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International Middle East Media Center
Russia
Ongoing With Talks With Hamas
IMEMC 23 Jan 2010 -
Sunday January 24, 2010 - 03:26, Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey
Lavrov, stated that his country in ongoing with its talks with the
Hamas movement and described the talks are vital.
Hamas
In Lebanon Marks First Gaza War Anniversary
IMEMC 23 Jan 2010 -
Sunday January 24, 2010 - 03:02, The Hamas movement in Lebanon held a
massive ceremony marking the first Anniversary of Israel’s war on Gaza,
and confirmed its stances in “resisting the occupation and countering
its plots to eliminate the resistance”.
German
sources: Israel-Hamas prisoner swap deal about to collapse
IMEMC 23 Jan 2010 -
Saturday January 23, 2010 - 22:44, According to the German paper Der
Spiegel, a prisoner swap deal between Israel and the elected government
of the Palestinian people (represented by the Hamas party) was about to
collapse due to the Israeli refusal to sign onto the agreement that
they had negotiated.
Egypt
Detains 10 African Immigrants Trying To Infiltrate into Israel
IMEMC 23 Jan 2010 -
Saturday January 23, 2010 - 13:34, Egyptian security sources reported
Saturday that Border Guard policemen managed to arrest eight Eritreans
and two Ethiopians while trying to cross the border fence in an attempt
to infiltrate into Israel through Sinai.
Tawil:
“Israeli Compensation To UN, Scandal, Helps Israel Hide Its Crimes”
IMEMC 23 Jan 2010 -
Saturday January 23, 2010 - 13:01, Palestinian Legislator, Husam Tawil,
stated that the United Nations’ stance in accepting the 10 Million USD
from Israel as a compensation for bombarding its facilities during the
war is a scandal that saves Israel from being held responsible for its
crimes against the Palestinian people.
Israel
Compensates UN For Damages
IMEMC 23 Jan 2010 -
Saturday January 23, 2010 - 10:06, Israel handed the United Nations the
amount of 10.5 Million USD in compensation for the damages to its
facilities inflicted by the Israeli army during the offensive against
the Gaza Strip last year.
Israeli
forces detain three journalists across the West Bank
1/23/2010 - Nablus -
Ma'an - Israeli forces detained three journalists in separate incidents
across the West Bank, as they complied news reports near settlements on
Saturday. Al-Quds TV representatives said that a journalist and a
cameraman were detained near the illegal settlement of Ariel, south of
Nablus. Correspondent for Al-Quds TV Mus'ab Al-Khatib, 25, and Ahmad
Al-Kilani, 23, who works for Pal Media, were arrested whilst preparing
a news report about a university near the settlement that was
recognized recently by Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers
detained a Pal Media journalist on Saturday reporting on a
demonstration organized by farmers from the At-Tuwani village to
protest the recent destruction of an olive grove near the Israeli
settlement outpost of Havot Ma'on, the Christian Peacemaking Team said
in a statement.
Israeli
forces attack Beit Safafa family, Italian consular employee
1/23/2010 -
Jerusalem - Ma'an - Four members of the E'lieyan family were
transferred to hospital and several others suffered tear-gas inhalation
and bruising when an Israeli border guard chased down a teen from the
family outside his Beit Safafa home, witnesses said. The youth, 14, was
said to have been attacked unprovoked, and when his father rushed
outside the home to prevent the assault, he said he was "surprised to
see dozens of Israeli police gathered near the home. " Among those
beaten in the scuffle that ensued were a woman, 60, and Khalid Daoud
E'lieyan, 40, an employee of the Italian Consulate in Jerusalem.
Responding to the news that a staff member had been attacked, the
Italian Consul General and the office for Italian cooperation denounced
the attack and demanded an investigation be carried out. Khalid
sustained large bruises to his neck and back, and also suffered severe
tear gas inhalation as he was beaten.
Israeli
army enters town near Nablus overnight
1/23/2010 - Nablus -
Ma'an - Residents of Beit Furik, east of Nablus, said an Israeli
military incursion took place in the town, with no detentions reported.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that Israeli forces entered the
town on Friday night as part of a routine patrol, when "residents
started hurling rocks. A violent riot took place and stun grenades were
used. . . "Israeli forces left shortly after, the spokeswoman said,
adding that no injury or damage was reported. Witnesses and officials
said on Saturday that security procedures at the Beit Furik checkpoint
were tightened by the Israeli army. Local witnesses told Ma'an that
"cars of Israeli intelligence officers have been deployed at the
checkpoint since the early hours of the morning and are supervising the
searches. " Member of the Beit Furik Municipal Council further said
"Israeli forces are carrying out strict security. . . "
Medics:
Settlers attack Iraq Bourin village south of Nablus
1/23/2010 - Nablus -
Ma'an - Israeli forces injured two young men following clashes with
settlers in the village of Iraq Bourin south of Nablus on Saturday,
according to medical sources. Ahmad Issam Al-Faqih, 16, sustained an
injury to his leg after he was shot with a rubber bullet, medical
sources with the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Al-Faqih was taken to
Rafedia hospital to undergo treatment for his injuries which were
described as moderate. Nasser Daoud Adel Daqlous, 18, was lightly
injured and treated at the scene, the sources added. Ghassan Doughlas,
official for the settlement file in the West Bank, said that dozens of
Yitzhar settlers attacked the village on Saturday afternoon. The
Israeli army arrived, he said, and fired tear gas and rubber bullets to
those present at the scene. An Israeli military spokesman said that
several Israeli citizens and Palestinians in Iraq Burin engaged in
"mutual rock throwing" with no injuries reported.
Arab
coalition to press for Middle East, Palestinian unity
1/23/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an -Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Libya have joined forces to
pressure split Arab camps as well as Palestinian factions into a unity,
member of the politburo office of the Palestine People's party Walid
Al-Awad said Saturday. Fatah and Hamas have remained in political
deadlock since the takeover of the Gaza Strip by Hamas forces in 2007,
with three significant attempts at unity already failed. The Arab world
has also faced fragmentation, over issues with US-alignment,
region-wide factional supoprt and increasing influence from parties
operating in Syria and Lebanon. Awwad said the countries in the
coalition came together to promote an atmosphere of unity among the
Arabs ahead of a proposed Arab League Summit in Libya in February,
which hopes to address the issue of Palestinain unity. Strong Arab
support, Awwad noted, would help Palestinians insist on a halt to
settlement construction before continuing with peace talks.
Erekat:
Americans promised Gaza building materials
1/23/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian leadership received American
pledges ensuring the provision of construction materials and basic
needs for Gaza residents via UN bodies and the office of the Quartet,
Head of the PLO negotiations department Saeb Erekat announced Friday.
The news came following a meeting between Erekat and US Special Envoy
for the Middle East George Mitchell. [end]
Israeli
army detains three near Hebron, says prisoners’ society
1/23/2010 - Hebron -
Ma'an - Three Palestinians were detained by Israeli forces from Beit
Ummer, north of Hebron, on Saturday, according to the head of the
Prisoners' Society in Hebron, Amjad An-Najjar. "The total number of
those arrested from the town within the last two months amounts to 17,"
An-Najjar said. Additionally, spokesman for the Palestine Solidarity
Project Mohammad Awad identified those detained as Hussein Ibrahim, 17,
Issa Mohammad Issa Awad, 21, and Muhanad Khaled Abu Awad, 20. Awad said
that Israeli forces threatened to detonate the detainees' cars if they
did not open the door of their home. Separately, Thiab Hassen Al-Alami,
42, was ordered to remove his clothes before forces broke into his
home, and occupied the roof of the building, the spokesman added. . . .
