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News
International Middle East Media Center
Clinton:
“Blair and Mitchell To Intensify Efforts To Resume Middle East Talks”
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Saturday February 13, 2010 - 01:12, U.S. Secretary-of
State, Hilary Clinton, stated Friday that U.S. Middle East Peace Envoy,
George Mitchell, and Middle East Envoy, Tony Blair, will intensify
their efforts to ensure the resumption of the stalled peace talks
between Israel and the Palestinians.
Two
Injured at the Weekly Bil’in Protest
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 18:22, A journalist and a
villager were injured by Israeli fire when troops attacked the weekly
anti-wall protest at the village of Bil’in, central West Bank.
The
Israeli military detains two civilians at the Nil‘in weekly protest
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 18:21, A Palestinian teen and
an Israeli supporter were detained by Israeli soldiers during an
anti-wall protest at the village of Nil’in near the central West Bank
city of Ramallah.
Israeli
Troops Attack Protester Near Bethlehem
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 18:19, Israeli soldiers
attacked anti-wall protesters on Friday near the southern West Bank
city of Bethlehem using tear gas and sound bombs.
250
Olive Trees Planted By Volunteers Near Osh Grab
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 17:10, Following the beginning
of construction of a new watchtower at the site of the former military
base, this week, residents of Beit Sahour and international volunteers
gathered at the surrounding farmlands, on Friday, to cultivate the
land, planting 250 olive trees.
Army
Bombards Al Maghazi Refugee Camp in Gaza
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 12:09, Palestinian sources
reported that the Israeli army bombarded on Friday morning an area east
of the Al Maghazi refugee camp, in the central district of the Gaza
Strip.
Dr.
Husseini On TV To Talk About “Scandal Report” Targeting Him
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 11:46, Head of the Palestinian
President’s Office in Jerusalem, Dr. Rafiq Husseini, will be
participating in the “All In The Open” program at the Palestinian TV to
talk about the details of “corruption and scandal” issue invoked
against him at a report by the Israeli TV.
PCHR
Weekly Report: 7 Palestinian civilians wounded by Israeli forces this
week
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 10:39, According to the
Palestinian Center for Human Rights' Weekly Report on Israeli Human
Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, during the
week of 04 – 10 February 2010, 7 Palestinian civilians, including two
journalists and a child, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West
Bank.
US
Store discontinues Ahava dead sea products after boycott call
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 04:42, The ‘Stolen Beauty’
campaign has declared a small victory, after Costco stores agreed to
stop carrying Dead Sea Salt from the Ahava corporation.
Abbas
Instructs Erekat To Ensure The Release of An Ailing Detainee Imprisoned
By Israel
IMEMC
12 Feb 2010 - Friday February 12, 2010 - 03:25, The Palestinian
Prisoners Society (PPS) reported that President Mahmoud Abbas
instructed head of the Negotiations Department at the Palestinian
Liberation Organization to act on the release of a sick detainee
imprisoned by Israel since more than 30 years.
Reports:
2 dead after Israeli shelling in Gaza
2/12/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli forces shelled an area east of the Al-Maghazi
Refugee Camp on Monday, hitting the central Gaza Strip region with
several artillery shells in at least three barrages, witnesses said.
Unconfirmed Israeli media reports said two Palestinians were killed.
Camp residents said the shells were mostly landing in the Abu Hamam
area, and said the hits began at approximately 9am. An Israeli military
spokeswoman said the fire was the response of an army unit near the
Kissufim military base, south of the Al-Maghazi camp, to an attempt by
armed men who were "identified detonating an explosive device" near the
border fence that she said was "targeting soldiers. "After soldiers
heard an explosion nearby, they responded, she said. The army did not
identify a direct hit, she said, and noted that no soldiers had been
injured.
Israeli
fire kills Hebron man
2/12/2010
- Hebron - Ma'an - A Palestinian man died en route to a Jerusalem
hospital after he was shot by Israeli forces in Hebron on Friday.
Locals identified the man as 41-year-old Fayez Ahmad Sayed Faraj, who
was reported critically injured by Israeli gunfire earlier the same
day. Onlookers said soldiers opened fire at Faraj in the Bab Az-Zawiyah
area of central Hebron, and that Palestine Red Crescent ambulances were
prevented from reaching the scene to offer aid to the injured man. An
Israeli military spokeswoman said the Palestinian tried to stab a
soldier in the Old City. Soldiers fired toward him and identified
hitting him in the stomach, she said. Palestinians said soldiers
transferred Faraj to Ad-Daboya, an area of Hebron under Israeli
military control.
Dozens
hurt by tear gas during West Bank protests
2/12/2010
- Ramallah - Ma'an - Dozens choked on tear gas across the occupied West
Bank on Friday, as weekly protests against Israel's separation barrier
were carried out in a number of Ramallah-area villages and towns. In
Bil'in, protesters dressed up as creatures in the animated American
film Avatar, which chronicles the trials of a fictional indigenous
population known as the Na'vi struggling against colonialism on another
planet. Palestinian, Israeli and international activists were painted
blue, with pointy ears and tales, resembling the Avatar characters.
"Like Palestinians, the Avatars fight imperialism, although the
colonizers have different origins," said a statement from the Popular
Struggle Coordination Committee. The Avatars' presence in Bil'in
"symbolizes the united resistance to imperialism of all kinds. " Among
the injured were Harun A'maieyarah, a correspondent for Palestine. . .
Students
find school vandalized after settler visit
2/12/2010
- Nablus - Ma'an - Students at the Ma'zuz Al-Masri Girls School found
the building vandalized by what officials say was settler mischief
during an army-organized visit to a nearby religious site in Nablus on
Thursday morning. The Israeli military, however, said it was their
soldiers who damaged the building "in order to secure" a visit to
Joseph's Tomb by approximately 500 settlers the night before. An
Israeli military spokesman explained: "While entering, minor damage was
caused to the school. The IDF took note of the damage and is
cooperating with the Palestinian authorities in order to fix the
damage. "When teachers and students arrived at the school they found it
had been broken into, with several windows smashed and garbage thrown
in the school water reserves, school officials reported. The Nablus
municipality said its health crews examined the water and found it had
been contaminated by trash. The reserve had to be emptied, disinfected
and re-filled, officials said.
Family
of alleged attacker say Israel to demolish home
2/12/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - The family of alleged knife attacker Muhammad
Al-Khatib was informed on Wednesday that Israel will demolish their
home, according to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs. An Israeli military spokesman, however, said no
official demolition order was handed out. Al-Khatib was accused of
stabbing an Israeli soldier near the Za'tara checkpoint on Wednesday
afternoon. The soldier died in hospital of injuries sustained after the
attack when he rolled his military vehicle while escaping. The man's
family reported the demolition warning to the UN following the
detention of as many as six relatives during a home invasion following
the alleged stabbing. Two of those detained were Al-Khatib's brothers
Ated Aqab Khalaf, 29, and Muhammad Aqab Khalaf, 30. The Israeli
military said two family members were detained.
Israeli
activist arrested near Ramallah
2/12/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - The Israeli army arrested an Israeli
peace activist near Ramallah on Friday, news reports said. The
Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported that Jonathan Pollak,
an Israeli citizen and anti-wall movement organizer, was detained in
the Ramallah-area village of Dir Nezam during a protest there. He was
reportedly being held on the pretext that he violated an army order and
entered Area A, a West Bank designation off-limits to Israeli citizens.
Residents of Dir Nezam are joined by international peace activists each
week. Earlier, Ma'an's correspondent said protesters threw stones and
Israeli forces fired stun grenades, tear-gas canisters, rubber-coated
bullets. No injuries were reported in the brief confrontations. . . . .
Israel
army: No plans to damage park in Beit Sahour
2/12/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Following three days of military work on a hill
overlooking a family park compound in Beit Sahour, an Israeli army
spokeswoman assured that no damage would come to Palestinian structures
on the land. The Beit Sahour family park, was a Jordanian military base
known as Oush Gharab until 1967, when it was taken over by the Israeli
army and abandoned in 2006. Since that time it was converted into a
family park with a playgound, climbing wall and barbecue area with
funds from international donors including USAID. In 2008, Israeli
settlers laid claim to the land, gathering on the site a few Saturdays
a year. Local residents called the visits intimidating. On Wednesday,
Israeli soldiers and a bulldozer entered the park compound and began
leveling ground and destroying old military outpost structures. The
area was declared a closed military zone and access was prohibited to
land owners and journalists.
Home
of Qalqiliya journalist comes under attack
2/12/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Following reports that the home of Qalqiliya
journalist Mustapha Sabri came under fire by unknown gunmen Thursday,
the Palestinian Center For Development and Media Freedoms (MADA) issued
a condemnation and expressed concern for media freedoms in Palestine.
