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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Land, property & resources theft and destruction / Ethnic cleansing / Deportation / Settlers
Israeli settlers seize 20 dunums near Nablus
Nablus,
December 26, (Pal Telegraph) – Israeli settlers from Shilo settlement
seized on Sunday 20 dunums from Khrba Sera, in the south of eastern area
of Nablus. The official of the settlement file in the West Bank, Ghasan
Deglis, said that numbers of Israeli settlers are in the seized area and
plowing the land. In the same context, Deglis said that three
bulldozers are bulldozing lands near Barkh settlement in Eraq Boren in
Nablus.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7817
Jerusalem mayor holds off eviction of settlers from East Jerusalem home
18:53 26 Dec - Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced Sunday evening that
the eviction of
settlers from the contentious Beit Yonatan, an apartment building built
illegally by Jewish settlers in East Jerusalem, will be postponed.
The decision was made after settlers agreed not to press for the
eviction of a Palestinian family living in a nearby building, which
housed a Yemenite synagogue until the 1948 War of Independence.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
jerusalem-mayor-holds-off-eviction-of-settlers-from-east-jerusalem-home-1.333077
Israeli court rejects settlers' bid to postpone eviction of East Jerusalem home
14:10
26 Dec - Border Police stationed across East Jerusalem neighborhood of
Silwan; many anticipate long-waited evacuation of illegally constructed
building of Beit Yonatan ... It appears that at
the same time that Jewish occupants are evicted from Beit Yonatan,
police intend also to evict dozens of Palestinians from a nearby
building so that it can be turned over to Jews. It is thought that such a
move could spark violence in the neighborhood. This second building was
constructed in the 19th century. It once housed the Ohel Shlomo
synagogue, which served a small congregation of Yemenite Jews who lived
in Silwan until the neighborhood came under Jordanian control in the
1948 War of Independence. For the past 50 years, it has been home to
members of the extended Abu Nab family. They enlarged the structure,
which now contains
six apartments.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
israeli-court-rejects-settlers-bid-to-postpone-eviction-of-east-jerusalem-home-1.333046
Fear and unrest in Silwan as soldiers surround village
26 Dec (ISM and SilwanIC)
Since early this morning, Israeli forces have been surrounding the
village of Silwan, creating fear among the villagers that a Palestinian
family will be evicted. A new wave of unrest has overcome Silwan in the
past few days, with two houses demolished on Christmas day, and clashes
sweeping through the village on Friday after a young Palestinian was
shot with a rubber bullet. The Silwan Information Center claims to have
received exclusive information that an Israeli court has approved the
eviction of a Palestinian family, in order to resettle the soon-to-be
evicted settlers
of the Beit Yonatan Settlement. Israeli courts have ordered that the
Beit Yonatan settlement be evicted, so authorities are attempting to
take over the Abu Nab on the grounds that it was once the site of a
Yemenite Synagogue.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/12/16216
Barkat: Seal Arab home along with Beit Yonatan
23:57 25 Dec - Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat announced Saturday
that the evacuation of a Jewish building in the east Jerusalem
neighborhood of Silwan known as Beit Yonatan will only be carried out
parallel to the evacuation of the Arab Abu-Nab home – located in what
was a Yemenite synagogue in the 1940's. A
statement issued Saturday evening says the mayor is relieving himself of
all responsibility for Beit Yonatan, placing it instead on the Ateret
Cohanim movement which housed the Jewish residents there.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4004295,00.html
Israel set to build and market 5,000 units in occupied East Jerusalem, West Bank
...Lawyer Qais Yousef Nasser, a specialist in Construction and Planning
Laws, stated that the Israeli Housing Ministry sold in 2010 more than
1,400 units in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank,
and that these units were mainly sold in Homat Shmoel settlement,
Maaleh
Adumim settlement block, and Pisgat Zeev. Nasser added that the ministry
is planning to market 594 units in Pisgat Zeev, and that 11 units were
sold last year. 1,280 units are being marketed in Homat Shomel and 301
