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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Settlers/ Land, Property, Resource Theft & Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing
UN envoy demands Israel act against settler attacks
UN Mieast peace coordinator 'appalled at acts of destruction of olive
trees and farmlands, desecration of mosques and violence against
civilians'.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/un-envoy-demands-israel-act-against-settler-attacks-1.321296
Jewish settlement construction increases, report says
An
Israeli
human rights group says that building illegal Jewish settlements on
Palestinian land has increased four-fold since the partial freeze on new
building ended last month. Nearly half a million Jews live in more
than 100 settlements built since Israel's 1967 occupation of the West
Bank and East Jerusalem. They are held to be illegal under international
law, although
Israel disputes this. Many of those who help to build the settlements
are Palestinian labourers who say they cannot get such well-paid jobs
elsewhere.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11623704
Demolitions Continue in 'Aissawiya, Provoking Popular Anger
Jerusalem
– PNN - Widespread demolitions continued in the occupied central
Jerusalem neighborhood of ‘Aissawiya as bulldozers followed Israeli
soldiers from house to house and popular rage spread. A Wafa reporter in
Jerusalem said the demolitions covered the districts of Barkiyat,
Mu’rshat, and Istinadiya and affected the following citizens: Sheikh
Riyad, ‘Aissawiya, Ra’ed Abu Riyala, Issa Saleh Khalil Nasir, Ziad Issa
Nasir, Mazen Issa Nasir, Isma’il Issa Nasir, Issa Muhammad Nasir, Samir
Nasir, and Issa Naisir. Ra’ed Abu Riyala al-‘Assawoui, a member of the
Fatah Organizational Committee and one of the landowners, said the
soldiers told him they had issued a demolition notice a month ago. He
said this was a flimsy argument that soldiers used every time they
removed Palestinians from their lands.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9019&Itemid=62
Israeli Soldiers Confiscate Heavy Equipment During Invasion of Beit Fajjar
Kamel
Hamash, head of the local council, confirmed on Wednesday morning, that
a number of Israeli army soldiers confiscated a bulldozer and other
equipment belonging to a citizen from the region of Khelat Heja, near
Beit Fajjar, east of Bethlehem.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59760
Israel expands West Bank settlement
NABLUS
(Ma’an) -- Israel is expanding a settlement in the northern West Bank
district of Nablus, Ma'an has learned. Shvut Rachel Alt. 804, part of
the Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, was built on Palestinian land in
the Jalud village. The village's total area is some 16,000 dunums.
Settlers have confiscated about 80 percent of the land to expand six
settlements, residents say.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=327886
Report: 99 per cent of separation wall built on '67 occupied land
Arab
League warns the separation wall will devour fertile farmland in
Qalqiliya, within framework of systematic plan to take control of
Palestine’s most fertile and strategically important lands.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7
Two sides of the Wall in Bil’in, Hamde Abu Rahme
I went on a tour to photograph the Apartheid Wall that was built on the
territory of the Palestinian village of Bil'in, located in the West
Bank. After a ruling of the highest Israeli Court, the path of which
the first wall had been built had to be changed and now the Israel has
to build a new wall: the new wall is a set of concrete cubes ranging in
length up to eight meters tall. The old wall was an electric fence with
barbed wire which would send an electric shock at the slightest touch.
This first wall was set up by Israel on Palestinian land and has been
extremely dangerous (in some cases deadly), not only to human beings but
also to animals and other wildlife. Many animals lost their lives after
running into the fence and being instantly electrocuted.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/10/two-sides-of-the-wall-in-bilin.html
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
Palestinian Political Prisoner Ameer Makhoul to the World Education Forum Palestine
Brothers and sisters in the Palestinian National Committee of the World
Education Forum My greetings and yearning to you all, First, I send you
my warmest greetings and appreciation for all your efforts in
preparation for the World Education Forum in Palestine. It is an honor
for Palestine to host this forum, accompanied by such notable
international mobilization and solidarity. However, it is also an honor
for the World Education forum to be hosted by Palestine.
http://www.alternativenews.org/english/index.php/topics/news/2963
-ameer-makhoul-to-the-world-education-forum-palestine-
Demonstrators call for expelling Israeli ambassador from Jordan
AMMAN,
Oct.
26 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Jordanians on Tuesday staged sit-ins near
the Israeli embassy in Amman, calling for annulling the peace treaty
with Israel. During the sit-in, which took place near Al Kaluti Mosque,
demonstrators called for expelling the Israeli ambassador and urged
people to boycott Israeli products. "The Wadi Araba Peace treaty
represents a recognition of Israel, " Secretary General of the Islamic
Action Front (IAF) Hamzah Mansour said during the demonstration
organized by the Jordanian Higher Executive Committee for Defending the
Homeland and Confronting Normalization.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-10/27/c_13576770.htm
Jerusalem Activists Confront Mayor Nir Barkat, Joseph Dana
Nir
Barkat, the secular and dangerous mayor of Jerusalem, was forced to
confront direct action protest during a recent art gala in Jerusalem.
Jerusalem activists from the Sheikh Jarrah Solidarity movement confronted the mayor with questions regarding his policy of ethnic cleansing in Silwan and Shiekh Jarrah.
