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News
International Middle East Media Center
Hamas
Legislator: “P.A Security Forces Arrest Six PLC Employees”
IMEMC 24 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 25, 2010 - 05:21, Palestinian Legislator of the Hamas
movement, Mahmoud Ramahi, accused the Palestinian Security Forces,
headed by President Mahmoud Abbas, of arresting six employees of the
Palestinian Legislative Council after they left their Ramallah offices
on Sunday afternoon.
Belgium
To Ask E.U For A Unified Stance Against Israel For Preventing Officials
From Entering Gaza
IMEMC 24 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 25, 2010 - 04:21, Belgium has decided to ask the
European Union to make a decision regarding boycotting Israel for
preventing E.U officials from entering the besieged Gaza Strip to
observe the destruction and suffering inflicting on the residents.
No
Elections without Reconciliation
IMEMC 24 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 25, 2010 - 03:50, On General Elections in the
Palestinian National Authority: No Elections without Reconciliation
Mubarak
Slams Hamas, Defends Iron Wall
IMEMC 24 Jan 2010 -
Monday January 25, 2010 - 03:28, Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak,
slammed the Hamas movement for criticizing the Iron Wall Egypt is
constructing along, and under, its borders with Gaza and direct US
support and supervision, and said that the issue is considered a
sovereign decision.
Hamas
In Lebanon Marks First Anniversary Of Gaza War
IMEMC 24 Jan 2010 -
Sunday January 24, 2010 - 04:02, 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”.
Russia
Ongoing With Talks With Hamas
IMEMC 24 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.
Report:
Environmental impact of occupation high
1/24/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem
released a report documenting the detrimental effects of the Israeli
occupation of Palestine on the environmental systems sustaining both
Israelis and Palestinians. The January report focused on the impact of
the military operating in the West Bank and Gaza, and collected data on
unexploded ordnances contaminating agricultural ground, the
contamination of drinking water in Gaza following the 2008-9 Israeli
Operation Cast Lead. It cites the British-based NGO the Mines Advisory
Group (MAG) saying at least 120 pieces of un-exploded ordnances and 31
unexploded white phosphorus shells were found inside Gaza between
January and June 2009. In Gaza, the report says, at least 12,000
hectares of farmland are unusable until they are cleared from the
devices. The settlement and military infrastructure in the West Bank,
the report says, takes up valuable Palestinian land. ARIJ:
The environmental impact of Israeli military activities in the oPt
Israeli
border police severely beat Palestinian workers, says family
1/24/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Border Police detained and beat 10
Palestinian workers at dawn on Sunday at the Al-Za'iem crossing into
occupied East Jerusalem, for seeking work without the appropriate
permits, relatives told Ma'an. The workers, from the Al-Khadr village
south of Bethlehem, were stopped at the crossing and, relatives say,
were severely beaten with sticks and riffles. Father of detained Rani,
26, Hussein Salah, said his son sustained a number of fractures, as
well as having his teeth broken, and is now unable to walk. Rani had
told his father that the 10 workers with him were all beaten, causing
many to pass out. Rani was then transferred to hospital, while the rest
remained in detention, his father said. Fares Salah, Majdi Salah and
Rani Salah were among those identified as detained. The Israeli Border
Police were unavailable for immediate comment.
One
Gaza crossing open
1/24/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - Israeli authorities opened the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza
on Sunday to allow the transfer of humanitarian goods and the limited
export of strawberries and flowers from the coastal enclave while the
Karni crossing remained closed, a Palestinian border official told
Ma'an. The official, Raed Fattouh, said between 55 and 65 truckloads of
humanitarian aid, agricultural and commercial goods, will enter via
Kerem Shalom to the south of Gaza. Additionally, limited quantities of
industrial and domestic gas will be transferred, Fattouh said.
According to OCHA the amount of cooking gas that entered this week was
more than twice the quantity that entered during the last week (914
tonnes vs. 424 tonnes). The Gas Stations Owners Association (GSOA),
however, indicated that at least 2,000 tonnes of cooking gas have to be
transferred into Gaza, without interruption, on a weekly. . .
Israel
releases detainee from Negev prison
1/24/2010 - Nablus -
Ma'an - The Ahrar Center for Prisoners' Studies and Human Rights
announced on Sunday that Israeli authorities released Fathi Al-Hayek,
head of the Zeita local council in Nablus on Saturday, having served 38
months in the Negev Prison. Al-Hayek, 41, was detained on 22 November
2006 and served more than 112 months in a number of Israeli prisons the
center said. His detention was extended over ten times, the center
added. Al-Hayek is the father of five. [end]
Delegation
of officials to meet with Jerusalem clan rivals
1/24/2010 -
Jerusalem - Ma'an - Public meetings will be held in Jerusalem to bring
a halt to the ongoing clan violence that took place on Sunday, said
chief of Jerusalem affairs for Fatah Hatem Abdul Qader. A delegation of
officials will head to Jabal Al-Mukabber after meeting with
representatives from Wad Qaddum, the two areas where clashes were
centered. Abdul Qader accused Israeli authorities of escalating
Sunday's violence and of failing to deal with the events as they had
done previously. One Palestinian was killed and five sustained gunshot
wounds, as clan clashes continue to erupt in occupied East Jerusalem on
Sunday, near the Old City, according to medical sources. Medics further
reported that dozens have been injured as a result of the fighting
which reached Salah Ad-Din Street, near the Old City of Jerusalem, and
King Solomon Street, during the afternoon.