units of them were sold.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60262
Israeli banishment of Fatah man from Jerusalem stayed
JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- An Israeli High Court decision stayed the
banishment of a Fatah official from Jerusalem on Sunday, after an
earlier appeal was denied and an order to
leave the city by 5p.m. was handed down that morning. Jerusalem
affairs official with Fatah, Hatem Abdul Qader told Ma'an on Sunday
night that a temporarily order was issued preventing the banishment of
Fatah leader Adana Gheith from his home town of Silwan in East
Jerusalem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345633
Violence / Incursions
Video: Israeli troops kill Gaza fighters
Two
members of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad,
were killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire in the Gaza Strip. The
Israeli army said that the men were planting explosives near the border,
close to Khan Younis, on Sunday morning. Israel has launched multiple
air raids aimed at what they say are Hamas facilities over the past
week. Hamas's military wing has accused Israel of "playing with
fire".Fighters in Gaza have fired back at Israel, with about 30 rocket
attacks into southern Israel over the past few weeks. Al Jazeera's
Sherine Tadros reports on tensions before second anniversary of Israel's
war on Gaza
http://english.aljazeera.net/video/middleeast/2010/12/2010122674019495386.html
Hebronites hospitalized by Israeli forces
HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Two Palestinians were taken to a Jerusalem hospital by
Israeli forces after being injured in their car as they passed an
Israeli military vehicle, local security sources said. The men were
reportedly fired on in the Wad Al-Ghrus area north of Heron on Wednesday
night. Officials identified them as Ismail Saleh Ali Aj-Ja’bari, who
sustained a head wound, and Muhammad Amer Subhi Aj-Ja’bari who was
injured in the shoulder.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344707
Violent confrontation at Nablus checkpoint
NABLUS (Ma'an) -- A Nablus man was strangled with a radio wire by
Israeli soldiers, witnesses said, while Israeli officials said he
attempted to stab an officer, prompting his arrest and the temporary
detention of two others on Sunday. A witness, standing near the scene at
the Tappuah checkpoint south of Nablus, said he observed a violent and
unprovoked attack against his friend Bilal Hassan, 20.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345606
Fisherman injured by Israeli fire in northern Gaza
GAZA
CITY (Ma'an) -- A Gaza fisherman was shot twice, once in each foot,
and collected by medics from the northern Gaza shore on Saturday,
witnesses said. Medical services spokesman Adham Abu Selmieyah confirmed
that medics transported a 25-year-old fisherman, identified only as AZ,
to the Kamal Udwan Hospital for treatment.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345303
Clashes in southern Gaza as border heats up
GAZA CITY -- Islamic Jihad’s military wing the Al-Quds Brigades said
Sunday that two of its fighters were killed following what a statement
described as "fierce clashes" with Israeli forces the southern
district village of Khuza’a east of Khan Younis.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345343
Welcome to Gaza / Max Ajl
Has
anything changed here? Nothing has changed. My friends, many of them
younger than I am, are a year older. Today I went to the martyr’s tent
in Beit Lehiya. The shepherd who had died was freshly married. His child
had been born two days before. His father said, “I am open,” indicating
a line running along his sternum. The young man who had died had been
his oldest son, leaving three brothers and two sisters. My friends
working here, and the statistics, say that these murders, even more, the
injuries, have been incessant since I left at the end of July.
Incessant, and nearly banal, and marked
in the West by a thundering silence—the silence of a racism that roars
at the death of a Jewish Israeli and does not even bother to shrug at
the death of a Bedouin living with his sheep, amidst the soil that’s dry
from the rains which still, at end of December, have not come.
http://www.maxajl.com/
Several sites raided by the Israeli army in Jenin, West Bank
Jenin,
Dec 26, (Pal Telegraph) -The Israeli occupation forces raided Sunday
several sites in Jenin and erected a military checkpoint at the entrance
of Al-Yamoun town, in the west of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.
