InI Needs Your Support!
Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
www.vtjp.org/
For those interested in keeping up with events in Palestine/Israel, there is no better digest than VTJP.
News
International Middle East Media Center
Hamas,
Islamic Jihad: “No Ceasefire Under Aggression”
IMEMC 15 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 15, 2010 - 22:06, The Hamas and the Islamic Jihad
movements in Palestine stated in separate press releases that the
Palestinian resistance did not reach a ceasefire deal with the
occupation and will always defend itself and the Palestinian people
from any Israeli aggression.
New
Egyptian Harbor To Tighten Gaza Siege
IMEMC 15 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 15, 2010 - 20:56, Egypt announced its intention to build
a harbor along its sea border with the Gaza Strip in order to be used
by Egyptian navy patrols to monitor the Egyptian side of the Rafah
shore.
Demonstrators
met with live ammunition in Bil’in Village
IMEMC 15 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 15, 2010 - 17:08, On Friday in Bil’in village, central
West Bank, demonstrators against the Israeli built wall and illegal
Israeli settlements were met with live ammunition, tear gas (in both
plastic and aluminum canisters), rubber bullets, and sound bombs from
the Israeli army.
Israeli
Military Barricades Nili’n – Journalists Denied Access
IMEMC 15 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 15, 2010 - 16:34, Today in the village of Nili’n,
central West Bank, the Israeli military closed all entrances and exits,
and didn’t allow any journalists in the village.
After
Night Time Incursion, al-Ma'sara Protest Continues
IMEMC 15 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 15, 2010 - 16:04, After last night’s military incursion
into the village of al-Ma’sara, central West Bank, the weekly,
non-violent protest continued as usual.
Settlers
Steal 25 Dunams Near Nablus
IMEMC 15 Jan 2010 -
Friday January 15, 2010 - 11:07, Israeli settlers stole on Thursday 25
Dunams (6.17 Acres) of Palestinian lands that belong to the residents
of Dir Istia village, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Detention
of top Ma’an journalist condemned
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - As Israeli authorities prepared to expel Ma'an News
Agency's chief English editor later this week, media rights groups have
blasted his ongoing detention as an assault on freedom of the press.
Jared Malsin was originally scheduled to be deported without a hearing
on Thursday morning. Protests by US authorities in Tel Aviv resulted in
a temporary reversal, and an injunction filed by Ma'an delayed the
expulsion until at least Sunday. Reporters Without Borders "condemns
the detention and imminent expulsion of US journalist Jared Malsin, who
has worked for the past two years as an editor with Ma'an, an
independent Palestinian news agency," the group said on Wednesday in a
statement, the first of many that it and others would issue on behalf
of the top journalist at Ma'an's English Desk. The New York-based
Committee to Protect Journalists, which monitors freedom. . .
Fishermen:
Israeli warships fire on boats in three locations
1/15/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Israeli war boats opened fire on Gaza's fishermen and their
boats on the shores of the central Gaza Strip, further south near Khan
Younis and again in the Rafah coastal area on Friday morning, dozens of
witnesses reported. Locals said boats quickly returned to shore, and
there were no immediate reports of injuries or damages, while one of
the targeted fishermen condemned the act, saying the warships fire on
fishermen only to prevent them from making a living and supporting
their families. Israeli military spokespeople could not be reached for
comment. [end]
Israeli
troops disrupt anti-wall demonstration
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli forces dispersed a demonstration on Friday
held weekly near the separation wall in the Al-Ma'sara village, south
Bethlehem. As protestors arrived, Israeli troops erected wiring to
prevent the demonstrators from accessing land threatened with
confiscation as Israel continues the construction of the separation
wall. Attempts to remove the wiring led to forceful intervention by
Israeli forces. Demonstrators protest weekly near the wall in
Al-Ma'sara village to condemn the wall and Israeli practices against
Palestinian farmers in the West Bank who are often prohibited from
tending to their land because of Israeli military constructs and the
separation wall, which are deemed military zones off limits to civilian
access. On Wednesday Two Palestinians and one child were injured on
Tuesday as Israeli forces prohibited farmers from tending to their land
in. . .
UNESCO
urges ’Malsin’s immediate and unconditional release’
1/15/2010 - Subject:
Detention of Ma'an News Agency's Chief English EditorUnited Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO and the office
in the occupied Palestinian territories and Gaza strip is expressing
deep concern about the detention of the Chief English Editor of the
Ma'an News Agency, Mr. Jared Malsin, a U. S. citizen by the Israeli
authorities at the Ben Gurion International airport on 12 January, 2010
and the plans to deport him. Ma'an is editorially independent and
pluralistic Palestinian news agency, based in Bethlehem. During the
past five years, UNESCO has worked together with Ma'an to supported
several initiatives and projects in cooperation with Ma'an that promote
freedom of expression, access to information and development of the
Palestinian society. "We urge the Israeli authorities to consider Mr.
Malsin's immediate and unconditional release. . . "
IFJ
condemns ’this intolerable violation of press freedom’
1/16/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
on Friday called on Israeli authorities to revoke the deportation order
served on the chief English editor of Ma'an News Agency. Jared Malsin,
an American journalist who was denied entry into Israel on Tuesday, has
been held at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion International Airport ever since.
"We condemn this intolerable violation of press freedom," said Aidan
White, IFJ general secretary. "The ban of entry in this case appears to
be a reprisal measure for the journalist's independent reporting and
that is unacceptable. "The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in
125 countries, the largest union of media professionals worldwide, of
which Malsin and every other journalist at Ma'an is a member through
the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, the IFJ's representation in the
occupied territories.
Committee
to Protect Journalists: Release Malsin immediately
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Committee to Protect Journalists called for the
immediate release in Israel of Jared Malsin, editor-in-chief of the
English-language section of the independent Ma'an News Agency. "We are
alarmed by the Israeli government's efforts to deport Jared Malsin on
vague security charges," said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program
Coordinator Mohamed Abdel Dayem, in a statement. "We call on the
Israeli authorities to ensure that our colleague be allowed to carry
out his work without further harassment," he added. Malsin, a US
citizen, was returning to Bethlehem, where he works, from a trip to
Prague with his girlfriend, Faith Rowold, when Israeli authorities
stopped them at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on
Tuesday. A hearing has been scheduled for Sunday. George Hale, an
editor at Ma'an, told CPJ that around 11 pm on Tuesday, the
authorities. . .
Nat’l
Arab American Journalists Association condemns Malsin detention
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The National Arab American Journalists Association,
which is partnered with the Society of Professional Journalists and the
Asian American Journalists Association, on Thursday issued a protest to
Israel demanding the release of journalist Jared Malsin. Malsin was
detained and interrogated for more than eight hours and continues to be
in custody on charges of criticizing Israel in articles and columns
published by the Ma'an News Agency based in Bethlehem, Palestine.
"Journalism freedoms are essential to Democracy and building of peace.
Any action to censor or restrict or threaten or intimidate journalists
for the sole 'crime' of expressing an opinion or covering stories
frowned on by the occupation government is a violation not only of
international law but a violation of Israel's claim to be Democratic
and fair," said Ray Hanania, NAAJA coordinator based in Chicago.
International
Press Institute to Israel: Press freedom applies to all
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The International Press Institute is troubled by
the possibility that Israel has detained and will deport editor Jared
Malsin because they dislike the editorial policies at Ma'an News
Agency. "The authorities should recognize that the right of press
freedom applies to all journalists, not just to reporters who write
favourably about Israeli government policy," said IPI director David
Dadge in a statement. According to Nasser Lahham, editor-in-chief of
Ma'an: "I think they are targeting Ma'an and Jared also. They knew he
was a journalist working in the Palestinian media and they don't want
our English page to be strong. They don't care what we say on the
Arabic page. Just because he is the head of the English desk, they
target him. " Israeli authorities are threatening to expel Malsin, who
was detained on Tuesday afternoon at Ben Gurion International Airport,.
. .
Ma’an
News Agency condemns editor’s ongoing detention
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Nasser Lahham, the editor in chief of the Ma'an
News Agency, has condemned Israel's detention of the head of the
network's English desk, Jared Malsin, in the strongest possible terms.
