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Hamas Official: “Swap-deal Reached An Advanced State”
IMEMC 1 Dec 2009 - Wednesday December 02, 2009 - 03:59, A senior Hamas official stated Tuesday that a prisoner-swap deal between Israel and Hamas managed to reached an advanced level that requires both sides to make decisive and difficult decisions.
EU to consider resolution recognizing East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital
IMEMC 1 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 01, 2009 - 11:08, Sweden has introduced a resolution to the European Union to be considered next week in Brussels that would call for the recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of any future Palestinian state. Israeli officials immediately condemned the proposal and said that it will harm negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian officials.
Israeli Helicopters Drop Warning Leaflets On Rafah
IMEMC 1 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 01, 2009 - 10:23, Israeli choppers dropped on Monday evening thousands of leaflets warning the residents of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, that the army would bombard their areas once again should the smuggling of weapons continue.
Israeli soldiers get 'slap on the wrist' for force-feeding detainees
IMEMC 1 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 01, 2009 - 09:56, Four Israeli soldiers who were caught abusing and forcefeeding Palestinian detainees were sentenced Monday by a military court to a demotion of one rank and a small fine of less than $500 each. Prisoner rights advocates called the sentence an outrage.
400 Detainees Approved For Release, Talks On 50
IMEMC 1 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 01, 2009 - 09:43, A senior Hamas source stated that the movement and Israel agreed during indirect talks on 400 names of Palestinians detainees who would be released in return for the release of prisoner of war, Gilad Shalit, and that the talks are currently focused on the names of 50 additional detainees.
Fundamentalist Jewish settlers attack Palestinian villagers in northern West Bank
IMEMC 1 Dec 2009 - Monday November 30, 2009 - 17:01, On Monday midday, a group of Israeli settlers attacked the village of Bureen near Nablus city in the northern West Bank.
Mother of Hamas prisoners dies
12/1/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The mother of two Palestinian prisoners from Gaza died on Monday, amid speculation that Israel and Hamas could conclude a prisoner exchange soon. Ward Abu Odeh, 65, was the mother of Assad and Said Abu Salah, according to the media committee representing Hamas prisoners in Gaza. She lived in the town of Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. The committee said in a statement that the family's home was twice demolished by the Israeli military, once in 1967 and again in 2001. In 1970 Abu Odeh husband was jailed by Israel. After the second demolition, Abu Odeh husband suffered a heart attack, but was barred by Israel from travelling to Al-Maqasid hospital in Jerusalem. Abu Odeh's grandson was also jailed by Israel, the committee said.
Two Gaza crossings sealed
12/1/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli authorities opened the Kerem Shalom border crossing into Gaza on Tuesday, while the Karni and Nahal Oz crossings remained closed on Tuesday. Palestinian crossings official, Raed Fattuh, said that between 98-108 trucks of commercial products and humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The closure of Nahal Oz means at most a bare minimum of fuel can be transferred into the Strip. The crossing is the only one set up for the transport of large quantities of fuel into the Strip, and Israeli authorities announced in early November that it would be closed and the equipment transferred south the the Kerem Shalom crossing. In the first weeks of the Nahal Oz closure, fuel imports to Gaza were down 88% from the weeks before. Gaza officials blamed the slow-down on the lack of transfer equipment at the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Settlers occupy Al-Kurd home in Jerusalem
12/1/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - A group of Israeli settlers accompanied by armed Israeli occupation forces occupied the sealed house of Rifka Al-Kurd in Sheikh Jarrah at 10am on Tuesday. Before surrounding and overrunning the Al-Kurd home, the settlers reportedly produced a court order which gave consent to the settlers' take-over of the house. The family was not present inside the locked up house, in compliance with a court order issued by the Israeli court prohibiting their entry into the home. On Sunday, an appeal by the Al-Kurd family to return to their home was turned down an Israeli magistrate's court. The latest incident follows a long line of assault and forced entry into the Al-Kurd home. On Wednesday, settlers reportedly threatened and assaulted members of the Al-Kurd family as they stormed the home, before Israeli police intervened.
Report: Netanyahu okays 25 new settler homes despite ban
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued an order Monday to allow the construction of 25 new homes in a West Bank settlement despite a recently-declared moratorium. According to the website of the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Netanyahu made the order in a phone call with his Defense Minister Ehud Barak. The order was in response to an appeal from settlers living in the settlement of Qedar, east of Jerusalem, where the 25 units are to be built, the report states. Netanyahu's spokesman, Mark Regev, told Ma'an that the buildings were permitted because their foundations were laid before the moratorium was called. "We said from the beginning that what was started could be completed,"¯ Regev said. A spokesperson for Israel's Civil Administration, the branch of the military responsible for enforcing the ban deferred comment on the issue to Netanyahu's office.
EU to recognize East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an -The EU's foreign ministers will recognize East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state next week, according to a Tuesday report in the Israeli daily Haaretz. The newspaper said it obtained a draft document authored by Sweden, which currently holds the EU presidency, implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood. The report also states that Israel is waging a diplomatic campaign to block the declaration, but diplomats close to the EU's deliberation said it was virtually inevitable. EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on 7 December for a two-day meeting in Brussels on the peace process, after which a statement outlining the body's Middle East policy is expected. According to passages of the draft quoted by Haaretz, the expected EU declaration calls on "all parties to refrain from provocative actions.
Netanyahu: Settlement freeze ’one-time’ move
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Tuesday that the current 10 month halt to settlement construction in the West Bank is in fact only a "one-time, temporary" standstill, according to Israel media reports. During a conference held by the financial newspaper Calcalist, Netanyahu reportedly said that following the 10 month stall, Israel "will return to building,""The future final-status accord in Judea and Samaria will be determined at the end of negotiations and not a day earlier," he said. The prime minister's comments follow reports on Tuesday that settlers in the West Bank prevented Israel's Ministry of Defense inpsectors from implementing a halt to settlement construction in the illegal settlements, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz. Residents from numerous illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank amassed to prevent. . .
UN ’dismayed’ at Israeli occupation of E Jlem Palestinian home
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon "has expressed his dismay at the continuation of demolitions, evictions and the installment of Israeli settlers in Palestinian neighborhoods in occupied East Jerusalem," a spokesperson said Tuesday. Speaking from outside the Sheikh Jarrah home of the Al-Kurd family, which was occupied by Israeli settlers earlier in the day, Richard Miron, spokesperson for the UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, reiterated the concerns of the UN secretary-general at the continued Israeli violations in Jerusalem. "Provocative actions such as these create inevitable tensions, undermine trust, often have tragic human consequences and make resuming negotiations and achieving a two state solution more difficult. We reiterate the Secretary General's call for these actions to cease immediately," he said.
Israeli forces seize 3 Palestinians overnight
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel's military said on Tuesday it detained three Palestinians during overnight raids in the West Bank. The detainees, who were taken because of their status as "wanted"¯ people, were taken for questioning, the military said. On Monday evening Palestinians said Israeli forces detained five people from the Old City of Hebron. A military spokeswoman said the army was unfamiliar with the report. [end]
Egypt police kill migrant on Israel border
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Egyptian forces shot dead an African migrant who attempted to cross the Sinai peninsula desert border to Israel, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The report says Egyptian police have stepped up efforts in recent months to control the frontier with Israel following an increase in human trafficking through Egypt. At least 17 migrants have been killed at the border since May. The Sinai border is on one of the main routes for migrants and refugees, seeking work or asylum in Israel. A security source told Reuters that said police did not know the dead man's nationality, but he appeared to be in his early twenties. Eritreans are the largest group of people trying to cross into Israel from Egypt, but Ethiopians and Sudanese also make the journey. A week ago Egyptian security forces seized a shipment of weapons they told Ma'an were bound for the Gaza Strip.
Fighters awaiting amnesty stop hunger strike following talks
12/1/2009 - Nablus - Ma'an - Twelve Palestinians detained in the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority-Israel amnesty program announced the end to their six-day hunger strike following promises by officials to push forward their their amnesty cases on Tuesday. The 12, eleven of which were formerly affiliated with Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades, were taken into protective police custody one month ago as part of a deal that would lead to their removal from Israel's "wanted" list. In the days before the Eid Al-Adha holiday, 198 Palestinians were granted various levels of amnesty, but the 12 were not on the lists, prompting the declaration of a hunger strike. According to the former fighters, Palestinian notables promised to deal with their cases, prompting an end to the strike. The men were being held in Nablus' Juneid Prison, under PA control.
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.
Israeli forces detain 7 Palestinians
12/1/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Israeli forces detained seven Palestinians from Bethlehem and Hebron, in addition storming several homes, on Tuesday afternoon, according to Palestinian police. Israeli forces raided the Old City of Hebron and searched the homes of Nidal Al-Ewewy, Humeidan Al-Ewewy, and the Al-Karaky family, the information office of the Palestinian police said. The detained Palestinians from Hebron were identified asas Sa'id Nidal Al-Ewewy, 20, Fareed Humeidan Al-Ewewy, 20, his brother Muhammad Humeidan Al-Ewewy, 15, Imad Al-Karaky, 15, his brother Muhammad Al-Karaky, 14, and Muhammad Yousid Jawabra, 19. In Bethlehem, the Israeli forces detained Muhammad Mansour Hamamra from the town of Husan and impounded his car.
Abu Hasana: UNRWA budget to hit zero by new year
12/1/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The UNRWA budget will reach zero by the New Year and threaten the regular payment of salaries for UNRWA workers as well as the level of services for refugees, the organization's media consultant Adnan Abu Hasana said Tuesday from Gaza. Large international donors are not paying what they used to, the number of individuals depending on UNRWA services are increasing, and several Arab states have failed to follow-through on aid pledges, the spokesman said. The shortfall comes despite tireless work by the general commissioner of UNRWA, Abu Hasana said, and is principally the result of some of the "big powers"¯ failing to continue their support of UN and humanitarian projects. Contributing reasons for the shortfall, Abu Hasana said, is the growing number of refugees that do not fit under the original mandate of UNRWA.
Six injured after Jerusalem football match
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Six Palestinians from Beit Fajjar near Bethlehem sustained minor injuries on Sunday after their bus was attacked by Palestinians from As-Sawahira Ash-Sharqiyya, east Jerusalem, following a football match between the villages' teams. Director of Bethlehem Emergency Services Abdul-Halim Mahafra told Ma'an that residents from As-Sawahira stopped a bus with people travelling from Beit Fajjar, forcing them to disembark at the Container checkpoint, before attacking them and causing damage to the bus. Mahafra added that six people sustained bruises to the face and body and were transferred to Beit Jala Hospital in Bethlehem for treatment. The residents from Beit Fajjar were en route to visit relatives in Nablus, Mahafra said. The assault followed a football match held in Jericho on Sunday, where the Beit Fajjar team won against As-Sawahira.
Samir Al-Quntar meets PA delegation in Mecca
12/1/2009 - Mecca - Ma'an - Samir Al-Quntar, the Lebanese former prisoner of Israel, met with Palestinian officials who made the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, Ma'an learned. Al-Quntar met with the Palestinian Authority's Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash and other officials. Al-Quntar expressed appreciation for Palestinians and their resistance to Israeli occupation. He also urged Palestinians to restore political unity. The former prisoner said he wished he could visit the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem after it is freed from Israeli occupation. For his part, Al-Habbash called on Al-Quntar to tell the world about the dire conditions Palestinian and Arab prisoners face in Israeli jails. Al-Quntar was freed in 2008 in an exchange between Israel and Hizbullah. He was hailed upon his release as a symbol of "resistance"¯ to Israel.
UN expresses solidarity with Palestinians
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem Ma'an - Members of the UN Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People discussed the status of Palestinians and the ongoing Israeli occupation on Monday as the UN observed the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concerns over the failure to resume peace talks based on a two state solution for over a year and further called on Israel and Palestinian authorities to conduct immediate investigations into allegations of grave human rights violations committed in Gaza during Israel's Operation Cast Led last year. "Now more than ever politics must be made credible. Those who try to undermine moves towards peace through violence or by changing facts on the ground must not be allowed to set the agenda,"¯ he said. Ban also stressed the imperative need to reunify Gaza and the West Bank and. . .
Report: Prisoner deal hinges on 50 names
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel and the captors of soldier Gilad Shalit have okayed 400 names of Palestinian prisoners who would be released as part of a prisoner swap, while the names of 50 others are still being debated, the London-based daily Al-Hayat reported on Tuesday. The report cited anonymous Hamas officials saying that controversy remains over three female prisoners: Amina Muna from Jerusalem, Ahlam Tamimi from Nabi Salih village near Ramallah, and Qahira As-Sa'di from Jenin. Israel accuses the three of organizing operations in which Israelis were killed. Also among the 50 contested names are Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Secretary-General Ahmad Sa'adat, as well as several leaders of Hamas' military wing such as Ibrahim Hamid, Abbas As-Sayyid, Abdullah Barghouthi, Jamal Abu Al-Hayja, and Hasan Salamah.
Magazine names Fayyad one of 100 top global thinkers
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Prime Minister Salam Fayyad was ranked 61 on the American magazine Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers list published this week. Fayyad earned his spot, the report said, "for showing how to govern effectively in the middle of a conflict. "Summing up his contribution to global leadership, the magazine wrote:"With his boss tottering and peace talks stagnating, Fayyad has emerged as the last, best hope for a permanent settlement between Israel and the Palestinians. Fayyad, who holds a Ph. D. in economics, rose to prominence as the IMF's representative in the Palestinian territories, where he subsequently became finance minister. In June 2007, he was promoted to prime minister, finally giving him the authority to root out corruption and embark on institutional reforms, such as making the Palestinian Authority's notoriously opaque annual budget public.
EU position on east Jerusalem impairs peace talks, says Israel
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israel's Foreign Ministry accused the recent EU move to recognize east Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital of harming the renewal of peace talks, according to Israeli media on Tuesday. According to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry "The process led by Sweden harms the EU's ability to take part as a significant mediator in the political process between Israel and the Palestinians,"¯ as quoted in the Israeli daily Haaretz. "After the important steps taken by the government of Israel to enable the resumption of negotiations with the Palestinians, the EU must now exert pressure on the Palestinians to return to the negotiating table. Steps like those being led by Sweden only contribute to the opposite effect,"¯ the statement added. Earlier on Tuesday, Israeli media reported that the EU's foreign ministers will recognize east Jerusalem. . .
Costa Rican President visits Bethlehem ahead of Christmas rush
12/1/2009 - "I am happy to be here in Bethlehem; I came to express solidarity with Palestinians, to share my experiences in Central America, and to offer advice in resolving disputes," Costa Rican President Ć“scar Arias told Prime Minister Salam Fayyad during his visit to Bethlehem on 28 November. Arias, who arrived just ahead of the Christmas tourist rush, was taken on an official tour of Bethlehem's Nativity Church, where he prayed at the siteChristians believe Jesus was born. A star marks the historical birthplace, and a small grotto inside the church is where Mary is said to have laid the baby Jesus in a manger. Following the visit to the church, Fayyad took Arias to lunch at the presidential headquarters in Bethlehem.
PA Finance Ministry sets fuel prices for December
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Finance Ministry announced prices of fuel and cooking gas across Palestine for December 2009 on Tuesday as follows: One liter of diesel = 5. 31 NIS - One liter of gasoline 95 Octane = 6. 10 NIS - One liter of gasoline 96 Octane = 6. 10 NIS - One liter of gasoline 98 Octane = 6. 58 NIS - On liter of kerosene = 5. 31 NIS - Twelve kilogram bottle of cooking gas = 58 NIS for consumers - Forty-eight kilogram bottle of cooking gas = 232 NIS for consumers - One liter of cooking gas = 2. 60 NIS [end]
Al-Aqsa Brigades: Hamas detained Gaza commander
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Fatah's military wing, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades,accused the Hamas de facto government on Tuesdayof detaining the group's leader in the Gaza Strip, Muhammad Ubeid. In a statement released Tuesday morning, the military group said, "At one after midnight, the de facto government's security services detained Muhammad Ubeid, the general commander of Al-Aqsa Brigades in the Gaza Strip who is wanted by Israeli occupation forces. " ¯ The statement held the de facto government accountable for any danger to Ubeid's life. In late November the de facto Ministry of the Interior said that it had reached an agreement with armed groups in Gaza to cease cross-border attacks on Israel. Several groups, including the Al-Aqsa Brigades, denied having entered any agreement.
Hamas: PA security forces detained 4 supporters
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Palestinian Authority security forces seized four Hamas affiliates in the West Bank on Monday, Hamas said in a statement released on Tuesday. According to the statement, PA forces abudcted four members, including one journalist, from Nablus and Tulkarem. On Wednesday, The Palestinian Journalists' Association called for the release of 11 Palestinian journalists and members of the media detained in West Bank jails. [end]
Ministry of Social Affairs: Poorest of the poor to receive cheques
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Ministry of Social Affairs began its disbursement cheques under its social protection program on Tuesday, Minister of Social Affairs Majida Al-Masri announced. The program, entitled The Poorest of the Poor and funded by the World Bank, offers financial assistance to Palestinians, with 4,842 Palestinian beneficiaries receiving 4, 354, 997 shekels in total. Most of financial aid will be distributed among 3,757 Palestinians living the Gaza Strip, receiving 3, 385, 272 shekels. Additionally, 969, 279 shekels will be disbursed to 1,805 Palestinians in the West Bank. The beneficiaries were advised to attend the social affairs directorate in their respective municipalities and to proceed to their local branch of the Bank of Palestine to receive their aid. The disbursement process for The Poorest of the Poor program will last two weeks, starting from 1 December to 15 December.
POEM: I return crowned with a laurel
12/1/2009 - Ma'an's Arabic site receives and publishes short story, essay and poetry submissions, which are occasionally translated for our English readers. The following is a submission from the Palestinian poet Munir Mezyed. I Return Crowned with a Laurel Dedicated to this troubled world. . . Saturated with selfishness and hate. . . How great to be honest at a time when honesty is a sword hanging over the necks of the truthful"¦ How great to light a candle at a moment of darkness But the greatest is to be human in inhuman times"¦ A lover at a time when hate is beats its drums. . . For the first time I see myself facing death With the language of love and heaven. . . My love Death is a very hungry cloud Hovering. . . searching for prey I can not resist itshungry, deadly claws My hell meets my heaven in my sorrows Threatening to ignite the fire. . .
PSE plummets amid Dubai worries
12/1/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Stocks on the Palestine Securities Exchange in Nablus dropped on Tuesday as regional markets slumped for a second day after news that Emerati holding company Dubai World wants to delay repayment of its debt. At the close of Tuesday's trading, the Al-Quds Index stood at 488. 82, marking a decrease of 13. 3 points, 2. 65%. Trading was 410,539 shares, a total value of 564,901. 03 US dollars, in 299 trades. The shares of 17 companies were traded. Fourteen of those dropped in value. None rose. The top five losers were WASSEL by 4. 76%, GCOM by 4. 55%, QUDS by 4. 13%, PALTEL by 3. 77%, and AIB by 3. 25%. Dubai's stock market closed 5. 61% down. Abu Dhabi's dropped 3. 57%. It emerged late last week that government-owned Dubai World wanted to delay repayment on some of its 59 billion US dollars in debt, triggering concern in regional financial markets.
Beggars impersonate freed prisoners for cash
12/1/2009 - Nablus - Ma'an - Palestinian police arrested two men posing as prisoners recently released by Israel, who used forged documents to con citizens out of cash for "bus fair home" and meals, police in Nablus said. The con came during the Eid Al-Adha holidays, as rumors of a mass prisoner swap circulated. Begging is frowned upon in Palestine, and can be considered fraud under Palestinian law. It is a rare phenomenon in the West Bank, and according to police, in the last two months, only eight beggars were arrested. Police legal advisor Major Khalid Sabbatin was quoted in a statement sent out by the Investigations Department of the Palestinian police, saying the falsification of papers for the purpose of fraud is a violation of Penal Code article 389 which says "anyone found going from one place to another collecting charitable donations of any kind based on a false claim is considered to be begging.
IDF chief wants to enlist Arabs, Haredim in national service
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Ashkenazi: Changing demographics in Israel require the IDF to construct 'new models of service.'
IAF considers buying $65m aircraft capable of vertical take-off, landing
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - On combat missions the V-22 was included for the first time in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pre-army students to Netanyahu: Don't free hardened terrorists for Shalit
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Court: Details of Shalit swap must stay secret; Report: Israel to free 17 East Jerusalem Arabs in deal.
Ban 'dismayed' at East Jerusalem eviction of Palestinian family
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - UN chief's comments come after Jewish family's claim to home results in eviction of Palestinians.
Ex-IDF officer: I claimed to be a pedophile to get out of army
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - 24-year-old soldier said he molested 17 children before enlisting, but retracted confession after arrest.
How does the U.S. help fund pro-settler IDF troops?
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Task Force to Save the Nation and the Land has offered NIS 1,000 a day to any soldier who fights evacuation.
New IDF unit to fight enemies on Facebook, Twitter
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Top IDF spokesman's Office official: We must show the totality of IDF actions without a filter.
[uruknet.info] Jerusalem Capital of Arab Culture
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - On Friday, Nov, 27 2009, on occasion of the celebration of "Jerusalem Capital of Arab Culture" in the "Haus der Begegnung" in Vienna, a great cultural and folklore evening was held under the auspices of Dr. Suleiman J. Al-Herbish, Director-General of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID), Fritz Edlinger, Secretary General Society for Austro-Arab Relation, "...
[uruknet.info] Video - Freedom For Gaza: Why We're Marching
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - Activists for peace and justice in the Middle East discuss the events that first inspired them to get involved with the Gaza Freedom March.
[uruknet.info] Mizan: IOA blackmail Palestinian patients at crossing points
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - The Mizan center for human rights has accused Tuesday the Israeli occupation authorities of blackmailing Palestinian patients at Beit Hanon (Erez) crossing point and pressuring them to turn spies in exchange for allowing them go for medical treatment outside the besieged Gaza Strip. In a statement it issued in this regard, and a copy of which...
[uruknet.info] Israeli courts give permission for settlers to move into Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - Israeli settlers take over Palestinian home, elderly resident suffers severe medical complications. On Tuesday morning at around 9.30am, a group of settlers surrounded the al-Kurd family home in Sheikh Jarrah and took over a section of the house. Fifteen to twenty settlers, accompanied by private armed security and Israeli police forces, entered an extension of the...
[uruknet.info] * Home * About ISM * Join us in Palestine * Action Alerts * Archives * Donate * Contact Home > > Features > Israeli courts give permission for settlers to move into Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah Israeli courts give permission for settlers to move into Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - Israeli settlers take over Palestinian home, elderly resident suffers severe medical complications. On Tuesday morning at around 9.30am, a group of settlers surrounded the al-Kurd family home in Sheikh Jarrah and took over a section of the house. Fifteen to twenty settlers, accompanied by private armed security and Israeli police forces, entered an extension of the...
[uruknet.info] Israeli authorities deport African American political activists
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - Al-Awda New York, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, condemns the racist denial of entry to Palestine of African American political activists Dhoruba Bin Wahad and Naji Mujahid by the Israeli occupation. The occupation of Palestine has always been based on the racist theory and practice of Zionism, including the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of...
[uruknet.info] Israeli secret agency defends use of torture
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - The Israeli secret service agency, Shin Bet, responded to a petition in Israel's High Court on Monday, defending their use of torture against detainees. The petition was filed by the Public Committee Against Torture, a prisoner advocacy group which challenged the Israeli practice of forcing Palestinian detainees to sit on small chairs with their hands cuffed...
[uruknet.info] Netanyahu Approves The Construction Of 25 Units In Keidar Illegal Settlement
Uruknet December 01, 2009 - While peace talks are obstructed due to Israel's ongoing illegal settlement activities, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, approved the construction of 25 units for Jewish settlers in Keidar illegal settlement in the West Bank. Netanyahu also said his government would compensate settlers "affected by the temporary settlement freeze". He added that the 25 units are not...
[uruknet.info] New IDF unit to fight enemies on Facebook, Twitter
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - The Israel Defense Forces Spokesman's Office is to begin drafting computer experts with an eye toward establishing an Internet and new media department unit, Army Spokesman Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu said Monday. Speaking at the Eilat Journalists Conference, Benayahu said the new department would focus on the Internet's social media networks mainly to reach an international...
[uruknet.info] Report: Prisoner deal hinges on 50 names
Uruknet December 1, 2009 - Israel and the captors of soldier Gilad Shalit have okayed 400 names of Palestinian prisoners who would be released as part of a prisoner swap, while the names of 50 others are still being debated, the London-based daily Al-Hayat reported on Tuesday. The report cited anonymous Hamas officials saying that controversy remains over three female prisoners:...
[uruknet.info] Palestinians organize for the Gaza Freedom March
Uruknet November 30, 2009 - "From the besieged Gaza Strip, we call upon all peace lovers around the globe to come here to participate in our Gaza Freedom March that is aimed at breaking a repressive Israeli blockade on Gaza's 1.5 million residents." So said Mustafa al-Kayali, coordinator of the steering committee for the Gaza Freedom March. The march is scheduled...
[uruknet.info] Tour the Palestinian archipelago
Uruknet November 30, 2009 - When an image of the West Bank map is invoked, the map that typically comes to mind is the broad double-hump of the Green Line-defined area. This is most people's reference map: the implicit, assumptive spatial unit that orients prototypical thinking about Israel, Palestine, partition, and two states. If this is your mental map, then partition...
Israeli tanks target houses in Gaza
1 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 1, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli army tanks have opened fire on houses and farmlands in the northern sector of the Gaza Strip, according to a report. A number of Israeli tanks commenced firing Monday afternoon while withdrawing from an area southeast of the town of Beit Hanoun, which they had entered in the morning, witnesses told Ma'an...
Vietnam asks Israel to stop expanding settlements in Palestine
1 Dec 2009 - UK, December 1, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Ambassador Hoang Chi Trung, Deputy Permanent Representative of Vietnam at the UN, has urged Israel to immediately stop expanding settlements and dismantle check-points in the West Bank.
Israeli navy shells Palestinian fishing boats
30 Nov 2009 - Gaza, November 30, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - The Israeli navy has fired several shells at a number of Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza. The Israeli navy opened fire on the fishermen near the al-Shudaniyya shore, northwest of Gaza City. No injuries were reported in the shelling, according to the International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC). An Israeli...
Israel not happy with EU’s leaked Jerusalem proposal
The National 1 Dec 2009 - Bloc says reaching peace requires finding a way to settle the future status of the city 'as the capital of the two states'
Iran’s warning over captured British sailors
The National 1 Dec 2009 - Tehran warns of possible “hard and serious” measures against the British crew of a Bahraini yacht seized in Iranian waters.
Iran vows firm action on UK sailors
AlJazeera 1 Dec 2009 - Aide warns yachtsmen will face consequences if proved to have had "evil intentions".
EU to recognize East Jerusalem as capital of Palestinian state
PNN 1 Dec 2009 - European Union foreign ministers are expected to officially call next week for the division of Jerusalem, to serve as the capitals of both Israel and Palestine. A draft document authored by the current holder of the rotating EU presidency, Sweden, and implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, has been obtained by Haaretz. Jerusalem is waging a...
Ex-IAEA inspector: Press Iran harder
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - Albright tells 'Post' "negotiations going nowhere," urges comprehensive sanctions, arms control.
Rivlin insists Jerusalem will never be divided despite EU plan
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - "Splitting sovereignty would bring about complete chaos," Knesset speaker says in response to EU plan to recognize city as Palestinian capital.
Pinchas Buchris steps down as director-general amid growing tensions in Barak camp
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - Sources close to Buchris claim his relations with Barak were good.
Pollard enraged by Schalit deal, urges PM to kill Hamas prisoners
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - Jailed Israeli spy explains that while he wants kidnapped soldier home, the thought of Israel releasing terrorists "boils him with anger."
Pre-military academy students urge PM to reconsider Schalit agreement
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - Mass release of prisoners can pose a clear and present danger to many Israelis, teens write in letters to Netanyahu, Barak.
UN Ambassador calls Palestinian Solidarity Day 'one-sided narrative'
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - Shalev recalls Arabs rejected UN Resolution 181 in '47, says UN event undermined endorsement of two-state solution.
Israel: Don't call J'lem Palestinian capital
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - Foreign Ministry warns Sweden that recognizing e. J'lem as capital of state will harm EU efforts in ME.
Ashkenazi: Few will join IDF in 20 years
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 - IDF chief of staff says although enlistment rate is decreasing, motivation among soldiers is growing.
IDF security detail unit comes under fire
Jeruslalem Post 1 Dec 2009 -
LEBANON: Sex workers still shun condoms
IRIN BEIRUT Tuesday, December 01, 2009 (IRIN) - Four years ago, at 16, Rana's husband forced her into prostitution. Despite the risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), Rana, like many local sex workers - estimated to number at least 6,000 - often did not use condoms.
BOOKS-US: Hawkish "Israel Lobby" More Bark Than Bite?
IPS WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (IPS) - The Nov. 25 announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a "moratorium" on settlement construction brought very different responses from the Jewish American "pro-Israel" groups J-Street and the heavyweight American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), calling attention to the increasing divide within the American...
(19-24 Nov. 2009)
PCHR During the reporting period, 9 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Israeli courts give permission for settlers to move into Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah
12/1/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Israeli settlers take over Palestinian home, elderly resident suffers severe medical complications - On Tuesday morning at around 9. 30am, a group of settlers surrounded the al-Kurd family home in Sheikh Jarrah and took over a section of the house. Fifteen to twenty settlers, accompanied by private armed security and Israeli police forces, entered an extension of the Palestinian house, and started clearing it of the family's belongings. The family was not present in this section of the house in compliance with a previous court order, however local sources reported that the settlers also attempted, on several occasions, to gain entry to the inhabited part of the house. One Palestinian resident, Khamis al-Gawi, has been arrested shortly after the settlers arrived, and is still being held at a local police station. Two international activists, American and Swedish nationals, who were filming the settlers taking over the house were also arrested by the police and their video cameras confiscated.
Aluf Benn / What Netanyahu really thinks about settlements
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Why did Benjamin Netanyahu alter his stance and agree to a Palestinian state and the freezing of settlement construction? Was he only giving in to pressure from Barack Obama, or were there domestic reasons? Did his assessment of the situation alter since he returned to power, or is this that "same old Bibi," who simply got hold of a new list of slogans? ...
Iran: No need to tell IAEA about new nuclear sites
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Tuesday his country did not have to tell the United Nations nuclear agency about its plans to build nuclear sites unless it used imported technology. ...
U.K. Zionists 'bemused' by British Jews' support for Goldstone report
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - British Zionist activists reacted on Tuesday with "bemusement" to a letter cosigned by hundreds of pro-Palestinian Jewish compatriots urging Gordon Brown to adopt the Goldstone Report, which accuses Israel of committing war crimes during its operation last winter in the Gaza Strip. ...
EU envoys: Israel trying to sever East Jerusalem from West Bank
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - A classified report drafted by European consuls in East Jerusalem and Ramallah slams Israeli policy in East Jerusalem and recommends that the European Union take steps to strengthen the Palestinian Authority's status in the city. It also advises taking various measures to protest Israeli policy in the city, as well as sanctions against people and groups involved in "settlement activity" in and around it. ...
Haaretz Exclusive: EU draft document on division of Jerusalem
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Current EU president Sweden has proposed that the body recognize East Jerusalem as Palestinian capital.
East Jerusalem should be Palestinian capital, says EU draft paper
The Guardian 1 Dec 2009 - Israel accuses EU of destroying prospects of renewed peace talks with document seen as an effort to strengthen Abbas An EU document stressing that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a future Palestinian state brought...
Freeze won't hurt Netanyahu | Benjamin Pogrund
The Guardian 1 Dec 2009 - Israel's rightwingers are furious, but that doesn't mean the prime minister's halt to settlement building means much in practice Israeli rightwingers are furiously condemning the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, for his 10-month freeze on building houses...
In live donor first in Israel, father gives son two organs
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - For the first time, a live organ donor in Israel has provided two organs for transplantation. A 47-year-old resident of the Galilee village of Iblin, Hasnin Atta, provided both a kidney and a portion of his liver to his 19-year-old son. ...
