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Palestine Diaries

courtesy The Electronic Intifada

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Map of Israel's planned "security fence", adapted for clarity from Gush Shalom map. Gush Shalom notes: The Israeli government did not publish full, official maps of the wall. The path of the Eastern wall was compiled by the Land Research Center and the Palestinian Hydrology Group, based on expropriation orders issued to Palestinian land owners.

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Video Archives
Audio Archives

VIDEO
BBC:
Gap Between CIA
And Bush Stories
posted 10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Region As
Unsettled As It's
Ever Been
10/9/02

VIDEO
BBC:
"No compromise
here"
posted 10/8/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Another Gaza
Attack
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
PA's Erekat: We
Need International
Protection Now
posted 10/6/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Khalil Shikaki, CPR:
'Chances slim for
negotiation'
posted 9/28/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Arafat HQ
Destroyed
posted 9/25/02

PHOTOS
Islam Online:
Nine Palestinians Killed In Gaza
posted 9/24/02

VIDEO
Konscious:
Metal of Dishonor
The Face of US
War on Iraq
posted 9/18/02

VIDEO
BBC:
Sabra & Shatila
Is Sharon A
War Criminal?
posted 9/13/02

VIDEO
CBC:
Israeli
Army Was
Embarrassed
By Release
of Video
released 3/18/02
posted 9/6/02

Video Archives

Conflict..

