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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Settlers/ Land, Property, Resource Theft & Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing
Half of Israeli Arabs to become citizens of Palestinian state: Israeli FM
JERUSALEM, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman claims that at least half of Israel's Arab residents would
likely end up as citizens of the future Palestinian state, following
territorial and population swaps as part of a possible peace agreement
to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-12/24/c_13662152.htm
U.S. criticizes PA bid to take settlement construction to UN
Foreign Ministry and the Prime Minister's Bureau continue talks with
members of the Security Council in an attempt to thwart the resolution.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
u-s-criticizes-pa-bid-to-take-settlement-construction-to-un-1.332611
Israeli settlers building 100 illegal homes: NGO (AFP)
AFP - Israeli settlers have illegally begun work on at least 100 homes
in the occupied West Bank since the end of a freeze on settlement
construction, Israel's Peace Now movement said on Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101223/wl_afp/israelpalestinianspeacesettlements
Villagers watch settlement homes multiply
NABLUS
(Ma’an)
-- West Bank monitors said settlers in the northern region set up 20
new mobile units on the outskirts of the illegal settlements of Eli and
Shilo, across from the village of Qaryut. The report came from PA
officials as Israeli newspapers announced the number of new homes
approved for construction on occupied lands reached 13,000 since the end
of the building freeze on September 26.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344754
Israeli Bedouin village razed for the 8th time
RAMALLAH: The Israeli Lands Administration (ILA) inspectors backed by
large police forces on Thursday demolished the unrecognized Bedouin
village of Al-Araqib for the eighth time in recent months.
http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article221723.ece
13 Homeless After Home Demolition in Ras al Ahmud
Tuesday, Israeli authorities demolished a Palestinian home in Ras al
Ahmud, East Jerusalem. ISM activists interviewed family members left
homeless by the senseless demolition. On December 19, 2010, Israeli
soldiers entered the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al Ahmud and
left a demolition notice on the window of a Palestinian home. The
families inside were faced with a wrenching decision: demolish their own
home and pay a fine of 60,000 shekels or refuse and watch as soldiers
demolish their house and punish them with a
fine of 120,000 shekels. Soldiers showed up outside with a bulldozer.
Finally, on December 21, they tore down their own house.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/12/16140/
Israeli military to expel Jerusalem Arab from city (AFP)
AFP - The Israeli military has ordered an east Jerusalem Palestinian out
of the city for four months for allegedly organising protests against
Israeli settlement there, the army and media said on Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101223/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansconflictjerusalemexpulsion
Help Silwan Resident Adnan Gheith Stay in Jerusalem, Joseph Dana
From Mohammed Khatib, Director of Popular Struggle Coordination
Committee, I know the Occupation in and out – I lived under it my
entire life, but even I cannot imagine being in Adnan Gheith’s position.
I don’t want
to believe that something like this is possible, and I want to do all I
can to stop what israel is trying to do to him.
http://josephdana.com/2010/12/help-silwan-resident-adnan-gheith-stay-in-jerusalem/
Yitzhar settlers blamed for attack on farmers
NABLUS
(Ma’an)
-- Officials from the northern West Bank village of Madama accused
settlers from the neighboring Israeli colony of Yitzhar of attacking a
group of farmers ploughing lands near the settlement fence on Thursday
morning. Hasan Zeyadeh, member of the Madma village council, said the
farmers were on lands south of the village when a group of religious
Jews approached them, throwing rocks and shouting abuses, and telling
them to leave the area.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344669
J'lem: Hundreds gather supporting W.Bank construction
Right wing activists fill Zion Square at rally saying "Yes to building,
no to making concessions"; issue of identity of Jewish state also
raised. Hundreds of people took part in a demonstration taking place
Thursday evening at Zion Square in Jerusalem in support of settlement
construction in the West Bank. Right wing activists, among others,
expressed opposition to a renewal of the settlement freeze, under the
banner of the event titled "Yes to building, no to making concessions."
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=200771
Rediscovering Holy Land sites
A number of churches in the West Bank have remained hidden from view,
which Palestinians blame on Israel's monopoly over tourism. Called the
forgotten churches, the Christian sites are not found on most operated
tours of the Holy Land. But some operators are trying to change that.
