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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Settlers / Land, property and resources theft and destruction / Ethnic cleansing
88 Palestinian homes to be demolished in Silwan
19 Nov - Israel has ordered demolition of around 88 Palestinian homes in
the East
Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, Palestinian officials warned. Israeli
Attorney Yehuda Weinstein handed demolition orders in al-Bustan area
claiming that the Arab houses were illegally built. Ahmed
al-Rowaidhi, chief of Jerusalem Unit at the Palestinian presidency, said
Israel's move will result in 1,500 Palestinians being evicted from
al-Bustan for the construction of a tourist center.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59955
The story behind the tourist site
Once upon a time, where you’re standing right now, there was a small
valley called Wadi Hilwah, part of the large Silwan village. Hilwah was
the wife of the mukhtar Siyam. She was killed during armed clashes in the valley. Before her death, the valley was called Wadi Al-Nabah,
Valley of Wails. They say that at nights one could hear among the hedges
of cactuses the wails of the innocent girl who was viciously murdered
by her brother. The Muslim village of Silwan started to develop in the
16th century. The village was famous for its quality agricultural
produce, and served as a resting point on the way to the old city.
Today the village counts 55,000 people. 5,500 live in Wadi Hilwah
neighborhood, which lies on the Old City’s southern slopes.
http://silwanic.net/?page_id=63
Map of Wadi Hilwah
http://silwanic.net/?page_id=110
Ethnically cleansing East Jerusalem / Stephen Lendman
... Ethnically Cleaning Silwan --
Silwan is an Arab village adjacent to Jerusalem's Old City,
extending along the Kidron Valley alongside the eastern slopes of Jabal
al-Mukaber, another Arab community. Home to about 45,000 people, it's
one of 28 Palestinian villages incorporated into East Jerusalem. For
years, settler encroachment fueled controversy and conflict. So does the
area's historical importance, archeology used for displacement to
legitimize Jewish claims. Excavations have already claimed large tracts
of Silwan land.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=71982
Israelis insist they have US backing to build in East Jerusalem (AP)
Israel says US has agreed to allow building in East Jerusalem but Washington has yet to produce letter showing it has agreed
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=71975
Violence
3 airstrikes launched on Gaza
Six
Gaza
residents were injured Friday in when Israeli forces launched three air
strikes on the coastal enclave, medics said. The strikes targeted sites
in the southern and central Gaza Strip. Four were injured in a strike
on Deir Al-Balah, where shelling targeted a two-storey home. The
injured, who included two women, were transferred to hospital, Gaza
medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiyya said. Two
attacks targeted Khan Younis in southern Gaza. One strike on the
southern area injured a man and a child, who were transferred to the
Nasser Hospital, Abu Salmiyya said. No injuries were reported from the
third strike, which hit a farmers' field ... The army said the strikes
were in response to projectiles launched from the Strip into southern
Israel.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334189
IDF strikes Gaza after phosphorus bombs launched into Israel
Palestinian
militant group claims responsibility for mortar fire in retaliation for
Israel's killing of two militants in Gaza on Wednesday -- The Israel
Defense Forces Spokesperson confirmed Friday that IDF attacked three
targets in the Gaza Strip, following a barrage of mortar bombs and
rockets fired at the western Negev.
Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired a long-range Grad rocket
and seven mortar shells at western Negev on Friday, following a
night-long barrage of Qassam rockets fired from the coastal enclave.
Police investigation showed that one of the mortar bombs fired
at Hof Ashkelon council contained phosphorus.