IOF Kills Two Palestinians, One on Checkpoint, Wounds Girl International Press Center 12/17/2003 RAFAH, Palestine, December 17, 2003 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) killed two Palestinian citizens and wounded a girl in the occupied Palestinian territories....In the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources declared that an elderly Palestinian citizen died at an Israeli military checkpoint south of Nablus City. The sources told IPC correspondent that 65-year old Hafeth Dar Mohammed died today in the afternoon at the Howwara military checkpoint, after being prevented by the Israeli troops manning the checkpoint from reaching the Rafidia hospital in Nablus City. The delay of several hours caused the deterioration of Dar Mohammed's health condition, which led to his death of medical complications....a Palestinian child was wounded today during IOF's second day of invasion of the Balata refugee camp, near Nablus City. Hospital officials in Nablus said that Maya Al Haj, 6, was wounded with shrapnel from a stun grenade fired by the occupying forces during their invasion of the refugee camp early this morning. Her condition was described between moderate and critical....Earlier in the city of Bethlehem, IOF bulldozed and annexed vast areas of arable lands west of Bethlehem governorate. IOF Wounds 17 Palestinians, One Clinically Dead, During Massive Invasion in Balata International Press Center 12/17/2003 NABLUS, Palestine, December 17, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- During a massive invasion into the West Bank refugee camp of Nablus, several West Bank cities, the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) shot and wounded 17 Palestinian citizens, including a child who was pronounced clinically dead late last night....Concurrently, IOF invaded the nearby town of Hewwara and imposed tight curfew on the entire town for the second consecutive day, firing heavy and indiscriminate gunshots and tear gas canisters at Palestinian homes...Palestinian villagers from Madama told WAFA news agency that IOF invaded the village under heavy gunfire and stun grenades, and ordered the residents of the western part of the village to leave their homes and proceed to the village school yard, where they were searched and their IDs checked by the occupying soldiers, while a contingent of IOF troops searched their homes. Earlier, in the city of Jenin, IOF invaded the city under a hail of gunfire. Boy killed in Rafah, Palestinian militants attempt to blow up IDF outpost Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 Palestinian sources said Wednesday afternoon that a 17-year-old Palestinian had been shot dead by IDF troops in the Gaza town of Rafah. Earlier in the day, Palestinian militants attempted to blow up an Israel Defense Forces post on the Israeli-Egyptian border, near Rafah. Two large devices went off near the Hirdon IDF post around 10 A.M. No Israelis were injured in the blast, but some damage was caused to the outpost. The Palestinians apparently dug tunnels which lead close to the outpost and then set the devices. Hamas has claimed responsibility for the attempted attack, the Itim News Agency reported. Israel kills 21, injures 55 in two weeks Electronic Intifada/American Muslims for Jerusalem 12/16/2003 Have you been wondering what has become of Palestinian life in the occupied territories as the world's attention was turned towards Iraq? While there have been no Palestinian attacks inside Israel for ten weeks, Israeli attacks against Palestinians have not stopped for a single day. In the last two weeks alone, Israel has killed 21 Palestinians and injured 55 others. In an attack on Palestinian civilians and property yesterday, the Israeli military completely destroyed 18 homes in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, leaving 25 families (178 Palestinian civilians) homeless. In addition, homes belonging to 6 Palestinian families (approximately 40 civilians) were damaged so heavily that they are now uninhabitable. Palestinian old man suffering brain hemorrhage as a result of Zionist assault Palestinian Information Center 12/17/2003 Tulkarm - Medical sources in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm have said that a 67 years old Palestinian man had suffered brain hemorrhage and was a in state of coma following Zionist severe beating. The sources said that Zionist soldiers guarding the segregation fence built on West Bank lands to separate the green line (Palestinian lands occupied in 1948) from the Palestinian population residing on lands occupied in 1967 had beaten the old man up. Eyewitnesses said that Jabir Mahmoud Mar’ee, a villager from Zeita to the north of Tulkarm, had exchanged words with the Zionist occupation soldiers for refusing to allow him enter into his farm at the pretext he did not carry a permit from the Zionist so-called civil administration of the West Bank. Zionist occupation soldiers desecrate mosque in Balata Palestinian Information Center 12/17/2003 Nablus - Zionist occupation soldiers have stormed the Ebadul Rahman Mosque at the entrance to the refugee camp of Balata to the east of the West Bank city of Nablus amidst a large-scale incursion into that camp that wreaked havoc in residential quarters. The soldiers forced the Mosque’s guard to accompany them and open all doors into the holy shrine. Zionist soldiers had broken into that same Mosque in previous incursions accompanying dogs into it. Bethlehem Faces Another Gloomy Christmas The Guardian 12/17/2003 BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) - The Church of the Nativity was empty, a few ornaments hung forlornly on trees in a deserted Manger Square and no tourists or pilgrims were to be found in the town where Jesus was born, just over a week before Christmas. Bethlehem faced another gloomy Christmas as the West Bank town has been battered by relentless Palestinian-Israeli violence that has decimated its tourism-based economy, throwing thousands out of work, closing shops and leaving the town's residents with little to celebrate....The Israelis are never far from Bethlehem, in fact or in spirit, and Nasser said that their measures are harming the town. For example, he said, a security barrier Israel is building to keep West Bank attackers out has cut 4,000 Palestinians off from their town while confiscating part of its land. Despite diplomatic efforts “Israel doesn’t stop violence against Palestinians” Jerusalemites 12/17/2003 Israel continues with the military escalation and this time the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) invaded the Balata refugee camp and several other surrounding villages. As a result of the invasion an elderly citizen was seriously wounded in the head. On Tuesday morning, large forces of the Israeli occupation invaded Balata camp supported by military helicopters and amidst heavy indiscriminate gunfire. IOF troops raided and occupied several Palestinian houses. Four Palestinian citizens were arrested by the occupying forces. IOF fired tear gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets as the Palestinian citizens who gathered to confront the invading forces. News Briefs: Fischer meets Qurie, IOF invades Del-Elbalah, Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/17/2003 Fischer meets Qurie in Abu-Dees near Jerusalem: The Palestinian Prime Minster Ahmad Qurei met in his office this morning with the German Foreign Minister Fischer, Abu-Ala' confirmed that he discussed with Fischer the current situation in area, the peace process and the difficulties in the region because of the Israeli assaults.... / Troops Invade Der-Elbalah in Gaza Strip: The army invaded yesterday Der El-Balah in Gaza, residents of that area mentioned that two tanks and a Bulldozer entered Der-Elbalah while shooting heavily in various directions.... / Netanyahu slams talks of unilateral withdrawal: In a new extreme statement, Israel's Finance Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu slammed talks of a unilateral withdrawal adding that any action taken should be accompanied with other actions from the other side..../ Troops invade the old part of Nablus: Earlier this dawn, the troops invaded the old city of Nablus, and conducted vast searches in the houses. Witnesses said that the troops clashed with the residents, no injuries were reported. Palestinians Stage Thunderous Anti-Aircraft Drills Over Sidon An Nahar 12/17/2003 Palestinians in Lebanon's largest refugee camp are training on the use of newly acquired anti-aircraft weapons in thunderous military drills that panicked most of the population of Sidon, Lebanon's third largest city, An Nahar reported on Wednesday. The exercises, which began Tuesday evening, are staged by Yasser Arafat's main Fatah militia in Ein El-Hilweh camp, which goes by the name of Brigades of Al Aqsa Mosque Martyrs and which is headed by Col. Munir Makdah. Occupier allocates extra $160M for apartheid barrier Islamic Association for Palestine 12/17/2003 HERZLIYA, Israel, Dec 17-- The Israeli government has allocated 160 million dollars to extend its controversial West Bank security barrier, Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. "This week, we allocated an additional 700 million shekels (160 million dollars) to build the security fence from the Elkana implantation (a Jewish settlement in the northern West Bank) and around Jerusalem," the minister told a security conference in Herzliya, just north of Tel Aviv. He said it was essential for Israel "to complete the contruction as soon as possible" for security reasons, despite the chorus of international criticism the project has drawn. 145 Zionist deserting soldiers arrested last month Palestinian Information Center 12/17/2003 Tel Aviv - The military court in Yaffa has found five Zionist soldiers guilty for refusing army service in the occupied Palestinian territories and for attempting to influence the public opinion. The court, according to its jurisdictions, could impose up to three years imprisonment sentence against the soldiers who had already spent one year behind bars....Hebrew sources disclosed that the Zionist military police had arrested 145 soldiers since last November for attempting desertion. Security sources said that the military police arrested last night 59 deserters in various areas who were supposed to serve in the Gaza Strip. Israel Kills Palestinian, Hamas Detonates Watchtower Islam Online 12/17/2003 GAZA, December 17 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Israeli occupation forces gunned down a Palestinian teenager Wednesday, December 17, as Hamas military wing announced blasting an Israeli military watchtower in Rafah. Ezzedin Al-Qassam Brigades asserted, in a statement a copy of which obtained by IslamOnline.net, that its anti-terror unit dynamited one of the Israeli watchtowers near the Palestinian-Egyptian borders which was guarded by Israeli specials forces. "Our fighters managed to penetrate the enemy line and blow up the tower with explosive charges," added the statement, asserting the whole operation was videotaped to document the damage and Israeli causalities. The Israeli occupation army had reported that two large devices went off near the Hirdon army post but claimed there were no causalities. The apartheid wall Al-Jazeera 12/8/2003 The latest indignity endured by the Palestinian people is the erection of the separation wall. This concrete barrier – commonly known as the apartheid wall, but referred to by Israel as a separation fence – being built through the West Bank is not a new idea. The notion has been circulating the Israeli political scene since 1973. The wall is 8m high, twice the height of the former Berlin wall. Palestinian sources anticipate that it may reach 650km long, more than four times the length of the Berlin wall. On a daily basis 500 bulldozers can be seen working on it – and it is possibly Israel’s largest project to date.

