text:
Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel
For those interested in keeping up with events in Palestine/Israel, there is no better digest than VTJP.
Maan: Bil'in - dozens injured after inhaling tear gas, town
waits for court verdict
International Solidarity Movement 8/1/2008
Bil'in Village - Photos - Dozens of residents and a Palestinian
journalist suffered breathing problems after inhaling tear gas fired on
them by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful protest in the village of
Bil'in on Friday afternoon. The protest is a weekly event against the
construction of the separation wall which cuts the village off from its
ancestral land. After Friday noon prayers, Bil'in residents took to the
streets alongside international and Israeli peace activists, carrying
Palestinian flags and banners denouncing Israeli policies such as
construction of the wall, land confiscation, settlement building, road
closures, the siege of Palestinian cities, and the killing of
civilians, especially children. Other slogans condemned shooting
detainees while they were hand-cuffed and blind-folded, as Israeli
forces were recently filmed doing in the nearby village of Nil'in.
Palestinian woman stoned near West Bank settlement outside
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem - Ma'an - A Palestinian woman and her daughter were seriously
injured when a large stone was launched through the window of their car
near the illegal West Bank Israeli settlement Yizhar south of Nablus.
Israeli media sources reported an eyewitness as saying that a car with
yellow Israeli license plates was seen driving away from the injured
woman. It appears that Israeli settlers threw the rock at the car,
carrying 31-year-old Filistine Sa'ad Mu'la, her husband, and her
7-year-old daughter Hadil Hazim. Medical sources say that Filistine is
in critical condition, and her daughter sustained moderate head
injuries. Palestinian Authority police said that the injured were
transferred to Rafidah hospital in Nablus, but said they are
coordinating with Israeli officials to have them moved to Tel Hashomer
hospital north east of Tel Aviv.
Palestinian family resists Israeli order to quit East
Jerusalem home
Agence France Presse
- AFP, Daily Star 8/2/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: "I was married here, I had my five children here
and I want to die here," says a defiant Fawzia al-Kurd, determined that
Jewish settlers will not drive her family from their home in Occupied
East Jerusalem. But sadly for the Kurds, whose single-storey two-room
house of golden stone that has been their home for the past 52 years,
Israel's High Court has ruled differently. They are to be expelled, and
the house, a wing of which has already been taken over by Jewish
colonists will be lost forever. The house, in the Sheikh Jarrah
district, has become a symbol of Palestinian resistance against the
steady pressure of Jewish settlers seeking to take yet more terrain in
Occupied East Jerusalem. It's a hot July afternoon, and Fawzia is
sitting outside under a large black tarpaulin stretched from the eves
of the house.
Soldiers charged with assault yelled 'Arabs must die'
Hanan Greenberg,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Indictments filed against four soldiers serving as security guards at
naval facility accused of shocking racially-motivated assault against
group of Druze youths at Atlit beach, one victim a Border Police
officer - Two soldiers serving as security guards at a facility used by
the Navy's elite commando unit were indicted on Thursday on charges of
racially-motivated aggravated assault. The two are accused of attacking
a group of Israeli Druze youths at an Atlit beachfront two weeks ago.
According to the indictment, one of the soldiers called out: "They are
Arabs, they must die" during the attack. Two other soldiers from their
unit, who also took part in the attack, were indicted on charges of
aggravated assault. The altercation occurred on July 19th. According to
the indictment filed by the Military Prosecution, two of the soldiers
left their base while drunk,. . .
Israeli forces detain two north of Salfit, steal money
Ma'an News Agency
Nablus – Ma'an – Israeli forces detained two young Palestinian men from
the town of Kifl Haris, to the north of Salfit, on Thursday and stole
three thousand Shekels from the house after destroying its contents,
local sources told Ma'an. The sources told our correspondent that at
2:00am on Thursday more than 12 Israeli vehicles and 70 Israeli
soldiers stormed the town of Kifl Haris and broke into Jamil Sharif Abu
Yacoub's house, where soldiers shouted abuse at the owners of the house
and destroyed its contents. Israeli soldiers then stole three thousand
shekels from on of the bedrooms of the house and detained Hamza Jamil
Sharif 17 year-old, the sources claim. Israeli forces also stormed the
house of Fayez Al-Qaq in the town and detained his 15 year-old son.
Candidate who wants Olmert's job once 'sought deaths of 70
Palestinians a day'
Donald Macintyre in
Jerusalem, The Independent 8/1/2008
A leading candidate to be Israel's next premier called for a death toll
of 70 Palestinians a day when he was head of the military during the
second intifada, according to a best-selling book by two Israeli
journalists. The account of a briefing given in May 2001 to senior West
Bank army commanders reinforces the image of hawkishness enjoyed by
Shaul Mofaz. He has emerged as the main rival to the Foreign Minister,
Tzipi Livni, for the leadership of the Kadima party being vacated by
Ehud Olmert. Mr Mofaz is expected to stress his security credentials as
a former chief of staff and defence minister in his campaign to defeat
Ms Livni, the most popular among the Israeli public of the candidates
to succeed Mr Olmert as party leader. According to the book Boomerang,
by Ofer Shelah, of Yedhiot Ahronot, and Raviv Drucker, of Channel Ten,
Mr Mofaz convened a meeting of brigade and regimental. . .
Activists aim to break Gaza blockade by boat
Middle East Online
NICOSIA - Two boatloads of several dozen activists are to leave Cyprus
next week bound for Gaza in a bid to break an Israeli blockade of the
poverty-stricken Palestinian territory. "We want to bring it to the
world's attention that Gaza is virtually an outdoor concentration
camp," Greta Berlin, a spokeswoman for the US-based Free Gaza Movement,
said on Thursday. She said the group hopes that the boats, due to sail
in early August, will draw attention to the plight of 1. 5 million
Palestinians suffering chronic shortages of many essentials from fuel
to food since an Israeli crackdown. "It's a small flotilla for
justice," she said. "We expect Israel to honour its commitment that
Gaza is no longer occupied. We are going to challenge the siege of
Gaza. " She said the group was determined to enter Gaza by sea to raise
international awareness about its plight.
Five injured in Ni'lin protest
Ma'an News Agency
Ramallah – Ma'an – Five locals were injured after being hit by rubber
coated metal bullets at a protest in the West Bank village of Ni'lin on
Friday. The demonstration was held to protest the construction of the
separation wall that will see large tracts of the village's land
confiscated. It began with a peaceful march to the construction site
where demonstrators began to carry out their Friday prayers. The crowd
was attacked by Israeli forces, who fired barrages of rubber bullets
and tear gas, injuring five. Local sources say that the soldiers
pursued the locals to the entrance of the village where they fired
teargas into some houses causing breathing problems amongst residents,
including women and children. Ayman Nafi, head of Ni'lin municipality
said that a number of gas canisters were fired at the health clinic and
started a fire in the surrounding area which was extinguished by fire
fighting vehicles that rushed to the scene.
Northern West Bank activists join Ni'lin launch women's
movement against the Wall with demo
Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, Stop The Wall 7/24/2008
A women's demonstration organized by the Ni'lin Popular Committee
against the Apartheid Wall marched yesterday from the center of Ni'lin
to the land threatened by confiscation by the Occupation forces. Headed
by female activists and organizations from all over Palestine, hundreds
of demonstrators including town locals, other Palestinians, and
international solidarity activists took part in this first popular
demonstration of women in Ni'lin. The Woman Against the Wall Society
(Tulkarem), Women of the Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, the Working
Woman Society and the Woman Initiative took part in the demonstration.
Above: Women from the north of the West Bank arrive in Ni'lin.
Participation in the demonstration of the women from the north was
decided after over a hundred women and several women's grassroots
organizations took part in workshops and meetings organized by the
Anti-Apartheid. . .
Seven injured as Ni'lin continues its struggle against the
construction of the apartheid wall
Solidarity Movement 8/1/2008
Ramallah Region - Photos - On the 1st August, Palestinian protesters,
joined by Israeli and international solidarity activists, marched to
the construction site of the apartheid wall in Ni'lin. Well over 100
meters of barbed wire at the site was eventually removed from the
construction site and placed in front of the bulldozers so as to delay
planned work on the wall the following day. This action was similar to
the one that saw 10 year old Ahmed Mousa killed by Israeli forces on
the 29th July. Five Palestinians and two internationals were then
injured by rubber-coated steel bullets as Israeli forces attacked the
demonstration. and invaded the village. As the Israeli army withdrew
from the village, protesters regathered and marched back to the
construction site and finished moving the barbed-wire so as to hinder
the building of a wall that will seize over 2500 Dunums of Ni'lin's
Montreal Mirror: Land grabs and lawsuits
Jesse Rosenfeld, The
Montreal Mirror, International Solidarity Movement 7/31/2008
A Palestinian village sues two Montreal-based companies over the
construction of a West Bank settlement - Accused of war crimes for
their involvement with Israeli settlement expansion, two
Quebec-registered companies are being sued in Canada by the occupied
West Bank Palestinian village of Bi'lin. Toronto lawyer Mark Arnold
filed a claim in Quebec Superior Court on behalf of the village against
Green Park and Green Mount International three weeks ago. The case is
part of a combined Palestinian, Canadian and Israeli effort to halt
expansion of the Modi'in Illit settlement. The sister construction
companies are being charged with violating both Canadian and
international law, while also acting as agents of the Israeli state due
to their construction of residences in Mattityahu East, a hilltop
adjacent Modi'in Illit's main settlement block.
Bil'in: dozens injured after inhaling tear gas, town waits
for court verdict
Ma'an News Agency
Ramallah – Ma'an – Dozens of residents and a Palestinian journalist
suffered breathing problems after inhaling tear gas fired on them by
Israeli soldiers during a peaceful protest in the village of Bil'in on
Friday afternoon. The protest is a weekly event against the
construction of the separation wall which cuts the village off from its
ancestral land. After Friday noon prayers, Bil'in residents took to the
streets alongside international and Israeli peace activists, carrying
Palestinian flags and banners denouncing Israeli policies such as
construction of the wall, land confiscation, settlement building, road
closures, the siege of Palestinian cities, and the killing of
civilians, especially children. Other slogans condemned shooting
detainees while they were hand-cuffed and blind-folded, as Israeli
forces were recently filmed doing in the nearby village of Nil'in.
