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News
International Middle East Media Center
Female
Activist Kidnapped By The Army
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Tuesday February 09, 2010 - 04:54, The Ahrar Center for
Detainees Studies stated that the Israeli army kidnapped on Monday
Montaha Taweel, 45, an activist in defending the rights of the
Palestinian detainees, and the wife of Al Biereh mayor.
Israel
Objects To Moscow’s Reception of Mashal
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Tuesday February 09, 2010 - 02:05, The Israeli embassy in
Moscow sent a letter to the Russian government expressing dismay over
Moscow’s reception of Hamas Political Bureau Chief, Khalid Mashal, and
a number of Hamas officials.
Troops
Invade Hebron town, refugee camp
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Tuesday February 09, 2010 - 00:24, Israeli soldiers
invaded on Monday evening the town of Beit Ummar, north of the southern
West Bank city of Hebron, and the Al Arroub refugee camp in the city.
The
Israeli Navy Opens Fire at Palestinian Fishermen Near Gaza's Southern
Shore
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Monday February 08, 2010 - 17:23, Israeli navy forces
opened fire, on Monday midday, at Palestinian fishermen off the shore
of Rafah town, southern Gaza Strip.
Ten
Detained By Israeli Troops During Pre-Dawn Invasions Targeting West
Bank Communities
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Monday February 08, 2010 - 17:12, Ten Palestinian
civilians were detained by Israeli troops, on Monday, during pre-dawn
military invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.
Scores
Detained By The Military As Soldiers Attack Palestinian Refugee Camp In
Jerusalem
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Monday February 08, 2010 - 16:26, Sixty Palestinian
civilians were detained by Israeli soldiers, on Monday, during
house-to-house raids targeting the Shufat refugee camp in the city of
Jerusalem.
Stop
The Wall Campaign Raided & ISM Activists Released On Bail
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Monday February 08, 2010 - 16:14, The Stop the Wall
campaign has issued a press release stating that their office, in
Ramallah, was raided by the Israeli military, late Sunday night.
Israeli
Authorities Ban Palestinian Cartographer From Travel Abroad
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Monday February 08, 2010 - 06:24, 60-year old Palestinian
geographer and cartographer Khalil Tufakji, who has spent years
researching Israeli settlements constructed on Palestinian land, was
ordered to appear at an Israeli police station last week, where he was
told by a plainclothes officer that he cannot travel abroad for the
next six months due to 'security concerns'.
Israeli
Navy Ships Crossed The Suez Canal
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Sunday February 07, 2010 - 04:11, Israeli daily, Yedioth
Ahronoth reported that two Israeli Navy Vessels crossed the Suez
Egyptian Canal on Thursday morning, while on their way to the Red Sea.
U.S
Vows To Bury Goldstone Report At UN
IMEMC
8 Feb 2010 - Sunday February 07, 2010 - 03:05, Israeli sources reported
Saturday that the United States vowed to Israeli leaders to bury the
report of Judge Richard Goldstone on Israel’s war in Gaza last year.
The sources added that the Israeli government vowed to respond to the
report of Goldstone by forming an independent committee.
Israel
stays eviction of settlers, despite court order
2/9/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israel's Jerusalem Municipality cancelled the
distribution of eviction orders for a residential building erected by
settlers in occupied East Jerusalem's Silwan area, Israeli media
reported on Monday. The building, known as Beit Yonatan, was set to be
sealed off after officials persuaded Israel's Jerusalem Mayor Nir
Barakat to implement the order, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported.
"Barkat pledged to enforce the court order to evacuate the structure,
though he added that he was doing so under protest," the newspaper
reported. According to protocol, the distribution of eviction notices
must be carried out in coordination with the Israeli police. However,
police said they were unaware of any such plans. "Contrary to reports,
there was no coordination Monday between the Jerusalem Municipality and
the district police regarding distribution of evacuation orders in
Silwan," a police statement said.
Injuries
after fierce clashes at Jerusalem refugee camp
2/9/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an - Dozens of Palestinians including journalists were
injured as fierce clashes broke out on Monday in Shu'fat refugee camp
after Israeli civil and paramilitary police stormed the camp and
detained dozens. Confrontations erupted near the military checkpoint at
the main entrance to the camp after young Palestinians pelted Israeli
soldiers with stones and empty bottles. Soldiers responded by firing
tear gas, rubber-coated bullets and stun grenades. As a result, several
correspondents and photojournalists were hurt. Amongst them were Samir
Abu Gharbiyya, a cameraman working for the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera
International, Amir Abed Rabbo, cameraman of Panet news, and Diala
Juweihan, working for Quds Press. Ma'an's Jerusalem correspondent, who
was also on the scene, said three Israeli officers sustained injuries.
Israel
army raids offices of anti-wall group
2/9/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an - The Israeli army raided the offices of the Stop
the Wall organization in Ramallah early Monday morning. Ten military
jeeps, hummers and an armoured bus belonging to the Israeli military
and intelligence services entered Ramallah at 1am, the group said in a
statement. Follwing a three-hour search, soldiers confiscated computer
hard disks, laptops, and video cameras along with paper documents, CDs,
and video cassettes, the organization said. "This is part of the
continuous targeting of the popular grassroots movement and the
struggle of the Palestinian human rights defenders for Israeli
accountability," said Jamal Juma, coordinator of Stop the Wall. But the
movement's supporters "will not be intimidated by this," Juma added,
insisting that it would continue its efforts until a 2004 ruling by the
International Criminal Court on the wall's illegality is enforced.
Israel
army closes Beit Fajjar, conducts search
2/9/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Several army vehicles closed off entrances to
Beit Fajjar on Monday, shutting down roads to the area from Bethlehem
and Hebron, witnesses reported. An Israeli military spokesperson
announced that the checkpoints were the result of a pipe bomb tossed by
a youth at troops operating in the area earlier, prompting the closure
and a search for the alleged attacker. No injuries were reported.
Onlookers said a number of army vehicles and soldiers closed the Beit
Fajjar junction near the Gush Etzion settlement, as well as roads
leading to the Hebron-area Al-Aroub refugee camp and the nearby Beit
Ummar village. Travelers reported heavy traffic, and some city-to-city
buses were altering their routes. Earlier, the Hebrew-language daily
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Palestinians threw stones at an Israeli
vehicle. . .
Israel’s
High Court frees 2 foreign activists
2/9/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel's High Court of Justice on Monday freed
two foreign nationals who were detained early Sunday in Ramallah.
Ariadna Marti of Spain and Bridgett Chappel of Australia, activists
with the International Solidarity Movement, posted a 3,000-shekel bail
and will be permitted to remain in Israel while they challenge a
deportation order. The High Court accepted that the detentions may have
been illegal, because they reportedly involved Israel's special "Oz"
immigration unit, which is permitted to handle only cases of foreigners
in Israel. Marti and Chappel, however, were in Ramallah, a city
supposedly under control of the Palestinian Authority. "The raid and
detention of the two is in direct violation of the Oslo Accords between
Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which clearly forbids any Israeli
incursion into Area A for reasons not directly and urgently related to
security. "
One
Gaza crossing open, no new commodities to enter
2/8/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - No new commodities have been allowed into the Gaza
Strip, undersecretary for the Ministry of National Economy Nasser
As-Sarraj said on Monday. As-Sarraj told Ma'an that talks focused on
allowing the transfer of clothing and shoes into the Strip through its
commercial crossings, were nothing more than rumors, adding that the
ministry will officially announce the entry of previously prohibited
items when Israeli authorities permit it. Meanwhile, Israeli
authorities partially opened the Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday, while
the Karni crossing in the north remained closed, Palestinian border
crossings official Raed Fattouh. Fattouh said that 70 truckloads of
commercial merchandise and humanitarian aid will be transferred through
Gaza's southern crossing. One of these trucks will be transporting
equipment for the Palestinian Telecommunication Company, he said.
