Deputy foreign minister meets networking site's managers to discuss plans for online PR
Palestine News - The government intends to turn the social network Facebook into the main platform for Israeli online public relations, investing a lot of resources on creating an efficient strategy to utilize the 600 million-large' network.
Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon visited the California offices of the network on Friday, and met with company heads including Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and VP of Advertising and Global Operations David Fischer, who is the son of Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer.
The Foreign Ministry is set on turning the famous social network into the main platform forIsraeli online public relations both in English and in Arabic. Officials in Jerusalem have expressed their belief that Facebook is a friendly platform for communication with young people around the world, allowing for distribution of messages through video clips and games.
Israeli embassies around the world have already begun to manage Facebook pages, but now the Foreign Ministry intends to make more efficient use of the network to improve Israel's image.
Ayalon's meetings are intended to foster a relationship between the Israeli government and Facebook heads. Ayalon has also invited Facebook managers to visit Israel in order to meet with internet entrepreneurs and participate in the Presidential Conference expected to take place in Jerusalem next June.
The deputy foreign minister displayed before them Israel's high-tech abilities, noting that Intel Company is the biggest private employer in Israel, with more than 7,000 employees.
Following Facebook's slow response in closing the internet page calling for a "third Intifada" and a violent protest against Israel, Facebook managers clarified that in the future they intend to deactivate any pages preaching violence. They also stated Facebook plans to open a marketing center in Israel...
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Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Andrew Cockburn: Exaggerated reports on Libya
CounterPunch, "Battling the Beast" - Andrew Cockburn - Libya has dislodged from the headlines a nuclear catastrophe in Japan, on top of a seismic one, that’s one of the epic dramas of the past half-century and what’s doubly weird is that the actual fighting in Libya is a series of tiny skirmishes. The muscle-bound adjectives and nouns used to describe the military engagements – if they even deserve that word – in press reports remind me of a Chihuahua trying to mount a Newfoundland. Ambition far outstrips reality, which is in this case is a nervous rabble motley insurgents – maybe 1,500 or so at most, posing for television crews and then fleeing back down the road to the next village (“strategic stronghold”) at the first whiff of trouble.
By my count, the mighty armies contending along the highway west of Benghazi would melt into the bleachers at a college baseball game. News stories suggest mobile warfare on the scale of the epic dramas of the Kursk salient in World War Two. But most of the action revolves around one tank. I’ve seen it in hundreds of video feeds. Like the tooth passed from witch to witch in Greek myththis tank performs many functions and to judge from the graffiti on its turret, it’s always the same vehicle. Maybe that’s why there’s endless bickering about whether the U.N. resolution covers the supply of arms and heavy equipment. The war’s PR men want to freshen up the visuals.
The “no-fly zone” prompted, just as it did in Iraq, endless US sorties aimed at destroying antennas that might be picking up data useful to Libya’s anti-aircraft defenses, which scarcely exist. As with any bombing, civilians died. A team of Russian doctors wrote to the president of the Russian Federation, the oleaginous Dmitry Medvedev, as follows (as cited on the Global Research site on March 28):
“Today, 24 March 2011, NATO aircraft and the U.S. all night and all morning bombed a suburb of Tripoli - Tajhura (where, in particular, is Libya's Nuclear Research Center). Air Defense and Air Force facilities in Tajhura were destroyed back in the first 2 days of strikes and more active military facilities in the city remained, but today the object of bombing are barracks of the Libyan army, around which are densely populated residential areas, and next to it - the largest of Libya's Heart Centers. Civilians and the doctors could not assume that common residential quarters will be about to become destroyed, so none of the residents or hospital patients was evacuated.
“Bombs and rockets struck residential houses and fell near the hospital. The glass of the Cardiac Center building was broken, and in the building of the maternity ward for pregnant women with heart disease a wall collapsed and part of the roof. This resulted in ten miscarriages whereby babies died, the women are in intensive care, doctors are fighting for their lives. Our colleagues and we are working seven days a week, to save people. This is a direct consequence of falling bombs and missiles in residential buildings resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, which are operated and reviewed now by our doctors. Such a large number of wounded and killed, as during today, did not occur during the total of all the riots in Libya. And this is called ‘protecting the civilian population?”
NATO planes fly thither and yon looking for targets. There was a rumor that George Monbiot had handcuffed himself to the Libyan nuclear research center to show solidarity with Qaddafi’s alleged commitment to research into nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels, but the word from Monbiot HQ was that that the silliest man in Great Britain is planning a symbolic flyover of Chernobyl as a monument to the safety of nuclear power, before inaugurating a “nuke camp” next to Daiichi 2 at Fukushima...
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By my count, the mighty armies contending along the highway west of Benghazi would melt into the bleachers at a college baseball game. News stories suggest mobile warfare on the scale of the epic dramas of the Kursk salient in World War Two. But most of the action revolves around one tank. I’ve seen it in hundreds of video feeds. Like the tooth passed from witch to witch in Greek myththis tank performs many functions and to judge from the graffiti on its turret, it’s always the same vehicle. Maybe that’s why there’s endless bickering about whether the U.N. resolution covers the supply of arms and heavy equipment. The war’s PR men want to freshen up the visuals.
The “no-fly zone” prompted, just as it did in Iraq, endless US sorties aimed at destroying antennas that might be picking up data useful to Libya’s anti-aircraft defenses, which scarcely exist. As with any bombing, civilians died. A team of Russian doctors wrote to the president of the Russian Federation, the oleaginous Dmitry Medvedev, as follows (as cited on the Global Research site on March 28):
“Today, 24 March 2011, NATO aircraft and the U.S. all night and all morning bombed a suburb of Tripoli - Tajhura (where, in particular, is Libya's Nuclear Research Center). Air Defense and Air Force facilities in Tajhura were destroyed back in the first 2 days of strikes and more active military facilities in the city remained, but today the object of bombing are barracks of the Libyan army, around which are densely populated residential areas, and next to it - the largest of Libya's Heart Centers. Civilians and the doctors could not assume that common residential quarters will be about to become destroyed, so none of the residents or hospital patients was evacuated.
“Bombs and rockets struck residential houses and fell near the hospital. The glass of the Cardiac Center building was broken, and in the building of the maternity ward for pregnant women with heart disease a wall collapsed and part of the roof. This resulted in ten miscarriages whereby babies died, the women are in intensive care, doctors are fighting for their lives. Our colleagues and we are working seven days a week, to save people. This is a direct consequence of falling bombs and missiles in residential buildings resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries, which are operated and reviewed now by our doctors. Such a large number of wounded and killed, as during today, did not occur during the total of all the riots in Libya. And this is called ‘protecting the civilian population?”
NATO planes fly thither and yon looking for targets. There was a rumor that George Monbiot had handcuffed himself to the Libyan nuclear research center to show solidarity with Qaddafi’s alleged commitment to research into nuclear power as an alternative to fossil fuels, but the word from Monbiot HQ was that that the silliest man in Great Britain is planning a symbolic flyover of Chernobyl as a monument to the safety of nuclear power, before inaugurating a “nuke camp” next to Daiichi 2 at Fukushima...
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Israel okays 942 new settler homes in East Jerusalem
Maan News Agency - Jerusalem city council on Monday approved the construction of 942 new Jewish-only homes in Gilo settlement in occupied East Jersualem, a councillor told AFP.
Elisha Peleg, from the right-wing Likud party, confirmed that the new construction in Gilo, close to the West Bank city of Bethlehem, had been approved during an afternoon session of the district planning council.
"Of course we approved it, it is only the first step," he told AFP, saying it was approved by five in favor and one against.
The municipality said this project was in addition to an earlier tranche of more than 900 new homes in Gilo approved in November 2009, which brought sharp condemnation from Washington which expressed "dismay" over the move.
The latest decision came a day ahead of a top-level meeting at the White House between Israeli President Shimon Peres and US President Barack Obama...
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Elisha Peleg, from the right-wing Likud party, confirmed that the new construction in Gilo, close to the West Bank city of Bethlehem, had been approved during an afternoon session of the district planning council.
"Of course we approved it, it is only the first step," he told AFP, saying it was approved by five in favor and one against.
The municipality said this project was in addition to an earlier tranche of more than 900 new homes in Gilo approved in November 2009, which brought sharp condemnation from Washington which expressed "dismay" over the move.
The latest decision came a day ahead of a top-level meeting at the White House between Israeli President Shimon Peres and US President Barack Obama...
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Israelis shoot and kill Palestinian man in the Gaza buffer zone
IMEMC - A Palestinian man has been killed in the buffer zone of the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday. The Israeli military has claimed that they shot the man as he was armed, and approaching the border, but Palestinian medical sources have stated that no weapon was found at the scene.
The attack occurred in the northern Gaza Strip, Reuters reports, and is the latest in the ongoing of killings of Palestinians in the buffer zone Israel imposes on the Gaza Strip.
The area has increased from 50 to 300 meters since it was first imposed following the Oslo Accords, with the Israeli military claiming that the area is enforced with live fire to prevent militants from approaching the border with Israel. Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip claim that the zone is imposed arbitrarily, with live fire reported upwards of 2 km from the border.
A UN report stated in 2010 that with the expansion of the zone to 300 meters, approximately 30% of Gaza’s agricultural land was rendered unusable.
Despite this, Palestinian farmers have continued to work in the area, both on their agricultural lands, and in the reclamation of ruble and debris from destroyed buildings.
The collection of these materials is a source of income for residents of the strip, where unemployment is over 50%, and counteracts Israel’s policy of prohibiting the required volumes of construction material into Gaza following he decimation of the coastal enclave’s infrastructure during Operation Cast Lead in December 2008 and January 2009.
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The attack occurred in the northern Gaza Strip, Reuters reports, and is the latest in the ongoing of killings of Palestinians in the buffer zone Israel imposes on the Gaza Strip.
The area has increased from 50 to 300 meters since it was first imposed following the Oslo Accords, with the Israeli military claiming that the area is enforced with live fire to prevent militants from approaching the border with Israel. Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip claim that the zone is imposed arbitrarily, with live fire reported upwards of 2 km from the border.
A UN report stated in 2010 that with the expansion of the zone to 300 meters, approximately 30% of Gaza’s agricultural land was rendered unusable.
Despite this, Palestinian farmers have continued to work in the area, both on their agricultural lands, and in the reclamation of ruble and debris from destroyed buildings.
The collection of these materials is a source of income for residents of the strip, where unemployment is over 50%, and counteracts Israel’s policy of prohibiting the required volumes of construction material into Gaza following he decimation of the coastal enclave’s infrastructure during Operation Cast Lead in December 2008 and January 2009.