Health Ministry mulls letting gay couples use surrogate mothers
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - The Health Ministry is considering allowing gay couples to have a child through surrogate mothers, ministry legal adviser Mira Huebner-Harel said Tuesday. ...
Israel stripped thousands of Jerusalem Arabs of residency in 2008
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Last year set an all-time record for the number of Arab residents of East Jerusalem who were stripped of residency rights by the Interior Ministry. Altogether, the ministry revoked the residency of 4,577 East Jerusalemites in 2008 - 21 times the average of the previous 40 years. ...
Netanyahu: Settlement freeze is 'one-time, temporary' move
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that a 10-month freeze of new construction in West Bank settlements was only a "one-time, temporary" move, in an apparent bid to ease settlers' fears. ...
Can a Knesset debate improve Israel's Eurovision chances?
Ha'aretz 1 Dec 2009 - MK Alex Miller (Yisrael Beiteinu) suggested on Tuesday that the Knesset should hold a special parliamentary session to discuss Israel's lack of success in the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years. ...
UN GA concludes debates on question of Palestine, situation in Middle East, deferring action on resolutions until Wednesday
Relief Web 1 Dec 2009 - Source: UN General Assembly
OPT: UN's Middle East envoy urges halt to demolitions, evictions in East Jerusalem
Relief Web 1 Dec 2009 - Source: UN News Service
OPT: Statement by Richard Miron, Spokesperson for the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry
Relief Web 1 Dec 2009 - Source: UN Special Coordinator in the Occupied Territories
OPT/Lebanon: Refugees remain sceptical of Nahr al-Bared reconstruction
Relief Web 1 Dec 2009 - Source: Medical Aid for Palestinians
Global: How not to fight over scarce resources
Relief Web 1 Dec 2009 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Networks
Minister Kohout approved granting of a humanitarian aid
Relief Web 1 Dec 2009 - Source: Government of the Czech Republic
Bereaved parents vow to fight swap deal
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - Bereaved father calls on terror victims to swamp prosecution with letters of appeal against release of terrorists in exchange for Gilad Shalit, also asks MKs to extend 48-hour period allotted to public debate
Iran: Not obligated to report uranium sites
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - President Ahmadinejad says Iran not obliged to inform IAEA of plans to build nuke sites 'unless technology is imported.' Adds: Talk of isolating us 'psychological war launched by West'
Cadets: Shalit deal – not at any price
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - Dozens of military academies' students send Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defense Minister Barak letters voicing concerns over current outline of prisoner exchange deal; say Israel cannot give in to terrorists
Shalev slams UN 'Palestinian solidarity day'
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - Israeli ambassador tells UN its tradition of marking November 29, which Israel sees as date legitimizing its independent existence, as day of mourning for Palestinian people is harmful to peace process
IDF: Mild resistance to settlement freeze orders
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - Despite settler reports of clashes with inspectors enforcing construction moratorium, army says most patrols in West Bank went by uneventfully. 'Policy is to resolve disputes through dialogue,' IDF official says
Netanyahu stresses freeze is 'temporary'
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - Prime minister tells Calcalist forum Israel will continue to build settlements after 10-month construction halt. 'Future accord in Judea and Samaria will be decided at end of negotiations, not before,' he says
EJC: Sweden’s call for divided Jerusalem 'impediment to peace'
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - 'After Israel’s recent moves it is time for the EU to push the Palestinians back to the negotiation table,' EJC President Kantor says
Court: Evidence links army chief's ex-bodyguard to attempted rape case
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - IDF officer suspected of attempted rape remanded for additional six days after judge says police has unequivocal evidence implicating him
High Court: Details of Shalit deal to remain undisclosed
YNet News 1 Dec 2009 - Judges reject petition filed by terror victims' relatives calling for publication of list of Palestinian prisoners slated for release in Shalit deal, say 'we were convinced security concerns behind secrecy'
Israeli settlers protest freeze of illegal construction
Daily Star 1 Dec 2009 Israeli inspectors trying to enforce a government moratorium on new building starts in illegal Jewish settlements ran into defiance on Tuesday at an enclave in the occupied West Bank. About a dozen settlers challenged several inspectors who had come to halt construction at a building site in the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, adjacent to the West Bank city of Hebron.
Iran lashes out at nuclear partner Russia over IAEA vote
Daily Star 1 Dec 2009 Iran hit out at its longtime nuclear partner Russia Tuesday over a "yes" vote for a censure motion at the UN atomic watchdog and insisted it was serious about plans for 10 more uranium enrichment plants. President Mahmoud Ah madinejad said that despite the support given in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) vote Friday by Russia and China, Western governments would not succeed in their efforts to isolate Iran., Iran hit out at its longtime nuclear partner Russia Tuesday over a "yes" vote for a censure motion at the UN atomic watchdog and insisted it was serious about plans for 10 more uranium enrichment plants. President Mahmoud Ah madinejad said that despite the support given in the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) vote Friday by Russia and China, Western governments would not succeed in their efforts to isolate Iran.
Saudis taking lead in battling Yemen's Houthi rebels, say analysts
Daily Star 1 Dec 2009 Saudi Arabia appears to be taking the lead in Yemen's effort to crush Houthi rebels, despite Riyadh's insistence that it only aims to secure its porous border, security analysts say. One month after Saudi forces struck back after rebels carried crossed the border in a brief but deadly raid, Saudi jets, helicopters and artillery continued to attack Houthi positions along the Yemeni frontier early this week, according to Saudi press reports.
Jordan, Turkey sign long-awaited free-trade deal
Daily Star 1 Dec 2009 Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Jordan's King Abdullah II signed a long-awaited free-trade deal on Tuesday before holding talks on further boosting economic ties, the palace said. "The free-trade agreement, which was signed today, is key to enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and boosting trade as well as investments between Jordan and Turkey," a palace statement quoted the king as telling Gul.
Occupied East Jerusalem status sparks EU-Israel row
Daily Star 1 Dec 2009 A row broke out between Israel and the European Union Tuesday over a draft EU proposal that occupied east Jerusalem should become the capital of a future Palestinian state as part of a Middle East peace deal. At the heart of the diplomatic spat is a suggestion by the Swedish EU president that European Union nations should call for an "independent.
Iran suspects yacht Britons of 'ill intentions'
Daily Star 1 Dec 2009 Iran said on Tuesday that five British sailors detained in southern Gulf waters by the elite Revolutionary Guards would be dealt with firmly if found guilty of what it called "ill intentions." The five men on board the 18-meter racing yacht were detained last week, the Revolutionary Guards navy chief told the Fars news agency.
Mizan: IOA blackmail Palestinian patients at crossing points
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - The Mizan center for human rights has accused Tuesday the Israeli occupation authorities of blackmailing Palestinian patients at Beit Hanon (Erez) crossing point..
Khudari: Arab and International efforts to break Gaza siege “shy”
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - Palestinian MP Dr. Jamal Al-Khudari, the head of the popular committee against the siege, has described the Arab and international efforts in breaking the unjust siege as “shy”
Bardawil: all news about a prisoner exchange deal are test balloons
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - Dr. Salah al-Bardawil, a Hamas leader and member of the PLC, said on Tuesday, that all information published lately about the negotiations over a prisoner-exchange deal were test balloons..
Egyptian architect implements wooden Gaza house on the ground
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - An Egyptian architect Dr. Hisham Juraisha has practically implemented his idea of building wooden houses in Gaza Strip to provide thousands of Palestinian families with much needed shelter..
Jewish settlers take by force a Palestinian family home in Jerusalem
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - A group of Jewish settlers protected by Israeli occupation police, forcefully occupied on Tuesdat a Palestinian family's home in Sheikh Jarrah suburb in occupied Jerusalem.
One man killed, 3 others wounded in mysterious explosion in Gaza
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - One man was killed and three others were injured on Monday evening as a result of a mysterious explosion in a Volkswagen mini-bus, at the Shati refugee camp to the west of Gaza City.
Palestinian Memorial Week: Commemorating the 1st Anniversary of Gaza War
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - The Palestinian Return Center (PRC) is preparing to mark the first anniversary of the Israeli genocidal war against Gaza perpetrated in late 2008.
Marking 60th anniversary of UNRWA: Report and Study to be released
PIC 1 Dec 2009 - The Palestinian Return Center (PRC) is preparing for an International Conference on Palestinian refugees to be held on 16th December in London..
Jewish Nationalists Clash With Palestinians
New York Times 2 Dec 2009 - The confrontation in East Jerusalem came after the Israelis took over a house by court order in a predominantly Arab area.
Palestinians Expected to Press UN for Statehood
11/30/2009 - Antiwar.com - EU Expected to Back Call, Despite Israeli Outrage - The Israeli government is poised to be officially outraged tonight amid expectations that Palestinian diplomats will ask the United Nations Security Council to recognize a unilateral Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. Israeli Ambassador Shalev is already scheduled to address the UN assembly tomorrow to express opposition to the “one-sided” call for Palestinian statehood and to declare that the international body is misguided for even considering it. Still, the Palestinian movement is expected to receive a shot in the arm in the form of European Union support, as Israeli media outlets are reporting the multi-national organization’s foreign minister will call for the formal division of Jerusalem and would recognize unilateral statehood for Palestine. Though President Obama has come out in favor of a Palestinian state in theory,. . . .
Israeli family takes over Palestinian home in East Jerusalem
12/1/2009 - Earth Times - DPA - Jerusalem - An Israeli family backed by a large Israeli police force moved Tuesday into a Palestinian home in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, eyewitnesses said. The takeover of the home came after the Israeli district court ruled that the home is owned by the Jewish family and ordered the Palestinian family evicted. Hatem Abdul Qadder, former Palestinian Authority minister of Jerusalem affairs, accused the settlers of forging the documents presented to the court and said the Palestinians have filed a counter-suit with the Israeli High Court to overrule the district court's decision. " The court decision is racist and was based on false documents," he said to reporters near the disputed home. "Such acts will not bring peace to Jerusalem. " He said a large Israeli police force protected the family as they moved into the home and arrested Palestinians who clashed with the family to prevent the takeover. Israelis have recently taken over two Palestinian homes in similar moves in the same neighbourhood.
Jordan, Turkey discuss peace moves; sign free trade accord
11/30/2009 - Earth Times - DPA - Amman - Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Jordan's King Abdullah II on Tuesday discussed the prospects of resuming peace negotiations between Israel and its Arab neighbours, a royal court statement said. Gul began a three-day state visit Tuesday to Jordan on Tuesday that saw the signing of several cooperation agreements, including one for the creation of a free trade zone. " The agreement, which goes into effect in 2011, provides for the total removal of custom duties between the two countries in 12 years," Jordanian Minister of Trade and Industry Amer Hadidi said. Since Jordan and Turkey are both party to the Euro-Med agreement, a free trade accord would enable Jordan to use Turkish raw materials in the manufacturing of products to be exported to European Union countries, he added. Hadidi's Turkish counterpart, Nihat Ergun, meanwhile said the agreements would open the door for joint business ventures.
New IDF unit to fight enemies on Facebook, Twitter
12/1/2009 - Ha'aretz - The Israel Defense Forces Spokesman's Office is to begin drafting computer experts with an eye toward establishing an Internet and new media department unit, Army Spokesman Brig. Gen. Avi Benayahu said Monday. Speaking at the Eilat Journalists Conference, Benayahu said the new department would focus on the Internet's social media networks mainly to reach an international audience directly rather than through the regular media. The new unit, as well as an initiative by the Information and Diaspora Ministry to train people to represent Israel independently on the Internet and in other arenas, were presented Monday at the conference during a panel discussion on Israeli public relations abroad. Responding to criticism of Israel's ability to face hostile entities on the Web, Benayahu said the new program would be able to deal with the problem.
’IAEA inspectors visit Dir a-Zur’
11/30/2009 - Jerusalem Post - Damascus Claims Uranium Found in Site Was Israel's Doing - In November, it was reported that inspectors who visited the site - in ruins since 2007 - found traces of highly processed plutonium, indicating that Syria's nuclear program was further along than was previously assessed. The facility, named al-Kibar, was demolished in September 2007, allegedly by IAF fighter jets. Damascus has repeatedly denied claims that it was aiming to produce a nuclear weapon, adamantly insisting that Syria envisions a Middle East free of nuclear arms. According to the al-Watan report, it now claims the uranium found at al-Kibar was left there by Israel. Syria's leadership "assessed that the source of the uranium is tactical nuclear bombs dropped by Israel during its attack on the facility," Al-Watan quoted two Syrian sources as saying.
PCHR Condemns Killing of Child in Central Gaza Strip
12/1/2009 - Palestinian Centre for Human Rights - The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights condemns the horrific murder of an 11-year-old child in the central Gaza Strip, and calls upon concerned bodies to investigate the crimes, publish the results of investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 08:15 on Sunday, 29 November 2009, the body of Ahmed Mousa Mohammed Farajallah, 11, from al-Nussairat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, was found in an animal farm belonging to one of his relatives. The victim was found handcuffed with signs of beating and blood on his head. According to the victim's father, his child had been missing in the previous evening, so the father thought that his child was sleeping in a relative's house. However, as the child did not come back home in the morning as usual, the father got worried, so the family started to search for him.
Massive International March To Enter Gaza By End Of December
12/1/2009 - Political Theatrics - Fadi Madi, the head of The Anti-US and Israeli Globalization and Hegemony Movement, has said that final preparations for the international solidarity week with Gaza had kicked off, adding that it would start on December 27 and end on 3 January 2010 with the participation of 2,600 world figures in a massive march called the “Big Freedom”. Madi, in a statement on Sunday, said that the participating figures, who include human rights activists, parliamentary delegations from 60 countries and even Hollywood stars, would flock into and gather in Cairo by December 25. He said that entry into Gaza would take place on December 29 where the itinerary would be scheduled by the local authorities. Madi noted that rallies and peaceful demonstrations would be organized in various areas in the European, Northern and southern American continents on the first anniversary of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.
UN’s Middle East envoy urges halt to demolitions, evictions in East Jerusalem
12/1/2009 - United Nations - 1 December 2009 – The top United Nations envoy to the Middle East today reiterated Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call for an immediate end to demolitions, evictions and the instalment of Israeli settlers in Palestinian neighbourhoods, as he visited the Sheikh Jarrah area in East Jerusalem, outside a house that was occupied by settlers. “Provocative actions such as these create inevitable tensions, undermine trust, often have tragic human consequences and make resuming negotiations and achieving a two-State solution more difficult,” read a statement issued by the spokesperson for the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry. Last week senior UN political official Haile Menkerios told the Security Council that Israel’s refusal to freeze settlement activity was one of several key challenges to the peace process.
UN uses speeches, photo exhibit and concert to voice solidarity with Palestinians
11/30/2009 - United Nations - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Riyad H. Mansour of the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine30 November 2009 – The International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People is being observed today at United Nations Headquarters in New York with a special commemorative meeting, a new photographic exhibition and a concert by Maqamat, an orchestra of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music. Addressing today’s meeting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that it is vital that a sovereign State of Palestine is achieved, noting that the Palestinian people continue to struggle for their inalienable right to self-determination – a fundamental, universal human right enjoyed by so many others across the world. “Vigorous international efforts are essential for advancing the political process, ending the occupation and achieving a solution to all permanent status issues,” he stated.
Settlers Take over Palestinian Home, Elderly Resident Suffers Severe Medical Complications
12/1/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - JERUSALEM, December 1,2009 (WAFA)- A group of Jewishi settlers surrounded the al-Kurd family home in the East Jerusalem neighborhood in Sheikh Jarrah and took over a section of the house. Fifteen to twenty settlers, accompanied by private armed security and Israeli police forces, entered an extension of the Palestinian house, and started clearing it of the family’s belongings. The family was not present in this section of the house in compliance with a previous court order, however local sources reported that the settlers also attempted, on several occasions, to gain entry to the inhabited part of the house. One Palestinian resident, Khamis al-Gawi, has been arrested shortly after the settlers arrived. Two international activists, American and Swedish nationals, who were filming the settlers taking over the house were also arrested by the police and their video cameras confiscated, International Solidarity Movement said in a press release.
Prohibit Live Ammunition in Circumstances are not Life-Threatening in WB, B’Tselem
12/1/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - JERUSALEM, December 1, 2009 (WAFA)- Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territory, B'Tselem un justified the Israeli army use of lethal weapons in the Occupied Territory. Real-time observations by B'Tselem and video footage filmed at two demonstrations indicated “that the gunfire was completely contrary to army orders. There was no justification to use lethal weapons in these incidents. Persons from the village were indeed throwing stones at Israeli forces on the other side of the fence, but from a few dozen meters away. The Israeli forces found cover behind concrete blocks or inside shielded jeeps, so they were not in a life-threatening situation. ” It added “The security forces had other means, which cause much lesser harm, that they could easily have used to distance demonstrators from the fence, among them tear gas and an odorous liquid sprayed at demonstrators from a tanker. ” -- Links: B'tselem
UN: sustained focus needed to revive stagnant peace talks in ME
12/1/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - NEW YORK, December 1, 2009 (WAFA)- Nearly a year after Israel's military offensive into the Gaza Strip which left some 1,400 Palestinians dead and pushed an already desperate humanitarian situation into crisis, the question of Palestine was at a critical juncture, and sustained focus was needed to both revive stagnant peace talks and create conditions for broader peace in the Middle East, General Assembly delegates said, as they launched their annual debate of those and related issues. Opening the meeting, General Assembly President Ali Abdussalam Treki, of Libya, said the question of Palestine remained the oldest unresolved issue before the world body -– a fact that weighed heavily on the United Nations. Today's observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People should 'remind us that the human cost of the Middle East conflict is borne by the Palestinian people'.
Netanyahu: Settlement freeze only temporary
12/1/2009 - Yahoo! News - AP – JERUSALEM – Israel's prime minister emphasized Tuesday that his 10-month freeze on new housing in the West Bank is a one-time measure that will not be extended. Palestinians had already rejected Benjamin Netanyahu's moratorium as inadequate, because it allows about 3,000 homes already under construction to be completed and does not include Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem, claimed by Palestinians as their future capital. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has demanded a comprehensive freeze before peace talks can resume. Also Tuesday, Israel sternly warned the European Union against adopting new language that endorses east Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state. Speaking outside Tel Aviv at nightfall after several minor clashes between government officials and angry settlers in the West Bank, Netanyahu sought to reassure the settlers, who have been among his main backers.
84 Structures To Be Built In West Bank Settlements
IMEMC 2 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 00:46, The Israeli cabinet decided on Wednesday evening to build 84 more homes in a number of illegal West Bank settlements. The decision came while Israel vowed a 10-month freeze of settlement activities.
Sheikh Sabri Barred From Al Aqsa Mosque For Six Months
IMEMC 2 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 00:21, The Israeli Authorities in Jerusalem handed Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, head of the Higher Islamic Committee in Jerusalem, a restriction order preventing him from entering the Al Aqsa Mosque, in East Jerusalem, for six months.
Hamas fighter Reported dead in the Gaza Strip
IMEMC 2 Dec 2009 - Wednesday December 02, 2009 - 16:22, The ruling Hamas movement in the Gaza announced that one of its fighters were killed on Wednesday morning.
Settlers Fake Foundations to bypass the government decision on settlement freeze
IMEMC 2 Dec 2009 - Wednesday December 02, 2009 - 16:16, In order to bypass government freeze of settlement construction , dozens of "Fake Foundations" were established in West Bank settlements in recent days.
Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in response to the settlement freeze
IMEMC 2 Dec 2009 - Wednesday December 02, 2009 - 13:59, During an anti settlement construction freeze rally, scores of Israeli settlers hurled, on Wednesday, stones at Palestinian cars in northern West Bank.
Israeli Spy Imprisoned By The U.S Demands Executing Palestinian Detainees
IMEMC 2 Dec 2009 - Wednesday December 02, 2009 - 05:07, Jonathan Pollard, an Israeli spy imprisoned by the United States harshly attacked talks on the release of hundreds of Palestinian detainees in exchange for the release of the prisoner of war, Gilad Shalit, and said that Israel should instead execute the detainees.
Elderly Palestinian attacked by Israeli soldiers, left bleeding
12/2/2009 - Tulkarem - Ma'an - Israeli soldiers beat a 75-year-oldPalestinian on Wednesday as he was trying to access his land adjacent to Israel's electric barrier west of Deir Al-Ghusun, in the northern West Bank the victim told Ma'an. Ahmad Jaber Ghanem was left bleeding at the scene of the incident, after Israeli soldiers assaulted him and refused medical assistance. An ambulance associated with the Palestinian Red Crescent was called by locals shortly after the incident and transferred Ghanem to the Thabit Thabit Hospital in Tulkarem, where Ghanem was treated for moderate injuries sustained to the head and face. Ghanem told Ma'an that Israeli soldiers repeatedly deny him access to his land near Israel's electric barrier, despite having the necessary permit granting him entry. The electric barrier forms part of Israel's internationally condemned separation wall. . . . -- Link: Medics: Israeli forces shoot, detain Gaza man
Medics: Israeli forces shoot, detain Gaza man
12/2/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli forces shot and detained a Palestinian on the Gaza Strip's northern border on Wednesday morning, a government medical official said. Muawiyah Hassanein, the director of ambulance and emergency services in the Gaza Health Ministry, told Ma'an that the Israeli forces opened fire on a man who has not yet been identified, injuring him. Hassanein said the soldiers denied a Palestinian ambulance permission to retrieve him, leaving him bleeding near the border. An Israeli military spokeswoman said that Israeli forces shot the man after he ignored warning shots for approaching the border. She said soldiers administered initial medical treatment before transferring him to Barzilai hospital in the city of Ashkelon. Hassanein said the Health Ministry is in contact with the Israeli military to find out the wounded man's to try to return him to Gaza. -- Link: Elderly Palestinian attacked by Israeli soldiers, left bleeding
VIDEO - Shock follows footage of settler running over Palestinian
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - An amateur video shocked Palestinians on Tuesday, catching what appeared to be an Israeli settler repeatedly running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas station in Hebron last week. The Palestinian, an unidentified man shot several times following an alleged knife attack at the station, appeared to be staggering when a silver Mercedes ran him down, stopped, reversed, and ran him over again. The video was reportedly taken on Thursday, although at the time, Israeli representatives made no mention of the settler's alleged attack, telling reporters only that a Palestinian man had been shot after he stabbed and lightly injured two settlers. A military spokesman told Ma'an that after the two Israelis were hurt, a soldier shot and injured the Palestinian, who was taken to the Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem.
Israeli court to Al-Kurd family: Settlers will stay in your home
12/2/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - The Israeli Central Court heard and rejected Wednesday the petition of the Al-Kurd family seeking the eviction of Israeli settlers from their home. The home, vacant following a court order demanding the Al-Kurds leave the building following a demolition order from Israel's Jerusalem municipality, was taken over by Israeli settlers on TuesdayWednesday, and denied the plea treplied on Wednesday to the petition of Al-Kurd family from the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood where they called the Israeli court to issue an order to evacuate the settlers from their own home that was dominated by the settlers on Tuesday. Jerusalem affairs official with Fatah Hatem Abdel Qader said the decision came only hours after the court heard the petition from the Al-Kurd family lawyers Hosni Abu Hassanein and Sami Irshid, then the lawyers with the settler group.
Expired food confiscated in Nablus and Tulkarem
12/2/2009 - Hebron - Ma'an - Palestinian customs officials seized a large quantity of expired goods and products manufactured on illegal Israeli settlements in Nablus and Tulkarem on Wednesday, according to a statement issued by the Palestinian police department. During an inspection of market places, the customs officials confiscated one ton of expired chocolate, in addition to clothes and children's toys brought from nearby Israeli settlements, according to the head of public relations for the police department in Nablus, Haytham Al-Zein. All products manufactured on Israeli settlements are banned from Palestinian markets, Al-Zein pointed out. The customs officers are investigating all traders who purchase illegal settlement goods or who sell produce deemed not fit for consumption, in order to guarantee the Palestinian publics' safety, Al-Zein added.
Israeli forces demolish two homes north of West Bank
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Israeli media sources said two Palestinian homes were demolished in Israel on Wednesday, and seven bystanders were detained as they attempted to prevent crews from destroying the properties. Israel's news site Ynet said the demolition took place near Jabal Al-Faqoua, Gilboa, in Israel just north of Jenin. The buildings were allegedly illegal, and were demolished. [end]
Thousands in East Jerusalem lost residency rights
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel's Interior Ministry stripped 4,577 Palestinians of their right to live in East Jerusalem in 2008, reports said, an all time record in 42 years of occupation. The state-figures were made public in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday. The total was 21 times higher than the average of the previous 40 years. In the first 40 years of Israeli occupation Israel revoked residency rights of 8,558. More than double that number lost their ID cards in 2008 alone. The Interior Ministry told Haaretz that the increase stemmed from a 2008 decision by the previous Israeli government to investigate the legal status of thousands of Palestinians in East Jerusalem. The 250,000 Palestinians with Israeli-issued East Jerusalem identity cards have the same legal status as people who immigrated to Israel legally, but are not entitled to citizenship, Attorney Yotam. . . -- Link: Israel stripped thousands of Jerusalem Arabs of residency in 2008
Israeli forces storm Al-Aroub Refugee Camp; detain three
12/2/2009 - Hebron - Ma'an - Israeli forces assaulted two Palestinians and detained three others from across the West Bank in the early hours of Wednesday, a Palestinian police statement said. Israeli forces entered the Al-Aroub Refugee Camp, storming the roofs of homes and firing rubber bullets and tear gas, before withdrawing and detaining Shehab Ahmad At-Tity, 20, according to the information office of the Palestinian police department. No injuries were reported, the statement added. In Tulkarem, Faisal Nasif Taqatqa, 19, was transferred to hospital after being beaten by Israeli forces at the Anata checkpoint while an unidentified Palestinian was also transferred to Hebron Hospital after Israeli forces assaulted him, according to the statement. Two more were detained at the Al-Hamra checkpoint at the entrance of Jericho.
Hamas fighter dies in Gaza
12/2/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Hamas' armed wing said one of its members died early Wednesday during what it described as a "Jihad mission"¯ in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. In a statement, the Al-Qassam Brigades said 37-year-old Yasser Sabri Radi, a resident of the An-Nuseirat Refugee Camp, died during the mission. The statement did not disclose further details. On Monday night a member of Fatah's armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, was killed when a car exploded in the Ash-Shati Refugee Camp near Gaza City. The Israeli military said it had no connection to the blast. [end]
MoH demands release of detained, injured Palestinian
12/2/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - PA Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli called on international institutions and organizations to immediately intervene Wednesday, to secure the release an injured Palestinian, detained as he was traveling to seek medical treatment in a Jerusalem hospital. Ahmad Samir Salim Asfour was detained at the Erez/Beit Hanoun checkpoint in northern Gaza on 24 December, whilst en route to undergo treatment for diabetes-related digestive and pancreas trouble as well as a disability sustained during the Israeli war on Gaza where a nerve was lacerated and he lost use of his arm. The Minister of Health called on the Israeli Health Minister to intervene, highlighting that Asfour's detention violates international agreements and the Fourth Geneva Convention. Dr Omar An-Nasser, the director of public relations for the PA Ministry of Health said the ministry was following up on Asfour's current state of health.
EU envoys: Israel severing Jerusalem from West Bank
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - EU envoys condemn the Israeli government and the Jerusalem Municipality's discriminatory policies in East Jerusalem and recommend implementing measures to strengthen the PA's presence in the city in a classified report leaked in Israeli media on Wednesday. The EU report, which is updated annually by EU representatives in Jerusalem and Ramallah, was presented to EU institutions in Brussels recently, according to the Israeli daily Haaretz, which stated that the report is never published due to Israeli pressure "for fear the publication would further undermine the European public's already negative view of Israel. " ¯The report charged both the Israeli government and the Jerusalem Municipality of undertaking premeditated measures to alter the city's demography in favor of Jewish residents and "sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank"¯ by backing right-wing. . .
Settlers march on Nablus amid construction slowdown
12/2/2009 - Nablus - Ma'an - Angry at their government's decision to curb construction in illegal West Bank settlements, Israeli settlers marched from their colonies toward the city of Nablus on Wednesday, hurling stones at Palestinian cars. Witnesses at the Huwwara military checkpoint south of Nablus said Israeli soldiers stopped all traffic in and out of the city when demonstrating settlers began to arrive. Two settlers were reportedly arrested by Israeli forces. No injuries were reported. An Israeli security source said"there had been incidents"¯ when military inspectors went Wednesday to enforce the recently-declared construction slowdown. Israeli military inspectors visited at least two settlements on Wednesday, including Beit Aryeh near Ramallah and Elon Moreh north of Nablus. In the latter they issued six stop-work orders on planned buildings.
Two Gaza crossings open
12/2/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli authorities allowed between 97 and 107 truckloads of goods and limited amounts of fuel into the otherwise besieged Gaza Strip on Wednesday, Palestinian sources said. Raed Fattuh, the Palestinian official charged with liaising with Israel on the entry of goods into Gaza, said the truckloads of humanitarian and private sector goods will be allowed through the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Nahal Oz crossing will also be open for the transfer of limited amounts of fuel including cooking gas and industrial diesel for Gaza's power plant. The crossing has been mainly closed since October, with only three announced openings for fuel deliveries. Israeli officials said they would be shutting down the crossing and moving infrastructure to the Kerem Shalom crossing. The Karni crossing, formerly Gaza's primary shipping terminal, will be closed.
Israeli prison officials release Tulkarem man after almost three years
12/2/2009 - Tulkarem - Ma'an - Israeli forces released 23-year-old Muhammad Anbas from prison on Wednesday, following a two-year and ten-month term in the Neveg prison. Anbas is from the Tulkarem Refugee Camp, he was detained on 21 April 2007. [end]
Egyptian security services seize weapons cache on border
12/2/2009 - Al-Arish - Ma'an - Egyptian security services raided a weapons cache near the Rafah border with Gaza on Wednesday that were en route to Gaza via the smuggling tunnels, according to Egyptian security sources. The Egyptian security services uncovered and confiscated two belts lined with explosives, six bombs, and five unspecified explosive materials, according to the sources. Meanwhile, the sources told Ma'an that the Egyptian authorities detained six Palestinians in Al-Arish City for infiltrating Egypt through the tunnels and smuggling large quantities of goods into the Gaza Strip last month, adding that the six detained were in possession of 10,000 US dollars and 10,000 shekels. The sources stressed that investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Rafah crossing opens for Palestinian pilgrims
12/2/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza was opened on Wednesday to allow homebound Palestinians returning from Hajj to enter, according to Ghazi Hamad, the head of the crossings department for the de facto Gaza government. Three groups of pilgrims are expected to arrive into Gaza on Wednesday, Hamad said, noting that efforts have been undertaken to ensure that Palestinians are allowed to transit into Gaza throughout the week. Barakat Al-Farra, the Palestinian ambassador to Egypt, announced earlier that all preparations have been completed to receive Palestinian pilgrims and that the Egyptian authorities, as well as the Palestinian embassy in Cairo, have implement all necessary procedures to guarantee a swift return home for Palestinians from Gaza who have returned from Mecca.
Fadwa Barghouthi: No word on Marwan’s release
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The wife of imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouthi said on Wednesday that she has received no official word on her husband being released as a part of a prisoner exchange. Fadwa Barghouthi told Ma'an in an interview said that she trusts the Palestinian negotiators on the prisoner issue, and hopes that a deal will be concluded in a "fair manner. " ¯ She specifically said she hopes large numbers of long-term prisoners are released. She urged the media to take care in their handling of the prisoner issue because reports could influence the negotiations. A popular figure among Fatah's grassroots, Marwan Barghouthi is one of approximately 1,000 Palestinians who could be released in a prisoner exchange between Israel and the captors of soldier Gilad Shalit in Gaza. On Wednesday the London-based Arabic-language daily Al-Hayat reported that Israel will only release Barghouthi on the condition that he is sent into exile.
