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PCHR Weekly Report: 4 Palestinians killed,
15 wounded by Israeli forces
According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights
(PCHR)'s Weekly Report, during the week of 13 - 19
Mar. 2008, 4 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces.
12 Palestinians, including 3 children, a woman and a
mentally disabled person, were wounded by Israeli
forces in the Gaza Strip, and 3 civilians, including 2
human rights defenders, were wounded by Israeli
forces in the West Bank.
Palestinian shot dead by
Israeli troops in Gaza
A Palestinian civilian on a donkey cart was shot dead
by Israeli troops in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday,
medics and witnesses said. Hassan Abed, 60, was shot in
Al-Qarara near the border fence between the Hamas-run
territory and Israel, they said.
'5 Palestinians die while
awaiting treatment in Israel'
Physicians for Human Rights: Delays in issuing entry
permits into Israel risk Palestinian patients; Shin Bet:
Palestinians bribe doctors to acquire forged documents.
Settlers attacks international
activists in Hebron
The Christian Peace Maker Teams (CPT) stationed in the
southern West Bank city of Hebron, reported that two
extremist Israeli settlers attacked on Wednesday two
international observers who attempted to monitor the
escort of Palestinian children to their school as the
settlers continuously attack the children enroot to their schools.
Israeli settlers attack Christian volunteers
in southern West Bank's Hebron
On the morning of 19 March, two international
observers working with Christian Peacemaker
Teams (CPT) were attacked and chased by two
settlers while they attempted to monitor the
escort of the children from Tuba to At-Tuwani
. The settlers, whose faces were covered, used a
slingshot to fire stones at the internationals.
Israeli Civil Administration demolishes
three Palestinian houses near Jerusalem
Bulldozers belonging to the so-called Civil
Administration Office, which is under the Israeli
army control in the occupied territories,
demolished on Wednesday three Palestinian
houses in two villages near Jerusalem.
Israel to build new settler
homes in West Bank: report
A new expansion of a Jewish settlement in the
occupied West Bank is set to start at the weekend,
the right-wing Makor-Rishon Hatzofe daily
reported on Friday. Continued Israeli settlement
construction has been a major stumbling block for
peace talks with the Palestinians, which have
made little progress since they were revived in November.
No limits on rules of engagement
to avoid abduction of soldiers
Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post reported
on Thursday that the Israeli army instructed troops
deployed at the Gaza-Israel borders to do whatever
it takes in order to foil any abduction attempts of
Israeli soldiers, even if that leads to causing harm
to the abducted troopers.
In Gaza, Presiding Bishop sees humanitarian
crisis causing hardship among Palestinians
Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori's March
19 visit to Gaza brought a deeper understanding of
the humanitarian crisis that is impacting 1.5 million
Palestinians in the region and offered some signs of
hope in the work of the Al Ahli Arab Hospital, local
churches and human rights organizations.
Throughout the day, Jefferts Schori heard a constant
message of Muslims and Christians united in their
witness and common mission for peace, justice
and reconciliation.
Palestinian Authority upset that Hamas is
bringing medicine to the territories:
PA Security: Hamas responsible for
smuggling medicine in to the West Bank
Palestinian Preventative Security Forces in the West
Bank apprehended on Wednesday at night 11 million
NIS worth of medicine that was hidden in a wedding
hall in the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
PA to launch welfare network
in hopes of countering Hamas
The Palestinian Authority is launching a new
socioeconomic network meant to counter the
Hamas welfare system, the Dawa, which has
been successful in assisting poor Palestinians for two decades.
Investing in Fayyad
RAMALLAH - "I had a wonderful day,"
Salam Fayyad says with a big smile, in his spacious
office. A few hours earlier, the prime minister of the
Palestinian Authority had received $150 million
from the U.S. consul general in Jerusalem. This is
far from the largest amount ever handled by Fayyad,
a veteran official at the International Monetary Fund,
who holds a Ph.D. in economics. What moved him
was the American government's readiness to deposit
its rapidly thinning dollars into the PA's bank accoun
And not in controlled infrastructure or a specific project,
but as aid to finance the activities, and even the
salaries, of his civil servants. At a time of economic
distress in the United States, generous financing like
this can truly be considered a certificate of
appreciation and trust.
