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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Settlements/Land Theft and Political Fallout
Israel planning 50,000 housing units in East Jerusalem
Some 50,000 new housing units in Jerusalem neighborhoods beyond the
Green Line are in various stages of planning and approval, planning
officials told Haaretz. They said Jerusalem's construction plans for
the next few years, even decades, are expected to focus on East
Jerusalem. Most of the housing units will be built in predominantly
Jewish neighborhoods beyond the Green Line, while a smaller number of
them will be built in Arab neighborhoods. The plans for some 20,000 of
the apartments are already in advanced stages of approval and
implementation, while plans for the remainder have yet to be submitted
to the planning committees.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155639.html
'Another 7,000 homes planned'
While international condemnations continued to pour in on Wednesday
night regarding the Jerusalem Regional Planning and Building
Commission’s approval of 1,600 new housing units in the northeast
Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, some 18 plans, calling for
more than 7,000 new homes in other parts of east Jerusalem, are at
different stages of processing by the same committee, The Jerusalem
Post has learned.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=170705
Map of Israel's East Jerusalem housing plan
Israel's
approval for building 1,600 new housing units for ultra-Orthodox Jews
in East Jerusalem has infuriated the Palestinians. Nabil Abu Rudeina, a
Palestinian Authority spokesman, told the AFP news agency: "This is a
dangerous decision and will hinder the negotiations." The Israeli
anti-settlement group Peace Now condemned the new project, saying it
would "widen the gap with the Palestinians and the two-state solution,
which risks becoming obsolete". According to Israel's Haaretz
newspaper, some 50,000 housing units are reported to be in various
stages of planning and approval on occupied land in East Jerusalem.
Haaretz says plans for around 20,000 apartments are already in an
advanced stage. A spokesman for the Israeli interior ministry said:
"The Jerusalem District Planning Committee today approved a plan which
has been in the works for over three years. "This is a procedural stage
in the framework of a long process that will yet continue for some
time. The committee meeting was determined in advance and there is no
connection to US Vice-President Joe Biden's visit to Israel." There are
still various planning hurdles for the East Jerusalem project to clear,
and work is not thought likely to start for at least another two years.
Under pressure from the US, Israel has agreed a 10-month suspension of
new building in the West Bank. However, the moratorium excludes East
Jerusalem, where the Palestinians want as the capital of their future
state. Israel's continued expansion of settlements is one of the
biggest obstacles to the resumption of peace talks with the
Palestinians, now suspended for more than a year despite months of
US-led shuttle diplomacy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5zcYrvYIwg&feature=player_embedded
Arab League chief says Mideast talks off (Reuters)
Reuters - Arab League chief Amr Moussa said on Wednesday that
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had told him he would not enter
indirect talks with Israel, only days after the Palestinian side had
agreed to the contacts.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100311/wl_nm/us_israel_palestinians_arabs
Arab League calls emergency session on J'lem
Ambassadors convene in Cairo to discuss Israel's decision to build
1,600 new housing units in Ramat Shlomo neighborhood. Qatari PM
condemns decision, demands 'immediate peaceful resolution'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3861025,00.html
Joe Biden, in Ramallah, stymied by new settlement
construction (The Christian Science Monitor)
The Christian Science Monitor - Vice President Joe Biden embarked on
the Palestinian leg of his Middle East trip on Wednesday with tensions
still high over Israel's surprise announcement of new settlement
construction in East Jerusalem.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100310/wl_csm/286427
Australia says new Israel settlement 'not helpful'
(AFP)
AFP
- Australia joined international condemnation Thursday of Israel's plan
to build 1,600 new homes in Jerusalem, saying the move was "not
helpful" to building peace with the Palestinians.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100311/wl_asia_afp/mideastisraelsettlementsaustralia
Europe backs Biden's criticism of Jewish settlement
plans
Joe Biden, the US Vice-President, yesterday repeated his attack on
Israel's plans to build 1,600 new Jewish homes in Arab East Jerusalem
as European governments backed his complaint that they undermined trust
before imminent new indirect Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/
europe-backs-bidens-criticism-of-jewish-settlement-plans-1919463.html
Why Biden condemned Israel's announcement on new
building
Israel
