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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Palestinians protest West Bank barrier
Six people were slightly injured when scuffles broke out after a dozen bulldozers, protected by the military, started to tear down trees and raze the ground near the village of Umm Salamona on Tuesday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061226/wl_mideast_afp/mideastbarrierwestbank_061226133449
Petition: Separation fence harms Palestinians
"These are not security purposes, they are purposes of future settlement and annexation of territories to Israel' s area." "In reality they are applying pressure on these weak villages and implementing a process of 'immoral and illegal transfer of civilians who were expelled from their land.'"
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344855,00.html
New settlement planned for former Gaza settlers
The Defense Ministry has approved the building of a new (ILLEGAL) settlement in the northern Jordan Valley, outside of the West Bank separation fence (WALL) ... The settlement, to be named Maskiot, will include 20 families from the former Gaza settlement of Shirat Hayam and another 10 families from other settlements in Gush Katif. Jordan Valley Regional Council leader Dubi Tal said Tuesday that construction is expected to begin in two weeks.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805829.html
Israel settlement breaks promise to U.S.
Israel has approved a new settlement in the West Bank to house former Jewish settlers from the Gaza Strip, officials said Tuesday, breaking a promise to the U.S. to halt home construction in the Palestinian territories.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_palestinians
Hebron: Israeli army attacks a medical center, abducts residents, while settlers destroys farm lands
The army left after interrogating the three for some time, no arrests were made and army claimed they were looking for what they call wanted Palestinians. In the meantime in Al Thahria town south of Hebron, right wing Israeli settlers living in illegal Israeli settlement around the village attacked and destroyed Palestinian farm land. Eyewitnesses said that the settlers bulldozed farm lands and destroyed the crops totally in 40 donums of land (10 acres).
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/23366/1/
IDF offered to 'transfer' 2 W. Bank villages, court told
The offer to the two villages, which are located within the territorial perimeter claimed by the adjacent settlement of Alfei Menashe, came after the court determined that the current route of the fence in the area was illegal. The court ruled more than a year ago in favor of a peition by the residents of five villages in the "Alfei Menashe enclave," and told the IDF to dismantle the fence where it cut the villages off from the rest of the West Bank.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805903.html
Mazuz won't investigate illegal outposts built on Palestinian land
Mazuz's decision, which was relayed by his aide, was made in response to a Peace Now report on the issue. In the State response written by Mazuz's aide, Attorney Eyal Yinon, it was written that the attorney general and Justice Ministry associates have recently been intensively dealing with how to approach the problem of illegal outposts. The response detailed the actions taken by Mazuz on the matter.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344705,00.html
The birthplace of Jesus now like a prison
For many people, Bethlehem may be remembered as a village in the Bible, or as a small town in Israel, rather than a real city. Modern Bethlehem, however, is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. Since the Six-Day War in 1967, Bethlehem has been occupied by Israeli military forces. This small city with a population of about 30,000 has been transformed into a large, walled prison.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/180466.html
Entry denied, despite promises
On December 16, Kamal, an American college student who had come to visit his grandfather in Ramallah, was denied entry to Israel. On December 20, Abdallah, a German citizen married to a PA resident, with whom he has a baby, was not allowed to return to the country. On December 15, Fada Ihlal Thum, a Brazilian citizen married to a Palestinian, was denied entry.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805491.html
Israeli forces arrest Jihad leader Mahmoud Assadi
substantial numbers of Israeli forces stormed the Eastern neighborhood of the northern West Bank city this morning. The Israelis besieged houses using heavy machine gun fire while detonating dozens of sound and gas bombs. Since his release from Israeli prison a year ago, Israeli forces have been chasing Asaadi. During the past year he survived numerous assassination and arrest attempts, scores of home invasions, and death threats against his family.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1297
Israeli army abducts six Palestinian men during morning invasions to deferent West Bank areas
Troops invaded Al Khader village south of Bethlehem and abducted Mustafa Salah, after searching and ransacking his home, eyewitnesses reported. Moreover in the nearby Aida refugee camp, Israeli troops attacked several residents homes and searched them and abducted Mohamed Harz-Allah, 18, local sources reported.
