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Israeli forces turn away peace groups
' aid convoy at Erez Crossing
An estimated 2,000 people, in an action
sponsored by a coalition of Israeli peace groups,
are outside the Erez Crossing into Gaza. With their
truckload of supplies for the besieged Gaza residents
turned away, the action has become a statement of
solidarity with the Gazan people. The aborted delivery
contained essential foodstuffs, including rice, flour,
lentils, cooking oil and bottled water. Despite the
humanitarian nature of the delivery, the collection
of border police and soldiers guarding the crossing
terminal have kept it sealed. The Israeli army has
since said that the supplies will be kept overnight
at nearby kibbutz Kerem Shalom and allowed into
Gaza on Sunday through the Erez Crossing.
Left-wing activists protest Israeli
blockade at Erez Crossing
Dozens of buses carrying a thousand leftists arrive
at Erez crossing to bring food, humanitarian aid to
Palestinians in Gaza Strip and to protest blockade
on enclave. MKs from Balad and Hadash, youth
from Sderot take part – Shir Shodzik, 17, a resident
of the battered town of Sderot also took part in the
demonstration in order to express her opposition to
the Israeli-imposed sanctions. Despite the fact that
Shodzik's aunt and cousin were injured in a Qassam
rocket attack in Zikim, the teen wanted to express
her dissatisfaction with Israeli government policy
vis-à-vis the Gaza Strip.
Egypt tries to control chaotic border
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) - Egyptian riot police and
armored vehicles restricted Gaza motorists to a small
border area of Egypt on Saturday, in the second attempt
in two days to restore control over the chaotic frontier
breached by Hamas militants. On the Gaza-Egypt border,
traffic of cars and pedestrians remained heavy Saturday.
Earlier Saturday, dozens of riot police formed human
chains to block the two passages cut through the breached
border, before once again giving up and allowing the cars
to cross into the Egyptian side of the divided town.
Authorities were making renewed efforts, however,
to keep them out of the rest of the country.
Hamas accepts Mubarek's offer to host
Hamas-Fatah talks in Cairo
Mubarak's offer was made in an apparent effort to
raise his country's role as Mideast peace broker
and ease the pressure following an influx of Palestinians
into Egypt from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
In an interview for Saturday's edition of the Egyptian
weekly al-Osboa, Mubarak said he wants peace between
the Palestinians. "I want this language of violence to stop,
" Mubarak was quoted as saying
Abbas: No talks with
Hamas despite border chaos
In a speech Saturday, Abbas denounced the Hamas
takeover of Gaza as a crime and said the Islamic
militants must reverse these steps if they want to
resume talks with him. On Friday, Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak had proposed in a newspaper interview
that representatives of Hamas and Abbas' Fatah movement
come to Cairo for talks. Abbas made no mention of
that offer, and instead reiterated his plan to have his
forces deploy on the Gaza crossings, instead of Hamas.
PA leadership turns down Haneyya's
crossings offer
The PA leadership in Ramallah has declared its
rejection of the premier of the caretaker
government in Gaza Ismail Haneyya's offer to
negotiate means of opening the Rafah border
crossing with Egypt. The London-based Ashark
Al-Awsat newspaper quoted Nimir Hammad, the
political advisor to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas,
as saying that the offer was rejected. He said that
the PA presidency would not negotiate Hamas
over anything until it revokes results of its
"coup" and would not negotiate with it over
the crossings in particular because it had nothing
to do with the issue!
Hamas and PA delegations summoned to
Egypt separately to discuss Rafah
border situation
The Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abu
Al-Gheit announced on Saturday that Egypt will invite
a delegation from Hamas to visit Egypt to discuss the
situation at the border between Egypt and Gaza Strip.
He confirmed that more than 10 members of the central
security and border guards were injured in addition to
two officers, saying that some are seriously injured
and are being treated in hospital. The BBC reported
that the UN estimates that as much as half of the
population of Gaza has crossed the border into
Egypt during the past four days.
