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Today in Palestine! ~ Headlines ~ |
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Settlers/ Land, Property, Resource Theft & Destruction/Ethnic Cleansing
New state budget gives settlements NIS 2 billion – and more
Security expenses for settlers living in Palestinian neighborhoods in
East Jerusalem went up in the new budget, reaching NIS 3,160 per
settler.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/
new-state-budget-gives-settlements-nis-2-billion-and-more-1.334390
The struggle for East Jerusalem
Palestinian communities in East Jerusalem are waging a campaign of popular resistance against Israeli land confiscation.
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2010/12/2010122911646107575.html
Rotim Settlers Seize Land Near Tubas; Minister Arrested in Hebron
Tubas – PNN - A group of settlers from the Rotim settlement, built near
the northern West Bank town of Tubas, seized at least 30 dunums of
Palestinian land on Thursday. Aref Dharaghmeh, a local official, said
the settlers came in the middle of the night from Rotim—nearby Tubas—and
seized the 30 dunums (about 7 acres). At least one settler was seen
plowing the land.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9348&Itemid=62
East Jerusalem: Israeli demolitions continue
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Eleven structures in the East Jerusalem
neighborhood of At-Tur were demolished by Israeli forces on Wednesday,
and several dunums of lands bulldozed. The demolitions followed court
actions determining that the buildings were constructed without permits.
In two cases on Saturday, families decided to demolish parts of their
own homes when they were handed demolition orders by the Jerusalem
municipality earlier in the week. "The Municipality only takes down
illegal buildings when the owners have refused to do so. In Jerusalem,
like everywhere else in the world. by law, illegal structures have to be
taken down," a municipality spokesman said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=346386
Court orders mosque to be demolished in Occupied East Jerusalem
Ramallah: The Jerusalem Local Affairs Court passed a verdict ordering
the immediate demolition of the only mosque in Al Sawanah area in
Occupied East Jerusalem. The mosque occupies the ground floor of a twin
building owned by Mohammad Mahmoud Abu Farha in Al Sawanah area, which
is between the old city and the Al Zaitoun Mountain, and close to Al
Aqsa Mosque Compound.
Omar Al Kaswani, the Imam of the mosque told Gulf News that the mosque
was built about 15 years ago and served the residents of Al Sawanah
area. Fakhri Abu Diab, a Palestinian Activist and Member of the Silwan
Defence Committee told Gulf News that the court's verdict was a clear
indication that the Israelis were targeting the Palestinian, Arab,
and Muslim and Christian existence in the holy city. Meanwhile, Israeli
troops yesterday seized a Hamas member of the Palestinian parliament,
the fifth to be rearrested recently after serving previous prison terms,
local officials said.
http://gulfnews.com/news/region/palestinian-territories/
court-orders-mosque-to-be-demolished-in-occupied-east-jerusalem-1.738719
Judaization of Jerusalem includes "defacing walls of the Old City"
The Al-Aqsa Foundation stressed that the heritage of Jerusalem is
largely Arab and Islamic; Israeli efforts to claim an elusive "Hebrew
history," it says, "are doomed to failure". A leading Palestinian
foundation has accused the Israeli occupation authorities of defacing
the walls of the historic Old City with Jewish symbols, including stone
reliefs of models of the proposed temple. The Al-Aqsa Foundation for
Endowment and Heritage has said that the Judaization policy is part of
ongoing crimes against history, civilization and Arab and Islamic
heritage in Occupied Jerusalem carried out by the state of Israel.
http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/1897-
judaization-of-jerusalem-includes-qdefacing-walls-of-the-old-cityq
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions
#BDS: Letter from senior European officials supports BDS approach on Israel
On
December
2nd, a group of very high-level European ex-officials wrote to
the President of the European Council to urge that the EU take much
stronger action to hold Israel accountable for violations of
international law, including the construction of settlements on occupied
land, which is prohibited under the Fourth Geneva Convention.