"Israel targeted Jared because he is the head of Ma'an News Agency's
English Desk," he alleged. "Israel couldn't care less what is written
in Arabic, but is very sensitive to these same news stories when they
appear in English," Lahham explained. "It is in Israel's interest for
the world not to know what is happening in the Palestinian
territories," he said. [end]
Barghouthi:
Detention of Sheikh Salah an attack on Jerusalem
1/15/2010 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Mustafa Barghouti,secretary general of the Palestinian
National Initiative, condemned the recent Israeli court decision to
incarcerate Sheikh Raed Salah. The religious leader is head of the
Islamic Movement in northern Israel, and is a seminal figure in
mobilizing Muslims in the country in the protection of the Al-Aqsa
Mosque in Jerusalem. He was previously banned by the state from
entering the Holy City, and has faced arrest on more than one occasion.
On Monday he was sentenced to 9 months in prison for assaulting an
Israeli officer. Barghouti, a well known moderate and unity politician,
said in a public statement that the decision represented an "attack" on
Jerusalem and an "attempt to shut the mouths of those who defend it.
"He said the trial of Sheikh Salah"reveals the truth and the
uselessness of the negotiations with an extremist Israeli government. "
Israel
reduces Gaza crossings transfers; all ports closed Friday
1/15/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Gaza crossings will remain closed Friday, Israeli officials
told their Palestinian counterparts, maintaining a six-month trend of
reduced opening time for the transport of goods. Palestinian crossings
liaison official Raed Fattouh said he was informed of the decision
Friday morning. Crossings are scheduled to be open six days a week, but
since August, Israeli authorities have closed all crossings both Friday
and Saturday. Israeli officials have also reduced the number of
crossings in operation, with Kerem Shalom in the southern Strip the
only transport option for aid, commercial goods and fuel. The principal
fuel transfer point, Nahal Oz, was closed at the end of December, with
limited infrastructure moved to Kerem Shalom for fuel transport. The
bulk goods crossing, Karni, has been open only 30% of the time.
Egypt
prevents local convoy from bringing aid to Gaza
1/15/2010 - Al-Arish
- Ma'an - Egyptian security forces in Cairo dispersed a local
initiative to deliver aid to Gaza, organized by Dr Mustafa Khalil's
Kifaya Movement, as it began transporting supplies to the country's
northern border for transfer into Gaza, the group reported. Under the
motto, "No to the wall, no to the siege," the group affiliated to
Egypt's Labor Party under the movement's Chairman Muhammad As-Sikhawi
gathered in Cairo near the headquarters of the Journalist Syndicate,
but were dispersed by Egyptian police. Khalil said the group was
planning to travel to Al-Ismailia City then on to the Rafah crossing
with Gaza. The move to disperse the assembly for Gaza underlines the
new Egyptian position following unrest in the country when two large
groups of international activists entered the country in efforts to
commemorate the Israeli war on Gaza last year - the Gaza Freedom. . .
Militant
groups claim responsibility for Israeli tower attack
1/15/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - The Al-Aqsa Brigades and the Imad Mughaniyah group, armed wings
of Fatah, and the Abu Al-Qumans military council, claimed
responsibility on Friday for an attack against the largest transmission
tower west of the Erez border crossing, northern Gaza. "This attack
confronted recent Israeli invasions, attacks and assassination of six
leaders of the Imad Mughaniyah and Al-Quds Brigades [Islamic Jihad's
paramilitary wing]" a joint statement issued by the groups said.
According to the statement the tower was hit directly. Residents told
Ma'an that loud explosions were heard near the Erez crossing, but that
the cause was unknown. [end]
American
visit to Rafah wall postponed; Egypt says shots fired
1/15/2010 - Al-Arish
- Ma'an - Egyptian security sources said equipment used to construct
the underground border wall in Rafah came under fire on Friday,
prompting an American delegation to cancel a visit to the site.
"Security reasons" were cited by the delegation for the postponement of
the inspection, and Egyptian security officials could not comment on
whether the shooting incident was an isolated event or part of regular
attacks. Sources in Egypt said the shots hit equipment digging 1,500
meters away from the Rafah crossing point, and noted no workers were
injured and no equipment damaged. Egypt says it is building the
25-meter deep border wall along the 10km length of the Rafah border in
an effort to stop the smuggling trade that goes through the tunnels
network beneath the border. In a statement Thursday, Hamas officials
said they knew the smuggling trade was harmful to Gaza society,. . .
Report:
Jordan detains suspect in Allenby blast
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Jordanian police arrested a taxi driver they said
was behind a Thursday blast near the Allenby Bridge border crossing
that detonated near an Israeli diplomatic car. The Jordanian news site
Ammon reported a chase between police and the suspect on the Naour-Dead
Sea Road, which ended in his arrest and incarceration for questioning,
but added security sources had not yet confirmed the information.
Israeli media reported Thursday night following the blast, which caused
no injuries, that Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh phoned
Israeli Ambassador Danny Navo and promised a full investigation of the
incident. According to the report, the American embassy in Amman warned
its citizens after the blast from traveling to the crossing until
further notice. The Allenby Bridge is the only crossing point between
the West Bank and Jordan. . . . .
Haniyeh
calls for new Palestinian, Arab strategy
1/15/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called on the creation
of a new Palestinian and Arab strategy based on an evaluation of
previous talks and establishing ties with Turkey and Iran, he said
during a Friday sermon in Gaza City. Haniyeh specified three bases upon
which a new Palestinian strategy should be founded on, including
admitting the failure of prior negotiations, entering in national
dialogue to establish a political program and the signing of the
Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation document, taking into account Hamas'
amendments. The de facto prime minister further claimed that members of
the Palestinian leadership were making use of the current impasse to
oust Hamas with a tampered election. "The Palestinian strategy should
be based on structuring the Palestine Liberation Organization on
national and administrative foundations, then elections for the
legislative council can be held," he said.
Delegation
of EU lawmakers enters Gaza
1/15/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - European Members of Parliament arrived in Gaza on Friday via
the Rafah crossing to assess the situation in the besieged Strip in the
aftermath of Operation Cast Lead, Israel's assault on Gaza last winter.
"A delegation of 55 EU parliamentarians are on a two-day visit, during
which they will tour areas destroyed by Israel's war," the de facto
Committee to End the Siege said. "They will meet with Gaza lawmakers,
ministers and the committee documenting war crimes, in addition to a
number of nongovernmental organizations working in Gaza. "The European
Campaign to End the Siege on Gaza, based in Brussels, organized the
visit. Other delegations of members of parliament have entered Gaza
with the organization's coordination, as well as convoys of medical
aid. . . . .
Hamas,
Islamic Jihad: No truce with Israel
1/15/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Hamas and Islamic Jihad, declared on Friday that no suspension
of hostilities has been agreed upon with Israel. Senior Hamas leader
Ayman Taha said "there is no agreement for a truce [with Israel]. No
one has offered us an agreement to consult on," during a telephone
interview with Ma'an. "Hamas meetings are ongoing with various factions
to consult on a strategic stance on internal Palestinian affairs. These
factions have undertaken to realize the interests of Palestinians, all
with the highest level of responsibility. " Nafeth Azzam, senior
Islamic Jihad leader reiterated that no truce had been agreed on,
adding that "resistance factions sympathize with Palestinians following
Israel's war on Gaza and have tried to handle it's impact," he said
also during a telephone interview with Ma'an. "We have not received an
invitation for any meeting. . . . "
Mash’al
tells Lebanese officials Hamas wants better unity agreement
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Head of the Hamas politburo office Khalid Mash'al
arrived to Beirut on Friday for an official meeting with heads of
state. Mash'al was set to meet members of the Palestinian leadership in
Lebanon and speak privately with Lebanese President Micheal Suleiman,
head of the Lebanese parliament Nabih Beri and Prime Minister Saad
Al-Hariri to get updates on the situation in Lebanon,to discuss the
issue of Palestinian refugees in the country, and to address the
continuing plight of Palestinians in Gaza. During the meetings Mash'al
closely addressed the Egyptian plan for inter-Palestinian unity, and
stressed the need to "scrutinize" the proposal and make changes as
necessary. Mash'al said he told all Lebanese officials that Hams wants
a unity proposal "that fits fully with the detailed understandings that
exist between Fatah and Hamas, that are already agreed on. "
Fatah
members join anti-wall protests; Sha’ath injured
1/15/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Anti-wall rallies continued Friday in Palestinian
villages affected by Israel's separation wall, seeing at least ten
injured including members of the Fatah party who were out at two sites
showing support for villagers. In addition to the weekly protests in
Bil'in, Na'lin and Al-Ma'asara, an anti-wall protest was staged in the
Jerusalem-area village of Nabi Salaeh, northwest of the holy city.