Christian pilgrims are now able to get a look at some of the previously
hidden historical sites. Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh reports.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFYJ65pGPr0&feature=youtube_gdata
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
Army Raids the House of a Popular Committee Member in Beit Ummar Using Live Ammunition
Soldiers from the Karmei Tzur settlement/military base invaded a
civilian house this afternoon in Beit Ummar using live ammunition and
sound bombs. During the raid, woman and children were injured as the
soldiers harassed one of the Popular Committee leaders of the village.
http://josephdana.com/2010/12/army-raids-the-house
Israeli Military Attacks Women, Children, Wedding During Beit Ommar Invasion
Thursday, December 23, at 3:00 in the afternoon, Israeli soldiers
entered Beit Ommar from the Karmei Tsur settlement. Without reason, they
invaded the home of Ibrahim Abu Maria, member of the National Committee
of Beit Ommar. His home is near the Karmei Tsur settlement and the area
where non-violent demonstrations organized by the National Committee and
the Palestine Solidarity Project begin every Saturday. Today, soldiers
burst into the home, insisting on occupying the roof. When Ibrahim’s
wife, Fadwa Arrar, refused access and attempted to shield her small
children, aged 11 and 6, she was viciously attacked by soldiers, who
beat her about the face and head. Her neighbor, Mona Abu Maria, heard
the home invasion and came over to assist her and her family. An Israeli
soldier threw a sound grenade which exploded on her arm.
http://palestinesolidarityproject.org/2010/12/23/
israeli-military-attacks-women-children-wedding-during-beit-ommar-invasion/
Christmas Eve Protest in al Walaja
Dec
23,
2010-- The day before Christmas, Palestinians from the Bethlehem
district will gather in the village al Walajah to demonstrate against
the Wall and settlements that threaten to encircle the village and turn
it into an open air prison. With the destruction of land currently
occurring, protest organizers hope to bring the plight of al Walaja, and
the Bethlehem district as a whole, to the attention of world during this
holiday season.
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2424.shtml
Five still held for blocking bulldozers in al Walaja
Dec 23, 2010-- Yesterday morning, residents of the village of al Walaja
blocked Occupation bulldozers clearing a path for the Wall. In response,
soldiers attacked the protestors and arrested eight Palestinians, among
them youth and activists with the popular resistance.
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2425.shtml
FBI Expands Probe into Antiwar Activists
The FBI’s probe into antiwar activists is growing. In September, FBI
agents raided the homes and offices of activists in Chicago and
Minneapolis. Subpoenas that were withdrawn have been reactivated, and a
new subpoena was served to a Palestinian solidarity activist in Chicago.
We speak with two of the people targeted and two former FBI agents.
[includes rush transcript]
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/23/fbi_expands_probe_into_antiwar_activists
Beit Jala parish boycotts controversial patriarch
Beit Jala's Greek Orthodox community was protesting the participation of
church patriarchs and officials in a ceremony organized by Israel's
Ministry of Tourism, which marked the re-paving and renovations to
religious sites in the occupied West Bank. Church communities saw the
move as a sign of continued cooperation between the patriarchy and
Israel. One year ago, the Greek Orthodox Church leased land to Israeli
developers for the expansion of Israeli-only settlements on lands
occupied by Israel in 1967.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=343841
#BDS: International companies consider ending operations in West Bank settlement
A number of international companies are now considering closing down
their branches in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in what seems to
be the growing momentum of the boycott movement. "Some of these
companies were closed due to pressure exerted by the EU," said Israeli
newspaper Maariv on Wednesday. The newspaper noted that Mul-T-Lock, a
locks manufacturer, was the first to shut its branches in Israeli
settlements, as a result of a boycott on its settlement-produced goods.
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2010/12/bds-international-companies-consider.html
St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee, "WMG, Motorola, and YouTube: Censoring Palestinian Solidarity Flash Mob Video"
YouTube
took down a Motorola boycott flash mob video, in deference to WMG's
copyright claim. But parodies of songs are protected under Campbell v.
Acuff-Rose. Furthermore, while it is unclear how WMG has any interest in
the copyright, WMG's relationship with Motorola is well known.
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/psc231210.html
Buying into Occupation and War: The implications of military ties between South America and Israel
Israeli military exports to South America have been on the rise in the
recent years. Brazil is gearing up to become the gateway for Israeli
military technology and companies. Israel continues to be a top supplier
of the Colombian military. Ecuador, while not having extensive military
ties with Israel, has recently purchased drone aircraft. Chile, already
a buyer of Israeli arms, also has expressed interest in similar drone
technology.
http://stopthewall.org/activistresources/2423.shtml
Resistance Floats: Canadian boat to break the blockade on Gaza
MONTREAL — Just months after the Israeli Defense Forces raided a
humanitarian flotilla headed to Gaza and killed nine international
activists on the Mavi Marmara, a team of Canadians is gathering funds
and passengers for their own Gaza-bound boat, departing from the
Mediterranean as soon as December.
