Three Hamas fighters killed in clashes with Israeli forces in Gaza
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – Two members of the military wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, were killed by Israeli forces, east of Gaza City, on Wednesday morning. Eyewitnesses said that intensive shooting was heard in the area and armed confrontations erupted between Israeli Special Forces and Palestinian resistance fighters. 23-year-old Fadi Irqaiq and Mohammad Batniji, aged 19, were killed in the clashes. Both men were from the Shujaiya area of the Gaza Strip. The two corpses were transported to Ash Shifa Hospital. The Qassam Brigades said they are in mourning for the two men. The brigades issued a statement announcing that the clashes lasted for forty-five minutes and the brigades were able to launch mortar projectiles at the Israeli forces east of Gaza City.
Four Palestinians kidnapped and two Israeli soldiers injured in the W.B city of Nablus
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
A massive Israeli force invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the nearby Balata and Asker refugee camps, on Wednesday morning, searching homes and kidnapping four Palestinians. Two Israeli soldiers were reportedly injured in the invasion. Local sources indicated that the invasion began when at lest 20 military vehicles stormed the old city of Nablus and the nearby refugee camps, randomly opening fire and searching homes. During the search, four Palestinian civilians were kidnapped, among them Abed Ragheb, and Samier Alosh. Israeli army sources reported that during clashes with local resistance, two soldiers were lightly wounded. [end]
Israel requests changes to US military aid
Zvi Lavi, YNetNews 8/8/2007
US to boost aid from $24 to $30 billion over next 10 years. Washington now considering request to add regular annual sum instead of current additional 4% - The United States is considering Israel's request to redistribute the increased military aid agreed on between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and US President George W Bush. US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns who was scheduled to arrive in Israel to sign off on the new deal has postponed his visit until after Washington officials have reviewed the Israeli proposal. According to the agreement between Olmert and Bush US military aid would grow annually by four percent - over a period of 10 years, bringing the total sum to $30 billion from the current $24 billion.
ISRAEL-OPT: Villagers face evacuation orders, movement restrictions
Shabtai Gold/IRIN, IRIN - UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 8/9/2007
, 8 August 2007 (IRIN) - Palestinian residents of al-Hadidiya village in Jordan Valley (in the West Bank), live without electricity or running water and most importantly, they say, face demolition and evacuation orders. "Five families tried to fight the orders in an Israeli court," said Ali Bsharat, an al-Hadidiya resident. "They lost." The five then had to sign documents and commit to leave the area. "We don't want to leave," Bsharat said, but implied that it may just be a matter of time before all the residents are forced to do so. Tzidki Maimon from Israel's Civil Administration in the West Bank explained the orders, saying the residents "invaded the land illegally. They set up tents and animal pens" in violation of Israeli laws in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces besiege family for 24 hours in their home in Jenin
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Jenin – Ma'an – The Israeli forces on Tuesday invaded a house in the town of Ya'bad, west of Jenin refugee camp in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The Israeli soldiers besieged the home for over twenty-four hours before transforming it into a military post and detaining the family in the basement. The owner of the besieged home, Khaled Moussa Abu Shamla, said "the [Israeli] occupation forces seized my two-storey home at dawn yesterday. Eight family members were investigated in the field before being detained in the basement of the house and forbidden to move." The Israeli forces prevented Abu Shamla from receiving food and drink for his family, and they were forced to rely on olive oil and zatar, with some bread that was in the house.
Norwegian FM denies saying his country severed ties with Hamas
Barak Ravid, Ha'aretz 8/9/2007
Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gar Store denied on Wednesday having told President Shimon Peres on Monday that his country had severed all ties with Hamas. Store expressed his outrage at allegations he had made this comment. In a meeting with Meretz Party Chairman Yossi Beilin on Wednesday, Store said that he had never said such a thing and that he "couldn't believe it when I saw myself being quoted as saying this." Stores associates directed their criticism as Peres' office. On Monday, Store was quoted as saying that the Norwegian government had halted the ties it had cultivated with Hamas when the Palestinian unity government was intact, and now deals exclusively with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' government and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayad.
Israeli settlers attack mosques in Hebron
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
Israeli settlers set fire to the Al Kayyal mosque in the old city of Hebron on Tuesday night. The Al Kayyal and Al Hesba mosques have been closed by the Israeli authorities since the massacre at the Ibrahimic mosque in 1994 in order to expand the "Ibraham Abeno" settlement and the Jewish neighborhood in the old city. Al Shiekh, Mohammad Husien, General Mufti of Jerusalem and Palestinian lands and Imam of the holy mosque condemned the settler attacks on the mosque and on the residents of the old city of Hebron. Al Shiekh Mohammad Husien called on international organizations to intervene and bring an end to all settlement activities and to press the Israeli government to reopen the closed mosques in Palestine. Earlier of this week, Israeli settlers were reportedly attacked and set fire to a mosque in the city centre.
Armed clashes take place in El Ein refugee camp
Ameen Abu Warda, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
Violent clashes between the Israeli army and local Palestinian resistance forces took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning in the Ein Beit El Ma' refugee camp, located in the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Local civilians reported that resistance fighters from the Abu Ali Mustafa brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, confronted a large Israeli force that was trying to invade the camp. A violent clash ensued in which an explosive device was thrown at the Israeli army. The Abu Ali Mustafa and Ez Eddin Al Qassam brigades issued a joint press release claiming responsibility for the attack in which they claimed that a number of Israeli soldiers had been injured in the defense of the camp.
Army invades Yatta village near Hebron, attacking homes in the locale
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
The Israeli army invaded the village of Yatta, located south of Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank, and attacked homes on Wednesday. [end]
Israeli army kills Hamas-affiliated security officer in Gaza
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
Palestinian sources in the Gaza strip reported on Wednesday afternoon that one executive force officer, the Hamas-affiliated security force, was killed by Israeli army fire near the Eretz crossing ( Beit Hannon), located at the northern borders between the Gaza strip and Israel. Palestinian medical sources identified the victim as Akram Abu Amsha, 22. Eyewitnesses stated that executive force members were helping the Palestinians entering the Gaza strip from that crossing and managing traffic when Israeli tanks stationed at an army post near the crossing opened fire at the officers, killing Abu Amsha. Executive force members have been helping Palestinians cross the border since a number were allowed to re-enter the Gaza Strip. [end]
The Israeli municipality of Jerusalem demolishes a Palestinian home
Mayssa Abu Ghazalih, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
The Israeli Jerusalem municipality and police demolished a Palestinian home located in the Wadi Al Joze neighborhood in Jerusalem on Wednesday. The house, which was under construction, belonged to Abdullah Al Jabi. The municipality said that the house was built without documents, documents that have never been issued to those Palestinians living in the occupied city since 1967. Al Jabi told IMEMC that a massive Israeli military force surrounded the neighborhood, forced the family out, and did not give them a chance to evacuate their belongings. Al Jabi added that he received no warning from the municipality before that attack. Al Jabi is a Palestinian man who lives in Jerusalem with his family. He began building the house when he could no longer afford to pay rent.
PFLP combatants attack Israeli targets, injuring a soldier
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Nablus – Ma'an – The military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, on Wednesday morning announced responsibility for injuring an Israeli soldier in Ein Beit el Ma refugee camp, west of Nablus. In a telephone conversation with Ma'an's correspondent in Nablus, the brigades said that one of its groups clashed with an Israeli infantry patrol in the camp early on Wednesday morning, injuring one of the soldiers. Palestinian security sources said that many Israeli military vehicles penetrated the old city of Nablus and raided several residential areas. The soldiers ransacked several homes, claiming they were in search of 'wanted' Palestinians. Israeli radio confirmed that an Israeli soldier was injured in the camp.