Fatah leaders Tawfiq At-Tirawui and Mahmoud Al-A'lul, both members of
the party's Central Committee, participated in the event. At-Tirawi
told Ma'an the rally was peaceful until it was attacked by the Israeli
soldiers, and noted that at least four protesters sustained serious
bruises during the attack. He voiced Fatah's continued support for the
peaceful demonstrations, and promised increased presence from party
members at the events.
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Attackers had knowledge of embassy's routine activities; Al-Qaida and Hezbollah are prime suspects.
Report: Jordan arrests suspect in attack on Israeli convoy
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Convoy transporting 3 Israeli diplomats targeted by remotely detonated roadside bomb; no casualties.
Three hurt in blast in Hezbollah south Lebanon stronghold
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Lebanon officials: Bomb exploded at entrance of building, wounded three students waiting for school bus.
Hamas to Gaza militias: Stop firing rockets at Israel
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Ismail Haniyeh says adhering to cease-fire with Israel protects Gazans from IDF attacks.
Barak tells Hezbollah: War with Israel not worth your while
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Defense minister makes remarks to soldiers during a tour of the northern border on Tuesday.
Hezbollah denies drug trafficking to fund Israel attacks
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Lebanon-based group deems Der Spiegel report 'false fabrication' and 'tool manipulated by Zionists.'
Report: 8 IDF troops fell asleep while patrolling Lebanon border
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Battalion troops, which included two commanding officers, had in the past complained of sleep deprivation.
Hamas: Gaza bombmaker killed in work-related blast
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Two others injured; Palestinian sources initially claimed casualties were caused by IAF missile strike.
IDF denies reports it attacked northern Gaza
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Palestinians say three militants killed in IAF strike on Strip; Gaza rocket hits Israel for fifth consecutive day.
'Iron Dome rocket defense system will take years to deploy'
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - 'Watch your step,' Barak warns Hamas over rockets; Hamas: Palestinian attacks are response to Israeli aggression.
Egypt says Israel's plan for border fence 'not our concern'
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Cairo denies link between Israel's barrier and its own wall now being constructed between Egypt and Gaza.
Druze MK seeks immunity in indictment over Syria meeting
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Balad's Said Naffaa says meetings in Syria arguing fall under his duties as a member of Knesset.
Bank of Israel forecasts 3.5% growth rate for 2010
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Bank says global recovery upped demand for Israeli goods; cautions that could scale back the forecast.
Palestinian terror cell head gets 2 life sentences
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Mohammed Abu-Sneina convicted of heading group that murdered two Jerusalem cops in 2008.
Israel to build NIS 1.5b fence along Egypt border
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Netanyahu approves plan to prevent migrant workers from infiltrating and 'ensure Jewish character' of Israel.
Israel
Refuses to Take Responsibility for the Rehabilitation of Gaza’s
Civilian Amputees
Uruknet January 15,
2010 - Shortly after the Israeli assault on Gaza ended last January,
Physicians for Human Rights – Israel (PHR-IL) embarked on a campaign to
obtain responsibility from the Israeli Ministry of Defense for the
treatment of Gaza civilians seriously injured during the assault.
According to estimates provided by health organizations such as the
Palestinian Medical Relief Society (PMRS)...
Israel
Cracks Down on the Press
Uruknet January 15,
2010 - ared Malsin, the editor of the English edition of Maan News
Agency, has been detained by Israeli authorities. Malsin, a
Jewish-American who lives and works in the West Bank, was picked up on
Tuesday at Ben Gurion International Airport, as he and his partner
returned from vacation in the Czech Republic. After being subjected to
eight...
An
online campaign for Gaza
Uruknet January 15,
2010 - ON DECEMBER 27, 2009, a well-organized Twitter campaign by
activist Nadine Moawad brought together over 100 activists to "tweet"
about the invasion and the atrocities in Gaza. The effort sparked the
interest of many, and the message quickly spread. At its peak, the
topic "Gaza" ended up third on Twitter's "trending topics" list. This
resulted in...
Barghouthi:
Detention of Sheikh Salah an attack on Jerusalem
Uruknet January 15,
2010 - Mustafa Barghouti, secretary general of the Palestinian National
Initiative, condemned the recent Israeli court decision to incarcerate
Sheikh Raed Salah. The religious leader is head of the Islamic Movement
in northern Israel, and is a seminal figure in mobilizing Muslims in
the country in the protection of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. He
was previously banned...
The
history that “binds” the US and Haiti
Uruknet January 15,
2010 - In his statement on the Haitian earthquake Wednesday, President
Barack Obama referred to the "long history that binds us together."
Neither he nor the US media, however, have shown any inclination to
probe the history of US-Haiti relations and its bearing on present
catastrophe confronting the Haitian people. Rather, the backwardness
and poverty that have played...
Settlers
Steal 25 Dunams Near Nablus
Uruknet January 15,
2010 - Israeli settlers stole on Thursday 25 Dunams (6.17 Acres) of
Palestinian lands that belong to the residents of Dir Istia village,
near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Local sources reported that
dozens of heavily armed settlers from the Rifaka illegal settlement
outpost grabbed by force 25 Dunams in Khallit Azzam and uprooted the
trees...
Gaza
completes its siege by building a harbour at the end of the steel wall
Uruknet January 15,
2010 - Egyptian authorities are going to build a harbour at its sea
border with the Gaza Strip to be used by Egyptian naval patrol boats,
an Egyptian security source announced on Thursday. International news
agencies reported security sources said that the depth of the dock is
10 meters and extends 25 meters from the seashore at the...
What
hope for Hebron?
Uruknet January 14,
2010 - "The situation is getting worse here," says Zleikha Muhtaseb,
the principal of a Palestinian kindergarten in Hebron's old city.
"After the intifada calmed down, we thought things were improving, but
now it's getting worse again: roadblocks are increasing, soldiers are
attacking Palestinians at checkpoints, and the settlers are becoming
more violent. Day and night the settlers...
Education
under Attack in Gaza
Uruknet January 14,
2010 - On December 28th 2008 mid-term examinations had been scheduled
to take place at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in
Gaza. When the day arrived, however, the University College's rooms,
which usually cater for 8000 students, were void of any life. This was
the second day of operation Cast Lead. The University remained closed
and...
Our
role in Haiti's plight
Uruknet January 14,
2010 - ..The noble "international community" which is currently
scrambling to send its "humanitarian aid" to Haiti is largely
responsible for the extent of the suffering it now aims to reduce. Ever
since the US invaded and occupied the country in 1915, every serious
political attempt to allow Haiti's people to move (in former president
Jean-Bertrand Aristide's phrase) "...
Outpost
settlers near Hebron uproot 70 trees
Uruknet January 14,
2010 - Settlers inhabiting the Maon outpost on mount Hebron descended
into the valley and uprooted an estimated 70 trees during a rampage on
the agricultural land. Locals said the land belongs to Musa Khalil
Rab’i resident of At-Tuwani village in the south Hebron hills...
Israeli
authorities prevent 17 Palestinians from getting necessary eye surgery
Uruknet January 14,
2010 - After the Israeli human rights group Physicians for Human Rights
arranged a donation of 17 corneas to allow sight-impaired Palestinians
from Gaza to receive necessary eye surgery, Israeli border agents
stationed at Erez crossing prevented the sight-impaired patients from
entering the West Bank. The cornea donations had to be discarded.
According to the Physicians for Human...
Ramallah, January 15, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he will reject renewed US pressure to resume peace talks unless Israel first fully halts settlement building in the occupied West Bank. Abbas was due to meet Jim Jones, US President Barack Obama's national security adviser, later on Thursday in Ramallah. Jones was also meeting Israeli Prime Minister...
UNRWA opens up healthcare for Palestinians refugees in Lebanon
Lebanon, January 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) -An agreement signed on Wednesday between the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) will strengthen healthcare for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, and add to the number of facilities where they can receive treatment, the organizations said. Salvatore Lombardo, the director of UNRWA Affairs in Lebanon, said "...
Gaza: 75 Deformed Babies Caused by the War
Gaza, January 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Recent scientific analyses have shown that the war was a direct cause of the increasing numbers of birth defects, miscarriages and cancer in the Gaza Strip. A report by Conscience Organisation for Human Rights concerning the environmental and health dangers resulting from the bombardment and invasion revealed that incidents of children born with...
