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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Land theft and destruction / Settlers
Israel rejects bill allocating equal land to Jews and Arabs
The Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday
rejected a bill proposed by MK Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am-Ta'al) proposing that
the state enforce equal allocation of land to Jews and Arabs.
"Yet again, the Israeli government has proven that it is avoiding
the principle of civil equality," Tibi said in response to the ruling.
"The same government which approved the selection bill of [Jewish] MKs
David Rotem and Israel Hasson, ignores Arabs' rights, and hasn't
approved the building of a new Arab village since 1948. The government
failed at the challenge I placed before it, and that saddens me."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1139584.html
Settler tunnel causes another road collapse in Silwan, East Jerusalem
At around 4pm, on Saturday 2 January 2010 part of a main road in the
Palestinian neighbourhood of Silwan collapsed. The section of road runs
above tunneling work carried out by the Elad settler organisation.
Despite the road collapsing in the mid-afternoon, it was not until 8pm
that Israeli police arrived at the scene, after an Israeli bus serving
the settler population drove into the hole in the road. Silwan is a
Palestinian village on the hills south of the Old City of Jerusalem,
captured in 1967 by the Israeli army. It is one of several
neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem where the Israeli state and settler
organisations are forcing Palestinians from their homes. Tunneling by
the Elad settler organisation, which also runs the ‘City
of David’ tourist site in Silwan, has been frequently criticised for
undermining the Palestinian neighbourhood. Elad director David Be’eri
was filmed admitting that his excavations are carried out under
people’s houses....
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/01/10328
Palestinian woman hospitalized following settler attack in Sheikh Jarrah
2 Jan - Nadia al-Kurd, from Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in Jerusalem,
was taken to hospital today after being attacked by an Israeli settler
in her own garden. At around 2pm, Nadia al-Kurd, 65, was violently
pushed by a settler in an unprovoked attack. The settler, one of those
currently occupying her neighbours’ house, forced open the gate of her
garden, pushing Nadia to the ground. She suffered from breathing
difficulties immediately afterwards. Some of those present administered
first aid, however, as her state required professional medical
treatment, she had to be transported by an ambulance to the hospital.
She was discharged later in the afternoon. When the Israeli police
arrived following the attack, they arrested the assailant, identified
by several witnesses. The same settler has been arrested before after
previous attacks in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, where daily
harassment of the Palestinian population by settlers and police is on
the increase.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/01/10276
Settlers illegally attempt to occupy land owned by Qarawat Bani Hassan and Deir Istiya
1 Jan - ...The Mayor of Qarawat Bani Hasan reported that over the period of the
last month armed Israeli Settlers and Israeli military from the illegal
outpost of Havot Yair had been harassing and attacking farmers and
shepherds who work regularly on land approximately a kilometer from the
village centre. The land in the region in question is jointly owned by
the villages of Qarawat Bani Hasan and Deir Istiya and hosts an ancient
fresh water spring which is regularly utilised by farmers and shepherds
from both villages. The Mayor also informed IWPS volunteers that the
area is often visited by children from Qarawat Bani Hasan, who have
also faced physical abuse by armed settlers from Havot Yair.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/01/10315
Hung out to dry in the West Bank / Seth Freedman
...Severely-restricted access to water is one of the main weapons in the
Israeli arsenal when it comes to making life intolerable for the
Jahalin nomads. All around the camp is evidence of the authorities'
constricting policies: water, water, everywhere, but not a drop to