Five PLO factions welcome the Yamani initiative
Five Palestinian factions of the Palestine Liberation
Organization including "the Palestinian Arab Front,
Palestinian Liberation Front, Popular struggle Front
and Palestinian Democratic Union (Feda)", had
welcomed on Thursday the Yemeni initiative of national
reconciliation and talks between Fateh and
Hamas movements.
Hamas plays down chances of
Fatah talks succeeding
Hamas expressed doubt on Friday that Yemeni-sponsored
reconciliation talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas's secular Fatah faction would succeed despite an
agreement to extend the discussions for an extra day.
Abu Zuhri: Abbas's statements are an attempt
of not holding talks with Hamas
Sami Abu Zuhri, media spokesperson of Hamas affirmed
on Thursday that the statements of Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas over the withdrawing of the PLO
delegation from Yemen contradict with the efforts to
achieve reconciliation.
ISRAEL: Israeli sanctions backfiring?
The Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip has hit the
business sector, farmers and those who might
benefit from development projects, but helped
Hamas consolidate its authority in Gaza, says a
new report by the International Crisis Group
(ICG). Over three quarters of the population
receive humanitarian aid, making them more
dependent than ever on the international community.
Rachel Corrie's parents speak at Nablus
demonstration to remember those killed
in Gaza
Today approximately 200 residents of Nablus
and internationals gathered to commemorate
the five-year anniversary of the murder of
Rachel Corrie by Israeli forces in Rafah, Gaza,
as she tried to prevent a bulldozer from
demolishing a family home. The demonstration
also protested the ongoing attacks on Gaza by
the Israeli army, and the occupation of Iraq -
taking place on the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion.
Memorial to US Activist in West Bank
The parents of U.S. peace activist Rachel Corrie, who
was killed in Gaza by an Israeli bulldozer, marked the
fifth anniversary of her death Thursday by dedicating
a small West Bank memorial. Corrie was 23 when she
was run over by a 60-ton Israeli bulldozer in 2003
as she tried to prevent a Palestinian home from being
demolished. The driver said he didn't see her, and
the Israeli military ruled her death accidental.
UPDATE: Blake Murphy is deported to the US
Blake Murphy, an American activist from Bedford, MA,
working in the West Bank, was beaten and arrested by
Israeli army and police forces on Friday 14th March
2008. He has had to face a series of evidently false
charges from the Israeli authorities due to his work
supporting non-violent resistance to the occupation
of Palestine. He was deported to the United States
on Friday 21st March after a week in detention.
While in custody, Blake has had many of his legal
rights abused by the Israeli authorities.
Russian foreign minister, exiled
Hamas chief talk about Gaza
Russia's foreign minister discussed the situation in
Gaza with the exiled leader of the Palestinian
militant group Hamas during a visit to Syria, a
Hamas official said Thursday.
Russian FM in West Bank: Gaza
blockade unacceptable
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said
Friday during a visit to the West Bank city of
Ramallah that Israel should end the blockade of
the Gaza Strip and halt all settlement activity.
After meeting with Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas, Lavrov told a press
conference that the blockade, imposed by
Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized control
of Gaza in June, is unacceptable.
Trapped in no man's land
In 2006, as Iraq descended into new depths
of civil conflict, 350 Palestinian refugees were
driven out of Baghdad by targeted violence.
They arrived in the desert no man's land
between the Iraqi and Syrian border crossings
at al-Tanf. The Syrian authorities denied the
Palestinians access into Syria, while also
preventing any more Palestinians arriving into
the no man's land. The worsening violence in Iraq,
however, saw the continuing arrival of Palestinian
refugees at the border. An estimated 1,740 refugees
are now stuck in al-Waleed camp on the Iraqi side.
