Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
Elections Archive - April 2010
Elections Archive - April 2010
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Ma’an journalist nominated for international media award 4/30/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A Ma'an journalist has been nominated for an award by the pro-peace Next Century Foundation. Soraya Bauwens-Nusseibeh, already responsible for having broken a number of important stories, writes in English for Ma'an. She was listed as a candidate for The Breakaway Award, one of foundation's International Media Awards awarded annually to journalists who, through the consistently high standard of their work, promote better understanding of the people and politics of the Middle East. Last year's Breakaway went to Abdulrahman Abdulla of Al-Sharqiya satellite TV. Also nominated in separate categories were Amira Hass of the Israeli daily Haaretz and Rory McCarthy of The Guardian daily, among several other Palestinian, Israeli, and international journalists whose work focuses on the region. Winners will be announced next month in London. Iran on UN women's rights c'tee Jeruslalem Post 30 Apr 2010 - Teheran apparently wins seat by default due to lack of candidates. Shepard to Clinton: Put Your Promises into Action WASHINGTON, April 30, 2010 (WAFA)- U.S. Congressional Candidate Dr. Jack Shepard urged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to put the $300 millions the United State of America promised to help Book review: a different sort of journey in "Touch" Electronic Intifada: 30 Apr 2010 - From the very first page it is evident Palestinian author Adania Shibli's new book Touch will be a different sort of journey, one that cannot be immediately defined, if at all. Patricia Sarrafian Ward reviews for The Electronic Intifada. Report: Junior Israel lobbyist eavesdropped on Massad’s class at Columbia Mondoweiss - The pursuit of Joseph Massad at Columbia continues. Here's an excerpt from an investigation by Jared Malsin at Electronic Intifada . [A] student group at Columbia called Campus Media Watch (CMW), backed by the pro-Israeli media monitor the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (... Haniyeh: Fatah delegation to Gaza soon 4/29/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Thursday that a Fatah delegation would soon arrive in Gaza, affirming that contacts with the rival movement were ongoing. Speaking at a ceremony at the office of the de facto ministerial council to honor media organizations working in Gaza, he applauded recent remarks by Turkish officials urging an end to the siege of Gaza." We view Turkey's support to the Palestinians, and its continued affirmations of the necessity to end the siege imposed upon Gaza, with huge relief," the Hamas prime minister noted." When US President Barack Obama was elected, there was an atmosphere of optimism in the region, but US policy has exhibited no positive sign, but rather adopted the Israeli vision, and is pressuring the Palestinian Authority to return to negotiations," he added. Nablus teens selected to join US science fair 4/29/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Three teenagers studying in a United Nations-funded school in a refugee camp in the West Bank have been chosen to join 1,500 finalists, Nobel Laureates and leading scientific minds in the world's largest pre-college science fair where their prototype of an electric cane could win a $50,000 grand prize."They are the Albert Einsteins of tomorrow," the UN News Centre was told today by Chris Gunness, spokesperson for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), the agency that provides basic services to about 4. 7 million registered refugees."In the male-dominated world of science, for three refugee girls to find recognition on the international stage is incredible," Gunness said. Asil Shaar, Nour Al-Arda and Asil Abu Lil, all aged 14, teamed up for a science project at UNRWA's Askar Girls' School in Nablus, north of Jerusalem,. . . Palestinians gassed in Gaza tunnels, Hamas holds Egypt responsible Palestine Note 29 Apr 2010 - Hamas officials say Egyptian forces pumped noxious gas into Gaza smuggling tunnels on Wednesday, killing four workers, the Washington Post reports. Inside a Gaza tunnel. The Post reports: "Many of the tunnels, dug with electrical drills... Colombia’s FM: We share your resilience Jeruslalem Post 29 Apr 2010 - Says election's winner will back Israel. Colombia’s FM tells ‘Post’: We share your resilience Jeruslalem Post 29 Apr 2010 - Winner of presidential election next month will continue to back Israel, says Jaime Bermudez. Look to Israel for a case study in proportional representation's flaws | Seth Freedman The Guardian 29 Apr 2010 - PR can produce as fraught and fractious a system as FPTP Unease over the machinations of the British electoral process is prompting calls for electoral reform, with many commentators extolling the virtues of proportional representation (PR).... Caterpillar equipment used in extrajudicial killing near Hebron Electronic Intifada: 29 Apr 2010 - On Monday 26 April 2010, Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian man, Ali Ismael Ali Swaiti, 45, in Beit Awwa in the West Bank district of Hebron, after demolishing a house while he was inside. Israeli occupation forces claim that Ali Swaiti had been wanted for several years. Volvo equipment: Israel's weapons to destroy al-Walaja homes Electronic Intifada: 29 Apr 2010 - On 16 April, approximately 100 Palestinian villagers and internationals walked towards the construction site of Israel's wall in the occupied West Bank village of al-Walaja, four kilometers northwest of Bethlehem. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada. Villages contaminated by settlement sewage Electronic Intifada: 29 Apr 2010 - BEIT UMMAR, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Residents of this Palestinian village refuse to buy the idea that the flood of raw sewage from the adjacent Israeli settlement of Kfar Etzion, that destroyed vineyards and contaminated their drinking water, was an accident. PFLP leader calls for dismantling PA 4/28/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) politburo member Laila Khaled called Tuesday for dismantling the Palestinian Authority "if that body is the cause of Palestinian division." In Damascus, Khaled said division among Palestinians "is threatening the Palestinian national project."She said Palestinians "have not struggled throughout their history for an Authority, but for a homeland for a displaced people and people under occupation." Khaled spoke at an event held in solidarity with prisoners of Israel affiliated with the party. The event was held in the Jermana refugee camp, and attended by leaders of the PFLP and other Palestinian factions."In the light of the division, no one has the right to appoint himself as an authority of the homeland and the people," Khaled explained, saying "the Authority does not represent our people, because it is the product of. . ." Palestinian writer denies PA arrest reports 4/28/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an -Palestinian writer Walid Al-Hodali denied that he was arrested by Palestinian security forces in the West Bank. He told Ma'an that statements issued by factions and parties to demand releasing him were based on inaccurate information, affirming that "it was just questioning, and it did not last more two hours or so." Al-Hodali noted that though the preventive security department in Ramallah interrogated him on Monday, the conversation was pleasant. The commanding officer "insisted on taking me back home in his own car and apologized for the inconvenience."[end] Tibi removed from Knesset podium 4/28/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli Knesset Member Ahmad Tibi was removed from the Knesset plenum podium by ushers Wednesday, the Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Tibi was speaking regarding the Arab MKs' visit in Libya, which has sparked accusations of racism and discrimination against Palestinian citizens of Israel and their elected officials' freedom of movement. Deputy Knesset Speaker MK Carmel Shama instructed him to conclude and said, "Your time is up," to which he replied, "My time will be up when God decides so."The two argued until he was pulled away. According to the report, Tibi later addressed Shama again and said, "You are terrorizing me now," and Shama responded, "Terror doesn't usually come from our side."Tibi reportedly described the statement as "low." . . . . EGYPT: MUBARAK PROMISES FAIR ELECTIONS Palestine Note 28 Apr 2010 - THE 29-YEAR REIGNING PRESIDENT PLEDGES HIS COMMITMENT TO FAIR ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR Egypt's long-reigning president Hosni Mubarak announced Saturday that he is committed to fair elections next year, Al-Jazeera English reports. The president said in his... UC Berkeley set to vote on historic divestment bill Electronic Intifada: 28 Apr 2010 - On Wednesday 28 April, the UC Berkeley Student Senate will make a final attempt to pass a bill calling for divestment of university funds from companies that profit from Israel's war crimes and occupation of Palestine. Israel finds allies in Europe's Christian fundamentalists Electronic Intifada: 28 Apr 2010 - Flip through any issue of a major newspaper from the past decade and it is a safe bet you will be confronted with a warning about the dangers of religious extremism. So how could the mainstream media have failed to notice the growing influence of fundamentalists on the European Union's relations with one of its nearest neighbors: Israel? David Cronin analyzes for The Electronic Intifada. Palestinian prisoners hunger strike for better treatment Electronic Intifada: 28 Apr 2010 - GENEVA (IPS) - Raed Abu Hammad, 27, was allegedly kicked to death by Israeli prison wardens on 16 April. This while Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been on hunger strike since 7 April to press for better treatment. Israeli security forces "control the appointment of imams in Israel" Uruknet April 26, 2010 - The appointment of imams of mosques inside Israel is controlled by the Israeli internal security service. That is the claim made in the Israeli media, referring to Shin Bet's alleged determination of the appropriate candidates for the positions. According to Haaretz newspaper, "[Israel's] Interior Ministry employs 60 people whose job is to keep an eye on... IRAQ ELECTION TURMOIL COULD PROMPT CIVIL WAR Palestine Note 27 Apr 2010 - A COURT DECISION TO DISQUALIFY CANDIDATES FOR ALLEGED TIES TO THE BAATH PARTY PUSHES IRAQ TO THE TIPPING POINT Iraqi are boiling as a court threatens to disqualify dozens of candidates, including election winner Iyad Allawi,... Netanyahu sees resumption of negotiations with Palestinians Daily Star 27 Apr 2010 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "intends" to renew stalled peace negotiations, suggesting a breakthrough after months of deadlock. In a speech to party faithful of his right-wing Likud faction in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu suggested he hoped peace talks could resume as soon as next week. US hegemony, not "the lobby," behind complicity with Israel Electronic Intifada: 27 Apr 2010 - Many of Israel's critics blame an "Israel lobby" for the near-total complicity of the US in Israeli annexation, colonization and cleansing programs in the occupied West Bank. However, the lobby thesis does little to explain US foreign policy in the Middle East. Stephen Maher comments for The Electronic Intifada. Palestinians resist threat of eviction in Jaffa Electronic Intifada: 27 Apr 2010 - Amidst the crater-filled roads, crumbling art deco houses, Jewish-Israeli filled hummus joints and flashing blue lights of passing cop cars, Palestinian citizens of Israel are struggling to grasp onto the last neighborhood of Jaffa to remain a Palestinian majority -- Ajami. Carmelle Wolfson reports for The Electronic Intifada. Hamas: 25 supporters detained by PA police 4/26/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas said Monday that 25 party supporters and affiliates were detained by Palestinian Authority police across the West Bank. PA police raids targeted supporters in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Jerusalem, and Salfit, a statement said. On Saturday, Hamas condemned what it said was a wave of politically motivated arrests as well asthe dismissal of a Hamas-affiliate, and accused the Ramallah government of ramping up factional tensions. In its statement, Hamas released the names of 12 affiliates allegedly detained by PA security services in the West Bank, adding that all of the 12 were taken forcibly from their homes in the village of Baqat Al-Hatab near Qalqiliya. The statement said computers and personal effects were also confiscated from the 12 party supporters An additional four supporters were also detained, the statement said, from the municipal areas of Qalqiliya, Jenin,. . . PM: Israel plans no Syrian strike Jeruslalem Post 26 Apr 2010 - Netanyahu called for Likud to postpone internal party elections, for unity. Hamas: No elections without national unity PIC 27 Apr 2010 - Hamas rejected the decision by the illegitimate government of Salam Fayyad in Ramallah to organize municipal elections in the West Bank on 17/7/2010. Bahar slams Fayyad for intending to hold elections in W. Bank PIC 27 Apr 2010 - Dr. Ahmed Bahar deplored Fayyad for deciding to hold local elections in the West Bank alone without the Gaza Strip and warned that such a step would deepen the rift in the Palestinian arena. Hunger Strike by Palestinian Prisoners Cuts No Ice Mohammed Omer, Inter Press Service 4/24/2010 GENEVA, Apr 24, 2010 (IPS) - Raed Abu Hammad, 27, was allegedly kicked to death by Israeli prison wardens on Apr. 16. This while Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been on hunger strike since Apr. 7 to press for better treatment. Palestinian minister for prisoner affairs in the United States-backed government in the West Bank, Issa Qaraqi, said at a press conference on Thursday that an Israeli autopsy showed that Hammad had been kicked hard in the lower back. Qaraqi based his statement on a report he had received from a Palestinian doctor who was present at the autopsy. However, spokesman for the Israel Prisons Service, Yaron Zamir, maintains that results from the autopsy were still awaited. ‘’The claims made in relation to the prisoner dying after having been beaten are unfounded, untrue and misleading,’’ Zamir said in a statement. Qaraqi, who spoke with IPS over telephone, said that his ministry would be making a formal complaint in