[from Israeli Cast Lead leftovers, presumably]
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-strikes-gaza-after-phosphorous-bombs-launched-into-israel-1.325640
Activism / Solidarity / Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
Protests against land confiscation met with riot gear
In the central West Bank tows of Bil`in, Ni`lin and An-Nabi Saleh,
Israeli forces met groups of protesters with rubber-coated bullets and
tear gas, with locals reporting one man struck directly by a bullet and
lightly injured in Bil'in. The injured man was identified as Kamel
Al-Khatib. The military said it was unaware of any injuries.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334188
Today in Bil`in / Hamde Abu Rahme
19
Nov. Today one citizen was wounded and dozens suffered tear gas
inhalation due to clashes that took place in the West Bank village of
Bil`in. Peace activists and international supporters marched alongside
village residents in the weekly demonstration against the wall and
settlements, and in solidarity with activist Abdullah Abu Rahma, who was
refused release by the Israeli military court of Ofer even after his
sentence expired.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/today-in-bilin-3.html
The Israeli military left it to settlers to monitor Palestinian farmers during the holive harvest
By
the volunteers of the Harvesting Peace Project. On our first day in Jeb
al Theeb as part of an Italian civilian peace intervention project
during the olive harvest things were already hot. Four of us were
accompanying two of the village farmers to their olive trees, when
before even reaching their land we were stopped by two armed
settlers who immediately called for reinforcements. Within minutes two
jeeps with IDF soldiers as well as border police arrived, which then
grew to be roughly 20 soldiers as several more jeeps arrived on the
scene.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/the-israeli-military-
left-it-to-settlers-to-monitor-palestinian-farmers-during-the-olive-harvest.html#more-29704
'I am strong. We resist': an interview in the village of Jeb al-Theeb
By the volunteers of the Harvesting Peace Project. Sitting in one of the
houses of Jeb al Theeb, a small village south of Bethlehem, a
Palestinian woman describes the living conditions. She is a
teacher but in the darkness it is difficult to determine her age. Her
home, just as the entire village, is without electricity. The only light
that arrives comes from the mega-illumination of the adjacent
settlements of El David, Nokdim, and Sde bar. ... "Just the other day,
as I walked to work early in the morning, I saw a settler turn a hundred
of his goats on the olive trees belonging to a man near the village.
The day before, that same man had defended his right to access his
lands. The goats damaged both the trees and the olives."
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/i-am-strong-we-resist-an-interview-in-the-village-of-jeb-al-theeb.html
What young Israeli refused to do in Palestine she acted out on 1116th Street / Nancy Krikorian
I went to the Students for Justice in Palestine's mock checkpoint on the
Columbia campus this afternoon and handed out fliers for an hour and a
half. Columbia's LionPAC, HIllel, Just Peace, Grain Lavi and Tarbootnikim
were counter-demonstrating, handing out fliers, some of them wrapped in
Israeli flags, others of them attempting to get into provocative
arguments, which for the most part SJP'ers were able to avoid. Maya
Wind, one of the JVP/CODEPINK Shministim
[Wind refused to serve in the Israeli Defense Forces] from last year who
is now a freshman at Barnard, was carrying a cardboard rifle and
helping to run the checkpoint. She was completely in character as a
gruff and unpleasant checkpoint guard, so I didn't even say hello, but
the photo above shows her in the role that she refused to play in real
life.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/
what-young-israeli-refused-to-do-in-palestine-she-acted-out-on-116th-st.html
George Galloway kicks off controversial Canadian speaking tour
Former
British parliamentarian was previously prevented from entering the
country for meeting with members of Hamas -- After being banned entry to
the country for over a year, George Galloway, the outspoken former
British Member of Parliament, is blazing his way across Canada with a
speaking tour that addresses everything from freedom of speech to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Galloway is scheduled to speak in 10 cities in 11 days.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/george-
galloway-kicks-off-controversial-canadian-speaking-tour-1.325448
Student activism and the pro-Palestinian movement gains momentum / Samira Quraishy
The
pro-Palestinian movement has been gaining steady momentum in student
bodies and educational institutes in the West, especially after the most
recent atrocities. According to Hasan, student activism in America on
this issue has been increasing mainly due to "awareness... increasing
over time [which has] recently reached a threshold where a lot of
Americans either know the basics of what is going on or are interested
in learning more".
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/resources/interviews/1760-
student-activism-and-the-pro-palestinian-movement-gains-momentum
Road to Hope kidnapping statement / Ken O'Keefe
18 Nov [with videos] ...It is ludicrous to even argue with someone who
was not there about the circumstances to which we were taken against our
will away from the port. Those who claim we were freely onboard the
ship that was departing for a destination unknown, without our
passports, separated from our convoy without even a change of underwear
or a toothbrush or a bed are either aligned with the kidnappers, or
dupes who simply were not
there.
http://salem-news.com/articles/november182010/convoy-update-ko.php
Anti
UNRWA head [John Ging]: Don't boycott Israel
Q.
Do
you support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, and how do you
feel about the boycott/divestment/sanctions movement? A. The last time I
was in the States I attended a celebration for Israel’s independence
day with the Israelis at the UN. They know I’m pro-Israel. I
celebrate Israel’s independence … It’s a concern that those representing
themselves as pro-Palestinian are now linking that to anti-Israel
sentiment and policies like divestment and boycott. I oppose
that … The people of Israel need efforts to rebuild confidence that
peace can be brought about. Talking about sanctions and boycotts is not
going to bring about anything positive …
http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/new_york_minute/unrwa_head_dont_boycott_israel
Detention / Exile
Martyr's brother and nephew still detained; brother's wife is released
Silwan,
Jerusalem
19 Nov -- The wife of Ali Sarhan, brother of martyr Samer Sarhan, was
released from Israeli custody yesterday after questioning, during which
authorities probed her for information regarding her husband. Ali Sarhan
and his wife, along with his nephew Sultan Halisi, the son of the
martyr’s sister, were arrested earlier that morning by Israeli forces.