Qureia: Return to talks would be pointless
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel's intransigence and rejection of international law means that a return to negotiations atpresent would be pointless, senior PLO official Ahmed Qureia told EU envoy Christian Berger on Wednesday. "As a result of the ongoing violations and Israel's refusal to recognize the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, as well as its rebuffing of its commitments under the Road Map plan and under international law, returning to negotiations will be meaningless,"¯ the official said, according to a statement from his office. "The international community must define the terms of the two state solution based on relevant international law and treaties. " ¯ Qureia, head of the Jerusalem Affairs Department and a member of the PLO Executive Committee, discussed with Berger a Swedish proposal for the EU to declare east Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state.
Palestinian MK: Settlers crying over trick freeze
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Knesset Member Muhammad Barakah accused settler leaders of crying over nothing, calling the recent construction-ban in the settlements a "temporary trick" and settler reactions a lot of posturing, during the Knesset meeting Wednesday. "Your tears are adulterous and your settlement plans are only temporary, [the freeze] will pass by quickly; the freeze announcement is only a trick," Barakah told the assembled leaders in the Knesset. The MK delivered a speech at a session dominated by discussion of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent bill that launched orders to halt some settlement construction in the West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, for ten months. Settlers in the West Bank have staged violent demonstrations and local leaders have publicly ripped up the "stop work" orders delivered by Israeli military personnel over the past week, leading to the arrest of several settlers.
Hamas: PA detained 5 affiliates in West Bank
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas officials accused the Palestinian Authority security services of detaining five of the party's affiliates from locations across the West Bank. The five were taken from the Tulkarem, Nablus and Hebron areas, according to a statement from Hamas officials. The allegations come as unity talks continue in stalemate as earlier rumors of a post-Eid resumption turn out to have been false. [end]
Ma’an chief to Bethlehem governor: Focus is on declaration of state
12/2/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Bethlehem Governor Abdul Fattah Hamayel visited Ma'an headquarters in Bethlehem on Wednesday, where he spoke with Chief Editor Nasser Lahham on the importance of the Palestinian plan to declare statehood. Lahham spoke passionately about the commitment of Ma'an to covering all facets of the progress toward the declaration of a Palestinian state, including the work of Palestinian officials in Geneva with the WTO, the Universal Postal Union and at the UN. "We are closely following the reactions of the international community, particularly the European Draft resolution that may soon be presented at the UN," Lahham said. Hamayel addressed ways the municipality could cooperate with the news agency and keep journalists abreast of the latest developments in state building and diplomacy. The governor was attended by his media advisor, Munjid Jado.
Did top Hamas officials discuss the Shalit deal with Nasrallah?
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - Hezbollah TV station says delegation met with Iran-backed group's leader for talks on U.S. Mideast policy.
Lebanon cabinet lets Hezbollah keep its weapons
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - Decision signals group still has no intention of disarming; report: Lebanon army shoots at IAF warplanes.
From Mishnah to MI: Haredi yeshiva graduates enlist in IDF
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - Seventy yeshiva graduates serve in unique program that brings ultra-Orthodox into Intelligence Corps.
[uruknet.info] Time Marches on but not for Obama
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - It is par for the course for the mainstream American media to adopt the U.S. official line on U.S. foreign policy, especially when it concerns the Arab-Israeli conflict, rather than take an independent stance. This does not mean, much to the delight of some foreign policy observers, that this position is universally true since there are...
[uruknet.info] Israel lobby: the blog edition
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - At the risk of stepping into Stephen Walt's territory, I'd like to highlight one of the most remarkable developments in the Israeli blogosphere: the Second International Jewish Blogger Convention that took place in Jerusalem on Sept 13th and brought together 300 bloggers from Israel and the diaspora. The Israeli government and civil society alike have recently...
[uruknet.info] Using Photos of Abu Zubaydah's Torture to Intimidate and Threaten Other Prisoners
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - The set-up of Abu Zubaydah as an Al Qaeda bigwig may have been meant, among other things, for use in intimidation and torture of other prisoners. Andy Worthington recounts how a prisoner captured with Zubaydah, Omar Gharmesh, reported to another prisoner in Syria's infamous Palestine Branch prison, where they were sent via "extraordinary rendition," that he...
[uruknet.info] Ethnic cleansing, pure and simple
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - Israel stripped over 4,500 Jerusalemite Palestinians of their "residency rights" in 2008. This marks a huge acceleration of a policy that has been in force since Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967. In these 41 years, Israel has now stripped over 12,000 Palestinians of their "permits" to live in Jerusalem, 35 per cent or so of...
[uruknet.info] Israeli court to Al-Kurd family: Settlers will stay in your home
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - The Israeli Central Court heard and rejected Wednesday the petition of the Al-Kurd family seeking the eviction of Israeli settlers from their home. The home, vacant following a court order demanding the Al-Kurds leave the building following a demolition order from Israel's Jerusalem municipality, was taken over by Israeli settlers on TuesdayWednesday, and denied the plea...
[uruknet.info] 60% of Gazans no daily access to drinking water
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - Israel's continuing blockade of Gaza has left thousands of schoolchildren without desks and the population exposed to million of tonnes of raw sewage, MPs heard. International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said refusing to allow desk parts into Gaza was "bizarre" and the Government was pressing Israel to give full access to humanitarian aid. The situation for...
[uruknet.info] The question of Terminology in the Zionist propaganda to colonize Palestine
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - By terminology I mean roughly the semantic or the concepts which are mental representation or abstract ideas produced to explain things. My point is to unearth some of the Zionist terminology used in the Zionist propaganda which has sadly dominated the western media for decades and brainwashed millions in Europe and the USA. The function of...
[uruknet.info] Obama, the Biggest Threat to Al-Aqsa in 90 Years?
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - ...From the evidence presented above, it appears that Obama has promised to facilitate full control of all of Al-Quds Al-Sharif including Masjid Al-Aqsa to the Israelis while employing his charm and rhetorical skills to placate Muslims' reactions. The hope is that with the aid of technology and spin the political repercussions will be managed. The bottom-line...
[uruknet.info] Shock follows footage of settler running over Palestinian, twice
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - An amateur video shocked Palestinians on Tuesday, catching what appeared to be an Israeli settler running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas station in Hebron last week. The Palestinian, an unidentified man shot several times following an alleged knife attack at the station, appeared to be staggering when a silver Mercedes ran him down, stopped,...
[uruknet.info] Ahrar center: Israel uses many torture means against Palestinian prisoners
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - Al-Ahrar center for human rights and prisoners' studies stated Tuesday that Israel uses internationally-prohibited means during the detention of Palestinians much more than tying hands of prisoners behind their backs as admitted by the Shin Bet lately. Director of the center Fouad Al-Khafsh cited as an example that Israeli officers do not confine to tying the...
[uruknet.info] Thousands in East Jerusalem lost residency rights
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - Israel's Interior Ministry stripped 4,577 Palestinians of their right to live in East Jerusalem in 2008, reports said, an all time record in 42 years of occupation. The state-figures were made public in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Wednesday. The total was 21 times higher than the average of the previous 40 years. In the first...
[uruknet.info] Overview about Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Uruknet December 2, 2009 - The aim of the report is to enlighten a wider audience about the reality of Israeli settlements inside the Palestinian Territory, although many political and security reasons exist to protect the facts around them, which has let the problem constantly grow up in the almost complete indifference of the international community. Israel has used a complex...
Hamas commander killed in central Gaza
2 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 2, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - A senior commander for the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Hamas movement, has died in the central Gaza Strip. "Yasser Sabri Radi, 37, a field commander in the Qassam Brigades from Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza, was martyred on Wednesday morning while undertaking a jihad-related task," AFP quoted a...
Expulsion of Palestinians at record high
2 Dec 2009 - Jerusalem, December 2, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - The number of Arab residents of East Jerusalem Al-Quds stripped of their residency rights by the Israeli Interior Ministry strikes an all-time record. Last year, the ministry revoked the residency of 4,577 Palestinian residents of the illegally annexed neighborhood, the Israeli daily Haaretz said on Wednesday, compared with the 8,558 Arabs stripped of...
Zinedine Zidane to visit Gaza in March
2 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 2, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - Retired international soccer star Zinedine Zidane will be paying a visit to the Gaza Strip as part of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) efforts to promote peace between Palestinians and Israelis. The three-time FIFA Footballer of the Year is scheduled to travel to the blockaded enclave in March 2010 as a UNICEF...
Britain praises Tehran over sailors’ release
The National 2 Dec 2009 - Iran freed five British sailors detained last week when their racing yacht drifted accidentally into Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf.
Hizbollah given right to remain an armed force
The National 2 Dec 2009 - Lebanon’s president stresses need to deal with Israel as a top priority, as he and allies debate country’s security situation.
Iran releases British sailors
AlJazeera 2 Dec 2009 - Tehran officials confirm yachtsmen's illegal entry into Iranian waters was mistake.
Iran says IAEA resolution 'illegal'
AlJazeera 2 Dec 2009 - "Superficially powerful" countries forced UN body to pass resolution, Ahmadinejad says.
2009 Journalist Conference in Israel: No News
Alternative Information Center 2 Dec 2009 - I did not partake in the Journalist Conference that occurred this week in Eilat and was sponsored by the Tel Aviv Journalists’ Association and the Ben Gurion University of the Negev. Actually, I also did not...
'Iranian terror network in S. America'
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - "The Iranians are moving fast," says Argentinean prosecutor. "We see a much greater penetration."
Washington Watch: Is Lebanon becoming a terrorist state?
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - It provides terrorists sanctuary from extradition or prosecution, headquarters and diplomatic cover.
Lebanon: Hizbullah has right to arms
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - All gov't ministers vote for policy statement, in sign group has no intention of meeting UN resolution.
Paris has 'strong reservations' about Swedish Mideast proposal
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - French envoy tells Post "the text is not an EU text"; draft resolution would recognize east J'lem as capital of future Palestinian state.
Barak tries to reassure settlers
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - Says building will resume after freeze; enclosing porches and installing air conditioners allowed.
'Barghouti refuses to be deported'
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - Israel reportedly agreed to free Fatah operative for Schalit if he is deported upon release.
MKs nix bill on Hamas prisoners' conditions
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 -
JNF donation to Rawabi sparks uproar
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - First planned Palestinian community lies about 6 miles north of Ramallah and is expected to house 40,000 people and employ 10,000.
Analysis: New manifesto reveals a more sophisticated, confident Hizbullah
Jeruslalem Post 2 Dec 2009 - The group has secured the perimeter of the Iranian-financed state-within-a state that it maintains in Lebanon.
Israel stripped thousands of Jerusalem Arabs of residency in 2008
12/2/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Haaretz - Last year set an all-time record for the number of Arab residents of East Jerusalem who were stripped of residency rights by the Interior Ministry. Altogether, the ministry revoked the residency of 4,577 East Jerusalemites in 2008 – 21 times the average of the previous 40 years. In the first 40 years of Israeli rule over East Jerusalem combined, from 1967 to 2007, the ministry deprived only 8,558 Arabs of their residency rights – less than double the number who lost their permits last year alone. Thus of all the East Jerusalem Arabs who have lost their residency rights since 1967, about 35 percent did so in 2008. According to the ministry, last year's sharp increase stemmed from its decision to investigate the legal status of thousands of East Jerusalem residents in March and April, 2008. The probe was the brainchild of former interior minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) and Yaakov Ganot, who headed the ministry's Population Administration.
VIDEO - Israeli police demolish the only shelter of evicted Palestinian family for the fourth time
12/2/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - At approximately 9am this Wednesday, four police vehicles containing eight Jerusalem police and four border police armed with automatic weapons came to Sheikh Jarrah and demolished the Gawi tent for the fourth time. The demolition took place as there were several people sleeping in the tent. The police failed to alert those sleeping to their destructive actions. The Palestinian family's possessions were confiscated and removed in police pick-up trucks and golf carts. One hour later, a British national was arrested. The Gawi family has lived in the tent for four months now, since 2 August 2009 when they were forcefully evicted from their home, now occupied by settlers. This action comes in the wake of yesterday's settler invasion of the front section of the al-Kurd family home. As the settlers moved some of their possessions from the occupied Gawi home to the newly-confiscated al-Kurd home, the police were destroying and stealing the blankets, chairs, mattresses, lights and shelter from the evicted Gawi family.
How ElBaradei misled the world about Iran's nuclear program
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - This week, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei ended his controversial and unsuccessful term as director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency. His last days on the job caused a great deal of consternation, even more than the rest of his 12 years in the bureau overlooking the Danube, at United Nations headquarters in Vienna. ...
Netanyahu thought likely to veto Lieberman choices for top posts
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering rescinding the appointments of Alon Pinkas as Israel's ambassador to the United Nations and Shai Bazak as consul general in New York. ...
Kuwaiti daily: Shalit in Egypt, prisoner swap underway
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - The Kuwaiti daily newspaper Al-Jarida reported early Thursday that Hamas transferred abducted Israel Defense Forces soldier Gilad Shalit to Egypt a few days ago as part of a prisoner exchange for his release. ...
Ukrainian academic: Israel imported 25,000 children for their organs
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - 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. ...
Celtic fans urged to wave Palestinian flags at match against Tel Aviv club
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - Scottish trade unions called on supporters of Celtic soccer club to wave Palestinian flags at their Europa League home match on Wednesday against Hapoel Tel Aviv in "solidarity with suffering Palestinians". ...
Call for Celtic fans to wave Palestinian flags at match against Israeli team
The Guardian 2 Dec 2009 - 'Extremely concerned' Glasgow club urges supporters to ignore Scottish TUC request Scottish trade unions have called on supporters of Celtic to wave Palestinian flags at Europa League home match tonight against Israel's Hapoel Tel Aviv in "...
Israel's just fears of a Palestinian state | Carlo Strenger
The Guardian 2 Dec 2009 - A return to 1967 borders would put most Israelis in rocket range. The EU needs to see that a two-state solution is complex There are indications that the EU foreign ministers will formally recognise East Jerusalem...
Israeli study: How do people feel when they hear their national anthem?
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - National anthems have become a controversial issue in a number of countries. In France, far-right politicians accused immigrant athletes of not knowing how to sing the anthem. During the last U.S. presidential campaign, Barack Obama was accused of not putting his hand over his heart while the "Star-Spangled Banner" played. And in Israel, MK Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) attacked MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), claiming he does not know "Hatikva." ...
Ari Shavit / Netanyahu is positioning himself left of Rabin
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - Benjamin Netanyahu made history twice. The first time was when he adopted the two-state solution in his Bar-Ilan speech, and the second was when he decided last week to freeze settlement construction. The Palestinians dismiss his steps and the Europeans say they're not enough. The skeptics are skeptical and the cynics are cynical. But the truth is that Netanyahu circa 2009 is situating himself to the left of Yitzhak Rabin circa 1995. ...
NIS 60 million water treatment plant set to cleanse Jordan River of sewage
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - A section of the Jordan River containing Israel's first Kibbutz and important archaeological sites has been plagued by sewage for years, but work has now begun on a NIS 60 million Bitanya treatment plant due to open in about two years. Treated wastewater will combine with salty springwater from the Kinneret and freshwater from the Yarmuk River to be used for agriculture in the Jordan Valley. ...
Editorial / Israel mustn't encourage organized settler lawlessness
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - The settler leaders' lawless behavior after the decision to temporarily and partially freeze settlement construction in the West Bank reminds us of Defense Minister Ehud Barak's metaphor of a "villa in the jungle" to describe Israel's place in the region. Only a few kilometers from Tel Aviv, the laws of democracy give way to the law of the jungle. Once again it turns out that only an ultra-thin layer separates the rebels and tree cutters in the illegal outposts from the core of the settler establishment. ...
Ethiopian students still denied places at Petah Tikva schools
Ha'aretz 2 Dec 2009 - Eleven new immigrants from Ethiopia have yet to be placed in Petah Tikva schools, and some have been waiting as long as three weeks for an assignment. ...
UNRWA holds pledging conference amid serious concerns over funding shortfalls threatening to cripple field operations
Relief Web 2 Dec 2009 - Source: UN General Assembly
UNHCR Iraq Fact Sheet Oct 2009
Relief Web 2 Dec 2009 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Letter dated 23 Nov 2009 from the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN addressed to the Secretary-General (A/ES-10/470–S/2009/605)
Relief Web 2 Dec 2009 - Source: UN General Assembly, UN Security Council
OPT: Joint letter to Assistant Secretary of US State Department Michael Posner on the US State Department Annual Human Rights Report
Relief Web 2 Dec 2009 - Source: Al-Dameer, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
OPT: Israeli settlers block government inspectors
Relief Web 1 Dec 2009 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
Husband: All female Palestinian prisoners to be freed
YNet News 2 Dec 2009 - Husband of Qahira Saadi, sentenced to life in prison for her part in Jerusalem suicide attack that left three Israelis dead in 2002, says all female Palestinian prisoners to be released in exchange deal. 'They were told they can start packing,' he says
Barak: Settlements are part of Israel
YNet News 2 Dec 2009 - In meeting with four West Bank council heads, Defense Minister Ehud Barak stresses that 'settlement blocs are inseparable part of Israel in all future negotiations with Palestinians'. Vows council heads can continue to authorize infrastructure construction, small changes
Litzman to PM: Allow construction in haredi settlements
YNet News 2 Dec 2009 - Deputy Health Minister Yakov Litzman requests PM, Defense Ministry allow construction in ultra-Orthodox settlements of Beitar Illit and Modi'in Illit due to housing crisis in community, says received encouraging responses, believes 'it will be possible to build within a week'
Mazuz: Don't let Israel become third world country
YNet News 2 Dec 2009 - Attorney general speaks before fellow legalists for last time in Eilat conference, praises decision to put off division of AG's role, urges his successors to fight for 'preservation of Israel's character as law-abiding state'
Netanyahu meets with Likud activists
YNet News 2 Dec 2009 - Prime minister tries to curb possible internal opposition against settlement freeze by holding marathonic meetings with party activists. Netanyahu quoted as saying 'Americans drove me crazy, they wanted a freeze in Jerusalem as well'
492 units to be approved in settlements
YNet News 2 Dec 2009 - Civil Administration to publish list of 84 buildings approved for construction despite settlement construction freeze, according to instructions by political echelon approved months ago
Defiant Iran dashes deal, vows to enrich own uranium
Daily Star 2 Dec 2009 President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday Iran would enrich uranium to a higher level itself, apparently ruling out a UN-brokered deal meant to minimize the risk of Tehran producing material for atomic bombs. Western diplomats said Iran accepted in principle two months ago a plan for it to send 75 percent of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) to Russia and France to be further enriched.
Israeli police arrest mayor of West Bank Jewish settlement
Daily Star 2 Dec 2009 Israeli police arrested the mayor of a West Bank Jewish settlement on Wednesday after protesters blocked security forces from entering the community to enforce a construction freeze. The showdown was the most serious incident of settler unrest since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week announced the 10-month building freeze, which bars the construction of new homes in West Bank settlements.
Iran releases five detained British yachtsmen
Daily Star 2 Dec 2009 Five British yachtsmen landed in Dubai late on Wednesday following their release from detention after Iran accepted they inadvertently strayed into the Islamic Republic's territorial waters. International media staked out a yacht marina in the debt-laden emirate, where their boat was expected to dock after being towed back across the Gulf.
Thomas Friedman’s gallimaufry of lies
PIC 2 Dec 2009 - it is really sad and lamentable that dishonest, or pathologically dishonest, journalists like Friedman are allowed to poison the American discourse unchallenged.
IOF kidnap son of Hamas official in Jenin
PIC 2 Dec 2009 - The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped at dawn Wednesday the son of senior Hamas official in Israeli jails Jamal Abul Haija during an incursion into the town of Beit Qad east of Jenin.
Hebrew press: IOA confiscated 4,577 Jerusalemite IDs
PIC 2 Dec 2009 - The Israeli occupation authority (IOA) has withdrawn the IDs of 4,577 Palestinian inhabitants of occupied Jerusalem depriving them of the right of living in their city, Hebrew press reports said.
Nasif slams Abbas’s militias for harassing MP Mansour and her family
PIC 2 Dec 2009 - Senior Hamas official Rafat Nasif condemned Tuesday Mahmoud Abbas’s security apparatuses for harassing Palestinian lawmaker Mona Mansour and her family in Nablus as a cowardly and mean act.
Mishaal: Respected leadership provides cover for resistance
PIC 2 Dec 2009 - Khaled Mishaal, the political bureau chief of Hamas, has said that politics and resistance in the Palestinian arena complement each other and do not conflict.
Israel forces detain Jewish settlement mayor
LA Times 2 Dec 2009 - The mayor of the West Bank settlement is arrested as he and others seek to keep Israeli government inspectors from enforcing a building moratorium aimed at restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Israeli security forces arrested the mayor of a Jewish settlement Wednesday as he and other residents tried to prevent government inspectors from entering the community to enforce new restrictions on building in the West Bank.
Iran frees 5 Britons caught in Persian Gulf on racing yacht
LA Times 2 Dec 2009 - Iranian interrogators decide the boaters' intrusion was a mistake. They were arrested last week. Iran has released five British nationals who were arrested after allegedly straying into Iranian territorial waters while on their racing yacht last week, state radio said today.
Poizner pushes Iran divestiture
LA Times 2 Dec 2009 - Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner plans to outline how firms must unload their holdings in some multinational firms that do business in Iran. 'This is a loophole that I'm going to close,' he says. California insurance companies that own stock in some multinational companies that operate in Iran soon may have to sell their holdings or face penalties.
Israel Arrests Settlers Fighting Freeze
New York Times 3 Dec 2009 - A 10-month moratorium on settlement construction was meant to help restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks but has so far succeeded only in pitting the settlers against the state.
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.
Hamas commander dies in tunnel collapse: medics
12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AFP - GAZA CITY (AFP) – A senior fighter from the armed wing of the Islamist Hamas movement died on Wednesday in a tunnel collapse in the central Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian medics and the armed group. " Yasser Sabri Radi, 37, a field commander in the Qassam Brigades from Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza, was martyred on Wednesday morning while undertaking a jihad-related task," the group said in a statement. The statement did not specify the cause of death, but Palestinian medics said Radi died in a tunnel collapse. The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas which has ruled the Gaza Strip since June 007, is believed to use networks of tunnels throughout the territory to hide out, store weapons and launch attacks. In June 2006, fighters from Hamas and two other armed Palestinian groups tunnelled under the Gaza-Israel border and attacked a military post, killing two. . . .
UN Palestinian refugee agency faces deficit
12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AFP - GAZA CITY (AFP) – The UN agency for Palestinian refugees said on Wednesday it was facing an "unprecedented" budget deficit that could force it to cut back on services to more than 4. 7 million people. " There is an unprecedented deficit in the UNRWA budget, and our balance has hit zero for the first time since our establishment 60 years ago," said Adnan Abu Hasna, the Gaza spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency. " If this deficit continues and if donors do not increase their assistance to UNRWA we may have to cut back on some of the programmes we provide for refugees in the entire Middle East, not only in Gaza and the West Bank," he told AFP. UNRWA provides vital services, including food aid, health care and education, to more than 4. 7 million Palestinian refugees in the occupied territories, Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
Israeli police arrest settler leader in West Bank
12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AP - JERUSALEM – Israeli police arrested the mayor of a West Bank Jewish settlement on Wednesday after protesters blocked security forces from entering the community to enforce a construction freeze. The showdown was the most serious incident of settler unrest since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week announced the 10-month building freeze, which bars the construction of new homes in West Bank settlements. Settler leaders have vowed to defy the order, which Netanyahu says is meant as a confidence-building gesture to get peace efforts with the Palestinians back on track. Confronting the settlers could help Netanyahu convince skeptical Palestinians and a wary Obama administration that he's serious about resuming talks. The Palestinians are refusing to talk peace with Netanyahu and say his settlement freeze is a sham because it excludes certain projects as well as east Jerusalem, the section of the holy city they claim as a capital.
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.
Obama to welcome Lebanon’s president
12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama will welcome Lebanon's President Michel Sleiman to Washington later this month, the White House has said. Sleiman will visit the White House on Monday, December 14, as the Obama administration tries to reignite its Middle East peace push and back Lebanon's fragile democracy and territorial integrity. Obama wants to bring up "a broad range of issues of mutual concern, including efforts to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the United States and Lebanon, achieve a comprehensive regional peace, and implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions," the White House said on Wednesday. Washington has been a strong supporter of western-backed Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri who formed a new unity government last month after more than four months of difficult negotiations with the Hezbollah-led opposition.
Lebanon cabinet adopts policy statement
12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AFP - BEIRUT (AFP) – Lebanon's cabinet on Wednesday adopted a policy statement granting Hezbollah the right to use its arms against Israel, despite the reservations of Christian ministers in the Western-backed majority. " The council of minister today adopted the proposed policy statement," Information Minister Tarek Mitri said in a news conference after a cabinet meeting at the presidential palace. Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government is now to face a vote of confidence in parliament on Monday, press reports said. Five Christian members of the majority, including those of the Phalange Party and Lebanese Forces, "expressed reservations" around a clause in the statement on Hezbollah's arsenal, Mitri said. They argue the arsenal undermines state authority and runs counter to UN resolutions. A 13-member cabinet committee tasked with drafting the policy statement, which will be made public. . . .
Hezbollah strikes softer tone in second manifesto: analysts
12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AFP - BEIRUT (AFP) – Hezbollah's new political platform signals a shift in its position as it seeks to portray itself as an integral part of Lebanon's domestic scene rather than an Iranian proxy, analysts said Tuesday. " The manifesto is reassuring as it shows Hezbollah's integration with Lebanese political life," said Paul Salem, who heads the Beirut-based Carnegie Middle East Centre. " In the first manifesto, it posited itself straight out as a proponent of an Islamic republic, whereas this document strikes a balance between the party's ties to Lebanon and its ties to Iran," Hezbollah's main backer, Salem told AFP. Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Monday announced his party's second manifesto since 1985. The first manifesto called for the establishment of Islamic rule in Lebanon, but the party leadership has toned down its rhetoric in recent years as it gained political clout.
China: More talk, not sanctions, needed on Iran
12/2/2009 - Yahoo! News - AP - BEIJING – China said Tuesday that more dialogue, not sanctions, is needed to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear program. Iran announced Sunday that it plans to build 10 more uranium enrichment facilities. That brought quick condemnation from officials in Europe and the U. S. , which has been pressing China to take a stronger stand on the issue. A China Foreign Ministry spokesman told a regular news conference Tuesday that sanctions "are not the goal" of new U. N. pressure on Iran. " We should properly resolve this issue through dialogue," spokesman Qin Gang said. "All parties should step up diplomatic efforts. " The U. N. 's nuclear agency on Friday passed a resolution demanding that Iran halt all enrichment activities — a demand from the U. S. , Russia, China and three other powers. The support of China and Russia was key, as Moscow and Beijing have traditionally either prevented new. . . .
VIDEO - ‘Israel: A Rogue State’ segment on CNN
12/2/2009 - P U L S E - As mild as this CNN report is, would it have appeared on CNN in the US rather than its International Edition? CNN’s Paula Newton here in a segment with Israeli scholars Avi Schlaim and Shlomo Sand who rightly characterise Israel as a rogue state. Unfortunately the execrable Mark Regev appears in the second half, presumably for ‘balance’; nevertheless the fact that these two critical scholars appeared on network corporate news is a small signpost. (Some readers in the US have reported they can not watch the video via CNN’s Daily Motion channel from which the clip below is sourced. If so, you should be able to watch it from CNN’s site: Link follows. ) Meanwhile, another israeli of conscience, Shulamit Aloni, has also notably spoken out and called her fellow citizens a “nefarious people … What we are doing in the West Bank is worse than all the pogroms done to the Jews. "-- Links: Watch CNN Video and Avi Shlaim and Shlomo Sand in conversation with Jacqueline Rose
VIDEO - Avi Shlaim and Shlomo Sand in conversation with Jacqueline Rose
11/17/2009 - P U L S E - Event description: Few modern conflicts are as attached to history as that of Israel and Palestine. Avi Shlaim, professor of international relations at Oxford will be in conversation with Shlomo Sand, professor of contemporary history at Tel Aviv University, at the Frontline Club for a seminal evening of discussion. Avi Shlaim’s new book, Israel and Palestine focuses on the causes and consequences of the Israeli-Palestine conflict, while Shlomo Sand’s international best-seller The Invention of the Jewish People unravels the mythologised history of the Jewish people to find that the Israelites were never exiled from the promised land, and therefore have no right to return. The book concludes that the present-day Palestinian Arabs are the true heirs of the biblical Jews. This is a once-only opportunity to hear these two eminent historians discussing their individual perspectives on. . . .
Video shows Palestinian man hit in car attack
12/2/2009 - AlJazeeraEnglish\YouTube - Violence erupted in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday when a Palestinian man entered a petrol station at the Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba in the occupied West Bank and stabbed two settlers. But that was not the end of the story. According to the Israeli army, the Palestinian was then shot by a soldier, after which a car, apparently driven by a settler, ran over the wounded Palestinian, twice, with Israeli soldiers all around.
Morgantini: Israel Must End Siege, Appear Before ICJ
12/2/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - RAMALLAH December 2, 2009 (WAFA)- The former Vice-President of the European Union, Louisa Morgantini, said that Israel must end the siege on the Gaza Strip and that it is necessary that it appears before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). She told WAFA after a press conference held on the occasion of launching the launch of the book, 'Palestine’s Guernica', that Israel must cease all forms of settlement activities because they are is completely illegal, and that its decision to halt settlement activities for a period of ten months is not serious. She stated that Israel uses this method to gain more time, where it continues to throw many families in Sheikh Jarrah and other parts of East Jerusalem out of their homes, and continues the demolition of houses. She continued: The book 'Palestine Guernica', which reviews and documents the events surrounding the recent war on Gaza last. . . .
One Palestinian Memorizes Names of 4,000 Dead, World Only Remembers Shalit
12/2/2009 - Political Theatrics - Al Intiqad - PT Admins Comment: I have taken the liberty of translating the following out of its original Arabic context. It is a must read for anyone who remembers Gilad Shalit yet forgets all the Palestinians who have died since the outbreak of the first Intifada. -- A young man by the name of Tariq Darwish ,a 21 year old from the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza Strip, is a rare individual – reason being,he has memorized the names of Palestinian martyrs, their date of birth,the date they died and how they died. Approximately,it is estimated that the number of Palestinian martyrs who were killed during Al-Aqsa Intifada tops more than seven thousand martyrs; more than half of them died in the Gaza Strip and the ones who died in the last war are said to number around 1,500 martyrs. The total number of names which Tariq Darwish has memorized,including the details mentioned. . . .
Adalah, PHR-I and Haifa University’s Prisoners’ Rights Clinic: Despite State Claims, the Conditions in 'Posta Vehicles' for the Transport of Prisoners Remain Inhuman and Degrading (PDF)
11/24/2009 - Adalah - On 1 November 2009, Adalah, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-I) and Haifa University’s Prisoners’ Rights Clinic submitted an updated motion to the Supreme Court of Israel on a petition submitted by the organizations on 14 February 2008 demanding an improvement in the conditions in which prisoners are transported in Israel Prison Service’s (IPS) “posta” vehicles. In the motion, the petitioners presented the Supreme Court with new facts that demonstrate that the conditions in which prisoners are transported remain inhuman and degrading, despite the state’s claims that significant changes have been made in the system of prisoner transport since 2007. The petitioners argued that the IPS continues to violate its duty to protect the rights of prisoners and to provide them with minimal standards that do not affront their right to human dignity.
Jordan Protests Over Excavations At The Church Of Holy Sepulcher
IMEMC 3 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 22:32, Jordan filed an official complaint to Israel demanding it to stop the excavations and renovations at the Church of Holy Sepulcher in East Jerusalem.
Jordan Protests Over Excavation At The Church Of Holy Sepulcher
IMEMC 3 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 21:26, Jordan filed an official complaint to Israel demanding it to stop the excavations and renovations at the Church of Holy Sepulcher in East Jerusalem.
The military: two home-made bombs were found near an army base in central West Bank
IMEMC 3 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 17:59, Israeli military sources announced that troops have found on Thursday afternoon two home-made bombs near an army base in the central west Bank.
Israeli tanks invade southern border area of the Gaza Strip and open fire at residents’ homes
IMEMC 3 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 17:47, A number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded on Thursday morning border areas close to Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip and opened fire at residents’ homes.
