AIPAC - Today's Briefing - President Obama on Wednesday met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority�President Mahmoud Abbas to restart direct negotiations,� The Jerusalem Post reported. Obama stated his goal of establishing two states-a Jewish state of Israel living next to a...
Mondoweiss - And other news from Today in Palestine: Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing Abbas demands a freeze on Israeli settlement activity (AFP) AFP - Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas Wednesday publicly demanded a freeze on all Israeli settlement activity at...
Mondoweiss - Many people reacted strongly with disapprobation to my " Hamas attack was wrong " post yesterday. Nearly everyone agrees that murdering civilians is wrong, but some question whether the settlers are civilians in the first place. The settlers are racial...
Mondoweiss - Yesterday on this site, responding to the murders of the four settlers in the West Bank Tuesday, Seham, a Palestinian-American, offered a list of settler attacks on Palestinians . David Samel, who has taken a strong stance against violent resistance , responded...
Mondoweiss - the lobby never sleeps. Dear Friends and Colleagues, The Bard Globalization and International Affairs Program and Foreign Affairs magazine cordially invite you to the opening of this year's James Clarke Chace Memorial Speaker Series: "The Demonization of Israel: Its History...
Mondoweiss - Check this out. Israel 21c is a pro-Israel p.r. organization . "A Focus Beyond," its motto, says it all. ISRAEL21c – a New Paradigm for Pro-Israel Communications ISRAEL21c’s mission is to focus media and public attention on the 21 st century...
Foreign Policy in Focus - If the left doesn't come up with a credible and comprehensive alternative to a focus on reducing the deficit, argues FPIF columnist Walden Bello, the far right might eventually fill the policy vacuum.
FAIR - The New York Times ' Sheryl Gay Stolberg writes today ( 8/31/10 ) about the possible steps Obama might take to bolster the economy: With voters angry about government spending, and economists divided about just what approach is the correct one, such aggressive...
FAIR - In the coverage of Hurricane Katrina's fifth anniversary, you'll find several obligatory mentions in the corporate media of the still-decimated Lower Ninth Ward, but you'd be hard pressed to find anything as direct or damning as what you find in...
AIPAC - Today's Briefing - Four Israeli civilians were shot and killed outside of Hebron on Tuesday by Palestinian terrorists,� The Jerusalem Post reported. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. One of the victims was a pregnant woman. According to eyewitness reports, the terrorists succeeded...
Foreign Policy in Focus - Someday we might have a Muslim president of the United States. In the meantime, I'm hoping for a president who's not afraid of appearing weak.
Foreign Policy in Focus - With 50,000 troops still on the ground inside Iraq and a lack of clarity when they will all come home, the war is anything but over.
AIPAC - Legislation and Policy - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen on August 26 called Iran's efforts to achieve a nuclear weapons capability "unacceptable and incredibly destabilizing," according to a Defense Department news report . Speaking before business leaders and students in...
AIPAC - Today's Briefing - Direct talks without preconditions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) are scheduled to resume on Thursday in Washington, D.C. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has been calling for direct talks for more than a year, but PA President Mahmoud Abbas...
AIPAC - Today's Briefing - The Iranian-backed terrorist group Hizballah has reportedly agreed to cooperate with Syria on any future military conflicts with Israel,� The Jerusalem Post reported. Hizballah and Syria reportedly now have joint headquarters from which they can coordinate any operations pooling resources...
FAIR - It really is offensive for commentators to use the word "violence" to mean "violence against one side in a conflict." As in Martin Indyk's op-ed in the New York Times yesterday ( 8/27/10 ), which argues that there is "For Once, Hope...
FAIR - "Seven Years of War Provides Many Answers" is USA Today 's front-page headline ( 8/27/10 ) over a story by Jim Michaels and Mimi Hall that attempts to take stock of the Iraq War. But one issue that the paper can't seem...
AIPAC - Today's Briefing - The new U.S. ambassador to Iraq on Thursday said he believed groups backed by Iran were responsible for a quarter of U.S. casualties in the Iraq war,� Reuters reported. More than 4,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the 2003...
Secretary
of State Clinton will give the keynote address at AIPAC's 2010
annual convention.
Declassified files detailing an FBI investigation
targeting the American Israel Public Affairs Committee are now available
on the Internet. AIPAC was investigated after it acquired and circulated
classified government information provided in strict confidence
by US industry and worker groups opposed to AIPAC sponsored economic
legislation. The 50 pages now available as portable document files
(PDF) include:
FBI reports of Israelis circulating classified documents
in the US Congress, "compromising" the authority of the
U.S. President. PDF
US Trade Representative concerns that AIPAC was
tactically "divulging" classified information supplied
by US industries opposed to AIPAC lobbying initiatives. PDF
Reports from the International Trade Commission
that AIPAC and Israeli operatives "usurped" US government
authority and that an Israeli intelligence service operative was
working undercover on AIPAC's staff: PDF
Internal Department of Justice prosecutorial opinions
that "theft of government property" had occurred: PDF
An FBI director order that the Washington
Field office give the AIPAC investigation top priority after Israeli
spy Jonathan Pollard was caught on video surveillance stealing classified
US national defense information: PDF
FBI special agent interviews of Israeli minister
of economics Dan Halpern who claimed diplomatic immunity. Halpern
admitted passing classified US documents to AIPAC but refused to
name his source: PDF
FBI special agent interviews of AIPAC's former director
of legislative affairs detailing how he made copies of the classified
documents for AIPAC's lobbying use after being ordered to return
them to the US government. PDF
FBI interviews of key AIPAC employees involved in
handling the classified US government information (full document
listing): Link
According to research director Grant F. Smith, the
newly released files present startling new insights into AIPAC's
activities in the United States.
more..
The
Israel Lobby
By John Mearsheimer
and Stephen Walt, London Review of Books, March 23, 2006
Secretary
of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld (left), escorts Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon into the Pentagon at the conclusion of
a full honor arrival ceremony for Sharon at the Pentagon, 19
March 2001. (Photo: Do/R. D. Ward)
For the past several decades, and especially
since the Six-Day War in 1967, the centrepiece of US Middle Eastern
policy has been its relationship with Israel. The combination of
unwavering support for Israel and the related effort to spread ‘democracy’
throughout the region has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion and
jeopardised not only US security but that of much of the rest of
the world. This situation has no equal in American political history.
Why has the US been willing to set aside its own security and that
of many of its allies in order to advance the interests of another
state? One might assume that the bond between the two countries
was based on shared strategic interests or compelling moral imperatives,
but neither explanation can account for the remarkable level of
material and diplomatic support that the US provides.
Instead, the thrust of US policy in the region
derives almost entirely from domestic politics, and especially the
activities of the ‘Israel Lobby’. Other special-interest
groups have managed to skew foreign policy, but no lobby has managed
to divert it as far from what the national interest would suggest,
while simultaneously convincing Americans that US interests and
those of the other country – in this case, Israel –
are essentially identical.
Bush
Restrains Sharon (Arabia.com)
Since the October War in 1973, Washington has provided
Israel with a level of support dwarfing that given to any other
state. It has been the largest annual recipient of direct economic
and military assistance since 1976, and is the largest recipient
in total since World War Two, to the tune of well over $140 billion
(in 2004 dollars). Israel receives about $3 billion in direct assistance
each year, roughly one-fifth of the foreign aid budget, and worth
about $500 a year for every Israeli. This largesse is especially
striking since Israel is now a wealthy industrial state with a per
capita income roughly equal to that of South Korea or Spain. more..
Negotiators to push mechanism to end siege 9/2/2010 - PARIS (Ma'an) -- "Ending the siege is the fastest way to unity," Fatah Central Committee member and delegate to the Washington peace talks Nabil Sha'ath explained as the motivation behind a new plan to open the Gaza Port. The official told Ma'an that a proposal had already been cobbled together.... Clinton, Netanyahu condemn Hebron killings 9/2/2010 - WASHINGTON (Ma'an) -- In remarks to the press ahead of a bi-lateral US-Israel meeting the night before the launch of peace talks, the killing of four Israeli settlers in the West Bank became the focus, with all sides condemning the killings. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke.... Abbas meets Clinton ahead of Washington talks 9/1/2010 - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas held several high-profile meetings Tuesday in Washington, two days before the official relaunching of direct talks with Israel. Abbas met US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Jordan's King Abdullah II. The president is also due to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Wednesday morning before.... Peres to meet pope in Italy 9/1/2010 - TEL AVIV (Ma'an/Agencies) -- As peace talks launch in Washington, Israeli President Shimon Peres will reportedly travel to Italyfor a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI at the latter's summer residence. The current status of peace talks will be foremost on the agenda, a statement the president's office said, as.... Barak: Israel ready to cede parts of Jerusalem in peace deal Ha'aretz - Ahead of start of direct peace talks in Washington, Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods will be part of a Palestinian state; a 'special regime' to govern holy sites. Settlers: We'll violate settlement freeze in response to attack Ha'aretz - Four Israelis were killed Tuesday in a shooting attack near Hebron, on the eve of the resumption of direct Mideast peace talks in Washington. Crackdown after West Bank shooting Uruknet September 1, 2010 - Palestinian security forces have swept through the West Bank, arresting more than 150 Hamas members, after the group's military wing claimed responsibility for killing four Israeli settlers, according to senior Palestinian security officials. The crackdown on Wednesday comes on the eve of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians in Washington, and appears to be an... What is Hamas thinking? Uruknet September 1, 2010 - But are any of these reasons to murder four people in cold blood? Was it necessary to prove that the Hamas-less conference in Washington was a charade? Couldn’t it collapse under its own weight? What is Hamas thinking? It has shown that "armed Palestinian resistance is present" all right, but also that it can act... Abbas is a man in exile, even among his own Uruknet August 30, 2010 - Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, faces a crisis of credibility among his own people as he heads into direct talks with Israel in Washington this week. Perhaps nothing better illustrates this than a rather awkward security crackdown Thursday in Ramallah, when leftist factions convened a meeting to protest against Mr Abbas’s decision to accept the... Middle East talks in Washington The Guardian 1 Sep 2010 - President Barack Obama meets with Middle East leaders in Washington before opening direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians scheduled to begin 2 September Middle East peace talks begin as Obama warns 'chance may not come again soon' The Guardian 1 Sep 2010 - Direct dialogue begins between leaders in Washington as Barack Obama heralds 'moment of opportunity' to clear way for two-state solution The Israeli and Palestinian leaders, Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas, begin direct talks in Washington today... Israel's Bedouins call for intervention from Obama Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Washington - The Bedouin village of Al-Arakib in the Negev Desert in Israel has been demolished by Israeli forces four times, and Israel's marginalized Bedouin community is calling on President Barack Obama for intervention as peace... Barak offers divided Jerusalem plan Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Washington - Israeli Defense Minister outlined for Haaretz Wednesday his plan for dividing Jerusalem. Jerusalem is one of the contentious "final status" issues before Israeli and Palestinian leadership. [Premasagar - Flickr] Haaretz's Avi Shavit asked DM... Where are we going this time? Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas and the Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in Washington this week for meetings with President Barack Obama in a bid to kick-off a new round of direct negotiations that some... Obama says shootings won't derail peace talks Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Washington - After meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Barack Obama announced that the deadly violence in Hebron Tuesday would not stop the peace negotiations in Washington and reiterated the US' commitment to Israeli... More protests in Ramallah as talks kick off Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Washington - Despite the disbanding of a rally in protest of direct talks with Israeli leadership last week, a protest has convened in Ramallah Wednesday against the talks, as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas gets ready for... Netanyahu urges restraint from settlers as violence breaks out Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Washington - Tensions are running high on settlements in the West Bank after four Israeli settlers were gunned down Tuesday. As settler groups threaten to resume building at 6pm Jerusalem time Wednesday, and reports of harassment... Obama to meet with Netanyahu, Abbas Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Washington - Following their bilateral meetings with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Tuesday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will meet separately with US President Barack Obama at the White House Wednesday.... Settlers to defy freeze after shooting Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Washington - Israeli settlers have vowed to resume building at 6pm Wednesday in response to the gunning down of four settlers Tuesday by members of Hamas' militant wing, The Guardian reported . Israeli marchers are escorted by... UPDATE: Netanyahu to tell Abbas "I came to Washington to reach historic compromise" Palestine Note 1 Sep 2010 - Police crackdown on Hamas on eve of peace talks Washington - Israeli Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will tell Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the White House Iftar tonight " I came to Washington to reach a... Four settlers gunned down in Hebron, Hamas praises attack Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Washington - Four Israeli settlers were shot to death near Hebron Tuesday, Ma'an News Agency reported . Hamas militants, like those seen above, were not responsible for the attack on a car carrying four Israeli settlers Tuesday,... US to Turkey: No military exercise unless Israel there too Jeruslalem Post 1 Sep 2010 - Report: Washington tells Anakara that it wont participate in joint exercise if Israel not invited. Barak: Israel ready to cede parts of Jerusalem in peace deal Ha'aretz 1 Sep 2010 - Ahead of start of direct peace talks in Washington, Defense Minister Ehud Barak says Jerusalem's Arab neighborhoods will be part of a Palestinian state; a 'special regime' to govern holy sites. Settlers: We'll violate settlement freeze in response to attack Ha'aretz 1 Sep 2010 - Four Israelis were killed Tuesday in a shooting attack near Hebron, on the eve of the resumption of direct Mideast peace talks in Washington. ZAKA headquarters authorized in east Jerusalem YNet News - As peace talks about to begin in Washington, Jerusalem municipal council for.... Obama: Killing of Israelis 'senseless slaughter' YNet News - WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will be launching direct negotiations Thursday, just two days after a deadly terror ....... Hamas accuses Palestinian Authority of raids against it after killing of 4 Israelis LA Times 1 Sep 2010 - Officials of Hamas, which claimed responsibility for the drive-by shooting, accuse the Palestinian Authority of raiding the homes of 250 Hamas members. An authority official denies the allegation. As Israeli and Palestinian leaders opened peace talks Wednesday in Washington, tensions heightened back home in the aftermath of a shooting attack that killed four Israelis a day earlier. Killing of Israeli Settlers Rattles Leaders New York Times 1 Sep 2010 - The killing of four Israeli settlers on the eve of peace talks in Washington underscored the role the issue of Jewish settlements could play in the fragile negotiations. What is Hamas thinking? Mondoweiss - As the “peace talks” are about to get under way in Washington, Hamas has decided to remind us all of its vitality by executing four settlers. According to the New York Times article , Hamas claimed that the attack was “a natural response to the crimes of... Abbas: We're committed to peace 9/1/2010 - WASHINGTON (Ma'an) -- The PLO's decision to return to direct negotiations with Israel reflects its commitment to peace, not fear of pressure from the international community, President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday. Speaking with Ma'an aboard the presidential jet en route to Washington, Abbas said the Obama administration appeared committed to.... Barak, Abbas met secretly in Jordan 8/31/2010 - JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met secretly in Jordan days before peace talks were set to begin in Washington, Israeli media reported Tuesday. The PLO's chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat later confirmed the report during an interview on Ma'an Radio. Speaking from Washington, where.... Sha'ath to accompany Abbas to Washington 8/31/2010 - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Fatah Central Committee member Nabil Sha'ath will accompany President Mahmoud Abbas to Washington, the official announced on Tuesday in Ramallah during a meeting on Israel's settlement policy. Sha'ath is expected to be among a small handful of officials traveling to the American capital for a.... PLO delegation to Washington peace talks identified 8/31/2010 - Mahmoud Abbas, Saeb Erekat, Yasser Abed Rabbo, Nabeel Sha'ath, Muhammad Shtayyeh, Nabil Abu Rudeineh - Abbas: Born in Safad, Palestine in 1935, Abbas and his family fled in 1948 becoming refugees in Syria. He lived in exile until 1994, when he came to the occupied Palestinian territories as part of the Palestinian negotiations team.... Americans for Peace Now condemns West Bank attack 8/31/2010 - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Americans for Peace Now, a Washington-based group which opposes settlements, has condemned Tuesday's attack that left four Israelis dead near the southern West Bank city of Hebron."Today's attack is a senseless act of violence whose likely purpose is to derail the peace talks that are set.... Netanyahu arrives in Washington, as U.S. launches new peace talks push Ha'aretz - Prime Minister expected to tell Clinton that terror will not determine the future of Israeli settlements or borders., Hamas claims responsibility for West Bank attack in which two men and two women, one of whom was pregnant, were killed. Mubarak signals Egypt succession by taking son to Washington Ha'aretz - Gamal Mubarak, long presumed heir to the ageing president, will meet Israeli delegates to peace summit - and maybe even Netanyahu himself. Video: Israeli settlements to be determining issue in peace talks Uruknet August 31, 2010 - The building of new Israeli settlements on Palestinian territories will be one of the key and determining issues in upcoming peace talks that will be held in the US capital Washington DC. Israel has been criticised by all sides, including the US, for its illegal construction of thousands of homes, which have been separated by... Abbas is a man in exile, even among his own Uruknet August 30, 2010 - Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, faces a crisis of credibility among his own people as he heads into direct talks with Israel in Washington this week. Perhaps nothing better illustrates this than a rather awkward security crackdown Thursday in Ramallah, when leftist factions convened a meeting to protest against Mr Abbas’s decision to accept the... Israel expands 2 settlements ahead of direct talks with Palestinians Uruknet August 30, 2010 - Three days before the direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are officially launched in Washington on Thursday, a Palestinian official revealed on Monday that Israel began to expand two Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Palestinian state-run news agency Wafa has quoted Ghassan Daghlas, the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) official, who is... Obama hosts Israeli-Palestinian peace talks amid fears over settlement ban The Guardian 31 Aug 2010 - Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmood Abbas en route to Washington for dinner with US president The contentious issue of West Bank settlement construction is threatening to dominate the first face-to-face talks for 20 months between Israel and... Is the Israel lobby blocking Obama’s nominee for ambassador to Turkey? Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - My interview with the Ambassador Charles Freeman (whose nomination to chair the National Intelligence Council was stymied by Israel lobbyists ) was published on Friday . Freeman said a lot of compelling and thoughtful things in our talk... Want that Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, Mr. President? Perform a c-section Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - After more than 20 months of trying, the Obama administration will this week convene direct Israel-Palestinian peace talks in Washington D.C. Even if it is well founded (and it is), the administration must be understandably irked... Violence used to block peace Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Four Israeli settlers were murdered Tuesday, the day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are set to meet in Washington DC to kick start direct peace talks. The murders of two... Hamas praises settler attack but does not claim involvement Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Washington - Four Israeli settlers were shot to death near Hebron Tuesday, Ma'an News Agency reported . Hamas militants, like those seen above, were not responsible for the attack on a car carrying four Israeli settlers Tuesday,... Abu Dhabi to host comic convention Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Washington - Sci-fi and comics enthusiasts in the Middle East will rejoice when Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates hosts its own version of the San Diego, CA Comic-Con International expo in March 2011, The... Clinton to meet with Abbas, Netanyahu separately Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Washington - Ahead of direct talks between Israeli and Palestinian leadership Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is scheduled to meet Tuesday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu separately, according to a... PLO 'urges' Yale president to decry extremism at right-wing conference Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Washington - Last week, Yale University held a three-day conference to discuss "Global Antisemitism: A Crisis of Modernity." The conference focused heavily on support of Israel and conflated criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, said journalist and... Arab MK Zoabi testifies before UN flotilla probe Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Washington - Palestinian-Israeli Knesset member Hanin Zoabi testified Tuesday before the a United Nations investigation of the May 31 "Freedom Flotilla" raid that left nine activists dead, Haaretz reported . Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi [Wikimedia Commons] Zoabi,... Abbas wants US active in talks Palestine Note 31 Aug 2010 - Leaders gear up for direct negotiations in DC Washington - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Tuesday that he hopes the US will be "active" in mediating the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks this week, The Associated Press reported .... Barak: 'Israel will exact a price from the murderers' Jeruslalem Post 31 Aug 2010 - Four killed as terrorists open fire near Kiryat Arba; Victims, from Beit Hagai, shot while driving, include 2 men, 2 women, one reportedly pregnant; attack comes before scheduled peace talks in Washington. US congressmen: Turkey’s new stance on Israel welcome Jeruslalem Post 30 Aug 2010 - Jewish leaders say words need to be backed up with action, more changes needed. Netanyahu arrives in Washington, as U.S. launches new peace talks push Ha'aretz 31 Aug 2010 - Prime Minister expected to tell Clinton that terror will not determine the future of Israeli settlements or borders., Hamas claims responsibility for West Bank attack in which two men and two women, one of whom was pregnant, were killed. Mubarak signals Egypt succession by taking son to Washington Ha'aretz 31 Aug 2010 - Gamal Mubarak, long presumed heir to the ageing president, will meet Israeli delegates to peace summit - and maybe even Netanyahu himself. 4 Israelis killed in West Bank as peace summit nears LA Times 1 Sep 2010 - The militant Hamas movement takes responsibility for the attack near Hebron as leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority head to Washington for talks. As Israeli and Palestinian leaders headed to Washington for a much-anticipated peace summit, four Israelis were killed Tuesday near the disputed West Bank city of Hebron after their vehicle came under fire from unidentified gunmen. Abbas is a man in exile, even among his own Omar Karmi, The National 8/30/2010 Diana Buttu: “Failure could lead to another intifada, but not necessarily one against Israel. This one might well be directed against the Palestinian Authority.” RAMALLAH // Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, faces a crisis of credibility among his own people as he heads into direct talks with Israel in Washington this week. Perhaps nothing better illustrates this than a rather awkward security crackdown Thursday in Ramallah, when leftist factions convened a meeting to protest against Mr Abbas’s decision to accept the US invitation to the talks. Security officials justified the actions of dozens of plainclothes security officers, who disrupted the meeting and prevented a press conference from being held, as a legal measure against an “illegal rally”. But privately, Palestinian Authority officials expressed their dismay at what looked to most like an effort by security services to stifle dissent. And dissent there is. All Palestinian political factions, bar one, have denounced the direct talks, some in harsher language than others. Only Fatah, Mr Abbas’s own group, supports direct talks. Even among its members, though, there are plenty of disapproving voices. Ordinary Palestinians, as well as the political factions, feel they have little influence on the Palestinian leadership’s decisions. The Palestinian polity is broken....more..e-mail 3-year-old in Hebron has cerebral atrophy, but Israel won’t let her mother in Gaza come back to her Mondoweiss - and other news from Today in Palestine: Land and Property Theft and Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing Israel expands 2 settlements ahead of direct talks with Palestinians RAMALLAH, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- Three days before the direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are officially launched in Washington... CAMERA doth protest too much re its role in Boston anti-mosque campaign Mondoweiss - Yesterday CAMERA's Dexter van Zile responded to a post by Jeff Klein critiquing the Israel lobby organization. Klein now responds : CAMERA apparently didn’t like being mentioned in my piece on the anti-Mosque campaign in Boston. However, their complaint is a good example of their regular method... Barghouthi: Abbas should reconsider talks 8/31/2010 - RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Palestinian lawmaker Mustafa Barghouthi said Monday that any concessions made by Palestinians in negotiations would only embolden Israel. Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah, Barghouthi urged President Mahmoud Abbas to reconsider his decision to engage in direct talks, set to resume Thursday in Washington after a 20-month hiatus. Commenting.... Abbas: Negotiations must be serious 8/30/2010 - RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas said Israel would be fully responsible if negotiations fail as a result of settlement expansion, in remarks in Ramallah before heading to Washington to relaunch talks. Talks are set to begin on 2 September, and will address final-status issues including Jerusalem, refugees, prisoners and security among others but.... Netanyahu sets a test for Obama The National 30 Aug 2010 - As Benjamin Netanyahu departs for Washington before Thursday's re-launch of peace talks with the Palestinians, his main aim for the negotiations is unlikely to be Palestinian statehood. Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad signals make or break for two-state solution The Guardian 30 Aug 2010 - Talks in Washington – the first direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine for 20 months – 'can and must' succeed, says PM The Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, warned today that a "moment of reckoning" was... UNHRC probe of Gaza flotilla raid begins Palestine Note 30 Aug 2010 - Washington - The UN Human Rights Council inquiry into Israel's raid of a flotilla of Gaza-bound aid ships in international waters May 31 began Monday, AFP news agency reported . Aerial view of the Mavi Marmara, this... Fayyad: Netanyahu must define his 'Palestinian state' Palestine Note 30 Aug 2010 - Washington - Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad expressed Monday doubt as to whether Israel is ready to offer a Palestinian state acceptable to the Palestinians, Reuters reported from Ramallah. Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad [Madmonk -... Clashes in Gaza, Jerusalem Palestine Note 30 Aug 2010 - Washington - Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades militants, the armed wing of Fatah, clashed with Israeli forced overnight Sunday after an Israeli bulldozer entered Gaza, Ma'an News Agency reported Monday. Clashes in East Jerusalem's Silwan neighborhood were prompted... Report: Hezbollah, Syria to team up against Israel Palestine Note 30 Aug 2010 - Washington - According to a Monday report from Kuwait's al-Rai, Syria and Lebanon-based Islamist group Hezbollah are discussing military cooperation in the event of an armed clash with Israel. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad [Sleiman - Flickr]... Settlement construction to resume 9/27 Palestine Note 30 Aug 2010 - Abbas: Israel responsible if talks fail because of building Washington - According to an Israeli Army Radio report Monday, fifty-seven settlements currently observing the building freeze will resume expansion one day after the construction moratorium ends... Turkey’s new stance on Israel is welcome Jeruslalem Post 30 Aug 2010 - US congressmen, Jewish leaders say more changes are needed. UN extends UNIFIL's mandate in south Lebanon YNet News - WASHINGTON - The Security Council unanimously authorized the extension of UNIFIL's mandate in south Lebanon for another year. Israeli and Lebanese representatives ....... Palestinian Authority infiltrates, breaks up meeting opposing 'direct talks' IMEMC - 29 Aug 2010 - Saturday August 28, 2010 - 13:45, A meeting held in Ramallah this week consisting of around 200 political, academic and non-profit leaders opposed to the upcoming 'direct talks' in Washington was broken up when plainclothes officers from the Palestinian President's security forces disrupted the meeting and officers outside harassed the attendees. Barak to King of Jordan: Peace is a strategic Israeli objective Ha'aretz - Defense Minister meets with King Abdullah of Jordan in Amman ahead of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington later on this week. Netanyahu: We can reach a peace that will last for generations Ha'aretz - Israel and the Palestinians can secure an enduring peace agreement in Washington - not just a tactical lull in hostilities, prime minister says. Ashton wont be in Washington when direct talks starts 29 Aug 2010 - Gaza, August 29, (Pal Telegraph) Spokesperson announced on behalf of the European Secretary of State of, Catherine Ashton, that the latter will not be able to go to Washington in early September to attend the resumption of direct negotiations between "Israel" and the Palestinian Authority because she has to be in China, in response to the request of France in... Abbas is a man in exile, even among his own The National 29 Aug 2010 - The Palestinian president appears increasingly out of touch with his own people for accepting a US invitation for direct talks with Israel in Washington. Netanyahu lists his terms for peace Palestine Note 29 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu spelled out Sunday the key components for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, AFP news agency reported . Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu [OECD - Flickr] A recognition of Israel... Jordan-Israel meet ahead of talks Palestine Note 29 Aug 2010 - Abdullah II: Peace is Israel's choice Washington - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman Sunday ahead of the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington, DC this week. Ynet news reported :... Egypt uncovers weapons cache in Sinai Palestine Note 28 Aug 2010 - Washington - Egyptian authorities have prevented 190 antiaircraft missiles from entering the Gaza Strip, Ma'an News Agency reported Saturday. Exploded shell [Flyk3r - Flickr] The arsenal was discovered in the Sinai Peninsula, assumably bound for the... Report: Israel planning Syria attack Palestine Note 28 Aug 2010 - Army preparing strike on Hezbollah arms cache Washington - According to Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, the Israeli military is planning a strike on Hezbollah targets, namely arms depots and weapons manufacturing sites, in Syria, Israeli daily Haaretz... Thousands gather to mark Gilad Schalit's 24th birthday Jeruslalem Post 28 Aug 2010 - Family and friends gather in Jerusalem on kidnapped soldier's 5th birthday as hostage; Sarah Netanyahu says PM is making great efforts, will meet with Schalits after return from Washington. Barak to King of Jordan: Peace is a strategic Israeli objective Ha'aretz 29 Aug 2010 - Defense Minister meets with King Abdullah of Jordan in Amman ahead of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington later on this week. Netanyahu: We can reach a peace that will last for generations Ha'aretz 29 Aug 2010 - Israel and the Palestinians can secure an enduring peace agreement in Washington - not just a tactical lull in hostilities, prime minister says. Martin Indyk on the peace process: hoping against hope Mondoweiss - A commenter on my blog asked me what I thought of Martin Indyk's recent NY Times op-ed , in which he expresses a powerful optimism about the upcoming Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Washington. My answer? Indyk's article represents a picture-perfect example of the inherent inequity of the... France: EU must play role in Israeli-Palestinian talks Ha'aretz - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says European Union should be present as negotiations restart in Washington, as it is a major funder of the Palestinian Authority. Lieberman "not optimistic" about direct negotiations and rules out a swift peace deal Uruknet August 26, 2010 - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has told Israel Radio that he is "not optimistic" about the results of the direct negotiations and rules out a peace deal within one year. He has called for everyone to have "lower expectations" of the summit for the launch of negotiations in Washington next week. According to the radio... The Israeli Lobby: Declassified Documents Expose Its Influence Uruknet August 26, 2010 - Intolerant of opposing views, they're suppressed for its own agenda, funded by PR propaganda domestically and overseas, America's top publications paid off to go along, now revealed by a secret document subpoenaed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (FRC) investigation into the American Zionist Council (AZC), AIPAC's parent lobbying arm. "Between 1962 - 1963, the... Mubarak, Sarkozy to meet ahead of Mideast talks Palestine Note 27 Aug 2010 - Washington - Ahead of a his trip to Washington, DC for the relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian direct negotiations, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak will meet with French President Nicolas Sarkozy Monday, AFP news agency reported Friday. Egyptian President... World Bank approves $7m for Gaza sanitation Palestine Note 27 Aug 2010 - Washington - The Gaza Strip has long suffered serious deficits in sanitation and waste treatment, but after Israel's winter offensive against Gaza in December 2008-January 2009, most of Gaza's sanitation infrastructure was destroyed. Gaza infrastructure was... Hamas PM: Abbas cannot give up Jerusalem Palestine Note 27 Aug 2010 - Washington - Prime minister of the Hamas-led Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, said in an Iftar address Thursday evening that no negotiating team representing Palestine has the mandate to give up Jerusalem, Ma'an News Agency reported Friday.... On the bookshelves: The Arab lobby is stronger than AIPAC Palestine Note 27 Aug 2010 - By Sarah Harlan Washington - According to a new book by Israel-aligned foreign policy analyst Mitchell Bard and an endorsement by AIPAC supporter and law professor Alan Dershowitz in The Daily Beast Tuesday, the Arab lobby... US calls for deal now, peace later Palestine Note 27 Aug 2010 - Netanyahu wants to meet bi-weekly with Abbas Washington - The White House reportedly wants Palestinian and Israeli leadership to agree to a permanent agreement that would be signed within one year and implemented within ten, Israeli... France: EU must play role in Israeli-Palestinian talks Ha'aretz 28 Aug 2010 - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner says European Union should be present as negotiations restart in Washington, as it is a major funder of the Palestinian Authority. France wants EU seat at Mideast peace talks YNet News - France wants the European Union to have a seat at the table during next week's start of US-backed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Washington. ....... A poisoned process holds little hope David Gardner, Financial Times, Israeli Occupation Archive 8/25/2010 As the caravans of Middle East peace negotiators rumble into Washington next week for the umpteenth time, the pervasive cynicism and sense of deja vu all over again is overwhelming – and with good reason. The Middle East peace process long ago turned into a tortured charade of pure process while events on the ground – in particular the relentless and strategic Israeli colonisation of occupied Palestinian land – pull in the opposite direction to peace. “We have all been colluding in a gigantic confidence trick,” is how one Arab minister puts it, “and here we go again”. While many factors had combined to hand veto powers to rejectionists on both sides, the heart of the question remains the continuing Israeli occupation. It is essential to remember that the biggest single increase of Jewish settlers on Arab land – a 50 per cent rise – took place in 1992-96 under the governments of peace-makers Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres at the high-water mark of the Oslo peace accords. Many Israelis will point to the perfidy of the late Yassir Arafat, who wanted to talk peace but keep the option of armed resistance dangerously in play. But what killed Oslo was the occupation. The second intifada that erupted a decade ago was essentially the Oslo war. A decade on, the Israeli settlement enterprise has turned the occupied West Bank into a discontiguous scattering of cantons, walled in by a security barrier built on yet more annexed Arab land and criss-crossed by segregated Israeli roads linking the settlements. Last month, B’Tselem, the Israeli human rights group, published a study showing Israel has now taken 42 per cent of the West Bank, with 300,000 settlers there and another 200,000 in East Jerusalem. The siege of Gaza has turned that sliver of land into a vast, open-air prison.more..e-mail Washington Post finally goes after the lobby Mondoweiss - The Congo lobby that is . "Congo Republic's heavy use of D.C. lobbyists prompts questions." The chief target of the piece is Maxine Waters, the leftleaning Congresswoman, and "many members" of the Congressional Black Caucus. Would the Post ever go after the Israel lobby and talk about... Turkish officials: Flotilla raid an 'event between friends' 8/26/2010 - WASHINGTON (Ma'an/Agencies) -- Senior Turkish officials in Washington reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining friendly relations with Israel, Turkish media reported Thursday. The delegation, headed by Turkey's Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, was visiting Washington weeks after media reports that the US threatened to pull out of arms deals if Turkey did.... Abbas: Negotiations despite opposition 8/26/2010 - RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- President Mahmoud Abbas said he would go to negotiations in Washington next week despite heavy opposition to the resumption of peace talks with Israel. Speaking at an iftar meal honoring religious figures and diplomatic officials in Palestine, Abbas said he hoped Israeli negotiators would grasp what he termed the "current opportunity.... Israel begins forming negotiations team for direct peace talks Ha'aretz - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with advisers to select members of Israel's delegation for direct peace talks with PA in Washington; lawyer Yitzhak Molcho to head team. Turkey officials discuss Gaza flotilla, Iran nukes on U.S. visit Ha'aretz - Visit comes after the U.S. denied a report stating it had warned Turkey strained ties with Israel, support of Iran could hinder a significant arms deal between Washington and Ankara. Top U.S. negotiators in Israel to soothe tensions ahead of Washington peace talks Ha'aretz - Israel digs in as Palestinians push for commitment on settlement freeze before talks kick off on September 2. Hamas: Direct Israeli-Palestinian talks illegitimate, coerced by U.S. Ha'aretz - Hamas politburo chief urges Egypt's Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah not to take part in Washington-backed peace negotiations. Report: Social allowances paid ahead of Eid al-Fitr Palestine Note 26 Aug 2010 - Washington - This year's third quarterly payment of social allowances paid by the European Union and the Palestinian Authority to nearly 50,000 "vulnerable" households across the West Bank and Gaza will take place Saturday Aug. 28,... Israel forming September negotiations team Palestine Note 26 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu began this evening selecting his negotiating team for direct peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority in Washington, DC next week, Haaretz reported Thursday. Said Haaretz's Barak Ravid: "Netanyahu will form... Israeli report: Settler industry hurt by boycott Palestine Note 26 Aug 2010 - Washington - An article in Hebrew-language Yediot Wednesday reported the Palestinian Authority-led boycott of settlement-produced goods is having an economic effect on settlement industry, according to a translation by Israeli news blog Coteret . Officials and business... Abbas: Heading to talks despite opposition Palestine Note 26 Aug 2010 - Washington - Despite opposition from key rival Hamas and a conference organized Wednesday by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) against engaging Israel in peace talks next week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has... Abbas and Abdullah II meet ahead of talks Palestine Note 25 Aug 2010 - Washington - Both due in Washington, DC next week, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II met in Amman Wednesday to discuss issues ahead of the Sept. 2 direct talks between Abbas and Israeli... WATCH: Is Fox News evil or stupid? Palestine Note 25 Aug 2010 - Washington - As the controversy surround the Park51 Islamic community center continues to grow, conservative network Fox News has featured several segments aimed at unearthing supposedly sinister funding and motivations behind the center, which it incorrectly... Investigations called for teens gunned down in March Palestine Note 25 Aug 2010 - Washington - In March, Mohammed Faisal Mahmoud Qawariq and Salah Mohammed Kamal Qawariq - both 19 - were shot to death by Israeli forces in Nablus. Medical officials said the boys were shot at close range,... Israel begins forming negotiations team for direct peace talks Ha'aretz 26 Aug 2010 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is meeting with advisers to select members of Israel's delegation for direct peace talks with PA in Washington; lawyer Yitzhak Molcho to head team. Turkey officials discuss Gaza flotilla, Iran nukes on U.S. visit Ha'aretz 26 Aug 2010 - Visit comes after the U.S. denied a report stating it had warned Turkey strained ties with Israel, support of Iran could hinder a significant arms deal between Washington and Ankara. Top U.S. negotiators in Israel to soothe tensions ahead of Washington peace talks Ha'aretz 26 Aug 2010 - Israel digs in as Palestinians push for commitment on settlement freeze before talks kick off on September 2. Hamas: Direct Israeli-Palestinian talks illegitimate, coerced by U.S. Ha'aretz 26 Aug 2010 - Hamas politburo chief urges Egypt's Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah not to take part in Washington-backed peace negotiations. Declassified Documents Expose Lobby Influence Palestine Chronicle: 26 Aug 2010 - By Stephen Lendman James Petras' powerful 2006 book titled, 'The Power of Israel in the United States' explained the enormous pro-Israeli Jewish Lobby influence on US Middle East policies. Often harming American interests, they're pursued anyway because of its grassroots and high-level control over government, the business community, academia, the clergy and mass media since at least the 1960s. Intolerant of opposing views, they're suppressed for its own agenda, funded by PR propaganda domestically and overseas, America's top publications paid off to go along, now revealed by a secret document subpoenaed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (FRC) investigation into the American Zionist Council (AZC), AIPAC's parent lobbying arm. "Between 1962 - 1963, the FRC subpoenaed" AZC's internal documents, examining their activities as "registered agents of foreign principals," learning that over $5 million in tax exempt (and perhaps overseas funds) "had been laundered through the Jewish Agency's American Section into...more Middle East Sound of Music Palestine Chronicle: 25 Aug 2010 - By Sherri Muzher I don't know where I'm going But, I sure know where I've been Hanging on the promises In songs of yesterday An' I've made up my mind I ain't wasting no more time But, here I go again Those lyrics belong to Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again On My Own," and might as well be the theme song for the Palestinian Authority ahead of Mideast peace talks While direct talks between Palestinians and Israelis are welcome, actions speak louder than words. The continuation of Israeli settlements speaks volumes. Physical separation and lack of contiguity has nullified the hopes of two states living side by side. One can only conclude that the talks merely present photo-op for another U.S president and more time to plant more facts on the ground for the Israeli government. Professor Stephen Walt of Harvard University and co-author of “The Israeli Lobby and U.S....more Abbas' Position Isn't as Weak as It May Appear Palestine Chronicle: 25 Aug 2010 - By George S. Hishmeh – Washington, D.C. Palestinians will begin heading home a year from now to reclaim property in their homeland, which they have not seen for 62 years since the state of Israel was established there. They will be welcomed at the border by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and thousands of cheering Israelis. Much to their joy, the Palestinians will discover that Lieberman has relinquished his house in a colony on the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. But they will have to wait and see whether their own homes, in Haifa or Nazareth for example, will still be standing, along with their traditional lemon, olive and fig trees and grape vines, which their parents have longed to see since the beginning of their tortuous exile in neighbouring Arab countries and elsewhere. More importantly, they will not...more ‘Israel was attacked in ‘47′ and other howlers from the pen of George Will Mondoweiss - Weiss: Praise the lord, George Will is in Jerusalem opining for the Washington Post in the most reactionary manner possible about the Jews' ancient claim to the land based on a ring found near the western wall and other hokum. Max Blumenthal has a great response... King of Jordan confirms invite to talks launch 8/21/2010 - AMMAN (Ma'an) -- Jordan's Royal Court confirmed reports that King Abdullah II was invited to bilateral talks and a dinner with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on 1 September in Washington DC. During a special news conference in Washington to announce the talks invitation, US Secretary General Hillary Clinton said "[US] President [Barack.... Hamas to seize unlicensed weapons Palestine Note 21 Aug 2010 - Washington - The de facto government of Gaza announced saturday that security forces will be confiscating all unlicensed weapons in an effort to promote public security, Ma'an News Agency reported : A militant carries a rocket. [Zoriah... UN chief: Mideast talks should not be 'wasted' YNet News - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday said the upcoming talks in Washington between Israel and the Palestinians are a chance for peace that "must not be wasted." ....... Resisting Temptation Curtis Doebbler, Ma’an News Agency 8/21/2010 The agreement of the Ramallah-based Fatah leadership to resume direct talks with Israel on US terms is a capitulation to the illusions of wealth and security that are being offered. The US has enhanced its financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority in recent months. It has offered to pay salaries, to turn a blind eye on PA abuses against Palestinian prisoners, and even reportedly to finance an American studies center at An-Najah National University in Nablus. None of these enticements have come without implicit expectations from the US. The most immediately thing the US expects—sometimes explicitly, sometimes implicitly—is that the Palestinians will start direct negotiations with Israel; the US has now gotten its way. The Fatah leadership in Ramallah has obliged. After first arresting or driving its critics out of Palestine and trying to silence them, it has now agreed to resume direct negotiations with Israel. Moreover, it has agreed to do so on the terms prescribed by the US and Israel in Washington, in the shadow of the US capitol building. This building is home to the US Congress which pumps billions of dollars into Israel each year; money that is used to acquire weapons to kill Palestinians. The weapons that killed more than a thousand civilians in Gaza last year and more recently unarmed activists on a boat trying to deliver life-saving humanitarian assistance to Gaza are paid for with American money. The settlements that Israel continues to support and build are paid for by American money and with contributions from America’s European allies. The attacks that Israeli soldiers carry out daily in Gaza and the West Bank are paid for with American money.more..e-mail Declassified Senate Investigation Files Reveal Clandestine Israeli PR Campaign in America Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy 8/18/2010 Declassified files from a Senate investigation into Israeli-funded covert public relations and lobbying activity in the United States were released by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) on July 23rd, 2010. The subpoenaed documents reveal Israel's clandestine programs for "cultivation of editors," the "stimulation and placement of suitable articles in the major consumer magazines" as well as U.S. reporting about sensitive subjects such as the Dimona nuclear weapons facility. Documents are now available for download from http://IRmep.org/ila/azc include: Dimona (excerpt): "The nuclear reactor story inspired comment from many sources; editorial writers, columnists, science writers and cartoonists. Most of the press seemed finally to accept the thesis that the reactor was being built for peaceful purposes and not for bombs." http://www.irmep.org/11-121960AZC.pdf Content placement and promotion (excerpt): "The Atlantic Monthly in its October issue carried the outstanding Martha Gellhorn piece on the Arab refugees, which made quite an impact around the country. We arranged for the distribution of 10,000 reprints to public opinion molders in all categories… Interested friends are making arrangements with the Atlantic for another reprint of the Gellhorn article to be sent to all 53,000 persons whose names appear in Who's Who in America…Our Committee is now planning articles for the women's magazines for the trade and business publications." Pressure campaigns (excerpt): "It can be said that the press of the nation…has by and large shown sympathy and understanding of Israel's position. There are, of course, exceptions, notably the Scripps-Howard chain where we still need to achieve a 'break-through,' the Pulliam chain (where some progress has been made) and some locally-owned papers." -- See also: The AZC's internal "Information and Public Relations Department" reportsmore..e-mail 2 September new date for talks? 8/20/2010 - JERUSALEM (Ma'an/Agencies) -- Reuters news service quoted diplomatic sources Thursday saying Israeli and Palestinian negotiators would be invited to Washington at the start of September to begin direct peace talks. The decision to set a date was reportedly made by the Middle East Quartet during discussions on a draft statement that was initially.... US invites leaders to direct talks 8/20/2010 - WASHINGTON (Ma'an) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Mahmoud Abbas have been invited to begin direct peace talks, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Friday. At a special press briefing in Washington, Clinton invited the two leaders to restart talks in a trilateral session hosted by US President Barack Obama on.... Palestinian factions have mixed feelings over talks 8/20/2010 - JERICHO (Ma'an) -- PLO Negotiations Chief Saeb Erekat said Friday that the Palestinian leadership welcomed the decision to go to direct talks following an announcement by US officials in Washington. Erekat said the leadership welcomed the Quartet invitation to resume direct talks with Israel in September, and added that he believed success could be.... Netanyahu welcomes invitation to restart talks without preconditions 8/20/2010 - BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's invitation Friday to resume direct talks on 2 September. Clinton announced the invitation at a special press briefing in Washington. In a statement, Netanyahu said he was "pleased with the American clarification that the talks would be.... U.S.: Direct peace talks to begin on September 2 in Washington Ha'aretz - Hillary Clinton, George Mitchell say through peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, all final status issues can be resolved in one year. Video: Declassified: Massive Israeli manipulation of US media exposed Uruknet August 19, 2010 - Files declassified in America have revealed covert public relations and lobbying activities of Israel in the U.S. The National Archive made the documents public following a Senate investigation. They suggest Israel has been trying to shape media coverage of issues it regards as important. You can download the files from the web-site of the Institute... Declassified Senate Investigation Files Reveal Clandestine Israeli PR Campaign in America Uruknet August 19, 2010 - Declassified files from a Senate investigation into Israeli-funded covert public relations and lobbying activity in the United States were released by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) on July 23rd, 2010. The subpoenaed documents reveal Israel's clandestine programs for "cultivation of editors," the "stimulation and placement of suitable articles in the major consumer magazines"... Israel and Palestinians to resume peace talks in Washington The Guardian 20 Aug 2010 - Hillary Clinton hopes a peace agreement can be reached within a year, in first direct negotiations since 2008 Israel and the Palestinians are to resume direct peace talks next month under pressure from Washington to break... Israel and Palestinians to resume direct peace talks The Guardian 20 Aug 2010 - Binyamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas will open negotiations on 'core issues' in Washington next month Israel and the Palestinians are to resume direct peace talks next month under pressure from Washington to break years of political... West Bank woman farms organic, heads sewing business Palestine Note 20 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israel's West Bank separation barrier is meant to follow the Green Line Israeli border, but the barrier actually cuts deeply into the West Bank, bisecting arable farmland and surrounding neighborhoods in urban areas, all... Queer Palestinians call for BDS Palestine Note 20 Aug 2010 - Washington – As the global campaign for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel continues to gain momentum, one group of Palestinian activists are joining the call and fighting to bring an oft-dismissed face to the... Israeli, Palestinian officials respond to direct talks announcement Palestine Note 20 Aug 2010 - Washington - After Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's announcement that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will convene in Washington, DC Sept. 2 to engage in direct talks, along with a statement of... Quartet releases statement on direct talks Palestine Note 20 Aug 2010 - Washington - The Middle East Quartet, comprised of representatives from the US, EU, UN, and Russia, released a statement Friday in tandem with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's announcement that Palestinian and Israeli leadership will... Homeless Gazans take over Hamas building in protest Palestine Note 20 Aug 2010 - Washington – More than 40 Gaza families whose houses were destroyed during the 2008-2009 Israeli offensive in the Strip have taken over a Hamas building to protest the Islamist government’s failure to provide housing. Hundreds and... Report: Ireland considered passport recall after Mossad hit Palestine Note 20 Aug 2010 - Washington – As the international scandal surrounding the January assassination of a senior Hamas leader in Dubai continues to unravel, new reports have surfaced showing that Ireland considered reissuing more than 2.5 million passports after eight... Clinton announces direct talks Palestine Note 20 Aug 2010 - Direct negotiations will begin in DC Sept. 2, secretary says Washington - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Friday that Palestinian and Israeli leadership will convene in Washington, DC Sept. 2 to begin direct negotiations. Giving... Clinton announces direct to resume on September 2 Jeruslalem Post 20 Aug 2010 - Washington to invite Israel and Palestinians to peace negotiations; Netanyahu welcomes decision saying reaching an agreement is 'difficult challenge but possible.' Clinton announces direct talks will resume on Sept. 2 Jeruslalem Post 20 Aug 2010 - Washington to invite Israel and Palestinians to peace negotiations; Netanyahu welcomes decision saying reaching an agreement is 'difficult challenge but possible.' U.S.: Direct peace talks to begin on September 2 in Washington Ha'aretz 21 Aug 2010 - Hillary Clinton, George Mitchell say through peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, all final status issues can be resolved in one year. US assures Israel on Iran's bomb plans YNet News - (Video) New York Times says Washington has persuaded Jerusalem that Tehran would.... US: Israel, PA to resume direct talks YNet News - WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Friday that Israel and the Palestinian Authority have agreed to return to the negotiating table, under US ....... 'Lebanon flotilla may be linked to Hezbollah' YNet News - WASHINGTON – Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gabriela Shalev sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Friday, expressing Jerusalem's "concern" that the Gaza-bound ....... Direct Negotiations to Be Re-Launched on September 2, Clinton Says WAFA - WASHINGTON, August 20, 2010 (WAFA)- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced Friday that she had invited President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to meet on Israeli, Palestinian leaders agree to meet in Washington LA Times 20 Aug 2010 - The two Mideast sides will attend a dinner at the White House and hold talks. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton acknowledges difficulties ahead in the bid for a final peace settlement. The Obama administration said Friday that it has invited the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to Washington early next month to resume long-stalled direct peace talks, recognizing "there will be difficulties ahead" in the latest effort to achieve a final settlement of the conflict. The Israel Lobby Swims The Atlantic Grant Smith, Antiwar.com 8/18/2010 Jeffrey Goldberg’s current cover story in The Atlantic, “The Point of No Return,” achieved massive distribution across a broad spectrum of old and new media in the United States. Some observers – including Glenn Greenwald in “How Propagandists Function” – noted how well the methodology and message of Goldberg’s piece serves the Israeli government’s efforts to push U.S. military action against Iran. Gareth Porter views it as part of an overarching strategy to keep the U.S. from restoring productive relations with Iran. A huge trove of newly declassified documents subpoenaed during a Senate investigation reveals how Israel’s lobby pitched, promoted, and paid to have content placed in America’s top news magazines with overseas funding. The Atlantic (and others) received hefty rewards for trumpeting Israel’s most vital – but damaging – PR initiatives across America. Unlike today, back in the 1960s Israel and its lobby were battling mightily to draw American attention away from the entire subject of nuclear weapons in the Middle East. A secret executive report [.pdf] subpoenaed by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigation into the American Zionist Council, or AZC (AIPAC’s parent organization), reveals the lobby’s careful tracking of and satisfaction with most mainstream U.S. media coverage about the Dimona nuclear weapons facility: “The nuclear reactor story inspired comment from many sources: editorial writers, columnists, science writers and cartoonists. Most of the press seemed finally to accept the thesis that the reactor was being built for peaceful purposes and not for bombs. Some columnists felt that the U.S. should have awaited more information before ‘ventilating its suspicions’. Drew Pearson’s syndicated column justified Israel’s secrecy; William Laurence in the New York Times stressed Israel’s peaceful intent, in contrast to Arthur Krock who wanted the reactor placed under international safeguards. Arab protagonists in this country – including those in the State Department who raised all the fuss initially – used the occasion to try to cast doubt on Israel’s friendship toward the U.S.” -- See also: Declassified Senate Investigation Files Reveal Clandestine Israeli PR Campaign in Americamore..e-mail US unsure over timing of Quartet statement 8/20/2010 - WASHINGTON (Ma'an) --The Quartet is still working the details of a forthcoming statement, a US State Department official said Wednesday, which could set the parameters for direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks." We're not at the point yet where a statement has been agreed to," US State Department spokesman Phillip Crowley said. While.... Quartet 'aims to start Mideast peace talks September 2' Ha'aretz - World powers will invite Israelis and Palestinians to begin direct peace talks on September 2 in Washington, diplomatic source says. Five star hotel upgrades Ramallah business sector Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington – As Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad continues his initiative to build the Palestinian state from the ground up, the de facto PA capital of Ramallah has grown into the West Bank’s business hub.... Palestinian builds bridges at Yad Vashem, Muslim leaders visit Auschwitz Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington - 21-year-old West Banker Mujahid Sarsur grew up like many Palestinians and Arabs knowing little about the Holocaust, but now he's working to bring Palestinians to Yad Vashem , Israel's official Holocaust memorial, The Associated Press... Paris artist started in Israel, stayed in Palestine Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington – While so many artists focus on the conflict when exploring the Palestinian people, French anthropologist-cum-photographer Valerie Jouve prefers to excavate the soul of a place that has its “own culture, its history, and its... UN's Ban issues Goldstone update Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued his second follow-up report on Tuesday about the status of the Goldstone report, which accuses Israel and Palestinian militias of committing war crimes during Israel's 2008-2009 attack on Gaza.... EU: Palestinian aid not leverage for direct talks Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington – The European Union has denied allegations aid is “in any way” contingent upon the Palestinian Authority’s return to direct peace negotiations, Ma’an News Agency reported Thursday. "Aid is being given to eliminate poverty amongst... UN says Israel, Lebanon cooling tensions Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israeli and Lebanese authorities have assured they wish to avoid an escalation of tensions along their shared border, AFP News Agency reported Thursday. UNIFIL soldiers, sporting their iconic blue hats, have been stationed in... Four Israeli soldiers arrested for flotilla theft Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington – Investigators have arrested four Israeli soldiers, including one officer, suspected of stealing property from the confiscated May 31 flotilla ships, adding further scandal to a crisis that has already worsened Israel’s international image, Ynet... 