InI Needs Your Support!
Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
www.vtjp.org/
For those interested in keeping up with events in Palestine/Israel, there is no better digest than VTJP.
News
International Middle East Media Center
Shaath
Meets Hamas Leaders In Gaza
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Thursday February 04, 2010 - 02:55, Dr. Nabil Shaath,
member of the Central Committee of Fateh movement, met on Wednesday
evening with delegates of the rival Hamas movement, and also met with
Fateh leaders and leaders of other factions.
Netanyahu
Expects Peace Talks To Resume Within Coming Weeks
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Thursday February 04, 2010 - 01:44, Israeli Prime
Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated Wednesday that there is a chance
that the stalled peace process would be unconditionally resumed in the
coming few weeks.
The
Israeli Military Invades Areas Near Gaza City & Destroys Farm Lands
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 17:06, Israeli tanks and
bulldozers invaded residential areas and farm lands, east of Gaza City
on Wednesday afternoon.
The
Israeli military detained 12 Palestinian civilians from the West Bank
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 16:55, Twelve Palestinian
civilians were detained, on Wednesday, by Israeli troops during
pre-dawn invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.
Two
Palestinians & One American Detained Following Pre-Dawn Incursion
in Bil'in
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 14:34, 26 Israeli soldiers
entered the West Bank village of Bil’in, near Ramallah, on Wednesday at
3 am. They detained 2 Palestinians, one a journalist, and an
international journalist.
More
Detainees Seeking Higher Education
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 13:17, The Palestinian
Prisoner Society (PPS) reported that more Palestinian detainees,
imprisoned at the Ramon Israeli prison, are joining the Hebrew Open
University. The detainees are also holding seminars and educational
sessions.
Israeli
Army Breaks Into The Home Of Hebron Legislator
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 12:14, Palestinian sources
reported that Israeli soldiers, on Wednesday at dawn, broke into the
home of Palestinian Legislator of, Hatem Qafisha, in Wad al-Harya area,
south of Hebron in the southern part of the West Bank.
Israel
Bombards Seven Areas In Gaza, Carries Limited Invasion
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 11:29, The Israeli Air Force
bombarded, on Wednesday at dawn, seven areas in the Gaza Strip killing
one resident, and wounding two others. The army also carried out a
limited invasion into northern Gaza. The attacks targeted border areas,
and the Gaza International Airport.
Hamas
Halts Indirect Prisoner-swap Talks With Israel
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 09:44, The Hamas movement
decided to halt the indirect prisoner-swap talks with Israel in the
aftermath of the assassination of Mahmoud al-Madbouh who was killed at
a hotel in Dubai two nearly weeks ago. Hamas claims Israeli agents were
behind the assassination.
Fayyad
From Hertzilia: "Ending Conflict Is The Only Assurance To Israel's
Security"
IMEMC
3 Feb 2010 - Wednesday February 03, 2010 - 03:09, Palestinian Prime
Minister, Dr. Salaam Fayyad, stated during his speech at the Hertzilia
Conference on Tuesday at night that ending the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict is the only means that could assure Israel's security, and
stability in the region.
Watch:
American detained for `interfering` with military
2/3/2010
- Ramallah - Ma'an - A 27-year-old American woman was detained along
with two Palestinians by Israeli forces during a night raid in the
village of Bil'in on Wednesday. All three were taken to the border
police station, an organizer said. An Israeli military spokesman
confirmed the detentions. Forces broke into the home of Abed Al-Fattah
Burnat, 27, then surrounded the home of Ashraf Abu Rahma. International
and Palestinian activists were alerted of the raid and went to the
location to film the event. Witnesses said the home was declared a
closed military zone by army officials, who demanded reporters and
activists stay 50 meters away from the door. Organizers said the group
moved 50 meters back, but soldiers continued to harass photojournalist
and B'Tselem volunteer Hamdi Abu Rahameh, 22. The Israeli military said
Rahameh is a Palestinian citizen of Israel, and said he was. . .
Worker
killed in smuggling tunnel collapse at Rafah
2/3/2010
- Gaza – Ma'an – A smuggling tunnel underneath the Egypt-Rafah border
collapsed killing a young man from Jabaliya on Wednesday, bringing to
three the number of tunnel-related deaths already in 2010. Muawiya
Hassanein, director of ambulance and emergency service in Gaza Strip
hospitals, identified the young man as 21-year-old Mahrous An-Nathir.
He was evacuated to Abu Yousif An-Najjar Hospital in Rafah where he was
pronounced dead. According to medics, the tunnel was in the Al-Qassas
area west of the Salah Ad-Din Gate. The death is the second in a week,
following the electrocution of 23-year-old Ashraf Al-Attar o Saturday.
In 2009, 139 young men were killed during their work in the tunnels.
Al-Qassam
Brigades combatant killed in ’Jihad’ mission
2/3/2010
- Gaza – Ma'an – A man was killed during a resistance mission conducted
by the Izz Ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of the Hamas
party, the group announced Wednesday. A statement, brigades leaders
identified the slain man as Abu Dajana Abdul Rahman from the Sheikh
Radwan neighborhood in Gaza. [end]
Mustafa
Barghouthi nominated for Nobel
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Founder of the political party the Palestinian
National Initiative Mustafa Barghouthi was nominated for the 2010 Nobel
Peace Prize by Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate and co-founder of
Peace People in Northern Ireland. The nomination was submitted on 15
January. In her letter Maguire cited Barghouthi's "commitment to
nonviolence in his personal and public life" as an effort that "is
truly in the Ghandian spirit. " Recognition for Barghouthi, she said,
would "be a recognition of not only his great spirit of peace and
nonviolence but also of the Palestinian nonviolent movement, which
gives us all hope for the future of Palestine, Israel and the Middle
East community. "Barghouthi was a presidential candidate in Palestine
in 2005, was elected to the Palestinian parliament in 2006, appointed
Minister of Information under the 2007 national unity government,and. .
. Related: Palestine
Monitor: Mustafa Barghouthi Nominated for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize
Swap
talks over, Hamas official says
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas leader Mahmoud Az-Zahar said on Tuesday
that negotiations for a prisoner swap deal between the Islamic movement
and Israel have stopped. "As regarding negotiations, as of now the
process has failed," he said in an interview with the British
Broadcasting Corp. "The main cause, well known to everybody, well known
to the mediator, that after the interference of the political element,
after the appearance of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu
personally, there was a big regression and retraction. For this reason
negotiations have now stopped," he added. Az-Zahhar added: "We are
looking to set free our people and also to give a chance for the family
of the Israeli soldier to live as a human being also. We demanded a
considerable number of prisoners, but the Israeli side, after hundreds
of rounds of talks, reached backward too much. "
Report:
German mediator en route to Israel for swap talks
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Head of the Campaign to Free Gilad Shalit,
Shimshon Liebman, told Voice of Israel's morning program that the
German mediator involved in prisoner swap talks will return to Israel
this week. The news follows announcements by Hamas officials that the
talks negotiating the release of the captured Israeli soldier in
exchange for 1,000 Palestinian prisoners were closed, as retaliation
for the alleged assassination of a Hamas armed wing leader in Dubai on
21 January. Officials said the swap talks were over, citing their lack
of faith in Israeli intentions to follow through on the deal in light
of the assassination. Israeli media outlets variously confirmed that
the death of the Hamas leader was a Mossad hit and accused Arab arms
traders of killing the former official. Liebman said the mediator would
hand Hamas Israel's response to the last round of talks.
Fayyad
criticized for attending Israeli security conference
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Prime Minister Salam Fayyad addressed the Tenth
Herzliya Conference on Wednesday, following Israeli Foreign Minster
Ehud Barak, and amid harsh criticism from several sides in Palestine.
