Headlines for 02-14-08

Disabled Palestinian dies of wounds As the soldiers prepared an ambush, the mentally disabled man, 56-year-old Taysir Nazal, emerged from his home, the neighbors said. Soldiers fired three shots and hit Nazal in his legs, said relatives and a neighbor, Omar al-Sohu.


West Bank woman denied ambulance said to be dead


Pro-Abbas security forces nab eight Hamas men in W Bank


Egyptian official: Guards ordered to open fire at Palestinians


Japanese man says wounded in West Bank demo A Japanese man was wounded by an Israeli rubber bullet as he went to a Palestinian demonstration against the separation barrier in the West Bank, he and an official said Thursday.


Palestinian teenager injured in Bethlehem by bomb left behind by Israeli army


Hamas, Egypt hold talks on Rafah crossing An aide to deposed Hamas prime minister Ismail Haneya revealed on Thursday that there are talks held between Hamas and Egypt on reopening Rafah crossing in the southern Gaza Strip.


Israeli army demolishes Palestinian owned buildings in northern Gaza The buildings had been long abandoned, their residents having already fled due to the frequent Israeli shelling of the area.



Venezuela-Iran oil deal raises concern Republican Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the ranking Republican on the Foreign Affairs Committee, raised questions about whether the deal violates the Iran Sanctions Act Ros-Lehtinen has replaced Lantos as Israel's top agent on Capitol Hill.


Hamas looks the other way during Valentine's Day Hamas police looked the other way despite the religious taboo, reflecting the Islamic groups' policy of not going against popular consensus when it comes to social norms. For example, since seizing control of Gaza in June, Hamas has upheld a ban on alcohol but has not forced women to cover their hair.


Israeli army forces arrest 30 Palestinians in Gaza Israeli special forces arrested 30Palestinians in southeast Gaza Strip early Thursday, an Israeli army spokesman said.


Israeli military invades the northern part of the West Bank and kidnaps 9


Palestinians say militant hub is now safe town; Israel says too soon to remove roadblocks Local Hamas activists have pledged to obey the law, Mideast envoy Tony Blair has taken a stroll through once gunman-infested neighborhoods and policemen are now the only ones carrying weapons in public in this former militant hub.


Army engineers examining Gaza tunnels The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working with the Egyptians to stop smuggling through tunnels spanning the Egypt-Gaza Strip border.



Israel on high alert after Hezbollah threat "If the Zionists want war, then they shall have it," Mr Nasrallah said.
"If you want an open war, then let it be an open war."
I think Israel is trying to provoke the war she has been waiting for, by involving Syria in this too. Beware. And these guys have responded just the way Israel had hoped to boot.


Hizbullah leader vows to wage 'open war' on Israel This assassination was likely committed to achieve such a retaliation on the part of Hezbollah which Israel would then seize upon as a possible pretext for war - which might then widen to include Syria and Iran.


Former CIA official: Mossad behind Mugniyah killing While Israel has formally refuted allegations it was involved in the assassination of Hizbullah 'operations officer' Imad Mugniyah in Damascus on Tuesday, former CIA official Bruce Riedel says all signs seem to indicate the Mossad was behind the killing. Israelis are expert at these things. The world knows it, which is why some question similar car bombings in the region.


Al-Qaida leader in Iraq threatens Israel, vows to 'liberate' Palestine in new audiotape The purported leader of al-Qaida's umbrella in Iraq called in a new posting on a militant Web site on Thursday for attacks on Israel and the liberation of Palestine, proposing that Iraq's territory be a «launching pad» to seize Jerusalem.



Gazans mark Valentine's Day with mixed emotions


Palestinian man injured east of Tulkarem


Egyptian officials met with Hamas to prevent further border breaches A top Hamas delegation crossed into Egypt Thursday and met with Egyptian officials wanting to make clear that no further breaches of its border with the Gaza Strip will be tolerated, a security official said.


Visiting Ramallah, UN humanitarian chief voices solidarity with suffering people The United Nations humanitarian chief has opened his first official trip to the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel with a visit to the West Bank town of Ramallah, which he described as an act of solidarity with the suffering people of the region.


Contractors named for 307 new Har Homa homes The Israel Lands Administration (ILA) yesterday named the winners of the tenders to build 307 housing units in East Jerusalem's Har Homa neighborhood. This will make it harder to stop the planned building in this controversial district and could jeopardize peace talks with the Palestinians.


Jewish students urged to avoid UC Irvine An unaffiliated task force made up of Jewish residents of Irvine conducted 80 hours of interviews with students, faculty and residents and determined that anti-Semitic acts are "real and well documented" on campus, according to an article in the local Daily Pilot.....The report takes faculty to task for "political correctness" that prevents them from speaking out against anti-Israel events and speakers sponsored by the school's very active Muslim Student Union.


Greenwich Library reverses course on Mideast lecture ban Greenwich Library officials, yielding to free speech arguments, reversed their decision to bar a group from giving two lectures on Israeli-Palestinian relations at the library


Israel cheers, goes on alert after Hezbollah leader killed The consensus among Israeli commentators was that the Mossad likely was behind the assassination, though some suggested the United States might have been involved as part of a goodwill gesture by Olmert toward President Bush.


Sarkozy heralds new era in France-Israel ties Sarkozy also warned that the European Union might boycott the planned United Nations' Durban conference on racism if it becomes an Israel-bashing conference, as it did in 2001.


Berman chairs first post-Lantos hearing "History will remember Tom for his unwavering support of Israel and the U.S.-Israel relationship," Berman said. "His life experience instilled in him a deep and abiding commitment to that tiny state, an island of democracy and a true partner of our country."