'I would gladly kill Arabs - even slaughter them' Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Washington - Eden Abergil, the Israeli soldier disgraced for posting Facbook photos of herself posing with blindfolded Palestinian detainees, reportedly wrote on a friend's Facebook page on Thursday that she would "gladly kill Arabs – even... UN: Israel restricts Gaza land, sea use Palestine Note 19 Aug 2010 - Report says 178,000 people affected by live-fire zones Washington - When Israel completed its disengagement from Gaza in 2005, it claimed to have abandoned the Strip completely, but a UN report released on Thursday noted that... Quartet 'aims to start Mideast peace talks September 2' Ha'aretz 20 Aug 2010 - World powers will invite Israelis and Palestinians to begin direct peace talks on September 2 in Washington, diplomatic source says. Isn't Tolerance an American Virtue? Palestine Chronicle: 19 Aug 2010 - By George S. Hishmeh - Washington, D.C. Observing the shameful and venomous debate raging in the US over plans for a Muslim civic centre and a mosque in downtown Manhattan two blocks from Ground Zero, I could not help but recall the time when my father took me to visit Syria and Jordan while I was a student at the American University of Beirut. One of the most striking revelations for me, as a Christian, was seeing the tomb where the head of John the Baptist was said to lie inside the famous Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Many years later, after I moved to the US, I took my family on an extensive tour of Spain. My youngest child, Leila, was fatigued by the number of churches, mosques, synagogues and other historic buildings we visited. I could only convince her to make one more sightseeing and educational stop when I...more WATCH: How Israeli mangos are drying up the River Jordan Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Washington - Reports in recent months have decried the pollution levels of the Jordan river, saying over-consumption and reckless sewage-dumping have made the river unsuitable for human consumption. Growing tropical fruits like mangoes are contributing to... Poll: US support for Israel declining Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Only 51% say US must back Israel Washington - Support for Israel is declining sharply among Americans, particularly Liberals aligned with the Democratic party, a new poll shows. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz obtained some of the... Gaza child injured in Israeli offensive treated in Chicago Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Washington - Wednesday, a 14-year-old Gaza boy received neurosurgical treatment at Hope Children's Hospital in a suburb of Chicago, according to a report from the Palestine Children's Relief Fund . Muath poses post-op with this host mother. [... Is the Gaza tunnel economy shrinking? Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Washington - Tunnels running from southern Gaza under the Egyptian border have served has one of the only viable employment options, and ways to procure goods since Israel tightened its blockade of the Gaza Strip in... PLO reacts, 1 month late, to critique of Abbas Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Washington - The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) delegation denied on Wednesday that President Mahmoud Abbas told US Jewish leaders in June that he would " never deny the Jewish right to the Land of Israel," a... Lebanon passes oil exploration law, challenging Israeli claims Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Washington – Lebanon’s parliament voted Tuesday to approve a new bill okaying offshore exploration for oil and natural gas, the most recent move in a back-and-forth war of words with Israel over the region’s energy resources,... Planner of Munich Olympics attack dies at 70 Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Washington - Former intelligence commander for the Palestinian Authority and co-planner of the 1972 Munich Olympics attack Amin Al-Hindi died in Jordan Tuesday at age 70, news agencies reported. The apartment where the Israeli Olympic team... 'Zionist editing' aims to spread settler views on Wikipedia Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israeli Zionist groups have adopted a new hi-tech tactic to spread their views and ideology, namely “Zionist editing” on Wikipedia, Haaretz reported Wednesday. Wikipedia's Hebrew-language version currently has just over 100,000 entries, compared to... Airstrikes hit southern Gaza Palestine Note 18 Aug 2010 - Israeli warplanes target tunnels after earlier clashes Washington - Overnight Tuesday, four Israeli warplanes hit targets near Rafah and Khan Younis in the south of Gaza near the Egyptian border, AFP news agency reported . The airstrikes... Israeli Commandos Stop Peace Activists—But at What Cost? Rachelle Marshall, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs 8/1/2010 Faced with state terrorism we cannot be calm and silent...Killing innocent people and treating civilians as if they were terrorists are nothing but a degradation of humanity.—Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, June 1, 2010. Veterans of the Israel Defense Forces will someday be able to boast to their grandchildren of their famous victory in the Mediterranean Sea, when they successfully defended their country from a group of unarmed peace activists and humanitarian aid workers traveling aboard a group of slow-moving cargo boats. The aid flotilla that sailed from Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus was carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian supplies intended for Gaza, one of the poorest places on earth. Since the raid took place in international waters, it was by definition an act of criminal piracy. At 4 a.m. on May 31, while the boats were still well out to sea, Israeli commandos dropped onto the boats from helicopters, firing sound grenades, plastic bullets and, by many reports, live ammunition. When passengers on the Turkish vessel Mavi Marmara tried to resist, the attackers killed nine of them. All but one of the dead were Turkish members of Insani Yardim Vakfi (IHH), a charitable organization founded in 1992 to aid Bosnians and now active in 120 countries, including Haiti. Dozens of those aboard were badly beaten by the Israelis, among them a cameraman who was clubbed in the eye with a rifle butt. Videos showed two of the soldiers repeatedly stomping on a man who was down, and then shooting him.The ship was turned into "a lake of blood," one woman reported. Dr. Mahmut Koskun said the commandos did not allow him to help the wounded aboard, and let at least one of the victims bleed to death. All of the passengers were handcuffed and forced to lie face down on the deck for several hours. When the boats arrived in Ashdod, Israeli authorities seized their cargoes and arrested those aboard, including 15 journalists....more..e-mail Ethnic states are common these days. But Mondoweiss - Rick Congress writes at his blog : I used to use the argument "Israel as an ethnic-based exclusively Jewish state is a throwback to earlier centuries, and modern states are secular and non-exclusive." I used it until someone completely tore it to pieces. He was right. The... PA charges 4 for settlement boycott violation Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington – The Palestinian Authority Finance Minister has indicted four Palestinians accused of violating a boycott of goods produced in West Bank settlements, Ynet reported Tuesday. A store owner in East Jerusalem. Merchants in the West... Poll: Israelis oppose military exemption of religious students Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington – A two-thirds majority of Israelis oppose the recent Knesset decision to exempt rabbinical yeshiva students 22 and older from universal military service, according to a new poll, Ynet reported Tuesday. The poll, conducted by... Hezbollah hands over Israeli assassination evidence to UN Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington – Hezbollah has handed over to Lebanese prosecutors and UN investigators evidence it claims implicates Israel in the 2005 assassination of then Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, AFP news agency reported Tuesday. "Following a meeting... PLO: Israel wants to replace Quartet statement with US one Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington - According to a source within the Palestine Liberation Organization, Israel hopes to prevent the Mideast Quartet from releasing a statement on direct talks in favor of a decision from the US, Ma'an News Agency... Fmr. US diplomat: Israel has 8 days to bomb Iran Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israel has only eight days to attack an Iranian nuclear power plant before it goes operational and provides the country a “second route” to nuclear weaponization, warned former US ambassador to the UN John... Right-wing group threatens Ben-Gurion University Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington – Right-wing group Im Tirtzu has issued an ultimatum to Israel’s Ben-Gurion University, threatening to drive away donors if it refuses to hire more right-wing professors and alter its curriculum, Ynet reported Tuesday. Ben-Gurion University... More than Half-Way but Not Full Friends: Israel and Jordan Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Originally featured on The Washington Note This morning I received an email from former Israel Labor Party Deputy Leader and former Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh . It started "To my Muslim friends - Ramadan Karim". Ephrahim... Israeli tanks shell Gaza home in 2nd day of clashes Palestine Note 17 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israeli tanks shelled a home in southeast Gaza on Tuesday, in a second day of clashes that left one Palestinian dead and two Israeli soldiers injured. Three artillery shells hit the home, witnesses told... Bureaucracy vs. Occupation: Hamas Government Bulldozes Gazans’ Homes Mohammed Omer, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs 8/1/2010 In a strange interpretation of eminent domain—the government’s right to take private property for public use—on the morning of May 16 the Gaza Strip’s Hamas-led government, citing a lack of building permits and the need to requisition the land for public use—in this case, to build the Dawaa and Humanitarian Science College—dispatched bulldozers to the Rafah refugee camp in southern Gaza. The machines typically associated with Israeli occupation forces immediately began flattening the targeted homes, the residents of which insist they were given little or no notice, and that their claims to their homes are valid. Many of the homes in the targeted district belonged to Gazans who had lost their houses during Israel’s December 2008-January 2009 attack on Gaza dubbed Operation Cast Lead. Following the murderous 22-day attack, the Hamas government announced it would allow the reconstruction of more than 1,000 housing units, many to be rebuilt with cement smuggled through tunnels between Rafah and Egypt. Prior to the assault, however, in November 2008, Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh had designated the land for the construction of a new university and sports field dedicated to science and humanitarian efforts. Unfortunately, the post-attack decree failed to cancel the earlier one. So the homeowners rebuilt. And on May 16, the bulldozers arrived. From Homeowner to Homeless One of the victims is 41-year-old Issa Al Sududi. "I had no prior warning," he said, staring at the remnants of his home in shock. When he tried to stop the demolition, police officers beat him, until a policeman who recognized Issa stopped the assault. Issa’s wife, overwhelmed, collapsed while resisting the police. She was transferred to the hospital with an injured left arm and leg. Samir Zaquot, 46, lives in the Al Barahma residential area. Prior to 2005 it was impossible for Palestinians to live here because of its proximity to the Jewish-only colony at Rafiah Yam....more..e-mail Nuclear inspection of Israel sought Uruknet August 15, 2010 - Arab nations have urged Washington and several other nuclear powers to push for inspections of Israel's nuclear programme, diplomats have told the Associated Press news agency. In a letter sent ahead of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting scheduled for September, the Arab League also sought support for a resolution that calls on Israel... Abraaj Capital announces Ramallah office Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - Washington – The Middle East’s largest private equity group, Abraaj Capital, has announced it will open its first office in Palestine, based out Ramallah, Al Bawaba News reported Sunday. Abraaj capital manages the $50 million Palestine... Politics prevails at Iran-Israel Olympic match Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - Washington – Politics seem to have trumped sportsmanship Sunday when the Iranian competitor in the inaugural Youth Olympics taekwondo championship withdrew from the final match against Israel, Associated Press reported . The Iranian delegation told the games’... Checkpoint etiquette: Soldiers trading 'stop' for 'good morning' Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - Washington – A group of Israeli soldiers has decided to adopt a new strategy at its West Bank checkpoint, announcing it will make efforts to improve its Arabic etiquette, Haaretz reported Monday. The Armored Corps reservists... J'lem court: Army responsible for Palestinian girl's death Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - Washington – A Jerusalem court Monday ruled the state responsible by way of “negligence” for the death of 10-year-old Palestinian Abir Aramin in 2007 when she was hit by a rubber bullet fired by an Israeli... Israel aligns with Christian Zionists in college PR campaign Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - Washington - A bi-partisan group of Israeli lawmakers has partnered with Eagles' Wings, a Christian Zionist organization, to shape Israeli PR on US college campuses, Israeli news blog Coteret reported, citing a repot in the Hebrew... Knesset to vote on oversight bill for Israeli rights groups Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - Washington – The Knesset approved Monday the first draft of a bill aimed at supervising the foreign funding of human rights NGOs in Israel, settler news agency Israel National News reported . The bill was originally proposed... White House denies Turkey ultimatum Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - WH spokesman: 'There's no ultimatum' Washington – In response to an earlier Financial Times report that President Obama warned Turkey to back US policy toward Israel and Iran or face the cancellation of a key arms... Israeli soldier poses with Palestinian detainee in Facebook picture Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - Washington - A former Israeli soldier has posted pictures on social networking site Facebook of her posing with bound and blindfolded Palestinian detainees, Ynet news reported Monday. The offending Facebook picture. [Photo: Ynet] The recently discharged... Arabs urge nuclear inspection of Israel Palestine Note 16 Aug 2010 - New York - The Arab League has asked Washington and other nuclear powers demand inspections of Israel's clandestine nuclear weapons program. Flag of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). According to Al Jazeera , in a letter... Uribe Appointment Undermines U.N. Flotilla Investigation Carmen Andrea Rivera and Nico Udu-gama, Mondoweiss, Upside Down World 8/12/2010 It was announced yesterday, August 2nd, that outgoing Colombian president Álvaro Uribe Vélez will be the Vice Chairman of the U.N.’s four-member international committee tasked with investigating the Israeli commando attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. On May 31st, Israeli forces attacked the MV Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship manned by international activists delivering aid supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip. The ensuing confrontation left nine activists dead and dozens wounded and sparked international criticism of Israel. Prior international investigations and condemnation have done little to change Israel’s colonial policies in occupied Palestinian territories. Appointing Uribe to this latest investigation preemptively undermines its credibility. It’s difficult to catalogue and summarize the various political scandals that have plagued Uribe’s 8-year presidency. Three days before the announcement of Uribe’s appointment to the U.N. committee, the Colombian press reported the outgoing president’s verbal attack against Colombian Supreme Court Magistrate Yesid Ramirez, after Ramirez asked the nation’s prosecutor general to open an investigation into allegations that the president’s son, Tomás Uribe, bribed congressmen to ensure his father’s re-election in 2006. The recent scandal is only the latest in one of many of Uribe’s public displays of contempt for the Colombian judiciary, the most famous of which was his outrage at the Court’s nixing of a referendum that would have allowed Uribe to run for a third presidential term. More significant than political tumult or charges of corruption is Uribe’s contempt for international law, demonstrated by his government’s illegal use of the International Red Cross emblem in a hostage rescue mission in July 2008....more..e-mail The US Arms Bonanza in the Middle East Jonathan Cook, CounterPunch 8/11/2010 Israel and Saudi Arabia to Buy Advanced War Planes Two of the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East, Israel and Saudi Arabia, are on the brink of signing large arms deals with the US in a move designed to ratchet up the pressure on Iran, according to defence analysts. America has agreed to sell Saudi Arabia 84 of the latest model of the F-15 jet and dozens of Black Hawk helicopters. The deal also includes refurbishing many of the kingdom’s older F-15s, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Israel is believed to have opposed the $30 billion deal. However, in a concession to Israel, the new F-15s, made by the Boeing Company, will not be equipped with the latest weapons and avionics systems available to the US military. The last such major arms sale by the US to Saudi Arabia was in 1992, when the kingdom received 72 F-15s. On that occasion, Israel tried to block the $9bn deal by lobbying the US Congress, straining relations with the White House of George H W Bush. Meanwhile, the US is preparing to provide Israel’s air force with the F-35, the latest jet fighter made by Lockheed Martin, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported last week. The F-35’s stealth technology, which allows it to evade radar detection and anti-aircraft missiles, comes with a hefty price tag of up to $150 million a plane -- a cost that Israel had been balking at. But, according to the reports, the US has offered Israeli firms defence contracts worth $4bn to supply parts for the F-35 -- a deal some Israeli analysts believe is designed to buy Israel’s silence over the Saudi deal and ensure it gets through the US Congress.more..e-mail Netanyahu’s agenda Mondoweiss - A second Will column from Israel, today in the Washington Post, "Netanyahu's warning," and his second preemptive apology for Israel's bombing of Iran. An act of necessity, he says, and you may expect it "probably within two years." NB this amazing sentence: "Any Israeli self-defense anywhere... Netanyahu Running with Nowhere to Hide Palestine Chronicle: 16 Aug 2010 - By James Gundun, Washington D.C. Last week the US government and media lauded Israel’s decision to cooperate with a UN investigation into the Freedom Flotilla raid. Although Israeli opinion was more critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision, the general consensus realized he had no choice. Stonewall here and Israel would have absolutely nothing to stand on going into the pivotal month of September, when Israel’s settlement “freeze” in the West Bank expires and the UN will debate Palestinian statehood. "We thank both governments (Israeli and Turkish) for the constructive and cooperative spirit they have shown and the Secretary General for his leadership and determination," said Susan Rice, US Ambassador to the UN. Seven days later and no one is praising Ban Ki-moon anymore. Only hours after Netanyahu testified to the UN that Turkish decision-making was ultimately to blame, the UN Secretary-General “quashed what he called a rumor” that Israeli...more Arabs lobby US on anti-Israel vote YNet News - Letter signed by Arab League chief Moussa asks world powers to press Israel to.... Christian students to defend Israel abroad YNet News - Knesset lobby recruits Christian 'ambassadors' to counter pro-Palestinian.... Second-class citizens George Bisharat and Nimer Sultany, Miami Herald 8/15/2010 Adalah, the Legal Center for Minority Rights in Israel, counts more than 35 Israeli laws explicitly privileging Jews over non-Jews. Should Israel be encouraged to enact legislation guaranteeing equal rights for all of its citizens as part of any peace agreement with the Palestinians? Israel’s systematic discrimination against Arabs was highlighted recently when Donna Shalala, University of Miami president and former Health and Human Services secretary, was detained for three hours, grilled and subjected to an extended luggage search upon her departure from Israel. Shalala, of Lebanese Arab descent and a long-time supporter of Israel, had visited the country with other university leaders at the invitation of the American Jewish Congress, but had stayed beyond the planned itinerary for several days. It seems evident that, despite her stature, she was a victim of profiling. But the indignities that Shalala suffered pale in comparison to those faced by the 1.3 million Palestinian citizens of Israel on a daily basis, and not just at the airport. Adalah, the Legal Center for Minority Rights in Israel, counts more than 35 Israeli laws explicitly privileging Jews over non-Jews. Other Israeli laws appear neutral, but are applied in discriminatory fashion. For example, laws facilitating government land seizures make no reference to Palestinians, but nonetheless have been used almost exclusively to expropriate their properties for Jewish settlements. Consider what it would be like if....more..e-mail ‘NYT’ profiles Sidney Harman, Mondoweiss - new owner of Newsweek, and leaves out any reference to his wife Jane's Israel troubles or fondness for AIPAC. P.S. The piece's author, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, quoted Ali Abunimah last week regarding the Islamic Center near Ground Zero. And she mentioned the Nakba in a piece... All is not quiet on the Lebanese front Lawrence Davidson, Redress 8/15/2010 ”When it comes to Middle East foreign policy, men like [US congressmen] Howard Berman and Ron Klein and many others too, still stand in as agents of a foreign power. And they do so in an obvious knee-jerk fashion. I am afraid it will stay this way until Israeli behaviour becomes a voting issue in the US for more than just Zionist Americans.” On Tuesday 3 August 2010 violence erupted along Lebanon’s southern frontier. Almost simultaneously verbal violence against Lebanon erupted from the US House of Representatives. Soon thereafter Lebanon lost, at least temporarily, 100 million dollars in US military aid. What is this all about? On the Lebanese frontier The Lebanese border, or so-called “Blue Line”, has been a Middle East flashpoint for decades. It has been the site of repeated wars, cross-border skirmishes and often futile United Nations peacekeeping efforts to keep things below a boiling temperature. Israel says that south Lebanon has harboured Palestinian fighters in the past, and now Hezbollah fighters, all of whom endanger its security. At least publicly, Israel never asks why there is such long lasting hostility toward it. And, if its leaders do so in private, it never impacts on policy. Instead, Israel has consistently waged war on its neighbours to stop the vengeful incursions of those whose land Israel has – what? Gotten from God? Conquered from the Canaanites? Confiscated after chasing out Arab forces who identified them as European interlopers? Stolen. The incident of 3 August was triggered by Israel’s attempt to cut down a tree along the Lebanese frontier. The Israeli armed forces claim the tree was on the Israeli side of the frontier fence. Please note that the Israeli protest about this to the United Nations and the Lebanese government actually used the word "border".....more..e-mail U.S., Israel Build Military Cooperation Uruknet August 13, 2010 - While the U.S. and Israeli diplomatic relations weather their choppiest phase in years, behind the scenes, military commanders from the two countries have dramatically stepped up cooperation...U.S. military aid to Israel has increased markedly this year. Top-ranking U.S. and Israeli soldiers have shuttled between Tel Aviv and Washington with unusual frequency in recent months. A... Irish artists boycott Israel Palestine Note 14 Aug 2010 - Washington - More than 150 Irish intellectuals and artists announced an Israel boycott Saturday, Haaretz reported . Boycott Israel graffiti is straypainted on a wall. [Hembo Pagi - Flickr] The boycotters said they will not perform or... Goldstone follow-up arrives in Gaza Palestine Note 14 Aug 2010 - UN experts to monitor Cast Lead investigation Washington - A group of UN experts have arrived in Gaza to oversee the Palestinian investigation of possible war crimes by Hamas during Operation Cast Lead, the Hamas Foreign... Gaddafi son: 'Palestinian prisoners were swapped for Israeli' Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington – The release this week of an Israeli photographer from Libya was a quid pro quo for the release of Palestinian prisoners in Israel, according to statements by Seif Al-Islam Al-Gaddafi, son of the Libyan... WATCH: Injuries, detentions reported at Friday demonstrations Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington - Fridays generally mark regular demonstrations in towns across the West Bank protesting the incursion of the Israeli security barrier. Friday, injuries and arrests were felt among Palestinian, Israeli and international protesters in Walaja, Nabi... Small loans empower Gaza women Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington - As reports roll in detailing the detrimental effect of Israel's siege on Gaza's economy - industry destroyed, expert commerce stagnant, tunnel trade thriving - many reports hone in on the subsequent unemployment and its... 100,000 pray at Al-Aqsa despite restrictions Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington - Traffic was congested and checkpoints were packed as Muslims went to pray at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem's Old City for the first Friday of Ramadan, Ma'an News Agency reported . Israeli restrictions on entry to... Israeli court orders gov't to appoint woman to flotilla panel Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled Thursday that the government must offer an additional position on the Turkel commission investigating the May 31 flotilla raid to a woman, Haaretz reported . The Mavi Marmara was... Clinton pushes Netanyahu on talks Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Friday "in a bid to clear hurdles to restarting direct Israeli-Palestinian peace talks," AFP news agency reported . Secretary of State Hillary Clinton [Marcn... Suspected Mossad agent 'free to return to Israel' Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington – The suspected Israeli Mossad agent who collaborated in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh has been released from German custody for the duration of his trial. The suspected Mossad agent has been charged... World Bank gives PA $5m for teacher training Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington - The World Bank will give the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority $5 million to train primary school teachers, a World Bank press release reported Thursday. UNRWA classroom [United Nations - Flickr] Palestinian Prime Minister Salam... Hezbollah implies cooperation in Hariri tribunal Palestine Note 13 Aug 2010 - Washington – Despite early reports that the Lebanese Islamist group would not turn over to the UN its evidence implicating Israel's involvement in the 2005 assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri, the group now says it... US to consult with Quartet over Abbas request 8/12/2010 - WASHINGTON (Ma'an) -- US officials said Wednesday that efforts would "press forward" despite that Mideast envoy George Mitchell's latest visit failed to renew peace talks. Mitchell, who left the region Wednesday, met Israeli and Palestinian leaders and presented a formula for talks laid out by President Mahmoud Abbas to Israeli Prime Minister.... Besieging Israel's siegeIn just a few years the Palestinian campaign to boycott Israeli goods has become truly global Uruknet August 12, 2010 - Despite Israel's siege of Gaza, and the escalating displacement in the Negev and East Jerusalem, Palestinians have some reason to celebrate. In Washington a food co-op has passed a resolution calling for a boycott of Israeli products, confirming that the boycott movement – five years old last month – has finally crossed the Atlantic. Support... Israel to cut funding for West Bank planned city Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington – After months of cooperation and planning, Israeli authorities have decided to cut all funding to Rawabi, the first planned Palestinian city being built in the West Bank, Ma’an News Agency reported Thursday. The hills... PA minister: Boycotts working Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington – Palestinian Authority Economy Minister Hassan Abu Libda said Thursday, following a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, that Israeli requests to end the Palestinian boycott of settlement goods proves it is working, Haaretz reported . Israeli... Military bans Israelis from villages on WB highway Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington - The Israeli military has released a new order barring Israelis from entering Palestinian villages along highway 443, despite the area being under complete Israeli control, Haaretz reported Thursday. Route 443 [Wikimedia Commons] Israel's GOC... Israeli army escalates presence along Syrian, Lebanese frontiers Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington – The Israeli army has increased its presence in the occupied Golan Heights near the ceasefire line with Syria, carrying out exercises to acclimate soldiers to potential war conditions, the Ynet news site reported Wednesday.... Malaysian medical delegation enters Gaza Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington - A team of 39 Malaysian doctors arrived in Cairo this week en route to the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip. Gazans needing medical treatment beyond that which the beleaguered coastal enclave is capable travel to Israel... Suspected Mossad agent extradited to Germany Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington – The suspected Israeli Mossad agent who is accused of collaborating in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh in Dubai earlier this year has been extradited to Germany to stand trial, Haaretz reported Thursday.... Gaza celebrates Ramadan under siege Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington - Palestinians in Gaza are celebrating yet another Ramadan, a month of dawn-to-dusk fasting, under an Israeli-led blockade. Gaza children wait to collect water amid rubble from Operation Cast Lead, Israel's 22-day assault on the... US supports Quartet parameters for talks, report Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Washington – Palestinian leadership have received preliminary approval from the US that the defining references for peace talks with Israel will be written by the Middle East Quartet, Xinhua news agency reported Thursday. US peace envoy... WATCH: Bill Kristol's pro-Israel group expands attacks Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - New York - The right-wing Emergency Committee for Israel plans to air attack ads against two more Democratic members of congress in close reelection battles. The group, is planning to air ads against Virginia's Glenn Nye... Turkey launches flotilla inquiry Palestine Note 12 Aug 2010 - Panel to probe attack and prisoner treatment Washington - Following the creation of two separate UN panels of inquiry into Israel May 31 raid of the Gaza-bound "Freedom Flotilla," which left nine activists dead, Turkey has... Israel blames Palestinians for talks stalemate Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with US Middle East envoy George Mitchell in Jerusalem Wednesday, and while both met " eye-to-eye " on the need for direct negotiations, the Palestinian and Israeli parties... 