announced on Tuesday that it would build 1,600 new housing units in
Ramat Shlomo, a religious Jewish settlement in an area of the occupied
West Bank annexed to Jerusalem by Israel. The announcement drew
condemnation from Joe Biden, the US vice-president who is on a visit to
the region partly to throw his weight behind US-brokered "proximity"
talks between the Israelis and Palestinians that were announced just on
Sunday. In an interview with Al Jazeera from the occupied West Bank,
Biden explains why he condemned Israel's construction announcement (11
mar 2010).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fK_eyyRkJ7w&feature=youtube_gdata
Villagers briefly gain access to a segregated road
that cuts through their land
Beit Ommar, population 17,000, is located halfway between the cities of
Betlehem and Hebron, both homes to religious sites significant to all
three monotheisitic religions which have been the focus of a new move
by the Israeli government to declare the sites "Israeli". More
importantly, both sites, the Ibrahimi and Belal Mosques, are located
deep within Palestinian territory.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/03/
villagers-briefly-gain-access-to-a-segregated-road-that-cuts-through-their-land.html
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott,Sanctions
and
Divestment
Work
day to rebuild bulldozed playground in Beit Jalla, Bethlehem successful
Palestinians, Israelis and Internationals met in Beit Jallah today to
rebuild a playground that bulldozers destroyed last week while clearing
the path to complete the wall near Bethlehem. 12 people armed only with
pick axes and hoes, flattened out the bulldozer tracks and deep holes
left from uprooted trees, reset two swing sets, and brought in sand by
the bucket for the new playground. Young olive trees were replanted in
place of the mature trees that were destroyed during the first days of
uprooting last week. The playground is used by many of the neighborhood
children, and the family who owns the land welcomes people to enjoy the
shade next to their home in the heat of the summer. As people worked in
the sun today, army jeeps made rounds on the road above the home, and
stood watch from the road on the opposing side of the highway. One jeep
came down to the playground, but people continued their work as
soldiers took pictures and asked for the Palestinian participants
identification cards.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/03/11707
Gaza group escalates test of Israeli no-go area
Gaza
–
Ma'an – Palestinians and international solidarity activists in Gaza
joined the challenge to Israel's enforced no-go zone in the northern
Gaza Strip on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The rally,
organized by the popular campaign against the separation fence in Gaza,
gathered on Baghdad Street in the Ash-Shujaiyeh neighborhood of Gaza
City, and walked as a group toward the border wall.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267668
Islamic Jihad women march in Gaza for Jerusalem
Ma'an – Gaza's Islamic Jihad movement organized a women's march in Gaza
City on Wednesday, in an effort to show solidarity with Palestinians
living in Jerusalem., The group gathered in Omar Al-Mukhtar Street in
Central Gaza City, where women officers and fighters from Islamic Jihad
demonstrated military maneuvers for the gathered demonstrators.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267746
A Voice for Palestine in Parliament
UK, March 10, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) -LFPME held an event in Manchester
on the 6th March to launch the organisation officially in the North
West. Hosted by Lord Nazir Ahmed the event brought together
Parliamentarians, PPCs and supporters of Labour and Palestine. Sir
Gerald Kaufman MP, leader of the recent delegation that broke the
illegal siege on Gaza spoke passionately about the plight of
Palestinians and updated guests on his recent visit to Gaza. He
reminded everyone that ‘as we all enjoy our meal tonight, there are
many families and children in Gaza without enough food, water or
shelter. More than a year after Israel's assault on Gaza, the siege
continues to block vital aid and reconstruction materials for people
that need it most'. He urged guests to become active supporters of
LFPME, saying ‘I am extremely proud to be involved with LFPME and we
must build a strong and active base for the organisation in the North
West'.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/world/uk-news/4706-a-voice-for-palestine-in-parliament
Bible
college to host 'Christ at the Checkpoint' conference
Caretaker Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will open the first international
conference on the theology of peace, justice and reconciliation in a
Palestinain context, hosted by the Bethlehem Bible College and Holy
Land Trust, organizers said.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7937
'Price
tag' against leftists in Jerusalem
Wall
opposite home of one of Sheikh Jarrah protests' organizers
spray-painted with slogan reading 'Israel destroyer,' 'Leftists out'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3861228,00.html
Pro-Apartheid
BDS is tied to… 9/11!
