenum, cadmium...
UNRWA to Improve its Services to Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
Lebanon, January 6, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The Director of Affairs of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Lebanon said on Tuesday his agency was in the process of "re-structuring" its top priorities in a bid to improve services it provides to Palestinian refugees. Salvatore Lombardo discussed services provided by his agency with representatives of Palestinian factions...
The National 7 Jan 2010 - Churchgoers in southern Egypt are shot at as they leave a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas.
Egypt fears rise in sectarian violence after church killings
The National 7 Jan 2010 - Drive-by shooting at Coptic Christmas Eve mass leaves seven dead in apparent revenge attack for assault on Muslim girl.
Boycott of Israeli settlers' products picks up speed
The National 6 Jan 2010 - Palestinian Authority is beginning to step up a campaign to raise awareness that goods from Israeli settlements have been banned.
AlJazeera 7 Jan 2010 - More than 2,000 Christian Copts confront police after Christmas Eve drive-by killings.
Israeli air raids kill one in Gaza
AlJazeera 7 Jan 2010 - Jets hit several targets after rockets from Palestinian territory hit Israel.
Israel to deploy missile shield
AlJazeera 7 Jan 2010 - Short-range missile shield aims to prevent rockets from Gaza hitting southern Israel.
Aid convoy breaks Gaza siege
AlJazeera 7 Jan 2010 - Viva Palestina vehicles with food and medical supplies arrive at Rafah crossing after delays.
Alternative Information Center
Settler Violence Report: November - December 2009Alternative Information Center 7 Jan 2010 - Hebron and South of West Bank On 10 November, settlers from Kiryat Arba renewed their attacks against the residents of nearby Wadi el-Nasara. In the previous two days, settlers threw stones at the houses and their...
PNN 7 Jan 2010 - RAMALLAH // Haytham Karasha was not overly concerned. The manager of a Ramallah branch of the supermarket chain Bravo, he said his store had not stocked any goods that originated in settlements for more than a year, and even then it was only one item, a chocolate syrup.Efforts to ban products that originate in settlements, said Mr Karasha, would thus have no effect...
Palestinian anger grows over Egypt wall
PNN 7 Jan 2010 - Smugglers defiant as few believe Egypt will succeed in its latest bid to shut down Gaza's economic lifeline. Gaza's tunnellers have been watching the cranes burying the iron fence along the border, but few believe Egypt will succeed in its latest bid to shut down the territory's economic lifeline. Tensions along the fenced border boiled over on Wednesday when Palestinian youths hurled...
Smuggling fuels Gaza's stalled economy
PNN 6 Jan 2010 - The day Israel launched its 22-day offensive on Gaza , a year ago, Osama and his family lost most of their $70,000 life savings. The Gaza accountant, who gives only his first name, had put his money into a local investment scheme - even selling an apartment and his wife's jewelry to do so. The scheme initially produced excellent returns, which Osama understood...
Deputy FM: Arrest warrants harming Britain-Israel ties
PNN 6 Jan 2010 - Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon on Tuesday met with British Attorney General Baroness Patricia Janet Scotland, to protest the slew of arrest warrants issued against senior Israeli officials in the United Kingdom. A delegation of senior Israel Defense Forces officers recently canceled a planned visit to the U.K. for fear they would be arrested upon landing. The four unidentified officers, holding ranks...
Putting Lens on Lives in Suspended Animation in Gaza
PNN 7 Jan 2010 - GAZA — In the year since Israeli fighter jets and troops invaded this coastal Palestinian strip to stop rocket fire, time seems to have stood still. A blockade imposed by both Israel and Egypt to isolate the Hamas government bars the vast majority of goods and people from moving in or out. That means there is no reconstruction of destroyed buildings. Thousands...
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - Officials say PM's envoy will be given no more wiggle room: "Dangerous terrorists won't be freed to places where they can endanger lives."
IAF strikes targets in Gaza Strip
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - Attack follows Katyusha near Ashkelon for first time since Cast Lead, 10 mortar shells hit South.
UN, J'lem near deal on Gaza payment
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - United Nations waiting Israeli OK of compensation for attacks on its buildings in Operation Cast Lead.
Barak loosens West Bank moratorium
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - According to update, regional councils may now okay additions and changes in existent structures.