Israeli
forces detain wife of mayor in Ramallah
2/8/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israeli forces detained Muntaha Tawil, wife of
Al-Bireh Mayor Jamal Tawil, on Monday, after searching their home in
Ramallah. "Heavily armed soldiers and large numbers of military
vehicles raided the mayor's home on Monday early morning breaking the
doors and damaging the house' interior before they detained Muntaha
Tawil, the mayor's wife," an Al-Birreh Municipal Council statement
said. Mayor Tawil said his wife's detention would not hinder his
ability to provide his constituents with the services they need, adding
that Israel often attempts to exert pressure on mayors of Palestinian
villages through detentions, forced home searches and summons orders.
Tawil is the mother of four and her husband has been detained several
time by Israeli forces. Mayor Tawil previously served 13 years in an
Israeli prison.
Gaza
detainee marks 20 years in Israeli jail
2/8/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - The Information Committee affiliated to Hamas
detainees in Israeli jails said that Ashraf Al-Ba'lougi, 38, from Gaza
City, marked his 20th year in prison on Sunday. Al-Ba'lougi was
detained after stabbing three Israelis in Tel Aviv on the anniversary
of the Hamas movement's founding on 14 December 1990. All three victims
were killed, the committee said. According to the committee, Israeli
forces had also detained Al-Ba'lougi's father and brother following the
attack. [end]
Disabled
man among 10 seized overnight
2/8/2010
- Hebron - Ma'an - One of 10 Palestinians detained in West Bank raids
overnight is disabled, local sources told Ma'an late Monday. Yousif
Ibrahim Abdul Fattah Al-Mawa'jeh, 43, was paralyzed in an accident,
neighbors said, and had received treatment in Iran. A native of Yatta,
near Hebron, Al-Mawa'jeh was rounded up along with nine other
Palestinians in Qalqiliya, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron at daybreak.
The army said a homemade rifle was confiscated during the search of a
home in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron. [end]
Report:
Abbas agrees to proximity talks
2/8/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an/Agencies - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
agreed to proximity talks with Israel, following the proposal of US
Middle East Envoy George Mitchell, Israeli media reported on Monday.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, senior Palestinians had
confirmed to the daily that Abbas has agreed, in principle, to the US
suggestion of indirect talks. Last week, Abbas said he would consult
with Arab allies before responding on Thursday Mitchell's call for
proximity talks, according to the British daily The Guardian, which
said Abbas indicated that he may be prepared to accept. "If there is
any substance in the response from the Israeli side - for example, if
they accept the framework of a two-state solution based on the 1967
borders and an end to occupation, with timelines and mechanisms - then
there will be progress," Abbas said.
Erakat:
Speculation on proximity talks unhelpful
2/9/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an - Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erakat on
Monday said that recent media speculation concerning US facilitated
proximity talks was both premature and unhelpful. "President Abbas has
consulted widely with his brothers, the Arab leaders, and our friends
in the international community, regarding the obstacles Israel has put
in the way of negotiations. These consultations will continue," Erekat
said in a statement. The chief PLO negotiator said that Palestinians
sides are waiting to hear from the US on "terms of reference,
objectives and timelines for proximity talks. Only then will they be
considered and only President [Mahmoud Abbas] will announce his
decision. Until that time, media speculation is both premature and
unhelpful. " Erekat added that while Middle East Envoy George
Mitchell's visits to the region have been reciprocated with the
intention to overcome. . .
PA
cabinet calls municipal, local elections
2/9/2010
- Ramallah - Ma'an - The cabinet of the Ramallah-based government
decided on Monday to hold municipal and local elections in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip on 17 July 2010. Directives were given to the
Palestinian Central Elections Committee to begin preparations. During
its weekly meeting in Ramallah, the cabinet of the caretaker government
stressed in a post-meeting statement that "completion of this
democratic process is considered a basic component of the PA's agenda
set to complete building institutions of the Palestinian state. This is
also part of maintaining good governance principles in Palestine. "The
cabinet condemned Israel's operation in Shufat refugee camp hours
earlier, which left several residents and Israeli forces injured, in
addition to violence directed against local and international anti-wall
activists.
Unidentified
gunmen open fire at Hamas official
2/8/2010
- Qalqiliya - Ma'an -Assailants opened fire on Sunday night at the
offices of Hamas-affiliated Palestinian lawmaker Imad Nofal in
Qalqiliya, northern West Bank. Unidentified gunmen opened fire from a
car, locals said. The gunshots were heard in Qalqiliya's town centre,
where Nofal's office is, they said, adding that they fled the scene.
Nofal described the attack as "unacceptable" and "unpatriotic," and
harming Palestinian interests. "Those who did it at this time want to
foil reconciliation attempts which Dr Nabil Sha'ath started when he
headed to Gaza Strip and met with Hamas leaders," he said. Palestinian
Security Services have launched in investigation into the incident.
Several security checkpoints were erected across Qalqiliya to locate
the vehicle and the assailants. . . . .
Haniyeh:
Egypt wall won’t break our will
2/8/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said on Monday
that the blockade and walls surrounding Gaza would not force
Palestinians to submit to external control. He was speaking at a
reception honoring the Interior Ministry in Gaza City. "Gaza is
surrounded on three sides; north, east, and south; to make it raise a
white flag," Haniyeh said, insisting that Egypt's underground wall
would not have the desired effect. "The escalation of the blockade and
the siege is aimed at bringing down the government and making the
Palestinian people kneel," he added. First exposed by the Israeli daily
Haaretz, Egypt has been constructing an underground steel wall to stem
the flow of smuggling into the coastal enclave. First constructed to
transport weapons, tunnels supply Palestinians with daily needs like
food and fuel, necessitated by the ongoing military blockade.
Bardawil:
Hamas may allow Fatah to reopen Gaza HQ
2/8/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil said on Monday that
Hamas is "studying the possibility" of allowing Fatah members to move
freely, and may reopen the party's headquarters in Gaza. Al-Bardawil
told Ma'an that the Islamic movement is "hoping that the security
services in the West Bank will take the necessary measures to stop
violations against Hamas leaders and supports, particularly in regard
to political arrests and the closure of institutions. "He said the
issue of inter-Palestinian reconciliation remains at a standstill,
despite ongoing efforts to move forward. He also stressed that Hamas
remains flexible and would sign the Egyptian document if the movement's
amendments were taken into consideration. . . . .
Sha`ath:
Fatah HQ to reopen in Gaza
2/9/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas will instruct its government in the Gaza
Strip to release detainees held on political grounds and reopen the
Fatah party headquarters within the next two days, a top Fatah official
said on Monday. Speaking days after his first trip since 2007 to the
besieged coastal enclave, Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath said
Fatah officials were already permitted to visit without any special
permit. "I informed Hamas that I rejected their security escort or
visits to their government offices, and I held meetings freely," he
said following a meeting in Cairo with Amr Moussa, the Arab League
secretary-general. Sha'ath said Hamas requested that its members
receive better treatment in the West Bank, and that he responded, "They
have freedom of movement and they have no problems. When someone from
Hamas told me a Hamas delegation wanted to visit the West Bank, I said:
'Welcome; I came here with permission from the occupying authorities,
so whoever wants to visit the West Bank is more than welcome. "
Gaza
journalists win PJS elections
2/8/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an - The results of the controversial Palestinian
Journalists Syndicate elections were announced late Sunday evening,
revealing that journalists in Gaza received the highest number of
votes. Voting began on Saturday afternoon despite the reigning
confusion over elections methodology. One official said on Saturday he
expected the board to reach 63 members, and noted that the new board
and outgoing chief would together elect a replacement head for the
union body. Participants casted their votes to choose 63 members for
the central council out of 82 candidates. Of 780 members eligible to
vote, 508 cast a ballot. Journalists in Gaza were unable to attend, as
the voting took place in Ramallah. Of the 508 ballots cast, 67 blank
votes were discarded. It was decided that members of the syndicate
would vote for candidates according to which bloc they represented.