Security sources said to WAFA news agency that the Israeli army broke
into Em –Eltoot, Elmoghair villages and Jalqamous town spreading its
forces in the streets of the targeted area. Security sources added that
the Israeli army raided Al-Mtllah village south eastern of Jenin, fired
light bomb, and erected a military checkpoint at the entrance of
Al-Yamoun town where the civilians’ vehicles were stopped and checked
accurately without detentions were reported.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7815
Detention
800 Israeli troops raid flashpoint section of Nafha prison
GAZA,
(PIC)-- 800 Israeli troops raided Sunday the 11 section of the Israeli
Nafha prison, the Wa'id prisoners society said, adding that the move
was the most recent of a string of attacks amid rising administrative
aggression in the facility. “During the night raid, the prisoners were
directly assaulted and all 12 of the section's cells were emptied, and
the detainees were taken to old, abandoned sections which are missing
the bare necessities of life. They remained there for 48 hours,
suffering the cold desert weather.” The Wa'id society called the attack
unprecedented
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx
Sabr: IOF troops storm Negev prison, confiscate captives' winter clothes
24 Dec - Gaza, (PIC)--
The
National Supreme Committee for supporting Palestinian captives in
Israeli jails said on Thursday that the Israeli occupation troops
stormed the Negev desert jail and wreaked havoc on it before
confiscating coats and winter clothes of Palestinian captives there ... The jail is located in the desert of Negev, which is known for its extreme cold climate during winter.
http://palestinianprisoners.blogspot.com/2010/12/iof-troops-storm-negev-prison.html
Israeli army detains 2 Palestinians in Bethlehem
Bethlehem,
Dec 26, (Pal Telegraph) - Israeli occupation forces detained Sunday two
Palestinians from Bait Fogar town, south Bethlehem, WAFA news agency
reported. The Israeli army raided the area amid intensive security
procedures spreading its soldiers in the streets and on the main
entrances. Through the attack, the Israeli army broke into civilian
houses, conducted accurate inspections; then two Palestinians were
detained one of them is Ahmed Taqtqa, 17, and the other is Mahmoud
Faisal Thawabta, 21.
http://www.paltelegraph.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7809
Activism / Solidarity / Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
Soldiers attack a nonviolent protest in Hebron
Israeli
soldiers attacked on Saturday evening a nonviolent protest organized by
the Youth Coalition Against Settlements in Hebron, in the southern part
of the West Bank. Dozens of Israeli and International peace activists
participated in the protest. At least four Palestinians and three
internationals were wounded after being violently assaulted by the army,
and three international activists
were detained ... This week’s protest was held at the eastern entrance
of the Al Shuhada Street, in the Old City. The street was closed by the
army several years
ago leading to the closure of dozens of Palestinian stores. Only Jewish
settlers are allowed to use the street.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60263
French activists arrested at West Bank protest
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Nine French activists were arrested on Sunday during a
pro-Palestinian demonstration at a major Israeli checkpoint in the West
Bank, police and protest organizers said ... A spokesman for the French
EuroPalestine activist group said nine French
citizens were arrested at the demonstration. A Palestinian detained at
the protest was later released, he said. On Saturday, another French
activist, Layli Ben Saffi, was arrested by the Israeli military during a
protest against Israeli settler activity in the West Bank city of
Hebron. He was released on Saturday evening. Some 70 members of the
EuroPalestine group have spent the last week in the Palestinian
territories on an observer mission, a group spokesman said. The
president of the organization, Olivia Zemor, was deported last Wednesday
"on the recommendation of the security services," after being detained
at Ben Gurion upon arrival.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345591
First step for the joint struggle in Silwan, E. Jerusalem / Mairav Zonszein
(with
video of 24 Dec Silwan protest) What happens before and after an
Israeli-Palestinian protest can teach us a lot about the challenge of
building trust and the hard work needed in the joint struggle against
decades of occupation and segregation ... While the Israeli government
and settler organizations continue to imbue hatred, intolerance and
aggression in Palestinian East Jerusalem, the activists on both sides
who take to the streets are building the trust from the bottom up. Here
is just one example (photo): The Palestinian girl did not plan to come
to the protest, but rather saw
it happening from her window, spotted the Israeli girl and decided to
come down and join the procession.
