Headlines for 03-12-08

Israelis kill four in West Bank Hours later, Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip fired at least four rockets at the Israeli town of Sderot.


Gaza's isolation gives rise to growing legion of poor One of the most crowded places on Earth, the Gaza Strip is struggling with a crippling embargo imposed by Israel, which has sealed its 1.5 million people off from all but vital aid.


Israel isn't creating basis for peace-UN Israel's treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza is not helping to create a basis for peace and could cause lasting damage to Gaza's economy, the United Nations' top humanitarian official said on Wednesday......Holmes reiterated the U.N. position that the blockade was a form of "collective punishment" for the population of Gaza, which would constitute a violation of international law.


Death toll from Gazan patients kept waiting by the Israeli closure of Gaza reaches 107


Rice: No money to settlements "I can assure you that we are following very closely to assure that U.S. dollars are not being used to support the settlement activity." Liar.


Palestinians: Israeli rescued from Ramallah mob PA security forces report assisting Israeli citizen who entered West Bank city by mistake, transferring him to local police station. Report not confirmed by Israel


Rabbi Ovadia Yosef?s son: We must repay our enemies in kind Less than a day after publication of reports that rabbis are granting halachic sanction to harm Arabs, various right-wing rabbis publish circular urging followers to ?fight the enemy tit for tat?


Israel urges more pressure on Iran's leaders "We must increase the pressure on the Iranian leadership now if we want to avoid difficult dilemmas in the future," Tzipi Livni said in a speech to Massachusetts state lawmakers after a visit to Washington this week. Whose war is it?


Goods enter Gaza through three newly open crossings UN spokesperson Marie Okabe said Wednesday that some goods were entering Gaza through three open crossings.


Umm al-Fahm braces for possible retribution for Jerusalem attack The Umm al-Fahm Municipality has decided to contract a private security firm, fearing acts of retribution by Jewish radicals might plague the northern Israeli city following the deadly attack on Mercaz Harav yeshiva, last Thursday.


Poll: Palestinians yearn for peace The survey from the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion found that 73 percent of Palestinians asked supported the present lull in clashes with their Israeli neighbors, and 67.4 percent favored seeing Hamas back away from a "military decision" in the conflict.


Abbas: IDF operation in Bethlehem a barbaric crime


Israel and the U.S. / Washington dissatisfied with Israel's footdragging in W. Bank Tension between Jerusalem and Washington is intensifying over the latter's frustration over the stasis in the West Bank, especially with regard to the removal of roadblocks and the evacuation of settlement outposts. The Americans feel that Israel is not keeping its promises to improve the day-to-day life of West Bank Palestinians. Israel, not keep its promises? How can it be possible? ..... And who wears the pants here? Really.


Israeli army kidnaps five teenagers from villages near Tulkarem


Rightist leaflets call on followers to raze terrorist's home While authorities are examining the possible legal implications of destroying the home of the terrorist who carried out the attack on the Mercaz Harav yeshiva in Jerusalem, several right-wing groups announced Wednesday that they intend to destroy the murderer's Jabel Mukaber home themselves.


Livni to Obama: There is a direct link between Iran and terror Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni reiterated for United States presidential hopeful Barack Obama on Tuesday Israel's position on the negative influence of Iran on the region


HEBRON UPDATE: 07-14 February 2008 Then the CPTers and other internationals watched a video of a Palestinian family living in a valley below the Kiryat Arba settlement. On 12 January, settlers attacked the family. The military did little to prevent Israeli settlers from throwing stones, but physically restrained Palestinians from retaliating. The settlers injured twelve Palestinians. Four went to the hospital, and two of them required stitches. The Israeli authorities arrested two seriously injured Palestinians and denied them medical treatment


Hamas calls for truce and outlines terms


Jews, Muslims sing for Gilad Shalit


Russia to extradite Israeli wanted by Colombia for allegedly training guerillas


Israel accuses al-Jazeera of bias The station's Jerusalem bureau chief denied bias and said Israel was trying to influence media coverage. Why, Israel would NEVER do THAT..unthinkable!


Cheney says US needs missile defense In addition to potential threats from North Korea, Cheney emphasized what he said was a growing threat from both Iran and Syria.

It's laughable that Iran and Syria are a threat to THIS NATION. We all know which nation they purportedly threaten.


Israeli hardliners 'will walk out' when Merkel addresses Knesset in German


The fifth Station: Simon of Cyrene is made to carry the cross


Jewish community has warm feelings for Spitzer successor He's great," said New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who represents predominantly Orthodox Jewish areas in Brooklyn.
Hikind told JTA he considers Paterson his closest friend in Albany. .....In October he visited Israel for the first time on a trip organized through Project Interchange, a program sponsored by the American Jewish Committee to bring American leaders to Israel. The trip, which focused on energy issues, also afforded Paterson a private audience with Israeli President Shimon Peres.



Hikind is virulently pro-Israel.