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Monday, April 4, 2011
Ilan Pappe: Goldstone's shameful U-turn
Electronic Intifada - Ilan Pappe [Israeli historian and author Ilan Pappe is Professor of History and Director of the European Centre for Palestine Studies at the University of Exeter] - "If I had known then what I know now, the Goldstone report would have been a different document." Thus opens Judge Richard Goldstone's much-discussed op-ed in The Washington Post. I have a strong feeling that the editor might have tampered with the text and that the original sentence ought to have read something like: "If I had known then that the report would turn me into a self-hating Jew in the eyes of my beloved Israel and my own Jewish community in South Africa, the Goldstone report would never have been written at all." And if that wasn't the original sentence, it is certainly the subtext of Goldstone's article.
This shameful U-turn did not happen this week. It comes after more than a year and a half of a sustained campaign of intimidation and character assassination against the judge, a campaign whose like in the past destroyed mighty people such as US Senator William Fulbright who was shot down politically for his brave attempt to disclose AIPAC's illegal dealings with the State of Israel.
Already In October 2009, Goldstone told CNN, "I've got a great love for Israel" and "I've worked for many Israeli causes and continue to do so" (Video: "Fareed Zakaria GPS," 4 October 2009).
Given the fact that at the time he made this declaration of love he did not have any new evidence, as he claims now, one may wonder how could this love could not be at least weakened by what he discovered when writing, along with other members of the UN commission, his original report.
But worse was to come and exactly a year ago, in April 2010, the campaign against him reached new heights, or rather, lows. It was led by the chairman of the South African Zionist Federation, Avrom Krengel, who tried to prevent Goldstone from participating in his grandson's bar mitzvah in Johannesburg since "Goldstone caused irreparable damage to the Jewish people as a whole."
The South African Zionist Federation threatened to picket outside the synagogue during the ceremony. Worse was the interference of South Africa's Chief Rabbi, Warren Goldstein, who chastised Goldstone for "doing greater damage to the State of Israel." Last February, Goldstone said that "Hamas perpetrated war crimes, but Israel did not," in an interview that was not broadcast, according to a 3 April report the website of Israel's Channel 2. It was not enough: the Israelis demanded much more.
Readers might ask "so what?" and "why could Goldstone not withstand the heat?" Good questions, but alas the Zionization of Jewish communities and the false identification of Jewishness with Zionism is still a powerful disincentive that prevents liberal Jews from boldly facing Israel and its crimes.
Every now and again many liberal Jews seem to liberate themselves and allow their conscience, rather than their fear, to lead them. However, many seem unable stick to their more universalist inclinations for too long where Israel is concerned. The risk of being defined as a "self-hating Jew" with all the ramifications of such an accusation is a real and frightening prospect for them. You have to be in this position to understand the power of this terror.
Just weeks ago, Israeli military intelligence announced it had created a special unit to monitor, confront, and possibly hunt down, individuals and bodies suspected of "delegitimizing" Israel abroad. In light of this, perhaps quite a few of the faint-hearted felt standing up to Israel was not worth it.
We should have recognized that Goldstone was one of them when he stated that, despite his report, he remains a Zionist. This adjective, "Zionist," is far more meaningful and charged than is usually assumed. You cannot claim to be one if you oppose the ideology of the apartheid State of Israel. You can remain one if you just rebuke the state for a certain criminal policy and fail to see the connection between the ideology and that policy. "I am a Zionist" is a declaration of loyalty to a frame of mind that cannot accept the 2009 Goldstone Report. You can either be a Zionist or blame Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity -- if you do both, you will crack sooner rather than later...
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This shameful U-turn did not happen this week. It comes after more than a year and a half of a sustained campaign of intimidation and character assassination against the judge, a campaign whose like in the past destroyed mighty people such as US Senator William Fulbright who was shot down politically for his brave attempt to disclose AIPAC's illegal dealings with the State of Israel.
Already In October 2009, Goldstone told CNN, "I've got a great love for Israel" and "I've worked for many Israeli causes and continue to do so" (Video: "Fareed Zakaria GPS," 4 October 2009).
Given the fact that at the time he made this declaration of love he did not have any new evidence, as he claims now, one may wonder how could this love could not be at least weakened by what he discovered when writing, along with other members of the UN commission, his original report.
But worse was to come and exactly a year ago, in April 2010, the campaign against him reached new heights, or rather, lows. It was led by the chairman of the South African Zionist Federation, Avrom Krengel, who tried to prevent Goldstone from participating in his grandson's bar mitzvah in Johannesburg since "Goldstone caused irreparable damage to the Jewish people as a whole."
The South African Zionist Federation threatened to picket outside the synagogue during the ceremony. Worse was the interference of South Africa's Chief Rabbi, Warren Goldstein, who chastised Goldstone for "doing greater damage to the State of Israel." Last February, Goldstone said that "Hamas perpetrated war crimes, but Israel did not," in an interview that was not broadcast, according to a 3 April report the website of Israel's Channel 2. It was not enough: the Israelis demanded much more.
Readers might ask "so what?" and "why could Goldstone not withstand the heat?" Good questions, but alas the Zionization of Jewish communities and the false identification of Jewishness with Zionism is still a powerful disincentive that prevents liberal Jews from boldly facing Israel and its crimes.
Every now and again many liberal Jews seem to liberate themselves and allow their conscience, rather than their fear, to lead them. However, many seem unable stick to their more universalist inclinations for too long where Israel is concerned. The risk of being defined as a "self-hating Jew" with all the ramifications of such an accusation is a real and frightening prospect for them. You have to be in this position to understand the power of this terror.
Just weeks ago, Israeli military intelligence announced it had created a special unit to monitor, confront, and possibly hunt down, individuals and bodies suspected of "delegitimizing" Israel abroad. In light of this, perhaps quite a few of the faint-hearted felt standing up to Israel was not worth it.
We should have recognized that Goldstone was one of them when he stated that, despite his report, he remains a Zionist. This adjective, "Zionist," is far more meaningful and charged than is usually assumed. You cannot claim to be one if you oppose the ideology of the apartheid State of Israel. You can remain one if you just rebuke the state for a certain criminal policy and fail to see the connection between the ideology and that policy. "I am a Zionist" is a declaration of loyalty to a frame of mind that cannot accept the 2009 Goldstone Report. You can either be a Zionist or blame Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity -- if you do both, you will crack sooner rather than later...
Read More
Israeli army invades Palestinian town searching for peace activists
IMEMC - Under the pretext of searching for international peace activists, Israeli soldiers and policemen invaded on Monday at dawn Bil’in village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, broke into and searched several homes.
The Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, in Bil’in, reported that soldiers invaded the village approximately at 1:30 after midnight and broke into the homes of Ali Burnat and Khamis Fathi Abu Rahma.
Troops violently broke into the homes under the pretext of searching for international peace activists who participate in nonviolent protests against the Annexation Wall and settlements in the village.
The Committee said that soldiers prevented local reporters from performing their duty, and that the offensive against the village last for more than an hour.
Bil’in village plays an essential and a leading role in creative nonviolent resistance against the Wall and settlements.
Its activities started in 2004 and managed to garner a large international attention attracting hundreds of international and Israeli peace activists.
Israeli troops use excessive force against the popular nonviolent resistance in the village, and in several other West Bank villages and towns, inflicting hundreds of injuries and several deaths.
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The Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, in Bil’in, reported that soldiers invaded the village approximately at 1:30 after midnight and broke into the homes of Ali Burnat and Khamis Fathi Abu Rahma.
Troops violently broke into the homes under the pretext of searching for international peace activists who participate in nonviolent protests against the Annexation Wall and settlements in the village.
The Committee said that soldiers prevented local reporters from performing their duty, and that the offensive against the village last for more than an hour.
Bil’in village plays an essential and a leading role in creative nonviolent resistance against the Wall and settlements.
Its activities started in 2004 and managed to garner a large international attention attracting hundreds of international and Israeli peace activists.
Israeli troops use excessive force against the popular nonviolent resistance in the village, and in several other West Bank villages and towns, inflicting hundreds of injuries and several deaths.
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Israel plans expansion of several West Bank settlements
IMEMC - A committee of the Israeli Jerusalem municipal government began on Monday to implement a plan to expand the illegal settlement of Gilo, located on the land of the Palestinian town of Beit Jala, by 942 houses. Another illegal settlement, Nofim, received recognition by the Israeli government and will be allowed to proceed with expansion plans.
All Israeli settlements constructed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal under international law, and are also a violation of signed peace agreements and the so-called 'road map to peace' agreed to by the Israeli government.
The 942 homes approved in Gilo settlement expected to be followed by another 850 houses, as well as the expansion of water and electric services and Israeli-only roads.
Next week, the Jerusalem Planning and Building Committee is expected to approve a further 1,608 houses to be constructed in settlements beyond the 1967 'Green Line' border between Israel and the West Bank.
Over 500,000 Israeli settlers currently live in colonial settlements constructed on Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The vast majority of these settlers moved into these settlements, many from former Soviet Republics, in the last 15 years.
The plan to expand Gilo settlement, located south of Jerusalem on the land of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, was criticized in 2009, when it was introduced, by the US and United Kingdom. The US called the Gilo expansion an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians, and requested that the Israeli government not move forward with the plan.
Israeli settlement expansion has markedly increased since September 2010, when a supposed ten-month freeze on settlement construction was not renewed. But even in the year of the so-called 'settlement freeze' (2010), statistics show that four times more units were constructed in Israeli settlements than in 2009.
A recent United Nations Security Council Resolution condemning Israeli settlement expansion was vetoed by the US, although it was approved by the other 14 members...
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All Israeli settlements constructed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are considered illegal under international law, and are also a violation of signed peace agreements and the so-called 'road map to peace' agreed to by the Israeli government.
The 942 homes approved in Gilo settlement expected to be followed by another 850 houses, as well as the expansion of water and electric services and Israeli-only roads.
Next week, the Jerusalem Planning and Building Committee is expected to approve a further 1,608 houses to be constructed in settlements beyond the 1967 'Green Line' border between Israel and the West Bank.
Over 500,000 Israeli settlers currently live in colonial settlements constructed on Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The vast majority of these settlers moved into these settlements, many from former Soviet Republics, in the last 15 years.
The plan to expand Gilo settlement, located south of Jerusalem on the land of Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, was criticized in 2009, when it was introduced, by the US and United Kingdom. The US called the Gilo expansion an obstacle to peace with the Palestinians, and requested that the Israeli government not move forward with the plan.
Israeli settlement expansion has markedly increased since September 2010, when a supposed ten-month freeze on settlement construction was not renewed. But even in the year of the so-called 'settlement freeze' (2010), statistics show that four times more units were constructed in Israeli settlements than in 2009.
A recent United Nations Security Council Resolution condemning Israeli settlement expansion was vetoed by the US, although it was approved by the other 14 members...
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Israeli forces detain Palestinian teenager, continue to surround West Bank town
Maan News Agency - Israeli forces detained a teenager in Beit Ummar on Sunday as the army's siege on the West Bank town continues, local officials said.