The conference, at the Campus of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya,
was co-sponsored by Israel's Institute for Policy and Strategy, and The
Lauder School of Government, Diplomacy and Strategy. Topics at the
conference were Israeli personal security, regional security, Russian
immigration, preparedness on the home front, pension savings, Iran as a
nuclear threat and climate change. Fayyad attended a final discussion
on regional peace, and stressed the need to hand over security control
to Palestinian officers, saying "It's time to stop the IDF raids. The
Palestinians can have an official security presence outside Area A as
well. "
Haniyeh:
Gaza is open for all
2/4/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on
Wednesday that reconciliation is a national necessity, speaking at a
meeting with businessman Munib Al-Masri in Gaza City. Welcoming Fatah
leader Nabil Sha'ath, who arrived the same afternoon, Haniyeh asserted
that Gaza "is open for all. ""We are talking about practical procedures
and agreed-upon views concerning notes and procedures that would lead
us to sign the Egyptian proposal, with which we would achieve a real
conciliation to end division," Haniyeh said. He called for "unifying
the Palestinians to confront the challenges and risks which Jerusalem
and the Palestinian cause are facing. "The Hamas leader noted that
"these meetings are normal among one Palestinian people, during which
they will discuss many issues that are of concern to the Palestinians -
at the top of which is conciliation. "
Fatah
leader enters Gaza for talks with Hamas
2/3/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath arrived
in Gaza on Wednesday afternoon via the Erez crossing, it was his first
visit to the area since the Hamas take-over in 2007 and marks the first
time a Fatah member visited the Strip since the Sixth Fatah conference
in August. The trip came amidst controversy in Gaza, with Hamas
officials threatening to require permits authorized by the government
before Fatah leaders would be allowed to enter. The governor of the
central Gaza Strip Abdullah Abu Samhadana publicly objected to the
rumored ban, saying Palestinians should always have the right to return
to their homeland no matter what political party they were from.
Officials expect Sha'th will be in Gaza for several days, and sources
said he would hold meetings with members of all political groups
including Hamas, likely around issues of reconciliation.
Two
Gaza crossings open; strawberries set for export
2/4/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Gaza's Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings will open for
the transfer of limited goods into the coastal area, including
humanitarian aid, commercial goods and some fuel, Palestinian crossings
liaison Raed Fattouh said Wednesday. Four of an expected 88 truckloads
of goods will include equipment for the Palestinian Telecommunications
Company (PalTel), the second such import of repair and upgrade
materials in two days. The remaining 84 trucks will transport
humanitarian and some commercial goods, as well as quantities of
cooking gas and industrial fuel for the Gaza Power Plant. At the
bulk-goods crossing, Karni, a total of 63 truckloads of wheat and
animal feed will be imported, Fattouh said. One truck of strawberries
will be exported, under a Dutch government program supporting farmers
in the besieged area. . . . .
Egypt:
Rafah partially open Wednesday, Thursday
2/3/2010
- Al-Arish – Ma'an – The Rafah crossing was opened one way on Wednesday
for patients treated outside Gaza to return to the area, along with
some others stranded in Egypt, security sources said. Egyptian
officials told Ma'an that the crossing would be open on Thursday, also
only allowing passage into the Strip, with priority given to patients
whose treatment in Egypt has been concluded. The Rafah crossing is
usually open on Thursdays and Fridays for the transfer of patients and
students in and out of the Strip. [end]
One
dead, three injured in gas canister explosion in Gaza City
2/3/2010
- Gaza – Ma'an – The explosion of a cooking gas cylinder in a Gaza City
home on Wednesday killed one man and injured four others in the third
home-heating accident in Gaza in the past two weeks. The canister, used
for supplying stoves with gas for cooking and home heating devices in
the winter, was on the first floor of the home. The force of the
explosion displaced the canister, and police were not immediately sure
what caused the explosion. Civil defense forces rushed to the home of
Ali Al-Ghafry in the As-Sahaba neighborhood of Gaza City, and found the
charred body of one man, and delivered a critically injured woman to
the Ash-Shifa Hospital along with three other family members.
Eyewitnesses told Ma'an ambulances and civil defense rushed to the
place. At the end of January, a home fire killed one when a generator
malfunctioned, and three children were killed earlier in the month
when. . . .
Bethlehem
brawls see 2 injured, 9 detained
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem – Ma'an – A family brawl in Marah Ma'alla village saw two
injured and nine detained after locals called police to quell the
burgeoning conflict south of Bethlehem Wednesday, as a second family
fight in the city was controlled without incident. The Public Relations
and Information office in Bethlehem said police arrived to Marah
Ma'alla, south of Bethlehem, when the fight was at its peak, and had to
physically intervene and disperse the family members, detaining nine.
They said the conflict was quelled and mediation efforts will continue.
A second fight in Bethlehem's Old City, at the Mashakh neighborhood
south of the Nativity Church, was caught early by police,the
information office said, likely preventing injuries as a family fight
spread to the street during the early hours of Wednesday.
Hamas:
PA forces arrest 7 West Bank affiliates
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem – Ma'an – Hamas officials released a statement Wednesday,
accusing the West Bank government of detaining seven of its members for
political reasons. The statement said the members were taken from the
Jenin, Nablus and Tulrarem areas. [end]
PRC’s
Abu Mujahid denies claims of joint Ashkelon mission
2/3/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - The armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees,
the An-Naser Salah Ad-Din Brigades, denied having any part in the
explosive devices found Monday on the Ashkelon beach, spokesman Abu
Mujahid announced Wednesday. A joint statement was issued on 1 February
by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, Islamic
Jihad's armed group the Al-Quds Brigades, and the military wing of the
Popular Resistance Committees, the An-Nasser Salah Ad-Ding Brigades,
saying they had collectively fired eight shells at the port of
Ashkelon. The statement was delivered by Abu Abdallah Ash-Shayshany, a
second An-Nasser Brigades leader, and confirmed during an interview on
Tuesday. The An-Nasser Brigades sent a statement Wednesday, however,
accusing an "unknown group" of "acting in the name of the brigades and
releasing statements under the name of the armed wing. "
Israel:
Explosive device found on Tel Aviv beach
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - An explosive device was found at a beach in Tel
Aviv on Wednesday afternoon, the Israeli military reported, hours after
the country's armed forces attacked two sites in the southern Gaza
Strip. The finds came came two days after explosive barrels were
reportedly discovered in Ashdod and Ashkelon. Security forces
neutralized all three explosives, according to the army, the latest of
which was said to have been found on Tel Aviv's Palmachim beach.
Israeli forces discovered two explosive devices on separate beaches in
southern Israel on Monday, sources said 48 hours after a group of
factions told Ma'an they launched a barrage in the same area. Early
Monday, Israeli civilians reported seeing a suspicious object lying on
the Barnea beach, a public beach in the coastal city of Ashkelon, which
police later determined to be an explosive device, army sources said.
Abbas
to meet Mubarak in Cairo Saturday
2/3/2010
- Cairo - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas is scheduled to meet Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Saturday, Palestinian ambassador to
Egypt and the Arab League Barakat Al-Farra announced. Al-Farra told
reporters in Cairo on Tuesday that Abbas would arrive in Cairo Friday
evening, and hold a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart on Saturday.
Abbas and Mubarak will discuss US Middle East envoy George Mitchell's
suggestions over the possible resumption of peace talks, he said. The
visit follows Abbas' trip to Europe, where he spent time in Britain,
Germany and Russia rallying support for the Palestinian stance on
demands for a settlement freeze before the resumption of peace talks.
The trip was on the heels of a series of meetings with regional leaders
by US Special Envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell, who failed to
convince sides to resume talks.
Farmer
finds giant lemon on his Jericho grove
2/3/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - A Palestinian farmer from Beit Sahour found a
two-kilogram lemon on his grove in Jericho on Tuesday. Issa Rishmawi,
56, took the exceptionally large citrus to the office of the PA
Ministry of Agriculture in Bethlehem to try and find an explanation for
the lemon's irregular size. Head of the botanic department of the
ministry Auda Sabarna said the lemon measured 53 by 61 centimeters and
weighed a whopping 1,950 grams. As for the scientific explanation for
its huge size, Sabarna said it was an organic mutation as Rishmawi does
not use chemical fertilizers on his grove. The tree that yielded the
oversized lemon was planted three years ago, Rishmawi said, and last
year's yield produced lemons over one kilogram in weight.
