Headlines for 03-25-08

Czech PM invites his Palestinian counterpart to Prague


Iran's lethal uranium plans: US Cheney, however, did not mention on what he based his accusation. That's likely because it was Israel that fed him that load of bull on one of the two recent visits therein.


Palestinians Rebuild Homes Demolished by Military in Qawewis Palestinian villagers from throughout the South Hebron Hills will gather
Friday, 28 March, in the village of Qawewis to begin rebuilding homes
demolished on 19 March, 2008 by the Israeli military. This nonviolent
solidarity action will begin at 10:00AM.


Obama 'disagrees' with ex-general adviser "I think that everybody understands that a settlement of the Arab-Israeli problem would require the Israelis to stop settling the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and maybe even withdraw some of the settlements that've already been put there. And nobody wants to take on that problem. It's just too tough politically." Right on, Gen. McPeak.


Cheney Tells Israel He Will Counter 'Iran threat' US Vice President Dick Cheney speaking with Israeli president Shimon Peres on Sunday promised that Washington would do everything in its powers to counter Iran's 'nuclear threat against Israel'.


US queries value of UN council's Mideast meetings These "do little to help advance the cause of peace or help the Palestinian people in any tangible way," he told the 15-nation council.


Four Palestinians kidnapped in Balata refugee camp


Israel okays deployment of Palestinian forces in W Bank


PM-Cheney meeting shrouded in mystery US Vice President Dick Cheney's second meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Monday morning, like their first meeting Saturday night, was shrouded in mystery, leading to speculation among diplomatic officials that the focus was on how to stop Iran's nuclear program.


Israel-French program connects thousands of Palestinians to Israeli electricity grid Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank are hooking up to Israel's electricity grid. The joint Israeli-French program benefits about 15,000 Palestinians in 27 villages in the northern West Bank near the town of Jenin.


Israeli army force kidnaps Palestinian farmer in northern Gaza


Egypt: 126 Palestinians wounded in Gaza fly to Turkey for treatment Egyptian state media says 126 Palestinians who were wounded in recent fighting between Israeli troops and militants in the Gaza Strip were flown to Turkey for treatment.


Israeli police ban Palestinian event Israeli police on Tuesday broke up a Palestinian event meant to promote Jerusalem as the world's next "Arab Cultural Capital."


UN chief concerned about renewed violence in Gaza


EU releases 300 million euros in aid for Palestinians


Blair says urgent need for Middle East progress Palestinians and Israelis must try to improve living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to keep the peace process alive ahead of a visit by U.S. President George W. Bush in May, peace envoy Tony Blair said on Tuesday.


Israel backs larger deployment of Palestinian forces Israel said on Tuesday it would allow up to 600 members of a Palestinian security force trained in Jordan under a U.S. programme to be deployed in a West Bank city once considered a hotbed of militant activity.


IDF nabbed wanted Palestinian involved in soldier's death The 23-year-old Salem admitted to being involved in numerous shooting attacks and explosive device attacks on IDF troops in the Nablus area. He also confessed to complicity in a car bombing directed at forces in Nablus in October 2006.


Algerian FM, Palestinian official stresses importance of Arab solidarity


First Presbyterian?s refurbished wheelchairs headed to Palestine ''We're seeing a lot of families where the monthly income is $10 to $20,'' he said. ''There's no way these people could afford a wheelchair without the love and compassion of people in this program.''


Republican Jewish group wants Obama adviser canned The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) called on Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Tuesday to remove military adviser and national campaign co-chairman Gen. Tony McPeak from his team, citing past statements McPeak has made about the Middle East that the RJC finds troubling.


Hamas: PA forces arrest 9 of the movement members in the West Bank


Lebanon not to attend Arab summit A government minister said parliament's repeated failure to elect a president had made it impossible for Lebanon to attend the meeting.


New research! Peace means war!


Jewish state not as Jewish by '30 Nearly one-third of Israelis will be non-Jewish by 2030, according to government projections. Oh dear.


Israel's U.N. envoy sees 'worrisome trends' Dan Gillerman, speaking to the Security Council during its monthly meeting on the Middle East, noted "a particularly worrisome trend when it comes to the discourse concerning our region. Some have a penchant for equating the lawful actions of states in defense of their citizens with the violence of terrorists whose goal is to endanger those very civilians. The world is entirely too familiar with Israel's doublespeak and hypocrisy.


Study: Peace presents risks for airlines Tuegeman said Israel did not take into sufficient consideration, when it made peace with Jordan and Egypt, that it was effectively opening up its airspace to civilian planes that easily could be commandeered by Arab terrorists for 9/11-style ramming attacks


Israeli commentator defends settlers COMPARING Palestinian calls for the eradication of Jewish settlements in the West Bank to a "judenrein" (the Nazi word for an area free of Jews), a visiting Israeli commentator has also lambasted critics who called the settlements an obstacle to peace.
Calling for the end of the illegal Israeli settlements is more like calling for the end of Israel's LEBENSRAUMISM.


Holy Land's 'suffering servants' need advocacy, solidarity, Presiding Bishop urges With an invitation to "come and see for yourself," Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori concluded her March 16-24 pastoral visit to the Holy Land recognizing the need for people worldwide to understand the plight of Palestinian Christians


A Book Americans Must Read Before Time Runs Out by Michael Scheuer "[The Gallup data shows that] contrary to what the 'They Hate Our Freedom' thesis might predict, Muslims do not recommend or insist upon changes to Western culture or social norms as the path to better [Western-Muslim] relations. ? Rather they call on the West to show greater respect for Islam, and they emphasize policy-related issues [U.S. interventionism; unqualified support for Israel; and protection for authoritarian Arab regimes]" (159).


French aliyah down under Sarkozy French Jewish emigration to Israel has plummeted since Nicolas Sarkozy took office, data suggest. Oh dear.