Thursday, November 29, 2007

Headlines for 11-28-07

Israeli missiles kill two in Gaza Strip-Hamas Israeli missiles that struck a Hamas security position in the southern Gaza Strip killed two Hamas naval police officers on Wednesday, a Hamas security source and Palestinian medical workers said


Israeli army kills Palestinian farmer in Rafah; death toll rises to six in 24 hours


Iran's Ahmadinejad: Israel will not last Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday predicted that Israel would not survive, as he lashed out at the US-hosted conference seeking to relaunch the Middle East peace process.


Give peace a chance: Arab League chief


Iran leader dubs summit a failure "Soon, even the most politically doltish individuals will understand that this conference was a failure," said a scornful Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, the Iranian president.


Shin Bet pushes Gazan to collaborate while his son is ill


Hebron Update: 19-25 November 2007 At one point, Frederick said, ?My life is not like the movies,? ? which was surprising to the Palestinians, who thought American movies gave an accurate portrayal of life in America. Frederick explained the mixed cultural background in the United States, her own heritage being German, French, Irish, Italian, and Scotch.


U.S. urges Israel to let Palestinian ambulances travel freely


Palestinians see Israel as winner in Annapolis


Bush won't force plan on Palestinians and Israelis


Former Nato military chief appointed Middle East envoy The new US mediator and, in effect, Middle East envoy (though he is being given neither title) is the former marine general James Jones, who was Nato's top military commander from 2003 to 2005. Technically, he will act as adviser to Ms Rice on the development of the Palestinian security services. But the job will make him a key monitor of efforts to improve confidence between Palestinians and Israelis, and making sure both sides deliver on their commitment.


India pledges support to Palestinian cause as peace hopes soar


Abbas loyalists open fire at funeral march, injuring 26 Security forces loyal to the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas opened fire during a funeral procession in Hebron yesterday for a man killed in a demonstration against the Annapolis talks on Tuesday. Medics said the fresh outbreak of West Bank violence left 26 injured, one seriously.


US envoy to study border security of future Palestine: US The United States is preparing to name an envoy to the Middle East tasked with developing security arrangements between a future Palestinian state and its neighbors, a US official said.


Senior Vatican cardinal backs Palestinians' right of return "Palestinian refugees, like all other refugees, have a right to right to return to their homeland," Quite frankly, it's the law. Section 11 of UN resolution 194 from 1948, never implemented by Israel (big surprise there).


Right-wing activists hold anti-Annapolis rally at Western Wall Around 15,000 people on Monday took part in a demonstration at the Western Wall to protest the Middle East peace summit being held Tuesday in Annapolis, Maryland. 15,000. That's quite a staggering number. Yet, it was only the protests by the Palestinians in Gaza that the US mainstream media saw fit to ram down our throat. Both Fox News and Yahoo had that story on their front pages for hours on Tuesday. Yet, not a peep could be heard from regarding THESE extremists. Thus does the deception of the American people continue courtesy of the MSM. It's the Palestinians that don't want peace, dontcha know.


Israeli Special Forces kidnap 14 near Nablus The Special Forces, whom eyewitnesses say arrived in a white car with the occupants in civilian clothing, attacked the coffee shop, kidnapping all 14 men that were present.


Israeli forces kidnap a Hamas leader and his wife in Tulkarem refugee camp


Time to abandon piecemeal approaches in Middle East: Ban


Two Palestinians Wounded in Gaza Strip


Peace process without Hamas not viable - U.N. Karen AbuZayd, head of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), said more political pressure was needed to resolve the split between rival Palestinian factions Fatah, which controls the West Bank, and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.


Israeli army shoots three children, abducts two in Azzoun village


Special meeting, other events planned at Headquarters to observe International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, 29 November


Israeli military has power over Palestinian farmers' lives and source of income. Open the gate?.close the gate, a command which only an Israeli soldier has the right to declare on a huge iron gate set up near the electronic fence supplementing the illegal separation wall in the centre of Faqqu'a village lands.




Jordan asked Nixon for help against Syria Documents also detailed U.S. efforts to persuade Saudi Arabia to move away from Fatah, the military wing of the Palestine Liberation Organization, because American officials believed the PLO supported the terrorist group Black September, CNN reported.



Charity launches ultimate politically-correct Christmas decoration A UK based charity today launches a new Christmas nativity scene with a difference. The traditional nativity set has been updated with a modern day touch by including the Israeli Separation wall


Why the Left is Singin' Gospels... last night in a packed church in New York, Norman Finkelstein called on the Jewish community in the U.S. to separate itself from Israel, and I think that is slowly happening Norm Finkelstein = brave soul.


Heading for Annapolis Justice for Palestinians has never been part of the equation, which is why no peace effort has ever succeeded and why Annapolis will also sooner or later collapse. KATHLEEN and BILL CHRISTISON = former CIA.


Fashion items or dangerous terrorist images? T-shirt trial divides a nation Seven face long jail terms for plan to donate to groups in Palestine and Colombia


Feature: Palestinian refugees dream of returning home on eve of Annapolis meeting


Pope says refugee youths have right to stability, serenity, security The world cannot "remain silent before the distressing images of the great refugee camps" where children and young people live segregated "far from inhabited towns with no possibility normally to attend school," he said.


Peres: Israel maintains secret contacts with Syria all the time Israel conducts secret contacts with Syria all the time, but serious negotiations cannot begin until Syria stops supporting terror and removes itself from involvement in Lebanon, said President Shimon Peres on Tuesday while touring the Negev.


Rights orgs: Uphold international law at Annapolis


Gov't committee calls for freeze in Wadi Ara demolitions During the meeting, the mayor of Umm al-Fah, Sheikh Hassam Abed Ah-Rahman, stated that "if the demolitions are carried out, they will also demolish the good relations between Arab and Jewish residents of the region."


Hamas: Divisions among Palestinians go deeper during Abbas' term Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Monday that the policies adopted in the current term of President Mahmoud Abbas increased the divisions among the Palestinian people.


The Judaization of East Jerusalem At first it is hard to spot the Israeli flags draped over scattered homes on the hill, but it is soon easily apparent that right-wing Jewish settlers and politically motivated archaeologists are rushing to claim this fragment of the Holy City as the ancient City of David, complete with a visitors center and busloads of young Israeli recruits and tourists, and plaques thanking generous donors for their support. Then there is the little-noticed news that the Israeli Parliament has given preliminary approval to a bill, in violation of international law and United Nations resolutions, which would seize East Jerusalem as a permanent part of Israel.