In the following video of the event, Barkat’s smug reaction is not as
surprising as the utter silence of those citizens attending the art gala
around him. The silence of Jerusalem’s residents to the policy of
discrimination, racism and occupation to Palestinian citizens of the
city is shocking.
http://josephdana.com/2010/10/jerusalem-activists-confront-mayor-nir-barkat
Tutu begs singers to call off Israel tour
Desmond
Tutu
has urged the Cape Town Opera to call off its tour of Israel "until
both Israeli and Palestinian opera lovers have equal opportunity and
unfettered access to performances".
http://www.timeslive.co.za/entertainment/article728642.ece/
No Justice, No Chickpeas: Philly activists go ‘Gaga’ to spread hummus boycott, Adam Horowitz
Philly BDS, a coalition of Muslim, Jewish, and Christian, and Arab
organizations, recently initiated a boycott campaign against Sabra and
Tribe hummus products because of their connection to human rights abuses
of Palestinians. Coalition member Hannah Schwarzschild explains: As
a customer and a Jew, I hope that Fresh Grocer will heed the concerns of
it's community members and consider ceasing to distribute these
products. Not only would this a be a huge step toward supporting the
human rights of Palestinians and working for a more just and peaceful
Middle East, it would also serve to educate the community about the
power of our consumer choices."
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/10/no-justice-no-chickpeas-
philly-activists-go-gaga-to-spread-hummus-boycott.html
#BDS: Presbyterian Mission Network Joins BDS Movement
Presbyterian
Mission
Network Joins BDS Movement, Calls for Boycotts on goods from Illegal
Israeli Settlements. CHICAGO, October 25—In response to a call to
action from the Christians of the Holy Land, The Israel/Palestine
Mission Network (IPMN) of the Presbyterian Church (USA) [PC(USA)] voted
at its annual meeting to join the international boycott of goods
produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPT).
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2010/10/bds-presbyterian-mission-network-joins.html
8th Week against the Apartheid Wall, November 9 – 16 2010
Sep
1, 2010-- Eight years into the construction of the Apartheid Wall, over
60% has already been built to ghettoize communities, threatening over
260,000 people with displacement and stealing land and water resources.
http://stopthewall.org/latestnews/2361.shtml
Technion: Structures of Oppression
Why McGill & Concordia Universities must sever their links with
Technion University October 2010 report download full document Photo:
Window in Palestinian home smashed by Israeli military bullet. McGill
and Concordia universities maintain bi-lateral exchange programs with
the Technion University in Israel.
http://www.tadamon.ca/post/8105
Who Profits? – Financing the Israeli Occupation
Israeli banks provide the financial infrastructure for all activities of
companies, governmental agencies and individuals in the continuing
occupation of Palestine and the Syrian Golan Heights. The services
provided by the banks support and sustain these activities.
Additionally, as this report shows, it is evident that the banks are
well aware of the types and whereabouts of the activity that is being
carried out with their financial assistance.
http://www.israeli-occupation.org/2010-10-25/who-profits-financing-the-israeli-occupation/
How Much Money is Needed to Stop the BDS Movement?, Alex Kane
$6 million dollars: enough to combat a largely grassroots, bottom-up and growing boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel? That’s what the Jewish Federations of North America and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs are hoping.
http://alexbkane.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/
how-much-money-is-needed-to-stop-the-bds-movement/
Siege/Rights Violations/Restriction of Movement/Racism & Discrimination
Israeli Siege Kept Baby Girl From Leukemia Treatment
Nasma Abu Lasheen died on 16 October, 2010 from treatable leukemia, 155
kilometres from adequate medical facilities. She had spent most of her
two years sick, ferried around Gaza and Israel between blood tests,
treatments and doctors in six different hospitals. Her family had
celebrated her second birthday in Gaza City, waiting on permission from
Israel to continue the chemical treatment. By the time it came, Nasma
was too weak to move. Her tragedy is the story of hospitals, doctors,
clinics and medicine under siege.
http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article1585
Open Gaza's gates, Amira Hass
When residents from Hebron, Nazareth and foreign countries travel to the
Khan Yunis coast, or visit a cultural center north of the Al-Shatti
refugee camp, their illusions about the wonders of the
religious-totalitarian regime will evaporate.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/open-gaza-s-gates-1.321366
Negev councilor cuts off 4,000 Bedouin's water supply
The water was turned back on Tuesday afternoon, by order of the Be'er Sheva District Court, pending a hearing set for tomorrow
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news
/negev-councilor-cuts-off-4-000-bedouin-s-water-supply-1.321333
Israel lifts study ban for 5 jailed students
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Lawyers for Palestinian detainees at an Israeli
prison said Tuesday that five prisoners will be allowed to complete
university studies, after they were initially banned. Twenty other
prisoners will not be allowed to continue studying. They were prevented
from completing coursework on "security" grounds, according to a
statement from the detainees center.