the Israeli courts asking for an immediate, in-depth investigation into the cause of Hammad’s death. Apr. 17, the day after Abu Hammad was fatally kicked, is observed in the Palestinian Occupied Territories as ‘The Day of Palestinian Prisoners’. The estimated total number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, detention centres is 7,500. Among these are, 330 children under the age of 18 years, 37 female prisoners and 15 members of the democratically elected legislative council and ministries. The prisoners are distributed in more than 18 prisons and detention centres across Israel and the West Bank, the biggest are the Negev Desert Prison and Ofer Prison, or what was formerly Incarceration Facility 385, close to the Palestinian city of Ramallah. more.. e-mail Israeli forces shoot two Palestinians, international activist in Gaza Electronic Intifada: 26 Apr 2010 - At a nonviolent demonstration on 24 April attended by 150 persons against the forceful cessation of farming within what Israel defines as a "buffer zone," two Palestinian demonstrators and one international activist were shot without warning. Gaza's calm determination Electronic Intifada: 26 Apr 2010 - To preserve my sense of purpose, and keep the Palestine struggle from becoming a lifeless abstraction, I need periodically to recharge my moral batteries by reconnecting with the actual people living under occupation and by witnessing firsthand the unfolding tragedy. From each trip I invariably carry away a handful of stark images that I fix in my mind's eye to dispel the occasional hesitations about staying the course. When the memories begin to fade I know it is time to return. Norman Finkelstein writes in this excerpt from his new book, This time we went too far PA: Municipal elections in Gaza to be delayed 4/25/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - The Palestinian Authority cabinet decided to retain the 17 June date for municipal elections in the West Bank, and to officially postpone elections in the Gaza Strip, documents from the Sunday proceedings said. Headed by Prime Minister Salam Fayyad the weekly cabinet meeting in Ramallah praised the Central elections Commission for what it called their "efforts, including the preparations and needed technical arrangements" ahead of the summer vote, "with all integrity and transparency." The Elections Commission had been charged with organizing municipal elections in the Gaza Strip, but de facto government officials there had refused the idea, saying unity should come before elections. Hamas officials noted controversy over the internal Fatah elections that took place in Bethlehem in August, saying that if Fatah could not hold transparent party elections, the people could not trust free and fair municipal elections either. Palestinian Authority approves July elections in West Bank Ha'aretz 25 Apr 2010 - Despite opposition from Hamas, Fayyad's Western-backed government decides to continue preparing for polls. Israel trying to resolve humanitarian crisis with Libya YNet News - Rightist MK demands Arab lawmakers visiting Libya be banned from next elections..... Sowing hate and reaping death Rami Elhanan, Occupation Magazine 4/18/2010 Shalom and good evening. My name is Rami Elhanan. Thirteen years ago, on the afternoon of Thursday the fourth of September 1997, I lost my daughter, my Smadar, in a suicide attack on Ben-Yehuda street in Jerusalem. A beautiful sweet joyous 14 year old girl. My Smadar was the granddaughter of the militant for peace, General (Ret.) Matti Peled, one of those who made the breakthrough to Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. And she was murdered because we were not wise enough to preserve her safety in Matti’s way, the only correct and possible way – the way of peace and reconciliation. I do not need a Remembrance Day in order to remember Smadari. I remember her all the time, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 60 seconds a minute. Without a pause, without a rest, for 13 long and accursed years now, and time does not heal the wound, and the unbearable lightness of continuing to exist remains a strange and unsolved riddle … But Israeli society very much needs Remembrance Days. From year to year, like clockwork, in the week after Passover, it is drawn into the annual ritual: from Holocaust to the Rebirth of the nation, a sea of ceremonies, sirens and songs – an entire people is swept into a whirlpool of addictive sweet sorrow, eyes tearful and shrouded; mutual embraces accompanied by `Occupation songs` and sickle and sword songs [1] against the background of images of lives that were cut short and heart-rending stories … and it is hard to avoid the feeling that this refined concentration of bereavement, fed directly into the vein, is intended to fortify our feeling of victimhood, the justice of our path and our struggle, to remind us of our catastrophes, which God forbid we should forget for a single moment. This is the choice of our lives – to be armed and ready, strong and resolute, lest the sword fall from our grasp and our lives be cut short.[2] And when all this great sorrow is dispersed with the smoke of the barbeques, [3] when Israelis return to their daily routines, I am left enveloped in great sorrow. I miss the old good Land of Israel that never existed, and I have feelings of alienation and estrangement that keep increasing with the passage of years, from war to war, from election to election, from corruption to corruption. more.. e-mail Earth Day In Israel: Apartheid Showing Through the Greenwash Palestine Monitor: 24 Apr 2010 - On April 22, as part of the global Earth Day celebrations, homes, offices and public buildings in 14 Israeli cities turned out the lights for one hour in an effort to "increase awareness of the vital need to reduce energy consumption." The Earth Day celebrations included scenes of green fields, wind generators and rainbows projected on the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem, the Green Globes Award ceremony recognizing "outstanding contributions to promote the environment" and a concert in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv powered by generators running on vegetable oil as well as volunteers on 48 bikes pedaling away to produce electricity. The irony was not lost on the 1.5 million residents of Gaza who have been living with daily power outages lasting hours on end for nearly three years due to the Israeli siege on the coastal territory. The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (... Earth Day in Israel: Apartheid Showing Through the Greenwash Palestine Chronicle: 24 Apr 2010 - By Stephanie Westbrook On April 22, as part of the global Earth Day celebrations, homes, offices and public buildings in 14 Israeli cities turned out the lights for one hour in an effort to "increase awareness of the vital need to reduce energy consumption." The Earth Day celebrations included scenes of green fields, wind generators and rainbows projected on the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem, the Green Globes Award ceremony recognizing "outstanding contributions to promote the environment" and a concert in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv powered by generators running on vegetable oil as well as volunteers on 48 bikes pedaling away to produce electricity. The irony was not lost on the 1.5 million residents of Gaza who have been living with daily power outages lasting hours on end for nearly three years due to the Israeli siege on the coastal territory. The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities...more Hamas: Wave of PA violence targeting supporters 4/24/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A wave of politically-motivated arrests and the sacking of a Hamas-affiliated teacher in the West Bank last week prompted a statement from Hamas officials condemning the incidents and accusing the Ramallah-government of ramping-up factional tensions. In its statement, Hamas released the names of 12 alleged affiliates reportedly detained by PA security services in the West Bank, adding that all of the 12 were taken forcibly from their homes in the village of Baqat Al-Hatab near Qalqiliya. The statement said computers and personal effects were also confiscated from the 12 party supporters An additional four supporters were also detained, the statement said, from the municipal areas of Qalqiliya, Jenin, and Salfit in the northern West Bank as well as in Ramallah in the center. The statement further accused Palestinian Authority officials of dismissing a teacher for his political beliefs from the Jayyous school in the Qalqiliya region. Earth Day In Israel: Apartheid Showing Through the Greenwash Palestine Monitor: 24 Apr 2010 - On April 22, as part of the global Earth Day celebrations, homes, offices and public buildings in 14 Israeli cities turned out the lights for one hour in an effort to "increase awareness of the vital need to reduce energy consumption." The Earth Day celebrations included scenes of green fields, wind generators and rainbows projected on the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem, the Green Globes Award ceremony recognizing "outstanding contributions to promote the environment" and a concert in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv powered by generators running on vegetable oil as well as volunteers on 48 bikes pedaling away to produce electricity. The irony was not lost on the 1.5 million residents of Gaza who have been living with daily power outages lasting hours on end for nearly three years due to the Israeli siege on the coastal territory. The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (... Earth Day in Israel: Apartheid Showing Through the Greenwash Palestine Chronicle: 24 Apr 2010 - By Stephanie Westbrook On April 22, as part of the global Earth Day celebrations, homes, offices and public buildings in 14 Israeli cities turned out the lights for one hour in an effort to "increase awareness of the vital need to reduce energy consumption." The Earth Day celebrations included scenes of green fields, wind generators and rainbows projected on the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem, the Green Globes Award ceremony recognizing "outstanding contributions to promote the environment" and a concert in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv powered by generators running on vegetable oil as well as volunteers on 48 bikes pedaling away to produce electricity. The irony was not lost on the 1.5 million residents of Gaza who have been living with daily power outages lasting hours on end for nearly three years due to the Israeli siege on the coastal territory. The Israeli Coordinator of Government Activities...more What Anglicans Need is Another Tutu Palestine Chronicle: 24 Apr 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood - London My ears pricked up when I heard the Archbishop of Canterbury was planning a visit to Gaza last February, and Lambeth Palace (his headquarters in London) was "actively engaged in humanitarian relief and advocacy". I asked for more information. Whom would he meet? Would he see the health minister? Would he sit down and talk with elected prime minister Ismail Haniyeh, man of God to man of God, Mr Haniyeh being an imam? I’d like to be a fly on the wall at such a meeting. Would he "do Gaza proud by spending a generous amount of his time with senior members of the Islamic faith"? And would he look up Fr Manuel Mussallam, the redoubtable old priest who was a mainstay of the Christian community thoughout Gaza's darkest hours and tells it straight? His office didn't reply. Looking at his website again now, I...more Hamas is accused of being moderate LA Times 22 Apr 2010 - Hard-liners in the Gaza Strip say the militant group has become too soft on Israel now that it’s running a government and dealing with foreign officials. Hamas, the Palestinian faction viewed by many in the West as a nest of terrorists and Islamic hard-liners, is battling a curious new epithet: moderate. Travel ban imposed on Palestinian leader in Israel Electronic Intifada: 23 Apr 2010 - This morning, the Israeli Border Police prevented Mr. Ameer Makhoul, the Director of Ittijah - Union of Arab Community-Based Associations inside Israel, from leaving the country. Makhoul, who also serves as the head of the Popular Committee for the Defense of Political Freedoms, received a prohibition order from leaving the country upon his arrival to the Jordan River Crossing. Israel winning its war on goats Electronic Intifada: 23 Apr 2010 - GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - Nine-year-old Ismail spends every afternoon herding his family's flock of sheep and goats, a scraggly group of roughly 20 animals. They live in a shanty house district near Tel al-Howa in Gaza City, where growth is sparse to non-existent. Former Minister Of Detainees Released From Israeli Prison IMEMC - Thursday April 22, 2010 - 08:20, The Israeli Authorities released on Wednesday former Palestinian Minister of Detainees, Wasfi Qabha, who was arrested along with several Hamas ministers and elected officials last year. Rafah faces water, power crises 4/22/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Adding to the misery of more than eight hours of blackouts on a daily basis, Rafah residents report that water has not reached their homes in days following a re-routing of Egyptian power lines from pumping stations. In the wake of the last power crisis in the Gaza Strip, government officials announced projects that would spread available power resources from Israel and Egypt to areas beyond the southern and northernmost residential areas hooked up to the grids, in an attempt to provide the central region with emergency power supplies. In order to provide areas of Khan Younis with reliable power, however, Rafah residents say electricity in the city was diverted from water stations, and an impending water shortage meant homes were provided with water for six hours every four days. Representative for the Gaza power plant Jamal Dardasawi said the recent problems in Rafah were. . . PCHR Organizes Three Meetings on Political Participation and Elections PCHR 21 Apr 2010 - Ref: 45/2010 During this week, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ (PCHR) Democratic Development Unit (DDU) organized three meetings on political participation and elections, in cooperation with three local organizations in the Gaza Strip..... Hamas is accused of being moderate LA Times 22 Apr 2010 - Hard-liners in the Gaza Strip say the militant group has become too soft on Israel now that it’s running a government and dealing with foreign officials. Hamas, the