Candidly Speaking: Obama and Israel: Difficult days ahead
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - Despite current hiatus - due to US president having his hands full - we should have no illusions.
'Nobody is irreplaceable, including me'
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - Barak praises resigning MK Paz-Pines, who slams Labor, its leader for "forfeiting their values for power."
Assad urges US to play stronger ME role
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - Syrian leader appeals to visiting US congressman Hastings, says that Israel is not ready for peace.
Abbas accuses Qatari media of bias towards Hamas
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - PA president says depiction of him is inaccurate and unfair.
No agreement yet on Ghajar withdrawal
Jeruslalem Post 7 Jan 2010 - Foreign Ministry, UNIFIL fail to come up with formula for IDF pullout from northern part of border town.
IPS JERUSALEM, Dec 28 (IPS) - Resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict along the two-state parameters seems less likely with Israel torn between accepting a Palestinian state and the settler ideology which calls for Israel’s exclusive rule over the whole of Jerusalem and the West Bank.
MIDEAST: Israel Declares War on Peace NGOs
IPS JERUSALEM, Dec 24 (IPS) - One year after the devastating attack on Hamas in Gaza a new wave of reports castigating Israel for war crimes has emerged.
LEBANON: Hip-hop Kindles Hopes in Destroyed Refugee Camp
IPS NAHR AL-BARED (North Lebanon), Dec 29 (IPS) - The hip-hop beats ringing through the muddy, unlit streets of this burnt-out Palestinian refugee camp seem incongruous. But the rhymes are camp-grown - and courageous.
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.
PCHR
International Solidarity Movement
Wave of arrests continue in Burqa village1/8/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - The Israeli army has abducted another young man from the northern West Bank village of Burqa. Muhammad Samir, 21 years old, was stopped outside the village by soldiers as he returned from his workplace in Tulkarem and arrested. Arrests and military invasions have surged this past month in Burqa, with Samir becoming the 22nd person taken since the beginning of December. Samir was returning from his work at the Tulkarem offices of the Palestinian Authority at 10am yesterday morning when he was stopped at a flying checkpoint between Burqa and the neighbouring village of Bisaia. Upon checking his ID he was immediately place under arrest by soldiers. He was released from prison just two years ago, serving a two-year sentence from the age of 17. The wave of arrests, primarily carried out in night raids on the village, have robbed Burqa of 22 young men in the past month alone.
Netanyahu to Hamas: No further flexibility on Shalit
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a message on Thursday to Hamas saying he would not allow 'dangerous' terrorists freed in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal to return to the West Bank and that no further flexibility will be granted to the team negotiating the deal. ...
Mitchell may shepherd Israel-PA 'proximity talks'
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Washington is now considering the possibility of launching "proximity ...
'Israel to compensate UN for Gaza war damages'
Ha'aretz 8 Jan 2010 - Israel has agreed in principle to reimburse losses the United Nations suffered during Israel's three-week offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter,a UN spokesman said on Thursday. ...
Barghouti: No more talks, its time for a decision
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Israeli Arab MK Taleb Al-Sana (Ra'am-Ta'al) met Thursday with the Fatah strongman and former Tanzim chief Marwan Barghouti, currently jailed in Israel for masterminding dozens of terror operations against Israeli targets since the outbreak of the intifada. ...
Israel to White House: Stop anti-Israel Palestinian incitement
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - The Prime Minister's Office issued a complaint to the White House several days ago lamenting ongoing incitement against Israel by Palestinian leaders. ...
The Guardian 7 Jan 2010 - Israel has agreed to pay the UN around $10m in compensation for damage caused to UN buildings in Gaza during last year's war, according to diplomatic sources. The payout is the first since Israel's heavily criticised...
Terror is the price of support for despots and dictators | Seumas Milne
The Guardian 7 Jan 2010 - Egypt's complicity in the Gaza's siege underlines the role of western support for such regimes in the spread of war If an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor had gone on hunger strike in support of a besieged people...
Video: Egyptian police clash with Gaza aid convoy
The Guardian 6 Jan 2010 - Protests erupted after the Viva Palestina convoy led by George Galloway was held up near the Rafah border crossing into Gaza
Welcome to Palestine, Avigdor | Nicholas Blincoe
The Guardian 7 Jan 2010 - Settlers such as Avigdor Lieberman have been offered the chance to remain in a future Palestinian state. Will he accept? Dear Avigdor, Can you believe, we are neighbours yet we have never met? I wish that,...