The Israeli military kidnaps 15 civilians from the West Bank
IMEMC 3 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 17:33, The Israeli military kidnapped on Thursday 15 Palestinian civilians during invasions targeting West Bank communities.
Abuse Continues Against Families Visiting Their Detained Loved Ones
IMEMC 3 Dec 2009 - Thursday December 03, 2009 - 12:09, Several parents of Palestinian detainees imprisoned by Israel complained of ongoing harassment and abuse against them while trying to visit their detained loved ones.
BU student stranded in Gaza as Israeli court deliberates
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Israeli High Court continued to deliberate on the case of Bethlehem University student Berlanty Azzam on Thursday, and declined to order the young woman returned to the West Bank to continue her studies following what her lawyers call an illegal deportation by the Israeli army. Berlanty was in attendence on Monday 30 November when the court heard her case in Jerusalem. Following the hearing Berlanty was transferred back to Gaza where she awaits the court's decision on whether or not she can return to Bethlehem. According to Berlanty's lawyers from Israeli human rights group Gisha, the High Court issued a ruling three hours after the hearing requesting the Israeli army "again attempt to locate the documents relating to the request from 2005 and the permit that was issued," referring to Berlanty's request for a permit to leave Gaza.
Israeli night raids sweep West Bank
12/3/2009 - Jenin - Ma'an - Israeli forces detained nearly thirty Palestinians in raids on Wednesday night on communities throughout the West Bank, according to local sources. The Israeli military said that only 15 "wanted"¯ Palestinians were detained in the entire West Bank. Palestinians reported higher numbers, including raids in at least five separate communities. Israeli raids are a nightly occurence in the West Bank and are often Israel's response to resistance - violent and nonviolent - to its occupation. Those jailed by Israel include university students, pofessors, activists, journalists and members of parliament. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, between 25 November and 2 December,Israeli forces conducted 14 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and one into the Gaza Strip. During those incursions Israeli forces arrested 20 Palestinian civilians, including 6 under the age of 18.
Israeli ground forces invade southern Gaza
12/3/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Three Israeli tanks and a bulldozer invaded the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday morning, witnesses said. Palestinians said the vehicles carried out a sweep of the area east of the Sufa crossing point, near the city of Rafah. The area sees nearly daily incursions by Israeli forces. The Sufa crossing was shut down by the Israeli military in 2008 and is no longer operative. An Israeli military spokeswoman said the report would be investigated. [end]
Israel waters down partial settlement freeze
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Minor renovation projects will go ahead pending the approval of settlement mayors, Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak announced on Wednesday. The announcement, reported by the Israeli daily Haaretz, follows days of settler protests and stone-throwing in response to a 10-month partial construction moratorium affecting most West Bank settlements. The freeze did not include the construction of public buildings like schools, synagogues and government institutions, but still sparked ire among settlers, who accused the government of preventing population growth. According to Haaretz, the relaxation of the temporary ban, will allow projects like enclosing balconies or building pergolas over a porch to move forward. Palestinians living in Jerusalem and in areas in the West Bank under Israeli military and civil control must pay large fees and wait months. . .
Hamas, Hizbullah hold talks in Lebanon
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah held talks on Wednesday with senior Hamas officials in Lebanon. Hamas was represented by officials Muhammad Nasr, Osama Hamdan, and Munir Said. According to a statement carried on Hizbullah's news channel Al-Manar, the two sides discussed "the international and regional situation in light of the confusion the US administration is experiencing in its approach to the crises arising from its aggressive policies in our Arab and Islamic region, particularly its blatant bias [in favor of] the Israeli stances and practices against the Palestinian people, their rights and interests. " ¯Officials from both groups also expressed satisfaction with the Lebanese cabinet's adoption on Wednesday of a platform that allows Hizbullah to retain its military arsenal.
Israel defends refusal to evacuate outposts
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel's government argued on Thursday that it lacks mechanisms for dismantling illegal settlement outposts, blaming the manpower shortage to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's partial settlement freeze. The response came after Palestinians and Peace Now petitioned Israel's High Court over the government's refusal to evacuate outposts. Israel's attorney general responded that "implementing the freeze decision requires enforcing rules that are designed to carry out the decision, which means delaying other missions to enforce the law. " The government added in its response that the Defense Ministry, the Office of the Prime Minister, and others were studying the issue. Knesset members from Israel's Likud and Kadima parties will draft a resolution to exclude large settlement blocs from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's partial settlement freeze, the Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv reported Thursday.
Israeli forces detain 15 from West Bank overnight
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli forces seized 15 Palestinians during overnight raids in the West Bank, the military said on Thursday. The "wanted"¯ people were taken for interrogation, according to the army. They were not immediately identified. [end]
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.
Two family brawls see one shot, 14 arrested
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Family brawls saw one man shot dead and three detained by Israeli forces in the Shufat Refugee Camp while five were injured and 11 detained by Palestinian police northwest of Ramallah in a second clan clash. Sources in Shufat said Anwar Gheith, 42, died of a gunshot wound to the chest during clashes between the Abu Srour and Abu Asab families. Enraged at the death, Gheith's family attacked the alleged killer's family, setting fire to their homes and cars, the sources added. Israeli police reportedly intervened to stop the violence and detained three. A three-day truce was declared in hopes that the two clans could resolve the dispute peacefully, sources said. A second clash in the town of Kufur Ein northwest of Ramallahwas quelled by Palestinian Authority (PA) police late Wednesday night, a report said.
Israel says two bombs found near Ramallah
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Israeli army claimed that one of its battalions discovered three explosive charges on the road side near a military base at the Beit El settlement north of Ramallah on Thursday. Israel Radio said one of the charges contained five kilograms of explosives and another contained three kilograms. The two charges were detonated without incident, according to the report. [end]
Abu Mujahid: No Shalit deal yet
12/3/2009 - mural imaging Shalit aged by 30 years [MaanImages] Gaza - Ma'an - A spokesman for the captors of Gilad Shalit in Gaza denied on Thursday a report that the Israeli soldier was transferred to Egypt as a step toward a prisoner exchange. Popular Resistance Committees spokesman Abu Mujahid said in a statement that Israel is propagating false information about Shalit in order to force the hand of the Palestinian negotiators. "The ball is in Israel's court," he said, noting that a "deal is not over yet. " Osama Hamdan, a Hamas official in Lebanon, denied the report, telling Al-Jazeera television that he "didn't know where it came from. "The Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida quoted anonymous sources on Thursday saying Shalit arrived at a secret location in Cairo a few days ago accompanied by Hamas' military chief, Ahmad Jabari, and top political leader Mahmoud Zahhar.
PPP calls for Arab, European intervention over UNRWA budget
12/3/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Palestine People's Party warned of further fallout from the global financial crisis Thursday, after UNRWA announced a zero budget for projects in the new year. On Wednesday, UNRWA announced several factors leading to a "zero budget" that would likely begin to affect the payment of salaries and the provision of services to refugees within the next month. The PPP's political bureau issued a statement warning of the implications of a depletion of UNRWA services, saying it would be disastrous for Palestinians across the Middle East. Everyone is aware that UNRWA is in a financial crisis, the statement said, but that it is far worse this time around. The official paper noted, however, that much of the responsibility for the crisis rests with the United States, for precipitating the latest global financial crisis.
PNC chief applauds EU’s Jerusalem proposal
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The head of the Palestinian National Council, Salim Az-Za'nun, welcomed in a statement on Thursday the EU's move toward recognizing East Jerusalem as the capital of the Palestinian state. The suggestion was approved during a meeting of EU foreign affairs ministers on this week. Az-Za'nun added that "this move is in the right direction and a victory for international legitimacy and a factor that will encourage stability in the region when Israel abides by other international resolutions concerning not changing the demographic features of Jerusalem. . . [and] the return of the refugees, dismantling settlements and the wall. "He also denounced Israel's international campaign against the EU, and particularly Sweden, as "a clear assault while continuing with demolishing homes, stripping Palestinians from their identity cards and building settlement, all issues. . .
Knesset bill would unfreeze settlement blocs
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Knesset members from Israel's Likud and Kadima parties will draft a resolution to exclude large settlement blocs from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's partial settlement freeze, the Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv reported Thursday. According to the newspaper, MK Miri Regev (Likud) has adopted a proposal from Ron Nachman, the illegal Ariel settlement's leader, to be excluded from the building lull, which applies to areas in what Israel calls the the West Bank. MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima) will support the plan, according to Ma'ariv, which speculated that the draft would be a political embarrassment to Netanyahu, as his party, Likud, was generally in favor of the temporary freeze on certain building, and the opposition, Kadima, is thought to be more politically left-leaning and somewhat ideologically opposed to settlements.
Fayyad: Security must be non-discriminatory for sake of state
12/3/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Prime Minister Salam Fayyad met Palestinian security officials at hisRamallah headquarters on Wednesday, stressinf public service as a key element in state-building, and warned of abuses of power. "We learned a lot about state security from the takeover of Gaza by Hamas forces," Fayyad told top security cadres, noting that the "worst mistake" was to misunderstand the role of security forces and exploit the power they are entrusted with. "Our security forces are a source of pride; those who earn the honor of service to protect people are appreciated because they also protect the national project," Fayyad said. He described the national project as one working against the Israeli occupation, and representing the interests of all Palestinians. The prime minister was also insistent that human rights and respect for equality were essential elements of the security. . .
Al-Aqsa Brigades say spokesman arrested in Gaza
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Fatah's military wing accused Hamas government forces in Gaza of arresting their spokesman this week, a statement said. The Al-Aqsa Brigades said Thursday that they hold the government responsible for any harm that could come to spokesman Khaled Al-Jabari, known as "Abu Al-Walid. " ¯ The de facto Gaza government did not immediately respond to the accusation. On Tuesday, the Al-Aqsa Brigades accused the government of jailing a senior leader named Muhammad Ubeid. On Monday night, an Al-Aqsa Brigades member was killed when a car exploded in Gaza's Ash-Shati Refugee Camp. The cause of the blast remains unexplained. In late November, the de facto Ministry of the Interior said that it had reached an agreement with armed groups in Gaza to cease cross-border attacks on Israel. Several groups, including the Al-Aqsa Brigades, denied having entered any agreement.
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.
PA seizes locks made in settlement
12/3/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - The Palestinian Authority said on Thursday it seized dozens of high-security locks in Ramallah as a part of a crackdown on products manufactured in illegal Israeli settlements. The Department of Consumer Protection of the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy said it confiscated 70 "Mul-T-Lock"¯ products, which are produced in a factory in the settlement ofBarqan, near the Palestinian town of Salfit. Abdul Hamid Mizher, the director of the consumer protection department appealed in a statement to all Palestinian merchants to abide by the ministry's instructions to boycott settlement products. [end]
Deputy PLC speaker: Disunity serves Israel
12/3/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Deputy PLC speaker Hasen Khreisha told Ma'an on Thursday that "the more the Palestinian dispute continued the cheaper the political price Israel will pay to solve the Palestinian cause and to end the occupation. " ¯ He noted that "Israel is pleased with the continued dispute and internal division because it provides a valuable opportunity and alternatives for Israel in dealing with the Palestinian cause, especially due to the multiplicity of the political agenda in the Palestinian arena, which would give the occupation more than one option to choose, providing it an opportunity to escape required political obligations. " ¯Kheirsha lamented "the recent state of weakness among Palestinians, in which the rival parties are competing to respond with political proposals that would lead to a achieve political settlement, whether through accepting the proposition of. . .
PSE rebounds: Al-Quds Index up 0.7%
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - After tumbling earlier this week amid worries about Dubai's debt repayments, the Palestine Securities Exchange bounced back on Thursday. At the close of trading, the Al-Quds Index stood at 493. 03, marking an increase of 3. 44 points (0. 7%). Trading volume was 414,519 shares, a total value of 968,172. 96 US dollars in 257 trades. The shares of 20 companies were traded. The share prices of six companies rose, and seven declined. The top five gainers were GCOM by 4. 90%, AIB by 1. 68%, PALTEL by 0. 97%, QUDS by 0. 84%, PADICO by 0. 83%. The top five losers were PCB by 5. 00%, LADAEN by 3. 13%, AMB by 2. 56%, JCC by 1. 69%, and PIIC by 1. 45%. [end]
Deadly bus blast in Damascus
12/3/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - A bus carrying Iranian pilgrims exploded in a busy Damascus suburb causing dozens of casualties Thursday morning, news reports said. Syrian Interior Minister Said Sammour said one of the bus tires exploded while it was refueling, according to reports of the incident. He also said, according to Reuters, "There was no terrorism factor behind the bus incident. "Three people were killed, he said. There were "dozens of casualties in a bus explosion in the Sayyeda Zainab area in Damascus," the Doha-based television network Al-Jazeera reported in a news flash. A shrine popular among Shia Muslim pilgrims dedicated to the granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad was the destination of the bus, which exploded en route, media coverage said. Iranian state broadcaster Press TV reported that as many as 12 people may have been killed.
Revealed: The secret war over IDF officers' exorbitant salaries
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - News of battle comes after revelation of shady deal in which army arranged NIS 3m pension for MK Shai.
IDF draws up doctrine on missile threat protection
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - In a report last year, state comptroller criticized the lack of an operational plan.
[Uruknet 60747 04-dec-2009 03:30 ECT] 600 helpless as Gaza war disabled them
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - The Palestinian Medical Relief Society reported on Thursday that the recent Israeli assault on Gaza Strip caused more than six hundred Palestinian disabilities. It called for all official and private institutions to support disabled rights and enable them to exercise their role in society. It stressed in a statement on the occasion of World Disabled Day,...
[Uruknet 60746 04-dec-2009 03:23 ECT] Refuting pro-Israel hasbara: Official PGFTU statement in support of Boycott, Sanctions, Divestment campaign against Israel
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - Dear friends, as you will be aware with the increasing success of the Palestinian initiated Boycott, Divestment and Sanction (BDS) Campaign against Israel, the Israeli state, pro-Zionist media outlets and pro-Israel groups have sought to discredit the campaign. In particular, with increasing support for the campaign coming from trade unions around the world, Israel and pro-Israel...
[Uruknet 60744 04-dec-2009 03:11 ECT] The Israel Lobby Celebrates Espionage in New York
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - The recent sting operation against former NASA scientist Stewart Nozette involved an undercover FBI employee posing as Mossad agent. Meeting in the posh Mayflower hotel in Washington, the agent set up clandestine payments in exchange for highly classified information. Nozette began delivering requested classified national defense information believing it to be destined for Israel while confidentially...
[Uruknet 60743 04-dec-2009 01:39 ECT] A Strategy Revolution: A Game Theory Approach to Palestinian Resistance
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - Anyone who has witnessed the events in Palestine/Israel has been able to notice a cycle that repeats itself continually between the two groups of people. It can be summed up in two words: action/reaction. Sometimes the action is carried out to elicit a reaction (which we can define then as a provocation). A provocation has as...
[Uruknet 60742 04-dec-2009 01:25 ECT] The EU: Consider East Jerusalem As Capital of Palestine
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - Friends: Many of us search for an avenue, act, effort or voice to demand that Israel stop being treated as a separate nation on this planet, a nation above all divine and human laws, a nation that can get away with ethnic cleansing, murder, wars, invasions, genocides and war crimes without any accountability to the rest...
[Uruknet 60741 04-dec-2009 00:40 ECT] PLO warns of humanitarian disaster in refugee camps
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - The Department of Refugee Affairs of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) warned on Wednesday, Dec. 2 of a "humanitarian catastrophe" that could befall the Palestinian refugee camps in light of the severe financial crisis faced by the UN agency for refugees, UNRWA, "due to the shortage of financial assistance from donor countries, as well as the...
[Uruknet 60738 03-dec-2009 20:32 ECT] Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory No. 47/2009 (25 Nov.- 02 Dec 2009)
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (25 November - 02 December 2009): Shooting: During the reporting period, 6 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. On 27 November 2009, Israeli forces fired a missile at a number of...
[Uruknet 60736 03-dec-2009 19:58 ECT] Knesset bill would unfreeze settlement blocs
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - Knesset members from Israel's Likud and Kadima parties will draft a resolution to exclude large settlement blocs from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's partial settlement freeze, the Hebrew-language daily Ma'ariv reported Thursday. According to the newspaper, MK Miri Regev (Likud) has adopted a proposal from Ron Nachman, the illegal Ariel settlement's leader, to be excluded from...
[Uruknet 60735 03-dec-2009 19:36 ECT] Israeli tanks invade southern border area of the Gaza Strip and open fire at residents' homes
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - A number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded on Thursday morning border areas close to Rafah city, southern Gaza Strip and opened fire at residents' homes. Witnesses said tanks advanced from the Israeli Egyptian borders to Rafah, while bulldozers destroyed farm lands nearby tanks opened fire at nearby homes. Residents told local media that their homes...
[Uruknet 60731 03-dec-2009 19:01 ECT] PRC launches Internet website on the Goldstone Report
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - The Palestinian Return Center (PRC) in London has launched a new website to disseminate the major findings of the Goldstone report and provide useful analysis, according to a press statement issued by the center. According to PRC media department, there has been a number of websites launched by pro Israeli lobbies and groups which adopt the...
[Uruknet 60730 03-dec-2009 18:54 ECT] Extremist Jewish groups call for closing Aqsa until release of Shalit
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - Al-Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage reported Thursday that fanatic Jewish groups released a document calling for closing the Aqsa Mosque until Palestinians release Gilad Shalit. The document is aimed to collect the signatures of 10,000 Israeli settlers and demands the police to close the holy Mosque to pressure the Palestinian resistance to release Shalit. "We,...
[Uruknet 60729 03-dec-2009 18:43 ECT] Increase of fetus deformity and cancer in Gaza
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - Experts call to provide equipment to detect radiation and its degree and impact on human and environment as rates of cancer is on rise upon the last Israeli war on Gaza. In a specialized symposium, organized by Maan Center for Development- Afaq Magazine for environment and development- ,entitled " One year after the extermination war and three...
French FM Barred from Entering Gaza
3 Dec 2009 - Paris, December 4, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - Foreign Minister Micheál Martin has been denied access to war-ravaged Gaza by the Israeli Government, it emerged tonight.
UN Denies Footballer Zinedine Zidane visit to Gaza as Goodwill Ambassador
3 Dec 2009 - Jerusalem, December 4, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - A UNICEF spokeswoman on Thursday retracted a statement that retired international soccer star Zinedine Zidane will visit Gaza in March as a goodwill ambassador.
Israel Oks new settlement plan despite moratorium
3 Dec 2009 - West Bank, December 3, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - In apparent defiance of a recently announced plan for a moratorium on new construction work in the West Bank, Israel has approved expanding settlements there. The coordinator of government activities in the occupied territories, Maj. Gen. Eitan Dangot, approved the construction of 84 new settlement buildings on Wednesday, Haaretz reported. According to...
'Int. community not doing enough to end Gaza siege'
3 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 3, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Palestinian legislator Jamal al-Khudari describes Arab and international efforts to lift the Israel-imposed blockade on the Gaza Strip as not up to scratch. "The international community and the Arab countries would have, by now, forced Israel to lift the Gaza siege and end the suffering of the 1.5 million Palestinians living there, if...
Israel criticised for turning back African asylum seekers
The National 3 Dec 2009 - The country's policy of stopping refugees at its border could be putting lives at risk, say critics.
To read tea leaves in Moscow, watch its treatment of Tehran
The National 3 Dec 2009 - Alan Philps: Is Russia really ready to sign up to the type of crippling sanctions envisaged by Washington? And does this mean that the president is emerging from the shadow of his predecessor, Vladimir Putin?
On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (25 Nov.- 02 Dec 2009)
Alternative Information Center 3 Dec 2009 - Israeli Occupation Forces Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Continue to Impose a Total Closure on the Gaza Strip 6 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces...
'Shalit deal hinges on 15 Palestinian prisoners'
PNN 3 Dec 2009 - A prisoner exchange deal to secure the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit hinges on a disagreement over 15 Palestinians, the Al-Ayyam daily newspaper reported Thursday. Shalit was abducted by Gaza militants in a cross-border raid in 2006 and has been held in captivity since then. Hamas, the rulers of the Gaza Strip, have demanded the release of hundreds of Palestinian...
Middle East conflict played out in the olive groves
PNN 3 Dec 2009 - Akram Imran says the Jewish settlers came at night. I came to work in the early morning. It was a horrible sight, a massacre of trees, he said. Some of them are at least 70 years old. Climbing over a heap of withered branches in his olive grove on a rocky hillside near the village of Burin, the Palestinian farmer said they...
Nuclear test detection site set up on Iran-Turkmenistan border
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - "The world is starting to understand Iran has been lying to everybody," Israeli official tells Post ; White House: Iran's time is running out.
Hamas reports 'good progress' on Schalit
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - While voicing optimism about possible deal, source denies captured soldier has been moved to Egypt.
US TV show to feature J'lem hospital
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - 'Everybody Loves Raymond' creator sees Shaare Zedek as a microcosm of interfaith interaction.
Analysis: A bus blows up in Damascus - exploding tire or terror strike?
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - The tire story, on the face of it, looks like a somewhat ludicrous attempt by the Syrian authorities to explain away an alarming episode for the regime.
PM to settlers: 'We are your brethren'
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - Settler leader: Atmosphere at meeting was, "hard and tense"; PM: Palestinians are "peace resisters."
'Details of Iran arms seizure revealed'
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - Washington Post quotes expert as saying terror networks are getting even harder to destroy.
IDF defuses two roadside bombs near Beit El
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 -
Esther Wachsman appeals to Peres to do everything to bring home Gilad Schalit
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - Bereaved mother's son was kidnapped by Hamas terrorists in 1994, and killed six days later in a failed rescue op.
'Change captives policy after Schalit's free'
Jeruslalem Post 3 Dec 2009 - Poll finds overwhelming majority of Israelis believe that Israel's policy of redeeming captives should only be toughened after kidnapped soldier's release.
SYRIA: Tough new law against killer tobacco
IRIN DAMASCUS Thursday, December 03, 2009 (IRIN) - A much tougher anti-smoking law in Syria, signed by President Bashar al-Assad and due to come into force in early 2010, will outlaw smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars, hospitals, sports halls and cinemas.
MIDEAST: Palestinians Say No to Crumbs
IPS RAMALLAH, Dec 3 (IPS) - The Palestinian Authority (PA) appears to be successfully countering the Israeli government's refusal to work towards a two-state solution to end the decades- long conflict.
(03-12-2009) Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
PCHR
Palestinian shot in Naalin claims soldiers said he ‘deserves it’
12/3/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - YNet News, 2 December 2009 - Ashraf Abu Rahma, who was shot by IDF soldier during anti-fence protest takes stand in military court, says he was arrested for no reason, bound, and beaten by soldiers. ‘I heard a shot, I was hit, and I fell,' he testifies. Ashraf Abu Rahma, the Palestinian who was shot in the foot with a rubber bullet while he was bound and gagged after being arrested in a demonstration in Naalin in July 2008, arrived Wednesday in the Kirya's military court to testify against the two defendants in the affair - the then-commander of the 71st Battalion and the soldier suspected of the shooting. According to Abu Rahma, after he was shot, the soldiers said to him, "You deserve this and even more. " Abu Rahma came face-to-face with the defendants on Tuesday for the first time since the incident.
Night raids conducted by Israeli forces resume in the village of Bil’in: One Palestinian resident arrested
12/3/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Popular Struggle Coordination Committee - Night raids, conducted by the Israeli army as a part of the ongoing arrest campaign in an attempt to crush the popular struggle against the Apartheid Wall and settlements in the Palestinian village of Bil'in have resumed in the early hours of Thursday, 3 December. At 2am, approximately 20 soldiers invaded the village on foot from the direction of the Apartheid Wall and broke into the house of Rani Najar, without issuing any prior warning. The soldiers handcuffed all men living in the house and detained them in a separate room. They then proceeded to arrest Rani (23), who had only returned from Jordan the previous day. Female members of the family who came to help Rani were violently pushed away, and, as the soldiers exited the house, they also failed to remove handcuffs from the earlier detained men.
VIDEO - UPDATE: Shock follows footage of settler running over Palestinian
12/3/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Ma'an News, 3 December 2009 - An amateur video shocked Palestinians on Tuesday, catching what appeared to be an Israeli settler repeatedly running over a wounded Palestinian at a gas station in Hebron last week. The Palestinian, an unidentified man shot several times following an alleged knife attack at the station, appeared to be staggering when a silver Mercedes ran him down, stopped, reversed, and ran him over again. The video was reportedly taken on Thursday, although at the time, Israeli representatives made no mention of the settler's alleged attack, telling reporters only that a Palestinian man had been shot after he stabbed and lightly injured two settlers. A military spokesman told Ma'an that after the two Israelis were hurt, a soldier shot and injured the Palestinian, who was taken to the Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem.
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. ...
Goldstone wins human rights award from Sweden NGOs
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist and author of a controversial UN report which accused Israel and Hamas of committing war crimes during the Israel Defense Forces' military offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter, will receive the Stockholm Human Rights Award, it was announced on Thursday. ...
IDF fears settlers may attack Palestinians in response to freeze
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - Israel Defense Forces officers in the West Bank have expressed concerned that settlers may escalate their acts of opposition to the freeze on settlement construction by targeting the Palestinian population. ...
U.S. falls short in bid to gain support for Israel's settlement freeze
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - The United States fell short in its efforts to gain a declaration of international support for Israel's temporary settlement construction freeze. The Americans were hoping that its partners in the Quartet - Russia, the European Union and the United Nations - would agree to such a declaration, but Moscow expressed a series of reservations and foiled Washington's effort. ...
Study: Americans are tired of handling the world's problems
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - As U.S. President Barack Obama rallies public support for his decision to send reinforcements to Afghanistan, isolationist currents are being felt in opinion polls on a scale not seen in a number of years. ...
Shattering Israel's image of 'democracy' | Ben White
The Guardian 3 Dec 2009 - In the Negev, an area targeted for so-called 'development', lies the Israel that its government does not want to be seen A struggle over land, home demolitions, and an Israeli government working with Jewish agencies to "...
Video: Amateur video shows man run over twice by angry Israeli
The Guardian 2 Dec 2009 - Witnesses say Palestinian victim had earlier stabbed two Jewish settlers. All three were taken to to a Jerusalem hospital
Ministry eyes thermal cameras to prevent spread of swine flu
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - The Health Ministry is in advanced negotiations to purchase a new system to detect people with fever and thus reduce the risk of contracting the H1N1 virus (commonly known as swine flu). If the deal goes through, the ministry intends to install the system in four hospitals around the country in the coming weeks. ...
Man suspected of burning his children's tongues with hot knife
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - A Beit Shemesh man, 45, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly abusing three of his twelve children repeatedly, at times pressing a burning hot knife to their tongues in order to teach them to speak to him with respect. ...
Settlers reject Netanyahu plea to respect settlement freeze
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - Defiant West Bank settler leaders rejected on Thursday a personal plea from the prime minister to respect a construction freeze in the territories, vowing to keep confronting security forces sent to enforce the edict. ...
Police: DNA ties IDF guard to sexual assault victim
Ha'aretz 3 Dec 2009 - A forensics laboratory has matched DNA from an Israel Defense Forces security guard accused of attempted rape and sexual assault with evidence found on the woman who was allegedly attacked, police said on Thursday, after a gag order was lifted on the information. ...
OPT: Following two-day debate, UN GA adopts six draft resolutions on question of Palestine, Middle East
Relief Web 3 Dec 2009 - Source: UN General Assembly
On the anniversary of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities: The humanitarian conditions of the disabled in the OPT have continued to deteriorate
Relief Web 3 Dec 2009 - Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
UAE donates US$2.5 million to UNRWA, emphasizes backing to Palestinians
Relief Web 3 Dec 2009 - Source: Emirates News Agency
Weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory 25 Nov - 02 Dec 2009
Relief Web 3 Dec 2009 - Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
OPT: Israel cut settlement spending in 2009
Relief Web 3 Dec 2009 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
UN Palestinian refugee agency faces 'unprecedented' deficit
Relief Web 3 Dec 2009 - Source: Agence France-Presse
Congress plans Iran sanctions
YNet News 3 Dec 2009 - American sanctions against Iran go into high gear; Congress expected to pass harsh legislation within next two weeks that would impose sanctions on firms that do business with Iran, including energy companies
Settlers gird for battle
YNet News 3 Dec 2009 - Settlers embark on fundraising campaign, plan Jerusalem rally to fight construction freeze
What is Syria hiding?
YNet News 3 Dec 2009 - Images of bus incident in Damascus suggest terror attack, but Syrian officials deny reports
Goldstone wins Swedish prize
YNet News 3 Dec 2009 - Judge who led controversial Gaza war inquiry honored with human rights award
Jordan slams renovation work at Holy Sepulcher
YNet News 3 Dec 2009 - Letter of protest expresses 'deep concern' demands that Israel halt works at Jerusalem church
Terror attack in Beit El thwarted
YNet News 3 Dec 2009 - IDF forces operating in West Bank uncover three explosive devices. All three detonated by military sappers
US: Time running out for Iran
YNet News 3 Dec 2009 - White House spokesman says deadline still end of the year, adds that it is 'pretty clear' Tehran backing out of uranium-enrichment deal; Germany's Merkel says Iran testing international community's patience
Settlers defiant on freeze as EU accuses Israel of annexing East Jerusalem
Daily Star 3 Dec 2009 Occupied West Bank settler leaders rejected a personal plea from the prime minister Thursday to respect a government-ordered construction freeze in their illegal communities, vowing to keep confronting security forces sent to enforce the edict. On the same day, a damning confidential report from the European Union accused Israel of attempting to illegally annex occupied East Jerusalem.
Syria attributes bus explosion to tire accident, 3 dead
Daily Star 3 Dec 2009 An explosion hit a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims in Damascus on Thursday, killing at least three people and shattering windows in the nearby buildings, in an incident Syria said was an accident and not an attack. Witnesses said a bomb had hit the bus near the Shiite shrine of Sayyeda Zainab, killing six people, but Syrian officials said it was an exploding tire.
Syria to field tougher law against smoking
Daily Star 3 Dec 2009 A much-tougher anti-smoking law in Syria, signed by President Bashar Assad and due to come into force in early 2010, will outlaw smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars, hospitals, sports halls and cinemas. The law covers cigarettes and cigars, as well as traditional narghile water pipes. "The ban is timely," said Mahmoud Etah, a Syrian doctor., A much-tougher anti-smoking law in Syria, signed by President Bashar Assad and due to come into force in early 2010, will outlaw smoking in public places, including restaurants and bars, hospitals, sports halls and cinemas. The law covers cigarettes and cigars, as well as traditional narghile water pipes. "The ban is timely," said Mahmoud Etah, a Syrian doctor.
Jordan summons Israel envoy over church
Daily Star 3 Dec 2009 Jordan summoned Israeli Ambassador Nevo Dani on Thursday to demand a halt to "unilateral" work carried out by Israel on the outer walls of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre. "The ambassador was summoned today to the Foreign Ministry where he was handed an official letter of protest expressing deep concerns and rejection of unilateral measures in the outer western walls of the church," a senior official said.
Gaza unleashes death penalty to halt drug scourge
Daily Star 3 Dec 2009 Alarmed by mounting drug abuse and addiction among the cooped-up Palestinians of Gaza, Islamist rulers of the enclave plan to introduce the death penalty for gangs getting rich off smuggled narcotics. Security officials of the Hamas movement and human rights groups say drug smuggling through tunnels, which bring in all manner of goods from Egypt to get around the Israeli blockade, has increased alarmingly in the past few months.
Damascus defends Iran's enrichment plans as world powers urge Tehran to cooperate
Daily Star 3 Dec 2009 Syrian President Bashar Assad defended Iran's controversial nuclear program on Thursday, during a visit to Damascus by Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, and promised that cooperation between the two countries would continue. Assad asserted "the right of Iran and other countries that are signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to enrich uranium for civilian purposes," the official SANA news agency said.
Torture is systematic in Egypt 'police state,' say rights groups
Daily Star 3 Dec 2009 Egypt has become a police state where citizens receive no protection from torture, human rights groups said in a report published on Thursday. "The basic feature of human rights in Egypt today is the prevalence of a policy of exception in which those responsible for violations usually escape punishment amid a climate of impunity intentionally created and fostered for several decades," said the report by 16 Egyptian human rights groups.