Dozens suffer from Gas
inhalation during the weekly nonviolent protest in Bil'in village
Rula Shahwan,
International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
The Israeli army dispersed the weekly nonviolent protest located in
Bil'in village north of the West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday midday
with gas, guns and grenades. After the weekly Friday prayer, a group of
internationals and peace activists marched a nonviolent protest in
solidarity with the people of Bil'in village. The protest was against
the illegal wall being built on the village lands. The protestors were
demonstrating against the Israeli killings of local civilians as well
as the illegal closures and confiscation of lands and property. The
protestors walked towards the wall with the intention of reaching the
villagers lands behind it. Israeli troops shot CS gas canisters,
rubber-coated steel bullets, and concussion grenades at the protesters.
A number of civilians reported suffering from gas inhalation.
Unknown assailants hurl brick at car in West Bank, injuring
7-year-old Palestinian girl
Yuval Azoulay,
Ha'aretz 8/2/2008
A Palestinian woman and her 7-year-old daughter were wounded Friday
when unknown assailants hurled a brick at their car as it was passing
the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar. Security officials in the area
told Haaretz the incident is severe, and they will investigate
suspicions that the assailants are settlers who live in the area. Local
authorities in the area of Judea and Samaria where the incident took
place met with police Friday to demand they bring the assailants to
justice. Civilian authorities allowed the mother and daughter to drive
to Tel Aviv for medical treatment at Ichilov Hospital. The two victims,
residents of Ramallah, were visiting relatives in Tul Karm and were on
their way home when the incident took place. Recent weeks have seen an
upturn in the number of reports of violent incidents against
Palestinians by West Bank settlers.
Israeli settlers wound a little Palestinian girl and her
Information Center 8/1/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Israeli settlers from the Yetshar
settlement in the northern West Bank on Friday afternoon seriously
wounded a seven-year-old girl who was travelling with her family in a
car in the area. The settlers threw a rock at the car as it passed near
the settlement. The rock broke the window and hit the girl and her
mother who was lightly wounded. Both the girl and her mother were taken
to a hospital in Nablus. Attacks by Israeli settlers, who are usually
armed, on Palestinian civilians have increased in all areas in the West
Bank. They usually take the form of attacking Palestinians working
their fields or Palestinian cars travelling near the settlements. [end]
Vehicle stoned near Jerusalem
Efrat Weiss,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Police search for suspects after stones hurled at vehicle traveling on
Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway - Vehicle stoned in heart of Israel: A car
traveling on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway Friday was stoned close to
the Abu-Gosh interchange near Jerusalem. No injuries were reported in
the attack, but the vehicle's windshield was damaged. Police received a
call around 3:30 pm about stones being thrown at a vehicle traveling on
the highway. Police forces were promptly dispatched to the scene and
proceeded to scour the area in search of suspects. Friday's incident is
not the first of its kind on the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway. At the end
of June, stones were hurled at vehicles in the same area. A total of
four cars were damaged at the time but no injuries were reported.
Police scoured the area following the attack but no suspects were
Senior Border Guard officer faces damages suit
Efrat Weiss,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Yesha Council pursues legal action against Brig. -Gen. Shlomi Even-Paz
for allegedly attacking photographer during incident at former
settlement of Homesh. Suit filed after police decide to subject officer
to mere disciplinary action - The Yesha Council's human rights' branch
filed a damages suit against Brigadier-General Shlomi Even-Paz, who
heads the Border Guard Command in Judea and Samaria, earlier in the
week. According to the suit, filed with the Jerusalem Magistrate's
Court, Even-Paz attacked a photographer who was documenting the
interaction between Border Guard forces and right-wing activists who
were trying to re-settle the West Bank settlement of Homesh; ordered
his soldiers to capture the camera and proceeded to destroy the
camera's memory card. ClashesYitzhar settlers riot in West Bank/
Residents of West Bank settlement clash with IDF,. . .
Israeli army invades Jalazun Camp, arrest 5 injure 3 brothers
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Five residents of Jalazun Refugee Camp were shot
and three brothers arrested during an Israeli invasion of the camp
north ofof Ramallah on Friday. The five shot sustained minor injuries
and were transfered to an unknown location. The three brothers
arrestedwere identified as Ashraf, Shareef and Mohamad Al-Bayid. The
Israeli forces withdrew shortly after. Local witnesses told Ma'an that
more than twenty Israeli militaryjeeps invaded the camp Friday evening
and started firing rubber-coated metal bullets. [end]
Ahmed Qurei': Israel and US given list of Palestinian names
for release
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an – A Palestinian negotiating team presented Israeli
and American officials with a list of names of Palestinian detainees in
Israeli prisons who they demand be released. The Head of the
Palestinian Authority (PA) negotiating team Ahmad Qurei' announced the
presentation of the list on Friday, saying that it was handed over in
Washington during a set of talks on Wednesday. List of "wanted"
Palestinians pardoned by Israel obtainedAlso relating to prisoner
negotiations, it appears that American journalist Aaron Klein has
obtained a confidential list of 24 Palestinian names which Israel
officially pardoned two weeks ago according to a deal between Israel
and the PA. Sources have added, however that the list of those pardoned
does not match exactly the list of names obtained. Two of the
individuals excluded from the pardon were accused of coordinating. . .
Livni: hopes for peace-deal by the end of year alive
Ma'an News Agency
Jerusalem – Ma'an - Tzipi Livni, the Israeli Foreign Minister and
tipped to be the next Prime Minister said on Thursday that there is
still hope of reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians by the
end of the year and appealed to all parties to unite around the cause.
Livni's comments came after a meeting with Ban Ki-moon, the United
Nations Secretary-General. For his part Ban Ki-Moon told reporters,
following the meeting, that Livni was committed to reaching a
peace-deal and that she was working hard to achieve it. Livni did not
comment directly on the calls from Benjamin Netanyahu, leader of the
rightist Likud Party, for early elections after Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert resigns in two months. She did however indicate that her party
wants to form a government without holding early elections, calling all
other parties to unite for the sake of Israel's security.
MK Sarsur: Arabs want peace, Israel prefers war
Sharon Roffe-Ofir,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Knesset Member Ibrahim Sarsur says peace is Arab world's strategic
choice while Israel prefers war; Arab MK claims Muslim connection to
Jerusalem is 'absolute,' says Israel must give up east J'lem if it
wants peace - War and peace: Arab countries are committed to peace
while Israel prefers war, Arab Knesset Member Ibrahim Sarsur said
Friday evening in a speech before thousands of people attending a
Muslim festival. "The Arab world decided that peace is its strategic
choice, but to our regret war and the use of force remain Israel's
preferable option," Sarsur said. "The region is facing serious
challenges and risks, with Israel bearing most of the responsibility
for them. " Turning his attention to Jerusalem, the Knesset member said
that "Muhammad the Prophet's journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and from
there to the heavens created in an absolute and eternal manner a
connection to the holy sites.
Abbas frees rivals as Hamas makes more detentions
Agence France Presse
- AFP, Daily Star 8/2/2008
NABLUS, Occupied West Bank: Fatah security forces of Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday released several Hamas members
recently arrested in the Occupied West Bank, a Palestinian official
said, amid reports that top Fatah officials had been detained by Hamas
in the Gaza Strip. "Four Hamas militants, including Mohammad Ghazal, a
member of the Hamas leadership in the West Bank, have been released on
Abbas' orders," the official said, adding that more would be freed
later. The Palestinian Authority said on Thursday that Abbas had
ordered the release of "all the Hamas militants" detained by Fatah
security forces recently. A Fatah official who asked not to be
identified said early Friday that Hamas had arrested major Fatah
leaders in Gaza, identifying them as Zaccaria al-Agha and Ibrahim Abul
Naja, both members of the executive committee for political operations,
and Mohammad al-Kutra, governor of Gaza City.
Siyam: PA arrests in W. Bank massacre against Palestinian
Information Center 8/1/2008
Gaza, (PIC)-- PA interior minister Sa'aeed Siyam on Thursday described
the arrests of Palestinian university professors, and social reformists
in the West Bank as "carnage" against the Palestinian intellectuals.
Tens of university professors, students, and local Imams (preachers)
believed to be members and supporters of Hamas Movement in the West
Bank were rounded up by the PA security apparatuses over the past few
of days. Among those arrested by the Abbas's security forces was
Hamas's senior political leader and member of its political; bureau Dr.
Mohammed Ghazal, who is also a well-known professor at the Najah
University in Nablus city. In a press conference he held in Gaza, Siyam
underlined that those arrests are in harmony and in fulfillment of the
first part of the "infamous" roadmap plan, describing those arrests as
" a crime that the Palestinian people wouldn't forgive".
Report: Hamas arrests Abbas representatives
Reuters, YNetNews
Security forces detain two officials appointed by Palestinian president
to oversee Fatah in Gaza, stepping up crackdown after series of
bombings in Strip -Hamas
security forces arrestedPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas'
top Fatah representatives in the Gaza Strip on Friday, ratcheting up
tensions between the rival factions. A day earlier, Abbas ordered his
Fatah-dominated security services in the West Bank to release all
pro-Hamas activists, according to the official Palestinian WAFA news
agency. Hamas said the activists had not yet been freed. Hamas security
men detained Ibrahim Abu an-Naja and Zakaria al-Agha, who were
appointed by Abbas to oversee Fatah in the Gaza Strip after Hamas
Islamists seized control a year ago, Fatah officials said. Hamas forces
also arrested three local governors appointed by Abbas, whose West
Bank-based government is backed by the United States and other Western
Abbas's security men arrest a prominent Hamas leader in the
northern West Bank
Information Center 8/1/2008
Abbas's American-trained security forces are used to repress
Palestinians on behalf ofoccupation OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Despite
official talk of Abbas ordering his security to release the Hamas
leaders who were arrested last week, his security men arrested on
Friday afternoon Sheikh Reyad Walweel. Walweel is a prominent Hamas
leader in the northern West Bank who was imprisoned before by the
Israeli occupation. In addition to Walweel, Abbas's security men
arrested Dr. Muhammad al-Masri who is a heart specialist. More than 220
Hamas sympathisers and leaders, including a number of lecturers and
leaders were arrested during the past week by Abbas's security men.
Sheikh Walweel, who was released from Israeli occupation jails, was
also detained several times in PA jails. There was an attempt on his
life by armed men thought to be affiliated with Fatah.