PA negotiator: Abbas will ask Israel to life
Gaza blockade, remove West Bank checkpoints
Meanwhile, Abbas repeated his condemnation
of the blockade, calling it a "collective punishment
of Gaza residents." In a speech Saturday, the PA
president also called for an end to rocket fire, so as
not to give Israel a "reason to be presented as the
victim in the eyes of world."
Egyptian delegations meet Haniyeh
to show solidarity
Deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Isma'il Haniyeh
met with several Egyptian delegations on Friday
afternoon in Gaza City. The delegations had come to
the coastal area to show solidarity with the besieged
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Friday - an update with photos:
Egypt reopens Gaza border
"Just minutes after a deadline passed for the
border between Egypt to Gaza to be officially shut
down, Palestinians have again broken through.
Fighters broke another hole in the border fence
with a bulldozer on Friday, and scores of trucks and
pedestrians were seen entering into Egypt. After
the 3 pm (1300 GMT) deadline set for the closure,
thousands of Gazans were still believed to be on the
Egyptian side of the border in the town of Rafah.
Use this link to view thousands
of news photos from Gaza
Gazans breach Egyptian
border again Friday
(AP) Militants in black clothing, some of them
masked, stood atop a bulldozer as it knocked
down concrete slabs under the watchful eyes
of Hamas security officials, who turned a blind
eye and were later seen patrolling on the
Egyptian side of the border. Palestinians
positioned cranes next to the border and lifted
crates of supplies into Gaza, including camels and
cows. Hamas, after blasting open the border wall
earlier in the week, offered further proof Friday
that it simply cannot be ignored.
Gaza-Egypt border chaos forces
world to reconsider strategy toward Hamas
Israel, meanwhile, has been watching from the
sidelines, not entirely opposed to the turn of
events. A strong Gaza-Egypt link would play into
Israel's long-term goal — affirmed by Deputy
Defense Minister Matan Vilnai — to cut all ties
with Gaza, a territory it occupied for 38 years,
before withdrawing in 2005. Israel is still
considered by the U.N. to be largely responsible
for Gaza since it controls most access, as well
as Gaza's airspace and coastline. If supplies for
Gaza were to come through Egypt, Israel could
try to unload such responsibilities. Yet, Israel is
worried about traffic of militants and weapons
between Gaza and Egypt.
Egyptian troops unable to push
back Palestinians Friday
Egyptian soldiers in riot gear using water cannon and
rolls of barbed wire were unable to stop hundreds of
Palestinians from rushing into Egypt today after a
bulldozer tore down another section of the border
fence. Although Egyptian forces closed some gaps
in the wall, several thousand people were able to
cross in both directions. At least one crane was
set up on the seven-mile border at Rafah to bring
in goods more quickly, particularly bags of cement
and barrels of fuel, which are still scarce in Gaza.
Friday: Egypt seals borders –
Gazans defiant
RAFAH — Egypt tried Friday to seal its
porous borders with the Gaza Strip to stem a
three-day uncontrolled flood of Palestinians
from the fenced-off territory, but Palestinians
defied the move and ploughed new border breaches
to stock up on desperately needed supplies.
Egyptian security forces tried in vain to block new
breaches created by Palestinians by using tanks,
witnesses told IslamOnline.net's
correspondent in Rafah.
Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades deny bulldozing
through Egypt-Gaza border fence
Friday afternoon
The spokesman for the Al-Qassam Brigades,
Abu Ubayda, told Ma'an what happened was an
expression of the anger of the Palestinian people
and he was not surprised by their anger.
He stressed that if the Israeli lockdown on the
Gaza Strip continued the Palestinian people
would continue to destroy the wall. He dismissed
the idea that the Al-Qassam Brigades were
planning to break down the border wall between
the Gaza Strip and Israeli territory, saying "I do not
believe there is any point in destroying the wall
between Gaza and Israel. It would not put
pressure on the occupation."