Popular committee spokesman Mohammad Ayad Awwad said Israeli troops had surrounded Beit Ummar for 13 days, since the army blocking all entrances to the town with barriers and cement blocks.
Soldiers detained Ahmad Ibrahim Ali IIkhlieyel, 16, and took him to an unknown location, Awwad added.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said Ali Ikhlieyel was detained "for security questioning."
Israeli forces have stepped up military activity in Beit Ummar since an Israeli settler opened fire on a funeral procession in the town on March 21, injuring two...
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Popular committee spokesman Mohammad Ayad Awwad said Israeli troops had surrounded Beit Ummar for 13 days, since the army blocking all entrances to the town with barriers and cement blocks.
Soldiers detained Ahmad Ibrahim Ali IIkhlieyel, 16, and took him to an unknown location, Awwad added.
An Israeli army spokeswoman said Ali Ikhlieyel was detained "for security questioning."
Israeli forces have stepped up military activity in Beit Ummar since an Israeli settler opened fire on a funeral procession in the town on March 21, injuring two...
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Settlers attack Palestinian man in the West Bank
Maan News Agency - Israeli settlers on Sunday attacked a Palestinian man south of Nablus and destroyed water pipes in the area, officials said.
Imad Husni Salahat, 47, was severely beaten by settlers in Kawkab Salah near Ma'ale Efrayim, said Palestinian Authority settlement affairs official Ghassan Doughlas.
Doughlas said Salahat was taken to the Rafadea Hospital in Nablus.
In the same area, village council official Hasan Zieyada said residents of the illegal Yitzhar settlement destroyed water pipes south of Madama...
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Imad Husni Salahat, 47, was severely beaten by settlers in Kawkab Salah near Ma'ale Efrayim, said Palestinian Authority settlement affairs official Ghassan Doughlas.
Doughlas said Salahat was taken to the Rafadea Hospital in Nablus.
In the same area, village council official Hasan Zieyada said residents of the illegal Yitzhar settlement destroyed water pipes south of Madama...
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Sunday, April 3, 2011
New Egyptian foreign minister says Egypt will not remain 'strategic treasure' to Israel
Palestine Information Center - The new Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi has criticized the Egyptian position as Israel launches a new aggression on the Gaza Strip, saying a national security council consisting of foreign ministers and experts should have been created to deal with the position in Gaza.
He said that Egypt requires a national security council to examine decisions and provide ideas according to the systems of developed countries.
According to Arabi, under the old regime, Egypt's foreign policy was turned into not more than a ”reaction” for current events, and issues were managed randomly and improvised.
Arabi explained Israel's intent behind the Camp David Accord was to naturalize the Arab state's treatment of Israel. Egypt had signed the treaty and must abide by it, he said. And Israel must also abide by its clauses.
”We will stick to all of the treaties we signed, and we will demand that they keep their side of the deal,” Arabi said.
”There must be some decisiveness in the issues Israel has not abided by, such as the clause that states that Israel must maintain peace with countries that want [peace], which has not happened with Palestine, which has agreed to peace with Israel,” he said. ”The conflict between Palestine and Israel should be ended and not managed...for the benefit of Israel, Palestine and the entire world.”
He added: ”We will not be a strategic treasure for Israel as they used to say during the time of Mubarak. We will only abide by the treaties.”
The Egyptian delegation had opposed the Camp David Accord and had told Pres. Sadat not to sign. But Sadat insisted on doing so.
Arabi said Egypt will revive its national role as the largest country in the Arab region and has paid a high price for standing for what is right and maintaining agreements or rights.
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He said that Egypt requires a national security council to examine decisions and provide ideas according to the systems of developed countries.
According to Arabi, under the old regime, Egypt's foreign policy was turned into not more than a ”reaction” for current events, and issues were managed randomly and improvised.
Arabi explained Israel's intent behind the Camp David Accord was to naturalize the Arab state's treatment of Israel. Egypt had signed the treaty and must abide by it, he said. And Israel must also abide by its clauses.
”We will stick to all of the treaties we signed, and we will demand that they keep their side of the deal,” Arabi said.
”There must be some decisiveness in the issues Israel has not abided by, such as the clause that states that Israel must maintain peace with countries that want [peace], which has not happened with Palestine, which has agreed to peace with Israel,” he said. ”The conflict between Palestine and Israel should be ended and not managed...for the benefit of Israel, Palestine and the entire world.”
He added: ”We will not be a strategic treasure for Israel as they used to say during the time of Mubarak. We will only abide by the treaties.”
The Egyptian delegation had opposed the Camp David Accord and had told Pres. Sadat not to sign. But Sadat insisted on doing so.
Arabi said Egypt will revive its national role as the largest country in the Arab region and has paid a high price for standing for what is right and maintaining agreements or rights.
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Goldstone reneges on report, yet the documented record still stands: Israel intentionally targets civilians and civilian infrastructure
Alex Kane, Mondoweiss - Judge Richard Goldstone’s mea culpa in the Washington Post today is indeed “confusing and potentially damaging,” as Adam Horowitz writes.
Key findings in the U.N. report–that “Israeli armed forces had carried out direct intentional strikes against civilians” in eleven incidents examined in detail and that Israel destroyed civilian infrastructure like the Sawafeary chicken farm in a systematic and deliberate fashion–is muddied up by Goldstone’s claim that “civilians were not intentionally targeted as a matter of policy.”
....In the Gaza Strip, civilians are routinely shot at and sometimes killed if they step into the so-called “buffer zone,” which constitutes some 35 percent of the Strip’s arable land. An October 2010 report by Defense of Children International states:
"Between 26 March and 14 October 2010, DCI-Palestine documented 14 cases of children shot whilst collecting building gravel near the border fence between Gaza Strip and Israel. Due to a severe lack of job opportunities and a shortage of construction material entering Gaza from Israel, hundreds of men and boys scavenge for building gravel amongst the destroyed buildings close to the border fence. The gravel is collected into sacks, loaded onto donkey drawn carts and sold to builders for use in concrete. Children can earn up to 50 shekels (US $13) per day which is used to help support their families. Reports indicate that Israeli soldiers on duty in the observation towers which line the border between Gaza and Israel frequently fire warning shots to scare workers away from the border region. Reports also indicate that these soldiers sometimes shoot and kill the donkeys used by the workers, and also target the workers, usually, but not always, shooting at their legs. In the cases documented by DCI-Palestine, the children report being shot whilst working between 50 to 800 metres from the border fence."
A separate U.N. study on the “buffer zone” reports:
"Since the end of the “Cast Lead” offensive in January 2009, the Israeli army has also killed a total of 22 civilians and injured another 146 in these circumstances."
The examples are endless, but what they make clear is that the Israeli persecution of Palestinians documented in the Goldstone report and numerous other sources was not confined to “Operation Cast Lead.” Goldstone’s “reconsideration” in the Post today doesn’t change the documented history.
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Key findings in the U.N. report–that “Israeli armed forces had carried out direct intentional strikes against civilians” in eleven incidents examined in detail and that Israel destroyed civilian infrastructure like the Sawafeary chicken farm in a systematic and deliberate fashion–is muddied up by Goldstone’s claim that “civilians were not intentionally targeted as a matter of policy.”
....In the Gaza Strip, civilians are routinely shot at and sometimes killed if they step into the so-called “buffer zone,” which constitutes some 35 percent of the Strip’s arable land. An October 2010 report by Defense of Children International states:
"Between 26 March and 14 October 2010, DCI-Palestine documented 14 cases of children shot whilst collecting building gravel near the border fence between Gaza Strip and Israel. Due to a severe lack of job opportunities and a shortage of construction material entering Gaza from Israel, hundreds of men and boys scavenge for building gravel amongst the destroyed buildings close to the border fence. The gravel is collected into sacks, loaded onto donkey drawn carts and sold to builders for use in concrete. Children can earn up to 50 shekels (US $13) per day which is used to help support their families. Reports indicate that Israeli soldiers on duty in the observation towers which line the border between Gaza and Israel frequently fire warning shots to scare workers away from the border region. Reports also indicate that these soldiers sometimes shoot and kill the donkeys used by the workers, and also target the workers, usually, but not always, shooting at their legs. In the cases documented by DCI-Palestine, the children report being shot whilst working between 50 to 800 metres from the border fence."
A separate U.N. study on the “buffer zone” reports:
"Since the end of the “Cast Lead” offensive in January 2009, the Israeli army has also killed a total of 22 civilians and injured another 146 in these circumstances."
The examples are endless, but what they make clear is that the Israeli persecution of Palestinians documented in the Goldstone report and numerous other sources was not confined to “Operation Cast Lead.” Goldstone’s “reconsideration” in the Post today doesn’t change the documented history.
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Students on trip to IDF base simulated shooting targets with Arab headdres
Incident took place during at a military base where students were being escorted as part of an 'IDF preparation' project, sanctioned by the Education Ministry.
Haaretz - Twelfth-grade students from Herzliya's Hayovel High School took part in a simulated shooting attack in which the targets were figures decked out with the Arab keffiyeh headdress, Haaretz has learned.
The incident took place at a military base last week during the annual 12th grade trip. The students were being escorted to a commanders' base in the Negev as part of an "IDF preparation" project, which is sanctioned by the Education Ministry.
According to a person familiar with the details, the event was tantamount to "educating toward hatred of Arabs."
"Some citizens of the State of Israel wear keffiyehs," the source said. "Now they are viewed as legitimate targets for a shooting simulation."
The trip concluded on Thursday. In a notice that was sent to parents, the school said that "the course of the trip is an inseparable part of the educational curriculum in general, and the 'IDF preparation' in particular."
The first day of the trip included "activities with soldiers in commanders' school," according to the notice. The students met with soldiers on the base and heard lectures about the army and the importance of conscription...
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Haaretz - Twelfth-grade students from Herzliya's Hayovel High School took part in a simulated shooting attack in which the targets were figures decked out with the Arab keffiyeh headdress, Haaretz has learned.
The incident took place at a military base last week during the annual 12th grade trip. The students were being escorted to a commanders' base in the Negev as part of an "IDF preparation" project, which is sanctioned by the Education Ministry.
According to a person familiar with the details, the event was tantamount to "educating toward hatred of Arabs."
"Some citizens of the State of Israel wear keffiyehs," the source said. "Now they are viewed as legitimate targets for a shooting simulation."
The trip concluded on Thursday. In a notice that was sent to parents, the school said that "the course of the trip is an inseparable part of the educational curriculum in general, and the 'IDF preparation' in particular."
The first day of the trip included "activities with soldiers in commanders' school," according to the notice. The students met with soldiers on the base and heard lectures about the army and the importance of conscription...
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Goldstone's daughter: My father's participation softened UN Gaza report
Haaretz, Sept. 16, 2009 - Had Richard Goldstone not served as the head of the UN inquiry into the Gaza war, the accusations against Israel would have been harsher, Goldstone's daughter, Nicole, said in an interview conducted in Hebrew with Army Radio on Wednesday.