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2010/12/bds-letter-from-senior-european.html
#BDS: An open letter from Gaza to Thomas Quasthoff: Do not Forget the Gaza Concentration Camp and “Tell It like It Is!”
We are a group of artists, singers, academics and students from Gaza,
and our only fault is being Palestinians. For that, Mr. Quasthoff, we
are imprisoned with our families and loved ones in what even main-stream
Human Rights Organizations call the largest open air prison in modern
history. It has come to our knowledge that you have plans to perform in
Apartheid Israel. The state you are planning to entertain has been
committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against us, the
indigenous population of Palestine.
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2010/12/bds-open-letter-from-gaza-to-thomas.html
#BDS: 2010 and the Palestinian cause
In the beginning of 2010 the world saw international activists protest
in Cairo to pressure the Egyptian regime into opening its borders for
them to enter Gaza with their aid convoys. They eventually succeeded
and in the following months hundreds of international activists managed
to break the siege of Gaza. The most famous of them was the Freedom
Flotilla, which had 663 passengers from approximately 40 nationalities.
http://youthanormalization.blogspot.com/2010/12/bds-2010-and-palestinian-cause.html
As a new year of resistance dawns, help ISM to support the popular resistance in Palestine
As 2010 comes to an end, the struggle for the liberation of the
Palestinian people continues. Consider yourself a pillar of strength for
the volunteers of the International Solidarity Movement in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip. Donate today and the impact will be felt immediately by
Palestine solidarity activists, from around the globe, residing in
Palestine and resisting the occupation. Despite the real threat of
physical harm, deportation, night raids and arrest, activists continue
to join ISM and employ nonviolent direct action tactics in the struggle
for justice. ISM is one of the few organizations working directly with
Palestinians in the popular struggle
against the occupation. As the resistance grows, so does the demand for
ISM volunteers. We cannot answer the call without you.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/12/16270/
Egypt allows Asia to Gaza Caravan entry, excludes Iranians
Cairo has finally given approval to the Asian aid convoy to enter Gaza via Al-Arish, but has denied entry to Iranian activists
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/2917/Egypt/Politics-/
Egypt-allows-Asia-to-Gaza-Caravan-entry,-excludes-.aspx
Role of Israeli firms raises boycott concerns about Rawabi
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions National Committee in Palestine,
has expressed its concern following reports that Israeli companies have
been contracted to take part in the construction of Rawabi, an already
controversial Qatari-financed Palestinian real estate development in the
occupied West Bank.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11706.shtml
Beit Hanoun demonstration commemorates 2 years since the Gaza attacks as victims’ families mourn, Adie Mormech
A demonstration commemorating the beginning of “Operation Cast Lead” was
held Tuesday in the Gazan city of Beit Hanoun. Families of victims were
in attendance, as were 5 International Solidarity Movement activists.
Two years have passed since the Israeli attacks on Gaza, which killed
over 1400 people in just 23 days. The vast majority of victims were
civilians, including 350 children, according to the United Nations and
other major human rights organizations.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/beit-hanoun-demonstration-
commemorates-2-years-since-the-gaza-attacks-as-victims-families-mourn.html
Humanitarian Issues/Human Rights
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (23 – 29 December. 2010)
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCOI-8CMJ47?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Gaza Strip land crossings weekly status report 19-25 Dec 2010
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/RMOI-8CN2GC?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Single Gaza goods terminal operates
GAZA CITY (Ma’an) -- Israeli authorities informed Palestinian crossings
officials that one Gaza crossing would be partially opened on Thursday
for the limited transfer of goods into the coastal enclave, liaison
officer Raed Fattouh told Ma'an. Between 190 to 200 truckloads of goods
including 20 new cars and five truckloads of cement for UNRWA projects
were will be allowed into Gaza via the southernmost crossing, Kerem
Shalom.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=346602
Gaza Fishermen Face Death at Sea and Poverty at Home
Gaza City – Muhammad al-Astal – Al-Quds - Palestinian fishermen face
great difficulties at work on the Mediterranean Sea: even after
continual naval assaults by Israeli troops that have lead to several
recent deaths and injuries and major damage to their boats and fishing
equipment, there is still the fact that they are forbidden from fishing
in deep water and go home without enough to feed their families. Sami
Bakr, 31, says that despite the great effort he exerted to avoid Israeli
gunfire in his small boat, he failed: his cousin Muhammad died of
injuries sustained from an Israeli raid. Most of his fishing equipment s
destroyed as well.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9347&Itemid=72
2010: Serious violations and isolated improvements
In its end of year summary, B'Tselem warns that the continued siege on
Gaza and the settlement enterprise prevent any real human rights
improvement.