Egypt watches Gaza traffic go on
[Includes good MAP of Egypt's border with
both Gaza and Israel] For the first time many
Palestinians used
cars to cross, rather than going on foot. The BBC's Heba
Saleh, in Cairo, says it is clear that Egypt is now making a virtue
of necessity; Cairo knows that any use of force
against the Palestinians would come at a very high cost. . .
Israel, alarmed at the ongoing breakdown in security on the
Egypt-Gaza border, has closed the main road running
along the border. Tourism sites and hiking trails have
been closed. Security measures have been increased,
according to the Israeli military, on fears that Israeli
citizens could be vulnerable to attacks by Palestinians
now free to travel in the area.
Gaza siege claims the lives of 83
patients, including 16 children
The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that
resident Mislih Mohammad Qalja, and Fatin Majdi
Al Hafnawi, 10, died on Saturday after being barred
from leaving the Gaza Strip for medical treatment.
Dozens of seriously ill patients are facing imminent
death as Gaza Hospital ran out of medical supplies
while the Israeli authorities are barring them from
leaving the Gaza Strip for medical treatment elsewhere.
The ages the residents who died due to the siege and
lack of medical attention vary between several months
old and 80 years old.
Oxfam: Israel's blockade poses immediate
threat to the lives of Gaza's sick and elderly
The seven-month ongoing Israeli blockade is taking
an ever-more severe toll on the health system in the
Gaza Strip, says aid agency Oxfam International. The
one-off relaxation of the blockade this week to allow
the delivery of fuel and some other humanitarian
supplies, cannot meet the needs of 1.5 million
Gazan population, especially the sick, injured and
vulnerable. In Shifa hospital in Gaza city, 135
cancer patients are currently unable to receive
treatment due to the lack of basic medications.
According to WHO, 105 of a list of 460 essential
medications are no longer in stock in Gazan
pharmacies (12 January 2008).
Snow next week to add to misery of
people without heating
The Israeli meteorological department expects
temperatures to continue falling during the next
few days. Expected low temperatures for the next
24 hours are 3C (37F) in Ramallah, 8C (46F) in Rafah.
Snow showers are expected later on in the week on
higher ground in the Jerusalem area. It will be cold
and wet until Tuesday when snow is expected to fall
in areas above 700 metres. Snow will spread to more
low lying areas on Wednesday and Thursday.
Darkness, starvation and imminent death
– by Saleh Al-Naami
Maher Al-Nazil has asked everyone he knows
help in finding an apartment to rent in the centre
of Al-Maghazi Refugee Camp in Gaza. Maher lives
with his wife and three daughters near a police station
on the western border of the camp. He fears for his
family should Israel bomb the neighbouring police
station. "The image of the family whose joy over
their son's wedding turned into horror and grief
when the headquarters of the Ministry of Interior in
Gaza was bombed last Friday remains with me, and
I don't want that to happen to my wife and daughters,
" he told Al-Ahram Weekly.
Damascus conference ends
The Damascus conference began on Wednesday
under the banner "adherence to inalienable Palestinian
rights and unity is the way to liberation and repatriation.
" Among the participants at the conference in the Syrian
capital were Hamas, Islamic Jihad, The Popular
Resistance Committees, The Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (General Command),
As-Sa'iqa, Fatah of the Intifada, the Popular Struggle
Front, the Arab Liberation Front, the Palestinian
Communist Revolutionary Party, the Palestinian
Liberation Army and representatives of other
Palestinian popular organizations. Fatah, the
Popular Front and the Democratic Front for the
Liberation of Palestine boycotted the conference.