Remarks on the Middle East and Freedom Agenda by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley


Harper to help Palestinian nation-building as part of peace process


UN archives reveal plan to arm Jewish militia


The danger of water wars Ever since Israel took control of the West Bank in 1967, it has refused to let Palestinians sink new boreholes there. It says this policy is necessary to protect the underground water reserves, which are already being over-used. That is true. But the reality is that Israel takes most of the water, and the limits only apply to Palestinians. Israeli settlers in their hilltop compounds on the West Bank have swimming pools and sprinklers on their lawns, while down below, their Palestinian neighbour go thirsty. Literally, in some cases. Some farmers I met there spend three hours every day carrying pots on their donkeys to get water for their children and animals



Michigan teen breaks up on "Dr. Phil" with man she met online


U.S. kids promote Israel's 60th The Israel Ministry of Tourism is asking kids to design an image for a postcard to invite people to visit the country during its 60th birthday year. The winning entry will be made into a postcard that will be distributed throughout the United States. What the f for? America is NOT Israel.


Judge draws fire over talks with U.S. envoy Beinish confirmed meeting Jones but said the Forward's account of the talks was inaccurate. Nonetheless, right-wing Israeli lawmakers, sensing a threat to the already controversial status of settlements, were quick to condemn both parties.


Woman jailed for Hezbollah ties An Israeli Arab woman was jailed for contacts with Hezbollah.


Olmert wants input on Jerusalem Another Jewish organizational leader at the meeting quoted Olmert as saying the most extreme positions on Jerusalem were held by right-wing Israelis, not Diaspora Jews.


Russia to host Annapolis follow-up Russia said it will host the next international conference on Israeli-Palestinian peace.


Olmert speaks to presidential hopefuls Ehud Olmert spoke with the major candidates for the U.S. presidency


?U.S. must immediately withdraw from Iraq? The resolution noted with ?deep concern? the U.S. ?bullying and threat? to Lebanon?s sovereignty. It condemned the ?forcible encroachment? of Palestine by the ?ruling clique of Israel,? aided by the U.S.


The hard life of Christians in Bethlehem


UN keeps Hariri probe secret over security fears


Bethlehem: ?No Way to the Inn? Reflection for Worship; Waiting for the Light


Bahraini parliament calls to boycott Israel and parley


Syria a nation of contradictions Although allied with Iran, its people admire the West. Damascus has its own agenda for peace talks.


Pro-Palestinian groups threaten Israeli water company's activity in Scotland According to the Scottish daily, various local groups are calling to boycott the company, which is based in the Golan Heights, a disputed region Israel captured from Syria in the Six-Day War in 1967. 'Disputed' only by Israel. All the world knows that the Golan Heights is Israeli-OCCUPIED territory, not Israeli-owned.


Three people questioned over Sharjah murder The victim has been identified as Fadi, a 33 year-old Palestinian. Police said Fadi was unmarried and his body was found in his apartment in Al Khazaniya area in Sharjah.




UWM trying to stifle speech, group says Shoebat, a stoolie for the Israeli lobby, is trotted about the country as a 'former PLO terrorist'. If he weren't their stooge, then he'd be deported or imprisoned like other former terrorists are, the lobby would make sure of that. Something stinks.


Iranian threat a danger to entire Mideast: analyst Israel, with its stockpile of hundreds of nuclear weapons, and being a non-signatory of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and its proven track record of violating international and humanitarian law, is the biggest threat to the Middle East. No, Israel doesn't threaten to 'wipe nations off the map', it just does it. Where is the Palestine that existed on maps one hundred years ago? What did they do to Lebanon in the summer of 2006?...


Jews question flying the Israeli flag "For me the religious quest is a searching for the universal and eternal. I don?t see a place in that search for the nation-state,"

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Headlines for 11-27-07

Palestinian killed in anti-Annapolis protest A demonstrator was killed on Tuesday at a Palestinian rally against the Annapolis conference when clashes broke out between security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas and Islamists who call him a traitor.


Olmert and Abbas give themselves one year to solve it all "I have the right here to defend... the right of my people to a new dawn, with no occupation, no separation wall, no prisons with thousands of prisoners, no assassinations, no siege, and no roadblocks around villages and cities


Malaysia to mark Int'l Day of Solidarity with Palestine Malaysia will hold a ceremony here Thursday to mark the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine, Malaysian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.


Israel Blocks the Delivery of Three Major Palestinian Newspapers to Gaza Strip Monday's editions of Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadida were all stopped at the Gaza border as a part of Israel's ongoing siege of the small coastal territory.


Soldiers return money stolen from Palestinian


US to offer specific Mideast proposals-Saudi official Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said that in inviting his country to the Annapolis conference Washington promised to "use its full influence" to ultimately bring about a peace agreement. He said that meant if the two sides could not agree, "we assume the United States will come up with its own ideas."


Saudi envoy: No to 'Jewish' state "There are 1.5 million civilians in Israel who do not define themselves as Jewish," Adel al-Jubeir told reporters at the U.S.-convened Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in Annapolis, Md. "We do not believe states should define themselves according to religion or ethnicity."


Police break up Mid-East conference protests in West Bank The approximately 200 protesters - waving Palestinian flags and chanting "From our soil and our blood for Palestine!" - had initially refused to disperse, scuffling with police who tried to seize their placards.


UN Director of operations: UNRWA cannot feed 200,000 Palestinian children in its schools Jeng branded the sanctions as "harsh penalties" and criticized the Israeli cabinet for declaring the region a "hostile entity," adding that the reduction of fuel and electricty to the coastal region had had a grave impact on the medical sector, in addition to destroying the economy and disabling sanitation networks in population centres.


Right-wingers denounce 'sell-out' by Israeli PM Settler rabbis decreed that "no leader has the right to give away the Land of Israel", and their hardline chairman, Dov Lior, offered an alternative solution to the conflict. "We must cleanse the country of Arabs and resettle them in the countries where they came from," he said.


Israeli forces kidnap a Palestinian near Qalqilia


Rhetoric and reality: Bush's battle for the future of the Middle East


RELEASE: Demolition Order Issued for Mosque in at-Tuwani


Hebron Update: 12-18 November 2007


16 Palestinians dead after being refused treatment Sixteen Palestinians from the Gaza Strip died over the past month because they did not receive medical treatment, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) attorney Yohanna Lerman told the High Court of Justice on Monday.


Saudis hoping US will pressure Israel The prince also said he believes it will be impossible to achieve peace unless Israeli withdraws to the borders it occupied on the eve of the Six Day Way in 1967.


