Sunday, August 31, 2008

Headlines for 08-31-08

Report: Russia threatens to arm Iran Russia could supply Iran with a top new missile system if the United States pushes NATO membership for Georgia and Ukraine....The news has raised alarms in the United States and Israel


Abbas and Olmert meet for talks the Palestinians have said they will not sign a partial deal


Egypt opens Gaza border crossing Only those requiring medical treatment, along with holders of foreign residency permits, will be permitted to leave.


Israel opens Al Aqsa mosque to some Palestinians for Ramadan


Abbas rejects Olmert's idea of interim peace deal President Mahmoud Abbas told Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert at a summit on Sunday he was still committed to a comprehensive peace deal but ruled out any partial agreement, a Palestinian negotiator said.


Israel favours Mideast peace deal without Jerusalem International law dictates that East Jerusalem is Israeli-OCCUPIED territory, not Israeli-OWNED. Israel has no legal claim thereof no matter how many illegal settlements and 'apartments' it builds therein.


Islamic Jihad threatens Israel with 'the fires of hell' "We will unleash the fires of hell if the Zionist enemy continues its crimes," said the group's military chief Abu Hamzeh after the parade by around 800 Islamic Jihad members, an AFP journalist reported.


Israel tightens grip on West Bank's Jordan Valley Avinadav Vitkon, an Israeli freelance writer, is putting down roots in this strip of West Bank land known as the Jordan Valley, helping to establish a new Jewish settlement with his government's backing. Palestinian farmer Jasser Daraghmeh is barely hanging on to the 10 acres he says have been in his family for years. Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian land are a violation of article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention; war crimes. The Associated Press, acting in its usual pro-Israel capacity, fails to mention this important fact.


Egypt says Arab force for Gaza may help stop violence Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on Saturday an Arab force for the Gaza Strip could help stop violence there, and the idea should be taken seriously, Egypt's state news agency MENA reported.


Iran warns any attack would start 'world war' In recent months, several Israeli politicians have talked of the possibility of a preemptive military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities to avoid any possibility of Tehran acquiring an atomic weapon.


Tensions rise as Gaza doctors strike against Hamas sackings The doctors went on strike Saturday to protest the sacking of some 50 doctors and other health workers by the Hamas-run health ministry, saying the decision was politically motivated.


Lebanon deminers hang up their detectors as funds dry up The demining teams have been working all-out to clear the more than one million cluster bombs Israel dropped throughout south Lebanon during the last days of its devastating 34-day war with Hezbollah in the summer of 2006...."Many of the bombs were dropped on agricultural lands, which means farmers are staying away from their land,"....."The United Nations has repeatedly requested cluster bomb data from Israel (including maps and the type of ordnance dropped), but in two years plus, we still haven't received the requested data," No kidding?


Sex, love, violence - first Palestinian soap ready to air - Feature


Stolen gas canisters were Gaza-bound The largest illegal fuel depot in Israel's history was discovered yesterday when National Infrastructure Ministry inspectors raided a warehouse in Ashkelon's southern industrial zone. The warehouse, owned by a former defense establishment employee, housed more than 1,700 containers of cooking gas, or about 100 tons of fuel.


Israeli guards refuse to let int'l activists leave Gaza byland The refusal happened on Friday when Bill Dienst, a doctor from U.S., and British journalist Lauren Booth, accompanied by some sick Palestinians who need special medical care, attempted to exit Gaza via the Eretz Crossing into Israel after their U.S.-based movement finished its days-long protests against the Israeli siege


User-generated anti-Israel markings on Google Earth to have to go through new filter A new super-layer of geographic information in the popular Google Earth program now requires corroboration before user-generated content can be added to the default map display. The move means that anti-Israel markings placed by a Jenin resident are no longer visible to users when they first open the program.


GAZA STRIP: The Fulbright mystery On Aug. 5, the State Department abruptly canceled the visas for the remaining three Fulbright students. Abed found out when he touched down in Dulles airport in Washington.....State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said the visas were revoked after the U.S. "received additional information" about the students from Israel....If the extra evidence reportedly revealed by the Israelis was so convincing that it compelled the State Department to reverse course in a matter of hours, then why wasn?t it provided earlier -- like before Washington went to the trouble and considerable expense of shipping in specialized equipment? Good question.


Israel Turns Gaza Into Prison For UConn Fulbright Scholar


Gaza students denied chance to study abroad


Global energy companies promoting Iran The Anti-Defamation League on Friday criticized the companies for "hindering the effort to isolate Iran." THe ADL = agent of Israel.


The Israeli ambassador is wrong The Israeli ambassador's article yesterday was astonishing in its disregard for the facts. To argue that Israel is not to blame for the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is an incredible attempt to rewrite history.


CNN video on Palestinians' right of return, Lebanon refugee camp


'McCain VP choice unknown to US Jews' "Sarah's absolutely pro-Israel," he said, referring to conversations with her and comments she's made about Israel's security and its importance to the United States. He noted that as governor she signed a resolution honoring Israel for its 60th birthday. David Gottstein, who is active with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Alaska, said he had spoken to the governor about arranging a trip to Israel, but scheduling conflicts had kept it from happening to date


The stubborn hunker down in New Orleans as hordes flee "I'm all American, but my family history is Palestinian so we are used to evacuating," Abbyad quipped as he screwed sheets of plywood to windows.


Gazan phone squad champions Obama


Demonstration protests Steiner deal with Iran Pro-Israel groups demonstrated in Siegen, Germany to protest a major business deal between a local firm and Iran.

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Headlines for 08-29-08

Palestinian killed in landmine explosion The area was previously an Israeli army camp and the landmine was a leftover by the army, the report said.


Israeli activist detained on return from Gaza protest An Israeli who sailed to the Gaza Strip with a group of pro-Palestinian activists was in police custody on Wednesday after returning to Israel overland from the besieged enclave.


Israeli settlement growth nearly doubles since 2007


Palestinian herders hard-hit by drought, Israeli restrictions The patchwork of Israeli settlements, military zones and barriers that truncate the West Bank, as well as a strict permit system in areas under full Israeli control, prevent herds from reaching grazing areas and makes access to water difficult, according to humanitarian organisations.


Egypt urges end to Israel threats Egypt has urged Israel to stop making threats against Lebanon, its foreign minister said on a visit to Beirut.


Africa states to raise Palestinian issue at U.N. forum African countries recommended on Tuesday that a U.N. forum on racism next year discuss concerns over the treatment of Palestinians in the Middle East, an issue that has led some countries to consider not participating.


Palestinian woman given care after 20 years in cellar A charity in the West Bank offered shelter on Wednesday to a mentally handicapped Palestinian woman whose father had made her live for most of the past 20 years in a room under his house.


Hamas reopens 70 civil organizations in Gaza Hamas authorities in Gaza on Monday opened 70 civil organizations and charities they closed last month during a crackdown on the rival Fatah movement.


Israeli siege on Gaza Sea hardens Palestinian fishing Israel limited the fishing area to three miles from the shoreline that it was used to be 20 miles before, making it impossible to Gaza's Sindibad and some 3,000 others of his colleagues to catch much fish as they used to


Gaza blockade protesters set sail back to Cyprus Pro-Palestinian activists who sailed to the Gaza Strip in symbolic defiance of an Israeli blockade headed back to Cyprus on Thursday with seven residents of the besieged territory on board their two boats.