http://972mag.com/pre-and-post-protest-clashes-in-silwan-lessons-in-civil-disobedience/
Thousands gather in Turkey to greet ship at center of Gaza flotilla raid
Thousands
of pro-Palestinian activists gathered Sunday at a port in Istanbul to
welcome back a Turkish-flagged ship that was the scene of bloodshed
during an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in May. The Mavi
Marmara, on which nine Turkish activists were killed and several Israel
Defense Forces soldiers were wounded, underwent repairs at a
Mediterranean port in the wake of the commando raid.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/international/
thousands-gather-in-turkey-to-greet-ship-at-center-of-gaza-flotilla-raid-1.333042
Former Israeli flotilla passenger speaks at Marmara rally
Dror
Feiler
delivers speech during mass rally to mark homecoming of Mavi Marmara
ship to Istanbul port. 'We are here together – Jews, Christians,
Arabs against blockade, this is not about religion, but about human
rights,' he says
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4004761,00.html
Hamas on alert for Asia One aid ship
...Hamas-affiliated
news site the Palestine Information Center said the proclaimed arrival
of the ship, which set out from the Syrian port town of Latakia,
prompted the Israeli navy to go on alert. The report said Israeli
officials feared that the convoy would change course and attempt
to dock in Gaza City instead of Egypt, further down the coast ...
According to organizers, the convoy carries 1,00 tons of aid, as well as
180 Muslim, Christian, and Buddhist activists from India, Pakistan,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Bahrain, Iran,
Jordan, and Lebanon. There are 18 women on board, officials said ...
"Arrival time is not set yet,” said Ahmad Yousif explaining that arrival
is dependent on Egypt’s directives.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345364
Maureen Murphy: The FBI raids and subpoenas are best understood as backlash aimed at silencing our successful movement
The following is a statement given by Maureen Murphy at a press conference on Thursday, December 23 about the government's ongoing intimidation of anti-war and solidarity activism in the Midwest. Murphy is one of several activists with the Palestine Solidarity Group
who have been subpoenaed, and one of several individuals across the city
of Chicago and the Twin Cities who are being targeted for Palestine
solidarity activism. For more information, and to get involved, see http://www.stopfbi.net/.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/murphy-the-fbi-raids-and-subpoenas-are-
best-understood-as-backlash-aimed-at-silencing-our-successful-movement.html
Siege / Restriction of movement / Rights violations
Sweet peppers leave Gaza for first time since '07
GAZA
CITY (Ma’an) -- "The first shipment of Gaza sweet peppers together with
strawberries and carnations is on its way to Europe," a Dutch statement
announced on Sunday, following long efforts to expand the list
of goods permitted for export from the coastal enclave. The 11 loads of
goods, grown as part of a Dutch initiative to support cash crop
farmers in Gaza, left the area through the only open crossing terminal,
Kerem Shalom, as the bulk goods crossing remained closed, officials
said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345359
Political/Diplomatic news
Israel, Hamas turn up rhetoric on Gaza war anniversary
JERUSALEM (AFP) -- Following clashes that killed two on the Gaza border,
and reports from Israel that factions launched two projectiles into the
Eshkol region, on Sunday, the anniversary of the start of Israel's last
war on the coastal region, both sides said they were prepared for another round of bloodletting.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345631
Report: Mossad chief to apologize to Britain
Tamir Pardo, who is set to take over the role
of Mossad chief this week, will apologize to the British government for
the agency's use of fraudulent passports in carrying out its
assassination of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in January, the
Telegraph reported Saturday. Paraguay's Foreign Minister Hector Lacognata gave a spring 2011 deadline
for the country's recognition of a Palestinian state on the lands occupied by Israel in 1967.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4004278,00.html
Paraguay to recognize Palestinian state in '11
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Joining a growing number of South American nations
to support a unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood, Paraguay
said it plans to recognize an independent Palestinian state next year,
Palestinian officials told reporters on Sunday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345554
MK: World may recognize Palestine soon
JERUSALEM
(AFP) -- In spite of stalled peace talks, the "entire world" could
recognize a Palestinian state within a year, a dovish Israeli cabinet
minister warned Sunday, urging the resumption of negotiations. The
comments from Industry and Trade Minister Benjamin Ben Eliezer come
after Ecuador formally recognized Palestine as an independent state on
Friday, following the lead of other South American countries ... "I
would not be surprised if within a year the entire world, even the US,
recognizes a Palestinian state, then we will have to explain how this