Palestinians want peace-deal monitor


Hamas vows to continue campaign of resistance "The whole Palestinian population is ready to give their lives for their dignity and their land,"


Iran to host militants for 'alternative' Mideast meet


Israeli forces kidnap 3 in Al Ram town invasion


Lobby to call for justice in the Holy Land Today is UN Day of Solidarity with Palestinians. People from all over the country will be visiting their MPs asking them to act now to prevent a humanitarian disaster and recognize Palestinian rights and democracy. Christian groups including the Amos Trust; Christian Peacemaker Teams UK; Pax Christi; Quaker Peace and Social Witness; Scottish Episcopal Church's Justice Peace and Creation Network will be among those taking part.


"If Annapolis fails, smash me," souvenir mug says In a symbol of fragile hopes for this week's Middle East peace conference at Annapolis, one Palestinian shopkeeper is selling souvenir mugs for the event -- complete with instructions to smash them if talks break down.


India, Israel planning to jointly develop surface-to-air missile


Cleric: Lebanese wives may fight back A Muslim woman is allowed to fight back in self-defense if she is hit by her husband, Lebanon's top Shiite cleric declared Tuesday in a ruling rare for the region's male-dominated Islamic society.


The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act by Philip Giraldi One would have thought that the systematic dismantling of the Constitution of the United States would have been enough to satisfy even the most Jacobin neoconservative, but there is more on the horizon, and it is coming from people who call themselves Democrats. .....Through their proven access both to the media and to Congress, the agenda will undoubtedly be shaped by the usual players including David Horowitz, Daniel Pipes, Steve Emerson, and Frank Gaffney who see a terrorist hiding under every rock, particularly if the rock is concealing a Muslim. They and their associates will undoubtedly find plenty of terrorists and radical groups to investigate. Many of the suspects will inevitably be "anti-American" professors at various universities and also groups of Palestinians organized against the Israeli occupation, but it will be easily to use the commission formula to sweep them all in for examination. If we were supposedly attacked on 911 for 'our freedoms', then how much sense does it make to take those freedoms away? Wouldn't that mean that the terrorists have won? Another Orwellian twist courtesy of the neoconservatives. Up is down, left is right, black is white.


State orders evacuation of Hebron home The Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria on Tuesday instructed the army and police to evict by the weekend a group of settlers occupying a building located on "Worshipers' Way," the road linking Kiryat Arba and the Cave of the Patriarchs.


Iran builds new longer-range missile Iran announced on Tuesday that it has built a new missile with a range sufficient to put Israel and US bases in the Middle East within easy reach, amid rising tensions over Tehran's contested nuclear drive.


Gazans fed up with harsh circumstances


Bush pushes Arabs to reach out to Israel "Arab states should also reach out to Israel, work toward the normalization of relations and demonstrate in both word and deed that they believe that Israel and its people have a permanent home in the Middle East,"


Israeli migration agents target German Jews An Israeli intelligence organisation is to send agents to Germany in an effort to persuade tens of thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union to settle in Israel......"There's a huge potential here for expanding aliya,"


Syria says Arab ties with Israel only after pullout "To phrase it clearly and decisively that this (normalization) comes after the total Israeli withdrawal from the 1967 Arab land," he said in a speech obtained by Reuters.


Dutch pro-Palestinian conference shelved after Histadrut intervenes Dr. Ronny Naftaniel, who heads the pro-Zionist Center for Information and Documentation on Israel (CIDI), said he harbored deep mistrust for the conference.


Christians And Muslims Coexist In Gaza Seventeen-year-old Christian student Ali Al Jeldah told IPS about attending a dual faith school: "My life is normal and I've never felt oppressed. Being Muslim or Christian is never an issue."



Jordanians stage anti-Annapolis protest Scores of jeering Jordanians took part in a rally on Tuesday against the U.S.-hosted Middle East conference in Annapolis, denouncing it as a sellout of the Palestinian cause.


Violent Politics Play Out in Packed Refugee Camps As a persistent political deadlock looms over Lebanon and presidential elections run beyond time limits imposed by the constitution, tensions are rising in Lebanon's many Palestinian camps, home to more than 400,000 refugees.


Egged driver, two others held for stealing buses and taxis Two Israelis including an Egged bus driver were under arrest Tuesday for allegedly stealing city and private buses and taxis and then selling them to Palestinians in the West Bank, police said.


Kucinich hit for eyeing Paul as VP "Despite his views on the Iraq war, Rep. Paul no more belongs on a Democratic ticket than Dennis Kucinich on a Republican one," said NJDC Executive Director Ira Forman. "Any Jewish Democrats or independents that are tempted toward Rep. Paul because of his stance on the war should be reminded that this Republican representative has a terrible record on Middle East politics, is anti-choice and opposes stem cell research."


O.U. criticizes Olmert's speech The O.U. issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the organization was "concerned" that Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert "did not explicitly resist Palestinian President Abbas? claim to a piece of Jerusalem."


The major breakthrough: Bush agrees to arbiter role The substance of the conference bubbled underneath the rhetoric, Daniel Ayalon, the former Israeli ambassador, told JTA. It's importance, he said, was the united front it presented against Iran and other radical rejectionists of peace with Israel. "There's no doubt about the success of Annapolis," said Ayalon, now the co-chairman of Nefesh b'Nefesh, a group that advocates and facilitates immigration to Israel. "It is the achievement of the United States to bring this array of Arab League foreign ministers together with Israel. There is a strong American interest and Israeli interest and regional government interest in changing the dynamics and isolating Iran."



IDF soldier arrested for stealing 200 shekels from Palestinian car Soldier charged with looting ? an offense punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment - for pocketing bill found during search of Palestinian car at West Bank checkpoint. Defense attorney says soldier used stolen money to pay off family debts


Ex-PLO bomber visits Belfast to explain how he turned to peace Ireland gets propagandized by a 'former terrorist', the same one that gets trotted around the States with the blessing of the Israeli lobby. For, if he weren't working for them, he'd be imprisoned, deported or both because he's well, a former terrorist. Hello..


Israeli Special Forces kidnap head of Student Council at Birzeit University On Sunday, Israeli military Special Forces kidnapped Fadi Hamad, the head of the Birzeit university student council. The incident occurred on the road linking the al Jalazoon camp with the central West Bank city of Ramallah


IDF looks to install biometric ID systems at West Bank agricultural crossings The biometric initiative was made in line with the Civil Administration's ideology that the quality of life within Palestinian towns is directly connected to the level of terrorism directed at Israel. "If more people can come into Israel for work, then the [Palestinian] economy is better," the officer said. "And if the economy is better, then fewer people will be involved in terrorism."