Egyptian guard dies in clashes over Gaza aid convoy
The Guardian 6 Jan 2010 - Fifteen Palestinians injured after trucks led by British MP George Galloway stopped from entering Gaza Strip An Egyptian border guard was killed and 15 Palestinians injured today in clashes on the Gaza border after an international...
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - A couple of months ago, I toured the IDF Ground Forces Command's substances laboratory, a nondescript cluster of prefabricated huts at the Tel Hashomer army base near Tel Aviv, which serves as Israel's brain-trust for every type of explosive used by armies and terrorists in the Middle East. ...
Deciphered etching sheds new light on Bible's origin
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Did the writing of the Bible begin as far back as the 10th century B.C.E., during the time of King David? That is four centuries earlier than Biblical scholars currently believe - but an inscription recently deciphered by a scholar at Haifa University indicates that for at least some books of the Bible, the answer may be yes. ...
Chinese workers sue Israeli company they say bilked them of millions
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - A NIS 6.7 million lawsuit filed in Tel Aviv District Court Thursday on behalf of dozens of Chinese workers alleges that a business entrusted with the money of hundreds of migrants failed to transfer the funds to their families in China. ...
6 weeks into settlement freeze, Barak eases restrictions
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Defense Minister Ehud Barak decided on Thursday to ease the temporary construction freeze in the West Bank settlements, announced in November by Prime Minister Benjamin Netnayhau, granting local settlement municipalities the authority to hand out building permits to be implemented immediately after the freeze expires. ...
Barak on Pines-Paz resignation: Everyone is replaceable
Ha'aretz 7 Jan 2010 - Following the resignation announcement of veteran Labor MK Ophir Pines-Paz on Thursday, Defense Minister and Labor Party Chairman Ehud Barak said that "everyone is replaceable, even me." ...
Relief Web 7 Jan 2010 - Source: Xinhua
One dead in Israeli air raids on Gaza Strip
Relief Web 7 Jan 2010 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
Thanks to EU support, CARE International and its Palestinian partners raise awareness on violence against women and children in the Gaza Strip.
Relief Web 7 Jan 2010 - Source: CARE
OPT - Cast Lead Aggression 1st Anniversary, Day 12: Families Torn Apart in Ezbet Abed-Rabbo, North Gaza
Relief Web 7 Jan 2010 - Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
PCHR Condemns Measures Taken by Security Services in Gaza against Fatah Activists
Relief Web 7 Jan 2010 - Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Accord in principle reached with Israel on payment for UN property damage in Gaza
Relief Web 6 Jan 2010 - Source: UN News Service
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - Israeli Air Force strikes several targets in central, south Strip in response to mortar, rocket fire on southern Israel. No immediate casualties reported
US chief of staff: Iran strike could destabilize Middle East
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - Admiral Mike Mullen warns attacking Islamic Republic may have severe regional, global ramifications
Syrian Druze doctor buried in native Golan Heights village
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - In humanitarian gesture, IDF, authorities allow transfer of deceased man's body from Syria to his birthplace in northern Golan. 'It is joy mixed with sadness,' says family member
UN says Israel agrees to compensate it over Gaza
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - Damage caused to UN property by IDF during operation cast lead will be reimbursed, according to UN spokesman
Al-Quds Brigades: Iron Dome can't stop our rockets
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - After Israel announces anti-rocket system successfully passed number of tests, spokesman for Islamic Jihad's armed wing says it can't stop locally-made projectiles. Adds: Israel trying to drag us into another conflict
Barak orders settlement freeze mitigations
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - Jewish West Bank councils will be authorized to issue permits for renovation of existing structures and public infrastructure works. Efrat council: Revision brings no new message
Hamas squeezed between Iron Dome, steel wall
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - Successful testing of Iron Dome rocket defense system, Egypt's construction of anti-smuggling steel wall threatens Islamist group's power
Qassam explodes near Ashkelon; no injuries
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - Rocket fired from Gaza hits near Ashkelon; 'after long period of relative calm, the attack was frightening'
10 illegal Palestinian aliens arrested in Kfar Yona
YNet News 7 Jan 2010 - Investigators raid home of family known to police, surprised by decent living conditions of illegal Palestinian workers; stolen shofar, cell phones and electrical appliances found in their belongings
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 Gaza militants fired at least 10 mortar shells at Israel on Thursday, a day after Israel announced it successfully tested a high-tech shield against future mortar and rocket attacks from the Hamas-ruled territory. Once installed later this year, the Iron Dome system could deprive Hamas of an important means of threatening Israel. Hamas have fired thousands of rockets.