PFLP calls for demonstrations in protest at arbitrary arrests
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an - The continuing arrests in both the West Bank and
Gaza require no just denunciation but also direct action and public
events to put an and to the practices, the Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) said in a press statement released on
Friday. They said that the actions on both sides, "violated the red
lines of public freedoms. " The time for simply condemning the
detentions, they said, has passed, and it was now time to take to the
streets in protest at the political arrests that have escalated since
Hamas began arresting Fatah affiliates after blaming the movement for
the explosions in Gaza City on 25 July. The Front stressed that
measures should be put in place to ensure that this kind of retaliatory
campaign of detentions ends and does not occur again as it, "only
serves the Israeli occupation and hurts the Palestinian national
People's Party condemns arrest of Fatah leaders
Ma'an News Agency
Gaza – Ma'an – The arrest of a large number of Fatah leaders by the de
facto government in Gaza is unacceptable, the Palestinian People's
Party (PPP) said in a statement released on Friday. The statement comes
as a reaction to the arrest of several high profile Fatah leaders,
including the governor of Gaza, on Friday. The PPP said that this move
threatened the chances of starting a comprehensive national dialogue on
the issue of the internal rift in Palestinian politics. The party
denounced the arrests, especially in light of the fact that Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas has issued instructions to Palestinian
Authority police to release all political prisoners detained in the
last week as part of a tit-for-tat campaign of arrests by both Hamas
and Fatah after the explosions in Gaza on 25 July. The People's Party
demanded that Hamas immediately release the Fatah leaders. . .
De facto government to sue several media outlets for biased
Ma'an News Agency
Gaza - Ma'an – De facto government in Gaza will file a suit against
Ma'an News Agency for what they describe as "mistakes" that the agency
made when reporting on crimes committed by security forces in Gaza. Dr
Hassan Abu Hasheesh, head of the media office of the de facto
government said on Friday that where Ma'an dealt "with the violations
and crimes committed by the security forces in the West Bank as a
campaign to restore order…it deals with the performance of the security
forces in the Gaza Strip as clear violations of law. " During Abu
Hasheesh elaborated on his complaints during a meeting of media
representatives, saying that the de facto government's media office has
"addressed Ma'an Agency more than once" regarding biased coverage. He
said that "the agency expressed its apology and took out the fabricated
news report or article [when asked] But repeated has the same mistakes"
several times since.
Human rights organization condemns PA arrests of Hamas
members in West Bank
PCHR, Palestine News
Network 7/31/2008
Gaza - Gaza City's Palestinian Centre for Human Rights condemns the
campaign of arrests by Palestinian security forces against Hamas
supporters in the West Bank over the past several days. The Centre is
concerned that these arrests are an act of reprisal in response to
arrest campaignsas well as raids and closure of dozens of
Fateh-affiliated NGO's and sports clubs in the Gaza Strip. The Centre
calls upon the governments in Ramallah and Gaza to put an end to all
forms of arbitrary arrests, and to immediately release all political
prisoners on both sides. The Centre's preliminary investigation
indicates that in the evening hours of Saturday, 26 July, a joint force
of Palestinian security services embarked on an arrests campaign in
several areas of the West Bank. Approximately 30 leaders, members, and
supporters of Hamas were detained.
Palestinian Affairs: Where there's smoke...
Jerusalem Post
The latest standoff between Hamas and Fatah is yet another reminder of
the severe power struggle that has been raging in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip for more than two years. The recent crisis, which erupted
after a mysterious explosion of a vehicle killed five Hamas men who
were picnicking on the beach in Gaza City last Friday, shows that the
two parties are far from ending their bloody dispute. Hamas leaders
continue to insist that Fatah was behind the explosion. And though they
have yet to provide concrete evidence to back up the charges, Hamas
leaders were quick to order an unprecedented clampdown on Fatah,
arresting more than 160 of its members and closing dozens of
institutions run by Fatah supporters and members in four days. The only
"evidence" that Hamas has been able to provide thus far is a clip from
the Fatah-controlled Palestine TV, in which "revolutionary" music
accompanies the pictures of the explosion in Gaza City.
Coalition of leftist parties calls for unity and the release
of political prisoners
Ma'an News Agency
Gaza – Ma'an – A coalition of Leftist parties renewed their
condemnation of the detention of dozens of political leaders and
activists on Friday and called for the immediate release of all
political detainees in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They further
called for agreement from all factions to end the current state of
division. The group called for the immediate fulfillment of the
decision made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas which asked all
factions to release those political activists detained after the 25
July bombing of the car of a Hamas leader on the beach in Gaza. The
coalition of parties includes the Democratic Front for the Liberation
of Palestine (DFLP), the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
(PFLP) and the Palestinian People's Party (PPP).
Fatah: Al-Agha arrested, demand release
Ma'an News Agency
Gaza – Ma'an – The media spokesman for Dr Zakareya Al-Agha confirmed
Friday that dozens of de facto security forces of the Hamas-led
government in the Gaza Strip surrounded the man's home earlier in the
day and took him to unknown location. Al-Agha heads both the higher
committee of the Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip and the committee of
national action. The spokesperson denounced of Al-Agha's arrest as well
as the detention of other members of the leadership committee and
demanded human rights organizations and Palestinian factions intervene
immediately to secure his release. He also said in his statement that
the arrest goes against the recent efforts to create an atmosphere of
cooperation in preparation for proposed national unity talks. Actions
such as this, he said, will not help to create national unity.
Haneyya's government confirms respect to press freedom
Information Center 8/1/2008
GAZA, (PIC)-- Dr. Hassan Abu Hashish, the head of the information
office in the PA government under premier Ismael Haneyya, has confirmed
on Thursday that his government doesn't deal with journalists from a
security point of view, and that it respects honest journalism.
However, Abu Hashish explained that the latest measures taken by the PA
police against "unbalanced" media outlets had spared those outlets
strong retaliation from relatives of victims of the latest crime at
Gaza beach. Five fighters from the Qassam Brigades, the military wing
of Hamas Movement, and a five-year-old girl were killed in an explosion
when a bomb exploded in a car next to them last week. A number of media
outlets affiliated with Fatah Movement had clearly undermined agonies
of the victim's relatives by publishing false information on the
Hizb Ut-Tahrir events closed down by PA security forces
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an - Palestinian security forces prevented Hizb
Ut-Tahrir from holding several conferences and marches in Jenin and
Bethlehem and detained a number of party members, the movement said on
Thursday. Palestinian Authority (PA) Security forces were stationed at
the entrances to the cities to stop the arrival of people hoping to
attend the events, where they apparently arrested dozens of young men
affiliated to Hizb Ut-Tahrir. PA forces stopped a similar event from
going ahead in Hebron on 29 July, where clashes between security forces
and supporters of Hizb Ut-Tahrir broke out as attempts were made to
disperse the crowds. The party said in a statement that it is
determined to continue its operations in the West Bank and that they
will speak out at various mosques in the West Bank after Friday prayers
to remind people of the Muslim caliphate, an Islamic form of. . .
Hizb Ut-Tahrir announces cancellation of Hebron rally
Ma'an News Agency
Hebron – Ma'an – Hizb Ut-Tahrir, a movement that calls for the
establishment of Islamic law across the Muslim world,has cancelled a
rally due to take place in Hebron on Saturday in the face of
Palestinian Authority (PA) closures of its events over the last few
days, Dr Maher Al-Ja'bari, the spokesperson for Hizb Ut-Tahrir
announced on Friday. Al-Ja'bari said that Hizb Ut-Tahrir "decided to
respond to calls from different sides and especially from the Hebron
governor and to the head of the municipality's call to delay the rally
until further notice. " Recent Hizb Ut-Tahrir Events in Bethlehem,
Jenin and Hebron have been shut down by PA forces. A number of
supporters have been arrested, and clashes have occuerd between
security forces and supporters of the Islamic party. Khalid Al-Asali,
head of the Hebron municipality, welcomed the party's move and added
that "we thank Hizb Ut-Tahrir for their response.
PA security release 7 Hamas members; more to follow
Ma'an News Agency
Nablus – Ma'an – Palestinian Authority (PA) forces released seven Hamas
affiliates in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, including Dr
Mohammd Ghazal , member of the Hamas political leadership after a two
day detention, on Friday afternoon. The security forces confirmed that
this is the first group to be released in response to Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas' order on Thursday that all political prisoners
arrested over the last week be released. A senior commander of the PA
forces told Ma'an that others will be in the following hours. Friday
evening three more prisoners were indeed released. Those released along
with Dr. Ghazal were Ra'ed N'eerat, professor of political science at
An-Najah University; Sharif Msameeh, professor of Physics at An-Najah
and Baha' Ya'eesh, a business man. Dr Jabir Al-Bitawi a teacher at An
Najah university in Nablus, Husam Khreim,. . .
Fatah: Hamas are escalating internal crisis
Ma'an News Agency
Nablus – Ma'an – Hamas are escalating the internal Palestinian crisis
with the arrest of more Fatah leaders in the Gaza Strip, the caretaker
government claimed in a press statement on Friday. The statement claims
that Palestinian while President Mahmoud Abbas is taking concrete steps
towards the resolution of the rift, by intensifying contacts with Arab
states, the halting of the closure of institutions connected with Hamas
and ordering on Thursday the release of all political prisoners, Hamas
are doing nothing to make moves towards reconciliation. There have been
tit-for-tat arrests of both Hamas and Fatah leaders over the last week
after several Fatah members were arrested following the explosions in
Gaza City on 25 July that were blamed on the movement. The Hamas lead
de facto government in the Gaza Strip did announce on Thursday, in what
was seen as a conciliatory move,. . .
Femle detainees suffering in Israeli prisons
Ma'an News Agency
Tulkarem – Ma'an – Freed Palestinian prisoner Seema A'nbas revealed
Friday that her fellow prisoner 36-year-old Amal Jum'aa is suffering
from uterine cancer. A'nbas heard the news about Jum'aa after the
latter's sister returned from a visit to the women's prison. She said
that the cancer was discovered two days ago after doctors conducted her
regular checkup in the prison. Jum'aa is 36-years-old and a resident of
Askar refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus and is serving an
11 year sentence. A'nbas called on prison authorities to provide
medical care for Jum'aa and allow a specialist into the prison to
conduct the required medical assessment. She added that the prison
authorities should allow a doctor in to examine all women who suffer
from illnesses, and give medicine to those who need it. She asked Human
Rights organizations working in the Palestinian territories. . .
