Shadi Fadda brings us today's headlines relating to Palestine and other news from around the internet.
Land Theft and Property Destruction
Israeli forces hand out demolition notices
Nablus – Ma'an – Israeli forces on Thursday handed out three notifications to families ordering them to demolish their houses in the Karazlafeh area east of Aqraba, a village south of Nablus. Palestinian official Ghassan Douglas, who holds the settlement portfolio for the West Bank, told Ma’an that Israeli forces officially handed notifications without clarifying the pretext for Atiyeh Fahmy Bani Maniya, Zahi Bani Maniya, and his brother Zuheir Bani Maniya. Douglas termed the house-demolition policy a way to drive Palestinians out of the country, and noted ironically that the new orders came just as US envoy George Mitchell arrived in Israel.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Ban urges Israel to end settlements
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Israel’s settlement construction on occupied Palestinian territory is hindering Middle East peace efforts, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned on Thursday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Activism/Solidarity/Boycott,
Lebanon activists launch campaign targeting Egypt's "wall of shame"
he Campaign to Stop the Wall of Shame, a newly-formed activist movement based in Beirut, Lebanon, held a press conference this morning to publicize the Arab Contractors construction company's role in the building of an underground steel wall along the Egypt-Gaza border.
http://electronicintifada.net/
"Stolen Beauty" Victory: Costco feels the love
The US Campaign recently released organizing resources and campaign kits for the boycott of Ahava, an Israeli cosmetics company that operates on stolen Palestinian land in the West Bank. Here's news of a recent victory for the "Stolen Beauty" campaign against Ahava, from the blog of US Campaign member group CODEPINK:
http://endtheoccupationblog.
Bradford Palestine Solidarity Group hosts Palestine Awareness Week
As Palestinians continue to suffer in occupied Palestine, actions and events are being held in the UK and Europe. The University of Bradford Union (UBU), Palestine Return Centre and Let Palestinians Study are organizing Palestine Awareness Week (PAW) and remembrance in Bradford city. The week of actions coincides with the 1st Anniversary of Gaza War which has been commemorated worldwide. Events will run from 1st February to 5th February.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/
Celebrate the Popular Resistance in Bil’in!
Come Celebrate five years of the Popular Resistance in Bil’in! Saturday, February 6, 8pm Kaza Maza 4629 avenue du Parc Fundraising Evening of Live Music, Slideshows and a Poster Exhibit Share a piece of Fifth Anniversary Cake! Sunday, February 7, 1pm Demonstration in Solidarity with Bil’in métro Mont-Royal plaza The village of Bil’in in the West Bank, Palestine, continues its five year struggle
http://www.tadamon.ca/post/
Israel threatening, arresting and deporting to crush dissent
RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank (IPS) - Israel is lashing out at international criticism and attempting to crush local dissent in what appears to be growing sensitivity to reproach of its policies. Several recent incidents have dominated media headlines, including the arrest of a Jewish-American journalist on the grounds of security, threats by an Israeli minister against international diplomats and the arrest of Israeli and Palestinian peace activists.
http://electronicintifada.net/
Lessons of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
Established in 1989, the MA'AN Development Center is "an independent Palestinian development and training institution....work(ing) towards sustainable human development in Palestine" through its various programs. On October 31, it released a publication on the Palestinian BDS campaign titled, "Boycott, Divestment, & Sanctions: Lessons learned in effective solidarity." It's another of the many BDS initiatives multiplying to support Palestine. In July 2005, a coalition of 171 Palestinian Civil Society organizations created the global movement for "Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights" for Occupied Palestine, Israeli Arabs, and Palestinian diaspora refugees.
http://palestinechronicle.com/
Aggression and Violence
Army Shoots at Palestinian Farmers and ISM Volunteers Gaza, Near Israel Boarder
Three ISM volunteers and five farmers from Abu Tayima, Gaza were fired at by the Israeli army as they attempted to sow wheat on their land near the Israeli border. A long awaited rainfall in Gaza several days ago created good conditions for wheat sowing on this dangerous plot of land where in the past farmers were shot at by the Israeli soldiers as they patrol the border.
http://palsolidarity.org/2010/
Israeli occupation police assault Aqsa Mosque guard
Israeli occupation police, Friday morning, brutally assaulted one of the Guards of the Aqsa Mosque while he was on duty, according to local sources.
http://www.palestine-info.co.