http://www.btselem.org/English/Press_Releases/20101229.asp
Petitioning the Israeli High Court for justice - Raji Sourani
The
reality
of life in the Gaza Strip is hard to convey. Individuals throughout the
world have seen the pictures and the images: shootings and maiming, air
strikes and artillery shelling, and the unforgettably horrific sight of
white phosphorous raining down over Gaza city. However, beneath these
images lies a complex reality.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=345401
Racism & Discrimination
Never again? Elderly Palestinian women called “whores” on Yad Vashem tour, while racism explodes across Israel (Updated)
This week, a group of elderly Palestinian women were escorted to the Yad
Vashem Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Remembrance musuem to learn about
the Jewish genocide in Europe. At the entrance of the museum, they were
surrounded by a group of Jewish Israeli youth who recognized them as Arabs. “Sharmouta!” the young Israelis shouted at them again and again, using the Arabic slang term for whores, or sluts.
http://maxblumenthal.com/2010/12/never-again-
elderly-palestinian-women-called-whores-on-yad-vashem-tour-while-racism-explodes-across-israel/
Arab MK to Ask Israeli Education Minister to Investigate Arabic Ban in Jaffa Schools
Nazareth
– PNN - Masoud Ganaim, an Israeli Arab Minister of Knesset (MK),
representative of the Islamic Movement in Israel, and member of the
Knesset Education Committee, promised on Thursday to bring discuss with
Israeli Education Minister Gideon Sayer the issue of the school
principal in Jaffa who banned students from speaking Arabic in his
classrooms. Arab students make up about half of “School Z” in Jaffa,
where the incident occurred, and the principal’s justification was that
Arabic was “indecent.” According to Ganaim, there was a double standard
present in which Arabic—an official language of Israel—was banned
whereas Russian Israeli students were allowed to speak Russian. Ganaim
said he would ask Sayer to take “effective steps” against the principal
as an example to counter what he said was a growing tide of racism in
Israeli schools. Earlier this week, students’ families demonstrated
outside of the school in Jaffa.
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9349&Itemid=72
Violence/Aggression
16 Gazans killed, 38 injured in December 2010
Israel carried out in December 2010 more than 105 attacks targeting
Gazans, killing 16 and injuring 38, said Adham Abu Salmiyya, spokesman
for Gaza's emergency authority, in statement to the PIC.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%
Gazan scrap collector faces death during Israeli incursion
This morning Mahmoud Mousa Mohammed Al Sirsik, aged 19, was going about
his daily business, collecting stones with his horse cart in the border
area, east of Gaza City, when Israeli army jeeps entered the area.
Seeing the danger approaching, Mahmoud tried to run away, but found
himself immobilized as the army trapped him in a rain of bullets to his
left and right. One bullet hit a nearby object; a piece of shrapnel
bounced back and pierced the young man’s nostril. The injured Mahmoud
managed to hide for half-an-hour while the shooting from the jeeps
continued and were even reinforced by a tank crossing into Gaza.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/12/16262/
Israel rearrests another Hamas MP in W.Bank (AFP)
AFP - Israeli troops on Thursday seized a Hamas member of the
Palestinian parliament, the fifth to be rearrested recently after
serving previous prison terms, local officials said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101230/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestinianshamasarrest
Israeli army arrests six Palestinians in West Bank
RAMALLAH,
Dec.