Abu Mujahed: Ball in Israeli court regarding prisoner-exchange
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - Spokesman for the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), Abu Mujahed, denied news that captured IOF soldier Gilad Sahlit was moved to Egypt as a prelude to implement a prisoner-exchange deal.
PRC launches Internet website on the Goldstone Report
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - The Palestinian Return Center (PRC) in London has launched a new website to disseminate the major findings of the Goldstone report and provide useful analysis..
Hamdan denies news that Shalit was moved to Egypt
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - Osama Hamdan, Member of Hamas's political bureau and its representative in Lebanon, denied news reports that captured IOF soldier Gilad Shalit was moved to Egypt..
Israeli spy calls for execution of Palestinian prisoners until Shalit is freed
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - Jonathan Pollard, who is serving a life sentence in a US jail for spying for Israel, has called on Israel to execute one Palestinian captive everyday until Shalit is freed..
Extremist Jewish groups call for closing Aqsa until release of Shalit
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - Al-Aqsa foundation for endowment and heritage reported Thursday that fanatic Jewish groups released a document calling for closing the Aqsa Mosque until Palestinians release Gilad Shalit.
IOF bomb agricultural lands in Beit Hanoun in Gaza
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) bombed Wednesday evening agricultural lands of Palestinian farmers located east of Beit Hanoun, but without reported injuries.
Baraka urges int’l community to respond to ethnic cleansing policy in J’lem
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - Arab Knesset member Mohamed Baraka on Wednesday called on the international community to state its position towards the policy of ethnic cleansing practiced by Israel in occupied Jerusalem.
Ahrar center: Israel uses many torture means against Palestinian prisoners
PIC 3 Dec 2009 - Al-Ahrar center for human rights stated that Israel uses internationally-prohibited means against Palestinian prisoners much more than tying their hands behind their backs.
Temple attack probed for links to organized crime
LA Times 3 Dec 2009 - LAPD detectives investigate whether shootings of two men at North Hollywood synagogue are connected to mobsters in Israel. LAPD detectives are investigating whether the shooting of two men at a North Hollywood synagogue in October is the work of Israeli-connected organized crime.
On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (25 Nov.- 02 Dec 2009)
Alternative Information Center - 3 Dec 2009 - Israeli Occupation Forces Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Continue to Impose a Total Closure on the Gaza Strip 6 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. An Israeli...
Columbia Sportswear agrees to ‘immediately and permanently discontinue’ ad campaign marketing to settlers
Mondoweiss - 3 Dec 2009 - Last week we posted a Columbia Sportwear marketing campaign directed at Israeli settlers . Peter Miller, a member of the Portland-based organization Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights , took it upon himself to contact Columbia to voice his displeasure. To his surprise, Columbia responded the next day...
‘Other countries have experienced terrorist campaigns without giving in to extremism’
Mondoweiss - 3 Dec 2009 - Last night I went to a party in New York for Emma Williams’s new book, It’s Easier to Reach Heaven Than the End of the Street , a chronicle of what it was like to live in Jerusalem during the second intifada. Williams, an English doctor and...
Netanyahu tells colonists, In 9 months we start building afresh!
Mondoweiss - 3 Dec 2009 - Memo to Obama. Dec. 3, 2009. "Prime Minister Netanyahu Meets with Leaders of Judea and Samaria Jewish Communities" (Communicated by the Prime Minister’s Media Adviser): "This order is one-time only and it limits the duration of the suspension. There are nine months and three weeks left....
Grayson’s hypocrisy (and Nadler and Weiner’s too)
Mondoweiss - 3 Dec 2009 - Yesterday the Jewish Telegraphic Agency picked up on a post by Max Blumenthal here the other day, blasting Alan Grayson, the populist hero congressman from Florida, for being neanderthal on the Israel/Palestine issue– bragging about his Jewishness as he makes himself at home in AIPAC’s pocket....
Soldiers Invade Nur Shams Refugee Camp, Kidnap One Youth, Elderly Man Wounded Near Tulkarem
IMEMC 4 Dec 2009 - Saturday December 05, 2009 - 02:00, Israeli soldiers invaded on Friday at dawn the Nur Shams Refugee Camp, near the northern West Bank City of Nablus, broke into several homes and kidnapped one youth. A 75-year-old man moderately wounded in a separate attack near Tulkarem.
Five Palestinians Wounded Near Nablus
IMEMC 4 Dec 2009 - Saturday December 05, 2009 - 00:29, Palestinian medical sources reported that five Palestinians were wounded, on Friday morning, by setters and soldiers fire in Aseera Al Qibliyya town, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Eight Palestinians Wounded Near Jerusalem
IMEMC 4 Dec 2009 - Friday December 04, 2009 - 23:15, Palestinian medical sources reported Thursday that eight Palestinians were wounded by Israeli military fire in Shu'fat refugee camp, north of Jerusalem.
One injured and dozens suffers effects of tear gas at the weekly Nil'in protest
IMEMC 4 Dec 2009 - Friday December 04, 2009 - 14:22, One civilians sustained moderate wounds as others treated for tear gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked on Friday the weekly anti wall protest in the village of Nil'in, central West Bank.
Homemade video shows settler driving car back and forth over Palestinian assailant
IMEMC 4 Dec 2009 - Friday December 04, 2009 - 09:51, When a Palestinian man from Hebron entered an Israeli settlement gas station with a knife, the Israeli settlers on the scene took things into their own hands. After beating the man and shooting him multiple times, one of the settlers drove over him several times with a car.
Anti-wall protester shot in Nil’in
12/4/2009 - Ni'lin - Ma'an - Israeli forces shot a Palestinian teenager with live fire during a weekly anti-wall protest in the village of Ni'lin on Friday. Two medics said the 19-year-old, identified as Hasan Khaled Nafa, was shot in the right groin by a "tutu" bullet. A third medic said the ammunition was a ". 22 sniper bullet. "Ma'an's correspondent, reporting from the scene, said the teenager lost large amounts of blood and was treated with a transfusion on-site. He was transferred to the Ramallah Government Hospital following the transfusion, the reporter added. An Israeli court outlawed the "tutu" ammunition in 2001, but soldiers began using it again last month. Israeli rights organizations insist the bullet is a deadly weapon, as it has killed Palestinians in the past. An Israeli military spokesman confirmed that soldiers fired the bullet, a type he said was reserved for "exceptionally. . . "
Bil’in residents protest wall, praise Sweden
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Residents of Bil'in, alongside international and Israeli solidarity activists, demonstrated against the wall on Friday. Many suffered from tear-gas inhalation but no serious injuries were reported. The demonstration, organized by the Bil'in Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, was centered on the recent endeavor of the Swedish government, which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. The Popular Committee said in a statement that it "encourages the just effort and calls on other governments to support the initiative. "[end]
As army fears settler violence, villagers report attack
12/4/2009 - Nablus - Ma'an - Israeli settlers from the Yitzhar colony near Nablus attacked homes in the village of Asira, targeting two families on Friday, an official said. Gassan Doughlas, in charge of the settlements file for the northern West Bank, told Ma'an that the homes of Jamal Yousif and Ahmad Dauod were surrounded by settlers who carried weapons and threw stones. Neighboring families came out to defend the families under attack, Doughlas said, and clashes erupted between the groups. There were no reports of injuries. Earlier in the day Israeli military officials said an armed Palestinian was seen near the settlement. There is no indication as to whether the incident was before, or after the attack. The incidents come amid reported fears of Israeli military officials, who say they are concerned that settlers may escalate their attacks on Palestinian civilians in response. . .
Israel bars Sheikh Sabri from Al-Aqsa
12/4/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Head of the Islamic Higher Commission Sheikh Ekrima Sabri was barred from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for six months following an order from Israeli intelligence delivered Thursday, he said. Sabri said he was called in to the intelligence earlier in the week, and ordered to report to "room 4" in the Russian compound in Jerusalem. The room is notorious for its interrogations of Jerusalemite Palestinians, and the unit that heads the room collect intelligence on those requested to report for questioning. Sabri did not go to the interrogation and was hand delivered an order signed by the commander of the intelligence unit barring him from access to Al-Aqsa, he said. The sheikh received his orders to report to the intelligence unit immediately upon returning to Jerusalem from Saudi Arabia where he was performing the Hajj pilgrimage on Wednesday, he said.
Gaza borders closed Friday; fuel situation remains critical
12/4/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli authorities informed Palestinian crossing officials that all transfer points would be closed Friday, continuing the five-day-a-week opening trend at the terminals. Raed Fattouh, Palestinian crossings liaison, said he was told that all crossings would be closed Friday, although they are scheduled to be open. Crossings have not been open Fridays since summer. The closure means food and fuel waiting to enter the Strip will continue to wait in storage containers. Fuel crisis - Fuel continues to be a restricted item, with Israel's decision to move fuel-transfer infrastructure from Nahal Oz to Kerem Shalom causing even more restrictions. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), three out of the four days on which industrial fuel was transferred, between 22-28 November, it was transferred through the fuel installation. . .
Goldstone wins Stockholm Human Rights Award
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The first annual Stockholm Human Rights Award was given to South African Judge Richard Goldstone, author of a UN report on Israel's Operation Cast Lead, in Sweden on Thursday. The award, given jointly by International Bar Association, the International Legal Assistance Consortium and the Swedish Bar Association was awarded to Goldstone in recognition of his "outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. " The award follows earlier support of the Goldstone report from the consortium, which published an article demanding the document be "taken seriously and treated as a legal document. "Authored by three prominent members of the awarding associations, Mark Ellis, International Bar Association; Anne Ramberg, Swedish Bar Association; Christian Ć…hlund, International Legal Assistance Consortium, the article commended Goldstone for his work.
Report: Israel denies Irish FM Gaza access
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Israeli government has refused a request by Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs MicheĆl Martin to visit the Gaza Strip, The Irish Times reported on Friday. The newspaper said Martin told a parliamentary committee on European affairs that he hoped to visit the besieged coastal enclave to study the humanitarian situation there, but his request was rejected by Israel. Several other ministers on the Europe committee were also denied permission to enter Gaza, the newspaper quoted them as saying,adding that committee chairman Bernard Durkan called the refusal "intolerable. " "That an Irish foreign minister is not permitted to visit a region to assess a humanitarian situation is almost without precedent and is tantamount to censorship," Durkan said. He described the continuing blockade of the territory by Israel as "utterly unjustified" and said it is "exacerbating" an already dire humanitarian crisis, the report added.
Renewed clashes reported in Jerusalem refugee camp
12/4/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - Clashes renewed on Friday in the Ras Khamis neighborhood in Shufat refugee camp on Friday, onlookers said. Anwar Gheith, 42, died of a gunshot wound to the chest during an incident between the Abu Srour and Abu Asab families two days earlier at the northern Jerusalem refugee camp. On Friday, members of the Gheith family reportedly set a number of homes, vehicles and bulldozers on fire, accusing the Abu Asab family of culpability in Anwar's apparent murder. The families had declared a "three-day truce," according to residents of the camp. A large number of Israeli border guards rushed to scene to disperse the two large clans, witnesses said. Palestinian Authority security forces arrested 11 suspects earlier this week. [end]
PRC wing, Israeli forces clash in central Gaza
12/4/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees announced their launch of a projectile aimed at Israeli forces in central Gaza on Thursday night. In a statement, the An-Nasser Brigades said a mortar shell was launched at a force of Israeli soldiers as they attempted to penetrate the Gaza Strip east of the Al-Bureij Refugee Camp. An Israeli military official confirmed the incident, saying a mortar shell was launched in the direction of troops patrolling on the Israeli side of the Gaza border near the Kissufim military base. The official said the launch followed clashes with Palestinian gunmen. According to the military, Palestinians in the area fired an anti-tank projectile at the patrol and opened fire on them. The forces responded by firing at their attackers. The official said there were no casualties or damages, but noted that the mortar shell followed the attack by a few minutes.
Israeli media: Palestinian tries to enter settlement
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli sources reported Friday that soldiers stopped a Palestinian attempting to enter the Yitzhar settlement in the northern West Bank the day before. According to several news reports, Israeli forces suspected the Palestinian was carrying a weapon. He reportedly fled the scene and soldiers were unable to find him. [end]
Report: Jordan summons Israel envoy over Sepulchre concerns
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Jordanian officials demanded Israel halt on Thursday "unilateral" construction work being carried out on the outer walls of Jerusalem's famed Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Because Jordan is the custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, Israel's ambassador was called in on an official request, "where he was handed an official letter of protest expressing deep concerns and rejection of unilateral measures in the outer western walls of the church," a senior Jordanian official told AFP. The letter, according to the AFP report, demanded Israel "immediately halt such actions and restore the status quo. "The official affirmed the Jordanian stance, saying "Israel's measures are illegal and violate international laws because Israel is the occupying force in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. The work being done reportedly includes the removal of iron bars around a gate in the ancient walls. "
UAE donates 2.5 million to struggling UNRWA
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of the UAE ordered the donation of 2. 5 million dollars to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, marking the donation for Palestine refugees in the Near East, the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported Thursday. In his statement accompanying the donation, Al-Nahyan said it represented his government's unwavering and continuous support to the Palestinian people. The gift comes only days after UNRWA officials announced they would face a "zero budget" by the new year, and that services and the payment of salaries for employees would likely be affected. It also came on the heels of the UAE announcement to the UN that it had paid its one million-dollar share of the UNRWA budget, according to WAM. [end]
Aqsa Brigades boycott Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Fatah's armed wing called for the boycott of the Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya satellite networks for their failure to cover the detention of Al-Aqsa Brigades spokesman Khaled Al-Jabari, known as "Abu Al-Walid. " The two news channels made no mention of the detention, reported by the brigades to media outlets on Thursday, sparking ire from the militant faction, which released a statement "urging the news agencies to be accurate while reporting on the brigades. "The statement said the networks could find such information on the group's website. It also accused the networks of "not speaking the truth over recent incidents," and said the bias against the Fatah group extended beyond the most recent reporting gap and extended to dozens of their reports of members summoned and harassed by Hamas security forces.
Abbas to lobby Arab states for UN recognition
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas will depart this week on a tour of Arab countries seeking support for efforts to establish a state unliterary, sources said on Friday. The president's tour is expected to include Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt. Palestinians have vowed to seek recognition from the UN Security Council for a Palestinian state on the current border with Israel and the territories it occupied in 1967. Meanwhile, Israeli sources reported on Friday that the US administration and other Arab countries were putting pressure on Abbas not to quit his post at the end of his term. The Israeli daily Haaretz quoted senior Israeli security sources as saying Abbas should not leave the region "a piece of cake for Hamas. "The source was unsure, however, if Abbas would ultimately step down. According to another security source, "the decision concerning Abbas. . . "
EU delegation to visit Palestine
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A nine-strong delegation of members of the European Parliament's committee for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council is scheduled to travel to the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip next week. The delegation is expected to assess the main obstacles to the currently-stalled peace process, concentrating on settlements, evictions and house demolitions, Jerusalem's status and intra-Palestinian reconciliation. [end]
Obama delays US Embassy move to Jerusalem
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - US President Barack Obama delayed moving the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem for six more months, The Associated Press reported Friday. The US Congress ratified a law in October 1995 that states Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of Israel. The act affirms that each country has the right to designate a capital of its choice, and Israel chose Jerusalem. The act also states that the US must move its embassy to Jerusalem no later than 31 May 1999. However, over the past decade, the decision has been delayed every six months due to the sensitivity of the issue. Israeli forces captured East Jerusalem from Jordanian control in 1967, annexing it and declaring the city the "undivided, eternal capital of Israel," although the move was never recognized by the international community.
Report: US, Arab states pressuring Abbas to stay on
12/4/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli sources reported on Friday that the US administration and other Arab countries were putting pressure on President Mahmoud Abbas not to quit his post. The Israeli daily Haaretz senior Israeli security sources as saying that President Abbas should not leave the region "a piece of cake for Hamas. "The source was unsure, however, whether or not Abbas would ultimately step down at the end of his term. According to another security source, "the decision concerning Abbas. . . will be taken during the [PLO] Central Committee meeting to be held in the coming 10 days, where 127 member votes would authorize Abbas to continue in his position. "Israel will allow exiled members of the PLO to enter the Palestinian territories in response to the de facto government in Gaza's expected attempts to block the vote by banning Fatah delegates there, the same source said.
Health minister vows to improve Palestinian care
12/4/2009 - Jericho - Ma'an - Caretaker government Health Minister Fathi Abu Moghli promised new and better state health care for Palestinians during a Thursday meeting with heads of Jericho health institutions. The meeting was part of a plan to develop the health sector in Jericho, adding hospital administration and a department of health to the governorate, as well as more hospital employees and ambulances. Jericho Governor Kamel Hemed attended the session, where medical staff and directors discussed ways in which the sector could be assisted andplan to stabilize health care in the district. Abu Moghli toldconference participants that the ministry was working on a plan for the improvement of health facilities in the city, specifically the renovation of the Jericho Government Hospital, rebuilding two sections at a cost of two million US dollars. [end]
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.
IDF troops wound Palestinian at protest against West Bank fence
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - Demonstrator moderately wounded near Na'alin; army says troops opened fire after protestors hurled fire bombs.
[Uruknet 60780 05-dec-2009 02:07 ECT] Report: 14000 Palestinian olive trees subjected to Israeli aggression in 2009
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - A Palestinian research centre, specialised in monitoring Israeli violations, revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities destroyed 14000 olive trees in the Palestinian territories during 2009. Such assaults included the uprooting of thousands of olive trees, for the sake of expanding the Israeli settlements, and the burning and cutting of thousands more by settlers. In a report...
[Uruknet 60778 05-dec-2009 01:08 ECT] Putin lauds expat Lieberman's 'brilliant political career' in Israel
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin praised Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Friday for his rise to a senior cabinet position in Israel after having emigrated from the former Soviet Union. "We are very happy that people from the Soviet Union build such a brilliant political career," said Putin at a meeting in Moscow, referring to the...
[Uruknet 60777 05-dec-2009 00:44 ECT] Israel closes sole oil and gas terminal on Gaza border
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - The population of the Gaza Strip is facing an acute cooking gas shortage this winter, after a unilateral Israeli decision in October to permanently close the sole oil and gas terminal between the coastal Palestinian territory and the Jewish state. The Nahal Oz crossing has been shut down for "security reasons," an official with the Israeli...
[Uruknet 60771 04-dec-2009 21:25 ECT] Israel seeks to prohibit call to prayer in Al Aqsa Mosque because it disturbs settlers
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - The Israeli Knesset is discussing a bill to ban the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from raising the dawn call to prayer in order not to disturb the settlers in the holy city. Israeli media reported on Thursday that the draft law now under scrutiny by parliament will affect other densely populated cities. According to Israeli media,...
[Uruknet 60767 04-dec-2009 20:36 ECT] Gaza Freedom March less than one month away
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - 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...
[Uruknet 60766 04-dec-2009 20:30 ECT] Fatah, Hamas trade accusations over mutual arrests
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - The Islamic Hamas and Fatah movements traded on Friday accusations over carrying out mutual arrests against each other's members in Gaza and the West Bank. Fatah movement's armed wing al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said in a statement sent to the press that security forces that belong to Hamas Interior Ministry arrested several members of the armed wingin...
[Uruknet 60765 04-dec-2009 20:19 ECT] Propaganda disguised as academic inquiry at the University of Illinois
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - Chancellor Richard Herman of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently resigned due to his cooperation with political influence-peddlers seeking to gain admission for less qualified but privileged applicants. But Herman also participated in a more acceptable form of political corruption -- publicly displayed with the invocation of high principle -- in his cooperation with the...
[Uruknet 60763 04-dec-2009 17:28 ECT] Will Congress Criminalize Anti-Semitism and Israeli Criticism?
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - In the current climate, perhaps given: -- America's police state laws; -- no due process or judicial fairness for any state target; -- mass illegal surveillance; -- targeting dissent; and -- the power of the Israeli Lobby over Congress, the media, academia, the clergy, and most anyone confronting them. During Israel's war on Gaza, only 5...
[Uruknet 60760 04-dec-2009 17:09 ECT] Anti-wall protester shot in Nil'in
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - Israeli forces shot a Palestinian teenager with live fire during a weekly anti-wall protest in the village of Ni'lin on Friday. Two medics said the 19-year-old, identified as Hasan Khaled Nafa, was shot in the right groin by a "tutu" bullet. A third medic said the ammunition was a ".22 sniper bullet." Ma'an's correspondent, reporting from...
[Uruknet 60756 04-dec-2009 14:51 ECT] Ban Ki-moons Concern and 62 Years of Nakba
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - QUESTION Mark: Why has the UN not posted any information about the event "Annual 000_8491Observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" in Vienna on it's own home page, like they did last year? Why did the UN not invite journalists to this important occasion? Why the Director General of UNIV leave the...
[Uruknet 60750 04-dec-2009 13:45 ECT] Report finds new Israeli war doctrine targets civilians
Uruknet December 3, 2009 - The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) released today [2 December 2009] a new report which exposes the shifts in Israel's combat doctrine as evidenced in the prosecution of operation "Cast Lead" and from numerous public oral and written statements made by high ranking military officers and senior Israeli government officials. The report, "No Second...
Unexploded mines: Lebanon’s hidden horrors
The National 4 Dec 2009 - Beirut says it wants to become a signatory of the international Mine Ban Treaty, but continuing tensions with Israel pose a major obstacle.
Many missing in Egypt boat accident
AlJazeera 4 Dec 2009 - Rescue teams search for dozens still missing after boats collide on Egypt's Nile.
Syria blames blast on tyre blowout
AlJazeera 4 Dec 2009 - "Excessive pressure" in tyre, not terrorist attack, caused deadly bus blast, minister says.
Barak and Begin to probe freeze
Jeruslalem Post 4 Dec 2009 - C'tee will also tend to needs of citizens hurt by moratorium, look into ways of easing their difficulties.
US officials: Obama looking at January for Iran sanctions
Jeruslalem Post 4 Dec 2009 - As year-end deadline looms for Teheran to comply with demands, US reportedly reaching out to EU allies, Russia, China to push new UNSC penalties.
Explosion kills 101 in Russian nightclub
Jeruslalem Post 4 Dec 2009 - Police rule out suspicion of terror attack in Perm blast apparently caused by "cold fireworks."
Obama won't move embassy to J'lem yet
Jeruslalem Post 4 Dec 2009 - US president informs secretary of state of decision, marks 2nd time administration has delayed transfer.
Iran: Minimal cooperation with IAEA
Jeruslalem Post 4 Dec 2009 - Teheran official says Iran will only inform IAEA after it installs the 10 new enrichment sites.
Nuclear detector set up on Iran border
Jeruslalem Post 4 Dec 2009 - Israeli diplomat to Post : "The world is starting to understand that Iran has been lying to everybody."
'France should oppose EU J'lem draft'
Jeruslalem Post 4 Dec 2009 - Livni meets Sarkozy in Paris, says it's not up to Europe to take sides on Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Adalah-NY: At Leviev Store, Protesters Tell Business Leaders 'No Business as Usual with Apartheid Israel'¯
12/5/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - New York, NY, December 4, 2009 – 25 New York City human rights advocates caught the Israel Business Leaders Delegation to the United States by surprise this morning with a noisy protest outside their “breakfast reception amidst the Leviev jewelry collection” at the Leviev store on Madison Avenue. Groups worldwide have conducted a successful campaign for the boycott of Leviev’s companies due to their involvement in Israeli settlement construction in violation of international law, and human rights abuses in the diamond industry in Angola. In addition to businesspeople, among the guests present at the breakfast was TV personality Dr. Ruth Westheimer who tried unsuccessfully to avoid notice as she left. Guests watched from the second floor of Leviev’s store as protesters chanted and sang outside. Some attempted to defend Israel’s dismal human rights record when they left. The protest came as Leviev is struggling in court in Israel to save his company Africa-Israel from bankruptcy and from creditors, and to retain ownership.
Attention Christmas Shoppers: Top Ten Brands to Boycott
12/5/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Bay Area Campaign to End Israeli Apartheid - While there are many Israeli and multinational companies that benefit from apartheid, we put together this list to highlight ten specific companies to target. Many of these produce goods in such a way that directly harms Palestinians "” exploiting labor, developing technology for military operations, or supplying equipment for illegal settlements. Many are also the targets of boycotts for other reasons, like harming the environment and labor violations. AHAVA - This brand's cosmetics are produced using salt, minerals, and mud from the Dead Sea "” natural resources that are excavated from the occupied West Bank. The products themselves are manufactured in the illegal Israeli settlement Mitzpe Shalem. AHAVA is the target of CODEPINK's "Stolen Beauty"¯ campaign. . . . .
Army renews use of live ammunition against demonstrators
12/4/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - B'Tselem, 26 November - On Friday, 13 November, soldiers were documented firing 22-caliber bullets at demonstrators during the weekly demonstration against the Separation Barrier in Ni'lin. The shots were fired a few dozen meters from the targets, and lightly wounded two demonstrators. The IDF Spokesperson's Office confirmed that 22-caliber bullets had indeed been fired. The following Friday, 20 November, soldiers again fired live ammunition at the demonstrators, causing moderate injuries to one and lightly injuring another. In 2001, the then judge advocate general, Major General Menachem Finkelstein, prohibited the use of 22-caliber bullets to disperse demonstrators. In early 2009, however, the army resumed its use against demonstrators in the West Bank. B'Tselem protested the action. . . . -- Link: B'tselem: Prohibit live ammunition in circumstances that are not life-threatening in the West Bank
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.
Palestinian moderately hurt in Naalin
12/4/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - YNet News - A 20-year-old Palestinian protestor was moderately injured from a bullet fired by the security forces during a rally against the separation fence in the West Bank village of Naalin, Palestinian sources reported Friday. An Israel Defense Forces official said the man was lightly wounded after being hit in the lower part of his body by a bullet fired from a Ruger rifle, which is used as a crowd dispersal mean. One of the protesters, Yonatan Polk, said he was standing next to the demonstrator that was shot. "The guy was standing between 50 and 70 meters away from the soldiers, with two barbed-wire fences between them," he said. "Both he and the soldiers were standing behind cement blocks, meaning any arguments of their lives being in danger are far from reality. He was hit by a live bullet near his crotch. It's a policy of using these means in order to create tension and nothing more,” he added.
Bil’in residents demonstrate in support of recent Swedish initiative calling for a Palestinian state
12/4/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Bil'in Popular Committee - Residents of Bil'in, alongside international and Israeli solidarity activists, demonstrated against the Wall after the Friday prayer. Many suffered from tear-gas inhalation, as the Israeli armed forces fired upon protestors as they approached the illegal Wall. The demonstration concluded at 1 pm. The weekly demonstration, organized by the Bil'in Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements, was centered on the recent endeavor of the Swedish government. Sweden, as president of the European Union, recently announced plans to discuss a draft for a Palestinian state, recognizing Jerusalem as its capital. The Popular Committee encourages the just effort and calls on other governments to support the initiative. Demonstrators marched from the center of Bil'in village, chanting slogans against the theft of Palestinian land and called for an end to Israel's military occupation.
U.S. officials: Obama to press tighter Iran sanctions in January
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - The Obama administration is looking to early January as the time to press for a new round of United Nations sanctions against Iran for its continued defiance of demands to explain its nuclear ambitions, U.S. officials said Friday. ...
Erekat: Don't link Shalit swap to Fatah-Hamas schism
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - A deal for the release of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit should be viewed as entirely unrelated to the bitter divide between Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah, chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Thursday. ...
Iran cracks down on dissent in universities
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - As they gear up for a major anti-government protest Monday, Iranian students are besieged by a clampdown in the universities, with a wave of arrests and expulsions. At the same time, authorities are intensifying enforcement of Islamic morals on women's dress and men's hair length as a way to punish political dissent. ...
Putin lauds expat Lieberman's 'brilliant political career' in Israel
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin praised Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Friday for his rise to a senior cabinet position in Israel after having emigrated from the former Soviet Union. ...
Sapling from Anne Frank tree planted in Amsterdam park
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - A park in Amsterdam has begun planting 150 saplings from an ancient chestnut tree that once cheered Anne Frank as her family hid from the Nazis. ...
EU could bring peace to Middle East | William Nitze and Leon Hadar
The Guardian 4 Dec 2009 - The union must stop free-riding on US policy on the Israel-Palestine conflict offering both sides membership could be key With much of his time and energy being consumed by the enormous challenges of rebuilding the American...
Realistic engagement with Hezbollah | James Denselow
The Guardian 4 Dec 2009 - Britain's decision to talk to Hezbollah is a nuanced move, but any call for disarmament is likely to fall on deaf ears David Miliband told the Lebanese Daily Star this week that he believed "carefully considered...
Haifa theater hit with lawsuit for allowing smoking on stage
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - In what is believed to be the first legal action of its kind in the world, a Haifa Theater may be hit with a class-action lawsuit for allowing an actress to smoke on stage as part of her role. ...
Meretz: Nonprofit gives cash to IDF troops who refuse evacuation orders
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - MK Ilan Ghilon and Meretz chairman Mossi Raz filed a police complaint on Thursday against SOS Israel (the World Headquarters to Save the People and the Land of Israel) and Rabbi Sholom Dov Wolpe, who've been documented awarding monetary prizes to soldiers sent to military prison for refusing an order to evacuate the Homesh outpost. ...
Netanyahu forms task force to monitor settlement freeze
Ha'aretz 4 Dec 2009 - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Friday to assemble a task force to monitor the implementation of a construction freeze in West Bank settlements. ...
Press conference by Luis Moreno-Ocampo, International Criminal Court Prosecutor
Relief Web 4 Dec 2009 - Source: UN Department of Public Information
OPT: In the presence of the French Foreign Minister the Palestine Red Crescent signs an agreement for the reconstruction of Al-Quds hospital in Gaza
Relief Web 4 Dec 2009 - Source: Palestine Red Crescent Society
Interview - W.Bank eyes post-war political risk insurance
Relief Web 4 Dec 2009 - Source: Reuters - AlertNet
High Commissioner Guterres visits India, meets refugees
Relief Web 3 Dec 2009 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Letter to Clinton: Iran trying to distract world
YNet News 4 Dec 2009 - Members of US House of Representatives send letter to Secretary of State warning Islamic Republic may try to distract world from its nuclear program by instructing Hezbollah to launch conflict with Israel
Barak to head team on construction freeze
YNet News 4 Dec 2009 - Team including Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Minister Benny Begin convenes for first time Friday to discuss implementation of construction freeze in settlements
Report: Palestinian moderately hurt in Naalin
YNet News 4 Dec 2009 - Palestinians say 20-year-old protestor injured by 'Tutu bullet' during anti-fence rally in West Bank city. IDF says man lightly wounded by crowd dispersal weapon used in response to stone throwing
Iran will inform IAEA on new nuclear sites when ready
YNet News 4 Dec 2009 - Senior diplomat, involved in nuclear talks with West, says Islamic republic has no intention to cooperate with UN nuclear watchdog beyond its safeguards
Brown-bagging alcohol soon in Israel?
YNet News 4 Dec 2009 - New bill seeks to limit sale of alcohol, punish adults who purchase for minors. Carrying alcohol in public spaces may also be restricted
Obama delays moving US Embassy to Jerusalem
YNet News 4 Dec 2009 - Like his predecessors, American president once again postpones embassy's move from Tel Aviv for six-month period
Report: Israel, Hamas reject mediator's proposals
YNet News 4 Dec 2009 - Senior Hamas source tells al-Hayat newspaper talks on a prisoner exchange deal facing three major obstacles: Israel's refusal to release 50 prisoners out of 450 demanded by Hamas, its insistence on deporting 130 prisoners, and its refusal to include Israeli Arabs in deal.
Tehran to rein in cooperation with atomic watchdog
Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 A nuclear official said Friday Iran will not answer to the UN nuclear watchdog about its plans to build 10 new uranium enrichment sites beyond the barest minimum required under the international nonproliferation treaty. The comments by Abolfazl Zohrehvand, an adviser to the country's top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili, came days after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.