Israel reopens Gaza crossings after two-day closure Israel on Thursday reopened its border crossings with the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, two days after they were shut in response to rocket attacks.


Israel settlement surge draws Rice criticism Israel's Peace Now group, citing data from the Central Bureau of Statistics, said construction had begun on more than 443 structures in settlements in the occupied West Bank since January compared with 240 starts in the same period in 2007.


Israel arrests 17 Palestinians in West Bank


Source: Israel ready to stop Iranian nukes The Jerusalem Post said that members of the Israeli government are moving forward with precautionary plans including the purchase of advanced warplanes and receiving permission to use U.S.-controlled Iraqi airspace. Israel is a bellicose nation hell bent on dragging my country into yet another war on their behalf. All support thereof should be halted immediately for the sake of this nation - AMERICA.


Israel accelerates West Bank settlements despite peace talks


Israel court jails Hamas mayor for six years


Palestinian factions reject deploying Arab security forces in Gaza The proposal to redeploy Arab security forces in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip has been widely rejected by most of the Palestinian factions, which was even compared to a new occupation of Gaza similar to the one Israel ended in September 2005.


McCain hammers Obama on Iran "Terrorism, destroying Israel, those aren't "serious threats"?


Ads pushing Iran strike show Denver under missile attack from Boulder The Boulder attack ad shows a map of Denver being hit by flaming missiles, then an image of Israel being hit by the same weapons. It then displays an image of Iran, followed by ominous missile launches, a photograph of a man with a black hood over his face, Iran's president, and a silhouetted traveler with a suitcase.
Americans receive more (than their usual) propaganda from a pro-Israel outfit. At what point will Americans finally rise up and send these traitors packing? An attack on Iran is not in America's interest - ask Gates, Mullen , and those in the Pentagon who refuse to go along with it. Those that advocate a policy that endangers America to further a nation other than this one are in fact TRAITORS. And they should be shown the door.


Iran says can hit Israel with missiles if attacked Iran could hit back at Israel with missiles if the Jewish state attacked it and could also rely on allies in the region to strike, the commander of the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday.


AIPAC: We like Biden Biden does have a long record of working with AIPAC and Israel.


Jewish Paramilitary 'Prepares For The Worst' No, they're not young Israeli recruits to the Israel Defense Forces, as you may have imagined, but 15 American-Jewish men who signed up for training this summer with Kitat Konenut, a Jewish paramilitary group formed three years ago. The trainees were all in their 20s, said one of the group's founders, Scott Brown, and their instructors were all veterans of the IDF, all with varying degrees of counterterrorism training. .....In fact, Stern continued, the group hopes to work with the New York Police Department and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and has loose connections with officials of both agencies.. Really now. Why would former IDF have connection to both agencies?


IRAQ: Some Palestinian refugees to get special IDs The Iraqi government has launched a registration process for Palestinian refugees who arrived between 1948 and 1967 - and their descendants - to help ensure they benefit from government aid programmes.


Israeli radio bans ad criticizing Gaza policy Submitted by a group working for freedom of movement for Palestinians, the ads target Israeli sanctions that have trapped hundreds of Gaza students who hoped to study abroad. The group, Gisha, is appealing the decision.


Carter shunted to sidelines at Democratic Convention The Obama campaign, meanwhile, has been keen to project a pro-Israel image in the face of a prolonged and large-scale e-mail campaign which has accused the Democratic candidate of being pro-Palestinian and a closet Muslim


Report: Guards regularly abuse inmates


Jimmy Carter Conspicuously Absent From Podium Former president Jimmy Carter?s controversial views on Israel cost him a place on the podium at the Democratic Party convention in late August, senior Democratic operatives acknowledged to the Forward


Israel arrests 4 Gaza fishermen


Palestinian village sues Canadian builders over Israeli settlement A West Bank village is suing two Quebec-based companies for $2 million, alleging they violated international law by building Israeli settlements on occupied territory.


Israel won't allow Iranian nukes A government committee is preparing a contingency plan to attack Iran, should diplomatic efforts to derail Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program fail, the paper reported.


6 Israelis charged with drug trafficking in Calif. A man suspected of being one of Israel's most powerful crime bosses is charged with using a Los Angeles gang to distribute a million Ecstasy pills and paying one of the gang's members to kill a man for stealing a large drug shipment.


Iraq's Palestinians still live in fear The doors are even mostly closed to the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel controls the borders, and rarely grants residency to Palestinian exiles.


Iraq's Palestinians still live in fear The doors are even mostly closed to the Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza. Israel controls the borders, and rarely grants residency to Palestinian exiles.


Blair 'underappreciated' by Palestinians


Abbas: no to settlement of refugees in Lebanon


Iconic Palestinian headscarf outgrows Mideast conflict Anti-war activists and fashionistas have carried the iconic Palestinian keffiyeh across the globe, but in the West Bank producers of the headscarf are struggling to compete with Chinese imports.


Man imprisons his mentally ill children for 20 years


Charley Reese Writes for the Last Time


On Mideast, McCain surrogates at convention likely to echo Bush When it comes to Israel and how to deal with Iran, Republicans are happy to tout the Arizona senator's consistency with the Bush presidency and his differences with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), his Democratic rival. With AIPAC stoolie Biden in the Dem corner, and McCain in the Republican corner, Americans cannot win when it comes to electing a president that puts the interests of America first.


Summer camp sows seeds of peace Every year the youth organisation, Seeds of Peace, brings 340 teenagers to this remote site. Most are from Israel, the Palestinian territories and other parts of the Arab world.


Obama derides GOP 'tough talk' on Israel Barack Obama said Republican "tough talk" was not protecting Israel.


UNIFIL denies reports of Israeli incursion in south Lebanon The United Nations Interim Force in South Lebanon (UNIFIL) Monday denied reports of an Israeli incursion into southern Lebanon.



Foreign Lobbyists and the Making of US Policy The Georgia lobby and the Israel lobby have much in common, including key supporters and personnel, as well as geopolitical and economic links. Israeli defense companies, which are virtually part of the Israeli state, armed the Georgians, and the IDF trained Georgian troops in preparation for the day they would ? as the mainstream media puts it ?"retake" (i.e., invade and crush) the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. ...... In one of the most successful inversions of reality ever attempted, the Western media has convinced its audience ? and even itself ? that Russia invaded Georgia, instead of Georgia invading South Ossetia.


MKs: Say no to Palestinian hospital in Gush the area residents, including some from nearby Har Homa who joined the group, were not assuaged. For months they have been waging a grassroots campaign against the plan. 'Area residents'= illegal settlers.


Israel's Outposts Seal Death of Palestinian State These are the Jewish settlements that now form an almost complete ring around Palestinian East Jerusalem, cutting it off from the rest of the West Bank and destroying any hope that the city will one day become the capital of a Palestinian state.


Goodbye by Charley Reese


American taxpayers funding illegal Israeli settlements As Americans get poorer with rising gas and food prices, and see the rise of home foreclosures, more of their hard-earned tax dollars are sent overseas to Israel - this time to fund its illegal settlements in Palestinian Territory.


