Headlines for 12-13-07

A Palestinian resistance fighter killed by Israeli army in central Gaza Local media sources in central Gaza Strip said that a Palestinian resistance fighter of the Saraya aL-Quds Brigades, of the Islamic Jihad group, has been killed after an Israeli tank fired a shell on a group of the Saraya fighters in eastern Gaza Strip.



Israeli raid kills three in Gaza At least one militant from the Islamic Jihad was reportedly among the three people killed in the attack


ICRC calls for immediate political action to contain deep crisis The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is particularly concerned about the impact of the severe restrictions on the movement of people and goods that exacerbate economic hardship and affect every aspect of life.


ICRC: Dignity Denied The dignity of the Palestinians is being trampled underfoot day after day, both in the West Bank and in Gaza. Israel's harsh security measures come at an enormous humanitarian cost, leaving those living under occupation with just enough to survive, but not enough to live normal and dignified lives.



Red Cross demands Mid-East action The ICRC said the measures imposed by Israel had denied the Palestinian population the right to live a normal and dignified life.


US wants nuclear-free Middle East US ambassador Gregory Schulte told the Gulf Studies Centre on Wednesday that "Israel never signed the (nuclear) Non-Proliferation Treaty, so never violated the NPT."


Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume December 23: Abbas Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will meet on December 23 for their second round of talks since reviving the Middle East peace process last month, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Thursday.


Blair sees Gazans backing Abbas over peace push


IDF arrests top Islamic Jihad commander in Jenin


With schools in east Jerusalem overcrowded, Palestinian children are staying away Arab residents of east Jerusalem say the situation in the schools reflects wider discrimination they face in every aspect of life. They point to piles of uncollected garbage and an absence of state medical clinics in their neighborhoods.


Aiming to Translate Politics Into Hope for Palestinians Mr. Blair had just come from the Persian Gulf, where he lobbied Arab leaders to spend more of their nearly $100-a-barrel oil income on the Palestinians.......Mr. Blair, like Mr. Fayyad, emphasizes that reform can work only if Israel loosens its grip, removing key internal checkpoints that prevent Palestinians from traveling easily within the West Bank......he believes that "the overwhelming majority of Palestinians are peaceful, decent people who want two states, and there is no doubt at all that the effect of the restrictions and the occupation is significantly to diminish their lives and their economic prosperity."



Iran tests long-range missile Iran has secretly tested a new long-range missile, Israel's intelligence services said.


Palestinian PM says he failed to win Israeli assurances on easing roadblocks


Israel expected to wait on Gaza sweep Israel will likely hold off on an invasion of the Gaza Strip at least until after President Bush visits next month.


World Bank urges Israel to ease Palestinian blockade Oxfam said millions of dollars of aid were already being lost due to Israeli policies. "It is not enough simply to plough more money into Palestine. Foreign governments and the PA must increase the pressure on the Israeli government to lift the blockade of Gaza and make it possible for people in the West Bank to go about their business,"


Palestinians drive to Jordan for the fist time since 1976 On Wednesday a team of Palestinian car racers will leave Ramallah and drive to Jordan in their own cars, something which hasn?t happened since 1976. The team will participate in the final round of the 2007 Jordanian racing championship of al Aqapa


The occupied Palestinian territory: Overview map (as of Oct 2007)


PCHR Calls for Investigating the Abduction, Torture, and Shooting of 3 Gazans PCHR calls for an immediate investigation into the crime of abducting 3 residents of Gaza City, torturing them, and shooting them by unknown gunmen. The Centre stresses that this crime is a continuation of the security chaos plaguing the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).


Palestinian security forces arrest 13, at least 4 of whom are Hamas members, near Nablus.


Palestinian leader calls for end to Gaza sanctions In a departure Thursday from previous policy, the moderate government of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank publicly called on Israel to lift economic restrictions on the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Islamic group Hamas.


Eight Palestinians abducted by Israeli forces in Tulkarem


Preparations underway for Paris economic conference A three-way meeting between Palestinian prime minister, Salam Fayyad, coordinator of international Quartet, Tony Blair and Israeli defense minister, Ehud Barak, was reportedly held Thursday in west Jerusalem.


Japan concerned over planned Israeli settlement activities in east Jerusalem


Jordan's king, Abbas view settlement expansion "big violation"


Attempted kidnap of Palestinian People's Party employee in Gaza On Wednesday morning, masked gunmen attempted to kidnap a member of the Palestinian Peoples Party politboro in the Gaza strip


PLO: Hamas must give up power in Gaza to begin dialogue with Fateh


Hamas: "Palestinian security forces abduct 7 members in the West Bank"


Prerequisites for peace by Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi Far too many innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians have suffered and died because of the persistence of Israeli military occupation of our lands. Our daily experience worsens as we are continually squeezed into ever-smaller land reserves and Israel continues to encircle Jerusalem with illegal settlements that segregate it from the West Bank.


US must be strong arbitrator in Mideast peacemaking, Abbas says


Israeli woman seriously wounded in Palestinian rocket attack A violent offshoot of moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah claimed responsibility for the attack. That's the irony right there; it's not Hamas.


UNRWA: Emergency Appeal 2008


Men questioned over Lebanon blast Lebanese police are questioning several men after Wednesday's car bombing in Beirut which killed a general expected to become army chief, officials say.


Connecting the Money to the Mission: The Past, Present, and Future of U.S. Assistance to the Palestinians


Detainees families hold a protest in front of the Red Cross office in Tulkarem


At-Tuwani Reflection: No winners


North Korea may have aided Hezbollah: U.S. report The CRS document also cited a report by a prominent South Korean academic, Moon Chung-in, that the Mossad Israeli intelligence agency believed that "vital missile components" used by Hezbollah against Israel came from North Korea.