.
Prisoners
society in Gaza laments death of detainees parents
1/23/2010 - Gaza
-Ma'an - Mother of Palestinian detainee in Israeli prison Mahmoud
Nassar died in Beit Hanoun Saturday. She had not seen her son in six
years. The Wa'ed Society for Detainees and Ex-prisoners denounced the
refusal of Israeli authorities for a permit for the man's mother, who
was prohibited from visiting him in prison. Umm Mahmoud is third
relative of a Gazan prisoners to pass away this month without being
able to see their children, the society said. [end]
Palestinian
detained for possessing knife near Ramallah
1/23/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli troops detained a Palestinian in possession
of a knife near a Ramallah roadblock, Israeli media reported. According
to the Israeli daily Ynet the knife was discovered during a security
check. The knife was confiscated and the Palestinian was taken in for
interrogation. [end]
Egyptian
authorities detain 10 African migrants
1/23/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Ten African migrants were apprehended whilst trying
to enter Israel through Egyptian borders, Egyptian security sources
said on Saturday. Eight Eritrean and two Ethiopian nationals were
detained, the sources said. The Sinai border is on one of the main
routes for migrants and refugees, seeking work or asylum in Israel.
[end]
Qureia
to Belgian rep: Israel still thwarts int`l law
1/23/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - International and American efforts are important
and significant but are undermined by Israel which continues settlement
construction unabated throughout the occupied territories, PLO
Executive Committee member Ahmad Qureia told the Belgian Consul General
in Jerusalem Gerard Cockx on Friday. Israel is unilaterally drawing the
borders of a Palestinian state, Qureia said. During the meeting in Abu
Dis, Qureia outlined the mechanisms of Israeli violations against
international agreements and human rights law, which serve to deny
Palestinians access to their land and create de facto borders for the
people. Sitting in Abu Dis, a small city in the Jerusalem governorate
that is cut off from the hub city be Israel's separation wall, Qureia
stressed the necessity of a settlement freeze in Jerusalem as well as
in the West Bank.
Israelis,
Palestinians point fingers after Mitchell failure
1/23/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Finger pointing over which side sets more
preconditions for peace talks continues after US special envoy for the
Middle East George Mitchell returns to Washington. Following a series
of meetings in the region, President Mahmoud Abbas refused Mitchell's
request to return to peace talks without the guarantee of a meaningful
settlement construction halt, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu blamed Abbas for a failure to move forward. "The Palestinian
Authority are the ones that are preventing the re-launch of the peace
process with their preconditions that they have never asked before from
any previous Israeli government," a statement from Netanyahu's office
said, adding, "The Prime Minister calls on the Palestinian Authority to
sit at the negotiating table and discuss ways to promote security,
peace, and prosperity for the two people. "
Mash’al:
Hamas is committed to resistance
1/23/2010 - Gaza-
Ma'an - Head of Hams politburo office Khalid Mash'al said he held
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responsible for the
obstruction of the prisoner swap deal in a speech delivered Friday. In
an event commemorating the end of the Israeli war on Gaza held in
Damascus, Mash'al said the captured Israeli soldier would "not return
home until our detainees and female prisoners return as well. " The
Hamas leader in exile said his party would never turn away from
resistance, noting that despite Israel's upper hand in weaponry, they
were "unable to achieve victory in Gaza," and added that of the "impose
another war on us we will fight fiercely until their defeat. "Victory,
he said "happens when you strengthen the people, that is what we saw
happen in Gaza. The people there are partners in steadfastness and
triumph. "
Russian
foreign minister: Moscow in contact with Hamas
1/23/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on
Friday that Moscow is intensifying its contacts with Hamas, which it
considers vital. Lavrov further said that Moscow is suggesting
quadrilateral talks at a ministerial level on peace talks between
Israel and Palestinians, which are to commence immediately. The foreign
minister underscored the necessity of implementing the obligations of
the Road Map Agreement for both sides, as a condition to the resumption
of talks. Lavrov's comments were made during a news conference in
Moscow to discuss the outcomes of 2009 and the priorities of Russian
foreign policy for 2010. [end]
Abu
Rudeineh: Hamas must sign Egyptian document
1/23/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian general and legislative elections could
be held in June, if Hamas signs the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation
document, said presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh on Saturday.
If Hamas were to ratify the agreement, elections could be held on 28
June 2010. "This is an important and last chance," Abu Rudeineh said in
an interview with the Ma'an Radio Network. Negotiations with Israel, he
said, will remain stalled if Netanyahu does not commit to a settlement
construction standstill in the territories of 1967, which include East
Jerusalem. "We will not accept a singleIsraeli soldier on Palestinian
territories, which will prevent us from returning to negotiations, Abu
Rudeineh said. If the international community, in particular the
American administration, is not prepared to exert pressure on Israel,
talks will remain at a standstill, which. . . "
Hamas
celebrates strength in massive Khan Younis rally
1/23/2010 - Photos -
Gaza - Ma'an - "One year after the Israeli war on Gaza, Hamas is
stronger than ever before," member of the Hamas politburo office Khalil
Al-Haya said at an event commemorating the lives of the Gaza dead on
Friday. The event took place in Bani Suheila, a town east ofKhan
Younis, with dozens of senior political figures, PLC members, and
resistance factions members and their families, as well as family
members of those killed during the Israeli war on Gaza. "We began to
defeat the Israeli occupation, they have started to backtrack and we
must employ all our power and patience to reach our goals," Al-Haya
told the crowd. Hamas has been working to liberate all of Palestine, he
said, "the conflict is based on the occupation, we learned this from
our fathers and our fathers fathers, we will teach it to our children
and we will not give up. "
Gaza
PLC member questions gov’t legitimacy past 25 Jan
1/23/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Palestine Legislative Council member with the Fatah bloc Faysal
Abu Shahla in Gaza spoke out on Saturday, expressing concern that any
move to extend the term of the legislative body beyond 25 January is
illegal, and after that date the body will lose its legitimacy. The
member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council cautioned lawmakers, saying
after 25 January the PLC will no longer be a representative body
according to article 47 of the Palestinian constitution. On 18
December, the PLC Central Committee in Ramallah decided to extend the
term of Abbas and the PLC under the Palestinian Basic Law until
elections are held. According to Abu Shahla, it is article 47 of the
Palestinian constitution that is being used to justify the extension.
Article 47 states: 1. The Palestinian Legislative Council is the
elected legislative authority. 2. Without prejudice to the provisions
of this law, the Legislative Council shall assume its legislative and
oversight duties, as prescribed in its Standing Orders.