Israel
to refute Goldstone report findings
1/24/2010 -
Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israel will submit its refutation of the
Goldstone report to the UN on Thursday, with the aim of dispelling the
report's conclusion that war crimes were carried out by the Israeli
army, American media reported on Sunday. While the content of Israel's
rebuttal remains confidential, officers involved in its compilation
told the US daily The New York Times that, among the allegations put
forward, Israel will deny that it caused the ruin of the Badir flower
mill and the destruction of a water waste plant causing a deluge of raw
sewage, suggesting that it may have been hit by Hamas explosives. The
two cases, along with the destruction of chicken coops, water wells, a
cement plant and some 4,000 homes, are indicators in the Goldstone
report that Israel intended to destroy infrastructure to cause intense
civilian suffering, a war crime under international law.
Abbas
to sponsor urgently needed weight loss surgery for obese man
1/24/2010 - Nablus -
Ma'an Special - The man fearful that his obesity will cause his death
is to receive two surgeries to alleviate his condition and assist his
weight loss, which will be sponsored by President Mahmoud Abbas. Abdul
Fattah Abu Addas, 39, and from the Balata Refugee Camp east of Nablus,
weighs 250 kilograms ( 551 lbs) and has lost two siblings to obesity
related deaths. Abu Addas' had appealed for assistance as the
procedures were deemed cosmetic surgery by the Ramallah-based Ministry
of Health. The surgeries include a gastric bypass and liposuction,
worth an estimated 7,000 Jordanian dinars. Abu Addas has not been able
to move unassisted for several years and is unable to have children as
a result of his obesity. Previously Abu Addas was an athlete,
participating in competitive tug of war matches and winning a number of
accolades, in addition to pulling cars with his teeth.
Muheissen:
No choice other than signing Egyptian document
1/24/2010 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Member of Fatah central committee Jamal Muheissen accused
Hamas on Sunday of continually evading the ratification of the Egyptian
reconciliation paper and obstructing national unity. "There is no other
choice, other than signing the Egyptian document," he saidduring an
interview on Sawt Falasteen radio, describing the document tipped to
end Fatah-Hamas rivalry as the only mechanism capable of enabling
Palestinians to face all challenges. Muheissen added that Fatah's
Central Committee has held approximately 40 sessions in a bid to
restore the party's ability to lead the national movement, and that
plans are underway to integrate the movement's various branches
harmoniously into Fatah's framework. "We are at the beginning and we
will continue implementing those plans that have been put forward for
the advancement of the Fatah," he said. . . . .
PLC
Speaker: It`s time for a national and unified government
1/24/2010 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Speaker in the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Dr Aziz
Dweik announced Sunday that the body will continue working "as usual,"
and not be stymied by the 24 January deadline by which elections were
supposed to be held. The term of the PLC ran out on 24 January, but was
extended by the PLO in December, a move Hamas called illegal, since the
PLC was not created by the PLO and can thus not dictate its term. The
PLO Central Committee said article 47 of the Basic Law allows for the
change. The PLC has been defunct since 2007. In a Ramallah news
conference, Dweik said he was ready to "call a meeting of all PLC
members from the West Bank and Gaza," and called on the "presidency to
facilitate the meeting in an effort toward national reconciliation and
creating a unified front against the latest Israeli settler attacks in
Jerusalem. "
Khreisheh:
Today, I am no longer a PLC member
1/24/2010 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - PLC member Dr Hasan Khreisheh handed over the keys to his
official vehicle on Sunday, 24 January, declaring his term as a member
of Palestine's legislative body over. The elections for the PLC were
held on 2 January 2006, on 24 January 2010 the term of the body elected
in the first legislative elections in Palestine expired. In December
the Central Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization met, and
extended the term of the President and the PLC until elections were
held. When the move was made, accusations arose that the PLO did not
have the authority to extend the term of the PLC. "It is time for new
members to fill the places of the old," Khreisheh said as he turned in
the Palestinian Authority-issued car. Speaking with Ma'an by phone,
Khreisheh urged Palestinians to take to the streets and demonstrate,
calling for national reconciliation.
PCHR:
No elections without reconciliation
1/24/2010 - The
Palestinian Center for Human Rights weighs in on the controversy around
the expiration of the official term of the Palestinian Legislative
Council. Twenty-four January 2010, was the due date for legislative and
presidential elections in the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). If
the Palestinian democracy was to be practiced normally and without
obstacles, the Palestinian electorate in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT) would have stood in front of ballot boxes to elect a
new president for the PNA and new members of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC). Twenty-four January passed with no such
elections due to the outstanding conflict and division in the
Palestinian political regime. The second Palestinian presidential
election was held in January 2005 following the death of the late
President Yasser Arafat in November 2004, and Mahmoud Abass was elected
as the President of the PNA.