Palestinian activist Jamal Juma’ released
West Bank, January 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The Palestinian human rights activist Jamal Juma', who was detained by the Israeli occupation forces late last year, released from the Israeli jails on Tuesday evening. Jamal Juma' was arrested in December 2009, joining fellow activists Abdallah Abu Rahma and Mohammed Othman in detention, following a series of protests against the construction...
Limited Israeli Invasion in Gaza
Gaza, January 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli occupation forces, backed by tanks and bulldozers, invaded east of Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday. Four tanks and three bulldozers penetrated for hundreds of meters to the outskirts of Sofa Crossing east of Rafah. The Israeli forces also carried out the invasion under heavy fire towards the housings of Palestinians....
The National 15 Jan 2010 - Unseasonally warm weather in Lebanon's mountains has meant that local businesses have suffered as tourists have failed to turn up.
Palestinian bulldozers pave the way for new settlements
The National 14 Jan 2010 - Construction begins on the first ever planned Palestinian suburb in the West Bank which will provide much-needed housing for some 40,000 people.
AlJazeera 15 Jan 2010 - Taxi driver suspected of planting bomb targeting Israeli diplomats, Al Jazeera learns.
EU delegation to assess Gaza damage
AlJazeera 14 Jan 2010 - Fifty MPs travelling to Palestinian enclave to assess ramifications of Israel's offensive.
Sister of Iran Nobel laureate freed
AlJazeera 14 Jan 2010 - Shirin Ebadi's sister Noushin was arrested during anti-government protests last month.
Alternative Information Center
Second Palestinian Activist—Mohammed Othman—Freed by IsraelAlternative Information Center 15 Jan 2010 - Amnesty International has welcomed the release from detention of Palestinian human rights activist Mohammed Othman — but is concerned that the Israeli authorities have imposed conditions which will prevent him exercising his human rights. Mohammed Othman...
Ma'an News Agency Chief English Editor's Deportation Hearing Scheduled for SundayMa'an
Alternative Information Center 14 Jan 2010 - Ma'an is pleased to share news that Tel Aviv District Judge Mirium Solokov agreed to hear the case of its chief English editor, Jared Malsin, during proceedings held at her court on Thursday morning. Solokov rejected...
Joint letter sent to the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza; Calling for immediate commencement of internal investigations in compliance with UN GA Resolution A/RES/64/10
Alternative Information Center 14 Jan 2010 - On 14 January 2010, a joint letter was sent in the name of Palestinian non-governmental organisations to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the de facto government of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, urging...
PNN 14 Jan 2010 - Palestinian story about Palestinians.In the war of 1948, thousands of Palestinians were uprooted from their homes never to return, and playwright Amir Nizar Zuabi is determined to tell their stories. It was six decades ago, but the fallout from the war continues. A few months ago, one fast-rising, rightwing Israeli party tried to introduce a bill that would ban Palestinians from commemorating...
US editor fights Israel for denying him entry
PNN 14 Jan 2010 - A US citizen working as an editor for a Palestinian news agency is appealing against Israel's refusal to allow him into the West Bank. Jared Malsin has been detained since he returned from a holiday in Prague on Tuesday evening, his colleagues said. Israeli security officials said security concerns had arisen when he was questioned and the Interior Ministry had refused him...
Leading Stop the Wall activists released from jail
PNN 14 Jan 2010 - After almost four months in Israeli custody without charge, nearly half that time spent in the legally dubious administrative detention, . Mohammad Othman left the prison walls behind, taking his first free steps in months, before crossing Israel’s wall, heading home. “I’m still in shock about being free, but am so happy and relieved,” the youth coordinator from the Stop the Wall campaign...
Bombing in Jordan targets Israeli diplomats
PNN 14 Jan 2010 - Two bombs exploded near a convoy of cars carrying three Israeli diplomats in Jordan on Thursday but none were hurt. Israel's ambassador to Jordan was apparently not in the vehicles. The blast occurred at around 6 p.m. close to the Allenby Bridge crossing between Jordan and the West Bank. The explosive device was detonated remotely. The blast flipped the cars over, but...
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Hyperbolic analogies to "elsewhere" create an image of Israel abroad as a clone of the Taliban.
France planning UNSC steps on Iran
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Ambassador Bigot says patience "running out," lots of work will be done on sanctions and dialogue.
Livni associates: Mofaz's rally was a 'failure'
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - But supporters of Kadima No. 2 say event a success, showed support for him and prompt primary.
2 troops, 1 cop lightly hurt in protests
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Security forces lightly injured as left-wingers, Palestinians protest in West Bank, east Jerusalem.
Sniffable energy powder causes stir in Lebanon
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Authorities pull product from stores, caution against use, over fears it could encourage young people to take drugs.
Palestinian gets 10 yrs for mall attack
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Danish court sentences immigrant convicted of 5 counts of attempted murder in 2008 shooting attack.
Arrests made in Israeli diplomat attack
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Jordanian media say "professional terror cell" behind bombing on road from Amman to Allenby Bridge.
Is Israel prepared for the worst?
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Gov't warns of Haiti-like magnitude earthquake within next 50 years.
Betar sponsor in psychiatric hospital
Jeruslalem Post 15 Jan 2010 - Guma Aguiar claims he visited Schalit in Gaza; family admits tycoon for evaluation and treatment.
IPS The recent diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Israel has raised questions about the future of relations between the two closest allies of the United States in the region and the direction of the markedly independent foreign policy agenda that Turkey has pursued in recent years.
MIDEAST: Israel Cannot be Sultan
IPS A bizarre diplomatic incident - even by the Byzantine-like standards of the old near East - has threatened already strained relations between Israel and Turkey.
PCHR
International Solidarity Movement
Night Raids and Arrests of West Bank Popular Leaders Continue1/16/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Popular Struggle Co-ordination Committee, 15 January - In the early hours of the morning, dozens of soldiers invaded the village of alMaasara - a site of weekly peaceful demonstrations for over three years - and surrounded the houses of Popular Committee members Mohammed Barjiya and Mahmoud Zwahre. Both Barjiya and Zwahre were warned about that repercussions will follow if they do not stop organizing protests in the village. Zwahre was even threatened that a child may end up dead. The night before, a large contingent of soldiers invaded the village of Beit Duqqu North West of Jerusalem and arrested Sa'id Yaqim, a member of the Palestinian National Committee Against the Wall. Yaqim's arrest is a direct continuation of a recent Israeli wave of arrests aimed to suppress the Palestinian unarmed struggle. Thursday's arrest follows the detention of three members of the Popular Committee in the village of Ni'iln and a long-standing arrest campaign in the village of Bil'in.
Palestinian Olive Grove Destroyed in the Night
1/16/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - 15 January, Christian Peacemaker Team - In the afternoon of 14 January Palestinians discovered that a family owned olive grove in Khoruba valley had been recently destroyed. Twenty mature olive trees were broken at their trunks. The family believes that Israeli settlers from the Ma'on settlement and Havot Ma'on outpost are responsible for the vandalism. A Palestinian farmer informed internationals who documented the destruction that this was the fifth time since 1997 that settlers have destroyed the olive trees in this grove. He also stated that the trees would not be able to bear olives for at least three years. This most recent attack on Palestinian agriculture follows a month of Israeli settler violence and harassment aimed at preventing Palestinian farmers from plowing their fields and thus earning their livelihoods.
Thirteen leftists detained in East Jerusalem rally
1/16/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Ynet News, 15 January - Director of Association for Civil Rights in Israel among detainees in weekly protest against Jewish takeover - Thirteen leftist activists, including the director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Hagai Elad, were detained Friday in a rally in east Jerusalem's Sheikh Jarah neighborhood. About 70 Arab and Jewish leftists took part in the weekly protest to demonstrate against the Jewish takeover of homes in the neighborhood. The signs held up by protestors included "Jews and Arabs against evictions. " Police officials said some protestors were detained because they ignored orders to disperse the unauthorized rally. However, a protestor told Ynet that Elad was detained after approaching police officers at the scene and trying to talk to them. "He explained to them that there was no reason for arrests because it. . . "
Fencing match
1/15/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Avi Issacharoff, Ha'aretz - BIL'IN-NA'ALIN – Friday, 11 A. M. There is another hour until the onset of the weekly ritual. The participants are in face-off mode. On the "Israeli" side of the fence, south of the village of Na'alin – a three-minute drive from the city of Modi'in, which is halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv – many Israel Defense Forces and Border Police jeeps have taken their places, along with the officers, the binoculars and the weapons. All the entrances to the village have been blocked to ensure the enemy cannot send in reinforcements. It's January 1, 2010, the anniversary of the establishment of Fatah, and the movement has decided to mark the event at the traditional Friday demonstration in the village. Israeli intelligence forecasts a particularly high turnout. About 10 minutes away, Mohammed Khatib, a 36-year-old father of four, is walking around near the mosque in Bil'in and smiling like a little boy.