Abu
Ijheisha says impounded car was licensed
1/23/2010 - Hebron
-Ma'an - PLC and Hamas affiliate Mohammad Abu Ijheisha denied on Friday
that the car seized by PA security forces was unlicensed. "The car
belongs to my wife; it had papers to prove it was licensed. These
papers will be handed over to the police to reclaim the car," he told
Ma'an during a telephone interview. Abu Ijheisha said that he was
stopped by policemen and five police cars were called to scene, where
he waited for an hour and half "preventing me from going to Friday
prayer. "He added that when residents tried to intervene in assistance,
security forces opened fire on them and assaulted his wife and
children, without injury. Head of the police department in Hebron
Ramadan Awad said that "security forces do not target anyone on
particular. We are working in the service of Palestinians. We are doing
our job, as normal, against those who break the law. "
PA
forces arrest 7 fugitives trying to flee to Jordan
1/23/2010 - Jericho
- Ma'an - Palestinian Authority security forces apprehended seven
fugitives at the Allenby Bridge crossing, as they tried to enter
Jordan, a police report said on Saturday. The seven arrested were
wanted by the Palestinian General Attorney for charges relating to
fraud and criminal offences, the report said. The Allenby Bridge
crossing will be open from Sunday to Thursday between 8am and 9pm, and
will be open only from 7am to 10am on Friday and Saturday, the
Palestinian police said. [end]
First
female governor sworn into office by Abbas
1/23/2010 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Laila Ghannam became the first female governor to hold the
title within the Palestinian Authority, when she was sworn into office
as the new Governor of Ramallah by President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday.
Ghannam was the acting governor for six months before being officially
offered the position. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the
presidential compound in Ramallah and was attended by a host of
officials including At-Tayeb Abed Ar-Rahman, the presidential
secretary, head of the presidential office, Rafiq Husseini and Ismail
Jaber, the president's advisor for district affairs. Ghannam was
previously the general director of the Ministry of Social Affairs and
head of the board of administration for the Watan Center for women's
leadership, amongst others. . . . .
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - After participating in Sheikh Jarrak protest I realized police use force even when things are orderly.
Race is on for position of next IDF chief of staff
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Many senior posts won't be filled until the new military head is named in more than a year.
Netanyahu: Israel has no plans to attack Lebanon
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - PM responds to Israeli minister's remark that Israel and Hezbollah are headed toward inevitable military conflict.
Hezbollah: Israel afraid of retribution for Mughniyeh death
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Hezbollah reportedly moves its long range rockets deep into northern Lebanon, widening possible conflict with Israel.
Israel arrests son of Palestinian peace activist in West Bank raid
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Khaled Abu-Awwad is the General Manager of the Israeli-Palestinian Bereaved Families Forum.
Gaza militants: We nearly abducted an IDF soldier
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Islamic Jihad military wing: IDF soldier whose glider accidentally drifted into Gaza almost captured.
Hezbollah and Syria on alert fearing IDF attack on Lebanon
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - IDF denies any plans of renewing conflict against Lebanon; Syria reportedly calling up reserves troops.
Not all settlers and Palestinians want each other to disappear
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - New West Bank group is embracing the concept of binational state, hoping for an agreement to bring sustainable peace.
IDF prepares to open 'Israelis only road' to Palestinian traffic
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - High Court ruled barring Palestinians from Route 443 is disproportionate to security needs.
Israel probes vandalism of West Bank Palestinian cemetery
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Palestinian official accuses Jewish settlers of smashing tombstones in cemetery near Nablus.
Elbit to provide laser system to IDF, North America in $50 million deal
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Norway's FM recently told Haaretz that his country's decision to divest the defense contractor wasn't anti-Israeli.
Fatah men charged with attempted murder of Israel cops, soldiers
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - East-Jerusalem residents allegedly alerted police of their intentions to increase potential casualty count.
IDF unit to monitor soldiers' entries on Facebook
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Crackdown a product of Second Lebanon War and the conclusions of the Winograd Committee.
IDF sets up 'Facebook' unit to plug media leaks
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - The Shin Bet has reported several attempts by militant groups to contact IDF soldiers via networking sites.
30 countries joined Israel in mass bio-terror drill
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Drill simulated scenario in which terrorists infected with a virus entered Tel Aviv posing as tourists.
MI Chief: Israel's success battling terror has turned world against us
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Yadlin tells Knesset panel the PA has encouraged international community to question Israel's legitimacy.
Israel razes West Bank caravan built after settlement freeze
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Elon Moreh caravan set up as 'Zionist response' to freeze; forces dismantle foundations for 2 other buildings.
Court extends remand of settlers suspected of mosque arson
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Two months ago assailants torched furniture at Yasuf mosque, sprayed derogatory slogans.
Police arrest 10 in raid on West Bank settlement
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Five people, including two minors, detained for alleged involvement in mosque arson last month.
IDF soldier seriously hurt when comrade's hammer falls on his head
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Five IDF soldiers have died in the last four months during routine training while on duty.
Settlers
Attack Nablus Village, Two Youth Wounded By Soldiers
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - Palestinian medical sources reported on Saturday evening that
two Palestinian youths were wounded by Israeli military fire as the
soldiers opened fire at local residents who were defending themselves
after being attacked by fundamental settlers near Nablus. The settlers
attacked local villagers of Iraq-Burin village, south of Nablus, in the
northern part of the West Bank......
Maariv:
‘The painful truth: Haiti’s disaster is good for the Jews’
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - If I came up with a headline claiming the devastation in Haiti
is "good for the Jews", I could reasonably be accused of being
anti-Semitic. But it’s not my headline. It comes from this report on a
site run by Israel’s popular Hebrew daily, Maariv. Every disaster needs
a hero, the report says, and the heroes...
Gazan
patients dying waiting for travel permits
Uruknet Saturday,
January 23, 2010 - Fidaa Talal Hijjy, 18, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s
disease in 2007. At first she was treated at Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, but
with her health deteriorating, doctors told her she needed a bone
marrow transplant – a procedure which is not available in the Gaza
Strip. Referred to Tel HaShomer Hospital in Israel on 20 August...
The
environmental impact of Israeli military activities in the occupied
Palestinian territory
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - An often-overlooked factor in the field of sustainable
development and resource management is the impact of the military on
the environment and unfortunately this is no exception in the occupied
Palestinian territory (oPt). Whilst there have been many studies and
reports on the economic, social and political repercussions of the
continued Israeli occupation, there has been...
Israeli
forces detain three journalists across the West Bank
Uruknet January 23,
2010 – Israeli forces detained three journalists in separate incidents
across the West Bank, as they complied news reports near settlements on
Saturday. Al-Quds TV representatives said that a journalist and a
cameraman were detained near the illegal settlement of Ariel, south of
Nablus. Correspondent for Al-Quds TV Mus'ab Al-Khatib, 25, and Ahmad
Al-Kilani, 23, who works for...
Israelis
protest over 'fascist' Jerusalem settlements Demonstrations against
evictions of Palestinians to make way for Jewish settlers
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - At least 15 protesters were arrested yesterday as several
hundred left-wing Israelis held their biggest demonstration yet against
demolitions and evictions of east Jerusalem Palestinians designed to
make way for Jewish settlers. Police moved in to force back the noisy
but largely peaceful protest in Sheikh Jarrah, the inner-city district
that has rapidly become the main...
German
sources: Israel-Hamas prisoner swap deal about to collapse
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - According to the German paper Der Spiegel, a prisoner swap deal
between Israel and the elected government of the Palestinian people
(represented by the Hamas party) was about to collapse due to the
Israeli refusal to sign onto the agreement that they had negotiated.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had been scheduled to sign
the agreement...
Israel:
Ariel College student says taken off bus for speaking Arabic
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - An Arab-Israel student at the Ariel College in the West Bank
claimed she was told to get off a bus because she "dared" to speak
Arabic on her cell phone. Hanin Muslah said that during Thursday's
incident she was also subjected to a full body search. Muslah, who is
originally from the Wadi Ara area and...