PLC
member: PA forces detained 6 colleagues
1/24/2010 - Ramallah
- Ma'an - Six staff members of Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC)
member were arrested by Palestinian Authority (PA) police as they
exited the PLC Headquarters in Ramallah on Sunday, lawmaker Dr Mahmoud
Ar-Ramahi reported. Among the six was the driver of PLC Speaker Dr Aziz
Dweik. The driver was detained along with the keys to Dweik's car,
stranding the official in Ramallah. The official term of the PLC came
to an end Sunday, with sides calling into question the legitimacy of
the PLO move to extend its term. One PLC member handed over his
PA-issued vehicle in the afternoon, saying he was "no longer a PLC
member. "Speaking on the phone with Ma'an, Ar-Ramahi said the six men,
working for members of the Hamas boc in the PLC, were targets of a
"constant and increasing harassment [by the PA] targeting members of
the Legislative Council affiliated with the Change and Reform [Hamas]
bloc. "
PPP:
PLC mandate over but work must continue until elections
1/24/2010 - Gaza -
Ma'an - The Palestinian People's Party called for the holding of
elections at the earliest possible date as the official mandate of the
Palestinian Legislative Council came to an end Sunday. The inability to
hold elections before 25 January is a blemish on the Palestinian
democratic process, a statement from the party said, adding that
"Palestinians have the right to choose their representatives through
elections. "An election had been called for 24 January by President
Mahmoud Abbas in October, but an elections committee determined it
would be impossible to hold a vote in Gaza without Hamas support. The
de facto government position was that without reconciliation, no
parties would trust the voting system and an election would be wasted.
The PPP said that while the mandate of the PLC had officially ended,
its members had the right to continue their work until new elections
were held.
Drug
dealers arrested in Hebron
1/24/2010 - Hebron -
Ma'an - Three drug dealers were arrested by the Palestinian police in
Hebron on Sunday, a report said. Police apprehended the suspects after
a tip-off was received that a car transporting narcotics would be
entering Hebron. The car in question was tracked and stopped, and large
quantities of hashish were discovered upon searching it. The report
added that those arrested remain under investigation and the incident
has been documented. [end]
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Deputy FM says visa would be seen as gesture to Hamas, warns aid would fall into hands of militants.
Deputy Defense Minister: Israel making every effort to avoid war
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - GOC Northern Command Eizenkot: Reports of imminent Lebanon conflict are just 'virtual escalation.'
Bin Laden: Attacks on U.S. to go on as long as it supports Israel
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Al Jazeera airs purported tape of Al-Qaida leader claiming responsibility for botched Detroit plane attack.
Jerusalem is starting to resemble Tehran
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - After participating in Sheikh Jarrah protest, I realized police use force even when things are orderly.
Race is on for position of next IDF chief of staff
Ha'aretz 24 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 24 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 24 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 24 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 24 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 24 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 24 Jan 2010 - New West Bank group is embracing the concept of binational state, hoping for an agreement to bring sustainable peace.
The
environmental impact of Israeli military activities in the occupied
Palestinian territory (Full Text)
Uruknet January 24,
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...
HRW:
Iran Crackdown On Protests A 'Human Rights Disaster'
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - Iran's crackdown on opposition protests following June's
disputed presidential election was a "human rights disaster,"
U.S.-based Human Rights Watch said. The rights group also said in a
report that Iran has staged hundreds of show trials of detained
opposition protesters...The Human Rights Watch report said the
post-election crackdown had turned into "a human rights disaster."
"The...
Israel
'to keep' parts of West Bank
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - Israel's prime minister has reaffirmed his country's commitment
to retaining parts of the occupied West Bank, undermining US efforts to
restart talks aimed at eventually establishing a Palestinian state.
During a tree planting ceremony in a West Bank settlement, Binyamin
Netanyahu said that parts of the territory would be kept by Israel
under any final peace...
Gaza
to be in deep darkness in hours!!
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - The electricity company in the Gaza Strip has warned on Saturday
evening from a severe crisis in providing the Strip with electricity as
if the stoppage of providing it with the needed fuel continued it will
not be able to run on Sunday morning. Jamal Al-Dardasawi, the director
of public relations in the company, said: "The...
Campaign
against siege warns of serious repercussions for power failure
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - The Palestinian-international campaign to lift the siege on Gaza
Strip has warned of the serious repercussions of the long periods of
power cuts in many Strip areas as a result of the lack of enough fuel
to operate the sole electricity generation station. The campaign in a
statement on Sunday said that the station was generating...
Sheikh
Jarrah: Settlers throw urine bottles, activists arrested
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - Thursday, January 22nd, settlers occupying the Gawi and Al-Kurd
family’s homes were reported to be harassing and attempting to provoke
the evicted Palestinians and solidarity activists to a violent
response. Other settlers stood by with film equipment, ready to record
any response to their provocation. The evening’s heckling resulted in
the arrest of Marwan Abu al...
“Thieves
Go Home – Sheikh Jarakh is Palestine!”
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - Every one of those who came took into account that he could be
arrested and held in detention for at least a day. The more experienced
brought with them a toothbrush. Still, at the appointed time, 3 p.m.,
hundreds were already waiting (a most unusual thing in Israel.) This
was the largest demonstration yet in Sheikh...
Netanyahu
reaffirms Israel claim to parts of West Bank
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Sunday that Israel
would keep parts of the West Bank forever, planting trees in a
settlement bloc to reaffirm a land claim long rooted in Israeli
government policy. "Our message is clear: We are planting here, we will
stay here, we will build here, this place will be an inseparable...
Israeli
border police severely beat Palestinian workers, says family
Uruknet January 24,
2010 – Israeli Border Police detained and beat 10 Palestinian workers
at dawn on Sunday at the Al-Za’iem crossing into occupied East
Jerusalem, for seeking work without the appropriate permits, relatives
told Ma’an. The workers, from the Al-Khadr village south of Bethlehem,
were stopped at the crossing and, relatives say, were severely beaten
with sticks and riffles...