Syria's quest to regain Golan takes new shape "These projects are a message to Israel. The refugees will no longer be scattered in slums and camps all around Syria. Soon they will live here and stare right at their Israeli occupiers,"


Rally against U.S. ?imperialist policies? The rally comes ahead of an International Conference against Imperialism, Zionism and Occupation, being organised by the AIAIF on November 28 and 29.


Jordan to take part in Arab justice ministers meetings Arab ministers will discuss 18 items covering a number of agreements and laws related to Arab cooperation in the fields of justice and judiciary and legal means to protect the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.


British Professor Assesses Israel, Anti-Semitism and Free Speech in AJC Booklet Those who couple the terms "Israel" and "Jewish state" with the terms "Nazi" and "apartheid," or who advocate for a one-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are, according to Harrison, without a doubt espousing anti-Semitism. An entirely ridiculous but not uncommon notion; SMEAR those that dare call Israel on its apartheid-like behavior. Note to Bernard Harrison: it's not working.


Feature: Palestinian pocket in Iraq chaos The camp has apparently posed no security problems so far for Iraqi border police or for the U.S. Marines mentoring them. Lt. Col. Stefan Bien, from the 2nd Marines, said there have been reports of insurgents recruiting in the camp, which is unguarded, with open access, "but I haven't found evidence of it. I haven't been able to hammer that down."


PM: Arabs should open consular offices in Israel following summit Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday that he expects Arab states to open consular offices in Israel following the Annapolis summit.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

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.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Headlines for 11-25-07

Israeli army kills three armed Palestinians


Palestinian police boost security in Nablus Palestinian security forces say they are going after "illegal weapons" and the misuse of arms. All factions, they say, will be treated equally in an attempt to end "chaos". The PA has arrested members of several groups, including the Islamic group, Hamas.


Arab states must not meddle in talks with Palestinians, says Israel FM "The Arab world is not supposed to define the terms of the negotiations or be involved in them," 'They are not to make demands. They are to sit pretty and do as we want them to do, just like the US does.'


Sceptical Palestinians see limited Annapolis gains Chief among aspirations for Palestinian voters are economic growth and freedom of movement, both of which they see hampered by Israeli security measures. They also want to see Israel meet commitments to stop Jewish settlement and confiscating land.


Dismissed Palestinian premier demands Arab states to help lift the siege of Gaza Palestinian Prime Minister in Gaza, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, whose party was outlawed by President Mahmoud Abbas in June, demanded the Arab leaders to take the initiative and help lift the Israeli siege, being imposed on Gaza over the past five months.


We have not given up The Palestinian people will not yield to the west's cynical pressure on them to surrender


Army shells northern Gaza, five Palestinians injured Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that five Palestinian civilians were injured when the Israeli army shelled homes in Beit Hannon city located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon.



Arabs give U.S., Israel benefit of doubt at Annapolis Israel and the United States have also emphasised the importance of bringing in Arab governments that do not have relations with Israel, raising suspicions that the real aim is to promote "normalisation" while giving nothing in return. Bingo. Israel wants its cake (occupied Palestinian territory) and wants to eat it too (Arab recognition).


Boost for Middle East summit as Syria joins in Confirmation that President Bashar al-Assad is sending his deputy foreign minister means that the Maryland meeting will be the best-attended Middle Eastern summit since the Madrid conference in 1991 - although the stakes are higher and expectations far lower.


Hip-hop makes a hesitant return to Gaza Gaza hip-hop is more akin to the early political rap of Public Enemy, N.W.A and Tupac.


Israel Lulled by the good life by far the biggest concern in political circles is now Iran, or "the state from which all evil stems", as one minister put it. Security officials and politicians say Tehran will have acquired the technology to produce a nuclear weapon by the end of 2009 at the latest. They work from the assumption that either the US or Israel will launch a military attack before then in order to stop the nuclear programme.


Recipes of the West Bank Olive Harvest


Posing for peace a snap Israel's strategy has long been to talk about talks about peace while steadily continuing to expand by building settlements on the West Bank and the former Syrian Golan Heights. Israeli settlements and military bases now occupy over half the entire West Bank and its best farmland and water resources. ......The Bush administration's goal is to get Olmert to agree to a feeble Palestinian mini-state made up of tiny cantons isolated by Israeli-only roads, led by U.S. and Israeli appointed yes-men who will keep their more volatile compatriots in line.



Archbishop thrown into row over US Middle East policy


Mission impossible?


Canadian students reject anti-Israel motion More than two-thirds of the voting plenary Nov. 22 at the federation's annual congress rejected the call for an investigation into the feasibility of a boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel. The motion was proposed by the Ryerson Student Union


A Moral Witness to the 'Intricate Machine' Israel, like any society, has violent, sociopathic elements. What is unusual about the last four decades in Israel is that many destructive individuals have found a haven, complete with ideological legitimation, within the settlement enterprise. Here, in places like Chavat Maon, Itamar, Tapuach, and Hebron, they have, in effect, unfettered freedom to terrorize the local Palestinian population; to attack, shoot, injure, sometimes kill?all in the name of the alleged sanctity of the land and of the Jews' exclusive right to it.



Cherie Blair visits West Bank to encourage Palestinian businesswomen


Three American comics find Islamic audiences laugh, too the three comedians ? Egyptian-American Ahmed Ahmed, Palestinian-American Aron Kader, and Iranian-American Maz Jobrani ? have been playing packed houses in the US and are now on their first Middle Eastern tour.


U.S. Opposition Rises to Mideast Arms Sale The pair said they have "serious concerns" that the precision guidance kits could "fall into the wrong hands" and be used against U.S. troops in the Middle East or against Israel.....the arms sale to Saudi Arabia is generating the greatest concern in Congress.


Explosion wounds five at Nahr al-Bared Five Palestinians were injured in an explosion set off by teenagers scavenging for scrap metal in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp on Sunday, a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) spokeswoman said


From rappers to the religious, Jerusalemites consider city's future ahead of US peace summit


Golan Heights settlers shrug off U.S. peace summit despite Syrian participation Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981, though its sovereignty is not internationally recognized. Because the Golan Heights is Israeli-OCCUPIED territory, and those civilian settlements built therein are a violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (war crimes). It is so nice for the Associated Press to omit this fact, thus keeping Americans in the dark as to the true nature of Israel's (unlawful) behavior.


Can Rice save her legacy with 'Hail Mary' pass on Mideast?


Pray for success of Annapolis conference, Pope urges Pope Benedict on Sunday called for a "just and definitive" solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, asking the world to pray for the success of the Annapolis conference.


Australia's Howard swept from power Some analysts have speculated that Labor?s support for Israel may waver at the United Nations. However, Rudd has declared that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad should be tried at the International Court of Justice for his genocidal declaration to ?wipe Israel off the map.?