from Mondoweiss by Philip Weiss and Adam HorowitzPeople are talking
excitedly about a big new paper on the Boycott, Divestment and
Sanctions campaign, coming out of the "Global Forum on Anti-Semitism,"a
conference organized by the Israeli government. The paper is
evidently authored by Israel lobbyists Mitchell Bard and Gil Troy, here
it is.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/03/
who-knew-anti-bds-campaign-says-boycott-is-part-of-islamic-strategy-to-undermine-the-west.html
H&M
opens Israel store amid calls to boycott European branches
More
than
24 European and Middle Eastern anti-Israel organizations condemned
Thursday the opening of H&M's flagship store in Israel and called
to boycott the clothing chain's stores in Europe in response.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155805.html
Violence/Aggression
and Provocation
Two
Palestinians Wounded in East Jerusalem, Youths KidnappedIsraeli
soldiers,
undercover forces and policemen attacked and wounded on
Monday evening, two Palestinians in Al Bustan neighborhood, in East
Jerusalem, and kidnapped several youths.
http://www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=58185
Clashes erupt in Beit Ummar
Hebron
– Ma'an – Clashes erupted in Beit Ummar Wednesday afternoon when
soldiers invaded the town after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at a
military checkpoint, witnesses said. Mohammed Ayyad Awad, a spokesman
for the local Palestinian solidarity project, said soldiers used tear
gas and opened fire at homes.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267772
Israel hands out invitations to attend opening of synagogue inside Aqsa
Mosque
Palestinian
sources in Jerusalem said that the Israeli occupation authorities
started to distribute official invitations for the opening of a
synagogue at the heart of the Aqsa Mosque on March 16.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Detainees
Witnesses: Undercover Israeli forces raid Silwan
Jerusalem
–
Ma'an – Undercover Israeli security agents assaulted two Palestinian
activists and detained several others in the Silwan neighborhood of
East Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, onlookers said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267774
Women imprisoned – Addameer Prisoner Support and
Human Rights Association
Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association marks
International Women’s Day 2010 by honoring, commemorating and saluting
Palestinian women political prisoners and detainees in their steadfast
resistance against Israeli colonial occupation and struggle towards
securing the right of Palestinians to self-determination.
http://palestinethinktank.com/2010/03/10/
women-imprisoned-addameer-prisoner-support-and-human-rights-association/
IOA
isolates sick female prisoner for not standing for count
The
higher national committee has disclosed that the IOA had punished
prisoner Abeer Ode from Tulkarem with one week of solitary confinement
for not standing for the daily count.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Retaliation
Palestinians
fire rocket into Israel, no casualties (AFP)
AFP
- Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired a rocket into southern Israel on
Thursday, damaging an empty kibbutz workshop but causing no casualties,
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100311/wl_mideast_afp/mideastconflictgaza
Humanitarian Issues/Human
Rights/Siege
Weekly
Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory 04 - 10 Mar 2010
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ASAZ-83FHLU?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Interview: "Anything you want, we can bring to the
Gaza Strip"
The siege on Gaza is tightening as the Egyptian government continues
construction of an underground steel wall at the Rafah border with Gaza
to block the tunnel trade. The Electronic Intifada contributor Jody
McIntyre spoke with Abu Hanin, a Palestinian laborer from Gaza who
works in one of the tunnels at the border with Egypt.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11122.shtml
Civil society and human rights in Israel (and
elsewhere)
The
following is a guest post by Professor James Ron of Carleton
University. I should say that I'm not fully persuaded by Ron's
suggestion that foreign funders of NGOs in Israel and elsewhere should
spend less money in order to encourage a more robust and
indigenously-funded civil society, although I agree that helping such
organizations develop more robust funding strategies makes eminently
good sense. As long as the settlement enterprise continues, and
especially as long as tax-exempt monies of various sorts keep flowing
into the settlement enterprise-then foreign governments, foundations,
and individuals have a legitimate interest in supporting various civil
society groups in Israel (and elsewhere) -- including human rights
groups and other law-abiding organizations that seek to document or
oppose these policies. One could make similar arguments about other
countries whose behavior is contrary to accepted human rights
principles. That said, Ron's argument does raise some interesting
issues and I thought FP readers might find it intriguing and useful.
