Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
Elections Archive - December 2009
Elections Archive - December 2009
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PLC official: Hamas, Fatah out of excuses for rivalry 12/30/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Hamas-Fatah rivalry is now a feature of Palestinian life, and not merely a political issue, the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Hassan Khreisha said on Tuesday. He said in an interview with Ma'an that Palestinians should take advantage of the one-year anniversary of what he termed a "holocaust" in Gaza to restore national unity. "I no longer truly know what we are disagreeing about," said Khreisha. "It appears that the dispute began as political but "¦ it has now become one of the details of Palestinian life. "All of the Palestinian factions involved in this division and its consequences are out of excuses," he added. Palestinian politics has been in a state of internal crisis since June 2007 when Hamas, the winner of 2006 elections, took full control of Gaza during fighting with Fatah. US market brief expects several growth sectors in Palestine 12/30/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Growth in several Palestinian sectors including energy and telecommunications is expected over the next few years, a report by the US Commercial Service published Tuesday. The Service, a division of the US Department of Commerce, highlights opportunities for American investors in emerging market. "Over the next few years, infrastructure development, including upgrading the electricity network, will be a major growth sector of the Palestinian economy," the report notes, adding that the insufficient power supply in Palestine "is a serious impediment to the growth of the Palestinian economy. This sector will offer opportunities to U. S. companies. "For telecommunications, the report says "the influence of Palestinians familiar with American culture opens the door to good opportunities for American companies in establishing agents, distributors, and. . . Palestine’s Guernica 12/30/2009 - This Week in Palestine - A Diary of Israeli Aggression on Gaza, Edited by Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, Published by Turbo Design, November 2009, 180 pages, NIS 100 - One year from the tragedy of Gaza, Palestine Monitor presents Palestine’s Guernica, a detailed account of the causes and consequences of Israel’s brutal assault. Using eyewitness testimonies, expert analysis, and a collection of articles and photography from Palestine Monitor, Guernica provides a new level of insight and humanity to a massacre that shamed the world. Split into sections that focus on before, during, and after, Guernica begins the narrative from Israel’s unilateral disengagement in 2005, and the escalation which followed. We see how Israel’s siege of Gaza led to Hamas’ election success and the shaky ceasefires that ensued, making conflict inevitable. Reports from human rights groups, politicians, and journalists describe the suffering of civilians. . . . -- Link: Palestine Monitor Lives Destroyed: Day 2: The Kishku Family, Az-Zeitoun in Gaza City 12/28/2009 - Al Mezan Center for Human Rights - Just after 7pm on 28 December 2008, an Israeli F16 dropped a bomb on the Kishku family home in Az-Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City. Abdullah Kishku, 49, his wife Sabah, 49 and four of their children, Mohammed, 11, Latifa, 15, Fatma, 18 and Talal, 24 were sitting outside on the patio along with Talal’s one-year-old daughter, Islam. Talal’s wife, Maisa, 21, and Abdullah and Sabah’s youngest daughter, Ibtihal, 8, were inside the house when the bomb struck. Al Mezan interviewed Fatma, now 19, about how the family is coping almost a year after the attack. “I was sitting with my parents and siblings on a piece of land in front of our house as there was no electricity during the (Cast Lead) offensive,” Fatma explains. “My father, Abdullah, had just sent Ibtihal upstairs to tell Maisa, my sister-in-law, to come and join us outside. Gaza a year ago: My father says the Israelis are doing this to win an election Mondoweiss - 30 Dec 2009 - A Palestinian boy looks up from inside a damaged house after an Israeli air strike in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, December 30, 2008. (Photo: Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters) Khulood Ghanem, 27, kept a Gaza diary a year ago. Its full text (as adapted by Edward... Gaza After a Year of the War 27 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 27, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Israel launched on 27th December 2008 a full invasion against the innocent civilians in Gaza lasted for 23 days. Israel was saying the War is against military factions who lunch missiles towards the occupied lands in south of Palestine. Sixty Israeli warplanes were launched throughout the Gaza Strip. Attacks were directed against security... Ahmad Tibi could be next Knesset opposition leader 12/25/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asked opposition leader Tzipi Livni, raising the possibility that a Palestinian could become the opposition leader. This parliamentary situation arose due to Knesset rules which stipulate that a member of the largest faction outside the ruling coalition becomes the head of the opposition. Livni's center-right Kadima party is the largest in the Knesset. If it were to join Netanyahu's government, three parties with the same number of seats would be left in the opposition: Palestinian parties United Arab List-Ta'al and Hadash, and extreme right National Union, each with four seats. The website of the Israeli daily Yedioth Reported on Friday that since United Arab List-Ta'al received the most votes of the three in the last election, one of its members would become opposition chairman. Nuno: The siege on Gaza meant to topple the duly elected PA government PIC 25 Dec 2009 - Tahir Al-Nuno, the spokesman of the legitimate PA government in the Gaza Strip has asserted Thursday that the siege on the Gaza Strip was meant to oust the duly elected PA government.. Israel’s Kadima party headed for split 12/24/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A political shakeup hit Israel's center-right Kadima party, the country's main opposition faction, when the party's second-highest official demanded that its leader face an internal election. Kadima's deputy leader, Shaul Mofaz, the former minister of defense, said accused leader Tzipi Livni of driving 14 of the party's 27 MKs to consider leaving to join the right-wing Likud faction. According to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Mofaz blames Livni for a number of mistakes, including failing to form a government after last March's election, and subsequently failing to join Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu's government. Kadima won the most seats in the election, but refused to form a coalition with Likud, driving the party into the opposition. The party's governing council will meet on Thursday to discuss the threats of certain members to leave the party. White House says won't oppose Kerry's visit to Iran YNet News 24 Dec 2009 - US administration said to support appointment of former presidential candidate as US envoy to Iran Prisoners’ families say deportation better than nothing 12/23/2009 - Bethlehem/Gaza - Ma'an - Rumors of a prisoner release are notoriously hard on