Will you marry poor me
1/15/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Eva Bartlett, Inter Press Service, 14 January - "If we had money we'd get married right away," says Samir*, 23. He has found his bride, but not the money to hold the wedding. The Israeli siege imposed shortly after Hamas's election in early 2006 has ruled out marriage for many. Palestinians traditionally marry young, between 18 and 25, but more and more now pass their mid-twenties single. With unemployment levels above 45 percent, and the price of most goods doubled or more, living, and marrying, are becoming unaffordable. Worsening living conditions under the siege are changing relationship patterns. While salaried work has traditionally been the man's role, many women have been adding to the family's income – or have sometimes been the sole provider – by selling hand-stitched embroidery. Groups such as Oxfam, the Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committee, and other social organisations have provided some of the poorest women with small gardens, sheep, rabbits or chickens to tend for food and for income.
Israel releases Palestinian boycott activists
1/15/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Benjamin Joffe-Walt, The Media Line, 14 January - A prominent West Bank activist said by Palestinian groups to be the first Palestinian imprisoned for promoting an international boycott of Israel has been released after being detained by Israel for over 100 days without charge. Mohammad Othman, a 34 year old resident of the West Bank village of Jayyous, was released Wednesday after 113 days in Israeli custody. Palestinian advocacy groups believe Othman to be the first Palestinian imprisoned solely for advocacy of the international boycott movement against Israel. "I was interrogated every single day for 75 days from 8am until 6. 30pm and sometimes until midnight," Othman told The Media Line. "The entire time I was held in isolation. Physically they did not touch me, but it really damages a person to be in isolation. They also played all kinds of games, telling me they will arrest my brother, my friends and the journalists writing about me. "
ISM Gaza: Education under attack
1/15/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Bianca Zammit, ISM Gaza, 14 January - On December 28th 2008 mid-term examinations had been scheduled to take place at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in Gaza. When the day arrived, however, the University College's rooms, which usually cater for 8000 students, were void of any life. This was the second day of operation Cast Lead. The University remained closed and examinations were postponed. Concentration, patience and motivation; the three pillars to learning were the main targets of operation Cast Lead as it sought to instill a sense of danger in every spot in Gaza. Operation Cast Lead wholly demolished or rendered unusable several educational facilities across the Strip. Amongst these facilities were 280 kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, the American International School, the library of the Al Aqsa University and the laboratory of the Islamic University.
Network of road gates tightens its stranglehold on Shufa village
1/15/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - The village of Shufa continues to struggle with restricted road access and no electricity grid connection, as a new road gate is established at the entrance to the village. Israeli Occupation Forces established a new road gate at the entrance to Shufa village one week ago, enabling the military to restrict or forbid access to the village at any given time, by closing the gates. The gates are effectively – or at times a precursor to – a form of road block. A similar gate was constructed 2 days ago in the neighboring village of Seffarin at the intersection of the village's road with an Israeli road. The increasing number of road gates in the region contribute to slowly creeping network of apartheid roads and restriction of movement for Palestinians living in the West Bank. Shufa village has been split in half and isolated by road blocks and apartheid roads.
Hebron: Israeli military targets Palestinian children for searches and detention
1/15/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Christian Peacemaker Team Hebron - In the last month, the Israeli military has been detaining children for extended lengths of time in the Old City, and at times appearing to be "practicing" soldiery by randomly selecting boys off the street and searching them. In one incident, a fifteen-year-old neighbor of the Hebron team was cutting a rope on a package of materials in his father's shop when soldiers saw him. They grabbed him, blindfolded him, and led him off to their military gate at another checkpoint close to a settlement. The father followed the soldiers, pleading for his son, trying to explain why the son needed to use a knife. The next week, another neighbor boy, age fourteen, was running an errand for his father who asked him to hurry because there was another meeting that he, the father, needed to attend.
British MP: Israel and Egypt's blockade of Gaza is 'evil'
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Gerald Kaufman visits Gaza, says Israelis should be tried for war crimes over use of white phosphorous.,
Hamas calls on Egypt to halt building 'wall of death'
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Meshal: Wall is erected between enemies, not brothers; Hamas leader calls for reconciliation with Fatah.,
Nasrallah: Israel lost its power of intimidation
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Hezbollah leader accuses Israel of trying to intimidate Lebanon with the threat of a new military offensive.,
Turkish human rights group seeks to prosecute Barak for alleged Gaza war crimes
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Islamic group petitions court to start legal proceedings against the Defense Minister for 'Gaza crimes.',
Avatar, Tu B'Shvat and the connection to Jewish mysticism
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - 'Avatar' questions what we think we know about theology, ethics and contemporary values.,
Tensions high ahead of papal visit to main Rome synagogue
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Top rabbi to boycott visit, while Rome chief rabbi calls it 'meeting of peace, friendship and mutual respect.',
Iran to try 16 anti-government protesters
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - One accused of 'waging war against God,' a crime which carries the death sentence.,
Israeli official arrives in Haiti to 'devastation on every corner'
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Israeli envoy to Dominican Republic describes total absence of search and rescue efforts following earthquake.,
Israeli aid mission leaves for Haiti; death toll estimated at 50,000
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - 220-strong IDF delegation, including large medical staff, will set up field hospital in Port-au-Prince.,
Europeans flock to buy Dutch novel about Israel's dystopian future
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Novel shows Israel's fiery destruction through the eyes of an immigrant whose dysfunctional life mirrors country's sorry fate.,
Comment / Israel delegitimizers threaten its existence
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Israel's enemies are scheming to bring about its implosion by turning it into a pariah state.,
Spielberg to film rebuilding of World Trade Center in New York
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Six-part documentary series named 'Rebuilding Ground Zero' to air on The Science Channel in 2011.,
Ahmadinejad: Nuclear scientist assassinated in 'Zionist style'
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 -
Hamas calls prayers for rain to ease Gaza water crisis
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Gaza Strip is served by a single aquifer that does not meet the needs of its population.,
Could the Taliban be genetically linked to the Jews?
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Scientists research the genetic link between the Indian, Afghani Pathans tribe and the lost tribes of Israel.,
The Guardian 15 Jan 2010 - A year ago today, Save the Children met a Palestinian boy named Mohammed. He was living in a shelter school after his house was damaged by the Israeli shelling of Gaza. A year later he describes...
I'm no hero for defending Palestinians | David Hirsh
The Guardian 15 Jan 2010 - Yes, I stood up against abusing the rights of Palestinians, but so do many Israelis – a fact that Yoav Shamir's film ignores The Bolsheviks used to aim to hit an enemy hard at its strongest...
Roy Greenslade: Court blocks Israel's expulsion of US editor
The Guardian 14 Jan 2010 - The Israeli authorities are threatening to expel Jared Malsin , the American editor of the English-language section of the Bethlehem-based Ma'an News Agency . Malsin was detained on Tuesday at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, as he and...
What hope for Hebron? | Seth Freedman
The Guardian 15 Jan 2010 - With attacks on Palestinians by settlers commonplace, the last thing Hebron needs is the removal of international observers "The situation is getting worse here," says Zleikha Muhtaseb, the principal of a Palestinian kindergarten in Hebron's old...
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - As many as 200,000 people died in the earthquake that devastated Haiti and three-quarters of the capital, Port-au-Prince, will need to be rebuilt, authorities in the Caribbean country said on Friday. ...
Police arrest CEO of Israeli civil rights group in Sheikh Jarrah
Ha'aretz 16 Jan 2010 - Police arrested 15 left-wing protestors in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem on Friday, among them the CEO of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Hagai Elad. ...
Police zero in on 1 of 17 'wives' in cult leader rape probe
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - The investigation of a suspected cult leader accused of raping and enslaving scores of women took a dramatic turn on Friday after one of his alleged victims gave indications that she may agree to cooperate with authorities. ...