Arabs: Jaffa housing benefits for reservists 'discriminatory'
Residents of Jaffa's Ajami neighborhood angered by apartment benefits
for reserve soldiers, claim housing shortage for local residents not
addressed
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3975377,00.html
Settler network promotes racist comics to bring Meir Kahane to a new generation of Israelis, Adam Horowitz
The following comic celebrating the life of Meir Kahane appeared last week on an Israeli website called the Israel News Network, which is associated with Arutz Sheva and
the
settler movement. Kahane was the founder of the fascist Jewish Defense
League and the Kach movement, which was barred in Israel for promoting
racism, and his ideology has been influential in Israel where he was a
longtime proponent of forcing Palestinian citizens of Israel out of the
country. The comic has been translated byDena Shunra.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/10/settler-network-
promotes-racist-comics-to-bring-meir-kahane-to-a-new-generation-of-israelis.html
Violence & Aggression
Israeli Occupation Gunboats Attack Palestinain Fishermen in GazaIn Wednesday at dawn, Israeli gunboats opened fire at fishing boats off the shoreline in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59763
Israeli Police Car Kills Palestinian Child
Israeli
sources reported that on Tuesday night, a Palestinian boy from the town
of Yatta, south of Hebron, was killed by an Israeli police car that ran
over him in the town of Ashdod, in the southern part of Israel.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59762
IOF soldiers open indiscriminate fire at Husan homes
Israeli
occupation forces (IOF) mounting six armored vehicles on Tuesday
afternoon stormed the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem, and fired
rubber bullets and gas bombs at citizens' homes.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xy
Report: Islamic Jihad man killed in Gaza
Palestinians
say al-Quds Brigades member, 29, hit by IDF tank shell. Earlier, mortar
shell explodes in western Negev; no injuries reported.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3975779,00.html
Clashes erupt at Israel march
Violence between police and Palestinian-Israeli protesters angered by a march by a right-wing Jewish group.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010102783751347869.html
In photos: Aftermath of an Israeli raid
The daughter of one of three Palestinians detained
by Israeli forces in Qalqiliya on Monday morning holds up a copy of a
Qur'an, which the family says troops burned after raiding the family
home. An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma'an that neither the Civil
Administration nor the army had received a complaint about the burning
of the Muslim holy book, but confirmed two detentions in the northern
West Bank district.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=327686
Detainees
Israeli Army Ransacks Homes; Detains Palestinians in Nablus
The
Palestinian
News Agency Ma'an, reported on Wednesday that the Israeli army detained
five Palestinians from the villages of Madama and Beta in the southern
part of Nablus.
http://www.imemc.org/article/59759
Israeli court mulls jail time for Fatah official
JERUSALEM
(Ma'an)
-- An Israeli court on Wednesday delayed the sentencing of a Fatah
official accused of violating a ban on entering the Al-Aqsa mosque
compound in occupied East Jerusalem. The lawyer for Jerusalem affairs
chief Hatem Abdel Qader asked for the session to be delayed after
prosecutors demanded the official's imprisonment. Jawad Boulous said the
decision would be unprecedented, and would signal a personal vendetta
against Abdel Qader.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=328112
War Criminals
Netanyahu 'salutes' commandos who raided Gaza flotilla
PM tours top-security Shayetet 13 base in show of defiance against international censure of raid on Mavi Marmara.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
netanyahu-salutes-commandos-who-raided-gaza-flotilla-1.321297
Israeli flotilla probe 'a sham', Sherine Tadros
Turkel
Schmerkel.
For the past few days I've had the delightful task of hanging around
the Yitzhak Rabin Guest House in West Jerusalem. I was covering the
latest round of questioning by (Israeli) judges, appointed by the
(Israeli) government to examine the legality of their deadly raid
on the Gaza-bound aid ship last May. The inquiry is called the Turkel
Commission, named after retired Justice Turkel - the big chief. Now, I
could tell you how, at various points, I saw every member of the panel
fall asleep during the testimonies.
http://blogs.aljazeera.net/middle-east/2010/10/26/israeli-flotilla-probe-sham
Israel's Arab Helpers
Hamas: PA arrests 7 West Bank supporters
BETHLEHEM
(Ma'an)
-- Hamas said on Wednesday that Palestinian Authority security forces
arrested seven of the movement's members in the West Bank. Hamas
said in a statement that PA forces continued what they called a campaign
of arrests against the group, detaining members in the Jericho,
Nablus, Jerusalem and Tubas districts.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=328016
Political Developments
Erekat: Settlers have Israeli authorities' full cooperation
BETHLEHEM
(Ma'an)
-- PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat "strongly condemned" on Wednesday a
flood of raw sewage that destroyed a Palestinian olive grove
in the near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, which Israeli
settlers are suspected of perpetrating. Residents in the village of
Deir Al-Hatab said 660 olive trees were poisoned by the sewage by runoff
from a factory in the illegal Elon Moreh settlement on Tuesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=328053
UN backs Palestinians plans for statehood by August
"All
int'l
players now in agreement that the Palestinians ready for statehood at
any point in the near future," UN official Serry tells Fayyad.
http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Article.aspx?id=192836
Israel sees no movement in talks with Palestinians until after U.S. midterms
JERUSALEM, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Contacts between Israel and the
Palestinians will not resume until after the U.S. congressional
elections in November, sources in Israeli prime minister's office said
Tuesday. Meanwhile, contacts between Israel and the United States over
the possibility of renewing talks continue, against a backdrop of an
American demand that Israel freeze settlement construction for an
additional two months.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-10/27/c_13576755.htm
Israel says prisoner exchange talks ongoing
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Talks between Israel and Hamas over the release of
hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for an Israeli soldier are
ongoing, a spokesman for Israeli President Shimon Peres said Tuesday.