families of the detained. As the back-and-forth between Israel and Gaza factions continues at a heated pace, Ma'an spoke with the wives and children of some of Palestine's most prominent detainees. Abla Sa'adat is the wife of one of the nine prisoners identified by Israeli media earlier in the week as one of the nine high-profile prisoners whose release the swap deal depends on. Ahmad Sa'adat is the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). He was abducted by Israeli forces from a Palestinian Authority prison in 2006, three months prior to the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit by Gazan militants. Sa'adat was wanted by Israel for his alleged role in planning the killing of their minister of tourism in 2001. PFLP: Cairo must reject pressure to build Gaza wall 12/23/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The wall Egypt is constructing along the Gaza border is unwarranted, unjustified and warns of dire consequences, senior Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) leaderAbu Ahmad Fuad said on Wednesday. "Egypt must overcome the external pressures pushing the construction of the wall forward," Fuad said, alluding to Israel and the United States, believed to be behind the attempt to thwart the smuggling tunnel industry, currently the lifeline for a Gaza Strip under tight Israeli siege. He rejected the Egyptian justification that the wall was in-line with requirements set forth by the Middle East Quartet. Officers from the Quartet office in Jerusalem were unable to confirm or deny the claim. In a statement, Fuad called the decision to build the wall "weird," saying he was "surprised, since Egypt did not even present the issue to the Gaza factions before they went ahead with construction. Iraq attacks target church, election candidate Daily Star 23 Dec 2009 A pre-Christmas attack on a church killed two people in the Iraqi city of Mosul Wednesday while a Sunni Arab candidate died in a bombing in Fallujah, the first such murder ahead of March polls. They were among 11 people killed in violence across the country, despite security forces ramping up their presence ahead of Christmas and the Shiite commemoration ceremonies of Ashura. Aid groups say world powers betrayed Gaza 12/22/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The international community betrayed the people of Gaza by failing to end an Israeli blockade stymieingreconstruction efforts following last winter's war, 16 aid and human rights groups said in a report released Tuesday. The report, Failing Gaza: No rebuilding, No recovery, No more excuses, alleges that the world's powers, particularly the European Union, failed to ensure that aid pledged to Gaza actually reached its intended recipients. Since the end of the three week military offensive dubbed Operation Cast Lead in January, Israel has allowed only 41 truckloads of construction materials into the Gaza Strip, the groups reported. All of those materials were destined for NGOs implementing piecemeal reconstruction efforts, or repairs to the electricity and sewage networks. The groups sponsoring the report included Amnesty International, CAFOD, Christian. . . -- Link: Full Report (PDF) Gaza factions to hold talks on prisoner deal 12/23/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Palestinian armed groups holding an Israeli soldier captive in Gaza are to hold a meeting to discuss Israel's latest response in negotiations toward a prisoner exchange, a spokesman for the captors said late on Tuesday. Abu Mujahid, the spokesperson of the Popular Resistance Committees, said the meeting would take place as soon as the groups receive the response from the German mediator in the indirect negotiations. There were conflicting reports on Tuesday as to when the mediator was traveling to Gaza. A source told Reuters news agency that the mediator delayed their visit until Wednesday. A prisoner swap could see the release of about a thousand of the 10,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails in exchange for Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier captured by Palestinian fighters in 2006. Three groups claimed responsibility for Shalit's capture: Hamas, the Popular Resistance Committees, the Army of Islam. Analysis: The decision on Schalit - It's all personal Jeruslalem Post 22 Dec 2009 - Each of Israel's elected and appointed officials has a personal agenda that cannot be detached from the ongoing debate. Fatah forms new administrations of municipal councils in W. Bank PIC 22 Dec 2009 - A Fatah insider revealed that his Movement formed new administrations to control the municipal councils in the West Bank after dissolving all elected councils run by Hamas Movement. Hamas official: Swap talks in stalemate 12/19/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israel's refusal to release Palestinian prisoners named by Gaza factions in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier has led the swap talks to a stalemate, Hamas politburo member Mohamed Nazzal said Friday. The statement came a day after Fox News reports cited Israeli government sources saying their Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was reluctant to sign a deal presented to him three weeks ago. The reluctance seemed to stem from a professed distrust of the German mediators currently brokering the deal. According to the report's source, "Israel is being played by the German mediator. . . And he (German mediator) seems to be more favorable to Hamas possibly because of the German government's economic ties with Iran, known to be Hamas' financial and ideological backer. "Nazzal cited Israel's intransigence, and accused the Israeli media of using pressure tactics to push for a Hamas-compromise. Abbas blames Iran for continued political split 12/19/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an -President Mahmoud Abbas accused Iran of putting pressure on Hamas to delay the signing of a conciliation agreement brokered by Egypt, an interview with the Palestinian leader in Egypt's Al-Ahram revealed Saturday. "Pressures were placed on the leadership of Hamas in Damascus that led to Hamas backtracking from signing the Egyptian conciliation document," Abbas said, accusing Hamas of accepting upwards of 250 million US dollars from Iran in exchange for the unity rejection. Despite the accusations, Abbas said he would be willing to meet with Hamas "when I feel there is hope that we will sign conciliation. "[end] Haniyeh postpones all-factions meeting, cites emergency 12/19/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Hamas leader in Gaza Ayman Taha said Saturday that the movement's leader Ismail Haniyeh has called off a meeting initially set for Sunday where leaders of all Palestinian factions were to have discussed Egypt's unity plan. An invitation to the meeting was made public on Friday, but received no official responses from factions. One statement from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said they and other PLO factions were engaged in "serious meetings" in Ramallah, trying to determine their collective response to the invite. Taha cited an "emergency" behind Haniyeh's calling off of the meeting. He did not announce an alternative date for the meeting. [end] Survey finds Abbas would win election The National 19 Dec 2009 - Surge in popularity of president of the Palestinian Authority is matched by increased support for Fatah over Hamas, opinion poll shows. Gaza must