Israeli
media: 3 settlers detained in Hebron
2/8/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli police detained three settlers at a
so-called illegal outpost near Hebron on Monday, Israeli media
reported. The Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the
settlers, all minors, were detained near the "Hill 18" settlement
outpost. The detainees, who were not identified, were accused of
rioting, according to the newspaper. [end]
International
donors, Palestinian officials discuss municipal projects
2/8/2010
- Ramallah - Ma'an - Board of directors of the Palestinian Municipal
Development Program held a meeting on Monday with international donors
in Ramallah in the central West Bank, to discuss developments in
municipal services. The conveners included Minister of Local Governance
Khaled Al-Qawasmi, member of the board of directors Abdul Ghani Nofal
and directors of PMDP as well as representatives of the World Bank, the
German Development Bank, the French Agency for Development, the Danish
Commission and the German Agency for Technical support. On the agenda
was the progress made by the PMDP, which will fund a two-stage project
to develop Palestinian municipal services, paying 72 million US dollars
over three years on a range of projects to be carried out by various
Palestinian municipal councils. . . . .
Mash’al
arrives in Moscow
2/8/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Senior-most Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al arrived in
Moscow on Monday with a delegation for talks on Palestinian
reconciliation and the peace process with Russian officials. Mash'al
told the Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei that "it is possible to
restore cohesion between the Palestinians if the US desists from
obstructing the end of division. "The Hamas leader added that the
second obstacle remained "adjustments that were made to the terms of
the Egyptian reconciliation proposal. " According to Hamas
representative to Lebanon Osama Hamdan, who is among the delegation,
"In Moscow Hamas plans to discuss issues related to prospects of
inter-Palestinian dialogue and the peace process with Israel. "Hamdan
added that Hamas delegates hoped to discuss solutions to issues
throughout the region, and talks with Russian officials will not solely
be based on Palestinian affairs.
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - 25 people arrested in raid, some for involvement in unrest and others for municipal tax evasion.
IDF detains two pro-Palestinian foreigners in West Bank raid
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Arrest operation marks third time Israeli forces have entered West Bank to arrest foreign activists.
Robbing Sderot of defense from rockets
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Suspicions exist that defense establishment developed Iron Dome to serve moneymaking interests.
IDF arrests Lebanese shepherd carrying army knife near border
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Lebanese MP tied to Hezbollah calls on country to deal with incident he says clearly violates UN resolution.
Settler teens suspected in West Bank mosque arson freed from custody
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Some state attorneys believe evidence against torching suspects insufficient to justify indictment.
PA, Israel jointly arrest six Qaida-linked jihadists in West Bank
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Group was busy disseminating ideas identified with the ideology of Osama bin Laden via Internet.
Israel fears more explosive-laden barrels in Mediterranean
Ha'aretz 8 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 8 Feb 2010 - East Jerusalem residents allegedly recruited while living in Jordan and Dubai to attack civilian locations.
Report: Dubai has lead in assassination of top Hamas man
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Report comes as security official says wouldn't rule out chance that Mossad was behind January 20 killing.
Dubai: We'll go after Netanyahu if Mossad killed Hamas man
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Police chief warns Mossad and Hamas against conducting covert operations in Dubai.
Get real, Iron Dome is too expensive to defend Sderot
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Israel needs money for attack forces, protecting civilians and other measures, not just missile defense.
IDF officer: I wouldn't live in same country as Goldstone
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Mizrahi to yeshiva students: I don't believe a word of Gaza report.
Hamas rejects Goldstone charge of Gaza war crimes
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Human Rights Watch: Hamas claim that rocket attacks against Israel are not war crimes is legally wrong.
Israel's southern residents irate over missile defense decision
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - IDF: No intention at this stage of deploying Iron Dome system to protect Sderot against rocket attacks.
Police destroy third 'barrel bomb' washed ashore south of Tel Aviv
Ha'aretz 8 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 8 Feb 2010 - Attack follows calls to expedite deployment of delayed "Iron Dome" defense batteries.
Dubai warns Mossad, Hamas against covert operations
Ha'aretz 8 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 8 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 8 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 8 Feb 2010 - Officer tells The Independent that the IDF's new policy meant literally zero risk to the soldiers.
2/8/2010 - Reuters - JERUSALEM (Reuters) - A Palestinian refugee camp on the edge of Jerusalem erupted in violence on Monday after Israeli police carried out a raid to arrest tax evaders and Palestinians responded by throwing stones. Eleven people were arrested, some for involvement in the unrest and others for the non-payment of municipal taxes and other bills, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. The violence in Shuafat refugee camp, within the expanded Jerusalem borders that Israel declared after capturing its eastern sector in a 1967 war, was another example of tensions that are always near the surface in a city at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Palestinian schoolchildren threw rocks at police vehicles and Rosenfeld said four officers were slightly hurt. Palestinian officials said 10 Palestinians were injured, none seriously.
Building back in Gaza with Mud Bricks
2/8/2010 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - GAZA, February 8, 2010 (WAFA) - Hassan al-Err, aged 67, and his seven-member family are moving into a mud house built by the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip, because other building materials are not available, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) reported. The two-bedroom house in the Ezbet Abed Rabbo neighbourhood of Jabaliya town, north of Gaza City, is an improvement on the tent in which they had been living - next to the rubble of their former home. Rebuilding homes damaged in last year's 23-day war, has been almost impossible because Israel does not allow construction materials such as cement and steel into the Strip, saying they could be used for military purposes. 'I can't forget how hard the past year has been for me and my family living in a tent in the cold winter and the hot summer,' al-Err told IRIN.
VIDEO - Israel Threatening To Use Nuclear Weapons On Iran
2/7/2010 - YouTube/FoxNews - New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin confirms Israeli official threatened to use tactical nuclear weapons against Iran. [end]
Under Pressure From Settlers, IOF Rebuilds West Bank Watchtower
2/7/2010 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - TEL AVIV, February 7, 2010 (WAFA)- The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) is rebuilding a military position on a base it evacuated in April 2006 east of Beit Sahour near Jerusalem. Israeli sources said that they are only building a guard tower, Haaretz Israeli Daily reported, today. The building of the military position follows intensive pressure by settlers from Gush Etzion to gain approval for the establishment of a Jewish city on the site of the abandoned military camp and its environs, Haaret added, such a development would link up the neighborhood of Har Homa in Jerusalem and Gush Etzion in the West Bank. Last Friday, settlers held a ceremony at the site, where they learned that the army intended to build a watchtower on the site. According to a report by settler radio station Arutz Sheva on Sunday, Colonel Eran Makub, who is charged with securing the area, announced that the IOF intends to 'rebuild an IOF position at Shadma.
U.S Vows To Bury Goldstone Report At UN
2/8/2010 - International Middle East Media Center - Saed Bannoura - Israeli sources reported Saturday that the United States vowed to Israeli leaders to bury the report of Judge Richard Goldstone on Israel’s war in Gaza last year. The sources added that the Israeli government vowed to respond to the report of Goldstone by forming an independent committee. The United Nations is set to convene soon to discuss the report but did not schedule a date for the discussion. Bur Israel sources said that Israel will not show “any further cooperation” and that the United States will not allow the report to reach the Security Council. Last week, Israel reveled that a series of talks were held between Israeli and American officials in order to define the means to counter the Goldstone report and to bury it. Israel also said that the United States will not hesitate in using its Veto power should the efforts to bury the report fail.
Iran asks UN atomic body to oversee fuel production
2/8/2010 - Press TV - Iran on Monday informed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in an official letter that from Tuesday, it will begin enriching higher-grade nuclear fuel. " Today we handed over the letter," Iran's envoy to the IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh, told Press TV. He said Iran has asked the UN nuclear agency to dispatch its inspectors to the country to oversee the process of the 20 percent enrichment work. Iran says as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), it is entitled to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. On Sunday, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered the country's nuclear organization to take measures to produce the fuel for the Tehran reactor domestically. He, however, stressed that a nuclear swap deal with the West is still possible. Soltanieh said Iran will use its nuclear stockpile to enrich uranium to up to 20 percent to supply the Tehran research reactor which produces medical isotopes. The fuel will be produced at the Natanz enrichment plant.
