Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
Elections Archive - May 2010
Elections Archive - May 2010
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Gaza Aid Convoy Attack: Israel’s Murderous Sea Piracy a Horrendous Moment of Truth for US Policy Finian Cunningham, Information Clearing House 5/31/2010 This time, the Israeli war machine may have gone too far for international public opinion to stomach. In the early hours of 1 June, before daybreak, Israeli commandos stormed the international civilian aid convoy heading for Gaza. Between 20-24 volunteers onboard have been killed and at least 50 injured, according to various reports, but the number of casualties has risen rapidly from the initial reports of two dead. The final death toll could be greater. The actions by Israeli forces have been condemned by governments around the world. European governments, including those of Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Norway and Sweden have summoned their respective Israeli envoys over the incident. Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan is reported to have cut short a trip to South America and his country is said to have recalled its ambassador to Israel in protest. In a tired-sounding script, Israeli government spokespeople claimed that its forces were acting in self-defence after they were attacked by aid workers wielding knives when they boarded the main ship – a Turkish vessel – in the six-ship convoy. One Israeli commando was stabbed, Israeli TV reported. Within minutes of the interception, Israeli forces blacked out all communications from the flotilla, which is carrying 700 civilians from 50 countries, including Britain, Ireland, Turkey and the US. The aid convoy – dubbed the Gaza Freedom Flotilla – had a high-profile assembly in Turkey last week before departing from Cyprus for the Palestinian coast on Sunday. Backed by several governments, including that of Turkey, and counting among its numbers at least four European MPs, a Nobel laureate and journalists from various news media, the aid convoy had declared itself to be a civilian, humanitarian relief operation. The flotilla was attempting to ferry some 10,000 tonnes of aid material, ranging from medicines, building materials to school equipment, for the 1.5 million Gazans who have been besieged by Israeli military for three years, ever since they democratically elected the Hamas government. more.. e-mail Gazans unite in call for solidarity with Freedom Flotilla Electronic Intifada: 31 May 2010 - We Gaza-based Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and international activists call on the international community and civil society to pressure their governments and Israel to cease the abductions and killings in Israel's attacks against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza, and begin a global response to hold Israel accountable for the murder of foreign civilians at sea and illegal piracy of civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza. International solidarity and the Freedom Flotilla massacre Electronic Intifada: 31 May 2010 - Early this morning under the cover of darkness Israeli soldiers stormed the lead ship of the six-vessel Freedom Flotilla aid convoy in international waters and killed and injured dozens of civilians aboard. Israel had been openly threatening a violent attack on the Flotilla for days, but complacency, complicity and inaction, specifically from Western and Arab governments once more sent the message that Israel could act with total impunity. Action alert: Call your governments, demonstrate support for Freedom Flotilla Electronic Intifada: 31 May 2010 - Under darkness of night, Israeli commandos from at least 14 warships and military helicopters boarded the Turkish passenger ship, Mavi Marmara , and began shooting. According to live video from the ship, at least two civilians have been murdered, and dozens injured. Israeli television is reporting 16 civilians killed. Rights org condemns "hideous" attack on Freedom Flotilla Electronic Intifada: 31 May 2010 - The Palestinian Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the crime perpetrated by Israeli Occupation Forces earlier this morning, 31 May 2010, when Israeli naval forces attacked the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in international waters as it was sailing towards the Gaza Strip. Noam Shalit slams Israel for 'grave failures' in talks to free son Ha'aretz - 'A country that rescued thousands of earthquake victims in Haiti should be capable of saving a single soldier,' says father of Gilad Shalit, captured by Hamas in 2006., Trip would be the PA President's first trip to the Hamas-ruled Strip since the Islamist group took power there after winning Palestinian election in 2007. Noam Shalit slams Israel for 'grave failures' in talks to free son Ha'aretz 30 May 2010 - 'A country that rescued thousands of earthquake victims in Haiti should be capable of saving a single soldier,' says father of Gilad Shalit, captured by Hamas in 2006., Trip would be the PA President's first trip to the Hamas-ruled Strip since the Islamist group took power there after winning Palestinian election in 2007. Egypt Islamists condemn vote 'corruption' Daily Star 30 May 2010 CAIRO: The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's largest opposition group, on Sunday denounced "corruption and irregularities" ahead of Tuesday's elections for Parliament's upper house. "When we decided to field candidates in this election, we thought the regime would... The Gaza flotilla and the ironies of history Electronic Intifada: 30 May 2010 - No one can accuse history of not having a sense of irony. Sixty-three years ago in July 1947 a passenger ship destined for Palestine and named The Exodus was stopped and boarded by the British Navy. The ship was crowded with Holocaust survivors determined to make a new life for themselves in British controlled Palestine. Today another small flotilla of ships is making its way to Palestine. Richard Irvine comments for The Electronic Intifada. Independents talk unity in Gaza 5/29/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Gaza's independent politicians met in their city headquarters to discuss the means of ending Palestinian division and supporting the Egyptian-sponsored unity deal. The independent politicians said Palestinian unity should be brought about to end fragmentation affecting Palestinians, describing inter-factional rivalry as the "new catastrophe worse than the previous."Palestinian factions, "born of the.... Elections (local) in Palestine again Palestine Note 29 May 2010 - The Palestinian Authority is going ahead with plans to hold municipal elections on July 17. The elections are taking place despite the fact that the de facto government in Gaza has refused to accommodate them in... Qaddoumi planning to form new PLO executive committee PIC 29 May 2010 - Farouq Al-Qaddoumi has described his faction's sixth general conference as "illegitimate", adding that he was preparing for another conference outside occupied Palestine. Gaza: Explosion in south takes out Khan Younis power line 5/28/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Khan Younis went black Friday afternoon following what Gaza Power officials said was Israeli fire directed toward the main line providing electricity to the southern Gaza Strip city. The report followed hours after the Eagles of Palestine Brigades said fighters ambushed Israeli forces patrolling the occupied border area east of Khan Younis in.... PFLP will not run under Fatah banner 5/28/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader in Gaza Rabah Mhanna said his party would under no circumstances run under the Fatah banner in the coming West Bank municipal elections. Early rumors by Fatah officials saying lists for the local vote would be unity ballots and include strong members from other parties.... Netanyahu resurrects campaign to boost Palestinian economy in bid for peace Ha'aretz - At OECD conference in Paris, prime minister reiterates idea he first presented before his election. PFLP unaligned with Fatah Palestine Note 28 May 2010 - Washington - The Gaza leader for the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Rabah Mhanna announced his party will not run under the Fatah banner in upcoming West Bank elections, Ma'an News Agency... Netanyahu resurrects campaign to boost Palestinian economy in bid for peace Ha'aretz 28 May 2010 - At OECD conference in Paris, prime minister reiterates idea he first presented before his election. Freedom Flotilla exposes international community's failure Electronic Intifada: 28 May 2010 - The Freedom Flotilla of nine vessels sailing to the Gaza Strip is exposing the partisan nature of the response of the United Nations and the international community to Israel's three-year siege on Gaza. Allegra Pacheco comments for The Electronic Intifada. Report: 3 projectiles land in Israel 5/27/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli media reported the landing of three projectiles in the western Negev overnight on Wednesday, including two mortars and a home-made rocket, causing no injuries. No Palestinian resistance factions have claimed the launches, which come amidst a string of violence along the border area, and one day after Israeli warplanes launched a strike.... Elections in Palestine, again 5/27/2010 - Daoud Kuttab - The Palestinian Authority is going ahead with plans to hold municipal elections on July 17. The elections are taking place despite the fact that the de facto government in Gaza has refused to accommodate them in areas under its control. Hamas has also said that it is calling on its supporters in the.... Tribute to the people of Gaza Mairead Maguire, International Solidarity Movement 5/27/2010 I never cease to be amazed at the power of the human spirit to survive. During my last visit to Gaza in October 2008 I was amazed and deeply moved by the power of the people I witnessed. In a triumph of hope over adversity and tremendous suffering, love still abides. Gaza comprises a small strip of land 27 miles long and 6 miles wide. This coastal strip is bordered by Israel on the one side, the Mediterranean Sea on the other and to a lesser extent by Egypt at the southern end. With one and a half million inhabitants Gaza is the fifth most densely populated place on the planet, 50% of which are under the age of 18. Two thirds of the total population hold refugees status, and comprise the victims and their descendants of previous acts of Israeli aggression. Gaza’s people have suffered an Israeli occupation for over 40 years and even though Israel withdrew from Gaza in August 2005 it has continued to control every aspect of life in the tiny coastal strip. Hamas was democratically elected to power in the 2006 Palestinian elections and has governed the Gaza strip since the summer of 2007. It was at this time in 2007 that Israel commenced its devastating blockade of the strip. Essentially the blockade represents a draconian policy by Israel. A minimum amount of basic subsistence goods are allowed to enter the strip with the intention of holding a malnourished population just short of outright starvation. Coupled to the severe food shortages are the restrictions / ban on basic essentials such a medicine and desperately needed reconstruction materials. This blockade constitutes “Collective Punishment” of a civilian population an act illegal under Article 33 of the fourth Geneva Convention. But the Culture of Impunity, under which Israel operates, means Israel continues to ignore International Law with many of the World’s Governments and international bodies’ remaining silent. In the words of one Israeli professor, Israel has made Gaza into the largest open air prison in the world. Whether by land, sea or air the one and a half million inhabitants of Gaza are trapped.... more.. e-mail Israel indicts tortured rights activist Ameer Makhoul Electronic Intifada: 27 May 2010 - A leading human rights activist from Israel's Palestinian Arab minority was charged yesterday with the most serious security offenses on Israel's statute book, including espionage. Prosecutors indicted Ameer Makhoul, the head of Ittijah, an umbrella organization for Arab human rights groups in Israel, with spying on security facilities on behalf of Hizballah after an alleged meeting with one of its agents in Denmark in 2008. Jonathan Cook reports. Gaza home demolitions spark anger, highlight housing crisis Electronic Intifada: 27 May 2010 - On 16 May, bulldozers demolished 20 houses in the al-Barahma neighborhood west of Rafah in the southern occupied Gaza Strip. This tragic