Al Quds and Al Aqsa Brigades claim responsibility for attack on Israeli military post
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Khan Younis - Ma'an - A joint group of Al Quds and Al Aqsa Brigades fighters claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at an Israeli military post east of Abu Al Ajin, east of Gaza City. The Al Quds Brigades are the military wing of Islamic Jihad and Al Aqsa Brigades are that of Fatah. In a statement they said that the operation was retaliation "for Israeli aggression against Palestinians." [end]
Chaos in Hebron continues as Palestinian fighters bomb settlers
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Hebron – Ma'an – Palestinian armed fighters threw locally-made bombing devices at an Israeli car near Dura village, west of Hebron, on Tuesday evening. Palestinian sources said that the local citizens threw a bomb at an Israeli settler car. The sources added that there is a preliminary report of the injury of three settlers. The Israeli forces arrived at the scene and began an investigation in the area. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli soldiers forced Palestinians to evacuate the buildings and stand in the streets. Israeli settlers were also seen gathering in one area. In recent days Israeli settlers in Hebron have attacked Palestinian sites, including a mosque in the old city. The settlers set fire to the mosque and prevented fire services from reaching the area.
Al Aqsa Brigades clash with Israeli forces near Sufa Crossing
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Gaza - Ma'an - The joint command of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of President Abbas' Fatah movement, have on Wednesday reported clashing with Israeli troops near the Sufa crossing point between the Gaza Strip and the northern Negev desert. A statement released by the brigades declared that their memers had injured some Israeli soldiers before escaping. The brigades stated that this clash "comes as a response to the crimes committed by the Israelis". They concluded by insisting that they "will continue to resist the Israeli forces". Later in the evening, the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, claimed responsibility for shooting an Israeli soldier at the same position. [end]
Al Aqsa Brigades launch three homemade projectiles at Israeli military position
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Gaza - Ma'an - The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement, have claimed responsibility for firing three homemade projectiles at the Israeli military position of Natif Ha'tsara, north of Beit Hanoun. [end]
Palestinian child kidnapped in Hebron
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
The Israeli army kidnapped one Palestinian civilian from the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday. Local sources stated that soldiers kidnapped Mohamed Al Tablishi, 17, as he walked in the old city of Hebron. Israeli army sources said troops kidnapped the child because he tried to stab them using a knife, a story not corroborated by eyewitnesses. [end]
Hebron prepares for another clash as IDF looks to remove Jewish squatters from more stores
Nadav Shragai, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
Hebron is gearing up for a new battle between the settlers and the Israel Defense Forces after the Civil Administration issued evacuation orders for four stores where settlers squatted two years ago. But the evacuation will not take place immediately because the settlers have appealed to the Judea and Samaria Appeals Committee, and their case will be heard in two weeks. The stores are located in the "triangle market" not far from the wholesale market from where two Jewish families were evacuated Tuesday. All the stores are on Jewish-owned land that was inhabited by Jews until 1929, when Arabs massacred many members of the local community and the survivors fled. Between 1948 and 1967, when Jordan controlled Hebron, the stores were managed by the kingdom's custodian of enemy property.
UN to help get farmers back on their feet following war with Israel
Agence France Presse, Daily Star 8/9/2007
ROME: The United Nations food agency on Wednesday announced plans to help Lebanese farmers get back to work after months of interruption caused by last year's war with Israel and unexploded ordnance in their fields. An initial assessment by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) after the war estimated damage and losses to the agricultural sector at $280 million. The munitions dropped by Israel included more than a million cluster bomblets, around 40 percent of which failed to detonate on impact, according to the United Nations. The ordnance has wounded more than 200 people since the end of the war last August 14, according to the United Nations Mine Action Coordination Center (MACC), and around 30 people have been killed. About half of southern Lebanon's working population "relies wholly on agriculture...
Army invades Jenin and Jenin refugee camp
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
The Israeli army invaded the northern West Bank city of Jenin and Jenin refugee camp on Wednesday morning. [end]
Hebron store owner: Eviction was a facade
Ali Waked, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Owner of one of stores in city's wholesale market invaded by Jewish families tells Ynet evacuation will not change a thing: 'Everything that took place there was mainly meant for the cameras, but there were no clashes. The army and the settlers have the same goal' - "The so-called clashes between the IDF and the settlers are one big façade," Ziad Sarsur, the owner of one of the two stores taken over by Jewish families in Hebron's wholesale market, told Ynet on Wednesday. The evacuation of the two families and hundreds of right-wing activists was completed by large police and Border Guard forces on Tuesday morning. "Yesterday the merchants and I saw the commotion on television and laughed. What a poor and unsuccessful façade," Sarsur said.
Organization to award Hebron refuseniks with citations
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 8/8/2007
SOS Israel praises soldiers who refused orders to evict Jewish families from Hebron: 'These soldiers are worthy of being written up in gold in the history of the people of Israel' - The refusal of religious soldiers to participate in the forcible evacuation of two Jewish families from the Hebron market place on Tuesday has led to heated public debate on the issue of refusing orders, but while most condemn the move, there are also those who commend it. "The people of Israel strengthen and support the soldiers who obeyed the laws of the Torah and refused to carry out the criminal order to expel Jews from the City of the Patriarchs - Hebron," proclaimed a leaflet to be distributed by the SOS Israel organization this weekend. These soldiers are worthy of being written up in gold in the history of the people of Israel as heroes of Israel.
Kibbutzniks, rabbis slam refuseniks
Yossi Yehoshua, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Rabbis belonging to association which founded haredi Nahal Battalion threaten to prevent enlistment of national religious troops if right-wing leaders try to convince them to refuse orders. Kibbutz Movement calls on youth to join field units whose soldiers refused orders - The refusal of religious soldiers to take part in the evacuation of two Jewish families from the Hebron wholesale market on Tuesday has led to a rare agreement between the founders of the haredi Nahal Battalion and heads of the Kibbutz Movement. Rabbis from the Netzach Yehuda association, which founded the haredi Nahal Battalion, harshly criticized the attempts of right-wing leaders to convince the battalion's troops to refuse the order to take part in the Hebron evacuation.
LEBANON: Women in the Frontline for Clearing Cluster Bombs
Rebecca Murray, Inter Press Service 8/2/2007
TYRE, Lebanon, Aug 8(IPS) - "Mine action is a male dominated sector, but it doesn't have to be," declares Christina Bennike, the dynamic head of Danish charity Dan Church Aid (DCA) in south Lebanon. "I really felt it would be important to address this from the beginning, then it would be natural instead of something different or unique." DCA, together with the government-backed Swedish Rescue Services Agency, has taken the innovative step of hiring both men and women as searchers to do the challenging work of Battle Area Clearance (BAC) -- methodically clearing the land of deadly cluster bombs, a metre at a time. "We've had the first integrated teams in Lebanon and it's working out well," Bennike told IPS on phone. "They understand they are here to do a job, and return the land to the people.
Rights group petitions court over E. J'lem police roadblocks
Jonathan Lis, Ha'aretz 8/9/2007
The Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned the High Court of Justice on Wednesday over what it claims are illegal police roadblocks set up primarily in the Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. According to the petition, local residents arriving at these roadblocks were commanded to pay debts, immediately and in cash, incurred by them or their family members to the Israel Tax Authority and the National Insurance Institute (NII). The petition claims that police routinely threatened local residents that their vehicles would be impounded should they refuse to comply. The Palestinian residents were not given the option to dispute these demands, despite the fact that in several cases it emerged that residents had been wrongfully forced to pay debts.