30 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army arrested six Palestinians in the West
Bank Thursday, including a Hamas lawmaker, witnesses and security
sources said. The detention of the member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council took place in Hebron city, the security sources
said, adding that the soldiers broke into his house.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-12/30/c_13671110.htm
On the Anniversary of the Israeli Offensive on Gaza, Addameer Calls Attention to the 686 Gazans Detained in Israeli Prisons
Addameer
- In June 2007, as part of its policy of treating the Gaza Strip as an
enemy entity following the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections,
Israel implemented a total prohibition on family visits to prisoners
from Gaza. In addition, starting in November 2009, Israel has
effectively prevented these prisoners from receiving money from their
families to buy basic necessities by requiring that transfers of money
be conditional on the physical presence of a family member at an Israeli
bank—an impossibility for families residing in the Gaza Strip.
http://www.kibush.co.il/show_file.asp?num=44262
Eight Detainees Injured, Dozens Treated For Gaza Inhalation After Being Attacked By Soldiers
Undercover Forces of the Nahshon Israeli Military Unit, broke on
Wednesday at night into the Ofer Israeli military detention center, and
attacked Palestinian detainees wounding eight while dozens suffered the
effects of tear gas inhalation.
http://www.imemc.org/article/60306
Dozens of prisoners injured in jailors' storming of their wards in Ofer
Special
forces of the Israeli prison service known as the Nahshon stormed the
Ofer military prison on Wednesday night, beat up prisoners, and fired
gas bombs at them hurting dozens.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%
Detainees reveal how IOF soldiers shot at, wounded them
Israeli
occupation forces (IOF) willfully shot at two Palestinians then arrested
them while sitting in their car in Al-Khalil without any justification
other than opening the window of their car.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bc
Israel's Arab Helpers
Assange: I'll reveal info that will spark Arab world coups
WikiLeaks
founder tells Al Jazeera leaked documents in his possession show top Arab officials disclose sensitive information to CIA.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4006990,00.html
PA boosts summonses targeting Islamic Jihad Movement in the West Bank
PA security militias have recently boosted steps to summon Islamic Jihad
cadres and supporters in the West Bank for questioning, the movement said.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7
PA waging battle against Islamic Jihad, party says
GAZA
CITY
(Ma'an) -- Dozens of Islamic Jihad members and affiliates have received
summons to appear before Palestinian Authority intelligence officials
over the past week, party officials told Ma'an on Thursday. Accusing
the PA of targeting members of the movement, particularly in the Jenin
and Tulkarem regions, Islamic Jihad officials said the wave was an
"escalation" and targeted student groups and community centers connected
to the movement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=346798
Hamas: PA detained 15 party members overnight
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Hamas leadership in the West Bank accused PA forces
of arresting 15 party members in region in a Thursday morning statement
received by Ma'an. The individuals detained were from the regions of
Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarem and Salfit, the statement said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=346646
Al-Azhar Sheikh demands Abbas to end arrest and torture of citizens in W. Bank
Grand Sheik of Cairo's Al-Azhar university and mosque Ahmed Attayb
called on Mahmoud Abbas to end the political arrest and torture of
citizens in the West Bank.
http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U
Political Developments/Other News
WIKILEAKS: NORWAY HAS NO PLANS TO RECEIVE HAMAS
Norway's
recent
decision to follow the UN's terrorist designation list instead of the
EU's does mean that Norway no longer officially considers Hamas a
terrorist organization.