Ofer Gendelman told Ma'an radio that the position of Israeli Prime
Minister Netanyahu's government had not changed, but contacts with Hamas
and behind-the-scenes phone calls were continuing in hopes of reaching a
deal.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=327841
Hamas denies talks ongoing over Shalit deal
BETHLEHEM
(Ma'an)
-- Hamas rebuffed comments Tuesday evening by an Israeli official that
talks to secure a captured Israeli soldier in exchange for
Palestinian prisoners were ongoing. Hamas leader Salah Al-Bardawil told
Ma'an the reports were "totally untrue" and that Israel's comments were
meant to "reassure the Israelis that they are working to release Gilad
Shalit."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=327969
In West Bank, Hamas beaten down, but not out (Reuters)
Reuters - For more than three years, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has tried to crush the Islamist movement Hamas.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101027/wl_nm/us_palestinians_hamas
Other News
Report: Israel planned explosion at Iranian missile site
An
explosion
that killed 18 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard on October 12
was ordered by the Mossad, French newspaper Le Figaro suggested on
Monday.
http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=192686
Police on high alert in Arab town Umm al-Fahm ahead of extreme rightist march
Marchers to wave Israeli flags and march near Islamic Movement offices
in the city to protest the participation of a prominent leader of the
movement in last May's Gaza-bound flotilla.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
police-on-high-alert-in-arab-town-umm-al-fahm-ahead-of-extreme-rightist-march-1.321342
Kahane supporters: We'll destroy 'Ishmael state'
During memorial service on 20th anniversary of Kach leader's death,
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel says, 'If Ishmael state is established - we will
destroy it. Suspected 'Jewish terrorist' Haim Pearlman also
participates. His wife declares: 'Kahane' is not a dirty word
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3975518,00.html
Israeli Arab eyes plea bargain over Hezbollah spying charges
Political activist Ameer Makhoul seeks to avoid heavy jail sentence for espionage by admitting to lesser charges.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
israeli-arab-eyes-plea-bargain-over-hezbollah-spying-charges-1.321299
Shin Bet grills Haaretz reporter Uri Blau over leaked IDF papers
Blau, who returned to Israel from London this week, spends nearly 10
hours at police's International Investigations headquarters.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
shin-bet-grills-haaretz-reporter-uri-blau-over-leaked-idf-papers-1.321329
Sabah Denies Ayalon's Criticism: Vatican Meeting Was Not "Hijacked"
Jerusalem
–
PNN - Latin Patriarch Michel Sabah of Jerusalem rebuffed criticism by
Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon that a recent meeting of
bishops in the Vatican had been “hijacked by enemies of the Jewish
state.” Latin Patriarch Michel Sabah of Jerusalem. Ayalon’s statement
continued that his government was “disappointed that the Synod had
turned into a forum for launching political attacks on Israel and Arab
propaganda.” Sabah defended the meeting, telling Al-Quds newspaper
that, “The meeting was for all bishops in the Middle East to look at the
needs of Palestinians and the political, social, and economic conditions
they live under. The group looked at the relationship between
Christianity and Islam and we found what we needed to do.”
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9011&Itemid=61
Poll: Abbas enjoys support of young Palestinians
Bethlehem, West Bank - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party
counts on the support of many young Palestinians in the West Bank,
according to an opinion poll published Tuesday. If elections were held
today, nearly 40 per cent of young Palestinians would vote for the
secular-leaning Fatah, compared to under 10 per cent for its rival
Hamas, a radical Islamist movement. The poll conducted by the
Bethlehem-based Palestinian Centre for Research and Cultural Dialogue
(PCRD), with Germany's Hanns Seidel Foundation, questioned 1,000
Palestinians aged 18 to 30 in the West Bank earlier this month.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/news/article_1594195.php
Will the Academy give an Oscar to a notorious anti-Semite?
Hollywood's
Academy
of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences intends to award iconic
French-Swiss filmmaker Jean Luc Godard with an honorary Oscar. [What
earned him the anti-Semitic smear is his pro-Palestinian film, “The
Palestinians” and his famous aversion to Hollywood and its inner
workings..He also said things (in his very typical un- PC manner) that
some Jews in the cinema industry, understandably may have disliked, but
to label him anti-Semitic is quite a stretch..]
http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/
will-the-academy-give-an-oscar-to-a-notorious-anti-semite-1.319765
Analysis/Opinion/Human Interest
Will Fatah choose reconciliation or collaboration?
Clashes between the main Palestinian movements Hamas and Fatah date back
to the late 1980s when Hamas was officially founded and the early 1990s
when Fatah took control of the Palestinian Authority, newly established
under the 1993 Oslo accords. Raja Abdulhaq comments.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11591.shtml
It’s not Netanyahu who’s paralyzed, it’s Obama, Philip Weiss
Ari Shavit did a piece in Haaretz last week
asking, What is paralyzing Netanyahu? Why isn't he acting, when the Arab
peace initiative is about to expire and Europe is turning its back on
Israel, and Obama wants him to act... David Bromwich's smart response:
Netanyahu
is not "paralyzed," merely waiting. For what? The American election
result. If the Republicans win a convincing majority, he'll give up all
pretense of listening to Obama. If the Democrats hold on to a majority,
he will continue the pretense with a degree more responsiveness, for a
few months. By then, the posturing for 2012 will have begun, and the
pressure of popular and bought opinion against Obama's negotiations will
increase. Since the president did so little when he had a majority and
personal popularity to use as leverage, Netanyahu trusts he won't do
more when the majority is narrow or non-existent and popular opinion has
swung against him.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/10/its-not-netanyahu-whos-paralyzed-its-obama.html
News Analysis: What does Netanyahu's new plan imply?