Still no deal on Security
Council statement on Gaza
(AFP) The Security Council on Friday again failed to agree a compromise deal that would call for an end to Israel's
blockade of the Gaza Strip and to rocket strikes on the
Jewish state as the Libyan envoy sought instructions
from his capital. After day-long bargaining that
produced several amendments to a non-binding
statement, Libya's UN Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi said
he had to refer the latest text to Tripoli. The United States,
which had since Libya first submitted the statement,
had been the lone member to raise major objections,
on Friday put forward amendments and called the latest
text "balanced.". Meanwhile, the Israeli lockdown of
Gaza was in its ninth day on Friday
US Arabs, Jews protest Israeli
blockade of Gaza
Friday's protest outside the offices of Israel's
consulate and U.N. mission was organized by groups
including the Arab Muslim American Federation,
the National Council of Arab-Americans, the
Palestinian American Congress and Jews Against
the Occupation.
UN council slams Israel over Gaza
European nations abstained on a U.N. Human Rights
Council vote blasting Israel over the Gaza blockade.
The resolution, adopted by a vote of 30-1 in
Geneva, called for "urgent international action to put
an immediate end to the grave violations committed by
the occupying power, Israel, in the occupied Palestinian
territory." Canada cast the sole opposing vote on the
resolution, while 15 other countries abstained.
China and Russia both backed the resolution.
U.S. Ambassador Warren Tichenor said the council
had "squandered its credibility" by failing to address
continued rocket attacks against Israel.
Hamas has gained from border
breach, analysts say
Palestinian columnist Samih Shabib wrote in
the pro-Fatah al-Ayyam daily that the reopening of
the Rafah terminal "will be impossible to accomplish
without the participation of all concerned parties,
including Hamas." Analysts believe the fall of the
Rafah border wall also punched a hole in the U.S.-
backed campaign to reduce Hamas's influence and
strengthen Abbas. Hamas had accused Abbas's
government of colluding with Israel's Gaza blockade
so that residents would rise up against Hamas's rule.
Abbas's government denies the accusation. . .
The Fatah official echoed Abbas's concerns that
because Gaza is isolated from the West Bank and
Arab East Jerusalem, Israel will exploit the border
breach to split the territories so that it will be
impossible to make political progress.
Analysis: Hamas outmaneuvers Israel
with three quick moves
These are moments of glory for Hamas, after a
long period during which the organization was battered by
Israel. It conducted its campaign brilliantly last week,
and it seems, so far, with complete success. At no stage
did Israel have a sufficient response to the initiatives of
Hamas: It did not when the group plunged the Strip into
darkness on Sunday, or when it caused the clashes along
the border on Tuesday, and certainly not when it
brought down the Philadelphi wall on Wednesday.
While all this was happening, Hamas managed to pay
salaries this week to 20,000 civil servants in Gaza,
even before the border was turned into an open passage
in which people, arms and goods moved freely. But
Hamas did not only beat Israel in this round -
Egypt and the Palestinian Authority also lost.
Candle procession in Kafr Kanna Arab
town Friday in solidarity with Gaza
The Arabs48 news website reported that the
procession was organized by national and Islamic
factions in Israel. It took off after Friday evening
prayers in Omar Bin Al Khattab Mosque, in the
center of the town.
An end to occupations
There is no point in shedding blood to seize
control of territory from which Israel will in any
event quickly withdraw. And if it does not withdraw,
the result will be terrorist and guerrilla attacks,
movements organized by mothers and conscientious
objectors, and heightened ferment over inequality
in the draft and in call-ups for reserve duty.
Al-Aqsa Brigades target Sderot
Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades on Saturday afternoon
claimed responsibility for firing two homemade
projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot. They said in a
statement that the shelling came in retaliation for the
ongoing Israeli atrocities against the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank. They said they will continue to launch
more projectiles, as well as conduct "qualitative
military operations."
Worse than a crime – by Uri Avnery
SO WHAT to do? After all, it is impossible to
tolerate the suffering of the inhabitants of Sderot,
who are under constant fire. What is being hidden
from the embittered [Israeli] public is that the
launching of the Qassams could be stopped
tomorrow morning. Several months ago Hamas
proposed a cease-fire. It repeated the offer this
week. A cease-fire means, in the view of Hamas:
the Palestinians will stop shooting Qassams and
mortar shells, the Israelis will stop the incursions
into Gaza, the "targeted" assassinations and the blockade.