Peace team debuts at International Cup


Hezbollah hands over militant who shot at helicopter (2nd Roundup) The Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah Friday handed over to Lebanese authorities the militant who opened fire on a Lebanese army helicopter killing a crew member, official sources said.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Headlines for 08-25-08

U.S. tax breaks help Jewish settlers in West Bank The full extent of tax-exempt U.S. funding for settlements is unclear because so many groups are involved and their spending practices are not always transparent. But a review by Reuters of U.S. tax records found 13 tax-exempt organizations openly linked to settlements that have raised more than $35 million in the last five years alone.
Those settlements are a violation of article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention; war crimes. That this nation would be rewarding these folks would only happen because Capitol Hill is almost totally beholden to Israel.


Free at last: Israel releases 198 Palestinian prisoners


Palestinian president to visit Lebanon


Arab League chief hails 'daring' Gaza blockade-runners


Blockade-running boat activists tour Gaza Strip "We are thrilled to be here," said Greta Berlin, 67, an American activist and a founder of the California-based Free Gaza movement, which organised the trip.

Good for you, Greta!


Egypt steps up its war on Gaza smuggling tunnels


Palestinian fishermen test Israeli blockade on Gaza Palestinian fishing boats carrying Western activists defied an Israeli-led naval blockade of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Monday, sailing further into the Mediterranean from the Gaza coast than they have in years.


Rice in Mid East on peace mission Her visit coincides with the release of 198 Palestinian prisoners in what Israel called a goodwill gesture to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas Not a coincidence. For every 1 prisoner Israel releases as a gesture whenever some high level US official arrives, they'll gather up 4 more as soon as said official is on the departing flight.


Pieces of coexistence A mixed group of young Jewish and Arab children will try to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, together


Protest boats set to leave Gaza Activists plan to smuggle two Fulbright scholars out of Gaza by boat, and Israel does not plan to stop them.


Pentagon Finds Religious Bias In Army Probe The inspector general's report suggested that counterintelligence officers at the facility were influenced by a warning from the Defense Investigative Service (now the Defense Security Service) in 1995 that Israeli intelligence officers were trying to exploit nationalistic feelings in American Jews. The report noted that a polygraph test administered to Tenenbaum may have overstepped allowable questions and approaches, and that a request that he apply to upgrade his security clearance was a ruse to investigate his possible espionage.


Israelis gather to protest against Bedouin's death About 200 Israeli Arabs and Jews gathered Saturday afternoon in the Negev desert of southern Israel in memory of a Bedouin who died after being violently attacked by police.


My Palestinian Wife By Charley Reese The recurring Palestinian wife rumor, I believe, is a result of some people finding it impossible to believe that an American would have any sympathy for the Palestinian people without an ulterior motive


Australia has its own version of AIPAC, called "AIJAC" guess what their web site is pushing for? That's right, pushing to get Australia involved in fighting another war for Israel, with these headlines: The Israeli lobbies in Canada and Australia are almost as powerful, if not moreso, than their American counter part.


Obama: Tighten screws on Iran "My job as president would be to try to make sure that we are tightening the screws diplomatically on Iran, that we've mobilized the world community to go after Iran's program in a serious way, to get sanctions in place so that Iran starts making a difficult calculation," the presumptive Democratic nominee said Monday at a campaign event in Iowa, according to news reports. "We've got to do that before Israel feels like its back is to the wall." Really now? Which country is he looking to lead?


U.S. wants Israeli crime boss The United States has requested the extradition of the head of one of Israel's largest crime families....Abergil is accused of ordering the 2003 murder of an American drug dealer But not the one responsible for killing Rachel Corrie. Why?


Iran votes take center stage in debate over Democratic ticket "Biden has failed to recognize the serious threat that Iran poses to Israel and the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East," the Republican Jewish Coalition said in a statement. "In 1998, Sen. Biden was one of only four senators to vote against the Iran Missile Proliferation Sanctions Act, a bill that punished foreign companies or other entities that sent Iran sensitive missile technology or expertise. Biden was one of the few senators to oppose the bipartisan 2007 Kyl-Lieberman Amendment labeling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.?


Iran will hit back if Israel attacks: Hezbollah "The first shot fired from the Zionist entity towards Iran will be met by a response of 11,000 rockets in the direction of the Zionist entity. This is what military leaders in the Islamic republic have confirmed," said Mohammed Raad, the head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc. His remarks were reported by the National News Agency.


Syria-Israel talks focused on border: Moualem


Egypt unlikely to reconcile Palestinian groups


Israeli police shut down Islamic institute Police on Sunday shut down an Islamic institute in northern Israel over alleged ties with Hamas, a move that underscored government concern over Islamist influence among the Jewish state's Arab citizens.


Hezbollah chief threatens to destroy Israel Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Sunday to destroy Israel if it carries out threats to hit Lebanon should the government give greater legitimacy to the Shiite militant group.


Israel's Outposts Seal Death of Palestinian State

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Headlines for 08-23-08

Iran's Ahmadinejad in new verbal attack on Israel Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad renewed his verbal attacks on arch-foe Israel on Saturday, accusing it of dragging the world into turmoil and predicting its demise.


Questions cloud IDF probe of journo death Reuters raised eleven unanswered questions in its reply to the IDF.....The IDF's cloud of secrecy raises questions about why the communications weren't recorded and why the IDF can't explain why there is no tape......While I am currently in the US, my McClatchy colleague in Jerusalem has been asking the IDF all week for some specific information to back up their claim about Palestinians in Gaza using anti-tank missiles. So far they have provided McClatchy with nothing substantive. They've offered no dates, no specifics, no pictures, nothing.



Activist boats allowed into Gaza despite Israeli blockade Many of the activists said they had received death threats before they set sail, and some demonstrators dropped out.



Palestinian envoys head to Egypt for reconciliation talks


TIME: Breaking the Gaza Blockade It was a remarkable odyssey for the two battered ships of the "Free Gaza" movement, a U.S.-based pro-Palestinian group, which set out from Cyprus on Friday morning with few hopes of reaching Gaza. The activists, who hail from 14 countries, said that before they even set sail, they faced anonymous death threats, the mysterious drowning of one potential sponsor, and constant badgering by Israeli spies badly disguised as guitar-strumming hippies. "They kept popping up, everywhere," said Angela Godfrey-Goldstein, an organizer. "They were really annoying."


Israeli army decision endangers journalists in Gaza In the Gaza Strip, anyone with a camera is fair game. That's the inescapable conclusion from the Israeli army's investigation into why one of its tank crews fired at least two shells at a Reuters television journalist openly filming them from a mile away.


Police report of Qassam fire was erroneous Police retract Friday evening report of two Qassam rockets landing in southern Israel, point to malfunction in monitoring system


Boats with pro-Palestinian activists reach Gaza As the two boats approached the Gaza shoreline, five Palestinian boats rushed out to sea to greet them. A boy scout music band sat in one boat banging on drums and blowing horns, while another boat carried Gazan activists, holding Palestinian flags. Hundreds of Gaza residents on the shore waved and cheered as police from the ruling Hamas movement tried to prevent people from jumping into the water so the boats could land.