Gjelstad assured us that this decision was taken to allow Norway to
better facilitate peace efforts in Sri Lanka (the LTTE is listed as a
terrorist organization by the EU, but not
the by the UN), not with a
view toward establishing a future relationship with Hamas. Gjelstad
acknowledged that there is no domestic legal reason for Norway not to
meet with Hamas, but this is a step that politically Norway does not
envisage at this time and Norway had no current plans to receive Hamas
at a senior or political level. He also assured us that Norway would not
initiate any political overture to Hamas without close prior
consultation with the US and other western donors.
http://www.win.tue.nl/~aeb/soc/wl/aftenposten/06OSLO279.html
Islamic Jihad refuses role in Haniyeh gov't
GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Maintaining its position as a extra-political
movement, Islamic Jihad officials said Thursday that they had refused a
seat on Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's new government. "With all
our appreciation for the invitation from our brothers in Hamas, we of
the Islamic Jihad will not take part in the government," a statement
from leader Nafeth A’zam read, noting the movement's history of
abstentions from local, national and presidential elections.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=346773
Netanyahu: Palestinians evading negotiations with Israel
Prime minister blames PA for impasse in peace talks, says Israeli government, under his leadership, is striving for peace.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
netanyahu-palestinians-evading-negotiations-with-israel-1.334356
2010 sees drop in Palestinian attacks: Shin Bet (AFP)
AFP
- The year 2010 saw the fewest militant attacks against Israel and the
least number of casualties since the outbreak of the Palestinian
uprising a decade ago, the Shin Bet security agency said Thursday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101230/wl_mideast_afp/israelpalestiniansconflict2010
U.K. envoy said Israel ready to use nuclear bomb in 1980, newly released cables reveal
Documents, released under Britain's 30-year rule, include Marget Thatcher saying that Israel's settlement policy was 'absurd.'
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/
u-k-envoy-said-israel-ready-to-use-nuclear-bomb-in-1980-newly-released-cables-reveal-1.334349
lsraeli ex-president guilty of rape
Judges say Moshe Katsav's testimony was "riddled with lies" before passing verdict in Tel Aviv.
http://english.aljazeera.net//news/middleeast/2010/12/2010123083812287264.html
Analysis/Op-ed
Israel, Hamas and HizbullahISRAEL
has
enjoyed unusual quiet on its northern and southern borders since its
short, bruising wars against Hizbullah, the Lebanese guerrilla force, in
2006, and Hamas, the Islamist Palestinian faction ruling Gaza,
two years later. Yet many fear that the calm is illusory. “The next
round won’t be focused on one theatre but rather will incorporate two or
three,” warned Israel’s outgoing head of military intelligence, Amos
Yadlin, in November. “It will be much bigger, much wider in scope, and
with many more casualties.”
http://www.economist.com/node/17797706/emailCloser to a Palestinian State, Marcela Valente
BUENOS AIRES, Dec 30, 2010 (IPS) - With the string of announcements in
South America of recognition of a Palestinian state this month, the
region's integration process showed a new interest in and capacity to
reach common positions in the realm of foreign policy.