The attacked followed a 4 January 2010 arrest by Palestinian Authority
Security Services, as well as an earlier attack on 6 November 2008,
MADA reported. According to Sabri's wife, the shots were fired just
before midnight on Thursday, and Palestinian police investigating the
incident found that two of the bullets had pierced the outer fence of
the home. No injuries were reported. [end]
Fatah
wing claims responsibility for Wednesday stabbing attack
2/12/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Fatah's armed wing,
claimed responsibility on Friday for the stabbing death of an Israeli
soldier near Nablus on Wednesday. Abu Al-Majd, a leader of the armed
wing, identified the attacker as Muhammad Al-Khatib, the same
Palestinian who Israeli forces took into custody on suspicion of
carrying out the attack. "Al-Khatib, a brigades activist, carried out
this attack in response to ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians and
the assassination of three brigade affiliates in Nablus two months
ago," Al-Majd said in a phone interview. Al-Majd threatened that the
Fatah-affiliated faction would carry out more "substantive" attacks in
the near future. He also said the delay in claiming responsibility was
for security reasons. . . . .
Fatah’s
Abdul Qader forms Shu’fat task force
2/13/2010
- Jerusalem - Ma'an - A popular committee was established Wednesday to
find solutions for the continued tension in Jerusalem's Shu'fat Refugee
Camp, following a string of Israeli military invasions and arrest
campaigns, officials said. Fatah's Jerusalem official Hatim Abdul Qader
announced the committee on Thursday, saying it was charged with
following the cases of the dozens of men detained from the camp between
Monday and Wednesday, as well as checking up on the men, women and
children injured in the ensuing riots. The committee is an effort to
empower the residents and rally the community around continued rights
violations, Abdul Qader said. On Monday, Israeli forces, including the
Border Police, municipal workers and an undercover police unit, carried
out asearch and arrest operation in Shu'fat Refugee Camp during the
early morning hours.
Gaza
crossings closed
2/13/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli officials announced Friday morning that all
Gaza crossings would be closed for the day, transfer liaison officer
Raed Fattouh said. Though crossings are scheduled to be open Fridays,
Israeli officials communicated their closure every Friday since August,
with the exception last Friday, 5 February, where fuel was pumped in
via Kerem Shalom. The former fuel transfer crossing, Nahal Oz, was
closed in January, leaving two crossings officially open; Kerem Shalom
in the south, and the bulk goods crossing at Karni south of Gaza City.
UN officials noted during the Israeli war on Gaza last year, that in
order to get the required amount of aid and commercial goods into Gaza
the Kerem Shalom crossing was insufficient. With most of the goods
coming from the West Bank, Tel Aviv suburbs or the port at Ashdod, the
extra 30 kilometers drive south to Kerem Shalom, and. . .
Police:
Gaza man dies of self-inflicted gunshot wounds
2/12/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - A Palestinian man killed himself in Gaza City on
Thursday, de facto government security sources said. The 34-year-old
victim was identified only by his initials, M. A. , security sources
said. Security forces told Ma'an that a resident of the Ash-Shanti area
north of Sheikh Radwan shot himself with a Kalashnikov rifle. Gaza
police said the man's body was transferred for autopsy and forensic
examination. [end]
Egypt:
African migrant arrested with infant child
2/12/2010
- Al-A'rish- Ma'an - Egyptian authorities detained an African migrant
woman with her infant child on Friday, security sources said, alleging
the two were on their way to Israel. "While the security forces were on
shift south of the Karem Shalom crossing they noticed an African woman
carrying an infant trying to pass through the barbed wire," a statement
from the border guard office said. Officers reportedly rushed to the
scene and detained the woman when they discovered she was an Eritrean,
they said. [end]
As
talks remain stalled, US pushes Palestinian economy
2/13/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Middle East Quartet Envoy Tony Blair and US
Middle East Peace envoy George Mitchell will work closely together in
the coming phase of the American peace plan push, US Secretary of State
Hilary Clinton said Thursday. At a Washington news briefing, Clinton
said the policy of the administration under US President Barack Obama
would shift to the first of three long-term goals; "to help build the
economy and capacity to govern of a Palestinian state. " The renewal of
political negotiations appears to have been sidelined, following failed
efforts by Mitchell to entice sides back to the table in several rounds
of scuttle diplomacy. According to Clinton, the new effort is
"Consistent with Prime Minister Fayyad's plan for a future Palestinian
state," and will be backed by Blair and Mitchell as "in support of the
political negotiations".
Al-Bardawil:
Egypt is not part of the dispute with Hamas
2/12/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an -Egypt is not a party of the dispute with Hamas, but a
mediator between Hamas and Fatah and should not be made a part of the
division, Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil said Thursday. "It is
meaningless to force [Egypt] into the middle of a deluded rivalry with
Hamas or the besieged Palestinians in Gaza," he told reporters. The
statements followed meetings in Gaza during the visit of Fatah official
Nabil Sha'ath and members of the Palestine People's Party, who sat with
the National Action Committee to discuss reconciliation and party
unity. PPP officials at the meetings said sides were in agreement over
the centrality of the Egyptian unity proposal in achieving
reconciliation, but that Hamas was insistent that changes had to be
made to the document. " Hamas's notes on the Egyptian proposal are
necessary to strengthen the agreement and to stabilize it," Al-Bardawil
said.
As-Salhi:
efforts continue to end division, sign Egyptian paper
2/12/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Efforts are ongoing towards the signing of the
Egyptian reconciliation paper, Secretary-General of the Palestinian
People's Party Bassam As-Salhi confirmed on Thursday, one week after a
Fatah official visited Gaza. As-Salhi told Ma'an that the meetings
between Fatah and Hamas during the visit, in cooperation with the
multi-faction National Action Committee, secured a serious drive to end
party division and sign the Egyptian reconciliation proposal in Cairo.
The PPP leader, from the southern West Bank town of Dura, entered the
Gaza Strip last week to attend the 28th anniversary of the party's
founding, held in Beit Lahiya. He joined the National Action Committee
in several meetings during his visit. "We cannot say there were any
direct results from the meeting, but the essence of the meetings was an
accord over the importance of agreeing to sign the Egyptian proposal,"
As-Salhi said.
MOH:
1,144 medical aid shipments for Gaza private sector in ’09
2/12/2010
- Nablus - Ma'an - The Ramallah-based Palestinian Ministry of Health
sent 60 million shekels worth of medicines and medical equipments to
the Gaza health sectorin 2009, a report from the ministry said. The
imports, composed of 1,144 separate medical aid shipments, were
destined for the private sector, including hospitals, pharmacies and
health center warehouses the report, released Thursday, said.
Coordination was carried out via the ministry for 44 Palestinian
companies to ensure they were able to transport goods to the local
market, the report said. Thirteen of the deliveries were in December.
Already in 2010, the report said, a 5 million shekel delivery of
medications is awaiting the final permissions for entry into Gaza. . .
. .
Energy
Authority blames PA for Gaza fuel crisis
2/12/2010
- Gaza - Ma'an - Gaza's Energy Authority publicly blamed the
Ramallah-based Petroleum Authority of limiting the supply of industrial
fuel transferred into Gaza and causing the energy crisis that continues
to plague the Strip. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs said of the crisis,"power supply has been reduced and remains
precarious due to a shortage of funds allocated for the purchase of
fuel from Israel and, recently, recurrent technical failures," in a
Protection of Civilians report, noting up to 12 hours of rolling
blackouts. The Gaza Power Authority issued a statement, saying "the
policy of reducing quantities of industrial fuel vital to the operation
of the Gaza power generator is ongoing. "The statement said only 1,600
cubic meters of the necessary 2,200 were transferred into Gaza last
week, and demanded an answer as to why the amounts had been reduced. . .
Hamas
boycotts meeting over municipal elections
2/12/2010
- Ramallah - Ma'an - No members of the Hamas party attended the
Thursday meeting of PLO factions alongside the elections committee to
prepare for a June municipal vote across the West Bank and Gaza, Fatah
General Elections Commissioner Muhammad Al-Madani said. Though Hamas is
not part of the PLO, the party was invited to the meeting, Al-Madani
said, to prepare for elections called by the Ramallah-based caretaker
government on 2 February. The Palestinian Authority Cabinet, under
appointed Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, set the elections date for 17
July 2010. A Hamas spokesperson objected to the decision to hold
municipal elections, because it was made unconstitutionally by an
unelected government and without the consultation of Gaza officials.
The meeting was scheduled at the Monday cabinet session on 1 February.
Hamas:
PA forces detained 4 members in dawn raids
2/12/2010
- Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas officials accused Palestinian Authority
forces of detaining four of its members and affiliates during arrest
campaigns across the West Bank overnight Thursday. In a statement, the
party identified those detained as: Ramallah: Muhammad Hamed, Bassam
Hammad, Tulkarem: Muhammad Abu Zeineh, Hebron: Adel Badarin. The
detentions could not be independently verified. [end]
Palestine
Investment Fund plans IT park in new development
2/12/2010
- Ramallah - Ma'an - Mirroring Dubai's 'city' model, the Palestine
Investment Fund (PIF) announced plans to establish what organizers call
a "Techno Park," housing hubs for the budding technology sector of
Palestine, PIF Chief Executive Muhammad Mustafa said Thursday. The park
will be built as part of the new housing development Ar-Reihan, west of
Ramallah, alongside that project's housing and commercial sectors.
Mustafa accompanied President Mahmoud Abbas on his official trip to
Asia last month, where he discussed partnerships and projects in the
park with the South Korean government, he said. While Mustafa said he
would not accompany Abbas on his upcoming trip to India, he noted the
subject would be discussed and funding sought. . . . .
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Palestinians: IDF kills two militants near Gaza; IDF soldiers on alert for Hamas kidnap attempts.