Petition: Stop 'tax roadblocks' in east Jerusalem
Aviram Zino, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Association for Civil Rights in Israel demands that National Insurance Institute stop collecting debts using police barricades, which they say should be used only for security checks - The Association for Civil Rights in Israel petitioned the High Court of Justice on Wednesday in a demand to stop the collection of debts from east Jerusalem residents through "tax roadblocks". The roadblocks are used by the National Insurance Institute and the Jerusalem Police to collect debts from residents "in ways used by criminals in the grey market, through extortion, threats and deadlines," petitioners said. According to the petition, which was filed by attorney Tali Nir on behalf of four east Jerusalem residents, "these roadblocks are being operated without any legal authority and are harming human rights.
Israeli army demolishes street stalls near the Jordan valley
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
Palestinian sources reported that Israeli army bulldozers demolished street stands used by Palestinian farmers to sell vegetables located at the side of Israeli setter road only known as road 90. [end]
Israeli army kidnaps one clergy-man in Qalqiliya city
Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
The Israeli army invaded the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia on Wednesday morning, searching homes and kidnapping a Muslim cleric. Al Shikh Khader Abu Kader, the head of the Islamic teaching society in the city of Qalqilia, was kidnapped by Israeli troops who attacked and searched his home and then took him to unknown location. The Islamic teaching society is a local NGO that deals with charities and the teaching of the Islamic religion teachings. It has no political affiliation. [end]
Head of Islamic charitable organisation arrested in Qalqilia
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Qalqilia – Ma'an - Israeli forces arrested the head of an Islamic charitable institution at dawn on Wednesday in the city of Qalqilia. Sheikh Khalil Khadir, head of the Qu'ran and Sunna society was arrested after a huge contingent of Israeli forces entered the city, Palestinian security sources said. The sources said the Israeli forces went into many neighborhoods of the city and stormed many houses before arresting Sheikh Khadir. He was taken to an unknown destination. [end]
Israeli forces detain chairman of the International Society for the Deaf in Hebron
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Hebron – Ma'an – Israeli forces seized the Chairman of the International Society for the Deaf, Yakub Munir Sa'ed Abu Ramoz, aged 32, in Hebron on Wednesday. His sign language translator told Ma'an, "The occupying forces arrested Abu Ramoz at one of the military checkpoints in Hebron. He was on his way home from his work this morning at the Assembly of the Deaf." Abu Ramoz is a father of three and has been chairman of the society for the deaf for three years. The Assembly of the Deaf appealed to human rights organisations for their immediate intervention to release Abu Ramoz. [end]
Israeli authorities deny 20 prisoners family visits due tomorrow
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Tulkarem - Ma'an - Israeli authorities have stopped the families of 20 prisoners from visiting their imprisoned relatives in Ramon prison, located near Tulkarem. The family of imprisoned Hatem Al Jayousi reported that the Red Cross had contacted them, informing them that the Israelis had prevented 20 prisoners from seeing their parents, in visits due to be made tomorrow, Thursday. The family added that their son, and young prisoners who were with him, are being held in solitary confinement in Ramon prison. [end]
Israel Grounds Palestinians in West Bank
Palestine Chronicle 8/8/2007
Israel has virtually denied Palestinians in the occupied West Bank the right to movement through a labyrinth of checkpoints and barriers set up to protect illegal Jewish settlements, an Israeli human rights group said. "Israeli authorities have turned Palestinian freedom of movement from a fundamental human right into a privilege that Israel grants or withholds as it deems fit," B'Tselem said in its latest report. It noted that the Israeli army deploys 47 checkpoints and 455 physical barriers across the occupied West Bank, dividing the territory into six subsections. This, the rights group warned, is creating "far-reaching effects on every aspect" of the lives of the more than two million Palestinians, while ameliorating the lives of some 260,000 Jewish settlers living in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Israel: Villagers face evacuation orders, movement restrictions
IRIN, ReliefWeb 8/8/2007
AL-HADIDIYA, 8 August 2007 (IRIN) - Palestinian residents of al-Hadidiya village in Jordan Valley (in the West Bank), live without electricity or running water and most importantly, they say, face demolition and evacuation orders. "Five families tried to fight the orders in an Israeli court," said Ali Bsharat, an al-Hadidiya resident. "They lost." The five then had to sign documents and commit to leave the area. "We don't want to leave," Bsharat said, but implied that it may just be a matter of time before all the residents are forced to do so. Tzidki Maimon from Israel's Civil Administration in the West Bank explained the orders, saying the residents "invaded the land illegally. They set up tents and animal pens" in violation of Israeli laws in the occupied West Bank.
Gaza: thousands of trapped Palestinians finally able to return home
International Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC, ReliefWeb 8/8/2007
Thousands of Gaza citizens were stranded for nearly two months at the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt, which was closed following the Hamas takeover of Palestinian Authority institutions. A political solution was found at the end of July, allowing the gradual return of the Palestinians. Abu Hadi finally smiles as he's able to board the bus that will take him home to Gaza. The 72-year-old who had come to Egypt for medical consultations in May has spent the past eight weeks with his relatives in the Egyptian border town of Rafah, waiting for the crossing to open. "I cannot wait to get back... I enjoyed seeing my family, but staying with them for two months has made me feel like a burden. It was not planned, I just waited until I was told that they would finally let us go home.
Please help Palestinian refugees displaced by fighting in the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in Lebanon
Mercy-USA for Aid and Development, Inc. - M-USA, ReliefWeb 8/8/2007
Background - Since fighting began on May 20 in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian Refugee Camp in northern Lebanon, approximately 30,000 of the camp's residents have become homeless. UNICEF estimates that about 15,000 of those displaced are children. A nearby Palestinian Refugee camp, the Beddawi Camp, continues to host many of those children and other civilians who have fled the fighting. Mercy-USA's Response - Mercy-USA for Aid and Development's office and staff in Lebanon is responding to the desperate needs of these children and their families. 1) During the fourth week of July, Mercy-USA is distributing 9,000 floor mats to all displaced Nahr Al-Bared families (approximately 22,000 persons) living in the Beddawi Camp. These mats, which are especially prized during the summer months, provide a safe, clean...
Couple "smoked out" of moshav
Idan Avni, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Local residents carry out threats against non-Jewish couple wishing to rent home in Galilee moshav; landlord cancels contract with couple after house set on fire, calls attack 'sheer racism' - A house was set ablaze in Moshav Tefahot Tuesday in a second attempt to dissuade a non-Jewish couple from moving in. One of the rooms in the house was set on fire last Thursday, after the couple, Hayman and Christina Khatib, received threats by local residents folowing their decision to rent a home in the religious, Upper Galilee moshav. Tiberias Police Chief Ilan Sardel said the attacks were of a racist nature due to the husband's ethnicity. At first, Tefahot residents received Christina with open arms when she arrived at the moshav to look for a home, assuming that she had just made aliyah.
Citizen presses charges against Professor Weiss for incitement
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Police still weighing steps against professor who wished death and bereavement on Hebron brigade commander. 'I could have written another talkback and gotten angry, but this time I believed something needed to be done,' explained citizen who filed complaintAn "ordinary citizen" from Modi'in is the latest person to impact the heated debate surrounding comments made by Professor Hillel Weiss during the eviction of two Jewish families from the Hebron marketplace on Tuesday. Weiss was caught on camera cursing Colonel Yehuda Fox, commander of the IDF's Hebron brigade. "May your mother be bereaved, your wife be widowed, your children be orphaned and may you be struck down in the next war and any memory of you be erased," Weiss said. "I'm not a political man, just an ordinary citizen," said Itzik Harel...