http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=54006Hedy Epstein, an inspiration (and star of Egypt), Sandra Tamari:
Hedy Epstein, 85-year old Holocaust survivor and tireless champion for
Palestinian rights, traveled to Cairo in December 2009 to participate in
the Gaza Freedom March. This was her third attempt to visit Gaza and
break the siege. She has visited the West Bank several times since 2003
and tried to board the Mavi Marmara last May to be part of the Freedom
Flotilla. She organizes a monthly vigil with Women in Black in St. Louis
and speaks widely about the situation in Palestine and Israel. I was one
of the St. Louis delegates who accompanied Hedy during the march.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/entry-3-hedy-epstein-an-inspiration-and-star-of-egypt.html
My first trip to Palestine, Morgan Bach
My
first
trip to Palestine has left me discouraged, confused, and at times
just seething mad, but somewhere in the last two days I found the thread
in my jumble of thoughts, my take-away, my inspiration. It lies in my
evolving understanding of resistance in Palestine. When I arrived,
I only knew that it was justified.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/entry-4-my-first-trip-to-palestine.html
The land, the gun, the olive tree, Sameeha Elwan
In Memory of Nakba-- He closed his eyes when the smell of the thyme
found its way to the deepest memory his mind is still tirelessly
clinging to. He opened them with a persistence to inhale as much of the
smell as he can. Something that would help him live on the memory a bit
longer. Something that would compensate the years of wait. They didn’t
give him a chance to preserve that smell deep in his heart sixty two
years ago; but it has been in his memory locked, never been forgotten
since. He, now, couldn’t
believe his eyes when the smell was combined with the real vision of the
field. His field. He wished “Um Salem” would be there to pinch him as
she always did when he was trapped between a vision and a reality. She
was not there to share him the vision. “It’s not the time for mourning”,
he thought. He was there, at last. For sixty two years, the scene of
the olive tree he and his grandfather once planted and he watched
growing up never escaped his memory along with the hymn his grandmother
used to sing him while baking bread on “Taboun”. He remembers some of
its lyrics. They were always so patriotic. “The land, the gun, the olive
tree”.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/entry-6-the-land-the-gun-the-olive-tree.html
Year of the Flash Mob, Rae Abileah and Colleen Kelly
We
in
Generation Y (children of the ‘80s and younger) have been known to
express a desire to try something new, beyond the looping renditions of
“Give Peace a Chance” and marchers carrying the same flowery peace signs
at anti-war rallies of past movements. We have been eager and willing to
innovate our own style and culture of protest. This is precisely what
is happening in the wave of flash mobs that has swept across the West
Bank, Israel, the US and around the world this year. We’d like to
nominate flash mobs for justice and equality in the Middle East for a
2010 Mondo Award.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/entry-2-year-of-the-flash-mob.html
For taking the profit out of occupation– Dalit Baum and Merav Amir, Nancy Kricorian
As the Campaign Manager for CODEPINK’s Stolen Beauty Ahava Boycott Campaign, I had been working with Dalit Baum and Merav Amir, the lead researchers of Who Profits
(a project of the Israeli Coalition of Women for Peace) for over a year
and a half via e-mail when I finally met them in November 2010 at the Russell Tribunal on Palestine London Session,
which was focused on corporate complicity in Israel’s violations of
international law, activists, human rights campaigners, jurists, and
attorneys testified about companies profiting from Israel’s occupation
of the West Bank.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/
entry-11-for-taking-the-profit-out-of-occupation-dalit-baum-and-merav-amir.html
For the indomitable people of al-Araqib, Jillian Kestler-D'Amours
It
was
6 a.m. when the Israeli police invaded al-Araqib for the third time.
Still half-asleep, I stood alongside village residents and Israeli
and international activists, trying in vain to stop the impending home
demolitions. Thin tarps were ripped from wooden beams, water tanks were
dragged away and mounds of sand were poured over each article of the
families' belongings, making it nearly impossible to salvage any
materials.
http://mondoweiss.net/2010/12/entry-10-for-the-indomitable-people-of-al-araqib.html
Israeli leftists have a racist past, too
Here, with the exception of a few enthusiastic young people, there is no
struggle. Even the trickle of people refusing to serve in the army has
dried up. The politicians benefit from this dead end: It lets them run
from microphone to microphone and organize "coalition crises." The
military leadership prattles on about our "damaged deterrent
capabilities" like a beggar with his cup. And the rabble are brought
into the streets to demonstrate about Jewish virgins.
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israeli-leftists-have-a-racist-past-too-1.334181
Hope in 2011: Peoples, Civil Society Stand Tall, Ramzy Baroud
When the Iraqi army fell before invading US and British troops in 2003,
the latter's mission seemed to be accomplished. But nearly eight years
after the start of a war intended to shock and awe a whole population
into submission, the Iraqi people continue to stand tall. They have
confronted and rejected foreign occupations, held their own against
sectarianism, and challenged random militancy and senseless acts of
terrorism.