Stanley Fischer tells Haaretz: Israel had proper policy during financial crisis
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - Stanley Fischer has reason to be pleased as he nears the end of his term as governor of the Bank of Israel. Thanks in part to his stewardship, Israel has weathered the global financial crisis far better than many other Western countries. And in between dealing with the crisis, he has also managed to accomplish some of the goals he set himself upon taking office, such as resolving a longstanding labor dispute at the central bank. There is widespread speculation that he will be asked to stay on for another five-year term. But when it comes to his plans for the future, Fischer is keeping strictly mum. ...
Israel ignoring threat of Gaza tunnels
Ha'aretz 15 Jan 2010 - This week the Geophysical Institute of Israel, the governmental body that coordinates mapping and monitoring of the country's subsurface, received a letter from the Defense Ministry's research and development directorate, which deals with means of combat and technological infrastructure. The letter noted that for working year 2010, there are no plans for cooperation between the two bodies in regard to locating tunnels. ...
Relief Web 15 Jan 2010 - Source: Amnesty
OPT: A Colorful Way to Start the Day
Relief Web 15 Jan 2010 - Source: American Near East Refugee Aid
In Gaza, Sutures are Life Savers
Relief Web 15 Jan 2010 - Source: American Near East Refugee Aid
Lebanon/OPT: January 2010 Trip Diary
Relief Web 15 Jan 2010 - Source: American Near East Refugee Aid
Hamas urges Egypt to halt Gaza border wall
Relief Web 15 Jan 2010 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
Increased humanitarian aid to Gaza after IDF operation, 9 Jan 2010
Relief Web 15 Jan 2010 - Source: Government of Israel
YNet News 15 Jan 2010 - Director of Association for Civil Rights in Israel among detainees in weekly protest against Jewish takeover
British lawmaker says Gaza blockade 'evil'
YNet News 15 Jan 2010 - Gerald Kaufman leads visit to Gaza, says Israeli officials should be tried for war crimes
Nasrallah: War will change region's face
YNet News 15 Jan 2010 - Hezbollah leader slams Israeli 'threats,' vows to defeat IDF in case of renewed hostilities on Lebanese border; Israel in trouble, Nasrallah says, promises 'great victory' in case of war
Hamas urges Egypt to stop building border barrier
YNet News 15 Jan 2010 - Hamas leader Mashaal: We call on Egyptian leadership to stop building steel wall
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 An air strike against an Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) convoy in north Yemen on Friday killed six suspected leaders of the group, a senior Yemeni official said. Qassem al-Rimi was among 23 people who made a daring escape from a state security prison in Sanaa in February 2006 that left the government red-faced.
Tehran endeavors to render education more regime-friendly
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 As they struggle to fend off their political opponents in the here and now, Iran's rulers are also taking a longer-term view with an ambitious project to indoctrinate future generations from an early age. Plans to inject school education with more Islamic content, anti-Western values and pro-regime and separate content for boys and girls amount to an attempt at an Iranian-style "Cultural Revolution."
Egypt police bar activists from town after Copt deaths
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Police on Friday barred 20 activists from a tense town in southern Egypt where Muslim gunmen killed six Coptic Christians earlier this month, a senior security official said. The group, which included bloggers and political activists, planned to meet and express solidarity with victims' families, said the official, who did not want to be identified.
Iran arrests dissident cleric, warns opposition
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Iran has stepped up pressure on the opposition, arresting a dissident cleric and warning against using SMS and email messages to organize anti-government protests, reports said on Friday. Mid-ranking cleric Mohammad Taghi Khalaji, who was close to late dissident Grand Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri, was arrested at his home in Qom Tuesday, reformist website Norooznews said.
Turkey, Israel on track to close drone deal: official
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Turkey and Israel appear to be on track to finalize a long delayed multi-million-dollar deal for the delivery of 10 drone aircraft for the Turkish air force, a Turkish official said Friday. The project, launched in 2005, was under threat of cancellation amid delays and rising tensions between the two countries over Israel's devastating offensive in Gaza last year.
Top Lebanese officials press for increased US assistance
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Top Lebanese officials stressed Friday during talks with a visiting American official the need to boost US aid for the Lebanese Army as well as to pressure Israel into implementing UN Resolution 1701. They also urged National Security Adviser James Jones to reconsider strict US security measures against Lebanese passengers and sanctions on Lebanese television stations.
Hassan rules out privatization this year
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Finance Minister Raya Haffar Hassan on Thursday ruled out the possibility of any privatization in Lebanon this year but stressed that this process will take place sooner or later. "I don't think we will have any privatization in 2010. This might happen next year. But my sense when we were discussing the ministerial statement with Cabinet members.
Israel: A tale of two narratives
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Two articles published on The Daily Star's Spotlight page today give us an insight into the way in which the Israeli government does its utmost to capitalize on how the country is portrayed by others, with varying degrees of success. The very public dressing-down of the Turkish ambassador to Israel by Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, in protest of a Turkish television show.
Activist warns climate change will take heavy toll on Lebanon
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 For any Lebanese in doubt of how bad life could get if nothing is done about climate change, Uygar Ozesmi, Executive Director of Greenpeace Mediterranean, has as unambiguous message: "Climate change for Lebanon means nothing but hell." Ozesmi, an environmental activist since 1985, is in Lebanon as part of his roving visits to monitor environmental situations in eastern Mediterranean countries.
Welcome a more activist EU on Palestine
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Just as the United States apparently is gearing up for phase two of its foray into Arab-Israeli peacemaking, some Europeans seem to be waking up from their long slumber on the issue. Several symbolic or rhetorical gestures in recent weeks indicate that the European Union wants at least to raise its voice and profile on Arab-Israeli peacemaking.
Unarmed peacekeepers swap weapons for words to build ties with Lebanon's south
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 The United Nations, with its intricate network of agencies and programs, could hardly have developed into the mammoth agency it is today without creating its share of contradictions. Take peacekeeping: a practice meant to safeguard the ideal of peace enshrined in the United Nation's charter that, somewhat paradoxically, puts the military might of its peacekeepers at its core.
New human rights horizons for Israel and Palestine
Daily Star 15 Jan 2010 Several thousand Israelis took part in what was billed as Israel's "first-ever Human Rights March" in Tel Aviv on December 11. Many of those who attended the gathering were affiliated with the several dozen Israeli NGOs that took part in organizing the event. There were gay rights supporters, protesters against the deportation of immigrants and refugees.
Palestinian Information Center
EU parliamentary delegation visits blockaded GazaPIC 15 Jan 2010 - A high-ranking European parliamentary delegation arrived Friday in the Gaza Strip to express solidarity with the besieged Gaza people and to see for themselves the effects of the Israeli war on Gaza.
Mishaal: Gaza is the graveyard for the Zionist entity
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - The head of Hamas's Political Bureau, Khaled Mishaal, stressed the right of nations to resist occupation and said that this right is equivalent to their natural right to existence.
Salah exposes an Israeli plan to build synagogue near the Aqsa Mosque
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - Raed Salah has warned on Thursday of Israeli schemes targeting the Aqsa Mosque, describing the Israeli court ruling against him as “military decision”, and vowed to continue working for the Aqsa.
Worshipers in the West Bank revolt against PA-Dayton Imams
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - Worshipers in tens of West Bank mosques rejected attacks on the great Islamic scholar, Sheikh Yousuf al-Qardawi, for his patriotic stands against the Israeli aggression and siege on the Gaza Strip.
Baraka: Egypt’s steel wall serious threat to the Palestinian people
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - Ali Baraka said on Thursday that the steel wall that Egypt is constructing along the borders with the Gaza Strip was more dangerous than the Israeli wall.
Kafarna: The PA betrayed Sa’adat and comrades
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - Nasser Kafarna, the member of the PFLP political bureau, has accused the PA leadership of betraying Ahmad Sa’adat, the secretary-general of the PFLP, who is detained in Israeli jails..
Egypt completes its siege by building a harbour at the end of the steel wall
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - Egyptian authorities are going to build a harbour at its sea border with the Gaza Strip to be used by Egyptian naval patrol boats, an Egyptian security source announced on Thursday.
The PA in Ramallah instruct imams to assail Sheikh Qardawi
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - The ministry of awkaf and religious affairs in Ramallah distributed a Friday sermon to Imams around the West Bank. The sermon launches a scathing attack on Sheikh Yusuf al-Qardawi.
Largest European parliamentary delegation to visit Gaza Friday
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - The largest ever European parliamentary delegation is due to arrive in the post-war Gaza Strip on Friday through the Rafah border crossing to report about the tragic humanitarian situation there.