Sheikh Salah to be indicted on incitement
Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Head of Islamic Movement's northern branch will be indicted on charges of incitement, racism - The prosecution will file an indictment against Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the Islamic Movement's northern branch, on charges of incitement to violence and racism, it was announced Wednesday. Salah was arrested last February in Jerusalem for urging a third Palestinian uprising against Israel during a protest against a dig near the Old City's Mugrabi Gate that leads of the Temple Mount. "We tell every Muslim and Arab that their duty is to aid the Palestinian people with launching a third intifada," he said then. "Our most beautiful moment will be when we meet God as martyrs in the Al-Aqsa Mosque." Salah was released with provisions and banned from taking part in public gatherings.
Hundreds protest decision to close probe into Palestinian girl's death
Tal Rabinovsky, YNetNews 8/8/2007
'It cannot be that a 10-year-old girl takes a bullet, it is proven that she was killed, and still no one is found guilty,' protester says; seven people detained during rally - Police detained seven people during a demonstration held outside the Jerusalem District Court Wednesday in protest of the decision to close the investigation into the death of a Palestinian girl killed last January. Officers said the protesters attempted to break into the building. Ten-year-old Abir Aramin of Anata, located on the outskirts of Jerusalem, was critically wounded on Jan. 16 during a clash between Palestinian school students and Israeli Border Guard officers in the refugee camp. She lay clinically dead at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem for three days as doctors fought for her life, but was then taken off life support.
Another 800 Palestinian return to the Gaza Strip from Egypt
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – A ninth group of Palestinians who were stranded at the Rafah Crossing on the Egypt-Gaza border, about 800 Palestinians in total, were on Wednesday transported from the Arish sports stadium in Egypt into the Gaza Strip through Beit Hanoun, near the Erez Crossing to the north of the Gaza Strip. Hani Jabbour, in charge of the operation for the Palestinians, said that the total number of returned Palestinians, not including today's 800, has now reached 5,000. [end]
Photostory: The Apartheid Wall
Tom Spender, Electronic Intifada 8/8/2007
Four hundred kilometers and counting -- for Jewish Israel the West Bank barrier represents a longed-for separation from Palestinians, couched in the comfortable narrative of security. But as its varied malign effects on Palestinian society become clear, the barrier along its chosen route is becoming an icon of dispossession, opportunism and brutality, exposing Israel's willingness for Palestinians to pay the price for its own security and prosperity as an ugly choice. This slideshow looks at some of the ways the barrier is affecting Palestinians. But it also examines the barrier's limitations, both physically as a wall easily climbed by young Palestinians during holy festivals and symbolically as it becomes a focal point for protesters and graffiti artists pushing for a fairer solution. -- See also: Tom Spender''s blog
Fayyad's government mistakenly pays one-year's salary to Hamas' EF members
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – A well-informed source in Ramallah confirmed that the new Palestinian ministry of finance in the caretaker government mistakenly transferred one year's salary to 3,500 members of Hamas' Executive Force in the Gaza Strip. The source added "it was a mistake in the computer, as the Fatah employees were surprised that their salaries were not transferred to the banks in Gaza, but the salaries of the EF were." Ma'an's correspondent in Gaza confirmed that Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's government paid not just one month of the salaries; but an entire year's earnings. Spokesperson of the Executive Force, Sabir Khalifa, confirmed to Ma'an that 3,500 members of the force received salaries for 12 months. He added that it is almost half of the force that received their salaries.
Hamas says Abbas accidentally paid its fighters
Reuters AlertNet 8/8/2007
GAZA, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's government accidentally paid salaries to almost half the members of rival Hamas's security force before noticing the error, officials said on Wednesday. They said Abbas's Finance Ministry ordered Tuesday's payouts to 2,600 members of the Hamas Executive Force to be reversed, but hundreds of fighters had managed to withdraw funds." To their surprise, they got phone calls telling them to get their salaries. They rushed to the bank," said an official in the Hamas-led administration in Gaza. The Executive Force routed Abbas's secular Fatah faction in a Gazan civil war in June. That led the president to fire the Hamas-led government and form a Western-backed cabinet that has received foreign donor aid denied the Islamists.
Cost of disengaging from Gaza climbs to NIS 20b
Hadar Horesh, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
The average family evacuated from Gaza during the 2005 disengagement will end up costing the state NIS 3 million, according to Zvia Shimon, the head of the Sela administration in charge of handling the evacuees. In an interview with TheMarker, Shimon said the figure included the compensation the settlers received, most of which was intended for replacement housing, as well as money for moving expenses and temporary housing. There are also costs involved in purchasing new housing, replacement of farmland and miscellaneous other compensation - and the figures seem to be climbing daily. These numbers are not final because work has started on the construction of only two of the 24 new permanent settlements for the evacuees. Not a single family has moved into the permanent housing being prepared by the state.
Economy in Gaza in crisis due to the closure of the crossings
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Gaza – Ma'an – The closure of the crossings, restricted movement of Palestinians and cancellation of the customs code have all had a damaging effect on trade in the Gaza Strip. The customs code is an agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, signed in 1994, to collect fees for the PA from the Gaza Strip. The border crossings have been closed since Hamas established control in Gaza on the 14th of June. The closure of the crossing resulted in raw materials being unable to reach the factories and companies in the strip. The factories are now threatened with closure if the situation continues and consequently, the collapse on the entire Gaza Strip economy. Head of the furniture and wood union, Hisham Aweini, said "the wood and furniture sector is on its last legs, it will collapse soon.
Palestinian Merchants in Gaza Live Hand-to-Market
Nidal al-Mughrabi, MIFTAH 8/8/2007
Reduced to poverty by a blockade on the Gaza Strip, Palestinian merchants in the Hamas-ruled enclave complain Israel's method for allowing in their merchandise often adds insult to injury. Since the Islamists took over Gaza in a June civil war, Israel has shut the main commercial crossing on the Gaza border, Karni, citing security concerns. That left Sufa crossing, where, in the absence of formal Israeli-Palestinian coordination, vendors from the Jewish state simply dump cargo on the frontier. It makes for a daily spectacle of Gazan merchants scrabbling about in the sand outside Sufa to salvage food, vegetables and other perishable products often bruised by their rough passage. "They are dealing with us like animals," said Baker Abu Maamar, one of the Palestinians who owns the land where the cargo is dropped off.
Olmert: War with Syria not in the cards
Attila Somfalvi, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Prime minister tells cabinet Israel is not planning an attack, and neither is Syria. However, he says, 'We must prepare for any scenario because someone might mistakenly think that there will be an offensive and a war no one is interested in' - A war with Syria is not expected to break out, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday morning during a special cabinet meeting which dealt with the home front's preparedness for another war. Israel, the prime minister said, does not plan to attack - and neither does Syria. "But there is concern that someone might mistakenly think that there will be an offensive and a war which no one is interested in," he added. "Therefore, we must prepare for any scenario, so that Israel can be ready.
PA presses for arms shipments said needed to stave off Hamas
Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Ha'aretz 8/9/2007
Less than two months after Hamas tattered the rule of its rival Fatah faction in the Gaza Strip and took control of the area, the Palestinian Authority - under Fatah leader Chairman Mahmoud Abbas - is once more requesting large shipments of weapons, ammunition and armored vehicles. This time, the PA is seeking Israel's approval for shipments from Egypt and Jordan, intended for the West Bank. Israel has not yet answered and has reservations about some of the requests. The PA had made similar requests in the months before Fatah's collapse in the Gaza Strip. Israel refused most of the demands, but agreed to allow Jordan to supply Fatah's forces in the Strip with over 5,000 AK-47 and M-16 semi-automatic assault rifles. Some of these rifles apparently ended up in the hands of Hamas militants, following the organization's violent seizure of power last June.