Israeli stalling over prisoners blocking swap deal - Hamas
Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 Israeli objections to releasing certain prisoners are blocking a swap deal in which an Israeli soldier captured three years would be freed, an official of the Palestinian movement Hamas said Friday. The deal is supposed to see the exchange of hundreds of Palestinians, including 450 chosen by Hamas, for soldier Gilad Shalit.
Turkish-US relations strained by regional ties
Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan may face probing questions about whether NATO member Turkey is tilting away from the West and toward Iran when he meets US President Barack Obama next week. Erdogan, whose party has Islamist roots, visits Washington at a time when Ankara's efforts to cultivate stronger ties with Tehran have raised concerns among Western allies.
Sailors return to UK after Iran detention
Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 Four British yachtsmen seized by Iran returned to Britain on Friday, saying it was "great to be back," as they planned a trip to the pub. Oliver Smith, 31, Oliver Young, 21, Sam Usher, 26, and Luke Porter, 21, flew back into London Heathrow Airport from Dubai. Along with David Bloomer, a Bahrain-based radio journalist, they were detained by Revolutionary Guards on November 25 and freed Wednesday.
Saudis nab 821 Yemenis, Africans in border crackdown
Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 Saudi forces have arrested 821 Yemenis and Africans attempting to sneak across the southern border from Yemen over the past two weeks, Ash-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Friday. The crackdown took place in the region where Saudi forces are fighting Yemen's Huthi rebels, security sources told the Saudi-controlled, London-based newspaper.
Tehran warns against protests on Students Day
Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 Iranian authorities have warned opposition supporters against holding any protests when university students mark the annual Students Day on Monday. Each year, students remember the December 7, 1953, killing of three peers by security forces of the shah, just months after a US-backed coup toppled popular Premier Mohammad Mossadeq in order to keep the monarch in power.
ElBaradei mulls Egypt presidency if poll 'democratic'
Daily Star 4 Dec 2009 Former UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei said he would consider running for Egypt's presidency but only if the election process were democratic, in a statement published on Friday. ElBaradei, who ended his 12-year stint as the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Friday last week, said he had been closely following calls for him to stand, the independent daily Al-Dustur reported.
Hamas: UNRWA deficit meant to impose political agenda on the Palestinians
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - The bureau of refugees in Hamas has asserted Thursday that the UNRWA declaration about its deteriorating budget was a serious indicator and meant to impose a political agenda on the Palestinians.
IOF troops arrest a Palestinian youth, assault elderly farmer
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - IOF troops, at dawn Friday, raided the Nur-Shams refugee camp to the east of the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem and arrested an 18-year-old Palestinian boy.
Masajeduna: Israeli contemplation of banning Athan in Jerusalem crime against Is
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - The Masajeduna Network (MN) condemned the Israeli occupation government for contemplating the banning the dawn Atahan (Muslim call for prayer) in the occupied city of Jerusalem..
Palestinian resistance confront IOF incursion
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - Palestinian resistance fighters confronted on Thursday night an attempt by IOF troops to infiltrate an area east of the Breij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
PA government in Gaza: Al-Khalil crime proves Israeli barbarism
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - The Palestinian ministry of culture said on Thursday that the Israeli settler’s crime of running over a Palestinian youth in Al-Khalil was indeed a reflection of Zionist terrorism and criminality
Hamas must say NO to proposed deportation of prisoners
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - Hamas, is conducting exhaustive negotiations to conclude a prisoner-exchange accord but Israel is insisting that an undisclosed number of the would-be released prisoners be deported.
The IOA bans Athan in the Ibrahimi mosque, tears copies of Quran in Al-Khalil
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - The directorate of Awkaf (endowment) in the West Bank city of Al-Khalil has accused the Israeli occupation authorities of banning the Athan in the Ibrahimi Mosque more than 48 times in November.
PFLP: Occupation measures in Jerusalem amount to ethnic cleansing
PIC 4 Dec 2009 - The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said that the Israeli occupation measures in the occupied city of Jerusalem amount to ethnic cleansing and violate international law.
West Bank settlers reject Netanyahu's pleas for order
LA Times 4 Dec 2009 - After meeting with the Israeli prime minister, Jewish settlers vow to continue confronting soldiers and resisting enforcement of his moratorium on construction. Defiant West Bank settler leaders rejected a personal plea from the Israeli prime minister Thursday to respect a government-ordered construction freeze in their communities, vowing to continue to confront security forces sent to enforce the edict.
Yes, Miky, There Are Rabbis in Montana
New York Times 5 Dec 2009 - With a rabbi’s help, a bomb-sniffing dog trained in Israel finally heeds his owner’s commands.
Chomsky: the ‘unipolar moment’ is working out fine for ‘the satisfied nations’
Mondoweiss - 4 Dec 2009 - Last night, Noam Chomsky delivered the Edward Said Memorial Lecture at Columbia on "The Unipolar Moment and the Culture of Imperialism." Some notes from David Bromwich who was there: Chomsky took up a major theme of Said’s writings. In the big constellation, Enlightenment/Rationalism/Liberalism/Democratic Values, a missing...
I told my congressman, ‘keep the child’s picture in your desk and look at it the next time there’s a vote on Gaza’
Mondoweiss - 4 Dec 2009 - Susan Johnson blogs under the name above. She visited Gaza last May-June and was finally able to get a meeting with her congressman, a PA Democrat who was not present for the recent vote condemning the Goldstone Report. Johnson wishes to keep his name out of...
Donna Edwards might face AIPAC-backed challenger
Mondoweiss - 4 Dec 2009 - Donna Edwards, the star congresswoman from the Maryland suburbs of D.C. who took a brave stand on the Gaza slaughter, is being primaried by another black politician, this one likely to earn the backing of the traditional Israel lobby. So reports JTA/Washington Post : Glenn F. Ivey,...
Realist suggests that Israel, ala Crusaders, will be ’strong today, gone tomorrow’
Mondoweiss - 4 Dec 2009 - Further evidence of Israel’s crisis of Iegitimacy can be read in a R ealist/Israel-chauvinist piece at Foreign Affairs arguing that Israel is in danger of losing its aura of military invincibility; and when that happens no Arab country will have any realistic incentive to accept its...
Abunimah: There is a tremendous struggle to be waged, to force Israeli introspection, and change
Mondoweiss - 4 Dec 2009 - Nearly two weeks ago we reported on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions conference at Hampshire College in Massachusetts, the highlight of which was a speech by Ali Abunimah. We posted video , and kept promising to get a transcript up. What follows is text of the body...
Egyptian Security Uncovers Tunnel, Two Storehouses
IMEMC 5 Dec 2009 - Sunday December 06, 2009 - 01:46, Egyptian security forces uncovered a tunnel and two storehouses filled with goods meant to be smuggled into the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip., The tunnel and storehouses were uncovered as Egypt is conducting a security operation targeting tunnels across the border with Gaza.
Egypt Invites The Reconciliation Committee To Resume Unity Talks
IMEMC 5 Dec 2009 - Saturday December 05, 2009 - 23:03, The Egyptian leadership issued an invitation to the Palestinian National Reconciliation Committee to visit Cairo in an attempt to resume the talks and efforts to end internal divisions and achieve national unity.
Bil’in residents demonstrate in support of recent Swedish initiative calling for a Palestinian state
IMEMC 5 Dec 2009 - Friday December 04, 2009 - 14:28, Residents of Bil’in village, central West Bank, alongside international and Israeli solidarity activists, demonstrated on Friday against the Wall after the midday prayer.
Prisoners’ association condemns Israeli detention center
12/5/2009 - Bethlehem/Gaza - Ma'an -The prisoners and ex-detainees' association Hussam shed light on the poor living conditions in the Etzion Detention Center, pointing to wide scale neglect of Palestinian detainees, the association reported on Saturday. According to Hussam, Palestinian detainees lack suitable food, toilet facilities and hot water for bathing. Prisoners held in solitary confinement have been prevented from bathing, resulting in the appearance of sores and skin disease. Additionally, the association reported cases of medical neglect, as well as verbal and physical abuse. In letters sent to Hussam, prisoners elaborated on the harsh living conditions endured in the detention facility, including Israeli prison staff preventing the detainees from sleep and using the restroom facilities in addition to persistent complaints of malnutrition and medical neglect.
Israeli military urged to release rights activist
12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Israeli military appeals court should end the administrative detention of Mohammed Othman, a Palestinian rights activist, and order his release, Human Rights Watch said Saturday. Othman was detained without charge by Israeli authorities and has been held more than two months on what appear to be politically motivated grounds. On the basis of secret evidence that Othman and his lawyers were not allowed to see, a military court confirmed a military order consigning Othman to three months administrative detention. Othman has no criminal record and is not known to have ever advocated or participated in violence. His detention period, which may be renewed indefinitely, ends on 22 December. "The only reasonable conclusion is that Othman is being punished for his peaceful advocacy," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW, in a statement.
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.
Locals say Israeli navy shelled Gaza coast
12/5/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli naval boats shelled Palestinian fishing boats near Rafah and Khan Younis south of Gaza on Friday, local sources said. While no injuries were reported, fishermen cleared the waters for at least an hour fearing more attacks. An Israeli military spokesperson, however, said there was no such incident reported. [end]
Fatah official: UNRWA finance crisis spells human disaster
12/5/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Reduced services from the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) due to a budgetary shortfall risks political and social consequences if a solution is not found, member of the Fatah Revolutionary Council Mohammad An-Nahal warned on Saturday. "The UNRWA financial crisis will not only affect the services offered to the more than four million Palestinian refugees but also the cause ofPalestinian refugees," An-Nahal said. "UNRWA is the only body in charge of the wellbeing of the refugees until we can realize UN Resolution 194," which calls for a just solution for Palestinian refugees, the official explained. Last week UNRWA officials in Gaza announced that the organization had a "zero budget" for the new year, noting the financial crisis could mean failure to pay salaries of UNRWA workers and a decrease in the provision of services for refugees across the Middle East.
Indian FM reiterates support for Palestinian state
12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Shashi Tharoor, India's minister of state for external affairs,expressed support for Palestine's in its struggle for self-determination in Delhi on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, Tharoor said he hoped a just and comprehensive solution could be achieved for Palestinians, resulting in a "sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine. "He said India supports the Arab Peace Plan, which offers Israel peace with all Arab and Muslim countries in exchange for fulfilling its obligations. In line with its backing of UN Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, India supports a negotiated solution to the conflict, which, it is convinced, "is essentially political in nature and cannot be resolved by force," Tharoor added.
Russia courted by Israel, Palestine
12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - A series of diplomatic visits between Israel, Palestine and Russia over the next few weeks will mark the reappearance of Moscow in the peace process, Russian leaders have indicated. Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki will visit Moscow next week to recruit support for a plan to seek UN Security Council recognition of Palestinian state, he told the Saudi newspaper Al-Watan on Friday. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will make a return visit to the region a week later. On Friday, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman was in Moscow at the Russian-Israeli Intergovernmental Commission, where he was praised by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for his rise in the Israeli political scene. "We are very happy that people from the Soviet Union build such a brilliant political career," Putin said of Lieberman, according to a report from Agence France-Presse.
Hamas: Talks ongoing despite rhetoric
12/5/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israel's supposed plan to continue the siege of Gaza even if its soldier is released is a continuation of the country's offensive against the Palestinian people, a Hamas official said Saturday. The comments, made by Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri, followed Israeli media reports quoting officials close to the swap negotiations saying a prisoner exchange would not mean an end to Israel's three-year blockade. Abu Zuhri noted that there were "parties inside the movement that will study [the development] and evaluate"¯ the Islamic movement's response. Although an end to the siege has not been a condition of the soldier's release, Israel tightened the blockade of Gaza following his capture, and many inside Gaza reasoned that a release would bring an ease to the closure. "Hamas will not surrender to the continued Israeli siege and will keep on searching for alternative. . .
Qalqiliya strawberry farm backed by Israeli NGO
12/5/2009 - Qalqiliya - Ma'an - The Peres Center for Peace cooperated with Palestinian farmers in Qalqiliya to boost strawberry farming in the area, according to Israeli media on Saturday. During the past months Israeli experts have trained Palestinian farmers in the particulars of strawberry farming, as well as provided the necessary equipment to export the crops, according to a report on Israel's Channel Two broadcast this week. The project, Strawberry Fields for Peace, aims to "encourage dialogue and positive interaction between Palestinians and Israelis while fostering an environment in which innovation and inventiveness flourish. This collaboration and the mutual exchange of skills and ideas furthers the goals of peace and prosperity for both Palestinians and Israelis,"¯ according to the Peres Center. "I was the initiator for the strawberry cultivation,"¯ said Ahmad Salmi Zaid, who has planted more than five dunums of strawberries.
Egyptian security forces raid tunnel and storehouses in Rafah
12/5/2009 - Al-Arish - Ma'an - Egyptian security services raided a tunnel and two storehouses holding goods to be smuggled through tunnels into the Gaza Strip, following a security operation on the Egyptian border with Rafah on Saturday. The Egyptian security forces exposed a storehouse behind the local council of Rafah City, on the Egyptian side, and discovered a smuggling tunnel. Further Egyptian security sources stated that they confiscated a number of goods in the warehouse, many of which were smuggled through the tunnel. They also raided another storehouse owned by a fish merchant in Al-Arish, where they found four cars loaded with fabric prepared for the tunnels. The sources added that four men were detained, including one governmental employee in Al-Arish city, who admitted that the goods were prepared for smuggling into Gaza via the tunnels.
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.
Hamas: PA forces arrest 3 party members
12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas officials accused the Palestinian Authority of arresting three of its affiliates in the West Bank in a statement released Friday. The Islamic movement said PA security forces arrested three supporters from Nablus, Ramallah and Hebron. [end]
Gaza gov’t: No reported cases of swine flu
12/5/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Gaza Strip has not had any reported cases of the H1N1 virus, according to Hasan Khalaf, undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in the de facto government. "There are no suspected or confirmed cases "¦ all news reports are untrue. All the patients that have been hospitalized are suffering from severe pneumonia,"¯ Khalaf told Ma'an. Concerning Palestinians returning from Mecca this week, Khalaf said: "The pilgrims took their vaccines before leaving for Hajj and were supervised on their way back to Gaza. In the event a case is suspected, it will be handled immediately. " ¯ The undersecretary further stated that the de facto Ministry of Health will provide the vaccine against the swine flu virus to people considered most at risk from contracting it.
Hamas preps for 22nd anniversary celebrations
12/5/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Events marking the 22nd anniversary of the founding of the Hamas movement will be held in Gaza on Monday 14 December, an official announced Saturday. Speaking in Gaza City, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told locals that Hamas still "holds its covenant to liberate the land, holy places and prisoners of Palestine, and to lift the blockade of the Gaza Strip. " The celebrations will be held under the banner of the Grand National Festival, held on what Abu Zuhri called the "victory anniversary. "The spokesman appealed to the people of Palestine, promising that the movement would not abandon them, particularly prisoners awaiting news of a potential swap deal that would see 1,000 Palestinians freed from Israeli jails. He also appealed to the Palestinian Authority, asking that officials accept the terms of the national reconciliation plan, along with the amendments suggested by Hamas, in a collective effort to end the occupation.
PPP: No constitutional void after Abbas’ term ends
12/5/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The PLO will not have to extend President Mahmoud Abbas' mandate as president when his term ends 24 January 2010, Palestinian People's Party Secretary-General Bassam As-Salehi said Saturday. In an interview, As-Salehi said there would be no constitutional void to fill as the political process distinguishes between the legal dateAbbas' term ended and a presidential mandate extending it. As such, the PLO Central Committee will not have to extend the president's mandate, he said. According to As-Salehi, the most favorable course of action would be to pursue the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and to form a state council composed of members of the Central Committee, the Legislative Council and independent party politicians. The PPP's undersecretary further pointed out that if there was an emergency concerning the president's position, the Central Committee would play a crucial role in dealing with the situation.
MoH to open three new emergency burn units in Palestine
12/5/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - The Ramallah-based Ministry of Health announced on Saturday its intention to open three emergency burn units in Palestinian hospitals, during Palestine's first nursing conference on critical care, Minister of Health Fathi Abu Maghli said on Saturday. Abu Maghli stated that, "The Palestinian people, who stood, fought and sacrificed everything, deserve unique and developed medical services. " ¯ "This is the approach of the Palestinian government under the guidance of President Mahmoud Abbas: To build the foundations of an independent Palestinian state by building modern institutions and developing the human resources. " The Ministry of Health's announcement followed the inauguration of the first nursing conference devoted to critical care, Critical Care in Palestine between the Past, Present and Future Challenges, attended by Professor Koleen Green and Dr Aneed. . .
Palestine theatre linked with Wales arts centre
12/5/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Palestine's The Freedom Theatre and the Aberystwyth Arts Centre have established ties, the news agency Wales Online reported on Saturday. The exchange scheme was being established between the two organizations to help develop the skills of the young people working for the Freedom Theatre, according to the news agency. In early 2010, two trainee technicians from Jenin were expected to travel to Aberystwyth for a two-month work placement. [end]
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]
Gideon Levy / Settlers, leaders act out scripted roles in 'The Freeze'
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - As long as Tel Aviv viewers of the PM, settler's 'show' remain bored and indifferent nothing will change.
Israel rejects Russian request to give PA armored vehicles
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - Matter was raised with officials in 2005 but no progress was made due to opposition from Israel's defense.
[Uruknet 60790 05-dec-2009 22:53 ECT] Video: Gazans fleeced in investment scam
Uruknet December 5, 2009 - "Underground tunnels in the Gaza Strip are the only way for millions of dollars worth of essential supplies to get past Israel's siege of the coastal territory. But it has now emerged that at least 40,000 Gazans have lost their life savings in scheme that promised up to 50 per cent profits in return for an...
[Uruknet 60787 05-dec-2009 22:23 ECT] Increased settler attacks on villages around Nablus followed by army invasions including the use of live ammunition
Uruknet December 5, 2009 - Settler attacks have increased across the Nablus region this week, as residents of Yitzhar settlement target the villages of Burin and Asira al-Qabliya. Israeli Occupation Forces have aided and abetted settlers, terrorising the villages with the use of live ammunition, sound bombs and firing tear gas on Palestinian residents. The homes of Ahmad Jamal and Ahmad...
[Uruknet 60786 05-dec-2009 20:39 ECT] Israeli military urged to release rights activist
Uruknet December 5, 2009 - The Israeli military appeals court should end the administrative detention of Mohammed Othman, a Palestinian rights activist, and order his release, Human Rights Watch said Saturday. Othman was detained without charge by Israeli authorities and has been held more than two months on what appear to be politically motivated grounds. On the basis of secret evidence...
[Uruknet 60784 05-dec-2009 20:05 ECT] Rafah under attack
Uruknet December 5, 2009 -- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and Israeli gunboats fired at Rafah homes and Palestinian fishing boats south of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, local sources reported. They said that IOF navy boats opened machinegun fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the Rafah coast but no casualties or material damage were suffered.
[Uruknet 60780 05-dec-2009 02:07 ECT] Report: 14000 Palestinian olive trees subjected to Israeli aggression in 2009
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - A Palestinian research centre, specialised in monitoring Israeli violations, revealed that the Israeli occupation authorities destroyed 14000 olive trees in the Palestinian territories during 2009. Such assaults included the uprooting of thousands of olive trees, for the sake of expanding the Israeli settlements, and the burning and cutting of thousands more by settlers. In a report...
[Uruknet 60778 05-dec-2009 01:08 ECT] Putin lauds expat Lieberman's 'brilliant political career' in Israel
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin praised Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Friday for his rise to a senior cabinet position in Israel after having emigrated from the former Soviet Union. "We are very happy that people from the Soviet Union build such a brilliant political career," said Putin at a meeting in Moscow, referring to the...
[Uruknet 60777 05-dec-2009 00:44 ECT] Israel closes sole oil and gas terminal on Gaza border
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - The population of the Gaza Strip is facing an acute cooking gas shortage this winter, after a unilateral Israeli decision in October to permanently close the sole oil and gas terminal between the coastal Palestinian territory and the Jewish state. The Nahal Oz crossing has been shut down for "security reasons," an official with the Israeli...
[Uruknet 60771 04-dec-2009 21:25 ECT] Israel seeks to prohibit call to prayer in Al Aqsa Mosque because it disturbs settlers
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - The Israeli Knesset is discussing a bill to ban the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from raising the dawn call to prayer in order not to disturb the settlers in the holy city. Israeli media reported on Thursday that the draft law now under scrutiny by parliament will affect other densely populated cities. According to Israeli media,...
[Uruknet 60767 04-dec-2009 20:36 ECT] Gaza Freedom March less than one month away
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - 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...
[Uruknet 60766 04-dec-2009 20:30 ECT] Fatah, Hamas trade accusations over mutual arrests
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - The Islamic Hamas and Fatah movements traded on Friday accusations over carrying out mutual arrests against each other's members in Gaza and the West Bank. Fatah movement's armed wing al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades said in a statement sent to the press that security forces that belong to Hamas Interior Ministry arrested several members of the armed wingin...
[Uruknet 60765 04-dec-2009 20:19 ECT] Propaganda disguised as academic inquiry at the University of Illinois
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - Chancellor Richard Herman of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently resigned due to his cooperation with political influence-peddlers seeking to gain admission for less qualified but privileged applicants. But Herman also participated in a more acceptable form of political corruption -- publicly displayed with the invocation of high principle -- in his cooperation with the...
[Uruknet 60763 04-dec-2009 17:28 ECT] Will Congress Criminalize Anti-Semitism and Israeli Criticism?
Uruknet December 4, 2009 - In the current climate, perhaps given: -- America's police state laws; -- no due process or judicial fairness for any state target; -- mass illegal surveillance; -- targeting dissent; and -- the power of the Israeli Lobby over Congress, the media, academia, the clergy, and most anyone confronting them. During Israel's war on Gaza, only 5...
International Conference on Palestinian Refugees: Change of Event Venue
5 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 5, 2009 ( Pal Telegraph ) -Due to the growing number of participants and many distinguished guests taking part in the International event. The Palestinian Return Center (PRC) has decided to change the venue of the conference from Friends house in London Euston to the Congress Centre, 28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B3LS near Totenham Court Road station.
Gaza Suffers from Water Crisis
5 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 5, 2009 ( Pal Telegraph ) - Naji , six , before going to school in the morning , he goes to the water station to fill some bottles of fresh water . He alternates with his sister Marwa, 12. Because of the salinity of water in their home, they have to daily suffer the hardship of going to obtain water, as they come...
President Abbas receives call from Mitchell
5 Dec 2009 - Ramallah, December 5, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - President Mahmoud Abbas received a telephone call, yesterday, from U.S. peace process envoy, George Mitchell, in which they discussed the renewal of the stalled peace process because of Israeli stubbornness.
EU: Israel illegally annexing Jerusalem
5 Dec 2009 - Jerusalem, December 5, 2009 (Pal Telegraph)- The European Union accuses Israel of actively pursuing the annexation of East Jerusalem Al-Quds, undermining hopes for peace with Palestinians. Diplomats in Brussels say an EU meeting on Monday is to likely to discuss the stalled Middle East peace process, which is continuously being obstructed by Israel. East Jerusalem Al-Quds has been seen for years...
Viva Palestina will head to Gaza
5 Dec 2009 - London, December 5, 2009 ( Pal Telegraph) - An international aid convoy is scheduled to take humanitarian supplies to the Gaza Strip from London, marking the first year anniversary of Israel's three week war against Gazans. The Viva Palestina convoy of 250 vehicles will deliver medical, humanitarian and educational aid to Palestinians who are suffering a long-running Israeli blockade on their...
Dozens missing after boats collide on Nile
The National 5 Dec 2009 - An Egyptian security official says two motorboats have collided in the Nile in northern Egypt and dozens of passengers are missing.
Surge in East Jerusalem Palestinians losing residency
PNN 5 Dec 2009 - Israel stripped a record number of Palestinians of their right to live in East Jerusalem last year, an Israeli rights group has said. Some 4,570 people had their residency rights removed, more than a third of the total number since Israel took control of East Jerusalem in 1967. Palestinians fear an attempt to reduce their presence in Jerusalem, which both they and...
Bostoner Rebbe Levi Yitzhak Horowitz dies at 88
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - First US-born hassidic master brought many closer to Judaism, laid to rest at J'lem's Mount of Olives.
Flap over Irish FM's Gaza visit desire
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - Yigal Palmor denies report Israel rejected Michael Martin's request to visit Strip without giving reason.
Americans see Iran greatest threat to US
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - Survey shows less sympathy for Palestinians than Israel; participants express growing isolationism.
Hebron rabbi permits construction by non-Jews in settlements on Shabbat
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - Ruling made to combat building freeze.
Settler leaders: We must break Netanyahu's 'White Paper'
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - At emergency Ofra meeting, suggestions raised include refusal to do reserve duty for 10 months, eviction of IDF from structures within settlements.
'Turkey to step in again as mediator'
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - Gov't officials downplay Egyptian reports Ankara will resume mediation between Israel and Syria.
Conference to present Yiddish as a 'blossoming' language
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - J'lem seminar aims to prove there is more to Yiddish than the "oy veys" and "kvelling" of your grandparents' generation.
Iran: 20 more enrichment sites needed
Jeruslalem Post 5 Dec 2009 - Iran's top nuclear official says uranium needed to power up nuclear reactors, Teheran won't leave NPT.
Palestinian demonstrator shot with live ammunition during Ni’lin protest yesterday
12/5/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, 4 December - During yesterday's demonstration in Ni'lin, Hassan Naffe', 21, was illegally shot by a sniper using 0. 22"¯ munitions. The 0. 22"¯ munitions, often colloquially referred to as ‘twotwo' were classified as live ammunition and banned as crowd-control measures in 2001, by the then Judge Advocate General (JAG) Menachem Finkelstein. Naffe' was shot in the groin and evacuated to the Ramallah hospital. An Israeli sniper using 0. 22"¯ munitions shot Palestinian protester Hassan Naffe' in the groin yesterday, during an anti wall demonstration in the West Bank village on Ni'lin. Naffe' was moderately injured and evacuated to the Ramallah hospital, where an xray showed the bullet had lodged itself in his hipbone. Late in 2001, the then JAG, Menachem Finkelstein, reclassified the 0. 22"¯ munition as live ammunition, and specifically forbade its use as a crowd control means. The reclassification was decided upon following numerous deaths of Palestinian demonstrators, mostly children. . .
Increased settler attacks on villages around Nablus followed by army invasions including the use of live ammunition
12/5/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - 4 December - Settler attacks have increased across the Nablus region this week, as residents of Yitzhar settlement target the villages of Burin and Asira al-Qabliya. Israeli Occupation Forces have aided and abetted settlers, terrorising the villages with the use of live ammunition, sound bombs and firing tear gas on Palestinian residents. The homes of Ahmad Jamal and Ahmad Mohammad Saleh in Asira al-Qabliya sit a short distance from the Shalhevit Yam outpost of the illegal settlement of Yitzhar, notorious for the violent ideologies of its residents. At 8:30am this morning, December 4, approximately 50 settlers stormed the eastern edge of the village, swarming around the homes of the Jamal and Saleh families and hurling stones. Ten Israeli military jeeps arrived shortly thereafter, attacking the village already under siege from its violent ‘neighbours'. The jeeps entered the Asira al-Qabliya firing tear gas, sound bombs and live ammunition, the entire attack lasting 2 hours before the final jeep exited the village.
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. . . .
Jewish boxer 'Star of David' knocked out after 76 seconds
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - Unbeaten American Jewish boxer Dmitriy Salita was knocked out on Saturday by Muslim boxer Amir Khan, the former WBA light-welterweight champion, after only 76 seconds in the ring. ...
PM makes final push to foil Swedish initiative to divide Jerusalem
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - Israel and the Palestinian Authority are each lobbying European Union foreign ministers to adopt its respective position on Sweden's initiative to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and Palestine. The proposal is to be discussed tomorrow in Brussels at the meeting of foreign ministers of EU member states. ...
Ministers to vote on bill regulating rights of refugees in Israel
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - The Ministerial Committee for Legislation will vote today on a bill regulating the status of asylum-seekers in Israel. The vote comes after many years without a policy, shirking the international convention on refugees and asylum-seekers. ...
Ministry bans student Jewish Agency trips to U.S.
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - As of next month, elementary and high schools will no longer be allowed to send students and teachers on delegations outside Israel during the school year, the Education Ministry recently said. ...
Dubai economy in tatters, but shopping malls still crowded
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - DUBAI CITY - Traffic is bumper-to-bumper and the shopping malls are full. It's Wednesday, and columns of smoke rise from barbecues in the public parks. No, this isn't how the people of Dubai are coping with the worst financial crisis they've ever known. It's a national holiday. ...
My return to Gaza, and the fears of another intifada
The Guardian 5 Dec 2009 - Kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston, who was freed in July 2007 after nearly four months in captivity, reports from Nablus on the brittle peace in the city and the threat of renewed violence if no progress...
Transatlantic transactions, part 3 | Simon Head
The Guardian 5 Dec 2009 - The Middle East dominates as Rory Stewart, Robert Malley and Margaret MacMillan close the New York Review of Books debate The multiple crises of the Middle East Israel/Palestine, Iraq, Iran and Afpak (Afghanistan/Pakistan) are collectively the...
Ministers to vote on bill regulating rights of refugees in Israel
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - The Ministerial Committee for Legislation will vote today on a bill regulating the status of asylum-seekers in Israel. The vote comes after many years without a policy, shirking the international convention on refugees and asylum-seekers. ...
Gideon Levy / Settlers, leaders act out scripted roles in 'The Freeze'
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - Like every production, be it a flop or a hit, the future of this show will also be decided by the audience. In the meantime, as the first act shifts into high gear, the viewers are yawning. ...
Comment / Jerusalem's 'holiness' is dashing any chance of peace
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - There are about 200 countries in the world, but it seems that only two attribute holiness to their capital: Israel and Palestine (still not a recognized state, but on the way there). Perhaps three, if we count the Vatican as a state. ...
Haifa man suspected of raping Canadian kibbutz volunteer
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - A 24-year-old Haifa man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion that he had raped a Canadian woman volunteering at a nearby kibbutz some six weeks ago. ...
Settlers: We will disobey settlement freeze order
Ha'aretz 5 Dec 2009 - The settlers' fight against a 10-month settlement construction freeze declared by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government last month is gaining speed. Some 200 people, led by the chairman of the Yesha settler council Danny Dayan and MKs Tzipi Hotovely and Uri Ariel, convened an emergency meet in the West Bank settlement of Ofra on Saturday to raise practical tactics to thwart the freeze. ...
Lebanon's 'non-ID Palestinians': no legal status, no hope
Relief Web 5 Dec 2009 - Source: Agence France-Presse
Remarks by U.S. Senior Advisor Richard Erdman, at the Ad Hoc Committee of the UN GA for the announcement of voluntary contributions to UNRWA
Relief Web 5 Dec 2009 - Source: Government of the United States of America
OPT: Al Mezan condemns killing of woman from Shati' refugee camp; Calls for perpetrators to be brought to justice
Relief Web 5 Dec 2009 - Source: Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
Settlers vow to violate freeze order
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Settlers reject ban on Jewish life in heart of country, Yesha Council chairman says in emergency meeting; struggle is not only over Land of Israel, but also over Bankruptcy of Israeli democracy, Likud MK Hotovely says
Jordan: Israeli peace moves insufficient
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Jordanian foreign minister says steps taken by Israel are illegal, violate international law
McDonald's blackmail plot foiled
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Baka al Garbia resident contacts fast food chain in Israel demanding millions of shekels over bogus film clip allegedly showing worms inside one of company's local branches
Iran warns Switzerland over minaret ban
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Iranian foreign minister warns Swiss of 'consequences' over minaret ban; 'values such as tolerance, dialogue and respecting others’ religions should never be put to referendum,' he says
Haredim continue Jerusalem protests
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Unrest in Jerusalem continues with some 200 members of ultra-Othodox community protesting against parking lot's opening on Saturdays. Earlier, haredim rallied near Intel plant
PA promotes Swedish initiative
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - PA seeks to convince EU to endorse document calling for recognition of Palestinian state
Internal security minister: We won't go easy on settlers
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Minister Aharonovitch says lawbreaking settlers will be dealt with firmly
MK Ben-Simon: PM says Shalit deal nearly complete
YNet News 5 Dec 2009 - Labor MK Daniel Ben-Simon says he heard from Netanyahu that prisoner swap for Gilad Shalit to be completed within next two weeks; adds deal will include Barghouti, who may become Palestinian leader after his release
Iraq buys border security system for Iran, Syria frontiers
Daily Star 5 Dec 2009 Iraq has bought a $49-million border surveillance system to better secure its porous frontiers with neighboring Iran and Syria, the US military said on Friday. The system will only monitor activity along a third of Iraq's borders with Iran and Syria, which spawn 1,458 kilometers and 605 kilometers respectively, according to the American mission charged with training Iraq's security forces.