Five PLC members injured in Israeli custody
Ma'an News Agency
Gaza – Ma'an – Israeli authorities deliberately injured five detained
members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) causing two to be
hospitalized, Dr Ahmad Shweidih, Minister of Detainee's Affairs for the
de facto government in Gaza, said on Friday. The minister said that the
deputies had deliberately been injured to provoke and humiliate them
while being transported in a prison truck. Dr Shweidih claimed that
this is not a one-off incident, but a regular occurrence, particularly
when imprisoned PLC deputies are concerned, because they are seen as
symbols and representatives of the Palestinian resistance. He added
that the injuries were sustained when the truck driver who was
transporting the deputies to court intentionally braked hard several
times so that the deputies, who were hand-cuffed, would be flung from
their seats in the back of the vehicle.
Five kidnapped Palestinian MPs injured inside a recklessly
driven prison van
Information Center 8/1/2008
RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Five kidnapped Palestinian lawmakers of the change
and reform bloc, which is affiliated with Hamas Movement, were injured
as they were being transported in a prison van to court. According to a
letter leaked out of prison on Thursday, a copy of which was obtained
by the PIC, the van driver braked sharply several times, causing the
lawmakers, whose hands and feet were tied, to slam against the walls
and ceiling of the van. The injured PLC members were MPs Mohammed Abu
Tair, Nayef Al-Rejoub, Dr. Khalil Al-Rubaie, Dr. Azzam Salhab, and Dr.
Mahmoud Al-Ramahi, the secretary of the PA legislature. Injuries of Abu
Tair and Rejoub were described as "moderate", and were hospitalized,
but the three other parliamentarians were treated of light wounds they
sustained. More than 42 Palestinian lawmakers from Hamas Movement,
including PLC speaker Dr.
Five detained legislators
wounded while being transferred to court
Saed Bannoura &
Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
Palestinian sources reported that five Hamas legislators, imprisoned by
Israel, were wounded while being transferred to an Israeli court as the
military truck driver kept stepping on the breaks without any warning,
A letter that was sneaked from prison and was received on Thursday by
the Palestine Information Center, which is run by Hamas, revealed that
legislators Mohammad Abu Teir and Nayef Al Rajoub were moved to Al
Ramlah hospital after suffering moderate injuries. Three other
legislators, identified as Khaleel Al Rabee'ey, Azza Salhab, and
Mahmoud Al Ramahy, sustained mild wounds. The legislators were
handcuffed and their legs were tied so they were unable to protect
themselves and their heads slammed into vehicles iron top.
Female member of Nablus
city council moved to administrative detention
Saed Bannoura &
Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
The Ahrar Center for Detainees' Studies reported that the Israeli
Authorities transferred Kholoud Al Masry, 42, member of Nablus City
Council, to administrative detention after a decision from a judge at
an Israeli Military court. Her daughter, Safa', stated that the Israeli
Security Services claimed that they have a "secret file" against
Kholoud. In these cases, neither the detainee not the lawyer are
allowed to see this file. Kholoud Al Masry is a mother of five
children, aged 10 -- 20. Al Masry was kidnapped by the army on July 15,
2007, he husband is also imprisoned by Israel. Fuad Al Khoffash, head
of the Ahrar Center For Detainees' Studies, slammed the Israeli
decision and Israel's ongoing violations against the elected
Palestinian officials and legislators.
Palestinian serving 67 back-to-back life sentences beaten and
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Abdullah Al- Barghouthi, who is serving 67 back to
back life sentences in Israeli prisons, has sustained severe bruising
after he was attacked in Ashkelon prison which is north of the Gaza
Strip. Buthaina Duqmaq, lawyer and head of the Mandela Foundation
announced the news on Friday after visiting Al-Barghouthi in prison.
She said that Al-Barghouthi reported not feeling well after being the
victim of a surprise attack by Israeli interrogators who broke into his
cell the day of Lebanese prisoner Samir Quntar was released on July 16.
Al-Barghouthi reported that he had been surprised while watching TV in
his cell, when eight masked soldiers from "Metsada" entered and
attacked him using fists and batons. According to Duqmaq soldiers
continued to attack as he lay "on the ground helplessly.
Anti-Zionist Jewish Rabbis protesting against Zionists
barbaric demolitions of Palestinian homes
Palestine News
Network 7/31/2008
Commenting on the Israeli demolition of a five story home in East
Jerusalem's Beit Hanina which rendered another 70 Palestinians
homeless, Rabbi Meir Hirsh, a leading rabbinical figure within the
Jerusalem ultra - Orthodox community, of Neturei Karta Palestine,
issued the following statement:"Thus it is precisely because we are
Torah believing Jews that we have come here today to protest the
destruction and confiscation of individual's homes in historic
Palestine. "Tragically this is not an isolated incident. Over the years
the NaZionists government has plunged itself ever deeper into the abyss
of moral blindness, performing acts of senseless cruelty that have only
fanned the fires of hate in the Middle East. " Rabbi Hirsh continues,
"What a very different world it would be if all Jews would seek to
emulate the traits of Abraham our forefather.
Al-Quds Brigades will not stand for 'Israeli violations'
Ma'an News Agency
Gaz – Ma'an – The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad,
will not continue sticking to the truce between Israel and the Gaza
Strip if the Israelis carry on violating its terms, Abu Hamza
spokesperson for the brigades said on Friday. In a statement released
to the press, he indicated that the Brigades are following closely the
Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip and its actions in the West Bank
including arrests, shootings and other attacks. He said that "Israel is
not interested in peace. The Israeli army wants the Brigades to carry
out an offensive to have a justification for carrying out more
massacres, arrests and continuing the siege. Abu Hamza also called on
Hamas to return to dialogue in an attempt to restore unity among
Palestinians and called for an end to arrests in the West Bank.
Ma'an Arabic Poll: majority believe truce should be scrapped
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an –The majority of respondents of a Ma'anArabic poll
this week believe that if Gaza crossings do not open soon the truce
should be cancelled. The poll asked whether the Israeli failure to open
the crossings constituted a failure of the terms of the truce. Out of
11439 respondents, 7559 (66. 08%) answered that yes, if the Gaza
borders are not opened the truce should be declared voidA minority,
2918 (25. 51%) said that Palestinians should continue with the truce in
order to make it work, even if Israel does not open crossings
immediately. A small percentage, 8. 41%, of respondents indicated that
they were unsure how to react to the current situation of the truce
that began on 19 June.
15 rescued one missing after tunnel collapses in Rafah
Ma'an News Agency
Gaza – Ma'an – Fifteen Palestinians suffocated and a sixteenth is
missingafter the collapse of a tunnel in the Al– Barazil area of Rafah
near the border with Egypt in the Gaza Strip Friday evening. Dr
Mu'awiyah Hassanein, director general of ambulance and emergency
services ifor the de facto ministry of health in the Gaza Strip told
Ma'an that 15 residents were suffocated and moved to Abu Yousif
An-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. Dr Hassanein said that the fate of the
missing person inside the tunnel is not known. [end]
Sick infant dies due to
the siege in Gaza, twenty patients died in July
Saed Bannoura &
Agencies, International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported on Thursday that a 3-month
old infant from Deir Al Balah town, in the central Gaza Strip, died of
a heart disease as the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip emptied the
hospital in the coastal region from the basic medical supplies and
equipment. The infant was identified as Ahmad Eid Abu Amra, 3 months,
he was born with a heart condition. With his death the number of
patients who died due to the siege in Gaza in July arrives to twenty,
including five children. At least 220 patients died since the beginning
of the siege. The Ministry reported that the infant is the 26th
casualty since the truce deal with Israel was achieved more than 42
days ago. The Ministry stated that the Israeli occupation is not
committed to the truce deal especially the sections regarding opening
the border crossings in the Gaza Strip in order to enable the
residents, especially the patients, to be able to leave the Gaza Strip.
A number of children were
injured during a nonviolent protest in Bethlehem
Rula Shahwan,
International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
Local sources reported that a number of Palestinian children were
injured during a non violent protest against the illegal wall in Al
Ma'sara village near by the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday
midday. [end]
This Week in Palestine 31
IMEMC News - Audio
Dept, International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || 12m 0s || 11. 00MB ||This
Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media
Center, www. IMEMC. org, for July 26th, through August, 1st, 2008.
Palestinian negotiators confirmed this week that the Palestinian side
has handed over a list of to-be-released prisoners to the Israeli side
during two-days in Washington, meanwhile Death toll in Gaza due to the
Israeli siege 221, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned
Nonviolent Resistance We begin our weekly report with recent nonviolent
actions in the West Bank. IMEMC's Rula Shahwan has the details:
Nil'in In Nil'in village south of Ramallah city the Israeli army
attacked non-violent protests against the illegal wall on the village
lands several times this week. During the clashes 2 children were
killed and at least 40 protesters were injured.
PCHR Weekly Report: 2
Palestinians killed, 17 injured in Israeli attacks
Saed Bannoura,
International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
In its weekly summary of Israeli attacks for the week of 24 - 29 July
2008, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) reports that 2
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed by Israeli
gunfire in the West Bank this week. 17 Palestinian civilians, including
2 children, and 2 international journalists were wounded by Israeli
gunfire in the West Bank. Israeli attacks in the West Bank:During the
reporting period, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinians, including a
child, and wounded 17 civilians, including 2 children, in the West
Bank. On Saturday, 26 July 2008, Israeli forces killed a member the
'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in Hebron.
Israeli forces shelled the house where the victim was hiding and then
demolished it over him. During this operation, Israeli forces used the
victim's parents as human shields.
Rightists score legal victory over police
Aviad Glickman,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Itamar Ben-Gvir, two other extreme right-wing activists file wrongful
arrest suit against police for detaining them at rally celebrating
Yasser Arafat's death. Jerusalem Magistrate's Court finds in favor of
plaintiffs, awards minor damages -The Jerusalem Magistrate's Court
ruled Friday that the State must pay extreme right-wing activists
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Baruch Ben-Yosef and Israel Bramnson NIS 4,500
(approx. $1,300) each in restitution, after they were unduly arrested
while celebrating the death of former Palestinian Authority Chairman
Yasser Arafat, back in 2004. The three were arrested in November of
2004 at Jerusalem's Paris Square, after staging a celebratory barbeque
"in honor" of the news of Arafat's death. Police forces who were called
to the scene asked Ben-Gvir and his companions to vacate the premises,
but they refused and were subsequently taken into questioning and held
for three hours.