be rebuilt now 12/19/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Jimmy Carter, The Guardian - It is generally recognised that the Middle East peace process is in the doldrums, almost moribund. Israeli settlement expansion within Palestine continues, and PLO leaders refuse to join in renewed peace talks without a settlement freeze, knowing that no Arab or Islamic nation will accept any comprehensive agreement while Israel retains control of East Jerusalem. US objections have impeded Egyptian efforts to resolve differences between Hamas and Fatah that could lead to 2010 elections. With this stalemate, PLO leaders have decided that President Mahmoud Abbas will continue in power until elections can be held - a decision condemned by many Palestinians. Even though Syria and Israel under the Olmert government had almost reached an agreement with Turkey's help, the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejects Turkey as a mediator on the Golan Heights. Haneyya meets representatives of various factions PIC 19 Dec 2009 - Ismail Haneyya is to meet on Sunday with representatives of various Palestinian forces and factions along with independent figures and notable to discuss various national questions. EU extends mission of Rafah monitoring team, PLO approves 12/18/2009 - Jericho - Ma'an - Head of PLO negotiation department Saeb Erekat praised the decision of the EU to extend the authorization of the EU monitoring unit (EU-BAM) on Rafah crossing for 6 months. On 20 November 2009, the Council of the EU adopted a Joint Action, effectively extending the mandate of EUBAM for the Rafah Crossing Point until 24 May 2010. The extension was the third in the history of the project, originally established to run until 24 November 2008. The operations of EUBAM were suspended on 13 June 2007 following the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip. Erekat called the move an affirmation of the EU support and determination to re-open the Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip. Currently, the crossing is only open periodically, and openings are determined solely by Egyptian authorities. The PLO official said the simplest way to ensure the crossing opens is to focus on Palestinian internal conciliation. Hamas invites all factions to discuss unity with Haniyeh in Gaza 12/18/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an -Hamas leaders in Gaza invited members of all Palestinian factions and independent figures to come to Gaza for a meeting with de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday where sides will discuss a conciliation agreement, an informed source revealed. In the West Bank, PLO factions are holding intense meetings over how to respond to the invitation, the source said, noting a spirit of readiness among leaders. "Factions would prefer not to hold the meeting in the offices of Hamas," the source said, "since it is a sensitive political issue," she suggested the location be as non-partisan as possible. The meeting is expected to address the stalled talks formerly mediated by Egypt. The source said he expected talks would be based on the last Egyptian conciliation document, signed by Fatah leaders, and the proposed amendments to the document by Hamas. [uruknet.info] Hamas invites all factions to discuss unity with Haniyeh in Gaza Uruknet December 18, 2009 - Hamas leaders in Gaza invited members of all Palestinian factions and independent figures to come to Gaza for a meeting with de facto Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Sunday where sides will discuss a conciliation agreement, an informed source revealed. In the West Bank, PLO factions are holding intense meetings over how to respond to the... Abbas' West Bank is flourishing but Hamas is not worried Ha'aretz 18 Dec 2009 - RAMALLAH - To an observer, it sometimes seems that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas knows something we don't. Otherwise, it's hard to explain the sense of satisfaction he is projecting these days. Above all, it appears that since his announcement that he will not run in the next elections, the rais is feeling a sense of relief. This week, in a speech to the PLO's Central Council and afterward in an interview with Haaretz, he was in an upbeat and jovial mood, smiling all over and looking confident. ... Report: Egyptian mediator to visit Jerusalem 12/17/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman to Jerusalem on Sunday, raising speculation that Israel is about to make its latest move in negotiations with Hamas for a prisoner swap, Reuters news agency reported. Suleiman was assigned the top mediating position last year also working on the inter-Palestinian reconciliation file. He joined forces with Germany in indirect negotiations in the fall, as sides work toward a deal that could see the release of 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for an Israeli soldier captured in 2006. Reuters quoted an anonymous official saying that the German mediator is expected to visit Gaza on Thursday. The talks are said to be stalled over the issue of 50 to 100 Palestinian prisoners who Israel says carried out violent attacks. Also on Thursday, the pan-Arab satellite network Al-Jazeera reported that Suleiman recently chastised Hamas for balking at a deal to reunite Hamas and rival Palestinian faction Fatah. Abbas: Israel wants to expel Palestinians from Jerusalem 12/17/2009 - Bethlehem/Nablus - Ma'an - Israel is attempting to expel Palestinians from East Jerusalem, President Mahmoud Abbas said on Thursday evening. Speaking at the closing event of the Al-Quds Capital of Arab Culture festival in Nablus,Abbas said, "Jerusalem is suffering an unprecedented settlement attack aimed at eliminating its identity, separating it from its surroundings and suffocating every activity in order to achieve one goal, which is expulsion, and this will not be allowed to happen. " "There is no Palestine without Jerusalem no one will accept this. Without Jerusalem there will be no peace," he also said. He also issued an appeal for unity among Palestinian factions. "If we continue not to have an agreement because of factional interests "¦ this will deepen division and will allow the West Bank to be turned into cantons which will lead to a temporary, divided state. Hamas declares PLO decision on Abbas a ’coup’ 12/17/2009 - Gaza/Ramallah - Ma'an - Hamas labeled the Palestine Liberation Organization's (PLO) decision to extend the term of President Mahmoud Abbas a coup in statements delivered after the decision was announced on Wednesday. Senior Hamas leader Ismail Radwan told Ma'an that the PLO Central Council's decision was "illegitimate and a continued coup against constitutional law which stated the end of president Abbas' term was in January 2009. ""The right option is to go to ballot box after achieving Palestinian reconciliation," he said. The PLO extended the terms of both Abbas and the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Legislative Council during a meeting in Ramallah on Wednesday. Radwan said that the PLC "does not need anyone to extend its term - it is the master of itself. " The PLC's term, he claimed "Does not end except by electing a new Legislative Council. Hizb Ut-Tahrir: PA attempts arrest of member 12/17/2009 - Hebron - Ma'an - Pacifist Islamist party Hizb Ut-Tahrir said on Thursday that the Palestinian Authority (PA) attempted to arrest one of its media officers in the West Bank city of