http://walt.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03/09/
civil_society_and_human_rights_in_israel_and_elsewhere
Teachers refuse searches at Qalqiliya checkpoint
Qalqiliya – Ma'an – For the second day in a row, Israeli forces
prevented teachers from accessing the Ad-Dab’a village school, south of
Qalqiliya behind the separation wall. On Wednesday, new machinery was
installed at the Ras Atiya checkpoint, where teachers enter the
walled-off area, and soldiers demanded the men and women submit to a
search, as well as pass through body scanners, the school's manager
Muhammad Awda said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267843
Israel
restricts Gaza imports to 23% of pre-siege levels
Gaza – Ma'an – Israeli authorities will partially open the Kerem Shalom
crossing to allow aid into the besieged Gaza Strip, Palestinian liaison
official Raed Fattouh said. Approximately 116 to 126 truckloads of aid
for both the commercial and agricultural sectors including two trucks
for the electricity company will be allowed via the Kerem Shalom
crossing, Fattouh reported.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267805
Goods
– Needs Vs. Supply – Feb 7 – Mar 6
http://www.gazagateway.org/2010/03/goods-needs-vs-supply-feb-7-mar-6/
Industrial
Fuel – Needs Vs. Supply – Feb 7 – Mar 6
http://www.gazagateway.org/2010/03/industrial-fuel-needs-vs-supply-feb-7-mar-6/
War Crimes
'I saw Israeli bulldozer kill Rachel Corrie'
The
final
moments of Rachel Corrie, the American peace activist crushed to
death beneath a pile of earth and rubble in the path of an advancing
Israeli army bulldozer, were described to an Israeli court by an
eyewitness yesterday.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/
i-saw-israeli-bulldozer-kill-rachel-corrie-1919464.html
Israel's
Arab Helpers
Palestinian families hold Cairo responsible for
lives of their sons in its jails
The families of Palestinian prisoners in Egyptian jails on Wednesday
held the government in Cairo fully responsible for the lives of their
sons and called for releasing them immediately.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
PA scraps tribute to woman who hijacked Israeli bus
in 1978
RAMALLAH,
Occupied West Bank: The Palestinian Authority on Wednesday cancelled a
ceremony to honor a woman who led a 1978 hijacking of a civilian bus in
Israel in which 35 people were killed.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=112578
Hammad:
“Fateh Is Leading Smear Campaign Against Hamas"
Fathi Hammad, Interior Minister of the Hamas-led government in Gaza,
accused the rival Fateh movement, headed by Mahmoud Abbas, of carrying
a smear campaign, supported by Israel and the United States, against
the Hamas movement.