"My father took on this job because he thought he is doing the best thing for peace, for everyone, and also for Israel," Nicole Goldstone told Army Radio.
She added that her father wrestled with the decision to take on the task. "It wasn't easy [for him]," Nicole Goldstone said. "My father did not expect to see and hear what he saw and heard."
Nicole Goldstone, who currently lives in Canada with her family, spoke of her great love for Israel.
"Every time I dream of returning to the country or that my son will one day immigrate there," she told Army Radio.
"Israel is more important to me than anything. I'm not there at the moment, but my heart is always there."
Nicole Goldstone said she expects to host her father for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday.
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"My father took on this job because he thought he is doing the best thing for peace, for everyone, and also for Israel," Nicole Goldstone told Army Radio.
She added that her father wrestled with the decision to take on the task. "It wasn't easy [for him]," Nicole Goldstone said. "My father did not expect to see and hear what he saw and heard."
Nicole Goldstone, who currently lives in Canada with her family, spoke of her great love for Israel.
"Every time I dream of returning to the country or that my son will one day immigrate there," she told Army Radio.
"Israel is more important to me than anything. I'm not there at the moment, but my heart is always there."
Nicole Goldstone said she expects to host her father for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah holiday.
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UN: Israel's demolitions of Palestinian homes hit record high
Maan News Agency - Israel's demolitions of Palestinian homes and buildings reached a record high in March for the third consecutive month, according to figures from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The UN Relief and Works Agency recorded 76 demolitions of Palestinian buildings in March, forcibly displacing 158 Palestinians including 64 children.
So far this year, Israel has demolished the homes of 333 Palestinians, including 175 children, UNRWA reported.
Meanwhile, Israel has built a record number of Jewish-only homes on occupied Palestinian land, in contravention of international law.
Commenting on the unprecedented figures, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness told Ma'an that they revealed ethnic discrimination.
"I am not saying this is classic ethnic cleansing, but the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned this discrimination and make no mistake, it is discrimination against one ethnic group."..
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The UN Relief and Works Agency recorded 76 demolitions of Palestinian buildings in March, forcibly displacing 158 Palestinians including 64 children.
So far this year, Israel has demolished the homes of 333 Palestinians, including 175 children, UNRWA reported.
Meanwhile, Israel has built a record number of Jewish-only homes on occupied Palestinian land, in contravention of international law.
Commenting on the unprecedented figures, UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness told Ma'an that they revealed ethnic discrimination.
"I am not saying this is classic ethnic cleansing, but the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has condemned this discrimination and make no mistake, it is discrimination against one ethnic group."..
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Saturday, April 2, 2011
Rabbi says Jewish law prohibits couples from conceiving using non-Jewish sperm
Ynet News - Rabbi Dov Lior, a senior authority on Jewish law in the Religious Zionism movement, asserted recently that a Jewish woman should never get pregnant using sperm donated by a non-Jewish man – even if it is the last option available.
According to Lior, a baby born through such an insemination will have the "negative genetic traits that characterize non-Jews." Instead, he advised sterile couples to adopt.
Lior addressed the issue during a women's health conference held recently at the Puah Institute, a fertility clinic. His conservative stance negated a ruling widely accepted by rabbis, which states that sperm donated by a non-Jew is preferable to that of an anonymous Jew, who might pose a genealogical risk.
"Sefer HaChinuch (a book of Jewish law) states that the character traits of the father pass on to the son," he said in the lecture. "If the father in not Jewish, what character traits could he have? Traits of cruelty, of barbarism! These are not traits that characterize the people of Israel."
Lior added identified Jews as merciful, shy and charitable – qualities that he claimed could be inherited. "A person born to Jewish parents, even if they weren't raised on the Torah – there are things that are passed on (to him) in the blood, it's genetic," he explained. "If the father is a gentile, then the child is deprived of these things.
"I even read in books that sometimes the crime, the difficult traits, the bitterness – a child that comes from these traits, it's no surprise that he won't have the qualities that characterize the people of Israel," he added...
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According to Lior, a baby born through such an insemination will have the "negative genetic traits that characterize non-Jews." Instead, he advised sterile couples to adopt.
Lior addressed the issue during a women's health conference held recently at the Puah Institute, a fertility clinic. His conservative stance negated a ruling widely accepted by rabbis, which states that sperm donated by a non-Jew is preferable to that of an anonymous Jew, who might pose a genealogical risk.
"Sefer HaChinuch (a book of Jewish law) states that the character traits of the father pass on to the son," he said in the lecture. "If the father in not Jewish, what character traits could he have? Traits of cruelty, of barbarism! These are not traits that characterize the people of Israel."
Lior added identified Jews as merciful, shy and charitable – qualities that he claimed could be inherited. "A person born to Jewish parents, even if they weren't raised on the Torah – there are things that are passed on (to him) in the blood, it's genetic," he explained. "If the father is a gentile, then the child is deprived of these things.
"I even read in books that sometimes the crime, the difficult traits, the bitterness – a child that comes from these traits, it's no surprise that he won't have the qualities that characterize the people of Israel," he added...
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Settlers attack home, shop in the West Bank
Maan News Agency - Israeli settlers attacked a shop and a home in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday, witnesses said.
Onlookers said settlers destroyed the contents of a store in Jaber neighborhood and damaged a Palestinian home in Tel Rumeida in central Hebron.
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Onlookers said settlers destroyed the contents of a store in Jaber neighborhood and damaged a Palestinian home in Tel Rumeida in central Hebron.
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Israeli soldiers attack Palestinian youth planting olive trees
Maan News Agency - A group of Palestinian youth said they were attacked by Israeli soldiers while planting olive trees on Wednesday.
Around 30 young men and women from a group "Ihna Gheir" (We are different) planted around 100 olive trees in A'bud village north west of Ramallah to commemorate Land Day.
One of the participants told Ma’an that Israeli military jeeps raided the area and threatened the group. The soldiers were followed by a group of settlers, who uprooted the trees, and two Palestinians were injured in ensuing clashes.
The Palestinian youth said they moved to another area to continue planting the trees...
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Around 30 young men and women from a group "Ihna Gheir" (We are different) planted around 100 olive trees in A'bud village north west of Ramallah to commemorate Land Day.
One of the participants told Ma’an that Israeli military jeeps raided the area and threatened the group. The soldiers were followed by a group of settlers, who uprooted the trees, and two Palestinians were injured in ensuing clashes.
The Palestinian youth said they moved to another area to continue planting the trees...
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Israel builds more checkpoints in the West Bank
Maan News Agency - Israeli forces on Saturday erected several military checkpoints on the road to Wadi Qana south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, denying local farmers access to their fields in the area.
Meanwhile, 13 busloads of Israeli settlers from the nearby Alfe Menashe and Qarne Shomron settlements were escorted to the Wadi Qana valley by heavy police and military forces.
The mayor of Deir Istiya, Nathmi Salman, said he was denied access to Wadi Qana at gun point and was told the area was a "closed military zone."
He said that Palestinian farmers had gathered in a building near Wadi Qana and an Israeli military jeep was stationed there preventing them from leaving...
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Meanwhile, 13 busloads of Israeli settlers from the nearby Alfe Menashe and Qarne Shomron settlements were escorted to the Wadi Qana valley by heavy police and military forces.
The mayor of Deir Istiya, Nathmi Salman, said he was denied access to Wadi Qana at gun point and was told the area was a "closed military zone."
He said that Palestinian farmers had gathered in a building near Wadi Qana and an Israeli military jeep was stationed there preventing them from leaving...
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Israel strikes southern Gaza, 3 killed
Maan News Agency - Israeli war planes struck the southern Gaza Strip overnight Friday killing three Palestinians and seriously injuring a fourth, medics said.
Gaza medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said the deceased were transferred to the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Khan Younis, adding that their bodies were charred from the intensity of the strike.
The three were identified as Isma’il Labad, 31, and his brother Abdullah, 24, from Ash-Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, and Muhammad Ad-Dayah, 31, from the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
A fourth man was seriously wounded in the attack and taken to the same hospital, Abu Salmiya said.
Witnesses said Israeli drones fired a missile at a white Toyota traveling on Salah Ad-Din road between Khan Younis and Deir Al-Baleh. They said the car was totally destroyed, and that the explosion shook the city of Khan Younis...
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Gaza medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said the deceased were transferred to the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Khan Younis, adding that their bodies were charred from the intensity of the strike.
The three were identified as Isma’il Labad, 31, and his brother Abdullah, 24, from Ash-Shati refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, and Muhammad Ad-Dayah, 31, from the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
A fourth man was seriously wounded in the attack and taken to the same hospital, Abu Salmiya said.
Witnesses said Israeli drones fired a missile at a white Toyota traveling on Salah Ad-Din road between Khan Younis and Deir Al-Baleh. They said the car was totally destroyed, and that the explosion shook the city of Khan Younis...
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Friday, April 1, 2011
Israeli troops open fire on anti-wall protest, three injured
Palestine News Network - Three villagers were injured on Friday by Israeli troops as the forcibly suppressed weekly anti-wall protests in several locations across the West Bank.
Today protesters commemorated Palestinian land day. The first Land Day was held in 1976, when Palestinians inside Israel organized massive popular protests in response to an Israeli government plan
to appropriate large tracts of Arab land in the Galilee for security and settlements. Israeli police gunfire on that day left six Palestinians dead.
In the village of Bil’in, where anti wall protests have been organized for the past six years, three men were injured when Israeli troops fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters.
After the midday prayers in the local mosque finished, villagers were joined by international and Israeli peace activists and marched up the gate of the wall separating villagers from their lands.
Troops stationed there opened fire at protesters injuring Bassem Yassen, 34 years old, Rani Burnat, 29 and Kamel Al Khateb, 19. The men sustained injuries when soldiers fired tear gas canisters directly at them. Many others were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
The nearby village of Ni'lin held a similar protest on Friday. After conducting the Friday prayers on lands near the wall, villagers and their supporters marched up to the gate of the wall separating local farmers from their land. Israeli troops used tear gas and sound bombs to force people back. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation...
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Today protesters commemorated Palestinian land day. The first Land Day was held in 1976, when Palestinians inside Israel organized massive popular protests in response to an Israeli government plan
to appropriate large tracts of Arab land in the Galilee for security and settlements. Israeli police gunfire on that day left six Palestinians dead.
In the village of Bil’in, where anti wall protests have been organized for the past six years, three men were injured when Israeli troops fired tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters.
After the midday prayers in the local mosque finished, villagers were joined by international and Israeli peace activists and marched up the gate of the wall separating villagers from their lands.