http://stopthewall.org/mainstreammedia/2422.shtml
Anti
Seattle nixes bus ads decrying Israeli war crimes, Philip Weiss
I got the news from the Jewish Federation, in an email a friend passed
along: Dear [---] Thanks to the efforts of the Jewish Federation, and
our partners at the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation
League, and StandWithUs NW – as well as the many supporters and
concerned citizens in the community who contacted elected officials and
Metro representatives – we are pleased to share that the County
Executive and Metro have announced an interim policy that will not allow
non-commercial advertising on buses. In short, there will be no
anti-Israel ads appearing on Seattle buses.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/seattle-nixes-bus-ads-decrying-israeli-war-crimes.html
Siege/Rights Violations/Restriction of Movement
Helping the children of Gaza, two years on
Two
years
after "Operation Cast Lead" and Gaza's residents, more than half of
whom are under 18, are still feeling the effects of that devastating
conflict. UNRWA has continued to educate more than 200,000 children and
provide them with vital psycho-social support and recreational
activities.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-8CF3DE?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Rights group highlights Gaza closure
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has
released a new report on the “Illegal Closure of the Gaza Strip:
Collective Punishment of the Civilian Population.” The closure was
imposed following Hamas' takeover in 2007. This form of closure has been
continuously applied to the so-called “hostile entity,” cutting off 1.7
million individuals from the outside world. Gazans are not allowed to
travel, with few exceptions mainly for humanitarian reasons. Egypt has
largely enforced the closure, though it and Israel have lifted certain
restrictions in recent months.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344199
Asian activists seeking to bring relief to besieged Gaza arrive in Lebanon
BEIRUT: A delegation of Asian activists from 17 nations arrived Thursday
in Lebanon to pick up local supporters in the latest bid to bring relief
to besieged Gaza. At a news conference the activists said their aim
was to support a lifting of the siege on Gaza and promote boycott
efforts aimed at pressuring Israel. Indian national Bushreddine
Mohammad Ali, the director of the Asian delegation, told reporters that
“our aim is to entirely liberate Palestine, break the siege on Gaza and
boycott Israel’s economy.”
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=122889
In Bethlehem, shepherds watching their flocks by night are a dying breed
Jewish
settlements,
Israeli army checkpoints, closed military zones and the separation wall
make them an increasing rarity. If an "angel of the Lord" were to
appear in the sky over Bethlehem today, there would be scarcely any
shepherds keeping watch over their flocks to witness the scene.
Spending nights and days in the fields herding sheep has become an
almost impossible task for the fast-diminishing community of shepherds
in this biblical Palestinian town.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/23/bethlehem-shepherds-dying-breed
In Bethlehem tourism is reborn, but only for a few
Artists have made a tidy sum depicting an imaginary scene where a
pregnant Mary and Joseph are puzzled by Israel's separation wall
blocking their entry into Bethlehem.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/
in-bethlehem-tourism-is-reborn-but-only-for-a-few-2168437.html
Gaza victimized by double standard, Ann Wright
As
a
long swath of Israel's coast was consumed by a raging fire earlier this
month that killed more than 40 people, the world quickly came to
Israel's aid. The Europeans sent planes and equipment, and the Americans
helped, too. New York's renowned fire department shipped much-needed
retardant to the Eastern Mediterranean, and even the fire brigades of
Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinians sent help to their one-time enemies
and current occupiers, respectively. The Turkish government joined the
outpouring of help, despite Israel's May 31, 2010, attack on a
Turkish-flagged ship in an international flotilla heading to Gaza with
humanitarian aid and the murder of nine of its citizens (including one
dual American-Turkish citizen) by Israeli commandos in international
waters.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/editorials/20101222_
Gaza_victimized_by_double_standard.html
Racism and Discrimination
Tibi: This is most racist Knesset ever
MK Levin proud of success at preventing Arab MK's equal opportunities
bill from being discussed, but following Ynet report decides to allow
debate.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4003447,00.html
Arabs flee home due to racist threats
Four
Muslims,
Druze forced out of rented flat in Tel Aviv after neighbors, who say
rabbi told them Arabs must leave, vandalize their home and threaten to
attach explosives to their car. 'I felt humiliated by hatred,' says
Abbas, who served in IDF. But residents claim Arabs were less than
neighborly: 'At night we are afraid to walk around neighborhood,' says
one woman.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4003502,00.html
There’s an ugly volk vibe in this racist Tel Aviv rally against miscegenation and integration, Philip Weiss
Here's a friend's video from a demonstration in a Tel Aviv neighborhood
called Bat Yam three nights back, against relationships between
Palestinians and Jews, and against Palestinians living in certain
neighborhoods. Notice how many of the racists are young.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/theres-an-ugly-volk-vibe-in-this-
racist-tel-aviv-rally-against-miscegenation-and-integration.html
Supporters of rabbis' letter: We're not racists
Rightists gather in Jerusalem's Zion Square to express support for call
to ban sale or rental of property to Arabs; organizers distribute
religious edict banning negotiations on West Bank territories: 'PM
conducting talks with Hussein Obama's emissaries'.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4003823,00.html
OECD urges Israel to fund new Arab college in Nazareth
Organization's report claims that investing in higher education in the
Arab community would carry mid-term and long-term benefits for the
economy.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
oecd-urges-israel-to-fund-new-arab-college-in-nazareth-1.332596
Twilight zone / The long road to treatment, Gideon Levy
Sonia
and
Osama Rasras encountered many obstacles - and much help - in their
campaign to get their daughter medical treatment. But the battle is far
from over.