Ministers ink draft backing 'legal' forms of resistance
Daily Star 8/2/2008
BEIRUT: The ministerial committee in charge of drafting the new
government's platform finally thrashed out a policy statement late
Friday, with the council of ministers expected to ratify the draft on
Monday before presentingit to Parliament later next week. Information
Minister Tarek Mitri walked out of the committee's 14th and final
meeting to tell reporters at the Grand Serail that the committee has
finally reached an agreement over the ministerial statement despite
some reservations by Minister of State Nassib Lahoud. Mitri said that
the reservations, which were later clarified by Lahoud, would hopefully
be dropped after further consultations between the ministers and Prime
Minister Fouad Siniora ahead of an expected cabinet session on Monday.
Regarding the controversial issue of how to refer to the resistance in
the ministerial statement, Mitri said that the committee agreed. . .
Lebanon readies new government manifesto
Middle East Online
BEIRUT - A manifesto that will allow the new Lebanon government to take
office will be ready on Friday, Information Minister Tareq Mitri said
on Thursday. "The meeting tomorrow (Friday) will be the last and we
will submit the declaration of the policy statement to the government
so it can be ratified as soon as possible," Mitri told journalists. A
new national unity cabinet was formed two weeks ago, but negotiations
on a manifesto have been hampered by disputes on the issue of weapons
held by Hezbollah, the powerful political movement and militia. Mitri,
on a joint committee of majority ministers and opposition ministers,
was speaking after the cabinet met for the 13th time in nearly three
weeks to try to thrash out the policy statement. He added that
ministers had expressed "reservations about some of the wording" in the
proposed statement, but that the committee would resolve any
differences by Friday.
Hizbullah: Option of war awake
Ynet and Reuters,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Senior Hizbullah figure says group stronger than before; Lebanese
political say unity government agrees on statement that grants
Hizbullah right to 'liberate occupied land by all means possible' - A
senior Hizbullah commander says that while the group does not seek war
with Israel, it is ready for one and is stronger than before.
Meanwhile, Lebanon's national unity government agreed on a statement
that political sources said grants Hizbullah the right to use all
possible means to liberate "occupied land. " The policy statement,
expected to be approved by Lebanon's cabinet Monday, recognizes the
right of Lebanon, its government, people and resistance to use all
means possible to regain Lebanese sovereignty over Shebaa Farms and
nearby Israeli-held parts of Ghajjar village. Are Hizbullah, Lebanon
preparing for war? (Photo: AFP) Earlier, Hizbullah's. . .
A triumph for Turkey - and its allies
M K Bhadrakumar,
Asia Times 8/2/1908
The Israelis are expected to know something extra about their tough
neighborhood that we do not know. In all probability, the two Israeli
officials - Shalom Turjeman and Yoram Turbowitz - knew when they set
out for Ankara on Tuesday that Turkey's government was far from
dysfunctional or was going to be in any danger of extinction within the
next 24 hours. The two advisors to (outgoing ) Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert were on a sensitive mission to hold the fourth round of peace
talks with Syria under Turkish mediation. The format of the talks is
such that Turkish officials shuttle between the Israeli and Syrian
diplomats, who do not come face to face. The Turks seem to have done a
masterly job. On Monday, Syria's ambassador to the United States, Imad
Mustafa, speaking on a public platform in Washington, said, "We [Syria
and Israel] desire to recognize each other and end the state of war. "
Olmert's decision bittersweet victory, say bereaved parents
Sharon Nevot,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Families who lost loved ones in Second Lebanon War relieved by PM's
decision to step down, admonish him for not taking personal
responsibility for war during announcement. Multiple fatalities is not
something to be proud of, they say -For many of the Second Lebanon
War's bereaved families, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's announcement
that he would not be seeking reelection was a bittersweet victory that
spelled a certain relief, but very little else. Moshe Moskal, David
Einhorn and Ilan Moreno lost their sons during theSecond Lebanon War
have been leading the campaign for Olmert's replacement ever since. The
announcement, they said, did not feel like much of a victory. This is a
sad day for Israel,
which is seeing a failed prime minister go home. As far as they are
concerned, however, the recent slew of police investigations against
the PM was simply the final straw.
Ma'ariv: 'Peace deal between Israel and Syria'
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Syria and Israel have negotiated a peace deal to
end over 40 years of conflict, as a result of indirect negotiations
being conducted between the two sides, Israeli daily newspaper Ma'ariv
claimed on Friday. The newspaper said that the agreement would see an
end to the aggression between Israel and Syria and also to the close
relationship between Syria and Iran. The biggest issue for the Syrians
is the Golan Heights that have been occupied by Israel since the 1967
six-day war. It is not clear however whether any substantial movement
has been made on this issue. There are doubts that any considerable
moves can be made on Israel's part, due to the weakness of Israeli
Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, who announced on Wednesday that he would
be standing down in two months time. A poll by Ma'ariv on Thursday
showed that 55% of Israelis do not believe that Olmert could
legitimately carry on leading peace talks.
Police grill Olmert for three hours over graft claims
Agence France Presse
- AFP, Daily Star 8/2/2008
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM: Israeli police grilled Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
for three hours on Friday over graft allegations that have dogged his
term in office, two days after his surprise resignation announcement.
It was the fourth time since May that anti-fraud squad officers have
interviewed Olmert, 62, at his official residence in Occupied Jerusalem
in connection with the allegations of wrongdoing, which he has strongly
denied. Police remained tight-lipped but the questioning had been
expected to focus on claims Olmert illegally received electoral and
other funding from a wealthy US financier and that he sent out multiple
bills for the same overseas trips. The investigators asked the prime
minister to explain allegedly incriminating documents, some written by
his own hand, Israeli media reported. The latest round of questioning
came just two day after the premier announced he. . .
Olmert to be questioned for fourth time over corruption
Ma'an News Agency
Jerusalem – Ma'an - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will be
questioned by police over allegations of corruption on Friday at his
home in Jerusalem for the fourth time in recent months. A police source
said that this investigation will be the last in the case concerning
campaign contributions from Jewish-American businessman, Morris
Talansky. It is said that during the questioning that will last two
hours Mr. Olmert will be presented with documents supporting the
allegations against him for the first time. The case concerns
contributions made to Mr. Olmerts campaign fund when he was running for
Mayor of Jerusalem. Talansky has testified that he gave over $150 000
of cash in envelopes to the then mayoral hopeful. Israeli news sources
have reported that the police plan to send the several cases against
the Israeli Prime Minister to the Public Prosecutor by the end of this
Barak: We'll join coalition that functions according to
spirit of our values
Haaretz Service,
Ha'aretz 8/1/2008
Defense Minister, Ehud Barak met on Friday with representatives of the
immigrant organization at the Labor Party Headquarters in Tel Aviv.
Barak referred to the latest political events, saying: "If it turns out
that a government can form in this Knesset that functions according to
the spirit of our values, we will consider joining it. If it turns out
that we must hold elections, then we will be prepared for elections.
"Barak added that Israel is currently in the middle of negotiations
with the Palestinians and is simultaneously feeling out negotiations
with Syria. In referring to the issue of Gilad Shalit, Barak said "We
are examining the calm with Hamas, and are taking advantage of it to
become stronger, to prepare and to intensively advance the efforts to
return Shalit home. " When speaking to the representatives of the
immigrants organization of the Labor. . .
Livni, Mofaz vie for support of fellow Kadima ministers
Mazal Mualem,
Ha'aretz 8/1/2008
The two leading candidates to succeed Ehud Olmert at Kadima's helm,
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz,
will focus their efforts in the coming days on rallying the support of
leading party members. Thus far, almost none of these leading figures
has officially come out in favor of either one. Analysts have said that
the struggle between Livni and Mofaz may be decided by fewer than 1,000
votes. Therefore, the role that senior party figures could play in
throwing support to one or the other might prove decisive. The most
sought-after people are those ministers and MKs who are considered
close to Olmert, including Vice Premier Haim Ramon, Finance Minister
Roni Bar-On, MK Tzachi Hanegbi,and Knesset Speaker Dalia Itzik. The
prevailing wisdom is that most Kadima politicians are inclined to
support Livni,. . .
Poll: Livni beats Netanyahu, who beats Mofaz
Attila Somfalvi,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
If elections were held now, Kadima under Tzipi Livni would quash Likud
while also stealing votes from Labor. Under Mofaz however, Likud
triumphs. Study conducted hours before Prime Minister Olmert announced
he would step down -As Ministers Tzipi Livni
and Shaul Mofaz vigorously courtKadima's
top brass ahead of the impending primary elections in September, a poll
conducted by the Rafi Smith Institute for Ynet reveals which candidate
would bode better for the orphaned party in the even of a general
election. Pollsters hung up their phones on Wednesday after a two-day
operation, mere hours before Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
delivered his dramatic resignation address. Respondents were asked to
cast their votes in a hypothetic general election, with the identity of
Kadima's leadership playing the changing variable.
Kadima, led by Livni, would beat Likud
Yossi Verter,
Ha'aretz 8/1/2008
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni would lead Kadima to victory over Likud if
elections were held today, according to a special poll conducted by
Dialog yesterday on behalf of Haaretz. The results of the poll are
expected to have a dramatic effect on Livni's standing inside Kadima
and on her race with Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz for the
party's leadership. For all the bitter struggle between Livni and
Mofaz, yesterday's poll, conducted a day after Prime Minister Ehud
Olmert announced that he would not seek reelection as Kadima's leader,
shows that the foreign minister is the only politician who currently
has enough public support to defeat Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu.
The poll of 503 Israelis, which has a margin of error of 4. 1 percent,
showed that in national elections, Kadima headed by Livni would win 26
seats in the Knesset, compared to 25 for Likud under Netanyahu.
Olmert questioned once again
Efrat Weiss,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
National Fraud Unit team arrives at premier's Jerusalem residence for
fourth round of questioning on recent corruption affairs. Police, AG
expected to base decision on any further interrogation on session's
results -A team of police investigators, led by Head of the National
Fraud Unit, Shlomi Ayalon, arrived at Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's home
Friday morning, for a fourth round of questioning on two recent
corruption affairs. Olmert's interrogation began at 10 am and was
expected to last two hours. Following the police's request, the prime
minister agreed to extend the questioning session by an additional 45
minutes. According to the prime minister's associates, it was Olmert
who asked to extend the interrogation, which eventually ended at 1:20
pm. Olmart's aides said the prime minister answered questions regarding
the recent inconsistencies discovered in travel. . .