Israel's missile shield against Iran: Three Americans in a trailer A commander and two operators monitor missile radars in an armored trailer somewhere in Europe. Inside, they use satellite technology to track the origin and trajectory of long-range missiles. In true American fashion, each shift begins with calisthenics, followed by an intelligence briefing.
That is the envisioned routine of the U.S. team that will be responsible for protecting Israel from surface-to-surface missiles launched from Iran or Syria. Unf***ingbelievable.


Blocked Gaza aid driver set to head home JHCO sends regular aid convoys to Palestinians in Gaza and Mr Al Niss hopes the Scottish cargo, which includes much-needed medication for heart conditions and diabetes, as well as syringes, bandages, swabs, antibiotics, blood bottles for taking samples, and more advanced equipment for use in surgery, will be able to be transported over the border at last.


Hamas allows newspaper into Gaza, keeps ban on two others


Gaza policewomen say they're making strides under Hamas rule Hamas says it wants to recruit the best and brightest, regardless of gender, and improve women's status in Gaza's conservative society.


Saudi Arabia boosts dwindling Palestinian coffers "The Saudi finance minister told the Palestinian Authority that the decision was made to transfer $US100 million ($115 million)," said Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki.


Bedouin nomads under threat in Holy Land Thanks to drought and increasing Israeli security restrictions on where they can wander, their nomadic lifestyle, which predates the birth of Christ, is likely to die out within a generation.


Siniora complains to Ban over Israeli threats to attack all of Lebanon The Lebanese government sent a letter to UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Friday protesting Israeli threats to attack all of Lebanon, as media reports on Friday carried accounts of Hizbullah buying Russian weaponry and a Hizbullah official saying the group would soon take "earth-shattering" action against Israel, which will "no longer exist on the map."


Biden and the Jews: Strong ties and friendly disagreements The loquacious Biden, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 1973, has sparred frequently with the pro-Israel community and with Israelis, particularly on the issue of settlements. But he has a sterling voting record on pro-Israel issues, and has as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee helped shepherd through key pro-Israel legislation..... Biden said in an interview with Shalom TV last year, when he launched his own presidential bid. "When I was a young senator, I used to say, 'If I were a Jew I'd be a Zionist.' I am a Zionist. You don't have to be a Jew to be a Zionist.'"



Palestinian embassy in Yemen closes in protest The Palestinian embassy in Yemen said on Saturday it was closing its mission in Sanaa in protest at what it called "dual Palestinian representation," an apparent reference to an office of Hamas.


Obama played it safe, but is Biden good for Israel? Republican Jewish Coalition Executive Director Matthew Brooks explained that "with the selection of Senator Joe Biden the Democrat's ticket has become an even greater gamble for the Jewish community. Throughout his career, Senator Biden has consistently been wrong on Iran and his voting record on Israel has been inconsistent. Like Obama, Biden fundamentally misunderstands the threat posed by an Iran determined to obtain nuclear weapons. Biden has continuously demonstrated poor judgment on Iran. He has voted against significant legislation that would pressure Iran to stop pursuing nuclear weapons. Biden has failed to recognize the serious threat that Iran poses to Israel and the US and its allies in the Middle East."

Friday, August 22, 2008

Headlines for 08-22-08

U.S. won't sell refueling jets to Israel, fearing strike on Iran It emerged on Wednesday that the United States has refused to sell Jerusalem new refueling planes, fearing such a transaction could be interpreted as support for an Israeli attack on Iran.


Palestinians return to school despite hardships


Police bar east Jerusalem memorial event for Palestinian poet


Diplomatic effort on Iran nukes jeopardized by U.S.-Russia crisis The crisis between the United States and Russia has led to the suspension of diplomatic efforts to draft a new resolution imposing harsher sanctions on Iran.


Israel warns activists against sailing to Gaza Israel on Friday issued a tough threat against activists sailing toward the Gaza Strip with a delivery of humanitarian supplies, calling the mission an unacceptable provocation and saying all options were under consideration.


Intimidation will not stop our boats sailing for Gaza After months of preparation, the Free Gaza Movement's perilous relief mission is under way. But I am not with them, despite the fact that I am the only Palestinian-born organiser involved. Last week, my immediate family, who still live in the West Bank, were attacked and terrorised, and I also received numerous anonymous death threats. My family were warned that I must leave the project, and that I must not contact the media


Israel declares Gaza protest boats will not reach their destination It appears most likely that there will be a standoff with the Israeli navy later today, and that the activists will be arrested rather than being allowed into Gaza. Although Israel withdrew its soldiers and settlers from Gaza in 2005, it still controls Gaza's air space and sea space, as well as nearly all the border crossings.


Israel shuts down BBC transmitters in West Bank Israeli authorities have shut down BBC radio transmitters in the West Bank city of Hebron, accusing them of interfering with Israel's aviation communications, local daily the Jerusalem Post reported Friday. .....Meanwhile, a number of transmitters belonging to other broadcasters had also been shut down, including some inside Israel, as they were "endangering civilian aviation, a problem we have been suffering from for a long time," said the official


Russia eyes new Syria arms deal Moscow has announced it is ready to sell new weapons to Syria, triggering alarm from Israel.


Chill falls on Israeli-Russian relations Israel, which maintains friendly ties with Georgia and has sold weapons to the Eurasian country -- as have several Western nations -- fears Moscow will exact a price for this support by boosting its ties with Syria.


Israel Project launches TV ads Two ads, one focusing on Israel's role in creating energy independence from Middle East oil and the other on Iran's backing for terrorists and its suspected nuclear weapons program, will air 1,300 times on cable news networks over the next two weeks. Be warned America, the Israeli Lobby is coming to a TV set near you.


Rice to make new Israel-Palestinian peace bid next week


US 'very concerned' over planned Russian weapons sale to Syria Israel, a key US ally, is particularly concerned Russia could deliver anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Syria that could end up in the hands of Lebanon's Syrian-backed Hezbollah militia whose political rhetoric centres on the destruction of the Jewish state Geez, I wonder why?


Technion scientist listed among MIT magazine's top young scientists An Israeli Arab scientist at the Technion was named one of the world's top 35 young scientists by Technology Review Magazine


U.S., Canada assist Israeli, Palestinian archivists "The purpose of these meetings was to discuss projects that would assist in the digitization of paper records of both Israel and Palestine that would ultimately document the joint heritage of people in the region,"


Georgia-Russia conflict requires Israel to balance competing interests Early on, Russia singled out Israel for criticism for providing military support to Georgia, and this week a Russian army deputy chief of staff, Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, rebuked Israel for arming and training the Georgian forces.


Arab-Israeli accused of seeking to create Qaeda cell An Arab-Israeli was charged on Friday with trying to contact Al-Qaeda in a bid to set up a local cell of the global extremist network, police said.


Palestinians relaunch soccer league in West Bank


Cash crisis hits Lebanon cluster bomb clearance Many of the 44 teams clearing cluster munitions scattered by Israel in south Lebanon during its 2006 war with Hezbollah will have to stop work this month for lack of funds, a U.N. spokeswoman said on Friday. And how much has Israel paid up to clean up the millions of cluster bomblets it fired into Lebanon three days before a ceasefire that they knew was forthcoming? And if nothing, why?


'We won't place missiles in Syria' Russia has no intention of placing the advanced Iskander missile system in Syria, acting Ambassador Anatoly Yurkov told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.