Egyptian Christians riot after Christmas killing
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 Clashes erupted on Thursday as thousands of Coptic Christians in a southern Egyptian village buried six of their number gunned down on Coptic Christmas Eve by men believed to be Muslims, security officials said. Officials and the local bishop said three men in a car had raked pedestrians with gunfire late on Wednesday along a street containing two churches and a shopping precinct.
Iraq and Iran to meet to draw border: Mottaki
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 Iraq and Iran will begin talks next week to mark their borders, both countries said on Thursday, weeks after Tehran took over a disputed oil well in a move Iraq's prime minister called "unjustified." Nouri al-Maliki's criticism of the Iranian move came during talks between him and Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, during the latter's one-day visit to Baghdad.
Yemen warns US military intervention could strengthen Al-Qaeda
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 United States military intervention in Yemen to help fight Al-Qaeda militants could backfire and strengthen the jihadists believed to be behind the botched attack on a US airliner, a top Yemeni official said on Thursday. "Any intervention or direct [military] action by the United States could strengthen the Al-Qaeda network and not weaken it," Rashed al-Aleemi, deputy prime minister for defense and security affairs, told a press conference.
Briton, Germans abducted in Yemen still alive, official confirms
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 Five Germans, including three children, and a British national who have been held by kidnappers in Yemen for the past six months are still alive, a top official said on Thursday. "We have confirmed information that they are still alive. They are five Germans and a British national," deputy prime minister for defence and security affairs, Rashad al-Aleemi, told a press conference.
Galloway in Gaza as Hamas, Egypt clash at 'death wall' protest
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 Hamas loyalists and Egyptian troops opened fire along Gaza's volatile border Wednesday, leaving an Egyptian soldier dead and more than a dozen Gazans hurt in the bloodiest clash between the two sides in a year. Accompanied by a barrage of rocks, the shooting underlined the mounting tensions over Egypt's construction of an underground steel wall.
Iran to try five people over December unrest
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 Iran will try five people arrested in connection with protests last month, the biggest in the Islamic Republic since the aftermath of the presidential election in June, the official news agency said on Thursday. The agency, quoting a statement by Tehran's revolutionary court, did not identify the detainees or the date of their trials but the charge of "moharebeh" - an Islamic term meaning warring against God - carries the death sentence.
At least 140 killed as South Sudan violence escalates
Daily Star 7 Jan 2010 At least 140 people have been killed and 90 wounded over the past week in the remote troubled Wunchuei region of Warrap state in southern Sudan, a senior UN official said on Thursday. Clashes, apparently between rival tribal groups, have occurred since the beginning of the month but reports emerged only after a UN security team visited the remote area by aircraft two days ago.
Palestinian Information Center
Settlers build new outpost, assault old man and teenPIC 7 Jan 2010 - A number of Jewish settlers built a new settlement outpost in Jericho district in protest over the Israeli government's decision to freeze settlement activity in the West Bank for ten months.
Khudari: Lifeline solidarity message
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - MP Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular anti siege committee, has described the lifeline-3 aid convoy as a message of solidarity from the world sympathizers to Gaza.
Zahhar: Contacts with Egypt to contain the Rafah incidents
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar has said that his Movement was absolutely interested in ending the crisis with Egypt following the regretful incidents in Rafah on Wednesday.
Galloway: More convoys expected from Venezuela, South Africa, Malaysia
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - British MP George Galloway has vowed that more aid convoys would be organized for Gaza from Venezuela, South Africa and Malaysia.
Haneyya hails Turkish, Libyan leaderships for their support of Palestine
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - Ismail Haneyya, the Palestinian premier, has appreciated the Turkish and Libyan support and assistance for the Palestinian people and cause especially during the Israeli war on Gaza and after it.
35 Palestinians wounded by Egyptian security forces near Salahuddin terminal
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - Palestinian medical sources have reported that 35 Palestinian citizens were wounded by Egyptian gunfire Wednesday evening when dozens of them rallied near Salahuddin terminal in Rafah area.