Top Democrat: Our policy on Iraq won't imperil Israel, leave chaos
Shmuel Rosner, Ha'aretz 8/9/2007
WASHINGTON - U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md) told Haaretz on Wednesday that the Democrats would seek to avoid a policy on Iraq that "will leave chaos and will endanger Israel." Hoyer made his comments ahead of a planned trip to Israel, starting next Sunday, in which he accompanies a group of 20 other Democratic legislators. A similar number of Republican legislators from the House are visiting Israel this week. Hoyer was responding to statements by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert some months ago, in which he expressed opposition American withdrawal from Iraq. Olmert warned against a hasty withdrawal that may undermine the balance of power in the Middle East and endanger the moderate regimes in the region. "Those who are concerned for Israel's security, for the security of the Gulf States and for...
Israel sends conciliatory messages to Damascus
Barak Ravid and Mazal Mualem, Ha'aretz 8/9/2007
Israel has sent several messages to Damascus in recent weeks reiterating that it has no desire to attack Syria, in an effort to keep Syria from misreading Israel's intentions and therefore deciding to launch a war. The messages have been sent via various foreign channels, a senior government source said. In addition, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has made public statements to this effect. But while doing its best to reassure Syria, the government also has been preparing intensively for the possibility that war might nevertheless break out: Wednesday, the ministerial committee on the northern front held its sixth meeting in the past two months. As yet, there are no signs of progress that would enable a resumption of Israeli-Syrian negotiations.
Erekat calls for the International community to increase the volume of the Palestinian aid
Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
Dr. Saeb Erekat, the chief negotiator for the Palestinian Liberation Organization, called on the international community to increase the amount of Palestinian aid, especially aid for the Gaza Strip. Erekat's call came as he met with the Foreign Minister of Norway, where he assured that the Gaza Strip is facing a disaster in all walks of life. "The poverty level reaches 90%, which means that a family consisting of 7 members lives on the sum of 10 NIS per day." Erekat also noted that the forbidding of entrance of essential goods into the Gaza Strip, along with the process of barring exports, increases the risk of a potential humanitarian disaster in the region. Erekat also called on the international community to support a meaningful peace process that would lead to the end of Israeli occupation and the...
Abbas meets with Mubarak, describes Hamas takeover as destructive
John Smith, International Middle East Media Center 8/8/2007
Palestinian President Mahmoud on Wednesday branded Hamas' seizure of the Gaza Strip as damaging to the dream of a future Palestinian state and reiterated his refusal to launch negotiations with the group. Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Abbas accused the Hamas movement of indirectly aiding the enemies of Palestine and its people, suggesting that their takeover of the Gaza Strip gave fuel to those who reject the concept of a future, sovereign Palestinian state. Abbas also reiterated his refusal to open negotiations with Hamas, stating that if Hamas seeks a fresh round of dialogue, their actions in the Gaza Strip must be reversed. After a bloody spate of infighting, Hamas established total control over the Gaza Strip approximately two months ago, but...
Abbas meets Mubarak, states his conditions for talks with Hamas
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Cairo – Ma'an – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks with Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, in Alexandria in Egypt on Wednesday. The two leaders spoke alone for the first half hour of the session and then a delegation from each of the two sides participated in the discussion. Abbas updated Mubarak on his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jericho on Monday, in addition to his talks with Condoleezza Rice and his visit to Moscow. Abbas reiterated his conditions for talks with Hamas, stating that the situation in Gaza must be "returned to how it was before the coup". Abbas is referring to when Hamas established control of the Gaza Strip following the internecine fighting with Fatah in June of this year. In a press conference Abbas said "Hamas knows full well how to return things to their previous state.
Israel claims it will cut number of checkpoints in West Bank
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Jericho - Ma'an - Israel has claimed it will cut the number of checkpoints in the West Bank, according to chief Palestinian negotiator, Saeb Erekat. Erekat told the Jerusalem based Palestinian newspaper Al Quds that the proposal came as a result of Monday's meeting between Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Erekat described it as a positive step that will ease the suffering of the Palestinian people. He added that Israel has also agreed to extend working hours at the Allenby Bridge crossing between Israel and Jordan until 8 pm every day. Currently the crossing closes at 3pm. [end]
Mash'al meets with Yemeni President, just days after a visit from Abbas' advisor
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Bethlehem – Ma'an – Head of the Hamas politburo, Khalid Mash'al, arrived in Yemen on Wednesday to hold talks with Yemeni President, Field Marshal Ali Abdullah Saleh, about the latest developments in the Palestinian Arena. Speaking to the Yemeni Sabaa agency, Mash'al said he wishes to hold consultations with the Yemeni leader, especially in light of the pressure exerted on Palestinians by international and regional powers. Mash'al added that he will elucidate the prevailing situation in the Palestinian territories for President Saleh and the "regrettable conditions in which Palestinians are living." Mash'al said that the president has suggested some very positive initiatives for the Palestinians. The media advisor of the Palestinian president, Nabil Amr, visited Yemen ten days ago.
Ashrawi meets Norwegian Foreign Minister
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Ramallah - Ma'an – Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Dr Hanan Ashrawimet with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Stoyer, in Ramallah on Tuesday. They discussed the current political situation in the region and the latest developments in the Palestinian territories. The meeting dealt with ways in which to get out of the current internal crisis, and the restoration of Palestinian unity. The meeting with the Norwegian Minister also dealt with ways to solve the current internal crisis in Palestine, and the restoration of Palestinian unity. Also on the agenda were the preparations for the coming international conference and the political lines needed to reach the end of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories. They also talked about the list of political candidates in the Third Way Movement.
Palestinian security forces arrest three Hamas members in Nablus and Jericho
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Nablus – Jericho – Ma'an – Hamas said on Wednesday that the Palestinian security forces arrested three of its members yesterday. According to Hamas, the security forces arrested Mohammed Ashour and Mahmoud El-Helou in the West Bank city of Jericho. In Nablus, they arrested Jihad Daoud Shehada, who is the head of the Hamas press office in the area of Nablus. He was arrested for the second time, says Hamas. [end]
Gaza doctors protest against Hamas dismissal of hospital directors
Reuters, Ha'aretz 8/9/2007
Dozens of Palestinian doctors and nurses briefly stopped work in Gaza's main hospital on Wednesday to protest against the dismissal of two Fatah-affiliated managers by the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the territory. Fatah, which lost control of the Gaza Strip to the militant Hamas in June, had appointed Dr. Hazzaa Abed to head Shifa Hospital. Hamas named its own hospital chief, who ordered Abed out. Goma Assaqa, who is also affiliated with Fatah and was the hospital's public relations director, was fired by Hamas as well. Since Hamas took over in Gaza, many of its institutions - including the courts - have been in a state of confusion, with directors appointed separately by the Islamic group and Fatah insisting they are in charge. At least 70 doctors and nurses suspended services for two hours at Shifa Hospital, which serves Gaza's population of 1.
Hamas chief says outside forces block reconciliation
Middle East Online 8/8/2007
Palestinian president insists no dialogue with Hamas until group 'return what they took'. - SANAA - Exiled Hamas supremo Khaled Meshaal on Wednesday accused outside forces of trying to block reconciliation between his democratically elected movement and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party. He made his comments during a visit to Yemen, where he is due to hold talks with President Ali Abdallah Saleh on the situation in the Palestinian territories following Hamas's takeover of the Gaza Strip in June. Meshaal wants Saleh to play a role in ending inter-Palestinian tensions "in the light of pressure exerted by certain regional and international parties who do not want any reconciliation and even seek to deepen the divide in the face of Israeli stubbornness," Yemen's official Saba news agency said.