scene has been repeated all too many times in Palestine's history, but what made this different, and a subject of great controversy and outcry, is that it was carried out by the Palestinian Land Authority (PLA), backed by police from the Hamas government. Rami Almeghari reports for The Electronic Intifada. Rights group condemns attacks on Gaza civil society Electronic Intifada: 27 May 2010 - In a joint press conference held with the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organization Network (PNGO) on 24 May 2010, Al-Haq's director, Shawan Jabarin condemned two recent attacks on civil society organizations in Gaza. Gaza Government Rejects West Bank Elections IMEMC - 26 May 2010 - The dissolved Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip stated that the municipal elections slated to take place in the West Bank July are illegitimate. The Gazan government says that there should be no elections without first achieving national unity. Hariri's first visit to Washington as Prime Minister: Scuds, Hizballah and Iran Palestine Note 26 May 2010 - Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, for the first time since his election, meets with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office on May 24, 2010. For basically as long as Lebanon has existed as a modern... Settler sexism reigns in West Bank Palestine Note 26 May 2010 - Washington - Elyakim Levanon, the chief rabbi of the Elon Moreh settlement near Nablus, has forbidden women from running in community elections, Ynet News reported Wednesday. According to the report, Rabbi Levanon said women lack the... Hamas: Kidnapping Tawil an act of "security piracy" PIC 26 May 2010 - Hamas said that the kidnap of Kamal Al-Tawil, the elected mayor of El-Bireh, at the hands of Abbas's intelligence in his office and insulting him in front of his employees was "security piracy". Pressure mounts on nuclear Israel Electronic Intifada: 26 May 2010 - Israel faces unprecedented pressure to abandon its official policy of "ambiguity" on its possession of nuclear weapons as the international community meets at the United Nations in New York this week to consider banning such arsenals from the Middle East. Jonathan Cook analyzes. Ameer Makhoul's arrest is an assault on all Palestinians in Israel Electronic Intifada: 26 May 2010 - Today is the 21st day since the arrest of Ameer Makhoul at his home in Haifa, Israel, under the cover of darkness, by officers of the International Crimes Investigation Unit and General Security Service (GSS or Shabak). On this day we, Ameer's family, announce that we are extremely worried about what is happening to him and the conditions of his detention. Janan Abdu and Issam Makhoul comment. NATO's other member state Electronic Intifada: 26 May 2010 - Will recent revelations that Israel not only possesses nuclear weapons, but actually considered selling them to apartheid South Africa, cause Europe and America to rethink their relationship with Israel? The truth is that Israel already enjoys such a privileged level of access to their key institutions that any rethink is improbable -- at least in the short-term. One of the most important aspects of this relationship relates to how Israel interacts with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). David Cronin analyzes for The Electronic Intifada. Italian supermarkets suspend sales of Israeli settlement products Electronic Intifada: 26 May 2010 - Following lobbying efforts by the Italian Coalition Against Carmel-Agrexco, two major Italian supermarket chains, COOP and Nordiconad, announced the suspension of sales of products from Agrexco, the principal exporter of produce from Israel and the illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Fighters Detonate An Explosive Charge Near The Electronic Fence In Gaza IMEMC - 25 May 2010 - Palestinian fighters detonated an explosive device near an Israeli military vehicle, Tuesday morning, near the Erez terminal in northern Gaza. Interview: ethnic cleansing inside the green line Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2010 - Rawia Abu Rabia, a social activist and human rights lawyer with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, represents her community and advocates for their human and civil rights as the state continues to discriminate and uproot citizens across the country. Nora Barrows-Friedman interviewed Abu Rabia on the ongoing displacement of Palestinians inside Israel. The PA's disingenuous boycott campaign Electronic Intifada: 25 May 2010 - The Palestinian Authority (PA) has lately made a show of calling on Palestinians to boycott goods manufactured in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Despite the rhetoric of defiance, the effort actually appears designed to undermine and abort the broader Palestinian and global civil society campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions, and to reassure Israel of the PA's ongoing collaboration. Ali Abunimah comments. Israel's Permanent War on Palestine Palestine Chronicle: 24 May 2010 - By Stephen Lendman The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) provides weekly snapshots of Israeli killings, targeted assassinations, arrests, home demolitions, destroyed farmland, assaults on peaceful protesters, community incursions, home invasions, and more besides full-scale attacks at its discretion - a decades-long onslaught against 1.5 million Gazans and over 2.5 million West Bank and East Jerusalem Palestinians. On May 11, a recent assault occurred in the West Bank's Lubban Al-Sharqiya village when settlers attacked a local mosque, set it ablaze and gutted it. Israeli fire-fighters blamed it on an electrical short-circuit, later investigations showing arson was responsible, what Palestinians knew all along. A village spokesperson said the mosque was undergoing renovations, its electricity turned off in the section where the fire broke out. Other villagers heard cars arrive around 3AM and saw settlers entering the mosque. They tore down curtains to start the blaze, stacked Qurans next to a bathroom,...more Hamas, Jihad boycott local elections in West Bank 5/24/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Islamic Jihad and Hamas announced Monday that the movements would boycott local elections in the West Bank due for mid-July. Hamas leader Ayman Taha said the movement was boycotting the municipal elections announced by the Palestinian Authority because "they are held without a national agreement, and aims to deepen division in the Palestinian.... Israeli public sector's door closed to Arab workers Palestine Note 23 May 2010 - Unemployed computer engineer Morad Lashin would like to work in Israel's Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admits his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month... Resheq: Municipal elections not legitimate, not binding PIC 24 May 2010 - Ezzet Al-Resheq, political bureau member of Hamas movement, has warned of the negative repercussions of holding municipal elections in the West Bank away from national entente. Hamas to boycott municipal elections in W. Bank PIC 24 May 2010 - Hamas declared its boycott of the municipal elections called for by the unconstitutional government in Ramallah, saying these elections would deepen the inter-Palestinian division. Israel’s Permanent War on Palestine Stephen Lendman, Dissident Voice 5/23/2010 The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) provides weekly snapshots of Israeli killings, targeted assassinations, arrests, home demolitions, destroyed farmland, assaults on peaceful protesters, community incursions, home invasions, and more besides full-scale attacks at its discretion — a decades-long onslaught against 1.5 million Gazans and over 2.5 million West Bank and East Jerusalem Palestinians. On May 11, a recent assault occurred in the West Bank’s Lubban Al-Sharqiya village when settlers attacked a local mosque, set it ablaze and gutted it. Israeli fire-fighters blamed it on an electrical short-circuit, later investigations showing arson was responsible, what Palestinians knew all along. A village spokesperson said the mosque was undergoing renovations, its electricity turned off in the section where the fire broke out. Other villagers heard cars arrive around 3AM and saw settlers entering the mosque. They tore down curtains to start the blaze, stacked Qurans next to a bathroom, and arranged shoes on the pile in the shape of a Star of David to desecrate them and the mosque. Besides security force assaults, attacks like this happen often against Palestinian homes, businesses, vehicles, farmland, and livestock – even children on their way to school. Rarely are charges ever brought, giving settlers license to commit crimes with impunity, including cold blooded murder. Other Recent Attacks On April 1, Israeli jets struck Gaza’s Maghazi refugee camp and Palestinian businesses, including two cheese factories, claiming they were making weapons – the same justification Israel uses for other aggression.... more.. e-mail Art, theory and action: Udi Aloni interviewed Electronic Intifada: 24 May 2010 - On 10 May, Udi Aloni spoke at a public debate on the Palestinians and Israel in Bern, Switzerland about his support for the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS). The Electronic Intifada contributor Adri Nieuwhof spoke with Aloni about his work and views. Protest the extended detention of rights defender Ameer Makhoul Electronic Intifada: 24 May 2010 - In a hearing at Petach Tikva Magistrates' Court on Thursday, 20 May 2010, a judge extended Ameer Makhoul's detention for a third time until Tuesday, 25 May 2010. Mr. Makhoul, a human rights defender and the director of Arab nongovernmental organization network Ittijah, has been in Israeli detention since he was arrested from his family home in Haifa in the early morning hours of 6 May. Living the Nakba in Gaza Electronic Intifada: 24 May 2010 - GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - This is the month for Palestinians to remember their Nakba, or "catastrophe," in which more than 700,000 women, men and children were pushed off their land and rendered homeless refugees by the Zionist attacks before, during and after the founding of Israel in 1948. Israel's Permanent War on Palestine Palestine Chronicle: 24 May 2010 - By Stephen Lendman The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) provides weekly snapshots of Israeli killings, targeted assassinations, arrests, home demolitions, destroyed farmland, assaults on peaceful protesters, community incursions, home invasions, and more besides full-scale attacks at its discretion - a decades-long onslaught against 1.5 million Gazans and over 2.5 million West Bank and East Jerusalem Palestinians. On May 11, a recent assault occurred in the West Bank's Lubban Al-Sharqiya village when settlers attacked a local mosque, set it ablaze and gutted it. Israeli fire-fighters blamed it on an electrical short-circuit, later investigations showing arson was responsible, what Palestinians knew all along. A village spokesperson said the mosque was undergoing renovations, its electricity turned off in the section where the fire broke out. Other villagers heard cars arrive around 3AM and saw settlers entering the mosque. They tore down curtains to start the blaze, stacked Qurans next to a bathroom,...more South Lebanon goes to the polls The National 23 May 2010 - South Lebanon went to the polls with Hizbollah-backed candidates running uncontested in mainly Shiite areas. Gaza’s virtual connection to the rest of the world Eva Bartlett, The Electronic Intifada, Electronic Intifada 5/23/2010 GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - "I’ve learned most of what I know about photo editing and graphic design via the Internet," says Emad, 27-year-old filmmaker and editor. In Gaza, this sort of thing has become usual in a different way. "This program isn’t available here," he says, smiling triumphantly as he finishes downloading the latest edition of an advanced video editing program. "Even if it was, I can’t afford to pay $600 for it, not even if I worked for two months. But I need this for my work, so I looked for a free online version." Isolated under a siege which began shortly after Hamas was elected in 2006 and heightened severely in mid-2007, Palestinians in Gaza have suffered the effects of such alienation in all aspects of their lives. The economy has been destroyed both by the prolonged and choking siege and the 2008-2009 Israeli assault on Gaza, leaving unemployment hovering near 60 percent. Aside from denying Palestinians in Gaza an astonishing number of the most basic