IOF troops deliver demolition orders for 28 Palestinian homes
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) delivered demolition notifications to owners of 28 houses in Akraba village, Nablus district, on Wednesday and asked them to evacuate them within 48 hours.
Bahar: All conspiracies aimed to blackmail Gaza people will fail
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - Dr. Ahmed Bahar stressed that all conspiracies that are aimed to undermine the steadfastness of Gaza people and blackmail them into making concessions would fail.
Palestinian resistance fighter succumbs to wounds
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - A member of the Salahuddin Brigades, the armed wing of the popular resistance committees, on Wednesday succumbed to serious wounds sustained in an Israeli air raid late on Tuesday night in Gaza.
IOA blocks entry of AFEH observer into Aqsa Mosque
PIC 7 Jan 2010 - The IOA has issued a military order blocking Fawaz Eghbariye, an observer working with the Aqsa Foundation for Endowment and Heritage (AFEH), from entering the Aqsa Mosque for six months.
LA Times 7 Jan 2010 - Hundreds of Palestinians protest Egypt's rebuff of a Gaza aid convoy as well as a new barrier to smuggling tunnels. A dozen Palestinians are hurt as the protest turns violent. Gunfire broke out Wednesday during a Palestinian protest over Egypt's blockade of the Gaza Strip, leaving an Egyptian border guard dead and a dozen Palestinians injured.
New York Times 7 Jan 2010 - At least five protesters arrested during anti-government demonstrations will be tried on charges that carry the death sentence.
Iranian TV Sees Conspiracy in Neda Video
New York Times 7 Jan 2010 - A new documentary made for Iranian television seeks to prove that the graphic, widely-seen amateur video of a female protester named Neda Agha-Soltan bleeding to death on a Tehran street last June was fake.
Jordanian Bomber’s Path Remains a Mystery to His Family
New York Times 7 Jan 2010 - Humam Khalil Abu Mulal al-Balawi’s relatives thought he was tending to Palestinians in Gaza, but he was at the center of a deadly espionage operation.
Memo on Iran: Steady Drip of Leaks Corrodes the Core of the Iranian Regime
New York Times 7 Jan 2010 - Leaks from within Iran’s secretive core of insiders may be helping to chip away at the legitimacy of the government.
Attack at a Church in Egypt Kills 7
New York Times 7 Jan 2010 - Three men in a car sprayed automatic gunfire into a crowd of churchgoers on Wednesday in the southern Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi as they left a midnight Mass for Coptic Christmas.
Gunfire at Gaza Protest Near Egypt
New York Times 7 Jan 2010 - Demonstrators rushed the border fence and threw stones at Egyptian troops, leading to an exchange of gunfire and the death of an Egyptian soldier.
Palestine Monitor - 6 Jan 2010 - Dozens of people, including diplomats, Palestinian and Israeli activists gathered on Monday at Ofer detention camp an Israeli military prison in the West Bank to show their support and solidarity with Jamal Juma, Coordinator of the Stop the Wall Campaign. The demonstration coincided with an extension...
Arbitrary occupier’s law used to clamp down on Palestinian life
Mondoweiss - 7 Jan 2010 - On January 4th, the health and human rights delegation that I’m on was scheduled to meet with Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Legislative Council member, former Palestinian Authority Minister of Information, and founder of Palestinian Medical Relief Society. We arrive at the modern PMRS offices in Ramallah, only...
an innocent in Israel
Mondoweiss - 7 Jan 2010 - A few impressions from my first couple days in Israel: –After a week in an Arab country, the sudden shift when you cross the Egyptian border at Taba is cinematic, like the Wizard of Oz. You might be in Switzerland. Everything is clean and orderly in...
George Galloway interviewed on Viva Palestina, the blockade of Gaza and the US role
Mondoweiss - 7 Jan 2010 - Viva Palestina leader George Galloway was interviewed this morning on Democracy Now from Gaza. The interview covered many issues, but the most important was the situation that Galloway has found on the ground now that the aid convoy has arrived: Related posts: Viva Palestina convoy of...
Is J Street repeating the mistakes of the irrelevant Israeli peace camp?
Mondoweiss - 7 Jan 2010 - Noam Sheizaf has a very interesting article in the Forward where he explains the demise of the traditional left in Israeli society : What enabled the right’s current success was the ideological turn it took. The last decade has seen all the right’s leaders — from Ariel...