Hamas: The Israeli siege was not imposed for the capture of Shalit
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - The Movement of Hamas stated that the Israeli decision not to end its blockade on Gaza in case there was a prisoner swap deal confirmed that the siege was imposed for purely political reasons.
Rafah under attack
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and Israeli gunboats fired at Rafah homes and Palestinian fishing boats south of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, local sources reported.
Sawasiya warns of humanitarian catastrophe, asks Egypt to supply Gaza with gas
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - Sawasiya center has warned of the difficult living conditions the inhabitants in the Gaza Strip are experiencing that would be exacerbated if the IOA continued to bar entry of cooking gas.
PSL surprised at absence of Arab reaction to Israeli calls for banning Adhan
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - The PSL has expressed surprise at the Arab and Islamic silence towards the Israeli calls for banning the Adhan (call for prayers) in Jerusalem and Palestinian land occupied in 1948.
Hosam society: Conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Etzion inhumane
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - Hosam society for detainees said that the incarceration conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Etzion prison are extremely inhumane because of the repressive practices against them.
Sheikh Salah warns of Israeli plan to turn museum in Aqsa Mosque to synagogue
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - Sheikh Ra’ed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, warned Friday of an Israeli plan to turn the museum of Islamic art in the Aqsa Mosque into a synagogue.
Medical source: No swine flu in Gaza
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - A medical source in the Gaza Strip has refuted Fatah-affiliated media claims and categorically denied the presence of swine flu in the Strip in a statement to the PIC.
Brother of prisoner appeals for ending suffering of his sister in Israeli jails
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - The brother of Somoud Karajeh appealed to all organizations concerned with the issue of prisoners to pressure the IOA to end the psychological suffering of his sister in Israeli jails.
IOF soldiers arrest Palestinian, settlers attack farmers
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - Israeli occupation forces (IOF) arrested a Palestinian young man in Beit Ummar, north of Al-Khalil, in a pre-dawn raid on Saturday, local sources told the PIC.
Palestinians wounded in IOF quelling of Bilin march
PIC 5 Dec 2009 - A Palestinian youth was hit with a bullet while many others suffered breathing problems when IOF used rubber coated bullets and teargas to disperse the weekly peaceful anti-wall march in Bilin.
There are settlers in Hebron because Israel wants them there
Mondoweiss - 5 Dec 2009 - The spacious manicured streets of the illegal Israeli settlement Kiryat Arba. (Photo: Alessandra Gola) I’ve been to al-Khalil a number of times. I’m intentionally using the Arabic name for the city because every time I’ve visited it has been to the areas populated by Palestinians. I’ve...
‘NYT’ correspondent in Israel is ‘thoroughly Israeli’
Mondoweiss - 5 Dec 2009 - A few weeks back I wrote a letter to New York Times correspondent Isabel Kershner asking her if she is Israeli, as I’d been told. She did not respond. Well my friend J.J. Goldberg of the Forward has now answered my question. In a blog item...
The Israeli military kidnaps five Palestinians from the West Bank
IMEMC 7 Dec 2009 - Monday December 07, 2009 - 15:57, Five Palestinian civilians were kidnapped on Monday by Israeli troops during pre dawn military invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.
French Medical Crew Examined Shalit
IMEMC 7 Dec 2009 - Sunday December 06, 2009 - 08:52, The Al Hayat newspaper, based in London, reported that four French physicians examined the captured prisoner of war, Gilad Shalit, in the Gaza Strip last week marking the first time foreign delegates manage to visit him.
Israel Rejects Swedish Initiative, P.A Promotes It
IMEMC 7 Dec 2009 - Saturday December 05, 2009 - 23:38, Israel considered the initiative of Sweden for declaring recognizing a Palestinian State in the occupied territories, with East Jerusalem as its capital, as a stance that does not represent the European Union, and demanded voiding this proposal.
Settlers torch Palestinian property, uproot trees
12/7/2009 - Nablus - Ma'an - Angry at their government over a slowdown in the expansion of West Bank settlements, Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian vehicles and buildings and uprooted more than 50 trees on Sunday. Settlers set ablaze two warehouses, two cars, and a tractor belonging to Palestinian farmers in the northern West Bank village of Einabus near Nablus on Sunday morning. Palestinian sources said firefighters from the Civil Defense service and Nablus municipal council were alerted at 2:30am and headed to the home of Nadir Mufdi to extinguish a fire in his barn, as well as a tractor and private car. Separately, eyewitnesses told Ma'an that Israeli settlers set fire to a car owned by Fayiz Allan in the same area. No injuries were reported in either apparent arson. The Palestinian Civil Defense Department said it was able to contain the fire in the barn owned by a resident identified by the initials "HA".
Bedouin activist to give testimony in land ownership case
12/7/2009 - Israeli settlement expansion [MaanImages] Bethlehem - Ma'an - Bedouin rights activist Nuri Al-Okbi, will give testimony before Judge Sarah Dovrat concerning his prolonged legal struggle to prove his ownership of family land in the town of Al-Arakib northwest of Beersheba in Israel on Monday, the Association for Bedouin's Rights in Israel released in a statement on Sunday. Forty years ago, Al-Okabi's father, Sheikh Sliman Muhammad, presented a claim against the Israeli government's Land Arrangement Clerk concerning the family's eviction from their house and land in 1951. For the past two years, the case has been heard by Judge Sarah Dovrat at the Beersheba District Court. "In 1951, while still a child, the army deported my family and my entire tribe from the land. They told us that it was only for half a year, but we were never allowed to go back" says Al-Okbi.
British MP Galloway sets out with Gaza convoy
12/6/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - British Member of Parliament George Galloway left the UK on Sunday with a convoy of humanitarian aid and will arrive in the Gaza Strip on 27 December, according to the de facto government's director of the anti-siege committee, Hamdi Sha'ath. Galloway's Lifeline 3 convoy is expected to arrive with a consignment of 200 vehicles carrying humanitarian aid on 27 December, to mark the first anniversary of Israel's devastating assault on the Gaza Strip last winter. Meanwhile, Sha'ath announced that 30 European MPs are expected to arrive in Gaza by mid January 2010, travelling from Britain to France, Italy, Cyprus, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Egypt before arriving at the Rafah border crossing into the Gaza Strip. The European MPs will fly to Egypt on 15 January 2010 and are expected to be in Gaza the next day, Sha'ath added.
Settlers uproot trees near Bethlehem
12/6/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Dozens of Israeli settlers uprooted more than fifty newly-planted trees on Sunday from fields in the West Bank village of Um Salamona, south of Bethlehem, Palestinian officials said. The trees were planted last week during a campaign led by the Palestinian Authority governor of Bethlehem Abdul-Fattah Hamayil. The aim of the planting was to express solidarity with the people of Um Salamona whose lands are being confiscated by Israeli authorities to build the separation wall between it and the settlement of Efrat. "This assault by settlers reflects their barbarism which they practice even against trees and stones that belong to the Palestinians,"¯ Hamayil commented. He explained that such attacks were completion of an overarching Israeli government plan to confiscate Palestinian lands to build more settlements.
Netanyahu embraces settlers as ’brothers’
12/6/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu embraced West Bank settlers as "brothers"¯ while explaining his decision to slow the expansion of settlements. "The decision was certainly not easy, either for them or for us. It has to do with the heart of the homeland of the Jewish people,"¯ Netanyhu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting. "It has to do with settlers, Israelis who are our brothers; they are part of us and we are part of them,"¯ Netanyahu said. He added that the order to halt building in most West Bank settlements "was made because we see it as serving broader interests, perhaps the State of Israel's broadest interests. " ¯"Today, it is clear even to those who were unclear previously - those who want peace and those who are currently acting as refusers of peace", he added. "The State of Israel wants peace in the clearest possible sense. This was made clear following the Cabinet decision,"¯ he also said.
Prisoners concerned rumors affecting families’ morale
12/7/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Senior Palestinian prisoners detained in jails across Israel feel great anxiety for their parents who are attentively following news of a potential swap deal, they told the Prisoners' Center for Studies in Gaza. Prisoners told the center, according to a statement, that they worry the outcome of a prisoner exchange deal where they are not included will have devastating effects on their families' lives as the detainees remain anxious over their future. They were referring to numerous conflicting news reports concerning captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and a hoped-for swap deal between Israel and Hamas. "The outcome of the swap deal will have a great effect on our parents. For example, if my name were included in the swap deal then it would be a source of unexpected happiness for my family after more than twenty years but if it is not, then great sorrow will take away my mother's breath,"¯ one prisoner said.
Jenin: 4 detained in army raid
12/6/2009 - Jenin - Ma'an - Israeli forces detained four Palestinians in Al-Yamun, west of the city of Jenin early on Sunday during a military operation searching foran armed fighter affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement. Sources told Ma'an that Israeli forces entered the village in two cars with Palestinian license plates and, at 1am, stopped at the family homeof Bajis Hamadiyah, the Islamic Jihad affiliate, where they detained his three brothers Luay, Shadid and Aneed for over three hoursand questioned them on their brother's whereabouts. Subsequently, the sources added, 20 military vehicles stormed the village, accompanied by a reconnaissance plane and a helicopter, searching for the wanted Palestinian combatant. Troops detained Ahmad Baqliyah, Ala'a Baqliyah, Adeeb As-Smoudi and Majdi Hamadiyah, all in their twenties.
More clashes reported near Shufat Refugee Camp
12/6/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli forces temporarily closed down part of Shufat Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem on Sunday following a dispute between families that turned violent. A unit of Israel's border police was called to the scene, the refugee camp's Anata area, following fresh reports of inter-clan violence that has marred the area since Friday. Witnesses told Ma'an that Anata was closed off to the public and that aerial surveillance was being used to monitor the area. This latest incident follows family brawls on Friday in Shufat, where Anwar Gheith, 42, died of a gunshot wound to the chest during clashes between the Abu Srour and Abu Asab families. Members of the Gheith family reportedly set a number of homes, vehicles and bulldozers on fire, accusing the Abu Asab family of culpability in Anwar's apparent murder.
Israel blocks delivery of Russian APCs to PA
12/7/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak reportedly blocked the transfer of 25 armored personnel carriers to the Palestinian Authority from Russia on Thursday. The Israeli daily Haaretz reported Sunday that Russian National Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev asked for permission, but Barak responded that while he was not opposed in theory, it was not the right time. [end]
Gaza government denies H1N1 patients sent to Israel
12/7/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The Ministry of Health in Gaza denied reports on Sunday that six patients diagnosed with H1N1 swine flu were transferred to Israel for treatment. Deputy Minister of Health Hasan Khalaf told Ma'an, "These reports are totally untrue. " ¯ "The cases that were said to be transferred to Israel are in Gaza and receiving the necessary treatment. " ¯ He characterized the reports as "[lies] aiming at arousing confusion. " ¯ Khalaf also said the Health Ministry is implementing a comprehensive plan to combat swine flu. Media reports on Sunday night said one person had died of H1N1 while six patients were transferred to Israel. Earlier in the day Khalaf confirmed that five cases of swine flu were diagnosed in Gaza, the first to reach the coastal enclave besieged by Israel and Egypt.
Abbas out of the country more often than Obama
12/6/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas has outdone America's Barack Obama in the number of state visits in 2009, the pan-Arab daily Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat reported Saturday. Since he was sworn in on 20 January 2009, Obama has made 23 international visits whereas Abbas has made 55 since the beginning of 2009, according to the newspaper. The US president has attended major events, including in Egypt, where he delivered his now-famous speech to the Muslim world at Cairo University. Additionally, Obama has visted Ghana, Germany and Mexico twice, as well as Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. Obama's Palestinian counterpart, on the other hand, has visited 27 countries, including the US where he addressed the UN Security Council's emergency session in New York to discuss Israel's assault on Gaza last winter.
Zahhar denies French medics saw Shalit
12/6/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahhar denied reports on Sunday that a team of four French physicians visited captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit at a secret location in Gaza last week. The British Broadcasting Corp. 's Arabic service and the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat were said to be reporting Sunday morning that the soldier received a checkup from the doctors, all specialists in different areas of medicine. Zahhar, however, told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that there was absolutely no truth in the report, which said the doctors were accompanied by a German mediator negotiating an Israel-Hamas prisoner exchange. The father of the captured soldier, Noam Shalit, dismissed the reports right away. "I don't think this even happened," he told the Hebrew-language daily Yedioth Ahronoth. Neither BBC Arabic nor Al-Hayat were carrying the report online at press time.
Abbas in Beirut: Palestinians are guests in Lebanon
12/6/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his rejection of resettling Palestinian refugees in Lebanon on Sunday on the first day of a visit to the Arab nation. "The Palestinians are guests in Lebanon until our question is resolved. We will not accept any homeland other than Palestine,"¯ Abbas said in an interview with the Lebanese daily Al-Liwa that is to be published on Monday. "There is no solution in the Middle East without a solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees under the Arab peace plan and UN resolution 194,"¯ he also said. Abbas is visiting Lebanon as a part of diplomatic consultations Arab, Western, and Latin American states, and the US, concerning a potential UN resolution demarcating the borders of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. After visiting several counties in Latin America, Abbas arrives in Beirut at the beginning. . .
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.
PA police arrest eight fugitives at Allenby Bridge
12/6/2009 - Jericho - Ma'an - Eight Palestinian fugitives were apprehended by PA police at the Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, according to the Palestinian police on Sunday. The eight were detained as they attempted fleeing into Jordan. The Palestinian police stated that the fugitives were suspected of criminal offences, mostly involving fraud, money laundering and theft. [end]
Date set for PLO Central Council meeting
12/6/2009 - Nablus - Ma'an - Members of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), based in the occupied territories and abroad, have invited members of the Palestinian Central Council to attend a meeting on 15 December at the Presidential headquarters in Ramallah, according to the PNC's Director General Bilal As-Shakhshir on Sunday. The meeting has been convened to tackle a number of issues, and to update its members on current events in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to As-Shakhshir. The meeting was convened following a decision made by Salim Az-Za'noun, leader of the PNC. [end]
Swine flu cases confirmed in Gaza
12/7/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Five H1N1 cases have been diagnosed in the Gaza Strip, local government officials confirmed on Sunday. Ministry of Health Undersecretary Hasan Khalaf revealed in a news conference in Gaza City that tests showed five cases of the virus commonly known as swine flu in the Ash-Shifa and An-Nasser hospitals. He added that the Ministry of Health in the de facto government in Gaza coordinated with the World Health organization to obtain the medicines necessary to treat the disease. The five are the first cases of the disease to be diagnosed in the Gaza Strip, which is largely isolated from the outside world due to Israel's and Egypt's closure of its borders. Earlier on Sunday, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, As'ad Ramlawi said that five H1N1 cases were diagnosed in Gaza.
PSE drops: Al-Quds Index down 0.16%
12/6/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Stocks fell on the Palestine Securities Exchange in Nablus on Sunday. At the close of trading the Al-Quds Index stood at 492. 26, decreasing by 0. 77 points (0. 16%). Trading Volume was 307,016 shares traded for a total value of 505,977. 64 US dollars in 187 trades. The shares of 18 companies were traded. The shares prices of six companies rose, and seven declined. The top five gainers were AZIZA by 4. 65%), WASSEL by 3. 33%), PIIC by 2. 94%), PADICO by 2. 46%), NSC by 2. 04%). The top five losers PRICO by 4. 00%), JCC by 3. 10%), ISBK by 2. 86%), PCB by 2. 63%), AIG by 1. 28%). [end]
Israel Navy soldier dies in training accident at Ashdod Port
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Soldier pulled from water after comrades noted signs of distress over course of routine exercise.
Israel border guards kill Israeli civilian trying to enter Gaza
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Man, possibly mentally unstable, drove to Erez border crossing and ran toward border fence trying to scale it.
Hamas: Israel has 2 days to accept Shalit deal
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - German mediator reportedly brings final Hamas offer to Israel; Hamas denies French doctors visited Shalit.
Israel reportedly preparing to leave northern Ghajar
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Foreign Ministry official met UNIFIL chief last week to set conditions for withdrawal, says Ch. 2.
IDF: Gaza militants fired new kind of rocket at Israel
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Defense source identifies rocket launched at Negev earlier Sunday as S5K, weapon less precise than Qassam.
'The Freeze' is just another scene in Israel's masquerade
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Nothing will move so long as Tel Aviv, its inhabitants do not let their voice be heard on settlements' future.
IDF chief set to visit India to strengthen military ties
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - During visit, which is part of a five-day Asia tour, Ashkenazi will meet with government officials and his Indian counterpart.
[Uruknet 60831 07-dec-2009 15:46 ECT] Rabbi allows stealing Palestinian crops and water
Uruknet December 7, 2009 -- The PA agriculture ministry has strongly condemned Sunday a new religious edict issued by a rabbi allowing Israeli settlers to steal Palestinian olive crops and to poison Palestinian water. Mohsen Abu Eita, the ministry's under-secretary for natural resources, asserted in a statement that Israeli rabbis permit the settlers to steal the Palestinian olive trees and crops...
[Uruknet 60829 07-dec-2009 14:43 ECT] A Day In Palestine
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - December 3, 2009 passes, just another day among 365 days of the year. But no day here is boring. I videotape at length (mostly for another project) but put a tiny bit on youtube to give you a visual to accompany this description since I am still experimenting with video productions but hopefully will get better...
[Uruknet 60825 07-dec-2009 03:20 ECT] Destroy Your Homes: Israel to Palestinians
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - With a desperate look in his eyes, Ghazi Dodeen is gazing at his house in the West Bank village of Hijra. "I have always dreamed of building this house on this land," Dodeen told IslamOnline.net Sunday, December 6. "Now, I'm asked to either demolish it by my own hands of let Israeli bulldozers do it." The...
[Uruknet 60823 07-dec-2009 03:05 ECT] The Interview Ha'aretz Doesn't Want You To See
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - Meet Ali Abunimah, the son of a Jordanian diplomat, a Palestinian activist, and the man who brings the hottest news of the struggle to thousands of people. His message: Forget two states, one will be tough enough to get it right. The Interview before you was commissioned by one of the the big newspapers [Haaretz]. For...
[Uruknet 60824 07-dec-2009 02:58 ECT] WE ACCOMPLISH MIRACLES
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - The Gaza Strip is a land of deep sadness, great sacrifices, ancient sufferings, big tragedies and many uprisings. When you walk in the night on the Gaza seashore, Emad Al-Ghoul or Mussa Salem would indicate a myriad of lights at a distance, towards the north, and would tell you: "This is Erbia... this is my village......
[Uruknet 60821 07-dec-2009 02:24 ECT] Jewish occupiers set fire to Palestinian property
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - Jewish occupiers on early Sunday set fire to a house and two vehicles in the West Bank village of Ain Abous, southwest of Nablus, in an apparent attempt to avenge a construction freeze in Jewish settlements. The Israeli Army Radio quoted security sources as saying that the act was carried out as part of the occupiers' "...
[Uruknet 60820 07-dec-2009 02:17 ECT] A Palestinian Detainee Has No Clothes
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - A new fact about the Israeli torture in their prisons, the Prisoner's Center for Studies urged the international society to help Somood Karaga, 21, and end her suffering which has been continuing since the last October. Her brother Hassan said: "she moved from many prisons. First, she was moved from Hasharoon prison to El Maskobia prison...
[uruknet.info] Living With A Terror Suspect: Detainee U's Landlord Tells His Story
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - The man identified in legal proceedings in the UK as Detainee U is a 46-year old Algerian, who, as two High Court judges explained on December 1, "has been continuously in custody since March 2001," held without charge or trial, on the basis of secret evidence, "save for a period from July 2008 until February 2009,...
[Uruknet 60819 06-dec-2009 22:23 ECT] Living With A Terror Suspect: Detainee U's Landlord Tells His Story
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - The man identified in legal proceedings in the UK as Detainee U is a 46-year old Algerian, who, as two High Court judges explained on December 1, "has been continuously in custody since March 2001," held without charge or trial, on the basis of secret evidence, "save for a period from July 2008 until February 2009,...
[uruknet.info] Iran Student Day 2009
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - 16th of Azar is on the way once again. Any ceremonies planned for this year will be different from those of previous years. This school year started with a different beginning. 13th of Aban (Nov. 4th), which had always been a boring event, this time around was a starting point for this day. 16th of Azar,...
[Uruknet 60817 06-dec-2009 22:05 ECT] Iran Student Day 2009
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - 16th of Azar is on the way once again. Any ceremonies planned for this year will be different from those of previous years. This school year started with a different beginning. 13th of Aban (Nov. 4th), which had always been a boring event, this time around was a starting point for this day. 16th of Azar,...
[uruknet.info] Will Harper criminalize criticism of Israel?
Uruknet December 6, 2009 - Ever since the Israeli invasion of the Gaza strip last December the global debate surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has intensified with both sides upping the ante, and the stakes of the framing battle increasing almost daily. One of the most recent - but almost totally unreported - developments in Canada is something called the Canadian Parliamentary...
H1N1 Kills 2 in Gaza
7 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 7, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Hassan Khalaf, deputy of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, confirmed that two swine flu cases died today morning. He pointed out they were suffering from underlying health problems such as pneumonia, kidney failure and they have not immunity. Dr. Asad Al-Ramlawi, the spokesman for the campaign against swine flu, declared that the...
Israeli Shot Trying to Cross into Gaza.
7 Dec 2009 - Gaza Strip, December 7, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) -An Israeli man was shot dead while trying to climb the border fence and cross into Gaza, IOF said. The incident occurred at Erez crossing point in the early morning hours. The man, 30, drove to the area, stopped his car, and tried to rise over the fence border. According to IOF, the...
Palestinian children face daily settler attacks getting to school
7 Dec 2009 - West Bank, December 7, 2009, (Pal Telegraph) - Being able to travel to school in relative safety is something children all over the world take for granted. But, for Palestinian children living in the shadow of the ubiquitous and illegal Israeli settlements dotting the West Bank, simply walking to school can be a terrifying experience."It is really scary walking to...
Lebanon's Palestinians: refugees for life
7 Dec 2009 - Lebanon, December 7, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Human rights groups warn Palestinian refugee camps could one day explode unless their issue is addressed.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's visit to Beirut on Monday casts the spotlight on the plight of nearly 300,000 Palestinians in Lebanon who fear they are doomed to be refugees for life. His brief trip comes amid renewed efforts...
5 Swine Flu Cases in Gaza
6 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 6, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) – Hassan Khalaf, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, said that it was suspected number of swine flu cases in Al-Shifa Hospital and Al-Nasser Pediatrics Hospital. The analysis results of the samples taken from the suspected cases confirmed the discovery of five swine flu cases today. The ministry confirmed, in a press...
A Palestinian Detainee Has No Clothes
6 Dec 2009 - West Bank, December 6, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - A new fact about the Israeli torture in their prisons, the Prisoner's Center for Studies urged the international society to help Somood Karaga, 21, and end her suffering which has been continuing since the last October.
Nablus Flaming by the Israeli Settlers
6 Dec 2009 - West Bank, December 6, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - In Sunday dawn, Israeli Settlers burnt a Palestinian house, in Aynabous, south of Nablus. The cars were burned by the settlers, after they had burnt tons of harvests. Palestinian human rights groups reported that a group of Israeli settlers attacked the village at 2 am and assaulted one of the Palestinian houses...
Gaza: Sharp Shortage in Cooking Gas
6 Dec 2009 - Gaza, December 6, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Sawasiya ,human rights center in Gaza, has warned of Gazans difficult living conditions that would be aggravated if the Israeli occupation continued to block pumping cooking gas. The center said, in a statement on Saturday, that the Israeli occupation prohibits pumping sufficient quantities of cooking gas into Gaza Strip had led many bakeries,...
Israel refuses Irish FM permission to visit Gaza
6 Dec 2009 - Palestine, December 6, 2009 (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli authorities deny Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin permission to visit the impoverished coastal sliver of Gaza which has long been under an Israeli siege. Speaking at the Oireachtas Committee on European Affairs on Friday, Martin said no substantive reason had been given for the refusal. "I just wanted to go...
Iranian police tear gas protesters
The National 7 Dec 2009 - Police firing tear gas clash with crowds of protesters in central Tehran as opposition supporters stage anti-government demonstrations.
Iranian police clash with protesters
The National 7 Dec 2009 - Witnesses say security forces and pro-government militia clash with opposition protesters outside Tehran University.
Iran police 'clash with protesters'
AlJazeera 7 Dec 2009 - Riot police fire tear gas at opposition supporters in central Tehran, witnesses say.
No glitz or glam at Gaza's first ever film festival
PNN 7 Dec 2009 - The Gaza Strip launched its first ever film festival on Saturday and although it was a far cry from the usual glitz and glamour associated with film festivals, it offered something far more real and substantial – namely exposing Israeli crimes. With the participation of several countries from the Arab world and internationally the documentary film festival kicked off despite several hiccups,...
Israeli troops kill Israeli trying to enter Gaza Strip
PNN 7 Dec 2009 - An Israeli man was shot dead on Monday morning while trying to climb a border fence and enter the Gaza Strip, an Israeli military spokesman said. The man drove to area and parked his car, then tried to climb the border fence. Border guards called for the man to stop and fired warning shots but he ignored them and continued to climb...
Palestine Needs Your Help. A letter from Justice for Palestine Association
PNN 7 Dec 2009 - Dear Supporter We need your help today to support people in Palestine, especially the people of Gaza in their fight for survival. Earlier this year, Justice for Palestine Association delivered its first convoy of medicine to Gaza. As an exiled Palestinian, this was my first visit in many years to Gaza. I was truly shocked to see how much everyday life for...
West Bank settlers reject Netanyahu plea for support
PNN 7 Dec 2009 - Jewish settlers have rejected an attempt by the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to defuse tensions over a pause in building in the West Bank. They vowed to continue a civil disobedience campaign stopping inspectors from entering settlements, now in its third day. Speaking on Israeli radio, settlers described the meeting with PM as difficult and emotionally charged . The settlers have scheduled a...
Livni: Settlement moratorium harms Israel's interests
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - Opposition leader says equating Gush Etzion and Migron risks future of larger settlement blocs; PM quips he's pleased at Livni's support for blocs.
Israeli shot dead trying to enter Gaza
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - Guards fire at Yakir Ben Melech near Erez crossing after he failed to heed calls to stop.
PM: We're ready for direct Syria talks
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - Netanyahu tells FADC Israel would rather have France than Turkey as mediator in negotiations.
Police clash with protesters in Iran
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - Pro-reform groups chant "death to the dictator" at Teheran University; cell phone networks shut down.
Livni criticizes Swedish J'lem proposal
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - Opposition leader tells Kadima "genuine Israeli initiative" needed to counter foreign initiative.
Report: State prosecutors discriminate against Jews in W. Bank demolitions
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - Justice Ministry denies claim, says far more Palestinian homes are destroyed.
Israel pressing EU to reject J'lem draft
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - J'lem pushing for text that would commend PM's moratorium; PA wants reference to "Palestine."
Hesder officials: IDF can't censure us
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - OC Central Command asks Barak to sever ties with Har Bracha Yeshiva due to calls for insubordination.
'Israel might withdraw from northern Ghajar'
Jeruslalem Post 7 Dec 2009 - UNIFIL, Foreign Ministry discuss terms of pullout; meanwhile, Hizbullah sneak cameras to border area.
(25 Nov.- 02 Dec. 2009)
PCHR During the reporting period, 6 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. .
VIDEO - Armageddon is coming to East Jerusalem
12/6/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Palestine Monitor, 5 December - This was the ominous warning issued yesterday by Rabbi Arik Asherman, director of Rabbis for Human Rights who believes that "if nothing changes, Jerusalem will burn. " ¯ His remarks come in response to a court decision on Monday permitting Israeli settlers to take possession of another Palestinian home in the East Jerusalem region of Sheikh Jarrah. This is the fifth family to be evicted in a neighbourhood where more and more Israeli flags are appearing atop of freshly occupied Palestinian homes. Yesterday Rabbis for Human Rights organized a demonstration in Jerusalem protesting the courts decision bringing together 150 Israeli and international activists from organizations such as ICHAD, EAPPI and Anarchists against the Wall. As they marched through the streets in West Jerusalem, they received a mixed reaction from passer bys. Some cheered them on whilst others shouted "traitor', spat at demonstrators and at one point a hose was turned on the crowd from behind the curtain of an upstairs apartment.
Israel: End arbitrary detention of rights activist
12/6/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Human Rights Watch, 4 December - The Israeli military appeals court should end the administrative detention of Mohammed Othman, a West Bank rights activist, and order his release, Human Rights Watch said today. Israeli authorities have detained Othman without charge for more than two months on what appear to be politically motivated grounds. On the basis of secret evidence that Othman and his lawyers were not allowed to see, a military court confirmed a military order that consigned Othman to three months administrative detention without charging him with any crime. Othman has no criminal record and, to the knowledge of Human Rights Watch, has never advocated or participated in violence. His detention period, which may be renewed, ends on December 22. "The only reasonable conclusion is that Othman is being punished for. . .
Palestinian reflections on American political ideology
12/6/2009 - International Solidarity Movement - Haider Eid, Palestine Chronicle. 3 December - The Palestinians have ‘realized,' thanks to Hilary Clinton, that the US is biased towards Israel. According to the American Secretary of State, negotiations between "the two parties" should resume without preconditions. The Americans have even praised Netanyahu's "unprecedented concessions!" Gone is the sweet talk of the American president Barak Obama; gone is the euphoria following his "ground breaking" speech in Cairo university. We are back to square one. The question that begs for answers is why does America hate us Palestinians? Do the American people really believe that we have no rights even though those rights are enshrined in international law? Does President Obama truly believe that we are only a nuisance? American hegemonic political philosophy judges a belief by its effects not its causes.
Palestinian 'terrorist' takes aim at Sasha Baron Cohen
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - A Palestinian grocer from Bethlehem filed suit against comedian Sasha Baron Cohen on Monday, for the sum total of $115 million in libel damages over his film Bruno , which is equal to half of the movie's gross box office earnings. ...
A Jewish linguist of a vanishing breed
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Check for yourself: there's a certain bipedal mammal mysteriously absent from New York State's endangered species list. Frequently spotted throughout the city during the postwar years, the common Manhattan Polymath now verges on extinction, though it is still observed in isolated enclaves in and around Washington Square Park and on the Upper West Side. ...
Trust the settlers to lose the West Bank
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Click here for more articles by Bradley Burston ...
Russia in talks to buy Israeli-made spy drones for $100m
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Russia is negotiating a second purchase of Israeli-made spy drones roughly twice the size of an initial $50 million sale announced in April, Israeli defense sources said on Monday. ...
Tehran forces prevent students from joining reformist protests
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Iranian security forces have banned reformist students from leaving Tehran University to join protests at other universities, a reformist website said on Monday. ...
Building peace without Obama's interference | Tom Gross
The Guardian 7 Dec 2009 - A promising, independent Palestine is quietly being developed, with Israeli assistance It is difficult to turn on a TV or radio or pick up a newspaper these days, without finding some pundit or other deploring the...
Light in the Israel-Palestine darkness | Seth Freedman
The Guardian 7 Dec 2009 - Initiatives such as the Jerusalem Interest-Free Microfinance Fund bridge a cultural gulf as well as helping economically Sitting in a hotel lobby in East Jerusalem, Jafar Sabbah is strident in his assertion that both Israeli and...
Israel accused of interrogating medical patients from Gaza
The Guardian 6 Dec 2009 - Palestinians interrogated and held without charge Questioning is a security measure, government says Israeli security agents held a Palestinian patient for three weeks without charge, interrogated him repeatedly and offered access to hospital care if he...