drink. While the neighbouring settlements boast lush foliage and
pastures to rival farms in the Galil,
the rest of the plain's residents exist in far more arid and parched
conditions.....We are taken to a welded-shut filling station, where
once bedouin farmers could take water for themselves and their animals,
but which the Israeli water board decided to fence off with razor wire
and permanently seal. As a result, the canal irrigation system that
snakes alongside the main road is completely empty, its only function
to act as monument to the oppressive sanctions put in place by an
uncaring Israeli system
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/03/israel-bedouin
Settlers in Jerusalem: We'll continue building despite freeze
Local Jewish councils in the West Bank launched a general strike on
Sunday in protest against the government's decision to temporarily halt
settlement construction in a bid to jumpstart the stalled peace
negotiations with the Palestinians. Heads of settlement councils and
West Bank municipal and council employees held a demonstration in front
of the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem against the enforcement of
the settlement building moratorium ... According to Shomron Regional Council head
Gershon Mesika, the settlers are battling a "racist directive that
forbids Jews to build on their land only because they are Jews while
trampling on their individual rights."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3828888,00.html
Settlers warn of imminent demolitions
Settlers believe security forces could enter their
communities as early as Sunday to destroy structures the IDF believes
are being built illegally, in defiance of the 10-month moratorium on
new Jewish construction in Judea and Samaria. An IDF document leaked to the media two weeks ago
revealed a detailed plan under which the Border Police would demolish
such structures as the IDF secured the perimeters of the sites.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1262339373447&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Blockade
Galloway Gaza convoy leaves Syria
A British-led aid convoy bound for the Gaza Strip is on its way to the
Egyptian port of Al-Arish after departing Syria by boat, organizers
said on Sunday. The Viva Palestina convoy, led in part by
firebrand British MP George Galloway, loaded 210 truckloads of food and
medical supplies onto a ferry in the Syrian port of Latakia ... In a message released on an affiliated website on Sunday, Viva
Palestina’s organizers said they received verbal assurances from Egypt
that they would be allowed to dock in Al-Arish on Monday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251611
Egypt uncovers more smuggling tunnels
Egyptian authorities discovered two smuggling tunnels along the border
with Gaza near Rafah and seized quantities of goods ready to be
smuggled into the besieged enclave on Friday evening. Egyptian security
sources told Ma’an that large quantities of water bottles and food
products were seized. No one was arrested. Authorities have discovered
and closed some 500 smuggling tunnels in 2009. Separately, Egyptian
border police seized an African immigrant
attempting to cross the border to Israel two kilometers to the south of
the Kerem Shalom crossing, police said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251449
Egypt opens Rafah crossing
The Egyptian authorities declared that it will open Rafah crossing
today for the people who have visas. The total number of the people who
want to leave the Gaza Strip is 6000 including 700 students. Rafah crossing was opened 2 months ago for patients and students.
Thousands of patients, students and people who have visas wanted to
leave the Gaza Strip. But the Egyptian authorities closed Rafah
crossing before allowing all of them to leave Gaza because two or 3
days were not enough to able all of them from leaving Gaza due to the
large number of travelers.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/palestine/gaza-strip/3478-egypt-opens-rafah-crossing
Israelis make pilgrimage to Yaakov Abuhatzeira's tomb in Egypt
...Cairo airport officials said some 290 Israelis
arrived Sunday on their way to the tomb of Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira
near the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria. The commemoration of
the anniversary of his death will take place Saturday.