Diplomacy..

Egypt continues peace efforts Al-Jazeera 12/17/2003 Egyptian has stepped up efforts to secure an agreement by Palestinian resistance factions to halt anti-occupation attacks even as Israel shot dead a Palestinian teenager. Israeli soldiers shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian boy in the Rafah refugee camp in the occupied Gaza Strip on Wednesday, said Palestinian medical sources....Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Mahar will meet Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Israel on Monday, said a ministry spokesman on Wednesday. Palestinians Insist On Guarantees, Sparing Civilians Islam Online 12/17/2003 GAZA CITY, December 17 (IslamOnline.net) - Palestinian factions reiterated that no truce will be possible without Israel first giving guarantees for an end to its daily aggressions on Palestinian civilians and long-standing occupation of their country. During talks with a visiting Egyptian delegation, led by deputy intelligence chief Mustafa El-Beheiri, the Palestinians reaffirmed their opposition to putting the cart before the horse. "Palestinians are under occupation. And if it continues, resistance would never be halted," said Hamas senior official Abdel-Aziz Rantissi after meeting with the Egyptians at the house of the group's spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. Islamic Jihad will only agree to truce with U.S. guarantees Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 Egyptian-sponsored talks on a possible cease-fire ended in Gaza on Wednesday with Islamic Jihad saying that there would be truce without American guarantees that Israel would hold up its end of the deal, Israel Radio reported. The militant group said it will only agree to stop attacks against Israeli civilians if Israel also agrees to end the violence. Islamic Jihad said it would not agree to an all-out truce at this stage. Hamas meanwhile hinted in the talks that it would be willing to stop attacks within the Green Line 1967 border of Israel, but only if Israel promises to honor a cease-fire. Olmert explains logic behind unilateral steps Jerusalem Post 12/17/2003 Industry, Trade, and Labor Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday that he believes the United States opposes the kind of Israeli unilateral steps he suggested recently because it is concerned that "winking" at the idea would impede progress along the road map, and because such steps would preclude Israel from returning to the pre-1967 border along the West Bank. Olmert, who shook up the political world two weeks ago by calling for unilaterally removing numerous settlements, explained at the Herzliya Conference that one big painful step is better than a number of tiny ones. Shalom: Israel should explore Assad's offer of talks Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom on Wednesday slammed talk of a unilateral withdrawal by Israel from the territories in his speech to the Herzliya Conference on security issues. Shalom said that he was opposed to any unilateral steps that had political implications, as they would be a "prize to terrorism" and would serve only to weaken Israel's ability to negotiate in the future. He said that unilateral measures "will not help us progress and will not raise a sense of commitment in the Palestinians." Shalom's comments echoed those made by Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the day....In response to recent comments by Syrian President Bashar Assad that he would like to restart negotiations with Israel, the foreign minister said that "we must not refuse a hand outstretched in peace, even if it is not for the right reasons," hinting that Syria was seeking to deflect criticism from the U.S. for harboring terrorist organizations. Fischer condemns West Bank barrier Middle East Online 12/17/2003 German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on Wednesday questioned the legitimacy of the West Bank barrier being built by Israel, which he urged to seize an opportunity to resume peace talks with the Palestinians. Speaking at a security conference in the northern Israeli town of Herzliya, Fischer called for the implementation of the roadmap blueprint and warned Israel that it stood before arguably the biggest choice of its history. He stressed Germany's lasting support of the Jewish state but added: "It is my firm conviction that Israel has now reached a historic fork in the road, possibly the most important since its foundation. What is the alternative to peaceful co-existence?" Egyptian-Palestinian Meetings to Confer "Hudna" Resumption International Press Center 12/17/2003 GAZA, December17, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- The Egyptian delegation, who is currently visiting Gaza, concluded his primary meetings with the Palestinian security officials, so as to resume the negotiations that came to a halt in Cairo early December without fruitful breakthrough of any ceasefire “Hudna” treaty. The Chief of security service in Gaza, Brigadier-General Abed Al Razeq Al Majaida was quoted by Al Jazeera TV as saying that the Egyptian delegation asked for the unification of all agendas of the Palestinian factions. NEW Round of Truce Talks International Middle East Media Center 12/17/2003 An Egyptian security delegation, headed by General Mustafa Buhairi, arrived Tuesday afternoon in Gaza Strip for meetings with the heads of Palestinian resistance groups on the Egyptian truce proposal. The Egyptian delegation held a meeting with the heads of the Palestinian Authority security devices followed by a meeting with Fatah leaders and PFLP leaders separately. According to Palestinian sources, the Egyptian delegation is scheduled to meet Wednesday with leaders of other resistance groups, including Hamas and Islamic jihad. Islamic Jihad and PFLP advocate resumption of national dialogue Palestinian Information Center 12/17/2003 Gaza - The Islamic Jihad Movement and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine have called in separate statements for resumption of the national dialogue that ended inconclusively in Cairo a few days ago. Jihad spokesman in the Gaza Strip, Nafez Azzam, has asked the Palestinian Authority to reactivate the inter-Palestinian dialogue for the sake of reaching a joint formula to confront challenges facing the Palestinian people. Sharon Vows to Annex Bulk of West Bank Palestine Chronicle 12/16/2003 HEBRON, West Bank – Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to keep up building the apartheid wall, which effectively kills any prospect of a viable Palestinian state on the West Bank. The Israeli state-run radio on Tuesday quoted Sharon as saying that Israel will annex over half of the West Bank in any final status settlement with the Palestinians. Sharon reiterated his intention to annex more than half of the West Bank, including most of the large settlements such as Ma`ali Adomim, Ariel, Pisgat Zeiv and the so-called Gush Etzion bloc north of Hebron. Israel to Coordinate With U.S. on Moves The Guardian 12/16/2003 JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel will coordinate any unilateral moves in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with the United States, the Israeli foreign minister said Tuesday, after meeting with Bush administration officials who oppose any actions that will make it harder to create a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is to announce in a major policy speech later this week that he will take unilateral steps if there is no progress on the U.S.