When
Words are Imprisoned, Thoughts Silenced and Flags Shot Down, Resistance
and Solidarity Flourish
Uruknet January 24,
2010 - ...What the Zionist entity fears and sees as a growing threat to
its existence is the continuation of the struggle and activism in
occupied Palestine, the growing support for Palestine and the
Palestinian Cause in the world and the strengthened unity and
solidarity amongst Muslim, Christian and Jewish indigenous Palestinians
in occupied Palestine and elsewhere. Despite...
Tawil:
“Israeli Compensation To UN, Scandal, Helps Israel Hide Its Crimes”
Uruknet January 23,
2010 - 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. Tawil stated that the bilateral talks between
Israel and the UN...
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......
Palestine, January 24, 2010, ( Pal Telegraph) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that he heard "interesting ideas" from Special US envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell regarding the resumption of peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Minutes after meeting envoy George Mitchell, Netanyahu reaffirmed at the weekly cabinet session his intention, also voiced by previous Israeli prime...
Gaza to be in deep darkness in hours!!
Gaza, January 24, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The electricity company in the Gaza Strip has warned on Saturday evening from a severe crisis in providing the Strip with electricity as if the stoppage of providing it with the needed fuel continued it will not be able to run on Sunday morning. Jamal Al-Dardasawi, the director of public relations in the...
West Bank: Israeli soldiers clash with protestors
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...
The National 24 Jan 2010 - British ministers were playing a wait-and-see game as Iran pondered downgrading diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Yemen urged to address rights abuses
The National 24 Jan 2010 - Activists claim that the government is using the war on terror as an excuse to harry its political opponents and critics.
Call for reform draws criticism in Lebanon
The National 24 Jan 2010 - Controversy after the Lebanese parliamentary speaker announced his drive to abolish a system whereby political power is shared by major religious groups.
The Media Line 24 Jan 2010 - Israeli security services say the absence of Palestinian suicide attacks last year indicates poor capabilities. For the first time in a decade there were no Palestinian suicide attacks against Israelis in 2009. After 36 Israelis were...
“Super Police” to Monitor Arab Satellite TV?
The Media Line 24 Jan 2010 - Arab information ministers representing 22 member states of the Arab League discussed the formation of a new transnational body to monitor Arab satellite TV stations on Sunday, amidst calls from media freedom groups that the move...
‘Arabs Not Giving Enough to Haiti'
The Media Line 24 Jan 2010 - Commentator says Arab countries should be ashamed for not giving more money to assist earthquake relief. A commentator in an influential Arabic language paper says it is "an outrage, in every sense of the word" that...
‘Abbas to Russia for Meetings with Medvedev
The Media Line 23 Jan 2010 - Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud 'Abbas will visit Russia this week. The Russian news agency RIA Novosti reports that 'Abbas and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev will meet in the Black Sea resort of Sochi on January 26....
No Apparent Movement in Mitchell's Negotiating Efforts
The Media Line 23 Jan 2010 - It appears that Obama Mideast envoy George Mitchell has again come up empty in his attempts to jump-start peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Following a series of meetings in Jerusalem and Ramallah with Israeli...
Israel Set to Respond to Goldstone; Judge Advocate General: “A Vicious Lie”
The Media Line 23 Jan 2010 - Details from an Israeli rebuttal to charges leveled against it for its conduct in last January's Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip that was prepared by the army's Judge Advocate General (JAG) appeared in Saturday's...
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.
Israel calms fears of Hezbollah war
AlJazeera 24 Jan 2010 - Netanyahu says conflict with Lebanese group is not imminent after minister's comments.
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...
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 24 Jan 2010 - Men nabbed after press event held by speaker Dwaik, most senior Hamas official in W. Bank.
Panel to review IDF Cast Lead probes
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - Judicial body to be founded by Barak, Ashkenazi; IDF response to Goldstone to be released in 2 weeks.
Analysis: The Dahiya Doctrine vs. the Goldstone Report
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - IDF: Goldstone Report was born out of misperception of modern warfare.
Israel denies Belgian minister's request to visit Gaza Strip
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - Deputy FM tells Charles Michel visits to Strip give legitimacy to Hamas, warns any aid will be embezzled by terrorists rather than reaching needy.
Almagor to Barak: Don't use Tarif as envoy to PA
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - "Such missions require clean hands, but Tarif has failed such tests in the past," Almagor head writes to defense minister.
1 dead, 5 hurt in east Jerusalem family feud
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - Police: Store set on fire, rocks thrown, shots fired in dispute between two Ras al-Amud families.
Barkat, Erdan to discuss J'lem waste, recycling
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - Barkat has proposed a pilot project in certain neighborhoods for residents to separate wet and dry garbage.
Coalition crisis brewing over matza bill
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - Israel Beiteinu announces refusal to support amendment to bill which Shas insists on passing.
Education Minister to join PM at Auschwitz
Jeruslalem Post 24 Jan 2010 - Sa'ar will meet with his Polish counterpart to discuss ways to increase cooperation between the education ministries of Israel and Poland.
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 During the reporting period, IOF wounded 9 Palestinian civilians, including two children and 3 journalists, in the West Bank.