Egypt has in years past limited the number of
pilgrims. Israeli newspapers say, however, that President Hosni Mubarak
accepted a request from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on his visit
to Egypt last week to allow unlimited numbers.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1262339381486
Israel opens one Gaza crossing; produce exported
Israeli authorities opened the Kerem Shalom crossing on Sunday into the
Gaza Strip while all other terminals remain closed, Palestinian border
crossing official Raed Fattouh said. Fattouh explained that
between 64 and 74 truckloads of commercial merchandise and humanitarian
aid would be allowed into Gaza. He added that, for the first time, four
truckloads of strawberries would be exported from the besieged Gaza
Strip to Israel and abroad. Furthermore, one truck carrying flowers for
export will be allowed to transit. The Palestinian official pointed out that limited quantities of
domestic fuel and industrial diesel, needed for the functioning of the
sole power plant in Gaza, would be shipped through Kerem Shalom.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251527
Gaza Hamas rulers approve $540 million budget
GAZA
CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Gaza's Hamas parliament approved a government
budget of $540 million for 2010, legislators said Saturday, suggesting
that a tight border blockade isn't stopping the cash flow to the
Islamic militants. Up to $60 million stems from local taxes and the
rest from "gifts and outside assistance," said legislator Jamal Nassar
... However, a border blockade by Israel
and Egypt - first imposed in 2006 and tightened after Hamas overran
Gaza a year later - has not weakened the militants. With only
humanitarian aid and a few basic items entering Gaza through border crossings, the tunnels are the main supply line for cash, weapons and a wide range of commercial goods.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100102/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians_12
American charity using recycled materials from the war in Gaza
By
Peter Eyre. Open email to the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA) -
...I was extremely shocked to note one of your latest projects in Gaza
which came under the following headline: "Preschool Rehabilitation" -
"ANERA is renovating preschools throughout Gaza using materials
recycled from war destruction." ... I do not know if the ANERA Board of
Directors are aware of the terrible
consequences and usage by US, UK, NATO and IDF forces of weapons
containing uranium components.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/columnists/peter-eyre/3480-
american-charity-using-recycled-material-from-the-war-in-gaza
Gaza robbed of the most basic human right - the right to health / Stuart Littlewood
Britain's prime minister, Gordon Brown, marked the start of the New
Year in a way that many campaigners for justice and liberty will find
lamentable. The charity MAP (Medical Aid for Palestinians)
had written an open letter to Brown asking him to "urgently use all
available diplomatic means to bring an immediate and unconditional end
to the blockade of the Gaza Strip".
http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2010/01/03/
gaza-robbed-of-the-most-basic-human-right-the-right-to-health/
Norwegian FM under fire for praise of "Eyes in Gaza"
Norway, January 3 - Israeli officials and
Jewish organizations criticized the Norwegian foreign minister's praise
for a book accusing Israeli troops of perpetrating a monstrous,
systematically implemented and comprehensive massacre in Gaza.
The Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon replied that the
book is "outrageous and borders on frustrations made up of fabrication
and lies."
http://www.paltelegraph.com/world/world-news/3476-
norwegian-fm-under-fire-for-praise-of-qeyes-in-gazaq
In Gaza photoessay: Saber, patience
“I haven’t been on my land since we harvested the wheat last August.
It’s too dangerous. There was an Israeli operation here yesterday…6
tanks and 4 bulldozers. I could see them from my rooftop in the
village, but didn’t know if they’d destroyed my land.”
http://ingaza.wordpress.com/
Arrests / Detention
IOF troops detain six Palestinians
AL-KHALIL, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) rounded up six
Palestinians at dawn Sunday three of them in Al-Khalil's Arub refugee
camp and three in Bethlehem city. Local sources said that the IOF
soldiers searched the detained young men's homes in the refugee camp
before taking them away. The IOF soldiers on Saturday prevented farmers
from tending to their lands near the Beit Ummar village, Al-Khalil
district, and arrested a youth in Edhna village in the same district.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Two young men from Bil‘in arrested on 29 December still held by Israeli military
...The boys were arrested at 2am on Tuesday, 29 December 2009, when the
Israeli army, composed of a number of military jeeps and approximately
50 soldiers on foot, invaded the village and raided their houses. They
are still being held by the military, while their relatives are being
kept in the dark as of when they will be released and the legal reasons
for their detention. The only explanation given by the Israeli authorities was that they
detained Hamouda and Khalil in order to ensure their presence as
witnesses at a hearing with Mohammad Khatib, member of the Bil‘in
Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, that was scheduled
to take place later that day, 29 December 2009 at the Ofer military
prison.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/01/10339
Freedom for Ryan Olander, justice for Sheikh Jarrah: US citizen held in Israeli prisons for over two weeks
...Minnesota resident Ryan Olander is facing deportation after being held
in Israeli prisons for over two weeks. He spent his Christmas and New
Year at a deportation facility in Ramle, where his request for release
has been rejected by the prison judge. Ryan Olander was arrested from a tent the Palestinian al-Kurd family
built in their own backyard following a recent setter take-over of a
section of their house. He was drinking tea and talking to the family
members when six Israeli police walked into the tent and took him for
questioning at the Russian Compound police station in west Jerusalem.