of daily items, as well as material vitally needed for reconstruction or in the health sector or for schools and universities, the siege is a psychological attack and strangulation which has pronounced affects on Palestinians dreams, hopes and daily realities. "I’ve tried on various occasions to leave Gaza, for workshops abroad and for study," says 24-year-old Majed. "But even when I’ve secured visas and invitations, the closed Israeli and Egyptian borders have prevented me from leaving." Likewise, Hatem has held a number of scholarships to study in the US and Europe, all of which have been lost to the whims of the Israeli and Egyptian officials imposing the siege. -- See also: Source: The Electronic Intifada more.. e-mail Israeli Public Sector's Door Closed to Arab Workers Palestine Chronicle: 21 May 2010 - By Jonathan Cook - Nazareth Unemployed computer engineer Morad Lashin would like to work in Israel's Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admits his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 per cent of the company’s 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Arab minority constituting nearly 20 per cent of the population. The committee’s report presents a picture of massive under-representation of Arab citizens across most of the public sector, including in government companies and ministries, where the percentage of Arab staff typically falls below two per cent of employees. According to Sikkuy, a group lobbying for greater civic equality, discriminatory hiring policies have left thousands of Arab graduates jobless, even though the government promised affirmative action a decade ago. Mr Lashin, 30, from Nazareth, said his remaining hope was to find...more Rampant employment discrimination against Palestinian workers in Israel Uruknet May 21, 2010 - Unemployed computer engineer Morad Lashin would like to work in Israel's Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admits his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 percent of the company's 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Palestinian... Abu Zuhri: Futile negotiations serve as umbrella for more Israeli aggression PIC 22 May 2010 - Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri said Friday that the futile negotiations between Fatah faction and the Israeli occupation has served as a political umbrella for more Israeli aggressions.. Israeli Public Sector's Door Closed to Arab Workers Palestine Chronicle: 21 May 2010 - By Jonathan Cook - Nazareth Unemployed computer engineer Morad Lashin would like to work in Israel's Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admits his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 per cent of the company’s 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Arab minority constituting nearly 20 per cent of the population. The committee’s report presents a picture of massive under-representation of Arab citizens across most of the public sector, including in government companies and ministries, where the percentage of Arab staff typically falls below two per cent of employees. According to Sikkuy, a group lobbying for greater civic equality, discriminatory hiring policies have left thousands of Arab graduates jobless, even though the government promised affirmative action a decade ago. Mr Lashin, 30, from Nazareth, said his remaining hope was to find...more [uruknet.info] Rampant employment discrimination against Palestinian workers in Israel Uruknet May 21, 2010 - Unemployed computer engineer Morad Lashin would like to work in Israel's Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admits his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 percent of the company's 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Palestinian Arab... Missing the Nuance: Abunimah's criticism of Noam Chomsky Palestine Note 21 May 2010 - A couple of days ago, Ali Abunimah, a prominent Palestine solidarity activist and co-founder of the Electronic Intifada , said he was " baffled by Noam Chomsky's contradictions on Palestine. " A few months ago, Chomsky had... PACBI: UNICEF should quit Jerusalem conference Electronic Intifada: 21 May 2010 - The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) is shocked and greatly concerned that UNICEF as well as one Palestinian and several international academics intend to participate in a conference organized by the Minerva Centre for Human Rights at the Hebrew University, jointly with the Van Leer Institute. Rampant employment discrimination against Palestinian workers in Israel Electronic Intifada: 21 May 2010 - Unemployed computer engineer Morad Lashin would like to work in Israel's Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admits his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 percent of the company's 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Palestinian Arab minority constituting nearly 20 percent of the population. Jonathan Cook reports. Israel Expels A Palestinian Legislator From Jerusalem IMEMC - 20 May 2010 - The Israeli Police decided Thursday to expel Palestinian Legislator, Mohammad Abu Teir, from occupied East Jerusalem and claimed that he lost his residency right in the city after he decided to run for the Palestinian Legislative Elections in 2006. Israel deports Abu Teir from Jerusalem hours after release 5/20/2010 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Israeli authorities issued recently-released Hamas lawmaker Mohammad Abu Teir with a deportation notice on Thursday, giving him until 19 June to leave Jerusalem. Ma'an's correspondent said the deportation order was issued on the basis that Abu Teir had lost his residency rights after participating in the Palestinian general elections in January 2006. The.... Israel releases Hamas PLC member 5/20/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli authorities released a Hamas-affiliated Palestinian Legislative Council member on Thursday, detained in an arrest campaign targeting the Islamist movement's officials following their electoral victory in 2006. Mohammad Abu Teir, one of 65 Hamas officials detained shortly after Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit's capture in cross-border raid in Gaza in 2006, urged Israel's.... Netanya man charged for stealing from Israeli killed in Thailand Ha'aretz - Ariel Soriano, 22, was killed in December 2009 at a party in Thailand, when an electrical cord fell into the pool in which he was swimming. Israel’s Exclusion and Restriction of Goods to Gaza Stephen Lendman, Dissident Voice 5/19/2010 After Hamas was overwhelmingly elected in January 2006, Israel, Washington and the West ended all outside aid, imposed an economic embargo and sanctions, and politically isolated the new government. Stepped up repression followed, including regular IDF incursions, bombings, killings, targeted assassinations, arrests, property destruction, and Israeli-instigated internal conflict that left Fatah usurping authority in the West Bank, leaving Gaza alone under Hamas. In June 2007, conditions worsened after Israel imposed its siege, medieval-like, according to some, for its harshness. Now, nearing its third anniversary, it’s still in place, slowly suffocating and strangling 1.5 million people, trapped by closed borders, regular incursions and attacks, and shortages of everything needed to function and survive. A humanitarian crisis resulted and continues. The West and most regional states are culpable, complicit or indifferent to a real time catastrophe. Israel’s Policy of Exclusion and Restrictions The Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of Movement is a 2005-founded Israeli NGO, “whose goal is to protect the freedom of movement of Palestinians, especially Gaza residents” — rights international and Israeli law guarantee. Yet under 43 years of military occupation, Palestinian rights have been systematically compromised, abused, and violated, worst of all in Gaza under siege. In January 2010, Gisha examined the situation in a report titled, “Restrictions on the transfer of goods to Gaza: Obstruction and Obfuscation,” saying that: “Beginning in September 2007, Israel openly stated that it would restrict the movement of goods into and out of Gaza (not for security), but (to) apply ‘pressure’ or ’sanctions’ on the Hamas regime.” more.. e-mail PA to EI: No new roads being built with USAID funding Electronic Intifada: 20 May 2010 - In his article "USAID funding Israel's apartheid road construction" (17 May 2010) Jonathan Cook levels a number of serious accusations against the Palestinian National Authority (PNA). While his disdain for Israel's occupation is to be applauded, his criticisms of the PNA ignore some fundamental facts with regards to road construction in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Belgian-French bank cornered over Israeli settlement financing Electronic Intifada: 20 May 2010 - BRUSSELS (IPS) - New evidence has been uncovered to show that Dexia, a major Belgian-French bank, is still financing Israeli settlements in the OPT despite official assurances that such loans have ceased. Jean-Luc Dehaene, a former Belgian prime minister and now Dexia's chairman, announced last year that the bank had not approved any new loans to authorities located in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank since June 2008. Israel to release Hamas lawmaker 5/19/2010 - Jerusalem -Ma'an - Israeli authorities are expected to release Palestinian Legislative Council and Hamas member Mohammad Abu Teir on Thursday following a four-year detention. Abu Teir was detained in June 2006 during a wide-scale detention operation carried out the Israeli army targeting Hamas affiliated PLC members after the Islamist movement won general elections that same year.... Israel's exclusion and restriction of goods to Gaza Palestine Note 19 May 2010 - After Hamas was overwhelmingly elected in January 2006, Israel, Washington and the West ended all outside aid, imposed an economic embargo and sanctions, and politically isolated the new government. Stepped up repression followed, including regular IDF... Palestinian girls win prize at Intel competition Palestine Note 19 May 2010 - Washington - Three girls from the Askar refugee camp in Nablus won the "special award for applied electronics" at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Silicon Valley, CA, the UN News Centre reported Tuesday.... International orgs call on Israel to immediately release rights defenders Electronic Intifada: 19 May 2010 - On 6 May 2010, at 03:10am, 16 members of the Israeli General Security Services (GSS) and the Israeli police force raided the family home of Mr. Ameer Makhoul. After meeting him last night, Mr. Makhoul's lawyers confirmed that he was suffering from exhaustion -- as a result of sleep deprivation -- and that he had been subjected to various forms of intensive interrogation, raising fears of possible torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The return of the colonial: Laor's "The Myths of Liberal Zionism" reviewed Electronic Intifada: 19 May 2010 - Israeli new mandarins have to try to sell settler-colonialism to Western states with populations that increasingly regard Zionism's spiritual core and physical reality as somewhere on the spectrum between mildly embarrassing and overtly revolting. It is those mandarins that anti-Zionist Israeli poet Yitzhak Laor meticulously vivisects in The Myths of Liberal Zionism . Chomsky denied entry as Goldstone remains under attack Electronic Intifada: 19 May 2010 - RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - When internationally renowned linguist, philosopher and political analyst Noam Chomsky was barred from entering the occupied West Bank, he joined a chorus of Jewish intellectuals savaged by the Israeli government for outspoken criticism. Persecution of Palestinian citizens recalls S. Africa apartheid repression Electronic Intifada: 19 May 2010 - Two weeks after Israel imposed a travel ban on him, Ameer Makhoul, a well-respected Palestinian leader holding Israeli citizenship, was kidnapped from his home on 6 May in the middle of the night. The persecution of Makhoul brings back memories of the South Africa apartheid regime; during the South Africa anti-apartheid movement, similar tactics were used against those advocating for freedom and equal rights, who were accused of terrorism and having links with the Soviet Union. Adri Nieuwhof and Bangani Ngeleza comment for The Electronic Intifada. breaking the isolation In Gaza: 19 May 2010 - * photo: Emad Badwan IPS “I’ve learned most of what I know about photo editing and graphic design via the Internet,” says Emad, 