Later in the day, Israeli troops returned to Ali’s home with a canine
unit and searched the premises.
Meanwhile, Ali Sarhan’s
hearing was converted from public to private, and ultimately extended
Ali’s detention by ten days without offering a reason, on the pretext
that his file was secret.
http://silwanic.net/?p=8695
Israeli intelligence suggests exile of a number of prisoners
Palestinian news agency, Ma'an reported on Thursday that Nizar Mahagneh,
the lawyer of the Palestinian Prisoners Club was able to visit many
Palestinian prisoners in interrogation centers in which they have been
detained for more than a month ... The lawyer highlighted a serious
issue that an Israeli intelligence major has repeatedly suggested the
idea of exiling those detained and their families. The State of Israel
has used this policy of "exile" significantly in the
past; prisoners are both internally displaced within the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, as well as sent into external exile. The most
recent case has been that of Akram Anteer. Anteer was imprisoned at a
detention facility in the Negev, but was given permission to travel
initially to Jordan, and then onto Spain for medical treatment following
his diagnosis of cancer. Anteer has subsequently been informed that he
has been exiled and will not be permitted to return to the Palestinian
Territories.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59942
Detained Palestinian legislator released
The
Ahrar Center for Detainees Studies reported Wednesday that the Israeli
Prison Authorities released, on Tuesday evening, one of the detained
Palestinian Legislators, from the Tubas district in the central
West Bank. Ayman Daraghma, member of Hamas’ Change and Reform Bloc, was
kidnapped from his home in March 2009 and never faced charges. Last
week, Israeli soldiers abducted legislators Mahmoud al-Ramahi and Hatem
Qfeisha. Meanwhile, detained Legislators Bassem al-Zaarir from Hebron,
and Abdul-Jabbar Foqaha from Ramallah, received renewed administrative
detention orders for the fifth consecutive time. Their detention was
extended by four more months; no charges were presented against them.
Currently, the number of elected Palestinian legislators imprisoned by
Israel stands at nine.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59925
Siege / Restriction of movement / Humanitarian
Israel wages war against Gazan rubble collectors
28
year old Ibrahim Yousef Ghaben from Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza
personifies the trials of life for Palestinians and their families, and
the multitude of hardships brought by Israel’s siege and violent
attacks. It would not normally have been Ibrahim’s choice to collect
rubble with a donkey cart as a means of providing for his sick mother,
wife and 8 young children. But in Gaza, external pressures force people
to make choices that anywhere else would be deemed beyond reason and
perhaps beyond imagination. The shooting on the 10th of November was the
latest setback for Ibrahim,
the most recent of the 10 rock collectors shot near or in the Israeli
imposed ‘buffer zone’ during the last 3 weeks.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/11/15573/
Israel's answer for Gaza: If they haven't bread, let them eat gravel
The eve of Eid al-Adha celebrated this week brought news of a shortage
of flour in the Gaza Strip. For the past two weeks, traders and flour
mill owners have warned of shortages of wheat in the Strip, claiming that the mills have been providing about half of their production capacity. The mathematical formulas,
which the army used to determine the level to which they would allow the
stock of flour in Gaza to be reduced, are no longer in effect. So why
is there a shortage?
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/israels-answer-for-gaza-if-they-haven%E2%80%99t-
bread-let-them-eat-gravel.html
Soldiers block scouts from approaching Hebron mosque
HEBRON
(Ma'an)
-- Israeli forces stopped a scout march Thursday approaching the
Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, onlookers said. The group was marching toward
As-Sadaka park in the Old City where an Eid event was taking place, the
event coordinator said. Majed Aby Subeh said forces forbade the scouts
from entering and "attacked them." Mus’ab Abu Sneneh, 15, sustained
injuries.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334123
How one man turned Israel's blockade into a business opportunity
Ahmed Ramlawy's plastics company survived Israel's Gaza blockade by
buying garbage at $395 a ton and turning it into products all Gazans
need, like trash bags.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/1117/
How-one-man-turned-Israel-s-Gaza-blockade-into-a-business-opportunity
War crimes/criminals
Over 100 British MPs against change to universal jurisdiction law
More
than a hundred British MPs have opposed the coalition government's
plans to alter the law prosecuting Israeli leaders for alleged war
crimes, Press TV claimed on Friday. A parliamentary Early Day Motion has
so far been signed by 102 MPs. The MPs oppose any legislation that
restrict the power by British courts to apply the universal jurisdiction
law. Based on this law, arrest warrants
are issued to those accused of committing war crimes.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59957
Kai Wiedenhöfer's 'Gaza 1010' causes stir in Paris
Powerful
Zionist
umbrella group accuses German photojournalist of propaganda -- A
CRIF press release called the show anti-Israeli propaganda, adding that
the photographer chose to ignore the numerous Israeli victims ...