Despite being released without charges the following day, Ryan was illegally re-arrested by immigration police only a few moments later, right outside of the same police station that told him he was free to go.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/01/10298
Israeli police arrest 2 in Beer Sheba following scare
Israeli police arrested two young men in the central bus station of the
city of Beer Sheba on Sunday after an alert was declared. The
men were reported by bystanders as carrying a bag that appeared
suspicious, Israeli media reported. Shots were reportedly fired during
the arrest. Police sappers determined that the bag contained nothing
indicating an attack, while the two men were held for interrogation.A
state of high alert declared in the city was called off following the
arrest.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251637
Hamas vs. Fatah
Mash‘al: Hamas in 'final stages' of reconciliation with Fatah
Hamas leader Khalid Mash‘al said on Sunday the group was in the final
stages of ending a power struggle with the rival Fatah movement after
he held talks with Saudi officials in Riyadh. "We achieved great
strides toward achieving reconciliation," Mash‘al
told reporters at the
Foreign Ministry during a visit to the Saudi capital, according to
Reuters news agency. "We are in the final stages now." He also
reiterated that Hamas has points that it wants revised in an Egyptian
proposal for reconciliation with Fatah. "We all agree that the signing
of the [reconciliation] will take place in Cairo," he said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251615
Hamas VIDEO: 'Special Mission'
In the backdrop of reconciliation efforts between Hamas and Fatah,
Hamas' television aired a cartoon titled "Special Mission" slandering
the Palestinian Authority apparatuses, which, according to the clip,
serve Israel and
the settlers. The video portrays a Palestinian officer
carrying out orders of IDF troops while being humiliated by them, and
assisting settlers. The eight-minute video takes place near the
security coordination HQ. Palestinian officer Bahlul (clown) is shown
to be asked by his Israeli counterpart: "What is your mission?" to
which he replies: "To defend the rule of law." When the Israeli officer
asks what that is, the Palestinian replies: "To defend settlers."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3829076,00.html
Hamas slams Abbas's confession to his security coordination with Israel
GAZA, (PIC)-- The Movement of Hamas said
Saturday that Mahmoud Abbas’s threat to sever the security ties with
the Israeli occupation is evidence that the arrests and security
campaigns carried out in the West Bank are coordinated with the
occupation. In a press statement to
the Palestinian information center (PIC), Hamas spokesman Sami Abu
Zuhri said that such remarks refuted previous claims made by Abbas that
the arrests, taking place in the West Bank, are carried out against
criminals and not in the context of the security coordination with
Israel.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Hamas, Fatah trade arrest accusations
Hamas
and Fatah traded accusations on Sunday of politically motivated arrests
in their respective territories. Fatah said that Hamas security forces
arrested 13 members in northern Gaza. Hamas also issued a statement
saying Palestinian Authority security forces arrested 527 members of
the party in December ... Separately
Hamas accused PA security forces of arresting four of the movement's
affiliates on Sunday from the West Bank districts of Nablus and Jenin.