Hamas: Next war with Israel will be regional conflict
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Political leader Meshal accuses Israel of making threats against Gaza, Syria and Lebanon.
Is Israeli society strong enough to face the future?
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - At the base of Netanyahu's worldview is profound anxiety over Israel's fortitude in the face of external threats.
Hundreds attend funeral of IDF officer killed in West Bank Attack
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Ihad Khatib, stabbed to death by a member of PA security, laid to rest in Druze community of Maghar.
Shin Bet: We foiled Hamas attempt to abduct and kill Israeli soldier
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Israel arrested two Hamas men in Dec. who allegedly tried to murder soldier, perform terror attacks.
IDF says jihadi terrorist killed in Gaza air strike
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Air force targets terror squad allegedly planning attack near Karni humanitarian aid crossing.
Work starts to reroute West Bank security fence at Bil'in
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Newly routed barrier will hand 700,000 square meters of agricultural land back to Bil'in village.
Palestinian policeman who killed soldier 'had personal problems'
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Israel general suggests suicidal motive for Wednesday's stabbing in West Bank.
IDF twice raids Ramallah office of pro-Palestinian group
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Army confiscates computers, T-shirts and bracelets from International Solidarity Movement.
West Bank attack victim Ihab Khatib 'had a heart of gold'
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Family describes victim's enthusiasm for service in the IDF, his desire to contribute.
Israel strikes Gaza in response to Qassam rockets
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Since the start of 2010, more than 20 rockets and mortars have been fired into Israel from Gaza.
Israel: Gaza crossing to stay shut as long as Hamas in power
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Official: Structure of crossing, lack of coordination with Hamas puts it at high risk for terror attacks.
2/12/2010 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - RAMALLAH, February12, 2010 (WAFA)- Defence for Children International/Palestine Section (DCI/PS) said it is gravely concerned by the Israeli army's arrest of 19 children from Al-Jalazon refugee camp last Wednesday night. According to initial information collected today by DCI-Palestine, Israeli troops entered Jalazon at around midnight on Wednesday, 10 February, then went from house to house and started rounding up, beating and harassing residents of the camp. The night raid ended at approximately 5:00am when the army withdrew. It appears that a total of 19 children were arrested in addition to adult residents of the camp. According to DCI-Palestine's initial information, which will shortly be verified, among the 19 children arrested were: five children aged 14, seven children aged 15, four children aged 16, and three children aged 17. . . .
Palestinians dressed as the Na’vi from the film Avatar stage a protest against Israel’s separation barrier
2/12/2010 - Telegraph - Photos - Protesters dressed as characters from the movie Avatar marchs in the West Bank village of Bilin near Ramallah. REUTERS [end]
Israeli Soldiers Fire on Photographers during East Jerusalem Clashes
2/11/2010 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - JERUSALEM, February 11, 2010 (WAFA)- Around 10 of the journalists who went to cover a major Israeli military operation in the Shu’fat refugee camp, in East Jerusalem, were targeted by Israeli soldiers firing tear-gas grenades, stun grenades and rubber bullets on February 8 and 9. “Everything indicates that Israeli soldiers deliberately fired on the journalists,” Reporters Without Borders said. “And this is far from being the first time. Will the Israeli authorities ever put a stop to the impunity allowed to their soldiers? We urge the Israeli military to investigate and punish those responsible. Otherwise this sort of disgraceful incident will keep recurring. ”Many journalists were wounded while covering the Israeli search and arrest operation in the refugee camp on 8 February. As the major military deployment got under way, clashes broke out between young Palestinians and Israeli soldiers near a checkpoint at the main entrance to the camp.
VIDEO - Goldstone Facts - The Real Story Behind Israel’s Invasion of Gaza - Part 1
2/6/2010 - YouTube/GoldstoneFacts.org - Part 1 -- In this video, we distill out the findings of the Chapter 11("Deliberate Attacks against the Civilian Population") of the Goldstone Report to make it accessible to the lay public. The factual and legal findings are narrated by Noam Chomsky. The video also contains live testimonies of Khalid, Kawthar and Samar Abd Rabbo before the UN Fact Finding Mission headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. For more information on this video, please go to goldstonefacts. org. Related: GoldstoneFacts [end]
VIDEO - Goldstone Facts - The Real Story Behind Israel’s Invasion of Gaza - Part 2
2/6/2010 - YouTube - Part 2 - In this video, we distill out the findings of the Chapter 11("Deliberate Attacks against the Civilian Population") of the Goldstone Report to make it accessible to the lay public. The factual and l. . . In this video, we distill out the findings of the Chapter 11("Deliberate Attacks against the Civilian Population") of the Goldstone Report to make it accessible to the lay public. The factual and legal findings are narrated by Noam Chomsky. The video also contains live testimonies of Khalid, Kawthar and Samar Abd Rabbo before the UN Fact Finding Mission headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. [end]
Al Mezan Condemns IOF Attacks on Gaza; Calls Calls for International Intervention to Ensure Protection of Civilians
2/12/2010 - Al Mezan Center for Human Rights - The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) has escalated its attacks against the Gaza Strip. The IOF have shelled the Gaza International Airport, Palestinian fishermen, and Palestinian workers who were removing rubble from the industrial area in North Gaza District during the last few days. Today, Thursday 11 February 2010, the IOF escalated its aggression and killed four Palestinians and injured four, including a child. The IOF also arrested ten Palestinian workers; Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights was able to identify seven of their names. According to Al Mezan's field investigations, at approximately 10:15am on Thursday 11 February 2010, an Israeli reconnaissance drone launched a missile at a group of Palestinian people who were near 'Ubied Gas Station in Ash-Shija'ia neighborhood eastern Gaza City. As a result, Faris Akram Ahmed Jabir,27, who lives in Al Jalaa Street in the north of Gaza. . . .
Goldstone report widens political divide in Israel
2/12/2010 - Islami Davet - Israel’s crime-stained image has been topped with internal disputes as right and left-wing advocacy groups brawl over a possible independent Gaza war probe. The New Israel Fund (NIF) has come under fire by rightists who accuse the civil rights group of aiding the UN Human Rights Council’s fact-finding committee in its inquiry into the war Israel staged against the Gaza Strip in December 2008. NIF President Naomi Chazan has also been accused of backing the damning report by former international war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone — a Jew who has also been labeled as a “traitor. ”Chazen warned against a “very, very dangerous process” under way in Israel, where human rights groups such as hers were increasingly criticized. “The very pillars of democratic society are being assailed and we have to be very concerned about that,” the former left-wing Meretz party legislator told Reuters.
Roadblocks remain in quest to achieve Middle East peace, says Ban
2/12/2010 - United Nations - Daunting challenges remain in the search for lasting peace in the Middle East, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, calling for the prompt resumption of political talks and the swift delivery of concrete results. “Permanent status issues, including Jerusalem, borders, refugees, security, settlements and water will be resolved only through negotiations,” Mr. Ban said in a message to the UN-backed International Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace, which kicked off today in Qawra, Malta. While Israel’s efforts and willingness to resume talks are welcome, he said, returning to negotiations is hampered by developments on the ground, including continued settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territory. “At this crucial juncture, Israel should refrain from taking steps which have the potential to prejudge negotiations and create tensions,” especially in East Jerusalem,. . . .
Adalah-NY: New York Campaign for Boycott of Israel
2/12/2010 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - NEW YORK, February 12, 2010 (WAFA- For the third year in a row, human rights advocates will use music, song parodies and chants to invite Madison Avenue shoppers to shop with conscience before Valentine’s Day, Adalah-NY reported. Under the theme “Diamonds are Forever, but Apartheid Has to End”, protesters will entertain while they educate with favorites like “Lev's Diamond’s Are a Crime’s Best Friend” and new editions like “Its Apartheid, So you shouldn't put a ring on it“ sung to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies. ”These efforts, which are part of a growing international campaign, come in response to documented human rights abuses in the Angolan diamond industry as well as Leviev's funding of Israeli settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, an activity that violates international law. Since the start of the boycott campaign against Leviev, UNICEF, Oxfam, the British Government and major Hollywood stars have all distanced themselves from Leviev.
Hamas: Next war with Israel will be regional conflict
2/12/2010 - Ha'aretz - Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal warned on Friday that should another war erupt with Israel, the majority of battles would not be contained to the Gaza Strip as they were during the conflict last winter. Meshal told the London-based Al-Hayyat that Hamas was not interested in seeing another war, but would embark on steadfast defense of the Palestinian people should one begin. Speaking during a visit to Russia, Meshal accused Israel of making threats of war in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria. He said the quickening tide of military threats was the result of Israel's leadership under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberma and Defense Minister Ehud Barak - the latter to whom he referred as "the most extremist. " The Hamas leader also blamed Israel over the failure in Russian attempts to mediate between the two enemies, with regard to peace negotiations and efforts. . . .
US dismisses Iran uranium claims
2/12/2010 - AlJazeera - The United States has expressed scepticism over Iran's claim that it has achieved higher levels of uranium enrichment. After Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, announced on Thursday that the country had produced its first batch of 20 per cent enriched uranium, Robert Gibbs, the White House press secretary, said the claim was based on poliltics, not physics. " Quite frankly, what Ahmadinejad says - he says many things and many of them turn out to be untrue," Gibbs said. " We do not believe they have the capability to enrich to the degree to which they now say they are enriching. " Ahmadinejad made the claim about Iran's nuclear prowess in a speech at a rally marking the 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution. "By God's grace. . . it was reported that the first consignment of 20 per cent enriched uranium was produced and was put at the disposal of the scientists," Ahmadinejad said.