30 settlers arrested during protest march in Jericho Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Washington – 30 right-wing settler activists were arrested yesterday when they illegally entered Jericho, which falls in Area A under the Palestinian Authority’s jurisdiction, to pray at a synagogue, Haaretz reported Wednesday. The settlers arrived at... Lebanon to US: We'll reject aid if weapons can't be used against Israel Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Washington - Lebanese Defense Minister Elisa Murr announced Wednesday that Lebanon would reject US military aid if the US decrees the weapons cannot be used to defend against Israel, Haaretz reported : The Israel-Lebanon border - tensions... Settlers to protest Ramallah planned community Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israeli settlers are expect to demonstrate on Thursday against the construction of Rawabi , a Palestinian housing development being built outside Ramallah. Israeli marchers appear in an undated photo. [Rusty Stewart - Flickr] Ma'an News... Suspected murderer of Palestinians moves to house arrest Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Washington – Chaim Pearlman, the Israeli man suspected of murdering four Palestinians and attempting to murder seven others, was released Wednesday from detention and placed under house arrest after an Israeli judge ruled there was insufficient... UN calls for Hariri murder evidence Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Washington - The UN tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri has called for all "relevant evidence" to be submitted, AFP news agency reported Wednesday. Hezbollah SG Hassan Nasrallah said Israel... Israeli refugee program a 'stack of lies,' UNRWA Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Washington – The UN Middle East refugee agency UNRWA has cried foul at the Israel Broadcasting Authority for a recent broadcast about the organization, saying it is filled with false and distorted information, Haaretz reported . The... Jeffrey Goldberg Probes Israel's Iran Strike Option: Is Netanyahu a "Bomber Boy"? Palestine Note 11 Aug 2010 - Originally featured on The Washington Note In an important article titled "The Point of No Return" to be published in The Atlantic tomorrow, national correspondent Jeffrey Goldberg recounts something many people didn't realize at the time... White House Questions Suspension of Military Aid to Lebanon IPS Several powerful members of Congress have worked to suspend U.S. military aid to Lebanon's military after a deadly skirmish on the Lebanese-Israeli border last week which left two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and one Israeli officer dead. UN chief: Flotilla probe won't summon witnesses YNet News - WASHINGTON - Following the many concerns raised in Israel that the UN team investigating the Gaza flotilla raid may attempt to summon soldiers to give their testimonies, ....... Israel Lacking Allies and Friends Palestine Chronicle: 12 Aug 2010 - By George S. Hishmeh – Washington, D.C. Oftentimes, Israelis and their supporters bury their heads in the sand, ignoring all that goes around them. Take the case, for one example, of a university professor who joyously lauded in a commentary in a leading American newspaper, The New York Times (which in turn was remiss in not checking) an "opinion poll" that claimed that 71 percent of Arab respondents have "no interest" in the Palestinian-Israeli "peace process." Probably sharing his enthusiasm, the paper headlined the column, "The Palestinians, Alone." It turned out that the shady poll that was cited by Efraim Karsh, who teaches at King's College, London and is author of "Palestine Betrayed," was nothing more than a tally of readers responding to another reader's query on the website of an Arabic television network. Moreover, one would have thought that Karsh should have known better. His puerile analysis failed to...more Night Beat: Organic Gaza, Mecca clocks, and hot hot Ramadan Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington - After the August 3 skirmish on the Lebanon-Israel border, few countries expressed support to stand behind Lebanon, but among them were Iran and Syria. Now, after Congress has suspended military aid to Lebanon fearing... Ashton Kutcher's settler tour of the Holy Land Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington - Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher visited Israel and the West Bank over the weekend to celebrate the birthday of the founder of Jerusalem's Kabbalah Center, the Jewish Telegraph Agency reported Sunday. Ashton Kutcher wearing an... Report: PA lowers volume on mosques near settlements Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington – The Palestinian Authority has reportedly acquiesced to Israeli settlers’ requests to lower the volume on mosque loudspeakers located near Israeli settlements. Ma’an News Agency reported Tuesday: The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Sunday that... Lebanon: US aid suspension 'unwarranted' Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington - The Lebanese government criticized a US lawmaker's decision to suspend some $100 million in military aid following last week's cross-border skirmish with Israel that left three Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist, and a senior... Israel threatens to back out of UN flotilla probe Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israel could back out of the United Nation's investigation of the May 31 high-seas raid of aid ships attempting to reach the Gaza Strip if investigators attempt to question military personnel, AFP news agency... Abbas rebuffs Mitchell on direct talks Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington - US Middle East envoy George Mitchell met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Tuesday, Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported . US Mideast Envoy George Michell holds talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at... Israel tells soldiers: Don't smoke at checkpoints during Ramadan Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israeli soldiers at checkpoints will enforce higher standards of decorum during Ramadan, refraining from eating, drinking, or smoking during daylight hours when Muslim Palestinians are fasting, Ma’an News Agency reported Tuesday. The barrier gate... Israel DM: 'Violence was anticipated' Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Barak testifies at flotilla hearing Washington - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak gave his testimony Tuesday before an Israeli investigation committee aimed to uncover illegality in the May 31 flotilla raid and the surrounding circumstances, news... Lebanon: Politician charged in Israel spy hunt Palestine Note 10 Aug 2010 - Washington - MP Fayez Karam from the Free Patriotic Movement is the first Lebanese politician to be implicated in the state's effort round up those "spying" for Israel, Reuters reported Tuesday: Lebanese flags [ChamelEian - Flickr]... Report: Shortage of translators hobbles WB investigations Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington – A shortage of Arabic-speaking translators is leading to increased obstacles for Palestinians filing complaints against Israeli soldiers, according to a new report by rights group Yesh Din, Haaretz reported Monday. Altercations between Israeli soldiers... UN doesn't rule out questioning troops YNet News - WASHINGTON – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon convened a panel investigating the IDF raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla Tuesday for the first time since the members were ....... My experience with the ADL Daoud Kuttab, Ma’an News Agency 8/10/2010 The aim of this op-ed is not to pile it on the Anti-Defamation League, but to show that this organization that is expected to fight hate, discrimination and defamation has little tolerance for the suffering of any group other than the Jewish population. I was invited by the ADL sometime in 2002 to speak to a delegation of ADL chapter heads from all over the US who were making a visit to Israel. The group would not come to the Palestinian territories or even anywhere in East Jerusalem so I had to travel to see them at their hotel, the King David Hotel in West Jerusalem. The meeting was scheduled for three in the afternoon, and the director, Abe Foxman asked if I could come ten minutes early. I did and he met with me separately saying that he had an important meeting and could not attend my talk but wanted to talk to me one on one. We talked in general terms and then I mentioned what had happened at a pro Israel rally in Washington, D.C., not long before, when the Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz was booed as he told a packed crowd of thousands that "innocent Palestinians are suffering and dying as well. It is critical that we recognize and acknowledge that fact.’’ Foxman was apologetic to me and reassured me that this was not a universal boo, but that it was a tiny minority certainly not representative of the majority of those attending the rally. Foxman then left for his meeting, and I entered the conference room where the directors of all the ADL branches were waiting for my talk. In such situations I usually check, and I was assured that I was the only Palestinian that this group would meet. I often joke about being the token Palestinian and try to speak honestly to the group, explaining to them that I feel the responsibility of representing the entire Palestinian political spectrum and not just my own rather "moderate" point of view.more..e-mail US Congress allocates record amount for joint US-Israel military effort Uruknet August 7, 2010 - A committee of the US Congress designated $217.2 million of US tax money to a joint military venture between the US and Israel – this is in addition to the annual $3 billion in direct aid and $3 billion in indirect aid provided by the US to the Israeli government. The Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of... As Lebanon aims to better arm LAF, Congress withholds aid Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington - Last week Lebanese President Michel Sleiman vowed to better outfit the Lebanese Armed Forces after a deadly skirmish with Israeli soldiers that left three Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist, and a senior Israeli officer... Report: US reduces Saudi arms deal over Israeli concerns Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington – The US has signed a $30 billion deal with Saudi Arabia to sell the kingdom dozens of F-15 fighter planes, but the deal was watered down to mollify Israeli concerns, sources close to the... Suspected murderer of Palestinians has remand reduced Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington – An Israeli judge dealt a serious blow to Israeli police Monday, allowing them only two more days to detain Chaim Pearlman, who is suspected of killing four Palestinians in the 1990s, the Jerusalem Post... Israel protests new US travel warning Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israeli tourism minister Stas Meseznikov has cried foul at the US State Department’s recently revised travel warning for Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, saying it singles out Eilat, and not Aqaba in Jordan,... Egyptians fear bread price crisis as Russia cuts exports Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington – Authorities in Cairo have assured the Egyptian people that subsidized bread prices will remain the same following an announcement that Russia would suspend all wheat exports until December, UAE daily The National reported Monday.... West Bank home demolitions continue Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington - As Israeli-Palestinian peace talks stall, Israel's military continues to raze Palestinian homes in the West Bank. Bulldozer tears down structure. [Michaelramallah - Flickr] Ma'an News Agency reported from Tubas in the West Bank Monday:... Yishai on immigrant kids: 'Put them on the next plane out of Israel' Palestine Note 9 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai said Monday that 400 children of illegal foreign workers should be put on the next plane out of Israel, defying his left-wing colleagues’ accusations of racism, Ynet News reported .... Ban: UN panel may question IDF officers YNet News - WASHINGTON – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon denied Monday having made any agreement with Israel stipulating that the panel he had appointed to probe the IDF flotilla ....... Why I support the Olympia Co-op boycott Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Mondowiess, Israeli Occupation Archive 8/4/2010 Dear friends, The Olympia Food Co-op boycott of Israeli products (except for fair trade olive oil) has generated much controversy and emotion. I do pray for healing and understanding among those who support and those who oppose such a boycott in the community of Olympia, Washington and around the world. All of us must stand together and mourn the loss of life generated by this conflict. May their memories be a blessing. The Food Co-op and many concerned citizens around the world have asked the question: How do we transform the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the use of nonviolence? What is meaningful action? While negotiations, lobbying and dialogue occur, those who have been directly impacted by occupation, the Palestinians, have called upon the world to engage in meaningful nonviolent action to apply pressure upon Israel so that Israel cannot conduct the business of occupation as usual. Have we all not seen and read about life in Palestine under occupation? The Goldstone report, B’tselem, Gisha and many other organizations and individuals have documented the systematic violation of Palestinian human rights in the past several years. How do we both construct peace and engage in non-cooperation with policies that systematically violate human rights on a daily basis? Boycott is a time honored method which was the catalyst that ended legal segregation in the United States. Boycott is the primary tool of those engaged in nonviolent resistance to systematic injustice. Boycott targets unjust policies. It is not about ‘the right to exist’; Everyone has the right to ‘exist’.... -- See also: Sourcemore..e-mail Isolating Iran is Part of the 'Great Energy Game' Kourosh Ziabari interviews Antony Loewenstein, Dissident Voice 8/5/2010 Kourosh Ziabari: The Israeli aggression against the people of Palestine is going on incessantly. The White House hasn’t taken any serious step to signal its willingness to prevent Israel from expanding the illegal settlements in the West Bank. What will happen eventually? Will Israel go on with its expansionistic approach in the occupied lands? Antony Loewenstein: Israeli expansion on Palestinian land has continued for decades and there is little indication that this will stop anytime soon. Successive U.S. Presidents have meekly complained about the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza but continued to fund the Zionist state. Washington claims to believe in a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians but the occupation has made this viably impossible. The alternatives are unpleasant for the Zionist mind to consider, not least a bi-national state or one-state equation, where soon Jews will be outnumbered by Arabs. But Israeli Jews should not fear this. Like the whites in South Africa under apartheid, they have to make a choice, either more years of oppressing another people and facing global isolation or a nation with equal status for all its citizens. KZ: President Obama has recently threatened Iran with a possible nuclear strike. Can we trace the footsteps of the Zionist lobby in the provocative remarks by the U.S. president? Will the U.S. finally stage a nuclear war in the Middle East to protect its unalienable ally against an “Iranian threat”? AL: The chance of Washington launching a nuclear strike against Iran is very slim, though the current concern is President Obama allowing Israel to use tactical nuclear weapons or simply a military adventure against the Islamic Republic in a misguided attempt to stop its supposed nuclear program. There is no doubt that many members of the U.S. Congress and the Zionist lobby are encouraging a military strike against Iran. But the real agenda is largely hidden....more..e-mail US Congress allocates record amount for joint US-Israel military effort IMEMC - 8 Aug 2010 - Saturday August 07, 2010 - 13:45, A committee of the US Congress designated $217.2 million of US tax money to a joint military venture between the US and Israel – this is in addition to the annual $3 billion in direct aid and $3 billion in indirect aid provided by the US to the Israeli government. Scientific police congress held in Gaza City 8/8/2010 - GAZA CITY(Ma'an) -- Gaza's interior minister on Saturday praised the accomplishments of the local police force at the First Gaza Police Scientific Congress in Gaza City. Fathi Hammad said his ministry worked on crime-fighting and protecting the community to achieve political, economic, and tourist security. The Interior Ministry organized the congress.... US Congress allocates record amount for joint US-Israel military effort Uruknet August 7, 2010 - A committee of the US Congress designated $217.2 million of US tax money to a joint military venture between the US and Israel – this is in addition to the annual $3 billion in direct aid and $3 billion in indirect aid provided by the US to the Israeli government. The Defense Appropriations Subcommittee of... Israeli ship fires at Lebanese boat Palestine Note 7 Aug 2010 - Lebanese president vows to better equip army Washington - The United Nations has called for calm and restraint on the part of Lebanon and Israel, but both parties continue to bristle after Tuesday's cross-border skirmish that... Slater: rightwing Jewish support for Israel risks anti-Semitic backlash when U.S. wakes up Mondoweiss - Great piece by Jerry Slater on How bad can the Jewish Rightwing get ? in which he responds to the Tablet attack on critics of Israel and argues that rightwing Jewish complicity in the occupation and the Israel lobby poses a danger to the Jewish status in... Shalala is doubly humiliated Mondoweiss - A brilliant post by MJ Rosenberg at TPM does what Senator Sam Ervin or Woodward and Bernstein instructed my generation to do in our youth, but that no mainstream journalist is allowed to do when it comes to the Israel lobby, and follow the money . Rosenberg... Israeli ship 'fires at Lebanon' Palestine Note 7 Aug 2010 - Lebanese president vows to better equip army Washington - The United Nations has called for calm and restraint on the part of Lebanon and Israel, but both parties continue to bristle after Tuesday's cross-border skirmish that... Hamas lawmaker denies 'secret talks' with Israel Palestine Note 7 Aug 2010 - Washington - Despite London-based al-Sharq al-Aqsat's report Saturday that former Hamas minister Omar Abdul Raziq met with Israeli officials in Netanya, he has denied the report as "baseless." A child sports a headband favoring Hamas' militant... Israel/Palestine and Iran: Linkage Should be Hard Wired by Obama Team Palestine Note 7 Aug 2010 - First featured on The Washington Note Barack Obama is occasionally photographed carrying a weighty and important book around with him. One of those books -- which he seemed to carry around for nearly a year (it... BlackBerry ban: Saudi may reach agreement with PDA maker Palestine Note 7 Aug 2010 - Washington - Earlier this week that Saudi Arabia announced it be following the United Arab Emirates in a ban of BlackBerry smart phones for security reasons, but The Associated Press reported Saturday that negotiations between the... Campaign underway to save former Yale professor from Israeli jail Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington - Palestinian activist and former Yale professor Mazin Qumsiyeh is under threat of arrest for his participation in and support of nonviolent resistance in the West Bank, according to fellow activists. Qumsiyeh has been ordered... Ban okays final flotilla probe panel YNet News - WASHINGTON – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday announced the final composition of an inquiry commission to investigate the IDF raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla in ....... 1,000 rally in Sheikh Jarrah to mark one-year evictions anniversary Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – More than 1,000 protesters gathered in Sheikh Jarrah, joined by hundreds of others across Israel, to mark the one year anniversary of evictions of Palestinian families from the East Jerusalem neighborhood, Ynet News reported... Campaign underway to save Yale professor from Israeli jail Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington - Palestinian activists and former Yale professor Mazin Qumsiyeh is under threat of arrest for his participation in and support of nonviolent resistance in the West Bank, according to fellow Palestine activists. Qumsiyeh has been... Palestinian refugee kids visit math museum Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – Palestinian refugee children, part of the US-back Camp Discovery summer program, visited the Math Museum at Al-Quds University in East Jerusalem, Ma’an News Agency reported Wednesday. Palestinian children painting a mural at their summer... Algeria to fund Gaza's schoolchildren Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – Algerian parliamentarians will fund uniforms and textbooks for all Gaza’s children in government schools in the coming school year, Ma’an News Agency reported Friday. Kindergartners in the West Bank city of Hebron. [delayed gratification... PA official: Palestinians must hold on to Jerusalem Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmud Al-Habbash said during a press conference Friday that Jerusalem remains vital to any peaceful resolution with Israel, Ma’an News Agency reported . Despite the obstacles of roadchecks and... Ukraine arrests Israeli for organ trafficking Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – An Israeli man has been arrested in Ukraine for allegedly running a black market organ trafficking ring. A Ukrainian police squad. [WikiMedia] Haaretz reported Friday: The Israeli, whose name was not revealed, was arrested... Report: Settlers torch Palestinian land near Nablus Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israeli settlers torched tens of acres of Palestinian-owned farmland in the West Bank village of Beit Furik, southwest of Nablus, residents told Ma’an News Agency Friday. Ghassan Doughlas, a Palestinian Authority settlement affairs officer,... Clinton HHS secretary claims harassment at Israel airport Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – Former US Secretary of Health and Human Services has complained of abuse by officials at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport, citing her Arab last name as the cause, Ynet News reported Friday. Donna Shalala spent... Saudi King coaxes Abbas on direct talks with little effect Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – Saudi Arabia is now urging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to agree to direct talks with Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday. Saudi officials have also offered to “sweeten the deal” by offering financial... Report: No jail time likely in Mossad forgery case Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Washington – After Poland agreed yesterday to extradite to Germany suspected Mossad agent Uri Brodsky, who allegedly assisted Israeli agents in the assassination of Hamas leader Mahmoud Mabhouh in January, German media has released reports saying... Hamas militants applaud Sinai attackers Palestine Note 6 Aug 2010 - Despite denial of involvement, PA says Hamas OK'd attack Washington - Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' armed wing, released a statement Thursday night that further denied the Islamist movement's involvement in rocket attacks Monday on the Israeli resort... media conspiracy theory Mondoweiss - The Israel lobby is an expression of older Jews chiefly. Sidney Harman is as old as Methuselah, almost. His wife Jane Harman, a congresswoman who appears at AIPAC and works for Israel's interests, is 65. Forbes on Sidney Harman's purchase of Newsweek : “Jane Harman would like... Martha Stewart expands empire to Middle East Palestine Note 5 Aug 2010 - Washington – The American homemaker maestro Martha Stewart is expanding her magazine empire to the Middle East, the Muslim culture blog Elan reported last week. After first establishing a foothold in the United Kingdom, she plans... WATCH: Right-wing pro-Israel group attacks OH congresswoman Palestine Note 5 Aug 2010 - New York - The Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI), William Kristol's right-wing pro-Israeli front group, launched its second attack on a Democratic member of Congress Thursday, this time criticizing Ohio's Mary Jo Kilroy. A still image... PA holds alternative employment seminar for settlement workers Palestine Note 5 Aug 2010 - Washington - As part of the West Bank's effort to divest from settlement goods and employment, the Department of Legal Affairs in the General Federation of Trade Unions of Palestine organized a symposium Thursday aimed at... Israeli report: West Bank settlement freeze violated 500 times Palestine Note 5 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israeli watchdog group Peace Now has released Monday a report on the reality of the moratorium on the ground over the past months. Over 600 settlement projects have begun, with nearly 500 of those... Settlers lash out after evacuation, demolition in Hebron Palestine Note 5 Aug 2010 - Washington – Settlers lashed out at Israeli police and Hebron’s Palestinian residents after Israeli police evacuated them from their houses and tore down their outpost settlement, Ma’an News Agency reported Thursday. A home demolition in Nablus. [... Report: Israeli welfare shortchanges Arab children Palestine Note 5 Aug 2010 - Washington – A wide gap exists in the available funding and services for at-risk children between the Jewish and Palestinian Israeli communities, according to a new report, the Jerusalem Post said Thursday. A pair of Palestinian... Israeli Sephardim claim religious, political racism Palestine Note 7/28/2010 Washington – The 30% minority Sephardic population of Modi’in Illit, an Israeli settlement town in the West Bank, have accused the settlement’s political and religious leadership of blatant racism, giving favor instead to Ashkenazim, Ynet News reported Wednesday. "We feel degraded and outcast,” said one Sephardi girl. The largest obstacle to the minority Jewish community has come from Ashkenazi-dominated religious schools that deny or delay admission for Sephardic students, residents say. "I already gave up on getting my daughter into a seminary here," said one Sephardic father. "She underwent an intense investigation of her knowledge and her way of life, while her Ashkenazi friend was only asked who her relatives are and that was it." While the town is comprised of nearly a third Sephardic Jews, only five seminaries for Sephardim exist, yet there are some 30 seminaries dominated by Ashkenazi rabbis. Sephardi residents also complain that the Ashkenazi schools are all better funded, while the Sephardi religious students study in trailers, waiting for permanent buildings for more than 10 years now. Sephardic Jews trace their heritage back to the Iberian Peninsula, while Ashkenazim descend from central Europe. The term Mizrahi refers to Jews who trace their roots to the MENA region and the Caucasus; they have also accused Ashkenazi Jews of repeated discrimination against them. Worried Sephardi residents of Modi’in Illit have appealed to Deputy Education Minister Meir Porush, but they have received no assistance, they say. -- See also: YNet: Discrimination claimed in Modiin Illit haredi schoolsmore..e-mail Why is Obama moving to fund Israel's Iron Dome project? Uruknet August 4, 2010 - On 16 July 2010, US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro laid out the Obama Administration's policy on strategic cooperation between the US and Israel in a speech at the Brookings Institution's Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington. Shapiro, referring to the "rocket threats from Hizballah and Hamas" that represent... Report: Peace would grow Palestinian economy 20% Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington – The Palestinian economy could grow by nearly 20% if a peace deal were struck with Israel, according to PA President Mahmoud Abbas’ senior economic advisor, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. “If people see serious negotiations, we... The Palestinian hamburglar? Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington – A Palestinian man from Nazareth was detained Wednesday after being caught smuggling over 1,300 pounds of mutton into Israel, Ynet News reported . A young girl marvels at a butcher shop. [Credit: Anam Raheem] The... Former Knesset speaker to create new Arab-Jewish party Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington – A former MK is hoping to return to the Knesset this fall, running on the ticket of a newly formed joint Arab-Jewish Israeli party, the Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday. Former Knesset speaker Avraham Burg... Barak tells PM deportation of children 'not Jewish or humane' Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israel’s Defense Minister Ehud Barak has called on Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to reverse the decision to deport 400 children of undocumented foreign workers, Ynet news reported Wednesday. Demonstrators gathered in 2009 to protest... Israel cuts down tree at center of Lebanon border clash Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington – The tree over which Tuesday's deadly border clash between Israeli and Lebanese forces began has now been cut down, The Telegraph reported Wednesday. The trimming came from Israeli forces, a day after fire broke... Russia to oust Israeli security agents from airports Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israel has threatened to freeze all flights to and from Russia, following a decision by Russian authorities to bar Israeli security personnel from Russian airports starting later this month, Ma’an News Agency reported Wednesday.... Egypt blames Palestinians for Sinai rockets Palestine Note 4 Aug 2010 - Washington - Egypt pointed to "Palestinian factions" Wednesday for a series of rockets launched from Sinai Peninsula Monday that hit Aqaba, Jordan and Eilat, Israel, killing a Jordanian man. Exploded shell [Flyk3r - Flickr] AFP news... Night Beat: The great tank top debate Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington - Protesters hoping to lend their support to Palestinians in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah have been asked to leave their shorts and tank tops at home at the request of the more... Congress may pull Lebanon military aid Jeruslalem Post 4 Aug 2010 - Rep. Klein: Border shooting will "certainly come up in conversations." APN Calls on American Leadership to Urge for Peace WAFA - WASHINGTON, August 4, 2010 (WAFA)- “Without strong American leadership events like the fighting that broke out yesterday morning across the Israel-Lebanon border could spiral out of control,” Petition to Mahmoud Abbas: We reject compromise on Palestinian Rights Antoine Raffoul, Palestine Think Tank 8/4/2010 It was reported recently that the S Daniel Abraham Centre for Middle East Peace hosted the Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas for dinner in Washington DC, on June 9 2010. The head of this Centre is Robert Wexler, a former Florida Congressman and a staunch supporter of Israeli government policies. He was a leading defender of the 2008 Israeli invasion of Gaza and of the recent Israeli assault on the ’Free Gaza’ Flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza. In attendance at this dinner were some of the most powerful Jewish leaders in the United States who work feverishly for the Zionist Agenda which promotes and preserves Israel as a Jewish State thus condoning the illegal occupation of Historic Palestine. Guests at this dinner included the Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations; the Executive Director and the President of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC); the National Chairman of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); the CEO & Executive Vice President of UJA Federation (United Jewish Appeal); the President of the Israel Policy Forum; and other American Jewish community leaders and foreign policy scholars. Mahmoud Abbas, whose mandate as President of the PA expired in July 2009, was invited to answer unscripted questions ’on the record’ put to him by his hosts and their guests to which he responded ’on the record’ on behalf of all Palestinians: those who elected him and those who did not. Those who were killed by the Israeli military machine and those who await that fate. Whilst we support dialogue and debate between friend and foe, we reject compromise on Palestinian rights. Dialogue is a two-way street and not a dead end road at the end of which you are simply answering questions thrown at you as if in an interrogation zone.more..e-mail Why is Obama moving to fund Israel's Iron Dome project? Electronic Intifada: 4 Aug 2010 - On 16 July 2010, US Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro laid out the Obama Administration's policy on strategic cooperation, noting that earlier this year, President Obama "asked Congress to authorize $205 million to support the production of an Israeli-developed short range rocket defense system called Iron Dome." If approved, these funds would be "above and beyond the $3 billion in Foreign Military Financing that the Administration requested for Israel" for 2011. Jimmy Johnson comments for The Electronic Intifada.more Honduran Junta Murdering Journalists Uruknet August 2, 2010 - Orchestrated by Washington, it discussed the June 28, 2009 coup, Honduran soldiers arresting President Manuel Zelaya at gunpoint, exiling him to Costa Rica, obstructing his return, committing widespread killings and human rights abuses, conducting a sham November 2009 election under martial law, installing Porfirio (Pepe) Lobo Sosa president on January 27, 2010, the Obama administration's... UNESCO: Lack of Palestinian state jeopardizes heritage sites Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington – As UNESCO expands its list of prospective world heritage sites, the debate over Palestinian candidates continued during meetings this week, AFP News Agency reported Monday. "We are trying to promote discussions between Israel and... Jerusalem sends 43-year water bill to Church of the Holy Sepulchre Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington - In a reversal of a tradition centuries old, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre will now have to start paying for its water, the Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday. Thousands of tourists and religious pilgrims... Jail time postponed in 'rape by deception' case Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington – Israel’s High Court rules Tuesday to postpone an 18-month jail sentence for Sabbar Kashur, a Palestinian-Israeli man recently convicted of “rape by deception” after he had sex with a woman who thought he was... US urges 'maximum restraint' on Lebanon-Israel border Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington - US Department of State spokesman PJ Crowley said the US is "extremely concerned" about Israel-Lebanon border clash Tuesday morning, and said the United States calls on both parties to exercise "maximum restraint," Reuters' reported... Lebanon: PM's bloc calls for unity, defense chief says 'confront aggression' Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington – Following the outbreak of violence on the Lebanese border that killed three Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist, and a senior Israeli military officer, Lebanese political blocs had decried Israel and each other, but call... US organizations react to border clashes Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington - Israel peace advocacy organization Americans for Peace Now called on President Barack Obama to prevent further escalation between Israel and Lebanon - as well as Israel and Gaza - following clashes on the Israel-Lebanon... World reactions: Syria stands with Lebanon Palestine Note 3 Aug 2010 - Washington - Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad phoned Lebanese President Michel Suleiman to express Syria's support for Lebanon in the wake of deadly clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border Tuesday, Syrian state news agency SANA reported . Assad said... Taking our message to Congress Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - July 20 I had the chance with my other Israeli and Palestinian colleges from the New Story Leadership for the Middle East Program (NSL) to speak at a special Congressional forum, and I might have been... Barkat: J'lem settlement freeze 'racist, illegal' Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - Washington – Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat condemned recent UN requests to halt settlement construction in East Jerusalem as “racist” and “illegal,” the Jerusalem Post reported Monday. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and Israeli President Shimon Peres in... Turkish mayor calls for Israeli tourists to return Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - Washington – The mayor of one of Turkey’s largest resort towns, Antalya, criticized Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Monday, calling for greater tourism by Israelis and an end to diplomatic hostility between Israel and Turkey, Ynet... Facing outcry, Israeli army appoints 'humanitarian officers' Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - Washington - The Israeli military announced on Monday that it will assign officers tasked with protecting civilians during wartime. A Palestinian woman and Israeli soldier square off. [Perealbiac - Flickr] The Associated Press attributed the move... UAE, Saudi Arabia ban the BlackBerry Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - Washington – The United Arab Emirates has decided to ban BlackBerry email, text, and web browsing services starting in October, citing security concerns over the PDAs’ encryption capabilities, The Guardian reported Monday. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority... Muslim Brotherhood to boycott Jordan elections Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - Washington – The Islamic Action Front, the Muslim Brotherhood’s Jordanian branch, has voted to boycott general elections set for November, citing suspected election fraud, the Jerusalem Post reported Monday. “The decision was adopted by a large... PLO leader denies claim that US threatened PA Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - Washington - Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) official Hanan Ashrawi has denied saying that the US threatened to sever ties with the Palestinian Authority (PA) unless it began direct talks with Israel. Palestinian Legislative Council member Hanan... Medics say 42 injured in reported Gaza airstrike Palestine Note 2 Aug 2010 - Washington - A senior Hamas military leader's home was reportedly the target of an Israeli airstrike early Monday morning, which injured 42, according to medics. The home of Hamas military leader Alla Ad-Danaf was subject to... Israel to cooperate with UN probe into flotilla raid YNet News - WASHINGTON - The government is expected to cooperate with the Unites Nations' investigation into May's deadly Navy raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla, Prime Minister Benjamin ....... ‘New Republic’ writer lauds ADL’s stand against mosque Mondoweiss - Ben Birnbaum's twitter feed ; mosque is being "demagogued" on right and left, but ADL's " nuanced statement should be commended, not condemned." Here's Ben Birnbaum at New Republic , a long piece of Israel lobbyana, attacking Human Rights Watch as an enemy of Israel. Reliable narrator? UN calls for Israel to freeze J'lem settler construction Palestine Note 31 Jul 2010 - Washington - In a meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on Israel to extend its settlement construction freeze to East Jerusalem. The current building moratorium excludes areas Israel administratively deems... Report: US to cut ties unless PA resumes direct talks Palestine Note 31 Jul 2010 - Washington - Palestinian Legislative Council member Hanan Ashrawi said Saturday that the US has threatened to break its ties with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas unless he resumes direct negotiations with Israel. Abbas (right) with Obama (... Israel closes village to non-Palestinians Palestine Note 31 Jul 2010 - Washington - International medical volunteers were held back at an Iraq Burin checkpoint Saturday morning, as Israeli forces told them the area is now a "closed military zone," Ma'an News Agency reported . Checkpoint [Vadim Lavrusik -... ADL sides with Sarah Palin on NYC Muslim center Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - Washington - Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin came under fire last week when she beseeched the Cordoba Initiative and the wider Muslim community in the US to " refudiate " its decision to build... US Rep. Brian Baird: US on the side of injustice in Palestine Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - Washington – The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation held its ninth annual National Organizers’ Conference in Kansas City, Missouri last week. Keynote speaker US Representative Brian Baird (D–WA) spoke about his own experiences visiting... ADL takes Sarah Palin stance on NYC community center Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - Washington - Former Republican Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin came under fire last week when she beseeched the Cordoba Initiative and the wider Muslim community in the US to " refudiate " its decision to build an... US Rep Baird: US on the side of 'injustice' in Palestine Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - Washington – The US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation held its ninth annual National Organizers’ Conference in Kansas City, Missouri last week. Keynote speaker US Representative Brian Baird (D–WA) spoke about his own experiences visiting... Report: Palestinian-Israelis forced to build illegally Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - Washington – Palestinians are faced with so many obstacles from the Israeli government that they have no other choice but to build illegally, according to a new report, Haaretz reported Thursday. The study was conducted by... UK: Gaza blockade breeds radicalism Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - Washington - Outgoing UK ambassador to Israel Sir Tom Phillips shared insight into UK Prime Minister David Cameron's criticism of Israel in a conversation with The Jerusalem Post Friday. British PM David Cameron [World Economic Forum... Barak shares two-state vision Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - DM plans for peace despite disregard for PA conditions Washington - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak shared his vision for the two-state solution Friday, including his expectation of a delayed peace process and a plan disregarding... Israel under fire from UN on human rights Palestine Note 30 Jul 2010 - Washington - Experts on a UN panel called Friday for Israel to fall in line with internationally recognized norms for human civil rights, AFP news agency reported. Gaza children stand in the remains of a home... Desmond Tutu backs U.S food co-op boycott of Israeli products 7/30/2010 - International Solidarity Movement - Ha'aretz - South African Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu issues statement of support for boycott announced by food co-op in Rachel Corrie's hometown of Olympia, Washington South African Nobel laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu said on Wednesday that he supports the Olympia Food Co-op's boycott of Israeli products. Desmond Tutu (centre) with Abdallah Abu Rahmah of Bil'in.... Obama renews asset freeze of people undermining Lebanon YNet News - US president tells Congress, 'Continuing arms transfers to Hezbollah that.... The Real Aim of Israel’s Bomb Iran Campaign Gareth Porter, Information Clearing House 7/30/2010 Reuel Marc Gerecht’s screed justifying an Israeli bombing attack on Iran coincides with the opening of the new Israel lobby campaign marked by the introduction of House Resolution 1553 expressing full support for such an Israeli attack. What is important to understand about this campaign is that the aim of Gerecht and of the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu is to support an attack by Israel so that the United States can be drawn into direct, full-scale war with Iran. That has long been the Israeli strategy for Iran, because Israel cannot fight a war with Iran without full U.S. involvement. Israel needs to know that the United States will finish the war that Israel wants to start. Gerecht openly expresses the hope that any Iranian response to the Israeli attack would trigger full-scale U.S. war against Iran. "If Khamenei has a death-wish, he’ll let the Revolutionary Guards mine the strait, the entrance to the Persian Gulf," writes Gerecht. "It might be the only thing that would push President Obama to strike Iran militarily...." Gerecht suggest that the same logic would apply to any Iranian "terrorism against the United States after an Israeli strike," by which we really means any attack on a U.S. target in the Middle East. Gerecht writes that Obama might be "obliged" to threaten major retaliation "immediately after an Israeli surprise attack." That’s the key sentence in this very long Gerecht argument. Obama is not going to be "obliged" to join Israeli aggression against Iran unless he feels that domestic political pressures to do so are too strong to resist. That’s why the Israelis are determined to line up a strong majority in Congress and public opinion for war to foreclose Obama’s options.more..e-mail Palestinian architect has refugee style Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington – Architect Omar Yousef is building a new space for Palestinian voices in the conflict, making it clear to his Israeli audiences that no design question in Israel and the occupied territories is void of... Arab League green lights direct talks, with conditions Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Arab League committee overseeing Palestinian-Israeli negotiations has given a " green light " to direct talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Al-Jazeera English correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin reported from Cairo Thursday. Arab League... A bright future for West Bank graduates? Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington – As new ranks of West Bank Palestinians are receiving their university sheepskins, the next generation of college graduates are apparently approaching their job prospects with y an unlikely, cautious optimism. Haaretz’ Vikki Miller reported... Israeli far right to protest outside Islamic Movement's offices Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington – Rightists and settler activists have struck a compromise with Israel’s State Prosecutor, allowing them to protest outside the entrance to Umm Al-Fahm, a predominantly Palestinian town inside Israel and home to the Islamic Movement’s... 'PA imprisoning Gazans' with passport embargo Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Fatah-led Palestinian Authority has been waging a small and quiet administrative war on Hamas, denying many in Gaza valid Palestinian passports, Haaretz reported last week. Haaretz columnist Amira Hass uncovered the scandal: The... Israel speeding up WB wall following injunction Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Israeli Defense Ministry has "picked up the pace" on its construction of its West Bank separation barrier near Wallaja after the Israeli High Court issued a show cause order earlier this week, Haaretz... PA detains Israeli soldiers entering Nablus Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington – Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces detained several Israeli soldiers Thursday after they mistakenly drove into Nablus in Palestinian-controlled Area A of the West Bank. Ma’an News Agency reported : [The soldiers] were returned to Israeli-controlled... Netanyahu: Continuing freeze would topple government Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington – If Israel were to continue its freeze on settlement construction in the West Bank, it would bring down the government’s ruling coalition, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said Thursday. The prime minister’s comments came during... Arab League 'green lights' direct talks Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Committee says PA can determine 'when and how' Washington - The Arab League committee overseeing Palestinian-Israeli negotiations has given a "green light" to direct talks between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, Al-Jazeera English correspondent Ayman Mohyeldin... East Jerusalem: Settlers seize Palestinian home Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington – A group of Israeli settlers, escorted by a police presence, entered and took over a Palestinian home in East Jerusalem, sparking a familiar battle over legal rights in the Old City, AFP News Agency... Man convicted of 'rape by deception' makes appeal Palestine Note 29 Jul 2010 - Washington - A Palestinian man convicted of "rape by deception" after he posed as a Jewish man and had consensual sex with an Israeli woman is not petitioning the Israeli High Court to reduce his sentence.... Nobel-winner Desmond Tutu backs boycotts of Israel Palestine Note 28 Jul 2010 - Washington – Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and champion of the campaign against South African apartheid Archbishop Desmond Tutu issued a statement Wednesday in support of the recent decision American grocers to boycott Israeli products, Haaretz reported .... Netanyahu puts Israeli archives in vault for 20 more years Palestine Note 28 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has extended the time requirements for classified documents to remain in the vault, Haaretz reported Wednesday. The new regulations were approved by the prime minister two weeks ago, following... Israeli Sephardim claim religious, political racism Palestine Note 28 Jul 2010 - Washington – The 30% minority Sephardic population of Modi’in Illit, an Israeli settlement town in the West Bank, have accused the settlement's political and religious leadership of blatant racism, giving favor instead to Ashkenazim, Ynet News... Spanish FM promises Fayyad EU support for state-building Palestine Note 28 Jul 2010 - Washington – Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met with Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos in Ramallah Wednesday to discuss necessary steps towards building a viable Palestinian state and the European Union’s role therein, Palestinian... AIAC wants olim to vote in US Jeruslalem Post 28 Jul 2010 - 'Americans in Israel should vote in congressional race.' Mubarak, Peres to discuss settlement freeze in Cairo Palestine Note 27 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israeli President Shimon Peres will travel to Cairo next week to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who is expected to press Peres to extend the settlement freeze, Ynet News reported Tuesday. Shimon Peres... The profitable side of siege Palestine Note 27 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israel's siege of Gaza has been characterized by words like "humanitarian crisis" and "prison camp," but "profitable" usually is not among them. Gaza tunnel worker [Zoriah - Flickr] Israel imposed the siege on Gaza... Analysis: Israel's isolation increases over energy finds Palestine Note 27 Jul 2010 - Washington – A commercially viable oil field has been discovered in central Israel, Haaretz reported last week. The strike was made by Givat Olam Oil Ltd Company in its “Megev Five” drill near the town of... Hamas allows trade of Israeli cargo trucks Palestine Note 27 Jul 2010 - Washington – Hamas’ Transport Ministry in the Gaza Strip has approved the purchase of Israeli cargo trucks. Ma’an News agency reported Turesday: Director of the ministry's Vehicle Engineering Department Hassan Ukasha said the decision came after... B'Tselem is the test of Israel's democracy, says director Palestine Note 27 Jul 2010 - By Sarah Harlan Washington - Jessica Montell, the director of Israeli human rights group B'Tselem spoke at the New America Foundation in Washington on Monday about the impact of settlements on the West Bank, the implications... Netanyahu, Abdullah II talk peace in Amman Palestine Note 27 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu traveled Tuesday to Amman to meet with Jordan's King Abdullah II and discussed paths to regional peace, Ynet News reported . "The two leaders discussed the need to hold direct,... Report: Turkey wants to stop Lebanese flotilla Palestine Note 27 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli officials were quoted in Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth Tuesday that Turkey is working to keep a Lebanese aid convoy from attempting it sail to Gaza. The MV Rachel Corrie (above) was one of... Hoo-ha: Conservative British P.M. calls Gaza a ‘prison camp’ Mondoweiss - The left is driving the discourse, and the mainstream is being forced to contend with our ideas about the conflict. The circle of official agreement on conventional wisdom grows narrower and narrower. Howard Kohr of AIPAC explained this process a year back at AIPAC in his... Barak: 'If Hezbollah bombs Israel, we will attack all the Lebanese state' Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington – If Hezbollah attacks Israel, the Israeli military will retaliate against “any target that belongs to the Lebanese state,” Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said during a Washington Post interview Friday. Israeli DM Ehud Barak... Where the hell is Matt? ...In Gaza Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington – Matt Harding, the YouTube sensation infamous for his bad dancing all around the world, has turned up in Gaza with the UN Relief and Works Agency, Ma’an News Agency reported Monday. Matt Harding, the... Turkey trumps Israel in heavily guarded volleyball match Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israel lost 3-0 to host country Turkey in the bronze medal competition of the Euroleague women’s volleyball championship, Haaretz reported Monday. The real battle was happening off the court, however, as over 2,000 riot... Israeli court questions separation wall's legality Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israel’s High Court of Justice issued Sunday a show cause order requiring the state to justify its plan to continue building its separation barrier through the Palestinian village of Wallaja, the Jerusalem Post reported... Roger Cohen: Flotilla raid victim Furkan Dogan unfairly forgotten Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington – Americans seem to have forgotten about Furkan Dogan, the young American-born Turk shot and killed by Israeli commandos during the May 31 Gaza flotilla raid, says New York Times reporter Roger Cohen. The NYT... Israeli report confirming Goldstone findings 'supressed' Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington - Journalist Max Blumenthal reported Monday that an Israeli military brief submitted to the United Nations earlier this month "regarding Israel’s conduct during Operation Cast Lead confirms the key findings of the Goldstone Report." The... Report: Israel stymies US training of PA security forces Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington – According to a report issued by a US government watchdog group, the Israeli government has repeatedly stymied US efforts to train Palestinian security forces over the past years, Haaretz reported Monday. "The implementation of... Israel razes settler structures, 'price tag' reprisals ensue Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Israeli Civil Administration demolished illegal structures at the Givan Ronen settlement in the Nablus area Monday, razing two caravans and a goat pen. The demolitions prompted the affected settlers to riot and descend... Netanyahu: Palestinians evading direct talks Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has accused Palestinian leadership of attempting to "evade" the Israeli invitation to face-to-face negotiations, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Monday. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu [Downing Street - Flickr] Netanyahu's comments came... Israeli airstrike targets Rafah tunnels Palestine Note 26 Jul 2010 - Surrounding structure damaged, no injuries reported Washington - Israeli warplanes struck smuggling tunnels running beneath Gaza's border with Egypt overnight, AFP news agency reported Monday. No injuries have been reported. According to Gaza security forces, three... Iran and keeping military edge top Barak’s US agenda Jeruslalem Post 27 Jul 2010 - Washington visit comes as US considers further missile defense funding for Israel. Barak: 'If Hizbullah attacks, we will hit Lebanon' Jeruslalem Post 26 Jul 2010 - Defense Minister tells 'Washington Post' that if rocket attacks resume, Israel will strike the Lebanese government. Barak: If Hezbollah attacks, we'll strike Lebanese gov't YNet News - Defense minister tells Washington Post if Shiite terror group strikes Tel Aviv.... Why are equal rights dangerous? In today’s Israel, advocating equal rights for all can prove fatal Ahmad Tibi, Al-Ahram, Axis of Logic 7/18/2010 In the 11 years that I have served in Israel’s Knesset I have received numerous death threats. Pulsa Denura (the term for a rabbinical death curse) has evidently taken exception to my consistent call for equal rights for Israel’s Palestinian minority. Recently I received a letter -- the second in as many days -- that warned: "You have 180 days to live. Your death will be sudden and cruel, accompanied by great pain... " Last month, I was forcibly removed by armed guards from the Knesset podium. In recent days, colleagues have faced violent and vulgar rhetoric and one was very nearly physically attacked by fellow Knesset members. Much, but not all of this fury, is a consequence of daring to speak out on behalf of Palestinians in the biggest prison in the world, Gaza, a land cruelly and illegally deprived of essential goods. Yet American elected officials seem far more concerned with specious claims against humanitarian aid workers who were violently attacked and abducted by Israel in international waters. A young American citizen was killed execution-style aboard the lead ship, with one bullet to the chest and four, at close range, to the head. The next day, another young American, Emily Henochowicz, a college student at New York’s prestigious Cooper Union, had her eye shot out by an Israeli-fired tear gas canister as she peacefully protested against the flotilla raid. Days later, a Palestinian man married to an American woman was executed after what appears to have been a traffic accident at an Israeli checkpoint. American officials have not demanded accountability for these acts of violence. Instead, too many are busy responding to AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee), which has released a list of members of Congress parroting the group’s talking points. They speak of Israel’s right to "defend itself" from humanitarian workers brutally murdered in international waters by the equivalent of modern-day pirates. It seems that only in the US Congress is this perverted Israeli rationale accepted as reality. -- See also: Source: Al-Ahrammore..e-mail Ehud Barak threatens Lebanon with ‘Dahiya doctrine’ in case of new war Mondoweiss - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak threatened Lebanon with the implementation of the “Dahiya doctrine” in the case of another war between Israel and Hezbollah in an interview with the Washington Post . Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in a war of words as of late over a... Oliver Stone: Jewish Lobby has distorted United States foreign policy for years MyCatBirdSeat.com: 26 Jul 2010 - Stone said that Israel had distorted “United States foreign policy for years,” adding he felt U.S. policy toward Iran was “horrible.” Oliver Stone - Film director and screenwriter America-hijacked.com O utspoken Hollywood director says new film aims to put Adolf Hitler, who he has called an ‘easy scapegoat’ in the past, in his due historical context. Jewish control of the media is preventing an open discussion of the Holocaust, prominent Hollywood director Oliver Stone told the Sunday Times, adding that the U.S. Jewish lobby was controlling Washington’s foreign policy for years. In the Sunday interview, Stone reportedly said U.S. public opinion was focused on the Holocaust as a result of the “Jewish domination of the media,” adding that an upcoming film of him aims to put Adolf Hitler and Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin “in context.” “There’s a major lobby in the United States,” Stone said, adding that “they are hard...more Abbas says resisting 'world pressure' to start direct talks Palestine Note 25 Jul 2010 - New York - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday he was resisting pressure from the "entire world" to enter direct negotiations with Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the Brookings Institution in Washington in... Israel Rejects UN Plan to Probe Flotilla Raid WAFA - WASHINGTON, July 25, 2010 (WAFA)- Israel has rejected a decision by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate the Israeli raid on a Gaza aid flotilla two months ago. Commandos VIDEO - Israel: Strategic Asset or Liability? Pulse 7/25/2010 The following is a transcript of Ambassador Chas Freeman, Jr.‘s remarks, which begin around 17:00 in the video. Is Israel a strategic asset or liability for the United States? Interesting question. In my view, there are many reasons for Americans to wish the Jewish state well. Under current circumstances, strategic advantage for the United States is not one of them. If we were to reverse the question, however, and to ask whether the United States is a strategic asset or liability for Israel, there would be no doubt about the answer. American taxpayers fund between 20 and 25 percent of Israel’s defense budget (depending on how you calculate this). Twenty-six percent of the $3 billion in military aid we grant to the Jewish state each year is spent in Israel on Israeli defense products. Uniquely, Israeli companies are treated like American companies for purposes of U.S. defense procurement. Thanks to congressional earmarks, we also often pay half the costs of special Israeli research and development projects, even when — as in the case of defense against very short-range unguided missiles — the technology being developed is essentially irrelevant to our own military requirements. In short, in many ways, American taxpayers fund jobs in Israel’s military industries that could have gone to our own workers and companies. Meanwhile, Israel gets pretty much whatever it wants in terms of our top-of-the-line weapons systems, and we pick up the tab. Identifiable U.S. government subsidies to Israel total over $140 billion since 1949. This makes Israel by far the largest recipient of American giveaways since World War II. The total would be much higher if aid to Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and support for Palestinians in refugee camps and the occupied territories were included. These programs have complex purposes but are justified in large measure in terms of their contribution to the security of the Jewish state.more..e-mail Turkey police clash with protestors at Israeli team match Palestine Note 24 Jul 2010 - Washington - Haaretz newspaper is reporting that dozens of Turkish protesters scuffled with police near the venue where Israel is playing Serbia in a volleyball tournament in the Turkish city of Ankara on Saturday. According to... Turkish hackers attack Israeli websites Palestine Note 24 Jul 2010 - Washington -- Arab Crunch is reporting that Turkish hackers have waged a cyber attack against thousands of Israeli websites following the Israeli attack on the flotilla aid shop which left nine Turkish citizens dead. According to... Soldiers arrest 2 in Nablus at 'flying checkpoint' Palestine Note 24 Jul 2010 - Washington - Two residents of Iraq Burin in the Nablus governorate were arrested Saturday morning at a " flying checkpoint " outside the village, said a report made available to Palestine Note from An-Najah University's UNESCO... UN aid decision 'unacceptable,' Hamas Palestine Note 24 Jul 2010 - Gaza government blasts 'aid overland' declaration Washington - Hamas blasted the UN call Friday for aid to Gaza to be delivered overland, AFP news agency reported Saturday: "The UN call to international organisations to use the... Hamas congratulates UN flotilla probe Palestine Note 24 Jul 2010 - Washington - Following the United Nations Human Rights Council decision to appoint a team to investigate the circumstances surrounding the May 31 flotilla raid, Hamas congratulated the move and called for Israel to "honor the decisions... Who’s aiding Judaisation? Nicola Nasser, Media Monitors Network 7/22/2010 Since 1860, when the American Jewish tycoon Judah Touro donated $60,000 -- a fortune for that time -- towards the construction of the first Jewish settlement outside the old walls of Jerusalem, public and private American funds have aided the creation and territorial expansion of Israel. Israel today is the foremost recipient of US aid. According to a USAID green paper, between 1946 and 2008 Israel has received more aid than Russia, India, Egypt and Iraq. In fact, the US has poured more money into Israel than it did into the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. However, a recent New York Times article adds a new dimension to the story. On 5 July, the Times reported that, over the last decade more than 40 American groups have collected more than $200 million in tax-deductible gifts for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, indicating that the US Treasury is effectively aiding and abetting illegal settlement expansion and the Judaisation of Jerusalem. While the New York Times honed in on the irony of how a US government organ was facilitating the funnelling of private funds into activities and goals that ran counter to official US policy, and as significant as this is, the article failed to mention that the amount of private tax-exempt "donations" pales in comparison to the public funds that Washington has steadily poured into the Zionist project. For example, the US federal budget for 2011 has earmarked $3 billion in aid for Israel, or 42 per cent of the total amount of aid to be allocated to the so-called Near East for that year. It is also interesting to observe that the policies of USAID, an instrument that the State Department uses to pursue the US’s objectives overseas, also conflict with Washington’s official stances. USAID programmes for the Palestinians effectively exclude East Jerusalem. Its green papers and other official reports and statements make frequent mention of "the West Bank and Gaza" as headings for its activities, but rare are references to East Jerusalem. It is as though, for USAID, East Jerusalem is not an indivisible part of the occupied territories, in spite of Washington’s official acknowledgement that it is....more..e-mail Bill Kristol’s ‘Emergency Committee?’ Give me a break MyCatBirdSeat.com: 24 Jul 2010 - By Stephen M. Walt – Foreign Policy Via Ben Smith at Politico , we learn that the usual suspects have started yet another organization whose objective is to promote a hard-right, Likudnik agenda in the Middle East. The new group apparently intends to go after anyone who thinks U.S. Middle East policy has been less than totally successful in recent years, and who is willing to think for themselves (and U.S. interests), instead of reflexively echoing the positions favored by AIPAC and other groups in the “status quo” lobby. To be more specific, Smith reports that hardline neoconservatives such as William Kristol, Michael Goldfarb, Noah Pollak, and Rachel Abrams have joined forces (again) with rightwing Christian evangelical Gary Bauer to establish a new group: the “Emergency Committee for Israel.” The group says it is going to target candidates in key Senate and Congressional races, along with the Obama administration. It is...more Israel Hiding Behind The “Iranian Threat” MyCatBirdSeat.com: 24 Jul 2010 - By Steven Zhou — “ The Canadian Charger “ W ith the recent formation of The Emergency Committee for Israel, the neoconservative and Likudnik characters on the American right have stepped up their anti-Iranian lobbying efforts. Among other things, they have again brought up how a nuclear Iran would pose an “imminent threat” that would tear the region apart. This renewed exaggeration of an Iranian threat to Israel comes at a time when Israel is clearly being shown to be a strategic liability to the U.S., a fact the Israel Lobby has so far concealed with great success. Israel’s obsession with Iran, though, is two-sided. While some perceive a nuclear Iran to be a major existential threat, others on Israel’s far right cite pragmatic, if not cynical, reasons for this rancid rhetoric. The government of Benjamin Netanyahu is undoubtedly using the threat of Iran to create a climate of fear...more UN: Gaza aid must go overland Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - DM Barak warns Lebanon to stop ships Washington - The United Nations announced Friday that aid bound for Gaza must be delivered overland, news agencies reported. The decision was reportedly prompted by Israeli promises to stop... Tel Aviv exhibit paints Israel's fascist future Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington – In a new art exhibit in Tel Aviv, viewers become witness to a future Israel where right-wing religious extremists have ousted opponents and democracy. Creator Even Kama says the world he depicts is not... Fatah leader Dahlan: Indirect talks have been a 'big zero' Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington – Indirect talks between Israeli and Palestinian leadership have added up to a “big zero,” according to Fatah Central Committee member Mohammad Dahlan, Ma’an News Agency reported Friday. US Middle East envoy George Mitchell (left)... Israelis protest ultra-Orthodox 'draft-dodgers' Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington – Demonstrators gathered outside Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s Tel Aviv home on Friday to protest what they call discriminatory exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service. Ynet News reported : The protest marks a decade... Gaza children set ball-bouncing world record Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington – With 6,000 basketballs and 250,000 Gazan summer campers, the UN Relief and Works Agency has set another world record, this time for most balls simultaneously bounced, Ma’an News Agency reported Friday. [Illustration: Courtesy UNRWA]... Report: Soldiers guard settlers as they torch olive grove Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington - Witnesses reported to Ma'an News Agency Friday that Israeli soldiers guarded settlers as they set fire to a grove of olive trees in the Saffa village near Ramallah Thursday. Olive tree [Hoyas meg -... Israeli army investigator: Flotilla was 'preventable' Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israeli Maj-Gen Giora Eiland said in an interview Friday with Reshet Bet radio that May 31 flotilla raid was preventable, the Jerusalem Post reported . "Three months before the flotilla there were many courses of... UN names team to probe flotilla raid Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington – The UN Council on Human Rights has appointed a team to investigate the May 31 flotilla raid, Ynet News reported Friday. The Mavi Marmara, the largest of six ships boarded by Israeli troops on... Clashes break out at illegal outpost in Hebron Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington - "Dozens of settlers" have installed themselves at a new illegal outpost in the Al-Buweirah neighborhood in Hebron, which has resulted in clashes between the military and Hebron residents, Ma'an News Agency reported Friday. Israeli... Israel to return seized Turkish ships Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli officials said Friday that three Turkish ships seized by Israel during the May 31 raid of a convoy of aid ships bound for Gaza will be returned to Turkey, Reuters reported . The Mavi... Greece wants role in MidEast peace Palestine Note 23 Jul 2010 - Visiting PM offers country as mediator for Israel, calls to end occupation Washington - Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou told Israeli newspaper Haaretz Friday that Greece could aid Israel in mediating conflicts between the Jewish state... Iron Dome success excites, but army balks at the bill Ha'aretz - The U.S. Congress passed Obama's initiative to provide Israel with a $205 million grant to procure Iron Dome batteries, but defense experts say more funding is needed. Ex-soldiers fight for peace on the stage Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington – Ex-military from both Israeli and Palestinian forces are bringing their fight to a new theatre, the kind with a spotlight and stage, The Guardian reported Thursday. The Combatants for Peace , formed in 2005, is... Saudi plan grows Ramallah, Gaza revives IT sector Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington – A new $400 million Saudi-backed plan hopes to transform Ramallah, and its sister city Al-Bireh, into the economic hub of the West Bank, Bloomberg News reported Thursday. The Dunia Trade Center under construction in... Daniel Seidemann to PN: Israel's legitimacy depends on sharing Jerusalem Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington – Can Jerusalem be shared by Israelis and Palestinians? Among Israelis, there is perhaps no more tireless an advocate for this view than lawyer and activist Daniel Seidemann . Seidemann was born in the United States,... Palestinians breach Egypt's underground Gaza border wall Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington – Tunnel smugglers have cut hundreds of holes in the underground steel barrier Egypt is building on its border with Gaza, the Associated Press reported Thursday. "It's a big failure,” said one Egyptian official of... New documentary shows Gaza is 'still alive' Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - By William McKeithen Washington – In the new documentary “Aisheen: Still Alive in Gaza,” the film lives up to its names, showing vignettes of daily existence in Gaza through a lens unblurred by politics. The film... Bil'in protest leader sentenced Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington - After first going to trial in 2005, Palestinian activist Abdallah Abu Rahmah was sentenced by an Israeli court on Wednesday "two months of imprisonment and a six months suspended sentence for participating and organizing... Disco group Boney M asked to cut song at WB festival Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington – The iconic 1970s disco group Boney M performed this week at an international music festival in Ramallah, but were asked to refrain from singing their hit “Rivers of Babylon,” the Associated Press reported Thursday.... Gazan women taking larger economic role Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington – Facing an economy of rampant unemployment and desperation, Gaza women are becoming the breadwinners for many families and working in fields previously off limits, Ma’an News Agency reported Thursday. “My children need to go... Israel asks int'l community to stop Lebanon flotilla Palestine Note 22 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Israeli Foreign Ministry set out on a diplomatic campaign to stop an aid flotilla from Lebanon from sailing to Gaza, Haaretz reported Thursday. The MV Rachel Corrie, part of the May 31 "Freedom... Iron Dome success excites, but army balks at the bill Ha'aretz 23 Jul 2010 - The U.S. Congress passed Obama's initiative to provide Israel with a $205 million grant to procure Iron Dome batteries, but defense experts say more funding is needed. Chomsky and Palestine: Asset or Liability? Jeff Blankfort, Pulse 7/21/2010 From In a recent interview renowned linguist Noam Chomsky called the BDS campaign ‘hypocritical’. Jeffrey Blankfort, who is the author of an earlier important critique of Chomsky’s position on Palestine, responds: When Noam Chomsky was stopped at Jordan’s Allenby Bridge and prevented from entering the Palestinian West Bank by Israeli occupation forces in May, the widespread condemnation of that action extended even into the mainstream media which in the past has paid little attention to his comings and goings and even less to what he has had to say. Chomsky, who has visited Israel on a number of occasions and lived on a kibbutz in the 50s, had been invited to give a lecture at Bir Zeit University near Ramallah and had also arranged to meet with Salam Fayyad, the unelected prime minister of the Palestine Authority and a favorite of both Washington and Israel and, it would appear, of Chomsky. The negative publicity arising from the incident caused the Israeli government to reverse its position, blaming its refusal to admit Chomsky on an administrative error. Chomsky was not mollified and decided to forego the trip to the West Bank and present his talk to the Bir Zeit students by video from Amman. When interviewed by phone the following day from New York by Democracy Now! on which he is a familiar presence, Chomsky noted that “I was going to meet with the Prime Minister. Unfortunately, I couldn’t. But his office called me here in Amman this morning, and we had a long discussion. He is pursuing policies, which, in my view, are quite sensible, policies of essentially developing facts on the ground. It’s almost – I think it’s probably a conscious imitation of the early Zionist policies, establishing facts on the ground and hoping that the political forms that follow will be determined by them. And the policies sound to me like sensible and sound ones.”more..e-mail Israel 'taking steps' to reduce civilian casualties in future wars Ha'aretz - An Israeli report submitted to the UN also says Israel has launched 47 criminal investigations into alleged misconduct by soldiers in the Gaza war., The U.S. Congress passed Obama's initiative to provide Israel with a $205 million grant to procure Iron Dome batteries, but defense experts say more funding is needed. Rachel Corrie's hometown divests from Israel Uruknet July 20, 2010 - The Olympia, Washington Food Co-op board of directors met last week to make the final decision to endorse the boycott. "A couple of board members were concerned about what will be the financial effect on the organization, but it’s minimal," board member Rob Richards told Haaretz. "For me personally there is a moral imperative that... Hebrew-speaking children of foreign workers can stay in Israel Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington – Children of foreign workers will be allowed to remain in Israel, but only if they speak Hebrew, Ynet News reported Wednesday. Demonstrators gathered in 2009 to protest against the expulsion of undocumented immigrants, as... Settler goods boycott sets deadline Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Economy announced a July 31 deadline for the shops to clear their shelves of settlement-made goods, Ma'an News Agency reported Wednesday. Goods produced on Israeli settlements, like these candy... River Jordan baptism site too polluted for patrons, environmentalists Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington - Environmentalists are urging the Israeli government to close a baptism site along the lower River Jordan "until water quality standards for tourists and pilgrims bathing at the holy site were met," German news agency... Israeli military razes WB village, declaring it military zone Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli military has razed a West Bank village, marking it a military live-fire zone, Haaretz reported Wednesday. Columnist Amira Hass tells the story : The IDF's Civil Administration destroyed a Palestinian village Monday morning... WATCH: Independent journalism and the peace process Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington - GRITtv's Laura Flanders interviewed Tuesday journalists Antony Loewenstein and Ali Abunimah about their observations on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and how independent media plays a role in reporting on the Middle East. Israeli warships trail... Hamas: Israeli spies aboard aid ships to Gaza Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington – Hamas’ Interior Ministry has accused Israel of putting Mossad spies on humanitarian aid convoys to the Strip. The Rachel Corrie sailed to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip in early June, but was stopped... Gaza economy seeing limited recovery Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israel will transfer NIS 100 million to Gaza banks, which are suffering a cash shortage following an economic upswing in response to an eased Gaza blockade, Ynet News reported Wednesday. A modern glass factory... Abbas demands US assurances before direct talks Palestine Note 21 Jul 2010 - Washington - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said he will not reenter direct negotiation with Israel unless he receives more concrete assurances from the US with regard to the borders of the future Palestinian state. President... Israel 'taking steps' to reduce civilian casualties in future wars Ha'aretz 21 Jul 2010 - An Israeli report submitted to the UN also says Israel has launched 47 criminal investigations into alleged misconduct by soldiers in the Gaza war., The U.S. Congress passed Obama's initiative to provide Israel with a $205 million grant to procure Iron Dome batteries, but defense experts say more funding is needed. The Freedom Charter or the second Nakba? Intifada-Palestine: 21 Jul 2010 - By Ken O’Keefe – Intifada Palestine With humility, and the utmost respect to all my Palestinian brothers and sisters and to all people of conscience, I present the Freedom Charter, amended for Palestine. (London) Imagine this, imagine that Nelson Mandela and the African National Congress negotiated a deal with the South African Apartheid regime and settled for a “two-state solution.” Imagine Mandela negotiating with the Apartheid regime a land deal in which less than 15% of current day South Africa went to the black South Africans, the remaining 85% to the inherently racist Apartheid government and its people. With that in mind, I ask, is there any real difference between that scenario and the idea of a “two-state solution” today? I am happy to know that ever-increasing numbers of people inside and outside of Palestine see what I see, the so-called two-state solution is in truth the two-state disaster, the...more Erdogan advisor: 'It's up to Israel to make this right' Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Ibrahim Kalin talks to Palestine Note By Sarah Harlan Washington - Israel's deadly May 31 commando raid on a flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza set off indignation the world over, and it was felt... Israel lifts travel ban on Turkey Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli Counter-Terrorism Bureau has lifted a ban on travel to Turkey, Ynet News reported Tuesday. A beach in Alanya, Turkey. The white sands of Turkey's coast had long been a major tourism destination... PA official accuses Ramallah of 'neglecting' Jerusalem Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Palestinian Authority’s chief of Jerusalem Affairs has condemned his Ramallah-based leadership for “serious negligence” of Palestinians in the holy city. The PA government, led by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, failed in piecing together... Mubarak's health under scrutiny Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Washington - The health of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been under discussion for some time, but it has become the subject of intensified scrutiny more recently as he postponed several meetings last week. Mubarak reportedly... Israeli army chief: 'Ready for all possibilities' in war with Lebanon Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli military is prepared to engage in offensives against Hezbollah in Lebanon, including bombing weapons caches, army chief Gabi Ashkenazi told Israeli army radio on Tuesday, Naharnet News reported . "Hezbollah is consolidating its... Al-Qaeda calls Arab leaders 'Zionists' Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Washington - Al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri attacked Arab governments in his first recording released since December this week, calling them "Zionists" aiding Israel, AFP news agency reported Monday. Zawahiri (left, in younger days) and Bin Laden (... Israeli PM denies giving Egypt map of Palestine state Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Washington - The office of Israel's prime minister denied Tuesday that PM Benjamin Netanyahu had presented Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak with a "a map delineating the borders of a future Palestinian state during their meeting in... Rachel Corrie's hometown divests from Israel Palestine Note 20 Jul 2010 - Washington – A food co-op in the hometown of Rachel Corrie, the American activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003 and namesake of a Gaza aid ship earlier this year, has launched a divestment campaign... Olympia Food Co-op Removes Israeli Goods From Shelves; First US Store to Institute Boycott Palestine Monitor - The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors has decided to boycott Israeli goods at their two locations in Olympia, Washington. At a July 15th meeting packed with Co-op members, the Board reached this consensus. The Co-op becomes the first US grocery store to publicly join the... Olympia Food Co-op Removes Israeli Goods From Shelves; First US Store to Institute Boycott Palestine Monitor: 20 Jul 2010 - The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors has decided to boycott Israeli goods at their two locations in Olympia, Washington. At a July 15th meeting packed with Co-op members, the Board reached this consensus. The Co-op becomes the first US grocery store to publicly join the international grassroots movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) on Israel for its human rights abuses. Co-op board member Rob Richards explained, “ My hope is that by being the first in the US to adopt the boycott we act as a catalyst for other co-ops to join in. Each additional organisational entity that joins may have a very small effect on the big picture, but drop by drop fills the tub.” Noah Sochet, a Co-op member and OlympiaBDS organiser adds, “ As a US citizen and as a Jew, I'm proud to say that my Co-op no longer underwrites the suffering in Palestine.”...more Obama's Costly Appeasement of Israelis Palestine Chronicle: 20 Jul 2010 - By George S. Hishmeh –Washington, D.C. It was a session replete with superlatives when the assistant secretary of state for political and military affairs, Andrew J. Shapiro, spelled out in unprecedented detail the Obama administration’s approach to U.S.-Israel security cooperation, reassuring the Israelis of “preserving (their country’s) qualitative military edge.” The crowded event, held at the Brookings Saban Center founded by a wealthy Egyptian-Jew, seemed to serve as an obvious attempt by the administration to reassure Israelis that President Barack Obama, whose popularity in Israel is very low (about 10 percent), means well in his lethargic bid to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Shapiro, a onetime a senior research assistant at the pro-Israeli think-tank, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, and for eight years a former foreign and defense adviser to Hillary Clinton before she was named secretary of state, reminded his audience of her “deep sense of pride in...more Report: Mubarek terminally ill Uruknet July 19, 2010 - European and US intelligence agencies believe Egyptian President Hosni Mubarek is terminally ill, The Washington Times reported Monday. An unnamed source from a Central European intelligence service told the newspaper that his agency believes Mubarek will be dead within a year. A senior US security official said "We know he is dying." Egypt is an... Netanyahu makes u-turn, blocks loyalty oath vote Palestine Note 19 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu has postponed the Knesset vote on a proposed bill requiring prospective citizens to swear a loyalty to a “Jewish democratic state,” Haaretz reported Monday. Deputy PM and Cabinet minister... Jaffa residents protest 'Jews-only' housing complex Palestine Note 19 Jul 2010 - Washington – Palestinian-Israeli residents of Jaffa’s Ajami neighborhood gathered Sunday to protest a new housing plan meant exclusively for "Zionist Jews," the Jerusalem Post reported . The protests come two days before the Israeli High Court will... Israel says Palestinians behind June roadside shooting captured Palestine Note 19 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israel's Shin Bet security agency says it has apprehended the shooters, allegedly part of a “Hamas cell,” behind the June 14 killing of an Israeli police officer in the occupied West Bank city of... Report: Israeli soldiers, officers interrogated for Cast Lead crimes Palestine Note 19 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli army’s internal police have interrogated more than 550 officers and soldiers concerning actions taken during the 2008-2009 “Cast Last” offensive against Gaza, columnist Max Blumenthal reported Monday. A Gaza mosque destroyed during... Report: Army may allow Israeli visits to West Bank Area A Palestine Note 19 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli army may permit Jewish Israelis to visit Area A in the West Bank, Haaretz reported Monday. An Israeli checkpoint on the outskirts of Jericho. The city itself falls within Area A, giving... MIDEAST: Israel's Next War Could Be Lebanon: Analyst IPS While speculation over a possible Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities intensifies, at least one influential analyst here is calling on Washington to focus more on the likelihood of a new war breaking out between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and how to prevent or contain it. Olympia Food Co-op Removes Israeli Goods from Shelves WAFA - OLYMPIA, WA, July 19, 2010 (WAFA)- The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors has decided to boycott Israeli goods at their two locations in Olympia, Washington. At a July 15th meeting packed No Help from Washington Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jul 2010 - By Nicola Nasser Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials in the government of Mohamed Abbas often complain they spend more time negotiating with American rather than Israeli governments. This has been particularly true of late. Since Israel's all-out assault on Gaza nearly a year and half ago, Palestinian officials have discontinued all direct talks with the Israelis and have been talking to the Americans. US presidential envoy George Mitchell has been closely engaged in the region since May 2010, but his efforts have not proved fruitful. The Palestinians have had no more luck with the Americans than with the Israelis. They have been consistently asked to accept US-Israeli peace terms that spell disaster and capitulation. Apart from exhausting the Palestinians, and making them edge closer to further concessions, nothing of substance has emerged from talks with either the Americans or the Israelis. The Americans have sold the Palestinians false hopes, giving...more Olympia Food Co-op removes Israeli products from shelves Mondoweiss - From an Olympia BDS press release : The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors has decided to boycott Israeli goods at their two locations in Olympia, Washington. At a July 15th meeting packed with Co-op members, the Board reached this consensus. The Co-op becomes the first US... U.S. To Grant Israel 2.775 Billion In Security Aid Uruknet July 17, 2010 - U.S.. Assistant Secretary of State, Andrew Shapiro, stated Friday that the Washington intend to grant Israel the amount of 2.775 Billion U.S.. Dollars in what was described as the largest military-security aid to Israel. He said that the money is considered a special military-security aid to Israel in order to ensure "its security needs are... No Help from Washington Palestine Chronicle: 18 Jul 2010 - By Nicola Nasser Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) officials in the government of Mohamed Abbas often complain they spend more time negotiating with American rather than Israeli governments. This has been particularly true of late. Since Israel's all-out assault on Gaza nearly a year and half ago, Palestinian officials have discontinued all direct talks with the Israelis and have been talking to the Americans. US presidential envoy George Mitchell has been closely engaged in the region since May 2010, but his efforts have not proved fruitful. The Palestinians have had no more luck with the Americans than with the Israelis. They have been consistently asked to accept US-Israeli peace terms that spell disaster and capitulation. Apart from exhausting the Palestinians, and making them edge closer to further concessions, nothing of substance has emerged from talks with either the Americans or the Israelis. The Americans have sold the Palestinians false hopes, giving......more Fisk: Obama ‘grovelling’ to Israel lobby for midterms Mondoweiss - The Obama-Bibi performance is bringing catcalls from Europe. In the Independent , Robert Fisk condemns "the unctuous, weak-willed, cringing figure of Barack 'Change' Obama" for rolling over and talking about how the brave Netanyahu, whose government has just destroyed some more Arab homes in East Jerusalem, is... Israeli military ’significantly expanded’ under Obama 7/17/2010 - US Official: "Dynamics of...demography" threaten Israel - Ma'an - Israeli-US security relations are "broader, deeper and more intense than ever before," a high-level US official said Friday.Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro told a Washington audience Friday that "preserving Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge" is his top priority. Reiterating the "unwavering dedication" of US President Barack Obama...." Related: Full Text: US Approach to Preserving Israel's Military Edge Report: Clinton, Carter may join Shalit talks 7/17/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Cairo, Washington and Gaza City began talks aimed at bringing former US presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter to the Gaza Strip, Egyptian the daily newspaper Al-Mesryoon reported on Saturday. Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth accused the paper, affiliated with the Islamic opposition in Egypt, of failing to confirm the report with any.... U.S. To Grant Israel 2.775 Billion In Security Aid Uruknet July 17, 2010 - U.S.. Assistant Secretary of State, Andrew Shapiro, stated Friday that the Washington intend to grant Israel the amount of 2.775 Billion U.S.. Dollars in what was described as the largest military-security aid to Israel. He said that the money is considered a special military-security aid to Israel in order to ensure "its security needs are... US: We'll maintain Israel's military edge Palestine Note 17 Jul 2010 - By Sarah Harlan Washington - The Obama administration plans to continue giving Israel a military advantage over its neighbors, Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro said on Friday, US President Barack Obama... Egypt to demand confidence measures from Israel Palestine Note 17 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Sunday, and Mubarak is expected to demand several confidence-building steps from Israel as a condition for encouraging Palestinian leadership to reenter... Jordanian report: Abbas announces conditions for direct talks Palestine Note 17 Jul 2010 - Washington - In the Saturday edition of Jordan's Al-Ghad newspaper, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said he'll reenter direct negotiations with Israel if Israel accepts "its 1967 frontier as a baseline for the borders of a Palestinian... Red Crescent unloads Libyan aid in Egypt Palestine Note 17 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Egyptian Red Crescent has been unloading and processing the cargo of a Libyan aid ship originally bound for Gaza, Ma'an News Agency reported Saturday. The Moldovan-flagged Amalthea arrived at El-Arish Thursday. [Marinetraffic.com] The... Erekat: Demolitions threaten peace process Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat has warned US Middle East envoy George Mitchell that unless Washington can keep Israel from demolishing Palestinian homes and putting up settlements, reviving the peace process will be difficult,... Fatah, Hamas reject Israeli FM's Gaza plan Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - West Bank-leading Fatah and Gazed-based Hamas have rejected Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman's plan to disengage from and seal Gaza from Israel, Ma'an News Agency reported Friday. Lieberman's plan to disengage from Gaza and sealing... Israeli cabinet to consider 'loyalty bill' Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Tibi: law targets Palestinians Washington - The Israeli cabinet is expected to approve "a series of measures" in its Sunday meeting that will make acquiring Israeli citizenship by Palestinians more difficult, Haaretz reported Friday. The "most... ‘The world won’t say a thing’– Netanyahu on ongoing Israeli expansion Mondoweiss - The Washington Post , and Glenn Kessler, have picked up the story that Netanyahu said that "America is a thing that can be easily moved," back in 2001. Good to have this knowledge inside the Beltway at last. Below is a transcript of the Second-Intifadah era conversation,... Author of Torture Memos Admits Some Techniques Were Not Approved By DOJ Uruknet July 15, 2010 - Jay Bybee, the former head of the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) who signed two infamous August 2002 legal memos which gave CIA interrogators the green light to torture "war on terror" prisoners, told a congressional committee that more than a half-dozen of the tactics detainees were subjected to were not "authorized"... Erakat: Demolitions threaten peace process Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat has warned US Middle East envoy George Mitchell that unless Washington can keep Israel from demolishing Palestinian homes and putting up settlements, reviving the peace process will be difficult,... Fatah, Hamas reject FM's disengagement plan Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - West Bank-leading Fatah and Gazed-based Hamas have rejected Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman's plan to disengage from and seal Gaza from Israel, Ma'an News Agency reported Friday. Lieberman's plan to disengage from Gaza and sealing... West Bank computer lab for the blind honored Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - The computer literacy for the blind program at the Hebron branch of Al-Quds Open University has been honored this week by the Washington, DC-based Jerusalem Fund . Braille keyboard [Wikimedia Commons] The computer lab has... FM: Engage Hamas, disengage from Gaza Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli FM Avigdor Lieberman has proposed turning responsibility for Gaza over to the Europeans, Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday. Kids play amid the rubble of Israel's Operation Cast Lead - a 22-day assault... Report: Lieberman went behind Bibi's back on UN appointment Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has reportedly gotten his "revenge" on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for keeping Lieberman in the dark when Israeli and Turkish officials met after the flotilla upset, Iranian Press TV... Mitchell, Netanyahu meet Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and US Middle East envoy George Mitchell met in Jerusalem Friday to discuss the on-going if stalemated peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Mitchell (left) and Netanyahu (... EU's Ashton calls on Israel to open Gaza crossings Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, has called on Israel to open Gaza crossings as she embarks on her second tour of the Middle East in four months, the Associated Press reported... Israeli cabinet to consider loyalty oath bill Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Arab MK says law targets Palestinians Washington - The Israeli cabinet is expected to approve "a series of measures" in its Sunday meeting that will make acquiring Israeli citizenship by Palestinians more difficult, Haaretz reported Friday.... JPost Poll: 46% Israelis say Obama pro-Palestinian Palestine Note 16 Jul 2010 - Washington - A poll conducted by Smith Research has revealed that nearly half - 46% - of Israelis feel US President Barack Obama is more pro-Palestinian than pro-Israel, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday. President Obama [Jmtimages... Mazzi & Sneakas: Jewish-Muslim duo raps for mutual understanding Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 - By Sarah Harlan Washington - Meet Mazzi & Sneakas . This Israeli-Iranian hip-hop duo formed in 2007. Both had been in the rap game for some time, Jewish-Israeli "Sneakas" performing in Israel and Muslim-Iranian "Mazzi" performing in... We will continue to shield Israel, militarily and diplomatically, U.S. official says Ha'aretz 16 Jul 2010 - Speaking during a reception for outgoing Israeli UN envoy Shalev, U.S. envoy Susan Rice says that Washington remains fully and firmly committed to Israel's security. PA: Jerusalem demolitions hurt peace YNet News - The Palestinians have warned US envoy George Mitchell that it will be difficult to revive peace talks if Washington cannot stop Israel from demolishing Arab homes or ....... U.S.: Israel's East Jerusalem Demolitions Pose Obstacle to Peace WAFA - WASHINGTON, July 15, 2010 (WAFA)- U.S. State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley criticized Israel's recent demolition of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem, saying that it was precisely 'the kind We will continue to shield Israel, militarily and diplomatically, U.S. official says Ha'aretz - Speaking during a reception for outgoing Israeli UN envoy Shalev, U.S. envoy Susan Rice says that Washington remains fully and firmly committed to Israel's security. Israel drives on with Palestinian demolitions The National 15 Jul 2010 - Coming after the Israeli prime minister's Washington visit, the destruction of Palestinian homes will prove another setback for peace efforts. Jerusalem settlers to fight removal Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 - Washington - According to a Jerusalem Post report on Thursday, residents of the illegal Beit Yonatan settlement building in East Jerusalem are "secretly" planning to stop the evacuation of their apartment building, scheduled for this weekend.... Turkel demands flotilla raid documents Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 - Washington - Jacob Turkel, the retired justice leading Israel's internal investigation into the May 31 flotilla raid, has demanded military and government officials connected to the incident turn over all correspondence related to the decision to... WATCH: GOP rep and Fox News agree: Hezbollah agents infiltrating US by posing as immigrants Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 - New York - Sue Myrick, a Republican congresswoman from North Carolina thinks that agents of the Lebanese group Hezbollah are posing as illegal immigrants -- "going to Venezuela, learning Spanish, and then coming up through Mexico... Mitchell to push direct talks during visit Palestine Note 15 Jul 2010 - Washington - US Middle East envoy George Mitchell returned to the region Thursday to resume mediating indirect negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leadership. According to Israeli media, Mitchell intends to push for the Palestine Liberation Organization (... We will continue to shield Israel, militarily and diplomatically, U.S. official says Ha'aretz 15 Jul 2010 - Speaking during a reception for outgoing Israeli UN envoy Shalev, U.S. envoy Susan Rice says that Washington remains fully and firmly committed to Israel's security. U.S.: Israel's East Jerusalem Demolitions Pose Obstacle to Peace WAFA - WASHINGTON, July 15, 2010 (WAFA)- U.S. State Department Spokesman Philip Crowley criticized Israel's recent demolition of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem, saying that it was precisely 'the kind 'Abducted' nuclear scientist returns to Iran Daily Star 15 Jul 2010 WASHINGTON: A defected Iranian nuclear scientist who was reportedly paid $5 million by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) returned on Thursday to his homeland amid an escalating propaganda war between the United States and the Islamic... Congress finally stands up to Israel – over Jewish conversion?! Mondoweiss - They said it couldn't be done. Members of Congress are circulating an "unprecedented" letter criticizing Israel for legislation under consideration in the Knesset. Which legislation? The bill criminalizing boycotts ? The effort to revoke MK Haneen Zoubi's parliamentary privileges ? Nope. The Jerusalem Post reports: A US senator... Israel's Confidence-Destroying Measures Palestine Chronicle: 15 Jul 2010 - By James Gundun – Washington, D.C. Despite Israel's perceived strength it really isn't in a position to bargain. America is now the only dependable ally, having lost Europe after the Gaza war. Turkey has renewed the diplomatic vigor against Israel's hostility towards Iran and unilateral actions in the Palestinian territories while the Arab League, sensing blood, is circling the waters. The Palestinians hold a strong hand and don’t need to rush into direct talks. Nor is the traditional fear of obstructing direct talks as high with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu squeezed internally from both sides and masquerading around “peace." It would seem extra unwise, then, to try and bluff at a time like now. Sadly Israel’s latest behavior is no surprise. Many opportunities to build true confidence were presented to Netanyahu after leaving Washington last week. But having “reset” his relationship with President Barack Obama before outmaneuvering him at...more Spain: BDS claim victory over Israeli water 7/14/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - After lobbying efforts by Spanish activists, the City Council of Villanueva de Duero has decided to remove Eden-brand water products from government buildings. The company, founded in the 1980s after Israel illegally annexed Syria's Golan Heights, originally took water from the Salukiya spring and expanded operations to Europe, eventually moving to bottle water.... Knesset considers anti-boycott bill Palestine Note 14 Jul 2010 - Washington - A bill aimed at holding financially liable Israelis who support boycotts against the country has received approval for a preliminary hearing in the Knesset, Ynet news reported Wednesday. Campaigns to boycott Israeli goods and... Palestine's possible Gandhi: Budrus activist Ayed Morrar talks to Palestine Note Palestine Note 14 Jul 2010 - By Sarah Harlan Washington - " Budrus ," Julia Bacha's successful documentary about one West Bank town's success in beating back the Israeli separation barrier with nonviolent resistance, is centered largely on the efforts of Ayed... PA announces compensation for settlement employees Palestine Note 14 Jul 2010 - Washington - As part of the Palestinian Authority's push to divest from illegal Israeli settlements, settlement-made goods have been outlawed and Palestinian employment on settlements has been heavily discouraged. To complement the compensation fund, the Ministry... Israel lawmakers push bill to keep Golan, East Jerusalem Palestine Note 14 Jul 2010 - Washington - An Israeli Knesset committee voted Wednesday in favor of a bill that requires a referendum prior to any potential withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights or East Jerusalem, AFP news agency reported Wednesday. Knesset... Netanyahu-Mubarak meeting postponed, conflicting reasons cited Palestine Note 14 Jul 2010 - Washington - Conflicting reports have arisen after a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has been delayed once again. The health of Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak [left] has been under... Erekat: No unilateral declaration of Palestinian state Palestine Note 13 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Palestine LIberation Organization's (PLO) Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Turkish state television Tuesday there will be no unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, Haaretz reported . “[It is] not on the agenda,” insisted... US: East J'lem demolitions hurt chances for direct talks YNet News - WASHINGTON – The State Department criticized the razing of homes in east Jerusalem on Wednesday and called on the sides to maintain restraint. "It is exactly the kind of ....... It’s official: Israel has Gotten Away with it — Again Alex Kane, Intifada-Palestine 7/11/2010 When the Israeli Navy raided the Mavi Marmara, a Turkish ship that was part of an aid flotilla attempting to break the blockade of Gaza, and killed nine activists in international waters, the world took notice. Condemnations of the raid and calls for the end of the economically crippling 3-year-old Israeli blockade of Gaza rung out from across the world. Even the United States, Israel’s strongest ally, pressured Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ease the siege on Gaza, calling the situation there “unsustainable.” But that was then, and this is now. Over a month after the deadly raid, and after an overwhelming bipartisan majority in Congress signed onto an American-Israel Public Affairs Committee letter that expressed “strong support for Israel’s right to defend itself,” the Obama administration is letting Israel get away scot-free. Israel will continue with the status quo of occupation and blockade while the prospects for a Palestinian state continue to whither away. Israel and the United States’ loving embrace was on full display this week when Netanyahu came to the White House. Essentially a “kiss and make up” session meant for domestic political consumption in both countries, Obama repeatedly affirmed that “the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable.” The president praised Netanyahu for making “real progress on the ground” in Gaza by allowing in more consumer goods and for being “willing to take risks for peace.” Netanyahu, with Obama’s backing, called for “direct talks” with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and said that Israel wants peace as long as the West Bank “isn’t overtaken by Iran’s proxies and used as a launching ground for terrorist attacks.” Netanyahu will head home with a smile on his face, satisfied that he has been given full blessing to continue his destructive policies.....more..e-mail Waiting for November Palestine Chronicle: 14 Jul 2010 - By George S. Hishmeh – Washington, D.C. The Lovefest celebrated here for all to see when Barack Obama escorted Benjamin Netanyahu on the front lawn of the White House and at a joint press conference was a marked difference from their contentious, behind-closed-doors meeting here last April. But judging from the early assessments it is not certain that their relationship will bear fruit in the near future. For one, the American and Israeli leaders are hoping that their get-together will serve their political ambitions at home. Obama, whose rating has lately dropped markedly, will be facing in the next four months a crucial mid-term elections when Americans elect a new House of Representatives and a third of the Senate, now controlled by his Democratic Party. He apparently fears that his stance on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict may affect the voting; it certainly is giving the Republican Party and its Jewish supporters...more Kidnapped' Iranian scientist turns up in Washington The National 13 Jul 2010 - The tale of a missing nuclear scientist whom Tehran claims was taken by the United States takes a new twist. 'Arab Labor' brings laughs and social critique to Israeli TV Palestine Note 13 Jul 2010 - Washington – “Arab Labor,” an Israeli sitcom that focuses on the snafus and fiascos of an Palestinian-Israeli and his family as they try to fit in with mainstream Jewish Israeli society, will air its second season... Erekat: No unilateral declaration of Palestinian state Palestine Note 13 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Palestine LIberation Organization's (PLO) Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Turkish state television Tuesday there will be no unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, Haaretz reported . “[It is] not on the agenda,” insisted... Bibi, Barak to testify before Turkel commission Palestine Note 13 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will testify next month before the Turkel Commission investigating the May 31 flotilla raid, AFP News Agency reported Tuesday. The testimony is set for August 9, and Defense Minister... WATCH: Israel razes Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem Palestine Note 13 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality razed four Palestinian buildings in East Jerusalem Tuesday, the Associated Press reported . The municipality said the buildings were not homes, but according to a Haaretz report , "A Reuters photographer witnessed... US official slams Israeli right wing YNet News - WASHINGTON – An official US source told Ynet Tuesday that the construction of 32 new housing units in Pisgat Ze'ev, Jerusalem land conquered in 1967, was another attempt ....... Iranian nuclear scientist turns up in D.C. LA Times 13 Jul 2010 - Shahram Amiri, who vanished during a trip to Saudi Arabia last year, sought refuge at the Pakistani Embassy's Iranian interests section, claiming he was kidnapped by the U.S. Secretary of State Clinton discounted the accusation and said he was free to go. An Iranian nuclear scientist who Tehran claims was kidnapped by the United States has sought refuge at the Pakistani Embassy's Iranian interests section in Washington and is seeking to return home to Iran, Pakistani authorities said Tuesday. Obama: ’I Have Met Israel and It Is 'Us'’ Robert Dreyfuss, The Nation 7/7/2010 Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu set up another illegal Jewish settlement, this time on the White House lawn. And, it appears, President Obama has agreed to serve as its armed guard. So complete was Obama’s identification with Israel yesterday that he actually referred to Israel as “us” before correcting himself: “We strongly believe that, given its size, its history, the region that it’s in, and the threats that are leveled against us—against it, that Israel has unique security requirements.” By “its size,” did Obama mean Israel’s overwhelming military superiority? By “its history,” did he mean Israel’s usurpation of Arab lands and forty-three-year-long occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem? By “the region that it’s in,” did he mean the Arab and Muslim world, the region with which Obama wants to rebuild US relations? No: Obama was echoing Israeli talking points: that Israel is a tiny, besieged nation that made democracy flourish and the deserts bloom post-Holocaust, surrounded by scimitar-waving crazies. Dana Milbank, writing in the Washington Post, characterized the Obama-Netanyahu meeting aptly: "To capture the real significance of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit with President Obama, White House officials might have instead flown the white flag of surrender… "On Tuesday, Obama, routed and humiliated by his Israeli counterpart, invited Netanyahu back to the White House for what might be called the Oil of Olay Summit: It was all about saving face."more..e-mail Netanyahu pushes direct negotiations 7/12/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - At his government's weekly cabinet meeting Sunday in Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu elaborated on his talks with US President Barack Obama days earlier in Washington."I reiterated to the president Israel's desire to proceed immediately to direct negotiations with the PA, with the goal being to advance the diplomatic process and.... Bill Kristol, right-wingers found pro-Israel attack group Palestine Note 12 Jul 2010 - New York - American right wingers have founded a new organization, the Emergency Committee for Israel , that is attacking lawmakers they see as breaking the pro-Israeli consensus in Washington. Congressman Joe Sestak speaks at an Employee... Jordan, State Department officials deny US threatened aid over nuclear program Palestine Note 12 Jul 2010 - Washington – Senior Jordanian and US officials have denied an Israeli news report that the US threatened to cut financial aid if it refuses to coordinate with Israel in developing its nuclear program. Jordan's King Abdullah... Palestinian activist in Jordan uses social media for social justice Palestine Note 12 Jul 2010 - By Sarah Harlan Washington - Activist Ali Dahmash , who describes himself as "originally Palestinian, Jordanian by nationality," through his blog Under My Olive Tree , has taken on Jordan's ills, using social media to raise awareness and... Yisrael Beiteinu bill discriminates against Palestinians in the workplace Palestine Note 12 Jul 2010 - Washington – The nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party has introduced a new bill to the Knesset that would give hiring preference to military veterans, effectively disadvantaging Palestinian citizens of Israel, who do not serve in the army,... Turkel commission: Israeli court hints at wider powers Palestine Note 12 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli High Court decided Monday to compromise on a petition to widen the Turkel Commission’s investigatory powers, saying it would not directly give the probe rights to interrogate military personnel, but that it... Gaddafi son barred from Libyan aid ship to Gaza Palestine Note 12 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Libyan ship underway to break the Gaza naval blockade will not carry one high-profile passenger - the Libyan president’s son Saif Gaddafi - Arabic-language Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat reported via Ynet News Monday. Saif al-Islam... Israeli source: Direct talks to launch August 1st Palestine Note 12 Jul 2010 - Washington - According to the Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth, US Middle East envoy George Mitchell will be in the region by week's end to discuss the move toward direct negotiations, Ma'an News Agency reported Monday. Obama [... Russia warns Iran closer to nuclear weapons potential Daily Star 12 Jul 2010 MOSCOW: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Monday Iran was gaining the ability to build a nuclear bomb, remarks welcomed in Washington as a sign of growing international unity behind a tough line toward Tehran. Medvedev's... WATCH: Stewart undoes mainstream Islamophobia Palestine Note 11 Jul 2010 - Washington - Jon Stewart took on thinly-veiled Islamophobia in mainstream news on his July 7 show, smartly uncovering Islam-is-unAmerican sentiment in the media. Comedy Central veteran news satirist Jon Stewart [Danagraves - Flickr] In the segment,... ISM: 'Go dance on your own streets' Palestine Note 11 Jul 2010 - Washington - Palestinians and the International Solidarity Movement bite back after Israeli soldiers put out a dance video to Ke$sha's "Tik Tok" while on patrol in the West Bank. One ISM volunteer tells soldiers to go... Collision course: Libyan ship still bound for Gaza Palestine Note 11 Jul 2010 - Washington - A Libyan ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip will stay on course, Palestinian Legislative Council member Jamal Al-Khudary and Israeli-Palestinian Knesset member Ahmad Tibi told the Palestinian news agency Ma'an on Saturday. The... No direct talks without progress on indirect issues, Abbas Palestine Note 11 Jul 2010 - Washington - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his position on progressing to direct talks Saturday night, saying face-to-face negotiations will not resume until ground is gained in the US-brokered proximity talks. Ma'an News Agency reported Sunday:... Bill Clinton to mediate Shalit deal? Palestine Note 11 Jul 2010 - Report: Israeli PM asks former president to engage Hamas for soldier's release Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has requested former US president Bill Clinton get involved in the prisoner exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad... UK envoy in trouble for cleric comments Palestine Note 10 Jul 2010 - Washington - The United Kingdom's ambassador to Lebanon expressed her apologies for lamenting the death of prominent Shia cleric Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, the Associate Press reported Saturday. Guy meets with Fadlallah in 2008. [Foreign and Commonwealth... Collision course Palestine Note 10 Jul 2010 - Lawmakers say Libyan ship headed for Gaza in spite of warning Washington - A Libyan ship carrying aid to the Gaza Strip will stay on course, Palestinian Legislative Council member Jamal Al-Khudary and Israeli-Palestinian Knesset member... Nabil Amr: Fatah in disarray, PA virtual beggar, and peace process a big joke PIC 10 Jul 2010 - Veteran Fatah leader Nabil Amr has lashed out at the current Palestinian leadership in Ramallah, describing it as a virtual beggar, which "has no choice except taking handouts from Washington." 32 faculty, 200+ students sign Penn State petition condemning flotilla raid Mondoweiss - Today on NPR Martin Indyk told Scott Simon that during his last visit to Israel he saw Israelis feeling isolated by world opinion over the flotilla raid and wanting their government to respond to the criticism not with force. And Indyk concludes, lobbyistically, that the answer... McCain: Israel not considering strike against Iran right now Ha'aretz - Senator visiting Jerusalem says it's too soon to discuss issue, according to Washington Post; Sen. Lieberman: U.S. will use 'every means' to stop Iran. US to establish nuclear energy cooperation with Israel Uruknet July 8, 2010 - Yesterday morning (07/07), Hebrew media sources claimed to have discovered a 'secret' US letter of guarantee to the Israeli government in which Washington undertakes to establish nuclear energy cooperation with Israel. In a broadcast by the Hebrew Army radio station, it was stated that "the United States had sent Israel a 'secret' letter of guarantee... Hamas: EU MPs' visit first step to ending Gaza blockade entirely Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 - Washington – An upcoming visit by European Union parliamentarians will be a vital step in ending the military blockade of the Gaza strip and the political blockade of Hamas, a senior party official said Friday. HIgh... Haifa mayor: Turn Mavi Marmara into 'floating hotel' Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 - Washington – While Israel has decided to withhold the ships confiscated during the May 31 raid, Haifa Mayor Yonah Yahav has his own idea for the Mavi Marmara, the largest of vessels: turn it into an... Hezbollah opens war-themed amusement park Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Lebanese Islamist group Hezbollah has launched a new attraction in south Lebanon: an amusement park commemorating the militant group’s 2006 war with Israel. Hezbollah posters, sporting leader Hassan Nasrallah, hang in the Lebanese... Designers rebrand Hebron Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 - Washington – A new campaign launched by two Israeli designers has created a new image for the West Bank city of Hebron, visually uniting both the city’s Islamic past and its corporate potentials. A report on... UN calls for calm as clashes increase in south Lebanon Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 - Washington – After a confrontation last week between residents of Hezbollah-heavy southern Lebanon and UN peacekeepers, the head of the blue-helmeted UNIFIL force has issued a call for calm, Al-Jazeera English reported Friday. A UN soldier... Israel closes case on soldier shooting civilians Palestine Note 9 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israel’s State Prosecutor has decided to close the case against a Nahal Haredi soldier accused of opening fire on two unarmed Palestinian civilians last year, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. A Nahal Haredi... McCain: Israel not considering strike against Iran right now Ha'aretz 9 Jul 2010 - Senator visiting Jerusalem says it's too soon to discuss issue, according to Washington Post; Sen. Lieberman: U.S. will use 'every means' to stop Iran. Israel to UN: Stop Libyan aid ship YNet News - WASHINGTON – Israel warned the United Nations on Friday evening that it would not let a Libyan aid ship planning to sail to Gaza break the blockade imposed on the Strip. ....... Israeli Arab strikes plea bargain over Hezbollah espionage charges Ha'aretz - Omar Saeed was suspected along with another Israeli Arab, Ameer Makhoul, of establishing contact with Hezbollah agent and passing him information which could serve to benefit the enemy body., Senator visiting Jerusalem says it's too soon to discuss issue, according to Washington Post; Sen. Lieberman: U.S. will use 'every means' to stop Iran. Netanyahu hints he won't extend freeze Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Israeli PM suggests partial settlement building ban won't be renewed Washington - Speaking at the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR) in New York Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signaled that a partial, temporary moratorium on... Israel/Palestine team to play in World Cup tourney Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Washington - In the final days of the World Cup, some teams are just beginning to play. Football for Hope , the FIFA World Cup's social change program, brings together 32 teams from all over the world... Israeli military finds flaw in flotilla raid Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli military has released a draft report of its inquiry into the May 31 flotilla raid that left nine activists dead, finding fault with military coordination and government planning, Ynet News reported Thursday.... Rabbis endorse barring illegal immigrants from Tel Aviv Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Washington – Twenty-five Tel Aviv rabbis have endorsed a new campaign to keep undocumented immigrants out of the city, Ynet News Agency reported Thursday. Demonstrators gathered in 2009 to protest against the expulsion of undocumented immigrants,... Moussa: Peace talks 'failing', no chance for direct talks Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Washington - Arab League chief Amr Moussa said proximity talks between Israeli and Palestinian leadership, facilitated by the US, are making no progress, the Associated Press reported Thursday. Arab League chief Amr Moussa speaks at the... Official: PA waiting for Israeli response following Fayyad meeting Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israel has yet to respond to a number of confidence-building measures presented by Palestinian PM Salam Fayyad in his meeting with Ehud Barak, Palestinian Authority spokesman Ghassan al-Khatib said Thursday. Internal West Bank checkpoints... Netanyahu claims direct talks imminent Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, in the US this week, promised Jewish leaders in New York Wednesday night that direct negotiations with the Palestinian Authority " must begin right away ," the Associated Press reported... Iran negotiator offers talks on nukes Palestine Note 8 Jul 2010 - Washington - Iran's lead nuclear negotiator Saed Jalili has suggested the European Union and Iran engage in nuclear talks in September, Reuters reported Thursday. Nuclear reactor model [Wikimedia Commons] Jalili sent a letter to Catherine Ashton,... Inside Israel's 'unspoken' apartheid alliance Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - By William McKeithen Washington – In his new book, "The Unspoken Alliance ," author Sasha Polokow-Suransky excavates an important yet hushed relationship between two desperate and isolated powers: Israel and apartheid-era South Africa during the 70s... Netanyahu: Direct Negotiations Must Begin Right Away PNN - Washington – PNN - (Palestinian – Israeli ) Direct negotiations must begin right away, and we think that they will,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. Jewish leaders on Wednesday Palestinians and Israelis... Israeli Arab strikes plea bargain over Hezbollah espionage charges Ha'aretz 8 Jul 2010 - Omar Saeed was suspected along with another Israeli Arab, Ameer Makhoul, of establishing contact with Hezbollah agent and passing him information which could serve to benefit the enemy body., Senator visiting Jerusalem says it's too soon to discuss issue, according to Washington Post; Sen. Lieberman: U.S. will use 'every means' to stop Iran. US pledges nuclear cooperation with Israel PIC 8 Jul 2010 - The US has conveyed to Israel a secret letter of guarantees by which Washington vows to cooperate with Tel Aviv in nuclear energy, the Israeli army radio said. America and Israel's Show Must Go On Palestine Chronicle: 8 Jul 2010 - By James Gundun, Washington D.C. Credit them this skill - they're good performers. Not great. Great is convincing. But a good performer abides by the cardinal rule of show business. The show must go on whether someone flubs their lines, trips, or passes out, and Israel and America have kept going through it all. Now will anyone believe their act? It quickly became clear after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s disastrous trip to the White House in May that a repeat performance wouldn’t occur. Netanyahu canceled his next visit after Israeli commandos raided the Freedom flotilla, justifiably allowing him to address the crisis at home - and conveniently avoid putting America in the position to advocate for Gazans. The script was postponed until Tuesday’s meeting with President Barack Obama. Nothing could stop such well-planned choreography. But with so much time to prepare and many disagreements left unresolved, the full-scale production...more Nasr firing is yet another shameful capitulation to the lobby Mondoweiss - In the summer heat, America’s demonstrations of subservience to the Israel lobby are bidding to reach the parody level. First we have General David Petraeus writing panicked emails to neocon war promoter Max Boot to explain that he didn’t actually say that Israel-Palestine conflict caused strategic... Israel to hold Gaza flotilla ships Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced Wednesday that it will hold the six flotilla vessels seized during the May 31 "Freedom Flotilla" raid, The Associated Press reported. An Israeli fisherman was taped fishing off... Israel army warns Hezbollah preparing for war Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Israeli military presented evidence on Wednesday that it says shows Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon are preparing for a confrontation, Haaretz reported Wednesday. Hezbollah rocket demonstration [Wikimedia Commons] Col. Ronen Merli briefed journalists... UK Methodist Church criticized for Palestinian support Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington - Following the Methodist Church of Great Britain's decision to boycott Israeli settler goods and sign the Palestine Kairos Document , British Jewish group have come out swinging against the church, Ma'an News Agency reported Wednesday.... Israel bars senior PA official from entry Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israel has barred Palestinian Authority Minister of Prisoner Affairs Issa Qaraqe from entering Israel and has stripped him of his VIP card. A checkpoint entering the city of Bethlehem, where PA minister Issa Qaraqe... Israel barring Palestinians' products from East Jerusalem Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Palestinian Authority's campaign to boycott settlement-produced goods has been a success so far in the West Bank. Settler operations have smarted from the lack of turn over, and some Israeli companies with branches... Israeli military demands NIS 55 billion for new budget Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington – Israeli military Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi has cried foul at the newly released budget plan, saying it doesn’t give enough to the armed forces and calling for NIS 55 billion, the Jerusalem... Abbas eyeing Nobel Peace Prize Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is reportedly seeking the Nobel Peace Prize, according to diplomatic sources in Oslo quoted by the Israeli news site Ynet. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the Brookings Institution in... Poll: Palestinians want to renew Gaza ceasefire Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - Washington – In a recent poll , a majority of Palestinians support renewing Hamas’ ceasefire with Israel, and Fatah outshines Hamas in public approval. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad received a 62% approval rating among Palestinians... Erakat: Netanyahu blocking direct talks Palestine Note 7 Jul 2010 - PLO negotiator says Israel cannot have peace and settlements Washington - Despite the Israeli PM's continued calls for direct peace negotiations, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat said Netanyahu is keeping direct talks from becoming a reality... Night Beat: Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington, and New York Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Today in Palestine, Israel, the broader Middle East and Beyond: First Lady Michelle Obama has tea with Mrs. Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in the Yellow Oval Room of the White House, July... Me, General Petraeus & the lobby Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - The old adage "politics stops at the water's edge" does not apply to the Middle East. When it comes to all matters relating to Israel, foreign policy is politics. It is absolutely impossible to imagine US... Top US Senators: Military Option Against Iran on the Table The Media Line 6 Jul 2010 - After a Middle East sweep, Senators McCain, Lieberman and Graham warn Teheran from Jerusalem that Congress is determined to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons, by force if necessary. A group of senior US senators visiting... Meetings Between Obama and Netanyahu Begin PNN - Washington — PNN On Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in the Oval Office for over an hour. The leaders’ aides said Mr. Obama and Mr.... Yishai to join Shalit march YNet News - While the prime minister makes his way back to Jerusalem from Washington, Interior Minister Eli Yishai will be traveling to the capital by foot – along with the Shalit ....... Netanyahu, Gates discuss eastern front against Israel YNet News - WASHINGTON - Israel fears the rise of the eastern front amidst changes occurring in the region, Iran's strengthening and the American forces' scheduled withdrawal from ....... UAE says envoy in US 'misquoted' on attacking Iran's nuclear program Daily Star 7 Jul 2010 DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) dismissed as "inaccurate" on Wednesday statements attributed to its ambassador in Washington backing possible military action over Iran's nuclear program. "The statements attributed by the Washington Times to the UAE... Despite Rift, Israel Gets More U.S. Aid Than Iraq Danielle Kurtzleben, U.S. News and World Report 7/6/2010 Israel tops Iraq in overall U.S. Aid It was the most orchestrated photo op of the year. And even if Tuesday’s White House meeting between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was more show than action, it did reinforce what Capitol Hill and America’s taxpayers already know: Israel is America’s best buddy in the Middle East, and the dollars Washington sends Jerusalem proves that. More than any other nation, including war-torn Iraq, Israel gets the most U.S. aid, according to the Feds. Click here to find out more! The relationship between the United States and Israel has historically been characterized by generosity. Data from the U.S. Agency for International Development and from State Department budgets show that Israel has, since 1946, been the top recipient of U.S. aid, and continues to play a big part in the United States foreign assistance budget. According to the USAID Greenbook, which quantifies all U.S. overseas loans and grants from 1946 through 2008, Israel has received over $34 billion from the United States, since 1951. This puts it ahead of other top recipients Iraq ($31.4 billion), Egypt ($29.6 billion), India ($15.5 billion), and Russia ($13.9). Meanwhile, aid to the West Bank/Gaza region, which began in 1988, has totaled $2.7 billion. This puts the West Bank and Gaza at 41 on the list of 202 countries and regions that have received U.S. aid since 1946. In addition, State Department budgets show that since 2008, Israel’s place in U.S. foreign spending has remained undiminished. The fiscal year 2011 budget contains a proposed $3 billion for Israel. All of this money is appropriated for foreign military financing, a program that helps foreign countries to purchase weapons and defense equipment produced in the United States, as well as military training. This $3 billion comprises 42 percent of the total assistance to the Near East region. -- See also: Who in Congress gets the most traceable funding from pro-Israel groupsmore..e-mail Protesters greet Netanyahu in Washington as Israel expands settlements Electronic Intifada: 7 Jul 2010 - Hundreds of activists in Washington, DC demonstrated outside the White House to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit on Tuesday, 6 July. As protesters held signs calling on the US government to end military aid to Israel, Netanhayu met with US President Barack Obama in a meeting characterized by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as "empty theatrics." The Book That Obama and Netanyahu Must Read Palestine Chronicle: 7 Jul 2010 - By George S. Hishmeh – Washington, D.C. It was my intention while cruising the Danube River, which is disappointingly muddy and not blue as Mozart claimed, for two weeks last month aboard a comfortable Viking boat with my wife that my attention would be mainly focused on the World Soccer Cup and the beautiful countryside and its rich history. Regrettably my over 100 fellow passengers, mostly American and a few New Zealanders and Canadians, hardly watched the matches except for the two engaging Maltese couples who were eager for me to unearth the Arabic roots of their vocabulary which has been abundantly influenced by the rise of Islam and the Ottoman empire hundreds of years ago. I was also glad that the few news channels on the boat did not have much to report on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict which has occupied my long career in journalism. But on the third...more Big push begins for war on Iran Mondoweiss - Does this sound familiar? Here's neoconservative Eli Lake, writing in the Washington Times : The United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States said Tuesday that the benefits of bombing Iran 's nuclear program outweigh the short-term costs such an attack would impose. The UAE has denied... Israeli Prime Minister meets with US President in Washington IMEMC - 6 Jul 2010 - Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a meeting on Tuesday with the US President Barack Obama, who voiced his support for Israel and Israeli policies, even as Israeli forces continue their occupation and seizure of Palestinian land in violation of international law. Rights group says settlements must be evacuated 7/6/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Forty-two percent of the West Bank is governed by settlement councils, Israeli rights organization B'Tselem revealed in a new settlements study, published Tuesday. Released as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares to meet with US President Barack Obama in Washington, the report By Hook and by Crook: Israel's Settlement Policy in the West.... Obama: We need to advance to direct Israeli-Palestinian talks Ha'aretz - U.S. President hosts Netanyahu at White House in what analysts dub a 'make up' visit, after snub during Netanyahu's March trip to Washington. Obama and Netanyahu in Washington talks The Guardian 6 Jul 2010 - Meeting seen as a test of whether two leaders can overcome recent tensions and restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks Barack Obama will meet the Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu for the fifth time today at the start... Cast Lead soldier indicted in 'human shield' case Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israel has begun handing out indictments to military personnel following an internal investigation of misconduct during its 22-day assault on Gaza in December 2008-January 2009 (named Operation Cast Lead). Two soldiers have been indicted... 'Freedom Flotilla 2' to set sail for Gaza in August Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington - The European Campaign to End of the Siege on Gaza, one of the organizers of the Gaza-bound "Freedom Flotilla" that was raided by Israeli commandos in May, announced Monday that a second flotilla will... Right-wing MK to hold meeting at Silwan settlement Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington – Right-wing Likud Knesset member Danny Danon announced Tuesday that he would hold a town hall meeting at Beit Yonatan, the settler building in the Arab neighborhood of Silwan, the Jerusalem Post reported . A view... Israel to issue 2nd response to Goldstone report Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington – The Israeli military has announced it will issue a second response to the UN-commissioned report that found evidence of war crimes during Israel's 2008-2009 military offensive on Gaza. The Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza... Jewish group: Extend settlement freeze Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Jewish organization Americans for Peace Now (APN) called on President Barack Obama to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting on Tuesday to extend a partial West Bank settlement freeze which... Turkish president: Israel acting 'irrationally' Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington – Turkish President Abdullah Gul has accused internal disputes within Israel’s leadership of preventing the government from acting "rationally," Ynet News reported Tuesday. "My own impression is that they don't have the ability to act... Activists demonstrate against Netanyahu at White House Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - By Jayyab Abusafia Washington - Representatives from Neturei Karta International along with activists from CodePink , Sabeel and across Washington, DC demonstrated outside the White House Tuesday morning against the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.... NYT: Tax-exempt American funds going to illegal West Bank settlements Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington – Over the past 10 years, more than 40 American organizations have raised over $200 million in tax-deductible donations for illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the New York Times reported Monday. The family... Settlements control 42% of West Bank Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington - A report from the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem released Tuesday shows that some 42% of the West Bank is controlled by Israeli setter councils. Israeli settlements in the West Bank now control nearly... Israeli soldier indicted over Gaza white flag killings Palestine Note 6 Jul 2010 - Washington - An Israeli soldier who shot and killed a mother and daughter waving white flags in surrender during the 22-day Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip in January 2009 faces manslaughter charges, AFP news agency... Obama: We need to advance to direct Israeli-Palestinian talks Ha'aretz 6 Jul 2010 - U.S. President hosts Netanyahu at White House in what analysts dub a 'make up' visit, after snub during Netanyahu's March trip to Washington. Obama: Israel serious about peace YNet News - WASHINGTON - Netanyahu convinces Obama Israel is serious: Israel "wants peace" and is serious about its intentions to move forward to direct negotiations with the ....... Indictments in Gaza War Are Announced New York Times 6 Jul 2010 - Israel’s military announced disciplinary and legal action in the Gaza offensive as the prime minister visited Washington. Bibi Back at the White House Palestine Chronicle: 6 Jul 2010 - By Jeff Gates With Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visiting the White House July 6th, it's time to recall how Tel Aviv deceived Washington throughout the entirety of the U.S.-Israeli relationship. U.S. military leaders will be watching this meeting very closely, as will the veterans community. For me, confirmation of Israel’s strategic duplicity came in a meeting with Harry McPherson who served as counsel and speechwriter for Lyndon B. Johnson. LBJ entered the Senate in 1948 with Louisiana Senator Russell Long for whom I served as counsel and speechwriter. At his law offices in Washington, Harry described his arrival in Tel Aviv the night that the 1967 War began. That war typifies the consistency of this ongoing deceit. He flew in the night before from Vietnam through Hong Kong. He knew on arrival that something was amiss because the airport lights were off. He checked into his hotel and was awakened...more ANALYSIS: A 'black future' in Silwan Palestine Note 5 Jul 2010 - ByWilliam McKeithen Washington - The Israeli-controlled Jerusalem Municipality recently announced it will proceed with a plan to raze 22 Palestinian homes in order to make way for a tourism shopping center and an archaeological park. In... Muslim leaders encourage vacationing in Turkey to offset Israeli boycott Palestine Note 5 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Jerusalem Post is reporting that Muslims are being encouraged to vacation in Turkey this summer to offset the estimated $400 million loss caused by Israelis boycotting the country. Photo source: Flickr [ Flydime ] According... Call to bloggers to unite for Gaza on July 9 Palestine Note 5 Jul 2010 - Washington - Bloggersunite.org is calling on all bloggers to unite on July 9 to blog about Gaza. The site is asking bloggers to make "a simple promise: 'Gaza, We will not forget You.'" Picture courtesy of... Red Team Mark Perry, Foreign Policy 6/30/2010 CENTCOM thinks outside the box on Hamas and Hezbollah. While it is anathema to broach the subject of engaging militant groups like Hizballah* and Hamas in official Washington circles (to say nothing of Israel), that is exactly what a team of senior intelligence officers at U.S. Central Command -- CENTCOM -- has been doing. In a "Red Team" report issued on May 7 and entitled "Managing Hizballah and Hamas," senior CENTCOM intelligence officers question the current U.S. policy of isolating and marginalizing the two movements. Instead, the Red Team recommends a mix of strategies that would integrate the two organizations into their respective political mainstreams. While a Red Team exercise is deliberately designed to provide senior commanders with briefings and assumptions that challenge accepted strategies, the report is at once provocative, controversial -- and at odds with current U.S. policy. Among its other findings, the five-page report calls for the integration of Hizballah into the Lebanese Armed Forces, and Hamas into the Palestinian security forces led by Fatah, the party of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The Red Team’s conclusion, expressed in the final sentence of the executive summary, is perhaps its most controversial finding: "The U.S. role of assistance to an integrated Lebanese defense force that includes Hizballah; and the continued training of Palestinian security forces in a Palestinian entity that includes Hamas in its government, would be more effective than providing assistance to entities -- the government of Lebanon and Fatah -- that represent only a part of the Lebanese and Palestinian populace respectively" (emphasis in the original). The report goes on to note that while Hizballah and Hamas "embrace staunch anti-Israel rejectionist policies," the two groups are "pragmatic and opportunistic." The report opens with a quote from former U.S. peace negotiator Aaron David Miller’s book, The Much Too Promised Land, which notes that both Hizballah and Hamas "have emerged as serious political players respected on the streets, in Arab capitals, and throughout the region...."more..e-mail Israel ratifies dicision of building new settlements in Jerusalem 4 Jul 2010 - Jerusalem, July 4, (Pal Telegraph) Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" said that today a decision anticipated in the area of management and construction in East Jerusalem which will overshadow once again Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. The so-called Israeli Committee of the local coordination and construction is scheduled to endorse the decision of creating 60 residential units in the... Turkel probe gets expanded powers Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israel's investigation of the May 31 "Freedom Flotilla" raid led by jurist Jacob Turkel has received greater authority, Chinese news service Xinhua reported Sunday. The "Freedom Flotilla" aid convoy was bound for Gaza when... Knesset won't receive veto on settlement freeze Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli PM and Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu has consolidated support against giving the Knesset veto power in the proposed extension of the West Bank settlement freeze, Haaretz reported Sunday. Settlers are keen to... Abu Tir's detention extended Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 - Washington - The Israeli court hearing Hamas-affiliated lawmaker Muhammad Abu Tir's appeal has ruled to extend his detention, Ma'an News Agency reported Sunday. The ruling came one day ahead of the state's deadline for Abu Tir... Abu Daoud, Munich attack organizer, dies in Syria Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 - Mohammed Daoud Odeh died of kidney failure on Saturday Washington - The person who planned the deadly attack against Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, died of illness on Saturday at the age of... Israeli-Palestinian soccer team honored in Johannesburg Palestine Note 4 Jul 2010 - Israeli and Palestinian girls play on the same team with the Peres Center for Peace soccer initiative. Photo source : Flickr WrenB Washington - A team of Israeli and Palestinian teenage soccer players was honored in Johannesburg... Public security minister: Settlers won't forcibly evict East Jerusalem Palestinians Ha'aretz - On eve of Netanyahu visit to Washington, Yitzhak Aharonovitch persuades rightist MKs not to forcibly evict four Palestinian families from building in Silwan. Torpedoing the Lebanon Flotilla: Controlling Civil Disobedience William A. Cook, Pacific Free Press 7/4/2010 Ten days ago I left California to join other U.S. citizens on the Lebanese Boat Brigade—the first such effort to penetrate Israel’s blockade of Gaza since the deadly attack on the Freedom Flotilla May 31. I joined other Americans—Jeff K and Noel I from Boston, Ron D from Maui, Bill S from South Carolina, and Sister Pat C from Wisconsin—enticed by an announcement from the Council for the National Interest and the Palestine Civil Rights Campaign to bring women, journalists and writers to this latest effort to break the siege of Gaza now in its 3rd year. We congregated at the Royal Garden Hotel in Beirut while others gathered in other places, two large groups intentionally brought to weaken Israel’s resolve to assert force—the first a large contingent of women from many lands including nuns to board a ship renamed Mariam for the Mother of God, carrying as well medical supplies and toys, the second a group of journalists without borders to accompany a cargo ship, the Julia, loaded with construction materials. Each came determined to express solidarity with the people of Gaza who have suffered more than 62 years of occupation, oppression, siege and destruction by the Israeli state and the Congress of the U.S—a battalion of abuses fittingly described as “crimes against humanity.” This article by Dr. William Cook is the third in a series devoted to the Lebanon flotilla. It is also the last as the flotilla appears to be sinking in the morass of political duplicity and an atmosphere of induced fear. I will not speak for the others, American or foreign, but I will mark in passing the sense of futility they feel as Americans for their government’s complicity in Israel’s blatant and calculated destruction of the people of Palestine....more..e-mail IOA to build 60 new housing units in OJ PIC 4 Jul 2010 - The organization and construction committee is to endorse the construction of 60 new housing units in Eastern Jerusalem that would coincide with Netanyahu's visit to Washington. When Does Conciliatory Become Obsequious? Abbas Meets The Pro-Israel Lobby Ira Glunts, Lobelog 6/30/2010 In what was a surprising and disconcerting development, 30 of the most influential and politically powerful American Jews identified with the pro-Israel lobby, met recently with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in what was called a “dinner and conversation.” The Palestinian leadership has never before met formally with Jewish American supporters of Israel, who as a group are usually more intransigent than the Israeli government in power. The event, which was described as “surreal” by one of the organizers, took place in Washington on the evening of June 9. The meeting was sponsored by the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace, which is currently headed by former Florida congressman, Robert Wexler. As a legislator, Wexler was a staunch and mostly uncritical supporter of Israeli government policy. He was a leading defender of the 2008 Israeli invasion of Gaza and recently justified the Israeli commando assault upon the Turkish-led aid flotilla as self-defense. In attendance at the event, in which Abbas spent 90 minutes answering questions from the Jewish leaders, were an all-star-team of prominent pro-Israel activists. Among the participants were leaders of the most powerful Jewish organizations: Howard Kohr, Executive Director of AIPAC; Lee Rosenberg, President of AIPAC; Robert Sugarman, National Chair of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL); and Alan Solow, Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Also present were former government officials Elliot Abrams, Steve Hadley (I guess he must be Jewish) and Dov Zakheim. The pro-Israel American press was represented by Mort Zuckerman. (This list is taken from the S. Daniel Abraham Center’s website.) A transcript of the meeting was made apparently at the insistence of the Palestinian leader. (It has been made available to various media and Jewish organizations, but is not, to my knowledge, been publicly posted online.)....more..e-mail UN chief Ban says Israel-Lebanon war possible Palestine Note 3 Jul 2010 - Washington - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon warned Friday of the possibility of a new Israel-Lebanon war, The Canadian Press reported . UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki-Moon [United Nations Development Programme - Flickr] In a Security Council report the... Int'l donors demand easing WB restrictions, Gaza blockade Palestine Note 3 Jul 2010 - Washington - International bodies funding development and aid in the Palestinian territories called on Israel to make good on its guarantees to ease the Gaza blockade and ease West Bank restrictions, Ma'an News Agency reported Saturday.... Report: Abbas gives Mitchell peace proposals Palestine Note 3 Jul 2010 - PA premier reportedly agrees to Israeli control of Jewish holy sites Washington - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly gave US Middle East envoy George Mitchell a list of proposals to move the peace process forward, Arabic-language... WATCH: Israeli military lied about Nabi Saleh 'attack' Palestine Note 3 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli forces arrested two protesters at an anti-wall demonstration in Nabi Saleh, West Bank Friday, saying the activists attacked a soldier, but as Journalist Max Blumenthal reported Saturday, the protesters arrested did not attack... Jerusalem lawmaker faces trial Sunday Palestine Note 3 Jul 2010 - Washington - Embattled Palestinian lawmaker Muhammad Abu Tir will go to trial Sunday to appeal his deportation from Jerusalem, Ma'an News Agency reported Saturday. Ma'an said of Abu Tir's indictment Thursday: Abu Teir’s lawyer said trial... Public security minister: Settlers won't forcibly evict East Jerusalem Palestinians Ha'aretz - On eve of Netanyahu visit to Washington, Yitzhak Aharonovitch persuades rightist MKs not to forcibly evict four Palestinian families from building in Silwan. Dr. Strangelove, Made in Israel Philip Giraldi, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs 7/1/2010 July 2010 ONE would expect the Air Force’s top civilian adviser to be someone who has spent some time in the U.S. military or who has a very particular education, or skill set that brings something special to what is, after all, a very senior and sensitive position. Not so. Dr. Lani Kass, senior special assistant to the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, was born, raised, and educated in Israel and then served in that country’s military, where she reached the rank of major. She has a Ph.D. in Russian studies but advises Air Force generals on cyberwarfare, terrorism, and the Middle East. Dr. Lani Kass is married to Norman Kass, a former Pentagon deputy assistant secretary of defense, and resides in McLean, Virginia. She has been naturalized as a U.S. citizen and is presumably a dual national who now holds both American and Israeli passports. Her three children were all born in Israel. While it is perhaps not unusual for American citizens to volunteer with the Israel Defense Forces, as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel did in 1991, it would have to be considered unprecedented for a senior Israeli military officer to obtain a high level position at the Pentagon. In fact, it is hard to imagine that anyone carrying out a security background investigation would approve such a transition under any circumstances, suggesting the possibility that Kass’ ascent to high office might have been aided or even godfathered by friends in key positions who were able to override or circumvent normal procedures. Indeed, Kass appears to have close and continuing ties to her country of birth, frequently spicing her public statements with comments about life in Israel while parroting simplistic views of the nature of the Islamic threat that might have been scripted in Tel Aviv’s Foreign Ministry. Information has come to light on Kass that heightens my concern about her high position in the United States government’s defense and security establishment....more..e-mail Assimilating The East Palestine Monitor: 2 Jul 2010 - Three months ago Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “spat in Obama's eye” by timing high-level diplomatic visits with the announcement of sweeping development plans in East Jerusalem. Now history repeats itself as Jerusalem announced its intention to implement an even more ambitious master plan, giving Israelis unprecedented residency rights in the prospective Palestinian capital. And once again, Bibi is off to Washington. Written by Michael Carpenter. Construction began this past weekend on the hotly contested grounds of the Shepherd Hotel. The compound lies in the Palestinian neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, east of the green line, just north of the old city. The hotel itself was considered property of the Jordanian authority (having passed from the ownership of the Grand Mufti Haj Amin al-Husseini) until it was purchased in 1985 by Irving Moskowitz, a wealthy American Jew and a major financier of the Israeli settler movement. In the wake of dramatic... Obama To Give Netanyahu Warm Welcome In Washington IMEMC - 2 Jul 2010 - Israeli sources reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will receive a warm welcome from U.S. President Barack Obama during his visit to Washington next week. Report: Obama to press Netanyahu on extending settlement freeze 7/2/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will get a warm reception from US President Barack Obama on his trip to Washington next week, the Israeli press is predicting. But Obama is expected to question Netanyahu closely on where the peace process is heading, around three months before the freeze on West Bank construction.... Red TeamCENTCOM thinks outside the box on Hamas and Hezbollah Uruknet July 1, 2010 - While it is anathema to broach the subject of engaging militant groups like Hizballah and Hamas in official Washington circles (to say nothing of Israel), that is exactly what a team of senior intelligence officers at U.S. Central Command--CENTCOM--has been doing. In a "Red Team" report issued on May 7 and entitled "Managing Hizballah and... Israel's new master planQuietly, Israel is preparing the biggest illegal land grab in recent memory, all on Obama's watch Uruknet July 1, 2010 - A few days before his scheduled visit to Washington on 7 July, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu appears as deliberately thwarting American efforts to push forward indirect talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). This week, an Israeli government body was set to approve "an unprecedented master plan" for an all-out expansion of Jewish... Netanyahu to Turkey: Israel won't apologize Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Israeli PM says no apology or compensation for flotilla raid Washington - Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced Friday that Israel will not bend to Turkey's demands to repair ties between the two countries, Haaretz reported . Turkish... Poll: Majority Israeli Jews fed up with ultra-Orthodox parties Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Washington – A majority of both Orthodox and secular Jewish Israelis are fed up with the ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parties, the Jerusalem Post reported Friday, citing a recent poll. Tensions have sparked recently in Israel over what... White House answers questions on Netanyahu meeting Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Washington - Senior White House officials took questions Friday on US President Barack Obama's upcoming meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu July 6. US President Barack Obama will meet with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington,... Palestinian PM: Peace talks stalling Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Washington - Salam Fayyad, the politically independent Palestinian Prime Minister, said proximity talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority have not progressed enough to consider direct negotiations, Ynet news reported Friday. PM Fayyad met with European... Rights group: Israel violates medical ethics Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Washington – A number of Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups have denounced Israeli border policy in Gaza, saying it violates medical ethics, Ma’an News Agency reported Friday. A young Gaza man injured by white phosphorus... PA, Israeli officials exchange demands in 'direct' talks Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Washington – During “direct” talks June 25 between Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor and Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erakat, the two discussed and debated the road forward to peace, with stances little changed. Chief Palestinian... Palestinian mother arrested visiting son Palestine Note 2 Jul 2010 - Washington - Israeli police arrested a Palestinian woman visiting her son detained in Gilboa prison, Ma'an News Agency reported Friday. The Israeli Prison Authority alleges the women was attempting to smuggle a cell phone to her... Netanyahu, Lieberman make up after Turkey row