In addition, towards the end of 2007 about 350
Palestinians who previously entered Syria with
Iraqi passports were relocated to al-Tanf camp.
The number of refugees in al-Tanf has now
increased to an estimated 720, 500 of whom
are women and children.
Gaza's situation:
frustration and determination
A few kilometers from where the Israeli army attacked
Gaza's coast, a coalition of 27 women's organizations
held a festival marking International Women's Day.
Organized by the Women's Affairs Center based in
Gaza City, the event titled, "Gaza women defy the
Israeli siege," was held at the Beach Hotel along the coast.
Israel, U.S. commanders test
'extreme' scenarios in joint drill
The Israel Defense Forces and the United States
European Command (EUCOM) completed a
military headquarters training exercise in Tel
Aviv last night. The exercise was part of Juniper
Falcon, an ongoing series of training exercises
conducted by the U.S. Air Force in Europe and Israel.
Twilight Zone / When disaster strikes
It looks, terrifyingly, like Gaza. Behind tin fences,
at the northern entrance to the Askar refugee
camp in Nablus, hides a compound characterized
by poverty, one of the most miserable we have
seen. Brown hens peck at garbage in the backyard,
a yard that has become much larger since the
Israel Defense Forces demolished one of the two
buildings in the compound. Two crushed and
shattered skeletons of cars - a yellow taxi and a
white private car - were destroyed beneath the
ruins of the building and lie like a silent memorial
in the front of the yard. Only the floor of the
demolished building is left.
MIDEAST: The Son Who Did Not
Die, The One Who Did
The family had been mourning for 16-year-old
Ahmed Abu Salamah. What was left of what was
thought to be his body had been buried. After
two weeks of mourning, they found Ahmed
alive in the intensive care unit at Gaza City's
al-Shifa Hospital. But a boy had been buried.
And, a family had spent two weeks outside the
intensive care unit, believing the boy inside
was theirs. It was their boy who had died.
DON'T DELAY! REGISTER TODAY!
Sixth Annual International AL-AWDA CONVENTION
on the 60th YEAR OF THE NAKBA AND STRUGGLE FOR RETURN
Embassy Suites Hotel Anaheim South, 11767 Harbor Boulevard
Garden Grove, California, 92840
May 16-18, 2008
In praise of al-Jazeera
Israeli boycott on al-Jazeera indicates that Arab
network fulfills its journalistic mission. One day a
State wakes up in the morning and decides to
boycott a network. It happened to us in the
past with BBC, when its programming content
and criticism of Israel were not to the liking of
those in charge of our public relations effort.
Now, the Foreign Ministry wishes to do the same
with al-Jazeera.
Hamas accuses Egypt of militant 'torture'
GAZA CITY (AFP) - The Islamist movement Hamas
accused Egypt on Thursday of torturing dozens of
its militants who have been arrested and detained
after crossing from the Gaza Strip. A Hamas official
said 39 militants are currently being held in Egypt,
while 90 others have been released in recent weeks.
Jewish group seeks to purge
YouTube of anti-Semitic videos
Hamburg - Germany's national Jewish body said
Thursday it has filed suit against YouTube and its
parent company Google, demanding a court order
for the site to be permanently purged of
anti-Semitic videos.
US to Israel: No bias vs Arab-Americans
WASHINGTON - The State Department said
Thursday it repeatedly has told Israel to treat
Arab-American Palestinians as American citizens
at border crossings and elsewhere. Nonetheless,
department spokesman Sean McCormack said,
"it's a continuing issue. It's a continuing problem."
Arab-American leader James Zogby complained
in a letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
about the problem, which he said has been
"an issue for many decades" for Arab-Americans.
McCain in Holy Land; Evangelicals satisfied
(Video) US presidential hopeful's visit to Israel aimed
at gaining US Jews' support, but also that of
Evangelical Christians who believe Jewish state
fulfills biblical prophecy about Jesus' Second Coming,
Time Magazine reports.