14,000
apply for Gaza security services posts
2/3/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - More than 14,000 young men and women applied for jobs
with the de facto government security services during the last hiring
call, interior ministry spokesman Ihab Al-Ghussein announced Wednesday.
The Gaza government previously announced the positions at an event in
the Abu Khadra compound near the government buildings, where hundreds
gathered to pre-register for the fitness and other required tests. Of
the thousands of applicants only 1,000-1,500 will be hired for the
forces, Al-Ghussein noted. With over 70% unemployment in the Gaza
Strip, government positions provide secure and steady paycheques for
Palestinians in the area, two-thirds of which are registered refugees.
The blockade of the Strip by Israel that started in 2006 and
intensified in 2007 saw most industry shut down with only 5% of
factories continuing to operate.
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Two barrels found earlier this week were packed with TNT and rigged for detonation by cellphone.
Second Qassam rocket in 24 hours strikes southern Israel
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Attack follows calls to expedite deployment of delayed "Iron Dome" defense batteries.
Dubai warns Mossad, Hamas against covert operations
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Dubai police chief denies Hamas claim that the assassins entered the country with Israeli delegation.
Peretz to Barak: Deploy anti-missile system near Gaza
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Comment by former defense min. comes as IDF says it will only deploy Iron Dome system in IAF bases.
Shalit family: German mediator set to deliver Hamas response
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Hamas says mediated talks have been halted due to assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.
IDF officer: Gaza civilians risked to protect Israel troops during war
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Officer tells The Independent that the IDF's new policy meant literally zero risk to the soldiers.
Hamas returns Israeli Bedouin who entered Gaza
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - The reportedly mentally unstable man made previous attempts to illegally cross into Egypt and Jordan.
IAF hits Gaza tunnels in wake of bombing attempt by sea
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Palestinians claim responsibility for attempted attack, say more explosive-laden barrels in sea.
Israel fears more explosive-laden barrels in Mediterranean
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Following discovery of two explosives in Ashkelon and Ashdod, police scan coast for devices.
IDF arrests two suspects plotting to attack Israel for Hamas
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - East Jerusalem residents allegedly recruited while living in Jordan and Dubai to attack civilian locations.
VIDEO: Israel's immigration police cracks down on pro-Palestinian foreigners
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Newly formed Oz Unit has joined the IDF in at least three arrest raids on foreign activists in recent weeks.
IDF denies disciplining top officers over white phosphorous use in Gaza war
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Army denial counters state report into Gaza shelling that found two officers jeopardized civilian lives.
Israel frees detained Lebanese shepherd into UNIFIL hands
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Lebanese sources accuse IDF of kidnapping 17-year-old and abusing him; Lebanon MP appeals to army.
IDF arrests Lebanese shepherd carrying army knife near border
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Lebanese MP tied to Hezbollah calls on country to deal with incident he says clearly violates UN resolution.
U.S. official: Hezbollah arms flow may signal plans for war with Israel
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - State Dept. official tells Al-Hayat that flow of arms into south Lebanon clearly breaches UN Resolution 1701.
Netanyahu leaning toward probe into alleged Gaza war crimes
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - PM wants inquiry but defense ministry and IDF blocking investigation into deliberate targeting of civilians.
Report: U.S. accelerates missile defenses in Persian Gulf
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Obama places defense systems in four Arab countries; Peres tells IAEA chief a nuclear Iran threatens the world.
Report: Dubai has lead in assassination of top Hamas man
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Report comes as security official says wouldn't rule out chance that Mossad was behind January 20 killing.
PA to probe alleged Hamas Gaza war crimes
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Intent to investigate Hamas acts was stated by PA envoy while delivering report on Gaza fighting to UN.
Hamas warns Israel of 'resistance' after official killed in Dubai
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Dubai government: Police have identified suspects in the killing as members of a criminal gang.
Palestinian
ex-detainee dies of mistreatment while in occupation jails
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 -- Liberated prisoner Mohammed Al-Emle, 26, was
pronounced dead on Wednesday in one of Al-Khalil hospitals of kidney
failure after he was given wrong medication while in Israeli custody.
Medical sources told the PIC that the deceased was given medicines not
fit for his condition during his administrative detention three years
ago. They said that the detainee...
Settlers
Vandalism in Bethlehem (Video)
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - Monday started with the news that the Israeli
military has decided to reoccupy part of Ush Al-Ghrab in Beit Sahour
after having left it in 2006 and Tuesday saw the army begin clearing
land of Ush Ghrab. Ush Ghrab is part public (Palestinian) land but a
major part of it is private lands that was put...
A
Review of Shahid Alam's "Israeli Exceptionalism" Zionism Laid Bare
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - The essential point of M. Shahid Alam’s book,
Israeli Exceptionalism: The Destabilizing Logic of Zionism, comes clear
upon opening the book to the inscription in the frontispiece. From the
Persian poet and philosopher Rumi, the quote reads, "You have the
light, but you have no humanity. Seek humanity, for that is the goal."
Alam, professor of...
Amid
media blackout Congressional hearing reveals US intelligence agencies
shielded Flight 253 bomber
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - A January 27 hearing of the House Committee on
Homeland Security established that US intelligence agencies stopped the
State Department from revoking the US visa of Umar Farouk
Abdulmutallab. The Nigerian student, whom US officials suspected of
being affiliated with the Yemeni terrorist group Al Qaeda in the
Arabian Peninsula, attempted to set off a bomb...
Fatah
leader enters Gaza for talks with Hamas
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 – Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath arrived
in Gaza on Wednesday afternoon via the Erez crossing, it was his first
visit to the area since the Hamas take-over in 2007 and marks the first
time a Fatah member visited the Strip since the Sixth Fatah conference
in August. The trip came amidst controversy in Gaza, with...
Mustafa
Barghouthi nominated for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - Founder of the political party the Palestinian
National Initiative Mustafa Barghouthi was nominated for the 2010 Nobel
Peace Prize by Mairead Maguire, Nobel Peace Laureate and co-founder of
Peace People in Northern Ireland. The nomination was submitted on 15
January. In her letter Maguire cited Barghouthi's "commitment to
nonviolence in his personal and public life" as...
Netanyahu
- West Bank Settlement of Ariel “Will be part of Israel”
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - The illegal settlement of Ariel, south of Nablus and
well inside the occupied West Bank, will be part of Israel in any
agreement reached with the Palestinians. This claim was made by Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Friday, according to Israeli
media reports. Netanyahu was visiting the settlement and planting a
symbolic tree when he...
Video:
Blood Lust: Israelis back new strike on Gaza amid calls to prosecute
'war criminals'
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - A recent poll has revealed more than half of
Israelis approve of another attack on Gaza. That's despite widespread
international condemnation of last year's offensive which killed more
than 1300 Palestinians. It comes as recent Goldstone Gaza report said
Israel committed war crimes, and there've been many claims of the use
of banned weapons...
Palestinian
red crescent society (PRCS): We were the target of 455 Israeli attacks
in 2009
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 -- The Palestinian red crescent society (PRCS)
announced on Tuesday that its medical teams were the targets of 455
Israeli attacks in 2009 including shooting and physical assaults. A
PRCS report said that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) fired 15
times at its ambulance vehicles in the West Bank and Gaza Strip killing
one of the volunteers...
Advocacy
group: Israel is a pedophile's paradise
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - The National Council for the Child welcomed the
arrest of Avinoam Braverman and called on government ministries to take
steps to prevent pedophiles from trapping children on the Web. "We have
been saying for a long time that Israel is a pedophile's paradise and
everyone said we were exaggerating," council head Yitzhak Kadman said.
"But we...
Yes...I
am Suicidal "Nadia...the Martyr...the Mujahida..."
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - You may have forgotten Nadia, the girl who was raped
by the dogs of the occupation in the notorious prison Abu Ghraib, and
to revive your memory, this is her story which she revealed; she did
not throw herself in the arms of her family, like any aggrieved,
oppressed prisoner would do, a prisoner with a...