-led ``road map'' peace plan within six months, Israeli media reported Tuesday. Middle East extremists in anti-peace "coalition": Peace plan architects ReliefWeb 12/17/2003 PARIS, Dec 17 (AFP) - The Israeli and Palestinian architects of an alternative plan to try to end years of bloodshed and bitterness in the Middle East have denounced what they said was a tacit agreement between extremists on both sides of the struggle to maintain the violent status quo. "There an unsigned, an unwritten coalition between the extremists of both sides, those who will never be satisfied with any plan on earth between people who want to save their own children," said Yossi Beilin, a former minister and the chief Israeli architect of the Geneva Initiative for Middle East peace. Asia and Pacific meeting on Palestine concludes with final document welcoming Security Council endorsement of Road Map ReliefWeb/UN 12/17/2003 Experts in Concluding Session Discuss Support In Asia for Inalienable Rights of Palestinian People -- BEIJING, 17 December - The United Nations Meeting for Asia and the Pacific on the Question of Palestine welcomed the unanimous adoption of Security Council resolution 1515 (2003) in which the Council endorsed the Road Map and called on the parties to fulfil their obligations under the plan and to realize the vision of two States living side by side....The construction of the separation wall in the occupied West Bank and around East Jerusalem was seen as an extension of the illegal annexation by Israel of Palestinian land in violation of its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention. Israel Bars Arafat from Christmas Festivities for Third Year Palestine Media Center 12/17/2003 Two-track Talks for Reviving “Roadmap” in Jerusalem, Gaza -- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Tuesday barred President Yasser Arafat from Christmas celebrations in the West Bank city of Bethlehem for a third straight year, injured eleven Palestinians and critically wounded a 13-year old, as Egyptian mediators again started negotiations in Gaza City with Palestinian factions on an Egyptian proposal for a truce. President Arafat on Tuesday told a Christian delegation at his battered and sandbagged headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah that he hoped to participate in the Christmas festivities this year in Bethlehem, a 12-mile trip to the traditional site of Jesus' birthplace. Analysis / PM's speech: Will he or won't he? Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 The most important part of the speech that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will deliver tomorrow at the Herzliya Conference will be the list of diplomatic measures he is willing to implement immediately, and particularly, whether it includes the evacuation of established settlements as well as illegal outposts. Even a limited evacuation of settlements, or other significant immediate measures, would prove to both the Israeli public and the international community that Sharon is capable of initiating rather than merely responding, and of delivering rather than merely promising. Israelis could abandon roadmap Jordan Times 12/17/2003 HERZLIYA, Israel (AFP) — Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday Israel would have no option but to implement unilateral measures if the troubled roadmap peace plan remains stalled, as defence chiefs accused the Palestinian leadership of showing "no inclination to tackle armed militants." Olmert said Israel should continue to try to reach an agreement with the Palestinians through the roadmap and give new Premier Ahmed Qureia a chance to prove he was a man to deal with, even if the roadmap were "not an ideal option or a dream (for Israel)." King Mohammed receives Palestinian, Israeli former ministers Arabic News 12/17/2003 Morocco's King Mohammed VI received in the royal palace of Marrakesh former Palestinian information minister, Yasser Abed Rabbu, and former Israeli Justice minister, Yossi Beilin, the chief negotiators of the Geneva peace initiative. During the audience, Abed Rabbu and Beilin handed the sovereign a copy of the initiative signed December 1st in the Swiss capital, and surveyed the elements of the plan, the reactions it has brought about in Palestine and Israel, and how it was welcomed in Arab states, European capitals and Washington, the royal office said in a release. Egyptian minister to visit Israel BBC 12/17/2003 Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher is to make a rare trip to Israel next week for talks on Middle East peace. Mr Maher will meet top officials including the Israeli prime minister during the one-day trip on Monday. Egypt has been stepping up efforts in recent weeks to help break the deadlock between the Israelis and Palestinians. Egyptian officials have been mediating truce talks with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, but the talks ended on Wednesday without progress. Sharon Deputy Urges Major Unilateral Concession if Talks Fail New York Times 12/17/2003 JERUSALEM, Dec. 16 — Israel's deputy prime minister said Tuesday that Israel should prepare to make concessions with a "grand, one-sided move" if peace talks with the Palestinians should fail. The minister, Ehud Olmert, has stirred fierce debate among Israelis and Palestinians with his recent pronouncements about the possibility of sweeping unilateral Israeli actions that would seek to impose a Mideast accord if no peace pact is reached. Israel hints at steps to resume talks Al-Jazeera 12/17/2003 Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon continues to drop hints of major unilateral steps in dealings with the Palestinians, despite US warnings and fierce opposition by settlers. The Israeli daily Maariv reported on Tuesday that Sharon was planning to unveil a plan for a major army redeployment, the total evacuation of the Gaza Strip, and the dismantling of several Jewish settlements in the occupied territories. "All the Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip will be evacuated. At the end of the process, isolated settlements in Judea and Samaria will be evacuated," the daily said, using the Israeli term for the West Bank.