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16521
Israeli Repression Hardens, Palestinian Recognition Increases, Stephen Lendman
On December 24, Ecuador became the fifth Latin American country to
recognize 'the Palestine state as free and independent within its
borders since 1967.' An accompanying statement read: "Sadly, the Middle
East continues to face wars and violent events that have led to the
death of many innocent people, a situation contrary to the humane and
pacifist position established by the Ecuadorian Constitution. This
recognition is meant to reinforce the valid and legitimate wish of the
Palestin(ian) people to have their own free and independent state."
Having it is "fundamental to achieve the peaceful co-existence of the
nations in the region through dialogue and mediation."
http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=16518
Bradley Burston: Israel's Government as a Settlement, Lieberman as the New Sharon
Keen to avoid elections at literally all costs, Benjamin Netanyahu's
actions in recent weeks mean that his government now meets the five
essential criteria of a settlement.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bradley-burston/lieberman-as-the-new-shar_b_802423.html
Shlaim shills for empire, Max Ajl
Avi Shlaim is relatively sound on Israeli political history and pretty unsound on quite a few other things, among them Zionism, a solution to the conflict, and the Nakba. Although The Iron Wall is a pretty good book, I consider him something close to providing flak for the Zionist entity. In that respect, I just finished reading Shlaim’s recent article on The Hill, “Obama
and
Israel: The pessimistic perspective a couple days ago.” The article
gets everything wrong—Shlaim’s mind is not a sharp cutting instrument.
He starts by taking standard IR analytical units, nation-states, and
tells his readers in Washington, D.C. that the “American-Israeli special
relationship is a classic example of the tail that wags the dog.” These
terms obscure more than they reveal, in part because they treat as a
bundle a set of policies whose drivers vary depending on the range of
their effects. It'd be one thing to discuss undue Zionist influence on
American policy-making vis-a-vis the Israel-Palestine conflict in a
local newspaper. It's quite another to blunder into the debate in a
Capitol Hill house organ, where that kind of talk will have no plausible
effect whatsoever--Shlaim writes as though policy-makers simply need to
be coaxed with a bunch of rusty cliches into a better understanding of
the "national interest."
http://www.maxajl.com/?p=4650
Book Review: Europe's Alliance with Israel
David Cronin's immensely valuable new book, Europe's Alliance with
Israel: Aiding the Occupation, charts how the European Union and its
member states back Israel, and dispels the idea that the US is the only
game in town (and that those of us who aren't resident there can
therefore change nothing), while also offering activists new targets for
institutional lobbying and boycotts.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11707.shtml
Who says Christians and Muslims can't live together? | Yvette Khoury
I
worship Allah and I am not a Muslim. I celebrate eid, and it is not a
Muslim festival. I attended al-madrasa, but it was not a Muslim school.
How might one explain what some perceive as contradictory terms? Allah,
eid and madrasa are the Arabic words for God, festival and school,
respectively. Therefore as an Arabic-speaking Christian these terms were
part of my childhood vocabulary and so should have retained their
apparent meanings. However, Allah, eid and madrasa have in recent times
become associated with Islam and Muslims; they continue to be exploited
and at times misused by the media.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/dec/30/christians-muslims-can-live-together
Lebanon/Iraq
Israel’s Discovery of Natural Gas Threatens Lebanon’s Rights
30/12/2010
At
the time gas prices are surging in Lebanon and the Lebanese people are
suffering from this confusing phenomenon, and at the time the Lebanese
treasury deficit nears $2.03 billion, the largest reserve of natural
gas, over 16 trillion cubic feet, has been discovered off the coast of
the occupied territories, and is estimated to be worth more than $95
billion. The reserve, Leviathon, is the largest amount of natural gas
discovered in the world in the last decade and is located in
approximately 5,400 feet (1,645 meters) of water, about 130 kilometers
offshore of Haifa and 29 miles (47 kilometers) southwest of the Tamar
discovery. Hezbollah had blared warnings months ago that Israel plans
to steal natural gas from Lebanese territory but vowed to defend the
resources. Israel’s fields could extend into Lebanese waters while the
maritime boundary, still officially at war, has never been precisely
set. The warnings from Hezbollah and Lebanon Parliament Speaker Nabih
Berri aimed to press for the passage of a long-delayed draft oil law,
needed before any Lebanese fields can be developed, but yet no decrees
for the implementation of the oil law was adopted.