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Headlines for 11-24-07

Two Palestinians 'job seekers' killed by Israeli fire: medics Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces overnight in the north of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian hospital sources said Saturday. They said the two brothers in their forties, Talal and Rafat Abu Shrena, were trying to cross into Israel in search of work.




Israeli army attacks a peaceful demonstration in a Bethlehem village Dozens of residents of al Me'sarah village near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem were joined by a group of Israeli and International peace activists on Friday at noon to protest the confiscation of their land. The Israeli army installed road blocks to prevent the peace activists from reaching the village.


A series of internal attacks rip through Gaza, one boy injured


Summit Terror Threat Advisory Issued Federal authorities have advised local law enforcement agencies to be alert to possible terrorism threats because of the Middle East peace conference next week in Annapolis, Homeland Security and FBI officials said Friday.


Israeli settlers assault Palestinian young men on al Hamra checkpoint


Report: US will not force Israel's hand in Annapolis According to senior White House staffers quoted in the report, US President George W. Bush feels "the war on terror makes for a special bond between the US and Israel......On Monday, Olmert and Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni are scheduled to meet with Bush, Rice and US Vice President Dick Cheney in an attempt to finalize the details before heading out to Annapolis. That's like saying bears sh#t in the woods; it goes without saying. It also means that any agreement therein will not be fair or just for the Palestinians, as has happened several times in the past. But they will naturally get blamed for it. This whole affair is a dog and pony show to get the Arab nations on board for US military action vs. Iran.


Hamas, Hezbollah lambast Mideast peace conference "The Annapolis conference has two objectives: to help shore up (Israeli Prime Minister) Ehud Olmert after his defeat in the south of Lebanon and secondly to cover up for American plans of a war against Iran,"


Mideast meet should help create Palestinian state: Jordan king


Hamas "shocked" at Arab endorsement of Annapolis


Six wounded, five detained in Bil'in's Anti-wall protest Residents of the village of Bil?in near the West Bank city of Ramallah organized their weekly Anti-Wall nonviolent protest this Friday, and were joined by a number of international and Israeli peace activists


Hamas warns of violence after talks Yossi Alpher, an Israeli strategic analyst and former adviser to Ehud Barak, the Defence Minister, when he was Prime Minister, said he had no expectation of anything of importance happening in the US. 'There will be the ritual speeches and a celebration of the fact that they are both going back to phase one of the road map. Everything has been rigged to call it a success, but the problems start the day after the conference,'


Third earthquake in a week shakes Israel


Briefing: Middle East peace conference begins in Annapolis


Amazon.com has just reclassified "The Israel Lobby" by Harvard and Chicago U profs as a "conspiracy theory" book They played similar nasty games with Carter's book about Palestine not so long ago.


Backers, opponents of Annapolis see Iran looming in background For now, the Saudis appear to prefer informal alliances as a means of heading off Iran, but pro-Israel groups in the United States are saying Israel needs formal relations with the Saudis if the process is to work


Suicide bombers are not psychologically unstable: Research The analysis also revealed that for such bombers the conflict was mainly about politics, not religion. Despite its frequent religious trappings, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not religiously inspired, and suicide bombing is fundamentally the expression of a territorial dispute.



A different view from a Jewish woman She calls for Americans - especially Jewish Americans - to do their own research on the Middle East on how Israelis are treating Palestinians beyond what's reported in the mainstream U.S. media.


Rachel Corrie play will feature at B.C.'s PuSh fest Next year's edition of Vancouver's PuSh International Performing Arts Festival will feature two high-profile works: the performance-art phenomenon Haircuts by Children and the play My Name Is Rachel Corrie, which has attracted controversy since it was first staged in London in 2005.


Salaam Bethlehem - looking beyond the wall Jonathan Brown, Riding Lights General Manager said about the reason for the visit ?To help Riding Lights bring this message to the UK in a creative way, we wanted to find out at first hand more about the Palestinian Christians and ways of supporting them.?


67% - Can Israeli and Palestinian Rights Coexist? Ahead of the approaching Middle East conference scheduled to be held in Annapolis, Maryland, fully 67% of Americans say they believe a way can be found for the state of Israel to exist so that the rights and needs of the Palestinian people are taken care of, according to a May 2007 survey.


Palestinian Authority gets approval for communication satellite orbit


Alan Johnston: Picking up the pieces


Aharon Barak: Israel tops US at protecting human rights A sick joke.


Think tank: East J'lem withdrawal expensive An Israeli pullout from Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem as part of a peace accord with the Palestinians is likely to have serious economic repercussions on both Jewish and Arab residents of the city, according to a new study on the future division of Jerusalem prepared by a Jerusalem think tank. Mm k.


Detained Palestinian Professor hospitalized Lawyer of the Nafha Society which defends the rights of Palestinian political detainees imprisoned by Israel reported on Saturday that Professor Isam Al Ashqar, 50, a Palestinian Physics Scientist imprisoned by Israel since 20 months, was moved to Al Ramala Prison Hospital after his health condition had sharply deteriorated.


Israeli peace demo wishes Olmert well Israeli pacifists demonstrated Saturday in front of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's Jerusalem home to support him as he heads for a meeting in the United States aimed at reviving peace talks with the Palestinians, organisers said.


US suggests Moscow follow-up to Middle East peace conference: diplomat Washington has proposed that Arab states attending next week's US-sponsored Middle East peace conference hold a follow-up meeting in Moscow next year, an Arab diplomat said on Saturday.


South Africa will attend Middle East peace talks


RSF Calls On Israel To Release Journalist, Cameraman International press rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on Israel to release a reporter and cameraman of Al Aqsa television station.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Headlines for 11-23-07

Thirteen-year-old Palestinian Boy Detained by Israeli Court An Israeli military court on Tuesday sentenced a thirteen-year-old Palestinian boy to two months imprisonment and a fine of 1,000 NIS (250 US dollars) for hurling stones at Israeli soldiers.


IDF official: 'Gaza sanctions not working' The officer said something must happen in order for the plan to succeed. "Either step up the sanctions or call off the policy because at present, it's doing nothing."




Another brick in the wall: Saving schools in the West Bank


Israeli army orders five Hamas members to be held without charge


Israeli military forces invade several parts of the West Bank, kidnapping four


Israeli legislator claims Israel lied about removing roadblocks


Hamas accused P.A security forces of arresting 13 supporters Hamas media sources stated on Thursday that Palestinian Security Forces arrested on Thursday at dawn thirteen members and supporters of the movement in Beit Umren village west of Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank.