International Solidarity Movement
Israeli Occupation Forces kidnap 4 in Beit Ommar, West Bank1/24/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - At 4am on January 21st, at least 30 members of the Israel Police, Border Police, Army and Secret Police (Shin Bet) raided the village of Beit Ommar, arresting four men. At the home of Mohammed Salibi, the Occupation Forces broke the window of the door in an effort to enter, as well as another window. Upon entering with a search dog, they asked for the whereabouts of Mohammed from his brothers, Alah, 20, and Ahmed, 14, who were sleeping at the time. Alah, who previously spent 3 months in Occupation jails, was thrown against the wall. Three agents picked up Ahmed and threw him on the ground. Cabinets were also smashed in the house and personal items thrown on the ground. After finding Mohammed, 25, sleeping, they arrested him and took him away without providing further information. As of January 24th, there is still no word on his whereabouts.
Israeli Occupation Forces fire on Iraq Burin
1/24/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Israeli Occupation Forces opened fire on Iraq Burin once again, following a settler attack that has become almost a weekly routine for the village. One villager was injured and treated at the hospital after being struck in the thigh by a tear gas canister. An expectant atmosphere hangs over the village each Saturday now. The peaceful silence, punctuated only by donkey brays or the sound of children playing, offers a strange prelude to what each resident knows is coming. ISM activists have been maintaining a presence in Iraq Burin over the Saturday period – the Jewish religious holiday of Shabbat – but better known in the Occupied Territories for the territorial violence waged on this day by Israeli settlers on the rural Palestinian population. Israeli military were sighted positioning themselves on the hill to the south from approximately 12pm, drawing onlookers from the village.
Sheikh Jarrah: Settlers throw urine bottles, activists arrested
1/24/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Thursday, January 22nd, settlers occupying the Gawi and Al-Kurd family's homes were reported to be harassing and attempting to provoke the evicted Palestinians and solidarity activists to a violent response. Other settlers stood by with film equipment, ready to record any response to their provocation. The evening's heckling resulted in the arrest of Marwan Abu al Saber. Al Saber was released later that night. Settler harassment of neighborhood residents continued and during the night four chairs were stolen by settlers from the Al-Kurd tent. In the last two weeks they have also stolen an ISM"ers shoes and a shelf from the tent. Thursday night'stheft was reported to the police but no action was taken. Friday morning a young settler boy in the Al-Kurd home threw bottles from the home towards the Al-Kurd tent. One bottle, directed at a solidarity activist who was filming nearby, contained urine. "
Beirut airliner crahses into Mediterranean
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 had 85 passengers on board, 50 of which Lebanese nationals, the rest Ethiopians.,
Akiva Eldar / What would Netanyahu do without Peres?
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - The president is passing responsibility for failure in peace process on to the Palestinians.,
Israel's ex-negotiator: Full Mideast peace deal impossible
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Udi Dekel: Palestinians preferred to have peace talks stalemated rather than lower their aspirations.,
EU President Spain: Turkey belongs in European Union
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - 'Solving Israeli-Palestinian conflict most important challenge for Spanish presidency.',
Israel refuses Belgium minister's request to enter Gaza
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Deputy FM says visa would be seen as gesture to Hamas, warns aid would fall into hands of militants.,
Palestinians: Netanyahu's claim to West Bank destroys peace efforts
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Abbas aide: Tree planting makes return to peace talks unlikely; talks; U.S.: No breakthrough is expected.,
Obama's envoy urges Syria, Lebanon to join Mideast talks
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Mitchell holds separate talks with Netanyahu, Abbas; Palestinians pledge commitment to Obama's peace plan.,
More global anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2009 than any year since WWII
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Annual Jewish Agency report cites poll finding 42% of West Europeans believe Jews exploit past to extort money.,
Virtually no contact between Netanyahu, Jordan's Abdullah
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Israel-Jordan relations are in a deep slump, senior officials in Jerusalem and Amman tell Haaretz.,
Haiti Jews tell tales of earthquake destruction
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - For over 500 years a small Jewish community from Lebanon, Brazil, Syria and Egypt has been in Haiti.,
Report: Iraqi workers erase Hebrew from Prophet Ezekiel's tomb
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Iraq government says damage during renovation of nearby mosque was unintentional.,
Egypt's Mubarak defends construction of Gaza barrier
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Hamas has been trying to rally Arab and Muslim public opinion against the barrier, dubbing it the death wall.,
Far-rightists call Rahm Emanuel a traitor to the Jewish people
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Extremists threaten to protest the White House Chief of Staff's upcoming visit to Israel.,
Saudi teenager gets 90 lashes, 2 months in prison for assaulting teacher
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Assault happened after girl was caught with camera phone; Amnesty International urges King Abdullah to rescind sentence.,
Ahmadinejad promises new developments in nuclear fuel upgrade
Ha'aretz 25 Jan 2010 - Iran's president to report 'happy news' about nuclear program in an official announcement in February.,
The Guardian 24 Jan 2010 - Recording attributed to al-Qaida leader says US 'will never dream of security' while it supports Israelis An audio message purportedly from al-Qaida's leader, Osama bin Laden, has claimed responsibility for the Christmas Day bombing attempt on...
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Tourism Minister Stas Misezhnikov and his wife received free VIP tickets to the Madonna concert last September, Haaretz has learned, despite clear instructions from the attorney general that free tickets are considered an illegal gift. ...
IDF reserves commanders too busy with service for civilian work
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - More than 20 reservist battalion commanders are not permanently employed because of their military obligations, which range between two and three months of service per year. Some have lost their jobs due to their dedication, and others say their soldiers face similar threats from their employers. ...