Israeli
government supports continued prosecution of filmmaker Mohammed Bakri
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - Israeli Attorney General Menahem Mazuz has announced that the
government will support the efforts of five reservist soldiers to
appeal the decision of a lower court that rejected their claim for
libel against Mohammed Bakri for his film Jenin, Jenin, released in
2002. If successful, Bakri, a widely acclaimed Arab Israeli filmmaker
and actor, will face...
Abu
Sha’ar: Over 55 thousand Jerusalemites deprived of basic services
Uruknet January 23,
2010 -- Dr. Taleb Abu Sha’ar, the Palestinian minister of religious
affairs, said Saturday that more than 55,000 Jerusalemite citizens
living in the neighborhoods of the eastern part of the occupied city of
Jerusalem are isolated and deprived of basic human services as a result
of the Israeli segregation wall. In a press statement, Dr. Abu Sha’ar
added...
Israeli
forces attack Beit Safafa family, Italian consular employee
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - Four members of the E’lieyan family were transferred to hospital
and several others suffered tear-gas inhalation and bruising when an
Israeli border guard chased down a teen from the family outside his
Beit Safafa home, witnesses said. The youth, 14, was said to have been
attacked unprovoked, and when his father rushed outside the home to...
As
US prepares long-term occupation, Haiti’s quake victims still without
aid
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - With the US military "surge" into Haiti expected to include some
20,000 troops on land and on ships parked offshore by this weekend, a
US official indicated that Washington is preparing for a protracted
occupation of the impoverished and earthquake-devastated Caribbean
nation. "We are there for the long term, this is not something that
will be...
West Bank, January 23, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Two separate incidents of fighting broke out in East Jerusalem and Nabih Salih, a town near Ramallah, as George Mitchell, the US envoy to the Middle East continues efforts to bring about a peace agreement between Israelis and the Palestinians In East Jerusalem hundreds of activists gathered for what has become a...
British MPs call for Israel to be held accountable for war crimes
London, January 22, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Calling the devastation in the Gaza Strip clear evidence of war crimes, a group of MPs who just returned from the beleaguered territory called for Israeli officials to be held accountable in a post-trip briefing held in the British House of Commons. The MPs travelled to Gaza in a delegation sponsored by the...
Israel ordered to explain Gaza access criteria
Tel Aviv, January 21, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - At a court hearing held today in the Tel Aviv District Court, the court ordered the State of Israel to produce documents related to its Gaza access policy within 30 days or to explain why it refuses to do so. Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement filed the petition under...
Israel starves Gaza while world focuses on Haiti
January 21, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - When a relief plane for Doctors Without Borders isn't allowed to land by U.S. military authorities at the airport in Port-au-Prince, there is an outcry. But Israeli military authorities will not allow any relief planes at all to land in the Gaza Strip (the Israelis destroyed Gaza's airport in 2001). We cheer when a...
Israel finds new way to play the victim
Web, Jan. 20, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - A report released by the United Nations last year says that Israeli settlers, angered over the destruction of Jewish outposts, could exact revenge on up to a quarter million Palestinians in the West Bank. It’s not just vague speculation. The report, issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Occupied...
The National 23 Jan 2010 - Palestinians feel that meeting between the US envoy and Abbas to discuss a peace plan is pointless, as America will never push Israel.
Clinton says US will increase aid to Yemen
The National 22 Jan 2010 - The US will provide more counter-terror and development aid to embattled Yemen, but the country must show results for assistance to continue to flow.
Journalist deported from Israel says he was tricked into signing statement
The National 22 Jan 2010 - Editor of Palestinian news agency accuses authorities of duping him into making a statement in detention agreeing to return to to US voluntarily.
The Media Line 21 Jan 2010 - Each Friday we explore the world of business in the Middle East, highlighting The Media Line's coverage of everything from finance and real estate to working conditions, aviation and social networking. The MidEast Daily will return...
Jordan Advancing Nuclear Program
The Media Line 21 Jan 2010 - The Jordanian government has signed a deal with Spain as part of moves to accumulate cooperation agreements for its peaceful nuclear program. The signing of the nuclear cooperation agreement (NCA) with Spain, which covers areas such...
Iran Buys from Israel
The Media Line 21 Jan 2010 - An Israeli IT company has admitted to selling an online business management system to the Tehran Chamber of Commerce. Yehoshua Meiri, a spokesperson for the Israeli company DaroNet, told The Media Line that his company had...
AlJazeera 22 Jan 2010 - Palestinians urge US enovy to have Israel meet its conditions for resumed negotiations.
Israel pays UN for Gaza war damage
AlJazeera 23 Jan 2010 - World body paid $10.5m for property damage and injuries to staff during offensive.
Hamas 'will not recognise Israel'
AlJazeera 23 Jan 2010 - Political leader Khaled Meshaal says his group will not compromise on the rights.
Protests in Lebanon over Gaza wall
AlJazeera 23 Jan 2010 - Three injured as clashes erupt at protest of Egypt's decision to build a wall along Gaza border.
Alternative Information Center
Six Injured and Six Arrested During a Nabbi Saleh DemonstrationAlternative Information Center 22 Jan 2010 - Six demonstrators, including three Israeli activists, were injured today in the West Bank village of Nabbi Saleh after the army invaded the village earlier today. The soldiers launched an unprovoked attack at the center of the...
Gaza Health Fact Sheet
Alternative Information Center 22 Jan 2010 - The Gaza Strip has been the setting of a protracted political and socio-economic crisis. Recent events have resulted in a severe deterioration of the already precarious living conditions of the people in Gaza and have further...
PNN 23 Jan 2010 - US Envoy George Mitchell has met Palestinian leaders a day after holding talks in Israel in his latest push to restart peace talks. It comes a day after US President Barack Obama said his administration had overestimated its own ability to bring the two sides to the table. The Palestinians are refusing to re-start talks without a complete halt to Israeli settlement...
Dystopian Novel on Israel Attracting Publicity
PNN 23 Jan 2010 - [[Haartez]] news has reported that Leon DeWinter’s new novel on a dystopian future for [[Israel]] will be translated into English, Spanish, French and Hebrew following successful first runs in Dutch and German. The Right of Return focuses on a middle-aged Israeli paramedic seeking to resolve a personal tragedy as the state of Israel, through territorial loses, war and demographic change, has become...
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - Welfare minister tells 'Post': "Haiti... supported us in 1947, and now it's our turn to support them."
PA warns EU against legitimizing Hamas through dialogue
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - Fatah: Hamas is maintaining two faces, one for the Arab world and one for West; Hamas say they accept two-state solution, but only as temporary one.
Israel to present response to Goldstone
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - NY Times : J'lem to show photographic evidence contradicting allegations of crimes against humanity.
Barak okays transfer of pensions to Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - NIS 2m to be distributed monthly to 900 Gazans who worked for Israel before Hamas took over in 2007.
Mitchell fails to change Abbas's mind
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - US envoy unsuccessful in luring PA president back into peace talks with Israel; meets with Barak in TA.
Haiti declares search-and-rescue phase over
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - IDF saves Port-au-Prince man who survived 10 days in the rubble.
IDF adopting NATO codification system
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 -
PM: Israel doesn't want war with Lebanon
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - Netanyahu distances himself from Peled's statement, "Another war with Hizbullah is inevitable."
Mashaal: 'Israel is obstructing Schalit talks'
Jeruslalem Post 23 Jan 2010 - Hamas leader praises Gazans' spiritual victory over IDF last winter, says group will never recognize Israel.