Building
back in Gaza - with mud bricks
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - Hassan al-Err, aged 67, and his seven-member family
are moving into a mud house built by the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees (UNRWA) in the Gaza Strip, because other building materials
are not available. The two-bedroom house in the Ezbet Abed Rabbo
neighbourhood of Jabaliya town, north of Gaza City, is an improvement
on the tent...
Tel
Aviv's hydra-headed monster
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - It's surely ironic that the country that complains
loudest about terrorism has assassination squads travelling the world
in search of prey. The murder of Hamas commander Mahmoud Al Mabhouh in
a Dubai hotel room last month is believed to have been carried out by
members of the Mossad allegedly using Irish passports. And the fact
that...
IRAN:
As many as 3 million protesters anticipated at Thursday rally
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - The 22nd day of the Persian calendar month of
Bahman, the date 31 years ago when Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini declared
Iran an Islamic republic, is traditionally a time for official
patriotic fervor and the unveiling of national achievements. But on
Sunday, a source inside Tehran police headquarters told a friend of the
Los Angeles Times in...
Poll
result shows that "the majority of Palestinians oppose the resumption
of negotiations without the pre-conditions"
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - An independent Palestinian news agency says that the
majority of Palestinians are opposed to any resumption of negotiations
with the Israelis without pre-conditions. According to a poll conducted
by Sama on its website, 836 out of 1356 participants, 62%, said they
oppose the resumption of indirect negotiations, as is now proposed,
without any pre-conditions set by...
Danny
Ayalon’s Arrival Sparks Outrage In London
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - A protest march will be held in London today against
the arrival of deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon. The Palestine
Solidarity Campaign and British Muslim Initiative are co-ordinating the
march, expected to number several hundred, to highlight the ongoing
human rights abuses perpetrated by the Israeli government. Ayalon is
the first Knesset member to visit Britain...
Israel
admits detention of international activists illegal
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - A state prosecutor admitted before the Supreme Court
today that the Immigration Police illegally detained the two
international activists arrested yesterday in a pre-dawn raid on the
International Solidarity Movement’s Ramallah offices. The two will be
released on bail. Earlier today, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the
release on bail of the two activists who were...
Iran:
Student Facing Execution for Throwing Rocks
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
today strongly condemned the prosecution of a young student activist,
Mohammad Amin Valian, under the charge of Moharebeh, or "enmity against
God," which is punishable by death and called the charges "grossly
disproportionate." At least nine other protestors have been sentenced
to death in similar unfair trials and...
Video:
Gazans recycle rubble to rebuild
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - Palestinians have been forced to innovate ways to
rebuild houses destroyed during last year’s war on Gaza. That is
because an Israeli blockade is preventing construction materials from
getting into the Gaza Strip. Many therefore are collecting rubble from
destroyed homes, smuggling in cement from Egypt, and using the two to
make concrete blocks. The quality...
Dozens
of Palestinians injured as Israelis raid refugee camp
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - Israel police injured dozens of Palestinians in
violence that broke out after they raided a refugee camp on the edge of
Jerusalem on Monday, a Palestinian news agency reported. Israeli police
moved into the camp early on Monday to arrest tax evaders while
Palestinians, mostly schoolchildren, retaliated in the afternoon by
hurling stones. Over 10 people...
Sheikh
Jarrah settlers threaten Palestinians with M-16 for the second time in
8 days
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - Today at around 3PM, a settler named Yoni was caught
spray painting a swastika on the Ghawi tent by an Palestinian who was
driving by in his truck. The truck driver yelled at the settler, Yoni
and called the police. When the police arrived they ignored the settler
and accused neighborhood Palestinians of having painted the...
Stop
the Wall offices hit in late night raid
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - Late last night Occupation forces raided the Stop
the Wall offices in Ramallah. Some 10 military jeeps, hummers and an
armoured bus surrounded the building as soldiers searched rooms,
turning the office upside down and confiscating computer hard disks,
laptops, and video cameras along with paper documents, CDs, and video
cassettes. Part of the mounting repression...
Health
conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails
Uruknet
February 8, 2010 - Since the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967 the number of Palestinians detained is
in excess of 700,000 men, women and children, representing 20% of the
Palestinians living in the Occupied Territories. The current number of
prisoners and detainees is estimated at between 8,000 – 10,000 spread
around...
Palestine, February 8, 2010 ( Pal Telegraph) - Friends of Humanity International organization, based in Vienna, issued on Saturday a detailed report entitled "Beyond the Sun" on the reality of Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails; the organization reported that 2009 was the worst year in history of Palestinian detainees utterly. "In 2009, The Israeli Prison service practiced new methods of torture...
Israeli invasion into Qalqilyah and Al-Bira
West Bank, February 8, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli occupation forces on Monday dawn detained six Palestinians in raid into the villages of Azzun and Haja in Qalqilya governorate in the West Bank. Local sources said that a large force of Israeli army invaded the villages at dawn and raided several houses. After searching them, they kidnapped six Palestinians and...
Israel detains 60 Jerusalemite
West Bank, February 8, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli occupation forces invaded on Monday Shu'fat camp, north-east of occupied Jerusalem and detained 60 Jerusalemite. Khader Dibs, the official of The Popular Campaign in the camp, said : "The occupation forces invaded the camp after midnight, and carried out raids in the camp." He added that these forces detained 60 boys from...
Israel deports a detainee to West Bank
West Bank, February 8, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The Ministry of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs said that the Israeli authorities freed the detainee Nezam Mohammed Hamattu Shaninah from Khan Younis city, southern Gaza Strip, and then they deported him to the West Bank rather than returning to his home in the Gaza Strip. The ministry said in a statement on...
UNRWA's Filippo Grandi meets Egyptian FM
Egypt, February 7, 2010 ( Pal Telegraph) - Filippo Grandi, the new commissioner-general of UNRWA, met on Sunday with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu Al-Ghit and discussed the difficult situation in Gaza Strip. Grandi observed after his meeting that it is important to conduct such talks with Egyptian officials, particularly because of the regional role it plays by mediating with all...
The National 8 Feb 2010 - Hamas leaders outline possible follow-up measures to build up trust, but anger among followers of two factions still runs deep.
The height of Israeli intransigence
The National 8 Feb 2010 - The mayor of Jerusalem has been told to evict eight families from an illegal block built by Jewish settlers. In retaliation, he has threatened to demolish 200 Palestinian homes.
Egypt struggles with population surge
The National 8 Feb 2010 - The country's families minister admits measures have failed to cut the number of children living on the streets.
The Media Line 7 Feb 2010 - Yemeni developer of software to circumvent online censors wins prestigious European democracy award. A Yemeni academic who developed software that allows netcitizens throughout the world to circumvent government censorship of websites has been awarded the 2010...
Egyptians Rile Over Mosque Cameras
The Media Line 7 Feb 2010 - Egyptians are worried security forces are abusing their powers in monitoring mosques with surveillance cameras. Egyptians are protesting against a plan to install surveillance cameras in thousands of mosques throughout the country. Egypt's Ministry of Islamic...
Tourism Explodes as Syrian Airline Grounded
The Media Line 7 Feb 2010 - Despite skyrocketing tourist numbers, Syrian Air remains grounded due to U.S. sanctions. International tourism to Syria may be burgeoning, but getting there is increasingly difficult due to U.S. sanctions that have essentially grounded Syria's national airline....
Egypt Cracks Down on Muslim Brotherhood, Arrests Key Leaders
The Media Line 7 Feb 2010 - Egyptian security forces have detained over a dozen members of the outlawed but highly popular Muslim Brotherhood, including three of its senior leaders. Reports from Egypt identified one of the detainees as Mahmoud Ezzat, the Brotherhood's...
Ahmadinejad Gives Orders to Begin Enriching Uranium
The Media Line 7 Feb 2010 - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has given orders to his Atomic Energy Organization to go ahead with higher-grade enrichment of its uranium stockpile on its own. Ahmadinejad said the enrichment from 3.5 percent to 20 percent was...
Netanyahu's Visit to Russia Expected to Focus on Blocking Iran
The Media Line 7 Feb 2010 - Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and other leaders during an official visit next week to Moscow. This will be Netanyahu's first official visit to Russia, though he secretly...