Israeli Injustice System
Israeli cop suspected of abusing Palestinian released to house arrest
The Jerusalem District Court on Friday released to house arrest a policemen suspected to be at the center of an abuse case involving a Palestinian detainee in Hebron. The judge ruled that the other three defendants in the case will also remain in house arrest until the court decides whether to release them. The four Israel Police officers were indicted on Sunday for allegedly abusing a Palestinian detainee who was arrested on suspicion of having stolen a motorcycle. The policemen were charged with abusing a helpless person, indecent act, aggravated assault, fraud and breach of trust.
http://haaretz.com/hasen/
Rights group demands indictments for settlers who assaulted Palestinians
By Chaim Levinson - Haaretz Correspondent " The human rights group Yesh Din is demanding that the Shai police district indict four settlers who were filmed attacking Bedouin in the West Bank in the summer of 2008. The police closed the cases against the suspects, despite a police camera having documented them in action."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Humanitarian Issues/Siege
Weekly report on Israeli human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territory 14 - 20 Jan 2010
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/
3 children in Gaza die of suffocation
Three children between the ages of 4 and 7 suffocated and died, at dawn Friday, at their home while two other siblings were seriously injured because of inhaling fumes from a gas-operated generator.
http://www.palestine-info.co.
Israel and Egypt Continue to Squeeze Gaza
Two weeks ago, almost 2,000 internationals came to Egypt and Gaza in a massive show of civil society's support for the people of Gaza. Nearly 1,400 persons representing 44 countries in the Gaza Freedom March and over 500 persons with the Viva Palestina Convoy let the people of Gaza know of their concern for the tragic consequences of their governments' support of the Israeli and Egyptian blockade.
http://www.truthout.org/
Testimony: Girl waiting for treatment in Israel dies in Gaza
Fidaa Heji was diagnosed in 2007 with lymphoma. On 23 Sept. '09, her physicians referred her to treatment in Israel, and her family submitted an urgent request to enter Israel. On 11 Nov. '09, she died, two weeks before her 18th birthday.
http://www.btselem.org/
Ignoring Gaza's humanitarian crisis
Haiti isn't the only place that needs help, but in Gaza, Israel is keeping aid away.
http://www.salon.com/opinion/
Why can Gazans get mops, not vinegar?
Why does Israel allow flour into the Gaza Strip but prohibit vinegar and coriander? Why did it suddenly drop the ban on the import of diapers, mops, black pepper and savory two months ago? How does preventing shoes and children's toys from entering Gaza enhance Israel's security? These are some of the questions which human rights organization Gisha - Legal Center for Freedom of Movement said on Wednesday it hopes to receive answers to in the wake of a decision on Thursday by the Tel Aviv District Court.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/
Politics and Diplomacy
Mitchell acknowledges difficulties
US envoy's effort to restart peace talks overshadowed by Israeli-Palestinian spat.
http://english.aljazeera.net//
EU to push for new Mideast peace talks: Spain (AFP)
AFP - The Spanish EU presidency pledged Thursday to make every effort to ensure that Middle East peace negotiations resume "as soon as possible."
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Hamas rep says Israel has right to exist
RAMALLAH, West Bank, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Hamas is prepared to revise its charter that called for the destruction of Israel and accept Israel's right to exist, a Hamas senior representative said. Aziz Dwaik, Hamas's most senior representative in the West Bank, made the remarks during a meeting in Hebron, Israel, with British millionaire David Martin Abrahams, who has ties with Israeli and British government officials, The Jerusalem Post reported Thursday.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/
Dweik: Hamas doesn't recognize Israel
Speaker Aziz Dweik on Thursday denied reports by Israeli news outlets that he said on Wednesday Israel has a right to exist. "The media reports in question were inaccurate," he said in a statement, adding that since his release from an Israeli prison last year, Israeli news outlets have repeatedly misrepresented his views.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/
Hamas, PNA differ on accepting Palestinian state on 1967 borders
GAZA/RAMALLAH, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement and the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) both said on Thursday that they accept the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders. However, they differ on the principles. Hamas leaders said they temporarily accept a statehood on the 1967 borders without giving up the Palestinian rights in the land of "historic Palestine", while a PNA official said the PNA rejects any Israeli military presence on the borders of the future state.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
Reconciliation in limbo: Hamas and Fatah are still deeply at odds
by Saleh Al-Naami - Al-Ahram Weekly "Nonetheless, there are some Palestinians who believe that the Arab summit in Libya next March will be beneficial. Among them is the leader of the Palestinian bloc of independents who headed their delegation to the dialogue in Cairo, Yasser Al-Wadeya, who insists that the summit will push forward Palestinian reconciliation as mediated by Egypt."