Iran envoy reminds France of skeleton in closet
2/12/2010 - Islami Davet - Iran’s Ambassador to France Mehdi Mir Abu Talebi has called on French officials to be even-handed in their dealings with Iran. Speaking to Press TV on the eve of the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Mir Abu Talebi reminded France of its secret role in helping Israel develop its nuclear program in 1950s. “France was one of European countries which were supporting the Israeli regime by giving it the technology to produce nuclear weapons,” the Iranian envoy said. “They (the French officials) are acting in two opposite directions. On one hand they condemn Iran for its peaceful [nuclear energy] activity and on the other hand they are supporting countries that that are not even a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” Mir Abu Talebi stated.
Canada’s Effort to Criminalize Criticism of Israel
2/12/2010 - Alethonews - Seriously Free Speech - Israel’s siege of Gaza has made it a “closed zone” – no access, no exit, cut off from the world. By attempting to shut down criticism of Israel’s practices, Canadian supporters of the government of Israel are creating another “closed zone” in Canada – in which criticism, open debate, and freedom of expression will not be allowed. Who is doing this? Quietly, without authority from Parliament, an all-party group which calls itself the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism (CPCCA) has been formed to investigate antisemitism in Canada. Not antisemitism as it is traditionally understood: discrimination against or denial of the right of Jews to live as equal members of society. (Members of this Coalition are well aware that traditional antisemitism exists only among fringe groups in Canada.
Website Review
1/15/2010 - This Week in Palestine - Scholarship. ps is an ambitious website that seeks to help Palestinians locate scholarships, fellowships, internships, and jobs all around the planet. The site is available in English (default), and an Arabic switch is being developed and may be fully functional by the time you view it. The structure of the site follows a blog (weblog) format and is apparently run by one person - a great effort, contrary to the notion 'One hand cannot clap. 'The site features a two-column content area with a top header, including a menu bar, and a footer centred on a dark, textured background. The site name functions as a logo at the top left and also provides a link to the main page from any location. There is a five-button menu bar with Home (entry page based on selected language), About (explains site features), Deadlines (includes approaching deadlines. . . Related: Scholarship. ps
An
Iranian responds to the Angry Arab
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - Hello all, I wrote the comment below for Angry Arab
blog’s recent posts about Iran: 1- Journalists outside of Iran, like
Nazila Fathi who was forced into exile, are unable to deliver the truth
about the Iran’ demonstrations, according to the Angry Arab blog. 2-
It’s unjustified for the Middle Eastern journalists to cover Iran’s
demonstrations...
A
BIG THANK YOU FROM BARCELONA, SPAIN
Uruknet
February 12, 2013 - Yesterday, Ayman Quader arrived in Spain! It was a
long battle to get him out of Gaza, but we won! This could not have
been possible without the worldwide support we received on his behalf.
One thousand, seven hundred and thirty three people signed the On Line
Petition called 'Open Rafah for Ayman’. A special thank...
Israeli
fire kills Hebron man
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 – A Palestinian man died en route to a Jerusalem
hospital after he was shot by Israeli forces in Hebron on Friday.
Locals identified the man as 41-year-old Fayez Ahmad Sayed Faraj, who
was reported critically injured by Israeli gunfire earlier the same
day. Onlookers said soldiers opened fire at Faraj in the Bab Az-Zawiyah
area of...
Israel's
war on protest
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - The Israeli courts ordered the release last week of
two foreign women arrested by the army in the West Bank in what
human-rights lawyers warn has become a wide-ranging clampdown by Israel
on non-violent protest from international, Israeli and Palestinian
activists. The arrest of the two women during a nighttime raid on the
Palestinian city of...
"Breaking
the Silence:" Women Soldiers Speak Out
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - "Breaking the Silence is an organization of veteran
Israeli soldiers that collects anonymous testimonies of soldiers who
served in the Occupied Territories during the Second Intifada." They
recount experiences that deeply affected them, including abusing
Palestinians, looting, destroying property, and other practices
"excused as military necessities, or explained as extreme and unique
cases." They disagree in...
A
Popular Boycott Movement in Defiance of Occupation and Oppression
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - Every couple of weeks we hear that the so-called PA
had destroyed illegal products from Zionist colonies in occupied
Palestine. In a vain effort to present itself as "protector" of
Palestinian interests, but failing miserably, this PA had previously
announced it will boycott such products. Upon hearing this, first thing
to come to mind would be:...
PCHR
Release Genuinely Unwilling: Israel’s Investigations into Violations of
International Law including Crimes Committed during the Offensive on
the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December
2008 – 18 January 2009, resulted in the killing of over 1,400
Palestinians, the overwhelming majority of whom (82%) were civilians.
At least 5,300 Palestinians were also injured, and public and private
property throughout the Gaza Strip was extensively targeted and
destroyed. Investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre...
FLASHBACK:
War Crimes Against Children
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is
publishing War Crimes Against Children in response to the unprecedented
number of children killed by Israeli forces in its latest operation; a
total of 313 children under the age of eighteen. Containing numerous
eye witness testimonies, the report brings to light Israel’s widespread
targeting of unarmed civilians, including...
Israel
acts on West Bank wall order
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - Israel has begun rerouting a section of its
controversial separation barrier near the West Bank village of Bilin
following a two-and-a-half-year-old court ruling. But activists and
Bilin residents continued to hold protests against the barrier on
Friday, despite the concession, which returns only about a third of the
area claimed by the Palestinians. "It's a small...
Unconfirmed
reports of 2 dead after Israeli shelling in Gaza
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - Israeli forces shelled an area east of the
Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp on Monday, hitting the central Gaza Strip
region with several artillery shells in at least three barrages,
witnesses said. Unconfirmed Israeli media reports said two Palestinians
were killed. Camp residents said the shells were mostly landing in the
Abu Hamam area, and said the hits...
IOA
kidnaps 150 Palestinians in two days
Uruknet
February 12, 2010 - The PA ministry of prisoners and ex-prisoners
affairs in Gaza said on Thursday that the Israeli occupation
authorities kidnapped 150 Palestinian citizens over the past two days,
most of them from Jerusalem city. According to Reyadh Al-Ashkar, the
information officer in the ministry, the IOA rounded up nearly 100
Palestinian youths and minors in the refugee...
UK’s
Jewish Chronicle editor says extra-judicial murder is kosher
Uruknet
February 11, 2010 - In response to an email in which a reader of the
Jewish Chronicle asked whether the newspaper considered "extra-judicial
murder by Israel or any other state as acceptable in any way", Mr
Pollard simply replied "yes". The Jewish Chronicle is currently
spearheading a campaign by Israel’s stooges and agents of influence to
change UK law so...
Jerusalem, February 13, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film "Avatar." he demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin. They equated their struggle to the intergalactic...
Diplomatic corps calls on President Obama to pressure Israel
Gaza, February 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500 Dear President Obama, We would like to express our deep thanks for your tireless and ongoing efforts to resolve Palestinian suffering from the Israeli occupation and for your commitment to spread a breath of fresh air in the Middle East...
Power struggle could portend a cold, dark winter in Gaza Strip
Gaza, February 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - The Gaza Strip's beleaguered residents face worsening power outages, even as winter temperatures drop, because of a financial dispute between the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority and Gaza's electricity distributor. The authority says it pays about $30 million a month to provide electricity to Gaza's 1.5 million people. But officials say the Gaza Electricity Distribution...
Israel arrests 10 Palestinians in north Gaza
Gaza Strip, February 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph)- Israeli occupation forces arrested on Thursday morning 10 young men from the town once known as "Dugit" in the northern Gaza Strip, claiming that they were approaching the segregation wall. An infantry unit of the Israeli army ambushed the young men and arrested them while they were collecting pebbles from the area. Others...
Israel makes life miserable for Palestinians west of the Apartheid Wall
West Bank, February 11, 2010 (Pal Telegraph; by Amira Hass) - About eight of the 40 families from Dhaher al-Maleh have left their tiny village and have gone to live on the eastern side of the separation wall. They could no longer bear the Israeli ban on building houses. Neither could they bear the other restrictions and prohibitions that the...
The National 11 Feb 2010 - Move comes two and a half years after supreme court ruled barrier must be moved to ease hardship of Palestinians.
The Media Line 10 Feb 2010 - Archaeologists digging under a busy Jerusalem crossroads have unearthed a section of a stone street from Byzantine times, thus confirming the city's depiction in a 6th century mosaic map. Digging up a busy city crossroad isn't...
Lebanon Marks Fifth Anniversary of Hariri Assassination
The Media Line 10 Feb 2010 - Tensions in Lebanon are running high as the country prepares to remember its former Prime Minister. The 14th of February will mark five years since the killing of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. In 2005...
Palestinian Policeman Kills Israeli Soldier
The Media Line 10 Feb 2010 - A Palestinian security officer stabbed an Israeli soldier to death at the Tapuach Junction, north of Nablus, on Wednesday. Israeli soldier Ihab Khatib was sitting in his vehicle with the window open when the Palestinian pulled...