Israeli
jets strike southern Gaza
Uruknet
February 3, 2010 - Bethlehem – Ma'an – Israeli warplanes carried out
airstrikes on at least two targets in the southern Gaza Strip
overnight, witnesses said and the Israeli military confirmed. Three
Palestinians were reportedly wounded and three others reported missing
shortly after six separate strikes, which targeted the Yasser Arafat
International Airport in Dahaniya and a tunnel along the...
Gaza, February 03, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) -Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath arrived in Gaza on Wednesday afternoon via the Erez crossing, it was his first visit to the area since the Hamas take-over in 2007 and marks the first time a Fatah member visited the Strip since the Sixth Fatah conference in August. The trip came amidst controversy in...
Gaza:One Dead,4 injurrd in gas canister blast
Gaza, February 03, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) -A Palestinian citizen was killed while four others were injured today Wednesday when gas canister exploded in a building located in Assahaba Avenue in Gaza city. Eye witnesses said that a big explosion echoed in a five-floor building owned by Al Ghefari family in Assahaba strees. Ambulances and medics and civil defense teams hurried...
Nobel Peace Prize nominated Palestinian activist, Dr Mustafa Barghouthi visits Britain
UK, February 03, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Nobel Peace Prize nominated Palestinian activist, Dr Mustafa Barghouthi visits Britain Renowned Palestinian leader Dr Mustafa Barghouthi has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his commitment to non-violent resistance to overcome the Israeli occupation. Mr Barghouti will be making a keynote speech at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's Annual Meeting in...
Israel detains 2 Palestinians and American activist
Ramallah, February 3, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli occupation forces invaded on Wednesday Bil'in village, in the west of Ramallah city, and detained 2 Palestinians and American activist. The Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlement said that Israeli occupation forces broke into the houses and kidnapped Ibrahim Abed Al-Fatah Brant, 29 years, who is a member of the committee...
Rafah: Tunnel collapses; 1 dead
Gaza, February 3, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Mahrous Kamal Al-Nazer, 21, from Jabalya in north Gaza Strip, was killed inside a tunnel west of the Salah El Din Gate in Rafah when it collapsed. Meanwhile, three civilians were injured in intense Israeli bombing raids on Tuesday evening that targeted the tunnels near Rafah crossing and Gaza airport. Their injuries were...
The National 3 Feb 2010 - A group of economists say a fifth of workers' salaries were deducted by the state over 40 years and used to subsidise settlements.
Lebanon's AK-47 index may be pointing to war
The National 3 Feb 2010 - As the country fears another period of conflict, a black-market weapons dealer says the price of everyone's favourite rifle is rising rapidly.
The Media Line 1 Feb 2010 - Israel's major aerospace manufacturer considers plans to build wind turbines. Israel's prime aircraft manufacturer is contemplating expanding its expertise of military and commercial aircrafts to the development of wind turbines. The Israeli military and civil aviation...
Somalia's Al-Shabab Aligns with Al-Qaeda
The Media Line 1 Feb 2010 - Somalia's Al-Shabab declares a formal allegiance with the global terrorist network Al-Qaeda. Somalia's Islamist Al-Shabab movement plans to become part of the global Al-Qaeda organization in an attempt to boost its standing among potential recruits and...
Israel Disciplines Senior Officers for Gaza Artillery Use
The Media Line 1 Feb 2010 - Experts argue that international law is no longer relevant in Israel's asymmetric conflict with the Palestinians. One year after the Gaza Operation, the Israeli army has reprimanded two senior officers for firing cannons in populated areas....
Israeli Beaches Closed After 2 Explosive Devices Found Offshore
The Media Line 1 Feb 2010 - Israeli security authorities are keeping civilians off the beaches until they are certain no more explosive devices are floating in the waters south of Tel Aviv. Two devices apparently set to explode were discovered on Monday....
Iran Celebrates Ayatollah Khomeini's Triumphant Return 31 Years Ago
The Media Line 1 Feb 2010 - Iran was awash in celebration on Monday, marking 31 years since the late Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile to lead the revolution that ousted the Shah of Iran. Festivities will continue until February 11th: the anniversary...
‘Abbas Now Offering Resumption of Talks for Temporary Building Freeze
The Media Line 1 Feb 2010 - Palestinian Authority head Mahmoud 'Abbas is apparently tempering his absolute refusal to return to peace talks with Israel unless an absolute freeze in building in areas Israel acquired in the 1967 war is in place. The...
‘Wine Fatwa' Sparks Religious Spat in Morocco
The Media Line 31 Jan 2010 - A Moroccan cleric issues a ban on wine, drawing angry responses from secularists. A Moroccan cleric's religious edict banning the consumption of wine has drawn angry responses from pro-democracy groups, who say religion is being hijacked...
Israel Outlines Energy Goals
The Media Line 31 Jan 2010 - Israel plans to generate 10% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020. Israel hopes to have five percent of its energy needs supplied by renewable sources within five years and to double that percentage...
AlJazeera 2 Feb 2010 - Tehran says expansion of missile system will increase US military presence in Gulf.
Israeli jets 'strike Gaza targets'
AlJazeera 2 Feb 2010 - Palestinian witnesses say tunnels hit a day after two bombs wash up on Israel's shore.
Iran plans poll protest executions
AlJazeera 2 Feb 2010 - Official says nine demonstrators to be hanged "soon" over post-election unrest.
US sceptical on Iran nuclear move
AlJazeera 3 Feb 2010 - Washington tells Tehran to formally notify IAEA about its readiness to ship out uranium.
Alternative Information Center
Not Much Hope for Fayyad’s Statehood PlanAlternative Information Center 3 Feb 2010 - On Tuesday, 3 February, at the 10th Herzliya Conference, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad presented his plan to declare an independent Palestinian state in mid-2011. Fayyad expressed confidence that Palestinians will be able to declare a...
Israeli Settlers and Military Occupy the Area of Oush Grab in the Bethlehem District
Alternative Information Center 2 Feb 2010 - Fear, hope and now again fear. This is how some inhabitants of Beit Sahour and several villages in the Bethlehem district describe what is happening these days. On 2 February, early in the morning, soldiers and...
Israel Owes Over NIS 8.3 Billion to Palestinian Workers from the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Alternative Information Center 2 Feb 2010 - The State of Israel owes more than NIS 8.3 billion (including interest) to Palestinian workers from the Occupied Palestinian Territories who worked in Israel. This money was deducted from the Palestinian workers’ salaries for social benefits...
PNN 3 Feb 2010 - Israeli aircraft have struck tunnels in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian witnesses say, a day after two explosive devices said to have originated in Hamas-ruled Gaza washed up on Israel's coastline. The Israeli army had no immediate comment on the alleged strikes on Tuesday which witnesses say were carried out by Israeli air force jets against an abandoned airport building in Gaza and...
Hamas: Talks on Shalit and prisoner swap stopped
PNN 3 Feb 2010 - Leading Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar has said talks on swapping Palestinian prisoners for the captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit have collapsed. Late last year a German-mediated deal emerged in which hundreds of Palestinian prisoners would be exchanged for Gilad Shalit. In an interview with the BBC, Mr Zahar blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the talks' failure. Gilad Shalit was captured...
Hamas raps Fayyad over attending Israeli conference
PNN 3 Feb 2010 - Hamas has denounced the Palestinian Authority for the participation of the caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in an Israeli conference. Fayyad addressed Israel's 10th annual Herzilya conference on Tuesday, following remarks by Tel Aviv's Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The Palestinian Authority's cooperation with Israel reached a political level and this is a serious indicator that this national side has connected its projects...
A deadly step on the road to war
PNN 2 Feb 2010 - DAMASCUS // Although the exact circumstances of the death of Mahmoud al Mabhouh may have been unanticipated he was believed electrocuted and then strangled in a Dubai hotel room the fact of his murder hardly comes as a surprise. Anyone whose job is to make sure that Hamas fighters are well-supplied with weapons for their war with Israel probably does not expect to...
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Roadblocks to be set up near Harbata, Beit Sira, Beit Horon and Givat.
Assad: Israel pushing Middle East to war
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Syrian leader says Israel isn't serious about peace.
Israel braces for a snowy Thursday
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Municipalities in J'lem, Safed, Golan, MDA and IDF prepare for stormy weather.