Why doesn't our government jump at this proposal?
Simple: in order to make such a deal, we must
speak with Hamas, directly or indirectly.
Haaretz editorial: The siege\
of Gaza has failed
The situation that arose once the Egypt-Gaza
border was flung wide open has apparently not
yet penetrated Israeli consciousness.
The border with Egypt was breached in a single
moment, with no warning. It is impossible to
refrain from asking whether any of our decision
makers, or any of those who whisper in their ears,
foresaw this scenario and prepared for it.
Breaking Out
As ordinary Palestinians force their way into Egypt
from besieged Gaza, the Israeli-instigated humanitarian
and political crisis is carried with them.
Furlough day for Gazans – Daniel Levy
The three conditions that Israel had the international
community impose on Hamas after their election
victory were a brilliant diplomatic victory and
simultaneously a debilitating strategic own-goal.
The focal issue should have been security and that can
still be addressed via pursuit of a ceasefire. Some or
all of this logic has guided several Israeli ministers
and former senior officials to recently advocate a
ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The alternative
is not only more human suffering and the continued
pursuit of an ethically very un-Jewish collective
punishment of the Gazan population but also the risk
that an escalatory cycle keeps escalating, dragging
everyone into a wider clash. As today's Egyptian
border crossing events prove, what happens in Gaza
will not stay in Gaza.
Ramzy Baroud:
The true miracle of Israel
The killing and ethnic cleansing that became\
known as the Palestinian Catastrophe -- or Nakba --
was not the work of invisible and miraculous
seraphs, but rather well trained and well-armed
Zionist gangs and their supporters. Nor did Palestinians
lose the battle due to their laxity or backwardness.
Their bravery, for those who care to consult serious
historical works (such as those of Israeli historian
Ilan Pappe or late Palestinian Professor Edward Said),
is a badge of honour that will be carried by Palestinians
for years to come. They lost because, as parallel
historic experiences demonstrate, neither bravery
nor fortitude are enough to withstand so many
powerful forces at play, all plotting for their downfall.
Wall comes tumbling down
The inspiring breakout of Palestinians from their
imprisonment in Gaza is a timely reminder that
this is a people who cannot be caged or wished
away. The Palestinian national genie cannot be
put back in the bottle, despite current divisions.
And Israel remains the fully responsible
occupying power in Gaza, controlling its land
access, sea and air space and conducting regular
military operations in the territory at will.
Rami Khoury: Hebrew and Palestinian
history, in reverse
It was not exactly the Red Sea parting to allow
a persecuted, enslaved people to flee to safety,
but it was pretty close as far as political
symbolism goes. It is ironic but not unexpected
that 3,500 years after the Hebrews fled their
dismal life in Egypt and escaped eastward to
freedom across the miraculously stilled Red
Sea, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians
should be fleeing from the modern-day
descendants of the Hebrews, who now play
the role of oppressive Pharaoh to the
subjugated and dehumanized Palestinians
in Gaza. The reversed political geography is
politically stunning, and tragic for both sides.
Financial Times:
Gaza's misery has to be stopped
Like the lid coming off a pressure cooker, the blown-
up border fence has avoided a bigger explosion –
for now. But Gaza's humanitarian disaster and conflict
shows every sign it could escalate into war if it is not
brought under control. This siege is not only wrong;
it is almost wholly counterproductive.
Demonstrations around the
world in support of Gaza
"OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)
-- This week witnessed numerous demonstrations
and protests held in support of the Gaza people
against the tight siege imposed by Israel for the past
eight months.