Al-Aqsa Brigades leader Refuses to Meet Dayton to Discuss the Issue of Palestinians in Nablus A prominent leader from the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, told Ma'an's reporter on Thursday that he refused to meet with the US Security Advisor General Keith Dayton to discuss the issue of Palestinians in Nablus, who are 'wanted' by Israel.



Indonesia invited to Israel-Palestine conference in US


Bush wins crucial Saudi support for first Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in seven years Syria's position remains unclear. It has been holding out for a reference to the Golan Heights, still occupied by Israel 40 years after the 1967 war


Three Members of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades Injured in Clashes with Israeli Forces Three combatants, thought to be members of Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades, were injured in clashes with an Israeli undercover force near the Abasan district of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, Palestinian sources said.


Uneasy neighbours in occupied West Bank The World Court says settlements, home to some 270,000 Jews among 2.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank, are illegal. That would be because those settlements are a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, Article 49 (war crimes).


Islamic Jihad demands Hamas to halt all political arrests Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine slammed the dissolved Hamas government in the Gaza Strip for arresting the representative of the leftist Palestinian People Party, and the representative of the National Struggle Front


Gaza militants stage mass protest against Annapolis conference Local Hamas leaders told the Gaza demonstrators Friday that over the next few days they will hold rallies and public events against the conference, culminating in a Gaza City public meeting to coincide with the Annapolis parley.


Palestinian villagers protest on Road-443, Israel prevent them from using it


Syria cancels the Palestinian factions meeting in opposition to Annapolis


Israeli officer on spying charges An Israeli military reserve major was indicted on espionage charges yesterday for offering secret information to Iran and the militant Palestinian group Hamas, according to court documents.


What Antiwar Activists Have to Be Thankful For


Syria says US agrees to put Golan on Mideast agenda The United States has agreed to put the question of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel from Syria, on the agenda of next week's Middle East peace meeting, Syria's foreign minister said on Friday.


Door open for Golan Heights talks


Mr Palestine


Israeli, Palestinian youth "just want to have fun"


Text: Mearsheimer and Walt interview There is no question that the book has been savaged in the mainstream media in the United States, which is to be expected. But one should also recognize that we have travelled widely in the United States to talk about the book, and everywhere we go, we find that the audiences are clearly on our side, although there are always a few people at each event who harshly criticise us.....The bottom line is that I think a huge number of Americans agree with what we have to say. Yes they do, and thank you for having the courage to say it.


The core issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict


Amnesty International calls for deployment of international human right monitors in Israel and the Palestinian territories


Putin meets top Saudi official as Russia eyes arms sale Saud did not give details, but a diplomatic source in Riyadh had earlier said that Putin's visit there in February was expected to lead to a "verbal understanding" on the sale of about 150 Russian T-90 battle tanks to the kingdom......A joint Russian-Saudi statement, published by the Russian foreign ministry, said that "the sides spoke in favour of creating an independent and viable Palestinian state and called on the international community to give additional aid to the Palestinian people."


Can US broker Middle East peace this time? That means tackling issues such as the status of Jerusalem, claimed by both sides as their capital, the fate of millions of Palestinian refugees and the final boundaries of a Palestinian state. It also means coming to grips with the expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which are encroaching on Palestinian territory. There are doubts whether the key participants can deliver on any of these problems.


Palestinian leader in Morocco ahead of Annapolis meeting Abbas flew here from Cairo where Arab League foreign ministers agreed after intense discussions to attend the conference, to be hosted by the United States from Nov. 26-28 in Washington and Annapolis, Maryland.


US Citizen Diplomats Offer Fresh Insights on Mideast Peace Process


Father to son, keys to Palestinian home cherished "My father died as one of the oppressed. Every time he used to tell us about Palestine, where he played, where he relaxed, a tear would form. He always used to say: 'God willing, I don't want to die until I'm back in Akbarah, in my own land."'


Classes too pro-Israel? GWU instructor quits amid charges of bias toward Jewish state "It became more of an Israeli politics class," said Berlin, noting that while understanding Zionism is important to studying the Arab-Israeli conflict, he wondered why they were they spending half of the semester learning about it....Kamens said she was "a little surprised" that the latter book was selected for an upper-level political science course because of the book's structure. It outlines common "myths" about the Arab-Israeli conflict and then provides evidence responding to those myths. Myths & Facts originated as a American Israel Public Affairs Committee publication decades ago These are my kind of kids; keep questioning this stuff, don't let them get away with it. If something doesn't pass the smell test, go deeper - that is EXACTLY what higher education should be teaching you to do.


Wataniya prepares for launch Wataniya Palestine is preparing to launch GSM services in the Palestinian Territories in early 2008, according to ArabianBusiness.com which cites the parent company Qtel?s CEO Dr Naser Marafih.

Headlines for 11-22-07

Israeli troops kill Palestinian man in Gaza


UN official says Israel's siege of Gaza breeds extremism and human suffering A senior United Nations official has issued an unprecedented appeal to British MPs to use their influence to try to alleviate the impact of "indiscriminate" and "illegal" Israeli sanctions in Gaza which display "profound inhumanity" and are "serving the agenda of extremists".


Egyptian, Jordanian leaders meet to prepare for Annapolis conference


US limits hopes for Mideast conference to opening Palestinian state talks


Israeli army hands out demolition orders to Palestinian homeowners near Bethlehem


Israel increases restrictions on occupied Palestinians in preparation for summit


Israel arrests more than 20 Palestinians in West Bank


Action promised on IDF officers The British government is taking action to stop arrests of IDF generals in the UK, David Miliband reportedly revealed during his first trip to Israel as Foreign Secretary


The Israeli army invades several part of the West Bank and kidnaps seven civilians


A Palestinian police vehicle in Gaza blown off Unknown assailants detonated on Wednesday night an explosive device in a Palestinian police vehicle, to the west of the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, causing no injuries but damages to the vehicle.


The youngest Palestinian political detainee leaves the detention camp


Arabs debate stance for US summit The US and Israel want the widest possible Arab participation, and have been pressing in particular for the Saudi Foreign Minister to attend. But the Arabs remain deeply sceptical about Israel's willingness to make concessions for a peace agreement.



Hamas accused P.A security forces of arresting 13 supporters


In Gaza: a Palestinian dies of wounds and four others injured by Israeli army fire


Palestinian negotiator: Israel, PNA can achieve joint document before peace conference


Arabs to further coordinate positions ahead of Mideast conference


Palestinian security on order reinforcement campaign in Nablus


Israel May Reduce Power to Gaza Dec. 2 Gaza is dependent on Israel for all its fuel and about half its electricity.