PM: Peace talks could resume in weeks without preconditions
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Speaking at Herzliya Conference, Netanyahu praises Palestinian efforts to improve economy and build institutions, appeals to them to accept resumption of efforts toward peace accord.
Senior Fatah leader visits Gaza Strip
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Nabil Shaath returns for first time since Hamas takeover, set to meet Zahar.
Analysis: Israel joining the EU? Words, words, words
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - For security, diplomatic and emotional reasons, this piquant idea is a nonstarter.
‘Cry for Shoah, show pain for Cast Lead’
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Italian PM's link threatens to tarnish visit that has cemented warm Israel ties.
Snatched corpse returned to J'lem police
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Haredim grab body of woman from police; family returns corpse after intense searches.
Palestinians irate over new Jerusalem light rail
Jeruslalem Post 3 Feb 2010 - Pisgat Ze’ev-Mount Herzl first line will have 23 stations.
IPS RAMALLAH, Jan 29 (IPS) - Palestinian politics are at an impasse. The four-year term of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) ended on Jan. 25 with no new elections planned. Presidential elections, meant to be held last year, were also postponed indefinitely.
MIDEAST: Corrupt Arab Regimes - Who is to Blame?
IPS RAMALLAH, Feb 2 (IPS) - The Mideast continues to be plagued by autocratic Arab regimes where human rights, democracy and freedom of speech are a pipe dream for the average citizen. But who is to blame and what can be done to amend this situation?
MIDEAST: Netanyahu Plants Trees and More on Occupied Land
IPS MAALEH ADUMIM, Occupied West Bank, Jan 28 (IPS) - When Benjamin Netanyahu dug a spade here and in another West Bank settlement this week, some thought the Israeli Prime Minister was actually digging a hole into current United States-sponsored peace efforts.
JORDAN: Palestinians Unfairly Stripped of Citizenship - Report
IPS WASHINGTON, Feb 1 (IPS) - The Jordanian government should halt the arbitrary revocation of nationality from its citizens of Palestinian origin, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released Monday.
PCHR
International Solidarity Movement
Bilin, three arrested in night raid: Ibrahim Abed El Fatah Bornat, Hamde Abu Rahmah and an international journalist2/3/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - 2 February - At 3 am 26 soldiers entered the village of Bilin on foot to arrest Ibrahim Abed El Fatah Bornat. On their way to Ibrahim’s house, the soldiers ran into Ashraf Abu Rahmah. A gun was pointed to his head, his hands cuffed behind his back and a cloth attached to his mouth to prevent him from alarming people. Ashraf was distanced from the scene and left in the dark, guarded by soldiers while Ibrahim was arrested and taken away. At 3. 30 am a military convoy of seven jeeps entered Bilin to search the house of Ibrahim’s family. A computer, a pair of shoes, a cap and several documents, all belonging to Ibrahim’s brother Mohammad, were confiscated. While the search went on, cameramen and photographers were held back from the scene by soldiers and border police claiming the area to be a closed military zone. The captain held a paper in Hebrew, supposedly supporting the claim of this area to be military closed.
Netanyahu cool to calls for fresh Syria talks
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Syrian leaders responded to Ehud Barak's call for renewed peace talks by threatening total war.
Assad: Israel leading the Middle East to war
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Israel 'planting the seeds of war in the region,' warns Syrian foreign minister Walid Moallem.
Netanyahu: Peace talks with Palestinians 'within weeks'
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Israeli premier tells Herzliya Conference that negotiations will resume 'without preconditions.'
Mayor bows to pressure, pledges to remove E. Jerusalem settlers
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Barkat had resisted court order to evacuate Jewish-owned building in the Silwan area of East Jerusalem.
German court postpones Demjanjuk trial due to illness
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Judge calls temporay halt but rejects defense motion to abandon Holocaust crimes hearing.
Egypt: Two editors punished for dealing with Israel
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Journalists' union reprimands chief editor and bans Jewish affairs commentator for three months.
Fatah official visits Hamas-ruled Gaza for 1st time since '07 coup
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Nabil Sha'ath, a member of the Fatah central committee, arrived in Gaza on Wednesday.
Report: UN to submit pacifying response to Israel's Gaza report
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Sources: UNSG Ban has no intention to drag Goldstone report to a fight between Israel and the UN.
Syria: U.S. officially requests to accredit Damascus envoy
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Robert Ford will be the first U.S. envoy to Syria since she assassination of Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri in 2005.
Fear of peace will be the death of Israel
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - The right wants to wall off Israel as the world's last remaining legally mandated Jewish ghetto.
Shalit family: German mediator set to deliver Hamas response
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Hamas says mediated talks have been halted due to assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.
Hamas suspends Shalit talks to protest Dubai assassination
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - PM: The choice is in Hamas' hands; Shalit family lashes out at Hamas for poor treatment of Palestinians.
Israel's 'Ajami' nominated for best foreign film Oscar
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Despite receiving the Sutherland Trophy for outstanding first feature at last year's London Film Festival, 'Ajami' faces stiff competition.
Hamas deputy: Israel press reports on Dubai killing 'far from truth'
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Abu Marzouk told Syrian TV that Israeli media have exaggerated reports of Al-Mabhouh assassination.
Netanyahu to Hamas: Prisoner swap deal for Shalit is up to you
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - 'If Hamas wants a prisoner swap deal, it will happen,' the premier said in joint appearance with Berlusconi.
The Guardian 3 Feb 2010 - The US military buildup in the Gulf and Blair's promotion of war against Tehran are a warning of yet another catastrophe We were supposed to have learned the lessons of the Iraq war. That's what Britain's...
Palestine's impossible dream | Yousef Munayyer
The Guardian 3 Feb 2010 - Lavish, unrealistic plans for Palestinian development are a dangerous alternative to the struggle for independence Recently I received a very impressive full-colour booklet printed on expensive paper advertising a development project. The ambitious plan is to...
Pressure mounts for Israel to hold Gaza war inquiry
The Guardian 3 Feb 2010 - Senior military law officer adds to voices denying war crimes but calling for examination to counter UN's Goldstone report Israel's government is facing fresh calls for an independent inquiry into the military's conduct during the Gaza...
Barak: make peace with Palestinians or face apartheid
The Guardian 2 Feb 2010 - Ehud Barak, Israel's defence minister, last night delivered an unusually blunt warning to his country that a failure to make peace with the Palestinians would leave either a state with no Jewish majority or an "apartheid"...
Israel debates over its self-defence| Uri Dromi
The Guardian 3 Feb 2010 - I supported an independent inquiry into the Gaza conflict, but the one conducted by Goldstone and the UN was biased When the Goldstone report condemning Israel was issued last September, I wrote in the Jewish Chronicle...
A real plan to build Palestine | Hussein Ibish
The Guardian 3 Feb 2010 - The PA's proposal to unilaterally build the framework of a Palestinian state is a legal, peaceful response to Israel Two weeks ago the Palestinian Authority issued a detailed budget for the state and institution-building programme it...
False hopes for Palestine | Ben White
The Guardian 2 Feb 2010 - Reports of optimistic developments in the Palestinian Territories are premature – they are still crushed by Israel's control regime Over the last six months, there have been numerous reports on the apparent signs of hope in...
Hamas blames Israel for assassination of top militant
The Guardian 2 Feb 2010 - Brother claims dead commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh was strangled and electrocuted The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas has claimed that Israeli agents assassinated one of its senior military commanders in Dubai. Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, 49, was killed on 20...
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - High school students will learn for the first time about the Eichmann trial and its impact on the shaping of the collective memory of the Holocaust in Israel. ...
J'lem Haredim abduct woman's corpse to prevent autopsy
Ha'aretz 4 Feb 2010 - A group of Jerusalem Haredim abducted Wednesday evening the corpse of a young woman who apparently died of a drug overdose, shortly after it was discovered in an abandoned building on Bar-Ilan Street. ...
Storm expected to sweep Israel as northerners brace for snow
Ha'aretz 4 Feb 2010 - After several days of fair weather, a storm is expected to sweep across Israel on Wednesday, with heavy precipitation expected to hit central and northern Israel as soon as the early afternoon. ...