happened," Ben Eliezer told reporters ahead of the weekly cabinet
meeting.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345601
Deputy FM: The state of Facebook is more real than Palestine
In
his personal blog, Daniel Ayalon criticizes Latin American countries for
their 'irresponsible' recognition of a Palestinian state.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
deputy-fm-the-state-of-facebook-is-more-real-than-palestine-1.333056
Lieberman: The Turks are liars, PA is illegitimate, and Netanyahu is unrealistic
Foreign
Minister slams PM's attempt to achieve peace with PA within a year, says
Palestinians will always find a reason not to sign peace deal and calls
Turkey's demand for apology 'chutzpah.' Foreign Minister Avigdor
Lieberman unleashed a string of vitriol Sunday attacking Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the Turks liars, and labeling the
Palestinian Authority as illegitimate. At a conference of Foreign
Ministry diplomats, Lieberman said that it would be impossible for
Israel's governing coalition to consolidate a unified foreign policy
acceptable to each member.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
lieberman-the-turks-are-liars-pa-is-illegitimate-and-netanyahu-is-unrealistic-1.333069
Israel's Arab helpers
Egypt: Attacks on Israel will not be launched from Sinai
BETHLEHEM
(Ma’an) – An Egyptian security source in the northern Sinai Peninsula
denied Israeli claims that Hamas is using the area for the production
and storage of weapons that will be aimed toward Israel. The
source told the London-based Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat on Sunday morning, that
"Egypt’s strict security measures at the borders with the Gaza Strip
prevents storage of fighting equipment in Sinai.”
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345350
PA returns to Israel stolen military vehicle, weapons, and hands over five Palestinians
As part of the ongoing security cooperation between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank, the
Palestinian Authority returned to Israel a military vehicle and weapons,
and also handed Israel five Palestinians believed to be involved in the
issue ... Last Tuesday, Israel announced that a Land Rover military jeep
was stolen and that the jeep had gas bombs, grenades and fast response
military equipment.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60265
PA intelligence threatens top Hamas officials, members with exile from Palestine
RAMALLAH,
(PIC)-- The Palestinian authority's intelligence apparatus summoned and
threatened dozens of Hamas officials and members that they would be
exiled from occupied Palestine. Hamas sources said that PA intelligence
officers told 50 Hamas officials and members that they would receive a
form to fill out and they have to select the country they would be
expelled to.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx
Other news
US may delay aid for Israel's anti-rocket system due to budget woes
American
aid to Israel for developing and buying additional Iron Dome anti-rocket
batteries might be delayed for at least a few months due to President
Barack Obama's difficulties in pushing next year's budget through
Congress. The delay will mean a long wait before the weapons can
be bought from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
u-s-may-delay-aid-for-israel-s-anti-rocket-system-due-to-budget-woes-1.332949
Asylum seekers trying to reach Israel are being trapped and tortured in Sinai
Physicians
for Human Rights carried out interviews with over 150 refugees who did
manage to enter Israel and whose accounts paint a picture of severe
violence endured over the course of their journey.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
asylum-seekers-trying-to-reach-israel-are-being-trapped-and-tortured-in-sinai-1.332953
Steinitz advisor equates Russian olim with infiltrators
During
Tel
Aviv forum, Dr. Avi Simchon says immigrants from former Soviet
republics came to Israel 'for financial reasons, not to be part of
Jewish nation'; he tell Ynet comments 'distorted' ... Simchon went as
far as comparing immigrants from former Soviet republics to African
migrants who enter Israel illegally, saying, "If we accept these 450,000
olim, why should we not allow the tens of thousands of infiltrators from
Africa to undergo an accelerated conversion process?"
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4004516,00.html
Islamists deny arrival of Syrian, Iranian officials in Gaza
GAZA
CITY (Ma'an) -- Hamas' Al-Qasam Brigades and Islamic Jihad militants
the Al-Quds Brigades denied reports Thursday that weapons experts had
arrived from Syria and Iran to train the armed units of the Islamist
organizations. Spokesman for Al-Qasam Abu Obeidah said reports in the
Israeli press were "baseless and untrue" in both the details and
generalities, and called the reports a poor justification for a new war
on Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=344838
100 couples tie knot at mass wedding in Gaza
A total of 200 citizens of the Gaza Strip got married at a mass wedding
organized by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement on Saturday. The
event gave poor newlyweds the chance to save money on their wedding and
political organizations, which footed the bill, the chance to show
publicly they care about the younger generation.