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/
Accusations mark start of new Mideast peace round (Reuters)
Reuters - Israel and the Palestinians belittled each other's commitment to peace as U.S. envoy George Mitchell began a fresh attempt on Thursday to break the deadlock and get them talking to each other again.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Obama: Expectations for Mideast peace too high
President Barack Obama says his administration overestimated its ability to persuade the Israelis and Palestinians to resume meaningful peace talks.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Analysis / Whose failure is this peace process?
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent "Exactly a year after trumpeting the appointment of former senator George Mitchell as his special envoy to the Middle East, U.S. President Barack Obama is holding Israel and the Palestinians equally responsible for the stalemate in the peace process."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/
Embracing Israel Costs Merkel Clout
BERLIN — There are some foreign policy issues that Angela Merkel does not like to talk about. One is Afghanistan. The other is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. So when she was asked about Israel’s settlement policy and the blockade of Gaza during a joint news conference here Monday with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, she minimized the issue. It was time to restart the peace process, she said, moving quickly to another topic.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/
Other News
Shiokhy: “Toxic Settlement Products Buried in West Bank”
Azmi Shiokhy, head of the Palestinian Consumer Protection Program in the West Bank, stated that several Israeli factories in are pumping and burying their toxins in several areas in the occupied West Bank.
http://www.imemc.org/index.
Yediot exposé: Settler orgs fund police infrastructure in East Jerusalem
A Yedioth Ahronoth investigation reveals some very surprising facts concerning the funding of the new headquarters. According to our findings, only a small portion of the funding originates from the state. The bulk of the money comes from private organizations with a clear right wing orientation: the Bukhara Community Trust, and the Shalem Foundation — a subsidiary formed by the Jerusalem-based Elad NGO.
http://coteret.com/2010/01/22/
Israeli Officer Arrested For Taking Bribes From Palestinian Detainees
The Special Investigation Unit of the Israeli army arrested on Friday morning an Israeli military officer on suspicion that he took bribes from Palestinian detainees at the Negev detention camp in exchange for some services.
http://www.imemc.org/index.
Gaza calling: ringtone exports evade blockade
GAZA, Jan 22 (Reuters Life!) - Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip not only restricts imports to the enclave but has also crushed traditional exports like fruit, flowers, furniture and ceramics. But a year after a war between Israel and Gaza's Hamas Islamist rulers that left over 1,400 dead and the 4-year-old blockade firmly in place, some Palestinian entrepreneurs are turning to the Internet to gain access to new foreign markets.
http://www.alertnet.org/
Analysis/Op-ed/Human Interest
Oslo and the end of Palestinian independence
The Oslo agreement aimed to end the Palestinian quest for liberation and justice and continues to pose the most significant challenge to both, writes Joseph Massad*
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/
"Jerusalem is in danger"
Once again, Israel resorts to show trials. Sheikh Raed Salah, a prominent political and religious leader of the Palestinian minority, was sentenced on 13 January by an Israeli court to nine months of imprisonment. This is his second conviction in recent years. This time the allegation was that he assaulted a policeman and obstructed police work during a demonstration at al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Nimer Sultany comments for The Electronic Intifada.
http://electronicintifada.net/
Israel's double standards over Haiti
However, for all that Israel's sterling work overseas deserves to be praised, it highlights the lack of compassion shown by the country's leaders to those suffering on its own doorstep. Israel's insistence on doing next to nothing to alleviate the suffering in Gaza while rushing to Haiti's aid exposes just how far they are prepared to stray from the religious teachings to which they claim to adhere. Likewise, when Zionist movements such as Bnei Akiva trumpet the achievements of Israel's relief teams as representative of the entire Jewish people, they inadvertently tar all Jews with the same brush when Israel's frequent violations of international law are brought to light.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Beware of the BBC
Its mission statement says: 'Trust is the foundation of the BBC: we are independent, impartial and honest.' However, people are complaining bitterly to the BBC about its pro-Israel stance when reporting on the situation in the Holy Land. Once renowned as the benchmark for fairness and accuracy, the BBC nowadays is careless with the truth when handling news from the Palestinian territories illegally occupied by Israel - the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
http://palestinechronicle.com/
The NGOization of Palestine
In 2004, INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence received an e-mail from the Ford Foundation. In the e-mail, the foundation rescinded a $100,000 grant it had awarded the group, explaining "that it had reversed its decision because of [the] organization's statement of support for the Palestinian liberation struggle."