Palestinian faction viewed by many in the West as a nest of terrorists and Islamic hard-liners, is battling a curious new epithet: moderate. Right of return not negotiable Electronic Intifada: 22 Apr 2010 - Washington insiders are now touting a misguided Obama-dictated plan to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Most recently, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Stephen Solarz took to the pages of The Washington Post to float the idea of an imposed peace, which largely undermines non-negotiable historic Palestinian rights. As a Palestinian, I believe that any plan that seeks to sacrifice our inalienable human rights to ensure race-based majorities in Israel will fail. Ahmed Moor comments. Veolia tries to spin its involvement in the occupation Electronic Intifada: 22 Apr 2010 - By participating in the touring Veolia Wildlife Photographer of the Year Exhibition , the French transnational company Veolia Environnement is attempting to spin its image that has been tarnished by the exposure of its involvement in the Israeli occupation. Adri Nieuwhof reports for The Electronic Intifada. De facto gov’t to implement same tax system as PA 4/21/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The de facto government will implement taxes ratified by the Palestinian Legislative Council before the 2006 elections, the Gaza minister of economy said Wednesday."New taxes were not imposed upon Gaza residents; rather it was decided to implement the taxation and financial systems that are in place in the Palestinian Authority territories," Gaza-based minister Ziad Ath-Thatha said, adding that the system was previously approved by the PLC before the 2006 elections. The tobacco tax, the minister said, was previously fixed at seven shekels per pack entering Gaza, the revenue of which "went to the occupation and groups working with it."The new tax on cigarettes is three shekels, he said, "which is the minimum imposed on domestic production, and less than the [tax] previously imposed."The de facto minister added that there was no cause for objection to the tobacco tax because. . . Masri to Fatah: Release detainees to confront Israeli challenge PIC 21 Apr 2010 - MP Mushir Al-Masri called on Fatah faction release the Palestinian resistance fighters from its jails in order to respond to the Israeli decision to deport Palestinians from the West Bank. Gil Scott-Heron: don't play apartheid Israel! Electronic Intifada: 21 Apr 2010 - The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel is gravely disappointed by the announcement that well-known, progressive artist Gil Scott-Heron is due to perform in Israel on 25 May. We call upon Mr. Scott-Heron, a member of United Artists Against Apartheid in the 1980s and a featured singer on the breakthrough song "Don't Play Sun City," not to play apartheid Israel. Hamas vows to carry out more executions Electronic Intifada: 21 Apr 2010 - GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - The Hamas authorities in Gaza have vowed to carry out more executions of those on death row despite intense international criticism and condemnation from both Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups. Palestinian Factions Meet In Gaza IMEMC - Wednesday April 21, 2010 - 03:28, Palestinian factions, including the rival Fateh and Hamas movements, held on Tuesday a meeting in northern Gaza to discuss the latest Israeli decision to deport thousands of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank. Qatar weighs in on Palestinian unity deal 4/20/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Qatar has put forward a comprehensive initiative for Palestinian reconciliation with Egyptian, Syrian and Saudi support, the secretary of the Higher Follow Up committee said Tuesday. Khaled Abdul Majeed told the Jordanian Al-Ghad newspaper from Damascus that the initiative includes Palestinian unity, the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and Palestinian prisoners, opening Gaza's crossings and alleviating the siege imposed on the coastal enclave. A parallel proposal was put forward by Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa which involves identifying practical extensions to the Egyptian document, giving both Fatah and Hamas the guarantees they seek, Abdul Majeed told the newspaper. If both factions agree upon the deal, Fatah and Hamas will be invited to ratify the document in Cairo followed by other Palestinian factions, he added. Military medics mark 4 years of Hamas rule 4/20/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Palestinian Military Medical Services marched toward Gaza's parliament building Monday, marking over four years since Hamas' victory in the January 2006 general elections. Crowds of doctors, nurses, and administrative staff participated in the rally and were welcomed by a number of Palestinian Legislative Council members in Gaza City. Ahmad Bahar, the PLC's deputy speaker, told gatherers that "the medical staff were able to prove themselves by providing distinctive health services and care for Gazans despite Israel's blockade."Abdul Qader Al-Arbid, general director of medical services, saidstaff "came today to assure [the government] that the medical services stand alongside Palestinian legitimacy." Report: Abbas in poor health 4/20/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - President Mahmoud Abbas is in poor health, an Arabic-language newspaper reported Tuesday. The London-based daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that Abbas visited a private hospital in Jordan several times in recent weeks. According to the report, Abbas has received treatment in a special wing and has asked that doctors keep his illness under wraps. Fatah Central Committe member Azzam Al-Ahmad dismissed reports of any serious illness, but confirmed that doctors had indeed asked the Palestinian leader to rest for a few weeks. Last month, Abbas was lightly injured after falling in his hotel room in Amman, Jordan. Abbas, 75, has served as head of the PLO since 2004. He was elected president in 2005. Fatah leader dismisses Abbas illness ’rumors’ 4/20/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas is perfectly healthy, a top Fatah official insisted Tuesday amid Arabic-language news reports that the PLO chief is seriously ill. Fatah Central Committee member Azzam Al-Ahmad dismissed as rumors a report by the London-based daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi that Abbas loyalists were covering up his condition. Al-Ahmad told Ma'an that Abbas' doctors had asked the Palestinian leader to take it easy for six weeks after he was was lightly injured when falling in his hotel room in Amman last month. Al-Quds reported that Abbas has visited a private hospital in Jordan several times in recent weeks for treatment in a special wing, and that he has asked doctors to keep his illness under wraps. Abbas, 75, has served as head of the PLO since 2004. He was elected president in 2005. Palestinians mark Prisoners' Day PNN - Hamas and Fatah have joined crowds of Palestinians in calling on Israel to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails. Representatives of the rival factions staged a protest and 24-hour... Israeli company to launch world's first electric taxi fleet in Tokyo Ha'aretz 20 Apr 2010 - Better Place firm, set to urn pilot, stated Tokyo has 60,000 taxis, more than New York, Hong Kong. Palestinian armed factions grave threat to Lebanon's security - Ban Daily Star 20 Apr 2010 BEIRUT: The continued presence of Palestinian armed factions in Lebanon constitutes a serious threat to national and regional security, according to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The alleged transfer of Syria-exported Scud missiles to Hizbullah is also a major cause of international concern, the UN chief said. In his latest interim report on Video: US Jews break Israel's "Law of Return" Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 - As US Jews, we have an automatic right to Israeli citizenship under Israel's "Law of Return," while many Palestinians have not been able to return home in over 60 years. It is not right that we may "return" to a state that is not ours while Palestinians are excluded and continuously dispossessed. Gil Scott-Heron: don't go to the moon Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 - In an open letter to musician Gil Scott-Heron, The Electronic Intifada's Matthew Cassel urges him to cancel his upcoming concert in Tel Aviv: "Your scheduled concert in Tel Aviv is in direct violation of the call by Palestinian civil society for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel. A similar boycott, which you full-heartedly supported, was called for in South Africa and helped bring an end to apartheid in that country." El Al sued for racial profiling Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 - Two Palestinian citizens of Israel have won $8,000 in damages from Israel's national carrier, El Al, after a court found that their treatment by the company's security staff at a New York airport had been "abusive and unnecessary." Jonathan Cook reports. Israeli forces besiege Prisoners Day commemoration Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 - BEIT UMMAR, occupied West Bank (IPS) - A young Palestinian man died in Israeli custody as hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of villages and towns across the West Bank and Gaza to commemorate Palestinian Prisoners Day on Friday, 16 April. Book Review: Norman Finkelstein's "This time we went too far" Electronic Intifada: 20 Apr 2010 - Despite Israel's attempts to spin its 2008 Gaza invasion, global public opinion of Israel has sunk to an all-time low. In his latest book, "This Time We Went Too Far ," Norman Finkelstein argues that Gaza marked a turning point in public opinion reminiscent of the international reaction to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre in South Africa. Ziyaad Lunat reviews for The Electronic Intifada. PA public works minister tenders resignation 4/19/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Minister of Public Works Mohammad Shtayyeh tendered his resignation on Monday, informing President Mahmoud Abbas and the Ministers Council that he wished to resign his public office. Shtayyeh cited his desire to devote his energies to the Fatah movement, to which he was elected a member of the Central Committee in August. During the Sixth Fatah Conference, delegates decided to implement a party regulation requiring members voted into the Central Committee would not be permitted to hold public office. Shtayyeh was managing director of the Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR, an institution tasked by the Palestinian Authority to supervise donor-financed projects) in 1996 and a founding member of the Palestinian Development Fund. He has been active in the Hamas-Fatah unity negotiations. PJS chief visits Ma’an 4/19/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Head of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate Abdul Nasser An-Najjar visited the Ma'an Network headquarters in Bethlehem on Monday, accompanied by journalist Khalil Shahin. The chief was welcomed by Ma'an's Editor-in-Chief Nasser Al-Lahham who briefed him on the various departments within the network. An-Najjar discussed a number of issues relating to journalism in the occupied Palestinian territories with Ma'an's newsroom, and commended Ma'an journalists for their work. The PJS chief added that the union vows to provide professional support for the Ma'an news team and to all Palestinian journalists. Al-Lahham praised An-Najjar's efforts to serve Palestinian media since his election in 2010 and wished him success in his new position. Medical solidarity with Gaza: in conversation with Mads Gilbert Uruknet April 19, 2010 - Ahead of the English publication of his book Eyes in Gaza (co-authored with Dr. Erik Fosse), Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert spoke to The Electronic Intifada about what he witnessed during Operation Cast Lead, Israel's three-week long assault on the Gaza Strip starting in December 2008, during which more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed and thousands more... Palestinians mark Prisoners' Day PNN - Hamas and Fatah have joined crowds of Palestinians in calling on Israel to free thousands of Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli jails. Representatives of the rival factions staged a protest and 24-hour... Hammad: Taking over Gaza was a necessary step to end chaos PIC 19 Apr 2010 - Palestinian minister of interior Fathi Hammad stated Monday that the armed takeover of the Gaza Strip was never on the agenda of the elected Palestinian government or Hamas Movement.. Boldness vs. Bullets At The Gaza Border Max Ajl, Truthout 4/19/2010 The razor-wire and concrete frontier between Israel and Gaza is intermittently interrupted by remote-controlled metal observation towers equipped with motion sensors. When the sensors detect something, the metal petals atop the towers peel back, blooming. A small bloom means the interior camera is peering around. A big bloom occurs when the people controlling the machine guns inside the turret are thinking about blasting someone. On Tuesday, in a border area near Atatra, a neighborhood in Beit Lehiya in northern Gaza, the top only opened a little - just looking around. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) software operator saw us nearing the border, perhaps 200 Palestinians and seven internationals. The Palestinians marched, boisterously and peacefully, holding a banner reading "No for the security wall and we call on international society for urgent intervention to stop the Israeli violations of Palestinian rights." The bigger group of them stopped maybe 150 meters of the border, well within the Israel-decreed buffer zone. The bolder youth surged forward, to the first string of barbed wire, maybe 25 meters from the border, then around it, past the ring road, then nearly to the border fence. There they defiantly planted a Palestinian flag. They climbed on top of a metal structure, maybe formerly used for transmitting electricity, and planted several Palestinian flags. I mentioned to another international, Rada, that "someone was going to get shot," we were so close to the border. I guessed wrong, luckily. And there we waited. We didn’t wait too long. First one jeep, then two, then three, drove up in a tremendous hurry. IDF marksmen rushed from the jeeps and took up sniping positions on a sand-dune overlooking the enemy: in this case peaceful Palestinian demonstrators clustered on their own land, with a few international witnesses, and a lot of clearly visible press wearing blue flak jackets. more.. e-mail Beit Sahour: a microcosm of Israeli colonization Electronic Intifada: 19 Apr 2010 - Har Homa settlement's impact on the Palestinian community has been devastating, with the town of Beit Sahour now dominated by the ever-expanding settlement. While many are aware of Beit Sahour's famous nonviolent resistance during the first Palestinian intifada (1987-1993), less well-known is how Israeli rule continues to choke the town. Ben White reports for The Electronic Intifada. Palestine's first independent think tank launched Electronic Intifada: 19 Apr 2010 - Last week, Al-Shabaka, The Palestinian Policy Network, was launched ( www.al-shabaka.org ). Al-Shabaka, which means "The Network," is the first independent strategy and policy-related think tank for Palestinians and by Palestinians. Medical solidarity with Gaza: in conversation with Mads Gilbert Electronic Intifada: 19 Apr 2010 - Ahead of the English publication of his book Eyes in Gaza (co-authored with Dr. Erik Fosse), Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert recently spoke with The Electronic Intifada contributor Stefan Christoff about what he witnessed during Operation Cast Lead, Israel's three-week long assault on the Gaza Strip starting in December 2008, during which more than 1,400 Palestinians were killed and thousands more injured. Israel's Stooges Battle for British Votes Palestine Chronicle: 18 Apr 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood - London We can already see how disastrously the US election turned out, not just for Americans but the rest of us also. "The US president is simply the voice of the Zionist parasite," writes a friend in Norway. "It is sickening and frightening that Obama is seen toeing the Zionist line. "Zionism has the US administration and other western governments by the balls." Well, that's certainly the way it looks. Last month Israel's prime minister Netanyahu slapped America in the face by approving more illegal settlements during vice-president Joe Biden's visit. What did Secretary of State Hillary Clinton do? She repeated the pathetic mantra: "We have an absolute commitment to Israel's security. We have a close unshakeable bond between the United States and Israel and between the American and Israeli people". Clinton completed her surrender to the Israeli terror machine by sharing the AIPAC Conference platform...more Haniyeh: Reconcile for the prisoners 4/18/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of the de facto government in Gaza, on Saturday said a national reconciliation agreement, possible only if both Palestinian governments unite, would serve the interests of prisoners in Israeli custody."We must achieve reconciliation, and the Arabs should help us get America's pressure off the Palestinian people's back," Haniyeh said at the Ministry of Detainees and Ex-detainees Affairs in Gaza City. Addressing a Palestinian Legislative Council meeting at the ministry building, Haniyeh also called on Arab and Muslim governments to take responsibility for supporting prisoners and their families. He also called for "the resistance in the West Bank to unite with the resistance in Gaza, which is defending the land."Ahmad Bahar, the deputy PLC speaker, also demanded that Palestinian forces, factions, and official institutions unite on behalf of. . . Hamas, Fatah close ranks to call on Israel to free prisoners Daily Star 19 Apr 2010 GAZA CITY: Hamas and Fatah closed ranks on Saturday to mark Palestinian Prisoners' Day on Saturday, in the first joint initiative by the bitter rivals since the latter was routed from Gaza in 2007.Representatives of the two factions, joined by members of smaller militant groups, relatives of prisoners and international activists, staged a sit-down protest Israel's Stooges Battle for British Votes Palestine Chronicle: 18 Apr 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood - London We can already see how disastrously the US election turned out, not just for Americans but the rest of us also. "The US president is simply the voice of the Zionist parasite," writes a friend in Norway. "It is sickening and frightening that Obama is seen toeing the Zionist line. "Zionism has the US administration and other western governments by the balls." Well, that's certainly the way it looks. Last month Israel's prime minister Netanyahu slapped America in the face by approving more illegal settlements during vice-president Joe Biden's visit. What did Secretary of State Hillary Clinton do? She repeated the pathetic mantra: "We have an absolute commitment to Israel's security. We have a close unshakeable bond between the United States and Israel and between the American and Israeli people". Clinton completed her surrender to the Israeli terror machine by sharing the AIPAC Conference platform...more Dozens in Gaza join prison hunger strike 4/17/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Dozens of young men from several factions held a sit-in protest in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City on Saturday, marking Palestinian Prisoners Day. Saber Abu Karsh, head of the Wa'ed Prisoners Society, said "all Palestinian factions are united in solidarity with the prisoners and, in support of their cause, join their hunger strike inside the Israeli jails."Nash'et Al-Wheidi, member of the Popular Movement to Support Prisoners, said "this tent was erected to support the prisoners in Israeli jails and to demand an end to the division that has harmed the prisoners' cause." Last week, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Qaraqe said the Israeli Prison Service has applied punitive measures to 36 Palestinian female prisoners in the Ad-Damun prison in response to the general hunger strike that began on 7 April. Fatah-Hamas conference calls for 'end to nightmare' 4/17/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - A joint news conference held by Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayyeh and Fatah official Salah Abu Khalta on Saturday called for immediate action to resolve inter-factional rivalry."Its time to remove the nightmare of hatred [between the two factions] because the national cause is violated every day," Al-Hayyeh said, during a sit-in in Gaza City in front of the Red Cross headquarters marking Prisoners Day. Al-Hayyeh said national unity is popular among Palestinians and is a "national demand" that should be achieved." There is an American veto on national reconciliation, the Hamas leader said, adding that this veto must be "broken to achieve unity."Abu Khatla said Palestinian detainees have "reunited the people. Everyone should unit to end prisoners' suffering."The Fatah official added that President Mahmoud Abbas and Fatah's Central Committee praised the participants in the sit-in tent and those on hunger-strikes. Israel’s stooges battle for British votes Uruknet April 17, 2010 - We can already see how disastrously the US election turned out, not just for Americans but the rest of us also. "The US president is simply the voice of the Zionist parasite," writes a friend in Norway. "It is sickening and frightening that Obama is seen toeing the Zionist line. "Zionism has the US administration and... Dozens in Gaza join prison hunger strike Uruknet April 17, 2010 – Dozens of young men from several factions held a sit-in protest in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City on Saturday, marking Palestinian Prisoners Day. Saber Abu Karsh, head of the Wa'ed Prisoners Society, said "all Palestinian factions are united in solidarity with the prisoners and, in support of their cause, join their hunger... Report: Obama to push Israel to renew peace talks YNet News 17 Apr 2010 - Al-Sharq al-Awsat quotes Israeli sources in Paris as saying US president told French counterpart he does not plan to ease pressure on Israel to resume peace negotiations – even at cost of Congress elections Ghoul calls for capturing more Israeli soldiers PIC 17 Apr 2010 - Palestinian minister of prisoners in Gaza Mohammed Al-Ghoul has renewed his call on Palestinian resistance factions to capture more Israeli soldiers to trade them for Palestinian prisoners. Deir Yassin’s inextinguishable fire Dina Elmuti, Deir Yassin, Israeli Occupation Archive 4/16/2010 “They will not criminalize us, rob us of our true identity, steal our individualism, depoliticize us, churn us out as systemized, institutionalized, decent law-abiding robots. We refuse to lie here in dishonor!” - Bobby Sands, Provisional Irish Republican Army It’s as if the very moment I passed by Bab al-Amud or Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City, I was transported back in time to a forbidden place, a place I was forced to feel as though I was illegally trespassing through just by gazing at it, a place now belonging to others. “This place you talk about no longer exists. It’s been long gone.” That’s what they continue to say with such impunity and disregard, but those sentiments of deterrence wouldn’t stop me. They never had before, and they wouldn’t stand a chance now. I was determined to go back, to see it all again with my own eyes, to capture every sight so the memories would be engraved in my head forever, despite any and all pretentious constructions that would be made without our permission. Despite all the renovations and reconstructions to make it “their own,” it would always be Deir Yassin to me. “Deir Yassin,” she says with a sadness, a sense of loss in her eyes each time she speaks of the atrocious day she lost her home. “Deir Yassin,” she says with a childlike innocence in her voice as she recalls sweet memories before her entire world was completely denatured by evil. “Deir Yassin,” the imperishable words of my grandmother continue to resonate with me each day for she made me promise to never forget, and that’s a promise I intend to keep to her. I followed the imperiously-placed road signs leading to Givat Shaul until the memories began flooding back, one by one. With no place to park, I took the chance of leaving the yellow-plated car on the side of the road, near the abandoned blue fence so I would be able to step back in time on foot. In the cool breeze of that afternoon, standing on the ledge overlooking the Har HaMenuchot cemetery in scenic view of the Jewish Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, I inhaled deeply and digested the view of what was now known as Givat Shaul. As I stood there taking in the surreal surroundings of Mount Herzl and Yad Vashem, I was overcome by emotions as the tales of my grandmother soon came to life right before my very eyes. -- See also: Source more.. e-mail Rallies in Gaza call for abduction of Israeli soldiers 4/16/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Marking Prisoners Day, large rallies were organized by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Jabaliya and Khan Younis areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, where officials called for the capture of Israeli soldiers to exchange for the freedom of Palestinians. Hamas representative in the northern Gaza governorate Abed Al-Latif Al-Qanu told protesters that the "release of Palestinian prisoners will not be achieved until we have more soldiers" to bargain with. Islamic Jihad leader Mohammad Al-Hindi told the assembled group that Prisoners Day should be a day of silence across the Arab world, and taken as an opportunity for Palestinian factions to unify out of respect for those being held in Israeli jails. Marwan Barghouthi marks 8th anniversary of imprisonment 4/17/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Thursday marked the 8th anniversary of the abduction and imprisonment of Marwan Barghouthi by Israeli forces, in honor of which the detained PLC member presented a summation of the current Palestinian situation. The Palestinian leader, credited with cobbling together the Prisoners Document in 2007, which laid out a plan for Palestinian reconciliation following the first months of Fatah-Hamas violence, again urged rival factions to "put the black days of division" behind them. Palestinians must rally together under their common national interests, Barghouthi said, reminding that all "are committed to our national message and we will always remain faithful to all martyrs and detainees at Israeli prisons. We are keen on the right of return and protecting Jerusalem and the Holy sites." He called on Hamas officials to sign the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation document, saying the solution was a viable one and would put an end to division. Fatah-aligned Sami Al-Ghoul Brigades call for resistance 4/16/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - A small militant brigade aligned with the Fatah movement announced its committment to continued resistance in a statement made public on Friday. The group, known as the Sami Al-Ghoul Brigades, last claimed an attack on Israel one year ago, on Friday 17 April 2009. In a statement released at the time, which was reiterated almost word for word in the Friday statement, said the group was committed to resistance activities and called on all military wings of Palestinian factions to declare a state of high alert and be ready to defend the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem from colonizing settlers. The latest statement, rather than rallying calls around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, called on allresistance brigades to stay committed to resistance and stay faithful to martyrs and detainees. The statement also noted that they remain loyal to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and the caretaker Palestinian leadership. Begin was right, deportation is a Nazi policy Daoud Kuttab, Ma’an News Agency 4/16/2010 There is a reason for the fact, that in modern times laws are written by representatives of the people to whom they are applied: Governments and parliaments come and go, but laws often outlive them. Except in dictatorships, laws are not written by the executives who enforce them or the judges who interpret them. Even some totalitarian rulers create a symbolic legislature, made up of people’s representatives to write new laws into existance. Laws were not mean to be written by foreign rulers, and certainly not by foreign military rulers. Well, everywhere except in the occupied Palestinian territories. When the Israeli army occupied Palestinian lands in 1967, the Israeli military commander issued an order giving himself the sole right to legislate for the people under his army’s control. Military order number one combined executive, legislative and judicial powers regarding Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza. Since