27-year-old film-maker and editor. In Gaza, this sort of thing has become usual in a different way. “This programme isn’t available here,” he says, smiling triumphantly as he finishes downloading the latest edition of an advanced video editing programme. “Even if it was, I can’t afford to pay 600 dollars for it, not even if I worked for two months. But I need this for my work, so I looked for a free online version.” Isolated under a siege which began shortly after Hamas was elected in 2006 and heightened severely in mid-2007, Palestinians in Gaza have suffered the effects of such alienation in all aspects of their lives. The economy has been destroyed both by the prolonged and choking siege and the 2008-2009 Israeli war on... Israel's Exclusion and Restriction of Goods to Gaza Palestine Chronicle: 19 May 2010 - By Stephen Lendman After Hamas was overwhelmingly elected in January 2006, Israel, Washington and the West ended all outside aid, imposed an economic embargo and sanctions, and politically isolated the new government. Stepped up repression followed, including regular IDF incursions, bombings, killings, targeted assassinations, arrests, property destruction, and Israeli-instigated internal conflict that left Fatah usurping authority in the West Bank, leaving Gaza alone under Hamas. In June 2007, conditions worsened after Israel imposed its siege, medieval-like, according to some, for its harshness. Now, nearing its third anniversary, it's still in place, slowly suffocating and strangling 1.5 million people, trapped by closed borders, regular incursions and attacks, and shortages of everything needed to function and survive. A humanitarian crisis resulted and continues. The West and most regional states are culpable, complicit or indifferent to a real time catastrophe. Israel's Policy of Exclusion and Restrictions The Gisha Legal Center for Freedom of...more Report: Israel may appoint Gaza military governor 5/18/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Top military officials are reportedly preparing to appoint a military governor for the Gaza Strip, in what would be a significant move toward re-occupying the area, the Hebrew language daily Ma'ariv wrote Tuesday. Military officials purportedly asked the police division to find a suitable candidate for the post of Gaza Military Governor, to.... Report: Israel preparing for possible reoccupation of Gaza Uruknet May 18, 2010 - The Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv reported Tuesday that top Israeli military officials are preparing to appoint a military governor to the Gaza Strip, which would be a "significant move" toward the reoccupation of Gaza, Ma'an News Agency said. According to the report, military officials have asked Israeli police to submit names of suitable candidates for the... Report: Israel may appoint Gaza military governor Uruknet May 18, 2010 - Top military officials are reportedly preparing to appoint a military governor for the Gaza Strip, in what would be a significant move toward re-occupying the area, the Hebrew language daily Ma'ariv wrote Tuesday. Military officials purportedly asked the police division to find a suitable candidate for the post of Gaza Military Governor, to be appointed... Arabs Shut out of Israeli Public Sector Jonathan Cook, Dissident Voice 5/17/2010 Unemployed computer engineer, Morad Lashin, would like to work in Israel’s Electricity Company, a large state utility, but admitted his chances of being recruited are slim. The reasons were set out in graphic form this month when a parliamentary committee revealed that only 1.3 per cent of the company’s 12,000 workers are Arab, despite the Arab minority constituting nearly 20 per cent of the population. The committee’s report presents a picture of massive under-representation of Arab citizens across most of the public sector, including in government companies and ministries, where the percentage of Arab staff typically falls below two per cent of employees. According to Sikkuy, a group lobbying for greater civic equality, discriminatory hiring policies have left thousands of Arab graduates jobless, even though the government promised affirmative action a decade ago. Mr Lashin, 30, from Nazareth, said his remaining hope was to find a job in the public sector after a series of short-term contracts in private hi-tech firms. “Everywhere you go, they ask if you have served in the army. Because Arab citizens are exempt, the good jobs are always reserved for Jews.” Ali Haider, a co-director of Sikkuy, said: “What kind of example is set for the Israeli private sector when the government consistently finds excuses not to employ Arab citizens too?” Ahmed Tibi, who heads the parliamentary committee on Arab employment in the public sector, said that even when government bodies appointed Arabs it was invariably in lowly positions. “The absence of Arabs in [senior] roles means that they have no say in the ministries’ decision-making processes,” he said. The issue of under-representation in the public sector was first acknowledged by officials in 2000, when the Fair Representation Law was passed under pressure from Arab political parties. more.. e-mail Elvis Costello's Israel concert cancellation lauded Electronic Intifada: 18 May 2010 - The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) warmly welcomes Elvis Costello's cancellation of his scheduled performances in Israel. Costello's decision is a great victory for the ethical responsibilities of international cultural figures, a key factor in the cultural boycott of Israel. Challenging Canada's myths about its role in Palestine Electronic Intifada: 18 May 2010 - Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler's recent comments that Canada's policy towards the Middle East has been put in the service of domestic electoral concerns have been read as critical by the corporate media. However, Fowler is only one of many reproducing a fantasy of Canada having a reputation for being fair, just and objective as regards the Middle East. Sean F. McMahon comments for The Electronic Intifada. Palestinian girls win award for sensor cane at Intel fair 5/17/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Three Palestinian teenagers from the UNWRA school in the Askar refugee camp in Nablus were the first Palestinians to win an award on Monday at the Intel Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose in California.Aseel Abu Aleil, Noor Alarada and Aseel Alshaar picked up a special award in applied electronics, having competed against 15,000 finalists from around the world, a statement read.The fourteen year olds scooped the prize for inventing an electronic sensor cane for the visually impaired, which for the first time sends an infrared signal downwards as well as forwards. Praising the originality of the invention, Mark Uslan, a Director at the American Federation of the Blind said, "Although various types of "˜laser canes’ have existed since the early 1970s, the girls' design resolves a fundamental flaw in previous models by detecting holes in the ground," the statement read. Related: Gaza student denied travel to conference Palestinians win Intel Science Fair award 17 May 2010 - West Bank, May 17, (Pal Telegraph - Agencies) Three fourteen year-old girls from the UNRWA school at Askar refugee camp in Nablus have won an award at the Intel Science and Engineering Fair in San Jose, California. Aseel Abu Aleil, Noor Alarada and Aseel Alshaar picked up a special award in 'applied electronics' at the event - the world’s premier... USAID funding Israel's apartheid road construction Electronic Intifada: 17 May 2010 - The construction of sections of a controversial segregated road network in the West Bank planned by Israel for Palestinians -- leaving the main roads for exclusive use by settlers -- is being financed by a US government aid agency, a map prepared by Palestinian researchers has revealed. Jonathan Cook reports. Palestinians Commemorate Al Nakba [May 9 – May 15] Uruknet May 15, 2010 - May 15 marks the 62nd anniversary of the 1948 catastrophe, or Al Nakba, which marked the expulsion of over 800,000 Palestinians from their homes when the state of Israel was created. Marches and demonstrations took place throughout the West Bank and Gaza with the various factions agreeing to hold joint marches on the occasion and... Israel’s Master of Deception - The Career of Shimon Peres Rannie Amiri, Jnoubiyeh 5/14/2010 “The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.” – André Gide “For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright, who art as black as hell, as dark as night.” – William Shakespeare The international community has long been enamored by current Israeli President and former Prime Minister, Shimon Peres. Regarded as a voice of reason and a dove among hawks, he adroitly assuages fears and reassures critics with soothing, yet empty words advocating dialogue and the creation of a Palestinian state. By duping the world into believing significant differences exist between his “left wing” views and those of Israel’s far right, he has proven himself a master at deception. Peres was at it again this past week after he attended Victory Day celebrations in Moscow and met with President Dmitry Medvedev prior to the Russian leader’s first official visit to Damascus. Peres did not miss the opportunity to reiterate the spurious claims of Scud missiles being transferred into Lebanon while paradoxically emphasizing that Israel had no interest in escalating tensions with Syria. Before the United States-mediated “proximity talks” were launched, he also told U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell that Israel’s “security issues” should take precedence in the negotiations, “especially against the background of the [Israeli] army’s withdrawal from Gaza and the evacuation of settlements at the end of which thousands of rockets were fired at Israeli communities.” Gaza Harkening back to Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Gaza at the end of 2005, Peres neglected to mention what Israel subsequently did to the most densely-populated area on earth. After democratic, free and fair parliamentary elections.... more.. e-mail Nakba unites Gaza factions 5/15/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Nakba Day has united major factions in Gaza, including Fatah and Hamas, as Palestinians marked the 62nd anniversary of mass forced displacement from their homes by pre-state Israeli militia in 1948. Protesters marched from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to the UN building in Gaza City to affirm their right to return.... George Galloway's US visit sparks complaint Palestine Note 15 May 2010 - By Jared Malsin New York - Fresh from a bruising electoral defeat in Britain, firebrand former MP George Galloway launched a US tour on Saturday that has already provoked a denunciation from a conservative pro-Israeli group.... Israel: A Black Hole on the Left Palestine Chronicle: 15 May 2010 - By Uri Avnery – Israel Just to die of envy. How the British manage to do these things! What a democracy! What dignity! Elections within a month. A new coalition within five days. A change of government within 70 minutes. A visit to the queen. The departing prime minister takes his wife and two small children, leaves the prime minister’s residence and walks away. The new prime minister enters the residence. Elegant, smooth, brief, and with good grace. The people have spoken, and that’s that. And with us? Our election campaigns go on for months and months. Tumult fills the air, a cacophony of curses and general vulgarity. After that, months pass before a new coalition is formed. In the meantime, the victors and the vanquished trade insults. Lefties, fascists, traitors, destroyers of Israel, despoilers of Jerusalem, lackeys of the occupation, thieves – anything goes. Chaos reigns supreme. New parties...more Israeli forces penetrate Rafah following explosion 5/14/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - An Israeli military vehicle was hit when an explosive charge detonated beneath it during a patrol of the Gaza buffer area north of Rafah on Friday morning. No injuries were documented by Israeli forces, and no armed faction has claimed the reported attack. Following the report, however, Palestinians in Gaza said eight Israeli.... United march on Nakba anniversary in Gaza 5/14/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The national and Islamic action factions in Gaza said they would hold a massive joint march on Saturday, marking the 62nd anniversary of the 1948 Nakba together. Walid Al-Awad with the Palestinian People's Party (PPP) said