Israeli resentment grows on trees | Seth Freedman
The Guardian 6 Dec 2009 - The Jewish National Fund has donated 3,000 trees to a Palestinian housing project much to the fury of its traditional supporters The Jewish National Fund (JNF) is no stranger to controversy, its sectarian approach to charity...
Youth protesting settlement freeze block Jerusalem entrance
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Riots against the settlement freeze escalated on Monday as dozens of Jewish youth attempted to block the entrance road to Jerusalem. Police were deployed to the area, and detained five teens for further questioning. ...
Israel Navy soldier dies in training accident at Ashdod Port
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Israel Navy Sergeant Gal Azoulay, a cadet in the training course of the elite unit Shayetet 13, was killed overnight in a training accident at the Ashdod Port. ...
Israeli Arab suspected of posing as soldier and raping Haifa girl
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - An Israeli Arab man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly posing as an Israel Defense Forces soldier and raping a 14-year-old girl from the northern city of Haifa. ...
What makes this settlement freeze different from any other?
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - "One thing, at least, is emphatically different this time from all the previous rounds," said an Israel Defense Forces officer intimately who has been involved with the situation in the West Bank for over a decade. ...
Discovery of world's oldest church may turn prison into tourist site
Ha'aretz 7 Dec 2009 - Megiddo prison, surrounded by prison guards on horseback supplemented by guard dogs, is not a place that many people would care to approach. But if a plan now in the final stages comes to fruition, it could become a tourist attraction drawing Israelis and tourists from around the world. ...
Ministry of Interior's decision, Palestinian police obstruct of travel of patients receive medical treatment in hospitals outside Gaza; PCHR calls on Gaza government to immediately cancel such measures
Relief Web 7 Dec 2009 - Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
The economic situation in the Palestinian Authority and Israeli relief measures: Periodic update
Relief Web 7 Dec 2009 - Source: Government of Israel
Palestinians concerned over Israeli pressure to change EU' s Jerusalem plan
Relief Web 6 Dec 2009 - Source: Xinhua
Palestinian refugees survive in cramped Lebanese camps
Relief Web 6 Dec 2009 - Source: Agence France-Presse
OPT: PM Netanyahu meets with leaders of Judea and Samaria Jewish communities
Relief Web 6 Dec 2009 - Source: Government of Israel
Iran forces fire warning shots at opposition protest
YNet News 7 Dec 2009 - Riot police, anti-government demonstrators clash in various Tehran squares. 'Security forces are beating demonstrators, men and women. Some of them are injured and bleeding,' witness says, adding that at least 10 people arrested
Arab sector on new national priorities list
YNet News 7 Dec 2009 - Following 2006 High Court ruling which stated that Israel is discriminating against Arabs, about 40% of citizens included on new national preference map belong to Arab sector
Report: German mediator in Gaza with Israel's response
YNet News 7 Dec 2009 - Al-Jazeera network says mediator in possible prisoner exchange deal has arrived in Strip to deliver Israel's answer to Hamas' recent offer. 'If Israel's response is unconvincing, the entire deal will be reexamined,' Palestinian source states
Livni: Gov't deceiving itself, the public
YNet News 7 Dec 2009 - Opposition chairwoman slams Prime Minister Netanyahu's settlement freeze policy, says continued statement calling move temporary damaging to Israel's interests
Egypt: Algeria must say sorry and pay
YNet News 7 Dec 2009 - After Egypt withdraws ambassador to Algeria following last month's soccer riots, Shorouk newspaper quotes Egyptian minister as saying, 'We will not return Egyptian ambassador to Algeria until there is an apology, compensation for damage'
MKs clash over construction freeze
YNet News 7 Dec 2009 - When MK Talab El-Sana criticizes settlers' behavior during Finance Committee session on construction halt MK Ariel calls him 'fifth column'. In response, El-Sana says: Up yours'
Israeli settlers step up protests against construction freeze
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 Jewish settlers widened their protests Sunday against a temporary construction freeze by shooting at a Palestinian home, torching and stoning vehicles, and assaulting Israeli officers in separate West Bank incidents. Israeli police arrested at least two settlers accused of trying to block security officers from enforcing the limited 10-month building ban Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Khamenei hammers 'awful' Britain, US as 'enemies'
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out Sunday at the US and Britain, labeling them Tehran's main "enemies" and warning they would fail to isolate Iran over its nuclear issue, a report said. "Americans are at the head of the list of enemies and the British are the most awful of them," state television reported Khamenei as saying in an address to thousands of people to mark a Shiite ceremony., Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lashed out Sunday at the US and Britain, labeling them Tehran's main "enemies" and warning they would fail to isolate Iran over its nuclear issue, a report said. "Americans are at the head of the list of enemies and the British are the most awful of them," state television reported Khamenei as saying in an address to thousands of people to mark a Shiite ceremony.
Iraqi reunited with his mother 20 years after Halabja attack
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 A young Iraqi man has been reunited with his mother 20 years since being taken to Iran as an infant after surviving the notorious Halabja chemical attack by Saddam Hussein's forces. Found amid a mess of corpses after the massacre, Zimnaco Saleh was taken to Iran, where he grew up believing himself to be an orphan.
Mousavi says reform movement alive
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 Iran's opposition leader Mirhossein Mousavi said on Sunday the reform movement was alive despite pressure from the clerical establishment which he said was suppressing students, his website reported. Mousavi's remarks, a day before Iran plans to commemorate the killing of three students in 1953 under the former Shah.
Jordan's king to keep democracy on back-burner
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 Jordan's King Abdullah II, having dissolved an elected, if unlamented, Parliament midway through its term, will probably shy away from genuine political reform, despite promises of a clean vote next time round. The 110-member assembly's abrupt demise last month drew little outcry, perhaps a reflection of widespread public perceptions of malpractice in the 2007 polls that produced it.
Egypt detains 10 senior Muslim Brotherhood members
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 Egyptian authorities have detained 10 senior members of the opposition Muslim Brotherhood, the group's secretary general said on Sunday. The officials were arrested in the Nile Delta province of Kafr al-Sheikh on Saturday during a meeting, Mahmoud Ezzat said, adding authorities provided no reason for the arrests.
Brother of Dallas bomb plot suspect sent home to Jordan
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 The United States has sent home to Jordan the brother of a Jordanian teenager accused of plotting to blow up a Dallas skyscraper in September, state-run Petra news agency reported on Sunday. Hussein Maher Smadi, 18, a student at Santa Clara High School in northern California, arrived in the kingdom aboard a US military plane on Saturday, Petra said.
Veil's spread fans Egypt's fear of hardline Islam
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 When Egypt's government banned Islamic veils and all-encompassing robes in the dorms of public universities, it cited reports of men wearing the garb to sneak into the women's quarters. But there was a deeper reason behind the move: an intensifying struggle between the state and a populace that is turning to a stricter version of Islam, whose most visible hallmark is the niqab - the dress that covers the entire female form.
Clashes as demonstrators mark Greek teen's shooting
Daily Star 7 Dec 2009 Police clashed with hooded youths and the rector of Athens University was among several injured Sunday as violence flared in demonstrations in the memory of a teenager's killing by a policeman last year. Thousands took part in the protest called by student organizations, left-wing groups and trade unions to mark the anniversary. Students occupied dozens of universities and schools, according to staff unions., Police clashed with hooded youths and the rector of Athens University was among several injured Sunday as violence flared in demonstrations in the memory of a teenager's killing by a policeman last year. Thousands took part in the protest called by student organizations, left-wing groups and trade unions to mark the anniversary. Students occupied dozens of universities and schools, according to staff unions.
Abul Ghait: Israel maneuvering, no real guarantees for imminent swap deal
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abul Ghait has said that Israel was impeding the indirect negotiations between it and Hamas over the prisoners' exchange deal.
UNRWA: Our financial position is bad and services shrinking
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - The UNRWA said that it got fed up with standing at the gates of the international community to ask for assistance, highlighting that its financial position is very bad and its services have declined.
Gaddafi promises Haneyya to study extending assistance
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - Ismail Haneyya, the Palestinian premier, has reached Libyan leader Muammer Al-Gaddafi over the phone on Sunday night and briefed him on the conditions in Gaza Strip under the tight Israeli siege.
Abbas’s militias kidnap four Palestinians in Al-Khalil and Bethlehem
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - Mahmoud Abbas’s militias kidnapped during the last two weeks three Palestinian teachers in Al-Khalil and one ex-detainee in Bethlehem released recently from Israeli jails.
Rabbi allows stealing Palestinian crops and water
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - The PA agriculture ministry has strongly condemned Sunday a new religious edict issued by a rabbi allowing Israeli settlers to steal Palestinian olive crops and to poison Palestinian water.
Families of long-serving detainees urge Shalit captors to uphold their demands
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - Palestinian families of prisoners called on the captors of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit to stick to their demands for the release of long-serving Palestinians from jails.
Report: Israel deals with Gaza people as an enemy worthy of mass punishment
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - The association for human rights reported Sunday that Israel continues to view the entire population of Gaza, including children, as an enemy worthy of mass punishment.
Dweik denies political contacts between Hamas and Israel
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - Dr. Aziz Dweik has emphatically denied news reports that claimed Hamas leaders in the West Bank were opening contact channels with Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu's office.
Khudari asks Arab, Islamic countries for big financial support for Jerusalem
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - MP Jamal Al-Khudari has called on the Arab and Islamic countries to earmark huge sums of money for Jerusalem to confront the Zionist schemes and to support its inhabitants' steadfastness.
Egyptian paper: Palestinian reconciliation postponed at US request
PIC 7 Dec 2009 - The Egyptian efforts to patch up inter-Palestinian differences were deferred until end of this month or next January at the request of the American administration, an Egyptian paper reported.
Israel accused of interrogating medical patients from Gaza
12/6/2009 - The Guardian - Palestinians interrogated and held without charge - Questioning is a security measure, government says - Israeli security agents held a Palestinian patient for three weeks without charge, interrogated him repeatedly and offered access to hospital care if he agreed to become an informant, the Guardian has learned. The treatment of Abd al-Karim al-Atal, 28, is the latest in a series of cases over the past two years in which patients from Gaza referred for hospital treatment in Israel have been held without charge and pressed to become Israeli collaborators, human rights groups say. Atal, who is losing his sight, is still waiting for a permit to travel from his home in the Jabaliya refugee camp, in Gaza, to an eye hospital in east Jerusalem for a cornea transplant operation now scheduled for tomorrow. Physicians for Human Rights, a leading Israeli rights group, says the pressure exerted. . . .
Israeli Committee Planning More Building Projects In Occupied Jerusalem
12/7/2009 - Political Theatrics - PIC - Quds Press reported that the Israeli committee for planning and building in occupied Jerusalem approved last week a plan to build extra buildings in Al-Buraq plaza. Quds press quoted the Israeli Yerushalayim newspaper as saying that the new plan is aimed to establish a police station, educational center, offices for Al-Buraq wall heritage fund and a building for public service. The news agency added that four parties objected to this plan including Jerusalemite citizens living in the vicinity and a group for the protection of nature, which confirmed that the building in the open area in Al-Buraq plaza would shrink the area and affect the principle of maintaining the plaza. For its part, the civic coalition for defending the Palestinians’ rights in Jerusalem said that Israel broke the pledge it made in 1994 on the protection of Palestinian institutions and interests in east Jerusalem. . . .
Jewish Settlers Start Fires In Palestinian Village
12/6/2009 - Political Theatrics - PIC - Tens of Jewish settlers stormed the Palestinian village of Einabus, south of Nablus city, at dawn Sunday and wreaked havoc in the peaceful town. Local sources said that the settlers started fire in the home of a civilian destroying his car, tractor and barn. They burnt another car for another citizen and spread panic in the village. Firefighters contained the blaze and prevented its spread to other property, the locals said, noting that the settlers had escalated their attacks on the village recently. [end]
Israel closes sole oil and gas terminal on Gaza border
12/4/2009 - Yahoo! News - The Christian Science Monitor - Gaza City – The population of the Gaza Strip is facing an acute cooking gas shortage this winter, after a unilateral Israeli decision in October to permanently close the sole oil and gas terminal between the coastal Palestinian territory and the Jewish state. The Nahal Oz crossing has been shut down for "security reasons," an official with the Israeli coordination office for the Gaza Strip said, adding that it will only act as "a backup" when the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south is too congested. Nahal Oz, located in Gaza's north and just east of Gaza City, has been the site or in the vicinity of a number of deadly attacks carried out by Palestinian militants. The terminal itself is visibly damaged from a mortar attack in 2008. But Kerem Shalom does not have the proper infrastructure to meet the territory's cooking gas needs, local businessmen say.
Philanthropist pleads guilty to bribes
12/5/2009 - israel-palestinenews.org - JTA - Elliott Broidy, a leading investor in the Israeli economy and major donor and activist in the Los Angeles Jewish community, pleaded guilty Thursday to the felony charge of rewarding official misconduct. According to New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Broidy admitted that he made nearly $1 million in payoffs to four senior New York state officials as he pursued an investment from the state public pension fund. . . Cuomo said that Broidy has acknwoledged paying at least $75,000 for high-price luxury trips to Italy and Israel for a top official in the New York State Comptroller and his relatives. . . By raising $800 million, Broidy turned his Markstone Capital Group into the largest private equity fund in Israel. . . . In Los Angeles, Broidy has been a major donor to the United Jewish Fund and Friends of the Israel Defense Forces. . . . -- Link: L. A. philanthropist pleads guilty on bribes
Al Mezan Condemns Killing of Woman from Shati’ Refugee Camp; Calls for Perpetrators to be Brought to Justice
12/7/2009 - Al Mezan Center for Human Rights - At approximately 2:20pm on Friday 27 November 2009, the body of a woman (R. S. ), 29, was admitted to Shifa Hospital. According to medical sources, the woman had been strangled to death. Police are investigating the murder and have arrested relatives of the victim in connection to the incident. According to the same source, claims have been made that the murder was ‘honour related. ’ The victim was murdered three days before her wedding was due to take place. Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns this crime and asserts that the leniency with which the authorities treat the perpetrators of such crimes - who usually allege that they were acting to preserve ‘family honour’ - has contributed to a noticeable increase in murders. In 2009 alone, eleven people have been killed, six of whom were women. Al Mezan is gravely concerned that the perpetrators of such crimes are able to escape appropriate judicial penalty by alleging they were acting to ‘preserve family honour.
Three arrested in anti-Israel protest
12/6/2009 - ABC Australia - Protesters attempt to break into a dinner for the Australia Israel Leadership Forum - Melbourne police used horses and capsicum spray to subdue a demonstration by pro-Palestinian protesters who targeted a major meeting of Jewish leaders last night. Three people were arrested after 100 protesters stormed a side door at the Park Hyatt Hotel. Inside, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Israeli Vice-Prime Minister Silvan Shalom were waiting to address about 400 delegates to the Australia Israel Leadership Forum. Sergeant Steve Burke says a police radio went missing during the scuffle, as protesters moved towards the building. " The building wasn't damaged. There was some dirt hurled at police officers, water hurled at police officers," he said. "It was a pretty quick event; a couple of minutes and it was all dispersed. "Sergeant Bourke said the protesters had breached an earlier agreement with police for a peaceful protest.
PRC Changes Venue of Conference on Refugees
12/5/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - LONDON, December 5, 2009 (WAFA) Due to the growing number of participants and many distinguished guests taking part in the international event, the Palestinian Return Center (PRC) has decided to change the venue of the conference from Friends house in London Euston to the Congress Center, 28 Great Russell Street, London WC1B3LS near Totenham Court Road station. The conference is still scheduled for Wednesday, December 16, 2009. The key aim of the event is to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency UNRWA. It will provide a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the terrible situation facing the Palestinian Refugees and UNRWA within a regional and international context. Prominent personalities will open the conference which will include four sessions. Academics from USA, UK and the Middle East plus Politicians from Asia and other Arab countries will participate in the event.
Protesters Tell Business Leaders: No Business with Apartheid Israel
12/5/2009 - WAFA - Palestine News Agency - NEW YORK, December 5, 2009- 25 New York City human rights advocates demonstrated Friday morning, in front of Leviev store on Madison Avenue, demanding boycott of Leviev’s companies due to their involvement in Israeli settlement construction in violation of international law, and human rights abuses in the diamond industry in Angola, The Coalition for Justice in the Middle East (Adalah-NY) said. The protestors surprised the Israel Business Leaders Delegation to the United States with a noisy protest outside their “breakfast reception amidst the Leviev jewelry collection. ” Groups worldwide have conducted a successful campaign for the boycott of Leviev’s companies due to their involvement in Israeli settlement construction. In addition to businesspeople, among the guests present at the breakfast was TV personality. . . .
Wooden houses might solve Gaza housing problems
12/3/2009 - Jerusalem Post - Two-story houses built of wood and enforced by sand bags could help alleviate the housing crisis in Gaza. An Egyptian architect has designed a house costing only $2000 to construct, without using materials such as concrete or steel, banned from entering the territory by Israel. Dr. Hisham Juraisha from the Egypt University for Science and Technology designed a house using wood, sand bags and textiles, to help the thousands of Palestinians who were left homeless following Israel's January 2009 military operation against Hamas in Gaza. While the aim is to construct family houses, according to local news sources the design can also be applied to larger buildings such as Mosques, administrative buildings and even hospitals with up to four floors. The initial reports claimed the plans had been shown to the Hamas government and were positively received but. . . .
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.
EU Foreign Ministers Support Division Of Jerusalem
IMEMC 9 Dec 2009 - Wednesday December 09, 2009 - 03:51, Foreign Ministers of the European Union declared Tuesday support for dividing Jerusalem to be the capital of both Israel and the future Palestinian State. They said that a solution should be found to enable this concept.
Israeli Police Apprehends Three Fundamentalists Suspected Of Stabbing An Arab Man
IMEMC 9 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 08, 2009 - 21:20, The Israeli Police in Jerusalem apprehended last month three fundamentalists, including two minors, on suspicion that they stabbed an Arab man in Mea Shearim neighborhood in Jerusalem. The news were published Tuesday after a gag order was lifted.
Palestinian PM Welcomes EU Call Regarding Jerusalem
IMEMC 9 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 08, 2009 - 18:37, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad welcomed the call of the European Union to make Jerusalem a capital of two states.
Al Maqt, A Detainee Behind Bars Since 24 Years
IMEMC 9 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 08, 2009 - 11:37, Former detainee, specialist in Detainees’ Affairs, Abdul-Nasser Farawna, stated that detainee Sidqi Al Maqt, from the Golan heights, is hoping a prisoner-swap deal would free him after 25 years in captivity and oppression in Israeli prisons.
Settlement Leaders To Fight Settlement Freeze
IMEMC 9 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 08, 2009 - 10:07, Leaders of Jewish settlement in the occupied territories said they will do all what they can to counter the Israeli Government’s decision to temporarily freeze settlement activities in the occupied territories.
Netanyahu claims Syria Dropped Golan Withdrawal As Precondition
IMEMC 9 Dec 2009 - Tuesday December 08, 2009 - 08:38, Israeli media sources reported that Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated that Syria dropped an Israeli withdrawal from the occupied Golan Heights as a precondition to resume indirect peace talks.
Islamic Jihad: Jenin leader dodges assassination
12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Islamic Jihad said a leader in its military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades, survived an assassination attempt near the West Bank city of Jenin on late on Sunday night. In an announcement carried on Islamic Jihad websites, the group also said that three of its members were arrested in the town of Al-Yamoun. The websites described how dozens of Israeli military vehicles stormed Al-Yamoun, on Sunday, following a group of undercover forces entered the village in Palestinian-plated cars and besieged home of Bajis Hamdiya. Explosions and gunshots were heard in the area until dawn, the statements said. Israeli soldiers occupied several homes and roofs surrounding Hamdiya's home before they broke into the home. However, Islamic Jihad sources said, he managed to sneak out unharmed. A spokeswoman for the Israeli military said that on Saturday night, Israeli forces. . .
Woman detainee kept in isolation for insulting prison guard
12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - A woman Palestinian prisoner has been kept in solitary confinement following a verbal incident with an Israeli prison guard, the Hussam prisoners association said on Tuesday. Wafa' Al-Lubs, 26, has been held in solitary confinement at the Ar-Ramlah prison for 100 days and has been prevented from making or receiving phones calls or visitors after she verbally assaulted a prison guard, the association said. Al-Lubs' father contacted the Hussam association to visit his daughter, who expressed his deep concern for her, having received no news on his daughter. Three months ago, Al-Lubs was permitted to have surgery for a nervous system condition that affects her left hand and fingers, following three years of continued pressure on the Israeli Prison Services by fellow detainees. Al-Lubs was born on 8 July 1984 in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip, and was. . .
Report: Netanyahu okays Israel-Egypt border wall
12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the construction of a wall along the border between Israel and Egypt, Israeli media reported on Tuesday. The decision came, according to Israeli daily Ma'ariv, after consultations involving security, political, and financial officials in Israel. Netanyahu believes construction of a barrier will stop smuggling and the migration of Africans seeking work or asylum in Israel. The decision, according to Ma'ariv, was made as a result of an increase in the number of African immigrants crossing into Israel. "The only place in the world where it takes tens of meters walk to cross from the third world to the first world is Israel's southern borders,"¯ Netanyahu was quoted as saying in the report. According to Ma'ariv, the plans for the border wall will be ready in early summer, and there is more than one option for the nature of proposed barrier.
Israel detains youth with grenade; detains 11 overnight
12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man at Atsion, south of Bethlehem, at noon on Tuesday. The man, who was not identified, was allegedly found in possession of a grenade and a knife. He was then transferred to the Israeli intelligence for investigation. Additionally, the Israeli military said on Tuesday it detained 11 Palestinians during overnight raids in the West Bank. One was detained in the Nablus area, another in Qalqiliya, seven in the Ramallah area and two were taken from the Bethlehem area. The detainees were not immediately identified. The Palestinian Authority police confirmed that three Palestinians were detained in the Nablus and Bethlehem areas. The media office of the Palestinian police department said Israeli troops raided the Kalbona building in Nablus and entered four apartments.
EU said city’s status must be negotiated, Barghouthi replies: What is left to negotiate?
12/7/2009 - Mustafa Barghouthi told Ma’an that the draft leaked to media on Tuesday was weak compared with an original draft introduced by Sweden. “It’s disappointing. The original draft was much better,” he said. Barghouthi said the call for negotiations was inappropriate at a time when “the most extreme right-wing government is obstructing peace negotiations. ” He said the government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had set “impossible conditions” on all issues, including Jerusalem, borders, settlements, and water. “What is left to negotiate? ” “What we need today is pressure on Israel similar to the pressure that was applied on Apartheid South Africa,” Barghouthi said in a phone interview. Barghouthi declared: "Israel’s Government has shown the flimsiness of this announcement; Israeli Defence Minister Barak approved the construction of 28 new public buildings. . . "-- Link: Full text of the conclusions of EU council of Foreign Ministers
Two Gaza crossings open, as four remain closed
12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Israeli authorities opened the Kerem Shalom and Nahal Oz crossings into the besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday, while Karni remained closed, a Palestinian crossings official said. The official, Raed Fattouh, said around 100 truckloads of commercial merchandize and humanitarian aid would be allowed through Kerem Shalom. Furthermore, limited amounts of domestic gas and industrial diesel for Gaza's sole power plant would be permitted via both the Kerem Shalom and Nahal Oz crossings. Since 2007 Israel has maintained a near total closure of its borders with Gaza, slashing imports of vital goods and banning the Strip's 1. 5 million inhabitants from traveling. There are six border crossings into the Gaza Strip, where Egypt and Israel control the flow of movement of goods and humanitarian aid. Egyptian authorities have been complicit in Israel's devastating blockade on. . .
Eritrean migrant shot on Egypt-Israel border
12/8/2009 - Al-Arish - Ma'an - Egyptian border police shot and injured an Eritrean immigrant on Monday evening while he attempted to cross into Israel on the Sinai desert border. Egyptian security sources told Ma'an that the man was injured during an exchange of fire between Egyptian border police and traffickers hired to smuggle migrants into Israel. The incident occurred to the south of the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza. The wounded immigrant was evacuated to a hospital in Al-Arish where he underwent surgery for a critical gunshot wound, the sources added. Last Tuesday Egyptian guards killed another migrant also on theborder with Israel. At least 17 migrants have been killed at the border since May.
Gaza doctor dies of H1N1
12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - A doctor became the fourth person to die of the H1N1 flu in Gaza, the de facto Health Ministry said on Tuesday Hasan Khalaf, the deputy minister of health in the Gaza administration said Dr Mahmud Haddad, 55, a blood vessel specialist at Gaza's Ash-Shifa Hospital had been diagnosed before his death with H1N1, in addition to respiratory problems caused by smoking. Haddad entered the intensive care unit of Ash-Shifa before being transferred to an Israeli hospital where he died on Tuesday, Khalaf said. The first cases of H1N1 in Gaza were confirmed on Sunday. [end]
Committee: Egypt to open Rafah crossing for Gaza students
12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - Egyptian authorities will open the Rafah border crossing into the Gaza Strip to allow Palestinian students to enter and leave for 48 hours, according to the Palestinian Reconciliation Committee on Tuesday. According to a statement released by the committee, the move was undertaken by the Egyptian authorities to allow Palestinian students from Gaza to continue their studies abroad. A number of Palestinian students and patients have been stranded on either side of the Rafah crossing, as Egyptian authorities intermittently open the only people crossing terminal into Egypt. The border crossing has been closed to Palestinians for the last month. This particular issue, the committee added, had been discussed with the Egyptian side for a number of weeks. Additionally, the de facto Ministry of Interior in Gaza explained that the Palestinian Reconciliation Committee. . .
Israeli police: 3 arrested for stabbing Palestinian
12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an/Agencies - Three ultra-Orthodox Israelis, including two minors, were arrested last month for allegedly stabbing a Palestinian Jerusalemite for "nationalistic motives"¯ in west Jerusalem last year, according toIsraeli media on Tuesday. The unnamed victim, 31, was critically injured after the assailants inflicted stab wounds all over his body as he was finishing work at a banquet hall in Mea Shearim, the ultra-Orthodox neighborhood of West Jerusalem, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Tuesday. The victim told police that after finishing his shift at 1am on 12 December 2008, four men wearing the kippa - the Jewish skullcap - began stabbing him after asking for the time. The news was revealed on Tuesday after a gag order was lifted on the case, Haaretz said, that the Israeli police arrested the three attackers three months prior, following an undercover investigation.
PFLP fighters claim ambush on Israeli forces in Gaza
12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, claimed responsibility for an attack on Israeli soldiers east of Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. According to a statement released by the paramilitary group, combatants of the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades clashed with Israeli forces near the Kisufeim governorate boundary. The attack was described as a normal reaction to the "crimes of the occupation" on its 42nd anniversary, the statement added. [end]
Syrian prisoner hopes to be freed in Shalit deal
12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - After nearly a quarter century in Israel's custody, Syrian prisoner Sidqi Al-Maqt hopes he will be freed in an expected prisoner swap between Israel and the captors of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, according to former Palestinian prisoner Abdul-Nasser Farawana. Farawana said he spoke with Al-Maqt's family in the occupied Golan Heights. According to a statement, they discussed the latest updates about the prisoner swap as well as the possibility that Al-Maqt could be included in the deal, as he remains the longest serving Arab prisoner in Israel's jails. Farawana called upon Shalit's captors to insist on giving the prisoner swap deal an Arab dimension "since the prisoners' cause is a national pan-Arab cause which can't be divided according to geographic, partial, national, or sectarian affiliations. "
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. . .
US consul general visits Bethlehem
12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - The US consul general in Jerusalem Daniel Rubinstein visited the West bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday and met with the governor Abdul-Fattah Hamayil and security commanders. The Palestinian hosts updated the US official on the situation in Bethlehem especially what they said was daily suffering created by Israeli military incursions, confiscation of Palestinian lands and natural resources, as well as military checkpoints. The governor highlighted that despite all Israeli violations, the Palestinian Authority (PA) complied with all its commitments to impose security in the area. He asserted that Bethlehem, like other West bank districts, has enjoyed stability and security which international monitors have confirmed. However, he added, Israel hasn't complied with the minimum of what has been agreed on.
EU: Jerusalem must be capital of two states
12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - European Union foreign ministers on Tuesday called on Israelis and Palestinians to negotiate a solution wherein Jerusalem would become the capital of both their states. "If there is to be a genuine peace, a way must be found through negotiations to resolve the status of Jerusalem as the future capital of two states," EU foreign ministers agreed in a statement to released on Tuesday. “The European Union will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders including with regard to Jerusalem, other than those agreed by the parties. '' the ministerial resolution said. The statement also expressed "readiness, when appropriate, to recognise a Palestinian state. " The EU ministers said they “takes positive note of the recent decision of the Government of Israel on a partial and temporary settlement freeze as a first step in the right direction. . . . -- Link: Full text of the declaration
Sari Nusseibeh secures funding for Al-Quds University in Beirut
12/8/2009 - Jerusalem - Ma'an - President of Al-Quds University Sari Nusseibeh headed a delegation to Lebanon during the past week to secure funding for a number of university projects, a news release issued by on the Jerusalem university's website announcedon Tuesday. During the delegation's visit to Beirut, Nusseibeh signed an agreement with the Jerusalem International Foundation, which will provide Jerusalem's only Palestinian university with the funding for university projects underway in the near future. The delegation visited several research foundations in Beirut including the Center for Palestinian Studies, the Bahith Center, and the Zaytuna Foundation where Nusseibeh discussed the means for future cooperation in the field of research. The Al-Quds University delegation to Lebanon comprised Nusseibeh's consultant Dr Hamza Theib, Dean of the Islamic Studies faculty Dr Sa'id Al-Qaq, and Islamic Studies lecturer, Dr Mousa Al-Basit.
Hamas: Resistance is the peoples’ choice
12/8/2009 - Gaza - Ma'an - The first and second Palestinian intifadas proved that resistance is the Palestinian peoples' strategic choice to confront Israeli occupation, said Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif Al-Qanou on Tuesday in a statement marking the 22nd anniversary of the first Palestinian Intifada. "On the anniversary of the intifada which coincides with the anniversary of Hamas, we assure that we will carry on the jihad and the resistance,"¯ he said. Al-Qanou added that the Hamas movement considered the first Palestinian Intifada, which started in 1987 in Jabaliya, northern Gaza as thwarting the "breaking the bones"¯ strategy of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. The Hamas spokesman further praised the resolve of the Palestinian people and their resistance to the Israeli occupation, as well as their patience with the siege on Gaza that Israel initiated three years ago against the 1.
Full text: EU foreign ministers statement on Middle East
12/8/2009 - The following is the full text of the conclusions of the Council of the European Union's foreign ministers, adopted at their meeting in Brussels on 8 December. - Council conclusions on the Middle East Peace Process - (FAC, 8 December 2009) - 1. The Council of the European Union is seriously concerned about the lack of progress in the Middle East peace process. The European Union calls for the urgent resumption of negotiations that will lead, within an agreed time-frame, to a two-state solution with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. A comprehensive peace, which is a fundamental interest of the parties in the region and the EU, must be achieved on the basis of the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, the Madrid principles including land for peace, the Roadmap, the agreements previously reached by the parties and the Arab Peace Initiative.
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.
Hamas: PA detained 11 members
12/8/2009 - Bethlehem - Ma'an - Hamas said on Tuesday that the Fatah-backed Palestinian Authority forces arrested 11 members of the Islamic movement in the West Bank in the past two days. In a statement received by Ma'an, Hamas said PA forces detained the movement's supporters from Ramallah, Nablus, Salfit, Hebron and Tulkarem. [end]
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. " ¯
PA forces and police seize 45 illegal cars
12/8/2009 - Ramallah - Ma'an - Palestinian Authority forces and police impounded 45 illegal vehicles and arrested five in connection with the vehicles on Tuesday, in Deir Abu Mash'al northern Ramallah. Following numerous complaints made by residents of Deir Abu Mash'al, PA police and forces proceeded to the area where the illegal cars were kept, confiscating the vehicles and detaining those alleged to be responsible for the crime. Residents of the village told Ma'an that they were satisfied with the swift response they received from the PA forces and police. [end]