then, thousands of laws have been issued by successive military commanders who single-handedly amend existing laws or issue totally ones without discussion, debate or even a public announcement. The orders are issued in Hebrew and the Palestinian public is by and large unaware of their existence. As a responce, the Palestinian human rights organisation Al-Haq began, in the 1980s, the hard work or translating and publishing these laws. One of the co-founders of the human rights organization, Raja Shehadeh, wrote an entire book on the process of Israeli control of the West Bank. The mechanisms of occupation, he wrote, turn around the concept of the "rule of law" to "rule by law." This long introduction is meant to highlight the Kafkaesque legal structure that Palestinians under occupation are subject to. They have an elected Palestinian parliament whose laws are argued by civilians coming from the communities where the laws are to be implemented.... more.. e-mail "In the eyes of the state, we don't exist here" Electronic Intifada: 16 Apr 2010 - In addition to destroying homes in three areas of the West Bank this week, Israeli forces this week invaded villages inside Israel and bulldozed and handed out further demolition orders. Nora Barrows-Friedman reports for The Electronic Intifada. Did banned media report foretell of Gaza war crimes? Electronic Intifada: 15 Apr 2010 - An Arab member of the Israeli parliament is demanding that a newspaper be allowed to publish an investigative report that was suppressed days before Israel attacked Gaza in winter 2008. The investigation by Uri Blau, who has been in hiding since December to avoid arrest, concerned Israeli preparations for the impending assault on Gaza, known as Operation Cast Lead. Jonathan Cook reports. Is US Embassy in Lebanon Squandering Its Diplomatic Immunity? Palestine Chronicle: 16 Apr 2010 - By Franklin Lamb - Beirut Tensions are rising in Lebanon between elected representatives in Parliament, 'Unity' Cabinet members and the American Embassy, as the 27th anniversary of the attack 1983 attack on the US Embassy approaches and the Embassy issues another warning for Americans to leave Lebanon. On March 29, 2010 the US Embassy instructed Americans not to travel to Lebanon citing 'safety and security concerns." Simultaneously it warned those who are in Lebanon to seriously consider leaving. Advising that, Lebanon, placed on a US list of 14 countries "linked to Terrorism" following the Christmas Day attempted aircraft bombing near Detroit, has "the potential for a spontaneous upsurge in violence , US citizens living and working in Lebanon should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks, as Embassy personnel may not be able to aid them in case of conflict." The "Warder Warning" to American...more 6 truckloads of wood, aluminum permitted to enter Gaza 4/15/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - For the first time in three years, Israeli authorities allowed limited quantities of wood and aluminum into the Gaza Strip via its southern Kerem Shalom crossing on Thursday. Raed Fattouh, a Palestinian liaison official in Gaza, said the goods would come as part of an expected 112 - 122 truckloads of aid, commercial and agricultural goods, including three truckloads of goods for the cellular provider Jawwal, and two for the electricity company. Limited quantities of fuel and domestic-use fuel will also be pumped into the Strip, Fattouh said. Two truckloads of cut carnations are expected to exit the Strip, under a continuing Dutch government program to support Gaza farmers. On Monday, Israel informed the Palestinian Authority that aluminum and wood would be permitted into Gaza, but did not cite reasons for the change of policy. Israel prohibited the entry of a number of construction goods, including aluminum, since Hamas' takeover of the coastal enclave in June 2007. Sayel: Egyptian natural gas is the best solution to Gaza power crisis PIC 15 Apr 2010 - Director of Palestine electricity company Walid Sayel on Wednesday called on Egypt to provide Gaza power station with natural gas as the optimal radical solution to the crisis. Gazans Gassed By Silent Killer Mel Frykberg, Inter Press Service, CounterCurrents 4/13/2010 GAZA CITY, Apr 13, 2010 (IPS) - "You feel very sleepy and dizzy. You put your head down and all you want to do is sleep. Everything feels very peaceful, you are not even aware what is happening and if there is no immediate intervention you are dead within minutes," Enaam Abu Nada told IPS. Abu Nada is one of the lucky ones who lived to tell the tale. In February the aid worker and her 20-year-old daughter Nevine were working in their Gaza city apartment near a generator, to provide emergency electricity, when they were both overcome with carbon monoxide poisoning from it. What saved Abu Nada and Nevine’s lives, according to doctors, is that Nevine had eaten a meal not long before they started breathing in the toxic fumes from the generator. Her digestive system reacted strongly to the poisoning of her blood, which was taking place without her knowledge. "Nevine started complaining of a vicious headache. She was sweating and vomiting and collapsed on the floor. I tried to get out of my chair and open the door to call for help but I was almost paralysed and my body was too weak. All I could do was bang feebly on the door," recalls Abu Nada. "Eventually I managed to attract the attention of my son who rushed us both to hospital where I spent the night and was given an injection, oxygen and medicine. I’m still recovering from the ordeal. My sight has been affected and I ache all over," Abu Nada told IPS. Israel’s siege on the Gaza strip, enforced since Hamas took control of Gaza in June 2007, has resulted in chronic fuel and electricity shortages. These have caused rolling blackouts which seriously threaten the delivery of emergency services provided by hospitals and waste water treatment plants amongst others. more.. e-mail Did banned media report foretell of Gaza war crimes? Electronic Intifada: 15 Apr 2010 - An Arab member of the Israeli parliament is demanding that a newspaper be allowed to publish an investigative report that was suppressed days before Israel attacked Gaza in winter 2008. The investigation by Uri Blau, who has been in hiding since December to avoid arrest, concerned Israeli preparations for the impending assault on Gaza, known as Operation Cast Lead. Jonathan Cook reports. Adding torture to injury Electronic Intifada: 15 Apr 2010 - GAZA (IPS) - It was bad enough that Ahmad Asfour was severely maimed by an Israeli drone strike outside his house on 9 January 2009. But, his search for advanced treatment landed the journalism student, now 19, in Israeli prison where he remains. Film review: Missed opportunities in "Checkpoint Rock" Electronic Intifada: 15 Apr 2010 - Sometime early this decade the Israeli army issued a military order banning Palestinian musicians from using simile and metaphors. This order also prevented them from singing about anything but the occupation. Ok, that's not actually true. But if your only contact with Palestinian music was through the documentary Checkpoint Rock you could be forgiven for coming to that conclusion. Jimmy Johnson reviews for The Electronic Intifada. Israel's manufactured outrage over a presidential palace Electronic Intifada: 15 Apr 2010 - Israel's hysterical reaction -- and the US support of it -- to the building of a Palestinian Authority presidential compound on a street named after a Hamas military commander, is hardly surprising. Of note however is the double-standard exhibited by Israel and its patron, the US. The assumption throughout is that Israel's actions are just, defensive and in pursuit of peace for all. Conversely, Palestinian actions are aggressive and evil, and worthy of worldwide condemnation. Stephen Maher comments for The Electronic Intifada. PFLP: 3 mortars fired at Israeli forces in Gaza 4/14/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Operatives affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said they launched three mortars against Israeli forces east of Gaza City on Wednesday. The PFLP's Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said its forces attacked a patrol accompanied by a military bulldozer stationed at the eastern cemetery between Gaza City and Israel. The purported attack came in response to "Israeli attacks and crimes against Palestinians and detainees," the leftist Palestinian faction explained in a statement. An Israeli military spokesman said he was aware of no such attack. [end] Time for change 20 years after Lebanon's civil war Palestine Note 14 Apr 2010 - Beirut - Since the general elections in Lebanon last June, which kept the Western and Saudi-backed March 14th alliance in power and ushered Saad Hariri to the premiership, there has been an air of appeasement among... An immaculate conception? Electronic Intifada: 14 Apr 2010 - The Palestinian Authority is pregnant! Indeed, it is the unelected and American-imposed Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad who is pregnant. He told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz in a recent interview that "the time for this baby to be born will come ... and we estimate it will come around 2011." Unlike females of the human species but like female whales, the gestation period for male Palestinian collaborators with the Israeli occupation extends at least to two years. Joseph Massad comments. Grassroots organizer targeted by PA, Israeli forces Electronic Intifada: 13 Apr 2010 - Mousa Abu Maria, co-coordinator of the grassroots Palestine Solidarity Project in the occupied West Bank village of Beit Ommar, was used to the sound of boots running on the ground and surrounding his home in the middle of the night. But when Abu Maria looked outside the window this time, it wasn't Israeli forces shouting at him to come outside. Nora Barrows-Friedman reports for The Electronic Intifada. Film review: Surreal struggle in Michel Khleifi's "Zindeeq" Electronic Intifada: 13 Apr 2010 - Michel Khleifi, the celebrated director of Wedding in Galilee , turns the camera inward in his 2009 feature film, Zindeeq (the meanings of which include "atheist" or "freethinker"), featured at the opening of the annual Chicago Palestine Film Festival this Friday. It is Khleifi's first feature film in 14 years; his most recent film was the 2003 documentary he filmed in collaboration with Eyal Sivan, Route 181: Fragments of a Journey in Palestine-Israel . The Electronic Intifada's Maureen Clare Murphy reviews. Journalist threatened with extradition, arrest by Mossad Electronic Intifada: 13 Apr 2010 - An Israeli journalist who went into hiding after writing a series of reports showing lawbreaking approved by Israeli army commanders faces a lengthy jail term for espionage if caught, as Israeli security services warned at the weekend they would "remove the gloves" to track him down. Jonathan Cook reports. Kuwait Deports Critics of Egyptian President New York Times 13 Apr 2010 - 17 Egyptian residents of Kuwait were deported last week for meeting to discuss political change in Egypt, where Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has emerged as a potential presidential candidate. Belgian bank financing Israeli settlements Electronic Intifada: 13 Apr 2010 - BRUSSELS (IPS) - Dexia, a major Belgian-French bank, is continuing to finance Israeli authorities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories almost a year after it indicated that it would cease providing loans to illegal settlements. In May 2009, Dexia promised that it would not lend any fresh money to councils representing Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Al-Mezan: Hamas must regulate small arms in Gaza 4/12/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Gaza-based Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights called on the de facto government to help in the control of small arms, following two documented cases of the misuse of weapons in three days. According to Al-Mezan's field investigations, a report from the center detailed, two family feuds saw one killed and another injured. The feuds "are personal and family-related, but the weapons which were used were faction-owned weapons," a statement from the organization said. Given the misuse of weapons supplied by factions for resistance activities and the defense of Gaza in personal disputes, the statement explained, it is incumbent on the de facto government to more tightly regulate their arms. The organization suggested the governmental prosecution of individuals who misuse arms, and also called on the Palestinian resistance and political parties to ensure that small arms are. . . Gaza's power crisis sees a glimpse of light 11 Apr 2010 - Gaza, April 12, (Pal telegraph) Dr. Yasser Wadi `a, the representative of independent personalities confirmed last night, the transfer of 3 million dollars from the electricity distribution company in the Gaza Strip to the treasury of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, saying that it was agreed to transfer the money that is collected from the citizens and send it to... Rare meeting between senior Hamas, Fatah figures held in Gaza YNet News 12 Apr 2010 - 'Childhood friends' Fathi Hamad, Sufian Abu Zaida meet in Strip in effort to stop mutual incitement between rival Palestinian factions in media El-Baradei: Israel only understands the language of force PIC 12 Apr 2010 - Dr. Mohammed El-Baradei, former head of the IAEA and one of the contenders for the Egyptian presidential elections in 2011, said that the Palestine cause was passing through its worst stages. Sabreena da Witch: the first lady of Palestinian R&B Electronic Intifada: 12 Apr 2010 - It was Sabreena da Witch's first time performing tracks from her self-produced album A Woman Under the Influence . When her performance had concluded, the Palestinian hip hop artist, also referred to as the "First lady of Palestinian R&B," left the Toronto crowd wanting much, much more. Tania Tabar writes for The Electronic Intifada. Kuwait Deports Critics of Egyptian President New York Times 12 Apr 2010 - 17 Egyptian residents of Kuwait were deported last week for meeting to discuss political change in Egypt, where Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has emerged as a potential presidential candidate. Attack on Berkeley divestment bill dishonest and misleading Electronic Intifada: 12 Apr 2010 - A coalition of nearly 20 Jewish groups, ranging from the right-wing David Project and the Jewish National Fund to the liberal J Street, is distributing a misleading statement condemning