Ambassador At Very Large
The Media Line 6 Feb 2010 - Arab states reject senior diplomat whose name refers to large male genitals in Arabic. Up until just over a month ago, His Excellency Miangul Akbar Zeb had lived an esteemed life as one of Pakistan's most...
Egypt-Israel Gas Deal Realized Despite Popular Discontent
The Media Line 6 Feb 2010 - A new deal increasing the export of Egyptian natural gas to Israel has come into effect despite popular protest in Egypt. The Egyptian Mediterranean Gas company, which exports natural gas to the state owned Israel Electric...
AlJazeera 7 Feb 2010 - Move follows museum's delay in lending Persian treasure to allow for public display in Iran.
Israeli forces raid West Bank camp
AlJazeera 8 Feb 2010 - Hamas and Fatah supporters among scores arrested following raid on Shuafat camp.
New sanctions urged over Iran move
AlJazeera 8 Feb 2010 - US and France lead calls for sanctions as Tehran says it will step up uranium enrichment.
Alternative Information Center
Berlusconi, Israel and the Big BrotherAlternative Information Center 5 Feb 2010 - After the three-day visit of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to Israel and a short visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories, a judgement is due. Berlusconi came with a large Italian ministry delegation (Foreign Minister Franco...
PNN 8 Feb 2010 - This document is the Christian Palestinians’ word to the world about what is happening in Palestine. It is written at this time when we wanted to see the Glory of the grace of God in this land and in the sufferings of its people. In this spirit the document requests the international community to stand by the Palestinian people who have faced...
Israel bars Palestinian expert on settlements from travel abroad
PNN 8 Feb 2010 - Interior Minister Eli Yishai has banned Palestinian geographer Khalil Tufakji, a resident of Jerusalem, from traveling abroad for six months, citing unspecified security concerns. The ban was issued on the recommendation of the Shin Bet security service and is based on 1948 Emergency regulations. Having been convinced that there is real concern that the exit of Mr. Khalil Tufakji from Israel may...
Israel kidnaps 70 Palestinian workers
PNN 8 Feb 2010 - Israeli occupation forces kidnapped 70 Palestinian workers overnight in the west bank near Bait Aor Al-Tahta village, in west of Ramallah. The workers were hidden in a van as they were not given permissions to work inside 1948 occupied lands. The workers were hiding in a van launched from Jerusalem towards the1948 occupied lands.Shaher Sad, the secretary general of the Palestine General...
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - Eli Yishai authorizes vote on the east J'lem building’s status next week.
'Israelis abroad should vote'
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - PM backs Israel Beiteinu bill which would "help shape Israel's identity."
'Activists try to disrupt security ops'
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - IDF says int’l group urged foreign members to turn up activity in Israel.
Lieberman: My critics are losers
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - FM lashes out at political opponents, highlighting coalition's strength.
Mashaal: US 'vetoed' Palestinian unity
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - Group's leader arrives for talks just a week before PM scheduled to visit there.
Israel opens Jalama crossing to tour buses
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 -
Analysis: Barkat plays Samson
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - Mayor never made a secret of his plans to incorporate Jewish presence in Silwan into his plans to turn J'lem into a tourist attraction.
IDF: 50 activists working to disrupt security ops in W. Bank
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - Defense officials say int’l group called on foreign members to turn up activity in Israel.
Activists’ release prompts questions on Oz jurisdiction
Jeruslalem Post 8 Feb 2010 - Does the Interior Ministry’s Oz Immigration Authority have the right to operate in the West Bank?
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: Gazans Denied Justice as Rights Take a Beating
IPS RAMALLAH, Feb 5 (IPS) - Gazans hoping for a modicum of justice following Israel’s indiscriminate military assault on the coastal territory during December 2008 and January 2009 - which left 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, dead - could be waiting in vain.
MIDEAST: Raze Illegal Buildings - Unless They Are Jewish
IPS SILWAN, Occupied East Jerusalem, Feb 3 (IPS) - Backed by armed security men, the municipal inspectors race their jeeps through the narrow alleyways and up a hillside crowded with buildings.
MIDEAST: Pray the PA Way or Face Arrest
IPS RAMALLAH, Jan 27 (IPS) - The Palestinian Authority (PA) is using West Bank mosques as a new battleground in its political offensive against its opponents within Hamas as well as critics from its own Fatah party.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Calls for Investigation of Death in al-MaghaziPCHR 7 Feb 2010 - Field Update On the evening of Sunday, 07 February 2010, Fadi Talal Bahjat Isma'il, 29, from al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, was killed by two gunshots.
International Solidarity Movement
International activists to accompany Gazan farmers2/9/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - On Tuesday the 9th February 2010, ISM Gaza volunteers will be accompanying farmers from the village of Khuza'a near Khan Younis to their land near the border with Israel where soldiers fired at the farmers recently on several occasions. Several farmers have been shot by Israeli forces while farming their lands. 5 June 2009, Shoka, Rafah: Khaled Ismail Mohammed Jahjuh was shot in his lower spine by the Israeli army. 3 June 2009, Beit Hanoun: Ali Mohammed al-Zummara, 65, injured by shrapnel in the back. 3 June 2009, Beit Hanoun: Saleh Mohammed al-Zummara, 66, injured by a gunshot to the left hand. 3 June 2009, Bedouin village ‘Um An-Nassir': Ahmed Tawfiq Abu Hashish, 17, injured by shrapnel to the left shoulder and foot. 3 June 2009, Bedouin village ‘Um An-Nassir': Saleh Ahmed al-Madani, 17, seriously. . .
Sheikh Jarrah settlers threaten Palestinians with M-16 for the second time in 8 days
2/8/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Today at around 3PM, a settler named Yoni was caught spray painting a swastika on the Ghawi tent by an Palestinian who was driving by in his truck. The truck driver yelled at the settler, Yoni and called the police. When the police arrived they ignored the settler and accused neighborhood Palestinians of having painted the swastika. Palestinians painted over the swastika to prevent further accusations. Later, at 5. 30 the settler came back again and this time accompanied with another settler dressed in army uniform. This time they threatened the 87 years old Rifka Al-Kurd with a M-16 machine gun and said that they would kill her. All this was taped by the Al-Kurd daughter and the recording was shown to the police who arrived 15 to 20 minutes after the incident started. The settler who was carrying the machine gun was arrested, but the one called Yoni managed to escape the scene before the police arrived.
Israel admits detention of international activists illegal
2/8/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - A state prosecutor admitted before the Supreme Court today that the Immigration Police illegally detained the two international activists arrested yesterday in a pre-dawn raid on the International Solidarity Movement's Ramallah offices. The two will be released on bail. Earlier today, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the release on bail of the two activists who were arrested on Sunday during a pre-dawn raid on the Ramallah media office of the International Solidarity Movement. During the hearing, the State Prosecutor admitted that it was illegal for the Immigration Police to receive custody of the two in the Occupied Territories, where it has no legal authority. While the illegality of the detention of the two, Ariadna Jove Marti, a Spanish journalist, and Bridgette Chappell, an Australian student in the Beir Zeit university, by the Immigration Police is now undisputed, the overall legality of the raid remains contested.
Israeli forces fire upon a demonstration in Gaza
2/8/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - The Israeli army fired four shots and shouted abuse at the group of about 40 Palestinians and internationals who, on Monday 8th February ‘10, walked within 50 meters of the Erez border crossing, waving Palestinian flags and chanting demands for justice and an end to the Occupation. Similar demonstrations have taken place weekly for over a month and this is the closest that the demonstrators got to the border, so far. To mark the occasion two Palestinian flags were placed at the furtherest spots the demonstrators reached. ‘ I don’t think a Palestinian set a foot at this place for a long time’, said a participant. The organizers, the volunteers form the ‘Local Initiative’ in Beit Hanoun were inspired by the similar peaceful resistance initiatives in Ni’lin ans Bil’in. Their aim is to support people who have farms in the so called ‘buffer zone’, a 300 metre wide belt of Palestinian land which Israelis declared a no-go area.