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/twilight-zone-the-long-road-to-treatment-1.332683
Austrian Jews chide Likud MK for meeting far-right leader
President of Austria's Jewish community complains to Netanyahu, charging that the meeting is a 'stab in the back.'
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
austrian-jews-chide-likud-mk-for-meeting-far-right-leader-1.332597
Lieberman tells associates: No IDF conversion bill, no state budget
Controversial bill threatens to damage Netanyahu's delicate relations with the Haredi parties in his government.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
lieberman-tells-associates-no-idf-conversion-bill-no-state-budget-1.332606
As phones go dead, East Jerusalem residents lament Bezeq service
The lines were cut after three routers were vandalized twice in the neighborhoods of Beit Hanina and Shoafat.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
as-phones-go-dead-east-jerusalem-residents-lament-bezeq-service-1.332599
Violence/Aggression
Israeli gunboats fire at Palestinian fishing boats
Israeli gunboats opened heavy machinegun fire at Palestinian fishing
boats off the southern Gaza Strip coast of Rafah on Wednesday night,
press sources reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U
Medics: Israel gunfire injures 4 on Gaza border
GAZA
CITY
(Ma’an) -- Israeli gunfire injured four Palestinian workers early
Thursday in the Gaza Strip, medical officials said. Medical services
spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said a 14-year-old boy was seriously injured
in the head while collecting stone aggregates. A 22-year-old shepherd
was seriously injured by shots to the back, the medics said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344666
Palestinian medic: Israel kills Gaza shepherd
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- A Palestinian medic says the Israeli army shot
and killed a shepherd near Gaza's border with Israel. Adham Abu Salmia
said the man was leading his goats in an open area near Gaza's Erez
border crossing with Israel Thursday when he was shot. He died later in
hospital. Another man with him was wounded. The Israeli army said Gaza
militants use the area to attack Israelis, so it allows no one to enter.
It says soldiers fired warning shots at two men before shooting them in
the lower body. Violence has escalated in recent weeks on Gaza's
borders. Israel says the ruling Hamas militant group recently fired a
tank-piercing missile for the first time. The army says it is deploying
technology that can shoot down incoming projectiles before they hit.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/23/AR2010122303066.html
Two Palestinians critically injured in IOF shooting in Al-Khalil
Two Palestinian citizens were critically injured on Thursday morning in
Al-Khalil city at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF),
witnesses reported.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq
Detainees (Held by Israel & Hamas)
Three Arrested Near Jenin in Morning Raid
On
Thursday morning, Israeli troops invaded an area near the northern West
Bank city of Jenin, and kidnapped three Palestinians, the Palestine News Network reported.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60250
New legislation on the detention of “security” suspects
The Israeli Knesset passed a new law on 20 December authorizing the
Israeli police to hold “security” detainees for 48 hours without access
to a lawyer. The detention period may be extended to 6 days before they
must be brought before a judge or granted access to a lawyer. “Security”
detainees are those classified by police as those detained on suspicion
of posing threat to the security of the Israeli state. By law, the
Supreme Court has the right to accept or deny an extension request,
which must in turn be approved by the legal counsel of the Israeli
government.
http://silwanic.net/?p=9424
Prisoners Group Brings Relief Behind Bars
Over 10,000 Palestinians are suffering human rights abuses in Israeli
jails, many of whom have not been convicted of any crime. A grass-roots
initiative is aiming to provide representation to forgotten detainees.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1652
West Bank medical chief: Gaza cops detained workers
NABLUS (Ma'an) -- General Director of the military medical services in
Nablus Khalil An-Naqib said Sunday that police in the Gaza Strip
detained two of his employees, who had been working in hospitals.