IPS RAMALLAH, Jan 18 (IPS) - Israel has long argued that Palestinians should pursue their political objectives in a non-violent way. However, several prominent Palestinian peace activists have recently been arrested and jailed for doing just that.
MIDEAST: Civil Society Takes On Israeli Settlements
IPS JERUSALEM, Jan 21 (IPS) - Salam Fayyad turned civil society activist this week. In Salfit, on the West Bank, the Palestinian prime minister threw onto a giant bonfire goods made in Israeli settlements.
MIDEAST: Israel Crushes Local Dissent, Attacks Global Criticism
IPS RAMALLAH, Jan 20 (IPS) - Israel is lashing out at international criticism and attempting to crush local dissent in what appears to be growing sensitivity to reproach of its policies.
Q&A: 'Religious State, Recipe for Disaster'
IPS RAMALLAH, Jan 19 (IPS) - When Omar Abdel-Razeq was appointed finance minister following the election of Hamas in January 2006, the BBC characterised the post as the "least enviable job in the new Palestinian government."
PCHR
International Solidarity Movement
Demonstrators plant olive trees at al-Ma’asara, one arrested1/24/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - 22 January - This week's Friday demonstration in al-Ma'asara celebrated the Palestinian Day of the Tree. Some 70 demonstrators, Palestinian, Israeli and international, marched from the centre of the village towards the route of the Apartheid fence, carrying young olive trees to be planted in the lands near the fence. Amongst the demonstrators were Palestinian Minister of Agriculture Ismail Du'eik and other officials from the Bethlehem area. Shortly before reaching the soldiers who awaited the protest, demonstrators stopped to watch the minister plant two olive trees at the end of the built area in the village. The march then proceeded to meet with the larger than usual number of border policemen and soldiers, some of whom had taken over the rooftops of nearby houses, aiming guns at the demonstration. The minister and other demonstrators gave speeches in Arabic and Hebrew, and left two plants near the fence.
Activist Ryan Olander Released from Immigration Detention
1/23/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Sydney Morris - As the sun set behind watchtowers and barbed wire fences at Ramle prison Thursday January 15th, Ryan Olander emerged from the steel auto locking door and into the unrestricted air. Ryan had just spent 29 days locked in the Givon immigration detention center located in Ramle, Israel following his illegal arrest on December 18, 2009 in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Shekih Jarrah. On principle and with solidarity for other nonviolent Palestinian activists working to end the illegal occupation of Palestine, Ryan chose to take his charges and deportation warrant to court. This decision to fight for justice in a country where basic human rights are so obviously denied to those seeking to challenge Israeli empire, either by speaking out or by simply existing, was made by Ryan for the greater struggle of the resistance movement.
Journalist arrested at peaceful tree-planting action
1/23/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Christian Peacemaker Team - On 23 January, Israeli soldiers declared Palestinian land south of the Israeli settlement outpost Havot Ma'on (Hill 833) a closed military zone, then arrested a Palestinian journalist from Pal Media. The journalist was reporting on a demonstration organized by Palestinians from the village of At-Tuwani after the recent destruction of an olive grove. Despite the Israeli military interventions, the Palestinians successfully planted 20 olive trees during their demonstration. While Palestinian farmers, accompanied by internationals, were planting olive trees, fifteen settlers approached the area, some carrying slingshots. Israeli soldiers and police also entered the area. The soldiers informed the Palestinians that the area was a closed military zone, showing them a map that encompassed a large area south of Havat Ma'on outpost.
Protester Injured in Bil’in During Weekly Non-Violent Demonstration
1/23/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Friends of Freedom and Justice - Today 30 to 40 Palestinian, Israeli, and other international protesters marched through the West Bank village of Bil'in to the Israeli built separation barrier, ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice. Per usual, the demonstration was dispersed by tear gas projectiles and concussion grenades shortly after the marchers arrived at the gate. At least one Palestinian protester was injured and many other demonstrators were treated for varying degrees of tear gas inhalation. As of Friday evening, there have been no reported of injuries from the Israeli army. After the midday prayer, Palestinians and internationals assembled outside in the village of Bil'in and proceeded to march to the barrier while chanting pro-Palestine slogans and waving Palestinian and Fatah flags. Tear gas and concussion grenades were initially employed to disperse the protesters,. . . .
U.S. officials: No breakthroughs expected on peace talks
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Mitchell to separately meet Abbas, Netanyahu, and despite lack of progress is not disheartened.,
Comment / Mohammed al-Dura - Israel's greatest PR failure
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Despite proof that footage of his death was meddled with, al-Dura remains a symbol of Israel's brutality.,
Comment / Hamas is to blame for Israel's failure to aid Gazans
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Criticism of Israel's aid to the distant Haiti while the nearby Gazan's suffer is irrelevant.,
Barak okays social security payments to Gaza residents
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - In a goodwill gesture Israel will transfer NIS 25 m. to Gaza residents who were employed in Israel.,
Editorial / Israel must comply with UN, probe Goldstone allegations
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Next week the deadline expires for Israel, PA to investigate report's accusations approved by the UN.,
Israel set to challenge Goldstone Gaza report
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Israeli investigators reportedly have photographed proof contradicting Goldstone allegations against IDF.,
Rabbi wants to turn Gadhafi's U.S. land to Jewish center
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Rabbi Boteach told Record of Bergen County that he wants to raise up to $6 million to buy the property.,
Report: Sarkozy warns Israel may strike Iran over nuke threat
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Sarkozy: International community must show Iran the consequences of its refusal to talk.,
U.K. raises terror alert, says attack 'highly likely'
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Home Secretary Alan Johnson added, however, that 'there's no intelligence to suggest an attack is imminent.',
Iran leader slams U.A.E. over visit by Israel minister
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Minister Uzi Landau attended international energy conference in first official visit to Gulf state.,
Lebanon demonstrators hurl stones at Egypt embassy over planned Gaza barrier
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Meshal in Damascus: Egypt must stop barrier construction, will only further isolate Strip.,
At least 3 hurt in Lebanon during protest over Egypt's Gaza barrier
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - 200 people protested the construction of an underground steel wall along Egypt's border with Gaza.,
Norwegian academic backs debate on boycott of Israel universities
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Move comes just days after Barak upgraded status of college in West Bank settlement to a university.,
Israel pays 10.5 million dollars for damage to UN Gaza premises
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Payment covers damage caused during Israel's offensive last winter against Hamas in Gaza Strip.,
Netanyahu on Mitchell-Abbas meet: Stop wasting time
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Statement follows meeting where U.S. envoy failed to lure Abbas back to the negotiating table.
The Guardian 22 Jan 2010 - The Israeli relief effort in Haiti is laudable, but it underlines the state's indifference to those suffering on its own doorstep Almost as soon as the IDF embarked on its aid mission to Haiti , accusations began...
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Passover is shaping up to be a very poor holiday season for Israeli hoteliers - and the rest of the tourism industry. ...
Ethiopian wife may be deported because husband suffered stroke
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - In 19 days Baza Almash will be deported to Ethiopia, because her husband has been in a nursing home, immobilized by a stroke, and the couple is no longer living as man and wife. ...
'Non Jewish' immigrant becomes Jewish after appeal to High Court
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - A new immigrant from Bulgaria who came to Israel on the basis of the right of return was informed by the Interior Ministry, three and a half years after first arriving in Israel, that he was not Jewish. ...
Israel mulls adoption of Haiti quake orphans
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog has instructed the staff Social Affairs Ministry to look into the possibility of adopting Haitian children, orphaned in the devastating earthquake which hit the island almost two weeks ago, Israel Radio reported on Saturday. ...