Clinton: Israel's birth proved ok to ignore laws Bill Clinton said U.S. citizens who broke the law smuggling guns to the nascent Jewish state proved there are times when it's acceptable to break the law.


Abbas hails Bahrain's ties with Palestine


Bush expands Syria sanctions The order derives from the Syrian Accountability Act, passed in 2003 after heavy lobbying by pro-Israel groups.


How the EU helps Israel to strangle Gaza The third party is the EU -- and the EU has always refused to man the crossing when Israel didn't want the crossing open. In effect, the EU has acted as a proxy for Israel.


Roses are fed, violets are chewed Israeli export restrictions prevented them from shipping the blooms to Europe for Valentine's Day.


Damascus in shock over killing "This means that the war on Iran has become a reality more than ever before. It is a dangerous security penetration in Syria,"


US senators appeal to Rice over anti-terrorist law A group of US senators has written to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to urge the government not to sacrifice the interests of US citizens in favor of better relations with the Palestinians. They've been doing just that -sacrificing the interests of US citizens in favor of ISRAEL - for YEARS. And that includes some, if not all, of these very Senators. Hypocrisy.


Beirut divided in mourning for fallen leaders It was a perfect opportunity for split-screen coverage: a sea of national Cedar flags on one side; acres of Hizbullah's yellow banner, with its logo of a defiantly raised Kalashnikov rifle, on the other. Someone seeks to divide and conquer them. Note the timing of this incident as well (anniversary of Hariri's death). Was it meant to see to it that the Hezbollites clash with the pro-Hariri's?...


Sarkozy attacks Iran for its stance on Israel "I won't shake hands with people who refuse to recognise Israel," Sarkozy declared.


U.S. learns from Israel-Hezbollah war


No decision yet on terror lawsuits Top federal lawyers told Americans seeking legal redress from the Palestinian Authority for terrorist acts that the Bush administration has yet to decide its position


UN humanitarian official examining damage from Palestinian rockets, Israeli sanctions The top U.N. humanitarian official said Thursday he would examine the consequences of rocket fire on Israelis and sanctions on Palestinians during a four-day tour, and try to find ways to help.


Palestinian foreign minister in Ankara Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki arrived in Ankara on Thursday.



A Palestinian Nation-Building Movement for the 21st Century has been Born Sponsored by The Center for Human Emergence Middle East, the event inaugurated the "Palestine 21" project which aims to empower Palestinian citizens to design their own state.


Conflict Brews Over Palestinians Airing Views in the Pews of Pasadena


Denmark stirs Mideast anger over Mohammed cartoon Interesting timing on that one too.


Bringing Down the New Berlin Walls


Israeli experts propose radical changes to West Bank closure regime A team of Israeli security experts has devised a plan to replace the existing closure regime in the West Bank with an alternative system which they say will offer Israel security while easing restrictions on Palestinians and allowing their economy to grow.



Make peace, not war Numerous subjects will be addressed both analytically and artistically: Rola Karam, a former Christian Palestinian citizen of Israel, will introduce a documentary in which she unexpectedly discovered the fate of a cousin of her parents. The cousin was killed by invading Israeli troops in 1948 during the evacuation of the Palestinian village of Eilaboun.


Syria threatens war lawsuit against US Syria plans to sue the U.S. for supplying arms to Israel that later killed Syrians in its 2006 war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, the Syrian foreign minister said Thursday, a day after Washington announced new sanctions against Damascus.


Massive Attack to curate Meltdown Last year they played two benefit gigs for the Hoping Foundation.
The charity offers support to Palestinian children living in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East.



Secretary-General, in message to Palestinian Rights Committee, says improving situation on ground urgent, but events this year have hindered progress a number of events this year have hindered the progress. Israeli military operations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Palestinian rocket and mortar attacks on southern Israel and settlement expansion, especially in and around East Jerusalem, have all had a negative effect on the renewed political process.


'The Band's Visit' a wistful charmer The handsome trumpet player Khaled (the dreamy Saleh Bakri, who is actually Palestinian) has no regard for Tewfiq's authority. Khaled is the designated flirter of the group, dispatched to ask directions and favors. There's a trailer on right on this page.


Jewish functionaries are stirring up the Clinton-Obama race Obama is working hard to allay the fears of "Israel's friends," a description reserved mainly for activists of the pro-Israeli lobby AIPAC and for Malcolm Hoenlein, the executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents. As far as they're concerned, whoever doesn't support the Israeli government's policy 100 percent is unfit for leadership


As victims become victimizers, crimes cannot be forgotten


Gaza's vehicles stop engines in protest against the Israeli siege


We just disagree For the past couple of weeks, CAMERA and other like-minded readers have come after me for chastising the organization's attempts to block the appearance here Friday and Saturday (Feb. 15-16) of the Rev. Naim Ateek, a Palestinian Christian who espouses nonviolence but employs harsh and destructive rhetoric. Lots of letters, angry phone calls, and a threat from CAMERA that if I didn't meet their minimum standards of contrition they would send out an e-mail blast summoning their supporters to deluge the Journal with demands for an apology.


Palestinian President meets parliament speaker Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Abu Mazen, has met in Sana'a with the Speaker of the Parliament Yahya Ali al-Ra'ei.


Gaza print journalists to get training on investigative reporting


Sinatra reportedly helped run guns to Israel Kollek needed to pay the captain of a ship a cash bribe to smuggle the weapons out of New York harbor, but knew he was being watched by the FBI because the United States was party to an arms embargo of all parties to the conflict.


Arrests at Agrexco demo Two pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested outside the UK headquarters of the Israeli agricultural distributors Carmel Agrexco in Hayes, Middlesex, on Monday.