http://www.imemc.org/index.php?obj_id=53&story_id=58189
Zionism
Poll:
46% of high-schoolers don't want equality for Arabs
Some
81% of religious students said they would refuse to evacuate
settlements, versus 36% of secular counterparts. Every second student
is opposed to granting right to vote to Arabs, and 32% don't want Arab
friends.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3861161,00.html
Israel's
unfair 'law of return' | Abe Hayeem
While
British Jews are offered property in the West Bank, Palestinian
refugees are still denied the right to return. The yearly drive to
encourage British Jews to emigrate to Israel culminated last weekend in
the Israel Property Exhibition
in a north London synagogue. "Make your dream come true with your own
home or investment in Israel," it urged. Although most of the property
for sale is in Israel itself, some is in the occupied Palestinian
territories. The Jewish Agency
also placed ads in Jewish News and the Jewish Chronicle, which last
month included a glossy pamphlet with programmes to "ease and speed up
the process of immigration". Free flights and citizenship within 24
hours were on offer, together with generous financial and social
benefits and tax exemptions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/11/israel-return-jews-palestinians
Politics
and Diplomacy
Biden fails to kick start talks
The
US vice-president has concluded his visit to the Palestinian city of
Ramallah in the West Bank with nothing to show for his efforts to
reopen Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Joe Biden's efforts have been
thwarted by Isareli's latest announcement of construction of 1,600 more
housing units in Ramat Shlomo, a religious settlement in an area of the
occupied West Bank annexed to Jerusalem by Israel. Biden said the move
undermines trust in the peace process. Nour Odeh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3i6iuVvIVs&feature=youtube_gdata
Biden
to Israelis: Mideast status quo unsustainable
Vice President
says that Palestinians, Israelis must decide for themselves if they
want peace.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155720.html
Biden 'appreciates' Israeli response to settlement row (AFP)
AFP
- US Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday he "appreciates" Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's response to a row caused by the
announcement of plans for settlement expansion in east Jerusalem.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100311/pl_afp/mideastdiplomacyusbiden
Extra-Judicial Assassination
Israeli ad inspired by Hamas killing (AP)
AP - An Israeli supermarket on Wednesday looked to to cash in on the
infamous surveillance camera footage showing suspected assassins
stalking a Hamas operative in Dubai with a new advertising campaign.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100310/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_dubai_slaying_spoof
Dubai police: Mossad agents present in Gulf countries
The Dubai police warned that agents of the Israeli foreign
intelligence known as the Mossad were present in a number of Gulf
countries.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/
Other News
Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine, "Kayed al-Ghoul: Israeli
Aggression on Gaza and Lebanon Likely in the Event of an Attack on Iran"
Kayed al-Ghoul, a member of the Central Committee of the Popular Front
for the Liberation of Palestine, says that, in the event of aggression
against Iran, the Occupying Power will likely attack the Gaza Strip and
Lebanon to prevent any reactions and to disarm the resistance forces.
Al-Ghoul remarked in an interview televised by Al Arabiya: "We in the
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine oppose any US or Israeli
aggression on Iran, or any other country in the region. We believe that
their goal is to bring all in the region to their knees, in order to
subjugate the region according to the US strategy and Israel's role in
it."
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/pflp100310.html
Hamas
frees British journalist in Gaza
* Freelance journalist Paul Martin released by Hamas
* Calls
accusations of being spy for Israel "ridiculous"
* Says his release
is victory for freedom of the press
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE62A0TS.htm
CPJ alarmed by IDF attacks on journalists in West
Bank
The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a recent spate
of press freedom violations in the West Bank,
including detentions, censorship, harassment, and physical attacks by
Israeli
soldiers. We ask that you ensure that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
examine
the cases outlined below and discipline any individuals who are found to
have
committed violations.
http://cpj.org/2010/03/cpj-alarmed-by-spate-of-idf-attacks-on-journalists.php
PA,
de facto gov't press violations condemned
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Palestinian Center for Development and Media
Freedoms (MADA) issued a condemnation of raids by unidentified men on
the homes of two journalists, one in the West Bank and a second in
Gaza. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) investigated the 9
March incident, where Qalqiliya resident and journalist Mustafa Sabri
was prevented from conducting an interview by Palestinian Authority
security services.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=267711
Women
in charge in West Bank's key district (AP)
AP
- At 35, Leila Ghanem is the first woman to become a Palestinian
governor, the latest in a group of trailblazing women leaders who are
slowly winning acceptance in this traditional society.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100311/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_palestinians_women_in_charge
New FBI Files Alleging AIPAC Theft of Government
Property and Israeli Espionage Released
AIPAC was investigated after it acquired and circulated classified
government information provided in strict confidence by US industry and
worker groups opposed to AIPAC sponsored economic legislation.
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/new-fbi-files-alleging-aipac,1199302.shtml
MKs to Biden: Show kindness and mercy for Jonathan
Pollard
A group of Knesset faction chairmen on Wednesday sent a letter to U.S.