"PA
security forces summoned Hamas affiliates over the past few days
particularly in the district of Qalqylia," Hamas said in a statement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251645
Ramallah MoH: Hamas bans surgical society elections
The Ramallah-based Ministry of Health accused Hamas on Sunday of
preventing the elections for the Palestinian Surgeons’ Society (PSS) by
taking over its Gaza headquarters. The Ministry said in an
official statement that the shutdown was a result of Hamas’ “rejection
of democratic processes” and unions’ freedom as defined by the
Palestinian law, adding that the prevention of elections for the PSS
was considered an obstruction of scientific development in Gaza, which
is vitally needed in the besieged Strip.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251624
Hamas inmates say torture ends in West Bank jails
NABLUS, West Bank – Hamas inmates say they are no longer subjected to torture in West Bank prisons run by the group's Palestinian rivals. The prisoners spoke to The Associated Press during a tour of the West Bank's most notorious prison. The change in practice is said to have taken effect in October and was confirmed by a West Bank Hamas leader, human rights activists and the Palestinian prime minister. Hamas legislators say they still get sporadic reports of prisoners being slapped. But
they say the worst abuse is over. Prisoners say that for more than two
years, abuses included being beaten with clubs and cables and being
suspended from the ceiling in painful positions. Palestinian officials say 43 officers have been punished for abuse.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100103/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_stopping_torture
Press bias
Naked in Abu Ghraib/Naked in Gaza - the U.S. press's double standard / Philip Weiss
Nakedness, humiliation, and torture made Abu Ghraib an important story
in the American media five years ago ... Now read the Goldstone report
on the Israeli assault on Gaza of a year
ago. The 575 page report published by the U.N. Human Rights Council
last September documents incident upon incident of Palestinians
stripped naked at gunpoint ... Goldstone was unstinting in his
description of this barbaric treatment.
He said that it violated international norms, including those governing
the treatment of women ... I ask you: Where is the American press,
which burnished its brass
buttons over Abu Ghraib? The Goldstone report has been dismissed out of
hand. No American paper has printed extended excerpts of its findings,
let alone sought to confirm and extend them. The New York Times has
used its op-ed page to attempt to nullify the report. The only serious
efforts by Americans to look into the report have come from bloggers, Richard Silverstein and Jerry Haber (and new blogger Jerry Slater says he plans to follow).
Do you think this conduct has not affected the American image in the Arab world? Of course it has.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/01/
naked-in-abu-ghraibnaked-in-gaza-the-u-s-presss-double-standard.html
Now wait, who's censored? / Philip Weiss
Last night in Tel Aviv there was a great demonstration against the Gaza
slaughter of a year ago. 1000 people marched through the middle of the
city, from Rabin square to the Defense Ministry. They carried signs
showing a blood-soaked land. Anarchists against the wall denounced
apartheid. They said that Israel had targeted women and children.
Some called for a binational state ...Two foreign crews were there.
One was Brazilian. Another was a hardworking woman journalist who
walked through the body of the protest, asking people why they were
there and filming their posters and banners. She was from Al Jazeera ... Joseph Dana told
me that he regularly runs into Al Jazeera at protests in Israel ... He
has also seen al-Arabiya at protests. “I’ve never been interviewed
by American media. I’ve never seen them at a demonstration. They are
all stationed here. CNN is here. Bloomberg is here. ABC and CBS.
They’ve never interviewed me. Even the BBC. Where is the BBC?”
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/01/now-wait-whos-censored.html
Political developments
Israel FM questions Palestinian president's authority
JERUSALEM (AFP) – Israel's ultra-nationalist Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday questioned whether president Mahmoud Abbas represents all Palestinians, given his lack of authority in the Gaza Strip. "Our Palestinian partner Abu Mazen (Abbas) is problematic. Does he represent all of the Palestinian people? It is clear that he does not represent Gaza and that his legitimacy in the West Bank is in doubt," Lieberman told public radio. "To sign an accord with Abu Mazen would be to sign a deal with the
leader of Fatah," the Palestinian president's political party, he added.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100103/wl_afp/mideastconflictpalestinianisrael
Netanhayu vows to react 'aggressively' to Gaza fire
“Our
policy is clear to all and I think it also became clear over the
weekend – to respond aggressively to any firing at our territory and at
our communities,” he said at the opening of his weekly Cabinet meeting.
