Headlines for 11-26-07

Israeli fire kills three Palestinians in Gaza


Palestinian man dies of a heart attack after being attacked by Israeli soldiers Palestinian medical sources in Beir Zeit town, near the West bank city of Ramallah north of Jerusalem, reported on Saturday evening that a 55-year old man died of a heart attack after Israeli soldiers fired concussion grenades near his shop.


On Monday morning the Israeli army invaded several parts of the West Bank and kidnapped five civilians, according to Palestinian sources.


Israeli military implements excavation plan from Silwan reaching as far as Al Aqsa Mosque Recently the Israeli archaeological department has commenced excavation works in the Silwan area towards the Al Aqsa mosque.


Israeli Soldiers Kidnap PLC Official in Tulkarem Israeli soldiers disguised as veiled Muslim women broke into the home of Jamal Hadaydah, the director of the Palestinian Legislative Council's office in Tulkarem refugee camp in the northern West Bank on Monday morning.


Sick are in the frontline as supplies and hope drain away for isolated Gazans As peace negotiators meet in Annapolis, sanctions mean doctors in Gaza remain without medicine or equipment and 85% of the population rely on UN food aid



Ron Lauder funding campaign against division of Jerusalem American businessman Ronald Lauder is among those funding a million-dollar campaign against the division of Jerusalem, Yedioth Ahronoth reported. Really now. How is it that Americans are allowed to pour money into supporting violations of the Fourth Geneva Conventions (article 49), which is exactly what Israeli settlements in occupied E. Jerusalem are.


Bush to open Mideast conference, but won't stay for discussion


Can Syrians, Saudis make summit work? The Bush administration is about to present for congressional approval a $20 billion arms deal with the Saudis. Details have yet to be released, but its core is believed to be aimed at equipping the Saudis with the smart bomb capabilities that could take out long distance targets with precision. The potential target would be Iran; in fact, the interest the Saudis have taken in the renewed peace process has mostly to do with the Sunni Muslim nation's fears of Iranian Shi'ite hegemony. Already, the Saudis are chafing at Iran's influence in neighboring post-war Iraq, where Shi'ite Muslims are the majority......As for the Saudi piece, Israeli leaders have swallowed hard and instructed pro-Israel groups here not to oppose the arms deal with the Saudis. Note the source - the Jewish Telegraph Agency. Now, isn't that interesting that they openly admit that Israeli leaders instruct pro-Israel groups here in the states on these issues. That would, I believe, make these pro-Israeli groups the agents of a foreign power and they thus should register as such. Registration is free.


Carter Says US Politicians Show No Sympathy for Palestinians Former President Jimmy Carter said in a published interview it is ?almost inconceivable? for an American presidential candidate ?to make the statements that I?ve made concerning the plight of the Palestinians or Israel withdrawing to its 1967 borders with modifications, or things of that kind.?


Gaza fears Israeli push to smash Hamas Ahmad Shafi, head of the local farmers' co-operative, said last night he was now "very pessimistic" that Israel would implement its pre-Annapolis promise to release for export all of his members' highly perishable strawberry crop.



Cautious hope for Mid-East talks In Jerusalem, at least 10,000 Israeli settlers protested against the talks, some bearing placards reading "Don't feed Israel to the sharks".


Olmert: Israel can talk about Jerusalem The Israeli prime minister said his nation has the right to negotiate over the city, though he told reporters prior to the launch of U.S.-convened Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Annapolis, Md., that Jerusalem was not on the table right now.


US, Mid East talks 'doomed to failure': Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top authority, said a US-organised Middle East conference was "doomed to failure" and said it was being held to help Israel not the Palestinians.


Abbas: Great hope for Middle East talks


Bullets, Viagra and TNT on tap as tunnellers beat the blockade


Israeli settlers attack Palestinian schoolgirls with axes In the West Bank city of Hebron Monday morning, Israeli settlers armed with axes came after the students of the Qurtuba School for girls. The settlers broke water pipes, menaced children, blocked the path to the school, and tried to set the school on fire.


Palestinians not bound by US peace meet decisions: Hamas "The decisions taken at Annapolis are not binding on the Palestinian people, who have not authorised anyone -- either Arab or Palestinian -- to erase their rights,"


Peace effort aims to repair damaged U.S. image** "Call it a cynical bargain. The Arabs will help the United States on Iraq and Iran if the West helps towards a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, because that is what is inflaming Arab opinion,"


Settlers Cause $17,000 Worth of Damage to Al Funduq Factory


Iran rebukes Saudi Arabia over Mideast conference "The US government, which is an accomplice to Zionist crimes, cannot play the role of saviour by hosting the Annapolis conference,"


Palestinians say final-status talks to start Wednesday


Palestinian journalist kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Bethlehem


Middle East push hits early snag A US-championed Middle East peace summit hit an early snag Monday as Palestinian and Israeli negotiators struggled to agree on a written framework for future negotiations, officials said.