According to An-Naqib, Yousef Sa’ad and Ahmad A’wadallah refused to work
in hospitals taken over by the Hamas government, and were detained
Tuesday when they again refused to work with institutions run by the
Islamist party.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344566
UN: Israel, Hamas seeking to reduce recent Gaza tension
Rocket and mortar fire from the Gaza Strip have increased in recent
weeks in the run-up to the second anniversary of Israel's winter 2008-09
offensive against Hamas.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
un-israel-hamas-seeking-to-reduce-recent-gaza-tension-1.332519
War Criminals
IOF soldier admits killing Gaza civilian woman
Palestine, December 23, (Pal Telegraph) – The Israeli newspaper Haaretz
reported that a soldier in the Givati Brigade, in the Israeli occupation
army, called S. admitted that he shot a woman carrying a white flag in
the upper body. About half an hour later, S. then told the Military
Police, the company commander arrived and S. was stunned by his
response. "He told me, in front of everyone, 'You're a cold-blooded
murderer, you'll go to hell,'" S. said. "When I tried to tell him, 'But
those were your orders,' he told me, 'Shut up. You won't remain in my
company.” the newspaper added. S. related that, during Cast Lead, after
shouting suddenly erupted nearby, his platoon commander ordered him to
the lookout post. He saw seven people approaching - "I don't remember a
white flag. And then the shooting began," S. said, the newspaper
reported.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7786
Israel threatens scorched earth policy in any future Lebanon war
The Israeli army might resort to scorched earth policy in any future
military confrontation with the Lebanese Hizbullah party militias, an
Israeli army source said.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%
Political Developments
Funding government proving tough: Hamas (AFP)
AFP - Gaza's Hamas-run government admitted on Thursday it is finding it
hard to come up with the 25 million dollars a month it needs to fund its
budget.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101223/wl_mideast_afp/palestinianshamasgovernmentbudget
Hamas suspends reconciliation talks with Fatah
DAMASCUS,
Dec.
23 (Xinhua) -- Damascus-based senior Hamas official Musa Abu Marzouq
declared Thursday that Hamas has decided to suspend reconciliation talks
with its Palestinian secular rival Fatah, Hamas official website
reported. "There will not be any meeting with Fatah as
long as it continues ignoring Hamas' prisoners who are in hunger
strike," Abu Marzouq said.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-12/23/c_13662125.htm
Dahlan: Investigation to clear up 'misunderstanding'
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Sources close to the Fatah Central Committee
confirmed reports that prominent member Muhammad Dahlan was being
investigated, but would not confirm the nature of the accusations being
probed. On Saturday, Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz published a report
saying that the Palestinian Authority had questioned men who admitted
they were hired by Dahlan to start a militia in the West Bank.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=343781
Uruguay plans to recognize Palestinian state
Joining Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia, Uraguay Foreign Minister Luis
Almagro says his country is studying implications of decision with
regard to international law.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
uruguay-plans-to-recognize-palestinian-state-1.332490
Mitchell: Lack of U.S. involvement in Mideast could lead to outbreak of violence
U.S. envoy tells a Maine television network that no president would
stand by and let the Mideast conflict erupt as it would not be in
America's strategic interests.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/mitchell-
lack-of-u-s-involvement-in-mideast-could-lead-to-outbreak-of-violence-1.332531
Palestinian delegate to U.S.
Congress
shouldn't
interfere in Mideast peace process: Maen Rashid Areikat: Israelis and
Palestinians, not the U.S. Congress, will decide the future
of the conflict; parents of Rachel Corrie receive award at event marking
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/focus-u-s-a/palestinian-delegate-to-
u-s-congress-shouldn-t-interfere-in-mideast-peace-process-1.328388
Democrats up in arms over hints of reduced aid for Israel
Democrats
are blasting the prospect that a GOP-led House of Representatives might
trim aid to Israel or consider it separately from the rest of the foreign aid budget.
http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=200471
Zionist Delusions
Netanyahu: World blames Palestinians
JERUSALEM, Dec. 23 (UPI) -- The world is starting to realize it's the
Palestinians, not the Israelis, obstructing Mideast peace, Israeli Prime
Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Thursday. Palestinian officials refuse
to move ahead with the peace process due to Iranian pressure and
tensions within the Fatah political party, Netanyahu told a group of
Russian-speaking journalists. His remarks were reported by Israel
Radio. The world also understands the nuclear arming of Iran is the
Middle East's main problem now, not the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,
Israel Radio quoted Netanyahu as telling the journalists.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2010/12/23/
Netanyahu-World-blames-Palestinians/UPI-40161293136593/
Netanyahu: World starting to understand that Israel is not obstacle to Mideast peace
Prime minister blames lack of progress in peace process on Iran's influence as well as internal divisions within Fatah.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-
world-starting-to-understand-that-israel-is-not-obstacle-to-mideast-peace-1.332499
Other News
Syrian security detains local spy operating for Israel
DAMASCUS,
Dec.