a Student Senate bill calling for divestment from the Israeli occupation at the University of California, Berkeley. They refer to the bill as "dishonest" and "misleading" and "based on contested allegations." Yet it is their letter that is both dishonest and misleading. Sydney Levy and Yaman Salahi comment. Talking Palestine to power Electronic Intifada: 12 Apr 2010 - It is indeed possible for all of us to "squeeze out of reality some of its potentialities," the reality that University of Melbourne Professor Ghassan Hage has said is found in those utopic moments that come from challenging our own thoughts, fears and biases. In that space lies the untapped power we seek, to speak the truth without fear or favor. Sonja Karkar comments. IDF Bid To Expel West Bank Palestinians Is A Step Too Far Palestine Monitor: 12 Apr 2010 - A new military order will take effect this week, enabling the army to deport tens of thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank and prosecute them on infiltration charges, which carry long prison terms. The order, uncovered by Amira Hass in Haaretz yesterday, bears the signature of Maj. Gen. Gadi Shamni in his previous capacity as commander of the Israel Defense Forces in Judea and Samaria. The order's vague language will allow army officers to exploit it arbitrarily to carry out mass expulsions, in accordance with military orders which were issued under unclear circumstances. The first candidates for expulsion will be people whose ID cards bear addresses in the Gaza Strip, including children born in the West Bank and Palestinians living in the West Bank who have lost their residency status for various reasons. This would be a grave and dangerous move, unprecedented during the Israeli occupation. For years, Israel... Gaza Electricity Company transfers $3 million to PA 4/11/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Gaza Electricity Company transferred 3 million US dollars to the Palestinian Authority treasury in Ramallah on Sunday, after Palestinian factions met to discuss the means to bring an end to blackouts experienced across the Gaza Strip. Yasser Al-Wadiyah, independent politician representative, announced the transfer, saying it "was agreed on [during the meeting] to transfer the appropriate fees, collected from [Gaza] residents to the PA in Ramallah." The official told Ma'an the meeting included all Palestinian factions and independent figures, as well as various heads, board members, directors and representatives of the private sector in Gaza and NGOs."The meeting was held to discuss the means of getting the [electricity] situation back to normal and provide the power plant with the needed industrial fuel to avoid similar crises that would harm the health and education sectors," Al-Wadiyah said. Gaza's power crisis sees a glimpse of light 11 Apr 2010 - Gaza, April 12, (Pal telegraph) Dr. Yasser Wadi `a, the representative of independent personalities confirmed last night, the transfer of 3 million dollars from the electricity distribution company in the Gaza Strip to the treasury of the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, saying that it was agreed to transfer the money that is collected from the citizens and send it to... PCHR concerned over electricity crisis in Gaza PIC 12 Apr 2010 - The Palestinian center for human rights (PCHR) has expressed concern over the deterioration in humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip due to the electricity crisis. Emulating the perpetrators of terror Mondoweiss - 11 Apr 2010 - The latest candidate for the Chutzpah of the Month award: Fern Oppenheim, in the Jerusalem Post , obviously an American Jew living in the States, cannot see the ironies when she writes: "When innocent Palestinian children watch their beloved Sesame Street-like TV characters brutally murdered by IDF... Gaza in darkness: PA, Hamas trade barbs over fuel shortage 4/10/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an report - As Gaza experiences a wide-scale blackout on Saturday, various factions have accused one another for bearing responsibility for the ongoing fuel shortage that has left the coastal enclave functioning below the population's needs. The Palestinian Information Center, affiliated to Hamas, published headlines accusing Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak for the extensive blackout."The Israeli war minister has instructed Fayyad to tighten the noose around the Gaza Strip," one PIC headline read. Speaking to PIC, Gaza government spokesman Taher Al-Nunu said Fatah was responsible for the power outage, adding that the movement in Ramallah was "stealing sums of money donated by the EU to fuel shipments, giving them as increments to its employees."Ghassan Al-Khatib, spokesman for the Fayyad government, said the PA pays approximately 90%. . . In Gaza, Abu Zaida mourns ’tragic isolation’ 4/10/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Sufian Abu Zaida, a member of Fatah's Revolutionary Council, on Friday described the situation in Gaza as disastrous, the result of the factional division plaguing the occupied Palestinian territories."Gaza is separated from the world, in tragic isolation, and its residents live in a state of depression, smiles wiped from their faces," Sufian Abu Zaida told Ma'an in Gaza, which he visited this week for the first time since 2007." We have to take two parallel steps, the first of which is to restart efforts to ratify Egypt's proposal and proceed with conciliation. The second is for all parties to stop complicating people's lives," the Fatah official said, "by creating an atmosphere for conciliation. . . and end the mutual 'betrayal' rhetoric." Abu Zaida arrived in Gaza on Thursday on a seven-day visit to the besieged coastal enclave. Detainee marks 25 years in prison, 14 without family visits 4/9/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Gaza City Prisoners Society said Ibrahim Baroud marked his 25th year in Israeli prison on Friday, the last 14 years of which his mother has been prevented from visiting. An expert in detainees affairs with the society, Abdel Nasser Farawneh, said Umm Ibrahim (mother of Ibrahim)was worried that she would die without seeing her son again. Ibrahim was detained when he was 22 years old on charges of posing a threat to the state of Israel - what Farawneh described as resisting the occupation - and was sentenced to 27 years in jail. On 1 April, Palestinians in Israeli prisons declared a strike in protest of cases like that of Ibrahim Baroud. Detainees say high-profile and factionally-aligned prisoners are often subjected to unfair treatment, particularly around family visits. Prisoners began the month-long strike, which includes a boycott of all family visits, with a day-long. . . . Amid jail strike, Hamas urges more soldier abductions 4/9/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The solution to the prisoner-swap stalemate is to capture more Israeli soldiers and force the hand of the Israeli government, Hamas leaders said Thursday. Sparked by the start of the second week of a prisoner strike, officials in Gaza are seeking to support Palestinians in Israeli custody as they demand equal treatment by prison officials. Two Hamas spokesman and an independent MP in Gaza spoke out on the issue, with Sami Abu Zuhri suggesting "Palestinians who seek justice for prisoners may be obliged to search for new friends for Gilad Shalit," the soldier captured by Gaza resistance factions in June 2006. Independent MP Jamal Al-Khoudary, who also heads the Popular Committee Against the Siege on Gaza, preferred to invite Palestinian, Arab, Islamic and international human rights organizations to "activate the legal dimension at all levels to protect the Palestinian prisoners," a statement said. Israel army withdraws from south Gaza; 1 injured 4/9/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli forces withdrew from the southern Gaza Strip late Thursday afternoon, leaving one person moderately injured, officials said hours after Israeli forces used military bulldozers to dig up farmland in the area. Hani Al-Hur, a man in his 20s, was taken to Nasser Hospital with shrapnel injuries sustained when Israeli forces invaded the Al-Qurara area north of Khan Younis earlier the same day, sources within the de facto security forces told Ma'an by phone. Muawiya Hassanein, head of emergency and ambulance services in the Gaza Health Ministry, confirmed that a man in his 20s was taken to Nasser Hospital. Hassanein described the man's injuries as moderate. Meanwhile, a number of Palestinian factions said they launched projectiles at armored Israeli vehicles that drove into Khan Younis. Islamic Jihad's Al-Quds Brigades reported that its forces targeted an armored Israeli vehicle with an RPG east of the southern Gaza city. Gaza's sole power plant shuts down for lack of fuel Daily Star 9 Apr 2010 GAZA CITY: The sole power plant in the besieged Gaza Strip was shut down on Friday because fuel supplies ran out, with Palestinians and Israel blaming each other. "The power plant shut down completely this morning as a result of a shortage of fuel caused by the Israeli siege," said Kanaan Obeid, assistant director of Gaza's electricity authority. Gaza electricity station stops functioning PIC 9 Apr 2010 - Gaza's sole electricity generation station stopped functioning on Friday morning after it ran out of fuel, threatening to cause a humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip. Journalist whistleblower faces life imprisonment, or worse Electronic Intifada: 9 Apr 2010 - What is misleadingly being called in Israel the "Anat Kamm espionage affair" is quickly revealing the dark underbelly of a nation that has worshipped for decades at the altar of a security state. Next week 23-year-old Kamm is due to stand trial for her life -- or rather the state's demand that she serve a life sentence for passing secret documents to an Israeli reporter, Uri Blau, of the liberal Haaretz daily. She is charged with spying. Jonathan Cook analyzes. A new political option for confronting Israel Electronic Intifada: 9 Apr 2010 - There is a nonviolent political option out of the current "peace process" impasse. A new political strategy would involve recognizing this basic shortcoming and demand a return to legality, in effect a return to the days before the 1991 Madrid Conference which launched the past two decades of futile "negotiations" and accelerated Israeli colonization. Hasan Abu Nimah comments. Kerem Shalom crossing open for limited Gaza imports 4/8/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - One crossing into Gaza will be opened by Israeli officials Thursday for the transfer of food, aide and commercial goods into the besieged coastal enclave, Palestinian liaison official Raed Fattouh said. A total of 116-126 truckloads goods including three truckloads of supplies for the Gaza Electricity Company will enter through the Strip's southernmost crossing, Kerem Shalom, along with limited amounts of domestic-use gas and industrial diesel. The fuel infrastructure at the crossing is insufficient for the transfer of necessary fuel quantities into the Strip, UN and Gaza power officials have said. The transfer equipment for fuel was taken from the now closed Nahal Oz crossing, shut-down since December, when the Palestinian Authority took over responsibility for fuel imports to Gaza from the European Union. Hamas: Egypt didn’t accept conciliation demands 4/8/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Senior Hamas leader Salah Bardawil denied Thursday reports that Egypt had accepted the movement's reservations on conciliation, insisting that a prisoner exchange was not included in the conciliation paper." We do not have any information on these reports that are being leaked every now and then, causing confusion," Bardawil said in a statement."A prisoners deal was not in any way part of the Palestinian dialogue, and it will not be because this issue is separate of the fact that Hamas is [already] fighting with all of its strength and resolve to free the prisoners," he said."Hamas is responsibly working toward conciliation and does not accept compromise," the official affirmed."Such statements are just leaks aimed at further harming ties between Egypt and Hamas," he added. . . . . An Iraqi perspective on the recent elections Palestine Note 8 Apr 2010 - Nasiriyah, Iraq - The 7 March elections in Iraq remain a topic of interest around the world as both former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi and current Prime Minister Nouri Maliki scramble to create coalitions that would... Can there be Free Elections under Fatah? Khalid Amayreh, Ma’an News Agency 4/8/2010 The American-backed Fatah group has been demanding the organization of general elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as soon as possible, but the demands do not appear to reflect a genuine concern about democracy. Fatah officials and apologists argue that elections represent the only exit from the present political deadlock in the Palestinian arena, including the enduring rift between Fatah and the Islamic movement, Hamas. However, in the absence of real guarantees for truly free elections, the raucous blather about elections by Fatah, or any other Palestinian group, remains an expression of deception and hypocrisy. Today, the PA regime in the West Bank is more or less a police state apparatus. Human rights and civil liberties are virtually non-existent as the PA security agencies exercise absolute control over all aspects of life. People are unceremoniously fired from their jobs at the slightest suspicion regarding their political or ideological orientations. And the justice system is in a state of chronic paralysis due to the often wanton interference by the security apparatus. Since 2007, hundreds of Hamas-affiliated or simply Islamic institutions have been closed and Islamic-oriented officials sacked and replaced by Fatah loyalists. In many cases, capable and highly skilled teachers and civil servants were dismissed only to be replaced by others whose main qualification was their membership in Fatah. When the victims appealed to the courts for redress, they were told their dismissal was justified due to "security reasons." Thus, it seems unflinching loyalty to Abbas is necessary for survival. Basic rights for Palestinians, however, are also subsumed by the government’s rubric of security coordination with Israel. more.. e-mail "Racism" charges dropped against Scottish solidarity activists Electronic Intifada: 8 Apr 2010 - Five Palestine campaigners who contested the relevancy of a "racially aggravated conduct" charge in relation to their protest against Israel's blockade of Gaza had all charges against them dropped today. The campaigners, all members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), had interrupted the August 2008 Edinburgh Festival concert by the Jerusalem Quartet. Israel knows apartheid has no future Electronic Intifada: 8 Apr 2010 - After decades of military rule over Palestinians and theft of our land, Israeli leaders are increasingly seeing the writing on the wall. They are at least acknowledging reality, if not yet grappling with the consequences. Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi comments. Palestinian detainees begin second hunger strike 4/7/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Between seven and ten thousand Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody began a hunger strike on Wednesday, marking the second week of a boycott where prisoners refuse family visits over concerns of maltreatment. The Palestinian Prisoners' Society said that detainees in 10 central Israeli jails and three detention centers continue to take part in the strike action, notably including prisoners from all political factions. Prisoners announced in March that they would refuse family visits from 1 April until 30 April, in protest over the use of visits by prison officials to manipulate detainees. The first day of the strike was marked with a 24-hour hunger strike, which officials said would be repeated on Wednesday. The Palestinian Center for Prisoners' Studies said the Israeli Prison Service met with prisoner representatives across the jails and detention centers to listen to. . . Report: 6 detained for organ trafficking in Israel 4/7/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli police on Tuesday arrested six men suspected of being involved in an organ trafficking ring, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Wednesday. Among the suspects are an Israeli army reserves brigadier-general and two lawyers, according to the report. Police also said that during the investigation they uncovered a large, very well-organized industry of organ trafficking, the newspaper reported. The ring reportedly includes organ traffickers, agents, and lawyers." The ring is operating throughout Israel and not only in the north, and appeals to the public through local media and internet," a police official told the newspaper."The organ traffickers somehow receive details about potential transplant candidates and they offer them their services." US military aid to Israel violates domestic, international law Electronic Intifada: 7 Apr 2010 - Since the US government gives no military assistance to any of the Palestinian resistance groups, the question with regard to US military aid and transfer of weapons applies only to Israel. Should the US government, based on international and domestic law, cut military aid and cease the transfer of weapons to Israel? Nahida H Gordon comments for The Electronic Intifada. No Time for More 'Quiet Diplomacy' with Israel Palestine Chronicle: 7 Apr 2010 - By Joshua Brollier A favorite professor of mine once told me that the more you learn about history, the more you realize how little you really know, and how much you still have to learn. Last night, I was both moved and angered to further learn about the ongoing destruction and blockade of the Gaza strip. The award winning Palestinian journalist, Mohammed Omer, showed photographs and told us many moving stories about his life and experiences in Gaza. These stories included the demolition of Mohammed’s home and loss of his brother and neighbors. Many of the tragic experiences Mohammed shared occurred before the election of the Hamas government, the siege of Gaza and last year’s Israeli offensive, Operation Cast Lead. Mohammed described a major shift in Israeli military policy after Israeli settlements in Gaza were closed, in 2005. Following the “disengagement,” Israeli air strikes increased and carried out house demolitions....more Reports: Palestinian Groups to Halt Rockets into Israel The Media Line 5 Apr 2010 - Reports coming from the Gaza Strip that four Palestinian factions have decided to end the firing of rockets into Israel are being disputed by some Islamic Jihad members according to the Palestine News Agency. But it... Race is on for next IDF chief YNet News 6 Apr 2010 - Deputy Chief of Staff Gantz, Southern Command Chief Galant are leading candidates to replace IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi Ashkenazi's term as IDF chief won't be extended YNet News 6 Apr 2010 - Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi to end tenure as chief of staff in February 2011 after a four-year stint. Defense minister to start reviewing candidates for post in coming months. Following Barak's announcement, Ashkenazi issued statement saying, 'I never asked for additional year in office' Lawsuit challenges Israel's discriminatory citizenship definition Electronic Intifada: 6 Apr 2010 - A group of Jews and Arabs are fighting in the Israeli courts to be recognized as "Israelis," a nationality currently denied them, in a case that officials fear may threaten the country's self-declared status as a Jewish state. Jonathan Cook reports. Gaza students to Margaret Atwood: reject Tel Aviv U. prize Electronic Intifada: 6 Apr 2010 - Students in the Gaza Strip urge Canadian author Margaret Atwood to support the Palestinian campaign for the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and reject a prize at Tel Aviv University that would be an "inadvertent nod to Israel's policy of ethnic cleansing and genocide" and help cover up the university's role in Israel's crimes against the Palestinian people. Bringing Palestine to the US Social Forum Electronic Intifada: 6 Apr 2010 - While existing conditions have fueled the grassroots movement aimed at delegitimizing racist policies and shattering Israeli impunity in order to realize Palestinian freedom and dignity, they have yet to establish Palestine as an integral component of the social justice movement's agenda in the US. Doing so requires that the pro-Palestinian movement build meaningful alliances with other organizations, communities, movements and individuals that are also struggling to achieve social justice. Andrew Dalack comments for The Electronic Intifada. Under the beautiful valley Electronic Intifada: 6 Apr 2010 - While the world's eyes are riveted to the diplomatic arguments over Israel's settlement facts on the ground, Israel is covertly tightening its grip on Wadi Hilweh and al-Bustan neighborhoods in Silwan in a literally underground fashion. Danny Felsteiner writes from occupied East Jerusalem. Financial Times: Israel knows Apartheid Has No Future Palestine Monitor: 6 Apr 2010 - After decades of military rule over Palestinians and theft of our land, Israeli leaders are increasingly seeing the writing on the wall. They are at least acknowledging reality, if not yet grappling with the consequences. In 2007, Ehud Olmert, then prime minister, declared: “If the day comes when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights (also for the Palestinians in the territories), then, as soon as that happens, the state of Israel is finished.” More recently, making a similar point, Ehud Barak, Israel's defence minister, said “as long as between the Jordan and the sea there is only one political entity, named Israel, it will end up being either non-Jewish or non-democratic . . . If the Palestinians vote in elections, it is a bi-national state, and if they don't, it is an apartheid state.” But when do the “ifs” of Mr Olmert and Mr... US Muslims back Jewish candidate’s Gaza stance 4/5/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Muslimah Writers Alliance (MWA) has commended a Jewish-American Senate candidate for his stance against Israel's building of new settlements in East Jerusalem and its ongoing embargo on Gaza. Jonathan Tasini (D-NY) is vying for the Senate spot up for grabs in the US state of New York's midterm election on 2 November. He must first defeat the incumbent senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, in the Democratic primary. In continuation of its ongoing campaign to bring awareness to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, MWA director Aishah Schwartz said that "for the 1. 5 million citizens of Gaza, the support of candidates like Tasini cannot come soon enough.""At a time when news agencies are reporting that nearly 300 members of Congress have signed a letter addressed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declaring reaffirmation of their commitment to 'the unbreakable bond. . ." PFLP wing claims 3 April projectile strike 4/5/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said its forces targeted a military site near Nahal Oz, east of Gaza, with a C5K missile on Saturday."This action comes in the course of addressing the continuing crimes of the occupation against our people," the PFLP said in a statement, claiming that Israel's Haaretz newspaper and the Hebrew-language Army Radio confirmed that the rocket hit the military site. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the army was not familiar with any such attack on Saturday. Jamil Mizher, member of the Central Committee of the PFLP, commented to Al-Alam News a day earlier that the "threats of the occupation will not succeed in breaking the will of the Palestinian people or deterring the resistance."He said that the resistance factions have met in Gaza to coordinate mechanisms to "collectively confront Israeli aggression in Gaza." Hamas: Mash’al meets with Qatari Emir 4/5/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al met with Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Monday in Doha, the movement announced. Hamas politburo member Izzat Ar-Resheq said meeting was held to discuss a number of Palestinian issues, including a unity deal between rival faction Fatah and the Islamist movement, as well as Arab support for the Palestinian people. Mash'al and his delegation further spoke of Israeli policy toward Palestinian religious sites, and the continued siege imposed upon the Gaza Strip." The Qatari Emir assured us that they move through the umbrella of the Arab League to lift the blockade imposed on Palestinians, and to review the crossings agreements signed by the Palestinian Authority and Israel, brokered by the EU, and will work on the legal follow up of this agreement, which is obstructing Egypt from opening the Rafah crossing [in southern Gaza]," Ar-Resheq said. Racism against Arabs in Israel rose by 28% during the past year Uruknet April 4, 2010 - A report by the Centre for Equality and Coalition Against Racism has confirmed a 28% rise over the past year in incidents of racism against Palestinians in Israel who constitute 20% of its population. The centre monitored 286 racist incidents against Palestinians by Israelis, pointing out that 21 draft racist laws were proposed since the election... Gaza factions work toward 'united resistance front' Palestine Note 5 Apr 2010 - Sunday night Palestinian factions in Gaza met to discuss inter-political reconciliation, the Jerusalem Post reports. Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Democratic Front for the... Top Egypt official: Israel-Hamas tensions could lead to another Gaza war Ha'aretz 5 Apr 2010 - A-Sharq al-Awsat: Egypt is reaching out to both Israel and Palestinian factions in bid to calm tension. The Strange Love Affair of the U.S. and AIPAC Dan Lieberman, Dissident Voice 4/5/2010 Imagine you are a representative of the highest government agencies. You encounter a group that places a foreign power above your own government’s interests and redirects and undermines your policies. Would you go to their convention, popularize them, obsequiously placate them and demonstrate you mean no harm to their sinister behavior? Sounds incomprehensible? United States State department officials and congressional leaders have been doing the incomprehensible for years. U.S. State Department officials, senators and house representatives have regularly attended the American Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) conventions. Although the U.S. Executive Department signaled a hardening of relations with Israel, its officials spoke to and listened to AIPAC during the week that inaugurated the new spring of 2010. Why, and for what reason, do government officials cater to AIPAC? Don’t they know AIPAC’s inglorious history and its one-sided purpose? Actually, government officials have many reasons to distance themselves from AIPAC and no reasons to associate themselves with an organization whose thrust depends upon spurious reasoning and outrageous statements. The Dwight Eisenhower and Jack Kennedy administrations and the 1964 Fulbright Investigation Committee tried to declare groups representing Israel’s interests to be foreign agents. Deceptive maneuvers, ambiguous and modified election laws dragged charges through the courts and temporarily resolved the issue in favor of AIPAC. Nevertheless, government officials should realize there is meaning and significance to the charges and any support for an accused agency undermines reputable administrations. more.. e-mail Israel destroys Gaza dairy for second time Electronic Intifada: 5 Apr 2010 - It was not a chemical plant, nor a nuclear facility, nor a manufacturer of weapons of mass destruction. But almost all the rubble of the entirely destroyed factory was covered in white, with white chunks everywhere. These were pieces of cheese, butter and yoghurt -- some of the products made by the Dalloul dairy factory in southern Gaza City. The Electronic Intifada correspondent Rami Almeghari reports from the occupied Gaza Strip. Israel's "Iron Dome" system aims to pacify, not protect Electronic Intifada: 5 Apr 2010 - Israel's Iron Dome program has been controversial from its inception in 2005. Besides the nationalist economic motive, Israel's efforts at intercepting rockets and mortar shells are products of Israel's pacification industry. Iron Dome is intended to be a checkpoint of sorts, one that attempts to erase or obscure the resistance of the Palestinians warehoused behind the walls of Gaza and the West Bank by intercepting projectiles. Jimmy Johnson comments for The Electronic Intifada. Israel gags news on extrajudicial killings Electronic Intifada: 5 Apr 2010 - RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - An Israeli journalist remains under house arrest and another lives abroad, after they broke news on Israeli undercover units carrying out assassinations or "targeted killings" of non-combatant Palestinian political opponents. Anat Kam, 23, who used to work for the Israeli news site "Walla," was arrested last December for allegedly copying secret Israeli military documents during her compulsory military service. Islamic Jihad: No promise made to halt projectile fire 4/4/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Islamic Jihad has not taken a decision to halt projectile fire toward Israeli targets, sources in the movement announced following a news report claiming the contrary on Sunday. Islamic Jihad is "committed to defending our people and committed to resistance in all possible ways," a statement from the movement said. Earlier in the day Israel's Channel 10 aired a news clip that cited an interview with Islamic Jihad spokesman Daoud Shihab broadcast on the movement's radio station, where the leader reportedly said it had "stopped the rocket fire into Israel for internal Palestinian purposes - first and foremost to help end the siege on the Gaza Strip." Clarifying their position following a series of meetings between de facto government officials and Gaza factions, which Hamas said were aimed at unifying the Gaza Strip position on the current Israeli wave of attacks, the statement. . . Fatah: Hamas has realized projectile fire useless 4/4/2010 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Fatah said it appreciated Hamas' decision to deter factions from launching homemade projectiles from Gaza toward Israeli towns, a spokesman said on Saturday. Ahmad Assaf said comments made by Hamas leader Ayman Taha on the BBC Sunday were a "positive development," adding that "Hamas has realized President [Mahmoud] Abbas' call upon the movement, made more than once, to avoid disastrous Israeli reactions toward homemade projectiles.""This realization came late, as Hamas previously chose to neglect such calls out of commitment to partial interests and external agendas," Assaf added."How long will it take Hamas to realize that it is necessary to end disagreement, which has harmed the Palestinian cause, in the same way as the movement has realized that homemade projectiles are harmful to Palestinian interests," the spokesman said. Related: BBC: Hamas 'working to curb Gaza rocket attacks' UK lawmaker 'sorry' for Israel conspiracy theory comment Jeruslalem Post 4 Apr 2010 - Pro-Palestinian campaigner Linton claimed Israel's "long tentacles" in Britain funding election campaigns. Palestinian factions in Gaza agree on unified resistance strategy PIC 4 Apr 2010 - Major Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip have agreed on the right of all resistance factions to defend themselves and their people within a unified and joint strategy. Gaza factions meet to discuss Israeli threat 4/3/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Four Palestinian factions held a meeting in Gaza City on Saturday to discuss the latest developments across the occupied Palestinian territories and the increase in Israeli action in the Gaza Strip. Sources told Ma'an that those factions in attendance include Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Last week saw the fiercest clashes in the Gaza Strip between Palestinian operatives and the Israeli army since the end of Operation Cast Lead 15 months prior, with two Israeli soldiers and two Palestinian fighters killed. A tank incursion followed the fighting, with Israeli forces destroying a home along the southern Gaza-Israel border. Medics said 13 Palestinians were injured when tanks and bulldozers moved into Khuza'a, with injuries ranging from critical to moderate. Israeli media: Mash’al says war in region possible 4/3/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al said Saturday that all options against Israel remain open, including war, according to Israeli media."We will do everything to obtain the rights stolen from us, including confrontation with the enemy," he told journalists, Israel's Channel 10 reported. His comments were made during a meeting with senior members of Palestinian factions at his home in Damascus, Syria."The possibilities for war exist in the entire region," the Israeli daily Yedioth Aharonot reported the exiled Hamas leader as saying."A conflict with the Zionist enemy is possible in any scenario. . . We shall realize our right by standing firm in the face of aggression through resistance," the daily wrote. Meanwhile, in Gaza, factions met to discuss Israel's escalation in military action in the coastal enclave, with conveners asserting the need for a unified stance against such actions. Mashaal: War in region possible YNet News 3 Apr 2010 - Hamas leader meets with heads of Palestinian factions at his Damascus home, says armed struggle against Israel to continue. Islamist group's Gaza government calls on armed factions to halt rocket fire on Israel for fear of escalation Can there be free elections under Fatah? PIC 4 Apr 2010 - In the absence of real guarantees for holding truly free elections, the raucous blather about elections by the Fatah organization, remains an expression of deception and hypocrisy. Fayyad subverts right of return Iqbal Jassat, Ma’an News Agency 4/3/2010 "Fayyad just gave away your right of return," I read on the Twitter page of Electronic Intifada editor Ali Abunimah yesterday, leading me to access a link and discover that indeed, the Palestinian Authority prime minister has done the unforgivable. In an interview with Akiva Eldar of the Israeli daily Haaretz, Fayyad made the following comment in response to a question about refugees: "Of course, Palestinians would have the right to reside within the State of Palestine." The Palestinian state he refers to is what many analysts have come to regard as no different than apartheid South Africa’s version of "independent homelands" for blacks, commonly referred to as Bantustans. It is within the confines of this oxymoron that Fayyad envisions the return of refugees – not to the land from where they were forcibly uprooted. This is a blatant subversion of a fundamental right of Palestinians in the diaspora, millions of whom have been living in miserable conditions for more than 60 years as stateless refugees. Their right to return – guaranteed by international conventions – has remained sacrosanct. As Abunimah correctly tweets, Fayyad has no right to waive the hopes and aspirations of victims of a terrible ordeal perpetrated by the founders of the illegitimate state of Israel through massacres and ethnic cleansing. These brutal policies have remained and have been applied at regular intervals by successive Israeli leaders. Both the colonial foundations and apartheid character of Israel testify to its illegitimacy. Dispossession and dismemberment resulting from the enforcement of colonial practices paved the way for a migrant population of European Jews to establish a Jewish state on the ruins of Palestine. more.. e-mail Fayyad's Subversion of Right of Return Palestine Chronicle: 3 Apr 2010 - By Iqbal Jassat – Pretoria A tweet on twitter by the editor of the Electronic Intifada Ali Abunimah 'Fayyad just gave away your right of return' alerted me to access the link and discover that indeed, the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister has done the unforgivable. In an interview with Akiva Eldar of Haaretz, Fayyad made the following comment in response to question about refugees: “Of course, Palestinians would have the right to reside within the State of Palestine”. The Palestinian State he refers to is what many analysts have come to regard as no different to apartheid South Africa’s version of “independent homelands” for blacks, commonly referred to as “Bantustans”. It is within the confines of this oxymoron that he envisions the return of refugees – not to the land from where they were forcibly uprooted! This is a blatant subversion of a fundamental right of Palestinians in the diaspora,...more Gaza police: Collaborator arrested 4/3/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The general investigation unit of the the de facto police in central Gaza detained a suspected collaborator on Friday, saying the man provided information to Israel. During the course of their investigation, a police statement said, the man confessed and detailed the information he had passed along to Israel. According to the police statement, most of the information centered on the activities of resistance factions. The detention comes after a series of accusations launched between Hamas and Fatah's Muhammad Dahlan, who initially accused the de facto government of detaining Al-Qassam Brigades fighters allegedly involved in the assault on Israeli forces entering Gaza that killed two soldiers and two fighters. Hamas officials had earlier been said to have cracked down on projectile launches and operations against Israeli incursions into Gaza, but maintained the rhetorical right of Palestinians to use violence in the face of occupation. What do American Jews think about Obama? Palestine Note 2 Apr 2010 - Ed Koch was mayor of New York City (elected in 1973) and, although long retired, his words still get picked up, especially when they are incendiary. Otherwise, I would not even bother addressing his recent column.... Four Palestinians injured during Land Day protests in Gaza Electronic Intifada: 2 Apr 2010 - Four nonviolent demonstrators were shot at close range with live ammunition by Israeli soldiers during six simultaneous protests throughout the Gaza Strip commemorating Land Day. Three of those injured come from Khozaa, a village east of Khan Younis in Gaza's south. The fourth, from Deir al-Balah, was participating in a peaceful demonstration east of Meghazi, central Gaza. Film review: Pastoral resistance in "This Palestinian Life" Electronic Intifada: 2 Apr 2010 - This Palestinian Life , a 28-minute documentary, surveys rural resistance in occupied Palestine: in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, in the Jordan Valley, and in the south Hebron hills. The film was made by Egyptian-German journalist Philip Rizk, who lived in Palestine from 2004 to 2007, talking with those struggling under the daily violence and oppression of Israel's occupation, and recording their stories. Max Ajl reviews for The Electronic Intifada. Kerosene stove explodes killing young woman in Jabaliya 4/1/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The explosion of a kerosene stove killed a woman from the Jabaliya refugee camp north of Gaza on Wednesday, marking April's first casualty from power-related accidents. The woman was identified by Muawiya Hassanein, ambulance and emergency services director in Gaza, as Amani Al-Majdalawi, 23, who died before she could be transferred to a hospital in Israel."The continued deterioration in power supply has increased the reliance of the population on electrical generators run by fuel," the UN body's Weekly Protection of Civilians report said, citing the injury of five children of the same family aged five to 15 in Beit Lahiya when a generator exploded in their home. In March, seven were killed when gas canisters, kerosene stoves and generators exploded or malfunctioned, with half a dozen other cases since January. Bashir's main opponents all drop out Palestine Note 1 Apr 2010 - Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has essentially won his country's April 11 presidential election -- ten days before the vote! -- after Sudan's leading opposition parties all withdrew their candidates over the last 24 hours. Yasir Arman,... Call it “elections in Sudan” Palestine Note 1 Apr 2010 - The Iraqi elections are over but failed to produce a clear winner. While former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi narrowly finished first in the poll, it might take weeks before we find out if he'll be able... Another European Fund Divests from Israel The Media Line 31 Mar 2010 - Swedish pension giant bans investment in Israeli defense company. Sweden's largest pension funds have elected to remove Israeli defense electronics company Elbit Systems from its investment portfolios over its involvement in the construction and operation of... Activists burst AIPAC conference's bubble Electronic Intifada: 1 Apr 2010 - Outside the Washington Convention Center, together with activists from CodePink, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Avaaz, Jewish Voice for Peace and the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, we tried to bring a little reality to the AIPAC policy conference bubble. We carried signs and banners calling for respect for international law and human rights, an end to the siege of Gaza, Israeli apartheid and US taxpayer funding of war crimes. A Truthful Voice of the Palestinians Resonating Throughout the World Palestine Chronicle: 1 Apr 2010 - Dear Friends, Readers and Supporters of the Palestine Chronicle, As we launch the first bi-annual fundraiser for 2010, the drums of war are again threatening the civilian population of Gaza. Now, more than ever, there is an urgent need for a voice that speaks the truth from Palestine. We believe that peace and justice in Palestine is key to peace and stability in the entire Middle East - even the world - thus the nature of our content. We take great pride in the fact that the Chronicle has never accepted (nor sought) funding from any governmental, political or factional group or organization. We are adamant regarding our independence. But this also presents the challenge of supporting ourselves, and that’s why we come to you, twice a year, to ask for your financial support to back us for another six months. Our goal is to raise $12,000 in the month...more  Links
Mossawa - The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens of Israel Mossawa, The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel, was established in October of 1997 as a Non Governmental Organization. Mossawa works to promote equality for ArabPalestinians within the borders of Israel. Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health This website requires Internet Explorer. Palestinian Authority Ministry of Information General information from the PA Palestinian Information Center Hamas news site Palestinian National Initiative - Al Mubadara The main objective of the Initiative is the realization of Palestinian national rights and of a durable, just peace. Both of these objectives can be best achieved at this juncture through the establishment of a national emergency leadership, the immediate implementation of democratic elections at all levels of the political system, and reform of political, administrative, and other institutional structures in order to meet the needs of the Palestinian people. PLO Negotiations Affairs Department Documents, maps, fact sheets and reports related to the occupation.
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