Fatah calls for free education for all students
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Qalqilia – Ma'an – The Fatah movement on Wednesday requested that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad offer free education to all students in Palestinian universities. Fatah said that such a move would help students in their educational process. The movement also said that the Tawjihi results were an honour for all Palestinians, as despite the difficult conditions, the students were able to prove their excellence. [end]
Abbas' advisor falls over himself in Hebron
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Ramallah – Ma'an – Media advisor to the president, Nabil Amr, was admitted to hospital after he fell over himself in Hebron on Tuesday. The accident took place while Amr was returning home from Hebron on Tuesday evening. He was admitted to Al Ahli Hospital for preliminary treatment; he was then taken to Sheikh Zayed Hospital and is currently being treated at Ramallah Government Hospital. Amr said that his leg, which he received a bullet wound to some years ago in an assassination attempt, was broken. He said he will travel to Germany to receive further treatment. Ma'an wishes Amr good luck in the future. [end]
PRC set to announce formation of new political faction
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an- a prominent leader of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) announced on Wednesday that the group intends to announce the formation of a new political faction in the next few days. Amir Qarmout affirmed that the PRC have accomplished almost all the necessary steps. The new faction will have a well-known political leadership as well as its military wing, An Nasser Salah ad Din. He said that the new faction will come with a new political vision to support the Palestinian people's resistance against the occupation." Speaking to a local radio station in the Gaza Strip, Qarmout explained that the PRC is an Islamic faction, widespread in all the Palestinian towns, cities and camps of the Gaza Strip, and to some extent in the West Bank.
Crackdown on dubious building permits may close shopping centers
Shahar Ilan, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
Newly-appointed Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit said he will cancel nearly all building permits that deviate from the the building and urban planning code. The move could close several commercial centers across the country that currently operate on agricultural land under special permit." I am seeking to drastically reduce exceptions to the law. Exceptions will require the individual approval of the interior minister," Sheetrit told the Knesset Internal Affairs and Environment Committee yesterday." The Central District alone has 84 illegally-constructed commercial wedding halls that are operating on agricultural lands. "The owners passed them off as poultry enclosure and got away with it," he said." The approving committee gave permission for alleged chicken coops with ceilings five meters tall.
New interior minister presents his policy
Amnon Mernada, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Meir Sheetrit tells Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee he plans to implement series of reforms in his new ministry, including establishment of population and immigration authority, reducing number of foreign workers and centralizing ministry's work - "I will not hesitate to fire local council heads over flawed conduct," new Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit said Wednesday morning as he presented to the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee the series of reforms he plans to implement in his ministry. "I will give council heads authority, but I will demand responsibility," he said. "I plan to decentralize the ministry's work in order to give the different district managers their authority back so as to ease the work of the local councils.
Fatah Al Yasser movement rejects Peres' ideas for establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Fatah Al Yasser has rejected the idea proposed by Shimon Peres, the Israeli President, to establish a Palestinian state in the West Bank areas only. Peres advocates all the Palestinian refugees should be absorbed by the West Bank and not return to their homes in the pre-1948 borders. Fatah Al Yasser is a group that splintered from the Fatah movement after Hamas took over the Gaza Strip on June 20, 2007. The Movement's leader, Khalid Abu Hilal, is a former spokesman for the Palestinian Interior Ministry. In a statement the Movement said that any proposed solution to the Palestinian issue which is not based on the legitimate, historical rights of the Palestinian people would be refused. The Movement called on all Palestinian social and political powers to frustrate plans aimed at perpetrating divisions in the Palestinian arena.
Olmert and Peres: Palestinian State on 100% of West Bank Area, with Swaps
Akiva Eldar, Barak Ravid and Avi Issacharoff, MIFTAH 8/8/2007
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is examining a new framework for peace in which Israel will propose transferring to the Palestinian state areas equivalent to 100 percent of the territories conquered in 1967. Israel will suggest to the Palestinians to conduct negotiations for adequate territorial compensation from Israel's sovereign territory, in exchange for settlement blocs amounting to about 5 percent of the West Bank's area. Israel is also examining various options of exchanging settlement blocs with Arab community blocs within Israel, in agreement with the residents. An agreement on this issue would enable Yisrael Beiteinu, headed by Avigdor Lieberman, to remain in the coalition. The new framework was presented to Olmert by President Shimon Peres, a few days after he entered the President's Residence.
300 U.S. university heads slam British boycott in NY Times
Tamara Traubmann, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
Three hundred U.S. college and university heads signed a petition denouncing the call by Britain's University and College Union to consider a boycott of Israeli educational institutions in May. The UCU move has been criticized by faculty members throughout the world as well as British government institutions. The New York Times yesterday ran a full-page paid advertisement against the boycott, signed by some 300 college and university presidents. "Boycott Israeli Universities? Boycott Ours, Too!" the ad declared. The signatories include presidents of leading U.S. universities, including Princeton, Northwestern and MIT. The ad was paid for by the American Jewish Committee. The signatories were endorsing a statement that Columbia University President Lee Bollinger issued shortly after the UCU resolution was...
Cartoons in the Media Coverage of Mecca Agreement and the National Unity Government
MIFTAH''s Media Monitoring Unit, MIFTAH 8/8/2007
Introduction - Cartoons of the three daily Palestinian newspapers Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadidah, have not been far removed from political developments on the ground in the Palestinian territories, particularly in the Gaza Strip, during the past six months. It is worth noting that the cartoons' monitoring period was completed prior to Hamas' control over Gaza Strip. The cartoons published in the three newspapers during January 1- March 31, 2007 portrayed reality in a manner that news and news agencies reports had not portrayed. These latter sufficed in conveying events, developments and consequences, while cartoons reflected reality satirically. Cartoons expressed the real mood of the people towards issues they were living, and which constituted a main source of concern, fear, anger and hope...
Jim Miles: War Law - Book Review
Jim Miles, Palestine Chronicle 8/8/2007
Byers is one of the strongest writers I have come across recently, presenting very well structured and very clearly written arguments on his subjects. - War Law - Understanding International Law and Armed Conflict. Michael Byers. Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver, Canada. 2005. - Written as the crisis in Iraq was worsening with each news report, this book is even more significant now, as the combination of international military actions that are doubtfully lawful have spread. The over-reaction of Israel to the Hezbollah incursion, the growing rhetoric and set up of some kind of intervention in Iran, the increasing civilian casualties and lack of prisoner of war protections in Afghanistan, and a more than probable Democratic next congress that will not slow or steer the ship of state in a new direction, should...
'Caramel' delves into Lebanon's matters of the heart
Jim Quilty, Daily Star 8/9/2007
Review - BEIRUT: The Lebanese labor beneath many stereotypes. One you don't often hear complaints about concerns the ample charms of Lebanese women. Though such remarks may be delivered with intent more lascivious than complimentary, folks seem to object to such cliches less than those connected with, say, civil war, terrorism or mischievous criminality. Many among Lebanon's bevy of female pop singers - and the Lebanese ad companies and television producers that help package them - have had a hand in perpetuating the perception that "Lebanese chicks are hot." It will surprise no one to hear that the realities are more nuanced than what mainstream screen representations suggest. The image-consciousness that is one of the prevailing traits of Lebanese society is often a burden to those who are subject to it.
30 percent support soldiers refusing pullout orders
Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
Insubordination by IDF soldiers no longer raises public ire. The issue reappeared this week with the eviction of settlers from two stores in Hebron. One-third of the public believes the soldiers were justified in following their rabbis' orders to refuse to take part in the eviction, a survey by Haaretz-Dialog found on Tuesday. The poll of 477 people, supervised by Professor Camil Fuchs of the Statistics and Operations Research department at Tel Aviv University, found that fewer than half of the respondents objected to insubordination. Ten percent chose not to express an opinion. The political breakdown shows that 54 percent of people who voted Likud in 2006 support insubordination, as do 75 percent of Shas voters. The poll also analyzed the public's satisfaction with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann.