“There
is no doubt that this policy, in addition to Operation Cast Lead, has
increased deterrence against attack on our communities,” he said,
referring to Israel’s name for the three-week offensive Israel waged on
Gaza last winter that left 1,400 Palestinians dead. Before dawn on
Saturday Israeli warplanes struck targets across the
Gaza Strip in the most intense bombardment in weeks. Witnesses also
reported Israeli tank and artillery fire in several locations. The
Israeli military said the strikes were in response to the firing of
a Grad-type rocket from Gaza into the Israeli town of Netivot on
Thursday night. The armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility for that attack.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251625
Abbas begins Middle East tour in Jordan
President Mahmoud Abbas began his tour of the Middle East with a
meeting on Sunday in Jordan with King Abdullah II and senior Jordanian
officials, Palestinian sources told Ma’an. Abbas and the King
of Jordan are expected to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s suggestions to restart peace negotiations. The second leg
of Abbas’ tour will be in Egypt for similar talks with Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251581
Other news
Will Arab MKs be required to swear loyalty to a Jewish state?
The Knesset ministerial legislative committee was set
to vote Sunday on a bill requiring MKs to take a "loyalty oath" to the
Jewish state before taking office ... The bill aims to require Israeli Arab MKs, who are
not Jewish, to pledge loyalty to the Jewish character of the State of
Israel, which by definition marginalizes them as non-Jews.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1139374.html
Haredim join Arabs in opposing allegiance law
Ultra-Orthodox join Arabs in opposing Yisrael Beitenu's allegiance law: The chairman of the United Torah Judaism
faction, MK Menachem Eliezer Moses, expressed his opposition Sunday to the bill which proposes changes to the oath of allegiance
taken by MKs. Moses said to Ynet, "I understand Judaism, and I also
understand democracy, but I don't understand why we need the word
'Zionism'."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3829096,00.html
Rabbi seeks sex-segregated bus line in Tiberias
A prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbi has asked a Tiberias
bus company to launch a line similar to the ones in Jerusalem and Bnei
Brak that segregate women from men ... A veteran woman resident of Tiberias who spoke on
condition of anonymity said the request was "an enraging attempt to
take over the city." ... But Idan says the segregated line will change
people's minds once it is launched. "The secular people of this city
will see and learn how good this modesty is," he said.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1139435.html
Brawl between Ashkenazi, Sephardis haredim in Ashdod
Some 500 haredim clashed on Saturday night
in a brawl that broke out in Ashdod's Zayin quarter on the backdrop of
an ongoing conflict between Ashkenazi and Sephardic haredim in the
area. Four haredim were arrested and brought in by the police for
investigation.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3828718,00.html
Opinion / Analysis
The Iron Wall / Uri Avnery
...One
may well wonder about the Egyptian participation in the blockade of the
Gaza Strip ... the entire blockade would be ineffective without
Egyptian
participation ... Egypt has started building an iron wall – literally -
along the full
length of the Gaza border, consisting of steel pillars thrust deep into
the ground, in order to block all tunnels. That will finally choke the
inhabitants ... Why do they do it? ... Cynics point out that the
Egyptian
government receives a huge American subsidy every year – almost two
billion dollars – by courtesy of Israel. It started as a reward for the
Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The pro-Israel lobby in the US Congress
can stop it any time.
Others believe that Mubarak is afraid of Hamas. The organization
started out as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, still
the main opposition to his autocratic regime. Many people believe that
Mahmoud Abbas is interested in the tightening of the Gaza blockade in
order to hurt Hamas ... All these explanations make sense, yet the
Egyptian government’s attitude is still astonishing ... It is a very
dangerous policy. Why does Mubarak follow it? The real answer is,
probably, that he has no choice.
http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1262516758/
Settlers, tell us, what do you think will happen? / Gideon Levy
...The settler goes to and from his home without seeing
anything. He does not see his neighbors, he does not see the danger he
exposes his children to, he does not see the moral baggage he carries
on his back. He does not want to see all this, and an entire system
surrounds him that makes life easy for him despite his blindness. ... Go ask them. Try to get their opinion on how things
will look here in another decade or two. For how many more years can
3.5 million people live without any civil rights? For how many more
years will the world continue to turn a blind eye and remain silent?