Human Rights..

Activists say Israel hides human rights abuses Daily Star 12/17/2003 Occupiers arrest, deport nonviolent objectors - Efforts of Palestinian-led peace movement, whose members include Americans, Israelis, meet fierce resistance from Sharon government -- GAZA CITY: They leave comfortable, safe environments to live in one of the most volatile areas in the world, often putting themselves in the direct path of danger. In the US and many parts of Israel they are considered traitors to the fight against international terrorism ­ human shields defending dangerous criminals. Elsewhere they are thought of as unsung heroes. Either way, their work usually goes unnoticed. They are the volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement (ISM), a group which describes itself as a Palestinian led nonviolent movement of Palestinian and international activists working to raise awareness of the Palestinian plight and bring an end to the Israeli occupation. Five Israeli “Refuseniks” Indicted, Sentenced to Three Years in Prison International Press Center 12/17/2003 GAZA, December 17, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- Five Israeli soldiers who refused military service in the occupied Palestinian territories have been indicted by the Israeli Jaffa military court on Tuesday. The soldiers; Noam Bahat, Hagay Mattar, Adam Mouar, Shimi Tzamrit and Mittan Kminar, refused service in the Palestinian territories in the sense of right and wrong doings and for political reasons. They also asked the court to shift them from military service to a civil one. Indian-American Activist Faces House Arrest in Israel Palestine Chronicle/India West 12/16/2003 An Indian American activist, currently under house arrest in Tel Aviv after being arrested by plainclothes policemen for visa violations, has accused the Israeli government of illegally detaining her for 53 hours following a lawsuit she filed against the Israeli government."I was pretty shocked," Radhika Sainath, a 25-year-old activist who has been in the West Bank to do human rights work among Palestinians, told India-West during a phone interview from Tel Aviv. "I mean it was the manner in which I was arrested (with plainclothes police), watching the entire trial, waiting until I left with my friends, entering the bus, following us off the bus, and at that point, grabbing me, throwing me into an unmarked vehicle, not allowing me to talk to my friends, to call my lawyer." Rafah Lives: A Journal of Resistance in Daily Life - Acrobat format International Solidarity Movement November 2003 Electronic Intifada: "The Rafah team of the International Solidarity Movement have produced a print and electronic Zine to mark Ramadan in Gaza, titled Rafah Lives. The November 2003 issue of the Zine offers illustrated stories about the situation, the meaning of Ramadan, Rafah statistics and information, Ramadan recipies, diary entries, information about international law, and related links." -- Rafah, GAZA November 2003 - It was supposed to have started raining by now. The season changed just before Ramadan began almost a month ago. The air became cooler, theclouds rolled in and have for many nights out of the month covered the city in a dense murky fog. Save for two small occasions lasting maybe ten minutes each, the rains have still not come. It bears repeating as many times as possible that this land, Gaza, is running out of water. What clean water has not been stolen or given away quietly in private negotions during the Oslo process will last for another five to ten years -- if no more gets stolen. UN appeals for funds to help Palestinians Daily Star 12/17/2003 Aid agency needs cash to care for refugees-- UNITED NATIONS: The UN agency for Palestinian refugees has appealed for $193 million more in emergency funds for food, shelter and medical services as well as crucial work programs for thousands of people left jobless by three years of conflict, curfews and business closures. Just a week ago, 19 countries including Bahrain, Cyprus, India, Kuwait, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates already pledged $72 million to the agency; the US, the UK and the European Union promised later contributions.