http://en.rian.ru/art_living/20101225/161932510.html
Render unto Caesaria / Ran Shapira
Archaeological
authorities are trying to repair the astonishing amount of damage to the
ancient Herodian city before another storm strikes and compounds the
devastation
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/render-unto-caesarea-1.332670
Analysis / Opinion
Defining Israel by what it is not / Gideon Levy
No
to
Arabs, no to Jews, no to the world; no to foreigners and no to
settlement freezes; no to the bomb and no to the peace initiatives; no
to ending the siege and no to Syria. That's a frighteningly thin
vocabulary - a one-word national dictionary. Among the overabundance of
"no," the word "yes" has disappeared. Sixty-two years after its
establishment, nobody knows where the state is
headed. What does it want? What are its leaders and citizens seeking?
What sort of state would we like to see?
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/defining-israel-by-what-it-is-not-1.332976
DADT repeal exposes Israel's discriminatory policies / Philip Weiss
For several nights this week Chris Matthews was thrilled by the repeal
of Don't ask/don't tell, and he many times repeated the idea that
Catholics and Jews had "assimilated" into American society when they had
served in World War II and the rest of society saw what they were
willing to do for their fellow citizens. Now gays too will be fully
assimilated, he said. And every time he said it I reflected that
Palestinians are not drafted into the Israeli army. They can serve, I am
told; and the Druze are drafted. But by and large, young men and women
from the 20 percent Palestinian Israeli population do not serve and
aren't wanted either. This is rationalized because they wouldn't want to
serve in forces fighting other Arabic-speaking people-- slaughtering
children in Gaza. And on Israel's part, they would be regarded as a
potential fifth column. But why constitute a society in such a way that
you can't trust such a
sizable minority in the army? How can such a society last?
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/dadt-repeal-exposes-israels-discriminatory-policies.html
Is Judaism a race? Ask Israelis / Zvi Bar'el
Can Israeli racism be eliminated through law, trial and punishment, or is it already part of the Israeli identity?
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/is-judaism-a-race-ask-israelis-1.332977
1932 is already here / Daniel Blatman
A
non-Jew who fled Germany ahead of the Nazi occupation would certainly
recall those hard days in his homeland if he were to visit Bat Yam,
Safed, Bnei Brak or south Tel Aviv today ... The wild propagandists of
the right like MK Michael Ben Ari (National Union ) do not hesitate to
use imagery and explanations taken from the anti-Semitic lexicon of
Europe: Foreigners spread disease and take Jewish women; black refugees
are violent criminals who endanger public safety.
This horrific propaganda is terrifying poor population groups who are
already living with an infinite number of problems of survival. And the
people who espouse this propaganda are persuading themselves that
keeping foreigners out and racial separation produce hope for a solution
to their problems.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/1932-is-already-here-1.332974
Israel's favorite war song / Ahmed Yousef
Israeli
strategists covet the concept of Islamic fundamentalism. It is a
convenient, all-encompassing tag easily applied to any bearded man,
veiled woman or critic of Western politics who happens to be Muslim. The
label has deftly been used to paint a poisoned picture of Islamism in
Palestine, and distort Hamas' policies as those of an extreme faction
akin to Al-Qaeda or Taliban - a useful reference given the West's
concerted efforts to neutralize those militants.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345331
A dangerous silence / Yehuda Ben Meir
...Those
who think that the world will forget about the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict are living with illusions. Israel is on a slippery slope
leading who knows where. In the absence of
a peace process and a real Israeli diplomatic initiative, the diplomatic
siege on the country will continue to tighten. Companies are already
moving their plants from Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria
because they find it difficult to export their products. It's not a case
of a single dramatic event, but a long-term disastrous process.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/a-dangerous-silence-1.332975
Racist Jews to the fore / Jerrold Kessel and Pierre Klochendler
BAT
YAM, Dec 25, 2010 (IPS) - Emotions are running high in this working
class town on the Mediterranean adjacent to Tel Aviv, the Israeli
metropolis that has long been the symbol of liberal laissez-faire
Israel. Principally, anti-Arab emotions: Racism is on the march ... Noah
Flug, head of the International Association of Holocaust Survivors,
told IPS he was shocked by the content of the rabbis’ letter, saying it
recalled the Nazis banning of Jews from living alongside other Germans.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=53961
Downfall of the Jewish dream of a safe homeland / Lillian Rosengarten
...Hans Lebrecht, a former human rights activist and journalist now in
his 90’s, taught me the truth about Israel’s human rights abuses to
Palestinians, the insatiable hunger for land not theirs and the racism
towards Sephardic Jews and Bedoins. I was shocked out of my love for the
Kibbutzim and the idea of a democratic, safe Israeli homeland. How could
they have built Socialist style communal living on someone else’s land?