Vice President Joe Biden requesting clemency for Jonathan Pollard, who
is serving a life sentence in the U.S. after being convicted of spying
for Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155528.html
Analysis/Opinion/Human
Interest
Israel's Decision About More Than Housing
The late Israeli foreign minister Abba Eban was credited for the
oft-quoted phrase about the Palestinians "never missing an opportunity
to miss an opportunity." Perhaps it is time for a corollary for the
Israelis: they never seem to miss an opportunity to make it more
difficult for Palestinian leaders to seize an opportunity.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/03/10/opinion/diplomatic/main6286254.shtml
How did U.S. groups react to Biden's condemnation of
Israel?
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's condemnation of Israel's plan to
construct 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem was welcomed on
Wednesday by advocacy groups and analysts who called for Israel to be
held accountable for actions that undermine peace talks with the
Palestinians.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155622.html
Netanyahu steals more land, so Biden is late for
dinner
I
felt nauseated when I heard that the big gesture by Joe Biden, in
response to Israel announcing more settlements on his arrival in
Jerusalem, was being late to dinner.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/03/netanyahu-steals-more-land-so-biden-is-late-for-dinner.html
The
Obama administration asked for the East Jerusalem fiasco
Don't
believe
Benjamin Netanyahu for one moment when he says he "never knew."
The Jerusalem planning committee is only too aware of what the bosses
want, and the government has decided to step up construction in greater
Jerusalem. Dispossession and taking possession, kicking out and moving
in - that's what it's all about.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1155629.html
Thank you,
Eli Yishai, for exposing the peace process masquerade
Gideon
Levy - Haaretz - What would we do without Yishai? Biden would have left
Israel propelled by the momentum of success. Netanyahu would have
boasted of a renewed close friendship. A few weeks later, the indirect
talks would have started. Europe would have applauded, and Barack
Obama, the president of big promises, would even have taken a moment
away from dealing with his country`s health-care issues to meet with
Netanyahu. George Mitchell, who has already scored quite a few
diplomatic feats here, would shuttle between Ramallah and Jerusalem,
and maybe Netanyahu would eventually have met with Mahmoud Abbas. Face
to face. Then everything would have been sorted out.
Lord almighty, MSM covers dissing of Biden
Notice how the mainstream press (Time Magazine) dissed the Israeli
government and Bibi. This is new.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/03/lord-almighty-msm-covers-dissing-of-biden.html
Two Humiliations - Can Obama Live With A Third?, Alan
Hart
Amazing!
While in Israel, an American vice president explicitly condemns an
Israeli decision to build yet more homes, 1,600 apartments, in occupied
Arab East Jerusalem. "I condemn the decision by the government of
Israel to advance planning for new housing units in East Jerusalem,”
Joe Biden said. “It’s the kind of step that undermines the trust we
need". Yes, but...
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article24957.htm
'Mornings in Jenin': a book that explains the
Palestinian experience to the West
US, March 10, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - Mornings in Jenin, by Susan
Abulhawa, is the story of one Palestinian family over four generations.
It can be argued, however, that it is also a story about any and every
Palestinian family. The novel begins in the picturesque village of Ein
Hod in the north of Palestine. The Abulheja family leads the simple
life that most Palestinian farmers led before their tragic
dispossession in 1948. Love was plentiful in Ein Hod. Love for life,
for family, for God and for the land. This was the essence of a farming
society for generation upon generation.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/entertainment/books/4708-
mornings-in-jenin-a-book-that-explains-the-palestinian-experience-to-the-west
Palestine already exists on film
World,
March 10, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) -Over the past 10 years a new wave of
Palestinian filmmakers has constructed a specific national identity on
screen. It is more directly political than the earlier film portrayals
of Palestinian lives and stories. While the second intifada (which
started in September 2000) was still raging in Israel and the occupied
Palestinian territories, the Nazareth-born filmmaker Elia Suleiman's
film Divine Intervention (2002) was submitted to the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences as the nominated entry from Palestine for the
best foreign language film Oscar category. The Academy rejected the
film because, it said, "Palestine is not a country". In 2006, when the
Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad's film Paradise Now (2005) was
nominated in the same category, the Academy accepted it, and identified
its country as "the Palestinian Authority".