What will become of a state that is dependent on others like no other
country? And what will happen when the Palestinians become the
majority? The settlers will be evasive in their response. Make them
give one.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1139454.html
No justice and no wisdom / Arie Arnon
Despite legal authorization, Israel's actions in Sheikh Jarrah are immoral - Almost every Sunday, we receive reports about protests,
violent clashes and even arrests in Sheikh Jarrah or in what is
referred to in some of the reports as the "Simeon the Just" compound.
What is the capital raging about? The issue, according to the mayor and those responsible for the
entry to the homes which led to the protest, appears to be a simple
one: The disputed property is owned by Jews and the time has come to
return it to its owners. The matter even reached the court and this was
the ruling ... But will the mayor, in the name of justice
and consistency, call for restitution of Palestinian property found in
west Jerusalem? Or does Israel, by force of power or by force of
Israeli legislation, aspire to work to return the property to Jews but
not to Arabs?
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3826860,00.html
They know everything / Zvi Bar'el
Three people have a monopoly on knowledge: the heads of the Mossad, Shin Bet and Military Intelligence ... And what about the head of the Shin Bet? It's an
organization capable of finding a wanted man's address and locating
assassins at praiseworthy speeds, but it falls on its face when it is
asked to provide a more extensive assessment. That group, like Military
Intelligence, couldn't predict that Hamas would take over the Gaza
Strip, and didn't think that an intifada was likely in 2000 or 1987. It
also is unable to say what is going on now. But they talk, and they are
listened to like true prophets.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1139457.html
When Obama took his eyes off the Palestine ball / Daoud Kuttab
For a few minutes on Sunday I wondered what would have happened if I
was reading rather than listening to US President Barack Obama's
statement from Hawaii. The US president took time off his Christmas
vacation to speak about the incident that occurred on the flight from
Amsterdam to Detroit. Had I not heard his voice and seen his picture, I
would have thought that the speaker was none other than former US
president George W. Bush. What has happened to Obama in less than one
year?
http://www.paltelegraph.com/opinions/views/3468-
when-obama-took-his-eyes-off-the-palestine-ball-by-daoud-kuttab
Iraq, other Mideast
Saturday: 1 US soldier, 7 Iraqis killed; 27 Iraqis wounded
Excerpts: At least seven Iraqis were killed and 27 wounded in
new violence. One
U.S. soldier died of non-combat injuries as well. Many Iraqis are outraged
that the case against Blackwater Worldwide (now Xe Services) fell apart
and consider the dismissal proof that U.S. contractors operate above
Iraqi law. Iraq has vowed to appeal or take other measures to seek justice for the 17 Iraqis killed in Nisour Square two years ago. In Baghdad, one
person was killed and 21 others were wounded when a pair of blasts hit 20th
Street in Bayaa. Two
young men were wounded when a bomb attached to their car exploded in Jamiaa.
A roadside bomb in Qahira wounded
one policeman. Gunmen killed
an army officer in Sadr City....