Palestinians Petition U.N. Over Museum Construction
The Media Line 10 Feb 2010 - Palestinian and human-rights organizations are petitioning the United Nations to halt the construction of a Jerusalem museum being built on the site of a Muslim cemetery. Israel's supreme court rejected a 2008 appeal to stop the...
Iranians Clash During Rally Marking 31 Years to Revolution
The Media Line 10 Feb 2010 - Iranian opposition activists say security forces fired bullets at supporters of Iran's "green" opposition movement during a mass gathering in Iran on Thursday. Hundreds of thousands, some claim millions, gathered at Tehran's central square on Thursday...
Murder, Execution and Camel Compensation
The Media Line 10 Feb 2010 - Saudi judicial authorities begin a revaluation of camel-based 'blood money'. Saudi Arabian officials are reevaluating the standard amount of 'blood money' awarded to the families of murder victims in the kingdom. The judiciary council is an...
AlJazeera 11 Feb 2010 - Both technical problem and explosion ruled out on basis of flight data recorders' analysis.
Rallies mark Iran Revolution Day
AlJazeera 11 Feb 2010 - Ahmadinejad's supporters celebrate anniversary while opposition protests are quashed.
US dismisses Iran uranium claims
AlJazeera 12 Feb 2010 - White House expresses doubt over claim that Iran has achieved higher-level enrichment.
Israel acts on West Bank wall order
AlJazeera 12 Feb 2010 - Decision to reroute part of separation barrier near Bilin follows court ruling.
Alternative Information Center
Right to Return to the Middle EastAlternative Information Center 12 Feb 2010 - Friday, 12 February 2010, Many years ago, my friend Rachel showed me a photograph of a transit camp in the center of Israel and a picture of a refugee camp in Jordan, and asked me to...
Jerusalem Diaries Episode 34: Once Upon a Time... and Again in Oush Grab
Alternative Information Center 12 Feb 2010 - Thursday, 11 February 2010, Since the first days of February, Israeli soldiers and bulldozers have occupied the area of Oush Grab, Beit Sahour Municipality, in the Bethlehem district. The area, which was a former Israeli military...
2.5 Years after Israeli Supreme Court Order: Path of the Wall in Bil'in to Be Moved
Alternative Information Center 12 Feb 2010 - Thursday, 11 February 2010, Five years into anti-Wall struggle in Bil'in, Infrastructure work began yesterday to reroute the path of the barrier on the village's lands in accordance to an Israeli Supreme Court decision. Two and...
PNN 11 Feb 2010 - Danny Ayalon, Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister and member of the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party, came to the Oxford Union on 8 February, on a desperate PR mission to resuscitate Israel's image after global public condemnation for its war crimes in Gaza last year. The Oxford Students' Palestine Society, together with other student groups and members of the public, organized a protest, both...
Silver clue to Gaza's rich history
PNN 11 Feb 2010 - GAZA CITY // It was perhaps fitting that when workmen came across a haul of 1,400 ancient Greek silver coins, some 2,500 years old, they should do so in Rafah, Gaza’s southern border town. Rafah, after all, is the only place in the territory where international trade still takes place, albeit illicitly through hundreds of smuggling tunnels, the result of Israel’s crippling siege...
Protestors hit Beirut Starbucks
PNN 11 Feb 2010 - Customers flee as demonstrators express displeasure with coffee chain's pro-Israel CEO. Protesters from a leftist group shouted anti-Israel slogans outside of a Starbucks coffee shop Wednesday during a protest in Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Demonstrators tried to block the entrance to the shop, thereby causing customers inside to flee. The protesters said they targeted the store because they claim that Howard Schultz, the...
Palestinians aim to push tourism beyond Bethlehem
PNN 11 Feb 2010 - BETHLEHEM, West Bank — For your next getaway, you might consider this: four nights and five days in sunny Palestine: land of miracles . It's a tough sell for a place that has become synonymous with Middle East violence, for a country not yet a country which does not even control all of its territory, let alone its major tourist attractions.And yet the...
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - Palestinian armed with knife dies after soldiers open fire; no troops hurt.
Khamenei lauds rally, warns West
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - Enemies must abandon futile efforts to subjugate Iran, supreme leader warns.
Growing US-Israel cooperation: Mullen to visit J'lem, TA
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to meet Ashkenazi, Barak, IDF officials.
No independent probe of Gaza war
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - Jerusalem hopes to deter UN action on Goldstone Commission report.
IDF foils kidnap attempt near Hebron
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - Palestinian man armed with knife tries to attack patrol; no soldiers hurt.
Cut! Cameron blasts Israel boycotts
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - “To suppress a gathering of artists, from afar, through boycott or any other means of exerting pressure, is wrong,” Oscar winning filmmaker tells the 'Post'.
Bill Clinton leaves NYC hospital
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - Peres wishes former US president "a quick, full recovery" from heart procedure.
'Next war with Israel will be regional'
Jeruslalem Post 12 Feb 2010 - Mashaal says Hamas doesn't want war, but warns conflict won't be limited to Gaza.
Israel decides: No independent probe of Gaza war
Jeruslalem Post 11 Feb 2010 - Exclusive: J’lem hopes recent report to Ban will deter future UN action; legal expert warns: Individual states could pose endless problems based on Goldstone charges.
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.
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.
MIDEAST: U.S. Non-Profit Targeted Rights Group over Goldstone
IPS WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (IPS) - A campaign of attacks against the New Israel Fund (NIF), a U.S.-based progressive organisation that supports human rights groups in Israel, has gained attention in both the Israeli and U.S. media, raising questions about the role played by foreign non-profits and non-governmental organisations in influencing...
MIDEAST: Gaza Energy Crisis Averted - For Now
IPS RAMALLAH, Feb 9 (IPS) - Pressure exerted on the Palestinian Authority (PA) by international and regional officials has given Gazans a last minute reprieve, albeit temporary, from plunging into darkness and plummeting temperatures.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
PCHR Release Genuinely Unwilling: Israel’s Investigations into Violations of International Law including Crimes Committed during the Offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009PCHR 10 Feb 2010 - Ref : 15 / 2010 Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009, resulted in the killing of over 1,400 Palestinians, the overwhelming majority of whom (82%) were civilians. At least 5,300 Palestinians were also injured, and public and private property throughout the Gaza Strip was extensively targeted and destroyed. Investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and numerous other organisations, including the UN Board of Inquiry, the Independent Fact Finding Mission mandated by the League of Arab States, and the UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Goldstone Mission), concluded that Israel committed numerous violations of international law, many of which give rise to individual criminal responsibility.
Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
PCHR 10 Feb 2010 - Israeli soldiers arrest a Palestinian civilians during clashes in Shu'fat refugee camp near Jerusalem 04 – 10 February 2010 Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
International Solidarity Movement
Path of the Wall in Bil’in to Be Moved2/12/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Popular Struggle Co-ordination Committee, 11 February - Two and a half years after an Israeli Supreme Court decision deeming the path of the Wall on the lands of Bil'in illegal, preliminary infrastructure work to reroute the barrier in accordance with the ruling has finally began. Since the ruling, the state has twice been found in contempt of the court, for not implementing the decision. Mohammed Khatib, the coordinator of the West Bank-wide Popular Struggle Coordination Committee and a member of the the Bil'in Popular Committee, said today that "The Supreme Court had already ruled this should happen almost three years ago and it should not have taken so long. There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that the only reason that this is finally happening now are the five years of persistent struggle and the scarifies the people of my village have made. "
An unacceptable fight against protest
2/12/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Ha'aretz - Israeli security forces have recently intensified their fight against peace activists from here and abroad who seek to protest against the occupation and identify with the Palestinian inhabitants. This week, Israeli soldiers raided the Ramallah offices of the International Solidarity Movement a number of times. They arrested two activists – one a Spanish citizen and the other an Australian. They confiscated office equipment, T-shirts and bracelets bearing the word "Palestine. "They also raided the offices of Stop the Wall and the Palestinian Communist Party in Ramallah. According to data provided by the activists, since December, Israeli forces have undertaken more than 20 nighttime raids on the villages of Na'alin and Bil'in and have arrested more than 30 people. They are all suspected of taking part in protests against the separation fence, which. . .
Akiva Eldar / The Palestinian Ben-Gurion
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - A day in the life of Salam Fayyad, who does what no other public servant in the world does.
U.S. official: We want to boost Syria ties
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Philip Crowley says decision to send Bill Burns to Syria reflects desire for strong ties with Assad.
U.S. launches largest joint offensive on Taliban stronghold
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Helicopter-borne U.S. marines and Afghan troops swoop into Taliban-held town of Marjah in Afghanistan.
Palestinian protesters pose as Na'vi from 'Avatar'
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Demonstrators paint themselves blue for weekly protest against West Bank separation barrier.
Iran: We are now among world's top 15 nuclear states
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - We are ahead of Pakistan - even though it already has the bomb, says atomic energy chief.
Hezbollah No.2: It will be Israel who decides if there'll be regional war
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Hezbollah vows to avenge 2008 assassination of former military commander at "appropriate" time.
Nobel Peace Prize winner pleads for human rights in Iran
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Shirin Ebadi: Tomorrow we'll be facing tragedy in Iran. How long can you ask people to not resort to violence?