The ultra-Orthodox arrived en masse
Shlomo Shamir, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
Tens of thousands of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and Hasidic Jews defied their religious leaders' orders and thronged to a performance by ultra-Orthodox "rock stars" in Jerusalem's Teddy Stadium last week. However, their disobedience runs deeper than this and is more threatening than their rabbis and associates would like to admit. The concert organizers, the two ultra-Orthodox singers and the crowd publicly trampled the Haredi community's tradition of following the rabbis' edicts to the letter. It does not follow, however, that the rabbis and their associates will hold an open debate on the mass disregard of the ban imposed on attending the concert. The contempt toward the rabbis was a clear reflection of the privatization of Hasidic Judaism and rabbinic authority, a change that is gaining momentum in Israel and in Haredi and Hasidic communities in the United States.
Government pledges to resolve Holocaust survivors' allowance dispute within 11 days
Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Prime minister says most important task at hand is to assist death camp survivors who have not received any allowances until now. 'Government officials are sitting here because they really care,' survivor representative saysDuring a meeting held Wednesday afternoon between Ehud Olmert and representatives of Holocaust survivor organizations, the prime minister instructed the Finance Ministry to resolve the dispute regarding the survivors' monthly stipends by August 19. Olmert said the most important task at hand was to assist those death camp survivors who have not received any allowances until now. "There is no argument over the fact that these people (survivors) must be helped," he said during the meeting, adding that he would work toward allocating additional funds to the survivor organizations.
House Committee might discontinue Peres' work at Ben Gurion Center
Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 8/8/2007
President's request to continue as chair of research Center up for discussion next week. Knesset legal council against granting request - President Shimon Peres asked the Knesset's House Committee Wednesday to allow him to continue taking an active role in various associations dedicated to commemorating Israel's first prime minister, David Ben Gurion. The Knesset's legal council, attorney Nurit Altstein, submitted a legal opinion recommending the committee deny Peres' request. Shortly after taking office, Peres approached the House Committee, requesting he be allowed to hold his position as head of the David Ben Gurion Research Center and several of its associations. "In all my years as a minister I asked - and had received - a special permit to keep an active role in this association," wrote Peres to the House Committee.
Kadima aims to gain support of Russian-speaking constituency
Lily Galili, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
The Russian-Israeli community is important to Kadima. So much so that Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, attending a community event last week in Ashdod, took care to stress that his recent remarks concerning the Russian prostitute problem "were distorted by ill-intentioned individuals." Dichter had warned that "tens of thousands of prostitutes" could enter the country if visa requirements for Russian tourists were eliminated. The "ill-intentioned" individuals Dichter referred to were not present, and so he apologized for them before "the holy Russian public." In other words, his statements had been a slip of the tongue. Observers could find no holy men or holy women at the conference. They could also report that Dichter need not have apologized at all, as most of the 500 participants had heard nothing of the unpleasant incident.
Ministers approve establishment of national crisis center
Ynet, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Center will be tasked with assisting the prime minister and for setting up a situation room during times of crisis - The ministerial committee in charge implementing the Winograd Commission's recommendations on Wednesday decided on a number of steps aimed at widening the ministers' knowledge base, reaffirming the status of the National Security Council (NCS) and establishing a national crisis center. According to the committee, which is headed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, the center will be responsible for assisting the PM and for setting up a situation room during times of crisis. The center, which will be run by the NSC, will be tasked with presenting the country's leaders with an updated situation report and help them communicate their orders and instructions to the relevant sources outside the center.
Health union declares strike, starting from tomorrow
Ma'an News Agency 8/8/2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an - The Health Professionals' Union has decided to go on strike from tomorrow, for all staff working in hospitals, primary health care institutions and the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The union has called for all employees to sit in front of Palestinian hospitals, due to the continued non-payment of their salaries. [end]
State of Economy Index rose 6.4% in first half
Zeev Klein, Globes Online 8/8/2007
Industrial output rose by 9%, but tourist arrivals fell by 5% and new housing starts fell by 17%. Non-financial economic activity continued to grow in the first half of 2007 and it seems that the economy is now in an advanced stage of the growth cycle, implies Bank of Israel in its semiannual survey of economic developments, published today. Private consumption and investment drove most of the growth during the first half. The growth in private consumption was mainly due to the substantial improvement in the labor market, the rise in salaries, and in employment. The standard of living rose by 10%. The Bank of Israel says that almost all economic indicators point to an expansion in non-financial economic activity. The State of Economy Index rose 6.
Credit Suisse to open Israel representative office
Eran Peer, Globes Online 8/8/2007
The bank has already rented offices in Tel Aviv's Museum Tower Credit Suisse Group (NYSE: CSR; SWX: CSGN; XETRA: CSGZ) is opening a representative office in Tel Aviv. The Swiss bank has already rented offices in Tel Aviv's Museum Tower. It will officially launch activity by the end of the year. Credit Suisse said in response, "The bank plans to expand its activity in Israel, and recently obtained an investment marketing license company license from the Israel Securities Authority The representative office of a foreign bank does not have a banking license, but is defined as a "business office". A representative office can provide information, but may not conduct banking activity, except to channel customers to another branch of the bank.
Gindi plans 54-story Tel Aviv luxury high-rise
Ariel Rosenberg, Globes Online 8/8/2007
The residential high-rise will be as high as the Azrieli office and commercial complex. Tel Aviv's skyline is looking ever more like that of New York. Sources inform ''Globes'' that, in a few days, Gindi Investment 2001 Ltd. will sign a contract for the construction of a 54-story luxury high-rise in Zameret Park in north Tel Aviv. Prices for the 189 apartments in the building will begin at $10,000 per sq. m. , and will be twice that for the upper floors. The developers say that the Urban Building Plan (UBP) already authorizes 50 floors, with four more undergoing approval procedures with the Tel Aviv Local Planning and Building Commission. If approved, the new high-rise will be equal in height to the Azrieli Round Tower, the tallest of the three Azrieli Towers, which are, however, an office and commercial, not residential, development.
Police open criminal probe into developer Heftsiba
Jonathan Lis, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
The police yesterday opened a criminal investigation into the collapse of the Heftsiba building company and plan to declare that owner Boaz Yona, who has fled the country, is "wanted for questioning." If he does not return, and if the evidence suffices, police might request his extradition. Police suspect Yona and company executives of theft and fraud - among other things - by pocketing payments made to the company by people who purchased apartments from it. While the fraud squad began looking into Heftsiba's problems a few days ago, until yesterday it had not received a single complaint from any of the company's clients or creditors, nor did it have enough evidence to justify a full-fledged investigation. But yesterday, a few apartment purchasers submitted formal complaints, enabling the investigation to be opened.
Inside Intel / Keeping a lid on bioterrorism
Yossi Melman, Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
A report to be published today reveals the sad state of biological security in Israel, as evidenced by the absence of appropriate legislation and a supreme government authority to keep track of what is being done, and the lack of supervision over private laboratories. The authors of the report recommend that scientists in academia be required to meet specific security conditions pertaining to research. What are we really doing to ensure that anthrax viruses do not get into the hands of terror organizations? In 2004, Prof. Ethan Rubinstein conducted a study in which he tried to examine, by means of genetic engineering, the resistance of anthrax microbes to antibiotics. Back then, Rubinstein, an expert on infectious diseases, was working at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer and at Tel Aviv University's School of Medicine.
Hazardous air pollution investigated in Haifa bay area
Ahiya Raved, YNetNews 8/8/2007
Residents of east Haifa bay, krayot alert Environmental Protection Ministry, emergency services to harsh chemical odors coming from bay. Area probed for possible leak, emission from factories - The Environmental Protection Ministry launched an investigation Wednesday night into multiple complaints from residents of the east Haifa bay area, of harsh chemical odors and burning sensations in their eyes and throats. According to the complaints, residents of Kiryat Bialik, Nufit, Kiryat Ata, Kiryat Tivon and other cities in the area, began sensing a harsh chemical odor a little before 8 pm. The odor, they said, was soon followed by a burning sensation in eyes and throats. "Unfortunately, we're used to heavy odors coming out of the bay, but this was really unusual," Aviva Goldberg, a resident of Kiryat Bialik told Ynet.