http://almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=168031&language=en
Sectarian tensions loom in Lebanon refugee camps
Tensions are escalating in Ain al-Helweh refugee camp in southern
Lebanon as Sunni- Shiite sectarianism started dividing residents amid
fears of a civil war.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/12/30/131561.html
Thursday: 2 Iraqis Killed, 17 Wounded
At
least
two Iraqis were killed in the latest violence while 17 more were
wounded. Christians were targeted in at least two attacks in Baghdad,
even as Parliament Speaker Usama al-Nujeifi met with Christian leaders
to express his solidarity with the minority group. Meanwhile, Iraq Body
Count released preliminary civilian casualty figures for 2010.
http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/12/30/thursday-2-iraqis-killed-17-wounded-2/
Two Christians killed in Baghdad attacks (AFP)
AFP - At least two Christians were killed and nine wounded in a string
of six attacks on Christian homes in Baghdad on Thursday, an interior
ministry official said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101230/wl_mideast_afp/iraqchristianattack
Lucky few Iraqi Christians find refuge in France
A
French mission to rescue victims of a church massacre in Baghdad has
raised questions about the fairness of such operations, with rights
groups calling for the rescue of all Iraq's threatened groups, not just
Christians.
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2010/12/30/131590.html
Research links rise in Falluja birth defects and cancers to US assault
• Defects in newborns 11 times higher than normal
• 'War contaminants' from 2004 attack could be cause
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/30/faulluja-birth-defects-iraq
Drug addicts in Baghdad in mounting numbers
Medical
statistics
conducted in 2008 show that there are about 1462 drug addicts in
Baghdad only. Specialists however believe the number of drug addicts
exceeds mentioned figures. For more details, click on play movie.
http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-58266-Drug-addicts-in-Baghdad-in-mounting-numbers.html
Reviving Iraq's film industry
After seven years of war, one of the few industries in Iraq that is
prospering is film-making. Under the Saddam regime movies were strictly
controlled, but now directors are telling stories about their
experiences of war. Al Jazeera's Jane Arraf reports from Baghdad.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1lj3WgY5iE&feature=youtube_gdata
Christopher Brauchli: The Reincarnation of Joseph McCarthy -- Congressman King
America is not at war with Islam. But if Mr. King's hearings go as
planned, it is a safe bet that lots of Muslims will believe the
Republican party is.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christopher-brauchli/the-reincarnation-of-jose_b_802558.html
Other World News
Iraqi civilian deaths down in 2010, but in Afghanistan they're on the rise (The Christian Science Monitor)
The
Christian Science Monitor - An organization that tracks violent deaths
in Iraq says that roughly 4,000 civilians were killed in war-related
violence this year, the lowest total since the US invasion in 2003. The
improvement came even as the US withdrew tens of thousands of troops and
abandoned most of its involvement in combat operations.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20101230/wl_csm/352749
Syria welcomes appointment of US ambassador after Obama bypasses Senate's approval
BEIRUT:
Syria's ambassador to Lebanon welcomed Thursday President Barack Obama's
decision to bypass Congress and temporarily appoint a US envoy to
Syria. Obama took the rare step late Wednesday of forcing through the
appointments of Ambassador Robert Ford and five other officials while
the Senate - which normally needs to confirm nominations.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=123117 |
| For further information contact Shadi Fadda |
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