Israeli medical marijuana patient nabbed for driving under the influence
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - A 25-year-old man with Health Ministry permission to use marijuana to relieve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder had his driver's license suspended last week for driving under the influence of drugs, even though ministry guidelines permit such patients to drive. ...
Knesset to vote on expunging criminal records of Gaza pullout opponents
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - The Knesset is due to vote Monday on the second and third readings of a bill that would expunge the criminal record of most of the people convicted of criminal offenses for protesting the disengagement from Gaza. Knesset sources called the bill "historic." ...
Israel hopes quota on migrant workers will bring Israelis more jobs
Ha'aretz 24 Jan 2010 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz on Sunday presented a plan to limit the number of migrant workers permitted in Israel, saying the move would open up 30,000 to 50,000 jobs in the Israeli market within a year. ...
Relief Web 24 Jan 2010 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
OPT: Israel to resume pension payments to Gaza residents
Relief Web 24 Jan 2010 - Source: Agence France-Presse
OPT: Netanyahu reaffirms Israel claim to parts of West Bank
Relief Web 24 Jan 2010 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
Israelis defy police to protest east Jerusalem settlements
Relief Web 23 Jan 2010 - Source: Agence France-Presse
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - Peres in Berlin, Netanyahu in Auschwitz, Lieberman in Budapest and Edelstein at UN headquarters in New York all plan attack UN report into Gaza war on International Holocaust Day. 'It's not an easy connection, but we must learn the lessons from what happened,' information minister tells Ynet
Vietnamese immigrant: Israel saving Haiti children's lives
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - Israel's plan to assist in adoption of Haitian orphans brings back memories for two brothers from Bat Yam who fled Vietnam in 1977, finding refuge in Jewish state
Israel prevents Belgian minister from entering Gaza
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - Belgian Development Cooperation Minister Charles Michel request to visit Strip denied by Deputy Foreign Minister Ayalon, who says 'visit would bolster Hamas'
Aid groups oppose adoption of Haitian orphans
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - Following Social Affairs Ministry's intention to promote adoption of Haitian children left without families, aid organizations say idea is noble, yet needs of foreign workers' children living in Israel should be addressed first
Palestinian parliament's term expires
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - Legislative Council in Ramallah, mainly consisting of Hamas representatives, will end its official term Sunday night. Fatah already declares it will consider body as illegal, whereas Hamas elements stress that current make-up will remain until new elections are held in Palestinian Authority. Efforts for internal reconciliation to be reinforced in coming days
Assad, Gaddafi say Arab countries must unite against Israel
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - Syrian president, Libyan leader meet ahead of Arab summit to discuss 'oppressing siege impose on the Gaza Strip and the Israeli obstacle to peace'
PA: Peace talks cannot be revived
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - PM Netanyahu says he is waiting for Palestinian president to resume negotiations, but Palestinian leadership appears to have lost hope. Sources say PA deeply disappointed with the lack of American pressure on Israel, believes peace deal won't reached during Abbas' term
Yisrael Beiteinu fights Shas on Chametz Law
YNet News 24 Jan 2010 - Shas members accuse Yisrael Beiteinu of trying to make 'deal' – pass Chametz Law in return for support for Civil Marriage Law. Lieberman's party rejects allegations, calls it a 'barefaced lie'
Daily Star 25 Jan 2010 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hinted on Sunday that Tehran would itself pursue uranium enrichment to higher levels if the West spurns its offer of a phased fuel swap, promising Iranians "sweet" news soon. Ahmadinejad said Iran will make an announcement regarding the enrichment of uranium to 20 percent purity when the nation next month marks the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed shah.
Netanyahu reaffirms Israel's goal to keep parts of West Bank 'for eternity'
Daily Star 25 Jan 2010 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Sunday that Israel would keep parts of the West Bank forever, planting trees in a settlement bloc to reaffirm a land claim long rooted in Israeli government policy. "Our message is clear: We are planting here, we will stay here, we will build here, this place will be an inseparable part of the state of Israel for eternity," Netanyahu said in the Gush Etzion enclave.
Syria's Assad holds talks with Libyan leader
Daily Star 25 Jan 2010 Syrian President Bashar Assad held talks with Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Sunday in Tripoli, where both leaders discussed the situation of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and bilateral relations between their countries. President Assad and Libya's Gadhafi addressed the Palestinian issue at length, according to Syria's state-controlled SANA news agency.
Mubarak defends Gaza barrier, vows to quash militant groups
Daily Star 25 Jan 2010 Egypt's president said Sunday his security forces would quash Islamist groups threatening stability in Egypt and the region, highlighting worries about Al-Qaeda building up strength in places such as Yemen. President Hosni Mubarak also defended building a barrier on the Gaza border, saying it would stop militants crossing. The move has drawn criticism from inside Egypt.
Israel to deliver 'formal response' to UN report on Gaza war
Daily Star 25 Jan 2010 Israel has prepared a rebuttal to a UN report censuring its conduct in the Gaza war, Israeli officials said on Sunday, arguing the United Nations' findings were so unfair as to have fuelled a global wave of anti-Semitism. Issued in September by a panel under South African jurist Richard Goldstone, the non-binding report cited evidence Israel had unlawfully targeted Palestinian civilians.