http://www.paltelegraph.com/entertainment/movies/4707-palestine-already-exists-on-film
Gaza Graffiti Movie.wmv
Gazas walls cry out in
green, red, black and yellow: Look at us! Read our messages! Swedish
photographer Mia Grondahl spent seven years - most of the second
intifada - capturing the walls of Gaza. Her book and photo exhibit
"Gaza Graffiti - Messages of Love and Politics" tell us about the many
roles of graffiti in Gaza. Apart from political slogans, the walls bear
witness to the joy and sadness of Gaza, the wedding ribbons being tied
between young people, the many victims of the conflict, and the ever
present hope of peace and freedom. For us on the outside, the graffiti
offers an exciting and unexpected view of life in Gaza.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ7QX_tfzDs&feature=player_embedded
Iraq
Wednesday: 7 Iraqis Wounded
At
least seven Iraqis were wounded in light violence. Attacks are perhaps
on hold until election results, which are expected tomorrow at the
earliest, are released. In the north, U.N. figures show that at least
800 Christians have left Mosul since the beginning of March.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/03/10/wednesday-7-iraqis-wounded/
US
soldiers kill Iraqi man and his wife
US
soldiers killed on Wednesday a man and his wife in Al Karkh District
without knowing the conjuncture of the incident, a source from Iraq’s
Interior Ministry said. US Army forces opened fire on Omar Abdullah and
his wife who were inside their car, the source said.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-46193-US-soldiers-kill-Iraqi-man-and-his-wife.html
U.S.
troops said to have killed an Iraqi driver and a girl
U.S. occupation troops are reported to have killed a driver and a girl
as their armored vehicles rumbled through Baghdad’s neighborhood of
Iskan. “A driver and a girl were martyred as a result of fire U.S.
troops directed at their car. The troops were driving in the main
thoroughfare of Iskan area,” one eyewitness said. Other eyewitnesses
interviewed by the newspaper concurred. One of them said: “The driver
was shot in the head while the girl in the same car was shot in the
back. Both died instantly.” A U.S. military spokesman said an
investigation was underway. But the unnamed spokesman denied that U.S.
troops were involved. He said he would supply the newspaper with
additional information once the investigation is over.
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news\2010-03-11\kurd.htm
Maliki coalition leads race on eve of initial vote
results
BAGHDAD:
Initial results from Iraq's national election are likely to be released
by Thursday, Iraqi and UN officials said on Wednesday, as further signs
emerged of a strong showing for Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=112579
Everyday
Demands Drown Out Sectarianism
Iraqis
say they spurned sectarian rivalries to vote for better services, an
IWPR straw poll reveals. By IWPR-trained reporters (ICR No. 327,
11-Mar-10)
http://www.iwpr.net/EN-icr-f-361045
Riz Khan - Falluja's birth defects
On this episode of the Riz Khan show we ask if US weapons are
behind the sharp rise in birth defects in Falluja. Residents of the
Iraqi city blame the surge in chronic deformities on controversial
weapons used by US forces against Sunni fighters in 2004. But the US
military has dismissed those allegations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq1MTxXmELg&feature=player_embedded
An Iraq
Without Terror?
Iraq's reputation as a country beset by extreme violence remains what
it was. Historically this is explained by Iraq's position as a frontier
zone surrounded by states more powerful than itself. From the time the
Mongols sacked Baghdad in 1258 to the coming of the British in the
First World War, the Iraqi tribes outside the cities largely ruled
themselves. Modern Iraq has always been a violent country where
everybody carries a gun, but everything which went before has been
dwarfed by the experiences of the past 30 years. Since the start of the
Iran-Iraq conflict in 1980, Iraq has known nothing but war, rebellion,
sanctions, invasion and civil war.
http://www.counterpunch.com/patrick03112010.html
Lebanon
Hariri to pay another visit to Syria by end of month
BEIRUT:
Prime
Minister Saad Hariri is scheduled to visit Syria by the end of
the month after an official state visit to Germany this Saturday,
Information Minister Tarek Mitri said following the Cabinet meeting
Wednesday at the Grand Serail in Downtown Beirut.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=112596
Fatah reshuffle in Lebanon could spark
intra-factional clashes
SIDON/
BEIRUT: New appointments within the leadership of Fatah in Lebanon
might lead to internal conflicts inside the Palestinian faction,
Palestinian sources revealed Wednesday. The changes consisted of
discharges and appointments made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
and the sources said they could cause "clashes inside Fatah."