Germany's only Jewish film festival in danger of closure
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Around 100 Jewish film festivals are held worldwide each year, most of them in the United States and Canada.
Israel protests to Russia over Hamas leader Meshal's visit
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - On trip to Moscow, Meshal says Israel's aggression and U.S. backtracking made Mideast peace impossible.
Iran FM: Israel is a crazy country run by crazy people
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Mottaki tells Al-Jazeera Israel is 'weaker than ever', but vows Iran will defend itself in case of attack.
Turmoil at NY Times as Israel bureau chief's son enlists in IDF
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Public Editor Hoyt says Bronner should be reassigned, while Executive Editor Keller sees no conflict of interest.
IAEA prepares to intervene as Iran declares new nuclear plans
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Barak urges world not to ignore Iran provocations; Russian lawmaker calls for 'serious measure' against Iran.
Palestinian FM: New Mideast talks must focus above all on borders
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - PA official: 3-month talks to begin February 20; Abbas agrees in principle to U.S. proposed mediation.
Swastikas and racist graffiti smeared on French mosque
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - About a dozen inscriptions were painted on the walls of the Great Mosque in Saint-Etienne.
Saudis urges firm stance on Israel after Ayalon handshake
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Saudi Arabia downplay significance of meeting with Deputy FM, condemns Israel's treatment of Palestinians.
Hamas rejects Palestinian Authority call for July elections
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Palestinian Authority calls for municipal elections on July 17; Hamas says move is 'illegitimate'
Iran informs UN of plan to enrich nuclear fuel at higher levels
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Tehran to begin enriching up to 20 percent from its present stock of lower enriched uranium.
Jordan king: Iran may give up nukes if Mideast conflict resolved
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Jordan's King Abdullah: Israel, Palestinians in desperate need of U.S. attention in negotiations.
Abbas give in to U.S. pressure for indirect Mideast talks
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - U.S. envoy George Mitchell to mediate proximity talks; PM believes talks will begin in late February.
Hamas fails to pay January salaries of Gaza civil servants
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - A senior official at the Hamas-run Finance Ministry blamed the delay on new 'technical procedures.'
Syria vows to respond to any Israeli 'aggression'
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Netanyahu: Israel seeks peace with all neighbors; Saudi paper says Hezbollah has raised alert in Lebanon.
Assad: We will stand by Lebanon if attacked by Israel
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Netanyahu: Israel seeks peace with all neighbors; Saudi paper says Hezbollah has raised alert in Lebanon.
The Guardian 8 Feb 2010 - Plans for a mixed Arab and Jewish neighbourhood in Jerusalem could be a step towards eradicating decades of hostility For all that Jerusalem is perpetually mired in clashes between rival groups of Arab and Jewish residents,...
Christian Aid's anti-Israel blunders | Adam Levick
The Guardian 8 Feb 2010 - By hosting vicious attacks on Israel, Christian Aid is destroying its reputation as a non-partisan charitable organisation Christian Aid, one of the world's largest anti-poverty NGOs, chose 27 January, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to issue a...
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - While Vladimir Renzhin trained some of Europe's finest alpine skiers on the frigid peaks of Ukraine, his young son Mikail would watch their every move from the safety of the lodge, fixated. When he was 3 years old, the younger Renzhin first stuck his feet in ski boots and started working on his snowplow technique. ...
Gideon Levy / If Israel lets ex-pats vote, what's to stop enfranchising all Jews?
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - What rejoicing in America! How delighted they will be - Abe (formerly Avraham), Joe (formerly Yossi) and Sam (formerly Shmulik). From now on, they will be able to vote from afar. ...
Gay Israeli families struggle for acceptance at kids' schools
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - When Sefi and Tali Rachlin-Paz's son Yotam started going to kindergarten, near their home in South Tel Aviv's Shapira neighborhood, both his parents came to talk with the teacher. "We told the usual story we tell to people we've just met, especially in the education system," explained Shefi Paz, a book designer. "We tell them Yotam was raised in a family with two mothers and he calls us Imma and Mama. It's our way of putting the cards on the table and coordinating expectations." ...
Yoel Marcus / If Netanyahu wants peace, he must lose Lieberman
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - In our government, everyone talks whenever he pleases about whatever he pleases. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman acts like the neighborhood bully; his style and statements suit the extreme right's worst thugs, who do what they want in the territories. ...
Move for absentee voting prompts fire across the political spectrum
Ha'aretz 8 Feb 2010 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yisrael Beiteinu head Avigdor Lieberman announced Monday that they intend to promote a bill that would let Israeli citizens vote from abraod in Knesset elections. The parallel announcements appeared to be coordinated. ...
Relief Web 8 Feb 2010 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
Joint Press Release on the Meeting between Dr. Yukio Hatoyama, Prime Minister of Japan, and Dr. Mahmoud Abbas, Palestinian President
Relief Web 8 Feb 2010 - Source: Government of Japan
Palestinians to hold local elections in July
Relief Web 8 Feb 2010 - Source: Agence France-Presse
OPT: Serious Increase in Internal Violence in Gaza - Al Mezan
Relief Web 8 Feb 2010 - Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
Urgency of Addressing Permanent Status Issues to Form Theme for International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, in Malta, 12-13 February
Relief Web 8 Feb 2010 - Source: UN General Assembly
OPT: Behind the Marathon - Playing together and involving the fathers
Relief Web 8 Feb 2010 - Source: European Commission Humanitarian Aid department, Médecins du Monde
YNet News 8 Feb 2010 - Opposition leader slams Netanyahu's plan to submit bill allowing all Israeli citizens who live overseas to vote, says 'Israel's future, character should be determined by people who live here'
Saudis urge firm stance on Israel after handshake with Ayalon
YNet News 8 Feb 2010 - Riyadh appeals to international community on need for 'rigorous position' regarding Israel's 'threats against Lebanon, Syria and Palestinians.' Ex-head of Saudi intelligence downplays significance of Munich encounter with deputy FM
US, France lead calls for sanctions against Iran
YNet News 8 Feb 2010 - After Tehran announces plans to produce higher-enriched uranium, add 10 nuclear sites in a year, US Defense Secretary Gates and French President Sarkozy agree Islamic Republic should face 'strong sanctions' over its nuclear program. Possible targets for sanctions: Iran's central bank, Revolutionary Guards
Hamas sees 'no prospects' for Mideast peace
YNet News 8 Feb 2010 - After meeting with Russian foreign minister Khaled Mashaal says Israeli leaders block negotiations with PA, Syria and Lebanon by 'bringing war and occupation,' leaving Russia's hopes of holding regional peace conference in doubt
Iran FM: Israel a mad nation led by insane people
YNet News 8 Feb 2010 - Mottaki says 'Zionist regime is in its weakest position' following Goldstone Report, Lebanon and Gaza wars, but warns entire region 'must be prepared for crazy operations against us'
Yemen's al-Qaeda calls for jihad against Jews, Christians
YNet News 8 Feb 2010 - Deputy leader of terror group's Yemen-based wing says, 'We advise people in Arabian Peninsula to prepare and carry your weapons and to defend your religion and yourselves'
UK assures Ayalon he won't be arrested
YNet News 8 Feb 2010 - Deputy foreign minister addresses International Institute for Strategic Studies in London on Mideast issues. He attempts to ease tensions with Syria, says Israel will maintain good relations with Turkey, but 'will react to dangerous rhetoric emanating from our neighbors'
Stop The Wall8 Feb 2010 - February 8th, 2010, Late last night Occupation forces raided the Stop the Wall offices in Ramallah. Part of the mounting repression of the anti-Wall movement, this attack on the Campaign offices comes after arrests of Stop the Wall staff and an dramatically increasing number of grassroots activists struggling against the Wall.
Join the second Global BDS Day of Action!
Stop The Wall8 Feb 2010 - February 7th, 2010, The BDS National Committee (BNC) is calling on you to unite in your different capacities and struggles for a Global BDS Day of Action on 30 March 2010 in solidarity with the Palestinian people and for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel.