Economy..

Unemployment rate still 10.7% Globes 12/17/2003 The effective jobless rate is 16.5%. The unemployment rate has risen 2% since the violent conflict with the Palestinians began. -- Unemployment in Israel is not falling, despite the government’s optimistic declarations and the talk of and end to the recession, following the rise in consumption and in imports of durable goods. The unemployment rate remained at 10.7% in October, the save level as in the past six months, according to Central Bureau of Statistics figures published today. Diesel excise tax to provide NIS 700m for fence Globes 12/17/2003 The separation fence and Jerusalem envelope will cost NIS 3.1 billion in 2002-04 at this stage. -- The NIS 0.30 per liter excise tax hike on diesel and oil will finance the separation fence and Jerusalem envelope. Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu announced today that he would transfer another NIS 700 million next year for the completion of the separation fence and Jerusalem envelope. The tax hike on diesel and oil will prevent the 2004 budget deficit from exceeding the 4% of GDP target. Yam Thetis US partners threaten to involve Cheney Globes 12/17/2003 Nobel Energy international operations manager Rodney D. Cook told Paritzky, "The behavior of the Ministry of National Infrastructures is liable to seriously damage US-Israel relations. If necessary, we'll involve Vice President Richard Cheney, who is very interested in promoting the project." -- Yam Thetis may have to pay IEC millions of dollars if the natural gas does not begin to flow on January 1. - Sources inform “Globes” that Yam Thetis, controlled by Delek Group (TASE:DLEKG), will have to compensate Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) if the natural gas does not begin to flow on January 1, 2004, as stipulated in its contract with IEC. Yaron: We’ll need a $5b defense industry for a long time Globes 12/17/2003 Economic Models Israel CEO Yaakov Sheinin: The IDF can be made capital intensive. -- “The defense industry will continue to prosper, because our current strategic situation will continue for a long time. We’ll need a $5 billion-a-year defense industry,” Ministry of Defense director-general Amos Yaron said today at the Institute of Policy and Strategy's annual Herzliya Conference. Economic Models Israel CEO Yaakov Sheinin said at the conference that the defense industries were one of the biggest catalysts in the Israeli economy. Strike delayed; employment bureaus to open Thursday Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 "The mother of all strikes" promised by the Histadrut labor federation will not take place before the middle of next week, and may even be postponed indefinitely following a relatively successful meeting on Wednesday between Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Histadrut chief, MK Amir Peretz (One Nation). Exports up 13%, imports down 3%, to US in September-November Globes 12/17/2003 Exports to the EU grew by an annualized 5.3%. -- Exports to the US rose by an annualized 13.1% in September-November 2003, following an 8.1% rise in July-August. Exports to the European Union (EU) grew by an annualized 5.3% in September-November, after growing 2.8% in July-August, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics trend figures. Netanyahu: Shekel-dollar rate too low Globes 12/17/2003 Minister of Finance: "Two key parameters have improved - the TASE is going up, and the premium on Israeli government bonds has fallen substantially. -- The low shekel-dollar exchange rate helps people with low incomes, but the exchange rate has fallen too much,” Minister of Finance Benjamin Netanyahu said at the Institute of Policy and Strategy's annual Herzliya Conference today. He added, “The falling exchange rate supports the economically disadvantaged, but I think it should fall further.” Regarding the economy, Netanyahu said he was “optimistic, but not too much so.” IMI workers start sanctions Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 Workers at Israel Military Industries (IMI) started work sanctions yesterday. The 3,700 employees have cut back on their work hours and are holding protest meetings every day during working hours. The head of the IMI employees union, Yitzhak Yehuda, said that the cause of the sanctions was "the discrimination between all workers and senior management."