Kadima primaries / Say good-bye to the coalition
Shahar Ilan,
Ha'aretz 8/1/2008
Right now it appears that child allowances, not the peace process, will
determine whether the next Kadima Party leader can form a government.
If that person manages to reach an agreement to increase allowances
that satisfies Shas, and if Labor and Kadima's members are willing to
live with that agreement, there will be a coalition. A coalition
without Shas seems nearly impossible, leading a senior member of the
ultra-Orthodox party to conclude: "Shas is in the best political
position a party can hope for - holding real swing-vote power. "Let us
be clear: If there is something about Tzipi Livni that bugs Shas, it's
not her gender, but her ethnic affiliation. Not because she's Ashkenazi
- there have been plenty of Ashkenazi prime ministers - but her North
Tel Aviv heritage, which espouses high-minded language and is
preoccupied with human rights.
Lupolianski won't run for another term
Ronen Medzini,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Haredi factions' leading candidate for Jerusalem mayor is United Torah
Judaism MK Meir Porush - Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski will not run
for another term in November's municipal elections. His party, United
Torah Judaism,
will elect a new candidate for mayor, who will compete against
Russian-Israeli billionaireArcadi Gaydamak
and his Social Justice party. At the moment, the leading candidate is
Knesset Member Meir Porush. Lupolianski heads the UTJ faction in
Jerusalem, which is comprised of the Hasidic Agudat Israel and the
Lithuanian Degel Hatorah. In the previous elections, five years ago,
Agudath Israel endorsed the Lithuanian candidate in order to form a
united front against businessman Nir Barkat. The parties agreed that in
the 2008 elections, Degel Hatorah will support Agudath Israel's
Majority of Israelis in favor of general elections
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Tami Steinmetz Center publishes latest War and Peace Index, reveals 53%
of Israeli Jews would like to see government dissolved, 69% believe PM
Olmert lacks moral stature - Israel NewsOver half of the Jewish public
in Israel (69%) believes Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is
lacking in moral stature and therefore he shouldstep down regardless
of the outcome of the police investigation in
his matter, July's War and Peace Index, which was published on Friday,
indicates. The War and Peace Index is conducted by the Tami Steinmetz
Center for Peace Research. Published monthly since 1994, it is run by
Prof. Ephraim Yaar and Prof. Tamar Hermann and is compiled of a monthly
telephone survey of 600 Israeli citizens representing the various
sectors in Israeli society.
ISRAEL: Environmentalists concerned over Red-Dead canal plans
Tamar Dressler/IRIN,
IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 8/1/2008
HERZELIYA, 1 August 2008 (IRIN) - Environmental groups have expressed
concern about plans to build a canal between the Red Sea and the Dead
Sea - transferring water from the former to save the latter. They say
not enough research has been done and alternative options have not been
checked. "We are concerned about what will happen to the Dead Sea when
this amount of marine water is pumped into it," said Gidon Bromberg of
Friends of the Earth Middle East, at a 30 July public hearing organised
by the World Bank in Herziliya, which followed two others in Ramallah
and Amman. Bromberg said it was also unclear how extracting water would
affect the Red Sea, and what problems might be created by moving so
much water across the desert. Some experts have pointed out that the
area is known for seismic activity. The Red-Dead project would take
water out of the Red Sea, desalinating some. . .
Israeli forces mortally wound Nilin teenager after funeral
Flashpoints, Electronic Intifada 8/1/2008
The following is a transcript of Flashpoints , hosted by Nora
Barrows-Friedman, broadcast on 31 July 2008:
We continue our drumbeat coverage of the ongoing ethnic cleansing by
Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank, specifically in the village
of Nilin. As we reported yesterday, Israeli forces shot and killed a
ten-year-old boy, Ahmed Mousa, in the head with live ammunition fired
from an M16, on Tuesday evening. Around the time of the funeral
procession for Ahmed Mousa last night, Israeli occupation forces
returned to the village and opened fire on villagers, shooting another
young Palestinian teenager in the head. Eighteen-year-old Yousef Ahmad
Amira went into a coma after he was shot twice in the head, according
to Palestinian news agencies and eyewitnesses. The Mayor of Nilin
village said that six other young men were also shot and injured by
rubber-coated steel bullets after
Second youth targeted in two days: Yousef Amira (17) from
Ni'lin mortally wounded
Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign, Stop The Wall 7/31/2008
The Occupation forces have once again escalated their attempts to
suppress the daily demonstrations of Palestinian popular committees and
villagers to the construction of the Apartheid Wall. Yesterday evening
at around 10 pm, Israeli occupation forces shot two rubber coated
bullets into Yousef Ahmad Younis Amira's head. He is now lying brain
dead in the intensive care unit of Ramallah Hospital. Yousef Amira, 17
years old, was attending the funeral of Ahmad Mousa (12), who was
murdered by the Occupation forces the day before with a live bullet to
the head. In the late afternoon villagers started renewing their
on-going daily protests against the Wall and settlement construction by
blockading the main road to the village that is being transformed into
a settler-only road. The Occupation forces, attempting to clear the
road for the use of Israeli settlers, initiated confrontations with the
Palestinian villagers at around 8 pm.
Palestinian Super Star Murad As-Suwieti returns to a fanfare
in Jericho
Ma'an News Agency
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Palestine's Super Star Murad As-Swieti returned to
Jericho on Thursday after placing a close third in the program "Super
Star," a Lebanese series similar to the "National Idol" shows that have
been popular around the world. Murad's return to Palestine was met with
a grand reception in Jericho, where local Boy Scout troupes played and
Jericho mayor lawyer Hasan Saleh called him the "pride of all of the
Palestinians. " In an interview with Al-Qamr radio in Jericho Murad
explained that"I shed tears when the results were announced because I
was not able to give the Palestinians the lift they deserve as a people
who love life and joy. " During the competition Palestinians rallied
around Murad as a national representative. Even the office of
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas expressed their support, and
thanked Palestinian phone company Jawal for reducing. . .
Adieu Chahine
Hani Mustafa,
Al-Ahram Weekly 7/31/2008
The Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, who died last Sunday at the age
of 82, will be remembered both as one of Arab cinema's great auteurs
and as a brave man who always sided with the oppressed. No one person
has influenced Arab cinema and the Arabs' perception of cinema more
than Youssef Chahine, who began making films in 1950 following his
return from a three- year period of study in the United States. From
the very beginning of his career, Chahine's style of filmmaking
presented a marked shift from what many people at the time assumed
cinema to be. For Chahine, there was never any easy resolution of a
film's dramatic conflict, as he set himself the task of not only
entertaining his audiences, though he did do that with consummate
skill, but also of challenging audiences to think and to understand the
intellectual content of his films, something which earned many of his
films the reputation of being difficult fully to comprehend. -- See
also: Youssef
Chahine: A life in cinema and The
French connection
US, Israel discuss diplomatic push on Iran
Reuters, YNetNews
Transportation Minister Mofaz voices displeasure at recent American
engagement with Tehran, urges Bush administration to stand firm on
demanding Islamic republic abandon nuclear projects with bomb-making
potential - Israel
voiced displeasure on Thursday at recent US engagement withIran
and urged the Bush administration to stand firm on demanding Tehran
abandon nuclear projects with bomb-making potential, an Israeli
official said. In a shift of policy, US diplomat William Burns joined
envoys from other world powers for a July 19 meeting with an Iranian
delegate at which his country was given two weeks to answer calls to
curb uranium enrichment or face more sanctions. The turnaround raised
eyebrows in Israel, which has long looked to its US ally to lead
efforts to isolate Iran. Since the multi-party talks in Geneva, Iran
has said it would press ahead with its nuclear plans.
Mofaz: Iran on way to major nuclear breakthrough
Reuters, YNetNews
Minister Mofaz says effort to curb Iranian nuke program is 'race
against time and time is winning,' calls for new UN sanctions; Kadima
leadership candidate also tells Washington audience talks with Syria
must continue - Iran is heading toward a major breakthrough in its
nuclear program, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz said on Friday. "
As soon as 2010 (Iran) will have the option to reach (uranium
production) at military levels," he told an audience in Washington.
However, Mofaz said he supported diplomacy and spoke of other options
as "last resort". "It is a race against time and time is winning,"
Mofaz said. Mofaz said another UN Security Council resolution with new
sanctions will be needed this year if Iran does not meet the deadline
for responding this weekend.
American military says it is holding Iraqi Reuters cameraman
Agence France Presse
- AFP, Daily Star 8/2/2008
BAGHDAD: American forces in Baghdad said on Friday they are holding an
Iraqi cameraman working for Reuters news agency, and a media rights
group said he has been held for nearly a week without charge. Ali
al-Mashhadani was arrested last Saturday by US troops at the Iraqi
Parliament press center in Baghdad's heavily fortified government and
diplomatic Green Zone compound, the news agency said. It said
Mashhadani also works freelance for the BBC and US-based National
Public Radio, and urged the American military to free him immediately
or produce evidence that would justify his continuing detention. A
spokesman for the US military confirmed to AFP that Mashhadani was in
custody. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said the cameraman
"must be freed at once. It is unacceptable that US troops arrest a
journalist and hold him on security grounds. "
Christian, Muslim leaders in interfaith dialogue
Middle East Online
NEW HAVEN - A conference of Muslim and Christian leaders aimed at
promoting interfaith dialogue ended here. The four day event hosted by
the Yale University Divinity School is the first of a series of
Christian-Muslim talks to be held around the world. Future events will
be hosted in Britain, at the Vatican, and in Jordan. Some 150 religious
leaders and academics gathered for the event -- mainly protestant
theologians and evangelical leaders on the Christian side, and Shiites,
Sunnis and Sufis on the Muslim side. Six Jewish guests were present as
observers. "The practical issues included world poverty, the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan, the situation in Palestine and Israel, the danger
of further wars, and the freedom of religion," said Prince Ghazi bin
Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan, describing the closed-door meetings.
Barak says Labor will consider joining new government
Attila Somfalvi,
YNetNews 8/1/2008
Defense minister hints his party will agree to take part in cabinet
headed by elected Kadima chairperson, but clarifies, 'If elections are
needed, we'll be prepared for elections' - Defense Minister Ehud Barak
said Friday that his party would consider joining a new government
which will be headed by the elected Kadima
chairperson, following Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's announcement
that he would step down after the Kadima primaries. "If it becomes
evident that a government can be established in the Knesset according
to our values, we will consider joining it," Barak said during a
meeting with theLabor Party's
immigrant organization in Tel Aviv. The defense minister hinted that he
would not push for new elections, adding, "It's no secret that the
political system is in a period of complicated turmoil.