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 Iran said Monday it has formally told the UN nuclear watchdog of its plan to produce higher enriched uranium, sparking fresh warnings by world powers of new sanctions against the Islamic Republic. "Iran's official letter about commencing the 20 percent enrichment activity in order to provide fuel for the Tehran reactor has been handed over to the IAEA"
Expect only modest US gains from thaw with Syria: analysts
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 The Obama team may get modest benefits from ending a five-year chill with Damascus but will find it hard, if not impossible to peel Syria way from hardline ally Iran and break the Arab-Israeli stalemate, analysts said. US President Barack Obama's administration said last week it submitted its nominee for ambassador to Damascus, the fruit of a year-long drive to engage Syria in a bid to promote Arab-Israeli peace
Palestinians want peace talks to focus on borders
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 Palestinian officials demanded on Monday that any US-backed peace talks with Israel focus on border issues and be given a deadline of up to four months. Washington has proposed circumventing a dispute preventing the resumption of talks, stalled for more than a year since a war in Gaza, by reconvening in the form of "proximity talks" on an indirect basis, under closer US mediation
Egypt arrests 3 top Muslim Brotherhood leaders
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 The Number two leader of Egypt's opposition Muslim Brotherhood and two other top figures have been arrested by police Monday in a dawn sweep targeting members of the nation's most powerful opposition group across the country. The arrests, part of an ongoing crackdown, come just as the group chose a new leadership and ahead of parliamentary elections set for October
Hamas leader holds talks on Palestinian unity in Moscow
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 The leader of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas met in Moscow Monday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for talks on efforts to reunify the two main Palestinian independence movements. "We met to pursue our discussions, and our principal goal is to build on efforts brokered by Egypt to secure Palestinian unity," Lavrov told reporters at the start of talks with Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal
Israeli police raid East Jerusalem refugee camp
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 Israeli security forces on Monday raided a Palestinian refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem, arresting 11 people in an operation police said was aimed at putting "some order" in the area. Dozens of police and border police forces in jeeps entered the densely populated Shuafat camp in the north of occupied and occupied East Jerusalem after midnight, witnesses and police said
Iran reformist leaders deny links to foreigners
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 Iran's top reformist leaders on Monday rejected the authorities' accusation that the opposition movement had links to foreigners and urged people to attend rallies on Thursday marking the 1979 Islamic revolution. The opposition is expected to revive anti-government protests at the February 11 events, raising fears of further clashes with the security forces
Rights group: Bahrain has resumed torturing detainees
Daily Star 8 Feb 2010 The Gulf kingdom of Bahrain resumed torturing detainees in 2007 after about a decade of not engaging in the "scourge," US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released Monday. As of late 2007, "torture is back in the repertoire of Bahrain's security services" the international watchdog said in the report
Palestinian Information Center
Palestinian journalists scoff at “farcical election”PIC 8 Feb 2010 - Independent and professional journalists throughout Occupied Palestine are scoffing at the “journalists’ union elections” which took place on Saturday under the aegis of the Fatah ..
Khudari hails Turkish support for Gaza steadfastness
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - MP Jamal Al-Khudari on Monday described the Turkish government, institutions and people as an honorable model of unlimited support for the Palestinian people.
PFLP warns of returning to negotiations with the Israelis
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - The PFLP has warned that the US-Israeli diplomatic maneuvers were meant to liquidate the Palestinian cause through the resumption of the "indirect" talks between the PA in Ramallah and the IOA.
Protest rally against Ayalon's visit to UK
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - Tens of British citizens and Arabs and Palestinians living in London gathered in front of the IISS to protest the visit of Daniel Ayalon, the deputy Israeli foreign minister, to the UK.
Mishaal-Lavrov meeting focuses on Palestinian reconciliation
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov discussed Palestinian reconciliation efforts with a visiting delegation of the Hamas Movement led by its leader Khaled Mishaal on Monday.
Egypt starts building sea barrier near Rafah coast
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - After building the steel wall, the Egyptian authorities started constructing a sea barrier near the coast of Rafah close to the international mark number one, an Egyptian paper said.
IOF troops storm house of Hamas leader in W. Bank
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - The IOF stormed the house of Palestinian citizen Ismail Abu Tamie, one of the political leaders of Hamas in Jenin city, north of the West Bank, on Monday, local sources revealed.
Mishaal in Russia on official visit
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - Khaled Mishaal arrived in Moscow on Monday at the head of a delegation to confer with Russian foreign minister on latest Palestinian developments and means of ending the internal Palestinian rift.
Haneyya discuses reconciliation mechanisms with PFLP leaders
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - Ismail Haneyya has discussed the Palestinian affairs and the file of the national reconciliation with a delegation from the PFLP, sources in the PA government revealed.
Jewish settlers uproot Palestinian grape trees
PIC 8 Feb 2010 - Armed Jewish settlers have attacked and uprooted grape trees in Al-Baqa area east of Al-Khalil city under the protection of Israeli occupation forces (IOF), local sources said.
LA Times 9 Feb 2010 - Despite Western threats of sanctions, Tehran says it will build more nuclear fuel plants and beef up its military. As Iran moved to enrich uranium to a higher level of purity and build new nuclear-fuel plants, U.S. and French defense officials suggested Monday that sanctions were needed to force Tehran to curb its nuclear program.
Iran lawyer haunted by young man's execution
LA Times 8 Feb 2010 - Lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh is filled with rage over the treatment of her client, 20-year-old Arash Rahmanipour, who was not defended in court and then was quietly put to death. The defendant met with his lawyer once for 15 minutes before he was sentenced to death and hanged.
Israeli conservatives attack U.S.-based philanthropy as unpatriotic
LA Times 8 Feb 2010 - Nationalist groups accuse the New Israel Fund of seeking to undermine Israel, alleging that rights groups it has sponsored provided most of the testimony to a U.N. panel on the Gaza war. A U.S.-based philanthropy that funds human rights groups in Israel is under fire amid accusations that its recipients provided the bulk of evidence to a U.N. commission that issued a report highly critical of Israel's Gaza Strip war a year ago.
Egypt's Copts fearful amid increasing tensions
LA Times 7 Feb 2010 - As the majority Muslim nation turns more conservative, the Christian minority, which has lived in relative peace for centuries, faces an uncertain future. Recent killings and riots add to the fear. Father Metyas Mankarios ministers to garbage men and runs a newspaper for Coptic Christians from an office crammed with brittle archives above vegetable sellers and fishmongers barking out prices along the muddy roads of a Cairo neighborhood.
New York Times 8 Feb 2010 - After Iran notified the U.N. nuclear agency of plans to enrich its uranium, officials from the U.S., France and Russia called for stronger measures against Tehran.
An 'Israeli Remix' of a Palestinian Scarf
New York Times 8 Feb 2010 - A Jewish D.J. in Brooklyn finds himself defending his right to market what he calls an "Israeli remix of the keffiyeh," a symbol of Palestinian identity.
Gates Scoffs at Iran Nuclear Claim
New York Times 7 Feb 2010 - The United States and Germany rejected Iran’s assertion that it was close to accepting an international compromise on enriching uranium abroad.
Iran May Be Near Uranium Deal
New York Times 6 Feb 2010 - The West may balk at Tehran’s condition: that it set the amounts of uranium to be enriched.
Hamas Insists Rockets Were Not Aimed at Civilians
New York Times 5 Feb 2010 - Hamas insists that it did not intentionally aim rockets at Israeli civilians during the Gaza war last winter, according to a report submitted this week to a United Nations office in Gaza.
Israeli Minister Adds Heat to Exchange With Syria
New York Times 5 Feb 2010 - Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, warned Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, that the Assad family would lose power in any war with Israel.
Palestine Monitor - 8 Feb 2010 - A protest march will be held in London today against the arrival of deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign and British Muslim Initiative are co-ordinating the march, expected to number several hundred, to highlight the ongoing human rights abuses perpetrated by the Israeli...