Dozens injured after plane crash lands in Iran
Daily Star 25 Jan 2010 A Russian-made Iranian passenger plane carrying 157 passengers and 13 crew crash landed in Iran on Sunday injuring at least 46 people, state television reported. The broadcast quoted Iran's civil aviation spokesman, Reza Jafarzadeh, as saying that no one was killed in the accident. He gave no indication of what might have caused the accident.
Iraqi MPs call for probe into bomb detection device
Daily Star 25 Jan 2010 An Iraqi parliamentary committee will investigate the ongoing use of a device used to detect bombs at checkpoints in the country despite a ban by Britain, its members said Sunday. "We will start to gather evidence to find out how this piece of equipment was sold to Iraq," Hadi al-Ameri, chair of the parliament's defence and security committee, told AFP.
Palestinian Information Center
Dweik: The PLC still assumes its duties according to the basic lawPIC 24 Jan 2010 - Dr. Aziz Dweik stated that the PLC is still assuming its parliamentary responsibilities in accordance with the constitutional entitlement stated in the basic law.
Three foreign activists injured in Jewish settlers' attack
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Three foreign solidarity activists were injured on Sunday after Jewish settlers assaulted and threw stones at them east of Al-Khalil city.
Campaign against siege warns of serious repercussions for power failure
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - The Palestinian-international campaign to lift the siege on Gaza Strip has warned of the serious repercussions of the long periods of power cuts in many Strip areas as a result of the fuel shortage.
IOA orders two brothers to stop building their homes
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) ordered two Palestinian brothers in Al-Khalil on Sunday to stop building their homes at the pretext they were building without permits.
Ghoul: Mitchell came to the region to press only the PA and not Israel
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Kayed Al-Ghoul, a senior official of the popular front for the liberation of Palestine (PFLP), said that US envoy George Mitchell came to the region to pressure only the Palestinian Authority.
Awkaf minister warns of Aqsa collapse
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Dr. Taleb Abu Shaar has warned of the total collapse of the Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem as a result of a natural or induced geological phenomenon.
Abbas’s militias kidnap six members of Hizb Attahrir in Al-Khalil
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Mahmoud Abbas’s militias kidnapped Saturday evening six members of Hizb Attahrir (the liberation party) during raids carried out in the towns of Dora and Daheria, south of Al-Khalil city.
Patients in Ramle prison hospital complains of delay in treatment
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - Palestinian prisoners held in Ramle prison hospital have complained that the hospital's administration deliberately delays their treatment.
Masri: Hamas's foreign tour proved failure of attempts to defeat resistance
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - MP Mushir Al-Masri has asserted that the recent tour of a Hamas delegation in a number of countries had proven that all projects aimed at liquidating resistance and Hamas movement had failed.
Gov’t: We do not interfere in the work of media institutions in Gaza
PIC 24 Jan 2010 - The Palestinian government said that it does not and will not interfere in or obstruct the work of any media institution as long as they operate according to law.
LA Times 24 Jan 2010 - Tzipi Livni was expected to be the next prime minister, but lately her Kadima party has seemed rudderless. She defends her above-the-fray-style, pointing out her party is the largest in parliament. Many people expected Tzipi Livni to become Israel's first female prime minister since Golda Meir.
Train crash in Iran kills at least 8
LA Times 23 Jan 2010 - Reports attribute the accident to a mechanical failure, an obstacle on the tracks or excess speed. Experts say the nation's transportation sector has deteriorated over the past 30 years because of mismanagement and international sanctions. Reporting from Beirut — A train accident in northeastern Iran killed at least eight people this morning and injured dozens, underscoring problems in Iran's transportation sector.
U.S. appears to lower expectations in Middle East
LA Times 23 Jan 2010 - 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...
What is the endgame in Gaza?
Mondoweiss - 24 Jan 2010 - Protest in Beirut against Egypt’s "Wall of Shame" on the border with Gaza. I want to focus attention on an issue that hasn’t gotten enough press. The Mubarak regime is building a subterranean steel wall on the border with Gaza. Conservative estimates put the depth of...
Israeli media consultant in Maariv: ‘The Haiti Disaster is Good for the Jews’
Mondoweiss - 24 Jan 2010 - This website and others have come under criticism for discussing how Israel’s supporters are using the disaster in Haiti for propaganda purposes. Both the websites Hybrid States and War in Context have already rebutted this criticism head on, and it seems that the article below provides...
Osama to Obama: No security for US so long as Palestinians lack it
Mondoweiss - 24 Jan 2010 - Steve Walt has a post saying George Mitchell should resign because there is nothing for him to do in the Obama administration, and that the U.S. will be judged harshly for our role in sustaining the Israeli occupation that has destroyed the two-state-solution. How harshly will...
Missing Gaza Freedom marcher is safe
Mondoweiss - 24 Jan 2010 - We just received this wonderful news from a relative of Gaza Freedom Marcher Shannon Hughes, who yesterday was reported missing in Egypt : "SHE IS ON HER WAY HOME…more to follow. No details yet but she is safe and on her way home." For more details, please...
In first mention of destruction of Gaza’s flour mill, NYT’s Bronner serves up Israeli claims
Mondoweiss - 24 Jan 2010 - Here is a story by New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner in yesterday’s paper, anticipating the Israeli defense forces’ official response to the Goldstone Report. Bronner’s story is 99-44/100ths hasbara. He quotes an Israeli general, he quotes Moshe Halbertal. He even gets B’tselem to...