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/23365/1/
Iraq's Palestinians threatened once more
Tonight, Thamer called me because the situation has only gotten worse. A Mahdi Army member came to the apartment complex this morning and told the Palestinians there they wanted 100 apartments in the complex. "It is better to be detained by the Americans than to be in Baladiyat without any protection," Thamer said.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/inside_iraq_weblog/2006/12/iraqs_palestini.html
PM: Palestinians will soon feel major improvement in their lives
"The proposed plan is likely to contribute to improving the atmosphere, strengthening moderate forces and distancing the civilian population from the cycle of terrorism," Olmert said in a statement. "My hope is that by [the Muslim holiday of] Eid al-Adha, the Palestinian population will feel a considerable improvement in its fabric of life."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805816.html
Palestinian state in two years
The final destination is the establishment of a Palestinian state with temporary borders within two years, before the end President Bush's term in office. The implications of this are that the US is significantly boosting its involvement in the Israeli Palestinian conflict and will implement a series of measures that would embolden the Fatah movement and weaken Hamas – including measures that would ultimately bring about the demise of the Hamas government.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344370,00.html
US, European officials visit Fatah base in Jordan
U.S. and European officials have visited a base in Jordan where Fatah is training troops to reinforce Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in any showdown with Hamas, sources familiar with the visits said on Monday.
http://za.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=
2006-12-25T151024Z_01_BAN554579_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-PALESTINIANS-FORCES-20061225.XML
Hamas PM to Saudi, Kuwait and Jordan
Palestinian prime minister Ismail Haniya of Hamas will leave for Saudi Arabia this week to continue a tour of Arab states that he interrupted a week and a half ago to deal with an internal crisis.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061226/wl_mideast_afp/mideastpalestinian_061226120654
Palestinian PM confirms he plans to visit Jordan
'We pray to God that this step will be a good start to our national unity and putting our Palestinian house in order, to block intervention by (Israel) and the U.S. administration in our internal affairs,' Haniyeh, a Hamas leader, told reporters.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20061226-0515-palestinians-haniyeh-.html
Jordan defers Hamas dispute to aid PA
Jordan announced this spring that it had uncovered a plot by Hamas to carry out attacks on public institutions and officials in the kingdom. It also said it had uncovered a large weapons cache that included Iranian-made Katyusha rockets and anti-tank missiles. But al-Bakhit said that the kingdom was willing to put aside that matter until after hosting the Palestinian leadership for talks in a bid to help end violence between rival factions.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881983229&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Knesset education panel: Let Palestinian students attend Israeli universities
"We are not dismissing security considerations, but the sweeping policy goes against the basic right to learn and needs to be changed so that each [individual] request is examined," said the former deputy education minister.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805925.html
MI: Threat from Gaza grows as Hamas uses cease-fire to beef up military forces
"In another few months, in the Gaza Strip we will have to deal with military capabilities of the terror organizations that we haven't been familiar with until now, especially in the realm of anti-tank missiles," he said.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805495.html
Both sides prefer final settlement to interim deal - survey
After the respondents were briefed on its basic elements, 29% of the Israelis and 59% of the Palestinians supported the Arab League plan compared to 69% and 38%, respectively, who opposed it. The pollsters said the substantial gap in support could be explained by the reference in the plan to UN General Assembly Resolution 194, which states that Palestinian refugees may return to their homes in Israel, if they wish to live in peace with their neighbors.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881975375&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Death of a student stirs revolt in Gaza