People..

Bethlehem Mayor: Only Religious Ceremonies This Christmas International Press Center 12/17/2003 BETHLEHEM, Palestine, December 17, 2003 (IPC + Agencies)-- Mr. Hanna Nasser, the mayor of Bethlehem, declared that this year's Christmas celebrations would only include religious ceremonies. During a press conference held in the Bethlehem municipality yesterday, mayor Nasser said that the schedule of the Christmas celebrations will include a Christmas tree with its decorations, as well as decorating the city streets, but not as huge as it was when the municipality celebrated the millennium....The mayor also mentioned that the average income of the individual in Bethlehem was $2,400 in September 2000, and now it has reached only $400, causing nearly 60% of the population of Bethlehem to live under the poverty line. Guiding children through an occupied life By Anna, Palestine Monitor 12/15/2003 The occupation has not hurt all children physically, but mentally they all suffer to some extent. UNICEF estimates that some 1.3 million children have suffered some kind of psychological harm because of the occupation. Together with its partners, the YMCA is trying to help the kids cope through various forms of activities, psychotherapy groups etc. The aim is to apply the kids with tools, helping them deal with the difficult situations they face in their everyday life. In the office of the YMCA in Hebron, hangs a poster with an English children’s game: Snakes and Ladders. It’s a dice game, where you seek to go from square one to the goal line at 100 by throwing a dice....In this version, a moral has been added to the game. Underneath the heads of the snakes and at the bottom of the ladders, there is a short Arabic text. Here one can read the definitions of good and bad behaviour for a child, thereby giving the reason why you were forced back down or given a helping hand up. “You hear a shelling and move to a safe place”, the text says on the square granting you access to the biggest ladder. If you instead “do not tell anyone about your feelings”, you will slide down from square 40 to square 6. Readings in Bir Zeit University Students' Council Elections By Ghassan Andoni, International Middle East Media Center 12/12/2003 For the first time in 3 years students and the University administration decided to run elections for the student's council in Bir Zeit University. The decision to run the elections was a difficult one and faced serious objections from the side of the Palestinian Authority. It came in a still problematic situation with the crisis, which started in September 2000, is still ongoing. An election at Bir Zeit University is expected to have a snowball effect. More than 17 other universities and higher education institutes are expected to follow in the coming few weeks. Carols for Palestine, CD by Duo Doloroso Palestine Chronicle 12/13/2003 "In the following interview, the Palestine Chronicle asked the new singing group Duo Doloroso about their new album 'Carols for Palestine ..'" -- WASHINGTON - While millions of people across the world will celebrate Christmas over the next few weeks, hardly a thought is ever given to the place where it all began - the place we sing of in those well-loved Christmas Carols - Palestine. The realities of Palestine today could hardly be further from the fictions ("peaceful", "silent", "all is calm, all is bright", "joyful and triumphant", "hopeful") enshrined in those Carols, and by singing them, we allow Israel to perpetuate its illegal occupation; by singing those Carols we totally ignore and even serve to normalize the terror and horror inflicted on Palestinians every day of their lives.

International..