JERUSALEM, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
is preparing to launch a new plan to restart negotiations with the
Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), according to reports by the
Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv. The plan will consist of two stages: a total
freeze on construction in Jewish settlements on the West Bank for three
months, followed by a partial or controlled freeze for an additional
nine months. The goal of the new plan is to restart peace talks with
the Palestinians that came to an end in early October after Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas refused to continue negotiations citing Israel's
refusal to freeze settlement construction.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-10/27/c_13576760.htm
Kramer says that the Persian Gulf is ‘as crucial to American security as Lake Michigan’, Philip Weiss
Can
you trust someone's judgment if every time they talk about the Middle
East they refer to it as "the Levant?" I don't think so. Sandbox author
Martin Kramer is not just pretentious, but scary and Israel-centric. Here he is interviewed by fellow neoc Michael Totten
arguing that the only way to achieve peace in Israel and Palestine is to
take out Iran. Of course once we do that, there'll be some other threat
that arises and comes first.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/10/
kramer-says-that-the-persian-gulf-is-as-crucial-to-american-security-as-lake-michigan.html
Kufur Qassim, Rachel Corrie and premeditated forgetfulness, Hatim Kanaaneh
Hussain
Abu-Hussain,
the Corries’ lawyer, thought his was a depressing profession. I sought
to cheer him up by pointing out the dismal case of the oncology
specialty in medicine. It didn’t seem to work; he had spent
the whole day trying in vain to trick witnesses of the murder of the
late ISM volunteer into telling the truth. But the relevant portions of
those witnesses’ memory were hermitically sealed behind an impermeable
wall of forgetfulness. Limited in my scope of knowledge and
understanding to the field of medicine, I am intrigued by the mystery of
what effective mind-altering drugs the Israeli Defense Forces have at
their disposal to wipe out selective segments of their soldiers’ recall
and to effect such precise lacuna of brain damage.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/10/kufur-qassim-rachel-corrie-and-premeditated-forgetfulness.html
Israel is Relieved Not to be The Only War Criminal, Gideon Levy
The
voice
of joy, the voice of rejoicing is heard in Israel: The Americans and
British have also committed for war crimes, not only us.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/
israel-is-relieved-not-to-be-the-only-war-criminal-1.321188
How Do Fascists Creep into Power?, Lillian Rosengarten
Uri
Avneri's
always powerful observations raise the most profound question.
How can it happen, the lure of Fascism that oozes into the fabric of
societies with the promise of a better life? There are always those who
are not vulnerable to the language of temptation, the racist rhetoric
that tears a society apart. These heroes become freedom fighters. An
example is Hans Lebrecht, my father’s first cousin who was an active
resistance fighter in World War 11, a noted Communist activist and
supporter and writer for Gush Shalom. He was my mentor and beloved
friend. Now in his 90’s he resides at Kibbutz Beit-Oren. I cannot visit
him for I am not allowed to return to Israel because I have dissented
against their injustice to Palestinians. Here is a still timely quote
from “JewishFriends of Palestine Gateway, by Hans.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16363
In the End, Only One Way to See It, Michael Khaled for MIFTAH
I
came to the Holy Land thinking I could find some type of middle ground
and lodge myself there. As a Palestinian-American, I am equipped with
the knowledge, cultural awareness and communication skills to show a
Western audience the unvarnished truth behind the conflict. I try not to
get emotionally involved with the political issues and "stay above" the
fray. As a trained journalist, that is what I was taught. Yet I
recently watched a Palestinian friend get into a political discussion
with an Israeli security guard on the way to the dorms at Hebrew
University in Jerusalem. My friend is a fiery artist from the north with
Israeli citizenship, and the guard, an imposing Sephardic Jew of
Moroccan descent.
http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=22750&CategoryId=13
The Remaining Option for the Palestinians, George S. Hishmeh – Washington, D.C.
Over 70 years ago, agitating European Zionist leaders were offered by
Britain, who then ruled Palestine, about 20 percent of the Arab country
to establish a state there, a partition they accepted in principle but
then demanded more land. This offer was made behind Palestinians backs.
Ten years later, the United Nations approved the partition plan which
gave Palestinian Jews 55 percent of the country, although they hardly
owned five percent of the land, while the Palestinian Arabs would retain
45 percent. The Palestinians, backed by the Arab states, rejected the
plan and resolved to win it back.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16365
The political line of Israeli papers (a reader’s guide)
Maariv and Yedioth Ahronoth showing the same headline (photo: yossi
gurvitz)Newspapers in Israel have always been of great importance. One
of the first things early Zionists did in Palestine was to create their
own Hebrew papers. Every major political faction had its own
publication, usually a national daily. Even today, with the decline of
printed journalism, papers are still widely read, especially among
opinion makers. The Hebrew papers raise issues and frame political
questions; Knesset members often quote news items and op-eds during
Knesset debates, and Knesset committees conduct debates on issues
exposed by the printed media. It is worth noting that Israel has never
had strong local daily papers, so the printed media always tended to
deal with national questions of diplomacy, politics and security, and
less with local issues such as crime and local policies. So if you want
to understand Israeli society and Israeli politics, you need to
understand Hebrew printed media.
http://www.promisedlandblog.com/?p=3539
An Apartheid Distinction
I
was at the border, a British national with an Arab name on my way into
Palestine-Israel. The Jordanians were suspicious but not at all
intimidating. It felt more like an unexpected cup of tea with an
avuncular officer (which it was) than an interrogation. I learnt about
Abu Tariq’s children and he learned about my reasons for crossing, my
travels, and my career. He noted everything down before shaking my
hand. The bus through no-man’s land was full of Palestinian-Israelis,
descendants of the remnant not driven out in 1948 – those the Israelis
call ‘Arab-Israelis’, as if they were recent immigrants from Kuwait or
Algeria. The sun bubbled the box of our bus. It was airless and sweaty
inside.
http://pulsemedia.org/2010/10/27/an-apartheid-distinction/
Gaza, Mohammed and My Mother - Book Review, Elana Golden
My Father was a Freedom Fighter is a page-turner though I read it in
small bites, the way you would eat a rich chocolate cake. It is a great
read not only for those interested in the Israel/Palestine conflict but
for anyone who loves books about family, courage, hope and resilience.