It did not make sense. I am now fifteen years later accustomed to
feeling torment as I pursue the question of Palestinian liberation and
the abuses perpetrated by the Israeli State.
http://www.palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16512
Remnick: I can't take the occupation anymore, Jesus / Philip Weiss
Didi Remez at Coteret has picked up part of an interview in Hebrew
at Yediot in which David Remnick, the editor of the New Yorker magazine,
shows how intolerable the occupation is becoming to American Jews.
Remnick echoes the theme of the liberal Zionists I cited the other day: they are flipped out by Netanyahu's intransigence and are getting ready to flip the bird to Israel: "Do you see a certain change in the US Jewish community?
“A new generation of Jews is growing up in the US. Their relationship
with Israel is becoming less patient and more problematic
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/remnick-i-cant-take-the-occupation-anymore-jesus.html
Iraq
Saturday: 1 Iraqi killed, 10 wounded
While Christians quietly observed
Christmas, at least one of their fellow Iraqis was killed in light violence.
Another 10 were wounded. In Mosul, a bomb wounded three people, including
two civilians. A civilian was
mistakenly killed by soldiers after they thought he fired upon them. An
Islamic State of Iraq suspect was captured. In Baghdad, two soldiers were wounded when
gunmen attacked a Bayaa checkpoint. A blast in Kadhimiya wounded four people, including
a civilian.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/12/25/saturday-1-iraqi-killed-10-wounded-2/
Female MPs slam under-representation in Iraq
BAGHDAD
(AFP) – Female MPs, both religious and secular, have slammed the
under-representation of women in Iraqi institutions, especially
government, sparking public soul-searching by male parliamentarians.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101226/wl_mideast_afp/iraqwomenpoliticsrights
Iraq to activate Kurd foreign oil deals: minister
CAIRO
(AFP)
– Iraq will recognise contracts which the government of its Kurdish
north has signed with foreign oil companies, the country's new oil
minister, Abdulkarim al-Luaybi, said on Saturday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101225/wl_mideast_afp/iraqoilkurdistan
Iraqi Christians join Christmas worship in France
PARIS
(AFP)
– Iraqi Christians who survived the deadly storming of a Baghdad church
attended a special Christmas mass on Sunday in France, where they
were evacuated following the attack.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101226/wl_afp/franceiraqunrestchristianschristmas
As US moves out of Iraq, Iranian business moves in
Even
Green Zone starting to lose American flavor - BAGHDAD — In the heart of
Baghdad’s Green Zone, just yards from the mighty fortress of the
biggest US Embassy in the world, a small but symbolic challenge to
America’s rapidly waning influence in Iraq is taking shape in the form
of an Iranian ice cream parlor.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2010/12/25/
as_us_moves_out_of_iraq_iranian_business_moves_in/
For many US troops, a last Christmas in Iraq
JOINT
BASE
BALAD, Iraq (Reuters) – Colonel Lance Kittleson is looking forward
to spending Christmas with his family next year as U.S. troops withdraw
from Iraq 7-1/2 years after the invasion that toppled Sunni dictator
Saddam Hussein. Many of the U.S. troops left in Iraq can't wait to get
home.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101226/ts_nm/us_iraq_usa_christmas
Egypt hopes for quick accord on Saddam-era debt
BAGHDAD
(AFP)
– Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said in Baghdad on Sunday
that Cairo hopes for a quick accord with Iraq on the hundreds of
millions of dollars of Saddam-era debt ... Egypt has put the figure at
double Iraq's estimate of the amount.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101226/wl_mideast_afp/iraqegyptdiplomacyeconomydebt
Other Mideast
Egypt: Mossad was behind Internet cable cut two years ago
CAIRO,
(PIC)-- Egyptian Supreme State Security disclosed investigations leading
to Israeli foreign intelligence the Mossad being behind the break in an
internet cable belonging to Egypt a few kilometers off Italian shores a
year and a half back. Officials cited confessions from an Egyptian man