NYT says Jordanian bomber was triggered by Gaza
Mondoweiss - 7 Jan 2010 - Blowback: The Times has a fine report on Human Khalil abu Mulal al-Balawi, the Jordanian doctor who killed 7 CIA agents in Afghanistan, that relates his rage over the Gaza massacres. More evidence of the absence of official accountability. Unless and until the U.S. acknowledges the...
Settler Violence Report: November - December 2009
Alternative Information Center - 7 Jan 2010 - Hebron and South of West Bank On 10 November, settlers from Kiryat Arba renewed their attacks against the residents of nearby Wadi el-Nasara. In the previous two days, settlers threw stones at the houses and their residents. They generally begin their attacks in the evening hours....
Articles
Palestine uniting humanity
Salim Nazzal, Ma’an News Agency 1/8/2010
What a fantastic view we are witnessing these days. People from the four corners of the planet are marching toward Palestine.
They are of 17 nationalities, among them Americans, Arabs, Africans, Australians, Britons, Canadians, French, Malaysians, Norwegians, Turks, Swedes, Venezuelans, as well as Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
The occasion is sad, because it comes at the first anniversary of the Gaza onslaught, but the warm solidarity is converting the sad occasion into a time of showing support and love toward the besieged Palestinians in Gaza.
"Humanity is under siege when Gaza is under siege," said one of the friends of Palestine who travelled 31 days in order to reach enclave. These people have defied every obstacle standing in their way, especially those set up by the puppet regime of Egypt, which did not hesitate to shoot at them and anything to hinder their solidarity work.
The friends of Palestine are sending several messages, a message to the state of Israel that the world is alert and the time of its murder without being held accountable has gone forever. Israel has no weapon to stand against the voice and the will of humanity. Israel has failed in agitating cultures against each other.
Opposite the Zionist policy of playing off cultural differences, Palestine is uniting humanity and the evidence is that the solidarity advocates arriving in Palestine are of different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. This is because the vast majority of humans want peace, justice and mutual respect rather than occupation and war. more.. e-mail
Israel’s Iron Kipa
Gilad Atzmon, Gilad Atzmon 1/7/2010
In English they call it the “Iron Dome” in Hebrew they call it the “Iron Kipa” which could also be translated as ‘Iron Skullcap’ or even ‘Iron Yarmulka’*. Seemingly the Israelis love to mix iron with God.
The Iron Dome, Kipa or Yarmulka is the new Israeli guided missile system. It is there to stop rain of rockets from falling over Sderot, Ashkelon or Tel Aviv. According to Haaretz, “the defense establishment this week successfully intercepted a barrage of rockets for the first time using the newly developed Iron Dome system”.
The new Israeli invention uses small guided missiles to blow up Katyusha-style rockets. Israel plans to station the first working unit outside the Gaza Strip next year.
I can only praise the Israelis and their scientists for their creative imagination and their survival instincts. It is possible that this ‘Iron Dome’ is exactly what we need in order to turn Israel and Zionism into history once and for all.
The tactic is very simple indeed: while mortar shells cost just a few dollars, guided missiles cost many thousands more. While Palestinian mortar barrages can be launched from every corner in occupied Palestine, Israel will have to deploy its newly invented Iron Kipa over its borders and around its towns. Every home-made Palestinian mortar shell or Qassam Rocket could easily exhaust the Israeli economy and the military’s human resources. Moreover, from now on, thanks to the Iron Kipa, the war with the Palestinian resistance can take place in the sky rather than in Palestinian cities and villages. more.. e-mail
2009: Some Arabs, Some Jews
Bouthaina Shaaban, CounterPunch 1/6/2010
The End of Traditional Alliances
2009 closed with unusual headlines of the press on what is called the Arab – Israeli conflict, headlines which warrant careful thinking because they might imply changing the name of this conflict as a result of the changes which happened to its nature and the parties involved in it. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth published an article (28/12/ 2009) titled “Holocaust survivor stages hunger strike for Gaza”. The article explained how 85 year old Jewish American activist Hedy Epstein and other grandmothers started a hunger strike in Cairo on Monday, December 28 protesting that Arabs have prevented their convoy going to Gaza from proceeding there to mark the first anniversary of the Arab civilian victims of the Israeli war on Gaza called Cast Lead.