Hebron. The party said PA intelligence officers surrounded the house of Maher Al-Jabari and ordered him into the street on Wednesday night. Al-Jabari refused the order, they said in a statement. Yelling out the window, Al-Jabari demanded that the commanding officer introduce himself, the statement added. The officers cursed the party official and then left, threatening to return later. Ma'an could not independently verify the report. PA officials made no immediate comment. The main Palestinian Islamist faction, Hamas, has reported that the PA arrested hundreds of its members in the past two weeks in the lead up to the movement's anniversary celebration on Monday. Abbas' presidential term extended AlJazeera 16 Dec 2009 - The Palestinian president will remain in office until new elections are held. PLO extends Abbas, PLC terms 12/16/2009 - Ramallah/Gaza - Ma'an - The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Central Council decided on Wednesday to extend President Mahmoud Abbas' term until elections are held. A official with the Palestinian People's Party (PPP), Walid Al-Awad,told Ma'an over the phone, "The Central Council decided to extend the President Abbas' term "¦ and extended the term of the Legislative Council under the Palestinian Basic Law until elections are held. " The council also reaffirmed that the "door is open" for Hamas to sign an Egyptian proposal for reconciliation. Hamas is not a part of the PLO. Al-Awadsaid he urged Hamas to sign the proposal, which he said would pave the way for new elections. The move was not unexpected. Hamas registering its complaint weeks before the announcement, saying the PLO did not have the authority to decide on constitutional matters. Jerusalem: Violent protest following power cut to home 12/16/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Two electric company workers were stabbed by violent protesters after the Jerusalem District Electric Company (JDECO) cut power to a house in Jerusalem's Shufat Refugee Camp on Wednesday morning. Officials with JEDCO said a group of youth also attacked their offices in the camp and assaulted employees with sticks. The two injured workers were identified as Muhammad Al-Halawani, who was stabbed in the stomach, and Ahmad Al-Shweiki, who was stabbed in the neck. The two were evacuated in Palestine Red Crescent Society and Israeli Magen David Adom ambulances. Both underwent surgery for serious injuries, sources at the scene reported. A large number of Israeli police were deployed to area, shut down the power company's offices, and opened an investigation. Israeli media claims projectiles fired from Gaza 12/16/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli media sources said an explosion in the Gaza border town of Sderot were caused by projectiles fired from Gaza at the area Wednesday night. The reports could not be confirmed by Palestinian sources. No Palestinian faction working in Gaza claimed to have fired projectiles on Wednesday. Israel's online news site Ynet reported an unidentified source as saying two projectiles landed in open fields south of the town. [end] Gaza’s Azhar University shuts down fearing clashes 12/16/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The administration of Al-Azhar University in Gaza suspended classes on Wednesday to avoid clashes between students affiliated to rival Palestinian factions, a statement said. The Fatah-linked University said the decision was made after the Hamas-aligned Islamic student bloc insisted on holding a political festival on campus, coinciding with the founding of the Hamas movement 22 years ago. A statement from the administration said Islamic Bloc supporters raised Hamas flags and plastered slogans and photos on the walls at the campus without consulting the dean of students. A spokesman for the Islamic Bloc, Hani Muqbil, denounced the administration's statement, asserting that there were no such plans to hold a festival on campus. "Supporters of the Islamic Bloc raised Hamas flags and gathered on campus to congratulate Hamas commemorating its 22nd anniversary. Hamas-Fatah summit proposed 12/16/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Egyptian mediators agreed to hold a meeting between opposingPalestinian factions Hamas and Fatah, a Palestinian official involved in the talks said on Wednesday. Iyad As-Sarraj, a prominent Gaza psychiatrist who heads the nonpartisan Palestinian Reconciliation Committee, said Egypt accepted a suggestion from the group during a meeting in Cairo on Tuesday night to hold a three-day workshop with Hamas, Fatah, and other factions. The summit would address Egypt's recent proposal to end the internecine rivalry. Fatah signed the plan and declared the ball in Hamas' court, but Gaza's leading party refused to sign first on account of the Palestinian Authority failure to adequately push forward a UN discussion of the Goldstone report on the last war on Gaza, but later said it would sign as long as a few changes were made to the conciliation document. PCBS energy survey shows less solar, electric usage, more gas 12/16/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinians are using less electricity, more gas, and a decreasing number are using solar panels, a household energy and environmental survey by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics found. The results of the survey, released Wednesday, found 0. 6% fewer families were using solar panels, mostly for heating water. The number was down from the July 2008 number of 68. 2%. Overall electricity use was down, however, dropping from 271 KWh in July 2008 to 247 KWh during the reporting period. The drop in electricity usage was mirrored by a corresponding rise in gas and petroleum consumption, however, with the average household consumption of liquefied petroleum gas (domestic, cooking gas) rose from 14kgs in 2009, to 16kgs in 2009. The survey, conducted on homes throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, was carried out between 23 August and 1 October 2009. Ari Shavit / Hamas still wants to liberate 'all of Palestine' Ha'aretz 16 Dec 2009 - The cat is out of the bag: Palestine, all of Palestine. Standing before 100,000 people in the center of Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh this week declared the objective of the Hamas movement. The moderate prime minister of the moderate faction of the Palestinian religious movement publicly announced the peace solution for which his government is aiming. ... PLO extends mandates of Abbas, Parliament Daily Star 16 Dec 2009 The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Wednesday extended the mandates of both president Mahmud Abbas and the Hamas-dominated Parliament until new elections can be held. "The PLO took the decision that president Abbas and the Legislative Council will continue their duties until the next election in accordance with the Basic Law," PLO representative Qaid al-Ghul told AFP. Mahmoud Abbas remains in charge of PLO until elections can be held LA Times 16 Dec 2009 - An emerging leadership crisis in the PLO could be another obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, some fear. A vote is delayed again after Hamas says it will prevent polling in Gaza. With a giant poster of deceased leader Yasser Arafat smiling over them, members of the Palestine Liberation Organization's central council gathered here Tuesday to indefinitely extend President Mahmoud Abbas' term until credible elections