http://www.kabobfest.com/2010/
Iraq
Thursday: 1 US Soldier, 5 Iraqis Killed; 11 Iraqis Wounded
At least five Iraqis were killed and 11 were wounded in the latest attacks. One U.S. soldier died in a vehicular accident as well. Meanwhile, the Health Ministry warned that as much as 10 percent of the population is disabled due to the war. Elsewhere, a probe into the workings of the De-Ba'athification Committee could change the upcoming elections. Also, a British contractor faced an Iraqi court, while in Britain a former foreign secretary testified at the Iraq Inquiry.
http://original.antiwar.com/
Iraq govt urges barred candidates to denounce Saddam (AFP)
AFP - The Iraqi government said on Friday that more than 500 candidates disqualified from a March general election for alleged links to Saddam Hussein must denounce his ousted regime and its crimes.
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
I could have vetoed UK military action in Iraq, Jack Straw tells inquiry
First cabinet minister to testify before Iraq war inquiry says he backed Blair but warned of serious pitfalls.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
US embassy seeks Iraqi fans on Facebook (AFP)
AFP - In what could be seen as a new front in cyber diplomacy or a naive gesture, depending on your point of view, the US embassy in Baghdad launched a Facebook page on Thursday to "reach out to Iraqis."
http://us.rd.yahoo.com/
Lebanon
Robert Fisk: The tree-lined bunkers that could change the face of the Middle East
Over Christmas, a parcel "from a foreign country" was delivered to three Hamas officials in Beirut and blew up, killing all of them. Last week, a bomb exploded in a building in southern Lebanon owned by two Hizbollah officials, wounding three children. One of them, 11-year-old Diana Zreik, had her left leg amputated. It looks like a glance at the past, to the 1970s, when Israel posted letter-bombs to its enemies in Lebanon.
http://www.independent.co.uk/
Teenage girl poised to be youngest Arab doctor
At just 16 years old, a gifted Lebanese teenager is already pursuing her dream of becoming a doctor.
http://www.thenational.ae/
Other World News
US occupation forces kills 4 civilians in Afghanistan
On Thursday, about 500 angry demonstrators chanted slogans against the United States and the Afghan government after four people were killed in a raid the night before in a village southwest of Kabul. NATO said the four killed were insurgents but villagers insisted they were civilians.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/
U.S. Envisions a Continuing Civilian Presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan
The Obama administration’s ambitious civilian push in Pakistan and Afghanistan will keep thousands of Americans in those countries for years.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/
Yemen's battle with al-Qaeda
Yemen's government is trying to find ways to combat al-Qaeda, which has a strong presence in the country. Saana has launched several air raids in recent weeks on people suspected of belonging to the network. But as Al Jazeera's Mohammed Vall reports from Aden, with a corrupt government and untrustworthy president and with the attacks so far proving ineffective, Yemenis remain uncertain about how best to deal with al-Qaeda.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Scahill on mercenaries: Haitians don’t need ‘more unaccountable people with guns’
Private security firms are already eying earthquake-stricken Haiti as a potential source of lucrative contracts. Author Jeremy Scahill believes, however, that "the last thing Haitians need [is] yet more unaccountable people with guns in their country." Scahill, the author of Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army, told MSNBC's Rachael Maddow on Wednesday that many of the companies trying to peddle their services in Haiti are "nobodies [who] saw a moment to make a buck ... but some of the kingpins of the mercenary industry, like Dyncorp and Triple Canopy, are hiring right now, guys for deployment in Haiti."
http://rawstory.com/2010/01/
Saudi cleric: no religious justification for child marriage
RIYADH: A senior Saudi cleric said that the Prophet Mohammad's marriage to a 9-year-old girl some 14 centuries ago cannot be used to justify child marriages today, a Saudi newspaper reported on Thursday. The comments by Sheikh Abdullah al-Manie, a member of the Council of Senior Ulema (scholars), followed the marriage of a 12-year-old girl to a man 68 years her senior.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/
Egyptian female bodyguards trade hijabs for aikido
Egypt's first female bodyguard unit empowers women while meeting a demand for increased security among wealthy women and at major events.
http://www.csmonitor.com/
www.TheHeadlines.org
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