Iran condemns general's assassination IRAN has strongly condemned the killing of a top Lebanese army officer, and said Israel is the only one to benefit from unrest in Lebanon, state television has reported.


Jewish Chauvinism in Feith's, and Friedman's, Back Pages It would be hard to think of two men who played a more significant role in pushing the Iraq war than Feith and Friedman. Both at heart romantics about Israel, they both invoked Israel's security in justifying the disastrous invasion


Lawmaker: N. Korea halts work with Syria


Jordan: Refugees' shacks to be replaced with concrete housing units The Jordanian government will next year build concrete housing units for 500 Palestinian refugee families living in tin shacks, at an estimated cost of US$5 million, according to the director of the Department of Palestinian Affairs, Wajih Azaizeh.


US Jews Tilt Rightwards on Israel The very well-endowed Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), a group of mainly pro-Likud and neoconservative donors, is also likely to play a strong role in next year's election. Several RJC leaders helped found Freedom's Watch, a group that is expected to spend as much as 200 million dollars over the next year to promote Bush's "war on terror" and more hawkish policies directed against Iran and other perceived threats to Israel's security.


Syria hints at 'Israel's connection' in Lebanese general's killing Syria condemned the killing of a senior Lebanese army officer in a blast in eastern Beirut on Wednesday and hinted that Israel may have been behind the attack,


Audio: Gingrich: ?US Intelligence Report on Iran is Dishonest?


Egyptian ambassador: US has only months to show progress on Mideast peace That is a polite way of saying any renewed peace talks will falter if the United States is perceived as biased in favor of Israel.


Israeli media reveals classified 'Camp David document' After 7 years of open conflict, and more than 5,000 Palestinians killed, in addition to nearly 1,000 Israelis, the fact that a document existed in which the two sides secretly agreed on core issues raises the ire of peace activists on both sides, who feel the deaths could have been avoided.


Israeli banks face terror charges Bank Hapoalim and Israel Discount Bank are accused of violating American anti-terrorism finance laws by conducting transactions that benefited the terrorist organization, the Forward reported.


A racist, wicked policy But in fact, who cares? She is a gentile, and we are a ?Jewish state.? It is very difficult to keep saying that it is also ?democratic.? Sadly and shamefully, this phenomenon repeats often. The Interior Ministry?s policy regarding the partners of new immigrants is racist and wicked.


Assassination pulls Lebanese army into power game Damascus has discerned the hand of Israel in the death of a man whose car was blown up back in 1976 after he refused to join a pro-Israeli militia in his southern home village of Rmeish.


Palestinian doctor sues Libyan leader for torture over AIDS cas


Another way in the Mideast The time may now have passed when a viable two-state solution is possible; if this is the case the international community should advocate creation of a single state, democratic and universally recognized, with equal rights for all of its citizens, Jew, Christian or Muslim, following the pattern of all true democracies. It has worked well for the good ole USA.


Popular TV show seeks to humanize Arab-Israelis For a half-hour every week, "Arab Work" uses irreverent and self-deprecating humor to challenge the Israeli media's predominant image of Arabs as dangerous adversaries.


U.N. envoy: NIE report hurts Zhalmay Khalilzad, in remarks Thursday to the Union for Reform Judaism biennial in San Diego, said the National Intelligence Estimate has made it more difficult for the United States to push for new and tougher sanctions against Iran.


Anti-Leviev protest at Tel Aviv Critical Mass On December 8, Israeli activists held a critical mass protest against Israel?s occupation of Palestinian territory, and against capitalism. About 50 bicycle-riding activists rode to the David Intercontinental hotel where the Israel business conference was taking place.


Bush balks at call for Syria info President Bush is threatening to veto an intelligence bill in part because it would require revelations about an Israeli strike on Syria......Ros-Lehtinen is close to the pro-Israel community and hopes to use the revelation to justify further sanctions on Syria. Ros-Lehtinen's pro-Israel activities on Capitol Hill are borderline if not all out treasonous. She is one of Israel's top two agents therein.


Captain Ali has 17 past crimes It is being speculated that Hüseyin Güzelcan may have been steering the ship, which killed 46 immigrants. Güzelcan, now known as a 'crime machine' has 17 past crimes.


Launch of an Israeli NGO campaign to end the siege on Gaza We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, support and uphold the call of a coalition of organizations and individuals in Gaza for an international campaign to end the siege on Gaza. We call on members of Israeli society to join the campaign.


Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program Announces More Than 460 New Fellows The latest round of fellows were chosen from among applications received last year in Brazil, Chile, China, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories


Judge Drops Contempt Citation Against Al-Arian A federal judge has lifted a civil contempt citation against a Palestinian Arab activist and former professor, Sami Al-Arian, after prosecutors essentially relented in their effort to keep him behind bars for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating Islamic charities in Northern Virginia......
However, the former professor will not be released immediately



Israel's German envoy: Stand up to Iran A tough stand against Iran is necessary, he told reporters, despite U.S. intelligence reports showing that Iran stopped its nuclear weapons program in 2003.


No time to ease up on Iran Locals dubious about newly released arms data Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder and president of The Israel Project, a District-based advocacy organization, questioned the believability of NIE conclusion, and termed it "one of the most damaging things that could have been done to Israel's security in recent memory." And strangely, it was one of the most beneficial things that could have been done to AMERICA's security in recent memory. Imagine.


Danish T-shirt group acquitted of funding terrorism The seven were connected to the Danish clothing company Fighters and Lovers, which sold T-shirts with logos of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PLFP).


Bush warns against Syrian interference in Lebanon