Articles
The environmental impact of Israeli military activities in the occupied Palestinian territory
Z. Brophy and J.Isaac, Applied Research Institute Jerusalem 1/17/2010
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 scant attention paid to the detrimental effects on the environment from Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) activities and the military infrastructure which supports them. This is in no small part because of the lack of information provided by the Israeli authorities and the high level of secrecy surrounding the IOF. For example, whilst conducting research for this paper it was not possible to view any images of the military bases in the oPt post 2004 because all sources have been doctored to erase any evidence of their presence.
Nonetheless, this report will strive to provide a historical background and legal framework to the IOF presence in the oPt and assess some of the consequent environmental implications.
A historical perspective
With the routing of the Arab forces in June 1967 the Israelis began their illegal occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank . During more than 40 years of occupation the Israelis have confiscated a considerable proportion of the territory in the oPt under the auspices of military needs. This is in addition to the extensive settlement developments which currently house around half a million illegal settlers in the oPt.
[Israel] has confiscated approximately 1000km2 of land to create closed military zones, which amounts to more than 20% of the West Bank territory. Excluding the areas that fall between the green line and the segregation barrier, Palestinians are barred entry to all of the military zones... Full Report (PDF) -- See also: Full Report (PDF) more.. e-mail
How Israel put the brakes on another Palestinian dream
Ben Lynfield, The Independent 1/16/2010
The peace process is stalled, but that hasn’t stopped Palestinians planning their first modern town in the West Bank. Work has begun on the project, but the lack of an access route could still kill it off.
The West Bank scene is all too familiar: yellow cranes lifting boulders, bulldozers scooping up soil, drills transforming a hillside set in a biblical landscape of rolling olive groves.
But this is not another Jewish settlement under construction. Small Palestinian flags wave from the bulldozers, a hint that this is a nationally significant project, the start of the first planned city in modern Palestinian history.
"You are walking in downtown Rawabi," says site manager Maher Sawalha, burly and enthusiastic. Around him is empty brushland, dotted with hyssop and speckled with red anemones. But Mr Sawalha is not indulging in a fantasy: preliminary construction work on the town started last week, and it has a very detailed plan.
But there is a hitch: Israel has yet to grant permission to build an access road, without which this town, intended to have a population of 40,000, will simply not be viable. But, for the time being, that does not stop the dream from being dreamed. "Where we are standing there will be retail stores, hotels, a cultural centre, restaurants, a theater and a cinema," says Mr Sawalha. "In another part of the city we will also have an open-air theatre ."
This is the man who oversaw the building of the mausoleum of the Palestinian founding father, Yasser Arafat, in Ramallah, but he is convinced that Rawabi, 10 kilometres north of Ramallah and close to the Palestinian village of Atara and the Jewish settlement of Ateret, is more significant. more.. e-mail
An open letter the Israeli Ministry of the Interior
Christian Peacemaker Teams, Ma’an News Agency 1/24/2010
Things you may not know about internationals working in Palestine
Dear Ministry Personnel,
At church this past Sunday in Jerusalem, the pastor read the names of church members to whom you had recently denied entry into Israel.Several worked for organizations that have been trying to meet human need in this area for decades.Everyone in that congregation probably felt the same chill I did as I imagined the interrogation, the airport jail cell, and the police van parked, blue lights flashing, on the tarmac to prevent us from leaving on the jet deporting us to our home countries.
I will operate on the assumption that you think Palestinians should have the same human rights as Israelis, and that you honestly think internationals working in Palestine represent a threat to Israel"™s security.If that is so, then I would like to enlighten you on a few points:
1) Most individuals who come to work for aid, development, peace, and human rights organizations in Palestine and Israel are compassionate people who have chosen their line of work because they want to alleviate human suffering. If you showed up at their doorstep, hungry, cold and unarmed, they would take you in, give you a hot meal and listen sympathetically when you told them how you ended up in such an unfortunate condition.
2) You should really get to know human rights workers. For one thing, most of them are really funny. More importantly, many of them became interested in their field after they learned about the Holocaust and the centuries of anti-Semitic persecution leading up to it. They want to work toward a world where these evils never happen again to anyone.... more.. e-mail
rescuers targeted, one year on
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: 24 Jan 2010 - By Uri Avnery The business is registered in the name of Binyamin Netanyahu. But the reality is different. Netanyahu has never been more than a slick patent medicine salesman. That is a type that appears frequently in American Westerns and sells an elixir that is good for everything: against the flu and against tuberculosis, against heart attacks and against lunacy. The main weapon of the vendor is his tongue: his stream of words builds castles in the air, blows up glistening bubbles and silences all doubt. Since the election almost a year ago, his biggest (literally) achievement has been the setting up of a cabinet: 30 ministers and a bunch of deputies, most of them without any perceptible duties, some of them in charge of ministries for which they are the most unsuited of all possible candidates. From then on his main occupation has been the one in which he is most adept: political survival. In this governmental zoo, the one really important creature is the Liebarak – a two-headed monster that terrifies all the other animals. This animal is 50% Lieberman, 50% Barak, 0% human. When Liberman first appeared on the stage, many looked on him with disdain. Such a person, they decided, has no chance in Israeli politics. For ten years, he has been under investigation by the police on suspicion of corruption, receiving money from mysterious foreign sources and more. Moreover, in the eyes of many Israelis, he is the most un-Israeli figure imaginable. They have tagged...