UN Chief: Israel, Palestinians must resume peace talks
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Ban Ki-moon: Israeli blockade of Gaza 'unacceptable and counter-productive' to Gaza's reconstruction.
Thousands protest against Mohammad caricature in Oslo
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Norway one of countries at center of Mohammad cartoon controversy in 2005-2006 that led to torching of Nordic embassies.
Iran revolution failed, sanctions are West's only hope
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Barring a revolution in Iran, Obama has little choice but to rally global support for substantive sanctions over the nuclear program.
Peres wishes Clinton speedy recovery after heart surgery
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Former U.S. president leaves hospital following operation on Sunday morning.
Lebanese PM: We will stand united against Israeli threat
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Hariri: Israel is betting there might be some division in Lebanon if there is a war against us.
Quartet envoy Blair to work with Mitchell to renew Mideast talks
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Clinton says UN envoy to intensify coordination; Blair: New strategy needed to end Gaza siege.
In New York, a new kind of Hebrew school is born
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - The Hebrew Language Academy, funded mostly by the state of New York, is dual-language program among the first of its kind. The four-month-old school has become a showcase for others interested in using it as a model.
Think tank: Israel faces global delegitimization campaign
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Report cites protests at campuses and sporting events, moves in Europe to boycott Israel, arrest threats.
The Guardian 12 Feb 2010 - Footage of naked Rafiq Husseini broadcast on Israeli TV Palestinian officials yesterday rallied around a top aide to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas amid other calls for him to step down after a video surfaced showing him...
Clean-shaven partners for peace | Yousef Munayyer
The Guardian 12 Feb 2010 - The west's endless attempt to find someone it can 'work with' leaves Palestinians without strong leadership After the failure of talks at Camp David in 2000, a new narrative about moving the peace process forward began...
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - A response to Aryeh Deri's claim that secular Judaism has given us education but no culture.
Israel upholds legality of Jews-only housing complex in Jaffa
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - The Tel Aviv District Court rejected a petition this week against a decision to lease land in Jaffa's Ajami neighborhood for the exclusive use of members of the religious Zionist community. ...
While America shivered, Israelis spent the day at the beach
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - Summery weather has returned after a few weeks of rain and cold, with a spate of especially hot days in store beginning tomorrow. In some areas, the mercury will rise as high as 28 degrees, and in Tel Aviv, it will hit 29 on Monday. ...
Ultra-Orthodox riot in Jerusalem over remand of Haredi protester
Ha'aretz 11 Feb 2010 - Ultra-Orthodox protesters erupted in Jerusalem's Mea Shearim neighborhood on Thursday after a court ruled earlier to remand a Haredi man detained for rioting charges. ...
U.S. Army chief to visit Israel for talks on Iran, defense issues
Ha'aretz 12 Feb 2010 - The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Military is set to arrive in Israel on Sunday for a meeting with the Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff to discuss the situation in Iran. ...
Relief Web 12 Feb 2010 - Source: UN General Assembly
Pivotal Role of Each Permanent Status Issue Assessed as Starting Point For Talks, at Malta Meeting in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace
Relief Web 12 Feb 2010 - Source: UN Department of Public Information, UN General Assembly
Secretary-General Says 'Daunting Challenges' Remain in Shared Quest for Middle East Peace, in Message to Malta Meeting
Relief Web 12 Feb 2010 - Source: UN General Assembly, UN Secretary-General
Israeli, Palestinian clashes erupt in Maghazi camp
Relief Web 12 Feb 2010 - Source: Kuwait News Agency
OPT: USAID West Bank/Gaza mission program achievements - Week of 1 Feb 2010
Relief Web 11 Feb 2010 - Source: US Agency for International Development
Genuinely Unwilling: Israel's Investigations into Violations of International Law including Crimes Committed during the Offensive on the Gaza Strip, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009
Relief Web 11 Feb 2010 - Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - If Obama continues to threaten more sanctions Iran will speed up nuclear plan, says Ali Larijani
Qassam explodes in Negev, no injuries
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - Rocket fired from Gaza lands in open spaces in Shaar HaNegev Regional Council
Experts: Syria all talk
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - Defense experts tell Ynet Syria unable to obliterate Israel, but can wreak havoc in case of war
MK Oron: Gov't backs rightists in east Jerusalem
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - Meretz chairman says Jews in Sheikh Jarrah 'thuggishly preventing attempts to divide Jerusalem'
Palestinian tries to stab soldier
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - Just days after Sgt.-Maj. Ihab Khatib stabbed to death in West Bank, Palestinian pulls knife on soldier patrolling mosque in Hebron Kasba. Stabber shot, killed by another soldier
Leftists, Palestinians protest in 3 locations near Ramallah
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - No injuries reported during clashes with security forces in rallies against construction of West Bank security barrier; leftist leader Pollak arrested
Peres wishes Bill Clinton speedy recovery
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - In letter to former US leader who underwent heart procedure, Israeli president says, 'We shall pray for a man that all of us need and admire'
France does not believe Iran's nuclear claim
YNet News 12 Feb 2010 - FM Kouchner says Tehran incapable of enriching uranium to 80 percent; 'claim adds to the dangerousness of situation,' he states
10 Feb 2010 - Following the intervention of Yesh Din and B'Tselem, the Chief Military Police Officer announced that the Military Police will improve the treatment of Palestinians arriving in military courts in Israel to testify in trials of security forces charged wit
Stop The Wall12 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 Wall12 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 12 Feb 2010 SANAA: Houthi rebels shot at an Interior Ministry official and killed a soldier in northern Yemen on Friday, violating a truce announced hours earlier. Sanaa and rebel leader Abdel-Malik al-Houthi agreed late on Thursday to a truce that began at midnight. The truce was welcomed on Friday by Iran, which has criticized Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the fighting on the government side.
US, France dismiss Iran claims on high-enrichment capability
Daily Star 12 Feb 2010 The United States and France do not believe Iran’s claim that it is capable of enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels, the White House spokesperson and France’s foreign minister said. On Friday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told Europe 1 radio that the “Americans don’t believe, not any more than us, that Iran is currently capable of enriching uranium to 80 percent.
Clinton: Blair to ‘intensify’ work on Middle East peace
Daily Star 12 Feb 2010 WASHINGTON: Middle East envoy Tony Blair will “intensify” his work with US negotiator George Mitchell to broker peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Thursday. The former British premier represents the “Quartet” of Middle East negotiators made up of the US, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia.
Hamas conducts own probe into Dubai murder of commander
Daily Star 12 Feb 2010 DUBAI: Hamas is conducting its own internal inquiry into the killing in Dubai last month of one of its top militants, the Palestinian Islamist group’s exiled head said in an interview published Friday. “We are carrying out an internal investigation, within our own procedures,” Khaled Meshaal, whose movement accuses Israeli agents of having assassinated Mahmud al-Mabhuh, told the pan-Arab newspaper Al-Hayat.
Khamenei lauds state rally, warns domestic, foreign foes
Daily Star 12 Feb 2010 TEHRAN: Iran’s supreme leader praised the mass turnout at the government-backed rally marking the 1979 Islamic Revolution and warned the West to stop putting obstacles in his country’s path, state Press TV reported Friday. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei thanked the “tens of millions” across the country who celebrated Thursday’s anniversary, saying the turnout at rallies reflected the nation’s strength.
Al-Qaeda fuels security, criminal woes in Sahara states
Daily Star 12 Feb 2010 DAKAR: Al-Qaeda’s Sahara wing has raised its profile with hostage-takings and cocaine smuggling, threatening already weak West African states with crippling criminality but not large-scale terror attacks. Revenues from ransoms and involvement in the drugs trade in countries like Mauritania, Mali and Niger are providing funds and could lure recruits.
Bill Clinton leaves NYC hospital after heart operation
Daily Star 12 Feb 2010 NEW YORK: Former President Bill Clinton has left the Manhattan hospital where he underwent a heart procedure, a close friend said Friday. Former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said on CBS’ “The Early Show” that Clinton had left New York Presbyterian Hospital. Clinton lives in Chappaqua, a hamlet about 55 kilometers north of New York City.
Palestinian Information Center
PSL condemns new Israeli museum on Islamic graveyardPIC 12 Feb 2010 - The Palestinian Scholars League (PSL) has strongly deprecated Thursday the Israeli occupation government plans to build new museum on the ruins of an Islamic cemetery in occupied Jerusalem.
One Palestinian protestor injured, others suffer breathing difficulties
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - One Palestinian anti-wall protester was injured and tens suffered breathing difficulties when IOF troops fired at activists participating in the weekly anti-wall protest..
Saba'na fighting illness in the dungeons of Abbas's militia
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - The family of Sheikh Faisal Saba'na (50 years) expressed profound fear for the life of their son who is detained in one of Abbas's militia prisons and stressed that he was in a bad health condition
Jerusalem women call for protection of the holy city from Judaization schemes
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - Palestinian women in Jerusalem called on the international community to afford them protection in the face of Israeli occupation schemes that target the Palestinian presence in the holy city.
Hasaneen: no casualties as a result of IOF shelling
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - Dr.Muaweya Hasaneen, head of emergency department at the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that there were no casualties as a result of IOF shelling of the central Gaza Strip.