Under Moscow's wing Events in Georgia have had some surprising repercussions in the Middle East, leaving Syria looking perkier than usual


Russia seeks to restore its prestige in the Holy Land


Palestinian exile pleads for West Bank return ?There is no place like home and all I want is to be able to return to a free Palestine where we can control our own cities and see our children enjoy life like anyone else.?


Group of Jews oppose Iran attack More than 150 Jews around the world have signed a statement calling on Israel not to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Headlines for 08-21-08

Israel opens checkpoint for Palestinian traffic The move came ahead of a planned visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next week to continue to push Israelis and Palestinians to pursue talks Washington has hoped could lead to a peace deal by early next year. Nothing to see here, move along.


Egypt finds explosives cache near Gaza border


Haneya: Jerusalem can only be "liberated" through Holy war, not talks


Jordan protests against Israel's Jerusalem dig plans Jordan said on Thursday it summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest against plans for excavation and construction work near the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, Jerusalem's most volatile holy site.


Israel's chief negotiator rules out peace with Palestinians in 2008


Route of security fence realigned to leave 1,000 acres to east The petitions were filed by residents of Abu Dis and al-Azaria who said the fence restricted their movement, annexed their land and made them feel suffocated


Who Is Ready To Smear Philip Giraldi? You had to know that Giraldi would come under heavy fire from the Israeli Lobby at some point. I'm surprised it took so long.


Boats in Cyprus pass inspection for Gaza protest


McCain's 'Judeo-Christian values' reference puzzles


Feb. 2007: What 'Israel's right to exist' means to Palestinians To demand that Palestinians recognize "Israel's right to exist" is to demand that a people who have been treated as subhumans unworthy of basic human rights publicly proclaim that they are subhumans


Israel warns Russia over weapons sale to Syria Russia promised to consider the sale of "defensive" weapons to Syria during a visit to the country by President Bashar Assad. But in response to the visit, Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, said: "It is in nobody's interest to destabilise the region."



Syria seeks weapons deal with Russia amid 'Cold War' ripples


Carter to speak at Dems' convention The Republican Jewish Coalition has called for Carter's removal from the schedule because of his "troubling anti-Israel bias."....Foxman said he hoped the Democratic leadership would use the opportunity of Carter's appearance "to distance themselves" from the former president's "biased view of the Arab-Israeli conflict."


Gaza travellers hit by passport shortage Gaza's 1.4 million Palestinians, already largely confined to their narrow strip of land by Israeli and Egyptian border closures, face a new travel restriction: The Hamas administration has run out of passports.



Pro-Israel blog Power Line Picks up the Giraldi Smear and Runs With It So did this Israeli 'news' website. Go figure.


Palestinian rappers: Hamas a "disguised evil" Rappers in Gaza wrote the anti-Hamas song after a local hip-hop artist was rounded up earlier this month as part of a new Hamas crackdown in which the Islamist militants claimed to have "uprooted" the last Fatah stronghold.


US man arrested in connection to alleged Hamas fundraising


Lebanon dismisses Israeli warnings over Hezbollah Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Salukh dismissed as "ravings" on Thursday Israeli threats to target the country's civilian infrastructure if the government gives greater legitimacy to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah.


Israel warns Israelis abroad of Hezbollah kidnap plans

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Headlines for 08-20-08

Israel, Turkey, U.S to conduct joint naval exercise


Hamas bans Fatah leaders from leaving Gaza


Palestinian immigrant slain in US Virgin Islands Mustafa came to the U.S. Virgin Islands from Jerusalem and worked as a gas station manager.


Palestinians slam Israel's 'revolving door policy' on prisoners Human rights center says Israel detaining far more Palestinians than it is releasing; 1,751 since beginning of year


Settler attacks increase on West Bank Maali, who is pregnant, was released last week from a hospital in Tel Aviv, Israel, after doctors performed two operations to stop bleeding in her brain. Her 7-month-old fetus survived. Hadeel suffered a fractured skull but is expected to fully recover. The attack drew headlines in Israeli media because the suspected assailants are Jewish and the victims are Arab.



Court halts IDF tribunal against soldier who shot bound Palestinian The move effectively delays the legal proceedings.



West Bank struggles for water


War-scarred children begin to heal at Gaza summer camps Huda Ghalia, still haunted by the explosion on a Gaza City beach that killed most of her family, has found a place to heal at a new UN-run summer camp along with other war-scarred Palestinian children.


Palestinian runner laments lack of competition


Israel arrests 8 Palestinians in West Bank Israeli forces arrested eight Palestinians during raids in different areas in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian security sources said on Tuesday


Hamas denies it blocks Egypt's efforts to resume inter-Palestinian dialogue


Military judge: Naalin arrest unfounded Military court orders release of father of girl who documented IDF soldier firing rubber bullets at bound Palestinian in Naalin, accuses prosecution, police of being unprofessional. Father's attorney: 'Release proves arrest was out of vengeance'


Political transitions in Israel, U.S. leave Iran question unanswered In June, U.S. National Intelligence director Mike McConnell and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mike Mullen visited Israel and came out strongly against any Israeli attack. Both argued that Iran was still a long way from producing a nuclear weapon and that any Israeli attack would undermine U.S. interests. Israel and consequently its agents in America want to continue to make their problems OUR problems - to the detriment of AMERICA.


Abbas holds talks with Saudi king


Israel shuts Gaza crossings after rocket attack


Activists determined to break Gaza blockade despite threats "I've been called personally 17 times and asked how and when I would like to die," Palestinian activist Osama Qashoo told AFP. "They also called my family in the West Bank and threatened to kill them, so there's lots of pressure, it's moral and psychological terrorism."



Truce barely eases Gaza embargo


Palestinians shoot back at Israelis -- with cameras In the stony hills south of Hebron, Palestinian shepherds complain of frequent attacks by militant Israeli settlers encroaching on their land.


E.U. pledges more money to P.A. The European Union committed an additional $59 million to the Palestinian Authority.


Israel becomes a campaign issue in Stamford In a letter to the Connecticut Post, published on Aug. 9, , Whitnum criticized Himes for participating in a ?48-hour indoctrination trip to Israel,? sponsored by AIPAC. Upon his return, Himes had pledged ?severe? retaliation if Iran were to attack Israel.


Why Bush Will Pardon AIPAC for Espionage By the time Fulbright's public Senate hearings ended in 1963, it had been established that the Jewish Agency laundered over $5 million (around $35 million today) into U.S. public relations and lobbying initiatives over a two-year period. The true scope of the campaign was never revealed, in spite of diligent attempts at law enforcement.


Olmert: Israel will unleash all its force if Hezbollah siezes Lebanon


New olim arrive in Israel for army service Young Americans decide to come to Israel, join IDF. Nefesh B' Nefesh, Immigrant Absorption Ministry facilitate move


Ex-Mossad chief: Ahmadinejad is Israel's greatest gift "Ahmadinejad is our greatest gift," Halevy told the Arab language television network Al-Hurra on Tuesday. "We couldn't carry out a better operation at the Mossad than to put a guy like Ahmadinejad in power in Iran."