CIA report predicts no peace here until 2020 Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 The death of Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat would set in motion a sequence of events that could culminate in an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, a report released this week by the U.S. intelligence community predicts. The intelligence estimate casts doubt on the likelihood of a full peace settlement materializing in the years before 2020; nonetheless, should an Israel-Palestinian agreement for a "cold peace" win support among a majority of Palestinians, it would constitute the most significant development in the region since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, improve the Arab world's attitude toward the U.S., and eliminate a pretext used by Arab countries which are reluctant to implement political reforms, the U.S. assessment claims. Israel, the evaluation adds, will not relinquish nuclear weapons it possesses. Poll: Almost half of Americans see Israel as threat Ha'aretz 12/17/2003 Almost half the American people believe Israel is a threat to world peace, according to a poll presented Wednesday by a Jewish group, but many more are concerned about North Korea, Iraq and Iran. The Anti-Defamation League said its survey showed much less concern about Israel among Americans than a recent poll in Europe, where Israel was at the top of the list of countries perceived as threatening world peace. The ADL poll showed that 43 percent of Americans believe Israel is a threat to world peace, placing it behind seven other countries. In last month's Eurobarometer poll, 59 percent of Europeans chose Israel, ranking it number one. [See the ADL report at: http://www.adl.org/PresRele/IslME_62/4429_62.htm] Iran sets date for nuclear accord BBC 12/17/2003 Iran has said it will sign a protocol that will allow snap inspections of its nuclear sites on Thursday. This is the first time that Iran has set a date to sign the treaty. Iran was "most likely" to sign the protocol in Vienna, headquarters of the UN's nuclear watchdog, atomic energy chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh said. Conference for Egyptian opposition demanding fundamental reform Arabic News 12/17/2003 The Egyptian opposition parties are convening a gathering on December 24th demanding fundamental political reform. The spokesman for the committee in charge of defense for democracy, Hussein Abdul Razzaq, said that the conference was presumed was supposed to be held in October, in front of Abidin palace in the downtown of Cairo, with the participation of the opposition parties and the human rights defense organizations, but the authorities prevented it for security reasons. Al-Assad signs the Olympic Truce Arabic News 12/17/2003 Syria's President Bashar al-Assad signed in Athens on Tuesday the statement of the world figures for supporting the Olympic Truce. On the occasion of signing this statement, al-Assad thanked in his address Greek Foreign Minister for the invitation of signing the Olympic Truce, describing it as a symbolic action which represents the real desire to achieve peace over all the world. Prisoners win 2 of 21 recommended rights Daily Star 12/17/2003 [Lebanese] Ministry agrees to special visitation rooms for well-behaved inmates - Priest says convicts ‘are human beings but are not treated as such’-- The Ministry of Interior agreed on two of the 21 recommendations made by the Higher National Committee for Prisons following National Prisoners week, which took place last month, Father Elie Nasr said at the Press Federation on Tuesday. The two items that were approved were building visitation rooms for inmates with good conduct and opening a LibanPost office atRoumieh prison. NTV Banned from Airing Political Programs An Nahar 12/17/2003 The [Lebanese] government banned New TV station Tuesday from reporting news and politics for 48 hours, accusing it of breaking the law in a report on a staffer who was refused a residence permit....It was the second time in 10 days that the government has acted against New-TV. On Dec. 6, intelligence agents arrested New-TV's owner, Tahsin Khayyat, accusing him of collaborating with Israel and harming the country's foreign relations. Iraqi refugees in Lebanon start to return back home Arabic News 12/17/2003 An official source announced that Lebanon announced yesterday releasing some 273 Iraqis, who were in the Lebanese jails, because of their illegal entry to the Lebanese territories before the collapse of the Iraqi regime. The official at the Lebanese ministry of the Interior Lt. Gen. Saad Taher Abdullah said that "about 273 Iraqis, all of them men, left Romeyah prison to the north east of Beirut in buses that will take them to Iraq via Syria. IDC: Middle East PC sales up 25 percent in 3Q 2003 MENA Report 12/17/2003 PC shipments in the Arab Middle East reached 380,438 units in the third quarter of 2003, up 24.5 percent from the same period last year, according to IDC figures. Growth came from all form factors as desktops, notebooks and PC servers grew at 13.8 percent, 95.8 percent and 27.8 percent respectively. IDC’s latest results for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reveal that from July to September, PC shipments grew by 15.2 percent year-on-year, to reach 71,558 units. Most of the growth came from the PC server segment as it increased by almost 66.6 percent year-on-year. Man Is Sentenced for Helping Hezbollah The Guardian 12/17/2003 DETROIT (AP) - A man who allegedly funneled cigarette trafficking profits to an Islamic-militant group was sentenced Tuesday to four years and nine months in prison. Hassan M. Makki, 42, pleaded guilty in September to a racketeering conspiracy charge and to providing material support to Hezbollah, after it was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department. Makki acknowledged providing more than $2,000 to the militant group. Prosecutors say the money was intended to support Hezbollah's ``orphans of martyrs'' program, which benefits families of those killed in Hezbollah operations or by Hezbollah's enemies. Teenagers sentenced after antiwar demonstration News10Now.com 12/16/2003 Thirteen people took part in a "Die-In" last December in the Army and Marine Corps recruiting office in Lansing. Now, four of the women are facing the consequences. Teenagers Marie De Mott Grady, Anna Ritter, Oona Grady DeFlaun, and Ana Grady Flores protested the build up to the war in Iraq and the loss of life it would cause. For their actions, they have been offered a choice between four consecutive weekends in jail or a $250 fine....Now, many anti-war activists are furious that the teens are getting a stiffer sentence than the adults, even though their actions were the same. Part of 1996 Anti-Terror Law Overturned FreeRepublic.com 12/4/2003 SAN FRANCISCO — In a potential blow to the Bush administration's legal strategy in the war on terror, a federal appeals court overturned part of a sweeping law the government has increasingly used to arrest or prosecute suspected terrorists. The decision Wednesday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals involves a 1996 terrorism law that outlaws financial assistance or "material support" to organizations classified as terrorist by the State Department (search). The San Francisco-based appeals court struck down part of the law, ruling that it is unconstitutional to punish people — sometimes with life in prison — for providing "training" or "personnel" to a terror group.

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