Human Rights Groups Say Israel and Hamas Fail in Investigations
Mondoweiss - 8 Feb 2010 - A chorus of statements from human rights organizations has determined that both Israel and Palestinian authorities have failed to conduct independent, impartial investigations into alleged war crimes committed during last year’s Israeli assault on Gaza. The United Nations’ Goldstone report called on both sides to conduct...
‘New York Times Fails to Disclose Possible Conflict of Interest’–ABC News
Mondoweiss - 8 Feb 2010 - Story itself is a rehash . But the headline is choice, and echoes the EI item that broke the kerfuffle. Related posts: In Political Coverage, ‘The Times’ Fails to Identify the Jewish Right First it was Jayson Blair. Now ‘Times’ fails to identify ‘mishpocha’ as Yiddish In...
Goldberg is neo-segregationist
Mondoweiss - 8 Feb 2010 - Listen to Jeffrey Goldberg on the Ethan Bronner flap, saying his friend should of course stay in Jerusalem: this is a somewhat obvious point except to propagandists, reporters are capable of actually separating out their personal interests from their coverage. I’ve worked with Palestinian reporters in...
Ahmed Moor wants to make aliyah!
Mondoweiss - 8 Feb 2010 - Dear friends, I’m finished with Beirut; I’m moving to Israel. There is a remarkable philanthropic organization called Nefesh B’Nefesh seeking people just like me for “the first ever formal initiative to populate Israel’s northern region with English speaking Olim.” My options are a little limited; I...
Bronner story keeps on ticking
Mondoweiss - 8 Feb 2010 - Gray lady has a thorn in her side. Bernard Avishai says (and I tend to agree) that Ethan Bronner shouldn’t be moved from Jerusalem just because his son joined the IDF. But Avishai then quotes Karl Popper and Thomas Kuhn in a highminded (and dual-nationalized) struggle...
Articles
Fear of peace will be the death of Israel
Bradley Burston, Ha’aretz 2/3/2010
SHEIKH JARRAH, Jerusalem - As the grandson of anarchists, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for fanatics. Expressions of extremism, and passionately reasoned, exquisitely twisted world views make me feel, how shall I put this, at home.
So it was with a certain relish that I approached the cover story of a recent issue of Commentary, "The Deadly Price of Pursuing Peace," written as it was by a talented colleague and friend, Evelyn Gordon.
The thrust of the piece, which Commentary Editor John Podhoretz understandably calls "groundbreaking," is that Israel’s international standing has plummeted to an unprecedented low - and the number of Palestinians killed by Israel has concurrently soared - specifically because of Israel’s having done much too much for peace.
"The answer is unpleasant to contemplate, but the mounting evidence makes it inescapable," she writes. "It was Israel’s very willingness to make concessions for the sake of peace that has produced its current near-pariah status."
The essay has the seamless, compellingly elegant, hyper-lucid, parallel universe logic of a hallucination - or a settlement rooted in the craw of the West Bank. Until I read it, it was difficult for me to comprehend the current runaway-freight recklessness of Israeli authorities and a certain segment of the hard right, bolstered by shady funding from abroad.
It was hard to fathom why Israeli police in this quiet hollow of the Arab half of Jerusalem, would choose to openly flout and violate the rulings of an Israeli court. I was unable to grasp why they would manhandle and arrest non-violent demonstrators - among them the executive director of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel - for protesting the official expulsion from their homes of more than two dozen Palestinian families here, driven out and into the street, so that subsidized and sheltered settlers could move in.more.. e-mail
The Israeli-US Unbreakable Relations
Khalid Amayreh, Desert Peace 2/8/2010
Ever since the ill-fated Rogers Plan, proposed and named after former US secretary of state William Rogers in 1969, every American administration made ostensibly exhaustive efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict. However, all these efforts failed miserably, apparently due to Israel’s adamant refusal to give up the spoils of the 1967 War.
Another key reason behind the failure of the US peace diplomacy in the Middle East is the US reluctance and consistent refusal to exert meaningful pressure on Israel to abide by international law, which further emboldened Israel and made the Jewish state bask undisturbed in its rejectionism and arrogance of power.
In 1969, Golda Meir, the former Israeli prime minister, who displayed characteristic Zionist arrogance, as well as profound pathological hatred of Arabs, flatly rejected the Rogers Plan, describing it as a “disaster” for Israel and saying that “it would be irresponsible for any Israeli government to support such a plan.”
In1969, Israel’s cabinet formally rejected the plan, and in 1970, 70 American senators and 280 representatives rejected the plan as “being too one-sided against Israel.”
That was 40 years ago; today, the Obama administration is regurgitating more or less the same ideas, centering on the concept of the land-for-peace formula. Other US administrations under presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George Bush Sr, Bill Clinton, and George W Bush employed the same ideas in formulating their respective Middle East initiatives, but to no avail. more.. e-mail
Israel’s Crisis Deepens Over Gaza War Crimes Report
Chris Marsden, World Socialist Web Site, Global Research 2/8/2010
United Nations General Secretary Ban Ki-moon threw a lifeline to Israel yesterday, stating that there was not yet enough evidence to say whether Israel or the Palestinians are complying with UN demands to investigate allegations of war crimes during the 22-day Israeli assault on Gaza.
Submissions by Israel and the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority remained incomplete, he said, on the day both were due to respond to last year’s Goldstone report accusing Israel and Hamas of war crimes. Following Goldstone’s report, the UN General Assembly has demanded that both Israel and Hamas launch independent investigations into their conduct during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009.
Though both parties were cited in the report by Richard Goldstone, a South African judge, Israel faces far more serious charges. It is accused of deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in a conflict that saw over 1,400 Palestinians killed—compared with 13 Israelis killed—and the full or partial destruction of more than 21,000 buildings and apartments, including more than 200 major factories.
Ban Ki-Moon could have urged the convening of a special tribunal at The Hague. His statement is a de facto rejection of the dossier Israel produced claiming to account for its war crimes, but he still chose to praise Israel for having supposedly diligently investigated the allegations made against it. This statement is extraordinary, given the fact that the release of Israel’s dossier contained an admission that at least one war crime Israel had repeatedly denied had in fact occurred and that evidence confirming another was uncovered just days after its release. more.. e-mail
United solidarity with Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 8 Feb 2010 - Once the Gaza Freedom March arrived in Cairo I repeatedly heard justification that organizers did not want to put Egyptian protesters at risk. Yet, Egyptians regularly protest in Egypt despite the risks. For a group of outsiders to justify the exclusion of our involvement without asking our opinion -- in spite of the good intentions of "protecting" us -- felt paternalistic and demeaning. Philip Rizk comments for The Electronic Intifada.
Justice denied in Gaza
Electronic Intifada: 8 Feb 2010 - RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Gazans hoping for a modicum of justice following Israel's indiscriminate military assault on the coastal territory during December 2008 and January 2009 -- which left 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, dead -- could be waiting in vain. The Israeli government has taken the offensive in the propaganda battle and attacked United Nations-appointed Justice Richard Goldstone's report into war crimes committed during the war.
Palestine Chronicle: 8 Feb 2010 - By Ramzy Baroud The media's habit of revisiting certain issues at set intervals can be strange and even illogical at times. For example, many news outlets commented on President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office, as well as on the anniversary of his election win, and then again one year after his inauguration day. With every new round number, more commentators joined in and discussions heated up between proponents and detractors of his government’s performance. I am not exactly sure why we like round numbers. Is it because they make valuations easy, even when the particular number is irrelevant? Some philosophers, Plato included, believed that order and symmetry are innate values in the human psyche. Perhaps. Or, perhaps, in the case of the media, numbers give us the sense, deceptively, that we have a grasp over certain truths. We determine the order in which legacies such as Obama’s should be dissected. After a decided date, the subject can be ignored until the next round number arrives, bringing with it more useless chatter. Of course, this is a delusion. Like much of the media’s behaviour, it has no connection to reality. It’s all a mind game. A lie, even. For victims of US policies in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, and elsewhere, the attention given to round numbers is wholly illogical. The drones flying over Afghanistan and Pakistan, loaded with killing technology, care little for numbers, including the number of lives they destroy daily. Did Gazans starve less when we ‘examined’ Obama’s (...