The battle between gunmen from Fatah, the secular party of Mahmoud Abbas, the president, and Hamas, the Islamic fundamentalist party of Ismail Haniya, the prime minister, even spilt into the courtyard of Shifa hospital, where gunmen fired from rooftops while doctors and nurses cowered inside, unable to reach the wounded. Despite the danger, Hibba went to her classes at Azar University as usual last Sunday. When fighting broke out she headed for home. Her favourite brother Sala’am, 17, met her and they hurried along, arm in arm. Hibba was on her mobile phone to her mother, saying she would be back in a few minutes, when a bullet smashed into her right cheek and out through the back of her head.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2517658,00.html
Internet cafés in the front line of new Gaza violence
Cybercafés have been singled out for allegedly allowing customers to download pornography. Chemists have been bombed for selling hallucinogens smuggled from Israel or through tunnels from Egypt, while pool halls are accused of encouraging immoral behaviour. A group calling itself the Swords of Islamic Righteousness is believed to have carried out more than a dozen attacks in recent weeks.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2518696,00.html
Expected rule change could re-unite thousands in West Bank
Enaya Samara, Hayan Ju'beh and Somaida Abbas are only three of the thousands of Palestinians with foreign passports who are waiting impatiently for the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories to publish its new regulations. These regulations, to be formulated in coordination with deputy defense minister Ephraim Sneh, will allegedly enable them to return to their families and their homes in the West Bank, after forced six- to 12-month stays abroad.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805528.html
Mohammed Foundation undertakes six projects in Palestine
He explained that these projects included building of Al Khansa school, Ramallah, at a total cost of Dh 2.33 million. The Dh 650,000 first phase of the school has been completed. The school can accommodate 300 female students. He added that 50 per cent of works on the Mohammed bin Rashid school for people with special needs in Khalil were completed. Dh 2.4 million will be spent on the fully-equipped educational facility.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/LSGZ-6WUEMT?OpenDocument
A Palestinian view of Jimmy Carter's book
Given the pressure he has faced, it may be understandable that Mr. Carter says this, but he is wrong. Discrimination against non-Jewish citizens both informal and legalized is systematic. Non-Jewish children attend separate schools and live in areas that receive a fraction of the funding of their Jewish counterparts. The results can be seen in the much poorer educational attainment, economic, health and life outcomes of Palestinian citizens of Israel. Much of the land of the country, controlled by the quasi-governmental Jewish National Fund, cannot be leased or sold to non-Jews.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article6310.shtml
The kissable and the kissers
Olmert's kiss was clearly a source of embarrassment for the two Fatah leaders, Abbas and Qureia. The smile that froze on their faces gave it away. So why did he do it? Couldn't he see that Hamas and Palestinian public opinion would eat them for lunch? Was it a local version of the Mafia custom where the rat fink in the family gets a kiss before he's blown away? It was a kiss of the "kiss the dust" variety.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805507.html
'Palestinians' call on Israelis to evacuate Negev
Residents of Kiryat Gat and Ashdod recently received leaflets distributed by right-wing activists asking them "to evacuate to the settlement of Eilat," which were signed as if they were written by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. The leaflets were signed: "Extreme right-wing activists."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344770,00.html
King Abdullah: Israel not as strong as we thought
Jordan's King Abdullah said during an interview with Tokyo-based newspaper The Daily Yomiuri that “The ( Lebanon ) war last summer showed that Israel is not as strong as we had previously thought, and, justifiably or not, the perception in the Middle East is that Israel lost.”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3344642,00.html
FM: Before agreeing to talks, we must ask if Syria wants peace
"We must ask ourselves if the significance of Syria's signals is that [Syrian] President Bashar Assad wants just negotiations with Israel or if he also wants to reach peace at the end of the process," Livni told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "We must know what we are going to get at the end of the process."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/805873.html
U.S. death toll in Iraq hits 90 for Dec.
At least 54 Iraqis died Tuesday in bombings, officials said, including a coordinated strike that killed 25 in western Baghdad. Separately, the U.S. military announced the deaths of seven American soldiers, raising the death toll significantly in one of the bloodiest months for the military this year.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq |
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