Wiedenhöfer’s portraits are at once unbearable and utterly compelling.
One photo finds Wafa al-Raddiaa clutching her child; when she was on her
way to give birth at the hospital in January 2009, she was hit by two
missiles, lost a leg and was left for dead ... The exhibit will travel to London’s Qattan Foundation in in early 2011. [See some of the photos here ]
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=121630#axzz15k64hpPT
'War criminals' site exposing personal details of IDF soldiers taken down
Web site called 'Israeli war criminals' displayed pictures, names, and
details of over 200 IDF soldiers; Kadima MK says people behind site
deserve to be punished -- A web hosting service removed Thursday a Web
site which displayed more than 200 pictures, names and personal details
of Israel Defense Forces soldiers who were dubbed by the editor "war
criminals" for their actions in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza in December
2008. The site, "Israeli war criminals" was published in recent days by
an anonymous source in the U.K. and declared
that its goal was to focus on the personal level and not on the national
level of those responsible.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/war-criminals-site-exposing-personal-details-of-idf-soldiers-taken-down-1.325437
Reprisals
Grad rocket explodes near Okafim
Escalation
in
Gaza: For first time since July, and after assassination of two senior
Army of Islam members, Palestinians fire Grad rocket into Israel.
Rocket hits open area in Merhavim Regional Council; three cows injured.
Two Qassam rockets fired from Strip overnight
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3986912,00.html
Racism / Discrimination
US report: Religious coercion, violence in Israel rising
State Department's annual
International Religious Freedom Report points to strict conversion
policy, segregated bus lines, violent haredi protests in Jewish state ... The
report states that "approximately 360,000
citizens who immigrated from the former-Soviet Union under the Law of
Return but are not considered Jewish by the Orthodox Rabbinate, cannot
be buried in Jewish cemeteries, divorce, or marry within the country."
... Inter-religious conflicts are also
mentioned:
"There were reports on haredi Jews insulting and spitting at priests and
nuns, and defacing with graffiti and throwing garbage and dead cats at
monasteries in Jerusalem."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3986722,00.html
Love thy neighbor / Chaim Levinson
Following
his
halakhic ruling that prohibits renting to Arabs in Safed, Rabbi Shmuel
Eliyahu offers his proposals for coexistence -- The three Arab students
observed the chief rabbi of Safed, Shmuel Eliyahu, with curiosity, as he
entered the courtyard of their home and knocked on the door of the
landlord, Eliyahu Tzvieli. Rabbi Eliyahu wanted to show the press that
in spite of the prohibition he had imposed
on renting apartments to Arabs, he is on good terms with his 89-year-old
neighbor. Tzvieli was not at home, and the students invited the rabbi
in.
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/love-thy-neighbor-1.325557
If anti-Semitism justifies ethnic cleansing, then what does anti-Palestinianism justify? / Ahmed Moor
Jerome Slater tries to make the claim that Zionism isn’t racism.
Many of the commenters who responded to his post presented more eloquent
and knowledgeable arguments than I can, so I’ll keep it brief.
According to Slater, Zionism isn’t racism because it’s just Jewish
nationalism. Likewise,
White nationalism isn’t racism. It’s the legitimate expression of White
people’s cultural aspirations. Furthermore, it doesn’t take land
inhabited by non-whites as its geographical locus – which Zionism does.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/
if-anti-semitism-justifies-ethnic-cleansing-then-what-does-anti-palestinianism-justify.html
Protesting the Hebron Fund, I remember a long afternoon at a segregated swimming hole / Seán O'Neill, CPT
Hebron Fund held its annual fundraiser in New York Tuesday night. A report from O'Neill, a former member of Christian Peacemaker Teams in the South Hebron Hills, who attended the protest: I was just leaving Hebron’s Old City one day in August 2009 when a friend of mine, Hamzi, invited me to go swimming.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/
protesting-the-hebron-fund-i-remember-a-long-afternoon-at-a-segregated-swimming-hole.html
Political/Diplomatic news
US obstructs Palestinian statehood moves in UN agencies (Reuters)
Palestinians
claim that even small symbolic steps have been rebuffed -- Away from the
headlines, Palestinians have been trying to advance their statehood
agenda in small but symbolic ways in United Nations agencies that fall
off the radar for most people.