23 (Xinhua) -- Syrian authorities recently have arrested a prominent
Syrian security official on charge of espionage for Israel, local
Damascus Press news website reported on Thursday. Syrian security
could arrest the spy through coordination with Egyptian security which
has provided Damascus with information about a spy ring operating in
eavesdropping on Syria's telecommunication for Israel's favor, the
report quoted Egyptian sources as saying. The Syrian authority will
uncover soon the results of investigation with the arrested official,
according to the report.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-12/23/c_13662117.htm
Nazareth suburb's mayor: Christmas trees 'provocative'
NAZARETH ILLIT, Israel (AFP) -- The mayor of a Jewish suburb of Nazareth
sparked outrage on Wednesday after refusing to allow Christmas trees to
be placed in town squares, calling them provocative. Predominantly
Jewish Nazareth Illit, or Upper Nazareth, is adjacent to Nazareth, where
Christians believe Jesus spent much of his life. It has a sizable Arab
Christian minority, as does mostly Muslim Nazareth itself.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344641
Anger after Nazareth suburb bans Christmas tree
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Ma'an) -- Christmas festivities in the Holy Land
focus on the West Bank town of Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus
was born and the Palestinian Authority hosts annual celebrations.
Israel's government highlights events in Nazareth, a predominantly
Palestinian city in Israel where Jesus is believed to have spent much of
his life growing up with his mother Mary and her husband Joseph.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344855
'
The Unexpected Sound of Christmas: Palestinians and the Bagpipe
Bethlehem
–
PNN - To an outsider, Palestinian culture can be recalled with a few
recognizable motifs: the keffiyeh, the olive tree, a plate of hummus, or
a Darwish poem. On the other hand, bagpipes must be definitively,
categorically Scottish. But it is the bagpipes that Palestinian scout
troupes play throughout the year—many in Bethlehem training for the
scouts’ annual procession into Manger Square on Christmas day—and it is
this tradition that unwraps new understandings of Palestinian culture
and the instrument itself.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9309
Haaretz journalist doubles as anti-"delegitimization" operative
Haaretz has an international reputation as Israel's most liberal and
reliable newspaper. But The Electronic Intifada has discovered that one
of the newspaper's regularly-featured reporters, Cnaan Liphshiz, used
his news reports for the publication to promote the agenda of an extreme
pro-Israel group with which he was also employed. Ali Abunimah reports.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11695.shtml
With rape verdict looming, most Israelis believe former president Katsav is guilty
Poll shows 57 percent of secular people believe Katsav is guilty as opposed to 26 percent of Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox people.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/with-rape-verdict-looming-
most-israelis-believe-former-president-katsav-is-guilty-1.332605
Chief rabbis: Fight 'abortion epidemic'
Metzger,
Amar
instruct local rabbis to discuss abortion prohibition, calling it
'murder of souls'. Israel's Chief Rabbis Yona Metzger and Shlomo Amar on
Monday called on all Israeli rabbis to fight the "abortion epidemic in
our country." Just as in previous years, the chief rabbis sent a letter
to rabbis all across Israel instructing them to "bring up the Exodus
Torah reading during their sermon on Saturday regarding the "biblical
prohibition to kill fetuses in their mothers' intestines."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4002145,00.html
Former Gaza settlers seek to join the kibbutz movement
The families, most of whom were evicted from Atzmona and Kfar Darom say
they 'do not hold a grudge' against the movement for supporting the
disengagement.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
former-gaza-settlers-seek-to-join-the-kibbutz-movement-1.332600
Palestine Analysis/Op-ed
The world will be a much safer place when American Jews stop believing these 4 bad ideas, Philip Weiss
1. America's not safe for us. (Look around, pal; we have complete freedom here)
2.
We
need a place to land when things get too hot in Brooklyn. (See #1; and
so you warehouse a country in the Middle East-- and the people who were
born there can't even move there.)
3. Israel depends for its safety on our unending support. (The opposite
is true. Israel and the wonderful Jews who live there will survive only
if they learn to live with their neighbors.)
4. We're smarter than
other people. (I guess it was true once. No longer. See beliefs 1, 2,
and 3. Young Jews are now learning to argue that Jim Crow is a beautiful
thing. Lord Acton said power corrupts, and our tradition of intelligence
is dissolving under the weight of power.)