Treasury chief: Boosting Arab and Haredi employment would make Israel rich
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Israel would rank among richest nations if it could unlock the potential of its minorities, top finance official says.
Russian Jews in Israel outlive those who stayed behind, study shows
Ha'aretz 3 Feb 2010 - Immigrant families also have twice as many children as their Russian counterparts.
Relief Web 3 Feb 2010 - Source: European Union, Government of the Netherlands
European Union contributes €21 million to the Palestinian Authority's payment of January salaries and pensions through PEGASE
Relief Web 3 Feb 2010 - Source: European Union
Netanyahu hopes for talks with Palestinians in weeks
Relief Web 3 Feb 2010 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
Peacebuilding through Health Among Israelis and Palestinians
Relief Web 3 Feb 2010 - Source: US Institute of Peace
Al Mezan Condemns the IOF Attacks against Palestinian Fishermen
Relief Web 3 Feb 2010 - Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
Israel launches air strikes in Gaza -Hamas
Relief Web 2 Feb 2010 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
YNet News 3 Feb 2010 - Syrian president meets with Spanish foreign minister in Damascus, tells him Jewish state 'is not serious about achieving peace and all facts point to it being the one pushing the region towards war.' PM's Office says remarks 'unfortunate'
Scientist convicted of trying to kill Americans blames Israel
YNet News 3 Feb 2010 - MIT-trained Pakistani scientist found guilty of assaulting American personnel in Afghanistan. Upon hearing verdict, she yells, 'This verdict coming from Israel, not America.' Also believed to be planning bomb attack in New York, Aafia Siddiqui claims she can single-handedly bring peace to Middle East
Suspected buoy from explosive barrel reaches Netanya
YNet News 3 Feb 2010 - Styrofoam buoy located off Netanya shore, some 90 km (56 miles) from Gaza, suspected to have been attached to explosive-laden barren sent by Hamas to Israel's shores. Object sent to police explosives lab for analysis
Iran launches new research rocket into space
YNet News 3 Feb 2010 - Defense Minister Vahidi says Kavoshgar-3 launched into space carrying a mouse, turtles and worms; local media report Islamic Republic to unveil three new satellites. US calls rocket launch 'provocative act'
Barkat says will seal Beit Yehonatan, 200 Arab homes
YNet News 3 Feb 2010 - Mayor to implement sealing orders on illegal structures built by both Jews and Arabs in east Jerusalem
Navy chief: Terror groups recruiting Gaza fishermen
YNet News 3 Feb 2010 - Marom says explosive barrels were set afloat by fishermen kept safe by Israeli army
31 Jan 2010 - B'Tselem has written urgently to the judge advocate general demanding that he immediately order a Military Police investigation into the circumstances of the firing of phosphorus shells at the UNWRA compound in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. This is a p
Daily Star 3 Feb 2010 Iran said on Wednesday it had launched a Kavoshgar-3 rocket capable of carrying a satellite - a move that may add to Western concern about Tehran's nuclear program. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the launch was a huge breakthrough which would help break "the global domineering system" - a reference to Iran's Western foes
Netanyahu: Peace talks will resume in 'coming weeks'
Daily Star 3 Feb 2010 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he expects peace talks with the Palestinians to resume in the coming weeks, nudged on by the United States, after being stalled for more than a year. "I have reasons to believe, realistically, that we will resume the peace process with the Palestinians, without prior conditions, in the coming weeks," he told a conference on security in Herzliya, northern Israel
Moallem warns Israel: Starting war with Syria would lead to wider conflict
Daily Star 3 Feb 2010 Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem warned Israel on Wednesday about launching any war against his country, saying it would turn into a wider conflict. "Israelis, do not test the power of Syria since you know the war will move into your cities," Moallem told journalists in the Syrian capital Damascus
Iran and US moving in circles?
Daily Star 3 Feb 2010 The recent expansion of US missile-defense systems in the Gulf just days after President Barack Obama warned Iran of "growing consequences" if it did not accept the West's conditions over its nuclear program signals a possible change of approach by Washington even as uncertainty still prevails how it will deal with Iran eventually
Riyadh: No extra security for Iran's Mecca pilgrims
Daily Star 3 Feb 2010 Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it was Tehran's prerogative to block Iranians from pilgrimages to Mecca, and that it would not make special arrangements for them. "The kingdom is focused and making the best efforts to ensure the highest security for pilgrims from all Islamic countries without exception," a spokesman of the Hajj Ministry told the state news agency SPA
Senior Fatah official in rare visit to Hamas-run Gaza
Daily Star 3 Feb 2010 A senior member of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas' Fatah party made a rare visit to the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Wednesday in a bid to encourage stalled reconciliation efforts. Nabil Shaath, a member of the central committee of the secular Fatah, said he hoped to meet representatives from all the Palestinian factions including Hamas, which seized Gaza in June 2007 after driving out Fatah loyalists
Berlusconi: Italy proud of solidarity with Israel
Daily Star 3 Feb 2010 Premier Silvio Berlusconi Wednesday pledged Italy's firm support for Israel, urging "effective sanctions" against its arch-foe Iran and speaking out against a damning UN report on the Gaza war. He also called on Israel to halt the growth of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, calling it a "basic condition" for restarting peace talks with the Palestinians that were suspended over a year ago
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian ex-detainee dies of mistreatment while in occupation jailsPIC 3 Feb 2010 - Liberated prisoner Mohammed Al-Emle, 26, was pronounced dead on Wednesday in one of Al-Khalil hospitals of kidney failure after he was given wrong medication while in Israeli custody.
Shaath in Gaza for conciliation talks
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Dr. Nabil Shaath, central committee member of Fatah faction, arrived in Gaza on Wednesday and told a press conference that his visit aimed at holding talks on national reconciliation.
Ihsanoglu: We are looking forward to visiting Gaza
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, the secretary general of the OIC, has said that he was looking forward to visiting the Gaza Strip and championed an early end to the blockade on the beleaguered Strip.
Abu Marzouk denies involvement of Arab countries in assassination of Mabhouh
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk has denied Hebrew press reports that Arab countries were involved in the assassination of Qassam commander Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in a Dubai hotel.
PRCS: We were the target of 455 Israeli attacks in 2009
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - The Palestinian red crescent society (PRCS) announced on Tuesday that its medical teams were the targets of 455 Israeli attacks in 2009 including shooting and physical assaults.
IOF soldiers arrest American activist, demolish home in Negev & tent in OJ
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested an American activist and two Palestinian citizens in Bilin village, Ramallah district, at dawn Wednesday.
IOF troops storm home of MP, threaten to demolish six homes in Al-Khalil
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed the home of MP Hatem Qufaisha in Al-Khalil city in a pre dawn raid on Wednesday and told him to report for interrogation later in the morning.
Grandi urges the world community to lift the siege on Gaza
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Filippo Grandi, the new commissioner-general of UNRWA, has urged the world community to end the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip, adding that the undignified life of the people of Gaza must change.
IOF escalates aggression on Gaza, launches 7 air raids
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Israeli occupation forces (IOF) launched seven aerial raids on the Gaza Strip before midnight Tuesday on the Egyptian-Palestinian borders and Gaza airport wounding three Palestinians.
Zahhar: Swap negotiations collapsed
PIC 3 Feb 2010 - Dr. Mahmoud Al-Zahhar, political bureau member of Hamas, said that the indirect talks with Israel over swapping captured soldier Gilad Shalit with Palestinian prisoners had collapsed.
LA Times 3 Feb 2010 - Muli Segev, creator and executive producer of TV's 'It's a Wonderful Country,' says life in Israel 'is very intense. . . . It requires stronger humor to achieve relief and deal with the stress.' The camera zooms in on the face of an actor portraying a captive Israeli soldier as he reads a prepared statement.
Ethiopian air crash shines light on lives of migrant workers
LA Times 2 Feb 2010 - One of the victims, Tigist Tadess Woldemariam, is remembered as a trusted friend and beloved nanny who one day hoped to launch a farming project in her homeland. The woman from the small Ethiopian village of Nazareth was never content to toil in the shadows as a maid or nanny, one of the thousands of poor migrant workers who make their way to Lebanon from Asia or Africa.