IN PICTURES / Israelis come in droves to nation's parks
Ha'aretz 23 Jan 2010 - As stormy weather gave way to sunshine on Saturday, Israelis came out in droves to enjoy nature's wonders from the snow on the northern Mt. Hermon to the beaches of the southernmost point in Eilat. ...
Relief Web 23 Jan 2010 - Source: Agence France-Presse
Zapatero promises to promote the resumption of talks with the Middle East
Relief Web 22 Jan 2010 - Source: European Union
Israel compensates UN for damages during last year's Gaza offensive
Relief Web 22 Jan 2010 - Source: UN News Service
OPT: GUNFIRE EXCHANGE ON BORDER WITH ISRAEL, CROSSINGS CLOSED TO AID AND FOOD
Relief Web 22 Jan 2010 - Source: Missionary International Service News Agency
OPT: The Impact of Closure and High Food Prices on Performance of Imported Stable Foods and Vegetable and Fruits Market
Relief Web 22 Jan 2010 - Source: World Food Programme
YNet News 23 Jan 2010 - Rector at University of Bergen says he supports boycott; some lecturers complain to Israeli embassy
IDF set to counter Goldstone Report
YNet News 23 Jan 2010 - Military officials finalizing Israel's response to Goldstone Report, which accused Israel of committing war crimes; NYT publishes findings that contradict report's claims. Judge Advocate General: Goldstone Report a vicious lie
Haiti mission winds down
YNet News 23 Jan 2010 - Israeli team expected to return to Israel within days after performing more than 200 surgeries
PM's Office: Israel seeks no war with Lebanon
YNet News 23 Jan 2010 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issues reassuring statement after Minister Peled says war in north a matter of time; senior Hezbollah figure says Israeli threats put region on path of 'danger and aggression'
Israel mulling Haiti adoptions
YNet News 23 Jan 2010 - Welfare minister orders officials to look into possibility of adopting Haitian orphans; 'We will work vis-?-vis authorities in Haiti to determine number of children to be adopted,' Isaac Herzog tells Ynet
Minister Peled: Conflict on northern border a matter of time
YNet News 23 Jan 2010 - Likud MK and former GCO Northern Command chief says another armed altercation with Hezbollah is coming, although no one knows when it will erupt
Gaza Jihad: Weather foiled soldier's abduction
YNet News 23 Jan 2010 - Al-Quds Brigades sources tell Ynet stormy weather, floods in Strip prevented group from kidnapping Israeli paratrooper
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 RAMALLAH, West Bank: The United States told Palestinian leaders on Friday they must resume talks with the Israelis if they want US help to achieve a peace treaty that ends Israeli occupation and creates a Palestinian state. Putting the ball squarely in the Palestinian court, US envoy George Mitchell told President Mahmoud Abbas that returning to the table was paramount, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat quoted him as saying.
Biden in Iraq to defuse row over barred poll candidates
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 BAGHDAD: US Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq on Friday on a mission aimed at defusing a political crisis after hundreds of candidates allegedly linked to Saddam Hussein were barred from March elections. The visit by Biden was not announced in advance for security reasons, but it comes amid the festering row on election candidates which has alarmed the White House and UN just weeks from polling day.
Israelis protest East Jerusalem settlements
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Hundreds of people, mostly left-wing Israeli activists, demonstrated against Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday in defiance of police efforts to crack down on the weekly protests. The gathering, modeled on regular Palestinian demonstrations in the occupied West Bank, was to protest the takeover of several Arab homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood by settler groups armed.
Israeli PM fumes as media revels in cleaning lady case
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: A legal battle between a cleaning lady and Israel's first lady has spawned a clash between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the press, which is treating the scandal with relish. Both the prime minister and Israeli President Shimon Peres have sternly told the media to stay away from the case, making it clear that the issue should not be judged in the court of public opinion.
Yemen's ills go much further than the Al-Qaeda presence
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 BEIRUT: Yemen, a land of beauty and engaging people, has gained an evil public image since an Al-Qaeda group based there claimed a failed December 25 attack on a US airliner. But the West and its Arab allies should not just focus on fighting terrorism if they are to help the southern Arabian nation stifle the threat from militants exploiting internal conflicts, poverty and weak central authority, analysts say.
Moscow warns against hasty sanctions on Tehran
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 Russia on Friday cautioned world powers against rushing towards sanctions to punish Iran for spurning a UN-brokered proposal to send its uranium abroad for processing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called on Tehran to work constructively to allay Western fears over its nuclear program but said world powers should take a sober approach and beware of pushing Iran into a corner.
China rejects Clinton's Internet censorship criticism, says ties at stake
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 BEIJING: China on Friday rejected criticism of its Internet censorship by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying it harmed relations, as a row over Google's threat to leave the Chinese market escalated. Clinton had urged China on Thursday to conduct a thorough probe into cyber-attacks on Google and other US companies, and lamented what she said was Beijing's increasing efforts to control what its 384 million web users can see.
Scores more bodies recovered after Nigerian inter-religious clashes
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 KURU KARAMA, Nigeria: Volunteers recovered scores more bodies in Nigeria's troubled central Plateau state as the death toll from inter-religious clashes rose and the army was ordered to step up security. Scores of bodies were picked up from streets, houses and open water wells in Kuru Karama, a village some 30 kilometers south of state capital Jos, the epicenter of four-days of Muslim-Christian clashes.
Sarkozy concerned with just peace for Lebanon - Hariri
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 BEIRUT: Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Friday Lebanon's commitment to implement UN Security Council Resolution 1701 while slamming Israeli violations following talks with French President Nicholas Sarkozy in Paris. "As a Lebanese state we are implementing what was mentioned in the resolution since in the past weeks, the Lebanese state in cooperation.
Lebanon logistics performance 33rd globally
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 BEIRUT: The World Bank's Logistics Performance Index (LPI) for 2010 ranked Lebanon in 33rd place among 155 nations worldwide and third among 17 Arab countries. Lebanon came in 98th place globally and 13th regionally in the 2007 survey, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group. Lebanon also ranked in fourth place among 34 upper-middle income countries (UMICs).
Exemplary, and in need of protection
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 No foreign government is as intimate with the Lebanese agenda as the French. As a former colonial power in the region and former holder of the UN mandate over Lebanon, the two countries have long historical, religious, linguistic and cultural ties. France contributed significantly to the reconstruction of Lebanon in the aftermath of the Civil War, and then following the devastating Israeli attack in 2006.
Khalifeh vows to shut down counterfeit pharmacies
Daily Star 24 Jan 2010 BEIRUT: The Health Ministry has vowed to shut down nine pharmacies and four medical supplies warehouses on Monday for their alleged involvement in the smuggling and sale of counterfeit drugs. "We can't be silent about this subject," said Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh on Friday at a news conference to announce the measure. "It has become a matter of life or death."
Palestinian Information Center
Hussein slams Egypt for using sovereignty pretext to build its iron wallPIC 24 Jan 2010 - Hasan Hussein, a noted Palestinian writer, expressed his shock and dismay at the Egyptian decision to build an iron wall on its borders with Gaza at the pretext of sovereignty.
Hamas welcomes new UNRWA commissioner, asks him to defend refugees' rights
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - The refugees' affairs department in the Hamas Movement welcomed the appointment of the Italian national Filippo Grandi as the new commissioner general of UNRWA .