For while clearly illustrating the trajectory of the long and complex
history of the conflict – My Father was a Freedom Fighter tells a story
of survival that is beyond this particular conflict. It is a personal
story told through the keen eye of Ramzy Baroud, it reads like a novel,
and is universal in its tone, its humanity, its psychology.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16360
The Chosen Peoples – Book Review, Jim Miles
A work on studying chosen peoples needs to be approached with some kind
of trepidation when one knows that they themselves are not chosen. If
for nothing else, it is impossible to rationally argue against faith in
biblical ‘chosenness.’ However, if one accepts the underlying premise
that other people believe in their being chosen then the idea of
chosenness can be worked with. This appears to be what the authors of
this new book “The Chosen Peoples” attempt to examine.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16362
Ashcroft's Immunity and the Obama Administration, LAWRENCE DAVIDSON
One of the cases the Supreme Court of the United States will take up in
its 2011 session is Ashcroft vs. al-Kidd. John Ashcroft was the Attorney
General under President George Bush Jr. In that capacity he appears to
have knowingly violated the U.S. Constitution (as well as periodically
forced his employees to listen to his horrendous singing voice).
Abdullah al-Kidd is a Muslim American citizen who Ashcroft illegally
ordered detained through the illicit use of a material witness warrant.
Kidd was one of 70 detained in this manner. He was picked up at Dulles
International Airport after the FBI lied to a judge in order to get the
warrant for his seizure. Al-Kidd was subsequently held for long periods
in a security cell where the lights never went out.
http://www.counterpunch.com/davidson10262010.html
Lebanon
Debkafile: Riyadh Pressing PM Saad Hariri to Step Down
26/10/2010
In a sudden U-turn, Saudi Arabia has called on Lebanese Prime Minister
Saad Hariri to step down to pave the way for a pro-Syrian government,
Israeli military intelligence website Debkafile reported. The Saudis
demanded Monday for Hariri to immediately step down and make way for an
administration dominated by pro-Syrian ministers and Hezbollah,
Debkafile quoted its Middle East and Beirut sources as saying. The
resignation call comes days after Hariri told US Deputy Secretary of
State Jeffrey Feltman that he was under Saudi pressure to leave office
and that he was about to give into the Saudi king's demand, the Israeli
site noted. Debkafile's sources, however, predicted that a pro-Syrian
PM in Lebanon would annul the Special Tribunal for Lebanpn and blame the
killing of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri on Israel - which would
ignite a war between Lebanon and Israel. Meanwhile, sources close to
Hariri denied to pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat that he has any plans to
resign or withdraw from office, stressing that such step would result in
a "critical power vacuum." The sources, who spoke to the Arab daily on
the condition of anonymity, stressed that Hariri "does not regret any
positive step he has taken towards Syria because he has done so in the
belief in joint Syrian – Lebanese relations." The source added that
Hariri "believes that what he has begun is correct and he will continue
with this and not back away from it, and if this does stop – as is the
case now – he will learn lessons from this.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=159716&language=en
Aoun: STL's Objective is Undermining Stability, Not Maintaining Justice
Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun on Tuesday noted that "the
objective of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon is undermining stability
rather than maintaining justice," adding that "the evidence is that many
heads of state had died here (in Lebanon) before" with the United States
remaining idle about their cases.
After the weekly meeting of the Change and Reform parliamentary bloc
held in Rabiyeh, Aoun stressed that "the issue of the Judicial Council
is clear, and everyone knows that the murder of ex-PM Rafik Hariri had
been referred to the Judicial Council since the beginning."
http://www.naharnet.com/domino/tn/NewsDesk.nsf/0/
B7501CA139AE7572C22577C80058CBC8?OpenDocument
Lebanon’s Palestinian Civil Rights Campaign moves into the Christian heartland
Even though not even one work permit has been issued to one Palestinian
in Lebanon since the August 17, 2010 “right to work” law passed in
Parliament and even though Palestinians are still forbidden from owning a
home, the cause of Palestine Civil Rights in Lebanon endures. Leila
El-Ali, executive director of Najdeh, a Palestinian advocacy group that
has long campaigned for civil rights for refugees in Lebanon is pleased
that the new law has at least provoked real debate among Lebanese about
the plight of Palestinian refugees but agrees that it will have no
impact on the ground. "All of the professions – doctors, lawyers,
engineers, pharmacists, academia – will remain closed to Palestinians,"
she says. "There is no syndicate here that will admit Palestinian
members. And to actually be allowed to work legally in other jobs, the
new law says you need specific guarantees from your employer – things
that in the end
http://palestinethinktank.com/2010/10/26/lebanon%E2%80%99s-
palestinian-civil-rights-campaign-moves-into-the-christian-heartland/
Iraq
Tuesday: 20 Iraqis Killed, 32 Wounded
At least 20 Iraqis were killed and 32 more were wounded in a series of
attacks in the north. Among them was a jewelry heist in Kirkuk.