Troops stationed there opened fire at protesters injuring Bassem Yassen, 34 years old, Rani Burnat, 29 and Kamel Al Khateb, 19. The men sustained injuries when soldiers fired tear gas canisters directly at them. Many others were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.
The nearby village of Ni'lin held a similar protest on Friday. After conducting the Friday prayers on lands near the wall, villagers and their supporters marched up to the gate of the wall separating local farmers from their land. Israeli troops used tear gas and sound bombs to force people back. Many were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation...
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Report: Israel abducted 43 Palestinian civilians this week
IMEMC - In its Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories for the week of 24-30 March 2011, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) found that 3 Palestinian resistance fighters were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, one of whom was extra-judicially executed.
Israeli forces abducted 27 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children, during invasions into the West Bank, and abducted 16 non-violent activists at demonstrations in the West Bank.
In addition, 3 Palestinian resistance fighters were wounded in the Gaza Strip, and a number of Palestinian civilians were injured by shattered glass when Israeli warplanes bombed the Ship Building in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, 30 houses and two schools were damaged by Israeli troops in Gaza...
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Israeli forces abducted 27 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children, during invasions into the West Bank, and abducted 16 non-violent activists at demonstrations in the West Bank.
In addition, 3 Palestinian resistance fighters were wounded in the Gaza Strip, and a number of Palestinian civilians were injured by shattered glass when Israeli warplanes bombed the Ship Building in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, 30 houses and two schools were damaged by Israeli troops in Gaza...
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Settler ran over three year old Palestinian girl
Maan News Agency - An Israeli settler ran over a three-year-old girl and fled the scene in central Hebron on Thursday, locals said.
Lana Al-Ja'bari was transferred to hospital with moderate injuries, her relatives said
She was run over near the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the presence of Israeli soldiers, witnesses said.
On Monday, an Israeli settler ran down a Palestinian girl on her way to school south of Hebron. He remained in the area until police arrived.
However, in two other incidents in March, Israeli settlers driving in the West Bank struck Palestinians and drove away.
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Lana Al-Ja'bari was transferred to hospital with moderate injuries, her relatives said
She was run over near the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque in the presence of Israeli soldiers, witnesses said.
On Monday, an Israeli settler ran down a Palestinian girl on her way to school south of Hebron. He remained in the area until police arrived.
However, in two other incidents in March, Israeli settlers driving in the West Bank struck Palestinians and drove away.
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Israeli army arrests 3 east of Bethlehem
Maan News Agency - Israeli soldiers arrested three Palestinians at a checkpoint in Beit Sahour east of Bethlehem, locals said.
Soldiers stopped a taxi that was on its way from Hebron to Ramallah and ordered all the passengers out, including two disabled people.
They searched the vehicle and detained the driver, Ahed Ibrahim Abu Sbeih, 33, from Hebron, and two other passengers.
An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
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Soldiers stopped a taxi that was on its way from Hebron to Ramallah and ordered all the passengers out, including two disabled people.
They searched the vehicle and detained the driver, Ahed Ibrahim Abu Sbeih, 33, from Hebron, and two other passengers.
An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
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Thursday, March 31, 2011
Confronting the occupation
Episcopal News Service - I recently returned from a two-week pilgrimage to Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories, my third trip to the area. It was emotionally devastating.
I travelled in the company of some 30 Northern California members of Friends of Sabeel North America. Sabeel is an ecumenical Palestinian Christian liberation theology group based in Jerusalem and headed by the Rev. Naim Ateek, an Episcopal priest and graduate of Church Divinity School of the Pacific.
Our trip was a little different from the average Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The average pilgrim flies into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, gets on an Israeli bus, drives up the coast to Galilee, across the Galilee to Nazareth and Capernaum, down the Jordan Valley, and up through the Judean Wilderness to Jerusalem. Such pilgrims see lots of sacred sites, but meet not a single Palestinian, and return with the same one-sided view of Israel/Palestine he or she left with.
Ours, however, was a pilgrimage to experience the truth of the current situation in Israel/Palestine and to witness to it.
To that end, we travelled from Mount Hermon on the occupied Golan Heights, where we met with Druze villagers cut off from their families in Syria, to the Negev desert in Israel's south where Bedouin villagers are struggling to save their homes from demolition.
And across the West Bank we experienced pain at every turn -- the shuttered shops in Hebron, the empty ones in Bethlehem, the farmers in Qalqilya and Jayous cut off from their fields, the sullen streets of the refugee camps, the still-open wound of a decade-old massacre in Jenin, the stench of tear gas in Bil'in. And, everywhere, the gleaming white hilltop colonies, home to half a million Israeli "settlers"; the myriad checkpoints; and the looming obscenity of a 30-foot-high wall.
The pain was perhaps most pronounced in East Jerusalem's neighborhoods where we met with Palestinians whose homes were being demolished in Silwan and, in Sheikh Jarrah, where elderly Palestinians were living in a tent beside their home now occupied by young Israeli religious extremists. Even the dead, we learned, were being dispossessed. In the Muslim cemetery of Mamilla -- across the street from the American Consulate -- graves were being desecrated to make room for an American-financed "Museum of Tolerance."
My sense of profound sadness and moral outrage was blessedly tempered by our encounters with young Palestinians and Israelis...
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I travelled in the company of some 30 Northern California members of Friends of Sabeel North America. Sabeel is an ecumenical Palestinian Christian liberation theology group based in Jerusalem and headed by the Rev. Naim Ateek, an Episcopal priest and graduate of Church Divinity School of the Pacific.
Our trip was a little different from the average Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The average pilgrim flies into Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, gets on an Israeli bus, drives up the coast to Galilee, across the Galilee to Nazareth and Capernaum, down the Jordan Valley, and up through the Judean Wilderness to Jerusalem. Such pilgrims see lots of sacred sites, but meet not a single Palestinian, and return with the same one-sided view of Israel/Palestine he or she left with.
Ours, however, was a pilgrimage to experience the truth of the current situation in Israel/Palestine and to witness to it.
To that end, we travelled from Mount Hermon on the occupied Golan Heights, where we met with Druze villagers cut off from their families in Syria, to the Negev desert in Israel's south where Bedouin villagers are struggling to save their homes from demolition.
And across the West Bank we experienced pain at every turn -- the shuttered shops in Hebron, the empty ones in Bethlehem, the farmers in Qalqilya and Jayous cut off from their fields, the sullen streets of the refugee camps, the still-open wound of a decade-old massacre in Jenin, the stench of tear gas in Bil'in. And, everywhere, the gleaming white hilltop colonies, home to half a million Israeli "settlers"; the myriad checkpoints; and the looming obscenity of a 30-foot-high wall.
The pain was perhaps most pronounced in East Jerusalem's neighborhoods where we met with Palestinians whose homes were being demolished in Silwan and, in Sheikh Jarrah, where elderly Palestinians were living in a tent beside their home now occupied by young Israeli religious extremists. Even the dead, we learned, were being dispossessed. In the Muslim cemetery of Mamilla -- across the street from the American Consulate -- graves were being desecrated to make room for an American-financed "Museum of Tolerance."
My sense of profound sadness and moral outrage was blessedly tempered by our encounters with young Palestinians and Israelis...
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BDS victory against Ahava in UK
International Solidarity Movement - In a victory for the BDS movement, the UK flagship store of Ahava has been forced to relocate after years of protests and direct action. Ahava, an Israeli company which sells cosmetic products produced in the illegal settlement of Mitzpe Shalem has been a target for protesters in the UK who have sought to drive it out of London and challenge the legality of the company’s practices. In the past two and a half years protesters have blockaded the shop a number of times, preventing the store from trading. Ahava have so far been unsuccessful in securing any convictions for these actions in court. Under UK law, the crime of aggravated trespass is committed if one disrupts or obstructs a lawful activity on someone else’s property. However activists have argued that Ahava’s business is not lawful as it operates out of an illegal settlement. Ahava has also been under scrutiny for labelling its products as ‘made in Israel’ misleading customers and violating domestic consumer law. They have also been accused of evading tax by mislabelling their products.
Every fortnight the UK flagship store in Covent Garden, London is the site of a protest which regularly draws in large numbers of BDS and Palestine supporters. According to The Jewish Chronicle online these protests have resulted in complaints being made against the company by the neighbouring businesses which have led to a decision not to renew their lease when it expires. The protests have also seemingly effected Ahava UK’s profits, with their accounts up until the end of 2009 showing a total loss of more than £250,000, despite receiving more than £300,000 from its Israeli parent company, with no repayment plan.
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Every fortnight the UK flagship store in Covent Garden, London is the site of a protest which regularly draws in large numbers of BDS and Palestine supporters. According to The Jewish Chronicle online these protests have resulted in complaints being made against the company by the neighbouring businesses which have led to a decision not to renew their lease when it expires. The protests have also seemingly effected Ahava UK’s profits, with their accounts up until the end of 2009 showing a total loss of more than £250,000, despite receiving more than £300,000 from its Israeli parent company, with no repayment plan.
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The impoverishment of Palestinian Arabs in Israel
Middle East Monitor - The Israeli government sets a state budget which is allocated to all sectors of society.
-Claims of economic discrimination are rife given the disparity in living conditions between Palestinian Israelis and Jewish Israelis.
-61.3 per cent of Palestinian families live below the poverty line compared to 29 per cent of Jewish families.
-Of the Israeli Civil Service employees, just 5% are Palestinian Israelis.
-The Israeli government spends $1,100 per year on each Jewish Israeli student and $192 per year on each Palestinian Israeli student.
-In the 2008 - 09 budget the Israeli government apportioned just $11 million out of $188 million to the Palestinian infrastructure within Israel.
The Palestinian population living within Israel is estimated to be 1.5 million citizens, approximately 20 per cent of the Israeli population. Of this number, about 370,000 are 'internally displaced'; they live in Israel but are not allowed to return to their homes or villages from which they were displaced during the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe). Often regarded as the 'forgotten Palestinians' of the region, the Palestinians who reside in Israel find themselves in a unique situation compared to their compatriots in Israel and their neighbours in the West Bank and Gaza Strip -they are not entitled to the same rights as Jewish Israeli citizens and are not included or represented in the political negotiations.
In recent years, Palestinians in Israel have become more assertive and organized in their attempts to reverse the growing trend toward far right policies of racial discrimination. Since this trend has entered the official political discourse, the Palestinian community in Israel have campaigned to highlight the disadvantages they face. Israel's incumbent government have, since 2009, passed several bills to force non-Jewish citizens to declare loyalty to a 'Jewish state', as well as limit their ability to own or purchase property and land.
The Palestinian community in Israel functions within a distinct sphere to Jewish Israelis; they live in separate areas, follow a separate education system, and utilize a different health care system. Notwithstanding, almost all systems are centrally controlled and financed. As a result of this pattern of separate development the Palestinian community find themselves subject to polices of 'economic discrimination'. Much of Israel's budgets for social services are disproportionately distributed between the Palestinian and Jewish communities.