Iran a driving force for Mideast meeting According to U.S. and other Western intelligence, Iran has helped establish what amounts to a client state in the Gaza Strip, the smaller of two Palestinian territories that would make up an eventual independent nation. Pure BS.


Egypt finds tonne of explosives in Sinai


David Miliband denies visiting family in West Bank settlement Mr Landau added that most of Mr Miliband?s relatives in Israel are Orthodox, including some West Bank settlers.


'WIPED OFF THE MAP' rumor is totally false, so why lie?' Whether or not Ahmadinejad said or meant that Israel should be 'wiped off the map', there is a cold hard fact that cannot be contested: look at the maps of the region from 100 years ago, what happened to Palestine? Israel wiped Palestine off the map.


Report of the distribution of the food baskets in the Gaza Strip during the summer of 2007


ZOA Opposes Secretary Rice's Promotion Of A Palestinian State & Abbas' "Moderate" Leadership


Police vigilantes busted Israel's Northern Police District announced Thursday that five of its personnel, one of whom is an officer, were arrested this month for planting two bombs on property belonging to major crime figures. No one was hurt.


U.S. advised Israel on Syria radars The United States reportedly assisted Israel's September air strike in Syria with information on enemy air defenses.


Israeli: Syrian site hit not a reactor A Syrian site bombed by Israel in September was probably a plant for assembling a nuclear bomb, an Israeli nuclear expert said Thursday, challenging other analysts' conclusions that it housed a North Korean-style nuclear reactor.



Likudnik Hawks Work to Undermine Annapolis Despite near-universal skepticism about the prospects for launching a serious, new Middle East peace process at next week's Israeli-Palestinian summit in Annapolis, a familiar clutch of neoconservative hawks close to the Likud Party leader, former Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, isn't taking any chances.


US storm over book on Israel lobby Mr Judt himself is not afraid to speak out, but he has to tread more carefully when he criticises Israeli policies in the US than he does in Israel itself. "I have written articles in Haaretz that no American newspapers would touch," he says.



Five reasons to bomb Iran now ** Note the source.


ADL, AIPAC endorse Annapolis The Anti-Defamation League's national director, Abraham Foxman, said Israel could rely on the Bush administration's established record of good will not to push the Jewish state into a corner.


Teaching on the frontline in Gaza and Israel


Egypt, Jordan, Palestinians try to sell skeptical Arabs on Annapolis conference


Donor representatives visit UNRWA installations in Syria Delegates from 19 of UNRWA's major donor countries arrived in Damascus yesterday to begin a two-day tour of Palestinian refugee camps in Syria. UNRWA Syria Director, Panos Moumtzis, welcomed them, noting that their presence demonstrates a strong and on-going commitment to the welfare of the Palestine refugees.


Nehaia Abu-Nahla: Life as head of WFP's Gaza sub-office


Palestinian cell phone company Jawwal says it signed up millionth customer The eight-year-old Palestinian cellular phone company Jawwal announced Thursday that it has signed up its one-millionth customer, presenting it as a sign of Palestinian economic potential in sectors not hampered by Israeli travel restrictions.


Hamas's Haniya says US peace meeting 'stillborn'


?We can learn from Palestine kids? ? exchange trip teachers


Hamas operative sues Shin Bet for abuse Young Palestinian said to be involved in suicide bombing attempt says prolonged confinement in handcuffs left his arms paralyzed


Palestinian youth see little hope in upcoming summit Mr Dawahik is worried about where his family?s next meal is coming from. ?We have no livelihood, no work, no nothing,? says the teenager, who was jailed for eight months for throwing stones at soldiers.


Debate rages across US on academic freedom At the University of Michigan, a vocal pro-Israel lobby is campaigning to prevent the university?s publishing house from resuming distribution of Overcoming Zionism, by Joel Kovel, an author and anti-war activist.


Airtime for Israel's Arabs


Pact Unlikely Before Talks in U.S., Palestinian Insists A senior Palestinian official said here on Thursday that it would be a ?miracle? if the Palestinian and Israeli negotiating teams agreed on a joint document, as they had hoped, to present at the American-sponsored Middle East peace gathering set to start Tuesday in Annapolis, Md.



What about Israel as a Jewish state don?t the Palestinians understand? that it's a supremacist notion, perhaps?


Senior CPC official meets Palestinian guests Senior Chinese Communist Party leader He Yong met on Thursday with a delegation from the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), led by Abdallah Alfranji, member of Fatah Central Committee and director-general of Fatah International Department.



A taste of Palestine in London

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Headlines for 11-21-07

The Israeli government makes six obstacles ahead of Annapolis conference


Inside the maze: movement restrictions in the West Bank


Palestinian security forces arrest four Hamas members in W Bank


Come to summit, Abbas tells Arab nations


Israel to release Palestinian prisoners on Sunday


Mortars land near Erez crossing in N Gaza


Jon Wilks, British Government Spokesman visits IMEMC


Israel under fire over Palestinian cancer patient's death


Palestinians spell out their vision of the future in peace blueprint


Palestinian parliament convenes with Hamas lawmakers


Israel eases Gaza export block prior to US summit Israel said yesterday it would allow farmers in Gaza to export their high-quality strawberries and flowers into Israel and on to Europe in what is the first easing of the trade embargo imposed on the Palestinians in June.


Hebron Update 29 October - 4 November 2007


Rice sets Mid-East peace target US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said the United States will try to broker a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians over the next year.


Mourners at terror victim's funeral block entrance to Palestinian village Dozens of mourners at the funeral of Ido Zuldan, who was killed Monday night in a shooting attack in the West Bank, on Tuesday blocked the entrance to the Palestinian village Fourik, near the Kedumim settlement.


Hamas: Fatah security forces arrest Nablus municipal council member


Israel Blocks 670 Students from Studies Abroad The Israeli government is arbitrarily blocking some 670 students in Gaza from pursuing higher education abroad, Human Rights Watch said today. Israel is denying exit permits that the young men and women need to leave Gaza for university programs in countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Germany, Britain, and the United States


Hamas shrugs off US peace talks Hamas political supremo Khaled Meshaal, exiled in Damascus, said the Annapolis conference was called by Bush to mask agressive plans in the region......"And today he wants to make peace in Palestine in preparation to a hit against Iran," Meshaal said. "This is an American game. The Palestinians and the Arab peoples are aware of it and know that it is not serious."


