Studies show that US coverage is Israeli-centric. The main bureaus for CNN, Associated Press, Time, etc. are located in Israel and often staffed by Israelis. The son of the NY Times bureau chief is in the Israeli army;"pundit" Jeffrey Goldberg served in the IDF; Wolf Blitzer worked for AIPAC. Because the U.S. gives Israel over $8 million/day - more than to any other nation - we feel it is essential that we be fully informed on this region. Below are news reports to augment mainstream coverage.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Israel To Impose Further Sanctions On Detainees [arrested over 70,000 Palestinians since 2000, 8000 of them childdren]

IMEMC - Israeli paper, Maariv, reported that Israeli Internal Security Minister, Yitzhak Aharonovitch, retracted his opposition to imposing further sanctions and restrictions on the detainees in an attempt to push Hamas movement to change its stances on prisoner-swap.
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On Wednesday, Aharonovitch held a special session on the issue and stated that he fears such sanctions would lead to “riots” in prisons and detention camps.

Maariv said that imposing sanctions would push Hamas to conclude a swap-deal under Israel’s terms.

Likud member of Knesset, Danni Ayalon...... believes that denying the detainees from their basic rights will be the most effective measure to pressure Hamas.......

.....Palestinian detainees are tortured during interrogation, held for extended periods without charges or trial, and denied their right to medical treatment.

The latest casualty among the detainees was Raed Abu Hammad who died on April 16 after he was hit by Israeli interrogators on the center of his spine and the back on his neck.


Nearly 200 Palestinian detainees died of torture and abuse, more than 50 died of medical negligence. Hundreds of detainees died after their release due to illnesses and effects of torture and gunshot wounds suffered prior or during the course of their arrest.

On April 17, the Palestinian Prisoners Day, the PPS reported that Israel arrested more than 70.000 Palestinians since 2000, 800 of them were women and 8000 were children.

... the current number of detainees imprisoned by Israel is 7000, held in 25 prisons, interrogation centers and detention camps.

... Israel is holding captive 16 legislators and ministers, 36 female detainees including 4 mothers, and 340 children. 5700 detainees are from the West Bank, 780 are from the Gaza Strip, 450 from Jerusalem and 47 detainees from the Arab world 

[ Israel refuses to release figures on the number of American citizens it is imprisoning. See the Foreign Service Journal article: "Special Report: Israel's Treatment of Americans"]  Full story