Christians United for Israel and Attacking Iran CUFI's unequivocal "support for Israel" means the United States should stand against Zion's "enemies" ? Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and any serious Arab-Israeli peace agreement. This parallels policies advocated by prominent neoconservatives who have served in George W. Bush's administration, including Richard Perle, Paul Wolfowitz, David Wurmser, Douglas Feith, and Elliott Abrams.


Join the 2008 Olive Harvest Campaign


Top Russian general: Israel armed, trained Georgia forces Israel supplied Georgian military forces with elite training and arms, a top Russian general was quoted as saying on Tuesday, as Russia and Georgian forces exchanged prisoners of war in a goodwill gesture.



Israel, Russia hold talks on Georgia, Middle East Russian President Dmitry Medvedev discussed Middle East peace moves with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday, in advance of an expected visit by Syria's leader to Moscow, an Israeli official said.


Lieberman advocates stronger Georgia defense He more than likely does so because of Israel's ties to Georgia. Lieberman is after all one of Israel's top agents on Capitol Hill.


Swimming stories go beyond Phelps, Torres Then there is Zakia Nassar. She's a 21-year-old Palestinian from Bethlehem studying dentistry in Jenin, a city in the West Bank. She said it has been her dream since she was 10 to swim in the Olympics but there is no pool available for training in Jenin. There is an Olympic-sized, 50-meter pool in nearby Nazareth, but the Israeli government did not give her permission to use it.


German writer to fight demotion A German political writer is planning to fight a professional demotion over his one-sided, anti-Israel invective. I guess there's no freedom of speech in Germany.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Headlines for 08-18-08

State of the World's Minorities 2007 - Palestine


Israel agrees to free two killers The murderers of Rachel Corrie, and the 34 US sailors on board the USS Liberty have always walked free.


New Stop-Work/Demolition Orders Issued in Beit Ummar One of the demolition orders was issued to a stonecutter shop, which has already moved its equipment elsewhere for fear of confiscation by the Israeli military. The other six orders apply to homes, five of which were under construction at the time. The other home was completed about three years ago, according to a family in the neighborhood.


Gaza still suffers from fuel shortage


Settlers charged with assaulting Palestinian placed under house arrest The Supreme Court reversed Sunday a previous ruling by the Beersheba District Court and determined that the three Jewish settlers from the south Mount Hebron area who are accused of kidnapping and beating a Palestinian will be placed under house arrest.


Nuclear envoy begins Iran talks "Iran still has a long way to go as far as satellites are concerned and it deliberately exaggerates its air and space successes in order to dissuade Israel or the United States from attacking its nuclear sites," the head of Israel's space agency, Yitzhak Ben Israel, told public radio.


Israel allows wood into Gaza for first time since months


Israel to treat Gaza peace boats 'like pirates' The boats, which will also carry a cargo of balloons, musical instruments and thousands of hearing aids, are expected to approach Gaza early next week. The territory's land borders have been closed to all but essential humanitarian aid for more than a year, plunging it into deep poverty, and the tiny strip of land is rarely visited by foreign dignitaries. An attempt by Mr Blair last month was aborted at the last minute due to security concerns.




"I WAS MURDERED!! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Forty one years ago, on June 8, 1967, my shipmates were murdered in cold blood by the Government of Israel in a sneak attack upon our ship in international waters. Our ship was attacked by jet aircraft using rockets and napalm to strafe our ship and burn us alive with their deadly napalm.


UAE PRESIDENT HELPS FINANCE COMPLETION OF PALESTINIAN EMBASSY


Military judge: Naalin arrest unfounded Military court orders release of father of girl who documented IDF soldier firing rubber bullets at bound Palestinian in Naalin, accuses prosecution, police of being unprofessional. Father's attorney: 'Release proves arrest was out of vengeance'


Activist boats en route to Gaza Strip despite threats to those on board


In village with no power, Bedouin family fights to keep baby's respirator working


State of the World's Minorities 2008 - Israel Israeli Arab citizens (or Palestinian citizens of Israel), who comprise nearly 20 per cent of the population, continued to face broad governmental and societal discrimination in 2007


EI study refutes CAMERA media bias accusation a closer look at CAMERA's highly problematic study [8] using the same methodology and two of the same newspapers -- The New York Times and The Washington Post -- found that CAMERA's conclusions were either misleading or wrong with numerous op-eds omitted or miscategorized.


Israel Factor: Panel doesn't worry about Obama on Israel-Palestine


Robert Fisk's World: A region boiling with tales of kings, gangs and war Yet still the Middle East debates whether Israel or the US will bomb Iran. Personally, I don't believe this will happen ? but then again, that's what I told my friend Seymour Hersh before the Iraqi catastrophe, when he said we would invade and I said we wouldn't. Currently, he thinks an Iran attack is still on the cards. So, apparently, does the Emir of Qatar. He's generously handed the Americans yet more desert for their massive air base outside Doha, land that stretches away on the further side of the military installation. He's asked for the return of the side of the base closest to the capital. The reason? Well, if America bombs Iran, the Islamic republic's missiles are likely to come hissing towards US forces in Qatar. The Emir wants them exploding as far from Doha as possible.


HUCKABEE: US SCARIER THAN ISRAEL Republican presidential nominee John McCain, yesterday said he feels safer in Israel than in American cities.
Huckabee made the comment as he headed off on a two-day trip to Israel
Good - stay there then, numnutz. And don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.


HEBRON UPDATE: 1 ? 15 August 2008


Hebron reflection: 10 years since demolition of Jaber home


Gaza's shocking devastation As a Jew, I, too, am ashamed and disgusted at what is happening. Yes, Israel needs security. But what is happening goes far beyond security needs.

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Headlines for 08-17-08

Rice to visit Mideast later this month: Palestinians


Rocket fired from Gaza: Israeli police


Israel may use force to halt boat trying to break Gaza siege Defense officials favor forcefully blocking two boats which a group of U.S.-based activists plan to sail to Gaza to protest what they call "the Israeli siege on the Strip," Haaretz has learned.


Israel to free 200 Palestinians Mr Abbas' aide described the move as "a step in the right direction", but said more prisoners should be set free.


U.S., Israel seal deal for missile radar defense system The United States and Israel have agreed on the deployment of high-powered, early-warning missile radars in the Negev desert, to be manned by U.S. military personnel. ......Under the terms of the agreement, U.S. military staff will be permanently based in Israel for the first time.
US military now officially literally being tasked with defending Israel. Iraq, our billions in taxpayer dollars, etc aren't enough.


Fatah supports sending Arab forces to end Hamas control of Gaza


Israel prohibits PA rally in east Jerusalem


Hamas: rocket attack is Israeli fabrication to keep crossings closed


Lebanese army opens fire after bomb thrown in Tripoli


Source: Secret IDF material went unguarded in Georgia Tomer said he and his friends had at first received guidelines for the handling of covert material, listing what they could and couldn't tell Georgian soldiers about IDF activities. But in actuality, he said, the Georgians were told top secret information......He added that the Georgian officers told their soldiers they would be going to help NATO forces in Iraq, while the real objective was Ossetia and Abkhazia.