But even on the outer reaches of the sprawling UN system, their efforts
have been blocked by a United States resolved not to display the
slightest tilt toward Palestinians as it tries to act as honest broker
in their halting peace talks with Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
u-s-obstructs-palestinian-statehood-moves-in-un-agencies-1.325635
Abbas: US aid to Israel must not be linked to talks
DUBAI
(AFP)
-- President Mahmoud Abbas said he refuses to link the troubled Middle
East peace process with a US offer of additional military aid to its
Israeli ally, in a newspaper interview published on Friday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334195
Mofaz: Freeze a major strategic mistake
Kadima's
No.
2 warns that after new settlement construction moratorium, Israel will
be required to accept 'another one and another one.' It's time for big
moves, he says, adding that 'waiting for core issues will only lead to
20 years of conflict' ... He stressed that "we will not pull through before a decision is made on stabilizing the borders and the security arrangements."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3986804,00.html
Other news
Gazans shocked at how many neighbors, coworkers, officials are 'spying' for Israel
An
intelligence source says that the number of Gazans arrested by Hamas for
collaborating with Israel are in the 'high hundreds' [out of 1.5
million people] -- Gaza City - To citizens of Gaza, the
Hamas government’s campaign to uncover and
uproot the network of collaborators with Israel has been shockingly
effective ... Gazans were astounded not only by the number or arrests,
but by who was arrested. Prominent figures in society, including many
doctors, were reportedly among those caught in the sweep. As the hunt
for spies continues, Gazans say the revelation of the network’s reach is
eroding trust between neighbors, coworkers – even family members. It’s
tearing at the fabric of a close-knit society, where families, friends
and neighbors often depend on each other.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/1119/
Exclusive-Gazans-shocked-at-how-many-neighbors-coworkers-officials-are-spying-for-Israel
Fatah officers, tribesmen clash in upper [?] Egypt
A
number of Palestinian officers affiliated to Fatah movement living in
the Egyptian town of El-Arish clashed with Egyptian citizens from the
Al-Fawakhriyeh tribe in a northern Sinai brawl Thursday night. The
severity of the clash led to a closure of the road between the city and
Rafah, the border town split between Egypt and Gaza, for more than two
hours overnight. Police said several cars were damaged and one man
injured before police and security forces arrived on the scene.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334175
'Cartoons in conflict': a new approach to Israeli-Palestinian dispute
Starting from November, the exhibition "Cartoons in Conflict", organized
by the Israeli-Palestinian association Parents Circle-Families Forum
(PCFF), will visit different cities in Europe, such as Rome, Paris and
Berlin, to show, in a graphic way, the pain and suffering from both
sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59940
'I saw Ariel Sharon murder 2 Palestinian toddlers in Lebanon'
Israel
officials call report by Dutch director George Sluizer a 'modern blood
libel' after he director claimed to have seen then Defense Minster
shooting children from close range near the Sabra-Shatilla refugee camp
in 1982. By
Cnaan Liphshiz
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
i-saw-ariel-sharon-murder-2-palestinian-toddlers-in-lebanon-1.325540
Palestinian arrested on suspicion of attempting to stab woman in Jerusalem
Police
say suspect said during his questioning that he did it "to prove he is
not a cooperator," as he was accused by his former prison cell mates.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/
palestinian-arrested-on-suspicion-of-attempting-to-stab-woman-in-jerusalem-1.325421
After foiled assassination plot, Nablus governor tours city
Nablus
Governor Jibrin Al-Bakri toured the city's markets and congratulated
shoppers and merchants on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, days after PA
forces said plot to assassinate him was foiled, and one day after Israel
handed full PA security control over to the city's police.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334172
Israeli Jews at odds with liberal US brethren (AP)
As
descendant of famed Zionist visionary, Hillary Rubin made aliyah to what
she thought was her true home. Now she has second thoughts after
Israel's religious authorities refuse to recognize her marriage. 'It's
becoming a tyrannical Jewish state'
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3977657,00.html
Analysis / Opinion / Human interest
Education at gunpoint II / Ramzy Baroud
The
problems faced by the education system in Palestine were difficult
enough during my childhood. Now they have compounded to unforeseen
levels, with the educational sector divided between two educational
ministries in Gaza and the West Bank, the former under Israeli siege and
the latter under military occupation. Were it not for UNRWA, the already
severe obstacles would have become completely insurmountable long ago.