Another headline introduces an article that reads: “1,342 sympathizers with the (Arab) people of Gaza from 42 countries worldwide left their families and children to come and spend Christmas with the people and children of Gaza, but instead spent Christmas in Cairo protesting in front of the French embassy because (Arabs) have not allowed them to enter Gaza. In a third headline, “The Viva Palestine humanitarian convoy, carrying food and medicine, returns to Syria after Egyptian authorities refused to allow it to go to Gaza through the Nuweiba port. A fourth headline reads: “Jewish rabbis arrive in al-Arish to receive Galloway’s convoy”. Above this, another headline reads: “Egyptian authorities destroy 3 tunnels on the borders with Gaza” (Assharq al-Awsat, 30/12/2009). A fifth headline reads: “A demonstration in solidarity with the Palestinians in Sweden: lift the blockade and bring to justice the Zionist war criminals”. A sixth headline: “300 French nationals sleep in front of the French embassy in Cairo protesting against Egyptian authorities which denied them access to Gaza”. A seventh headline: “Goldstone, a Jewish judge who was fair to the Palestinians; and Israel refused to cooperate with him” (Assharq al-Awsat, 29/12/2009). Another headline: “Shin Bet rules out a 3rd intifada and warns of a change in Palestinian leadership”.... more.. e-mail
"No army, no prison and no wall can stop us"
Electronic Intifada: 7 Jan 2010 - I mark the beginning of the new decade imprisoned in a military detention camp. Nevertheless, from within the occupation′s holding cell I meet the New Year with determination and hope. I know that Israel's military campaign to imprison the leadership of the Palestinian popular struggle shows that our nonviolent struggle is effective. Abdallah Abu Rahmah writes from the Ofer Military Detention Camp.
My husband: jailed for protesting Israel's wall
Electronic Intifada: 7 Jan 2010 - On International Human Rights Day in 2008, my husband Abdallah Abu Rahmah was in Berlin receiving a medal from the World Association for Human Rights. Last year on the same day, 10 December, 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 Palestine/Israel. Majida Abu Rahmah comments.
Gaza Freedom March: detained at the US embassy
Electronic Intifada: 7 Jan 2010 - On the afternoon of 28 December 2009, I was with several persons who accompanied CODEPINK cofounder Jodie Evans to the US Embassy in Cairo to present a letter from Massachusetts Senator John Kerry in which he expressed "strong support" for citizens of his state who were traveling to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and requesting they be given "every courtesy." Ali Abunimah writes about being detained at the US embassy in Cairo.
Gaza Freedom March marches in Cairo against blockade
Electronic Intifada: 6 Jan 2010 - The international delegation of the Gaza Freedom March originally planned to arrive in Gaza on 29 December 2009 to join a march against the Israeli blockade together with residents of Gaza two days later. Instead, most of its delegates remained in Cairo, having been blocked from going to the Rafah border by the Egyptian government, and instead marched against the Egyptian blockade on Gaza. Sharat G. Lin gives an account of the Gaza Freedom March from Cairo for The Electronic Intifada.
In Gaza: 6 Jan 2010 - Nidal crouches by the front door, looks up and smiles with bright eyes as we walk past. Bright eyes, a large grin, and that is all. Nothing strikes me as unusual in the ten year old when he doesn’t leap up to greet us as most kids do. Maybe he is pre-occupied with his thoughts, an unseen toy. Maybe he is tired. Only when we come back out of the bombed-out house 30 minutes later do I notice he is still crouched in the same hunched position, still quiet. He sees us and again flashes a bright grin. Irresistible. “He doesn’t speak,” says his grandfather, Saleh Abu Leila. “And he...
Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jan 2010 - By Ramzy Baroud As you flip through a range of channels on your TV or browse through a stack of newspapers and magazines at a newsstand, you may feel lucky about living in a world where such a plethora of viewpoints is available. It might also seem that the apparent increase in media choices also increases the chances for the public interest to be understood and served fairly. Unfortunately, this is far from the case. The media world is shrinking by the day. Welcome to 2010. The coming year might go down in history as that of major media consolidation, as in concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few large conglomerates and powerful media moguls. Predictions regarding mergers of media companies are very bleak, and to a degree frightening. In his Los Angeles Times article “2010 predictions: Another turbulent year ahead for media”, Joe Flint determines that the debate in the media world “over which is king –content or distribution” was settled in 2009. As a result, a new wave of mergers is likely to follow. Giant media will guzzle other giant media, which had already swallowed less enormous media companies, who in turn had .. well, you get the point. When US President Thomas Jefferson made his famous assertion that “the only security of all is in a free press,” he hardly had media consolidation in mind. Giant media companies reflect the giant, albeit specific business interests of their owners and their advertisers. Neither News Corp nor...