New York Times 3 Feb 2010 - The rocket carried a rat, two turtles and worms, and came days after the U.S. said it is accelerating deployment of new missiles defenses.
Critic's Notebook: The Sour Notes of Iran’s Art Diplomacy
New York Times 3 Feb 2010 - A tour across Europe by the Tehran Symphony Orchestra drew protests and the faint echo of an earlier era of cultural diplomacy.
Iran Opposition Leaders Plan Rally
New York Times 3 Feb 2010 - Iran’s leading opposition figures are urging protesters to take to the streets in an antigovernment rally on Feb. 11.
In Response to Iran’s Nuclear Program, German Firms Are Slowly Pulling Out
New York Times 3 Feb 2010 - As the United States and Israel press to tighten sanctions against Iran, some German companies are winding down operations there or operating through third countries.
World Briefing | Middle East: Israel: Talks on Prisoner Exchange Collapse, Hamas Official Says
New York Times 3 Feb 2010 - A senior Hamas leader blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for hardening Israeli terms.
World Briefing | Middle East: Israel: Coast Is Searched After Explosives Wash Ashore
New York Times 3 Feb 2010 - A police spokesman said that the explosive devices, discovered Monday, were apparently intended for attacks on ships or beachgoers.
Palestine Monitor - 3 Feb 2010 - “I have pleasure in nominating Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. I am inspired by the life and work of Dr. Barghouthi whose commitment to nonviolence, in his personal and public life, is truly in the Ghandian spirit", stated in her letter to...
Nabi Saleh Chaos in Pictures
Palestine Monitor - 2 Feb 2010 - What began as a peaceful demonstration ended with dozens of injuries, including young children. Others were forced to flee their homes under fire from Israeli soldiers. All photos by Lazar Simeonov. All photos by Lazar Simeonov. Learn more about the Popular Struggle http://www.popularstruggle.org/
Bronner: ‘My son joined the IDF five weeks ago’
Mondoweiss - 3 Feb 2010 - Electronic Intifada broke the story a week back. Tonight, responding to a question at Vassar College, Ethan Bronner, Jerusalem bureau chief for the New York Times, confirmed it. Dennis Loh, of Brooklyn for Peace: "Do you have a son in the IDF, yes or no?" Bronner:...
Momzer muffs moser
Mondoweiss - 3 Feb 2010 - At the Forward, Josh Nathan-Kazis flashes shoe-leather in a smart follow-up to Alan Dershowitz’s calling Richard Goldstone an "evil" "traitor" to the Jewish people on Israeli radio. Dersh blames it on a language misunderstanding, then retracts his retraction. Note the scary Rabin-assassination angle Nathan-Kazis has picked...
‘J Street’ blasts Dershowitz and home evictions in E. J’lem
Mondoweiss - 3 Feb 2010 - I’ve failed to cover an important new battle inside the pro-Israel lobby, the battle over the New Israel Fund’s support for Breaking the Silence. New Israel Fund is dedicated to promoting democracy in Israel for its Jewish and Palestinian citizens. It is a progressive Zionist group....
Judt: Obama joined Netanyahu’s campaign to denigrate & deny a brave Jew, Goldstone
Mondoweiss - 3 Feb 2010 - Tony Judt wrote the following (for Huffpo) on behalf of a Jews Say No petition for Jews supporting the Goldstone report : Justice Goldstone and the Jews We Jews should be very proud of Richard Goldstone. In an ancient tradition of Jewish self-questioning and uncomfortable truth-telling, the...
Even in Russian, Salinger changed my life
Mondoweiss - 3 Feb 2010 - Lia Tarachansky grew up in the Occupied Territories (in a settlement) and then in Canada. She now works in Israel for The Real News. She responds to this post . Salinger gave me the confidence and guidance to start writing when I was 13. My first encounters...
Not Much Hope for Fayyad’s Statehood Plan
Alternative Information Center - 3 Feb 2010 - On Tuesday, 3 February, at the 10th Herzliya Conference, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad presented his plan to declare an independent Palestinian state in mid-2011. Fayyad expressed confidence that Palestinians will be able to declare a state by this date and he outlined the steps his...
Israeli Settlers and Military Occupy the Area of Oush Grab in the Bethlehem District
Alternative Information Center - 2 Feb 2010 - Fear, hope and now again fear. This is how some inhabitants of Beit Sahour and several villages in the Bethlehem district describe what is happening these days. On 2 February, early in the morning, soldiers and a bulldozer came to the area of Oush Grab, in...
Israel Owes Over NIS 8.3 Billion to Palestinian Workers from the Occupied Palestinian Territories
Alternative Information Center - 2 Feb 2010 - The State of Israel owes more than NIS 8.3 billion (including interest) to Palestinian workers from the Occupied Palestinian Territories who worked in Israel. This money was deducted from the Palestinian workers’ salaries for social benefits they did not receive. This is the conclusion of detailed...
Articles
False hopes for Palestine
Ben White, The Guardian 2/1/2010
Reports of optimistic developments in the Palestinian Territories are premature – they are still crushed by Israel’s control regime
Over the last six months, there have been numerous reports on the apparent signs of hope in West Bank cities such as Ramallah, Nablus, and Jenin. The Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, has also enjoyed flattering coverage in the likes of Newsweek and the New York Times, with his unilateral state-building strategy praised by a variety of commentators. The Israeli government, for its part, has trumpeted improvements in Palestinians’ daily lives – from the easing of restrictions on movement, to a boosted economy. Yet as I discovered during a visit at the beginning of this year, these sunny reports bear no relation to Israel’s colonisation of East Jerusalem and West Bank, where the permanently-temporary occupation continues to defy state-building efforts.
The first problem with the West Bank progress story is that even in economic terms the prospect of genuinely sustainable Palestinian growth is compromised by Israel’s regime of control. Back in November, Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu claimed that as a result of his government’s actions, there is "unprecedented prosperity in the Palestinian Authority". This and similar claims have often referred to a report last September by the International Monetary Fund, which predicts in its executive summary that "real GDP in the West Bank is projected to rise by about 7% in 2009".
Yet, speaking to me by phone, one of the report’s authors, Oussama Kanaan, pointed out that since the economy was "starting from such a low base, even a modest relaxation of [Israeli] restrictions will have a significant impact on growth". But Kanaan also made clear that "prosperity has to do with per capita GDP – not growth". In terms of "the wealth of the economy", he said, "it was much better in 1999". more.. e-mail
Against incredible odds
Sally Bland, Jordan Times, Jordan Times 12/7/2009
Peaceful Resistance: Building a Palestinian University under Occupation, Gabi Baramki, London and New York: Pluto Press, 2010, pp. 219
Providing quality education for the next generation in a rapidly changing world is a challenge anyplace, but nowhere more so than in Palestine. Added to the usual academic demands are the problems of getting books past Israeli military censorship, holding classes despite the army surrounding the campus, getting students and staff past innumerable roadblocks so they can attend classes, retrieving them from prison, and completing the course of study despite arbitrary and prolonged closures.
These are just some of the challenges described by Gabi Baramki in his book, “Peaceful Resistance,” in which he combines memoir with a history of Birzeit University. The combination comes quite naturally because Baramki has been involved with this most outstanding of Palestinian universities in one capacity or another for most of his life. In the 1930s and 1940s, he was a student at Birzeit Higher School established by the Nasir family in their home as an elementary and secondary boarding school. After obtaining his MA from the AUB, Baramki got a job in Birzeit’s new Junior College programme. By then, Palestine had been divided with the formation of Israel, and the West Bank was under Jordanian administration. Birzeit College was able to flourish commensurate with the great efforts exerted by its staff, but after the 1967 occupation, developing it into a full-fledged, four-year university, like every single advance in its programme or facilities, had to be fought for. In one of Israel’s more hostile acts, University President Hanna Nasir was deported; as vice president, Baramki assumed responsibility for the administration of the university.