Israel picks up the pieces
Peter Hirschberg,
Asia Times 8/2/1908
JERUSALEM - The announcement on Wednesday evening by Prime Minister
Ehud Olmert that he will resign as soon as his ruling Kadima party has
chosen a new leader in mid-September did not shock Israel's political
establishment, but it did crystallize the political timetable: Israel
will either have a new prime minister by early November or Israelis
will be back at the polls for a general election in the first few
months of next year. Beset by corruption allegations, Olmert has been
under growing pressure in recent months to stand down and he finally
succumbed on Wednesday, announcing at a surprise press conference at
his official Jerusalem residence that he would not run in the Kadima
leadership primaries to be held September 17. " Once the party has
chosen a new leader, I will resign from my post as prime minister to
enable them to put together a new government quickly and efficiently,"
he said.
Kadima party's rank and file gear up to become kingmakers
Abe Selig, Jerusalem
Post 8/1/1908
As a registered Kadima party member, Netanya businessman and
self-described political organizer Maxim Elgrably may be choosing the
country's next prime minister. One of the front-runners in the party's
upcoming primary race, Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz, spoke of
Kadima contractors like Elgrably, saying in an interview in Washington
on Thursday that they have been given the "grave responsibility of
choosing Israel's next prime minister. " Party heavyweights like
Elgrably havebeen flexing their political muscle and signing up hefty
numbers of constituents as members, to vote for the candidate they've
decided to endorse ahead of the Kadima primary, scheduled for September
17. The party's membership drive ended on Thursday. "I'm going with
Mofaz and at least 80 percent of my people are going with Mofaz,"
Elgrably said by phone on Thursday.
EU diplomats flexible on deadline for Iran's incentives
The Daily Star,
Daily Star 8/2/2008
BRUSSELS: The clock is ticking for Iran to respond to an offer by major
powers on its nuclear program, but European diplomats say they are
ready to wait a few more days beyond Saturday's informal deadline for
an answer. Major powers asked Iran on July 19 to respond within two
weeks to their offer to hold off on imposing more United Nations
sanctions if Tehran would freeze any expansion of its nuclear work.
Iran has dismissed the idea of having a deadline to reply. EU foreign
policy chief Javier Solana - who leads nuclear talks with Iran for the
six major powers - will not be looking at his watch or declare Iran has
missed the deadline if it does not reply by Saturday, EU diplomats
said, but the West wants a reply in the next week. "One should not
focus too much on Saturday," one EU official said, speaking on
condition of anonymity.
EU awaits Iran nuclear reply, not in hurry
Reuters, YNetNews
Europe: We won't make big fuss over delayed response to nuke offer;
Iran: We'll stand up to foes - The clock is ticking for Iran
to respond to an offer by major powers on its nuclear program, but
European diplomats say they are ready to wait a few more days beyond
Saturday's informal deadline for an answer. Major powers asked Iran on
July 19 to respond within two weeks to their offer to hold off from
imposing more UN. Sanctions if Tehran froze expansion of its nuclear
work. Iran has dismissed the idea of having a deadline to reply.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the Islamic
Republic would "stand against" Its enemies. "Whenever the enemies have
failed against this nation they have tried to make excuses, but the
Iranian nation will stand against them with its power," he said,
without elaborating.
and Consequences Under Israeli Occupation
Mohammed Omer,
Middle East Online 8/1/2008
attacks on journalists are not new; nor are they rare, but the story of
award-winning Palestinian journalist and photographer Mohammed Omer is
shockingly egregious. The youngest winner of the Gelhorn Prize for
Journalism recently, Omer was detained and severely beaten by Israeli
authorities on his return from accepting the award in London. I
am a Palestinian journalist from Gaza. At the age of 17, I armed myself
with a camera and a pen, committed to report accurately on events in
Gaza. I have filed reports as Israeli fighter jets bombed Gaza City. I
have interviewed mothers as they watched their children die in
hospitals unequipped to serve them because of Israel's embargo. I have
been recognized for my reporting, even in the United States and United
Kingdom, where I have won two international awards. I have also been
beaten and tortured by Israeli soldiers.
This summer, at age
24, I was honored to learn that I had become the youngest journalist to
receive the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism, named for the famed
American war reporter and awarded to journalists who counter propaganda
with the truth. Although Israel has sealed Gaza's 1.5 million
Palestinians in what many now call the world's largest open-air prison,
Dutch MP Hans Van Baalen lobbied the Israeli government to let me leave
Gaza to receive my award in person. Upon my return from London, I was
surrounded by Israeli security officers. I was stripped naked at
gunpoint, interrogated, kicked and beaten for more than four hours. At
one point, I fainted and then awakened to fingernails gouging at the
flesh beneath my eyes. An officer crushed my neck beneath his boot and
pressed my chest into the floor. Others took turns kicking and pinching
me, laughing all the while. They dragged me by my feet, sweeping my
head through my own vomit. I lost consciousness. I was told later that
they transferred me to a hospital only when they thought I might die.
struggle against Jerusalem's quiet ethnic cleansing
Jonathan Cook,
Electronic Intifada 8/1/2008
In the first
hours of dawn, Nader Elayan was woken by a call from a neighbor warning
him to hurry to the house he had almost finished building. By the time
he arrived, it was too late: a bulldozer was tearing down the walls.
More than 100 Israeli security guards held back local residents.
The demolition, carried out four years ago, has left Elayan, his
wife, Fidaa, who is now pregnant, and their two young children with
nowhere to live but a single room in his brother's cramped home. It is
the only land he owns and he had invested all his savings in building
the now destroyed house.
Over the past few years, the Elayans' fate has been shared by two
dozen other families in the Palestinian village of Anata, on the
outskirts of East Jerusalem. Hundreds more families have demolition
orders hanging over their homes. "Not one person in my neighborhood has
a [building] permit," Elayan, 37, said.
The problem of house demolitions affects Palestinians throughout
the occupied territories. But according to Hatem Abdelkader, an adviser
to Salam Fayyad, the appointed Palestinian Authority prime minister,
the situation is particularly acute in the East Jerusalem area.
Gaza Movement to break the siege via sea
Debbie Menon,
Palestine News Network 7/31/2008
Edward Said
reminded the world shortly before his death in 2003 that it is easier
for the West to demonise the Palestinians -- through 'the vicious media
and government campaign against Arab society, culture, history and
mentality' -- than actually attempt to humanize what they don't fully
The Gaza imprisonment in the summer of 2005,
paraded as an Israeli generous withdrawal, produced the Hamas and
Islamic Jihad homemade missile attack and capture of an Israeli
occupation soldier.Even before the capture of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli
army bombarded indiscriminately the Gaza Strip.
Putting a
human face to the Palestinian people and explicitly saying Israeli
policies towards Palestinians are immoral should be acceptable in
Western democratic mainstream news media."It is Not!"Why is it
controversial to advocate Palestinian human rights and an independent
homeland? After all, the Jews already have Israel. It is time for
radical thinking of the conflict.
Nakbah Project: A nightmare of shattered lives
Jane Frere,
Electronic Intifada 8/1/2008
the cradle of Christianity, is caught in an unending nightmare. "What
can we do?" Amal, a Palestinian woman, asked me when I met her in the
town. A 17-year-old boy was shot dead in Bethlehem Square in the snow.
"A [Israeli] tank came in looking for a couple of kids and he threw a
single stone as it passed by. They put two bullets in him, one in the
chest and the other in the leg. His friends started to carry him to try
and get him to hospital, but he was dead."
"What time of day?" I asked, incredulous. I had just returned from
my Christmas break in the UK, and such scenes still belonged in my mind
to TV news. "Two o'clock in the afternoon," said Amal. "We were
shopping, then my son came dashing up to me -- 'Don't go into the
square, Mum, they just shot a boy.'"
I was in Bethlehem working on The Nakbah Project, a program of
artistic workshops with Palestinians to create an art installation,
Return of the Soul, marking the 60th anniversary of their expulsion
from their homeland in 1948. Amal was one of three women I worked with
in the ancient town -- the others were called Imurad and Shama -- who
had agreed to make 200 figures. Normally these three ladies would eke
out a living by creating the most exquisite Palestinian embroidery, or
other craft folklore, to sell to the dwindling tourist trade. But now
such tourists comprise only the most dedicated of pilgrims, bold enough
to venture beyond the eight-meter-high towering wall, through hostile
check points, to seek out the birthplace of Christ.
in the Palestinian Authority Era
Yousef Joudeh,
Palestine News Network 7/31/2008
Gaza - Since
the formation of the Palestinian National Authority in the Gaza Strip
and West Bank in 1994, governmental institutions have been
nationalized. The Ministry of Education was, in the eyes of many
observers, one of the most active, least corrupt and continuously
operating of those ministries.
A large number of new
elementary, middle and high schools have been built to meet the very
fast increase in the local population and to improve the quality of
education by limiting the number of students in each class.
Other accomplishments were the enhancement of teachers through courses
in educational methods, workshops and regular meetings with
supervisors. New teacher occupations were introduced in order to
modernize the whole system such as the position of 'school counselor'
who is considered a source of help and comfort for the students,
especially those who face difficulties at home or in school.
on the Iraqi borders: How did this story start?
Iqbal Tamimi,
Palestine Think Tank 8/1/2008
The methods
used by the Zionists to drive Palestinians out of their country 1948,
including claiming they had a Nuclear bomb like the one dropped on
The story starts almost here..
Zionist Haganah gangs worked on expulsion of the Palestinians from
their homeland in 1948, supported by the British mandate then, through
the Balfour Declaration which gave away Palestine to the Zionists on a
gold platter, besides using various other mechanisms to terrorize the
Palestinians to force them to evacuate their properties and lands.
They exercised terrorism against Palestinian towns and villages,
committing many massacres against its inhabitants. As well as spreading
false news and rumours among the people of Palestinian cities and
villages to terrorize and intimidate them. Forcing them to leave their
homes, and never to think of returning back - ever.
example the newly arrived Jewish in Palestine has sent a message to the
people of the Palestinian city of Safad saying that they have a Jewish
atomic bomb exactly like the one dropped on Hiroshima, and they are
intending to use it on them. One can imagine the impact of such rumours
on the people of the city.