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/the-world-will-be-
a-much-safer-place-if-american-jews-would-stop-believing-these-4-bad-ideas.html
Stealth Resolutions by Congress, Philip Giraldi
Most Americans have a negative perception of Congress. It is not hard
to figure out why when one learns that most congressmen spend much of
their time raising money so they can be reelected. I for one am not
bothered by that aspect of the legislative experience because I believe
that if they are out pursuing money they are keeping out of trouble,
except when they are simultaneously raising the cash illegally and
concealing large packages of it in their freezers.
http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/12/22/stealth-resolutions-by-congress/
Other Op-ed/Analysis
Obama's Indecisiveness Defines His Presidency, Ramzy Baroud
He may still possess the poise of a confident leader and an eloquent
intellectual, but the presidency of Barack Obama is now suffering its
most difficult phase to date. Certainly, Obama cannot solely be blamed
for all the factors that have stifled his country’s chances of recovery
from the failures of the Bush era. But the man who promised the moon has
now extended the abhorrent and morally unjustifiable tax cuts for
America’s wealthiest class. The “sweeping” $858 billion tax bill was
signed into law on December 17. It includes an $801 billion package of
tax cuts, extending Bush’s tax break for the rich for two more years –
at a time when the majority of Americans are reeling under the weight of
a failing economy and persistently high unemployment.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16508
Freedom of the Press in the Arab World, Abdel-Qader Yassine
Coming from the land where two thousand years ago, four men named John,
Matthew, Mark and Luke exercised a form of journalism never equalled
since, I begin with the quotation: "Know ye the Truth and Truth shall
make thee free." Indeed, those three words: Knowledge, Truth, and
Freedom, are interrelated concepts crucial to the understanding of our
topic.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16507
Lebanon
Lebanon PM: I will stand by Hezbollah if Hariri tribunal convicts resistance
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said on Tuesday that Lebanon will
ask the United Nations to halt the probe of an international tribunal
into the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik
Hariri, the Lebanese newspaper a-Diar reported on Wednesday.
http://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp?code=232714
Map of Lebanon by Religious Sect
http://www.juancole.com/2010/12/map-of-lebanon-by-religious-sect.html
Iraq
Thursday: 3 Iraqis Killed, 10 Wounded
At
least
three Iraqis were killed and 10 more were wounded in light violence.
The sparse amount of reports trickling out of Iraq are likely due to the
combination of Muslim and Christian holidays this month.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/12/23/thursday-3-iraqis-killed-10-wounded-2/
Iraqi general gunned down in Baghdad (AFP)
AFP - Gunmen using silenced weapons have killed three people in Baghdad,
including an Iraqi brigadier general, and wounded two others, the defence and interior ministries said on Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101223/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestbaghdad
Iraqi city struggles to understand student's slaying
Witnesses
say
a 14-year-old boy in Najaf was beaten to death by classmates who styled
themselves after toughs on a popular TV show. Elders bemoan a popular
culture of violence. The 14-year-old boy, Ali, had refused to give up
his stationery to the teenage bullies, witnesses said, so the youths
waited for him after school. They gripped pencils, protractors and
rocks. Instead of just beating him up, they allegedly proceeded to kill
him as dozens of classmates watched.