Hebron man gets 18 life sentences for role in Be'er Sheva bombing Meanwhile, the Jerusalem District Court on Monday sentenced two cousins from East Jerusalem to prison for attempting to abduct and kill an ultra-Orthodox man.


PM to discuss Iran with Bush during U.S. visit ** Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and U.S. President George W. Bush will on Wednesday discuss ways of stepping up efforts to thwart Iran's nuclear program before Bush's term in office ends in the coming year. The meeting will be held the day after the Annapolis peace conference......"This will be the most important meeting" of the prime minister's visit to the United States, said a senior Olmert aide.....The prime minister is concerned by what in Israel appears to be a drop in the U.S.'s determination to take action against Iran................Israeli officials said in closed meetings that it would be best if the United States attacked Iran - and not Israel alone.
Note that last sentence and the source. Whose war is this? This meeting will be held the day after the Annapolis conference because the conference itself is a dog and pony show to get the rest of the Arab nations to support US action against Iran (at Israel's behest).


Hebron Update: 5-11 November 2007


Israeli Settler Violence in Hebron Right wing Israeli settlers broke into the courtyard of the Qurtuba school for girls in the West Bank city of Hebron and attempted to set fire to the school building on Monday morning.


Giuliani's Culture of Corruption Kerik failed to report a $250,000 "loan" from a mysterious Israeli billionaire, which had been laundered through a Brooklyn businessman.


Frantic bid to bridge Middle East divide Stephen Hadley, his national security adviser, signalled that the president was unlikely to put forward new ideas. "It is now time for the parties to get into this process by way of negotiation," Hadley told reporters. "And I don't think the president will conclude that the time is right to start offering ideas on outcomes on specific issues."


Romney criticizes conference's timing Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney criticized the timing of the Annapolis peace conference in an interview with The Jerusalem Post Saturday and said the Palestinians have not taken the steps necessary for peace.....He stressed, though, "It's important to me that we not in any way place pressure on Israel to take action which would further weaken its negotiating hand."


PLAYBOY MAGAZINE GOES ANTI-SEMITIC Playboy dared to publish an article that criticize Israel and had the courage to describe what Israel does as war crimes. Good for Playboy for having the balls to publish the truth about Israel.


Syrian issues secondary at parley "Syrian participation is not the focus of these discussions," Hadley said. "The focus of these discussions are the Israelis and the Palestinians launching a negotiating process."


Cinemas pay damages over Jenin film The plaintiffs all served in Jenin, and while they do not appear in the film, they argued that it defamed them indirectly.


The fight for academic freedom The external push against the press by some pro-Israel organizations began with Pluto's publication and the University Press's distribution of Bard College Prof. Joel Kovel's book, "Overcoming Zionism: Creating a Single Democratic State in Israel/Palestine." Though the book proposes a vision for peace, some have unfairly attacked it for the suggestion that Israelis and Palestinians should be treated as equal citizens in a state for both peoples


Prize Winning Research Gives Insight Into Children?s Perspective Of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Working with the Israeli children Dr Sharabi revealed that their feelings about Palestinians could often be contradictory. Racist and dehumanising perceptions that ignore the humanity of the Palestinians or present them as inferior, savage and dangerous sit along side feelings of compassion and acknowledgment of their national rights.


4 main issues that divide Israel, Palestinians


The Everest Peace Project In Everest: A Climb for Peace, the harsh reality of nations embroiled in brutal war are laid bare when Palestinian and Israeli members of a 9-man group who battle Everest come face-to-face with their very real clashes of belief.


Differing view While perusing the Internet edition of the Gazette I came across Rachel Laurn's letter (Sept. 22, "Considerations") in which she says God promised Palestinian real estate to the Jewish people.



Write Now: Bias abounds in coverage of conflict Our national bias in favor of Israel antagonizes not only Palestinians but all Arabs. It is harmful to both Israel and the United States. It helped to embroil us in Iraq and discredits us globally, because the rest of the world sees what?s really going on in the Palestinian territories.


Exploring the Lives of Palestinian Youths Through Photography Members of the Duke and Durham communities are invited to a brown-bag lunch event showcasing photographs and several short films produced by Palestinian youth refugees in the West Bank during summer 2007, as part of the Contrast Project.


Bush, the Born-Again Peacemaker Even the Saudis and Syrians are coming to Tuesday's summit. So it is odd to see an alliance of neo-cons and left-wingers unite in opposition to Bush's efforts. Writers for the Wall Street Journal editorial page and the Weekly Standard have bemoaned negotiations with "old men like Abu Mazen [Palestinian President Abbas]." Their counterparts on the left say Bush is making a cynical and rash gamble on a peace he doesn't have the stomach to push through.



Don't ignore Hamas By Yossi Beilin


Israeli and Palestinian security men hope for peace "Palestinian security forces are able to impose law and order, but we feel the Israeli side is trying to make our mission fail,"


Big-ticket pieces draw ultrawealthy On opening night, a vessel by Palestinian artist Osama Zatar, part of a reconciliation-themed exhibit of 135 works by prominent Palestinian and Israeli artists, received a top bid at auction of $15,000.