Michael Oren: sorry, but you represent a Nazi state
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - During a lecture at the University of California-Irvine on Monday, 8 February, Oren tried to present Israel’s ugly face as that of a civilized, democratic state..
IOA kidnaps 150 Palestinians in two days
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - The PA ministry of prisoners and ex-prisoners affairs in Gaza said on Thursday that the IOA kidnapped 150 Palestinian citizens over the past two days, most of them from Jerusalem.
Masri: Fayyadh has no place in Palestine
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - MP Mushir deprecated the illegitimate prime minister of the PA in the West Bank Salam Fayyadh for condemning the killing of an Israeli soldier by a Palestinian police officer.
PA justice ministry: IOA reprimand of some IOF officers theatrical
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - The Palestinian justice ministry in the Gaza Strip on Thursday said that the IOA decision to reprimand IOF officers who ordered the use of phosphorous was a "theatrical display".
Abu Marzouk: Presence of Shalit in Gaza doesn’t avert another Israeli war on it
PIC 12 Feb 2010 - Dr. Mousa Abu Marzouk, the deputy-head of Hamas's political bureau, asserted Wednesday that the presence of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in Gaza Strip won't avert another war..
LA Times 12 Feb 2010 - Despite weeks of calls to action, protesters fail to derail a rally marking the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad gives a defiant keynote speech. A huge crowd of government supporters filled Tehran's Azadi Square on Thursday to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, overshadowing the smaller groups of nearby anti-government protesters confronted by plainclothes and uniformed security forces.
Israel begins rerouting West Bank barrier
LA Times 12 Feb 2010 - In the village of Bilin, Palestinians will regain 170 acres. Residents celebrate, but foes of the barrier say they'll continue to protest until it's completely gone. The Israeli military has begun rerouting a hotly disputed section of the West Bank security barrier, marking a victory for Palestinians who fought for five years to win back access to their land, officials said Thursday.
Protesters clash with police as Iran marks Islamic revolution
LA Times 11 Feb 2010 - Unconfirmed reports say security forces fire on demonstrators. Websites say relatives of top opposition figures and Khomeini's granddaughter are briefly detained. Tens of thousands of government supporters streamed into Tehran's Azadi Square on Thursday to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, state television showed, as plainclothes and uniformed security forces faced off against anti-government protesters.
New York Times 12 Feb 2010 - On Thursday, The Lede is tracking news of fresh protests in Iran posted online, as the country celebrates the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.
Iran Boasts of Capacity to Make Bomb Fuel
New York Times 12 Feb 2010 - On the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Iran’s president sent forces onto the streets to break up protests and taunted the West by claiming progress on uranium enrichment.
Peace Initiative by Israeli Soccer Fans Fails
New York Times 12 Feb 2010 - The coach of Egypt's national team told an Egyptian newspaper this week, "I'd rather die of hunger than entertain the possibility of coaching Israel."
Atomic Agency Views Iran’s Stepped-Up Enrichment of Uranium as a Violation
New York Times 12 Feb 2010 - An International Atomic Energy Agency report is likely to give the United States more evidence that Iran is not meeting commitments on its nuclear program.
World Briefing | Middle East: Airstrike Kills Palestinian Militant
New York Times 11 Feb 2010 - A Palestinian militant was killed on Thursday in an Israeli airstrike, according to Israeli officials.
Right to Free Speech Collides With Fight Against Terror
New York Times 11 Feb 2010 - The Supreme Court will hear a challenge to a ban on providing “material support” to terrorist groups in a test of the constitutionality of a provision of the USA Patriot Act.
Mondoweiss - 12 Feb 2010 - Spencer Ackerman’s column, guest-authored by Jolene Crixell, reporting on an appearance at UC San Diego two days ago by his holiness Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren: He told us about how when he was asked to be ambassador everyone kept telling him what a difficult job he’d...
Who would teargas ‘Avatar’?
Mondoweiss - 12 Feb 2010 - Photo of Palestinians dressed up as Navi tribe from the film Avatar during weekly protest against the wall today, from unnamed photog for Reuters, at the Telegraph site. The video: Related posts: All you need to know about the history of Israel/Palestine In Indian culture, the...
‘Times’ troika of Keller, Hoyt & Bronner were involved in earlier conflict-of-interest
Mondoweiss - 12 Feb 2010 - The revelation that Ethan Bronner, Jerusalem bureau chief for the Times, has a son in the IDF has brought charges that the Times has a conflict of interest on one of the most important stories on the planet. In fact, Times public editor Clark Hoyt has...
Touring ‘Operation Attila the Hun,’ Finkelstein tells the schmuck joke
Mondoweiss - 12 Feb 2010 - Bridegroom Abdel Rahman Sha’ath, Mohammed Sha’ath, and Norman Finkelstein, Gaza City, June 2009 I’ve been citing Norman Finkelstein a lot lately because he has an important book coming out on the Gaza slaughter, ‘This Time We Went Too Far.’ Well last June, I wrote a piece...
‘Special relationship’ is now the acceptable euphemism for–
Mondoweiss - 12 Feb 2010 - The Israel lobby. Cause if you say the word "lobby," then your dear friend Leon Wieseltier will deem you an anti-Semite. Roger Cohen in the New York Times today: Domestic U.S. politics constrain innovative thought — even open debate — on the process without end that...
Right to Return to the Middle East
Alternative Information Center - 12 Feb 2010 - Friday, 12 February 2010, Many years ago, my friend Rachel showed me a photograph of a transit camp in the center of Israel and a picture of a refugee camp in Jordan, and asked me to distinguish between them. I couldn’t. The tents were the same...
Yes, We Objected to the War on Gaza
Alternative Information Center - 12 Feb 2010 - Wednesday, 10 February 2010, Despite the irresponsibility with which (Israeli reporter) Ben Caspit published the report of the radical right wing group Im Tirtzu, we wish to thank him for the exposure he provide to the opposition of citizens in Israel to “Operation Cast Lead.” Caspit...
Italian NGO Opposition to Statements Made by Italian PM Berlusconi in Israel
Alternative Information Center - 12 Feb 2010 - Thursday, 11 February 2010, Following the three-day visit last week (1-3 February) of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories, many voices of protest were raised against his declarations and unconditional support for Israeli government policy. On 9 February, Berlusconi's...
2.5 Years after Israeli Supreme Court Order: Path of the Wall in Bil'in to Be Moved
Alternative Information Center - 12 Feb 2010 - Thursday, 11 February 2010, Five years into anti-Wall struggle in Bil'in, Infrastructure work began yesterday to reroute the path of the barrier on the village's lands in accordance to an Israeli Supreme Court decision. Two and a half years after an Israeli Supreme Court decision deeming...
Jerusalem Diaries Episode 34: Once Upon a Time... and Again in Oush Grab
Alternative Information Center - 12 Feb 2010 - Thursday, 11 February 2010, Since the first days of February, Israeli soldiers and bulldozers have occupied the area of Oush Grab, Beit Sahour Municipality, in the Bethlehem district. The area, which was a former Israeli military base, was abandoned in 2006. In 2008 the Municipality of...
Articles
Are we hiding something?
Assaf Gefen, YNetNews 2/8/2010
Assaf Gefen wonders whether Israel does hide something in respect to Gaza War
A year after it ended, Operation Cast Lead in Gaza looks like the Jim Morrison of wars – a short operation whose effect and myth keep growing after its death.
Months after it was published, the Goldstone Report still holds the top spot in the best seller list of Israel’s headaches. It’s clear to everyone that it won’t be going anywhere without the help of a commission of inquiry, but today we have no energy left for it. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.
The establishment of commissions of inquiry is a traditional Israeli hobby, yet not when it has to do with festivals that involve the killing of many Arabs. The Israeli objection to establishing a commission of inquiry into Operation Cast Lead – as if we have a shortage of former judges and elderly generals who have nothing to do with their lives – comes with several explanations, all of which start with "we have nothing to hide, but…"
The options are varied: Why the hell should they meddle in our affairs? Why the hell should they be telling us how to conduct ourselves in the next war? Why should you be interrogating our soldiers? Why haven’t you interrogated American soldiers in Iraq?
Then there are other options, such as: Why are you anti-Semitic? Why do you want this inquiry today, when I just got tickets to see Avatar? How dare you take away our incredible victory via a committee?
All of the above are weighty justifications, which can certainly serve to explain the Israeli aversion for a commission of inquiry..... more.. e-mail
The height of Israeli intransigence
Jonathan Cook, The National, Israeli Occupation Archive 2/10/2010
“In the past 15 years there have been more than a thousand Palestinian homes demolished in East Jerusalem versus absolutely no settler homes,” he said. “In fact, no settlers have ever lost their home in East Jerusalem.” - Jeff Halper
Jerusalem’s mayor threatened last week to demolish 200 homes in Palestinian neighbourhoods of the city in an act even he conceded would probably bring long-simmering tensions over housing in East Jerusalem to a boil.
His uncompromising stance is the latest stage in a protracted legal battle over a single building towering above the jumble of modest homes of Silwan, a deprived and overcrowded Palestinian community lying just outside the Old City walls, in the shadow of the silver-topped al Aqsa mosque.
Beit Yehonatan, or Jonathan’s House, is distinctive not only for its height – at seven storeys, it is at least three floors taller than its neighbours – but also for the Israeli flag draped from the roof to the street.