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-Claims of economic discrimination are rife given the disparity in living conditions between Palestinian Israelis and Jewish Israelis.
-61.3 per cent of Palestinian families live below the poverty line compared to 29 per cent of Jewish families.
-Of the Israeli Civil Service employees, just 5% are Palestinian Israelis.
-The Israeli government spends $1,100 per year on each Jewish Israeli student and $192 per year on each Palestinian Israeli student.
-In the 2008 - 09 budget the Israeli government apportioned just $11 million out of $188 million to the Palestinian infrastructure within Israel.
The Palestinian population living within Israel is estimated to be 1.5 million citizens, approximately 20 per cent of the Israeli population. Of this number, about 370,000 are 'internally displaced'; they live in Israel but are not allowed to return to their homes or villages from which they were displaced during the 1948 Nakba (Catastrophe). Often regarded as the 'forgotten Palestinians' of the region, the Palestinians who reside in Israel find themselves in a unique situation compared to their compatriots in Israel and their neighbours in the West Bank and Gaza Strip -they are not entitled to the same rights as Jewish Israeli citizens and are not included or represented in the political negotiations.
In recent years, Palestinians in Israel have become more assertive and organized in their attempts to reverse the growing trend toward far right policies of racial discrimination. Since this trend has entered the official political discourse, the Palestinian community in Israel have campaigned to highlight the disadvantages they face. Israel's incumbent government have, since 2009, passed several bills to force non-Jewish citizens to declare loyalty to a 'Jewish state', as well as limit their ability to own or purchase property and land.
The Palestinian community in Israel functions within a distinct sphere to Jewish Israelis; they live in separate areas, follow a separate education system, and utilize a different health care system. Notwithstanding, almost all systems are centrally controlled and financed. As a result of this pattern of separate development the Palestinian community find themselves subject to polices of 'economic discrimination'. Much of Israel's budgets for social services are disproportionately distributed between the Palestinian and Jewish communities.
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The devastation of the Patriot Act
AntiWar - Incessant warmaking overseas will someday end when the United States runs out of money or soldiers or both. But less well understood is the collateral damage here at home where the consequences of the global war on terror will linger on in the form of a shattered constitution. The Patriot Act is generally promoted as the principal legislative tool being used to fight international terrorism. It is, in reality, a devastating and poorly conceived bit of legislation originally approved just after 9/11. It will soon be up for an extension in the US Senate. President Barack Obama, who criticized it while he was a candidate but apparently has had a change of heart since that time, favors its renewal. Most members of Congress, few of whom have ever read the entire act, want it renewed. The mainstream media likes it because who can resist patriotism?
That is the bad news. But there is also some good news. Libertarians, traditional conservatives, progressives, and even some tea partiers are for the first time uniting to stop the extension. Senator Rand Paul led the charge in the Senate back in February, resulting in a temporary 90 day continuation of key provisions of the act that will expire in May. Before that happens, the Patriot Act will again be up for Senatorial approval but this time there will be an open debate in front of the full Senate and under the scrutiny of the media. It will be the first time that has happened since 2001. There will also be a roll call vote with each Senator having to come down for or against. It is an opportunity not to be missed to roll back the tide of government intrusion in the life of every citizen.
Americans should know what the Patriot Act has done to each and every one of us. Broadly speaking, the Patriot Act was designed to make it easier for law enforcement to investigate US citizens and permanent residents by easing legal restraints on records and activities that were hitherto considered private or required a judge’s order to access. The Act has enjoyed bipartisan support since 2001...
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That is the bad news. But there is also some good news. Libertarians, traditional conservatives, progressives, and even some tea partiers are for the first time uniting to stop the extension. Senator Rand Paul led the charge in the Senate back in February, resulting in a temporary 90 day continuation of key provisions of the act that will expire in May. Before that happens, the Patriot Act will again be up for Senatorial approval but this time there will be an open debate in front of the full Senate and under the scrutiny of the media. It will be the first time that has happened since 2001. There will also be a roll call vote with each Senator having to come down for or against. It is an opportunity not to be missed to roll back the tide of government intrusion in the life of every citizen.
Americans should know what the Patriot Act has done to each and every one of us. Broadly speaking, the Patriot Act was designed to make it easier for law enforcement to investigate US citizens and permanent residents by easing legal restraints on records and activities that were hitherto considered private or required a judge’s order to access. The Act has enjoyed bipartisan support since 2001...
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Israel passes la prohibiting discussion of 1948 from a Palestinian perspective
Mondoweiss - Israel is a country rift with multiple overlapping narratives. They drift into each other, defy one another and wrestle for the unachievable title of ultimate truth. And although there is no such thing, it appears as if the current Israeli government is working hard to officially establish one authoritative story as part of the ongoing construction of a Jewish-Zionist only national identity. Tuesday night, March 22nd, the Knesset passed a piece of legislation that seemed to go largely undetected, despite its significance. The “Nakba law,” which legislates the withdrawal of state funding from any institution that commemorates the Palestinian day of mourning, is discriminatory and threatening to Palestinian citizens, and harmful for Palestinians and Jews alike.
Nakba day marks the expulsion, displacement and loss of life and property that occurred in 1948 and coincides with the celebrations of the Israeli day of Independence. When asked for the reason behind the law, MK Alex Miller, of Yisrael Beitenu, who sponsored the bill stated, “I view Independence Day as a state symbol, but from an early age, some citizens of Israel are taught to view this day as a day of mourning! So either we want education for coexistence and peace, or we want pupils to be brainwashed and incited against [other] citizens of their state from an early age."
To use co-existence as the rational for a law that delegitimizes the collective memory of a minority indigenous population is absurd. It is an appalling step back when compared with advancements in minority education at the global scale. Post-colonial and post-conflict societies, such as Bolivia, Guatemala, Peru, South Africa, have begun to implement programs of intercultural and multi-cultural education that teach multiple historical narratives in an effort to work towards reconciliation and to build an inclusive national identity. Israel’s new law meanwhile officially solidifies the incompatibility of Palestinian history and culture with the current construction of the Israeli-nation state by promoting one history that is not to be questioned, debated or examined, and framing the Palestinian point of view as invalid, violent, antagonistic, and illegal.
This law’s concentrated effect on Palestinian citizens of Israel makes it easy for Jewish citizens to ignore. In fact, it passed with a 37 to 25 vote, as many liberal leaning MKs who would have opposed it simply did not show up to vote, because maybe it seemed like no big deal. However, I believe that the idea that it does not concern us is one of the biggest errors surrounding the commemoration of the Nakba. The Nakba narrative is a significant part of the Jewish Israeli history and it is crucial to recognize the tragedy that comes with violent victory in order for lessons to be learned from the past...
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Nakba day marks the expulsion, displacement and loss of life and property that occurred in 1948 and coincides with the celebrations of the Israeli day of Independence. When asked for the reason behind the law, MK Alex Miller, of Yisrael Beitenu, who sponsored the bill stated, “I view Independence Day as a state symbol, but from an early age, some citizens of Israel are taught to view this day as a day of mourning! So either we want education for coexistence and peace, or we want pupils to be brainwashed and incited against [other] citizens of their state from an early age."
To use co-existence as the rational for a law that delegitimizes the collective memory of a minority indigenous population is absurd. It is an appalling step back when compared with advancements in minority education at the global scale. Post-colonial and post-conflict societies, such as Bolivia, Guatemala, Peru, South Africa, have begun to implement programs of intercultural and multi-cultural education that teach multiple historical narratives in an effort to work towards reconciliation and to build an inclusive national identity. Israel’s new law meanwhile officially solidifies the incompatibility of Palestinian history and culture with the current construction of the Israeli-nation state by promoting one history that is not to be questioned, debated or examined, and framing the Palestinian point of view as invalid, violent, antagonistic, and illegal.
This law’s concentrated effect on Palestinian citizens of Israel makes it easy for Jewish citizens to ignore. In fact, it passed with a 37 to 25 vote, as many liberal leaning MKs who would have opposed it simply did not show up to vote, because maybe it seemed like no big deal. However, I believe that the idea that it does not concern us is one of the biggest errors surrounding the commemoration of the Nakba. The Nakba narrative is a significant part of the Jewish Israeli history and it is crucial to recognize the tragedy that comes with violent victory in order for lessons to be learned from the past...
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Thousands mark Land Day in the Negev
IMEMC - Thousands of residents and university students marched on Wednesday Marking March 30, the Palestinian Land day, and chanted slogans against the illegal Israeli policies of land theft, and the ongoing attempts to remove the Arab residents from their lands in the Negev, and in different parts of Palestine.
Sheikh Siyah Al Toury, head of the Popular Committee to Defend Al Araqeeb town in the Negev, stated that the Israeli Authorities demolished Al Araqeeb village 21 times, adding that its residents will remain steadfast even if Israel destroys their village a thousand times.
Al Toury thanked the Arab legislators and Knesset members for standing in support of the residents of Al Araqeeb “despite being battled at the Knesset by members of one of the most racist parliaments in the history of Israel”.
Arab Legislator, Talab El Sane', addressed the protestors and saluted their steadfastness despite of the repeated violations and aggression against them.
Ramiz Jaraysy, head of the Regional Committee of Local Councils, spoke of the history of March 30, 1976, and the sacrifices made on that day to prevent Israel from annexing more Arab lands to build Jewish-only areas.
Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, and sheikh Hammad Abu Daabis, said that the Arabs will remain steadfast and will struggle against illegal land confiscation in Al Araqeeb, Lod, Jaffa and other Arab cities and towns.
Member of Knesset, Dov Khenin, and the head of the Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages in the Negev, Ibrahim Al Waqeely, also addressed the marchers saluting the steadfastness of the residents, and slamming the ongoing Israeli violations against them.
Dr. Amer Al Hazeel, acting Mayor of Rahat city, spoke about the so-called “Goldberg Plan” that aims at annexing most of the lands in the Negev by concentrating the Arab population in small isolated areas so that Israel can annex the lands. ..
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Sheikh Siyah Al Toury, head of the Popular Committee to Defend Al Araqeeb town in the Negev, stated that the Israeli Authorities demolished Al Araqeeb village 21 times, adding that its residents will remain steadfast even if Israel destroys their village a thousand times.
Al Toury thanked the Arab legislators and Knesset members for standing in support of the residents of Al Araqeeb “despite being battled at the Knesset by members of one of the most racist parliaments in the history of Israel”.
Arab Legislator, Talab El Sane', addressed the protestors and saluted their steadfastness despite of the repeated violations and aggression against them.
Ramiz Jaraysy, head of the Regional Committee of Local Councils, spoke of the history of March 30, 1976, and the sacrifices made on that day to prevent Israel from annexing more Arab lands to build Jewish-only areas.
Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement, and sheikh Hammad Abu Daabis, said that the Arabs will remain steadfast and will struggle against illegal land confiscation in Al Araqeeb, Lod, Jaffa and other Arab cities and towns.
Member of Knesset, Dov Khenin, and the head of the Regional Council of Unrecognized Villages in the Negev, Ibrahim Al Waqeely, also addressed the marchers saluting the steadfastness of the residents, and slamming the ongoing Israeli violations against them.
Dr. Amer Al Hazeel, acting Mayor of Rahat city, spoke about the so-called “Goldberg Plan” that aims at annexing most of the lands in the Negev by concentrating the Arab population in small isolated areas so that Israel can annex the lands. ..
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Wednesday, March 30, 2011
March 30, Land Day: What it means and why it's important
Permission to Narrate - Today, March 30th, marks Land Day or Youm Al Ard in Arabic. Perhaps more than May 15th, when the Nakba is often marked, or June 5th, when the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is marked, Land Day is symbolic of the totality of the Palestinian struggle. It's a day that refugees, who dwell in dismal camps dreaming of return, internally displaced or marginalized Palestinians in Israel and Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza are bound together in commemoration of what the Palestinian struggle is all about: a people's desire to live free on their native land.
So what precisely is Land Day? An info brief here, which is worth reading in its entirety, explains:
"On 29 February 1976, the Israeli government announced that it planned to confiscate 21,000 dunum (5,500 acres) of Arab-owned land in order to create eight Jewish industrial centers. While government officials claimed that this expropriation was necessary in order to develop the region of Galilee, Israel's Palestinian citizenry perceived it as another attempt by Israel to geographically marginalize the state's Arab community and strip it of its agricultural livelihood. Their fears were later confirmed when Israel's Ministry of Agriculture declared the plan's primary purpose to be the creation of a Jewish majority in the Arab Galilee.
Having experienced institutionalized discrimination since the Jewish state's inception, the Palestinians of Israel decided to challenge this latest measure. Almost immediately after the announcement of land expropriation was made, community leaders met in an attempt to organize and communicate a unified message of objection. To deliver this message, a public demonstration was planned at the Knesset. Rather than risk a violent encounter with Israeli police, community leaders decided to cancel the protest and, instead, encourage members of their community to remain indoors making their objections known through a general strike.
Anticipating Palestinian repudiation of the measure, Israeli authorities imposed a curfew on the lower Galilee on the evening of 29 March 1976. The following morning, Israeli police and military forces entered the striking Arab villages, a move which provoked some Arab youth into a stone-throwing demonstration. To the protestors' dismay, Israeli forces responded with live ammunition, indiscriminately opening fire upon the unarmed protestors. By the day's end, six residents of Sakhnin, Arabeh, Kufr Kana and Taibeh were killed, 96 others were injured and 300 arrested.
Israeli authorities eventually confiscated the land in question under the guise of 'security.' The territory was later converted to Jewish settlements and an Israeli military training camp. The events of 30 March 1976 have not been forgotten in the minds and hearts of the Palestinian people. To this day, Palestinians, whether Israeli citizens or not, annually mark March 30 as 'Land Day' to demonstrate their connection to the land and to honor the memory of those who died defending Palestinian rights to the land."
Things haven't gotten much easier for Palestinian citizens of Israel and we are holding an event on the challenges they face in particular next week which you can attend in DC or watch live from anywhere in the world.
But it's not only Palestinians who are marking Land Day this year. Palestine solidarity activists in the United States and around the world are working to bring attention to the BDS movement on this day. The YouTube video below shows how one such group in New York decided to do just that by breaking out into a flashmob dance, reworking the lyrics to a popular Journey song, in the middle of Grand Central Station last night...
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So what precisely is Land Day? An info brief here, which is worth reading in its entirety, explains:
"On 29 February 1976, the Israeli government announced that it planned to confiscate 21,000 dunum (5,500 acres) of Arab-owned land in order to create eight Jewish industrial centers. While government officials claimed that this expropriation was necessary in order to develop the region of Galilee, Israel's Palestinian citizenry perceived it as another attempt by Israel to geographically marginalize the state's Arab community and strip it of its agricultural livelihood. Their fears were later confirmed when Israel's Ministry of Agriculture declared the plan's primary purpose to be the creation of a Jewish majority in the Arab Galilee.
Having experienced institutionalized discrimination since the Jewish state's inception, the Palestinians of Israel decided to challenge this latest measure. Almost immediately after the announcement of land expropriation was made, community leaders met in an attempt to organize and communicate a unified message of objection. To deliver this message, a public demonstration was planned at the Knesset. Rather than risk a violent encounter with Israeli police, community leaders decided to cancel the protest and, instead, encourage members of their community to remain indoors making their objections known through a general strike.
Anticipating Palestinian repudiation of the measure, Israeli authorities imposed a curfew on the lower Galilee on the evening of 29 March 1976. The following morning, Israeli police and military forces entered the striking Arab villages, a move which provoked some Arab youth into a stone-throwing demonstration. To the protestors' dismay, Israeli forces responded with live ammunition, indiscriminately opening fire upon the unarmed protestors. By the day's end, six residents of Sakhnin, Arabeh, Kufr Kana and Taibeh were killed, 96 others were injured and 300 arrested.
Israeli authorities eventually confiscated the land in question under the guise of 'security.' The territory was later converted to Jewish settlements and an Israeli military training camp. The events of 30 March 1976 have not been forgotten in the minds and hearts of the Palestinian people. To this day, Palestinians, whether Israeli citizens or not, annually mark March 30 as 'Land Day' to demonstrate their connection to the land and to honor the memory of those who died defending Palestinian rights to the land."
Things haven't gotten much easier for Palestinian citizens of Israel and we are holding an event on the challenges they face in particular next week which you can attend in DC or watch live from anywhere in the world.
But it's not only Palestinians who are marking Land Day this year. Palestine solidarity activists in the United States and around the world are working to bring attention to the BDS movement on this day. The YouTube video below shows how one such group in New York decided to do just that by breaking out into a flashmob dance, reworking the lyrics to a popular Journey song, in the middle of Grand Central Station last night...
Read More
Some 1,500 Israeli Arabs take part in Land Day protest in Lod
Demonstrators protest against government demolitions of illegal houses in Lod, other 'racist' government policies, burn pictures of Lieberman and carry signs reading 'Enough with the Ethnic Cleansing.'
Haaretz - Some 1,500 Israeli Arabs protested in Lod on Tuesday against government policies which affect Israel's Arab sector, launching the events of Land Day, to be marked on Wednesday.
The protesters were demonstrating against the government demolition of the houses of the Abu Eid family, which left some 50 family members, 30 of them children, without a home.
The protesters raised Palestinian flags, carried signs reading "Enough with the Ethnic Cleansing" and burned pictures of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Israeli Arab Knesset members and Jewish residents of mixed cities also participated in the protest.
Ibrahim Abu Saluk, a member of the Popular Committee in Lod, condemned the burning of Lieberman's photo saying, "This is not the point of the protest, and whoever did that did it on his own accord. We want to show that the policy of demolitions is not the solution."
Abu Saluk emphasized that the main reason for the protest was to demonstrate against the demolition of houses in Lod...
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Haaretz - Some 1,500 Israeli Arabs protested in Lod on Tuesday against government policies which affect Israel's Arab sector, launching the events of Land Day, to be marked on Wednesday.
The protesters were demonstrating against the government demolition of the houses of the Abu Eid family, which left some 50 family members, 30 of them children, without a home.
The protesters raised Palestinian flags, carried signs reading "Enough with the Ethnic Cleansing" and burned pictures of Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Israeli Arab Knesset members and Jewish residents of mixed cities also participated in the protest.
Ibrahim Abu Saluk, a member of the Popular Committee in Lod, condemned the burning of Lieberman's photo saying, "This is not the point of the protest, and whoever did that did it on his own accord. We want to show that the policy of demolitions is not the solution."
Abu Saluk emphasized that the main reason for the protest was to demonstrate against the demolition of houses in Lod...
Read More
Israel bombs Gaza, killing 1
Maan News Agency - Israeli forces launched an air strike on the southern Gaza Strip shortly after the dawn prayer on Wednesday, killing one militant and injuring a second.
In a statement from the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, officials identified the slain man as Mohammad Abu Mu'ammer, killed by an Israeli air strike near a mosque in the An-Nasser neighborhood in northeastern Rafah, near the refugee camp.
Spokesman of the higher committee of ambulance and emergency services Adham Abu Salmiya said the 24-year-old man died shortly after being taken to hospital. He confirmed that a second was being treated for critical injuries as a result of the strike.
Officials said a drone had carried out the attack...
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In a statement from the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, officials identified the slain man as Mohammad Abu Mu'ammer, killed by an Israeli air strike near a mosque in the An-Nasser neighborhood in northeastern Rafah, near the refugee camp.
Spokesman of the higher committee of ambulance and emergency services Adham Abu Salmiya said the 24-year-old man died shortly after being taken to hospital. He confirmed that a second was being treated for critical injuries as a result of the strike.
Officials said a drone had carried out the attack...
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UN chief Ban Ki-moon says settlements, occupation must end
Maan News Agency - UN chief Ban Ki-moon called Tuesday for an end to settlement construction, saying the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza is “morally and politically unsustainable, and must end.”
In an opening address to a UN meeting in support of Middle East peace in Uruguay, the secretary-general called on Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza, halt settlement building, and reduce obstacles to Palestinian development.
“Time is of the essence in realizing the two-state solution,” he said.
“The status quo is untenable, particularly at a time when so many throughout the region are pursuing freedom and dignity through non-violence -- a reawakening also being felt among Palestinians,” the UN chief stated.
The official noted the importance of responding to “the Palestinian people’s legitimate call for reunification”, according to a report from the UN News Centre...
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In an opening address to a UN meeting in support of Middle East peace in Uruguay, the secretary-general called on Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza, halt settlement building, and reduce obstacles to Palestinian development.
“Time is of the essence in realizing the two-state solution,” he said.
“The status quo is untenable, particularly at a time when so many throughout the region are pursuing freedom and dignity through non-violence -- a reawakening also being felt among Palestinians,” the UN chief stated.
The official noted the importance of responding to “the Palestinian people’s legitimate call for reunification”, according to a report from the UN News Centre...
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New York Rabbi confesses to money laundering
Ha'aretz – Rabbi Saul Kassin, spiritual leader of New York's Syrian Jewish community is one of 44 arrested [including five rabbis] for alleged involvement in an international corruption ring, trafficking in goods as diverse as human organs and fake designer handbags.
[Rabbi Kassin, 89, who was born in Israel, is the author of several respected books on Jewish law.]
Rabbi Saul Kassin, a well-known spiritual leader in the Syrian Jewish community of Brooklyn, confessed on Monday to using a religious charity for money laundering.
[Rabbi Kassin, 89, who was born in Israel, is the author of several respected books on Jewish law.]