can be held. Norman Finkelstein: Israeli Perpetrated War Crimes in Gaza 12/16/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - LONDON, December 16, 2009 (WAFA)-Professor Norman Finkelstein, accused Israeli of perpetrating war crimes in the Gaza strip through the ongoing siege and January war. His accusation came within an international Conference titled, 'UNRWA and Future of Palestinian Refugees', organized by Palestinian Return Center (PRC). Finkelstein started his speech by placing it in context with the one year commemoration of the siege on Gaza. The causes and effects of this siege are now coming to light, both in the Goldstone Report and in the recent arrest warrant issued by the UK for Tzipi Livni, who stated that she was 'proud of everything she had done in Gaza'. Finkelstein noted that the ceasefire that was agreed between Israel and Palestinians June 2008 was broken by Israel, not Palestinians: Israel did not lift its illegal blockade on Gaza and launched a night raid on Gaza, whilst the eyes of the worlds were watching 4th November 2008 US elections. PCBS: 67.6% of Households Utilizing Solar Energy 12/16/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - RAMALLH, December 16, 2009 (WAFA)- The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS) indicated that 67. 6% of households in the Palestinian Territory were utilizing solar energy by using solar energy heaters in July 2009; this percentage was 68. 2% in July 2008. Results of the household energy survey showed that 74. 0% of households in the Palestinian Territory used a normal electricity meter, while 26. 0% of households used a Prepayment electricity meter in July 2009. PCBS implemented the household energy survey and household environmental survey 2009. These surveys collected data on household energy indicators (electricity, petroleum fuel, and other types of energy) in the household activities, and the methods used to handle solid waste and wastewater, in addition to exposure to noise and air pollution by source and time of day. US army installs Gaza monitoring system 12/12/2009 - Al-Arish - Ma'an - Egypt's plan to build an underground wall along its border with Gaza, first exposed by the Israeli daily Haaretz, is the second of two initiatives backed by the US military, Ma'an has learned. In recent months, US army engineers have moved forward on a two-phase, multimillion-dollar project to stop the flow of weapons and money into the besieged coastal strip. The first stage of the initiative includes the installation of below-ground, state-of-the-art sensors capable of detecting sound or movement nearby. US experts began the process about one year ago, and it is nearing completion. The sensors are about the size of a human fist, planted below Rafah with cables running inside pipes 15 meters deep along the borderline. Each sensor is linked to an electronic panel and a computer screen, which documents below-ground activity. Gaza power cuts up to 32 hours per week 12/13/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Electricity is to be distributed in Gaza on just four days a week, for eight hours a day, a spokesman for the local power company said on Sunday. "Gaza is suffering a 25% shortage of electricity. It is expected that the shortage will increase to 35% because of winter and low temperatures which lead to an increase in [electricity] use during winter, as residents use electric heating appliances,"¯ said Gaza Electricity Distribution Company (GEDCO) spokesman Jamal Ad-Dardasawi during a telephone interview with Ma'an. Palestinians living in Gaza are to expect between 18 to 32 hours without electricity per week, he said, adding that "there are no other options for the company other than to distribute the already existing amounts of electricity and then to cut off the electricity to avoid a crisis. Thousands in Gaza mark PFLP founding 12/13/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Over 70,000 members and supporters of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) converged on Gaza City to mark the secular-nationalist movement's 42nd anniversary on Saturday. The second-largest PLO faction was founded in 1967 after the Six-Day War by the late George Habash, a physician and refugee from Lydda, Palestine, known as Lod in present-day Israel. Under the slogan of "Unity, Steadfastness and Resistance - Towards Victory!" PFLP politburo member and Gaza leader Rabah Muhanna called for "maintenance and escalation of resistance in general and armed struggle in particular against the Zionist enemy. " He emphasized that the path of negotiations, from Oslo to Annapolis, "has clearly reached a dead end, and there must be a declaration by all Palestinian forces of the final. . . Hamas: PA forces detain over 250 supporters 12/13/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Hamas on Sunday accused the Palestinian Authority of stepping up detentions of its affiliates, lawmakers, and senior leaders in the West Bank as the Islamic movement's 22nd anniversary approaches. PA security forces detained 193 supporters in November and 99 in December, and has summoned hundreds of affiliates with threats against the planned commemorations, Hamas said in a statement. The movement expressed astonishment over the lack of response from Arab countries and other Palestinian factions toward the PA's "criminal acts against Hamas"¯ in the West Bank, which it says create the appearance it has been banned from political activity. Separately, Hamas applauded the de facto government in Gaza's willingness to facilitate events marking the 42nd anniversary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's founding, which was celebrated on Saturday in Gaza City. London school twins with Gaza university 12/12/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The London School of Economics and Political Science has voted to twin its student union with the Islamic University of Gaza, according to the UK-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign. The motion, which passed by a 30 percent majority, mandates that LSE's student union support the campaign to share its subscription to electronic journals with universities in the occupied Palestinian territories and to rename a room in the student union building after a Palestinian student who died when Israeli warplanes bombed Islamic University on 28 December 2008. Late last month, LSE Palestine Society chair Mira Hammad called on all universities to "open up their electronic journals for access by Palestinian Universities as a practical way of advancing the right to education and defeating the 61 year long abuses of this international principle of justice by the Israeli regime. Shin Bet gets new deputy, as race to succeed Diskin heats up Ha'aretz 13 Dec 2009 - New appointment marks three candidates lined up to succeed Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin. Speak Persian? Israel's secret service wants you Ha'aretz 11 Dec 2009 - Shin Bet looking for candidates to thwart infiltration attempts by Iran intelligence agents in Israel. [uruknet.info] March in Beddawi camp marks 42nd anniversary of the PFLP Uruknet December 11, 2009 - A march in Beddawi refugee camp in Lebanon marked the 42nd anniversary of the founding of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine on December 6, 2009. Leaders, cadres, comrades and friends of the Front joined delegations from resistance factions, Palestinian and Lebanese popular