Second Committee approves text calling on Israel not to exploit, damage or endanger natural resources in occupied Arab lands


Hamas: Fatah forces arrested five Hamas members from several parts of the West Bank


Nafha Society: Israeli forces kidnap 20 in 24 hours


Demolition Decimating Palestinian Village Since Israel?s full-scale military occupation of the West Bank began, more than twelve thousand Palestinian homes have been demolished, making house demolitions a grim hallmark of Israel?s occupation strategy.


Negotiators 'not pushing PM's line' on cluster bombs ban


Is It Just Business-as-Usual in D.C. When a Lobbyist Brings Classified Info to a Foreign Embassy?


Gaza must be the priority in Annapolis


Middle East diplomats rack up air miles ahead of US summit


Israel seeks US help to fight Iranian pistachios A US official says Israel has asked for US help in cracking down on illegal pistachio nut imports from Iran, after Washington warned the trade was hurting efforts to curb Tehran's nuclear programme.


GOP Jewish group polls on Iran strike ** The questions, recalled by a focus group participant, were: "How would you feel if Hillary [Clinton] bombed Iran? How would you feel if George Bush bombed Iran? And how would you feel if Israel bombed Iran?"


A Conservative View of Iran by Philip Giraldi ** Contrary to the repeated assertions by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, an endless series of threats emanating from Washington is not diplomacy. The United States is refusing to negotiate with Iran, and the only obstacle to a war from the U.S. side is the resistance coming from Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and some military and naval officers, most notably the Central Command's Admiral William Fallon, who are heavily outnumbered by those in the administration and outside it who are pro-war.....Powerful lobbying groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) continue to resist talks and urge a military resolution.


As blockade drags on, friends in Gaza crave cigarettes, Coke Who knows what be next: Yogurt. Baby milk. Diapers. My friend needs cement and other construction material to finish the apartment he and his new bride share. Maybe the next time I'll be quietly trying to haul 50-pound bags of cement on my back into Gaza.


High-level Saudi presence seen unlikely at Annapolis


American Peace activist holds hunger strike Allene Rusers, a seventy-one year old American Peace activist, on Monday announced that she intended to go on hunger strike for the next two weeks in protest against infighting amongst the Palestinian people and the continued occupation of the Palestinian territories.


Look Who's Downplaying Iran's Nuclear Threat ** Podhoretz and company could have difficulties presenting a case for going to war against Iran in order to protect Israel?both Israel's foreign minister and a former head of the Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, have suggested that if Iran does acquire nuclear weapons, Israel would deal with it by deterring Iran. Not attacking it.


Palestinian Activists Hone Advocacy Skills


Blair discusses Mideast conference with Saudi king


U.S. accuses Syria of meddling in Lebanon


Victims on both sides skeptical of Mideast peace push


Media Advisory: Leading World Experts Create Declaration to Protect Civilians in Middle East


Closed Israeli borders squeeze Gaza farmers


Terror trial defendant gets 11 years In a passionate, arm-waving statement before sentencing, Ashqar painted a grim picture of the suffering of Palestinians under the Israeli occupation and said some of his own relatives had been killed or jailed.
He said he would rather go to prison than betray his people as they strive to free themselves from Israeli domination.



France, Israel enjoying 'honeymoon': Sarkozy spokesman


Palestinian statehood talks key to Annapolis success: Rice She said it was important for the Israelis to know that their broader conflict with the Arabs will be finally over following a settlement with the Palestinians


Coalition MKs send 'message to America' National Union Party chairman Benny Elon said Israel should retain all the settlements. He added that it should take steps to place them under the regular Israeli legal system rather then the West Bank military one that governs them now.



Israeli envoy tells anti-U.N. crowd that world body is not all bad Though speakers drew from an extensive repertoire of singular negative treatment of Israel by various U.N. bodies, much attention was directed to the area of human rights, where Israel has typically been a subject of overwhelming scrutiny.....U.S. Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) called the treatment of Israel by the United Nations an "abomination" and pledged to use financial pressure to compel changes within the organization A whinefest because the world refuses to turn a blind eye (as the US does) to Israel's atrocious human rights record.


Carnation instant breakfast Forced to dispose of his crop because of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian flower grower in Rafah feeds red carnations to sheep.


Plan announced to improve E. Jerusalem Amid signs that the city could be divided, a plan to improve neglected Arab areas in east Jerusalem was announced. That's all well and good but it doesn't change the fact that E. Jerusalem is still only Israeli-OCCUPIED territory.


Israeli city sues Hamas leader The city of Sderot, Israel, and the emergency response organization Zaka have filed court papers against the militant Palestinian organization Hamas.


NYC Rights Activists Escalate Protests Against Leviev Over Palestine Land-Grab Protesters focused on Leviev?s companies? construction of five illegal settlements on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, Leviev?s close ties with the repressive government of Angola where he mines diamonds, and Leviev?s massive New York City development projects with his former US partner Shaya Boymelgreen, which have been plagued by construction problems, and have frequently utilized underpaid, non-union workers in hazardous conditions.



Two nuncios on the "delays" in Israeli policies regarding the Church


Israeli peace activist arrives in UK to protest home demolitions Professor Halper predicts that Annapolis will result in the end of the two state solution. He said: "If it's true that Olmert intends that Israel permanently retain the settlement blocs, an Israeli 'greater' Jerusalem and effective control of the entire country to the Jordan River, then we will merely be substituting a sophisticated form of apartheid for occupation."


Alternative Israeli peace plan gaining supporters An alternative Israeli peace initiative that would see the Jewish state extend its sovereignty over all Judea and Samaria (the so-called "West Bank"), instead of allowing the creation of a Palestinian Arab state there, is gaining support, even among left-wing Israeli lawmakers.




Iraq sets free trips home for refugees With violence down in Iraq, the country's embassy in Damascus is starting to organize free trips home for Iraqis who fled the conflict and now want to return, an Iraqi diplomat said Wednesday.



Howard era may be ending, but Australia likely to stay ally Howard supported the U.S. invasion of Iraq, has defended the legitimacy of Israel?s security barrier in the West Bank and Israel?s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon last year, and delivered a scathing eulogy when Yasser Arafat died in 2004. Howard has been showered with awards from Jewish community organizations here and in the United States.


Cheney's ex-adviser: Annapolis not 'priority' "Priorities for the United States right now should be three or four major crises that are reaching the near acute stage," David Wurmser, formerly the U.S. vice president's senior adviser on Middle East issues, said Tuesday at an Israel Project luncheon in Washington, D.C.


U.S. invites 40 to peace talks The United States invited more than 40 countries, including Syria, to participate in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.



Olive Oil Season: A West Bank Kitchen Story "They are like jewels in the mountains," said the Palestinian artist Rana Bishara. "They glow in the landscape of Palestine," inviting villagers to renew the ritual.