http://feeds.latimes.com/%7Er/latimes/middleeast/%7E3/xfC4wk-EA_A/
la-fg-iraq-teens-20101224,0,2283492.story
Southern Iraqi city eyes break from Baghdad (AP)
AP
-
Over a recent dinner, two friends — both local businessmen — dished
over a simmering topic in Iraq's oil-rich port city: whether to boost
Basra's future by partially breaking away from the federal government in
Baghdad.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101223/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq_breakaway_basra
Iraq refugees in Syria wait years for fresh start
DAMASCUS:
Oshana
Khamo is one of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have taken refuge
in Syria from the violence at home and have been kept waiting for
years to be resettled elsewhere to start a new life. He recalls how the
UN's High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) summoned him in 2009 to sort
out the formalities of his moving to Germany.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=122894
Women press for more jobs in new Iraqi cabinet (Reuters)
Reuters - Iraq's female lawmakers and rights advocates said they will
push hard for jobs in Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's unfinished
cabinet, after he named only one woman to the inner circle of his new
government.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101223/wl_nm/us_iraq_politics_women
Wikileaks
US memo: Israel bombed Syrian reactor
Cable
leaked
to WikiLeaks website, but yet to be published, is first and detailed
confirmation of attack on Syrian nuclear facility. Document, revealed by
Yedioth Ahronoth, was sent by then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
to US representatives worldwide.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4003896,00.html
Assange is holding dirt on Israel because western newspapers didn’t want to publish it
This is what Walt and Mearsheimer said about the Israel lobby, it acts
to protect Israel in the press. I am guessing Assange is referring to
the New York Times, among other publications.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/assange-is-
holding-dirt-on-israel-because-western-newspapers-didnt-want-to-publish-it.html
Assange promises info on Mabhouh, Lebanon War
WikiLeaks has barely begun to scratch surface of information it has on Israel, says founder.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4003396,00.html
Leaks show Indonesia military abuse
Memos revealed by WikiLeaks show US diplomats aware of extensive corruption and rights violations in West Papua.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2010/12/2010122394112179356.html
UN Special Rapporteur on Wikileaks and the Promotion and Protection to Freedom of Opinion and Expression
The
right
to access to information protects the right of every person to access
public information and to know what governments are doing on their
behalf. - Without the protection of this right, it is impossible for
citizens to know the truth
http://www.cidh.oas.org/relatoria/showarticle.asp?artID=829&lID=1
UN probes Manning's jail treatment
Special rapporteur on torture looking into claims that US soldier suspected of feeding WikiLeaks is being mistreated.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/12/2010122363033349783.html
Bradley Manning contradicts official accounts of his confinement
In
a
recent interview, the soldier accused of leaking documents to secrets
website WikiLeaks disputed an official account of the conditions of his
confinement. US Army Private First Class Bradley Manning told
Firedoglake's David House that claims that he is allowed exercise,
proper bedding and access to news are simply untrue.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/bradley-manning-contradicts-official-accounts-confinement/
Daphne Eviatar: Bradley Manning's Confinement Conditions Are 'Not Customary'
Manning is held in maximum custody, alone in a six by 12 feet cell. He
is not allowed sheets or pillows to sleep with. If he tries to do
sit-ups, guards stop him. He's also said to be a threat to himself. His
lawyer says that's a ruse.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daphne-eviatar/bradley-mannings-confinem_b_800737.html
Assange: US press should fear being targeted
WASHINGTON (AFP) - WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Wednesday that a
US government effort to prosecute him should serve as a warning to
journalists in the United States. Assange, in an interview with the
MSNBC television network, said there has been a "quite deliberate
attempt to split off our organization from the First Amendment
protections that are afforded to all publishers." The WikiLeaks founder
said he considers himself a journalist and "we all have to stick
together to resist this sort of reinterpretation of the First
Amendment," which guarantees the right to free speech.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344766
Assange: ‘High chance’ I’d be killed ‘Jack Ruby-style’ in US prison
WikiLeaks chief Julian Assange said in an interview published Thursday
there was a "high chance" he would be killed in a US jail if he were to
be extradited from Britain on espionage charges., The Australian is on
bail in Britain fighting a bid by Sweden to extradite him over sex
assault claims, but Washington is believed to be considering how to
indict him over the leaking of thousands of US diplomatic cables.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/12/assange-killed-jack-ruby-style-prison/
U.S. and other world news
Terje Roed Larsen (tool of US and House of Saud--who loves private jets of Hariri)
"The
Norwegian
newspaper Bergens Tidende reported on the 20th of December from
Wikileaks document a report aboutt a private dinner with the American
ambassador to Lebanon in August 2006. At the dinner, Norwegian
Terje Roed Larsen told the ambassador that none of the possible
candidates to take over the UN secretary general were acceptable. He
said that the only person who should get the job was himself. And asked
for US support. The ambassador described Roed Larsens ambitions with a
solid dose of sarcasm. And then added in the cable: Roed Larsen went on
to say «And if Prince Zaid of Jordan becomes the front-runner, then the
U.S. should demand that Prince Zaid «have a ticket,» with - you guessed
it, readers - Larsen as Deputy SYG,» It has to be added here that
several years later, Mona Juul, Roed Larsen’s wife, broke the usual code
of conduct for diplomats by openly criticizing Ban Ki-Moon, the man who
got the job of UN secretary general instead of her husband and as the
following document from the unforum point out, the written critique may
not have been her work, but rather Roed Larsen’s handiwork." From the hometown Norwegian newspaper of Larsen--translation by Michael.
http://angryarab.blogspot.com/2010/12/terje-roed-larsen-tool-of-us-and-house.html
Empire - Hollywood: The Pentagon calls the shots
Hollywood and the war machine: A look at the Pentagon's influence on the film industry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQSpHi7OOHA&feature=youtube_gdata |
| For further information contact Shadi Fadda |
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