See no evil: Canadian
government denies torture in Israel
"The Israelis tied my hands, blindfolded and then
beat me all the way to the interrogation center.
I was then cuffed to a chair for four days where
interrogators prevented me from sleeping. I was
tied in painful stress positions, and on one occasion
the agents grabbed me while I was cuffed to the
chair and shook me severely, I passed out when
they started shaking me by the head," says "Samer"
a former student activist at Birzeit University who
was arrested in 2006.
"Today, I weep for my country"
The speech given by Sen. Robert Byrd on the
Senate floor on March 19, 2003, just prior to
the U.S. invasion of Iraq -- and John McCain's
response. Editor's note: Exactly five years ago,
on the afternoon of March 19, 2003, mere hours
before bombs began falling in Baghdad, Sen.
Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., gave a speech on the floor
of the U.S. Senate condemning the use of military
force in Iraq. As soon as Byrd was finished speaking,
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., delivered a response
defending the Bush administration's decision to go
to war. Both speeches are reproduced in full below.
Exclusive: Blackwater
'Blood Money' Angers Iraqis
At least two Iraqi families of victims killed by Blackwater
security guards in September tell ABC News they have
refused compensation offered by the company.
The father of a 9-year-old boy, who says his son
was one of the 17 civilians killed when Blackwater
guards, escorting a diplomatic convoy, opened fire
at Baghdad's Nisour Square on Sept. 16, says he is
trying to file a lawsuit against the company. He told
ABCNews.com that Blackwater offered him $20,000
through an Iraqi prosecutor, but he refused the money.
Another Iraqi who lost both his wife and son in the
incident says he too has refused the company's offer
of compensation of $20,000 for each victim.
Iraqi police say US killed
6 civilians; US military denies
Police in the Iraqi city of Samarra said Thursday
six civilians were killed by a US gunship targeting
their car while the US military said four terror
suspects were killed by its troops in 'self-defence.'
In remembrance or some of our victims
WARNING - These Pages Depict The Horror
And Reality Of "Operation Iraqi Freedom"
The Cost So Far: $12 billion per month?
Given approximately $150 billion spent in
FY2008, the burn rate is $12.5 billion per month,
which is even higher than the "Hi" estimate.
The planes flew reconnaissance flights over the
border area before bombing targets of the Kurdistan
Workers' Party, or PKK, private news channel NTV
reported, citing Iraqi Kurdish officials.
Iran military 'shells Iraq villages'
THE Iranian military has shelled seven Iraqi border
villages, causing no injuries or damage but terrifying
residents, an Iraqi official said.
Death, Destruction and Reparations:
What Do We Owe Iraq?
Lurching down Valencia Street in San Francisco
last week, I all but stumbled over a homeless
young man squatting against the wall of the now
moribund New College. Begging his pardon, I could
not help but note that he was leafing through a
dog-eared volume scavenged from a nearby free
book box serendipitously entitled "What We Owe Iraq."
Indeed, my inattentiveness to the young man's pedal
extremities was the by-product of my contemplation
of just that subject.
The Ground Truth : The Human Cost
Of War-Sometimes the greatest act of
courage is to tell the truth
In the opening scenes of Patricia Foulkrod's powerful
documentary, we're introduced to a number of young
soldiers who speak candidly and powerfully about the
motivations that led them to join the military. As their
stories unfold, we hear their surprised reactions to boot
camp and combat training as they were taught to
dehumanize their enemy, to "kill hadjis and ragheads."
"The Ground Truth" is a documentary that should be
watched by everyone who has a friend, relative or
loved one who's served--or is about to serve--in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
battle for democracy
The United States has crushed the tyrannical rule of
Saddam Hussein but failed to win the battle for
democracy in Iraq, many Iraqis said as they
marked the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion.
US President George W. "Bush speaks of victory but
I say he has only achieved one thing for this country,
destruction," said Abu Fares al-Daraji, in his tobacco
shop on the once-bustling Saadun Street of
downtown Baghdad.
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