Islamic Jihad called an all-factions meeting on Thursday that included representatives from rivals Fatah and Hamas. At.... Yemen's sorrowful options Palestine Note 14 May 2010 - When the Soviets concluded their pull out from Afghanistan in February 1989, the United States government abruptly lost interest in the country. A devastated economic infrastructure, entrenched poverty, deep-rooted factionalism and lack of international aid caused... Yemen: IDP camp 'better than home' Palestine Note 14 May 2010 - Haradh - IRIN - Three square meals a day, 24/7 electricity and a resident-to-medical staff ratio of less than 400:1 are hardly the facilities one associates with camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), yet conditions in... Gaza youth learn music and challenge the occupation Electronic Intifada: 14 May 2010 - GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - Mohammed Omer, 28, is one of five teachers at the Gaza Music School in Tel al-Howa, Gaza City. Formerly in the al-Quds hospital Red Crescent complex, the school moved to its current location not far from the hospital after the complex was bombed and burned during the 23-day Israeli assault on Gaza. Eva Bartlett reports. Arrest of Palestinian leaders in Israel "a dangerous development" Electronic Intifada: 14 May 2010 - The recent arrest of two respected public figures from Israel's Palestinian Arab minority in nighttime raids on their homes by the Shin Bet secret police -- brought to light this week when a gag order was partially lifted -- has sent shock waves through the community. Jonathan Cook analyzes. Yemen’s sorrowful options: ‘Revolt, migrate or die’ Palestine Note 13 May 2010 - Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 When the Soviets concluded their pull out from Afghanistan in February 1989, the United States government abruptly lost interest in the country. A devastated economic infrastructure, entrenched poverty, deep-rooted factionalism... Inside Gaza's power crisis Palestine Note 13 May 2010 - Washington - In the latest electricity-related death in Gaza, 23-year-old Walid Taha was killed Thursday morning when a generator exploded, Ma'an News Agency reported Thursday. Daily power outages mean Gazas rely on diesel-powered generators that often... Barhoum urges Fatah to return to resistance PIC 13 May 2010 - Fawzi Barhoum on Thursday urged the Fatah faction to return to its national program and resistance away from the trend within it that was selling national rights and constants at a cheap price. Turkey and Russia call for dealing with Hamas PIC 13 May 2010 - Turkey and Russia called for necessarily dealing with Hamas as a political party that came to power through fair elections, stressing that the peace process cannot succeed without it. Desperately smearing Goldstone Larry Derfner, Jerusalem Post 5/12/2010 Goldstone’s "exposure" as apartheid-era hanging judge is so pathetic. Inside the Israeli echo chamber, it’s now “case closed” on the war in Gaza. The country’s biggest newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, has “exposed” Judge Richard Goldstone as an apartheid-era hanging judge. This proves he’s a huge hypocrite whose word means nothing, which proves his report on the war in Gaza means nothing, which proves Operation Cast Lead was every bit the shining example of restraint and purity of arms Israel says it was. That’s the verdict in here. Outside the echo chamber, though, in the saner parts of the world, this episode can only make us look even guiltier. To any but a brainwashed Israeli or “Israel advocate,” this Goldstone ploy is so transparent, so pathetic. All it proves is how desperate this country has become, how blind we are to ourselves and to how others see us. Israel is accusing Richard Goldstone of having been an enforcer of apartheid. The word “chutzpa” doesn’t get it. The word “gall” doesn’t get it. The closest word I can think of to describe this is “grotesque.” I’m sure Goldstone made at least some bad, even immoral decisions from the bench during the years of apartheid. He set for himself the task of stretching a viciously unjust legal system in the direction of justice, and I’m sure there were times he could have stretched it more. But in all, he was one of the good guys of that terrible time. NELSON MANDELA knows it. After Mandela was elected president in 1994, he appointed Goldstone to South Africa’s highest court. Earlier, during the transition to democracy, Mandela concurred in Goldstone’s appointment to head an extremely explosive inquiry into regime-sponsored murder (in which it was found that Goldstone himself had been on the hit list. more.. e-mail Israel increasingly resembling a police state Electronic Intifada: 13 May 2010 - RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Israeli nuclear whistle-blower Mordechai Vanunu has been sentenced to another three months imprisonment for allegedly refusing to perform community service in West Jerusalem. His arrest follows the detention of Palestinian leaders in Israel. Yemen's Sorrowful Options: 'Revolt, Migrate or Die' Palestine Chronicle: 13 May 2010 - By Ramzy Baroud When the Soviets concluded their pull out from Afghanistan in February 1989, the United States government abruptly lost interest in the country. A devastated economic infrastructure, entrenched poverty, deep-rooted factionalism and lack of international aid caused the country to descend into complete chaos. Internal violence also worsened, but it was no longer an American concern. All that mattered was that the Cold War rival had been defeated. Mission accomplished. Afghanistan remains the starkest illustration of how poor countries are used, then betrayed when their usefulness runs out. But Afghanistan is not an exception; US relations with many other countries, including Pakistan, Somalia and the Palestinian Authority remain hostage to this very model. Yemen is now emerging as the newest casualty. Its government is desperate to hold on to the rein of power, amid corruption, extreme poverty and untold Western pressures. Ali Abdullah Saleh, the country’s president of...more Russia, Turkey Call For Holding Talks With Hamas IMEMC - 12 May 2010 - Both Russia and Turkey stated Wednesday that that International Community must deal with the Hamas movement as it is a movement that was elected to rule the Palestinian people in fair elections, and cannot be ignored. How one Palestinian village started a movement Palestine Note 11 May 2010 - New York, New York - Most of the media coverage surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict focuses on stories of violence and despair. Little is known about the growing Palestinian-led non-violent movement that has united rival Palestinian factions,... Haneyya: We hope Fatah responded positively to reconciliation proposals PIC 12 May 2010 - Ismail Haneyya hoped that Fatah faction responded positively to the proposals carried by Palestinian businessmen Munib Al-Masri regarding the national reconciliation. Irish activists urge divestment at CRH annual meeting Electronic Intifada: 12 May 2010 - Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) activists are pressuring the Ireland-based international building materials group CRH to divest from its Israeli subsidiary Mashav. Last week, IPSC members attended the annual CRH general shareholders meeting as activist shareholders. Adri Nieuwhof and John Dorman report. Israeli Hypocrisy: Talking Peace, Preparing for War Palestine Chronicle: 12 May 2010 - By Stephen Lendman On May 8, Haaretz Service and Reuters headlined, 'PLO executive committee approves new peace talks with Israel,' saying: "The Palestinian Authority on Saturday got the green light to restart peace talks with Israel after the PLO's executive voted to approve indirect negotiations," excluding Hamas - the legitimate government after Palestinians overwhelmingly elected them in January 2006. Instead, coup d'etat leader (whose presidential term expired in January 2009) Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will participate, PLO spokesperson Yasser Abed Rabbo saying that "negotiations will take one form: shuttling between President Abu Mazen (Abbas) and the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu." Talks have now begun. Obama's Middle East special envoy, former Senator and Walt Disney chairman, George Mitchell will do the honors, trying to force Palestinian negotiators to accede to Israeli demands and declare success, until inevitable new violence forces a restart of the whole process at...more Al-Masri: Progress on talks but hopes not to be raised 5/11/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Unity talks are on track between Fatah and Hamas, with a marked improvement in dialogue, Palestinian businessman and independent politician Munib Al-Masri said Tuesday, following a visit to the Gaza Strip. Al-Masri said Egyptian efforts to mediate a reconciliation deal between the two rival factions remain significant, and that he brought answers from.... Palestinian Refugee Message to UK Parliaments 11 May 2010 - Gaza, May 11, (Pal Telegraph - By Hussam Ahmed) Mrs. Mr. UK Parliaments: I cannot describe my feelings, while I am watching your democratic celebration displayed by the media. When I remember our Parliamentarian election in 2006, where your country along with many others refused our election results, I cannot help thinking why you cherish democracy when it is your... The Last Democratic Primary Worth Watching Jeffrey Blankfort, CounterPunch 5/10/2010 Harman vs. Winograd What may be the last Democratic primary race worth paying attention to is taking place in the 36th Congressional District along the Southern California coastline where incumbent Jane Harman is facing a serious challenge from Los Angeles school teacher, Marcy Winograd, with the candidates’ widely separated positions on the Israel-Palestine conflict dominating a critical section of the political landscape. Harman is the second richest member of the House of Representatives with estimated assets between $112 and $377 million dollars. Whether it was her money or her Israeli connections that kept the Southern California Democrat from being indicted as a foreign agent five years ago or a combination of both is something the public is never likely to know. What is clear is that the Bush administration’s Attorney General Alberto Gonzales neither investigated nor indicted the eight-term congresswoman after she was recorded on a National Security Agency wiretap in 2005 speaking to someone identified as an Israeli agent in which she reportedly agreed to intervene with the Justice Dept. on behalf of two top AIPAC officials, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, who were then under indictment for passing classified information to Israel in an FBI-initiated “sting. Whether or not that phone call will come back to haunt her and be a factor in Harman’s heated race against Winograd, a strong critic of Israel and outspoken advocate for the Palestinians, won’t be known until June 8th, the date of the California primaries, but Harman is clearly running scared. According to an expose of the wiretapping incident in Congressional Quarterly, in April, 2009, she signed off the conversation with the Israeli agent saying, "This conversation doesn’t exist.".... more.. e-mail Israel imposing occupation tactics on its Palestinian citizens Electronic Intifada: 11 May 2010 - Several examples, including the arrests of Ameer Makhoul and Omar Said, now point to an uncomfortable reality for the self-proclaimed "only democracy in the Middle East": practices that have long been routine in the military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza are being used in Israel to suppress dissent and limit civil liberties. The green line is increasingly blurry. Ben White comments. A day in Jerusalem Electronic Intifada: 11 May 2010 - Jerusalem is only an hour and a half drive away from where I live in Gaza City. I grew up contemplating the moment I would see Jerusalem, but that day wouldn't come until I graduated from the American University in Cairo and was promised by my parents that they might be able to make the necessary arrangements (an Israeli-issued permit) for me to visit the holy city. Yasmeen El Khoudary writes from the occupied Gaza Strip. Israeli settlers attack Palestinian mosques Electronic Intifada: 11 May 2010 - LUBBAN AL-SHARQIYA, occupied West Bank (IPS) - "There is immense anger as well as a feeling of vulnerability and fear when a place of sanctuary and holiness is subject to indiscriminate violence," says Issa Hussein. "Despite living under a brutal military occupation and