Army exchanges heavy fire with Fatah al-Islam
Iman Azzi, Daily Star 8/9/2007
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army on Wednesday announced the death of two soldiers as "intense" fighting at Nahr al-Bared between the army and Fatah al-Islam rages on, with militants launching more Katyusha rockets at neighboring villages. A native from Akkar, Adjutant Raymond Toufic Issa, 32, died Wednesday morning from wounds previously received from battle inside the camp. Issa had served the army since 1999 and was married with a son. Corporeal Abbas Mohammad Ali Fawaz, 31, from Tyre, was killed in combat late Tuesday and had been in a soldier for one year, according to a statement released by the army. A funeral for Fawaz is scheduled for Thursday morning in Abassiyya. Their deaths bring the total number of fallen soldiers to 136. "Fighting has been really intense today," an army source told The Daily Star.
Two Lebanese soldiers killed in camp battles
Middle East Online 8/8/2007
NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon - Two Lebanese soldiers were killed in battles with an Islamist militant group besieged for nearly 12 weeks inside a Palestinian refugee camp, an army spokesman said Wednesday. One of the soldiers died on Tuesday night and the second on Wednesday morning. Their deaths brought to 136 the number of troops killed at Nahr al-Bared camp since fighting between the army and Fatah al-Islam began on May 20. The spokesman said troops were slowly advancing inside the camp as they attempt to seize the last small area still controlled by the Al-Qaeda-inspired militia. The army said on Tuesday that troops have discovered a large number of weapons, ammunition and military equipment as they advance cautiously inside the skeletal remains of the camp.
UN food agency to start farming program in southern Lebanon
Ha'aretz 8/8/2007
A United Nations food agency will launch a $3. 3 million program to help families in southern Lebanon restart farming disrupted by last year's fighting and the danger of unexploded bombs, the agency said Wednesday. Fruit and vegetable farmers will receive fertilizers, seeds and other help to rehabilitate their greenhouses, the Food and Agriculture Organization said in a statement. Livestock keepers who lost their animals will be helped to re-stock. The program will begin in September, the Rome-based agency said. Mines and cluster bombs have killed at least 32 people, including seven children, and injured 208 injured, 68 of them children since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah stopped on August 14, 2006. On July 25, a French peacekeeper working on a UN de-mining team was killed when an unexploded shell from last year's war blew up as he was trying to clear it.
Iraq security meeting open in Syria
Middle East Online 8/8/2007
DAMASCUS - Representatives of Iraq's neighbours and the international community including the United States and its arch-foe Iran opened talks in Damascus on Wednesday aimed at restoring security in the violence-plagued nation. "Our aim is to help the Iraqi people overcome this crisis and to preserve their territory," said Syrian Interior Minister Bassam Abdel-Majid. The two-day meeting groups delegates from Bahrain, Britain, China, Egypt, France, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Russia, Turkey, the United States as well as the Arab League and the United Nations. It opened just as Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki arrived in Iran on a visit aimed at winning Tehran's full support for restoring security to his war-torn country and continuing talks with the United States.
US forces in Iraq reach new peak
BBC Online 8/8/2007
The number of US troops in Iraq has reached its highest ever level - nearly 162,000 - US officials have said. But the peak is due to the regular replacement of units and does not represent an additional troop build-up, a US Defence Department spokesman said. President George W Bush announced in January a surge of 30,000 extra troops, mainly in and around the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, as part of a security drive. Correspondents say the Pentagon is playing down this particular peak. The previous highest level came in January 2005, when 161,000 US troops were deployed ahead of Iraq's first national elections since Saddam Hussein was overthrown. 'No change' - Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the main reason for the temporary rise in troop numbers was that the US Army's 2nd Stryker Cavalry...
Maliki arrives in Iran as US bombs Sadr City
Daily Star 8/9/2007
Iran told Iraq's visiting premier Wednesday it was helping establish security in Iraq, as US aircraft and troops attacked Shiite militiamen accused of links to the Islamic Republic, killing 32 and capturing 12 in Baghdad's Sadr City days ahead of a major Shiite holiday. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has always made a special effort to help provide and strengthen security in Iraq," Iranian First Vice President Parviz Davoudi said in talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the official IRNA news agency reported. The Sadr City strike targeted a ring accused of smuggling armor-piercing roadside bombs from Iran, US officials said - bombs that the military has said in recent days had become increasingly deadly to American troops. Tehran has denied support for the violence in Iraq.
In pictures: Anger at Sadr City raid
BBC Online 8/8/2007
US forces in Iraq have said they killed about 30 militants in an overnight raid in the Sadr City district of Baghdad. Witnesses say civilians, including women and children, also died. The US military said its jets and helicopters fired at a group of armed men during an operation against militants accused of smuggling weapons into Iraq from Iran. Sadr City is home to the Mahdi Army, whose members follow the radical Shia cleric, Moqtada Sadr. A military spokesman said there had been women and children in the area during the raid, but denied any had been killed. Later, hundreds of mourners marched through Sadr City in protest against the raid and subsequent air strikes. The violence came after Iraqi authorities imposed a three-day driving curfew in Baghdad on the eve of a major Shia religious festival in the capital.
US air strike kills 30 Iraqis in Baghdad
Middle East Online 8/8/2007
Witness says 11 people killed in US air strike in Sadr City, including three children, four women. - BAGHDAD - An American air strike killed 30 Iraqis in Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City during a raid on Iranian-backed militants Wednesday, the US military said, while families complained of civilian dead. The raid was carried out as Iraqi and US troops on the ground were hunting members of a network that American commanders accuse of bringing weapons and explosives from Iran, and sending militants in Iraq to Iran for training. "During the course of the operation, the assault force and the overhead aerial support observed a vehicle and large group of armed men on foot attempting an assault on the ground forces," the military said. "Responding appropriately to the threat of the organised terrorist force, close...
No Iraq-Turkey pact on separatists
Al Jazeera 8/7/2007
Turkey has failed to get a formal commitment from Iraq's prime minister to crack down on Kurdish separatists who use northern Iraq as their base to launch attacks in Turkey. Nuri al-Maliki promised he would find "deterrent measures" but would not sign an agreement with Turkey to formally commit Baghdad to fighting the Kurdistan Workers Party. ''We have agreed to join hands to find deterrent measures to terrorist acts in Iraq, including the PKK," al-Maliki said at a joint news conference with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "Efforts will be channelled to bring this to an end and disarm the PKK as a step towards forcing them out of Iraqi soil." Erdogan went further: "We have reached an agreement to spend all efforts to end the presence of the Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK in Iraq.
POLITICS: UN Staff Oppose Proposed Iraq Resolution
Mithre J. Sandrasagra, Inter Press Service 8/2/2007
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 8(IPS) - The U. N. Staff Council, representing 25,000 staff members, unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday calling on Secretary General Ban Ki-moon not to deploy any additional staff members to Iraq and to remove those currently serving at the duty station in Baghdad. The resolution cites the "unacceptably high level of risk to the safety and security of U. N. personnel currently serving in Iraq," and stresses that, "the breakdown of law and order in Iraq has created a place where aid workers have become targets and pawns." "The security situation in Iraq is getting worse every day," Emad Hassanin, first vice president of the Staff Union, told IPS. Against this backdrop, the U.S. and Britain are circulating a draft resolution aimed at expanding the U.
Sayyed questions motives of Hariri probe prosecutors
Daily Star 8/9/2007
BEIRUT: The detained former head of
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