Crunch time as family fights to keep home from Jewish settlers


Standing Up for Justice in the Middle East

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Headlines for 08-16-08

Amnesty: Army's so-called inquiry into cameraman's killing in Gaza a scandal The army's so-called investigation lacked any semblance of impartiality and Amnesty International called for an independent and impartial investigation into the killing. The organization said that the army's conclusion can only reinforce the culture of impunity that has led to so many reckless and disproportionate killings of children and other unarmed civilians by Israeli forces in Gaza


Israel's Barak meets with Palestinian prime minister


HEBRON: Israeli Soldier Beats Palestinian Near Hebron Checkpoint


HEBRON UPDATE: July 2008


Germany's ARD reopens Gaza office German broadcaster ARD is reopening its Gaza office after the Hamas militant group released a Palestinian cameraman.


Hamas says ice begins to melt with Jordan Officials from Hamas have met with a top Jordanian security official to try to patch up ties soured since 2006 by charges that the Islamist Palestinian groups was planning to carry out attacks in Jordan.


2 police officers hurt in Naalin riots


Petraeus' visit focuses on military assistance However, the stopover last week came just a day after the Lebanese government agreed on a new manifesto, claiming "the right of Lebanon, its people, its army and its resistance to liberate its land in the Shebaa Farms, Kfarshuba Hill and Ghajar," areas currently under Israeli control


Film on Palestinians upsets Jews


Sixty Minutes Becomes Israeli-Occupied Television As Philip Giraldi points out in his article "America?s Israeli-Occupied Media,"(1) the Israeli government is continuing its campaign to get the U.S. military to attack Iran or at least give a ?green light? for a massive Israeli bombing strike. In pursuit of this reckless and ill-conceived plan Tel Aviv has a willing co-conspirator in the mainstream American media, who will present the Israeli world-view without criticism or qualification. The recent CBS broadcast (2) of the Sixty Minutes segment "The Israeli Air Force" (3) provides a rather startling example of how the American news media will permit the Israelis to present their point of view to the exclusion of any competing narrative. The report, which is presented by correspondent Bob Simon, first aired on April 27 and was rebroadcast on August 10. Looks like CBS' Sixty Minutes is whoring for Israel. Attacking Iran is not in America's interest - in fact such an attack would run counter to our interests in the region, according to Admiral Mullen. So for whose interests does CBS work?

Friday, August 15, 2008

Headlines for 08-15-08

Israel 'worry' at settler attacks There are frequent reports of settlers harassing Palestinians, with two attacks recently captured on video.
These have been widely broadcast and have brought the issue to greater prominence.
The last sentence in the preceding excerpt is the real cause of the 'worry'; bad publicity.


Israel puts off evacuating illegal wildcat settlement They're all illegal.


B'tselem: IDF only launched 4 probes into 189 Palestinian deaths Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem on Thursday relayed that since the start of 2007, it had asked the Israel Defense Forces to investigate 99 incidents in which 189 Palestinians were killed ? but the army only actually launched probes in four of the instances.



IDF investigating whether troops injured youth The organization said a soldier fired the gas grenade at the youth from a distance of 100 feet, hitting him directly in the face.


Video shows Israeli police humiliating Palestinians The video clips found in a cellphone showed the scene of Israeli policemen humiliating and striking Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem, Xinhua has learnt on Friday.... "The video were found in a cellular telephone that a border policeman lost," the Yesh Din said in a statement. Israel is a disgrace.


Behind closed doors, police admit 'turning a blind eye' to settler violence Police, soldiers and military officers prefer to "turn a blind eye" instead of handling incidents in which settlers attack Palestinians in the West Bank.


Drinking Water In Gaza Strip Contaminated With High Levels Of Nitrate Palestinian and German scientists have recommended to the authorities in the Gaza Strip that they take immediate measures to combat excessive nitrate levels in the drinking water.


State to court: Migron settlers can stay until new homes built The new housing will be located close to the present site, which is privately owned Palestinian land, and within the boundaries of the Binyamin Regional Council.


URGENT ACTION: PA Raids Charities and Arrests Employees in West Bank Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron calls on individuals and organizations to contact the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Interior following recent PA arrests and raids on charities in the West Bank.


Rocket from Gaza hits southern Israel: police


UNIFIL commander: Israel at fault An Israeli diplomat reprimanded the UNIFIL commander for saying Israel and not Hezbollah was violating the U.N.-mandated ceasefire in south Lebanon.


Lieberman reassures Muslims on security Lieberman, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, joined ranking member Sen. Susan Collins (R-Me.) in responding to a letter from four Arab and Muslim advocacy groups raising concerns about a May report by the committee entitled "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat."




Church group: press lawmakers on peace A coalition of U.S. mainline churches asked followers to press lawmakers during the summer break to endorse an active U.S. role in Middle East peace making.


Appeals court to hear arguments in AIPAC case Oral arguments in the U.S. government's leak case against two former AIPAC staffers have been set for October.


New act has tougher hate crime standards Jewish groups had lobbied for the change; earlier standards included fewer definitions of hate crimes.
....The act also includes new provisions for universities seeking federal funding for international studies that include standards for "diversity," a salve to some Jewish and conservative groups that charge that Middle East departments are dominated by anti-Israel Arabists. Guess who just won again? Universities whose campuses aren't Israel-friendly enough for the Lobby will now be at risk of losing federal funding if they don't comply. Criticism of Israel is now considered by the US State Department as anti-Semitism, in case you were not aware.


Dead Palestinian poet's words alive on UK stage


Gaza station channels defiance Following up on Israeli charges that al-Aqsa TV incites hatred, violence and anti-semitism, US lawmakers are debating a resolution urging the US administration to declare the channel a terrorist organisation. US lawmakers? What the hell for?

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Headlines for 08-14-08

The Lobby Like No Other Wants a War Like No Other by Michael Scheuer AIPAC makes no pretense of doing things meant to benefit America; rather, its members take pride in seeking a goal that runs directly counter to the economic welfare and physical security of almost all other U.S citizens by seeking to keep them involved in a religious war in which no U.S. national interest is at stake. A reminder that Scheuer is former CIA - head of the Bin Laden unit. A big thank you to him for having the courage to continue to speak out.


11 injured in anti-fence protest in Naalin According to the Palestinians, most of the protestors were wounded by rubber bullets, while a Swedish national was beaten and her leg was broken. She was evacuated for medical treatment at a village clinic.


Israel: Killing cameraman was justified Here is one particularly relevant factoid worth considering: Palestinian militants in Gaza have never used a serious anti-tank weapon with the range capable of hitting a target from a mile away. That means that, even if Shana was preparing to fire a weapon, the Israeli soldiers should have known that they weren't facing any real danger......If Israeli soldiers can't distinguish a mortar tube from a mounted camera, their training is sorely lacking.



Report: Israel made offer on Palestinian refugees Israel reportedly has offered to admit 20,000 Palestinian refugees as part of a final peace accord. Wow. How bloody generous of them.


Tributes by UN officials mark passing of Palestinian poet Senior United Nations officials in the Middle East have joined their voices to those paying tribute to the late Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who was laid to rest today.


Media criticise Gaza death ruling Reuters news agency says the Israeli army has made reporting in Gaza "almost impossible" after it cleared a tank crew that killed one of its cameramen.


Israel's U.S. envoy: Barak harming diplomatic mission Meridor said Barak's decision limited the leverage of Israeli diplomats permanently placed in Washington because it made them seem detached from the leadership in Israel. "Your behavior seriously damaged that ability [to negotiate], and that of Israel to affect processes in the U.S. capital," Meridor wrote.