Square one
Khaled Amayreh,
Al-Ahram Weekly 7/31/2008
A horrific
beach bombing takes Hamas and Fatah back to the edge of open strife.
Palestinian mourners carry the bodies of killed Hamas militants
through the streets of Gaza Saturday after an overnight bomb blast
killed five senior Palestinian militants and a five-year-old girl;
Palestinian President Abbas speaks to the press after meeting with
President Mubarak in Cairo Sunday; Palestinians inspect the destroyed
house of Hamas member Shihab Al-Natche, 25, following an Israeli army
operation in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron Sunday. Israeli
soldiers arrested three other men in the raidThe enduring strife
between Hamas and Fatah took a turn for the worse this week when an
explosive device went off beneath a car parked at a Gaza beach, killing
five Hamas military personnel as well as a six-year-old girl. The
incident occurred Friday 25 July, as thousands of Gazans flocked to the
sea, fleeing the unusually severe heat of summer.
The victims,
who were also vacationing at the beach, included prominent figures in
Hamas's military wing, the Ezzeddin Al-Qassam Brigades, including the
son-in-law of Khalil Al-Hayya, a key Hamas leader. Hamas held "the
treasonous trend" within Fatah -- an allusion to the US-backed group
led by former Gaza strongman Mohamed Dahlan -- responsible for the
bombing, vowing to capture the perpetrators and punish them severely.
Lucy Fielder,
Al-Ahram Weekly 7/31/2008
leaders are haggling again, though the true balance of power has been
laid bare, Lebanon's politicians squabbled this week over whether or
not to enshrine Hizbullah's resistance to Israel in a ministerial
statement to be adopted by the fledgling national unity government. But
with the balance of power in favour of the Shia movement laid bare
since the May strife, analysts said there was little doubt the alliance
they dominate would again prevail.
A ministerial committee met
11 times at the time of writing to try to draw up the statement, with
some from the "14 March" anti-Syrian movement opposing including the
"right to resist" clause in the document. Hizbullah wants that right
spelled out in the statement, as it was in the 2005 policy statement
when the last government was sworn in, but the 14 March team wants a
more vague wording.
This week, ministers have been expressing
optimism that agreement was close. President Michel Suleiman, elected
in late May under the Doha deal that halted Lebanon's descent into
crisis, reportedly brought some pressure to bear. Analysts said
capitulation was in any case all but inevitable. Hizbullah is in a
strong position to push its demands, particularly following its
lopsided prisoner swap with Israel in mid-July.
Do not pass
Saleh Al-Naami,
Al-Ahram Weekly 7/31/2008
Were last
week's bombings in Gaza intended to push Palestinian national dialogue
out of reach?
The bombs that targeted Hamas military and political leaders
returned Palestinian domestic relations to square one. In one attack a
small girl was killed alongside five leaders of Hamas's military wing,
the Ezzeddin Al-Qassam Brigades, and dozens were injured. The bombings
also targeted the home of Marwan Abu Ras, head of the Palestine
scholars' confederation and a Hamas representative in the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC).
After the dismissed Haniyeh
government announced that initial investigations indicated the
involvement of Fatah members in the bombings Hamas security agencies
arrested dozens of Fatah activists and closed many of the
organisation's offices. Hamas leaders say the offices will reopen once
it is established staff are not involved in cases of financial or
managerial corruption. A statement attributed to Al-Awda Brigades, a
group affiliated with Fatah, claimed responsibility for the bomb
targeting Al-Qassam Brigade leaders. A second statement then appeared
in which the group denied any link with the operation and accused
others of attempting to cover up the "real perpetrators".
to Heed
Rami Khouri, Middle
East Online 8/1/2008
Massachusetts -- It is difficult to get an impartially accurate
perspective on US-Middle East relations in Washington. This is because
people involved with the region are either Middle Easterners who have
brought their torrid battles to the United States, or Americans who
have exacerbated our region's own proclivity for extremism with their
romantic adventurism, ignorant militarism, or shameless pro-Israeli
The lack of any knowledgeable and neutral
American policy input on the Middle East leaves the United States these
days incredulously enjoying dwindling credibility, impact and respect
simultaneously, even while it unleashes its armed forces. A smarter
approach would benefit from the rich reservoir of knowledge that exists
among some of America's seasoned diplomats who have devoted their
entire professional lives promoting US national interests in the region.
I had a chance to experience this last weekend during a working
visit to the idyllic town of Woods Hole, on Massachusetts' enchanting
Cape Cod. I spend several days intermittently discussing US-Middle East
relations with a man who spent 35 years in that world -- Robert
Pelletreau, Jr., former Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs,
and ambassador to three Arab countries.
Search for conspiracy
Doris Norrito,
International Middle East Media Center News 8/1/0200
The other
man's story
Yesterday, I visited with Sameeh Hammoudeh and his family. He was
a co-defendant in the terrorism trial of Dr. Sami Al-Arian. It was a
very important visit and before I describe it, you'll need this
In February 2003, at the same time Dr. Sami
Al-Arian was arrested, Sameeh Hammoudeh was also arrested. Accused of
terrorist activities, Hammoudeh was one of the three co-defendants who
appeared with Al-Arian in the high-profile federal case that took place
in Tampa, Florida. The six month trial ended in December 2005. All
defendants were found "not guilty" of any terrorist activities."
Before the trial, U.S. citizens Ghassan Ballut and Hatim Fariz were
released on bail. Bail for Hammoudeh and Al-Arian had been denied and
they spent two and a half years before the trial in prison, most of the
time in solitary.
As of today, Al-Arian remains imprisoned.
The other defendants were freed. But for Sameeh Hammoudeh, who was
exonerated of all charges and had already served two and a half years
of pre-trial imprisonment, the suffering and anguish continued for
another six months. Held in a detention center awaiting deportation, we
began to correspond by letter.


text:
Philadelphia, Bucks, and Montgomery Counties
< Back to Philly and Suburbs Real Estate Blog
901 N PENN ST #F505-Philadelphia PA
December 28, 2016 9:39 am
$3,300 Rentals 2 Bedrooms 3 Bathrooms located in Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia)
Move right into this beautiful well kept luxury apartment fully furnished. It includes 2 Parking Spots(most have 1) and Valet Parking with this beautiful 2 bed 2.5 bath condo. Facing the water with high ceilings and floor to ceiling windows. Amazing upgraded full sized kitchen with Granite counter tops, Kitchen island and Stainless Steel appliances. Washer Dryer inside the unit. Hardwood floors. Huge balcony off the living room - larger than most of the other units in the complex. All amenities included - Heat / Water / Sewer / Indoor Pool,Sauna,Steam room, 10,000 sq. ft. fitness center, Outdoor river deck, Hot tub, Shuttle to Center City, Gated secured entrance, 24 hour security. Very easy access to all major highways including 95, 76, 676. HOA fees are included in the rent.
Subdivision: 2400 South
Kindi D. DiGirolamo
Our Office Locations

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Item # 66050
cordata dress
Item # 66050001
Product Actions
Designer's Notes
This dress is cut from a fluid fabric that has a beautiful drape and stays looking polished all day. The self-tying belt lets you create an hourglass silhouette, while the custom print was designed in-house.
- Button closure at cuffs
- Invisible side zipper
- Fully lined
Size & Fit
- Fit: Relaxed — an easy shape that's just shy of loose
- Length: Mid-thigh
- Model is 5'10/178 cm wearing a size 4
Materials & Care
- Content: 100% viscose; Lining: 100% polyester
- Care: Machine wash
- Imported


text:
Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
I don't think our family dynamic has changed THAT much, quite frankly. My sister was ten years & thirteen years older than myself and my brother. She has always been in a much different life stage. I have always been very bossy and maternal. My brother has always been very outgoing and the life of the party. My parents have always done everything they could to keep us all happy, grounded, and most importantly - loved.
My childhood was a typical, Mayberry-ish, television sitcom childhood. Although both of my parents worked, I never felt "abandoned" or that they didn't have time for me. Weekends were spent together, playing in the yard or with friends. I always felt an immense amount of love for and from my family.
None of that has changed. Although we have all grown up and now have lives and families of our own, I still feel that love. Weekends are typically spent, at least in part, with my parents, siblings or niece and nephew - or a combination of all the above.
So I guess this was kind of hard for me to answer. Because while the dynamic has changed as we've grown, I still have the same loving, caring and wonderful feelings today.


text:
Everyone has a story. Usually it's about something that happened to you. You're the victim in the story. Someone did you wrong. Someone lied. Someone cheated you. Someone hurt you.
How many times have you told that story? Why do you want to share it? What are you getting out of it? There is always a personal reason that people tell a story. You may want sympathy or understanding. It may be the "one up" game. A friend tells you their story and you feel you have to top it. It goes like this:
"And that's what happened and I hate X and Y!"
"Well, that's nothing. This is what happened to me."
If you want to change your life and your attitudes, you have to change your story.
Refuse to tell it anymore. It's no longer a part of you. It's not going to define you anymore. You will no longer be a victim. Life will not happen TO you because you are going to make different things happen from now on.
A hard thing to accept is that what happens in life has been brought on by us. Our actions, our decisions, our attitudes -- all of that has brought you to the life you currently live. And that is hard to accept. But in accepting it, you can forgive yourself and come to love yourself again. It is very hard to actually forgive ourselves and love ourselves. It's actually easier to love another person and forgive another person than to do the same for ourselves.
That is why the backstory on this blog will be the ONLY time I'll be telling that story. Because that is not my story anymore. I am not a victim. I participate in my life. I create my life. No one does anything TO me. I attract people into my life that I want to be there. People to teach me something. People to care about me and for me to care about. You can do the same.
So stop telling your story. Don't even tell stories about bad customer service or travel delays or any other problem in your life. Don't give it energy. For example, if you have bad service at a restaurant and you tell your friends, your family, you post it on Facebook and Twitter and you keep bringing it up over and over again then you're not going to ever get good service at a restaurant. Stop the story. Change the energy.
Refuse to label yourself. Tell a new story. Talk about the great things in your life. Change your attitude to one of gratitude. As you tell a new story about the wonderful things in your life you will find that things will change. Good things will happen. By doing these things, you will find that no one will even bring up your past story because you will be a different person.
I am a valuable, worthwhile, and special person.
I deserve to be loved and valued.
I attract positive, happy, energetic people to surround me.
I am thankful for my life, my job, my family, my pets -- continue as needed.
Now start living your new story.