accused of espionage in an Israeli spy network targeting
Egypt.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx
The people of the year in the Middle East / Rannie Amiri
The 2010 Middle East People of the Year are: The
Palestinians
in Gaza, desperate to let the world
know that nearly two years after the end of the 2008-2009 war, the cruel
embargo on the territory persists; the siege by air, land and sea
continues; and the impoverished population is still held captive in
their land. The Bahraini Shia, the island’s indigent and marginalized
majority... The Egyptians, who have suffocated under a repressive
U.S.-backed regime
that has governed by Emergency Law for 30 years and stifled the freedom
of expression, assembly and press...The Iraqis, who endured seven years
of occupation... .The Saudi Ismaili, Shia and Sufi Muslims, harassed,
arrested and jailed for practicing their religion or demanding the right
to do so... The Yemenis of Saada governorate, who became the
malnourished “internally displaced” refugees caught in the country’s
long civil war.
http://www.counterpunch.org/amiri12242010.html
Saudi Grand Mufti criticizes Al Qaeda for disguising themselves as women
Abdulaziz
Al Sheikh yesterday strongly criticized the Al Qaeda organizations, and
particularly the phenomenon of Al Qaeda elements disguising themselves
in women's clothing in order to avoid detection, saying that this has
"contributed to tarnishing the reputation of Muslims."
http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=23567
Report: Iran passes death sentence on Israeli spy
(AP)
Tehran's chief prosecutor says the suspect's identity is to be announced after approval of the verdict by Iran's Supreme Court ... Iran
and Israel have been enemies since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran,
and Tehran periodically announces arrest of people suspected of spying
for Israel.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/
diplomacy-defense/report-iran-passes-death-sentence-on-israeli-spy-1.333070
The power behind the throne? / Zvi Bar'el
Wherever
she
appears, Sheikha Mozah of Qatar, the emir's wife, makes a splash. That
includes helping persuade FIFA to award the 2022 World Cup to the tiny
Gulf state ... "We in Qatar are working to emphasize the highly
influential historic role of women in the Arab peninsula. This role is
not known in the Arab and Western world and is neglected by public
opinion, the media and the intellectuals," she said in an interview with
the Saudi newspaper Al-Riyadh, after completing a historic three-day
visit to the kingdom last March.
http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/the-power-behind-the-throne-1.332679
U.S. news
Obama's liberty problem / Bill Quigley & Vince Warren
The
right
to liberty is one of the foundation rights of a free people. The
idea that any US President can bypass Congress and bypass the Courts by
issuing an Executive Order setting up a new legal system for
indefinite detention of people should rightfully scare the hell out of
the American people.
http://www.counterpunch.org/quigley12232010.html
Video: Philip Giraldi on 'spying on Americans'
The
U.S.
Government is reportedly building a vast domestic spying network to
collect information on American Citizens. The Government is using the
FBI, Military criminal investigators, state homeland security and local
police to collect intelligence.
http://www.intifada-palestine.com/2010/12/philip-giraldi-on-spying-on-americans-video/
WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks founded Julian Assange promises 3,700 files on Israel
When will you publish the files related to Israel on your website?
We will publish 3700 files and the source is the American embassy in Tel
Aviv. Prime Minister Netanyahu was traveling to Paris to talk to the
US ambassador there. You will see more information about that in six
months.
http://alexbkane.wordpress.com/2010/12/25/
wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-promises-3700-files-on-israel/
Assange signs $1.5m book deal
WikiLeaks founder says money will pay for his defence, while a separate book by a WikiLeaks insider is also announced.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/europe/2010/12/20101226132724395724.html |
| For further information contact Shadi Fadda |
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