The settlement outpost, named for Jonathan Pollard, serving a life sentence in the US for spying on Israel’s behalf in the 1980s, has been home to eight Jewish families since 2004, when it was built without a licence by an extremist settler organisation known as Ateret Cohanim.
Beit Yehonatan is one of dozens of settler-occupied homes springing up in Palestinian areas of East Jerusalem, most of them takeovers of Palestinian homes.
Critics say the intent of these “outposts”, together with the large settlements of East Jerusalem built by the state and home to nearly 200,000 Jews, is to foil any peace agreement that might one day offer the Palestinians a meaningful state with Jerusalem as its capital. more.. e-mail
Palestinian Science and Technology Curriculum A Portrait from Within
Aref Al-Husseini, This Week in Palestine 2/1/2010
Several years ago I was one of the critics and complainants against the quality of school textbooks just like other professionals from the science and technology field. That was an easy job to do. But then I decided to move from the spectator team to the development and assessment team as a volunteer from outside the system. The whole vision differed; it took me a long time to comprehend the new rules. All that seemed obvious and easy turned out to be a complicated integration of many specifications in the educational system that the curriculum development process had absolutely no authority over.
We all acknowledge that in every national system, written textbooks affect individuals and families; but the unfortunate Palestinian textbooks are vulnerable to the random attacks of provisions. In our country it is highly acceptable to criticise curricula through textbooks only, especially the Palestinian science and technology curriculum, accusing it of failure, without a minimum investment in scientific research in order to analyse the reality in an objective manner.
Most critics pronounce their definitive judgement on the curriculum after only skimming quickly through the textbooks. They ignore the fact that curriculum quality is affected by numerous elements such as administration policies, teacher potential, student motivation, school infrastructure, in addition to textbooks. The written word is attacked without objectivity and within a narrow frame at a time when it is essential to rectify the current educational disaster in Palestine.
I have a deep belief in science-and-technology hands-on education, and I am convinced that students must learn the basic skills of logical, critical, and scientific thinking rather than use their time to blindly memorise content, which has been the common trend in our education for ages. But when my colleagues and I were assigned to prepare new guidelines for the entire technology curriculum, I perceived a new reality.... more.. e-mail
PACBI: All Israeli academic institutions complicit in apartheid
Electronic Intifada: 12 Feb 2010 - In response to the recent decision by the Israeli government to upgrade the status of the so-called Ariel University Center of Samaria to a full university, the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel reiterates its call for a boycott of AUCS and all other Israeli academic institutions due to their complicity in maintaining Israel's occupation, colonization and apartheid against the Palestinian people.
Israel wields iron fist against nonviolent resisters
Electronic Intifada: 12 Feb 2010 - Wael al-Faqeeh has been held without charge by the Israeli military since his arrest on 9 December 2009. The 28 January hearing that lasted approximately three minutes here in Salem court resulted in the extension of his detention by a further ten days. Bridget Chappell writes for The Electronic Intifada.
Israeli immigration police abducting international activists in West Bank
Electronic Intifada: 12 Feb 2010 - The Israeli courts ordered the release this week of two foreign women arrested by the army in the West Bank in what human rights lawyers warn has become a wide ranging clampdown by Israel on nonviolent protest from international, Israeli and Palestinian activists. Jonathan Cook reports.
UN called on to investigate repression of human rights defenders
Electronic Intifada: 12 Feb 2010 - A joint report submitted by Addameer, The Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign (Stop the Wall) and the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) to Special Rapporteurs of the UN Human Rights Council examines the ongoing, systematic campaign of repression levied by Israel against Palestinian human rights defenders active against the Annexation Wall.
Palestine Monitor: 11 Feb 2010 - Work began today on re-routing the separation wall in Bilin. More than two years after a supreme court ruling that the barrier be moved, new tracks were being laid down this morning. The new route will return around 1,000 dunums (250 acres) of farmland to the village. The move is long overdue, as the Popular Struggle's case was ratified by an Israeli court in September 2007. The army have until this point failed to comply with the order, instead policing protestors with increased severity. 36 activists have been arrested in Bilin over the past seven months. The separation wall cuts off the largely agricultural community from the farmland which supports it. Its existence has impacted harshly on work and living conditions for the dispossessed. Mohammed Khatib Mohamed Khatib, coordinator of the popular struggle committee and head of Bilin village council, believes today's success is just a small step toward the...
SHUAFAT: Three Days Of Repression
Palestine Monitor: 11 Feb 2010 - Since Monday, ongoing harassment and repression have been carried out by the Israeli Police and Border Police in the Shuafat Camp, the only Palestinian refugee camp in Jerusalem. According to local sources and to the Italian association Vento di Terra , which has a permanent presence in the camp, dozens of Israeli police and police border forces in jeeps entered Shuafat on Monday and Wednesday, damaging Palestinian residents' properties and conducting door-to-door searches. A heavy military presence was deployed at all entrances to the camp. Israeli authorities claimed the raids were aimed to arrest people who had not paid taxes. As police started to use rubber bullets and sound grenades to disperse people, violent clashes between young residents and Israeli soldiers erupted. Around 80 Palestinians were arrested. On Tuesday, two teenagers, Ahmad Al Hawas (14 years old) and Nasser Abu Asab (15 years old) were injured, as well as three journalists...
Palestine Chronicle: 12 Feb 2010 - By Jonathan Cook - Jerusalem The Israeli courts ordered the release this week of two foreign women arrested by the army in the West Bank in what human-rights lawyers warn has become a wide-ranging clampdown by Israel on non-violent protest from international, Israeli and Palestinian activists. The arrest of the two women during a nighttime raid on the Palestinian city of Ramallah has highlighted a new tactic by Israeli officials: using immigration police to try to deport foreign supporters of the Palestinian cause. A Czech woman was deported last month after she was seized from Ramallah by a special unit known as Oz, originally established to arrest migrant labourers working illegally inside Israel. Human rights lawyers say Israel’s new offensive is intended to undermine a joint non-violent struggle by international activists and Palestinian villagers challenging a land grab by Israel as it builds the separation wall on farmland in the West Bank. In what Israel’s daily Haaretz newspaper recently called a “war on protest”, Israeli security forces have launched a series of raids in the West Bank over the past two months to detain Palestinian community leaders organising protests against the wall. “Israel knows that the non-violence struggle is spreading and that it’s a powerful weapon against the occupation,” said Neta Golan, an Israeli activist based in Ramallah. “Israel has no answer to it, which is why the security forces are panicking and have started making lots of arrests.” The detention this week of Ariadna Marti, 25, of Spain, and...
Is Abbas in a Corner?
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Feb 2010 - By George S. Hishmeh – Washington Inch by inch, the Palestinian president has apparently once again succumbed to American pressure. He is about to allow his junior officials to start so-called “proximity talks” with their Israeli counterparts to pave the ground for the resumption of peace negotiations, which broke down after Israel’s invasion of Gaza in December 2008. On the other hand, Israel, which has stubbornly refused an earlier Israeli commitment to freeze all illegal settlement construction in the occupied Palestinian territories during peace talks, has meanwhile managed to escape scot free, thanks to its new protector, Barack Obama, who keeps “heap(ing) sticky-sweet praise on Israel.” Israeli columnist Gideon Levy of Haaretz did not hold back his feelings about U.S. policy in the Middle East, a position that is undoubtedly shared by many, particularly in the Arab world, when he wrote that the American president and his key aides should “stop sucking up to Israel.” He underlined: “Now is the time to say to the United States: Enough flattery. If you don’t change the tone, nothing will change. As long as Israel feels the United States is in its pocket, and that America’s automatic veto will save it from condemnation and sanctions, that it will receive massive aid unconditionally, and that it can continue waging punitive, lethal campaign without a word from Washington, killing, destroying and imprisoning without the world’s policeman making a sound, it will continue in its way.” Interestingly, Levy’s column was written last December, weeks before Israeli...
Israel Gets Away with Murder .. Again
Palestine Chronicle: 11 Feb 2010 - By Tammy Obeidallah Amid the glamour of the world's tallest building, gold bars, man-made islands, casinos and fashion, a man lay dead in his hotel room. Preliminary reports would say he had been suffocated with a pillow; further investigation would determine that he was injected with poison. Post-mortem photos of Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh, age 50, told a story the media would not tell: the tip of his nose blackened, red blotches covering his cheeks and jaw and a horrific indentation on one side of his nose testified of torture and a cruel execution. Most news sources subliminally justified Al-Mabhouh’s murder in Dubai on January 20. He was described only as a “senior Hamas militant,” “founding member of Hamas’ military wing” or even “arch-terrorist.” As someone who was allegedly involved in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers in the 1980s and committed numerous other acts of armed resistance against Israel, he was undoubtedly a menace by western standards. Al-Mabhouh grew up in the squalor of Gaza’s Jabaliya refugee camp, but had lived in exile in Syria since 1989. He had been the target of two previous assassination attempts: a car bombing and a poisoning. The latter took place in Beirut only six months ago and rendered him unconscious for 30 hours. The Israeli government issued a statement claiming Al-Mabhouh had traveled to Dubai en route to Iran in order to smuggle weapons back to his native Gaza. Israeli defense officials told the Associated Press that these rockets would be capable of reaching...