The Ultimate US Terrorism List
Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jan 2010 - By Franklin Lamb – Beirut However President Obama is judged on various subjects for his first year in office, he has already made history in the way that neither his predecessor nor any other leader has ever managed. On January 3, 2010, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued new security directives to all United States and international air carriers with inbound flights to the U.S. effective January 4, 2010. The TSA press release sought to assure the traveling public: "The new directive includes long-term sustainable security measures developed in consultation with law enforcement officials and our domestic and international partners." At midnight Washington DC time, January 3, it went into effect and placed 675 million more Muslims and Arabs on yet another ‘Terrorism' list. Also added were Nigerian and Cuban Christians but they were not the target. So 675 million is the approximate total number of people on the new list from the ten “prone to terrorism countries” as the Washington Post called them, or “terrorist leaning countries" according to Fox news, (Sudan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen) and the four current "State sponsors of Terrorism” (Iran, Syria, Libya and Cuba). All 675 million of these citizens are subject to being watched, patted down, and full body scanned under arrangements calling for ‘intense screening’ by the national airlines transporting them to the US. As with the new H. R. 2278 Congressional initiative against satellite TV providers, the airlines flying from or via the...
What We've Become – Poems
Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jan 2010 - By Sam Hamod What We've Become American, you don't know the name or the face of the girl you've just bombed today nothing more to say *** What Homer Left Out and wasn’t Ulysses a bit foolish, along with Odysseus, for leaving their wives behind, to wander into a useless war, just to satisfy the ego of an ignorant and vain king, the way American troops blindly follow orders in wars they don’t want or understand, wars that go against everything they were taught in church, in school, at home, and that they believed, in like that easy word, “democracy,” the other words that got twisted by men pretending to speak for God, like “Christian values,” as these preacher men screwed their secretaries or their choir directors, or senators who cheated on their wives while preaching constancy, the same ones who felt it was good to send others to these wars in Carthage, in Troy, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then left their children at home, knowing they were defenseless, while they killed defenseless Iraqi and Afghani children, and wives of men who had their hands and their feet bound while they shot their husband’s brains out, then when they finally did get home, they were lost, they didn’t have anyone to give them orders, so they issued orders, and when the wives didn’t recognize them, or didn’t obey, they whacked them, or slapped them silly, the way Odysseus felt like slapping his wife when he got home, and they never...
Blocking Freedom Marcher, Viva Palestina Aid to Gaza
Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jan 2010 - By Stephen Lendman Since Israel isolated Gaza under siege in mid-2007, it's blocked essential humanitarian aid from entering, including: -- on December 1, 2008, when its warships stopped a Libyan cargo vessel several kilometers from Gaza, ordering it back to El-Arish, Egypt or be attacked; it was carrying 1,200 tons of rice, 750 tons of milk, 500 tons of oil, 500 tons of flour, and 100 tons of medicines; -- on December 15, 2008 when the Spirit of Humanity carrying five tons of aid and 21 passengers, including three volunteer surgeons, was intercepted at sea, 100 miles from Gaza, and warned to turn back to Larnaca, Cyprus or be assaulted; and -- on June 30, 2009, the Free Gaza Movement's Spirit of Humanity was intercepted and boarded 23 miles off Gaza's coast; its aid cargo and 21 human rights activists were seized, including Nobel laureate Mairead Maguire and former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney; they were threatened and forcibly taken to Israel's southern port of Ashdod, held incommunicado under horrific conditions one passenger described as a "horror movie....in a warehouse, where we slept on a cockroach-infested cement floor as armed soldiers" stood guard; all their personal possessions were confiscated, and a day later two of them were taken to Ashdod's central bus station with no money or belongings; the others were arrested and treated like criminals. Cynthia McKinney described her ordeal as prisoner number 88794 at Ramle prison, known as one of Israel's harshest - a former British police station, overcrowded, "stinking,"...