committees, social institutions, unions, women and students' groups to mark the... Dweik Calls On EU Parliamentarians To Launch International Campaign Against The Siege IMEMC 9 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 10, 2009 - 02:15, Head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr. Aziz Dweik, called on European Parliamentarians to hold an international campaign against the illegal Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip and to support the Palestinian people and their elected leadership. Hamas: PA detained 15 members 12/9/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Hamas movement said on Wednesday that Fatah-allied Palestinian security forces detained 15 members of the Islamic faction in the West Bank during the past two days. In a statement,Hamas said that Palestinian Authority forces seized its members from the areas of Nablus, Hebron, Qalqiliya and Salfit. [end] Khreisha: PLO can extend Abbas’ term 12/9/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - The PLO's Central Council is authorized to extend president Abbas' term as he is president of both the Palestinian Authority and the PLO, the second deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) Hassan Khreisha said on Wednesday. But, Khreisha told Ma'an that the Central Council is not authorized to extend the PLC's term because the body is supposed to remain in charge until new lawmakers are elected. Khreisha pointed out that late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat extended his term, and thus it is legal for Abbas to do the same. Khreisha criticized those who focus on the possibility of a constitutional vacuum when Abbas steps down, arguing that extending Abbas' term "will not solve any problems,"¯ in terms of the internal political crisis. The official said that the division between his Fatah party and Hamas must be resolved independently, in order to set the stage for negotiations. Abbas, Mubarak discuss unity efforts 12/9/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas discussed with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Wednesday the recent developments in Palestinian politics and Cairo's efforts to reunite feuding Palestinian factions. The meeting in the Red Sea resort town of Sham Ash-Sheikh also addressed Israeli settlement expansion and Abbas' plan to ask the UN Security Council to pass a resolution mandating the creation of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders. The Palestinian Ambassador in Egypt Barakat Al-Farra told the Palestinian Authority official news agency WAFA that the summit was intended to coordinate the two countries positions on the peace process, and the implementation of the decision of the Arab follow-up committee to ask the Security Council to make a pronouncement on the creation of a Palestinian state. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Aboul Gheit and Intelligence Minister. . . PFLP: Hamas prevented celebration of 42nd anniversary 12/9/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Hamas movement in Gaza intends to prevent a celebration marking the 42nd anniversary in Gaza of the founding of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), according to a member of the leftist's faction, Rabah Muhana, during a Ma'an radio interview on Wednesday. "The main reason for preventing us from carrying out the ceremony is that Hamas is not sold on political diversity, which is an incorrect stance,"¯ said Muhana, member of the PFLP's political bureau. "However, the ceremony will be held in the Ar-Remal neighborhood in central Gaza, despite all obstacles. " ¯ Muhana further stated that the PFLP wished to address the Palestinian people, demanding that they return to a "deep and comprehensive national dialogue in order to identify a political strategy based on international legitimacy that would treat our people in a fair way, affirming their rights. No new PA envoy to Lebanon 12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas did not address the issue of appointing a new PA envoy in Lebanon during talks in Beirut on Monday, according to Palestinian sources close to the talks. The sources explained that an appointment would have to be discussed and approved by the Palestinian cabinet. The Lebanese daily Al-Liwa reported that Abbas said off the record that the appointment would also have to be approved by the Lebanese government. The previous Palestinian envoy to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, stepped down from his post and returned to the West Bank in August when he was elected to the Fatah Central Committee during the party's conference in Bethlehem. As for establishment of Palestinian embassy in Lebanon, the sources explained that this would require a decision by the Palestinian cabinet. Mash’al in Yemen for unity talks 12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A Hamas delegation headed by senior leader Khalid Mash'al arrived on Monday evening in Yemen for talks with officials on efforts to restore Palestinian unity and oppose Israel. Yemen's official news agency SABAquoted Mash'al saying he would brief President Ali Abdullah Saleh on recent developments in Palestinian affairs. "The Hamas movement is keen on reconciliation and it is impossible to face the Zionist entity without internal unity,"¯ he was also quoted as saying. Mash'al said Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, particularly in Jerusalem, should compel Hamas and Fatah to form a united front. He also said that Hamas and all Palestinians support security and stability in Yemen. Mash'al, the head of Hamas' political bureau, resides in exile in Syria. After coming to power in elections in 2006, Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip. . . Abbas in Lebanon: Peace is the only alternative 12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas spoke of the necessity for a return to negotiations with Israel where they last stalled, based on 1967 borders and in accordance with US President Barak Obama's administration, he said during a press conference in Lebanon on Tuesday. "There is no alternative for peace but peace itself," Abbas said, and further called for a settlement freeze as the first initiative to resuming the negotiations. He considered every stone on Palestinian land to be illegal, he added. Before Abbas ended his visit to Lebanon, he spoke of the history of negotiations since Oslo noting that "the negotiations are long,"¯ "But the Palestinians are determined on peace and pursuing with Palestinian elections is necessary to resolve the controversy and unify the Palestinian position so that there won't be exploitation or extortion. DFLP says not represented in Cairo talks 12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), was not represented in the delegation of members of the Palestinian Reconciliation Committee in Cairo, according to a statement released by the movement on Tuesday. Despite not having a member of its faction sent as part of delegation sent to Cairo to discuss the Egyptian sponsored reconciliation document to end the Hamas-Fatah rivalry, the DFLP said it welcomed all efforts to resume national dialogue to end rivalry and achieve national unity, the statement added. Additionally, a senior DFLP source described the recent Swedish proposal declaring East Jerusalem as the future capital of a Palestinian state on 1967 borders as "a step in the right direction. " ¯ Former Congressman Findley