Despite many new restrictions, Birzeit University continued to advance. As Baramki writes, “By 1979 we had a flourishing campus, a growing network of supporters and great plans for academic expansion. In short, the future looked bright. We had no idea of the disasters that were just around the corner.” (p. 75) more.. e-mail
The Arab International Forum for the Support of the Resistance
Lasse Wilhelmson, Information Clearing House 2/2/2010
Beirut Lebanon 15-17 January 2010
The conference concerning the resistance, held in Beirut from the 15th to 17th January 2010, was an overwhelming experience for me personally with its almost 10 000 delegates from all over the Arab world and a small number from Europe and the US. It was indeed a great honour for Sweden to have a delegation of four. The conference opened at the UNESCO Palace where the leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas and Iraq’s armed resistance, in that order, held introductions that set the tone for the conference. Prominent religious Muslim leaders and representatives of Syria’s government also spoke. It was a powerful manifestation of unity against the politics of Israel and the US and, with no name mentioned serious criticism of Egypt, and open praise for Iran. Introductory speech in the lecture hall. Those dressed in white are the Sudanese.
This was my first visit to Lebanon. Nearly fifty years ago I was only able to glimpse the country from the Israeli side, it was then enemy territory to me. I lived in Israel for a few years searching for my identity. At that time, the Jewish state was part of my identity and I contemplated staying there. Here I was again, surveying enemy country, only this time from the opposite side. Now I wholeheartedly support the Palestinians’ resistance and their right to return home in accordance with FN resolutions. In fact, I go even further. I believe that the whole of the Jewish settlement state is illegitimate and should therefore be returned to its rightful owners who should decide which settlers stay.
On the second day of the conference, I took part in a seminar where representatives from most of the countries that have liberated themselves from colonialism told of their experiences. I was particularly struck by the fact that none of the liberation movements agreed to disarm as a condition for peace negotiations, and that historically recognised, justifiable struggles for liberation such as those in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan are today called terrorism by the western world, though nothing in the armed struggle has actually changed and it is still protected in human rights law. more.. e-mail
Nightmares continue to plague Gaza children
Electronic Intifada: 3 Feb 2010 - OCCUPIED GAZA STRIP (IRIN) - Mona al-Samouni, 12, is depressed and has nightmares about the day -- just more than a year ago -- when she witnessed her parents and a number of relatives being shot by Israeli soldiers in their home in Zeitoun, southeast of Gaza City. Like a number of other children who witnessed horrific events during last year's 23-day Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, Mona has become increasingly withdrawn and silent -- common ways of coping with tragedies, doctors say.
Pro-Israel lobbies target Europe
Electronic Intifada: 3 Feb 2010 - BRUSSELS (IPS) - Defenders of Israel's aggressive stance have for many years been recognized as a powerful force shaping United States foreign policy. A less well-known fact is that the pro-Israel lobby has been making a concerted effort to strengthen its presence in Europe. The lobby's determination to make an impression on European Union (EU) policy-makers was exemplified by a new booklet published on 28 January.
Canadian organization attacking Palestinian rights groups
Electronic Intifada: 3 Feb 2010 - The Board of Directors of Rights & Democracy, a not-for-profit organization created by Canada's parliament in 1988 to encourage and support human rights around the world, recently voted, with substantial objection, to repudiate grants given to Al-Haq and Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights, two well-known Palestinian human rights organizations located respectively in the West Bank and in Gaza.
Interview: "We need a new, united strategy as one people"
Electronic Intifada: 3 Feb 2010 - The Arab Association for Human Rights (HRA), based in Nazareth, is one of the first human rights organizations in Israel, founded during the first Palestinian intifada by lawyers and community activists to monitor human rights violations. The Electronic Intifada contributor Adri Nieuwhof recently interviewed Mohammad Zeidan, the general director of HRA.
In Gaza: 2 Feb 2010 - Many in Gaza ask me, ‘which is better, the (occupied) West Bank or Gaza?’ Not giving in to the devisive efforts of external forces and politicians, I answer that both are Palestine –it’s all Palestine– and both have their beauties and intense hardships. The presence of Israeli occupation soldiers in the occupied West Bank, of remorseless settlers capable of shocking brutality , of Israeli land annexation, of humiliating and debilitating military checkpoints and roadblocks, of lock-downs (“curfews”) and raids , of daily kidnappings and imprisonment of sons, daughters, husbands, mothers, of the complete Israeli control and stealing of water sources , of the destruction of occupied East Jerusalem …is just some of the...
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Feb 2010 - By Ramzy Baroud The Israeli military may be much less effective in winning wars than it was in the past, thanks to the stiffness of Arab resistance. But its military strategists are as shrewd and unpredictable as ever. The recent rhetoric that has escalated from Israel suggests that a future war in Lebanon will most likely target Syria as well. While this doesn’t necessarily mean that Israel actually intends on targeting either of these countries in the near future, it is certainly the type or language that often precedes Israeli military maneuvers. Deciphering the available clues regarding the nature of Israel’s immediate military objectives is not always easy, but it is possible. One indicator that could serve as a foundation for any serious prediction of Israel’s actions is Israel’s historical tendency to seek a perpetual state of war. Peace, real peace, has never been a long-term policy. "Unlike many others, I consider that peace is not a goal in itself but only a means to guarantee our existence," claimed Yossi Peled, a former army general and current Cabinet Minister in Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government. Israeli official policy – military or otherwise - is governed by the same Zionist diktats that long preceded the establishment of the state of Israel. If anything has changed since early Zionists outlined their vision, it was the interpretation of those directives. The substance has remained intact. For example, Zionist visionary, Vladimir Jabotinsky stated in 1923 that Zionist “colonization can…continue and develop only under the protection...
Israeli Hypocrisy in Haiti
Palestine Chronicle: 3 Feb 2010 - By Aijaz Zaka Syed – Dubai Israeli hypocrisy would be comical, if its consequences weren't so tragic. These days, Israeli media and Israel's powerful friends in the US media have been tomtomming about the noble help and rescue mission Israelis have undertaken in the remote, quake-hit island of Haiti. Doubtless, the catastrophe that has hit Haiti is truly mindboggling and terrifying. The all-round devastation the island has suffered is beyond words. This is perhaps how our world would look like when the End comes. And one hates to make a political point out of this terrible, terrible human tragedy. But you can’t help it when you come across the kind of hypocrisy that Israel displays in Haiti. While the people it has locked away in their homes in Gaza and across the Palestinian territories live in most despicable conditions and crave for basics such as food, water, electricity and just about everything else, the magnanimous Israel is sending aid and medical teams to help the luckless people of Haiti. Can there be a more stunning example of hypocrisy and double standards? I am not even remotely suggesting that Israel shouldn’t act to help the calamity-hit people of Haiti. In fact, given the magnitude of the tragedy, every one of us should do his or her bit for the unfortunate people. Lest the US media preoccupied with Israel have failed to notice, Arab and Muslim countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Iran, Kuwait, Morocco and many others, too have...
Israel: Laws Set to Criminalize Dissent
Palestine Chronicle: 2 Feb 2010 - By Jonathan Cook - Nazareth Leaders of the Arab minority in Israel warned this week that they were facing an unprecedented campaign of persecution, backed by the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, designed to stop their political activities. The warning came after Said Nafaa, a Druze member of the Israeli parliament was stripped of his immunity last week, clearing the way for him to be tried for a visit to Syria three years ago. In recent weeks legal sanctions have been invoked against two other Arab political leaders, following clashes with the Israeli security forces at demonstrations against the occupation, and pressure is growing for two more MPs to be investigated. Arab politicians are particularly concerned about a bill introduced last month requiring all parliamentary candidates to swear loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state. If passed, the seats of the 10 Arab MPs belonging to non-Zionist parties in the 120-member parliament, or Knesset, would be under threat. Jamal Zahalka, one of those MPs, said: “Every week either the Knesset or the government try to impose new restrictions on our activities and freedom of speech. There is a growing trend towards anti-democratic legislation.” Mr Nafaa, the latest target for legal action, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity from prosecution last week by a Knesset committee dominated by the right wing. Keeping his immunity was his only hope of avoiding a trial after he was indicted by the attorney general, Menachem Mazuz, in December over a visit he organised in 2007...