Jewish settlers burn Palestinian property, IOF damage land and detain citizens
PIC 15 Jan 2010 - Jewish armed settlers wreaked havoc in the village of Ematin, Qalqilia district, in a pre dawn raid on Thursday that complemented their sabotage acts in the same village over the past two weeks.
LA Times 14 Jan 2010 - A Glendale resident and two others are charged with shipping sophisticated components to Iran and lying on customs forms about their contents and value, U.S. officials say. Three men, including an Iranian-born chemical engineer living in Glendale, have been charged in an alleged scheme to smuggle sophisticated industrial components into Iran that could be used in the development of a nuclear weapon, authorities said Wednesday.
New York Times 15 Jan 2010 - Iran’s national police chief warned that authorities would crack down more harshly not only on street protests but on anyone who used cell phone and e-mail messages to publicize them.
Envoys to Meet on Possible Sanctions Over Iran Nuclear Program
New York Times 15 Jan 2010 - The five permanent Security Council members, plus Germany, will try to reach agreement on new restrictions aimed at swaying Tehran.
Israel Raids Polygamist Compound
New York Times 15 Jan 2010 - An Israeli man who lived openly with at least 17 women and fathered dozens of children appeared in court on Thursday on suspicion of enslavement, sexual abuse and possible rape.
Blast Kills Physics Professor in Tehran
New York Times 14 Jan 2010 - Iran’s state media blamed the U.S. and Israel for the death of a professor. It seems doubtful that he worked on Iran’s nuclear program.
Israel and Turkey Patch Up Latest Rift, Over Diplomatic Slight
New York Times 14 Jan 2010 - Acting at the behest of officials, Israel’s deputy foreign minister issued on Wednesday a second apology to Turkey for embarrassing its ambassador.
Students Say Professor Was Government Critic
New York Times 12 Jan 2010 - Two students at Tehran University said that a professor who was apparently assassinated on Tuesday Iran had been outspoken in recent months in support of antigovernment student demonstrators.
Palestine Monitor - 14 Jan 2010 - In December 2008 and January 2009, Khulood Ghanem, a 27 years old girl, kept a diary and described the ordeal in Gaza during the Israeli military assault. The diary was adapted by Edward Mast into a performance for three voices entitled Seven days from a Gaza...
Hebron leaves us stunned, devastated, drowning in shame
Mondoweiss - 15 Jan 2010 - On January 12th, we drive to the southern West Bank city of Hebron. This city is literally drowning in a complex, traumatic, and violent history, that has given birth to the outrageous situation we see today. Most people start the story with the burial of Abraham,...
Goldstone blitz shows peril for Jews breaking ranks
Mondoweiss - 15 Jan 2010 - Good for Moment, it has published this vigorous defense of Richard Goldstone by Letty Cottin Pogrebin : According to witnesses, IDF soldiers shot people whose arms were shackled and a mother and three daughters who were carrying a white flag. Twenty-one members of one family were killed...
Normal Life in Port-au-Prince
Mondoweiss - 15 Jan 2010 - The news coverage of the Haitian earthquake is understandably showing people who are stunned and in agony. But before the disaster, Port-au-Prince was a very different place — poor, certainly, but incredibly busy. Everyone was working at something, from dawn into the night. The market women,...
Rubber bullets fail to disperse Bil’in demonstration
Mondoweiss - 15 Jan 2010 - Friends of Freedom and Justice , Bil’in, report that "live ammunition" was used on the weekly demonstration against the confiscatory wall, apparently rubber bullets: Today in Bil’in village demonstrators against the apartheid wall and illegal Israeli settlements were met with live ammunition, tear gas (in both plastic...
Frank Gehry pulls out of ‘Museum of Tolerance’ desecration project
Mondoweiss - 15 Jan 2010 - Michael Z. Wise at Tablet does the shoeleather work I should have done after spotting Frank Gehry’s vanishing act last week: After years of protests and an unsuccessful legal challenge, architect Frank Gehry has pulled out of a project to build a Jerusalem counterpart to the...
Second Palestinian Activist—Mohammed Othman—Freed by Israel
Alternative Information Center - 15 Jan 2010 - Amnesty International has welcomed the release from detention of Palestinian human rights activist Mohammed Othman — but is concerned that the Israeli authorities have imposed conditions which will prevent him exercising his human rights. Mohammed Othman was arrested on 22 September 2009 when he returned from...
Ma'an News Agency Chief English Editor's Deportation Hearing Scheduled for SundayMa'an
Alternative Information Center - 14 Jan 2010 - Ma'an is pleased to share news that Tel Aviv District Judge Mirium Solokov agreed to hear the case of its chief English editor, Jared Malsin, during proceedings held at her court on Thursday morning. Solokov rejected a request by the Israeli attorney general to dismiss an...
Joint letter sent to the Palestinian authorities in the West Bank and Gaza; Calling for immediate commencement of internal investigations in compliance with UN GA Resolution A/RES/64/10
Alternative Information Center - 14 Jan 2010 - On 14 January 2010, a joint letter was sent in the name of Palestinian non-governmental organisations to the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and the de facto government of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, urging both authorities to immediately commence internal investigations in compliance with...
Articles
Many strings attached
Saleh Al-Naami, Al-Ahram Weekly 1/14/2010
The majority of Palestinians believe that restarting talks with Israel at present would be detrimental to their future.
While Ismail Haniyeh’s government and Hamas leaders in Gaza were recently busy receiving humanitarian aid caravans, as well as foreign and Arab supporters, their level of anxiety about a possible re-launch of negotiations between the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Israel was obvious. Hamas leaders assert that restarting talks would adversely affect the movement and the Gaza Strip.
"Restarting talks between Israel and the PA will have several negative effects on several tracks," a leading Hamas member who wished to remain anonymous told Al-Ahram Weekly. "These include the prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas; the future of national dialogue and ending internal Palestinian divisions; and the probability of another war by Israel against the Gaza Strip."
The source insisted that negotiations would make Israel less willing to agree to Hamas’s demands in the prisoner exchange deal, especially in light of public and private pressure on Israel by US Envoy George Mitchell, Europe and Arab countries not to complete the deal. The source further believes that talks between the PA and Israel would undermine any attempts to end national disunity.
"[Mahmoud] Abbas might think resuming negotiations will benefit him and improve his ability to manoeuvre on the domestic scene, hence making him even less flexible in reconciling with Hamas," argued the source. What is even more disconcerting is that resumed negotiations could tempt Israel to launch a new war on Gaza, since experience has shown that it is easier for Israel to launch hostilities on a Palestinian party while in the midst of talks with another Palestinian party. more.. e-mail
The Age of Walls
Samera Esmeir, Al-Ahram Weekly 1/14/2010
If Israel requires walls to preserve its Jewishness, is this not an indication that Israel has never been Jewish?
If Eric Hobsbawm were to add a fifth volume to his classic four-volume historical study on the Ages of Capital, Empire, Extremes and Revolution, and if he were to devote this new volume to the 21st century, he would probably consider the "The Age of Walls" as a title.
Admittedly, most people in the world thought that the Age of Walls had already tumbled down with the fall of the Berlin Wall, but Israel seems to have declared its commitment, in action, to perpetuating such an age. Israel is completing a concrete wall in the Palestinian territories it occupied in 1967, another iron wall is being constructed along Egypt’s borders with the Gaza Strip, and Israel is about to start the construction of a "technological wall", or a "barrier", as it puts it, along with the borders with Egypt. Concrete, iron, technological, these are the new walls being constructed in the region. Very soon, perhaps, we might begin to award prizes for the best wall plan made of other "material".
The latest episode of "walling the region" was announced on Sunday, 10 January 2010 when Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu approved plans to erect the said barrier. The first stage will commence by building "fences along the sections of the border south of the Gaza Strip and north of Eilat". In addition, "technological measures will be deployed along the entire border that will allow for the location of infiltrators and hazards in a timely fashion."
Of his decision, Netanyahu said: "I decided to close Israel’s southern border to infiltrators and terrorists after prolonged discussions with government ministries and professional elements. This is a strategic decision to ensure the Jewish and democratic character of the state of Israel. Israel will remain open to war refugees but we cannot allow thousands of illegal workers to infiltrate into Israel via the southern border and flood our country." more.. e-mail
Another nail in the coffin
Gareth Jenkins, Al-Ahram Weekly 1/14/2010
The current diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Israel spells the end of any dreams that either may once have entertained of forming a strategic alliance.
