Headlines for 02-12-08

State Prosecutor's Office to close Abir Aramin case SPO denies petition against Jerusalem District Court's decision in the case of 10-year old Aramin, allegedly killed by stray Border Guard rubber bullet in 2007; reiterates original ruling of undetermined cause of death. Rights group may appeal decision further


John McCain and the Neocon Resurgence by Philip Giraldi The neocons and McCain do not disguise their belief that Iran must be dealt with by military means because diplomacy has failed. Indeed, one might well regard de-fanging Iran as their principal foreign policy objective, one that they share with the White House and the Israeli government.


Fresh Israeli raid sparks clashes Israeli forces have clashed with Palestinian gunmen during an overnight incursion into the Gaza Strip


IDF arrests Palestinians in Gaza; mortars hit army base


Israeli threat drives Hamas leaders from public view


Israeli army pulls out from eastern Gaza as an Israeli soldier wounded A column of Israeli army tanks rolled back early on Tuesday morning from the eastern neighborhood of Gaza City, after an Israeli army undercover unit attempted to sweep into the neighborhood.


NIS 3m. confiscated in W. Bank raid In a joint operation by the IDF, Israel Police and the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), three million shekels were confiscated from money changers in the West Bank. The IDF said that the operation was intended to prevent funds from reaching Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the West Bank. Right.


Taiba man killed in traffic accident


Top reservists: Roadblocks in W. Bank do more harm than good A group of top Israel Defense Forces reserve officers are set to unveil Wednesday a new position paper according to which the 550 roadblocks in the West Bank serve to increase the motivation to commit terror attacks, and removing a significant portion of them would help calm the security situation and undermine Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip.



A Palestinian is kidnapped by Special Forces of Israeli army


Israeli army kidnaps one in Tulkarem, two from Jenin and continue their attack on the money changers


Israel arrests Fayyad's aide in Jerusalem, 14 other Palestinians in W Bank


Hamas gov't says PM lives normal life Prime Minister Ismail Haneya of the sacked Hamas government lives a normal life and did not go underground though he took some security measures, Hamas administration said on Tuesday.


Israel releases Fayyad's aide after brief holding


Abbas urges Hamas to commit itself to legitimacy in Gaza


10 hurt in Israeli raids on Gaza


Israel urges international action against an Iranian nuclear threat Israel, which is widely believed to have built hundreds of atomic warheads, has said it considers a nuclear Iran a threat to its existence. Yes, that makes perfect sense. (NOT).


Israel sure Iran seeking nuclear arms: Olmert Asked if Israel would consider using military force in dealing with Iran, Olmert cited US President George W. Bush's refusal to rule out force in dealing with Iran's defiance to halt sensitive nuclear work Whose war is this?


Israel to build new homes in Jerusalem area Israel's housing ministry said on Tuesday preparations were underway to build up to 1,100 new homes in and around Arab East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as capital of a future state.


Hamas official renews call for Mideast ceasefire


Palestinian negotiator calls for ceasefire to save Gaza


ZOA opens Jerusalem office Daube has been associated with several pro-Israel groups, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee; NORPAC, a pro-Israel political action committee; and Palestinian Media Watch.


Report: Egyptian forces hunt tunnels dug between Gaza, Egypt


Amos Oz warns 'catastrophe' of Gaza invasion Novelist Amos Oz, a leader of Israel's peace movement, warned on Tuesday against an invasion of the Gaza Strip to snuff out militant rocket fire, saying it could prove catastrophic.


Mearsheimer addresses CFI


God vs. Elliott Abrams Abrams has a consistent record, both in and out of government, of opposing any meaningful Israeli concessions to the Palestinians that might end Israel's 40-year occupation of the West Bank and lead to the birth of a viable Palestinian state.....
In the Project for the New American Century's policy tome Present Dangers, he asserted, "Strengthening Israel, our major ally in the region, should be the central core of U.S. Middle East policy, and we should not permit the establishment of a Palestinian state that does not explicitly uphold U.S. policy in the region."


