Headlines for 12-15-07

Palestinian leftist party presents initiative to end infighting


Sealed off by Israel, Gaza reduced to beggary "Essentially, it's the ordinary people, caught up in the conflict, paying the price for this political failure," said John Ging, director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency in Gaza, which serves the majority refugee population. "The humanitarian situation is atrocious, and it is easy to understand why -- 1.2 million Gazans now relying on U.N. food aid, 80,000 people who have lost jobs and the dignity of work. And the list goes on." Thus do the deaf children, among others, suffer under the policy of collective punishment doled out by the Israeli government - in another parallel to the policies of the Nazis.


Gaza crowds mark Hamas's founding At least 300,000 people have turned out in Gaza City for a rally to mark 20 years since Hamas was founded.


Key Olmert ally vows to nullify Annapolis This afforded Mr Lieberman, who has come under fire from the right-wing for sitting in a government engaged in a controversial diplomatic process with the Palestinians, a chance to burnish his hard-line credentials.



Israel fails to convince US of Iran's 'serious' nuclear threat


Hamas warns of Intifada Hamas threatened to launch a new uprising against Israel on Saturday when hundreds of thousands of Islamist supporters rallied in Gaza City to mark the group's 20th anniversary.


Abbas leaves for Paris ahead of donor conference


Donors have little choice put to pay up to aid Palestinians, but the risks of failure are high «We don't need the billions of the world. We need Israel to remove the checkpoints,»


European Union provides 433,000 Euros to help facilitate Palestinian trade The European Union (EU) signed an agreement Saturday with the Palestine Trade Center and the Palestinian Shippers? Council, to help promote Palestinian trade with neighboring Arab countries and improve market access for Palestinian products.


OCHA special focus: The closure of the Gaza Strip - The economic and humanitarian consequences, Dec 2007 Low stock levels, rising prices, increased joblessness and loss of incomes are having devastating consequences for the population and local economy and the livelihoods of the people of Gaza.



Livni to tell donors Israel backs PA aid Livni is expected to tell delegates that Israel will cooperate with the Palestinian Authority as long as Israeli security is not impaired.


Israel: US report on Iran may spark war ** Israel will work to change the American intelligence agencies' view of Iran, said Dichter, a former chief of Israel's Shin Bet secret service agency


PNI rejects political arrests, abductions in Gaza, calls for dialogue The Palestinian National Initiative PNI in the Gaza Strip issued a press release slamming political arrests and abductions in the Gaza Strip, and called for a comprehensive dialogue to end the current situation, political arrests and abductions.


Three injured in Bil'in weekly anti-Wall protest


26 Hamas members arrested in W Bank The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) Saturday announced that Palestinian security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas have arrested 26 members of the movement in the West Bank.


Palestinian gov't denounces Hamas' "abduction" of official in Gaza


Hamas requests political asylum from Qatar He also suggested that Hamas will hand over the major security headquarters and institutions to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas through Qatari and Egyptian mediation in exchange for negotiating with Fatah. Mash'al stipulated that a number of Hamas leaders be guaranteed political asylum in Qatar.


A what-if on the Mideast According to Tom Segev, whose book "One Palestine Complete," chronicles the British Mandate, the early Zionists feared Wilson's obsession with democracy. "Democracy in America," a Zionist publication, explained, "too commonly means majority rule without regard to diversities of types or stages of civilization . . . ." Since Zionists were a majority in neither Palestine nor the rest of Greater Syria, American style democracy would be bad for the Jews.


Israeli FM rules out peace talks with Syria due to Damascus' "current conduct"


In pictures: Hamas anniversary


Bethlehem: Safe for Tony Blair and Israelis, too On Wednesday evening, a group of 20 Israeli high-level businessmen from across the economic sectors of Israel dined with their Palestinian counterparts and Palestinian Tourism Minister Khouloud Daibes at Jacir Palace Intercontinental Hotel before a tour in the city.



New Poll: Americans Don't Believe Iran Suspended Nuclear Program A new bipartisan poll (Word Document) commissioned by The Israel Project (TIP) LOL.


Bush must stop Israel on new settlement plan


Overcoming Isolation in the West Bank In the village of Jayyous, for example, 70 percent of the land is divided by the Israeli security barrier. Mary Clarke has just returned from three months in Jayyous, where she worked on the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme, helping people overcome problems such as getting to work, school and their land.


Study: West Bank pollution threatening Israeli groundwater


Jerusalem troubled by political deadlock gripping Lebanon Israel is becoming increasingly concerned with the deadlock in Lebanon over the election of a new president and the possibility that Hizbullah will gain a third of the seats in the cabinet, granting it the power to veto major government decisions That would explain this.


Religious Zionism is Racism


Pro-Israel Group Puts Emissaries on Campuses Jewish student leaders from Columbia University, New York University, and Queens College will receive up to $1,000 a year from the advocacy group StandWithUs to bring speakers and films to campus that portray Israel in a positive light. Interesting.


Israel-Palestine: Settlements As The Death of Peace To her credit, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice quickly expressed U.S. opposition to the settlement?s expansion -- but that is unlikely to make a difference. The United States has a long record of expressing formal opposition to the settlement enterprise while doing nothing that indicates any seriousness about it.


Turkey detains seven over immigrant boat tragedy: Anatolia Only six people, who have identified themselves as Palestinians, are known to have survived.


Letters | Jews vs. Israel No, crazed Israelis don't kill and torture innocent Palestinians on their way to the mosque. No, you're right, Eva Gold. They wait til they are already IN the mosque. And then like-minded wingnuts honor this madness. Research before you open your yap next time, genius.