Abu Sha’ar: Over 55 thousand Jerusalemites deprived of basic services
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Dr. Taleb Abu Sha’ar said that more than 55,000 Jerusalemite citizens in the neighborhoods of the eastern part of Jerusalem are isolated and deprived of basic human services.
Khudari: IOA pays compensations to UNRWA to beautify its image
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - MP Jamal Al-Khudari has charged that the IOA had paid compensations to UNRWA for the destruction of its buildings during the Gaza war only to beautify its image before the world.
Hayya: Hamas keen on achieving reconciliation not leading to a civil war
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya reiterated his Movement’s keenness on achieving reconciliation leading to genuine partnership and harmony, and not to a civil war.
One injured and others suffer suffocation in weekly Bil’in anti-wall march
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - At least one Palestinian protester was injured and many other multinational activists were treated for tear gas inhalation when the IOF attacked the weekly march organized in the village of Bil’in.
Awkaf minister: Fanatic groups circulating narcotics in OJ
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Dr. Taleb Abu Shaar, the minister of Awkaf and religious affairs in Gaza Strip, has warned that Jewish fanatic groups were circulating narcotics in lines of Arab youths in occupied Jerusalem.
Khudari: IOA did not respond to our request to send aid to Haiti
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - MP Jamal Al-Khudari said that the IOA did not respond so far to his committee's request for sending relief material to the victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Mishaal: Hamas will never leave the political arena to others
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Khaled Mishaal said Friday that his Movement would never give up its national responsibilities towards the Palestinian people at home and abroad or leave the political arena to others.
Hebrew press: Israeli government foiled prisoners' swap deal
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - A Hebrew daily said that the lack of coordination between Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu and his special envoy on the prisoners exchange deal Hagai Hadas had led to failure of the deal.
LA Times 23 Jan 2010 - Mitchell makes little progress in latest trip. Obama says he doubts the two sides are ready to make compromises. As U.S. envoy George J. Mitchell wrapped up his Mideast trip Friday with little to show for his efforts to kick-start peace talks, the Obama administration was signaling a growing pessimism that Israelis and Palestinians would return to negotiations any time soon.
New York Times 24 Jan 2010 - The Israeli military is completing a rebuttal to a report accusing it of grave violations of international law in its Gaza invasion.
World Briefing | Middle East: West Bank: Envoy Urges Palestinians to Resume Negotiations With Israelis
New York Times 23 Jan 2010 - George J. Mitchell told Palestinian leaders that they had to resume talks with Israel if they wanted American help to achieve a peace treaty.
World Briefing | Europe: Israel: U.N. Is Paid for Damage in Gaza
New York Times 23 Jan 2010 - Israel said it paid the United Nations $10.5 million in compensation for damage to its facilities in the Gaza Strip during the three-week Israeli assault on the territory last winter.
On Religion: Bahai on Trial in Iran Worries Brother From Afar
New York Times 23 Jan 2010 - The brother of a Bahai leader facing a potential death sentence in Iran reflects on the biases his faith has endured.
For Israelis, Mixed Feelings on Aid Effort
New York Times 22 Jan 2010 - Israel has sent scores of doctors and other relief to Haiti, and Israelis are watching the effort and questioning the character of their nation.
Diplomatic Hand Extended: Furor May Erupt if Shaken
New York Times 22 Jan 2010 - Iran angrily denied reports that its tourism minister shook hands with his Israeli counterpart, which would have violated Iran’s strict anti-Israeli policies.
Palestine Monitor - 23 Jan 2010 - "Expectations were too high". "We overestimated our ability". Time magazine's interview with the President made for grim reading, unless you're Israeli. Obama's claim that "divisions within their societies" made "meaningful conversation...very hard" can be taken as a significant climb-down from the bold stance taken in Cairo....
Palestinian Farmers Are Being Treated Like Criminals
Palestine Monitor - 23 Jan 2010 - Under the cover of the incessant noise from the roads in the Hebron district, an anonymous Arab is perpetrating a serious crime: With a small hammer, he is digging a cistern so he can collect rainwater on his rocky land. Other such criminals have other methods...
‘This is our village!’ – a report from Nabi Saleh
Mondoweiss - 23 Jan 2010 - The following is a shocking video from Nabi Saleh, a Palestinian village of 500 residents located north of Ramallah. The village has been engaged in growing demonstrations during the past few weeks to protest the illegal seizure of valuable agricultural land by the Hallamish (Neve Tzuf)...
Excerpt from an important new book: A Wall in Palestine
Mondoweiss - 23 Jan 2010 - We are excited to share an excerpt from A Wall in Palestine , a new book by French journalist Rene Backmann (published by Picador). Backmann is a foreign affairs columnist for Le Nouvel Observateur. The book tells the story of the Separation Wall in the West Bank,...
Why Haiti is Poor: The Elite (III)
Mondoweiss - 23 Jan 2010 - In my last installment , my friend Milfort Bruno and I were in the Haitian countryside near Cap Rouge, listening to the Marcelin family explain why they no longer grow coffee for export. High-quality coffee had once been a significant source of the foreign exchange that a...
MSM interviewer seems real uncomfortable with Joe Sacco
Mondoweiss - 23 Jan 2010 - The other day Joe Sacco, author of Footnotes in Gaza, which centers on a 1956 massacre in Gaza and is featured on this site, was on the Leonard Lopate show on NY’s public radio station . The opportunity surely came about because Sacco got a great review...
Why all Israel lobbyists should be forced to go thru the Qalandia checkpoint
Mondoweiss - 23 Jan 2010 - Qalandiya Checkpoint When I went through the Qalandia checkpoint in Palestine a week or two back, I kept thinking, Anyone who lobbies for Israel in the U.S. should be forced through this checkpoint. All the congressmen should come here too. What upset me was the banality...
Six Injured and Six Arrested During a Nabbi Saleh Demonstration
Alternative Information Center - 22 Jan 2010 - Six demonstrators, including three Israeli activists, were injured today in the West Bank village of Nabbi Saleh after the army invaded the village earlier today. The soldiers launched an unprovoked attack at the center of the village, even before a scheduled demonstration began. Three women and...
Gaza Health Fact Sheet
Alternative Information Center - 22 Jan 2010 - The Gaza Strip has been the setting of a protracted political and socio-economic crisis. Recent events have resulted in a severe deterioration of the already precarious living conditions of the people in Gaza and have further eroded a weakened health system. The closure of Gaza since...
Articles
Making an American 'Impenetrable Underground Wall' the Laughing Stock of the World -- Leave to the People of Gaza
Ann Wright, Huffington Post 12/10/2009
No doubt at the instigation of the Israeli government, the Obama administration has authorized the United States Army Corps of Engineers to design a vertical underground wall under the border between Egypt and Gaza.
In March, 2009 the United States provided the government of Egypt with $32 million in March, 2009 for electronic surveillance and other security devices to prevent the movement of food, merchandise and weapons into Gaza. Now details are emerging about an underground steel wall that wil be 6-7 miles long and extend 55 feet straight down into the desert sand.
The steel wall will be made of super-strength steel put together in a jigsaw puzzle fashion. It will be bomb proof and can not be cut or melted. It will be "impenetrable," and reportedly will take 18 months to construct.
The steel wall is intended to cut the tunnels that go between Gaza and Egypt.
The tunnels are the lifelines for Gaza since the international community agreed to a blockade of Gaza to collectively punish the citizens of Gaza for their having elected in Parliamentary elections in 2006 sufficient Hamas Parliamentarians that Hamas became the government of Gaza. The United States and other western countries have placed Hamas on the list of terrorist organizations.