Egypt finds explosives cache near Gaza border


Tom Lantos left behind human rights legacy Other encomiums came from The American Jewish World Service, which has led the Jewish community in pressing for an end to the genocide in Sudan; the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which praised his steadfast support for Israel and his tough stance on Iran; and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, which commemorated his contributions to social welfare at home.


Merkel, Olmert offer Iran stances At a news conference Tuesday in Berlin following their official meetings, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made their different approaches clear: In pressuring the Islamic regime, Merkel looks to sanctions and diplomacy, while Olmert says all options are open.


Israeli minister plans Arab city Mr Sheetrit was speaking only two days after hitting the headlines for his outspoken response to a rocket attack from Gaza that badly injured a young Israeli boy. He told fellow cabinet members they should pick a neighbourhood in Gaza and "wipe it out".



U.S. Jewish leader worried by thrust of White House campaigns Hoenlein said that Israel's supporters should be worried by "the heightening of the bar and the greater tolerance of anti-Israel statements that wouldn't have been allowed in the past."


The War Against Tolerance They assure audiences that the Palestinians are interested not in a peaceful two-state solution but rather the destruction of Israel, the murder of all Jews and the death of America.


Israeli Lobby Declares War On Gandhi John Mearsheimer who along with Stephen Walt wrote about the Israel lobby and faced its full fury, offered a consolation to Arun Gandhi with a comment that he would have gotten into serious trouble with the lobby even if he had chosen his words carefully "simply because he had criticized Israel and its American supporters, which one does at his or her own peril."


Terror victims lobby Washington to uphold successful lawsuits Afif Safieh, the Palestine Liberation Organization representative in Washington, told the newspaper that there was "a rethinking in the State Department that I wholeheartedly welcome." The suits, he added, were "politically and ideologically motivated."


Germany backs Israel response to rockets


Several Female detainees suffering bad health conditions, violations


Zobeidi denies reports of Israel pardoning him


In Gaza, electricity -- or lack thereof -- powers daily activities One Christian who asked that his name not be used said that people were waiting for some sort of change -- but were unsure if it will be good or bad.


Gaza crisis is deteriorating say church and advocacy groups


Wounded Palestinians 'may be flown to Bahrain' PALESTINIAN people, including women and children, injured in Israeli bombings in Gaza could be brought to Bahrain for urgent treatment, an MP said last night


Ray of hope for Beirut squat on edge of Shatila refugee camp Welcome to life in the Gaza Buildings: the slum inside a slum; a former Palestinian hospital just outside the Shatila refugee camp south of Beirut turned squat for the poor and destitute.


Bomb destroys car in Damascus


Don't let them starve to death PALESTINIANS in Gaza will starve, if the world does not force Israel to lift its siege, a top Palestinian official declared in Bahrain yesterday.


Palestinians need cell phone competition-World Bank The World Bank said on Tuesday Israel and the Palestinian Authority should open the Palestinian mobile phone sector to competition in order to improve efficiency and lower tariffs.


Bush imposes, then waives, PLO sanction In a memorandum for US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, dated Monday, Bush extended permission for the PLO to keep a Washington office and spend money in the United States for another six months.


'No progress' in Mideast peace process: Arab League, EU


Gifts for women and children at Gaza Strip The twelve boxes of gifts handpicked by the princess consisted of toys for the children and shawls and clothes for the women. MRCS together with Peace Malaysia will also donate RM200,000 worth of medical and food supplies to Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip.



2 Boys, 2 Sides, 2 Beds in an Israeli Hospital Ward


Jewish groups work to counter Israeli Apartheid Week Organizers of Israeli Apartheid Week have concluded their fourth year of anti-Israel programming on university campuses worldwide, but members of the Jewish community were intent on ensuring that their side of the story would also be heard.


'Lemon Tree' a hit in Berlin


Speaker advocates strong action The American Zionist Organization brought Jonathan Schanzer, director of policy for the Jewish Policy Center and Former U.S. Treasury Department counter-terrorism analyst, to the University Cincinnati to speak about the Arab/Israeli conflict.


Ha'aretz replacing Landau as editor Ha?aretz publisher Amos Schocken said Landau became editor during an uneasy period for the newspaper and its editorial staff, and succeeded in expressing Haaretz?s commitment to the values of practical Zionism, according to the newspaper.