Speaks Out about Israeli Lobby 12/8/2009 - BrasscheckTV - If Americans knew, 2006 - The most propagandized country on earth, the US - Sixty years of massive, ongoing, coldly calculated human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. That's the legacy of the State of Israel. Americans pay the bills for this tyranny and our hopelessly corrupt news media and elected officials go along with it because it's politically expedient. Includes trailer and whole film. -- Links: Full video at Google Videos and Video at IfAmericansKnew. org No new PA envoy to Lebanon 12/8/2009 - Palestine Media Center - President Mahmoud Abbas did not address the issue of appointing a new PA envoy in Lebanon during talks in Beirut on Monday, according to Palestinian sources close to the talks. The sources explained that an appointment would have to be discussed and approved by the Palestinian cabinet. The Lebanese daily Al-Liwa reported that Abbas said off the record that the appointment would also have to be approved by the Lebanese government. The previous Palestinian envoy to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, stepped down from his post and returned to the West Bank in August when he was elected to the Fatah Central Committee during the party’s conference in Bethlehem. As for establishment of Palestinian embassy in Lebanon, the sources explained that this would require a decision by the Palestinian cabinet. Abbas, according to the same sources, told Lebanese president Michel Suleiman that he placed expectations. . . . Reconciliation committee to visit Cairo 12/6/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Egypt invited a Palestinian reconciliation committee to visit Cairo on Saturday to restart efforts to end Fatah-Hamas rivalry that began in 2007. According to Iyad Sarraj, committee secretary, the delegation will leave on Sunday for Cairo and meet chief of Egyptian intelligence Omar Sulaiman and try to get both sides to sign a conciliation proposal proposed by Egypt. Among the topics for discussion include the ways to facilitate Palestinian movement through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Additionally, the delegation will inform the Egyptian representatives of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the impact of Israel's siege on the population. Palestinians on the reconciliation committee in the West Bank and Gaza Strip will hold a joint meeting before convening with Omar Sulaiman, As-Sarraj added. Ukraine academic: Israel imported 25,000 kids for their organs 12/3/2009 - Ha'aretz - Stories appearing on several Ukrainian Web sites claim Israel has brought around some 25,000 Ukrainian children into the country over the past two years in order to harvest their organs. The claim, which was made by a Ukrainian philosophy professor and author at a pseudo-academic conference in Kiev five days ago, is the latest expression of a wave of anti-Semitism in the country. It comes a few months after a Swedish tabloid ran an article alleging that Israel Defense Forces soldiers have killed Palestinian civilians for their organs. Jews, Israel and anti-Semitism have become a major motif of the presidential election campaign in Ukraine, with some figures making anti-Semitic statements and others condemning them. Some candidates, including a Jew and someone whose rivals claim is Jewish, blame a third rival - Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko - for bringing anti-Semitism into the race. Gaza official: Israeli blockade unrelated to Shalit 12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the People's Committee Against the Siege, said the blockade on Gaza should end immediately and not be conditioned on captured soldier Gilad Shalit's release. Al-Khudari said in a statement that the siege amounts to collective punishment, and Israel is obligated under international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention to allow the free passage of goods and people through their sovereign borders. The blockade, led by Israel and Egypt, began in 2006 when Hamas won legislative elections, was intensified following the capture of an Israeli soldier in June of the same year, and turned into a total siege in 2007 when Hamas-backed forces took control of Gaza. Firefighters ask residents to heed emergency instructions 12/5/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Palestinian Civil Defense personnel in Ramallah contained a house fire in the village of Beit Surik northwest of Jerusalem on Friday afternoon, officials said. Firefighting and rescue teams responded to a call and rushed to the scene, evacuating two residents and putting out the fire to prevent it from spreading to neighboring buildings. Firefighters said the blaze was caused by an electrical short in the home's bedroom. Those living in nearby homes were asked to evacuate the area for safety reasons, although officials said some stayed behind hoping to protect their homes. The office of the general directorate of Civil Defense issued a statement following the incident, warning residents not to intervene in rescue efforts. "After calling 103 and summoning the Civil Defense forces, citizens should listen to the instructions of the specialists and follow them directly," the statement said. Patriarch of the Syrian Catholic Church heads mass in Bethlehem 12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - MarMar Ighnatios YoussefIII Younan , the Patriarch of the Syrian Catholic Church, headed mass during his visit to the Saint Joseph's Syrian Catholic Church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Saturday. His visit was marked by a parade of Palestinian Scouts and Girl Guides' Organization on the streets of Bethlehem. The Holy Mass was presided by His Beatitude Mar Ighnatios Youssef III Younan at the Syrian Catholic church in Manger Street. Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan was elected Patriarch of the Syrian Catholic Church on January 20 2009. [end] Gaza Freedom March less than one month away 12/5/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Electronic Intifada, 4 December - The Gaza Freedom March that will take place in Gaza on 31 December is an historic initiative to break the siege that has imprisoned the 1. 5 million people who live there. Conceived in the spirit of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and nonviolent resistance to injustice worldwide, the march will gather people from all over the world to march - hand in hand - with the people of Gaza to demand that the Israelis open the borders. Marking the one-year anniversary of the December 2008 Israeli invasion that left more than 1,400 dead, this is a grassroots global response to the inaction on the part of world leaders and institutions. More than 1,000 international delegates from 42 countries have already signed up and more are signing on every day. Participants include Pulitzer Prize winning author Alice Walker, leading Syrian comedian Duraid Lahham, French Senator. . . . Hamas: PA detained five party affiliates overnight 12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian Authority security forces seized five Hamas affiliates in the West Bank on Thursday, Hamas officials said in a statement released on Friday. According to the statement, PA forces abducted the five from areas near Nablus, Tulkarem and Qalqiliya. The statement comes as tension between Palestinian factions continues, with no unity talks on the