Yeshiva gunman's home may be razed Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter called Wednesday for the family home of Ala Abu Dhaim, the Palestinian who killed eight yeshiva students before being shot dead, to be razed as a punitive measure.


Livni talks to Clinton, McCain A short message from the Israeli embassy Wednesday noted that Livni "updated the candidates on the Middle East situation and expressed gratitude for their actions and expressions of support for Israel." It also noted that she would meet with McCain next week when he leads a congressional delegation to Israel.


Israel's actions belie its claims to want peace


Palestinian Swimmer 6 SECONDS Away from World Record


The Arab-Israeli Conflict Freud would not have been surprised at the continuing conflict in the Middle East. He predicted as much 70 years ago.


Israeli official: Israel, U.S. united in fight against terrorism And not coincidentally, it was our support of Israel that spawned this whole thing. We've been dragged into Israel's war with the Arabs - cui bono? Who benefits? is ever the question that must be asked about Middle Eastern terror.


Syria blasts 'hypocritical' addition to US torture blacklist "The deaf ear turned by the US adminstration towards the recent Israeli human rights violations in the Gaza Strip and its killings of children, shows how little importance it attaches to human rights. It's the last country in the world that should be given the job of assessing human rights records."


Palestinian envoy backs bigger Indian role in Middle East peace 'The international community must intervene to bring an end to the brutal occupation of Palestine by Israel,'


US support for Egypt hints at shift on Hamas


Poll: Nearly 50% of Israeli Jews don't want to live near Arabs


Visiting Obama Mideast advisor: 'Obama would be great for Israel' Levine, a former congressman from Los Angeles known in the Jewish community for his staunchly pro-Israel positions and record in Washington, was in Israel last week on a private visit. While he was here he took some time to lobby for Obama, a man whom he said would be "great" to Israel. For which country is Obama running for president?


Heads of Churches in Jerusalem send condolences to Israeli and Palestinian leaders


PM snubbed from all sides over Israeli motion Mrs Irwin said she had become a strong supporter of Palestine after visiting refugee camps there. On her birthday last year, a family of 18 Palestinians was killed in their beds by mistake by the Israeli military.


Israeli foreign minister to meet governor, address lawmakers Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will meet today with Governor Deval Patrick and House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi before giving an address at the State House.


Livni: Israel's international image a far cry from reality "Sometimes there is a very big difference between Israel's international image and it's realities," said Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni Wednesday, appearing before Massachusetts state lawmakers. Shysters to the core.


Viewpoint: A new student group status quo Unlike most advocacy organizations that endeavor to right some current injustice, I believe that the pro-Israel community seeks to maintain the status quo, be it just, unjust or simply detestable.


CCD demands accountability on Canadian aid to Palestinians CCD voiced its deep concern that "?Canadian tax dollars continue to fund the glorification of terror, the incitement of children and adults, a steady diet of Jew-hatred, and endless dependency on foreign aid, all being promoted by the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority and its military wing Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a designated terrorist entity in Canada." CDD sounds an awful lot like a pro-Israel front. Canada is looking more and more like America by the day. And they, along with Australia and Britain, will wind up like America if these Israeli lobbies continue to get their way therein.


New Yorkers Rally for Jerusalem With Concert Rabbi Lerner said every city in the U.S. should be holding awareness-raising events to let Jews know that Jerusalem is on the table. He also offered to help anyone who wants to create an event for that purpose The legal status of East Jerusalem, according to international law, is that of OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN territory.


Gaza girls in Israel for heart surgery Israeli and Palestinian heart surgeons teamed up Wednesday to operate on three young girls from the Gaza Strip under a program to save children's lives despite hostilities between the Hamas-ruled territory and the Jewish state.


Rabbis demand 'measure for measure' A group of right-wing rabbis issued a statement Wednesday calling on Jews to take revenge on their enemies "measure for measure." A far cry from the preachings of other religious leaders.


World Evangelical Alliance head on the long road to peace in the Holy Land Tourism is one of the ways we can support Christians in the West Bank. Whilst there has been a steady rising tide of tourism into Israel, the network of security checks makes it challenging for tour buses to get into the West Bank. Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, the site that we should be spending time at, is difficult to get to, and because of that, tourist visits and pilgrimages have been impacted......Many Christians had to leave Bethlehem because of the economic situation brought on by the downturn of tourism, which is the primary funding mechanism in Bethlehem


Chile: Palestinians look for a new future in South America A group of 117 Palestinian refugees trapped in the no-man's land between the Syrian and Iraqi borders are migrating to the Chilean capital, Santiago, to begin a new life.


Lyon police disperse anti-Israel rally during Peres visit


Living In-Between In this place of the Incarnation, where Mary became pregnant with the Christ child, Palestinian Christians have borne witness to the Gospel through times of peace and turmoil since their first-century ancestors. It is a land that has been fought over and forgotten ? the small strip of land to which God sent His Son to dwell among us. Forgotten is how today's Palestinian Christians feel ? forgotten by the world and particularly by other Christians.