The underground steel wall is intended to strengthen international governmental efforts to imprison and starve the people of Gaza into submission so they will throw out the Hamas government.
Just as the steel walls of the US Army Corps of Engineers at the base of the levees of New Orleans were unable to contain Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ underground steel walls that will attempt to build an underground cage of Gaza will not be able to contain the survival spirit of the people of Gaza.
Related: Egypt starts building steel wall on Gaza Strip border -- See also: Egypt starts building steel wall on Gaza Strip border more.. e-mail
The Judaization of East Jerusalem
Phil Pasquini, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs 12/1/2009
Silwan’s Palestinians Displaced By Construction of Israeli Archaeological “Park”
Archaeological excavation of the area across from the City of David “National Park” entrance; Mural at the solidarity tent in Silwan; Israeli tourist murals promoting the “City of David National Park.” One scene shows an open-air truck full of tourists, with the words “Ancient Jerusalem Safari.”
Residents of the Palestinian village of Silwan just outside Jerusalem’s Old City continue to be bombarded by the increased activity related to the City of David National Park excavations. The so-called “National Park” is, in fact, a series of archaeological digs owned and operated by the extremist settler movement Elad. While a private entity, the Israeli group receives support from the Jerusalem municipality, along with funding from undisclosed sources.
The group’s ultimate goal is to turn the Silwan area into a Jewish enclave, and it is using archaeology as an instrument to further its political agenda. Indeed, Elad spokesman Yigal Kaufman told The New York Times in a June 8, 1998 interview: “Our aim is to Judaize East Jerusalem. The City of David is the most ancient core of Jerusalem and we want it to become a Jewish neighborhood.”
According to a Sky News report, engineers are digging tunnels to uncover what Israeli archaeologists believe is an ancient road connecting the City of David to the Western Wall inside Jerusalem’s Old City. This reporter viewed current construction of four tunnels in the area. In order to realize the plan to create a tourist destination evolving around the excavations, an estimated 1,500 Palestinian residents will have to be removed, along with their homes. Presently there are some 400 Jews living in the Wadi Hilwah neighborhood that is home to 5,500 Palestinian Muslims. more.. e-mail
Take a tour of the West Bank – through Palestinian eyes
Mya Guarnieri, The National 1/15/2010
JERUSALEM // Banners strung from lampposts across Jerusalem welcome the winter participants of Birthright, a programme that brings college-aged Jews, most of whom are American, to Israel for a free 10-day tour.
Funded by wealthy Jewish philanthropists and the Israeli government, the trip takes participants to sites that have historical importance to Jews, such as the Western Wall, in hopes of strengthening their connection to Israel.
Meanwhile, near another wall – the concrete barrier that separates the West Bank from Israel – critics of Birthright are conducting a tour with a similar name, but a very different goal.
Twice a year, Birthright Unplugged brings college-aged Americans on a six-day tour of the West Bank, given from the Palestinian perspective.
Participants, who pay up to US$850 (Dh3,100) depending on their financial background, visit sites that are flashpoints in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict such as Hebron, the separation wall and the olive groves where Palestinian farmers are sometimes attacked by Israeli settlers.
They also pass through checkpoints, visit refugee camps and spend their nights with Palestinian families – offering them a first-hand look at life under Israeli occupation.
The intention, according to Dunya Alwan, the founder of the programme, is to break from the view that Israel is a country that belongs to Jews. more.. e-mail
Gaza's thin red line one year later
Electronic Intifada: 22 Jan 2010 - During last winter's invasion of Gaza, Israeli forces killed 16 medical rescuers, four in one day alone. Another 57 were injured. At least 16 ambulances were damaged with at least nine completely destroyed. In a special report for The Electronic Intifada, Eva Bartlett speaks with Gaza's emergency medical workers one year after the massacres.
"Palestinian journalists can't work freely or safely"
Electronic Intifada: 22 Jan 2010 - "Being a journalist is the most dangerous work in the world," says Palestinian photojournalist Nayef Hashlamoun, "especially being a photojournalist or a photographer. We work under risk every day, especially in conflict areas like Palestine or Iraq, especially if you have soldiers who feel that you are from the other side, not from their side." Sarah Irving reports for The Electronic Intifada.
In Gaza: 21 Jan 2010 - ** ambulance which Arafa Abd al Dayem was loading when he was shelled by an Israeli tank missile, dying shortly after of his injuries. The ambulance was unrecoverable until two days ago, when access finally became possible to the Attrata area where Arafa was murderded and where corpses lay unretrieved. The Electronic Intifada, 22 January 2010 “The last Israeli attacks were the hardest, the most dangerous. It wasn’t a war, it was a massacre. They shot anyone walking, anyone outside of their home, in their home … it didn’t matter. And it didn’t matter if the victims were children or adults; there was no difference.” Ali Khalil, 47, has served...
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Jan 2010 - By Stephen Lendman Established in 1989, the MA'AN Development Center is "an independent Palestinian development and training institution....work(ing) towards sustainable human development in Palestine" through its various programs. On October 31, it released a publication on the Palestinian BDS campaign titled, "Boycott, Divestment, & Sanctions: Lessons learned in effective solidarity." It's another of the many BDS initiatives multiplying to support Palestine. In July 2005, a coalition of 171 Palestinian Civil Society organizations created the global movement for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights" for Occupied Palestine, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian diaspora refugees. MA'AN covers BDS history and outlines current efforts and challenges to be overcome. Past Palestinian boycotts showed they work. The 1936 six-month strike against the British Mandate demanded a representative government in Palestine, prohibition of land sales to Jews, a cessation of Jewish immigration, and immediate elections. The strike brought the economy to a halt and got the Peel Royal Commission to recommend limited Jewish immigration and plans for eventual partition. In 1948, the Arab League banned all commercial and financial transactions between Israel and League members. In 1951, each nation set up a national boycott office, linked to the Damascus headquarters. It maintained a central blacklist of companies. In 1973, OPEC embargoed oil to America and other countries that supported Israel in the October war. In November 1975, UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 "determine(d) that Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination." Under...
Beware of the BBC
Palestine Chronicle: 22 Jan 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood – London Its mission statement says: 'Trust is the foundation of the BBC: we are independent, impartial and honest.' However, people are complaining bitterly to the BBC about its pro-Israel stance when reporting on the situation in the Holy Land. Once renowned as the benchmark for fairness and accuracy, the BBC nowadays is careless with the truth when handling news from the Palestinian territories illegally occupied by Israel - the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza. We were treated to a prize example earlier this week. The flagship 'Today' programme, which goes out weekdays from 6am to 9am on Radio4, marked the anniversary of Israel's blitzkrieg with a feature on the Gaza economy, in which I heard presenters claim at least three times that the purpose of Operation Cast Lead was to stop the rocket attacks across the border. This is untrue. The rockets stopped months before Israel’s assault with the start of the ceasefire, brokered by Egypt, which held from 19 June until 4 November 2008, when Israel deliberately dashed hopes for peace by staging an armed incursion into Gaza killing several Hamas men. Under the ceasefire Israel had undertaken to lift the economic blockade, but didn't do so. Nevertheless Hamas kept its side of the bargain and fired no rockets. So 1,400 Gazans, including some 350 women and children, didn't have to die under Israeli bombardment. All Israel needed to do was extend the truce by keeping the peace and lifting the evil blockade as...