Already fragile relations between Turkey and Israel plummeted to a new low last week when the repercussions from a Turkish ultranationalist soap opera triggered a full-blown diplomatic crisis and the Turkish government reacted furiously to what it regarded as the deliberate public humiliation of the Turkish ambassador to Israel, threatening to withdraw the ambassador to Ankara unless Israel issued an unequivocal apology for its actions.
On Sunday, an episode of a Turkish soap opera called "Valley of the Wolves" portrayed members of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad as kidnapping Turkish babies in order to convert them to Judaism. The programme also showed Mossad agents attacking the Turkish embassy in Tel Aviv and taking the ambassador and his family hostage.
On Monday, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a scathing attack on Israel after it launched air strikes against Palestinians in Gaza.
"Why is it doing this? Because it claims ’I possess the power in this region,’" declared Erdogan. "It possesses disproportionate power and it is using it. It does not abide by UN resolutions. It says ’I will do whatever I please.’"
Israel responded by issuing an equally hard statement: "The state of Israel reserves the full right to protect its citizens from missile attacks and from the terror of Hamas and Hizbullah. Turkey is the last country that can preach morality to Israel and the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]."more.. e-mail
In Lebanon refugee camp, "hip-hop is a school"
Electronic Intifada: 15 Jan 2010 - Hip-hop has got hold of the Burj al-Barajne camp in Beirut. As the music from a small but nascent rap-scene reverberates around the streets of this crowded community, its rappers are acutely aware of their position to foster not just musical change, but social change. Rasmus Bogeskov Larsen reports.
"This is life:" remembering earlier massacres in Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 14 Jan 2010 - "This is the first time I've returned here since my friends were killed," Ahmad Hammad says. He stands at the edge of a vacant plot and gestures to its far end which lies over 1 km from the border separating Israel and the Gaza Strip. Hammad, 24, recalls the day two years ago when three of his friends were torn apart by an Israeli-fired surface-to-surface missile. Eva Bartlett writes from the Gaza Strip.
Human rights defenders Mohammad Othman and Jamal Juma released
Electronic Intifada: 14 Jan 2010 - On 13 January 2010, Mohammad Othman and Jamal Juma, Palestinian human rights defenders active in the campaign against the annexation wall unlawfully constructed by Israel in occupied Palestinian territory, were finally released from Israeli detention. Addameer and Stop the Wall contend that both were arrested in an effort to curb the success of their peaceful activities in defense of Palestinian human rights.
The United States, Israel and the retreat of freedom
Electronic Intifada: 14 Jan 2010 - A new report by Freedom House, a US-government funded think tank, suggests US interference around the world makes countries less free. Despite this, it calls for even more US intervention. The report's approach also provides a stark example of the abyss liberal thinking has fallen into when it comes to ignoring Israel's systematic abuses and presenting the country as an idealized democracy. EI's Ali Abunimah comments.
In Gaza: 14 Jan 2010 - Ahmad Hammad Electronic Intifada, Live from Palestine It’s a sunny day in the border region east of Beit Hanoun. Aside from a glaring absence of the citrus and olive trees which for decades abounded on this fertile land, finally razed by Israeli military bulldozers, all seems idyllic. “This is the first time I’ve returned here since my friends were killed,” Ahmad Hammad says. He stands at the edge of a vacant plot and gestures to its far end which lies over 1 km from the border separating Israel and the Gaza Strip. “They were over there, I was standing here,” he explains. Hammad, 24, recalls the day two years...
Palestine Chronicle: 15 Jan 2010 - By Stephen Lendman An October 2007 Haaretz editorial titled "Democracy or hypocrisy" contrasted the "occupying Land of Israel to the democratic Israel" in calling for a "debate about Israel's control over the lives of Palestinians deprived of civil rights," saying its democracy is flawed and not addressing it is hypocrisy. Throughout history, regimes rhetorically embraced democracy as cover for more despotic policies, no different today throughout the world in countries like India, Pakistan, America and Israel practicing what Michael Parenti calls "democracy for the few," (the) "shadier sides of US political life (in which) proponents of the existing social order have tried to transform practically every deficiency into a strength." He asked, "Who gets what, when, how and why?" Why do so few benefit at the expense of the many? Why are peace, social justice, and real democracy illusions in a nation embracing the opposite of what they represent? Why instead do poverty, racism, sexism, exploitation, rapacious capitalism, and imperialism, in fact, define how America and Israel are governed? Indian writer Arundhati Roy says her country's model is "designed to uphold the consensus of the elite for market growth (and has) metastasized into something dangerous" in her book titled, "Field Notes on Democracy: Listening to Grasshoppers." She admits to being "hysterical" about where India is heading, sabotaged by religious nationalism and political expediency, "genocide" in the bloody 2002 Gujarat riots, "ecocide" for greater profits, and corruption at the highest levels. She compares Hindu right wing persecution of Muslims to Hitler's...
An Odyssey for Justice
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jan 2010 - By Ramzy Baroud The recent actions of people from around the world in support of the Palestinian people in Gaza have arguably represented the closest manifestation of international solidarity since the International Brigades against fascism during the Spanish Civil War. A bold assertion? Admittedly, I may not be as in tune with reality as I should be. Born and raised in a Gaza refugee camp where most refugees felt that no one cared about their plight, it was easy to believe that nothing could possibly break away from the ever tenuous and redundant stances by Arab and other countries — whose acts of solidarity went no further than hollow words of condemnation. The recent noble stances by activists from all over the world therefore seem like an unprecedented act of solidarity which, dare I believe, indicates the direct mass involvement of civil society as a real party in the ongoing Palestinian struggle for political and human rights. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), when various European powers were turning blind eye to the atrocities committed in Spain, almost 40,000 men and women, representing 52 countries, made the decision to fight fascism. The global consciousness culminating in such a direct, unprecedented action was absolutely baffling considering the lack of powerful communication technology available at the time. "How pertinent these words are, as one reads with anxiousness, pride and exhilaration the notes and messages that have come in from Cairo, El Arish and Gaza "The 2,800 American volunteers included a black man...
Israel's New Rocket Defence System
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jan 2010 - By Jonathan Cook - Nazareth Israel unveiled 'Iron Dome' last week, a missile-defence system that is designed to strike a knock-out blow against short-range rockets of the variety fired into Israel by Hamas and Hizbullah. In the short term, Iron Dome is supposed to herald the demise of the rocket threat to Israeli communities near Gaza four years after Hamas won the Palestinian elections. The period in-between has been marked by a series of inconclusive moves by both sides: Israel’s crippling siege of Gaza has yet to break the will of Gazans; negotiations for the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas more than three years ago, have gone nowhere; reconciliation talks between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have borne no fruit; and even the savage offensive against Gaza last year, Operation Cast Lead, achieved little in strategic gains for Israel. Now Israel says it has a winning card in its hand. From May, the first batteries of Iron Dome -- developed at a cost of $200 million -- will be installed around Gaza, foiling the efforts of militant factions to continue their struggle against a policy that denies the enclave’s inhabitants all but the most essential humanitarian items. Militant groups in Gaza have done their best to remain defiant. A spokesman for Islamic Jihad declared last week to Maan, a Palestinian news agency, that the rocket defence system “cannot stop the projectiles of the resistance”, as it launched sustained volleys of rockets and shells into...
Education under Attack in Gaza
Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jan 2010 - Bianca Zammit - Gaza On December 28th 2008 mid-term examinations had been scheduled to take place at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS) in Gaza. When the day arrived, however, the University College's rooms, which usually cater for 8000 students, were void of any life. This was the second day of operation Cast Lead. The University remained closed and examinations were postponed. Concentration, patience and motivation; the three pillars to learning were the main targets of operation Cast Lead as it sought to instill a sense of danger in every spot in Gaza. Operation Cast Lead wholly demolished or rendered unusable several educational facilities across the Strip. Amongst these facilities were 280 kindergarten, primary and secondary schools, the American International School, the library of the Al Aqsa University and the laboratory of the Islamic University. Many other educational facilities were shot at causing facades to become tarnished with indelible war stains and windows to shatter in a deliberate attempt to undermine education. When Operation Cast Lead ended, The University College of Applied Sciences announced the new dates for the mid-term examinations. The time after Cast Lead has been the most testing for all students in Gaza as they struggle to put memories aside and focus on mastering their academic abilities. For Sawsan Tamboura, a student in Secretarial English at UCAS, memories of Cast Lead are still vivid and too powerful to override. She has had a very difficult time concentrating on her studies ever since. When Cast Lead started...