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/01/02/saturday-1-us-soldier-7-iraqis-killed-27-iraqis-wounded/
One injured in clashes in Palestinian camp in Lebanon
Two
Palestinian militant groups clashed on Saturday in a refugee camp
in southern Lebanon, according to local and international news
agencies. "The Fatah Movement and Jund al-Sham Islamist
militants used all kinds of machine guns during the clashes in the
Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh in southern Lebanon," the
National News Agency in Lebanon reported. One person was injured
following 30 minutes of fighting, the Lebanese news website Naharnet
reported ... The clashes were the result of a report by Lebanese daily
An-Nahar on
Tuesday alleging that Al-Qaida militants were plotting attacks against
Lebanese institutions and foreign missions from the refugee camp, as
well as training militants and trafficking fighters from Pakistan into
Lebanon, Xinhua reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251614
Jordan: Significant decline in fruit and vegetable imports from Israel
There has been a significant decline in fruit and
vegetable imports to Jordan from Israel, Amman has said, citing the
steps taken by authorities to prevent the sale of Israeli goods
produced in West Bank settlements. In remarks to A-Dustour published Sunday,
Jordanian Agriculture Minister Sayid Al-Masri said a delegation of
experts from his ministry visited Israel from time to time, and
monitored the imported produce to ensure they did not originate in the
settlements.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1262339375719&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Reports: Jordan arrests 5 Israelis on boat near Aqaba
Jordanian
naval forces reportedly arrested three Israelis on a fishing boat who
violated Jordanian territorial water on Saturday. The Israeli defense
establishment expected that Jordan would release the country's
citizens, apparently fishermen, after interrogating them in the
Jordanian port of Aqaba, news reports said. Last week Egyptian
authorities arrested two Israeli bikers riding along the border.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=251505
Women-only taxis take on Middle East
Taxis driven by women and exclusively serving the
fairer sex are the rage in Arab capitals as women seek a safe and
comfortable mode of transport ... Now, following the Lebanese success, two Egyptian
governors in Cairo and Alexandria have stirred controversy with
proposals to service women-only taxis
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1262339376191&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Yemeni air attacks on al-Qaida fighters risk mobilizing hostile tribes
Killing of tribal leader's wife and children sparks condemnation of Sana‘a and the west - When Yemeni MiG-29 aircraft sent missiles crashing into a suspected
terrorist training camp in al-Majalah, a remote area of Abyan in the
south, the local reaction quickly turned from horror to anger.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/03/yemen-air-attacks-alqaida
U.S.
U.S., U.K close embassies in Yemen over Al Qaida threat
(Reuters) The United States and Britain closed their embassies
in Yemen on Sunday over security concerns about possible militant
attacks after the failed bombing of a U.S.-bound plane on Christmas
Day. The U.S. Embassy said it had received a threat by Al-Qaida, which
U.S. intelligence agencies believe has a growing presence in the poor
Arab country
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1139574.html
Threats to Yemen prove America hasn't leaned the lesson of history / Patrick Cockburn
Extraordinarily, the US is making exactly the same mistake as in Iraq
and Afghanistan - ...There is ominous use by American politicians and
commentators of the
phrase "failed state" in relation to Yemen, as if this some how
legitimised foreign intervention. It is extraordinary that the US
political elite has never taken on board that its greatest defeats have
been in just such "failed states"
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/patrick-cockburn-
threats-to-yemen-prove-america-hasnt-learned-the-lesson-of-history-1853847.html
Security at airports: racial and vowel profiling / As‘ad AbuKhalil
I was subjected to a most thorough search at San Francisco Airport. The
agent at British Airways handed me my boarding pass and a special
priority pass for security, and yet added: but I need to warn you that
you have been "selected" for a special security screening. I said: so
what good will that special priority pass do me? She said: well, you
dont have to sand in line to get to security. So I said: So I will not
stand in line to get to security, but once I get there, I will be
waiting and waiting. And then I asked her: how random are those random
selections? Because if those selections are really random I should be
winning the real Spanish lottery almost daily ... I should say: that the search and screening that I was subjected to was
the most thorough that I was ever subjected to at US airports. Every
item in my luggage was felt carefully, and I am afraid that I too was
felt very carefully--to my great displeasure and annoyance. What do you
do in those cases? Nothing really ... They put you in a little corner in view of all other passengers who are
being whisked through with their luggage, boxes, and kitchen appliances
while you sit there and hear somebody yelling (about you): Level two
check.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2010/01/security-at-airports-racial-and-vowel.html |
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