But today even UNRWA is struggling with depleting funds and political
haggling between competing Palestinian authorities and an ever
atrocious Israeli occupation.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334159
Palestinian aid models must change / Kieron Monks
Far from offering sustainable development, the UNRWA's Peace Starts Here
aid campaign is simply life-support for Palestine ... So why are the
major donors happy to keep pouring money into a black hole? What have
the US and Europe bought for their tens of billions since 1994?
Stability, which could just as easily be called stagnation. Their money
is compensation for half a century of political failure.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/19/palestine-aid-models-must-change
Are we allowed to say Lieberman is a Soviet emigre? / Yossi Gurvitzt
Stating
the obvious is not racism -- Shmuel Sermontea-Gertel has basically
accused me of being a racist, after referring to Avigdor Lieberman as a
Homo Sovieticus. I contest that claim. The term “Homo Sovieticus” has a
very distinct meaning. It refers to someone who accepted basic Soviet
thinking, including blind acceptance of claims made by authority and
isolation from and hatred of the outside world. You could add several
other symptoms of the Soviet systems – disregard of human rights,
contempt for democracy and the democratic process, and rampant racism
towards “uncivilized people”, such as Asians or Muslims – and you would
have described Avigdor Lieberman, as well as most of his followers, to a
T.
http://972mag.com/are-we-allowed-to-say-liberman-is-a-soviet-emigre/
'He shall dwell with thee' / Naftali Rothenberg
The latitude we extended to ourselves, and which we received, as a
people fighting for survival is not relevant. We can no longer ignore
our moral responsibility toward Arab citizens -- Halakha underscores the
right of minorities to live among us peaceably and with security. It
says that members of these groups have the right to choose their places
of residence according to their needs, without anyone discriminating
against them or injuring them with words or deeds.
Indeed, halakha sets unmistakable, fundamental standards with regard to
minorities' places of residence in Eretz Israel, as in Deuteronomy
23:17, which states: "He shall dwell with thee, in the midst of thee, in
the place which he shall choose within one of thy gates, where it liketh
him best ... "
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/he-shall-dwell-with-thee-1.325492
A bribe too good to refuse / Stephen Lendman
When
all else fails, offer money, or in this case weapons for peace (a clear
oxymoron) via for a three month settlement construction moratorium
in name only. In fact, new building is unimpeded, Obama’s offer a facade
to hide reality on the ground. More on the deal below.
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2010/11/a-bribe-too-good-to-refuse/
New clothes, toy guns highlight of young Eid revelers
...Parents,
preparing for the celebrations, have bought new clothing for their
children for years now, and for some time the most popular gift has been
toy guns, which the youngest generation then takes to the streets for
hours of games mimicking the ungamely realities of occupation. The
traditions picked up by Palestinian children seem to gape when compared
to what older generations experienced. Eid for many was a time to pray
and sacrifice for the poor; donating portions of lamb to families less
fortunate.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334163
Despite Hamas-Fatah split, Gaza's sportsmen score a truce. Game on.
Gazans from Hamas and Fatah have overcome the deep political divide to
reopen sports clubs, many of which Hamas had turned into police stations
and military bases.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2010/1118/
Despite-Hamas-Fatah-split-Gaza-s-sportsmen-score-a-truce.-Game-on
Iraq
Thursday: 1 Iraqi killed, 25 wounded
The Eid al-Adha holiday continues in Iraq, where at
least one Iraqi was killed and 24 more were wounded in new violence. The
numbers likely fall short of the real toll as religious observances have cut
into the number of reports leaking out of the country. Meanwhile, Christian
leaders are worried
that a new exodus could spell the end of Christianity in Iraq. In Baghdad yesterday, a prison riot left 20 detainees
wounded while 30 others escaped.
Two civilians were wounded
by a blast in Jisr Diyala.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/11/18/thursday-1-iraqi-killed-25-wounded/
The unending occupation of Iraq / Gareth Porter
A
special envoy from President Barack Obama raised the possibility in a
secret meeting with senior Iraqi military and civilian officials in
Baghdad Sep. 23 that his administration would leave more than 15,000
combat troops in Iraq after the 2011 deadline for U.S. withdrawal,
according to a senior Iraqi intelligence official familiar with the
details of the meeting.
http://www.counterpunch.org/porter11162010.html
The deadly lie of democracy in Iraq / Ahmed Habib
"It
has been almost a million
months since Iraqis ran to the polls, to fill holes in their souls with
bloodstained ballots. Hundreds of candidates dressed up as maggots
colored the liberal lining in occupied skies, and perpetuated the lies
that there is democracy. Hypocrisy of the highest order, politicians
blaming their failure on porous borders, while blindly following
American orders on everything from defense to education. The death of a
nation, systematic assassination and relentless dehumanization of
millions of people. The burning of mosques, schools, hospitals and
steeples for crumbs of rotten bread. Iraq is dead, shot in the heart and
stabbed in the head." -- Excerpt from a new spoken word piece entitled,
"Unfinished Letters from Iraq."