being subjected to regular attacks by Israeli settlers for decades, normally places of worship were spared." Candidate Obama was for diplomatic engagement. President Obama spurns Hamas outreach Mondoweiss - Remember when Barack Obama sparred with Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primary race over engaging with countries considered hostile to the United States? This is from a CNN report about a July 2007 debate during the primaries: The question was a simple one but it elicited... Zionists and UK Elections Palestine Chronicle: 11 May 2010 - By R. Ellis – The West Bank As this article is being written it is still not clear what shade of government will take office in the UK. For the first time since 1974 no party has a clear majority in the House of Commons - the main legislative body. Four days of behind -the-scenes talks between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have yet to produce a deal. After the most exciting election in years an exhausted public waits anxiously to know its fate. But following the drama of the last few days from afar, in occupied Palestine, has in truth been the usual disappointment. Debate on Israel/Palestine has once again been conspicuous by its absence. No mention of Israel's continuing illegal occupation, of its flouting of international law, of its flagrant breaches of human rights, of its never-ending theft of Palestinian land. Not a word about how British...more 5 PLO factions form elections coalition 5/10/2010 - Nablus - Ma'an - West Bank leaders of the five factions that met in Rafah and endorsed the PLO decision to return to talks with Israel came out Monday and announced a coalition in the upcoming municipal elections. The Palestinian Arab Front (PAF) hosted the Arab Liberation Front (ALF), the Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA), the Palestinian Popular.... Barak: No threat to Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity Ha'aretz - No reason Israel should bow to global pressure to reveal extent of alleged nuclear arsenal, defense minister says., President relays message to Assad via Russian President Medvedev who is expected to visit Damascus Monday., Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said Hezbollah cannot disarm before a defense strategy is reached that would also address future Israeli attacks., Israel and U.S. laud PLO decision to approve mediated peace talks, despite warnings from Hamas., Israeli nuclear capabilities are on the provisional agenda for the International Atomic Energy Agency's June 7 meeting., U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah., Former South African jurist answers critics following claims he was involved in apartheid-era death sentences., 'We must distinguish between the Israeli people and the Israeli government,' says the Liberal Democrat leader ahead of U.K. election. Israel’s Arab MPs Face Backlash over Libya Visit Uruknet May 10, 2010 - Six Arab members of the Israeli parliament returned last week from a visit to Libya at the personal invitation of its leader, Muammer Qadafi, to a storm of protest in Israel, including threats to prosecute them and bar them from standing in future elections. The delegation of 39 public figures from Israel’s Arab minority, who were... Barak: No threat to Israel's policy of nuclear ambiguity Ha'aretz 10 May 2010 - No reason Israel should bow to global pressure to reveal extent of alleged nuclear arsenal, defense minister says., President relays message to Assad via Russian President Medvedev who is expected to visit Damascus Monday., Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said Hezbollah cannot disarm before a defense strategy is reached that would also address future Israeli attacks., Israel and U.S. laud PLO decision to approve mediated peace talks, despite warnings from Hamas., Israeli nuclear capabilities are on the provisional agenda for the International Atomic Energy Agency's June 7 meeting., U.S. Mideast envoy George Mitchell meets Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah., Former South African jurist answers critics following claims he was involved in apartheid-era death sentences., 'We must distinguish between the Israeli people and the Israeli government,' says the Liberal Democrat leader ahead of U.K. election. Fourth annual Houston Palestine film fest opens this week Electronic Intifada: 10 May 2010 - The Houston Palestine Film Festival is proud to bring Houston another year of great films and thoughtful discussion with its fourth annual film festival. This year's program encompasses a wide range of films that highlight the unique strength and struggle of the Palestinian people. Palestinian civil society slams OECD over Israel's accession Electronic Intifada: 10 May 2010 - Palestinian civil society represented by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee, a wide coalition of the largest Palestinian mass organizations and trade unions, issued a strong condemnation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's decision today to welcome Israel as a member of the organization at its ministerial meeting to take place on 27-78 May. British Election Drama Continues: Clegg's Unpleasant Choices Palestine Chronicle: 10 May 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood – London Britain is left dangling by an indecisive general election while horse trading goes on behind closed doors. The Liberal Democrats hold the balance of power and their leader Nick Clegg is running around meeting negotiators from David "I'm-a-Zionist" Cameron's Conservatives and trying to reach a collaborative agreement so that a new era of government can begin. At the same time he’s having telephone conversations with sad loser Gordon Brown. While waiting for a result I began drawing up my own parliamentary 'dream team'. This is not easy as many people, myself included, regard the top Tory and Labour figures - Hague, Osborne, Balls, Miliband - as just as much a pain in the fundament as their respective leaders. Supposing Clegg resists overtures from the Conservatives and tries for a ‘rainbow’ coalition with Labour under a caretaker Prime Minister such as Alan Johnson. My fantasy team...more Rafah: 5 PLO factions discuss national project 5/9/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Five Palestine Liberation Organization factions held a joint meeting in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday, where they discussed joint action on the future of the Palestinian national project. Central conclusions from the meeting were a demand that Hamas sign the Egyptian unity deal, and a reaffirmation of the PLO as.... Either Way, Zionists Win in Britain's Confused Election Palestine Chronicle: 9 May 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood – London The battle of the Israel stooges in Britain's general election has ended inconclusively in what's called a 'hung parliament' - i.e. no overall winner. We can now expect a few days of horse-trading between David "I'm-a-Zionist" Cameron, Gordon “Me-too” Brown to see which one can form a credible government. But regardless of who finally enters Number 10 Downing Street the real winners will be the Zionists. Either party chief will ensure Israel has a staunch friend who’s faithful to the thuggish regime. Cameron and Brown are both patrons of the Jewish National Fund and have surrounded themselves with lieutenants who are equally supportive of the Zionist entity's lawless expansion and barbaric conduct. Their loyalty to the British Crown is of course suspect, nevertheless many of them will occupy ministerial or key posts, especially in the Foreign Office and on intelligence, security and defence committees, as...more Factions urge Egypt to release more prisoners 5/8/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Egyptian authorities released six Palestinian prisoners after several months of detention on Friday, prompting Palestinian factions to call for further releases, officials said. The Islamic Jihad movement praised the release, saying it hoped "Egypt would continue with such positive steps and release the rest of those who have been detained," a statement read.... Leftists unite ahead of July elections 5/8/2010 - Tulkarem - Ma'an - Five PLO parties have joined forces in what is believed to be the broadest national coalition ahead of upcoming elections. Candidates from the Popular Struggle and Palestinian Arab Fronts joined with Feda and the Palestinian and Arab Liberation Fronts at one of the left-wing parties' headquarters in Tulkarem. The leftist parties tend to.... Either way, Zionists win in Britain’s confused election Uruknet May 7, 2010 - The battle of the Israel stooges in Britain’s general election has ended inconclusively in what's called a "hung parliament" - i.e. no overall winner. We can now expect a few days of horse-trading between David "I'm-a-Zionist" Cameron, Gordon "Me-too" Brown to see which stooge can form a credible government. But regardless of who finally enters Number... Egyptian state security electrocuted Abu Zuhri PIC 8 May 2010 - Yousef Abu Zuhri, the brother of Hamas's spokesman in Gaza Dr. Sami Abu Zuhri, has been killed in the Egyptian state security jails as a result of repeated, severe electric shocks. Defying appeal from Gaza students, Atwood set to accept Israeli prize Electronic Intifada: 9 May 2010 - On Sunday, Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood will accept the Dan David Prize at Tel Aviv University and her portion of the $1 million payout that goes with it. Meanwhile, a mere 40 miles away, students in the occupied and besieged Gaza Strip will still be struggling to find the ways and means to continue their educations. Kristin Szremski reports for The Electronic Intifada. Jenny Tonge: A ’Woman of Substance’ Felicity Arbuthnot, Palestine Telegraph 5/5/2010 Politicians with backbone are a rarity. (UK) Liberal Democrat M.P., Jenny Tonge (The Rt. Hon., The Baroness Tonge of Kew) has one. Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, does not. Jenny Tonge is a doctor by training, married to a consultant neuroradiologist. Her positions have included Senior Medical Officer for Women’s Services in the large, multi-racial, London Borough of Ealing. In politics, she has been the Party’s spokeswoman for children and for health. After her daughter was killed in a electrical accident, in 2004, she retired as an M.P., in order to help care for her two young grandchildren. However, made a Peer in 2005, entitled her to address issues of concern in the House of Lords. Background. In January 2004, she was sacked as children’s’ champion, by the then leader of the Party, Charles Kennedy, for saying of Palestine suicide bombers, in the hopelessness of the remnants of their land: "If I had to live in that situation - and I say that advisedly - I might just consider becoming one myself." Refusing to apologize, she pointed out that: " ...having seen the violence, humiliation and provocation that the Palestinian people live under every day and have done since their land was occupied by Israel, I could understand ..." Her statement echoed the haunting words of the late Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish. In his "State of Siege", he poignantly tiptoes between despair and what Western and Israeli governments label "terrorism." Darwish walks in the shoes of one with only his being remaining.... more.. e-mail Groups: Amitav Ghosh, don't accept Dan David prize Electronic Intifada: 7 May 2010 - We wish to express our deep disappointment in your decision to accept the Dan David prize, administered by Tel Aviv University and to be awarded by the President of Israel. As a writer whose work has dwelled consistently on histories of colonialism and displacement, your refusal to take stance on the colonial question in the case of Israel and the occupation of Palestine has provoked deep dismay, frustration and puzzlement among readers and fans of your work around the world. Artists thank Gil Scott-Heron for heeding boycott call Electronic Intifada: 7 May 2010 - More than 50 organizations and artists from eight countries have written to legendary political singer and poet Gil Scott-Heron to thank him for his decision to drop Israel from his current tour. The letter, facilitated by Adalah-NY, highlighted the parallels between the South African apartheid that Scott-Heron crusaded against decades ago and the Israeli system that currently subjugates Palestinians. New Israeli order allows for mass expulsion from West Bank Electronic Intifada: 7 May 2010 - RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Several Palestinians have set up a protest tent in no-man's land in the northern Gaza Strip, near the Erez border crossing into Israel, as they protest their deportation from the Israeli occupied West Bank into Gaza where Hamas authorities have refused them entry. The pretext of “security” along Gaza’s buffer zone In Gaza: 7 May 2010 - Ahmed Deeb after he was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier at a protest in the occupied Gaza Strip. (Hatem Omar/ MaanImages ) The Electronic Intifada “There was a single shot without any warning, and a young man was carried away,” Adie Mormech explained. Mormech, currently in Gaza, is a British activist with the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). He was an eyewitness at the 28 April demonstration at Nahal Oz, east of Gaza City, when Ahmed Deeb was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier . “I could see the bullet had blown apart a large section of the top his leg, with a large amount of blood. He was carried about 100 meters with blood pouring down his leg before a waiting ambulance drove him away.” Hours after being shot in the femoral artery by an Israeli soldier, Deeb died of blood loss. Deeb, 21, was the ninth protester shot by Israeli... Will Obama adopt a dangerously simplistic peace plan? Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada, Electronic Intifada 5/3/2010 A new conventional wisdom is rapidly taking shape that the United States can resolve the 130-year-old conflict in Palestine by advancing its own peace plan. Former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and former US Congressman Stephen Solarz outlined such a plan in The Washington Post recently, and argued that President Obama could boost its prospects with a "bold gesture" -- a trip, to Jerusalem and Ramallah in the company of Arab and other leaders to unveil it ("To achieve Mideast peace, Obama must make a bold Mideast trip," 11 April 2010). Strong supporters of Israel have pushed back that "imposing peace" would not work, but few Palestinian voices have been heard. Indeed, from a Palestinian perspective, this idea is dangerously simplistic, and more likely to deepen festering injustices and fuel, rather than resolve conflict. The "comprehensive solution" Brzezinski and Solarz propose is nothing of the kind because the conflict cannot be reduced to a mere border dispute between Israel and a putative Palestinian state. They propose for example "a territorial settlement based on the 1967 borders, with mutual and equal adjustments to allow the incorporation of the largest West Bank settlements into Israel." This is deceptive; the West Bank and Gaza Strip constitute just 22 percent of historic Palestine between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea, in which Palestinians formed the overwhelming majority prior to their expulsion and flight as Israel was created in 1948. Official Palestinian acceptance of the two-state solution was a concession unprecedented in the history of any nation because it involved surrendering the 78 percent of the country on which Israel was established. To demand that Palestinians further divide the remainder represents no compromise by Israel. It merely ratifies Israel’s systematic colonization of West Bank land since 1967 in flagrant defiance of international law. more.. e-mail Rights orgs condemn arrest of Palestinian civil society leader Electronic Intifada: 6 May 2010 - This morning at 3:10am, Israeli Security Agency agents accompanied by Israeli police raided Ameer Makhoul's family home in Haifa and arrested him. Makhoul is a human rights defender and serves as the general director of Ittijah - The Union of Arab Community-Based Associations and as the Chairman of the Public Committee for the Defense of Political Freedom in the framework of the High Follow-up Committee for the Arab Citizens of Israel. The pretext of "security" along Gaza's buffer zone Electronic Intifada: 6 May 2010 - "There was a single shot without any warning, and a young man was carried away," Adie Mormech explained. Mormech, currently in Gaza, is a British activist with the International Solidarity Movement. He was an eyewitness at the 28 April demonstration at Nahal Oz, east of Gaza City, when Ahmed Deeb was fatally shot by an Israeli soldier. Eva Bartlett reports for The Electronic Intifada. Israel's repression of its Palestinian citizens unites us in struggle Electronic Intifada: 6 May 2010 - Ameer Makhoul, director of Ittijah and chairman of the Popular Committee for the Defense of the Political Freedoms, was arrested by Israeli forces today during a raid of his home, two weeks after a travel ban was imposed on him by the Israeli Ministry of the Interior. Makhoul, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, submitted the following op-ed to The Electronic Intifada prior to his arrest. Quartet ex-envoy's investment helps Israel greenwash settlements Electronic Intifada: 6 May 2010 - Former World Bank president and Middle East Quartet envoy James D. Wolfensohn is an investor in an Israeli company that is developing transport infrastructure for Jewish-only settlements built in the occupied West Bank in violation of international law, an investigation by The Electronic Intifada reveals. On Goldstone's Bar Mitzvah and Finkelstein's Book Palestine Chronicle: 6 May 2010 - By Ramzy Baroud In his report on Gaza issued late last year, prominent South African jurist Richard Goldstone accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes. His language also showed awareness of the fact that the former is an occupying power with most sophisticated weapon arsenal (as reflecting in the number of Palestinian victims), and the latter is a besieged, occupied faction in a state of self-defense. Although Goldstone must have been aware of the kind of hysteria such a report would generate, he still did not allow ideological or ethnic affiliation to stand between him and his moral convictions. Despite some initial apprehension – owing to the fact that Goldstone is a self-declared Zionist with links to Israel - many justice and peace advocates were comforted by the man’s past record. He was a former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and former Prosecutor of the International...more Nick Clegg to Haaretz: I admire Israel, but won't stop criticizing its government Ha'aretz - 'We must distinguish clearly between the Israeli people and certain actions of the Israeli government,' says the Liberal Democrat leader ahead of British elections. General Election: Shhh… don’t mention the Occupation Uruknet May 4, 2010 - In the run-up to Britain’s general election we’ve heard next to nothing about Middle East policy from the three main party leaders in their much-publicised debates on TV. They have studiously avoided all mention of the outrage in the Holy Land and the way it impacts so directly on world peace. The plight of the Palestinian... Iraq: Maliki and rival form Shia bloc Palestine Note 5 May 2010 - Amid a manual recount for the March election, Iraqi incumbent PM Nouri al-Maliki has teamed up with his chief Shia rivals in the Iraqi National Alliance, Al-Jazeera English says. Nouri al-Maliki The new Shia bloc is... Analysis: J'lem watches the rise of Nick Clegg Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 - Candidate last year: “We must stop arming Israel.” Nick Clegg to Haaretz: I admire Israel, but won't stop criticizing its government Ha'aretz 5 May 2010 - 'We must distinguish clearly between the Israeli people and certain actions of the Israeli government,' says the Liberal Democrat leader ahead of British elections. Ending the Hypocrisy of Lebanon's 'Voice for Palestine' Palestine Chronicle: 5 May 2010 - By Franklin Lamb - Beirut This year, the Merry Month of May in Lebanon includes Labor day, the May 15 anniversary of the Nakba, the month-long Lebanese municipal elections and the May 5 elevation of Lebanon to the presidency of the United Nations Security Council. Yet, for most Palestinians whiling away their lives in Lebanon’s 12 fetid refugee camps and 27 gatherings, May will pass anything but Merry. The festive Labor day and month long elections, held in the 26 municipalities in Lebanon, with the participation of more than 650 glad-handing -vote seeking candidates extolling the Lebanese virtue of working to provide for one’s family, constitute a cruel joke for Palestinian refugees denied the right to work. The May 15th anniversary of the Nakba reminds the World that Lebanon’s “camp Palestinians”, approximately 15 per cent of the 750,000+ who were ethnically cleansed by Zionist gangs six decades ago, suffer an...more UK General Election: Shhh ... Don't Mention Israeli Occupation Palestine Chronicle: 5 May 2010 - By Stuart Littlewood – London In the run-up to Britain's general election we've heard next to nothing about Middle East policy from the three main party leaders in their much-publicized debates on TV. They have studiously avoided all mention of the outrage in the Holy Land and the way it impacts so directly on world peace. The plight of the Palestinian people ever since Britain abandoned its mandate responsibility, and their endless struggle for freedom from Israel's military occupation, threatens our safety but word of it never passes their lips. And the programme bosses appear to block questions on the subject. Early in the campaign I received a message from a local Liberal Democrat MP saying: "I urge everyone to get to Norwich and help elect our fantastic candidate Simon W." But hang on, before rushing to volunteer I wanted to know just one thing. What was Mr W's personal...more Israel’s secret police vet candidates for imam 5/4/2010 - By Jonathan CookJaffa - Job interviews for the position of imam at mosques in Israel are conducted not by senior clerics but by the Shin Bet, Israel's secret police, a labor tribunal has revealed. Sheikh Ahmed Abu Ajwa, 36, is fighting.... Lebanon’s Merry Month of May Uruknet This year, the Merry Month of May in Lebanon includes Labor day, the May 15 anniversary of the Nakba, the month-long Lebanese municipal elections and the May 5 elevation of Lebanon to the presidency of the United Nations Security Council. Yet, for most Palestinians whiling away their lives in Lebanon’s 12 fetid refugee camps and 27 gatherings, May will pass... 3 female students invent electronic stick for blind people in Nablus 4 May 2010 - Nablus, May 4, (Pal Telegraph) Three female students living in a Palestinian refugee camp in Nablus, West Bank, created an electronic stick to help the blind to avoid obstacles while walking using infrared beam and small bell for alert. Noor Al Urda, one of the three students who participated in the innovation, "Our project is scientific and technological. We tried... A worried Jerusalem watches the rise of Nick Clegg Jeruslalem Post 5 May 2010 - Candidate last year: “We must stop arming Israel.” Israel's secret police surveilling Islamic leaders Electronic Intifada: 4 May 2010 - Job interviews for the position of imam at mosques in Israel are conducted not by senior clerics but by the Shin Bet, Israel's secret police, a labor tribunal has revealed. Sheikh Ahmed Abu Ajwa, 36, is fighting the Shin Bet's refusal to approve his appointment as an imam in a case that has lifted the lid on Israel's secret surveillance of the country's Islamic leaders. Jonathan Cook reports from Jaffa. I refuse to be complicit Electronic Intifada: 4 May 2010 - Three weeks after saying goodbye to Palestine, with the pictures and faces of all those I met at Aida still fresh in my mind, I received a much-needed wake-up call that profoundly changed my life in ways I never could have imagined or expected. Dina Elmuti writes for The Electronic Intifada. Settler Violence Out Of Control: Extremists Torch A Mosque Palestine Monitor: 4 May 2010 - Extremist Israeli settlers broke into a mosque in the Palestinian village of Luban al-Sharqiyya (near Nablus, North of West Bank) on Tuesday early morning, gathered flammables and set them fire, seriously damaging the 80% of the mosque. Coutesy: Ma'an News “Yet another example of the nonchalance of Israeli authorities in the face of violence by settlers and extremists against Palestinians” was how Dr Mustafa Barghouthi, Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative commented Israel's Civil Administration reaction after the incident. After an investigation was initiated by police, Israeli investigators raised doubts on villagers' complaints and said that the “ blaze may have been accidental and provoked by an electrical malfunction, a short -circuit ”. But cars approaching the mosque were heard by local residents at 3.00 am on Tuesday morning and Jamal Daramaghmeh, Mayor of the village, a village which is surrounded by three settlements, Eli, Shilo and Ma'ale Levona,... Israel's Stasi Watch over Imams Palestine Chronicle: 4 May 2010 - By Jonathan Cook - Jaffa Job interviews for the position of imam at mosques in Israel are conducted not by senior clerics but by the Shin Bet, Israel’s secret police, a labour tribunal has revealed. Sheikh Ahmed Abu Ajwa, 36, is fighting the Shin Bet’s refusal to approve his appointment as an imam in a case that has lifted the lid on Israel’s secret surveillance of the country’s Islamic leaders. At a hearing last month, a senior government official admitted that 60 undercover inspectors were employed effectively as spies to collect information on Muslim clerics, reporting on political opinions they expressed in sermons and relaying gossip about their private lives. Sheikh Abu Ajwa took his case to the tribunal after the Shin Bet rejected him three years ago as the imam of a mosque in Jaffa, next to Tel Aviv, despite his being the sole candidate. He was told after...more Proximity Talks To Start Wednesday IMEMC - 2 May 2010 - The Indirect Palestinian-Israeli talks, mediated by the United States, are set to start this coming Wednesday. Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, will be heading the talks on the Israeli side, Israeli Ynet News reported. Hamas slammed decision, called for unity and reconciliation between all factions, Arab support. Khan Younis man killed by misfired projectile 5/3/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Palestinian resistance fighters from an unknown faction misfired a projectile Sunday night, hitting a Khan Younis home and critically injuring one man who later died in hospital, sources in Gaza said. Eighteen-year-old Ibrahim Sulaiman Malalha was taken to the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis then transferred to the European Hospital in Gaza City for treatment of injuries described as critical. He was announced dead on Monday morning, medical sources said. Two others were taken to the Khan Younis hospital for treatment, medics confirmed. Sources said resistance fighters were training in a field outside the city, when a projectile was misfired. [end] Haniyeh talks unity with Palestinian tycoon 5/3/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Gaza government is undertaken all efforts to solve internal Palestinian rivalry, de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Monday evening. Speaking to reporters from his Gaza City office after meeting with Palestinian businessman and PADICO manager Munib Al-Masri, Haniyeh said the appointment came within the framework of overcoming obstacles in signing the Egyptian-sponsored reconciliation document. The Hamas-led government is committed to achieving Palestinian unity with rival faction Fatah and said Egypt remains unwavering in its support for the deal. Al-Masri and Haniyeh discussed the latest developments in Palestinian politics, with the businessman commenting that the meeting was positive, and emphasized the importance of signing the Egyptian unity deal and later discuss points of contention. British candidates court U.K. Jews ahead of election Ha'aretz - U.K. Jews are considered a strong voting bloc as they are mainly clustered in a few constituencies in London, Manchester. Israel's secret police vet candidates for imam The National 3 May 2010 - Labour tribunal lifts the lid on Shin Bet after Islamic scholar says his candidacy for imam of a Jaffa mosque was rejected by security service agents for extremist' views British candidates court U.K. Jews ahead of election Ha'aretz 4 May 2010 - U.K. Jews are considered a strong voting bloc as they are mainly clustered in a few constituencies in London, Manchester. At Berkeley, moral victory despite divestment vote loss Electronic Intifada: 3 May 2010 - On 28 April, University of California, Berkeley's Student Senate narrowly missed an historic opportunity to divest its funds from United Technologies and General Electric which manufacture F-16 jets and Apache helicopters -- weapons sold to the Israeli military and used against civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Dina Omar reports for The Electronic Intifada. Under siege, Gaza organizes its own World Cup Electronic Intifada: 3 May 2010 - GAZA CITY, occupied Gaza Strip (IPS) - Football is the world's most popular sport, boasting more than an estimated 2 billion fans. And despite its isolation from the world through Israel's four-year-old blockade, the Gaza Strip is no exception. When a football match is on, tea and shisha cafes are packed with people gathered around the TV sets. Will Obama adopt a dangerously simplistic peace plan? Electronic Intifada: 3 May 2010 - A new conventional wisdom is rapidly taking shape that the United States can resolve the 130-year-old conflict in Palestine by advancing its own peace plan. Former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and former US Congressman Stephen Solarz outlined such a plan in The Washington Post recently, and argued that President Obama could boost its prospects with a "bold gesture" -- a trip, to Jerusalem and Ramallah in the company of Arab and other leaders to unveil it. Ali Abunimah comments. Report: Obama promises Abbas settlement freeze in J`lem 5/2/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - US President Barack Obama has reportedly promised President Mahmoud Abbas a prolonged settlement freeze in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, various media reports said Sunday. Quoting the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat, Israel's Army Radio reported that chief PLO negotiator Saeb Erekat told Arab League ministers Saturday night that Obama made his promise off the record in order to avoid conflict with right-wing factions in Israel. Palestinian sources were cited by the Israeli daily Haaretz, saying Israel has committed to continuing the moratorium on settlement construction in the West Bank beyond ten months, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced in December 2009. The report follows the expected arrival of US Middle East Envoy George Mitchell in the region for a week-long visit on Monday, in a bid to restart indirect talks between Israeli and. . . Haniyeh tells SA delegation talks with Israel rejected 5/2/2010 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - De facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday evening that Palestinians should not enter talks with Israel in light of its actions across the occupied Palestinian territories. A statement released by his office following a meeting with South African Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ebrahim Ismail Ebrahim said Haniyeh discussed the deteriorating situation in the besieged Gaza Strip and the Hamas government's rejection of talks with Israel. He added that the rejection resulted from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "insistence to maintain full control over Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley and continued settlement building." Haniyeh further briefed the South African delegation on Palestinian current events, including a unity deal with rival faction Fatah, describing reconciliation as an "irrevocable choice," the statement read. Potential Egyptian presidential candidate 'could spark political upheaval' Palestine Note 2 May 2010 - Long-reigning President Hosni Mubarak has ruled Egypt since Anwar Sadat's assassination in 1981, and many Egyptians looking for change since then. And now they may have found their political messiah in former IAEA chief Mohammad ElBaradei .... OCHA: Most Gaza people still suffer from power crisis PIC 2 May 2010 - The OCHA said most of Gaza residents still suffer from power outages due to the low supplies of industrial fuel used to operate the electric station, warning that the crisis may escalate. Fayyad vs. Haniyeh Nasser Lahham, Ma’an News Agency 5/2/2010 Any Arab or Palestinian citizen can easily and fearlessly criticize or attack Prime Minister Salam Fayyad because he is neither affiliated with Fatah nor Hamas. Other Palestinian factions praise him occasionally and attack him most of the time. However, the Palestinian and the international community see Fayyad as a necessity for the persistence of the Palestinian Authority. Even the leaders who criticize him repeatedly are usually seen in his office. Since Hamas won the general elections in 2006, the world said if the Palestinians chose to support Ismail Haniyeh as prime minister, they would lose all access to international aid and funding. The majority preferred aid over Hamas and Haniyeh. Since then, Fayyad began to rise and Haniyeh remained bound by the Hamas-Fatah rivalry in Gaza. The two main factions indulged in bloody fighting over the post of prime minister, which went to Fayyad who is not affiliated to either movement. The Fayyad government managed to get President Mahmoud Abbas to issue 38 presidential decrees in only a couple of years. Some consider that a violation of the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Legislative Council, as lawmakers themselves did not approve a similar number of laws in ten years. "The Palestinian Basic Law authorizes the government to make these decisions and the PLC can approve, amend or annul them," Fayyad says. If one attempts to analyze Fayyad’s role as prime minister, the following is apparent: Fayyad repeats the same words in his speeches tirelessly, believing that repetition will lead to awareness which, in turn, will lead to a lack of hesitation, leading to action. Fayyad says the Palestinian state will be established in 2011, and he believes he will automatically be the prime minister of that state. This is controversial as Fayyad is relying on his belief that rivals Fatah and Hamas will not be able to sign a conciliation agreement, and I think he is right. more.. e-mail Kafkaesque Rules On Gaza Goods Transfers Palestine Monitor: 2 May 2010 - In September 2007 the Security Cabinet of Israel declared that Gaza was a hostile territory. Israel restricted the transfer of goods into Gaza not for security reasons, but rather as part of a policy to apply “pressure” or “sanctions” on Hamas. Three years later Israeli policy has degenerated into a confusion of Kafkaesque bureaucracy. “ Additional sanctions will be placed on the Hamas regime in order to restrict the passage of various goods to the Gaza Strip and reduce the supply of fuel and electricity. Restrictions will also be placed on the movement of people. The sanctions will be enacted following a legal examination, while taking into account both the humanitarian aspects relevant to the Gaza Strip and the intention to avoid a humanitarian crisis.” With this nota from the Security Cabinet, Israel openly declared its intention to block goods beyond what is deemed “ essential for the survival of... ‘Special relationship’ has only threatened the ’stable flow of oil’ Mondoweiss - Since its founding in 2001, The Electronic Intifada has earned a well-deserved reputation for being the most influential and effective voice for Palestinian rights. It is backed by a team of smart, savvy and committed individuals. Its co-founder Ali Abunimah is in my view an examplar... Az-Zahhar: No deal without Hamas 5/1/2010 - Gaza - Ma'an - Senior Hamas leader in Gaza Mahmoud Az-Zahhar said Saturday that any political stages concerning the question of Palestine must include the movement or "there is no agreement."All talks and agreements made with Israel must include the Islamist movement, Az-Zahhar said following a meeting with a South African delegation at the office of de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh." Hamas has given a full explanation on its stance on reconciliation and its desire to achieve it. It is paramount that the siege be lifted, the crossings opened and that elections be held with its outcome accepted by all," Az-Zahhar told reporters following the meeting. The senior Hamas leader said the South African visit was "evidence of the country's support for the Palestinian issue. There are good relations between the Gaza government and South Africa. These relations are developing and growing. . ." Freeman: Israel is useless to US power projection Mondoweiss - The other day Stephen Maher published a piece on Electronic Intifada saying that American thirst for hegemony in the region, and not the Israel lobby, is the prime motivator of US policy in Israel and Palestine. What follows is an excerpt of a private email exchange...  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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