Rabbi Saul Kassin, a well-known spiritual leader in the Syrian Jewish community of Brooklyn, confessed on Monday to using a religious charity for money laundering.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Report: “Settlement construction quadrupled in 2010”
IMEMC - An official research conducted by researchers of the Palestinian Census Bureau revealed that Israel’s settlement construction in occupied Palestinian had quadrupled in 2010 comparing to the number of settlement units constructed in 2009. This escalation in settlement activities occurred despite Israel’s claimed 10-month settlement freeze in 2010.
The Bureau issued a statement on the eve of March 30, the Palestinian Land Day, stating that in 2010, Israel built 6764 housing units for Jewish settlers in Jewish only settlements built in the occupied West Bank, and in occupied East Jerusalem, comparing to 1703 units built in 2009.
The significant increase in settlement construction and expansion took place despite the so-called 10-month freeze in construction that was declared by the government on Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in 2010.
Last month, the Palestinian Authority headed to the United Nations Security Council to obtain a ruling that obliges Israel to halt its settlement activities in the occupied territories, the United States used its Veto power to topple the vote.
The Palestinian Census Bureau stated that data collected in the occupied territories revealed that the number of settlement outposts and military bases increased to 470 in 2010 as seven new settlement outposts were built while 141 settlements were expanded.
Settlement outposts are outposts installed by settlers without the approval of the Israeli government. Although a few outposts were removed by the Israeli army, outposts generally expand to become “recognized” settlements and start receiving full services by Israel.
The Bureau also stated that the Israeli Annexation Wall built deep in the West Bank and not on the Green Line (that separates between Israel and the West Bank) led to the annexation of 733 square kilometers (%13 of the West Bank).
Last year, Israel demolished 31 Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem as in 2009 the Jerusalem Municipality handed dozens orders to demolish homes that belong to Palestinian residents of Silwan, Shu’fat, Sheikh Jarrah and other Arab neighborhoods in the city.
As for the percentage of population, the Bureau stated that 11.5 million persons live in historic Palestine (what became Israel and the occupied territories) an area estimated by 27.000 square kilometer.
The percentage of Jews in all of Palestine now stands at 49.4 and they live and use more than %85 of the lands. Under the British Mandate, the Jewish population was %6.2, and lived on 1.682 square kilometer.
By the end of 2009, the Arab population was %47.9 and they live on less that %15 of the land, while persons of different nationalities and origins (%2.7 of the total population) live inside the territories occupied in 1948 in the lands that became internationally known as Israel.
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The Bureau issued a statement on the eve of March 30, the Palestinian Land Day, stating that in 2010, Israel built 6764 housing units for Jewish settlers in Jewish only settlements built in the occupied West Bank, and in occupied East Jerusalem, comparing to 1703 units built in 2009.
The significant increase in settlement construction and expansion took place despite the so-called 10-month freeze in construction that was declared by the government on Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in 2010.
Last month, the Palestinian Authority headed to the United Nations Security Council to obtain a ruling that obliges Israel to halt its settlement activities in the occupied territories, the United States used its Veto power to topple the vote.
The Palestinian Census Bureau stated that data collected in the occupied territories revealed that the number of settlement outposts and military bases increased to 470 in 2010 as seven new settlement outposts were built while 141 settlements were expanded.
Settlement outposts are outposts installed by settlers without the approval of the Israeli government. Although a few outposts were removed by the Israeli army, outposts generally expand to become “recognized” settlements and start receiving full services by Israel.
The Bureau also stated that the Israeli Annexation Wall built deep in the West Bank and not on the Green Line (that separates between Israel and the West Bank) led to the annexation of 733 square kilometers (%13 of the West Bank).
Last year, Israel demolished 31 Palestinian homes in occupied East Jerusalem as in 2009 the Jerusalem Municipality handed dozens orders to demolish homes that belong to Palestinian residents of Silwan, Shu’fat, Sheikh Jarrah and other Arab neighborhoods in the city.
As for the percentage of population, the Bureau stated that 11.5 million persons live in historic Palestine (what became Israel and the occupied territories) an area estimated by 27.000 square kilometer.
The percentage of Jews in all of Palestine now stands at 49.4 and they live and use more than %85 of the lands. Under the British Mandate, the Jewish population was %6.2, and lived on 1.682 square kilometer.
By the end of 2009, the Arab population was %47.9 and they live on less that %15 of the land, while persons of different nationalities and origins (%2.7 of the total population) live inside the territories occupied in 1948 in the lands that became internationally known as Israel.
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Israel to evict more Palestinian families in the Jordan Valley
IMEMC - Three families from the Jordan Valley, on Tuesday, have been served eviction notices by the Israeli military.
The familes live in the Wadi Samra area, and have been informed that if they do not leave the land within three days, the mlitary will demolish their tents and any structures.
This latest evicion follows the demolition of tents owned by a family in the Ein al-Hilwe area last Friday. The family legally rents the land from the Lutherin Church, but are coming under attack from the Israli military following a group of settlers moving onto the land.
Since the settlers arrived, Ein al-Hilwe has come under repeated attacks including a woman from the village who was attacked whilst attempting to take water from a local well.
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The familes live in the Wadi Samra area, and have been informed that if they do not leave the land within three days, the mlitary will demolish their tents and any structures.
This latest evicion follows the demolition of tents owned by a family in the Ein al-Hilwe area last Friday. The family legally rents the land from the Lutherin Church, but are coming under attack from the Israli military following a group of settlers moving onto the land.
Since the settlers arrived, Ein al-Hilwe has come under repeated attacks including a woman from the village who was attacked whilst attempting to take water from a local well.
Read More
Israeli army breaks into Palestinian town and arrests many civilians
IMEMC - The Israeli forces broke into a city in Nablus called Oriyya and arrested many civilian people this morning.
The mayor of Oriyya Qais Awwad reported to maan news agency that tens of jeeps with police dogs broke into the city the previous night and inspected many houses in the city.
He added that after taking the fingerprints of hundreds of people they arrested tens of them.
Oriyya had been exposed to such invasion many times since the murder of the five settlers who were killed this month in "Itmar" settlement which is located in that city.
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The mayor of Oriyya Qais Awwad reported to maan news agency that tens of jeeps with police dogs broke into the city the previous night and inspected many houses in the city.
He added that after taking the fingerprints of hundreds of people they arrested tens of them.
Oriyya had been exposed to such invasion many times since the murder of the five settlers who were killed this month in "Itmar" settlement which is located in that city.
Read More
Israel passes "citizenship law" which requires all citizens to pledge loyalty to the Jewish state
Arab Israeli MPs blasted the new law as "racist" saying it was aimed solely at the country's Arab minority, in a stance backed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
Maan News Agency - Israel's Knesset has passed a law which would enable the court system to revoke the citizenship of anyone convicted of spying, treason or helping the enemy during times of war.
The bill, which was passed by 37 to 11 at a late-night session on Monday, was initiated by two Knesset members from the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The new legislation empowers the Israeli court system to revoke the citizenship of anyone convicted on charges of "terrorism," espionage, helping the enemy during time of war or any other act which harms national sovereignty.
"Without loyalty, there can be no citizenship," Lieberman said just minutes after the bill was passed, in comments reported by the Jerusalem Post. "Any person who harms the country cannot enjoy the benefits of citizenship and its fruit."
The law is part of Lieberman's "no loyalty, no citizenship" campaign which he pushed during the run up to the 2009 elections, which is widely understood to target Israel's Arab minority.
Arab Israeli MPs blasted as "racist" the new law which they said was aimed solely at the country's Arab minority, in a stance backed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
"MKs have made it clear that even though the wording of the bill is broad, it is very clearly aimed at Israel's Arab citizens, and sends them a message that their citizenship is not guaranteed," ACRI spokeswoman Ronit Sela told AFP.
In passing the bill, the parliament was sending "a very severe" message to the Arab community which makes up around a fifth of Israel's citizens, she said.
"The vote in support of this bill shows that the Knesset has lost sight of a very important principle: that citizenship is not a prize that is given or taken away, it is a person's protected right," she said.
Although a similar procedure for revoking citizenship already exists under the 1952 Nationality Law, it could only be done through the interior ministry.
"Before, it was a separate process handled by the interior ministry, but now, if the court has convicted someone, they can revoke citizenship at the same time as handing down sentence," she said.
The move will also affect those with residency status, such as Palestinian residents of occupied Jerusalem, she said...
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Maan News Agency - Israel's Knesset has passed a law which would enable the court system to revoke the citizenship of anyone convicted of spying, treason or helping the enemy during times of war.
The bill, which was passed by 37 to 11 at a late-night session on Monday, was initiated by two Knesset members from the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party of Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The new legislation empowers the Israeli court system to revoke the citizenship of anyone convicted on charges of "terrorism," espionage, helping the enemy during time of war or any other act which harms national sovereignty.
"Without loyalty, there can be no citizenship," Lieberman said just minutes after the bill was passed, in comments reported by the Jerusalem Post. "Any person who harms the country cannot enjoy the benefits of citizenship and its fruit."
The law is part of Lieberman's "no loyalty, no citizenship" campaign which he pushed during the run up to the 2009 elections, which is widely understood to target Israel's Arab minority.
Arab Israeli MPs blasted as "racist" the new law which they said was aimed solely at the country's Arab minority, in a stance backed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel.
"MKs have made it clear that even though the wording of the bill is broad, it is very clearly aimed at Israel's Arab citizens, and sends them a message that their citizenship is not guaranteed," ACRI spokeswoman Ronit Sela told AFP.
In passing the bill, the parliament was sending "a very severe" message to the Arab community which makes up around a fifth of Israel's citizens, she said.
"The vote in support of this bill shows that the Knesset has lost sight of a very important principle: that citizenship is not a prize that is given or taken away, it is a person's protected right," she said.
Although a similar procedure for revoking citizenship already exists under the 1952 Nationality Law, it could only be done through the interior ministry.
"Before, it was a separate process handled by the interior ministry, but now, if the court has convicted someone, they can revoke citizenship at the same time as handing down sentence," she said.
The move will also affect those with residency status, such as Palestinian residents of occupied Jerusalem, she said...
Read More
Israeli tanks and bulldozers invade Gaza
Maan News Agency - Several Israeli military tanks crossed the border into the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning near the Kissufim military post north of Khan Younis.
Witnesses northeast of the town of Qarara, close to where the military action was reported, said three tanks and four bulldozers were operating inside the coastal enclave.
Gunfire was reported, but no injuries, and onlookers said the bulldozers began leveling agricultural areas around the Kissufim military base.
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Witnesses northeast of the town of Qarara, close to where the military action was reported, said three tanks and four bulldozers were operating inside the coastal enclave.
Gunfire was reported, but no injuries, and onlookers said the bulldozers began leveling agricultural areas around the Kissufim military base.
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