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11635.shtml
US urged to reveal locations of depleted uranium in Iraq
18
Nov
- Despite the reports on the soaring cancer in Iraq and ever rising
concern it might have been caused by the contamination with depleted
uranium (DU), the United States refuse to reveal the locations the DU
containing weapons were used. During the two conflicts in 1991 and 2003
in Iraq, the US has used at least 400 tonnes of the DU, the
International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW) stated.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=71968
Lebanon, other Mideast
Lebanon pressured to improve Palestinians' lot
BEIRUT,
Nov
19 (IPS) - Abu Yussif doesn't want to talk about his work any more.
"It's not going to help and nothing will change anyway," he says. The
tall, white-haired Palestinian has just returned from work and relaxes
in his little garden in the refugee camp Bourj ash-Shamali near the
southern Lebanese city of Tyre. Abu Yussif is a pharmacist. But
the massive discrimination against Palestinians on the Lebanese labour
market has forced him to give up his profession and work as a taxi
driver.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53605
BBC delays program on Lebanese ex-premier's murder
LONDON (AFP) -- The BBC said Thursday it had delayed a documentary film
series about the murder of ex-Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri amid
tensions in Lebanon over a UN-backed probe into his death. In a
statement, the British broadcaster said it needed more time to check
that "Murder In Beirut", a 3-part series due to begin screening on the
BBC World News channel Saturday, complied with its editorial guidelines.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334130
Lebanon army chief: We must be wary of Israel's military schemes
Lebanese soldiers should keep a watchful eye on the movements and
"schemes" Israeli army, the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces told
troops on Thursday, adding that political disputes should be resolved
through political means not through the use of force.
Comments by LAF chief Jean Kahwaji came a day after a senior Israeli
official told Haaretz that Israel would ask the United Nations to
announce that once the Israel Defense Forces withdraws from the northern
section of Ghajar, it will no longer be in violation of the
international border with Lebanon.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
lebanon-army-chief-we-must-be-wary-of-israel-s-military-schemes-1.325600
UN welcomes Israel's decision to withdraw from Lebanese [? Syrian] site
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Thursday welcomed Israel's decision to
pull its troops out of Lebanon's Ghajar region, as an "important step"
in settling hostilities in the region.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334139
US army chief pledges support to Lebanese military
BEIRUT
(AFP) - General James Mattis, the US Central Command chief, on Friday
pledged his country would continue to support the Lebanese army, a week
after Washington lifted a freeze on military aid to Beirut.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334200
Long awaited Egyptian minimum wage sparks discontent
CAIRO (AFP) -- Egypt's decision to raise the minimum wage for the first
time since 1984 has been sharply opposed by the very activists who
demanded it, because at 400 pounds ($69) a month, it skirts close to the
poverty line. After a long battle, the National Council for Wages was
ordered by a court in October to review the minimum wage, set in 1984 at
35 Egyptian pounds -- roughly the price of a fast food meal in 2010.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=334131
Amnesty Int'l: Fresh claims of abuse of Indonesian domestic workers in Saudi Arabia
Amnesty International today called on the Saudi Arabian authorities to
protect domestic workers from abuse, following the reported discovery of
the mutilated body of an Indonesian woman found in a skip in the town of
Abha.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/
fresh-claims-abuse-indonesian-domestic-workers-saudi-arabia-2010-11-19
U.S. and other world news
J Street: 'Right wing activists and donors regularly intimidate Jewish communal institutions' re Israel / Philip Weiss
The cancellation by a Reform synagogue in Newton MA of a J Street event tonight has had a salutary effect. Some folks are speaking out. J Street has started a petition for more open discussion
in the Jewish community: "Know
that this is not an isolated example. All across the country, week in
and week out, small numbers of right-wing activists and donors regularly
intimidate synagogues, Hillels, and other communal institutions out of
presenting views on Israel they don't like. We've had enough, and I hope
you have too. It's time to draw the line and say we simply won't be
silenced any more."
