Headlines for 03-05-08

Conditions in Gaza 'the worst since 1967' The British Government should end its boycott of Hamas and work to lift a crippling blockade of Gaza which has left humanitarian conditions at their worst level for 40 years, the top UK charities say today.


Eitam to Arab MKs: Day will come when we will banish you Religious MK says Arab lawmakers who participated in 'treacherous' Umm al-Fahm protest against IDF operation should be 'expelled to Gaza'; El-Sana: Eitam should stand trial for his actions during first intifada


Sanctions causing Gaza to implode, say rights groups The appeal follows a report by John Dugard, the UN special rapporteur on Palestinian human rights in the occupied territories, in which he described Palestinian terrorism as the "inevitable consequence" of Israeli occupation and laws that resemble apartheid


Abbas ready to restart dialogue with Israel


Carter, Annan want to talk truce According to Israel's Army Radio, Jerusalem opposes the initiative but has yet to make a final decision.


Rice backs P.A. security funding The U.S. secretary of state, on a swing through the Middle East to bolster the faltering Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, was responding to an article in Vanity Fair that contended that a U.S.-led effort to arm the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip led to last summer's civil war there between Hamas and Fatah and competing Palestinian governments in Gaza and the West Bank.


Israel arrests 27 Palestinians in West Bank


Qassam attacks continue as security cabinet convenes Three rockets fired from north Gaza land in open fields, no injures reported. Security officials present cabinet with various alternatives to broad ground incursion


Afghans protest Danish cartoons, Israel raids Around five thousand Afghans staged a protest on Wednesday to condemn the reprinting of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammad in Danish papers, and Israeli raids on Gaza that have killed scores of Palestinians.



Israeli troops open fire at a taxi near Ramallah, injure driver


Rocket salvos hit southern Israel


Palestinian farmer critically wounded by Israeli army gunfire in Bil?in


Israeli shot south of Hebron According to IDF sources, the man entered the village in a bid to sell his car to one of the locals, and was shot during a quarrel with one of the residents.


Soldiers 'fought like lions' during Gaza op As rumors swirled as to whether the IDF planned to initiate another limited-scale operation in Gaza this week, commanders of the Givati Infantry Brigade and the Armored Corps' 188th Brigade complimented their soldiers on displaying a "fighting spirit" in the operations earlier this week. To be expected from yellow bellies who killed many civilians - including babies -in that 'battle'.


Funeral held for baby killed in Israeli raid


West Bank Barriers Keep Rising Despite Promises of Relief


EU pushes for deal to reopen Gaza-Egypt border The European Union said on Monday it was pushing for agreement between Cairo, Israel and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to reopen Egypt's border crossing with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.


Carter, Annan plan visit to Israel, Gaza to help negotiate ceasefire Former US president Jimmy Carter and former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan wish to arrive in Israel in the coming months in order to help negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Army Radio reported.


UN gets 148 million dollars in US aid pledge for Palestinians


Arab ministers condemn Israeli "crimes of war" The Arab League condemned Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip as "crimes against humanity" on Wednesday


Israeli Arab jailed in "honor killing"


Kucinich secures nomination U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) beat a challenger to his House seat who was financed in part by pro-Israel donors. Score one for the good guys.


Lowey, Ros-Lehtinen seek hold on P.A. cash Ros-Lehtinen has nothing better to do than propose legislation on behalf of a nation other than the one she was elected to serve.


House defends Israel on Gaza The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution strongly defending how Israel has repelled rocket attacks. How exactly is this a matter for Capitol Hill? Which nation were they elected to serve?


Hezbollah says it is prepared for war


US warship leaves Lebanon for Gulf AFTER providing Israel with cover to massacre many Palestinian civilians - including children.


Cole replaced off Lebanon by two US warships: official Two US warships have taken up position in the eastern Mediterranean off Lebanon, replacing the USS Cole, a US Navy official said Wednesday.


The Fourth Station ? Jesus Meets His Mother On the Way


Bush optimistic of Mid-East peace


Calls for an immediate ceasefire Israel must stop its attacks on the Gaza Strip. A ceasefire must be put in place with immediate effect, says Norwegian People's Aid Secretary General, Petter Eide.


'It's our duty to show the right way to Israel,' says Turkish envoy Turkey did the right thing by criticizing Israel, its strategic ally, for its use of disproportionate force in Gaza that has killed dozens of civilians, Turkey's top diplomat in Israel said Monday.


'Stop the slaughter in Gaza'... Palestinian immigrants, holding their national flag and lighted candles, staged a rally outside Parliament in central Athens yesterday to protest Israel?s ongoing military offensive in the Gaza Strip


Nowhere To Run To The carnage continues, in what Israelis call self-defence. On Feb. 29, Israeli deputy defence minister Matan Vilnai threatened "Shoah" (holocaust) on Gaza in response to home-made Qassam rocket fire directed at the Israeli colony Sedrot, which resulted in the death of three Israelis.


Safieh pleads for more U.S. involvement Safieh was introduced by Cornell University President David Skorton, who described him as a ?frank and engaging advocate of Palestinian points of view.?


Congress Defends Gaza Assault 404-1 Today Congress passed a resolution (HR 951) condemning Palestinian rocket attacks that include a strident defense of recent Israeli tactics in the Gaza Strip. The resolution also condemned Iran and Syria for "sponsoring terror attacks," and demanded that Saudi Arabia publicly condemn Palestinian actions.


Gaza Bombshell In a story titled "Gaza Bombshell," this week, Vanity Fair reported that the Palestinian civil war that killed dozens last summer was, in fact, the failed product of an American-backed attempt to oust the democratically-elected Hamas. News that the U.S. had backed such a plan, of course, isn't really news (reports of the U.S. arming Fatah have long circulated), but it should be


Palestinian drag queens at odds with nearly everyone For most like The Bride, being gay makes them pariahs in their conservative Arab communities. Being proud Palestinians puts them at odds with the dominant Jewish-Israeli society. So they try to take a stand against bigotry in both societies without being firmly rooted in either one.


Thousands stage anti-Israeli protests in Yemen


73 MKs sign petition to keep Palestinian refugees out of Israel


Americans have a favorable view of Israel, especially Republicans The most surprising Arab country in this poll is Egypt, with 61% favorability, and only 26% of Americans mentioning it in the unfavorable column - just one percent more than Israel. The Israeli lobby makes sure, via its 'watchdog' outfits especially and many friends in our media, that Israel is portrayed favorably. That explains why Americans hold such a view.


German MP wants anti-Israel employee fired


Australia Gets Key UN Post In Middle East The Secretary-General of the United Nations has announced the appointment of Maxwell Gaylard of Australia as Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. In his new capacity, Gaylard will also serve as UN Coordinator for humanitarian and development activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.