Meanwhile, Tariq Aziz has been sentenced to death for his role in
"persecuting Shi'ites" during the Saddam era.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/10/26/tuesday-20-iraqis-killed-32-wounded/
Gunmen kill eight in Iraq gold market attack
BAGHDAD, Oct 26 (Reuters) - At least eight people were killed, including
five policemen, when gunmen attacked a goldsmiths' market in the
northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, police and hospital
sources said. Police said there were clashes between the armed men and
security forces. Twelve people were wounded, including two policemen.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE69P2B5.htm
Baghdad bombs kill 3 in scattered violence (AP)
AP - A bomb blast Wednesday near a Sunni religious organization killed two security guards, police and hospital officials said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101027/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iraq
IRAQ: No work forces refugees into risky return
MADRID Wednesday, October 27, 2010 (IRIN) - It takes courage - or
desperation - for an Iraqi refugee to return home, given the levels of
violence in the country. But unable to support their families abroad,
some are taking that decision.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportId=90894
Vatican urges Iraq to halt Aziz execution (AP)
AP - The Vatican has urged Iraq to not carry out the death sentence
meted out to former Iraqi foreign minister Tariq Aziz and says it may
intervene diplomatically to try to halt it.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101026/ap_on_re_eu/eu_vatican_iraq
Tariq Aziz: a political life in pictures
Saddam Hussein's former deputy has been sentenced to death by hanging by
Iraq's high tribunal over his role in the persecution of Shia parties.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2010/oct/26/tariq-aziz-iraq
Tariq Aziz and Iraq's most-wanted deck of cards: where are the aces and kings now?
Top Saddam Hussein aide Tariq Aziz, sentenced to hang Tuesday, was one
of 55 people featured in the notorious decks of playing cards handed out
to American forces when they invaded Iraq. The cards featured the
most-wanted members of Sadaam’s government. Aziz’s sentencing warrants a
look at where those aces and kings are today.
http://rss.csmonitor.com/%7Er/feeds/world/%7E3/RkOp8i1cDOM/
Tariq-Aziz-and-Iraq-s-most-wanted-deck-of-cards-where-are-the-aces-and-kings-now
Iraq calls time on Saddam's sidekick
Former
Iraqi
deputy premier Tariq Aziz once said he would rather die than go to an
American prison. On Tuesday, the "international face" of Saddam
Hussein's regime was sentenced to death over persecution of Islamic
parties. Nuri al-Maliki, on the brink of sealing a deal to give him
another four years as prime minister, apparently feels confident enough
to act on something he has long dreamt of: revenge against Aziz. - Sami
Moubayed
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LJ28Ak03.html
THE ROVING EYE : Aziz's story will remain untold
Maliki and his Shi'ite Da'wa party had a score to settle with Aziz, and
they will believe justice has now been done. Everyone else loses badly
because Aziz is arguably the only person on Earth who could tell the
real story, bit by juicy bit, about the rolling, decades-long American
dirty game in Iraq. - Pepe Escobar
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/LJ28Ak01.html
Wikileaks
'US troops beheaded Iraqi detainee'
American forces decapitated an Iraqi last year on the order of their higher-up, show recently-exposed US military documents.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/148265.html
US: Enemies searching WikiLeaks Iraq papers (AP)
AP - The Pentagon's No. 2 official says that U.S. enemies already are
mining data released this week in a trove of Iraq war documents for ways
to harm the American military.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101026/ap_on_re_mi_ea/wikileaks
WikiLeaks has more US war files, Pentagon says
WASHINGTON,
Oct
26 (Reuters) - WikiLeaks, which already has made public nearly 500,000
classified U.S. files on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has more U.S.
documents for possible release than it has stated, the Pentagon said on
Tuesday. The massive WikiLeaks disclosures of leaked documents have
been the largest in U.S. military history, and Pentagon officials are
saying that more files may follow. The whistle-blowing organization has
publicly acknowledged it has some 15,000 more documents
on the war in Afghanistan that it has threatened to release, along with
an Afghanistan video file, the Pentagon noted.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N26154938.htm
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange on Iraq War Logs, "Tabloid Journalism" and Why WikiLeaks Is "Under Siege"
In an extended interview, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange discusses the
release of nearly 400,000 classified US military records on the war in
Iraq, the biggest intelligence leak in US history. The disclosure
provides a trove of new evidence on the number of civilian casualties,
violence, torture and suffering that has befallen Iraq since the 2003
US-led invasion. While the Obama administration is defending the US
military’s record in Iraq, the allegations in the documents have sparked
worldwide condemnation. Assange also confirmed that threats by the
Pentagon would not stop WikiLeaks from releasing additional military
documents related to the war in Afghanistan.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/26/wikileaks_founder_julian_assange_on_iraq
Iraq War Logs, STEPHEN SOLDZ
The Wikileaks release of the Iraq War Logs on Friday has rightly aroused great interest. There has been excellent coverage in English by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (apparently sort of a British version of ProPublica in the US), Aljazeera, and the Guardian. The New York Times also had coverage, some of which was useful, but, as so often with the Times, their presentation was too influenced by official US military perspectives. Much of the attention has focused upon reports of over 1,000 incidents
of torture and detainee abuse by Iraqi government soldiers and police
witnessed or reported to US troops. Rather than investigate or take
action against Iraqi torturers, US troops were ordered to turn a blind eye to these abuses. In addition to ignoring the torture by Iraqi forces, the US was further complicit in that US forces knowingly turned over prisoners to Iraqi units known and expected to torture. The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Torture has called upon the US to investigate these torture claims. The British Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has also called for an investigation.
http://www.counterpunch.com/soldz10262010.html
U.S. and other world news
Tea Party backing Candidate Who Allegedly Shot Unarmed Iraqis 60 Times
A Tea Party-backed candidate who allegedly murdered two unarmed Iraqis could win a seat in the House of Representatives.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/gop-candidate-killed-unarmed-iraqi/
Anti-war protester hurls shoes at ex-Australian prime minister John Howard on live TV
'That's for the Iraqi dead!' Mr Gray shouted as he flung the shoes
during the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's live Q&A programme.