Olmert rejects return of any Palestinian refugees Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Israel will not allow the return of any Palestinian refugees as part of a future statehood deal, Olmert's office said on Thursday.


Lebanon-Syria to demarcate border However, Syria said the work on borders would not cover one of the most contentious areas, the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, until Israel withdrew.


Woman beat, threatened by 'modesty squad' A 31-year-old Jerusalem woman was cruelly beaten and threatened with death by members of the 'modesty squad' who took it upon themselves to interrogate her about her relationships with men, an indictment filed Thursday by the Jerusalem Prosecution reveals.


Weak results of Egyptian mediation compels Hamas to look for another mediator al-Massri admitted that the closure of Rafah crossing point between the Hamas-controlled Gaza and Egypt "has contributed to weaken the confidence between Egypt and the Palestinian people."


Palestinian group seeks to change aid dynamics A newly formed Ramallah-based ?Palestinian community foundation? said it is looking to change the way aid is given, so that more sections of society benefit from international donations and less money goes to waste.


Hacker infiltrates Likud website, plants messages against occupation A hacker identified as belonging to the so-called 'Team Hell,' infiltrated the Likud party's website and planted slogans slamming Israel and the occupation.


Palestinian poet and icon Darwish buried


Israel vague about reported U.S. rejection of Israeli request for Iran strike


Israel planning to kill Hezbollah leaders: Nasrallah In his address the Hezbollah chief also hailed the visit to Syria, which backs his movement, by Lebanon's President Michel Sleiman, calling it "a new stage" in relations between Beirut and Damascus.


Rice welcomes Syria's move on ties with Lebanon


Israel fears war could hurt Iran effort


McCain: US must reevaluate relations with Russia


Israelis shoot Golan infiltrator Israeli troops shot an armed Syrian who crossed into the Golan Heights.


Lebanon bomb inquiry seen to focus on Islamists


Lebanon attack is message for army: analysts "I see this within a spate of attacks against the army that could be reprisal attacks for the army's crushing of Fatah al-Islam last year," OR it could have been done by a group that seeks to sour warming relations by the two nations - Syria and Lebanon.


Jordan to free killers of Israeli soldiers August 20 Four Jordanian prisoners released by Israel last year to complete their life sentences in the kingdom will be freed next week, police said on Thursday.


Georgia president denies Israel halted military aid due to war

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Headlines for 08-13-08

Israel clears troops who killed Reuters cameraman An Israeli tank crew who killed a Reuters cameraman and eight young bystanders in the Gaza Strip four months ago acted properly and will not face legal action, Israel's senior military lawyer has concluded.


Reuters attacks Israel's failure to take action over cameraman's death Reuters has said it is "deeply disturbed" that the Israeli military has decided the tank crew that killed one of the news agency's cameramen and eight young bystanders in the Gaza Strip four months ago will not face legal action.


FACTBOX - Death of Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana Fadel Shana, 24, was killed by several darts, known as flechettes, which burst from a shell fired by an Israeli tank on April 16 about 5:30 p.m. The tank firing and shell bursting were the final images on tape before Shana's camera was destroyed. Eight other civilians aged between 12 and 20 were killed, six of them aged under 16. At least seven other bystanders aged from 10 to 18 were also hit. Israel and its henchmen are a disgrace unto the nations. Not only should we NOT be giving them US taxpayer aid, but we should demand they pay us back every cent.


Israel reopens Gaza crossings Israel on Wednesday reopened crossings into Gaza for the limited passage of people and goods after closing them in response to a rocket attack earlier this week, the army said.


Ahmadinejad in new Israel tirade before Turkey trip "Our position is clear on this issue. A referendum should take place in Palestine. If they withdraw from invaded lands it would be a good step,"


Palestinians bury poet Darwish in emotional funeral "These crowds reflect the deep loss that Palestinians and Arabs have suffered," said Khaled Najem, 57, an Israeli Arab from Darwish's home village of al-Jdaideh, near Haifa. "But his poetry gives us hope and guidance."


Palestinians to get flak jackets ending row After months of delay, the United States has got a green light from Israel to supply flak jackets to Palestinian security forces, whose performance in the West Bank may hold the key to a future Israeli withdrawal.


US against strike on Iran: Israeli defence minister


P.A., IDF officials meet in Jenin "Entry of IDF officers, accompanied by Palestinian officials, into the Muka'ata area in Jenin is not just symbolic, but a significant and important milestone that will enable the best possible oversight of the proficiency of the Palestinian Security Infrastructure,"


Free Gaza boats to delay due to bad weather Boats that will sail to challenge the Israeli blockade on Gaza Strip will delay for one week due to bad weather in the Mediterranean, a Palestinian official said on Wednesday.


Bulldozers demolish three Palestinian homes in Jerusalem


Palestinians say farewell to poet Darwish's body was flown back from the US to Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday where an honour guard saluted as Palestinian Liberation Army officers carried the flag-draped coffin from the plane. The coffin was then taken by military helicopter to Ramallah for the funeral - the biggest in the West Bank since that of Yasser Arafat in 2004.




Palestinian: Settlers tied my son to ATV, dragged him through olive grove


McCain holds pro-Israel fundraiser U.S. Sen. John McCain held a fundraiser in New Jersey organized by a pro-Israel political action committee.


Sticks, carrots and nukes What a sad day to see the Guardian UK publishing a piece by a pro-Israel thinktank the WINEP chastizing folks for not taking Israel's view on Iran ('attack, attack'). The Guardian is fast falling under the auspices of the Israeli lobby. It began when CAMERA started going after them, and is now culminating with airtime being given to AIPACers. Shame.


Palestinian mother of quadruplets born to bitter joy the happiness of the new mother was tainted by the knowledge that the father of her four babies, a Gazan blocked outside an Israeli checkpoint, could not join her and the children any time soon.


Jordan to bring Palestinian refugee students into national nutrition program Jordan's King Abdullah II ordered to bring students from Palestinian refugee camps into the national nutrition program, official news agency Petra reported Tuesday.


Lebanon bus stop bomb kills 18 A bomb killed at least 18 people, including nine soldiers, as they boarded a bus in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli today, security sources said.




Lebanon chief mends ties in Syria


Israel denies weapons-Iran link "Because the election is coming up and things are going to change, this is the time to contemplate" whether or not military action is merited, said Tom Neumann, the director of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. Bush is likely to back Israeli efforts to defend itself, he said


Iran MPs round on Ahmadinejad aide over pro-Israeli remarks


Indonesia visit ends badly A meeting between the U.S. State Department envoy on anti-Semitism and an Indonesian Muslim body reportedly was unsuccessful. We are now officially the global anti-Semitism police.


Will American Insouciance Destroy the World? With Bush 2nd, the neocons took over. Their agenda, American world hegemony, includes Israeli hegemony in the Middle East


Report: Fearing Israeli strike, Syria taking preventative steps Syrian sources told the daily that Damascus has taken several preventive measures against a possible Israeli strike. The sources added that the IDF drill in the north is increasing tensions in the region and is not in line with recent peace initiatives.


Israeli Arms Sales to Georgia Israel's immediate concern is that Russia will proceed with the sale of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system to Iran, which would help it defend its nuclear installations from aerial attack