Gazans wary as US election looms
With foreign policy remaining high on
the agenda for all prospective US presidential
candidates, particularly the Middle East peace
process, Al Jazeera asked political analysts and
thinkers from Gaza for their thoughts on the
election, their preferred candidates and whether
a new president will make any difference to the
Palestinians.
Photo - The concentration camp wall becomes
a playground for Palestinian children
Now That is Triumph.
Meanwhile in the West Bank
Four injured and eight kidnapped
in weekly Bil'in protest against the other wall
Israeli troops installed a military barrier along the
way and as soon as the protesters reached it, the
Israeli troops showered the demonstration with
tear gas and rubber coated steel bullets. Eight civilians
were injured; among them two international supporters.
In addition, the Israeli troops kidnapped four protesters,
three Palestinians and one American after attacking them
with rifle butts and batons.
Violence by Israeli soldiers at checkpoints
increasing – by Ibrahim Sarsour
"Many reports have indicated a sharp rise in
violence in its various forms, whether physical or
verbal by Israeli soldiers in the Occupied Territories,
especially at checkpoints," Sarsour said. "These reports
are a clear indication that the military authorities are
not taking the accusations seriously about the violence
and abuse by soldiers."
Student murdered by Israeli army;
Palestinian activist Mousa Abu Maria wounded
On January 25th, an 18 year old youth was shot
and killed in the village of Beit Ummar in retaliation
for the recent attack on settlers in Kfar Etzion.
The army entered the village around 11:30am, a
day after two men from the village were killed
after stabbing three settlers in Kfar Etzion. The
army served demolition orders to the homes of
the dead men but the houses were not destroyed. . . .
Army invades Deir Istiya,
occupies house
Israeli soldiers invaded the village of Deir
Istiy, in the Salfit region, at 3pm on Thursday
24th January, occupying a house and arresting
one youth the following day. Approximately 5
jeeps entered the picturesque village, shooting
sound bombs and tear gas outside homes for at
least four hours, preventing passage of vehicles
and pedestrians through the main streets. Upon
entering the village, soldiers immediately invaded
a family home, occupying it, and refusing to allow
the family access to the upper story and roof.
The lucky ones - Beit Sira
checkpoint on Road 443
Everyone on the spot already arrived at 3 a.m.
, or half past, to save a place in the waiting line that
will open around 5, quarter past. He will be standing
there for at least an hour, hopefully. Usually longer.
\And then, hoping he will be permitted to proceed
into Israel, to work. Most of them hold work
permits valid from 5 a.m. to seven pm. Few hold
a twenty-four hour permit. They are all over thirty
years old. Most are older. All have permits and a
Jewish employer who has requested to have them
work for him. Who waits for them to come to work.
Israeli forces seize two Palestinians
in Azzoun near Qalqilia Saturday
Palestinian security sources told Ma'an
that a large Israeli force stormed the town
and conducted house-to-house inspections
before arresting twenty-year-old Wael Aweidan
and nineteen-year-old Shadi Sulaiman.
Palestinian stabs border policeman in
north Jerusalem attack
Policemen nearby opened fire at the
Palestinian, who was seriously wounded.
The stabbed policeman, who suffered light
to moderate wounds, and the Palestinian are
currently receiving treatment at Hadassah
University Hospital, Ein Karem. The attack
is the third to take place in the Jerusalem area
within the last 48 hours.
Palestinian Red Crescent dismisses
employees over strike action
The Red Crescent told Ma'an the employees
were dismissed after strike action put
Palestinian citizens' lives at risk. They added,
"At the same time that we care for our employees,
we care more about the lives of the Palestinian people,
and endeavor not to endanger their lives.
Christian Peacemaker Teams, Hebron:
Two forms of resistance
A middle-aged Palestinian woman started walking to
the other side of the area, beyond the trouble spot.