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=112601
Woman in Jeita raped by man disguised as ISF officer
BEIRUT: A 35-year-old woman was raped Wednesday by a man disguised as a
member of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), the state-run National
News Agency reported. Two armed men dressed in ISF uniforms broke into
the woman's house in the Kesrouan town of Jeita, where she was staying
with her 30-year-old sister, and one of them raped her.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=112589
U.S.
and Other World News
Rep.
Dennis Kucinich Takes on Democratic Leaders With Insistence on Public
Option, Call for Afghan Withdrawal
Democratic
Rep. Dennis Kucinich joins us to discuss two House debates in which
he’s played a central role this week. The Ohio Democrat is threatening
to vote against his party’s healthcare reform package because it does
not contain a robust public option. Meanwhile Kucinich’s bill to force
the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan was taken up on
Wednesday. After a rare three and a half hour debate on the war the
majority of House Democrats joined with Republicans to defeat the
measure.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/3/11/rep_dennis_kucinich_takes_on_democratic
Ex-MI5 head: US hid torture tactics from UK
"I said to my staff, 'Why is he talking?' because our experience of
Irish prisoners, Irish terrorists, was that they never said anything,"
she said. "They said, well, the Americans say he is very proud of his
achievements when questioned about it. It wasn't actually until after I
retired that I read that, in fact, he had been waterboarded 160 times."
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/
exmi5-head-us-hid-torture-tactics-from-uk-1918945.html
Pakistanis who refused airport screening in D.C. are
hailed at home
A tour of the United States arranged by the State Department to improve
ties to Pakistani legislators ended in a public relations fiasco when
the members of the group refused to submit to extra airport screening
in Washington, and they are now being hailed as heroes on their return
home.
http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_14642836?source=rss
Law officers may be less patient, quicker to use
force after combat deployment, study finds
Many
law enforcement officers called up to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan are
finding it difficult to readjust to their jobs once home, bringing back
heightened survival instincts that may make them quicker to use force
and showing less patience toward the people they serve.
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-us-reintegrating-police-vets,0,5231963.story
Iranian missiles pose no threat to U.S. and Europe -
Lavrov
"It is evident that Iran currently poses no threat to the U.S. and
European countries... At the moment, Iran has no missiles capable of
striking Europe, let alone the U.S., and is unlikely to develop [such
missiles] in the foreseeable future," Lavrov said.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20100310/158151243.html
Brazilian president warns sanctions against Iran
could lead to war
"We don't want to repeat in Iran what happened in Iraq. It's not
prudent for the world, it's not prudent for Iran," Silva said, a week
after rebuffing U.S. Secretary Hillary Clinton's appeal for Brazilian
support for a new round of tough sanctions.
http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/031010/wor_579491531.shtml
AIPAC calls for swift action to block U.S.
companies supporting Iran
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is calling on the U.S.
Congress to take several immediate steps in response to a New York
Times report revealing that the federal government has awarded more
than $107 billion in grants, contracts and other benefits to foreign
and multinational U.S. companies conducting business in Iran.
http://jta.org/news/article/2010/03/10/1011010/
aipac-calls-for-swift-action-to-block-us-companies-supporting-iran
Shell No Longer Selling Gasoline to Iran
Shell
said
on March 10 it had stopped selling petrol to Iran, becoming the
latest major oil company to stop trading with the Islamic Republic.
http://www.industryweek.com/articles/shell_no_longer_selling_gasoline_to_iran_21312.aspx |
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