The shoes missed their target and Mr Gray was escorted from the studio.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1323824
Convicted Student Adnan Mirza Maintains Innocence in Latest Case of Alleged FBI Entrapment
Adnan
Mirza,
a Pakistani citizen who came to the United States on a student visa,
has been sentenced to 15 years in prison without parole after being
convicted of conspiring to provide material support to the Taliban
and for unlawfully possessing firearms. While federal officials hailed
the verdict, Adnan’s friends and supporters say he is innocent and that
he was set up and framed by an undercover FBI informant. We spoke to
Adnan last week, one day before his sentencing.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/27/
convicted_student_adnan_mirza_maintains_innocence
UK interrogation training manuals on detainees: ‘Get them naked’
British
military
manuals leaked to The Guardian and used to train interrogators
in techniques involving humiliation, disorientation, exhaustion and fear
may violate international laws. The training manuals describe a number
of interrogation techniques used to "pressure" detainees. Some of
these techniques include enforced nakedness, sensory deprivation,
humiliating cavity searches, and stress positions.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/10/uk-interrogation-training-manuals-violate-geneva-conventions/
Stryker unit sought to defend killing at heart of Afghan murder probe
Three
days
after they killed an Afghan cleric named Mullah Adahdad, members of a
U.S. Army platoon returned to his village. Tribal elders had complained
to Army officers that the cleric had been unarmed and that the May 2
shooting was a setup.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/25/AR2010102504820.html
Whitman Would Only Appoint Judges Who Support The Death Penalty
Republican gubernatorial nominee Meg Whitman would not appoint judges
who oppose the death penalty, her campaign spokeswoman said Monday. The
capital-punishment litmus test comes as Whitman, who is trailing in the
polls despite spending more than $140 million of her own money on her
campaign, sought to gain an edge with time running out before election
day.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/26/whitman-would-only-appoin_n_774109.html
Emir of Qatar: 'The US should re-engage with Iran'
Israelis "have the most dangerous weapons," Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa
al-Thani claims interview; says US can't use Qatari base to attack Iran.
http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=192815&R=R3
Human Rights Watch: Saudi Arabia: Stop Execution of Domestic Worker
(New York) - King Abdullah and Interior Minister Prince Naif should halt
the execution of Rizana Nafeek, a Sri Lankan domestic worker convicted
of killing a child in her care when she was 17, Human Rights Watch said
today. Saudi Arabia is one of only three countries worldwide known to
have executed individuals in the past two years for crimes committed
when they were children.
http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2010/10/26/saudi-arabia-stop-execution-domestic-worker
Acclaimed Indian Author Arundhati Roy Faces Arrest for Questioning India's Claim on Kashmir
The
award-winning
Indian author Arundhati Roy is facing possible arrest in India on
sedition charges after publicly advocating for Kashmir independence and
challenging India’s claim that Kashmir is an "integral part of India."
If charged and convicted of sedition, Roy could face up to life in
prison.
http://www.democracynow.org/2010/10/27/acclaimed_indian_author_arundhati_roy_faces
Arundhati Roy Responds to Threat of Arrest for Sedition
Kashmir, Oct. 26—I write this from Srinagar, Kashmir. This morning’s
papers say that I may be arrested on charges of sedition for what I have
said at recent public meetings on Kashmir. I said what millions of
people here say every day. I said what I, as well as other commentators
have written and said for years. Anybody who cares to read the
transcripts of my speeches will see that they were fundamentally a call
for justice. I spoke about justice for the people of Kashmir who live
under one of the most brutal military occupations in the world; for
Kashmiri Pandits who live out the tragedy of having been driven out of
their homeland; for Dalit soldiers killed in Kashmir whose graves I
visited on garbage heaps in their villages in Cuddalore; for the Indian
poor who pay the price of this occupation in material ways and who are
now learning to live in the terror of what is becoming a police state.
http://pulsemedia.org/2010/10/26/arundhati-roy-responds-to-threat-of-arrest-for-sedition/
Egypt opposition members arrested
Scores of Muslim Brotherhood members detained in Alexandria for placing "inappropriate" posters ahead of November poll.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/20101026155212903364.html
Anti-Muslim Sentiment Not Limited to Europe, Alex Kane
The Washington Post reports on how “anti-Muslim feelings”
are “propel[ling] [the] right wing in Europe.” When will we see similar
stories coming out about the U.S.? The Tea Party is a right-wing
movement that has come into prominence, in part, by stoking fear of
Muslims and the non-existent “creeping sharia” law that is about
to be imposed on the United States.
http://alexbkane.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/the-anti-muslim-surge-in-europe-and-the-u-s
A Mosque Grows in Brooklyn, Alex Kane
When
a mosque and Islamic community center in Sheepshead Bay were formally
proposed in the summer of 2009, the estimated 200 Muslim families living
in the south Brooklyn neighborhood greeted the news happily. For many
years, they’ve had to travel to mosques in Bensonhurst, Canarsie and Bay
Ridge. But the proposed three-story project at 2812 Voorhies Ave.,
which was
approved Oct. 13 by the Department of Buildings, is now facing a storm
of opposition, some of it from outside the community. The main
opposition group, a group of local residents called Bay People Inc., has
mobilized since the beginning of this year to oppose the mosque for a
number of reasons, including concerns over increased traffic, parking
problems, noise and property values.
http://alexbkane.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/a-mosque-grows-in-brooklyn/ |
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