A soldier told her she could not cross the area and
ordered her to turn back. Not only did the
conservatively dressed Muslim woman not go
back, she continued walking toward the other side
of the intersection. The soldier tried to stop her,
got in front of her, but the woman just walked around
the soldier. The poor soldier gave up, and the woman
walked away. The actions of the woman left the soldier
with his M-16 gun powerless. With internationals
watching, he was not going to shoot the woman.
The simple act of resistance by the woman was more
powerful than the actions of either the soldiers or
the stone-throwing youth.
French consul held up at Israeli checkpoint
Israel's border police on Friday held up French
consul-general Alain Remy and his convoy at a
checkpoint between theWest Bank town of Bethlehem
and Jerusalem, a consular official said. Remy and his
entourage were held for more than three hours
at the crossing by security personnel wanting to search their diplomatic vehicles, the consular official told AFP.
Twilight Zone / Born in the shadow of a
checkpoint – by Gideon Levy
The 92nd Auxiliary offered no support that night.
Its soldiers only delayed the pregnant woman until
her screams finally persuaded them to let her through.
On foot, of course. That was 20 minutes too late.
It was no longer possible to rush the woman to
Aliyah Hospital, a five-minute drive away.
Kifah lay on the road, the neighbors brought a
mattress, the husband took off his jacket, and in the
subzero cold another checkpoint birth took place,
delivered by the Israeli occupation. It wasn't the first,
it won't be the last. Ahmed was born under a bad
sign, blue with cold.
Israel bars Palestinians from Al-Aqsa
RAMALLAH, West Bank, 26 January 2008 —
Israeli police yesterday declared a high alert level
in Jerusalem and limited the entry of male Palestinian
worshippers into the Al-Aqsa Masque Compound after
two Palestinians and one Israeli were killed late
Thursday in two simultaneous attacks in the city area,
and for fear that worshippers will take advantage of
the deteriorating security situation in the Gaza Strip
and start riots at the end of the Friday prayer.
The entry into the holy place is limited to men
over the age of 40, in possession of blue Israeli
identity cards.
The Algerian model
The future of 'Judea and Samaria' has been the focus
of Israeli discourse for decades, with both sides
employing a mixture of ideological, ethical and
practical arguments. The real question, however,
does not stem from any particular ideological viewpoint
about Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria.
The important question is whether Israeli society
must accept the attempt of a minority [the settlers]
to subdue the majority by force, assuming that the
majority decides in favor of evacuation.
The paradox of two states for two peoples:
it serves the Right and paralyzes the rest
Olmert does not conceal the fact that the two-state
vision is, from his perspective, a desperate measure
of no choice in the face of what he sees as the
demographic demon. But the history of 40 years of
Israeli refusal of an Israeli-Palestinian-Syrian political
solution, during which time a vast unending settlement
process has galloped along, exposes a known truth: the
vision of two states, à la Olmert, Livni, Peres and Barak,
is no more than a diplomatic ruse, the refuge of scoundrels,
who in the final analysis want to buy time in order to
realize another vision: settlement, annexation and
control of all the occupied territories.
Israeli universities cease researching
Palestinian musicology
"Notation is a Western system of writing that refers to
Western musical materials," Cohen explains.
"Most non-Western cultures do not have a
notation system,
and we don't know exactly what the raw materials of the
music are." Cohen and Katz studied the scales and
rhythms, as well as the connection between text and
music, of traditional Palestinian music.
Israel's Jewish fundamentalism
The Israeli state criminal law makes no distinction
between a Jew and a gentile, but the distinction is made by the
Orthodox Rabbis officers who follow the Halakhah
teaching and give religious advice to the soldiers before,
during and after military operations.
Israel's highschoolers believe
another Holocaust possible
Most Israeli high school students—a staggering 82%
in fact—believe that the Holocaust could happen again,
finds a new survey conducted prior to International Holocaust
Day, to be held Monday January 27th. The aforementioned,
in-depth survey was conducted among high school students,
students in schools of education and IDF officers and
soldiers by the Massuah Institute for the Study of
the Holocaust
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