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/j-street-
right-wing-activists-and-donors-regularly-intimidate-jewish-communal-institutions-re-israel.html
Jewish advocate disappointed in Newton synagogue's cancellation
BOSTON
—
When it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, there’s no such
thing as an easy conversation — not even in Boston. In Newton this week,
a reform synagogue abruptly canceled a speaking appearance by Jeremy
Ben-Ami, the executive director of J Street, a lobbying group known for
its advocacy of a peaceful, two-state solution. In an interview
Wednesday with WBUR, the rabbi at Temple Beth Avodah, Keith Stern, said
he was “utterly blind-sided” by the anger from some of his congregants
after he agreed to host the speaker. (Listen to interview]
http://www.wbur.org/2010/11/18/j-street
The Anti-Defamation League should own up or pack up / Mohammed Talat & Tom Pessah
The
Anti-Defamation League (ADL), founded in 1913, was long one of the
nation’s foremost civil rights organizations. Primarily established to
fight anti-Semitism, it became revered for combating hate and bigotry in
many forms. In its later years, however, it got mixed up in clandestine
spying on American civil rights organizations, which made headlines
after law enforcement seized thousands of intelligence files in its San
Francisco and Los Angeles offices. Today, it is cashing in its legacy
for a full-time lobbyist position on behalf of the Israeli government.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/11/the-anti-defamation-league-should-own-up-or-pack-up.html
Why the TSA gets to grope us / Justin Raimondo
The Transportation Safety Administration is bringing the war home – and the American people don’t like it one bit. Stories of TSA outrages are everywhere, from the "Don’t touch my junk" guy to that photo of a nun in full robes being searched by a TSA thuglet ... the real source of our troubles isn’t the TSA, or Homeland Security
... the real problem, as Rep. Paul understands very well, is our foreign policy of permanent war ... The Shoe Bomber compelled us to give up our shoes to the TSA. The Underwear Bomber
gave the government access to our genitalia. And soon enough the
Suppository Bomber will give them free entry to the very crevasses of
our personhood, and what is left of our dignity will perish along with
the Constitution.
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2010/11/18/why-the-tsa-gets-to-grope-us/
The Ghailani verdict and American justice / Glenn Greenwald
...even
had he been acquitted on all counts, the Obama administration had made
clear that it would simply continue to imprison him anyway under what it
claims is the President's "post-acquittal detention power" -- i.e., when an accused Terrorist is wholly acquitted in court, he can still be imprisoned indefinitely by the U.S. Government under the "law of war" even when the factual bases for the claim that he's an "enemy combatant" (i.e.
that he blew up the two embassies) are the same ones underlying the crimes for which he was fully acquitted after a full trial.
http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/11/18/trials/index.html
Guilty until proven guilty - threatening the presumption of innocence / Tom Engelhardt and Karen Greenberg
How
at
Risk Is the Justice System? The presumption of innocence may be slowly
dying in the courtrooms where our terror trials are being held, as Karen
Greenberg, executive director of the Center on Law and Security
at NYU Law School and author of The Least Worst Place: Guantanamo's
First 100 Days, points out in today’s post. Here’s the curious thing,
though: that presumption is stronger than ever when it comes to those
who once ran or carried out the Global War on Terror. Afghanistan to
Washington, Abu Ghraib to Guantanamo, they all continue to live within a
bubble of official innocence.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=71989
Palestinians' white knight blots his escutcheon / Stuart Littlewood
From
champion of the vulnerable to betrayer in one bound… Nick Clegg,
Britain’s new deputy prime minister, is surprisingly agile ... In
January 2009, at the height of Israel’s murderous blitz on Gaza, he rode
to the rescue and railed against
the British government ... First sign [of change] was at the Liberal
Democrats’ conference in September when Clegg attended a Friends of
Israel fringe meeting but cold-shouldered the Friends of Palestine.
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2010/11/palestinians%E2%80%99-
white-knight-blots-his-escutcheon-by-stuart-littlewood/
Obama arrives at NATO summit with a revised US strategy in Afghanistan: Stay past 2014
As
Obama prepares for a longer commitment in Afghanistan, he must also
convince allies convening at this weekend's NATO summit in Lisbon to
extend their support.
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2010/1119/
Obama-arrives-at-NATO-summit-with-a-revised-US-strategy-in-Afghanistan-Stay-past-2014
Sweden issues international arrest warrant for WikiLeaks founder Assange
Swedish
authorities,
stepping up their persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, have
issued an international arrest warrant for his detention in relation to
trumped-up "rape" charges.
http://www.uruknet.info/?new=71992 |
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