horizon. [end] Nablus governor steps down over Fatah ethics rule 12/4/2009 - Hebron - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas has issued a decree naming Jibril Al-Bakri the new governor of Nablus, replacing Jamal Muheisen, one of a series of changes set to be implemented in the new year. Jibril Al-Bakri was sworn in for his new post as governor on Friday, official sources told Ma'an. The changes in administration follow from the Sixth Fatah Conference, which saw the election of new members of the leading party's Central Committee and Revolutionary Council. At the conference it was determined that party policy would no longer allow officials elected to its governing body to simultaneously hold a government office. Muheisen was elected to the Central Council in August. The new governor, Al-Bakri, was born in Hebron in 1961. At Hebron University he lead the student council and later spent seven years in Israeli prisons. Boycott of Ahava Dead Sea products makes an impact 12/4/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Adri Nieuwhof, The Electronic Intifada, 2 December - The international campaign to boycott Ahava beauty products has recently won the support of a Dutch parliamentarian and an Israeli peace group. During the past few months, activists in Canada, the UK, Ireland, Israel, the United States and the Netherlands have campaigned against the sale of Ahava products because of the company's complicity in the Israeli occupation. The Stolen Beauty campaign has included protest actions by “bikini brigades” around the United States organized by the American peace group CODEPINK, and allied actions have taken place in London, Paris, Vienna, Montreal and Amsterdam. The Dutch “bathrobe brigades” that appeared in shopping centers in Amsterdam and Haarlem, not only caught the eye of the press, but also that of Dutch parliamentarian Harry van Bommel. Gaza crossings open for Power Authority supplies 12/3/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings will be opened on Thursday to let in humanitarian and commercial goods, as well as five trucks destined for the Palestinian Power Authority, into the Gaza Strip. Raed Fattouh, Palestinian crossings liaison, said between 97 and 107 truckloads of goods were expected through Kerem Shalom including those destined for the Power Authority, and another 110 truckloads of wheat and animal feed were allowed through the Karni crossing. The delivery would be the largest expected in several weeks, although the total remains well below the necessary levels of imports to maintain basic living standards in the Strip. Construction materials for civilians remain barred. Deputy chief of the Power Authority Ka'anan Ubeid said he could not confirm what supplies the body would receive, but noted he was expecting electrical wires and generators for the rehabilitation of some areas of the power network. Hamas: No desire for separate entity in Gaza 12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas has no desire to establish its own political system in the Gaza Strip, senior leader Moussa Abu Marzouq said on Thursday. Abu Marzouq, the deputy chief of Hamas' Political Bureau, issued a statement denying a report in the Saudi newspaper Okaz that the group aims to establish its own independent entity in Gaza. The official said Hamas is working to preserve the political unity of the West Bank and Gaza. He also said that Hamas is committed to all previous accords for unity with rival movement Fatah, but that they still want changes to Egypt's most recent proposal for unity. Hamas also welcomes any additions Fatah may make to the document, he said. Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in 2006 and then took full control of the Gaza Strip in 2007, fearing a Fatah coup. After the takeover, President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved a unity government, leaving the West Bank and Gaza under separate administrations. U.S., Arab states press Abbas to stay on as president of PA Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - The United States and several Arab states are pressing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to remain in office until new PA elections are called, in order to prevent a power vacuum that could result in the West Bank falling to Hamas. ... Record number of Palestinians lost Jerusalem IDs in 2008 12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AFP - JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel last year stripped a record number of Palestinians of their Jerusalem residency status, and the accompanying freedom of movement and insurance benefits, government figures revealed on Wednesday. In 2008, a total of 4,577 Palestinians lost the so-called "blue ID," the Israeli identification card that entitles holders to national insurance and freedom of movement throughout the country, according to the interior ministry which issues the cards. By comparison, 8,558 Jerusalem Palestinians lost their residency status between 1967, when Israel captured the Arab eastern part of the city, and the end of 2007, the figures showed. Palestinians living in east Jerusalem, which Israel later annexed in a move not recognised by the international community, hold Israeli IDs but not passports. They are entitled to all the insurance benefits of Israeli citizens and can vote in municipal -- but not national -- elections. Israel FM excludes freeing intifada chief for captive Shalit 12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AFP - JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel's ultra-nationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Wednesday ruled out freeing one of the Palestinians' most popular leaders in exchange for captive soldier Gilad Shalit. " I can guarantee to you that (Marwan) Barghuthi will not be released," Lieberman said in a radio interview rebroadcast by public television. " We have no intention of releasing him because he is not just a murderer, he is a king of murderers. " Marwan Barghuti, who was elected to the governing body of the secular Fatah party of Western-backed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in August, is currently serving five life sentences for murder for his role in the second Palestinian intifada that erupted in 2000. He is widely seen as the uprising's architect, although he has said he opposed attacks on civilians inside Israel, including the scores of suicide bombers sent in by armed groups. Islamic Jihad condemns un-coordinated prisoner transfer 12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Two political prisoners affiliated with Islamic Jihad were transferred from the Juneid to Jericho prisons without notice on Tuesday, officials from the party announced. A third man with the party, Abdel-Fattah Khazima, was reportedly released due to a worsening health condition. Though pleased with the release of Khazima, Islamic Jihad officials were angered by the move, which they said was carried out with out consultation or explanation. A statement from the party identified the men transferred to the Jericho facility as Tayseer Khazima and Fayez Shayeb from Qabatiya. It condemned the continued detention of party members for "political reasons," but noted officials were working with Palestinian Authoirty officials to end the file of politically-motivated arrests for all factions.  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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